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TacoDave (3547 KP) rated Astro Bot Rescue Mission in Video Games
Sep 6, 2019
VR integration (2 more)
Gameplay
Collectibles
Wonderful use of VR
I kept reading online that "Astro Bot Rescue Mission" was one of the best games available for PSVR. But at a $40 price tag, I couldn't take the leap.
Then a few weeks ago it went on sale for $19.99, so I finally decided to give it a try. And I was completely impressed!
This game really makes you feel like you are a giant robot in a world full of small robots. You control one of the little bots through levels filled with platforming challenges, but VR changes how things work. For example, you might want to make your character run back behind you. In a normal game, you'd have to mess with camera controls, but with this one, you just turn your head to follow him.
If he needs to go up platforms to a bridge far above you, you look up and guide him across using his shadow. If you look down and see a hole in the ground with a collectible item, you can guide him down into the hole to collect it.
Basically, it's like playing a 3D Mario game in a whole new way. I was blown away and played all the way through it, then went back to find the collectibles I had missed.
I would recommend this to anyone new to VR. And I get motion sick easily, but this game never made me sick. A+
Then a few weeks ago it went on sale for $19.99, so I finally decided to give it a try. And I was completely impressed!
This game really makes you feel like you are a giant robot in a world full of small robots. You control one of the little bots through levels filled with platforming challenges, but VR changes how things work. For example, you might want to make your character run back behind you. In a normal game, you'd have to mess with camera controls, but with this one, you just turn your head to follow him.
If he needs to go up platforms to a bridge far above you, you look up and guide him across using his shadow. If you look down and see a hole in the ground with a collectible item, you can guide him down into the hole to collect it.
Basically, it's like playing a 3D Mario game in a whole new way. I was blown away and played all the way through it, then went back to find the collectibles I had missed.
I would recommend this to anyone new to VR. And I get motion sick easily, but this game never made me sick. A+
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Nov 6, 2019
Good (enough) conclusion to the Franchise
After a few attempts at resurrecting this franchise, James Cameron has (wisely) decided to bury the franchise with one last TERMINATOR film starring the original Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. TERMINATOR: DARK FATE is a direct sequel to T2: JUDGEMENT DAY (or so says Producer/Writer Cameron) as it ignores the 3rd and 4th movies in this series (as well as the television show THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES).
And that is a wise move as it simplifies things and just lets us get on to what a Terminator movie does best - fantastic action sequences, state of the art CGI, a killer robot that will stop at nothing to accomplish it's mission, and a plucky hero or 2 to battle said killer robot.
Oh...did I mention that they recruit a Terminator to help them stop the Terminator?
And it all works well...enough. Set in this year (2019), TERMINATOR: DARK FATE tells the tale of what happens next after Sarah and John Connor stopped Judgement Day in the 2nd Terminator film. A deadly - even more dangerous - Terminator (version 9!) returns to 2019 to kill a single woman (Natalie Reyes). This time she is helped by an augmented human from the future (Mackenzie Davis) and...Sarah Connor! Returning to this film, all buffed up and aging, is a craggy voiced Linda Hamilton as Sarah, who brings an adequate amount of world-weary, "been there, done that" attitude to the proceedings that pretty much carry the first half of the film.
And...just as the film was beginning to sag in the middle, along comes Arnold.
Playing an aging Terminator (which is explained, well enough, in the plot), Arnold plays the Terminator (who has been living with humans for over 20 years) with a wink in his eye and a sense of humor about him. Yep...this is a Terminator with a funny bone. And - I'll be darned - it works! Thanks to the performance of Mr. Schwarzenegger. He knows exactly what kind of film he is in and brings the right amount of energy, muscle and humor to the proceedings. He pretty much carries this film on his broad shoulders for the 2nd half - and he carries it with ease.
Credit Director Tim Miller (DEADPOOL) for keeping things light, simple and moving along crisply. He, too, understands the type of film he is making (and the audience that will go see this type of film) so he keeps the dialogue light and snappy, the plot at it's simplest and the action as high as he can go - blowing things up at a moment's notice. It's not sublte art by any stretch of the imagination, but it is art - in a way - and art that he does well.
If this is the last Terminator film (and I hope it is), then it is going out on a high (enough) note. I was surprisingly entertained (and not preached to) and, I think that is all I could have hoped for in a Terminator flick.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And that is a wise move as it simplifies things and just lets us get on to what a Terminator movie does best - fantastic action sequences, state of the art CGI, a killer robot that will stop at nothing to accomplish it's mission, and a plucky hero or 2 to battle said killer robot.
