Search
Search results
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Chakra Wisdom Oracle: How to Read the Cards for Yourself and Others in Books
Jun 5, 2019
It’s quite possibly a little known fact that I used to review a lot more new age, self-help books and products in the past, hence the name ‘alternative’ in my website address. So when I saw this available for review it reminded me of those days, and I jumped at the chance of reviewing this – “How to Read the Cards for Yourself and Others (Chakra Wisdom Oracle) Tori Hartman“. Tori is a professional intuitive following a near-death experience some twenty years ago.
Unfortunately, this whole book is built around a set of Tarot style 49 mystical fable cards, revealed to Tori, which do not come with this book. It also focuses on The Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit, which I also do not own. But there is an iPhone app! You can also go online and try them out there for free (an online shuffler).
I really must get these cards… they look gorgeous and after reading all about them I am definitely curious. I also quite like the idea of the toolkit too. Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit: A 52-week journey of self-discovery with the lost fables.
The book itself explains what the cards mean and how to interpret them. You learn about the Great Servant and the 17 Great Spirits of the Council, which all relate to chakra coloured cards, with different aspects and teachings on. It’s written in a concise and well laid out format. There are also some handy quick reference tables to help simplify the teachings, plus reading techniques and meditative journaling are also covered.
With 320 pages, it is quite full on, which in my eyes is a good thing. It doesn’t skimp on detail. Plus, if you visit Tori’s website there are now courses you can take up to train you how to use these cards even further, and more in depth.
I can recommend this book to anyone who is already a fan of spiritual guides and tarot cards, or if this is something that just appeals to you, (there’s a reason for that) just try it out and see. If you’re dedicated enough you can learn so much more by repeated use to better your understanding of what these cards are telling you and how to read them fully.
Unfortunately, this whole book is built around a set of Tarot style 49 mystical fable cards, revealed to Tori, which do not come with this book. It also focuses on The Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit, which I also do not own. But there is an iPhone app! You can also go online and try them out there for free (an online shuffler).
I really must get these cards… they look gorgeous and after reading all about them I am definitely curious. I also quite like the idea of the toolkit too. Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit: A 52-week journey of self-discovery with the lost fables.
The book itself explains what the cards mean and how to interpret them. You learn about the Great Servant and the 17 Great Spirits of the Council, which all relate to chakra coloured cards, with different aspects and teachings on. It’s written in a concise and well laid out format. There are also some handy quick reference tables to help simplify the teachings, plus reading techniques and meditative journaling are also covered.
With 320 pages, it is quite full on, which in my eyes is a good thing. It doesn’t skimp on detail. Plus, if you visit Tori’s website there are now courses you can take up to train you how to use these cards even further, and more in depth.
I can recommend this book to anyone who is already a fan of spiritual guides and tarot cards, or if this is something that just appeals to you, (there’s a reason for that) just try it out and see. If you’re dedicated enough you can learn so much more by repeated use to better your understanding of what these cards are telling you and how to read them fully.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Seasons by American Authors in Music
Jun 17, 2019
American Authors is a four-piece alternative outfit based in Brooklyn, New York. Not too long ago, they released a heartfelt music video for their “Before I Go” single.
“I hope I find peace of mind in all of my woes. I hope the rain, it brings a light To my broken soul. And I hope I lose myself in the city but find my home. I hope I live my life before I go.” – lyrics
‘Before I Go’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who doesn’t know where his life is going.
Apparently, he’s afraid of what’s to come, and even though he keeps on keeping on, he wonders if he has done all that he can.
Later, he admits that he wants to live life to the fullest before he goes to the Great Beyond.
‘Before I Go’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and cinematic instrumentation flavored with sentimental elements.
Also, the stunning audiovisual was filmed last October during Matt Sanchez’s wedding.
“The biggest thing is the change American Authors went through to get here. We had to go through all of these experiences and moments of experimentation to reach this body of work, which is the most genuine and pure thing we’ve ever done. It encompasses every season of our music: the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. We let go of where we started, fell into the place of writing from the heart, and captured what came out naturally.” – Zac Barnett
American Authors consists of Zac Barnett (vocals), James Adam Shelley (guitar, banjo), Dave Rublin (bass), and Matt Sanchez (drums).
So far, they have impressively generated over 1 billion global streams on a string of alternately striking and soaring smashes.
