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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Harley Quinn - Season 1 in TV
Jul 31, 2020 (Updated Jul 31, 2020)
In short, Harley Quinn is probably my new favourite show... Seriously.
I really wasn't too bothered when it was originally announced but I'm really glad I got round to it eventually.
To start with, it's fucking hilarious. The dialogue and humour arrives in waves, never lets up, and is pretty much constantly funny and pretty clever. Cast your mind back to when Family Guy was actually good (it's been a while my friends) and you're sort of in the right ball park. Every character offers something in this respect.
The main characters - Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, King Shark, Clayface, Dr Psycho - are really well written, and are a great group of anti-heroes to get behind.
The show also fits in appearances from other DC veterans - Joker, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Bane, Queen of Fables, Black Manta, The Flash, Lex Luthor, Scarecrow, Giganta, The Riddler, Kite Man, Robin - are just a few that get a look in. It's great for DC fans, and funny enough to appeal to wider audiences.
It's very adult orientated as well - whilst looking like a typical kids superhero show, the illusion will suddenly be shattered by a tirade of swearing, or over the top gore, it's truly not messing around, and it works really well!
Harley Quinn was a massive pleasant surprise for me. Can't wait to watch more!
I really wasn't too bothered when it was originally announced but I'm really glad I got round to it eventually.
To start with, it's fucking hilarious. The dialogue and humour arrives in waves, never lets up, and is pretty much constantly funny and pretty clever. Cast your mind back to when Family Guy was actually good (it's been a while my friends) and you're sort of in the right ball park. Every character offers something in this respect.
The main characters - Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, King Shark, Clayface, Dr Psycho - are really well written, and are a great group of anti-heroes to get behind.
The show also fits in appearances from other DC veterans - Joker, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Bane, Queen of Fables, Black Manta, The Flash, Lex Luthor, Scarecrow, Giganta, The Riddler, Kite Man, Robin - are just a few that get a look in. It's great for DC fans, and funny enough to appeal to wider audiences.
It's very adult orientated as well - whilst looking like a typical kids superhero show, the illusion will suddenly be shattered by a tirade of swearing, or over the top gore, it's truly not messing around, and it works really well!
Harley Quinn was a massive pleasant surprise for me. Can't wait to watch more!
Erika (17788 KP) rated Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) in Movies
Dec 29, 2020 (Updated Dec 29, 2020)
I was lucky enough to see this in theaters with my 'rents. I do not agree with Warner Bros decision to release same day on HBO Max, so I initially wasn't going to see it, but my dad bought the tickets.
The story itself isn't bad, but it is wayyyyy too long. I have an issue with how long the first section of the film was, taking place on Themiscyra. It didn't really add to the story, other than showing the gold armor that's worn later. I think it was just an excuse to have Robin Wright and crew in the film.
Kristen Wiig, of course, as horrible as every. Normally, I avoid everything with her like the plague, she's not funny, nor is she a good actress. She was highly annoying, and the CGI at the end was SO BAD. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for bad CGI for these delayed films, they had an extra six months to make sure it looked good.
I loved that Chris Pine returned in WW84, I'm always up for some Chris Pine in movies. I did find Diana's unwillingness to give him up initially a little off for the character. It just wasn't Wonder Woman, and coming from a woman writer, it was weak.
The climatic speech was not the strongest, not unlike the climatic speech in the first film (Seriously, the improper grammar during the climactic speech in WW haunts me). It was just kind of lame.
Now, good ol' Pedro Pascal, I liked his character overall. I wish they'd have shown more of the little snippets of his history prior to the climax, i.e. being made fun of due to being Hispanic, changing his name to something anglo. That was the only point in the film where I actually felt something.
I did like it in general, and I would watch it again. It just wasn't as strong as I wanted.
The story itself isn't bad, but it is wayyyyy too long. I have an issue with how long the first section of the film was, taking place on Themiscyra. It didn't really add to the story, other than showing the gold armor that's worn later. I think it was just an excuse to have Robin Wright and crew in the film.
