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Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
1983 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Packed With Iconic Moments
Jedi Luke Skywalker tries to put an end to the evil empire, led by Darth Vader, once and for all. While I consider Return of the Jedi the weaker of the older three, it still represents classic sci-fi that later films will aspire to be.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 8
Starts off a bit slower than the previous two, but doesn’t take too long to pick up. I wasn’t overly wowed, yet I was intrigued enough to want to see what was coming next. It was definitely a daring choice going almost twenty minutes before we start to see the main characters we know and love onscreen.

Characters: 10
Speaking of which, the gang is all back for Return of the Jedi. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is a hero for the ages, a lovable winner that is struggling to manage his power and his true place in the world. The Star Wars world is filled with such rich characters from the amazing Chewbaca to those cute little Ewoks. And we can’t forget about Vader one of the most terrifying villains in the history of film. Quality characters all around.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The lightsaber fights are just ramped up to another level in Return of the Jedi. The battles, especially between Luke and Vader, feel more personal and intense. As always, the setpieces leave a lot to remember. I loved the stormtrooper airbike chase through the forest. This, like many of the other scenes, were a treat to behold.

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 9

Memorability: 8
This movie is iconic, filled to the brim with memorable moments. There is one scene in particular that holds on to my memory, one between Luke and Yoda. It happens fairly early on in the movie and sets the pace for what is to come. A powerful moment between two icons. Whether we are witnessing phenomenal battles between good and evil or cute ewoks dancing, this movie is a walking memory.

Pace: 9

Plot: 8

Resolution: 10

Overall: 92
Not perfect, Return of the Jedi still manages to be a classic by tying up a lot of loose ends and checking off all the important movie boxes. It might not be the best of the series, but it is definitely one of the most endearing. It’s one I can watch repeatedly and enjoy it all over again like the first time.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Ancient Fall in Books

Jun 28, 2019  
Ancient Fall
Ancient Fall
Jaime Lee Mann | 2019 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jaime Lee Mann continues to enchant readers in the seventh book in the Legend of Rhyme series.Ancient Fall begins with the characters in various states of confusion. Twins, Ariana and Asher, find themselves lost in an ice-covered land and their mentors have vanished into thin air. Other characters are desperately trying to return to the magical realm of Coraira, however, the land appears to have died. Not only has Coraira been destroyed, but the Earth is not faring much better.

The Ancients have failed to look after the world and the humans, under a dark curse, have been abusing the planet for centuries. Mother Earth has decided to fight back. If she wins, it will mean the end of human life. By removing the powerful Ancients, Mother Earth does not think anyone will be able to stop her, however, she underestimates the heirs of Elora and Larque who join together to attempt to lift the curse. The only problem is, they are running out of time.

In the previous books, the main goal has been to protect the twins - of which there is more than one set - because they have a vital role in the future of the land of Rhyme. The fight has always been between good and evil, however, things are different in this final(?) book. Most of the baddies have been defeated and it is Mother Earth that is the antagonist. But is Mother Earth really evil? For years, humans have been polluting the world beyond repair and destroying everything is the only way Mother Earth can end her pain.

Although Ancient Fall is a work of fiction, it strikes close to the truth of the current predicament our own world is facing. Unless we completely change our ways, we will destroy the Earth and everything on it. Unfortunately, unlike Ariana, Asher and friends, we do not have magic on our side.

Admittedly, the last few books of the series have felt a little tedious, the story being dragged out to involve more and more characters. Once reading the seventh installation, however, the importance of each character becomes clear as they join together in a battle against nature.

Until now, Jaime Lee Mann has subtly alluded to issues relating to pollution and climate change, however, now the references are obvious. Children (or adults) will be thinking about the planet whilst they read and enjoy the storyline. If only Ariana and Asher were real!
  
    Hidden City®

    Hidden City®

    Games and Entertainment

    9.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    #1 Most Popular Hidden Object Game In the World! Get ready for a journey unlike any other! Mirages...

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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Rings (2017) in Movies

Oct 30, 2017 (Updated Oct 30, 2017)  
Rings (2017)
Rings (2017)
2017 | Horror
4
3.8 (21 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Done to death (excuse the pun)
(Rant) The American Ring series is a franchise that should never have been given the go-ahead in the first place, mostly because it's a massacre of the original Japanese film, as Hollywood has never heard of the term "less is more". And this pretty much tops the entire collection as the most pointless film that was made. Lessons were clearly not learnt from the initial two movies.

For one, assume that Samara is evil. There are no two ways about that. So why these do-gooders continually attempt to save her is beyond me. Do they never learn? And two, after seeing what Samara can do to a person's face in the previous films, this seems to be less frightening in the third and hopefully final film in the trilogy. Hence the above the qualm - less is more.

The Japanese films diverge massively, and the best part of it is the fact that they don't need to be over-dramatic to create pure fear. Japanese and Korean subtlety does not translate well in the US film industry and its uniqueness is why the movies were exemplary. Not worth your time.
  
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century
Timothy Snyder | 2017 | History & Politics
READ THIS NOW!
Apologies for such a forthright command, but this pithy and punchy short book is an absolute must-read. In less than 200 pages, Timothy Snyder, a Yale chair and renowned historian, describes why our actions today matter.

Along with Burleigh and Kershaw he has exposed the monstrosities of the evil regimes ruled by Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and other tyrants who have murdered at home and abroad. Having extensively studied both right-wing and left-wing tyrannical regimes, Snyder goes onto look at the 2016 presidential campaign and Donald Trump. "Post-truth is pre-fascism," he writes, in one of many passages that seem to cast the US as a society in a pre-fascist stage.

Snyder succinctly suggests that 20 lessons from history are invaluable if we are to avoid democracy collapsing as it did after 1918. History he agrees does not repeat but it does instruct.

In a world where truth, reality and fantasy are thrown into a huge melting pot - having a book that researched facts, presents political history and encourages the reader to make their own decisions is a liberating read.
  
TL
The Lamp (the Lamp Series, Book 1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this book as a member giveaway through LibraryThing for an honest review. I received the Omnibus so read all four books together. I recommend that since you will want to know what happens next.

I was amazed by the characters in this series. They were so real but also had a uniqueness to them. [Jason Cunningham] did a magnificent job of taking you into the struggle between good and evil and showing you the shades of grey most of us get caught up in. [The Lamp Series Omnibus] as the name suggests is four complete novels that follow Violet, Levi, Jenny and Micah as they try to come to terms with what is right and wrong. Also they must decide how best to protect those they love.

As a comic book fan and someone who loves to read about struggles of conscience this series kept me coming back for more. I was vaguely reminded of [The Stand] except this was focused on one city.It is never made clear if it goes beyond. They mystery involved also keeps you on your seat.

[Cunningham] has written a must read for fans of many types of genres.
  
<u>Duchessina</u> was a fairly good young adult take on Catherine de' Medici. The historical details are flawlessly added, and while it's <i>too</i> sympathic towards Catherine, I understand the need for the heroine to be that way in this type of book. My only major complaint is the end, where there was too much left in the book to wrap up so quickly. I thought the whole book was just going to be the first twenty or so years of her life, which would have made the book more cohesive. Instead the last thirty pages were rushed with the rest of her marriage and then the historical notes after Henri II died.

However, I do appreciate authors bringing history to younger readers in the hope that they will want to read more about certain people and times. Especially in the case of Catherine de' Medici, whom I feel history was more vicious to than she deserved. She was a woman of her times and she survived as best she could. Was she a saint? No, far from it, but I don't believe she was evil either.

3.5 stars