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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Splatoon in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Nintendo continues their recent impressive run of exclusive titles with the quirky and addictive Splatoon which combines the color and fun of Paintball with a customizable shooter.
Playing either solo or multiplay, players compete in various arenas to battle it out for control of key locales and to score more points that the other team. That sounds simple enough, but when you factor in the ability to turn into a squid to hide yourself in one of the many paint puddles you can create or to scale a wall, then you have something entirely new.
Splatoon also offers a campaign mode where players go through a training course as well as get to enjoy leaping from one launch point to another to battle enemy forces. Clever trimming can be required as there is not an infinite supply of paint, so gamers will have to reload which is key when you’re laying down your colors in an effort to control and area.
I especially liked the paint bombs you could throw at an enemy as the colorful nature of the game is really one of the most unique action shooter elements in recent memory.
The multiplay matching was fast and in no time I found myself on a team battling it out. The motion control aspects did take some getting used to as tilting the control up, down, left, and right to aim while using the control sticks to move did take some adjustment and this is not a game you want to play standing for long periods of time, as the action is fast.
The social area of the game allows players to customize their characters with new clothes and weapons so players have an incentive to do well in their games for more than simple bragging rights.
While the graphics will not set new standards, they are in keeping with what players expect from Nintendo and the action and fun of the game makes Splatoon a must own for Wii U owners and one that any shooter fan, especially those with younger gamers will want to experience.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/21/splatoon/
Playing either solo or multiplay, players compete in various arenas to battle it out for control of key locales and to score more points that the other team. That sounds simple enough, but when you factor in the ability to turn into a squid to hide yourself in one of the many paint puddles you can create or to scale a wall, then you have something entirely new.
Splatoon also offers a campaign mode where players go through a training course as well as get to enjoy leaping from one launch point to another to battle enemy forces. Clever trimming can be required as there is not an infinite supply of paint, so gamers will have to reload which is key when you’re laying down your colors in an effort to control and area.
I especially liked the paint bombs you could throw at an enemy as the colorful nature of the game is really one of the most unique action shooter elements in recent memory.
The multiplay matching was fast and in no time I found myself on a team battling it out. The motion control aspects did take some getting used to as tilting the control up, down, left, and right to aim while using the control sticks to move did take some adjustment and this is not a game you want to play standing for long periods of time, as the action is fast.
The social area of the game allows players to customize their characters with new clothes and weapons so players have an incentive to do well in their games for more than simple bragging rights.
While the graphics will not set new standards, they are in keeping with what players expect from Nintendo and the action and fun of the game makes Splatoon a must own for Wii U owners and one that any shooter fan, especially those with younger gamers will want to experience.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/21/splatoon/
Sophie Wink (11 KP) rated Eleanor & Park in Books
Jun 20, 2019
"Heartwarming, romantic and great fun." - Closer
I very much agree with this statement. The storyline is very heartwarming and credible, I believed every word. It is a really great, quirky story of which is incredibly easy to fall in love with.
I really like the way in which the themes are introduced, it's obvious yet subtle at the same time. The more serious of the themes like abuse and poverty are handled beautifully and delicately, the concept of family is important to the novel itself of which I really admire and like and the relationships between the family members are a part of what makes the novel so warm. The slow but blooming relationship between Eleanor and Park is lovely, it made me smile, feel happy and content. The novel itself is definitely relatable due to secondary school being a big part of the novel as well as the love story between the two teens.
The characters Eleanor and Park are definitely likable and admirable due to their love and how they develop throughout the novel. I think that the fact that Eleanor is so defensive and loyal to her family is kind of heartbreaking considering her situation and I really sympathised for her and was angry for her too. I really liked how Park was the key to open Eleanor up to make her feel like a normal human being again, the thing about Park that fascinated me the most was that he was convinced she was being different on purpose, it made me realise that too much time is spent on trying to be different and trying to be unique when all that really matters is that you are yourself and stay true to that - a very clear message of the story as a whole. I found all characters credible and I really sympathised with them.