Kristen Wiig, of course, as horrible as every. Normally, I avoid everything with her like the plague, she's not funny, nor is she a good actress. She was highly annoying, and the CGI at the end was SO BAD. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for bad CGI for these delayed films, they had an extra six months to make sure it looked good.
I loved that Chris Pine returned in WW84, I'm always up for some Chris Pine in movies. I did find Diana's unwillingness to give him up initially a little off for the character. It just wasn't Wonder Woman, and coming from a woman writer, it was weak.
The climatic speech was not the strongest, not unlike the climatic speech in the first film (Seriously, the improper grammar during the climactic speech in WW haunts me). It was just kind of lame.
Now, good ol' Pedro Pascal, I liked his character overall. I wish they'd have shown more of the little snippets of his history prior to the climax, i.e. being made fun of due to being Hispanic, changing his name to something anglo. That was the only point in the film where I actually felt something.
I did like it in general, and I would watch it again. It just wasn't as strong as I wanted.
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated Shadow of Murder (A Mac Faraday Mystery #14) in Books
Jun 7, 2022
Are you looking for some fun cold cases to solve? Maybe even a bit of mystery to solve with a twist. Lauren Carr's latest book "Shadow of Murder" does just that. We get a prologue full of mystery and murder. You will be wondering how a gunman kills an entire family. Is it real, or is it not. You will have to read or listen to find out for yourself.
This book had me going and wondering who would kill a whole family, including a law officer. There are a few main characters. We meet two of them right at the beginning of the story. Erica and Dusty.
I love the fact that mysteries are going on throughout the book. I enjoy that Erica and her friends seem to need to help the new local deputy chief. David gets some time with his wife and newborn. I recall David meeting a woman and a little boy I thought was introduced to him as his son?
Mac is pulled into a Chao once he returns from Europe with Archie. His son Tristain brings to life the disappearance of a missing person, a woman named Konnor Langston. Why did she disappear? It goes on from there. There are many mysteries and curses and stories of witches as the book goes on. I wonder who killed Erica's parents and why? Who taking advance of Larry? Why were Erica Hart's parents killed, and will Erica get justice for her childhood friend Konnor?
If you are looking for a good versus evil? This book has it. Once a dark shadow tries to harm Erica. Dusty seems to fall for a bird guiding him to help Erica. Will Erica and Dusty get together? There may be some romance for more than just two folks in the book. How will Dusty's father-law decide to find some love as well? There seems to be the talk of angels and demons? They're a bit supernatural in this book; that is a nice change to the story.
This book had me going and wondering who would kill a whole family, including a law officer. There are a few main characters. We meet two of them right at the beginning of the story. Erica and Dusty.
I love the fact that mysteries are going on throughout the book. I enjoy that Erica and her friends seem to need to help the new local deputy chief. David gets some time with his wife and newborn. I recall David meeting a woman and a little boy I thought was introduced to him as his son?
Mac is pulled into a Chao once he returns from Europe with Archie. His son Tristain brings to life the disappearance of a missing person, a woman named Konnor Langston. Why did she disappear? It goes on from there. There are many mysteries and curses and stories of witches as the book goes on. I wonder who killed Erica's parents and why? Who taking advance of Larry? Why were Erica Hart's parents killed, and will Erica get justice for her childhood friend Konnor?
