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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Black Adam (2022) in Movies
Oct 25, 2022
About As Middle-Of-The-Road As You Can Get
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has been criticized by many (including the BankofMarquis) for being too dark, dour and somber. The powers-that-be at DC clearly have heard that criticism and with their latest installment - BLACK ADAM - they ditched that grim tone.
If only they would have spent time on character and plot development instead of blowing things up and dispatching nameless/faceless henchmen.
Based on a DC Comics character the BankofMarquis knew nothing about - and featuring SOME characters from DC that the BankofMarquis had heard of (o’k, one character, Hawkman), BLACK ADAM stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular anti-hero who comes out of hibernation after about 5,000 years to exact vengeance on those who wronged him.
It’s a tricky line to walk when you are working with an anti-hero bent on death and destruction, but it can be done if you bring some humanity and humility to the character and have this anti-hero character go on some sort of journey of discovery along the way.
While this film succeeds for the most part in bringing a lighter tone and some fun to the proceedings, it seems that Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan) and the trio of writers that penned this weak script opted to play it safe and didn’t go too dark (at the beginning) or too “Super-Heroey” (if that is a word) at the end, so what you get is a safe, middle-of-the-road entertainment that is “good enough” and (this is damning with faint praise), one of the better offerings in the DCEU.
Let’s start with the Johnson in the titular role. The film (and film-makers) play down Johnson’s inherent charm throughout the film - to the detriment of all. Johnson plays Black Adam with a focus of purpose and a lack of awareness and humor. While this could have been played with great effect neither Johnson nor Director Collet-Serra leans into this enough to make it a strong part of the offering. True, Johnson’s inherent charisma and screen presence shines through no matter how much it is attempted to be tamped down, but the character just comes off as plain vanilla.
Of course, Johnson’s physical form has never looked better and he excels in the action sequences - which are plentiful and full of explosions and destruction (destruction that is never commented on). These scenes overwhelm the story and the plot - and is one of the reasons that this film doesn’t rise above decent. It has lots of blowing things up and SuperHeroes going “smashy-smashy” with no real emotional resonance or consequence to them.
As for the other actors in this film, Aldis Hodge (ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI) is strong as the only DC Character previous known to the BankofMarquis - Hawkman. He is a welcome addition to this universe and it would be great if he showed up in more DCEU films - including adding him to any Justice League films.
Sarah Shahi (PERSON OF INTEREST on TV) is always a welcome sight in a film - and she more than capably fills in as the representative of the filmgoing audience as the human who is wrapped up the proceedings of these SuperHeroes while Mohammed Amer (the TV series RAMY) provides strong comic relief as Shahi’s brother.
Unfortunately, the film felt the need to put in 2 teenage Superheroes (I guess to appeal to their target audience) in the guise of Atom Smasher, Noah Centineo (THE PERFECT DATE) and Cyclone, Quintessa Swindell (the TV Series IN TREATMENT). These are both decent enough - and good looking enough - performers to put on screen, and they both would look good in a CW TV Series like THE FLASH, but their characters are pointless in this film. They are add-ons that don’t really add anything to the events.
And then there is good ol’ former James Bond Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, a character the BankofMarquis knew nothing about before this film, but now am clamoring for a standalone movie for Brosnan and this character. He was the best thing in this move and this veteran actor understood the assignment, bringing humor and gravitas when needed while doling out sage advice - Obi-Wan style - to both Hawkman and Black Adam throughout the film.
All-in-all, a decent time at the theater (the DCEU has certainly done worse), but, in the end, BLACK ADAM is as disposable as Cotton Candy, fun while it lasts, but not anything that will stay with you for any length of time.
Letter Grade: B (the most solid “B” that a film can have).
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
If only they would have spent time on character and plot development instead of blowing things up and dispatching nameless/faceless henchmen.
Based on a DC Comics character the BankofMarquis knew nothing about - and featuring SOME characters from DC that the BankofMarquis had heard of (o’k, one character, Hawkman), BLACK ADAM stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular anti-hero who comes out of hibernation after about 5,000 years to exact vengeance on those who wronged him.
It’s a tricky line to walk when you are working with an anti-hero bent on death and destruction, but it can be done if you bring some humanity and humility to the character and have this anti-hero character go on some sort of journey of discovery along the way.
While this film succeeds for the most part in bringing a lighter tone and some fun to the proceedings, it seems that Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan) and the trio of writers that penned this weak script opted to play it safe and didn’t go too dark (at the beginning) or too “Super-Heroey” (if that is a word) at the end, so what you get is a safe, middle-of-the-road entertainment that is “good enough” and (this is damning with faint praise), one of the better offerings in the DCEU.
