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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Heights in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Heights—a contemporary imagining of Wuthering Heights
by Brian James
Genre: YA Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4, DNF
Ah. Again. A high rated book that I did not finish. “Haley what is wrong with you?” Haley stop talking to yourself.
Let me start with the positive: This book is all about the characters. James has taken characters that were only mildly relatable in Wuthering Heights and made them so realistic that you feel everything they feel. This is a mark of a good writer… but also a very painful book. The viewpoint alternates between Henry and Cathy, but it’s not distracting. It’s so easy to get inside their heads and live their lives. Almost too easy.
The negative: It was too painful to finish. I know what’s going to happen because I know the story of Wuthering Heights… and I don’t think I want to live through that. Because I know if I read it, it will feel 110% real. And I don’t think I could handle that.
This book has taken me two days to read… and each time I could only get a little bit farther before I had to stop because I was so angry at the characters for being stupid and prideful and selfish and mean and hateful, that I threw the book across the room. Twice.
I guess this sad love story is just not my kind of love story. Let’s hope I’m not jinxing myself (Haley you know you don’t believe in such things). If you love sad romance stories or love Wuthering Heights, you’ll love this—because this one hurt. I’ll save it for a rainy day when I need to force myself to break down and cry…
Content: Henry has a dirty mouth, but it’s not overdone. No sexual content, and all romance is appropriate
Recommendation: Anyone who wants a good cry… ages 13+
Cover: I know I usually don’t say anything about the cover… but really they could have done better. Henry (Heathcliff) is supposed to be dark skinned with dark hair. The guy on the cover looks nothing like him.
*angry and sad Haley now goes to the corner and pouts and finds a lighter romance to cheer herself up*
by Brian James
Genre: YA Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4, DNF
Ah. Again. A high rated book that I did not finish. “Haley what is wrong with you?” Haley stop talking to yourself.
Let me start with the positive: This book is all about the characters. James has taken characters that were only mildly relatable in Wuthering Heights and made them so realistic that you feel everything they feel. This is a mark of a good writer… but also a very painful book. The viewpoint alternates between Henry and Cathy, but it’s not distracting. It’s so easy to get inside their heads and live their lives. Almost too easy.
The negative: It was too painful to finish. I know what’s going to happen because I know the story of Wuthering Heights… and I don’t think I want to live through that. Because I know if I read it, it will feel 110% real. And I don’t think I could handle that.
This book has taken me two days to read… and each time I could only get a little bit farther before I had to stop because I was so angry at the characters for being stupid and prideful and selfish and mean and hateful, that I threw the book across the room. Twice.
I guess this sad love story is just not my kind of love story. Let’s hope I’m not jinxing myself (Haley you know you don’t believe in such things). If you love sad romance stories or love Wuthering Heights, you’ll love this—because this one hurt. I’ll save it for a rainy day when I need to force myself to break down and cry…
Content: Henry has a dirty mouth, but it’s not overdone. No sexual content, and all romance is appropriate
Recommendation: Anyone who wants a good cry… ages 13+
Cover: I know I usually don’t say anything about the cover… but really they could have done better. Henry (Heathcliff) is supposed to be dark skinned with dark hair. The guy on the cover looks nothing like him.
*angry and sad Haley now goes to the corner and pouts and finds a lighter romance to cheer herself up*
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Wife Between Us in Books
May 16, 2018
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is most assuredly not my cup of tea. I did not enjoy reading it. So then, why the high rating? Why am I about to rave about it? Because this book is important. It delves into a subject far too easily dismissed and too stigmatized to get the attention it deserves. I’ll put it this way: the book’s synopsis is spot on, and I feel this is a must-read for young adults especially.
I don’t wish to reveal spoilers, but at the same time I feel it is my responsibility to alert my readers when there may be content in a book that could potentially trigger them. The Wife Between Us deals with the dynamics of a relationship: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you’re currently recovering from a less than savory relationship, you may want to hold off on this: if you’re looking for a reminder that you’re not crazy though, it’s perfect. I had to stop reading a time or two for a bit, and I even caught myself crying as I finished the final pages of this book.
