tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73376438311945518022024-03-15T19:11:15.680-06:00For Those Who Were Wondering ...Reviews and other insights from economist and creative extraordinaire Jeff Thomason.Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-31234226147817911532024-01-27T15:27:00.001-07:002024-01-27T15:27:17.267-07:00Movie Review - Godzilla Minus One<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPqbKFs_Y1XkRV_ZUJQBSQmFLy0INJ_GLXUf0QSvNZQnOZF499KWHj1ifZe_fVeYn0wdMT5JX5m12BFZ6VoOkq1lHKgJC8roFZQhzgXREZSdV1aPcfH_bXp3LL2l5pGr4LaF6HuNYEMqqdqcOqWef91oXzNwMoy7X9LehHwCByz4Rj6Xzp8s_2N0AsWU/s735/godzilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPqbKFs_Y1XkRV_ZUJQBSQmFLy0INJ_GLXUf0QSvNZQnOZF499KWHj1ifZe_fVeYn0wdMT5JX5m12BFZ6VoOkq1lHKgJC8roFZQhzgXREZSdV1aPcfH_bXp3LL2l5pGr4LaF6HuNYEMqqdqcOqWef91oXzNwMoy7X9LehHwCByz4Rj6Xzp8s_2N0AsWU/w273-h400/godzilla.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><p></p><p>I loved the original <i>Gojira </i>movie and wished they'd come up with something that serious and well scripted.</p><p>They finally did.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Godzilla Minus One </i>is a 2023 action monster movie. It is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h3>Analysis</h3><p><b><b>Story.</b> </b>Unlike most of the Godzilla films (or monster movies in general) this film is a serious take on the genre and really examines what would happen if Godzilla were real. The movie also follows a small cast of characters from the end of World War II through the months following showing the steps they take to rebuild their lives. This human element helps raise the stakes and make Godzilla's attack seem even more devastating.</p><p><b><b>Special Effects.</b> </b>This film has amazing special effects. Unlike most movies in the last twenty years that look like video games, everything looks real. I'm impressed with what they managed to do with less than $15 million.</p><p><b><b>Plot & Pacing.</b> </b>The first half of the movie is a little slow, but once Godzilla attacks Tokyo I was on the edge of my seat.</p><h3>Overall</h3><p><i>Godzilla Minus One </i>is a 2023 action monster movie. It is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and is appropriate for teens and up. Unlike most of the Godzilla films (or monster movies in general) this film is a serious take on the genre and really examines what would happen if Godzilla were real. The movie also follows a small cast of characters from the end of World War II through the months following showing the steps they take to rebuild their lives. This human element helps raise the stakes and make Godzilla's attack seem even more devastating. This film has amazing special effects. Unlike most movies in the last twenty years that look like video games, everything looks real. I'm impressed with what they managed to do with less than $15 million. The first half of the movie is a little slow, but once Godzilla attacks Tokyo I was on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-34340117347790680902023-12-16T15:36:00.004-07:002023-12-16T15:36:21.921-07:00Movie Review - Wonka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm0Bs8-KZiqJYLKVuLITK5ytslP7ffWcHRLt2_IStoa_DhDPiCOKPS6ZnmgP_MAjUBIfwk0wNDYopIYvL8NCrjrfGz44iwPXc1yEcE1pSHWk-MofWyDu0pT9STRwqYt6ZrmOpqyAIZvK_Y2vlCinYwPTcnlkxdFZfW_-yTOaZ6Z6NvwuB3OnB2W5cNcw/s949/Wonka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm0Bs8-KZiqJYLKVuLITK5ytslP7ffWcHRLt2_IStoa_DhDPiCOKPS6ZnmgP_MAjUBIfwk0wNDYopIYvL8NCrjrfGz44iwPXc1yEcE1pSHWk-MofWyDu0pT9STRwqYt6ZrmOpqyAIZvK_Y2vlCinYwPTcnlkxdFZfW_-yTOaZ6Z6NvwuB3OnB2W5cNcw/w270-h400/Wonka.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I am not a Ronald Dahl fan and have yet to enjoy any movies based on his stories. But the trailer for this latest try actually looked good, and Timothée Chalamet looked like Willy Wonka should. So I thought I'd give it a chance. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Wonka </i>is a 2023 musical children's film inspired by a story by Ronald Dahl. It is rated PG and is appropriate for most ages.</p><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px; position: relative;">Analysis</h3><p style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b>Timothée Chalamet</b></span></span><b style="color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>.</b> </b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Timothée Chalamet made the movie. He looked the part and exuded the innocence, wackiness, and excitement of the character. I was surprised at how well he sang and danced.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><b>Songs and Dancing.</b> </b>Almost all of the songs were really good. The dancing was fun and helped the movie move forward.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><b>Art Direction.</b> </b>The visual look of the film was exactly what I expected it to be. It looked very much like a storybook.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Story.</b> The story was weak with a lot of on-the-nose writing, heavy handed theme explaining, and goofy plot devices.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Cleverness</b>. There were a lot of clever moments in the film that I just loved.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Silliness.</b> There was a lot of silliness in the film that made it boring for adults and moved it from the family movie realm to a kids' film. It wasn't necessary to talk down to the audience and would have been a stronger film if they hadn't done that.</p><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px; position: relative;">Overall</h3><p style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">Wonka </i>is a 2023 musical children's film inspired by a story by Ronald Dahl. It is rated PG and is appropriate for most ages. <span style="background-color: transparent;">Timothée Chalamet made the movie. He looked the part and exuded the innocence, wackiness, and excitement of the character. I was surprised at how well he sang and danced. </span>Almost all of the songs were really good. The dancing was fun and helped the movie move forward. The visual look of the film was exactly what I expected it to be. It looked very much like a storybook. The story was weak with a lot of on-the-nose writing, heavy handed theme explaining, and goofy plot devices. There were a lot of clever moments in the film that I just loved. There was a lot of silliness in the film that made it boring for adults and moved it from the family movie realm to a kids' film. It wasn't necessary to talk down to the audience and would have been a stronger film if they hadn't done that. The film is overall entertaining with the good moments worth sitting thru the not-so-good moments. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRAqO584rc/U1Ll250N0hI/AAAAAAAABPs/r2yF1cqb_JEIlbIiUPaEaJ5KGahnENT_ACPcBGAYYCw/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-88195772651659068842023-12-14T18:54:00.005-07:002023-12-14T18:54:46.851-07:00Merry and Bright - A 2023 Christmas Card<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QnRe0Sq-gNsy7VFiTfsyK1DoiMdRCx2GYI71Bg8c7SQSxCOOmobZk-jjUbPq9Q9P44qAT7dzGmaczZyZ60a5GnNvZa968f0OqvktMr_yr0q3rm9z_UI7QBVtdBEsqezns8x4h-d8oGJ0ifaDeAX48XhWPuw2ROw705QujY5OaFY4Pr8j7G_9XrqmVGo/s1280/2023-Christmas-Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="914" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QnRe0Sq-gNsy7VFiTfsyK1DoiMdRCx2GYI71Bg8c7SQSxCOOmobZk-jjUbPq9Q9P44qAT7dzGmaczZyZ60a5GnNvZa968f0OqvktMr_yr0q3rm9z_UI7QBVtdBEsqezns8x4h-d8oGJ0ifaDeAX48XhWPuw2ROw705QujY5OaFY4Pr8j7G_9XrqmVGo/w458-h640/2023-Christmas-Card.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Merry Christmas, one and all. Here's hoping the year ends merry and bright for you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This card was drawn with a Brush Pen and colored in Adobe Photoshop.</div><br /><p></p>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-38204928988918688732023-09-16T15:28:00.002-06:002023-09-16T15:28:12.842-06:00Movie Review - A Haunting in Venice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL-68YdykN-9KJzi3SbEnLIiDE17wJujkwk4M0es2YCUJZYThKlJ6nNli3baNxQIkxDL6eDBW41ba5htZLHr7UqYvwenqowzpfH0sWI2ouHtJPy0WKapqS_4x2we9hnE4bGmv7Rqe9VZUASUFxc2OkCI2OTTWCVxl6oWxC-h9o4h4VpYpOCb041neem0/s949/Venice.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="637" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL-68YdykN-9KJzi3SbEnLIiDE17wJujkwk4M0es2YCUJZYThKlJ6nNli3baNxQIkxDL6eDBW41ba5htZLHr7UqYvwenqowzpfH0sWI2ouHtJPy0WKapqS_4x2we9hnE4bGmv7Rqe9VZUASUFxc2OkCI2OTTWCVxl6oWxC-h9o4h4VpYpOCb041neem0/w269-h400/Venice.png" width="269" /></a></div><br /><p>I've enjoyed the previous two Hercule Poroit films, but thought they could be better. They were just a little too bland and played out exactly as I expected. I wasn't going to see this film in theaters, but reviews on YouTube made it sound like they put a little something extra in it, so I decided to give it a shot.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>A Haunting in Venice </i>is a 2023 horror mystery film based on the Agatha Christie book Hallowe'en Party. It is rated PG-13 for scary imagery and is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h3>Analysis</h3><p><b><b>Horror.