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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Feb 18, 2021
Spider-Man's first solo outing within the MCU is a frequently charming and grounded affair.
As the overarching narrative of this behemoth franchise becomes increasingly cosmic and out there, entries like Homecoming are a welcome change of pace.
Tom Holland is a picture perfect, high school era Peter Parker. There's a lot to love about the Spider-Man movies that have come before, but it's nice to see the focus being on his school years properly. He's a young kid, completely out of his depth juggling his civilian life with fighting, years away from the seasoned hero he eventually becomes. He struggles with friendships and relationships like an awkward teenager does whilst constantly craving more in life and aiming for bigger and better things. It's incredibly relatable in that sense.
The world-building surrounding all this is subtle too. The main villain is Vulture, a veteran Spidey rogue, and played by a genuinely intimidating Michael Keaton. His Vulture is equal parts bad-guy and sympathetic every-day-guy, trying to find his way in a post-Avengers world.
The story also finds time to sneak in a few more classic Marvel villains such as Shocker, Tinkerer, Prowler and Scorpion, and it's executed in a way that's not at all overwhelming.
Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) provide the concrete connections to the wider MCU without ever distracting from the main plot, and the rest of the stellar cast are rounded out by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon (as one of the most likable characters to ever grace this franchise FYI)
The set pieces are littered here and there throughout a fairly dialogue heavy screenplay, but they're all pretty solid, the ferry scene being a highlight.
All in all, Spider-Man: Homecoming is an incredibly enjoyable Marvel film, whilst being a touching story about growing up. It's fun, it's exciting, and it's pretty damn wholesome.
As the overarching narrative of this behemoth franchise becomes increasingly cosmic and out there, entries like Homecoming are a welcome change of pace.
Tom Holland is a picture perfect, high school era Peter Parker. There's a lot to love about the Spider-Man movies that have come before, but it's nice to see the focus being on his school years properly. He's a young kid, completely out of his depth juggling his civilian life with fighting, years away from the seasoned hero he eventually becomes. He struggles with friendships and relationships like an awkward teenager does whilst constantly craving more in life and aiming for bigger and better things. It's incredibly relatable in that sense.
The world-building surrounding all this is subtle too. The main villain is Vulture, a veteran Spidey rogue, and played by a genuinely intimidating Michael Keaton. His Vulture is equal parts bad-guy and sympathetic every-day-guy, trying to find his way in a post-Avengers world.
The story also finds time to sneak in a few more classic Marvel villains such as Shocker, Tinkerer, Prowler and Scorpion, and it's executed in a way that's not at all overwhelming.
Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) provide the concrete connections to the wider MCU without ever distracting from the main plot, and the rest of the stellar cast are rounded out by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon (as one of the most likable characters to ever grace this franchise FYI)
The set pieces are littered here and there throughout a fairly dialogue heavy screenplay, but they're all pretty solid, the ferry scene being a highlight.
All in all, Spider-Man: Homecoming is an incredibly enjoyable Marvel film, whilst being a touching story about growing up. It's fun, it's exciting, and it's pretty damn wholesome.
James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Jul 10, 2019
The MCU delivers again!
Tom Holland reprises his role as the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman in this enjoyable final entry in the MCU's third phase.
Picking up where Avengers: Endgame left off, the world is slowly getting back on its feet after Thanos' handiwork was reversed. Peter Parker is on a school trip across Europe when huge Elemental enemies attack. He's unprepared, but the day is saved by Mysterio - a superhero from an alternate universe.
So far, so Marvel.
Twists and turns follow, with plenty of action throughout. The storyline reminded me of Iron Man 3 in some ways, in terms of it's structure and style. The visuals were impressive as always. The acting was spot-on, with Happy returning in a comic relief/mentor role that worked really well alongside the hero.
The great thing about all the Marvel movies is how they distinguish themselves from each other. Aside from being just comic book movies, each individual series has its own themes and genre. Guardians of the Galaxy is sci-fi/action/comedy, Captain America is more political/action, Thor is fantasy, etc... Spiderman fills the gap for a teen drama, appealing to the younger audience by giving them the angst and romance they crave and relate to. The relationship between Peter and MJ is explored in greater detail here, and their on-screen awkward is fun to watch, but also believable - largely, I suspect, due to the pair's off-screen friendship. Their chemistry is brilliant and really adds to the movie.
As with all Marvel movies, it ain't over 'til it's over. The mid-credits scene does a truly fantastic job of setting up the third movie in the series, while the post-credits scene teases at the future of the wider MCU.
Marvel has had numerous hits with only a small handful of near-misses. Spiderman: Far From Home is a resounding hit and not to be missed!
Picking up where Avengers: Endgame left off, the world is slowly getting back on its feet after Thanos' handiwork was reversed. Peter Parker is on a school trip across Europe when huge Elemental enemies attack. He's unprepared, but the day is saved by Mysterio - a superhero from an alternate universe.
So far, so Marvel.
