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Fred (860 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Jan 20, 2019
Tom Cruise is crazy & I love him (4 more)
Crazy stunts
Movie moves along at such a great pace
The characters are great, as always
Did I mention Tom Cruise is crazy?
Non-stop action!
These movies just keep getting better and better. Tom Cruise kicks it up a notch from one movie to the next. His stuntwork is some of the best Hollywood has ever seen. He drives a motorcycle against traffic in Paris. He jumps from rooftop to rooftop. He flies a helicopter over low ground. He HALO jumps. He's crazy & I love it!!! Give me more!!
I am a huge fan of Mark Billingham and of his character, Tom Thorne, and have avidly followed the series and so I was absolutely thrilled to see a prequel was available which went back to the beginning in 1996 when "portable" phones are a novelty, smoking in pubs was the norm and England weren't doing too badly in the Euro's!
Tom is a young Detective Sergeant going through a bit of a rough patch after separating from his wife and experiencing recurring nightmares of an old case when along comes every persons worst nightmare ... the abduction of a little boy from a local park. The book follows the investigation into the abduction where everyone is a suspect and the mystery deepens when the body of one of those suspects turns up, quickly followed by the body of the boy's father.
This is a tense read written mainly from the perspectives of Tom, Cat (mother of the abducted child) and Kieron (the abducted child); the pace built up as the investigation progressed and I loved it. I particularly enjoyed meeting the characters that I have grown to love at the beginnings of their relationship with a particular highlight being the first meeting between Tom and Phil Hendricks which made me literally laugh out loud.
I would most definitely recommend this book and you don't have to have read any of the others in the series as this makes a really good starting point for those of you who haven't discovered the delight that is Tom Thorne and who have clearly been living under a rock!!
I was extremely lucky to have won a copy of this book via a Facebook competition but thanks also to Little, Brown Book Group via NetGalley for an e-copy in return for an unbiased and honest review.
Tom is a young Detective Sergeant going through a bit of a rough patch after separating from his wife and experiencing recurring nightmares of an old case when along comes every persons worst nightmare ... the abduction of a little boy from a local park. The book follows the investigation into the abduction where everyone is a suspect and the mystery deepens when the body of one of those suspects turns up, quickly followed by the body of the boy's father.
This is a tense read written mainly from the perspectives of Tom, Cat (mother of the abducted child) and Kieron (the abducted child); the pace built up as the investigation progressed and I loved it. I particularly enjoyed meeting the characters that I have grown to love at the beginnings of their relationship with a particular highlight being the first meeting between Tom and Phil Hendricks which made me literally laugh out loud.
I would most definitely recommend this book and you don't have to have read any of the others in the series as this makes a really good starting point for those of you who haven't discovered the delight that is Tom Thorne and who have clearly been living under a rock!!
I was extremely lucky to have won a copy of this book via a Facebook competition but thanks also to Little, Brown Book Group via NetGalley for an e-copy in return for an unbiased and honest review.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Thor: The Dark World (2013) in Movies
Jun 9, 2018 (Updated Jun 9, 2018)
Marvel's second Thor movie is a not especially well-judged mixture of somewhat leaden epic fantasy and cutesy, kooky rom-com. Looks spiffy throughout, but it doesn't half drag in places: you can see why they decided to shake things up so thoroughly in the third one.
The thing about the Marvel Studios films is that they are routinely so good that when one is merely a fairly competent blockbuster, as is the case here, it does feel unreasonably disappointing. Apart from the sluggish pace and mishandled humour, the main problem here is that the script doesn't feel particularly well-focused or engaging, with the new villains eclipsed by Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and a reliance on lavish spectacle over characters you actually care about. Still not much worse than many a successful blockbuster, but one of the more dispensable Marvel movies nevertheless.
The thing about the Marvel Studios films is that they are routinely so good that when one is merely a fairly competent blockbuster, as is the case here, it does feel unreasonably disappointing. Apart from the sluggish pace and mishandled humour, the main problem here is that the script doesn't feel particularly well-focused or engaging, with the new villains eclipsed by Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and a reliance on lavish spectacle over characters you actually care about. Still not much worse than many a successful blockbuster, but one of the more dispensable Marvel movies nevertheless.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
May 27, 2019
A Race Against the Clock After a Mission Gone Wrong
In this sixth installment (yes, it’s been six!), special agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his crew find themselves racing against the clock after a mission goes terribly wrong.
