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My Spy (2019)
My Spy (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Family
Eleven months after first being slated for release we finally got My Spy in the cinema. With its predecessors like Playing With Fire, The Pacifier and The Game Plan leaving a very mixed tough guy/kid's movie playing field I wasn't expecting great things.

JJ has stepped over the line one too many times and now he's relegated to surveillance with Bobbi, the agency tech wizard. Their mission is to stay put and watch the wife and child of a man who was connected to the case.

When they get to their stakeout position the last thing they expect is to be made by the very person they're watching. Sophie may only be 9 but she's no fool and she's about to use her new found leverage to her benefit.

I absolutely loved this, it was looking a little rough at the start but I genuinely enjoyed myself once it hit its stride.

But it was a 12A? Honestly astounded to see that pop up at the beginning, I would have assumed it would be a PG, but that extra allowance gave the film a bit more colour.

This comedy felt perfect for Dave Bautista, I don't think I've seen him in a role that really felt suited to him, I like his humour but even the lovable Drax was always a bit off. Everest in Hotel Artemis was probably the best until I saw this. I love that he got a chance to do a mix of drama and comedy all in one film.

His pairing with Kristen Schaal as Bobbi was such fun. Their completely different approaches coupled with her to-the-point attitude make for a great team. Bobbi's adoration and desire to do more fieldwork is played off incredibly well.

I'm not usually a fan of child actors, it can seem forced and unnatural, but Chloe Coleman as Sophie is savage and I love it. Her standing up to JJ and her vulnerable side comes over so well, I genuinely enjoyed her acting and her comic timing, I can't wait to see her in more things.

The only actor I would query is Ken Jeong, he's funny and I find him generally amusing in most things he does but in this A) he wasn't entirely believable in the role and B) his humour was a step apart from the rest of the script, his parts in particular weren't in scenes designed for humour. It was the only part of the film that made me pause as I watched it, but it wasn't a massively negative impact on the whole.

We get some great settings and amazing action style sequences, the ones with both Bautista and Coleman had some real heart and humour. The whole storyline where he teaches her how to spy is amusing and well done.

I really did enjoy My Spy, that 12A totally helped it from being like those before it, the script could be aimed more at adults and the humour could cover both adult and children's amusement, it's a great stress-free film and I would absolutely watch it again.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-spy-movie-review.html
  
Exile
Exile
Sophie Breeze | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The style of this book is rather unique to me as it doesn't seem to hold to any one genre (0 more)
The only thing that I really did not like was the surprise factor of learning this is the first in a series. (0 more)
Surprise its the first book in a series.
Exile by Sophie Breeze is a great book. It is the first book in a series of unknown length as the second has yet to be released. The cover however says nothing about it being part of a series. Please keep in mind as well that Sophie was only nine years old when she started writing Exile, no small feat.

 A group of five kids live on the planet Mellania but are not accepted there. Mellania only accepts those without human DNA and unfortunately these kids are all half human. The kids live with Lucia, a demon whom they believe to be their friend until she takes them to Earth. Upon arrival they are almost immediately attacked and discover Lucia’s true intentions. Now on the run from an evil demon on a planet they are unfamiliar with the kids don’t know who to trust and the stress creates a rift in the group.

 Two of the kids go one way and the other three go another, wondering if they will ever see each other again. Soon it is clear that even apart they are not safe as both groups are attacked and tracked down by the SSC. Sadly even once they are with the SSC the kids don’t know who to trust and secrets start revealing themselves. Will they ever be able to feel safe again? Who is really their friends and who is just trying to use them for their own benefit?

 The style of this book is rather unique to me as it doesn't seem to hold to any one genre. It starts out as a science fiction heavy in politics and with an assassination. Then as the story moves on it seems to take a more fantasy element with question. While the politics remain through out they do not overpower the rest of the story. The only thing that I really did not like was the surprise factor of learning this is the first in a series. I found myself becoming increasingly confused as I came towards the end and things were no where close to a conclusion.

 This book is probably best for young adults with an interest isn’t science fiction/fantasy. They dynamics of the relationships between the hybrids themselves might be a little difficult for young readers to understand. Those who have enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series should enjoy this book as well since they share many elements. I rate this book 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5. I enjoyed this book very much and the twists actually surprised me. The only twist I did not like was how the book turned out to be the beginning of a series. While I have nothing against series I plan when I start a new one carefully and I imagine so do may others, because of this the book lost a point.
  
Red Joan (2018)
Red Joan (2018)
2018 | Drama, Thriller
Forgettable
This is not the type of film that I'd willingly choose to watch. It didnt sound or look particularly appealing, however due to the requirement of social distancing my boyfriend and I are taking it in turns to pick films each evening to watch "together" (in our separate houses). This was his choice, and sadly it wasnt a very good one.

The main issue with this film is that is fairly predictable romance nonsense, and there really isnt enough Judi Dench. Nothing against Sophie Cookson, but to have Judi Dench in this film and barely use her is almost a travesty. It also seems to concentrate mostly on the romantic aspect of Joan's life, which gets rather frustrating as you watch a rather intelligent young woman turn into a naive lovelorn idiot the moment she gets involved with a vaguely handsome man. The concentration on the romance side for me made it feel like the rest of the film, and indeed the more important war related concerns, were pushed to one side and I felt like there was a lot of plot lines in this that weren't satisfactorily explained. I did also wonder why, if this film was inspired by a true story, that the central character wasnt named after the real person? Aside from the "Red Joan" makes for a catchier title.

Overall this isnt bad enough to switch off without making it to the end, but ultimately it winds up rather unsatisfying and entirely forgettable.