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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Emily, Gone in Books
Jun 7, 2019
I have been a fan of author Bette Lee Crosby since reading her book The Summer of New Beginnings. When I heard of her latest book, Emily, Gone, I knew I would have to read it sooner rather than later. Miss Crosby did not disappoint at all with this one.
Six month old Emily's parents are beyond exhausted due to a music festival very close to their house during 1971. After laying Emily down in her crib in her room, Emily's parents, Rachel and George Dixon, go to their room and finally have a good night's sleep. In the morning when Rachel checks on baby Emily, she is missing from her crib. Vicki gave birth to a stillborn baby girl about a month before Emily was born. When Vicki and her boyfriend decide to stop at a random house to get some food after the festival late one night, it's the perfect opportunity for her to steal baby Emily. What follows is a years long search for Emily all the while Emily is being raised by Vicki and her family. Will Rachel and George ever be united with their Emily?
I enjoyed the plot for Emily, Gone immensely. There are no plot holes or cliffhangers, and Bette Lee Crosby writes about 1971 and the subsequent years very well. It's as if I was transported back in time to that era. Everything flows together smoothly. I found myself wanting Rachel and George to be reunited with Emily quickly, but that wasn't the case. Back in 1971, things like the internet and Amber Alerts weren't a thing, so as frustrating as it was, I could see how hard it would be to recover a kidnapped child. I wish the story would have involved Murph, Vicki's boyfriend, a bit more. He's in the story for about halfway and that's about it. I would have liked to know about him in the epilogue at least. Also, I did find the ending a bit far fetched albeit it probable. It just seems like it would have been highly unlikely. Bette Lee Crosby does touch on the Christian faith lightly throughout this book which could explain the ending.
I found the characters in Emily, Gone to be written superbly. All of them were fleshed out enough to feel like a real person instead of a character in a book. My heart went out to Rachel throughout the years without her Emily. George, Emily's father, had better coping mechanisms, but I still felt bad to him. I can't imagine, and I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if someone kidnapped one of my kids. Mama Dixon was my favorite character in the book. I loved what a warm presence she was throughout the novel to her family. I felt like she was part of my family as well! Although Vicki was written well, I just did not like her. I found her to be very selfish, and I suppose that's because she was mentally ill after the stillborn birth of her baby girl. I kept silently pleading with her to do the right thing and return Emily. I kept wanting her to get caught so she could get the help she needed and the Dixons could have their baby back. I liked Murph, Vicki's boyfriend, but I wish he would have done the right thing and told someone what Vicki had done. In a way, I understand why he didn't turn Vicki in, but it would have been better for everyone in the long run. In a way, my heart also went out to Angela and Kenny for being pulled into Vicki's mess. They were also completely innocent of everything.
I found the pacing to be perfect from the very first page to the very last page. Every time I had to stop reading Emily, Gone I felt like I was leaving a long lost friend, and I couldn't wait to return.
Trigger warnings for Emily, Gone include some drug references, kidnapping, stillborn birth, mental illness, death, some alcohol use, slight references to child molestation, incest, and other sexual references (such as couples making love, nothing graphic).
Overall, Emily, Gone is a highly interesting read with an entertaining plot that will hold you tight and not let go of you until you're done reading! This is one of those stories that will tug at your heartstrings. I would definitely recommend Emily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby to everyone aged 17+ who would love a fantastically written emotional story.
Six month old Emily's parents are beyond exhausted due to a music festival very close to their house during 1971. After laying Emily down in her crib in her room, Emily's parents, Rachel and George Dixon, go to their room and finally have a good night's sleep. In the morning when Rachel checks on baby Emily, she is missing from her crib. Vicki gave birth to a stillborn baby girl about a month before Emily was born. When Vicki and her boyfriend decide to stop at a random house to get some food after the festival late one night, it's the perfect opportunity for her to steal baby Emily. What follows is a years long search for Emily all the while Emily is being raised by Vicki and her family. Will Rachel and George ever be united with their Emily?
I enjoyed the plot for Emily, Gone immensely. There are no plot holes or cliffhangers, and Bette Lee Crosby writes about 1971 and the subsequent years very well. It's as if I was transported back in time to that era. Everything flows together smoothly. I found myself wanting Rachel and George to be reunited with Emily quickly, but that wasn't the case. Back in 1971, things like the internet and Amber Alerts weren't a thing, so as frustrating as it was, I could see how hard it would be to recover a kidnapped child. I wish the story would have involved Murph, Vicki's boyfriend, a bit more. He's in the story for about halfway and that's about it. I would have liked to know about him in the epilogue at least. Also, I did find the ending a bit far fetched albeit it probable. It just seems like it would have been highly unlikely. Bette Lee Crosby does touch on the Christian faith lightly throughout this book which could explain the ending.
I found the characters in Emily, Gone to be written superbly. All of them were fleshed out enough to feel like a real person instead of a character in a book. My heart went out to Rachel throughout the years without her Emily. George, Emily's father, had better coping mechanisms, but I still felt bad to him. I can't imagine, and I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if someone kidnapped one of my kids. Mama Dixon was my favorite character in the book. I loved what a warm presence she was throughout the novel to her family. I felt like she was part of my family as well! Although Vicki was written well, I just did not like her. I found her to be very selfish, and I suppose that's because she was mentally ill after the stillborn birth of her baby girl. I kept silently pleading with her to do the right thing and return Emily. I kept wanting her to get caught so she could get the help she needed and the Dixons could have their baby back. I liked Murph, Vicki's boyfriend, but I wish he would have done the right thing and told someone what Vicki had done. In a way, I understand why he didn't turn Vicki in, but it would have been better for everyone in the long run. In a way, my heart also went out to Angela and Kenny for being pulled into Vicki's mess. They were also completely innocent of everything.
I found the pacing to be perfect from the very first page to the very last page. Every time I had to stop reading Emily, Gone I felt like I was leaving a long lost friend, and I couldn't wait to return.
Trigger warnings for Emily, Gone include some drug references, kidnapping, stillborn birth, mental illness, death, some alcohol use, slight references to child molestation, incest, and other sexual references (such as couples making love, nothing graphic).
Overall, Emily, Gone is a highly interesting read with an entertaining plot that will hold you tight and not let go of you until you're done reading! This is one of those stories that will tug at your heartstrings. I would definitely recommend Emily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby to everyone aged 17+ who would love a fantastically written emotional story.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Neeson's best film in years
Yes, we all know the jokes. Liam Neeson’s spiral into revenge thriller territory is one of the most meme-worthy things in film, except maybe John Travolta and Battlefield Earth. Starting with Taken and its, let’s be honest, dreadful sequels, the Irish actor has made a name for himself as the go-to guy to rough someone up after a spate of bad-luck.
He’s had kids killed, kidnapped and spouses murdered in cold blood, he’s even been framed for hijacking a jumbo jet – if anyone deserves a break, it’s Liam Neeson. Unfortunately, his films have ranged from great (Taken, Non-Stop), to middling (Run All Night, The Commuter), to downright dreadful (Taken 2, Taken 3) and that’s how the meme-worthiness was born. Nevertheless, Neeson is back for yet another revenge thriller in Cold Pursuit. But how does it stack up?
Nels Coxman’s (Neeson) quiet life as a snowplough driver comes crashing down when his beloved son (Micheál Richardson) dies under mysterious circumstances. His search for the truth soon becomes a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking (Tom Bateman) and his sleazy henchmen. Transformed from upstanding citizen to cold-blooded vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that includes a kidnapping, a series of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss called White Bull.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. This is not a review biased by Neeson’s, shall we say, ill-worded rant on his former life. We all have our own opinions on the matter, but that should not detract from individuals going to see a movie in the cinema. In fact, Cold Pursuit is Neeson’s most accomplished film in years, helped by stylish directing from Swedish director Hans Petter Moland. It’s worth noting that Cold Pursuit is in fact a US remake of Swedish film, In Order of Disappearance and there’s a tasteful nod to the film’s roots in the end-credits.
