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Mandy and G.D. Burkhead (26 KP) rated Flightless Falcon in Books
May 20, 2018
Shelf Life – Flightless Falcon Still Glides Pretty Well
Flightless Falcon is a light DAW fantasy by Mickey Zucker Reichert that first came out in paperback in July of 2001. Set in your typical fantasy land – lightly coated in magic but sans any fantastical creatures such as dragons, elves, dwarves, and the like – it follows the sad, luckless exploits of an ex-miner named Tamison made useless after a cave in kills his father and brother and leaves him trapped deep in the mine for a few days.
Afterwards, with a debilitating fear of both the dark and being underground, he’s unable to continue as a miner, yet too unskilled to get any other job. As such, he and his family live in dirt poverty for a decade or so until he finally decides to try stealing what they need instead of earning the money to buy it. Unfortunately he’s just as horrible at this as anything else he tries and ends up in jail for two years.
When he finally gets out, his family’s disappeared, so he adopts a stray dog and lives on the streets for a while. Then one day a guard finds him and tells him, “Hey, I know where your family is, and it’s bad, man, we should go save ’em.” So Tamison saves a fortune teller from some different guards, just for good measure, and the three of them go off to get his family back.
The plot evolves from there – I won’t go into much greater detail because I don’t want to give anything away. And while it’s an entertaining read, it does have its share of snags, though not often or strong enough to derail the overall experience. Still, might was well talk about ’em.
The majority of these moments occur due to the protagonist himself; Tamison’s constant suffering and depression and worthlessness gets a bit irritating after a while (and not a very long while). But you do end up genuinely sympathizing with him, at least for the most part – his self-pitying and constant sobbing are offset, personality-wise, by his intense love and devotion to his family’s welfare (though apparently it still isn’t strong enough for him to suck up his phobia and go back to working in the mines). The end result is a character that, while whiny enough that you want to reach into the pages and smack him, is still believable. The fact that a lot of his misfortune is brought on by bad luck and the overwhelming apathy of the world around him, instead of just his own sad uselessness, also helps save what might have been an otherwise excruciatingly sad-sack protagonist.
But ignore what Miss Reichert and the back cover of the book say – the real star of this story isn’t Tamison, the guard (Dallan), or the fortune teller (Rifkah). It’s the weasely bastard of a con man that Tamison can’t stop running into, the aptly-named Con. This guy’s selfish lack of a moral compass and unwillingness to sugarcoat anything for anyone is a breath of fresh air amidst the hopeful optimism and general boyscout do-goodery of the rest of the starring party, and his quick wit and blunt, sarcastic dialogue are at once impressive and entertaining to read in the circumstances. His back story’s also far more interesting than anything Tamison, Dallan, and Rifkah can come up with.
The story itself also grows past a simple “save some good guys from some bad guys” fetch quest to envelope a degree of political intrigue, subterfuge, loyalty dilemmas, and good ol’ fashion backstabbery. I won’t say anything more past the obvious (there’s a twist, you know there’s gonna be a twist, there’s always a twist) other than to say that the generic good-guy-bad-guy feeling the book’s own synopsis offers slips slowly into a more realistic, more satisfying realm of uncertain grayness that accompanies all conflicts between the world’s two rival governments, the one Tamison belongs to and the one he’s told is harboring his missing family.
Basically, each time you think this book is going to march the plot or one of the characters into Generic Land (and you will occasionally think this multiple times), the direction skews off at the last moment to surprise you. The result is that you end up reading the book in two minds: one for soaking up the story and being entertained, and one with a critical eye turned always on the author’s style, to see where it threatens to stray into unimpressiveness and how it keeps saving itself.
But don’t focus overly much on my criticisms – that’s just how I’ve been trained to talk about good writing, to search for the roughest spots and pick at them in order to see how the whole thing might be polished even more. The reason this book is so easy to criticize is because its weak spots are few and manageable and therefor easy to cover and be done with in the length of a blog post. The overall impression I came away with is still one of a fun, thoughtful, imaginative tale, at times suspenseful, at times moving, and always deeply visual. I didn’t mention the detailed visual descriptions did I? Oh well, I just did. Now you know they’re there.
It’s not going to turn into the next blockbuster fantasy franchise, but if you find it in your used book store, there are less-enjoyable ways to spend your reading time. I recommend Flightless Falcon to anyone who enjoys well-written, character-driven fantasy and doesn’t need it to last through a dozen sequels.
Afterwards, with a debilitating fear of both the dark and being underground, he’s unable to continue as a miner, yet too unskilled to get any other job. As such, he and his family live in dirt poverty for a decade or so until he finally decides to try stealing what they need instead of earning the money to buy it. Unfortunately he’s just as horrible at this as anything else he tries and ends up in jail for two years.
When he finally gets out, his family’s disappeared, so he adopts a stray dog and lives on the streets for a while. Then one day a guard finds him and tells him, “Hey, I know where your family is, and it’s bad, man, we should go save ’em.” So Tamison saves a fortune teller from some different guards, just for good measure, and the three of them go off to get his family back.
The plot evolves from there – I won’t go into much greater detail because I don’t want to give anything away. And while it’s an entertaining read, it does have its share of snags, though not often or strong enough to derail the overall experience. Still, might was well talk about ’em.
The majority of these moments occur due to the protagonist himself; Tamison’s constant suffering and depression and worthlessness gets a bit irritating after a while (and not a very long while). But you do end up genuinely sympathizing with him, at least for the most part – his self-pitying and constant sobbing are offset, personality-wise, by his intense love and devotion to his family’s welfare (though apparently it still isn’t strong enough for him to suck up his phobia and go back to working in the mines). The end result is a character that, while whiny enough that you want to reach into the pages and smack him, is still believable. The fact that a lot of his misfortune is brought on by bad luck and the overwhelming apathy of the world around him, instead of just his own sad uselessness, also helps save what might have been an otherwise excruciatingly sad-sack protagonist.
But ignore what Miss Reichert and the back cover of the book say – the real star of this story isn’t Tamison, the guard (Dallan), or the fortune teller (Rifkah). It’s the weasely bastard of a con man that Tamison can’t stop running into, the aptly-named Con. This guy’s selfish lack of a moral compass and unwillingness to sugarcoat anything for anyone is a breath of fresh air amidst the hopeful optimism and general boyscout do-goodery of the rest of the starring party, and his quick wit and blunt, sarcastic dialogue are at once impressive and entertaining to read in the circumstances. His back story’s also far more interesting than anything Tamison, Dallan, and Rifkah can come up with.
The story itself also grows past a simple “save some good guys from some bad guys” fetch quest to envelope a degree of political intrigue, subterfuge, loyalty dilemmas, and good ol’ fashion backstabbery. I won’t say anything more past the obvious (there’s a twist, you know there’s gonna be a twist, there’s always a twist) other than to say that the generic good-guy-bad-guy feeling the book’s own synopsis offers slips slowly into a more realistic, more satisfying realm of uncertain grayness that accompanies all conflicts between the world’s two rival governments, the one Tamison belongs to and the one he’s told is harboring his missing family.
Basically, each time you think this book is going to march the plot or one of the characters into Generic Land (and you will occasionally think this multiple times), the direction skews off at the last moment to surprise you. The result is that you end up reading the book in two minds: one for soaking up the story and being entertained, and one with a critical eye turned always on the author’s style, to see where it threatens to stray into unimpressiveness and how it keeps saving itself.
But don’t focus overly much on my criticisms – that’s just how I’ve been trained to talk about good writing, to search for the roughest spots and pick at them in order to see how the whole thing might be polished even more. The reason this book is so easy to criticize is because its weak spots are few and manageable and therefor easy to cover and be done with in the length of a blog post. The overall impression I came away with is still one of a fun, thoughtful, imaginative tale, at times suspenseful, at times moving, and always deeply visual. I didn’t mention the detailed visual descriptions did I? Oh well, I just did. Now you know they’re there.
It’s not going to turn into the next blockbuster fantasy franchise, but if you find it in your used book store, there are less-enjoyable ways to spend your reading time. I recommend Flightless Falcon to anyone who enjoys well-written, character-driven fantasy and doesn’t need it to last through a dozen sequels.
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Anything For Love in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Relatable characters (1 more)
Full of mystery and action
Contains spoilers, click to show
I would first like to say I don't normally like these short little romance novels, but I really enjoyed this one. I often find the short romance novels like this are rushed or leaves something to be desired at the end. In Anything for Love, I found that the story was relatable and quite enjoyable to read. It left you smiling at the end and it felt complete. I don't have many complaints, just a few grammatical errors that are easily overlooked, as there might have been at most five in total. It was the characters that made the story for me, especially Winter.
Winter's past was rough, especially where her ex, Danny, was concerned. With the betrayal and manipulative nature he had, I wouldn't have blamed Winter for closing herself off to the world of dating. Even though you don't get the full extent of what he did to her, besides being a jerk, until she tells Wyatt why she is so closed off to him, you can't help but understand what she is going through. Most women swear off dating when they break up with a particular nasty relationship. Though, it rarely sticks, its not hard to see Winter is a vary realistic character, that many women can relate to. It was very nice to see that she had made up her mind and did everything in her power to stay away from Wyatt, knowing she wasn't ready for a relationship or to trust another man. It wasn't just her heart and how I could relate to her in the romance department that got me, it was her strength and determination to protect the children she helped. Her concern and kindness for the kids who are in group homes waiting to be adopted, melted my heart. It was very clear that those kids meant the world to her, even more than her own life. Not many people would stand up to a gang and even deny them a new recruit, putting their life at risk, to protect a child that wasn't theirs and yet she did. She not only kept the kid, Carlos, safe from the gang life, but she made sure she got him into an art class, so that he would be able to further his education on that which he loves. It made it easy to see how someone could fall in love with her.
