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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Minions (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Those lovable and mischief filled Minions are back and this time they have a new solo adventure that chronicles their history.
The film chronicles the minions through the ages as they have followed their compulsion to find a master to serve which always results in hilarious misfortune for the Masters.
After a recent setback, the Minion tribe takes refuge in an ice cave and builds their society over the passing years. Unfortunately, depression seeks in as the Minions are missing their basic drive and as such, an inspired member named Kevin decides he will venture out to find a new Master for them to follow.
Kevin is joined by Stuart and Bob and after a long trip; they find themselves in New York in 1968. Of course the city that never sleeps is an ideal place for them to get into all sorts of mischief and also allows them to view and underground television broadcast promoting a Villain Con in Orlando.
Inspired, the trio sets off and makes some dubious travel companions along the way, yet eventually arrive at their destination.
At the convention they encounter Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), and in a twist of fate, become her new apprentices. Kevin decides to call the tribe and tell them to head to London to start serving their new master, who is as unstable as she is evil.
Scarlett and her husband Herb (Jon Hamm, have devised a plan so cunning and diabolical that nothing can stop them from carrying it out, nothing that is save for the Minions.
The film takes a bit of time to get up to speed but is as charming and funny as you would wish for. The Minions generate plenty of laughs and there are tons of Pop Culture gags that fill the entire film.
For me the 3D animation was a nice touch and really added to the enjoyment of seeing the lovable characters in action and the new cast members did a great job adding to the lore of the Minions.
The film moves along at a steady pace and keeps the laughs coming throughout. With “Despicable Me 3” due in 2017, it is not out of the realm that we could see more solo minion outings in the future. This is a move that would bring plenty of smiles, as there is much to like about this film.
http://sknr.net/2015/07/07/minions/
The film chronicles the minions through the ages as they have followed their compulsion to find a master to serve which always results in hilarious misfortune for the Masters.
After a recent setback, the Minion tribe takes refuge in an ice cave and builds their society over the passing years. Unfortunately, depression seeks in as the Minions are missing their basic drive and as such, an inspired member named Kevin decides he will venture out to find a new Master for them to follow.
Kevin is joined by Stuart and Bob and after a long trip; they find themselves in New York in 1968. Of course the city that never sleeps is an ideal place for them to get into all sorts of mischief and also allows them to view and underground television broadcast promoting a Villain Con in Orlando.
Inspired, the trio sets off and makes some dubious travel companions along the way, yet eventually arrive at their destination.
At the convention they encounter Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), and in a twist of fate, become her new apprentices. Kevin decides to call the tribe and tell them to head to London to start serving their new master, who is as unstable as she is evil.
Scarlett and her husband Herb (Jon Hamm, have devised a plan so cunning and diabolical that nothing can stop them from carrying it out, nothing that is save for the Minions.
The film takes a bit of time to get up to speed but is as charming and funny as you would wish for. The Minions generate plenty of laughs and there are tons of Pop Culture gags that fill the entire film.
For me the 3D animation was a nice touch and really added to the enjoyment of seeing the lovable characters in action and the new cast members did a great job adding to the lore of the Minions.
The film moves along at a steady pace and keeps the laughs coming throughout. With “Despicable Me 3” due in 2017, it is not out of the realm that we could see more solo minion outings in the future. This is a move that would bring plenty of smiles, as there is much to like about this film.
http://sknr.net/2015/07/07/minions/
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Look to the East (The Great War, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Out of the east comes a terror that will attempt to destroy the world.
At the dawn of World War I, the village of Briecourt is nestled in relative safety. That all changes when the German Imperial Army marches in and takes over. Life will never be the same for the villagers, who have had a family dispute for generations. Will having a common enemy finally bring them together? Julitte Toussaint, the adoptive daughter of a seaman, has to withstand the scorn of the de Colvilles for the shadows of her past. When she finds an unexpected "visitor" hiding in the cellar of the church, she feels the pull of love for this man she hardly knows. Charles Lassone is a Belgian entrepreneur caught behind enemy lines. He longs for escape so that he can join the Allies cause and win the respect and love of Julitte. With a dispute running so rampant, who can be trusted? The difference between friends and foes could not become more complicated.
