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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 20, 2019
Peace and Iron
Maleficent 2 is a wonderful, enchanting and breathtakingly beautiful sequel that constantly dazzles and delights. Within the few moments of watching Maleficent 2 I was so teeming with excitement and so engaged in its amazing world that I knew it was going to be something special. With a deliciously dark opening scene followed by a beautiful camera dive from the sky over the kingdom down into the forests bellow it was immediately a parent just how magical, creative and down right gorgeous this movie was going to be. Luckily it doesnt stop there and Maleficent 2 might just be one of the most breathtakingly beautiful films ive ever seen. This really adds to immersion/atmosphere and helps create such a believable lived in and vast world you can simply just get lost in. Angelina jolie is sensational almost as if she was born to play this character really bringing her alive by giving her character a real elegance, beauty, charm, anger and intelligence. Her prescence is increadibly intimidating and her temper is so firey that it brings great tension and unpredicatbility to even the smallest of scenes. Elle fanning fits here role perfectly too with her nervous, playful and innocent acting style well suited to her character. Make up and set design are jaw droping the sheer ammount of detail and intracacy thats gone into everything constantly blew me away and every single scene is a visual feast for your eyes to explore. Scale is fantastic too making battles increadibly epic/huge and establishing shots also help you see just how vast and expansive the world really is. Story is a little predictable at time but always feel engaging, fun and enjoyable with enough twists, turns and set pieces to keep it exciting. Theres surprising depth also with themes of hatred, racisum, abandonment, female empowerment, betrayal, loyalty, entrapment and theres even a toutch of politics in there too. Malifecent 2 really blew me away I really did not expect this kind of quality, scale or enjoyment going in to it and thus left the cinema thouroughly happy and entertained. I felt the film had given me the kind of magical experience that ive longed for in a film for a long time and made me feel enthrilled, awe inspired and nostalgic echoing back to the fantasty stories and fables I grew up with. Maleficent is magnificent.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 19, 2019 (Updated Jul 19, 2019)
If this is where the monarchy is headed Count me out!
Lion king 2019 is by far the worst of the Disney live action remakes & while newcomers/children will certainly love it many of the people that hold the original close to their hearts will leave wishing they had just stayed home with the far superior predecessor instead. Aladdin & The Lion King are two of the greatest animated feature films of all time & as I experienced them both in cinema on release they are very special to me. Now i loved the Aladdin remake & im not one for comparing these to the animated features but while I was watching this all i could think about was how much better the original is. While it looks absolutely gorgeous (until anything starts to move) the animation at times is so unnatural especially when animals are walking slowly that its constantly distracting & kills the illusion of these creatures being real. Voice work is bland/mediocre & delivered with almost no enthusiasm at all like the cast were more concerned with sounding different to the original than giving the characters charm & personality. Voices also dont feel connected to the characters like your watching a nature documentary thats been dubbed over. While Aladdin did its own thing & changed up the movie Lion King is practically & infuriatingly a scene for scene remake which would be ok if it had the charm, colour, grand scale, imagination, excitement, thrill, humour & emotional impact of the original but it doesnt. Songs are butchered/dull with seemingly no energy or spectacle to them at all feeling significantly toned down/grounded rather than fun & toe tapping (they have also ruined 'Be Prepared'). So whats new? theres new humour & yup you guessed it its really bad with awkward timing & dragged out jokes that just fall flat. I wanted so bad to love this movie but not even a scense of nostalgia kicked in either because the film is just soulless, unenthusiastic, boring, bland, lacking in excitement & magic. Kids will no doubt love it but for me its this years biggest let down. If it were a silent film with an epic score over the top it might of at least been unique/watchable & helped be bearable but as it is I just cant recomend seeing it. A big fat cash grab.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Jan 14, 2019 (Updated Jan 14, 2019)
Slightly flawed premise for a film
Contains spoilers, click to show
The premise of the film, that there are mysterious beings that, once seen, will drive sane people to suicide and insane people to do their bidding is intriguing. That is, until you realise that this means a film where people are either stuck inside, afraid of those mad "helpers" knocking on their door, or people wandering blindfolded around looking for food, water and shelter. Neither of these for me make for a particularly compelling watch. This film is split between the two.
The former aspects of the film are by far the best, people locked in a house together, running out of food (but somehow with plenty of electricity and running water) and considering venturing outside. However, with only those insane helpers likely to come to the door, we don't have the same level of jeopardy as your normal zombie/apocalypse film.
