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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated X-Men (2000) in Movies
Jun 7, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
The first X-Men has not aged particularly well, but it's important to recognise it's impact on the movie landscape, especially for comic book films.
Although there has been comic book movies before, X-Men paved the way for everything that has come since, the good and the awful!
At the time it was almost magical, seeing characters I had grown up with flying about the screen (I was 12 when it was released), and the casting was inspired for the most part - Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin in particular.
It also started the trend of lacing the theatrics and seriousness with subtle humour thought, and the balance here is pretty good.
Even now, the CGI isn't terrible (certainly better than the later released Origins)
By the same merit, the costumes look goofy these days, some of the scripting is very 2000s, and why on Earth did they cast Tyler Mane as a weirdly mute Sabretooth will always be beyond me.
All in all, there are much better X-Men films out there, and there are a lot worse, and I'll always have a soft spot for it!
Although there has been comic book movies before, X-Men paved the way for everything that has come since, the good and the awful!
At the time it was almost magical, seeing characters I had grown up with flying about the screen (I was 12 when it was released), and the casting was inspired for the most part - Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin in particular.
It also started the trend of lacing the theatrics and seriousness with subtle humour thought, and the balance here is pretty good.
Even now, the CGI isn't terrible (certainly better than the later released Origins)
By the same merit, the costumes look goofy these days, some of the scripting is very 2000s, and why on Earth did they cast Tyler Mane as a weirdly mute Sabretooth will always be beyond me.
All in all, there are much better X-Men films out there, and there are a lot worse, and I'll always have a soft spot for it!
Georgina DeBurca (2 KP) rated The Reaper and the Cop (Liberty Oakwood, #1) in Books
Jan 29, 2018
Just for reference - I will not be giving anything away in my review. Don;t wanna spoil it for all you potential readers. What I will say is: Wow.
As you can guess, The characters are a reaper, as in grim reaper... and a cop.
Well. I have a thing for cops ;) And Troy is soooo hot and domineering, yet with a caring side. As heroes go, he is perfect in my opinion.
Laney is a great heroine. She has a fantastic attitude and is incredibly sarcastic to boot. She is who she is, and if the other person doesn't like it? Tough. I love that about her. She's strong and independent, and to me feels very confident. What every woman aspires to be. Awesome sense of humour too.
Short read so I like that I can get through it in an evening. These sort of books are a god send to a mother of two - or a person busy via other reasons I guess.
Well written. Well thought out story line and left me wanting more. Loved it and would definitely suggest to others. <3
As you can guess, The characters are a reaper, as in grim reaper... and a cop.
Well. I have a thing for cops ;) And Troy is soooo hot and domineering, yet with a caring side. As heroes go, he is perfect in my opinion.
Laney is a great heroine. She has a fantastic attitude and is incredibly sarcastic to boot. She is who she is, and if the other person doesn't like it? Tough. I love that about her. She's strong and independent, and to me feels very confident. What every woman aspires to be. Awesome sense of humour too.
Short read so I like that I can get through it in an evening. These sort of books are a god send to a mother of two - or a person busy via other reasons I guess.
Well written. Well thought out story line and left me wanting more. Loved it and would definitely suggest to others. <3
David (771 KP) rated Hey Duggee in TV
Jan 20, 2018
Pre-school programme (suitable for adults too)
"I wonder what Duggee has planned for you today"Follow the Squirrels (group of 5 children) on their adventures with Squirrel group leader, Duggee (Large brown dog, breed unknown) who awards them a different badge at the end of each episode relating to what they have learnt or been doing. The situations and characters they encounter are very funny and have humour in for the adults. The music and songs are fantastic and very catchy (The stick song, need I say more). The narration from the very British Alexander Armstrong completes this modern children's cartoon that is both educational and fun, teaching kids that the outside world is an exciting place and to respect and love each other regardless of how different we all are.
Favourite episodes of mine (*cough* and my 2 year old daughter):
The tadpole badge
The acorn badge
The paddling pool badge
The stick badge
The omelette badge
I could go on but would end up listing every episode. Get your kids, grandkids, cousins, nieces and nephews watching, they will thank you for it, "Ah....woof!"
Favourite episodes of mine (*cough* and my 2 year old daughter):
The tadpole badge
The acorn badge
The paddling pool badge
The stick badge
The omelette badge
I could go on but would end up listing every episode. Get your kids, grandkids, cousins, nieces and nephews watching, they will thank you for it, "Ah....woof!"
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies
Jun 9, 2018
Better than The Last Jedi
Did we really need a Han Solo origin story? Even after watching this I'm not entirely sure.
The cast are fantastic, there are some great performances here and you can't really go wrong when you throw Woody Harrelson into the mix. The film plods along at a fairly decent pace and the plot is engaging, albeit fairly predictable. Some of the dialogue is a bit stilted and the humour seems very misplaced. With l3 it seems like they've tried to add a new version of K2S0 from Rogue One to generate some laughs, but sadly unlike K2S0, L3 just doesn't really work.
