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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Impressive Cast & Visuals Are Not Enough When Compared To The First Film's Magical Story
Contains spoilers, click to show
The beginning started off strong for this movie and it immediately reminded me of what i liked about the first one. Angelina Jolie is just magnificent as Maleficent and you can tell she really enjoys acting the part. I didn't really understand why the people feared her is she wasn't a bad guy (which was the point of the first one I thought, showing the story from her side), but apparently the Queen was spreading rumors or stories to make people frightened. At the dinner scene it was quite believable from Maleficent's outburst that she might have done something to the King but to me it was too out of character that Aurora would believe her to do something like that. Also it was too Deus Ex Machina for another Fey, Connall to have been around close enough for him to save Maleficent when she is shot by an iron bullet. I really liked the scene where they fly around the underground caverns where the other Fey live and show the different biomes and talk about her unknown heritage. It bothered me that the Queen had that little fairy guy that was doing the experiments for her on his own people and how that stuff could kill him too, but what bothered me more was that it never showed his motivations when he released the little creatures in the dungeon. It just showed him do it and never said why or what changed his mind, I feel like there might have been a scene cut there or something. And then there was a couple of ridiculous scenes for me that almost killed this movie for me. One was that all the fairy creatures were invited to the wedding, which was obviously a trap with the red powder already being hinted at, but the fact that the people didn't make as much a deal about it like they did when Maleficent came to dinner surprised me. I mean they had guards holding back the citizens but when Maleficent appeared they ran away, wouldn't they have acted similarly if there were monsters coming to their kingdom. The attack by the Dark Fey on the castle was also one of those parts that made me wonder what the hell was going on. They are massacred on a big scale by the red powder which earlier in the film, it said that it was hard to make or took a long time, but they had butt loads of it in this battle. They had so much that when the Dark Fey retreat and change where they attack the humans even had traps setup in those areas as well. I mean it made for an interesting intense battle scene but Maleficent was the only one of her kind the humans had ever seen and only the Queen's servant said she saw one similar to her save her from the water. How did they know an army was coming and attacking by air. Good planning, smart Queen I guess. I was greatly disappointed that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon like the cartoon. I love seeing a good dragon on screen but I guess the Phoenix was a good change and fit more with the story especially with her sacrifice. Phoenix's are reborn from their ashes as it says. The last part I found to be laughable was that when the battle is over Aurora is like, "Weddings back on". Her and the Prince are like, we will live in peace from now on with the Moors. Ok, you were just killing each other a couple of minutes ago, and so many Dark Fey died it wasn't even funny. Oh yeah, this movie also did quite a great job of hiding any blood whatsoever in a lot of scenes where there probably should have been some maybe a little. I mean Maleficent gets shot, Connall gets shot up like swiss-cheese, and the soldiers are shooting in the final battle and everyone has weapons like axes, swords, etc..
The beginning started off strong for this movie and it immediately reminded me of what i liked about the first one. Angelina Jolie is just magnificent as Maleficent and you can tell she really enjoys acting the part. I didn't really understand why the people feared her is she wasn't a bad guy (which was the point of the first one I thought, showing the story from her side), but apparently the Queen was spreading rumors or stories to make people frightened. At the dinner scene it was quite believable from Maleficent's outburst that she might have done something to the King but to me it was too out of character that Aurora would believe her to do something like that. Also it was too Deus Ex Machina for another Fey, Connall to have been around close enough for him to save Maleficent when she is shot by an iron bullet. I really liked the scene where they fly around the underground caverns where the other Fey live and show the different biomes and talk about her unkown heritage. It bothered me that the Queen had that little fairy guy that was doing the experiments for her on his own people and how that stuff could kill him too, but what bothered me more was that it never showed his motivations when he released the little creatures in the dungeon. It just showed him do it and never said why or what changed his mind, I feel like there might have been a scene cut there or something. And then there was a couple of ridiculous scenes for me that almost killed this movie for me. One was that all the fairy creatures were invited to the wedding, which was obviously a trap with the red powder already being hinted at, but the fact that the people didn't make as much a deal about it like they did when Maleficent came to dinner surprised me. I mean they had guards holding back the citizens but when Maleficent appeared they ran away, wouldn't they have acted similarly if there were monsters coming to their kingdom. The attack by the Dark Fey on the castle was also one of those parts that made me wonder what the hell was going on. They are massacred on a big scale by the red powder which earlier in the film, it said that it was hard to make or took a long time, but they had butt loads of it in this battle. They had so much that when the Dark Fey retreat and change where they attack the humans even had traps setup in those areas as well. I mean it made for an interesting intense battle scene but Maleficent was the only one of her kind the humans had ever seen and only the Queen's servant said she saw one similar to her save her from the water. How did they know an army was coming and attacking by air. Good planning, smart Queen I guess. I was greatly disappointed that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon like the cartoon. I love seeing a good dragon on screen but I guess the Phoenix was a good change and fit more with the story especially with her sacrifice. Phoenix's are reborn from their ashes as it says. The last part I found to be laughable was that when the battle is over Aurora is like, "Weddings back on". Her and the Prince are like, we will live in peace from now on with the Moors. Ok, you were just killing each other a couple of minutes ago, and so many Dark Fey died it wasn't even funny. Oh yeah, this movie also did quite a great job of hiding any blood whatsoever in a lot of scenes where there probably should have been some maybe a little. I mean Maleficent gets shot, Connall gets shot up like swiss-cheese, and the soldiers are shooting in the final battle and everyone has weapons like axes, swords, etc.. I really wanted to give this movie a 7 but I have to give it a 6/10.