I loved the book overall however I did find that it lacked a hook in the beginning, therefore, it was quite a slow start although once you got further into the book that is when the story unraveled a little more and encouraged my further reading and enjoyment.
Overall, a brilliant novel of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I very much agree with this statement. The storyline is very heartwarming and credible, I believed every word. It is a really great, quirky story of which is incredibly easy to fall in love with.
I really like the way in which the themes are introduced, it's obvious yet subtle at the same time. The more serious of the themes like abuse and poverty are handled beautifully and delicately, the concept of family is important to the novel itself of which I really admire and like and the relationships between the family members are a part of what makes the novel so warm. The slow but blooming relationship between Eleanor and Park is lovely, it made me smile, feel happy and content. The novel itself is definitely relatable due to secondary school being a big part of the novel as well as the love story between the two teens.
The characters Eleanor and Park are definitely likable and admirable due to their love and how they develop throughout the novel. I think that the fact that Eleanor is so defensive and loyal to her family is kind of heartbreaking considering her situation and I really sympathised for her and was angry for her too. I really liked how Park was the key to open Eleanor up to make her feel like a normal human being again, the thing about Park that fascinated me the most was that he was convinced she was being different on purpose, it made me realise that too much time is spent on trying to be different and trying to be unique when all that really matters is that you are yourself and stay true to that - a very clear message of the story as a whole. I found all characters credible and I really sympathised with them.
I loved the book overall however I did find that it lacked a hook in the beginning, therefore, it was quite a slow start although once you got further into the book that is when the story unraveled a little more and encouraged my further reading and enjoyment.
Overall, a brilliant novel of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Sisters Brothers (2018) in Movies
Jan 7, 2019 (Updated Jan 7, 2019)
Cast all give brilliant performances (1 more)
Quirky filming techniques
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
I was dying to see this movie as soon as I saw the first trailer for it, but even though it dropped in the states months ago, it's not coming to UK cinemas until April 2019! However, if you mess around with the location settings on your on-demand website of choice, it is possible to legally watch this movie in Britain without having to wait another 4 months for it to release.
We seem to be at a point cinematically where traditional westerns that follow a gunslinger duelling his way across the west have all been done to death. Instead, it seems like modern westerns have to take a different, more unorthodox approach to the stories that they decide to tell. Take The Hateful Eight for example, as much as I loved that film, it was closer to the Clue movie than it was any of Sergio Leonne's Spaghetti Westerns. Or there is the very recent Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which I personally enjoyed, but even within that movie, the tone and feel varied wildly throughout and none of it was what I would call a traditional western.
The Sisters Brothers follows this trajectory of oddity. It follows the titular brothers (played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Pheonix,) who are essentially hitmen working for a Commodore (played by Rutger Hauer,) who have been sent to kill a chemist/gold prospector (played by Riz Ahmed,) with the help of a scout also working for the commodore, (played by Jake Gyllenhall.)
This movie is strange. It was directed by Jacques Audiard and there is a strange tone to the whole thing which feels distinctly French. There are an abundance of odd yet aesthetically pleasing shots that contribute to the film's odd tone and there are some comedic elements thrown in also. The whole thing is a mixing pot of different elements, yet it all strangely works.
Overall, I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers even if it was unconventional and not exactly the movie that I had expected going in and the performances all around are sublime.
We seem to be at a point cinematically where traditional westerns that follow a gunslinger duelling his way across the west have all been done to death. Instead, it seems like modern westerns have to take a different, more unorthodox approach to the stories that they decide to tell. Take The Hateful Eight for example, as much as I loved that film, it was closer to the Clue movie than it was any of Sergio Leonne's Spaghetti Westerns. Or there is the very recent Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which I personally enjoyed, but even within that movie, the tone and feel varied wildly throughout and none of it was what I would call a traditional western.