While Winter is a little closed off to dating and more focused on the kids that attend her center, Wyatt is more determined to win her over while being the cop he is. At first you want to hate him. He comes off arrogant and career oriented, as well as a horn dog. It is clear he wants to be with her sexually and his determination makes you slightly wonder if he would do anything unsavory to achieve this. However, that opinion dissolves quickly after Winter allows him to take her out to hang out a bit during a Halloween party her co-worker and bestfriend throws. Wyatt shows genuine interest in Winter and even appears to be a really good guy, but what amazed me was that fact he never did anything to push her into kissing him, having sex or anything. He was patient, kind and understanding, even before Winter finally told him what Danny had done to her in her past. Though he seemed demanding and a bit of someone who would be controlling, it was nice to see the softer side of him too. To be able to find someone who won't take no as an answer, but also be patient and considerate of another's feelings is a rare trait to have. Normally, you don't see both those traits in a single person, but Wyatt has them and it makes for interesting guy. Your heart automatically goes out to him as you watch him be patient with Winter. At points, I found myself yelling at Winter because of how broken she was. I understand where she was coming from, having been in horrid relationships myself, but I would like to think if I was her, I would have been a bit more willing to trust him sooner than she did. Wyatt is a definite dream hunk and will be your book boyfriend if you only let him love you.
I have say that this book kept me thirsty for more, especially since so much was left out to keep it a bit suspenseful. I loved how the gang, Street Kings, was left alone after Winter confronts them to leave Carlos alone, that you nearly forget about them being in the picture. It made for a nice little dramatic event when they pop back up. Or when you learn more about Wyatt that is kept being hinted at throughout the story. I found this all to make quite a compelling story. It had the right amount of suspense, mystery and action to make this romance novel that perfect read in my opinion. I would recommend it to all my romance readers. I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars simply because of the few grammar errors I had found while reading, Though they didn't take away from enjoying the book, I still wish they hadn't been present. It can ruin any grammar freak's day.
Anything for Love is free for the Kindle, and that's without Kinde Unlimited. It is also the first book in the series "The Hunter Brothers." I do hope you go to check it out and grab your copy from Amazon while it is free to grab. Happy Reading!
Winter's past was rough, especially where her ex, Danny, was concerned. With the betrayal and manipulative nature he had, I wouldn't have blamed Winter for closing herself off to the world of dating. Even though you don't get the full extent of what he did to her, besides being a jerk, until she tells Wyatt why she is so closed off to him, you can't help but understand what she is going through. Most women swear off dating when they break up with a particular nasty relationship. Though, it rarely sticks, its not hard to see Winter is a vary realistic character, that many women can relate to. It was very nice to see that she had made up her mind and did everything in her power to stay away from Wyatt, knowing she wasn't ready for a relationship or to trust another man. It wasn't just her heart and how I could relate to her in the romance department that got me, it was her strength and determination to protect the children she helped. Her concern and kindness for the kids who are in group homes waiting to be adopted, melted my heart. It was very clear that those kids meant the world to her, even more than her own life. Not many people would stand up to a gang and even deny them a new recruit, putting their life at risk, to protect a child that wasn't theirs and yet she did. She not only kept the kid, Carlos, safe from the gang life, but she made sure she got him into an art class, so that he would be able to further his education on that which he loves. It made it easy to see how someone could fall in love with her.
While Winter is a little closed off to dating and more focused on the kids that attend her center, Wyatt is more determined to win her over while being the cop he is. At first you want to hate him. He comes off arrogant and career oriented, as well as a horn dog. It is clear he wants to be with her sexually and his determination makes you slightly wonder if he would do anything unsavory to achieve this. However, that opinion dissolves quickly after Winter allows him to take her out to hang out a bit during a Halloween party her co-worker and bestfriend throws. Wyatt shows genuine interest in Winter and even appears to be a really good guy, but what amazed me was that fact he never did anything to push her into kissing him, having sex or anything. He was patient, kind and understanding, even before Winter finally told him what Danny had done to her in her past. Though he seemed demanding and a bit of someone who would be controlling, it was nice to see the softer side of him too. To be able to find someone who won't take no as an answer, but also be patient and considerate of another's feelings is a rare trait to have. Normally, you don't see both those traits in a single person, but Wyatt has them and it makes for interesting guy. Your heart automatically goes out to him as you watch him be patient with Winter. At points, I found myself yelling at Winter because of how broken she was. I understand where she was coming from, having been in horrid relationships myself, but I would like to think if I was her, I would have been a bit more willing to trust him sooner than she did. Wyatt is a definite dream hunk and will be your book boyfriend if you only let him love you.
I have say that this book kept me thirsty for more, especially since so much was left out to keep it a bit suspenseful. I loved how the gang, Street Kings, was left alone after Winter confronts them to leave Carlos alone, that you nearly forget about them being in the picture. It made for a nice little dramatic event when they pop back up. Or when you learn more about Wyatt that is kept being hinted at throughout the story. I found this all to make quite a compelling story. It had the right amount of suspense, mystery and action to make this romance novel that perfect read in my opinion. I would recommend it to all my romance readers. I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars simply because of the few grammar errors I had found while reading, Though they didn't take away from enjoying the book, I still wish they hadn't been present. It can ruin any grammar freak's day.
Anything for Love is free for the Kindle, and that's without Kinde Unlimited. It is also the first book in the series "The Hunter Brothers." I do hope you go to check it out and grab your copy from Amazon while it is free to grab. Happy Reading!
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Roanoke Girls in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
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This review may be a bit spoilery concerning the theme of this novel, this couldn't be helped but I've tried to be as vague as possible.
<p>"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."</p>
These were the words that originally captivated me, pulling me in and compelling me to pick up The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
This was quite a read, an unusual one, reminiscent of bygone authors, setting a stage of intrigue, mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The secrets surrounding Roanoke are subtlely revealed early on leaving the reader highly aware of what flows beneath the seemingly normal surface.
This is a definite page-turner despite the exploration of <spoiler>incestuous family relations.</spoiler>
This tale is told in two parts "Now and Then" and the storyline seamlessly hops between these two timelines.
We also get to jump briefly into the heads of each Roanoke girl that came before, which I found very enlightening, I really loved this touch and it greatly added to the storyline giving the reader an insight into what each girl was feeling deep inside her own skin.
Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Allegra, Lane there is also little Emmaline but she died of a crib death as a baby.
All Roanoke girls, all carrying the same secrets down through the years, messed up heads and lives affected tragically.
The echoes of this rebounding out through each new generation.
This story is told through Lane Roanoke's point of view after her mother commits suicide and Lane comes to live with her Rich grandparents and cousin Allegra on the family estate.
This is the "THEN" portrayed in the narrative.
The "NOW" is Eleven years later when Lane returns to the family home after a frantic call from her granddad informing her that her cousin Allegra is missing.
After vowing never to return, Lane reluctantly returns home confronting secrets shes buried deep down inside.
I loved Lane as a character, she was a bit of a messed up headcase, but who can blame her.
It's obvious Lane Loved Allegra so deeply and this was the only thing, I think, her disappearing, that could have dragged her back to the bowels of Roanoke.
It was also very thought-provoking to observe Lane's former teenage toxic relationship with cooper rekindled as adults and I really did like him he had his own past baggage but really seemed to have evolved from this, unlike Lane.
I was so rooting for these two and I thought they made a great match, neither party having had it easy in life, they both deserved a bit of stability in the now.
Now Lanes connection with her grandad this was a strange one, confusing even I think to lane herself she really seemed to feel equal measures hate and love towards him.
Struggling with her mixed up emotions, greatly wanting to loathe him but feeling a strange pull, maybe because Lane feels he was the first person to actually seem to want and love her after enduring a lifetime of apathy from her mother.
As for the gran, well, What a cold selfish bitch she was.
I felt she herself held a huge role in what had been allowed to transpire, isn't it a mothers job to protect her daughters.
In this Lillian Roanoke has failed epically actually blaming her daughters instead of shielding them, she was such a cold fish only seeming to feel any affection towards her twisted husband.
Turning a blind eye and looking the other way is her game.
Surprisingly she was my least favourite character even over Myles Roanoke himself.
I think it was the whole lack of maternal anything that contributed to my dislike of her immensely.
The Roanoke Girls has so many diverse flawed individuals that all do their part in making this an enthralling page-turner.
This is a portrayal of a family that is so not right and has not been for a very long time.
It is Love expressed so wrongly and out of context that it has become a sickness consuming from the inside out devouring till nothing remains standing.
A Dysfunctional family with dark concealed secrets at his core.
So I felt the author Amy Engel did an amazing job of dealing with such an explosive subject matter. she has handled it beautifully with finesse and a great understanding of such a delicate topic. Not everyone could have done this so sensitively and without sensationalising it so Really well done.
