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Long winded and dull
Dan Brown is a very divisive author. Most people either love him or hate him, and if I'm being honest, I'm verging more on the latter after reading this.
The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were fantastic books, but I discovered after reading most of Dan Brown's other books that his writing and plots follow virtually the same paths. And that gets a little boring after a while when it feels like you're reading the same story with slightly different details. And this is the problem with Origin. It's the same old plot structure, but this time with a very dull storyline. It promises us this amazing discovery and builds it up for far too long over the initial 100 pages or so, but then reveals nothing until after 450 pages by which point I was very close to giving up. There wasn't even any tension or thrills during Brown's predictable chase scenes, and the whole story was just beyond dull and predictable. And even the final reveal right at the end, I'd predicted it right from the start. Think I may have to give up reading Dan Brown's books now.
The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were fantastic books, but I discovered after reading most of Dan Brown's other books that his writing and plots follow virtually the same paths. And that gets a little boring after a while when it feels like you're reading the same story with slightly different details. And this is the problem with Origin. It's the same old plot structure, but this time with a very dull storyline. It promises us this amazing discovery and builds it up for far too long over the initial 100 pages or so, but then reveals nothing until after 450 pages by which point I was very close to giving up. There wasn't even any tension or thrills during Brown's predictable chase scenes, and the whole story was just beyond dull and predictable. And even the final reveal right at the end, I'd predicted it right from the start. Think I may have to give up reading Dan Brown's books now.
The beginning of Hook
Contains spoilers, click to show
I really enjoyed this dark take on Captain Hook’s beginning. Henry’s version of Hook’s origin story fit very well with what we know about Peter. I can now see, even from the Disney version, how he might not have been what we thought he was, a boy who never wanted to grow up, only to stay small and play forever.
Hook was once a regular boy, by the name of Jamie, who became the focus of Peter Pans attention. He was the first Lost Boy, the first child Peter convinced to run off to a magic island to live and never grow up. Jamie loved Peter and wanted to be his best friend forever. He believed he was Peter’s favorite, his confidant.
But, what happens when Jamie starts to see the friend he adores, and thought loved him, isn’t what he believed he was? What happens if Peter turns out to be cruel and heartless, and tries to rip everything Jamie cares about away from him in order to keep Jamie’s attention only on him?
Well, Jamie becomes the villain in Peter’s story.
Hook was once a regular boy, by the name of Jamie, who became the focus of Peter Pans attention. He was the first Lost Boy, the first child Peter convinced to run off to a magic island to live and never grow up. Jamie loved Peter and wanted to be his best friend forever. He believed he was Peter’s favorite, his confidant.
But, what happens when Jamie starts to see the friend he adores, and thought loved him, isn’t what he believed he was? What happens if Peter turns out to be cruel and heartless, and tries to rip everything Jamie cares about away from him in order to keep Jamie’s attention only on him?
Well, Jamie becomes the villain in Peter’s story.
The Infinite Cosmos: Questions from the Frontiers of Cosmology
Book
In The Infinite Cosmos Joseph Silk takes the reader on a tour of the universe, past, present, and...
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Lone Ranger (2013) in Movies
Feb 12, 2021
Famous box-office bomb is, as usual, not actually as bad as all that, just absurdly overblown for what should really have mid-budget genre movie written all over it. Origin story for the famous pulp western character; what makes the film curious (and quite interesting) is the way that it tries to combine different styles and tones - pulp and revisionist western elements rub up against the same kind of offbeat comic fantasy Verbinski and Depp had more success with elsewhere. This doesn't really work, but it's an undeniably curious mix.
Still, curious only takes you so far, and this is unlikely to be a film that lingers in most peoples' memory, despite a decent cast and good production values. Earns another point for the last twenty minutes, which are a genuinely impressive piece of Hollywood blockbuster bombast and spectacle. The rest could be worse, but could certainly be better, too.
Still, curious only takes you so far, and this is unlikely to be a film that lingers in most peoples' memory, despite a decent cast and good production values. Earns another point for the last twenty minutes, which are a genuinely impressive piece of Hollywood blockbuster bombast and spectacle. The rest could be worse, but could certainly be better, too.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The First Purge (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Colour me pleasantly surprised by this one. I'd never really fancied the others, and honestly, still not bothered with them. But I wouldn't mind seeing this one again. I think it's mainly the idea of the origin story that interested me more, and it doesn't disappoint on that for me.
