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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
May 5, 2018
Very good "culmination" of the last 10 years of Marvel Films
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Said to be the culmination of 10 years worth of Marvel films - and Marvel heroes - INFINITY WAR lives up to it's bill, bringing all the Marvel Universe heroes together to fight a "big bad" that is worthy of this sort of thing - THANOS.
Voiced by Josh Brolin, the CGI Thanos is powerful, destructive, razor-focused on his one purpose with moments of "humanity" that makes him an interesting villain. The filmmakers kept his motivation and machinations simple so you are never confused by this bad guy or what he is trying to do. What surprised me is that the filmmakers added another layer to this character that was a nice layer that really added to the character, his motivations and his personality.
As for the band of heroes brought together for this film, it works well. The criticisms I have heard is that no ONE hero stands out, so EVERY hero is in the background. I couldn't disagree more. I thought the evenness of the "screen time" was one of the strengths of this film, not focusing too much on one hero (or heroes), giving all time to shine - and focus on what they do best. There were moments of humor, drama, action and heroism sprinkled across all. But what really thrilled me was the different combinations that were put together, for these heroes all had different missions and assignments and some odd and interesting cross-film dynamics took shape. I won't give any of these away, but I thought they ALL dynamics blended together nicely.
This is definitely a "fan-boy" film, giving service to fans of all these films, characters - and comics and credit for that should go to filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo (Directors of the previously best film in this series - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER) who kept the action moving, the motivations of the participants simple and the effects dazzling.
One final note - this is the first part of a two part film, so it does end in a cliffhanger, one that works effectively well. As always with the Marvel films - but especially in this one - stay through to the end of the credits, the scene at the end of the credits sets up Part 2.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this film and can't wait to see the next one.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Said to be the culmination of 10 years worth of Marvel films - and Marvel heroes - INFINITY WAR lives up to it's bill, bringing all the Marvel Universe heroes together to fight a "big bad" that is worthy of this sort of thing - THANOS.
Voiced by Josh Brolin, the CGI Thanos is powerful, destructive, razor-focused on his one purpose with moments of "humanity" that makes him an interesting villain. The filmmakers kept his motivation and machinations simple so you are never confused by this bad guy or what he is trying to do. What surprised me is that the filmmakers added another layer to this character that was a nice layer that really added to the character, his motivations and his personality.
As for the band of heroes brought together for this film, it works well. The criticisms I have heard is that no ONE hero stands out, so EVERY hero is in the background. I couldn't disagree more. I thought the evenness of the "screen time" was one of the strengths of this film, not focusing too much on one hero (or heroes), giving all time to shine - and focus on what they do best. There were moments of humor, drama, action and heroism sprinkled across all. But what really thrilled me was the different combinations that were put together, for these heroes all had different missions and assignments and some odd and interesting cross-film dynamics took shape. I won't give any of these away, but I thought they ALL dynamics blended together nicely.
This is definitely a "fan-boy" film, giving service to fans of all these films, characters - and comics and credit for that should go to filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo (Directors of the previously best film in this series - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER) who kept the action moving, the motivations of the participants simple and the effects dazzling.
One final note - this is the first part of a two part film, so it does end in a cliffhanger, one that works effectively well. As always with the Marvel films - but especially in this one - stay through to the end of the credits, the scene at the end of the credits sets up Part 2.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this film and can't wait to see the next one.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Mile 22 (2018) in Movies
Sep 20, 2018 (Updated Sep 20, 2018)
The Movie Equivelant of a Shrug
I saw Mile 22 last night and when I got in my dad asked me how it was. I replied with a simple shrug and that is honestly the best way to sum up this movie. It's not bad and it's not great. The worst thing about that is that Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have worked together 3 times prior to this movie and all 3 times have resulted in fantastic movies, not mediocre ones like this. I was looking forward to this going in knowing that it was Berg and Wahlberg working together again and I have really liked everything else they have made together, (especially Patriot's Day,) but this is unfortunately the worst film that they have made together so far, but it's still not awful.
The best thing about this film is definitely Iko Uwais. Whenever we get to see him doing his thing on screen, it is electrifying. The issue here though is the way that Jacques Jouffret decided to shoot these sequences is choppy and incoherent at times. Why would you cast one of the best fight choreographers in the world in your movie and then every time he get to fight onscreen, you decided to shake the camera about and make 10+ jump-cuts in the space of a few minutes?
Rhonda Rousey is in the movie too and surprisingly I didn't cringe every time she spoke and instead felt that she did a pretty decent job with what she was given. Lauren Cohen was fine too, we all know that she can do a pretty solid American accent at this point because of her work on The Walking Dead. Wahlberg is perfectly serviceable here too, he has been better in other things, but he also been far worse. It is hard to waste an actor like John Malkovich in a film and yet they manage it here, literally any actor could have played his role.
The end is also pretty rubbish. There is a flimsy twist followed by a sequel tease and then the credits abruptly appear. They are clearly aiming for a sequel, but it would have been nice if they could have tied this movie up a bit better first.
Overall, this is an okay action flick with some cool stunts that doesn't live up to what it could have been and ends too abruptly. There are some cool stunts and satisfying kills in the film, but they could have been shot a lot better.