Let’s start with the Johnson in the titular role. The film (and film-makers) play down Johnson’s inherent charm throughout the film - to the detriment of all. Johnson plays Black Adam with a focus of purpose and a lack of awareness and humor. While this could have been played with great effect neither Johnson nor Director Collet-Serra leans into this enough to make it a strong part of the offering. True, Johnson’s inherent charisma and screen presence shines through no matter how much it is attempted to be tamped down, but the character just comes off as plain vanilla.
Of course, Johnson’s physical form has never looked better and he excels in the action sequences - which are plentiful and full of explosions and destruction (destruction that is never commented on). These scenes overwhelm the story and the plot - and is one of the reasons that this film doesn’t rise above decent. It has lots of blowing things up and SuperHeroes going “smashy-smashy” with no real emotional resonance or consequence to them.
As for the other actors in this film, Aldis Hodge (ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI) is strong as the only DC Character previous known to the BankofMarquis - Hawkman. He is a welcome addition to this universe and it would be great if he showed up in more DCEU films - including adding him to any Justice League films.
Sarah Shahi (PERSON OF INTEREST on TV) is always a welcome sight in a film - and she more than capably fills in as the representative of the filmgoing audience as the human who is wrapped up the proceedings of these SuperHeroes while Mohammed Amer (the TV series RAMY) provides strong comic relief as Shahi’s brother.
Unfortunately, the film felt the need to put in 2 teenage Superheroes (I guess to appeal to their target audience) in the guise of Atom Smasher, Noah Centineo (THE PERFECT DATE) and Cyclone, Quintessa Swindell (the TV Series IN TREATMENT). These are both decent enough - and good looking enough - performers to put on screen, and they both would look good in a CW TV Series like THE FLASH, but their characters are pointless in this film. They are add-ons that don’t really add anything to the events.
And then there is good ol’ former James Bond Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, a character the BankofMarquis knew nothing about before this film, but now am clamoring for a standalone movie for Brosnan and this character. He was the best thing in this move and this veteran actor understood the assignment, bringing humor and gravitas when needed while doling out sage advice - Obi-Wan style - to both Hawkman and Black Adam throughout the film.
All-in-all, a decent time at the theater (the DCEU has certainly done worse), but, in the end, BLACK ADAM is as disposable as Cotton Candy, fun while it lasts, but not anything that will stay with you for any length of time.
Letter Grade: B (the most solid “B” that a film can have).
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Delivers EXACTLY what is expected - and that's a good thing
If you are heading into the multi-plex to check out FAST AND FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW, the 9th(!) entry in the Fast and Furious Universe, you pretty much know (and expect) what you are about to watch.
And HOBBS & SHAW does not disappoint - delivering over-the-top action with unsinkable heroes and unblinking villains battling each other with explosions galore and disposable henchmen being...well...disposed of left and right.
Reprising their roles as "Lawman" Luke Hobbs and "Outcast" Deckard Shaw (F&F terms for them) are the charismatic Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the smoldering Jason Statham. Their two characters can't stand each other, so - naturally - they are forced to work in concert with each other to stop Super-Villain Brixton (Edris Elba). Can these 2 "frenemies" learn to put aside their differences and work together to stop a Villain that they cannot stop by themselves?
What do you think?
But...it's the journey...not the destination that's the fun of this film and this film is fun, fun, fun, indeed. Both Johnson and Statham know EXACTLY what type of film they are in - and know what their core audience is coming to this film to see - and they deliver in spades. They are perfect for these characters and are perfectly paired together. While the script, at times, seemed forced, these 2 action SuperStars make even the clunkiest of dialogue work and they are "game" for whatever is thrown at them.
Elba joins in strongly as the villain and newcomer (at least to this franchise) Vanessa Kirby (the White Widow in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT) just as strongly counterbalances all 3 of them as the "McGuffin" of this film - the thing that the good guys and the bad guys are fighting each other for. Dame Helen Mirren is back as the criminal mother of Statham's character and she understands what type of film she's in as well. So does Eddie Marsan, who looks like he is having an absolute ball as a scientist brought into the fray.
There are also 2 "secret cameos" in this film that are fun - and I perked up in my seat when both of these cameos injected energy into this testosterone-infused flick.
Former Stuntman and Director David Leitch (DEADPOOL 2, ATOMIC BLONDE) throws a ton of action, car chases, guns, fights and explosions at the audience - all to good effect. His answer to bad acting and huge, implausible plot holes? Blow things up! And that works very, very well for this film. Leitch delivers exactly what is expected here - and that's just fine for me.
