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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Polar (2019) in Movies

Feb 7, 2019 (Updated Feb 7, 2019)  
Polar (2019)
Polar (2019)
2019 | Action, Crime
Mads Mikkelsen (0 more)
Everything Else (0 more)
Extremely Polarizing
Wow, what a train wreck this turned out to be..


Think diet John Wick meets an immature, garish comic book full of pantomime villains and you have Polar. Sometimes you see a movie and can't help but wonder, "What the hell were they thinking?" Unfortunately this is one of those times. There are folks out there that have crafted a solid script and are struggling to get their movie funded and made, meanwhile there is low level trash like this being paid for and distributed by a huge platform like Netflix?! It is an outrageous and pretty sad state of affairs.

Without a doubt the worst part of this thing is the god awful assortment of villains. They are so annoying and infuriating in every scene they are in and only get worse as the movie goes on. Half the movie is spent following this massively irritating group as they hunt for Mads Mikkelsen's character and they are so unlikable, but not in the way that they are supposed to be. They all work for the main villain, who is inexplicably played by Matt Lucas from Little Britain. That's right, Vicky Pollard is this movie's main antagonist. He is god awful here and I genuinely don't even know what they were attempting to do with this character. Every scene that he is in feels like a discarded Little Britain sketch.

The one bright spot in the film is Mads Mikkelsen's turn as Duncan, the ex-hitman being hunted throughout the film by his ex-employers who serves as our main protagonist. I love seeing Mads in anything he appears in, so I actually found the scenes with him in them pretty enjoyable, and frankly they were the only thing that stopped this movie from being scored a pathetic 1/10.

Overall, this is total mess. It is the worst type of comic book movie and doesn't seem appealing to anyone over the age of 12. Please don't waste your time with this garbage, there are much better movies out there based on graphic novels that don't only cater to horny, brain-dead teenagers.
  
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Andy K (10821 KP) Feb 7, 2019

Studios will continue to dump their crap on Netflix as long as they continue to buy.

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Amailen (1 KP) Feb 11, 2019

Train wreck is the perfect phrase for this movie! I kept waiting for it to get good, but then there was another boob..

Testimony. Anita Shreve
Testimony. Anita Shreve
6
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The idea of the plot (0 more)
The writing is interesting, but a bit difficult to get into (0 more)
An Interesting Novel
What the 'Blurb' says:

'At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voice -- those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal -- that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

A gripping emotional drama with the pace of a thriller, Anita Shreve's Testimony explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.'

My Thoughts:

This novel is set in a prestigious private school in America, where a sex tape involving some of the pupils is found by the principal. What follows, are the after effects of such a scandal.

It actually took me over 100 pages to get into this story, mostly because of the way it was written. This shifts from different character perspectives and has very different writing styles too, so I really found it difficult to settle into this book.

I almost DNF'ed this book actually, because for quite a lot of the novel, there seemed to be a lot of negativity towards the female participant of the sex tape and the men weren't seen to be as responsible as the woman involved. Whilst the female 'victim' isn't a nice character and she is just as much to blame as the others, I was surprised that, because the writer of this book is female, that she chose to focus the blame more on her, than the men. I think that it could have been more balanced.

However, I admit that this did level out as the plot unfolded.

This book wasn't plot driven, but I think it is a good examination of the problems of teen sex and alcohol abuse. This was an interesting read.

My Rating ***
  
The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
1985 | Comedy, Drama
Classic 80's
Five teenagers form a bond while dealing with their personal issues during Saturday detention.

Acting: 10


Beginning: 7
The Breakfast Club gets off to a decent start as you're introduced to all the players, quickly getting a small taste of each of their personalities. Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) gets off to a roaring start where you come to hate him fairly quickly. The first ten minutes was enough to make me want to learn more about each of these characters and what in the world landed them in detention in the first place.

Characters: 10
All six of the primary characters had a solid foundation with their own personal story that made them unique. It fleshes out the idea that you never know what people are going through no matter how great their life must seem. Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez) was the star wrestler and one of the most popular kids at his school. On the surface, he seemed to have it all together but ultimately he was suppressed by the desire to make his father happy. The characters all had their own story that defined them.

I appreciate that each of the characters had their share of flaws as well. I found myself hating them and loving them at the same time, sometimes with only a few minutes in between. It's the mark of real, well-developed characters you can actually get behind.

Cinematography/Visuals: 7

Conflict: 10

Genre: 8
What are we calling this? Comedy? Drama? 80's film? While it certainly has its share of funny moments, I would consider it more of a drama. As dramas go, particularly 80's dramas, I think the film ranks right up there as a solid one that provides its share of conflict and depth.

Memorability: 9

Pace: 10

Plot: 9

Resolution: 5

Overall: 85
While The Breakfast Club hit me with the typical 80's vibe, it steps it up a notch by hitting you with serious issues to chew on. There are real moments here that leave an impact.
  
