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 The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles #3)
The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles #3)
Mary E. Pearson | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
That was one of the hardest books I had to rate and review. The reason is that the adult part of me had very specific expectations while my young teenager self was reminding me that this is a YA book. More details.

Things that I liked:
-Lia is taking control of her destiny and do everything she can to save her people. As with the previous books is a strong female character, with personality and a big heart.
- We keep seeing how Lia is still attached to Venda and is also willing to help them. Is not just about saving her people but it's also about saving the people of Venda from their tyrant.
-Nice twists regarding Kaden past.
-Nice twists regarding Lia family
-I liked Lia's and her family dynamic.

Things my teenager self liked:
-Everybody gets a happy ending. Every main character survives and every one of them found love. A classic fairy tale ending.

Things I didn't like:
-Everybody gets a happy ending. Every main character survives and every one of them found love. A classic fairy tale ending... As an adult, I really didn't like that. First of all, if you have a love triangle and for two books you are telling us how much both Rafe and Kaden are sooooo deeply in love with Lia you don't get to just make Kaden fall in love with Pauline out of the blue and forget about Lia and just be besties. NO. I want my heart to be broken. I had mentally prepared myself for him to die or at the end to de like "I can be around you if you are not mine" and just leave. The author had an amazing opportunity to break our hearts but not... It's a YA book we can't do that. I sound like a crazy person I know...
-I felt this book was slower than it should have been. I was 40 pages from the end and this big battle between the ferocious army of Venda haven't even started. We had a big build-up from the previous book and I wanted an epic battle with twists and turns but it didn't happen.
-For 3 book we were told that Lia would have to "sacrifice" herself for the greater good. Well, that didn't happen either. Well, she "sacrificed" because she became the queen of Venda and couldn't be with Rafe. Ok, I can deal with that but then at the end, Lia and Rafe are "we love each other so we'll make it work", sooo... where is the sacrifice? Again a great opportunity to break our hearts but no... we went with the happy ending.

As I said this is a YA book so I'm perfectly aware of the author choices and I respect them. As a teenager, this would have probably been a 10/10. But if this final book was written for an adult audience it could have been heartbreaking and amazing.
  
Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1)
Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1)
Kiersten White | 2010 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Original Review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-paranormalcy-by-kiersten-white.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>.

     I'll be honest here: I just adore Evie's personality. And her habit of "bleep" when swearing which she picked up from her watery friend, Lish (such a sad ending for her. Dx *tears up again*). I'll probably face it. I kinda got the bleep habit as well after reading it, LOL. Not that I swear much myself. I kinda use it for fun sometimes when it's appropriate (Read: Really Fun Word to Use When Right).

     Did it make a lasting impression? Well...

     In the majority of cases, yep, it certainly did. In the meaning of "Will-I-read-it-again-and-again-so-I-can-visit-again" type of thing, it would be an eh... I guess we'll have to see. There's this great perk about the Paranormal genre, but I thought in Paranormalcy's case, it wasn't a lot as I expected it, but overall, it was pretty good.

     The title is really catchy and makes you think a bit on what it really means. Though I don't really see how it's related in a way to the story. Maybe it'll come to me later. I hope. (That's right. I still haven't figured it out, XD) Same for the cover in a way. Although... I guess I can. The story is related to Evie after all. I'm assuming the girl on the cover is Evie. No guarantees of being right. I'm just guessing. (And guessing is never wrong. Is it? O_O)

     How about the others then? I can't really detect the villains though. There seems to be a few, of which I shall not name for the sake of spoilers. Plus, they're not that scary. I was thinking some creep that would try and steal your soul to live like the villain from Silver Phoenix (read it BEFORE Bookwyrming Thoughts was born, so no review anywhere.) And I despise Reth. Can't you see Evie wants no business with you whatsoever? Dx I guess faeries aren't always smart as mentioned probably in the book already.

