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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
From director Steven Spielberg who brought us “E.T.” and the producer of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy Peter Jackson, comes the fabulous “The Adventures of Tintin”. The film is based upon the popular European comic books which were created by Belgian artist Georges Remi and tells the story of Tintin (Jamie Bell) , a young journalist and his canine Snowy who are always seeking to find a one of a kind story to write about.
One afternoon at an outdoor market the two come across a small replica of the three-masted Unicorn sailing ship being sold at a very good price. Tintin then starts to be pressured into selling his replica to a sketchy man Ivan Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who tries very hard to purchase the ship by offering him double than what was originally paid. Without luck, Sakharine leaves and is soon followed by another man who also attempts to purchase the ship, only this time he warns Tintin about what he has gotten himself into. Tintin starts to think that maybe there is a secret about this ship and he is determined to get to the bottom of it. After returning home following a scuffle between Snowy and a neighboring cat, the ship is accidentally broken and concealed in one of the masts is a cylinder that later is revealed to contain directions to hidden treasure.
After being bitten by the curiosity bug, Tintin decides to investigate at the house of Sakharine and ends up discovering a second replica that holds another clue. He becomes captured by Sackharine and imprisoned on a ship headed to find the third and final Unicorn replica. Tintin is imprisoned with the Captain of the ship, Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Who learn that they must escape and collect all three of the clues to assemble the directions that will lead them to the treasure.
Both are racing to get to the treasure before Sakharine as there is a history between he and the Captain which further complicates the issues at hand.
After what seemed to be a very long and drawn out opening, the film jumps right into the action with lots of adventure, pirates, comedic moments and realistic scenes. This proves that you really can‘t judge a book by the cover as I have never been a fan of stop motion film at all, in fact it has always been creepy to me.
Knowing that this movie was filmed with that technology, I was extremely hesitant in even giving it a chance but I am very glad I did. The film is very well written and executed and truly delivers. The 3D is also outstanding and makes you feel as if you are a part of the epic adventure. I recommend this film to all ages and if you have your doubts, please trust me and give it a chance. You will not be disappointed.
One afternoon at an outdoor market the two come across a small replica of the three-masted Unicorn sailing ship being sold at a very good price. Tintin then starts to be pressured into selling his replica to a sketchy man Ivan Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who tries very hard to purchase the ship by offering him double than what was originally paid. Without luck, Sakharine leaves and is soon followed by another man who also attempts to purchase the ship, only this time he warns Tintin about what he has gotten himself into. Tintin starts to think that maybe there is a secret about this ship and he is determined to get to the bottom of it. After returning home following a scuffle between Snowy and a neighboring cat, the ship is accidentally broken and concealed in one of the masts is a cylinder that later is revealed to contain directions to hidden treasure.
After being bitten by the curiosity bug, Tintin decides to investigate at the house of Sakharine and ends up discovering a second replica that holds another clue. He becomes captured by Sackharine and imprisoned on a ship headed to find the third and final Unicorn replica. Tintin is imprisoned with the Captain of the ship, Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Who learn that they must escape and collect all three of the clues to assemble the directions that will lead them to the treasure.
Both are racing to get to the treasure before Sakharine as there is a history between he and the Captain which further complicates the issues at hand.
After what seemed to be a very long and drawn out opening, the film jumps right into the action with lots of adventure, pirates, comedic moments and realistic scenes. This proves that you really can‘t judge a book by the cover as I have never been a fan of stop motion film at all, in fact it has always been creepy to me.
Knowing that this movie was filmed with that technology, I was extremely hesitant in even giving it a chance but I am very glad I did. The film is very well written and executed and truly delivers. The 3D is also outstanding and makes you feel as if you are a part of the epic adventure. I recommend this film to all ages and if you have your doubts, please trust me and give it a chance. You will not be disappointed.
Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet
Book
Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet by Andrew Blum is...'Utterly engrossing. The year's most...
