I felt the way this movie started was really powerful and intense. The relationship Louise had with her daughter was a powerful running theme through this movie and although it wasn’t clear what kind of relationship she had with her daughter’s father at first, things began to make sense as the movie went on.
I thought it was interesting to see how the different countries reacted to the appearance of the aliens. The fact that some of them had different ways of communicating with the aliens was particularly intriguing and I thought it made a lot of sense that they were all reluctant to work together.
I did think that a lot of time was glossed over. Even though I enjoyed seeing little snippets of Louise and Ian’s relationship, by the end of the movie, I felt it wasn’t as believable as it could have been. And while it was interesting to see snippets from Ian’s perspective, I felt that a lot of the main focus was on Louise. The movie was more character-driven, but it seemed to only be driven by one character.
There were parts of this movie I felt were very surreal. It was interesting to see the effects the aliens were having in Louise’s dreams, but there was one scene in particular that felt more surreal than it actually should have, considering it was a scene in reality where Louise was talking to the aliens.
I did think there was a lot of good acting and the actions of most of the characters made sense. This film did require attention being paid, though, as there was quite a bit of foreshadowing and links to earlier scenes in the movie.
I did find this movie entertaining and engaging to watch. While I wouldn’t buy it straight away as soon as it comes out on DVD, I wouldn’t mind watching it again in the future.
I haven’t read the book this movie is based on, but when I saw this film advertised, I knew I wanted to see this, as I’ve always liked cats… and although it was clear this movie would be intense and emotional to watch, it also had a few lighthearted moments and some really nice scenes between the characters.
I thought Bob was adorable and it was good to see how James bonded with his cat. There were a few scenes that made me smile, such as when James insisted that Bob could understand what he was saying.
I had a lot of sympathy for James, as it seemed like he hit rock bottom in this movie. It was pretty awful to see how bad things were for him, but I did like that he had people prepared to help him and give him a chance. While I didn’t think I especially liked Val for some of the film, by the end, she had grown on me quite a bit.
I did feel quite a bit of sympathy for Baz, although it was clear that he wasn’t prepared to even make the effort. It was good to see James interacting with the other people around him. I liked Belle, but I felt she wasn’t as supportive as she might have been, even though I could understand why she felt like she did.
It was interesting to see how James was affected by everything, but I liked how it seemed it was inevitable for him to accept Bob into his life.
I liked that there were some elements of humour in this movie and it was interesting how the characters kept remarking that Bob had come to the place he was needed. I thought it was sweet to see how Bob worked with James when he busked and there was some humour when it came to the comments on the YouTube videos.
There were some really intense scenes and I wouldn’t recommend this film as one for younger children, as it does contain instances of drug use. But there were some really sweet moments in this film and it was definitely one I would watch again in the future.
When I originally saw this movie advertised, I wasn’t initially planning to see it. The more I saw it advertised, though, the more intrigued I was by the storyline and interested to see how the movie would handle someone who was autistic.
I thought Ben Affleck did a really good job in the role. While he played a character who was emotionally disconnected from other people, I found it really easy to empathise with Christian; and it was good to see the contrast between him as a child and how he dealt with his reality as an adult.
Although I could, in some ways, understand why his father parented the way he had, I developed a strong dislike for the father by the end of the movie.
It was good to get something of an insight into the way Christian’s mind worked, though I would have liked to see more of his relationship with his brother. It was good to see him interacting with the woman on the phone and I did like seeing him and Dana learning about each other. However, I found it really hard to believe the almost-kiss. I felt the emotion wasn’t really there and that it was just included because every movie now has to contain some kind of romance.
I did like the fact there were two storylines running alongside each other and it was good to see how the two plots converged and to learn about the different characters’ connections to each other.
There was a lot of good action in this movie, in particular towards the end. I did like how I had the opportunity to learn about Christian’s past as the movie went on. I did figure out one of the twists, but I found the explanation as to what was going on a bit difficult to understand.
I did find Brax to be an intriguing character, but I wasn’t sure I really liked him, even though I would have liked to see a bit more about him.
I did find this movie a really engaging one to watch and it was one I wouldn’t mind seeing again in the future.
Synopsis
Orion is a Subpar, expected to mine the tunnels of Outpost Five, near the deadly flash curtain. For generations, her people have chased cirium—the only element that can shield humanity from the curtain’s radioactive particles.
