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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated 47 Ronin (2013) in Movies
Jan 12, 2021 (Updated Jul 4, 2021)
As expected this is a lot of eye-popping visual work in service of a story void of even a single drop of weight. Too much gorgeous design fetish on display to truly dislike in spite of it being executed as plainly as can be otherwise - for every mechanical, generic expository beat there's a splashpad of stunning locales, vibrant costumes, luscious CGI, sweeping sets, excellent props, and fully realized art backing it up. It's super atmospheric and the money is *definitely* on the screen but everything underneath the hood is not only lackluster but genuinely problematic. The idea to take one of the most legendary events in Japanese history and not only turn it into another passive whitewashed popcorn flick is gross all on its own, but to frame the entire thing around a bunch of wronged Japanese men + women having to constantly praise and apologize to a white man for bullying him or whatever is - quite frankly - beyond insulting. As much as I won't soon be forgetting the pop aesthetic experience this delivered upon, I'm also glad it bombed. A screenplay this goofy has no right being so tame. And see the skull guy on the poster? He's only in the movie for like 30 seconds so fuck you.
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Awake (2021) in Movies
Jun 1, 2022
This movie stars Gina Rodriguez aka Jane the virgin as Jill, a young mum who also seems to be a prescription drug dealer!?! Anyway, one day after work Jill gets into a car crash with her kids in the car, at the same time as a power cut. When she goes to the hospital, patients who were in a coma start waking up and staff are busy wondering what's happening. It is soon evident that the world is unable to sleep except for Jill's daughter matilda. They need to find a way to be able to sleep before everyone turns crazy and matilda is the key.
This film really confused me, I thought the whole being awake thing had happened during the power cut, but the way people were behaving it was like they'd been that way for a while. Jill mentions she had only been awake for 4 days, so was everyone effected at different times? How long has it been going on? Nothing made sense and I lost interest quickly. I watched to the end to see if all these answers became clear, but they didn't. That's an hour and thirty five minutes of my life I never getting back.
This film really confused me, I thought the whole being awake thing had happened during the power cut, but the way people were behaving it was like they'd been that way for a while. Jill mentions she had only been awake for 4 days, so was everyone effected at different times? How long has it been going on? Nothing made sense and I lost interest quickly. I watched to the end to see if all these answers became clear, but they didn't. That's an hour and thirty five minutes of my life I never getting back.
Awix (3310 KP) rated No Escape (2015) in Movies
Mar 26, 2018 (Updated Mar 26, 2018)
Technically competent suspense-thriller can't help coming across as a little bit suspect in the signals it's sending (also, title may not be strictly accurate). Nice American family go to a country which looks like Thailand but definitely isn't, dearie me no, and find themselves imperilled by a native uprising triggered by the Prime Minister's new water works. Can they escape before Pierce Brosnan starts singing again?
As I say, solidly put together, and if nothing else Lake Bell's performance is pretty much immaculate - but you have to wonder if the film's depiction of Asian countries isn't defamatory, or at least scare-mongering. It's not surprising this film was banned in some parts of Asia. There's a lot of bafflegab about the hordes of machete-wielding psychos being locals upset about globalisation, but c'mon, guys, this is clearly a film inspired by fears of radical Islamist terrorism, and as such it seems to be presenting every person in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, as a potential psychopathic killer. For something which is basically second-cousin to a zombie movie, it takes itself terribly seriously; a bit too seriously given how implausible the plot rapidly becomes. Perks up a bit when Brosnan is on screen (not often enough), but is this kind of subject matter really the stuff of such broad entertainment? As a thriller this is okay, but a point knocked off for the dubious subtext.
As I say, solidly put together, and if nothing else Lake Bell's performance is pretty much immaculate - but you have to wonder if the film's depiction of Asian countries isn't defamatory, or at least scare-mongering. It's not surprising this film was banned in some parts of Asia. There's a lot of bafflegab about the hordes of machete-wielding psychos being locals upset about globalisation, but c'mon, guys, this is clearly a film inspired by fears of radical Islamist terrorism, and as such it seems to be presenting every person in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, as a potential psychopathic killer. For something which is basically second-cousin to a zombie movie, it takes itself terribly seriously; a bit too seriously given how implausible the plot rapidly becomes. Perks up a bit when Brosnan is on screen (not often enough), but is this kind of subject matter really the stuff of such broad entertainment? As a thriller this is okay, but a point knocked off for the dubious subtext.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The A-Team (2010) in Movies
Feb 16, 2020
Leaden remake of the popular-in-the-80s-but-only-possible-to-enjoy-ironically-now TV action show. Unhinged special-forces unit the A-Team are framed for a crime they didn't commit, bust out of prison, try to clear their names by going to Germany. Where, you may be wondering, is the mom 'n' pop store being threatened by cheap gangsters the team are called in to protect? Where is Hannibal putting on a stupid disguise? Where is the bit where the bad guys lock them in a shed with a load of welding gear, allowing them to build an armoured car out of bits of old washing machine? Where is the scene where they spray 35,000 rounds of .223 ammunition at the bad guys, destroying everything in sight but leaving their targets miraculously unscathed? Friends, none of these things are here.