Their ‘Before I Go’ single is featured on their latest album, entitled, “Seasons”, which has amassed close to 30M streams online via Spotify.
“I want people to see a different side of American Authors. I hope they realize there’s a message of hope. But it’s transmitted in a new and more exciting way for our band. Growing up, listening to my favorite artists helped me through so many hard times. It was the best therapy. I’ve seen fans take that away from our music in the past, and I hope they continue to do so. That’s the ultimate goal for us.” – Zac Barnett
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/american-authors-before-i-go/
“I hope I find peace of mind in all of my woes. I hope the rain, it brings a light To my broken soul. And I hope I lose myself in the city but find my home. I hope I live my life before I go.” – lyrics
‘Before I Go’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who doesn’t know where his life is going.
Apparently, he’s afraid of what’s to come, and even though he keeps on keeping on, he wonders if he has done all that he can.
Later, he admits that he wants to live life to the fullest before he goes to the Great Beyond.
‘Before I Go’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and cinematic instrumentation flavored with sentimental elements.
Also, the stunning audiovisual was filmed last October during Matt Sanchez’s wedding.
“The biggest thing is the change American Authors went through to get here. We had to go through all of these experiences and moments of experimentation to reach this body of work, which is the most genuine and pure thing we’ve ever done. It encompasses every season of our music: the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. We let go of where we started, fell into the place of writing from the heart, and captured what came out naturally.” – Zac Barnett
American Authors consists of Zac Barnett (vocals), James Adam Shelley (guitar, banjo), Dave Rublin (bass), and Matt Sanchez (drums).
So far, they have impressively generated over 1 billion global streams on a string of alternately striking and soaring smashes.
Their ‘Before I Go’ single is featured on their latest album, entitled, “Seasons”, which has amassed close to 30M streams online via Spotify.
“I want people to see a different side of American Authors. I hope they realize there’s a message of hope. But it’s transmitted in a new and more exciting way for our band. Growing up, listening to my favorite artists helped me through so many hard times. It was the best therapy. I’ve seen fans take that away from our music in the past, and I hope they continue to do so. That’s the ultimate goal for us.” – Zac Barnett
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/american-authors-before-i-go/
Darren (1599 KP) rated 1941 (1979) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 1941 starts in the aftermath of Pearl Harbour, The Japanese are searching for Hollywood for their latest attack, while the army are planning to create a defence on the Californian coastline, Sgt Frank Tree (Aykroyd) leads his men in preparations while pilot Captain Wild Bill Kelso (Belushi) travels the country to support his troops.
The preparations bring us comical happenings which lead to what is going on between the Americans and the impending Japanese.
Thoughts on 1941
Characters – We have so many characters in this film it is hard to pick out the main ones, we will though, Sgt Frank Tree tries to keep peace between his soldiers and not letting them fight with the locals. Ward Douglas is the man that sees it has an honour to host the army for prime location for defence. Captain Wild Bill Kelso is a pilot that enjoys a drink, he heads across country to join the battle. Where we have too many characters it is hard to see which one we are meant to be follow the most.
Performances – The performances are affected by the mass cast because no one gets to show their best skills, we have the comical actors that want to joke, only for them to miss, then the serious actors not hitting their moments either.
Story – The story follows the Americans as they plan for a potential next attack on America from the Japanese in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbour attack. The problem I see with this story, it showing us how we make light of a devastating moment in history with the Pearl Harbour attack and shows how America did panic but didn’t seem to take the events serious, well that is what the film gives us.
Action/Comedy/War – The action plays into the comedy which gets basic laughs but most of the laughs seem to have dated badly and even just give us toilet humour, all with the backdrop of World War II.
Settings – The film puts us in LA for the events of the film which shows how Hollywoodland would react to the impending war.
Scene of the Movie – Plane sex.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too many characters.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the biggest misses of Spielberg’s career, it has too many characters and doesn’t manage to balance out the comedy and action well enough.
Overall: Disappointing throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/12/05/1941-1979/
The preparations bring us comical happenings which lead to what is going on between the Americans and the impending Japanese.
