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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Red Eye (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
For some people, being on an airplane is one of the most terrifying and traumatic experiences they will have to endure. For Lisa Reisert, (Rachel Mc Adams), her trauma is about to extend far beyond her dislike of flying.
Rachel works at a fancy Miami hotel where here main focus is taking care of all manner of high end clients such as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Lisa is forced to take the Red-Eye flight from Dallas to Miami to return to work on time following the funeral of her Grandmother, and as it tends to go with travels, there are all manner of delays that keep her from departing at the scheduled time.
It is during one such delay that Rachel meets the charismatic Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy), and as fate has it, they end up sitting next to one another after spending some time in a restaurant bar waiting for their flight to board.
As their plane ascends into the dark and stormy weather, a change occurs in Jackson, and he reveals that he is on the plane to ensure that Lisa follows his instructions, as failure to do so will result in the death of her beloved father.
Jackson reveals to Lisa that he works for interests who want to send a message so as the person in charge at the hotel, and then she must reassign the visiting Secretary of Homeland Security and his family to a room other than his usual one.
Trapped at 30,000 FT, with a psychotic Killer, Lisa must face her fears and find a way to outwit the killer in order to save her father the Secretary and perhaps herself from a situation borne of insanity and desperation.
Director Wes Craven is best known as the man behind the “Scream” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” series as well as countless other horror and suspense films has crafted a mix bag with “Red-Eye”, as the first half of the film is hampered by the uninspired final segments of the film.
What starts out as an interesting premise with many opportunities for suspense and tension are lost as the film unwinds. Early to middle segments of the film do have moments of suspense and some great exchanges between the two leads which makes the saggy and uninspired finale all the more disappointing.
Mc. Adams and Murphy are very good in their parts as is Jayma Mays in a supporting role as all three are talents to keep an eye on for the future.
That being said, the early moments of the film do deliver the goods and if you can get around the by the numbers finale, then you might find yourself enjoying the film.
Rachel works at a fancy Miami hotel where here main focus is taking care of all manner of high end clients such as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Lisa is forced to take the Red-Eye flight from Dallas to Miami to return to work on time following the funeral of her Grandmother, and as it tends to go with travels, there are all manner of delays that keep her from departing at the scheduled time.
It is during one such delay that Rachel meets the charismatic Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy), and as fate has it, they end up sitting next to one another after spending some time in a restaurant bar waiting for their flight to board.
As their plane ascends into the dark and stormy weather, a change occurs in Jackson, and he reveals that he is on the plane to ensure that Lisa follows his instructions, as failure to do so will result in the death of her beloved father.
Jackson reveals to Lisa that he works for interests who want to send a message so as the person in charge at the hotel, and then she must reassign the visiting Secretary of Homeland Security and his family to a room other than his usual one.
Trapped at 30,000 FT, with a psychotic Killer, Lisa must face her fears and find a way to outwit the killer in order to save her father the Secretary and perhaps herself from a situation borne of insanity and desperation.
Director Wes Craven is best known as the man behind the “Scream” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” series as well as countless other horror and suspense films has crafted a mix bag with “Red-Eye”, as the first half of the film is hampered by the uninspired final segments of the film.
What starts out as an interesting premise with many opportunities for suspense and tension are lost as the film unwinds. Early to middle segments of the film do have moments of suspense and some great exchanges between the two leads which makes the saggy and uninspired finale all the more disappointing.
Mc. Adams and Murphy are very good in their parts as is Jayma Mays in a supporting role as all three are talents to keep an eye on for the future.
That being said, the early moments of the film do deliver the goods and if you can get around the by the numbers finale, then you might find yourself enjoying the film.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Nightworld (2017) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
Characters – Brett Anderson is a grief stricken for police officer, he retired from the force after his wife’s death, he takes a job as a security guard in an apartment in Bulgaria which leads him to get caught up in a mystery about the apartment which brings him past back to haunt him. Jacob is a former guard that lost his eye sight, he knows the mystery about the apartment and helps guide Brett through the strange events. Martin is the apartment manager and needs to find a new guard to watch over any problems in the apartment when he is away. Zara is the waitress at the local café that offer a romantic angle for Brett, while filling in the blanks about the history of the apartment.