She and her caving partner, Dram work the most treacherous tunnel, fighting past flash bats and tunnel gulls, in hopes of mining enough cirium to earn their way into the protected city.
But when newcomers arrive at Outpost Five, Orion uncovers disturbing revelations that make her question everything she thought she knew about life on both sides of the cirium shield. As conditions at the outpost grow increasingly dangerous, it’s up to Orion to forge a way past the flashfall, beyond all boundaries, beyond the world as she knows it.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I’ve read quite a few dystopian novels by this point and although I did find it a little hard to engage with the whole world, Rye’s own small area was easy to follow and understand. It was good to see how their society worked… and it was also really good to see that she and Dram and the others had a goal to work towards, rather than just working there day in and day out.
While Rye was the stereotypical rebellious heroine, I found it harder to understand why the other characters were so eager to follow her. I didn’t get to see much of her interacting with anyone outside of those she was closest to, so I didn’t get a good idea of how big the society was in that particular area.
I liked seeing hints of the relationships between the other characters, such as Dram and Lenore and Lenore and Reeves. I would have liked to see a bit more of the latter… and also be able to understand the relationship between Rye and her father a bit more.
I liked the opportunity to learn more about the different kinds of abilities there were in the society, though I was a bit confused by the fact that the society seemed to be an obviously self-destructive one. While it was good to have the opportunity to see more of the world gradually, I felt it seemed like each area was very contained and I wasn’t sure how each separate place communicated with each other. It seemed like the society was quite obviously on the way out.
I would have liked to see some more background and a bit more information about how the society worked as a whole. There were some twists, but due to there being so many characters, I didn’t feel the revelations made a whole lot of sense. I did find Jameson an intriguing character, but I would have liked to see more about him, rather than just what was shown towards the end.
I did enjoy reading this book and I would like to read the next one/s in this series in the future… but I think I would have found it easier to read with the focus on less characters and a bit more shown about the world as a whole.
Trailer
About The Author
Jenny is the author of YA sci-fi/fantasy FLASHFALL, coming from
Macmillan/Holt 11-15-16. She lives with her filmmaker husband and their
PRIZE: Win a signed hardcover of FLASHFALL by Jenny Moyer, a Flashfall t-shirt, exclusive patches from the book trailer, a pair of “Follow your dreams” socks, a carabiner and glow wristbands (US Only)
Synopsis: Charlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart. Her parents have divorced: Dad’s a glutton for fame, Mom drinks too much, and Charlotte’s twin is a zoned-out druggie. Her father wants Charlotte write a book and go on a lecture tour, and her mom wants to keep her safe, a virtual prisoner in her own home. But Charlotte is obsessed with the other girl who was kidnapped, who never got a second chance at life–the girl who nobody but Charlotte believes really existed. Until she can get justice for that girl, even if she has to do it on her own, whatever the danger, Charlotte will never be free.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I thought the blurb of this book was a really intriguing one. As I read the book, it was very clear how well the title fit and I liked how it wasn’t just about the aftermath of Charlotte having been kidnapped, but also how her family was affected.
I was able to empathise with Charlotte really early on, but I felt I didn’t really get to know the other characters as well, since I was only seeing them through her eyes. I thought it was good that, although what she went through was made clear, there wasn’t any graphic detail about it… and it was more about the effects of what had happened still lingering. While it was hard to read at some points, it was good that there were things Charlotte had to do… or couldn’t do… even though I did feel that some of her growth was glossed over.
It was a bit disappointing that The One Before wasn’t shown to be as much of a mystery as the blurb had suggested. I didn’t feel like a lot of the book dwelled on that part of the plot and although it was good to see how the trauma had linked Charlotte with the other two girls, I was a little disappointed by how little I saw her interacting with the people she knew before… or anyone, really, outside of her family. The only person she seemed to have any kind of interaction with outside of her family was Bailey.
I did think it was interesting to see how Charlotte related to CiGi, but I felt that the book was a bit too short for Charlotte to get to the point she had by the end. It was intensely difficult to learn more about what she’d gone through, though, and I really wanted to be able to comfort her. The book did succeed in making me feel a whole mix of different emotions.
I thought it was good to see how other people Charlotte didn’t know were affected by what had happened to her and I really liked being able to see her relationship with Lexa.
I did like reading this book and I found it easy to engage with Charlotte and care about her. I would definitely read more books by this author in the future.