Thoughts on 1941
Characters – We have so many characters in this film it is hard to pick out the main ones, we will though, Sgt Frank Tree tries to keep peace between his soldiers and not letting them fight with the locals. Ward Douglas is the man that sees it has an honour to host the army for prime location for defence. Captain Wild Bill Kelso is a pilot that enjoys a drink, he heads across country to join the battle. Where we have too many characters it is hard to see which one we are meant to be follow the most.
Performances – The performances are affected by the mass cast because no one gets to show their best skills, we have the comical actors that want to joke, only for them to miss, then the serious actors not hitting their moments either.
Story – The story follows the Americans as they plan for a potential next attack on America from the Japanese in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbour attack. The problem I see with this story, it showing us how we make light of a devastating moment in history with the Pearl Harbour attack and shows how America did panic but didn’t seem to take the events serious, well that is what the film gives us.
Action/Comedy/War – The action plays into the comedy which gets basic laughs but most of the laughs seem to have dated badly and even just give us toilet humour, all with the backdrop of World War II.
Settings – The film puts us in LA for the events of the film which shows how Hollywoodland would react to the impending war.
Scene of the Movie – Plane sex.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too many characters.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the biggest misses of Spielberg’s career, it has too many characters and doesn’t manage to balance out the comedy and action well enough.
Overall: Disappointing throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/12/05/1941-1979/
Midge (525 KP) rated Wedding Wipeout in Books
Dec 10, 2018
A Brilliant and Witty Mystery!
I really enjoyed Wedding Wipeout far more than I was expecting to. The story-line is brilliant and the mystery is so good that you want to keep on reading.
Rabbi Kappelmacher is planning to retire and is training his assistant, Rabbi Steinmetz, to follow in his footsteps, however, things get interesting when a visitor arrives. Former assistant Rabbi, Marshall Green, is now a lawyer with a case to solve.
One of his firm’s clients has died under suspicious circumstances. An elderly woman, Florence Eisenstein had just married the man she had been dating for the last several months, Alfred Shingle. The morning after her wedding, she is found dead in her bed.
She and her sister, Lorraine, were to be the heirs to their father’s egg cream fortune. Their father’s will, however, stipulated that if either of them married her allowance would cease and the proceeds would immediately pass to the other sister. So why, after so many years of unmarried contentment, did Florence decide to marry and also announce to her family that she had found a way to break the will? A will that, as far as Green was aware, was unbreakable. And why did she say that she was disinheriting her nephew, with whom she was on good terms?
Though Wedding Wipeout appears to be a typical mystery novel and is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christies's Poirot, it's actually quite a refreshing take on the mystery genre. Rabbi Kappelmacher and his sidekick, Rabbi Steinmetz have a very entertaining partnership whilst visiting with suspects and eyewitnesses. I particularly liked the wit and dry humour that was evident throughout the book, although I think that some of the humour and certainly some of the references, may have been lost on me, not being Jewish.
Green believes Florence may have been murdered, even though her own doctor ruled it an accidental death. Using his wit and rabbinic reasoning, Kappelmacher unravels all of the misleading information, red herrings and lies to reveal the truth, whilst Steinmetz tries to keep pace with him.
Wedding Wipeout was a wonderful read. I greatly look forward to reading more books by Jacob M Appel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the author for a copy of Wedding Wipeout, via Members Giveaway.
Rabbi Kappelmacher is planning to retire and is training his assistant, Rabbi Steinmetz, to follow in his footsteps, however, things get interesting when a visitor arrives. Former assistant Rabbi, Marshall Green, is now a lawyer with a case to solve.
One of his firm’s clients has died under suspicious circumstances. An elderly woman, Florence Eisenstein had just married the man she had been dating for the last several months, Alfred Shingle. The morning after her wedding, she is found dead in her bed.
She and her sister, Lorraine, were to be the heirs to their father’s egg cream fortune. Their father’s will, however, stipulated that if either of them married her allowance would cease and the proceeds would immediately pass to the other sister. So why, after so many years of unmarried contentment, did Florence decide to marry and also announce to her family that she had found a way to break the will? A will that, as far as Green was aware, was unbreakable. And why did she say that she was disinheriting her nephew, with whom she was on good terms?
Though Wedding Wipeout appears to be a typical mystery novel and is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christies's Poirot, it's actually quite a refreshing take on the mystery genre. Rabbi Kappelmacher and his sidekick, Rabbi Steinmetz have a very entertaining partnership whilst visiting with suspects and eyewitnesses. I particularly liked the wit and dry humour that was evident throughout the book, although I think that some of the humour and certainly some of the references, may have been lost on me, not being Jewish.
