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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Jul 18, 2018
A fun, family friendly action comedy
JUMANJI was a fun film from the middle 1990's, starring the late, great ROBIN WILLIAMS. And, when I heard that they were making a sequel to this film 22 years later and starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, I thought "no thanks" and even skipped seeking it out at movie theaters over the winter, even after I heard that it was "pretty fun".
I finally caught up to it on a recent flight and I have to admit - I was wrong for skipping this film JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is a fun romp with The Rock ably filling the lead role, aided by a strong supporting cast.
JUMANJI was about a board came come to life. JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE has the same board game that morphs itself into a video game and when 4 High Schoolers stumble across it while serving detention, well...comedy - and adventure - ensue.
The four high schoolers are typical THE BREAKFAST CLUB stereotypes. The nerdy boy, the hot girl, the jock boy and the dorky girl. When these four are transported into the game they take on the outward appearance - and skills - of their video game characters - the nerdy body becomes the dashing hero (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). The hot girl becomes the dumpy (male!) professor (Jack Black). The jock becomes the un-athletic short kid (Kevin Hart) and the dorky girl becomes the kick-ass girl (Karen Gillan). It is the 4 actors playing their high school counterparts in their bodies that is the core of this film - and the center of the charm and fun of this film. All 4 shine. Johnson and Hart (back together after CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE) show that the chemistry they showed with each other in the previous film is no fluke. Gillan (Nebula in the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films) shows that she can do kick-ass well - and with a wink in her eye. But it is the performance of Black that steals things. Someone said to me that Black was made to play a "hot high school girl" and I would have to agree. He almost steals the movie.
Director Jake Kasdan (the TV series NEW GIRL) understands what kind of film that he is making, so keeps the fun and action going at a superficial, almost cartoon level, never really stopping to breathe (or to think). He keeps things light - and family friendly - with just enough "almost" dirty jokes to keep young and old alike interested. It earns - but never crosses the line - of it's PG-13 rating. There is talk of a sequel, and I, for one, am looking forward to it.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis
I finally caught up to it on a recent flight and I have to admit - I was wrong for skipping this film JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is a fun romp with The Rock ably filling the lead role, aided by a strong supporting cast.
JUMANJI was about a board came come to life. JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE has the same board game that morphs itself into a video game and when 4 High Schoolers stumble across it while serving detention, well...comedy - and adventure - ensue.
The four high schoolers are typical THE BREAKFAST CLUB stereotypes. The nerdy boy, the hot girl, the jock boy and the dorky girl. When these four are transported into the game they take on the outward appearance - and skills - of their video game characters - the nerdy body becomes the dashing hero (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). The hot girl becomes the dumpy (male!) professor (Jack Black). The jock becomes the un-athletic short kid (Kevin Hart) and the dorky girl becomes the kick-ass girl (Karen Gillan). It is the 4 actors playing their high school counterparts in their bodies that is the core of this film - and the center of the charm and fun of this film. All 4 shine. Johnson and Hart (back together after CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE) show that the chemistry they showed with each other in the previous film is no fluke. Gillan (Nebula in the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films) shows that she can do kick-ass well - and with a wink in her eye. But it is the performance of Black that steals things. Someone said to me that Black was made to play a "hot high school girl" and I would have to agree. He almost steals the movie.
Director Jake Kasdan (the TV series NEW GIRL) understands what kind of film that he is making, so keeps the fun and action going at a superficial, almost cartoon level, never really stopping to breathe (or to think). He keeps things light - and family friendly - with just enough "almost" dirty jokes to keep young and old alike interested. It earns - but never crosses the line - of it's PG-13 rating. There is talk of a sequel, and I, for one, am looking forward to it.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Yes, I'm a scared cat and bailed out on the Unlimited Screening of this. Those of you on Twitter know that I prefer my horrors to be brightly lit with ample opportunity to scream at the idiots on the screen who are quite clearly going to get themselves killed. That being said, I did decide to see it after reading some general comments after the screening. I believe the phrase I used was "Suck it up, Emma. You can do this."
Pet Sematary is obviously a remake but as I understand it they've made a fair few tweaks to give viewers something a bit different. The premise is still the same though.
