Itaewon Class on Netflix (Binge-worthy!)

This K-drama took me by surprise! I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. It made its way on my faves’ list! 

An ex-con and his friends fight to make their ambitious dreams for their street bar a reality.

I’ve been meaning to write this blog for a while, but life got in the way. That’s okay, I’m making the time now. And you know if I took the time out to write about this show, it must be worth it. 

I was skeptical when Netflix dropped this title on my “for you” list. At first glance, I thought it was about some high school drama stuff, something I’m totally not interested in. That aside, I gave the trailer a gander. 

Now I gotta admit, my interest was piqued once I saw there was a black guy on the cast. Not at all ashamed to admit that, BTW. You never see a black person show up in a k-drama unless it’s for a forgetful cameo. But this guy (Chris Lyon) was a member of the main cast. That was refreshing to see. And he did a great job. 

I’m going to do my best not to drop any spoilers in this blog, but I can’t make any promises. 

On the first day of attending a new school, Park Sae-ro-yi (the main character) gets in a fight with a bully. Well, it wasn’t much of a fight. Saeroyi basically bodied ole’ boy, but you get what I’m saying. The dude he laid out was the son of a wealthy business owner, who basically owned the school. He demanded Saeroyi kneel before his son and apologize for beating his ass. Saeroyi refused, and his life spiraled into a tailspin as a result.  

Watching Saeroyi grow from start to finish was one of the best glow-ups I’ve ever seen on a show. He went from a stubborn teenager to a successful businessman. The thing I loved about him; he never lost his morals. Some awful things happened to him, but he remained firm in his beliefs, right up to the end. His reactions to the unfortunate situations he was put in made his character so endearing! He pulled so many emotions from me, mainly due to all the trials and tribulations he went through. I felt his pain as if it were my story. 

Saeroyi had a love interest (Oh Soo-ah) who held his heart throughout 80% of the season. After the first couple of episodes, I realized I couldn’t stand her. Ugh… Seriously, I wanted to toss her out a damn window. If you’ve seen the series, you know why I say this. If you haven’t yet, you’ll see why. Despite how annoying her character was, Saeroyi was all the way into her. 

Then Jo Yi-seo came along and added some spice to his life. Took me a moment to warm up to her character because when she was first introduced, she came off as a haughty little bitch. But she won me over. I said midway through the season, “if Saeroyi ends up with Soo-ah instead of Yi-seo, I’m gonna write a seething letter to the creators about that.” I was serious, BTW. 

I loved that the storyline didn’t shy away from real world issues, like classism, racism, transphobia, and bigotry. It was all brought to the show in such a great way. 

I have to take a moment to talk about the villain, or in many aspects, villains. Jang Dae-hee (the bad guy) was a nasty piece of work. I promise you will hate him to the core, which means the actor who portrayed him did a damn good job. His son was a nasty asshat as well! More annoying than anything, though. I must say this, the bad guys in this show made Saeroyi’s glow-up so much sweeter. The sense of satisfaction I felt once I got to the end made all the emotions I went through during the show worth it! 

If you need a binge-worthy show to soak up your time while you’re stuck at home, Itaewon Class is the show for you. Even if you’re not a k-drama fan, you will enjoy it. ^_^ 

My thoughts on #theWalkingDead Season 7 Premiere #TWD #AMC

YN_logo_Whitetwd-comic-con-2016-picThe premiere was hard to digest.

Two days later and I’m still recovering. I’m sure 80% of the TWD fans are still recovering as well. I feel your pain.

**WARNING: Spoilers below**

This will come out as somewhat of a rant. Bear with me, please.

The season 6 finale left us with a chilling cliffhanger—the sounds of a cranium being smashed and Lucille (Negan’s “vampire” bat) covered in blood and brain matter. I had a feeling it was Abraham. I didn’t want any of them to be killed, but I figured Negan would eliminate the one who seemed to be Rick’s right-hand man, which in all rights is Abraham. I don’t think it was a toss of a coin. Negan knew who he was going to kill before the beating began.

Observation: Did you notice Abraham gave Sasha the peace sign before Negan hit him? It was their thing, their way to say goodbye to each other, which makes his brutal death sting even more. *sigh*

My hubby warned me there would be another death, and it will most likely be Glenn, because that’s the way it happened in the graphic novel. He said this after the season 6 finale. I told him he was wrong.

