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Grown Ups (2010)
Grown Ups (2010)
2010 | Comedy
6
7.4 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
After the death of the coach that inspired them in their youth a rag-tag group of grown up friends take a trip up to a cabin to reconnect with each other and their families. Adam Sandler (Lenny Feder), Chris Rock (Kurt McKenzie), Kevin James (Eric Lamonsoff), David Spade (Marcus Higgins), and Rob Schneider (Rob Hilliard) star together in this almost family friendly comedy. Furthering the densely star studded cast is Selma Hyack Pinault as Lenny’s famous clothing designer wife and Saturday Night Live alum Maya Roudolf as the wife of Kurt.

The film is surely a little vulgar for young audiences blending Adam Sandler’s adult themed comedic styling’s with a touching story about the long term bonds of families and friends. From the very start one wonders who is the intended audience of this film?

Further challenging the success of “Grown Ups” is that the film is not classic Adam Sandler, but an attempt at creating something more mature among the frequent cameos of numerous comedians. The film does, however, manage a few classically Sandler-esque comedic moments. While adults may find the blend of maturity along side slapstick antics odd, children seem to find the sophomoric physical comedy and slightly too mature moments in this film hilarious.

Yet what is most impressive about “Grown Ups” is that the characters, while overly dramatized, are believable, making this less than excellent film at least honest. This honesty combined with the strongly pushed moral theme of family togetherness results in a film that displays growth from the film star veteran and co-author, Sandler.

Further making the film bearable is the somewhat sappy yet honest plotline that keeps the audience’s attention in the frequent lulls between decent jokes. So in the end “Grown Ups” is a film about friendship and the challenges faced by those trying to connect with their families in the modern world and while it isn’t a great, it is mildly interesting.
  
Eric & the Black Axes (The Sanctum Series #4)
Eric & the Black Axes (The Sanctum Series #4)
Katrina Cope | 2014 | Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the fourth installment of the Sanctum series of books, squarely aimed at a pre-teen and young adult audience but a good read for adults too.

For anyone unfamiliar with the series, the Sanctum is a special school created by and run by rich philanthropist Avando. He rescues children from a life on the streets and gives them a second chance at the school where they have the opportunity to have a first class education. But Avando also picks the best of the pupils to help in a covert war against terrorism, using surrogate robot bodies to investigate suspect sites, including rival school Ernest College.

Despite his capture at the end of the previous book, Professor Eric Showden is again the villain of the piece. A former teacher at The Sanctum and pupil at Ernest College, he is aided by a company called The Black Axes to escape. This time both schools are in direct danger of attack and must cooperate to survive. But just how far can they trust each other?

This series is rapidly turning into a must-read cyber thriller. Both schools are now in direct conflict with the terrorists, having to defend against direct attack as well as try to stop their plans, all the time keeping one eye on the other and try to give as little information away as possible. There are some excellent set pieces and the way these are set up - essentially robots battling with martial arts - they are very different from the usual gun-toting fare.

Again the characters come to the fore - Jayden and his friends are once again the core for the Sanctum. Liam takes a very central role at Ernest college and his uncertainty as events unfold make a reassuring counterpoint to the main story line.

Once again I cannot recommend these books enough. I'm very much looking forward to the fifth book in the series and have no doubt it will be another excellent read.
  
Missing Link (2019)
Missing Link (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Animation Style (3 more)
Character development
Voice Acting
Hilarity
Predictable Plot (0 more)
An adventurous, family-friendly animation.
After winning the BAFTA for best animated feature, my interest in seeing this film rose. As it is conveniently found on Netflix, we watched it as a family for a ‘movie night’. I was prepared for a mediocre adventure in search of a missing link between man and ape. What you actually get is a heartfelt, quintessentially British, global adventure in search of a home for a lonely Sasquatch. The journey each character goes through is wonderful as they learn about family, friendships and individuality before conquering the villain.

With a high calibre cast, this film is full of seasoned voice actors. So much so that it is actually difficult to identify the owner of each voice until the credits roll. This, for the most part, makes the film even more enjoyable as you aren’t left guessing actors or imagining them in the role.

Beginning with two characters on a quest for the Loch Ness Monster, the story is full of mystery and myth. It then becomes a predictable one, when it gets into its flow. For an adult, this can make the film a little expected. However, for a child this film is filled with hilarity. When watching with my three kids, there was non-stop laughter. From the naming of the Sasquatch to him forgetting swimwear, the room was full of joy.

