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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!
Fred (860 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies
Apr 16, 2019
It's an origin story
Can we just talk about James McAvoy for a minute here. We've already seen his performance in "Split", so we already knew what we were getting here. Or were we? He is off the hook here! Just plain amazing. Every second of him on the screen is pure magic. His ability to switch between personalities is amazing & shows he's one of the greatest actors out there.
For those who didn't know, "Glass" is a sequel to both "Unbreakable" & "Split", two films by M. Night Shyamalan . Famous for his twist endings (both good & bad), this film has another, which you won't see coming, but it's not a huge twist. I've heard people say they didn't like the ending, but I found it really good & satisfying.
The story is kind of slow moving, but it keeps you interested. Returning characters from both movies, not including the 3 main stars, are a welcome surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but let's say most of the movie takes place inside an Asylum where a doctor is trying to convince the 3 they don't have superpowers. Yeah, doesn't sound too interesting, but it is. I enjoyed it very much
For those who didn't know, "Glass" is a sequel to both "Unbreakable" & "Split", two films by M. Night Shyamalan . Famous for his twist endings (both good & bad), this film has another, which you won't see coming, but it's not a huge twist. I've heard people say they didn't like the ending, but I found it really good & satisfying.
The story is kind of slow moving, but it keeps you interested. Returning characters from both movies, not including the 3 main stars, are a welcome surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but let's say most of the movie takes place inside an Asylum where a doctor is trying to convince the 3 they don't have superpowers. Yeah, doesn't sound too interesting, but it is. I enjoyed it very much
If It Bleeds
8.4
Rate It
Book
A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1...
Villainous Vee (53 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Feb 22, 2019
Voice Actors (2 more)
Animation
Script
I honestly wasn't sure about this movie before watching it. I didn't want to watch another spider man origin story but I have to say this film blew me away.
The animation style of this film is amazing. It feels fresh and new whilst keeping the comic book feel too it which I really enjoyed. I can tell that in 3D it would have been even more epic on the big screen. Also the soundtrack that accompanies the film is epic... Some great choices there.
The voice actors were amazing and great choices and it was great and emotional to see Stan Lees cameo performance as well, especially as it was released around the time of his passing.
If your not sure about seeing this or think that the animation will take away from it it really really doesn't and totally adds to it so watch it when you can.
The animation style of this film is amazing. It feels fresh and new whilst keeping the comic book feel too it which I really enjoyed. I can tell that in 3D it would have been even more epic on the big screen. Also the soundtrack that accompanies the film is epic... Some great choices there.
The voice actors were amazing and great choices and it was great and emotional to see Stan Lees cameo performance as well, especially as it was released around the time of his passing.
If your not sure about seeing this or think that the animation will take away from it it really really doesn't and totally adds to it so watch it when you can.
Charleigh Cooke (4 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Oct 13, 2018
Before going to see this film there was a lot of speculation about it not being a great film, mostly because spiderman does not feature.
However, I was very pleased with the outcome of this film. I went in with an open mind and remained hooked throughout. I loved the origin story of both the symbiote and Eddie Brock, and by the way, Tom Hardy played the role to perfection.
There was plenty of light humour through the film which was unexpected. This helped bring the film together and created a good example of how a little bit of humour goes a long way in pleasing an audience.
I am eager to see the next installment of venom as the ending, as with almost every marvel film, left me wanting more and hanging on the edge of my seat.
I would highly recommend this film, and it is really worth a watch.
However, I was very pleased with the outcome of this film. I went in with an open mind and remained hooked throughout. I loved the origin story of both the symbiote and Eddie Brock, and by the way, Tom Hardy played the role to perfection.
There was plenty of light humour through the film which was unexpected. This helped bring the film together and created a good example of how a little bit of humour goes a long way in pleasing an audience.
I am eager to see the next installment of venom as the ending, as with almost every marvel film, left me wanting more and hanging on the edge of my seat.
I would highly recommend this film, and it is really worth a watch.
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