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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Has anyone got an aspirin?
Shhh! Don’t tell anyone I told you this but I’m a little bit of a Transformers fanboy. As a child I had many of the series’ toys and adored the animated series. Heck, I even have an Optimus Prime bobblehead next to my bed.
So when director Michael Bay announced in 2005 that he was planning a Transformers live-action movie with Steven Spielberg as producer, my heart skipped a beat. 2007 came and the film was everything I wanted.
Fast forward ten years and the series has, rightly or wrongly, become a laughing stock for critics the world over. Derided for nonsensical plots, messy special effects and in some cases racism, it’s been regarded as one of the worst film franchises of all time. Does the fifth entry in the franchise, The Last Knight redeem the series somewhat?
Humans are at war with the Transformers and Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) has disappeared. The key to saving the future lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it’s up to the alliance of Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), Bumblebee, a Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock) to save the planet.
Michael Bay’s swansong is definitely the best of the series since the 2007 original, but suffers from all the problems of its 3 sequels.
On a budget of $260million, there was no doubt The Last Knight would look spectacular, but things really have stepped up a gear. The CGI is some of the best put to film and makes the uncharacteristically sloppy special effects of Age of Extinction look incredibly dated.
The Transformers themselves all look great with Bumblebee in particular taking on the role of “lead bot”. Newcomer Squeeks is sure to become the BB-8 of the franchise and is predictably adorable despite his limited screen-time.
Of the cast, it’s a story of same old. The voice acting on all the Transformers is good with a disappointingly underused Peter Cullen stealing the show once again. Mark Wahlberg is permanently likeable and it’s always a pleasure having John Turturro’s Agent Simmons returning to the screen. Laura Haddock is the typical Michael Bay choice of female lead, channelling Megan Fox, Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Nicola Peltz.
However, Sir Anthony Hopkins is where this film raises itself above the parapet. The veteran actor is really exceptional and brightens the movie in every single scene he appears in. You can tell he’s not taking it too seriously, and that is exactly the point of this series.
Sure, the plot is a hot steaming mess of nonsensical dialogue with loose strands of story, and at 149 minutes it’s a good half hour too long, but with all the fear and hate in real life, sometimes it’s nice to switch your brain off and escape to a world where robots exist – and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Michael Bay may not be the subtlest of directors. Give him a classy love story and he’ll turn it into Fifty Shades of Grey, but he’s clearly a very clever man. The critics have savaged this franchise but audiences keep coming back for more and who can blame them?
If this is, as has been said by the man himself, Michael Bay’s last entry into the Transformers canon, then it’s not a bad film to leave on whatsoever.
You know the score by now. Don’t go in expecting Shakespeare or Oscar-winning performances and you’ll be fine. Just make sure you take some paracetamol; crikey it’s loud.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/06/24/transformers-the-last-knight-review/
So when director Michael Bay announced in 2005 that he was planning a Transformers live-action movie with Steven Spielberg as producer, my heart skipped a beat. 2007 came and the film was everything I wanted.
Fast forward ten years and the series has, rightly or wrongly, become a laughing stock for critics the world over. Derided for nonsensical plots, messy special effects and in some cases racism, it’s been regarded as one of the worst film franchises of all time. Does the fifth entry in the franchise, The Last Knight redeem the series somewhat?
Humans are at war with the Transformers and Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) has disappeared. The key to saving the future lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it’s up to the alliance of Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), Bumblebee, a Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock) to save the planet.
Michael Bay’s swansong is definitely the best of the series since the 2007 original, but suffers from all the problems of its 3 sequels.
On a budget of $260million, there was no doubt The Last Knight would look spectacular, but things really have stepped up a gear. The CGI is some of the best put to film and makes the uncharacteristically sloppy special effects of Age of Extinction look incredibly dated.
The Transformers themselves all look great with Bumblebee in particular taking on the role of “lead bot”. Newcomer Squeeks is sure to become the BB-8 of the franchise and is predictably adorable despite his limited screen-time.
Of the cast, it’s a story of same old. The voice acting on all the Transformers is good with a disappointingly underused Peter Cullen stealing the show once again. Mark Wahlberg is permanently likeable and it’s always a pleasure having John Turturro’s Agent Simmons returning to the screen. Laura Haddock is the typical Michael Bay choice of female lead, channelling Megan Fox, Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Nicola Peltz.
However, Sir Anthony Hopkins is where this film raises itself above the parapet. The veteran actor is really exceptional and brightens the movie in every single scene he appears in. You can tell he’s not taking it too seriously, and that is exactly the point of this series.
Sure, the plot is a hot steaming mess of nonsensical dialogue with loose strands of story, and at 149 minutes it’s a good half hour too long, but with all the fear and hate in real life, sometimes it’s nice to switch your brain off and escape to a world where robots exist – and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Michael Bay may not be the subtlest of directors. Give him a classy love story and he’ll turn it into Fifty Shades of Grey, but he’s clearly a very clever man. The critics have savaged this franchise but audiences keep coming back for more and who can blame them?
If this is, as has been said by the man himself, Michael Bay’s last entry into the Transformers canon, then it’s not a bad film to leave on whatsoever.
