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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Mar 10, 2018 (Updated Mar 10, 2018)
Strong representation for a change
Hooray for Hollywood for finally making a film in which black people are portrayed as strong and advanced individuals, and more strikingly - an alternative vision of an Africa uncolonised.
In comparison to the other representative blockbuster @Wonder Woman (2017), Black Panther had a less two dimensional villain, and a more developed plot.
Instead of an evil Nazi general or a God of War, who have no other reason to destroy humanity but for the sake of it, Killimonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, is understandably troubled living in destitute conditions as an African American fighting an oppressive system.
His anger manifests in his sense of entitlement, of a life that was stolen from him, and feeling betrayed by those in power who could have rescued him. It is similar to the relationship between Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men series where there is still a deep respect between the two and the attempt to solve humanity's problems in differing ways. Here, Marvel continues to excel in story-telling where DC falls behind.
T'challa is also fallible, he is human after all, and so he shows his vulnerability during one-on-one combats, unlike Wonder Woman who is an all powerful weapon to fight the gods. Here, the women in Black Panther surpass other superhero movies as generals, warriors and activists with more than a love interest type role, although some characters played both.
And while I'm not actually a massive fan of the genre - it is a cultural feat to watch diversity on the screens, which is why I'll continue to like Wonder Woman, while profoundly admiring Black Panther. #WakandaForever
In comparison to the other representative blockbuster @Wonder Woman (2017), Black Panther had a less two dimensional villain, and a more developed plot.
Instead of an evil Nazi general or a God of War, who have no other reason to destroy humanity but for the sake of it, Killimonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, is understandably troubled living in destitute conditions as an African American fighting an oppressive system.
His anger manifests in his sense of entitlement, of a life that was stolen from him, and feeling betrayed by those in power who could have rescued him. It is similar to the relationship between Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men series where there is still a deep respect between the two and the attempt to solve humanity's problems in differing ways. Here, Marvel continues to excel in story-telling where DC falls behind.
T'challa is also fallible, he is human after all, and so he shows his vulnerability during one-on-one combats, unlike Wonder Woman who is an all powerful weapon to fight the gods. Here, the women in Black Panther surpass other superhero movies as generals, warriors and activists with more than a love interest type role, although some characters played both.
And while I'm not actually a massive fan of the genre - it is a cultural feat to watch diversity on the screens, which is why I'll continue to like Wonder Woman, while profoundly admiring Black Panther. #WakandaForever
Bethany Fletcher (17 KP) rated Until Dawn in Video Games
Jun 25, 2018
Engrossing (1 more)
Good jump scares
This game is phenomenal! I sat and played the entire thing in one go. In the dark. Alone. If your in it for the scares definitely play it in the dark. If you are a bit more nervous play with the lights on. And a friend.
The spooks were good. They gave you enough time to chill and breathe before you had to react to the situation but not too much, you were still kept on your toes.
The graphics are incredible. They are realistic and engaging. The story was fantastic and took a supernatural twist I was not expecting but it just added a whole other level to the game. It felt like being in a movie.
The game mechanics were also very good. Having to swipe the touch pad on your controller to open the characters phones, having to hold the controller completely still to keep the sensor in the center in order to keep the characters still. All of these things add stress to the gamer but make it way more engaging than just pressing buttons.
The only real downfall for me was the constant recaps. About every 20 minutes there were recaps you couldn’t skip. If you only played for twenty minutes a time that’s great but most people don’t only sit down for 20 minutes to play a game so it is incredibly annoying. Apart from that this game was one of my favourites I played last year and I would absolutely recommend it for those who want a good engaging horror game.
The spooks were good. They gave you enough time to chill and breathe before you had to react to the situation but not too much, you were still kept on your toes.
The graphics are incredible. They are realistic and engaging. The story was fantastic and took a supernatural twist I was not expecting but it just added a whole other level to the game. It felt like being in a movie.
The game mechanics were also very good. Having to swipe the touch pad on your controller to open the characters phones, having to hold the controller completely still to keep the sensor in the center in order to keep the characters still. All of these things add stress to the gamer but make it way more engaging than just pressing buttons.
The only real downfall for me was the constant recaps. About every 20 minutes there were recaps you couldn’t skip. If you only played for twenty minutes a time that’s great but most people don’t only sit down for 20 minutes to play a game so it is incredibly annoying. Apart from that this game was one of my favourites I played last year and I would absolutely recommend it for those who want a good engaging horror game.
Akward (448 KP) rated Sea of Thieves in Video Games
Jul 22, 2018 (Updated Jul 22, 2018)
Graphics look great (1 more)
Cooperative
The entire game is a grind (2 more)
Player-vs-player interactions
Basically requires exactly 4 people
Rediculously Not Fun
This game is very, very bad for two reasons:
The entire game is a grind. The quests are all "go get this chicken" or "go kill this one guy." In order to complete the quests, you'll need to sail to a nearby island. But even sailing is a grind. Getting from one place to another requires 1 person steering, 1 person manning the sails, and 1 person on the map. At first, the cooperation is fun, but it gets old very quickly. Once you have completed the quest, you'll be rewarded with roughly 400 gold. Even the cheapest upgrades cost 8000 gold.