Twists and turns follow, with plenty of action throughout. The storyline reminded me of Iron Man 3 in some ways, in terms of it's structure and style. The visuals were impressive as always. The acting was spot-on, with Happy returning in a comic relief/mentor role that worked really well alongside the hero.
The great thing about all the Marvel movies is how they distinguish themselves from each other. Aside from being just comic book movies, each individual series has its own themes and genre. Guardians of the Galaxy is sci-fi/action/comedy, Captain America is more political/action, Thor is fantasy, etc... Spiderman fills the gap for a teen drama, appealing to the younger audience by giving them the angst and romance they crave and relate to. The relationship between Peter and MJ is explored in greater detail here, and their on-screen awkward is fun to watch, but also believable - largely, I suspect, due to the pair's off-screen friendship. Their chemistry is brilliant and really adds to the movie.
As with all Marvel movies, it ain't over 'til it's over. The mid-credits scene does a truly fantastic job of setting up the third movie in the series, while the post-credits scene teases at the future of the wider MCU.
Marvel has had numerous hits with only a small handful of near-misses. Spiderman: Far From Home is a resounding hit and not to be missed!
JT (287 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
With the news that Disney and Sony will no longer co-produce Spider-Man films, it seems apt that the teen web-slinger headed off on a European vacation to get away from it all. A chance to chill out and take in the sights after the traumatic events of Avengers: Endgame.
For Peter Parker (Tom Holland), coming to terms with the loss of his mentor Tony Stark has been an emotional rollercoaster. Add to that the pressure for him to carry the mantle of Iron Man would be too much for any teenager to bear, let alone a quietly spoken superhero. But back in the halls of high-school with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and eyes still firmly fixed on MJ (Zendaya), Peter feels that life might be calming down – even deciding to leave his iconic suit behind, much to the dismay of his Aunt (Marisa Tomei).
When Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) finally gets through after being ghosted a number of times on the phone, he informs Peter that a new force called the ‘Elementals’ has been leaving a trail of destruction across the world. As luck would have it a new superhero called Mysterio has arrived at just the right time to save the day, albeit it conveniently.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations.
Peter comes face to face with Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) aka Mysterio. In Beck, Parker has found someone who sympathises with his problems and straight away sees him as a knee jerk replacement to Stark. Confiding in Beck, as well as handing him a pair of billionaire-dollar high-tech sunglasses which, has the ability to connect to various satellites and weapons, Peter is able to shift responsibility and concentrate on being just your regular love-struck teen.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive, giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations in spectacular fashion. As Spider-Man and Mysterio combine forces to defeat the extraterrestrial Elementals there is something more disturbing about the goldfish-bowl wearing crime fighter.
Spider-Man: Far From Home keeps the humour trickling along and a number of romantic narratives spin-off from the main story. There is the awkward love interest between Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Aunt May, with the former looking to fill the void left by his long-time companion, while Ned is also struck by cupid’s arrow. However, it is Peter and MJ’s on-screen romance that shines through, giving fans what they have wanted since Homecoming.
As to where this leaves the franchise given the recent split by the studios is anyone’s guess. Spider-Man is firmly entrenched in the Marvel Universe and any crossovers with other Marvel characters would probably not be allowed. Could this leave a tantalizing match-up between Spidey and Tom Hardy’s Venom, which despite some harsh criticism was a box office success?
For Peter Parker (Tom Holland), coming to terms with the loss of his mentor Tony Stark has been an emotional rollercoaster. Add to that the pressure for him to carry the mantle of Iron Man would be too much for any teenager to bear, let alone a quietly spoken superhero. But back in the halls of high-school with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and eyes still firmly fixed on MJ (Zendaya), Peter feels that life might be calming down – even deciding to leave his iconic suit behind, much to the dismay of his Aunt (Marisa Tomei).
When Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) finally gets through after being ghosted a number of times on the phone, he informs Peter that a new force called the ‘Elementals’ has been leaving a trail of destruction across the world. As luck would have it a new superhero called Mysterio has arrived at just the right time to save the day, albeit it conveniently.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations.
Peter comes face to face with Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) aka Mysterio. In Beck, Parker has found someone who sympathises with his problems and straight away sees him as a knee jerk replacement to Stark. Confiding in Beck, as well as handing him a pair of billionaire-dollar high-tech sunglasses which, has the ability to connect to various satellites and weapons, Peter is able to shift responsibility and concentrate on being just your regular love-struck teen.
The action is loud, explosive and very impressive, giving our friendly neighbourhood ‘on tour’ Spider-Man the chance to flip and twist his way through a number of European locations in spectacular fashion. As Spider-Man and Mysterio combine forces to defeat the extraterrestrial Elementals there is something more disturbing about the goldfish-bowl wearing crime fighter.
Spider-Man: Far From Home keeps the humour trickling along and a number of romantic narratives spin-off from the main story. There is the awkward love interest between Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Aunt May, with the former looking to fill the void left by his long-time companion, while Ned is also struck by cupid’s arrow. However, it is Peter and MJ’s on-screen romance that shines through, giving fans what they have wanted since Homecoming.