With a dark, comedic edge, Cold Pursuit is as funny as much as it is gory and it is this hybridity of genres that remains the film’s trump card. The script, penned by Moland himself, is witty and sharp, filled with fantastic line-delivery by the entire cast who look like they’re having a cracking time. There are twists and turns and even a gay-romantic subplot – how very contemporary.
Apart from Neeson, Tom Bateman is an absolute stand-out as the film’s primary antagonist. Allowing him to be a presence in the film from the outset allows the audience to fully feel his character and there’s no doubt that he is a despicable human-being. Neeson performs in typical Liam Neeson fashion. He snarls and growls his way through the film but allows a softer side to creep in than we’re used to, helped in part by that comedic script.
Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre
It’s not perfect however. Laura Dern is a massively underused presence throughout and disappears completely from the film about 1-hour in with no other references to her character. This is a real shame as her chemistry with Neeson is good and they make a believable couple, especially when they’re dealing with the ramifications of their son’s death.
Dern continues to prove her acting prowess and it would have been nice to see her continue to be a feature throughout the film. The pacing is a little off too. At 118 minutes long, the film plods a little as it gets going and then doesn’t stop until the fun and entirely ridiculous finale.
However, it’s good to see the special effects are up to scratch for the genre. Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre. With a relatively modest budget of $60million, it appears that was well spent with clever editing and cinematography masking any less-than-stellar visuals.
Overall, Cold Pursuit is a fun, if forgettable revenge thriller that features some delicious dark comedy mixed with an intriguing story. It’s certainly Neeson’s best film since Non-Stopand marks a return to form for the Irish actor. Unfortunately, these type of flicks are ten-a-penny nowadays and I’m unsure whether snappy one-liners and beautiful snow-capped peaks are enough to differentiate it in a crowded marketplace.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/03/01/cold-pursuit-review-neesons-best-film-in-years/
He’s had kids killed, kidnapped and spouses murdered in cold blood, he’s even been framed for hijacking a jumbo jet – if anyone deserves a break, it’s Liam Neeson. Unfortunately, his films have ranged from great (Taken, Non-Stop), to middling (Run All Night, The Commuter), to downright dreadful (Taken 2, Taken 3) and that’s how the meme-worthiness was born. Nevertheless, Neeson is back for yet another revenge thriller in Cold Pursuit. But how does it stack up?
Nels Coxman’s (Neeson) quiet life as a snowplough driver comes crashing down when his beloved son (Micheál Richardson) dies under mysterious circumstances. His search for the truth soon becomes a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking (Tom Bateman) and his sleazy henchmen. Transformed from upstanding citizen to cold-blooded vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that includes a kidnapping, a series of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss called White Bull.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. This is not a review biased by Neeson’s, shall we say, ill-worded rant on his former life. We all have our own opinions on the matter, but that should not detract from individuals going to see a movie in the cinema. In fact, Cold Pursuit is Neeson’s most accomplished film in years, helped by stylish directing from Swedish director Hans Petter Moland. It’s worth noting that Cold Pursuit is in fact a US remake of Swedish film, In Order of Disappearance and there’s a tasteful nod to the film’s roots in the end-credits.
With a dark, comedic edge, Cold Pursuit is as funny as much as it is gory and it is this hybridity of genres that remains the film’s trump card. The script, penned by Moland himself, is witty and sharp, filled with fantastic line-delivery by the entire cast who look like they’re having a cracking time. There are twists and turns and even a gay-romantic subplot – how very contemporary.
Apart from Neeson, Tom Bateman is an absolute stand-out as the film’s primary antagonist. Allowing him to be a presence in the film from the outset allows the audience to fully feel his character and there’s no doubt that he is a despicable human-being. Neeson performs in typical Liam Neeson fashion. He snarls and growls his way through the film but allows a softer side to creep in than we’re used to, helped in part by that comedic script.
Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre
It’s not perfect however. Laura Dern is a massively underused presence throughout and disappears completely from the film about 1-hour in with no other references to her character. This is a real shame as her chemistry with Neeson is good and they make a believable couple, especially when they’re dealing with the ramifications of their son’s death.
Dern continues to prove her acting prowess and it would have been nice to see her continue to be a feature throughout the film. The pacing is a little off too. At 118 minutes long, the film plods a little as it gets going and then doesn’t stop until the fun and entirely ridiculous finale.
However, it’s good to see the special effects are up to scratch for the genre. Revenge thrillers rarely have the budget for flashy CGI or top-notch practical effects but Cold Pursuit is one of the better in the genre. With a relatively modest budget of $60million, it appears that was well spent with clever editing and cinematography masking any less-than-stellar visuals.
Overall, Cold Pursuit is a fun, if forgettable revenge thriller that features some delicious dark comedy mixed with an intriguing story. It’s certainly Neeson’s best film since Non-Stopand marks a return to form for the Irish actor. Unfortunately, these type of flicks are ten-a-penny nowadays and I’m unsure whether snappy one-liners and beautiful snow-capped peaks are enough to differentiate it in a crowded marketplace.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/03/01/cold-pursuit-review-neesons-best-film-in-years/
What can I say about <i>Revenger</i>?
It was my first ever Space Opera and it has opened my eyes to a whole new genre.
It was my first ever Space Opera and it has primed my taste-buds for more.
It was my first ever Alastair Reynolds and now I want more.
Revenger itself was amazingly well written. As mentioned above this was my first book from Alastair Reynolds and it was just the kind of book I could get into again and again; the writing style flowed with a shocking ease and the plot line was very Firefly-esque with a hint more action and a smidge more ‘oh-shit’ factor.
Revenger follows the story of Adrana and Arafura Ness – two sisters from Mazarile whose sick father had made some very poor choices in business – as they embark on a journey into space to end all journeys.
It begins with Adrana convincing her younger sister Arafura to escape into Neural Alley for a reading by Madam Granity. There’s aliens, robots and weird looking men with bad attitudes and then there’s Captain Rackamore. Pol Rackamore is the captain of the Monetta’s Mourn – a sunjammer spaceship – and he’s in need of a new Boney on his ship as his current one is getting too old to ‘read the bones’ and I mean that in the literal sense of the word.
Adrana convinces Cap’n Rack to take both her and Arafura on board the Monetta in the position of new Bone Readers (with the aide of Cazaray the current Boney) and that is where the story really begins. We’re introduced to the rest of the crew and the Monetta sails off into the Empty in search of baubles. As they sail towards their first bauble Arafura becomes a lot closer to the rest of the crew while I feel that Adrana is doing her best to stay away from them all even though she’s front and center.
Story progresses and little hints are dropped about Bosa Sennen and Cap’n Rack’s long lost daughter. There’s several shocking deaths, a mad woman, a kidnapping or two and a young girl bent on revenge.
Around the mid way mark Arafura changes, subtly at first and then a lot more drastic and she becomes Just Fura. This is where the story becomes a lot darker and a lot less like Firefly and a lot more like the Firefly from hell; the second half of this book is based around Fura getting Revenger on Bosa Sennen for what she did and the things that Fura puts herself through to get where she needs to be? She started off as a little timid and shy but after the 50% mark she changed completely and became hard and unyielding.
You know how they say that the future is bright? That brightness is swallowed by the Empty and the future is dark and full of terrors (oh yeah I went there) there’s a doctor with a God complex, a father with a total lack of regard for his daughters, a totally bad ass soldier robot with logic barricades and all sorts of other people.
I think I loved the world building the most about Revenger it was such a smooth transition from place to place and from time to time that it was almost seamless; my second favourite thing was the characters – hands down they were some of the best characters I’ve ever read and I’d love to see if AR takes this book any further as it was seemingly left open for another book but we shall see.
