Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 92
January 6, 2013
Virtual Tourist - Angry Bird Star Wars and Dishonored 1/6/13
Greetings all!
Head cold is slowly improving, though the 12 hour days at work are not helping. Did detox Thursday before going to bed, so I have pics! :)
Angry Birds Star Wars
Hoth
Hoth is the next series of puzzles. Some nice intro pics for the new set.
Pink for Leia...really? Really? (Her weird moan is err annoying too. Wah!)
She has a tractor beam like power. Weird to use but can have a devastating when used correctly.
Love the spy driods! And look at their snow helmets. So cute!
Yes, there are At-At. They shoot but don't walk. However, you can get them to collapse!
3rd Bonus Puzzle with exploding 3CPO. Heh
Opened up a few more characters on the sheet. :)
Dishonored
View from up high inside Campbell's building. Those giant lamps are perfect for going down the hallway unseen.
Campbell's hidden love nest and treasure storage. 1st time I had a heck of a time finding it. (There's a magic bone piece in here, so I could see it with the Heart but not get at it. They really make you work for some of these!) :P
Making my way through the kennels. Those dogs are mean!
Had to take a pic of the spiderweb up there. So delicate and it swayed softly in the breeze too. Such a neat little touch.
Full front view of Campbell's building.
This little backpack gadget is an anti-magic device. Seemingly the researcher is using music waves to cancel out magic energy. I turned it on and got really woozy. So it looks like the guy is onto something. Eek!
Overhear view of the area close to the docks. Some of the skylights are breakable, so I've been sneaking into buildings all over the place. Bwahahaha!
The rain is mucking up the pic a bit, but it was such a nice view of the moon and the night's sky.
A really weird looking whaler ship. The poor whale is saddled up on top. I believe one of the documents I read during my journeys mentioned that they keep them alive even while they skin the poor things.
Looks like that's all the damage I will be causing today. Hope you're having a great weekend!
Head cold is slowly improving, though the 12 hour days at work are not helping. Did detox Thursday before going to bed, so I have pics! :)
Angry Birds Star Wars
Hoth
Hoth is the next series of puzzles. Some nice intro pics for the new set.
Pink for Leia...really? Really? (Her weird moan is err annoying too. Wah!)
She has a tractor beam like power. Weird to use but can have a devastating when used correctly.
Love the spy driods! And look at their snow helmets. So cute!
Yes, there are At-At. They shoot but don't walk. However, you can get them to collapse!
3rd Bonus Puzzle with exploding 3CPO. Heh
Opened up a few more characters on the sheet. :)
Dishonored
View from up high inside Campbell's building. Those giant lamps are perfect for going down the hallway unseen.
Campbell's hidden love nest and treasure storage. 1st time I had a heck of a time finding it. (There's a magic bone piece in here, so I could see it with the Heart but not get at it. They really make you work for some of these!) :P
Making my way through the kennels. Those dogs are mean!
Had to take a pic of the spiderweb up there. So delicate and it swayed softly in the breeze too. Such a neat little touch.
Full front view of Campbell's building.
This little backpack gadget is an anti-magic device. Seemingly the researcher is using music waves to cancel out magic energy. I turned it on and got really woozy. So it looks like the guy is onto something. Eek!
Overhear view of the area close to the docks. Some of the skylights are breakable, so I've been sneaking into buildings all over the place. Bwahahaha! 
The rain is mucking up the pic a bit, but it was such a nice view of the moon and the night's sky.
A really weird looking whaler ship. The poor whale is saddled up on top. I believe one of the documents I read during my journeys mentioned that they keep them alive even while they skin the poor things. Looks like that's all the damage I will be causing today. Hope you're having a great weekend!
January 4, 2013
Movie Review - Django Unchained
Django Unchained
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson, Kerry Washington, Walton Goggins, Don Johnson, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Nichole Galicia, Tom Wopat, Quentin Tarantino, and more.
