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Ross (3282 KP) rated The Way of All Flesh in Books
May 31, 2018
Excellent gripping period thriller set in Edinburgh's medical revolution
This tale of murder takes place in mid 19th century Edinburgh, where the city is at the forefront of the world's advances in medicine - both medical practices and procedures and also drugs and anaesthetics. Many nights are spent with some of the city's top surgeons sitting round the dinner table in the post-prandial slumber sampling various substances looking to find the perfect anaesthetic.
Will Raven, a recently qualified doctor, starts a new job as apprentice to Edinburgh's pre-eminent midwifery expert, Dr James Young Simpson. But he has recently found the dead body of a female friend and starts to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her demise.
The book takes several strands: we have the true history of Edinburgh's medical revolution where doctors like Simpson vied to get the job done but also find better ways to do it for their patients, we have the murder mystery angle, we have the capable and frustrated women who are refused to even attempt to do jobs they are clearly able to do, and we have the class system in full evidence and while many go along with it, some people like Simpson try to get past this and make their households more inclusive for all.
The threads are all interwoven brilliantly and combine to give a story that is both thrilling and interesting.
Having read a lot of Chris Brookmyre, I had high expectations for his storytelling and these were more than met with a brilliantly paced and enjoyable page-turner. I believe writing with his wife has helped tone down the language a little and the tone of the dialogue is very different to his previous work.
My one gripe would be that the climax of the story was a little laboured, with every single event, decision and twist explained numerous times from different perspectives. Given I had spotted a number of hints quite early on and knew who the perpetrator was, and was happy to assume certain things had happened, I didn't feel the need to have this confirmed at length in great detail.
Otherwise an excellent book and the start of a new series that I will be avidly waiting for the next instalment of.
Will Raven, a recently qualified doctor, starts a new job as apprentice to Edinburgh's pre-eminent midwifery expert, Dr James Young Simpson. But he has recently found the dead body of a female friend and starts to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her demise.
The book takes several strands: we have the true history of Edinburgh's medical revolution where doctors like Simpson vied to get the job done but also find better ways to do it for their patients, we have the murder mystery angle, we have the capable and frustrated women who are refused to even attempt to do jobs they are clearly able to do, and we have the class system in full evidence and while many go along with it, some people like Simpson try to get past this and make their households more inclusive for all.
The threads are all interwoven brilliantly and combine to give a story that is both thrilling and interesting.
Having read a lot of Chris Brookmyre, I had high expectations for his storytelling and these were more than met with a brilliantly paced and enjoyable page-turner. I believe writing with his wife has helped tone down the language a little and the tone of the dialogue is very different to his previous work.
My one gripe would be that the climax of the story was a little laboured, with every single event, decision and twist explained numerous times from different perspectives. Given I had spotted a number of hints quite early on and knew who the perpetrator was, and was happy to assume certain things had happened, I didn't feel the need to have this confirmed at length in great detail.
Otherwise an excellent book and the start of a new series that I will be avidly waiting for the next instalment of.
Pretty in Black: Pretty in Black Book 1
Book
On the day of her death, a seventeen year old cheerleader meets a vampire in the cemetery who saves...
fantasy young adult
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated The Raven (2012) in Movies
Apr 27, 2017
A brilliant crime thriller (4 more)
Gory
Connections to the work of Edgar Allan Poe
Great Cast
Watchable over and over again
Would love to know what happens in the end (1 more)
Not as exhilirating after the first watch
Quote the Raven, Nevermore.
First of all let me say this;
I am a poet and a writer, and my biggest inspiration as a writer has always been Edgar Allan Poe. I love the gothic horror, the tragedy, the macabre, and everything that makes Edgar Allan Poe the legend he is today.
With that said, let me tell you why I love this movie. It involves connections to some of Poe's greatest work, and not his poetry necessarily, it's actually more about his stories. Telltale Heart, Pit and the Pendulum and others that are all combined into the twisted mind of our antagonist who uses these stories to commit his crimes and leave evidence behind that only Poe himself would be able to figure out.
