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AT (1676 KP) rated Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan- Season 1 in TV
Jan 4, 2019
I love the Jack Ryan series, and it has continued with his son of the same name. Obviously, this series on Amazon Prime is about Jack Ryan, the son, just starting out in the CIA. The series has a lot of action and the suspense that we've become accustomed to in films based on Tom Clancy's novels. I enjoyed the entire series, but don't think it was quite up to where his father would have been, if that makes sense. I look forward to season two, as his career moves forward.
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies
Aug 18, 2017
Around ten minutes into this movie, I found myself thinking, surely, they could have hired someone other than Tom Cruise for this character. The main character should been played by an actor who does the 'lovable douche' character well, i.e. Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, etc. It was fairly boring, they could have done so many things with this movie, but it was just meh.
CHILLFILTR (46 KP) rated Will We Ever Change? by Joel Levi in Music
Jul 11, 2019
This song feels like a moment of catharsis; it's a Ryan Adams meets Tom Petty vibe that it is all right with me, all night long.
“I know the sun will rise,
and we both can’t win.
I want to see you smile again”
— Joel Jevi
Perfect pop instinct, a nice dry mix, great songwriting and a fantastic attention to detail makes this song the lead track on our upcoming playlist CHILL NEW Songwriters Volume 1.
“I know the sun will rise,
and we both can’t win.
I want to see you smile again”
— Joel Jevi
Perfect pop instinct, a nice dry mix, great songwriting and a fantastic attention to detail makes this song the lead track on our upcoming playlist CHILL NEW Songwriters Volume 1.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Command Authority (Jack Ryan Universe, #16) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
It is a shame the world lost such a great story teller as Tom Clancy. I have loved the Jack Ryan series and the latest installment [Command Authority] did not disappoint.
The characters are so good they are like meeting old friends and I love how Jack Jr. has grown into his own. Also the plot of this one with the Russians returning as the antagonists, especially attacking the Ukraine, was timely.
As with all Clancy's books a must read!
The characters are so good they are like meeting old friends and I love how Jack Jr. has grown into his own. Also the plot of this one with the Russians returning as the antagonists, especially attacking the Ukraine, was timely.
As with all Clancy's books a must read!
Debbiereadsbook (1087 KP) rated Scoring Position (Hockey Ever After #2) in Books
Oct 20, 2022
loved this much more than book 1!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Hockey Ever After series. I don't think its fully necessary to read book one, Winging It, before this but it might give you a better picture of the world these players live in. And I really enjoyed that book. Dante and Gabe do pop up, but knowing their story isn't essential, just helpful, especially with Tom and Kitty (side characters) playing a large part here.
Ryan is traded out and his new team is a mess. Their star player, Nico, even more so. But Ryan can see that Nico is hurting, in more ways than one. Finding his sense of humour was a great start. The Ryan messed it all up. And just what is going on with the coach?
I really enjoyed book one, gave it 4 stars, but I found this a much more engaging read, a deeper emotion read. I loved it.
Neither man is in the closet, so there was none of the coming out issue. What there was, though, was a lot of anger on Nico's part and much was misplaced. Ryan needed him to focus that anger, on the ice, rather than punishing himself. Falling for the other gay teamn member was in neither man's plans but fate has a way, huh?
I loved that it really did creep up on them both. Yes there was attraction from the start but the feelings came later and they both fought it hard. Ryan messing up, though? THAT came out of nowhere and I did NOT see that coming! I was reading, and then I was "OH MY GOD, RYAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!" out loud and my partner was somewhat shocked at me! Oh he does redeem himself, but I loved that Nico makes him work hard for that redemption. There is not a quick fix, either, and it does take time for them to be really together.
I loved that we caught up with Dante and Gabe from book one. And Tom and Kitty. I think this is a couple of years after Winging It, since Tom is captain of Ryan's new team, and has a couple of kids. Kitty surprised me though!
Are there any more planned?? I'm loving this series, but these authors are growing on me, as a duo.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Hockey Ever After series. I don't think its fully necessary to read book one, Winging It, before this but it might give you a better picture of the world these players live in. And I really enjoyed that book. Dante and Gabe do pop up, but knowing their story isn't essential, just helpful, especially with Tom and Kitty (side characters) playing a large part here.
