Search
Attack the Light - Steven Universe Light RPG
Games and Entertainment
App
**Destructoid’s Best Mobile Game of 2015 Nominee** **Paste Magazine 10 Best Mobile Games of...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Free Guy (2021) in Movies
Sep 5, 2021
Wonderful - and Family Friendly!
Like most of us, when I first saw the trailer for the Ryan Reynolds comedy, FREE GUY (well over a year ago), I thought this looked like a bad “money grab” that will quickly come and go.
But after it premiered earlier this summer, buzz started to grow - and a few people that I trust recommended it to me, so I decided to check it out.
And…I’m glad I did for FREE GUY is a fun, family-friendly romp with a charismatic Ryan Reynolds anchoring a strong cast in a surprisingly heart-felt film.
Directed by Shawn Levy (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM), Free Guy tells the story of an NPC (Non-Playable Character in a video game) that becomes sentient.
In the capable hands of Director Levy and actor Reynolds, Guy (his character) is charming, earnest and likeable - a trio of qualities that is hard to pull off, but Levy and Reynolds walk this fine line very well, making Guy a character to root for. They wisely steer away from this character becoming cloying and annoying and just keep him charming and sincere.
This is do-able because Levy and screenwriters Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn wisely choose to not make Guy the emotional center of this film, but rather, Guy is the catalyst who moves the plot (and the other characters) towards their final destinations - all the while keeping Guy (basically) the same. A very smart move that has been used in other, successful films (most notably Michael J. Fox in the BACK TO THE FUTURE FILMS).
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and Joe Keery (Stranger Things) are a the heart of this film as 2 video game designers that are trying to find proof that their code was stolen by a heartless Video Game mogul (broadly, comically played by Taika Waititi). Both Comer and Keery are pleasant in their roles and they play off of Waititi (and his chief henchman, played with specific focus - this is a compliment - by Utkarsh Ambudkar). Comer and Keery make it easy for the audience to root for them and Waititi and Ambdukar make it easy for the audience to root against them.
Credit for all of this goes to Director Levy. This film has the same feel as NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. It doesn’t try to do too much, makes the motivations of the good guys and the bad guys very simple to understand and then drops in the variable (Guy) to mix things up - all done with wit, simplicity and charm - a pretty easy combination, that often gets lost in the machinations, but Levy avoids this trap very, very well.
Finally, I have to point out the performance of Lil Rel Howery as Guy’s buddy…named…Buddy. He is the perfect “Best Friend”. Again, Directed to a simple and direct performance by Levy, not trying to be more than he is, but ends up being a character you care about and root for.
A winning combination of Director, Actors and material, FREE GUY isn’t going to win any Oscars, but it is going to do something that very few films these days do - provide entertainment for the entire family.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
But after it premiered earlier this summer, buzz started to grow - and a few people that I trust recommended it to me, so I decided to check it out.
And…I’m glad I did for FREE GUY is a fun, family-friendly romp with a charismatic Ryan Reynolds anchoring a strong cast in a surprisingly heart-felt film.
Directed by Shawn Levy (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM), Free Guy tells the story of an NPC (Non-Playable Character in a video game) that becomes sentient.
In the capable hands of Director Levy and actor Reynolds, Guy (his character) is charming, earnest and likeable - a trio of qualities that is hard to pull off, but Levy and Reynolds walk this fine line very well, making Guy a character to root for. They wisely steer away from this character becoming cloying and annoying and just keep him charming and sincere.
This is do-able because Levy and screenwriters Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn wisely choose to not make Guy the emotional center of this film, but rather, Guy is the catalyst who moves the plot (and the other characters) towards their final destinations - all the while keeping Guy (basically) the same. A very smart move that has been used in other, successful films (most notably Michael J. Fox in the BACK TO THE FUTURE FILMS).