Instead it's almost as if the A-Team have wandered into a rather downbeat Mission: Impossible movie, or possibly one of the Bournes. You don't expect to have to wrestle with the plot of The A-Team but there's a confusing tangle of double-crosses and betrayals between military intelligence, the CIA and private security firms at the heart of this. Seems to fundamentally misunderstand the essential cheesy disposability of The A-Team by trying to make it feel like a serious drama. I wouldn't have thought it was possible: this manages to be both inauthentic to the original series and also bad.
Instead it's almost as if the A-Team have wandered into a rather downbeat Mission: Impossible movie, or possibly one of the Bournes. You don't expect to have to wrestle with the plot of The A-Team but there's a confusing tangle of double-crosses and betrayals between military intelligence, the CIA and private security firms at the heart of this. Seems to fundamentally misunderstand the essential cheesy disposability of The A-Team by trying to make it feel like a serious drama. I wouldn't have thought it was possible: this manages to be both inauthentic to the original series and also bad.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) in Movies
Sep 2, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)
Backpack, backpack, backpack, backpack
In the era of reboots, legacyquels, and reimaginings, films require a balance between innovation and "the original" product. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is such an undertaking as a adaptation of a popular children's show. The filmmakers had an objective to make a feature film while not alienating fans of the original Dora the Explorer. I believe that the team (who also worked on the previous two Muppets movies) did a good job. They found ways to have Dora speak to the audience (like on her show), have Backpack and Map speak, introduce Spanish words and phrases (the point of the show), and Boots and Swiper ("Swiper, no swiping.") were integral characters, all of which would have detracted from the film if done improperly. At the same time, the writers and director had to have a story that would sustain a 90-minute movie and leave little left to, pardon the pun, explore. The search for a lost city of gold and a race between archaelogists and treasure hunters satisfied that objective, a little Young Indiana Jones adventure mixed with National Treasure. The biggest liability in the whole film was Eugenio Derbez and his slapstick comedic style never fit the tone of the film. Luckily, Michael Pena can debilitate him with a styling monologue. Now that Dora has ended her adventure in the jungle, she can study the harshest environment known to man: high school in an anthropological dissertation.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Stardust Trail in Books
Aug 23, 2022 (Updated Aug 23, 2022)
Searching for a Missing Writer
PI Nate Ross is a rarity in 1938 Hollywood – someone who lives in the LA area but isn’t that interested in the movie industry. Still, he’s willing to take on a case for one of the smaller studios. The writer of a picture they are hoping will propel them into a more respected part of the market has gone missing, and they need him for rewrites. As Nate begins investigating, he learns of other issues the film has been having, and soon he’s looking into the sabotage, too. Are the two things connected?
I bought this book when the author gave a talk at my local library a few months back. I’m glad I did. As always, I enjoyed the Hollywood setting, but I especially enjoyed the scenes that took Nate to the area I live. Granted, it has changed a lot since the time when the book was set. The story itself is strong with plenty of action to keep us engaged. I had a few things figured out, but I missed some other clues that Nate used to solve things. The characters are engaging, as well. This has the feel of a classic PI novel, so it has a bit more content than I would typically read. It also means that Nate’s sense of humor made me laugh as I was reading. Fortunately, I already have the sequel since I’m looking forward to visiting Nate again soon.
I bought this book when the author gave a talk at my local library a few months back. I’m glad I did. As always, I enjoyed the Hollywood setting, but I especially enjoyed the scenes that took Nate to the area I live. Granted, it has changed a lot since the time when the book was set. The story itself is strong with plenty of action to keep us engaged. I had a few things figured out, but I missed some other clues that Nate used to solve things. The characters are engaging, as well. This has the feel of a classic PI novel, so it has a bit more content than I would typically read. It also means that Nate’s sense of humor made me laugh as I was reading. Fortunately, I already have the sequel since I’m looking forward to visiting Nate again soon.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Until There Was You in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I love Kirstan Higgins so much. She's a good writer, she's funny, she's clever, her characters are awesome, and there's always a cute dog or cat.