As to where this leaves the franchise given the recent split by the studios is anyone’s guess. Spider-Man is firmly entrenched in the Marvel Universe and any crossovers with other Marvel characters would probably not be allowed. Could this leave a tantalizing match-up between Spidey and Tom Hardy’s Venom, which despite some harsh criticism was a box office success?
Lee (2222 KP) rated Unhinged (2020) in Movies
Sep 2, 2020
The opening credits for Unhinged paint a pretty bleak and horrific snapshot of human life, just to get us in the mood for what’s to come. Footage of actual road rage incidents, supermarket disagreements and brawls, cars crashing into each other, all while recordings of news readers talk about how stressed and angry we all are these days. I think that in the current climate, we can all appreciate just how angry the world seems to have become these last few months, and some of these scenes really hit home.
We’d already seen just how angry Russell Crowe’s character is (billed as ‘The Man’, although he later introduces himself as Tom Cooper), courtesy of a shocking little pre-credits scene. Sitting in his car at night, rain beating down on the car as he breathes heavily and pops some pills into his mouth. Slowly turning a wedding ring on his finger, he removes it, tossing it behind him onto the backseat. Taking a hammer, he gets out of the car and walks to the front door of the house he’d parked outside, before smashing it down and proceeding to use the hammer on the occupants. He’s clearly not the kind of person you want to get on the wrong side of.
The person that does manage to get on his wrong side is Rachel (Caren Pistorius), who’s also having a pretty bad day of her own. Waking up late on the sofa, we learn that she’s currently going through a divorce, with her ex-husband wanting her house. She’s also late in taking her son to school, so when they hit heavy traffic along the way, it’s the last thing she needs.
At some traffic lights, the large SUV she’s sitting behind doesn’t budge when the lights turn green, so Rachel lets out a series of long beeps on the horn, before eventually pulling around the SUV to continue on her way. Unfortunately for her though, when they hit more traffic further down the road, the SUV pulls up alongside her, and when the window rolls down, we see that it’s ‘The Man’ behind the wheel. He’s calm at first, if a little on edge, but after apologising for his mistake, demands the same from Rachel before they go their separate ways. Unfortunately though, Rachel isn’t prepared to offer an apology. “I need you to learn what a bad day is and I need you to learn how to say sorry” he growls, before Rachel pulls away, believing that to be the end of it.
What follows is an intense game of cat and mouse, as ‘The Man’ relentlessly stalks Rachel through the roads and highways. Just to make things worse, ‘The Man’ manages to get hold of Rachel’s phone and starts to threaten and target her close friends and family. We’ve already seen just how Unhinged he can be, and there’s more of that as the movie progresses and he gets a chance to carry out some of those threats. He’s not just out to kill Rachel, but to give her the worst possible day he can before that moment arrives.
Crowe is suitably menacing – overweight and sweaty, taking out anyone who gets in his way and methodical in his determination to catch Rachel. The movie does try to humanise him a little at times though, as we discover that he’s been through a relationship breakdown, and was laid off work just a few weeks short of retiring, as if trying to provide some justification for his behaviour.
Unhinged comes in at just over 90 minutes and proved to be a real intense, gut wrenching roller-coaster ride. I don’t know if I was just a bit giddy at being back in the cinema for the first time since March, but I found it to be a lot of fun.
We’d already seen just how angry Russell Crowe’s character is (billed as ‘The Man’, although he later introduces himself as Tom Cooper), courtesy of a shocking little pre-credits scene. Sitting in his car at night, rain beating down on the car as he breathes heavily and pops some pills into his mouth. Slowly turning a wedding ring on his finger, he removes it, tossing it behind him onto the backseat. Taking a hammer, he gets out of the car and walks to the front door of the house he’d parked outside, before smashing it down and proceeding to use the hammer on the occupants. He’s clearly not the kind of person you want to get on the wrong side of.
The person that does manage to get on his wrong side is Rachel (Caren Pistorius), who’s also having a pretty bad day of her own. Waking up late on the sofa, we learn that she’s currently going through a divorce, with her ex-husband wanting her house. She’s also late in taking her son to school, so when they hit heavy traffic along the way, it’s the last thing she needs.
At some traffic lights, the large SUV she’s sitting behind doesn’t budge when the lights turn green, so Rachel lets out a series of long beeps on the horn, before eventually pulling around the SUV to continue on her way. Unfortunately for her though, when they hit more traffic further down the road, the SUV pulls up alongside her, and when the window rolls down, we see that it’s ‘The Man’ behind the wheel. He’s calm at first, if a little on edge, but after apologising for his mistake, demands the same from Rachel before they go their separate ways. Unfortunately though, Rachel isn’t prepared to offer an apology. “I need you to learn what a bad day is and I need you to learn how to say sorry” he growls, before Rachel pulls away, believing that to be the end of it.
