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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Mortal Kombat (2021) in Movies
Aug 21, 2021
Potentially, I'm one of the only people to have enjoyed Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Admittedly it was a long time ago that I saw it, but I remember good memories of it.
I'm going to skip over the extended synopsis, firstly because the short one sums it up, and secondly because if I put much more in it the whole plot will be ruined.
While I watched the film I was generally entertained, but when I came out there were some points that festered in my brain a bit. And those thoughts seem to have been reflected in podcasts and reviews I've come across.
This is probably exactly what you'd expect from A] a video game film and B] a Mortal Kombat film... it's both good and bad in varying degrees.
What is sad about this review is that I can't really tell you anything good about it... or just anything about it at all. Everything was instantly forgettable. I can tell you the woman from The Meg & Black Water Abyss is in it (because of course I can). I can tell you that there are bad guys fighting the good guys... or the less bad guys...
Effects, there are some of those too. Vague recollections of them being okay. I could certainly embrace the fantasy angle and forgive some things.
At this point I'd like to apologise for such a half arsed review, but it does perfectly illustrate the film... waffle with no real purpose. Although actually, the film does have a purpose. To set up for a sequel. Because some random comic violence and odd powers are generally entertaining.
As a sign off for this review, I would like to say sorry for this trash (the review and the film). I just think it perfectly sums up how I felt about this film: I've wasted your time, you'll never get it back, but I've (hopefully) given you some brief moments of entertainment. But on the plus side, if you've read this review before seeing the film then I might have saved you the 1 hour and 50 minutes (oh my god, I don't even know how I sat through that) of viewing time.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/08/mortal-kombat-movie-review.html
I'm going to skip over the extended synopsis, firstly because the short one sums it up, and secondly because if I put much more in it the whole plot will be ruined.
While I watched the film I was generally entertained, but when I came out there were some points that festered in my brain a bit. And those thoughts seem to have been reflected in podcasts and reviews I've come across.
This is probably exactly what you'd expect from A] a video game film and B] a Mortal Kombat film... it's both good and bad in varying degrees.
What is sad about this review is that I can't really tell you anything good about it... or just anything about it at all. Everything was instantly forgettable. I can tell you the woman from The Meg & Black Water Abyss is in it (because of course I can). I can tell you that there are bad guys fighting the good guys... or the less bad guys...
Effects, there are some of those too. Vague recollections of them being okay. I could certainly embrace the fantasy angle and forgive some things.
At this point I'd like to apologise for such a half arsed review, but it does perfectly illustrate the film... waffle with no real purpose. Although actually, the film does have a purpose. To set up for a sequel. Because some random comic violence and odd powers are generally entertaining.
As a sign off for this review, I would like to say sorry for this trash (the review and the film). I just think it perfectly sums up how I felt about this film: I've wasted your time, you'll never get it back, but I've (hopefully) given you some brief moments of entertainment. But on the plus side, if you've read this review before seeing the film then I might have saved you the 1 hour and 50 minutes (oh my god, I don't even know how I sat through that) of viewing time.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/08/mortal-kombat-movie-review.html
Lee (2222 KP) rated Bad Boys for Life (2020) in Movies
Jan 20, 2020
The first Bad Boys movie came out in 1995, with the second arriving in 2003. So, 17 years on and these Miami bad boys are sure to be showing signs of age, following a career of fast cars and extreme action. Thankfully, Bad Boys for Life acknowledges that fact, even if we do get to hear the phrase "we're getting too old for this shit", or variations of, on many occasions throughout. Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is becoming a grandfather, keen to move on from being a bad boy in order to try and become a "good man" instead. Meanwhile, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) isn't quite there just yet, continuing to try and live his shallow bad boy life at full throttle, dying his greying goatee beard in denial. When Mike becomes the target for a badass Mexican drug-lord (Kate del Castillo) and her ruthless son, his past comes back to haunt him and both boys have no choice but to get back together in order to take down the bad guys one last time.