This is both the first book that I have read by Maureen Lang and my first book set during World War I. Unfortunately, The Great War is not always as popular of a topic as its "sequel" is. Labor camps were in full effect during this period and the Germans were just as ruthless. The difference in time period wouldn't seem so drastic, but, I learned that they didn't believe it was safe to drop soldiers from planes during 1916. The tactics and methods were much more advanced come time for World War II. I became very emotionally attached to the characters. Their fight for freedom had me cheering them on with every turn of the page. Something that Julitte learns is that God sometimes uses us in ways that we can't explain, to ourselves or to others. He will work everything out, even if it's not how we had it planned. There is still evil in the world because God gave us a free will. But He will not abandon us. We must keep our eyes on Him and our hope in His promises.
I received a free copy of Look to the East from Tyndale House Publishers through their Tyndale Rewards Program. I was not required write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
At the dawn of World War I, the village of Briecourt is nestled in relative safety. That all changes when the German Imperial Army marches in and takes over. Life will never be the same for the villagers, who have had a family dispute for generations. Will having a common enemy finally bring them together? Julitte Toussaint, the adoptive daughter of a seaman, has to withstand the scorn of the de Colvilles for the shadows of her past. When she finds an unexpected "visitor" hiding in the cellar of the church, she feels the pull of love for this man she hardly knows. Charles Lassone is a Belgian entrepreneur caught behind enemy lines. He longs for escape so that he can join the Allies cause and win the respect and love of Julitte. With a dispute running so rampant, who can be trusted? The difference between friends and foes could not become more complicated.
This is both the first book that I have read by Maureen Lang and my first book set during World War I. Unfortunately, The Great War is not always as popular of a topic as its "sequel" is. Labor camps were in full effect during this period and the Germans were just as ruthless. The difference in time period wouldn't seem so drastic, but, I learned that they didn't believe it was safe to drop soldiers from planes during 1916. The tactics and methods were much more advanced come time for World War II. I became very emotionally attached to the characters. Their fight for freedom had me cheering them on with every turn of the page. Something that Julitte learns is that God sometimes uses us in ways that we can't explain, to ourselves or to others. He will work everything out, even if it's not how we had it planned. There is still evil in the world because God gave us a free will. But He will not abandon us. We must keep our eyes on Him and our hope in His promises.
I received a free copy of Look to the East from Tyndale House Publishers through their Tyndale Rewards Program. I was not required write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kelly (279 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Jan 7, 2019
Enjoyable
Contains spoilers, click to show
I had been eager to watch this for some time after reading reviews, and was not disappointed. Having never read the book in which the film is based, I did not know what to expect. I knew that the film was a horror, but am not easily shocked or scared, so was not expecting much from this point of view, however I did find the film enjoyable in terms of the storyline.
The story is based around a reluctant mother, played by Sandra Bullock, who finds she has to raise the child she never wanted as a result of an apocalyptic event. The general premise of the story is that there are creature, which if you see, result in impending insanity and suicidal thoughts. Malorie, the main character seeks refuge in a house with other survivors (who predictably don’t make it to the end of the story) in order to ride out the apocalypse. Realising that her position is not stable, the story also flashes to the future, showing Malories escape towards a safe haven with her son and the child of one of the other survivors. The path to the safe haven is taken blind folded (to avoid looking at the invisible threat), aided by a small box which contains birds, who can sense the presence of the evil. Having seen a fair few horrors, I am pretty desensitised to the use of fear in the movie - basically, I didn’t find it too scary, however I did feel that the story was intriguing.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film was the story of the relationship between Malorie and her children. The reluctant mother never named the children formally until the end, and we see the relationship and her feelings towards them both evolve over the course of the movie.
I felt that this was one of the better roles Sandra Bullock has played, and she acted well throughout the movie, her scenes that portrayed uncertainty and fear were believable and she evolved the character well as the story line develops.
Would I lose sleep after watching this, no- the film was not that scary, but ultimately I found it an enjoyable story with a sweet twist at the end. I look forward to reading the book next.
