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Darren (1599 KP) rated All The Devil's Men (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: All the Devil’s Men starts as we meet the bounty hunter team working for CIA agent Leigh (Hoeks), we have Collins (Gibson), Brennan (Fichtner) and new member Samuelson (Akinnagbe), whose latest job was a success, now in London they start to investigate the latest mission.
When the team gets set up Collins must lead the remaining members of the team in an operation around London which puts him against an old military brother Deighton (Millson).
Thoughts on All the Devil’s Men
Characters – Collins is the seal that has been working as a bounty hunter for the CIA, he has a dark past with missions he has completed and knows to trust the team around him, he won’t give up till the mission is complete. Leigh is the one that runs the operations, she puts the team together and tends to be their eyes in the sky, though she is willing to do anything to close the deal for the good of the country. Brennan is the older member of the team and the member that Collins has worked with the longest, he knows how the system operates and who to bring in when needing extra hands. Samuelson is the newest member of the team, he doesn’t want to be known as a bounty hunter more of a shadow warrior, he does following instructions well, but talks more than Collins wants him too.
Performances – Milo Gibson as the leading action man is solid, he doesn’t have too much to do that is overly difficult, few driving, shooting and ducking scenes, no real emotional moment required. Sylvia Hoeks was fantastic in Blade Runner 2049, which is a disappointment here because we know how great she can be, it feels like this wasted her talent. William Fichtner is solid enough which is here to give the biggest name for the film and Gbenga Akinnagbe gets laughs for the film when needed.
Story – The story follows CIA bounty hunters that are tracking down suspects in London over one night before a major deal goes down, which could see weapons being giving to the wrong hands. The story gives us a chance to see how the unit uses their skills to track and try to stay ahead while also showing the villains planning for what happens next. For an action film the story is very simple, it doesn’t have anything overly complicated when it comes to twists and can be watched without needing to give the full attention. This is a late-night action film story which is all we want at times.
Action – The action gives us set-up location for confrontations with bullets flying around, the fights are simple, though not shot the best with too many cuts. With the bang, bang and bodies falling it is easy to watch.
Settings – We are mostly set in and around London at night, which is fine, we know London can be busy and full of deals going on, we do seem to stay on the outside of everything going on though.
Scene of the Movie – Plane chase.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does waste Sylvia Hoeks full talents.
Final Thoughts – This is good for a late-night action fans, it keeps everything very simple and could easily be put in the lists of any straight to DVD Seagal or Van Damme movies.
Overall: Simple actions film.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/11/23/all-the-devils-men-2018/
When the team gets set up Collins must lead the remaining members of the team in an operation around London which puts him against an old military brother Deighton (Millson).
Thoughts on All the Devil’s Men
Characters – Collins is the seal that has been working as a bounty hunter for the CIA, he has a dark past with missions he has completed and knows to trust the team around him, he won’t give up till the mission is complete. Leigh is the one that runs the operations, she puts the team together and tends to be their eyes in the sky, though she is willing to do anything to close the deal for the good of the country. Brennan is the older member of the team and the member that Collins has worked with the longest, he knows how the system operates and who to bring in when needing extra hands. Samuelson is the newest member of the team, he doesn’t want to be known as a bounty hunter more of a shadow warrior, he does following instructions well, but talks more than Collins wants him too.
Performances – Milo Gibson as the leading action man is solid, he doesn’t have too much to do that is overly difficult, few driving, shooting and ducking scenes, no real emotional moment required. Sylvia Hoeks was fantastic in Blade Runner 2049, which is a disappointment here because we know how great she can be, it feels like this wasted her talent. William Fichtner is solid enough which is here to give the biggest name for the film and Gbenga Akinnagbe gets laughs for the film when needed.
Story – The story follows CIA bounty hunters that are tracking down suspects in London over one night before a major deal goes down, which could see weapons being giving to the wrong hands. The story gives us a chance to see how the unit uses their skills to track and try to stay ahead while also showing the villains planning for what happens next. For an action film the story is very simple, it doesn’t have anything overly complicated when it comes to twists and can be watched without needing to give the full attention. This is a late-night action film story which is all we want at times.
Action – The action gives us set-up location for confrontations with bullets flying around, the fights are simple, though not shot the best with too many cuts. With the bang, bang and bodies falling it is easy to watch.
Settings – We are mostly set in and around London at night, which is fine, we know London can be busy and full of deals going on, we do seem to stay on the outside of everything going on though.
Scene of the Movie – Plane chase.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does waste Sylvia Hoeks full talents.
Final Thoughts – This is good for a late-night action fans, it keeps everything very simple and could easily be put in the lists of any straight to DVD Seagal or Van Damme movies.
Overall: Simple actions film.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/11/23/all-the-devils-men-2018/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Ned Kelly (2003) in Movies
Nov 24, 2019
Verdict: Biopic 101
Story: Ned Kelly starts in 1871 Australia where an Irish family the Kelly’s have settled in with the eldest son Ned (Ledger) ends up getting into trouble with the law, that has always targeted his family, seeing him placed in prison for a couple of years. Once out Ned does start to try and turn his family’s luck around with his friends Joseph Byrne (Bloom) and Aaron Sherritt (Edgerton), while working for an English family where Ned falls for Julia (Watts).
When Ned gets framed for assault by the constable that has always been out for his blood, his family gets targeted, but not the police are not going to stop until they have his head, forcing Ned to go on the run to protect his family, making him one of the most wanted criminals in the world.
