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True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)
4.0
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A fictionalized re-telling of the life and crimes of infamous 19th-century Australian outlaw Ned...
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Arrow - Season 1 in TV
May 25, 2017
Stephen Amell is brilliant as Oliver Queen (3 more)
Great cast
Brilliantly directed with great special effects (CGI & Practical)
Action Sequences are brilliantly choreographed
My name is Oliver Queen.. (every single episode) (1 more)
Everyone seems to want to start an argument with Ollie
My name, is Oliver Queen...
Green Arrow is my favourite character in comic books. A modern day Robin Hood, with greater foes that he manages to overcome. However, this show isn't about the Green Arrow, not exactly anyways. It is about The Arrow.
Oliver Queen brings a vigilante justice that crosses a line, as he lets his arrows fly without a care of the lives he takes, as long as they are on the side of the corrupt, they deserve to die. This is his burden to bare, and eventually with the recruitment of John Diggle, he learns that there are others who share his point of view, about the corruption in the city. Finally, with the third addition to their team, Felicity Smoke, Oliver Queen discovers that whilst his goal is good, his methods are not.
Secrets unfold and each episode leaves you wanting more. However, being a CW show, there is a lot of drama between characters, and a lot of audience members seem to find this an issue, because they want more action and don't like to see their heroes facing real world issues with friends and family.
In this first season, it seems that despite him being gone for 5 years, everyone wants to argue with him over petty things. To me, this just brings out a reality to the show that most audiences wouldn't expect from a comic book show. However, if you read more classic Green Arrow comics, you'll discover that there is in fact a lot of drama between Ollie and other characters that help him to evolve into a better man. This show has a lot of drama, the result of which is a great character development throughout the following episodes and seasons.
With a great cast, great writers and brilliant choreographed action, as well as some great references to the comics, and other DC Characters, this season of the show is one of the better seasons, and had me hooked from episode 1.
Oliver Queen brings a vigilante justice that crosses a line, as he lets his arrows fly without a care of the lives he takes, as long as they are on the side of the corrupt, they deserve to die. This is his burden to bare, and eventually with the recruitment of John Diggle, he learns that there are others who share his point of view, about the corruption in the city. Finally, with the third addition to their team, Felicity Smoke, Oliver Queen discovers that whilst his goal is good, his methods are not.
Secrets unfold and each episode leaves you wanting more. However, being a CW show, there is a lot of drama between characters, and a lot of audience members seem to find this an issue, because they want more action and don't like to see their heroes facing real world issues with friends and family.
In this first season, it seems that despite him being gone for 5 years, everyone wants to argue with him over petty things. To me, this just brings out a reality to the show that most audiences wouldn't expect from a comic book show. However, if you read more classic Green Arrow comics, you'll discover that there is in fact a lot of drama between Ollie and other characters that help him to evolve into a better man. This show has a lot of drama, the result of which is a great character development throughout the following episodes and seasons.
With a great cast, great writers and brilliant choreographed action, as well as some great references to the comics, and other DC Characters, this season of the show is one of the better seasons, and had me hooked from episode 1.
The Grimm Forest
8.4
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Who will benefit most from the cunning of Robin Hood, the beauty of Snow White, the bountiful gifts...
Jack and the Beanstalk by Nosy Crow
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Welcome to Jack and the Beanstalk - Unlock the Story! Our Jack and the Beanstalk app blurs the...
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated A Daring Sacrifice (An Uncertain Choice, #2) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
On the run from her vicious Uncle, Lady Juliana must fight for survival among the peasants.
When Juliana's Uncle, sweeps in and takes over her father's land of Wessex, Juliana is forced to live as a fugitive. Living in disguise, she has become the defender and protector of her people. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor. But when a robbery goes, much different than expected, she is discovered by Sir Collin Goodrich, Lord of the neighboring land. Having renounced her own nobility status, Juliana loathes all nobility. For they display an excess of wealth with no thought to the poor. She is determined to dislike Sir Collin from the start. But will her prejudice blind her to his true heart? Will her methods of providing for the people lead her down the same path of malice her Uncle leads? Or will her eyes be opened to the truth of God's provision and righteousness?
