Doctor Strange (2016)

doctor-strange

Doctor Strange (2016)

Director:

Scott Derrickson

Starring:

Benedict Cumberbatch

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Rachel McAdams

Tilda Swinton

Plot:

A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.

Review:

Probably the best way for me to go into a comic book movie is to know nothing about the character, which is how I went in with Doctor Strange.

My first thought was surprise that there was a character out there that was a bigger dick than Tony Stark. There was some character growth on that part but I doubt the two of them would work well together or even fit in the same room.

I’ve come to accept, though not really like, the fact that superhero movies do not know how to film action scenes. Tons of quick cuts and you could rarely fully see the action when it was happening. The fact that Scott Adkins was in the movie but never fully utilized felt like such a waste and disappointed my husband who had been excited about his inclusion.

They basically introduced a whole new world in the Marvel universe so there was a lot of information that needed to be told and I don’t think it was completely. There were still some things I’m unsure of and other parts that were slightly confusing. Maybe if I read the comics it wouldn’t have been that way but I couldn’t be the only person going in blind.

I also thought that the little bits of comedy they tried for were out of place and didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the movie. It’s like they were trying to channel Guardians of the Galaxy lite and they really shouldn’t have at all. I get that Marvel movies like to have lighter moments but the jokes fell flat for me and those moments could have been done differently.

Overall I enjoyed the movie, it added a new element to the Marvel universe and I thought Tilda Swinton’s character was awesome. There were some flaws and it was nowhere near as good as Guardians of the Galaxy but I enjoyed it a lot more than several other Marvel movies.

3.75/5

Side note: Cumberbatch didn’t appear to get as ripped as previous male stars which kind of sucks for the other dudes but I hope it’s not a new trend lol

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) By: Deanna Raybourn

a-curious-beginning

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) By: Deanna Raybourn

Plot:

London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime. But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

Review:

I’ve read the first couple of books in Raybourn’s Lady Julie Grey Mysteries but ended up stopping for some reason. When I saw this I thought it would be easier to start a new series than pick up on the old one.

Veronica wasn’t a necessarily believable character for her time period but I really liked her in the beginning. She eventually began to wear on me though. She thought so much of herself and her intellect and couldn’t see her own failings. It became annoying.

Stoker was an interesting character and the books ends with you barely knowing anything about him.

The plot dragged for a while. After the introduction of the characters and the murder they ran away and were hiding out for a while. They didn’t learn anything about the murder in that time and just little bits about themselves. It felt a little wasted and grew boring.

I’m not sure if I’m going to read the next. A Curious Beginning was alright but I put it down several times and took longer than it should have to finish just because I got bored. We’ll see.

3/5

Goldenhand (Abhorsen #5) By: Garth Nix

goldenhand

Goldenhand (Abhorsen #5) By: Garth Nix

Plot:

For everyone and everything there is a time to die. Lirael is no longer a shy Second Assistant Librarian. She is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with Dead creatures to battle and Free Magic entities to bind. She’s also a Remembrancer, wielder of the Dark Mirror. Lirael lost one of her hands in the binding of Orannis, but now she has a new hand, one of gilded steel and Charter Magic. When Lirael finds Nicholas Sayre lying unconscious after being attacked by a hideous Free Magic creature, she uses her powers to save him. But Nicholas is deeply tainted with Free Magic. Fearing it will escape the Charter mark that seals it within his flesh and bones, Lirael seeks help for Nick at her childhood home, the Clayr’s Glacier. But even as Lirael and Nick return to the Clayr, a young woman from the distant North braves the elements and many enemies in a desperate attempt to deliver a message to Lirael from her long-dead mother, Arielle. Ferin brings a dire warning about the Witch With No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning? Once more a great danger threatens the Old Kingdom, and it must be forestalled not only in the living world but also in the cold, remorseless river of Death.

Review:

I love this world.

After reading Clariel I meant to go back and read the first three but I didn’t get around to it before reading Goldenhand, because of that I think it took me a little while to remember certain things about the characters. It’s been close to ten years since I read them though.

It was like returning to old friends once I got there. Everyone makes an appearance and the story was building up to be as epic as the last. I told my husband when I had less than a hundred pages to read that the book was going to be a cliffhanger because I couldn’t see it reaching a satisfying conclusion in time. I was sure that’s what was going to happen and I was kind of excited, but then everything was neatly wrapped up. It was disappointing and felt rushed. Everyone was paired up and allusions to the future were made and then the end.

I don’t know if Nix is just tired of writing Old Kingdom books or was under deadline or what, but I wanted more. Kind of sad. I’m still rating it four out of five because the rest of the book was awesome, it was just the ending that left me dissatisfied.

4/5

V.I. Warshawski (1991)
V.I. Warshawski, un privé en escarpin

V.I. Warshawski (1991)

Director:

Jeff Kanew

Starring:

Kathleen Turner

Jay O. Sanders

Charles Durning

Plot:

A female PI babysitting for a boyfriend gets stuck with his daughter and the case of her murdered father.

Review:

I had never heard of this movie when my husband picked it up from a used bookstore. Since it had Kathleen Turner as a kick ass woman and was filmed in the late 80s early 90s he thought it would be right up my alley.

The movie definitely had the feel of a movie from that time and it was awesome to see a female character kick butt, but I wish she didn’t have such a cliché fatal flaw. She manipulates men like they’re pawns but her love for one is her weakness. Other than that, though I liked the movie.

The ending was classic 80s action, it didn’t stick around once the bad guys were taken care of. It had a foul mouthed kid that followed Turner’s character around. There was also a surprisingly high body count. The man that Turner’s character meets in a bar is very manly and the villain is kind of hilarious looking. I also found it amusing that all the ways she got men to do what she wanted would probably still work today.

Why can’t they make movies like this now a days? It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s got to be cheap to make. The only female led action movies coming out now, that I’m aware of, are pure crap. Their budget is shoestring and their actresses aren’t any good. That’s a market I’d love for someone like Netflix, or Amazon, or Hulu to fill. Maybe I’m the only one out there though.

4/5

Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) By: Ilona Andrews

magic-binds

Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) By: Ilona Andrews

Plot:

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

Review:

A lot happened in this book. A whole lot. Even with that, though, I never felt over whelmed or on edge. I didn’t feel much urgency, which kind of makes me sad. The book was good, very good even, but I not once doubted that Kate and her entire crew would make it out alive. On the one hand I’m glad of that because I love them all and in my current state it would destroy me if anything happened to them, on the other hand it makes the book somewhat less exciting.

It’s possible it was just me, I’m hormonal and moody and things aren’t striking me like they normally would so I’m not sure if I would feel the same way if I read it at another time.

I will say I’m getting tired of the buildup for the climax between Kate and her father. The main plotline in Magic Binds was all about her father, but it ended with him still alive and only suffering a minor defeat. After nine books I’m kind of ready for that threat to be over. I’m actually hoping right now that book ten is where the series ends, I love Kate Daniels but I don’t want it to become a series that’s never ending and loses itself in the process. We’ll see what happens.

4.5/5