The story is based around a reluctant mother, played by Sandra Bullock, who finds she has to raise the child she never wanted as a result of an apocalyptic event. The general premise of the story is that there are creature, which if you see, result in impending insanity and suicidal thoughts. Malorie, the main character seeks refuge in a house with other survivors (who predictably don’t make it to the end of the story) in order to ride out the apocalypse. Realising that her position is not stable, the story also flashes to the future, showing Malories escape towards a safe haven with her son and the child of one of the other survivors. The path to the safe haven is taken blind folded (to avoid looking at the invisible threat), aided by a small box which contains birds, who can sense the presence of the evil. Having seen a fair few horrors, I am pretty desensitised to the use of fear in the movie - basically, I didn’t find it too scary, however I did feel that the story was intriguing.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film was the story of the relationship between Malorie and her children. The reluctant mother never named the children formally until the end, and we see the relationship and her feelings towards them both evolve over the course of the movie.
I felt that this was one of the better roles Sandra Bullock has played, and she acted well throughout the movie, her scenes that portrayed uncertainty and fear were believable and she evolved the character well as the story line develops.
Would I lose sleep after watching this, no- the film was not that scary, but ultimately I found it an enjoyable story with a sweet twist at the end. I look forward to reading the book next.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated UglyDolls (2019) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
u.g.l.y. You ain't got no alibi.
Ugly Dolls is a garish & heartless mess of stolen ideas & mixed messages. Ugly Dolls at its core is a film about being different, believing in yourself, being proud of who you are & the way you look but I found these positive messages to be all very contradictory & one sided. For instance we are told certain types of people are the evil ones because of how they dress, think & behave etc but the message of the film is to not discriminate or judge people so how is slating, stereotyping, victimising, hating & bullying them morally ok? its basically like saying using racism to combat racism is makes it fine. I know its a kids film & most of this will go over their heads but when my little nephew is turning to me questioning which characters are the villains then it must be that obvious its a problem. Now this would all be fine if the film at least looked nice or had interesting set pieces but it doesnt at all. Animation is ugly with texture work that seems lazy & unfinished in parts making what should be vibrant fluffy creatures feel a blurry texturless mess especially around the eyes & mouth areas. Lacking also in any excitement the film most of the time crawls along at a snails pace with lengthy painful sections just there to flesh out its unnecessarily complex plot. When action does start its drab & void of excitement with big scenes shamelessly stolen from films such as toy story 3 & replicated exactly just with less care & budget. While my nephew enjoyed it I could definitely see him becoming restless at times especially when nothing much was happening & talking to him when we left he knew none of the characters names either (usually he wont shut up about the plot, characters & songs after we see a film hyper & grinning from ear to ear but with this film he wasnt). Song wise theres nothing remotley catchy or memorable here & i get the sense the film was just trying to cash in on the success of the greatest showman. All in all its a film thats had minimum effort put into it designed just to sell the McDonalds happy meals it shamelessly promotes just before it starts.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Let's start by saying that this film is a wonderfully entertaining adventure, I don't remember the last time this sort of story graced our screens. I've always been a fan of myths and legends and this didn't disappoint.
I'm not really sure how well myths and legends are known these days, they were one of my favourite things as a child but the topic seems to go in and out of favour. I thought it was a nice start to the whole film to show a summary of the King Arthur legend, and the graphic novel style made a nice link throughout.
There are lots of great things about the film but I think my favourite is how they managed to align the fantasy and reality. The transitions between night and day, the depths of Morgana's prison and her army of the undead are all top notch. There's only one brief moment where I grumbled and that was during Morgana's transformation, she briefly resembles a poor quality Voldemort.
Louis Ashbourne Serkis gives a great performance as Alex our reluctant hero and he's supported by some solid acting, young and old(er). The little comedy duo of Alex and Bedders is so cute comparing themselves to Frodo and Sam *squee*. The adult cast was on form too, although we don't get to see much of Denise Gough, Noma Dumezweni and Mark Bonnar, which made me a little sad. Rebecca Ferguson fairs better with screen time and managed to get the evil thing down, she was particularly menacing as Morgana. Lastly cast-wise is obviously Patrick Stewart, I love him but this film made me a little glum. Firstly because young Merlin got more screen time and secondly because he looks old... that's not supposed to happen!!
At two hours it's quite long for a family film but it actually feels like it should have been longer. The ending of the film just sort of happens, the school montage and fight scenes feel relatively short when considered as part of the whole. I honestly think that the film could have taken an extra twenty minutes or so to properly complete that ending.
