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Dana (24 KP) rated Blood and Salt (Blood and Salt, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Once again, I am giving the old spoiler alert right at the beginning, so you have been warned.
I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of a three star review.
Okay, so now onto the actual review. I found this book very interesting. Though I was expecting something more like a thriller and/or horror novel, this was more like a non-scary cult novel. But it was not as creepy as I had hoped. I wanted to be terrified, but instead I was left without much of an emotional response at all.
This book reminded me, in a lot of ways, of that movie Children of the Corn. I don't really know why because the plot is not the same, but I think because it was set in the middle of a corn field that ate people with a cult in the middle of it. (Side note: I am not a fan of that movie, but my friends made me watch it with them. I found the movie quite boring, to be honest.)
Ash was an okay main character. I mean, she was strong, in a way, but she wasn't particularly striking in many ways. She, like many other young adult heroines, falls in love with the wrong guy, then gets betrayed by him, but unlike some of those other heroines, she doesn't really do much about it. Yes, she gets angry, but it almost feels like she is about to forgive him immediately. That didn't particularly make sense to me because if she was really pissed at him, I doubt she would forgive him that quickly.
Rhys was kinda annoying, to me. Yes, he is the twin brother so he is going to feel protective of his sister, but he refused to listen to anyone but himself. There is also the fact that, even though he sees all this magic stuff around him, he doesn't believe in it. Plus, to top it all off, he thinks his sister and his mother are crazy just because he thinks differently. I was not a fan of any of this. He is discounting the women in his family because he does not know how to deal with what he cannot see.
I wasn't a fan of Dane either, to be honest. He didn't help Ash as much as he said he was and when she would come to him for help, he would brush it off as if it didn't matter. He was kind of an ass.
The whole Katia plot was a bit weak. I saw it coming from a mile away, but I did enjoy the bits with Marie (her daughter). Whenever Marie was in a scene, even though she hardly talked, the scene, to me, got a whole lot more interesting. I loved seeing Ash try to figure out what the hell was going on with her.
I am not sure where I stand with the whole "light and dark" blood with Ash and Rhys. It seems a bit strange, but I think I can be okay with it if it is explained more in the next book.
Also, the magic as a whole has not been fully fleshed out and I hope to see more of it in the next book. I feel like there was a lot briefly touched on, but not fully explained.
All in all, I am looking forward to the next book, if only to see what the hell is going to happen next. The characters, while not my favorite, have the potential to grow into who they are and be developed more. I did not hate this book, but going with that, it wasn't my favorite book either. I am giving it the extra half-star because it has the potential to become something really cool in the next book.
Speaking of: The Last Harvest comes out 7 February 2017.
I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of a three star review.
Okay, so now onto the actual review. I found this book very interesting. Though I was expecting something more like a thriller and/or horror novel, this was more like a non-scary cult novel. But it was not as creepy as I had hoped. I wanted to be terrified, but instead I was left without much of an emotional response at all.
This book reminded me, in a lot of ways, of that movie Children of the Corn. I don't really know why because the plot is not the same, but I think because it was set in the middle of a corn field that ate people with a cult in the middle of it. (Side note: I am not a fan of that movie, but my friends made me watch it with them. I found the movie quite boring, to be honest.)
Ash was an okay main character. I mean, she was strong, in a way, but she wasn't particularly striking in many ways. She, like many other young adult heroines, falls in love with the wrong guy, then gets betrayed by him, but unlike some of those other heroines, she doesn't really do much about it. Yes, she gets angry, but it almost feels like she is about to forgive him immediately. That didn't particularly make sense to me because if she was really pissed at him, I doubt she would forgive him that quickly.
Rhys was kinda annoying, to me. Yes, he is the twin brother so he is going to feel protective of his sister, but he refused to listen to anyone but himself. There is also the fact that, even though he sees all this magic stuff around him, he doesn't believe in it. Plus, to top it all off, he thinks his sister and his mother are crazy just because he thinks differently. I was not a fan of any of this. He is discounting the women in his family because he does not know how to deal with what he cannot see.
I wasn't a fan of Dane either, to be honest. He didn't help Ash as much as he said he was and when she would come to him for help, he would brush it off as if it didn't matter. He was kind of an ass.
The whole Katia plot was a bit weak. I saw it coming from a mile away, but I did enjoy the bits with Marie (her daughter). Whenever Marie was in a scene, even though she hardly talked, the scene, to me, got a whole lot more interesting. I loved seeing Ash try to figure out what the hell was going on with her.
I am not sure where I stand with the whole "light and dark" blood with Ash and Rhys. It seems a bit strange, but I think I can be okay with it if it is explained more in the next book.
Also, the magic as a whole has not been fully fleshed out and I hope to see more of it in the next book. I feel like there was a lot briefly touched on, but not fully explained.
All in all, I am looking forward to the next book, if only to see what the hell is going to happen next. The characters, while not my favorite, have the potential to grow into who they are and be developed more. I did not hate this book, but going with that, it wasn't my favorite book either. I am giving it the extra half-star because it has the potential to become something really cool in the next book.
Speaking of: The Last Harvest comes out 7 February 2017.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Passionaries (The Blessed, #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I loved the first book in this series! Precious Blood was a fantastic read. However, Passionaries was a bit mediocre in my opinion.
I like the title, and I believe it is quite fitting for the book. A minor character in the book defines what passionaries are. They are some kind of books related to the Catholic religion. I don't know if that's fictitious or not (I did try searching for it and found nothing).
The cover is very gorgeous as are all of the covers of Tonya Hurley's books. The cover fits the book especially with the guitars and the sword.
The world building was a bit hit and miss. There were times when it seemed like something like this could happen. I mean, who says we can't have modern day saints? However, there were also times when it seemed a bit too unreal such as when people were getting murdered. For example, in one scene, the girls get attacked so they end up killing their attackers. They don't get arrested because there's no evidence. Surely they would've caught them on CCTV or someone would've seen the girls with blood all over them. Plus, there'd be so much forensic evidence. I also felt that sometimes there was sometimes some fight scenes just for the sake of having a fight scene.
The pacing started off slow but eventually find a decent pace. The pacing isn't as good as the first book in the series, but it still held my attention.
