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Athena LaCosse (16 KP) rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) in Movies
Mar 21, 2019
Gloria Steinem recommended The Woman Warrior in Books (curated)
Gloria Steinem recommended The Woman Warrior in Books (curated)
Pete Buttigieg recommended Wolf Hall in Books (curated)
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Kong: Skull Island (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The legendary King Kong returns in an all new adventure that gives the classic tale a much needed update and new setting. Unlike Perter Jackson’s retelling of the original Black and White film, “Kong: Skull Island” eschews the old for the new and in doing so breathes a much needed new life and vitality into the franchise.
The film is set in 1973 when William Randa (John Goodman), informs the government that they have detected a previously unknown island and need to investigate it before the Soviets learn of it and beat them to whatever the island my hold.
William recruits a team which includes a former British officer named James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), and Photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), to assist his team lead by Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), in mapping the island.
William also asks for a military escort and the government enlists Lt. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), and his team to accompany the mission. Packard is trying to find his place in the world as he and his helicopter combat team are dealing with the recent end of the Vietnam War. His men are looking forward to going home and resuming their lives, but a dour Packard jumps at the chance for another mission over the uncertainty of the future.
Upon arriving on the mysterious island and starting their survey mission by using seismic charges, the team attract the attention of Kong who is not at all pleased with the intrusion on his island. Kong makes short work of the copters and the team finds themselves scattered about the dangerous island. They soon learn that Kong is not the only danger on the island and must find a way to rejoin each other and make it to their extraction point alive.
Naturally some of the characters have a hidden agenda and there are dangerous and action around every corner. Further complicating matters is the appearance of Marlow (John C. Reilly), a downed WWII pilot who has been stranded on the island for 23 years and warns of dangers far greater than Kong that are ahead of the team.
The film combines a solid cast with state of the art special effects to take a new twist on the standard adventure fare. While many parts of the film remain silly Popcorn entertainment, the quality of the assembled cast allows the film to move beyond being just an assembly of potential victims for a menagerie of CGI creatures to dispatch.
While the story is more in lines with the linear and thin plots of adventure films of old, the sum of the parts does add up to an enjoyable film experience for those who like the giant creature films. You will want to make sure to stay after the credits as there is a very good scene that shows a setup for a future film that had those in attendance at our press screening cheering.
The film may be a bit intense for younger viewers but if you are looking for a touch of nostalgia and action, you may find the film just what you need.
http://sknr.net/2017/03/08/kong-skull-island/
The film is set in 1973 when William Randa (John Goodman), informs the government that they have detected a previously unknown island and need to investigate it before the Soviets learn of it and beat them to whatever the island my hold.
William recruits a team which includes a former British officer named James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), and Photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), to assist his team lead by Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), in mapping the island.
William also asks for a military escort and the government enlists Lt. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), and his team to accompany the mission. Packard is trying to find his place in the world as he and his helicopter combat team are dealing with the recent end of the Vietnam War. His men are looking forward to going home and resuming their lives, but a dour Packard jumps at the chance for another mission over the uncertainty of the future.
Upon arriving on the mysterious island and starting their survey mission by using seismic charges, the team attract the attention of Kong who is not at all pleased with the intrusion on his island. Kong makes short work of the copters and the team finds themselves scattered about the dangerous island. They soon learn that Kong is not the only danger on the island and must find a way to rejoin each other and make it to their extraction point alive.
Naturally some of the characters have a hidden agenda and there are dangerous and action around every corner. Further complicating matters is the appearance of Marlow (John C. Reilly), a downed WWII pilot who has been stranded on the island for 23 years and warns of dangers far greater than Kong that are ahead of the team.
The film combines a solid cast with state of the art special effects to take a new twist on the standard adventure fare. While many parts of the film remain silly Popcorn entertainment, the quality of the assembled cast allows the film to move beyond being just an assembly of potential victims for a menagerie of CGI creatures to dispatch.
While the story is more in lines with the linear and thin plots of adventure films of old, the sum of the parts does add up to an enjoyable film experience for those who like the giant creature films. You will want to make sure to stay after the credits as there is a very good scene that shows a setup for a future film that had those in attendance at our press screening cheering.
The film may be a bit intense for younger viewers but if you are looking for a touch of nostalgia and action, you may find the film just what you need.
http://sknr.net/2017/03/08/kong-skull-island/
Paige (428 KP) rated In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel in Music
Aug 4, 2017
Books Editor (673 KP) created a video about Time: The Kalief Browder Story in TV
Sep 17, 2017
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020) in Movies
Oct 29, 2021 (Updated Nov 2, 2021)
It’s been 30 years since we were introduced to the “Graboids” and Burt Gummer (Gross) and over the years the film has become the life story of Gummer more than a story of the fast-moving monstrous creatures, we even had a family tree movie with The Legend Begins in 2004 as we went back to the late 1800s to Perfection and met Gummer’s relative.
With Tremors: Shrieker Island Burt is now on a lovely looking island and has removed himself from society and technology, but nothing lasts forever and a group of wealthy trophy hunters genetically modify Graboid eggs to create the ultimate hunting experience, but it’s not going to go to plan for them and it’s not long until the Graboids escape their captivity and run amok on the island and the shriekers have developed further than the ones we have seen before in the previous films.
With Tremors: Shrieker Island Burt is now on a lovely looking island and has removed himself from society and technology, but nothing lasts forever and a group of wealthy trophy hunters genetically modify Graboid eggs to create the ultimate hunting experience, but it’s not going to go to plan for them and it’s not long until the Graboids escape their captivity and run amok on the island and the shriekers have developed further than the ones we have seen before in the previous films.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated While You Sleep in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Full of atmosphere and mystery helped by the excellent description of the remote Scottish island and the characters makes this an enthralling read.
Full review: <a href="https://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/while-you-sleep-by-stephanie-merritt.html">Reading Stuff 'n' Things</a>
Full review: <a href="https://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/while-you-sleep-by-stephanie-merritt.html">Reading Stuff 'n' Things</a>
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Books
Aug 30, 2017
Sweet tale, fluffy though some disturbing themes
I rather enjoyed this tale of back and forth letters between a journalist, her friends and the people on the island of Guernsey. It is lighthearted for the most part, though it describes the harrowing story of Elizabeth who was taken to a concentration camp during WWII and never returns. But the story centres around the main journalist who falls in love with the people and the island, and how she attempts to write an honest book about them. There's not much else to it, but it's a nice easy read.