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Elvis (2022)
Elvis (2022)
2022 | Biography, Drama, Musical
8
7.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Austin butler (1 more)
Tom hanks
Elvis has left the buliding
Watched last week wow Austin butler potrail of elvis was amazing watching you'd think he was elvis the music the look the way he moves just wow and then there's Tom hanks as colonel Parker the villain of the movie heavily maked up is also amazing the movie looks at his early career and those movies he made in the 60s which I was never a fan of and then there's the the comeback it's all there crammed into a 2 and half hour runtime overall good movie good performances from all abit on the Longside side but good film
  
Elvis (2022)
Elvis (2022)
2022 | Biography, Drama, Musical
8
7.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Butler Shines
Director Baz Luhrmann is one of those artists that I always keep an eye out for. His artistic vision is unique and while the films he directs don’t always work - MOULIN ROUGE is on of my all-time favorites, AUSTRALIA is a mess and his take on the GREAT GATSBY works…mostly - but the one thing that can be said about him is that his projects are always interesting (especially visually). So when he decided to create a bio-pic of “The King”, Elvis Presley, I was intrigued.

And…the resulting film - appropriately called ELVIS - works very well, but not because of Luhrmann’s Direction/Style but more because of the TERRIFIC performance at the center of this picture - and, no, I’m not talking about Tom Hanks as Col. Parker.

ELVIS follows - with the usual Luhrmann quick/cut, flashy style - the rise, fall, rise and (ultimately) death of Elvis Presley. Starting with his boyhood in Tupelo, Mississippi - where he found his rhythm in the roots of African-American Gospel/Spirituals - to his ascension to superstar, this films tries to tell it all, mostly through the shadowy viewpoint of Elvis’ Manager, Col. Tom Parker (a heavily made-up Tom Hanks).

And that is part of the problem with this film - it tries to tell TOO big a story, so while some items are covered in slow, glowing detail (like Elvis’ discovery of the music that will be his trademark), while other items (his movie career) are glossed over quickly in a montage. This is out of necessity, for this film is already 2 hours and 40 minutes long, but it does make this film feel somewhat disjointed - especially when you add Luhrmann’s trademark disorienting quick/cut, stylistic directing style. At times I just wanted to yell at Lurhman to lock his camera down in one position so my eyes (and brain) can settle down and watch what’s going on.

The other issue is the viewpoint of this film - it isn’t consistent. Is this a movie about Elvis? Is this a movie about a conman manipulating Elvis? It starts out following Col. Parker as he discovers Elvis and manipulates him to be his exclusive act, but then we leave Col. Tom and follow Elvis for long periods of time before being drawn back into Col’s Parker’s web, so there is confusion as to who’s story we are telling. In the end we tell both, and each one suffers a little bit because of this.

HOWEVER - and this is an important point - these issues are pushed to the back as minor flaws as the central performance of Austin Butler (Wil Ohmsford in the terrible adaption of THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES on TV) as Elvis is AMAZING. It is a captivating, multi-layered performance both on-stage and off. He has created a character that you are drawn to watch and the off-stage Elvis sets the stage for the charismatic, on-stage Elvis that we all know. Butler did his own singing/performing in this film and it is much, much more that “just” an Elvis impersonation. He personifies “The King” and Butler’s name better be called at Awards time. It is that good of a performance, one that should catapult this young man to stardom.

Fairing less well is Tom Hanks as Col. Parker. While he is game under all that make-up, the character is just not written with any nuance and comes off as a one-dimensional villain, constantly lurking in the background. This character just wasn’t interesting enough to hold the screen - especially against Butler.

