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Movie Critics (823 KP) rated Ghost in the Shell (2017) in Movies
Apr 14, 2017
Ghost in the Shell review – Scarlett Johansson remake lacks mystery
Critic Review by Peter Bradshaw - The Guardian
Original Score: 3 out of 5
Excerpt:
"Johansson is always convincing as the robot Major: perhaps it was her unseen voice role as the Siri-type computer presence in Spike Jonze’s Her which made her a shoo-in for the part. Her acting style is just elusive or unreadable enough to make her plausible here. This movie gives us the shell, but not so much of the ghost".
Full review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/29/ghost-in-the-shell-review-scarlett-johansson-remake
Original Score: 3 out of 5
Excerpt:
"Johansson is always convincing as the robot Major: perhaps it was her unseen voice role as the Siri-type computer presence in Spike Jonze’s Her which made her a shoo-in for the part. Her acting style is just elusive or unreadable enough to make her plausible here. This movie gives us the shell, but not so much of the ghost".
Full review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/29/ghost-in-the-shell-review-scarlett-johansson-remake
Daisy (14 KP) rated Fallout 4 in Video Games
Aug 30, 2017
Graphics are awesome (2 more)
Attack Dog
Kick A** Robot
Love this game!
I love this game as you never get bored of it! I love upgrading the Sanctuary and other areas. I like the fact that you can have a kick a** partner. I actually added a Mod and had attack dogs protecting my Sanctuary and safe places, I put a wall around the places for added security, and you can have a Mutant Hound as a pet (he is named Baskerville).
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Chappie (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
A little rough around the edges
District 9 was a tough act to follow for first-time director Neill Blomkamp. His follow up to 2009’s sci-fi sleeper hit was the mediocre Elysium that whilst having a gargantuan budget and the likes of Jodie Foster and Matt Damon, failed on the most basic of levels – storytelling.
Here, Blomkamp returns a little wiser and much richer with Chappie. But does it hark back to the brilliance of District 9?
Chappie follows the story of the titular robot, created by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), as he grows up in the violent city of Johannesburg. Due to the increasing crime rates, Wilson has created a force of robotic police officers, known as Scouts.
Despite the gritty nature of the film, the cityscapes are stunning with the sweeping shots of the South African metropolis perfectly blended with claustrophobic ruins and towering skyscrapers.
Hugh Jackman stars as ex-soldier Vincent Moore, a man hell bent on proving the capabilities of his own robot, The Moose, even if that means going against the protocols of his employers Tetravaal. Sigourney Weaver also stars as the CEO of the aforementioned corporation.
Unfortunately, side-lining Jackman and to a greater extent Weaver hurts the film. We see Chappie grow from a young child-like robot through to a young adult but Jackman and Weaver only show their faces for very brief moments at a time, though they manage to show their prowess in each scene.
Instead, we are lumbered with real-life pop group Die Antwoord in two roles as Chappie’s ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, and despite their decent acting skills and intriguing screen presence, they fail to make as much of an impression as the big names.
Chappie hits home hard and often on just how violent a species we are and the fact that the titular robot doesn’t understand why we can be so cruel only deepens the emotional connection forged for him.
Sharlto Copley, a Blomkamp staple, must be given high praise for crafting such a brilliant cast-member in the motion-captured Chappie. The robot rivals Caesar from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes for sheer realism, and credit must be given to the entire crew for making us feel for a character that has very few human characteristics.
Nevertheless, there is a real issue with the film’s narrative. There are moments of comedic brilliance that are hastily juxtaposed with ones of
sadness and gore, and despite Blomkamp’s best efforts to merge them together, it fails and this becomes increasingly evident in the film’s admittedly exciting finale.
Pacing, a blight that plagued Elysium, is again a problem here. The first 40 minutes of the film drag to such an extent that it feels much longer than its 2 hour running time. This is a huge shame as once it gets going, Chappie rarely lets up until the end credits roll.
Overall, despite not reaching the dizzying heights of the brilliant District 9, director Neill Blomkamp is back on the right track and has crafted a beautifully shot, richly detailed and hugely emotional film – despite his insistence on pushing the most intriguing human characters into the background.
Like the titular character himself, Chappie is charming, if a little rough around the edges and has a lack of story definition, but if you’re a fan of Blomkamp’s work, there’s no reason why you’d be disappointed with what’s on offer.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/03/08/a-little-rough-around-the-edges-chappie-review/
Here, Blomkamp returns a little wiser and much richer with Chappie. But does it hark back to the brilliance of District 9?
Chappie follows the story of the titular robot, created by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), as he grows up in the violent city of Johannesburg. Due to the increasing crime rates, Wilson has created a force of robotic police officers, known as Scouts.
Despite the gritty nature of the film, the cityscapes are stunning with the sweeping shots of the South African metropolis perfectly blended with claustrophobic ruins and towering skyscrapers.
Hugh Jackman stars as ex-soldier Vincent Moore, a man hell bent on proving the capabilities of his own robot, The Moose, even if that means going against the protocols of his employers Tetravaal. Sigourney Weaver also stars as the CEO of the aforementioned corporation.
Unfortunately, side-lining Jackman and to a greater extent Weaver hurts the film. We see Chappie grow from a young child-like robot through to a young adult but Jackman and Weaver only show their faces for very brief moments at a time, though they manage to show their prowess in each scene.
Instead, we are lumbered with real-life pop group Die Antwoord in two roles as Chappie’s ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, and despite their decent acting skills and intriguing screen presence, they fail to make as much of an impression as the big names.
Chappie hits home hard and often on just how violent a species we are and the fact that the titular robot doesn’t understand why we can be so cruel only deepens the emotional connection forged for him.