So that's it from me folk's, I could waffle on all day about this fascinating story, but I'm going to leave it here, but before I go a trigger warning The Roanoke Girls deals with themes of incest, but bar the one small kiss it is only referred to in words not actions and it is really not graphic in its content at all, but if this is a trigger for you please do avoid.
So all that's left is for me to say Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author Amy Engel herself for providing me with an arc of The Roanoke Girls this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
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This review may be a bit spoilery concerning the theme of this novel, this couldn't be helped but I've tried to be as vague as possible.
<p>"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die."</p>
These were the words that originally captivated me, pulling me in and compelling me to pick up The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
This was quite a read, an unusual one, reminiscent of bygone authors, setting a stage of intrigue, mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The secrets surrounding Roanoke are subtlely revealed early on leaving the reader highly aware of what flows beneath the seemingly normal surface.
This is a definite page-turner despite the exploration of <spoiler>incestuous family relations.</spoiler>
This tale is told in two parts "Now and Then" and the storyline seamlessly hops between these two timelines.
We also get to jump briefly into the heads of each Roanoke girl that came before, which I found very enlightening, I really loved this touch and it greatly added to the storyline giving the reader an insight into what each girl was feeling deep inside her own skin.
Jane, Sophia, Penelope, Eleanor, Camilla, Allegra, Lane there is also little Emmaline but she died of a crib death as a baby.
All Roanoke girls, all carrying the same secrets down through the years, messed up heads and lives affected tragically.
The echoes of this rebounding out through each new generation.
This story is told through Lane Roanoke's point of view after her mother commits suicide and Lane comes to live with her Rich grandparents and cousin Allegra on the family estate.
This is the "THEN" portrayed in the narrative.
The "NOW" is Eleven years later when Lane returns to the family home after a frantic call from her granddad informing her that her cousin Allegra is missing.
After vowing never to return, Lane reluctantly returns home confronting secrets shes buried deep down inside.
I loved Lane as a character, she was a bit of a messed up headcase, but who can blame her.
It's obvious Lane Loved Allegra so deeply and this was the only thing, I think, her disappearing, that could have dragged her back to the bowels of Roanoke.
It was also very thought-provoking to observe Lane's former teenage toxic relationship with cooper rekindled as adults and I really did like him he had his own past baggage but really seemed to have evolved from this, unlike Lane.
I was so rooting for these two and I thought they made a great match, neither party having had it easy in life, they both deserved a bit of stability in the now.
Now Lanes connection with her grandad this was a strange one, confusing even I think to lane herself she really seemed to feel equal measures hate and love towards him.
Struggling with her mixed up emotions, greatly wanting to loathe him but feeling a strange pull, maybe because Lane feels he was the first person to actually seem to want and love her after enduring a lifetime of apathy from her mother.
As for the gran, well, What a cold selfish bitch she was.
I felt she herself held a huge role in what had been allowed to transpire, isn't it a mothers job to protect her daughters.
In this Lillian Roanoke has failed epically actually blaming her daughters instead of shielding them, she was such a cold fish only seeming to feel any affection towards her twisted husband.
Turning a blind eye and looking the other way is her game.
Surprisingly she was my least favourite character even over Myles Roanoke himself.
I think it was the whole lack of maternal anything that contributed to my dislike of her immensely.
The Roanoke Girls has so many diverse flawed individuals that all do their part in making this an enthralling page-turner.
This is a portrayal of a family that is so not right and has not been for a very long time.
It is Love expressed so wrongly and out of context that it has become a sickness consuming from the inside out devouring till nothing remains standing.
A Dysfunctional family with dark concealed secrets at his core.
So I felt the author Amy Engel did an amazing job of dealing with such an explosive subject matter. she has handled it beautifully with finesse and a great understanding of such a delicate topic. Not everyone could have done this so sensitively and without sensationalising it so Really well done.
So that's it from me folk's, I could waffle on all day about this fascinating story, but I'm going to leave it here, but before I go a trigger warning The Roanoke Girls deals with themes of incest, but bar the one small kiss it is only referred to in words not actions and it is really not graphic in its content at all, but if this is a trigger for you please do avoid.
So all that's left is for me to say Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author Amy Engel herself for providing me with an arc of The Roanoke Girls this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo af70fcc0a46c529f0d6a1b9301e40ac7--funny-reading-quotes-image_zpshi4ayvul.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Battleborn in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Gearbox and 2K have teamed up yet again create an animated action fest that is filled with colorful characters, humor, and plenty of action. If you thought it was a new entry into the popular Borderlands you would be mistaken although at first glance some might take the similar use of brilliantly cell shaded graphics to be part of the series. That however is where the majority of the similarities end as Battleborn is one of the most frantic and enjoyable action games to come along in a while. I first played the game at E3 last year and was instantly impressed with what I had just played. Subsequent games at PAX Prime and in the early access portion of the game only increased my enjoyment and anticipation for the final product.
The game involves an evil force that has been destroying all the stars in the universe. A team of misfits who specialize in all types of combat known as the “Battleborn” take up the call to save the universe. Accompanying them is a ship captain, and unstable scientist, and is even more unstable A.I, unit who pop up during the campaign with all sorts of humorous commentary to help propel the story along.
The campaign missions for the game are not linear in that players opting to take part of the five player co-op campaigns select which mission they will undertake and at times waiting for a mission that you have not already played does require a bit of patience or for players to leave the party and try again in the matchmaking screen.
Gameplay is of a first-person perspective but in the unique style that players are free to select from 25 playable characters, many of whom unlock as the campaign mode unfolds. There are male, female, and alien characters as well as some other more unique individuals for players to select from. As they go on, players will be able to customize power ups and abilities for players as well as various aspects of their appearance. In the game action, players will have the opportunity to reach 10 different skill levels and each opportunity a new skill or ability that can be deployed during the game and will regenerate itself on a timer after being used.
The key aspect of the game is the variety of the characters as you can go from a slow-moving but massive chain gun wielding character to a clone soldier, a cybernetic butler, a fiendish imp, and so many more. The characters have everything from close quarter and distanced combat abilities and many have support functions as well. This is one of the greatest aspects of the game but also for many one of the biggest tricks in that you have to select a player that best suits your style of play but you are not able to fully comprehend what a character is and is not capable of until you try them in action. Unfortunately once a character is selected, you are required to play them through completion of the mission and do not have the opportunity to change in the middle of a match. I found out the hard way that a selected character did not have much in the way of offensive abilities and therefore had to spend the majority of my match hanging in the background mopping up and offering support whenever needed. This is quite a change from my usual approach of going in the thick of the action and cutting down as many of the enemy forces as I could.
The maps are very clever and creative and have all sorts of things ranging from jump ads which control you will cross the locale, to weapon emplacements were using credits earned from collecting energy shards, players can power up traps and defensive weaponry which will help them with the endless waves of enemies they will encounter.
While there only two main species of enemies, there are plenty of variations amongst them but after a few missions you will have felt that you have seen them all. This is where the clever boss battles come into play and really make the game shine. Players can revive one another should they fall in battle, and also take advantage of various power ups located throughout the map. The missions can take a bit of patience because there is nothing more frustrating than enduring wave after wave of enemies 30 min. into a match and failing a mission because a key locale was left unprotected when a player succumbed to a swarm of enemies while the rest of the team was off defending against a multi-pronged attack.
The developers have promised more characters would be included in future updates and there is also DLC coming that will add new options for players to enjoy.
The game also boasts several multiplayer modes where players can take a break from the campaign and enjoy numerous matches that are more in line with what players might come to expect from a multiplayer experience. There certainly will not be any shortage of options for players as some players will up to play through the campaign with as many different characters as possible, and others like myself will stick to a tried-and-true character and occasionally dabble with one of the others.
The game looks and sounds fantastic and the action as I mentioned is fun, intense, and frequent. I hope that we see plenty of additional Battleborn titles and content in the future as I continue to enjoy the game with its quirky and enjoyable characters and enjoyable premise and gameplay. This is definitely been one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences for me this year and I definitely think it is a game not be missed for fans of this genre.
http://sknr.net/2016/05/23/battleborn/
The game involves an evil force that has been destroying all the stars in the universe. A team of misfits who specialize in all types of combat known as the “Battleborn” take up the call to save the universe. Accompanying them is a ship captain, and unstable scientist, and is even more unstable A.I, unit who pop up during the campaign with all sorts of humorous commentary to help propel the story along.
The campaign missions for the game are not linear in that players opting to take part of the five player co-op campaigns select which mission they will undertake and at times waiting for a mission that you have not already played does require a bit of patience or for players to leave the party and try again in the matchmaking screen.
Gameplay is of a first-person perspective but in the unique style that players are free to select from 25 playable characters, many of whom unlock as the campaign mode unfolds. There are male, female, and alien characters as well as some other more unique individuals for players to select from. As they go on, players will be able to customize power ups and abilities for players as well as various aspects of their appearance. In the game action, players will have the opportunity to reach 10 different skill levels and each opportunity a new skill or ability that can be deployed during the game and will regenerate itself on a timer after being used.