Thoughts on Ned Kelly
Characters – Ned Kelly is a young Irish man that has always seen his family targeted by the law, he has gotten himself in trouble because of this, which sees him falsely accused and becoming a target. Ned refused to back down from the law needing to go on the run, leading to him becoming an outlaw taking from the rich inspiring the poor as he fights for what is right and his family’s pride. Joseph Byrne is Ned’s best friend, he will stand by his side through his battles, needing to do the right thing. Superintendent Francis Hare is the man charged with capturing the Kelly gang, he doesn’t want to hear the story, he just wants them gone. Julia Cook is an English woman that Ned was working for, she is one of the few that will help him seeing the good in his nature, but being held back by her own family.
Performances – Heath Ledger does a great job here showing how he wanted to break his pretty boy image, this performance makes this happen with ease. Orlando Bloom in the supporting role is strong without being truly great, while Geoffrey Rush feels wasted, with him being involved but not getting too much screen time, same goes for Naomi Watts, she just doesn’t get enough time to shine.
Story – The story here follows the innocent man that gets forced into become an outlaw who becomes the most wanted man in Australia. This story shows how settlers in other countries would always be unfairly targeted by the locals who saw them as threats, how people’s words could create outlaws because nobody would listen or understand the truths within a world. The story is only really told from Ned’s which will always make him look like the innocent man he was, but we do hear and see that most of the group have served time, so they might not be as innocent as they look (this is only from what the film shows, not what I know about the truth).
Action/Biopic/Western – The action is everything you would expect from a western, we have seen the shooting like always. The biopic does only show one side of the story and it does feel like there is more to tell.
Settings – The film utilises the location to show how Ned Kelly has to go into hiding and including the showdown.
Scene of the Movie – The showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does seem one sided.
Final Thoughts – This is a by the book biopic that showed one of the most famous outlaws in Australia, though it doesn’t seem to reach an intensity level that it could have.
Overall: Nice biopic.
Story: Ned Kelly starts in 1871 Australia where an Irish family the Kelly’s have settled in with the eldest son Ned (Ledger) ends up getting into trouble with the law, that has always targeted his family, seeing him placed in prison for a couple of years. Once out Ned does start to try and turn his family’s luck around with his friends Joseph Byrne (Bloom) and Aaron Sherritt (Edgerton), while working for an English family where Ned falls for Julia (Watts).
When Ned gets framed for assault by the constable that has always been out for his blood, his family gets targeted, but not the police are not going to stop until they have his head, forcing Ned to go on the run to protect his family, making him one of the most wanted criminals in the world.
Thoughts on Ned Kelly
Characters – Ned Kelly is a young Irish man that has always seen his family targeted by the law, he has gotten himself in trouble because of this, which sees him falsely accused and becoming a target. Ned refused to back down from the law needing to go on the run, leading to him becoming an outlaw taking from the rich inspiring the poor as he fights for what is right and his family’s pride. Joseph Byrne is Ned’s best friend, he will stand by his side through his battles, needing to do the right thing. Superintendent Francis Hare is the man charged with capturing the Kelly gang, he doesn’t want to hear the story, he just wants them gone. Julia Cook is an English woman that Ned was working for, she is one of the few that will help him seeing the good in his nature, but being held back by her own family.
Performances – Heath Ledger does a great job here showing how he wanted to break his pretty boy image, this performance makes this happen with ease. Orlando Bloom in the supporting role is strong without being truly great, while Geoffrey Rush feels wasted, with him being involved but not getting too much screen time, same goes for Naomi Watts, she just doesn’t get enough time to shine.
Story – The story here follows the innocent man that gets forced into become an outlaw who becomes the most wanted man in Australia. This story shows how settlers in other countries would always be unfairly targeted by the locals who saw them as threats, how people’s words could create outlaws because nobody would listen or understand the truths within a world. The story is only really told from Ned’s which will always make him look like the innocent man he was, but we do hear and see that most of the group have served time, so they might not be as innocent as they look (this is only from what the film shows, not what I know about the truth).
Action/Biopic/Western – The action is everything you would expect from a western, we have seen the shooting like always. The biopic does only show one side of the story and it does feel like there is more to tell.
Settings – The film utilises the location to show how Ned Kelly has to go into hiding and including the showdown.
Scene of the Movie – The showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does seem one sided.
Final Thoughts – This is a by the book biopic that showed one of the most famous outlaws in Australia, though it doesn’t seem to reach an intensity level that it could have.
Overall: Nice biopic.
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated the Nintendo Switch version of PuPaiPo Space Deluxe in Video Games
Jan 21, 2020
Quick Gameplay (2 more)
Challenging
Adorable design
A Fun Fast Game
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe is a fun, fast paced game in which you battle wave after wave of enemies, shooting and dodging in order to survive and continue to the next stage. Each stage has it's own unique design which come with their own unique looking NPC's for you to dodge and shoot.
From developers BolHut, who also made the challenging yet entertaining game 'You Died But A Necromancer Revived You', have brought their adorable sprites to Nintendo Switch once again with their remastered deluxe edition of their very first game PuPaiPo Space.
You have a choice of characters to play as such as a rocket man, a pink octopus, a wooden character and a star man (not their official names), and with the choice to gather your friends and all play at once, you can enjoy a challenging battle to find the legendary space pizza. So gather your friends for a fun head to head co-op and see who can get the highest score and reach the pizza first, or play solo and take every slice for yourself!
The bosses of this game are challenging and fun to battle, as each loss is a learning curve in order for the player to learn each bosses move set, so that the next time you face them you can beat them with ease. Each sprite whether it's a common NPC, a boss, or the player themselves, has it's own unique personality that makes each design stand out from one another on screen, meaning you shouldn't get lost whilst flying around the armada of bullets and rockets fired.
