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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) in Movies
Jun 3, 2020
BB-8 (2 more)
Old Cast
Better Than The Prequels
A New Hope Shortly Lived
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Force Awakens- is a excellent, phenomenal movie, no doubt about that. Its the return of old charcters coming back and a whole new cast of new charcters. My favorite is BB-8, he reminds me of R2-D2. The problem if you really think about it is.. Its a copy & paste of A New Hope. Lets look deeper into that.
Case 1- Introducing A Core Trio, you have Rey, Finn and Poe. In ANH, you have Luke, Leia and Han.
Case 2- Rey's beginning. Some one who is lonely, raised in the desert and finds a droid that has important infomation and that sets off the beginning of the adventure. Sounds like Luke to me, cause it is.
Case 3- The Droid Holds The Secret Clue To Everything Important. In this case, BB-8 is holding important infomation on the whereabouts on to find Luke.
Hmm R2-D2, secret message from Leia to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke, the farmboy whose future as a Jedi would save the Rebellion and the galaxy, is led to his Jedi. Intresting right.
Case 4- Jakku And Tatooine. Jakku is basically Tattooine. Its where the main charcter is from, where the story begins, where the main charcter finds the droid and where the adventure begins.
Case 5- Starkiller Base And The Death Star. Basically Starkiller Base is the Death Star. The First Order's Starkiller Base is just a complete rip off of Darth Vader's Death Star. While the Starkiller Base can inflict much more damage than the Death Star, it's basically the same weapon. A has basically the same weak point.
So basically what Im saying is that The Force Awakens is a copy & paste of A New Hope.
The plot: Set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens follows Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Han Solo's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight in the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire.
I remember seeing this film opening day at 9:15am on Friday. With a packed theater, every seat was full and that was a excellent experience. Seeing it with a crowd full of star wars fans was epic and would do it again.
Its fun, entertaining and overall a excellent, phenomenal movie. Bringing us a new star wars movie after the awful prequels. The Force Awakens brought us fans a new hope after the disappointed and awful prequels. A new hope that didnt last long, but i will get to those soon. But for now this review.
Case 1- Introducing A Core Trio, you have Rey, Finn and Poe. In ANH, you have Luke, Leia and Han.
Case 2- Rey's beginning. Some one who is lonely, raised in the desert and finds a droid that has important infomation and that sets off the beginning of the adventure. Sounds like Luke to me, cause it is.
Case 3- The Droid Holds The Secret Clue To Everything Important. In this case, BB-8 is holding important infomation on the whereabouts on to find Luke.
Hmm R2-D2, secret message from Leia to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke, the farmboy whose future as a Jedi would save the Rebellion and the galaxy, is led to his Jedi. Intresting right.
Case 4- Jakku And Tatooine. Jakku is basically Tattooine. Its where the main charcter is from, where the story begins, where the main charcter finds the droid and where the adventure begins.
Case 5- Starkiller Base And The Death Star. Basically Starkiller Base is the Death Star. The First Order's Starkiller Base is just a complete rip off of Darth Vader's Death Star. While the Starkiller Base can inflict much more damage than the Death Star, it's basically the same weapon. A has basically the same weak point.
So basically what Im saying is that The Force Awakens is a copy & paste of A New Hope.
The plot: Set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens follows Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Han Solo's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight in the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire.
I remember seeing this film opening day at 9:15am on Friday. With a packed theater, every seat was full and that was a excellent experience. Seeing it with a crowd full of star wars fans was epic and would do it again.
Its fun, entertaining and overall a excellent, phenomenal movie. Bringing us a new star wars movie after the awful prequels. The Force Awakens brought us fans a new hope after the disappointed and awful prequels. A new hope that didnt last long, but i will get to those soon. But for now this review.
Biofilms in Plant and Soil Health
Book
Biofilms are predominant mode of life for microbes under natural conditions. The three-dimensional...
Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated The Resistance: Avalon in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2019
Excellent gateway game (1 more)
Amazing for playing with large groups
Great Bluffing Game!
Avalon is an enhancement to the Resistance,l (which in turn is a revision of Mafia/Werewolf) as it includes special player roles. This card game requires players to select a card each, which tells them if they are a good character (loyal servant of King Arthur) or a bad character (minion of Mordred), which defines how they play the game. As a good guy, you must try and succeed 3 of 5 missions, whilst the bad guys will try to make the missions fail. No one knows who the other good guys are, except for the player who receives the Merlin card. Merlin knows who the good guys are, and will therefore try to persuade the group towards ensuring only the good guys go on missions. However, there is a special role for the bad guys too. If the bad guys lose, the player who is the Assassin has a last chance to claim victory for the bad guys, if the Assassin can guess who Merlin is. Therefore, Merlin has to be subtle, otherwise the bad guys will win.