     But oy, what makes me give it an epic rating of 4.25? Okay, not a 4.25 then. A 4. Not dealing with graphics again... even though I enjoy doing it at times. :) What really makes me give it a high rating and not a "in-the-middle-due-to-a-bit-of-lack-of-action-because-I'm-also-drawn-to-action-and-adventure-books-mixed-in-with-other-genres" type of rating is White's writing style. I just love it. It's light-hearted, kind of care-free, humorous, and cute mixed with awesome-ness and totally fun voice.

     Will I read the next book? Yep. Just please keep up the awesomous style. I just adore it (Read: LOVEEE it!). :3
  
Power Rangers (2017)
Power Rangers (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
Contains spoilers, click to show
About 85% of this reboot of the popular 90s show Power Rangers is quite a broody and charming enough story about a group of five (mostly outcast) teenagers finding a bond and friendship after discovering that they've be given superpowers. This is spliced with the odd training montage of them all learning how to harness their new found powers.
It pretty straightforward, and thanks the main cast, it's fairly enjoyable.
Lead by Jason (Stranger Things' Dacre Montgomery), the five friends are probably the main positive about the film.

As the movie draws on, we are teased with just enough Power Rangers material to keep the intrigue afloat - the presence of Zordon (Bryan Cranston), Alpha 5 (Bill Hader) and Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks), glimpses of the Zords and so on, but the narrative never strays too far from this core theme of strength through friendship.
That is until the final act of course...

I'll admit that I felt a swelling of excitement when the Power Rangers finally appeared in full armour, kicking the shit out of faceless CGI henchman, but it's at this point that director Dean Israelite goes FULL POWER RANGERS. We even get the classic theme tune as the Rangers charge towards Goldar (eye burning CGI, but kind of cool) and Rita in their Zords (also kind of cool) but here in lies the main problem with the film as a whole.
The nostalgia is laid on so thick that it feels like a completely different film. With the first 3/4 being somewhat grounded in realism (sort of), with serious themes and relatable human characters, the final act of flat out Power Rangers absurdity doesn't quite gel. I have no problem with either approach, but I feel like maybe the writers should have picked one and stuck with it.
The well developed teenagers that we've spent and hour and half with at this point are suddenly wise cracking and quipping like there's no tomorrow. The big climatic battle looks ok, but it has that really overplayed Kanye West song obnoxiously blasting throughout (which just gave me *shudder* Suicide Squad vibes), and after being built up to be a genuinely threatening villain, Rita is easily dispatched by a big CGI bitchslap into CGI space, by the big CGI hand of the big CGI Megazord (still kind of cool).
It's just a little meh.

I have fond memories of Power Rangers from my childhood, and I realise that this modern retelling is also aimed at a younger audience, and in that respect I'm sure it's very entertaining, and I give credit to the writers for touching upon more adult issues, but overall, I wish it had been better. Power Rangers is silly, but it does genuinely have scope to be an epic franchise.

Final note - the running Krispy Kreme joke got old very quickly 🖕
  
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director JJ Abrams was faced with a daunting task; bringing the 9 part Star Wars main story to a satisfying conclusion and appeasing certain toxic fans who have been very displeased with the last two cinematic outings for the franchise.

Thankfully Abrams has stuck the landing and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is an entertaining and satisfying conclusion with enough action and nostalgic moments to spare.

Picking up after the events of the last film; it is learned that threatening radio transmissions are going out across the galaxy in the voice of the late Emperor Palpatine. This deeply concerns Leia (Carrie Fisher) and her remaining Resistance as it combines with The First Order to create a larger possible threat than anyone could deal with.

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is also very interested in the source of the signal as he does not want anything to stand in the way of his control of The First Order and will use whatever brutal means at his disposal to increase his power.

Naturally this sets Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac), along with Chewbacca and C3PO on a daring mission to find clues to the source of the transmissions and stop what appears to be a devastating invasion which will make anything the First Order has pale in comparison.

Naturally there are plenty of amazing special effects, twists, turns, and surprises along the way as the film races to an epic confrontation.