But see this film to rekindle the spirit of Elvis through the interpretation of Butler, you’ll be glad you did.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Elvis (2022)
Elvis (2022)
2022 | Biography, Drama, Musical
9
7.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Austin Butler (0 more)
Jumps around a lot (0 more)
Interesting look at the man behind Elvis, Colonol Tom Parker. It became more and more obvious as we went through the film how much Elvis was manipulated by him. He was with Elvis from when he was just starting out and was there when he first became famous meaning that Elvis trusted and relied on him. It was only later in life after he married Priscilla that he started to see that Colonel Tom Parker wasn’t as supportive as he first seemed.
I know a lot of people weren’t keen on this film because it glossed over Elvis’s life quite a lot, but to me it was obvious that Elvis wasn’t the sole focus of this film. It was beautifully shot, although it did jump around quite a lot, but I think this was to make the film shorter otherwise it would have been over 4 hours I think. It was 2 and a half hours long, but it absolutely flew by!
  
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Dean (6921 KP) rated Elvis (2022) in Movies

Jul 6, 2022  
Elvis (2022)
Elvis (2022)
2022 | Biography, Drama, Musical
6
7.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Great songs (1 more)
Austin Butler
Feels even longer than 2.5hrs (1 more)
Not a detailed bio epic
We can't go on together...
Saw the trailer and the style and vibe of the film interested me, not knowing a great deal about Elvis I thought it would be interesting to know more.
It's great to find out more about him, how he started out and his inspiration. Still not sure how accurate some details are and some sections of his life are barely covered. So maybe not the full story you might expect, despite the 2.5hrs run time. Some how it felt even longer.
It does feel a little disjointed at times switching between Elvis story and also that of his manager Col Tom Parker. The songs are great and Austin Butler gives a great performance. The first half of the film about his rise was intriguing the second half towards the end of his career was a lot slower.
So it's very stylish and interesting, although big fans of Elvis might be a little disappointed on how much of Elvis it a actually covers. Also how accurate it is as well. For others it was a good incite if maybe not as detailed as you might expect.
  
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Dean (6921 KP) rated Magnum P.I. in TV

Aug 25, 2020 (Updated Jul 10, 2021)  
Magnum P.I.
Magnum P.I.
2018 | Action, Crime, Thriller
Hawaii (2 more)
Cool Ferrari
Good action scenes
Cool TV series
Well I can guess the low ratings are from people who don't like it compared to the original 80's series. A female Higgins probably didn't go down well? I don't remember much about the old series apart from set on Hawaii, Tom Selleck, Ferrari and the English butler with the Doberman dogs.
20 years since that ended this is the reboot. It keeps all those elements, with a modern Ferrari and T. C. with an identical Helicopter.
Now that Hawaii 5o has finished if you want a light hearted action series in a beautiful location, this is it. Some good action scenes and cameos from the original cast. It's easy viewing, maybe not as funny as it thinks but generally a good watch.
  
<i>I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review </i>

Original review can be found on my blog Raptureinbooks <a href="http://wp.me/p5y0lX-1GF">here</a href>

The Weight of the World starts roughly where the previous book ended, I say roughly because it starts with a few historical stories from different points of view - Daniell and Ghaldezuel- before jumping to the present with Lycaste, Huerepo and Maneker in the thick of things.
Now originally I had this stupid idea that I'd be able to drop right in the deep end of this story and know what was going to happen - my expectations were that it was to be a lot like the first book The Promise of the Child and I've never been so happy to say otherwise. The Weight of the World is so full of surprises there was no way I could correctly guess what was going to happen in the next chapter.

We're still following the tale told from Lycaste's view more often than not and although there are several other secondary main characters (makes no sense I'm aware of this) the book doesn't feel quite so wholesome until it's told from Lycaste's view but then on the flip side it's have a new character that I love - Perception or Percy - a millenia old AI/soul that was imprisoned on a planet.

Perception - as his name suggests - is wickedly perceptive and incredibly smart; imprisoned as a five year old soul and left to linger and eventually 'die' he has all these ideas of how things should be done and takes a great joy in proving Hugo Maneker wrong once he has been freed.

In my review for the first book (which you can check out above) I made mention of a child that wasn't heard from since the beginning of the book - what I didn't realise until reading this book that he actually was and it was greatly done by Tom Toner on how he fed this information into the story and still kept the plot on point.