Animation has always been a passion of mine, since I was young: from hand drawn to computer generated. My favourite had always been stop motion. Missing Link is primarily filmed in stop motion, using new techniques that allow for smoother facial transitions. The film’s adventurous nature encourages for exciting sets and explosive additional CGI that makes the film feel incredibly polished.

Captivating the attention of adults and children, alike, Missing Link provides an animated, family friendly adventure that teaches morals and respect. I can see why it won so many awards and challenges Toy Story 4 for the top place.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Starred Up (2014) in Movies

Mar 16, 2020  
Starred Up (2014)
Starred Up (2014)
2014 | Drama
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Violent and to the point (1 more)
Great acting
Prison Isn't Suppoed To Be A Holiday Camp
Prison dramas don’t get much grittier than this. Not since Scum has there been one with as much brutal tour de force. Eric (Jack O’Connell) is ‘starred up’. A term used to describe violent young offenders moved straight into an adult prison. Once he gets inside he comes face to face with the only person that might be able to control him, his father Neville (Ben Mendelsohn).

It’s a major part of their relationship as Nev’s parental tactics involve the cruel to be kind method. It’s the only way that Eric is going to survive and the only way he will walk out in one piece. Eric finds some solace in Oliver (Rupert Friend) whose anger management sessions are a place to unleash a tirade of resentment. It places him within a group where any other individual might find themselves out of their depth – Eric takes it full on.

The film is written by Jonathan Asser, a former prison psychotherapist who worked in HMP Wandsworth. So he more than anyone can inject the film with a massive sense of realism. The prison violence can be hard to watch but you don’t find yourself turning away from the screen.

It’s not shrouded in Hollywood gloss and is shot with graphic precision. Mendelsohn’s performance is excellent playing the psycho and his delivery is spot on. Friend is also a joy to watch and a real talent. The Homeland star-making imprints into the acting elite.

However, this is very much O’Connell’s film and it’s not hard to see why he is fast becoming a standout actor. Grabbing this role in a vice-like grip he battles with his personality, the adoration from his father and a corrupt system who want him eradicated. It doesn’t paint the prison system in a particularly good light but then prison isn’t supposed to be a holiday camp.
  
    Blips! Intégral

    Blips! Intégral

    Education and Games

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Blips makes it possible to learn numeration in an amusing way… Application entirely conceived by a...

    Wattpad

    Wattpad

    Book and Entertainment

    7.7 (15 Ratings) Rate It

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    Discover Wattpad: At Wattpad, we’re connecting a global community through the power of the story....

    Mother Goose Club

    Mother Goose Club

    Education, Entertainment and Stickers

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    Turn screen time into learning time with Mother Goose Club! Our award winning content is beloved by...

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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Space Hopper in Books

Feb 9, 2021  
Space Hopper
Space Hopper
Helen Fisher | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Space Hopper is a wonderful story about the love of mothers and daughters, loss, reconnection and time travel. Quite a mix there, and that’s exactly what drew me to this book.
Who, in Faye’s position, wouldn’t take the opportunity to visit someone they had loved and lost? What makes it all the more intriguing is the fact that this person is Faye’s mother. Although Faye is happily married with two young children, she feels a gap in her life - and the person she wants to fill that gap is her mother. But she died when Faye was 8 years old. When she accidentally steps inside the Space Hopper box that she has kept since childhood, that strength of feeling transports her back to the 1970’s and her childhood home.
This isn’t a book that you can rationalise, so it’s best not to, after all, it’s the strength of Faye’s feelings, I think, that take her back in time. It’s a very sad book at times, and if I was faced with Faye’s decision - to stay with my family or to see my mum after not seeing her for 30 years - I would be hard pressed to make the right choice. After all, what IS the right choice?
It does seem a little selfish of Faye to choose to go somewhere where she might not be able to return from, but there’s no doubting Faye’s love for her husband and children. But to be able to speak to her mum as an adult after so long - you can imagine how compelling that must have been for Faye.
I really enjoyed this, and I have so many thoughts about it that I could go on and on about it! It would make such a good book club book - there’s so much to discuss.
The writing is quite beautiful, and I cried at the end - I think that says it all, really.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this thought-provoking book.