Sharlto Copley, a Blomkamp staple, must be given high praise for crafting such a brilliant cast-member in the motion-captured Chappie. The robot rivals Caesar from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes for sheer realism, and credit must be given to the entire crew for making us feel for a character that has very few human characteristics.
Nevertheless, there is a real issue with the film’s narrative. There are moments of comedic brilliance that are hastily juxtaposed with ones of
sadness and gore, and despite Blomkamp’s best efforts to merge them together, it fails and this becomes increasingly evident in the film’s admittedly exciting finale.
Pacing, a blight that plagued Elysium, is again a problem here. The first 40 minutes of the film drag to such an extent that it feels much longer than its 2 hour running time. This is a huge shame as once it gets going, Chappie rarely lets up until the end credits roll.
Overall, despite not reaching the dizzying heights of the brilliant District 9, director Neill Blomkamp is back on the right track and has crafted a beautifully shot, richly detailed and hugely emotional film – despite his insistence on pushing the most intriguing human characters into the background.
Like the titular character himself, Chappie is charming, if a little rough around the edges and has a lack of story definition, but if you’re a fan of Blomkamp’s work, there’s no reason why you’d be disappointed with what’s on offer.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/03/08/a-little-rough-around-the-edges-chappie-review/
Rickstrong23 (216 KP) rated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in Movies
Dec 6, 2017
Starwars prequel
I really loved this movie as far as starwars goes .it s beautiful futureistic settings.strong characters who arnt made for just verry young kids .its verry teen to adult storyline.lots of action beliveable and even the smartmouth empire robot is funny yet not too over powering.ive watched this movie 3 times and could watch again.id have ranked it ahead of the first two made starwars movies but they were the first two and still hold a huge place in my heart...well worth the watch.
Shaun Collins (3 KP) rated Doctor Who: The Justice of Jalxar in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Nice solid story with a lot of fun elements. The Doctor and Romana stop off in Victorian England and meet up with... Jago and Lightfoot, which EVERY Who story could use more of. The characterizations are wonderful and just as you remember, without all the prejudicial and racist overtones of Talons. The story may not be more than just standard adventure fare (alien tech falls to earth, gets misused) but a Judge Dredd style robot exercising justice based on how guilty you feel is a neat idea. For a full review, visit www.travelingthevortex.com.
Sheridan (209 KP) rated Autómata (2014) in Movies
Jul 18, 2017
A Little Slow but an Interesting Story
All robots have 2 protocols, one is to never harm a living thing, the other is the inability to alter themselves. Something goes wrong and insurance agent Jacq is left to figure out what the hell happened. It's a little slow to start but the story is interesting (except for this really really f**king weird bit where Jacq gets drunk). Feels a little like I, Robot though so I don't know how I feel about it. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't watch it again.
When their friend's father is robbed of a rare comic book, Nick and Tesla use their new self-built robots to try to find the thief.
Kids will enjoy this one. The characters are better than the first and in keeping with a middle grade novel. The plot is strong and actually threw a twist in there that surprised me.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Amazon's Vine Program.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-review-nick-and-teslas-robot-army.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kids will enjoy this one. The characters are better than the first and in keeping with a middle grade novel. The plot is strong and actually threw a twist in there that surprised me.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Amazon's Vine Program.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-review-nick-and-teslas-robot-army.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Big Hero 6, Vol. 1 in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
I received Disney's Big Hero 6, vol. 1 from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review of the book. I am a person who loved all things Disney. When I entered to review this book I was not expecting it to be a comic book. Comic books are not something I enjoy typically. This book is about a boy named Hiro who is a genius and dreams of being an inventor like his older brother. The book takes an unexpected turn when Hiro's old brother vanishes while saving his life. Hiro was devastated. Hiro had every right to sulk in his grief and be lonely and blame himself for his brothers disappearance, but instead he develops a friendship with his brother's last invention; a health-care companion robot named Baymax. The robot was exactly what Hiro needed to get back up on his feet. Baymax and Hiro go on many adventures which helps Hiro to not be as lonely. The book follows the plot of the movie closely but the author has his own twist to it.
I received Disney's Big Hero 6, vol. 1 from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review of the book. I am a person who loved all things Disney. When I entered to review this book I was not expecting it to be a comic book. Comic books are not something I enjoy typically. This book is about a boy named Hiro who is a genius and dreams of being an inventor like his older brother. The book takes an unexpected turn when Hiro's old brother vanishes while saving his life. Hiro was devastated. Hiro had every right to sulk in his grief and be lonely and blame himself for his brothers disappearance, but instead he develops a friendship with his brother's last invention; a health-care companion robot named Baymax. The robot was exactly what Hiro needed to get back up on his feet. Baymax and Hiro go on many adventures which helps Hiro to not be as lonely. The book follows the plot of the movie closely but the author has his own twist to it.
David McK (3233 KP) rated Real Steel (2011) in Movies
Dec 6, 2020
Rock em Sock em Robots?
Feel good family film that plays like a version of Rocky, in a future (of 2020!) where robot boxing has replaced the real thing, with Hugh Jackman portraying a down on his luck boxer who reconnects with his estranged 11 year old son over a summer period, following the demise of his ex.
All the main beats from Rocky are here: the rags to riches story, the romance/love story bit, the final boxing match against an opponent named after a Greek God...
(NB that's not to say this isn't enjoyable: it is!)
All the main beats from Rocky are here: the rags to riches story, the romance/love story bit, the final boxing match against an opponent named after a Greek God...
(NB that's not to say this isn't enjoyable: it is!)
