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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies
Jan 6, 2018 (Updated Jan 6, 2018)
A bit of a disappointment
Considering all of the other things Aaron Sorkin has been involved in, I was expecting big things from this and sadly it was a bit of a disappointment.
Jessica Chastain is great as expected, and Idris Elba and Kevin Costner do well too despite limited screentime. Costner even gets some of the funniest lines. The story itself is interesting, it just isn't well executed. It's far too long and gets very boring at times. I was expecting something very smart, stylish and witty but it isn't really any of those things. It tries hard with the wit and humour but really falls flat and doesn't live up to Sorkin's usual standard.
Also I have to say it, but was all the cleavage really necessary? That is the only reason my other half came to watch it with me, and he's openly admitted he'd have found it very dull otherwise...
Jessica Chastain is great as expected, and Idris Elba and Kevin Costner do well too despite limited screentime. Costner even gets some of the funniest lines. The story itself is interesting, it just isn't well executed. It's far too long and gets very boring at times. I was expecting something very smart, stylish and witty but it isn't really any of those things. It tries hard with the wit and humour but really falls flat and doesn't live up to Sorkin's usual standard.
Also I have to say it, but was all the cleavage really necessary? That is the only reason my other half came to watch it with me, and he's openly admitted he'd have found it very dull otherwise...
Rachel (48 KP) rated Small Gods in Books
May 24, 2017
Funny (4 more)
Philosophy
Fantasy
Terry Pratchett
Excellent fiction
The 13th Discworld book
Small God's is the 13th book in the Discworld series. You do not have to have read any of the other books to understand this one as it features characters that (mostly) only appear in this book.
As with all of Pratchett's work it is a subtle blend of humour and humanity. It uses amazing characters and situations to highlight the hypocrisy and insanity of real life.
This book focuses on Brutha; a 'slow', ordinary monk for the God Om. It is the biggest, and most ruthless, religion in this part of the Discworld.
Brutha is gardening, as he always is (not much use for anything else) when a tortoise literally drops into his life and changes his world......
This book questions the hierarchy of religion, the wisdom of power, philosophy, the righteousness of war and whether a tortoise really does make good eating.
As with all of Pratchett's work it is a subtle blend of humour and humanity. It uses amazing characters and situations to highlight the hypocrisy and insanity of real life.
This book focuses on Brutha; a 'slow', ordinary monk for the God Om. It is the biggest, and most ruthless, religion in this part of the Discworld.
Brutha is gardening, as he always is (not much use for anything else) when a tortoise literally drops into his life and changes his world......
This book questions the hierarchy of religion, the wisdom of power, philosophy, the righteousness of war and whether a tortoise really does make good eating.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies
Jul 25, 2017
Pretty Average
It's probably best not to take this review too seriously as I actually managed to fall asleep during this movie at two or three separate points so I'm not sure how much of it I missed!! Note to self: Do not go on a brewery tour, followed by a tasting session, just a few short hours before heading into the cinema...
That being said, I did see a fairly large chunk of the start of the movie, and towards the end, and what I saw was pretty average. The characters were average and the interaction between them all was so-so. The humour was pretty light but the story itself, particularly due to the fact that it's based on true events, was actually very good. To be honest though, I'm not sure I understand all the buzz surrounding this movie and it obviously didn't grab me enough to keep me awake either.
That being said, I did see a fairly large chunk of the start of the movie, and towards the end, and what I saw was pretty average. The characters were average and the interaction between them all was so-so. The humour was pretty light but the story itself, particularly due to the fact that it's based on true events, was actually very good. To be honest though, I'm not sure I understand all the buzz surrounding this movie and it obviously didn't grab me enough to keep me awake either.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Ghostbusters (2016) in Movies
Aug 13, 2017
Effects (3 more)
Chris Hemsworth
Cameos
Plot
Melissa McCarthy & Kristen Wiig (1 more)
Character stereotypes
Better than expected
I'm really not a fan of Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, and I was completely against any sort of remake or sequel to the fantastic original, but with this I was pleasantly surprised.