Of course the writers had to go and prove him right. Ugh…

Glenn… *welp*

My heart hurts as I type this. Yes, in the graphic novel, Negan kills Glenn IN THE SAME HORRIFIC WAY IT HAPPENED ON SCREEN, but the show hasn’t been following the exact path of the GN’s storyline. They only took bits and pieces from it. I had hoped they would spare him. Especially considering the outrage fans displayed when they thought Glenn was dead last season. The writers threw us for a loop.

WHY?

I could’ve done without all the gore, the repeated smashing, his twitching fingers… God, it was hard to watch! *sob* I was shocked at first, staring at the screen with my mouth agape, then I was horrified and utterly heartbroken. When he said, “Maggie, I’ll find you.” I almost couldn’t stand it. I cried like a baby, then I went to our bar and poured myself a drink, ‘cause goddammit I needed it. *sigh*

However, the shining beacon in my opinion was Carl. Even in the eyes of death, he stared Negan down like a predator staring down a prey. He wasn’t scared, not even a little bit. When Negan told Rick to cut his arm off, I almost lost it when Carl said, “Do it.” I literally ran out the room! It was too much, too much suspense, too much death.

Why the hell do I watch this show? It’s torture to my eyes and emotions.

Damn you, TWD writers! I almost gave up on you last night. I was prepared to throw my hands in the air and say, “That is it! You will no longer rile my emotions with your gore and death. Assholes!”

But I’m going to give you another chance. Show me there was a purpose to killing our beloved Glenn and Abraham. I hope the remaining characters become stronger as a result, especially Maggie. She has lost everyone. She deserves a “bitch mode” episode. I want to see her GO HAM! And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Abraham and Glenn, 2 characters who touched my heart. I will miss you both.

 

“Suck my nuts.” ~ Last words of Abraham Ford

“Maggie, I’ll find you.” ~ Last words of Glenn Rhee

Just in case you’ve missed the first 6 seasons of the Walking Dead, below is a recap voiced by John Cleese.

British accents make EVERYTHING sound awesome!

http://nerdist.com/john-cleese-recapping-the-walking-dead-is-simply-delightful/

My Korean Drama Addiction #PlayfulKiss #KDrama #Netflix

PlayfulKissI started this K-drama with the assumption there would be a whole lot of kissing. I mean, it is titled Playful Kiss. *grin* However, there wasn’t an overabundance of kissing, but that’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable.

I was drawn to this title, not only because Netflix suggested I watch it, but also because Kim Joong Hyun from “Boys Over Flowers” portrayed the character Beak Seung Jo. That man is so effin’ beautiful, it’s hard to pass up on a show with him starring in it.

His counterpart, Jung So-min, was brilliant as Oh Ha Ni, although majorly annoying at times. She was foolishly smitten with Beak Seung Jo. And this is not a crush that went on for a few months. This was a crush that lasted 4 years! She followed him around like a lost puppy and he didn’t even return her affections. Or better yet, he pretended not to be into her. Unfortunately, this only made her fall deeper in love with him. *rolls eyes* The more he pushed her away, the tighter she clung onto him.playfulkiss3

Get this… In high school, she wrote him a letter professing her love to him. You know what this dude did? He edited the letter, corrected the grammar and the spelling errors, then he gave it back to her with a big fat D on it. And he did it in front of the majority of her peers, totally humiliating her. I was floored! If a guy did that to me in high school, I would’ve slapped the crap out of him. After that, I would never speak or associate with him again, no matter how good looking he is.

Freaking jerk!

playfulkiss7The thing about him though… the moment he thought she would drift away as his personal fan girl, he would do something to keep her hanging on. Like kiss her. The first kiss he gave her was done out of pure malice, but it was enough to leave her speechless and wanting more. He was such an asshole. Although, I have to admit, it was hard to hate him because he was so damn fine.

In the beginning of the show, Oh Ha Ni and her father found themselves homeless after an earthquake destroyed their house. An old friend of her father’s saw the tragedy on the news and reached out to them. He and his wife opened their home to Oh Ha Ni and her father. Well guess who also lived in that house.

Yep, Beak Seung Jo!playfulkiss6

That’s when things got good. I knew it would be awkward for them two to live under the same roof, but I also knew it would get heated somewhere along the line. And it did! When Seung Jo dropped his guard and kissed her in the rain… Ohh, such a hot scene. I don’t know about the characters, but I needed that kiss. It almost made up for all the times he was jerk to her. Almost.