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino Written by: Quentin Tarantino Cinematography by: Robert Richardson
Premise: A bounty hunter is needing information about three brothers, so he stops the chain gang Django is part of in order to try and get it. Things don't go as expected, and Dr. Schultz ends up liberating Django from his current owners. He offers Django a job and once it's done, he will set Django free. Later, impressed by Django's unexpectedly good shooting skills, Schultz asks Django to partner up with him for the winter and in return he will help him track down his wife, who was sold away. (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Jamie Foxx gave a good performance as the slave turned bounty hunter Django. Christoph Waltz added a lot of flavor to the film with his fun performance. Leonardo DiCaprio was intense as Monsieur Candie, showing all that was good and bad of plantation owners. Samuel L Jackson did a great job as both comic relief and story twist. Seeing Don Johnson again was a lot of fun. He seemed very much at home playing Big Daddy.
2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: All the things viewers expect from a Tarantino film were present - mainly bullets, explosions, and tons of buckets of blood. The big battle scene saw close up bullet wounds, flesh piercings, and a lot of screaming.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: In most Tarantino films plot is normally something thrown along to string the action scenes along in films such as these - so it was a nice surprise to see this one try for more. While a lot of the events were what one might expect, there were still several unexpected surprises, which was fun.
The story, however, did suffer at a couple of spots as the audience is yanked out of the current event to do a quick flashback to some comedic bit of information. Though the bits on their own might be funny, they totally destroyed the rising tension or disrupted the story's flow, basically making them not worth while.
That being said, there were other spots where the tension build up was masterfully done or the scene itself set up in a very fluid manner. Sadly, the few hiccups marred the overall experience.
One item that grabbed me hard was a side character that was shown two or three times, yet she seemed so unusual and out of place I kept thinking it had to mean something but it didn't. It was a woman at Candie Land, who dressed like a man and wore a red bandanna across her face. Her presence was even weirder when they showed the dog handlers at home and she was in the back looking at a 3D photograph of the Parthenon. Yet unless it was some kind of inside joke, it had no value. So it detracted and jarred rather than add to the film.
The beginning of the "Django Unchained" had a very 70's feel. A lot of the music very 20th century fare, yet most fit and at times even added to the scenes they were played in. So nice job there.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Whether it was falling from horses, being shot by their own people, getting pinned by horses, or having extra pieces of themselves blown up or shot off - the stunt department did some great work in the film.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The film was full of great locations. There was good contrast between the small town in Texas, what we saw of the slave depot in Mississippi, and Candie Land. The great locations also gave way to some great cinematic shots as well. The giant tree over the small family cemetery and the sunset behind it won't soon be forgotten - utterly lovely.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The period clothing looked great. It varied from area to area and even by nationality, which was a nice touch. It also served to easily allow the audience to tell the different standings of both blacks and whites.
Conclusion: If you have enjoyed previous Tarantino films, you should be quite happy with this one. The film is longer than you'd expect, clocking in at 165 minutes. But since the story was decent and held several surprises along the way, it won't seem that long. Be warned though, there are several disturbing scenes, so I would very much caution against taking younger viewers to see it.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson, Kerry Washington, Walton Goggins, Don Johnson, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Nichole Galicia, Tom Wopat, Quentin Tarantino, and more.
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino Written by: Quentin Tarantino Cinematography by: Robert Richardson
Premise: A bounty hunter is needing information about three brothers, so he stops the chain gang Django is part of in order to try and get it. Things don't go as expected, and Dr. Schultz ends up liberating Django from his current owners. He offers Django a job and once it's done, he will set Django free. Later, impressed by Django's unexpectedly good shooting skills, Schultz asks Django to partner up with him for the winter and in return he will help him track down his wife, who was sold away. (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Jamie Foxx gave a good performance as the slave turned bounty hunter Django. Christoph Waltz added a lot of flavor to the film with his fun performance. Leonardo DiCaprio was intense as Monsieur Candie, showing all that was good and bad of plantation owners. Samuel L Jackson did a great job as both comic relief and story twist. Seeing Don Johnson again was a lot of fun. He seemed very much at home playing Big Daddy.
2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: All the things viewers expect from a Tarantino film were present - mainly bullets, explosions, and tons of buckets of blood. The big battle scene saw close up bullet wounds, flesh piercings, and a lot of screaming.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: In most Tarantino films plot is normally something thrown along to string the action scenes along in films such as these - so it was a nice surprise to see this one try for more. While a lot of the events were what one might expect, there were still several unexpected surprises, which was fun.
The story, however, did suffer at a couple of spots as the audience is yanked out of the current event to do a quick flashback to some comedic bit of information. Though the bits on their own might be funny, they totally destroyed the rising tension or disrupted the story's flow, basically making them not worth while.
