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Men in Black International (2019)
Men in Black International (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
Land Down Under
Men In Black International shoots for the stars but comes up short turning out to be nowhere near as fun or thrilling as all the other instalments but does enough to provide some entertainment at least. I was obsessed with Men In Black when i was a teenager the humour mixed with a quirky ugly scifi edge was refreshing to me as a kid & like nothing I'd ever seen before. So in a world where superhero movies rule i was kind of hoping international would bring back that sense of shock & wonder i felt when i was a kid seeing the original for the first time while at the same time invoking a feeling of nostalgia too. Sadly however Men in black 4 has something missing & i cant quite put my finger on what it is. Theres definitely a lack of thrill & excitement to the entire film (even the action scenes) which doesn't help & the humour feels weird like its jokes stop the film dead feeling flat/bland & badly written or delivered with bad timing. Then theres the acting & again im not sure whats wrong but somethings off with it or the dialog because characters dont seem to react to things well, talk to each other in a realistic manner or have anything interesting to say so from time to time i found myself just staring at the screen with my brain switched of to what was being said after a while. Maybe its the script or the actors not being given much freedom because Chris Hemsworth is a great actor & funny guy but in this he comes across like an average joe. Plot wise is very basic fluff just re jigged & reused from the others & the final act feels awkwardly rushed. World building is given a backseat this time too which is a shame & themes of individuality & finding your purpose arnt particularly great either. Its not all bad however there were set pieces i found really fun & creative, the cgi was great & extremely believable, its visually really nice to look at, sound design is punchy & i really liked the villains that were stalking them too even though they felt under used/developed & their presence on screen ended far to abrupt. Mib4 is definitely watchable even if it is a tad forgettable/lacking but I'd happily watch another instalment in a few years thats for sure.
  
Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther (2018)
2018 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
The latest film in the Marvel Universe has arrived with “Black Panther” and it continues the tradition of big budgeted event films from Marvel. The film follows T’Challa (Chadwick Bodeman), as he prepares to assume the throne of the country of Wakanda after the death of his father. He is destined to lead over a nation that to the outside world seems impoverished and rural, but is secretly a very technologically advanced society thanks to their Vibranium resources. The resources allow them to keep their capitol city hidden from the world.

As T’Challa attempts to assume the throne and rule over the various tribes of his country; a threat from his past both known and unknown arises. Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) surfaces, T’Challa mounts and effort to bring him to justice which in turn sets a chain of events into motion. A mysterious and deadly figure known as Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), plans to obtain the Vibranium to exact a plan of revenge so severe it will lead to the nations of the world being subjugated and will divide even the most loyal citizens of Wakanda.

T’Challa must use his powers as The Black Panther and guardian of Wakanda to save his people and the very world from a threat that holds the fate of the world in the balance.

The film takes a while to get going as Director/Co-Writer Ryan Coogler takes his time introducing audiences to the world of Black Panther and especially the various characters. The strong supporting cast features Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker, Martin Freeman, and so many others that it is great to see such well-rounded characters.

The film does take a while to get up to the action but when it arrives; it delivers making the wait worth it. What I really liked was that the characters were well-defined as were their motivations. You did not have some cartoon mega-villain with some insane scheme, but rather a realistic and believable threat whose motivations were understandable though misguided.

Marvel has again delivered a very thrilling story that fits well into their extended universe and you will want to make sure to stay through all the credits for the two additional scenes which sets up future events for the Marvel Universe. “Black Panther” is a rousing success all around continues Marvel’s Cinematic Universe in grand style.

http://sknr.net/2018/02/13/black-panther/
  
AW
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
With the world on the brink of war, can love and forgiveness be found by those who feel the most unworthy?

Maggie and Gabe Montgomery have come to America to visit their brother Rylan in New York. Maggie is desperate to escape Neill Fitzgerald, her previous fiancè. Despite the circumstances, she is thrilled to finally fulfill her lifelong dream to travel. Maggie meets Rylan's brother-in-law, Adam, who has recently been released from prison. She is warned by many, Adam included, that he is not a suitable man to be seen with. But no matter what she does, she can not get Adam out of her heart. Gabe is swept off his feet as well. But by a woman whose social class far surpasses that of himself. Are they destined to be separated as soon as they meet? Or has God brought them together for a purpose that goes beyond their own understanding?

