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James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Aug 21, 2019
Is the third time a charm for Mr. Butler's action thriller series?
Gerard Butler returns as Secret Service agent Mike Banning in the third entry of the "Fallen" series, picking up where London Has Fallen left off.
We see an aging and sore Banning, struggling with the rigors of his profession, torn between his love for his duty to protect the President and the smart, semi-retirement position as Secret Service Director.
This takes a little while to get going compared to most films in the genre, but it isn't too long before everything goes sideways and Banning finds himself on the run from everyone, framed for something we all know he didn't do. The question is: who did it?
Drawing obvious inspiration from classic genre entries like Die Hard, as well as more modern offerings like John Wick, Gerard Butler takes on everyone from both sides of the law as he tries to get to the bottom of the conspiracy.
Aside from the slightly slow start, the pacing of this film is spot-on, mixing balls-to-the-wall action with gripping tension - accompanied by a very clever soundtrack that enhances the experience well.
The dialogue feels real and meaningful. There's nothing cheesy, no scene-filling conversations or anything, which is always a genuine concern with this type of film. Everything is done with a purpose.
I think perhaps too much effort was made to make this a 15-certificate (an R-rating for you lovely Americans). It was more for the language than anything. The violence and fighting was well-choreographed, taking the up-close, gritty approach akin to the Bourne movies, but there was nothing here that wouldn't have made the cut for a 12A. I think they gambled with the post-Deadpool debate of having a wider audience for a 12A vs. the "it's a 15, therefore it must be good because kids aren't allowed" appeal. I'm not saying it ruins the movie, I just think it was unnecessary. The aforementioned Deadpool, for example, absolutely wouldn't have worked if it was less than a 15, so I get why they made it the way the did. But with this, it would've been the exact same film either way, so why cut out a sizable portion of cinema-goers?
That being said, I did really, really enjoy this film. Is it predictable? Sadly, yes. That probably isn't THAT shocking of a revelation, as these types of films tend to follow a similar (and usually winning) formula, but I confess to being a little disappointed that I was able to figure out the main antagonist and the overall "big bad" within three minutes of the film starting. However, to this film's credit, this predictability doesn't take away from the experience at all. It's quite honest about what it is from the get-go, and it simply doesn't care. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it very well - better than a lot of similar movies in recent times. As with all films in this genre, people tend to watch them knowing what they're getting themselves in for, so you can just relax, switch off, and enjoy the ride for a couple of hours.
I can't sign off without mentioning Nick Nolte's turn as Butler's father. His performance, while not surprising, feels almost out-of-place, as it's so damn good he deserves an Oscar nod. He probably won't get one, as films like this tend not to get noticed by the Academy, but let me tell you, he steals every scene he's in, and you feel every word he says. There's an obvious comparison to the character he portrayed in Warrior, alongside Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. While he gets nowhere near as much screen time here, he makes the most of what he does get, and it truly is the stand-out performance of the year so far, by a long way.
This film is a solid 7/10, and I highly recommend it. I bumped it to an 8/10 because of Nick Nolte. If I could go back and just watch his scenes again, I would. Grab the popcorn, forget about the outside world... you could do a lot worse at the cinema right now than this.
We see an aging and sore Banning, struggling with the rigors of his profession, torn between his love for his duty to protect the President and the smart, semi-retirement position as Secret Service Director.
This takes a little while to get going compared to most films in the genre, but it isn't too long before everything goes sideways and Banning finds himself on the run from everyone, framed for something we all know he didn't do. The question is: who did it?
Drawing obvious inspiration from classic genre entries like Die Hard, as well as more modern offerings like John Wick, Gerard Butler takes on everyone from both sides of the law as he tries to get to the bottom of the conspiracy.
Aside from the slightly slow start, the pacing of this film is spot-on, mixing balls-to-the-wall action with gripping tension - accompanied by a very clever soundtrack that enhances the experience well.
The dialogue feels real and meaningful. There's nothing cheesy, no scene-filling conversations or anything, which is always a genuine concern with this type of film. Everything is done with a purpose.