Performances – Jason London is solid enough in the leading role, most of what he does is ask questions which is how the audience must learn what is going on. Robert Englund as the elderly figure that is trying to help works well because he is the biggest draw for the film. Gianna Capaldi and Lorina Kamburova are both fine they never get out of first gear for their performances though.
Story – The story here follows a man that needs to rebuild his life, get given a job as a security guard for an apartment building that has secrets he can’t even imagine. The pace of the story is slow, because we have a lot of building up with little to no hints to what the big conclusion will be, the final third of the film lets everything go, making the early parts of the story more interesting, the time loss angle does feel tagged in for no reason and by the end you still won’t completely understand what just happened. The reveals in the film are big, though they could be considered overkill for what could have be a much more subtle story.
Horror – The horror comes from the nightmares Brett suffers before the big reveal in the final act which shows us just what has been going on.
Settings – The whole film is set in one building, it shows how the layers can hold secrets and the mystery about the building is key t the story being told.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are used well when needed, we don’t go over the top with them and the best one are used for the final act.
Scene of the Movie – Behind the door.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Starts too slow for the ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a slow burning horror thriller, it does reward us with a manic ending which is worth the wait for, only it does take too long to get there with little hints to help us understand the ending.
Overall: Slow though rewarding.
Performances – Jason London is solid enough in the leading role, most of what he does is ask questions which is how the audience must learn what is going on. Robert Englund as the elderly figure that is trying to help works well because he is the biggest draw for the film. Gianna Capaldi and Lorina Kamburova are both fine they never get out of first gear for their performances though.
Story – The story here follows a man that needs to rebuild his life, get given a job as a security guard for an apartment building that has secrets he can’t even imagine. The pace of the story is slow, because we have a lot of building up with little to no hints to what the big conclusion will be, the final third of the film lets everything go, making the early parts of the story more interesting, the time loss angle does feel tagged in for no reason and by the end you still won’t completely understand what just happened. The reveals in the film are big, though they could be considered overkill for what could have be a much more subtle story.
Horror – The horror comes from the nightmares Brett suffers before the big reveal in the final act which shows us just what has been going on.
Settings – The whole film is set in one building, it shows how the layers can hold secrets and the mystery about the building is key t the story being told.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are used well when needed, we don’t go over the top with them and the best one are used for the final act.
Scene of the Movie – Behind the door.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Starts too slow for the ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a slow burning horror thriller, it does reward us with a manic ending which is worth the wait for, only it does take too long to get there with little hints to help us understand the ending.
Overall: Slow though rewarding.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated The Bletchley Circle - Season 2 in TV
Feb 8, 2019
This continues on from the first series of The Bletchley Circle, following for friends and former colleagues after WWII.
This series is split in two. In the first part, one of their fellow former colleagues is accused of murder. Can these ladies unravel the truth and prove her innocence? In the second part, as the ladies caused a few headaches for the military in uncovering their secrets and shady ways they find they have lost their security clearances so some of the women are no longer able to carry on with their jobs such as translation work. So they have to give other avenues to make money and it winds one of them up in a very sticky situation.
As before, I really warmed to the characters and was genuinely sad when one moved on to another life. I grew to love these women; I felt they were almost my friends and I actually cared for them and their outcomes.
You could feel the suspense of them closing in on the truth but realising time was running out. It really kept me gripped until the end.
I do love how they made being intelligent cool by being steps ahead of the police but also in forming such bonds with one another.
We could learn a thing or two from these ladies and their bravery.