It's a brilliant crime thriller that delves into the mind of someone who is essentially Poe's biggest fan, but in a very dark and twisted way that gives us a fictional story about what happened during Poe's last days before he was found dead on a park bench. It's a known fact that Poe's last days remain a mystery and so this film had the opportunity to really play with some great ideas and they were executed brilliantly.
Speaking of execution this film is very grim and gory. One scene involving the story of The Pit and the Pendulum has us watch as a Pendulum drops lower and lower before slicing through a man's stomach like a warm knife through butter. It doesn't leave a lot to the imagination which gives this film some charm and makes it stand out from the rest of the Poe Film adaptations.
John Cusack plays the lengend himself, Edgar Allan Poe and brings a very interesting performance, that seems to suggest Poe thought himself as a higher intelligence to those around him, and he isn't shy to announce it.
Sharing the screen with Cusack, includes names such as Luke Evans who portrays Detective Fields, the detective I mentioned earlier that seeks Poe's assistance in the murder case. Brendan Gleeson portrays a very protective father named Charles Hamilton, who despises Poe being anywhere near his daughter Emily Hamilton, portrayed by Alice Eve. However there differences are put aside as the hunt for the missing Emily continues.
The story transitions well from scene to scene and story to story as each clue leads to the next, and eventually we discover the culprit who I shall not name here because I wish to leave the tension and suspense for you as you watch this film.
I am a poet and a writer, and my biggest inspiration as a writer has always been Edgar Allan Poe. I love the gothic horror, the tragedy, the macabre, and everything that makes Edgar Allan Poe the legend he is today.
With that said, let me tell you why I love this movie. It involves connections to some of Poe's greatest work, and not his poetry necessarily, it's actually more about his stories. Telltale Heart, Pit and the Pendulum and others that are all combined into the twisted mind of our antagonist who uses these stories to commit his crimes and leave evidence behind that only Poe himself would be able to figure out.
It's a brilliant crime thriller that delves into the mind of someone who is essentially Poe's biggest fan, but in a very dark and twisted way that gives us a fictional story about what happened during Poe's last days before he was found dead on a park bench. It's a known fact that Poe's last days remain a mystery and so this film had the opportunity to really play with some great ideas and they were executed brilliantly.
Speaking of execution this film is very grim and gory. One scene involving the story of The Pit and the Pendulum has us watch as a Pendulum drops lower and lower before slicing through a man's stomach like a warm knife through butter. It doesn't leave a lot to the imagination which gives this film some charm and makes it stand out from the rest of the Poe Film adaptations.
John Cusack plays the lengend himself, Edgar Allan Poe and brings a very interesting performance, that seems to suggest Poe thought himself as a higher intelligence to those around him, and he isn't shy to announce it.
Sharing the screen with Cusack, includes names such as Luke Evans who portrays Detective Fields, the detective I mentioned earlier that seeks Poe's assistance in the murder case. Brendan Gleeson portrays a very protective father named Charles Hamilton, who despises Poe being anywhere near his daughter Emily Hamilton, portrayed by Alice Eve. However there differences are put aside as the hunt for the missing Emily continues.
The story transitions well from scene to scene and story to story as each clue leads to the next, and eventually we discover the culprit who I shall not name here because I wish to leave the tension and suspense for you as you watch this film.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 8 in TV
May 29, 2019 (Updated May 30, 2019)
A bit of a let-down
I don't think I will ever understand why the decision was made to squeeze the final season into 6 episodes. This seems to have put all the onus on ending storylines quickly and less on building tension. And yet, so much of this series was slow, drawn out padding.
