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Gerard's Beauty (Kingdom, #2)
Gerard's Beauty (Kingdom, #2)
Marie Hall | 2012
7
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Beauty and the beast with a twist
A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...

Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on ...

The second book in the Kingdom series and for a short read it was pretty good. I enjoy Marie Halls take on the beloved fairy tales bringing them up to date with a bit of spice. Gerard's beauty is a spin on beauty and the beast but with a bit of a twist. An easy but fun read!
  
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
This movie.... Was.... *sigh* such a letdown. I wanted to like this movie so much. Iron Ma-- I mean, Spider-man was pretty good in this film. But it felt like a teenage romcom/road-trip movie and a superhero movie thrown together. It was like eating my favorite appetizer dipped in ice-cream.... Yuck. I thought that Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was probably the best. And as a villain he was one that we had seen at least four times before. Also, this is the second Spider-Man movie in a row where we didn't get a Spider-Man villain, we got an Iron Man villain who takes it out on Peter. Boo.
  
Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
2016 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Ryan reynolds (3 more)
Gags
Characters
The real deadpool
Too short (1 more)
Not enough crossover
Can the real Wade Wilson please stand up!
After X-Men origins I was worried when this announced as Deadpool had already been muted by Fox. Although after seeing the test footage and reading an early draft of the script I couldn't have been more excited.

This film does a really good job of introducing the character without a straight up origin story. The film is very short but the fast pace keeps you engaged and the jokes keep coming from the first second to the last.

It's one of the best superhero movies outside the MCU and better than some that are in it.
  
Brightburn (2019)
Brightburn (2019)
2019 | Horror
Meh
I was expecting so much from this movie and it didn't pay off. I thought this was going to be about "what if superman was a normal kid who got bullied and so used his new found powers for revenge." Instead we got "strange psycho alien kid who used to be completely normal and now he is insane because reasons." Not gonna lie, the gore was slightly entertaining, but the kid actor was off-putting; and not in a horror movie kind of way.
The concept of the movie had the potential to be something special and give something different to the superhero genre, but instead we got another hash of "The Omen" movies.
  
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
2022 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Great SFX (1 more)
Funny in places
No real sense of danger or drama (1 more)
Tries too hard for laughs
Thor The Comedy
Another fun and very lighthearted Thor film. There are some good action scenes and good to see Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor. Christian Bale does well in his role and steals all his scenes. It is funny with the typical humour of Guardians of the Galaxy and the last Thor film.
Unfortunately it just tries to be funny constantly, almost every scene and some of it just becomes a bit silly. Making it more of a comedy than a Superhero film. Still enjoyable but needs a better balance like Ragnarok to hit the mark.
  
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Big Hero 6 (2014)
2014 | Animation, Family
Phenomenal
Big Hero 6 sits on top for me as probably the best under-the-radar film of all-time. No one talks about it or really brings it up. Anytime I mention its greatness, I get the typical response: “Well, yeah, I guess it was kind of awesome.” Not only is it one of the best under-the-radar films, but it’s the best film I have reviewed so far. Disagree all you want, but hear me out on my argument.

Set in the swanky, futuristic city of San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 is the story of how young Hiro Hamada develops an unlikely friendship with his brother’s marshmallow-esque robot Baymax and they form an unlikely superhero team.

Acting: 10
Each voice actor does an excellent job capturing the essence of their character. Strong, emotional moments suck you into the film and keep you invested. As in most Disney films, there are no weaknesses from an acting standpoint. Damon Wayans Jr. was my personal favorite playing the role of Wasabi one of Hiro’s friends. He doesn’t dominate the scenes that he stars in, but definitely manages to make the most of his lines.

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animations are beautiful and crisp. The opening scene provides a breathtaking view of the city of San Fransokyo. Building lights pop against the night sky. Bay waters glimmer. Attention to detail is exquisite. There is one scene where Hiro and Baymax are falling through an open window in slow-motion. Bushes below rustle while glass flies past them. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it’s a testament to the solid work that went into the animation of this film.

The powers the team displayed added to the film’s visual prowess. I loved watching Fred breathe fire in his awful (and also hilarious) superhero costume. Their powers and team-ups made for some stunning battles against a unique villain.

Conflict: 10
I am amazed at the balance of story and action as a film typically has to sacrifice one over the other. Even during their earlier training phases, the action is both consistent and non-stop. It fills the entire landscape of the screen. From battles to car chases to harrowing escapes, Big Hero 6 establishes and maintains a high level of intensity.

Genre: 10
Not only does this film establish itself as one of the best animated films ever done, but it’s also one of the best superhero films ever made. The fact that it excels in both genres just speaks of the film’s overall greatness. I expected to like it, but I never expected to love it. Big Hero 6 is easily in the same class as The Incredibles.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10

Plot: 10

Resolution: 10
The ending is perfect. Sappy, yet believable. Great wrap-up of a great movie.

Overall: 100
A great family film with solid superhero action and a fun, meaningful story you can get behind. What more do you need? Loved this movie.