The latter aspects, people wandering around blindfolder, are just a nonsense. People driving in a car with blacked out windows and barely bumping into anything and sat-nav somehow getting them right to the front door (and the people know they are at the front door) was just totally unbelievable. Sat-nav frequently tells me I am in the sea when driving anywhere near the coast, so the chances of it accurately delivering me to the front door of a shop I programmed it for are minimal. Similarly when people are wandering around, they rarely bump into anything at all, and when they do it is always a trip (which would be easily avoided).
And finally the premise - the mysterious beings were not explored at all. While I am happy to have some mystery around the likes of this and actually hate it when they attempt to explain circumstances and fail, I felt this was just omitted completely. There is no real rhyme or reason for what happens in the film and I didn't like that. Its really just 2 hours of people afraid of some leaves.
The rating of this was for the suspense of the film and the acting within the house section, and for the epic opening sequences where the cataclysm unfolds, despite the glaring flaws in the premise and people miraculously getting around without concussion.
The former aspects of the film are by far the best, people locked in a house together, running out of food (but somehow with plenty of electricity and running water) and considering venturing outside. However, with only those insane helpers likely to come to the door, we don't have the same level of jeopardy as your normal zombie/apocalypse film.
The latter aspects, people wandering around blindfolder, are just a nonsense. People driving in a car with blacked out windows and barely bumping into anything and sat-nav somehow getting them right to the front door (and the people know they are at the front door) was just totally unbelievable. Sat-nav frequently tells me I am in the sea when driving anywhere near the coast, so the chances of it accurately delivering me to the front door of a shop I programmed it for are minimal. Similarly when people are wandering around, they rarely bump into anything at all, and when they do it is always a trip (which would be easily avoided).
And finally the premise - the mysterious beings were not explored at all. While I am happy to have some mystery around the likes of this and actually hate it when they attempt to explain circumstances and fail, I felt this was just omitted completely. There is no real rhyme or reason for what happens in the film and I didn't like that. Its really just 2 hours of people afraid of some leaves.
The rating of this was for the suspense of the film and the acting within the house section, and for the epic opening sequences where the cataclysm unfolds, despite the glaring flaws in the premise and people miraculously getting around without concussion.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Priory of the Orange Tree in Books
Jan 14, 2020
Strong female characters (2 more)
No filler
Deep history and lore
Compelling Fantasy
Wanting to try and branch out from just reading mainly thrillers this year I decided to get back on the fantasy track and picked this up at the library. I’m really glad I did it’s a great fantasy adventure set in a lore and history-rich world. I did have to get the ebook as well, as my wrists couldn’t cope with long reading sessions of the hardback copy and I didn’t want to put it down…..
It’s not an overly complicated fantasy tale and despite its 800+ pages, I found I was breezing through it at pace. It easily kept my interest and didn’t get too bogged down at any point. We have a tale of ancient evil rising, and a divided world will need to find a way to work together to defeat it.
Brimmed full of strong female characters we meet Ead hiding in the royal household of Inys under the guise of a maid-in-waiting but really is a kick-ass slayer/mage type, trying to protect the Queen. Meanwhile, on the other side of the great Abyss (big continent dividing ocean), we have Tane who has spent most of her life training to be a fearless dragon-riding warrior. The story is told from 4 different POVs but those two are the most engaging.
We have some romance (sigh lovey-dovey stuff - gross) but we don’t get bogged down in it and it feels entirely part of the story (not just tits and arse for the sake of it).
None of this book felt like unnecessary filler, despite epic journey's, we didn't have to read about every breakfast and lunch eaten (cough...). If anything some of the coincidences in characters meeting felt like it could of had more embellishment but I’m not really complaining it kept the story moving at a good clip. I felt the world that was built deserved a bit more of a complicated/nuanced tale but appreciate not having to slog through many years of sequels to get a conclusion. I didn’t feel the battles lived up to the overall size of the story but that may just be me watching too much TV...
Overall just what I needed to get me to want to keep branching out and reading a more diverse selection of genres - Go libraries!!!.
It’s not an overly complicated fantasy tale and despite its 800+ pages, I found I was breezing through it at pace. It easily kept my interest and didn’t get too bogged down at any point. We have a tale of ancient evil rising, and a divided world will need to find a way to work together to defeat it.