You know the score by now. Don’t go in expecting Shakespeare or Oscar-winning performances and you’ll be fine. Just make sure you take some paracetamol; crikey it’s loud.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/06/24/transformers-the-last-knight-review/
Cassie Osbourne (6 KP) rated Chains (Seeds of America, #1) in Books
Nov 9, 2018
When Isabel and Ruth's owner dies, they are sold to the loyalist Locktons and shipped to New York. 'Chains' tells the story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old slave, struggling to take care of her little sister and discover what real freedom is and how a person can gain it.
I first read this book in 2010 when I was thirteen while I was stuck at a grammar school open evening that my sister was at. I went to the library and started reading 'Chains' instead of having to traipse around hearing about how many geniuses of that school got into Oxford and Cambridge. I was so hooked that I felt that I couldn't leave without it so I stuck it up my jumper and nicked it. I have recently (and legally) got my hands on a copy of 'Ashes', the final book in the trilogy and so am rereading the first two books which I haven't done in years. I am pleased to say that it is still as good as it was when I read it eight years ago.
While I do like well rounded, complex characters and relationships, there is certainly something to be said for simplicity. None of the characters has too much of a character arc in this book except for the protagonist, who is the one telling the story so this may have something to do with her being an unreliable narrator (something that you learn so much about in English A-Level). Did the characters seem a bit stereotypical and cliched at times? Yes, definitely. Did I really care? No, not especially.
The atmosphere was great throughout, especially in the prison scenes and when Isabel has a fever. Everything felt very real and detailed, right down to the last black hair ribbon stashed in a draw. Every chapter, every page, every sentence felt so real and grounded in reality which is difficult to find in a book.
I really enjoyed the writing style, it all suited Isabel's voice down to the ground. Something that I noticed more reading it this time than I did when I was younger were the extracts at the beginnings of the chapters as it is a really nice and easy way to contextualise what is going on in the chapter in comparison to the date in with the chapter is set. It also gives the book a much more political feel which, again, I didn't quite see as much when I was younger.
The plot as a whole is very good and well written but there were definitely some sections that were just not needed or justified at all. However, that is a very minor thing.
The only real downfall of this book was some of the logic. Isabel gets way too lucky too many times, especially since she is a young black girl with a very distinctive scar on her face. A lot of people just seem too nice to her given that she is a slave and the level of racism back then as well. There is one particular instance at the end with some fireworks that I just pure and simply didn't buy.
This book, as well as 'Forge', has been sitting on my shelf for years just waiting to be picked up again and reread. I am so happy that so many years after I read it the first time it is still just as good.
Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 9/10
Logic: 7.5/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
I first read this book in 2010 when I was thirteen while I was stuck at a grammar school open evening that my sister was at. I went to the library and started reading 'Chains' instead of having to traipse around hearing about how many geniuses of that school got into Oxford and Cambridge. I was so hooked that I felt that I couldn't leave without it so I stuck it up my jumper and nicked it. I have recently (and legally) got my hands on a copy of 'Ashes', the final book in the trilogy and so am rereading the first two books which I haven't done in years. I am pleased to say that it is still as good as it was when I read it eight years ago.
While I do like well rounded, complex characters and relationships, there is certainly something to be said for simplicity. None of the characters has too much of a character arc in this book except for the protagonist, who is the one telling the story so this may have something to do with her being an unreliable narrator (something that you learn so much about in English A-Level). Did the characters seem a bit stereotypical and cliched at times? Yes, definitely. Did I really care? No, not especially.
The atmosphere was great throughout, especially in the prison scenes and when Isabel has a fever. Everything felt very real and detailed, right down to the last black hair ribbon stashed in a draw. Every chapter, every page, every sentence felt so real and grounded in reality which is difficult to find in a book.
I really enjoyed the writing style, it all suited Isabel's voice down to the ground. Something that I noticed more reading it this time than I did when I was younger were the extracts at the beginnings of the chapters as it is a really nice and easy way to contextualise what is going on in the chapter in comparison to the date in with the chapter is set. It also gives the book a much more political feel which, again, I didn't quite see as much when I was younger.
The plot as a whole is very good and well written but there were definitely some sections that were just not needed or justified at all. However, that is a very minor thing.
The only real downfall of this book was some of the logic. Isabel gets way too lucky too many times, especially since she is a young black girl with a very distinctive scar on her face. A lot of people just seem too nice to her given that she is a slave and the level of racism back then as well. There is one particular instance at the end with some fireworks that I just pure and simply didn't buy.
This book, as well as 'Forge', has been sitting on my shelf for years just waiting to be picked up again and reread. I am so happy that so many years after I read it the first time it is still just as good.
Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 9/10
Logic: 7.5/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
If sin were visible, what would the world be like? That is the premise of this brand new, original historical novel by Dan Vyletta. Bordering on steam-punk, <i>Smoke</i> is set in a Victorian England unlike any version ever documented before. Instead of an era of peace and posterity, it is full of wickedness and chaos. For an unexplained reason whenever a human acts with malicious intention or has a sinful thought their body emits a plume of smoke, staining their clothes and surrounding area with a coating of soot.