As for the plot, I don't really know what's going on. At least in the first book, it was the girls finding out they were saints. However, after reading this book, I don't know what's going on! I realize the girls are saints and there are some people that don't want the world to know that, but what I don't know is the why. Why do these people not want the world to know these girls are saints? I felt that the answer is just not very clear. Passionaries did have a plot twist that I never saw coming. There's also a big cliff hanger at the end of the story as to make way for the third book in the series.
The characters were all fabulously written. The girls are stronger in this book, and their saintly personalities show through. Saying that, Cecelia is more hardcore in this book then in the first one. At least I thought so. Dr. Frey is still very cunning as ever in Passionaries. One thing that did irk me was that Hurley brought in the character of Finn. To me, Finn is a totally pointless character. I really didn't see the relevance in bringing him into the story.
There were times when the dialogue did seem a bit awkward although this was mostly in the beginning of the book. I felt that the meeting between Dr. Frey and some of his associates at the beginning of the book had painful dialogue. It just didn't seem to flow naturally. Luckily, the problem is quickly solved. There is some swearing in Passionaries as well as graphic violence.
All in all, Passionaries fell short of my expectations. It was a little bit too confusing, and the world building just didn't seem all that realistic. I do want to read the next book in the series because I've invested so much time in this series. However, the expected publication is some time in 2015, so I may give it a miss since I tend to forget things that happened in books after so long.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who want to know more about Lucy, Cecelia, and Agnes.
I loved the first book in this series! Precious Blood was a fantastic read. However, Passionaries was a bit mediocre in my opinion.
I like the title, and I believe it is quite fitting for the book. A minor character in the book defines what passionaries are. They are some kind of books related to the Catholic religion. I don't know if that's fictitious or not (I did try searching for it and found nothing).
The cover is very gorgeous as are all of the covers of Tonya Hurley's books. The cover fits the book especially with the guitars and the sword.
The world building was a bit hit and miss. There were times when it seemed like something like this could happen. I mean, who says we can't have modern day saints? However, there were also times when it seemed a bit too unreal such as when people were getting murdered. For example, in one scene, the girls get attacked so they end up killing their attackers. They don't get arrested because there's no evidence. Surely they would've caught them on CCTV or someone would've seen the girls with blood all over them. Plus, there'd be so much forensic evidence. I also felt that sometimes there was sometimes some fight scenes just for the sake of having a fight scene.
The pacing started off slow but eventually find a decent pace. The pacing isn't as good as the first book in the series, but it still held my attention.
As for the plot, I don't really know what's going on. At least in the first book, it was the girls finding out they were saints. However, after reading this book, I don't know what's going on! I realize the girls are saints and there are some people that don't want the world to know that, but what I don't know is the why. Why do these people not want the world to know these girls are saints? I felt that the answer is just not very clear. Passionaries did have a plot twist that I never saw coming. There's also a big cliff hanger at the end of the story as to make way for the third book in the series.
The characters were all fabulously written. The girls are stronger in this book, and their saintly personalities show through. Saying that, Cecelia is more hardcore in this book then in the first one. At least I thought so. Dr. Frey is still very cunning as ever in Passionaries. One thing that did irk me was that Hurley brought in the character of Finn. To me, Finn is a totally pointless character. I really didn't see the relevance in bringing him into the story.
There were times when the dialogue did seem a bit awkward although this was mostly in the beginning of the book. I felt that the meeting between Dr. Frey and some of his associates at the beginning of the book had painful dialogue. It just didn't seem to flow naturally. Luckily, the problem is quickly solved. There is some swearing in Passionaries as well as graphic violence.
All in all, Passionaries fell short of my expectations. It was a little bit too confusing, and the world building just didn't seem all that realistic. I do want to read the next book in the series because I've invested so much time in this series. However, the expected publication is some time in 2015, so I may give it a miss since I tend to forget things that happened in books after so long.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who want to know more about Lucy, Cecelia, and Agnes.
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated Becoming Alpha in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Tessa McCaide has a unique gift of seeing visions. She is able to touch someone and see something from their past. Only she doesn't care too much about her "gift" she sees it as a burden.
Living in LA with her mum, dad and brother Axel, she is called 'Freaky Tessa' by everyone except her family.
One day her father gets a new job in Texas and they decide to move for Tessa so she can be happier and be nearer to her mum's family. Tessa's mum's side of the family believe they are all witches. (Which they are, but Tessa doesn't really believe it at the moment, even though having her gifts aren't normal... So why can't they be witches. Her gift must mean something right?)
Tessa and her brother Axel want to find out why they are moving and what their dads new job is. She touches some paperwork of her father's to find out some more about where they are going and this new job of his. Once she touches the papers she sees what she normally sees 'a vision' only this time it's not the past. It's the present and the two people she can see, can sense her. Which has never happened before. Tessa doesn't tell her brother what she saw...
A few days later they move to Texas and there she starts her new school. On moving in day her dad's new boss Micheal Dawson arrives to give them the keys and warns them about Wolves in the area and to stay clear of them and they will do the same. He brings along a guy called Dastien from the school that they work at; where Tessa's new dad's job is. To help them move in. But Tessa and Dastien share some sort of connection. It turns out that they both remember eachother from the vision.
Tessa begins her first day at her new school and starts to make friends. (though she doesn't really like the people there) The same day she gets invited to a party. A few days before the party her and her brother head to the mall where she meets Dastien again and they again share that connection. They both flirt a little and you see there is a attraction. But why?
A fight soon breaks out and there is a clear divide between her new school and the school where Dastien works. They all hate eachother. This is also something that happens at the party that Tessa's invited too. When she's there her and Dastien share a kiss. Which leads to him biting and scratching her...
A few days later she's become a werewolf, because of Dastien which is illegal in their world. And her whole life has been turned upside down. She now has to live and go to the school where Micheal Dawson works and live her life as a Werewolf.
But not everything is a smooth as that. Fighting Vampires for one and having the local coven around and hating her for being biten. Things are about to turn bad for Tessa and her new life.
This book is great story, with werewolves and actually scary vampires. It has it cheesy moments and the young, young adult writing with the romance can be very 'lovely, lovely' which I guess can seem too young for me. But it's a series I've read before that I needed to continue and finish so I am I doing that now. So baring that in mind, it is a great book and series.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Living in LA with her mum, dad and brother Axel, she is called 'Freaky Tessa' by everyone except her family.