If you are looking for a good versus evil? This book has it. Once a dark shadow tries to harm Erica. Dusty seems to fall for a bird guiding him to help Erica. Will Erica and Dusty get together? There may be some romance for more than just two folks in the book. How will Dusty's father-law decide to find some love as well? There seems to be the talk of angels and demons? They're a bit supernatural in this book; that is a nice change to the story.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Nov 18, 2017
Messy introduction (1 more)
Steppenwolf
A really pleasant surprise
PRE-MOVIE THOUGHTS: Up until very recently, I'd been cautiously optimistic regarding Justice League. I enjoyed Man of Steel, despite some faults, and I thought that Henry Cavill was perfectly suited to the role. I didn't mind Batman V Superman so much either, despite Jesse Eisenbergs Lex Luthor constantly trying to ruin it. The best thing about Batman V Superman though was Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, which is why her standalone origin movie deservedly did so well earlier this year. But the characters of Superman and Batman were beginning to get a bit of a raw deal in my opinion, and that was starting to piss me off. The original Superman movie with Christopher Reeve, along with Christopher Nolans Dark Knight trilogy, are among my favourite films and these latest movies just weren't doing them 'justice'. Suicide Squad showed that DC couldn't do an ensemble movie, which cast a lot of doubt over just how good Justice League was going to be. And when reports came in of re-shoots and a change of director, it wasn't really looking good. But some of the more recent trailers and teasers actually didn't look so bad, so maybe there wasn't too much to be worried about. Until a few days ago that is, when about 90% of the reviews I read didn't give it higher than two stars! And those that gave it higher were still highlighting some of the weaknesses I've already mentioned here. So, I headed into the cinema, expecting to be pissed off again. But seriously, genuinely hoping I wasn't.
POST-MOVIE REVIEW: Justice League doesn't start things off too well. The world is still mourning the death of Superman, and a few pointless scenes try to highlight that loss and despair. Batman and Wonder Woman appear in a couple of standalone battles to remind us what they're capable of, but those scenes also seem rushed and out of place. We have three new team members to be introduced to as well, along with the big bad of the movie. Whereas Marvel's Avengers took the time to introduce their team over a series of standalone movies, we've had no such luxury in the run up to Justice League, aside from some brief glimpses in previous movies. It all just seems like a rush to get things to the point where the team are together and can start having some fun. Everything up until that point just seems cobbled together. Lacking coherence, and just a little bit dull.
Talking of dull, once again the big bad of the movie is a bit of a let down. Steppenwolf appears on Earth in search of three powerful cubes which when combined together will give him the ability to forge the Earth into something more appealing to him, or something like that anyway. He's accompanied by thousands of flying zombie man-bug type creatures and the whole thing just reeks of supervillain plotlines we've seen many times before. Steppenwolf himself is entirely CGI, and at times the CGI just doesn't look that good.
Onto the league themselves. Well, Wonder Woman is still the most impressive of them all, proving to be a real natural leader. Batman, although greatly improved on his Batman V Superman appearance, just seems like he can't be bothered. Tired and uninterested at times. This might be partly down to Ben Affleck, who never really seemed suited to the role in my opinion. If the rumours of him being recast in the next standalone Batman movie are true, then it may well be for the best. Even if the thought of yet another actor taking on the role so soon already is extremely frustrating.
The two biggest surprise for me were the two characters I was initially least interested about when heading in to the cinema. Cyborg, from his introduction in BvS and glimpses in the trailers, just seemed pointless. But, despite that we gloss over his back story somewhat, actually proves himself to be a valuable and interesting member of the team. And as for The Flash, he manages to get many of the movies better lines and scenes while he tries to come to terms with what he can actually do with his power ("Up until now I usually just run really fast and push people").
Slightly disappointing though was Aquaman. Not the character himself, just the fact that we barely get a glimpse of his undersea world, before he finds himself thrust into the league, reduced to just being some extra muscle. His is a role which would have greatly benefited from a standalone origin movie before appearing in this one.
When the team eventually do come together is when the movie really steps up a gear. They work really well together and I really enjoyed the battle scenes. It soon becomes clear though, that they cannot defeat Steppenwolf on their own, and need somebody even more powerful to help them out.
It's no secret, despite his absence from the trailers, that Superman returns to become part of the league. I felt that this was handled really well and the team helping to overcome his initial disorientation was a really fun scene. When he is fully recovered and battling the bad guys, it's the kind of Superman we all know and love and everything involving him is just hugely enjoyable.
If it wasn't for the rushed, incoherent introduction to the movie, I would have rated this a lot higher. For me, the rest of the movie is right up there with this years Wonder Woman, and is a serious step in the right direction for DC. A really pleasant surprise...