The story begins in an Oxford boarding school where two friends, Thomas and Charlie, are being taught that Smoke is bad and that they must learn to control it. However during the Christmas holidays, which both boys spend at a prodigious manor, they discover alternative views regarding Smoke, and are spooked by the Lady Naylor’s fascination. With their lives in sudden danger, Thomas and Charlie, along with Livia – Lady Naylor’s daughter – flee with the knowledge of a sinister, scientific intent that they do not understand.
From this point onwards the tale becomes darker and much more violent as the three friends try to work out Livia’s mother’s plans and endeavor to prevent her from carrying them out. All the while they are trying to deal with the effects of Smoke, which they have long given up trying to suppress.
Written from a large variety of viewpoints, <i>Smoke</i> is full of mystery and suspense, making it difficult to work out whom to trust. The reader has the same amount of knowledge as the protagonists and thus comes to the same conclusions at the same time, making reader and character feel like they are working together to identify the unknown.
It is unclear whether this is a young adult novel or intended for older readers. The key characters are only sixteen and are a trio of friends – two boys and a girl – which is something that since the dawn of <i>Harry Potter</i> has become fairly common place in YA literature. Also, Lady Naylor is reminiscent of the antagonist in Philip Pullman’s <i>His Dark Materials</i>. On the other hand, the language, whilst fitting for the time period, is far too formal to flow in a way that a book for teenagers would expect. There is also no attempt to sugarcoat or conceal the violence that takes place throughout a large section of the novel.
<i>Smoke</i> gets off to a shaky start leaving the reader feeling bewildered. The idea of Smoke and soot is not introduced in a clear manner, instead being thrown out there where everyone has to try and find the author’s wavelength and pick up the pieces as they go. Once the action begins – the escape from the manor – the story picks up the pace and becomes far more exciting before, sadly, diminishing into a confusing, violent jumble of a narrative that is tedious to try and follow. The conclusion, unfortunately, is also unclear, providing more questions that it actually solves.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. At times I enjoyed it, yet it also felt a chore to read. I found the concept rather confusing, unresolved and, on the whole, disappointing. <i>Smoke </i>is not a book I would easily recommend to anyone; even those who I know enjoy this particular genre. To be perfectly honest, I am glad I have finished it and do not need to read it anymore.
If sin were visible, what would the world be like? That is the premise of this brand new, original historical novel by Dan Vyletta. Bordering on steam-punk, <i>Smoke</i> is set in a Victorian England unlike any version ever documented before. Instead of an era of peace and posterity, it is full of wickedness and chaos. For an unexplained reason whenever a human acts with malicious intention or has a sinful thought their body emits a plume of smoke, staining their clothes and surrounding area with a coating of soot.
The story begins in an Oxford boarding school where two friends, Thomas and Charlie, are being taught that Smoke is bad and that they must learn to control it. However during the Christmas holidays, which both boys spend at a prodigious manor, they discover alternative views regarding Smoke, and are spooked by the Lady Naylor’s fascination. With their lives in sudden danger, Thomas and Charlie, along with Livia – Lady Naylor’s daughter – flee with the knowledge of a sinister, scientific intent that they do not understand.
From this point onwards the tale becomes darker and much more violent as the three friends try to work out Livia’s mother’s plans and endeavor to prevent her from carrying them out. All the while they are trying to deal with the effects of Smoke, which they have long given up trying to suppress.
Written from a large variety of viewpoints, <i>Smoke</i> is full of mystery and suspense, making it difficult to work out whom to trust. The reader has the same amount of knowledge as the protagonists and thus comes to the same conclusions at the same time, making reader and character feel like they are working together to identify the unknown.
It is unclear whether this is a young adult novel or intended for older readers. The key characters are only sixteen and are a trio of friends – two boys and a girl – which is something that since the dawn of <i>Harry Potter</i> has become fairly common place in YA literature. Also, Lady Naylor is reminiscent of the antagonist in Philip Pullman’s <i>His Dark Materials</i>. On the other hand, the language, whilst fitting for the time period, is far too formal to flow in a way that a book for teenagers would expect. There is also no attempt to sugarcoat or conceal the violence that takes place throughout a large section of the novel.
<i>Smoke</i> gets off to a shaky start leaving the reader feeling bewildered. The idea of Smoke and soot is not introduced in a clear manner, instead being thrown out there where everyone has to try and find the author’s wavelength and pick up the pieces as they go. Once the action begins – the escape from the manor – the story picks up the pace and becomes far more exciting before, sadly, diminishing into a confusing, violent jumble of a narrative that is tedious to try and follow. The conclusion, unfortunately, is also unclear, providing more questions that it actually solves.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. At times I enjoyed it, yet it also felt a chore to read. I found the concept rather confusing, unresolved and, on the whole, disappointing. <i>Smoke </i>is not a book I would easily recommend to anyone; even those who I know enjoy this particular genre. To be perfectly honest, I am glad I have finished it and do not need to read it anymore.
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