What follows is an intense game of cat and mouse, as ‘The Man’ relentlessly stalks Rachel through the roads and highways. Just to make things worse, ‘The Man’ manages to get hold of Rachel’s phone and starts to threaten and target her close friends and family. We’ve already seen just how Unhinged he can be, and there’s more of that as the movie progresses and he gets a chance to carry out some of those threats. He’s not just out to kill Rachel, but to give her the worst possible day he can before that moment arrives.
Crowe is suitably menacing – overweight and sweaty, taking out anyone who gets in his way and methodical in his determination to catch Rachel. The movie does try to humanise him a little at times though, as we discover that he’s been through a relationship breakdown, and was laid off work just a few weeks short of retiring, as if trying to provide some justification for his behaviour.
Unhinged comes in at just over 90 minutes and proved to be a real intense, gut wrenching roller-coaster ride. I don’t know if I was just a bit giddy at being back in the cinema for the first time since March, but I found it to be a lot of fun.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014) in Movies
Jun 5, 2019
Hits You From Jump and Keeps Rolling
Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) finds himself thrust into a war he wanted no part of against an enemy that gains the advantage by rewinding time. After he gains their power, he has to figure out a way to stop them and end their terror for good.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Edge of Tomorrow grabs your attention from the opening credits. The screen starts to crackle and break up as we’re placed right in the middle of a number of news reports describing the current situation. It’s a clever way to get you caught up to speed without starting slow.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Science fiction movies and war movies have some of the greatest cinematic scenes in film history. You combine the two genres and you’re left with pure gold. Edge of Tomorrow has a way of capturing grit, ugliness, and beauty at the same time. As you’re watching the alien creatures tear through things like it’s paper, you’re also marveling at everything director Doug Liman is capturing on the screen at once. It was a pleasure watching the mech suits in action, a mixture of old-school tech and advanced weaponry. The attention to detail throughout is to be applauded. The aliens alone are incredibly creative and intriguing to see on the battlefield.
Conflict: 10
Oftentimes, when I watch a film like this, I wonder how they’re able to still squeeze a story in when there is so much action. The battles are consistent and take you across a number of different landscapes as Cage has to keep reliving the day. It’s seriously badass once Cage has started to perfect the day enough where he’s killing the enemy left and right.
Although the action is amazing, that isn’t the sole thing carrying the conflict as Cage and Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) are trying to figure out what exactly they need to do bring the nightmare to an end. They are at ends throughout the movie, even to the point where Cage wants to throw in the towel a number of times. It feels very real.
Genre: 10
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Very solid storyline that manages to stay out of its own way by not overcomplicating things. I appreciated the fact that the screenwriters (and there are multiple) didn’t try and cut any corners, but looked for proper ways to advance the story. And that ending…
Resolution: 10
Just perfect. Ends right were it needs to with you wanting more, but knowing you don’t really need it. The closure is spot on. Well done.
Overall: 10
Chalk one up for the blockbusters, Edge of Tomorrow stands on my Top Ten list all-time as of today. It keeps you guessing, but most importantly, it keeps you entertained. I won’t apologize for the high rating as this film checks all the boxes.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Edge of Tomorrow grabs your attention from the opening credits. The screen starts to crackle and break up as we’re placed right in the middle of a number of news reports describing the current situation. It’s a clever way to get you caught up to speed without starting slow.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Science fiction movies and war movies have some of the greatest cinematic scenes in film history. You combine the two genres and you’re left with pure gold. Edge of Tomorrow has a way of capturing grit, ugliness, and beauty at the same time. As you’re watching the alien creatures tear through things like it’s paper, you’re also marveling at everything director Doug Liman is capturing on the screen at once. It was a pleasure watching the mech suits in action, a mixture of old-school tech and advanced weaponry. The attention to detail throughout is to be applauded. The aliens alone are incredibly creative and intriguing to see on the battlefield.
Conflict: 10
Oftentimes, when I watch a film like this, I wonder how they’re able to still squeeze a story in when there is so much action. The battles are consistent and take you across a number of different landscapes as Cage has to keep reliving the day. It’s seriously badass once Cage has started to perfect the day enough where he’s killing the enemy left and right.
Although the action is amazing, that isn’t the sole thing carrying the conflict as Cage and Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) are trying to figure out what exactly they need to do bring the nightmare to an end. They are at ends throughout the movie, even to the point where Cage wants to throw in the towel a number of times. It feels very real.
Genre: 10
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Very solid storyline that manages to stay out of its own way by not overcomplicating things. I appreciated the fact that the screenwriters (and there are multiple) didn’t try and cut any corners, but looked for proper ways to advance the story. And that ending…
Resolution: 10
Just perfect. Ends right were it needs to with you wanting more, but knowing you don’t really need it. The closure is spot on. Well done.
Overall: 10
Chalk one up for the blockbusters, Edge of Tomorrow stands on my Top Ten list all-time as of today. It keeps you guessing, but most importantly, it keeps you entertained. I won’t apologize for the high rating as this film checks all the boxes.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Girl on the Train (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Rachael (Emily Blunt) is a woman who has hit rock bottom. Her downward spiral has cost her a marriage, her career, and everything else she cherished and left her a severe alcoholic. Rachael is so far gone that she rides the commuter train into New York every day secretly drinking along the way. There is some method to this madness as the train goes by her former home and this allows Rachael a look in at the woman who replaced her and the new family her ex now enjoys.