I feel like this film is just trying to tick some boxes and cover the Solo basics (how he meets Chewie, Lando, and wins the Falcon), and it seems to gloss over all of these in a few minutes. Far too quickly. As an origin story it should almost show us how Han changes into the person he is in the later films, but it doesn't. You don't see the jaded untrusting cynic he becomes.
Don't get me wrong this film is fairly fun and enjoyable, it's just a little forgettable.
The cast are fantastic, there are some great performances here and you can't really go wrong when you throw Woody Harrelson into the mix. The film plods along at a fairly decent pace and the plot is engaging, albeit fairly predictable. Some of the dialogue is a bit stilted and the humour seems very misplaced. With l3 it seems like they've tried to add a new version of K2S0 from Rogue One to generate some laughs, but sadly unlike K2S0, L3 just doesn't really work.
I feel like this film is just trying to tick some boxes and cover the Solo basics (how he meets Chewie, Lando, and wins the Falcon), and it seems to gloss over all of these in a few minutes. Far too quickly. As an origin story it should almost show us how Han changes into the person he is in the later films, but it doesn't. You don't see the jaded untrusting cynic he becomes.
Don't get me wrong this film is fairly fun and enjoyable, it's just a little forgettable.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Hot Fuzz (2007) in Movies
Aug 24, 2018
Hilarious
I've re-watched this again recently and it's just as funny now as it was when I first saw it in the cinema.
It's hilarious, full of wit and British humour. Not only is it a brilliant comedy, it's a great action and mystery flick too. The pairing of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost works as well here as it did in Shaun of the Dead, and there's a great supporting cast in Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine and the rest, including those blink and you'll miss it cameos.
Whilst I work for a large urban police force, there are a lot of areas of policing I recognise in this film, which for me makes it even funnier watching it back. From having to bring cake (bribes) in for colleagues, to the old school Vauxhall cars, office banter and the more onerous side of policing, they really have done their research. Although I can safely say I've never met an officer quite as dedicated as Angel! But I do reckon a lot of our new recruits have the same view of policing as Danny does...
Such an entertaining film that doesn't get old.
It's hilarious, full of wit and British humour. Not only is it a brilliant comedy, it's a great action and mystery flick too. The pairing of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost works as well here as it did in Shaun of the Dead, and there's a great supporting cast in Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine and the rest, including those blink and you'll miss it cameos.
Whilst I work for a large urban police force, there are a lot of areas of policing I recognise in this film, which for me makes it even funnier watching it back. From having to bring cake (bribes) in for colleagues, to the old school Vauxhall cars, office banter and the more onerous side of policing, they really have done their research. Although I can safely say I've never met an officer quite as dedicated as Angel! But I do reckon a lot of our new recruits have the same view of policing as Danny does...
Such an entertaining film that doesn't get old.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (Død snø 2) (2014) in Movies
Sep 27, 2018
Dark sense of humour (1 more)
Uses bigger budget to good effect
EXTREMELY violent (1 more)
Some of the kills may be a little too much for some
Bigger, Funnier and Bloodier
if you had asked me after my first viewing, I may have given a 7/10 but a recent rewatch has reaffirmed just how great this film is.
It takes all of the self-awareness, over-the-top violence and ludicrous setpieces from the original, and just pumps more of all of it straight into its zombified heart.
It becomes more fantastic, more violent, more ruthless...no one is safe, not people in wheelchairs, not women with babies, not children...
Fortunately the brutality is ridiculous enough that it quickly becomes comic-book in terms of its realism, but the gore is plentiful indeed!
The plot is funny in itself, and some of the side characters were great fun, including the world's most unfortunate zombie...
If you haven't seen 'Dead Snow', watch that first (great in its own right) and then watch this.
For fans of Shaun Of the Dead, Tucker & Dale Versus Evil or Troll Hunter
It takes all of the self-awareness, over-the-top violence and ludicrous setpieces from the original, and just pumps more of all of it straight into its zombified heart.
It becomes more fantastic, more violent, more ruthless...no one is safe, not people in wheelchairs, not women with babies, not children...
Fortunately the brutality is ridiculous enough that it quickly becomes comic-book in terms of its realism, but the gore is plentiful indeed!
The plot is funny in itself, and some of the side characters were great fun, including the world's most unfortunate zombie...
If you haven't seen 'Dead Snow', watch that first (great in its own right) and then watch this.
For fans of Shaun Of the Dead, Tucker & Dale Versus Evil or Troll Hunter
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Scream 3 (2000) in Movies
Nov 2, 2018
A very inferior sequel
It's such a shame that Scream 3 loses the magic that Scream 2 had in abundance.