The Sisters Brothers follows this trajectory of oddity. It follows the titular brothers (played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Pheonix,) who are essentially hitmen working for a Commodore (played by Rutger Hauer,) who have been sent to kill a chemist/gold prospector (played by Riz Ahmed,) with the help of a scout also working for the commodore, (played by Jake Gyllenhall.)
This movie is strange. It was directed by Jacques Audiard and there is a strange tone to the whole thing which feels distinctly French. There are an abundance of odd yet aesthetically pleasing shots that contribute to the film's odd tone and there are some comedic elements thrown in also. The whole thing is a mixing pot of different elements, yet it all strangely works.
Overall, I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers even if it was unconventional and not exactly the movie that I had expected going in and the performances all around are sublime.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of reading, but the books haven’t been grabbing and holding my attention, and always left me wanting more. Then I saw a BookTuber that was raving about how excited she was to read The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza. She showed her ARC and talked all about the premise of the book and I know immediately that I had to read it. I had never read anything by Shaun David Hutchinson before, but now I definitely know I need to read more of his work.
Hutchinson doesn’t take long to get into the action of the book and the pace doesn’t slow down until it’s over. In the beginning, we met Elena and she explains all about how she was born of a virgin birth. She works at Starbucks and on the day, she is going to finally talk to her crush Freddie everything goes downhill. See, Freddie gets shot by David Combs and Elena heals Freddie and saves her life. At the same time a beam of light comes down from the sky and David Combs disappears. Coincidence? I’ll never tell… You need to read the book to find out.
The characters were phenomenal and relatable. I don’t have anything directly in common with any of the characters, but I loved them so much. They were quirky, genuine, and loveable. The character development throughout the book helped to move the story along and unravel all the pieces. Each of the characters were critical to the story in their own way. They didn’t always seem like they were playing a roll, but it was mandatory for each of them to be there. Each character also learned a lesson which is amazing to see in YA fiction, as I feel it’s something that seems to be lacking lately.
Shaun David Hutchinson is an absolutely amazing writer and the way he weaves a story with the written word makes your want to curl up in his books and become one of his characters. His writing style is delightful, thought provoking, and engaging. I can’t wait to read more of his books and look forward to seeing what the future holds for such a talented individual.
Hutchinson doesn’t take long to get into the action of the book and the pace doesn’t slow down until it’s over. In the beginning, we met Elena and she explains all about how she was born of a virgin birth. She works at Starbucks and on the day, she is going to finally talk to her crush Freddie everything goes downhill. See, Freddie gets shot by David Combs and Elena heals Freddie and saves her life. At the same time a beam of light comes down from the sky and David Combs disappears. Coincidence? I’ll never tell… You need to read the book to find out.
The characters were phenomenal and relatable. I don’t have anything directly in common with any of the characters, but I loved them so much. They were quirky, genuine, and loveable. The character development throughout the book helped to move the story along and unravel all the pieces. Each of the characters were critical to the story in their own way. They didn’t always seem like they were playing a roll, but it was mandatory for each of them to be there. Each character also learned a lesson which is amazing to see in YA fiction, as I feel it’s something that seems to be lacking lately.
Shaun David Hutchinson is an absolutely amazing writer and the way he weaves a story with the written word makes your want to curl up in his books and become one of his characters. His writing style is delightful, thought provoking, and engaging. I can’t wait to read more of his books and look forward to seeing what the future holds for such a talented individual.
Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated Run With It (MacAteer Brothers, #1) in Books
Feb 2, 2020
much better read for me from this author!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This NEW series from Nystrom is a spin off from the Dragon Runners series. You don't need to have read THOSE books for this one to make sense, indeed, I've only read book one and half of book 2. I didn't much care for those books, and I have no idea why.
This one, however, is a whole nother story!
I really REALLY enjoyed this! I was surprised I enjoyed it so much, since I didn't care for the Dragon Runners, and I cannot tell you why, either!
Bev has her say in the first person, and Connor in the third. Different, but quirky and I liked it! Wasn't sure Connor would get a voice, but he does.