The key aspect of the game is the variety of the characters as you can go from a slow-moving but massive chain gun wielding character to a clone soldier, a cybernetic butler, a fiendish imp, and so many more. The characters have everything from close quarter and distanced combat abilities and many have support functions as well. This is one of the greatest aspects of the game but also for many one of the biggest tricks in that you have to select a player that best suits your style of play but you are not able to fully comprehend what a character is and is not capable of until you try them in action. Unfortunately once a character is selected, you are required to play them through completion of the mission and do not have the opportunity to change in the middle of a match. I found out the hard way that a selected character did not have much in the way of offensive abilities and therefore had to spend the majority of my match hanging in the background mopping up and offering support whenever needed. This is quite a change from my usual approach of going in the thick of the action and cutting down as many of the enemy forces as I could.
The maps are very clever and creative and have all sorts of things ranging from jump ads which control you will cross the locale, to weapon emplacements were using credits earned from collecting energy shards, players can power up traps and defensive weaponry which will help them with the endless waves of enemies they will encounter.
While there only two main species of enemies, there are plenty of variations amongst them but after a few missions you will have felt that you have seen them all. This is where the clever boss battles come into play and really make the game shine. Players can revive one another should they fall in battle, and also take advantage of various power ups located throughout the map. The missions can take a bit of patience because there is nothing more frustrating than enduring wave after wave of enemies 30 min. into a match and failing a mission because a key locale was left unprotected when a player succumbed to a swarm of enemies while the rest of the team was off defending against a multi-pronged attack.
The developers have promised more characters would be included in future updates and there is also DLC coming that will add new options for players to enjoy.
The game also boasts several multiplayer modes where players can take a break from the campaign and enjoy numerous matches that are more in line with what players might come to expect from a multiplayer experience. There certainly will not be any shortage of options for players as some players will up to play through the campaign with as many different characters as possible, and others like myself will stick to a tried-and-true character and occasionally dabble with one of the others.
The game looks and sounds fantastic and the action as I mentioned is fun, intense, and frequent. I hope that we see plenty of additional Battleborn titles and content in the future as I continue to enjoy the game with its quirky and enjoyable characters and enjoyable premise and gameplay. This is definitely been one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences for me this year and I definitely think it is a game not be missed for fans of this genre.
http://sknr.net/2016/05/23/battleborn/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Following the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was going to be no easy feat. The series not only made incredible amounts of cash at the box office worldwide, but also garnered an Academy award for best picture for the final film in the series. In the years since the trilogy, writer-director-producer Peter Jackson has not overwhelmed at the box office. His big-budget remake of “King Kong” performed below expectations and the high-profile collapse of the “Halo” movie to which he was attached, as well as the underwhelming box office of “The Lovely Bones” made many people question if Jackson had peaked and was better suited for the lower budgeted independent films that first gave him his start.
When it was announced that a film version of “The Hobbit” was in the works and that director Guillermo del Toro would direct the film as well as help write the screenplay and that Jackson would produce, the fans’ interest level was definitely piqued. But after a long state of pre-production, del Torro decided not to direct the film as he was unwilling to commit the next six years to living and working in New Zealand. Jackson then took over the film and soon after it was announced that it would be stretched into three movies to form a new trilogy.
For those unfamiliar with the story it was actually the first book written by J.R.R. Tolkien, which sets the stage for what was to follow in the Lord of the Rings even though it was originally conceived as a standalone story. The film opens with an older Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), writing a memoir while preparations for a party are underway. Bilbo discusses how there was one story that he had not disclosed and sets pen to paper in order to chronicle his legendary journey 60 years prior.
Gandolf Wizard (Sir Ian McKellen) visits the younger Bilbo and suggests he go on an adventure. Bilbo immediately declines, as being a Hobbit, he has no desire to leave the creature comforts and serenity of The Shire, much less face the dangers that exist in the world beyond. A group of dwarves arrive’ that evening and despite their gluttonous appetites and loud behavior, Bilbo has a change of heart the following morning and accompanies them on their quest.
The group’s goal is to travel to the dwarves’ kingdom of Erebor to reclaim their stronghold which was lost many years earlier to a vicious Dragon named Smaug. In the decades since, the dwarves existed as people without a home, forced to live as nomads taking work wherever they can find it. Along the way the group deals with all manner of threats and dangers ranging from trolls, goblins, orcs, and other supernatural elements. Of course there were some internal tensions and conflicts within the group as it marched towards a finale that sets the stage for the next film.
The movie has a runtime of nearly 3 hours and there were times that I caught a couple members in press row dozing briefly. While I enjoyed the film more than I did any of the Lord of the Rings movies, it was clearly obvious that things were being stretched out in order to justify a third film in the series. There were countless scenes of the band walking over hills and across the countryside so much so that at times I felt that I was watching the longest commercial for New Zealand tourism ever created. We get it. It’s a long journey. They travel near and far. I got it. I don’t need to see it every 10 minutes.
There were also several scenes that were done almost as if in aside that truthfully did not add much to the story but seem to exist as nothing more than time fillers. In the subsequent films it is learned that characters and scenes that did not appear in the book will be inserted into the film. Once again I have to question this as I do believe they could have easily cut an hour out of this movie and not lose much of the necessary narrative.
There’s been a lot of talk about the higher frame rate 3-D that was used to create the film. There have been claims that it was distracting, jerky, and detracted from the movie. I on the other hand found it absolutely captivating because it did not have that movie look to it, and it felt like I was watching an HD television. Even during the CGI heavy sequences, it did appear as if the performers were literally right there in front of me and I got the impression more of watching a play than of watching a movie.
The visual effects in the film were quite stunning. The live-action and computer-generated elements were absolutely amazing, especially during the latter part of the film when we meet Gollum (Andy Serkis), and during the battle and the goblin stronghold. Although the book is considered a children’s novel, I would really have to think twice about bringing young children to see this film as there is a lot of action and violence in the film as well as potential scares in the form of the monsters that abound.
The film could have definitely used some star power to it. While the cast does a solid job, they are fairly generic and almost interchangeable during certain segments of the film. That being said, the film works because despite its issues, it’s a visually spectacular masterpiece that, if you can endure the long periods of inaction, pays off especially well during the film’s battle sequences.
When it was announced that a film version of “The Hobbit” was in the works and that director Guillermo del Toro would direct the film as well as help write the screenplay and that Jackson would produce, the fans’ interest level was definitely piqued. But after a long state of pre-production, del Torro decided not to direct the film as he was unwilling to commit the next six years to living and working in New Zealand. Jackson then took over the film and soon after it was announced that it would be stretched into three movies to form a new trilogy.
For those unfamiliar with the story it was actually the first book written by J.R.R. Tolkien, which sets the stage for what was to follow in the Lord of the Rings even though it was originally conceived as a standalone story. The film opens with an older Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), writing a memoir while preparations for a party are underway. Bilbo discusses how there was one story that he had not disclosed and sets pen to paper in order to chronicle his legendary journey 60 years prior.
Gandolf Wizard (Sir Ian McKellen) visits the younger Bilbo and suggests he go on an adventure. Bilbo immediately declines, as being a Hobbit, he has no desire to leave the creature comforts and serenity of The Shire, much less face the dangers that exist in the world beyond. A group of dwarves arrive’ that evening and despite their gluttonous appetites and loud behavior, Bilbo has a change of heart the following morning and accompanies them on their quest.
The group’s goal is to travel to the dwarves’ kingdom of Erebor to reclaim their stronghold which was lost many years earlier to a vicious Dragon named Smaug. In the decades since, the dwarves existed as people without a home, forced to live as nomads taking work wherever they can find it. Along the way the group deals with all manner of threats and dangers ranging from trolls, goblins, orcs, and other supernatural elements. Of course there were some internal tensions and conflicts within the group as it marched towards a finale that sets the stage for the next film.
The movie has a runtime of nearly 3 hours and there were times that I caught a couple members in press row dozing briefly. While I enjoyed the film more than I did any of the Lord of the Rings movies, it was clearly obvious that things were being stretched out in order to justify a third film in the series. There were countless scenes of the band walking over hills and across the countryside so much so that at times I felt that I was watching the longest commercial for New Zealand tourism ever created. We get it. It’s a long journey. They travel near and far. I got it. I don’t need to see it every 10 minutes.
There were also several scenes that were done almost as if in aside that truthfully did not add much to the story but seem to exist as nothing more than time fillers. In the subsequent films it is learned that characters and scenes that did not appear in the book will be inserted into the film. Once again I have to question this as I do believe they could have easily cut an hour out of this movie and not lose much of the necessary narrative.
There’s been a lot of talk about the higher frame rate 3-D that was used to create the film. There have been claims that it was distracting, jerky, and detracted from the movie. I on the other hand found it absolutely captivating because it did not have that movie look to it, and it felt like I was watching an HD television. Even during the CGI heavy sequences, it did appear as if the performers were literally right there in front of me and I got the impression more of watching a play than of watching a movie.
The visual effects in the film were quite stunning. The live-action and computer-generated elements were absolutely amazing, especially during the latter part of the film when we meet Gollum (Andy Serkis), and during the battle and the goblin stronghold. Although the book is considered a children’s novel, I would really have to think twice about bringing young children to see this film as there is a lot of action and violence in the film as well as potential scares in the form of the monsters that abound.