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Outs in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Well this was... an interesting read...
Just gonna quickly put a little trigger warning in here, as there is graphic and emotional descriptions of depression and suicide. But the story isn't about these things, and they aren't properly talked about until far later in the novel.
You're thrown right into the deep end from page one, having to put the pieces together as the plot progresses. We meet one of our protagonists, Caleb, in an unfamiliar room with mysterious men and a random little girl. He ends up taking her with him as he runs, trying to figure out what he did during the Outs.
The Outs are kinda confusing. They're moments in time where electrical appliances all fail, and anything that happens is forgotten as soon as the Outs end. Oh, and anyone killed during the Outs is resurrected from the dead.
I'm really not sure how to describe this book. The plot is super confusing - Caleb and his aphasic friend, Kitzi, take this weird little girl (Amanda) who somehow has powers over everyone and everything, in an attempt to stop Deeds and his army of Deadheaders. Caleb has a psychopathic voice in his head called Crimes, Amanda's dreams come true, Kitzi's suicide happens to have taken place at the same time the Outs started, she can smell the truth - and somehow they're all connected to the Outs? These three individuals - and many others along the way - each have a big part in what is happening. But how?
Honestly, I cannot explain it. There are so many little ties and strings throughout this book that all add up, and I couldn't possibly include them all.
It definitely is a unique book. The idea is pretty good, too - the whole "nightmares becoming real" and all. But I just didn't connect; I don't know if it was the pacing or what, but I just didn't feel involved in it.
I feel like I should've been able to sympathise with the characters more - they had good backstories, emotional and family issues that different people should be able to relate to. And the narration following Kitzi often makes references to comic books which I personally really appreciated. But I just didn't quite feel them. Maybe it's just me - there's nothing wrong with the writing in particular, so maybe it's just personal preference. I don't know.
I had a few typos in my copy but I received an ARC, not a final copy, so that shouldn't affect anyone buying the book. I loved the cover, and the art at each chapter start was great. Also, the inclusion of "Notes From Last Night" (a site where people recorded notes during the outs for after they forget) was awesome, too. It added a whole other dimension to the world, an extra little bit of interest.
I wanted to like this, I really did. And I didn't dislike it - but it didn't feel like anything special to me. 3 stars for The Outs.
Just gonna quickly put a little trigger warning in here, as there is graphic and emotional descriptions of depression and suicide. But the story isn't about these things, and they aren't properly talked about until far later in the novel.
You're thrown right into the deep end from page one, having to put the pieces together as the plot progresses. We meet one of our protagonists, Caleb, in an unfamiliar room with mysterious men and a random little girl. He ends up taking her with him as he runs, trying to figure out what he did during the Outs.
The Outs are kinda confusing. They're moments in time where electrical appliances all fail, and anything that happens is forgotten as soon as the Outs end. Oh, and anyone killed during the Outs is resurrected from the dead.
I'm really not sure how to describe this book. The plot is super confusing - Caleb and his aphasic friend, Kitzi, take this weird little girl (Amanda) who somehow has powers over everyone and everything, in an attempt to stop Deeds and his army of Deadheaders. Caleb has a psychopathic voice in his head called Crimes, Amanda's dreams come true, Kitzi's suicide happens to have taken place at the same time the Outs started, she can smell the truth - and somehow they're all connected to the Outs? These three individuals - and many others along the way - each have a big part in what is happening. But how?
Honestly, I cannot explain it. There are so many little ties and strings throughout this book that all add up, and I couldn't possibly include them all.
It definitely is a unique book. The idea is pretty good, too - the whole "nightmares becoming real" and all. But I just didn't connect; I don't know if it was the pacing or what, but I just didn't feel involved in it.
I feel like I should've been able to sympathise with the characters more - they had good backstories, emotional and family issues that different people should be able to relate to. And the narration following Kitzi often makes references to comic books which I personally really appreciated. But I just didn't quite feel them. Maybe it's just me - there's nothing wrong with the writing in particular, so maybe it's just personal preference. I don't know.
