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Mission impossible dead reckoning part one (2023)
Mission impossible dead reckoning part one (2023)
2023 | Action
9
8.5 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Tom cruise (1 more)
Hayley atwell
Watched today wow abit on the long side which I didn’t mind yet again Tom cruise does it again with outlandish stunts that go over from the start to the end won’t give away to much of the plot here but the gangs all back once led by Ethan hunt with the addition of grace played by Hayley atwell nice addition to the team but back for second time since the first film is Henry czeny back as kitrich who actually has more to do this time overall good sequel looking forward to part 2 when ever it gets made due to the actors strike
  
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
2023 | Action, Adventure
5
5.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The original 'the Meg' film saw Jason Statham taking on a giant prehistoric shark (my money was always on 'the Stathamator' to win).

If you're expecting anything different from the sequel, you'd be disappointed!

Yes, several - bit not all -of the cast return, with this film very much broken into two distinct sections: the first (roughly) half or so on the seabed below "the Thermocline" - which the creatures below are usually unable to swim up beyond - and the second half on the surface itself.

Second half is also almost a re-tread of the second half of the first movie.

In short, a B-movie writ large.
  
P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)
P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)
Jenny Han | 2015 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.6 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
In this sequel to "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," Lara Jean is back - still a hopeless romantic, but also a bit more grown up. Lara Jean is struggling with the ramifications of her relationship with Peter, including a viral Instagram post that leads to a great deal of humiliation (oh the joys of high school). As she and Peter learn to navigate a "real" relationship, she also finds herself writing John Ambrose McClaren-- one of the original boys who received a love letter in Book #1. Suddenly, Lara Jean is even more confused. Is it possible to love more than one boy? Is Peter still in love with his old girlfriend (and Lara Jean's ex-friend)? How exactly does one navigate the ins and outs of love and high school?

I actually found myself enjoying this book more than the first. Perhaps I'd just become more accustomed to Lara Jean and her style, but this was a really sweet and enjoyable novel. Lara Jean comes into her own in the sequel, as she negotiates high school and all the romantic woes she encounters along the way. The second book also avoids a few of the "icks" I felt from the first (e.g., crushing on her older sister's boyfriend). You become a little more used to some of Lara Jean's idioms, and she really does grow up a bit -- taking care of her sitter, Kitty (still a spitfire and a great character all in her own), looking out for her dad, and coming out of her own world a bit.

Even better, the plot is unpredictable and keeps you guessing. Both boys seem viable options for Lara Jean, and she truly comes out of her shell and lives a little, while still remaining true to her self (key). The book presents a great family dynamic with Lara Jean's dad, a single guy raising his three girls, and the supporting cast of characters (especially Kitty) are fun and well-developed. Overall, I read this one in about 24 hours and found it quite entertaining and delightful. A great presentation of high school life and certainly a worthy sequel.
  
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Lee (2222 KP) rated The Incredibles 2 (2018) in Movies

Jul 16, 2018 (Updated Jul 17, 2018)  
The Incredibles 2 (2018)
The Incredibles 2 (2018)
2018 | Action, Animation, Comedy
Impressive and exciting action (0 more)
Worthy sequel, although a bit patchy in places
Contains spoilers, click to show
It's hard to believe that the original Incredibles movie is now 14 years old. It was, and still is, a fun, original and highly enjoyable superhero movie that was always deserving of a sequel. I re-watched it recently with my daughter who had never seen it, and despite it's age, and the fact that we've now had a decade of non-stop Marvel superhero movies since it was made, it still holds up 'incredibly' well.

The sequel picks up right where the original finished off, with The Incredibles battling supervillain The Underminer. It's the first of many impressive battle sequence, and does a good job of reminding us of the skills and abilities of each individual family member, not to mention how well they all work together as a team. The advances in animation quality over the last 14 years are obvious, while still managing to retain the unique look and feel of the original.