I learned a lot about each of the characters particularly Lycaste, Pentas and Jatropha (who I'd like to point out I didn't realise was an specific character until now *facepalm*).
Lycaste has grown up considerably
Pentas, although she's gone through a pretty tough time is an selfish, manipulative and all and round horrible person
Jatropha has fingers in many many pies.

The break down between the Vulgar and the Lacaille was stellar and Huerepo is the perfect character to put this across - a stark contrast to his Lacaille equivalent Ghaldezuel whom has a lovely traitorous streak in him, something that I wholly did not expect.

There were fights in space and an abundance of alien species once again and a firm understanding of Old World history versus present; a humourous trip in space with Huerepo's cousin who is like a mini version of a sarcastic, cockney-esque Butler.
You can tell in this book that Tom Toner has settled into his author boots with aplomb and I can only imagine that he will continue to grow from strength to strength and I can't wait to see where he takes the Amaranthine Spectrum next.
  
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
2019 | Action, Drama, Thriller
Is the third time a charm for Mr. Butler's action thriller series?
Gerard Butler returns as Secret Service agent Mike Banning in the third entry of the "Fallen" series, picking up where London Has Fallen left off.

We see an aging and sore Banning, struggling with the rigors of his profession, torn between his love for his duty to protect the President and the smart, semi-retirement position as Secret Service Director.

This takes a little while to get going compared to most films in the genre, but it isn't too long before everything goes sideways and Banning finds himself on the run from everyone, framed for something we all know he didn't do. The question is: who did it?

Drawing obvious inspiration from classic genre entries like Die Hard, as well as more modern offerings like John Wick, Gerard Butler takes on everyone from both sides of the law as he tries to get to the bottom of the conspiracy.

Aside from the slightly slow start, the pacing of this film is spot-on, mixing balls-to-the-wall action with gripping tension - accompanied by a very clever soundtrack that enhances the experience well.

The dialogue feels real and meaningful. There's nothing cheesy, no scene-filling conversations or anything, which is always a genuine concern with this type of film. Everything is done with a purpose.

I think perhaps too much effort was made to make this a 15-certificate (an R-rating for you lovely Americans). It was more for the language than anything. The violence and fighting was well-choreographed, taking the up-close, gritty approach akin to the Bourne movies, but there was nothing here that wouldn't have made the cut for a 12A. I think they gambled with the post-Deadpool debate of having a wider audience for a 12A vs. the "it's a 15, therefore it must be good because kids aren't allowed" appeal. I'm not saying it ruins the movie, I just think it was unnecessary. The aforementioned Deadpool, for example, absolutely wouldn't have worked if it was less than a 15, so I get why they made it the way the did. But with this, it would've been the exact same film either way, so why cut out a sizable portion of cinema-goers?

That being said, I did really, really enjoy this film. Is it predictable? Sadly, yes. That probably isn't THAT shocking of a revelation, as these types of films tend to follow a similar (and usually winning) formula, but I confess to being a little disappointed that I was able to figure out the main antagonist and the overall "big bad" within three minutes of the film starting. However, to this film's credit, this predictability doesn't take away from the experience at all. It's quite honest about what it is from the get-go, and it simply doesn't care. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it very well - better than a lot of similar movies in recent times. As with all films in this genre, people tend to watch them knowing what they're getting themselves in for, so you can just relax, switch off, and enjoy the ride for a couple of hours.

I can't sign off without mentioning Nick Nolte's turn as Butler's father. His performance, while not surprising, feels almost out-of-place, as it's so damn good he deserves an Oscar nod. He probably won't get one, as films like this tend not to get noticed by the Academy, but let me tell you, he steals every scene he's in, and you feel every word he says. There's an obvious comparison to the character he portrayed in Warrior, alongside Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. While he gets nowhere near as much screen time here, he makes the most of what he does get, and it truly is the stand-out performance of the year so far, by a long way.