Hendricks and Pekkanen’s characters are remarkably average, and I feel that is important to point out. Too many times we get books with unbelievable roles cast and this allows us, as readers, to dissociate from thee story itself. In this case, as far as the women of the book are concerned, it’s quite realistic and believable.
There are moments in The Wife Between Us where I cried out, swearing in surprise. Hendricks and Pekkanen manage to write things without too much foreshadowing; their twists and turns come as a slap to the face. It keeps the reader on edge and keeps the plot from growing dull.
While I may not have found this book to be enjoyable for myself, I do love the talent that both writers clearly have. I was unable to detect the style changes, which also means that they blend in well together. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, free of charge, for the purpose of an unbiased review.
I don’t wish to reveal spoilers, but at the same time I feel it is my responsibility to alert my readers when there may be content in a book that could potentially trigger them. The Wife Between Us deals with the dynamics of a relationship: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you’re currently recovering from a less than savory relationship, you may want to hold off on this: if you’re looking for a reminder that you’re not crazy though, it’s perfect. I had to stop reading a time or two for a bit, and I even caught myself crying as I finished the final pages of this book.
Hendricks and Pekkanen’s characters are remarkably average, and I feel that is important to point out. Too many times we get books with unbelievable roles cast and this allows us, as readers, to dissociate from thee story itself. In this case, as far as the women of the book are concerned, it’s quite realistic and believable.
There are moments in The Wife Between Us where I cried out, swearing in surprise. Hendricks and Pekkanen manage to write things without too much foreshadowing; their twists and turns come as a slap to the face. It keeps the reader on edge and keeps the plot from growing dull.
While I may not have found this book to be enjoyable for myself, I do love the talent that both writers clearly have. I was unable to detect the style changes, which also means that they blend in well together. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, free of charge, for the purpose of an unbiased review.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Nail's Crossing (Bill Maytubby & Hannah Bond Mystery #1) in Books
May 16, 2018
As seen on <a href="http://theghastlygrimoire.com/"; target="_new">The Ghastly Grimoire</a>
Nail’s Crossing is a fast-paced police procedural from debut author Kris Lackey. Set in Southeastern Oklahoma, the novel dips into Arkansas (my stomping grounds) and Louisiana. Some scenes take place in Oklahoma City, in neighborhoods I know well and the locales depicted in this book are precisely why when I received an email regarding it, I absolutely had to read it.
This book is in the first in a series centered around Bill Maytubby, a reservation police officer, and Hannah Bond, a sturdy, no-bullshit female officers from the county. In these two and the many side characters, Lackey proves adept at making his cast realistic and relateable – which is something I find wanting in other books far too often.
The plot of Nail’s Crossing deals with the aftermath of a young woman’s murder and a varied group of individuals that are responsible for her death. By focusing on the apprehension of the criminals, rather than the psychology behind why they killed the woman make this title a refreshing read, especially after all the books I’ve read lately that try and compare themselves to Gone Girl.
I’ve been in a bit of a slump recently, so the fact I devoured Lackey’s book in only a couple sittings speaks volumes to his ability to maintain a constant flow of action. Unlike many books I’ve read where the author refers to stereotypes to depict certain demographics, Lackey’s portrayal of poverty-stricken southerners is accurate. Considering I live in one of Arkansas’s poorest counties, this meant a lot to me. Lackey has given those without voices one within the pages of his novel that, if you’re looking for it, remind readers that we’re our own culture as well (and not by clinging to Confederate rhetoric like the ones of today seem to).