I had a few typos in my copy but I received an ARC, not a final copy, so that shouldn't affect anyone buying the book. I loved the cover, and the art at each chapter start was great. Also, the inclusion of "Notes From Last Night" (a site where people recorded notes during the outs for after they forget) was awesome, too. It added a whole other dimension to the world, an extra little bit of interest.
I wanted to like this, I really did. And I didn't dislike it - but it didn't feel like anything special to me. 3 stars for The Outs.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The LEGO Ninjango Movie (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
The newest Lego movie, ‘The Lego Ninjago Movie’ is being released by Warner Brothers and stars Jackie Chan as Master Wu; Dave Franco as Lloyd Garmadon; Michael Pena as Kai;Fred Armisen asCole; Abbi Jacobsen as Nya; Kumail Nanjiani as Jay; Zach Woods as Zane; Olivia Munn as Koko (Lloyds mother); and Justin Theroux as Garmadon.
The film is rated PG and is about 90 minutes.
The story follows the main character Lloyd and his troubled (almost nonexistent) relationship with his father, Garmadon. We begin the movie believing Lloyd has no friends, but quickly discover he DOES have a small handful of friends, and that he, as well as his friends Kai, Cole, Nya and Zane are all leading a secret life as Ninjas. The rest of the kids at school all dislike Lloyd because his father Garmadon is forever attacking the city and destroying everything.
As we see Garmadon repeatedly try to conquer Ninjago city, we see that the Ninjas, along with their “Mech”, and the help of Master Wu, keep beating him back.
Frustrated that his father won’t acknowledge his pain at being abandoned, Lloyd defies Master Wu and attacks Garmadon with ‘the ultimate weapon’.
The Ultimate Weapon ends up doing more harm than good and destroys a large portion of Ninjago city, leaving Garnadon in control of Ninjago city. Master Wu instructs Lloyd and his fellow Ninjas to find their inner strength and ‘the missing piece’ in order to defeat Garmadon.
The Ninjagos then start off on a journey to find what Master Wu has instructed. During one important scene, we discover that Gamadon is Master Wu’s brother!
Apparently, this movie is a spin off of a popular kids TV series, but I was unaware of that. My son does have some Lego Ninjago books and Lego sets, so I knew they existed, but not to what extent.
I was not a fan of the breaks in the middle of the movie to ‘non animated’ pieces, they seemed cheesy to me, and ‘comic-book-ish’. I found them annoying. I did like the tie in at the beginning and end however, of the live action sequences. I felt it tied the story together.
I thought the Ninjago Lego movie was pretty decent, I liked it somewhat better than the Lego Batman Movie. I did find the hot / cold attitude of the Garmadon character a bit hard to follow, but the existence of that same attitude did give that character some of the best lines of the movie.
The PG rating was fair and at no point did I feel uncomfortable having my 9 year old there to see it, and he loved the movie. He said his favorite part was “the action packed fight scene between the brothers in the woods.”
The 9 year old gives the movie 4 out of 5 stars, and
The film is rated PG and is about 90 minutes.
The story follows the main character Lloyd and his troubled (almost nonexistent) relationship with his father, Garmadon. We begin the movie believing Lloyd has no friends, but quickly discover he DOES have a small handful of friends, and that he, as well as his friends Kai, Cole, Nya and Zane are all leading a secret life as Ninjas. The rest of the kids at school all dislike Lloyd because his father Garmadon is forever attacking the city and destroying everything.
As we see Garmadon repeatedly try to conquer Ninjago city, we see that the Ninjas, along with their “Mech”, and the help of Master Wu, keep beating him back.
Frustrated that his father won’t acknowledge his pain at being abandoned, Lloyd defies Master Wu and attacks Garmadon with ‘the ultimate weapon’.
