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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Don’t let the “big anime eyes” or unusual title fool you into thinking this will be a lame film. Yes, this movie is based off a manga you’ve probably never heard of. Yes, it is easy to dismiss this film as something that will bomb like last year’s Mortal Engines. But if you place your faith in director Robert Rodriguez and writer/producer James Cameron, you will be treated to a surprisingly solid narrative and fast paced visual spectacle that is worth the price of admission to view in the theater.
The biggest praise I can give to Alita: Battle Angel is that the visually stunning world they create on screen feels “lived in” and real. I found it easy to accept and understand the rules of that world they built and explained throughout film. And while we are not given a full history of their world, we are given enough explanation to understand how or why something existed in their world. This gives us the opportunity to focus on the story of “self-discovery” that Alita ultimately is.
Rosa Salazar motion capture performance of Alita is excellent. Not only in movement but in emotionally delivery. You get the real sense of discovery with this amazing world that Alita is being exposed to. Additionally, as she begins to become more self-aware of who she is, you can understand the emotion and she struggles with love, trust and obligation. Furthermore, from a technical standpoint, by the end of the movie, I was not thinking of Alita being something that is motion captured and instead just accepted her as part of this onscreen world they delivered. This is really something that becomes make or break with this film for some people and it’s easy to dismiss it based on the trailers. However in context of the film, it works and does a good job drawing you in.
In addition to Alita, we are given strong performances from the ensemble cast of characters in the film. Christoph Waltz play’s Alita surrogate father Dr. Dyson Ido, Keean Johnson as the street smart and resourceful Hugo, Mahershala Ali as the gangster type gate keeper Vector, Jennifer Connelly as the morally ambiguous goal focused scientist and Ed Skrein as the cocky bounty hunter. Each of these characters play their roles well and help usher in the different levels of the society they live in. Perhaps the once complaint I have of this film is that the pacing of this film is so fast that we miss an opportunity to obtain a bit more backstory from some of these characters. It is not a big loss, but it makes you wonder if this film would have been better served as a 10 episode Netflix series or something of that nature.
In the end, I found myself enjoying this film more than I expected I would. Is it a perfect film? No. Nor does it invoke emotionally deep existential thought that the manga it is based on provides. But it does tell a sold story of self-discovery in a visually stunning and fully realized world. It is fun, fast paced and something that should be seen in the theaters. And if possible, do yourself a favor and watch it in 3D. This film has some of the best 3D effects since Avatar. The 3D doesn’t feel like an afterthought or gimmicky, but instead works to enhance the on screen world.
The biggest praise I can give to Alita: Battle Angel is that the visually stunning world they create on screen feels “lived in” and real. I found it easy to accept and understand the rules of that world they built and explained throughout film. And while we are not given a full history of their world, we are given enough explanation to understand how or why something existed in their world. This gives us the opportunity to focus on the story of “self-discovery” that Alita ultimately is.
Rosa Salazar motion capture performance of Alita is excellent. Not only in movement but in emotionally delivery. You get the real sense of discovery with this amazing world that Alita is being exposed to. Additionally, as she begins to become more self-aware of who she is, you can understand the emotion and she struggles with love, trust and obligation. Furthermore, from a technical standpoint, by the end of the movie, I was not thinking of Alita being something that is motion captured and instead just accepted her as part of this onscreen world they delivered. This is really something that becomes make or break with this film for some people and it’s easy to dismiss it based on the trailers. However in context of the film, it works and does a good job drawing you in.
In addition to Alita, we are given strong performances from the ensemble cast of characters in the film. Christoph Waltz play’s Alita surrogate father Dr. Dyson Ido, Keean Johnson as the street smart and resourceful Hugo, Mahershala Ali as the gangster type gate keeper Vector, Jennifer Connelly as the morally ambiguous goal focused scientist and Ed Skrein as the cocky bounty hunter. Each of these characters play their roles well and help usher in the different levels of the society they live in. Perhaps the once complaint I have of this film is that the pacing of this film is so fast that we miss an opportunity to obtain a bit more backstory from some of these characters. It is not a big loss, but it makes you wonder if this film would have been better served as a 10 episode Netflix series or something of that nature.
In the end, I found myself enjoying this film more than I expected I would. Is it a perfect film? No. Nor does it invoke emotionally deep existential thought that the manga it is based on provides. But it does tell a sold story of self-discovery in a visually stunning and fully realized world. It is fun, fast paced and something that should be seen in the theaters. And if possible, do yourself a favor and watch it in 3D. This film has some of the best 3D effects since Avatar. The 3D doesn’t feel like an afterthought or gimmicky, but instead works to enhance the on screen world.
