Movie Review - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Director: Mark Molloy
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paul Reiser, Kevin Bacon, Judge Reinhold, Taylour Paige, John Aston, Bronson Pinchot
 
Description: Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened, and works with old pals John Taggert (John Aston) and Billy Rosewood) (Judge Reinhold) to uncover a conspiracy.

Review: It has been thirty years since Eddie Murphy last took on the role of Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop 3”(1994) (secretly my favorite 😉). Netfix is reviving the cop with “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”.

The film opens the way you’d want it: Axel gets behind the wheel of a snow plow and immediately turns the streets of Detroit upside down, hoping to catch a bunch of thugs. It gets completely out of hand, obviously, and before you know it Axel is back in Beverly Hills to help his daughter Jane, who is being threatened. She is a lawyer and is assisting a client falsely accused of killing a cop.

Martin Brest, Tony Scott and John Landis directed the three previous installment of the franchise and debut director Mark Molloy is taking over. He has looked closely at his predecessors and manages to deliver a more than entertaining film. He takes into account the many fans of the previous films (me), but manages to attract a whole new audience as well. Axel Foley is still the foul-mouthed and rule-breaking Detroit cop turning Beverly Hills upside down. It’s not different this time. And other characters we know from these film are returning as well. All though, I was a bit disappointed there. The screentime Axel has with his buddies Billy and Taggert is very limited. And I missed Eddie Murphy’s signature laugh.

The only new element in this film is the father-daughter relationship. For the most part, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is not an innovative film. But a fun addition to the series and an entertaining action comedy. Great that “Akwel” is back, we’ve waited long enough.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Courier

Director: Dominic Cooke
Genre: Drama/ Mystery
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley

Description: Businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) is asked by a Russian source to try help put an and to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 27: A FILM ABOUT A HISTORICAL EVENT
 
Review: Soviet Colonel Oleg Penkovsky is a true nationalist. But when he sees the plans of party leader Khruschev, he can no longer remain silent. Penkovsky manages to smuggle a message into the American embassy: he wants to defect. In cooperation with the British secret service MI6, a plan is hatched to have a businessman contact his high-raking mole in Moscow. Completely inexperienced, Greville Wynne, is sent on a business mission. And before he knows it, he is smuggling secret information from Penkovsky to London on a regular basis.

The titulat courier Greville Wynne is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. Always a solid actor, and no different in “The Courier”. The film itself is also a rock-solid historical drama. The film never really excels, but there is certainly nothing bad about it. In fact, the story is incredibly compelling, and anyone with an interest in the Cold War cannot deny that this is a fine addition to the rich repertoire of spy stories about that era. Especially since Wynne is an amateur.

“The Courier” captivates from beginning to end and you learn something as well. It’s not earth-shattering, but a really good, solid film if you have any interest in this period in history.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

Title: Nine Lives
Author: Peter Swanson
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Published: 2022
 
Description: Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke – until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emergin, but what dow these nine people have in common?
 
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next…
 
Review: My experience with Peter Swanson’s books has been all over the place. I have loved, liked and hated some of his books. I’m sad to say that “Nine Lives” falls in the last category and it’s my least favorite Peter Swanson so far.
 
Nine people receive a list with 9 names on them, among those names is their own. Alison, who is meeting her married lover. Arthur, a nurse injured in a car accident that killed his husband. Ethan is an aspiring songwriter, Jessica an FBI-agent, Caroline is a professor, Jay an actor, Frank is the owner of a resort in Maine. There is Jack and finally Matthew, the father of three. Why did they receive this list? What do they have in common, because they don’t know each other?
 
Soon, people on the list start dying and FBI agent Jessica Winslow is determined to find out the truth behind these lists.
 
The book sounds interesting. It has “And Then There Were None” vibes, which is also being referred to a couple of times in the book. But I did not like this book.
 
