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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated UglyDolls (2019) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
u.g.l.y. You ain't got no alibi.
Ugly Dolls is a garish & heartless mess of stolen ideas & mixed messages. Ugly Dolls at its core is a film about being different, believing in yourself, being proud of who you are & the way you look but I found these positive messages to be all very contradictory & one sided. For instance we are told certain types of people are the evil ones because of how they dress, think & behave etc but the message of the film is to not discriminate or judge people so how is slating, stereotyping, victimising, hating & bullying them morally ok? its basically like saying using racism to combat racism is makes it fine. I know its a kids film & most of this will go over their heads but when my little nephew is turning to me questioning which characters are the villains then it must be that obvious its a problem. Now this would all be fine if the film at least looked nice or had interesting set pieces but it doesnt at all. Animation is ugly with texture work that seems lazy & unfinished in parts making what should be vibrant fluffy creatures feel a blurry texturless mess especially around the eyes & mouth areas. Lacking also in any excitement the film most of the time crawls along at a snails pace with lengthy painful sections just there to flesh out its unnecessarily complex plot. When action does start its drab & void of excitement with big scenes shamelessly stolen from films such as toy story 3 & replicated exactly just with less care & budget. While my nephew enjoyed it I could definitely see him becoming restless at times especially when nothing much was happening & talking to him when we left he knew none of the characters names either (usually he wont shut up about the plot, characters & songs after we see a film hyper & grinning from ear to ear but with this film he wasnt). Song wise theres nothing remotley catchy or memorable here & i get the sense the film was just trying to cash in on the success of the greatest showman. All in all its a film thats had minimum effort put into it designed just to sell the McDonalds happy meals it shamelessly promotes just before it starts.
ClareR (5906 KP) rated Starve Acre in Books
Oct 28, 2019 (Updated Oct 28, 2019)
Prepare for a tense, rather scary read!
Starve Acre was a novel that had me wondering whether I’d picked up the right book. I thought I’d chosen a book about a couple struggling to deal with the death of their young son, but by about a third of the way through, I was so gripped and jumping at shadows that I couldn’t decide whether this was a thriller or a horror! It is, I’ve decided, my favourite kind of scary book. You’re never quite sure what you’re supposed to be scared of, but the hairs standing up on the back of your neck would tell you that whatever it is, it’s THERE on the page in front of you! I should’ve guessed that it would be like this. I mean, who lives in a house called Starve Acre and doesn’t expect something to go wrong? And that cover! Jo McLaren has done an amazing piece of art - it’s what made me want to read it, after all.
Children are always the ones that seem to be more sensitive to the supernatural, and Richard and Juliette’s son Ewan is no exception. Before his death, he talks of a menacing figure called Jack Grey, who tells him to do certain things - none of which make him popular in the village. Ewan becomes more and more unhappy, and his behaviour becomes more erratic.
After Ewan’s death, Richard and Juliette’s grief becomes suffocating - I could feel it coming off the page. Juliette’s sister expects her to pull herself together, but Juliette is convinced that Ewan is still in the house. So she invites The Beacons, a group of Spiritualists, to come and contact him and put him to rest. And this is where it starts to get really macabre. If I could have read this with my eyes shut, I would have. The fact that this isn’t written in your stereotypical ‘horror story’ fashion, is what makes it truly unsettling. I was never sure what was real and what was some sort of mass hallucination.
I just loved this book, and it’s going on my Keeper Shelf(yes, it has capital letters). Highly recommended to be read during daylight hours only, unless you like being chilled to the bone!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Readers First for my copy of this book to read and review.
Children are always the ones that seem to be more sensitive to the supernatural, and Richard and Juliette’s son Ewan is no exception. Before his death, he talks of a menacing figure called Jack Grey, who tells him to do certain things - none of which make him popular in the village. Ewan becomes more and more unhappy, and his behaviour becomes more erratic.
After Ewan’s death, Richard and Juliette’s grief becomes suffocating - I could feel it coming off the page. Juliette’s sister expects her to pull herself together, but Juliette is convinced that Ewan is still in the house. So she invites The Beacons, a group of Spiritualists, to come and contact him and put him to rest. And this is where it starts to get really macabre. If I could have read this with my eyes shut, I would have. The fact that this isn’t written in your stereotypical ‘horror story’ fashion, is what makes it truly unsettling. I was never sure what was real and what was some sort of mass hallucination.