</b> </b>This film is a horror film, and the kind of horror film I really like. It was spooky, mysterious, and not at all gory.</p><p><b><b>Mystery.</b> </b>This film is also a mystery, but the mystery doesn't take over until halfway thru the film which helps to keep the film engaging and entertaining. The solution to the mystery is not obvious like the other two films.</p><p><b><b>Characters.</b> </b>The characters were all very interesting and well developed. The actors and actresses all did a great job playing their various roles. I found myself caring about what happened to them.</p><h3>Overall</h3><p><i>A Haunting in Venice </i>is a 2023 horror mystery film based on the Agatha Christie book Hallowe'en Party. It's half horror movie and half mystery which helps keep the film engaging and interesting. This is the kind of horror film I really like--it was spooky, mysterious, and not at all gory. The mystery doesn't take over until halfway thru the film which helps to keep the film engaging and entertaining. The solution to the mystery is not obvious like the other two films. The characters were all very interesting and well developed. The actors and actresses all did a great job playing their various roles; I found myself caring about what happened to them. Overall this was a very enjoyable movie, and I'm glad I saw it. I recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-89037978776689902762023-07-29T16:28:00.004-06:002023-07-29T16:29:38.054-06:00Movie Review - Hunted Mansion (2023)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_jN7UXdSZ-LFK4VKOIDX9_OSqTPsvj-nyDE537jieoWLTdoZE2ipIz-t5dpP6oArb19nb4U62uZEijRq7iIgeFn_T-ZLPfvz23OQR2MYpVCwdFSBHOgQ7tscAh_Rh-2YjzPtEWi7iGaiunKMzD0qxOn8SrxfbreLwQcKccDG_Fdv3pVTRQattKwdCX8/s1280/haunted.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_jN7UXdSZ-LFK4VKOIDX9_OSqTPsvj-nyDE537jieoWLTdoZE2ipIz-t5dpP6oArb19nb4U62uZEijRq7iIgeFn_T-ZLPfvz23OQR2MYpVCwdFSBHOgQ7tscAh_Rh-2YjzPtEWi7iGaiunKMzD0qxOn8SrxfbreLwQcKccDG_Fdv3pVTRQattKwdCX8/w270-h400/haunted.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p>I'm a big fan of the Hunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I always thought a good movie based on that would be really cool. I never thought we'd see the "good" part, though.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Haunted Mansion </i>is a 2023 spooky comedy film based on the Disneyland attraction. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h3>Analysis</h3><p><b><b>Story.</b> </b>The story is a pretty typical spooky tale and plays out about how you expect it to. It's not bad, but nothing special. The opening has two false starts that were completely necessary and boring. The filmmakers should have started with scene 3. It would have been much stronger. </p><p><b><b>Spooky.</b> </b>This film was pretty spooky and even had a few genuine scary moments that probably pushed it as far as you can for a family film.</p><p><b><b>Comedy.</b> </b>The movie was so funny and so clever. I laughed several times from start to finish.</p><p><b><b>Pacing.</b> </b>The pacing was decent but did drag in a few spots.</p><h3>Overall</h3><p><i>Haunted Mansion </i>is a 2023 spooky comedy film based on the DisneyLand attraction. The story is a pretty typical spooky tale and plays out about how you expect it to. It's not bad, but nothing special. The opening has two false starts that were completely necessary and boring. The filmmakers should have started with scene 3. It would have been much stronger. This film was pretty spooky and even had a few genuine scary moments that probably pushed it as far as you can for a family film. The movie was so funny and so clever. I laughed several times from start to finish. The pacing was decent but did drag in a few spots. Overall this was a very enjoyable movie, and I'm glad I saw it. I recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-17257892444957160372023-07-18T14:18:00.001-06:002023-07-18T14:18:02.774-06:00Movie Review - Sound of Freedom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiylpQxDvPGQh670C4FnV0wdmalqgxEsLuLtUVPv7QLDvkMydsPqaeFlv6oB05dh-5tPXRuOuHe9iaGq1QbOqPby4GqFd1jKgh7Zd-U6lPitNzo5dvBn61C_1KVUVJcYQPCkf4O4nYMuNZjLOAxgNNTH5Q2L_sCS-Nru4p2-cYAlAjxA7P6gixkl3T-BI/s900/27x40_-_OFFICIAL_DIGITAL_POSTER_1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="608" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiylpQxDvPGQh670C4FnV0wdmalqgxEsLuLtUVPv7QLDvkMydsPqaeFlv6oB05dh-5tPXRuOuHe9iaGq1QbOqPby4GqFd1jKgh7Zd-U6lPitNzo5dvBn61C_1KVUVJcYQPCkf4O4nYMuNZjLOAxgNNTH5Q2L_sCS-Nru4p2-cYAlAjxA7P6gixkl3T-BI/w270-h400/27x40_-_OFFICIAL_DIGITAL_POSTER_1.webp" width="270" /></a></div><br /><p>I wasn't sure if I could sit thru <i>Sound of Freedom</i>. The subject matter seemed pretty heavy and hard to watch. But after reading and watching so many positive reviews I decided to try it, and am I glad I did.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Sound of Freedom </i>is a 2023 drama film based on a true story. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h3>Analysis</h3><p>The story behind the movie is excellent, but the filmmakers didn't rest on their laurels. Every other aspect of this film was top notch. You could use this film as a semester in film school about how to make a movie.</p><p><b><b>Story.</b> </b>The story was solid. Everything was well explained and laid out, but nothing was over explained. One scene led to the next leaving me at the edge of my seat. The message was clearly and movingly presented.<br /></p><p><b><b>Cinematography.</b> </b>This film was beautifully shot. Each and every frame was carefully thought out and designed.</p><p><b><b>Set & Costume Design.</b> </b>Just as much care was put into the set and costume design transporting you to the various locations and defining the various characters in the film without them needing to say a word.</p><p><b><b>Acting.</b> </b>Everyone brought their A game to this film. You believed you were watching a documentary being filmed and not a scripted show. What impressed me was how much of the film was silent. So much was conveyed thru facial expressions and actions.</p><p><b><b>Pacing.</b> </b>The film had a very deliberate pace that was just right. It delivered several powerful emotional punches but never felt slow or dragging.</p><h3>Overall</h3><p>I wasn't sure if I could sit thru <i>Sound of Freedom</i>. The subject matter seemed pretty heavy and hard to watch. But after reading and watching so many positive reviews I decided to try it, and am I glad I did. The story behind the movie is excellent, but the filmmakers didn't rest on their laurels. Every other aspect of this film was top notch. You could use this film as a semester in film school about how to make a movie. The story was solid. Everything was well explained and laid out, but nothing was over explained. One scene led to the next leaving me at the edge of my seat. The message was clearly and movingly presented. This film was beautifully shot. Each and every frame was carefully thought out and designed. Just as much care was put into the set and costume design transporting you to the various locations and defining the various characters in the film without them needing to say a word. Everyone brought their A game to this film. You believed you were watching a documentary being filmed and not a scripted show. What impressed me was how much of the film was silent. So much was conveyed thru facial expressions and actions. The film had a very deliberate pace that was just right. It delivered several powerful emotional punches but never felt slow or dragging. I highly recommend this film and give it 5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-36194049851823632472023-06-20T14:47:00.005-06:002023-06-20T14:47:58.907-06:00Movie Review - The Flash (2023 film)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluMgtnRjZtE6-IABEptzPrr2UnQEd1CEcj3BG1228gobTArtq8_KovLUnyU_kR9uzSBWq1nLaHvzqTAazhpy6fQJHNQ1IiABs0cY8isnqwjeMrR-WVnkeuJ4uF1SkCdD7A3fhH-LLE7OeM-6woWCteN7QHsTfzd34hG94f63kAsCSlnZb5EdJ0gw_qsI/s1928/flash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1928" data-original-width="1298" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluMgtnRjZtE6-IABEptzPrr2UnQEd1CEcj3BG1228gobTArtq8_KovLUnyU_kR9uzSBWq1nLaHvzqTAazhpy6fQJHNQ1IiABs0cY8isnqwjeMrR-WVnkeuJ4uF1SkCdD7A3fhH-LLE7OeM-6woWCteN7QHsTfzd34hG94f63kAsCSlnZb5EdJ0gw_qsI/w269-h400/flash.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>I was really excited for a live-action Justice League movie on the big screen. I'd been hoping for one since I saw <i>Superman II</i> with Christopher Reeves in theaters. What we got a few years ago was hugely disappointing. So I almost didn't go see <i>The Flash</i>, but I'm glad I did.<p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i>The Flash </i>is a 2023 science fiction, superhero, action movie. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for tweens and up.</p><h3>Analysis</h3><p><b><b>Story.</b> </b>The film is based on the <i>Flashpoint</i> mini-series in the comics, but takes it to a very different place. The filmmakers do a great job developing the Flash's character and setting up the stakes so the ending and choices people make feel impactful.<br /></p><p><b><b>Action.