Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Arrow in TV

May 13, 2018  
Arrow
Arrow
2012 | Drama
Closer to the comics than people think (5 more)
Great cast
Intriguing characters
Brilliant character development
Great drama
Great references to the comics
Some characters become annoying (1 more)
Not all seasons are consistent with quality
You Have (not) failed this series!
First of all I should tell you that Green Arrow is my all time favourite comic character so this review might have some bias but I'll keep it to a minimum because I am not blinded by this shows faults of which it's had quite a few.

When I first saw the trailer for Arrow I was hooked. Finally, a show about Green Arrow, one of the less popular heroes these days and one of the many heroes that makes the people who only watch comic book films, say "Who the hell is that?".

Series one had me hooked with great drama, and incredible action that made the week long wait for each episode painful. The drama was intense as we watch Oliver Queen trying to juggle his two lives as both Oliver Queen and Arrow (currently called the Vigilante or The Hood during season 1), as he tries to keep his night time activities as a vigilante a secret.

The faults of this series reside in some of the dialogue and characters who I won't name because it's not really down to one particular character as others do the same though some get more blame than others. The point is, some of the drama in the show is unnecessary and sometimes it's all over the place going from "I love you" to "never talk to me again" within seconds for very stupid reasons. If you can get past that though, you'll see a lot more of Green Arrow in the show than you realise.

One of the main things I love about this show is seeing Oliver Queen take on real life issues as well as comic book villains. Issues such as his sister taking drugs which, due to her childhood nickname being 'Speedy', is a reference to Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85 and #86 where Green Arrow finds out that Roy Harper is a drug addict. By making the series version about his sister however, makes the situation more personal which means it messes with Olivers head when he's out hunting the drug suppliers.

The villains have all been great in the series, even though not all have been praised. Malcom Merlyn as the first villain was a good choice because he's one of the few original Green Arrow Villains from comics and John Barrowman was a brilliant choice of casting. Deathstroke then took it up a notch and really made the series great, and his season is possibly still one of the best seasons (season 2). Ras Al Ghul was a very intense series and although everyone moaned that Arrow had become too much like Batman, but Arrow made it their own and made a brilliantly intense series with some great twists that at the time I was like "please don't end it like this...." Or... "Where do they go from here?" And Everytime I thought they might have made a mistake with a certain plot point, they proved me wrong.
Damien Darkh was probably one of the lesser great villains. The casting was perfect, because Damien Darkh was so menacing and so brilliantly evil with a human side to him at certain points, but I don't think personally, they should have brought magic into Arrow, because it added too many scenes where you thought "why would you even try this?" Or "why did he not do this and this moment". But unlike many I actually enjoyed Damien Darkh as a villain because the characters and intense story were brilliantly chosen and executed.

The last two seasons (5 & 6) have been really intense and incredibly action packed as Green Arrow and Team Arrow try to take on what feels like the world.

The downfalls of the series include some of the drama being not entirely necessary. We understand as an audience that tensions build and everyone has a thousand and one problems that they have to deal with, but everyone seems to unleash them all at once. I understand wanting to build the feeling that everything is falling apart, but it happens soooo much, and it's hard to sympathise with certain scenarios because of it.

Another slight issue is the love interests. If you know Green Arrow, then you know he's a bit of a ladies man and that he can often be caught flirting and more with many women, in the show, we see this done well but at the end of the day it aaaallllwaayyyss comes back to Olicity. Oliver and Felicity's love story has had so many ups and downs and they've fallen in and out of love so many times and whilst I love Felicity as a character and a member of the team, the love rollercoaster she is on with Oliver reaaalllyyy annoys me at times, but I try to look past it and everything's seems to be okay.

Overall though this is one of my favourite shows and I prefer it to The Flash though The Flash has had some better seasons than Arrow has. I can't wait to see what else the show brings to the screen as it has already brought many obscure characters such as Cupid, Vigilante, Prometheus, Bronze Tiger and more!
  