This series is split in two. In the first part, one of their fellow former colleagues is accused of murder. Can these ladies unravel the truth and prove her innocence? In the second part, as the ladies caused a few headaches for the military in uncovering their secrets and shady ways they find they have lost their security clearances so some of the women are no longer able to carry on with their jobs such as translation work. So they have to give other avenues to make money and it winds one of them up in a very sticky situation.
As before, I really warmed to the characters and was genuinely sad when one moved on to another life. I grew to love these women; I felt they were almost my friends and I actually cared for them and their outcomes.
You could feel the suspense of them closing in on the truth but realising time was running out. It really kept me gripped until the end.
I do love how they made being intelligent cool by being steps ahead of the police but also in forming such bonds with one another.
We could learn a thing or two from these ladies and their bravery.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Triggered Response in Books
Mar 15, 2019
An explosion in a secret defense lab changes the lives of three men forever...
His brain was on fire, and he fought going back to the raging inferno of his private hell. Despite the power he now possessed, he couldnt even remember his name. According to the news, he was Brayden Sloane, former security expert at Cranesbrook Labs, now wanted for murder and kidnapping. He couldnt remember that, nor the woman who claimed to be his wife. Claire Fanshaw needed Bray to find her friend who'd disappeared following the explosion. Until Bray regained his memory, she'd stick to him like glue. But what would he do when he realized the woman in his bed was a stranger? And what would she do if the cops were right about Bray?
This story is excellent with mystery, twists and turns, and romance with a little what if fantasy thrown in. Even if you have not read the previous two novels you can read this one as enough information is filtered back through the story so you won't feel lost.
The author has done a great job for the final book in the series. Well constructed plot and wonderful developed characters
Three authors made it work and leaves you wanting more. Very hard to put down.
I received this ARC from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.
His brain was on fire, and he fought going back to the raging inferno of his private hell. Despite the power he now possessed, he couldnt even remember his name. According to the news, he was Brayden Sloane, former security expert at Cranesbrook Labs, now wanted for murder and kidnapping. He couldnt remember that, nor the woman who claimed to be his wife. Claire Fanshaw needed Bray to find her friend who'd disappeared following the explosion. Until Bray regained his memory, she'd stick to him like glue. But what would he do when he realized the woman in his bed was a stranger? And what would she do if the cops were right about Bray?
This story is excellent with mystery, twists and turns, and romance with a little what if fantasy thrown in. Even if you have not read the previous two novels you can read this one as enough information is filtered back through the story so you won't feel lost.
The author has done a great job for the final book in the series. Well constructed plot and wonderful developed characters
Three authors made it work and leaves you wanting more. Very hard to put down.
I received this ARC from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Quantum of Solace (2008) in Movies
Mar 1, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Twenty-second Bond film was initially greeted like an outbreak of flatulence in a crowded train, but with the benefit of a few years it has become clear it's not quite as bad as all that. The first proper sequel in Bond history sees the commander in pursuit of the mysterious Quantum syndicate, a hunt that takes him to the Caribbean, Europe, and South America.
Still a very untypical Bond film, with an austere, bleak mood; likely to feature prominently in pub quizzes as the answer to the questions 'which is the shortest Bond movie?' and 'in which film do Bond and the Bond girl not actually do it?' You can see the influence of the Bourne series in the attempt to turn Bond into a more edgy, self-doubting figure, and the general distrust of security agencies as a whole; but these things are not really the stuff of a good Bond film, and nor is a plot revolving around a plan to topple the government of a country most viewers would struggle to find on a map.
Competently-staged fights and chases, particularly the final set-piece, but most of the jokes fall flat and, well, it's just not really fun enough to really work as a piece of Bond. Commendable attempt though, and not actively painful to watch.
Still a very untypical Bond film, with an austere, bleak mood; likely to feature prominently in pub quizzes as the answer to the questions 'which is the shortest Bond movie?' and 'in which film do Bond and the Bond girl not actually do it?' You can see the influence of the Bourne series in the attempt to turn Bond into a more edgy, self-doubting figure, and the general distrust of security agencies as a whole; but these things are not really the stuff of a good Bond film, and nor is a plot revolving around a plan to topple the government of a country most viewers would struggle to find on a map.
