Search
Search results
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Catfish (2010) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)
Nev Schulman is a photographer of dance that catches the eye of an 8 year old girl named Abby when one of his pictures is published nationally. She sends Nev a painting of his published picture, which begins a rather incredible friendship. Nev eventually gets the chance to talk to Abby's mom, Angela, and her older sister, Megan. Megan and Nev really start to hit it off and a relationship begins to form. That is until many of the things Megan has been telling Nev begin drifting further and further from the truth. Nev decides to fly to Michigan and get the answers he so desperately desires.
If somebody made me choose a favorite film genre, psychological thriller would quite possibly be my answer. Films that include incredible twist endings (Oldboy) or have elaborate storylines that make you think (Inception) are definitely some of the best times to be had when it comes to an entertaining movie experience. Catfish was marketed as a film that was not only a thriller, but also contained "a shattering conclusion" that was compared to Alfred Hitchcock. In the end, it didn't really have either of those things.
Catfish had this vibe the entire film like it was leading towards something dark near its conclusion. As Nev makes his way to Michigan, you get more and more anxious as he nears his destination. Even the music gets really unsettling. Is Megan's family going to be a bunch of chainsaw wielding cannibals or have Angela and Vince been keeping a kidnapped girl named Megan chained in their basement for weeks to lead young, single guys out there for them to torture as some sort of twisted way to get off? No, it's nothing like that. Catfish never really became thrilling or even came near diving into dark territory.
What Catfish winds up being is an interesting character study presented as a documentary. The film's heart resides in who Megan really is and how the entire experience affects Nev. Once the pieces of the puzzle are put together and everything falls into place, Catfish turns out to be a very raw, emotional, and heartfelt film. What's intriguing is the film revolves around Facebook and with The Social Network hitting theaters in about two weeks, it seems like a bit of a bold move.
What is arguably the best scene in the film is when it's actually explained why Catfish was chosen as the title in the final minutes. It is a pretty incredible explanation and fits the film perfectly.
Catfish isn't necessarily a bad film, in fact, it's pretty powerful once it really gets going. It probably isn't what you're expecting though. While Catfish is laugh out loud at certain points in the film, at its core, it's a documented love story that mostly resides on the internet. Maybe it just comes from personal experience, the way the film was presented, or the on-screen presence of the characters in the film, but Catfish felt genuine which isn't something that can be said about many films that have come out in 2010.
If somebody made me choose a favorite film genre, psychological thriller would quite possibly be my answer. Films that include incredible twist endings (Oldboy) or have elaborate storylines that make you think (Inception) are definitely some of the best times to be had when it comes to an entertaining movie experience. Catfish was marketed as a film that was not only a thriller, but also contained "a shattering conclusion" that was compared to Alfred Hitchcock. In the end, it didn't really have either of those things.
Catfish had this vibe the entire film like it was leading towards something dark near its conclusion. As Nev makes his way to Michigan, you get more and more anxious as he nears his destination. Even the music gets really unsettling. Is Megan's family going to be a bunch of chainsaw wielding cannibals or have Angela and Vince been keeping a kidnapped girl named Megan chained in their basement for weeks to lead young, single guys out there for them to torture as some sort of twisted way to get off? No, it's nothing like that. Catfish never really became thrilling or even came near diving into dark territory.
What Catfish winds up being is an interesting character study presented as a documentary. The film's heart resides in who Megan really is and how the entire experience affects Nev. Once the pieces of the puzzle are put together and everything falls into place, Catfish turns out to be a very raw, emotional, and heartfelt film. What's intriguing is the film revolves around Facebook and with The Social Network hitting theaters in about two weeks, it seems like a bit of a bold move.
What is arguably the best scene in the film is when it's actually explained why Catfish was chosen as the title in the final minutes. It is a pretty incredible explanation and fits the film perfectly.
Catfish isn't necessarily a bad film, in fact, it's pretty powerful once it really gets going. It probably isn't what you're expecting though. While Catfish is laugh out loud at certain points in the film, at its core, it's a documented love story that mostly resides on the internet. Maybe it just comes from personal experience, the way the film was presented, or the on-screen presence of the characters in the film, but Catfish felt genuine which isn't something that can be said about many films that have come out in 2010.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Kim Possible (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
My name is Emma, and I still love Kim Possible. It's great fun and I will fight anyone who says it isn't. That is if we're talking about the animated series... that is gold, the live action film is not even tin foil.
