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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) in Movies
Aug 23, 2021
The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has arrived with “Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings”.
The film introduces audiences to Shang Chi (Simu Liu); an easygoing San Francisco resident who spends his time parking cars and hanging out with his friend Katy (Awkwafina) and her family.
Life is steady if unspectacular until he is accosted on a city bus by a group looking to take a pendant his mother gave him. When Shang Chi shocks Katy and the occupants of the bus with his martial arts abilities; he attempts to find his sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang); who runs an underground fight club. While Xialing is estranged from her brother; their father Wenwu (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) has conspired to bring them and their pendants before him.
Their father uses the power of sacred devices known as the Ten Rings to rule for over a thousand years and destroys all who would oppose him thanks to their power and the army he has gathered over the centuries.
Wenwu wants to revive their long-dead mother as he is convinced that she is calling to him and he wants to be with her as he was able to be a better man and forsake the power and abilities the rings offered him.
When it is learned that Wenwu plans to go to a mythical realm that their mother came from and free her or burn the place to the ground; Shang Chi must make some hard choices between family and doing what he believes is right.
What follows is an action-filled thriller with plenty of mysticism and humor. The film has a very engaging visual style that combines Asian and Western cinematic styles which results in some very engaging visuals as well as action sequences.
What really sets the film apart from many Super Hero films is that the characters have a solid base to them as they have a complexity to them in regards to their past and their motivations. Their relationships with one another are key to the film as family, honor, and justice are key elements to the film but they are not given lip service but are developed well along with their characters.
While the final act may be a bit FX heavy for some; I found it in keeping with the story and the characters and the great Sir Ben Kingsley provides some very welcome comic relief in his return as Trevor.
Awkwafina is also great as she provides some very laugh-out-loud moments but is not afraid to mix it up when the situation calls for him. Simu Liu was very enjoyable in the lead role as he performed the physical aspects of his character well but added a restrained sensitivity to his character as he is a complicated individual who is conflicted by choices he made in his youth and the ramifications of them now as an adult.
There are bonus scenes that set up future adventures well including one that will no doubt have Marvel fans heatedly debating when the film premieres.
Once again Marvel has shown why they have had such a sustained success with their films as they have done a great job again of introducing a new character to the Cinematic Universe but also connecting him to their cinematic past and future.
4 stars out of 5
The film introduces audiences to Shang Chi (Simu Liu); an easygoing San Francisco resident who spends his time parking cars and hanging out with his friend Katy (Awkwafina) and her family.
Life is steady if unspectacular until he is accosted on a city bus by a group looking to take a pendant his mother gave him. When Shang Chi shocks Katy and the occupants of the bus with his martial arts abilities; he attempts to find his sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang); who runs an underground fight club. While Xialing is estranged from her brother; their father Wenwu (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) has conspired to bring them and their pendants before him.
Their father uses the power of sacred devices known as the Ten Rings to rule for over a thousand years and destroys all who would oppose him thanks to their power and the army he has gathered over the centuries.
Wenwu wants to revive their long-dead mother as he is convinced that she is calling to him and he wants to be with her as he was able to be a better man and forsake the power and abilities the rings offered him.
When it is learned that Wenwu plans to go to a mythical realm that their mother came from and free her or burn the place to the ground; Shang Chi must make some hard choices between family and doing what he believes is right.
What follows is an action-filled thriller with plenty of mysticism and humor. The film has a very engaging visual style that combines Asian and Western cinematic styles which results in some very engaging visuals as well as action sequences.
What really sets the film apart from many Super Hero films is that the characters have a solid base to them as they have a complexity to them in regards to their past and their motivations. Their relationships with one another are key to the film as family, honor, and justice are key elements to the film but they are not given lip service but are developed well along with their characters.
While the final act may be a bit FX heavy for some; I found it in keeping with the story and the characters and the great Sir Ben Kingsley provides some very welcome comic relief in his return as Trevor.
Awkwafina is also great as she provides some very laugh-out-loud moments but is not afraid to mix it up when the situation calls for him. Simu Liu was very enjoyable in the lead role as he performed the physical aspects of his character well but added a restrained sensitivity to his character as he is a complicated individual who is conflicted by choices he made in his youth and the ramifications of them now as an adult.
There are bonus scenes that set up future adventures well including one that will no doubt have Marvel fans heatedly debating when the film premieres.
Once again Marvel has shown why they have had such a sustained success with their films as they have done a great job again of introducing a new character to the Cinematic Universe but also connecting him to their cinematic past and future.