Competently-staged fights and chases, particularly the final set-piece, but most of the jokes fall flat and, well, it's just not really fun enough to really work as a piece of Bond. Commendable attempt though, and not actively painful to watch.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Orange Is The New Black in TV
Sep 30, 2019 (Updated Sep 30, 2019)
Great show from begging to end
Contains spoilers, click to show
Orange Is the New Black often dubbed as OITNB is an American drama television series created by Jenji Kohan which aired on Netflix.
The show ran for 7 seasons beginning July 11, 2013 to July 26, 2019 and is Based on Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison; by Piper Kerman
The show primarily focuses on Piper Chapman, a public relations executive with a career and a fiance until her past suddenly catches up to her. she is sentenced to spend time in a minimum-security women's prison for her association with a drug runner 10 years earlier.
Forced to change office grey for prison orange, Chapman edges her way through the corrections system in an attempt to adjust to life behind bars whilst making friends & enemies with the many eccentric, unusual and unexpected people she meets.
I didn't start watching until roughly season 4, but was quickly tagged as a fan and was always eager to see what happened next ( 9pm, 3am whats the difference right.....)
Although its was a great show some plot details seemed blurred or rushed at times causing me to ask myself, wait what? But strong physical acting and vocal timing truly helped dig in those finger Nails & shivs and not let go.
The show ran for 7 seasons beginning July 11, 2013 to July 26, 2019 and is Based on Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison; by Piper Kerman
The show primarily focuses on Piper Chapman, a public relations executive with a career and a fiance until her past suddenly catches up to her. she is sentenced to spend time in a minimum-security women's prison for her association with a drug runner 10 years earlier.
Forced to change office grey for prison orange, Chapman edges her way through the corrections system in an attempt to adjust to life behind bars whilst making friends & enemies with the many eccentric, unusual and unexpected people she meets.
I didn't start watching until roughly season 4, but was quickly tagged as a fan and was always eager to see what happened next ( 9pm, 3am whats the difference right.....)
Although its was a great show some plot details seemed blurred or rushed at times causing me to ask myself, wait what? But strong physical acting and vocal timing truly helped dig in those finger Nails & shivs and not let go.
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Dead to Her in Books
Oct 26, 2021
Dead to Her is a thriller set in Savannah, Georgia, amongst its rich inhabitants.
When William Redford, close to retirement and on a year long holiday, comes back early with a very young, beautiful, black wife from London on his arm, the tongues are immediately set wagging.
Marcie, also a second wife, notices that her husband seems a little too interested in William’s new wife, Keisha, and the two women are encouraged to become friends. Marcie is at first very reluctant to do so.
The first half of the book lulls you in to a false sense of security - I thought that I knew what was going to happen. How wrong could I have been?! The second half doesn’t let up - and what surprises Keisha and Marcie had in store for the reader! This book was so cleverly written, that when Voodoo was introduced in to the storyline, I found myself believing in its power along with the characters!
I think the takeaway from this would be that you should never underestimate people, no matter how they appear on the surface (especially if they’re in a Sarah Pinborough book!). This book had me gasping out loud in sheer astonishment more than once!
If you enjoy revenge, murder and high society, then this may very well be the book for you - it was most definitely a hard book to put down!
When William Redford, close to retirement and on a year long holiday, comes back early with a very young, beautiful, black wife from London on his arm, the tongues are immediately set wagging.
Marcie, also a second wife, notices that her husband seems a little too interested in William’s new wife, Keisha, and the two women are encouraged to become friends. Marcie is at first very reluctant to do so.
The first half of the book lulls you in to a false sense of security - I thought that I knew what was going to happen. How wrong could I have been?! The second half doesn’t let up - and what surprises Keisha and Marcie had in store for the reader! This book was so cleverly written, that when Voodoo was introduced in to the storyline, I found myself believing in its power along with the characters!