After the Creeds move into their new home they discover that the woods on their property are home to a pet cemetery that has quite a local tradition. When their cat, Church, dies on the road outside their house the neighbour overs to help Louis find a spot to bury him. Jud realises that Ellie will be devastated at the loss and leads Louis out to a remote and unusual spot to bury Church. What he doesn't tell him is that Church won't stay buried for long.
Jason Clarke is getting some great screen time this year what with The Aftermath and Serenity (which I hope to catch sometime soon). I liked how he managed to play the sceptic in this, he's a man of science which has a set of rules but the longer he spends in their new surrounds the more he becomes changed by them. He's also a great contrast with his wife and watching them trying to explain death to their daughter was captured in a very interesting way.
Amy Seimetz as Rachel felt a little underwhelming as a character, the backstory she has is odd on its own but having it pop up sporadically through the film felt confusing. I don't know whether it's the same storyline as was in the book but something a little less bizarre felt like it would have worked better and left you with less unanswered questions.
John Lithgow is always a favourite of mine and this performance was no exception. Sort of like the old man shovelling snow in Home Alone he comes across as scary until you realise he's not so bad after all. I'm intrigued by his character though, Jud should surely be much less friendly and changed because of his experiences with the woods, and yet he's fairly normal. The only thing that I was a little disappointed with was that his backstory was very obvious... and to be honest given all the trouble he's had you'd think he'd be a little more cautious.
Our little leading lady certainly has a flair for the demonic and I actually found her to be a much better offering after her unfortunate incident. From what I understand it's her little brother that dies in the original, but in my head I can't see that working very well. They do try and bring him into the story with a slightly supernatural ability to see the dead but it felt a little forced and perhaps it would have been better to just bypass it completely.
If you read my reviews every so often I'm sure you're aware of my dislike for cameras that move erratically. I was aware that we felt to be constantly on the move and it made for a challenging watch. Pet Sematary also featured my least favourite of all the shots, the overhead pan that sets off my motion sickness. Opening the film with a sweeping shot of the forest nearly had me passed out on the floor, and to my joy we also get a brief reprise of this towards the end.
Apart from the camera work that wasn't to my liking there wasn't a lot that I found out of place with the production itself apart from one moment that jumped out at me. When that monstrous little bastard of a cat lured Ellie out into the road we get what is a surprisingly well thought out scene, I was onboard and engrossed and then there were some terrible digital effects involving the truck that stuck out like a sore thumb.
Stephen King and I have a very patchy history with adaptations. I often feel like he writes a fantastic story and then realises he hasn't worked out how to end it and just goe "Boom! Aliens!" I'm looking hard at Under The Dome here, nearly 40 hours of my life... for aliens! Needless to say I was quite pleased that there was some "reasonable" explanation for everything that was happening. Not a single alien in sight and the ending wrapped with a nice ominous vibe that made me glad they hadn't gone with a happily ever after scenario.
Apart from the camera work and the cheap ass jumping scares this wasn't such a bad film. If you ignore the things that don't make sense, like why are parents letting their creepy children give their dead pets a procession through another person's property... or why does the "pet sematary" actually have nothing to do with the resurrections... or why do they walk through about five miles of Star Wars-esque forest and swamp to a random mountain to do the ritual... yeah, if you ignore those things it isn't too bad.
What you should do
It's not a bad horror to watch and if you aren't a big ol' chicken like me then you might want to see it on the big screen.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
What I would like is something very specific, like genie wish specific, I want Church... but I want him in his curly looking death state... without the death. No smell, no blood, no guts, no demonic hell beast, just the regular cat type of hell beast.
Pet Sematary is obviously a remake but as I understand it they've made a fair few tweaks to give viewers something a bit different. The premise is still the same though.
After the Creeds move into their new home they discover that the woods on their property are home to a pet cemetery that has quite a local tradition. When their cat, Church, dies on the road outside their house the neighbour overs to help Louis find a spot to bury him. Jud realises that Ellie will be devastated at the loss and leads Louis out to a remote and unusual spot to bury Church. What he doesn't tell him is that Church won't stay buried for long.
