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Mothergamer (1568 KP) rated Kingdom Hearts III in Video Games
Feb 14, 2019
Great Adventure
I love the Kingdom Hearts series because it offered great characters and fantastic worlds from so many favorite Disney movies. I was quite excited for Kingdom Hearts III when it finally arrived. The combat is definitely better here and moves more fluidly. The attraction attacks are a lot of fun, but a couple aren't so great. I did have some favorites though and it was always a blast to use them. The addition of mini games definitely adds to the fun of the game. The story itself is interesting with familiar characters and great nods to previous Kingdom Hearts games. I have never liked the gummi ship because the controls for it were always awful. The gummi ship controls are a little better here, but they're still not great. The game is a bit short, but it's still a great game with amazing graphics and fun gameplay making it worth the wait.
Natacha (374 KP) rated The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2) in Books
Feb 23, 2019 (Updated Feb 23, 2019)
Is was a great book with even more twists and turns than the first one. The only reason why I’m not giving this book full marks is the following:
1) The first two third of the book was more focused on political games. And although we were kept guessing all the way about what was happening and I had many moments of “I didn't see that coming” in my personal liking ⅔ of the book were a tiny bit more than what I would have liked.
2) Again, to my personal liking, I little bit too much self-doubting from Vin about who she is and if she should be with the man she loves or not.
Having said tha, holy moly did the last part of the book did make up for the above. I couldn't put the book down. Full of twist, battle and amazing moments! Now I can wait to read the final book in the series.
1) The first two third of the book was more focused on political games. And although we were kept guessing all the way about what was happening and I had many moments of “I didn't see that coming” in my personal liking ⅔ of the book were a tiny bit more than what I would have liked.
2) Again, to my personal liking, I little bit too much self-doubting from Vin about who she is and if she should be with the man she loves or not.
Having said tha, holy moly did the last part of the book did make up for the above. I couldn't put the book down. Full of twist, battle and amazing moments! Now I can wait to read the final book in the series.
David McK (3557 KP) rated The Rebel Killer in Books
Mar 21, 2019
The latest (at the time of reviewing) of Paul Fraser Collard's Jack Lark series, which I see is still being advertised as 'Sharpe meets The Talented Mt Ripley': while that may have been true of the early novels, I feel - now - that Jack Lark has more of his own identity.
Which is, perhaps, ironic in a series where the central conceit is the main character is an imposter.
In this one Jack is not the only imposter: without giving away too much, he sets himself on a trail of revenge whilst wearing the uniform of a Confederate Officer (as opposed to that of a Union officer he wore in the last novel) during the American Civil War. I say wearing, as that is all it really is to him: simply a means towards an end.
Culminating in the battle of Shiloh, Jack definitely seems to have a knack for finding himself caught up in all the great military happenings of his time!
Which is, perhaps, ironic in a series where the central conceit is the main character is an imposter.
In this one Jack is not the only imposter: without giving away too much, he sets himself on a trail of revenge whilst wearing the uniform of a Confederate Officer (as opposed to that of a Union officer he wore in the last novel) during the American Civil War. I say wearing, as that is all it really is to him: simply a means towards an end.
Culminating in the battle of Shiloh, Jack definitely seems to have a knack for finding himself caught up in all the great military happenings of his time!
James (3 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Mar 9, 2018
On the right track
All in all I thought this was a very good movie with great performances especially from Gal and Chris. I really enjoyed the comic levity Chris Pines' character gave between Gal Gadots' naive attitude at times. Also the space inbetween actions scenes I took as a direct link towards her upbringing as she got to basically enjoy herself whilst others learn to fight and then her aunt started to train her and then she started to grow into the woman she is meant to be.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Batman (1989) in Movies
Feb 25, 2018
Tim Burton's landmark superhero adaptation was an unavoidable media juggernaut on original release; has stood the test of time pretty well. Bruce Wayne begins his battle against crime as Batman, inadvertently creates psycho crime-lord the Joker; the two of them both take a shine to reporter Vicki Vale.
Enormously influenced by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, clearly, but then you could say the same about every single other Batman movie since. The real innovation at the time was to create a distinctive fantasy world around Batman so he appears less absurd: hence the gothic nightmare of Gotham City's architecture, and the combination of elements of 40s and 80s fashion in the costume design. Whole film is arguably unbalanced by Jack Nicholson's not-exactly-understated performance as the Joker, though Michael Keaton does his best. Is there really anything behind all the art direction and overacting? Possibly not, but that may be missing the point.
Enormously influenced by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, clearly, but then you could say the same about every single other Batman movie since. The real innovation at the time was to create a distinctive fantasy world around Batman so he appears less absurd: hence the gothic nightmare of Gotham City's architecture, and the combination of elements of 40s and 80s fashion in the costume design. Whole film is arguably unbalanced by Jack Nicholson's not-exactly-understated performance as the Joker, though Michael Keaton does his best. Is there really anything behind all the art direction and overacting? Possibly not, but that may be missing the point.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) in Movies
Feb 19, 2018
Ninth James Bond film was rush-released to consolidate Roger Moore in the role, also to cash in on fad for kung fu movies at the time; forms part of the 'British civil servant travels by seaplane to sun-obsessed Christopher Lee's private island in search of missing girl, finds Britt Ekland waiting' movement of 1973-4. Bond must engage in battle of wits with triple-nippled assassin Scaramanga. Then-topical subplot about energy crisis trundles along in the background.