40x40

Sharpie0499 (114 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies

Jul 9, 2018 (Updated Jul 9, 2018)  
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Best Marvel film yet (2 more)
Thanos and Black Order were the most terrifying villains yet
Ended on cliffhanger so am excited for Part 2
Felt a bit slow in some parts (0 more)
Best Marvel Film Yet!!!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Overall, Infinity War was the most powerful Marvel film to date; not just because of the powerful superheroes, but because it was able to fill you with adrenaline during fight scenes, fill you with hope when seeing lovers reunited, and wrench at your heartstrings during those difficult to watch, depressing scenes all in one movie. The casting was brilliantly done: Ebony Maw had me internally reeling just at the sight of him, and don't even get me started on Thanos. When seeing Thanos in previous Marvel films, it was obvious he was a threat to humanity but I never really felt afraid of him. But in the first scene when Hulk is beating up Thanos, you think, 'Yes, Hulk! Smash!' But then Thanos decides to turn it around, causing Hulk to be so afraid of Thanos throughout the entire film that he won't let Bruce turn into him. This is because Hulk knows Thanos can beat him, possibly even kill him. When I was sitting in the cinema, watching Scarlet Witch see Thanos for the first time at the end of the film and seeing her genuine terror just at the sight of him (though she could probably sense his powers with her magic) it got me thinking of what I would do in their situation. And I know humanity would have no chance against him, even without the infinity stones, and that he would just destroy us. Anyway, on a happier note, I was thrilled to see Scarlet Witch and Vision together when they were in Scotland. But then Marvel had to go and crush our hearts by having Thanos kill Vision. What really broke my heart was how Vision told Scarlet Witch, 'I love you,' just before he died and then Scarlet Witch's face when she turned into dust or sand or whatever the hell that was. It looked like she was almost relieved to become nothing after Vision's death (I'm probably just reading into that). What also nearly killed me was Rocket's reaction to Groot turning into dust/sand; and the scene on Titan when Spiderman turns into dust/sand. Anyway, this Marvel film beats all others out of the park with the more intense fight choreography, the terrifying villains, and the superheroes banding together and joining forces to beat a common enemy. I'm excited to see a certain new superhero join the team (Captain Marvel) and am counting down the days till May 2019 so I can see the conclusion to Infinity War!
  
40x40

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of LEGO DC Super-Villains in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019  
LEGO DC Super-Villains
LEGO DC Super-Villains
Action/Adventure
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Lego have teamed up again to make yet another winning entry into their Lego series of games with Lego DC Super Villains.

I got an early look at the game at E3 and San Diego Comic Con including a visit with one of the Producers as well as an interview with key members of the voice cast so I was happy to have a more well-rounded perspective of what to expect going into the final release of the game. My staff played it at PAX West and were very impressed with it as well which only lead to the anticipation to try the final game.

The game allows players to craft their own villain using the easy to use and fun character creator as you enter the world of DC in order to deliver menace.

Iconic characters ranging from Lex Luthor to Captain Cold, Cheetah, Harley Quin, The Joker, and countless others are available to play and each has their own unique set of abilities. Players can switch between character sets in a mission as the puzzles often require specific abilities to complete. Lex Luthor may have some impressive firepower with his power suit, but when agility and climbing are required you will need to have other options.

Missions are fun and ideal for gamers of all ages as defeating enemy’s results in a shower of Lego pieces which can often be used to construct items which are key to the success of a mission.

If you have ever played any of the Lego games released in the last few years; the open world setting and plethora of characters will seem familiar to you as well the family friendly fun the game will offer.

The game can be enjoyed as a co-op experience so playing with others is highly recommended as the puzzles often require a mix of action and thought to resolve.

I would suggest getting the game on one of the console platforms as I played it on a PC after playing it on consoles at conventions and I had a few issues playing on the PC from control response to some video issues.

The game offers bright and fun graphics and the sound of the game is punctuated by a top-notch voice cast who will be very familiar with fans of many of the animated DC offerings.

The game will have future DLC available which will allow even more characters to become available and increase the fun and variety of the game.

If you are a fan of Lego or DC; you will not want to miss this one.

http://sknr.net/2018/11/05/lego-dc-super-villains/
  
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
14,000,605:1 …. or perhaps 50:50!
So, it’s been a week of full-on work and family commitments…. which means it’s also been a week of ducking and dodging of film reviews in case of spoilers! (Actually, all my favourite bloggers have been pretty good!). This review will also be spoiler free,but there is just SO MUCH that can be discussed there will be a Spoiley McSpoiler section after the trailer video.