I was extremely entertained by this movie. I was in the mood for it - and it delivered exactly what I was looking for. Kind of like eating a good burger.
Letter Grade: A- (though, don't expect to break into "discussion groups" afterward)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
And HOBBS & SHAW does not disappoint - delivering over-the-top action with unsinkable heroes and unblinking villains battling each other with explosions galore and disposable henchmen being...well...disposed of left and right.
Reprising their roles as "Lawman" Luke Hobbs and "Outcast" Deckard Shaw (F&F terms for them) are the charismatic Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the smoldering Jason Statham. Their two characters can't stand each other, so - naturally - they are forced to work in concert with each other to stop Super-Villain Brixton (Edris Elba). Can these 2 "frenemies" learn to put aside their differences and work together to stop a Villain that they cannot stop by themselves?
What do you think?
But...it's the journey...not the destination that's the fun of this film and this film is fun, fun, fun, indeed. Both Johnson and Statham know EXACTLY what type of film they are in - and know what their core audience is coming to this film to see - and they deliver in spades. They are perfect for these characters and are perfectly paired together. While the script, at times, seemed forced, these 2 action SuperStars make even the clunkiest of dialogue work and they are "game" for whatever is thrown at them.
Elba joins in strongly as the villain and newcomer (at least to this franchise) Vanessa Kirby (the White Widow in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT) just as strongly counterbalances all 3 of them as the "McGuffin" of this film - the thing that the good guys and the bad guys are fighting each other for. Dame Helen Mirren is back as the criminal mother of Statham's character and she understands what type of film she's in as well. So does Eddie Marsan, who looks like he is having an absolute ball as a scientist brought into the fray.
There are also 2 "secret cameos" in this film that are fun - and I perked up in my seat when both of these cameos injected energy into this testosterone-infused flick.
Former Stuntman and Director David Leitch (DEADPOOL 2, ATOMIC BLONDE) throws a ton of action, car chases, guns, fights and explosions at the audience - all to good effect. His answer to bad acting and huge, implausible plot holes? Blow things up! And that works very, very well for this film. Leitch delivers exactly what is expected here - and that's just fine for me.
I was extremely entertained by this movie. I was in the mood for it - and it delivered exactly what I was looking for. Kind of like eating a good burger.
Letter Grade: A- (though, don't expect to break into "discussion groups" afterward)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Horror Stories: A Memoir by Liz Phair in Books
Feb 27, 2020
I wanted so badly to like this book, I really did. I've loved Liz Phair's music since the 90s, and I was pretty excited when I heard she'd written a memoir. But this.....this is not great.
It's a memoir, I KNOW it's a memoir, but there's no cohesive narrative and it kind of drives me nuts. It reads more like a collection of essays detailing specific pieces of her life, and it jumps all over the place. More disappointing, however, is that she comes across as kind of an asshole. I could forgive that, because hey, listen, we were all kind of assholes in our youth, no? But she seems so completely self-centered, self-involved, and spoiled that it rendered some of this very hard to get through, especially as I'd been fangirling about this book for a long time. I wanted to read about a bad ass indie rock queen, not a jerk who cheats on her husband for no discernible reason, thinks that throwing money at a cultural misunderstanding (that she caused) will make it go away, and whines about how the cute stock boy she's flirting with at Trader Joe's is actually engaged.
That being said, one of the final stories in the book very much got to me: she's at a lecture with her aging parents, and she's noticing how many of the attendees have trouble getting around due to their age and mobility issues. One of the older gentlemen attempts to get up to go outside, and he ends up falling in front of everyone, repeating over and over (with tears in his eyes) how embarrassed he is. She sees this, and once the gentlemen is seated next to her, she goes out of her way to bolster him (tells him he "fell like an athlete," then asks if he ever was an athlete), and holds a conversation with him throughout the remainder of the lecture to get his mind off of the entire incident. This act struck me as so kind that it almost redeems her for everything else in the book. And that is how Liz Phair was nearly able to bring me to tears at the tail end of a fairly lackluster memoir.
It's a memoir, I KNOW it's a memoir, but there's no cohesive narrative and it kind of drives me nuts. It reads more like a collection of essays detailing specific pieces of her life, and it jumps all over the place. More disappointing, however, is that she comes across as kind of an asshole. I could forgive that, because hey, listen, we were all kind of assholes in our youth, no? But she seems so completely self-centered, self-involved, and spoiled that it rendered some of this very hard to get through, especially as I'd been fangirling about this book for a long time. I wanted to read about a bad ass indie rock queen, not a jerk who cheats on her husband for no discernible reason, thinks that throwing money at a cultural misunderstanding (that she caused) will make it go away, and whines about how the cute stock boy she's flirting with at Trader Joe's is actually engaged.
