Search

Search only in certain items:

The Courtship of Princess Leia (Star Wars)
The Courtship of Princess Leia (Star Wars)
Dave Wolverton | 1995 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
4
3.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
One of the earliest Star Wars EU books, this is also (IMO) one of the weakest of the early entries. I found neither Han nor Leia to be particularly like I remember them for the movies, and that's only the beginning of the problems wit the stories. For instance:

Han wins a planet (a freakin' planet!) I a card game??
The Hapes Consortium have a weapon called 'the gun of command' that robs someone of free will?
The Emperor - the man who oversaw the near-extinction of the Jedi - was afraid of a group of 'Force Witches' on a third-rate planet?
Rancors are (semi)intelligent?

If this had been the first Star Wars EU book instead of Zahn's <I>Heir to the Empire</I> series, I doubt the EU franchise as a whole would be as popular as it is.
  
40x40

Sam (228 KP) rated Spirited Away (2001) in Movies

Aug 15, 2019 (Updated Aug 17, 2019)  
Spirited Away (2001)
Spirited Away (2001)
2001 | Animation, Fantasy
9
8.4 (62 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Beautiful Imagery (2 more)
Fascinating Side Characters
Well Developed Plot
Annoying Main Character (0 more)
An Original Everyone Needs to See
I will forever hold to the simple gorgeousness of Studio Ghibli films. This one is no exception. Probably one of their most well known films I believe everyone needs to see this film at least once. Although I will admit that this is one of my least favorite main characters. The story follows a young girl as she navigates the world of the spirits, crying throughout the majority of the film as she involves herself in business she doesn't understand, causing problems at every turn. The characters that surround her are gorgeously portrayed however and well developed considering just how many characters populate this film. Why they all seem to love the main character however is a question I cannot answer.
  
40x40

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Killing (1956) in Movies

Jul 28, 2019 (Updated Jul 28, 2019)  
The Killing (1956)
The Killing (1956)
1956 | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
It's easy to look at Kubrick's first major film with the benefit of hindsight and declare it a work of genius - well, it's certainly a very good, extremely effective thriller. Professional crook puts together a team to steal $2 million from a racetrack, but has to contend with loose lips amongst his men and various other unexpected problems. Always read the luggage regulations when booking your flight, folks...

Clearly a hugely influential film - you can tell it's a major donor amongst the many movies contributing elements to Reservoir Dogs, along with lots of others. The acting is effective and the storytelling completely involving, even if you can't help suspecting that a more mature Kubrick would have employed a slightly lighter touch with some elements of the narrative. An excellent genre movie, whatever else you think about it.