Green believes Florence may have been murdered, even though her own doctor ruled it an accidental death. Using his wit and rabbinic reasoning, Kappelmacher unravels all of the misleading information, red herrings and lies to reveal the truth, whilst Steinmetz tries to keep pace with him.
Wedding Wipeout was a wonderful read. I greatly look forward to reading more books by Jacob M Appel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the author for a copy of Wedding Wipeout, via Members Giveaway.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated On a Summer Tide (Three Sisters Island #1) in Books
Nov 4, 2019
Sometimes love hurtsand sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way. Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. Moving on is Cams mantra. But theres a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving. Cams full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the islanda dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cams surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the localsand one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises. With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.
My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story about how family roles and events mold a person and their life. Welcome to a story that brings a family back together again, where they begin to see each other for who they are and what their abilities or gifting is; how they learn to work together and learn to love one another again. It is also a story about learning to forgive, that people do grow as they live their life; that people do learn from their mistakes. It is a story about being honest with one another.
Suzanne Woods Fisher will does not disappoint in this novel. Once again she has spun a wonderful true to life tale. Living on a small island is quaint. I know, I come from a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay; Smith Island. This novel reminds me so much of where I come from, no police, a small school, etc. and a small population. The author has spun a tale that makes the reader want to come to visit this place and take home some of the distinctiveness it gives the residents and visitors.
Readers will enjoy this new series, I certainly look forward to more from Suzanne Woods Fisher!
My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story about how family roles and events mold a person and their life. Welcome to a story that brings a family back together again, where they begin to see each other for who they are and what their abilities or gifting is; how they learn to work together and learn to love one another again. It is also a story about learning to forgive, that people do grow as they live their life; that people do learn from their mistakes. It is a story about being honest with one another.
Suzanne Woods Fisher will does not disappoint in this novel. Once again she has spun a wonderful true to life tale. Living on a small island is quaint. I know, I come from a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay; Smith Island. This novel reminds me so much of where I come from, no police, a small school, etc. and a small population. The author has spun a tale that makes the reader want to come to visit this place and take home some of the distinctiveness it gives the residents and visitors.
Readers will enjoy this new series, I certainly look forward to more from Suzanne Woods Fisher!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Saw III (2006) in Movies
Oct 8, 2020
The first Saw film is genuinely great. The second I can tolerate. Saw III however is where the franchise started to lose me.
At this point, it's still not as convoluted as the series eventually gets, but it's here where you can clearly see the cracks start to appear, where every entry going forwards tries to ape what made the first film a success, whilst simultaneously becoming increasingly mean spirited - it's the first entry that really hints at the gore and viscera being more important than a decent plot.
The main positive of Saw III is the sheer amount of Tobin Bell we're treated to. Even on his death bed, Jigsaw is still appropriately sinister, and it's hard to see the role belonging to any other actor.
It's also nice to see Dina Meyer back for another turn, but her role here is all too brief.
Unfortunately, everyone else I can take or leave. Shawnee Smith returns as Jigsaws' apprentice, and her character is just so damn unlikable with no redeemable features, and is a far cry from her more compelling teacher, who always had a reason for doing what he did.
Then there's Jeff (Slow Ass Motherfuckin' Jeff to some) played by Angus Macfadyen. Honestly, I struggle to recall a protagonist in a horror movie that is quite as useless as this guy. He's insufferable to the point of sheer frustration.
Everyone else is just hugely forgettable, even Costas Mandylor who would go on to have a bigger role in the series moving forward.
The mixture of these non characters makes for a boring narrative, that ends up relying on gore for any worth.
The various Jigsaw traps seen in these films become more ambitious, theatrical, and disgusting as the franchise waddles along, and that's not necessarily a good thing. With each film, the more minimalist approach to the first film seems further and further out of reach.
As I mentioned, some of the deaths in Saw III are just plain mean spirited. Gore in horror movies really works when the film still manages to be entertaining, something that the bleak Saw III just isn't.
It's still not a terrible film, but honestly, the series just nosedives from here on out in my opinion, and this third entry is the jumping point.