In the new film “The Girl on the Train”, based on the book of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the locale has been changed from London to New York but much of the content has been left unchanged which should thrill fans of this highly popular novel.
Rachael has become fascinated with a couple two houses down from her old home and she watches and fantasizes about the perfect life she imagines they have.
The reality is that Megan (Haley Bennett) is living in a controlling and abusive relationship and holds a dark secret of her own which she reveals to her therapist as well as her desire to run away and also take him as a lover.
When Rachael sees Megan in an embrace with someone other than her husband one day, she decides to confront Megan and express her anger over her assumed infidelity even though Rachael has never met her much less learned her name and only knows of her from being in the same workout class and seeing her on the train.
Rachael awakens one morning covered in blood and in a have and is unable to remember what has happened. To make matters worse, Megan has gone missing and her husband is the primary suspect in the disappearance.
Despite being warned away numerous times by her ex Tom (Justin Theroux) and his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), Rachael continues to regain her memories of what happened that evening even though she continues to have issues differentiating reality from fantasy in a situation with high stakes and dire consequences.
What follows is a compelling thriller that kept me interested even though I was able to unravel the mystery 30 minutes or so before the conclusion of the film. I had not read the book or much on the film going in as I wanted to try to crack the mystery without any additional help, but still found it an interesting and entertaining film. There was more eroticism than one may expect at first glance but the film weaves a great story of multiple characters all with various degrees of dysfunction.
The cast is very strong and take what could at first be a routine mystery and turned it into one of the best and most entertaining Dramas of the year.
http://sknr.net/2016/10/07/the-girl-on-the-train/
In the new film “The Girl on the Train”, based on the book of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the locale has been changed from London to New York but much of the content has been left unchanged which should thrill fans of this highly popular novel.
Rachael has become fascinated with a couple two houses down from her old home and she watches and fantasizes about the perfect life she imagines they have.
The reality is that Megan (Haley Bennett) is living in a controlling and abusive relationship and holds a dark secret of her own which she reveals to her therapist as well as her desire to run away and also take him as a lover.
When Rachael sees Megan in an embrace with someone other than her husband one day, she decides to confront Megan and express her anger over her assumed infidelity even though Rachael has never met her much less learned her name and only knows of her from being in the same workout class and seeing her on the train.
Rachael awakens one morning covered in blood and in a have and is unable to remember what has happened. To make matters worse, Megan has gone missing and her husband is the primary suspect in the disappearance.
Despite being warned away numerous times by her ex Tom (Justin Theroux) and his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), Rachael continues to regain her memories of what happened that evening even though she continues to have issues differentiating reality from fantasy in a situation with high stakes and dire consequences.
What follows is a compelling thriller that kept me interested even though I was able to unravel the mystery 30 minutes or so before the conclusion of the film. I had not read the book or much on the film going in as I wanted to try to crack the mystery without any additional help, but still found it an interesting and entertaining film. There was more eroticism than one may expect at first glance but the film weaves a great story of multiple characters all with various degrees of dysfunction.
The cast is very strong and take what could at first be a routine mystery and turned it into one of the best and most entertaining Dramas of the year.
http://sknr.net/2016/10/07/the-girl-on-the-train/
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is based upon the best selling novel written by Stephen Chbosky and published in 1999. The film is directed by the author himself who makes the entire film follow the epistolary style novel very well. The film brings to light the struggles of an awkward adolescent boy named Charlie (Logan Lerman, Percy Jackson & the Olympians) and his struggles with trying to cope with the recent death of his best friend who has committed suicide and the not so recent death of his beloved aunt. While coping with both deaths Charlie also has to try his hardest to get through his first day of high school.
Charlie has a tough time making friends being shy and introverted. This definitely doesn’t help on his first day when the only friend he makes is his English teacher Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd, I Love You Man). Though in his shop class he notices one very outgoing yet somewhat flamboyant senior Patrick (Ezra Miller) who ends up taking Charlie under his wing and inducts him into “the island of misfit toys”. Charlie becomes enamored with a pixie haired beauty named Sam (Emma Watson, Harry Potter) who is Patrick’s step-sister. She is involved with a college boy but soon finds that the path she is on will soon lead down a different direction, possibly with Charlie. Though Charlie is a freshman and has never been able to feel close to anybody, his new group of friends become somewhat of a family and together they are able to overcome the struggles that adolescents are faced with today.