What you should do
You should definitely see this film, it's good old fashioned fun for all ages
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I could do with a personal Lady of the Lake who can bring me my things when they go missing.
I'm not really sure how well myths and legends are known these days, they were one of my favourite things as a child but the topic seems to go in and out of favour. I thought it was a nice start to the whole film to show a summary of the King Arthur legend, and the graphic novel style made a nice link throughout.
There are lots of great things about the film but I think my favourite is how they managed to align the fantasy and reality. The transitions between night and day, the depths of Morgana's prison and her army of the undead are all top notch. There's only one brief moment where I grumbled and that was during Morgana's transformation, she briefly resembles a poor quality Voldemort.
Louis Ashbourne Serkis gives a great performance as Alex our reluctant hero and he's supported by some solid acting, young and old(er). The little comedy duo of Alex and Bedders is so cute comparing themselves to Frodo and Sam *squee*. The adult cast was on form too, although we don't get to see much of Denise Gough, Noma Dumezweni and Mark Bonnar, which made me a little sad. Rebecca Ferguson fairs better with screen time and managed to get the evil thing down, she was particularly menacing as Morgana. Lastly cast-wise is obviously Patrick Stewart, I love him but this film made me a little glum. Firstly because young Merlin got more screen time and secondly because he looks old... that's not supposed to happen!!
At two hours it's quite long for a family film but it actually feels like it should have been longer. The ending of the film just sort of happens, the school montage and fight scenes feel relatively short when considered as part of the whole. I honestly think that the film could have taken an extra twenty minutes or so to properly complete that ending.
What you should do
You should definitely see this film, it's good old fashioned fun for all ages
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I could do with a personal Lady of the Lake who can bring me my things when they go missing.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1) in Books
Oct 28, 2019
Another spooky story for October! On first glance, this one is very similar to Rin Chupeco's The Girl From The Well, but the plot is actually quite different. It's still human boy, murderous ghost girl, but here the girl is bound to her house and forced to murder whoever comes inside. Unraveling the WHY is a major part of the plot.
I'd say this one is actually less creepy than The Girl From The Well, though one of the evil things Cas encounters is VERY creepy. Both of these were just about the right amount of spooky for me. I'm actually REALLY disappointed that the sequel is proving very difficult to get my hands on! I had to request it through Marina, my statewide lending program, so I'm not sure when it will arrive. But I NEEEEEEED to know what happens to Cas and Anna after this book ends!
I think I liked the relationship between boy and ghost better in Girl From The Well; you could clearly see the draw for the ghost, and the connection between them. Not so much here; Cas is trying to kill Anna, but then they become fascinated with each other for...some reason? Anna isn't compelled to kill Cas, and that's never explained, and seems to be her main source of fascination with the boy.
Another major difference is that while Tark in Girl From The Well is rather isolationist and creeps out his peers, Cas seems to attract his peers, and quickly finds friends wherever he goes. He's typically used them as contacts in the past, not really valuing them as friends, but that changes with the events of this book, as he actually comes to know a couple of the kids at his new school and value their friendship. He even puts up with their jokes about being Ghostbusters and who would be which character, which is kind of hilarious.
Both stories are great; I'd say this one is slightly more light-hearted than Girl From The Well, but only slightly. There's still lots of creepy ghosts, life-or-death situations, gory deaths of side characters, and curses. It's another great spooky October book for scaredy-cats like me!
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
I'd say this one is actually less creepy than The Girl From The Well, though one of the evil things Cas encounters is VERY creepy. Both of these were just about the right amount of spooky for me. I'm actually REALLY disappointed that the sequel is proving very difficult to get my hands on! I had to request it through Marina, my statewide lending program, so I'm not sure when it will arrive. But I NEEEEEEED to know what happens to Cas and Anna after this book ends!
I think I liked the relationship between boy and ghost better in Girl From The Well; you could clearly see the draw for the ghost, and the connection between them. Not so much here; Cas is trying to kill Anna, but then they become fascinated with each other for...some reason? Anna isn't compelled to kill Cas, and that's never explained, and seems to be her main source of fascination with the boy.
