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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Jan 22, 2021
If there is a better example of a tired franchise that needs to be left alone now, then The Terminator brand is it. Messing about with time-lines and alternate realities should be a blank canvas for creativity, as it was in the first two James Cameron sci-fi classics, but for three films in a row it has been a confusing, preposterous recipe for action movie disaster. Where all three Terminator films since T2 are letting us down is in trying to crowbar too much narrative into too little space, whilst favouring the CG fight sequences over any other aspect of story or character. Basically, the writers, directors and marketing machines of all three have killed them in the starting blocks. What started out as a mind-blowing commentary on fate and survival has become a lazy excuse for cheesy one liner delivery and re-hashed action sequences devoid of true tension.
I prefer this to Genysis, but don’t like it quite as much as Salvation, although all three are awful messes really. It is cute to see Linda Hamilton return after so long, but truthfully did anyone really need it? She is fine, if largely unmemorable here, as is Arnie, who phones it in as usual. But the latest Terminator itself, aka Gabriel, is boring and brings little new to the table. What is worth applauding is the commitment to the role of Grace by Mackenzie Davis, who kicks ass in every scene and also acts everyone else out of the ballpark. As a whole it isn’t as bad as you might fear it would be, but it still isn’t great. Watch it only if you are a Terminator completist or you really don’t have anything else to do.
I prefer this to Genysis, but don’t like it quite as much as Salvation, although all three are awful messes really. It is cute to see Linda Hamilton return after so long, but truthfully did anyone really need it? She is fine, if largely unmemorable here, as is Arnie, who phones it in as usual. But the latest Terminator itself, aka Gabriel, is boring and brings little new to the table. What is worth applauding is the commitment to the role of Grace by Mackenzie Davis, who kicks ass in every scene and also acts everyone else out of the ballpark. As a whole it isn’t as bad as you might fear it would be, but it still isn’t great. Watch it only if you are a Terminator completist or you really don’t have anything else to do.
A perfectly creepy Halloween treat.
Well, the spiced pumpkin lattes are out so it must be time to hit the scary reading lists and I would recommend putting this one high on the list this spooky season if you are looking for a truly unsettling, dark supernatural tale that has a good dose of mystery and intriguing characters.
Inspired by notes by Bram Stoker this prequel to Stoker’s classic Dracula was always going to have high expectations to live up to and for me, I wasn’t disappointed. Telling the tale of the young Bram Stoker, we meet his childhood caretaker, Ellen Crone whose odd behavior sparks the interest of young Bram and his sister Matilda who of course decide to poke their noses into her business little knowing they are just at the start of what will be an ongoing nightmare for the family. With many chilling discoveries, the tension builds and an unsettling tale is revealed.
It’s a very well written book that doesn't get bogged down in trying to use too much language and style of the period it is set in, instead focusing on successfully creating the gothic atmosphere to creepy perfection. Despite different POVs and timelines, it’s never hard to follow the action. The characters are gripping, in particular, Bram’s sister Matilda comes across as a superb character with brains and determination that are not expected of a lady of the time
This is not a tale for those of a squeamish disposition but it makes a great Halloween fix and has made me want to go and re-read Dracula now.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Inspired by notes by Bram Stoker this prequel to Stoker’s classic Dracula was always going to have high expectations to live up to and for me, I wasn’t disappointed. Telling the tale of the young Bram Stoker, we meet his childhood caretaker, Ellen Crone whose odd behavior sparks the interest of young Bram and his sister Matilda who of course decide to poke their noses into her business little knowing they are just at the start of what will be an ongoing nightmare for the family. With many chilling discoveries, the tension builds and an unsettling tale is revealed.