At this point, it's still not as convoluted as the series eventually gets, but it's here where you can clearly see the cracks start to appear, where every entry going forwards tries to ape what made the first film a success, whilst simultaneously becoming increasingly mean spirited - it's the first entry that really hints at the gore and viscera being more important than a decent plot.
The main positive of Saw III is the sheer amount of Tobin Bell we're treated to. Even on his death bed, Jigsaw is still appropriately sinister, and it's hard to see the role belonging to any other actor.
It's also nice to see Dina Meyer back for another turn, but her role here is all too brief.
Unfortunately, everyone else I can take or leave. Shawnee Smith returns as Jigsaws' apprentice, and her character is just so damn unlikable with no redeemable features, and is a far cry from her more compelling teacher, who always had a reason for doing what he did.
Then there's Jeff (Slow Ass Motherfuckin' Jeff to some) played by Angus Macfadyen. Honestly, I struggle to recall a protagonist in a horror movie that is quite as useless as this guy. He's insufferable to the point of sheer frustration.
Everyone else is just hugely forgettable, even Costas Mandylor who would go on to have a bigger role in the series moving forward.
The mixture of these non characters makes for a boring narrative, that ends up relying on gore for any worth.
The various Jigsaw traps seen in these films become more ambitious, theatrical, and disgusting as the franchise waddles along, and that's not necessarily a good thing. With each film, the more minimalist approach to the first film seems further and further out of reach.
As I mentioned, some of the deaths in Saw III are just plain mean spirited. Gore in horror movies really works when the film still manages to be entertaining, something that the bleak Saw III just isn't.
It's still not a terrible film, but honestly, the series just nosedives from here on out in my opinion, and this third entry is the jumping point.
Ross (3284 KP) rated A Little Hatred in Books
Oct 1, 2019
The latest instalment in the world of the First Law is the start of Abercrombie's new series - The Age of Madness. The story take place some 30 years after the events of the First Law trilogy, and we are deep into that world's industrial revolution. Across the Union, tradesmen are being rendered obsolete by technological advancement. Savine dan Glokta, the daughter of the shining, shitty star of the First Law trilogy, has made her fortune by investing in such innovations and mercilessly milking their genius inventors for every mark of profit. Half of the story follows her on a trip to oversee the running of one of her investments, a trip which soon descends into riot, hostage-taking and a general shit-storm.
The rest of the story takes place in the North, where those Northmen are, once more, kicking up a fuss and trying to reclaim their land from the Union. These chapters focus on Rikke, the dogman's daughter, and Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, as they fight against Black Calder and his crew.
Yes, this really is "First Law: The Next Generation". With very few exceptions, the main characters here are all the descendants of characters from the previous trilogy. What I couldn't quite come to terms with was the fact that Caul Shivers and Bremer dan Gorst seemed to have aged significantly less than I might have expected (based purely on my impression of their ages in the earlier books and other characters now).
The battle with the Northmen was pretty much a boiled-down version of the Heroes, and not all that enjoyable. Rikke was a new feature which just about saved this from utter tedium.
There was one exceptional scene revolving around the riot that Savine found herself in. This scene changed from one perspective to another seamlessly, truly like a scene from a film. This long chapter was so engaging and immersive I couldn't leave it unfinished.
Abercrombie's writing and dialogue once again shine through as top of the class.
However, what held the book back for me were the pace of the opening third (so much character introduction and yet so much of it is left to the reader based on the previous books), and the bulk of the chapters in the North. The rest of the book really felt new and exciting and thrilling, those sections really just felt like old hat.
The rest of the story takes place in the North, where those Northmen are, once more, kicking up a fuss and trying to reclaim their land from the Union. These chapters focus on Rikke, the dogman's daughter, and Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, as they fight against Black Calder and his crew.
Yes, this really is "First Law: The Next Generation". With very few exceptions, the main characters here are all the descendants of characters from the previous trilogy. What I couldn't quite come to terms with was the fact that Caul Shivers and Bremer dan Gorst seemed to have aged significantly less than I might have expected (based purely on my impression of their ages in the earlier books and other characters now).
The battle with the Northmen was pretty much a boiled-down version of the Heroes, and not all that enjoyable. Rikke was a new feature which just about saved this from utter tedium.