Jason Clarke is getting some great screen time this year what with The Aftermath and Serenity (which I hope to catch sometime soon). I liked how he managed to play the sceptic in this, he's a man of science which has a set of rules but the longer he spends in their new surrounds the more he becomes changed by them. He's also a great contrast with his wife and watching them trying to explain death to their daughter was captured in a very interesting way.
Amy Seimetz as Rachel felt a little underwhelming as a character, the backstory she has is odd on its own but having it pop up sporadically through the film felt confusing. I don't know whether it's the same storyline as was in the book but something a little less bizarre felt like it would have worked better and left you with less unanswered questions.
John Lithgow is always a favourite of mine and this performance was no exception. Sort of like the old man shovelling snow in Home Alone he comes across as scary until you realise he's not so bad after all. I'm intrigued by his character though, Jud should surely be much less friendly and changed because of his experiences with the woods, and yet he's fairly normal. The only thing that I was a little disappointed with was that his backstory was very obvious... and to be honest given all the trouble he's had you'd think he'd be a little more cautious.
Our little leading lady certainly has a flair for the demonic and I actually found her to be a much better offering after her unfortunate incident. From what I understand it's her little brother that dies in the original, but in my head I can't see that working very well. They do try and bring him into the story with a slightly supernatural ability to see the dead but it felt a little forced and perhaps it would have been better to just bypass it completely.
If you read my reviews every so often I'm sure you're aware of my dislike for cameras that move erratically. I was aware that we felt to be constantly on the move and it made for a challenging watch. Pet Sematary also featured my least favourite of all the shots, the overhead pan that sets off my motion sickness. Opening the film with a sweeping shot of the forest nearly had me passed out on the floor, and to my joy we also get a brief reprise of this towards the end.
Apart from the camera work that wasn't to my liking there wasn't a lot that I found out of place with the production itself apart from one moment that jumped out at me. When that monstrous little bastard of a cat lured Ellie out into the road we get what is a surprisingly well thought out scene, I was onboard and engrossed and then there were some terrible digital effects involving the truck that stuck out like a sore thumb.
Stephen King and I have a very patchy history with adaptations. I often feel like he writes a fantastic story and then realises he hasn't worked out how to end it and just goe "Boom! Aliens!" I'm looking hard at Under The Dome here, nearly 40 hours of my life... for aliens! Needless to say I was quite pleased that there was some "reasonable" explanation for everything that was happening. Not a single alien in sight and the ending wrapped with a nice ominous vibe that made me glad they hadn't gone with a happily ever after scenario.
Apart from the camera work and the cheap ass jumping scares this wasn't such a bad film. If you ignore the things that don't make sense, like why are parents letting their creepy children give their dead pets a procession through another person's property... or why does the "pet sematary" actually have nothing to do with the resurrections... or why do they walk through about five miles of Star Wars-esque forest and swamp to a random mountain to do the ritual... yeah, if you ignore those things it isn't too bad.
What you should do
It's not a bad horror to watch and if you aren't a big ol' chicken like me then you might want to see it on the big screen.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
What I would like is something very specific, like genie wish specific, I want Church... but I want him in his curly looking death state... without the death. No smell, no blood, no guts, no demonic hell beast, just the regular cat type of hell beast.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Gemini Man (2019) in Movies
Oct 17, 2019
The Effects Just Aren't Good Enough
Ang Lee is a visionary Director that loves to push the envelope of advances in movie-making technology, so the plot contrivance of GEMINI MAN (a Government Assassin is being chased by his much younger clone) was right up his alley - and he makes good (enough) work of the technology that "de-ages" Will Smith and puts the older and younger version of himself on screen at the same time. This was also his 2nd film (after BILLY FLYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK) that Lee shot in 4K 3D at 120 frames per second (the "normal" shooting speed is 24 FPS).
He should have spent more of his time on the script..