POST-MOVIE REVIEW: Justice League doesn't start things off too well. The world is still mourning the death of Superman, and a few pointless scenes try to highlight that loss and despair. Batman and Wonder Woman appear in a couple of standalone battles to remind us what they're capable of, but those scenes also seem rushed and out of place. We have three new team members to be introduced to as well, along with the big bad of the movie. Whereas Marvel's Avengers took the time to introduce their team over a series of standalone movies, we've had no such luxury in the run up to Justice League, aside from some brief glimpses in previous movies. It all just seems like a rush to get things to the point where the team are together and can start having some fun. Everything up until that point just seems cobbled together. Lacking coherence, and just a little bit dull.
Talking of dull, once again the big bad of the movie is a bit of a let down. Steppenwolf appears on Earth in search of three powerful cubes which when combined together will give him the ability to forge the Earth into something more appealing to him, or something like that anyway. He's accompanied by thousands of flying zombie man-bug type creatures and the whole thing just reeks of supervillain plotlines we've seen many times before. Steppenwolf himself is entirely CGI, and at times the CGI just doesn't look that good.
Onto the league themselves. Well, Wonder Woman is still the most impressive of them all, proving to be a real natural leader. Batman, although greatly improved on his Batman V Superman appearance, just seems like he can't be bothered. Tired and uninterested at times. This might be partly down to Ben Affleck, who never really seemed suited to the role in my opinion. If the rumours of him being recast in the next standalone Batman movie are true, then it may well be for the best. Even if the thought of yet another actor taking on the role so soon already is extremely frustrating.
The two biggest surprise for me were the two characters I was initially least interested about when heading in to the cinema. Cyborg, from his introduction in BvS and glimpses in the trailers, just seemed pointless. But, despite that we gloss over his back story somewhat, actually proves himself to be a valuable and interesting member of the team. And as for The Flash, he manages to get many of the movies better lines and scenes while he tries to come to terms with what he can actually do with his power ("Up until now I usually just run really fast and push people").
Slightly disappointing though was Aquaman. Not the character himself, just the fact that we barely get a glimpse of his undersea world, before he finds himself thrust into the league, reduced to just being some extra muscle. His is a role which would have greatly benefited from a standalone origin movie before appearing in this one.
When the team eventually do come together is when the movie really steps up a gear. They work really well together and I really enjoyed the battle scenes. It soon becomes clear though, that they cannot defeat Steppenwolf on their own, and need somebody even more powerful to help them out.
It's no secret, despite his absence from the trailers, that Superman returns to become part of the league. I felt that this was handled really well and the team helping to overcome his initial disorientation was a really fun scene. When he is fully recovered and battling the bad guys, it's the kind of Superman we all know and love and everything involving him is just hugely enjoyable.
If it wasn't for the rushed, incoherent introduction to the movie, I would have rated this a lot higher. For me, the rest of the movie is right up there with this years Wonder Woman, and is a serious step in the right direction for DC. A really pleasant surprise...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Flash (2023) in Movies
Jun 18, 2023
The Best DCEU Film Since the original WONDER WOMAN
At this point in time, the average movie-going public is suffering from “Super-Hero” fatigue, and (more than likely) “multi-verse” fatigue because the latest entries in this genre all are tapping the same type of experience (in order to pull in properties/characters from other films). It’s a smart strategy from a Movie Executive point-of-view as they can bring in other, generally liked/loved characters from previous films/entities.
Sometimes it works Excellently (SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE), sometimes it works “Well Enough” (DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTI-VERSE OF MADNESS) and sometimes it is just plain boring (the latest ANT-MAN movie), so expectation is that the DCEU will find a way to screw this up and make dull and boring a premise (and characters) that should be exciting and fun.
And…with THE FLASH, the DCEU got it right (for once) and it is the most fun DCEU film since the first WONDER WOMAN film.
Based on the FLASHPOINT comics series and Directed by Andy Muschietti (IT and IT, Part II), THE FLASH Isn’t (really) a “multi-verse” story, it’s a time travel tale (that causes multi-verses). An important distinction for the Fanboy - but rather unimportant to the regular movie-going person. This tale brings a bunch of fun (and humor!) to the DCEU as well as touching on the fondness nerve for by-gone characters (and the actors who portrayed them).
