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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated See You Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A Fresh New Take On Classic Time Travel Film
See You Yesterday is a sci-fi movie directed by Stefon Bristol and written by Stefon Bristol and Fredrica Bailey. It was produced by Spike Lee and production company 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks and distributed by Netflix. The film stars Eden Duncan-Smith, Dante Crichlow, Brian "Stro" Bradley, and Jonathan Nieves.
Two teenage prodigies, C.J. Walker (Eden Duncan-Smith) and her best friend, Sebastian Thomas (Dante Crichlow) spend every spare minute working on their latest homemade invention: backpacks that enable time travel. When one of their older brothers is killed, they put their unfinished project to the test to save him and face the perilous consequences of time travel.
This movie was very emotional. It didn't always make sense but it had a good narrative that sustained the entire film. This movie was equal parts very realistic and fantastically unreal. At its core, it's a story about grief and second chances. Who wouldn't want to go back in time and prevent a tragic event if they could. I mean that's what one of my favorite movies The Time Machine is all about. It also had a lot of social commentary. I believe the writer/director did an awesome job in this their directorial debut. Eden Duncan-Smith's acting was also top notch and really made you feel for her through her struggles and really brought to life a very relatable character. What I didn't like was that as smart as the kids were in the movie, and as good as the time travel logic was in making sense, to me it still wasn't believable that they would have been able to create time travel devices. Also the special effects weren't always the best but seemed to work well. But if you can get past that hiccup it is an emotional roller coaster and a surprising fresh take on a classic sci-fi trope. I give it a 7/10.
Two teenage prodigies, C.J. Walker (Eden Duncan-Smith) and her best friend, Sebastian Thomas (Dante Crichlow) spend every spare minute working on their latest homemade invention: backpacks that enable time travel. When one of their older brothers is killed, they put their unfinished project to the test to save him and face the perilous consequences of time travel.
This movie was very emotional. It didn't always make sense but it had a good narrative that sustained the entire film. This movie was equal parts very realistic and fantastically unreal. At its core, it's a story about grief and second chances. Who wouldn't want to go back in time and prevent a tragic event if they could. I mean that's what one of my favorite movies The Time Machine is all about. It also had a lot of social commentary. I believe the writer/director did an awesome job in this their directorial debut. Eden Duncan-Smith's acting was also top notch and really made you feel for her through her struggles and really brought to life a very relatable character. What I didn't like was that as smart as the kids were in the movie, and as good as the time travel logic was in making sense, to me it still wasn't believable that they would have been able to create time travel devices. Also the special effects weren't always the best but seemed to work well. But if you can get past that hiccup it is an emotional roller coaster and a surprising fresh take on a classic sci-fi trope. I give it a 7/10.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Incredibles 2 (2018) in Movies
Dec 11, 2018
On Par With the Best
If The Incredibles isn’t one of the top five superhero films of all time, it’s definitely top ten. For awhile, I had it billed as the greatest. It has everything you need which created a tough act to follow. But follow it they did fourteen years later with The Incredibles 2. The sequel continues the story of the superhero family and their dealings with being abnormal in a normal world.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Jack-Jack. Just…Jack-Jack. I could go into sophisticated detail about the depth of each of these characters and their internal struggles, but all you really need to know is Jack-Jack.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animation in this movie is, for lack of a better word, incredible. Pixar seems to age like a fine wine, constantly improving upon themselves. Facial features are crisp, colors are vivid leaving the screen bursting with life. It operates just like a big budget superhero film and, in some ways, even better. Animation has a leg up because it allows you to always capture the desired moment at the perfect time. Watching the family work in tandem and seeing all their powers come together on screen is reminiscent of the first Avengers film.
Conflict: 10
No good battles arise without a good villain and Incredibles 2 doesn’t disappoint here. The movie is action-packed beset with high stakes. There are a handful of slow points where the film hiccups, but the fight sequences more than make up for it. Any scene with Dash in it and you never know what’s going to happen! He’s growing in his powers but still has yet to realize his own strength which makes him fun to watch.
Genre: 8
Doesn’t quite rank in the upper echelon of top superhero movies of 2018 (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War), but it’s not too far behind. It makes you feel, it makes you laugh, it makes you wow. Three things that make it a top choice for the year.