I still didn't like McCarthy and Wiig although I'll admit they weren't as grating as usual. The character of Patty was so stereotypical too which just became very irritating. A lot of the humour too wasn't really my cup of tea but I can't say I'm surprised.
That said, I loved Chris Hemsworth's character and Holtzmann too, and they raised some of the few laughs I got from this film. The effects were brilliant and the plot itself was fairly well thought out. And I loved the cameos from the old Ghostbusters. Not great or a patch on the original, but nowhere near as bad as I'd anticipated.
I still didn't like McCarthy and Wiig although I'll admit they weren't as grating as usual. The character of Patty was so stereotypical too which just became very irritating. A lot of the humour too wasn't really my cup of tea but I can't say I'm surprised.
That said, I loved Chris Hemsworth's character and Holtzmann too, and they raised some of the few laughs I got from this film. The effects were brilliant and the plot itself was fairly well thought out. And I loved the cameos from the old Ghostbusters. Not great or a patch on the original, but nowhere near as bad as I'd anticipated.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Isn't It Romantic (2019) in Movies
Mar 4, 2019
Great idea but could've been better
This film really is a great idea - who doesn't want to see a rom-com that makes fun of rom-coms? The problem is that despite some decent attempts at highlighting some of the major flaws in rom-coms, it is in fact a rom-com itself, and a fairly average one at that.
Whilst there are some vaguely funny moments, most of the humour in this falls flat. This probably isn't helped by the fact that I really dislike Rebel Wilson and although she isn't massively irritating in this, I still don't particularly like her. The best person in this is probably Liam Hemsworth and purely for his fun over the top Aussie performance. In all the film is just a little bit predictable and way too cheesy, not in the slightest what I was expecting from something that's meant to be making fun of rom-coms.
Whilst there are some vaguely funny moments, most of the humour in this falls flat. This probably isn't helped by the fact that I really dislike Rebel Wilson and although she isn't massively irritating in this, I still don't particularly like her. The best person in this is probably Liam Hemsworth and purely for his fun over the top Aussie performance. In all the film is just a little bit predictable and way too cheesy, not in the slightest what I was expecting from something that's meant to be making fun of rom-coms.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Dumbo (1941) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
The cartoon returns...
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was never the biggest fan of this one, having seen it to death as a child. "Dumbo" was in many ways regarded as a lesser Disney classic, never really treated with the same regard as "Pinocchio", "Snow White" or "Bambi". But as I continue to work my way through this studio's classics, I am more than pleasantly surprised to rediscover this gem.
With a short running time of 64 minutes, which must barely qualify as film, this was the most cartoonish Disney feature of this era that I had seen, definitely not to the same higher brow animation standards of the afore-mentioned, but funnier and more enjoyable, without a doubt.
The little engine that could humour and the overall concept, being more zany that its counterparts help this stand out and being a much more entertaining piece of cinema than I had originally given it credit for. Not the greatest animation in history, but fun none the less.
With a short running time of 64 minutes, which must barely qualify as film, this was the most cartoonish Disney feature of this era that I had seen, definitely not to the same higher brow animation standards of the afore-mentioned, but funnier and more enjoyable, without a doubt.
The little engine that could humour and the overall concept, being more zany that its counterparts help this stand out and being a much more entertaining piece of cinema than I had originally given it credit for. Not the greatest animation in history, but fun none the less.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Wicker Tree (2012) in Movies
Apr 30, 2019
I had the good fortune to attend a screening of this film in the presence of its writer-director Robin Hardy, back in 2012, and afterwards Hardy took us all off to the cinema bar to talk about it. 'So, what did you think?' he asked, clearly very proud. An awkward silence ensued. 'The songs aren't as good as in The Wicker Man,' was all anyone was prepared to say.
