Kasper's Ramblings from Kasper Beaumont - Kasper Beaumont

Kasper Beaumont

Movie review: a magic Frozen sequel #Frozen2 #magic #movie

12/7/2019

After all the success of the original Frozen, the sequel had a lot to live up to.

Blurb: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom.
My review:
I went with Miss 11 and good news, we had a great time. There's a new plot which nicely follows on from the first movie. There are new characters, including some magical ones and the songs were good too. I do love the Wicked (pun intended) combination of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell as the royal sisters. Their voices soar and harmonise beautifully.
Kristoff and his moose, as well as snowman Olaf keep the fun times coming and find the light in many dark situations.
I found the use of elemental magic well thought out and added a special touch of magic to the movie. Gale is kinda cute, Earth magic is scary, the water horse has great special effects and plays a great foil to her quest. The little flame lizard is definitely my fave. Where can I get one?
Do yourself a favour and take the family to see Frozen 2, Into the Unknown.

Kasper reviews Maleficent: Mistress of Evil #Maleficent #movies #review

10/20/2019

Movie synopsis: In Disney's "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil," a sequel to the 2014 global box office hit, Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces at play. The years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet the hatred between man and the fairies still exists. Aurora's impending marriage to Prince Phillip is cause for celebration in the kingdom of Ulstead and the neighboring Moors, as the wedding serves to unite the two worlds. When an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be family.

KASPER'S REVIEW: OK, so there may be a couple of little spoilers here, but nothing you wouldn't get from a quick Google search of the movie. I won't tell the ending or anything.

Ooh, I did enjoy Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil. From the original movie, we learned the our queen of darkness does have various shades of grey plus a big old soft spot for her adopted daughter, Little Beasty. Now the girl, known as Aurora, is all grown up and in love with the handsome and kind Prince Phillip.
While everything seems nice from Phillip's family at first, Queen Ingrid soon reveals her darker desires of hatred and conflict. Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job as the queen who is so fearful of the fae, she is reluctant to have the daughter of the Moors marry into her family. Strong themes of race and prejudice here.
Angelina Jolie is as gorgeous as ever in her returning role as Maleficent, who is determined to protect her fae peoples at all costs.
Throw a Romeo and Juliet-type wedding into this seething cauldron and you have the makings of a great movie.
I did find it slow to start with a few too many Days-of-our-Lives type of stares and overacted expressions, it soon whisked me away and it didn't feel like 3 hours long at all. The beautiful sights and costumes juxtaposed with dark fae themes made for a visually splendid experience.

Highlights for me were the scenery and special effects with some many gorgeous fae creatures, including new ones.
Maleficent's quest continues to a new realm and new winged creatures which I absolutely adored.
Would I take little kiddies? Hmm, probably my 11 year old wouldn't like the violence and dark themes, but many kiddies in the cinema seemed to be enjoying it. Go, try it.

Movie review: Captain Marvel. The latest Marvel comic hero to score a movie. #superhero #CaptainMarvel

3/17/2019

Hubby and I headed off to the cinema yesterday for the latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Captain Marvel. The opening credits are dedicated to the late Stan Lee, which we thought a fitting and somewhat emotional touch. It is always special to see Stan's cameos in the movies and he will be missed.
Captain Marvel is one that even my comic fan of a husband hasn't read, so it was nice to go into it with no pre-conceived ideas. On a scale of Wonderwoman (my fave super hero movie ) down to Iron Man 2 (one of the worst for me), I would put Captain Marvel somewhere in the middle on the ranking pack.
It sits somewhere for me between the Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy science fantasy realms. It was pretty good, but not amazing.

Are we becoming desensitised to these kind of movies? Quite possibly. Several super hero movies are being released each year to saturate the market. Stay tuned for the Avengers: Endgame next month, followed yet another Spiderman movie due out in July. Seriously, I couldn't even tell you how many Spiderman movies there have been.