The film could have definitely used some star power to it. While the cast does a solid job, they are fairly generic and almost interchangeable during certain segments of the film. That being said, the film works because despite its issues, it’s a visually spectacular masterpiece that, if you can endure the long periods of inaction, pays off especially well during the film’s battle sequences.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Mass Transit in Tabletop Games
May 13, 2021
Remember back in the day when you used to get off work, have to walk a ways to the bus station, then hop a train to the marina so you could grab a boat, and then walk the rest of the way home? No? Just me? Well imagine having to plan six different peoples’ treks home this way. Which way is the easiest? Can they all make it home by dinner time? Did that guy just prematurely jump off the boat to try to get to the train? What am I even doing here?
Mass Transit is a cooperative, network building card game where players take on the roles of urban planners attempting to lay routes for commuters to head to and from work in the Big City. As the game is cooperative, all urban planners either win or lose together. But in either case, it’s the commuteeples (maybe?) that win or lose.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, assemble the Big City tiles to make a sweet hexagon. Each commuteeple (ok I think I’m not doing this one any longer) is placed on their worksite in the Big City. Shuffle the big deck of Mass Transit cards and deal each player four cards. The players choose a first player and the game may begin!
On a turn players will need to play at least two of their cards and can play up to all four if they wish. The choices of card play are to add it to a route line or discard it for movement. To add the card to the route line, players simply choose a route line and place the card at the end. This extends the route by one card. To finish a route, players will need to place the suburb card at the end of a line with the appropriate number of cards (some suburbs may show a 4, which means they can only be placed once four route cards have been placed in the same line).
The other way to play cards are to discard them for movement. Cards are discarded out of the game and used for the printed movement type. Green cards are walking, blue are ferry, gray are bus, red are train, and yellow are unavailable to use for movement. For example, a player could discard a green walk card in order to move the meeple one card closer to the suburb card, or could use a red train card in order to move the meeple from one train station icon to the next (which could actually move the meeple over several cards at once). There are some movement restrictions, such as the inability for meeples to simply jump out of a vehicle at a Traffic Stop in order to take an alternate movement type.
If the players can all work together (without expressly verbalizing strategy) and move all six meeples to their suburb homes before a player is unable to play two cards from their hands, they win! However, should a player be unable to play the required two cards from their hand and all meeples are not in their comfy homes, the players all lose together in sweet sadness.
Components. I absolutely love the interconnecting Big City tiles. They are just the right size, and even hold the draw deck. Speaking of the deck, the cards are all nice quality with slight linen finish and excellent graphic stylization. Mass Transit looks great on the table and when finished, looks like a funky subway map with little blue meeples. The meeples come with a sticker sheet, and while you can add your favorite stickers to one side of the meeple, we opted to just randomly add stickers to both sides and it works for us. I have zero issues with the components, and have come to expect that from Calliope Games titles.
All in all, this little game packs a great experience into about 15 or 20 minutes. What I really enjoy is trying to figure out the best usage for the cards in hand. Is it better to use the gray card to add to the route or to use it for fast travel (any Skyrim fans out there?)? To add to this thinkiness, the rules explicitly state that players are unable to discuss strategies, but can hint aloud at what they may be considering. So while this is not a silent game, players will need to carefully decide how best to communicate what they wish the party to accomplish without specifically stating such.
Mass Transit is a game that I can easily pull out and play with my 10-year-old twin niece and nephew, with other adults, or with harder gamers. When a small game can be so versatile, it certainly earns a place in my collection. If you are also looking for a small box game with a smallish table footprint and great presence, consider picking up a copy of Mass Transit. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a blues travelin’ (hehe) 11 / 12. Pro tip: use the yellow cards early and for route addition only, as they cannot be used for movement. Also, stay away from alpha gamers, and they might not be able to handle the communication ban.
Mass Transit is a cooperative, network building card game where players take on the roles of urban planners attempting to lay routes for commuters to head to and from work in the Big City. As the game is cooperative, all urban planners either win or lose together. But in either case, it’s the commuteeples (maybe?) that win or lose.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup, assemble the Big City tiles to make a sweet hexagon. Each commuteeple (ok I think I’m not doing this one any longer) is placed on their worksite in the Big City. Shuffle the big deck of Mass Transit cards and deal each player four cards. The players choose a first player and the game may begin!
On a turn players will need to play at least two of their cards and can play up to all four if they wish. The choices of card play are to add it to a route line or discard it for movement. To add the card to the route line, players simply choose a route line and place the card at the end. This extends the route by one card. To finish a route, players will need to place the suburb card at the end of a line with the appropriate number of cards (some suburbs may show a 4, which means they can only be placed once four route cards have been placed in the same line).
The other way to play cards are to discard them for movement. Cards are discarded out of the game and used for the printed movement type. Green cards are walking, blue are ferry, gray are bus, red are train, and yellow are unavailable to use for movement. For example, a player could discard a green walk card in order to move the meeple one card closer to the suburb card, or could use a red train card in order to move the meeple from one train station icon to the next (which could actually move the meeple over several cards at once). There are some movement restrictions, such as the inability for meeples to simply jump out of a vehicle at a Traffic Stop in order to take an alternate movement type.
If the players can all work together (without expressly verbalizing strategy) and move all six meeples to their suburb homes before a player is unable to play two cards from their hands, they win! However, should a player be unable to play the required two cards from their hand and all meeples are not in their comfy homes, the players all lose together in sweet sadness.
Components. I absolutely love the interconnecting Big City tiles. They are just the right size, and even hold the draw deck. Speaking of the deck, the cards are all nice quality with slight linen finish and excellent graphic stylization. Mass Transit looks great on the table and when finished, looks like a funky subway map with little blue meeples. The meeples come with a sticker sheet, and while you can add your favorite stickers to one side of the meeple, we opted to just randomly add stickers to both sides and it works for us. I have zero issues with the components, and have come to expect that from Calliope Games titles.
All in all, this little game packs a great experience into about 15 or 20 minutes. What I really enjoy is trying to figure out the best usage for the cards in hand. Is it better to use the gray card to add to the route or to use it for fast travel (any Skyrim fans out there?)? To add to this thinkiness, the rules explicitly state that players are unable to discuss strategies, but can hint aloud at what they may be considering. So while this is not a silent game, players will need to carefully decide how best to communicate what they wish the party to accomplish without specifically stating such.
Mass Transit is a game that I can easily pull out and play with my 10-year-old twin niece and nephew, with other adults, or with harder gamers. When a small game can be so versatile, it certainly earns a place in my collection. If you are also looking for a small box game with a smallish table footprint and great presence, consider picking up a copy of Mass Transit. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a blues travelin’ (hehe) 11 / 12. Pro tip: use the yellow cards early and for route addition only, as they cannot be used for movement. Also, stay away from alpha gamers, and they might not be able to handle the communication ban.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Aristotle's Elements and Space in Tabletop Games
Nov 5, 2020
The Cosmos! So many of us dream of flying up into space to enjoy the views and hopes of a better life on another planet. Some would like to study space more closely to unravel its mysteries. Still others would think it’s just kinda cool to be weightless and IN SPACE! I’m a mixture of all these, so when I heard a call for reviewers for a game whose title includes a major philosopher, elements of all matter, AND SPACE I just had to know more and play it. Would Aristotle take pride in this card game’s premise or has it shot for the moon and is now drifting among the space junk?
Aristotle’s Elements and Space is a party style card game for three to five players. Players will be attempting to play elements to triumph over their opponents by using tried and true rock-paper-scissors style play.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup stock the token bag (not pictured) with tokens according to the rulebook suggestions for number of players. Each player will blindly choose three tokens from the bag to place in front of themselves within reach of all players. Shuffle the element cards and deal each player seven. Determine the first Aristotle player and place the Aristotle card facing that player. Shuffle and deal out three Element of Surprise cards face-down within reach of all players. The game may now begin!
Each game lasts seven rounds. At the start of each round players will secretly choose a card from hand to play to the table face down. Once all players are ready all players must simultaneously say out loud, “Aristotle,” while flipping over their cards. When all cards are revealed the Aristotle player will compare cards with the player on their left. Whichever element card played triumphs over the other will win that battle and continue onward clockwise to battle the other players. This continues until one player has triumphed all the cards and taken the trick. The Aristotle card is then given to the next player in clockwise seating to begin a new round. This is how a basic game is played.
More advanced games will include Power Up Tokens and the Element of Surprise Cards. In order to use a Power Up Token a player would first need to have successfully stolen another player’s token during a round of play. To successfully steal a token the player will physically take a token from another player without being touched by that player. Should the defending player touch or slap the offensive player’s hand during the theft, the heist is unsuccessful. Once stolen a token may be used on a subsequent round.
The Power Up Tokens increase the number of elements that may be triumphed using a particular element. For instance, Fire typically triumphs over Earth and Wind, but with the Power Up Token also applied the Fire triumphs over Earth, Wind, AND Water. A most welcome twist! Also, during a round in which a player is acting as Aristotle they may, once cards are revealed, call, “Element of Surprise!,” and choose a face-down card to read aloud to the group. These cards add a goofy rule that must be thenceforth followed, gives prompts for the players to discuss, or has players searching the room/house/wherever for items to bring back to the table first.
Play continues in this fashion until the last round, where triumph rules are reversed. When all cards have been played the winner is the player who won the most tricks.