One day her father gets a new job in Texas and they decide to move for Tessa so she can be happier and be nearer to her mum's family. Tessa's mum's side of the family believe they are all witches. (Which they are, but Tessa doesn't really believe it at the moment, even though having her gifts aren't normal... So why can't they be witches. Her gift must mean something right?)
Tessa and her brother Axel want to find out why they are moving and what their dads new job is. She touches some paperwork of her father's to find out some more about where they are going and this new job of his. Once she touches the papers she sees what she normally sees 'a vision' only this time it's not the past. It's the present and the two people she can see, can sense her. Which has never happened before. Tessa doesn't tell her brother what she saw...
A few days later they move to Texas and there she starts her new school. On moving in day her dad's new boss Micheal Dawson arrives to give them the keys and warns them about Wolves in the area and to stay clear of them and they will do the same. He brings along a guy called Dastien from the school that they work at; where Tessa's new dad's job is. To help them move in. But Tessa and Dastien share some sort of connection. It turns out that they both remember eachother from the vision.
Tessa begins her first day at her new school and starts to make friends. (though she doesn't really like the people there) The same day she gets invited to a party. A few days before the party her and her brother head to the mall where she meets Dastien again and they again share that connection. They both flirt a little and you see there is a attraction. But why?
A fight soon breaks out and there is a clear divide between her new school and the school where Dastien works. They all hate eachother. This is also something that happens at the party that Tessa's invited too. When she's there her and Dastien share a kiss. Which leads to him biting and scratching her...
A few days later she's become a werewolf, because of Dastien which is illegal in their world. And her whole life has been turned upside down. She now has to live and go to the school where Micheal Dawson works and live her life as a Werewolf.
But not everything is a smooth as that. Fighting Vampires for one and having the local coven around and hating her for being biten. Things are about to turn bad for Tessa and her new life.
This book is great story, with werewolves and actually scary vampires. It has it cheesy moments and the young, young adult writing with the romance can be very 'lovely, lovely' which I guess can seem too young for me. But it's a series I've read before that I needed to continue and finish so I am I doing that now. So baring that in mind, it is a great book and series.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Inexplicable Logic of My Life in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Over the past couple of years, social media, particularly Tumblr, has been raving over Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s multi-award winning novel, <i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</i>. As a result, I have wanted to read this book to see what the fuss is about. Unfortunately, libraries and bookstores in the UK do not appear to stock any of Sáenz’s novels.
When I saw an ARC of <i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> was available for request on NetGalley, I took the risk, having not read any of Sáenz’s work, and requested a copy. And I am truly glad I did. What, from the blurb and book cover, could result in a mundane Young Adult novel, turned out to be a thing of true beauty. The prose is almost poetic and full of emotion; it not only tells the story, it makes you feel it too.
The narrator, Salvador “Sal”, is beginning his final year at El Paso High School with his best friend Sam. Normally, the first day of school is something he looks forward to, however he feels differently this year. Something within Sal has changed, something indescribable but there all the same. Something that makes punching someone in the face an automatic reaction.
Sal’s dad is gay. Although not his real dad, Vicente adopted Sal into his extended Mexican American family after the death of his mother when he was three years old. He could not have asked for a better parent, but something is niggling in the back of his mind: who is his birth father?
Whilst Sal soliloquizes about his feelings, the reader is introduced to best friend Sam – a girl who, despite an erudite vocabulary, is not afraid to cuss and swear. Sam also understands what it is like to not truly know who you are, as does Fito, another friend, with terrible relations. Tragic events pull the three together, giving them a new chance at being part of a family despite not being blood related.
Sal, Sam and Fito try to help each other through their problems, ruminating together over their pasts and contemplating the unpredictable future. Despite each character suffering from grief, their friendship gives them a purpose and the encouragement to carry on.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> covers so many themes it is impossible to categorize. Sam, Fito and Vicente are all encumbered with something that could ostracize them from society – their sexuality, race, drug addict parents – but they never let this get in their way. Sal, on the other hand, struggles somewhat, believing he no longer knows who he really is. He questions everything: how does he fit into the world around him? What right does he have to graduate and go to college?
With great efficacy, Sáenz explains through Sal’s voice, the importance of believing in yourself, letting yourself be loved, and accepting things for what they really are. All the main characters are trying so hard to belong; they do not realize that they always have belonged.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> is a story of grief, death, family, friendship, fathers and words; a graceful, almost lyrical, narrative that gets to the heart of human existence and uplifts the spirit. The expressive language has a great emotional impact on the reader – have your tissues at the ready – and resonates within the soul. With quotable lines that you will wish you had written yourself, I guarantee you will love this book.
Over the past couple of years, social media, particularly Tumblr, has been raving over Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s multi-award winning novel, <i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</i>. As a result, I have wanted to read this book to see what the fuss is about. Unfortunately, libraries and bookstores in the UK do not appear to stock any of Sáenz’s novels.
When I saw an ARC of <i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> was available for request on NetGalley, I took the risk, having not read any of Sáenz’s work, and requested a copy. And I am truly glad I did. What, from the blurb and book cover, could result in a mundane Young Adult novel, turned out to be a thing of true beauty. The prose is almost poetic and full of emotion; it not only tells the story, it makes you feel it too.
The narrator, Salvador “Sal”, is beginning his final year at El Paso High School with his best friend Sam. Normally, the first day of school is something he looks forward to, however he feels differently this year. Something within Sal has changed, something indescribable but there all the same. Something that makes punching someone in the face an automatic reaction.
Sal’s dad is gay. Although not his real dad, Vicente adopted Sal into his extended Mexican American family after the death of his mother when he was three years old. He could not have asked for a better parent, but something is niggling in the back of his mind: who is his birth father?
Whilst Sal soliloquizes about his feelings, the reader is introduced to best friend Sam – a girl who, despite an erudite vocabulary, is not afraid to cuss and swear. Sam also understands what it is like to not truly know who you are, as does Fito, another friend, with terrible relations. Tragic events pull the three together, giving them a new chance at being part of a family despite not being blood related.
Sal, Sam and Fito try to help each other through their problems, ruminating together over their pasts and contemplating the unpredictable future. Despite each character suffering from grief, their friendship gives them a purpose and the encouragement to carry on.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> covers so many themes it is impossible to categorize. Sam, Fito and Vicente are all encumbered with something that could ostracize them from society – their sexuality, race, drug addict parents – but they never let this get in their way. Sal, on the other hand, struggles somewhat, believing he no longer knows who he really is. He questions everything: how does he fit into the world around him? What right does he have to graduate and go to college?