I look forward to more books in this series, that’s for sure. I’d like to thank Blackstone Audiobooks for providing me with a free copy of this book at no charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Nail’s Crossing is a fast-paced police procedural from debut author Kris Lackey. Set in Southeastern Oklahoma, the novel dips into Arkansas (my stomping grounds) and Louisiana. Some scenes take place in Oklahoma City, in neighborhoods I know well and the locales depicted in this book are precisely why when I received an email regarding it, I absolutely had to read it.
This book is in the first in a series centered around Bill Maytubby, a reservation police officer, and Hannah Bond, a sturdy, no-bullshit female officers from the county. In these two and the many side characters, Lackey proves adept at making his cast realistic and relateable – which is something I find wanting in other books far too often.
The plot of Nail’s Crossing deals with the aftermath of a young woman’s murder and a varied group of individuals that are responsible for her death. By focusing on the apprehension of the criminals, rather than the psychology behind why they killed the woman make this title a refreshing read, especially after all the books I’ve read lately that try and compare themselves to Gone Girl.
I’ve been in a bit of a slump recently, so the fact I devoured Lackey’s book in only a couple sittings speaks volumes to his ability to maintain a constant flow of action. Unlike many books I’ve read where the author refers to stereotypes to depict certain demographics, Lackey’s portrayal of poverty-stricken southerners is accurate. Considering I live in one of Arkansas’s poorest counties, this meant a lot to me. Lackey has given those without voices one within the pages of his novel that, if you’re looking for it, remind readers that we’re our own culture as well (and not by clinging to Confederate rhetoric like the ones of today seem to).
I look forward to more books in this series, that’s for sure. I’d like to thank Blackstone Audiobooks for providing me with a free copy of this book at no charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Katie Burrows (1 KP) rated A Court of Frost and Starlight: Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
May 21, 2018
More time with beloved characters (2 more)
Got to find out more about side character backstories
The development of Feyre's sisters and their post-Cauldron struggles felt realistic and honest
No real point or feeling to the plot (4 more)
3/4 of the way through the book, still not sure what the point is
The sudden decision to write from multiple perspectives in this book (as opposed to just Feyre's) felt cheap
It's a Christmas story that was released May 1st, which was a strange publishing choice
After all the excitement in the precious book, the pace of this one was too slow
Not as exciting as previous installments
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved the third book in the series, but it just wasn't as good. It felt as though the author was maybe forced to publish the next installment of the series even though she didn't have a fully fleshed-out story yet.
While I enjoyed learning the characters' backstories, I was not a fan of how the author switched character perspectives each chapter. It was tedious to keep up with at times, and felt like a forced way to introduce the backstories. In the last installment, the backstories we heard were drawn out by plot and circumstance, which helped drive the story as we learned relevant info at relevant times. In this book it felt as though the revealing of character info was gratuitous, almost an excuse to avoid developing an actual plot.
Speaking of plot, the story was slow (in part because of continually switching between so many character perspectives during the same stretches of time), and because for most of the book nothing important or exciting happens.
The cover art was gorgeous. The dust jacket is absolutely beautiful. But, this is largely a Christmas or winter solstice story, and might have been more aptly published in late fall or closer to the holiday season, rather than the beginning of May.
I would still love to see more books in this series, but only if future installments see a return to the action and intrigue of the first 3 stories.
While I enjoyed learning the characters' backstories, I was not a fan of how the author switched character perspectives each chapter. It was tedious to keep up with at times, and felt like a forced way to introduce the backstories. In the last installment, the backstories we heard were drawn out by plot and circumstance, which helped drive the story as we learned relevant info at relevant times. In this book it felt as though the revealing of character info was gratuitous, almost an excuse to avoid developing an actual plot.
Speaking of plot, the story was slow (in part because of continually switching between so many character perspectives during the same stretches of time), and because for most of the book nothing important or exciting happens.
The cover art was gorgeous. The dust jacket is absolutely beautiful. But, this is largely a Christmas or winter solstice story, and might have been more aptly published in late fall or closer to the holiday season, rather than the beginning of May.
