Search
Search results
Sarah (7799 KP) rated The Hurricane Heist (2018) in Movies
Apr 9, 2018
Well at least it lived up expectations
You know it's not a good sign when a film is released on Sky Cinema the same day it apparently comes out in actual cinemas (despite the fact it isn't showing anywhere local to me).
Yes this film is bad, but it just about verges on so bad it's vaguely entertaining for an hour or so. It reminds me a little of Sharknado (although Hurricane Heist is nowhere near as ridiculous), with the pretty poor CGI, terrible script and bad acting. Some of the Southern accents are hilarious, even you Toby Kebbell, and Maggie Grace is really not a good actress. And casting Ralph Ineson? He's a good actor but he's got bad guy stamped all over him which makes the first part of this story a tad predictable. I'd have been more surprised if he'd have turned out to be a good guy. The plot is silly although doesn't come across quite as farfetched as the trailer made out.
But despite all of this, it is partly entertaining brainless fodder, just don't go expecting too much.
Yes this film is bad, but it just about verges on so bad it's vaguely entertaining for an hour or so. It reminds me a little of Sharknado (although Hurricane Heist is nowhere near as ridiculous), with the pretty poor CGI, terrible script and bad acting. Some of the Southern accents are hilarious, even you Toby Kebbell, and Maggie Grace is really not a good actress. And casting Ralph Ineson? He's a good actor but he's got bad guy stamped all over him which makes the first part of this story a tad predictable. I'd have been more surprised if he'd have turned out to be a good guy. The plot is silly although doesn't come across quite as farfetched as the trailer made out.
But despite all of this, it is partly entertaining brainless fodder, just don't go expecting too much.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Surprise Me in Books
May 25, 2018
I usually like Sophie Kinsella books, but I have to say this one was not a favorite. I felt like I was reading two different books - one about a couple trying to add Surprise to their marriage (so the title works) and one about a secret between another couple. The two just did not mesh. The Surprise Me part got lost along the way. And WHAT COUPLE goes into marriage not thinking FOREVER?? and one minute they're crazy in love and in a split second hes brooding and mean and terrible to her?!! It just doesn't work. Sorry. Granted though - it got 3 stars because I was dying to know why the hell the switch flipped and Dan became psycho. I couldn't put it down cause I wanted to know what the secret was. It was so annoyingly crazy that I just wanted to get it over with and find out WTF was going on. The job thing almost felt like a third story and the neighbor and her son a 4th story! Things were just not meshed together very well and I felt like I was all over the place, with no real ties.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated The Devil's Backbone (2001) in Movies
Feb 10, 2019
A bit of a disappointment
I think that having seen the likes of Pans Labyrinth prior to watching this film built my expectations too high, meaning this was a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong it isn't a terrible film, it has a lot of potential but it doesn't quite use it to the best it can be.
I think the plot itself and the entire setting are a very good idea, a ghost story mixed in with the Spanish civil war and an orphanage is a smart move. The problem is with the execution. Whilst the effects are good and there are hints of the supernatural, for me it wasn't enough. The plot unfolded much to slowly and needed a little more excitement and ghostly/creepy goings on to keep you entertained. The best parts of the film are with the boys, and it detracts a little when it moves to the adult characters who are sadly a lot less interesting.
Having watched this now, I can see the similarities between this and Pans Labyrinth. Its just a shame that Pan succeeds where this fails. There's so much promise here, it's just sadly not realised.
I think the plot itself and the entire setting are a very good idea, a ghost story mixed in with the Spanish civil war and an orphanage is a smart move. The problem is with the execution. Whilst the effects are good and there are hints of the supernatural, for me it wasn't enough. The plot unfolded much to slowly and needed a little more excitement and ghostly/creepy goings on to keep you entertained. The best parts of the film are with the boys, and it detracts a little when it moves to the adult characters who are sadly a lot less interesting.
Having watched this now, I can see the similarities between this and Pans Labyrinth. Its just a shame that Pan succeeds where this fails. There's so much promise here, it's just sadly not realised.
Stephen (210 KP) rated The Dark (2018) in Movies
Mar 26, 2019
After watching the trailer for this, I had really high hopes. However, this turned out to be one of the worst films I have ever seen.