With great efficacy, Sáenz explains through Sal’s voice, the importance of believing in yourself, letting yourself be loved, and accepting things for what they really are. All the main characters are trying so hard to belong; they do not realize that they always have belonged.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> is a story of grief, death, family, friendship, fathers and words; a graceful, almost lyrical, narrative that gets to the heart of human existence and uplifts the spirit. The expressive language has a great emotional impact on the reader – have your tissues at the ready – and resonates within the soul. With quotable lines that you will wish you had written yourself, I guarantee you will love this book.
Fred (860 KP) rated Star Wars: Resistance in TV
Oct 31, 2018
Animation is terrible (2 more)
Characters are not memorable
Tries too much to be funny
The force is not with this one
I love Star Wars. I love the original movies, the prequels & the Disney era films as well. I loved the Clone Wars cartoon as well as Rebels. So, along comes Resistance. A show I had not even heard of until the day it was going to air. I was excited for a new show. That was, until I saw the trailer.
See, this show is done in CGI drawn animation. Usually this kind of animation is limited to maybe vehicles or robots & the rest is done with traditional hand-drawn animation. This can be jarring to view as the CGI animation usually moves choppy & slow. I could see where this kind of animation seems like it should work. A "3-D" object can be moved & turned easily, the animation should be smooth. but it's not. Can't stand this animation. I find I can't watch more than a few minutes before it gets too annoying. Anyway, I was gong to go on about other shows that use this animation, but this is about Resistance. So, this entire show uses this kind of animation. Fortunately, the animation is at least smooth moving, but the characters all suffer from an unnatural movement. Character design is also horrible & that doesn't help.
That's problem one. So, now to the next. The show is not memorable in the least. The characters, stories, situations, nothing. After 4 episodes, there is nothing that stuck out to me, where as I can still pick out dozens of scenes from both Clone Wars & Rebels. Star Wars memorable scenes. maybe that's it. Resistance doesn't feel like Star Wars. Even with the cameos by Poe Dameron, Leia, Captain Phasma & C-3PO were so brief & completely forgettable. In fact, I forgot C-3PO even appeared until I looked up the cast on IMDB.
Next problem. A lot of people thought The Last Jedi had too much humor in it. They thought that this was fine for a Disney film, but not a Star Wars film. I could see that, however, I didn't think it was too much & enjoyed the film very much. There are times when I do think it's too much, like in the horrendous new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. Every 2 seconds, a joke bombarding us. It's just too much. There's a guy who does the voice of Donatello on that show that also does a voice on Resistance. I bring that up because his character on Resistance may be the worst character in the Star Wars universe. His name is Neeku. He's a Rodian character who is so dumb, he makes Jar Jar Binks look like Steven Hawking. Yes, he's worse than Binks. He's annoying & supposedly the comic relief. Which brings me to my next point. Every character is comic relief in this show. Yes, just like the new TMNT, the show is joke after joke. As bad as that is thought, Neeku takes the cake as the "please, kill him" character.
So, you ask me why am I watching this show if it's so bad? Well, because it's canon & I'm a Star Wars fanatic. However, it doesn't seem to have any consequence on the Star Wars universe at all. There's no weaving of the stories in the greater, larger world at all. I watch in hope that it does. I do re-watch Clone Wars & Rebels, but this show will probably be the first in my Star Wars filled life, that I just watch once & forget it ever happened.
See, this show is done in CGI drawn animation. Usually this kind of animation is limited to maybe vehicles or robots & the rest is done with traditional hand-drawn animation. This can be jarring to view as the CGI animation usually moves choppy & slow. I could see where this kind of animation seems like it should work. A "3-D" object can be moved & turned easily, the animation should be smooth. but it's not. Can't stand this animation. I find I can't watch more than a few minutes before it gets too annoying. Anyway, I was gong to go on about other shows that use this animation, but this is about Resistance. So, this entire show uses this kind of animation. Fortunately, the animation is at least smooth moving, but the characters all suffer from an unnatural movement. Character design is also horrible & that doesn't help.
That's problem one. So, now to the next. The show is not memorable in the least. The characters, stories, situations, nothing. After 4 episodes, there is nothing that stuck out to me, where as I can still pick out dozens of scenes from both Clone Wars & Rebels. Star Wars memorable scenes. maybe that's it. Resistance doesn't feel like Star Wars. Even with the cameos by Poe Dameron, Leia, Captain Phasma & C-3PO were so brief & completely forgettable. In fact, I forgot C-3PO even appeared until I looked up the cast on IMDB.
Next problem. A lot of people thought The Last Jedi had too much humor in it. They thought that this was fine for a Disney film, but not a Star Wars film. I could see that, however, I didn't think it was too much & enjoyed the film very much. There are times when I do think it's too much, like in the horrendous new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. Every 2 seconds, a joke bombarding us. It's just too much. There's a guy who does the voice of Donatello on that show that also does a voice on Resistance. I bring that up because his character on Resistance may be the worst character in the Star Wars universe. His name is Neeku. He's a Rodian character who is so dumb, he makes Jar Jar Binks look like Steven Hawking. Yes, he's worse than Binks. He's annoying & supposedly the comic relief. Which brings me to my next point. Every character is comic relief in this show. Yes, just like the new TMNT, the show is joke after joke. As bad as that is thought, Neeku takes the cake as the "please, kill him" character.
So, you ask me why am I watching this show if it's so bad? Well, because it's canon & I'm a Star Wars fanatic. However, it doesn't seem to have any consequence on the Star Wars universe at all. There's no weaving of the stories in the greater, larger world at all. I watch in hope that it does. I do re-watch Clone Wars & Rebels, but this show will probably be the first in my Star Wars filled life, that I just watch once & forget it ever happened.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Hippie in Books
Nov 26, 2018
Full review on www.diaryofdifference.com
Hippie is the autobiography by Paulo Coelho, told in third person. This is a story about people that travel the world, wear funny clothes and flowers in their hairs, and believe in peace, love and freedom.
I have read many of Coelho’s books, even since I was a teenage girl. And all of them share something in common – the path of finding yourself. After reading Hippie, I believe that this is the the best one that covers this subject quite perfectly.
‘’He was a human being, with all the fragility that entails, he didn’t understand everything that happened in his life, but he truly wished to believe he was travelling in search of the light.’’