Acting: 8
Beginning: 9
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 9
Solid action from beginning to end keeps this film alive and well. This is what you come for, not a deep story or in-depth character development. You want to see Tom Cruise run really fast and jump off of tall things. While the action falls just short of the quality from the third film, it still packs a hard punch.
Genre: 9
It is surprising to me that, after six films and the following of a somewhat similar formula along the way, this franchise still continues to stand at the pinnacle of espionage action films. Director Christopher McQuarrie not only manages to keep the action fresh in Fallout, but he makes you think they could easily pull off another three. Not the best M:I movie, but it takes you on a wild ride nonetheless.
Memorability: 9
Pace: 9
Plot: 9
Resolution: 9
Wasn’t perfect, but solid enough to wrap the film up nicely. I was hoping for a little more for Ethan, but something tells me that things are going to work out for him just fine in the end. You will definitely leave the movie excited from the seventh installment.
Overall: 91
Mission: Impossible—Fallout is clever enough to make you use your brain, but not too over-the-top where you’re left thinking, “Wait, what?” I have mad respect for McQuarrie as it’s hard as all get out to keep a franchise fresh. After a terrible second try, the franchise has been balling ever since. Long live the running of Tom Cruise!
Acting: 8
Beginning: 9
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 9
Solid action from beginning to end keeps this film alive and well. This is what you come for, not a deep story or in-depth character development. You want to see Tom Cruise run really fast and jump off of tall things. While the action falls just short of the quality from the third film, it still packs a hard punch.
Genre: 9
It is surprising to me that, after six films and the following of a somewhat similar formula along the way, this franchise still continues to stand at the pinnacle of espionage action films. Director Christopher McQuarrie not only manages to keep the action fresh in Fallout, but he makes you think they could easily pull off another three. Not the best M:I movie, but it takes you on a wild ride nonetheless.
Memorability: 9
Pace: 9
Plot: 9
Resolution: 9
Wasn’t perfect, but solid enough to wrap the film up nicely. I was hoping for a little more for Ethan, but something tells me that things are going to work out for him just fine in the end. You will definitely leave the movie excited from the seventh installment.
Overall: 91
Mission: Impossible—Fallout is clever enough to make you use your brain, but not too over-the-top where you’re left thinking, “Wait, what?” I have mad respect for McQuarrie as it’s hard as all get out to keep a franchise fresh. After a terrible second try, the franchise has been balling ever since. Long live the running of Tom Cruise!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Professor (McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Professor</i>, a legal thriller by American author Robert Bailey, is a well-written novel about an investigation into a fatal car crash. A collision between a speeding truck and a family car resulted in the death of all four people in the vehicles. The mother of one of the deceased is determined to find out the truth about what happened and so enlists the help of an old friend, Thomas McMurtrie, the Professor.
Although everything revolves around the upcoming trial, the story is really focused on two people in particular. One is the aforementioned Professor and the other is an ex-student of his, Rick Drake. Tom used to be a lawyer but after persuasion from Coach Paul Bryant he took up a position at the University of Alabama teaching law. Now at 68 years old he is forced into retirement. Rick Drake, on the other hand, is a young and struggling lawyer, who after punching Tom due to his hot headedness is finding it difficult to pick up work. Putting aside their differences, the two of the come together to try and win this court case. The opposition, however, seem determined to make that impossible by using any means possible.
The prologue initially misled me. It explains how Tom became a professor in 1969 by detailing his meeting with Coach Paul Bryant who is more often referred to as the Man. This title, as well as the capitalization, led me to believe that he would be a sinister, untrustworthy character in this story. That turned out not to be the case – nor was he even in it, having long passed away. He was known as the Man in the same way that Tom is known as the Professor, due to respect and admiration.
There were times when I did not like what was happening in the novel, particularly the murders of Rick’s key witnesses, but once the trial actually began it got really exciting with the pace picking up as I hoped that everything would resolve itself.