Follow The Tour
About The Author
Winner of the 2015 RITA Award for Best First Book
Clara Kensie grew up near Chicago, reading every book she could find and using her diary to write stories about a girl with psychic powers who solved mysteries. She purposely did not hide her diary, hoping someone would read it and assume she was writing about herself. Since then, she’s swapped her diary for a computer and admits her characters are fictional, but otherwise she hasn’t changed one bit.
Today, Clara is the author of dark fiction for young adults. Her debut, the super-romantic thriller RUN TO YOU BOOK ONE: DECEPTION SO DEADLY is the winner of the prestigious RITA Award for Best First Book.
Even though I haven’t read any of the books, I did see the previous movie in this franchise.
I felt Jack Reacher came across as much more socially awkward in this movie, especially when it came to his interactions with Sam… but also when he was speaking with Major Turner. While it was good to see she was a strong character, I felt she was pushed very much to the background, even though most of the main plot involved her. While I do like Tom Cruise as an actor, I didn’t think much of his character.
I did think there was a lot of good setup, but at the same time, I found the storyline a bit difficult to follow at times. I found some of the connections between the characters a bit hard to follow.
There were some really good action sequences in this movie and I liked seeing Jack Reacher in his phone calls to Major Turner. It was good to see the two of them interacting before they met in person.
I thought it was good to see Reacher trying to be a father, even though he clearly had no idea how to actually be one. It was nice to see him bonding with Sam and especially good to see the way their relationship had evolved by the end of the movie.
I did feel that the corruption levels seemed to be quite high and it was difficult to see exactly who the bad guys were. At the beginning of the movie, when Reacher was accused of murder, I did think the evidence was really flimsy, even though Reacher’s responses were amusing to hear. At the same time, I found it strange that he refused to respond, as there seemed to be no logic to that.
I did recognise quite a few actors and for the most part, I found the characters they played to be engaging and realistic. The exception was the main bad guy. By the time it got to the end of the movie, it seemed more like he was pursuing a personal vendetta that didn’t make a lot of sense.
While there were some disturbing scenes, such as when one of the characters was tortured, it didn’t really hit very hard, as I didn’t care that much about a lot of the secondary characters.
This film was entertaining to watch and there were some engaging scenes with main characters I did care about. But I wouldn’t gain anything from watching this movie again, so I wouldn’t buy it on DVD.
It’s likely to come as no surprise to anyone who reads my reviews that, the moment I saw Doctor Strange advertised, I immediately wanted to see it… and took my nine-year-old niece, who probably knows more about Marvel than I do, to see it.
I’ve seen Benedict Cumberbatch in quite a lot of things by now and I felt like he portrayed Doctor Strange really well. Of course, he’d already had experience playing an arrogant character in BBC’s Sherlock.
It was good to see how, even though Strange lost the use of his hands, he didn’t lose any of his arrogance… even though that arrogance showed in different ways.
I found the Ancient One to be a really intriguing character, though by the end of the movie, I was left a little in the dark about what her exact motivations were.
I did find Mordo to be quite intriguing. I recognised the actor, but I didn’t really think a later scene fit with his character. I would have liked some more background and depth to him, to explain the path he took later.
I was a bit disappointed that, for a Marvel movie, there was very little humour. I did like the fact it was a bit more serious, though, and I especially enjoyed Strange’s interactions with Wong.
I thought it was good to see something of the power the characters could use and to get an idea of how it worked. I thought it was interesting to learn about the different artefacts imbued with abilities… and it was good to see something of the origins of Doctor Strange’s cape.
The mirror world was an intriguing aspect of the movie, though I did get a little confused about how it worked. It was amusing, and did a lot to break up the tension, to see Stan Lee’s cameo.
If you see this movie, make sure you stay till the end, as there are two extra scenes.
While I did watch bits and pieces of the Bake Off last year, this was the first year I actually sat down and watched the entire series all the way through. I did find it enjoyable and creative and it’s a bit disappointing that the next series are going to be changing so much.
I thought it was good to see the different types of challenges and how imaginative the bakers were, although there were times I felt they were maybe a bit too ambitious.
Since I hadn’t properly watched the Bake Off before, the weeks were all very new to me. I thought the gingerbread buildings were particularly well-made, even though I cringed along with the baker who left that week.