The book is a story of two people, Paulo and Karla. Paulo, a Brazilian guy, searching for freedom and travels. Karla, a lady born and living in Amsterdam, wanting to find herself so badly in the world. When she hears that a hippie bus is going all the way to Nepal, she is willing to go if she meets her ideal companion.
‘’She wished they could see her for her beauty, but all anyone ever saw was the hurricane, and they never sought shelter from it. They preferred to flee to safer ground.’’
Their adventure begins in such an adorable way, only hippies can relate to. Their search for what they want and need feeds with every stop and every destination. A beautiful story about friendship, love and travel.
I actually wished that they had spoken more about the travels and less about some individual stories that didn’t quite correlate to the plot. I also wished that they actually reached out the final destination the way they are supposed to (this was not a spoiler).
‘’Our travels teach us everything we need to know for the rest of our lives, as long as there’s no need to explain this to our parents.’’
Even though a sad end, it is a realistic story about a way of life before, where people loved to be free, and were free to find love, in a world of peace, love, marijuana and travels. A place where no one cares what you look like.
Right now, hippies are a normal thing, people that we all secretly enjoy reading about, and listening to their stories, but in the past, these people fought so hard to change the system of how people’s minds worked, the system people were stuck in, to make people realise that they have the freedom to believe in anything they think is right, to do anything that makes them happy, to be happy, and share this with the world. To live in a world full of happiness, love, peace, to travel and see places, discover places and people, see new cultures, explore people’s minds and customs.
‘’The sun had come out, as though to say that finally the Renaissance was making a return, to change everyone’s habits and customs – and one day very soon, people would no longer depend on the opinions of others but rather on their own ways of seeing life.’’
The one thing that I couldn’t enjoy was the constant religion mentioning in this book. All religions were mentioned, and with such intensity, that peace and love and freedom and the hippie meaning started to be in relation to religion, which is something I personally don’t want to put together. I am aware that lots of hippies believe in God in their own way, but I also think that love and peace should gather them together as a group, not religion. And this point was clearly states a lot of times throughout the book. Not enjoyable, at least for me.
For all of you out there, the hippies, the ordinary people that love travelling, love, life, happiness, music – this is a book for you. Another amazing Paulo Coelho novel, full of wisdom and quotes to underline.
Hippie is the autobiography by Paulo Coelho, told in third person. This is a story about people that travel the world, wear funny clothes and flowers in their hairs, and believe in peace, love and freedom.
I have read many of Coelho’s books, even since I was a teenage girl. And all of them share something in common – the path of finding yourself. After reading Hippie, I believe that this is the the best one that covers this subject quite perfectly.
‘’He was a human being, with all the fragility that entails, he didn’t understand everything that happened in his life, but he truly wished to believe he was travelling in search of the light.’’
The book is a story of two people, Paulo and Karla. Paulo, a Brazilian guy, searching for freedom and travels. Karla, a lady born and living in Amsterdam, wanting to find herself so badly in the world. When she hears that a hippie bus is going all the way to Nepal, she is willing to go if she meets her ideal companion.
‘’She wished they could see her for her beauty, but all anyone ever saw was the hurricane, and they never sought shelter from it. They preferred to flee to safer ground.’’
Their adventure begins in such an adorable way, only hippies can relate to. Their search for what they want and need feeds with every stop and every destination. A beautiful story about friendship, love and travel.
I actually wished that they had spoken more about the travels and less about some individual stories that didn’t quite correlate to the plot. I also wished that they actually reached out the final destination the way they are supposed to (this was not a spoiler).
‘’Our travels teach us everything we need to know for the rest of our lives, as long as there’s no need to explain this to our parents.’’
Even though a sad end, it is a realistic story about a way of life before, where people loved to be free, and were free to find love, in a world of peace, love, marijuana and travels. A place where no one cares what you look like.
Right now, hippies are a normal thing, people that we all secretly enjoy reading about, and listening to their stories, but in the past, these people fought so hard to change the system of how people’s minds worked, the system people were stuck in, to make people realise that they have the freedom to believe in anything they think is right, to do anything that makes them happy, to be happy, and share this with the world. To live in a world full of happiness, love, peace, to travel and see places, discover places and people, see new cultures, explore people’s minds and customs.
‘’The sun had come out, as though to say that finally the Renaissance was making a return, to change everyone’s habits and customs – and one day very soon, people would no longer depend on the opinions of others but rather on their own ways of seeing life.’’
The one thing that I couldn’t enjoy was the constant religion mentioning in this book. All religions were mentioned, and with such intensity, that peace and love and freedom and the hippie meaning started to be in relation to religion, which is something I personally don’t want to put together. I am aware that lots of hippies believe in God in their own way, but I also think that love and peace should gather them together as a group, not religion. And this point was clearly states a lot of times throughout the book. Not enjoyable, at least for me.
For all of you out there, the hippies, the ordinary people that love travelling, love, life, happiness, music – this is a book for you. Another amazing Paulo Coelho novel, full of wisdom and quotes to underline.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Mephisto: The Card Game in Tabletop Games
Jun 18, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
Ya done messed up and made a deal with devil. Now he requires you to harvest souls from monsters as payment in return. How will you do this? You have no weapons, no skills, and no plan. Luckily, there is a grid of powerful cards to aid you in your toils. Only one problem: you gotta stay in your lane.
DISCLAIMER: I am not intending to cover every rule in the rulebook (well, rule cards), but to give you an idea of how the game plays. -T
Mephisto is a card drafting, hand management game (with a dash of take-that) played using a grid of cards to be affected and manipulated… LIKE YOUR SOUL!! Setup is easy for a multiplayer game. Deal a hand of cards to each player, setup the main 3 x 3 grid of cards in the middle of the table with the draw deck in the center, and two corners (making a diagonal line) having random placeholder cards face-down to be unavailable for play. The reasoning is simple: where you sit at the table determines in which lane, like in bowling, you can play your cards to (if you have ever played the Adventure Time Card Wars game you will instantly be familiar) and you only have access to two cards in each lane.
You will be using your hand of cards to gain favor from Mephistopheles, to fight and kill monsters to reap their souls, to gain cards from the grid, and to activate items or spell cards for their abilities. Many cards can combo together, and several cards are multipurpose/multi-use cards that can decay every time you use them, so you must take care not to allow your powerful weapons to lose all durability before you can maximize their effectiveness. The first player to amass a total of 12 souls will gain the ultimate wish from Mephistopheles: infinite power!
