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Erika (17788 KP) rated X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) in Movies

Jun 8, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)  
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Jessica Chastain (0 more)
Better than Last Stand
Last Stand didn't exactly set a high bar for the Dark Phoenix story line, and luckily, this film surpassed it. To be honest, the only reason they got my butt in a seat was for Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.
The story goes the way you expect it to go. I'm not completely convinced Sophie Turner is a good actress. I'm also glad that they killed Raven (not a spoiler, it's common knowledge), though it wasn't quick enough in my opinion.
I'm unsure as to why Jessica Chastain was cast (or why she's ever cast in ANYTHING); her 'villain' was completely useless. The movie didn't even need that subplot, they would have had a better movie without it and her. Pro-tip: don't introduce new characters in the last film of a saga because no one will care enough about them. Seriously, I felt like my time was wasted having to watch her.
I will say, this film FINALLY gave us good scenes with the X-Men kicking some ass, all using their unique powers. They really gave Nicholas Hoult something to do, and he was great!
Finally, the reason I was there, McFassy. This was one of McAvoy's best Professor X performances, he wasn't black or white, he was more gray and it really worked. They didn't give Magneto much to do, but I loved that they introduced Genosha. This will be below the 'see more' line, so, the best flexing his power scene was when he lifted the subway through the concrete, it was almost on par with the submarine being lifted out of the sea in First Class, and pulling up the Auschwitz gate in Apocalypse.
The last scene shows the entire new saga go first circle. Of course, it's very Dark Knight Rises, but it was perfect. I'm only rating it a 6 because of that.
  
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Decent acting (0 more)
Dull plot (3 more)
Contrived tropes
Extremely poor ending to the franchise
Villains aren't threatening in the slightest
Blame Game: The Movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
I've just come back from watching Dark Phoenix, and boy, was I let down! This certainly wasn't the way X-Men should end!

After the brilliant Days of Future Past and Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix falls very short of the mark in terms of plot, character development, and action.

The plot revolves around the X-Men going to space to rescue some astronauts, and Jean Grey getting caught in what we are led to believe is a solar flare, giving her unimaginable power. What follows is basically a gigantic blame game, where Jean blames Charles Xavier for hiding her past, Beast blaming Charles for Raven's death (due to Jean losing control, accidently killing Raven, who blames herself for it,) Magneto blaming Jean for the same thing, etc etc, all the while, Jean gets angry sometimes and destroys stuff.

Then some random aliens (the D'Bari) show up who want to use Jean for her powers, and these guys are supposed to be the villains of the film, however, they are the least threatening villains to come out in a long time, and there's no big finale to their demise at the end, they are literally disintegrated by Jean/Phoenix.

The biggest problem with Dark Phoenix is that there really isn't much in the way of story here, and it certainly doesn't add to the X-Men universe much at all. Even after Jean 'dies' no one grieves or mourns for her, we simply see Charles and Magneto playing chess, then the film ends.

The only positives I can really give are that the acting was decent enough, especially from James McAvoy, and there were a couple of good action scenes, but overall, this will end up being another highly forgettable film, and a very disappointing end to the X-Men franchise.
  
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Completely unnecessary and forgettable
I had little hope for this film. After the brilliance that was Days of Future Past, we were faced with the truly poor Apocalypse and I’m afraid to say that Dark Phoenix really follows in Apocalypse’s footsteps. Whilst it isn’t any worse, it isn’t any better either.

For starters, did we really need them to redo the Dark Phoenix storyline? Admittedly it has at least been done better than The Last Stand, but it’s still a very predictable and dull storyline. Even more so because we’ve seen it all before. And it isn’t helped by a terrible script and a very pointless villain that made the plot even worse. Writing Jessica Chastain’s character and that entire plot line out of the film would actually have made it slightly better. Only slightly mind.

I’m not convinced about Sophie Turner either. Like the film itself, she isn’t terrible but I don’t think she’s particularly good either. I liked the scenes with Jean showcasing her new powers, but it’s obvious that the majority of the CGI budget has gone on this and the rest of the scenes look a little poor in comparison. For me what this film is missing is the camaraderie of the X-Men being together and fighting together. Whilst this is featured in the final part (and by far one of the best scenes), it comes far too late. They’ve also relegated some of the more light hearted and funny characters like Quiksilver to bit parts, when this film is in dire need of some humour. And even Magneto is rather sidelined and the pairing of Fassbender and McAvoy was by far the best thing about these X-Men films. Yes we get a great scene with them towards the end which was marvellous, but it was too little too late.

Quite honestly I think they should’ve called it a day with the X-Men films and ended on a high with Days of Future Past. I just really hope they don’t make any more!
  
Sassing Saul (Coletti Warlords #10)
Sassing Saul (Coletti Warlords #10)
Gail Koger | 2019 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sassing Saul (Coletti Warlords #10) by Gail Koger
Sassing Saul is the tenth book in the Coletti Warlords series, and whilst I don't think it completely necessary to have read all of the previous books, it would probably help.