I think the takeaway from this would be that you should never underestimate people, no matter how they appear on the surface (especially if they’re in a Sarah Pinborough book!). This book had me gasping out loud in sheer astonishment more than once!
If you enjoy revenge, murder and high society, then this may very well be the book for you - it was most definitely a hard book to put down!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Into the Drowning Deep: Rolling in the Deep Book 1 in Books
Mar 29, 2018
WOW. I don't typically read horror, but this was fantasy horror, and WOW. I picked up the novella precursor to this sometime last year - I never reviewed it here, probably because it was barely over 100 pages, but it was fascinating and haunting all the same. Rolling in the Deep told the story of the Atargatis, a ship sent out to the Mariana Trench to stage a mockumentary - supposedly looking for mermaids, but equipped with actors who could swim with mermaid tails. They never planned to find anything. Except they did. And they all died. One by one at first, a few people picked off, then the entire ship swarmed and eaten. The reader sees this happen, but to anyone not on the ship, the only thing they find is some footage on an abandoned ship.
Into the Drowning Deep fast forwards a few years; the production company, Imagine Network, is not doing so well, and they want to prove that the footage wasn't a hoax. So they assemble a new mission, this one with a lot more security. (Though they still picked security with an eye for what would look good on TV, rather than what would be effective, which was a poor choice.) The reader, of course, knows that the mermaids are real, and that they are dangerous, so you spend much of the first part of the book in a state of suspense waiting for them to show up. (I actually thought it took a little too long for them to finally show up, but the time was used for character-building.)
The book is very Lovecraftian, actually - from the strong, building sense of foreboding doom to the creatures that should not exist, to the kind of gibbering insanity near the end. It's probably why I liked the book so much; Lovecraft is about the only kind of horror writing I like, and I get the same feeling from Grant's writing.
So yes, the book is about mermaids. But these aren't mermaids as you've seen them before. They're not cute, they're not seductive, they don't want to live on land, and they're definitely not friendly. These mermaids are predators. Intelligent predators, but predators. And humans, apparently, are delicious.
Most of the characters in the book are scientists trying to prove mermaids exist, so there's a lot of science happening aboard the ship, and Grant doesn't shy away from it happening on the page as well. She also includes a pair of deaf scientist twins, and their interpreter sibling, which is important because the mermaids use a form of sign language as well. Most of the main characters are women, which is also great to see in such a large concentration of fictional scientists.
If you like fantasy horror, i.e. Lovecraft, you should definitely pick this up. Rolling in the Deep is also worth reading first - I think it definitely adds another layer to the sense of foreboding doom.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Into the Drowning Deep fast forwards a few years; the production company, Imagine Network, is not doing so well, and they want to prove that the footage wasn't a hoax. So they assemble a new mission, this one with a lot more security. (Though they still picked security with an eye for what would look good on TV, rather than what would be effective, which was a poor choice.) The reader, of course, knows that the mermaids are real, and that they are dangerous, so you spend much of the first part of the book in a state of suspense waiting for them to show up. (I actually thought it took a little too long for them to finally show up, but the time was used for character-building.)
The book is very Lovecraftian, actually - from the strong, building sense of foreboding doom to the creatures that should not exist, to the kind of gibbering insanity near the end. It's probably why I liked the book so much; Lovecraft is about the only kind of horror writing I like, and I get the same feeling from Grant's writing.
So yes, the book is about mermaids. But these aren't mermaids as you've seen them before. They're not cute, they're not seductive, they don't want to live on land, and they're definitely not friendly. These mermaids are predators. Intelligent predators, but predators. And humans, apparently, are delicious.
Most of the characters in the book are scientists trying to prove mermaids exist, so there's a lot of science happening aboard the ship, and Grant doesn't shy away from it happening on the page as well. She also includes a pair of deaf scientist twins, and their interpreter sibling, which is important because the mermaids use a form of sign language as well. Most of the main characters are women, which is also great to see in such a large concentration of fictional scientists.