"I'd been consumed with bitterness and had allowed it to lead me astray from what was righteous and pleasing to God."
- A Daring Sacrifice pg.166
I can not get enough of Jody Hedlund! Her books completely draw me and allow me to get utterly lost in another world, in a time long past. The trials that Lady Juliana endure are not easy to cope with. Throughout her journey, she realizes that she has been going about things in the wrong way. How many times do we take situations into our own hands when we don't see God's immediate answer? It is easy to do. A Daring Sacrifice has a Robin Hood feel about it. But there is never a dull moment. My husband would laugh at me while I was reading because I would become very animated. There are some very intense scenes, and I am pretty sure I have never held my breath for so long. I felt that the violence and viciousness of the age was portrayed well. It was not easy to read about, but I commend Jody for not taking it lightly. Overall this was another excellent book! I am so thrilled that she has branched into the Young Adult genre.
I received a free digital copy of A Daring Sacrifice from Zondervan through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
When Juliana's Uncle, sweeps in and takes over her father's land of Wessex, Juliana is forced to live as a fugitive. Living in disguise, she has become the defender and protector of her people. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor. But when a robbery goes, much different than expected, she is discovered by Sir Collin Goodrich, Lord of the neighboring land. Having renounced her own nobility status, Juliana loathes all nobility. For they display an excess of wealth with no thought to the poor. She is determined to dislike Sir Collin from the start. But will her prejudice blind her to his true heart? Will her methods of providing for the people lead her down the same path of malice her Uncle leads? Or will her eyes be opened to the truth of God's provision and righteousness?
"I'd been consumed with bitterness and had allowed it to lead me astray from what was righteous and pleasing to God."
- A Daring Sacrifice pg.166
I can not get enough of Jody Hedlund! Her books completely draw me and allow me to get utterly lost in another world, in a time long past. The trials that Lady Juliana endure are not easy to cope with. Throughout her journey, she realizes that she has been going about things in the wrong way. How many times do we take situations into our own hands when we don't see God's immediate answer? It is easy to do. A Daring Sacrifice has a Robin Hood feel about it. But there is never a dull moment. My husband would laugh at me while I was reading because I would become very animated. There are some very intense scenes, and I am pretty sure I have never held my breath for so long. I felt that the violence and viciousness of the age was portrayed well. It was not easy to read about, but I commend Jody for not taking it lightly. Overall this was another excellent book! I am so thrilled that she has branched into the Young Adult genre.
I received a free digital copy of A Daring Sacrifice from Zondervan through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
JT (287 KP) rated In Time (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I wanted to like this, I really did, but it was a film that failed to go anywhere, and time just slipped away to the end credits. Justin Timberlake is a likeable character, and more favourable as an actor I would say, although he’s certainly got a decent voice as we all know – here, he was singing a bit flat.
He’s immersed in a world where time is literally money, where people are engineered to live one more year after twenty-five. Unless you’re part of the rich elite who enjoy an elongated life of decade after decade, living in another time zone across the city or you’re scrapping for your life in the slums begging for every last second.
The film has a unique plot, but it’s executed poorly, Timberlake’s character Will Salas is implicated in the death of a rich socialite with a lot of time on his hands, of which he gives to Will, then ends his life rather abruptly with nothing more than a ‘don’t waste my time’ scrawled on a window pane.
There may be more to this than meets the eye, but it’s never really delved into with any great conviction. So we’re left with Salas on the run from Raymond Leon (Murphy) a timekeeper with a past, of which is again never touched on too much. Salas has one more trick up his sleeve and takes hostage Sylvia Weis (Seyfried) the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and never was there more a wasted character.
The pair then turn into some kind of Bonnie and Clyde, or Robin Hood and Maid Marian, stealing time from the rich and giving to the poor.
This film was the perfect platform for some potentially futuristic action, but director Andrew Niccol is happy enough to choreograph a few abject car chases and a few punches thrown. Instead we’re left with the poor on screen romance of Salas and Weis which in all honesty is not in the least bit convincing, after a while you’ll be looking down at your own watch and the time ticking past.