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Atlas of Adventures: Wonders of the World in Books
Dec 11, 2018
beautifully illustrated pages (1 more)
"find and seek" at the end of the book
Latest in the best-selling "Atlas of Adventures" series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
"Atlas of Adventures: Wonders of the World" is the latest in the best-selling "Atlas of Adventures" series by Ben Handicott with illustrations by Lucy Letherland. The series is a set of colorful atlases marketed for children. Each of the 96 beautifully illustrated pages contains short informative and fascinating statements about the wonder. The book is divided by continent "showcasing the globe's most impressive landscapes, iconic buildings and evocative antiquities from both the modern and ancient worlds". Many of the wonders are those you would expect to find but it includes a few surprising ones too.
At the end of the book, there is a cute and enjoyable "find and seek" of many of the pictures presented throughout the book.
This book is larger than a normal hardback book. Its dimensions are 11.2 x 15 inches which would help to be able to read the statements. The series is available as a hardback. Reading it as an e-book was difficult because the book needed to be shrunken to screen size.
It is highly ranked on Amazon for sales in both the "Geography & Cultures > Travel" and "Science, Nature & How It Works > Mystery & Wonders" categories as of 12/11/18.
"Atlas of Adventures: Wonders of the World" is the latest in the best-selling "Atlas of Adventures" series by Ben Handicott with illustrations by Lucy Letherland. The series is a set of colorful atlases marketed for children. Each of the 96 beautifully illustrated pages contains short informative and fascinating statements about the wonder. The book is divided by continent "showcasing the globe's most impressive landscapes, iconic buildings and evocative antiquities from both the modern and ancient worlds". Many of the wonders are those you would expect to find but it includes a few surprising ones too.
At the end of the book, there is a cute and enjoyable "find and seek" of many of the pictures presented throughout the book.
This book is larger than a normal hardback book. Its dimensions are 11.2 x 15 inches which would help to be able to read the statements. The series is available as a hardback. Reading it as an e-book was difficult because the book needed to be shrunken to screen size.
It is highly ranked on Amazon for sales in both the "Geography & Cultures > Travel" and "Science, Nature & How It Works > Mystery & Wonders" categories as of 12/11/18.
TC
The Cinema of Things: Globalization and the Posthuman Object
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Knock at the cabin (2023) in Movies
Feb 4, 2023
Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan is back with his new thriller “Knock at
the Cabin” and like his earlier works; the film blends reality with
supernatural elements to put ordinary people in circumstances that are
dangerous and unnatural.
The film involves a same-sex couple named Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew
(Ben Aldridge), who have taken their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui),
to a secluded cabin for a relaxing vacation.
The arrival of four strangers lead by the imposing but soft-spoken Leonard
(Dave Bautista) becomes dangerous when Leonard informs them that the world
is about to end and only by choosing to sacrifice one of them can the
Apocalypse be diverted.
Leonard explains that the four had the same vision of the end of the world
and that they were drawn to save it by taking such drastic actions. They
inform their captives that they will not harm them but they will not be
allowed to leave as they must make the choice and failure to do so will
doom everyone and force the three of them to exist as the sole-survivors
of the aftermath.
Convinced that the intruders are insane; Eric and Andrew refuse the offer
and watch as one of the four captives sacrifices themselves which is soon
followed by news on the television of a massive earthquakes which resulted
in tsunamis.
Convinced it is a ruse or simply timed events to the days news; the
captives again refuse a request only to see another sacrifice followed by
more news of devastation happening around the world.
What follows is a tight thriller as Eric and Andrew learn more about their
captives and the changing world situation which forces them to confront a
world gone mad.
The film is good at setting a tone and maintaining a mild tension
throughout as the audience is left to wonder how real what is being
presented by Leonard and his associates are. I liked the fact that the
movie did not try to wrap things up nice and tidy and left the audiences
with some questions about the events as well as what would happen in the
aftermath.
Bautista gives an career-best performance and shows that his is capable of
doing more than the action-comedy genre which he has been playing to date
and I hope he continues to seek roles such as this.
While the film may not reach the levels of some of his earlier classics,
Shyamalan has crafted an entertaining film that keeps you guessing.
3.5 stars out of 5
the Cabin” and like his earlier works; the film blends reality with
supernatural elements to put ordinary people in circumstances that are
dangerous and unnatural.