Ryan is traded out and his new team is a mess. Their star player, Nico, even more so. But Ryan can see that Nico is hurting, in more ways than one. Finding his sense of humour was a great start. The Ryan messed it all up. And just what is going on with the coach?
I really enjoyed book one, gave it 4 stars, but I found this a much more engaging read, a deeper emotion read. I loved it.
Neither man is in the closet, so there was none of the coming out issue. What there was, though, was a lot of anger on Nico's part and much was misplaced. Ryan needed him to focus that anger, on the ice, rather than punishing himself. Falling for the other gay teamn member was in neither man's plans but fate has a way, huh?
I loved that it really did creep up on them both. Yes there was attraction from the start but the feelings came later and they both fought it hard. Ryan messing up, though? THAT came out of nowhere and I did NOT see that coming! I was reading, and then I was "OH MY GOD, RYAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!" out loud and my partner was somewhat shocked at me! Oh he does redeem himself, but I loved that Nico makes him work hard for that redemption. There is not a quick fix, either, and it does take time for them to be really together.
I loved that we caught up with Dante and Gabe from book one. And Tom and Kitty. I think this is a couple of years after Winging It, since Tom is captain of Ryan's new team, and has a couple of kids. Kitty surprised me though!
Are there any more planned?? I'm loving this series, but these authors are growing on me, as a duo.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
This is not your father’s Jack Ryan; but it should’ve been.
Chris Pine stars as the famed Jack Ryan in this reboot of the character. We open the movie with Ryan
attending school in London on the day many won’t soon forget: September 11, 2001. The events
this day push Ryan into enlisting in the Marines and we join him 3 years later where we see Ryan in
a helicopter with some brothers-in-arms. It doesn’t take long for the helo to be shot down, but not
without Ryan becoming a hero. After extensive rehab from a broken spine, Mr. Ryan is approached by
Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) to join the CIA as an analyst.
This intro to the movie was short. But what lacks in length it makes up for in the eloquence in which
it delivers the back story for Jack Ryan, thus setting up a whole new franchise and getting new viewers
ready for the ride. After this intro, we flash forward 10 years later to find Ryan working on Wall Street,
but he’s undercover and is an analyst for the CIA. He is with his one-time physical therapist, Cathy
Muller (Keira Knightley), and he discovers the details of a planned economic attack against the USA.
It isn’t long before he is whisked away to Russia to do some wet work, and he bumbles into the life
of a field agent facing off against the mastermind of the villainy in the film, Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth
Branagh).
Some may find that the movie lacks the quick-paced, non-stop action that we have seen from spy
movies these days (including the famous 007), but it does keep a good pace and puts an intelligent story
line on the screen and actually entices the audience to think, all the while including some action for the
adrenaline-junkies.
Pine plays a very believable Jack Ryan. He portrays a character that is more closely linked to Tom
Clancy’s original stories and vision for the character than even Harrison Ford did in Patriot Games (which
I thought was an excellent movie). He nailed the bumbling analyst-turned-field-agent in such a way that
you’d believe it was really his personality. They explain his ability to handle himself with the military
background so expertly set up at the beginning of the movie. Adding Costner to the cast was a stroke
of genius as he plays the mentor/superior part extremely well, but he wasn’t in the film so much as
to distract from the focus of Ryan. Branagh (who also directed the film) played an excellent Russian
adversary to Ryan, who was nothing short of a genius in the way he delivered his character’s stoic
responses and reactions.
If I had to name one gripe with the movie, which believe me was no small feat, it was the Cathy
Muller character. Don’t get me wrong, the character was amazing and Knightley did an admirable job
portraying her. I just felt that she seemed to accept things that most people would question a little too
quickly, and without any reservation.
Other than that, the movie rocked. The action scenes were gripping and the actual story-line was
intelligent. The best thing is that story was plausible. It was not over the top or wildly impossible in the
real world. The scary part is just that. The plot of this movie could actually happen. I would definitely
recommend checking it out in theaters, and it most certainly made my “gotta buy it on bluray” list.