Components: This game consists of a deck of cards, which are of great quality. I believe this was an earlier-than-originally-expected Kickstarter fulfillment due to switching manufacturers to an American-based company, so we Americans were able to enjoy the game sooner as a result. In any case, the cards are great. What I love about the components is the art. The art on the cards are really really cool. I love the art style employed here, and the explosive neon color scheme used. What I really wished had happened was that the colors would be alluded to on the box cover as well. Honestly, if I had never heard of this game and saw the dark dark colors and occultish logo on the box I probably would have passed it up as “not for me.” But, playing the game is much more enjoyable with a fresh and vibrant set of cards.
I made a comparison to Adventure Time Card Wars in referencing how the lanes worked in play. And honestly, the game kinda feels like ATCW with a different skin. There is some take-that, some moving cards into different lanes, and affecting different cards in the grid. Now, I am an Adventure Time fan, but I just could not get into that game. Mephisto feels familiar in that… lane… but I must like the theme more, because I would rather play Mephisto over ATCW. If you haven’t played a game using lanes like this and don’t mind a darker theme I say give it a shot. It’s small (deck of playing cards size), portable, inexpensive, and a pretty good game. Purple Phoenix Games, with guest Tony, give this one a darkened 15 / 24.
DISCLAIMER: I am not intending to cover every rule in the rulebook (well, rule cards), but to give you an idea of how the game plays. -T
Mephisto is a card drafting, hand management game (with a dash of take-that) played using a grid of cards to be affected and manipulated… LIKE YOUR SOUL!! Setup is easy for a multiplayer game. Deal a hand of cards to each player, setup the main 3 x 3 grid of cards in the middle of the table with the draw deck in the center, and two corners (making a diagonal line) having random placeholder cards face-down to be unavailable for play. The reasoning is simple: where you sit at the table determines in which lane, like in bowling, you can play your cards to (if you have ever played the Adventure Time Card Wars game you will instantly be familiar) and you only have access to two cards in each lane.
You will be using your hand of cards to gain favor from Mephistopheles, to fight and kill monsters to reap their souls, to gain cards from the grid, and to activate items or spell cards for their abilities. Many cards can combo together, and several cards are multipurpose/multi-use cards that can decay every time you use them, so you must take care not to allow your powerful weapons to lose all durability before you can maximize their effectiveness. The first player to amass a total of 12 souls will gain the ultimate wish from Mephistopheles: infinite power!
Components: This game consists of a deck of cards, which are of great quality. I believe this was an earlier-than-originally-expected Kickstarter fulfillment due to switching manufacturers to an American-based company, so we Americans were able to enjoy the game sooner as a result. In any case, the cards are great. What I love about the components is the art. The art on the cards are really really cool. I love the art style employed here, and the explosive neon color scheme used. What I really wished had happened was that the colors would be alluded to on the box cover as well. Honestly, if I had never heard of this game and saw the dark dark colors and occultish logo on the box I probably would have passed it up as “not for me.” But, playing the game is much more enjoyable with a fresh and vibrant set of cards.
I made a comparison to Adventure Time Card Wars in referencing how the lanes worked in play. And honestly, the game kinda feels like ATCW with a different skin. There is some take-that, some moving cards into different lanes, and affecting different cards in the grid. Now, I am an Adventure Time fan, but I just could not get into that game. Mephisto feels familiar in that… lane… but I must like the theme more, because I would rather play Mephisto over ATCW. If you haven’t played a game using lanes like this and don’t mind a darker theme I say give it a shot. It’s small (deck of playing cards size), portable, inexpensive, and a pretty good game. Purple Phoenix Games, with guest Tony, give this one a darkened 15 / 24.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Far Cry: New Dawn in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 19, 2019)
Ubisoft certainly surprised the gaming community when they announced Far Cry: New Dawn and released it only a few weeks later. The fact that another Far Cry game was coming was certainly not a huge shock as the series has been phenomenally popular. However since the prior game had just completed its third and final DLC; many were caught aback by the announcement that this would be a direct follow-up to Far Cry 5.
The previous core series have been unrelated to each other in terms of storyline so the fact that this one takes place after the events of the prior game is a bit of a departure. Combined with the fact that the new release is $39.99 compared to the usual $59.99 price for new game; many had expected essentially glorified DLC versus an entire new game.
While the gameplay mechanics, combat, crafting, travel, resource gathering, and other aspects of the game are similar to how they were in the prior game; the storyline features a very engaging mix of new and old characters in a unique setting that easily captures your attention and expands on the story of the previous game although it is not necessary for you to have played it in order to appreciate this release.
I found that I had logged in over 16 hours of gameplay to complete New Dawn and this was sticking mainly to the core stories and only doing a few treasure hunts when needed as well as excursions.
The ability to hunt and fish remains in game and there is an abundance of ways to upgrade your vehicles, weapons, perks, and attire so players can find a look and style that best meets their needs.
Missions were actually quite engaging and had quite a bit of variety in them; and I especially liked the ones where I had to take part in races or a Demo Derby. I also loved flying my crafted helicopter over the vast map area to see the vast scope of the gameplay area.
Graphically the game looks very much like the previous game in that it has solid graphics and the detail level of the countryside of Hope County is abundant. My biggest issue is with the audio which dropped out frequently during the game at cut scenes but thankfully the captions allowed me to follow what was going on without having to retrace any of my steps.
The abundance of weapons and wildlife definitely creates plenty of opportunities for players to find their own comfort level and the enemies are plentiful which allows for some incredibly graphic but ultimately satisfying takedowns. I loved the saw blade launchers which literally cut an enemy down to size and had a Boomerang effect which was ideal for multiple targets.
The main enemies of the game are an interesting foe in that you have a pair of twins who are every bit as psychotic and dangerous is the best villains from the series. While they will not surpass Vaas in Far Cry 3; they are worthy adversaries.
While I would not say the game will bring new fans to the series; it does present a very satisfying extension to the Far Cry 5 storyline and as such; definitely kept my interest throughout.
Players do have the option to play the game in a Co-Op mode or to select various characters they encounter along the way to provide assistance when needed.