This is essentially a bluffing game where you just convince others that you are good and, inevitably, accuse others of being bad. This game, for the right group, is hours of fun! You need a ln engaged group of people who are willing to chat and be enthusiastic about engaging with this; the game and fun C Mrs from this interaction, and layer dissecting who was good and bad and how they fooled or misled everyone. I thoroughly recommend this game for gateway gamers i.e. those making the transition from everyday well known games such as Monopoly, to more designer games that have flourished over the past 20 years or so.
This game, whilst great, falters at lower or highest playcounts. At the lower end, it is very difficult to play as a bad guy, unless you use other roles included in the game. At the higher gamecount, things get very confusing and overly exhausting. However, this is an exceptional game and is likely only bettered as a bluffing game by the soon to be released Blood on the Clocktower.
I have played this hundreds of time, with the same group of people. Whilst I am now fatigued by the game, given this game only costs around £15, it is a solid investment for so many hours of fun.
This is essentially a bluffing game where you just convince others that you are good and, inevitably, accuse others of being bad. This game, for the right group, is hours of fun! You need a ln engaged group of people who are willing to chat and be enthusiastic about engaging with this; the game and fun C Mrs from this interaction, and layer dissecting who was good and bad and how they fooled or misled everyone. I thoroughly recommend this game for gateway gamers i.e. those making the transition from everyday well known games such as Monopoly, to more designer games that have flourished over the past 20 years or so.
This game, whilst great, falters at lower or highest playcounts. At the lower end, it is very difficult to play as a bad guy, unless you use other roles included in the game. At the higher gamecount, things get very confusing and overly exhausting. However, this is an exceptional game and is likely only bettered as a bluffing game by the soon to be released Blood on the Clocktower.
I have played this hundreds of time, with the same group of people. Whilst I am now fatigued by the game, given this game only costs around £15, it is a solid investment for so many hours of fun.
Parasitoid Viruses: Symbionts and Pathogens
Nancy E. Beckage and Jean-Michel Drezen
Book
Parasitoids are parasitic insects that kill their insect hosts in immature pre-reproductive stages....
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises,and is forced to come face to face with new villains once again. This time it is the terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) and cat burglar, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway).
In the previous movie Batman had to combat the famed Joker who caused havoc in the city of Gotham. Joker convinced Harvey Dent to seek revenge against Batman and those responsible for the death of his lover, Rachel Dawes. Dent decides to use his lucky coin to decide the fate of those he assumes are responsible, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and his family being just a few of the people captured within Dent’s grip of revenge. While Batman saved the life of Gordon’s young son, many still die. Batman decided to let the public think that he was the one responsible for all the deaths to keep Dent’s name in good standing with the public. Gordan on the other hand knows the truth.
The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the extensive damage the Joker brought upon the city and its residents. During this time, Batman isolated himself within the walls of Wayne Manor as Gotham rebuilt itself with the help of Gordon and John Blake (Joseph Gordon Leavitt).
During a celebration of Dent’s life and his successes, Gordan is tempted to tell the people of Gotham the truth behind the murders eight years ago but finds that it may not be the right time to do so. Terrorist leader Bane arrives and takes over the celebration and wounds Gordon forcing his subordinate Blake to take over. After Wayne learns that one of his projects he had been investing in over the years was actually being used for nuclear devices, Wayne decides to shut down the project. One of Wayne’s business rivals is suspected to have employed terrorist leader Bane to takeover the company and use its nuclear devices against the city.
After finding out the truth Bruce Wayne decides to return to the streets of Gotham as Batman, though the decision is met with great resistance by his trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine). Bane has taken the lead in bringing Wayne Enterprises down and an intense confrontation leaves Batman hurt and condemned to an inescapable prison. Bane is left free to wreak uncontested havoc on Gotham, once again bringing a violent storm of perilous destruction upon its people. While Batman is stuck in Bane’s prison, we learn the sordid history of Bane.
To say much more would give a lot of the story away. Suffice it to say, The Dark Knight Rises is this year’s best comic book movie so far. The graphics, action, soundtrack and opening sequence are amazing. The storyline leaves you wanting more. Christopher Nolan has does an excellent job in all the installments of Batman but is remarkably exceptional in the third and final installment of the series.