4 stars out of 5
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao in Books
Oct 29, 2017 (Updated Oct 29, 2017)
Amusing, yet disappointing thanks to all the hype
For six months I've been saving this book mostly because of how much praise this book has received. Not only did this receive the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction but also a Pulitzer Prize. And was it worth the awards? I personally don't think so.
Labelled 'a masterpiece' by critics, the book follows the life of Oscar de Leon, or as some know him as Oscar Wao, from the perspective of the people that know him. From the title you can expect something interesting happened to him to reduce his lifespan and this definitely is the case.
Through his friend Yunior and sister Lola's accounts, they delve into the history of the Dominican Republic where they were originally from before settling in New York. Fuku or a curse, plays a big role in this book, as the de Leon family believed they had faced many misfortunes over the generations and ghetto nerd Oscar was no exception. In between the chaos of murder and corruption, were several love stories that went awry.
And while some of it was interesting, and you need a good grasp of Spanish, the footnotes became irritating filling several half pages to explain the historical context. To be honest, apart from the grandmother La Inca, and sister Lola, most of the characters were unlikable - the idiotic things they'll do for love are astounding. The language was rich, but the structure seemed slightly convoluted, as if the writer had attempted to keep a scheme in place but it still leaked everywhere. While some of it is engaging, I'm really not sure how this won the Pulitzer.
Labelled 'a masterpiece' by critics, the book follows the life of Oscar de Leon, or as some know him as Oscar Wao, from the perspective of the people that know him. From the title you can expect something interesting happened to him to reduce his lifespan and this definitely is the case.
Through his friend Yunior and sister Lola's accounts, they delve into the history of the Dominican Republic where they were originally from before settling in New York. Fuku or a curse, plays a big role in this book, as the de Leon family believed they had faced many misfortunes over the generations and ghetto nerd Oscar was no exception. In between the chaos of murder and corruption, were several love stories that went awry.
And while some of it was interesting, and you need a good grasp of Spanish, the footnotes became irritating filling several half pages to explain the historical context. To be honest, apart from the grandmother La Inca, and sister Lola, most of the characters were unlikable - the idiotic things they'll do for love are astounding. The language was rich, but the structure seemed slightly convoluted, as if the writer had attempted to keep a scheme in place but it still leaked everywhere. While some of it is engaging, I'm really not sure how this won the Pulitzer.
Dr Dystopian (526 KP) rated The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in Video Games
Jan 8, 2018
Gameplay (4 more)
Size of the map
Sheer amount to do
Replayability
Decent main story with tonnes of minor story missions
Glitches inherent to Bethesda games (1 more)
Some of the NPC's are very vanilla and interchangeable
Too good to miss out on!
A massive game that is awesome fun from the moment you turn it on to when you finally put it down tens of not hundreds of hours later! This game is a true masterpiece by Bethesda having already provided an incredible game earlier in the series with Oblivion.
The main storyline is engaging and takes a fair amount of time to accomplish however it is the build quests, the minor missions and the sheer number of caves, buildings, dungeons and so forth that can be found all across the map which is where this game truly shines.
The combat mechanics are great, not overly simplistic and not too challenging but a decent happy medium. The graphics for the game, for the time, were about as good as they get.
True to Bethesda the game is not without its issues, bizarre graphical glitches, dragons flying backwards in game breaking mechanics can sometimes lead to frustration especially if you've played for several hours without saving!
The skill tree has also been completely altered from Oblivions game and whilst some may feel it is overly simplistic it does allow newbies to get to grips with the game much easier than its predecessor.
All in all its a game that is hard to put down once you start and with dlc that provides additional content, including a whole new island, this is one of those games worth every single penny.
The main storyline is engaging and takes a fair amount of time to accomplish however it is the build quests, the minor missions and the sheer number of caves, buildings, dungeons and so forth that can be found all across the map which is where this game truly shines.
The combat mechanics are great, not overly simplistic and not too challenging but a decent happy medium. The graphics for the game, for the time, were about as good as they get.
True to Bethesda the game is not without its issues, bizarre graphical glitches, dragons flying backwards in game breaking mechanics can sometimes lead to frustration especially if you've played for several hours without saving!
The skill tree has also been completely altered from Oblivions game and whilst some may feel it is overly simplistic it does allow newbies to get to grips with the game much easier than its predecessor.
