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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Book
In this timely addition to the Ohio Short Histories of Africa series, Pamela Scully takes us from...
The Adventures of Basil and Moebius: Volume 4: The Fate of All Fools
Ryan Schifrin and Richard Lee Byers
Book
This is it -- the culmination of dozens upon dozens of hair-raising, pulse-pounding, globe-trotting...
David McK (3562 KP) rated Death to the French in Books
Jul 26, 2021
A name that is probably more familiar - perhaps even all but synonymous - with his most famous literary creation, Horatio Hornblower.
Hornblower, however, is not the only of his creations that has their adventures set during the Napoleonic Wars: Rifleman Dodd is another.
He's also one that I was totally unfamiliar with, or with the fact that this creation (and story) inspired Bernard Cornwell's still-ongoing 'Sharpe' series - it's very easy, reading this, to see the similarities between the two creations!
This is set in Spain, round about the times of the Lines of Torres Vedras (1810 or thereabouts, I think), with Rifleman Dodd cut off from his company during a retreat and forced to spend several months behind enemy (French) lines as he tries to make his was back to his own company, sometimes with the (dubious) aid of Spanish (or was it Portuguese? ) Guerilla's and other times entirely on his own.
This also doesn't shy away from the full horrors of the war, with several of the passages and chapters told from the French point of view.
Hornblower, however, is not the only of his creations that has their adventures set during the Napoleonic Wars: Rifleman Dodd is another.
He's also one that I was totally unfamiliar with, or with the fact that this creation (and story) inspired Bernard Cornwell's still-ongoing 'Sharpe' series - it's very easy, reading this, to see the similarities between the two creations!
This is set in Spain, round about the times of the Lines of Torres Vedras (1810 or thereabouts, I think), with Rifleman Dodd cut off from his company during a retreat and forced to spend several months behind enemy (French) lines as he tries to make his was back to his own company, sometimes with the (dubious) aid of Spanish (or was it Portuguese? ) Guerilla's and other times entirely on his own.
This also doesn't shy away from the full horrors of the war, with several of the passages and chapters told from the French point of view.
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Mandalorian - Season 2 in TV
Dec 19, 2020
Better than the first season (1 more)
Less filler episodes
This season was considerably better than the first. I decided to do a spoiler - free review. There were introductions of a lot of Clone Wars/Rebels characters, all of which I really liked. There was also the return of an original trilogy character that was teased in the first season. They've also included some EU content, which is now canon, and referred to Operation Cinder.
We've also finally gotten the Child's name, so that ridiculousness of 'Baby Yoda' can go away now, please.
I had issues with how they presented a very well-known, central character, introduced into the series. I think that they should have used the voice of the original character and cast someone who is younger and looks extremely similar to the elder actor. I hope that if they continue showing this central character, that they consider casting the actor (cough cough, he's already got a Disney contract) to play the correctly-aged character, rather than a slightly-shoddy digital version over some rando actor.
We've also finally gotten the Child's name, so that ridiculousness of 'Baby Yoda' can go away now, please.
I had issues with how they presented a very well-known, central character, introduced into the series. I think that they should have used the voice of the original character and cast someone who is younger and looks extremely similar to the elder actor. I hope that if they continue showing this central character, that they consider casting the actor (cough cough, he's already got a Disney contract) to play the correctly-aged character, rather than a slightly-shoddy digital version over some rando actor.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Sharpe's Company (1994) in Movies
Oct 10, 2021 (Updated Oct 10, 2021)
Back when this was first shown on TV (it's a TV movie) in the mod 90s, this was based on what-was-then on of the mid entries in Cornwell's long-running series.
I say what was then, as there have since been more novels set before, during or even after The Napoleonic Wars, which provided the background for these movies.
This - both novel and movie - is the one that starts with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with that of Badajoz, with (Sean Beans) Captain Richard Sharpe 'pushed aside' in the intervening period by those who can afford to buy his commission. This is also the one with the mad, twitching Obadiah Hakeswill (portrayed here by Pete Postlethwaite), who isn't so much a danger to Sharpe himself as he is too his men - Patrick Harper included - and who has a history with Sharpe.
I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again: I so wish they had a proper budget for these movies!
I say what was then, as there have since been more novels set before, during or even after The Napoleonic Wars, which provided the background for these movies.
This - both novel and movie - is the one that starts with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and ends with that of Badajoz, with (Sean Beans) Captain Richard Sharpe 'pushed aside' in the intervening period by those who can afford to buy his commission. This is also the one with the mad, twitching Obadiah Hakeswill (portrayed here by Pete Postlethwaite), who isn't so much a danger to Sharpe himself as he is too his men - Patrick Harper included - and who has a history with Sharpe.
I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again: I so wish they had a proper budget for these movies!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in Video Games
Apr 7, 2020
I don't have much negativity to direct at Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it's a pretty solid single player adventure that expands on Star Wars lore to a competent degree, and had me absorbed for the most part.