I love Disney TV movies but I really wish they'd stick to originals or property that was already live action... stop remaking things that really don't need it.
Let's address the casting first.
Sean Giambrone as Ron was a solid bit of casting, the right amount of awkward and bumbling, the only thing is that for anyone who watches The Goldbergs he might just be a little too recognisable, but then I doubt many people will watch both of these things. Michael P. Northey as Mr Barkin, he was good, I was generally impressed... but in a world where we have Patrick Warburton why would we not cast Patrick Warburton? Patton Oswalt does evil genius voice fantastically and as Professor Demeantor he was a great pick. Getting a narrow pass, and it's the very finest of passess, Todd Stashwick. I enjoy him when he pops up in shows but he's no Drakken. He was also done wrong by the make-up department.
Everyone else? That's a no. Possibly the worst casting was on the Possible family themselves. I adore Alyson Hannigan but her Mrs. Dr. P. was no bueno. Same goes for Mr. Dr. P. After seeing them on screen I kind of assumed the story was going to revolve around them having been kidnapped and replaced by Bebes with extra nice programming. Jim and Tim were devoid of any of the character their cartoon counterparts had. And then there's Kim, I'm not sure there would have been anyone I'd have been happy with in this role but they've managed to create something very odd in this casting. Live action Kim acts physically like the cartoon does and yet somehow the personality didn't make the crossover with it.
The idea to take Kim down from the inside is one we've seen before with Eric the synthodrone who was used to further the Little Diablo world domination plan. It's a good narative and the twist we're given here isn't a bad one but the execution feels off.
The film turns the Kim Possible formula into a women kicking ass story but they do it really badly. Mrs. Dr. P. and Nana P. are brought on board and then just used as padding and left to be inept in a corner, it's a poor use of characters and a poor use of source material.
Of course the most important part is did they do Rufus right On the whole he wasn't bad and he certainly got his normal opportunity to come to the rescue so I'm going to say good job on that.
What you should do
Don't call her, don't beep her, if you want to watch Kim Possible then watch the series, this film needs to be forgotten in the depths of Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The ability to fly through the air like I'm a cartoon character.
I love Disney TV movies but I really wish they'd stick to originals or property that was already live action... stop remaking things that really don't need it.
Let's address the casting first.
Sean Giambrone as Ron was a solid bit of casting, the right amount of awkward and bumbling, the only thing is that for anyone who watches The Goldbergs he might just be a little too recognisable, but then I doubt many people will watch both of these things. Michael P. Northey as Mr Barkin, he was good, I was generally impressed... but in a world where we have Patrick Warburton why would we not cast Patrick Warburton? Patton Oswalt does evil genius voice fantastically and as Professor Demeantor he was a great pick. Getting a narrow pass, and it's the very finest of passess, Todd Stashwick. I enjoy him when he pops up in shows but he's no Drakken. He was also done wrong by the make-up department.
Everyone else? That's a no. Possibly the worst casting was on the Possible family themselves. I adore Alyson Hannigan but her Mrs. Dr. P. was no bueno. Same goes for Mr. Dr. P. After seeing them on screen I kind of assumed the story was going to revolve around them having been kidnapped and replaced by Bebes with extra nice programming. Jim and Tim were devoid of any of the character their cartoon counterparts had. And then there's Kim, I'm not sure there would have been anyone I'd have been happy with in this role but they've managed to create something very odd in this casting. Live action Kim acts physically like the cartoon does and yet somehow the personality didn't make the crossover with it.
The idea to take Kim down from the inside is one we've seen before with Eric the synthodrone who was used to further the Little Diablo world domination plan. It's a good narative and the twist we're given here isn't a bad one but the execution feels off.
The film turns the Kim Possible formula into a women kicking ass story but they do it really badly. Mrs. Dr. P. and Nana P. are brought on board and then just used as padding and left to be inept in a corner, it's a poor use of characters and a poor use of source material.
Of course the most important part is did they do Rufus right On the whole he wasn't bad and he certainly got his normal opportunity to come to the rescue so I'm going to say good job on that.