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and Joe Keery (Stranger Things) are a the heart of this film as 2 video game designers that are trying to find proof that their code was stolen by a heartless Video Game mogul (broadly, comically played by Taika Waititi). Both Comer and Keery are pleasant in their roles and they play off of Waititi (and his chief henchman, played with specific focus - this is a compliment - by Utkarsh Ambudkar). Comer and Keery make it easy for the audience to root for them and Waititi and Ambdukar make it easy for the audience to root against them.
Credit for all of this goes to Director Levy. This film has the same feel as NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. It doesn’t try to do too much, makes the motivations of the good guys and the bad guys very simple to understand and then drops in the variable (Guy) to mix things up - all done with wit, simplicity and charm - a pretty easy combination, that often gets lost in the machinations, but Levy avoids this trap very, very well.
Finally, I have to point out the performance of Lil Rel Howery as Guy’s buddy…named…Buddy. He is the perfect “Best Friend”. Again, Directed to a simple and direct performance by Levy, not trying to be more than he is, but ends up being a character you care about and root for.
A winning combination of Director, Actors and material, FREE GUY isn’t going to win any Oscars, but it is going to do something that very few films these days do - provide entertainment for the entire family.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Airport Scanner
Games and Travel
App
Try your skills as an Airport Baggage screener in Airport Scanner! Now featuring the ALL NEW R&D...
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Hinder (Guardian of Monsters #1) in Books
Nov 13, 2017
Hinder: A Bender's Novel (Guardian of Monsters #1) by Kristin Ping
Hinder is the first book in the Guardians of Monsters series, and it starts over very well indeed. We begin with a young Ethan, and we learn that he is an Earth Bender. He is too young right now though, but has four years to find his Wielder so that he can continue to use his powers. The bad guys show up and he and his father escape. Fast forward and we come to the present time.
Really, there is so much that goes on this book that I could write a whole review just on what happens. So I won't do that. What I will do is say that the story itself is intriguing, with an elemental twist that I loved. The characters mainly featured are Ethan and Alex, and their parents/relations. The secondary characters are exactly that, and we don't hear much about them. One thing I don't like is triangles, and there is one here. However, once again, it is a triangle with a twist, so I am interested to see where it will go.
Very well written, with smooth pacing, and an intricate storyline, this is a brilliant start to the series, with enough world building so you know what is what, without it overpowering the story. Definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue on this adventure.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Really, there is so much that goes on this book that I could write a whole review just on what happens. So I won't do that. What I will do is say that the story itself is intriguing, with an elemental twist that I loved. The characters mainly featured are Ethan and Alex, and their parents/relations. The secondary characters are exactly that, and we don't hear much about them. One thing I don't like is triangles, and there is one here. However, once again, it is a triangle with a twist, so I am interested to see where it will go.
Very well written, with smooth pacing, and an intricate storyline, this is a brilliant start to the series, with enough world building so you know what is what, without it overpowering the story. Definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue on this adventure.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The CyberHippy (15 KP) rated The Avengers (2012) in Movies
Jul 17, 2017
The dynamic between The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man is hilarious! (1 more)
Comic Book action at its best
Avengers Assemble!
The Avengers or Avengers Assemble depending your country of origin is a Marvel Comics collaboration story bringing together Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Black Widow into one super-team to defend the Earth in time of crisis. Traditionally the team also includes the character HawkEye, however for the film he has been turned to the bad guys' side!
If you haven't seen the individual films for Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, then some of the early film may be a little difficult to follow. Personally, I haven't watched the Captain America film yet, so was a little unsure as to what was happening in bit that brings Captain America into the film. The villain of the film is Loki, half-brother of Thor, so again, if you haven't seen the Thor film, you won't know who he is or what his significance to the story is.
S.H.E.I.L.D. agents Coulson and Nick Fury make a reappearance this film. Agent Coulson has appeared in both the Iron Man and Thor films with S.H.E.I.L.D. head Nick Fury appearing in all the previous films.
Marvel fans will be delighted to know that in this film we get to see the flying S.H.E.I.L.D. headquarters, The Helicarrier. A large portion of the film is set aboard with scenes both inside and out!