That being said, one of the final stories in the book very much got to me: she's at a lecture with her aging parents, and she's noticing how many of the attendees have trouble getting around due to their age and mobility issues. One of the older gentlemen attempts to get up to go outside, and he ends up falling in front of everyone, repeating over and over (with tears in his eyes) how embarrassed he is. She sees this, and once the gentlemen is seated next to her, she goes out of her way to bolster him (tells him he "fell like an athlete," then asks if he ever was an athlete), and holds a conversation with him throughout the remainder of the lecture to get his mind off of the entire incident. This act struck me as so kind that it almost redeems her for everything else in the book. And that is how Liz Phair was nearly able to bring me to tears at the tail end of a fairly lackluster memoir.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated As You Were by Liam Gallagher in Music
Oct 6, 2017
Vocals Sound Great (3 more)
Musically Well Written
Good Production Level
High Energy
Predictable Lyrics (1 more)
Too Many Cheap Shots At Noel
Straightforward and To The Point
This record can be summed up in one work: simple.
This is a simple record both for the better and for the worse. This record contains some straightforward rock n' roll bangers, - songs like Wall Of Glass, Paper Crown, For What It's Worth and Bold - as well as some absolute derivative drivel - such as Chinatown, I Never Wanna Be Like You and I Get By. Luckily I'd say the record is about 70% good tunes and 30% garbage.
In terms of the record's sound, I was hoping for something similar to the stuff that Liam penned during the late era of Oasis. I'm Outta Time, from the last Oasis record is one of the best things Liam has ever written in my opinion, so I was hoping for that sort of sound and on this record I got it, (well for 70% of it anyway.) There is also undoubtedly a defiant energy present throughout the album as well, which carries some of the lesser songs on the album and saves them from being totally skip-able. As much as people have doubted Liam in the last few years, due to the underwhelming Beady Eye records and subsequent split and everything that has occurred in his personal life etc, he clearly still believes in himself very firmly and you can feel this brilliant sense of resilience throughout the record's runtime. That's another thing this album has going for it, it is very light on its feet and it never overstays its welcome. The total runtime is just shy of 45 minutes, with each of the fifteen songs hitting around the 4 minute mark, all either slightly above or below that duration which creates this great pace that compliments the album's energy perfectly.
For those of you that were doubtful about this record, as you've already heard what Liam without Noel sounds like in the form of Beady Eye, rest assured; this record is a million times better than either of the Beady Eye records. One thing that surprised me on this record, even though I know how Liam is, was how many times he takes a shot at Noel on it. Every second song is a pop at him and he's not even subtle about it. I know Liam is famous for his big mouth, but I naively thought that this time he was more focused on making a decent record than just slagging off his brother, which he does every day on Twitter anyway. Another downside is the lyrics on some tracks, you can see the next line coming from a mile away and some of the words he uses to rhyme are cringe-worthy. Don't get me wrong, there are some moments of potential greatness on this album as well and at times, it does reach the euphoric heights of some of the old Oasis tracks in terms of the way it makes you feel as a listener.
The production value is well done on this record as well, in the sense that Liam's voice sounds youthful and powerful on the record in contrast to how his voice sounds fairly used up during live gigs, but this is a review of As You Were as an album, not a review of Liam Gallagher's singing voice. The musicianship is also solid throughout with some drum beats you can't help but tap along to and some mega guitar solos.
Overall, I think that this record proved a lot of people wrong and took more than a few people by surprise. Sure, Liam didn't write many of the songs himself, but he does have something to say with this record and it feels impactful. Even if you don't like the music on a technical level, it's hard to fault the guy's resilient, defiant energy that he suitably weaves into this record.
This is a simple record both for the better and for the worse. This record contains some straightforward rock n' roll bangers, - songs like Wall Of Glass, Paper Crown, For What It's Worth and Bold - as well as some absolute derivative drivel - such as Chinatown, I Never Wanna Be Like You and I Get By. Luckily I'd say the record is about 70% good tunes and 30% garbage.