Oh...did I mention that they recruit a Terminator to help them stop the Terminator?
And it all works well...enough. Set in this year (2019), TERMINATOR: DARK FATE tells the tale of what happens next after Sarah and John Connor stopped Judgement Day in the 2nd Terminator film. A deadly - even more dangerous - Terminator (version 9!) returns to 2019 to kill a single woman (Natalie Reyes). This time she is helped by an augmented human from the future (Mackenzie Davis) and...Sarah Connor! Returning to this film, all buffed up and aging, is a craggy voiced Linda Hamilton as Sarah, who brings an adequate amount of world-weary, "been there, done that" attitude to the proceedings that pretty much carry the first half of the film.
And...just as the film was beginning to sag in the middle, along comes Arnold.
Playing an aging Terminator (which is explained, well enough, in the plot), Arnold plays the Terminator (who has been living with humans for over 20 years) with a wink in his eye and a sense of humor about him. Yep...this is a Terminator with a funny bone. And - I'll be darned - it works! Thanks to the performance of Mr. Schwarzenegger. He knows exactly what kind of film he is in and brings the right amount of energy, muscle and humor to the proceedings. He pretty much carries this film on his broad shoulders for the 2nd half - and he carries it with ease.
Credit Director Tim Miller (DEADPOOL) for keeping things light, simple and moving along crisply. He, too, understands the type of film he is making (and the audience that will go see this type of film) so he keeps the dialogue light and snappy, the plot at it's simplest and the action as high as he can go - blowing things up at a moment's notice. It's not sublte art by any stretch of the imagination, but it is art - in a way - and art that he does well.
If this is the last Terminator film (and I hope it is), then it is going out on a high (enough) note. I was surprisingly entertained (and not preached to) and, I think that is all I could have hoped for in a Terminator flick.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) in Movies
Feb 2, 2019 (Updated Feb 3, 2019)
A little confused
A little confused is definitely how I feel about this film. In parts it’s a darkly satirical take on the art world with some horror thrown in, but the rest is just plain old dull with a handful of characters you care little about. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as usual, but I feel the rest of the cast were a let down. Zawe Ashton especially seemed to put in a very deadpan and robot like performance - must have been how her character was intended but it just didn’t work. It also doesn’t help that despite Jake Gyllenhaal, there’s no real main character in this and this is where it falls done, bouncing between a lot of mostly conceited unliveable characters.
This film spends far too much time talking and poking fun at the art world, instead of focusing more on the horror aspect. The story of art killing people is an intriguing one that sounds like it’s been taken straight out of a Stephen King book, it’s just a shame the film didn’t capitalise on this until well over an hour in. Especially as a lot of the horror parts were well done and quite disturbing, although some of the special effects were a bit OTT.
I just find this entire film a little bit meh. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not particularly memorable either. And whilst I’m sure there’s a message about the fake and judgemental art world, it doesn’t really make for a great film.
This film spends far too much time talking and poking fun at the art world, instead of focusing more on the horror aspect. The story of art killing people is an intriguing one that sounds like it’s been taken straight out of a Stephen King book, it’s just a shame the film didn’t capitalise on this until well over an hour in. Especially as a lot of the horror parts were well done and quite disturbing, although some of the special effects were a bit OTT.
I just find this entire film a little bit meh. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not particularly memorable either. And whilst I’m sure there’s a message about the fake and judgemental art world, it doesn’t really make for a great film.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Prada & Prejudice in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this book for how much fun it was to simply get inside the head of such a unique and quirky teenager as she is thrown into circumstances that many fans of Jane Austen could only dream of. Her lack of knowledge of the time period seems a bit over the top at times, but I quickly adjusted to Callie's strong emotions and opinions. I found it strange that all of the people around Callie, once she travels to 1815, seem to take everything she does and says in stride, barely taking notice of how much she clashes with the customs and traditions of the time period. Plus, it's just sheer dumb luck that she got to be a "guest" of a Duke, rather than a servant. But I often found myself laughing out loud at her awkwardness, as well as the effect she has on the people around her, such as teaching the "robot" dance to two young men. Her spontaneity and passionate responses are both her charm and her weakness, but her sincerity in wanting to do the right thing make everything come together in the end. Callie is a girl that I would love to meet and hang out with, just to see what she would do or say next. I was able to predict the ending way ahead of time, even though I was not crazy about it ending the way it did. I would have much prefered Callie to remain in 1815, since I can't do it myself!