OK, full disclaimer - I haven't seen Bad Boys and I haven't seen Bad Boys II. I probably wouldn't have been concerned about seeing this third installment either if I'm honest, but I found myself with a couple of hours to kill in London over the weekend, with Bad Boys for Life being literally the only movie that I hadn't seen which was showing at a convenient time. General opinion online so far seems to be that this is a fairly decent entry into the franchise though, and not necessarily something where you needed to have seen the previous movies in order to enjoy, so I decided to give it a shot. Consequently, there may be things about this movie that fans of the series will be happy to see or that they will be disappointed to see, but which I can't really comment on. I was heading into this like it was a standalone movie.
So, with Burnett trying to adjust to a life of relaxation at home, getting under his wife's feet in the process, it's up to Lowrey to tackle the assassin threat. However, due to him being one of their targets, he's forced to join the AMMO squad as a consultant. AMMO are Miami PD's elite team, utilising technology to track and monitor high-profile criminals, and the majority of the team are all considerably younger than Lowrey too. To them, Lowrey is just the old man that would rather shoot first and ask questions later, and it's not long before a frustrated Lowrey is disobeying orders, taking charge and introducing the team to some of his Bad Boy ways.
As far as buddy cop action movies go, Bad Boys for Life was an absolute blast. I've seen reviewers negatively describe the impact that Michael Bay had on the last Bad Boys movie with his over the top action mayhem style of film making. However, this time around, new co-directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi are in charge (although Bay does have a small cameo in the movie!) and while the action is still frenetic at times, it's also a lot more coherent too. The pacing in Bad Boys for Life felt spot on and with a good mix of humour, some decent villains and some fast paced inventive action that you can actually follow, it all makes for an enjoyable ride.
OK, full disclaimer - I haven't seen Bad Boys and I haven't seen Bad Boys II. I probably wouldn't have been concerned about seeing this third installment either if I'm honest, but I found myself with a couple of hours to kill in London over the weekend, with Bad Boys for Life being literally the only movie that I hadn't seen which was showing at a convenient time. General opinion online so far seems to be that this is a fairly decent entry into the franchise though, and not necessarily something where you needed to have seen the previous movies in order to enjoy, so I decided to give it a shot. Consequently, there may be things about this movie that fans of the series will be happy to see or that they will be disappointed to see, but which I can't really comment on. I was heading into this like it was a standalone movie.
So, with Burnett trying to adjust to a life of relaxation at home, getting under his wife's feet in the process, it's up to Lowrey to tackle the assassin threat. However, due to him being one of their targets, he's forced to join the AMMO squad as a consultant. AMMO are Miami PD's elite team, utilising technology to track and monitor high-profile criminals, and the majority of the team are all considerably younger than Lowrey too. To them, Lowrey is just the old man that would rather shoot first and ask questions later, and it's not long before a frustrated Lowrey is disobeying orders, taking charge and introducing the team to some of his Bad Boy ways.
As far as buddy cop action movies go, Bad Boys for Life was an absolute blast. I've seen reviewers negatively describe the impact that Michael Bay had on the last Bad Boys movie with his over the top action mayhem style of film making. However, this time around, new co-directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi are in charge (although Bay does have a small cameo in the movie!) and while the action is still frenetic at times, it's also a lot more coherent too. The pacing in Bad Boys for Life felt spot on and with a good mix of humour, some decent villains and some fast paced inventive action that you can actually follow, it all makes for an enjoyable ride.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Skyscraper (2018) in Movies
Jul 19, 2018
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (1 more)
House of Mirrors fight scene
The Rock saves it from mediocrity
I have come to respect Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a charismatic actor that gives his all in whatever motion picture he is in. He can make bad films seem fun (like the recent RAMPAGE) or elevate good action films to great action films (I'm looking at you FAST & FURIOUS franchise). So, I was was open to checking out the "Die Hard meets Towering Inferno" summer popcorn flick SKYSCRAPER for I was expecting a "B" movie with some outrageous stunts, common-sense defying decision making and a plot by a bad guy that is way too complex all wrapped around Johnson's charisma.
And...that's pretty much what I got.