If you like fantasy horror, i.e. Lovecraft, you should definitely pick this up. Rolling in the Deep is also worth reading first - I think it definitely adds another layer to the sense of foreboding doom.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated Tower Heist (2011) in Movies
May 30, 2018
This seems like the perfect recipe for a film.
Contains spoilers, click to show
This seems like the perfect recipe for a film. Take a few comedy greats, some Academy Award nominated actors and a great director and you have the makings of a classic comedy film. However something went wrong. That's not to say this film isn't good it is, but it isn't close to what it could have been.
The film is about a robbery in a very secure building with the latest security and the best staff that money can buy. The staff have invested their own personal savings and their pension fund with one of the tenants, a financier Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). However he is arrested for fraud and they find out that he has lost all their money.
The cast including Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Téa Leoni, and Juan Carlos Hernández is good. They work well together and they all have great moments. Gabourey Sidibe steals every moment she is on screen and she could have a great future in comedy.
This film should have been great. It was originally going to be in the style of Ocean's 11 but somewhere along the way it changed into this. You have comedy greats Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller and Ferris Buller. I say Ferris Buller because it feels like Matthew Broderick is playing that character after he has lost everything. The film felt like it should have been full of big comedy moments, but I couldn't find them. There are some very funny scenes but not many. As for the hi-tech building security mentioned a few times in the film, it doesn't materialise, all you are shown are a few cameras that are quickly disabled with a smiley face sticker! I was really looking forward to this, mainly in the hope that Eddie Murphy would give a performance worthy of his comedy legacy. I loved his films from the 80's. His films of the 90's were hit or miss until his performance in Bowfinger, one of his best performances. Apart from his role in the Shrek films there was nothing great about any of his roles since then. So what would he be like in this? Fortunately he is good. Not as great as the Eddie Murphy back in his reckless care free roles, but better than 90% of the last two decades of his films. The reason he is so good in Bowfinger is what makes this role work. It is because he isn't in the lead role. Take the pressure away from having to carry the whole film and he shines.
I was disappointed with the lack of great comedy moments and the lack of risk for the characters, but it is a good film, just don't watch this expecting a comedy classic as you will be disappointed.
The film is about a robbery in a very secure building with the latest security and the best staff that money can buy. The staff have invested their own personal savings and their pension fund with one of the tenants, a financier Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). However he is arrested for fraud and they find out that he has lost all their money.
The cast including Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Téa Leoni, and Juan Carlos Hernández is good. They work well together and they all have great moments. Gabourey Sidibe steals every moment she is on screen and she could have a great future in comedy.
This film should have been great. It was originally going to be in the style of Ocean's 11 but somewhere along the way it changed into this. You have comedy greats Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller and Ferris Buller. I say Ferris Buller because it feels like Matthew Broderick is playing that character after he has lost everything. The film felt like it should have been full of big comedy moments, but I couldn't find them. There are some very funny scenes but not many. As for the hi-tech building security mentioned a few times in the film, it doesn't materialise, all you are shown are a few cameras that are quickly disabled with a smiley face sticker! I was really looking forward to this, mainly in the hope that Eddie Murphy would give a performance worthy of his comedy legacy. I loved his films from the 80's. His films of the 90's were hit or miss until his performance in Bowfinger, one of his best performances. Apart from his role in the Shrek films there was nothing great about any of his roles since then. So what would he be like in this? Fortunately he is good. Not as great as the Eddie Murphy back in his reckless care free roles, but better than 90% of the last two decades of his films. The reason he is so good in Bowfinger is what makes this role work. It is because he isn't in the lead role. Take the pressure away from having to carry the whole film and he shines.