The beginning started off strong for this movie and it immediately reminded me of what i liked about the first one. Angelina Jolie is just magnificent as Maleficent and you can tell she really enjoys acting the part. I didn't really understand why the people feared her is she wasn't a bad guy (which was the point of the first one I thought, showing the story from her side), but apparently the Queen was spreading rumors or stories to make people frightened. At the dinner scene it was quite believable from Maleficent's outburst that she might have done something to the King but to me it was too out of character that Aurora would believe her to do something like that. Also it was too Deus Ex Machina for another Fey, Connall to have been around close enough for him to save Maleficent when she is shot by an iron bullet. I really liked the scene where they fly around the underground caverns where the other Fey live and show the different biomes and talk about her unkown heritage. It bothered me that the Queen had that little fairy guy that was doing the experiments for her on his own people and how that stuff could kill him too, but what bothered me more was that it never showed his motivations when he released the little creatures in the dungeon. It just showed him do it and never said why or what changed his mind, I feel like there might have been a scene cut there or something. And then there was a couple of ridiculous scenes for me that almost killed this movie for me. One was that all the fairy creatures were invited to the wedding, which was obviously a trap with the red powder already being hinted at, but the fact that the people didn't make as much a deal about it like they did when Maleficent came to dinner surprised me. I mean they had guards holding back the citizens but when Maleficent appeared they ran away, wouldn't they have acted similarly if there were monsters coming to their kingdom. The attack by the Dark Fey on the castle was also one of those parts that made me wonder what the hell was going on. They are massacred on a big scale by the red powder which earlier in the film, it said that it was hard to make or took a long time, but they had butt loads of it in this battle. They had so much that when the Dark Fey retreat and change where they attack the humans even had traps setup in those areas as well. I mean it made for an interesting intense battle scene but Maleficent was the only one of her kind the humans had ever seen and only the Queen's servant said she saw one similar to her save her from the water. How did they know an army was coming and attacking by air. Good planning, smart Queen I guess. I was greatly disappointed that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon like the cartoon. I love seeing a good dragon on screen but I guess the Phoenix was a good change and fit more with the story especially with her sacrifice. Phoenix's are reborn from their ashes as it says. The last part I found to be laughable was that when the battle is over Aurora is like, "Weddings back on". Her and the Prince are like, we will live in peace from now on with the Moors. Ok, you were just killing each other a couple of minutes ago, and so many Dark Fey died it wasn't even funny. Oh yeah, this movie also did quite a great job of hiding any blood whatsoever in a lot of scenes where there probably should have been some maybe a little. I mean Maleficent gets shot, Connall gets shot up like swiss-cheese, and the soldiers are shooting in the final battle and everyone has weapons like axes, swords, etc.. I really wanted to give this movie a 7 but I have to give it a 6/10.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr in Books
Dec 29, 2020
Dangerous Secrets is the greatly anticipated prequel to Frozen II which, for the first time in forever, shines the spotlight onto King Agnarr and Queen Iduna of Arendelle.
The 2019 film undoubtedly revealed some of these secrets, such as Iduna being Northuldra and saving Agnarr as a child as well as the two of them venturing to Ahtohallan to find the answers behind Elsa’s powers. Unfortunately, thanks to the film, we also know that they never completed their journey.
Cue Mari Mancusi who expertly bring the monarchs back to life through her writing and forms these little-known characters into best friends, young lovers and torn parents, always just trying to do the next right thing.
