Search
Search results
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Knowing my love of reading, a friend of mine suggested I read The Maze Runner by James Dashner a few years ago. I had just finished reading Hunger Games so, honestly, I was burned out on post-apocalyptic survival stories so I set it aside. However, being familiar with the title, my interest was piqued when the movie was announced and I found myself drawn into the story more than I expected when I screened The Maze Runner movie in 2014. It didn’t have the desperate drama of The Hunger Games, but the mystery of the maze was intriguing enough.
If you haven’t seen the first movie in this series, you’ll want to watch that first as Scorch Trials picks up pretty much where the last movie ended. There are no recaps or flashbacks which fans may appreciate as the full 2 hours and 12 minute running time is dedicated to advancing the story, but it’s definitely not a movie that stands well on its own.
Having escaped from the Glade, Thomas and his somber band of Gladers are transported to a fortified military installation where for a brief moment they believe they’re safe from Ava Paige and WCKD, the mysterious organization that placed them in the Glade for reasons still unknown.
Suspicious and untrusting (by nature, or conditioning?), Thomas, played with grim determination by Dylan O’Brien, uncovers the outpost’s connection to WCKD and the gang is on the run again but this time, instead of a maze, they find themselves in a desolate landscape known as the Scorch.
If the first movie was “The Great Escape”, this movie is “The Amazing Race”. Hoping to find “The Right Hand”, a vigilante group of resistance fighters that have allegedly rescued other Gladers, Thomas and gang set out across a barren wasteland. The movie follows their desperate flight to avoid both WCKD operatives and “cranks”, zombies who were victims of a virus that has wiped out most of humanity.
I watched most of The Scorch Trials, much like I watch The Walking Dead, with my eyes clenched shut but still listening earnestly, but I’m a bit of a wimp that way. There’s definitely more action in this installment and those who enjoyed the first movie, will appreciate this one more even though the last 20 minutes or so of the movie was set up for the third Maze Runner: The Death Cure due in 2017.
The core band of Gladers, played by O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Ki Hong Lee (Minho), Dexter Darden (Frypan) and Alexander Flores (Winston) are easy to root for, while Game of Thrones’ Aiden Gillen (Janson) and Patricia Clarkson, who reprises her role as Ava Paige, are very easy to dislike. The Scorch Trials introduces new characters, like Aris another maze escapee played by Jacob Lofland, and Brenda and Jorge, survivors turned mercenaries played by Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito who add a new dimension to the story. Will they help lead the Gladers to The Right Hand or turn them over to WCKD for the right price?
In addition to nearly maiming my husband by squeezing his hand too tight, I also left the movie a little winded from holding my breath in suspense, and watching these kids do a hell of a lot of running. A worthy sequel, The Scorch Trials definitely leaves you ready for the story to continue.
If you haven’t seen the first movie in this series, you’ll want to watch that first as Scorch Trials picks up pretty much where the last movie ended. There are no recaps or flashbacks which fans may appreciate as the full 2 hours and 12 minute running time is dedicated to advancing the story, but it’s definitely not a movie that stands well on its own.
Having escaped from the Glade, Thomas and his somber band of Gladers are transported to a fortified military installation where for a brief moment they believe they’re safe from Ava Paige and WCKD, the mysterious organization that placed them in the Glade for reasons still unknown.
Suspicious and untrusting (by nature, or conditioning?), Thomas, played with grim determination by Dylan O’Brien, uncovers the outpost’s connection to WCKD and the gang is on the run again but this time, instead of a maze, they find themselves in a desolate landscape known as the Scorch.
If the first movie was “The Great Escape”, this movie is “The Amazing Race”. Hoping to find “The Right Hand”, a vigilante group of resistance fighters that have allegedly rescued other Gladers, Thomas and gang set out across a barren wasteland. The movie follows their desperate flight to avoid both WCKD operatives and “cranks”, zombies who were victims of a virus that has wiped out most of humanity.
I watched most of The Scorch Trials, much like I watch The Walking Dead, with my eyes clenched shut but still listening earnestly, but I’m a bit of a wimp that way. There’s definitely more action in this installment and those who enjoyed the first movie, will appreciate this one more even though the last 20 minutes or so of the movie was set up for the third Maze Runner: The Death Cure due in 2017.