First of all, the POV’s. I like books with multiple POV’s, don’t get me wrong. But the way it’s done in “Nine Lives” is very confusing. There are too many points of view, where it’s difficult to distinguish one character from the other. With that, while each chapter is from a different perspective, the chapters have numbers instead of the name of the character. I would have been much easier to follow if the character’s names were also the chapter’s names.
 
The book felt very repetitive. The first couple of chapters is every person finding the list, reading out the names, asking themselves the same questions. And the list is being repeated so many times.
 
The reveal of who the killer is, wasn’t shocking. Not obvious at all, because at this point everyone in the book could have been that person, but it didn't do anything for me. I found their motive very strange and didn’t really hold together for me. It just didn’t make sense, because there are certain people on or not on the list, that make no sense.
 
There were just too many illogical elements in the plot and I also found it very boring. Peter Swanson has officially become a hit-or-miss author for me. Some books I didn’t have any expectations for turned out amazing and the other way around. This is a book by Swanson I would not recommend.
 
Rating: 1,5/ 5

 

Book Review - My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Title: My Heart is a Chainsaw (Indian Like Trilogy # 1)
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Genre: Horror
Published: 2021
 
Description: You won’t find a more hardcore eighties-slasher-film fan than Jade Daniels. And you won’t find a place less supportive of girls who wear torn T-shirts and too much eyeliner than Proofrock, nestled eight thousand feet up a mountain in Idaho, alongside Indian Lake, home to both Camp Blood – site of a massacre fifty years ago -  and, as of this summer, Terra Nova, a second-home celebrity Camelot being carved out of a national forest.
 
That’s not the only thing that’s getting carved up, though – this Jade knows, is the start of a slasher. But what kind? Who’s wearing the mask? Jade’s got an encyclopedia recall of every horror movie on the shelf, but… will that help her survive? Can she get a final girl trained enough to stop all this from happening. Does she even want to?
 
Isn’t a slasher exactly what her hometown deserves?
 
Review: Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with a violent father and an absent mother. And her town wants to have nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world where her safe space is a little unconventional: horror films, preferably the slasher. And Jade tells the quirky history of Proofrock like it is such a film. But when actual bloodshed starts happening in the waters of Indian Lake, Jade uses her knowledge of the genre to unfold how the plot will develop.
 
Stephen Graham Jones is a fantastic writer, no denying there. It’s very clear he is a horror fan and an avid watcher of the slasher genre. Aside from the story he’s telling with Jade as the main character, we also get some chapters that are called “Slasher 101”, which is basically Jade’s know-how on the slasher film. I especially loved these chapters. As a film fan myself I could appreciate reading about a fellow nerd and the book itself was filled with pop culture references.
 
Jade is not particularly a very likeable person. There is a reason that most people in Proofrock try to avoid her or want nothing to do with her. But somehow Jones managed to write her in such a way that you are on her side. I believe I could have endless conversations with Jade.
 
This book is a very slow burn, the pacing is very slow. And as a slower reader, I hated this. If I wasn’t so much into the thematic of the book, I would have DNF’ed it, for sure. But I still wanted to keep reading, never had the urge to DNF. It’s slow because, at first, I had to adjust to the writing style. And the plot developed really slowly too. One thing I always hate about books is long chapters. That makes a book slow sometimes too. Towards the end, it becomes a bit faster and those final two chapters were so action packed. I really enjoyed the ending.
 
I knew that “My Heart is a Chainsaw” would be somewhere in the middle for me even before starting it. I will continue reading Stephen Graham Jones’ novels, because his writing is so interesting. And I love his love for horror films. But “My Heart is a Chainsaw” didn’t hit me the way it should’ve.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Director: Gil Kenan
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy, Comedy
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, William Atherton
 
Description: When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

Review: Inside a mysterious object lurks a dark force that could unleash the ice age on the world once again. It is up to the Ghostbusters to stop this new evil.

“Ghostbusters” (1984) remains a classic that reflects the spirit of its time and has been and always will be one my all-time favorite films. When “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was announced, I was not excited about it, at all. But it was a pleasant surprise and I actually loved that film. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” really peaked my interest now. And although it’s a fun time, it’s not as good as its predecessor.
The opening scene, in which the new generation of Ghostbusters hunt a ghost, is immediately the highlight of the film. We see the characters work together, making sarcastic remarks and doing their tasks perfectly.