The back stories of Agnarr and Iduna are nothing short of brilliant: the reader meets both characters in the Enchanted Forest on the fateful day of the dam celebration and we experience the wonder of both worlds colliding, along with the following danger and confusion from a first-person perspective.
I thoroughly appreciated how Mari Mancusi didn’t have to explain what had happened between the Arendellian forces and the Northuldra: Mancusi knows that the reader already knows the true turn of events from the movie. All throughout Dangerous Secrets this “inside knowledge” is used beautifully: allowing us to experience events as our protagonists do, but without diluting the tension and excitement with explanations.
The reader grows up alongside the future King and Queen, seeing their friendship blossom and experiencing their respective heartbreaks and secrets. The Northuldra are widely believed to be enemies of Arendelle due to the King’s death and the rumours surrounding it. Iduna’s hardship of hiding her true identity is matched only by her grief of losing the only family she has ever known. Similarly, Agnarr has lost a father, his best friend General Matthias and now has to learn how to be a King. Even when they find solace in their friendship and the later romance that this grows into, Iduna is not royalty: their love is doomed from the start…isn’t it?
Regular readers of my reviews will know I loved Jen Calonita’s “Let it Go” but felt that towards the end the writing emulated the movie verbatim in places. I found Kamilla Benko’s “Forest of Shadows” interesting and unique but ultimately it tried too hard to insert different elements into the Frozen universe that we know and love.
In my opinion, Dangerous Secrets contains none of these criticisms.
Elements of the movie are included, of course they are! Agnarr and Iduna’s reading tree is taken straight out of Elsa’s/Ahtohallan’s ice memories; Oaken’s trading post and sauna is briefly mentioned as a rest stop during one of the couple’s adventures and the wonder of chocolate is something Elsa and Anna definitely inherited from their parents!
The difference with this novel is that any references to the movie are easter eggs: elements that we love to spot; they are not brash and in-your-face; they are subtle and add to the story rather than creating it entirely. For example, I loved the inclusion of Grand-Pabbie and the trolls. I also suspect we may have met Kristoff’s mother – perhaps opening the door to another book from Mari Mancusi?
Of course, Dangerous Secrets can only end with the fateful voyage made by the royal couple and, true to form, this made me cry my little heart out. I know from the author’s note that Mari Mancusi is a mother herself but I feel that I would have known this anyway through the sheer heartbreak she portrays through Iduna, and later Agnarr. From their first discovery of Elsa’s powers; to Anna’s accident; to acknowledging that they were endangering Elsa by asking her to “conceal, don’t feel” right up until the couple’s realisation that they will never see their daughters again: the writing is powerful, hard-hitting and, with Ahtohallan’s last gift, stunningly beautiful.
This is a five-star glimpse into the King and Queen of Arendelle and a must-read for any fan of Frozen.
Will Mancusi reveal the secret of the ice-gatherer woman’s identity next?
Only Ahtohallan knows.
The 2019 film undoubtedly revealed some of these secrets, such as Iduna being Northuldra and saving Agnarr as a child as well as the two of them venturing to Ahtohallan to find the answers behind Elsa’s powers. Unfortunately, thanks to the film, we also know that they never completed their journey.
Cue Mari Mancusi who expertly bring the monarchs back to life through her writing and forms these little-known characters into best friends, young lovers and torn parents, always just trying to do the next right thing.
The back stories of Agnarr and Iduna are nothing short of brilliant: the reader meets both characters in the Enchanted Forest on the fateful day of the dam celebration and we experience the wonder of both worlds colliding, along with the following danger and confusion from a first-person perspective.
I thoroughly appreciated how Mari Mancusi didn’t have to explain what had happened between the Arendellian forces and the Northuldra: Mancusi knows that the reader already knows the true turn of events from the movie. All throughout Dangerous Secrets this “inside knowledge” is used beautifully: allowing us to experience events as our protagonists do, but without diluting the tension and excitement with explanations.
The reader grows up alongside the future King and Queen, seeing their friendship blossom and experiencing their respective heartbreaks and secrets. The Northuldra are widely believed to be enemies of Arendelle due to the King’s death and the rumours surrounding it. Iduna’s hardship of hiding her true identity is matched only by her grief of losing the only family she has ever known. Similarly, Agnarr has lost a father, his best friend General Matthias and now has to learn how to be a King. Even when they find solace in their friendship and the later romance that this grows into, Iduna is not royalty: their love is doomed from the start…isn’t it?