All in all its a game that is hard to put down once you start and with dlc that provides additional content, including a whole new island, this is one of those games worth every single penny.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated T2 Trainspotting (2017) in Movies
Jul 19, 2017
Cast (3 more)
Script
Direction
Soundtrack
Here comes Johnny Yen again...
Choose nostalgia, choose sequels, choose another dose of high energy antics and following four reprobates as they show that although time rolls by, people don’t change. Choose betraying your mates and abandoning them for two decades until you are forced to return home and face your demons. Choose to buy the fact that Renton returns to Edinburgh the same week that Begbie decides to break out of prison after a twenty year stretch and try not to think too much about it. Choose facing the fact that we aren’t getting any younger and not everything works out the way we hope it will. Choose a killer soundtrack, a lighter tone, a witty script and phenomenal direction. Danny Boyle and the cast in this movie have came a long way in the last twenty years and this movie exhibits that awesomely, but doesn’t forget where they came from. This movie was never going to exceed the first movie but it instead functions as a companion piece to the original and actually makes the events of the first movie more meaningful. The film isn’t afraid to play on its legacy and the fact that a good amount of time has passed since the last time we saw these characters, it in fact relies on the time that has past since the original movie. This is one of the best Scottish films ever made and is right up there alongside the original and the two movies together tell a fantastic, gripping and engaging story over a significant period of time.
SummerLGrant (185 KP) rated Marvel's Iron Fist - Season 1 in TV
Aug 11, 2017
Rounding up the story and setting up the Defenders (3 more)
Colleen Wing was pretty awesome
Learn more about the Hand
Decent fight scenes
Pretty slow (3 more)
Missing the excitement of Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage
The Meachums!
Claire Temple's character development
A decent try but not up to par
Contains spoilers, click to show
It was ok but it wasn't amazing, which is what you expect with a Marvel TV series these days. There's nothing particularly special about Iron Fist, the fight scenes are good but watching it after Daredevil makes it look a little tame.
The characters aren't as engaging as they are in Jessica Jones (and following the brilliance of Kilgrave and Wilson Fisk the bad guys aren't looking nearly as bad) but they're largely likeable. Colleen Wing is a great character and I look forward to learning more about her in the future.
Another disappointment is the way Claire Temple's character has played out. It's actually understandable given everything she's gone through in the other shows but she's the only one who's stretched across all shows so there's been an investment in her character and it's a shame that she's pretty hard-hearted, brash and aggressive in Iron First.
Anyway, for all of that the show is pretty good, they story is decent and you want to know what's going to happen next. It's also really nice to be learning more about the hand after they were introduced in Daredevil and there's even the return of Madame Gao, who's just plain awesome.
It's worth watching to swot up on everything before The Defenders turns up later this month.
The characters aren't as engaging as they are in Jessica Jones (and following the brilliance of Kilgrave and Wilson Fisk the bad guys aren't looking nearly as bad) but they're largely likeable. Colleen Wing is a great character and I look forward to learning more about her in the future.
Another disappointment is the way Claire Temple's character has played out. It's actually understandable given everything she's gone through in the other shows but she's the only one who's stretched across all shows so there's been an investment in her character and it's a shame that she's pretty hard-hearted, brash and aggressive in Iron First.
Anyway, for all of that the show is pretty good, they story is decent and you want to know what's going to happen next. It's also really nice to be learning more about the hand after they were introduced in Daredevil and there's even the return of Madame Gao, who's just plain awesome.
It's worth watching to swot up on everything before The Defenders turns up later this month.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Monster: A Novel of Extreme Horror and Gore in Books
May 9, 2018
Long exposition (3 more)
Shifting narratives
Many typos
Anticlimactic Ending
The authors of MONSTER preface the book with a warning to the readers, cautioning them about the contents of the book. They really play it up: debating whether or not the story was too dark or too extreme and needed to be censored. It's ridiculous. If you've seen the first five minutes of the remake of The Hills Have Eyes 2, you've read this book. Matt Shaw really phones it in. He seems to be doing pretty well, popping out a book every month or so, and probably making a decent bit of cash too. So you'd think he'd be able to afford an editor. MONSTER is riddled with typos that should embarrass professional writers, like the misuse of "it's" and "its" in the same sentence, and a complete lack of knowledge on how quoting dialogue works. Also, it's almost impossible to get a sense of where this book is set until they explicitly tell you. All the characters use British slang and spellings, but it's set in Indiana. Okay.