It’s a very well written book that doesn't get bogged down in trying to use too much language and style of the period it is set in, instead focusing on successfully creating the gothic atmosphere to creepy perfection. Despite different POVs and timelines, it’s never hard to follow the action. The characters are gripping, in particular, Bram’s sister Matilda comes across as a superb character with brains and determination that are not expected of a lady of the time
This is not a tale for those of a squeamish disposition but it makes a great Halloween fix and has made me want to go and re-read Dracula now.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Scent of Death (David Hunter #6) in Books
Sep 27, 2019
Gripping
I remember, many moons ago, reading The Chemistry of Death and Written in Bone and thoroughly enjoying them and have always had Simon Beckett on my radar as an author to pick up but alas I seem to have been side-tracked by the sheer plethora of excellent books out there so have sadly missed out on the other books in this series but on starting to read this, it was like putting on a comfy pair of slippers and snuggling down on the sofa (or, in my case whilst on holiday, in front of a swimming pool in the Portuguese sun) and losing a few hours amongst the pages of this gripping book.
The blurb gives an outline of what the story is about so I won't repeat it but what I will say is that it's as good, if not better, as it sounds. The setting is perfect and provides an additional layer of atmosphere and general creepiness and tension to this excellent book. The characters are well developed and believable; the details of the forensic side is not over done or too technical that you either get lost or lose interest and the plot development and twists means this is one book that I found hard to put down (cliché I know, but true).
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to lovers of fast-paced thrillers from a different perspective than the usual police-procedurals and don't be put off that this is the 6th in the series as it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
My thanks go to the Publisher via NetGalley for accepting my request for a copy in return for an honest and unbiased review; you have helped to remind me of how good Simon Beckett's work is.
The blurb gives an outline of what the story is about so I won't repeat it but what I will say is that it's as good, if not better, as it sounds. The setting is perfect and provides an additional layer of atmosphere and general creepiness and tension to this excellent book. The characters are well developed and believable; the details of the forensic side is not over done or too technical that you either get lost or lose interest and the plot development and twists means this is one book that I found hard to put down (cliché I know, but true).
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to lovers of fast-paced thrillers from a different perspective than the usual police-procedurals and don't be put off that this is the 6th in the series as it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
My thanks go to the Publisher via NetGalley for accepting my request for a copy in return for an honest and unbiased review; you have helped to remind me of how good Simon Beckett's work is.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Wish Upon (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
We often wonder what wishes we would cast if given the opportunity. We think of the riches, second chances, and various selfish or generous choices we would make. In Wish Upon, we bear witness to how this plays out for one teenage girl.
Wish Upon stars Ryan Phillippe as a widowed father to a teen daughter, Clare, played by Joey King (Ramona and Beezus). Working as a salvager, he comes across an antique Chinese Box that he gives to her for her birthday. Clare quickly understands that the box has the ability to grant wishes, but her limited understanding of Chinese prevents her from being able to decipher all of the characters on it which reveal an all important disclaimer: each wish will result in the death of someone you know.
The film is ambitious with its premise yet falls flat in its execution. What seemed to be a promising mix of The Box and Final Destination, resulted in an uninspiring teen thriller that, at times, seemed more slapstick than a film that would grab your attention and fill its viewers with anxiety and tension. Wish Upon checks off many of the cliché boxes with respect to their storytelling and interactions between characters and provides little originality.
Wish Upon misses the mark in not finding an identity. It jumps from being a slasher, to being a teen comedy, to being a romance. This would not be problematic if it incorporated all of these facets into creating a film that takes advantage of these aspects, but it does little to allow for the story to seem as one that would be memorable. Wish Upon will leave audiences wishing they had made a different choice at the box office.
Wish Upon stars Ryan Phillippe as a widowed father to a teen daughter, Clare, played by Joey King (Ramona and Beezus). Working as a salvager, he comes across an antique Chinese Box that he gives to her for her birthday. Clare quickly understands that the box has the ability to grant wishes, but her limited understanding of Chinese prevents her from being able to decipher all of the characters on it which reveal an all important disclaimer: each wish will result in the death of someone you know.
The film is ambitious with its premise yet falls flat in its execution. What seemed to be a promising mix of The Box and Final Destination, resulted in an uninspiring teen thriller that, at times, seemed more slapstick than a film that would grab your attention and fill its viewers with anxiety and tension. Wish Upon checks off many of the cliché boxes with respect to their storytelling and interactions between characters and provides little originality.