Regular readers of my reviews will know I loved Jen Calonita’s “Let it Go” but felt that towards the end the writing emulated the movie verbatim in places. I found Kamilla Benko’s “Forest of Shadows” interesting and unique but ultimately it tried too hard to insert different elements into the Frozen universe that we know and love.
In my opinion, Dangerous Secrets contains none of these criticisms.
Elements of the movie are included, of course they are! Agnarr and Iduna’s reading tree is taken straight out of Elsa’s/Ahtohallan’s ice memories; Oaken’s trading post and sauna is briefly mentioned as a rest stop during one of the couple’s adventures and the wonder of chocolate is something Elsa and Anna definitely inherited from their parents!
The difference with this novel is that any references to the movie are easter eggs: elements that we love to spot; they are not brash and in-your-face; they are subtle and add to the story rather than creating it entirely. For example, I loved the inclusion of Grand-Pabbie and the trolls. I also suspect we may have met Kristoff’s mother – perhaps opening the door to another book from Mari Mancusi?
Of course, Dangerous Secrets can only end with the fateful voyage made by the royal couple and, true to form, this made me cry my little heart out. I know from the author’s note that Mari Mancusi is a mother herself but I feel that I would have known this anyway through the sheer heartbreak she portrays through Iduna, and later Agnarr. From their first discovery of Elsa’s powers; to Anna’s accident; to acknowledging that they were endangering Elsa by asking her to “conceal, don’t feel” right up until the couple’s realisation that they will never see their daughters again: the writing is powerful, hard-hitting and, with Ahtohallan’s last gift, stunningly beautiful.
This is a five-star glimpse into the King and Queen of Arendelle and a must-read for any fan of Frozen.
Will Mancusi reveal the secret of the ice-gatherer woman’s identity next?
Only Ahtohallan knows.
Dean Gregory (18 KP) rated Hive in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2019 (Updated May 25, 2019)
Perfect information strategy (4 more)
Portable
High quality pieces
Easy to learn with plenty of replay value
Can be played on relatively small tables
Potentially biased towards whoever starts first (1 more)
Limited defensive tactics without certain add-ons
A Modern Chess
Hive is a fine example of a game that is easy to learn, but difficult to master. The premise is simple - use your bugs to surround your opponents queen bee while preventing them from doing the same to you. The playing space, referred to as the Hive, is defined by the pieces themselves, without the need for a board.
I've come the think of Hive as Chess Lite. This is because it has a similar sort of depth, in that the key to success lies in the player's understanding of each bug's strengths and weaknesses in a given situation. Also, one of the focal points of the game is trapping a particularly vulnerable piece - the king in Chess, and the queen bee in Hive.
One of the best aspects of the game is how it adapts to the space it is played in. Players have a degree of control over how the Hive grows as they place their pieces and move them around. This means if you play on a small table, you can easily make the game fit. However, some games I have played have ended up getting a little out of control and outgrowing the playing space, which ruled out some moves available.
There is a travel version of the game available in which the pieces are about a third of the size, but even in the full size version, it lends itself to travel fairly well. Both versions of the game come with handy travel bags which take up little space, so for the gamer on the go, this one would certainly suit your collection.
One minor gripe I have is that the way the pieces move around and affect each other leads to only a handful of defensive strategy, which means that particularly for more experienced players, the game can be heavily skewed in favour of whoever goes first. However if you're willing to invest in it a little more, there are a few add-on pieces available that can mitigate this somewhat, while also adding more spice to the game.
Overall, this has proved to be among my favourite and most endearing games I own. It is endlessly replayable, the components are a joy to hold and use, it appeals to both my casual gamer friends as well as those who enjoy a deeper strategy experience, and while it offers plenty as a base game, the add-ons really work as wildcards to change things up.
Highly recommended.
I've come the think of Hive as Chess Lite. This is because it has a similar sort of depth, in that the key to success lies in the player's understanding of each bug's strengths and weaknesses in a given situation. Also, one of the focal points of the game is trapping a particularly vulnerable piece - the king in Chess, and the queen bee in Hive.
One of the best aspects of the game is how it adapts to the space it is played in. Players have a degree of control over how the Hive grows as they place their pieces and move them around. This means if you play on a small table, you can easily make the game fit. However, some games I have played have ended up getting a little out of control and outgrowing the playing space, which ruled out some moves available.