</b> </b>There is a lot of great and fun action. The first 10 minutes of the film is the Justice League saving the city. THIS is the Justice League movie I've been wanting to see. And while the final battle was over the top, there were a lot of cool moments that looked like they were plucked straight out of a comic book.</p><p><b><b>Fan Service.</b> </b>This film is filled with gratuitous fan service from Michael Keaton returning as Batman to 3D cameos from George Reeves Superman and Christoper Reeves Superman to many, many more. It was fun to see them again on the big screen even though none of them were necessary.</p><p><b><b>Pacing.</b> </b>Unlike <i>Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse</i>, <i>Super Mario Bros.</i>, and <i>Transformers: Rise of the Beasts</i>, (three huge disappointments) I never got bored or looked at my watch once. I was completely engaged from start to finish.</p><h3>Overall</h3><p>After waiting decades to see the Justice League on the big screen, the <i>Justice League</i> movie we got a few years ago was hugely disappointing. So I almost didn't go see <i>The Flash</i>, but I'm glad I did. Unlike <i>Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse</i>, <i>Super Mario Bros.</i>, and <i>Transformers: Rise of the Beasts</i>, (three huge disappointments) I never got bored or looked at my watch once. I was completely engaged from start to finish. The film is based on the <i>Flashpoint</i> mini-series in the comics, but takes it to a very different place. The filmmakers do a great job developing the Flash's character and setting up the stakes so the ending and choices people make feel impactful. There is a lot of great and fun action. The first 10 minutes of the film is the Justice League saving the city. THIS is the Justice League movie I've been wanting to see. And while the final battle was over the top, there were a lot of cool moments that looked like they were plucked straight out of a comic book. This film is filled with gratuitous fan service from Michael Keaton returning as Batman to 3D cameos from George Reeves Superman and Christoper Reeves Superman to many, many more. It was fun to see them again on the big screen even though none of them were necessary. I highly recommend this movie and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-15009958821346081012023-06-06T13:24:00.004-06:002023-06-06T13:27:07.141-06:00Animation Review: Max Fleischer's Superman 1941-1943 Blu-ray<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkqtnVGNEXE4shYJFSvA1ydNI3Mr_NiH0OF76VchHMeVqlLlD6SqGHPA_tCt1DeOry4GK5ISPENcLTJ1N_hPTGJm4vkW8-Ki2qbYor_cSrB99o99ywNAy8mROI2f4c8MmTIm7Tncl04_GrqWNK5O_XR2WXfFKnjr5EXFrxjGXukwsKAXV4xWsYQoJbA/s500/s-l500.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="395" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkqtnVGNEXE4shYJFSvA1ydNI3Mr_NiH0OF76VchHMeVqlLlD6SqGHPA_tCt1DeOry4GK5ISPENcLTJ1N_hPTGJm4vkW8-Ki2qbYor_cSrB99o99ywNAy8mROI2f4c8MmTIm7Tncl04_GrqWNK5O_XR2WXfFKnjr5EXFrxjGXukwsKAXV4xWsYQoJbA/s320/s-l500.jpg" width="253" /></a></p><p>I've been a huge fan of <b><i>Max Fleischer's Superman</i></b> cartoons since I received a VHS tape for Christmas filled with 10 different shorts taken from less-than-pristine copies. I find myself rebuying them whenever a great new format comes out.</p><p>When I first heard about Warner Bros. creating new scans from the original film stock, I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see them remastered in all their glory, and I wasn't disappointed.</p><h2>The Good</h2><p><b>Picture.</b> All of the shorts are here. They couldn't look better. The picture is so clean, crisp, and bright. The colors are amazing. Several people have complained about the DNR (digital noise reduction). Some of the raw footage appears in the new documentary that is included. I personally found the grain annoying and am glad they removed it. The grain was never meant to be part of the picture and is a result of technology and process.</p><p><b>Audio. </b>These have never sounded better. Even in the best copy I've ever heard had weird audio glitches that made it hard to make out some of the dialogue. All of those problems have been fixed.</p><p><b>Content. </b>This is some of the best animation to have ever been produced. It's so sad the Fleischer Studio didn't last past the first half of these shorts. One can only imagine what they would have created in the next decade with the talent, creativity, and innovation the studio was famous for.</p><h2>The Bad</h2><p><b>Missing Audio.</b> Two of the shorts each have a couple of seconds of audio missing. It doesn't ruin the shorts, but it is sad these are 100% complete where such care was taken to present such an amazing picture and sound.</p><p><b>Warnings.</b> A few of the shorts have unnecessary warnings which is obnoxious.<br /></p><h2>The Meh</h2><p><b>Documentaries.</b> There are three documentaries included, but none of them are very good. It's professionals in the field and want-to-be experts talking about their impressions. No one involved in the production of these was interviewed. None of the restoration process was shown. That's what would be interesting.</p><h2>Overall</h2><p>Overall, this is a beautiful Blu-ray edition. I never imagined these cartoons could look so amazing. I'll be watching these over and over again.</p>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-59051761937472611872022-12-07T19:13:00.003-07:002022-12-07T19:13:29.454-07:00Merry Christmas, and Happy Boxing Day<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yzSM4YigjAlgHSm82IdkGN7X1k83sLQ6NJUSgFIup6Qs-vRxmqRZZlDt0aFH0fAiiw-Gb-1Xgx5M-iIqCc9dZxIrWjHNH53THZpljv9vvn6nEp6yE__oi53aRt0sgYVoCxpXIW1VoU-nkD86NX4V0CDU-160Emg32kWbpuZC1Sy_7i4rJ9cNEffh/s1280/Christmas-2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yzSM4YigjAlgHSm82IdkGN7X1k83sLQ6NJUSgFIup6Qs-vRxmqRZZlDt0aFH0fAiiw-Gb-1Xgx5M-iIqCc9dZxIrWjHNH53THZpljv9vvn6nEp6yE__oi53aRt0sgYVoCxpXIW1VoU-nkD86NX4V0CDU-160Emg32kWbpuZC1Sy_7i4rJ9cNEffh/w464-h640/Christmas-2022.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-22931385614699428262022-11-21T16:20:00.000-07:002022-11-21T16:20:02.743-07:00TV Show Review - The Hardy Boys (Hulu Original)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOppUw93mG1ysaBjm1zRjPc7sDlCf8dGqlShgOe3fCope4Zhr13AC3cTcfX-DKl97_Tnx8ZWWdUyjd-_fKKTFG1K4p7dYTYHnRMx1Cg1W9ksLn59DdXOrqEh_URHRzGTs98jK4Ig5pcgoLGfBTcs24a1yCC-A5edwO8_brHXaGqLbBOLK8rTZM1TW2/s772/hardy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOppUw93mG1ysaBjm1zRjPc7sDlCf8dGqlShgOe3fCope4Zhr13AC3cTcfX-DKl97_Tnx8ZWWdUyjd-_fKKTFG1K4p7dYTYHnRMx1Cg1W9ksLn59DdXOrqEh_URHRzGTs98jK4Ig5pcgoLGfBTcs24a1yCC-A5edwO8_brHXaGqLbBOLK8rTZM1TW2/s320/hardy.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>I've been a fan of the Hardy Boys ever since I ready my first <i>Hardy Boys</i> novel in fourth grade. I've always wished for a really good live action adaption.<br /><p></p>
<p><i>The Hardy Boys</i> is a 2020-2022 2 season supernatural mystery drama on Hulu.
It is rated TV-PG and is appropriate for most ages.</p><p> </p><p></p><h3>
<span style="text-align: left;">The Good</span></h3>
<br />
<b>The Casting.</b> For the most part this series was well cast. The contrived diversity doesn't fit the setting, but at least each of the actors is interesting enough it doesn't hurt the show like most shows.<br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The Story.</b>
The story is solid with several mini mysteries leading to one main mystery. It's very well told. The viewer is never lost because of the clear storytelling, nor is he bored because the story is sufficiently complex.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The Eighties.</b> Setting this series in the 80s makes it a lot of fun and removes so many of the easy plot cheats such as tracking people with cell phones or hacking into an organization's computers to find the answers. The Hardys and their friends actually have to be detectives and do things the hard way.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<h3>
<span style="text-align: left;">The Bad</span></h3><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Change of Cast.</b> Season Two sees Fenton Hardy and Biff's mother recast with poor actors. This made both characters less likable.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Aliens and Magic.</b> I understand why they producers added aliens and magic into the mix, but it really wasn't necessary. The Hardy Boys have sufficient detective skills and a secret society that controls the town is sufficiently interesting.<br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> <br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Propaganda.</b>
For some reasons the producers threw in modern propaganda that is inconsistent with the books and inconsistent with the 80s.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> It was also inconsistent with the characters.<br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="text-align: left;">Overall</span></h3>
<i>The Hardy Boys</i> is a 2020-2022 2 season supernatural mystery drama on Hulu.
It is rated TV-PG and is appropriate for most ages. For the most part this series was well cast. The contrived diversity
doesn't fit the setting, but at least each of the actors is interesting
enough it doesn't hurt the show like most shows.<span style="text-align: left;"> The
story is solid with several mini mysteries leading to one main mystery.