Even though Seung Jo shunned and humiliated Oh Ha Ni every chance he got, he did little things to stay close to her. Like attend the same college. She was accepted at a college by pure luck, because although she’s crafty and a hard worker, she wasn’t that bright. Seung Jo, who was an outright genius, could attend any school he wanted to. He was even courted by a few Ivy League universities, but nope. Once he found out what college Oh Ha Ni was attending, he applied at the same college, which was the first sign that he really liked her.

As far as supporting cast, Seung Jo’s mother was awesome! She fell in love with Oh Ha Ni on sight. In the previous K-dramas I watched, the hero’s mother was always a stone-cold witch. She would do everything in her power to get her son away from the undeserving heroine. But in Playful Kiss, the mother used her tricky ways to get them together.

That was a refreshing change.

playfulkiss4By the end of the series, I too was smitten with Seung Jo. When he admitted his love for Oh Ha Ni, it was the highlight of the series. Of course, he did this when he was on the verge of losing her for good. He still teased her at every turn, but he did it with love.

In short, this was a great series. It was bubbly, fun and even sad at parts. Watching the two characters grow and come closer together made the show extra exciting. I’m glad I watched it.

This was another 5 star journey for me. Thanks again, Netflix.

Next on the list; Coffee Prince.

Vampire Hunter D: The Stuff of Dreams #BookReview #Paranormal #Steampunk

 

TheStuffofDreamsIn a world where even the smallest and most remote village is being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and vampires have lived in harmony for years. It is there that seventeen-year-old Sheavil Schmidt has slept, neither waking nor aging, for thirty years since first receiving the vampire’s immortal kiss. The mysterious Vampire Hunter D is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful, undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau.

I’m a HUGE Vampire Hunter D fan, and I love the whole series. However… I feel this one lacked the energy I’m accustomed to. Ugh, it sucked to type that. 😦 Sorry Mr. Kikuchi! *bows*

In this novel, D was still as sexy and mysterious as ever. The main heroine, Nan, was of course smitten by him. What re-blooded woman wouldn’t be smitten by the devilish dhampir? The pace was a bit long-winded, which is not a big problem since it flows nicely with Mr. Kikuchi’s writing style.

Because this story is wrapped around a dream within a dream, certain parts were difficult to follow, but once I caught on, I was engaged.

After she was attacked by a noble, a young girl finds herself suspended in an eternal sleep and trapped within a dream. As a result, she lures others into the dream and the only one who can rescue her is Vampire Hunter D. Only problem is, once she pulls him into the fantasy created in her mind, he can’t escape until he does the one thing she desires.

I enjoyed the premise, even though it dragged along a bit.

I’m excited to read the next installment in the series.

Cuff Me, Santa #BookReview #SexyReads

CuffMeSantaAlex never could leave her presents alone. Its Christmas time again and her
boyfriend has left her something naughty under the tree. Determined to try her new toy out before everyone wakes up, she makes the couch her sexual playground. Come midnight Alex hears a noise. Before long she’s no longer alone after Santa arrives and together they create a Christmas neither will forget.

Full of sexy Christmas cheer, this is one Christmas you are not soon to forget. Not only will Alex have some Christmas magic, but Santa will get one heck of a gift himself from the sultry Alex.

 

I will start by saying this; I will never look at Christmas the same way again. Better yet, I will never look at Santa the same way again. Oy vey…

This was an erotic ride that will forever be imprinted on my mind.

At first, I was bothered by the lack of plot, but as I read on, I realized it wasn’t meant to be that type of story. It was meant to be a sexual read, literary porn if you will. And I say that in a good way.

I usually write pretty lengthy reviews, but there’s not much to say with this one. The author did what she set out to do, get me hot and bothered. *blush*

If you’re looking for a short holiday read that’s guaranteed to get you hot under the collar and moist between the thighs, Cuff Me Santa should be on your Christmas list.

Salacious Reads Book Review on Shadows & Dust #Gothic #UrbanFantasy

ShadowsnDust2This was another review that was a pleasure to read. 🙂 It delights me to create tales that the reader can relate to and love.

“Now when this author tells you this story is not for the faint of heart, it isn’t. This is a very graphic novella. As far as the story itself goes, like I said…I love it. I enjoy reading strong independent female characters and Havoc was no exception…”

CLICK HERE to read the full review

Also… check out the review on Silent Screams, Book 1 of the Dragon Queen Series.SilentScreams2

“I really didn’t know what to expect when I powered up my NOOK and started reading this book. But, let me tell you it’s a story that will leave you very very excited and wanting to hurry up and grab the 2nd book…because that’s exactly what I did.”