I just loved this book, and it’s going on my Keeper Shelf(yes, it has capital letters). Highly recommended to be read during daylight hours only, unless you like being chilled to the bone!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Readers First for my copy of this book to read and review.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Oct 23, 2019 (Updated Oct 23, 2019)
Dull Fate
Terminator Dark Fate only isnt the worst film in the Terminator franschise but only because Genisys exists. Dark Fate is basically a reskin of Terminator 2 but minus everything that made that movie one of the greatest films of all time. Dark Fates main problem is its just dull and after the opening nothing intresting, unique, creative or thrilling happenes leaving the movie with almost no redeeming features and nothing that sets it apart from the other terrible sequels. Dark Fate seems to think pure nostalgia alone will make an entertaining movie and while it certainly can do Dark Fate doesnt understand how nostalgia works even coming across like its mocking the very film it ows its existance too. Plot wise its increadibly generic/unintresting, characters are one dimentional/unlikable, acting is stale and lacks drama, dialog is painful and every interaction only serves as exposition explaining every single part of the very basic plot repeatedly just so even the most brain dead of viewer understands whats happened or what is about to happen. Worst of all it doesnt feel like a Terminator film, wheres the grit, the dark atmosphere, the horror, the tension, the realistic humour, the high stakes, the menacing and relentlessly intimidating bad guy, the memorable action set pieces, the complicated story, character depth, quotable dialog and most importantly the soul because this movie has none. Linda Hamilton is back but shes wasted and doesnt even feel like the same person with the film thinking what made her such an iconic character was just her gratuitios swearing. Arnie is great but feels pushed to the side serving to be nothing more than a joke/nostalgia piece. Cgi is bad/texturless and animation is cheap looking, infact there are some cgi moments so bad its almost like they didnt have time to finish them off. Action has a few ok sequences but they lack tension, weight and a high stake plot to fully find them exciting. If you are a Terminator fan to save dissapointment I would just forget everything after T2 exists because this just like the others is souless hollow mess. An utter shambles of a film, I wish I could send myself back to stop the past me from seeing it.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Priory of the Orange Tree in Books
Jan 14, 2020
Strong female characters (2 more)
No filler
Deep history and lore
Compelling Fantasy
Wanting to try and branch out from just reading mainly thrillers this year I decided to get back on the fantasy track and picked this up at the library. I’m really glad I did it’s a great fantasy adventure set in a lore and history-rich world. I did have to get the ebook as well, as my wrists couldn’t cope with long reading sessions of the hardback copy and I didn’t want to put it down…..
It’s not an overly complicated fantasy tale and despite its 800+ pages, I found I was breezing through it at pace. It easily kept my interest and didn’t get too bogged down at any point. We have a tale of ancient evil rising, and a divided world will need to find a way to work together to defeat it.
Brimmed full of strong female characters we meet Ead hiding in the royal household of Inys under the guise of a maid-in-waiting but really is a kick-ass slayer/mage type, trying to protect the Queen. Meanwhile, on the other side of the great Abyss (big continent dividing ocean), we have Tane who has spent most of her life training to be a fearless dragon-riding warrior. The story is told from 4 different POVs but those two are the most engaging.
We have some romance (sigh lovey-dovey stuff - gross) but we don’t get bogged down in it and it feels entirely part of the story (not just tits and arse for the sake of it).
None of this book felt like unnecessary filler, despite epic journey's, we didn't have to read about every breakfast and lunch eaten (cough...). If anything some of the coincidences in characters meeting felt like it could of had more embellishment but I’m not really complaining it kept the story moving at a good clip. I felt the world that was built deserved a bit more of a complicated/nuanced tale but appreciate not having to slog through many years of sequels to get a conclusion. I didn’t feel the battles lived up to the overall size of the story but that may just be me watching too much TV...
Overall just what I needed to get me to want to keep branching out and reading a more diverse selection of genres - Go libraries!!!.
It’s not an overly complicated fantasy tale and despite its 800+ pages, I found I was breezing through it at pace. It easily kept my interest and didn’t get too bogged down at any point. We have a tale of ancient evil rising, and a divided world will need to find a way to work together to defeat it.
