Bring Up the Bodies
Book
Read our exclusive interview with Hilary Mantel +++ Read the novel as an ebook Man Booker...
Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint
Book
Two of the most famous mosaics from the Byzantine period, from the church of San Vitale in Ravenna,...
A Century of Miracles: Christians, Pagans, Jews, and the Supernatural, 312-410
Book
The fourth century of our common era began and ended with a miracle. Traditionally, in the year 312,...
Airport Pro (All Airports) Flight Tracker
Travel and Utilities
App
Flight Tracker Premium. Packing List. Includes all airports in the world. For every airport (2500+)...
WiFi Map Pro - Free Internet
Travel and Social Networking
App
Get WiFi passwords for FREE internet access all over the world! Useful for TRAVEL! Works offline. ...
After The Empire
Tabletop Game
After the fall of Rome, Europe fell into the so-called "dark ages." From the chaos, feudalism arose...
Unaccustomed Earth
8.0
Rate It
Book
Eight stories—longer and more emotionally complex than any Lahiri has yet written—that take us...
India immigrants short stories
Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin (Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery #6)
9.0
Rate It
Book
When an old friend is arrested in Dublin, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to...
Cozy Mystery Travel Cozy
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Jungle Cruise (2021) in Movies
Aug 2, 2021
Positives:
- Cut the movie open and it reads "summer blockbuster pleaser" through the middle. This is largely down to the charisma of its two stars, Blunt and Johnson, who prove why they are both such bankable commodities. It's clearly based on the "will they/won't they" simmering sexual chemistry between two polar-opposites, as featured in movies such as "Romancing the Stone" and "The African Queen". (Since the theme park ride was heavily influenced by the latter, this is no surprise). But there's also a heavy dose of tongue-in-cheek ridiculousness as featured in other great B-movie homages such as "The Mummy" and (most notably) "Raiders of the Lost Ark". (A few scenes directly mimic the Indiana Jones movies.)
- The supporting cast also have fun with their roles. Jack Whitehouse, doing almost a like-for-like copy of John Hannah's character in "The Mummy", could have been extremely annoying. But although he's the comic relief in the piece, he steers it just the right side of farcical, avoiding Jar-Jar Binks territory. ("When in Rome" he declares, swallowing a flagon of fermented spit. "God - I wish I was in Rome"!) Jesse Plemons, one of my favourite actors, who proved his comic chops in "Game Night", here delivers one of the most over-the-top Nazis since Ronald Lacey's Toht in "Raiders". Rounding things off is Paul Giamatti with a bizarrely comic performance as Nilo, a competing riverboat owner.
- Special effects, cinematography (Flavio Martínez Labiano, of "The Shallows") and James Newton-Howard's score all add to the lush blockbuster feel of the movie. And director Jaume Collet-Serra (who did the clever shark B-movie "The Shallows") keeps the movie clipping along at a fine rate, with only a few sections of character-building dialogue to get the kids fidgety.
Negatives:
- I mean, it's popcorn nonsense of course. The Amazonian 'McGuffin' is a tree that only comes to life under very specific conditions. And isn't it amazing that watery machinery (developed by who?) still works after at least 400 years, when my dishwasher gives up after ten? (But it's done with verve and style, so who cares?)
- Although the screenplay is actually very slick for a movie of this type, it feels like a script by committee at times. A single writer might have been tempted to duck the Hollywood ending and leave things on a more thoughtful, albeit downbeat, note.
Summary Thoughts on "Jungle Cruise": This was a pleasant surprise for me. A fun and light-hearted movie that ticks all the boxes as a summer blockbuster. It nicely evokes the cheesiness of the theme park ride operator (past alumni have included Robin Williams and Kevin Costner), especially with Johnson's opening scenes. But then rounds it out as a spectacular and appealing tongue-in-cheek adventure.
And, by the way, in case you fancy sitting through the interminable end titles to watch a post-credits scene.... there isn't one.
(#takenonefortheteam).
Parental Guidance: One question might be whether, with a "12A" certificate, this summer blockbuster is one that your kids might enjoy or be freaked out by. A comparison with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is perhaps useful here. There are quite a number of "jolts" involving snakes and bees but probably not as bad as the ones you get in an uncut version of "Raiders" (think the spiked Satipo; the mummies/snakes when escaping the 'Well of Souls'; and the melting Nazi bad-guys). So if you have kids that lapped up that stuff then I don't think they would have any issues with this one.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the web, Facebook or Tiktok. Thanks).
Merissa (13600 KP) rated The Du Lac Prophecy (The Du Lac Chronicles #4) in Books
Oct 19, 2018
The first few pages of this book are brutal and heartbreaking. There is so much sorrow and horror, I was immediately emotional and completely immersed within the story, and the characters' lives. The thing is, the thing that makes Mary Anne Yarde an outstanding storyteller is the fact that some of the emotion comes from a pair of horses!
This IS book four, and it would certainly help if you have read the previous books, just so you get the full appreciation of the other characters strengths and foibles. This is also quite involved, so it would help to have the background on what is going on.
I am happy to report Tegan once again plays a part in this story, with her becoming a more important character than previously recognised. I can't wait to see where this particular thread is going, and how it will be woven within the main story tapestry.
Arthur and his knights have held a fascination for me from a very young age, and I have always wanted to write their story. Alas and Alack! I am unable to do that, but instead I have the greatest pleasure to lose myself in their story as told by this amazing author.
As a final, technical note, I am happy to say there were no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow. The pacing is smooth, and the story, even with so many different threads, still manages to keep the reader involved, and not confused. I would definitely recommend reading this series in order. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. Absolutely and utterly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!