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Dean (6926 KP) rated 6 Underground (2019) in Movies

Dec 14, 2019 (Updated Dec 15, 2019)  
6 Underground (2019)
6 Underground (2019)
2019 | Action, Thriller
Great action scenes, especially the car chase (1 more)
Reynolds humour
Under the radar hit
This seemed to pop on Netflix out of nowhere and has got great reviews. One of the best Netflix films to date. A great action film with a fair share of humour but you expect nothing less with Ryan Reynolds in the lead role. A team of 6 come together each with their unique set of skills to kick ass to some bad guys on a grand scale. With a mix of action set all over the globe it feels like a Mission impossible film mixed with the A-Team. Definitely featuring one of the best car chases of any action film for many years. It's full on action film for almost the entire run time. Move this to the top of your Netflix list!
  
The Killing Kind
The Killing Kind
Jane Casey | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Killing Kind is a gripping psychological thriller packed full of suspense. I didn’t know who to trust - even the main character, a barrister, is pretty unreliable. It’s hard to put a finger on who the bad guys are: it’s not black and white, but shades of grey. So this is a book that will keep you guessing from start to finish.

It’s always interesting when the character you’re not supposed to like (in this case it’s John Webster, a stalker amongst other things) is more likeable than Ingrid, the main character. And the police don’t seem to be much better.

I really enjoyed this - it’s the second Jane Casey book I’ve read, and I doubt it’ll be the last. If you like psychological thrillers, you’ll love this!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this 😊
  
The Raid (2011)
The Raid (2011)
2011 | Action
A non stop action film
Contains spoilers, click to show
The raid- takes it to the top level, with its story, its charcters, its action, and more.

A rookie member of an elite team of commandos, Rama is instructed to hang back while his comrades-in-arms go ahead with their mission to take down a brutal crime lord called Tama. However, the team's cover is blown, and Tama offers sanctuary to every criminal in his high-rise apartment block in exchange for the cops' heads. Now Rama must take command and lead his remaining team on an ultraviolent charge through the building to complete -- and survive -- the mission.

Its about surviving, living and making it to tomorrow. Rama must make him and his team through the building, through the bad guys and hopelly survive to see tomorrow and successed the mission.

A high recommended.
  
Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1)
Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1)
Mary Weber | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Be prepared for a tale full of twists and turns that will knock you off your feet and steal the very breath from your lungs. Infused with the powers of the Elementals Storm Siren has everything a YA Fantasy novel should posses.

Epic battles, devastating loss, search for purpose, simmering romance, bad guys that are the most vicious sort of people and good guys that will sacrifice everything for the good of the people. Nym has totally swept me into her world and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series (which I was SMART this time around and placed all three books on hold at the same time at my library).

While the elements of faith are not blatantly in your face. I do recognize the threads weaving through the story. The constant battle between good and evil, the enemy being a deceiver, the good sacrificing everything. But maybe most importantly is seeing what is inside ourselves...and recognizing it for the GIFT it is rather than a curse.

If you enjoy Young Adult Fantasy with clean content and decent morals, you should definitely check this series out! Stay tuned for my thoughts on the remainder of the series.

I borrowed a copy of Storm Siren from my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Guardians in Books

Mar 19, 2020  
The Guardians
The Guardians
Josh Grisham | 2020 | Law, Thriller
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is one of the best John Grisham books I’ve read in quite some time! It’s a strong, captivating story featuring the “good guys” versus “bad guys” dynamic that Grisham does so well.

Cullen Post works for Guardian Ministries, traveling the country fighting wrongful convictions. Guardian takes on clients forgotten by the system. Post, a lawyer and Episcopal minister, finds himself drawn to their latest client, Quincy Miller, who is serving life in prison. Quincy supposedly killed Keith Russo, a lawyer in Seabrook, Florida. He’s been in prison for over twenty years. And now Post is realizing that Quincy’s case is going to ensnare him and Guardian in a dangerous world—powerful people killed Keith Russo, and they do not want Quincy Miller exonerated.


"I have saddled myself with the burdens of innocent people rotting away in prison while rapists and murderers roam free."


This book has the legal and dramatic hallmarks of a strong Grisham novel. I was drawn to Post immediately and quickly caught up in Quincy’s case and Post and Guardian’s world. There are lots of twists and turns and surprises as Post works to free Quincy. I love the details Grisham throws in, plus the peeks into the courtroom, tidbits about examining evidence, and more. It’s a powerful read that gives you plenty to think about. Definitely worth a read! 4 stars.
  