Brimmed full of strong female characters we meet Ead hiding in the royal household of Inys under the guise of a maid-in-waiting but really is a kick-ass slayer/mage type, trying to protect the Queen. Meanwhile, on the other side of the great Abyss (big continent dividing ocean), we have Tane who has spent most of her life training to be a fearless dragon-riding warrior. The story is told from 4 different POVs but those two are the most engaging.
We have some romance (sigh lovey-dovey stuff - gross) but we don’t get bogged down in it and it feels entirely part of the story (not just tits and arse for the sake of it).
None of this book felt like unnecessary filler, despite epic journey's, we didn't have to read about every breakfast and lunch eaten (cough...). If anything some of the coincidences in characters meeting felt like it could of had more embellishment but I’m not really complaining it kept the story moving at a good clip. I felt the world that was built deserved a bit more of a complicated/nuanced tale but appreciate not having to slog through many years of sequels to get a conclusion. I didn’t feel the battles lived up to the overall size of the story but that may just be me watching too much TV...
Overall just what I needed to get me to want to keep branching out and reading a more diverse selection of genres - Go libraries!!!.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Blade (1998) in Movies
Jan 15, 2020
Blade is undeniably a product of it's time. It's the late 90s, everyone loves leather and shades, everyone loves Wesley Snipes, everyone loves dumb one liners, so the character of Blade is ripe for adaption.
But the importance of this gory action flick should absolutely not be understated. Not only was it the first proper big (ish) budget Marvel film, but it's pre dates Black Panther as the first superhero film with a black lead, and it pre dates The Punisher as the first R-rated Marvel blockbuster.
But in a pre X-Men world, comic book movies weren't a big deal at this point. I actually remember me and my friends sneakily renting and watching it (we were 10 at the time...) and none of them even knowing that Blade was even a comic book!
Here we are all these years later and the Blade trilogy is now remembered fondly (well, at least the first two are!)
Wesley Snipes is of course the star of this particular vehicle, and here, he is the most Wesley Snipes he's ever been. The cheesy one liners still come off well, and lend a nice comedic edge to the buckets of blood on display. The charm that he brings to the Blade character is the main reason why it's been hard to imagine anyone else in the role for so long (although I am here all day long for Mahershala Ali)
The other big character throughout the trilogy is Whistler, played by Kris Kristofferson, just generally being old, grumpy and badass, and is honestly the best character in the whole thing (here's hoping the MCU introduce a Whistler series on Disney+...)
Stephen Dorff plays Deacon Frost, the films villain, and he's really not much more than a generic superhero bad guy (the first of many).
The choreography and the fight scenes are pretty great, and the willingness to go hard R is what set Blade apart before comic book movies became a thing. It's sooooo bloody in parts, that it verges heavily into horror territory.
The CGI effects are utterly horrible by todays standards, but it's not used nearly enough to discredit the film too much.
Blade is a decent enough adaption of the cult Marvel series, and is a fun, gory blockbuster, but as mentioned, it's an important step in comic book cinema. Long live Blade!
But the importance of this gory action flick should absolutely not be understated. Not only was it the first proper big (ish) budget Marvel film, but it's pre dates Black Panther as the first superhero film with a black lead, and it pre dates The Punisher as the first R-rated Marvel blockbuster.
But in a pre X-Men world, comic book movies weren't a big deal at this point. I actually remember me and my friends sneakily renting and watching it (we were 10 at the time...) and none of them even knowing that Blade was even a comic book!
Here we are all these years later and the Blade trilogy is now remembered fondly (well, at least the first two are!)
Wesley Snipes is of course the star of this particular vehicle, and here, he is the most Wesley Snipes he's ever been. The cheesy one liners still come off well, and lend a nice comedic edge to the buckets of blood on display. The charm that he brings to the Blade character is the main reason why it's been hard to imagine anyone else in the role for so long (although I am here all day long for Mahershala Ali)
The other big character throughout the trilogy is Whistler, played by Kris Kristofferson, just generally being old, grumpy and badass, and is honestly the best character in the whole thing (here's hoping the MCU introduce a Whistler series on Disney+...)
Stephen Dorff plays Deacon Frost, the films villain, and he's really not much more than a generic superhero bad guy (the first of many).
The choreography and the fight scenes are pretty great, and the willingness to go hard R is what set Blade apart before comic book movies became a thing. It's sooooo bloody in parts, that it verges heavily into horror territory.
The CGI effects are utterly horrible by todays standards, but it's not used nearly enough to discredit the film too much.