Another major difference is that while Tark in Girl From The Well is rather isolationist and creeps out his peers, Cas seems to attract his peers, and quickly finds friends wherever he goes. He's typically used them as contacts in the past, not really valuing them as friends, but that changes with the events of this book, as he actually comes to know a couple of the kids at his new school and value their friendship. He even puts up with their jokes about being Ghostbusters and who would be which character, which is kind of hilarious.
Both stories are great; I'd say this one is slightly more light-hearted than Girl From The Well, but only slightly. There's still lots of creepy ghosts, life-or-death situations, gory deaths of side characters, and curses. It's another great spooky October book for scaredy-cats like me!
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Darren (1599 KP) rated Dracula (1958) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Characters – Doctor Van Helsing has been trying to hunt down Dracula for years now, his latest attempt sees him anger the vampire, forcing him to defend his loved ones before he starts his own attack on the vampire. Count Dracula has lived a life where his presence has struck fear in the locals, he is a vampire with his age seemingly unknown, after his bride is taken from him, he goes after the people that took her, in search of finding his new bride. Arthur is one of the people working with Van Helsing, it is his family that has becomes the target of Dracula, with Mina being the wife of Arthur that is one of the women Dracula wants to make his brides.
Performances – Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are the icons on the 50’s horrors, this film shows they are just wonderful in the horror performances both sides of the good and evil scale. When it comes to the supporting roles, it appears that the rest of the cast are meant to just let the lead two stars take the spotlight.
Story – The story here is the basic Dracula story, where after one of his brides is killed, Dracula targets the family that took his bride to get his own new bride and revenge. The Dracula story has been told so many times, it does become slightly boring to watch a story that doesn’t offer anything new to the tried and tested formula. If you do know the basic story, you will know everything that happens in this film which just ends up being nothing refreshing.
Horror – The horror comes the ideas of vampires with Dracula lurking in the darkness, most doesn’t come off scary though which is disappointing.
Settings – The film uses the couple of main locations, we have the castle of course which we don’t spend enough time around, the English house that shows how the family will try to hide from Dracula.
Special Effects – The effects are practical which do bring one of the most memorable scenes in the film.
Scene of the Movie – final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It isn’t anything new.
Final Thoughts – This is a hammer horror version of Dracula, it works well enough for the basic idea, only it doesn’t reach too much new to the story idea.
Overall: Hammer Horror Dracula.
Performances – Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are the icons on the 50’s horrors, this film shows they are just wonderful in the horror performances both sides of the good and evil scale. When it comes to the supporting roles, it appears that the rest of the cast are meant to just let the lead two stars take the spotlight.
Story – The story here is the basic Dracula story, where after one of his brides is killed, Dracula targets the family that took his bride to get his own new bride and revenge. The Dracula story has been told so many times, it does become slightly boring to watch a story that doesn’t offer anything new to the tried and tested formula. If you do know the basic story, you will know everything that happens in this film which just ends up being nothing refreshing.
Horror – The horror comes the ideas of vampires with Dracula lurking in the darkness, most doesn’t come off scary though which is disappointing.
Settings – The film uses the couple of main locations, we have the castle of course which we don’t spend enough time around, the English house that shows how the family will try to hide from Dracula.
Special Effects – The effects are practical which do bring one of the most memorable scenes in the film.
Scene of the Movie – final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It isn’t anything new.
Final Thoughts – This is a hammer horror version of Dracula, it works well enough for the basic idea, only it doesn’t reach too much new to the story idea.
Overall: Hammer Horror Dracula.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Out of the Shadows (2017) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Story: Out of the Shadows starts as we follow a paranormal investigation team looking to recruit the only known survivor Carter (Kellogg) to join them as they search the answers about what happened on his famous activity tape.
With the team in place the teams sets up the cameras around the asylum with team member Cynthia (Morrison) getting the first does of activity in a communication from her father, whom went missing in asylum with Carter’s team. Using her as bait the team record her time inside the asylum as they look to explain the unexplainable.
Thoughts on Out of the Shadows
Characters – Carter is the lone survivor from a previous encounter inside the asylum, he goes back but could have his own motivation for this. Cynthia is searching for her father who went missing but the rest of the characters are just another mix of the crew you would expect on a paranormal investigation team.
Performances – The performances across the board are not the best, the crew does feel like it could be a real documentary crew at times but then other times its just a group of actors trying to overreact to everything going on.