Wow! The cover for this book absolutely blew me away! I can just sit and stare at it....forever! Susan Anne Mason has done an exceptional job as the Montgomery and O'Leary families are brought together in another thrilling tale. We are reminded that even though we may not feel worthy of forgiveness or happiness, that Jesus paid the price for us to be free. Through him all our sins are forgiven and we have a new life ahead of us. No matter the past, there is no thing too great for God to forgive. He desires His children to walk in freedom and joy. Within the covers of this book, you will be challenged. Challenged to see yourself as God sees you. Pure and worthy of His love. This book made me laugh out loud, cry tears of joy and caused me to break my "diet" by eating Doritos uncontrollably! I believe that there is something in this story for everyone to relate to. Although this book can stand alone, I highly recommend reading the series. There are multiple characters that appear in A Worthy Heart that were the leading characters in Irish Meadows.

I received a free copy of Irish Meadows from Susan Anne Mason and Bethany House Publishers for promotional purposes, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
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Midge (525 KP) rated The Paris Apartment (Love Nests, #1) in Books

Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 21, 2018)  
The Paris Apartment (Love Nests, #1)
The Paris Apartment (Love Nests, #1)
Sophia Karlson | 2018 | Erotica, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Take a twenty-four-year-old beautiful virgin and a hot, hugely successful, hunky chap in a minimally furnished apartment in the centre of Paris, the most romantic city in the world and you've got an incredibly sexy and romantic read!

James Sinclair, a successful trader keeps his busy life uncomplicated. Work is about all he has time for. Imagine his surprise when he returns to his Paris apartment to find his little sister’s best friend, Mila Johnson, in his bed. One night of fooling around opens a Pandora’s box which Mila just wants to pry open wider, whereas James just wants to keep the lid on tight. Mila is sweet and innocent and no way is he going to expose her to the real James Sinclair. As his relationship status changes to complicated, James struggles to keep control over his past and his heart. Mila’s teenage fantasy is still larger than life, but James swings between hot and cold. Now that she has him between the sheets, Mila will do anything to keep him there.

Mila Johnson and James Sinclair haven't seen each other for more than twelve years, and when they accidentally meet up again, there is an intense attraction between the two of them. Mila has escaped her narrow-minded parents and limiting family life for two weeks of freedom in Paris, ready to explore the exciting and vibrant City. Then James turns up, her best friend's older brother crush, sexy, broody, full of dark secrets and a man of the world...

Right from the start, this is a phenomenally sexy and incredibly exciting read, with beautifully descriptive love scenes. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.

"His heart was jolting, his pulse irregular as his eyes glimmered at her, taking in her beautiful face, the even complexion of her untainted skin, her eyes big and wide, accentuated by the dark-rimmed glasses that she wore. Those eyes were something else, and the way she looked at him he wanted to tug off her glasses, lean over the table and kiss her lips. Mark her."

But all is not rosy as there are dark moments and plenty of sordid secrets, too. I enjoyed every moment of The Paris Apartment.

This romance by Sophia Karlson makes for an easy, escapist and thrilling read.

Many thanks to Backlit PR and Netgalley for this ARC.
  
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Kelly (279 KP) rated Babylon Berlin in TV

Dec 16, 2018  
Babylon Berlin
Babylon Berlin
2017 | Crime, Drama
Realistic portal of post Great War Berlin (1 more)
Not your usual boy meets girl story
Gritty, thrilling, engaging... need I go on?!
I have not found a series in some while that I was so attached, as Babylon Berlin. I confess, I watched the subtitles version, as my knowledge of German is pretty poor, but even this did not detach from the enjoyment of the series.

Babylon Berlin follows Gereon Rath, a detective struggling to deal with the aftermath of the Great War. He is supported at times in his cases by Charlotte Ritter, an administrator by day who supplements her families income through prostitution at night. I found myself routing for both characters throughout both series 1 and 2 of Babylon Berlin, even knowing Charlottes less than legal background, which is never hidden from the viewer. There was/ is a clear attraction between the two characters, which frustratingly is never fulfilled. Both characters are played by incredibly strong actors and are fully believable throughout.

What grasped my attention from the start was the clear portrayal of poverty that people lived in post war Berlin. Despite knowing some of the issues in living standards, I was drawn to the accuracy of the portrayal, many other stories set in this era would seek to romanticise the period at the end of the Weimar’s golden era, however the stark reality of degradation, sickness, depression and crime is always at the forefront of the story, and the political complexity of the time is covered well. This makes the the series very dark at times.

I was also surprised by the lack of Nazi input there is across season 1 and 2. We see lots about involvement of communists within the political system in the series, but there are only a small handful of references to the brown shirts - this is in stark contrast to what we are taught in schools, where the impression is given that by the late 1920s, Nazi involment is promenant in German society. This actually challenged my thinking on the subject, allowing me to realise that this is still a period, where, although the Nazis are known, they are not yet that popular.

I cannot wait until season 3 is released in order to find out what is next in store for Gereon and Charlotte. This truly is German production at its best.
  