The core band of Gladers, played by O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Ki Hong Lee (Minho), Dexter Darden (Frypan) and Alexander Flores (Winston) are easy to root for, while Game of Thrones’ Aiden Gillen (Janson) and Patricia Clarkson, who reprises her role as Ava Paige, are very easy to dislike. The Scorch Trials introduces new characters, like Aris another maze escapee played by Jacob Lofland, and Brenda and Jorge, survivors turned mercenaries played by Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito who add a new dimension to the story. Will they help lead the Gladers to The Right Hand or turn them over to WCKD for the right price?
In addition to nearly maiming my husband by squeezing his hand too tight, I also left the movie a little winded from holding my breath in suspense, and watching these kids do a hell of a lot of running. A worthy sequel, The Scorch Trials definitely leaves you ready for the story to continue.
SV
Spine Vibrations: Healing Music for the Spine, Muscles, Organs and Subtle Body
Book
Everything vibrates. And everything in the body vibrates at its own special frequency. This is...
Art Of War By Sun Tzu
Business and Education
App
We have fixed formatting issues and are re-introducing Art Of War For Free with the bug fixes. ...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Ghost Stories in Tabletop Games
Jul 28, 2020 (Updated Jul 30, 2020)
The Gameplay (4 more)
The Strategy
Replay Value
Thinking Ten Steps Ahead
The Concept
Hard (2 more)
Luck of the dice
The cruse dice
Spooky Scary Ghosts
I learned about this game through Dice Tower reviews, Rahdo runthrough and BoardGameGeek. And it looked really good. A cooperative game in which the players protect the village from incarnations of the lord of hell – Wu-Feng – and his legions of ghosts before they haunt a town and recover the ashes that will allow him to return to life. That sounded really intresting and unquite. So i bought it and its a excellent game. Let me talk more about it..
Gameplay:
Each Player represents a Taoist monk working together with the others to fight off waves of ghosts.
The players, using teamwork, will have to exorcise the ghosts that appear during the course of the game. At the beginning of his turn, a player brings a ghost into play and places it on a free spot, and more than one can come in at the same time. The ghosts all have abilities of their own – some affecting the Taoists and their powers, some causing the active player to roll the curse die for a random effect, and others haunting the villager tiles and blocking that tile's special action. On his turn, a Taoist can move on a tile in order to exorcise adjacent ghosts or to benefit from the villager living on the tile, providing it is not haunted. Each tile of the village allows the players to benefit from a different bonus. With the cemetery, for example, Taoists can bring a dead Taoist back to life, while the herbalist allows to recover spent Tao tokens, etc. It will also be possible to get traps or move ghosts or unhaunt other village tiles.
To exorcise a ghost, the Taoist rolls three Tao dice with different colors: red, blue, green, yellow, black, and white. If the result of the roll matches the color(s) of the ghost or incarnation of Wu-Feng, the exorcism succeeds. The white result is a wild color that can be used as any color. For example, to exorcise a green ghost with 3 resistance, you need to roll three green, three white, or a combination of both. If your die rolls fall short, you can also use Tao tokens that match the color in addition to your roll. You may choose to use these after your roll. Taoists gain these tokens by using certain village tiles or by exorcising certain ghosts. One of the Taoists has a power that allows him to receive such a token once per turn.
To win, the players must defeat the incarnation of Wu-Feng, a boss who arrives at the end of the game. There are also harder difficulty levels that add more incarnations of Wu-Feng, in which to win, you must defeat all of them.
There are many more ways to lose, however. The players lose if three of the village's tiles are haunted, if the draw pile is emptied while the incarnation of Wu-Feng is still in play, or if all the priests are dead.
It is hard game but the strategy to this game is excellent cause you have to think about your moves and what to do next. That and the clock is ticking down to one of the ten Wu-Feng Minions. Also if 3 village spaces get crushed than you lose. Also the luck of the dice and the cards. The strategy is ten fold. Its hard but a excellent game and a must play game. Buy it if you havent already cause its a must. If you want to learn more or see a runthrough of the game go to BoardGameGeek, Rahdo Runthroughs or Dice Tower Reviews.
Gameplay:
Each Player represents a Taoist monk working together with the others to fight off waves of ghosts.