As a standalone film it is alright, however knowledge of the previous Marvel films from which the characters are taken makes it is much better and easier to follow.
If you haven't seen the individual films for Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, then some of the early film may be a little difficult to follow. Personally, I haven't watched the Captain America film yet, so was a little unsure as to what was happening in bit that brings Captain America into the film. The villain of the film is Loki, half-brother of Thor, so again, if you haven't seen the Thor film, you won't know who he is or what his significance to the story is.
S.H.E.I.L.D. agents Coulson and Nick Fury make a reappearance this film. Agent Coulson has appeared in both the Iron Man and Thor films with S.H.E.I.L.D. head Nick Fury appearing in all the previous films.
Marvel fans will be delighted to know that in this film we get to see the flying S.H.E.I.L.D. headquarters, The Helicarrier. A large portion of the film is set aboard with scenes both inside and out!
As a standalone film it is alright, however knowledge of the previous Marvel films from which the characters are taken makes it is much better and easier to follow.
b.Young (97 KP) rated Escape From Olympus (The Falken Chronicles Book 2) in Books
May 13, 2018
Awesomely imagined world (3 more)
Fantastic plot
Sirius Falken ???
The bad guys
I didn't think this series could get any better, but it did!!!
Ok, y'all! I didn't think Piers Platt was gonna bust out a sequel that was even better than the first book! But. He. Did!
I was engrossed from the first paragraph and found myself wanting to read Escape from Olympus until I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. It was that good!
Action-packed until the end, Escape from Olympus begins with a bang of a first chapter! It had my heart racing and my mind reeling.
I don't like to post reviews with spoilers, so I will just say that even if you haven't read the first book, Escape from Oz, you can totally get down with this book. It works prerty well as a stand-alone, although you will have missed a tiny bit of background on Falken which may confuse you for a split second in a couple of parts, but it's not vital to enjoy the story at hand.
Piers Platt did an amazing job relating the world of Olympus and its inhabitants. I was also very impressed with the fact that I actually liked the villians because he did such a great job with their personalities. I was completely invested in the fates of ALL characters in this story and I can't remember that ever happening to me in a book like this.
I am waiting dor my weekend to calm down so I can start the third book, Return to Oz! There was an excerpt of the first chapter at the end of this book, and I am so ready!!!
I was engrossed from the first paragraph and found myself wanting to read Escape from Olympus until I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. It was that good!
Action-packed until the end, Escape from Olympus begins with a bang of a first chapter! It had my heart racing and my mind reeling.
I don't like to post reviews with spoilers, so I will just say that even if you haven't read the first book, Escape from Oz, you can totally get down with this book. It works prerty well as a stand-alone, although you will have missed a tiny bit of background on Falken which may confuse you for a split second in a couple of parts, but it's not vital to enjoy the story at hand.
Piers Platt did an amazing job relating the world of Olympus and its inhabitants. I was also very impressed with the fact that I actually liked the villians because he did such a great job with their personalities. I was completely invested in the fates of ALL characters in this story and I can't remember that ever happening to me in a book like this.
I am waiting dor my weekend to calm down so I can start the third book, Return to Oz! There was an excerpt of the first chapter at the end of this book, and I am so ready!!!
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Under the Radar in Books
May 3, 2019
Under the Radar by Lillian Francis
Under the Radar is a wonderful story about two opposites - An American playboy and a Welsh innocent. They are opposite in other ways too, but that just makes them fit together perfectly. Zachary has been 'expelled' from the US Air Force after an indiscretion, and his punishment is to become a Submariner. A harsh punishment indeed for someone who loves the sky. Gethin is from a farm in Wales, and happy to be on the submarine. These two shouldn't really fit, but they do.
I loved how this story came about. There is an incredible amount of research that has gone into it, and the descriptions are compelling. I literally found myself having to straighten my shoulders after hunching them over as I was reading! This is a slow-burn romance, with some funny parts in there as Gethin's innocence stops him from reading Zachary's overtures.