I would still love to see more books in this series, but only if future installments see a return to the action and intrigue of the first 3 stories.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT introduces Charley Davidson, the Grim Reaper who also works as a private investigator. She's a smart-ass, chaotic, accident-prone, knows exactly who she is, and has some serious attitude -- she'll never win Miss Congeniality, but Charley also has heart and humanity. I like her, she has enough depth to sympathize with and enough grit to make me root for her, while showing the right amounts of strength and vulnerability to be realistic. If I had to choose a grim reaper and it was between her and Callie Reaper-Jones from Amber Benson's series ([b:Death's Daughter|6354365|Death's Daughter (Calliope Reaper-Jones, #1)|Amber Benson|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lRt2VmaCL._SL75_.jpg|4632897]), I'd definitely pick Charley. And did I mention she names her "unmentionables"? Of which I found hilarious, although maybe not everyone will.
There are two major plot lines involved within the covers: the murder of three lawyers and how it ties into an innocent man and the mysterious entity who steams up Charley's dreams with some hot, hot action (and isn't as stalkerish as it sounds from the description). While the former seems to become an afterthought by the end, it ties up rather nicely, even if it's rather abrupt in comparison to how it's paced at the beginning. Though it is the other plot that is the more intriguing of the two and kept me reading so I could find out what happened next. I'm happy with how it ended and the author did a good job leaving me wanting to know more. The writing is capable, even if there was some redundancy of certain phrases and words, but it got better the further into the story I got. The book is bursting with sarcasm, which I love, and there's rarely a passage that doesn't have one snarky little morsel included. I hope future entries in the series will expand some of the other characters that are glossed over, but overall, this was a blast to read. If you're looking for a fast, fun piece of brain-candy, look no further, pop into this for a sweet treat. Also, kudos to whoever chose the cover, it captures the book perfectly.
3.5 stars
There are two major plot lines involved within the covers: the murder of three lawyers and how it ties into an innocent man and the mysterious entity who steams up Charley's dreams with some hot, hot action (and isn't as stalkerish as it sounds from the description). While the former seems to become an afterthought by the end, it ties up rather nicely, even if it's rather abrupt in comparison to how it's paced at the beginning. Though it is the other plot that is the more intriguing of the two and kept me reading so I could find out what happened next. I'm happy with how it ended and the author did a good job leaving me wanting to know more. The writing is capable, even if there was some redundancy of certain phrases and words, but it got better the further into the story I got. The book is bursting with sarcasm, which I love, and there's rarely a passage that doesn't have one snarky little morsel included. I hope future entries in the series will expand some of the other characters that are glossed over, but overall, this was a blast to read. If you're looking for a fast, fun piece of brain-candy, look no further, pop into this for a sweet treat. Also, kudos to whoever chose the cover, it captures the book perfectly.
3.5 stars
Fred (860 KP) rated Love, Death & Robots in TV
Mar 24, 2019
A Heavy Metal reboot? I'm in!
This is an anthology series, airing on Netflix. Originally, it was going to be a theatrical reboot of the Heavy Metal animated movies, but became a series instead. It's split into 18 animated shorts (well, 17 & one mostly live-action) with an average length of about 10 minutes or so each. Unlike the original Heavy Metal movie, there is nothing tying the shorts together, like the Loc-nar.
I want to say, overall, the series is great. Most of the animation is great. Some of it, like in the short "The Witness" is so realistic, you'll think you're watching actual film. However, there are some shorts where the animation is done in the choppy, crappy CGI-drawn animation & this takes away from them. Just like the original Heavy Metal, some shorts work, some don't. Fortunately, most of them work, overall. Some have problems with their endings. They seem to either have no ending, or they're just not satisfying enough. I kind of wish they were 20 minutes each. But there are also some where the ending is the best part.