The players, using teamwork, will have to exorcise the ghosts that appear during the course of the game. At the beginning of his turn, a player brings a ghost into play and places it on a free spot, and more than one can come in at the same time. The ghosts all have abilities of their own – some affecting the Taoists and their powers, some causing the active player to roll the curse die for a random effect, and others haunting the villager tiles and blocking that tile's special action. On his turn, a Taoist can move on a tile in order to exorcise adjacent ghosts or to benefit from the villager living on the tile, providing it is not haunted. Each tile of the village allows the players to benefit from a different bonus. With the cemetery, for example, Taoists can bring a dead Taoist back to life, while the herbalist allows to recover spent Tao tokens, etc. It will also be possible to get traps or move ghosts or unhaunt other village tiles.
To exorcise a ghost, the Taoist rolls three Tao dice with different colors: red, blue, green, yellow, black, and white. If the result of the roll matches the color(s) of the ghost or incarnation of Wu-Feng, the exorcism succeeds. The white result is a wild color that can be used as any color. For example, to exorcise a green ghost with 3 resistance, you need to roll three green, three white, or a combination of both. If your die rolls fall short, you can also use Tao tokens that match the color in addition to your roll. You may choose to use these after your roll. Taoists gain these tokens by using certain village tiles or by exorcising certain ghosts. One of the Taoists has a power that allows him to receive such a token once per turn.
To win, the players must defeat the incarnation of Wu-Feng, a boss who arrives at the end of the game. There are also harder difficulty levels that add more incarnations of Wu-Feng, in which to win, you must defeat all of them.
There are many more ways to lose, however. The players lose if three of the village's tiles are haunted, if the draw pile is emptied while the incarnation of Wu-Feng is still in play, or if all the priests are dead.
It is hard game but the strategy to this game is excellent cause you have to think about your moves and what to do next. That and the clock is ticking down to one of the ten Wu-Feng Minions. Also if 3 village spaces get crushed than you lose. Also the luck of the dice and the cards. The strategy is ten fold. Its hard but a excellent game and a must play game. Buy it if you havent already cause its a must. If you want to learn more or see a runthrough of the game go to BoardGameGeek, Rahdo Runthroughs or Dice Tower Reviews.
Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland
Book
Dying of Whiteness is What's the Matter with Kansas but with an emphasis on public health. In the...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Blood for Blood (Wolf By Wolf #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Ryan Graudin blew readers away with her alternate historical novel <i>Wolf by Wolf</i>. Now it is time to conclude the imaginative narrative with the highly anticipated sequel, <i>Blood for Blood. </i>Continuing from the precise moment Yael pulled the trigger on the Führer’s doppelgänger, the reader is thrown into a lively story of twists and turns, where danger lives around every corner.
To recap, it is 1956 and Hitler has won the war. Germany, or Germania, is ruling over Europe and many countries in Asia and Africa. Yael is a Jewish girl who a doctor experimented on whilst she was detained in a concentration camp. As a result of the brutal medical treatment, Yael is a successful result of the Doppelgänger Project – she can now change her physical appearance and anatomy at will.<i> Wolf by Wolf</i> focused on Yael and the resistance’s attempt to win a prestigious motorcycle race in order to get close to the Führer and end his life. As it turns out, Yael is not the only person with this skin shifting ability.
On the run with the entire world knowing her secret, Yael is desperate to make contact with the resistance leaders and continue with their plot to assassinate Hitler. However, unable to leave innocent people to suffer at the hands of the National Socialists, Yael ends up being accompanied and hindered by two Aryan boys, Luka and Felix. Yet with no way of knowing who can be trusted, Yael is taking a fatal risk by helping others instead of saving herself.
Despite circumstances, the blossoming romance that began to advance toward the end of the first book continues to feature in <i>Blood for Blood</i> as characters begin to rely on and trust each other. Nonetheless, constant plot developments obstruct all thoughts of a happy ending. Clever twists and gradually emerging truths prevent any opportunity for rest or safety.
<i>Wolf by Wolf </i>was an exciting, new concept for young adult readers, answering a “what if” question about the second world war. Yet the historical setting – albeit fictional – was impeded by the focus on the Axis Tour as characters raced from Germania to Tokyo. In contrast, <i>Blood for Blood</i> leaves all distractions behind, giving full attention to the life and danger under Hitler’s dictatorship. Despite Germany/Germania’s triumphant win, war is still raging throughout Europe. Anyone not meeting the Aryan description is at risk of death or deportment. Strictly speaking, the situation described must look similar, if not the same, as the true result of Nazi ruling.