Blade is a decent enough adaption of the cult Marvel series, and is a fun, gory blockbuster, but as mentioned, it's an important step in comic book cinema. Long live Blade!
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Beginners Cookbook in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Beginners Cookbook by K. Mortimer is a book full of fairly quick and easy recipes. While the cooking time on some of these can be a bit long, none of the recipes. in this book take very long to put together. Some readers that are not from the United Kingdom may not recognize some of the names of some ingredients but a quick google search should fix that.
This cookbook walks beginner cooks through common breakfast foods, main meal dishes, and even snacks. It has recipes. for common foods such as macaroni and cheese to things a little more uncommon (yet still simple) like prawn cocktails. The dessert selection offers some delicious recipes such as rice pudding or an apple and blackberry crumble. The cookbook also ends on a sweet note with the cakes and pastries section containing items such as fruit scones and jam jars.
One of the best things about this book is how simple all the recipes are. The chocolate brownies probably have one of the largest ingredient lists in the entire book. Also, many of the meat-based recipes gives a vegetarian option in the instructions as well. What I did not really care for was that some of the recipes seem to be in the wrong chapter. Flapjacks, for example, are labeled as a cake and not a breakfast food (this may be a UK vs. US thing I am not sure). There were also ingredients such as sultanas and salad cream that I have never heard of, along with a few unknown !!br0ken!!
This book was created directly for those who have never cooked before or who have just started cooking. It is perfect for (supervised) children who are gaining confidence in the kitchen. Adults and teens who find themselves suddenly on their own for food will also benefit from this book. It would make a good gift for a new college student as well. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. The recipes themselves are very beginner-friendly although there are a few things that would make it even more so. It would have been nice to see examples of less common items such as flan pans in an index-like area. Also, a list of common substitutions for things like eggs and butter would have been nice along with a conversions chart.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
This cookbook walks beginner cooks through common breakfast foods, main meal dishes, and even snacks. It has recipes. for common foods such as macaroni and cheese to things a little more uncommon (yet still simple) like prawn cocktails. The dessert selection offers some delicious recipes such as rice pudding or an apple and blackberry crumble. The cookbook also ends on a sweet note with the cakes and pastries section containing items such as fruit scones and jam jars.
One of the best things about this book is how simple all the recipes are. The chocolate brownies probably have one of the largest ingredient lists in the entire book. Also, many of the meat-based recipes gives a vegetarian option in the instructions as well. What I did not really care for was that some of the recipes seem to be in the wrong chapter. Flapjacks, for example, are labeled as a cake and not a breakfast food (this may be a UK vs. US thing I am not sure). There were also ingredients such as sultanas and salad cream that I have never heard of, along with a few unknown !!br0ken!!
This book was created directly for those who have never cooked before or who have just started cooking. It is perfect for (supervised) children who are gaining confidence in the kitchen. Adults and teens who find themselves suddenly on their own for food will also benefit from this book. It would make a good gift for a new college student as well. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. The recipes themselves are very beginner-friendly although there are a few things that would make it even more so. It would have been nice to see examples of less common items such as flan pans in an index-like area. Also, a list of common substitutions for things like eggs and butter would have been nice along with a conversions chart.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) in Movies
Mar 7, 2020
To put it simply, if you're not too keen on anything related to Jay & Silent Bob or Kevin Smith, then this entry is not going to change your mind!
The first film from way back in 2001 was already loveably dumb enough. It's collision of immature humour, social commentary, slapstick silliness and plentiful references to past Kevin Smith projects leant it an awkward charm, and things are no different this time around, with exception of everyone involved looking older.
The plot revolves around the titular duo traveling to Hollywood to stop the reboot of a comic book film featuring characters based on their likenesses (literally the same plot as the first). Cue plenty of remarks about the state of cinema and the unstoppable geyser of reboots/remakes/re-imaginings, followed by an absurd road trip, and everything feels familiar and homely.
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith are just as likable as they every have been as Jay & SB, and the supporting characters, lead by Smith's daughter Harley Quinn, are much the same (although they took a bit longer to grow on me).
There is a veritable plethora of cameos and Clerks call backs peppered throughout, including the likes of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Hemsworth, Joey Lauren Adams, Melissa Benoist, Val Kilmer, Jason Biggs, Robert Kirkman....the list goes on and on. None of these inclusions feel particularly forced, and everyone seems pretty willing to be a part of the silliness.