Memorability: 10
Jack-Jack Vs. The Raccoon is a scene I could watch a million times. Never gets old. The attention to detail in that scene and the way it unfolds is flawless. I also liked the fact that this movie seemed even darker than the first appealing more to adults at times than children. The first one toed the line, but the sequel jumped right over.
Pace: 8
As I mentioned earlier, there were some points in the movie where things got slow and you were waiting for it to pick back up. It didn’t happen often but definitely enough to be noticeable. Nothing that derailed the movie too much however as the action and hilarity more than made up for the slow points.
Plot: 8
Resolution: 10
Solid ending that ties the film up perfectly. It leaves you wanting more but, at the same time, if the series concluded here, I’d be good with it. No spoilers, but I’ll just say you’ll be satisfied.
Overall: 94
Incredibles 2 gets off to a fast start and doesn’t let you go. There is a scene with Edna and Jack-Jack that just makes me happy as hell and sums up my feeling for the whole movie experience. See it and love it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Jack-Jack. Just…Jack-Jack. I could go into sophisticated detail about the depth of each of these characters and their internal struggles, but all you really need to know is Jack-Jack.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animation in this movie is, for lack of a better word, incredible. Pixar seems to age like a fine wine, constantly improving upon themselves. Facial features are crisp, colors are vivid leaving the screen bursting with life. It operates just like a big budget superhero film and, in some ways, even better. Animation has a leg up because it allows you to always capture the desired moment at the perfect time. Watching the family work in tandem and seeing all their powers come together on screen is reminiscent of the first Avengers film.
Conflict: 10
No good battles arise without a good villain and Incredibles 2 doesn’t disappoint here. The movie is action-packed beset with high stakes. There are a handful of slow points where the film hiccups, but the fight sequences more than make up for it. Any scene with Dash in it and you never know what’s going to happen! He’s growing in his powers but still has yet to realize his own strength which makes him fun to watch.
Genre: 8
Doesn’t quite rank in the upper echelon of top superhero movies of 2018 (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War), but it’s not too far behind. It makes you feel, it makes you laugh, it makes you wow. Three things that make it a top choice for the year.
Memorability: 10
Jack-Jack Vs. The Raccoon is a scene I could watch a million times. Never gets old. The attention to detail in that scene and the way it unfolds is flawless. I also liked the fact that this movie seemed even darker than the first appealing more to adults at times than children. The first one toed the line, but the sequel jumped right over.
Pace: 8
As I mentioned earlier, there were some points in the movie where things got slow and you were waiting for it to pick back up. It didn’t happen often but definitely enough to be noticeable. Nothing that derailed the movie too much however as the action and hilarity more than made up for the slow points.
Plot: 8
Resolution: 10
Solid ending that ties the film up perfectly. It leaves you wanting more but, at the same time, if the series concluded here, I’d be good with it. No spoilers, but I’ll just say you’ll be satisfied.
Overall: 94
Incredibles 2 gets off to a fast start and doesn’t let you go. There is a scene with Edna and Jack-Jack that just makes me happy as hell and sums up my feeling for the whole movie experience. See it and love it.
ClareR (6062 KP) rated We Must Be Brave in Books
Aug 6, 2019
We Must Be Brave was a rather delightful surprise of a book for me. I don’t often read books set in World War 2 - and I’m not sure why - but I thought I’d give it a go, because I knew that it was something that my mum would probably enjoy (it’s a pretty poor reason, but it’s worked out well for me!).
The main character, Ellen Parr, and her husband Selwyn, find themselves responsible for a young girl after her mother is killed during bombing in Southampton. Pamela is a charming, independent child, who is packed to the brim with personality, and Ellen falls for her. We learn a lot about Ellen’s childhood - one of relative wealth reduced to extreme poverty when her father loses the family fortune and abandons them. This gives us some inkling as to why Pamela manages to fill a hole in Ellen’s life: a whole that Ellen wasn’t even aware of.
I loved the supporting characters in this story. They were all such good, caring people, who all helped Ellen when she needs it most. It’s not a love story, but it is a story about love: that of a husband and wife, a woman and child, and the love of good friends. And I have to admit to crying quite a bit in the last half of this book, so a warning that you’ll need tissues!
This book is well worth a read - and not just because I cried! It’s a really lovely story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins/ Fourth Estate for my copy of this book.
