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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Terminator Genisys (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Not a complete disaster
Sequels and reboots are making up the bulk of 2015’s cinematic offerings. With films added to franchises like Jurassic Park, Star Wars and James Bond, it was always going to be tough for others to make much of a dent.
It’s been six years since Christian Bale took over lead billing from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator series in the critically panned Terminator Salvation. But director Alan Taylor (Thor: the Dark World), a newcomer to the sci-fi adventure series, resurrects the franchise with Terminator Genisys. But is it worth a watch?
Acting as a reboot and a sequel, the film follows the story of a young Kyle Reece (Jai Courtney), sent back in time by John Connor (Jason Clarke) to protect his mother Sarah, played by Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke. His aim is to stop the war before it even begins.
The duo are joined on their travels by the naturally charismatic Arnold Schwarzenegger who is one of the only highlights in a film full of soulless set-pieces, meaningless dialogue and a sickening sense of nostalgia.
Genisys constantly reminds you of the brilliance radiating from James Cameron’s first two films. Herein lies the problem, this sequel has none of the soul or charm of its predecessors with the homages coming across as insulting attempts to cash in on the series.
Even the iconic “I’ll be back” phrase is shoehorned into an awkward position where it doesn’t really make much sense.
And there we move onto the second issue. It makes hardly any sense at all. With continuity errors abound, Genisys relies on your knowledge of Terminator and Judgement Day being in tip-top shape, and after more than two decades it’s safe to say the majority of people will need a refresher course first.
The set pieces are, on the whole, glorious and despite being slightly overlong at 126 minutes, Genisys is a well-paced film without a boring moment to its name. It’s just a shame the plot doesn’t make more of an impact.
It feels like the characters are stuck in a video game, with a climactic action piece signalling the next level, moving on up until the obligatory big-boss fight that makes a further sequel seem incredibly likely.
Emilia Clarke is well-worth noting however. Despite being more used to being in the company of dragons rather than robots, she plays her character well and steps into Linda Hamilton’s shoes with ease. The casting is spot on here with Clarke having more than a whiff of Hamilton in her appearance.
The rest of the cast, bar Schwarzenegger fail to make an impression with Jai Courtney’s character proving particularly dull.
Overall, Terminator Genisys isn’t a complete disaster but comes close to being a write off. The action pieces are thrilling but a lack of soul, comprehension and individuality ensures it’ll end up being forgotten once 2015 is over.
With a sequel almost definitely on the cards, all fans of the franchise can hope for is a film worthy of James Cameron’s brilliant original – and this is not it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/07/05/not-a-complete-disaster-terminator-genisys-review/
It’s been six years since Christian Bale took over lead billing from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator series in the critically panned Terminator Salvation. But director Alan Taylor (Thor: the Dark World), a newcomer to the sci-fi adventure series, resurrects the franchise with Terminator Genisys. But is it worth a watch?
Acting as a reboot and a sequel, the film follows the story of a young Kyle Reece (Jai Courtney), sent back in time by John Connor (Jason Clarke) to protect his mother Sarah, played by Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke. His aim is to stop the war before it even begins.
The duo are joined on their travels by the naturally charismatic Arnold Schwarzenegger who is one of the only highlights in a film full of soulless set-pieces, meaningless dialogue and a sickening sense of nostalgia.
Genisys constantly reminds you of the brilliance radiating from James Cameron’s first two films. Herein lies the problem, this sequel has none of the soul or charm of its predecessors with the homages coming across as insulting attempts to cash in on the series.
Even the iconic “I’ll be back” phrase is shoehorned into an awkward position where it doesn’t really make much sense.
And there we move onto the second issue. It makes hardly any sense at all. With continuity errors abound, Genisys relies on your knowledge of Terminator and Judgement Day being in tip-top shape, and after more than two decades it’s safe to say the majority of people will need a refresher course first.
The set pieces are, on the whole, glorious and despite being slightly overlong at 126 minutes, Genisys is a well-paced film without a boring moment to its name. It’s just a shame the plot doesn’t make more of an impact.
It feels like the characters are stuck in a video game, with a climactic action piece signalling the next level, moving on up until the obligatory big-boss fight that makes a further sequel seem incredibly likely.
Emilia Clarke is well-worth noting however. Despite being more used to being in the company of dragons rather than robots, she plays her character well and steps into Linda Hamilton’s shoes with ease. The casting is spot on here with Clarke having more than a whiff of Hamilton in her appearance.
The rest of the cast, bar Schwarzenegger fail to make an impression with Jai Courtney’s character proving particularly dull.