There were two episodes of pretty much non-stop action. These were visually stunning, however so badly written and incongruous. Given how well the series as a whole has tried to mimic medieval European history, to have a battle start and end in a very short time was simply nonsense. No attention to likely battle plans was attempted (a sieging army wouldn't attack, and a besieged army wouldn't come out onto the field of battle), it was just a CGI-heavy, smoky, frantic fight.
The rest of the series was a much slower pace, which is GoT's style. However those episodes were so flat and dull as to be like someone else entirely had written them. Gone was the political wrangling, the back-stabbing and the two-facedness (generally, there were some brief moments of this).
The focus of each episode was also almost solely in one place, where it has always been at its best by showing so many things at a time. Rather than this being the convergence of all story threads, this just came across as storytelling-by-numbers.
I had no problems with Daenerys' change in character - it had been so well hinted at that you didn't have to be the 3-eyed raven to see it coming. It also felt totally in line with her past decisions, and family history, and this was one of the few parts I felt were well written and understandable.
A lot of fan-favourite characters got shat on in the final few series, but I don't see why people are surprised - the main character of the first series was beheaded in that same series, so this was quite normal for GoT.
I really did not like the final outcome of the series, with Bran on the throne and the whole scene with all the lords (some of whom I still don't recognise) was painful - why would they listen to Tyrion and go with his "can't defeat a story" nonsense.
Overall, it was not a finale worthy of the series as a whole, but it was a reasonably enjoyable and at times thrilling conclusion to an epic story.
And one good thing to come out of this is the motivation it will give other writers: get on with finishing your stories or Benioff and Weiss will do it for you!
There were two episodes of pretty much non-stop action. These were visually stunning, however so badly written and incongruous. Given how well the series as a whole has tried to mimic medieval European history, to have a battle start and end in a very short time was simply nonsense. No attention to likely battle plans was attempted (a sieging army wouldn't attack, and a besieged army wouldn't come out onto the field of battle), it was just a CGI-heavy, smoky, frantic fight.
The rest of the series was a much slower pace, which is GoT's style. However those episodes were so flat and dull as to be like someone else entirely had written them. Gone was the political wrangling, the back-stabbing and the two-facedness (generally, there were some brief moments of this).
The focus of each episode was also almost solely in one place, where it has always been at its best by showing so many things at a time. Rather than this being the convergence of all story threads, this just came across as storytelling-by-numbers.
I had no problems with Daenerys' change in character - it had been so well hinted at that you didn't have to be the 3-eyed raven to see it coming. It also felt totally in line with her past decisions, and family history, and this was one of the few parts I felt were well written and understandable.
A lot of fan-favourite characters got shat on in the final few series, but I don't see why people are surprised - the main character of the first series was beheaded in that same series, so this was quite normal for GoT.
I really did not like the final outcome of the series, with Bran on the throne and the whole scene with all the lords (some of whom I still don't recognise) was painful - why would they listen to Tyrion and go with his "can't defeat a story" nonsense.
Overall, it was not a finale worthy of the series as a whole, but it was a reasonably enjoyable and at times thrilling conclusion to an epic story.
And one good thing to come out of this is the motivation it will give other writers: get on with finishing your stories or Benioff and Weiss will do it for you!
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated The Horns of Elfland in Books
Mar 1, 2018
It took a while to track down this volume, as it has long been out of print. Interlibrary loan was, once again, my friend. But how odd to read an actual physical book again, when I've been reading ebooks almost exclusively lately!
Most of the stories were a bit darker than anticipated. 1997 was not such a depressing time to me, so I'm not sure why that would be the case.
I've had to send the book back to the library already, so I don't have it at hand despite finishing it last night.
The first standout story was "The Drummer and the Skins" by [a:John Brunner|23113|John Brunner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1234623516p2/23113.jpg]. Finding a reference to a Yoruban peoples' tradition in a white British author's story was somewhat surprising, but go figure. I'm a white southern American woman, too. I suppose some people might argue that neither of us have no right to be interested/know about such things/whatever. I think of Brunner as a very hard SF writer, so that was especially surprising from him. His inclusion in a fantasy anthology was a surprise altogether. These surprises are some of the things I enjoy about anthologies - they challenge my assumptions.