This film is a solid 7/10, and I highly recommend it. I bumped it to an 8/10 because of Nick Nolte. If I could go back and just watch his scenes again, I would. Grab the popcorn, forget about the outside world... you could do a lot worse at the cinema right now than this.
  
The Batman Who Laughs
The Batman Who Laughs
Scott Snyder | 2019 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Horror
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am really eating up DC's books of late, especially the Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV! Yes, there are some hiccups along the way, as true for even the best of publishers, but the overall good output far outshines the bad/MEH output! I am quite liking this whole "Rebirth" thing and the way it ties into WATCHMEN, can't wait to see it all wrapped with DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12. <i>*ahem*</i> Let's not get ahead of ourselves then, eh? Onto my thoughts on TBWL..

I liked it quite a bit! Yes, it probably could easily have been a 5-issue mini, but I don't feel the story suffered by the added length. It allowed for the crazy roller coaster ride that it was to be even crazier, helped to spread just a bit more darkness in Gotham! Oh, and it showed how Alfred truly is the necessary light in Batman/Bruce's life, something B-Man totally needs, far more than Selina (sorry, Tom King, but I don't think the romance between the two works. Jus' sayin' is all!).

I know a lot of folks absolutely <b>abhor</b> DARK NIGHTS: METAL and anything relating to it, including the Batman Who Laughs! Me? I am enjoying it to no great end! It reminds me of some of the best things about the 90's, just turned up to 11! I think it's an interesting concept, bringing some clever creepiness into DC's "Rebirth"! And besides, it is at least something fresh and different (unlike the umpteenth X-deaths/reboots over at Marvel!)!

One aspect of the mini that really drove it all home was the art by Jock. I loved what he did in the WYTCHES (also with Snyder), and here it is just as good, if not better. The use of shadows and angles brings the creepiness all up and about, leaving with you long after the lights have gone out and sleep comes over you!

I already mentioned it, and several others have as well in their reviews, but Alfred was clearly the MVP here! He was totally on board, taking being a butler to a whole new level beyond 100%! I think sometimes he is under-utilized, but here he definitely got some much needed appreciation and respect! Kudos to you, Scott Snyder, for giving Alfred his due!

And lastly, that ending, the last couple panels? Ewwwww... chills!! Now, I can not wait to read Joshua Williamson's BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1! No spoilers, tho', promise!

So, yes, I was super-impressed with THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS, just as I was with Snyder's DARK NIGHTS: METAL. If you didn't like METAL, then, well, chances are pretty likely you won't like this one!
  
All Cheerleaders Die (2014)
All Cheerleaders Die (2014)
2014 | Comedy, Horror
7
6.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: All Cheerleaders Die starts with a look at head cheerleader Alexis (Cooper) who literally thinks she has the whole school under her finger but while performing she dies. The girls hold auditions for new role in the squad which Alexis old friend Maddy takes a chance with a deeper quest to get her own revenge on Terry.

Once a member of the cheer-leading team we see how she starts pushing them away from the football stars including the captain Terry (Williamson) who ends up causing the deaths of members of the team, but when Leena (Smit-McPhee) a witch brings them back to life, but now they have a craving for human flesh and target Terry for the ultimate revenge.cheerleader

All Cheerleaders Die starts off very slowly for my liking trying to introduce the characters and tease at a massive revenge angle before anything happens. Once the cheerleaders get killed the film steps up and unloads all the horror comedy. I would like to see less from the start and more from the end because that is the part of the film you want to watch. I think this is a real entertaining film that really does keep you guessing just what will happen next.

Actor Review

Caitlin Stasey: Maddy is the newest addition to the cheer-leading squad who has been against the team captain of the football team for years. When she is killed she comes back with the rest of the team to get revenge on the football team. Caitlin does a good job in the leading role taking a more risky role that goes against most horror clichés.