The backgrounds for each stage give every level it's own personality as well, as each one comes with it's own types of enemies from fish in the deep water levels, to the fiery asteroids and bombs of the space levels. This keeps the game play interesting as there isn't much you can do with a shoot and dodge game, so each stage has to feel fresh and BolHut have managed to do just that with their retro art style and unique designs.
Among the battlefield, you'll also come across a variety of cool little power-ups that will aid you in your quest for the space pizza, from bigger bullets, to faster bullets, to a simple shield that helps add a little extra life to your character as you do your best to dodge the incoming dangers.
Overall the game is a fun and fast paced experience that you can either jump into to kill some time, or set up for a group of friends and challenge one another to see who can reach the pizza. It looks amazing on the switch and the sprites are adorable and unique to BolHut's style. I hope this company continues to bring more games out onto the Nintendo Switch because their designs and game play are always challenging and unique, which allows them to stand out among the ever growing library of indie games on the market.
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe is available on PC and will be available on Nintendo Switch on Thursday 23rd January 2020, but is available to pre-order now at a discounted price. However, talking of price, the release price of this game is £3.99 and any game that's this fun for under £5 is worth every penny, so go get this game, select which character you like best, give them a name that's better than any of the names I've given them in this review and find that delicious space pizza!
From developers BolHut, who also made the challenging yet entertaining game 'You Died But A Necromancer Revived You', have brought their adorable sprites to Nintendo Switch once again with their remastered deluxe edition of their very first game PuPaiPo Space.
You have a choice of characters to play as such as a rocket man, a pink octopus, a wooden character and a star man (not their official names), and with the choice to gather your friends and all play at once, you can enjoy a challenging battle to find the legendary space pizza. So gather your friends for a fun head to head co-op and see who can get the highest score and reach the pizza first, or play solo and take every slice for yourself!
The bosses of this game are challenging and fun to battle, as each loss is a learning curve in order for the player to learn each bosses move set, so that the next time you face them you can beat them with ease. Each sprite whether it's a common NPC, a boss, or the player themselves, has it's own unique personality that makes each design stand out from one another on screen, meaning you shouldn't get lost whilst flying around the armada of bullets and rockets fired.
The backgrounds for each stage give every level it's own personality as well, as each one comes with it's own types of enemies from fish in the deep water levels, to the fiery asteroids and bombs of the space levels. This keeps the game play interesting as there isn't much you can do with a shoot and dodge game, so each stage has to feel fresh and BolHut have managed to do just that with their retro art style and unique designs.
Among the battlefield, you'll also come across a variety of cool little power-ups that will aid you in your quest for the space pizza, from bigger bullets, to faster bullets, to a simple shield that helps add a little extra life to your character as you do your best to dodge the incoming dangers.
Overall the game is a fun and fast paced experience that you can either jump into to kill some time, or set up for a group of friends and challenge one another to see who can reach the pizza. It looks amazing on the switch and the sprites are adorable and unique to BolHut's style. I hope this company continues to bring more games out onto the Nintendo Switch because their designs and game play are always challenging and unique, which allows them to stand out among the ever growing library of indie games on the market.
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe is available on PC and will be available on Nintendo Switch on Thursday 23rd January 2020, but is available to pre-order now at a discounted price. However, talking of price, the release price of this game is £3.99 and any game that's this fun for under £5 is worth every penny, so go get this game, select which character you like best, give them a name that's better than any of the names I've given them in this review and find that delicious space pizza!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Seeker (Seeker, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I was honestly excited to read Arwen Elys Dayton's <i>Seeker</i>, as the idea seemed very promising and the book is set in Scotland and Hong Kong – a rarity in books. Simply put, I thought this would actually go quite well.
Let's face it: Dayton does have talent. The setting of Scotland is richly detailed to the point where it's as though you're there; the book is action-packed, page-turning (in the first part), and intriguing; and the characters seem to be <i>extremely</i> well-developed.
But here's the conclusion: <i>Seeker</i> had a lot of potential to be an amazing book, but somehow, in the execution of the book, something must have exploded and went horribly wrong (because I wouldn't have DNF it if it were THAT good).
The first chapter went pretty well, aside from the hefty load of information about the characters, the setting, and whatnot. Personally I don't mind it that much as long as I don't feel like I'm reading a textbook and reading unnecessary information like a character's weight (unless it pertains to the story).
The second chapter though... I had thoughts of DNFing because throughout the most of the chapter (if not the entire chapter), John wouldn't stop yapping about how he's had a crush on Quin since he first arrived on the Kincaid estate in Scotland, and his desire for her, blah blah blah – all in all, John is quite cringe-cheesy in the romance department. I could have sworn at one point there was going to be a scene that I would feel very awkward reading about and would absolutely hightail out of the book with my tail between my legs as soon it happened.
<blockquote>But she and John had daydreamed about camping trips across the river, or rooms in an inn somewhere, someday, when they would finally be able to give themselves to each other.</blockquote>
And here's the nutshell version of what happens later: John fails, he gets kicked out of training by Briac Kincaid, there's a centuries old power struggle between "houses." As a result, John decides to attack the Kincaid estate just to get an athame and he and Quin aren't even allies when that happens. All of the characters go on their separate ways or died in the process of the attack and we don't hear any of them make a peep aside from the love triangle (Quin, John, and Shinobu) since forever. Then, when Quin gets to Hong Kong, she chooses to lose all of her memories and doesn't remember anything from the last fifteen to sixteen years, Shinobu makes a living by searching for artifacts in Victoria Harbor with a dude named Brian and they spend their money from that on "drug bars" and looking like gangsters. Then John makes an appearance in Hong Kong and makes an attempt to win Quin's heart back after shooting her in the chest and nearly killing her during the attack in Scotland.
Tell me that isn't a bit questionable, because between the end of Part 1, the Interlude and Part 2, my brain got horribly scrambled and I became overly puzzled.