I think perhaps too much effort was made to make this a 15-certificate (an R-rating for you lovely Americans). It was more for the language than anything. The violence and fighting was well-choreographed, taking the up-close, gritty approach akin to the Bourne movies, but there was nothing here that wouldn't have made the cut for a 12A. I think they gambled with the post-Deadpool debate of having a wider audience for a 12A vs. the "it's a 15, therefore it must be good because kids aren't allowed" appeal. I'm not saying it ruins the movie, I just think it was unnecessary. The aforementioned Deadpool, for example, absolutely wouldn't have worked if it was less than a 15, so I get why they made it the way the did. But with this, it would've been the exact same film either way, so why cut out a sizable portion of cinema-goers?
That being said, I did really, really enjoy this film. Is it predictable? Sadly, yes. That probably isn't THAT shocking of a revelation, as these types of films tend to follow a similar (and usually winning) formula, but I confess to being a little disappointed that I was able to figure out the main antagonist and the overall "big bad" within three minutes of the film starting. However, to this film's credit, this predictability doesn't take away from the experience at all. It's quite honest about what it is from the get-go, and it simply doesn't care. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it very well - better than a lot of similar movies in recent times. As with all films in this genre, people tend to watch them knowing what they're getting themselves in for, so you can just relax, switch off, and enjoy the ride for a couple of hours.
I can't sign off without mentioning Nick Nolte's turn as Butler's father. His performance, while not surprising, feels almost out-of-place, as it's so damn good he deserves an Oscar nod. He probably won't get one, as films like this tend not to get noticed by the Academy, but let me tell you, he steals every scene he's in, and you feel every word he says. There's an obvious comparison to the character he portrayed in Warrior, alongside Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. While he gets nowhere near as much screen time here, he makes the most of what he does get, and it truly is the stand-out performance of the year so far, by a long way.
This film is a solid 7/10, and I highly recommend it. I bumped it to an 8/10 because of Nick Nolte. If I could go back and just watch his scenes again, I would. Grab the popcorn, forget about the outside world... you could do a lot worse at the cinema right now than this.
Terrifying visuals (2 more)
Great job on casting
Faithful to the book for the most part
Firstly, I do want to address the running time: it's two hours and fifteen minutes. Yet, I didn't feel as if I was sitting in a chair for that long. There was one point where I did question how long had the movie run, but then something happened in the movie to pull me right back in and ignore the outside world.
You really do end up liking the kids and rooting for them. The interactions between Beverly and Ben were really well done and were my favorites. I have heard some people criticizing the amount of time that focused on the kids, but that's really what the story is about: kids dealing with adult-like trauma and facing it.
Of course Pennywise steals each scene he's in. Or should I say 'every scene it's in?' Pun intended.
It's hard to talk (write) about my favorite bits without giving away spoilers, so just go watch it and enjoy!
I can't wait for the second part!
You really do end up liking the kids and rooting for them. The interactions between Beverly and Ben were really well done and were my favorites. I have heard some people criticizing the amount of time that focused on the kids, but that's really what the story is about: kids dealing with adult-like trauma and facing it.
Of course Pennywise steals each scene he's in. Or should I say 'every scene it's in?' Pun intended.
It's hard to talk (write) about my favorite bits without giving away spoilers, so just go watch it and enjoy!
I can't wait for the second part!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Young Bess (Elizabeth Trilogy, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
While I was reading this book I had my moments where I was thinking “this is nice…this is cute…” the writing was very eloquent and good. However the plot was just… nonexistent. By page 85 not much had happened. I had no urge to continue reading and even though I enjoyed it while I was reading it, I had to force myself to sit down and read it. And you should never have to force yourself to read a book (except for school). I felt the same way about The Midnight Charter. Both of these were similar in that they both had a bit of politics in them.
I did like the characters (Loved Tom Seymour!) and the writing, again, was great. But nothing made me want to keep reading.
I didn’t get far enough into the book to be able to say what content was in it.
Young Bess was re-published by Sourcebooks March 1st. Please know that I am in the minority for those who didn’t like/finish it. See other reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
I did like the characters (Loved Tom Seymour!) and the writing, again, was great. But nothing made me want to keep reading.
I didn’t get far enough into the book to be able to say what content was in it.