Components. Again, this is a prototype version of the game. That said, what we received was a bunch of cards and the Power Up Tokens. The tokens are fine – laser cut plywood discs painted on both sides to match the elements they modify. The cards are glossy and feature unique art. The art is, well, just okay for me. It’s not terribly exciting, but it is very colorful and not bad, necessarily. I feel like the art could be improved some, but art is always a personal preference.
The gameplay itself is certainly a hodge-podge of mechanics from other games that, for the most part, are well-used for a very light trick-taking card game. I enjoy playing it using the Power Up Tokens, but for me and my group, we passed on the Element of Surprise cards. They add a different twist to the game that isn’t necessarily Quelf-ish, but also doesn’t add much to the game. They merely add a distraction from the game. I can see many people totally diggin’ those cards, and I probably would use them if converting a game-noob, but for more serious gamers, just leave them out.
If you are looking for a very light and different trick-taking card game, check out Aristotle’s Elements and Space. I am not entirely sure if any components will be updated before going to retail, but even if not, they are pretty decent. The gameplay is quick and easy to teach; I think I will try it with my 4-year-old as well. This is a decent gateway filler that could fit very well in many collections. Give it a look!
Aristotle’s Elements and Space is a party style card game for three to five players. Players will be attempting to play elements to triumph over their opponents by using tried and true rock-paper-scissors style play.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup stock the token bag (not pictured) with tokens according to the rulebook suggestions for number of players. Each player will blindly choose three tokens from the bag to place in front of themselves within reach of all players. Shuffle the element cards and deal each player seven. Determine the first Aristotle player and place the Aristotle card facing that player. Shuffle and deal out three Element of Surprise cards face-down within reach of all players. The game may now begin!
Each game lasts seven rounds. At the start of each round players will secretly choose a card from hand to play to the table face down. Once all players are ready all players must simultaneously say out loud, “Aristotle,” while flipping over their cards. When all cards are revealed the Aristotle player will compare cards with the player on their left. Whichever element card played triumphs over the other will win that battle and continue onward clockwise to battle the other players. This continues until one player has triumphed all the cards and taken the trick. The Aristotle card is then given to the next player in clockwise seating to begin a new round. This is how a basic game is played.
More advanced games will include Power Up Tokens and the Element of Surprise Cards. In order to use a Power Up Token a player would first need to have successfully stolen another player’s token during a round of play. To successfully steal a token the player will physically take a token from another player without being touched by that player. Should the defending player touch or slap the offensive player’s hand during the theft, the heist is unsuccessful. Once stolen a token may be used on a subsequent round.
The Power Up Tokens increase the number of elements that may be triumphed using a particular element. For instance, Fire typically triumphs over Earth and Wind, but with the Power Up Token also applied the Fire triumphs over Earth, Wind, AND Water. A most welcome twist! Also, during a round in which a player is acting as Aristotle they may, once cards are revealed, call, “Element of Surprise!,” and choose a face-down card to read aloud to the group. These cards add a goofy rule that must be thenceforth followed, gives prompts for the players to discuss, or has players searching the room/house/wherever for items to bring back to the table first.
Play continues in this fashion until the last round, where triumph rules are reversed. When all cards have been played the winner is the player who won the most tricks.
Components. Again, this is a prototype version of the game. That said, what we received was a bunch of cards and the Power Up Tokens. The tokens are fine – laser cut plywood discs painted on both sides to match the elements they modify. The cards are glossy and feature unique art. The art is, well, just okay for me. It’s not terribly exciting, but it is very colorful and not bad, necessarily. I feel like the art could be improved some, but art is always a personal preference.
The gameplay itself is certainly a hodge-podge of mechanics from other games that, for the most part, are well-used for a very light trick-taking card game. I enjoy playing it using the Power Up Tokens, but for me and my group, we passed on the Element of Surprise cards. They add a different twist to the game that isn’t necessarily Quelf-ish, but also doesn’t add much to the game. They merely add a distraction from the game. I can see many people totally diggin’ those cards, and I probably would use them if converting a game-noob, but for more serious gamers, just leave them out.
If you are looking for a very light and different trick-taking card game, check out Aristotle’s Elements and Space. I am not entirely sure if any components will be updated before going to retail, but even if not, they are pretty decent. The gameplay is quick and easy to teach; I think I will try it with my 4-year-old as well. This is a decent gateway filler that could fit very well in many collections. Give it a look!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Sacred Rites in Tabletop Games
Jan 14, 2021
You know when you are about to be initiated into the cult you’ve been following for a while and you feel completely ready to smash all the steps to the initiation ritual? But then your friend Roger always comes to sacrifice lessons late and just bumbles his way through, so you feel like you have to carry him and his irresponsibility? Well, you always told him that you wouldn’t be able to help him on initiation day and guess who still hasn’t arrived to the bonfire…
Sacred Rites is a semi-cooperative, social deduction party game for three to nine initiates. These special few are about to be accepted into the cult full-time, assuming they all know the rites and traditions to be celebrated. Did you remember all your moves to the required interpretive dance?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup gather enough windowed Believer envelopes for the number of players and also include the two Outsider envelopes. Believer envelopes have a cutout section whereas the Outsider envelopes have no cutouts. Shuffle these together and place them on the table Crown-side up (so one cannot see which have windows and which do not). Each player chooses an envelope. Shuffle the deck of Rite cards into a draw pile and similarly shuffle the Tradition tiles into a draw pile. Sprinkle the flower tokens around the table (which I just now considered and should have included that little setup action for more immersion) within reach of all initiates. The game may now begin!
To start a round one player chooses a Rite card from the pile and slides it into their envelope. After contemplating the meaning, they then slide out the Rite and pass it to the next player in table order to peruse in their window (if they have one). This continues around the table so everyone has a chance to “look” at it. Each player then chooses a Tradition tile from the pile and similarly secretly peruses it.
Once everyone has completed these steps the Ritual may begin. Any player may begin by revealing their Tradition tile to the group and stating, “The (whatever Tradition tile says) of our Sacred Rite is…” At this point the player will attempt to give the group a clue as to what the Rite card said without being blatant about it. This could be a word, a movement, a sound, or whatever they so choose. When done, the rest of the initiates respond with, “Ahhhh, (whatever the player just said/did/etc).” Every player will need to present their idea of the Rite with their Tradition, even if they are an Outsider.
When all players have performed, a count of three is made and all players will then either point to the player they feel is an Outsider, or point to the sky to declare they believe no initiate is an Outsider. Initiates who guess correctly immediately score two VP (white flowers), and any initiate not accused will score one VP flower. At this point the Outsider(s) will have a chance to guess the Rite, scoring two VP for a correct guess. The round ends and a new round begins. The winner is the initiate who earns 13 points (or more) first!
Components. This is a BEAUTIFUL game to look at and play. The minimalistic style and color palette are perfect choices for this style and theme of game. The cards are those nice smaller cards, and the tiles are lovely wooden tiles. The VP flower tokens are a nice touch, and it also comes with a great little embroidered bag. This is one of the prettiest games I have played and I love all the component choices made.
The gameplay is something that surprised me. I typically do not enjoy my plays of a similar game called Spyfall, but found myself loving every play of Sacred Rites. You see, in Spyfall players ask each other questions in order to suss out the spy, and rounds can go for too many minutes. In Sacred Rites, each turn is similar in timeframe and have a “shoot-them-to-vote-them-out” mechanic like is found in Ca$h ‘n Guns. I much prefer Sacred Rites to Spyfall and will be pulling it off the shelf every time we get the itch to be shady.
I understand that some people may not be into the theme of rituals for cult initiation, but this isn’t a dark game or have any sort of strange, questionable content. I would feel comfortable playing this with my in-laws as much as I would with anyone’s sweet granny. That said, Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a moonbeam hippy flowerstone 10 / 12. I believe it to be a wonderful addition to any collection, especially if it lacks a somewhat silly game of accusations and performance, or if, like me, your plays of Spyfall are falling flat. I am so happy to have this one I may actually do a full-length interpretive dance right now. Just let me turn off my webcam…
Sacred Rites is a semi-cooperative, social deduction party game for three to nine initiates. These special few are about to be accepted into the cult full-time, assuming they all know the rites and traditions to be celebrated. Did you remember all your moves to the required interpretive dance?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup gather enough windowed Believer envelopes for the number of players and also include the two Outsider envelopes. Believer envelopes have a cutout section whereas the Outsider envelopes have no cutouts. Shuffle these together and place them on the table Crown-side up (so one cannot see which have windows and which do not). Each player chooses an envelope. Shuffle the deck of Rite cards into a draw pile and similarly shuffle the Tradition tiles into a draw pile. Sprinkle the flower tokens around the table (which I just now considered and should have included that little setup action for more immersion) within reach of all initiates. The game may now begin!
To start a round one player chooses a Rite card from the pile and slides it into their envelope. After contemplating the meaning, they then slide out the Rite and pass it to the next player in table order to peruse in their window (if they have one). This continues around the table so everyone has a chance to “look” at it. Each player then chooses a Tradition tile from the pile and similarly secretly peruses it.