It showed something more than just a horror action flick. There were moments of community and loyalty, and it showed that even a bad guy can see the difference between right and wrong. Probably not in the best way to use as a teachable moment... but still.
Of course there's a lot of violence, but none that made me particularly queasy. I've picked up some more tips for the apocalypse, getting a solid grounding in self-defence from films recently. (Joking! Of course I wouldn't use anything I'd seen... but don't test me just to be one the safe side.)
It showed something more than just a horror action flick. There were moments of community and loyalty, and it showed that even a bad guy can see the difference between right and wrong. Probably not in the best way to use as a teachable moment... but still.
Of course there's a lot of violence, but none that made me particularly queasy. I've picked up some more tips for the apocalypse, getting a solid grounding in self-defence from films recently. (Joking! Of course I wouldn't use anything I'd seen... but don't test me just to be one the safe side.)
Wonder Woman: Year One
Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Bilquis Evely and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
9.0
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Book
New York Times best-selling writer Greg Rucka continues his return to WONDER WOMAN! The team of...
Comics
Disney Kingdoms: Figment
7.0
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Book
The next great Disney adventure is here - starring one of Disney's most popular characters! Dive...
David McK (3425 KP) rated The Legend of Tarzan (2016) in Movies
Oct 16, 2022
I was going to say this is a 2016 retelling of the Tarzan story, except it isn't really.
Instead of the 'usual' Tarzan origin tale, or even of his time in the jungle, this actually is set when he has returned to England and taken up the mantle of Lord Greystoke.
That is, before circumstances lead him to travelling back to the Congo, in the company of Jane (With plenty of flashbacks showing how they first met) and of the American George Williams (played by Samuel L. Jackson), who has his own motives for wanting to visit the Congo.
Yes, I'm well aware of the questionably problematic nature of the Tarzan tale.
it was written over a hundred years ago (exactly 120 as of me writing this, to be precise), however.
The movie does - to its credit - at least try to address some of those concerns.
Instead of the 'usual' Tarzan origin tale, or even of his time in the jungle, this actually is set when he has returned to England and taken up the mantle of Lord Greystoke.
That is, before circumstances lead him to travelling back to the Congo, in the company of Jane (With plenty of flashbacks showing how they first met) and of the American George Williams (played by Samuel L. Jackson), who has his own motives for wanting to visit the Congo.
Yes, I'm well aware of the questionably problematic nature of the Tarzan tale.
it was written over a hundred years ago (exactly 120 as of me writing this, to be precise), however.
The movie does - to its credit - at least try to address some of those concerns.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies
Oct 27, 2020
Fun Ride
Solo: A Star Wars Story is the origin story of Han Solo before his life with the Rebel Alliance. What I expected to be a cheesy and lame attempt to cash in on a successful series actually turned out to be a pretty fun romp.
Acting: 10
Solid cast here with Alden Ehrenreich playing the leading man Han. He captures the vibe and feel of the character perfectly and has a charisma perfect for the screen. The rest of the cast carries their weight as well. I especially loved the voice performance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge lending her voice to the awesome droid L3-37. Her comedic timing is spot-on.
Beginning: 10
The story jumps in with a harrowing escape from the sewers of an alien planet. You are quickly thrown into the adventure at a moment’s notice and things continue to ramp up from there. My worry of this being a bad movie started to dissipate after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
L3-37 aside, other great characters help carry the movie as well. Paul Bettany’s Dryden Vos is a dashing antagonist, a madman who definitely puts off infinite creepy vibes. He adds flare to the story for sure. It’s also refreshing to meet a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) who seems to be just as suave now as he is in the future. The creative characters fill the story with more depth than I was expecting.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
The action is nonstop and very entertaining, never letting up for longer than a few moments. Between the numerous chase scenes and blaster battles there is always something to keep you entertained. I especially loved the train heist, so fun and heartracing at the same time.
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 5
Pace: 10
Plot: 7
Outside of a couple twists and turns, the story is pretty straightforward. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fun ride, there was just nothing storywise that blew my mind. I do appreciate Han’s journey and his maturation as the story progresses. It makes the story worth telling. My biggest gripe was with one major coincidence in the story thrown in for the sake of advancing the plot. I won’t give anything away, I’ll just say there were better ways they could have made that connection.