This book is a quick and easy read with plenty of action. Not all aliens are good guys, and Annie is involved in fighting the bad guys as much as she can. With her psychic powers, she is very good at what she does, and gets herself a reputation as the Grim Reaper. Unfortunately, this allows her husband to track her down and try to sell her. She makes her escape and finds her way to a different town, where she gets a new job. This has the knock-on effect of bring her to General Saul Jones' attention.

Now, this is where it lost me. Saul and Annie spend most of the book apart, and he does insist on treating her like a defenseless female, when he knows first-hand just how capable she is. There was no attraction between them either before or after the mind-wipe (which I didn't like at all.) A lot of new (to me) characters are introduced to Annie in quick succession and she immediately has an amazing bond with all of them. This was okay, but it all happened so quickly I was unable to fully 'get to know' these new females before the action kicked off again. This is where reading the previous books would help!

All in all, it was a good read that kept my attention throughout. I have no hesitation in recommending it, but I would also go to the next step and say to start from the very beginning of the series, as I think this will only help with your enjoyment.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Kyera (8 KP) rated King's Cage in Books

Jan 31, 2018  
King's Cage
King's Cage
Victoria Aveyard | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.4 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
King’s Cage is the third book in the Red Queen series, but not the final book in the installment. I highly suggest that you read the first two books before this one, otherwise you will be incredibly confused. The overall premise of the series is very intriguing and draws you in. Unfortunately, it is a little slow at times and can be difficult to get through. Glass Sword, in particular, took a while to get its stride and I kept putting it down. As a result of the cliffhanger at the end of Glass Sword, King’s Cage is able to start more quickly.

Originally, I didn’t have very strong feelings about any of the characters in the series. They were from various worlds, had different personalities, but I just didn’t truly connect with any of them. King’s Cage made a few of the characters slightly more likable to me, but it still wasn’t enough. Whether it was an important character or a side character, I wasn’t emotionally involved enough to deeply care if something happened to them. It was a simple, oh that’s sad or unfortunate, but it didn’t tear my heart out like some writing does.

Mare’s world is turned upside down and overall the plot of this novel is more engaging than Glass Sword. The fights were described very well and I felt like I was there watching them. I still wish that there was more world building in these novels. There are such varied lands, ruled by unique leaders that I wish we knew more about them.

Overall, I enjoy this series and would recommend giving it a shot. It’s difficult to categorize between fantasy and a form of dystopian. The series is not high fantasy so the world isn’t too difficult to dive into. I’d recommend to young adult/teen fans of fantasy books or books where the characters have powers.
  
Blood Bowl (Third Edition)
Blood Bowl (Third Edition)
1994 | Fantasy, Fighting, Miniatures, Sports, Wargame
Variable player powers (each player has different strengths and weaknesses) (3 more)
Good Basic Strategy in blocking, making tackles, and passing the ball from player to player
Your players evolve from match to match, they get better and they can also get hurt.
Miniatures (can be painted any colors you like)
Luck based rolls with some mitigation (1 more)
I hope your good at prioritizing what you need to do on a turn.
Just a damn good time. Fantasy Football with Orcs, Dwarfs, Lizards, Giant Rats, and much much more
This is a game about patience and if you can handle bad luck. ther is fun in losing, and fun in bad rolls if you understand it upfront... this is not the kind of game you play to win, but you play to have fun, and some of the fun is in watching you opponent fail miserably, and then you on the very next turn do the same thing. or you pull off a miracle. Both happen all the time. This is a head to head game, so play with people you like and have a good sense of humor. And it helps to have a beer to cry into when the first roll of your turn goes very wrongly. It will... I promise, but it'll happen to the other guy too. I've had this game since I was a kid and I've played in Leagues, it has a cult following. hence all the miniatures and video game versions out there. there are also website where you can play for free if you go looking for them. This game was very much ahead of its time, and still holds up. The sheer amount of customization in this game is amazing, and people are always doing amazing tings to dress it up and bling it out. just google "blood bowl miniatures painted" and see some amazing paint jobs.
  
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Beetle Rider (341 KP) Mar 29, 2018

Great game!

[b:Waking the Witch|6725785|Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, #11)|Kelley Armstrong|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1265310260s/6725785.jpg|6921947] and [b:Spell Bound|7797032|Spell Bound (Women of the Otherworld, #12)|Kelley Armstrong|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1292864599s/7797032.jpg|10767072] should truly be read back to back. In fact, they should be read with [b:13|10863148|13 (Women of the Otherworld, #13)|Kelley Armstrong|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328820694s/10863148.jpg|15778276] on hand, almost as a trilogy within the series.

At the end of <i>Waking the Witch</i>, Savannah silently thought that if it would reunite an orphan with her grandmother, Savannah would gladly give up her powers. Something heard her and took her up on that unintended deal, and she finds herself powerless for the first time in her life.

Savannah has always been so very powerful that she has counted on her spells more than most witches or sorcerors do, so she finds living without them to be very difficult &mdash; especially since a witch hunter and others are after her. There's a Supernatural Liberation Movement that wants to use her as one of its figureheads, with or without her cooperation, in their quest to bring supernaturals out of the closet and into the spotlight. She has to do some serious soul-searching and growth in the process of avoiding enemies and getting creative about staying alive.