Was Captain Marvel made to ride off the coat tails of Wonderwoman (the hugely popular female superhero movie that broke records? Seems too much of a coincidence to say no.

Did I enjoy Captain Marvel? You bet your Nelly I did. She's independent, has to work through some major trust issues with her boss and she has a mysterious past which is uncovered through the course of the movie. I like the space scenes and rubber faces aliens (yeah, one has a cool British accent of course). This is where my Trekkie fangirl side was in heaven. There's plenty to love, including some fight scenes with cool music tracks as homage to Guardians of the Galaxy.

Is Captain Marvel overpowered? Hmm...maybe. We only get a glimpsed of her full powers, but they are pretty awesome.
It will be interesting to see what she gets up to in Avengers: Endgame. I have heard a rumour that she gets Thor, but let's wait and see on that one. Colour scheme-wise, she looks like the perfect partner for Captain America and they're both captains. Back to her with Thor, I quite like Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, so maybe a love triangle could be on the cards. BTW: don't I get my Loki fix in Endgame? He is half the reason I watch these movies. ... But I digress ... Captain Marvel, go and see it for yourself. 4 stars from me.

Time to watch The House With a Clock it its Walls #magic #adventure #movie

9/16/2018

School holidays are on the way here in Australia and that means one thing: Kids' Movies. Some are good, some are bad and many are just OK. Luckily this one we saw today was in the good category.

The Housde With a Clock in its Walls
Big names (and personalities) Jack Black and Cate Blanchett guide budding child star Owen Vaccaro as Lewis in the main role. Lewis's parents are killed in a tragic accident and he goes to live with his Uncle Jonathon (Black) in a spooky haunted house. As the plot progresses, Lewis discovers a world of magic and mysterious creatures, with a clock in the walls counting down to doomsday. The boy uncovers his own magical powers just in time as trouble is brewing.
Owen Vaccaro is a breath of fresh air in the role. While the plot is a little predictable, we all found lots to like and engaged with the 3 main characters. Sunny Suljic as class bully Tarby is also a highlight.

I took Miss 10 and Mr 15 who enjoyed the show and found it very entertaining.
4 and a half stars from the Beaumont clan

All aboard for family fun watching Hotel Transylvania 3 #movies #HotelTransylvania #family

7/4/2018

Just got home with the kiddies from Hotel Transylvania 3 and we all agree it's great family entertainment. The packed cinema and recommendations from our friends would indicate that most folks concur.
For those of you have been living in a haunted mansion without electricity for the past few years, the Hotel Transylvania series are based on the vampire, Dracula and his monster family and friends.
This latest instalment introduces some new characters such as the famous Van Helsing family of vampire hunters.

Dracula's daughter Mavis wants to make the old vamp proud by booking a family holiday aboard a cruise ship in the Bermuda Triangle. Of course all the friends from the family hotel decide to come along for the fun, including a family of around 20 werewolves who seriously test the Kids Club staff.
Romance is the sub-plot with Dracula not having dated for over 100 years and getting starry-eyed when he meets the pretty ship captain. The path to true love as they say does not always run smooth.

I have to say that the Kraken stole the show for me. It is a favourite painting topic among my friends at the moment and I really enjoyed this dancing version.

Did you know that Adam Sandler is the voice of Dracula? I must confess to being surprised, but hey you never know with cartoons these days. He does a great job.
There are a host of other celebs including: Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Fran 'the Nanny' Drescher, Mel Brooks and more.

Do yourselves a favour and check out this fun flick.

You'll either love or hate Star Wars: The Last Jedi #StarWars #review

12/16/2017

From the day they released the name Star Wars: The Last Jedi, there has been a buzz surrounding this movie. "How can it be the last Jedi if there's another movie?" "Do they mean 'Jedi' as in plural?"
Well my family has just returned from the movie and two of us loved it, and the other two were disappointed. We're all very keen Star Wars fans, so it's not like we're new to the fan club, we just had very different takes on the movie.
Things I enjoyed about the movie:
* it was unpredictable "This is not going to go the way you think." Luke.
* There were brilliant new worlds, new creatures like the crystal fox, porgs and island people; and new loveable characters like Rose.