Based on a long gestating screenplay written in the 1990's by David Lemke (and re-written in the 2010's by Billy Ray - THE HUNGER GAMES - and Mr. GAME OF THRONES himself, David Benioff), GEMINI MAN follows a Government Contract Killer, Henry Brogan (Will Smtih) who does "one last job" and is looking forward to retirement. His agency (under the leadership of Clive Owen) decides to "take him out" and sends "Gemini" after him. Brogan tries to escape but his every move is anticipated by the Gemini - a younger clone of himself (this is not a spoiler, it's in the trailer and ON THE POSTER). He is joined by a pair of "buddies" (Mary Elizabeth Winsted and Benedict Wong) in plotting how to outsmart himself.
This film had all the markings of a bad "B" film, but under the watchful eye of Lee and the charismatic performances of Winsted, Wong - and most especially - Smith, this film is actually quite watchable.
What doesn't work - the plot. To say it is contrived is to do a disservice to the word "contrived". It really doesn't give us anything new, it just gives us a bridge from action scene to action. Also, the reasoning of the Government to get rid of Brogan doesn't really work and Clive Owen - as the head of the Gemini program - and the main "suit" that is chasing Smith looks like he is sleepwalking his way through this film.
What works - the interplay and "fun" of Smith, Winsted and Wong as the 3 "professionals" on the run - and outsmarting - "the Agency". These 3 work really well off each other and I would love to have seen a "Mission Impossible" style film of these 3 doing some sort of impossible mission. Special note needs to be made of Smith's performance - as the older Brogan. He is world weary and heavy, but still has the twinkle in his eye and the physical acumen to be a top assassin. This is the type of role that Smith - especially at his age and experience - is ideal for. His charisma shines and he holds his own in the physical/fight scenes. Also, Ang Lee knows how to shoot an action sequence. True, there is nothing "new", revolutionary or evolutionary in any of the fight/chase scenes, but they are put together in a competent, professional manner and did a good enough job.
And then there is the younger Brogan - "Junior" - played by a CGI "de-aged" Will Smith.
We've seen the CGI "de-aging" effect before - most notably in some Marvel Movies like CAPTAIN MARVEL - and while it works well enough, I just don't think it is quite there yet. You can tell that something is just a little off - not enough for it to really bother you, but enough to know that something isn't quite right - especially when Junior spends most of this film on screen with his older self. You see the "real" Will Smith up against the "copy" and the "copy" looks like...a copy. Also, the "de-aging" of the voice didn't really work for me. It sounded "off" and at times it sounded like bad ADR.
I was able to shrug off these slight technical anomalies and enjoy this film for what it is - a breezy action-er that certainly entertains for 2 hours. But it is no masterpiece and no "major" technological breakthrough. That will have to wait for another movie.
Letter Grade: B (mostly for the fun interplay between older Smith, Winsted and Wong)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
He should have spent more of his time on the script..
Based on a long gestating screenplay written in the 1990's by David Lemke (and re-written in the 2010's by Billy Ray - THE HUNGER GAMES - and Mr. GAME OF THRONES himself, David Benioff), GEMINI MAN follows a Government Contract Killer, Henry Brogan (Will Smtih) who does "one last job" and is looking forward to retirement. His agency (under the leadership of Clive Owen) decides to "take him out" and sends "Gemini" after him. Brogan tries to escape but his every move is anticipated by the Gemini - a younger clone of himself (this is not a spoiler, it's in the trailer and ON THE POSTER). He is joined by a pair of "buddies" (Mary Elizabeth Winsted and Benedict Wong) in plotting how to outsmart himself.
This film had all the markings of a bad "B" film, but under the watchful eye of Lee and the charismatic performances of Winsted, Wong - and most especially - Smith, this film is actually quite watchable.
What doesn't work - the plot. To say it is contrived is to do a disservice to the word "contrived". It really doesn't give us anything new, it just gives us a bridge from action scene to action. Also, the reasoning of the Government to get rid of Brogan doesn't really work and Clive Owen - as the head of the Gemini program - and the main "suit" that is chasing Smith looks like he is sleepwalking his way through this film.