Overall, Terminator Genisys isn’t a complete disaster but comes close to being a write off. The action pieces are thrilling but a lack of soul, comprehension and individuality ensures it’ll end up being forgotten once 2015 is over.
With a sequel almost definitely on the cards, all fans of the franchise can hope for is a film worthy of James Cameron’s brilliant original – and this is not it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/07/05/not-a-complete-disaster-terminator-genisys-review/
Ross (3284 KP) rated Red Country in Books
Nov 29, 2017
This book is the third standalone set in the world of the First Law trilogy and sees farm girl Shy (with a dark secret history) and her 9-fingered step-father return from market to find their farm burned and Shy's siblings abducted.
They duly follow the trail of the kidnappers and end up embroiled in a journey through the "wild west" of this world with groups of travellers seeking their fortune and without exception ending destitute in grubby town Crease.
A number of familiar faces (or hands) return in this book, as well as a number of new characters. I didn't really like the western setting, being totally incongruous with the rest of the books set in the same world, and the mysticism implied near the end was not very well explored (a similar gripe about the first trilogy).
A good read, but really for completists, not to be read as a standalone book.
They duly follow the trail of the kidnappers and end up embroiled in a journey through the "wild west" of this world with groups of travellers seeking their fortune and without exception ending destitute in grubby town Crease.
A number of familiar faces (or hands) return in this book, as well as a number of new characters. I didn't really like the western setting, being totally incongruous with the rest of the books set in the same world, and the mysticism implied near the end was not very well explored (a similar gripe about the first trilogy).
A good read, but really for completists, not to be read as a standalone book.
Jace Andersen (5 KP) rated Amazon in Apps
Dec 5, 2017
Amazon gives you a chance to purchase basically any item in the world. There are very few items that are not included in this app. It works well and has never crashed on me. It has options to make a wish list and save items to your cart. Also when looking at an item, at the bottom of the page is a section of similar items and items other users have bought or looked at while checking out the same item being looked at. The purchase process works very easily and has two different options. You can be just a guest and this will not save your information but if you plan on purchasing an item from the Amazon app, I would suggest creating an account. When you have a created account you only have to enter in card information, address, name etc. once and it will save it for you. Very well working app.
Niten. NR (75 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies
Jul 27, 2017
A sound action adventure and not as bad as all that. (3 more)
Good intro
Action sequences and effects.
Egyptian Princess of Darkness babe.
Or.... Dark Universe the beginning.
It was on so I watched it, as you do. I remember being gripped and impressed by the first 20 mins, it's a good start and does its job well. The rest of the film is totally watchable. I've seen that it gets some stick but the story line is solid, it's funny in parts with a good amount of action. The cast is more that decent. I fancied the Princess Ahmanet but, that just a personal positive for me and to be fair she does a great job. Tom Cruise does his job well as does Annabelle Wallis. Of course there's a big set up for more of the same. Not too much to complain about other than I've seen similar before. Don't be put off by the overly negative and easily influenced.
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Six Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon #1) in Books
Jul 31, 2017
Six Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon #1) by S.M. Reine
Yet another book about werewolves (but no vampires to be seen of yet!) but this one is very good. It holds your interest from the beginning and takes you on a journey with the main character as she progresses through each New and Full Moon to become closer to being a fully-fledged werewolf. The "history" into the werewolf that is given is very well written and done in such a way that you don't feel like it is just something that needed to be done! There is a slight spark of romance in this but nothing that goes beyond the boundaries of Young Adult!
The pace of this book is continuous, not jerky, and the characters are well-written. Very few grammatical or editorial errors so it was a pleasure to read and I already have the second one to start.
Recommended.
* Verified Purchase ~ January 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The pace of this book is continuous, not jerky, and the characters are well-written. Very few grammatical or editorial errors so it was a pleasure to read and I already have the second one to start.
Recommended.
* Verified Purchase ~ January 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) in Movies
Apr 9, 2019
Umpty-tumpth Bond film rests on the laurels of GoldenEye perhaps just a bit too much. Evil media magnate Carver tries to orchestrate a war between the UK and China so he can sell more papers and grab a satellite TV franchise; British intelligence decides to disrupt his scheme by sending James Bond to have sex with his wife.
Well-mounted set pieces, and plenty of them, plus Michelle Yeoh gets an eye-catching role as the 'Oh, James!' character, but the problem is that the rest of it feels like karaoke Bond, without the self-awareness or attempts to move the franchise on that lifted GoldenEye somewhat - plus, it's just not as well written. The result is a mid-range entry in the series, assuming one overlooks the schoolboy error of Bond not being able to read Chinese (as any fule kno, he got a First in Oriental Languages at Cambridge). This still equates to an entertaining movie, just not an exceptional one.
