Movie Review - Sonic The Hedgehog 2

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?

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action adventure comedy. It is rated PG and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Amount of story. This movie was pure fun and pure entertainment. 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.

Amount of story. 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.

Pacing. This film starts off in high gear from the beginning and doesn't let the foot off the pedal until halfway thru the credits.

Comedy. This film had genuinely funny moments from great verbal jokes to hilarious situations that were carefully built up over time.

Visuals. This film looked great from the character designs to the sets to the special effects.

The Bad

I got nothing.

Overall

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action adventure comedy. This movie was pure fun and pure entertainment from start to finish. 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. 

  

Movie Review - The Lost City

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.

The Lost City is a 2022 romantic adventure comedy. It is rated PG-13 for language and sexual innuendos. It is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Comedy. The real strength of this movie is the comedy. It was really funny with unexpected jokes.

Visuals. 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.

Concept. 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.

The Bad

Dash. 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.

Overall

The Lost City 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. 

  

Book Review - The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley

I am so sick of stories that use World War II or Nazis in their plot that I've pretty much stopped reading or watching them. I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, but I'm sure glad I did.

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley is a science fiction treasure hunt. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters were really likable and each had a good personality while the group had great chemistry.

Story. While this is a pretty standard "quest for the McGuffin"-type story, the path it took and the interactions with the characters were different and really compelling.

Scifi Twist. While this wasn't the first time I had seen this particular scifi twist, it was handled really well with a great build up and a satisfying payoff.

The Bad

Cliches. With the amount of thought and care put into the rest of the story, I think the author is capable of coming up with a villain other than the Nazis and a past other than World War II.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was very satisfied.

Overall

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley is a science fiction treasure hunt. While this is a pretty standard "quest for the McGuffin"-type story, the path it took and the interactions with the characters were different and really compelling. The characters were really likable and each had a good personality while the group had great chemistry. The pacing was just right. While this wasn't the first time I had seen this particular scifi twist, it was handled really well with a great build up and a satisfying payoff. With the amount of thought and care put into the rest of the story, I think the author is capable of coming up with a villain other than the Nazis and a past other than World War II. I am so sick of stories that use World War II or Nazis in their plot that I've pretty much stopped reading or watching them. I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, but I'm sure glad I did. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Movie Review - Lupin the 3rd: The First

Lupin the 3rd is an interesting manga and anime. It's been around for half a century and has had so many different interpretations for different age groups (everything from family friendly to mature adults only) and yet has not changed its essence or even style. And there have been so many adaptions from TV series to movies to live action movies to the most recent cgi film. The most modern and recent versions look very similar to the original. What other franchises can claim this?

Lupin the 3rd: The First is a 2019 cgi action adventure Japanese film. It is unrated, contains action and mild violence, and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Characters. The characters in this film are true to the versions we've been enjoying for the past half century, and they're still interesting.

Action. The movie had tons of action. It's really well done and all of it advances the story and is fun to watch.

Visuals. This film looks really nice. The characters look just how you would expect them to look, the scenery is well designed, and the cinematography is well done with a lot of movement and different angles to keep things interesting.

The Bad

Concept. This is another film about former Nazis looking for a superweapon to resurrect the Third Reich yada yada yada. It's a very tired concept that while well done in this film is still a tired concept.

What I Would Like To Have Seen

A more original concept.

Overall

Lupin the 3rd: The First is a 2019 cgi action adventure Japanese film. It is unrated, contains action and mild violence, and is appropriate for tweens and up. The characters are classic and are true to the versions fans have been enjoying for half a century. The movie had tons of action. It's really well done and all of it advances the story and is fun to watch. This film looks really nice. The characters look just how you would expect them to look, the scenery is well designed, and the cinematography is well done with a lot of movement and different angles to keep things interesting. The main negative is the concept. This is another film about former Nazis looking for a superweapon to resurrect the Third Reich yada yada yada. It's a very tired concept that while well done in this film is still a tired concept. I recommend this film give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

     

 

Movie Review - Vanguard

Do you remember a decade or two ago when movies used to be good and going to the theater was enjoyable? I do, and now I don't have to just remember.