The script is a mixed bag of decent gags, meta lines (sometimes a bit too over the top, to the point of almost insulting the audience!), Kevin Smith talking a whole bunch of shit about himself and some genuinely touching moments. Seriously - towards the films climax, I genuinely fretted that i might let out a little sob...
The truth is, I grew up watching films like Clerks, Dogma, Mallrats etc, and whenever a new entry is put out, I remember just how much these niche comedies mean to me. Jay & Silent Bob Reboot fits right in there with the rest of them.
It's not perfect by any means, but this is a film that can pull off Chris Jericho playing a KKK leader, Redman and Method Man giving parenting, whilst still including a lip wobbling tribute to the late Stan Lee (a we'll know fan of Kevin Smith and his work). How can anyone not appreciate that!?
The first film from way back in 2001 was already loveably dumb enough. It's collision of immature humour, social commentary, slapstick silliness and plentiful references to past Kevin Smith projects leant it an awkward charm, and things are no different this time around, with exception of everyone involved looking older.
The plot revolves around the titular duo traveling to Hollywood to stop the reboot of a comic book film featuring characters based on their likenesses (literally the same plot as the first). Cue plenty of remarks about the state of cinema and the unstoppable geyser of reboots/remakes/re-imaginings, followed by an absurd road trip, and everything feels familiar and homely.
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith are just as likable as they every have been as Jay & SB, and the supporting characters, lead by Smith's daughter Harley Quinn, are much the same (although they took a bit longer to grow on me).
There is a veritable plethora of cameos and Clerks call backs peppered throughout, including the likes of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Hemsworth, Joey Lauren Adams, Melissa Benoist, Val Kilmer, Jason Biggs, Robert Kirkman....the list goes on and on. None of these inclusions feel particularly forced, and everyone seems pretty willing to be a part of the silliness.
The script is a mixed bag of decent gags, meta lines (sometimes a bit too over the top, to the point of almost insulting the audience!), Kevin Smith talking a whole bunch of shit about himself and some genuinely touching moments. Seriously - towards the films climax, I genuinely fretted that i might let out a little sob...
The truth is, I grew up watching films like Clerks, Dogma, Mallrats etc, and whenever a new entry is put out, I remember just how much these niche comedies mean to me. Jay & Silent Bob Reboot fits right in there with the rest of them.
It's not perfect by any means, but this is a film that can pull off Chris Jericho playing a KKK leader, Redman and Method Man giving parenting, whilst still including a lip wobbling tribute to the late Stan Lee (a we'll know fan of Kevin Smith and his work). How can anyone not appreciate that!?
JT (287 KP) rated Escape Room (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Escape rooms are all the rage at the moment. The premise is simple, a group of people are trapped inside a confined space full of clues and puzzles in order to find a way out – so it was only a matter of time before the horror genre got hold of it.
There have been a few incantations of this new age idea already; Escape Room (2017) & No Escape Room, but this one is probably the best of a bad bunch.
Six strangers each receive a cryptic puzzle box, which once opened invites them to compete for a $10,000 prize – if they can get through a series of deviously constructed rooms. The group comes from all walks of life, a gifted maths student, an Iraq War vet a blue collar trucker to name a few, each with a seemingly interconnected past.
After a frantic flash-forward where we see someone coming unstuck in one of the rooms, we are introduced to each of the characters one by one. There isn’t enough time to go into massive details, so it feels like we only scratch the surface as to what makes them tick.
Meeting in a plush reception area the game begins – although none of them realise it at first. The room starts to get hot and they soon discover that they are about to get burnt alive – unless they can work out the clues to escape.
The group quickly realise that they will have to work together in order to survive.
Aside from getting burnt alive they also face a winter themed room where the ice cracks beneath them, an upside down bar where the floor drops away and a hallucinogenic trip fest which is extremely freaky to watch.
During proceedings, in which there is a lot of infighting and panic, you half expect Billy the Puppet to come peddling out on his tricycle and explain the next part of the game. There are definite similarities to Saw, people are in a race against time before they ultimately meet a grizzly end, but because many people have experienced this style of entertainment before the reality is unnerving.
While the gore doesn’t reach Saw levels it provides enough tension, but it then starts to tail off a little towards the end. The conclusion is far too predictable although there is just enough intrigue to see what they will conjure up next.