Well-mounted set pieces, and plenty of them, plus Michelle Yeoh gets an eye-catching role as the 'Oh, James!' character, but the problem is that the rest of it feels like karaoke Bond, without the self-awareness or attempts to move the franchise on that lifted GoldenEye somewhat - plus, it's just not as well written. The result is a mid-range entry in the series, assuming one overlooks the schoolboy error of Bond not being able to read Chinese (as any fule kno, he got a First in Oriental Languages at Cambridge). This still equates to an entertaining movie, just not an exceptional one.
ClareR (5674 KP) rated Blood on the Stone in Books
Apr 26, 2019 (Updated Apr 26, 2019)
A well-researched, exciting historical murder-mystery.
This is a very enjoyable murder mystery, set in 17th century Oxford. The English Parliament is being hosted by Oxford, with King Charles II, his wife and mistresses also present (although we don’t really see them)
Luke Sandys, Chief Officer of the Bailiffs, is called on to solve the murder of an MP (Member of Parliament), and also to stop a treasonous plot against the King.
The Bailiffs were an early precursor of the modern police force from what I could make out. There’s some great historical detail about them, about everyday lives at this time, and about religious and political tensions between Protestants and catholics. It’s just a really good story overall!
There is a historical note at the end of the story that was very interesting, and I really appreciated the extra information.
In all, a well researched and exciting story!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author, Jake Lynch, for reading along!
Luke Sandys, Chief Officer of the Bailiffs, is called on to solve the murder of an MP (Member of Parliament), and also to stop a treasonous plot against the King.
The Bailiffs were an early precursor of the modern police force from what I could make out. There’s some great historical detail about them, about everyday lives at this time, and about religious and political tensions between Protestants and catholics. It’s just a really good story overall!
There is a historical note at the end of the story that was very interesting, and I really appreciated the extra information.
In all, a well researched and exciting story!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author, Jake Lynch, for reading along!
Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated Us (2019) in Movies
May 25, 2019
Performances are on point. (1 more)
Engrossing plot is well-paced throughout.
Enthralling thriller that promotes discussion.
Having only seen the trailer and done all I could to avoid spoilers. I wasn't sure what to expect with this film. The only thing I knew was that being a Peele film, I knew it would make me think and would be deeper than the average horror flick. The suspense and action are taut throughout and keeps you enwrapped. Little pieces of the plot are paced beautifully throughout and the performances are on point. You're left with questions well past the final reveal and the movie's message promotes inner thought. Any movie that can keep you enthralled from the opening scene to the final one and also promotes discussion is a win-win in my books. May have to rewatch this just to take in more of the messages throughout.
starwarsluvr (236 KP) rated When I Fall (Mile High Romance #5) in Books
Jan 30, 2018
I did love this story.. It is book 5 in this series and it can be read as a standalone as well. I am a little sad that the other characters didn't come into play in this story as much as they did in the first 4 stories. This one got a little bit more confusing for me.. it had a bit of tech type stuff in it and I don't know the first thing about that but overall it was very well written and interesting. I loved the issues that Jeff had with himself and who he was.. but he was very out and proud.. Drake didnt seem to have those issues but had his own set of issues including not being out. I loved how it came out that he is gay because that was totally sweet. It was a very interesting story and I cannot wait to see what book 6 is about.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Feb 4, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
Angry in America
One of the more intelligent movies to attempt to deal with the culture wars in America at the moment, this starts off looking like a relatively straightforward tale of a wronged woman taking on the callous reactionary establishment in smalltown USA, but then turns into something rather more nuanced.
Mildred, the main character, may be in the right, but that doesn't stop her from being an intolerant nightmare a lot of the time, while the racist cop who is her main opposition is not quite the uncaring thug he appears to be. In any case, it's the two sides' refusal to even try to consider the others' perspective that leads to the darker events as the story progresses.
Well-acted and well-written, it may be that the movie's refusal to offer easy or upbeat answers will work against it as far as some viewers are concerned. But another impressively provocative movie from Martin McDonagh.
Mildred, the main character, may be in the right, but that doesn't stop her from being an intolerant nightmare a lot of the time, while the racist cop who is her main opposition is not quite the uncaring thug he appears to be. In any case, it's the two sides' refusal to even try to consider the others' perspective that leads to the darker events as the story progresses.
Well-acted and well-written, it may be that the movie's refusal to offer easy or upbeat answers will work against it as far as some viewers are concerned. But another impressively provocative movie from Martin McDonagh.