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Kaz (232 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019 (Updated Jun 15, 2019)
A Fun Superhero Movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
When I started watching 'Shazam' , I assumed that this was a parody of a super hero film. Afterwards I realised that this is a DC comic book character in it's own right.
I liked the acting in this film. Both children and adults in this film are believable and are very good. You could believe that the adult versions of the younger actors were actually them, because they emulated their body language and speech really well (they even looked like the children, as adults!). I really liked the interaction between adult Billy and his friend Freddy, they have some really funny scenes together. It was also nice to see a character with a disability as a main character, who wasn't portrayed as weak or someone you should feel sorry for.
There were some really funny moments in this film and there were some really heartfelt ones too.
My only criticisms of this film would be that it took a long time for this to really get going. Also, the story really isn't that original. It's basically the plot of 'Big' (I liked the scene with the giant piano, as a nod to this film) , combined with a super hero movie.
Despite these issues, I thought that this was a really funny, fun movie and I would quite happily watch a sequel of this.
I liked the acting in this film. Both children and adults in this film are believable and are very good. You could believe that the adult versions of the younger actors were actually them, because they emulated their body language and speech really well (they even looked like the children, as adults!). I really liked the interaction between adult Billy and his friend Freddy, they have some really funny scenes together. It was also nice to see a character with a disability as a main character, who wasn't portrayed as weak or someone you should feel sorry for.
There were some really funny moments in this film and there were some really heartfelt ones too.
My only criticisms of this film would be that it took a long time for this to really get going. Also, the story really isn't that original. It's basically the plot of 'Big' (I liked the scene with the giant piano, as a nod to this film) , combined with a super hero movie.
Despite these issues, I thought that this was a really funny, fun movie and I would quite happily watch a sequel of this.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Tipping The Velvet in Books
Jan 19, 2018 (Updated Jan 19, 2018)
Sexual awakening in Victorian England
It has taken me a long time to get round to reading this - 20 years in fact. This is the 20th Anniversary edition, and it's still as relevant now as it has always been (and will continue to be relevant, I should think!). This is the story of Nancy Astley and her rise to fame in the music halls in the late 1800's as Nan King, along with her partner on stage and secretly in life too. The novel follows her sexual awakening as a lesbian. Nancy wants to live her life true to herself but Kitty, her partner, does not. Kitty is ashamed and they end up parting under very upsetting circumstances. nan runs away from her stage life , and her life takes a very different turn. She goes through a few different stages in her life - all very remarkable (hey, this is fiction after all!), before she reaches her happy ending. She is uncompromising throughout.
This was so well written, all from Nancy's point of view, which gave the advantage of an insight into her emotions and feelings about all of the things that happened to her. This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of sexually descriptive language, but if you like this kind of book (a sexual awakening and a strong independent woman), you'll really enjoy this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Virago for the chance to read this (at last!!)
This was so well written, all from Nancy's point of view, which gave the advantage of an insight into her emotions and feelings about all of the things that happened to her. This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of sexually descriptive language, but if you like this kind of book (a sexual awakening and a strong independent woman), you'll really enjoy this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Virago for the chance to read this (at last!!)
Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Jun 15, 2018
Everything (1 more)
Literally everything!
I wanted a Black Panther 2 to watch the next day!
I almost don't know where to start. This movie hit all of my good feels. The storyline, the cast, the production quality, the attention to detail - all of it is perfect.
Let's start with the storyline: The way they worked all of Wakanda and the Black Panther into their own world was superb. We got to know Black Panther in Civil War and then we take him straight to his own movie. We get this glorious reveal of Wakanda and all of the characters very quickly. From that point forward, it is a huge tie in to the MCU and Civil War along with introducing all of the rest of the new characters.
The cast was astounding. From TChalla to Killmonger, Makia to Okoye and in particular Shuri. There was this blending of established, well-known actors and actresses and some new faces that are going to go on my permanent watch list.
The attention to detail was maybe the part that sucked me in the most. The merging together of various African cultures into one to represent the people of Wakanda was a stroke of genius. The use of language, costuming, and even set dressing from those cultures along with linguistic choices just made me fall in love with the entire movie.
I wanted a Black Panther 2 to watch the next day!
Let's start with the storyline: The way they worked all of Wakanda and the Black Panther into their own world was superb. We got to know Black Panther in Civil War and then we take him straight to his own movie. We get this glorious reveal of Wakanda and all of the characters very quickly. From that point forward, it is a huge tie in to the MCU and Civil War along with introducing all of the rest of the new characters.