Central to this film is, of course, THE FLASH, played by Ezra Miller. Your enjoyment of this film will swing on whether you find Miller’s performance “fun” or “annoying” for it strides that line between the two. For the BankofMarquis, Miller’s performance was a ton of fun - which added to the enjoyment rather than taking away from it.
He is joined by a bevy of cameo appearances - to name any would be to spoil them - but (since it is in the trailer), Miller does spend much of this film interacting with his younger self and he succeeds (more than he fails) during this part of the film. The 2 Millers are also joined by Michael Keaton, reprising his role as Batman from the 1980’s (again…not a spoiler - he’s in the trailer). Keaton brings starpower - and star energy - to this film and he lifts the middle portion of this movie.
Muschietti conducts this orchestra of multiple-cameos, multiple versions of the same character and multiple special effects professionally and cleanly, never letting the audience get lost and (most certainly) never letting the camera (or the film) linger too long on any plot device (which hides the holes that, inevitably, show up).
A fun, enough, installment in the DCEU - with some heart and a large portion of nostalgia - THE FLASH is a positive way to say goodbye to the DCEU.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Sometimes it works Excellently (SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE), sometimes it works “Well Enough” (DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTI-VERSE OF MADNESS) and sometimes it is just plain boring (the latest ANT-MAN movie), so expectation is that the DCEU will find a way to screw this up and make dull and boring a premise (and characters) that should be exciting and fun.
And…with THE FLASH, the DCEU got it right (for once) and it is the most fun DCEU film since the first WONDER WOMAN film.
Based on the FLASHPOINT comics series and Directed by Andy Muschietti (IT and IT, Part II), THE FLASH Isn’t (really) a “multi-verse” story, it’s a time travel tale (that causes multi-verses). An important distinction for the Fanboy - but rather unimportant to the regular movie-going person. This tale brings a bunch of fun (and humor!) to the DCEU as well as touching on the fondness nerve for by-gone characters (and the actors who portrayed them).
Central to this film is, of course, THE FLASH, played by Ezra Miller. Your enjoyment of this film will swing on whether you find Miller’s performance “fun” or “annoying” for it strides that line between the two. For the BankofMarquis, Miller’s performance was a ton of fun - which added to the enjoyment rather than taking away from it.
He is joined by a bevy of cameo appearances - to name any would be to spoil them - but (since it is in the trailer), Miller does spend much of this film interacting with his younger self and he succeeds (more than he fails) during this part of the film. The 2 Millers are also joined by Michael Keaton, reprising his role as Batman from the 1980’s (again…not a spoiler - he’s in the trailer). Keaton brings starpower - and star energy - to this film and he lifts the middle portion of this movie.
Muschietti conducts this orchestra of multiple-cameos, multiple versions of the same character and multiple special effects professionally and cleanly, never letting the audience get lost and (most certainly) never letting the camera (or the film) linger too long on any plot device (which hides the holes that, inevitably, show up).
A fun, enough, installment in the DCEU - with some heart and a large portion of nostalgia - THE FLASH is a positive way to say goodbye to the DCEU.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Fred (860 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Apr 10, 2019
Great fun!
If you've read my reviews, you'll see I'm not that keen on the new trend of superhero movies. Everything's gotta be "epic" & so dark. This is the problem with most of DC's films & some of Marvel's films as well. To me, Wonder Woman was terrible & Black Panther just so-so. Infinity Wars was rushed & an over-load of a mess of heroes. So, it was finally nice to see a movie like Venom, where they could take a villain from the comics, & make him a fun anti-hero.
Tom Hardy was excellent as the title character, and his alter-ego, Eddie Brock. And even though none of the other actors in the film were memorable enough that I can remember them by name, it's Hardy that holds this thing together. He's funny, strong & plays the character of a no-nonsense reporter perfectly. When Venom does show up, he's everything you want in the character. He vicious, with that touch of humor that he has in the comics.
The special effects are good as well. Venom really looks like he's there & the fight between him & the villain, Riot is done well.
