Darren (1599 KP) rated 47 Meters Down (2017) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
When the dream experience for the girls turns into a nightmare when the cable holding the cage snaps, sending them both trapped in the cage 47 metres to the bottoms of the ocean, the two must stay calm and wait for rescue but do they have the air to wait that long?
Thoughts on 47 Meters Down
Characters/Performance – Lisa is the stable one of the two sisters, she doesn’t take the risks her sister does and finds herself using this holiday to follow her sisters lead. Kate is the free spirited of the two sisters that enjoys taking risk and will not be saying no to an adventure. We do have a captain and his crew too but we barely see them.
Performance wise, Holt and Moore are fine, you don’t actually believe them to be sisters and the peril they find themselves in doesn’t seem to be anything overly fresh in performance eyes.
Story – The story does offer us something fresh when it comes to the shark attack genre, the film takes place underwater instead of on the surface as the girls are trapped at the bottom of the ocean. The problem using this situation is that the near death moments just don’t come off, for example we have a good 5 minutes sequence with one of the girls trying to drag an oxygen tank closer, now this happens too early in the film for us to believe that she might die. On the surface this is a good idea and does work but puts together the maybes too far apart.
Adventure/Horror – The adventure would be about what the two girls could be experiencing with the horror being how this adventure could go horribly wrong with shark attack happening.
Settings – The bottom of the ocean in a shark cage, well this is a new and brilliant setting for the movie and is easily the highlight of everything.
Special Effects – The effects are used to create the shark attack sequences which are all filled with terror.
Final Thoughts – This is a fresh approach to the shark attack movie, it is smartly created but does lack in the idea of peril which the surface has on the higher levels.
Overall: Shark attack movie with new breath but less teeth.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/07/03/47-meters-down-2017/
The author of the <i>Hush, Hush</i> saga, Becca Fitzpatrick, steps away from the paranormal genre with this brand new contemporary thriller, <i>Black Ice</i>. Britt Pfeiffer has persuaded her best friend, Korbie, to go on an adventurous backpacking trip in the Tenton mountains for their senior spring break. It immediately gets off to a bad start when the girls get caught in a freak snowstorm and stranded a long way from their lodge. Luckily they come across a cabin owned by a guy named Shaun who is there with his friend Mason. But it may not be the safe haven they hoped it to be. With her best friend’s life in danger as well as her own, Britt has to remain strong in order to save themselves; either that or hope that her ex-boyfriend will realize they are missing and rescue them.
Initially it was difficult to connect with Britt who narrates the entire story. She, as well as Korbie, is a rather annoying, spoilt daddy’s girl and equally annoying to read about. This did not set the novel up well as it appeared it was going to be about two whining teenagers, both used to getting their own ways, fending for themselves in the mountains. Once the girls were faced with a life or death situation, Britt’s character developed rapidly. She became more independent, clever and likable, which made the story a lot easier to read and enjoy.
<i>Black Ice</i> is a thriller containing a murder mystery, which links all the characters together but in ways that you would not originally expect. It is also a romance novel. Although Mason is perceived as a bad guy, Britt ends up falling for him, and he her, sparking a risky relationship.
Despite the shaky start, Fitzpatrick’s latest novel is full of exciting twists and turns. There is the high risk of death, either from murder or exposure to the elements. Also, with a breathtaking conclusion, it is exhilarating to try and work out who is good, who is bad and who has been murdering girls in the mountains.
Fans of Fitzpatrick’s previous works may be disappointed with the lack of the paranormal and fantasy creatures that she has become known for, however this is still an enjoyable book. Personally I preferred it to <i>Hush, Hush</i> which I admittedly did not care for. I confess that I did not expect to like this book, especially as the main character began as a very irritating person, but it does get so much better.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
This film, the sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible film franchise, is a true action packed summer blockbuster. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Jack Reacher) this film has the action and suspense that viewers have come to expect from these films. Cruise, who famously does all of his own stunts, puts in a stellar performance, as does the rest of the cast. Rebecca Ferguson, as assassin and Hunt love interest Ilsa Faust, has good on screen chemistry with Cruise. The overall vision of the film is big and everything is well shot. One example is seamlessly shot motorcycle/car chase through Paris streets, with narrow misses, extreme speeds and iconic scenery. Along with all of the action you get the sometimes corny dialog that you can expect. As long as you expect it, and maybe embrace it, you will definitely enjoy the film. At 2 hours and 27 minutes the runtime might seem long but the pace is really good so it does not feel that long.