Matt Shaw says in the introduction that he writes his endings to leave the audience reeling. That's true. Because I wasted three hours or so on one of the most underwhelming, anticlimactic, predictable endings I've ever read. It felt like he was written into a corner, so he just STOPPED. That's how abruptly it ends. And yeah, we all get it. "Who's the real monster?" Really original.
Also, it's Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, not NIcholas. Wikipedia is a thing. So is imdb. Do your research!
Matt Shaw says in the introduction that he writes his endings to leave the audience reeling. That's true. Because I wasted three hours or so on one of the most underwhelming, anticlimactic, predictable endings I've ever read. It felt like he was written into a corner, so he just STOPPED. That's how abruptly it ends. And yeah, we all get it. "Who's the real monster?" Really original.
Also, it's Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, not NIcholas. Wikipedia is a thing. So is imdb. Do your research!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Blood Red Skies in Tabletop Games
May 18, 2018 (Updated May 18, 2018)
Warlord Games continue in their mission to entice Games Workshop's veteran players with an elegant and very engaging game of fighter combat from the Second World War. The system partly involves chucking loads of d6s, as you might expect, but also hinges around a very neat mechanic involving a tilting flying base which indicates your planes' status and places them at a state of advantage or disadvantage. The basic rules are very simple to learn; playing the game well is considerably more of a challenge.
Most of the components in the starter box are very appealing and well put-together; the planes come in different coloured plastic so even without paint they are easy to distinguish. If I had to sling a slight brick at this release it's that the rulebooks are very skimpy and don't cover a number of situations which are almost certain to arise in your first few games; it's easy enough to figure out what 'should' happen but it would be good to have official confirmation. The advanced rules for using bombers and other multi-engined planes are also somewhat confusingly presented.
There's also the point that even a week or so after the game's release, the general consensus is that the points values for some of the starting planes are a little bit hinky - the Spits and 109s seem well-balanced, but Russian Yaks seem generously priced while Japanese Zeroes cost too many points, for instance. However, many supplementary releases of other planes and so on are planned, so no doubt this will be fixed in due time. In the meantime this is a very enjoyable, attractive and extremely playable game.
Most of the components in the starter box are very appealing and well put-together; the planes come in different coloured plastic so even without paint they are easy to distinguish. If I had to sling a slight brick at this release it's that the rulebooks are very skimpy and don't cover a number of situations which are almost certain to arise in your first few games; it's easy enough to figure out what 'should' happen but it would be good to have official confirmation. The advanced rules for using bombers and other multi-engined planes are also somewhat confusingly presented.
There's also the point that even a week or so after the game's release, the general consensus is that the points values for some of the starting planes are a little bit hinky - the Spits and 109s seem well-balanced, but Russian Yaks seem generously priced while Japanese Zeroes cost too many points, for instance. However, many supplementary releases of other planes and so on are planned, so no doubt this will be fixed in due time. In the meantime this is a very enjoyable, attractive and extremely playable game.
Characters you care about (1 more)
An interesting, well thought out plot
A creepy thriller, well worth the watch!
23 years ago Carys Howell goes missing from a small Welsh village. The case is never solved. After the sudden and horrific death of her mother, Matilda Gray, celebrity cello player, finds herself drawn to the village and the case. Followed by close friend Hal, who has clear but unreciprocated feelings towards Matilda, she slowly begins to unravel the events around the case. What Matilda finds leads her into the world of the dark supernatural.
I found the story engaging and compelling and I really cared about the main characters- particularly Matilda and Hal. The supernatural scenes were creepy and a little jumpy at times.
There were a few issues that I had with the series, firstly some of the twists were a little predictable , but this is offset by the twists that were unexpected. My primary gripe with the series is that the ending left me wanting- it was missing that fulfilling ending that I was craving. I would have preferred an additional episode that covered the ‘black outs’, instead it was almost as if the writers had put so much into the rest of the series, that they got to the last thirty minutes and rushed it, missing out the meat.
The series does set itself up nicely for a season 2, but neither the BBC or Netflix have confirmed a renewal (both have a stake in the series). Despite the weak ending, I do hope that there is a sequel, as I believe it will be much darker and creepier.
I found the story engaging and compelling and I really cared about the main characters- particularly Matilda and Hal. The supernatural scenes were creepy and a little jumpy at times.
There were a few issues that I had with the series, firstly some of the twists were a little predictable , but this is offset by the twists that were unexpected. My primary gripe with the series is that the ending left me wanting- it was missing that fulfilling ending that I was craving. I would have preferred an additional episode that covered the ‘black outs’, instead it was almost as if the writers had put so much into the rest of the series, that they got to the last thirty minutes and rushed it, missing out the meat.