Upfront I have to admit that I’m not the world’s greatest MCU fan, but even I felt a twinge of anticipation on going into this 19th instalment: a film that has had fan-boys frothing at the loins for years. And the film doesn’t disappoint, drawing together most (but not all) threads of the disparate MCU universe into a sprawling epic adventure.

Thanos (which inappropriately always seems to autocorrect to “Thanks”!) is played by a CGI’d Josh Brolin, first glimpsed as a “monkey” after the original “Avengers” movie where his quest for the “infinity stones” was first mooted. This particular McGuffin has been revealed in parts throughout the series, with others being surreptitiously slipped into this instalment. With all six stones, Thanos will be able to fully exercise his God fixation over the Universe. Will the Avengers and their new Guardian friends (“Who the hell are you guys?” LOL) be able to stop him?

There are shocks and surprises aplenty. Most of these come courtesy of Thanos who, although like all megalomaniac Bond villains is as mad as a box of frogs, has a backstory and a depth of character that is several cuts above most movie villains.

All of the cast seem to have great fun bouncing off each other. The only performance I found out of kilter was Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner who (to me) seemed to be really off his game and false, at least for the early scenes in the movie.

The special effects are – naturally – top-notch and are clever in trying to smooth the joins between the ‘traditional’ view of the Avengers world and the garish world of the Guardians of the Galaxy crew.

Cinema staff must hate a Marvel movie as they have to wait til the very end of the credits before they can move in to clean! And there is a “monkey” (and a good one) at the very end of the credits here, but the credits are very, very long!

So, in summary, it’s complete nonsense as normal, but it’s high-class nonsense, well-written, suitably humorous and provides excellent popcorn entertainment. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo are to be congratulated in pulling off what could have been a disaster. Recommended.
  
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure
Tom Holland (2 more)
The villain (thank god)
The script
No real stakes (1 more)
Not enough fighting scenes
Spiderman has never been better
Contains spoilers, click to show
Tom Holland is fantastic. Never has writing a review been so releaving. After the car wrecks that were the first 2 amazing Spiderman movies we finally get a great depiction of the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman. Tom played both the quick witted Spiderman and nerdy Peter Parker fantastically and actually looks like a high school kid.

Michael Keaton plays another winged comic book character in the vulture who unlike other marvel villains added some gravitas and was not just a throw away. He played almost a sympathetic villain where you understand his motivations.


The story was solid. We actually got to see a teenage Peter Parker with teenage worries in high school rather than trying to skip over his school life quickly in other iterations of the character. His high school sidekick Ned was a great comic relief and in my opinion created most of the laughs in this film.


One major worry going in was that iron man would steel the show. Luckily Robert Downey Jr was used almost sparingly and was there in just a mentoring capacity which was good to see.


Overall this was a funny, charming story with a great portrayal of one of the world's most loved characters.
  
Game Of Thrones  - Season 1
Game Of Thrones - Season 1
2011 | Sci-Fi
Everything (3 more)
Lots and Lots of death
Arya
Tyrion
short seasons (0 more)
Westeros bound
Without a doubt Game of thrones is one of the best television shows ever created. It also the only television show my brothers dad and myself agree that it brilliant. The brutality from day one is a first for TV and the fact main character quiet often get killed of when first released was novel.

Tyrion Lannister character is a true master piece with he's wit and personality there is truely no one quiet as unquie or brilliant in my eyes. I met Peter Dinkagle at London comic con a few years back and he was every bit as brilliant as his character.


Arya Stark is also an amazing character. My friend seem to think I am her which I take as a great compliment. It nice to see a show where young girls can go fight and stand up for themselves at an early age.


The show obviously has great eye candy most girl seem to like Jon Snow honestly I'd take Cal Drogo


I think one thing that make this show is the villain or whatbyou believe are villains there's so many dimentions you may hate one one season yet the next season it somone else. That being said I think we can all agree from day one Joffery was a little shit
  
Parasite (Parasitology, #1)
Parasite (Parasitology, #1)
Mira Grant | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Whew, Parasite by Mira Grant is definitely a refreshing take on the end of the world. Even better? The audio book version of this story is narrated by Christine Lakin. Lakin also narrated Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and this officially marks my first time of recognizing an voice while listening to a book. For those who are picky about a reader’s voice like I am, Lakin is definitely easy to listen to.