Vanguard is a 2020 live-action action adventure Chinese film. It is rated PG-13 for action and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Execution. The story is pretty basic: an international security firm has to protect one of its clients from terrorists and action ensues. What makes this film special is its execution. It was perfectly cast, scripted, acted, filmed, and edited. It was chuck full of fun and entertainment.

Casting. This movie couldn't have had a better cast. Everyone was perfect for his roles, and the cast as a whole had great chemistry together.

Fun. This film was so much fun! While most of it seemed pretty grounded and realistic, it had some signature Jackie Chan parts that were just fun and silly and you know would never happen, but you don't care because it's just so cool to watch.

Action. The movie had tons of action, and it varied so it never became stale or repetitive.

Visuals. This film takes place around the world from London to Dubai and several places in between, and each location couldn't have been shot better.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like To Have Seen

 A sequel.

Overall

Vanguard is a 2020 live-action action adventure Chinese film. The story is pretty basic: an international security firm has to protect one of its clients from terrorists and action ensues. What makes this film special is its execution. It was perfectly cast, scripted, acted, filmed, and edited. It was chuck full of fun and entertainment. It was serious but fun. This movie couldn't have had a better cast. Everyone was perfect for his roles, and the cast as a whole had great chemistry together. The movie had tons of action, and it varied so it never became stale or repetitive. This film takes place around the world from London to Dubai and several places in between, and each location couldn't have been shot better.This film was so much fun! While most of it seemed pretty grounded and realistic, it had some signature Jackie Chan parts that were just fun and silly and you know would never happen, but you don't care because it's just so cool to watch. I highly recommend this film give it 5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

     

 

Book Review - No Sunscreen for the Dead (a Serge Storms novel) by Tim Dorsey

Whenever Audible has sales, I take a chance and try out books from authors I've never heard of or series I know nothing about. Sometimes I find gems and sometimes I find something better left in the pasture.

No Sunscreen for the Dead by Tim Dorsey is a comedy adventure spy book in the Serge Storms series. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Humor. This book isn't laugh out loud funny or filled with jokes, but its humor comes from the tone and absurd ideas Serge comes up with to help other people. If only he were a real person.

Story. The story is really strong with great characters, a strong plot, unusual takes on situations I've heard numerous times, and a great pace.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the officials hadn't been portrayed quite so silly and I wish the bad guys at the end has been more competent.

Overall

No Sunscreen for the Dead by Tim Dorsey is a comedy adventure spy book in the Serge Storms series. The story is really strong with great characters, a strong plot, unusual takes on situations I've heard numerous times, and a great pace. This book isn't laugh out loud funny or filled with jokes, but its humor comes from the tone and absurd ideas Serge comes up with to help other people. If only he were a real person. If not for the incompetent FBI and intelligence characters and the less than competent and menacing bad guys, this would be a perfect story. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Movie Review - Tenet

It's nice to have new movies in theaters again, even if they aren't the films I was excited to see.

Tenet is a 2020 science fiction espionage film. It is rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Entertaining. Despite its flaws, this movie is very entertaining and I enjoyed myself up to the end.

Robert Pattinson. I'm not a big fan of this actor, but he did a great job in this film adding much needed levity and rationality to an otherwise confusing and somewhat tense film where everyone else acts oh so seriously.

Unique Take on Time Travel. I'm sure this isn't an original take on time travel, but it's the first time I've seen or read it, so it was a nice change. It wasn't necessarily that clever, and I don't see people copying it like they did Star Wars or The Matrix, but it helped make the film more entertaining.

Not A Video Game. Christopher Nolan likes to do as much of the film in camera and with practical effects as possible, and it is really refreshing to watch a movie and not a video game (where most of the movie is created digitally).