This was exceptionally written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The characters are all magnificent, especially the supporting cast. I'm so glad I got one of the 'bad guys' right, but I won't say who or when. Everything about this book ticked my boxes - from the descriptions of war-time rations, to how some of them spoke Polari (LOVED that inclusion!). I really hope this isn't the last we see of Zachary and Gethin. I'm sure they could have some amazing adventures together.
Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I loved how this story came about. There is an incredible amount of research that has gone into it, and the descriptions are compelling. I literally found myself having to straighten my shoulders after hunching them over as I was reading! This is a slow-burn romance, with some funny parts in there as Gethin's innocence stops him from reading Zachary's overtures.
This was exceptionally written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The characters are all magnificent, especially the supporting cast. I'm so glad I got one of the 'bad guys' right, but I won't say who or when. Everything about this book ticked my boxes - from the descriptions of war-time rations, to how some of them spoke Polari (LOVED that inclusion!). I really hope this isn't the last we see of Zachary and Gethin. I'm sure they could have some amazing adventures together.
Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Gods Of Egypt (2016) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
Set Piece Defence
Not-quite-as-bad-as-its-reputation knockabout fantasy that does a serious number on the wonders of Egyptian mythology. Evil god Set (Gerard Butler in shouty mode) takes over the kingdom and sets about harvesting the signature body-parts of his fellow immortals; hapless mortal Brenton Thwaites must persuade wronged heir-to-the-throne Horus (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau) to help get rid of him.
Well, the plot is nothing special and the film often seems to be on the verge of sending itself up, but on the other hand it's visually interesting and the choice to treat the weirder bits of Egyptian mythology as being literally true (boss-god Ra is obliged to drag the sun around the Earth every day, on a length of chain attached to the back of his flying boat) means the story is at least a bit different.
You can, I suppose, complain that none of the people playing Egyptians in this film are actually Egyptian; many did, and I suppose I must have missed them complaining in a similar vein when Japanese and coloured actors were cast as inhabitants of Scandinavian fantasyland in the Thor movies. But c'mon, guys, it's a film about Gerard Butler in a flying space chariot pulled by giant beetles - it is possible to take this sort of thing a bit too seriously. (I look forward to retiring to my bunker and listening to the flaming-torch-wielding mob as they mill around outside.)
Anyway, not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but hardly terrible, either, and at least it is pleasing to the eye and has a certain novelty.
Well, the plot is nothing special and the film often seems to be on the verge of sending itself up, but on the other hand it's visually interesting and the choice to treat the weirder bits of Egyptian mythology as being literally true (boss-god Ra is obliged to drag the sun around the Earth every day, on a length of chain attached to the back of his flying boat) means the story is at least a bit different.
You can, I suppose, complain that none of the people playing Egyptians in this film are actually Egyptian; many did, and I suppose I must have missed them complaining in a similar vein when Japanese and coloured actors were cast as inhabitants of Scandinavian fantasyland in the Thor movies. But c'mon, guys, it's a film about Gerard Butler in a flying space chariot pulled by giant beetles - it is possible to take this sort of thing a bit too seriously. (I look forward to retiring to my bunker and listening to the flaming-torch-wielding mob as they mill around outside.)
Anyway, not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but hardly terrible, either, and at least it is pleasing to the eye and has a certain novelty.
Fred (860 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Jul 26, 2018
Flash, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Cyborg (3 more)
Steppenwolf is great!
Action was great
Story was good
Horrendous special effects. Cyborg looks terrible. (1 more)
Dialogue was iffy
Was surprised by this one. It's good!
I have to admit. Most time I avoid reviews of movies, because quite frankly, they may affect my feelings towards a film. However, I heard only bad things about Justice League & was totally going to skip it, considering what I did hear about it & my disappointment with the recent string of superhero films. So, when a friend of mine said it was actually good, I gave it a shot. I'm happy I did.