At the end of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” it was a fun surprise to *SPOILER* see the old cast members showing up for the finale. Annie Potts, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and especially Dan Ayrkroyd have a bigger role in this part. Even William Atherton returns for this sequel. Some new characters are introduced, with Kumail Nanjiani being the most prominent one. He was supposed the be the comic relief, but I found him a bit annoying. Patton Oswalt is in it as well and I would have loved to see his character in more scenes.

As for the returning cast, they are given little to do. It’s not as adventurous as you might expect and is trying to evoke nostalgia in the wrong way.

I would probably watch another installment with this cast, because I found “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” entertaining enough. But director Gil Kenan didn’t succeed into making it as amazing as Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - Beach Read by Emily Henry

Title: Beach Read
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romace/ Contemporary
Published: 2020
 
Description: Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.
 
They are polar opposites.
 
In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.
 
Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwood death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book an no-one will fall in love. Really.
 
Review: Let’s just start by saying I’m not a romance reader, I don’t like reading contemporary romance stories, just like I don’t (often) enjoy rom-com movies. I do like the classic love stories or historical romances. So it would be no surprise to you, that I have never read a Emily Henry book before. Since it’s summer, I decided to give “Beach Read” a go, and I didn’t hate it.
 
We meet January Andrews, the writer of romance books, chicklits. She’s had a rough year and she has a terrible writer’s block. January moves into the beach house that her dad left her, maybe to be inspired with a new novel. Next door we have Augustus Everett, also a writer. He writes literary fiction and is also dealing with writer’s block. And Augustus was January’s rival in school. But they decide to use each other’s writing qualities to get out of their slump, by challenging each other to write a book in the other’s preferred genre.
 
It's a fun premise and I also enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope most in romance stories. Where they start out as enemies, become friends first and then romance happens (not a spoiler, come on, you know this). And both characters were very interesting to get to know. They are well-developed and I rooted for both. Both Augustus and January have an interesting backstory, they have substance. And I also loved the fact that they were both writers, I enjoy reading about authors.
 
The book was just fine for me. It’s a very easy read. But I never really fully believed the romance between January and Augustus. Even though they are both fairly likeable characters, there is never a moment where I thought: yes, they are made for each other.
 
The story is also very predictable, but aren’t most romantic contemporary books? The book didn’t really have any big surprises.
 
It was just a fun, summer read. Accessible, perfect for first-time romance readers and a good book to pick up on your summer holiday. But it never grabbed me.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2024

We are half-way through the year already, time goes by way too fast. And So far, I have finished 43 books (out of the 65 book I try to read in 2024). I’m pretty certain I will meet and even surpass that goal. But now is the perfect time to see how my reading has been going this year and to look back at the first six months of my reading year, by doing this tag.  I just simply answer some bookish questions about all the books I read in the first half of 2024.
 

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024?
This is not a book I expected to be a favorite, but I can’t stop thinking about “Lessons in Chemsitry” by Bonnie Garmus. It’s a novel that gives you an insight into the life of a woman in the 1950s/ 1960s and it beautifully highlights the hardship women have to endure when they want something different from what society dictates. It grabbed me from the start and I can safely say this is a new all-time favorite.
 