Unfortunately, the Parr's attempts to save the city don't quite go to plan, leading once again to their helpfulness being questioned by the US Government. They find themselves in a motel, contemplating their futures, until they are approached by Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk). He claims that the public have only seen the negative side of superheroes that is portrayed by the government, and wants to provide microscopic cameras embedded within the superhero costumes so that they can capture what they see. By showing the hero's side of the story, Winston plans to generate enough good publicity to start winning over the general public once again and hopefully reverse the law that makes superheroes illegal. Elastigirl is chosen to kick things off, largely due to the minimal government damage she's likely to cause in comparison to her husband! As a result, Mr Incredible is left at home to care for the kids, while Elastigirl is out having fun and saving the world.

The domestic comedy with Mr Incredible stuck at home is just brilliant. Not only does he have to try and get to grips with 'New Math' homework for son Dash, but also with daughter Violet and her boyfriend trouble. Not to mention the discovery that baby Jack-Jack has a set of impressive and highly unpredictable superpowers of his own. Meanwhile, the plan involving Elastigirl is working so well, that plans to make superheroes legal again get underway. But then mysterious new villain Screenslaver begins causing hypnotic chaos around town, and the family must band together once again in order to save the day.

Aside from the impressive action, and the hilarious scenes involving Jack-Jack, the rest of the movie in comparison does feel a little flat in places. In my opinion it falls slightly short of matching the original, although still a highly enjoyable and worthy sequel.
  
From Dusk Till Dawn: Texas Blood Money (1999)
From Dusk Till Dawn: Texas Blood Money (1999)
1999 |
3
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Thoughts on From Dusk till Dawn 2 Blood Money

 

Characters – Buck is a thieve that has claimed to have gone clean after his recent stint in prison, the cops do still watch him, only now he gets a chance at a new job which will see him put his crew together, he has a way to work with his men, well that is about it, his character doesn’t have much more to him, Sheriff Otis Lawson has been waiting for Buck to make a mistake for years now, using the latest former member of his crew as hope that he could catch him in the act once again. Luther is the one that brings the job to Buck, only on his way back to the crew, he ends up at the Titty Twister grabbing the attention of the vampires, looking for spread the curse to a new selection of victims. C.W. is another member of the crew and just like the rest they don’t get much to make them stand out.

Performances – Robert Patrick does try to make the most of his character only he doesn’t get anything to work with here. This is the big problem for the rest of the cast, nobody gets a chance to make anything from their characters who all end up being painful bland.

Story – The story follows a group of criminals that are looking to head to Mexico for their latest job, only to attract the attention of the vampires using the Titty Twister becoming the latest target, can they survive the night? The story here is very weak, we get five criminals with little to no character development, not making us care about what is happening. We get thrown into another direction with the story which doesn’t help because we know what is happening, while certain members of the crew don’t, this does against what we learnt about the vampires in the first film. this story just feels like a forced sequel nobody really asked for.

Crime/Horror – The crime side of this horror comes from seeing just how the crew is operating, how they plan to get the job done, the horror comes from the vampire side of the film, it does have darker moments, only it still doesn’t feel like a scarier film.

Settings – The film is set between Mexico and Texas, no location involved does make us feel like we are in iconic location the first one did.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are not at the same standard either, with most of the attacks being from bats which seem to be extreme close ups that just feel too difficult to watch.


Scene of the Movie – A helping hand?

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of interest around the characters.

Final Thoughts – This is a disappoint sequel that pulls the quality level right down to just a basic sequel that just so happens to visit the same bar, having no connection to the previous film.

 

Overall: Bland sequel.
  
I’ve been anxiously awaiting the sequel to my new favorite five-star series for about a year now, and it was well worth the wait. The Darkest Edge of Dawn lived up to my expectations and continued the story left in The Better Part of Darkness.

Charlie is still probably my favorite literary heroine. She’s sarcastic and just a little obnoxious, she’s a tough as nails, kick @$$ kind of girl. She loves her daughter—I especially liked the part with her and her daughter at the end! That was sweet—and she would do anything for the people she loves. That of course includes her Siren partner, Hank, who she is definitely in love with (like me) but won't admit it (unlike me). crazy girl.