The main character, Ellen Parr, and her husband Selwyn, find themselves responsible for a young girl after her mother is killed during bombing in Southampton. Pamela is a charming, independent child, who is packed to the brim with personality, and Ellen falls for her. We learn a lot about Ellen’s childhood - one of relative wealth reduced to extreme poverty when her father loses the family fortune and abandons them. This gives us some inkling as to why Pamela manages to fill a hole in Ellen’s life: a whole that Ellen wasn’t even aware of.
I loved the supporting characters in this story. They were all such good, caring people, who all helped Ellen when she needs it most. It’s not a love story, but it is a story about love: that of a husband and wife, a woman and child, and the love of good friends. And I have to admit to crying quite a bit in the last half of this book, so a warning that you’ll need tissues!
This book is well worth a read - and not just because I cried! It’s a really lovely story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins/ Fourth Estate for my copy of this book.
My Sweet Revenge
9.0
Rate It
Book
The bestselling author of Getting Rid of Matthew and Strictly Between Us tells a bitter-sweet tale...
Merissa (13760 KP) rated Calvin (Almstead Island: Newcomer's Club #2) in Books
Jan 30, 2025
CALVIN is the second book in the Almstead Island: Newcomer's Club and you don't need to have read book one (Will and Beckett) but I recommend you do, just because it's a wonderful story.
And this one is too! Don't get me wrong, Calvin comes into Micah's life on a wrecking ball, steamrollering over him in pretty much every way. Luckily for Calvin, that is exactly what Micah needs, although he does push back in small ways, which was great to see.
Will and Beckett are also in this book, with Will helping a clueless Calvin, and Beckett being a friend to Micah when he desperately needs one. One thing I will say, is I loved Beckett's response to Micah's problem!!! Muah *chef's kiss*
Calvin and Micah work in pretty much every way imaginable. Yes, they made mistakes and didn't communicate 100% but who does? They both had good reasons for behaving the way they did. Jamie is Calvin's best friend and I know he was looking out for him, but he was a bit of a d!ck too!!
Another fantastic story that had me gripped from the very (horrible - because of everything Micah has been through) beginning, right through to the HEA that completely satisfied. I know it is Emil and Anders next, but I'm hoping for Jamie and Noah to have a story too, whether together or separately, I don't care!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 29, 2025
And this one is too! Don't get me wrong, Calvin comes into Micah's life on a wrecking ball, steamrollering over him in pretty much every way. Luckily for Calvin, that is exactly what Micah needs, although he does push back in small ways, which was great to see.
Will and Beckett are also in this book, with Will helping a clueless Calvin, and Beckett being a friend to Micah when he desperately needs one. One thing I will say, is I loved Beckett's response to Micah's problem!!! Muah *chef's kiss*
Calvin and Micah work in pretty much every way imaginable. Yes, they made mistakes and didn't communicate 100% but who does? They both had good reasons for behaving the way they did. Jamie is Calvin's best friend and I know he was looking out for him, but he was a bit of a d!ck too!!
Another fantastic story that had me gripped from the very (horrible - because of everything Micah has been through) beginning, right through to the HEA that completely satisfied. I know it is Emil and Anders next, but I'm hoping for Jamie and Noah to have a story too, whether together or separately, I don't care!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 29, 2025
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Don't Breathe 2 (2021) in Movies
Aug 18, 2021
Nicely paced direction and non stop (bloody) action (1 more)
Madelyn Grace delivers a nice and professional performance
Not very original (1 more)
Should we be rooting for Norman at all?
That kid’ll need counselling for life!
I mean. If there was ever an opportunity to come up with a clever title for a sequel, this was it right? "Breathe Again"; "Hold it for a bit longer"; "Are You Turning Blue Yet?". But no... we just get a boring old "2" at the end!
Positives:
- Five years is an awfully long time to wait for a sequel! I have to admit I needed to read through my original review for "Don't Breathe" and the synopsis on IMDB before I went to see this. But, given that it is a fairly standard schlock-horror home-invasion movie, this is a nicely pieced together movie. Debut director Sayagues, who co-wrote the first film with original director Fede Alverez, moves the action along at a non-stop pace leaving you quite exhausted by the end of the (pleasantly short) 98 minutes.
- Stephen Lang nicely retreads his monster from the first movie as a besotted but anxious parent. But particularly good I thought was Madelyn Grace who plays the 11 year old Phoenix. I never once thought "there's a child actress doing a performance". Great job!
Negatives:
- It doesn't get many brownie points for originality: the blindness dice was already rolled in the original. So here we get some re-tread scenes of "the blind man being king", with red insecticide spray replacing the darkness.