The Scorpion King (2002)
The Scorpion King (2002)
2002 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
8
6.2 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Rock (2 more)
Kelly Hu
Michael Clarke Duncan
Lots of white guys for Africa (1 more)
Not a single female who is not stuck in a bikini of some sort (Not that I'm complaining, but....)
Good sword and sorcery fun
Spinning out of The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King is a decent sword-and-sorcery epic in the vein of Conan the Barbarian that would work better on its own than it does connected to the Mummy franchise. It's not that it's bad, but we know how things end up in The Mummy Returns, and that undercuts some of the characterization in this film. The performances are good to great across the board, though there's a lot of white guys given the African setting. I realize that it's the cradle of civilization, but still. Then there's the trope of all the women wearing bikinis, which doesn't play as well in this day and age as it did in the pulp era....I mean, it has the desired effect, don't get me wrong, but I think we've moved on. The action is excellent, the graphics hold up even seventeen years later (which is more than can be said for the character's introduction in TMR), and on the whole, I enjoyed the film. After watching the special features, though, I think they should have kept the prophecy element in the film. Just my opinion.
  
The Adventures of Winnie #1
The Adventures of Winnie #1
Kelly A. Walker | 2021 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
181 of 250
Kindle
The Adventures of Winnie ( The Adventures of Winnie book 1)
By Kelly A Walker

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Who knew the six animals I thought I was seeing in my dreams were real?

A bear, rabbit, pig, donkey, owl and tiger land in my backyard…No, this isn’t the beginning of a bad joke. It’s real and it’s my life. Besides the shock over seeing my animal friends I thought I had dreamed up suddenly appear, I have two bigger problems. One: they are no longer animals, well most of them aren’t. Two: they’ve brought trouble to my doorstep.

When the animals *ahem* I mean guys I've been dreaming about show up unexpectedly, I learn about a whole other world I knew nothing about. My parents have been keeping secrets from me and now that the truth is out, it's up to me to help the six guys from Hundred Acre Woods discover their own past.


Well hell I won’t see Winnie the Pooh the same again! This has to be the strangest book I’ve read this year and yet some how I ended up act enjoying it. There were a few cringe moments but I found it an interesting turn on a favourite classic. Definitely need to read the next book.
  
Justice League International, Vol. 4
Justice League International, Vol. 4
Keith Giffen | 1989 | Comics & Graphic Novels
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The 80s. I know, right? What the heck happened??! When did things get so confusing and angstastically heavy?! I mean, beside the frelled up election result for 2016??

Thankfully, despite all of that, there are many good outlets to remind us how to have fun and to also remind us that WE actually used to be FUN! Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis truly know how to have fun times with the likes of Batman, Blue Beetle, and Martian Manhunter, just to name a few of the characters within.

The art, from artists Mike McKone, Ty Templeton, and Kevin Maguire was equally enjoyable, further enhancing the suing fun times. The only art I wasn't wowed by was Bill Willingham's. Not that it was bad or anything of the sort, I just thought it wasn't one of his stronger contributions. But, yeah, the other guys were all aces!

The only reason it didn't warrant Five Stars, or even Four for that matter, was the last issue in the TPB: "Teenage Biker Mega-Death!" (Vol. 1, Issue #30). The story itself was a weaker offering from Giffen and DeMatteis, only made weaker by the art from Willingham. The "big bad" of the story was neither <i>big</i> nor really very <i>bad</i>! Again, not the worst, but not the best.

Overall, though, this is yet another great example of how to make comics fun and enjoyable! If only they had gone this route for 2017's JUSTICE LEAGUE film!
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) in Movies

Mar 24, 2018 (Updated Mar 25, 2018)  
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
1975 | Sci-Fi
6
6.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Final movie in the first Godzilla series often gets some stick for supposedly killing off the original continuity, but is actually not that bad. Bacofoil-wearing aliens team up with mad scientist and his cyborg daughter to conquer the world; there are many opportunities for evil laughter at the planning meetings. The usual strategy of using giant monsters as invasion weapons is employed, despite it having utterly failed in at least five previous movies.

Original director Honda comes back and at least ensures this film has a degree of dignity and craft to it: pretty good monster suits and model work, but the back projection is terrible. There's slightly more focus on character than usual (particularly that of the tragic cyborg girl), which the film seems unsure how to handle. To be honest, one of the main problems is that it's not really about Godzilla any more - he just turns up to fight the bad guys at the end and everyone else takes him for granted. By no means the worst Godzilla movie even of the 1970s, but you can see why Toho decided to take a break. Best line (possibly in the whole of cinema): 'Please kill me - Mechagodzilla's brain is installed in my stomach!'