I don’t like writing bad reviews in general, but after sitting through this movie I felt compelled to express my views.
Remember that’s exactly what they are - MY views. I’m sure many others would enjoy this film, it’s just not for me.
For a start, the subject matter sets the story line up to fail, I don’t see how anyone could have achieved what the director was setting out to do.
The two main characters have both been subjected to terrible abuse, however only the female character’s history is fully explained - details of the male character’s abuse is merely hinted at.
I can honestly say that there was absolutely nothing I could find to like in this movie, and I really struggled to sit through it. And, like so many other movies of this genre, the ending was really confusing.
As I have previously stated, these are just my honest opinions - but I would be interested to know what other people think after watching this.
I don’t like writing bad reviews in general, but after sitting through this movie I felt compelled to express my views.
Remember that’s exactly what they are - MY views. I’m sure many others would enjoy this film, it’s just not for me.
For a start, the subject matter sets the story line up to fail, I don’t see how anyone could have achieved what the director was setting out to do.
The two main characters have both been subjected to terrible abuse, however only the female character’s history is fully explained - details of the male character’s abuse is merely hinted at.
I can honestly say that there was absolutely nothing I could find to like in this movie, and I really struggled to sit through it. And, like so many other movies of this genre, the ending was really confusing.
As I have previously stated, these are just my honest opinions - but I would be interested to know what other people think after watching this.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Apr 10, 2019
A poor adaptation
I'm afraid to say that this version of Dumbo is probably the worst Disney live adaptation to date.
Other than having some mostly decent special effects and the nods to the original (Timothy Mouse, the songs and the pink elephants), I really can't find anything nice to say about this film. It has a great cast, who are sadly underused and struggle with the poor story and shoddy script. I hated Michael Keaton's villain Vandevere, he wasnt particularly villainous and I really don't know what was going on with Keaton's acting, he was really hamming it up to the point of being terrible. The kids were irritating too and such a poor substitute for Timothy Mouse. The entire film was just dull, boring, cheesy and cringeworthy, and I've never seen a Disney film that lacked heart as much as this one does. How can a film about the circus be so dull?! You also can't tell this is a Tim Burton film, and that is such a shame. Maybe if this had been a little creepy or dark, it might have turned out a lot better.
Other than having some mostly decent special effects and the nods to the original (Timothy Mouse, the songs and the pink elephants), I really can't find anything nice to say about this film. It has a great cast, who are sadly underused and struggle with the poor story and shoddy script. I hated Michael Keaton's villain Vandevere, he wasnt particularly villainous and I really don't know what was going on with Keaton's acting, he was really hamming it up to the point of being terrible. The kids were irritating too and such a poor substitute for Timothy Mouse. The entire film was just dull, boring, cheesy and cringeworthy, and I've never seen a Disney film that lacked heart as much as this one does. How can a film about the circus be so dull?! You also can't tell this is a Tim Burton film, and that is such a shame. Maybe if this had been a little creepy or dark, it might have turned out a lot better.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Envy in Books
May 22, 2019
She wants your life – and she’ll do anything to get it…
Erica has always wanted to be exactly like her neighbour, Faye: beautiful, thin, and a mother. But Faye’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems – she has a terrible secret, and slowly but surely, it is threatening to destroy her and everything she holds dear.
When FayeÂ’s daughter Tamsin goes missing after school, the police turn to Erica. But is Erica the only one who has been enviously watching Faye? Or is there another threat hiding in the shadowsÂ…?
Well this is a right tale of stalking,obsession, fury, longing and ENVY!
This story is very well written and flows easily.
The novel is broken down into several small chapters which makes this an easy fast read.
I really enjoyed the evolution of the characters throughout the book.
Be warned the story is told from 4 different POVs' which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I thought this was as an amazing thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and can wholeheartedly recommend.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Erica has always wanted to be exactly like her neighbour, Faye: beautiful, thin, and a mother. But Faye’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems – she has a terrible secret, and slowly but surely, it is threatening to destroy her and everything she holds dear.
When FayeÂ’s daughter Tamsin goes missing after school, the police turn to Erica. But is Erica the only one who has been enviously watching Faye? Or is there another threat hiding in the shadowsÂ…?
Well this is a right tale of stalking,obsession, fury, longing and ENVY!