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Queene of Light (Lightworld/Darkworld, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
What could have been interesting, wasn't. What could have been unique, failed. What showed promise, wasn't there. Too bad.
Seeing as this is classified as paranormal romance (instead of what I originally thought was urban fantasy), it might be nice if the main two characters were at least a little likable. Nope, sorry to say, this ain't the case. Ayla is boring, unsympathetic, uninteresting, vapid, gullible, weak-willed, slow on the uptake, need I go on? Malachi is also boring, uninteresting, and slow, but he has the addition of sounding like a robot. Sounds like a winning match, eh? Clearly, these two wooden creatures are made for each other. The secondary characters served their purpose: Mabb, your typical baddie; Garret, Mabb's brother and hopeful usurper, he was almost interesting, but he suffered from the same thing his sister did, cliche; and Keller, who was the only character (or anything really) in the whole book that showed a spark of life.
The pace of the book was plodding. I lost interest every other page if I was lucky. The descriptions are seriously lacking and almost everything is boring, boring, boring. I never quite saw what the purpose of vampires and werewolves served in the book. Maybe they play a bigger role in the next two books, otherwise they're pointless and don't make sense in this world. Speaking of the universe, what the author created, while not altogether original, could have been awesome instead of vague and confusing. A real missed opportunity.
My advice: skip it. Read at your own risk of falling asleep.
Seeing as this is classified as paranormal romance (instead of what I originally thought was urban fantasy), it might be nice if the main two characters were at least a little likable. Nope, sorry to say, this ain't the case. Ayla is boring, unsympathetic, uninteresting, vapid, gullible, weak-willed, slow on the uptake, need I go on? Malachi is also boring, uninteresting, and slow, but he has the addition of sounding like a robot. Sounds like a winning match, eh? Clearly, these two wooden creatures are made for each other. The secondary characters served their purpose: Mabb, your typical baddie; Garret, Mabb's brother and hopeful usurper, he was almost interesting, but he suffered from the same thing his sister did, cliche; and Keller, who was the only character (or anything really) in the whole book that showed a spark of life.
The pace of the book was plodding. I lost interest every other page if I was lucky. The descriptions are seriously lacking and almost everything is boring, boring, boring. I never quite saw what the purpose of vampires and werewolves served in the book. Maybe they play a bigger role in the next two books, otherwise they're pointless and don't make sense in this world. Speaking of the universe, what the author created, while not altogether original, could have been awesome instead of vague and confusing. A real missed opportunity.
My advice: skip it. Read at your own risk of falling asleep.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Machines Like Me in Books
May 25, 2019
Androids and an alternate 1980s Britain
I’ve been vacillating between 6 and 7/10 since I’ve finished this. I really liked parts of it - the robot, Adam, learning his way in the world, how he falls in love. Parts of it I found exceptionally frustrating. Why would you spend £84,000 and then ignore the Android for days? Why would you want nothing to do with it once it’s ‘awake’ and learning? Why bother at all!
I thought the alternate 1980s Britain was quite interesting - how we would potentially have reacted to a defeat during the Falklands war and the repercussions. And what would Alan Turing have been like if he hadn’t committed suicide?
The thing is, I didn’t particularly like either Charlie or Miranda (the lead human protagonists). Neither were likeable and treated Adam with contempt and suspicion, which grated on me. I usually like a book where I don’t like the main character, but there was something about Charlie that made me put the book down on several occasions, swearing to myself that I wouldn’t pick it up,again. Bit I did, and I think Adam, and Miranda’s backstory is to blame.
And as for Miranda. Well. I wasn’t convinced about her suddenly needing to foster/ adopt Mark, a small boy who is abandoned on their doorstep. It was just so unlikely.
I don’t know. I’ve read other Ian McEwan books that I’ve loved, but this one really didn’t do it for me on the whole. You can’t love them all, I suppose.
I thought the alternate 1980s Britain was quite interesting - how we would potentially have reacted to a defeat during the Falklands war and the repercussions. And what would Alan Turing have been like if he hadn’t committed suicide?
The thing is, I didn’t particularly like either Charlie or Miranda (the lead human protagonists). Neither were likeable and treated Adam with contempt and suspicion, which grated on me. I usually like a book where I don’t like the main character, but there was something about Charlie that made me put the book down on several occasions, swearing to myself that I wouldn’t pick it up,again. Bit I did, and I think Adam, and Miranda’s backstory is to blame.