The book gave off a distinctly pirate feeling but with the space element it felt more like Firefly than it did Pirates of the Caribbean which as a fan of both was saying something. Pirates sailing the high skies rather than the high seas! Some of the characters left much to be desired – Bosa, Adrana and Dr Moonface I’m looking at y’all – but the likes of Rack, Prozor and Paladin more than made up for them.
The dialogue was great and the story wasn’t overly scientific which sometimes can be an issue for me, I like my books to be a little less science fact and a bit more science fiction but with Revenger, I felt like AR was giving us regular folk an explanation without going overboard on the description.
It was my first ever Space Opera and it has opened my eyes to a whole new genre.
It was my first ever Space Opera and it has primed my taste-buds for more.
It was my first ever Alastair Reynolds and now I want more.
Revenger itself was amazingly well written. As mentioned above this was my first book from Alastair Reynolds and it was just the kind of book I could get into again and again; the writing style flowed with a shocking ease and the plot line was very Firefly-esque with a hint more action and a smidge more ‘oh-shit’ factor.
Revenger follows the story of Adrana and Arafura Ness – two sisters from Mazarile whose sick father had made some very poor choices in business – as they embark on a journey into space to end all journeys.
It begins with Adrana convincing her younger sister Arafura to escape into Neural Alley for a reading by Madam Granity. There’s aliens, robots and weird looking men with bad attitudes and then there’s Captain Rackamore. Pol Rackamore is the captain of the Monetta’s Mourn – a sunjammer spaceship – and he’s in need of a new Boney on his ship as his current one is getting too old to ‘read the bones’ and I mean that in the literal sense of the word.
Adrana convinces Cap’n Rack to take both her and Arafura on board the Monetta in the position of new Bone Readers (with the aide of Cazaray the current Boney) and that is where the story really begins. We’re introduced to the rest of the crew and the Monetta sails off into the Empty in search of baubles. As they sail towards their first bauble Arafura becomes a lot closer to the rest of the crew while I feel that Adrana is doing her best to stay away from them all even though she’s front and center.
Story progresses and little hints are dropped about Bosa Sennen and Cap’n Rack’s long lost daughter. There’s several shocking deaths, a mad woman, a kidnapping or two and a young girl bent on revenge.
Around the mid way mark Arafura changes, subtly at first and then a lot more drastic and she becomes Just Fura. This is where the story becomes a lot darker and a lot less like Firefly and a lot more like the Firefly from hell; the second half of this book is based around Fura getting Revenger on Bosa Sennen for what she did and the things that Fura puts herself through to get where she needs to be? She started off as a little timid and shy but after the 50% mark she changed completely and became hard and unyielding.
You know how they say that the future is bright? That brightness is swallowed by the Empty and the future is dark and full of terrors (oh yeah I went there) there’s a doctor with a God complex, a father with a total lack of regard for his daughters, a totally bad ass soldier robot with logic barricades and all sorts of other people.
I think I loved the world building the most about Revenger it was such a smooth transition from place to place and from time to time that it was almost seamless; my second favourite thing was the characters – hands down they were some of the best characters I’ve ever read and I’d love to see if AR takes this book any further as it was seemingly left open for another book but we shall see.
The book gave off a distinctly pirate feeling but with the space element it felt more like Firefly than it did Pirates of the Caribbean which as a fan of both was saying something. Pirates sailing the high skies rather than the high seas! Some of the characters left much to be desired – Bosa, Adrana and Dr Moonface I’m looking at y’all – but the likes of Rack, Prozor and Paladin more than made up for them.
The dialogue was great and the story wasn’t overly scientific which sometimes can be an issue for me, I like my books to be a little less science fact and a bit more science fiction but with Revenger, I felt like AR was giving us regular folk an explanation without going overboard on the description.
Alice (12 KP) rated Summoned (Summoned, #1) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<em>Summoned</em> follows a 23-year-old genie named Dimitri - who, in typical genie fashion - is bound by his master to fulfill wishes. The twist is that Dimitri's master isn't limited to just 3 but has no limit.
The story opens with Dimitri fulfilling a kidnapping request followed by his inevitable rest period directly after - where he meets Syd in a dive bar. From there the story just gets a little weird - Dimitri takes Syd home and they end up having sex literally right away (nothing against it cause whatever floats your boat right?) But it was practically as soon as they got in Dimitri's house.
For a book that generally is considered fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in there's an awful lot of sex and it's rushed sex - almost as if the author felt a little weird writing the scenes - Syd is all kinds of crazy stalker as well, like she steals his number from his phone, turns up on his doorstep unannounced and threatens to slash his tires kinda crazy.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
The master - Karl - is an millionaire arse. I have nothing good to say about him whatsoever. Generally, Dimitri can rest for a day or two before Karl makes another wish but Karl starts to make make a new wish every day - Silvia is Karl's daughter and she screams spoiled rich girl who wants to breed with Dimitri - her inheritance.
It's all kinds of messed up.
Dimitri does a job for Karl and goes home to rest only to get a call from Stalker Syd going a little crazy on him for abandoning her - I forgot to mention that when Karl wants a wish he summons Dimitri to a chamber - the following day after yet more rushed sex Karl has another wish for Dimitri where he has to steal a safe - only he <em>fails</em>.
When Dimitri fails to fulfill a wish the buzz in his head grows and he ends up getting a really bad migraine until he fulfills his wish or pigs fly and Karl recant the wish.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
Syd is all kinds of crazy. I don't think much of her character at all, it's like she's got her heart invested after a one night stand and then goes crazy everyone Dimitri doesn't do what she expects him to do.
<blockquote>"You're just gone so much." Syd's voice sounds so empty and hollow. "I never really know when you'll be back, what you're doing, or anything at all. I don't want to be that needy girlfriend, but it's so frustrating. I know it was meant to be casual, but I thought it could be... more. I just wanted some way to know you were thinking of me."</blockquote>
They've been having sex - not even dating - for what feels like 2 days but is more like 3 weeks or so. Little cray cray.
Silvia Walker is also all kinds of crazy - she wants to breed with Dimitri even if it's against his wishes, she murders small furry animals and she smokes like a chimney. She's got it into her head that Dimitri is the love of her life even though he makes it abundantly clear that he can't stand the sight of her. To make matters worse, she finds out that her daddy is trying to sire a son to make sure she doesn't receive her inheritance.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
Although it's a very good concept - a power hungry, slightly crazy millionaire with his own personal genie to fulfill any and every wish he wants - there was just something missing. I don't know maybe the book was too short and the story was a little rushed for me, the insta-love between Dimitri and Syd bugged the ever-loving crap out of me.
The story as a whole was just too rushed for my tastes and at times I didn't get why something was happening or why Dimitri sounded like a stupid teenager, or why for an "all-powerful" master Karl was an absolute douchebag about a lot of stuff.Like wishing Dimitri kills Syd for one - what's his deal?
It had one <em>hell</em> of a twist at the end though. I didn't expect that all which is what pushed this review up from a 3 to a 3.5.
<blockquote>I'm no longer Leo, or Alan, or Alex.
I'm Dimitri.
And I'm free.</blockquote>
The story opens with Dimitri fulfilling a kidnapping request followed by his inevitable rest period directly after - where he meets Syd in a dive bar. From there the story just gets a little weird - Dimitri takes Syd home and they end up having sex literally right away (nothing against it cause whatever floats your boat right?) But it was practically as soon as they got in Dimitri's house.
For a book that generally is considered fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in there's an awful lot of sex and it's rushed sex - almost as if the author felt a little weird writing the scenes - Syd is all kinds of crazy stalker as well, like she steals his number from his phone, turns up on his doorstep unannounced and threatens to slash his tires kinda crazy.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
The master - Karl - is an millionaire arse. I have nothing good to say about him whatsoever. Generally, Dimitri can rest for a day or two before Karl makes another wish but Karl starts to make make a new wish every day - Silvia is Karl's daughter and she screams spoiled rich girl who wants to breed with Dimitri - her inheritance.