The cast was astounding. From TChalla to Killmonger, Makia to Okoye and in particular Shuri. There was this blending of established, well-known actors and actresses and some new faces that are going to go on my permanent watch list.
The attention to detail was maybe the part that sucked me in the most. The merging together of various African cultures into one to represent the people of Wakanda was a stroke of genius. The use of language, costuming, and even set dressing from those cultures along with linguistic choices just made me fall in love with the entire movie.
I wanted a Black Panther 2 to watch the next day!
Kristin (149 KP) rated Erasing Time (Erasing Time, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I won a copy of this book through a FirstReads giveaway.
I usually don't read Sci-Fi, but when I read the premise for this book, I thought it sounded pretty interesting, so I gave it a shot and entered the giveaway. I'm glad I did, because it was a really good book!!
The first chapter had me wondering if I was going to like it, as it seemed kind of "out there" to me. But once the second chapter started, introducing Sheridan and Taylor, I started getting into it, and managed to read over half the book in one sitting. It's set in 2447, but you can actually see how our world could turn into the one described, language-wise, government-wise, etc. The interactions between the characters was realistic and extremely funny at times, as Sheridan and Taylor used their "sayings" to confuse those around them and keep them from understanding their discussions. It was also interesting when the story switched to Echo's point of view, so the reader can see how he is coping with the "time riders" and how their arrival meshes with his plans.
"Erasing Time" has made me want to read more Sci-Fi, in hopes that I can mind more like it. It has renewed my faith in a genre that I usually steer clear of, and hopefully I'll find others that enjoy as much as this one!
I usually don't read Sci-Fi, but when I read the premise for this book, I thought it sounded pretty interesting, so I gave it a shot and entered the giveaway. I'm glad I did, because it was a really good book!!
The first chapter had me wondering if I was going to like it, as it seemed kind of "out there" to me. But once the second chapter started, introducing Sheridan and Taylor, I started getting into it, and managed to read over half the book in one sitting. It's set in 2447, but you can actually see how our world could turn into the one described, language-wise, government-wise, etc. The interactions between the characters was realistic and extremely funny at times, as Sheridan and Taylor used their "sayings" to confuse those around them and keep them from understanding their discussions. It was also interesting when the story switched to Echo's point of view, so the reader can see how he is coping with the "time riders" and how their arrival meshes with his plans.
"Erasing Time" has made me want to read more Sci-Fi, in hopes that I can mind more like it. It has renewed my faith in a genre that I usually steer clear of, and hopefully I'll find others that enjoy as much as this one!
Kristin (149 KP) rated Hy Brazil (The Elven Wars, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Edward Harry has improved his lot in life, and he finds himself a position as secretary to a famous poet. Because of this, he is included when his employer travels, as he is to write down any and every thought Edmund Spenser has surrounding the beauty and majesty of the surrounding world. They make their way to Ireland, where Edward makes a friend in Calvagh, and together they choose to explore their surroundings. This leads them onto a journey neither thought possible, and they land in the Elven world of Hy Brazil, smack in the middle of civil unrest. Will they make it back to their own world? Or will they be stuck there forever, never to go home again?
I must start by saying the cover is absolutely beautiful, and that beauty continues within the words of the novel. The description and imagery used, especially once the duo makes it to Hy Brazil, is so rich it makes you believer you're actually seeing it with your own eyes. This story is a very interesting one, set back in the late 1500s, and the language used deftly sets you in that time period. All around, this story is one which sucks you in, and I definitely couldn't put it down once the pair crossed into the Elven realm.
4 1/2 stars
Edward Harry has improved his lot in life, and he finds himself a position as secretary to a famous poet. Because of this, he is included when his employer travels, as he is to write down any and every thought Edmund Spenser has surrounding the beauty and majesty of the surrounding world. They make their way to Ireland, where Edward makes a friend in Calvagh, and together they choose to explore their surroundings. This leads them onto a journey neither thought possible, and they land in the Elven world of Hy Brazil, smack in the middle of civil unrest. Will they make it back to their own world? Or will they be stuck there forever, never to go home again?
I must start by saying the cover is absolutely beautiful, and that beauty continues within the words of the novel. The description and imagery used, especially once the duo makes it to Hy Brazil, is so rich it makes you believer you're actually seeing it with your own eyes. This story is a very interesting one, set back in the late 1500s, and the language used deftly sets you in that time period. All around, this story is one which sucks you in, and I definitely couldn't put it down once the pair crossed into the Elven realm.