Wish Upon misses the mark in not finding an identity. It jumps from being a slasher, to being a teen comedy, to being a romance. This would not be problematic if it incorporated all of these facets into creating a film that takes advantage of these aspects, but it does little to allow for the story to seem as one that would be memorable. Wish Upon will leave audiences wishing they had made a different choice at the box office.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated For Better and Worse in Books
Jul 13, 2019
Could not put this one down, definitely recommend
Contains spoilers, click to show
**Spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned**
This was an intensely insane book. It was filled with such tension and apprehension that you’re filled with pins and needles all throughout the book. You knew it was inevitable and everything was going to be crumbling down with Nat’s plan but the question was how and when.
You have to admit, despite everything Nat’s plan was just so well thought out all for one thing - relying on a drug dealer. Of all kinds of people, she relies on one that could (and did) ultimately turned tail and pretty much ruined the entire plan. That was the biggest flaw of the entire thing and you have to wonder if she didn’t rely on him, would the whole thing have worked out?
You have to admire her smarts for pulling this off. Her character is excellent and she’s fiercely protective of her family as a unit (understandably so) it’s almost scary to underestimate her as Will seems to have done (and is still doing.) And it’s so hard to like Will in fact he’s so unlikable you don’t understand why Nat just picks up her things and leaves. Aside from also nearly ruining Nat’s plan he’s pretty much a spineless nitwit and doesn’t contribute much to anything. Nat should have kicked him to the curb a long time ago (or when she found out about his stupidities)
The plot itself was so well done it was hard to stop reading. It pretty much grabs you from cover to cover. It’s seamless with no interruptions, it can get frustrating because of some of their actions, but it’s such a good read. The ending, although everything did come to a close, makes you want to be extra careful of Nat.
I enjoyed reading this one and it’s definitely recommended.
This was an intensely insane book. It was filled with such tension and apprehension that you’re filled with pins and needles all throughout the book. You knew it was inevitable and everything was going to be crumbling down with Nat’s plan but the question was how and when.
You have to admit, despite everything Nat’s plan was just so well thought out all for one thing - relying on a drug dealer. Of all kinds of people, she relies on one that could (and did) ultimately turned tail and pretty much ruined the entire plan. That was the biggest flaw of the entire thing and you have to wonder if she didn’t rely on him, would the whole thing have worked out?
You have to admire her smarts for pulling this off. Her character is excellent and she’s fiercely protective of her family as a unit (understandably so) it’s almost scary to underestimate her as Will seems to have done (and is still doing.) And it’s so hard to like Will in fact he’s so unlikable you don’t understand why Nat just picks up her things and leaves. Aside from also nearly ruining Nat’s plan he’s pretty much a spineless nitwit and doesn’t contribute much to anything. Nat should have kicked him to the curb a long time ago (or when she found out about his stupidities)
The plot itself was so well done it was hard to stop reading. It pretty much grabs you from cover to cover. It’s seamless with no interruptions, it can get frustrating because of some of their actions, but it’s such a good read. The ending, although everything did come to a close, makes you want to be extra careful of Nat.
I enjoyed reading this one and it’s definitely recommended.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated 2012 (2009) in Movies
Sep 12, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)
In brief - movie about the world ending makes you wish that the world was ending
Let's be honest - many, if not all natural disaster films are viewed purely for the spectacle. No one is settling down to watch one of these things with the intention of watching some layered character arc, or listen to a fantastic script - 2012 is no different.
The above mentioned spectacle is very formulaic here, as crazy set piece is followed by crazy set piece, complimented with in between scenes of a just-doing-it-for-the-pay-check John Cusack, and his exceptionally boring family (who all somehow manage to be in the exact place of disasters kicking off multiple times).
The scenes of mayhem themselves are laced with Benny Hill-esque antics, and silly dialogue that instantly removes any tension.