That brings us to the other killer: player interaction. While you are completing that quest, you had better hope that you don't run in to another player. Because that other player can easily sink your ship, killing those chickens that you just spent 15 minutes getting. This is likely fun if you are the attacker, but is aggressively unfun if you are the person who just lost an hour's worth of quest progression.
This game is not worth $40. You will be bored after 2 or 3 hours (if you even make it that long, there is no tutorial). It might be worth downloading if you have Gamepass, but even then I do not think that it is worth the space on your hard drive.
By the way, this is the first 1-star review I have ever given on Smashbomb. When I say this is the worst game I've ever played, I mean it.
The entire game is a grind. The quests are all "go get this chicken" or "go kill this one guy." In order to complete the quests, you'll need to sail to a nearby island. But even sailing is a grind. Getting from one place to another requires 1 person steering, 1 person manning the sails, and 1 person on the map. At first, the cooperation is fun, but it gets old very quickly. Once you have completed the quest, you'll be rewarded with roughly 400 gold. Even the cheapest upgrades cost 8000 gold.
That brings us to the other killer: player interaction. While you are completing that quest, you had better hope that you don't run in to another player. Because that other player can easily sink your ship, killing those chickens that you just spent 15 minutes getting. This is likely fun if you are the attacker, but is aggressively unfun if you are the person who just lost an hour's worth of quest progression.
This game is not worth $40. You will be bored after 2 or 3 hours (if you even make it that long, there is no tutorial). It might be worth downloading if you have Gamepass, but even then I do not think that it is worth the space on your hard drive.
By the way, this is the first 1-star review I have ever given on Smashbomb. When I say this is the worst game I've ever played, I mean it.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Inn at Hidden Run (Tree of Life #1) in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Hidden Run is a B&B in the small town of Canyon Mines, just outside of Denver, Colorado. When a stranger comes to town looking lost, Jillian and her father Nolan are determined to help her find her way. Meri comes from a family of doctors, but that is not what she wants to do. Maybe coming to Colorado, a place she last felt like herself will help her to find the future that is best for her.
Thank you to NetGalley & Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The title of this book really isn't fitting for what it contains. It's much more than the Inn. That is where Meri is situated while in Colorado, but it's really about the people in the town that help her when she is lost. Meri loves her family, but doesn't feel the calling to be a doctor like everyone else for generations has been. When she comes to Canyon Mines, Jillian, who is a genealogist, helps her to find her family roots and maybe explain while she feels the way she does.
I gave this book three stars, because it didn't grasp my attention right away. At times it felt as if the story line kept repeating the same things, like the author copy and pasted a line from one chapter to all the other chapters in the book. Overall the book is enjoyable, trading from modern day Colorado, to 1800's Memphis during the yellow fever outbreak. This is a good book for those the enjoy historical fiction. I did learn a lot about that epidemic which includes some very factual details in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley & Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The title of this book really isn't fitting for what it contains. It's much more than the Inn. That is where Meri is situated while in Colorado, but it's really about the people in the town that help her when she is lost. Meri loves her family, but doesn't feel the calling to be a doctor like everyone else for generations has been. When she comes to Canyon Mines, Jillian, who is a genealogist, helps her to find her family roots and maybe explain while she feels the way she does.
I gave this book three stars, because it didn't grasp my attention right away. At times it felt as if the story line kept repeating the same things, like the author copy and pasted a line from one chapter to all the other chapters in the book. Overall the book is enjoyable, trading from modern day Colorado, to 1800's Memphis during the yellow fever outbreak. This is a good book for those the enjoy historical fiction. I did learn a lot about that epidemic which includes some very factual details in this story.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Living With The Dominator: A Book About The Freedom Programme in Books
Dec 28, 2019
Be Free
The Freedom Programme was a course devised by the author and from what she learnt she wrote this book for those who can't attend so more (mainly women) can protect themselves from abuse. The chapters begin with a sentence of a statistic that will shock and chill you which shows domestic violence is a huge blight and consern in this country. Once the sentence shocks you the chapter describes a different type of abusor, his tactics, why he thinks like that and where he gets his thoughts from. What I really like about this book as well is each chapter then lists the opposite of how a partner should behave and how you should be treated.
Finally the book tells you the things you should look out for when starting a new relationship so you don't fall for another abusor. All in all I recommend every women reads this before they start dating and statistically if a handful of people are rearing this review then chances are at least one of you is in an abusive relationship. My message to you is this. You are here as you on this planet living your life just once. Go to the police today, don't think you don't want them to get in trouble, what they have done to you is wrong and they know what they have done is wrong, they deserve to be dealt with by the authorities and you deserve freedom.