Simply put, <i>Seeker</i> didn't turn out well – it crashed and burned.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-arc-review-seeker-by-arwen-elys-dayton/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I was honestly excited to read Arwen Elys Dayton's <i>Seeker</i>, as the idea seemed very promising and the book is set in Scotland and Hong Kong – a rarity in books. Simply put, I thought this would actually go quite well.
Let's face it: Dayton does have talent. The setting of Scotland is richly detailed to the point where it's as though you're there; the book is action-packed, page-turning (in the first part), and intriguing; and the characters seem to be <i>extremely</i> well-developed.
But here's the conclusion: <i>Seeker</i> had a lot of potential to be an amazing book, but somehow, in the execution of the book, something must have exploded and went horribly wrong (because I wouldn't have DNF it if it were THAT good).
The first chapter went pretty well, aside from the hefty load of information about the characters, the setting, and whatnot. Personally I don't mind it that much as long as I don't feel like I'm reading a textbook and reading unnecessary information like a character's weight (unless it pertains to the story).
The second chapter though... I had thoughts of DNFing because throughout the most of the chapter (if not the entire chapter), John wouldn't stop yapping about how he's had a crush on Quin since he first arrived on the Kincaid estate in Scotland, and his desire for her, blah blah blah – all in all, John is quite cringe-cheesy in the romance department. I could have sworn at one point there was going to be a scene that I would feel very awkward reading about and would absolutely hightail out of the book with my tail between my legs as soon it happened.
<blockquote>But she and John had daydreamed about camping trips across the river, or rooms in an inn somewhere, someday, when they would finally be able to give themselves to each other.</blockquote>
And here's the nutshell version of what happens later: John fails, he gets kicked out of training by Briac Kincaid, there's a centuries old power struggle between "houses." As a result, John decides to attack the Kincaid estate just to get an athame and he and Quin aren't even allies when that happens. All of the characters go on their separate ways or died in the process of the attack and we don't hear any of them make a peep aside from the love triangle (Quin, John, and Shinobu) since forever. Then, when Quin gets to Hong Kong, she chooses to lose all of her memories and doesn't remember anything from the last fifteen to sixteen years, Shinobu makes a living by searching for artifacts in Victoria Harbor with a dude named Brian and they spend their money from that on "drug bars" and looking like gangsters. Then John makes an appearance in Hong Kong and makes an attempt to win Quin's heart back after shooting her in the chest and nearly killing her during the attack in Scotland.
Tell me that isn't a bit questionable, because between the end of Part 1, the Interlude and Part 2, my brain got horribly scrambled and I became overly puzzled.
Simply put, <i>Seeker</i> didn't turn out well – it crashed and burned.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-arc-review-seeker-by-arwen-elys-dayton/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
JT (287 KP) rated Riddick (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
When are directors ever going to learn from their own mistakes. I mean you would think it was a no brainer really. Your first film is a hit, the sequel dies on its arse and the third instalment is a chance to right the wrongs and win back the fans – yet you’re not able to capitalise.
Riddick (Vin Diesel) has been left for dead… again, which is becoming something of a habit. This time stranded on a planet with practically no chance of survival. The opening twenty minutes almost plays out like an episode of Bear Grylls, as Riddick fends off an attack from a pack of rabid Alien like dingos, finds water and fixes a broken leg as only he can (causing some wincing from the audience).
This part is slow, although it still proves that Vin Diesel is worth the entrance fee if he’s able to hold the attention on his own for this long. All this messing about tries to set up the film on some kind of narrative, cutting back to how Riddick ended up in this predicament in the first place. Vin Diesel’s character has his Fuyran backstory elaborated further and how he was betrayed and left for dead on the rock we find him on which, incidentally, he thought was his home planet of Fuyra but as he puts it “not Fuyra!”
After the one man show the film moves into overdrive as two teams of bounty hunters descend to take Riddick’s head back in a box. This begins about forty-five minutes of awful one liners and total blatant sexism. The characters are mismatched and none that you really care about. When you suddenly get immersed in the action you get a sense of deja vu taking you back to Predator and Aliens, as the team of crack shots get picked off one by one.
The action is alright but it’s nothing special. The overall shooting of the film isn’t enhanced by the fact it’s all done in front of a green screen.
There are plenty of plot holes and Twohy has to result in pinching a sub plot from Pitch Black as the character Johns (senior in this case) becomes an all too familiar figure. Fans of the original will know what I’m talking about. This does little to enhance the film and is just a glorified way to salvage something that really hasn’t been good from the outset. What made Pitch Black so revering was the fact that we knew nothing about Riddick, he was just there for the ride.
In this we know far too much about him, and personally I didn’t really want to. I liked him how he was, a dark entity with issues and whether or not he was the type of person that you could trust? Perhaps the biggest shock and something of an annoyance was the blatant sexism on show for poor Katee Sackhoff. Clearly a sexy on screen presence she spends most of her time fending off advances from Jordi Mollà’s Santana.
The final act is almost a par with the end of Pitch Black as Riddick and the remaining crew fend off a mass attack from those scorpion like atrocities that we met at the start. Riddick is a step down not up for the franchise and it’s a bit of a misguided mess with a poor script and sexist dialogue. If they even attempt to think of returning for a fourth then they’re going to have to re-shine their eyeballs so they can see more clearly.
Riddick (Vin Diesel) has been left for dead… again, which is becoming something of a habit. This time stranded on a planet with practically no chance of survival. The opening twenty minutes almost plays out like an episode of Bear Grylls, as Riddick fends off an attack from a pack of rabid Alien like dingos, finds water and fixes a broken leg as only he can (causing some wincing from the audience).