Niccol has left a huge amount of questions unanswered, such as why was time replaced by money in the first place? Quite a big question in the grand scheme of things, maybe he just ran out of time?
He’s immersed in a world where time is literally money, where people are engineered to live one more year after twenty-five. Unless you’re part of the rich elite who enjoy an elongated life of decade after decade, living in another time zone across the city or you’re scrapping for your life in the slums begging for every last second.
The film has a unique plot, but it’s executed poorly, Timberlake’s character Will Salas is implicated in the death of a rich socialite with a lot of time on his hands, of which he gives to Will, then ends his life rather abruptly with nothing more than a ‘don’t waste my time’ scrawled on a window pane.
There may be more to this than meets the eye, but it’s never really delved into with any great conviction. So we’re left with Salas on the run from Raymond Leon (Murphy) a timekeeper with a past, of which is again never touched on too much. Salas has one more trick up his sleeve and takes hostage Sylvia Weis (Seyfried) the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and never was there more a wasted character.
The pair then turn into some kind of Bonnie and Clyde, or Robin Hood and Maid Marian, stealing time from the rich and giving to the poor.
This film was the perfect platform for some potentially futuristic action, but director Andrew Niccol is happy enough to choreograph a few abject car chases and a few punches thrown. Instead we’re left with the poor on screen romance of Salas and Weis which in all honesty is not in the least bit convincing, after a while you’ll be looking down at your own watch and the time ticking past.
Niccol has left a huge amount of questions unanswered, such as why was time replaced by money in the first place? Quite a big question in the grand scheme of things, maybe he just ran out of time?
Sohng: Prisoner of Fate (Tales of Arca #1)
6.0
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n a world of hidden secrets, all will be revealed in this Dark, Science Fiction, Fantasy Adventure....
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- “Brain Expander” –Parenting Magazine - “Netflix for Children's Books!” –USA Today -...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Hustlers (2019) in Movies
Oct 25, 2019
A movie that succeeds with great pacing.
In Hustlers, a group of strippers hatch a Robin Hood-esque scheme to rob the rich and make more money than they ever could have imagined. I loved this movie and not for the visuals. In fact, the visuals could have used a bit more direction. I loved this movie because it’s just plain awesome.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Here’s what I appreciated the most about the characters that make up Hustlers: While they are all united under the same goal (make as much money as possible) each character is fueled by a different motivation and each character has a unique personality that impacts the outcome of each scenario as the movie plays out. You have one character who needs to take care of her sick grandmother while another would do anything to put a smile on her daughter’s face. Characters clash as some want to take the moral high road while others think the people they are cheating are getting what they deserved. As they all clash, I was clashing on the inside at who was right and who was wrong.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 6
I think the choice of narrative impacted the intensity of conflict. While the story has a number of highly intense moments, you ultimately realize you know the outcome because of the way the story is told. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely fun to watch things play out, but it falls just short when you realize things can only go but so far.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
No dull spots, not even for a moment. Even the slower moments help piece together the story as a whole. At one point, I thought: “Holy crap, how far is this going to go?” Definitely a rollercoaster of a movie.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
While I assumed the worst for an ending, Hustlers came to a fitting conclusion. When it was all said and done, I appreciated that you leave not having a definitive answer as to who was right or wrong, rather the movie made you decide for yourself. It’s less of a Good Vs. Evil and more of a What Would You Do?
Overall: 92
Hustlers is easily one of the year’s best. Its style is unique and it commands your attention from beginning to end. If you haven’t seen it, give it a shot. It’s more than what you think.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Here’s what I appreciated the most about the characters that make up Hustlers: While they are all united under the same goal (make as much money as possible) each character is fueled by a different motivation and each character has a unique personality that impacts the outcome of each scenario as the movie plays out. You have one character who needs to take care of her sick grandmother while another would do anything to put a smile on her daughter’s face. Characters clash as some want to take the moral high road while others think the people they are cheating are getting what they deserved. As they all clash, I was clashing on the inside at who was right and who was wrong.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 6
I think the choice of narrative impacted the intensity of conflict. While the story has a number of highly intense moments, you ultimately realize you know the outcome because of the way the story is told. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely fun to watch things play out, but it falls just short when you realize things can only go but so far.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
No dull spots, not even for a moment. Even the slower moments help piece together the story as a whole. At one point, I thought: “Holy crap, how far is this going to go?” Definitely a rollercoaster of a movie.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
While I assumed the worst for an ending, Hustlers came to a fitting conclusion. When it was all said and done, I appreciated that you leave not having a definitive answer as to who was right or wrong, rather the movie made you decide for yourself. It’s less of a Good Vs. Evil and more of a What Would You Do?