Finally the book tells you the things you should look out for when starting a new relationship so you don't fall for another abusor. All in all I recommend every women reads this before they start dating and statistically if a handful of people are rearing this review then chances are at least one of you is in an abusive relationship. My message to you is this. You are here as you on this planet living your life just once. Go to the police today, don't think you don't want them to get in trouble, what they have done to you is wrong and they know what they have done is wrong, they deserve to be dealt with by the authorities and you deserve freedom.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Woman Who Wanted More in Books
Nov 6, 2019
I'm glad I got to review it. I wanted more
When this was sent to me I thought, why the hell has this been sent to me, ME, to review. A book most definitely in that category of 'Clit Lit'. It's a book about women and love and stuff, so again, why me? Well it does have two things I really like in it; food and old people. So I gave it a go and did I like it? Well yes actually. This is a dear little book full of real charm and that rare delight of real feeling when you read it. Kate, a nearly forty, very likeable character is in a decentish job with a boyfriend she is head over heals for but whose friends wish she was just over for. Enter Cecily, a grumpy old git who you can tell as soon as she opens her nasty little mouth and sharpens her wit, that you are going to love her and you do. These two ladies are delightful characters and you do want to spend time with them so this bloke right here did keep reading and looking forward to the next spare half an hour to continue their journey. This is a book about food ultimately but its about food as a metaphor and food as an accomplishment for life. And like some foods there is something just very comforting reading this novel, it is warm and charming even in the sad and tender moments. I really enjoyed this book and am now hoping they turn it into one of those great British rom coms that you shouldn't like but do.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2196 KP) rated Microphones and Murder in Books
Feb 12, 2020
Don’t Miss This Debut
Liv Olsen has spent a few years working on a popular true crime podcast, but now she’s decided to risk everything to start her own, Missing or Murdered. Working with her stepsister, Camry Lewis, she’s identified her first case. Just over ten years ago, Amelia Clark disappeared from Santa Maria, a town on central California’s coast, a week after an embarrassing video of her was posted on YouTube. The trail has long gone cold, but the retired detective who worked the case reached out to Liv, hoping that publicity would bring forward a new clue. As Liv begins to interview people who knew Amelia, she gets more questions than answers. What happen to Amelia all those years ago?
It’s always fun when a mystery opens with something other than a murder, and that’s what we get here. The missing person case was compelling, and it seemed the further I read, the more confusing the case became. However, everything came together for a satisfying solution before it was all over. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them immediately. I appreciated the character growth we saw here, and I can’t wait to see how these relationships grow in future books. The suspects are just as real and do a great job of confusing us. I did find out character who speaks with a stutter annoying, and there were a couple of scenes I could have done without, but these are both minor issues. On the other hand, I appreciated the book’s humor and found myself laughing several times. This is a delightful debut, and I will definitely be back when the sequel drops.
It’s always fun when a mystery opens with something other than a murder, and that’s what we get here. The missing person case was compelling, and it seemed the further I read, the more confusing the case became. However, everything came together for a satisfying solution before it was all over. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them immediately. I appreciated the character growth we saw here, and I can’t wait to see how these relationships grow in future books. The suspects are just as real and do a great job of confusing us. I did find out character who speaks with a stutter annoying, and there were a couple of scenes I could have done without, but these are both minor issues. On the other hand, I appreciated the book’s humor and found myself laughing several times. This is a delightful debut, and I will definitely be back when the sequel drops.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 14, 2020
403. The Invisible Man. One of the most uninteresting versions of this tale I've seen. It should be called The Woman that fled the Invisible Man, well he's not invisible during the actual fleeing, which is right at the start of the film. Cecilla wakes up in the middle of the night and books it from the compound, um, home, that she and husband Adrian share, because he's a controlling abusive dick, this has all happened at this point already. So with the help of her lawyer sister she escapes her psychopath boyfriend by stashing her with a cop friend James and his teen daughter. So they are totally safe here, I mean Cecilla can't go outside due to crippling fear, and the teen girl,are perfectly safe and can take care of themselves if Adrian, the psychopathic, rich genius could never get at them while policeman James is at work. But then, Adrian kills himself, and leaves Cece 5 million bucks. Yay she's safe. Then for the next hour, she stares into corners and hears things, and thinks Adrian is there but invisible, because he's a rich genius and has a thing in his basement that looks like you can strap a person into it! But when this invisible Adrian starts killing people and guess who's going to get blamed? Elisabeth Moss did great with what she had to work with, which wasn't much. Lots of logic goes out the window with this one. And the trailer for it, is literally the whole movie! Watch a few a those stringed together and save yourself 2 hours! Filmbufftim on FB
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