It's very well told. The viewer is never lost because of the clear
storytelling, nor is he bored because the story is sufficiently complex.</span> <span style="text-align: left;">Setting
this series in the 80s makes it a lot of fun and removes so many of the
easy plot cheats such as tracking people with cell phones or hacking
into an organization's computers to find the answers. The Hardys and
their friends actually have to be detectives and do things the hard way. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Season Two sees Fenton Hardy and Biff's mother recast with poor actors. This made both characters less likable.</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">I
understand why they producers added aliens and magic into the mix, but
it really wasn't necessary. The Hardy Boys have sufficient detective
skills and a secret society that controls the town is sufficiently
interesting. </span><span style="text-align: left;">For some reasons the producers threw in modern propaganda that is inconsistent with the books and inconsistent with the 80s.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> It was also inconsistent with the characters. </span><span style="text-align: left;">I highly
recommend this show and give it 4.5 out of 5 remotes.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
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Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-8353693282137874392022-10-15T22:04:00.002-06:002022-10-15T22:04:43.841-06:00Movie Review - See How They Run (2022 film)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEoQIp_s0G8L2hi-r3-AZy0QNPY_3JjrALEWMUeW8xgiKPNYBz0-SnQ02Gsy_P0eWoL-kFqQKdXTwDYZfIylUqjsmSRenkZfRQ0ijEhX1s3fJRLWQWHi5KyYBTVDta4FVXSvVDDNSGSgTenCNym8PqBR08pXGojpe7h5LxRFXouMLnoj684e3sPLa/s1046/see.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="696" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEoQIp_s0G8L2hi-r3-AZy0QNPY_3JjrALEWMUeW8xgiKPNYBz0-SnQ02Gsy_P0eWoL-kFqQKdXTwDYZfIylUqjsmSRenkZfRQ0ijEhX1s3fJRLWQWHi5KyYBTVDta4FVXSvVDDNSGSgTenCNym8PqBR08pXGojpe7h5LxRFXouMLnoj684e3sPLa/w266-h400/see.png" width="266" /></a></div><p></p><p></p>I'm a big fan of classic mystery and whodunits. I think that's why I don't read many modern mystery novels--they aren't actually mysteries but crime stories.<br /><p></p><p></p><p><i>See How They Run </i>is a 2022 mystery comedy movie. It is rated PG-13 for language and is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Review <br /></h2><p>The basic story is the typical Agatha Christie detective whodunit with a murder, a detective, and a room full of suspects. What makes this movie unique is the approach the filmmakers chose to take. The film is very meta. It comments on the tropes of the classic detective story, analyzes them, comments on them, and twists them. There is some breaking of the fourth wall, but it is done sparingly and all to comment on mystery tropes. There were several unexpected twists along the road. The characters were mostly interesting. The ending was clever mostly because of how it was foreshadowed earlier in the film. This is a very entertaining movie for those who enjoy classic detective stories and those who enjoy meta analysis of film and literature.<br /></p><p>I
highly recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <br /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-33610720360349878352022-05-26T19:23:00.004-06:002022-05-26T19:23:55.942-06:00Movie Review - Top Gun: Maverick<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZRLVBQ5cZeopwKTrdrViN8R5wyA3n33k0ZBk6IjLqdiQh_0S6MibpMgNKht7GF3PIAyE7sjADPfA31FH-LWMgxEmCqJeIfl-Eb7Usib0l-5j1CSMSCfvGjFYsqQdIHrM54aveAz3s30CKWjOCg5rBhfwqI6AenKhTcWJnrzOEZOK0C3VuGr8Srlh/s1368/maverick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="926" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZRLVBQ5cZeopwKTrdrViN8R5wyA3n33k0ZBk6IjLqdiQh_0S6MibpMgNKht7GF3PIAyE7sjADPfA31FH-LWMgxEmCqJeIfl-Eb7Usib0l-5j1CSMSCfvGjFYsqQdIHrM54aveAz3s30CKWjOCg5rBhfwqI6AenKhTcWJnrzOEZOK0C3VuGr8Srlh/w271-h400/maverick.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>I remember watching the original Top Gun when it first played in theaters. The film has gone on to become somewhat of a classic. When I heard about the sequel I wasn't sure what to think. The film certainly didn't need a part two. And what would you do that wasn't just a cash grab?<br /><p></p><p></p><p><i>Top Gun: Maverick </i>is a 2022 action movie. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for tweens and up.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Good</h3><p><b><b><b><b>Story.</b> </b></b></b>The story is so tight and well told. I never found myself bored, looking at my watch, nor confused as to what was going on.<br /></p><p><b><b>Action.</b> </b>This film is filled with great action with actual jets and stunts and not just video games planes.<br /></p><p><b><b>Thrilling.</b></b> This film had me at the edge of my seat several times. It is one thrill ride after another.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bad</h3><p><b>New Kids. </b>The new kids just don't have the charisma of the original cast. I found it hard to care for any of them or feel for them when they stumbled.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Overall</h3><p><i>Top Gun: Maverick </i>is a 2022 action movie. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for tweens and up. The story is so tight and well told. I never found myself bored, looking at my watch, nor confused as to what was going on. This film is filled with great action with actual jets and stunts and not just video games planes. This film had me at the edge of my seat several times. It is one thrill ride after another. The only real downside is the new cast. The new kids just don't have the charisma of the original cast. I found
it hard to care for any of them or feel for them when they stumbled. I
highly recommend this movie and give it 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgp0pe0Nl5SAFbELZOatF83Ur5U8IuDc48gjji53KB_tNVLCJQbDjpwfFUW6Y8RIYNQCZlq8S-nJTSU9kZnaEJYaIZSUfT1UZfVfvhpKks_7Z3ATrZffmp94hV2JbgpxFGqyRhMa9wwvW4KQgObNyy5whxcVHg5SNrAIjnyHN0c2jJ6mahk8HnMpC/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-54115375902241944062022-04-08T17:44:00.001-06:002022-04-08T17:44:11.583-06:00Movie Review - Sonic The Hedgehog 2<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVocz0aiYTJAOeAGMaId6onxx0SH3TGVOJV1fQdx1SWPKMR3vPIx21BB5izApQsqbKx4c_rty0xdSGcMMNHCGrkeFsXCVC_ScvYeHWjzvcLk62j2oA-O_Wbax7uJ84dfpUq3X2yKexYJU4sxt5RIyAkEx5OIp9Kz676C3JCQ2LcKE8lglAiYp0D-A/s650/sonic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="428" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVocz0aiYTJAOeAGMaId6onxx0SH3TGVOJV1fQdx1SWPKMR3vPIx21BB5izApQsqbKx4c_rty0xdSGcMMNHCGrkeFsXCVC_ScvYeHWjzvcLk62j2oA-O_Wbax7uJ84dfpUq3X2yKexYJU4sxt5RIyAkEx5OIp9Kz676C3JCQ2LcKE8lglAiYp0D-A/w264-h400/sonic2.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p></p><p>I never played the Sonic the Hedgehog games (or even a Sega for that matter), but the trailer for the first movie looked fun, so I went and saw it. And boy did I love it! I couldn't wait for the sequel. But would they continue what worked so well in the first movie, or would they make a bad remake of the first film like so many sequels do?<br /></p><p></p><p><i>Sonic The Hedgehog 2 </i>is a 2022 action adventure comedy. It is rated PG and is appropriate for all ages.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Good</h3><p><b><b><b><b>Amount of story.</b> </b></b></b>This movie was pure fun and pure entertainment.<b><b><b> </b></b></b>Nothing felt awkward, out of place, or shoehorned in. Every scene, every action, every line of dialogue felt like it was needed and was tweaked for maximum entertainment and enjoyment.<br /></p><p><b><b>Amount of story.</b> </b>I was surprised at how much story the filmmakers stuffed into the movie. So much happened and so many ideas were developed. It has been a long time since a movie had so much to enjoy.<br /></p><p><b><b>Pacing.</b></b> This film starts off in high gear from the beginning and doesn't let the foot off the pedal until halfway thru the credits.<br /></p><p><b>Comedy. </b>This film had genuinely funny moments from great verbal jokes to hilarious situations that were carefully built up over time.<br /></p><p><b>Visuals.</b> This film looked great from the character designs to the sets to the special effects.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bad</h3><p><b>I got nothing.</b> </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Overall</h3><p><i>Sonic The Hedgehog 2 </i>is a 2022 action adventure comedy. This movie was pure fun and pure entertainment from start to finish.<b><b><b> </b></b></b>Nothing
felt awkward, out of place, or shoehorned in. Every scene, every
action, every line of dialogue felt like it was needed and was tweaked
for maximum entertainment and enjoyment. I was surprised at how much story the filmmakers stuffed into the movie.
So much happened and so many ideas were developed. It has been a long
time since a movie had so much to enjoy. This film starts off in high gear from the beginning and doesn't let the foot off the pedal until halfway thru the credits. This film had genuinely funny moments from great verbal jokes to hilarious situations that were carefully built up over time. This film looked great from the character designs to the sets to the special effects. I
highly recommend this movie and give it 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgp0pe0Nl5SAFbELZOatF83Ur5U8IuDc48gjji53KB_tNVLCJQbDjpwfFUW6Y8RIYNQCZlq8S-nJTSU9kZnaEJYaIZSUfT1UZfVfvhpKks_7Z3ATrZffmp94hV2JbgpxFGqyRhMa9wwvW4KQgObNyy5whxcVHg5SNrAIjnyHN0c2jJ6mahk8HnMpC/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-75894532650824874122022-03-24T19:53:00.000-06:002022-03-24T19:53:02.497-06:00Movie Review - The Lost City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7mcTDUAXxRC-0OnlUzjD9muWPWrJ4a2eVyqiXyVT-SO7nIThM4Tilq4DbWyJx1K0KbFKCkZV3fMqoD2wc2jVZRdSKPthEZGjMOU0ihtyfmDQTL9AjcHKpeeg5Xb4slF14nU73_tdYJdMmo3nlenwPYt3AbbA7ta8C9oPQ1WGNLRQhG8Kk0uqIfzu/s1494/lost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="994" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7mcTDUAXxRC-0OnlUzjD9muWPWrJ4a2eVyqiXyVT-SO7nIThM4Tilq4DbWyJx1K0KbFKCkZV3fMqoD2wc2jVZRdSKPthEZGjMOU0ihtyfmDQTL9AjcHKpeeg5Xb4slF14nU73_tdYJdMmo3nlenwPYt3AbbA7ta8C9oPQ1WGNLRQhG8Kk0uqIfzu/w266-h400/lost.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>Sandra Bullock films tend to be pretty good, and this one involved Indiana Jones-style action, so I figured it would be good. I didn't realize it would be REALLY good.<br /></p><p></p><p><i>The Lost City </i>is a 2022 romantic adventure comedy. It is rated PG-13 for language and sexual innuendos.