Far Cry: New Dawn is a satisfying entry in the series which should tide fans over until the next release and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
http://sknr.net/2019/03/10/far-cry-new-dawn/
The previous core series have been unrelated to each other in terms of storyline so the fact that this one takes place after the events of the prior game is a bit of a departure. Combined with the fact that the new release is $39.99 compared to the usual $59.99 price for new game; many had expected essentially glorified DLC versus an entire new game.
While the gameplay mechanics, combat, crafting, travel, resource gathering, and other aspects of the game are similar to how they were in the prior game; the storyline features a very engaging mix of new and old characters in a unique setting that easily captures your attention and expands on the story of the previous game although it is not necessary for you to have played it in order to appreciate this release.
I found that I had logged in over 16 hours of gameplay to complete New Dawn and this was sticking mainly to the core stories and only doing a few treasure hunts when needed as well as excursions.
The ability to hunt and fish remains in game and there is an abundance of ways to upgrade your vehicles, weapons, perks, and attire so players can find a look and style that best meets their needs.
Missions were actually quite engaging and had quite a bit of variety in them; and I especially liked the ones where I had to take part in races or a Demo Derby. I also loved flying my crafted helicopter over the vast map area to see the vast scope of the gameplay area.
Graphically the game looks very much like the previous game in that it has solid graphics and the detail level of the countryside of Hope County is abundant. My biggest issue is with the audio which dropped out frequently during the game at cut scenes but thankfully the captions allowed me to follow what was going on without having to retrace any of my steps.
The abundance of weapons and wildlife definitely creates plenty of opportunities for players to find their own comfort level and the enemies are plentiful which allows for some incredibly graphic but ultimately satisfying takedowns. I loved the saw blade launchers which literally cut an enemy down to size and had a Boomerang effect which was ideal for multiple targets.
The main enemies of the game are an interesting foe in that you have a pair of twins who are every bit as psychotic and dangerous is the best villains from the series. While they will not surpass Vaas in Far Cry 3; they are worthy adversaries.
While I would not say the game will bring new fans to the series; it does present a very satisfying extension to the Far Cry 5 storyline and as such; definitely kept my interest throughout.
Players do have the option to play the game in a Co-Op mode or to select various characters they encounter along the way to provide assistance when needed.
Far Cry: New Dawn is a satisfying entry in the series which should tide fans over until the next release and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
http://sknr.net/2019/03/10/far-cry-new-dawn/
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
An action-packed mix of super powers, solidarity and cats
Ever since Captain Marvel was announced, it dominated social media for a number of reasons. People were either hyped, or couldn’t wait to slag it off. As a casual superhero fan I was interested to see what all the fuss was about, and how Brie Larson would perform in the titular role. Ever since I saw her in Room, I’ve been so impressed by her talent and hoped she would deliver in this project too.
This film follows pilot Carol Danvers, as her world is turned upside down and she has to discover the truth about herself whilst caught slap bang in the middle of a galactic war. Captain Marvel is an origin story, and for a large portion of the film Danvers is struggling with amnesia and frequent nightmares. I really sympathised with her throughout the entirety of the film, and most of this is a testament to Brie. Once again she knew exactly how to bring a character to life.
The film does have some flaws, and for me, most of them came in the first act. The pacing felt a bit off here, but thankfully by the time the second act rolls around, it settles down. It’s a shame that the first act didn’t do much for me, especially as it felt like a completely different film in terms of its tone and narrative. Once the film got going I had a great time with it, with the scenes on Earth being my personal favourites. From the moment she arrived on Earth, I became hooked.
By the time Carol meets Nick Fury, the film changed for me and I absolutely loved the dynamic between the two characters. It provided plenty of light relief when it was needed, and let’s face it, who doesn’t love Samuel L. Jackson? The rest of the cast is fun too. Special shout out to Goose the Cat who, as expected, completely stole the show. Scenes involving him and Nick Fury were particularly delightful, and I think I could’ve watched just that for hours. Jude Law and Gemma Chan take to their respective, badass roles effortlessly, and I enjoyed what they brought to the table despite not being on screen as much as I’d expected.
Overall, I thought it had the right mix of comedy and serious moments, in classic Marvel style. I’ve come to expect silly jokes and cringe worthy dialogue in between the action; it’s all part of the fun. I loved Danvers’ sarcastic personality, and how brilliantly it clashed with those around her to make the audience laugh out loud. Her level of sass is something that I can’t wait to see more of.
Like most Marvel films, this is best experienced on the big screen due to its impressive visual style. The scenes in space particularly stood out to me, and seeing that in the cinema was a real treat. There’s something about a good space setting that’s so hypnotic, and Captain Marvel was no exception. It is action packed, aesthetically appealing, and features a strong cast against this backdrop. There’s some genuinely heart-warming moments here, especially featuring significant people from Carol’s life on Earth. In an effort to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I won’t mention them, but I guarantee it’ll make you smile.
I’m excited to see where Captain Marvel goes next, particularly her appearance in Avengers: Endgame which is already generating a lot of excitement. Brie Larson is a welcome addition to the Marvel universe, and I see her as a strong, powerful woman who I’d love my future children to look up to.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/03/27/an-action-packed-mix-of-super-powers-solidarity-and-cats-my-thoughts-on-captain-marvel/
This film follows pilot Carol Danvers, as her world is turned upside down and she has to discover the truth about herself whilst caught slap bang in the middle of a galactic war. Captain Marvel is an origin story, and for a large portion of the film Danvers is struggling with amnesia and frequent nightmares. I really sympathised with her throughout the entirety of the film, and most of this is a testament to Brie. Once again she knew exactly how to bring a character to life.
The film does have some flaws, and for me, most of them came in the first act. The pacing felt a bit off here, but thankfully by the time the second act rolls around, it settles down. It’s a shame that the first act didn’t do much for me, especially as it felt like a completely different film in terms of its tone and narrative. Once the film got going I had a great time with it, with the scenes on Earth being my personal favourites. From the moment she arrived on Earth, I became hooked.
By the time Carol meets Nick Fury, the film changed for me and I absolutely loved the dynamic between the two characters. It provided plenty of light relief when it was needed, and let’s face it, who doesn’t love Samuel L. Jackson? The rest of the cast is fun too. Special shout out to Goose the Cat who, as expected, completely stole the show. Scenes involving him and Nick Fury were particularly delightful, and I think I could’ve watched just that for hours. Jude Law and Gemma Chan take to their respective, badass roles effortlessly, and I enjoyed what they brought to the table despite not being on screen as much as I’d expected.