- It never feels quite right that you are supposed to be cheering on Nordstrom: someone with virtually no redeeming features (other than a love for dogs).
- The original film had a decidedly icky moment with the whole baster thing. Here we have an equally icky, if ridiculous, plot-twist, taking us into a very dark place indeed. But what is supposed to be a shock-horror moment actually had me in fits of laughter, since all I could think of was a particular scene in "Monty Python and the Meaning of Life"!
Summary Thoughts on "Don't Breathe 2": We've been here so many times before that it's almost a (bloody) paint by numbers. But I have to admit that I thought this one was well done, and a cut above the norm. The first movie made $158M on a budget of just $10M. This one has a (restrained) $15M budget, and has already made that back. Good for them. The gore factor makes it not one for the illustrious Mrs Movie Man (who wisely didn't come). But for horror fans out for a nice gory little romp, this has its attractions.
And by the way, there is a 'monkey' (post-credit scene in One Mann's Movies speak) in this one. Well, Alvarez and Sayagues aren't going to dead-end their options for a "Don't Breathe 3" are they?
(For the full graphical review, please check out onemannsmovies on the web, Facebook and Tiktok. Thanks.)
Positives:
- Five years is an awfully long time to wait for a sequel! I have to admit I needed to read through my original review for "Don't Breathe" and the synopsis on IMDB before I went to see this. But, given that it is a fairly standard schlock-horror home-invasion movie, this is a nicely pieced together movie. Debut director Sayagues, who co-wrote the first film with original director Fede Alverez, moves the action along at a non-stop pace leaving you quite exhausted by the end of the (pleasantly short) 98 minutes.
- Stephen Lang nicely retreads his monster from the first movie as a besotted but anxious parent. But particularly good I thought was Madelyn Grace who plays the 11 year old Phoenix. I never once thought "there's a child actress doing a performance". Great job!
Negatives:
- It doesn't get many brownie points for originality: the blindness dice was already rolled in the original. So here we get some re-tread scenes of "the blind man being king", with red insecticide spray replacing the darkness.
- It never feels quite right that you are supposed to be cheering on Nordstrom: someone with virtually no redeeming features (other than a love for dogs).
- The original film had a decidedly icky moment with the whole baster thing. Here we have an equally icky, if ridiculous, plot-twist, taking us into a very dark place indeed. But what is supposed to be a shock-horror moment actually had me in fits of laughter, since all I could think of was a particular scene in "Monty Python and the Meaning of Life"!
Summary Thoughts on "Don't Breathe 2": We've been here so many times before that it's almost a (bloody) paint by numbers. But I have to admit that I thought this one was well done, and a cut above the norm. The first movie made $158M on a budget of just $10M. This one has a (restrained) $15M budget, and has already made that back. Good for them. The gore factor makes it not one for the illustrious Mrs Movie Man (who wisely didn't come). But for horror fans out for a nice gory little romp, this has its attractions.
And by the way, there is a 'monkey' (post-credit scene in One Mann's Movies speak) in this one. Well, Alvarez and Sayagues aren't going to dead-end their options for a "Don't Breathe 3" are they?
(For the full graphical review, please check out onemannsmovies on the web, Facebook and Tiktok. Thanks.)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Passengers (2016) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) is a man looking for a fresh start on a new world. Along with 5000 other passengers; Jim is sleeping away the 120 year journey in stasis aboard a luxury ship. In the new film “Passengers”, Jim finds his entire world turned upside down when he is awakened 90 years before the completion of his trip. Alone with no way to return to stasis; Jim struggles to keep his wits as despite having food and recreation readily available, his only companions are server robots and an Android bartender named Arthur (Michael Sheen).
Unable to wake any of the crew to assist him with the situation or access the bridge of the ship, Jim uses his engineering skills to study the operations of the ship as well as gain access to areas normally reserved for VIP passengers.
As time goes by Jim becomes more and more despondent because he cannot even contact anyone on earth as the computer informs him that it will take 36 years for reply to any of his messages to reach the ship and he grows weary of the thought of spending the rest of his life alone.
During one of his frequent visits to his former stasis chamber, Jim discovers an attractive passenger named Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence), and using the ships database, proceeds to learn all about her and begins to fall in love with her as she sleeps blissfully unaware of his presence.
