Day: July 24, 2017

Movie Reviews: 4/5 Stars Spiderman Homecoming

Julie Gilbert Movie Reviews, scifi, Young Adult ,

Note: I don’t own the rights to the movie poster. You can find it here.

Introduction:

I enjoyed this movie. It’s an origins story for Spiderman, but it gets past the stuff we’ve seen before and dives into Peter’s struggle to balance school and life as the webslinger. He’s frustrated because Tony Stark/Iron Man’s treating him like a kid. He’s also crushing on a girl who’s head of the Academic Decathlon team. He’s a genius but unreliable when it comes to competing.

Additional Comments:

  • I loved how doing the right thing didn’t always make everything better.
  • Much of the movie turned into typical Marvel action fare – how many buildings and vehicles can we destroy in the next two hours?
  • Tom Holland fills the role nicely. Aunt May works. Her last line’s perfect. I like how they worked MJ in.
  • I’m never a fan of home videos so the beginning was annoying. I like the idea, but the shaky cam style messes with my head.
  • There’s a good balance between ups and downs for the hero, sentiment, growing pains, and action. And comedy. I don’t think there were quite as many funny lines as other Marvel movies, but they worked in some situational comedy like the gangster giving him interrogation advice.
  • I wonder how many Death Stars they broke for that one scene?
  • They’re definitely shooting for a sequel, but there’s enough closure to feel like you’ve seen a complete story.
  • Except the stinger. It’s a stinker. (Okay, so mildly amusing but leaves one feeling annoyed nonetheless.)

Conclusion:

They’ve successfully passed along the Spiderman torch, yet again. Not even sure I saw the Andrew Garfield version. Last Spidey I remember was Toby…and that was a very long time ago. Definitely the sort of movie worth seeing in theaters and adding to your blu ray collection if you have such a thing.

In the mood to splurge on your Spiderman Obsession?


Movie Review: 4/5 Stars A Man Called Ove

Julie Gilbert Movie Reviews , ,

Note: Here’s where I found the movie poster.

Introduction:

I had the privilege of seeing this movie while on my vacation to London, England. If you want to read up on that trip, go here. My mom and sister had both read the book and recommended it. I don’t have time to read much these days but the premise sounded fine and the ticket was free for me. (I’d bought the London Pass, which let you attend one of four Curzon theaters at off-peak hours.)

So, I roped a poor friend into going with me to see this. I’m fairly certain we were the youngest in that tiny theater. And I mean tiny! It was the smallest, cutest little theater I’d ever been in. My friends at home have a bigger setup in their living room. Anyway, the theaters in America might be bigger but not many of them serve a cup of cappuccino, which this one did.

Additional Comments (About the movie):

  • I don’t generally like movies with subtitles, but this was fine.
  • General premise: Grumpy old man finds himself in a strange position thanks to his new neighbors.
  • There’s a strong suicide theme throughout the movie, but there’s also both dark and light humor present as well. My personal favorite was his obsession with keeping people from driving where they’re not supposed to.
  • Second favorite moment: When his neighbor lady is feeling down and he just goes off on a 2 minute rant including something like: “You’ve escaped Iran, married a loser, and …” It was honest and priceless.
  • It’s not a comedy, but there are funny moments. It’s not a tragedy, but there are tragic moments.
  • Not a fan of flashbacks, but here they were necessary and well-done.
  • Characterization is handled nicely. You learn to love Ove, his wife, his new neighbors, and even that darn cat.

Conclusion:

If you have the time and opportunity, check out A Man Called Ove. Can’t say I’ve seen many foreign films, but this one’s worth seeing. There’s something very moving about the character.

If you don’t want to watch the movie, check out the book:


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London Visit – Summer 2017 Part 3: Getting into Tourist Mode

Julie Gilbert London, vacation , , ,

Left to Right: Rosetta Stone; Reports from a Roman Soldier; Lewis Chessmen

British Museum

The rush hour ends around 9:30, so taking Underground trains is a little cheaper after that. I met my friend around 10:30 and we went to the British Museum. It’s got an awesome Egyptian display. Many other eras and people are represented too, but that’s the one that stands out to me. Seeing the Rosetta Stone was neat too.

Got to experience more stairs here. The view’s pretty neat as you climb the stairs that dominate the center of the British Museum.

I finally got into tourist gear. Bought some souvenirs. A couple of pairs of socks with the Rosetta stone design and a few other odds and ends totaled 27.94 pounds.

Note on VAT: I’d never really known much about it, but from a consumer point of view, it’s awesome. Okay, so tax is never awesome, but it is nice to have the price you see be the price you pay. In America, you just get used to tacking on an extra dollar or two to whatever you’re buying. Tax varies by state. What is taxed varies by state. New Jersey sales tax is 7%.

Fantastic Fast-Food Lunch

Found a Shake Shack. My poor, deprived friend had never had Shake Shack before so we had to eat there.

Imperial War Museum

After greasy food fortification, we hopped back on the Underground and made our way over to the Imperial War Museum. IWM sponsors several attractions, but this time, I mean the actual museum.

I don’t think we expected to spend as long as we did in there, but there’s a fascinating walk-through of WWI and WWII all the way up through the modern conflicts. The WWI and WWII displays caught my interest much more than the modern stuff, but I can see it having a lot more sentimental value for others who know active military people over there. I remember one thing with commemorative stamp sheets made for each of the hundred and something fallen soldiers from the recent conflicts.

Plane in IWM.

Bought more souvenirs. Won’t list them because some are gifts not given yet. 😉

Everywhere you go, you can be sure there’s a gift shop. It’s intriguing to see how the stuff they sell differs. Couldn’t bring myself to spend that much (2-4 pounds) on pens or pencils.

Need to Catch Up?

Part 1: Preparation, Planning, Cost

Part 2: Arrival and First Day in the City

In the mood for chess?