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tonidavis (353 KP) rated Beauty and the Beast (2017) in Movies
Jun 29, 2017
Josh Gad (2 more)
Entire Cast
Evermore
I want the Library
I was fortune enough to win tickets through PureHmv to the London Gala screening of this film weeks before it was out in cinemas. As a Disney Addict this was a dream come true.
I was unsure when they announced a live action Beauty and Beast being a huge fan of orginal. That being said I loved every moment from start to end. Even new song like Evermore and how does a moment last forever. Normally I hate playing about with music but they had Alan Menken so Disney knew what it was doing.
For me the stand out actor was Joss Had his comic timing and enthusamism of the character is contagious.
My only fault if this film they could of had a bigger Library
I was unsure when they announced a live action Beauty and Beast being a huge fan of orginal. That being said I loved every moment from start to end. Even new song like Evermore and how does a moment last forever. Normally I hate playing about with music but they had Alan Menken so Disney knew what it was doing.
For me the stand out actor was Joss Had his comic timing and enthusamism of the character is contagious.
My only fault if this film they could of had a bigger Library
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Feb 16, 2019
Underwhelming
Tom Hardy is one of the only good things about this film.
The supporting cast (Michelle Williams who seemed out of place) and the generic villains were not exciting at all and made me think about the cooler comic book bad guys we've seen recently.
A couple of good action scenes were not much help to the shoddy screenplay which kept me bored most of the way.
I will admit to not knowing much about Venom going in (other than my Maximum Carnage Super Nintendo game from my youth) and this film didn't do much to explain things to me. I thought he had something to do with Spider-Man, although he was never mentioned.
If the mid credits scene is an indication of the direction of Venom 2, I am hopeful it will be an improvement.
The supporting cast (Michelle Williams who seemed out of place) and the generic villains were not exciting at all and made me think about the cooler comic book bad guys we've seen recently.
A couple of good action scenes were not much help to the shoddy screenplay which kept me bored most of the way.
I will admit to not knowing much about Venom going in (other than my Maximum Carnage Super Nintendo game from my youth) and this film didn't do much to explain things to me. I thought he had something to do with Spider-Man, although he was never mentioned.
If the mid credits scene is an indication of the direction of Venom 2, I am hopeful it will be an improvement.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Apr 9, 2019 (Updated Dec 23, 2020)
Spider-Man: The High School Spiderman
This is the web-slingers first full foray into the MCU, following his introduction in Captain America: Civil War (or, basically, Avengers 2.5).
And in this, thankfully, were spared yet another rendition of how he got his powers/Uncle Bens death, arriving already fully formed and with only a brief mention of getting bit by a spider and with no mention whatsoever of 'with great power comes great responsibilty'.
To the best of my knowledge, this is also the Vultures first big-screen appearance, although his own powers here come from scavenged alien tech rather than anything more 'comic-book'y. This also takes the unusual(?) approach of having Spider-Man being teenaged and still at school, rather than all the previous (non-MCU) movies in which he is leaving or has already left university.
And in this, thankfully, were spared yet another rendition of how he got his powers/Uncle Bens death, arriving already fully formed and with only a brief mention of getting bit by a spider and with no mention whatsoever of 'with great power comes great responsibilty'.
To the best of my knowledge, this is also the Vultures first big-screen appearance, although his own powers here come from scavenged alien tech rather than anything more 'comic-book'y. This also takes the unusual(?) approach of having Spider-Man being teenaged and still at school, rather than all the previous (non-MCU) movies in which he is leaving or has already left university.
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art in Books
May 30, 2019
This is a great book that honestly changed how I felt about comics completely. I had never really been exposed to comics outside of the weekly newspaper. Of course I knew the titles that were out there, and I did more than my fair share of watching cartoons and movies based on comic characters, but I didn't "get it." The medium was not mine. McCloud's book gave me the tools I needed to really understand the art of comics. How comics use the blending of art and written word to really present ideas in a unique way that no other art form can really do.
Reading this book opened my mind to a broad range of stories that I never would have read or even known about, some of which are among my most cherished books now.
Reading this book opened my mind to a broad range of stories that I never would have read or even known about, some of which are among my most cherished books now.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Game Night (2018) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 22, 2019)
Knowingly absurd black comedy thriller is powered along by engaging performances and some good gags. A group of affluent friends think they're participating in a kind of murder mystery role-playing game; in fact the situation is in deadly earnest.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Secret Origins (Story Thieves #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
It’s been two months since Bethany last jumped into a book, and she’s started to notice a man sitting in a car across the street. Owen thinks Bethany is overreacting to things, but as the friends follow him to his house, they make a startling discovery. Have they stumbled upon Bethany’s fictional father?