In the previous movie Batman had to combat the famed Joker who caused havoc in the city of Gotham. Joker convinced Harvey Dent to seek revenge against Batman and those responsible for the death of his lover, Rachel Dawes. Dent decides to use his lucky coin to decide the fate of those he assumes are responsible, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and his family being just a few of the people captured within Dent’s grip of revenge. While Batman saved the life of Gordon’s young son, many still die. Batman decided to let the public think that he was the one responsible for all the deaths to keep Dent’s name in good standing with the public. Gordan on the other hand knows the truth.
The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the extensive damage the Joker brought upon the city and its residents. During this time, Batman isolated himself within the walls of Wayne Manor as Gotham rebuilt itself with the help of Gordon and John Blake (Joseph Gordon Leavitt).
During a celebration of Dent’s life and his successes, Gordan is tempted to tell the people of Gotham the truth behind the murders eight years ago but finds that it may not be the right time to do so. Terrorist leader Bane arrives and takes over the celebration and wounds Gordon forcing his subordinate Blake to take over. After Wayne learns that one of his projects he had been investing in over the years was actually being used for nuclear devices, Wayne decides to shut down the project. One of Wayne’s business rivals is suspected to have employed terrorist leader Bane to takeover the company and use its nuclear devices against the city.
After finding out the truth Bruce Wayne decides to return to the streets of Gotham as Batman, though the decision is met with great resistance by his trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine). Bane has taken the lead in bringing Wayne Enterprises down and an intense confrontation leaves Batman hurt and condemned to an inescapable prison. Bane is left free to wreak uncontested havoc on Gotham, once again bringing a violent storm of perilous destruction upon its people. While Batman is stuck in Bane’s prison, we learn the sordid history of Bane.
To say much more would give a lot of the story away. Suffice it to say, The Dark Knight Rises is this year’s best comic book movie so far. The graphics, action, soundtrack and opening sequence are amazing. The storyline leaves you wanting more. Christopher Nolan has does an excellent job in all the installments of Batman but is remarkably exceptional in the third and final installment of the series.
Gaz Coombes recommended track Nights by Frank Ocean in Blond by Frank Ocean in Music (curated)
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020
Director JJ Abrams was faced with a daunting task; bringing the 9 part Star Wars main story to a satisfying conclusion and appeasing certain toxic fans who have been very displeased with the last two cinematic outings for the franchise.
Thankfully Abrams has stuck the landing and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is an entertaining and satisfying conclusion with enough action and nostalgic moments to spare.
Picking up after the events of the last film; it is learned that threatening radio transmissions are going out across the galaxy in the voice of the late Emperor Palpatine. This deeply concerns Leia (Carrie Fisher) and her remaining Resistance as it combines with The First Order to create a larger possible threat than anyone could deal with.
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is also very interested in the source of the signal as he does not want anything to stand in the way of his control of The First Order and will use whatever brutal means at his disposal to increase his power.
Naturally this sets Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac), along with Chewbacca and C3PO on a daring mission to find clues to the source of the transmissions and stop what appears to be a devastating invasion which will make anything the First Order has pale in comparison.
Naturally there are plenty of amazing special effects, twists, turns, and surprises along the way as the film races to an epic confrontation.
The film hits the ground running with plenty of action at the start before settling into a longer narrative setup than some fans might like. Thankfully there are enough points of interest along the way to hold your attention before the action kicks up.
The film combines new and favorite locales and characters to create a satisfying finale to the Skywalker saga as the biggest questions from the new trilogy are answered and the few new ones I have after this will likely be heavily debated by fans or explored in a future book or comic and they are minor questions indeed.
The characters work well with one another and it is difficult to go into specifics without spoiling the film as there are plenty of surprises as I mentioned earlier. Suffice it to say that while it will not usurp the original “Star Wars” or “The Empire Strikes Back” amongst fans; it likely will be considered the most enjoyable of the new trilogy and best since “Rogue One” in the Disney era of the franchise.
The biggest remaining question is what is next for the film series as there have been rumors of a new film in 2022 with a new setting, cast, and possibly timeline. While audiences will have to wait and see what the cinematic future for the franchise is; they can be content with a very enjoyable new film.
4 stars out of 5
Thankfully Abrams has stuck the landing and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is an entertaining and satisfying conclusion with enough action and nostalgic moments to spare.
Picking up after the events of the last film; it is learned that threatening radio transmissions are going out across the galaxy in the voice of the late Emperor Palpatine. This deeply concerns Leia (Carrie Fisher) and her remaining Resistance as it combines with The First Order to create a larger possible threat than anyone could deal with.
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is also very interested in the source of the signal as he does not want anything to stand in the way of his control of The First Order and will use whatever brutal means at his disposal to increase his power.
Naturally this sets Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac), along with Chewbacca and C3PO on a daring mission to find clues to the source of the transmissions and stop what appears to be a devastating invasion which will make anything the First Order has pale in comparison.