I was rather bitter when I first thought I understood what [a:Terri Windling|46137|Terri Windling|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235254340p2/46137.jpg]'s novelette "The Color of Angels was about. "Just what I need to read about," I told Sam. "A story about a woman gradually losing everything she loves to illness." MS, in the story (not one of my diagnoses, but it hit far too close to home, anyway). Suffice it to say that I was glad that I continued to read.
Even if I hadn't been happy with where the story went, I would not have been able to resist Windling's writing. She brings in so much of the world - colors, textures, music - so that I felt far more immersed in that one piece than I have in my own life at times. She is marvelously evocative. I haven't managed to put my hands on any of the Bordertown/Borderlands books, despite seeking them for a long time. Now I'm adding her solo works to to the "look for" list, and pushing them much higher on the priority scale.
"The Death of Raven" by [a:Ellen Kushner|11889|Ellen Kushner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1243007888p2/11889.jpg] was unexpectedly comforting. Very brief, quite simply, but one I would love to see reprinted to increase its availability. (It may have been reprinted, for all I know. I certainly hope that it has been.) I've got Kushner's novels on my "to-read" shelf, but I think I'll move them up a bit.
Most of the stories were a bit darker than anticipated. 1997 was not such a depressing time to me, so I'm not sure why that would be the case.
I've had to send the book back to the library already, so I don't have it at hand despite finishing it last night.
The first standout story was "The Drummer and the Skins" by [a:John Brunner|23113|John Brunner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1234623516p2/23113.jpg]. Finding a reference to a Yoruban peoples' tradition in a white British author's story was somewhat surprising, but go figure. I'm a white southern American woman, too. I suppose some people might argue that neither of us have no right to be interested/know about such things/whatever. I think of Brunner as a very hard SF writer, so that was especially surprising from him. His inclusion in a fantasy anthology was a surprise altogether. These surprises are some of the things I enjoy about anthologies - they challenge my assumptions.
I was rather bitter when I first thought I understood what [a:Terri Windling|46137|Terri Windling|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235254340p2/46137.jpg]'s novelette "The Color of Angels was about. "Just what I need to read about," I told Sam. "A story about a woman gradually losing everything she loves to illness." MS, in the story (not one of my diagnoses, but it hit far too close to home, anyway). Suffice it to say that I was glad that I continued to read.
Even if I hadn't been happy with where the story went, I would not have been able to resist Windling's writing. She brings in so much of the world - colors, textures, music - so that I felt far more immersed in that one piece than I have in my own life at times. She is marvelously evocative. I haven't managed to put my hands on any of the Bordertown/Borderlands books, despite seeking them for a long time. Now I'm adding her solo works to to the "look for" list, and pushing them much higher on the priority scale.
"The Death of Raven" by [a:Ellen Kushner|11889|Ellen Kushner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1243007888p2/11889.jpg] was unexpectedly comforting. Very brief, quite simply, but one I would love to see reprinted to increase its availability. (It may have been reprinted, for all I know. I certainly hope that it has been.) I've got Kushner's novels on my "to-read" shelf, but I think I'll move them up a bit.
Debbiereadsbook (1069 KP) rated Forged Decisions (Tribal Spirits #2) in Books
Jan 14, 2019
not quite as good as book one
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Tribal Spirits series, but you don't need to have read book one: Forged Alliances, for this one to make sense. It would HELP, but not totally necessary.
Finn is beta to the Red Rock pack, but is restless since his Alpha, Sierra, mated Dax, Alpha of the Silver Springs pack. The Tribe are in town to bles their union, and Navi takes advantage of Finn's local knowledge to crack a drug smuggling ring. The more they work together, the more the attraction builds, and soon neither can deny it. When Finn's past comes crashing down around him and clashes with Navi's mission, will she let him have the revenge he so desperately needs? Will Finn be able to walk away from Navi, when her mission is done, now she holds his heart??