Best sequel you've read so far in 2024?
I only read two sequels so far, I’m not a big series reader. And there is only one good answer for this question: “The Last Devil to Die” by Richard Osman. Even though I haven’t given any of the book a 5-star rating yet, they are always a solid 4 of 4,5, which makes it a very steady series. And one of my all-time favorite series. This sequel is the fourth part in “The Thursday Murder Club” series.
 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?
I have a few of those. “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” by Holly Jackson is one of them. I’m looking forward to her new stand-alone, even though I didn’t enjoy Jackson’s first stand-alone “Five Survive. She did also write the “A Good Girls’s Guide to Murder Series”, which is an all-time favorite of mine, so I won’t give up on Jackson that easy. I also want to read “Everyone is Watching” by Heather Gudenkauf. I haven’t read from her before, but the premise of this film really intrigues me. A reality show with a dark, sinister twist. And finally “The Midnight Feast” by Lucy Foley. I’ve read three books by her and didn’t like one, but I love how she uses the multiple POV in her mysteries.
 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
It’s already out in the US and UK, but here in The Netherlands “The Middle of the Night” by Riley Sager is not out yet. I have pre-ordered it and can’t wait to read. It will be arriving any time now. Sager is one of my favorite thriller authors and his book “The Only One Left” was my number one book I read last year. So, I have high hopes for his newest novel. Fun fact: it’s the first time he has a male protagonist. And “We Solve Murders”, the start of a new mystery series by Richard Osman, since he’s not releasing a “The Thursday Murder Club” novel this year.
 

Biggest disappointment?
I’m still not over this one, because it’s one of my most recent reads. “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera was one of the books I was looking forward to the most in 2024. Boy, was I disappointed. Even though it had so many elements that I love in my thrillers/ mysteries, it just didn’t work for me. I was annoyed by the main character, or actually, the voices in her head. And the reveals were basically just all the people in the town doing with each other. The ending was very lack-luster, so anti-climactic. I was so sad that I didn’t like this book, because by reading the synopsis I predicted this would be a 5-star read.
 

Biggest surprise?
I was really surprised with how much I loved “Any Man” by Amber Tamblyn. I read this book as part of a challenge, reading favorite books from my favorite YouTubers. This was one of Gaby’s choices. And I couldn’t agree more. What an intense book, not for the faint of heart, but so powerful.
 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?
I’ve read from a bunch of new-to-me authors. Blake Crouch is an author that I read two books from this year, them being “Pines” and “Dark Matter”, and I loved both books. His writing is so good and I want to read more of his work. Some other authors I want to keep my eye on are Paul Tremblay an Iain Reed, also because their writing is so impressive.  
 

Newest favorite character?
Elizabeth Zott from “Lessons in Chemistry” is definitely the right answer for this question. I love how hardworking, determined and smart she is. Elizabeth is a woman I look up to, because of her look on life. And I feel we have a lot in common, in how we view the world.
 

Book that made you cry?
If you want to feel completely miserable after reading a book, just read “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanahigara. This books breaks your heart. I knew that, before I started reading it, but it’s a knife to the heart, really. Sobbing.
 

Book that made you happy?
“Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree, for sure. Not something I would have picked up if it weren’t recommended to me. And I was also surprised about how much I ended up loving this, so it fits that category too. But, these characters are so loveable and I just wanted to spend my day with all these characters in this coffee shop.
 

Favorite book to movie adaptation?
For this one I had to go back, because I watch more movies than I read books. And I don’t want to count rewatches for this question. I have a few though, but I haven’t read the books for either one of these. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is based on a Judy Blume boo and I loved this coming-of-age feel-good film. It really made me so happy. “American Fiction” is definitely one of the best films of 2024 I’ve seen so far, based on the novel by Percival Everett. And the same goes for “Poor Things”, which I didn’t know was based on a book until just now. Alasdair Gray wrote it.
 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year?
Also a few, where I really love the cover. But the one I love the most is the newest Stephen King short-story collection, “You Like it Darker”. A cover where I first thought I just saw an island, but it’s a crocodile, which continues onto to the back of the book. I love this cover.
 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
So many, but I need to prioritize a few. Besides the ones I already mentioned for my 2024 release questions, I really need to read the rest of the “Wayward Pines” series by Blake Crouch. Some other ones I really want to get to before the end are: “Bright Young Women” by Jessica Knoll, “Happiness Falls” by Angie Kim, “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” by Benjamin Stevenson, “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn and “Next of Kin” by Kia Abdullah. I want to reread some books to, like “Pride & Prejudice” by Jane Austen and “Dracula” by Bram Stoker.