Chris Pine stars as the famed Jack Ryan in this reboot of the character. We open the movie with Ryan
attending school in London on the day many won’t soon forget: September 11, 2001. The events
this day push Ryan into enlisting in the Marines and we join him 3 years later where we see Ryan in
a helicopter with some brothers-in-arms. It doesn’t take long for the helo to be shot down, but not
without Ryan becoming a hero. After extensive rehab from a broken spine, Mr. Ryan is approached by
Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) to join the CIA as an analyst.
This intro to the movie was short. But what lacks in length it makes up for in the eloquence in which
it delivers the back story for Jack Ryan, thus setting up a whole new franchise and getting new viewers
ready for the ride. After this intro, we flash forward 10 years later to find Ryan working on Wall Street,
but he’s undercover and is an analyst for the CIA. He is with his one-time physical therapist, Cathy
Muller (Keira Knightley), and he discovers the details of a planned economic attack against the USA.
It isn’t long before he is whisked away to Russia to do some wet work, and he bumbles into the life
of a field agent facing off against the mastermind of the villainy in the film, Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth
Branagh).
Some may find that the movie lacks the quick-paced, non-stop action that we have seen from spy
movies these days (including the famous 007), but it does keep a good pace and puts an intelligent story
line on the screen and actually entices the audience to think, all the while including some action for the
adrenaline-junkies.
Pine plays a very believable Jack Ryan. He portrays a character that is more closely linked to Tom
Clancy’s original stories and vision for the character than even Harrison Ford did in Patriot Games (which
I thought was an excellent movie). He nailed the bumbling analyst-turned-field-agent in such a way that
you’d believe it was really his personality. They explain his ability to handle himself with the military
background so expertly set up at the beginning of the movie. Adding Costner to the cast was a stroke
of genius as he plays the mentor/superior part extremely well, but he wasn’t in the film so much as
to distract from the focus of Ryan. Branagh (who also directed the film) played an excellent Russian
adversary to Ryan, who was nothing short of a genius in the way he delivered his character’s stoic
responses and reactions.
If I had to name one gripe with the movie, which believe me was no small feat, it was the Cathy
Muller character. Don’t get me wrong, the character was amazing and Knightley did an admirable job
portraying her. I just felt that she seemed to accept things that most people would question a little too
quickly, and without any reservation.
Other than that, the movie rocked. The action scenes were gripping and the actual story-line was
intelligent. The best thing is that story was plausible. It was not over the top or wildly impossible in the
real world. The scary part is just that. The plot of this movie could actually happen. I would definitely
recommend checking it out in theaters, and it most certainly made my “gotta buy it on bluray” list.
David McK (3204 KP) rated The Hunt for Red October (1990) in Movies
Mar 22, 2022
This was one of those movies (which is now over 30 years old!) that I knew about, but had just never gotten around to watching before.
I have now and, honestly? It's not that great.
Based on a Tom Clancy novel of the same name (one of his Jack Ryan novels) and starring both Alec Baldwin (as Ryan) and Sean Connery (as the Soviet submarine commander Marko Ramius), this purports to be a thriller about, well, The Hunt for Red October (it's in the title, folks!), a new state of the art Soviet sub that is virtually undetectable and in which Ramius is in charge, with his motivations somewhat murky: is he defecting (it's set during the Cold War)? Is he preparing to launch a strike on the US mainland? Why is a Scot pretending to be Russian??
I have to say, I did find it somewhat slow and ponderous, lacking any real threat or even any means of engaging the viewers interest!
I have now and, honestly? It's not that great.
Based on a Tom Clancy novel of the same name (one of his Jack Ryan novels) and starring both Alec Baldwin (as Ryan) and Sean Connery (as the Soviet submarine commander Marko Ramius), this purports to be a thriller about, well, The Hunt for Red October (it's in the title, folks!), a new state of the art Soviet sub that is virtually undetectable and in which Ramius is in charge, with his motivations somewhat murky: is he defecting (it's set during the Cold War)? Is he preparing to launch a strike on the US mainland? Why is a Scot pretending to be Russian??