This film is full of great actors with appearances by Joan Cusack, Tom Savini and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) and many others. The film hit kind of close to home as I, and many others, I’m sure, can relate to some of the same issues that had to be faced. That is why this is such a great film. I suppose that is why the story was so moving to me. I almost had a small case of anxiety remembering my high school days as a “wallflower” or a “misfit”. While the story is a roller coaster of emotions it is very well paced and has an amazing soundtrack that follows the story. The film will bring a lot of different emotions to the surface and will tug at the heartstrings which all great films must do. I usually take notes during a film that I am reviewing and at certain times I noticed myself not writing anything as I was entirely enthralled with the film. The acting is great and portrays all the characters of the story very well. This was a great film for Emma Watson to grow as more of a dramatic actress as apposed to her role as Hermione Granger though at times you could hear her British accent come through. This film is a must see! PG-13,103mins long.
Charlie has a tough time making friends being shy and introverted. This definitely doesn’t help on his first day when the only friend he makes is his English teacher Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd, I Love You Man). Though in his shop class he notices one very outgoing yet somewhat flamboyant senior Patrick (Ezra Miller) who ends up taking Charlie under his wing and inducts him into “the island of misfit toys”. Charlie becomes enamored with a pixie haired beauty named Sam (Emma Watson, Harry Potter) who is Patrick’s step-sister. She is involved with a college boy but soon finds that the path she is on will soon lead down a different direction, possibly with Charlie. Though Charlie is a freshman and has never been able to feel close to anybody, his new group of friends become somewhat of a family and together they are able to overcome the struggles that adolescents are faced with today.
This film is full of great actors with appearances by Joan Cusack, Tom Savini and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) and many others. The film hit kind of close to home as I, and many others, I’m sure, can relate to some of the same issues that had to be faced. That is why this is such a great film. I suppose that is why the story was so moving to me. I almost had a small case of anxiety remembering my high school days as a “wallflower” or a “misfit”. While the story is a roller coaster of emotions it is very well paced and has an amazing soundtrack that follows the story. The film will bring a lot of different emotions to the surface and will tug at the heartstrings which all great films must do. I usually take notes during a film that I am reviewing and at certain times I noticed myself not writing anything as I was entirely enthralled with the film. The acting is great and portrays all the characters of the story very well. This was a great film for Emma Watson to grow as more of a dramatic actress as apposed to her role as Hermione Granger though at times you could hear her British accent come through. This film is a must see! PG-13,103mins long.
Janeeny (200 KP) rated The Constant Rabbit in Books
Jul 10, 2020
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a big fan of authors like Terry Pratchet, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde, and Tom Holt. Books written within the realms of the ridiculous, that make me smile, definitely get my vote. So when a new book by Jasper fforde comes out, about a society of anthropomorphised rabbits, I’m definitely on board.
The premise is really interesting. Decades ago an unexplained event led to a bunch of rabbits morphing into humanoid form. They’re still rabbits in essence, but just the size of humans and with the ability of human speech. Well these rabbits bred like the proverbial rabbit, and cut to present day where there are millions of anthropomorphised rabbits living in Britain. Still being the ‘sub-species’ though they live and work in a lesser capacity than most humans.
This book is a very intricately woven story about the prejudices that the rabbits face, their efforts to overcome it, and their ultimate acceptance that things are never going to change.
Interspersed with the usual Fforde humour, where Humans are often referred to as ‘Fudds’ (a reference to Elmer Fudd), and a detailed description of the ‘Beatrix potter’ clothing range. There are also some harsh ‘close to the bone’ observations. Our protagonist works for a certain government department as a ‘spotter’, his job is to go through the database and identify certain rabbits. It’s a special skill, as to most humans, ‘All rabbits look the same’.
At a time when the subject of racism is very much in the forefront of everyones minds and in the news every day, this is an interesting book. He’s not making light of the subject of racism, far from it. His jibes are more at the state of the UK and it’s various political and ethical issues.
For example, in the book there is a group called ‘TwoLegsGood’ a supremacist factor. This group, on finding out that a certain rabbit has committed an act that THEY consider a crime, drag him from his house in the middle of the night and ‘jug’ him! This involves upending him in a forty-gallon drum of cheap gravy that had been seasoned with bay leaves, celery, thyme, juniper berries and red wine (I see you smiling there!) It is later discovered to be a case of mistaken identity with TwoLegsGood showing no remorse, under the presumption he’s a rabbit and is bound to be guilty of something.
Funny right?
Now take out the fact the victim is a rabbit and the drum is filled with cheap seasoned gravy, and it’s not so funny anymore, it’s actually a serious and reprehensible crime.
That is the beauty of satire and the genius of this book.
A well thought out piece of satiric writing tackling the ‘hot potato’ subject of race. A light-hearted read with a serious message.
I’m a big fan of authors like Terry Pratchet, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde, and Tom Holt. Books written within the realms of the ridiculous, that make me smile, definitely get my vote. So when a new book by Jasper fforde comes out, about a society of anthropomorphised rabbits, I’m definitely on board.
The premise is really interesting. Decades ago an unexplained event led to a bunch of rabbits morphing into humanoid form. They’re still rabbits in essence, but just the size of humans and with the ability of human speech. Well these rabbits bred like the proverbial rabbit, and cut to present day where there are millions of anthropomorphised rabbits living in Britain. Still being the ‘sub-species’ though they live and work in a lesser capacity than most humans.