Any follow-up to The Wicker Man has a lot to live up to, and the good fortune of Wicker Tree is that it was preceded by the Nic Cage remake ('a ****-up', according to Hardy). It's better than the remake, but by any other standard this is a blunderingly crass and unsubtle semi-remake of the 1973 film, filled with painfully broad humour, gaping plot holes and a cheery anti-Americanism it's difficult to get on-side with. A huge disappointment in all kinds of ways, but Robin Hardy was a true gent.
Any follow-up to The Wicker Man has a lot to live up to, and the good fortune of Wicker Tree is that it was preceded by the Nic Cage remake ('a ****-up', according to Hardy). It's better than the remake, but by any other standard this is a blunderingly crass and unsubtle semi-remake of the 1973 film, filled with painfully broad humour, gaping plot holes and a cheery anti-Americanism it's difficult to get on-side with. A huge disappointment in all kinds of ways, but Robin Hardy was a true gent.
Jay Wright (4 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Speechless. I am completely and utterly speechless. What a WAY to end a culmination of 22 movies over the span of 11 years! I was blown away by every little detail! The PLOT was amazing, the ACTING was amazing, the SETS were amazing, the GRAPHICS were amazing. Actually, no, amazing is an incredible understatement. I would strongly argue that this is a prime example of what a perfect movie looks like. It didn't feel like I was sitting through a three hour movie, if anything the three hour running time HELPED it achieve it's true potential. There was a perfect combination of wit, humour, sadness, joy, and overall satisfaction. The Russo Brothers have outdone themselves once again and set the bar EXTREMELY high to what a good movie should look like. I've said it once and I'll say it again: Avengers: Endgame is the movie of our generation.
Glen Banyard (13 KP) rated The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) in Movies
May 27, 2019
Harrison Ford (2 more)
It makes kids laugh
Enough subtle humour for adults
More animated antic, good for kids, not amazing
So The Secret Life of Pets was a decent animated movie, with lead voicing being done by Patton Oswalt, while not really requiring a sequel it got one and its really okay, the plots on animated films can not be difficult given the young audience, so adults may find this kind of obvious what will happened from start to end.
The voice talents of Harrison Ford do add to the film, and being honest, is the reason I gave a 6 instead of a 5. The marketing for the film has been quite heavy in recent weeks and was prominent at MCM Comic-Con over the launch weekend.
It is fair to say the film succeeds in its goal, it makes the little humans laugh, and really that is what you want.
The voice talents of Harrison Ford do add to the film, and being honest, is the reason I gave a 6 instead of a 5. The marketing for the film has been quite heavy in recent weeks and was prominent at MCM Comic-Con over the launch weekend.
It is fair to say the film succeeds in its goal, it makes the little humans laugh, and really that is what you want.
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 5 in TV
Jun 3, 2019
So far, so very good!
So far, we (my wife and i) are about to finish Season 3. We have been semi-binge-watching for about a month, but with the episodes only being 20 minutes, its refreshingly easy to get a few episodes in each night, which really helps to keep the laughs!
The characters are great, if (slightly) lacking development - although Peralta is still the wisecracking clown in S3, he has matured just a tiny bit. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but some slightly bigger changes would be good - yes Diaz is able to express some emotions, briefly; Holt is more human etc and they feel organic, but sometimes it is a bit forced.
I have really enjoyed the show, so far, and I look forward to seeing any further development - or not! - for the remaining episodes.
Well worth a watch, as a bit of lightweight humour
The characters are great, if (slightly) lacking development - although Peralta is still the wisecracking clown in S3, he has matured just a tiny bit. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but some slightly bigger changes would be good - yes Diaz is able to express some emotions, briefly; Holt is more human etc and they feel organic, but sometimes it is a bit forced.
I have really enjoyed the show, so far, and I look forward to seeing any further development - or not! - for the remaining episodes.
Well worth a watch, as a bit of lightweight humour
Lee (2222 KP) Jan 8, 2018