Salacious Reads Book Review on Silent Screams

Three’s a Party, Baby! #BookReview

Inhibitions slip away and pent-up desires are explored when a pretty, but shy scientist takes a libido-enhancing trial drug her team has been working on!

A brilliant, driven scientist, Nisa devotes her time to her work in the lab. Frustrated with her inability to orgasm or enjoy sex, Nisa is personally vested in the outcome of her team’s latest case study of Vitamin P, a female libido-enhancing pill. She recklessly takes more than the prescribed dosage of the drug upon overhearing Ryce and Eric, her two closest male friends and fellow scientists joking about her sexless appeal. The pill unleashes powerful, hidden desires within Nisa and she revels in it orgasmic effects. Her insatiable cravings lead her into the arms of both men. However, once the pill wears off Nisa wonders if love and friendship can survive in the aftermath of her relentless passion.

This was a refreshing fast-paced love story with a little added bonus. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. This story is rife with hot sex. If you feel nothing while reading this, you should check your pulse.

In other words, it was fire, baby!

Nisa is a scientist dedicated to her work. She’s so dedicated that she makes no time for anything else. The woman works with 2 super-hot guys and all she can think about is work. Crazy, right?

Well, after overhearing her coworkers describe her as “boring”, she tosses her inhibitions to the wind and swallows not 2, but 4 pills of an experimental libido enhancer, also known as, Vitamin P. The pills send her into overdrive and the only way to douse the fiery desire inside is to yield to her sexual yearning.

*SPOILER ALERT!* 😀

Although, I love Nisa’s character, I was missing some character development from her coworkers Ryce and Eric. I liked their attraction to Nisa, but I wanted to know more about them.

Towards the end, it seemed like Eric was left out of the mix. She was clearly more attracted to Ryce than Eric, which kind of put a damper in my hopefulness toward their three-way love affair, and left me saying, “Awww…” with my pouty face. Even though, she’s in a position to have her cake and eat it too, I wanted her to be head-over-heels in lust with both of them. *grin*

Yeah, I know. I’m twisted like that.

All that aside, if you want a good read with tons of steaming sex, Grab your copy of Vitamin P today!

Crazy and Effin’ Insane 101 #BookReview

CleanUpWomanWhen Karma Jolley spots the man of her dreams, she sets in motion to have him. The fact that he’s married really isn’t a factor at all. What Karma wants, Karma gets, even if she has to get blood on her hands. Never since the beginning of time has anyone had to deal with so much trash, all brought by The CleanUp Woman.

It’s difficult to sit back and read a book when I’m writing all the time, but I do it when I can. I’ll read articles, blog posts and books for about an hour and half and then get back to my writing.

Well, The CleanUp Woman by Alisha Yvonne kept my eyes glued to my e-reader for more than the allotted time. In short, this book was difficult to put down.

I will admit, it’s incredibly predictable. I’ve seen the movie several times with different characters, different scenes and different titles. You know the tale. There’s a woman who seems sane, when in reality she’s not. She becomes obsessed with a man, sometimes woman, and then her true colors come out. She goes out of her way to have him, whether he wants her or not. This woman, who is severely touched in the head, will remove anyone from his life that interferes with the relationship she has constructed in her mind.

In this book, Karma Jolley was the seemingly sane woman, but she was the star pupil in that class. You know the class. Crazy and effin’ insane 101.

Now, just because I knew what was going to happen before it happened didn’t make the read any less enjoyable.

*SPOILER ALERT!*

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Colby “Cole”. It seemed like this guy couldn’t catch a break. First, his wife repeatedly accused him of being unfaithful, when he was nothing but true to her and their marriage. Then, he lost his wife when a couple of thugs pulled up on them and shot her in cold blood. Afterwards, he became the number one suspect of the crime. It’s always the husband, right?

This tragedy turned his life upside down. He loved his wife dearly, so it was difficult to move on without her.

Cole and his wife had 2 children. He worked a demanding job, and needed help with them.

So, he hired Karma Jolley.

Mind you, he hired her without checking her background or getting referrals. That’s when I stopped feeling sorry for Cole. I found myself talking to the e-reader, which earned me an arched brow from my husband. “Seriously, dude? You couldn’t take a moment out of your busy day to check that woman’s credentials before leaving her alone with your children?” That was a bonehead move if I ever seen one, but there wouldn’t have been a story worth reading if he did what he was supposed to do. 😉

Slowly, but surely Karma charmed her way into his and his kids’ lives. The girl had all the gifts of a perfect homemaker. She could cook, she could clean and she was good with the children. She made Cole’s life much easier, which was her plan. She wanted Cole to see her as a wife replacement.