It is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Good</h3><p><b>Comedy. </b>The real strength of this movie is the comedy. It was really funny with unexpected jokes.<br /></p><p><b>Visuals.</b> This film was a visual treat from the hotel to the bad guy's lair to the lost island in the middle of the ocean.</p><p><b>Concept.</b> While making a movie about a writer is far from original, this didn't fell like the same old tired story I've seen too many times. They managed to throw in enough to make it interesting and not feel stale.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bad</h3><p><b>Dash.</b> I understand what the filmmakers were going for when they made Dash, the main male protagonist, so wimpy at the beginning of the film to give him growth and an arc, but they went too far and made him a bit unlikable. It was hard to root for him or feel glad at his growth.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Overall</h3><p><i>The Lost City </i>is a 2022 romantic adventure comedy. While making a movie about a writer is far from original, this didn't
fell like the same old tired story I've seen too many times. They
managed to throw in enough to make it interesting and not feel stale. This film was a visual treat from the hotel to the bad guy's lair to the lost island in the middle of the ocean. The real strength of this movie is the comedy. It was really funny with unexpected jokes. I understand what the filmmakers were going for when they made Dash, the
main male protagonist, so wimpy at the beginning of the film to give
him growth and an arc, but they went too far and made him a bit
unlikable. It was hard to root for him or feel glad at his growth. I highly recommend this movie and give it 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgp0pe0Nl5SAFbELZOatF83Ur5U8IuDc48gjji53KB_tNVLCJQbDjpwfFUW6Y8RIYNQCZlq8S-nJTSU9kZnaEJYaIZSUfT1UZfVfvhpKks_7Z3ATrZffmp94hV2JbgpxFGqyRhMa9wwvW4KQgObNyy5whxcVHg5SNrAIjnyHN0c2jJ6mahk8HnMpC/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-91672134429597415732022-03-08T18:25:00.002-07:002022-03-24T19:44:56.454-06:00Movie Review - The Batman (2022 film)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivbuGMaH34ixlgwU_L77ddG2oxYAT71HgUgT3vEf2TG5w8-e3eSfH-JeB34mUKFpo5zisYSzqh1f5N4Ac_9JGAqYUdikriHzoO7h_dhxfEH1aQ4vBZeanA4pjbXqvjfWgKllRmPxUDutQ8qNbTd4ZApupGUctSgcE4vGvgvFS31x-VjWekV-NwcauN=s1354" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="912" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivbuGMaH34ixlgwU_L77ddG2oxYAT71HgUgT3vEf2TG5w8-e3eSfH-JeB34mUKFpo5zisYSzqh1f5N4Ac_9JGAqYUdikriHzoO7h_dhxfEH1aQ4vBZeanA4pjbXqvjfWgKllRmPxUDutQ8qNbTd4ZApupGUctSgcE4vGvgvFS31x-VjWekV-NwcauN=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div><br />There have been several Batman films that I've loved, a few I've liked, and some I didn't care for. The trailer made this movie look like it would fall into category 3, but all the positive hype convinced me to watch it anyway.<p></p><p><i>The Batman</i> is a 2022 crime drama and mystery film. It is rated PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing images. It is appropriate for teens and up.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Good</h3><p><b>Mystery. </b>This movie has a really good mystery. The first 2.5 hours really hold your attention as it moves from one clue to the next with an interesting conclusion.<br /></p><p><b>Sets & Architecture.</b> The buildings and sets had a real artistic feel to them and added to the gothic feel. If only they had been better lit so we could have seen them better and enjoyed them more.<br /></p><p><b>Music.</b> There were several cues that hearkened back to Danny Elfman's score on <i>Batman Returns</i> that were really nice and added to the atmosphere and were the only parts that made the film feel like Batman.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Bad</h3><p><b>Not Batman.</b> This was NOT a Batman film. The main character could have been called the Purple Giraffe and would have made as much sense. This film lacked the Batman costume and movements, the cool gadgets, cool vehicles, and bizarre villains. Batman was very generic and just walked around in his nondescript costume.<br /></p><p><b>Pacing. </b>This movie is paced like a miniseries on a streaming service like Netflix. It felt like a collection of individual episodes each with rising action and a climax instead of one cohesive unit.<br /></p><p><b>Color. </b>This movie was so dull looking with nothing but greys and browns. Blah.<br /></p><p><b>Disappointing Ending. </b>If this movie had ended 30 minutes sooner, it would have been really good. But unfortunately the movie continues with one epilogue after another that just make the movie disappointing. They add nothing to the overall story or characters.</p><p><b>Commissioner Gordon.</b> This part was badly miscast and badly written. He was uninteresting and uninspiring. He isn't very smart and just does what Batman tells him to do. He can't figure out anything himself or take any initiative.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Overall</h3><p>The Batman is a 2022 crime drama and mystery film. This movie has a really good mystery. The first 2.5 hours really hold
your attention as it moves from one clue to the next with an interesting
conclusion. This movie is paced like a miniseries on a streaming service like
Netflix. It felt like a collection of individual episodes each with
rising action and a climax instead of one cohesive unit. This was NOT a Batman film. The main character could have been called
the Purple Giraffe and would have made as much sense. This film lacked
the Batman costume and movements, the cool gadgets, cool vehicles, and
bizarre villains. Batman was very generic and just walked around in his
nondescript costume. Commissioner Gordon was badly miscast and badly
written. He was uninteresting and uninspiring. He isn't very smart and
just does what Batman tells him to do. He can't figure out anything
himself or take any initiative.The buildings and sets had a real artistic feel to them and added to the
gothic feel. If only they had been better lit so we could have seen
them better and enjoyed them more. This movie was so dull looking with nothing but greys and browns. Blah. If this movie had ended 30 minutes sooner, it would have been really
good. But unfortunately the movie continues with one epilogue after
another that just make the movie disappointing. They add nothing to the
overall story or characters. I give it 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. </p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgp0pe0Nl5SAFbELZOatF83Ur5U8IuDc48gjji53KB_tNVLCJQbDjpwfFUW6Y8RIYNQCZlq8S-nJTSU9kZnaEJYaIZSUfT1UZfVfvhpKks_7Z3ATrZffmp94hV2JbgpxFGqyRhMa9wwvW4KQgObNyy5whxcVHg5SNrAIjnyHN0c2jJ6mahk8HnMpC/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-41470166198927023122022-02-12T17:07:00.000-07:002022-02-12T17:07:14.158-07:00Movie Review - Death on the Nile (2022 film)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir1iHSSzx1uC97HnACiS6P4EzUt_m3ARDjjYb4pmAt6rrqL1kEF8_jOdvegpGpe7yMhirMnhoe2oBkeHExR0Wqe48V2_CpANq7FYomkpUB7pXS6WkgZXKvpp0LHdF5CczZo2WdIp-Zqqr2l9yTm6IPdoFRFPMVOtD2gY9dbWtnbuPqG-0TOBkmZTAo=s1390" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="934" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir1iHSSzx1uC97HnACiS6P4EzUt_m3ARDjjYb4pmAt6rrqL1kEF8_jOdvegpGpe7yMhirMnhoe2oBkeHExR0Wqe48V2_CpANq7FYomkpUB7pXS6WkgZXKvpp0LHdF5CczZo2WdIp-Zqqr2l9yTm6IPdoFRFPMVOtD2gY9dbWtnbuPqG-0TOBkmZTAo=w269-h400" width="269" /></a></div> <p></p><p>I really enjoyed Kenneth Branagh's first film, <i>Murder on the Orient Express</i>, and I love ancient Egypt, so I thought I would enjoy Branagh's latest effort.</p><p><i>Death on the Nile</i> is a 2022 film directed by Kenneth Branagh and adapts the Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot novel of the same name. It is rated PG-13 for mild violence and language and is appropriate for tweens and up.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Film<br /></h3><p><b>Story:</b> I've never read the book, so I don't know how it compares to the original story, but I felt the mystery was really intriguing with no obvious murderer and several twists and along the way. The reveals were truly revealing at the end, and yet none felt like cheats.<br /></p><p><b>Cast & Acting:</b> This was a well cast film with everyone feeling like they fit, but no one was a standout or really felt like they were perfect for the role other than Kenneth Branagh himself and Tom Bateman playing Bouc, both iconic in their roles.<br /></p><p><b>Art Direction & Cinematography:</b> The film was beautifully shot with gorgeous scenes of Egyptian ruins, an elegant riverboat, and a great club. The director tried hard to frame every shot in an interesting way. Most the time it worked with only a few shots feeling forced.<br /></p><p><b>Pacing:</b> I felt this movie was a little slow. It always felt like it was slightly dragging, and I never found myself completely lost in the film.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h3><p><i>Death on the Nile</i> is an enjoyable film. The mystery was very intriguing with no obvious murderer and several
twists and along the way. The reveals were truly revealing at the end,
and yet none felt like cheats. This was a well cast film with everyone feeling like they fit, but no
one was a standout or really felt like they were perfect for the role
other than Kenneth Branagh himself and Tom Bateman playing Bouc, both
iconic in their roles. The film was beautifully shot with gorgeous scenes of Egyptian ruins, an
elegant riverboat, and a great club. The director tried hard to frame
every shot in an interesting way. Most the time it worked with only a
few shots feeling forced. I felt this movie was a little slow. It always felt like it was slightly
dragging, and I never found myself completely lost in the film. I give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.</p><div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-30226248063060236702021-10-29T06:00:00.051-06:002021-10-29T06:00:00.218-06:00Book Review - The Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6dBVJWIepE/YXrNOQOsLdI/AAAAAAAADxo/E53AeYsHpokf_dZA7wvrMggrNtw0RSBJgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1734/butler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6dBVJWIepE/YXrNOQOsLdI/AAAAAAAADxo/E53AeYsHpokf_dZA7wvrMggrNtw0RSBJgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/butler.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>I'm not a fan of most fantasty, but I do like magic in the modern world and I like reading about occupations I've heard little about.<br /><p></p>
<i>The Wizard's Butler</i> by Nathan Lowell is a contemporary fantasy book telling
the story of a man who becomes a butler for an old man claiming to be a wizard. It is
available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your
grandparents used to read.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<br />
<b><b>Premise.</b> </b>The premise is really unusual. While I've read several stories of magic users in the current time, I've read very few about a traditional butler in a modern times, and it is the butler angle that makes this a unique and enjoyable story. The magic is done well too, but it nothing special or unusual.<br /></p><p><b>Characters.</b> The characters are all really interesting by themselves but also have great chemistry with each other.<br /></p><p><b>Story.</b> The main plot is a greedy relative trying to steal a dying relative's estate, but the twists of a butler and magic elevate it to a different type of story and experience. It moves at a good, gentle pace giving the reader time to enjoy the peculiar parts of this world and the characters' histories. I never found myself getting bored.<br /></p><p><b>Details.</b>