This part is slow, although it still proves that Vin Diesel is worth the entrance fee if he’s able to hold the attention on his own for this long. All this messing about tries to set up the film on some kind of narrative, cutting back to how Riddick ended up in this predicament in the first place. Vin Diesel’s character has his Fuyran backstory elaborated further and how he was betrayed and left for dead on the rock we find him on which, incidentally, he thought was his home planet of Fuyra but as he puts it “not Fuyra!”
After the one man show the film moves into overdrive as two teams of bounty hunters descend to take Riddick’s head back in a box. This begins about forty-five minutes of awful one liners and total blatant sexism. The characters are mismatched and none that you really care about. When you suddenly get immersed in the action you get a sense of deja vu taking you back to Predator and Aliens, as the team of crack shots get picked off one by one.
The action is alright but it’s nothing special. The overall shooting of the film isn’t enhanced by the fact it’s all done in front of a green screen.
There are plenty of plot holes and Twohy has to result in pinching a sub plot from Pitch Black as the character Johns (senior in this case) becomes an all too familiar figure. Fans of the original will know what I’m talking about. This does little to enhance the film and is just a glorified way to salvage something that really hasn’t been good from the outset. What made Pitch Black so revering was the fact that we knew nothing about Riddick, he was just there for the ride.
In this we know far too much about him, and personally I didn’t really want to. I liked him how he was, a dark entity with issues and whether or not he was the type of person that you could trust? Perhaps the biggest shock and something of an annoyance was the blatant sexism on show for poor Katee Sackhoff. Clearly a sexy on screen presence she spends most of her time fending off advances from Jordi Mollà’s Santana.
The final act is almost a par with the end of Pitch Black as Riddick and the remaining crew fend off a mass attack from those scorpion like atrocities that we met at the start. Riddick is a step down not up for the franchise and it’s a bit of a misguided mess with a poor script and sexist dialogue. If they even attempt to think of returning for a fourth then they’re going to have to re-shine their eyeballs so they can see more clearly.
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Resident Evil 3 (Remake) in Video Games
Apr 10, 2020
Nemesis. Oh, Nemesis. (1 more)
An action focused plot works more for Jill's experience in Racoon City.
Unbelievably short campaign. (2 more)
Cut corners for both the narrative and Nemesis.
Feels like downloadable content for RE2.
Nemesis of their own making.
RE3 is an enigma. After last years remake for RE2, I think the bar was set very high for RE3 to be on par, if not even better due to the introduction of the ultimate weapon in Nemesis. And although the action is amped up significantly, the horror is still here in buckets. So, this is another Resident Evil classic, revamped from the ground up, a classic for the current generation, right?
No, not in the slightest.
RE3 feels rushed, as if Capcom listened to fans begging for their next slice of nostalgia, and wanted to capitalise on the success of RE2. While RE2 felt like a continuous flow of Leon/Claire's story, RE3 feels like segments, all separated within cutscenes. This is more evident when you keep flitting between Jill and Carlos, both of whom don't have as much charisma or emotional weight as Claire or Leon. The opening is a blast of adrenaline and bullets, all contained within the beautifully burning remains of Racoon City. There is just enough exploration, puzzles and zombies to keep you satisfied. That is until Nemesis enters the game. As soon as the indestructible behemoth appears for a second time, the cat and mouse chase begins. Reminiscent of Mr X but on steroids, he simply never lets up, constantly on your back, looking to kill Jill whatever it takes. It's utterly relentless, thrilling, heart-pounding. This section was everything I expected RE3 to be.
Then everything collapsed under sections of nothing more than point and shoot. I know, this is RE, but the fear feels drained from the experience. Nemesis himself becomes a background character, simply added to the story just for boss battles. His pursuit of Jill doesn't feel spontaneous, but scripted, exactly the opposite of Mr X. The realisation of how disappointed I felt towards RE3 was when I discovered sections of the game were simply reused from RE2. The creativity that went into RE2 was so meticulous, crafted and positioned for the players experience. When I entered the Police Station with Carlos, a mass onslaught of zombies gathered in one section, only meant for me to rain bullets upon them. And this is the issue with the entire experience. Its nothing more than a five hour storm of sections of shooting monsters.
I do hate this game though. RE3 is fun, and anything remotely like last years experience I will play and enjoy. The story of Jill's residency in Racoon City being turned upside down over the space of a few days is excellent, and the new sections are all well fleshed out and great to explore, especially Racoon City and the Hospital. Its extremely short, and for a full retail price I think its absolutely scandalous, but there's so much replay value here.
If I had to end the review here, I want to end it on a message solely centred at Capcom. Why, in the name of God did you focus your time on the multiplayer mode, Resistance, rather than properly making RE3 a full experience? The past tells you Resident Evil doesn't work well mixed with multiplayer. For as much fun I had within my four hours and thirty two minute playthrough, this game is nothing more than DLC for RE2. And that hurts.
No, not in the slightest.
RE3 feels rushed, as if Capcom listened to fans begging for their next slice of nostalgia, and wanted to capitalise on the success of RE2. While RE2 felt like a continuous flow of Leon/Claire's story, RE3 feels like segments, all separated within cutscenes. This is more evident when you keep flitting between Jill and Carlos, both of whom don't have as much charisma or emotional weight as Claire or Leon. The opening is a blast of adrenaline and bullets, all contained within the beautifully burning remains of Racoon City. There is just enough exploration, puzzles and zombies to keep you satisfied. That is until Nemesis enters the game. As soon as the indestructible behemoth appears for a second time, the cat and mouse chase begins. Reminiscent of Mr X but on steroids, he simply never lets up, constantly on your back, looking to kill Jill whatever it takes. It's utterly relentless, thrilling, heart-pounding. This section was everything I expected RE3 to be.