My favorite short is probably "Three Robots", which is about...3 robots. They're "taking a vacation" through an apocalyptic wasteland. It's funny & smart. My least favorite is probably "When the Yogurt Took Over", which is about...sentient yogurt. Fortunately, this one is also the shortest of them. Funny enough, both of these shorts were written by the same writer.
I see people complaining about the show's sexism towards women. Yes, this is a problem. But a minor one. The show does have fan service, especially in the short "The Witness" I mentioned. There's nudity just for the sake of having nudity. I feel that although in this day & age, in America, this is frowned upon, it fits with these shorts. It's not like it's non-stop nudity, it's just here & there. It also fits with the Heavy Metal series & I'm happy that it's there.
I could talk about each short separately, but I don't think they need to be. You can watch the entire series in a few hours & it's worth it. So what you waiting for?
I want to say, overall, the series is great. Most of the animation is great. Some of it, like in the short "The Witness" is so realistic, you'll think you're watching actual film. However, there are some shorts where the animation is done in the choppy, crappy CGI-drawn animation & this takes away from them. Just like the original Heavy Metal, some shorts work, some don't. Fortunately, most of them work, overall. Some have problems with their endings. They seem to either have no ending, or they're just not satisfying enough. I kind of wish they were 20 minutes each. But there are also some where the ending is the best part.
My favorite short is probably "Three Robots", which is about...3 robots. They're "taking a vacation" through an apocalyptic wasteland. It's funny & smart. My least favorite is probably "When the Yogurt Took Over", which is about...sentient yogurt. Fortunately, this one is also the shortest of them. Funny enough, both of these shorts were written by the same writer.
I see people complaining about the show's sexism towards women. Yes, this is a problem. But a minor one. The show does have fan service, especially in the short "The Witness" I mentioned. There's nudity just for the sake of having nudity. I feel that although in this day & age, in America, this is frowned upon, it fits with these shorts. It's not like it's non-stop nudity, it's just here & there. It also fits with the Heavy Metal series & I'm happy that it's there.
I could talk about each short separately, but I don't think they need to be. You can watch the entire series in a few hours & it's worth it. So what you waiting for?
Sam (74 KP) rated The Undomestic Goddess in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Samantha is a high powered lawyer in a high powered law firm in London. She’s one of the best and has worked hard to get where she is. And when the opportunity a arises for her to become a partner at the firm, she works even harder than before. She’s got everything set out and knows that the promotion is hers, then finds out she has made a terrible mistake. A mistake that has cost fifty million. And she runs.
She finds herself being mistaken for the new housekeeper at a lovely house in the country and she is so flustered that she doesn’t know how to tell her new employers that it is all a mistake, so instead she goes along with it.
Samantha Sweeting is probably my favourite female protagonist ever. She is absolutely hilarious (even if she doesn’t know it) and she’s definitely not your stereotypical character. She runs when she realises she’s made a mistake, and then follows the fake it to make it life, pretending to be a housekeeper even though she’s got no idea how to even turn on a washing machine.
She is so comical, especially how she doesn’t have any idea how to do anything in a house but somehow becomes an amazing housekeeper.
The Undomestic Goddess is a novel about overcoming everything you have spent your life trying to be in order to find happiness. Samantha is faced with the problem of whether she wants to be happy, have time for herself and her own life, or she could go back to Carter Spink. It raises the question of whether happiness is truly worth more than money, and if success really equals happiness.
When I read Sophie Kinsella’s My Not So Perfect Life, I thought that I had found the most true and realistic book I could. But The Undomestic Goddess beats even that and is even more entertaining. I can’t believe I hadn’t discovered it sooner than when I spotted it in Morrisons. It’s such a heartfelt and honest book that it’s definitely a must read.
She finds herself being mistaken for the new housekeeper at a lovely house in the country and she is so flustered that she doesn’t know how to tell her new employers that it is all a mistake, so instead she goes along with it.