It's all kinds of messed up.
Dimitri does a job for Karl and goes home to rest only to get a call from Stalker Syd going a little crazy on him for abandoning her - I forgot to mention that when Karl wants a wish he summons Dimitri to a chamber - the following day after yet more rushed sex Karl has another wish for Dimitri where he has to steal a safe - only he <em>fails</em>.
When Dimitri fails to fulfill a wish the buzz in his head grows and he ends up getting a really bad migraine until he fulfills his wish or pigs fly and Karl recant the wish.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
Syd is all kinds of crazy. I don't think much of her character at all, it's like she's got her heart invested after a one night stand and then goes crazy everyone Dimitri doesn't do what she expects him to do.
<blockquote>"You're just gone so much." Syd's voice sounds so empty and hollow. "I never really know when you'll be back, what you're doing, or anything at all. I don't want to be that needy girlfriend, but it's so frustrating. I know it was meant to be casual, but I thought it could be... more. I just wanted some way to know you were thinking of me."</blockquote>
They've been having sex - not even dating - for what feels like 2 days but is more like 3 weeks or so. Little cray cray.
Silvia Walker is also all kinds of crazy - she wants to breed with Dimitri even if it's against his wishes, she murders small furry animals and she smokes like a chimney. She's got it into her head that Dimitri is the love of her life even though he makes it abundantly clear that he can't stand the sight of her. To make matters worse, she finds out that her daddy is trying to sire a son to make sure she doesn't receive her inheritance.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
Although it's a very good concept - a power hungry, slightly crazy millionaire with his own personal genie to fulfill any and every wish he wants - there was just something missing. I don't know maybe the book was too short and the story was a little rushed for me, the insta-love between Dimitri and Syd bugged the ever-loving crap out of me.
The story as a whole was just too rushed for my tastes and at times I didn't get why something was happening or why Dimitri sounded like a stupid teenager, or why for an "all-powerful" master Karl was an absolute douchebag about a lot of stuff.Like wishing Dimitri kills Syd for one - what's his deal?
It had one <em>hell</em> of a twist at the end though. I didn't expect that all which is what pushed this review up from a 3 to a 3.5.
<blockquote>I'm no longer Leo, or Alan, or Alex.
I'm Dimitri.
And I'm free.</blockquote>
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Transformers (2007) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2019)
Transformers being made into a live action film sounds like every fan's dream come true on paper, but throw Michael Bay into the equation and you lose a good portion of that audience. Bay is a director who tends to rely solely on action sequences. He's known for creating superb and intense scenes in his films, but they always rely on heavy explosions or pure destruction. That's not to say that's a bad thing, but it's hard to name a memorable scene in a Michael Bay film that doesn't include those elements. Everything else in his films (the story, the dialogue, the initial scenes that bridge the gap between each action sequence, etc) all seem to be lacking that extra spark his action sequences have. So those doubts carried over to Transformers and Bay's version seems to be more enjoyable for people who aren't rabid fans of the franchise.
The film revolves around the Autobots fighting off the Decepticons from gaining possession of the Allspark, which has the power to save them from extinction or grant them ultimate power. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, is trying to save Cybertron (their home planet) while Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, wants to conquer the universe and will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. In 1935, Megatron had found the Allspark on Earth in the Arctic Ocean, but was eventually frozen in his quest to capture it. Megatron used the last of his energy to embed the location of the Allspark in the glasses of a captain who accidentally found Megatron buried deep beneath the ice. That captain was the great, great grandfather of Sam Witwicky who is now in possession of said glasses. In the present day, Sam's father buys Sam his first car; a yellow Camaro which turns out to be Autobot, Bumblebee. As the Transformers arrive on Earth, their first objectives are to find Sam Witwicky, acquire possession of the glasses, and hopefully attain an advantage over their enemy.
The movie relies solely on giant robots fighting each other to be the selling point of the film, so if you're expecting much else story-wise then you'll probably walk away from the film disappointed. The special effects are top notch as the Transformers themselves look incredibly realistic. Scenes in other films that rely heavily on characters that are purely computer generated have a sense of being unrealistic since it's usually noticeable that the actors on screen are reacting to something that isn't really there. CGI characters don't usually look this good though. Most of the time, when the actors interact with the computer generated characters, those actors also become computer generated. Like when Doctor Octopus carries Mary Jane up a skyscraper after kidnapping her from the coffee shop in Spider-Man 2 is a great example. They're both noticeably computer generated. While in Transformers, the actors either weren't CGI or the effect was achieved to a greater degree because it looked phenomenal and believable the entire time. As believable as transforming robots can be anyway. The fight scenes between the Autobots and the Decepticons are where the movie hooks its audience though. There is so much going on that the movie requires multiple viewings just to see everything that's going on.
While Transformers is an incredibly fun ride, it does have its down side. The humor of the film is often on the cheesy side and not really funny at all ("I NEED A CREDIT CARD," the entire Glen Whitmann character, Jazz's dialogue, "This is easily 100 times cooler than Armageddon," etc). A trait that seems to carry over into Revenge of the Fallen as the same sense of humor is in the trailer footage. Another issue is the action scenes. While they are intriguing, they're also incredibly confusing most of the time. The camera is almost always too close during those sequences and telling the difference between an Autobot and a Decepticon while they're rolling around in the air is near impossible. The camera looks like it's pulled out a bit in Revenge of the Fallen, so hopefully that problem has been addressed and taken care of. Looks like we'll find out June 24th.
Despite hardcore Transformers fans being displeased (to say the least) with the film, it can't be denied that the 2007 film was one of the biggest blockbuster films at the box office that year. Transformers is exciting and action packed from beginning to end. It is basically a two and a half hour adrenaline rush. So, bottom line, see Transformers if you're looking for an action packed adventure that'll make your heart race and put you on the edge of your seat.
The film revolves around the Autobots fighting off the Decepticons from gaining possession of the Allspark, which has the power to save them from extinction or grant them ultimate power. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, is trying to save Cybertron (their home planet) while Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, wants to conquer the universe and will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. In 1935, Megatron had found the Allspark on Earth in the Arctic Ocean, but was eventually frozen in his quest to capture it. Megatron used the last of his energy to embed the location of the Allspark in the glasses of a captain who accidentally found Megatron buried deep beneath the ice. That captain was the great, great grandfather of Sam Witwicky who is now in possession of said glasses. In the present day, Sam's father buys Sam his first car; a yellow Camaro which turns out to be Autobot, Bumblebee. As the Transformers arrive on Earth, their first objectives are to find Sam Witwicky, acquire possession of the glasses, and hopefully attain an advantage over their enemy.
The movie relies solely on giant robots fighting each other to be the selling point of the film, so if you're expecting much else story-wise then you'll probably walk away from the film disappointed. The special effects are top notch as the Transformers themselves look incredibly realistic. Scenes in other films that rely heavily on characters that are purely computer generated have a sense of being unrealistic since it's usually noticeable that the actors on screen are reacting to something that isn't really there. CGI characters don't usually look this good though. Most of the time, when the actors interact with the computer generated characters, those actors also become computer generated. Like when Doctor Octopus carries Mary Jane up a skyscraper after kidnapping her from the coffee shop in Spider-Man 2 is a great example. They're both noticeably computer generated. While in Transformers, the actors either weren't CGI or the effect was achieved to a greater degree because it looked phenomenal and believable the entire time. As believable as transforming robots can be anyway. The fight scenes between the Autobots and the Decepticons are where the movie hooks its audience though. There is so much going on that the movie requires multiple viewings just to see everything that's going on.