Then everything collapsed under sections of nothing more than point and shoot. I know, this is RE, but the fear feels drained from the experience. Nemesis himself becomes a background character, simply added to the story just for boss battles. His pursuit of Jill doesn't feel spontaneous, but scripted, exactly the opposite of Mr X. The realisation of how disappointed I felt towards RE3 was when I discovered sections of the game were simply reused from RE2. The creativity that went into RE2 was so meticulous, crafted and positioned for the players experience. When I entered the Police Station with Carlos, a mass onslaught of zombies gathered in one section, only meant for me to rain bullets upon them. And this is the issue with the entire experience. Its nothing more than a five hour storm of sections of shooting monsters.
I do hate this game though. RE3 is fun, and anything remotely like last years experience I will play and enjoy. The story of Jill's residency in Racoon City being turned upside down over the space of a few days is excellent, and the new sections are all well fleshed out and great to explore, especially Racoon City and the Hospital. Its extremely short, and for a full retail price I think its absolutely scandalous, but there's so much replay value here.
If I had to end the review here, I want to end it on a message solely centred at Capcom. Why, in the name of God did you focus your time on the multiplayer mode, Resistance, rather than properly making RE3 a full experience? The past tells you Resident Evil doesn't work well mixed with multiplayer. For as much fun I had within my four hours and thirty two minute playthrough, this game is nothing more than DLC for RE2. And that hurts.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Snitch (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
I’m a huge fan of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. His wrestling persona is
extremely entertaining and he’s a pretty decent actor. He did good with this movie but it wasn’t enough.
The premise of the movie is based on ‘true events’ (whatever that
means), it’s more about a law that’s real in our country right now, I’ll get in to that later.
There are a lot of characters so stick with me. The Rock plays John
Matthews, he owns his own construction business. He has an ex-wife, Sylvie Collins played by Melina Kanakaredes, and a current wife, Analisa played by Nadine Velazquez.
Johnand Analisa
have a daughter Isabella and he has a son with Sylvie, Jason Collins played by Rafi Gavron. The other major players are Barry Pepper who plays undercover DEA agent Cooper; Susan Sarandon who plays Joanne Keeghan a US Attorney; Jon Bernthal
who plays Daniel James an ex-con trying to get his life back together; Michael Kenneth Williams who plays Malik, a drug dealer; and Benjamin Bratt who plays Cartel leader Juan Carlos. Out of all of these, I liked Daniel, Agent Cooper, John Matthews, Malik and
Joanne Keeghan, in that order.
The law the movie is based on is about mandatory minimums. If you are
holding and it’s enough to distribute then you go to jail. The length of your jail time is based on how
much you are holding when you’re caught. In this case, Jason, who is 18 and still in high
school, is set up by his ‘best friend’. This friend sends him a huge bag of ecstasy against Jason’s wishes.
When the package arrives Jason gets caught because it’s a
sting. His jail time based on the amount of ecstasy is ten years in a prison that holds murderers, rapist and violent criminals.
The movie starts excruciatingly slow, the real action doesn’t start until
almost halfway through, or at least it felt like it. It’s good once you get there but I wasn’t really into
the people in it/living it. I kept thinking of the actors as themselves not the characters
they were playing, even the ones I liked. There were too many close ups and‘in action’ scenes that involved someone with a camera running or walking next to the actor.
I getthat it was to try and build apprehension and anxiety but it was more annoying and kept pulling me out of the story so I couldn’t connect emotionally with the characters.
I didn’t believe the union between John and Analisa or that there had been one with Sylvie, there was no familiarity and I didn’t believe the love or tension between them.
John was a business man who’s never seen action so he’s kind of a wuss, but it’s the Rock, a huge tall muscle-y intense looking guy. Whenever he flinched I kept waiting for him to kick ass but he never does.
Then in another scene he’s magically badass, shooting
a shotgun one handed out of the window of a semi-truck he’s driving.
The movie was more about showing people this heinous law then entertainingus. I don’t like that, it’s not why I go to movies. The only saving grace would have been if it had been really entertaining but it was only mildly entertaining at best.
I’d say rent it if you like the Rock or if you’re curious, it wouldn’t be too much of a waste of your time but
definitely don’t waste your money in a theatre.
extremely entertaining and he’s a pretty decent actor. He did good with this movie but it wasn’t enough.
The premise of the movie is based on ‘true events’ (whatever that
means), it’s more about a law that’s real in our country right now, I’ll get in to that later.
There are a lot of characters so stick with me. The Rock plays John
Matthews, he owns his own construction business. He has an ex-wife, Sylvie Collins played by Melina Kanakaredes, and a current wife, Analisa played by Nadine Velazquez.
Johnand Analisa
have a daughter Isabella and he has a son with Sylvie, Jason Collins played by Rafi Gavron. The other major players are Barry Pepper who plays undercover DEA agent Cooper; Susan Sarandon who plays Joanne Keeghan a US Attorney; Jon Bernthal
who plays Daniel James an ex-con trying to get his life back together; Michael Kenneth Williams who plays Malik, a drug dealer; and Benjamin Bratt who plays Cartel leader Juan Carlos. Out of all of these, I liked Daniel, Agent Cooper, John Matthews, Malik and
Joanne Keeghan, in that order.
The law the movie is based on is about mandatory minimums. If you are
holding and it’s enough to distribute then you go to jail. The length of your jail time is based on how
much you are holding when you’re caught. In this case, Jason, who is 18 and still in high
school, is set up by his ‘best friend’. This friend sends him a huge bag of ecstasy against Jason’s wishes.