Overall: 92
Hustlers is easily one of the year’s best. Its style is unique and it commands your attention from beginning to end. If you haven’t seen it, give it a shot. It’s more than what you think.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Hustlers (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
Hustlers is 'inspired by a true story' and is based on a New York Magazine article written by Jessica Pressler in 2015 titled "The Hustlers at Scores". The tagline for that article was “Here’s a modern Robin Hood story for you: a few strippers who stole from (mostly) rich, (usually) disgusting, (in their minds) pathetic men and gave to, well, themselves" - something which pretty much sums up the entire plot of the movie. You'd be forgiven for thinking you'd seen this kind of thing a hundred times before, and to be honest the trailer didn't really do it any justice either in my opinion. But, turns out that Hustlers is actually a pretty slick and hugely entertaining piece of fun, something that I wasn't expecting to like anywhere near as much as I did.
We're in 2007 and Destiny (Constance Wu) is working nights at a Manhattan strip club called Moves. Caring for her grandmother and catching up on sleep by day, it soon becomes clear that life as a stripper isn't quite as glamorous as she'd imagined it to be. With a large number of girls working at the club, competition is strong, as are the internal politics, and the clients frequenting the club are just as disgusting as you'd imagine rich drunken assholes to be. And, at the end of a shift, the money that Destiny earns is subjected to numerous deductions and penalties from the manager and doorman as they all take their cuts, leaving Destiny with not very much at all.
And then one night, as the DJ introduces her, "The one, the only, Ramona!" (Jennifer Lopez) hits the stage to show everyone how it's all done, highlighting to Destiny the kind of money she could be making if she upped her game. Dominating the main stage, Ramona masterfully works the pole as she slinks around in time to the music. And it clearly works too - dollar bills shower her, and cover the stage, while the stunned onlookers lose their minds and overreact like something out of a Tex Avery cartoon.
Destiny follows Ramona up onto the roof, where she's taking time out for a smoke break and it's not long before Ramona decides to take Destiny under her wing. Along with showing her the more dexterously impressive moves on stage, she also reveals the three levels of client who visit the club and how to best work them to your advantage. They become good friends, working together to earn more than either of them have before. But then, during 2008, the recession hits and the club no longer benefits from the wild spending habits of Wall Street's biggest earners. Destiny becomes pregnant, leaving the club along with most of the other girls, but struggles to re-enter the workforce a few years later having had no real experience outside of a strip club. And then she meets up with Ramona once more, and learns about fishing...
Fishing involves the girls leaving the confines and constraints of the club in order to lure guys in from outside. Working as a group, they lace their drinks in bars (enough to make them happy, but not really conscious enough to fully appreciate or remember what happens for the rest of the night), then bringing them back to the club. There they can freely swipe their credit cards, have a great time and make thousands of dollars per night. As Ramona sells it to Destiny and the other girls they've recruited to help them, this isn't just survival, it's revenge against all of the Wall Street workers behind the recession, who had no comeback for their actions.
Occasionally the movies flashes forward a few years, where Destiny is being interviewed by the reporter who will eventually go on to write the article on their story (played by Julia Stiles). These scenes work well as a narrative device for the movie and it's clear that, while Destiny seems to have fared pretty well financially over the years, whatever she's done to get there has all gone horribly wrong at some point.