What works - the interplay and "fun" of Smith, Winsted and Wong as the 3 "professionals" on the run - and outsmarting - "the Agency". These 3 work really well off each other and I would love to have seen a "Mission Impossible" style film of these 3 doing some sort of impossible mission. Special note needs to be made of Smith's performance - as the older Brogan. He is world weary and heavy, but still has the twinkle in his eye and the physical acumen to be a top assassin. This is the type of role that Smith - especially at his age and experience - is ideal for. His charisma shines and he holds his own in the physical/fight scenes. Also, Ang Lee knows how to shoot an action sequence. True, there is nothing "new", revolutionary or evolutionary in any of the fight/chase scenes, but they are put together in a competent, professional manner and did a good enough job.
And then there is the younger Brogan - "Junior" - played by a CGI "de-aged" Will Smith.
We've seen the CGI "de-aging" effect before - most notably in some Marvel Movies like CAPTAIN MARVEL - and while it works well enough, I just don't think it is quite there yet. You can tell that something is just a little off - not enough for it to really bother you, but enough to know that something isn't quite right - especially when Junior spends most of this film on screen with his older self. You see the "real" Will Smith up against the "copy" and the "copy" looks like...a copy. Also, the "de-aging" of the voice didn't really work for me. It sounded "off" and at times it sounded like bad ADR.
I was able to shrug off these slight technical anomalies and enjoy this film for what it is - a breezy action-er that certainly entertains for 2 hours. But it is no masterpiece and no "major" technological breakthrough. That will have to wait for another movie.
Letter Grade: B (mostly for the fun interplay between older Smith, Winsted and Wong)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
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Jessi Bone (48 KP) rated Raging Falcon in Books
Mar 21, 2019
Don't loose your place
Stephen Perkins introduces us with another gripping tale of political intrigue, magic, and physiological thriller. This is my second book written by Stephen Perkins and to be honest I did not believe he had another great one in him but he completely surprised me with this story. He takes you and enveloping tale in the world that has been changed and destroyed and what is left is a dystonia society focused on the sustainability of all and where magic reigns. It starts its tale in 2063 in a prison where an old Jim Keogh telling his prison guards about his dad and telling them the truth behind the history they believe they know. Mr. Perkins unique writing style pulls you into the story where you have to pay attention and take your time or you will miss definitely miss something important; it is definitely a book you can read more than once and find things you did not see the first time or even the last time. You will complete all the three hundred and sixty-two pages and not even realized you have read so many the way he pulls you in and you experience exactly what the characters are and you have that feeling like you have been truly their and experienced as they have experienced. The way he ties all the events together in his writing makes you wonder if he knows something about the geopolitical environment that no one else knows. Perhaps that is the point the wonder behind his ideas that make you want to continue to see where the story goes.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Final Girls in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Ten years ago, Quincy Carpenter was the sole survivor of a killing of her closest friends. She joined a small group of women the media has dubbed as the Final Girls. But Quincy doesn't want to be a Final Girl, she just wants to move on with her life and forget about the events that took place at Pine Cottage. When the original Final Girl is found dead in her apartment of an apparent suicide, and another Final Girl is brought into her life, Quincy must decide how she is going to live the rest of her life.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, it kept me up past my bedtime each night.
Imagine if you were the sole survivor of a mass murder. How do you think that would change your life? Would you become a recluse or would you try to live your life to the fullest? Quincy has tried to forget what happened to her best friend, boyfriend and other close friends that weekend at Pine Cottage. It was supposed to be a fun weekend to celebrate a birthday, but that quickly changed. When Lisa, the original Final Girl is found dead and Sam, the other Final Girl, shows up at Quincy's apartment, she is forced to take a look at her life and decide what to do next. Full of twists and turns, the end was something I didn't see coming.
This was a great debut novel. This author has another book coming out in July called The Last Time I Lied, I already have a copy of this book from NetGalley and I can't wait to read it.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, it kept me up past my bedtime each night.
Imagine if you were the sole survivor of a mass murder. How do you think that would change your life? Would you become a recluse or would you try to live your life to the fullest? Quincy has tried to forget what happened to her best friend, boyfriend and other close friends that weekend at Pine Cottage. It was supposed to be a fun weekend to celebrate a birthday, but that quickly changed. When Lisa, the original Final Girl is found dead and Sam, the other Final Girl, shows up at Quincy's apartment, she is forced to take a look at her life and decide what to do next. Full of twists and turns, the end was something I didn't see coming.
