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Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Sep 14, 2017
Micheal Keaton + Humor (2 more)
Good action
Interesting Story
A Fun and Exciting Movie
When you think of American action movies you think over the top, hardcore action, lots off explosions and lots of blood. When you think of an Assassin movie you think stealthy, silent killing and people working alone.
But in American Assassin you get a crazy mix of both and it almost works. This is a movie about a guy that loses his girl to terrorists and spends his time being a solo assassin trying to single handedly take down terrorist cells. Which makes sense because who doesn't like a good revenge story. But then he gets picked up by the CIA to train him how to be a better killer. I thought maybe they would be teaching him how to be a spy and an assassin and go on missions alone like any other movie. Like Bourne or The Recruit. But this movie takes it a different way. They train as a team and go on missions as a team. Which is fine, I don't have a problem with that, but it really doesn't make it seem like they are training him to be an assassin which the title of the movie suggests.
The action in this movie does keep you on the edge of your set, which is always a good thing. And the time spent when they aren't running or driving around killing people is also good. There is a lot of story to this movie which keeps things interesting all while keeping the twists to a minimum.
I say for an action movie it was good, not great. I walked into the movie looking for people to be assassinated or trained to assassinate people, but walked out a little disappointed. If you like action see it, I don't know if it is theater worthy, but rent it when it comes out.
But in American Assassin you get a crazy mix of both and it almost works. This is a movie about a guy that loses his girl to terrorists and spends his time being a solo assassin trying to single handedly take down terrorist cells. Which makes sense because who doesn't like a good revenge story. But then he gets picked up by the CIA to train him how to be a better killer. I thought maybe they would be teaching him how to be a spy and an assassin and go on missions alone like any other movie. Like Bourne or The Recruit. But this movie takes it a different way. They train as a team and go on missions as a team. Which is fine, I don't have a problem with that, but it really doesn't make it seem like they are training him to be an assassin which the title of the movie suggests.
The action in this movie does keep you on the edge of your set, which is always a good thing. And the time spent when they aren't running or driving around killing people is also good. There is a lot of story to this movie which keeps things interesting all while keeping the twists to a minimum.
I say for an action movie it was good, not great. I walked into the movie looking for people to be assassinated or trained to assassinate people, but walked out a little disappointed. If you like action see it, I don't know if it is theater worthy, but rent it when it comes out.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Suspiria (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Does it cut it?
#suspiria #suspiria2018 is a #disturbing, uneasy & cold remake of the 1977 #cultclassic which instead of being a straight up copy refreshingly tells its own spellbinding tale of female identity both visually & metaphorically. #suspiria the #darioargento #original holds a special place in my heart not only is it intoxicating, visually magnificent & nerve shreddingly atmospheric its also clearly the main inspiration for my favourite movie of all time the #neondemon as well as proving #horror films can indeed be #artistic too. So here we have the #remake & i must say what a cracking piece of cinema it is too. Where as the original is visually striking the remake goes for a more cold, drab less saturated look but make no mistake about it its still all #gorgeous to take in & this new palette works in the films favour creating yet again such an unnerving sense of threat, dread & unknowingness lurking in every scene. Sound design is incredible too with dialog volume constantly ramped up & layered over silent scenes which lingers in your ears inducing spine tingling chills every time. Metaphor riddled the movie feels like one big jigsaw requiring multiple views to really delve into all of its subject matter. Running themes of the relationship between a #mother & her daughter are strong here & how a mother can influence, have a hold on, controller & manipulate her child for good or bad are unnerving & unsettling realistic portrayed. While objectification, favoritism, sexuality, desire & #feminisum also play a big parts here Suspiria isnt afraid to show the deceitful, manipulative, cold, calculating, unforgiving, sexually manipulative & selfish traits women/humans can portray too. A fantastic movie with exceptional performance from #dakotajohnson thats surly destined to become a #cult classic of its own some day. Suspiria is brutal, #wicked & #sinister & had me gripped, shocked & engaged the entire run time. A great achievement & proof remakes can be done well. #odeon #odeonlimitless #scary #creepy #empowerment #fiftyshadesofgrey #sex #dancing #italian #tildaswinton #german #callmebyyourname #friyay
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Jason