Young Bess was re-published by Sourcebooks March 1st. Please know that I am in the minority for those who didn’t like/finish it. See other reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Forgotten Girls in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Forgotten Girls was a pretty good book. I can’t say it was amazing, but it definitely wasn’t bad. It is a book in a series. It’s designed so you don't have to read the others to enjoy this one and even though I didn’t need the other books in the series to know what was going on, I did feel a little lost at times, and I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a movie (like I skipped the first scene) and it was disconcerting.
That being said, the story itself was okay. It was a good execution of a concept that just wasn't that high. The climax didn’t feel that phenomenal and I felt like it ended just as it got going.
All in all, it was a fine read, I wasn’t annoyed by it, I certainly enjoyed the process, but it didn’t force me to keep reading like some books, and I wasn’t that impressed with the overall experience.
Content/Recommendation: Some language, violence, rape scene (not overly-grotesque). Ages 18+
That being said, the story itself was okay. It was a good execution of a concept that just wasn't that high. The climax didn’t feel that phenomenal and I felt like it ended just as it got going.
All in all, it was a fine read, I wasn’t annoyed by it, I certainly enjoyed the process, but it didn’t force me to keep reading like some books, and I wasn’t that impressed with the overall experience.
Content/Recommendation: Some language, violence, rape scene (not overly-grotesque). Ages 18+
Deborah (162 KP) rated My Brilliant Friend in Books
Feb 4, 2019
Simply Dull
I can't remember the last time I was so glad to finish a book, and I only finished this one as it was a book club pick - I could happily have left it at any point!
I did wonder if it was just me, but I noted plenty of Amazon reviews from other people having to read it for the same reason and having the same problems!
I'd like to put some of it down to the translation, but really my problem was that this was just DULL. Stuff happened, but I didn't feel any emotional impact from us. The beginning of the book has pages and pages of characters listed, but I didn't really care for any of them.
The beginning is also odd and doesn't get picked up on again. Mind you, there are apparently another three books in the series..... needless to say I won't be reading those! The ending was also quite abrupt.
Now I have book club to go to and don't know what to say other than it was really dull!
I did wonder if it was just me, but I noted plenty of Amazon reviews from other people having to read it for the same reason and having the same problems!
I'd like to put some of it down to the translation, but really my problem was that this was just DULL. Stuff happened, but I didn't feel any emotional impact from us. The beginning of the book has pages and pages of characters listed, but I didn't really care for any of them.
The beginning is also odd and doesn't get picked up on again. Mind you, there are apparently another three books in the series..... needless to say I won't be reading those! The ending was also quite abrupt.
Now I have book club to go to and don't know what to say other than it was really dull!
Andrea D (21 KP) rated Six of Crows in Books
Mar 6, 2019
Variety of characters (1 more)
The lack of black and white thinking
A Second chance.
This is the second time I have attempted to read Six of Crows and I've only chosen to pick it up after loving the original Grisha Trilogy so much. This time around I stuck with it and feel deeply hugely in love with the Dregs.
There are very few morals in this book and money is king, don't expect to go into this book liking all the characters as it seems to take a while to truly understand them.
I love the way Leigh Bardurgo has refused to make her characters pure and innocent people who can do no wrong. Every single person in this book is deeply flawed but that's what makes it all so good.
The Grishaverse has a huge following and it is certainly well deserved. You do not need to have read the original trilogy to read this one but I did find myself overly excited every time I recognised a character from the originals.
There are very few morals in this book and money is king, don't expect to go into this book liking all the characters as it seems to take a while to truly understand them.
I love the way Leigh Bardurgo has refused to make her characters pure and innocent people who can do no wrong. Every single person in this book is deeply flawed but that's what makes it all so good.
The Grishaverse has a huge following and it is certainly well deserved. You do not need to have read the original trilogy to read this one but I did find myself overly excited every time I recognised a character from the originals.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated Megan's Munchkins in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Megan’s Munchkins was adorable. Though it did something some books rarely do. That is the fact we get to learn about kitten care though not like we are getting bogged down with information all the time like a kitten book.
It as if Megan want to prove to her parents that can take care of a pet. Though she makes mistakes along the way. We see she how she changes and that of her parents. She afraid to tell her parents that she found them.