What you should do
Don't call her, don't beep her, if you want to watch Kim Possible then watch the series, this film needs to be forgotten in the depths of Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The ability to fly through the air like I'm a cartoon character.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Wanderers (The Wanderers, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Kate Ormand takes a unique twist in <i>The Wanderers</i>, following a group of nomad shapeshifters traveling under the guise of a circus. Flo has been part of the circus ever since she was young but has always thought of what the world would be like if she were not a part of the circus. When she accidentally reveals what the circus really is to the public, shapeshifter hunters attack and take away everything she has ever known.
There aren't a lot of shapeshifter books out there all the ones I've come across so far typically have characters that shift into wolves (<i>technically</i> werewolves are like shapeshifters. They're interchangeable). <i>The Wanderers</i>, on the other hand, don't really have wolves (I don't think there are any here). Ormand takes the concept and expands the idea of shapeshifter to include all kinds of animals bears, seals, tigers, horses, etc. It's a breather to have all kinds of animals instead of the usual furry four-legged ones. Have I mentioned there's a shapeshifting parrot? Uber-cool.
Flo (I started imagining her as that Progressive chick) has elements of a good character she's realistic and brave, even though she's watching her back constantly for hunters. She has a constant inner battle with a desire and curiosity to see the world outside of the circus but has no clue if she wants to take that opportunity when she's old enough to be offered a life outside. But Flo is a bit of a mystery to me, and so are most of the shifters.
<i>The Wanderers</i> feels more like a discovery book no one aside from the "elders" know how the circus originated in the first place. Flo and the other shifters seem as though they've been there all their lives they all have a similar past and their way to the circus are all similar. The book becomes more of a survival book after the attack and the remaining shifters work together (albeit the tolerable tension some have towards Flo) to escape the clutches of the hunters going after them. In the midst of it all, Flo discovers a disturbing plot and sets about breaking it before other shifters get hurt as well.
Ormand pulls off an ending similar to <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruchac's in <i>Killer of Enemies</i></a> there's a solid ending, but it's very open-ended and lots of things could potentially happen. The ending to <i>The Wanderers</i> feels very fitting with the story considering the title and the concept. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this book, Ormand has certainly left a mark with just the entire idea.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-wanderers-by-kate-ormand/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kate Ormand takes a unique twist in <i>The Wanderers</i>, following a group of nomad shapeshifters traveling under the guise of a circus. Flo has been part of the circus ever since she was young but has always thought of what the world would be like if she were not a part of the circus. When she accidentally reveals what the circus really is to the public, shapeshifter hunters attack and take away everything she has ever known.
There aren't a lot of shapeshifter books out there all the ones I've come across so far typically have characters that shift into wolves (<i>technically</i> werewolves are like shapeshifters. They're interchangeable). <i>The Wanderers</i>, on the other hand, don't really have wolves (I don't think there are any here). Ormand takes the concept and expands the idea of shapeshifter to include all kinds of animals bears, seals, tigers, horses, etc. It's a breather to have all kinds of animals instead of the usual furry four-legged ones. Have I mentioned there's a shapeshifting parrot? Uber-cool.
Flo (I started imagining her as that Progressive chick) has elements of a good character she's realistic and brave, even though she's watching her back constantly for hunters. She has a constant inner battle with a desire and curiosity to see the world outside of the circus but has no clue if she wants to take that opportunity when she's old enough to be offered a life outside. But Flo is a bit of a mystery to me, and so are most of the shifters.
<i>The Wanderers</i> feels more like a discovery book no one aside from the "elders" know how the circus originated in the first place. Flo and the other shifters seem as though they've been there all their lives they all have a similar past and their way to the circus are all similar. The book becomes more of a survival book after the attack and the remaining shifters work together (albeit the tolerable tension some have towards Flo) to escape the clutches of the hunters going after them. In the midst of it all, Flo discovers a disturbing plot and sets about breaking it before other shifters get hurt as well.