Skyscraper tells the story of a...ahem...Skyscraper. The "tallest building ever" (are there any other kind in these kinds of films?). The Rock plays a Security consultant who has been brought in to assess the safety and security systems of this building and when he says "I've been all over these systems and know them like the back of my hand", you know that knowledge will come in handy - and it does when the bad guys come to get the McGuffin,
What is a McGuffin you ask? That is Alfred Hitchock's term for the thing that is propelling the plot forward. It doesn't really matter what the McGuffin is, it just needs to be something that one person has and other people are willing to lie cheat, scheme and kill for. In this case it is a flashdrive with sensitive information on it, but it could easily have been "the codes" to some secret device, "tech" that makes the world better (or can generate large sums of money, a treasure of cash or jewels or the latest innovation in dolphin training...you get the idea.
So...the bad guys are after the McGuffin, the Rock is after the bad guys because accidentally trapped in the burning high rise (did I mention that the bad guys started the high rise on fire?) is the Rock's family. This gives our hero "stakes" in this game, so he'll do ANYTHING to save his family.
All pretty predictable, but with the Rock's charm and charisma, it doesn't seem quite so silly. Neve Campbell is back on-screen (where has she been?) as his wife, who (of course) is a kick-ass former Navy Doctor (you know those skills are gonna come in handy). The rest of the cast is pretty forgettable, except, perhaps, Hannah Quinlavan as the main bad guy's henchmen who is indestructible (until, of course, she isn't).
The big disappointment for me in this film is the unfulfilled promise of a few of the premises set up by Writer and Director Rawson Marshall Thurber (CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE). For example, The Rock's character suffers a trauma in the pre-opening credits scene, losing the lower half of a leg (I'm not spoiling anything here, it is in the previews). Exploring his PTSD or the limitations of his handicap would have been interesting, but aside for a couple of grunts...nothing. Another interesting premise is the inside of the building has "it's own eco-system" and you see a lavish forest somewhere in between floors 150-175 (did I mention that this is a really tall building) but they don't really use this set and set it on fire quickly. Finally, they do set up a "house of mirrors" early on that is paid off rather nicely in the end, the highlight in the film for me.
All-in-all a rather mediocre afternoon at the movies. The promise and execution of the premise were not "so bad it's good" nor were they "good" they were just..."fair"...fortunately, you had the Rock to save the day - and the film - yet again.
Letter Grade: B- (I'm probably being generous, but I really liked The Rock in this)
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
And...that's pretty much what I got.
Skyscraper tells the story of a...ahem...Skyscraper. The "tallest building ever" (are there any other kind in these kinds of films?). The Rock plays a Security consultant who has been brought in to assess the safety and security systems of this building and when he says "I've been all over these systems and know them like the back of my hand", you know that knowledge will come in handy - and it does when the bad guys come to get the McGuffin,
What is a McGuffin you ask? That is Alfred Hitchock's term for the thing that is propelling the plot forward. It doesn't really matter what the McGuffin is, it just needs to be something that one person has and other people are willing to lie cheat, scheme and kill for. In this case it is a flashdrive with sensitive information on it, but it could easily have been "the codes" to some secret device, "tech" that makes the world better (or can generate large sums of money, a treasure of cash or jewels or the latest innovation in dolphin training...you get the idea.
So...the bad guys are after the McGuffin, the Rock is after the bad guys because accidentally trapped in the burning high rise (did I mention that the bad guys started the high rise on fire?) is the Rock's family. This gives our hero "stakes" in this game, so he'll do ANYTHING to save his family.
All pretty predictable, but with the Rock's charm and charisma, it doesn't seem quite so silly. Neve Campbell is back on-screen (where has she been?) as his wife, who (of course) is a kick-ass former Navy Doctor (you know those skills are gonna come in handy). The rest of the cast is pretty forgettable, except, perhaps, Hannah Quinlavan as the main bad guy's henchmen who is indestructible (until, of course, she isn't).
The big disappointment for me in this film is the unfulfilled promise of a few of the premises set up by Writer and Director Rawson Marshall Thurber (CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE). For example, The Rock's character suffers a trauma in the pre-opening credits scene, losing the lower half of a leg (I'm not spoiling anything here, it is in the previews). Exploring his PTSD or the limitations of his handicap would have been interesting, but aside for a couple of grunts...nothing. Another interesting premise is the inside of the building has "it's own eco-system" and you see a lavish forest somewhere in between floors 150-175 (did I mention that this is a really tall building) but they don't really use this set and set it on fire quickly. Finally, they do set up a "house of mirrors" early on that is paid off rather nicely in the end, the highlight in the film for me.