The author includes a lot of details about the mansion where this story takes place and the role of butler for such an estate. Before reading this I didn't think the daily routines of a butler could be interesting, but the author found a way to make it fascinating.<br />
<br /> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p>
<br /><b>...</b><br /></p><p><br />
</p><h3>
What I Would Like to Have Seen</h3>
<br />...<br />
<br />
<h3>
Overall</h3>
<br />
<i>The Wizard's Butler</i> by Nathan Lowell is a contemporary fantasy book telling
the story of a man who becomes a butler for an old man claiming to be a wizard. It is
available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your
grandparents used to read. The premise is really unusual. While I've read several stories of
magic users in the current time, I've read very few about a traditional
butler in a modern times, and it is the butler angle that makes this a
unique and enjoyable story. The magic is done well too, but it nothing
special or unusual. The main plot is a greedy relative trying to steal a dying relative's
estate, but the twists of a butler and magic elevate it to a different
type of story and experience. It moves at a good, gentle pace giving the
reader time to enjoy the peculiar parts of this world and the
characters' histories. I never found myself getting bored. The characters are all really interesting by themselves but also have great chemistry with each other. The author includes many details about the mansion where this story
takes place and the role of butler for such an estate. Before reading
this I didn't think the daily routines of a butler could be interesting,
but the author found a way to make it fascinating. I highly
recommend
this book and
give it 4.5 out of 5
eReaders.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ac5CXl8IvJ8/WJjy9wHcbXI/AAAAAAAACWY/AYXGexIbSO45KFmdKU0G4zddFpF80xmQQCPcBGAYYCw/w131-h200/ereader-half.png" width="131" /><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-85438927423639896212021-10-01T06:00:00.046-06:002021-10-01T06:00:00.225-06:00Movie Review - Venom: Let There Be Carnage<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Grc2SX30R-g/YVZi9F68raI/AAAAAAAADxc/w20CFQVTPGwrYQutW0cXX4aL9P3qvvZwwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1468/venom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="984" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Grc2SX30R-g/YVZi9F68raI/AAAAAAAADxc/w20CFQVTPGwrYQutW0cXX4aL9P3qvvZwwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/venom.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>I love comic books, but I've never like the Venom character in comics. When I heard he was getting his own movie a few years ago, I was not at all excited. But the trailer looked pretty cool so I went and saw it and absolutely loved it! I was excited to hear a sequel was coming, but also a little worried: would it live up to the first film's high standard, or would it be a disappointing money grab?<br /><p></p><p><i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage </i>is
a 2021 live-action action horror movie based on characters from Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language and is
appropriate for teens and up.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<b><b>What a Sequel Should Be.</b> </b>Most sequels are poor remakes of the first movie with more action, more special effects, and less story. This movie was a true continuation of the first. It didn't try to bring dead or irrelevant characters from the first movie back. It did show us how the characters had grown and progressed in the time since the first movie in a way that was consistent with what had already been established. And it introduced new characters and situations that fit the world already created.<br /></p><p><b>Actors.</b> This movie could not have been better cast. Everyone fit his or her role perfectly.<br /></p><p><b>Characters.</b> The characters were so entertaining and had such enjoyable chemistry between each other. I want more.</p><p><b>Story.</b> The story was so tight and logical. Someone spent sometime writing it. The pacing was perfect; the movie never dragged.<br /></p><p> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p><b><b>Too Short.</b></b> While I appreciate the movie was trimmed down to only the essential story and this prevented any lag, I still felt there was more story to tell and we were cheated of it. <br /></p><p> <br /></p><h3>
Overall</h3>
<i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage </i>is
a 2021 live-action action horror movie based on characters from Marvel
Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language and is
appropriate for teens and up. Most sequels are poor remakes of the first movie with more action, more
special effects, and less story. This movie was a true continuation of
the first. It didn't try to bring dead or irrelevant characters from the
first movie back. It did show us how the characters had grown and
progressed in the time since the first movie in a way that was
consistent with what had already been established. And it introduced new
characters and situations that fit the world already created. This movie could not have been better cast. Everyone fit his or her role perfectly. The characters were so entertaining and had such enjoyable chemistry between each other. I want more. The story was so tight and logical. Someone spent sometime writing it. While I appreciate the movie was trimmed down to only the essential
story and this prevented any lag, I still felt there was more story to
tell and we were cheated of it. The pacing was perfect; the movie never dragged. I highly recommend this film and give it 4.5 out
of 5
Boxes
of Popcorn.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRAqO584rc/U1Ll250N0hI/AAAAAAAABPs/r2yF1cqb_JEIlbIiUPaEaJ5KGahnENT_ACPcBGAYYCw/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /> </a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>
Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-31550890407628109522021-09-07T13:50:00.002-06:002021-09-07T13:50:42.692-06:00Movie Review - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GURp_t3ad8I/YTe9PaVuv9I/AAAAAAAADxU/lG71ZiSTvZwVGpgZ8kDKcfyYF2h10uzWwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1280/shangchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="863" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GURp_t3ad8I/YTe9PaVuv9I/AAAAAAAADxU/lG71ZiSTvZwVGpgZ8kDKcfyYF2h10uzWwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/shangchi.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Even though I am a huge comic book fan and have read more comics than I can count, I had never heard of the character Shang Chi before. But the trailer looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a go.<br /><p><i>Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings </i>is
a 2021 live-action action movie based on Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is
appropriate for most ages.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<b>Character Interactions.</b> This movie had several interesting characters that had enjoyable interactions between each other. The interactions make up the bulk of the movie and are the most interesting parts.<br /></p><p><b>Action Scenes.</b> There are three major action scenes, and all are very well choreographed and exciting the watch. The only downside to them are they all look like lots of wire work and like they came from a video game, but that doesn't take away too much from the enjoyment.<br /></p><p> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p><b><b>Pacing.</b></b> This movie is over two hours long and feels like it is over two hours long. The pacing is a little slow.<br /></p><p><b>Story. </b>The story is pretty predictable without any real surprises. It was probably the weakest part of the film. All the challenges are easily overcome with several convenient plot points stuck in just the right place to advance the story.<br /></p><p><b>Fantasy Realm. </b>Part of this movie takes place in a fantasy dimension filled with strange creatures. Only the creatures aren't that strange or creative or even interesting. The fantasy dimension is also disappointing after so much build up. <br /></p><p> <br /></p><p></p><h3>
Overall</h3>
<i>Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings </i>is
a 2021 live-action action movie based on Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is
appropriate for most ages. This movie had several interesting characters that had enjoyable
interactions between each other. The interactions make up the bulk of
the movie and are the most interesting parts. There are three major action scenes, and all are very well choreographed
and exciting the watch. The only downside to them are they all look
like lots of wire work and like they came from a video game, but that
doesn't take away too much from the enjoyment. This movie is over two hours long and feels like it is over two hours long. The pacing is a little slow. The story is pretty predictable without any real surprises. It was
probably the weakest part of the film. All the challenges are easily
overcome with several convenient plot points stuck in just the right
place to advance the story. Part of this movie takes place in a fantasy dimension filled with
strange creatures. Only the creatures aren't that strange or creative or
even interesting. The fantasy dimension is also disappointing after so
much build up. This is an entertaining film worth two hours if you happen to watch it. But there is nothing special or wonderful, so if you never see it you aren't missing out on anything. I give it 3.5 out
of 5
Boxes
of Popcorn.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRAqO584rc/U1Ll250N0hI/AAAAAAAABPs/r2yF1cqb_JEIlbIiUPaEaJ5KGahnENT_ACPcBGAYYCw/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /> </a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>
Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-50120337536539202562021-08-06T06:00:00.032-06:002021-08-06T06:00:00.222-06:00Book Review - Thank You For My Service by Mat Best<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkcnkJGZNeE/YQxKtvtoC4I/AAAAAAAADxE/wVh3Qe2bfkoeFWyFlU3j5Z1Wn49qEnfIACNcBGAsYHQ/s694/service.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkcnkJGZNeE/YQxKtvtoC4I/AAAAAAAADxE/wVh3Qe2bfkoeFWyFlU3j5Z1Wn49qEnfIACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/service.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>I'm a big fan of entrepreneurs and hearing how they stumbled into their businesses.<br /><p></p>
<i>Thank You For My Service</i> by Mat Best is a nonfiction book telling the story of a teenage boy who joined the military, his experiences in the Middle East, and finding a purpose and direction after coming back to civilian life. It is
available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your
grandparents used to read.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<br />