And as for Miranda. Well. I wasn’t convinced about her suddenly needing to foster/ adopt Mark, a small boy who is abandoned on their doorstep. It was just so unlikely.
I don’t know. I’ve read other Ian McEwan books that I’ve loved, but this one really didn’t do it for me on the whole. You can’t love them all, I suppose.
RavenclawPrincess913 (253 KP) rated Divergent in Books
May 26, 2019
Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Read Dates: May 21 - May 25th
Why did I choose to read this book?
I chose to read this book because I saw the movie back in Highschool and loved it and made me want to read the book as well after I learned it was orginally a book.
Did I like it? I loved the book.
Five things I liked about this book:
1. I love the dystopian part of the story and how they try to improve the society by dividing into fractions of like minded people.
2. I love the story between Tris and Four. I love how it's not like normal people and not too gushy. I loved how they helped each other through each others fears.
3. I love how Tris chose the fraction best for her rather than what others wanted her to choose. But, I also love how she'll sacrifice herself for the people she loves.
4. I love how her mom ended up being divergent as well.
5. I love how she can't be controlled and a robot like the others.
One character I disliked: Peter
Do I recommend this book? Yes
What is one similar book I think you'd like if you also love this book? Hunger Games
Questions for you:
1. Have you read this book and what similar book would you recommend to it?
2. What Fraction do you think you'd belong to?
3. Do you like the way I did review or the way I usually do reviews better?
Author: Veronica Roth
Read Dates: May 21 - May 25th
Why did I choose to read this book?
I chose to read this book because I saw the movie back in Highschool and loved it and made me want to read the book as well after I learned it was orginally a book.
Did I like it? I loved the book.
Five things I liked about this book:
1. I love the dystopian part of the story and how they try to improve the society by dividing into fractions of like minded people.
2. I love the story between Tris and Four. I love how it's not like normal people and not too gushy. I loved how they helped each other through each others fears.
3. I love how Tris chose the fraction best for her rather than what others wanted her to choose. But, I also love how she'll sacrifice herself for the people she loves.
4. I love how her mom ended up being divergent as well.
5. I love how she can't be controlled and a robot like the others.
One character I disliked: Peter
Do I recommend this book? Yes
What is one similar book I think you'd like if you also love this book? Hunger Games
Questions for you:
1. Have you read this book and what similar book would you recommend to it?
2. What Fraction do you think you'd belong to?
3. Do you like the way I did review or the way I usually do reviews better?
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox in Books
Feb 16, 2021 (Updated Feb 16, 2021)
Traveling the Galaxy via…a Lunchbox?
Finn is a typical almost twelve-year-old. He’s got a younger sister who annoys him, he’s struggling to make friends at his new school, he’s being picked on by a bully, and he has a crush on a classmate. His life changes when he accidentally takes his sister’s lunchbox to school one day. When it starts to glow, he discovers that it’s become a portal to another part of our galaxy. On, and this portal is the key to a battle against a race called The Plague that destroys planets. With The Plague now looking at Earth as their next target, Finn is going to have to come up with some kind of plan to save the world.
It’s been a few years since I picked up one of Michael Buckley’s books, so I was thrilled to see he had a new series out. As you might suspect from the description, this is a wild, fast-paced right that I found hard to put down. And I haven’t even mentioned the seven-foot-tall robot yet. I did feel it got a little too apocalyptic for me at times, but that’s a matter of personal taste. The characters are good, although the one that got the most development here was a cliché. The creativity that went into this book is outstanding with lots of details that are fun. Kids will eat this book up and be anxious for the next one when they are done.