When the package arrives Jason gets caught because it’s a
sting. His jail time based on the amount of ecstasy is ten years in a prison that holds murderers, rapist and violent criminals.
The movie starts excruciatingly slow, the real action doesn’t start until
almost halfway through, or at least it felt like it. It’s good once you get there but I wasn’t really into
the people in it/living it. I kept thinking of the actors as themselves not the characters
they were playing, even the ones I liked. There were too many close ups and‘in action’ scenes that involved someone with a camera running or walking next to the actor.
I getthat it was to try and build apprehension and anxiety but it was more annoying and kept pulling me out of the story so I couldn’t connect emotionally with the characters.
I didn’t believe the union between John and Analisa or that there had been one with Sylvie, there was no familiarity and I didn’t believe the love or tension between them.
John was a business man who’s never seen action so he’s kind of a wuss, but it’s the Rock, a huge tall muscle-y intense looking guy. Whenever he flinched I kept waiting for him to kick ass but he never does.
Then in another scene he’s magically badass, shooting
a shotgun one handed out of the window of a semi-truck he’s driving.
The movie was more about showing people this heinous law then entertainingus. I don’t like that, it’s not why I go to movies. The only saving grace would have been if it had been really entertaining but it was only mildly entertaining at best.
I’d say rent it if you like the Rock or if you’re curious, it wouldn’t be too much of a waste of your time but
definitely don’t waste your money in a theatre.
J.K. Simmons recommended Juno (2007) in Movies (curated)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Cursed (2005) in Movies
Sep 18, 2020
the cgi (2 more)
production problems
PG-13 not R
Hollywood's Own Werewolves
Cursed- could of been better. It had a good young cast of people. Just the movie itself was so-so. The cgi/visual effects were bad, like really bad. So bad it made the movie bad.
The only thing making this film good is its young cast and the horror.
The plot: In Los Angeles, siblings Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) come across an accident on Mulholland Drive. As they try to help the woman caught in the wreckage, a ferocious creature attacks them, devouring the woman and scratching the terrified siblings. They slowly discover that the creature was a werewolf and that they have fallen victim to a deadly curse. Now that they have been sliced by the werewolf's claws, they will be transformed into werewolves themselves.
Originally planned for 2003, the film is a notable example of development hell, taking over two more years to be made than originally planned, during which producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein kept asking for reshoots and changes to the plot, re-edited the movie to give a PG-13 rating rather than the original intended R-rating, and fired legendary makeup artist Rick Baker to replace the werewolves he had created with computer-generated ones.
The film was a box-office failure and was panned by critics; Craven himself was very displeased with the final result.
The set used for the high school is Torrance High School, the same used for Sunnydale High on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and West Beverly High on Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spin-off 90210.
However, the film soon suffered numerous production and script issues and was postponed for over a year. While production was stalled, several cast members had to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts with other films. When the movie was rewritten and reshot, many cast members had been cut entirely, including Skeet Ulrich, Mandy Moore, Omar Epps, Illeana Douglas, Heather Langenkamp, Scott Foley, Robert Forster, and Corey Feldman.
Only about 90% of the original version was filmed, leaving the original ending unfilmed. Although, while filming the original version, producer Bob Weinstein told Wes Craven he was happy with the film, he later changed his opinion and ordered for the movie to be reshot with a new plot. After massive reshoots which included filming a new ending, Weinstein told Craven he didn't like the new ending, leading to another ending where Jake attacks Ellie and Jimmy in their home, despite some incoherence with the rest of the film.
In the fall of 2004, Dimension cut the film to a PG-13 rating instead of the planned R rating. Speaking to the New York Post, Wes Craven commented, "The contract called for us to make an R-rated film. We did. It was a very difficult process. Then it was basically taken away from us and cut to PG-13 and ruined. It was two years of very difficult work and almost 100 days of shooting of various versions. Then at the very end, it was chopped up and the studio thought they could make more with a PG-13 movie, and trashed it ... I thought it was completely disrespectful, and it hurt them too, and it was like they shot themselves in the foot with a shotgun.
Its a decent movie.
The only thing making this film good is its young cast and the horror.
The plot: In Los Angeles, siblings Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) come across an accident on Mulholland Drive. As they try to help the woman caught in the wreckage, a ferocious creature attacks them, devouring the woman and scratching the terrified siblings. They slowly discover that the creature was a werewolf and that they have fallen victim to a deadly curse. Now that they have been sliced by the werewolf's claws, they will be transformed into werewolves themselves.
Originally planned for 2003, the film is a notable example of development hell, taking over two more years to be made than originally planned, during which producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein kept asking for reshoots and changes to the plot, re-edited the movie to give a PG-13 rating rather than the original intended R-rating, and fired legendary makeup artist Rick Baker to replace the werewolves he had created with computer-generated ones.
The film was a box-office failure and was panned by critics; Craven himself was very displeased with the final result.
The set used for the high school is Torrance High School, the same used for Sunnydale High on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and West Beverly High on Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spin-off 90210.
However, the film soon suffered numerous production and script issues and was postponed for over a year. While production was stalled, several cast members had to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts with other films. When the movie was rewritten and reshot, many cast members had been cut entirely, including Skeet Ulrich, Mandy Moore, Omar Epps, Illeana Douglas, Heather Langenkamp, Scott Foley, Robert Forster, and Corey Feldman.
Only about 90% of the original version was filmed, leaving the original ending unfilmed. Although, while filming the original version, producer Bob Weinstein told Wes Craven he was happy with the film, he later changed his opinion and ordered for the movie to be reshot with a new plot. After massive reshoots which included filming a new ending, Weinstein told Craven he didn't like the new ending, leading to another ending where Jake attacks Ellie and Jimmy in their home, despite some incoherence with the rest of the film.