Although, he thought she was beautiful and appreciated all the help she’d given him with the kids, he couldn’t get over his wife. Understandable. But not to Karma.

And that’s when the crazy came out.

There were so many times I wanted to choke Cole, but not as many times as I wanted to choke Karma. I became emotionally involved in this story, which doesn’t happen very often. Like I said, I knew what was going to happen, but it still got to me.

Even though, she was indeed crazy, she was very smart and resourceful.

Throughout the story, anyone that came in between she and Cole were either hurt or killed. This girl was determined and she didn’t care who she had to eliminate to get “Cole”, which made this an exciting read.

Now the only part that threw me off was the ending.

Cole’s demeanor didn’t quite fit the scene, considering everything that had happened to him. Sure, he was irritated, but I’d image anyone in this situation would not only be enraged, but vengeful as well. I’m almost sure the person wouldn’t strike up a conversation with a woman who not only had their spouse murdered, she almost killed their son, slaughtered her dog and left him in their house for their kids to see, AND she killed their best friend. It wouldn’t matter how touched in the head she is. As soon as she called their house, she’d either get cursed the hell out to the tenth degree or served up a dial tone.

To add insult to injury, she went back to his house, after she’d done all this! The only thing he did was threaten her. OMG, what? She’s in arm’s reach on his property and he just threatens her?

Sorry, there isn’t that much self-control in the world.

*chuckle* All that aside, this was an entertaining read and I’m glad I scooped it up.

Man of Steel is Now My Favorite Superman Movie! #MovieReview

ManOfSteelA young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

First off, I have to say that this was an excellent film. The actors were phenomenal, the direction was on point and the action was intense. Being that many of my friends saw the movie before me and raved about how good it was, I walked into the theater expecting a great movie. Thankfully, Man Of Steel didn’t disappoint.

They changed quite a bit of Superman’s backstory, but they didn’t stray too far from the beaten path. They just enhanced it and added little twists here and there. I particularly liked the storyline’s direction and the flashes of Clark Kent’s childhood during the story. Most of us already know the tale of his childhood, from the past Superman movies and of course the old CW series Smallville. However, the way they laid it out in ‘Man of Steel’ made me feel like I was introduced to Clark Kent/Superman for the first time.

Oh, I loved the new suit!

Now there were some parts of it that gave me a little deja vu. I noticed elements were taken from other movies for the development of the planet Krypton and the creatures that resided there. That fact didn’t take away from the whole experience of the movie though.

Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El ~ Not only was Cavill stupid freaking hot in this movie, he embodied a more emotional Superman. He took thisManofSteelSuperman role and modernized it, made it fit the world we live in now. Even the way he spoke registered as a Superman of this day. When I first found out Cavill was going to be the new Superman, I was doused with excitement. I’ve followed his career ever since he was a young buck.

I remember him as Albert Mondego in one of my favorite flicks, The Count of Monte Cristo, Charles Brandon in the series The Tudors and Theseus in the movie, Immortals. And now he’s Superman! I’m almost sure he won’t live this role down any time soon, because so far he is the best Superman.

Yeah, that’s right. I said it! 😉

Don’t get me wrong. Reeves will always be Superman in our hearts, but in this new day and age, Cavill has owned this character and taken him to a-whole-nother level. I think he deserves the Superman cape.

ManOfSteelLoisAmy Adams as Lois Lane  ~ Finally! A Lois Lane that isn’t annoying as hell. Thank you writers of Man of Steel! I’ve never been a Lois Lane fan, even though Superman loved her to death. In my opinion, every Lois Lane before this one expressed her annoying demeanor and personality, more so, the Lois Lane from Smallville. Ugh, I could not stand her. That aside, I loved the way Amy portrayed this character. Of course, she was nosey and curious like any reporter, but she was likeable, to me at least. She did some things in this movie that the old Lois Lane would’ve never done, like the right thing for the sake of mankind for instance. The old LL was selfish, all about getting her story out and didn’t care who she had to exploit to do it, but this new LL had a fairly sizeable conscious and actually listened to reason. Yeah, I was shocked too.

*Please Lois Lane fans, don’t send me any angry messages.* LOL!

