Search

Search only in certain items:

Tomb Raider (2018)
Tomb Raider (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure
Alicia Vikander Lights up the Screen
Following up his powerful Norwegian disaster movie THE WAVE with this big budgeted English language debut reboot of the video game to big screen series TOMB RAIDER, director Roar Uthaug delivers a fun, fast-paced new take on the series.

Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander picks up the baton left by our previous Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie and has a blast in what is essentially a female spin on INDIANA JONES and NATIONAL TREASURE.

While the film gets pretty ridiculous as it continues, the eye-catching effects and sharp visual visual style, as well as terrific turns by Dominic West and Walton Goggins as her father and the film's villain respectively keep you invested, even if you'll forget it almost as quickly as you've seen it.
  
W
Witchtown
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had a hard time putting this one down, it grabbed me from page one. The writing style was great, I really enjoyed the originality of the plot, and the pace was perfect, no real slow spots. I would have liked a little more character development, especially with the secondary characters since they are integral to the story. As the heroine, I wish Macie had done more to deal with her problems herself instead of always relying on her friends. Parts of the ending felt a little too convenient, as tho the author was in a rush to tie up loose ends. I'm not sure if there will be anymore books about the witchtown world but I certainly hope so! *Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!*
  
Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail
Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail
Jason Aaron | 2016 | Comics & Graphic Novels
6
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Vol 3 in Marvel's new 'main' Star Wars stories (as opposed to those headlined by a single character), which starts with an James Bond style story set on Coruscant before heading back to the main characters of Han, Luke and Leia, who are off on separate missions - Han and Luke to get supplies for the Rebellion (capital 'R'), while Leia (and Sana) transport a high-value prisoner to the maximum security Rebel Jail of the title.

As this is set between Ep IV and V, we know that nothing major is going to happen to any of the main characters (Luke, Leia, Han), although this does - fianlly - provide a reason why Leia calls Hans a 'Scruffy Nerf-herder' in The Empire Strikes Back

In short: not bad, but not brilliant either.
  
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie Wars
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie Wars
Max Brooks | 2007 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.5 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was a bit dubious about this book,having attempted to read it two or three times a while ago,I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into it or not. However once I had persisted with it and got into the writing style Max Brooks uses, it is s really good and very interesting book. It is so very well written that whilst reading it you do actually feel like you are reading a memoir of a war that actually happened. The only reason I haven't given it ten is because it took me a long time to read it, it isn't a book you can pick up and zoom through in a week, you have to spend a bit more time on it than usual.
  
Triple Frontier (2019)
Triple Frontier (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Crime
Cast (2 more)
Story
Action and adventure
Pace of story (1 more)
Wasn't the strongest of stories that are like this
Good but had it's down sides
The film was adequate to what other films are out there in this general style, I loved the cast and the filming was good. However the film took a while to kick in and i found myself gorming at my phone more so than watching the film. I really enjoyed some of the story and the action scenes were okay, they could have done a lot more with the film, I feel as though it wasnt thought through as much as it could have been, but overall is a good thing to watch casually if you have the time, or even put it on in the background while you're doing something else.
  
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
7.9 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mindblowing Murder Mystery
Any fan of a jolly good, old fashioned murder mystery may enjoy a new spin on the favourite format. Imagine an Agatha Christie style thriller from the point of view of several characters, a narrator who swaps bodies and arrives at different times in their week. He must solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, avoid the evil Footman and play time to his advantage if he is ever allowed to leave Blackheath. This was a complex, and yet highly enjoyable, work of fiction. Within three chapters you will begin to appreciate the work it must’ve taken Turton to create this tense thriller. It’s an exhilarating peek into the minds of other characters and their perspectives, the more their individual stories overlap, the more the narrative flows. Definitely a book for discussion.
  
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror
There is a certain style to a Jim Jarmusch fictional film and it remains to this day. His newest film "The Dead Don't Die" with its own theme song by Sturgill Simpson is no exception. In and of itself, this seems a satire of recent films that exist to sell soundtracks and not movie tickets. The town of Centerville is experiencing an existential crisis. It seems that all the dead are becoming reanimated and slowly attacking the town. The three police officers are overmatched and all the living are running out of time. Imagine seeing your dead grandmother, would you be able to take her down if you were the only line of defense? In the end, The Dead Don't Die becomes an indictment of government inaction and human inefficiency.
  
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust
Philip Pullman | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.5 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
My brother bought me this for Christmas last year, as he knows I loved his dark materials trilogy as a teenager.I have finally got round to reading it, and I have fallen in love with Phillip Pullmans writing style and character development again. I would be surprised if anyone who reads this does not connect with Malcom, what a fantastic character, you cannot help but feel sympathetic towards him.
In some ways it's similar to his old books, but this one is all about the thrill of the chase and it feels a bit more exciting.
My only criticism is that he had added some adult content,probably to appeal to an older audience, but it doesn't feel right reading it in a Pullman book.
Nevertheless I can't wait for the next two instalments.
  
Trance (2013)
Trance (2013)
2013 | Mystery, Documentary
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Danny Boyle is a director who rarely disappoints me even with weaker material his unique visual style makes for entertaining viewing. For me this was one of his better recent efforts and the story here is compelling with twists and turns galore (some plausible and some perhaps not so plausible) as we slowly unravel multiple plot lines connected with hypnosis and a botched art heist. The film is well paced and visually very impressive and kept me suitably hooked. The performances are also strong with James McAvoy and Vincent Cassel being the standouts but if the films plot leaves you scratching your head just a bit too much then there is always an eyebrow raising turn from Rosario Dawson that will certainly leave you with fond memories of the film.
  
Traffic (2001)
Traffic (2001)
2001 | Drama
A complex and ambitious movie documenting several interconnected stories about the drug trade. Steven Soderbergh’s style is almost documentary like (plenty of shaky cam) and I liked his use of blue and yellow filters illustrating the different stories . Personally I found the film a bit overlong and some of the cartel storyline a bit draggy and convoluted. The film is more successful when showing the human side of drug addiction and I particularly enjoyed the storyline documenting the daughter of a senior politician tasked with tackling drug trafficking descending into addiction. Michael Douglas performance here was excellent and quite moving and definitely the standout amongst the ensemble cast. So a very impressive movie for its scope and scale, not all of it works but what does works very well.