This was a great debut novel. This author has another book coming out in July called The Last Time I Lied, I already have a copy of this book from NetGalley and I can't wait to read it.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Darkest Hour (2017) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
Doesn't quite get to the Nub of the Issue
Yet another trip back to the Second World War, with plucky little Britain taking on the world single-handed, etc, etc. Essentially a kind of companion piece to Nolan's Dunkirk, with Gary Oldman's newly-installed Prime Minister having to oversee the retreat of the British army while contending with voices in his own government who want to enter peace negotiations with the Nazis.
Well, obviously British film-makers do this kind of heritage project quite well, and this is a polished movie even if it doesn't offer anything terribly original. The whole thing is carried along by Oldman's bravura performance - it must be said that Gary Oldman, thanks to the magic of prosthetic make-up it took three hours to apply, does look very much like Gary Oldman wearing three hours' worth of prosthetic make-up, but his performance is good enough to make you overlook the (lack of) resemblance.
You could possibly take exception to the film's rather rose-tinted depiction of Churchill, but for me the real flaw in the film is this - the central question posed by the story is just where Churchill's resolve to keep fighting came from, when everyone around him advised otherwise, and the situation seemed so abject. Was he such an idealistic champion of liberty, or foe of fascism? (Historical evidence suggests otherwise.) Or was he just a contrarian old bugger in love with his own legend? The movie doesn't find an convincing answer to this question. Still, otherwise well-made and engaging, and unlikely to outrage mild-mannered elderly relatives.
Well, obviously British film-makers do this kind of heritage project quite well, and this is a polished movie even if it doesn't offer anything terribly original. The whole thing is carried along by Oldman's bravura performance - it must be said that Gary Oldman, thanks to the magic of prosthetic make-up it took three hours to apply, does look very much like Gary Oldman wearing three hours' worth of prosthetic make-up, but his performance is good enough to make you overlook the (lack of) resemblance.
You could possibly take exception to the film's rather rose-tinted depiction of Churchill, but for me the real flaw in the film is this - the central question posed by the story is just where Churchill's resolve to keep fighting came from, when everyone around him advised otherwise, and the situation seemed so abject. Was he such an idealistic champion of liberty, or foe of fascism? (Historical evidence suggests otherwise.) Or was he just a contrarian old bugger in love with his own legend? The movie doesn't find an convincing answer to this question. Still, otherwise well-made and engaging, and unlikely to outrage mild-mannered elderly relatives.
Phoebe (0 KP) rated Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) in Movies
Nov 19, 2018
Sometimes there just shouldn’t be a 3rd one
Contains spoilers, click to show
Back with the Bellas after college to find their lives just aren’t all that great in the “real world”. They’re all in jobs that they seem to hate and miss singing together. They’re thrilled when they’re invited to a performance by the current Barton Bellas only to end up disappointed that they’re not performing themselves. Then it just gets crazy. They end up on tour with other artists who are (unsurprisingly) a lot more talented than the Bellas. Some very well done “riff offs” ensue and of course when the Bellas stop taking themselves seriously they get a lot more popular. This storyline was a bit of fun if not completely predictable and as a Pitch Perfect fan I wasn’t really complaining - I’m mostly there for the music at the end of the day. It was after this though that the movie lost me completely. Turning into an espionage movie where they do indeed sing to get out of trouble. The Bellas are luckily rescued by the military and Beca is encouraged to take an offer from DJ Khaled to sing alone. Then in the final seen Beca opens for DJ Khaled alone but invites the Bellas onstage to sing Freedom! ‘90 with her creating a touching scene that Pitch Perfect always manages to do - especially as this seems to be the end of the road for the group. I loved the song choices in the movie and that the competition was higher stakes but between the convoluted plot line and sometimes forced comedic moments this definitely wasn’t my favourite Pitch Perfect installment.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Chao (Tessa Avery book1) in Books
Oct 27, 2019
For most girls at eighteen, life is just beginning: graduation, college, getting their own place. Unlike them, however, I’ve trained my whole life to be an Ischyra, an immortal soldier of the Olympian gods, and when high school ends, I’m going to Olympus to face my destiny, leaving all that I know behind.