Ormand pulls off an ending similar to <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruchac's in <i>Killer of Enemies</i></a> there's a solid ending, but it's very open-ended and lots of things could potentially happen. The ending to <i>The Wanderers</i> feels very fitting with the story considering the title and the concept. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this book, Ormand has certainly left a mark with just the entire idea.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-wanderers-by-kate-ormand/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Fading in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Fading by Cindy Cipriano may not contain vampires or werewolves yet it still has a slightly supernatural/paranormal feel to it. This book is in a similar group as Twilight as a forbidden love book. Also, this is only the first book in a series that is expected to be three or four books long.
Leath is the typical seventeen-year-old high school girl. She has her mother’s full support after her father died and her two best friends Victor and Anamae. The three of them have been considering college visits and what the future may hold for them. Leath and Victor have always been close but when Victor starts showing interest in being more than just friends with Leath she resists him. Victor believes Leath is confused and will come around to recognizing her feelings for him but Leath is not too sure. Then while working in her guidance councilor's office Leath sees the transfer file for a new student, James.
As if fate put them together James and Leath run into each other on Jame’s first day and they instantly become inseparable. Leath feels as if she has known James for her entire life and James feels the same way about her. Leath wonders if James is the same boy that Leath has actually been having dreams about all her life. Is she prepared to make the huge sacrifice required for her to be with James? Leath must choose between her friends, family, and freedom, or James before he makes the decision for her.
What I liked best about the book was honestly James himself. Even if he seemed somewhat creepy at times he is a great guy. His willingness to live alone and possibly face the wrath of his race just to protect Leath from his societies traditions are commendable. What I didn’t really like was the abrupt change around chapter fifteen. I understand the need for it but it was a little rough at first. I also didn’t understand completely why the fading worked so well on Leath that time when it didn’t work the first time. The only difference I can really come up with was the medication Leath was on and everyone else forgetting James helping her forget as well.
Teens of all ages will find this book to be appealing as the language is mild and there isn’t really any inappropriate content. Readers of romance will defiantly enjoy this book more so than fans of other genres. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. Fans of teen romance will love this twist on a classic forbidden love story. The entire concept of fading allows for the story to move on without having messy explanations in the middle of everything.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Leath is the typical seventeen-year-old high school girl. She has her mother’s full support after her father died and her two best friends Victor and Anamae. The three of them have been considering college visits and what the future may hold for them. Leath and Victor have always been close but when Victor starts showing interest in being more than just friends with Leath she resists him. Victor believes Leath is confused and will come around to recognizing her feelings for him but Leath is not too sure. Then while working in her guidance councilor's office Leath sees the transfer file for a new student, James.
As if fate put them together James and Leath run into each other on Jame’s first day and they instantly become inseparable. Leath feels as if she has known James for her entire life and James feels the same way about her. Leath wonders if James is the same boy that Leath has actually been having dreams about all her life. Is she prepared to make the huge sacrifice required for her to be with James? Leath must choose between her friends, family, and freedom, or James before he makes the decision for her.
What I liked best about the book was honestly James himself. Even if he seemed somewhat creepy at times he is a great guy. His willingness to live alone and possibly face the wrath of his race just to protect Leath from his societies traditions are commendable. What I didn’t really like was the abrupt change around chapter fifteen. I understand the need for it but it was a little rough at first. I also didn’t understand completely why the fading worked so well on Leath that time when it didn’t work the first time. The only difference I can really come up with was the medication Leath was on and everyone else forgetting James helping her forget as well.
Teens of all ages will find this book to be appealing as the language is mild and there isn’t really any inappropriate content. Readers of romance will defiantly enjoy this book more so than fans of other genres. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. Fans of teen romance will love this twist on a classic forbidden love story. The entire concept of fading allows for the story to move on without having messy explanations in the middle of everything.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Other Side of the Looking Glass in Books
Feb 29, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Other Side of the Looking Glass by Kathleen Harryman is an amazing and well-written story. It focuses on some very hard topics (that I discuss in the final paragraph) and readers need to be prepared for that. The frequent reader will probably figure out the plot early like I did.
Kate is married to a very wealthy man, Liam, who believes appearances are everything. Liam spends thousands on clothing for Kate to keep her looking what he considers to be appropriate. The only time they really spend any time together is at events when Liam wants or feels the need to show Kate off. However, Kate is very unhappy with this arrangement and ends up falling in love with one of her doctors. Kate knows Liam will never let her go, so with the help of her doctor they create an elaborate plan to make Liam believe Kate is going to die of cancer and send her away to a clinic.
