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Seth David Golson (6 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
May 15, 2019
The cgi (1 more)
The story
Detective Pikachu doing a Video game movie right
Contains spoilers, click to show
Detective Pikachu was one of the movies I had planed to see this summer being the fact that it is the first live action Pokémon movie.
I was highly surprised with how well the story was handled and how it maintained the main themes of the Pokémom franchise (friendship, love, and striving to be the best)
Though I do believe that the movie had the issue of thinking it needed to have its audience seeing something happen at all times such as having the Apom (Apalm?) attack last what felt like ten minutes.
I do think that the ending is satisfying with having the main character to grow closer to his father.
I do recommend seeing detective Pikachu expecially if your a long time fan of the Pokémon franchise.
I was highly surprised with how well the story was handled and how it maintained the main themes of the Pokémom franchise (friendship, love, and striving to be the best)
Though I do believe that the movie had the issue of thinking it needed to have its audience seeing something happen at all times such as having the Apom (Apalm?) attack last what felt like ten minutes.
I do think that the ending is satisfying with having the main character to grow closer to his father.
I do recommend seeing detective Pikachu expecially if your a long time fan of the Pokémon franchise.

Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Big Game (2015) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
It’s been a long time since a simple action movie was just good fun, rather than being exasperatingly long, complex and full of mind-boggling CGI.
Big Game is the complete opposite of those things and much fresher because of it. With Samuel L Jackson’s trademark wit and brilliant comic timing, he plays President Bill Moore with fantastic energy, very much like he did in Matthew Vaughan’s Kingsman: The Secret Service earlier this year.
With a plot that doesn’t require any knowledge of prequels or sequels, this is pure popcorn entertainment and a brilliant way to spend an evening. Yes it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination with a poor first third, but when the finale is this much fun, you’ll have too much of a good time to remember what came before it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/05/10/incredibly-well-made-big-game-review/
Big Game is the complete opposite of those things and much fresher because of it. With Samuel L Jackson’s trademark wit and brilliant comic timing, he plays President Bill Moore with fantastic energy, very much like he did in Matthew Vaughan’s Kingsman: The Secret Service earlier this year.
With a plot that doesn’t require any knowledge of prequels or sequels, this is pure popcorn entertainment and a brilliant way to spend an evening. Yes it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination with a poor first third, but when the finale is this much fun, you’ll have too much of a good time to remember what came before it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/05/10/incredibly-well-made-big-game-review/

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Reaper Man (Discworld, #11; Death, #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Not enough Death
I had high hopes for this book as Death is one of my favourite characters, but sadly it was a bit of a letdown.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad book and is still quite good, it just isn't on par with a lot of the other Discworld books that I've read. Death is a fantastic character but he just isn't featured in this book enough (despite it being about life and death). The wizards and Windle Poons are featured more heavily and sadly they're not quite as loveable. They're funny in their own way, but they get a little rambling after a while. The plot too suffers from rambling as well and the whole concept is a little bit too bonkers, even for a Discworld novel.
It's still a good book and easy to read, it just isn't one of the best in the series.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad book and is still quite good, it just isn't on par with a lot of the other Discworld books that I've read. Death is a fantastic character but he just isn't featured in this book enough (despite it being about life and death). The wizards and Windle Poons are featured more heavily and sadly they're not quite as loveable. They're funny in their own way, but they get a little rambling after a while. The plot too suffers from rambling as well and the whole concept is a little bit too bonkers, even for a Discworld novel.
It's still a good book and easy to read, it just isn't one of the best in the series.

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Shape of Water (2017) in Movies
Mar 12, 2018 (Updated Mar 12, 2018)
Fish porn :D - not Del Toro's finest
I'm possibly in the minority when I say I didn't particularly enjoy this film though I really appreciated the themes explored such as prejudice, otherness, and boundless love. Not to mention, highlighting disability, racism and homophobia.
However, as a big fan of @Pan's Labyrinth (2006), @The Devil's Backbone (2001) and @Cronos (1994) - this felt like it had a bit of Hollywood stardust and Guillermo Del Toro seemed to dumb down his usual style i.e. turning to good versus bad.
Although Michael Shannon acted well, he was a bit of caricature of a villain. But I did like the flipside of the Soviet scientist being the hero. And at the end of it, it did appear like a non-comedic, Rated-R version of @Splash (1984). Not my cup of tea.
However, as a big fan of @Pan's Labyrinth (2006), @The Devil's Backbone (2001) and @Cronos (1994) - this felt like it had a bit of Hollywood stardust and Guillermo Del Toro seemed to dumb down his usual style i.e. turning to good versus bad.
Although Michael Shannon acted well, he was a bit of caricature of a villain. But I did like the flipside of the Soviet scientist being the hero. And at the end of it, it did appear like a non-comedic, Rated-R version of @Splash (1984). Not my cup of tea.