I have to say, I did find it somewhat slow and ponderous, lacking any real threat or even any means of engaging the viewers interest!
I am still relatively "newb"-ish to GoodReads, meaning I *really* need to write reviews for many, er, most of the books I have on my "Read" shelf. Ah well, with the likely possibility of my wife and I relocating to NC (goodbye, antisocial, overtaxed NJ!) by summer's end, I will have more time to update the other reviews in the coming years. Yay! Okay, onto my review..
I feel I should preface my review, letting all know I am slightly biased in my overall loving of the book, as Atticus, the star of the book, is a mini schnauzer, one of my favorite dog breeds, as well as my wife's.
The book succeeds on several levels. One way, it was a moving tale of one man's bonding with a dog that he really was not ever looking to bring into his life. The relationship that develops between the author, Tom Ryan, and Atticus was interesting to witness, as it appears almost as if Atticus and Tom were destined to be together. The two seem to be good for each other, allowing each of them to grow in ways, both emotionally and spiritually, that neither may have grown without having me the the other.
Another way it succeeded was in that there was good advice for the soul and the spirit. It was almost like a roadmap of what your life could be like without clutter of internet drama, iPhones, etc. It truly showed what absolute bliss it is to have a dog in one's life and all that comes out of the relationship that develops between man and dog.
If you love dogs and have not read this book, you are doing yourself a great disservice. If you don't love dogs, you could still read this and walk a totally different person! Either way, you need to read this book - your life will be so much better for it!
In closing, I just want to thank Tom Ryan, and Atticus, for an amazing story, and that I can not wait for the follow-up, which deals with the life of Will, the other mini schnauzer that found his way into both Tom's and Atticus' lives!
I feel I should preface my review, letting all know I am slightly biased in my overall loving of the book, as Atticus, the star of the book, is a mini schnauzer, one of my favorite dog breeds, as well as my wife's.
The book succeeds on several levels. One way, it was a moving tale of one man's bonding with a dog that he really was not ever looking to bring into his life. The relationship that develops between the author, Tom Ryan, and Atticus was interesting to witness, as it appears almost as if Atticus and Tom were destined to be together. The two seem to be good for each other, allowing each of them to grow in ways, both emotionally and spiritually, that neither may have grown without having me the the other.
Another way it succeeded was in that there was good advice for the soul and the spirit. It was almost like a roadmap of what your life could be like without clutter of internet drama, iPhones, etc. It truly showed what absolute bliss it is to have a dog in one's life and all that comes out of the relationship that develops between man and dog.
If you love dogs and have not read this book, you are doing yourself a great disservice. If you don't love dogs, you could still read this and walk a totally different person! Either way, you need to read this book - your life will be so much better for it!
In closing, I just want to thank Tom Ryan, and Atticus, for an amazing story, and that I can not wait for the follow-up, which deals with the life of Will, the other mini schnauzer that found his way into both Tom's and Atticus' lives!
David McK (3204 KP) rated Saving Private Ryan (1998) in Movies
Jan 9, 2022
First, let me start with an admission: I'd never actually seen this film before, even if it is (now) nearly 25 years old!
Oh, I was aware of it all right - I even remember seeing the posters in the cinemas when it first came out - but it just never really appealed to me all that much.
War movies rarely do.
I was also aware of the reputation it held, in particular because of brutality of the opening D-Day Normandy landing scenes (which still pack a punch today).
In case you've been living under a rock? The story follows a group of eight soldiers, led by Tom Hanks Captain Tom Miller (and including an early breakout role for Vin Diesel - who actually has hair!), who have been detailed to find and return home an American Paratrooper (the Private Ryan of the title, played by Matt Damon) who has been dropped somewhere in Europe after that paratrooper's three brothers are all killed during those landings. Cue them traipsing across war-torn lands, with the occasional musing on whether it is worth potentially losing eight men to rescue one, and with the drama largely provided by the fact that you never quite know who is going to survive or get bumped off next!
Oh, I was aware of it all right - I even remember seeing the posters in the cinemas when it first came out - but it just never really appealed to me all that much.
War movies rarely do.
I was also aware of the reputation it held, in particular because of brutality of the opening D-Day Normandy landing scenes (which still pack a punch today).