* The Millennium Falcon feels like a favourite character
* I like the development of the characters, particularly in the use of the Force. "Dark rises, and light to meet it." Snoke. I loved the 'will they or won't they be turned' aspects and the new ability.
* The special effects are fantastic. Gone are the days when CGIs were short and sweet; there are loads of them here, including my favourite, space battles.
* Carrie Fisher was a stand-out. A fitting tribute to our late Princess Leia.
The bits I weren't so keen on included the losses, but I don't want to include any spoilers here, so I'll leave it at that.
Go and see for yourselves and let me know your opinion of the latest blockbuster.

Check out this review from my friend Troy Stoilkovski:
Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It was well directed, cinematography shot beautifully, the storytelling though has a few plotholes (see below) and that soundtrack, well it's John Williams folks. Visual and practical effects were exceptional and Rian Johnson had a big job helming the course of the canon to here. It defines and extends the narrative set by The Force Awakens though it breaks some of those ...guidelines set before. It's an enjoyable adventure, very unpredictable even. It reaches into big movie territory. It's up there.

Carrie Fisher (RIP) gives a deep, emotional resonance here, a fitting last film. Hamill is just superb (especially Luke and Rey's interplay) but there are other avenues and storylines i believe they could've gone with, especially concerning the legendary Luke (watch it and you'll know what i mean). Cast delivered and some were exceptional, others ok, fulfilled their roles. I didn't agree with every choice in major character exposition and their outcome, actually it surprised me, but In conclusion it's the path now for the canon, and Rian has produced a movie of pivotal direction. Maybe i'm a bit nostalgic, but the original trilogy is still my favourite in terms of iconic character development and storytelling. For me Empire Strikes Back is still THE greatest Star Wars film, almost perfection. Star Wars is now heading to new horizons :) #starwars #thelastjedi #rianjohnson #disney #ohyeah #twothumbsup
Posted by Troi Stoi on Facebook and reprinted with permission

Let me know your thoughts below:

Going to Star Wars: The Last Jedi in my Rey shirt and glow in the dark skirt

Review: Wonder Woman. The best super hero movie for a long time #WonderWoman #movie #review

6/18/2017

So much has been said about a female super hero lead and a female director, girl power yada yada. Seriously folks, who cares? I sure don't. A good movie is a good movie and I reckon this one is mighty fine. Sure it has some world-building plot and character development which may seem a little slow in places to the adrenaline junkies, but I found it well done.
There is plenty of eye candy for all with gorgeous Gal Gadot and hunky Chris Pine wearing nothing but a few drops of water. The scenery and cinematography are visually splendid.
I went with my 15 year-old comic reading son and he said it was regrettable how much they differed from the comics, especially with the Gods and Chris Pine's character. He thought her powers weren't quite true to the comics, such as her forcefield or telekinetic powers. He also said that the action scenes were awesome, so I'm pleased he came along with me and enjoyed it. I also saw it with hubby who said much the same thing.

For me, it was a great all-rounder with lots of heart, relatable characters and really cool action. I found the backstory of Diana (Gadot) growing up with the Amazons on the hidden isle of Themyscira (I hope I spelled that correctly) all quite wonderful and it brought a cool fantasy edge to the movie for me. I guess she's a bit like a female version of Thor. I'll just step back and let the DC and Marvels fans argue that one out LOL.
I've been a Gadot fan for years from the Fast & Furious movies. I was pleasantly surprised at her emotional depth in the role and such a lovely chemistry with Chris Pine.
Also the battle scenes and horsing riding action were fantastic. The lasso work was well done. 5 stars from me.