Even in severe sickness Liam refuses to give up Kate, but her current state of “illness” is unacceptable to him so he does exactly as she expects and sends her away. What he does after she is gone is even more of a problem. With that being said Liam creates his own plan. He will replace the “sick” Kate with a healthy look-a-like. The only problem is that he must change the look-a-like’s memories and behaviors to match that of the original Kate. Too bad for Liam memories have a way of coming back, that and because he is a perfectionist a look-a-like will not do it for him. No, he needs someone identical to Kate. Now, where can he find an identical match to his wife?
The emotions the book provoked were very strong and very real. The writing was well done to the point that while reading it was possible to feel everything the characters go through. It is impressive when writing can provoke real emotions. What I did not like was that the plot is given away way too early into the book. The book ended up being externally predictive because of it. There really wasn’t much in the lines of surprising twist either, which was disappointing.
An adult book for sure. Some very mature high school students should be able to handle it, but I would not recommend it for anyone under 16. Foul language, abuse both physical and mental, and rape run rampant in this book, not to mention pregnancy death and kidnapping. You have been warned. I rate this book 2 out of 4. I really enjoyed this book but the fact that I had the ending figured out three chapters in was disappointing. It can really ruin a well written, emotional book when the entire plot is exposed way to early.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Kate is married to a very wealthy man, Liam, who believes appearances are everything. Liam spends thousands on clothing for Kate to keep her looking what he considers to be appropriate. The only time they really spend any time together is at events when Liam wants or feels the need to show Kate off. However, Kate is very unhappy with this arrangement and ends up falling in love with one of her doctors. Kate knows Liam will never let her go, so with the help of her doctor they create an elaborate plan to make Liam believe Kate is going to die of cancer and send her away to a clinic.
Even in severe sickness Liam refuses to give up Kate, but her current state of “illness” is unacceptable to him so he does exactly as she expects and sends her away. What he does after she is gone is even more of a problem. With that being said Liam creates his own plan. He will replace the “sick” Kate with a healthy look-a-like. The only problem is that he must change the look-a-like’s memories and behaviors to match that of the original Kate. Too bad for Liam memories have a way of coming back, that and because he is a perfectionist a look-a-like will not do it for him. No, he needs someone identical to Kate. Now, where can he find an identical match to his wife?
The emotions the book provoked were very strong and very real. The writing was well done to the point that while reading it was possible to feel everything the characters go through. It is impressive when writing can provoke real emotions. What I did not like was that the plot is given away way too early into the book. The book ended up being externally predictive because of it. There really wasn’t much in the lines of surprising twist either, which was disappointing.
An adult book for sure. Some very mature high school students should be able to handle it, but I would not recommend it for anyone under 16. Foul language, abuse both physical and mental, and rape run rampant in this book, not to mention pregnancy death and kidnapping. You have been warned. I rate this book 2 out of 4. I really enjoyed this book but the fact that I had the ending figured out three chapters in was disappointing. It can really ruin a well written, emotional book when the entire plot is exposed way to early.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
JT (287 KP) rated Escape Plan (2013) in Movies
Mar 23, 2020
Arnie and Stallone (1 more)
Entertaining
80s action icons join forces
For those of us that grew up watching action films in the 80s, one can only stand by and admire that Stallone and Schwarzenegger were still going well into their 60s at the time of shooting. Clearly, they’re having fun, which is a good thing as we’re not expecting Oscar material here and those that are may as well leave now.
Escape Plan gives the two giants top billing opposite each other for the first time the whole way through a film (not counting The Expendables), but ultimately they’re on the same side. Ray Breslin (Stallone) breaks out of prisons for a living, making sure that those who are put behind bars have no way of ever getting out.
When a job comes up to test out a top-secret facility Breslin gleefully accepts despite his partners thinking otherwise, it leads him on to a collision course with Arnie who he needs to get onside in order to get out.
Of course once inside its clear that some people have no intention of letting him see the light of day, and Breslin is trapped behind a prison that encompasses everything he wrote the book on.