#themeg all be it a highly forgettable film manages to be an extreamly enjoyable #shark romp that ends just before it begins to out stay its welcome. Sitting somewhere between #Theshallows & #deepbluesea #meg is an an American-Chinese co-production & it shows. There's an incredible amount of #chinese cast members here witch is very refreshing to see in a big #American #blockbuster & they all do a fantastic job at acting too. China locations are also #beautiful to look at & there's a fantastic sense of depth to the #ocean visuals making for some gorgeously tense silent under #water scenes. Cgi is alright for the most part & does a good job with its highly detailed shark models. Surprisingly #jasonstatham is the star of the show here & when he wasnt on screen I was longing for more time with him rather than the shark itself. Not only is he extremely #charming & charismatic he's absolutely hilarious, clearly realising what type of movie he signed up for & just having a ton of fun. Its a very silly film which plays to its advantage but the problems come when it tries to get to serious, it just kills the flow & makes the film #grind to a halt at times. Over all the message was alright too with its themes of how the human ego leads us to being so #cocky & sure of ourselves that we believe we are superior & invulnerable only to be shot down or knocked off guard by something more primitive. Major influences from old #japanese #monster #movies are a nice touch & characters are all very likable but they seem to have no cares for each other at all which all though odd actually does work in the films favour. A bit repetitive after a while with an abrupt anticlimactic ending Meg is well worth a watch & a ton of #silly forgettable #fun. Way less violent than I expected too. #odeon #odeonlimitless #friyay #gore #horror #scary #themegmovie #review #filmbuff #sharknado
Sawyer (231 KP) rated Pokemon Colosseum in Video Games
Jun 1, 2019
A wild offbeat detour in the Pokemon world
Pokemon Colosseum is one of those rare occasions where a establish franchise decides to really experiment and the end result well not quite Frankenstein it's definitely not the Mona Lisa either
The game centers around West a strong silent rebellious youth it was formerly a member of the games antagonist organization which is a big departure from the main characters you usually play in the Pokemon games
The first missed opportunity is that this never speaks which makes it really hard to connect with the character
One of the key features of the game is the ability to steal certain Pokemon from trainers this is a unique way to acquire Pokemon also very against the usual moral compass of the characters you play in the Pokemon series the game
doesn't have wild encounters which means you only have certain Pokemon you can get and that's it I believe there's like 40 something all together which is a insanely low amount when considering how many Pokemon the franchise had at this point
The game also was mostly comprised of 2 on 2 Pokemon battles something you really never see have such a focus it is a fresh idea and it does make for some interesting enemy encounters the animations are quite slow also the fact that you want to fight are inherently slower than normal it's quite easy to fall asleep at the controller
Don't get me wrong though I do really enjoy this game such a breath of fresh air for this franchise
So many interesting ideas I even loved the world I know it's part of the same world as the rest of the games but this region just feels so vastly different it has a very barren wasteland mad Max type of style to it
If you are a big Pokemon fan you should try this game for sure
The game centers around West a strong silent rebellious youth it was formerly a member of the games antagonist organization which is a big departure from the main characters you usually play in the Pokemon games
The first missed opportunity is that this never speaks which makes it really hard to connect with the character
One of the key features of the game is the ability to steal certain Pokemon from trainers this is a unique way to acquire Pokemon also very against the usual moral compass of the characters you play in the Pokemon series the game
doesn't have wild encounters which means you only have certain Pokemon you can get and that's it I believe there's like 40 something all together which is a insanely low amount when considering how many Pokemon the franchise had at this point
The game also was mostly comprised of 2 on 2 Pokemon battles something you really never see have such a focus it is a fresh idea and it does make for some interesting enemy encounters the animations are quite slow also the fact that you want to fight are inherently slower than normal it's quite easy to fall asleep at the controller
Don't get me wrong though I do really enjoy this game such a breath of fresh air for this franchise
So many interesting ideas I even loved the world I know it's part of the same world as the rest of the games but this region just feels so vastly different it has a very barren wasteland mad Max type of style to it
If you are a big Pokemon fan you should try this game for sure
Lee (2222 KP) rated They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) in Movies
Nov 12, 2018
Absolutely outstanding and timely reminder of our past
I managed to miss the cinema screenings of this recently, so was very happy to discover that it was going to be shown on the BBC as part of their centenary remembrance schedule and I'd be able to enjoy it at home.