Gee..I hope you all get this meme. It's a good one

Until next time, happy days, from Kasper :)

This movie is worth a look: Gods of Egypt #GodsofEgypt #movie

3/26/2016

After an enjoyable afternoon at the cinema, I was quite surprised to read that 'Gods of Egypt' is a lemon. Well, let me contradict the trend by saying how much I enjoyed it. There were several points working in its favour in my mind. 1. The mythology of the golden age of Egypt, when the Gods lived among mortals; 2. Some pretty cool special effects; 3. Darn good looking eye candy and 4. Fond memories of the Stargate movie and TV series.
We go to the movies for entertainment and escapism and in my mind, Gods of Egypt met these criteria perfectly.

Have you ever read ancient Egyptian texts and wondered what their Gods would look like and how they would behave towards the commoners? I have always had a fascination for this. Whereas in Stargate, the powers that appeared magical were mostly due to technological superiority, here it is interpreted in a more traditional sense.

Gods of Egypt was directed by Alex Proyas and stars Gerard Butler as Set, Geoffrey Rush as Ra, Nickolaj Coster-Waldau (the ripped fighter from Game of Thrones) as Horus, Chadwick Boseman as Thoth, Brenton Thwaites as Bek, Elodie Yung as Hathor, Rufus Sewell as Urshu and Courtney Eaton as Zaya. - all in all a gorgeous cast with some pretty impressive CVs.
So, I recommend going in with an open mind and you might find that you really enjoy it like I did.

Review: Deadpool - Marvel super hero plays it for laughs and wild abandon #Deadpool #Marvel

2/15/2016

The term 'super hero' is kind of inappropriate here, with this chemically enhanced jokester with a devil-may-care attitude not being focussed on saving people, but on revenge. But don't be deterred, there is a hell of a lot to like in the adults only movie. My partner and I laughed most of the way through, apart from the times I cringed from the violence. Warning: it's not one for the faint-hearted.

What's to like?

Pretty much everything really. The cast are really good. Ryan Reynolds (and his butt) as Deadpool; the beautiful Morena Baccarin as Vanessa; and the deliciously loathsome Ed Skrein as Ajax.
The plot is actually pretty cool (shock horror) for a comic book movie. It opens with a visually spectacular action sequence which is intercut with the obligatory backstory of how Deadpool gained his super-healing powers. Basically he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and this mutant experiment was his only hope of survival. Of course, things didn't go quite to plan and there is a dastardly villain in need of terminating.
The black humour is wickedly dark and the timing is so totally inappropriate as to be hilarious.
Extra-special effects in the action scenes are totally incredible.
There were a couple of X-men. I love the joke that the producers could only afford two.
The opening credits are seriously funny and original.
There is a beautiful love story at the heart of the movie.

What I didn't like:

The violence was a bit graphic for my tastes, but I'm sure there are many hot-blooded young men who will find it right up their alley

The verdict:

I loved it . Five stars and a round of applause from me.

I'm loving all these Star War theories and chatter, but can I just have a Rey t-shirt please? #StarWars

1/10/2016

Is Snoke really Darth Plagueis? He certainly isn't Darth Vader come back from the dead as some misguided theories have suggested. Yes, I agree the musical score is very similar, but perhaps that is because this is the Star Wars genre and they are both Sith Lords.
Is Rey Han's daughter, or Luke's? Was Anikin conceived by Darth Plagueis' willpower? So many weird and wonderful theories to be explored.
They are hours of fun to be had from Googling all the latest in Star Wars chatter. Just today I was checking out a verbal duel between Emo Kylo Ren and Very Lonely Luke on Twitter. I must say that Emo Kylo Ren is hilarious.

I'm still staking out the local fandom shop and waiting for t-shirts of Rey and BB8 to come in. Sure there have been a lot of Darth Vader, Han and Chewie merchandise, but hey folks ... the series has moved on. I'd like a Rey shirt please. Girl power is the new Jedi flavour of the month.
Ah well, in the meantime I'll watch The Force Awakens again and patiently wait for the merchandise to catch up with the fans.

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