While Transformers is an incredibly fun ride, it does have its down side. The humor of the film is often on the cheesy side and not really funny at all ("I NEED A CREDIT CARD," the entire Glen Whitmann character, Jazz's dialogue, "This is easily 100 times cooler than Armageddon," etc). A trait that seems to carry over into Revenge of the Fallen as the same sense of humor is in the trailer footage. Another issue is the action scenes. While they are intriguing, they're also incredibly confusing most of the time. The camera is almost always too close during those sequences and telling the difference between an Autobot and a Decepticon while they're rolling around in the air is near impossible. The camera looks like it's pulled out a bit in Revenge of the Fallen, so hopefully that problem has been addressed and taken care of. Looks like we'll find out June 24th.
Despite hardcore Transformers fans being displeased (to say the least) with the film, it can't be denied that the 2007 film was one of the biggest blockbuster films at the box office that year. Transformers is exciting and action packed from beginning to end. It is basically a two and a half hour adrenaline rush. So, bottom line, see Transformers if you're looking for an action packed adventure that'll make your heart race and put you on the edge of your seat.
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Walk Among the Tombstones starts by in 1991 we meet Matt Scudder (Neeson) a nonsense detective who while having his morning Irish coffee ends up going into a shootout. Flash forward to 1999 Matt is now a private investigator and when a former junkie Peter Kristo (Holbrook) invites him to meet his brother Kenny (Stevens) for a job. Kenny’s wife was kidnapped with the ransom paid and murdered; he wants Matt to bring him the names of the people responsible. Matt rejects the offer wisely because it would involving working with a drug trafficker but Kenny won’t take no for an answer.
Kenny tales the story of what happened and how gruesome the murder was, this brings Matt into the case to track down the people responsible. Using all his skills he starts the investigation by questioning the locals. The killers prove to be professionals who cover their tracks when committing their crimes. When it becomes apparent they have been doing this for years Matt finds himself investigating cold cases. Tracking down the leads he does come up with a potential name and a place he could meet them, but nothing could prepare him for the nature of the men.
A Walk Among the Tombstones starts very nicely with the broken protagonist trying to make up for something he could never actually make up for, it is hidden from us but we do see he has personal problems. The whole drug dealers being targeting by serial killers also works nicely, giving us a chance to keep guessing on whether it is actually a large scale revenge type thriller than Matt is stuck in the middle off. It goes downhill slowly because of the pace and then turning it into the simple idea that they are just two killers doing it for fun. It is sad because this had a lot of potential from the start but in the end just fizzles out. (6/10)
Actor Review
Liam Neeson: Matt Scudder a private detective who against his better judgment ends up investigating serial killers who enjoy nothing more than kidnapping and killing their victim even if they get their money. He is a former detective who has been recovering from his alcoholism which cost him his job. Liam does do a good job in the role and goes away from the new action star he has created. (7/10)
matt
Dan Stevens: Kenny Kristo drug trafficker whose wife was killed and hires Matt to find the people responsible for it, it will mean risking his connection to help expose the truth. Dan does a good job as the mobster out for revenge for a crime that is personal rather than work related. (7/10)
kenny
Support Cast: A Walk Among the Tombstones has a supporting cast that includes the two killers who are very much evil in what they do, we have other mobsters who are the victims of those killers and we also have a street wise kid trying to help Mark out. They all help the story flow along very well.
Director Review: Scott Frank – Scott does a solid job directing this to make it an interesting thriller with a very dark side to it. (6/10)
Crime: A Walk Among the Tombstones enters into the crime world without going too far over the top with its double crossing, instead focusing on one angle the whole way through. (7/10)
Mystery: A Walk Among the Tombstones does keep you guessing to what would be the motives of the characters creating a nice mystery about the story. (8/10)
Thriller: A Walk Among the Tombstones starts off pulling you in especially when you hear about the murdered wife but afterwards slight starts to fade away. (7/10)
Settings: A Walk Among the Tombstones creates a world that is similar to 1999 New York. (7/10)
Suggestion: A Walk Among the Tombstones is one to try and the fans of Neeson will be watching this, it might not keep everyone happy because it isn’t as dark as its source material. (Try It)
Best Part: The shock of what Kenny finds in the boot of that car.
Worst Part: Falls away by the end.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Cold in July
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $53 Million
Budget: $28 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
Tagline: People are afraid of all the wrong things.
Overall: A Thriller That Hits Hard Early but Tires Near the End
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/01/26/a-walk-among-the-tombstones-2014/
Kenny tales the story of what happened and how gruesome the murder was, this brings Matt into the case to track down the people responsible. Using all his skills he starts the investigation by questioning the locals. The killers prove to be professionals who cover their tracks when committing their crimes. When it becomes apparent they have been doing this for years Matt finds himself investigating cold cases. Tracking down the leads he does come up with a potential name and a place he could meet them, but nothing could prepare him for the nature of the men.
A Walk Among the Tombstones starts very nicely with the broken protagonist trying to make up for something he could never actually make up for, it is hidden from us but we do see he has personal problems. The whole drug dealers being targeting by serial killers also works nicely, giving us a chance to keep guessing on whether it is actually a large scale revenge type thriller than Matt is stuck in the middle off. It goes downhill slowly because of the pace and then turning it into the simple idea that they are just two killers doing it for fun. It is sad because this had a lot of potential from the start but in the end just fizzles out. (6/10)
Actor Review
Liam Neeson: Matt Scudder a private detective who against his better judgment ends up investigating serial killers who enjoy nothing more than kidnapping and killing their victim even if they get their money. He is a former detective who has been recovering from his alcoholism which cost him his job. Liam does do a good job in the role and goes away from the new action star he has created. (7/10)
matt
Dan Stevens: Kenny Kristo drug trafficker whose wife was killed and hires Matt to find the people responsible for it, it will mean risking his connection to help expose the truth. Dan does a good job as the mobster out for revenge for a crime that is personal rather than work related. (7/10)
kenny
Support Cast: A Walk Among the Tombstones has a supporting cast that includes the two killers who are very much evil in what they do, we have other mobsters who are the victims of those killers and we also have a street wise kid trying to help Mark out. They all help the story flow along very well.
Director Review: Scott Frank – Scott does a solid job directing this to make it an interesting thriller with a very dark side to it. (6/10)
Crime: A Walk Among the Tombstones enters into the crime world without going too far over the top with its double crossing, instead focusing on one angle the whole way through. (7/10)
Mystery: A Walk Among the Tombstones does keep you guessing to what would be the motives of the characters creating a nice mystery about the story. (8/10)
Thriller: A Walk Among the Tombstones starts off pulling you in especially when you hear about the murdered wife but afterwards slight starts to fade away. (7/10)
Settings: A Walk Among the Tombstones creates a world that is similar to 1999 New York. (7/10)
Suggestion: A Walk Among the Tombstones is one to try and the fans of Neeson will be watching this, it might not keep everyone happy because it isn’t as dark as its source material. (Try It)
Best Part: The shock of what Kenny finds in the boot of that car.
Worst Part: Falls away by the end.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Cold in July
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $53 Million
Budget: $28 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
Tagline: People are afraid of all the wrong things.
Overall: A Thriller That Hits Hard Early but Tires Near the End
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/01/26/a-walk-among-the-tombstones-2014/
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Music Boxes in Books
Oct 24, 2019
Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker seemed like the perfect chilling read for right around Halloween. A creepy middle grade mystery? Sign me up! Music Boxes lived up to my expectations for sure!
Twelve year old Lindsey has just moved from Nebraska to New York City in order for her younger sister to attend Julliard. In Nebraska, she was part of a fantastic ballet school. In New York, she only gets to dance at the drab community center. When a world renowned ballerina offers to give her free ballet lessons in exchange for dancing in her secret midnight shows, Lindsey can't believe her luck. She's tired of living in her younger sister's talented shadow, so she quickly obliges. However, Lindsey soon realizes that dancers given private lessons are going missing. What's even more worrying is after they disappear, a music box appears with a little ballet figure that looks like the missing dancer. Is there something sinister about Lindsey's new ballet teacher, or can everything be put down to a coincidence?