Resolution: 7
Decent ending. Not in love with how it ended, but I knew things had to transpire this way in order to pave the way for future happenings in other movies. Still, I was hoping for a bit more.
Overall: 88
If you’re facing Star Wars overload and still wondering as to whether or not you want to add more movies into the mix, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a blast. I was pleasantly surprised by how well done it was done. A fun adventure from beginning to end.
Acting: 10
Solid cast here with Alden Ehrenreich playing the leading man Han. He captures the vibe and feel of the character perfectly and has a charisma perfect for the screen. The rest of the cast carries their weight as well. I especially loved the voice performance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge lending her voice to the awesome droid L3-37. Her comedic timing is spot-on.
Beginning: 10
The story jumps in with a harrowing escape from the sewers of an alien planet. You are quickly thrown into the adventure at a moment’s notice and things continue to ramp up from there. My worry of this being a bad movie started to dissipate after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
L3-37 aside, other great characters help carry the movie as well. Paul Bettany’s Dryden Vos is a dashing antagonist, a madman who definitely puts off infinite creepy vibes. He adds flare to the story for sure. It’s also refreshing to meet a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) who seems to be just as suave now as he is in the future. The creative characters fill the story with more depth than I was expecting.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
The action is nonstop and very entertaining, never letting up for longer than a few moments. Between the numerous chase scenes and blaster battles there is always something to keep you entertained. I especially loved the train heist, so fun and heartracing at the same time.
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 5
Pace: 10
Plot: 7
Outside of a couple twists and turns, the story is pretty straightforward. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fun ride, there was just nothing storywise that blew my mind. I do appreciate Han’s journey and his maturation as the story progresses. It makes the story worth telling. My biggest gripe was with one major coincidence in the story thrown in for the sake of advancing the plot. I won’t give anything away, I’ll just say there were better ways they could have made that connection.
Resolution: 7
Decent ending. Not in love with how it ended, but I knew things had to transpire this way in order to pave the way for future happenings in other movies. Still, I was hoping for a bit more.
Overall: 88
If you’re facing Star Wars overload and still wondering as to whether or not you want to add more movies into the mix, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a blast. I was pleasantly surprised by how well done it was done. A fun adventure from beginning to end.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Forest of a Thousand Lanterns in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a fantasy inspired by East-Asian culture and the Evil Queen's story. We are drawn into a complex world and watch the main character as she develops into someone who is willing to do anything to achieve her goals. Not for a man, but for the power she has been promised is rightfully hers for her entire life.
I don't normally enjoy books as much when they have an anti-hero that I don't like or connect with, but this book was so fantastic that it didn't bother me. Xifeng is complex and we watch her evolve over the course of the novel. I kept hoping that she would choose the right path, but couldn't help but watch in fascination as she dove further into the darkness. I loved getting to experience a villain's origin story and can't wait to see where the plot goes in future books.
The supporting characters were also well developed and some were characters that you could relate to (if that's something that you prefer in your books). You could see their hearts breaking as the anti-heroine's story played out.
The world was so beautifully developed and richly described. You could visualize each element and it was so lovely. I cannot wait to see more of this world. There were a few times when I felt that there was a jump in the plot that was not adequately explained, but overall the pacing was steady. It built slowly at the beginning and is definitely more of a character-driven story than one of fast-paced action. I kept being drawn back to the book as I wondered what would happen next. The end was a little more rushed to me, but you could see all of the threads being woven into the story to set up the next book.
I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait until the sequel is released!
I don't normally enjoy books as much when they have an anti-hero that I don't like or connect with, but this book was so fantastic that it didn't bother me. Xifeng is complex and we watch her evolve over the course of the novel. I kept hoping that she would choose the right path, but couldn't help but watch in fascination as she dove further into the darkness. I loved getting to experience a villain's origin story and can't wait to see where the plot goes in future books.
The supporting characters were also well developed and some were characters that you could relate to (if that's something that you prefer in your books). You could see their hearts breaking as the anti-heroine's story played out.
The world was so beautifully developed and richly described. You could visualize each element and it was so lovely. I cannot wait to see more of this world. There were a few times when I felt that there was a jump in the plot that was not adequately explained, but overall the pacing was steady. It built slowly at the beginning and is definitely more of a character-driven story than one of fast-paced action. I kept being drawn back to the book as I wondered what would happen next. The end was a little more rushed to me, but you could see all of the threads being woven into the story to set up the next book.
I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait until the sequel is released!