This book is a very intricately woven story about the prejudices that the rabbits face, their efforts to overcome it, and their ultimate acceptance that things are never going to change.
Interspersed with the usual Fforde humour, where Humans are often referred to as ‘Fudds’ (a reference to Elmer Fudd), and a detailed description of the ‘Beatrix potter’ clothing range. There are also some harsh ‘close to the bone’ observations. Our protagonist works for a certain government department as a ‘spotter’, his job is to go through the database and identify certain rabbits. It’s a special skill, as to most humans, ‘All rabbits look the same’.
At a time when the subject of racism is very much in the forefront of everyones minds and in the news every day, this is an interesting book. He’s not making light of the subject of racism, far from it. His jibes are more at the state of the UK and it’s various political and ethical issues.
For example, in the book there is a group called ‘TwoLegsGood’ a supremacist factor. This group, on finding out that a certain rabbit has committed an act that THEY consider a crime, drag him from his house in the middle of the night and ‘jug’ him! This involves upending him in a forty-gallon drum of cheap gravy that had been seasoned with bay leaves, celery, thyme, juniper berries and red wine (I see you smiling there!) It is later discovered to be a case of mistaken identity with TwoLegsGood showing no remorse, under the presumption he’s a rabbit and is bound to be guilty of something.
Funny right?
Now take out the fact the victim is a rabbit and the drum is filled with cheap seasoned gravy, and it’s not so funny anymore, it’s actually a serious and reprehensible crime.
That is the beauty of satire and the genius of this book.
A well thought out piece of satiric writing tackling the ‘hot potato’ subject of race. A light-hearted read with a serious message.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Mission impossible dead reckoning part one (2023) in Movies
Jul 14, 2023
What A Summer Blockbuster Movie Should Be
Boy, that Tom Cruise sure knows how to make a crowd-pleasing, summer blockbuster movie.
Fresh off his cinema-saving success with TOP GUN: MAVERICK, Cruise (and Director Christopher McQuarrie) comes back with another giant summer tentpole film - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE - and they hit it out of the park again.
The 7th film in the Mission Impossible franchise (which debuted, incredibly, 27 years ago), DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE reunites Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) with his band of hero/outlaws to stop yet another world-wide crisis. It’s familiar ground but it is the journey not the destination that makes these types of films work and the journey (which, to be honest, is just an excuse to jump from action set piece to action set piece) is a fun one filled with comfortable characters/actors both old and new.
Besides Cruise (who’s got the Ethan Hunt character down), DR1 is filled with Hunt’s “regular” crew, Luther (Vingh Rhames - the only other actor besides Cruise to be in every MI film), Benji (SImon Pegg - around since MI 3) and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson - on board since film 5). These are all familiar, comfortable characters and when the band gets back together about 1/2 way through the film, it felt liking sinking into your couch after a long, hard (but good) day of work to watch your favorite comfort show.
McQuarrie, wisely, populates the rest of the film with new, but comfortably familiar, faces such as Haley Atwell (Agent Carter in the MCU), Shea Wigham (ironically, he played Atwell’s boss in the Agent Carter TV Series), Pom Klementieff as Paris (the name of the character Leonard Nimoy played in the TV Series). Klementieff is also a veteran of the MCU having played Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Esai Morales (one of the bosses in NYPD BLUE) and Cary Elwes (the Princess Bride). All bring their “A” game to the adventure and all of them acquit themselves just fine.
Oh…and Henry Czerny reprises his role as Kittridge from the first Mission Impossible film - and it was good to see him, too as was Vanessa Kirby’s re-appearance as Hunt’s “frenemie”, The White Widow (in a role that is a bit more expanded).
But, of course, all of these actors/performances takes a back seat to the action sequences and McQuarrie and Cruise are at the top of their game here. The big action set pieces are a marvel to watch - very enjoyable, exciting, nerve-wracking and easy to follow with some sense of humor rolled in. Unlike another big action flick (that leaned more towards the over-the-top comic-book type action), this Mission Impossible film relies on tension to make these action scenes pop off the screen - and McQuarrie succeeds.
Since this film is labeled as “Part One” you would expect to this film to end on a cliff-hanger and McQuarrie/Cruise were smart about that, too. It is more of “the mission isn’t finished” than a cliff-hanger, which helps this film hold together on it’s own and not just “Part One of a two-parter”.
Very smart, indeed.
A fun romp at the cinema - head out to the biggest screen possible to immerse yourself into this mission, you’ll be glad you did.
Letter Grade: A
9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
A fun, escapist, action film that is satisfying (and not dumb), MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD
Fresh off his cinema-saving success with TOP GUN: MAVERICK, Cruise (and Director Christopher McQuarrie) comes back with another giant summer tentpole film - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE - and they hit it out of the park again.