This book overs things to the comic book world, and I found this setting to be lots of fun. The plot twists out in some surprising and fun directions, and the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter kept me turning pages. The characters are strong as well, and we meet some great new ones along the way. Just watch out for the cliffhanger at the end of the book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/01/book-review-secret-origins-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book overs things to the comic book world, and I found this setting to be lots of fun. The plot twists out in some surprising and fun directions, and the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter kept me turning pages. The characters are strong as well, and we meet some great new ones along the way. Just watch out for the cliffhanger at the end of the book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/01/book-review-secret-origins-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Three Musketeers (2011) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018 (Updated Feb 11, 2018)
Dumb and Dumas
Paul W.S. Anderson, the man behind the Resident Evil and Alien Vs Predator franchises, shows us what real creativity looks like as he gives us his take on a piece of classic literature, adding all those crucial things that Alexandre Dumas inexplicably forgot to include in the original version of The Three Musketeers: aqualungs, flamethrowers, airship battles, Orlando Bloom in a pompadour hairstyle, and Milla Jovovich doing somersaults in a basque.
Pretty much wholly ghastly from start to finish, almost to the point where banning Anderson from reading books seems like a reasonable precaution, just to be on the safe side. About as thrilling as watching your laptop install an update, with all the comic charm of an outbreak of venereal disease. The special effects are technically competent but that really is the best you can say about it.
Pretty much wholly ghastly from start to finish, almost to the point where banning Anderson from reading books seems like a reasonable precaution, just to be on the safe side. About as thrilling as watching your laptop install an update, with all the comic charm of an outbreak of venereal disease. The special effects are technically competent but that really is the best you can say about it.
Loz Hughes (80 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Jul 10, 2018
Much better than expected.
I saw this film as a recommendation from a family member and for the first fifteen mins I wondered if I would regret it. It was a little awkward and corny to start with and the stereotyping did grate a little. However once the film progressed the humour worked well with the story line and I started to enjoy it. The characters each lent the film different qualities and it was a completely different spin on the story compared to the original film.
I wouldnt recommend for some younger viewers due to some innuendo and kinda sexualised scenes (nothing graphic but references are there).
Overall a good, casual movie.
I wouldnt recommend for some younger viewers due to some innuendo and kinda sexualised scenes (nothing graphic but references are there).
Overall a good, casual movie.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Fisher King (1991) in Movies
Aug 9, 2018
I miss him every day!
It's truly astonishing that on August 11th, 4 years ago already, we lost this genius. Taken before his time was up. He brought all of us so much joy. His comic and dramatic ranges were amazing. He could have us crying with laughter or tears at any moment. He was that good.
His range in The Fisher King is right up there with his best performances. He plays the tormented homeless man with such raw emotion. You are not sure what to make of him at first, but eventually you fall in love with Parry and want him to triumph over his extreme adversity in every way.
Jeff Bridges is also fantastic as both the straight man and the knight in shining armor (literally) who wants to rescue his new friend.
His range in The Fisher King is right up there with his best performances. He plays the tormented homeless man with such raw emotion. You are not sure what to make of him at first, but eventually you fall in love with Parry and want him to triumph over his extreme adversity in every way.
Jeff Bridges is also fantastic as both the straight man and the knight in shining armor (literally) who wants to rescue his new friend.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Holmes and Watson (2018) in Movies
Jan 3, 2019 (Updated Jan 3, 2019)
Almost incomprehensibly bad comic spoof of Sherlock Holmes that - despite the presence of many talented and genuinely funny performers - still manages to be totally lacking in laughs, wit, or anything much in the way of entertainment value. Serious adaptations of the original stories - hell, the original stories themselves - all managed to be much funnier than this.
General tone of self-satisfied knowing stupidity; lazy jokes about Donald Trump, selfies, people texting dick pics, etc; much-too-late-to-the-party spoofing of the Guy Ritchie Holmes films from nearly ten years ago. I'll go and see just about anything but it took a sustained effort of will not to walk out of this film. 2018 may have departed but this film lingers on in its wake like the stench from rotting carrion. For pity's sake, avoid.
General tone of self-satisfied knowing stupidity; lazy jokes about Donald Trump, selfies, people texting dick pics, etc; much-too-late-to-the-party spoofing of the Guy Ritchie Holmes films from nearly ten years ago. I'll go and see just about anything but it took a sustained effort of will not to walk out of this film. 2018 may have departed but this film lingers on in its wake like the stench from rotting carrion. For pity's sake, avoid.