Unlike most superhero movies of today, this is a fun watch. It's not too long, it's not too dark (which it could have easily been, considering) & I enjoyed myself from the beginning to the end. I'm glad to see they are making a part 2.
Tom Hardy was excellent as the title character, and his alter-ego, Eddie Brock. And even though none of the other actors in the film were memorable enough that I can remember them by name, it's Hardy that holds this thing together. He's funny, strong & plays the character of a no-nonsense reporter perfectly. When Venom does show up, he's everything you want in the character. He vicious, with that touch of humor that he has in the comics.
The special effects are good as well. Venom really looks like he's there & the fight between him & the villain, Riot is done well.
Unlike most superhero movies of today, this is a fun watch. It's not too long, it's not too dark (which it could have easily been, considering) & I enjoyed myself from the beginning to the end. I'm glad to see they are making a part 2.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Aug 19, 2018 (Updated Aug 19, 2018)
Trying and failing to be like the Avengers
The main problem with this film is that it is trying so hard to be like the Avengers, and it fails miserably - everything from the script to the supposed humour, the team and the CGI, they're all truly terrible. This is by far one of the worst films I've seen in a long time.
It's a shame really as Wonder Woman wasn't half bad for a DC film, but this undos everything. Ben Affleck is a terrible Batman, the Flash is just irritating and his humour falls flat, and Cyborg just seems to have been thrown in for his technological abilities. Of the new additions, only Jason Momoa comes off well. I've always liked him since his Stargate days, but sadly even he couldn't save the terrible lines he was given (even if he did look cool saying them). Steppenwolf as the bad guy looks atrocious and the CGI isn't great, and he's entirely forgettable. For the enemy, he never really came across as very threatening and as such the ending wasn't very effective.
And whoever decided to digitally erase Henry Cavill's moustache needs firing. It is SO obvious that every time Cavill is on screen you find yourself staring at his top lip. It actually looks like they had to redo all of his scenes, as he always looks like he has a dodgy CGI face. Terrible.
It's a shame really as Wonder Woman wasn't half bad for a DC film, but this undos everything. Ben Affleck is a terrible Batman, the Flash is just irritating and his humour falls flat, and Cyborg just seems to have been thrown in for his technological abilities. Of the new additions, only Jason Momoa comes off well. I've always liked him since his Stargate days, but sadly even he couldn't save the terrible lines he was given (even if he did look cool saying them). Steppenwolf as the bad guy looks atrocious and the CGI isn't great, and he's entirely forgettable. For the enemy, he never really came across as very threatening and as such the ending wasn't very effective.
And whoever decided to digitally erase Henry Cavill's moustache needs firing. It is SO obvious that every time Cavill is on screen you find yourself staring at his top lip. It actually looks like they had to redo all of his scenes, as he always looks like he has a dodgy CGI face. Terrible.
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated The Shape-Shifter's Wife in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Every wonder if you could travel back in time? But it feels so real that do you not know. A young woman some how travel back to the California gold rush Era. Once she does, she does not know why or the reason. She seem to take her time to adjust to the time period.
She meets a young man. She finds out that she need help a family get out of the family curse. To do this they need her. She learns about Indians culture and traditions. In the process she starts to fall in love with this young man.
She deals with this while her sister is still away. When she returns to her era, she does not know if she really was with a man named Reynard. She meets an Indian medicine man and go on a trip with her soul and life.
Will she end up going back to her husband? How did she travel back to her world and still be pregnant with a child? What Shape-Shifter animal does she become? What ever happens to Joseph? Will she fulfill the reason of the family curse?
This is a great book for those that enjoy history. If you are into historical fiction or California gold rush this is the book for you. Are you into time travel. This one is filled with it. The author does a beautifully good job with telling the story though Angelica's and her sister.
She meets a young man. She finds out that she need help a family get out of the family curse. To do this they need her. She learns about Indians culture and traditions. In the process she starts to fall in love with this young man.
She deals with this while her sister is still away. When she returns to her era, she does not know if she really was with a man named Reynard. She meets an Indian medicine man and go on a trip with her soul and life.