4 1/2 stars
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Dec 4, 2018
Another attempt at converting Stieg Larssen's very-popular-about-ten-years-ago characters into viable English-language multiplex fare. Film opens with implied child abuse followed by implied domestic violence (there's a lot of implication, in order to avoid the 18 certificate that scuppered the box office of the Daniel Craig/Rooney Mara movie), but this is mainly to set an authentically grim tone - the plot could fairly easily be retooled for one of the Bourne movies, as evil secret organisation tries to get its hands on apocalyptic McGuffin, hero gets framed for doing nasty things, and so on.
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Irene M (130 KP) rated A Whole New World in Books
Dec 7, 2018
This book has had very mixed reviews… and to be honest I can see why.
The first about 1/3 of the book follows the Disney film pretty much to the letter, and without surprising anyone too much that is when the story changes.
In the film Aladdin gets the lamp… in this book he doesn’t (I won’t write “spoiler” as that bit is written on the front cover) and needless to say the camel dung hits the fan.
Where I think people might not like this book is the style of writing. Without being derogatory to the style this is very fanfictiony. You know those AU stories where one thing has changed? Well, that. At times the language is a bit too modern, it IS set in old Agrabah afterall.
I can see where the author tried to go with the plot, and while maybe not the most highbrow retelling of the story, it also wasn’t as bad as the previous reviews I’d read made it out to be. Certainly not a kids story (a tad gory, character death warning, violence etc) but a logical enough route for the bad guy winning.
Don’t go into this book expecting an epic Disney tale and you might well enjoy it. The author has rewritten Beauty and The Beast and Sleeping Beauty to follow this one, and I’m going to give them a read as well.
The first about 1/3 of the book follows the Disney film pretty much to the letter, and without surprising anyone too much that is when the story changes.
In the film Aladdin gets the lamp… in this book he doesn’t (I won’t write “spoiler” as that bit is written on the front cover) and needless to say the camel dung hits the fan.
Where I think people might not like this book is the style of writing. Without being derogatory to the style this is very fanfictiony. You know those AU stories where one thing has changed? Well, that. At times the language is a bit too modern, it IS set in old Agrabah afterall.
I can see where the author tried to go with the plot, and while maybe not the most highbrow retelling of the story, it also wasn’t as bad as the previous reviews I’d read made it out to be. Certainly not a kids story (a tad gory, character death warning, violence etc) but a logical enough route for the bad guy winning.
Don’t go into this book expecting an epic Disney tale and you might well enjoy it. The author has rewritten Beauty and The Beast and Sleeping Beauty to follow this one, and I’m going to give them a read as well.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Northlanders Book 1: The Anglo-Saxon Saga (Northlanders, Book 1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Boy, was that violent - if this was a movie, it would probably be given an '18' (or 'R'estricted, for those Americans out there) rating, not just for the blood, guts and gore, but also for the - occassional - nudity, and the not-so-occassional language.
Actually a collection of 5 different short stories, I can't say how true to history these are as I'm not a Norse scholar. I also found the vernacular a bit off-putting (were swear-words the same in the early Medieval Period as they are now? Really??), with the art-style (and plot) in some of the stories were better than in others. Talking of stories, this contains the following:
[b]Lindisfarne[/b]: depicting an early Viking raid on the monastery of the same name
[b]The Shield Maidens[/b]: in which three Viking women hold off hordes of the Saxons
[b]Sven the Returned[/b]: in which Sven returns to his homeland to claim his inheritance, having previously run away and joined the Byzantine Varangian Guard
[b]Thor's daughter[/b]: in which a clan leader is murdered and his land sold to a rival leader but his 14 year old daughter takes up his mantle and leads an army against the encroaching Vikings
[b]The Cross & The Hammer[/b]: Set in Ireland, this is more-or-less a murder mystery in which the central character is trying to track down the person(s) responsible for a spate of killings.
Actually a collection of 5 different short stories, I can't say how true to history these are as I'm not a Norse scholar. I also found the vernacular a bit off-putting (were swear-words the same in the early Medieval Period as they are now? Really??), with the art-style (and plot) in some of the stories were better than in others. Talking of stories, this contains the following:
[b]Lindisfarne[/b]: depicting an early Viking raid on the monastery of the same name
[b]The Shield Maidens[/b]: in which three Viking women hold off hordes of the Saxons
[b]Sven the Returned[/b]: in which Sven returns to his homeland to claim his inheritance, having previously run away and joined the Byzantine Varangian Guard
[b]Thor's daughter[/b]: in which a clan leader is murdered and his land sold to a rival leader but his 14 year old daughter takes up his mantle and leads an army against the encroaching Vikings
[b]The Cross & The Hammer[/b]: Set in Ireland, this is more-or-less a murder mystery in which the central character is trying to track down the person(s) responsible for a spate of killings.
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