Story – The story does have a good twist, which is the only interesting part of the story, it is nearly 90 minutes investigating the shadows with too many characters to follow, it gets difficult to follow the characters in the dark for the most part and as for the reasoning behind everything well, it doesn’t seem to have one.
Horror – The horror is a lot of jumping at the camera or activity happening behind the camera, it isn’t scary but will give you a forced jump.
Settings – The film could easily have only had one setting, the asylum but going back to the motel makes it feel like the evil could escape which does try to make it stand out from just a haunted asylum movie.
Special Effects – The effects are what you would expect for a found footage film, they work without being ground breaking.
Scene of the Movie – Welcome to the Devil’s Toy Box.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The scares were too random.
Final Thoughts –This is a disappointing and mostly dull horror movie, the jumps are too random, the characters don’t make smart decisions and found footage only works in places.
Overall: Horror film to skip by the end.
With the team in place the teams sets up the cameras around the asylum with team member Cynthia (Morrison) getting the first does of activity in a communication from her father, whom went missing in asylum with Carter’s team. Using her as bait the team record her time inside the asylum as they look to explain the unexplainable.
Thoughts on Out of the Shadows
Characters – Carter is the lone survivor from a previous encounter inside the asylum, he goes back but could have his own motivation for this. Cynthia is searching for her father who went missing but the rest of the characters are just another mix of the crew you would expect on a paranormal investigation team.
Performances – The performances across the board are not the best, the crew does feel like it could be a real documentary crew at times but then other times its just a group of actors trying to overreact to everything going on.
Story – The story does have a good twist, which is the only interesting part of the story, it is nearly 90 minutes investigating the shadows with too many characters to follow, it gets difficult to follow the characters in the dark for the most part and as for the reasoning behind everything well, it doesn’t seem to have one.
Horror – The horror is a lot of jumping at the camera or activity happening behind the camera, it isn’t scary but will give you a forced jump.
Settings – The film could easily have only had one setting, the asylum but going back to the motel makes it feel like the evil could escape which does try to make it stand out from just a haunted asylum movie.
Special Effects – The effects are what you would expect for a found footage film, they work without being ground breaking.
Scene of the Movie – Welcome to the Devil’s Toy Box.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The scares were too random.
Final Thoughts –This is a disappointing and mostly dull horror movie, the jumps are too random, the characters don’t make smart decisions and found footage only works in places.
Overall: Horror film to skip by the end.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Door in the Woods (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Characters – Evelyn is the mother that is preparing to start her own internet business, she redecorates the random door they find and starts experiencing the events, she learns the truth and sets out to get help. Redd is the father that has moved here to start a new job hunt, he tries to help with the behavioural problems and joins Evelyn searching for the truth. Uriah is a pastor that has come to bless the house, he is turned to, to help deal with the hauntings knowing how to end the problems they are facing. Kane is the troublesome child that often finds himself getting into trouble at school, becoming the target of the sinister nature of the door.
Performances – When we look at the performances, we don’t have the strongest ones here, Jennifer Pierce Mathus and David Rees Snell do struggle to make us believe the situations and life they have lived with these characters, while CJ Jones is the standout performer in the film.
Story – The story here follows a family that are looking to start a new life in a small town only to find a door in the woods, inviting evil into their own home needing to get rid of it before it is too late. The start of this story is really good, with creepy elements of hauntings in the house, the problems start when the story tries to break out of following this trend and spends way too long with the final act that is more talking than anything thrilling, which is could have been. This is a story that could have become a lot deeper, but gets caught up in the middle of the two ideas and not using enough of the horror involved.
Thriller – The opening half of the film does offer plenty thrilling horror moments, only to spend more of the second half of the film trying to make up and discuss what has been happening.
Settings – The film uses the small town setting for everything to unfold, showing people can try to escape for a new life, but every small town has a secret.
Scene of the Movie – Background walking.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Would you really take that door home.
Final Thoughts – This is a film that has a lot of potential only to fall short in how everything unfolds.
Overall: Doesn’t hit the marks.
Performances – When we look at the performances, we don’t have the strongest ones here, Jennifer Pierce Mathus and David Rees Snell do struggle to make us believe the situations and life they have lived with these characters, while CJ Jones is the standout performer in the film.