Will she end up going back to her husband? How did she travel back to her world and still be pregnant with a child? What Shape-Shifter animal does she become? What ever happens to Joseph? Will she fulfill the reason of the family curse?
This is a great book for those that enjoy history. If you are into historical fiction or California gold rush this is the book for you. Are you into time travel. This one is filled with it. The author does a beautifully good job with telling the story though Angelica's and her sister.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated How Do You Know (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
How Do You Know? is a heartfelt comedy about a woman who thought she had her whole life planned out and had answers to all the questions except for the most important, what she really wants in life.
Reese Witherspoon plays Lisa a former athlete who recently was cut from her team and is left to wonder what she will do with her life. Lisa has always been a confident woman who dated only athletes like herself. Matty (Owen Wilson), is her current love interest and also an athlete who does not really understand women, their feelings and the importance of monogamy.
Knowing this, Lisa still decides to stay with Matty and try and make things work as a couple.
At the same time, George (Paul Rudd), is being investigated by the FBI for wrong doings within the company that his father Charles (Jack Nicholson), owns. In the same day, George learns he is not only being investigated by the FBI, but his girlfriend breaks up with him because of his problems.
Lisa and George’s paths crossed earlier when a friend decides that it would be a great idea for Lisa to go on a date with a corporate type of guy rather than continue with her current athlete fixaton.
Lisa decides to meet George for dinner, but this sadly does not go well for either of them. Matty decides to be spontaneous and asks Lisa to move in but only ends up pushing her away. As a result, Lisa ends up getting to know George more and they become great friends during the on and off again relationship she has with Matty which leads to Lisa trying to find what she wants in life.
Director James L. Brooks did not allow the film to flow very well due to a slow beginning and middle and Jack Nicholson seemed out of place with such a small part for an actor of his status.
I was not a fan of the cinematography in some scenes and I wish the story would have flowed a little better and while this was not my favorite Reese Witherspoon role, Paul Rudd stole the show with his funny dialogue and silly antics.
Reese Witherspoon plays Lisa a former athlete who recently was cut from her team and is left to wonder what she will do with her life. Lisa has always been a confident woman who dated only athletes like herself. Matty (Owen Wilson), is her current love interest and also an athlete who does not really understand women, their feelings and the importance of monogamy.
Knowing this, Lisa still decides to stay with Matty and try and make things work as a couple.
At the same time, George (Paul Rudd), is being investigated by the FBI for wrong doings within the company that his father Charles (Jack Nicholson), owns. In the same day, George learns he is not only being investigated by the FBI, but his girlfriend breaks up with him because of his problems.
Lisa and George’s paths crossed earlier when a friend decides that it would be a great idea for Lisa to go on a date with a corporate type of guy rather than continue with her current athlete fixaton.
Lisa decides to meet George for dinner, but this sadly does not go well for either of them. Matty decides to be spontaneous and asks Lisa to move in but only ends up pushing her away. As a result, Lisa ends up getting to know George more and they become great friends during the on and off again relationship she has with Matty which leads to Lisa trying to find what she wants in life.
Director James L. Brooks did not allow the film to flow very well due to a slow beginning and middle and Jack Nicholson seemed out of place with such a small part for an actor of his status.
I was not a fan of the cinematography in some scenes and I wish the story would have flowed a little better and while this was not my favorite Reese Witherspoon role, Paul Rudd stole the show with his funny dialogue and silly antics.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) in Movies
Aug 1, 2019 (Updated Aug 3, 2019)
WBs second entry into the DCEU is a messy misstep.
Contains spoilers, click to show
It's the big one that comic fans have been waiting decades to see come to life on the big screen, the one that was infamously teased in I Am Legend, the one that was going to match The Dark Knight Returns, and it's just oh so dissapointing.
After Warner Bros. kicked off the DCEU franchise with Man of Steel, a film that I thought was actually pretty good, I was full of Hope, and couldn't wait to see what they did with all of these beloved characters from years of DC stories.