Naturally there are plenty of amazing special effects, twists, turns, and surprises along the way as the film races to an epic confrontation.
The film hits the ground running with plenty of action at the start before settling into a longer narrative setup than some fans might like. Thankfully there are enough points of interest along the way to hold your attention before the action kicks up.
The film combines new and favorite locales and characters to create a satisfying finale to the Skywalker saga as the biggest questions from the new trilogy are answered and the few new ones I have after this will likely be heavily debated by fans or explored in a future book or comic and they are minor questions indeed.
The characters work well with one another and it is difficult to go into specifics without spoiling the film as there are plenty of surprises as I mentioned earlier. Suffice it to say that while it will not usurp the original “Star Wars” or “The Empire Strikes Back” amongst fans; it likely will be considered the most enjoyable of the new trilogy and best since “Rogue One” in the Disney era of the franchise.
The biggest remaining question is what is next for the film series as there have been rumors of a new film in 2022 with a new setting, cast, and possibly timeline. While audiences will have to wait and see what the cinematic future for the franchise is; they can be content with a very enjoyable new film.
4 stars out of 5
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated The Birth of a Nation (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
America was not born with the landing of the Mayflower. It was not born at Jamestown. It was not born with the Declaration of Independence or Treaty of Paris. It wasn’t born on the battlefields of the Civil War, nor was it born with D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation in 1915. America was born in the fire and spilt blood from the institution of slavery and revolts by slaves seeking to break free. Nat Turner’s revolt was an omen to America signifying that human beings would no longer tolerate being subjugated, dehumanized, brutalized, and degraded without some form of pushback.
Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation tells a full story of Nat Turner and does not simply rely on the revolt to convey his message of a call for equality and fighting injustice. It is emblematic of resistance to the many sins this nation has committed. The film and story are a punch to the gut reminding Americans that there is much left unfinished with respect to telling the full story of slavery and American history as a whole. There is much of our past that we must reconcile with no matter how uncomfortable. Parker’s film demonstrates the power film has as historical record and permitting audiences to have a greater idea and picture of the past.
The Birth of A Nation allows audiences to become consumed with the horrors of slavery, but it is not limited to that aspect. It humanizes the slaves and demonstrates cultural aspects and relationships that have often gone ignored or overlooked with previous films. It does not rely on sensationalizing events in order to drive the points home. There is subtlety and honesty in the portrayal of the events and circumstances.
This is a film that will have audiences speechless at the end as the come to terms with their emotions about events as they unfold and coming to terms with what the witnessed onscreen. There is nothing that can prepare audiences for this film. It is a work of art that you cannot help but feel compelled to reflect on what you witnessed.
There are those who will not see the film due to the subject matter. There are others who won’t see it because of the sexual assault allegations against Nate Parker. There are many who won’t see it out of a pure lack of interest. Regardless of your stance, this is a film that needs to be seen. It is essential to telling a more complete story about America.
Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation tells a full story of Nat Turner and does not simply rely on the revolt to convey his message of a call for equality and fighting injustice. It is emblematic of resistance to the many sins this nation has committed. The film and story are a punch to the gut reminding Americans that there is much left unfinished with respect to telling the full story of slavery and American history as a whole. There is much of our past that we must reconcile with no matter how uncomfortable. Parker’s film demonstrates the power film has as historical record and permitting audiences to have a greater idea and picture of the past.
The Birth of A Nation allows audiences to become consumed with the horrors of slavery, but it is not limited to that aspect. It humanizes the slaves and demonstrates cultural aspects and relationships that have often gone ignored or overlooked with previous films. It does not rely on sensationalizing events in order to drive the points home. There is subtlety and honesty in the portrayal of the events and circumstances.
This is a film that will have audiences speechless at the end as the come to terms with their emotions about events as they unfold and coming to terms with what the witnessed onscreen. There is nothing that can prepare audiences for this film. It is a work of art that you cannot help but feel compelled to reflect on what you witnessed.
There are those who will not see the film due to the subject matter. There are others who won’t see it because of the sexual assault allegations against Nate Parker. There are many who won’t see it out of a pure lack of interest. Regardless of your stance, this is a film that needs to be seen. It is essential to telling a more complete story about America.
Evolutionary Medicine
Stephen C Stearns and Ruslan Medzhitov
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Evolutionary Medicine is a textbook intended for use in undergraduate, graduate, medical school, and...
Ambulance Services: Leadership and Management Perspectives: 2015
Paresh Wankhade and Kevin Mackway-Jones
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This volume provides fresh insights and management understanding of the changing role of the...