In case you've been living under a rock? The story follows a group of eight soldiers, led by Tom Hanks Captain Tom Miller (and including an early breakout role for Vin Diesel - who actually has hair!), who have been detailed to find and return home an American Paratrooper (the Private Ryan of the title, played by Matt Damon) who has been dropped somewhere in Europe after that paratrooper's three brothers are all killed during those landings. Cue them traipsing across war-torn lands, with the occasional musing on whether it is worth potentially losing eight men to rescue one, and with the drama largely provided by the fact that you never quite know who is going to survive or get bumped off next!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Saving Private Ryan (1998) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020
One of the GOATS
At the time of this writing, Saving Private Ryan is sitting at fourteen on my all-time list. It is one of those once-in-a-lifetime movies that doesn’t come along too often. The story revolves around an army captain in WWII taking his men on a suicide mission to rescue a private before he is killed in action. Private Ryan’s three brothers have already been killed in action and the military wants to get the remaining Ryan home so his mother won’t have lost all of her children in one war.
Acting: 10
Where do I start? With Tom Hanks and his brilliant performance as Captain John Miller? Vin Diesel in probably one of his best roles as Private Caparzo. Tom Sizemore…Matt Damon…There are so many amazing performances that contributed to the greatness of this movie. You usually see it in glimpses as each character doesn’t get much in the way of their own screen time. The movie is packed with so many of those glimpse moments from these stellar actors, it’s hard to forget each of their roles.
Beginning: 10
Boasts one of the best opening twenty minutes in movie history. It’s violent, touching, and sucks you right in to the meat of the movie. There is so much intensity here, from the raucous sounds to the visceral feel of everything, that it’s hard to catch your breath afterwards.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
If you want knock-your-socks-off action from beginning to end, Saving Private Ryan is absolutely the movie for you. The battles are amazing giving you a front row seat to World War II. Steven Spielberg relies on a number of different camera angles to give you the full effect. Every scene is heartstopping as you realize the stakes and understand that no one is safe in this ultimate battle to stay alive. This movie has more action in the first twenty minutes than most films do through their entirety.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
For the most part, the story is pretty linear. There is a mission. Go and complete the mission. The end. However, there are two existing twists within the movie that definitely make things more interesting and entertaining. Those small tweaks were enough to satisfy my craving for originality.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 100
There is a scene on the beach where the camera shoots from underwater then repeatedly rises and falls in the water showing the grit of everything happening. This is one of a number of shots that makes Saving Private Ryan one of the all-time movies to ever exist in cinema. This movie is flat out amazing.
Acting: 10
Where do I start? With Tom Hanks and his brilliant performance as Captain John Miller? Vin Diesel in probably one of his best roles as Private Caparzo. Tom Sizemore…Matt Damon…There are so many amazing performances that contributed to the greatness of this movie. You usually see it in glimpses as each character doesn’t get much in the way of their own screen time. The movie is packed with so many of those glimpse moments from these stellar actors, it’s hard to forget each of their roles.
Beginning: 10
Boasts one of the best opening twenty minutes in movie history. It’s violent, touching, and sucks you right in to the meat of the movie. There is so much intensity here, from the raucous sounds to the visceral feel of everything, that it’s hard to catch your breath afterwards.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
If you want knock-your-socks-off action from beginning to end, Saving Private Ryan is absolutely the movie for you. The battles are amazing giving you a front row seat to World War II. Steven Spielberg relies on a number of different camera angles to give you the full effect. Every scene is heartstopping as you realize the stakes and understand that no one is safe in this ultimate battle to stay alive. This movie has more action in the first twenty minutes than most films do through their entirety.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
For the most part, the story is pretty linear. There is a mission. Go and complete the mission. The end. However, there are two existing twists within the movie that definitely make things more interesting and entertaining. Those small tweaks were enough to satisfy my craving for originality.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 100
There is a scene on the beach where the camera shoots from underwater then repeatedly rises and falls in the water showing the grit of everything happening. This is one of a number of shots that makes Saving Private Ryan one of the all-time movies to ever exist in cinema. This movie is flat out amazing.