The best thing about this film is definitely Iko Uwais. Whenever we get to see him doing his thing on screen, it is electrifying. The issue here though is the way that Jacques Jouffret decided to shoot these sequences is choppy and incoherent at times. Why would you cast one of the best fight choreographers in the world in your movie and then every time he get to fight onscreen, you decided to shake the camera about and make 10+ jump-cuts in the space of a few minutes?
Rhonda Rousey is in the movie too and surprisingly I didn't cringe every time she spoke and instead felt that she did a pretty decent job with what she was given. Lauren Cohen was fine too, we all know that she can do a pretty solid American accent at this point because of her work on The Walking Dead. Wahlberg is perfectly serviceable here too, he has been better in other things, but he also been far worse. It is hard to waste an actor like John Malkovich in a film and yet they manage it here, literally any actor could have played his role.
The end is also pretty rubbish. There is a flimsy twist followed by a sequel tease and then the credits abruptly appear. They are clearly aiming for a sequel, but it would have been nice if they could have tied this movie up a bit better first.
Overall, this is an okay action flick with some cool stunts that doesn't live up to what it could have been and ends too abruptly. There are some cool stunts and satisfying kills in the film, but they could have been shot a lot better.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Marvel's The Defenders - Season 1 in TV
Aug 30, 2017
Action packed (1 more)
Good plot
Iron fist (4 more)
Iron fist
Iron fist
Kind of dull at times
Iron fist
Dysfunctional bunch of assholes that you want to have a drink with
The Defenders was a lot of fun to watch with some really awesome action sequences that I've come to associate with Marvel/Netflix while story is nothing new it was still fun to watch and to see The Defenders come together was really awesome(except for Iron fist). For me Jessica Jones was really the stand out from the group and really saved this season for me.
You really feel the shorts season with this one and since they waited so long for them to come together the last few episodes felt a but rushed so I do wish they would have extended the season to the normal 13 episodes I feel like it really would have helped the pacing of the season.
If you couldn't tell I really truly hated Iron Fist with a passion he was such an obnoxious epitome of rich white male privilege and he really did drag this season down for me since almost every time he was on screen I found my focus drifting off. I will admit I did enjoy his interactions with Luke Cage.
You really feel the shorts season with this one and since they waited so long for them to come together the last few episodes felt a but rushed so I do wish they would have extended the season to the normal 13 episodes I feel like it really would have helped the pacing of the season.
If you couldn't tell I really truly hated Iron Fist with a passion he was such an obnoxious epitome of rich white male privilege and he really did drag this season down for me since almost every time he was on screen I found my focus drifting off. I will admit I did enjoy his interactions with Luke Cage.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin, #3) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Another fun Pepper Martin mystery that's as good as the first and better than the second in the series. Again, the ghost is the best character, this time a 60s rocker who possibly died of an overdose forty years ago. I couldn't help but think he was a Jim Morrison prototype, especially with some of the lyrics.
Pepper was thankfully brighter in this book and figured things out at a good pace. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to figure out whodunnit early on in this series, for lack of suspects, but I liked how the author had Pepper go about it anyway.
I could do without the constant who-wears-what, how Pepper's hair or nails are done, everything she wears at every given moment, and most of all, I get annoyed at her overactive libido every time a hot guy - dead or alive - comes into contact with her. Get it together girl! What's your problem. Luckily, it looks as if she might (finally) get her act together for the fourth book. Hopefully it is not Quinn, because he is a boring, cut-out character that adds nothing to this series. However, I still look forward to the next book and hope it continues to get better.
Pepper was thankfully brighter in this book and figured things out at a good pace. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to figure out whodunnit early on in this series, for lack of suspects, but I liked how the author had Pepper go about it anyway.
I could do without the constant who-wears-what, how Pepper's hair or nails are done, everything she wears at every given moment, and most of all, I get annoyed at her overactive libido every time a hot guy - dead or alive - comes into contact with her. Get it together girl! What's your problem. Luckily, it looks as if she might (finally) get her act together for the fourth book. Hopefully it is not Quinn, because he is a boring, cut-out character that adds nothing to this series. However, I still look forward to the next book and hope it continues to get better.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Stealing Home in Books
Feb 27, 2019
This was a quick, and fun read. This is my first Becky Wallace book, and it certainly won’t be my last. Her writing style is both captivating and unique and really pulled me in, as a reader.
Wallace’s characters, Ryan and Sawyer were so awesome together. The sweet chemistry that you instantly feel between their quirky characters is fantastic. It’s just enough to spark the romance between them, while not being crazy and wild. Definitely what I like to see in a young adult read.
Seeing Ryan and Sawyer work together to help Ryan’s dreams come true was another refreshing point to the story. I felt like I was right there with them, cheering from the side lines we call life.
If you like a young adult read that has just the right combination of fast paced reading, gripping characters, and sparks of romance, then this is definitely a 4 star book you don’t want to miss. This baseball read has me ready for summer to come and another amazing book from this talented author. Great job on hitting a home run with this fan, Ms. Wallace!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Wallace’s characters, Ryan and Sawyer were so awesome together. The sweet chemistry that you instantly feel between their quirky characters is fantastic. It’s just enough to spark the romance between them, while not being crazy and wild. Definitely what I like to see in a young adult read.
