Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - movie

 

I was unsure, even half way through, if I liked this movie. Then we got to the end and I found myself crying and I realized that I did indeed like this movie. 

I do believe it is MUCH better if you have any DnD knowledge, which I do not but it is a fun movie with more story than I expected. 

I was also very surprised to see Hugh Grant in here but he ended up being the right person for the role. There were a few things I wish were different but overall it was a fun rollicking story and movie.

Chris Pine was excellent in his role as was Michelle Rodriguez. Justice Smith and Sophia Lillis were also perfect for their roles. 

If you are looking for a fun 2 hours, I recommend checking this out. If you have any DnD background, I say you MUCH check it out. Then come back here and let me know your thoughts about it.

2 paws

Thor: Love and Thunder

 Dangrdafne review

I was really looking forward to this movie the other night. I had heard some not good things but I try to not let it get to me and form my own opinion. Well, after watching it ... I wasn't thrilled with it and I am sad for that. 

I think the first two thirds of the movie was meh and the last third was good and more like the Thor movies I like. It all just felt a little frenetic, thrown together and it spent more time on trying to get ideas into the movie rather than things that served the story.

I don't mind a humorous Thor but it has to work for the story and most of the humor just didn't work for me this time. Something was off. I also felt like some information was missing. How did God Killer figure out his end game? Brainwise filled in how it might have happened but it certainly was not in the movie.

The music was awesome! Guns N Roses used to perfection.

My biggest question is ... why Russell Crowe? Oh my that casting just did NOT work for me and what was up with the accent. I just didn't get it or understand. 

I'm grateful that the movie was only 2 hours long but honestly they should have made it longer and filled in the missing information... and removed some questionable humor. 

 The death and love themes saved this movie from being 1 paw from me.

2 paws

What If...

 Dangrdafne review:

What If... they didn't create this series? Would we have missed anything? Are we more invested because of this series? What do we gain?

My answers to these questions don't actually influence if I liked the series or not because my responses would make you think I didn't like it but in fact I did. I think I liked it because it put more emphasis on the female characters and let them be in the forefront more than usual.

I loved seeing Peggy Carter as Captain Carter and would love if that became real somehow. Also Black Widow had a HUGE role and I had to laugh that they kept her changing looks from the movies in each episode of this series. I guess some things never change ;)

I definitely could have done without the zombie episode and honestly I couldn't even watch it when the zombies were one, just too gross for me. But I guess that is a tip of the hat to the animators. They were able to draw zombie so gross that I couldn't even look at them. The story though was very interesting and it did end up being a part of the bigger picture which from the beginning I didn't know about or expect.

I thought each episode was stand alone but I was wrong. Each one lead to a final episode where it all came together and resolved. I did love that each episode was 30 minutes or less, so we were able to binge the whole series in one evening. It also made it more like a comic book and you had to get in all your information in a short amount of time. 

I do wish Scarlett Johannson had been able to do the Black Widow voice. Not that Lake Bell wasn't good but it was hard not to hear Poison Ivy from Harley Quinn in many scenes whenever Black Widow spoke. 

Overall I recommend watching this series especially if you love Marvel and don't mind thinking outside the box for your characters. Will you miss out on anything if you don't watch it? I don't think so but I am glad I watched.

3 paws

A Boy Called Christmas - Netflix

 Dangrdafne review 

I had seen that there was a new Holiday movie on Netflix but didn't run right off to see it. Then a friend of ours saw it and couldn't say enough good things about it, so I put it on the front burner. Last night we watched it.

What a glorious movie. The story telling is wonderful, the cinematography entrancing and the cast is impeccable. Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Merchant, Toby Jones, Sally Hawkins and the glorious actor, portraying the Boy, Henry Lawfull. Even all the supporting cast is incredible. The are all perfect for their roles and honestly, for me, the movie is 4 paws just for having Maggie Smith in it. Luckily the whole movie supports the paw rating outside of Maggie Smith too.

The story overall is the history of Christmas and it is told in such a clever way. It is also about loss and we did indeed cry as the story hits home and doesn't let go. There were so many other stories this reminded me of and they are all other stories I love so it was very comforting and warm to watch.

I highly recommend adding this movie to your holiday watch list. When it ended Brainwise had already added it to the annual viewings, a list that includes: White Christmas, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Elf, Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim and a few other classics. So this is quite the company for this new movie to be added to and it is well deserved in our household.

Go and lose yourself in this world, enjoy a "history" lesson and in the end, a kindness lesson too. 

 Happy Holidays to you and yours.

4 paws

Folklore - Taylor Swift

 Album Review by Dangrdafne

I never thought I would do an album review but I just can't keep quiet about this album. I am enthralled with it and I can't stop listening to it.

About 3 weeks ago someone mentioned how much they missed listening to an album from beginning to end and I realized that I also have not done this in quite some time either. 

Then 2 weeks ago on a Zoom call someone mentioned Taylor Swift's new album Folklore and how much they loved it. That it wasn't typical Taylor and it was very soothing in fact. I was intrigued and downloaded the album while on the call.

For the past week, I have had the album pretty much on repeat and I still can't stop. 

It is glorious. It is ethereal. It is soothing and calming. It is angry and quiet. It is sweet and lovely. It is everything I didn't know I needed in an album.

I would love to write up and dissect each song but the album isn't about that at all. It is all about getting lost in the sounds and the words and the FEEL of the album. I just sink into it each time it starts and it wraps itself around me and soothes my soul. Even the angry songs just pierce right into me and free the tension. 

I bought the explicit lyric version of the album and I am glad I did. It feels honest and it certainly is not overly explicit and I feel the lyrics are valid and necessary.

My most favorite song is exile featuring Bon Iver. Their voices are spectacular in this song and the harmony and lyrics are divine.

"...there's nothing like a mad woman" is my other most favorite song if just for the title alone. I even had to buy the shirt with this lyric on it from her online store. I already own a Shake It Off shirt and sticker on my computer, as that was and probably still is my theme song. NOTHING on this album is like that song, though, so do not go into this album expecting anything like that song. This is reflective Taylor Swift and I adore it and her.

4 paws and a tail!!