There have been a few incantations of this new age idea already; Escape Room (2017) & No Escape Room, but this one is probably the best of a bad bunch.
Six strangers each receive a cryptic puzzle box, which once opened invites them to compete for a $10,000 prize – if they can get through a series of deviously constructed rooms. The group comes from all walks of life, a gifted maths student, an Iraq War vet a blue collar trucker to name a few, each with a seemingly interconnected past.
After a frantic flash-forward where we see someone coming unstuck in one of the rooms, we are introduced to each of the characters one by one. There isn’t enough time to go into massive details, so it feels like we only scratch the surface as to what makes them tick.
Meeting in a plush reception area the game begins – although none of them realise it at first. The room starts to get hot and they soon discover that they are about to get burnt alive – unless they can work out the clues to escape.
The group quickly realise that they will have to work together in order to survive.
Aside from getting burnt alive they also face a winter themed room where the ice cracks beneath them, an upside down bar where the floor drops away and a hallucinogenic trip fest which is extremely freaky to watch.
During proceedings, in which there is a lot of infighting and panic, you half expect Billy the Puppet to come peddling out on his tricycle and explain the next part of the game. There are definite similarities to Saw, people are in a race against time before they ultimately meet a grizzly end, but because many people have experienced this style of entertainment before the reality is unnerving.
While the gore doesn’t reach Saw levels it provides enough tension, but it then starts to tail off a little towards the end. The conclusion is far too predictable although there is just enough intrigue to see what they will conjure up next.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Love, Death & Robots - Season 1 in TV
Apr 9, 2020
The beauty of Love, Death and Robots is it's format. An eclectic collection of animated short films, some genuinely brilliant, with a handful of duds, truly gives something for everyone.
There are 18 films on show here, all with something different to offer.
Firstly there were 3 that failed to really resonate with me - Sucker of Souls, When the Yoghurt Took Over, and Alternate Histories. I found these three either slightly boring, or silly for the sake of being silly. There were 2 that sort of floated in the middle - The Dump, and Blind Spot, not bad by any means (none of the shorts are truly bad) but just were sort of there.
Leaving a grand total of 13 shorts that I thought were really really great.
A handful of these realistic CGI entries - namely, Sonnie's Edge, Three Robots, Beyond the Aquila Rift, Shape Shifters (one of the highlights for me), Helping Hand (reminded me of Gravity, in a great way), Lucky 13, and The Secret War.
These lot are lengthier offerings, and boast some good looking CGI animation, bordering on photo realism at times. The run time gives an opportunity for some decent fleshed out stories.
The Secret War in particular is nothing short of breath taking, and may well be my top pick of the whole season.
Elsewhere, we have more cartoony offerings - Suits, a loud animation that features farmers in mech suits fighting aliens. Zima Blue, a beautifully touching story of how a simple robot transcends existence itself - another highlight of the season. Fish Night, a short desert based drama bursting with colour. The animation of this one reminded me of A Scanner Darkly. Good Hunting, a collision of Ancient Chinese stories and a Bioshock style steampunk future. Hard to watch at times, but stunning also - easily would have been my top pick if The Secret War wasn't included.
Rounding it off we have The Witness, and animation that looks like a moving oil painting and reminded me of Mirror's Edge, and Ice Age, a fun short that's the only live action inclusion with CGI flourishes about a civilisation growing in a couple freezer.
It's an ambitious collection of shorts for sure, but like I said, there's something here for everyone. Even the ones that I liked the least are a 6/10 at worst. If you like sci-fi or animation in any shape or form, then check this series out.
There are 18 films on show here, all with something different to offer.
Firstly there were 3 that failed to really resonate with me - Sucker of Souls, When the Yoghurt Took Over, and Alternate Histories. I found these three either slightly boring, or silly for the sake of being silly. There were 2 that sort of floated in the middle - The Dump, and Blind Spot, not bad by any means (none of the shorts are truly bad) but just were sort of there.
Leaving a grand total of 13 shorts that I thought were really really great.
A handful of these realistic CGI entries - namely, Sonnie's Edge, Three Robots, Beyond the Aquila Rift, Shape Shifters (one of the highlights for me), Helping Hand (reminded me of Gravity, in a great way), Lucky 13, and The Secret War.