The plot for Music Boxes reminded me of a Goosebumps book which is saying a lot because I loved the whole Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. I was quickly absorbed in the story from the very first page. Believe me when I say my eyes devoured this novel. Although somewhat predictable for adults, its target audience of middle schoolers will enjoy the many plot twists peppered throughout the book. If the pacing was perfect for me, I believe it will also keep younger readers interested. One of my favorite things about the world of Music Boxes was the dance school and how magical it really was. Another good thing about Music Boxes is there aren't any cliff hanger endings. All loose ends are tied up by the end of the story.
Ballet dancers will really enjoy Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker as there are quite a few ballet terms in it. I had no idea what they meant, but it didn't distract from the story. It would have been nice to have a glossary of ballet terms or some kind of description for those of us who aren't dancers. Plus, the whole story mainly takes place in a ballet school. However, I think non dancers will really enjoy the story too as it has elements that anyone can relate to such as friendship, family, and doing the right thing.
For a middle grade novel, I felt that all the characters felt really alive. Although I would have liked some more back story for a few more of the dancers from Madame Destinee's school, I felt like the most important characters in the novel had enough back story. Lindsey feels like a character that most young girls will be able to connect with whether they are interested in ballet or not. With her conflicting feelings of listening to her parents and wanting to do what she loves, it's easy to see why Lindsey is a relatable character. Lindsey is also very brave and comes across as just a nice girl in general. Bridget, Lindsey's 8 year old sister, was my favorite character. She's a very talented violinist and the reason Lindsey and her family moved to New York City. Even though the family seemed more focused on Bridget, Bridget never came across as having an over-inflated ego or like she was better than Lindsay. I loved how sweet Bridget was and how she wanted what was best for Lindsey. Madame Destinee was an interesting character for sure. I never trusted her from the get go, but it was easy to see why a young child would especially when she's offering them their chance to shine at doing something they really love. I also loved Broussard because I love dogs!
Trigger warnings for Music Boxes include kidnapping, witches, minor violence, and death (although done in a non-scary way).
All in all, Music Boxes is a fantastic story full of intrigue and mystery that readers of all ages will enjoy. The plot is creepy in a good way, and the characters are written superbly! I would definitely recommend Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker to everyone aged 10+. Yes, the target audience is probably 10 - 13 year olds, but I really think everyone would enjoy it. It's written that well!
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(A special thank you to Silver Dagger Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Twelve year old Lindsey has just moved from Nebraska to New York City in order for her younger sister to attend Julliard. In Nebraska, she was part of a fantastic ballet school. In New York, she only gets to dance at the drab community center. When a world renowned ballerina offers to give her free ballet lessons in exchange for dancing in her secret midnight shows, Lindsey can't believe her luck. She's tired of living in her younger sister's talented shadow, so she quickly obliges. However, Lindsey soon realizes that dancers given private lessons are going missing. What's even more worrying is after they disappear, a music box appears with a little ballet figure that looks like the missing dancer. Is there something sinister about Lindsey's new ballet teacher, or can everything be put down to a coincidence?
The plot for Music Boxes reminded me of a Goosebumps book which is saying a lot because I loved the whole Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. I was quickly absorbed in the story from the very first page. Believe me when I say my eyes devoured this novel. Although somewhat predictable for adults, its target audience of middle schoolers will enjoy the many plot twists peppered throughout the book. If the pacing was perfect for me, I believe it will also keep younger readers interested. One of my favorite things about the world of Music Boxes was the dance school and how magical it really was. Another good thing about Music Boxes is there aren't any cliff hanger endings. All loose ends are tied up by the end of the story.
Ballet dancers will really enjoy Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker as there are quite a few ballet terms in it. I had no idea what they meant, but it didn't distract from the story. It would have been nice to have a glossary of ballet terms or some kind of description for those of us who aren't dancers. Plus, the whole story mainly takes place in a ballet school. However, I think non dancers will really enjoy the story too as it has elements that anyone can relate to such as friendship, family, and doing the right thing.
For a middle grade novel, I felt that all the characters felt really alive. Although I would have liked some more back story for a few more of the dancers from Madame Destinee's school, I felt like the most important characters in the novel had enough back story. Lindsey feels like a character that most young girls will be able to connect with whether they are interested in ballet or not. With her conflicting feelings of listening to her parents and wanting to do what she loves, it's easy to see why Lindsey is a relatable character. Lindsey is also very brave and comes across as just a nice girl in general. Bridget, Lindsey's 8 year old sister, was my favorite character. She's a very talented violinist and the reason Lindsey and her family moved to New York City. Even though the family seemed more focused on Bridget, Bridget never came across as having an over-inflated ego or like she was better than Lindsay. I loved how sweet Bridget was and how she wanted what was best for Lindsey. Madame Destinee was an interesting character for sure. I never trusted her from the get go, but it was easy to see why a young child would especially when she's offering them their chance to shine at doing something they really love. I also loved Broussard because I love dogs!
Trigger warnings for Music Boxes include kidnapping, witches, minor violence, and death (although done in a non-scary way).
All in all, Music Boxes is a fantastic story full of intrigue and mystery that readers of all ages will enjoy. The plot is creepy in a good way, and the characters are written superbly! I would definitely recommend Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker to everyone aged 10+. Yes, the target audience is probably 10 - 13 year olds, but I really think everyone would enjoy it. It's written that well!
-
(A special thank you to Silver Dagger Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pain & Gain (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Michael Bay’s latest film Pain and Gain suffers from a bit of performance anxiety. It starts hot and flashy, becomes humorous and then starts to drag as it realizes it needs to actually deliver. This is unfortunate because if Bay focused on delivering an entertaining movie from start to finish he may have succeeded. Instead we are constantly reminded by expository text on screen and one of the five unnecessary voiceovers that “sometimes the facts are stranger than fiction.” And the facts are that we get a film here that starts out as a comedy, evolves into a kidnapping/extortion story with a few more jokes only to end with minimal action and no redeeming opportunities for our protagonists. Plus the final jokes or shock opportunities are lost in the fact that our main characters become less and less likeable as the story evolves.
Mark Wahlberg plays body-builder and trainer Daniel Lugo, a self-described “doer” who is tired of working hard only to never reach the level of success that many of his rich clients have achieved. Fed up with his everyday life of being broke, Logo decides it is time to take what he thinks should be his. Together with the help of his roided-out, impotent employee Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and ex-con who found Jesus Paul (Dwayne Johnson), the trio decide to kidnap and extort the jerk off wealthy client Victor (Tony Shalhoub) for everything thing he has. The hilarity ensues while it’s obvious that these muscle heads do not have to smarts to pull off this elaborate plan other than what they have seen in the movies.
It should be noted here that Wahlberg is once again great as a character that does not possess a lot of smarts. Mackie delivers another solid character performance to add to his resume but it is Johnson who steals the show. In a movie where at first glance his physique fits right in, it is his softer more emotional side that shows some range that we have never seen from him before. He plays an ex-con who is determined to change his life only to be slowly sucked back into the lifestyle that put him in jail in the first place. Johnson’s emotional range has him delivering perhaps his best performance ever.
Eventually these three break Victor and take everything he has and they start to live out their dreams. But like all things that take no skill or real effort to earn, the three squander their new found wealth and go looking for another target. All while Victor hires a private detective (Ed Harris) to help bust the trio as the local cops do not believe that some muscle heads could pull off the elaborate heist.
And here is where the film starts to fall apart. The three main characters start to change from fun loving hard working characters to bad guys. The things they do to gain their wealth are repulsive and it stops being funny. Victor is a terrible character that is hard to like in the first place, so you do not really feel bad for him when he loses everything. It is just that you do not really feel happy for our anti-heroes either. And when the story enters its third act after dragging through the second, it feels rushed to close out the film as the gang decides to make a run at another wealthy target.