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Midge (525 KP) rated Playing with Fire in Books

Jan 29, 2019  
Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire
Jen Talty | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Full of drama, romance and hot desire (2 more)
Good character development
Great plot
A Great, Spicy Romance Novella!
Wow, Jen Talty is straight into all of the action and keeps it coming with this thrilling romance novella, set in Lake George, New York. It is a delightful story that has a bit of everything, from drama and hot desire to tension and conflict, there is something for everyone.

I really like that, in the opening chapter, we are introduced to hot and sexy fire-fighter, Cade Nash. Next, we meet his gorgeous new neighbour, but Heather Holbrook is a dentist and Cade has a deep-rooted fear of dentists, dating back to a bad experience from his childhood. Cade loves to help people in their hour of need so when Heather’s car has a flat battery and she needs a jump-start, he is there to assist.

Heather has recently divorced and is trying to start over in her new neighbourhood. After leaving her abusive husband, she just wants a happy, quiet life. You could immediately sense that there was an intense physical attraction between Cade and Heather and one of the highlights of the book was following how they dealt with their emotionally-charged feelings for one another. After some problems with her ex-husband, Heather is forced to rely on Cade more than she would have chosen to, until he oversteps the mark, although his main goal was to protect her. Can Heather forgive him?

I thought both the plot and the character development were great and found the story-line to be very believable. The story is well-told, captivating and engaging. It held my interest right from the beginning and I found myself rooting for both Heather and Cade as they tried to deal with all of their conflicting emotions. This was a short, fast-paced read with plenty of action, some suspense and lots of lust and love. I enjoyed their instant attraction and the banter between them and I laughed-out-loud a few times while reading it. I thought the ending was very appropriate for this great novella.

I have been inspired to read more from Jen Talty and I highly recommend "Playing With Fire."

Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Jen Talty for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
  
Evil Dead II (1987)
Evil Dead II (1987)
1987 | Comedy, Horror
A Blood Fest
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Evil Dead II- is a great and fantasic sequel to the oringal movie. It is horrorfying, terrorfying, creepy, spooky, funny, chilling, thrilling and so much more. You got to thank Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Those two togther are unstoppable.

Lets talk about the plot: The second of three films in the Evil Dead series is part horror, part comedy, with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) once again battling horrifying demons at a secluded cabin in the woods. After discovering an audiotape left by a college professor that contains voices reading from the Book of the Dead, Ash's girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) becomes possessed by evil spirits that are awakened by the voices on the tape. Ash soon discovers there is no escaping the woods.

The movie opens with a brief (and altered/reimagined/truncated) recap of the first movie. Ash Williams and his girlfriend, Linda, take a romantic vacation to a seemingly abandoned cabin in the woods. While in the cabin, Ash plays a tape of archaeologist Raymond Knowby, the cabin's previous inhabitant, reciting passages from the Book of the Dead, Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, which he has discovered during an archaeological dig. The recorded incantation unleashes an evil force (also known as the Kandarian Demon) that kills and later possesses Linda, turning her into a "deadite". Ash is then forced to decapitate his girlfriend with a shovel and bury her near the cabin.

The gore in this movie is overtop, so much blood and gore in this movie. This movie is were ash gets his chainsaw hand. Also Groovy.

I love this movie and the other movies as well.

Also Ash and his Oldsmobile land in the year 1300 AD. He is then confronted by a group of knights who initially mistake him for a deadite, but they are quickly distracted when a real one shows up. Ash blasts the harpy-like deadite with his shotgun and is hailed as a hero who has come to save the realm, at which point he breaks down and screams in anguish. Which sets up to Army of Darkness.

I would highly reccordmend watching this film and the others.



Lastly shout to @LeftSideCut for getting the hints/clues for this review correct.
  
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies

Oct 23, 2019 (Updated Oct 23, 2019)  
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Dull Fate
Terminator Dark Fate only isnt the worst film in the Terminator franschise but only because Genisys exists. Dark Fate is basically a reskin of Terminator 2 but minus everything that made that movie one of the greatest films of all time. Dark Fates main problem is its just dull and after the opening nothing intresting, unique, creative or thrilling happenes leaving the movie with almost no redeeming features and nothing that sets it apart from the other terrible sequels. Dark Fate seems to think pure nostalgia alone will make an entertaining movie and while it certainly can do Dark Fate doesnt understand how nostalgia works even coming across like its mocking the very film it ows its existance too. Plot wise its increadibly generic/unintresting, characters are one dimentional/unlikable, acting is stale and lacks drama, dialog is painful and every interaction only serves as exposition explaining every single part of the very basic plot repeatedly just so even the most brain dead of viewer understands whats happened or what is about to happen. Worst of all it doesnt feel like a Terminator film, wheres the grit, the dark atmosphere, the horror, the tension, the realistic humour, the high stakes, the menacing and relentlessly intimidating bad guy, the memorable action set pieces, the complicated story, character depth, quotable dialog and most importantly the soul because this movie has none. Linda Hamilton is back but shes wasted and doesnt even feel like the same person with the film thinking what made her such an iconic character was just her gratuitios swearing. Arnie is great but feels pushed to the side serving to be nothing more than a joke/nostalgia piece. Cgi is bad/texturless and animation is cheap looking, infact there are some cgi moments so bad its almost like they didnt have time to finish them off. Action has a few ok sequences but they lack tension, weight and a high stake plot to fully find them exciting. If you are a Terminator fan to save dissapointment I would just forget everything after T2 exists because this just like the others is souless hollow mess. An utter shambles of a film, I wish I could send myself back to stop the past me from seeing it.
  