The Ultimate Weapon ends up doing more harm than good and destroys a large portion of Ninjago city, leaving Garnadon in control of Ninjago city. Master Wu instructs Lloyd and his fellow Ninjas to find their inner strength and ‘the missing piece’ in order to defeat Garmadon.
The Ninjagos then start off on a journey to find what Master Wu has instructed. During one important scene, we discover that Gamadon is Master Wu’s brother!
Apparently, this movie is a spin off of a popular kids TV series, but I was unaware of that. My son does have some Lego Ninjago books and Lego sets, so I knew they existed, but not to what extent.
I was not a fan of the breaks in the middle of the movie to ‘non animated’ pieces, they seemed cheesy to me, and ‘comic-book-ish’. I found them annoying. I did like the tie in at the beginning and end however, of the live action sequences. I felt it tied the story together.
I thought the Ninjago Lego movie was pretty decent, I liked it somewhat better than the Lego Batman Movie. I did find the hot / cold attitude of the Garmadon character a bit hard to follow, but the existence of that same attitude did give that character some of the best lines of the movie.
The PG rating was fair and at no point did I feel uncomfortable having my 9 year old there to see it, and he loved the movie. He said his favorite part was “the action packed fight scene between the brothers in the woods.”
The 9 year old gives the movie 4 out of 5 stars, and
Colt Express
Games
8.5
Rate It
App
The game officially transposed from Colt Express, the famous train robbery boardgame. Plot your...
BoardgameApp
Foul Play on Words
Book
Between a kidnapping, a double booking, and a crew of hapless volunteers, Charlee is worried the...
Natalia (73 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Dec 19, 2018
Character Development (5 more)
Story
Art Direction
Soundtrack + Effects
Comedy, Action and Emotions
True to the Source
I've just recently come home from the cinema, and I can gladly say this was an amazing film. I may be looking at it through rose-coloured glasses, with how excited I was when we got the first trailer, but I can say with all sincerity that this film made me laugh, cry and blew away my expectations.
The film crosses over some iconic and some more obscure Spider-Man universes and manages to do it in a unique and palatable way. Each iteration of Spider-Man has a specific animation/art style, along with a specific soundtrack and extremely talented voice actors (or at least actors whose voices were made for the role: this meaning John Mulaney). Seeing all of this creative work come together in one film truly is an experience that I don't want people to miss out on.
A key part I really want to go into more is the use of colour and focus. It visuals of the film are vivid and attune to the tone of what scene is playing out. You can see how saturation and the palettes themselves are used the highlight characters or actions and are especially useful with emotional scenes. These emotions though are presented more with the composition which is consistently used to call back previous scenes in a subtle way that I absolutely adore.
The characters are very much real, most specifically in Miles and his family relationships. We see a real family dynamic that works - if I could point out a scene from a few trailers as an example, when Miles' father takes him to school and asks for him to say 'I love you' back really shows this realistic family that you could picture actually existing in the real world. The lack of a really existing romantic subplot is also something I love - the focus is on coming to terms with the fact that Miles isn't alone, that no one is. Without this romance, the film is just as good as any other, possibly even better with the fact that our potential romantic interest actually doesn't turn out to be.
The next thing that is certainly huge for any die-hard Marvel fans is the fact that it's very much true to the comic books. In the way its told, the way it's presented, and the actual story, the characters are all recognizable both by appearance and by their personalities/behaviours.
The only negative I can find for the film isn't even part of the film itself: Though the cinema gave warning for epilepsy, the film itself does not. While I'm sure theatres are required to give warning, it may be a good idea to give an on-screen warning, especially when the opening logo itself could easily trigger epilepsy.
Overall, I wish I could go back and watch it over and over, so I think most people will enjoy this film, no matter what their knowledge of the MCU is. An engaging story told in a creative way and with an incredibly hilarious after credits scene - worth a watch from everyone.