I LOVED book one, loved it, and looked forward to reading this one. But while still a very VERY good read, it doesn't quite hit *THAT* spot that Forged Alliances does. And *insert wailing* I don't know why! And ya'll know how much the drives me nuts!
Finn and Navi had that one night together, after Dax gets his pack back, and it plays on both their minds. They are both profoundly affected by that night and the passion they shared simmers along for the first half of the book. They fight it, oh BOY do they fight it, but it really is inevitable, working in close quarters, that they will give in. It is just a matter of when.
Finn is dealing with some emotional baggage, after his parents death when he was a child and the restless feeling he has been carrying for the last month. Navi too, but hers is different. Being raised as Tribe from a very young age, she had no childhood, she has no attachments save the other Tribe members. She cannot have a mate, since she has to leave all the time. Yes, she has a powerful panther spirit within her, and she can control water, but once, just once, she wants someone who sees Navi the WOMAN, rather than Navi of The Tribe.
And by god, does Finn SEE Navi the woman!
Loved that, while it broke her to ask the words of Finn, she does.
The next book is laid out very nicely, thank you, and I suspect that might be more of an emotionally difficult read, given what Raven goes through here, and with the hints to her past.
A really good read, just not as good as book one, so...
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Tribal Spirits series, but you don't need to have read book one: Forged Alliances, for this one to make sense. It would HELP, but not totally necessary.
Finn is beta to the Red Rock pack, but is restless since his Alpha, Sierra, mated Dax, Alpha of the Silver Springs pack. The Tribe are in town to bles their union, and Navi takes advantage of Finn's local knowledge to crack a drug smuggling ring. The more they work together, the more the attraction builds, and soon neither can deny it. When Finn's past comes crashing down around him and clashes with Navi's mission, will she let him have the revenge he so desperately needs? Will Finn be able to walk away from Navi, when her mission is done, now she holds his heart??
I LOVED book one, loved it, and looked forward to reading this one. But while still a very VERY good read, it doesn't quite hit *THAT* spot that Forged Alliances does. And *insert wailing* I don't know why! And ya'll know how much the drives me nuts!
Finn and Navi had that one night together, after Dax gets his pack back, and it plays on both their minds. They are both profoundly affected by that night and the passion they shared simmers along for the first half of the book. They fight it, oh BOY do they fight it, but it really is inevitable, working in close quarters, that they will give in. It is just a matter of when.
Finn is dealing with some emotional baggage, after his parents death when he was a child and the restless feeling he has been carrying for the last month. Navi too, but hers is different. Being raised as Tribe from a very young age, she had no childhood, she has no attachments save the other Tribe members. She cannot have a mate, since she has to leave all the time. Yes, she has a powerful panther spirit within her, and she can control water, but once, just once, she wants someone who sees Navi the WOMAN, rather than Navi of The Tribe.
And by god, does Finn SEE Navi the woman!
Loved that, while it broke her to ask the words of Finn, she does.
The next book is laid out very nicely, thank you, and I suspect that might be more of an emotionally difficult read, given what Raven goes through here, and with the hints to her past.
A really good read, just not as good as book one, so...
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
JT (287 KP) rated The Raven (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I've never really been a massive fan of John Cusack, I find him a bit tenuous and someone who slightly over acts. The Raven gives him the chance to over act to his heart’s content, as he plays poet Edgar Allan Poe who is drawn into the world and mind of a serial killer.
The film is set in 18th century Maryland where the flamboyant Edgar Allan Poe is busy churning out poems and gruesome stories that he desperately tries to get published in the local paper, although frustratingly as he experiences no one really knows or cares who he is?
This leads to large quantities of booze and lots of shouting and aggression at anyone who stands in his way. When a series of killings alert the local police, Detective Fields (Luke Evans) is called in to investigate, and when it’s discovered that the killings are in some way a copy of Poe’s illustrious work the man himself is tasked with assisting.