This story is very well written and flows easily.
The novel is broken down into several small chapters which makes this an easy fast read.
I really enjoyed the evolution of the characters throughout the book.
Be warned the story is told from 4 different POVs' which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I thought this was as an amazing thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and can wholeheartedly recommend.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated X-Men (2000) in Movies
Jun 7, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
The first X-Men has not aged particularly well, but it's important to recognise it's impact on the movie landscape, especially for comic book films.
Although there has been comic book movies before, X-Men paved the way for everything that has come since, the good and the awful!
At the time it was almost magical, seeing characters I had grown up with flying about the screen (I was 12 when it was released), and the casting was inspired for the most part - Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin in particular.
It also started the trend of lacing the theatrics and seriousness with subtle humour thought, and the balance here is pretty good.
Even now, the CGI isn't terrible (certainly better than the later released Origins)
By the same merit, the costumes look goofy these days, some of the scripting is very 2000s, and why on Earth did they cast Tyler Mane as a weirdly mute Sabretooth will always be beyond me.
All in all, there are much better X-Men films out there, and there are a lot worse, and I'll always have a soft spot for it!
Although there has been comic book movies before, X-Men paved the way for everything that has come since, the good and the awful!
At the time it was almost magical, seeing characters I had grown up with flying about the screen (I was 12 when it was released), and the casting was inspired for the most part - Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin in particular.
It also started the trend of lacing the theatrics and seriousness with subtle humour thought, and the balance here is pretty good.
Even now, the CGI isn't terrible (certainly better than the later released Origins)
By the same merit, the costumes look goofy these days, some of the scripting is very 2000s, and why on Earth did they cast Tyler Mane as a weirdly mute Sabretooth will always be beyond me.
All in all, there are much better X-Men films out there, and there are a lot worse, and I'll always have a soft spot for it!
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated The Alienist - Season 1 in TV
Mar 29, 2018
Costumes (2 more)
Landscapes and Environments are exquisite
Cinematography
The Acting (4 more)
The Subject
Creepy upon creepy
Unlikable characters
Not enough happens
The production quality is very high, everything else is very low...
This show is very pretty to look at, and I can only imagine all the work that went into making it that way. This is really the only reason it gets any marks at all. I really believe I'm in a historical time period. The camera work is great too. Problem is everything else is a let down to say the least. The Characters are unlikable and borderline uninteresting. Even if they explain what the Alienist means, it's not enough. It's a terrible name. There is a genuine lack of humanity going on here and all the interactions are so cold and sterile of feeling, which I suppose could be on purpose, but doesn't do the show any favors. The characters dance around each other but don't connect. I realize on some level I'm not the target audience because I don't like creepy, and I don't like horror, and I'm not a fan of showing the seedy underside of society with young boys dressed as girls in a brothel.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Quick in Books
Feb 21, 2018
**I received an ARC of this book at no cost, but was not compensated for this review.**
This book has some elements of the trendy epistolary style of story-telling via documents woven into a traditional, Victorian-style novel. James Norbury is an aspiring poet who finds himself living in London with the friend of a friend. A quiet, shy man, James finds friendship, love, and then tragedy as his life is torn apart by events completely outside of his control. The first part of the book tells us James' story, then we move on to journal entries and tales from other points of view, and slowly piece together what is truly happening in London, and what James has unwittingly become involved in.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book but was quickly drawn into James' London. The book is both surprising and at times terrible, but I couldn't put it down. This is definitely not a story for the feint-of-heart, but a very good read set in an entirely believable world filled with characters you won't soon forget.
This book has some elements of the trendy epistolary style of story-telling via documents woven into a traditional, Victorian-style novel. James Norbury is an aspiring poet who finds himself living in London with the friend of a friend. A quiet, shy man, James finds friendship, love, and then tragedy as his life is torn apart by events completely outside of his control. The first part of the book tells us James' story, then we move on to journal entries and tales from other points of view, and slowly piece together what is truly happening in London, and what James has unwittingly become involved in.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book but was quickly drawn into James' London. The book is both surprising and at times terrible, but I couldn't put it down. This is definitely not a story for the feint-of-heart, but a very good read set in an entirely believable world filled with characters you won't soon forget.