Russell Crow as Jor-El ~ OH MY GOD! Best Jor-El EVER! Russell Crow owned that role! We all know he’s an exceptionalManofSteelJol actor. Well he reminded us of that fact in this movie. Jor-El was a badass. When General Zod accosted him like he was merely some defenseless scientist, he put Zod on his backside. *grin* Loved that scene! What I liked most about his character was that he was more dangerous in death than alive. Sure, he showed his physical strength when he went up against Zod and his army, but he displayed his brilliance and never-ending power in the afterlife when his son needed him. He was a soul that never died. I was awestruck while watching him.

Someone needs to give him an award for that role. Seriously.

ManofSteelZodMichael Shannon as General Zod ~ Michael first caught my attention in the movie Jonah Hex, then again in the series Boardwalk Empire, and recently in the movie Premium Rush. I think he has a crazed disposition in real life and it shows in the characters he plays. Don’t get mad at me for saying that. Just remember, it takes one to know one. 😉

General Zod had a deep-seeded cause for his madness and his passion to see it through was relentless. I feel Michael expressed that passion beautifully. Yeah, he was the bad guy and pretty damn crazy, but his goal had merit. No, I don’t agree with wiping out the human race to achieve this goal. Genocide is never the answer. *grin* But his will and determination to rebuild his world on earth could be felt through the screen. He would stop at nothing, not even Superman, to get it done.

Michael delivered an applause-worthy performance.

The fight scenes between General Zod and Superman had me about to jump out of my seat. They were epic, and probably the longest battle scenes I have ever seen. And the graphics… wow. Outstanding! The whole movie was awesome, but the Superman vs Zod scenes were memorable. It was so fast and intense, I was afraid to blink. I might’ve missed something. 😀

For the record, I will be going to see the Man of Steel a second time, just for the action scenes.

After Earth, Why Did it Bomb? #MovieReview

AfterEarthOne thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance. Written by Columbia Pictures

Last weekend, I went with the family to go see After Earth. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t read the critic reviews on the movie before I went to see it.

And I’m glad I didn’t.

From watching the trailers alone, I expected to get nothing less than a good action/sci-fi/thriller movie. To my delight, that’s exactly what I got.

There was a heartfelt message in this movie that was difficult to miss. I cried, smiled and giggled at some parts. I had the perfect movie-going experience. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Okay, I’ll do my best to explain this without giving away too much of the movie.

The thing I liked most about this film was the development of the father and son relationship. In the beginning, there was an obvious disconnect between Cypher—the father, and his family, more so with his son, Katai. Throughout the movie, flashes of the tragic backstory explained his emotionless demeanor and disconnect. He wanted to reconnect with his family again, and to do that he had to start with Katai. So he took Katai on an excursion, which turned out to be disastrous.

They crashed landed on earth. Now keep in mind, this is 1000 years later. The air was different. There were no buildings and roads, or subways and such. Nature had completely taken over, and animals, who were inferior to humans, ruled the planet. Some had even grown to massive sizes.

After gaining consciousness, Katai found his father alive, but fatally injured. That wasn’t the just of their dilemma though. The beacon to contact their home station had been damaged, and the other beacon was on the tail of the ship, which was torn off during the fall, and was more than a few miles away from them. On top of that, an alien creature known to torment and kill humans, crash landed with them. This creature feeds off fear. In addition to fighting and fleeing from all the other threats on earth, Katai had to cast aside his fears and battle this creature.

It gave a new meaning to the term, ‘Man up!’

I was literally on the edge of my seat during many parts of this movie. There were some powerful and scary scenes that pulled all kinds of emotions out of me. 😀 I walked out of the theater glad I saw the movie. And YES, I will be purchasing it when it releases in bluray. I have to add it to my sci-fi collection.

When I got home, I looked up the critic reviews and was shocked at what I found. The critics totally ripped the movie apart. I couldn’t help but think to myself, they couldn’t have seen the same movie I saw.

I had the same experience with John Carter. The critics panned that movie and I absolutely loved it. I only wished I would’ve seen it in the theater. After I
saw it and enjoyed it, I decided not to listen to the critics anymore.

Look, I understand the movie world is pissed at M. Night Shyamalan for what he did to The Last Airbender. I agree wholeheartedly that that flick was an epic fail, and I too was highly displeased because I’m a huge Avatar, the Last Airbender fan. But come on, let’s not stay mad at the man. After Earth was a great comeback. It was a fabulous storyline and it played out very well. In addition to that, Will Smith and his son, Jaden were a dynamic duo.

Instead of listening to the critics, I suggest you go see the movie yourself and make your own judgment.