To Die in Spring
To Die in Spring
Shaun Whiteside, Ralf Rothmann | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Let me start this review with this: <b>I cried on the train because of this novel.</b>

Towards the end of WWII, the Russians and the Americans were closing in and Germany were desperate. Boys, as young as 8 !!, were being forced into becoming soldiers and pushed to the front to fight for a country that were losing, brutally. Thousands of children’s lives were lost.

In this book we meet Walter and Fiete, both young men, aged 17, who are forced into becoming SS soldiers. They are best friends, but they’re very different. Walter is reserved and respectful, Fiete is loud, sarcastic and happy to voice his opinion on what he thinks of the war. Unfortunately, Fiete gets pushed on the front line, fighting a war he thinks is idiotic, so he attempts to desert. Deserters get executed by their own men.

This novel is so beautiful yet so horrible. You can’t really think of this novel as fiction when you know the contents within probably happened to thousands of teenagers. It’s so distressing when you think about how people were treated and how they lived during the war and this book represents it perfectly.

Reading this book, the fear and melancholy of being a soldier fighting a losing battle creeps through your bones. You’re there, stuck in a rotting basement, scared of death yet willing it on, just to get out. I applaud Rothmann for making those feelings so real in me… A young woman, sat on her train going into another day of work, of safety, but with goosebumps, because in her mind, she’s stuck outside in the cold, desperately trying to find a hiding place from the American war planes flying over.

This novel is an emotionally charged story about the brutality of war and the awful things young men were forced to do, just to have their pathetic Fuhrer shamefully kill himself and the battle be lost. I urge any person who likes to read war books, to read this one. The writing is stunning, the characters are real, and the story is harrowing.

<i>Thanks to Picador Books for providing me with an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>
  
This book was provided as a complimentary and signed copy from the author, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to review another piece of writing by this talented author.

The story is told by Bullheaded Black, the horse of Alexander the Great, or Alex as the horse calls him. It covers the basic history of the life and triumphs of Alexander from a young boy and even includes some overarching history to help the reader grasp the overall history of the era and the other ancient peoples involved in the tale.

I have always been taught to be honest, and that is exactly what I will do, I felt this style of writing, at times, oversimplified the history. Now, I think I find that less appealing as I am an avid reader of history books of a much more detailed level, however, for the target audience, I feel it was pitched quite well. The history covered is interestingly put to the reader and is well described in context, which I think helps you absorb more of the history.

It was quite slow to get going, and never really gained a great pace, however I would find this very useful as a classroom text to introduce this era of history to any child over about 7 years old as it is at a level that they could understand. Also, the novelty of using the horse to tell the story is something that I feel would appeal to the intended audience, perhaps a little more than it did to me!

Overall, this is a good book for younger children and teenagers to learn about history in a fun and interesting way. It is written in a very different style to the author's other works I have read, which only goes to show his versatility in writing for the adult and children's market! Despite the apparently low rating, 3 stars means I liked it, and I would recommend it to younger readers, and to my teaching friends who are looking for some interesting historical fiction to assist their own knowledge, and to engage the children in a fantastic era of history.
  
Day 21 (The Hundred, #2)
Day 21 (The Hundred, #2)
Kass Morgan | 2014 | Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

In Kass Morgan’s bestselling <i>The 100</i> no one had set foot on Earth for centuries after a devastating war that rendered the planet uninhabitable. One hundred teenagers have been sent from the safety of a gigantic spaceship to test out whether or not it is yet safe to repopulate the Earth. <i>Day 21</i> continues on from the first book and the group is about to discover that they may not be alone.

 As with the previous book the story is shared from four different points of view: Wells, Clarke, Bellamy and Glass. It has been three weeks since the hundred crash-landed and there appears to be no sign of radiation poisoning, however some people are falling unwell with unidentifiable illnesses and others have become targets of an unseen enemy. Things take a dramatic turn after the capture of a stranger, a girl who was not from their ship. Is it possible that she is an Earthborn, and therefore how did people manage to survive the Cataclysm?

Back on ship Glass and the rest of the Colony face their own life-threatening problems. Oxygen is running out and it will not be long until there is no air left to breathe. In a mad panic the risk of radiation on Earth is forgotten as the civilians scramble to get onto the remaining drop ships. However there will not be room for everyone.

At first this book did not feel as exciting as <i>The 100</i>. The settings are no longer a new concept to the reader and the love triangle involving some of the key characters was already a little tiresome. Nonetheless once the plot begins to climax once again, it becomes really enjoyable.

Although it is not clear, the ending implies that there will be more to come in this series, which is great as there are a lot of unanswered questions about the characters’ futures. This is a must read for lovers of dystopian literature, however make sure you have read the first book before progressing on to <i>Day 21</i>!
  