He teams up with fellow inmate Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) in an attempt to break out and bring those responsible for setting him up, to justice, and that is where the fun begins. Schwarzenegger is enjoying himself even if the dialogue is not the best as we said, we’re not expecting Oscar material. He does, however, get the good lines and pretty much acts as the diversion as Breslin scampers around looking for breaks in the system.
Jim Caviezel is Hobbs, the warden of the facility, in what is actually quite a good turn as the classic pantomime villain, a throwback to the baddies of the mid-eighties. He plays it cold and calculating, which in some parts feels like he’s going a bit OTT. Beneath him is Vinnie Jones, typecast as the bog-standard henchmen who is not particularly needed and to make matters worse probably gets one of the worst henchmen deaths. We don’t regard that as a plot spoiler as most villain sidekicks end up biting the bullet as the stopgap between the hero and the classic ending battle.
There are no illusions going into this, you know exactly what you’re going to get right down to the obvious plot twist that you can see coming a mile off. A subplot is only touched on briefly but it’s a subplot that has been a staple part of any revenge plan. The film has a strong third act once everything has been set up and it unfolds in a pulsating twenty-minute finale which includes quite possibly the best slow motion shot for some time, nodding itself to most classic action films of the Arnie era.
It’s meat and two veg action of maybe not the highest order but certainly better than some of its more recent predecessors, Stallone and Schwarzenegger bring their action A-game and don’t disappoint for a second.
Escape Plan gives the two giants top billing opposite each other for the first time the whole way through a film (not counting The Expendables), but ultimately they’re on the same side. Ray Breslin (Stallone) breaks out of prisons for a living, making sure that those who are put behind bars have no way of ever getting out.
When a job comes up to test out a top-secret facility Breslin gleefully accepts despite his partners thinking otherwise, it leads him on to a collision course with Arnie who he needs to get onside in order to get out.
Of course once inside its clear that some people have no intention of letting him see the light of day, and Breslin is trapped behind a prison that encompasses everything he wrote the book on.
He teams up with fellow inmate Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) in an attempt to break out and bring those responsible for setting him up, to justice, and that is where the fun begins. Schwarzenegger is enjoying himself even if the dialogue is not the best as we said, we’re not expecting Oscar material. He does, however, get the good lines and pretty much acts as the diversion as Breslin scampers around looking for breaks in the system.
Jim Caviezel is Hobbs, the warden of the facility, in what is actually quite a good turn as the classic pantomime villain, a throwback to the baddies of the mid-eighties. He plays it cold and calculating, which in some parts feels like he’s going a bit OTT. Beneath him is Vinnie Jones, typecast as the bog-standard henchmen who is not particularly needed and to make matters worse probably gets one of the worst henchmen deaths. We don’t regard that as a plot spoiler as most villain sidekicks end up biting the bullet as the stopgap between the hero and the classic ending battle.
There are no illusions going into this, you know exactly what you’re going to get right down to the obvious plot twist that you can see coming a mile off. A subplot is only touched on briefly but it’s a subplot that has been a staple part of any revenge plan. The film has a strong third act once everything has been set up and it unfolds in a pulsating twenty-minute finale which includes quite possibly the best slow motion shot for some time, nodding itself to most classic action films of the Arnie era.
It’s meat and two veg action of maybe not the highest order but certainly better than some of its more recent predecessors, Stallone and Schwarzenegger bring their action A-game and don’t disappoint for a second.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The LEGO Movie (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Could The LEGO Movie just be considered one hour and a half long commercial for a children’s toy product? Absolutely. Does that make the movie any less entertaining? Nope! I grew up in the eighties. A time when toy manufacturers would make TV shows, mixing up entertainment with advertising in the tender minds of their youth demographic, and doing it well. We seem to be in a new age of that very same ethos of ultra-marketing, only now we have the internet to exacerbate the matter. That all said, The LEGO Movie is perhaps one of the cleverest, funniest, and perhaps most creative films I’ve seen in a long while. It’s enjoyable, fresh, and seems to celebrate with reckless abandon the joyous chaos of childhood play over the blind consumption of product.
The comforting, self-aware, almost self-deprecating tone that has found its way into the LEGO videogames that have been hitting the markets lately that defines The LEGO Movie. The film takes place in a world made of LEGOs, and the characters all have snap-on/snap-off hair and can merrily disassemble the world around them and build again from the ruins. And while it’s not filmed in stop-motion (which was more disappointing than I thought it would be), the characters have the pleasantly stiff and jerky movement that is the trademark to the style. It’s essentially a film with the rules of a young boy at play, just making it up as things progress.