That being said, there were other spots where the tension build up was masterfully done or the scene itself set up in a very fluid manner. Sadly, the few hiccups marred the overall experience.
One item that grabbed me hard was a side character that was shown two or three times, yet she seemed so unusual and out of place I kept thinking it had to mean something but it didn't. It was a woman at Candie Land, who dressed like a man and wore a red bandanna across her face. Her presence was even weirder when they showed the dog handlers at home and she was in the back looking at a 3D photograph of the Parthenon. Yet unless it was some kind of inside joke, it had no value. So it detracted and jarred rather than add to the film.
The beginning of the "Django Unchained" had a very 70's feel. A lot of the music very 20th century fare, yet most fit and at times even added to the scenes they were played in. So nice job there.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Whether it was falling from horses, being shot by their own people, getting pinned by horses, or having extra pieces of themselves blown up or shot off - the stunt department did some great work in the film.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The film was full of great locations. There was good contrast between the small town in Texas, what we saw of the slave depot in Mississippi, and Candie Land. The great locations also gave way to some great cinematic shots as well. The giant tree over the small family cemetery and the sunset behind it won't soon be forgotten - utterly lovely.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The period clothing looked great. It varied from area to area and even by nationality, which was a nice touch. It also served to easily allow the audience to tell the different standings of both blacks and whites.
Conclusion: If you have enjoyed previous Tarantino films, you should be quite happy with this one. The film is longer than you'd expect, clocking in at 165 minutes. But since the story was decent and held several surprises along the way, it won't seem that long. Be warned though, there are several disturbing scenes, so I would very much caution against taking younger viewers to see it.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
January 2, 2013
Picture Kaleidoscope 1/2/13
Happy New Year Everyone!
Sunrise at Grapevine.
Totally loved this box! Gorgeous ensemble. Too bad I don't drink beer or ale.
Had to take a pic of this gift before destroyed it. Total EVIL gift. Filled with diabolical calories.
Some very cool lamps.
Christmas 1.0
Sunset on our way home.
Christmas 2.0. The rain that morning had just turned to snow. Coming down with a vengeance.
You can almost see the flakes. :P
Accumulation had begun in earnest. Texas with a White Christmas! Unbelievable.
Twenty minutes or so after the snow started.
The iPhone camera now has a new panoramic feature.
I'd stepped out to take these. Without a coat. Probably why I ended up with a head cold.
Christmas 2.0
A snow wonderland. It was just amazing!
Hope your holidays were awesome!
Sunrise at Grapevine.
Totally loved this box! Gorgeous ensemble. Too bad I don't drink beer or ale.
Had to take a pic of this gift before destroyed it. Total EVIL gift. Filled with diabolical calories.
Some very cool lamps.
Christmas 1.0
Sunset on our way home.
Christmas 2.0. The rain that morning had just turned to snow. Coming down with a vengeance.
You can almost see the flakes. :P
Accumulation had begun in earnest. Texas with a White Christmas! Unbelievable.
Twenty minutes or so after the snow started.
The iPhone camera now has a new panoramic feature.
I'd stepped out to take these. Without a coat. Probably why I ended up with a head cold.
Christmas 2.0
A snow wonderland. It was just amazing!
Hope your holidays were awesome!
December 31, 2012
Mind Sieve 12/31/12
Greetings!
Tonight we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new. I may be sleeping through it. Head colds care note for such things. :P Today's post may be shorter than usual. Let's see how far I get. Heh heh
The Twelve Awkward Days of Christmas by the Miskreant Puppets (Suggestive so may not be appropriate for kids - but oh so funny! "And a weasel in a bikini...")
The Cello Song (Bach is back with 7 more Cellos) from The Piano Guys. Wonderful expanded rendition.
Dr Who 'The Snowmen' Christmas Special 2012 - Behind the Scenes (If you haven't watched it yet, you should probably NOT watch this.) :)
Turbo Trailer - coming from Dreamworks. Looks adorable!
The Place Beyond the Pines - I know it sounds like a horror flick, but it's a crime drama. Could be interesting.
EPIC Official Trailer - I am totally in on this one.
Yeah, I'm quitting here...Have an awesome New Years!