I like the writing style of Gay's series: the sarcasm mixed with the seriousness of the situations keeps the story easy to read and not too stressful, though it is intense at times.

With action, mystery, love, and betrayal, The Darkest Edge of Dawn is a great sequel, and I will continue to be a faithful reader of Charlie Madigan's adventures.

Content/recommendation: Just as the last book, I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone who can't stomach some violence, is easily offended by language and some sex or sensuality. Ages 18+

Click here to enter a contest at goodreads for a copy of The Darkest Edge of Dawn.
  
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
Storyline (1 more)
Not confusing
Luke (0 more)
Better than people suggest
I've been a fan of Star Wars ever since I was a child seeing "A New Hope" for the first time. Having gone through the sequels, prequels, another sequel, another story, its back to a sequel again and this didn't disappoint like some of the other films did.
First off, I can understand why some people don't like the film. I've never been someone who takes films too seriously. If they don't follow a particular arc, or don't follow stick to a book for instance, it's no big deal.
My main regret in watching this film, is that I should have watched "The Force Awakens" again, just to remind myself of who the new characters are.
The pace of the film is just right and leaves the story at the right point for the inevitable conclusion.
The storyline with Luke Skywalker seems to be the main beef among people who hate the film. I just accepted it for what it is, basing his change of mood on loneliness, regret, age (becoming cantankerous) and other factors that might affect him.
I still can't get my head around Kylo Ren. The character is good, the actor who plays him is not.
Hard to write a review without leaving spoilers, but my main advice is just go with an open mind, don't be judgemental and sit back and enjoy
  
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Kyera (8 KP) rated Wayfarer in Books

Feb 1, 2018  
Wayfarer
Wayfarer
Alexandra Bracken | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.5 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
The sequel and finale to the series is as well written as the first. I don't want to spoil anything but my emotions were in turmoil throughout this book. The author revealed truths to Etta and tore our hearts open with sympathy, hurt, compassion, love, and happiness. The rollercoaster of emotions never faded and we hoped that maybe Etta would find her place. That maybe not all travelers were scoundrels. That maybe there was a future out there for her.

Wayfarer is a wonderful fictional trip through history spanning thousands of years and crossing the globe. It is not all shiny, rose-tinted history but the truthful depiction of disease and death that so many faced. It brings a level of realness to the book that makes the reader more invested in what's happening to their beloved characters.

I found myself enjoying the sequel even more than the first, so overall this series is wonderful. Be prepared to be hit in the gut with feelings. I cannot prmise that you won't shed a tear. But believe me, this series is worth it. It was a very satisfying conclusion to a well written, riveting and emotionally taxing (in the best way) duology.

Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who are fans of historical fiction. This is so well written and fascinating that I believe most people who pick it up will be a fan, even if they don't normally gravitate towards historical books.
  
The Clockwork Dynasty
The Clockwork Dynasty
Daniel H. Wilson | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Let me start by saying that I originally wasn't sure about this book. I had seen it on Netgalley a while back and loved the cover but after reading the description I just wasn't sure if it was something I would enjoy. I love fantasy and enjoy some sci-fi but humanoid clockwork type robots...not so sure. So I kept it on my radar but didn't request it until I read Mogsy's review on the bibliosanctum. I started it immediately and was so engrossed that I finished it in one day. It. Is. Amazing!

June is a character that I related to from the start. Her incessant curiosity and intelligence were refreshing and her love for her grandfather was endearing. I really enjoyed learning about Peter's story. The non linear storytelling, with flashbacks of his memories alternating with the present, was easy to follow. When Peter and June start working together the pacing really picks up and I couldn't put it down, I had to know what happened. The ending leaves room for a sequel but not with a cliffhanger, which is nice but I still want the sequel now lol. I really have no complaints about any part of this story. It's a wonderful adventure that makes you think. Anyone on the fence about this book like I was should just go ahead and read it, it's worth it.

**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.**