Seeing Ryan and Sawyer work together to help Ryan’s dreams come true was another refreshing point to the story. I felt like I was right there with them, cheering from the side lines we call life.
If you like a young adult read that has just the right combination of fast paced reading, gripping characters, and sparks of romance, then this is definitely a 4 star book you don’t want to miss. This baseball read has me ready for summer to come and another amazing book from this talented author. Great job on hitting a home run with this fan, Ms. Wallace!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Awix (3310 KP) rated Deluge (1933) in Movies
Apr 23, 2019 (Updated Apr 23, 2019)
Pre-Code apocalyptic disaster movie boldly goes where Roland Emmerich would follow several times; also manages to be almost definitively non-compliant with the Bechdel test. A series of unexplained disasters including floods and earthquakes destroy civilisation; in the aftermath resourceful lawyer Martin hooks up with plucky society girl Claire, little realising his wife and children survived the catastrophe. Then fate brings them all back together...
The destruction of New York is the most celebrated sequence in the movie, and it stands up relatively well as an example of practical effects in action, but it happens in the first quarter of the movie. Most of the rest of it is concerned with surprisingly familiar post-apocalyptic themes - people come together and struggle to rebuild, raiders prey on settlements, people question familiar moral standards, and so on. The film's gender politics are startling, to say the least: women appear to have no rights and are basically property (and then civilisation crumbles, ha ha). It is interesting and indicative that the film ends with the affirmation of the traditional moral order. Not exactly subtle or nuanced, and the acting is fairly robotic, but it's pacy and the story is an engaging one. An interesting movie that suggests things haven't changed as much as we sometimes think.
The destruction of New York is the most celebrated sequence in the movie, and it stands up relatively well as an example of practical effects in action, but it happens in the first quarter of the movie. Most of the rest of it is concerned with surprisingly familiar post-apocalyptic themes - people come together and struggle to rebuild, raiders prey on settlements, people question familiar moral standards, and so on. The film's gender politics are startling, to say the least: women appear to have no rights and are basically property (and then civilisation crumbles, ha ha). It is interesting and indicative that the film ends with the affirmation of the traditional moral order. Not exactly subtle or nuanced, and the acting is fairly robotic, but it's pacy and the story is an engaging one. An interesting movie that suggests things haven't changed as much as we sometimes think.
BTPBookclub (18 KP) rated The Lido in Books
May 11, 2019
Uplifting. Beautiful story
There are not enough words to describe this story, but here’s a few; uplifting, comforting, friendship, community, beautiful, joyful, kind, tender, charming and a feel good novel. That should be enough right?
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Exact Location of Home in Books
Jun 18, 2018
The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner is a story that will pull at the readers heart. In the story Zig and his friends spend a great deal of time together going to garage sales, skipping rocks, and just being together. When Zig gets a gps, they begin geocaching. But Zig hides a secret from his friends that has changed his entire world. As Zig grows, he finds support from an unexpected ally and gives support to a young boy, both facing similar circumstances as Zig.
Messner has given us a compassionate and necessary middle grade story about the reality of homelessness for many children today. This story has a unique premise with the geocaching theme and I love that while the main character is in 8th grade he will be relatable for students both much younger and much older than he is. I would love to get this book into the hands of all teachers and administrators who struggle to understand how difficult school can be for children without a stable home life, and who make well-intended but thoughtless comments about the homeless population.
I received this ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Bloomsbury USA Childrens via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Messner has given us a compassionate and necessary middle grade story about the reality of homelessness for many children today. This story has a unique premise with the geocaching theme and I love that while the main character is in 8th grade he will be relatable for students both much younger and much older than he is. I would love to get this book into the hands of all teachers and administrators who struggle to understand how difficult school can be for children without a stable home life, and who make well-intended but thoughtless comments about the homeless population.
I received this ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Bloomsbury USA Childrens via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Merissa (14086 KP) rated Her Husband's Army Buddy (McLeod Security #1) in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Her Husband's Army Buddy (McLeod Security #1) by Doris O'Connor
Her Husband's Army Buddy is the first book in the McLeod Security series, and we meet the owner of the security business, Zane, and his wife, Sandy. Sandy and Zane have been married for 10 years, and are happy. That is until Sean shows up asking if there are any jobs going at Zane's security business. Sean and Zane have a history, and Sandy is worried that she will get kicked to the curb when they reignite their past together. Instead, it is Sandy who is able to bring the three of them together.
This is a fast-paced book, with plenty of steam. It gives a small introduction into the world of BDSM without going into too much detail. It is fairly low angst, although there is the usual stubbornness involved. It starts off the series well, and with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I have no hesitation in recommending it.
* 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!
This is a fast-paced book, with plenty of steam. It gives a small introduction into the world of BDSM without going into too much detail. It is fairly low angst, although there is the usual stubbornness involved. It starts off the series well, and with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I have no hesitation in recommending it.
* 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!