The 7th film in the Mission Impossible franchise (which debuted, incredibly, 27 years ago), DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE reunites Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) with his band of hero/outlaws to stop yet another world-wide crisis. It’s familiar ground but it is the journey not the destination that makes these types of films work and the journey (which, to be honest, is just an excuse to jump from action set piece to action set piece) is a fun one filled with comfortable characters/actors both old and new.
Besides Cruise (who’s got the Ethan Hunt character down), DR1 is filled with Hunt’s “regular” crew, Luther (Vingh Rhames - the only other actor besides Cruise to be in every MI film), Benji (SImon Pegg - around since MI 3) and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson - on board since film 5). These are all familiar, comfortable characters and when the band gets back together about 1/2 way through the film, it felt liking sinking into your couch after a long, hard (but good) day of work to watch your favorite comfort show.
McQuarrie, wisely, populates the rest of the film with new, but comfortably familiar, faces such as Haley Atwell (Agent Carter in the MCU), Shea Wigham (ironically, he played Atwell’s boss in the Agent Carter TV Series), Pom Klementieff as Paris (the name of the character Leonard Nimoy played in the TV Series). Klementieff is also a veteran of the MCU having played Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Esai Morales (one of the bosses in NYPD BLUE) and Cary Elwes (the Princess Bride). All bring their “A” game to the adventure and all of them acquit themselves just fine.
Oh…and Henry Czerny reprises his role as Kittridge from the first Mission Impossible film - and it was good to see him, too as was Vanessa Kirby’s re-appearance as Hunt’s “frenemie”, The White Widow (in a role that is a bit more expanded).
But, of course, all of these actors/performances takes a back seat to the action sequences and McQuarrie and Cruise are at the top of their game here. The big action set pieces are a marvel to watch - very enjoyable, exciting, nerve-wracking and easy to follow with some sense of humor rolled in. Unlike another big action flick (that leaned more towards the over-the-top comic-book type action), this Mission Impossible film relies on tension to make these action scenes pop off the screen - and McQuarrie succeeds.
Since this film is labeled as “Part One” you would expect to this film to end on a cliff-hanger and McQuarrie/Cruise were smart about that, too. It is more of “the mission isn’t finished” than a cliff-hanger, which helps this film hold together on it’s own and not just “Part One of a two-parter”.
Very smart, indeed.
A fun romp at the cinema - head out to the biggest screen possible to immerse yourself into this mission, you’ll be glad you did.
Letter Grade: A
9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
A fun, escapist, action film that is satisfying (and not dumb), MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Alex Elliott (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), is a 12 year old boy that isn’t afraid to stand up to bullies and defend his friends. As noble as his deeds are, he ends up becoming the school bullies Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye’s (Rhianna Dorris) target. They chase him to an abandoned construction site where he falls off a ledge and encounters the notorious sword in the stone. As many are aware of King Arthur’s sword in the stone story, the person that pulls the sword from the stone shall become King of England. To his and his best friend Bedders’s (Dean Chaumoo) surprise, Alex draws the sword (aka Excalibur) from the stone and moments later Merlin appears (Angus Imrie) and warns Alex and Bedders of the danger that lies ahead. Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), King Arthur’s half-sister, and her army of fire burning dead soldiers are on a mission to get Excalibur and take over Earth. Merlin encourages Alex, Bedders and the two bullies, they must put their differences aside to beat Morgana and save the world.
A clever modern day continuation to the story of the Sword in the Stone with a Lord of the Rings spin to it that’s appropriate for kids. All our main characters are children/teenagers, including Merlin, who at random climactic moments in the film transforms into an elder version of himself and is played by the legendary Patrick Stewart. Bedders’s role is similar to that of loyal and dopey, but brave Samwise Gamgee. He helps Alex recruit soldiers to help fight Morgana’s army and never leaves his best friend’s side.
A unique story about loyalty and working together to do what’s best to defeat evil and save Earth. Glad to see family friendly movies dabbling into the genre of medieval fantasy again. There are moments in the film that drag on. They should have omitted several scenes and the long run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes could have been shortened. Very much geared towards kids ages 8 and up, there are some dark moments that may not be suitable for the younger ages. Prepare for lots of adventure, laughter, and good vs evil story, one the whole family can enjoy.
A clever modern day continuation to the story of the Sword in the Stone with a Lord of the Rings spin to it that’s appropriate for kids. All our main characters are children/teenagers, including Merlin, who at random climactic moments in the film transforms into an elder version of himself and is played by the legendary Patrick Stewart. Bedders’s role is similar to that of loyal and dopey, but brave Samwise Gamgee. He helps Alex recruit soldiers to help fight Morgana’s army and never leaves his best friend’s side.
A unique story about loyalty and working together to do what’s best to defeat evil and save Earth. Glad to see family friendly movies dabbling into the genre of medieval fantasy again. There are moments in the film that drag on. They should have omitted several scenes and the long run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes could have been shortened. Very much geared towards kids ages 8 and up, there are some dark moments that may not be suitable for the younger ages. Prepare for lots of adventure, laughter, and good vs evil story, one the whole family can enjoy.