For a start, the game looks amazing. The settings are full of colour one second, and then harsh and cold the next, as you traverse forest planets like Kashyyyk, before navigating through Empire facilities.
The game is set between Episodes 3 and 4 of the movie canon, and borrows asthethic elements from both the original and prequel trilogies. It's interesting to be in the middle of a universe that has recently seen the destruction of the Jedi Order.
The gameplay is also great. The exploration and parkour elements are reminiscent of the Uncharted series, but adds enough Force stuff to make it not feel stale, and the combat is thrilling. JFO is genuinely challenging at times, especially during boss battles. You have to approach each encounter with patience and some sort of plan, or you'll find yourself struggling. It's not to dissimilar from Dark Souls in that respect.
By the time I had finished the campaign, and went through areas again in my pursuit of Platinum, I had unlocked all skills, and combat became easier, at times, really giving you the feel of a Jedi Knight.
You can also build and edit your own lightsaber, which is a nice touch.
The story is ok, largely about finding a McGuffin to help restore the Jedi, but this is one of those games that is all about the journey. The characters you meet along the way are all fleshed out to an acceptable degree, and BD-1, your droid companion for the campaign, is endearing and feels essential to the way the story pans out.
My main criticism is that it didn't have a huge amount of replay value once I was done. After finishing the campaign, it didn't take a massive amount of time to mop up everything else, and that was that, but it's forgivable considering how tight and polished the rest of the game feels.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is another shining example of how important single player games are in an age where multiplayer games reign supreme. Go and play it.
For a start, the game looks amazing. The settings are full of colour one second, and then harsh and cold the next, as you traverse forest planets like Kashyyyk, before navigating through Empire facilities.
The game is set between Episodes 3 and 4 of the movie canon, and borrows asthethic elements from both the original and prequel trilogies. It's interesting to be in the middle of a universe that has recently seen the destruction of the Jedi Order.
The gameplay is also great. The exploration and parkour elements are reminiscent of the Uncharted series, but adds enough Force stuff to make it not feel stale, and the combat is thrilling. JFO is genuinely challenging at times, especially during boss battles. You have to approach each encounter with patience and some sort of plan, or you'll find yourself struggling. It's not to dissimilar from Dark Souls in that respect.
By the time I had finished the campaign, and went through areas again in my pursuit of Platinum, I had unlocked all skills, and combat became easier, at times, really giving you the feel of a Jedi Knight.
You can also build and edit your own lightsaber, which is a nice touch.
The story is ok, largely about finding a McGuffin to help restore the Jedi, but this is one of those games that is all about the journey. The characters you meet along the way are all fleshed out to an acceptable degree, and BD-1, your droid companion for the campaign, is endearing and feels essential to the way the story pans out.
My main criticism is that it didn't have a huge amount of replay value once I was done. After finishing the campaign, it didn't take a massive amount of time to mop up everything else, and that was that, but it's forgivable considering how tight and polished the rest of the game feels.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is another shining example of how important single player games are in an age where multiplayer games reign supreme. Go and play it.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Aug 7, 2018
A rushed DC version of Infinity Wars
This film just missed the mark on so many different aspects. It had high ambitions but just let itself down pretty much everywhere. It felt like a panicked, rushed answer to Infinity Wars, but without taking the time to embed the characters and storyline first. I thought with hits like The Flash and Arrow TV series the DC world may have been fighting back against Marvel's dominance, but I guess for every "Arrow" there is a "Legends of Tomorrow" cheese-fest.
The CGI is truly awful. Massive, expensive battle scenes looked clunky and dated. Steppenwolf is so badly animated as to be ludicrous, especially noticeable as he looks like one of Thanos' minions (I genuinely think you'd see better animated facial movements in mid-noughties PS games). And lets not overlook the dodgy attempt at using CGI to remove Henry Cavill's moustache (some scenes had to be re-shot after he had already started filming Mission Impossible and his moustache had to be removed by CGI!).
I had no feelings towards any of the characters. Whereas the new Spiderman was an immediate hit in Civil War, here The Flash is just annoying and his chirpy geekiness does not contrast well with Batfleck's grumpiness. Cyborg was totally redundant except to solve a plot point. And Aquaman did nothing of note and was not likeable at all.
This should have been a big-hitting blockbuster with edge-of-the-seat tension, laugh-out-loud banter and head-scratching plot twists (and any more hyphenated adjectives I can think of), instead it was a mediocre action film with none of the character of the DC universe on show.
The CGI is truly awful. Massive, expensive battle scenes looked clunky and dated. Steppenwolf is so badly animated as to be ludicrous, especially noticeable as he looks like one of Thanos' minions (I genuinely think you'd see better animated facial movements in mid-noughties PS games). And lets not overlook the dodgy attempt at using CGI to remove Henry Cavill's moustache (some scenes had to be re-shot after he had already started filming Mission Impossible and his moustache had to be removed by CGI!).