A collection of old archive footage from World War I shows young boys enlisting in the army and going through their training. It's narrated by actual WWI veterans, describing how they lied about their age in order to sign up and recounting their fears and excitement while preparing for battle. Even at this point in the movie, it's an effective and interesting use of the tired looking silent black and white clips we're all used to seeing.
And then we suddenly see where all the time and effort has been spent on this movie, as one of those tired looking clips suddenly transforms into vivid colour. And it's not just the colour that's been applied either. Where these original film clips would vary in frame rate, resulting in that familiar jittery sped up effect, that's all been corrected here, with computers used to apply missing frames and provide a smoother realistic experience. Sound has been added too, not just the explosions and sounds of war, but voices of the soldiers. The team were able to lip read the restored footage and then record actors voices onto it. Apparently, the cinema release even has a touch of 3D applied to it!
The result though is simply incredible. We're taken into the trenches and into the war itself. Not only does it make the horrors of war all the more real and horrific, but it also makes the fun and the laughter that the soldiers still managed to share all the more poignant too. It's absolutely outstanding, and something that everyone should see.
A collection of old archive footage from World War I shows young boys enlisting in the army and going through their training. It's narrated by actual WWI veterans, describing how they lied about their age in order to sign up and recounting their fears and excitement while preparing for battle. Even at this point in the movie, it's an effective and interesting use of the tired looking silent black and white clips we're all used to seeing.
And then we suddenly see where all the time and effort has been spent on this movie, as one of those tired looking clips suddenly transforms into vivid colour. And it's not just the colour that's been applied either. Where these original film clips would vary in frame rate, resulting in that familiar jittery sped up effect, that's all been corrected here, with computers used to apply missing frames and provide a smoother realistic experience. Sound has been added too, not just the explosions and sounds of war, but voices of the soldiers. The team were able to lip read the restored footage and then record actors voices onto it. Apparently, the cinema release even has a touch of 3D applied to it!
The result though is simply incredible. We're taken into the trenches and into the war itself. Not only does it make the horrors of war all the more real and horrific, but it also makes the fun and the laughter that the soldiers still managed to share all the more poignant too. It's absolutely outstanding, and something that everyone should see.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Batman: Arkham Asylum in Video Games
Nov 4, 2019 (Updated Nov 4, 2019)
Welcome to the Madness
Arkham Asylum- is one, if not the best batman video game or all time. It is a excellent game, that gamers shouls play. If you want to feel the experience of being batman, this game does that.
Lets talk about it:
In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in combat and exploration.
Rocksteady began developing ideas for a sequel months before Arkham Asylum's completion, hiding hints to the sequel within the game.
The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.
The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's bleak history.
The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor.
I love this game, i can go on and on about how i love this game.
If you havent played it yet, i would reccordmend playing it.
Lets talk about it:
In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in combat and exploration.
Rocksteady began developing ideas for a sequel months before Arkham Asylum's completion, hiding hints to the sequel within the game.
The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.
The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's bleak history.
The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor.
I love this game, i can go on and on about how i love this game.
If you havent played it yet, i would reccordmend playing it.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Shadow of the Fox (Shadow of the Fox, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa brings Japanese mythology and folklore to life, taking readers on an exciting journey through feudal Japan, Kagawa weaves together three characters from different backgrounds all while introducing readers to a wide variety of demons the characters come across. The novel follows these characters as a new age approaches and the Kami Dragon is summoned, granting a wish to the one who holds the pieces of the Dragon Scroll.
Shadow of the Fox is primarily told in the two perspectives of Yumeko and Tatsumi, with the occasional addition of a third. Yumeko is a half-kitsune, half-human raised at the Silent Winds temple to hide her true kitsune nature, though she is forced to flee after everyone is slaughtered by a demon who wants to retrieve a part of the scroll. Readers interested in seeing kitsune magic coming to life on the page may find themselves disappointed as Yumeko shows little of her magic and hides her true nature from her companions.
