Search
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012) in Movies
Mar 22, 2022
Lake Placid 4 is straight up wild. It starts with Yancy Butler asking a crocodile if "they really wanna do this" before fighting it. That's where we're at. There's a bit where a group of people see a huge crocodile coming for them so they jump in a 4x4 and drive insanely fast away from it, looking back to make sure they're getting away. I though to myself "why are they looking, there's no way a crocodile is keeping up with them, stupid ass" but no, the crocodile is galloping like a fucking horse at the same speed behind them. There's another part where a dude gets torn apart by baby crocodiles like a school of piranhas or some shit. None of it makes sense but fuck it, who even cares. The CGI somehow manages to be better and worse than the last one. Robert Englund is chewing up the scenery whenever he's on screen. I feel like I'm going mad because I have low key enjoyed all of the trash sequels so far.
Some people say that Citizen Kane is the biggest masterpiece of cinema ever put out there. I argue that it's Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (even though there are two more to go *chefs kiss*)
Some people say that Citizen Kane is the biggest masterpiece of cinema ever put out there. I argue that it's Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (even though there are two more to go *chefs kiss*)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in Movies
May 25, 2022
"Legacy Sequels" are big business these days. Some have been bad, some have been surprisingly great. Top Gun: Maverick falls into the latter camp without a shadow of a doubt. It's a sequel, so many years later, that surpasses the much loved original in every way.
It definitely leans heavily on the nostalgia button here and there, but everything it offers is so much fun that it never feels like it's relying on that nostalgia. The new cast are hugely likable, and just like the first time around, the comradery between the characters is well realised, and wholesome as hell, with some good hearted rivalry. Tom Cruise slips back into the role of Maverick like he never left, and is clearly having a blast once again in the drivers seat.
The action set pieces are exciting, and it boasts a genuinely intense and high octane finale, as well as emotional beats that had me welling up dammit. Combine all of this with a spruced up classic music score, and you have a true blockbuster that will thrill fans of the original, and new audiences alike.
I wasn't overly excited about Top Gun: Maverick during the lead up to release, but I would be a fool not to admit that it's a triumph. Absolutely loved it.
It definitely leans heavily on the nostalgia button here and there, but everything it offers is so much fun that it never feels like it's relying on that nostalgia. The new cast are hugely likable, and just like the first time around, the comradery between the characters is well realised, and wholesome as hell, with some good hearted rivalry. Tom Cruise slips back into the role of Maverick like he never left, and is clearly having a blast once again in the drivers seat.
The action set pieces are exciting, and it boasts a genuinely intense and high octane finale, as well as emotional beats that had me welling up dammit. Combine all of this with a spruced up classic music score, and you have a true blockbuster that will thrill fans of the original, and new audiences alike.
I wasn't overly excited about Top Gun: Maverick during the lead up to release, but I would be a fool not to admit that it's a triumph. Absolutely loved it.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) in Movies
May 1, 2018
Hopefully the last ever Transformers film
Let's be honest, the Transformers films seem to have a Marmite-like love/hate appeal. With the exception of the first film which was actually quite good, the rest of the sequels have been pretty dire. Age of Extinction wasn't too bad as at least it rebooted the franchise with a mostly new cast. But sadly the same cant be said of The Last Knight.
Firstly, the plot. This is just bat s*** crazy nonsense, like they've dredged the depths for something to link Transformers to and somehow have come up with the legend of Merlin and King Arthur. Seriously? This starts off pretty silly and by the end of the film descends into complete ridiculousness. The script is so cheesy, they've thrown far too many pointless characters in and the CGI in places actually looks quite poor. This gets a few points by being able to hold my attention for the overly long running time, mainly on the basis that I wanted to see how bad it was going to get.
Considering the ending its looking doubtful that this will be the last Transformers film ever, but I really hope it is. I'm not counting the prequel type Bumblebee film but I don't hold out much hope for that either...
Firstly, the plot. This is just bat s*** crazy nonsense, like they've dredged the depths for something to link Transformers to and somehow have come up with the legend of Merlin and King Arthur. Seriously? This starts off pretty silly and by the end of the film descends into complete ridiculousness. The script is so cheesy, they've thrown far too many pointless characters in and the CGI in places actually looks quite poor. This gets a few points by being able to hold my attention for the overly long running time, mainly on the basis that I wanted to see how bad it was going to get.