Tonight we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new. I may be sleeping through it. Head colds care note for such things. :P Today's post may be shorter than usual. Let's see how far I get. Heh heh
The Twelve Awkward Days of Christmas by the Miskreant Puppets (Suggestive so may not be appropriate for kids - but oh so funny! "And a weasel in a bikini...")
The Cello Song (Bach is back with 7 more Cellos) from The Piano Guys. Wonderful expanded rendition.
Dr Who 'The Snowmen' Christmas Special 2012 - Behind the Scenes (If you haven't watched it yet, you should probably NOT watch this.) :)
Turbo Trailer - coming from Dreamworks. Looks adorable!
The Place Beyond the Pines - I know it sounds like a horror flick, but it's a crime drama. Could be interesting.
EPIC Official Trailer - I am totally in on this one.
Yeah, I'm quitting here...Have an awesome New Years!
December 30, 2012
Virtual Tourist - Angry Birds Star Wars and Star Wars The Old Republic 12/30/12
Let's see what I did last week...
Angry Birds Star Wars
in the Death Pig
Getting crafty on some of these! Floaters and dangling pig troopers. :P
The gun on the floater is continually firing. Used Obiwan to use the force to shoot the boxes out like shrapnel. Oh yeah!
Now we've escaped to the outside of the Death Pig. More funky gravity wells to play with. The Pig Tie Fighters count as live pigs. Timing is everything as those suckers move~!
It only got more and more insane!
This one was wicked! But so cool. Unlike all the other puzzles, this one moved forward. So you had to take out sections to progress. (Made it real hard to take pics!) At the end was Darth Pig in his Tie Fighter. But he was not able to stop me.
Bwahahahahahahaha!
Characters discovered so far. Hoth is next!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Jedi Consular
Corellia
Corellian starport. Poor planet has seen better days.
Seems to be known for its shipyards. There are several under construction (or were before the Corellian Council voted to hand the planet over to the Sith.)
Though my Spy had gotten a new vehicle with one of the black market crates, and I was sure two wouldn't happen, I bought another for my Jedi. Guess who somehow managed to get a purple pimp ride! lol. (These will rise in speed with your driving level. Both are mighty expensive! Need to get hubby a new ride or he'll be eating dust (Using my old ride till then) :P
This looked like a McDonald's to me. Heh heh
Crosswalk signs are everywhere! (I assume they're cross signs. Could be something else entirely!)
Can't ever escape nasty beasties. These are in the sewers.
Neon here and there.
This cannon is about to be re-serviced.
More Corellia next time!
Hope you're having a great weekend!
Angry Birds Star Wars
in the Death Pig
Getting crafty on some of these! Floaters and dangling pig troopers. :P
The gun on the floater is continually firing. Used Obiwan to use the force to shoot the boxes out like shrapnel. Oh yeah!
Now we've escaped to the outside of the Death Pig. More funky gravity wells to play with. The Pig Tie Fighters count as live pigs. Timing is everything as those suckers move~!
It only got more and more insane!
This one was wicked! But so cool. Unlike all the other puzzles, this one moved forward. So you had to take out sections to progress. (Made it real hard to take pics!) At the end was Darth Pig in his Tie Fighter. But he was not able to stop me.
Bwahahahahahahaha!
Characters discovered so far. Hoth is next!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Jedi Consular
Corellia
Corellian starport. Poor planet has seen better days.
Seems to be known for its shipyards. There are several under construction (or were before the Corellian Council voted to hand the planet over to the Sith.)
Though my Spy had gotten a new vehicle with one of the black market crates, and I was sure two wouldn't happen, I bought another for my Jedi. Guess who somehow managed to get a purple pimp ride! lol. (These will rise in speed with your driving level. Both are mighty expensive! Need to get hubby a new ride or he'll be eating dust (Using my old ride till then) :P
This looked like a McDonald's to me. Heh heh
Crosswalk signs are everywhere! (I assume they're cross signs. Could be something else entirely!)
Can't ever escape nasty beasties. These are in the sewers.
Neon here and there.
This cannon is about to be re-serviced.
More Corellia next time!
Hope you're having a great weekend!
December 28, 2012
No Movie Review Today - Instead...
Ah, with the amazing super cold weather and the amazing White Christmas, Santa brought me more gifts than I expected - mainly a nasty head cold!
So no movie for me tonight. But I won't leave you empty handed.