Parasite is pretty self-explanatory if you go by its name. It deals with… well, parasites. The characters are a little stereotypish – okay, really they are a lot. There’s that whole super villain monologue thing going on that irks the hell out of me. Fortunately, the plot more than makes up for it. This is the first book I’ve listened to/read by Mira Grant, so I can’t really compare it to Newsflesh, which is on my to-read list.

Aside from griping about the villains, there’s not a whole lot for me to complain about here. It’s nice to see more than just two factions when the world is ending; in fact, it’s nice to see a series that’s not about zombies taking off at the beginning of the apocalypse where there’s still a chance for humankind. Maybe.

Seriously, it’s a pretty solid book. Gonna knock off a skull for the villain speeches though.
  
40x40

Maris (8 KP) rated Heartless in Books

Jun 10, 2019  
Heartless
Heartless
Marissa Meyer | 2017 | Children
10
8.3 (33 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a marvelous gem to read. I enjoy every bit of this story. I could not put this book down, I had to know what was going to happen. Who was the Queen of Hearts before she became who she was? Marissa Meyer did exactly that to explain the story.

"Three luscious lemon tarts glistened up at Catherine". Cath the main character of the story absolutely loves baking goods. Her dream is to start her very own bakery one day right in the kingdom of Hearts. What can possibly go wrong with starting your own bakery? Her heart is sought out from the King of Hearts and her heart also falls in love with the kings joker Jest.

The journey between Cath and where her heart truly goes on this journey to her happiness will just make you curiouser and curiouser on where the story will go and how she became what we all know her as the Queen Of Hearts.


Tea parties, Pastry goods, and white rabbits big announcements to the balls! Ohh lets not forget the jabberwocky!

I gave it a five star out of five stars cause its truly a wonderful heart warming story of one of the most notorious villains we all know. It became one of my new favorite stories and Marissa Meyer became one of my top favorite authors of all time.
  
The Cutting Edge (Lincoln Rhyme, #14)
The Cutting Edge (Lincoln Rhyme, #14)
Jeffery Deaver | 2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
6
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Deaver is the master of plot twists, but (0 more)
The characters are boring and the the twists are forced (0 more)
Stale
In the latest Lincoln Rhyme mystery, a killer obsessed with diamonds is on the loose in New York, and it's up to the famed criminalist and his wife, Detective Amelia Sachs, to catch him. Now I love Jeffrey Deaver. The story and villains are never what they appear to be initially, and nothing hooks me faster than a plot twist.
That being said, the main characters are starting to bore me. There is no growth to them. Yes, Rhyme has a bit more mobility and is married, but even with these monumental life changes, Rhyme (and everyone else) remains stagnant. Essentially, Rhyme is the same man he was in the first book except now he wants to live.
The series hinges on his character. So even if the plot is amazing, it will fall flat if you aren't invested in the main character, and I wasn't. Additionally, the plot was not good this time. Or should I say, plots. There was too much going on. It was like pulling out Russian nesting dolls! I know this is the author's M.O., but geez! More is not always better. The plot twists felt forced just so Deaver could reveal one last ta-da! at the end. Wasn't worth the headache.
  
40x40

Becs (244 KP) rated Death Logs Out in Books

Aug 9, 2018  
Death Logs Out
Death Logs Out
E.J. Simon | 2018 | Religion, Technical, Thriller
8
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
The way E.J. Simon writes. (0 more)
Short chapters made the story a bore at first. (0 more)
Great Thriller
I received a physical copy from Smith Publicity to review honestly and would like to thank them, along with the author for taking the time to send this out to me.

Firstly, the short chapters were what took half a star away. They work in this novel but the first couple was just a bit hard to get into and were kind of a bore. But, since I can't DNF a book, I kept trekking along regardless. I was met with an action-packed, page-turning thriller that kept me on my toes.

Religion, Nazi's, afterlife, artificial intelligence, and tons of action is littered throughout the novel. And boy, does it make it one heck of a book! This is the third installment of the Michael Nicholas series, but don't let that close the door for you on this novel. Be it a stand-alone or part of a series, this book is great either way.

The way that E. J. Simon writes, creates a sense of realism around Death Logs Out. And with the high -ranking Vatican villains, it makes you question and reevaluate the real world. Novel's like this, are the main reason why I enjoy reading Thrillers.