Visually the film is very good and is in keeping with the traditions of the 18th century, dark and slightly gothic it certainly gives the sense of a disturbed horror film. The killer is masked for the majority until the reveal, but clues are dropped as to the identity giving the viewer the chance to play detective. Although you probably don’t need to be Inspector Morse to figure it out.
When Poe’s beloved fiancé Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve) is kidnapped and buried alive it adds a whole new twist to the plot. The killer is making this a personal vendetta against Poe who seems at a loss to who could be targeting him in such a horrific way, it then becomes a race against time as the killer leaves clues on his victims for Poe to follow that will lead him to a theatrical conclusion.
The film echos Se7en, in that both Fields and Poe are being taunted by a sadistic killer who is clearly making a bold statement with his work, that involve a huge swinging blade, being buried into a wall and having your tongue cut out. Also a young beautiful woman is at the killers mercy, can Poe race against time to save her?
Cusack does an admirable job in fairness to him and his portrayal of Poe is an accurate reincarnation. Brendan Gleeson who despite limited screen time still manages to command a presence that has to be respected, and here as Emily’s father he gives off a burning sense of desperation.
The rest of the cast amble a long and certainly don’t set any fires alight It’s an OK film and it does have the thrills but nothing that is going to set pulses racing. When you turn it off you just let out one big long “Meh!”
The film is set in 18th century Maryland where the flamboyant Edgar Allan Poe is busy churning out poems and gruesome stories that he desperately tries to get published in the local paper, although frustratingly as he experiences no one really knows or cares who he is?
This leads to large quantities of booze and lots of shouting and aggression at anyone who stands in his way. When a series of killings alert the local police, Detective Fields (Luke Evans) is called in to investigate, and when it’s discovered that the killings are in some way a copy of Poe’s illustrious work the man himself is tasked with assisting.
Visually the film is very good and is in keeping with the traditions of the 18th century, dark and slightly gothic it certainly gives the sense of a disturbed horror film. The killer is masked for the majority until the reveal, but clues are dropped as to the identity giving the viewer the chance to play detective. Although you probably don’t need to be Inspector Morse to figure it out.
When Poe’s beloved fiancé Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve) is kidnapped and buried alive it adds a whole new twist to the plot. The killer is making this a personal vendetta against Poe who seems at a loss to who could be targeting him in such a horrific way, it then becomes a race against time as the killer leaves clues on his victims for Poe to follow that will lead him to a theatrical conclusion.
The film echos Se7en, in that both Fields and Poe are being taunted by a sadistic killer who is clearly making a bold statement with his work, that involve a huge swinging blade, being buried into a wall and having your tongue cut out. Also a young beautiful woman is at the killers mercy, can Poe race against time to save her?
Cusack does an admirable job in fairness to him and his portrayal of Poe is an accurate reincarnation. Brendan Gleeson who despite limited screen time still manages to command a presence that has to be respected, and here as Emily’s father he gives off a burning sense of desperation.
The rest of the cast amble a long and certainly don’t set any fires alight It’s an OK film and it does have the thrills but nothing that is going to set pulses racing. When you turn it off you just let out one big long “Meh!”
Now or Never
Tabletop Game
Far to the south of The Last Ruin lies a cliffside village called The Monument. For generations, it...
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated X-Men: First Class (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
When the “X-Men:The Last Stand” failed to score big with critics and audiences in 2006, many fans began to wonder if they would ever see their favorite mutant superhero team on screen anytime soon. Despite mixed reviews, 2009’s standalone film “Wolverine“, did sufficient box office numbers to warrant a sequel which is currently in development, indicating that the likely future of the series was with standalone character films.
Then 20th Century Fox decided to tell a team-based origin story that focuses on the early days of the X-Men and how they became the team that they are today. This is a bit of a controversial move as it involves recasting several roles to play younger versions of beloved characters.