Gloria The Red Nosed Accountant!
Gloria the Red Nosed Accountanthad a very runny nose (like a faucet).And if you ever saw it, you would surely say it flows (like a sewer).
Everyone, add a few lines of your own! And have a fantastic weekend!
So no movie for me tonight. But I won't leave you empty handed.
Gloria The Red Nosed Accountant!
Gloria the Red Nosed Accountanthad a very runny nose (like a faucet).And if you ever saw it, you would surely say it flows (like a sewer).
Everyone, add a few lines of your own! And have a fantastic weekend!
December 26, 2012
Picture Kaleidoscope 12/26/12
Hopefully you've survived the first part of the holidays. Here are some pics to brighten your day.
One Day by Dana Allen at Earthshots.org (He' so CUTE!)
Sunwapta Falls by Tilman Frueh at Earthshots.org (The angle used for the pic really does something to it.)
Thin Strings of Baikal by Daniel Kordan at Earthshots.org (Another where the angle seems to make all the difference, don't you think?)
Love how the tree looks to be holding the sun. Another pic by Daniel Kordan from his website.
Finding Trust: Heartwarming Portraits of Animals at a Wildlife Hospital from PetaPixel.
Sun Stained by Jason Arney - Gorgeous!
[image error]
BTS: Capturing Two Band Portraits That Feature Motion and Blur from PetaPixel.
Have an awesome day!
One Day by Dana Allen at Earthshots.org (He' so CUTE!)
Sunwapta Falls by Tilman Frueh at Earthshots.org (The angle used for the pic really does something to it.)
Thin Strings of Baikal by Daniel Kordan at Earthshots.org (Another where the angle seems to make all the difference, don't you think?)
Love how the tree looks to be holding the sun. Another pic by Daniel Kordan from his website.
Finding Trust: Heartwarming Portraits of Animals at a Wildlife Hospital from PetaPixel.
Sun Stained by Jason Arney - Gorgeous!
[image error]
BTS: Capturing Two Band Portraits That Feature Motion and Blur from PetaPixel.
Have an awesome day!
December 24, 2012
Mind Sieve 12/24/12
Woot! Holidays! (Because there will be much suffering at work once the new year hits. Need to milk these last few days off now! :P)
Woot! New Ghibli films next year and one is Miyazaki's! Sweet! Article about the news at Nerdist.com
The Great Gatsby Trailer. Oooo!
Pacific Rim Official Trailer - Monsters and Mechs! Woot!
G I Joe Retaliation Trailer 3 - some new scenes in this one. Go Joe!
Bwahahaha! Smurfs 2 Trailer (Still haven't seen #1 eek!)
From the Social Media Examiner - Facebook Enhances Controls (And more!)
Social Media Overload: How Do Authors Reach Readers? Advice From Best Selling Author Roni Loren at Anna R Allen's Blog. (Great post!)
Physical Attributes Entry: Noses by Becca Puglisi from The Bookshelf Muse.
Whoever Told You Editing Was Easy is Nuts from the Behler Blog. (Great stuff!)
May you and yours have a fantastic holiday season!
Woot! New Ghibli films next year and one is Miyazaki's! Sweet! Article about the news at Nerdist.com
The Great Gatsby Trailer. Oooo!
Pacific Rim Official Trailer - Monsters and Mechs! Woot!
G I Joe Retaliation Trailer 3 - some new scenes in this one. Go Joe!
Bwahahaha! Smurfs 2 Trailer (Still haven't seen #1 eek!)
From the Social Media Examiner - Facebook Enhances Controls (And more!)
Social Media Overload: How Do Authors Reach Readers? Advice From Best Selling Author Roni Loren at Anna R Allen's Blog. (Great post!)
Physical Attributes Entry: Noses by Becca Puglisi from The Bookshelf Muse.
Whoever Told You Editing Was Easy is Nuts from the Behler Blog. (Great stuff!)
May you and yours have a fantastic holiday season!
December 23, 2012
Virtual Tourist - Dishonored and Star Wars The Old Republic 12/23/12
Holidays are about to pounce! Eek!
Dishonored
Making more progress!
View of the Library in Campbell's building.
Statue of the man himself! Ugly cuss, isn't he?
One of several long hallways. Luckily, I've been able to render unconscious most of the guards in this area leaving it free of interruption as I move on. Hee!