The series does set itself up nicely for a season 2, but neither the BBC or Netflix have confirmed a renewal (both have a stake in the series). Despite the weak ending, I do hope that there is a sequel, as I believe it will be much darker and creepier.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
In the ways of mystery, intrigue, and espionage in both the past and present narrative, I thought that [b:The Intelligencer|1098168|The Intelligencer|Leslie Silbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180962888s/1098168.jpg|1135397] was better (only brought up because I read it recently). I am a bit disappointed that there wasn't more of those in it and less romance, but not much. While predictible and not always original, it still has a charm of its own and, at times, was impossible to put down. The characters were great and I enjoyed Amy's spirited ways and the banter between her and Richard. All the secondary characters, epecially Jane and Richard's family and friends, were interesting and added to the story. I really liked Eloise, and even though she's not in it much, I really got a sense of knowing her and I can't wait to find out what happens with her next. That intrigues me as much as finding out what happens next with the Pink Carnation!
I haven't come across many books with the past/present espionage storyline and would be interested in reading more, so I'm glad that the author has decided to write more of these novels. I hope the sequels are equally as engaging and fun! And some more mystery might be nice too.
Mini-kinda-spoiler: <spoiler>
The one thing that kind of bothered me was that the title implies it is about the Pink Carnation when there really isn't much about ol' Pinkie. And the one major mission isn't really described at all! Probably because it didn't really involve the central characters or story, I imagine.</spoiler>
I haven't come across many books with the past/present espionage storyline and would be interested in reading more, so I'm glad that the author has decided to write more of these novels. I hope the sequels are equally as engaging and fun! And some more mystery might be nice too.
Mini-kinda-spoiler: <spoiler>
The one thing that kind of bothered me was that the title implies it is about the Pink Carnation when there really isn't much about ol' Pinkie. And the one major mission isn't really described at all! Probably because it didn't really involve the central characters or story, I imagine.</spoiler>
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Shadow Reigns (Witch-Hunter, #2) in Books
May 22, 2019
The second part of the Witch-Hunter series.
The world has been thrown into darkness by the Shadow Witch's revolution. The witch-hunters are scattered, but still strong. The race is now on to gather allies and win the war.
New enemies will arise; loyalties will be pushed to the limit. And an important question will be answered: can a witch-hunter that practices magic ever be trusted, or will he be persecuted?
It is said that 'love conquers all', but this twisted love must stay secret, locked away with the past.
The Shadow Reigns is the sequel to book 1 The Shadow Rises in K.S. Marsdens the witch hunter trilogy.
In the second instalment of the Witch-Hunter trilogy we find the world dealing with the catastrophic aftermath of the witches revolution. The remaining witch-hunters and the army form an alliance to plot the downfall of the powerful Shadow Witch and her followers.
I really like what the author has done with the plot twists in this one.
Hunter is embracing his newly realized anti-magic abilities. Hunter and his companions are searching for MMC survivors.
I found this one witty but also gritty.
The characters are so engaging and can just picture them in my mind.
The story and plot so well done and kept me on the edge of my seat!
Loved also the descriptive imagery of the landscape and also the magic.
Such a wonderful book.
Highly recommend reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The world has been thrown into darkness by the Shadow Witch's revolution. The witch-hunters are scattered, but still strong. The race is now on to gather allies and win the war.
New enemies will arise; loyalties will be pushed to the limit. And an important question will be answered: can a witch-hunter that practices magic ever be trusted, or will he be persecuted?
It is said that 'love conquers all', but this twisted love must stay secret, locked away with the past.
The Shadow Reigns is the sequel to book 1 The Shadow Rises in K.S. Marsdens the witch hunter trilogy.
In the second instalment of the Witch-Hunter trilogy we find the world dealing with the catastrophic aftermath of the witches revolution. The remaining witch-hunters and the army form an alliance to plot the downfall of the powerful Shadow Witch and her followers.
I really like what the author has done with the plot twists in this one.
Hunter is embracing his newly realized anti-magic abilities. Hunter and his companions are searching for MMC survivors.
I found this one witty but also gritty.
The characters are so engaging and can just picture them in my mind.
The story and plot so well done and kept me on the edge of my seat!
Loved also the descriptive imagery of the landscape and also the magic.
Such a wonderful book.
Highly recommend reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.