When it was announced that the sequel would feature Batman in a loose adaption of TDKR, I was even more excited. When it was announced that this film would introduce the core members of the Justice League, I started to become concerned. It just screamed that Warner were trying to catch up with the already established MCU with a single film. It turns out that my concerns were justified.
The absolute biggest problem with Batman V Superman is that it just tried to do too much. And in doing so, creates a messy and often silly narrative.
The set up is pretty good, the opening scene of Metropolis being levelled whilst Bruce Wayne desperately tries to save his colleagues is pretty thrilling. It gives Batman a good, solid reason to want to fight Superman and neutralise this alien threat.
The plot is needlessly complicated when Lex Luthor gets involved (not quite sure what Jessie Eisenberg was going for in his weird portrayal), forcing Superman into a confrontation with Batman by means of kidnapping his mother.
When the big beat down finally arrived, it lasts just a few minutes before they become great friends very suddenly (due to their mothers infamously having the same name).
Not long after this, Wonder Woman is thrown into the mix (because reasons) and then they all fight Doomsday (because why the hell not) effectively cramming six movies worth of material into one very underwhelming and silly movie.
The mind boggles.
The Justice League are introduced though a series of short videos such as CCTV footage etc, and you have to wonder why they even bothered.
It's not all bad though. Ben Affleck as Batman is pretty inspired casting and is actually great. He's older, jaded, and pretty stocky, and his action scenes are ripped straight from the beloved Arkham video games. It's almost like Zack Snyder actually wanted to make a Batman film or something....
Wonder Womans presence is wholly unessecary, but for what it's worth, she's pretty badass, looks the part, and Gal Gadot does a good job of bringing her to life.
I also enjoyed the Knightmare scene hinting at Darkseid further down the line.
Unfortunately, the good parts are wrapped up in shambles. The MCU has been so finely crafted over the years, and it really confuses me why WB didn't take a similar route with the DC universe - a universe that has arguably better characters.
After Warner Bros. kicked off the DCEU franchise with Man of Steel, a film that I thought was actually pretty good, I was full of Hope, and couldn't wait to see what they did with all of these beloved characters from years of DC stories.
When it was announced that the sequel would feature Batman in a loose adaption of TDKR, I was even more excited. When it was announced that this film would introduce the core members of the Justice League, I started to become concerned. It just screamed that Warner were trying to catch up with the already established MCU with a single film. It turns out that my concerns were justified.
The absolute biggest problem with Batman V Superman is that it just tried to do too much. And in doing so, creates a messy and often silly narrative.
The set up is pretty good, the opening scene of Metropolis being levelled whilst Bruce Wayne desperately tries to save his colleagues is pretty thrilling. It gives Batman a good, solid reason to want to fight Superman and neutralise this alien threat.
The plot is needlessly complicated when Lex Luthor gets involved (not quite sure what Jessie Eisenberg was going for in his weird portrayal), forcing Superman into a confrontation with Batman by means of kidnapping his mother.
When the big beat down finally arrived, it lasts just a few minutes before they become great friends very suddenly (due to their mothers infamously having the same name).
Not long after this, Wonder Woman is thrown into the mix (because reasons) and then they all fight Doomsday (because why the hell not) effectively cramming six movies worth of material into one very underwhelming and silly movie.
The mind boggles.
The Justice League are introduced though a series of short videos such as CCTV footage etc, and you have to wonder why they even bothered.
It's not all bad though. Ben Affleck as Batman is pretty inspired casting and is actually great. He's older, jaded, and pretty stocky, and his action scenes are ripped straight from the beloved Arkham video games. It's almost like Zack Snyder actually wanted to make a Batman film or something....
Wonder Womans presence is wholly unessecary, but for what it's worth, she's pretty badass, looks the part, and Gal Gadot does a good job of bringing her to life.
I also enjoyed the Knightmare scene hinting at Darkseid further down the line.
Unfortunately, the good parts are wrapped up in shambles. The MCU has been so finely crafted over the years, and it really confuses me why WB didn't take a similar route with the DC universe - a universe that has arguably better characters.