The film crosses over some iconic and some more obscure Spider-Man universes and manages to do it in a unique and palatable way. Each iteration of Spider-Man has a specific animation/art style, along with a specific soundtrack and extremely talented voice actors (or at least actors whose voices were made for the role: this meaning John Mulaney). Seeing all of this creative work come together in one film truly is an experience that I don't want people to miss out on.
A key part I really want to go into more is the use of colour and focus. It visuals of the film are vivid and attune to the tone of what scene is playing out. You can see how saturation and the palettes themselves are used the highlight characters or actions and are especially useful with emotional scenes. These emotions though are presented more with the composition which is consistently used to call back previous scenes in a subtle way that I absolutely adore.
The characters are very much real, most specifically in Miles and his family relationships. We see a real family dynamic that works - if I could point out a scene from a few trailers as an example, when Miles' father takes him to school and asks for him to say 'I love you' back really shows this realistic family that you could picture actually existing in the real world. The lack of a really existing romantic subplot is also something I love - the focus is on coming to terms with the fact that Miles isn't alone, that no one is. Without this romance, the film is just as good as any other, possibly even better with the fact that our potential romantic interest actually doesn't turn out to be.
The next thing that is certainly huge for any die-hard Marvel fans is the fact that it's very much true to the comic books. In the way its told, the way it's presented, and the actual story, the characters are all recognizable both by appearance and by their personalities/behaviours.
The only negative I can find for the film isn't even part of the film itself: Though the cinema gave warning for epilepsy, the film itself does not. While I'm sure theatres are required to give warning, it may be a good idea to give an on-screen warning, especially when the opening logo itself could easily trigger epilepsy.
Overall, I wish I could go back and watch it over and over, so I think most people will enjoy this film, no matter what their knowledge of the MCU is. An engaging story told in a creative way and with an incredibly hilarious after credits scene - worth a watch from everyone.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Paddington 2 (2017) in Movies
Feb 3, 2019
Wonderful, whimsical film for kids and adults alike
As I was perusing various "Top Films of 2018" lists, one surprising film kept showing up on these lists, so I thought I'd better check it out.
And I'm glad I did for PADDINGTON 2 is a charming family film that entranced me from beginning to end with wonderful performances and a charm and whimsy that hooked me from start to finish.
A follow-up to the moderate 2014 hit (based on the beloved children's books series) about a Peruvian bear that heads to 19th Century London seeking adventure - and finds a family - PADDINGTON 2 follows said Bear as he is caught up in a robbery and is mistakenly jailed for the crime. Can Paddington make friends with the burly inmates in the prison? Can the Brown family help find the true perpetrator of the crime and help spring Paddington? Can faith and love triumph in a time of skepticism and darkness?
It's a family film, what do you think?
The joy in this film is in the telling - and Paul King (returning as Director/Writer) does a wonderful job telling a joyous, family-friendly story without diving into sacrine-ness (is that a word? It is now) and schmaltz. He tells the story with a sly wink in his eye and dives deep into whimsical detail of late 19th century London - a London racing full throttle into the steam age. There is a light cyber-punk sensibility to the proceedings and this works wonderfully well.
As you would expect, King does a nice job getting the actors to click into the sensibilities and style of this film. Ben Wishaw is back as the voice of Paddington - and he is perfectly cast. Wishaw has a naivete and sense of wonder to his voice that serves the Paddington character well. Jim Broadbent, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters all reprise their roles - in winning fashion. But it is the newcomers that shine. Brendan Gleeson shows off some comic chops as main prison bad guy "Knuckles" McGinty who forms an unlikely friendship/partnership with Paddington and, especially Hugh Grant as vain, egotistical actor Phoenix Buchanan. I won't spoil the antics of Grant's character but I have a feeling that Mr. Grant had as much fun bringing this character to screen as I did watching him.