The Bad

Protagonist. The protagonist in this film is very boring and not especially likeable. His character is never developed, and he doesn't do anything to make him especially heroic.

Pacing. Christopher Nolan has a bad habit of using a constant pace in all his films--the same pace for exposition as for action scenes. While it's fast enough it never drags, it also never has you at the edge of your seat.

Poor Storytelling. The plot and concept of the film is very simple. It's the poor storytelling that purposely obfuscates information and what is going on that is complicated--a contrived, forced complication.

Twist was Not So Twisty. All the twists and reveals being very meh, because the concept was pretty simple.

No Suspense. There was not a single instance in this film when I felt the protagonists might have a chance of losing, so there was never any real suspense or peril.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I would have loved to have better action scenes, more suspense, and a more clever use of the unique concept. There are so many places the filmmakers could have gone, and they picked the most obvious ones.

Overall

Tenet is an entertaining science fiction espionage film. It offers a unique take on time travel, Rob Pattinson is an interesting character, and it's so nice to see a film and not a video game (meaning Christopher Nolan likes to do as much of the film in camera and with practical effects as possible, while most other movies rely too heavily on digital effects). Unfortunately, John David Washington is a very boring protagonist who is never developed and never does anything especially heroic, the pacing is very metered, the twists are not very clever, and there is never a moment you don't think the good guys will win. The plot and concept of the film is very simple. It's the poor storytelling that purposely obfuscates information and what is going on that is complicated--a contrived, forced complication. I would have loved to have better action scenes, more suspense, and a more clever use of the unique concept. There are so many places the filmmakers could have gone, and they picked the most obvious ones. I give this film 3 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

  

 

Movie Review - The Lion Hunters (Bomba, The Jungle Boy)

It's a shame we don't have film franchises today, and by that I mean a series of movies that lasts for at least six films or more. Fast and the Furious is the only one that comes to mind. And the Avengers movies. See what kind of storytelling is possible with a franchise?

The Lion Hunters is a 1951 live-action film based on the Bomba, The Jungle Boy novels by Roy Rockwood and is the fifth film in a 12-film franchise. It is unrated and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Action. This film has more action and less talking, which works well in a jungle film and takes advantage of the medium.

Cinematography. Even though all twelve films in the franchise were written and directed by the same guy, some of the films just have better cinematography than others, and this is one of the best. The scenes are framed so well, the action shot in a way that makes you feel like you are part of it (as much as is possible with stock footage inserts).

Silent Storytelling. This film uses a lot of silent storytelling where it's just the visuals and the music to tell the story and describe the action, and it is done well and creates a good amount of suspense.

The Bad

Bomba is a Jerk. Bomba is kind of a jerk in this one sabotaging a group who is doing nothing wrong and is obeying the law just because he is friends with the animals.

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish Bomba would have had a better reason for behaving the way he did. He comes off as the bad guy as times and is the instigator of some of the problems.

Overall

The Lion Hunters is a 1951 live-action film based on the Bomba, The Jungle Boy novels by Roy Rockwood and is the fifth film in a 12-film franchise. The cinematography is really nice. Even though all twelve films in the franchise were written and directed by the same guy, some of the films just have better cinematography than others, and this is one of the best. The scenes are framed so well, the action shot in a way that makes you feel like you are part of it (as much as is possible with stock footage inserts). This film uses a lot of silent storytelling where it's just the visuals and the music to tell the story and describe the action, and it is done well and creates a good amount of suspense. The only negative is the motivation for Bomba. Bomba is kind of a jerk in this one sabotaging a group who is doing nothing wrong and is obeying the law just because he is friends with the animals. I wish he would have had a better reason for behaving the way he did. He comes off as the bad guy as times and is the instigator of some of the problems. Otherwise this is a great film. I highly recommend it and give it 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.