Once everyone has completed these steps the Ritual may begin. Any player may begin by revealing their Tradition tile to the group and stating, “The (whatever Tradition tile says) of our Sacred Rite is…” At this point the player will attempt to give the group a clue as to what the Rite card said without being blatant about it. This could be a word, a movement, a sound, or whatever they so choose. When done, the rest of the initiates respond with, “Ahhhh, (whatever the player just said/did/etc).” Every player will need to present their idea of the Rite with their Tradition, even if they are an Outsider.
When all players have performed, a count of three is made and all players will then either point to the player they feel is an Outsider, or point to the sky to declare they believe no initiate is an Outsider. Initiates who guess correctly immediately score two VP (white flowers), and any initiate not accused will score one VP flower. At this point the Outsider(s) will have a chance to guess the Rite, scoring two VP for a correct guess. The round ends and a new round begins. The winner is the initiate who earns 13 points (or more) first!
Components. This is a BEAUTIFUL game to look at and play. The minimalistic style and color palette are perfect choices for this style and theme of game. The cards are those nice smaller cards, and the tiles are lovely wooden tiles. The VP flower tokens are a nice touch, and it also comes with a great little embroidered bag. This is one of the prettiest games I have played and I love all the component choices made.
The gameplay is something that surprised me. I typically do not enjoy my plays of a similar game called Spyfall, but found myself loving every play of Sacred Rites. You see, in Spyfall players ask each other questions in order to suss out the spy, and rounds can go for too many minutes. In Sacred Rites, each turn is similar in timeframe and have a “shoot-them-to-vote-them-out” mechanic like is found in Ca$h ‘n Guns. I much prefer Sacred Rites to Spyfall and will be pulling it off the shelf every time we get the itch to be shady.
I understand that some people may not be into the theme of rituals for cult initiation, but this isn’t a dark game or have any sort of strange, questionable content. I would feel comfortable playing this with my in-laws as much as I would with anyone’s sweet granny. That said, Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a moonbeam hippy flowerstone 10 / 12. I believe it to be a wonderful addition to any collection, especially if it lacks a somewhat silly game of accusations and performance, or if, like me, your plays of Spyfall are falling flat. I am so happy to have this one I may actually do a full-length interpretive dance right now. Just let me turn off my webcam…
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Shining in Books
Apr 6, 2019
Different from the movie (1 more)
Well written
Contains spoilers, click to show
In his most well-known horror story, 'The Shining,' which is either a ghost story or the collapse of a man's mental state, Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic who just lost his job teaching at a school, gets hired to be the Winter caretaker of the infamous Overlook Hotel. In this book, the readers follow Jack into a nervous breakdown, as well as his possession by the ghosts of this hotel.
While the Torrance's seem like every other family - a small boy and moving to a new town - we find out that their son, Danny, has special abilities that help him to see things that may or may not happen in the future.
Soon after the family arrives to take over the hotel for the Winter, Danny meets a man named Hallorann - a chef at the hotel - who has the same abilities as him, which he calls 'Shine:' "What you got son, I call it shinin' on, the Bible calls it having visions, and there's scientists that call it precognition. I've read up on it, son. I've studied on it. They all mean seeing the future. Do you understand that?" Hallorann tells Danny.
Why does Danny, or anyone for that matter, have the Shine? King doesn't explain this in the book, it just seems to be something specific people are born with, even Danny's parents take him to a doctor before the snowfall hits to figure out what is going on,but even the doctor believes it's just a child's overactive imagination. Even so, Danny continues to have visions: one is of the room 217 in the Overlook, which even Hallorann told him to never go inside, and the other is of a creature-like man swinging a roque mallet, yelling about someone needing to take their medicine,"Come out! Come out, you little shit! Take your medicine!" We,also,meet his imaginary friend, Tony, who is the one whom continues to show Danny these visions over and over.
Unlike the movie, 'The Shining' book stands on it's own as an almost completely different story, even having Jack wielding a roque mallet and not an axe. Also the infamous scene of the Grady twins showing up in a hallway, asking Danny to play with them, never happened in the book; Hallorann also survives Jack's attack, Wendy is nearly beaten to-death by the roque mallet, and the hedge maze doesn't even exist! Instead, King wrote about topiary animals that came to life to kill you, "The rabbit was down on all fours, cropping grass. Its belly was against the ground. But not ten minutes ago it had been up on its hind legs, of course it had been, he had trimmed its ears...and its belly."
Jack begins to change when he finds a scrapbook in the basement that contains articles and such of things that happened at the Overlook. One such thing that sticks with Jack is about a Masked Ball that took place at the grand opening of the hotel. "Horace M. Derwent Requests The Pleasure of Your Company At a Masked Ball to Celebrate The Grand Opening of THE OVERLOOK HOTEL...Dinner Will Be Served At 8 P.M. Unmasking And Dancing At Midnight August 29,1945...RSVP"
Later on in the story, Jack, Wendy and Danny are awoken by the elevator going up and down by itself, but inside is a surprise,"Then she was up, her cheeks flushed, her forehead as pale and shining as a spirit lamp. 'What about this, Jack? Is this a short circuit?' She threw something and suddenly the hall was full of drifting confetti, red and white and blue and yellow. 'Is this?' A green party streamer, faded to a pale pastel color with age." Continuously, throughout the book,the past hotel guests make themselves known, either by showing up in rooms or leaving things for the family to find.
King shines (pun intended) with this book, he keeps things moving so that readers don't get bored. Known for his horror books, he doesn't disappoint in this one, which I personally think that this is his best work ever. He doesn't jump from scene to scene (like in many of his other books), he flawlessly keeps the timeline going even though he switches from character view points, between Jack, Danny, Wendy and Hallorann.
Although the film 'The Shining' is a classic in the horror movie genre, it is a huge step away from the book itself. "And the Red Death held sway over all." is a line that was never in the movie,but is quite frequent through the book. Even the most recognizable scene of "Here's Johnny!" is not in the book!
Also, Hallorann's character has a much bigger part in the story, the reader gets to see him living his Winter life in Florida, working as a chef in another hotel.. Hallorann even has a back story in the book that is wonderful to read about; we get to accompany him to a lawyer's office where he feels the need to get his Will made out for everything to be left to his sister when he is overcome with the feeling that his life may be about to end,"Hallorann had stepped in and told this McIver that he wanted to make a will,and could McIver help him out? Well, McIver asked,how soon do you want the document? Yesterday, said Hallorann, and threw his head back and laughed."
This 659- page book is well worth the read. You not only get a different take on 'The Shining' that is so well known,but you also get a different ending!'The Shining' will now always be a staple on my book shelf.
Even if you love the movie as much as I do (it is my favorite horror movie of all time), you will love the book just as much. King went above and beyond when he wrote 'The Shining.' Highly recommend!
While the Torrance's seem like every other family - a small boy and moving to a new town - we find out that their son, Danny, has special abilities that help him to see things that may or may not happen in the future.
Soon after the family arrives to take over the hotel for the Winter, Danny meets a man named Hallorann - a chef at the hotel - who has the same abilities as him, which he calls 'Shine:' "What you got son, I call it shinin' on, the Bible calls it having visions, and there's scientists that call it precognition. I've read up on it, son. I've studied on it. They all mean seeing the future. Do you understand that?" Hallorann tells Danny.
Why does Danny, or anyone for that matter, have the Shine? King doesn't explain this in the book, it just seems to be something specific people are born with, even Danny's parents take him to a doctor before the snowfall hits to figure out what is going on,but even the doctor believes it's just a child's overactive imagination. Even so, Danny continues to have visions: one is of the room 217 in the Overlook, which even Hallorann told him to never go inside, and the other is of a creature-like man swinging a roque mallet, yelling about someone needing to take their medicine,"Come out! Come out, you little shit! Take your medicine!" We,also,meet his imaginary friend, Tony, who is the one whom continues to show Danny these visions over and over.
Unlike the movie, 'The Shining' book stands on it's own as an almost completely different story, even having Jack wielding a roque mallet and not an axe. Also the infamous scene of the Grady twins showing up in a hallway, asking Danny to play with them, never happened in the book; Hallorann also survives Jack's attack, Wendy is nearly beaten to-death by the roque mallet, and the hedge maze doesn't even exist! Instead, King wrote about topiary animals that came to life to kill you, "The rabbit was down on all fours, cropping grass. Its belly was against the ground. But not ten minutes ago it had been up on its hind legs, of course it had been, he had trimmed its ears...and its belly."
Jack begins to change when he finds a scrapbook in the basement that contains articles and such of things that happened at the Overlook. One such thing that sticks with Jack is about a Masked Ball that took place at the grand opening of the hotel. "Horace M. Derwent Requests The Pleasure of Your Company At a Masked Ball to Celebrate The Grand Opening of THE OVERLOOK HOTEL...Dinner Will Be Served At 8 P.M. Unmasking And Dancing At Midnight August 29,1945...RSVP"
Later on in the story, Jack, Wendy and Danny are awoken by the elevator going up and down by itself, but inside is a surprise,"Then she was up, her cheeks flushed, her forehead as pale and shining as a spirit lamp. 'What about this, Jack? Is this a short circuit?' She threw something and suddenly the hall was full of drifting confetti, red and white and blue and yellow. 'Is this?' A green party streamer, faded to a pale pastel color with age." Continuously, throughout the book,the past hotel guests make themselves known, either by showing up in rooms or leaving things for the family to find.