Overall, I thought it had the right mix of comedy and serious moments, in classic Marvel style. I’ve come to expect silly jokes and cringe worthy dialogue in between the action; it’s all part of the fun. I loved Danvers’ sarcastic personality, and how brilliantly it clashed with those around her to make the audience laugh out loud. Her level of sass is something that I can’t wait to see more of.
Like most Marvel films, this is best experienced on the big screen due to its impressive visual style. The scenes in space particularly stood out to me, and seeing that in the cinema was a real treat. There’s something about a good space setting that’s so hypnotic, and Captain Marvel was no exception. It is action packed, aesthetically appealing, and features a strong cast against this backdrop. There’s some genuinely heart-warming moments here, especially featuring significant people from Carol’s life on Earth. In an effort to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I won’t mention them, but I guarantee it’ll make you smile.
I’m excited to see where Captain Marvel goes next, particularly her appearance in Avengers: Endgame which is already generating a lot of excitement. Brie Larson is a welcome addition to the Marvel universe, and I see her as a strong, powerful woman who I’d love my future children to look up to.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/03/27/an-action-packed-mix-of-super-powers-solidarity-and-cats-my-thoughts-on-captain-marvel/
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Not as bad as I was expecting
I have to admit, when I first saw the trailer for Shazam!, I felt pretty underwhelmed. It didn’t seem like the kind of film I’d enjoy. I often get tired of cringey, over the top humour, which is basically what the trailer was packed full of. Having said all of this, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the film after agreeing to go to a Limitless screening. I actually don’t think the trailer did it justice, if I’m perfectly honest.
The plot of Shazam! is completely bonkers, but let’s face it, what did you expect from a superhero film? Most origin stories are implausible, but that’s the beauty of the genre for me. The film follows 14-year-old Billy Batson, after he is gifted superpowers by a wizard and is able to transform into the adult ‘Shazam’ simply by shouting his name. At first, it is a little weird seeing him transform from a kid into an adult and back again, but you do get used to it. I loved the performances by Zachary Levi and Asher Angel throughout, and they did a great job of mirroring each other.
The film’s antagonist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) gets his powers from the seven deadly sins; a group of terrifying, demonic spirits who lead him down a dark path. He’s full of anger, and wants to lash out at the world and the family who berated him his entire life. As far as antagonists go, he’s fairly standard, but fun to watch. He’s nothing revolutionary, but I enjoyed watching him fight Shazam at least. When Sivana is on screen, the film does take a much darker turn, so I would add a viewer discretion for any young children out there. I was even caught out by a pretty effective jump scare at one point.
Annoyingly the pacing is a little off in the third act, and the final fight scene between Sivana and Shazam could’ve easily been trimmed down by 15 minutes or so. I found myself getting a little restless here, which was disappointing given how much fun I had with the rest of the film. Having this sluggish scene follow so many hilarious, genuinely engaging moments was a shame. Don’t let that put you off though, the rest of the film works well. The relationship between Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) is hilarious, and got the most laughs from me. Even when he’s in his adult form, Billy still acts like Billy, so there’s lots of teenage boy bickering throughout as you may expect.
I was also surprised at the emotional themes that run through the film. On the surface, it’s a goofy, laugh out loud superhero film, but it also deals with difficult scenarios. As a foster child, Billy has desperately been searching for his birth mother, and Dr. Sivana has loathed his own family ever since he was a child. Both are struggling with the concept of family, and there are frequent references to this throughout. Billy’s most recent foster family are delightful to watch, and I was impressed by the child actors in the film. They’re definitely the most engaging characters, who would go out of their way to help Billy and their other foster siblings.
Shazam! is not a brilliant film, but it’s also way better than I was expecting. The tone is all over the place, some of the jokes are stupid, and it’s super goofy. But it’s a perfect film to watch for a bit of escapism, if you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re watching. I was surprised at just how much fun I had.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/03/29/not-as-bad-as-i-was-expecting-my-thoughts-on-shazam/
The plot of Shazam! is completely bonkers, but let’s face it, what did you expect from a superhero film? Most origin stories are implausible, but that’s the beauty of the genre for me. The film follows 14-year-old Billy Batson, after he is gifted superpowers by a wizard and is able to transform into the adult ‘Shazam’ simply by shouting his name. At first, it is a little weird seeing him transform from a kid into an adult and back again, but you do get used to it. I loved the performances by Zachary Levi and Asher Angel throughout, and they did a great job of mirroring each other.
The film’s antagonist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) gets his powers from the seven deadly sins; a group of terrifying, demonic spirits who lead him down a dark path. He’s full of anger, and wants to lash out at the world and the family who berated him his entire life. As far as antagonists go, he’s fairly standard, but fun to watch. He’s nothing revolutionary, but I enjoyed watching him fight Shazam at least. When Sivana is on screen, the film does take a much darker turn, so I would add a viewer discretion for any young children out there. I was even caught out by a pretty effective jump scare at one point.
Annoyingly the pacing is a little off in the third act, and the final fight scene between Sivana and Shazam could’ve easily been trimmed down by 15 minutes or so. I found myself getting a little restless here, which was disappointing given how much fun I had with the rest of the film. Having this sluggish scene follow so many hilarious, genuinely engaging moments was a shame. Don’t let that put you off though, the rest of the film works well. The relationship between Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) is hilarious, and got the most laughs from me. Even when he’s in his adult form, Billy still acts like Billy, so there’s lots of teenage boy bickering throughout as you may expect.
I was also surprised at the emotional themes that run through the film. On the surface, it’s a goofy, laugh out loud superhero film, but it also deals with difficult scenarios. As a foster child, Billy has desperately been searching for his birth mother, and Dr. Sivana has loathed his own family ever since he was a child. Both are struggling with the concept of family, and there are frequent references to this throughout. Billy’s most recent foster family are delightful to watch, and I was impressed by the child actors in the film. They’re definitely the most engaging characters, who would go out of their way to help Billy and their other foster siblings.
Shazam! is not a brilliant film, but it’s also way better than I was expecting. The tone is all over the place, some of the jokes are stupid, and it’s super goofy. But it’s a perfect film to watch for a bit of escapism, if you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re watching. I was surprised at just how much fun I had.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/03/29/not-as-bad-as-i-was-expecting-my-thoughts-on-shazam/