Story – The story here follows a family that are looking to start a new life in a small town only to find a door in the woods, inviting evil into their own home needing to get rid of it before it is too late. The start of this story is really good, with creepy elements of hauntings in the house, the problems start when the story tries to break out of following this trend and spends way too long with the final act that is more talking than anything thrilling, which is could have been. This is a story that could have become a lot deeper, but gets caught up in the middle of the two ideas and not using enough of the horror involved.
Thriller – The opening half of the film does offer plenty thrilling horror moments, only to spend more of the second half of the film trying to make up and discuss what has been happening.
Settings – The film uses the small town setting for everything to unfold, showing people can try to escape for a new life, but every small town has a secret.
Scene of the Movie – Background walking.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Would you really take that door home.
Final Thoughts – This is a film that has a lot of potential only to fall short in how everything unfolds.
Overall: Doesn’t hit the marks.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Dec 8, 2019
I questioned the need for a second film, much like other Disney properties furthering this franchise over producing new content didn't seem all that sensible, but the effects in the trailer had me intrigued enough to want to see it.
Aurora has settled into her life on the Moors, life is a fairy tale and soon it will become even more so. Everyone is elated when Prince Philip proposes to her, everyone but Maleficent.
As she tries to come to terms with the news and be happy for the couple it becomes evident that something more sinister is afoot and that those seeking power will do anything to get it.
Angelina Jolie never seems to disappoint. Here she summons the peak anti-social qualities and refines them into something elegant. All her little reactions and the way she tries to smile create a magnificent second outing for Maleficent and thankfully the story that they wove for her was strong enough to be a worthy sequel.
I am still not a great fan of Elle Fanning, I find her acting style to be rather eerie and on occasion bland. I didn't entirely believe the way her character had been written, and her acting didn't help, even if you take into account the "stroppy child" moments I found the choices that Aurora made to be dubious.
There are a lot of other faces to recognise. Michelle Pfeiffer makes for a formidable foe and she's strong throughout as the Queen. Robert Lindsay's brief reprise of the King is suitably amusing. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ed Skrein are good additions to the line up and Sam Riley back as Diaval is as entertaining as ever.
The effects that pulled me to the film weren't a disappointment, seeing the way they crafted the different kingdoms and the overall look of everything was stunning. The only thing that really sticks out is the animation on the three fairy godmothers, I didn't like it in the first film and it doesn't change in this one either.
I was entertained through the whole film but since seeing it I don't have much of an urge to see it again or to see a third instalment. It didn't make much of an impression on me but it wasn't boring, on the scale of things I guess that's not bad.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/maleficent-mistress-of-evil-movie-review.html
Aurora has settled into her life on the Moors, life is a fairy tale and soon it will become even more so. Everyone is elated when Prince Philip proposes to her, everyone but Maleficent.
As she tries to come to terms with the news and be happy for the couple it becomes evident that something more sinister is afoot and that those seeking power will do anything to get it.
Angelina Jolie never seems to disappoint. Here she summons the peak anti-social qualities and refines them into something elegant. All her little reactions and the way she tries to smile create a magnificent second outing for Maleficent and thankfully the story that they wove for her was strong enough to be a worthy sequel.
I am still not a great fan of Elle Fanning, I find her acting style to be rather eerie and on occasion bland. I didn't entirely believe the way her character had been written, and her acting didn't help, even if you take into account the "stroppy child" moments I found the choices that Aurora made to be dubious.
There are a lot of other faces to recognise. Michelle Pfeiffer makes for a formidable foe and she's strong throughout as the Queen. Robert Lindsay's brief reprise of the King is suitably amusing. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ed Skrein are good additions to the line up and Sam Riley back as Diaval is as entertaining as ever.
The effects that pulled me to the film weren't a disappointment, seeing the way they crafted the different kingdoms and the overall look of everything was stunning. The only thing that really sticks out is the animation on the three fairy godmothers, I didn't like it in the first film and it doesn't change in this one either.
I was entertained through the whole film but since seeing it I don't have much of an urge to see it again or to see a third instalment. It didn't make much of an impression on me but it wasn't boring, on the scale of things I guess that's not bad.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/maleficent-mistress-of-evil-movie-review.html