The result is X-Men: First Class which stars Scottish actor James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, a brilliant young academic who hides his unique and amazing telepathic gifts from the world. When a chance encounter proves to Charles that there are others in the world who share his gifts he dedicates his studies to unlocking the mysteries of genetic mutations and their possibilities.
At the same time a young man named Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), has embarked on a path of destruction and revenge against those who wronged and tormented him and his family during the Nazi occupation of their native Poland. Eric’s main target is man who now calls himself Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who has surrounded himself with a team of skilled mutants and is manipulating US and Russia to the brink of nuclear war, for his own evil purposes.
When CIA Agent MacTaggart (Rose Byrne), learns of Shaw’s plans, she recruits Xavier, not knowing that he and his friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are mutants themselves, with the hopes of understanding their new enemy and mounting a proper defense.
When the truth of his true nature is revealed, Charles teems with MacTaggart and scientist Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), to locate and recruit other gifted individuals to their cause. Fate steps in when Erik and Charles meet and eventually become friends over there mutual pursuit of Shaw. Despite a great deal of understanding between the two individuals, Eric is intent upon killing Shaw. He warns his new friend not to trust humans, as his time under Nazi control taught him that it’s only a matter of time until he and his fellow mutants are targeted for extinction by the world. Despite this the Eric and Charles recruit and train a team to prepare to face Shaw and his followers, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
The film starts off well and it was very enjoyable to see a deeper side of the characters. From young Charles hitting on women in bars and making jokes about losing his full head of hair to the deadly side of Eric and his abilities as well as the early relationship between the iconic characters. Somewhere along the way the film loses its initial momentum as the plot of the film takes a while to get going. As good as the cast is, they need something to do and after numerous debates and a few training and recruitment segments the film became somewhat boring. There simply was not a lot of action to sustain the plot.
Kevin Bacon was an interesting choice for the villain. He did a good job, although watching him strut around I kept expecting him to break into dance at any moment. Another issue I had was that some of the supporting characters were basically throwaway as I cared little about their stories and outcomes. Only the characters of Raven, Eric, and Charles held any real interest for me and watching their interplay with one another was one of the strong points of the film.
As the film move toward the finale there were several things about it that did not work for me starting with the makeup for The Beast. Complete with spectacles it was almost a laughable look that brought to mind Jason Bateman in “Teen Wolf 2“. The fact that the character was annoying as well did very little to help.
The biggest issue I had with the film was that after all this buildup the finale was actually very ho-hum and while it did contain some visually nice moments, I do not feel the action balanced with the storytelling, certainly not to the extent that audiences expect from nor require of a summer blockbuster.
There are a couple of moments in the film that will certainly be questioned by fans of the series as well as scenes which conflict with information from the earlier films in the series. It seems certain elements of continuity have been omitted for creative license. I will not spoil those here but suffice it to say that if my wife, who is a casual fan of the series, was able to note conflicts and discrepancies between this film and a previous film, then certainly hard-core fans may have some real issues.
The film does a good job with explaining the origin and nature of the characters, but fails to provide an adventure worthy of the effort and instead plays out in a very underwhelming fashion. Director Matthew Vaughn proved himself highly adept with adventure films when he produced “Kick Ass“, and other action-oriented films. He is clearly a fan of comics and action and I would love to have seen what could’ve resulted had he been given carte blanche with the film.
In the end, “X-Men: First Class“, for me was more entertaining than the previous ensemble films, but fails to live up to its potential and severely lacks enough action to sustain the early momentum of the film.
Then 20th Century Fox decided to tell a team-based origin story that focuses on the early days of the X-Men and how they became the team that they are today. This is a bit of a controversial move as it involves recasting several roles to play younger versions of beloved characters.