Two final things - the finale really works for me as King sets up each character's "special skill" at the beginning of the film that they will need to bring to bear (no pun intended) during the action at the end. To often, character's and character threads are set up at the beginning of a film only to be abandoned by the end, so it is satisfying to me when King sets up items at the beginning of this film and then PAYS THEM OFF at the end.
And, finally, STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS. There is a scene in the credits that is as good as anything that is in the film. I won't spoil the fun for you, but want you to know about this so you won't miss it.
A wonderful, whimsical, time at the movies. If you have kids (5,6,7 years old), this is a MUST SEE. For the rest of you, if you're looking for fun escape from the world, this film will do it.
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And I'm glad I did for PADDINGTON 2 is a charming family film that entranced me from beginning to end with wonderful performances and a charm and whimsy that hooked me from start to finish.
A follow-up to the moderate 2014 hit (based on the beloved children's books series) about a Peruvian bear that heads to 19th Century London seeking adventure - and finds a family - PADDINGTON 2 follows said Bear as he is caught up in a robbery and is mistakenly jailed for the crime. Can Paddington make friends with the burly inmates in the prison? Can the Brown family help find the true perpetrator of the crime and help spring Paddington? Can faith and love triumph in a time of skepticism and darkness?
It's a family film, what do you think?
The joy in this film is in the telling - and Paul King (returning as Director/Writer) does a wonderful job telling a joyous, family-friendly story without diving into sacrine-ness (is that a word? It is now) and schmaltz. He tells the story with a sly wink in his eye and dives deep into whimsical detail of late 19th century London - a London racing full throttle into the steam age. There is a light cyber-punk sensibility to the proceedings and this works wonderfully well.
As you would expect, King does a nice job getting the actors to click into the sensibilities and style of this film. Ben Wishaw is back as the voice of Paddington - and he is perfectly cast. Wishaw has a naivete and sense of wonder to his voice that serves the Paddington character well. Jim Broadbent, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters all reprise their roles - in winning fashion. But it is the newcomers that shine. Brendan Gleeson shows off some comic chops as main prison bad guy "Knuckles" McGinty who forms an unlikely friendship/partnership with Paddington and, especially Hugh Grant as vain, egotistical actor Phoenix Buchanan. I won't spoil the antics of Grant's character but I have a feeling that Mr. Grant had as much fun bringing this character to screen as I did watching him.
Two final things - the finale really works for me as King sets up each character's "special skill" at the beginning of the film that they will need to bring to bear (no pun intended) during the action at the end. To often, character's and character threads are set up at the beginning of a film only to be abandoned by the end, so it is satisfying to me when King sets up items at the beginning of this film and then PAYS THEM OFF at the end.
And, finally, STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS. There is a scene in the credits that is as good as anything that is in the film. I won't spoil the fun for you, but want you to know about this so you won't miss it.
A wonderful, whimsical, time at the movies. If you have kids (5,6,7 years old), this is a MUST SEE. For the rest of you, if you're looking for fun escape from the world, this film will do it.
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Dana (24 KP) rated Annihilation, Book One in Books
Mar 23, 2018
So this was my first time being introduced to some of these characters, others, such as Drax, Ronan, Thanos and Gamora I was a bit more familiar with, but only their basic story lines from Guardians of the Galaxy.
My dad gave me these three books to borrow and read because I had told him I wanted to read more graphic novels. I quite enjoyed this series! I loved getting to know the lesser known characters, well, lesser known to me.
The overarching plot wasn't clear at the beginning, but I was okay with that. It kept me guessing what the hell was happening, which I am almost always happy with!
In this book, we get three different comics in the bound book.
The first comic we get is with Drax. We get to see part of his origin story, and his new beginning in this universe. He meets a girl, Cassie, who is honestly one of my favorite (if not my top) character in this series. She is so great! As a combination of sass, bravery, kick-ass-ness, and just an all around badass, she is what more girls need to see in what they are reading. This girl is about eleven years old or so and she is strong. She wears beanies and skirts, but has to deal with problems at home and, spoiler alert, being introduced to an alien race and not batting an eyelash! I just loved this girl.
