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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies

Apr 26, 2019 (Updated Apr 29, 2019)  
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2019 | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Epic Indeed
Hours after viewing Avengers: Endgame, it’s taken me awhile to really get to the meat of what I wanted to say. The movie is bananas and heavy, both in a good way. It’s kind of like eating a really delicious meal, thinking you want more before deciding, “No, I think I’ve had the perfect amount actually.” The movie isn’t perfect, but damn if it isn’t an amazing spectacle. After The Snap, the Avengers set out to fix what went wrong by whatever means they can muster.

Acting: 10
From Robert Downey Jr. to Paul Rudd, each of these actors/actresses manage to fit into their roles just right as if it was a part made just for them. One might say, “Well, they’ve played the roles for x amount of years. They should be good at it by now.” But it isn’t just their roles but the maturation of those roles that really make an impact. While one might think it easy just to play the same character repeatedly, we neglect to take into account the growth that characters do/should endure and how it affects the characters overall. Side note: I just love how much of a bad ass Brie Larson is and I can’t wait to see what Marvel has in store for her next.

Beginning: 10
Not only does the beginning have a strong emotional setup, it turns the entire film on its head. What you expected to happen is actually not happening at all. And furthermore…I LOVE IT!

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Visuals are absolutely jaw-dropping in certain spots. The movie probably had some of the absolute best one-shots in film PERIOD. I can’t go into detail without giving anything away, but serious eye candy awaits, especially during the battles.

Conflict: 10
Whatever the film lacks in action more than makes up for things in Endgame’s grand finale. The battle reminded me of old kung fu films and Helm’s Deep all rolled into one. Outside of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, I can’t remember a battle so epic in movies. If you don’t love it, you don’t love movies.

Genre: 10

Memorability: 10
My brain is running 100 miles an hour as I type this, thinking of all the different scenes and how everything tied so seamlessly together. Just masterful and wonderfully crafted. This movie will remain etched in your brain for a long time to come. Talk about setting a bar.

Pace: 10
With a three-hour runtime, this was honestly where I expected the film to trip up. Thing is, it doesn’t feel like three hours, not even in the slightest. I would’ve watched another hour if they had let me. There are so many stories to tell and so much going on that you’re at the end before you know it.

Plot: 10
I did have to put my thinking cap on in some spots, but all plot points tied in really nicely with no glaring holes I could see. It would be easy to make the storyline overly complex, but The Russo Brothers were firing on all cylinders with the execution of the story. It’s just complex enough to keep you engaged, but not to over-the-top where you lose interest.

Resolution: 10

Overall: 100
Eleven years of these great superheroes leading up to this moment. Was Avengers: Endgame worth the wait? You better freakin’ believe it. Go see this with all the confidence in the world that you will walk away with a smile on your face and perhaps a tear or two in your eye. And, when you go, you might see me there because I’m DEFINITELY watching this again in theaters. All three hours.
  
Demon Lights (Blackwater Lights Trilogy #3)
Demon Lights (Blackwater Lights Trilogy #3)
Michael M. Hughes | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Interesting but flawed
This is the last book of a trilogy, I haven't read the over two so cannot comment on consistency etc!
All of the formatting and spelling etc was fine, which is always nice.

The first page really drew me into the story, I thought that is was going to be a historical 'witch' novel so I got a bit of a shock when it went to the real story.
I did enjoy this book but there were a few things that niggled me.

I'll start with the positives;
It is very well written. I like the way the author is descriptive without going over the top. The writing really does draw you in.
The characters were nicely rounded and I wanted to know more about them and cared about what happened.
The actual premise of the story, and two previous books, is a very interesting one. I will now how to track down the first two!

The negative's;
Sometimes the timing of things is off. Ie There seemed to be a huge difference between how long it took for one character to travel somewhere and what happens to other characters during the same period.
Although the events and in the book, and the storyline as a whole, are fantastical and definitely not the norm I still expect people to act the way that people would. A few times in the novel this just doesn't happen and that almost jarred me from immersion in the story.

As a whole I did enjoy this novel although it would have been better had I read the first two. It is well written, just occasionally parts seem rushed or ignored in favour of other things.
  