Not bad instance of Bond franchise as pure genre movie; decent fights and chases, but only one moment that really deserves a place on the 'best of Bond' showreel (the corkscrew bridge jump). Christopher Lee barely breaks a sweat as the best actor in the movie. Slightly sleazy atmosphere (in places it resembles a softcore porn movie with the sex edited out); you can kind of see why one of the original producers thought the series had run out of steam and departed before the next one.
Not bad instance of Bond franchise as pure genre movie; decent fights and chases, but only one moment that really deserves a place on the 'best of Bond' showreel (the corkscrew bridge jump). Christopher Lee barely breaks a sweat as the best actor in the movie. Slightly sleazy atmosphere (in places it resembles a softcore porn movie with the sex edited out); you can kind of see why one of the original producers thought the series had run out of steam and departed before the next one.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The War of the Dwarves in Books
Feb 20, 2018
The follow-up to the first Dwarves book sees the dwarves again join forces with the humans and now join forces with their age old enemies the elves to battle against a new source of evil.
There is a lot packed into this book with a number of stand-offs against the evil thirdling dwarves, the evil elves and an invading force from the Outer Lands.
For me at times it felt like the story was being made up on the spot with the overarching plot changing a number of times to suit the author's mood. At one point the feared enemy in the West was just a hoax by the thirdlings then it was real etc etc. There were still some good action scenes but these were in the minority here as so much of the book was taken up with politics and intrigue.
Something of a comedown from the first in the series.
There is a lot packed into this book with a number of stand-offs against the evil thirdling dwarves, the evil elves and an invading force from the Outer Lands.
For me at times it felt like the story was being made up on the spot with the overarching plot changing a number of times to suit the author's mood. At one point the feared enemy in the West was just a hoax by the thirdlings then it was real etc etc. There were still some good action scenes but these were in the minority here as so much of the book was taken up with politics and intrigue.
Something of a comedown from the first in the series.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Destroy All Monsters (1968) in Movies
Feb 23, 2018 (Updated May 17, 2019)
Ninth Godzilla movie earns an extra point just for sheer chutzpah. A bit like a monster version of The Expendables, but with better acting. In the distant future of 1999, aliens take over monster version of wildlife preserve, set about causing mischief in the great cities of Earth.
The utter gravity of the performances when coupled to the completely preposterous plot results in a movie which it is almost impossible to take seriously: there is the odd sign even the original film-makers had their tongues in their cheeks. Still, it has all your favourite monsters in the same movie (even in the same scene, most likely), although the prominence of the different characters depends more on what state the monster suit is in than their actual fame. Film-makers arguably missed a trick in making the climactic monster battle more of a mugging than a grand melee, but you can't have everything. Ridiculous, awesome: awesomely ridiculous, ridiculously awesome.
The utter gravity of the performances when coupled to the completely preposterous plot results in a movie which it is almost impossible to take seriously: there is the odd sign even the original film-makers had their tongues in their cheeks. Still, it has all your favourite monsters in the same movie (even in the same scene, most likely), although the prominence of the different characters depends more on what state the monster suit is in than their actual fame. Film-makers arguably missed a trick in making the climactic monster battle more of a mugging than a grand melee, but you can't have everything. Ridiculous, awesome: awesomely ridiculous, ridiculously awesome.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Schotten Totten / Batleline in Tabletop Games
Mar 9, 2018
simple (2 more)
elegant
travels easily
Simple, Elegant, Abstract battle card game, Battleline (the newer version) has some additional complexity
we take this with us on vacation, it's a 2 player game with just a deck or cards and 9 markers, which you can leave and home and pick up rocks or shells on the beach and use those... it's had to head and is as simple as playing a card and drawing a new one to replace it, the strategy comes from when you chose to put a card in a specific spot, and playing the odds, it's quick mayb 15 minutes per game, so we usually play best 2 of 3. but we have played marathon games of best of 11. A drink in one hand and the game on the table is nice way to enjoy the beach side resort, watching the sunset drop between turns. but maybe that's just me.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 in TV
Feb 13, 2018
Some of the cast are atrocious (1 more)
Takes a dip after a few episodes
Darker than your normal Star Trek
This series of Star Trek comes in after Enterprise, but before the original series, The Next Generation etc. It chronicles the battle of Starfleet against a resurgent Klingon empire.
Gone is the usual Star Trek single episode storylines, where the ship encounters a race or problem and everything is wrapped up in one episode. Everything within the series links together as a whole long storyline without much deviation. In hindsight, I think knowing this would have made me more engaged with the first few episodes, I think I got a bit bored after the first couple.
The series as a whole is good and sets up a nice second series at the end.
One thing that really bugged me was the atrocious sub-Shatner ham acting of Anthony Rapp (Stamets) and Michelle Yeoh chewing the scenery in the last few episodes.
Gone is the usual Star Trek single episode storylines, where the ship encounters a race or problem and everything is wrapped up in one episode. Everything within the series links together as a whole long storyline without much deviation. In hindsight, I think knowing this would have made me more engaged with the first few episodes, I think I got a bit bored after the first couple.
The series as a whole is good and sets up a nice second series at the end.
One thing that really bugged me was the atrocious sub-Shatner ham acting of Anthony Rapp (Stamets) and Michelle Yeoh chewing the scenery in the last few episodes.