Merissa (12841 KP) rated Bonded (Law of the Lycans #1) in Books
Mar 26, 2018
Bonded (Law of the Lycans #1) by Nicky Charles
This book has been languishing on my Kindle since April 2013, but I've finally got round to reading it, and I'm currently kicking myself for waiting so long!
This is an excellent story that shows the work it takes to keep wolves from the humans' radar, but also how some wolves think they are better than others, and what they do to them. And in the middle of it all, we have Reno and Brandi - a couple that surely belong together if only they would stop being so stubborn.
Well written, with some steamy scenes that in no way take away from the story. A smooth pace and an intricate storyline. I'm about to start Betrayed now as I am hooked on this world. Absolutely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is an excellent story that shows the work it takes to keep wolves from the humans' radar, but also how some wolves think they are better than others, and what they do to them. And in the middle of it all, we have Reno and Brandi - a couple that surely belong together if only they would stop being so stubborn.
Well written, with some steamy scenes that in no way take away from the story. A smooth pace and an intricate storyline. I'm about to start Betrayed now as I am hooked on this world. Absolutely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Hotel Artemis (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2018
So Jodi Foster looks like my grandma and that's pretty upsetting, because that must mean I am also old. But she plays the role of the Nurse really well! (As if anyone expects anything different from Ms. Foster, right?) Overall, the acting in this movie was spot-on. I think Jeff Goldblum has reached the point in his career where he's allowed to play himself in every movie (like Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino), but he's always fun to watch. Dave Bautista was great. I think what kept this movie from being really great was the story. It was so close! It was almost good, but it felt unfinished or undeveloped. This movie suffered from a lack of context. Some stories can handle that, but this one felt shaky. There are so many unanswered questions and vague endings that it was an unsatisfying experience. I wanted more!

Connie (244 KP) rated Pokemon Go in Apps
Jun 26, 2018 (Updated Jul 26, 2018)
A bad choice of advancement for the Pokemon franchise.
I'm an avid Pokemon player. I started when Gen 1 first came out, and I have played every "Blue aligned" game since then, and all the third games as well (Yellow, Crystal, etc.).
That being said, this game was executed extremely poorly. Niantic ignores basic aspects of Pokemon (trading is notable here) in favor of fixes that are needed but not as crucial. Pokemon events around the world are a joke, leading to people paying money for travel or tickets and then leaving them high and dry. It was a great idea, but Niantic was a poor choice for execution. You only had to look at the way they ignored their other game, Ingress, to know it wasn't going to work out.
For a game that had such promise, I am extremely disappointed. Better luck next time.
That being said, this game was executed extremely poorly. Niantic ignores basic aspects of Pokemon (trading is notable here) in favor of fixes that are needed but not as crucial. Pokemon events around the world are a joke, leading to people paying money for travel or tickets and then leaving them high and dry. It was a great idea, but Niantic was a poor choice for execution. You only had to look at the way they ignored their other game, Ingress, to know it wasn't going to work out.
For a game that had such promise, I am extremely disappointed. Better luck next time.

Steph (468 KP) rated The Wall of Storms (The Dandelion Dynasty #2) in Books
Jul 9, 2018
I am incredibly impressed with the amount of research that must have gone into this book, for politics, military strategy, engineering, physics, and more. That being said, to me the most important thing is characters and I think they fell a little short on this one. Parts of the plot were a little confusing and hard to follow as well. Jia's struggle for power/efforts to unite the throne seemed silly and it was difficult to see the political accumen involved. I was also surprised at how cold and calculating she became. The plot started off rather slow and seemed to end too soon with a lot happening far too quickly at the end. Ultimately this book read more like the first in a series with The Grace of Kings as a prequel. Nevertheless, I still admire the work that went into this book and the brilliance behind the ideas.

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Red Turtle (2016) in Movies
Jun 16, 2019 (Updated Jun 16, 2019)
Animated Belgo-Japanese allegorical fantasy is nice to look at and relaxing to watch. A man is washed up on a desert island after a storm, finds his attempts to leave are frustrated by a large crimson chelonian; after an attempt to kill the creature, he resolves to make friends, successfully bringing the turtle out of her shell (thanks, I'm here all week) - the two of them fall in love and have a family together.
As you can see, not short on the traditional 'WTF?!?!?' element of Studio Ghibli films, but it also possesses the typical virtues of being a really, really beautiful and well-told story. Maybe a touch under-powered story-wise, and it doesn't feel rushed even at only about 80 minutes long, but a finely-crafted and very pleasant film. The romance that HP Lovecraft never got around to writing.
As you can see, not short on the traditional 'WTF?!?!?' element of Studio Ghibli films, but it also possesses the typical virtues of being a really, really beautiful and well-told story. Maybe a touch under-powered story-wise, and it doesn't feel rushed even at only about 80 minutes long, but a finely-crafted and very pleasant film. The romance that HP Lovecraft never got around to writing.

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Mary Queen of Scots (2018) in Movies
Dec 29, 2019
Dull
I've never been a big fan of period dramas aside from a few exceptions, and I'm afraid to say this definitely isn't one of the exceptions.
This has a great cast but aside from Saoirse Ronan, nobody really gets their chance to shine. Even Margot Robbie seems drastically underused which is a shame. This film looks great, the costumes are very well done and the landscapes and scenery are beautiful, but this is really the only thing this film has going for it. Despite being based on an interesting period in history, it is beyond dull yet plows along at a very quick pace. It lacks in any real detail and just comes across a little confusing and uninteresting. I struggled to get into this at all and by the end just found it irritating, which is a little sad considering the talent in this.
This has a great cast but aside from Saoirse Ronan, nobody really gets their chance to shine. Even Margot Robbie seems drastically underused which is a shame. This film looks great, the costumes are very well done and the landscapes and scenery are beautiful, but this is really the only thing this film has going for it. Despite being based on an interesting period in history, it is beyond dull yet plows along at a very quick pace. It lacks in any real detail and just comes across a little confusing and uninteresting. I struggled to get into this at all and by the end just found it irritating, which is a little sad considering the talent in this.