As for the Drax story, it was mainly setting up the issue of the series and giving a background on why it matters. But that is a good thing. Without this introduction, there would have been no reason to care about the story or the characters in it.
Now, onto the next story: following Richard Rider, a member of the Nova Corps! Now, here is another character/set of characters we are briefly introduced to in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but I loved getting to know more about it and their role in the universe and a little into their culture and relationships to the rest of the universe. I think Richard is a compelling character and I I enjoyed getting to see him have to deal with adversity from the beginning.
We are also introduced to Super Skrull. I have to be honest, I had no idea who this guy was when I picked up these comics, but I really like this character. His whole culture he comes from is cool to get to explore, but I just loved seeing him do his thing. I am stoked to see what else he has to bring to the table!
Getting the cut ins from the Nova Corps intelligence bank on each of the new characters was both a brilliant way to give new readers like me a brief introduction as to why these characters matter as well as a great way to refresh the memories of those who have known about these characters, but do not necessarily remember their significance to this story. This aspect was expertly done!
Overall, this was a really good beginning to what I think will be a pretty cool set of comics! I can't wait to read the next one!
My dad gave me these three books to borrow and read because I had told him I wanted to read more graphic novels. I quite enjoyed this series! I loved getting to know the lesser known characters, well, lesser known to me.
The overarching plot wasn't clear at the beginning, but I was okay with that. It kept me guessing what the hell was happening, which I am almost always happy with!
In this book, we get three different comics in the bound book.
The first comic we get is with Drax. We get to see part of his origin story, and his new beginning in this universe. He meets a girl, Cassie, who is honestly one of my favorite (if not my top) character in this series. She is so great! As a combination of sass, bravery, kick-ass-ness, and just an all around badass, she is what more girls need to see in what they are reading. This girl is about eleven years old or so and she is strong. She wears beanies and skirts, but has to deal with problems at home and, spoiler alert, being introduced to an alien race and not batting an eyelash! I just loved this girl.
As for the Drax story, it was mainly setting up the issue of the series and giving a background on why it matters. But that is a good thing. Without this introduction, there would have been no reason to care about the story or the characters in it.
Now, onto the next story: following Richard Rider, a member of the Nova Corps! Now, here is another character/set of characters we are briefly introduced to in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but I loved getting to know more about it and their role in the universe and a little into their culture and relationships to the rest of the universe. I think Richard is a compelling character and I I enjoyed getting to see him have to deal with adversity from the beginning.
We are also introduced to Super Skrull. I have to be honest, I had no idea who this guy was when I picked up these comics, but I really like this character. His whole culture he comes from is cool to get to explore, but I just loved seeing him do his thing. I am stoked to see what else he has to bring to the table!
Getting the cut ins from the Nova Corps intelligence bank on each of the new characters was both a brilliant way to give new readers like me a brief introduction as to why these characters matter as well as a great way to refresh the memories of those who have known about these characters, but do not necessarily remember their significance to this story. This aspect was expertly done!
Overall, this was a really good beginning to what I think will be a pretty cool set of comics! I can't wait to read the next one!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Treatment (The Program, #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I loved The Program by Suzanne Young, so I had to get The Treatment as soon as it was released to find out what happened to James and Sloane. While I didn't love The Treatment as much as The Program, this was still a good read.
I like the title. It's a good fit for what the books about, and it fits with the first boo in the series.
I like the cover. I like how, to me, it kind of portrays James and Sloane on the run. I had the hardback copy of this book, so when I took off the dust jacket, it had the pill cover which is the treatment.
The world building was done fantastically! I could see each of the scenes in my mind clearly. This time, the setting of the book takes James and Sloane all over the United States.