I had no feelings towards any of the characters. Whereas the new Spiderman was an immediate hit in Civil War, here The Flash is just annoying and his chirpy geekiness does not contrast well with Batfleck's grumpiness. Cyborg was totally redundant except to solve a plot point. And Aquaman did nothing of note and was not likeable at all.
This should have been a big-hitting blockbuster with edge-of-the-seat tension, laugh-out-loud banter and head-scratching plot twists (and any more hyphenated adjectives I can think of), instead it was a mediocre action film with none of the character of the DC universe on show.
Cthulhu Wars
8.7
Rate It
Tabletop Game
Cthulhu Wars is a strategy boardgame in which the players take the part of alien races and gods...
Li Hughes (285 KP) rated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in Movies
Aug 5, 2017
(FYI, I meant to rate this a 9/10 but my mouse is borked. Have to wait 4 weeks to fix the rating.)
This is an amazing movie to wash Star Wars 1-3 from the collective palate. (To be fair, I didn't HATE those movies...they just didn't live up to the rest of the series.) This is basically a restart, but without losing any of the history that was already built up.
It is much more a straight-up war movie than any of the rest of the series. Death and violence were definitely present before, but always with a "galaxy far, far away" feeling to them. In Rogue One, every injury and death is immediate, not gory but much more real than Obi-Wan winking out of existence or Luke's hand shearing off with minor discomfort. The ending definitely continues in that vein: I love the sharp reality of it and the flavor it gives to rewatches of the original movies now, but it was so painful to watch in the theater!
My biggest gripe was simply the CGI done for young Leia and Tarkin. Leia wasn't too bad, just enough off that it makes my eyes want to slide off without quite knowing why. But Tarkin was awkward and just weird looking. If you're going to recreate characters for whatever reason, either put the money in to get the CGI right or if the effects simply aren't up to that yet, wait until they are.
This is an amazing movie to wash Star Wars 1-3 from the collective palate. (To be fair, I didn't HATE those movies...they just didn't live up to the rest of the series.) This is basically a restart, but without losing any of the history that was already built up.
It is much more a straight-up war movie than any of the rest of the series. Death and violence were definitely present before, but always with a "galaxy far, far away" feeling to them. In Rogue One, every injury and death is immediate, not gory but much more real than Obi-Wan winking out of existence or Luke's hand shearing off with minor discomfort. The ending definitely continues in that vein: I love the sharp reality of it and the flavor it gives to rewatches of the original movies now, but it was so painful to watch in the theater!
My biggest gripe was simply the CGI done for young Leia and Tarkin. Leia wasn't too bad, just enough off that it makes my eyes want to slide off without quite knowing why. But Tarkin was awkward and just weird looking. If you're going to recreate characters for whatever reason, either put the money in to get the CGI right or if the effects simply aren't up to that yet, wait until they are.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Into the Badlands - Season 1 in TV
Jun 19, 2019
In a distant future following a devastating series of wars, the survivors have banned all firearms and have set up a feudal system where various Barons control needed resources and via for power.
This is the setting of the hit AMC Network series Into the Badlands which has arrived on home video from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The complete first season set contains all of the episodes and loads of bonus features which go into the backstory, filming, characters, and action sequences of the show.
Daniel Wu stars as an elite Clipper named Sunny who has served for years under a Baron named Quinn and has risen through the ranks to become the deadliest and most elite at his profession.
When the arrival of a young boy with a mysterious past and abilities to boot arrives, the delicate and volatile Badlands soon sees Baron against Baron as political scheming, alliances, and betrayal are the name of the game in this world.
The show is filled with great characters and a captivating plot that will keep you entertained but the thrilling action is what really sets the show apart. It has some of the most original, intense, and amazingly staged fight sequences you will find anywhere as there is truly nothing else like it on television. If you did not get a chance to catch the show, I strongly encourage you to pick up this collection so you will be up to date when season two arrives.
http://sknr.net/2016/11/08/badlands-season-one/
This is the setting of the hit AMC Network series Into the Badlands which has arrived on home video from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The complete first season set contains all of the episodes and loads of bonus features which go into the backstory, filming, characters, and action sequences of the show.
Daniel Wu stars as an elite Clipper named Sunny who has served for years under a Baron named Quinn and has risen through the ranks to become the deadliest and most elite at his profession.
When the arrival of a young boy with a mysterious past and abilities to boot arrives, the delicate and volatile Badlands soon sees Baron against Baron as political scheming, alliances, and betrayal are the name of the game in this world.
The show is filled with great characters and a captivating plot that will keep you entertained but the thrilling action is what really sets the show apart. It has some of the most original, intense, and amazingly staged fight sequences you will find anywhere as there is truly nothing else like it on television. If you did not get a chance to catch the show, I strongly encourage you to pick up this collection so you will be up to date when season two arrives.
http://sknr.net/2016/11/08/badlands-season-one/