There was one exceptional scene revolving around the riot that Savine found herself in. This scene changed from one perspective to another seamlessly, truly like a scene from a film. This long chapter was so engaging and immersive I couldn't leave it unfinished.
Abercrombie's writing and dialogue once again shine through as top of the class.
However, what held the book back for me were the pace of the opening third (so much character introduction and yet so much of it is left to the reader based on the previous books), and the bulk of the chapters in the North. The rest of the book really felt new and exciting and thrilling, those sections really just felt like old hat.
Fudget: money management
Finance
App
Join over half a million people who manage their money hassle-free with Fudget. Download now & start...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Bloodshot (2020) in Movies
Jul 27, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Man, I expected this to be absolute gutter trash based on some of the reviews I've seen here and there, but honestly, found this to be a pretty passable dumb comic book origin story.
The cast are mostly good (minus a couple of generic jumped-up-alpha-male-arseholes). Vin Diesel just being Vin Diesel (which I used to hate but these days kind of love-hate), Guy Pearce playing a typically shady villain, Eiza González representing the badass female quota nicely, and Lamorne Morris playing the sometimes amusing comic relief. They all gel well for the most part.
It also doesn't take itself to seriously - I was ready to hate Bloodshot within the first ten minutes due to some really on the nose dumbfuckery to do with Toby Kebbell's character, but later on, the movie references said scene and pokes fun at it, thankfully.
There's one particular great action set piece during the first third of the film (the one that made up a fair amount of the trailer) which earns Bloodshot more points than it otherwise would have, and the semi-Groundhog Day plot keeps the movie interesting for the most part.
However, and it's a big however, although Bloodshot is fairly good for a fair portion of the runtime, it absolutely shits the bed in the final third.
Opting for a big CGI blowout (of course), the big final sequence just looks horrible.
The character models used in the fight sequences reminded me of Neo from The Matrix Reloaded, and that looked bad 17 years ago!
It's a loud, ugly mess that unfortunately de-rails any good that came before.
It also doesn't make a lick of sense, but WHO CARES, EXPLOSIONS AND CGI VIN DIESEL, WOOOOAHHH. It sucks.
I get the feeling that the ending (after the shitty fight scene) was supposed to be deep and left open to interpretation, but it just felt thrown on and confusing, and I also, I didn't really care by this point.
Ultimately, I would like to see Bloodshot get a sequel. This first outing is truly an origin film, and it would be interesting to see how further entries could flesh out the story, and borrow more from the comics.
I just hope this crappy Coronavirus pandemic is taken into account by the suits when looking at the poor box office.
The cast are mostly good (minus a couple of generic jumped-up-alpha-male-arseholes). Vin Diesel just being Vin Diesel (which I used to hate but these days kind of love-hate), Guy Pearce playing a typically shady villain, Eiza González representing the badass female quota nicely, and Lamorne Morris playing the sometimes amusing comic relief. They all gel well for the most part.
It also doesn't take itself to seriously - I was ready to hate Bloodshot within the first ten minutes due to some really on the nose dumbfuckery to do with Toby Kebbell's character, but later on, the movie references said scene and pokes fun at it, thankfully.
There's one particular great action set piece during the first third of the film (the one that made up a fair amount of the trailer) which earns Bloodshot more points than it otherwise would have, and the semi-Groundhog Day plot keeps the movie interesting for the most part.
However, and it's a big however, although Bloodshot is fairly good for a fair portion of the runtime, it absolutely shits the bed in the final third.
Opting for a big CGI blowout (of course), the big final sequence just looks horrible.
The character models used in the fight sequences reminded me of Neo from The Matrix Reloaded, and that looked bad 17 years ago!
It's a loud, ugly mess that unfortunately de-rails any good that came before.
It also doesn't make a lick of sense, but WHO CARES, EXPLOSIONS AND CGI VIN DIESEL, WOOOOAHHH. It sucks.
I get the feeling that the ending (after the shitty fight scene) was supposed to be deep and left open to interpretation, but it just felt thrown on and confusing, and I also, I didn't really care by this point.
Ultimately, I would like to see Bloodshot get a sequel. This first outing is truly an origin film, and it would be interesting to see how further entries could flesh out the story, and borrow more from the comics.
I just hope this crappy Coronavirus pandemic is taken into account by the suits when looking at the poor box office.