The plot moves extremely quickly, so much so that I couldn't keep track of what day it was in the book. In fact, it moves right into the plot of [b:13|10863148|13 (Women of the Otherworld, #13)|Kelley Armstrong|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328820694s/10863148.jpg|15778276]. I'm having fits because I don't have it on hand, and I just can't wait for the library to get around to me on the hold list &mdash; I might have to break down and buy it instead.
  
The Boy at the Keyhole
The Boy at the Keyhole
Stephen Giles | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Powers of persuasion in this thriller of a read. A fast paced page turner that kept you guessing and trying to figure out what exactly happened to Samuel's mom and who is Ruth truly. Your hurt tugged for poor Samuel, a 9 year old orphan in a way because his dad passed away and then in the middle of the night his mom disappears without saying goodbye. Ruth, the housekeeper says Samuel's mom left to go to America to help fix the financial situation the family is under, however throughout the book skepticism in the mind of some of the characters and you the reader make this an irresistible read as you try and figure out what happened exactly.
Samuels' heart is aching for his mother's return and in general just wants love and kindness from someone. Ruth takes him in as a caregiver when Samuel's mom leaves and his Uncle Felix and grandfather don't seem to care what happens to the boy …. or that is what we are told!!! Is this really true or is it a lie to keep the boy under the eyes and watch of Ruth. Ruth doesn't like Samuel to stray too far and keeps him close. What are Ruth's true intentions? Others are coming up with their own theories and telling Samuel their thoughts and stories, so Samuel's mind is manipulated and conjuring thoughts and ideas because of persuasion. But can you blame him, he is only a 9 year old boy. What is everyone telling him, is Ruth manipulative, how will this story unfold, will answers be given and what will become of Samuel?
I gave this book a 3 because I loved it, kept my attention, but I kept waiting for a climax, waiting for answers that never came and the ending just confused me and fell flat. Definitely a great read if you like thrillers and mysteries that keep you guessing and have manipulation in the mix, however will you be as confused and disappointed at the end as I was?
  
Siren&#039;s Fury
Siren's Fury
Mary Weber | 2017 | Children
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
**Please note that this is the second book in The Storm Siren Series. While I always strive to keep my reviews spoiler-FREE, if you have not read the first book, you MAY encounter unknown information in this review**

Mary Weber's unique world is completely incredible. Rich with colorful descriptions and details, I feel like this is a real place I would read about in my history books. Granted...the magical elements kind of give it away as being fiction.

One thing that I have come to appreciate in Young Adult Fiction is the use of symbolism. Reminds me a lot of Ted Dekker's circle trilogy. The evil and darkness vs. The good and pure. The struggle that can occur when we open ourselves to the darkness...And the power that it can have over us IF WE LET IT! Ahh! SO GOOD!!!! And this story just keeps getting more and more intense. This book has a much more steam punk feel to it vs the first book. Different country, different culture, different feel. I LOVE IT!

I do enjoy a book series that continues the story line because it gives the author a chance to develop the characters and thicken the plot. And also makes me glad that I usually wait till these books are all released before I dive into them...So I can, you know...BINGE READ!!!

As Nym continues on her journey of harnessing her powers and stopping a war before it starts...We meet a few new characters and a few old ones tag along. Forget everything you think you know.......And be prepared to be enchanted by this tale of good vs. evil. Make sure you have book 3 ready to go before you start this one...TRUST ME...You are going to want to keep reading.

I found Siren's Fury at my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
Investigated (Daywalker Academy #1)
Investigated (Daywalker Academy #1)
Maya Daniels | 2019 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay, so if you follow my reviews you will know I am an avid Maya Daniels stalker... ahem, I mean fan! She hasn't written a bad book yet in my opinion, and she remains the Queen of Sass. She's covered many different themes with her books, and then there is this one...

Franky is a hybrid, half vampire-half fae. The life expectancy of hybrids isn't very long, but Franky works for The Agency so hers is a little more 'fraught'. The trouble is, Franky's powers are on the fritz and she has no idea what's going on. She is saved by a stranger and ends up going to the one place in the world where she faces danger like no other.

OH. MY. GOD!!!!! I loved this book so much. I'm also begging for a Zoltan!!! I want one of my own. I'm not even joking. There is drama, kick-ass action, snark by the bucket-load, and plenty of attraction. To put it simply, I NEED ALL THE BOOKS NOW!!! Yes, I know I'm being greedy, but there is a reason for this. Ms. Daniels is also a pain in the ass 😉 with her cliffhanger endings. So I know that even if I get book two tomorrow, I will still be in the same position as I am now.

Investigated is the first book in the Daywalker Academy series, and I really can't recommend it highly enough. We are talking high class, quality writing and editing with nary an error to disrupt me! I read this book in one sitting. I simply couldn't put it down. Who needs food anyway? (Answer - my girls apparently!)

So there you go. If you are looking for an adult paranormal romance, with a Maya Daniels quirk, sass galore, and steaming attraction that is off the charts, then look no further.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!