<b><b>Stories.</b> </b>Mat is a great storyteller. He makes even the most mundane events sound exciting. He injects so much personality into his tales and has a great way to insert his wild opinions and commentaries into stories without interrupting the flow.<br /></p><p><b>Lessons.</b> Mat made a lot of mistakes and learned from most of them. He isn't afraid to share his mistakes or successes with others. He's very honest and doesn't fake humility or pride. <br />
<br /> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p>
<br /><b>Language.</b> The language is definitely adult. It adds a certain humor and personality to the book, but some people may not be able to get past it.<br /></p><p><br />
</p><h3>
What I Would Like to Have Seen</h3>
<br />...<br />
<br />
<h3>
Overall</h3>
<br />
<i>Thank You For My Service</i> by Mat Best is a nonfiction book telling
the story of a teenage boy who joined the military, his experiences in
the Middle East, and finding a purpose and direction after coming back
to civilian life. Mat is a great storyteller. He makes even the most mundane events sound
exciting. He injects so much personality into his tales and has a great
way to insert his wild opinions and commentaries into stories without interrupting the flow. Mat made a lot of mistakes and learned from most of them. He isn't
afraid to share his mistakes or successes with others. He's very honest
and doesn't fake humility or pride. The language is definitely adult. It adds a certain humor and
personality to the book, but some people may not be able to get past it. I highly
recommend
this book and
give it 5 out of 5
eReaders.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-20874017655256907332021-07-23T10:04:00.003-06:002021-07-23T10:04:31.349-06:00Movie Review - Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yq91zqtluxk/YPrmiZpgZsI/AAAAAAAADw4/CRKcPo54ono_PvLVWqjOTd1dkhl84SYawCNcBGAsYHQ/s1242/snakeeyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="790" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yq91zqtluxk/YPrmiZpgZsI/AAAAAAAADw4/CRKcPo54ono_PvLVWqjOTd1dkhl84SYawCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/snakeeyes.jpg" /></a></div>I loved the G.I. Joe cartoon and toys growing up. I enjoyed the live action movies from a decade ago. So I was excited to see a new movie and a new take on the franchise.<br /><p></p><p><i>Snake Eyes </i>is
a 2021 live-action action movie based on the G.I. Joe toyline. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is
appropriate for teens and up.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<b>Second Half.</b> This movie was pretty boring and pointless with no direction until the second half when a story is finally introduced and something other than random fighting begins. It action becomes interesting and I started to care about the characters and what would happen to them.<br /></p><p> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p><b><b>Casting & Acting.</b></b> The movie was poorly cast and just as poorly acted. The actors didn't really fit the characters they were playing. And everyone was so stone faced and unemotional about everything. I had a hard time caring about what was going on when the characters seemed to care just as little.<br /></p><p><b>Snake Eyes is the Bad Buy. </b>For some reason the filmmakers decided to make Snake Eyes the bad guy and then quickly redeem him in the end in a very unbelievable twist that everyone magically accepts. I understand the idea of wanting a character arc where the character learns and grows, but this was just sloppy writing.</p><p><b>More About Storm Shadow. </b>While Snake Eyes appears in almost every scene, the movie is really Storm Shadow's story. It follows his rise and fall. The film should have been titled Storm Shadow.<br /></p><p><b>Changed the Mythology. </b>I don't have a problem with filmmakers taking liberties with the source material and making changes if those changes are interesting and make a better story or lead to more compelling characters. I do have a problem with making changes that don't improve on the source material. This movie did not improve upon the source material.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Fights & Action Scenes. </b>The fights were pretty mediocre and badly filmed. And then halfway thru the characters suddenly developed the power of flight after a fairly realistic and grounded take. And the flying didn't even look good.<br /></p><p> </p><h3>
What I Would Like To Have Seen</h3><p>I wish they would have stayed truer to the mythology and done a better job casting, acting, and story writing.<br /></p><p><br /></p><h3>
Overall</h3>
<i>Snake Eyes </i>is
a 2021 live-action action movie based on the G.I. Joe toy line. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is
appropriate for teens and up. This movie was pretty boring and pointless with no direction until the
second half when a story is finally introduced and something other than
random fighting begins. It action becomes interesting and I started to
care about the characters and what would happen to them. The movie was poorly cast and just as poorly acted. The actors didn't
really fit the characters they were playing. And everyone was so stone
faced and unemotional about everything. I had a hard time caring about
what was going on when the characters seemed to care just as little. For some reason the filmmakers decided to make Snake Eyes the bad guy
and then quickly redeem him in the end in a very unbelievable twist that
everyone magically accepts. I understand the idea of wanting a
character arc where the character learns and grows, but this was just
sloppy writing. While Snake Eyes appears in almost every scene, the movie is really
Storm Shadow's story. It follows his rise and fall. The film should have
been titled Storm Shadow. I don't have a problem with filmmakers taking liberties with the
source material and making changes if those changes are interesting and
make a better story or lead to more compelling characters. I do have a
problem with making changes that don't improve on the source material.
This movie did not improve upon the source material. The fights were pretty mediocre and badly filmed. And then halfway thru
the characters suddenly developed the power of flight after a fairly
realistic and grounded take. And the flying didn't even look good. I do not
recommend this film and give it 2.5 out
of 5
Boxes
of Popcorn.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRAqO584rc/U1Ll250N0hI/AAAAAAAABPs/r2yF1cqb_JEIlbIiUPaEaJ5KGahnENT_ACPcBGAYYCw/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /> </a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>
Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-50308836382259935332021-07-22T06:00:00.043-06:002021-07-22T06:00:00.183-06:00Book Review - Life After the State: Why We Don't Need Government by Dominic Frisby<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HF8pmWCwu04/YPie5uU5RcI/AAAAAAAADww/Ept5siXg8YQFakcpg1OcbZEnJyxnB9y_QCNcBGAsYHQ/s996/state.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HF8pmWCwu04/YPie5uU5RcI/AAAAAAAADww/Ept5siXg8YQFakcpg1OcbZEnJyxnB9y_QCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/state.jpg" /></a></div>I've been a Libertarian since studying Economics in college and seeing how incentives are much more effective to drive people and nations than regulation and force.<br /><p></p>
<i>Life After the State: Why We Don't Need Government</i> by Dominic Frisby is a nonfiction book about unintended consequences that always follow regulation and government programs. It is
available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your
grandparents used to read.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<br />
<b><b>Explanations.</b> </b>So often well meaning people do things to help others only to have their
efforts backfire and actually make the problems they're trying to solve
worse. This book explains how that happens, why that happens, and how
to avoid that.</p><p><b>Examples.</b> The author uses many examples from around the world and quotes actual numbers to support and illustrate his points. I appreciate the variety and the specific numbers he gives.<br />
<br />
<br /> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p>
<br /><b>...</b></p><p><br />
</p><h3>
What I Would Like to Have Seen</h3>
<br />...<br />
<br />
<h3>
Overall</h3>
<br />
<i>Life After the State: Why We Don't Need Government</i> by Dominic Frisby is a nonfiction book about unintended consequences that always follow regulation and government programs. He clearly explains why well-meaning people do things to help others see their
efforts backfire and actually make the problems they're trying to solve
worse. This book explains not only how that happens and why that happens, but also how
to avoid it. The author uses many examples from around the world and quotes actual
numbers to support and illustrate his points. I appreciate the variety
and the specific numbers he gives. I highly
recommend
this book and
give it 5 out of 5
eReaders.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="834" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnOPsWLTLG0/WJjy99l1jlI/AAAAAAAACWY/q1wQevnKBGUcb3R42cEW1Fxe8g6R3nUUACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ereader-whole.png" width="130" />
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<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-82083947300175314092021-07-12T16:05:00.001-06:002021-07-23T10:04:40.748-06:00Movie Review - War With Grandpa<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rMrT5ebfD6M/YOy7dy9qX1I/AAAAAAAADwc/SDigtAsnYtodQMgt0q5fGrumZ8AeBh9swCNcBGAsYHQ/s1216/war.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="812" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rMrT5ebfD6M/YOy7dy9qX1I/AAAAAAAADwc/SDigtAsnYtodQMgt0q5fGrumZ8AeBh9swCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/war.jpg" /></a></div>It's rare to come across a PG movie these days, especially one that is entertaining.<br /><p><i>War With Grandpa </i>is
a 2020 live-action comedy. It is rated PG for mild content and is
appropriate for all ages.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<b>Casting.</b> This movie was perfectly cast. Everyone does a great job and fits their role perfectly.<br /></p><p><b>Concept.</b>
The concept is pretty clever. Grandpa is too old to live on his own, so his daughter forces him to move in with her family and displaces her son to the attic sparking a war. The point of the movie is to show the damage that comes from any war, no matter how small. It gets a little heavy handed at the end, but otherwise it good.<br /></p><p> <br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p><b>Prosaic. </b>The movie is very enjoyable, but if you've seen the trailer and/or thought about what could go into such a movie, you won't be surprised. Nothing was especially clever or surprising.<br /></p><p> </p><h3>
What I Would Like To Have Seen</h3><p>I wish they would have been a little more clever and imaginative in the different situations and pranks.<br /></p><p><br /></p><h3>
Overall</h3>
<i>War With Grandpa </i>is
a 2020 live-action comedy. The concept is pretty clever. Grandpa is too old to live on his own, so
his daughter forces him to move in with her family and displaces her son
to the attic sparking a war. The point of the movie is to show the
damage that comes from any war, no matter how small. It gets a little
heavy handed at the end, but otherwise it good. This movie was perfectly cast. Everyone does a great job and fits their role perfectly. While the film is very enjoyable, but if you've seen the trailer and/or
thought about what could go into such a movie, you won't be surprised.