The film is very good. Not great, but when put up against Wonder Woman, Black Panther & Superman v Batman, it shines.
The chemistry between the actors is great. They really come across as a team, unlike the Avengers. The new guys are great! Flash is funny, as he should be. Aquaman is a badass, because if he wasn't, he'd be boring "Superfriends" Aquaman. And Cyborg, well...Cyborg let's just say, is a great character & acted well, but special effects that bring his body to life aren't so...special. He looks out of place, like a cartoon put against a real background. When he moves his head, it floats around on his neck. It's not just one time, but every time. And the end battle takes place in a CGI town that looks worse than the first season of Beast Wars:Transformers.
But I can overlook that, because besides the flaws, we got a fun film to watch. And stay after the credits. You won't be disappointed.
The film is very good. Not great, but when put up against Wonder Woman, Black Panther & Superman v Batman, it shines.
The chemistry between the actors is great. They really come across as a team, unlike the Avengers. The new guys are great! Flash is funny, as he should be. Aquaman is a badass, because if he wasn't, he'd be boring "Superfriends" Aquaman. And Cyborg, well...Cyborg let's just say, is a great character & acted well, but special effects that bring his body to life aren't so...special. He looks out of place, like a cartoon put against a real background. When he moves his head, it floats around on his neck. It's not just one time, but every time. And the end battle takes place in a CGI town that looks worse than the first season of Beast Wars:Transformers.
But I can overlook that, because besides the flaws, we got a fun film to watch. And stay after the credits. You won't be disappointed.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Battlefront II: Inferno Squad (Star Wars) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The second 'Battlefront' tie-in novel (based on a series of games themselves based on a series of novels) which, I have to say, I found to be far more enjoyable than the previous ([b:Twilight Company|25455901|Twilight Company (Star Wars Battlefront, #1)|Alexander Freed|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440781979s/25455901.jpg|45222133]).
I don't know whether that because, this time around, the source online shooter game actually (and finally!) has a single-player campaign, meaning the author can actually concentrate on proper chatacters instead of the expendable cannon-fodder of the previous, or if it's because this time aroudn it's told from the point of view of the 'bad guys': that is, from the PoV from dyed-in-the-wool Imperials.
This picks up towards the end of the first Star Wars film (Episode IV, retroactively entitled 'A New Hope'),w ith the attack on the Death Star occuring in the opening pages of the novel and with the central character of Iden Versio actively participating in the defense of the Space Station, before crash-landing on the planet of Yavin IV and making her way back to Imperial Space (that bit told in passing).
This also ties into Rogue One, with an offshoot of Saw Garrera's violent Partisan group - naming themselves The Dreamers - providing the antagonists rather than The Rebellion, allowing the story and the characters to go undercover into that group without breaking with the commonly-held lore - lets face it, since Inferno Squad is meant to be the best of the best it would be hard to place them in Leia / Han's / Luke's path without somehow having to wave the explanation away!
I don't know whether that because, this time around, the source online shooter game actually (and finally!) has a single-player campaign, meaning the author can actually concentrate on proper chatacters instead of the expendable cannon-fodder of the previous, or if it's because this time aroudn it's told from the point of view of the 'bad guys': that is, from the PoV from dyed-in-the-wool Imperials.
This picks up towards the end of the first Star Wars film (Episode IV, retroactively entitled 'A New Hope'),w ith the attack on the Death Star occuring in the opening pages of the novel and with the central character of Iden Versio actively participating in the defense of the Space Station, before crash-landing on the planet of Yavin IV and making her way back to Imperial Space (that bit told in passing).
This also ties into Rogue One, with an offshoot of Saw Garrera's violent Partisan group - naming themselves The Dreamers - providing the antagonists rather than The Rebellion, allowing the story and the characters to go undercover into that group without breaking with the commonly-held lore - lets face it, since Inferno Squad is meant to be the best of the best it would be hard to place them in Leia / Han's / Luke's path without somehow having to wave the explanation away!