The film hits the ground running with plenty of action at the start before settling into a longer narrative setup than some fans might like. Thankfully there are enough points of interest along the way to hold your attention before the action kicks up.
The film combines new and favorite locales and characters to create a satisfying finale to the Skywalker saga as the biggest questions from the new trilogy are answered and the few new ones I have after this will likely be heavily debated by fans or explored in a future book or comic and they are minor questions indeed.
The characters work well with one another and it is difficult to go into specifics without spoiling the film as there are plenty of surprises as I mentioned earlier. Suffice it to say that while it will not usurp the original “Star Wars” or “The Empire Strikes Back” amongst fans; it likely will be considered the most enjoyable of the new trilogy and best since “Rogue One” in the Disney era of the franchise.

The biggest remaining question is what is next for the film series as there have been rumors of a new film in 2022 with a new setting, cast, and possibly timeline. While audiences will have to wait and see what the cinematic future for the franchise is; they can be content with a very enjoyable new film.
4 stars out of 5
  
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)
2011 | Action, Animation, Family
8
6.9 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
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.
  
Rio (2011)
Rio (2011)
2011 | Action, Animation, Comedy
8
6.7 (25 Ratings)
Movie Rating
As the very colorful birds of the jungle in Rio de Janeiro are partying it up with singing and aeriel dancing some humans crash the party and capture some of the birds, one of them being a very young blue macaw. From there they are flown to the U.S. with final destinations unknown. Thanks to some poor driving habits the crate containing the young blue macaw is left stranded in the freezing snow of Minnesota but he is soon saved by a young girl named Linda who names him Blu (I know not very original).

Fast forward 15 years, Linda and Blu run a bookstore and even though he has never learned to fly he loves the indoor domestic lifestyle and has never thought of returning to Rio. That is until Dr. Barbosa arrives and informs them that Blu is the last known male blue macaw in the world and that at his bird sanctuary in Rio he has the last known female blue macaw, named Jewel. After some hesitation they decide it is species saving time and go with Dr. Barbosa to Rio. As Blu and Jewel get to know each other (that’s not an euphemism), Dr. Barbosa and Linda decide they should give them some alone time and leave. But while the humans are away making a connection of their own, someone breaks into the bird sanctuary and abducts Blu and Jewel.

The two blue macaws soon find themselves shackled together and locked away with many other birds to be taken to final destinations unknown (hmmm, deja vu). Blu and Jewel are able to escape from their captors but not from the shackles that bind them and thus begins their epic journey to freedom from the shackles. Along the way they befriend some very interesting characters who do their best to help them along the way. Will Jewel and Blu be free of the shackles? Will Blu and Linda ever be reunited? Will Blu ever learn to fly? What about the bookstore?

While the story is very predictable and at least once I could tell the kids were losing interest during a scene, the animation is beautiful and amazing, the humor is great and I saw many of the kids in the theater bobbing their heads along to the songs. They could not have done any better with the incredible voice cast: Blu and Jewel are voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway and Leslie Mann voices Linda. The incredible supporting cast voices iniclude Wanda Sykes, Lane Lynch, Jamie Fox, Will.I.Am and George Lopez.

Overall, regardless of age, everyone in the theater seemed to enjoy the film as much, if not more, as I did. But just to be sure I brought along a friend’s 10 year old to get his perspective and posed a few questions. I was very happy to mostly get more than one word answers:
  
    Toy Defense Fantasy

    Toy Defense Fantasy

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

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    Toy Defense Fantasy 2.0 will please fans of tower defence genre with excellent graphics,...

    Cheetah Simulator

    Cheetah Simulator

    Games and Education

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    Enter into the wild savanna and live the life of a Cheetah! Explore a vast grassy plain filled with...

    Overkill 3

    Overkill 3

    Games and Entertainment

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    8 environments with more than 60 battlefields, 4 game modes and over 30 guns to shoot your way...