King shines (pun intended) with this book, he keeps things moving so that readers don't get bored. Known for his horror books, he doesn't disappoint in this one, which I personally think that this is his best work ever. He doesn't jump from scene to scene (like in many of his other books), he flawlessly keeps the timeline going even though he switches from character view points, between Jack, Danny, Wendy and Hallorann.
Although the film 'The Shining' is a classic in the horror movie genre, it is a huge step away from the book itself. "And the Red Death held sway over all." is a line that was never in the movie,but is quite frequent through the book. Even the most recognizable scene of "Here's Johnny!" is not in the book!
Also, Hallorann's character has a much bigger part in the story, the reader gets to see him living his Winter life in Florida, working as a chef in another hotel.. Hallorann even has a back story in the book that is wonderful to read about; we get to accompany him to a lawyer's office where he feels the need to get his Will made out for everything to be left to his sister when he is overcome with the feeling that his life may be about to end,"Hallorann had stepped in and told this McIver that he wanted to make a will,and could McIver help him out? Well, McIver asked,how soon do you want the document? Yesterday, said Hallorann, and threw his head back and laughed."
This 659- page book is well worth the read. You not only get a different take on 'The Shining' that is so well known,but you also get a different ending!'The Shining' will now always be a staple on my book shelf.
Even if you love the movie as much as I do (it is my favorite horror movie of all time), you will love the book just as much. King went above and beyond when he wrote 'The Shining.' Highly recommend!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Good Boys (2019) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
Every generation has a coming of age classic that they can point to and say that it resonated with them. Whether it be classic John Hughes movies such as Pretty in Pink or The Breakfast Club, there is always something that defines the youth of that generation. Whether it be the situations that the main characters find themselves in, or even something as simple as the music and fashion, there is usually something that will strike a familiar chord with the audience. Even when I go back and rewatch the classics, it reminds me of a simpler time, when my life struggles involved asking a girl to a dance or attempting to fit in to any number of awkward first-time moments that each of us at one time or another go through. Good Boys is such a movie, about the awkwardness and naivety of youth, even if the kids had a bigger potty mouth than I did as a child.
Max (Jacob Tremblay), Thor (Brady Noon), and Lucas (Keith L. Williams) are a group of 12-year old boys known to their family and friends as the Bean Bag boys. Why do they refer to themselves as the Bean Bag Boys you ask? Why because they sit on Bean Bag chairs of course. Entering 6th grade they are trying to stand out but tend to do so in all the worst ways. Thor loves to sing but is bullied to not sign up for the school musical because it’s not a cool thing to be. Lucas is dealing with his parent’s new divorce and has a propensity to always tell the truth (even when the truth potentially causes more damage than a lie). Then there is Max, a young man whose hormones are beginning to take over his brain and can only think of the love of his life (and future wife of course) Brixlee.
Max being to shy to even look at Brixlee when she is looking his way is finally given a golden opportunity when he is invited by popular kid Soren (Izaac Wang) to a kissing party. The idea of being able to not only speak to Brixlee but be able to kiss her causes a rush of emotions that gravitate from excitement to terror. Max, believing that the way to his true-loves heart is by being a kissing expert recruits his fellow Bean Bag Boys on a quest to learn to kiss.
His quest will take him from spying on his “nymphomaniac” neighbor, to a treacherous highway crossing to get to the mall. They will have to brave frat houses, and potentially risky run-ins with pedophiles and the police, all to learn how to be a better kisser. Of course, there is plenty of laughs and situations that only naïve children could get themselves into, all of which had me and the entirety of the audience laughing the entire way through
Good Boys is a movie that relies on the audience connection with the main characters to succeed. Without that, you are left with a movie full of foul language and crude humor which have lately become a dime a dozen. Thankfully the casting of Good Boys far exceeds any expectations I had going into the theater. Comedies of these type lean heavily on the actors to carry the story through the hi-jinx that are around every corner and the actors were more than up to the challenge. Jacob Tremblay portrays perfectly the fear that every young boy (or girl) goes through when they imagine their first kiss. Keith L. Williams shows the heart break that a young kid goes through when deal with personal tragedy (in this case his parents’ divorce) and yet still remains true-to-himself anyway. Brady Noon excels at his desire to be cool, and still struggle with how coolness affects what he truly loves and wants to ultimately do. All three as a group convincingly take us on a journey that may seem outlandish, yet ultimately feel believable as well.
Good Boys also has a strong supporting cast, that add further dimension to the film. The two “old” girls Lily (Midori Francis) and Hannah (Molly Gordon) are fantastic in their portrayal of two women who simply want their drugs to get high. They will go to almost any lengths to get them back from the boys who stole them and yet end up becoming a bigger part to the film as a whole. Even the well meaning yet clueless parents of Lucas (Lil Rel Howery and Retta) add to the laughs as a couple trying their best to protect their son even as their own lives are driven apart.
Good Boys may come across in previews as a crude comedy with loads of foul language and sexual situations. While at first glance that may be what it is, as you pull back the layers you soon begin to realize that it’s a story, not about the words that are said, but the innocence of youth and what it means to grow apart as friends. The laughs are non-stop and the language excusable because of the innocence of those on the screen who are spouting them. As parents maybe you’d be looking to wash their mouths out with soap, but as the audience you can’t help but think how innocent they truly are. Good Boys is a movie that will resonate with many in the audience, who likely went through some of these very same dilemmas in their own coming of age stories. Maybe not through paintball fights at a frat house, or crossing a busy freeway, but we each have our own unique stories that helped to mold us into who we are today. It’s funny how watching a film like this can make you reminisce on your own experiences, even if it isn’t on the big screen for all to see.
4 out of 5 stars
http://sknr.net/2019/08/14/good-boys/
Max (Jacob Tremblay), Thor (Brady Noon), and Lucas (Keith L. Williams) are a group of 12-year old boys known to their family and friends as the Bean Bag boys. Why do they refer to themselves as the Bean Bag Boys you ask? Why because they sit on Bean Bag chairs of course. Entering 6th grade they are trying to stand out but tend to do so in all the worst ways. Thor loves to sing but is bullied to not sign up for the school musical because it’s not a cool thing to be. Lucas is dealing with his parent’s new divorce and has a propensity to always tell the truth (even when the truth potentially causes more damage than a lie). Then there is Max, a young man whose hormones are beginning to take over his brain and can only think of the love of his life (and future wife of course) Brixlee.
Max being to shy to even look at Brixlee when she is looking his way is finally given a golden opportunity when he is invited by popular kid Soren (Izaac Wang) to a kissing party. The idea of being able to not only speak to Brixlee but be able to kiss her causes a rush of emotions that gravitate from excitement to terror. Max, believing that the way to his true-loves heart is by being a kissing expert recruits his fellow Bean Bag Boys on a quest to learn to kiss.
His quest will take him from spying on his “nymphomaniac” neighbor, to a treacherous highway crossing to get to the mall. They will have to brave frat houses, and potentially risky run-ins with pedophiles and the police, all to learn how to be a better kisser. Of course, there is plenty of laughs and situations that only naïve children could get themselves into, all of which had me and the entirety of the audience laughing the entire way through
Good Boys is a movie that relies on the audience connection with the main characters to succeed. Without that, you are left with a movie full of foul language and crude humor which have lately become a dime a dozen. Thankfully the casting of Good Boys far exceeds any expectations I had going into the theater. Comedies of these type lean heavily on the actors to carry the story through the hi-jinx that are around every corner and the actors were more than up to the challenge. Jacob Tremblay portrays perfectly the fear that every young boy (or girl) goes through when they imagine their first kiss. Keith L. Williams shows the heart break that a young kid goes through when deal with personal tragedy (in this case his parents’ divorce) and yet still remains true-to-himself anyway. Brady Noon excels at his desire to be cool, and still struggle with how coolness affects what he truly loves and wants to ultimately do. All three as a group convincingly take us on a journey that may seem outlandish, yet ultimately feel believable as well.
Good Boys also has a strong supporting cast, that add further dimension to the film. The two “old” girls Lily (Midori Francis) and Hannah (Molly Gordon) are fantastic in their portrayal of two women who simply want their drugs to get high. They will go to almost any lengths to get them back from the boys who stole them and yet end up becoming a bigger part to the film as a whole. Even the well meaning yet clueless parents of Lucas (Lil Rel Howery and Retta) add to the laughs as a couple trying their best to protect their son even as their own lives are driven apart.
Good Boys may come across in previews as a crude comedy with loads of foul language and sexual situations. While at first glance that may be what it is, as you pull back the layers you soon begin to realize that it’s a story, not about the words that are said, but the innocence of youth and what it means to grow apart as friends. The laughs are non-stop and the language excusable because of the innocence of those on the screen who are spouting them. As parents maybe you’d be looking to wash their mouths out with soap, but as the audience you can’t help but think how innocent they truly are. Good Boys is a movie that will resonate with many in the audience, who likely went through some of these very same dilemmas in their own coming of age stories. Maybe not through paintball fights at a frat house, or crossing a busy freeway, but we each have our own unique stories that helped to mold us into who we are today. It’s funny how watching a film like this can make you reminisce on your own experiences, even if it isn’t on the big screen for all to see.
4 out of 5 stars
http://sknr.net/2019/08/14/good-boys/