For those who love crime novels this is a definite read. I cannot be entirely sure but the caption on the back cover “The First McMurtrie & Drake Investigation” implies that this could become a series rather than a standalone story; in which case it would be interesting to discover what the pair do next.
<i>The Professor</i>, a legal thriller by American author Robert Bailey, is a well-written novel about an investigation into a fatal car crash. A collision between a speeding truck and a family car resulted in the death of all four people in the vehicles. The mother of one of the deceased is determined to find out the truth about what happened and so enlists the help of an old friend, Thomas McMurtrie, the Professor.
Although everything revolves around the upcoming trial, the story is really focused on two people in particular. One is the aforementioned Professor and the other is an ex-student of his, Rick Drake. Tom used to be a lawyer but after persuasion from Coach Paul Bryant he took up a position at the University of Alabama teaching law. Now at 68 years old he is forced into retirement. Rick Drake, on the other hand, is a young and struggling lawyer, who after punching Tom due to his hot headedness is finding it difficult to pick up work. Putting aside their differences, the two of the come together to try and win this court case. The opposition, however, seem determined to make that impossible by using any means possible.
The prologue initially misled me. It explains how Tom became a professor in 1969 by detailing his meeting with Coach Paul Bryant who is more often referred to as the Man. This title, as well as the capitalization, led me to believe that he would be a sinister, untrustworthy character in this story. That turned out not to be the case – nor was he even in it, having long passed away. He was known as the Man in the same way that Tom is known as the Professor, due to respect and admiration.
There were times when I did not like what was happening in the novel, particularly the murders of Rick’s key witnesses, but once the trial actually began it got really exciting with the pace picking up as I hoped that everything would resolve itself.
For those who love crime novels this is a definite read. I cannot be entirely sure but the caption on the back cover “The First McMurtrie & Drake Investigation” implies that this could become a series rather than a standalone story; in which case it would be interesting to discover what the pair do next.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Oblivion (2013) in Movies
May 12, 2019
Why didn't more people see this?
Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski brings his unique, stunning visual splendor to this unusual sci fi tale where everything is not quite what it seems.
Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough are in change of keeping robotic drones which protect large machines in a future where Earth is derelict and most of humanity has relocated to a moon of Saturn or a giant orbiting space station en route to the same destination.
A mysterious spacecraft crashes to Earth and one of the occupants is saved. They also have to deal with the unruly "scavs" out to kill them. Events take an interesting turn when the real villains and heroes are revealed and I doubt you can predict the outcome.
I am usually one to say movies that are just "eye candy" don't hold my interest; however, this film has a soul which goes deeper and kept my attention and riveted throughout.
Th engaging story and interesting characters mixed well even though I may have felt I had seen some of this before. Some trappings of films like The Matrix, 2001, Solaris or Arrival are present, but the director puts his own spin and the story kept pace entirely.
Also a standout was the score by musical group M83 who had never done a soundtrack before according to Tom Cruise during the audio commentary.
Not sure why this film was lost at the box office. Could've been the anti Tom Cruise factor, crowded summer movie season or even the highbrow concept plot which meant mediocre word of mouth kept people away.
I had recalled very mixed reviews myself which is why I hadn't watched until now which was a good thing I suppose which meant I was pleasantly surprised.
Appetites for much better-than-average science fiction should give this a try.
Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough are in change of keeping robotic drones which protect large machines in a future where Earth is derelict and most of humanity has relocated to a moon of Saturn or a giant orbiting space station en route to the same destination.
A mysterious spacecraft crashes to Earth and one of the occupants is saved. They also have to deal with the unruly "scavs" out to kill them. Events take an interesting turn when the real villains and heroes are revealed and I doubt you can predict the outcome.
I am usually one to say movies that are just "eye candy" don't hold my interest; however, this film has a soul which goes deeper and kept my attention and riveted throughout.
Th engaging story and interesting characters mixed well even though I may have felt I had seen some of this before. Some trappings of films like The Matrix, 2001, Solaris or Arrival are present, but the director puts his own spin and the story kept pace entirely.
Also a standout was the score by musical group M83 who had never done a soundtrack before according to Tom Cruise during the audio commentary.
Not sure why this film was lost at the box office. Could've been the anti Tom Cruise factor, crowded summer movie season or even the highbrow concept plot which meant mediocre word of mouth kept people away.