While I could understand why Paul and Mary had to be critical, and I didn’t get to see all of their comments (probably), I did think they seemed to be particularly harsh and not very encouraging at times. And it seemed the comments were either all positive or all negative.
I thought some of the flavour combinations sounded like ones I would like to try, while others definitely didn’t sound appealing to me at all.
It was really good to see something of the history of a lot of the technical foods the bakers were making. I did think the fondant fancies looked particularly good and there were some really nice presentations. I especially liked Andrew’s fondant fancies.
I thought both the Tudor week and the Final were both very ambitious, but it was good to be able to see the different foods the bakers came up with while doing both their signature and showstopper challenges. At the same time, I thought it was interesting to see the bakers having to do particular foods the right way in the technical challenges. However, I didn’t quite understand why many of the recipes had things like measurements missing.
I did think Mel and Sue were really good presenters and it was nice to see them encouraging the bakers, along with providing some lightening of tension.
I also particularly liked the floral week and although it was disappointing to see that some of the bakes didn’t look as good as they could have done, I thought there were some really good ideas.
While I would have preferred one of the other bakers to win, I did think that the person who won the final was who deserved to win. And it was nice to see something of what everyone was doing after the show.
I picked up this manga book because it looked like it might be a fun read. And although it was entertaining, I was somewhat disappointed by what I felt was a lack of depth.
I did start off liking Rin, but by the end of the first volume, I didn’t much like any of the other characters. I would have liked a bit more background on the demons, especially given Rin apparently had history with the bullies he got into a fight with at the beginning of the book… but it wasn’t very clear how he knew them.
I did like being able to learn a bit more about some of the types of demon, even though I wasn’t sure why Yukio was trying to summon them during the first class.
Speaking of Yukio… I really didn’t like him very much. I didn’t get the impression he liked Rin that much… and his mood seemed to keep swinging. While there’d been a kind of cute flashback to the two of them as children, I felt that Rin cared a lot more about Yukio than Yukio did him… even though it was implied Yukio originally wanted to help his twin.
I would have liked the opportunity to learn more about the world itself. Considering Rin was new to it all, I was quite disappointed that he wasn’t asking any questions. And the whole thing with his sword completely confused me.
I wasn’t really sure what to make of Mephisto. While I thought he was an intriguing character, I didn’t quite trust him… and even though he seemed to be trying to help Rin at times, I definitely felt he had his own agenda.
I liked the side plot involving Shiemi. It was nice to see her and Rin starting to bond a little, although I did think she came across as a stereotypical manga girl character. It was nice to see her relationship with her mother… and I had a lot of sympathy for her. Next to Rin, I felt she was the character with the most development.
I thought this first book was a nice introduction to Rin’s world, but I did empathise with him as it seemed like everyone who knew what he was didn’t trust him and wanted him to die. Considering there were only two characters I really liked in this first volume, I don’t think I’ll be reading the next any time soon.
When I saw the anime of this advertised, I was immediately intrigued by the idea. And when I saw the book for sale… I immediately wanted to buy it and see the world.
Unfortunately, although this book did get off to a good start… by the end, I found myself feeling quite disappointed. While it was good to see something of how the people trapped in the game tried to make lives for themselves, by the time the plot got going, it felt like everyone had just given up.
The scenes at the beginning of the manga, when the players found out they were trapped inside the game, were done really well. It was heartbreaking to learn about the memorial that appeared and immortalised the names of each player who had died. In that respect, I could understand why many of the players chose to stop trying and just eked out lives to survive.
I didn’t really like Asuna. She kind of set my teeth on edge and I found it very difficult to believe she and Kirito had real feelings for each other. I was disappointed that there was very little time spent developing the romance… and even by the end of the book, I was left completely lost about how most things worked in the game.
There were some good elements of artwork in depicting the characters, in particular the contrast when all of them were unmasked when they realised they couldn’t leave. I found the idea of the guilds to be an intriguing one, but most of the information I had was coloured by Kirito’s experiences with them… and although I was being told a lot of the characteristics of those guilds, I wasn’t being shown.
I didn’t feel there was much in the way of different characters shown. I would have liked to see more than just Kirito and Asuna… and although it was interesting to see them gain a daughter, I found that very hard to believe when the little girl’s background was revealed.
I found it hard to form an emotional connection to most of the characters in this. I think the book would have been better as a longer one, with more time spent showing character relationships and how they interacted with the world they were trapped in.
Ink of Blood 