One of those companions includes Tatsumi, a samurai from the Shadow Clan ordered to bring the Dragon Scroll regardless of the cost. Raised as a weapon, Tatsumi is taught from a young age to hide all of his emotions and thoughts from those around him as doing so would pose a danger. Not able to accomplish his mission right away, he finds himself in an unlikely alliance with Yumeko and begins to question his upbringing.
The first novel in a stunning new series, Shadow of the Fox is a magical adventure with an ominous feel throughout and will have readers wanting the sequel to the story.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-shadow-of-the-fox/">This review was originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>.
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa brings Japanese mythology and folklore to life, taking readers on an exciting journey through feudal Japan, Kagawa weaves together three characters from different backgrounds all while introducing readers to a wide variety of demons the characters come across. The novel follows these characters as a new age approaches and the Kami Dragon is summoned, granting a wish to the one who holds the pieces of the Dragon Scroll.
Shadow of the Fox is primarily told in the two perspectives of Yumeko and Tatsumi, with the occasional addition of a third. Yumeko is a half-kitsune, half-human raised at the Silent Winds temple to hide her true kitsune nature, though she is forced to flee after everyone is slaughtered by a demon who wants to retrieve a part of the scroll. Readers interested in seeing kitsune magic coming to life on the page may find themselves disappointed as Yumeko shows little of her magic and hides her true nature from her companions.
One of those companions includes Tatsumi, a samurai from the Shadow Clan ordered to bring the Dragon Scroll regardless of the cost. Raised as a weapon, Tatsumi is taught from a young age to hide all of his emotions and thoughts from those around him as doing so would pose a danger. Not able to accomplish his mission right away, he finds himself in an unlikely alliance with Yumeko and begins to question his upbringing.
The first novel in a stunning new series, Shadow of the Fox is a magical adventure with an ominous feel throughout and will have readers wanting the sequel to the story.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-shadow-of-the-fox/">This review was originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Sicario (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Those expecting Sicario to be a high action film will be disappointed. Instead what they will find is a slow burn suspenseful drama with fantastic acting and a more realistic take on the drug war than Hollywood traditionally likes to show us.
Emily Blunt delivers another strong acting performance as a “girl scout” FBI agent who raids drug houses in Arizona. She is somewhat of a “Bad Ass” among her crew, as her life has become dedicated to the job and she believes in the cause. So when Josh Brolin comes in as the head of a “spook” CIA taskforce and recruits blunt to make some “noise” and go after the head of Mexican drug cartel, she jumps at the chance to stop the men responsible for the drug houses and make a real difference. The only problem is that as the low man on the taskforce, she is not told much which frustrates her when things start to not appear by the book.
To make things worse, Benicio Del Toro is a suspicious part of Brolin’s taskforce who doesn’t seem to fit into the puzzle. It is through Del Toro that we learn the truth about the operation and the real meaning of the word Sicario. Del Toro’s performance burns with silent chaos as you just know he is the “coolest guy” in the room, both in style and nerves. He is someone who is not to be trifled with as an ally or an enemy but still maintains a sincerity towards Blunt and her idealism. This is one of his best performances in years.
Ultimately Sicario is a slow paced suspenseful action film that feels real. Even though the pacing is slow, at no point did the film drag as you are constantly wondering what is really going on just like the strong and refreshing female lead in an action film like this.
Emily Blunt delivers another strong acting performance as a “girl scout” FBI agent who raids drug houses in Arizona. She is somewhat of a “Bad Ass” among her crew, as her life has become dedicated to the job and she believes in the cause. So when Josh Brolin comes in as the head of a “spook” CIA taskforce and recruits blunt to make some “noise” and go after the head of Mexican drug cartel, she jumps at the chance to stop the men responsible for the drug houses and make a real difference. The only problem is that as the low man on the taskforce, she is not told much which frustrates her when things start to not appear by the book.