In the fall of 2004, Dimension cut the film to a PG-13 rating instead of the planned R rating. Speaking to the New York Post, Wes Craven commented, "The contract called for us to make an R-rated film. We did. It was a very difficult process. Then it was basically taken away from us and cut to PG-13 and ruined. It was two years of very difficult work and almost 100 days of shooting of various versions. Then at the very end, it was chopped up and the studio thought they could make more with a PG-13 movie, and trashed it ... I thought it was completely disrespectful, and it hurt them too, and it was like they shot themselves in the foot with a shotgun.
Its a decent movie.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Memento (2000) in Movies
Nov 29, 2020
One of my favourite films
Film #5 on the 100 Movies Bucket List: Memento
I have to admit, I may be a little biased when it comes to Memento. Christopher Nolan is my favourite director and Memento is both one of my favourite films of his and one of my favourite films of all time. For me, this undoubtedly deserves its place on this bucket list.
Memento is a 2000 psychological thriller starring Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man suffering from anterograde amnesia searching for the person responsible for the death of his wife, using notes and tattoos to organise his thoughts.
One of the most noticeable features of Memento is the fact that half of the narrative is told backwards. The movie begins at the end, focusing on a rather gruesome Polaroid photograph that fades rather than develops and a victim of a shooting coming back to life. The rest of the film jumps backwards a few minutes at a time, each scene ending where the last one started. For a film about memory loss and amnesia, this mechanism of telling the story really helps put us in Leonard’s shoes. It makes you feel as confused as he is. On the original dvd release, there was a hidden feature that allowed you to play the film in chronological order and this just didn’t have the same impact. These reverse scenes are interspersed with black and white flashbacks of Leonard earlier in his wife’s murder investigation and his life as an insurance investigator, which really help with the exposition. These paired together alongside a haunting score make for an intriguing and not your run of the mill murder mystery.
There are some great performances in this that also help increase the intrigue. Carrie-Anne Moss as the apparently helpful Natalie and Joe Pantoliano as the questionable sidekick appear new to Leonard every time they meet yet their loyalties and motives waver for us as the viewers throughout the film. And Guy Pearce manages to portray the frustrated and not as innocent as he first appears Leonard incredibly well, and holds this film on his own for most of the run time. They’re helped by a clever and smart script that flawlessly blends the sinister and rather dark criminal aspects of this with some surprisingly funny lines.
This story starts at the end so you don’t have to worry about how it turns out, but despite this Memento still comes up with a rather cracking twist and denouement. This entire film is about time and memory and how unreliable it is, and the lies we tell ourselves about our own identities. Even during this, what we thought we knew about Leonard as the black and white flashback meets the backwards story, is revealed to be completely unreliable and quite shocking. Without revealing too much, the outcome of this film is both surprising, sinister and rather emotional, and features some of the best dialogue of the entire movie. Leonard’s actions and motives revealed here and the final voiceover as he drives off makes for a hugely satisfying ending.
I first watched Memento in a psychology class at college around 17 years ago. I loved it then and in the years since, it hasn’t lost its appeal. Watching it back now still evokes the same emotion and feelings when the credits roll as it did all those years ago and will always be one of my favourite films, even possibly my all time favourite.
I have to admit, I may be a little biased when it comes to Memento. Christopher Nolan is my favourite director and Memento is both one of my favourite films of his and one of my favourite films of all time. For me, this undoubtedly deserves its place on this bucket list.
Memento is a 2000 psychological thriller starring Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man suffering from anterograde amnesia searching for the person responsible for the death of his wife, using notes and tattoos to organise his thoughts.
One of the most noticeable features of Memento is the fact that half of the narrative is told backwards. The movie begins at the end, focusing on a rather gruesome Polaroid photograph that fades rather than develops and a victim of a shooting coming back to life. The rest of the film jumps backwards a few minutes at a time, each scene ending where the last one started. For a film about memory loss and amnesia, this mechanism of telling the story really helps put us in Leonard’s shoes. It makes you feel as confused as he is. On the original dvd release, there was a hidden feature that allowed you to play the film in chronological order and this just didn’t have the same impact. These reverse scenes are interspersed with black and white flashbacks of Leonard earlier in his wife’s murder investigation and his life as an insurance investigator, which really help with the exposition. These paired together alongside a haunting score make for an intriguing and not your run of the mill murder mystery.
There are some great performances in this that also help increase the intrigue. Carrie-Anne Moss as the apparently helpful Natalie and Joe Pantoliano as the questionable sidekick appear new to Leonard every time they meet yet their loyalties and motives waver for us as the viewers throughout the film. And Guy Pearce manages to portray the frustrated and not as innocent as he first appears Leonard incredibly well, and holds this film on his own for most of the run time. They’re helped by a clever and smart script that flawlessly blends the sinister and rather dark criminal aspects of this with some surprisingly funny lines.
This story starts at the end so you don’t have to worry about how it turns out, but despite this Memento still comes up with a rather cracking twist and denouement. This entire film is about time and memory and how unreliable it is, and the lies we tell ourselves about our own identities. Even during this, what we thought we knew about Leonard as the black and white flashback meets the backwards story, is revealed to be completely unreliable and quite shocking. Without revealing too much, the outcome of this film is both surprising, sinister and rather emotional, and features some of the best dialogue of the entire movie. Leonard’s actions and motives revealed here and the final voiceover as he drives off makes for a hugely satisfying ending.
I first watched Memento in a psychology class at college around 17 years ago. I loved it then and in the years since, it hasn’t lost its appeal. Watching it back now still evokes the same emotion and feelings when the credits roll as it did all those years ago and will always be one of my favourite films, even possibly my all time favourite.