A Quiet Place (2018)
A Quiet Place (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Inventive ways used to not make a sound (0 more)
Not the full story (0 more)
Great idea
Contains spoilers, click to show
I found this film to be a new twist on the conventional creature, horror genre. I will say this first that I did enjoy the film and would watch it again.
Having kids myself I was intrigued to know how they were going to keep quiet throughout most of the film unless they or their parents met an untimely end, first kid was gone in the first 10 minutes, what a surprise! The scene at the dinner table where none of the kids moaned or whinged about what they were having would certainly not happen in my house.
I know it's a bit crude but how do you go toilet without making a sound? Surprisingly they didn't touch on this subject in the film.
I apologise if I missed it and this is why I will watch again, where did the creatures come from? Maybe this is explained in the book or a prequel movie is in the pipeline. If this was explained and I missed it please feel free to message me and let me know as I found this to be one of the disappointing bits of the film.
The film was a good length though, I didn't look at my phone once as it kept me interested and there was no long drawn out moments.
Most of the time the family was very harmonious, maybe the thought of impending death makes for a non-troublesome household (Wish I could try this with my family to avoid arguments, but it's kind of illegal)
I would recommend watching this film at least once, thanks for reading.
  
Immortal Girl5
Immortal Girl5
Griffin Stark | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Immortal Girl5 by Griffin Stark
Immortal Girl5 is a fast paced short story about five girls who are made immortal to 'save the world'. The introduction to each girl is perfect, and suited to the individual. It felt like we found out more about Skylar than most of the others, but it still seemed to fit.

I did feel like this book raised questions that weren't answered though. For example, who were Alistair and Isabelle? You are under the impression they are 'good', but nothing really backs that up. What actually was the job of the Immortal Girl5, because it seemed like they exacted vengeance and then spent the followings years doing... what? With Joan of Arc, Anne Frank, and Jack the Ripper all making an appearance, I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, giving more detail and story to these scenes.

There is also a MASSIVE case on insta-love going on, that managed to make the whole ending confusing. There were plenty of things alluded to, but nothing was made clear. I'm not sure if this is book one in a series, or if it's a standalone. The ending suggests it could go further.

I did enjoy this book, but in my opinion, it could do with a bit... more. A bit more story, a bit more editing and formatting so the differences in times and characters become clearer. I would definitely like to read 'more' from this author, and about these characters.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Spy School British Invasion
Spy School British Invasion
Stuart Gibbs | 2019 | Children, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Ben Track SPYDER Without Causing an International Incident?
Ben Ripley and his team of fellow spies think they have been handed the key to finally taking down the evil organization SPYDER. As it so happens, the key is a literal key. Ben’s friends piece together that it most likely belongs to a storage space under the British Museum. Since no one knows who in the CIA is really a SPYDER double agent, only Ben and his friends from Spy School can be trusted to go and retrieve whatever the item might be. And so Ben, Mike, Zoe, Erica, and Erica’s parents make their way to London. What will they find when they land?

This book picks up moments after the previous book in the series ended, so it does discuss some of what happened in that book. As a result, if you want to go into that book completely surprised, you’ll want to read the books in order. But that’s no problem since the entire series is so fun. Once again, we get a wild ride filled with twists, turns, and extremely narrow escapes. Yet in the quieter moments, we get to see some depth and growth in the characters, which I loved. The action can be a bit over the top, but that plays into the comedy of the book and series perfectly. I might not have laughed quite as much as I did while reading the previous book, but I was chuckling before I finished the first page, and I did grin and laugh the entire way through. Middle Graders will love this book, and anyone looking for a fun read will be glad they picked it up as well.
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Life of Crime in Books

Feb 4, 2018  
Life of Crime
Life of Crime
Kimberley Chambers | 2018 | Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved it
What a saga!

What a story!

Fantastic characters, cracking and clever plot, excellent twists, perfect pace ... this had it in bucket loads and had me totally absorbed from the start.

The story follows the life of Jason Rampling and the various capers and general dodgy dealings he uses and gets involved in in order to get away from his and his daughter's crappy life living with his alcoholic mother on a dire council estate.

Jason is an Arthur Daley or Del Boy kind of a character - you could call him a bit of a rogue - but I really warmed to him; yes he's not the kind of man I would want my daughter to bring home but there was something about him that I was drawn to and although I certainly didn't agree with everything he did, I did find myself having some sympathy for him despite the scrapes he got into being mostly of his own doing. Melissa, another of the main characters, is another story ... oh my goodness, she is one character that had me going round in circles ... do I like her or don't I? and don't even get me started on Tracey!!!! There are several other characters that I could mention but I would be going on for ages such is the ability of the author to bring these people to life and make them feel authentic and memorable.

This is a compelling and gripping take on the consequences of living a life of crime and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cracking read with not too much violence.