The result is X-Men: First Class which stars Scottish actor James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, a brilliant young academic who hides his unique and amazing telepathic gifts from the world. When a chance encounter proves to Charles that there are others in the world who share his gifts he dedicates his studies to unlocking the mysteries of genetic mutations and their possibilities.
At the same time a young man named Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), has embarked on a path of destruction and revenge against those who wronged and tormented him and his family during the Nazi occupation of their native Poland. Eric’s main target is man who now calls himself Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who has surrounded himself with a team of skilled mutants and is manipulating US and Russia to the brink of nuclear war, for his own evil purposes.
When CIA Agent MacTaggart (Rose Byrne), learns of Shaw’s plans, she recruits Xavier, not knowing that he and his friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are mutants themselves, with the hopes of understanding their new enemy and mounting a proper defense.
When the truth of his true nature is revealed, Charles teems with MacTaggart and scientist Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), to locate and recruit other gifted individuals to their cause. Fate steps in when Erik and Charles meet and eventually become friends over there mutual pursuit of Shaw. Despite a great deal of understanding between the two individuals, Eric is intent upon killing Shaw. He warns his new friend not to trust humans, as his time under Nazi control taught him that it’s only a matter of time until he and his fellow mutants are targeted for extinction by the world. Despite this the Eric and Charles recruit and train a team to prepare to face Shaw and his followers, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
The film starts off well and it was very enjoyable to see a deeper side of the characters. From young Charles hitting on women in bars and making jokes about losing his full head of hair to the deadly side of Eric and his abilities as well as the early relationship between the iconic characters. Somewhere along the way the film loses its initial momentum as the plot of the film takes a while to get going. As good as the cast is, they need something to do and after numerous debates and a few training and recruitment segments the film became somewhat boring. There simply was not a lot of action to sustain the plot.
Kevin Bacon was an interesting choice for the villain. He did a good job, although watching him strut around I kept expecting him to break into dance at any moment. Another issue I had was that some of the supporting characters were basically throwaway as I cared little about their stories and outcomes. Only the characters of Raven, Eric, and Charles held any real interest for me and watching their interplay with one another was one of the strong points of the film.
As the film move toward the finale there were several things about it that did not work for me starting with the makeup for The Beast. Complete with spectacles it was almost a laughable look that brought to mind Jason Bateman in “Teen Wolf 2“. The fact that the character was annoying as well did very little to help.
The biggest issue I had with the film was that after all this buildup the finale was actually very ho-hum and while it did contain some visually nice moments, I do not feel the action balanced with the storytelling, certainly not to the extent that audiences expect from nor require of a summer blockbuster.
There are a couple of moments in the film that will certainly be questioned by fans of the series as well as scenes which conflict with information from the earlier films in the series. It seems certain elements of continuity have been omitted for creative license. I will not spoil those here but suffice it to say that if my wife, who is a casual fan of the series, was able to note conflicts and discrepancies between this film and a previous film, then certainly hard-core fans may have some real issues.
The film does a good job with explaining the origin and nature of the characters, but fails to provide an adventure worthy of the effort and instead plays out in a very underwhelming fashion. Director Matthew Vaughn proved himself highly adept with adventure films when he produced “Kick Ass“, and other action-oriented films. He is clearly a fan of comics and action and I would love to have seen what could’ve resulted had he been given carte blanche with the film.
In the end, “X-Men: First Class“, for me was more entertaining than the previous ensemble films, but fails to live up to its potential and severely lacks enough action to sustain the early momentum of the film.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Wrong Stars in Books
Aug 26, 2018 (Updated Aug 26, 2018)
Diversity (2 more)
World-building
Amazing alien species
I've watched my fair share of Space Opera (Firefly, Dark Matter, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars - don't try to tell me those last two aren't Space Opera, THEY TOTALLY ARE) - but I haven't read much of it. I picked up The Wrong Stars mostly because reviews said it had a demisexual main character, rather than because it's a Space Opera. Regardless, I am SO GLAD I DID. The book is excellent.
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com