Furthermore, every character get his/hers own voice over. Seriously, what is the point? It is one thing for Wahlberg to have his own narration as he is the main character, however even Harris gets his own character development through dialogue. It makes the story disjointed and made me feel unsure about who or what I should be rooting for.
In the end I walked out of the theater feeling like we watched two different movies. A rags-to-riches comedy in the beginning that morphs into an unfunny crime drama by the end that has to remind you again and again that you are watching something that is based on a true story. It is a shame because I enjoyed the beginning of this film. I wish that Bay would have taken even additional liberties to make a more consistent film from start to finish on what was already a loosely based true story in the first place.
Mark Wahlberg plays body-builder and trainer Daniel Lugo, a self-described “doer” who is tired of working hard only to never reach the level of success that many of his rich clients have achieved. Fed up with his everyday life of being broke, Logo decides it is time to take what he thinks should be his. Together with the help of his roided-out, impotent employee Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and ex-con who found Jesus Paul (Dwayne Johnson), the trio decide to kidnap and extort the jerk off wealthy client Victor (Tony Shalhoub) for everything thing he has. The hilarity ensues while it’s obvious that these muscle heads do not have to smarts to pull off this elaborate plan other than what they have seen in the movies.
It should be noted here that Wahlberg is once again great as a character that does not possess a lot of smarts. Mackie delivers another solid character performance to add to his resume but it is Johnson who steals the show. In a movie where at first glance his physique fits right in, it is his softer more emotional side that shows some range that we have never seen from him before. He plays an ex-con who is determined to change his life only to be slowly sucked back into the lifestyle that put him in jail in the first place. Johnson’s emotional range has him delivering perhaps his best performance ever.
Eventually these three break Victor and take everything he has and they start to live out their dreams. But like all things that take no skill or real effort to earn, the three squander their new found wealth and go looking for another target. All while Victor hires a private detective (Ed Harris) to help bust the trio as the local cops do not believe that some muscle heads could pull off the elaborate heist.
And here is where the film starts to fall apart. The three main characters start to change from fun loving hard working characters to bad guys. The things they do to gain their wealth are repulsive and it stops being funny. Victor is a terrible character that is hard to like in the first place, so you do not really feel bad for him when he loses everything. It is just that you do not really feel happy for our anti-heroes either. And when the story enters its third act after dragging through the second, it feels rushed to close out the film as the gang decides to make a run at another wealthy target.
Furthermore, every character get his/hers own voice over. Seriously, what is the point? It is one thing for Wahlberg to have his own narration as he is the main character, however even Harris gets his own character development through dialogue. It makes the story disjointed and made me feel unsure about who or what I should be rooting for.
In the end I walked out of the theater feeling like we watched two different movies. A rags-to-riches comedy in the beginning that morphs into an unfunny crime drama by the end that has to remind you again and again that you are watching something that is based on a true story. It is a shame because I enjoyed the beginning of this film. I wish that Bay would have taken even additional liberties to make a more consistent film from start to finish on what was already a loosely based true story in the first place.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Winds of Fear (Fearless Series #3) in Books
Aug 4, 2020
I have a thing about thrillers involving neighbors and false identities, so when I got the opportunity to read Winds of Fear by Glede Browne Kabongo, I jumped at the chance!
When Jenna and Charlie Payne move into the house next door, things start going bad for Abbie Rambally, especially after Jenna takes a special interest in Abbie's 10 year old son Lucas. Before long, Abbie starts suspecting that her neighbors aren't who they say they are and that their intentions could put her family in mortal danger.
The synopsis really sucked me in. I had to know what was up with Abbie's neighbors, so I dove into Winds of Fear right away. The pacing is fairly slow for the first half of the book as Kabongo sets up the backstory for each character. However, once I got to the second half of the novel, the pacing sped up, and I was hooked! I could not stop reading even though it was way past time for me to go to sleep. I felt like this was where the most action really happened and where the actually plot and the meat of the story was. Kabongo is heavily into describing each and every thing which was a bit tedious, but in the second half of the story, I was hooked on every word, so I didn't really mind. There were quite a few plot twists in Winds of Fear. In fact, every time I thought I had something figured out and felt smug about it, a plot twist would smack me right in the face! Though this book the third in the Fearless Series, I felt like it stands alone quite well without reading the first two books. Kabongo does a fantastic job of explaining what happened to Abbie (and her family) previously quite well. There is a fourth book that will be released in the series, but I found that all my questions were answered in Winds of Fear. However, I will be reading the next installment in the series because I want to know more about Abbie's life!
The characters in Winds of Fear were very fleshed out and well written thanks to all of Kabongo's backstory she added throughout the book. I enjoyed the character of Abbie although sometimes I felt like she was being a little too suspicious too early on after just meeting the Paynes...her paranoia just felt too rushed. However, Abbie was a very well written character besides that. I could feel how much she loved her kids, her husband, and her life. My heart went out to her when she was torn between her duties as a mother and advancing her career. I was beside myself when everything went down involving Lucas. Her pain and worry felt very realistic. I would have liked to see more of Ty, Abbie's husband. Ty came across as such a fantastic man. I couldn't help but love him myself after reading about him. His love for wife and children were obvious from the get-go. The Rambally children (Alexis, Blake, and Lucas) were all so smart and adorable. I just wanted to hug them all! I loved their close relationship and how they all wanted to help each other out. Blake and Lucas were fantastic with how inquisitive they were. I also loved Olivia (Liv). She seemed like such a sweet girl. I won't go into much more detail about her, but I was saddened that I didn't get to read more about her. Jenna and Charlie were also fantastic characters. I kept trying to figure out what they brought to the table and why they were so wrapped up with the Ramballys. Also, with the Iceman, I felt he really did live up to his nickname!
Trigger warnings for Winds of Fear include mentions of sexual assault (not graphic), drinking alcohol (although not to excess), violence, murder (not very graphic), kidnapping, and blackmail.
All in all, Winds of Fear is quite the psychological thriller. It's got relatable characters, an interesting plot, and it makes you try to guess just to be wrong. I would recommend Winds of Fear by Glede Browne Kabongo to those ages 18+ to those who love to be sucked into a good book!
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(A special thank you to Xpresso Tours for providing me with an eBook of Winds of Fear by Glede Browne Kabongo in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.)
When Jenna and Charlie Payne move into the house next door, things start going bad for Abbie Rambally, especially after Jenna takes a special interest in Abbie's 10 year old son Lucas. Before long, Abbie starts suspecting that her neighbors aren't who they say they are and that their intentions could put her family in mortal danger.
The synopsis really sucked me in. I had to know what was up with Abbie's neighbors, so I dove into Winds of Fear right away. The pacing is fairly slow for the first half of the book as Kabongo sets up the backstory for each character. However, once I got to the second half of the novel, the pacing sped up, and I was hooked! I could not stop reading even though it was way past time for me to go to sleep. I felt like this was where the most action really happened and where the actually plot and the meat of the story was. Kabongo is heavily into describing each and every thing which was a bit tedious, but in the second half of the story, I was hooked on every word, so I didn't really mind. There were quite a few plot twists in Winds of Fear. In fact, every time I thought I had something figured out and felt smug about it, a plot twist would smack me right in the face! Though this book the third in the Fearless Series, I felt like it stands alone quite well without reading the first two books. Kabongo does a fantastic job of explaining what happened to Abbie (and her family) previously quite well. There is a fourth book that will be released in the series, but I found that all my questions were answered in Winds of Fear. However, I will be reading the next installment in the series because I want to know more about Abbie's life!