Tom Williamson: Terry is the captain of the football team and an all around asshole, when he gets into a fight with his girlfriend he runs the cheerleaders off the road killing them all. When they return he ends up becoming the target of their vengeance. Tom creates the asshole persona really well in this film that could make this the most entertaining part when he gets what he deserves.terry

Sianoa Smit-McPhee: Leena is the witch who likes to work with dark magic but when she sees her friends die she brings them all back to life where she doesn’t understand the power she holds. Sianoa does a good job in this role being a completely different image to the rest of the cast.lenna

Brooke Butler: Tracy is the lead cheerleader who lets Maddy into the team, she is dating Terry but she is very insecure. She ends up thinking everyone is her friend but they turn on her quickly. Brooke does a good job in an early role for the young actress with a brave performance.

Support Cast: All Cheerleaders Die has a supporting cast that all play their part be it the football players or the dead cheerleaders who become disposable characters for the main ones to learn their powers.

Director Review: Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson – The pair bring us a horror comedy that is fun once it all gets going.

Comedy: All Cheerleaders Die has solid comedy throughout which is mostly to do with the reactions of the cheerleaders to what is happening to them.

Horror: All Cheerleaders Die has plenty of blood splatter for all the kills for what the cheerleaders get up to on their revenge path.

Settings: All Cheerleaders Die using the settings all around the high school with the hang outs being away from public viewing which all work for the film.
Special Effects: All Cheerleaders Die has solid special effects with the problems being all too CGI for my liking.

Suggestion: All Cheerleaders Die is one I think the horror fans will enjoy because of the fun gore filled storyline. (Horror Fans Watch)

Best Part: Final battle against Terry.

Worst Part: Slow starting.

Believability: No

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: Left open for one.

Post Credits Scene: No

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes

Tagline: You can’t kill their spirit

Overall: Horror comedy that has laughs and blood for all the fans to enjoy

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/01/01/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-all-cheerleaders-die-2013/
  
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
2012 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises,and is forced to come face to face with new villains once again. This time it is the terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) and cat burglar, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway).

In the previous movie Batman had to combat the famed Joker who caused havoc in the city of Gotham. Joker convinced Harvey Dent to seek revenge against Batman and those responsible for the death of his lover, Rachel Dawes. Dent decides to use his lucky coin to decide the fate of those he assumes are responsible, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and his family being just a few of the people captured within Dent’s grip of revenge. While Batman saved the life of Gordon’s young son, many still die. Batman decided to let the public think that he was the one responsible for all the deaths to keep Dent’s name in good standing with the public. Gordan on the other hand knows the truth.

The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the extensive damage the Joker brought upon the city and its residents. During this time, Batman isolated himself within the walls of Wayne Manor as Gotham rebuilt itself with the help of Gordon and John Blake (Joseph Gordon Leavitt).

During a celebration of Dent’s life and his successes, Gordan is tempted to tell the people of Gotham the truth behind the murders eight years ago but finds that it may not be the right time to do so. Terrorist leader Bane arrives and takes over the celebration and wounds Gordon forcing his subordinate Blake to take over. After Wayne learns that one of his projects he had been investing in over the years was actually being used for nuclear devices, Wayne decides to shut down the project. One of Wayne’s business rivals is suspected to have employed terrorist leader Bane to takeover the company and use its nuclear devices against the city.

After finding out the truth Bruce Wayne decides to return to the streets of Gotham as Batman, though the decision is met with great resistance by his trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine). Bane has taken the lead in bringing Wayne Enterprises down and an intense confrontation leaves Batman hurt and condemned to an inescapable prison. Bane is left free to wreak uncontested havoc on Gotham, once again bringing a violent storm of perilous destruction upon its people. While Batman is stuck in Bane’s prison, we learn the sordid history of Bane.

To say much more would give a lot of the story away. Suffice it to say, The Dark Knight Rises is this year’s best comic book movie so far. The graphics, action, soundtrack and opening sequence are amazing. The storyline leaves you wanting more. Christopher Nolan has does an excellent job in all the installments of Batman but is remarkably exceptional in the third and final installment of the series.