The film involves a same-sex couple named Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew
(Ben Aldridge), who have taken their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui),
to a secluded cabin for a relaxing vacation.
The arrival of four strangers lead by the imposing but soft-spoken Leonard
(Dave Bautista) becomes dangerous when Leonard informs them that the world
is about to end and only by choosing to sacrifice one of them can the
Apocalypse be diverted.
Leonard explains that the four had the same vision of the end of the world
and that they were drawn to save it by taking such drastic actions. They
inform their captives that they will not harm them but they will not be
allowed to leave as they must make the choice and failure to do so will
doom everyone and force the three of them to exist as the sole-survivors
of the aftermath.
Convinced that the intruders are insane; Eric and Andrew refuse the offer
and watch as one of the four captives sacrifices themselves which is soon
followed by news on the television of a massive earthquakes which resulted
in tsunamis.
Convinced it is a ruse or simply timed events to the days news; the
captives again refuse a request only to see another sacrifice followed by
more news of devastation happening around the world.
What follows is a tight thriller as Eric and Andrew learn more about their
captives and the changing world situation which forces them to confront a
world gone mad.
The film is good at setting a tone and maintaining a mild tension
throughout as the audience is left to wonder how real what is being
presented by Leonard and his associates are. I liked the fact that the
movie did not try to wrap things up nice and tidy and left the audiences
with some questions about the events as well as what would happen in the
aftermath.
Bautista gives an career-best performance and shows that his is capable of
doing more than the action-comedy genre which he has been playing to date
and I hope he continues to seek roles such as this.
While the film may not reach the levels of some of his earlier classics,
Shyamalan has crafted an entertaining film that keeps you guessing.
3.5 stars out of 5
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Silver Mask in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The Silver Mask is the fourth book in the Magisterium series, which is co-written by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. We dive back into the world with our characters reeling from the events of the third book. That being said, if you haven't read the series I wouldn't recommend diving into this review.
We find Call in the Panopticon, a prison for Mages because his secret was revealed and now the entire Mage-world fears him. He continues to battle against any decisions he feels might push him down the path to Evil Overlord-ness and assure everyone that he is Call, despite the soul inside him. He struggles with doing what he feels is right and righting his world after what happened in the Bronze Key. It's tough to lose someone and just accept it when you believe that you might have the power to do something about it.
This middle-grade book was a little slow to start, though the pacing issues might have just been me as a reader getting back into the story after not inhabiting the world since the last book was released. Personally, though, I feel that the pacing wasn't as swift as it should have been to keep readers engaged, especially middle-grade readers. A lot of the story just revolved around sneaking about, learning more about his abilities and being trapped in a house. It's tough to make a plot exciting when the main characters don't leave the same house for 75% of the book.
The second half of the book picked up more and by the end of the story, it was definitely engaging. It felt like it was leading up to a finale, but there is a fifth book in the series. Once you read the last few pages and the epilogue it will definitely make you wish the next book was written already. Alas, you'll probably have to wait until the end of 2018 to continue. I would recommend this series to middle-grade readers who are looking to get into fantasy without having to delve into the intrinsic magic systems and vast world-building that some series have.
We find Call in the Panopticon, a prison for Mages because his secret was revealed and now the entire Mage-world fears him. He continues to battle against any decisions he feels might push him down the path to Evil Overlord-ness and assure everyone that he is Call, despite the soul inside him. He struggles with doing what he feels is right and righting his world after what happened in the Bronze Key. It's tough to lose someone and just accept it when you believe that you might have the power to do something about it.
This middle-grade book was a little slow to start, though the pacing issues might have just been me as a reader getting back into the story after not inhabiting the world since the last book was released. Personally, though, I feel that the pacing wasn't as swift as it should have been to keep readers engaged, especially middle-grade readers. A lot of the story just revolved around sneaking about, learning more about his abilities and being trapped in a house. It's tough to make a plot exciting when the main characters don't leave the same house for 75% of the book.
The second half of the book picked up more and by the end of the story, it was definitely engaging. It felt like it was leading up to a finale, but there is a fifth book in the series. Once you read the last few pages and the epilogue it will definitely make you wish the next book was written already. Alas, you'll probably have to wait until the end of 2018 to continue. I would recommend this series to middle-grade readers who are looking to get into fantasy without having to delve into the intrinsic magic systems and vast world-building that some series have.
Too Much Pressure by Selecter / Selector
7.0
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The Selecter were one of the key bands of the ska revival in the late '70s and one of the few...