As our band of irritatingly mundane survivors trudge through our planet literally cracking apart, they come across a host of 'wacky' characters, who all seem to be jostling for the part of comic relief (not every character needs to be comic relief Roland). And I really wanted pretty much everyone of these characters to just hurry up and get killed by a tornado or whatever.
I did however quite enjoy Woody Harrelson's batshit crazy conspiracy theorist and his gratuitous pickle eating.
It's also always nice to see the likes of Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, even if they're not given much to do here but look all serious.
The CGI is just about starting to age at this point but is still mostly passable, and they're are some pretty memorable visuals here and there.
Overall though 2012 is pretty awful and really not as fun as it thinks it is.
The above mentioned spectacle is very formulaic here, as crazy set piece is followed by crazy set piece, complimented with in between scenes of a just-doing-it-for-the-pay-check John Cusack, and his exceptionally boring family (who all somehow manage to be in the exact place of disasters kicking off multiple times).
The scenes of mayhem themselves are laced with Benny Hill-esque antics, and silly dialogue that instantly removes any tension.
As our band of irritatingly mundane survivors trudge through our planet literally cracking apart, they come across a host of 'wacky' characters, who all seem to be jostling for the part of comic relief (not every character needs to be comic relief Roland). And I really wanted pretty much everyone of these characters to just hurry up and get killed by a tornado or whatever.
I did however quite enjoy Woody Harrelson's batshit crazy conspiracy theorist and his gratuitous pickle eating.
It's also always nice to see the likes of Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, even if they're not given much to do here but look all serious.
The CGI is just about starting to age at this point but is still mostly passable, and they're are some pretty memorable visuals here and there.
Overall though 2012 is pretty awful and really not as fun as it thinks it is.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Good Omens in TV
Aug 25, 2019
Could’ve been better
I love Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, but yet I’ve never read Good Omens. The book is next on my to read list, but I thought I’d give the show a go first and in the main, I did enjoy it.
The best thing about this show is by far the interactions between Aziraphale and Crowley, and the performances of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. They’re so much fun and this is where virtually all of the laughs in this show come from. They’re a great pairing, even if they are a little over the top at times, and my favourite episode by far was the one that showed their interactions over the ages. It’s the rest of the plot that I feel let’s this show down a little bit. There are some wonderful cameos from a whole host of stars, and Jon Hamm was great if a little underused. I would’ve loved to have seen more of him. However I really wish they hadn’t cast Jack Whitehall, I don’t get his appeal as he’s an horrendous actor and rather irritating.
The problem though is that despite this show being about the Antichrist and the end of the world, the ending itself is rather lacklustre and whilst everyone wants to stop (or start) the end of the world, the urgency and tension and terror is all too lacking. I get that this is meant to be humorous, but it can still be funny and threatening in the same episode. I actually think they could’ve done without the whole end of the world thing and just had buddy type show with Aziraphale and Crowley that would’ve been just as or even more entertaining. I’m intrigued now to see how this plays out in the book and if it works better.
The best thing about this show is by far the interactions between Aziraphale and Crowley, and the performances of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. They’re so much fun and this is where virtually all of the laughs in this show come from. They’re a great pairing, even if they are a little over the top at times, and my favourite episode by far was the one that showed their interactions over the ages. It’s the rest of the plot that I feel let’s this show down a little bit. There are some wonderful cameos from a whole host of stars, and Jon Hamm was great if a little underused. I would’ve loved to have seen more of him. However I really wish they hadn’t cast Jack Whitehall, I don’t get his appeal as he’s an horrendous actor and rather irritating.
The problem though is that despite this show being about the Antichrist and the end of the world, the ending itself is rather lacklustre and whilst everyone wants to stop (or start) the end of the world, the urgency and tension and terror is all too lacking. I get that this is meant to be humorous, but it can still be funny and threatening in the same episode. I actually think they could’ve done without the whole end of the world thing and just had buddy type show with Aziraphale and Crowley that would’ve been just as or even more entertaining. I’m intrigued now to see how this plays out in the book and if it works better.
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