Samantha Sweeting is probably my favourite female protagonist ever. She is absolutely hilarious (even if she doesn’t know it) and she’s definitely not your stereotypical character. She runs when she realises she’s made a mistake, and then follows the fake it to make it life, pretending to be a housekeeper even though she’s got no idea how to even turn on a washing machine.
She is so comical, especially how she doesn’t have any idea how to do anything in a house but somehow becomes an amazing housekeeper.
The Undomestic Goddess is a novel about overcoming everything you have spent your life trying to be in order to find happiness. Samantha is faced with the problem of whether she wants to be happy, have time for herself and her own life, or she could go back to Carter Spink. It raises the question of whether happiness is truly worth more than money, and if success really equals happiness.
When I read Sophie Kinsella’s My Not So Perfect Life, I thought that I had found the most true and realistic book I could. But The Undomestic Goddess beats even that and is even more entertaining. I can’t believe I hadn’t discovered it sooner than when I spotted it in Morrisons. It’s such a heartfelt and honest book that it’s definitely a must read.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated The Last Straw in Books
Apr 7, 2019
When I read the synopsis for this book, I thought “Aah, here’s a story with some oomph!” The book starts with the line “Perry Mason unzipped his pants…” and I thought “I didn’t think it was that sort of a book!” There were no erotic scenes though, but there was violence and drama aplenty!
The events in the book are sparked by the witnessing of a murder at a car hijacking gone awry. However, there is a snowball-come-avalanche effect for the surrounding characters. The central character is Rico, a hit man with conscience, albeit a very selective conscience. Rico’s sworn enemy is tasked with taking out the murder witness, but this puts a friend of Rico’s at risk, and tensions quickly escalate between the hit men.
There are countless high octane action scenes, and they are shocking! Rico often put me in mind of Jack Reacher, and his killer instincts mean the action scenes are so rapid that I found myself reading them twice to take everything in. And the death count becomes comparable to Game of Thrones!
In between the action scenes, a lot of background information is provided on the surrounding characters, such as the on the lawyer looking after the murder witness. And many of these characters are often working through their own moral dilemmas in relation to what’s going on. (As usual, NO spoilers in my book reviews!)
This book is the second in a series, and I usually start with the first in a series (unless I’ve seen the first portrayed in a film) but the synopsis had me sold! Much of what happened in the first book is explained in dribs and drabs throughout the second. You certainly don’t need to read the first book to enjoy the second, but I imagine you’d get more from it by reading the whole series.
It wasn’t always the most realistic story in places; like when Rico does nothing to cover his tracks after a hit, but then again we often read novels as a means of escapism, it’s not supposed to represent the real world. And in fairness, it’s done a damn good job of distracting me from my current worries. Recommended!
The events in the book are sparked by the witnessing of a murder at a car hijacking gone awry. However, there is a snowball-come-avalanche effect for the surrounding characters. The central character is Rico, a hit man with conscience, albeit a very selective conscience. Rico’s sworn enemy is tasked with taking out the murder witness, but this puts a friend of Rico’s at risk, and tensions quickly escalate between the hit men.
There are countless high octane action scenes, and they are shocking! Rico often put me in mind of Jack Reacher, and his killer instincts mean the action scenes are so rapid that I found myself reading them twice to take everything in. And the death count becomes comparable to Game of Thrones!
In between the action scenes, a lot of background information is provided on the surrounding characters, such as the on the lawyer looking after the murder witness. And many of these characters are often working through their own moral dilemmas in relation to what’s going on. (As usual, NO spoilers in my book reviews!)
This book is the second in a series, and I usually start with the first in a series (unless I’ve seen the first portrayed in a film) but the synopsis had me sold! Much of what happened in the first book is explained in dribs and drabs throughout the second. You certainly don’t need to read the first book to enjoy the second, but I imagine you’d get more from it by reading the whole series.