I had recalled very mixed reviews myself which is why I hadn't watched until now which was a good thing I suppose which meant I was pleasantly surprised.
Appetites for much better-than-average science fiction should give this a try.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Public Enemy (1931) in Movies
Jul 30, 2020
Boring
The story of the rise and fall of prohibition-era Tom Powers. The Public Enemy currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. I was excited to dive in to this movie, but I started drowning as soon as I hit the first ten minutes. And, no, it didn’t get better.
Acting: 7
Beginning: 4
The beginning is extremely slow. It was very hard for me to get engaged or even stay that way. I got out of the first ten minutes thinking, “If this is any indication of how the rest of the movie is going to be, count me out.”
Characters: 2
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 5
For a gangster movie, I was really hoping for a lot more action. The gun fights aren’t bad, but they happen so few and far between it makes the rest of the movie really boring. I never felt any stakes at any point with any of the characters either so the conflict is mediocre by comparison.
Entertainment Value: 5
I enjoyed watching a part of cinematic history. I respected that aspect at least. Overall, though, I was mildly entertained at best. I felt there were more lulls than high spots.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 4
I was bored out of my mind for most of the movie. Again, I expected more from a gangster movie. Too much talking, way too much exposition. The movie drags like a sloth.
Plot: 8
The story is solid. The execution was weak. There are a number of different ways this story could have been approached without there being so much repeated dialogue. Tom Powers has an interesting story that happened to get lost in translation with all of this.
Resolution: 2
I won’t spoil the ending, but it did nothing for the main character or his story overall. I felt we reached a climax where I had no sympathy for Tom because they had done little to nothing to that point to make me give a shit about him. Considering how bad the beginning was already, this was absolutely horrible.
Overall: 53Do I think The Public Enemy is a bad movie? Clearly, but I will say it’s not without a handful of shining moments. The camerawork is phenomenal particularly during gun fights. However, because I could never get to a point where I rooted for the main character, it made the movie as a whole hard to enjoy for me.
Acting: 7
Beginning: 4
The beginning is extremely slow. It was very hard for me to get engaged or even stay that way. I got out of the first ten minutes thinking, “If this is any indication of how the rest of the movie is going to be, count me out.”
Characters: 2
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 5
For a gangster movie, I was really hoping for a lot more action. The gun fights aren’t bad, but they happen so few and far between it makes the rest of the movie really boring. I never felt any stakes at any point with any of the characters either so the conflict is mediocre by comparison.
Entertainment Value: 5
I enjoyed watching a part of cinematic history. I respected that aspect at least. Overall, though, I was mildly entertained at best. I felt there were more lulls than high spots.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 4
I was bored out of my mind for most of the movie. Again, I expected more from a gangster movie. Too much talking, way too much exposition. The movie drags like a sloth.
Plot: 8
The story is solid. The execution was weak. There are a number of different ways this story could have been approached without there being so much repeated dialogue. Tom Powers has an interesting story that happened to get lost in translation with all of this.
Resolution: 2
I won’t spoil the ending, but it did nothing for the main character or his story overall. I felt we reached a climax where I had no sympathy for Tom because they had done little to nothing to that point to make me give a shit about him. Considering how bad the beginning was already, this was absolutely horrible.
Overall: 53Do I think The Public Enemy is a bad movie? Clearly, but I will say it’s not without a handful of shining moments. The camerawork is phenomenal particularly during gun fights. However, because I could never get to a point where I rooted for the main character, it made the movie as a whole hard to enjoy for me.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated A Legacy of Murder in Books
Oct 9, 2019
Kate Finds a Christmastime Murder
Kate Hamilton has traveled to the small village of Long Barston in England. Her daughter, Christine, is spending her semester break working at Finchley Hall as one of several college aged interns who work on the premises, and Kate can visit Christine and her new friend Tom Mallory, a policeman she met in Scotland and is falling for, before heading back home to Ohio to spend Christmas with her mother. On her first day, Kate is taking a tour of Finchley Hall. The guide is talking about the murders that have taken place on the estate when a scream interrupts her. Kate and several others run to find one of the interns dead. The police are quick to label it murder. With Tom on the case, it is cutting into the time Kate thought they would have together. But she can’t help but worry. Is Christine in danger since she is an intern?