The characters in Winds of Fear were very fleshed out and well written thanks to all of Kabongo's backstory she added throughout the book. I enjoyed the character of Abbie although sometimes I felt like she was being a little too suspicious too early on after just meeting the Paynes...her paranoia just felt too rushed. However, Abbie was a very well written character besides that. I could feel how much she loved her kids, her husband, and her life. My heart went out to her when she was torn between her duties as a mother and advancing her career. I was beside myself when everything went down involving Lucas. Her pain and worry felt very realistic. I would have liked to see more of Ty, Abbie's husband. Ty came across as such a fantastic man. I couldn't help but love him myself after reading about him. His love for wife and children were obvious from the get-go. The Rambally children (Alexis, Blake, and Lucas) were all so smart and adorable. I just wanted to hug them all! I loved their close relationship and how they all wanted to help each other out. Blake and Lucas were fantastic with how inquisitive they were. I also loved Olivia (Liv). She seemed like such a sweet girl. I won't go into much more detail about her, but I was saddened that I didn't get to read more about her. Jenna and Charlie were also fantastic characters. I kept trying to figure out what they brought to the table and why they were so wrapped up with the Ramballys. Also, with the Iceman, I felt he really did live up to his nickname!
Trigger warnings for Winds of Fear include mentions of sexual assault (not graphic), drinking alcohol (although not to excess), violence, murder (not very graphic), kidnapping, and blackmail.
All in all, Winds of Fear is quite the psychological thriller. It's got relatable characters, an interesting plot, and it makes you try to guess just to be wrong. I would recommend Winds of Fear by Glede Browne Kabongo to those ages 18+ to those who love to be sucked into a good book!
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(A special thank you to Xpresso Tours for providing me with an eBook of Winds of Fear by Glede Browne Kabongo in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.)
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) in Movies
Apr 24, 2022
The performances of Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal. (1 more)
A simple concept wrapped in a ton of adult humor.
Could be a bit too meta at times. (1 more)
The second half of the film isn't quite as good as the first half.
The R-Rated Action Comedy of a Lifetime
Nicolas Cage portrays an exaggerated version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. In the film, Nick Cage is struggling as an actor. He’s in a crazy amount of debt, he can’t find steady work, and his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and daughter Addy (Anna MacDonald) feel like he’s too full of himself to fit them into his life. Nick contemplates retiring from acting altogether and is intending to do so after an awkward $1 million gig of being on an island as the guest of honor at a birthday party.
But the birthday is for a gargantuan Nicolas Cage super fan named Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). Javi and Nick become fast friends, but the CIA abducts Nick one evening and informs him that Javi is actually an arms dealer that is responsible for the kidnapping of the daughter of an anti-crime politician. Nick becomes torn between snitching for the government and seeing where his newfound friendship with Javi goes, which revolves around Nick having the most fun he’s had in years.
What makes The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent so entertaining is the bromance between Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal. The two seem like legitimate best friends and there’s essentially chemistry with the two actors as soon as they meet each other on screen. As Nick Cage, the real Cage is totally self-absorbed as the character. He’s blinded by his own interests and what he has going on in his life to really understand or pay attention to anyone else. The whole world revolves around Nick Cage. Meanwhile, Javi is more humble. He has so much Nicolas Cage memorabilia that his room devoted to him could be considered as a museum or shrine to the actor. The two surprisingly have a lot in common and end up being hilarious together.
The first hour of the film is basically the Cage and Pascal show with the two running around like idiots in the best kind of way. Nick and Javi bond over Paddington 2, possibly making a movie together, and doing acid together. The acid taking sequence in general is probably the funniest part of the film, especially with their uncontrollable paranoia and Pascal’s fake laughing.
The remaining 47 minutes is devoted to the two men attempting to kill one another. Nick believing that Javi is this guns dealing madman and Javi discovering that Nick has been working with the CIA. The film snowballs further and further into ridiculous territory and you just gobble it up because it’s so great. The R-rated action comedy is loaded with incredibly detailed movie references and Nicolas Cage being funnier than he has ever been.
Pedro Pascal has dabbled in comedy since leaving Game of Thrones and it has never really worked out. He was the best part of The Bubble, which dropped on Netflix earlier this month, but that’s not saying much since the film was so bad. This is the first time Pascal has gotten to showcase his comedic chops in a film that is legitimately funny, surprisingly sentimental, and enormously entertaining from beginning to end.
Throughout the film, Nick Cage argues with Nicky – the younger and more successful version of himself from Wild at Heart. Nicky is basically the devil on Nick Cage’s shoulder as he encourages him to take more risks and do whatever he wants simply because he is Nick freaking Cage. It’s incredible seeing two versions of Cage argue and interact on screen, but it nearly melts your brain from simply being too awesome for our Nicolas Cage admiring brains to process.
It certainly seems like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will have a deeper impact on you if you’re at least somewhat of a fan of Nicolas Cage’s work, but could also be amusing for fans of absurd adult comedies. Pedro Pascal is the humorous wingman we all wish we could have; soft spoken and yet a priceless factor in the overall ludicrous nature of the film. Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage continues to reign supreme as a talented lunatic at the top of his game. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an outrageous and uproarious expedition into hilarity and absurdity. Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal are an unlikely yet brilliant comical duo that will have you rolling on the sticky movie theater floor with laughter.
But the birthday is for a gargantuan Nicolas Cage super fan named Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). Javi and Nick become fast friends, but the CIA abducts Nick one evening and informs him that Javi is actually an arms dealer that is responsible for the kidnapping of the daughter of an anti-crime politician. Nick becomes torn between snitching for the government and seeing where his newfound friendship with Javi goes, which revolves around Nick having the most fun he’s had in years.
What makes The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent so entertaining is the bromance between Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal. The two seem like legitimate best friends and there’s essentially chemistry with the two actors as soon as they meet each other on screen. As Nick Cage, the real Cage is totally self-absorbed as the character. He’s blinded by his own interests and what he has going on in his life to really understand or pay attention to anyone else. The whole world revolves around Nick Cage. Meanwhile, Javi is more humble. He has so much Nicolas Cage memorabilia that his room devoted to him could be considered as a museum or shrine to the actor. The two surprisingly have a lot in common and end up being hilarious together.
The first hour of the film is basically the Cage and Pascal show with the two running around like idiots in the best kind of way. Nick and Javi bond over Paddington 2, possibly making a movie together, and doing acid together. The acid taking sequence in general is probably the funniest part of the film, especially with their uncontrollable paranoia and Pascal’s fake laughing.
The remaining 47 minutes is devoted to the two men attempting to kill one another. Nick believing that Javi is this guns dealing madman and Javi discovering that Nick has been working with the CIA. The film snowballs further and further into ridiculous territory and you just gobble it up because it’s so great. The R-rated action comedy is loaded with incredibly detailed movie references and Nicolas Cage being funnier than he has ever been.
Pedro Pascal has dabbled in comedy since leaving Game of Thrones and it has never really worked out. He was the best part of The Bubble, which dropped on Netflix earlier this month, but that’s not saying much since the film was so bad. This is the first time Pascal has gotten to showcase his comedic chops in a film that is legitimately funny, surprisingly sentimental, and enormously entertaining from beginning to end.
Throughout the film, Nick Cage argues with Nicky – the younger and more successful version of himself from Wild at Heart. Nicky is basically the devil on Nick Cage’s shoulder as he encourages him to take more risks and do whatever he wants simply because he is Nick freaking Cage. It’s incredible seeing two versions of Cage argue and interact on screen, but it nearly melts your brain from simply being too awesome for our Nicolas Cage admiring brains to process.
It certainly seems like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will have a deeper impact on you if you’re at least somewhat of a fan of Nicolas Cage’s work, but could also be amusing for fans of absurd adult comedies. Pedro Pascal is the humorous wingman we all wish we could have; soft spoken and yet a priceless factor in the overall ludicrous nature of the film. Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage continues to reign supreme as a talented lunatic at the top of his game. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an outrageous and uproarious expedition into hilarity and absurdity. Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal are an unlikely yet brilliant comical duo that will have you rolling on the sticky movie theater floor with laughter.