Fate eventually gets in the way and Aurora awakens and joins Jim is the only people awake on the massive ship. Having come from a privileged background as a successful author, Aurora is really upset over spending the rest of her life on the ship as her plan was to spend a year on the colony world before returning to Earth and resuming her writing career 241 years after she left with the adventure she is undertaken being the basis for some of her new work.
The two eventually have feelings for one another, but Jim is harboring a dark secret that threatens to unravel the happy life they have been able to build for one another. As if that was not enough, the ship is experiencing random and increasing malfunctions which threaten not only their survival, but the long-term survival of the fellow crew and passengers and the long journey that they have ahead of them.
What follows is a time predictable but albeit entertaining mix of romance and action. There are some very good visuals in the film and while the story moves along at a very predictable pace, the two leads make the material work. The film does have numerous plot holes in it which I cannot go into without spoiling it but suffice it to say the premise of q couple stranded is not new.
Yes we have seen this all before but the cast and the interesting locale and visuals make the film add up to more than the sum of its parts. I only wish there’d been a little more time shoring up the plot holes and perhaps adding a little bit of mystery and intrigue to the plot as it truly would’ve made this more compelling.
Unable to wake any of the crew to assist him with the situation or access the bridge of the ship, Jim uses his engineering skills to study the operations of the ship as well as gain access to areas normally reserved for VIP passengers.
As time goes by Jim becomes more and more despondent because he cannot even contact anyone on earth as the computer informs him that it will take 36 years for reply to any of his messages to reach the ship and he grows weary of the thought of spending the rest of his life alone.
During one of his frequent visits to his former stasis chamber, Jim discovers an attractive passenger named Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence), and using the ships database, proceeds to learn all about her and begins to fall in love with her as she sleeps blissfully unaware of his presence.
Fate eventually gets in the way and Aurora awakens and joins Jim is the only people awake on the massive ship. Having come from a privileged background as a successful author, Aurora is really upset over spending the rest of her life on the ship as her plan was to spend a year on the colony world before returning to Earth and resuming her writing career 241 years after she left with the adventure she is undertaken being the basis for some of her new work.
The two eventually have feelings for one another, but Jim is harboring a dark secret that threatens to unravel the happy life they have been able to build for one another. As if that was not enough, the ship is experiencing random and increasing malfunctions which threaten not only their survival, but the long-term survival of the fellow crew and passengers and the long journey that they have ahead of them.
What follows is a time predictable but albeit entertaining mix of romance and action. There are some very good visuals in the film and while the story moves along at a very predictable pace, the two leads make the material work. The film does have numerous plot holes in it which I cannot go into without spoiling it but suffice it to say the premise of q couple stranded is not new.
Yes we have seen this all before but the cast and the interesting locale and visuals make the film add up to more than the sum of its parts. I only wish there’d been a little more time shoring up the plot holes and perhaps adding a little bit of mystery and intrigue to the plot as it truly would’ve made this more compelling.
Lindsay (1793 KP) rated Tides (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 2) in Books
Sep 8, 2017
Leif is on a Viking ship and needs to do the job of getting men on his father's ship. They are to do their job and command and listen to Regina. Leif is having enough of being used by his father. His father really does not care or even think of his boy as his son.
Leif picks up two or at least one healers. He thinks it a boy named Aiden. Will he find out the secret that Aiden or so named? Eilish is now trying to keep a secret but will they find out or will it keep. Leif has to decide to help or betray the young man as he plays. Will Leif stand up to his father?
Leif now has to protect two of this very good friends. Leif needs to face the truth and be able to live his life. Will Regina beat Leif or will Leif save his love and friend? You need to read to find out and some of the many surprises. Leif has two secrets that are quite something that you will want to find out for yourself.
Leif picks up two or at least one healers. He thinks it a boy named Aiden. Will he find out the secret that Aiden or so named? Eilish is now trying to keep a secret but will they find out or will it keep. Leif has to decide to help or betray the young man as he plays. Will Leif stand up to his father?
Leif now has to protect two of this very good friends. Leif needs to face the truth and be able to live his life. Will Regina beat Leif or will Leif save his love and friend? You need to read to find out and some of the many surprises. Leif has two secrets that are quite something that you will want to find out for yourself.
Red Radio: Vegan Banter with a Bite
Podcast
The motivation behind Red Radio starts at the roots: Erin Red's passion for veganism and animal...
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations
Book
'By turns hilarious and heart-rending. Plunges fearlessly into the murky grey areas of race and...