Had at least one other pic, but it didn't save correctly. Boo! (PC's been acting a little weird lately. Really hoping it is not a sign of things to come. Noooo!)
Star Wars The Old Republic
Jedi Consular
Voss
Trying to capture a pic of the free fireworks we got for the holidays.
Not doing too good at this...
There we go!
I loved the funky almost skull like light fixtures. Hubby's chara is on the left.
Weird tripod lookout station
This one almost looked like it was climbing the hill.
Cyborg nastiness.
Betrayal is such a bitter thing...
Now that's some big missiles!
The doc is sneaking into the pics again. Come on, dude!
A definite camera hog. For shame.
Saw a Voss on Coruscant as hubby did some deliveries as payment.
New world! Hello, Corellia! Looking forward to seeing what you have to show. Woot!
Hope you all have a great day!
Dishonored
Making more progress!
View of the Library in Campbell's building.
Statue of the man himself! Ugly cuss, isn't he?
One of several long hallways. Luckily, I've been able to render unconscious most of the guards in this area leaving it free of interruption as I move on. Hee!
Had at least one other pic, but it didn't save correctly. Boo! (PC's been acting a little weird lately. Really hoping it is not a sign of things to come. Noooo!)
Star Wars The Old Republic
Jedi Consular
Voss
Trying to capture a pic of the free fireworks we got for the holidays.
Not doing too good at this...
There we go!
I loved the funky almost skull like light fixtures. Hubby's chara is on the left.
Weird tripod lookout station
This one almost looked like it was climbing the hill.
Cyborg nastiness.
Betrayal is such a bitter thing...
Now that's some big missiles!
The doc is sneaking into the pics again. Come on, dude!
A definite camera hog. For shame. 
Saw a Voss on Coruscant as hubby did some deliveries as payment.
New world! Hello, Corellia! Looking forward to seeing what you have to show. Woot!
Hope you all have a great day!
December 21, 2012
Movie Review - Jack Reacher
Jack Reacher
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Robert Duval, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney, Vladimir Sizov, Alexia Fast, Joseph Sikora, and more.
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie Screenplay by: Christopher McQuarrie Based on the novel "One Shot" by: Lee Child Cinematography by: Caleb Deschanel Original Music by: Joe Kraemer
Premise: When an ex-military sniper kills five random people, Jack Reacher comes out of hiding to make good on a promise he'd made the suspected killer back in Iraq. Ready to take care of the problem, Reacher is surprised to find that Barr actually asked for him after he was arrested, rather than fear his appearance. Unfortunately, Barr is now in a coma after being beaten by other felons in a police van, so he can't ask him why. The evidence is overwhelming, however, so Reacher is sure Barr is guilty. But there are a couple of pieces that don't quite fit, and until they do, he's going to keep trying to uncover the truth. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Cruise was a lot of fun as Jack Reacher. Rosamund Pike's character Helen made a good foil for Reacher. Some very nice interplay between the two actors. Richard Duval lent a comedic touch to several scenes as Martin Cash. Werner Herzog made the Zec masterfully creepy.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Though not a film needing a lot of special effects, the department did a great job with the ones they had. My favorite had to do with mixing the view out of the rifle scope as they panned over the normal view as seen from the parking garage. It really put the audience in the POV of the sniper.
During the big gun battle, ricochets and rock splinters were visible and added to the excitement. The bathroom fight scene with tiles and glass shattering during the violence were seamless.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: While the main thrust of the story was nothing unusual, the characters and some of the subplots were, making the film much more robust. There were also a lot of little unexpected moments that made the film stand out from others like it. For example: a car chase scene where the person being chased by several police cars decides that's the perfect time to chase after those who've been following him all day, or telling the kidnapper it's okay to go ahead and shoot the hostage. Also the way Reacher and Helen, and later Reacher and Cash, kept turning things once each other. Lots of fun, unexpected things.
There are a couple of plot points that are inferred (why Reacher doesn't own a car, the real reason Helen and her father are so at odds, the bosses above the Zec, a death which had probably been a murder), and are never actually remarked upon. And while they don't detract from the movie itself, it did make for some nice conversation after.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The hand-to-hand combat was pretty good and there were several unual moves. The fight in the small bathroom with two big big guys, a baseball bat, and a crowbar won't soon be forgotten. Add in the inventive weapon Reacher uses when they're back out in the hallway, and the scene became priceless.