Nothing was especially clever or surprising. It is rated PG for mild content and is
appropriate for all ages. I recommend this film and give it 3.5 out
of 5
Boxes
of Popcorn.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRAqO584rc/U1Ll250N0hI/AAAAAAAABPs/r2yF1cqb_JEIlbIiUPaEaJ5KGahnENT_ACPcBGAYYCw/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /> </a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomason" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADq0/O3XnhtBl3Uslz0CBFXqpZWfagdNFgdJuQCPcBGAYYCw/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>
Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-33474360680083974992021-05-28T16:49:00.003-06:002021-05-28T16:49:56.205-06:00Movie Review - Cruella (2021 Film)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iK2rUpYnCqk/YLFxwYGHT5I/AAAAAAAADuU/bY_o65iyYK4YyFqVdICWel3X-ATHI9r0wCNcBGAsYHQ/s1278/Cruella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iK2rUpYnCqk/YLFxwYGHT5I/AAAAAAAADuU/bY_o65iyYK4YyFqVdICWel3X-ATHI9r0wCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cruella.jpg" /></a></div>I never liked the film <i>101 Dalmatians</i>. I thought the animation was good and the visuals were very nice, but the story and characters were so boring. Cruella was the only highlight of the experience, so focusing a movie on her made sense.<br /><p></p><p><i>Cruella </i>is
a 2021 live-action dark drama loosely based on the book and Disney film <i>101 Dalmatians</i>. It is rated PG-13 for a couple of mildly horrific scenes and is
appropriate for tweens and up.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Good</h3><p>
<b>Story.</b> I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a few ideas, but the story went in a very different direction. But it was really enjoyable and held my attention almost the whole time after the slow beginning.<br /></p><p><b>Concept.</b> This is very different from the cartoon and a very different take, but it's an enjoyable one that works well. Technically this is a prequel to the movie <i>101 Dalmatians</i> being Cruella's origin story, but she really is a very different character as are everyone else from the original cartoon with only the names the same. But the story and take was so strong, I think it was better this way.</p><p><b>Casting.</b> The casting was perfect, especially Emma Thompson as the Baroness. And everyone else was excellent except for Roger and Anita who couldn't have been more dull or pointless.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><br /><b>Young Cruella. </b>The movie opens with Cruella's birth and childhood. And it is deadly dull with a really unlikable actress playing young Cruella. The movie is almost painful until it fast forwards to adult Cruella.<br /><p> </p><h3>
What I Would Like To Have Seen</h3><p>I wish they would have left out Roger and Anita. They were poorly cast, poorly written, and added nothing to the story.<br /></p><p><br /></p><h3>
Overall</h3>
<i>Cruella </i>is
a 2021 live-action dark drama loosely based on the book and Disney film <i>101 Dalmatians</i>. It is rated PG-13 for a couple of mildly horrific scenes and is
appropriate for tweens and up. This is very different from the cartoon and a very different take, but
it's an enjoyable one that works well. Technically this is a prequel to
the movie <i>101 Dalmatians</i> being Cruella's origin story, but she
really is a very different character as are everyone else from the
original cartoon with only the names the same. But the story and take
was so strong, I think it was better this way. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a few ideas, but the story went in a
very different direction. But it was really enjoyable and held my
attention almost the whole time after the slow beginning. The casting was perfect, especially Emma Thompson as the Baroness. And
everyone else was excellent except for Roger and Anita who couldn't have
been more dull or pointless. I wish they would have left out Roger and Anita. They were poorly cast, poorly written, and added nothing to the story. The movie opens with Cruella's birth and childhood. And it is
deadly dull with a really unlikable actress playing young Cruella. The
movie is almost painful until it fast forwards to adult Cruella. Then it's brilliant! I highly
recommend this film and give it 4.5 out
of 5
Boxes
of Popcorn.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9JWlo1mzT0/U1Ll2yoYMMI/AAAAAAAABPw/q-7tdt-zAUM6TrC3f96z9oQnON78-aUcwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/popcorn-hi.png" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRAqO584rc/U1Ll250N0hI/AAAAAAAABPs/r2yF1cqb_JEIlbIiUPaEaJ5KGahnENT_ACPcBGAYYCw/w133-h200/popcorn-half.png" width="133" /><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7337643831194551802.post-55562978573631563852021-05-13T13:15:00.002-06:002021-05-13T13:15:15.607-06:00Animation Review - DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth! (2021 Animated Short)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7uD_uoXv0Y/YJ14gkmiPfI/AAAAAAAADtE/TGrw7BFXoNkOH27vxp5JNHiH0fj1QkJLQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1324/kamandi.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="872" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7uD_uoXv0Y/YJ14gkmiPfI/AAAAAAAADtE/TGrw7BFXoNkOH27vxp5JNHiH0fj1QkJLQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/kamandi.jpg" /></a></div>I wasn't a fan of Jack Kirby until he came to DC Comics and launched his Fourth World saga lead by his brilliant work on <i>Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen</i>. And I enjoyed the other creations that followed including <i>Kamandi</i> and <i>OMAC: One Man Army Corps</i>. Both would make excellent cartoons as shown by the Kamandi shorts from <i>Batman: The Brave and The Bold</i> series on Cartoon Network.<br /><i></i><p></p><p><i>DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth! </i>is a 2021 16-minute animated short included with <i>Justice Society: World War II</i> on Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Streaming. It is unrated for action violence and is
appropriate for all ages.<br /></p>
<br />
<h3>
The Good</h3><p><b>Art Direction.</b>
The backgrounds came straight out of the Jack Kirby comic books, which was pretty cool. The character designs were very nice, but I would have preferred the versions from <i>Batman: The Brave and The Bold</i>. Those better captured the energy of Jack Kirby's artwork.<br /><i></i></p><p><b>Story.</b> This was adapted from one of my least favorite issues of <i>Kamandi</i>, but I really enjoyed it. The story works better in animation, and the filmmakers were able to squeeze in the major characters, the origin, and cameos to service the fans.<br />
<br />
</p><h3>
The Bad</h3><p><br /><b>....</b><br /></p><p> </p><h3>
What I Would Like To Have Seen</h3><p>A whole series!<br /></p><p><br /></p><h3>
Overall</h3><p>
<i>DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth! </i>is a 2021 16-minute animated short included with <i>Justice Society: World War II</i> on Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Streaming. The backgrounds came straight out of the Jack Kirby comic books, which
was pretty cool. The character designs were very nice, but I would have
preferred the versions from <i>Batman: The Brave and The Bold</i>. Those better captured the energy of Jack Kirby's artwork. This was adapted from one of my least favorite issues of <i>Kamandi</i>,
but I really enjoyed it. The story works better in animation, and the
filmmakers were able to squeeze in the major characters, the origin, and
cameos to service the fans. I
highly recommend this short and give it 4.5 out
of 5 Reels of Film.</p><p><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="650" height="100" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31di3dQ2H8s/YJ15hb-gm6I/AAAAAAAADtM/5dxi9QIlVokKc3Fo95viP0bZt90BkmbQACNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h186/film-whole.png" width="100" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="650" height="100" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31di3dQ2H8s/YJ15hb-gm6I/AAAAAAAADtM/5dxi9QIlVokKc3Fo95viP0bZt90BkmbQACNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h186/film-whole.png" width="100" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="650" height="100" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31di3dQ2H8s/YJ15hb-gm6I/AAAAAAAADtM/5dxi9QIlVokKc3Fo95viP0bZt90BkmbQACNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h186/film-whole.png" width="100" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="650" height="100" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31di3dQ2H8s/YJ15hb-gm6I/AAAAAAAADtM/5dxi9QIlVokKc3Fo95viP0bZt90BkmbQACNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h186/film-whole.png" width="100" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="369" height="100" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ety7TiT3IKQ/YJ16BpkmhYI/AAAAAAAADtU/P98x_nyB0YYPIiMcW3vKpEuo5QGJuSKHwCNcBGAsYHQ/w123-h200/film-half.png" width="62" /></p><p><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffThomasonComics" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sACvKpVMDQ/YBR7MpeStjI/AAAAAAAADqw/QB-e6R1XNWk2F015yIOEFzPTKqcdcxLFwCNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/box-patreon-2.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lepLYR4cNvc/Xn4_16S7EDI/AAAAAAAADWk/FLu-aT_eTW4LsfcMvJRWQNU7vE-7BLTBwCNcBGAsYHQ/s200/box-book-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Jeff Thomason, CEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818517069235605796noreply@blogger.com0