Even the story felt like it was straight from a children’s book. An average, run-of-the-mill, Joe… well, Emmet (Chris Pratt) falls unsuspectingly into an adventure involving freedom fighters, superheroes, and villains in a very Matrix-esque plot. When he stumbles upon the legendary Piece of Resistance, the only force that can undo the Kragle, a mysterious weapon being used by Lord Business/President Business (Will Ferrell), Emmet begins his journey to fulfill the prophecy and become the best “master builder” in all the world. Along the way he is helped by a plethora of recognizable, and not so recognizable, characters including Batman (Will Arnett), Shaquille O’Neil (Himself), Vitruvious (Morgan Freeman) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks).
Most children’s films these days, especially in the CGI genre, tend to be lighting fast paced, basically overloading you with unfunny material hoping to distract your from how lame the movie really is. While The LEGO Movie is frantic, it feels like controlled chaos. It has a point. There is a direction where all this weird wild silliness is headed. And while The LEGO Movie would be fine were it just a frantic and clever child’s comedy, it additionally bothers to reach beyond its bounds and address its own artificiality in a plot twist that was way more clever, daring and meaningful than anything seen in most modern adult thrillers. But I don’t want to spoil that for you.
So here it is again, my “Would I buy it” test. Absolutely. The LEGO Movie is great fun and a joyous celebration of the chaos I recall as childhood.
The comforting, self-aware, almost self-deprecating tone that has found its way into the LEGO videogames that have been hitting the markets lately that defines The LEGO Movie. The film takes place in a world made of LEGOs, and the characters all have snap-on/snap-off hair and can merrily disassemble the world around them and build again from the ruins. And while it’s not filmed in stop-motion (which was more disappointing than I thought it would be), the characters have the pleasantly stiff and jerky movement that is the trademark to the style. It’s essentially a film with the rules of a young boy at play, just making it up as things progress.
Even the story felt like it was straight from a children’s book. An average, run-of-the-mill, Joe… well, Emmet (Chris Pratt) falls unsuspectingly into an adventure involving freedom fighters, superheroes, and villains in a very Matrix-esque plot. When he stumbles upon the legendary Piece of Resistance, the only force that can undo the Kragle, a mysterious weapon being used by Lord Business/President Business (Will Ferrell), Emmet begins his journey to fulfill the prophecy and become the best “master builder” in all the world. Along the way he is helped by a plethora of recognizable, and not so recognizable, characters including Batman (Will Arnett), Shaquille O’Neil (Himself), Vitruvious (Morgan Freeman) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks).
Most children’s films these days, especially in the CGI genre, tend to be lighting fast paced, basically overloading you with unfunny material hoping to distract your from how lame the movie really is. While The LEGO Movie is frantic, it feels like controlled chaos. It has a point. There is a direction where all this weird wild silliness is headed. And while The LEGO Movie would be fine were it just a frantic and clever child’s comedy, it additionally bothers to reach beyond its bounds and address its own artificiality in a plot twist that was way more clever, daring and meaningful than anything seen in most modern adult thrillers. But I don’t want to spoil that for you.
So here it is again, my “Would I buy it” test. Absolutely. The LEGO Movie is great fun and a joyous celebration of the chaos I recall as childhood.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Life Of Pi (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
When I heard that one of my favorite books was being converted into a movie, I was a little skeptical. Add one of my favorite directors, Ang Lee, and my skepticism started to recede. As many know, Lee is renowned for his artistic vision and cinematography. I fell in love with his vision of “Sense and Sensibility,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and “Brokeback Mountain.” To me, if there was a director who could capture the beauty and imagery of this book, it was Lee.
The movie and the book are great parallels of one another. The story revolves around a young Indian boy named Piscine (“Pool” in French) who spent much of his youth in Pondicherry, a French colony of India. Much of the book, and movie, include flash-backs of Pi’s life in India – the ridicule of his name, his father’s ownership of a zoo, etc. When Pi and his family decide to move to Canada due to political concerns (the book covers much more of this, including Pi’s exploration of various spiritualties/religions), they are chartered on a ship. En route, they encounter a fierce storm which capsizes their vessel, leaving Pi on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, a hyena, an injured zebra, and an orangutan.