This is the best action film of the summer I have seen so far. The attention to detail in the action scenes really shows through. The twists and turns of the story keep you as engaged as the jaw dropping stunts. Maybe not the film for everyone but a great action/spy movie. For me it is definitely a film that should be seen in theaters, maybe more than once.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Isla Nublar has been abandoned for three years after Jurassic World was overtaken by the dinosaurs that inhabited the theme park. Since then, the dinosaurs have had to survive by fending for themselves amongst each other. After the outcome of the containment breach in the lavish amusement park. The public became fearsome and torn. Should they save the dinosaurs or, should they be left to be decimated by the islands dormant volcano that has now awoken? Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) is back along with a couple new characters and are at the head of a group aimed to rescue any remaining dinosaurs from what could end up being the second extinction. When Claire realizes that Blue the most intelligent raptor might still be out in the jungle; she reunites with Owen (Chris Pratt) in the hopes that he would want to help the cause. It will be their mission to save the dinosaurs from the raging volcano ravaging the island. Is that the only threat though and are the dinosaurs really the threat are we the threat?
The film serves up some action packed, edge of your seat styled entertainment from start to finish. The same action that we have come to love throughout the franchise. I actually prefer this film to the last film and I’m not quite sure why. The acting and chemistry between the actors still worked very well. Although, my favorite will always be Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) whom sadly we only really get to see a couple of times in the film” The humorous antics and nods to past films can still be noticed only if your truly paying attention. I still to this day miss the use of animatronics as apposed to all the computer generation used. I do understand that filmmakers must change with the times and it can in some scenes be viewed as more realistic than not. I have a feeling that the film might have mixed reviews but in my opinion it was fantastic. As a huge fan since the beginning, I have to say this one can’t be missed because it is RAWR-some!! Also as a special note, please stay after the credits.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Saving Private Ryan (1998) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020
Acting: 10
Where do I start? With Tom Hanks and his brilliant performance as Captain John Miller? Vin Diesel in probably one of his best roles as Private Caparzo. Tom Sizemore…Matt Damon…There are so many amazing performances that contributed to the greatness of this movie. You usually see it in glimpses as each character doesn’t get much in the way of their own screen time. The movie is packed with so many of those glimpse moments from these stellar actors, it’s hard to forget each of their roles.
Beginning: 10
Boasts one of the best opening twenty minutes in movie history. It’s violent, touching, and sucks you right in to the meat of the movie. There is so much intensity here, from the raucous sounds to the visceral feel of everything, that it’s hard to catch your breath afterwards.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
If you want knock-your-socks-off action from beginning to end, Saving Private Ryan is absolutely the movie for you. The battles are amazing giving you a front row seat to World War II. Steven Spielberg relies on a number of different camera angles to give you the full effect. Every scene is heartstopping as you realize the stakes and understand that no one is safe in this ultimate battle to stay alive. This movie has more action in the first twenty minutes than most films do through their entirety.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
For the most part, the story is pretty linear. There is a mission. Go and complete the mission. The end. However, there are two existing twists within the movie that definitely make things more interesting and entertaining. Those small tweaks were enough to satisfy my craving for originality.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 100
There is a scene on the beach where the camera shoots from underwater then repeatedly rises and falls in the water showing the grit of everything happening. This is one of a number of shots that makes Saving Private Ryan one of the all-time movies to ever exist in cinema. This movie is flat out amazing.
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Doors: Colony in Books
Mar 26, 2021
The group find themselves slimmed down very quickly as members of the group drop like flies. Soon a small number of them find themselves in the company of some Russian spies, looking to stop the Americans' attempts to take power. For some reason, phony clairvoyant Coco Fendi now has actual powers and is capable of mind-reading, earning the respect and assistance of these spies.
There then follows a fairly enjoyable attempt to catch up with a train and board it to stop a nuclear war from breaking out.
The translation again is quite poor here, as some phrases do not make sense and make the reader work to understand what is meant. I am giving Heitz the benefit of the doubt and laying blame at the door of the translator here (though looking at some of the reviews on goodreads in German I'm not sure this is fair). However, there are some very odd passages that take the reader right out of the book, for example 'the time had come to test the 4x4's four-litre twin turbo engine promising 650 horsepower and a top speed of 190 miles an hour'. I mean, what the hell? Has Clarkson been asked to translate this book? It was completely irrelevant and odd.
In the 'Twilight' book of the series, there were some hints at other users of the doors and their purpose and provenance. This book builds on that to an extent, which is a clever idea from Heitz - in order to answer the questions, I think you need to read all three books. However, as a book in its own right, there are simply too many unanswered questions left (though slightly fewer than in 'Twilight').
An improvement, with a more coherent story once through the door in question, but still not a great read. As the first c25% is duplicated between books, I merrily skipped through this section looking for the distinct part starting off.
I received a free advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.