My thanks must go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
  
Louisiana's Way Home
Louisiana's Way Home
Kate DiCamillo | 2018 | Children
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Louisiana's Way Home By: Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press
Published date 2 October 2018
Children's Fiction Middle Grade 240 pages
#LouisianasWayHome #NetGalley

I know that this book has already been out in the stores for a while but I just couldn't get my review up before now. I did get the book finished before the publish date though.
I have greatly enjoyed this book and a few others that she has written.
This book is about a 12 year old girl named Louisiana and her grandma, who leave the state of Florida at 3 in the morning. Louisiana doesn't know why just that her grandma woke her up and told her to get into the car. She had to leave behind her friends and pets. She has been told that a curse has been passed down from her great grandfather and that it was time to end the curse. The curse is known as a Sundering. The story goes on to explain how the curse was started and why it is called this name. They travel with no money or means on how to get where they are going. Grandma ends up needing some dental care and time to recover so she has Louisiana help pay for things by her wit and voice. She has a beautiful singing voice. During this time Louisiana meets some a boy who befriends and they are able to have some fun while grandma recovers. On her trip back from one of the visits her grandma has taken off and left her a note. This note explains somethings to Louisiana that changes her life and questions everything that has happened. What did the note say and what does she do?
I do recommend that you read this book or have your middle grader read it. It is a fun and adventurist book.
  
https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/line-by-line-bethany-house

Line by Line was a sweet story with a compelling plotline. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read from and Jennifer Delamere certainly emphasized why! This is the first book in her new series Love along the Wires which if I am right, she does introduce some of the characters who will have their books coming out next.

I loved how Alice McNeil knew what she wanted in life. She is independent, competent, and a hard worker who is great at her job, that of a telegrapher; a job that sounds like so much fun. I thought Douglas Shaw was a great balance for her, and I loved the tensions between them. It was a very interesting story to watch unfold.

The setting of this story was around the turn of the century 1880s and it was right when women started trying to have more of a voice in things, and branch out into industries that they previously had not been able to be in. I thought Jennifer Delamere did a great job bringing to light different aspects of the time and telling them in a no-nonsense way, just making them flow seamlessly with the story. I enjoyed this story and I am excited to pass it to someone else who will enjoy it as much as I did.

I give this story 5 out of 5 stars for the great characters, the fun & informative plot, and the theme of being open to what God wants you to do.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own. </i>
  
Hidden Rebel (Changed Heart Series Book 3)
Hidden Rebel (Changed Heart Series Book 3)
Michelle Janene | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a dream come true!
 This book was so good, it was like the secret fantasy we all wish we could play brought to life. This book is the third in her Changed hearts series, however, it can be read as a stand-alone.
Michelle Janene’s main character (Lady Aria) was fierce, independent, and the most amazing ninja/sword warrior ever! She also had great faith and because of that God blessed her. While her other main characters were well developed, they had lessons to learn and were always by Lady Arias’ side ready to help when things went awry. I really liked the overall character development, some of them didn’t have the best reactions to events though. I truly did like them anyway. <br/> This plot was definitely one right out of a medieval fantasy. Castles, knights, horses, and sword fights… totally a truly medieval fantasy come to life. The plot moved at a great pace, keeping me interested and wanting to know what would happen next. The was one thing I didn’t like about the plot; however, I will not tell you about it as it is a spoiler.
Overall this was a great story that I could totally imagine myself in. Michelle Janene wrote a great book that I loved reading. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the great Lady Aria, the amazing description and attention to detail given in the sword training dialogues, and for just the hint of romance given with the happily ever after ending. I truly enjoyed this book and will go back and read the others in the series
*I did receive this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk (2017)
2017 | Action, History, War
Dunkirk really wasn't one that I was sure I wanted to watch. After watching it... I'm sure that I didn't want to watch it. It was interesting, in that it was a story from history that I didn't know, but I really didn't enjoy the film itself.

At the beginning I found the three story lines to be confusing, and almost everyone I've spoken to has said the same thing that I had thought during the film... "Was Cillian Murphy playing two people?"

Looking online I've seen some are quibbling about the effects being too loud and that there was very little dialogue from the troops... to be honest I didn't notice the sound "issue" while I watched as it seemed about right for the situation they were in. I did pause for thought about no one talking, but that again didn't seem that out of place in the context of the scenes.

While the timeline issues with the three strands did eventually sort themselves out I had already been put off. I really didn't feel this can be dubbed as the summer blockbuster that it was being pegged as.

That being said, I do think it will do well as we don't see many high profile films like this. And you know what... I was ready to sigh and say "yet another singer who should stick to what they're good at"... but Harry Styles wasn't bad, but I wouldn't like to comment on whether that was because there were barely any lines or not.

I think this one will have to be chalked up as "not for me", as I said it wasn't one I'd really wanted to watch in the first place.