I was disappointed with the lack of great comedy moments and the lack of risk for the characters, but it is a good film, just don't watch this expecting a comedy classic as you will be disappointed.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Next Gen (2018) in Movies
Oct 15, 2018 (Updated Oct 15, 2018)
Beautiful Animation (1 more)
John Krasinski
Fantastic Family Movie
We're in the futuristic city of Grainland and robots are everywhere, helping humans with all aspects of life. From robotic teachers and police, right the way down to the smaller, task orientated robots. Friendly robot hairbrushes leap on kids heads and start brushing their messy hair while robot toothbrushes, programmed by mum to ensure their kids regularly brush their teeth, seek out the children who are trying to avoid them. It's all done in good humour, even if in reality it would all be just a little bit creepy. The opening credits introduce us to Mai Su, whose parents split following an argument. As Mai grows up, her mother compensates for her loss by filling her life with servant robots called Q-Bots, making Mai feel neglected and eventually resentful towards all robots. She's a very unhappy teenager, bullied at school for being different.
At the big launch of the next generation of Q-Bots, Mai breaks free from her excited mum and, following a run in with some security robots, finds herself in a hidden lab. There, Dr Rice, who is the technical brains behind the Q-Bots, has been developing a robot of his own: Project 7723 (voiced by John Krasinski). As the curious Mai goes to investigate the robot, security bots catch up with her once more and she has to leave quickly, leaving behind her backpack. Project 7723 picks up the backpack and sets about returning it to its rightful owner at all costs. As 7723 travels along the highway, following the car that is transporting Mai home, we begin to discover just how technologically advanced 7723 is - packing some serious weaponry, which it uses to effectively take out the police robots that are in pursuit. Nothing stands in its way.
The backpack is eventually returned, but Mai is initially disinterested in the robot. That is, until it takes out the annoying robot toothbrush with a laser! The pair form a friendship, and Mai hides 7723 away in her garage at night. Unfortunately though, 7723 sustained damage to his core memory during the earlier chase and each night has to decide which of the memories he made with Mai that day he can delete in order to prevent his storage from reaching critical capacity. As they have fun together and become good friends, this gets harder to do each day, and you just know that eventually this isn't going to end well.
I really enjoyed Next Gen. It's very reminiscent of movies like Big Hero 6 and The Iron Giant and John Krasinski brings 7723 to life brilliantly. The animation is of such a high standard, beautifully detailed, and there are some fantastic action sequences, along with plenty of good humour throughout. And, as suspected, it does manage to pack a real emotional punch at times too. I sat and watched this with my daughter and it really is just a great family movie.
At the big launch of the next generation of Q-Bots, Mai breaks free from her excited mum and, following a run in with some security robots, finds herself in a hidden lab. There, Dr Rice, who is the technical brains behind the Q-Bots, has been developing a robot of his own: Project 7723 (voiced by John Krasinski). As the curious Mai goes to investigate the robot, security bots catch up with her once more and she has to leave quickly, leaving behind her backpack. Project 7723 picks up the backpack and sets about returning it to its rightful owner at all costs. As 7723 travels along the highway, following the car that is transporting Mai home, we begin to discover just how technologically advanced 7723 is - packing some serious weaponry, which it uses to effectively take out the police robots that are in pursuit. Nothing stands in its way.
The backpack is eventually returned, but Mai is initially disinterested in the robot. That is, until it takes out the annoying robot toothbrush with a laser! The pair form a friendship, and Mai hides 7723 away in her garage at night. Unfortunately though, 7723 sustained damage to his core memory during the earlier chase and each night has to decide which of the memories he made with Mai that day he can delete in order to prevent his storage from reaching critical capacity. As they have fun together and become good friends, this gets harder to do each day, and you just know that eventually this isn't going to end well.
I really enjoyed Next Gen. It's very reminiscent of movies like Big Hero 6 and The Iron Giant and John Krasinski brings 7723 to life brilliantly. The animation is of such a high standard, beautifully detailed, and there are some fantastic action sequences, along with plenty of good humour throughout. And, as suspected, it does manage to pack a real emotional punch at times too. I sat and watched this with my daughter and it really is just a great family movie.