Considering the ending its looking doubtful that this will be the last Transformers film ever, but I really hope it is. I'm not counting the prequel type Bumblebee film but I don't hold out much hope for that either...
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) in Movies
Apr 7, 2019
Better than the first
I’m one of the few people that really didn’t rate the first Sicario film. It wasn’t bad, but neither was it the brilliant film everyone rated it to be, so I went into the sequel with a certain amount of trepidation, but for the most part I was pleasantly surprised.
I’m afraid to say that Emily Blunt really isn’t missed. Instead we get much more of Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, and you can’t complain about this as they’re both fantastic actors and put on brilliant performances in this. The film itself is very gritty, dark and brutal, right from the opening scenes with the suicide bombers to the gun battles and cartels scenes later on in the film. It’s very tense, and this is definitely not a feel good film at all but it’s still a gripping film to watch. The only thing that really let this down for me was the ending. Without spoilers, it’s partly ridiculous, partly a letdown as characters were going completely against the character they’d been portraying for 2 hours and also a blatant setup for a sequel. I’d have been a lot more satisfied with this film if it had been wrapped up better, but as sequels go, it’s impressive when one surpasses the original.
I’m afraid to say that Emily Blunt really isn’t missed. Instead we get much more of Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, and you can’t complain about this as they’re both fantastic actors and put on brilliant performances in this. The film itself is very gritty, dark and brutal, right from the opening scenes with the suicide bombers to the gun battles and cartels scenes later on in the film. It’s very tense, and this is definitely not a feel good film at all but it’s still a gripping film to watch. The only thing that really let this down for me was the ending. Without spoilers, it’s partly ridiculous, partly a letdown as characters were going completely against the character they’d been portraying for 2 hours and also a blatant setup for a sequel. I’d have been a lot more satisfied with this film if it had been wrapped up better, but as sequels go, it’s impressive when one surpasses the original.
Andrew Kennedy (199 KP) rated Hellraiser: Judgment (2017) in Movies
May 30, 2019
I like the kills (1 more)
Should get a sequel
No Doug Bradley (2 more)
Detective bits drag
Dimension still only put a film out to keep the rights.
Time to deliver judgement on the new Hellraiser.
Just finished watching this and i have to say while its not perfect, its leaps and bounds ahead of Revelations.
The main crux of the story is the hunt for a killer called "The Preceptor" who is killing his victims in line with the 10 commandments. A pair of detective brothers are trying to crack the case and are assigned a new female partner.
The Cenobites are again things macrabe beauty. The Auditor is superb and played by director Gary Tunnicliffe. The Butcher and The Surgeon deliver a wonderful kill early on. Finally theres Pinhead, he looks amazing and Paul T Taylor gives a rousing performance throughout.
The theme of judgement is carried through with an assesor and a jury. The guilty cleaned.
The detective bits drag a bit and really slow the film down. The kills are delivered with gore and gutso and this feels like a new start for the franchise.
So in final Judgement, this new outing for Pinhead should see more sequels to come but if the quality of the Cenobites in this film is maintained then we have such sights to look forward to.
Just finished watching this and i have to say while its not perfect, its leaps and bounds ahead of Revelations.
The main crux of the story is the hunt for a killer called "The Preceptor" who is killing his victims in line with the 10 commandments. A pair of detective brothers are trying to crack the case and are assigned a new female partner.
The Cenobites are again things macrabe beauty. The Auditor is superb and played by director Gary Tunnicliffe. The Butcher and The Surgeon deliver a wonderful kill early on. Finally theres Pinhead, he looks amazing and Paul T Taylor gives a rousing performance throughout.
The theme of judgement is carried through with an assesor and a jury. The guilty cleaned.
The detective bits drag a bit and really slow the film down. The kills are delivered with gore and gutso and this feels like a new start for the franchise.