But for now, their scam works perfectly. After the lows and struggles of life as a lowly stripper, it's a real thrill to follow these girls on their journey to expensive clothes, big flashy cars and penthouse apartments. They all become like family, even enjoying an expensive Christmas together with their real families joining them. Hustlers moves beyond its humble strip club beginnings and the camaraderie and power these women develop together feels so genuine, it really makes this movie shine. Scenes where the girls go shopping, or even work together in the kitchen to perfect their drug recipe, are a lot of fun and Hustlers features just as much humour as it does drama. Much of what makes this all work so well is down to it's cast. Hustlers features some pretty strong support, but it's the pairing of Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez that really stands out. Both are on top form, better than anything I've seen them in before and many reviews I've read are already recommending Oscar nominations for Jennifer Lopez.
Like I say, I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I thought I would based on the trailer. What I got was a fun, exhilarating story of female empowerment with a strong, solid cast. And, as the New York Magazine article so eloquently put it, a modern Robin Hood story.
We're in 2007 and Destiny (Constance Wu) is working nights at a Manhattan strip club called Moves. Caring for her grandmother and catching up on sleep by day, it soon becomes clear that life as a stripper isn't quite as glamorous as she'd imagined it to be. With a large number of girls working at the club, competition is strong, as are the internal politics, and the clients frequenting the club are just as disgusting as you'd imagine rich drunken assholes to be. And, at the end of a shift, the money that Destiny earns is subjected to numerous deductions and penalties from the manager and doorman as they all take their cuts, leaving Destiny with not very much at all.
And then one night, as the DJ introduces her, "The one, the only, Ramona!" (Jennifer Lopez) hits the stage to show everyone how it's all done, highlighting to Destiny the kind of money she could be making if she upped her game. Dominating the main stage, Ramona masterfully works the pole as she slinks around in time to the music. And it clearly works too - dollar bills shower her, and cover the stage, while the stunned onlookers lose their minds and overreact like something out of a Tex Avery cartoon.
Destiny follows Ramona up onto the roof, where she's taking time out for a smoke break and it's not long before Ramona decides to take Destiny under her wing. Along with showing her the more dexterously impressive moves on stage, she also reveals the three levels of client who visit the club and how to best work them to your advantage. They become good friends, working together to earn more than either of them have before. But then, during 2008, the recession hits and the club no longer benefits from the wild spending habits of Wall Street's biggest earners. Destiny becomes pregnant, leaving the club along with most of the other girls, but struggles to re-enter the workforce a few years later having had no real experience outside of a strip club. And then she meets up with Ramona once more, and learns about fishing...
Fishing involves the girls leaving the confines and constraints of the club in order to lure guys in from outside. Working as a group, they lace their drinks in bars (enough to make them happy, but not really conscious enough to fully appreciate or remember what happens for the rest of the night), then bringing them back to the club. There they can freely swipe their credit cards, have a great time and make thousands of dollars per night. As Ramona sells it to Destiny and the other girls they've recruited to help them, this isn't just survival, it's revenge against all of the Wall Street workers behind the recession, who had no comeback for their actions.
Occasionally the movies flashes forward a few years, where Destiny is being interviewed by the reporter who will eventually go on to write the article on their story (played by Julia Stiles). These scenes work well as a narrative device for the movie and it's clear that, while Destiny seems to have fared pretty well financially over the years, whatever she's done to get there has all gone horribly wrong at some point.
But for now, their scam works perfectly. After the lows and struggles of life as a lowly stripper, it's a real thrill to follow these girls on their journey to expensive clothes, big flashy cars and penthouse apartments. They all become like family, even enjoying an expensive Christmas together with their real families joining them. Hustlers moves beyond its humble strip club beginnings and the camaraderie and power these women develop together feels so genuine, it really makes this movie shine. Scenes where the girls go shopping, or even work together in the kitchen to perfect their drug recipe, are a lot of fun and Hustlers features just as much humour as it does drama. Much of what makes this all work so well is down to it's cast. Hustlers features some pretty strong support, but it's the pairing of Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez that really stands out. Both are on top form, better than anything I've seen them in before and many reviews I've read are already recommending Oscar nominations for Jennifer Lopez.
Like I say, I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I thought I would based on the trailer. What I got was a fun, exhilarating story of female empowerment with a strong, solid cast. And, as the New York Magazine article so eloquently put it, a modern Robin Hood story.