These lot are lengthier offerings, and boast some good looking CGI animation, bordering on photo realism at times. The run time gives an opportunity for some decent fleshed out stories.
The Secret War in particular is nothing short of breath taking, and may well be my top pick of the whole season.
Elsewhere, we have more cartoony offerings - Suits, a loud animation that features farmers in mech suits fighting aliens. Zima Blue, a beautifully touching story of how a simple robot transcends existence itself - another highlight of the season. Fish Night, a short desert based drama bursting with colour. The animation of this one reminded me of A Scanner Darkly. Good Hunting, a collision of Ancient Chinese stories and a Bioshock style steampunk future. Hard to watch at times, but stunning also - easily would have been my top pick if The Secret War wasn't included.
Rounding it off we have The Witness, and animation that looks like a moving oil painting and reminded me of Mirror's Edge, and Ice Age, a fun short that's the only live action inclusion with CGI flourishes about a civilisation growing in a couple freezer.
It's an ambitious collection of shorts for sure, but like I said, there's something here for everyone. Even the ones that I liked the least are a 6/10 at worst. If you like sci-fi or animation in any shape or form, then check this series out.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Cars 2 (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Producer Brad Lewis (Ratatouille)steps into the director’s chair for this sequel that follows racing legend Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his trusty sidekick, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).
Passports are secured and ready to take part in the biggest race on the planet, Lightning and his freinds prepare to take on the best racers in the world. As the first-ever World Grand Prix approaches, cars from every continent prepare for the ultimate competition. But who will have what it takes to become the fastest car on the planet? Just as Lightning McQueen edges up to the starting line, however, his old pal Mater gets sidetracked on a top-secret spy mission that takes him from Japan to Europe. Thankfully Mater’s friends are always willing to lend a helping wheel, and as the race gets under way, everyone shifts into high gear to help out an old friend.
“Cars 2” It’s James Bond meets “Fast and the Furious” and Full of ACTION! None of the characters from the first film are forgotten Of course Tow Mater stands out the most for his hilarious ways of a small town country tow truck who isn’t afraid to do or say anything! Mater is as FUNNY as can be and shares a range of emotions with Lightning . The bond between Lightning McQueen and Tow mater “Mater” are classic as for Mater he encounters a reality check when he’s able to understand how others view him for the first time out of Radiator Springs. When Mater is mistaken for someone else a whole new world of adventure is opened up for him which causes him to grow.
I saw the film with an all ages group in the theater and I observed that everybody was enjoying it as well.
Watching this movie in 3D really made you feel like you were there! It’s funny when computer graphics of animation are realistic enough to make you become part of the story. It is amazing how much technology has changed from when I first encountered Disney animation in the 1970’s.
If you enjoyed the first Cars movie your sure to enjoy this one too! It is a must see! Never a dull moment. A Wonderful start to the Summer of family Movies.
Passports are secured and ready to take part in the biggest race on the planet, Lightning and his freinds prepare to take on the best racers in the world. As the first-ever World Grand Prix approaches, cars from every continent prepare for the ultimate competition. But who will have what it takes to become the fastest car on the planet? Just as Lightning McQueen edges up to the starting line, however, his old pal Mater gets sidetracked on a top-secret spy mission that takes him from Japan to Europe. Thankfully Mater’s friends are always willing to lend a helping wheel, and as the race gets under way, everyone shifts into high gear to help out an old friend.
“Cars 2” It’s James Bond meets “Fast and the Furious” and Full of ACTION! None of the characters from the first film are forgotten Of course Tow Mater stands out the most for his hilarious ways of a small town country tow truck who isn’t afraid to do or say anything! Mater is as FUNNY as can be and shares a range of emotions with Lightning . The bond between Lightning McQueen and Tow mater “Mater” are classic as for Mater he encounters a reality check when he’s able to understand how others view him for the first time out of Radiator Springs. When Mater is mistaken for someone else a whole new world of adventure is opened up for him which causes him to grow.
I saw the film with an all ages group in the theater and I observed that everybody was enjoying it as well.
Watching this movie in 3D really made you feel like you were there! It’s funny when computer graphics of animation are realistic enough to make you become part of the story. It is amazing how much technology has changed from when I first encountered Disney animation in the 1970’s.
If you enjoyed the first Cars movie your sure to enjoy this one too! It is a must see! Never a dull moment. A Wonderful start to the Summer of family Movies.