So in final Judgement, this new outing for Pinhead should see more sequels to come but if the quality of the Cenobites in this film is maintained then we have such sights to look forward to.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Aug 2, 2018
They keep getting better
The Mission Impossible films seem to always keep doing the impossible - they keep getting better and better, which is so unusual for sequels.
This has a very long run time, but its so entertaining and interesting that you can't tell it's been on for nearly 3 hours. The plot is intriguing with lots of twists and turns, although some of these twists were slightly predictable and/or spoilt by the trailers. The action and stunts are fantastic, it's nice to see action sequences that don't rely on shaky camera to mask any dodgy choreography. Great cast and one of the few films where I can actually tolerate (and even like) Tom Cruise.
I do have a few minor criticisms. Some areas of the plot are almost verging on the unbelievable, and some character motivations are a little weak or aren't explained very well. I also wish it didn't quite rely on certain action film cliches (I.e. defusing a bomb at the last second).
My viewing of this film was spoilt quite a lot by a large amount of noise in the cinema, so I really need a repeat (quiet) viewing to really appreciate it a little more and potentially mark it a bit higher. But it still was a very good, high quality action film - the best I've seen in a while.
This has a very long run time, but its so entertaining and interesting that you can't tell it's been on for nearly 3 hours. The plot is intriguing with lots of twists and turns, although some of these twists were slightly predictable and/or spoilt by the trailers. The action and stunts are fantastic, it's nice to see action sequences that don't rely on shaky camera to mask any dodgy choreography. Great cast and one of the few films where I can actually tolerate (and even like) Tom Cruise.
I do have a few minor criticisms. Some areas of the plot are almost verging on the unbelievable, and some character motivations are a little weak or aren't explained very well. I also wish it didn't quite rely on certain action film cliches (I.e. defusing a bomb at the last second).
My viewing of this film was spoilt quite a lot by a large amount of noise in the cinema, so I really need a repeat (quiet) viewing to really appreciate it a little more and potentially mark it a bit higher. But it still was a very good, high quality action film - the best I've seen in a while.
Kevin Phillipson (10072 KP) rated Urban Legend (1998) in Movies
Aug 15, 2018 (Updated Apr 22, 2021)
Plot (1 more)
Gore
I remember this film about the time of the scream movies and i know what u did last summer and liking it alot especally the plot centering a killer who was using urban legends to commit murders plenty of cameos and red herrings to keep u guessing who the killer is.
Thought tonight i would update my review since the last time. tonight I've been rewatching the film as part of the four disc blu ray boxset which includes both sequels which I will get round to reviewing next week.
On two the film I remember seeing the film when it first came and I really liked it it ticked all the boxes came out in the nineties after the success of both scream and I know what u did last summer there are enough red herrings including Robert Englund who would obviously be the killer but isn't and there's a plot twist which I didn't see at first but I won't give it away here. But why give the rating a nine thats where we move unto disc two thanks to 88 films they have put together 2 and half hour documentary reuniting both cast and crew to talk about there memories of the making of the film. Good film then still is today
Thought tonight i would update my review since the last time. tonight I've been rewatching the film as part of the four disc blu ray boxset which includes both sequels which I will get round to reviewing next week.
On two the film I remember seeing the film when it first came and I really liked it it ticked all the boxes came out in the nineties after the success of both scream and I know what u did last summer there are enough red herrings including Robert Englund who would obviously be the killer but isn't and there's a plot twist which I didn't see at first but I won't give it away here. But why give the rating a nine thats where we move unto disc two thanks to 88 films they have put together 2 and half hour documentary reuniting both cast and crew to talk about there memories of the making of the film. Good film then still is today
Awix (3310 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Nov 2, 2018 (Updated Nov 2, 2018)
Tenth Halloween sequel is the eleventh film in the Halloween series and the third to actually be called Halloween; I'm sure there must have been a less confusing way of organising this but clearly no-one could be bothered to find it. Anyway: this film disregards all the previous sequels, allowing them to bring Jamie Lee Curtis back from the dead (again) and ignore all that stuff about occult curses and long-lost siblings in attempt to take the film back to the core notion of an unstoppable force of pure evil with a big knife and a William Shatner mask.