Gemini Man (2019)
Gemini Man (2019)
2019 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Exposition Man
Gemini Man is a pure bore, a tedious bombardment of utter crap that's so oversimplified you would think it was made for children. Personaly I admire Ang Lee as a director hes got this quirky kinda way of shooting films & hes always brave enough to try new filming techniques/strange camera angles that you dont really see in other movies. Id liken him to Luc Besson tbh but sadly just like him after making some absolute cinematic masterpieces they both then seem to be content with just churning out utter dross & while at the heart all these movies have great ideas/cool action its the excecution they fail on every time. Gemini man is no diffrerent infact id say its even worse than Lucy or Billy Lynn as its just so dull to the point where I was questioning if i should use the time catch up on sleep instead. Nothing of any intrest happens in this movie and im not kidding when i say all we get 90% of the time is characters repeating the extreamly basic plot to us over & over again which comes across as patronising making the movie exteamly monotonous & exhausting to watch. Acting isnt much better either its all very one tone/basic with characters clearly only there as checklist reminder of whats about to happen. But what about the action? well for a 2hour movie #action scenes only equate to about 15 minutes total & even when we do get finally get an action scene (bar the motorbike chase from the trailer) theres really nothing memorable or thrilling at all. One thing I will say its a looker for sure & at times my god does it look fantastic with a visual clarity that almost feels like your on set but problem is again its not pushed enough & theres not really any enviroments or action that makes good use of the techniques used to film it which is a big shame (it almost got a 2 because of visuals but I got annoyed I wasted 2hours of my only day off watching it). So irritating, boring, generic, predictable, shallow, basic, overlong & inteligence insulting I warn you now do not go to see Gemini Man it deserves no ones precious time or #money its just a pointless mess thats nothing but an absolutle chore to sit through.
  
Game Of Thrones  - Season 6
Game Of Thrones - Season 6
2016 | Sci-Fi
Hold the Goddam Door
Contains spoilers, click to show
Season 6 of Game of thrones is another incredible display of television spinning so many plates.

The season kick starts with the immediate fallout of Jon Snows death at the end of season 5. As many predicted, it doesn't take long for his death to be reversed, thanks to Melisandre, freeing Jon of his duty to the Nights Watch, as he marches off to free Winterfell from the clutches of Ramsay Bolton.

Talking of Ramsay, he continues to show how much of a wretch he truly is (his worst point would be feeding his own infant brother to rabid dogs.)

In King's Landing, the High Sparrow continues to manipulate the crown, and makes them seem powerless whilst doing so, as fanatic religion takes hold of the capital.

Danaerys is still just being Danaerys. The writers continue to subtly hint at her being similar to her mad father before her, and I usually love the slow burn of Game of Thrones, but her story still continues to sort of plod along.

Another storyline that became a bit tiresome this season was Arya training in Bravos. When I look back on GoT, that storyline seems to stick out as the one I found most trying, even if it did result in the much awaited death of Merryn Trant.

Beyond the wall, Bran is still firmly stuck in a tree, but we see some great glimpses into the past history of Westeros in the process - the Tower of Joy scene being a highlight. This infamously leads to the 'Hold the Door' which pretty much tore everyone's hearts in two :(

It's all just very good, and the season ends on a double whammy of two of the best episodes this show ever produced.
Firstly, the Battle of the Bastards is incredible, and surpasses many Hollywood movies in terms of on screen battles. It's a fantastic hour of television (Justice for Rikkon)

And then the last episode - just wow. The opening 15 minutes holds little dialogue, and an incredible piece of score (Ramin Djawadi take a bow), as Cersei ruthlessly and quickly takes her revenge on many who have wrong her, in one fell swoop, killing off a good handful of characters in seconds - GoT was never a show to do things by halves.

The season ends with Cersei as queen, and Danaerys (finally!) crossing the sea to Westeros.

It's all really thrilling and top tier TV.