Ryan Graudin is a formidable writer with the ability to make fiction seem like reality. Despite the added science fiction twist, the imaginative scenario is so well researched and planned that it becomes almost believable. Graudin comes at the story from so many directions, evidencing the effort put into creating the thrilling plot. It is one thing to be able to string words together, but to make them come alive it takes a genius.
<i>Blood for Blood</i> is by far the better of the two novels, making it the perfect conclusion to a fantastic two-part story. Beginning with explosive action and not stopping until its heart-wrenching conclusion, <i>Blood for Blood</i> will satisfy readers of all ages and genres. Those who have read <i>Wolf by Wolf</i> definitely must get their hands on this amazing sequel. You will not be disappointed.
Ryan Graudin blew readers away with her alternate historical novel <i>Wolf by Wolf</i>. Now it is time to conclude the imaginative narrative with the highly anticipated sequel, <i>Blood for Blood. </i>Continuing from the precise moment Yael pulled the trigger on the Führer’s doppelgänger, the reader is thrown into a lively story of twists and turns, where danger lives around every corner.
To recap, it is 1956 and Hitler has won the war. Germany, or Germania, is ruling over Europe and many countries in Asia and Africa. Yael is a Jewish girl who a doctor experimented on whilst she was detained in a concentration camp. As a result of the brutal medical treatment, Yael is a successful result of the Doppelgänger Project – she can now change her physical appearance and anatomy at will.<i> Wolf by Wolf</i> focused on Yael and the resistance’s attempt to win a prestigious motorcycle race in order to get close to the Führer and end his life. As it turns out, Yael is not the only person with this skin shifting ability.
On the run with the entire world knowing her secret, Yael is desperate to make contact with the resistance leaders and continue with their plot to assassinate Hitler. However, unable to leave innocent people to suffer at the hands of the National Socialists, Yael ends up being accompanied and hindered by two Aryan boys, Luka and Felix. Yet with no way of knowing who can be trusted, Yael is taking a fatal risk by helping others instead of saving herself.
Despite circumstances, the blossoming romance that began to advance toward the end of the first book continues to feature in <i>Blood for Blood</i> as characters begin to rely on and trust each other. Nonetheless, constant plot developments obstruct all thoughts of a happy ending. Clever twists and gradually emerging truths prevent any opportunity for rest or safety.
<i>Wolf by Wolf </i>was an exciting, new concept for young adult readers, answering a “what if” question about the second world war. Yet the historical setting – albeit fictional – was impeded by the focus on the Axis Tour as characters raced from Germania to Tokyo. In contrast, <i>Blood for Blood</i> leaves all distractions behind, giving full attention to the life and danger under Hitler’s dictatorship. Despite Germany/Germania’s triumphant win, war is still raging throughout Europe. Anyone not meeting the Aryan description is at risk of death or deportment. Strictly speaking, the situation described must look similar, if not the same, as the true result of Nazi ruling.
Ryan Graudin is a formidable writer with the ability to make fiction seem like reality. Despite the added science fiction twist, the imaginative scenario is so well researched and planned that it becomes almost believable. Graudin comes at the story from so many directions, evidencing the effort put into creating the thrilling plot. It is one thing to be able to string words together, but to make them come alive it takes a genius.
<i>Blood for Blood</i> is by far the better of the two novels, making it the perfect conclusion to a fantastic two-part story. Beginning with explosive action and not stopping until its heart-wrenching conclusion, <i>Blood for Blood</i> will satisfy readers of all ages and genres. Those who have read <i>Wolf by Wolf</i> definitely must get their hands on this amazing sequel. You will not be disappointed.
The Art of Losing by The Anchoress
Album
AWARD-WINNING WELSH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST THE ANCHORESS RETURNS WITH HER CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SECOND...
Missing Piece (Neon Scars #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
When addiction recovery meets immortal obsession, some hungers can't be cured—they can only be...
Dark MM Paranormal Romance
Mosfet Handbook
Catalogs and Reference
App
Welcome to the MOSFET Handbook app. This app will guide you to know, choose, select and design your...
21st Century Point and Figure: New and Advanced Techniques for Using Point and Figure Charts
Book
Advancing Point and Figure in the 21st Century Point and Figure has been around for over 130 years...