I’ve just teased the first couple of chapters, so things obviously get off to a fast start. However, the pace is uneven, especially early on in the story. I know part of that is me since Kate loves England much more than I do, and her wonder at spending time there didn’t translate to me. However, there is a good mystery here, with some decent twists and surprises. The climax is page turning and perfect logical. The characters are absolutely wonderful. We have a rather large cast, but I never had any issue keeping everyone and their relationship to the events unfolding around Kate straight. While the book is set in December, there is so much going on we don’t get lots of scenes directly related to Christmas, although I certainly enjoyed the references to the season we did see. This book isn’t quite as strong as the first one, but I’m glad I read it. This is a series that anyone who loves the British Isles needs to pick up today.
I’ve just teased the first couple of chapters, so things obviously get off to a fast start. However, the pace is uneven, especially early on in the story. I know part of that is me since Kate loves England much more than I do, and her wonder at spending time there didn’t translate to me. However, there is a good mystery here, with some decent twists and surprises. The climax is page turning and perfect logical. The characters are absolutely wonderful. We have a rather large cast, but I never had any issue keeping everyone and their relationship to the events unfolding around Kate straight. While the book is set in December, there is so much going on we don’t get lots of scenes directly related to Christmas, although I certainly enjoyed the references to the season we did see. This book isn’t quite as strong as the first one, but I’m glad I read it. This is a series that anyone who loves the British Isles needs to pick up today.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Feb 25, 2021
This is the worst kind of relatively big budget popcorn tease – the kind of film that knows its demographic will flood to it regardless of quality, so let’s not even bother trying to make it good. The first sign of this type is a script that is such gibberish you almost start to wonder if you are having a stroke, and Venom has that in spades! Just when you think you have a handle on it, off it goes on a tangent that has nothing to do with anything other than setting up the next CGI shot. Which is the second sign – CGI good enough to pass, but quite obviously not the cutting edge stuff we have already seen years ago in better films. Cheap and nasty. The third sign is a director that can bung a few thrills in the mix but has no care whatsoever for characterisation, pace, plot or sensible motivation. Well done Ruben Fleischer for being the first director to have two films included in my BMTBs, following Zombieland Double Tap – I really can’t split them. The only fun to be had here is watching Tom Hardy amuse himself with a comic book characature so far over the top it hurts. Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed are horribly wasted and should be ashamed. Just awful stuff!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Whisper Man in Books
Aug 31, 2019 (Updated Aug 31, 2019)
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
In The Whisper Man, recently widowed Tom Kennedy moves to Featherbank for a fresh start. What he does not realize is the town has a dark history and, as the old saying goes, history always repeats itself. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and killed people whom he lured out of their house by whispering at their windows at night. Kennedy quickly becomes too familiar with this because his son hears whispering at his window.
The Whisper Man is a dark, suspenseful thriller by Alex North. According to his bio, North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name. This is his first book published under Alex North. Betterreading.com sums up the mystery by saying "So, who is Alex North? Time will probably tell, but in the meantime, the biggest thriller of 2019 has been written by the Whisper Man himself."
The short chapters move the story at a fast pace. I had a hard time finding an appropriate place to stop reading because each chapter ended with me wanting more. There is a supernatural element but it is not the main focus.
I am looking forward to more by Alex North, whomever he is.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/30/19.
In The Whisper Man, recently widowed Tom Kennedy moves to Featherbank for a fresh start. What he does not realize is the town has a dark history and, as the old saying goes, history always repeats itself. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and killed people whom he lured out of their house by whispering at their windows at night. Kennedy quickly becomes too familiar with this because his son hears whispering at his window.
The Whisper Man is a dark, suspenseful thriller by Alex North. According to his bio, North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name. This is his first book published under Alex North. Betterreading.com sums up the mystery by saying "So, who is Alex North? Time will probably tell, but in the meantime, the biggest thriller of 2019 has been written by the Whisper Man himself."
The short chapters move the story at a fast pace. I had a hard time finding an appropriate place to stop reading because each chapter ended with me wanting more. There is a supernatural element but it is not the main focus.
I am looking forward to more by Alex North, whomever he is.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/30/19.