The pacing was a bit slow for about the first two-thirds of the book, and I was really disappointed. However, I kept reading because I desperately wanted to like this book. Luckily, I was rewarded when the last section of the book picked up pace, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The plot is good. Sloane and James are on the run from the Program after rekindling their romance from before the Program. They meet other rebels who are on the run, and they all try to stay one step ahead of the Program. Sloane is still wondering if she should take the Treatment, which would restore all of her memories, that Realm gave her. The only thing I didn't like about the plot is that it was too mushy when it came to the romance. The first book in the series wasn't as bad as this. Plus, it seemed in this book that James and Sloane were having sex at the end of almost every chapter!
I thought the characters were written really well even if James and Sloane were humping like rabbits all the time! Sloane is still a very strong female character, and in this book, we're introduced to Dallas who is also a very strong female character. Dallas does have some vulnerability though, and I found it very interesting to learn what she was like before the Program. We're also introduced to Cas in this book. Cas was like the comic relief in this book. He would always try to defuse the situation. Realm is back in this book, and I don't really like him. He's not written poorly, but he just grates on my nerves the way he's always trying to make Sloane second guess her love for James. James is very hot-headed in this book. I still do like him as a character, and I can understand why he got angry.
I enjoyed the dialogue especially when Dallas or Cas where involved in the scene. The dialogue felt very natural and fitting for a young adult book. There is some swearing in this book as well as violence. There are some sexual scenes in this book although they aren't graphic.
Overall, The Treatment (The Program #2) by Suzanne Young starts off being slow but picks up during the last third of the book. The characters are still written very well, and the world building is fantastic.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who enjoyed The Program and want to know more about Sloane and James.
I loved The Program by Suzanne Young, so I had to get The Treatment as soon as it was released to find out what happened to James and Sloane. While I didn't love The Treatment as much as The Program, this was still a good read.
I like the title. It's a good fit for what the books about, and it fits with the first boo in the series.
I like the cover. I like how, to me, it kind of portrays James and Sloane on the run. I had the hardback copy of this book, so when I took off the dust jacket, it had the pill cover which is the treatment.
The world building was done fantastically! I could see each of the scenes in my mind clearly. This time, the setting of the book takes James and Sloane all over the United States.
The pacing was a bit slow for about the first two-thirds of the book, and I was really disappointed. However, I kept reading because I desperately wanted to like this book. Luckily, I was rewarded when the last section of the book picked up pace, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The plot is good. Sloane and James are on the run from the Program after rekindling their romance from before the Program. They meet other rebels who are on the run, and they all try to stay one step ahead of the Program. Sloane is still wondering if she should take the Treatment, which would restore all of her memories, that Realm gave her. The only thing I didn't like about the plot is that it was too mushy when it came to the romance. The first book in the series wasn't as bad as this. Plus, it seemed in this book that James and Sloane were having sex at the end of almost every chapter!
I thought the characters were written really well even if James and Sloane were humping like rabbits all the time! Sloane is still a very strong female character, and in this book, we're introduced to Dallas who is also a very strong female character. Dallas does have some vulnerability though, and I found it very interesting to learn what she was like before the Program. We're also introduced to Cas in this book. Cas was like the comic relief in this book. He would always try to defuse the situation. Realm is back in this book, and I don't really like him. He's not written poorly, but he just grates on my nerves the way he's always trying to make Sloane second guess her love for James. James is very hot-headed in this book. I still do like him as a character, and I can understand why he got angry.
I enjoyed the dialogue especially when Dallas or Cas where involved in the scene. The dialogue felt very natural and fitting for a young adult book. There is some swearing in this book as well as violence. There are some sexual scenes in this book although they aren't graphic.
Overall, The Treatment (The Program #2) by Suzanne Young starts off being slow but picks up during the last third of the book. The characters are still written very well, and the world building is fantastic.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who enjoyed The Program and want to know more about Sloane and James.