It wasn’t always the most realistic story in places; like when Rico does nothing to cover his tracks after a hit, but then again we often read novels as a means of escapism, it’s not supposed to represent the real world. And in fairness, it’s done a damn good job of distracting me from my current worries. Recommended!
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Catch it or run away?
#detectivepikachu is more Pokemeh than #Pokemon, sure the ideas are there but the execution isn't leaving us with a movie that's simply just ok. I was really #hyped for this movie, I loved the neon flair, underground, mature & almost seedy look it pitched us in the trailer & very much to its credit all that is still there VISUALLY but in almost every other aspect it sadly fails. Ok so this film is #gorgeous, pokemon feel like living breathing #creatures with tremendous cgi texture detail almost making some of the feel like practical effect rather than computer imagery. Pokemon also interact with not just the world/scenery but with the actors too flawlessly keeping the immersion grounded/realistic just like #bumblebee did. World wise it nails it the city #feels so alive & lived in by both humans & pokemon with the grimy smokey alleyways, radiant forest areas & the neon glows of street signs adding character & dimension as they glisten beautifully off the characters fur & concrete. Its all very #bladerunner/#ghostintheshell #inspired & overflows with human technological progression. Accompanying the visuals is a simply awesome soundtrack that invokes a sense of wonder & #fantasy esc dream states only adding to its world building. Here then lies my problem we have the perfect world & these incredible creatures that inhabit it so why dont we spend more time with them exploring not only the world but the #relationship/bond between us & pokemon & how we cope with sharing the world together. Instead we are forced to follow such a dull, bland, paint by numbers plot with a twist thats so frustratingly obvious within the first 15 minutes that I was annoyed it took so long to reveal it. Adding to its tedium & dullness are the human actors who (aside from #Kenwatanabe & #ryanreynolds who carry the film) are unlikable, soulless, emotionless drones that seem to only be there to explain/advance the mundane plot. Detective #pikachu is one extremely well marketed/over #hyped missed opportunity & I cant help but feel if they'd focused more on the things we were all there to see (the pokemon) it might of had a bit more #heart. #nintendo #pokeball #pokemongo #cute #anime #manga
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Fighting fit
#alitabattleangel may just be the most #intense & visually splendid mature cgi fest I've seen in a long long time. Having not seen #anime that inspired this #movie i had no idea what i was walking into with this one. Upon leaving it i not only felt extremely satisfied but also like i had experienced something #breathtaking & full to the brim with #passion. To start I can't stress enough just how god damn #beautiful this #film is, cgi is staggering as well as jaw dropping. From the intricate inner machinery wires, dust particles & realistic lighting to the tiny blemishes on skin Alita simply knocks it out the park. Its locations are vast, immersive, claustrophobic, lived in, #depressing & full to the brim with story telling/world building so much so that they could each tell a story themselves. #Animation is slick, fluid & #natural with #human & cgi interaction weighty & almost flawlessly done. Story wise its extremely empowering as we watch #Alita grow from & innocent child like #girl into a tuff driven #woman. Seeing Alita emit such wonderful human emotions such as #love, excitement & #happiness is not only #heartwarming but also #magical. Starting so warm & ending so bleak we see Alitas innocence almost ripped away from her as she is forced to #mature fast letting her primal instincts & bad human traits (such as jealousy/#anger) take control tarnishing her other wise loving/careing inner self. Its tense, adrenaline inducing stuff & this mixed with well constructed action & your token damn right nasty at times #robertrodriguez death scenes its not always the happiest of films either. #Deep themes are explored but theres alot of them too so only surfaces are scratched. My favourite being how #society/entertainment glorifies/condones violence & uses it as a tool to control us all. Negatives - if anything #Battleangel is far to short, i feel i needed another hour of content in there somewhere especially the final act which felt rushed. If we dont get a sequel or 3 i will be very disappointed as this is a fantastic world i simply must know more about it. A must see for sure. #edskrein is an absolute joy to watch too. #odeon #odeonlimitless #robot #thursdaythoughts