And it works rather well, although the decision to essentially turn Laurie Strode into Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 inevitably shifts the tone of the film somewhat. Many pleasingly tense sequences, and some clever and respectful call-backs to the original film. The ongoing characters are effectively presented although most of the new ones don't make much of an impression. In the end this feels much more like a reverent act of homage than the kind of horror film we usually get in 2018; whether this is a good thing or not is probably a matter of personal taste. I imagine this will keep most people quite happy until the next sequel or reboot comes along.
And it works rather well, although the decision to essentially turn Laurie Strode into Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 inevitably shifts the tone of the film somewhat. Many pleasingly tense sequences, and some clever and respectful call-backs to the original film. The ongoing characters are effectively presented although most of the new ones don't make much of an impression. In the end this feels much more like a reverent act of homage than the kind of horror film we usually get in 2018; whether this is a good thing or not is probably a matter of personal taste. I imagine this will keep most people quite happy until the next sequel or reboot comes along.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated The Dragonstone (Mithgar, #1) in Books
Dec 3, 2018 (Updated Dec 8, 2018)
The book follows our heroines and heroes hoping to avert a possible disaster by finding the jade egg and defeating a wizard. Their only real map a puzzle of a prophecy that they have to figure out. It does use a lot of what I call "old or high" language where the meanings have changed from today's usage and there are a lot of thee and thine. As well as a peppering of what I think is Japanese and possibly French words. He also really likes the word whelm. The Dragonstone is philosophical inclined and many discussions about free will vs. predestination are inside.
Technically, I rate this book as 7 1/2 stars (I'm not sure how to do a half rating & enjoyed it enough to round up). I received over half of his books over ten years ago about the same time as the LOTR movies came out. Yes, they are very similar. You can tell he is a LOTR fan. Like a lot of his books, this story starts in the middle and builds through flashbacks. One of my favorite things about this books series is that you get multiple p.o.v. And you can read the series all hodgepodge with few as "true" sequels or trilogies- most of those are contained as one book now.
Technically, I rate this book as 7 1/2 stars (I'm not sure how to do a half rating & enjoyed it enough to round up). I received over half of his books over ten years ago about the same time as the LOTR movies came out. Yes, they are very similar. You can tell he is a LOTR fan. Like a lot of his books, this story starts in the middle and builds through flashbacks. One of my favorite things about this books series is that you get multiple p.o.v. And you can read the series all hodgepodge with few as "true" sequels or trilogies- most of those are contained as one book now.
David McK (3557 KP) rated Young Bloods (Revolution, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Back in 2006/07, Simon Scarrow took a short break from writing his more famous Eagle/Cato series of books to concentrate on a new quadrilogy of books, centred around two military greats opposed to each other: Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) and Napoleon Bonaparte.
This is the first of those books, taking it roughly sectiona bout to follw each character through the trials and tribulations of their early life and formative years: through Arthur Wesley (as it was initailly spelled) early life in Ireland, to his move to Engalnd and back again to Dublin alongside Napoleon Bueno Parte (as the Corsican spelling has it) education in France, his attempts to gain Corsican indendepence and his rise during the period of the French Revolution.
As the first in the sereis, this (I felt) did not have - maybe - the 'grip' of the earlier Cato/Macro Roman legion books: there was nothing really in this that made me want to rush out and complete the set.
Having said, that, however, that is just what I did (complete the set), but more from a sense of completionism than for any other real reason. From what I remember (it's been a while since I read them - I may go back and do just that), the sequels are better!
This is the first of those books, taking it roughly sectiona bout to follw each character through the trials and tribulations of their early life and formative years: through Arthur Wesley (as it was initailly spelled) early life in Ireland, to his move to Engalnd and back again to Dublin alongside Napoleon Bueno Parte (as the Corsican spelling has it) education in France, his attempts to gain Corsican indendepence and his rise during the period of the French Revolution.
As the first in the sereis, this (I felt) did not have - maybe - the 'grip' of the earlier Cato/Macro Roman legion books: there was nothing really in this that made me want to rush out and complete the set.
Having said, that, however, that is just what I did (complete the set), but more from a sense of completionism than for any other real reason. From what I remember (it's been a while since I read them - I may go back and do just that), the sequels are better!