Brimmed full of strong female characters we meet Ead hiding in the royal household of Inys under the guise of a maid-in-waiting but really is a kick-ass slayer/mage type, trying to protect the Queen. Meanwhile, on the other side of the great Abyss (big continent dividing ocean), we have Tane who has spent most of her life training to be a fearless dragon-riding warrior. The story is told from 4 different POVs but those two are the most engaging.
We have some romance (sigh lovey-dovey stuff - gross) but we don’t get bogged down in it and it feels entirely part of the story (not just tits and arse for the sake of it).
None of this book felt like unnecessary filler, despite epic journey's, we didn't have to read about every breakfast and lunch eaten (cough...). If anything some of the coincidences in characters meeting felt like it could of had more embellishment but I’m not really complaining it kept the story moving at a good clip. I felt the world that was built deserved a bit more of a complicated/nuanced tale but appreciate not having to slog through many years of sequels to get a conclusion. I didn’t feel the battles lived up to the overall size of the story but that may just be me watching too much TV...
Overall just what I needed to get me to want to keep branching out and reading a more diverse selection of genres - Go libraries!!!.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated American Horror Story - Season 6 in TV
Jan 16, 2020
Season 6 of AHS, subtitled Roanoke, may very well be my favourite season to date, if not it comes a very close second to Asylum.
The thing that really stands out for me is the pacing. It's pretty much perfect. The first half of Roanoke takes place in the form of a documentary, called My Roanoke Nightmare, where a young couple who moved into a run down house, recount their horrific experience of the spirits that haunted the ground, and endangered their lives. The documentary has a dramatisation of the events alongside the interviews, which effectively has the same AHS characters being played by two different people.
The build up is slow burning and hugely entertaining, as we know that these characters survive the ordeal, as they are involved in the documentary, so we can enjoy the ride without worrying about their fates.
In true AHS style though, the second half of the season takes place a few years after the documentary, and Roanoke truly kicks off in an epic fashion.
It's hard to properly describe the narrative, and it's really best experienced yourself. It's clever television.
The style of Roanoke is quite subtle, and gives the season a sort of old fashioned sense. It also experiments here and there with 'found footage', lending AHS a Blair Witch-esque edge.
All of the cast are once again great. Kathy Bates is a highlight, both her roles during the documentary, and after. Series regulars like Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Lily Rabe are present and enjoyable, and it's awesome to see Cuba Gooding Jr. involved as well.
However this time around, AHS belongs to Sarah Paulson, who I thought really excelled during Roanoke, and Adina Porter, who gave the season it's more emotional moments. I think she's a fantastic actress, and was also a standout in her limited screentime during True Blood.
The gore and violence in Roanoke is probably at it's most visceral as far as AHS goes. There are some effectively gruesome moments littered throughout, and it's all looked like practical effects to me, which is how it should be! There are some really creepy shots as well, especially at the tail end of the season.
Roanoke is damn good. I'll be pleasantly surprised if AHS ever surpasses it.
The thing that really stands out for me is the pacing. It's pretty much perfect. The first half of Roanoke takes place in the form of a documentary, called My Roanoke Nightmare, where a young couple who moved into a run down house, recount their horrific experience of the spirits that haunted the ground, and endangered their lives. The documentary has a dramatisation of the events alongside the interviews, which effectively has the same AHS characters being played by two different people.
The build up is slow burning and hugely entertaining, as we know that these characters survive the ordeal, as they are involved in the documentary, so we can enjoy the ride without worrying about their fates.
In true AHS style though, the second half of the season takes place a few years after the documentary, and Roanoke truly kicks off in an epic fashion.
It's hard to properly describe the narrative, and it's really best experienced yourself. It's clever television.
The style of Roanoke is quite subtle, and gives the season a sort of old fashioned sense. It also experiments here and there with 'found footage', lending AHS a Blair Witch-esque edge.
All of the cast are once again great. Kathy Bates is a highlight, both her roles during the documentary, and after. Series regulars like Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Lily Rabe are present and enjoyable, and it's awesome to see Cuba Gooding Jr. involved as well.
However this time around, AHS belongs to Sarah Paulson, who I thought really excelled during Roanoke, and Adina Porter, who gave the season it's more emotional moments. I think she's a fantastic actress, and was also a standout in her limited screentime during True Blood.
The gore and violence in Roanoke is probably at it's most visceral as far as AHS goes. There are some effectively gruesome moments littered throughout, and it's all looked like practical effects to me, which is how it should be! There are some really creepy shots as well, especially at the tail end of the season.
Roanoke is damn good. I'll be pleasantly surprised if AHS ever surpasses it.
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