The chemistry builds for these two, right from the start, but its way WAY late in the book that they finally get any time together, what with Connor's work, and Bev's kids and dealing with a shitty ex and his new partner. I liked that it took time for them to come together. They do bandy about the L word early, to themselves at least and I didn't like that very much but it didn't spoil my reading.
Connor's builder family are in one of the Dragon Runners books, as they rebuild the Clubhouse/Bar (I forget which, and I didn't read Connor's sister's book, Stud, book 2) There is quite a lot of hints to the tension between Connor and some of his siblings, but the ones who turn up here are close to Connor. Bev's family are almost non-existent!
I had to laugh at Bev's friend, signing her up for a dating app, cos been there, done that and got the bloody t-shirt! I felt for Bev, on those dates, I really did!
I really cannot tell you why the Dragon Runners didn't work for me, and this one did, but I really don't care. I hope I can read the future books about these brothers, I have a feeling they will be fun to read about.
4 very VERY good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This NEW series from Nystrom is a spin off from the Dragon Runners series. You don't need to have read THOSE books for this one to make sense, indeed, I've only read book one and half of book 2. I didn't much care for those books, and I have no idea why.
This one, however, is a whole nother story!
I really REALLY enjoyed this! I was surprised I enjoyed it so much, since I didn't care for the Dragon Runners, and I cannot tell you why, either!
Bev has her say in the first person, and Connor in the third. Different, but quirky and I liked it! Wasn't sure Connor would get a voice, but he does.
The chemistry builds for these two, right from the start, but its way WAY late in the book that they finally get any time together, what with Connor's work, and Bev's kids and dealing with a shitty ex and his new partner. I liked that it took time for them to come together. They do bandy about the L word early, to themselves at least and I didn't like that very much but it didn't spoil my reading.
Connor's builder family are in one of the Dragon Runners books, as they rebuild the Clubhouse/Bar (I forget which, and I didn't read Connor's sister's book, Stud, book 2) There is quite a lot of hints to the tension between Connor and some of his siblings, but the ones who turn up here are close to Connor. Bev's family are almost non-existent!
I had to laugh at Bev's friend, signing her up for a dating app, cos been there, done that and got the bloody t-shirt! I felt for Bev, on those dates, I really did!
I really cannot tell you why the Dragon Runners didn't work for me, and this one did, but I really don't care. I hope I can read the future books about these brothers, I have a feeling they will be fun to read about.
4 very VERY good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)
A funny angle
Gentleman is Guy Richie's attempt to bring the british gangster movies from the past back into the modern time and while it may just be an updated version of Snatch its a bloody enjoyable update. It seems like years ago now since I grew out of the 'British Gangster' film phase of my life and while I actaully find Snatch to be over rated myself instead much preferring Guy Richie's other work I can still understand why it has such a big following. Gentleman follows the same formula either deliberately or coincidentally and while this does feel repetative/outdated I couldnt help but be pulled in and deliciously entertained by it. Playing out a bit like reading a comic book Gentleman is satisfyingly violent, full of cusing/crudness and full of mostly satisfying twists and turns. At first I hated it but after the first 20 minutes I just let go and finally started getting back in to this sort of style. Full to the brim with exposition dialog but its handled in a refreshing new way which made hearing it less eye rolling and instead kept it constantly entertaining. Essentially one big power struggle between an assortment of characters non of which are actually very nice people but the ones Hugh Grant and Charlie hunnam play are extremely likeable. Watching these two interact on screen is the absolute bread and butter and they both play interesting characters both with very unique individual traits and characteristics. Colin Farrell is also superb and memorable too and the film has a wicked sense of humor that kept me laughing the whole way through. If you are easily offended its safe to say this is not the film for you as its not only full of extreame cursing but constant racism and violence too. By no means a perfect film or a gangster masterpiece Gentleman is still and absolute blast to watch and has enough twists/turns, quirky characters, witty dialog, fresh ideas, tension, violence/mucking about to entertain and offend pretty much anyone. Highly enjoyable.
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