It’s been a few years since I picked up one of Michael Buckley’s books, so I was thrilled to see he had a new series out. As you might suspect from the description, this is a wild, fast-paced right that I found hard to put down. And I haven’t even mentioned the seven-foot-tall robot yet. I did feel it got a little too apocalyptic for me at times, but that’s a matter of personal taste. The characters are good, although the one that got the most development here was a cliché. The creativity that went into this book is outstanding with lots of details that are fun. Kids will eat this book up and be anxious for the next one when they are done.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Chappie (2015) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Sep 19, 2020)
"𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘈.𝘐. 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘺." - Trevor Moore, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴
Much better than 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵 9 even though it's essentially the same movie for the chief purpose that this is cleaner, more fun, and ditches the sloppy gimmick and failed heavy-handed metaphor. Those last 30 minutes are godly, just totally bananas trashy cyberpunk action glory - not only the best thing Blomkamp has ever done but some of the most fun a sci-fi movie has had in the 2010s. But otherwise a movie about robot cop Sharlto Copley hanging around Die Antwood who teach him how to be gangsta but he accidentally discovers consciousness while a deranged Hugh Jackman desperately wants to let his monster mech loose on the city should be a lot more entertaining than this was. Still sports impeccable graphics and design as always with Neill, and you know what this isn't deep on any level nor does it have a single talking point about the militarization of the police department or A.I. or big tech corporations - fine, whatever. But there's almost zero violence for the hour + twenty-five minute stretch in the middle of this where it becomes this trite, sickly sweet family drama? I mean you're practically poised to fashion this nuanced, ultraviolent story dissecting how A.I. reacts to trauma but instead they're reading bedtime stories to the thing? Still vibrant and ridiculous though, enjoyed the hell out of it - I ain't picky. Plus points for letting all these actors use their natural accents.
Much better than 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵 9 even though it's essentially the same movie for the chief purpose that this is cleaner, more fun, and ditches the sloppy gimmick and failed heavy-handed metaphor. Those last 30 minutes are godly, just totally bananas trashy cyberpunk action glory - not only the best thing Blomkamp has ever done but some of the most fun a sci-fi movie has had in the 2010s. But otherwise a movie about robot cop Sharlto Copley hanging around Die Antwood who teach him how to be gangsta but he accidentally discovers consciousness while a deranged Hugh Jackman desperately wants to let his monster mech loose on the city should be a lot more entertaining than this was. Still sports impeccable graphics and design as always with Neill, and you know what this isn't deep on any level nor does it have a single talking point about the militarization of the police department or A.I. or big tech corporations - fine, whatever. But there's almost zero violence for the hour + twenty-five minute stretch in the middle of this where it becomes this trite, sickly sweet family drama? I mean you're practically poised to fashion this nuanced, ultraviolent story dissecting how A.I. reacts to trauma but instead they're reading bedtime stories to the thing? Still vibrant and ridiculous though, enjoyed the hell out of it - I ain't picky. Plus points for letting all these actors use their natural accents.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) in Movies
Nov 27, 2020
This second outing for the full Avengers ensemble is a bit messier than the confident and tight first film, but still manages to be fun and exciting in spite of its flaws.
Once again, the huge positive is the great cast, and the chemistry they all share. The core six Avengers return, and provide the films humour (rightfully scaled back from the all out comedy tone of Guardians) and generally remind everyone why they're the solid backbone of this mammoth franchise.
There are plenty of new faces joining them, most notably Scarlet Witch (Elisabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and all integrate smoothly.
The villain is the titular Ultron (voiced by James Spader), a classic Marvel Comics villain that unfortunately ends up being another one-and-done MCU antagonist. This films main focus is the relationships between the Avengers, and sewing seeds for Civil War, and sadly, Ultron sort of gets pushed aside for this. It's a shame because Spader does a great job of making Ultron a sinister presence, but he ends up being little more than a CGI commander, of a CGI robot army.
Some of the set pieces are great though, particularly the Hulk vs Hulkbuster scene, and the climactic finale, and the child me who grew up reading these comics was nothing short of thrilled to see Vision in action.
Age of Ultron is somewhat underwhelming for a full blown Avengers entry, but still manages to be entertaining. Hopefully, we will see Ultron return in a future installment that has some more depth to it.
Once again, the huge positive is the great cast, and the chemistry they all share. The core six Avengers return, and provide the films humour (rightfully scaled back from the all out comedy tone of Guardians) and generally remind everyone why they're the solid backbone of this mammoth franchise.
There are plenty of new faces joining them, most notably Scarlet Witch (Elisabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and all integrate smoothly.
The villain is the titular Ultron (voiced by James Spader), a classic Marvel Comics villain that unfortunately ends up being another one-and-done MCU antagonist. This films main focus is the relationships between the Avengers, and sewing seeds for Civil War, and sadly, Ultron sort of gets pushed aside for this. It's a shame because Spader does a great job of making Ultron a sinister presence, but he ends up being little more than a CGI commander, of a CGI robot army.
Some of the set pieces are great though, particularly the Hulk vs Hulkbuster scene, and the climactic finale, and the child me who grew up reading these comics was nothing short of thrilled to see Vision in action.
Age of Ultron is somewhat underwhelming for a full blown Avengers entry, but still manages to be entertaining. Hopefully, we will see Ultron return in a future installment that has some more depth to it.