To make things worse, Benicio Del Toro is a suspicious part of Brolin’s taskforce who doesn’t seem to fit into the puzzle. It is through Del Toro that we learn the truth about the operation and the real meaning of the word Sicario. Del Toro’s performance burns with silent chaos as you just know he is the “coolest guy” in the room, both in style and nerves. He is someone who is not to be trifled with as an ally or an enemy but still maintains a sincerity towards Blunt and her idealism. This is one of his best performances in years.
Ultimately Sicario is a slow paced suspenseful action film that feels real. Even though the pacing is slow, at no point did the film drag as you are constantly wondering what is really going on just like the strong and refreshing female lead in an action film like this.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Dom Hemingway (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Dom Hemingway’ is a dark comedy-crime drama movie written and directed by Richard
Shepard (better known for directing the pilot episode of Ugly Betty) and stars
Jude Law, Emilia Clarke, Richard E. Grant, and Demian Bichir.
Dom (Jude Law) is a foul-mouthed, short-tempered, and reckless master safe cracker who
is returning to the streets after 12 years in prison. Intent on collecting his reward for
keeping silent while in prison and fueled by massive amounts of alcohol, drugs, and his
massive ego, Dom and his best friend/partner in crime Dickie (Richard E. Grant) travel
though the British and French country sides to rendevous with Dom’s former employeer
Mr. Fontaine. Shortly thereafter though, Don arrives at the conclusion that no amount
of money can replace what hes’ lost and that his one and only priority is to
seek out his long-lost daughter Evelyn (Emilia Clarke).
Now, this movie is definitely a departure from Jude Law’s previous movies. Imagine him
if he were to gain 29 lbs., dress like an evil ‘Fonz’, and then join ‘Motorhead’.
THAT .. is the Jude Law you get to see in this movie. It’s dark, but fun at the same time.
Most definitely NOT something kids should see. It’s full-speed ahead with sex, drugs,
and rock & roll. When the movie does put on the brakes, it slams on the brakes hard!
Watching the character try to acclimate to the world after 12 years in prison and make
peace with his daughter and her family … it’s like watching a champion’s league
soccer match. One minute one team has it, the next minute the other team has it….
You honestly don’t know what’s going to happen next. Me? Personally? I got a kick out of
this one. My only beef is the way the movie ended … if I told you why though, i’d
be spoiling the movie. For that reason, I give the film 3 out of 5 stars.
Again, a great movie … Dark … but also funny. But the ending? It came just too soon.
Shepard (better known for directing the pilot episode of Ugly Betty) and stars
Jude Law, Emilia Clarke, Richard E. Grant, and Demian Bichir.
Dom (Jude Law) is a foul-mouthed, short-tempered, and reckless master safe cracker who
is returning to the streets after 12 years in prison. Intent on collecting his reward for
keeping silent while in prison and fueled by massive amounts of alcohol, drugs, and his
massive ego, Dom and his best friend/partner in crime Dickie (Richard E. Grant) travel
though the British and French country sides to rendevous with Dom’s former employeer
Mr. Fontaine. Shortly thereafter though, Don arrives at the conclusion that no amount
of money can replace what hes’ lost and that his one and only priority is to
seek out his long-lost daughter Evelyn (Emilia Clarke).
Now, this movie is definitely a departure from Jude Law’s previous movies. Imagine him
if he were to gain 29 lbs., dress like an evil ‘Fonz’, and then join ‘Motorhead’.
THAT .. is the Jude Law you get to see in this movie. It’s dark, but fun at the same time.
Most definitely NOT something kids should see. It’s full-speed ahead with sex, drugs,
and rock & roll. When the movie does put on the brakes, it slams on the brakes hard!
Watching the character try to acclimate to the world after 12 years in prison and make
peace with his daughter and her family … it’s like watching a champion’s league
soccer match. One minute one team has it, the next minute the other team has it….
You honestly don’t know what’s going to happen next. Me? Personally? I got a kick out of
this one. My only beef is the way the movie ended … if I told you why though, i’d
be spoiling the movie. For that reason, I give the film 3 out of 5 stars.
Again, a great movie … Dark … but also funny. But the ending? It came just too soon.
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