There's no wit, no humour and the film within a film concept is tired and very poor. All of the new characters are under developed meaning you care so little when they get bumped off one by one. Patrick Dempsey's character is so creepy and slimy in parts that it's laughable and builds no tension or intrigue whatsoever. And even the returning characters have lost their edge, repeating the same old squabbles and experiences as in the first two films. Ghostface too loses his edge here, there's no shocking deaths and the voice changer that can mimic other voices is ridiculous and farfetched. The ending too isn't particularly clever or interesting. The only things I really liked about this film was the brief return of Randy and the cameos from Silent Jay & Bob and Carrie Fisher.
I remember really looking forward to seeing this when it first came out, but it is such a disappointment. It isn't helped by the fact that I spend the entire film wondering what the hell is going on with Courtney Fox's fringe...
There's no wit, no humour and the film within a film concept is tired and very poor. All of the new characters are under developed meaning you care so little when they get bumped off one by one. Patrick Dempsey's character is so creepy and slimy in parts that it's laughable and builds no tension or intrigue whatsoever. And even the returning characters have lost their edge, repeating the same old squabbles and experiences as in the first two films. Ghostface too loses his edge here, there's no shocking deaths and the voice changer that can mimic other voices is ridiculous and farfetched. The ending too isn't particularly clever or interesting. The only things I really liked about this film was the brief return of Randy and the cameos from Silent Jay & Bob and Carrie Fisher.
I remember really looking forward to seeing this when it first came out, but it is such a disappointment. It isn't helped by the fact that I spend the entire film wondering what the hell is going on with Courtney Fox's fringe...
Amy Curtis (49 KP) rated White Gold in TV
Dec 4, 2018
Average...
There's only 6 episodes in this programme and I was really looking forward to binge watching it. I'm a big fan of Ed Westwick and I wanted to see what the boys from the Inbetweeners would be like in a different programme. The show was okay and the humour was brilliant. The only thing is it didn't feel like there was much of a story line half the time. It was only from episode 4 that something started to build. Ed Westwick does a fantastic job of taking on a con man who considers himself as a w***er and he speaks directly to the camera at times to talk to the audience directly and remind them why he is one. It was a quick watch and there were rumours that they were bringing a second season out. However due to allegations against Ed, this got put on hold and there is no certainty that White Gold will return. If there was a second season, the plot would need to definitely be expanded on. It is still worth a watch but I wouldn't drop everything because White Gold season 2 has hit my TV screen.
Sam Hill (23 KP) rated Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle in Video Games
Jun 20, 2019
I purchased the game having viewed only the trailers and being a huge fan of the X-Com series which it looks, and feels, very much like.
I found the graphics and overall visual tone of the game to be fantastic. The merging of Rabbids and Mario themes has been done cleverly in a manner which does not feel forced.
The humour largely works, in a cartoonish and slightly childish way and the story is enough to carry you through the single player despite not being massively deep, and being very linear.
The mechanics also work quite well, with one slight caveat. The levels themselves play more like a puzzle game than a strategy, there very much is a right way to do each level and a wrong way. If you make a wrong step then you may need to restart the level instead of finding a way to fix it as you go.
All in all the game is of a high quality and entertaining, and is well worth its price tag
I found the graphics and overall visual tone of the game to be fantastic. The merging of Rabbids and Mario themes has been done cleverly in a manner which does not feel forced.
The humour largely works, in a cartoonish and slightly childish way and the story is enough to carry you through the single player despite not being massively deep, and being very linear.
The mechanics also work quite well, with one slight caveat. The levels themselves play more like a puzzle game than a strategy, there very much is a right way to do each level and a wrong way. If you make a wrong step then you may need to restart the level instead of finding a way to fix it as you go.
All in all the game is of a high quality and entertaining, and is well worth its price tag
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated The Wind in the Willows in Books
Jul 2, 2019
I was pleasantly surprised by this book
I was surprised by this book. I did a bit of a skim read to begin with because I intend to use some of the books content as part of an essay that I'm writing for children's literature. My skim read put me off reading it for a few days. When I did start reading it I was enthralled by Grahame's use of language and imagery. I have to say that his use of language to describe the countryside and the changing seasons is perhaps some of the most beautiful language I have ever read. He captures the scenery so perfectly that you can almost touch it.
The characters were good, toad in particular. It is clear to see that Grahame was talking about hysteria in the character of toad. Written in the early 20th century, the novel is typical of its slower pace when compared to modern literature for children. The humour and sentiment may be enough to grip even the 21st century child. As an adult though, this is a delightful little book that should never be skimmed.
The characters were good, toad in particular. It is clear to see that Grahame was talking about hysteria in the character of toad. Written in the early 20th century, the novel is typical of its slower pace when compared to modern literature for children. The humour and sentiment may be enough to grip even the 21st century child. As an adult though, this is a delightful little book that should never be skimmed.