Will Megan's fear over rule and or will she tell her parents. We see her determination and struggle to want to tell her parents. She doe take on the responsibility of the kittens. She know she want them to live and not die.
Her family does not know other then her brother. Though will she face and accept the mistakes and learn from them. You will need to find out by reading. Her parents see the changes but they get a little upset when they find out what she been hiding.
It as if Megan want to prove to her parents that can take care of a pet. Though she makes mistakes along the way. We see she how she changes and that of her parents. She afraid to tell her parents that she found them.
Will Megan's fear over rule and or will she tell her parents. We see her determination and struggle to want to tell her parents. She doe take on the responsibility of the kittens. She know she want them to live and not die.
Her family does not know other then her brother. Though will she face and accept the mistakes and learn from them. You will need to find out by reading. Her parents see the changes but they get a little upset when they find out what she been hiding.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated The Blessings Of Friendship: A Friendship Treasury in Books
Feb 15, 2018
The Blessings of Friendship is book on friendship. There a poems about friendship. It fun the read. There are bible verses in the book as well. Your children may have heard of some of them. This is good book for children. The author makes it easy for children to read and enjoy. The pictures are wonderful and joyful. Children will love the pictures and want to have it read to them again.
The children will learn so good in learning to help others and for friends. They will also would learn kindness. This great book in return for it show what friendship is. The author did a wonderful job in the book. My rating is a 5 out 5 stars. I would recommend this for parents if they would like it for your children. If you like poetry this book great for it. It also great for children and parents a like. Though it for children mostly, it best for them to read though parents can read it to them as well.
The children will learn so good in learning to help others and for friends. They will also would learn kindness. This great book in return for it show what friendship is. The author did a wonderful job in the book. My rating is a 5 out 5 stars. I would recommend this for parents if they would like it for your children. If you like poetry this book great for it. It also great for children and parents a like. Though it for children mostly, it best for them to read though parents can read it to them as well.
Dana (24 KP) rated The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Again, I listened to the BBC radio play for this book and again it did not disappoint. I love it when there can be plays of the books because the actors get really into it and the sound effects make it that much more fun. I do want to, at some point, go back and read the physical copies of the books, but this is doing just fine!
I love Pippin, he will forever be my favorite, but all of the characters in these books are so compelling. It is really fun to read the godfather of modern fantasy and see how much of what he wrote is influencing the books written today. I can say that this is my favorite genre of all and I could not be any more pleased to be reading these books. I just have to wait until my library has the last book opened up and I will be reading that so fast!
Honestly though, so good. If you have the chance, listen to the radio plays. They are very well produced and just phenomenal!
I love Pippin, he will forever be my favorite, but all of the characters in these books are so compelling. It is really fun to read the godfather of modern fantasy and see how much of what he wrote is influencing the books written today. I can say that this is my favorite genre of all and I could not be any more pleased to be reading these books. I just have to wait until my library has the last book opened up and I will be reading that so fast!
Honestly though, so good. If you have the chance, listen to the radio plays. They are very well produced and just phenomenal!
Dana (24 KP) rated Heir of Fire in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Okay, I know this took me forever to finish reading, but it was so good!!! I just kept having things come up so I couldn't read it. Darn that actual life that is outside of books!!
The characters just keep getting deeper. I really enjoyed how we got to see three or four main different stories that kept intersecting. It added to more of the variation in the story that made the 562 pages go by at a great pace. The story line did not fall flat at all. The differences in the way each character told their part of the story was very well done as well!
As I have said for the other books in this series, I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy. It is also a pretty good series to read if you are just starting out with fantasy. It integrates the fantastical aspects in a way that feels natural and allows the readers to get a grasp on what is going on.
The characters just keep getting deeper. I really enjoyed how we got to see three or four main different stories that kept intersecting. It added to more of the variation in the story that made the 562 pages go by at a great pace. The story line did not fall flat at all. The differences in the way each character told their part of the story was very well done as well!
As I have said for the other books in this series, I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy. It is also a pretty good series to read if you are just starting out with fantasy. It integrates the fantastical aspects in a way that feels natural and allows the readers to get a grasp on what is going on.