Being the only human on board with said animals, Pi naturally fears for his welfare. He observes the hyena killing the injured zebra and then turning on the orangutan. The orangutan, as one should note, cares for Pi in a very motherly fashion (remember that Pi’s whole family had drowned in the ship), and her death was very difficult for Pi to endure. Eventually, the hyena succumbs to death by the tiger. As further explained in the movie and novel, Pi names the tiger “Richard Parker” and the two of them set out to endure their lives aboard the ship in some strange sort of symbiotic relationship.
Lee’s vision transforms this novel into a brilliant masterpiece. Like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” you will be awed by the cinematography and artistic interpretation he presents. The young actors employed for the role of Pi (Gautam Belur, Ayush Tandon, Suraj Sharma & Irrfan Khan) are downright perfect and I particularly enjoyed Gerard Depardieu as the grizzled and difficult French cook (not a difficult stretch for him as one can imagine). Overall, as an avid lover of Yann Martel’s novel and Ang Lee’s work, I can say this is a beautiful movie and one many will enjoy (even if you haven’t read the novel – which you MUST do).
My only complaint is that while it is a beautiful representation of CGI technology, sometimes it looked a bit too manufactured and fantastical. Their work on the tiger, however, was downright genius (and I personally hate when they create CGI animals instead of working with the real thing – but in this instance it worked very well). The ending and symbolism of this work is what makes it truly a piece of art. If you’re a fan of “Inception” and “The Sixth Sense,” you will enjoy the twist at the end.
Overall, I think this is a lovely representation of the novel and a great movie all around. I highly suggest checking it out.
The movie and the book are great parallels of one another. The story revolves around a young Indian boy named Piscine (“Pool” in French) who spent much of his youth in Pondicherry, a French colony of India. Much of the book, and movie, include flash-backs of Pi’s life in India – the ridicule of his name, his father’s ownership of a zoo, etc. When Pi and his family decide to move to Canada due to political concerns (the book covers much more of this, including Pi’s exploration of various spiritualties/religions), they are chartered on a ship. En route, they encounter a fierce storm which capsizes their vessel, leaving Pi on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, a hyena, an injured zebra, and an orangutan.
Being the only human on board with said animals, Pi naturally fears for his welfare. He observes the hyena killing the injured zebra and then turning on the orangutan. The orangutan, as one should note, cares for Pi in a very motherly fashion (remember that Pi’s whole family had drowned in the ship), and her death was very difficult for Pi to endure. Eventually, the hyena succumbs to death by the tiger. As further explained in the movie and novel, Pi names the tiger “Richard Parker” and the two of them set out to endure their lives aboard the ship in some strange sort of symbiotic relationship.
Lee’s vision transforms this novel into a brilliant masterpiece. Like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” you will be awed by the cinematography and artistic interpretation he presents. The young actors employed for the role of Pi (Gautam Belur, Ayush Tandon, Suraj Sharma & Irrfan Khan) are downright perfect and I particularly enjoyed Gerard Depardieu as the grizzled and difficult French cook (not a difficult stretch for him as one can imagine). Overall, as an avid lover of Yann Martel’s novel and Ang Lee’s work, I can say this is a beautiful movie and one many will enjoy (even if you haven’t read the novel – which you MUST do).
My only complaint is that while it is a beautiful representation of CGI technology, sometimes it looked a bit too manufactured and fantastical. Their work on the tiger, however, was downright genius (and I personally hate when they create CGI animals instead of working with the real thing – but in this instance it worked very well). The ending and symbolism of this work is what makes it truly a piece of art. If you’re a fan of “Inception” and “The Sixth Sense,” you will enjoy the twist at the end.
Overall, I think this is a lovely representation of the novel and a great movie all around. I highly suggest checking it out.
Animated Knots by Grog HD
Reference and Sports
App
Named the best knot-tying app by Outside Magazine! Learn to tie knots the fun and easy way from the...
Playkids Party - Fun Games for Children
Games and Education
App
Let's get this party started! Join Junior and friends on this amazing collection of fun and...