There is a travel version of the game available in which the pieces are about a third of the size, but even in the full size version, it lends itself to travel fairly well. Both versions of the game come with handy travel bags which take up little space, so for the gamer on the go, this one would certainly suit your collection.
One minor gripe I have is that the way the pieces move around and affect each other leads to only a handful of defensive strategy, which means that particularly for more experienced players, the game can be heavily skewed in favour of whoever goes first. However if you're willing to invest in it a little more, there are a few add-on pieces available that can mitigate this somewhat, while also adding more spice to the game.
Overall, this has proved to be among my favourite and most endearing games I own. It is endlessly replayable, the components are a joy to hold and use, it appeals to both my casual gamer friends as well as those who enjoy a deeper strategy experience, and while it offers plenty as a base game, the add-ons really work as wildcards to change things up.
Highly recommended.
JK
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Life Beyond Her Wildest Dreams
Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince
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God had a talent for creating exceptional women--Helen of Troy and Cleopatra come to mind. So does...
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Favourite (2018) in Movies
Dec 23, 2018
Wickedly fiendish, clever and funny!
After nearly a year, I finally made it out to the cinema and decided this would be my film of choice. I wasn't disappointed.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos is quickly becoming one of my new favorites. After directing interesting wisp films like The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, I was anxious to see this film for sure.
The story involves the increasingly ill Queen Anne and the two women who vie for her affections. Their efforts start civil but eventually become more deranged both trying to outdo each other with their fiendishly clever and diabolical deeds.
I found the film quite funny as well as some of the dialogue is really quite gaudy, scandalous and rude. (Don't watch if you don't like the "C" word).
Other than the screenplay, the trio of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz are all a joy to watch, especially Emma Stone who you really haven't seen play a tart before like this. Her striking beauty comes through as well even when she is covered in dirt or without any make up.
The sets, locations and classic film score all add to the majesty of this magical film which will undoubtedly be nominated numerous times throughout this award season.
Certainly not for everyone, but I loved it!
Director Yorgos Lanthimos is quickly becoming one of my new favorites. After directing interesting wisp films like The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, I was anxious to see this film for sure.
The story involves the increasingly ill Queen Anne and the two women who vie for her affections. Their efforts start civil but eventually become more deranged both trying to outdo each other with their fiendishly clever and diabolical deeds.
I found the film quite funny as well as some of the dialogue is really quite gaudy, scandalous and rude. (Don't watch if you don't like the "C" word).
Other than the screenplay, the trio of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz are all a joy to watch, especially Emma Stone who you really haven't seen play a tart before like this. Her striking beauty comes through as well even when she is covered in dirt or without any make up.
The sets, locations and classic film score all add to the majesty of this magical film which will undoubtedly be nominated numerous times throughout this award season.
Certainly not for everyone, but I loved it!
Merissa (13373 KP) rated Nevermore (Raven Crawford, #2) in Books
Jan 27, 2020
NEVERMORE is the second book in the Raven Crawford series and we return to Raven as she is still adjusting to what happened at the end of book 1 and the death of the Corvid Queen.
I say that some of the instances in this book are not a surprise, but then I don't think they were intended to be. What you do get is the continuation of the story, with sass and snark in handfuls, steam that melts your Kindle, and a story that just keeps getting better.
I loved how Raven is still at her dead-end job with Mike, not because it's a dead-end job but because she's still got her 'normal' life. She's still trying to pay off Robert's debts and has moved back home. This isn't anyone who has let things go to her head and even more so in this one! We get more of her family in this one, plus some more of the 'bad guys' which, to be honest, just leaves me wanting more.
The writing is on form as always, with the pacing being perfect for the story. The characters just keep on getting better and the story will have you turning the pages, unwilling to stop reading.
For a top-notch Urban Fantasy, I have no hesitation in recommending both this book and the series.
I say that some of the instances in this book are not a surprise, but then I don't think they were intended to be. What you do get is the continuation of the story, with sass and snark in handfuls, steam that melts your Kindle, and a story that just keeps getting better.
I loved how Raven is still at her dead-end job with Mike, not because it's a dead-end job but because she's still got her 'normal' life. She's still trying to pay off Robert's debts and has moved back home. This isn't anyone who has let things go to her head and even more so in this one! We get more of her family in this one, plus some more of the 'bad guys' which, to be honest, just leaves me wanting more.
The writing is on form as always, with the pacing being perfect for the story. The characters just keep on getting better and the story will have you turning the pages, unwilling to stop reading.
For a top-notch Urban Fantasy, I have no hesitation in recommending both this book and the series.
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