All-in-all a rather mediocre afternoon at the movies. The promise and execution of the premise were not "so bad it's good" nor were they "good" they were just..."fair"...fortunately, you had the Rock to save the day - and the film - yet again.
Letter Grade: B- (I'm probably being generous, but I really liked The Rock in this)
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Ghosts of Winter (Grey Areas #2) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
Following his flight from Gable, Iowa after getting inadvertently involved in a drug war, Barrett Grayson is determined to stay on the run from the FBI. However some bad news from home makes him re-evaluate his actions. Back in Gable the fallout from the fateful night of Chum's party continues with the local police and DEA determined to track down the missing drugs and the cartel prepared to stop at nothing to get hold of them instead. Meanwhile Claire can't shake thoughts of 'Henry Fields' from her head.
The first book in this sage was good; this second is even better. Carl is a very talented author who can move seamlessly between emotional and romantic to crime drama without missing a beat. As with the first book, despite a large cast of characters each one is depicted with incredible realism.
The thrust of the saga is that black and white don't exist, that everyone has shades of grey and has to make decisions which may be compromising or morally questionable, and that is brought into sharp relief here with what would normally be 'good guys' and 'bad guys' both blurring a lot of lines and meeting in the middle.
Despite being the second in a sequence of four books this does have its own plot which moves to a satisfying conclusion but obviously leaves all the main players in place for the next book. Anyone who picks this up and reads it will not be disappointed.
The first book in this sage was good; this second is even better. Carl is a very talented author who can move seamlessly between emotional and romantic to crime drama without missing a beat. As with the first book, despite a large cast of characters each one is depicted with incredible realism.
The thrust of the saga is that black and white don't exist, that everyone has shades of grey and has to make decisions which may be compromising or morally questionable, and that is brought into sharp relief here with what would normally be 'good guys' and 'bad guys' both blurring a lot of lines and meeting in the middle.
Despite being the second in a sequence of four books this does have its own plot which moves to a satisfying conclusion but obviously leaves all the main players in place for the next book. Anyone who picks this up and reads it will not be disappointed.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Bare-Knuckle Love (Rabid Mongrels MC #1) in Books
Jan 8, 2021
I've been having a hard time getting into books lately--both paperback and e-book--so I decided to go and download some free short stories of Amazon, and this was one of them.
Admittedly, I'm a little wary of what they might be like. I've read some good freebies and I've read some pretty bad freebies. Luckily this falls into the first category for me.
First off, it made me cry twice. That very rarely happens in most M/M stories I read and the fact that it's rather dark in places--more like patches--makes it extra unusual. But I really liked their story and how their romance came about. Anyway, the first time was the dog thing. The second, it was Jason's thought in the last fight.
Secondly. There was a darkness to it but I really liked Hyde. The way he sort of tried to stop too bad a thing happening to Jason after he lost them the money made me melt a little. It was sweet. He might have been President of the MC but he wasn't an altogether bad guy.
Thirdly. Just how despite it being a short story I was a sucker for the romance between these two guys.
I look forward to more instalments with these two.
Admittedly, I'm a little wary of what they might be like. I've read some good freebies and I've read some pretty bad freebies. Luckily this falls into the first category for me.
First off, it made me cry twice. That very rarely happens in most M/M stories I read and the fact that it's rather dark in places--more like patches--makes it extra unusual. But I really liked their story and how their romance came about. Anyway, the first time was the dog thing. The second, it was Jason's thought in the last fight.
Secondly. There was a darkness to it but I really liked Hyde. The way he sort of tried to stop too bad a thing happening to Jason after he lost them the money made me melt a little. It was sweet. He might have been President of the MC but he wasn't an altogether bad guy.
Thirdly. Just how despite it being a short story I was a sucker for the romance between these two guys.
I look forward to more instalments with these two.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Mar 6, 2020
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