In terms of the record's sound, I was hoping for something similar to the stuff that Liam penned during the late era of Oasis. I'm Outta Time, from the last Oasis record is one of the best things Liam has ever written in my opinion, so I was hoping for that sort of sound and on this record I got it, (well for 70% of it anyway.) There is also undoubtedly a defiant energy present throughout the album as well, which carries some of the lesser songs on the album and saves them from being totally skip-able. As much as people have doubted Liam in the last few years, due to the underwhelming Beady Eye records and subsequent split and everything that has occurred in his personal life etc, he clearly still believes in himself very firmly and you can feel this brilliant sense of resilience throughout the record's runtime. That's another thing this album has going for it, it is very light on its feet and it never overstays its welcome. The total runtime is just shy of 45 minutes, with each of the fifteen songs hitting around the 4 minute mark, all either slightly above or below that duration which creates this great pace that compliments the album's energy perfectly.
For those of you that were doubtful about this record, as you've already heard what Liam without Noel sounds like in the form of Beady Eye, rest assured; this record is a million times better than either of the Beady Eye records. One thing that surprised me on this record, even though I know how Liam is, was how many times he takes a shot at Noel on it. Every second song is a pop at him and he's not even subtle about it. I know Liam is famous for his big mouth, but I naively thought that this time he was more focused on making a decent record than just slagging off his brother, which he does every day on Twitter anyway. Another downside is the lyrics on some tracks, you can see the next line coming from a mile away and some of the words he uses to rhyme are cringe-worthy. Don't get me wrong, there are some moments of potential greatness on this album as well and at times, it does reach the euphoric heights of some of the old Oasis tracks in terms of the way it makes you feel as a listener.
The production value is well done on this record as well, in the sense that Liam's voice sounds youthful and powerful on the record in contrast to how his voice sounds fairly used up during live gigs, but this is a review of As You Were as an album, not a review of Liam Gallagher's singing voice. The musicianship is also solid throughout with some drum beats you can't help but tap along to and some mega guitar solos.
Overall, I think that this record proved a lot of people wrong and took more than a few people by surprise. Sure, Liam didn't write many of the songs himself, but he does have something to say with this record and it feels impactful. Even if you don't like the music on a technical level, it's hard to fault the guy's resilient, defiant energy that he suitably weaves into this record.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Borrowing Blue: Made Marian Series Book 1 in Books
Apr 3, 2018
Borrowing Blue (Made Marian #1) by Lucy Lennox
Borrowing Blue is the first book in the Made Marian series, and it has immediately made me want to go out and buy the rest of the series! Blue and Tristan are amazing, and I love them both so much! Jeremy is a douche, and I feel sorry for Brad. As for Tristan's brother and ex-wife, I tried to like them, I really did. In fact, I probably like her more than him, because at least she was nice to Blue! Set mainly in a vineyard, this book is a feel-good book, but with enough angst to keep you on your toes. There are also some laugh out loud moments, and plenty of steam coming off the pages too.
Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this book grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go until I'd finished it. Blue and Tristan are absolutely perfect for each other, although I love the Marian family as a whole. I really can't wait to read more. I just hope that Granny, Irene, and Aunt Tilly pay frequent visits, because they ROCK! Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this book grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go until I'd finished it. Blue and Tristan are absolutely perfect for each other, although I love the Marian family as a whole. I really can't wait to read more. I just hope that Granny, Irene, and Aunt Tilly pay frequent visits, because they ROCK! Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Beth Ditto recommended Nunsexmonkrick by Nina Hagen in Music (curated)
Brendan Benson recommended track Girl U Want by Devo in Greatest Hits by Devo in Music (curated)
David Byrne recommended La Incompara Celia by Celia Cruz in Music (curated)
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Leaving is My Colour in Books
Nov 14, 2018
<i>'I'm not looking for ecstasy at the foot of an altar or some cataclysmic, earth-shattering experience. All I want is to be enough for one person. For just one person to love me best. I want for one person to like me enough not to want to put his dick into another person'.</i>
____ 4.5 'Dysfunctional' stars
This book appealed to my dark sense of humour so much. Rachel is smart, witty and very funny, she is lost, dysfunctional and a little bit crazy. I liked her a lot.
After her family becomes very wealthy, Rachel gets mixed up in numerous failed marriages, drink, drugs and many trips to rehab. All she wants is to escape from the pits of 'rock-bottom', but can she do this by chasing unrealistic expectations? Will she accept help from her ultimately flawed family? This is her story.
____ 4.5 'Dysfunctional' stars
This book appealed to my dark sense of humour so much. Rachel is smart, witty and very funny, she is lost, dysfunctional and a little bit crazy. I liked her a lot.
After her family becomes very wealthy, Rachel gets mixed up in numerous failed marriages, drink, drugs and many trips to rehab. All she wants is to escape from the pits of 'rock-bottom', but can she do this by chasing unrealistic expectations? Will she accept help from her ultimately flawed family? This is her story.