TT
Tonight the Streets Are Ours
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

From Leila Sales, the author of <i>This Song Will Save Your Life</i>, comes a new contemporary young adult novel about love and friendship. Seventeen-year-old Arden, a recklessly loyal girl, discovers a blog, <i>Tonight The Streets Are Ours</i>, and becomes obsessed with the writer’s life. Peter has had experiences that Arden has also had; such as a relative leaving and loving people a lot more than they love you.

Arden’s loyalty to her friend Lindsey has occasionally ended up with Arden taking on the punishments she does not deserve. Arden believes she is doing this out of love but is beginning to question why no one else does those types of things for her. After being let down by her boyfriend, Arden and Lindsey go on a road trip to New York in search of this admirable Peter. However, this trip ends up with Arden and Lindsey falling out, and Peter not quite being who the Internet made him out to be.

To begin with, <i>Tonight The Streets Are Ours</i>, felt very sketchy. The writing style and themes did not match up. Whereas the characters were teenagers and dealing with age appropriate issues, the actual writing felt as though it was targeted at a much younger audience. The characters were not particularly likable, including Arden who at times appeared to be representing perfection in terms of her personality. It is not until much later in the novel that the pace picks up and the story becomes more exciting. Once Arden meets Peter and begins to realize that reality conflicts with the online Peter, the true message of the book begins to come across.

It is difficult to rate this book. Whilst the ending was good, the beginning dragged so much that I almost gave up on reading it. If I felt that way then chances are other readers may do too – readers that may not actually persevere. For this reason, <i>Tonight The Streets Are Ours</i> is not a book I would easily recommend.
  
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Alex Elliott (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), is a 12 year old boy that isn’t afraid to stand up to bullies and defend his friends. As noble as his deeds are, he ends up becoming the school bullies Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye’s (Rhianna Dorris) target. They chase him to an abandoned construction site where he falls off a ledge and encounters the notorious sword in the stone. As many are aware of King Arthur’s sword in the stone story, the person that pulls the sword from the stone shall become King of England. To his and his best friend Bedders’s (Dean Chaumoo) surprise, Alex draws the sword (aka Excalibur) from the stone and moments later Merlin appears (Angus Imrie) and warns Alex and Bedders of the danger that lies ahead. Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), King Arthur’s half-sister, and her army of fire burning dead soldiers are on a mission to get Excalibur and take over Earth. Merlin encourages Alex, Bedders and the two bullies, they must put their differences aside to beat Morgana and save the world.

 

A clever modern day continuation to the story of the Sword in the Stone with a Lord of the Rings spin to it that’s appropriate for kids. All our main characters are children/teenagers, including Merlin, who at random climactic moments in the film transforms into an elder version of himself and is played by the legendary Patrick Stewart. Bedders’s role is similar to that of loyal and dopey, but brave Samwise Gamgee. He helps Alex recruit soldiers to help fight Morgana’s army and never leaves his best friend’s side.

  

A unique story about loyalty and working together to do what’s best to defeat evil and save Earth. Glad to see family friendly movies dabbling into the genre of medieval fantasy again. There are moments in the film that drag on. They should have omitted several scenes and the long run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes could have been shortened. Very much geared towards kids ages 8 and up, there are some dark moments that may not be suitable for the younger ages. Prepare for lots of adventure, laughter, and good vs evil story, one the whole family can enjoy.
  
To All the Boys I&#039;ve Loved Before
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Jenny Han | 2014 | Children
10
8.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have never in my life finished a book in one night and I read this entire novel in one sitting. As soon as I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I love the way it was written, the characters, the plotline is so fresh, unlike anything else, this novel is amazing. I am seriously so shocked.

I think what makes this book so great is how real it is. I remember being 16, Lara Jean's age, and falling in love for the first time and what that felt like and how it kind of creeps up on you and then all at once, it just is there and it's all-consuming and this thing you can't run away from. I felt that in Lara Jean and Peter. I also think the hard part about writing a book as an adult that is about teenagers is that you can lose that feeling. You can forget what it feels like to be that age, to live in those moments, to have those feelings. I don't feel like that with this novel. It feels very real and very true. It's definitely a story that can take place in almost any time, which I really love. Obviously, if it was a pre-cell phone time, texting wouldn't be there, but other than that, it's definitely something that could hold up and I think those are the best stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie when I saw it the first time and I'm eager to watch it again and compare it to the book, but I'm even more excited to read the second book in this trilogy and figure out where the story goes next. I've managed this far along without having any spoilers of what happens in the next 2 books and that I'm very proud of.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I think it was beautifully written, it's the perfect ending, or cliffhanger rather, and I think it's a true story about high schoolers and not one that is so far removed, it's hard to relate. I hope the second book keeps me as hooked as this one did.