Totally loved the long car chase scene and the many fender-benders which ensued. Hubby loved the detail of the hero's car stalling mid-chase. And the way he escapes the situation was as 'cheeky' as it was ingenious.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: Pittsburgh made a nice backdrop for the film. The spanning views through the sniper rifle and in general, especially those across the area of the original shooting (and from different angles) really locked the images in for the audience.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: I loved the fact that after Reacher got a bump on his head, the blood, the matted hair, and the stained the collar were still there when they cut to another scene as he'd neglected to do anything about them. Injuries resulted in bruises and cuts and were kept from scene to scene, remaining consistent.
The work done for Zec's hands and eyes totally served to enhance Herzog's performance. Nicely done!
Conclusion: A surprisingly fun film with heavy doses of action surrounding a multi-layered mystery of corruption and survival.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Definitely Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Robert Duval, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney, Vladimir Sizov, Alexia Fast, Joseph Sikora, and more.
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie Screenplay by: Christopher McQuarrie Based on the novel "One Shot" by: Lee Child Cinematography by: Caleb Deschanel Original Music by: Joe Kraemer
Premise: When an ex-military sniper kills five random people, Jack Reacher comes out of hiding to make good on a promise he'd made the suspected killer back in Iraq. Ready to take care of the problem, Reacher is surprised to find that Barr actually asked for him after he was arrested, rather than fear his appearance. Unfortunately, Barr is now in a coma after being beaten by other felons in a police van, so he can't ask him why. The evidence is overwhelming, however, so Reacher is sure Barr is guilty. But there are a couple of pieces that don't quite fit, and until they do, he's going to keep trying to uncover the truth. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Cruise was a lot of fun as Jack Reacher. Rosamund Pike's character Helen made a good foil for Reacher. Some very nice interplay between the two actors. Richard Duval lent a comedic touch to several scenes as Martin Cash. Werner Herzog made the Zec masterfully creepy.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Though not a film needing a lot of special effects, the department did a great job with the ones they had. My favorite had to do with mixing the view out of the rifle scope as they panned over the normal view as seen from the parking garage. It really put the audience in the POV of the sniper.
During the big gun battle, ricochets and rock splinters were visible and added to the excitement. The bathroom fight scene with tiles and glass shattering during the violence were seamless.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: While the main thrust of the story was nothing unusual, the characters and some of the subplots were, making the film much more robust. There were also a lot of little unexpected moments that made the film stand out from others like it. For example: a car chase scene where the person being chased by several police cars decides that's the perfect time to chase after those who've been following him all day, or telling the kidnapper it's okay to go ahead and shoot the hostage. Also the way Reacher and Helen, and later Reacher and Cash, kept turning things once each other. Lots of fun, unexpected things.
There are a couple of plot points that are inferred (why Reacher doesn't own a car, the real reason Helen and her father are so at odds, the bosses above the Zec, a death which had probably been a murder), and are never actually remarked upon. And while they don't detract from the movie itself, it did make for some nice conversation after.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The hand-to-hand combat was pretty good and there were several unual moves. The fight in the small bathroom with two big big guys, a baseball bat, and a crowbar won't soon be forgotten. Add in the inventive weapon Reacher uses when they're back out in the hallway, and the scene became priceless.
Totally loved the long car chase scene and the many fender-benders which ensued. Hubby loved the detail of the hero's car stalling mid-chase. And the way he escapes the situation was as 'cheeky' as it was ingenious.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: Pittsburgh made a nice backdrop for the film. The spanning views through the sniper rifle and in general, especially those across the area of the original shooting (and from different angles) really locked the images in for the audience.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: I loved the fact that after Reacher got a bump on his head, the blood, the matted hair, and the stained the collar were still there when they cut to another scene as he'd neglected to do anything about them. Injuries resulted in bruises and cuts and were kept from scene to scene, remaining consistent.
The work done for Zec's hands and eyes totally served to enhance Herzog's performance. Nicely done!
Conclusion: A surprisingly fun film with heavy doses of action surrounding a multi-layered mystery of corruption and survival.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Definitely Worth Full Price of Admission)
![[image error]](http://files.petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2012/12/fightingforithaca.jpg){kind=link}