Also she rocks at writing kissing scenes. WOW!.
The number-one thing I love about her novels is this: She writes these awesome contemporary romance novels, but she doesn't litter them with explicit sex, which I DON'T like to read (I mean really, I feel like I'm sneaking into a XXX movie when I read stuff like that. It's private, man! The characters don't want you to know what's going on under the sheets!).
Anyway, Until There Was You didn't disappoint. Liam was amazing, Posey was sweet, Nicole (the daughter) was adorable, and the family was family: a-typical in every way and funny and weird and full of life. I love it. I wish I could keep this book forever instead of bringing it back to the library. I tore through this thing in like five hours... I stayed up until 4am reading.
But hey, other people have to read it too, right?
:D
Also she rocks at writing kissing scenes. WOW!.
The number-one thing I love about her novels is this: She writes these awesome contemporary romance novels, but she doesn't litter them with explicit sex, which I DON'T like to read (I mean really, I feel like I'm sneaking into a XXX movie when I read stuff like that. It's private, man! The characters don't want you to know what's going on under the sheets!).
Anyway, Until There Was You didn't disappoint. Liam was amazing, Posey was sweet, Nicole (the daughter) was adorable, and the family was family: a-typical in every way and funny and weird and full of life. I love it. I wish I could keep this book forever instead of bringing it back to the library. I tore through this thing in like five hours... I stayed up until 4am reading.
But hey, other people have to read it too, right?
:D
David McK (3687 KP) rated Relic (Pendergast, #1) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
I think I first read this back in the early to mid 90's, after the success of <i>Jurassic Park</i> (novel and film), but before <i>The Lost World</i>.
I remember thinking at the time how it would make a good movie due to the way it is written (very 'Michael Crichton'ish); it was later converted into such. Unfortunately, that film completely veered off the track from the novel, sharing only the title and a few key characters and settings - it would have worked so much better had they stayed truer to the source.
The novel is set primarily in and around New York's Museum of Natural History, leading up to (and in) the grand opening of a major new exhibition on superstition. There are rumors of a 'museum beast' in the museum, and I think I'm giving nothing away when I say that these prove to be more than rumors ...
As already stated, this is very like Michael Crichton's blend of techno-thriller so, if you like that, you should also like this.
I remember thinking at the time how it would make a good movie due to the way it is written (very 'Michael Crichton'ish); it was later converted into such. Unfortunately, that film completely veered off the track from the novel, sharing only the title and a few key characters and settings - it would have worked so much better had they stayed truer to the source.
The novel is set primarily in and around New York's Museum of Natural History, leading up to (and in) the grand opening of a major new exhibition on superstition. There are rumors of a 'museum beast' in the museum, and I think I'm giving nothing away when I say that these prove to be more than rumors ...
As already stated, this is very like Michael Crichton's blend of techno-thriller so, if you like that, you should also like this.
Guinness World Records Blockbusters: 2017
Book
Roll out the red carpet for Guinness World Records 2017: BLOCKBUSTERS! It's virtually exploding with...
BookwormLea (3034 KP) rated The Exorcist in Phoenix Theatre (London, United Kingdom) in Shows
Jul 16, 2020
Fantastically terrifying!
I truly love a horror. Whether that is a book, movie or even a play as I found out after watching The Exorcist. It is so much more intriguing than the film! So very close in plot, nothing much is changed from the 'true' story it is based upon. But the sounds that echo throughout the theatre, draw you in and everyone disappears, leaving only yourself and the cast. The girl that plays Regan is so believable! She could have been possessed for real and I would have believed it! And unlike the film, I actually jumped! The lighting is crazy and the bass literally bounces your seat so you really feel it!!
What I also loved was how clever the stage setting was! It was all one set. Nothing moved or changed. It looked like a dollhouse and the only thing they did was switch the light on the room they were in. So clever and very effective!!! If you're ever in London, go see it!!!!
What I also loved was how clever the stage setting was! It was all one set. Nothing moved or changed. It looked like a dollhouse and the only thing they did was switch the light on the room they were in. So clever and very effective!!! If you're ever in London, go see it!!!!