I’m a nervous wreck, of course, but making the transition from mortal to immortal, not to mention finding out what my affinity will be, has me over the moon. Finally, I’ll be tasting what I was born for.
But not all is a bed of roses. Meeting the gods and the grueling training is nothing compared to the nightmares I’ve been having. Controlling my newly awakened powers is more of a struggle than I'd anticipated. Add to the mix a hot guy who I can’t make heads or tails of. And if that wasn’t enough, a bunch of the Titans who were defeated thousands of years ago have begun to gather forces, hoping to retake Olympus for their own.
As an Ischyra, my duty is to protect Earth from those who would seek to harm it, but first I have to get through my training year. Yet as my powers start to take on a mind of their own, I begin to realize the gods might have other plans in store.
<strong>So good</strong>
I enjoyed this book so much! Tessa is a brilliant character I love her sass. It was good to read a book that portrayed the gods in this way. It was easy to read and kept you wanting to read more!
Recommended!!

I’m a nervous wreck, of course, but making the transition from mortal to immortal, not to mention finding out what my affinity will be, has me over the moon. Finally, I’ll be tasting what I was born for.
But not all is a bed of roses. Meeting the gods and the grueling training is nothing compared to the nightmares I’ve been having. Controlling my newly awakened powers is more of a struggle than I'd anticipated. Add to the mix a hot guy who I can’t make heads or tails of. And if that wasn’t enough, a bunch of the Titans who were defeated thousands of years ago have begun to gather forces, hoping to retake Olympus for their own.
As an Ischyra, my duty is to protect Earth from those who would seek to harm it, but first I have to get through my training year. Yet as my powers start to take on a mind of their own, I begin to realize the gods might have other plans in store.
<strong>So good</strong>
I enjoyed this book so much! Tessa is a brilliant character I love her sass. It was good to read a book that portrayed the gods in this way. It was easy to read and kept you wanting to read more!
Recommended!!

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated One Perfect Lie in Books
Oct 16, 2019
Here's my disclaimer: I seem to rate audiobooks harsher than print books. I guess it's because I'm not as focused. I'm not sure why. Anyway, on to my review.
I've read a few other of Lisa Scottoline's books, so I thought I'd give One Perfect Lie a chance. I will say that the title really does fit with what the book's about.
I went into this book expecting something more sinister when it came to Chris, but what I got was something totally different! I won't go into details because of spoilers. I will say that the whole government angle kind of put me off the story, but I continued since I was already invested in this audiobook. I think others would enjoy the story very much, but these government type books aren't really my thing. I wish I had known it was more a government type book before I started listening to it. I will say that this book has some great plot twists, and it does answer all questions before ending.
The characters are done well and are interesting enough. I feel they are fleshed out to be believable. I kept hoping that Heather and Chris would end up together throughout the book. They seemed like they'd make a great couple!
As for the narrator, he did an okay job. The heavy breathes he would sometimes take were somewhat annoying, and sometimes his Russian accent would falter.
Overall, One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline is just an alright read. There's nothing that special about it, but it'll help pass the time. I'd recommend it to those who are into big government plot books.
I've read a few other of Lisa Scottoline's books, so I thought I'd give One Perfect Lie a chance. I will say that the title really does fit with what the book's about.
I went into this book expecting something more sinister when it came to Chris, but what I got was something totally different! I won't go into details because of spoilers. I will say that the whole government angle kind of put me off the story, but I continued since I was already invested in this audiobook. I think others would enjoy the story very much, but these government type books aren't really my thing. I wish I had known it was more a government type book before I started listening to it. I will say that this book has some great plot twists, and it does answer all questions before ending.
The characters are done well and are interesting enough. I feel they are fleshed out to be believable. I kept hoping that Heather and Chris would end up together throughout the book. They seemed like they'd make a great couple!
As for the narrator, he did an okay job. The heavy breathes he would sometimes take were somewhat annoying, and sometimes his Russian accent would falter.
Overall, One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline is just an alright read. There's nothing that special about it, but it'll help pass the time. I'd recommend it to those who are into big government plot books.