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Mr. E

  • 26
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  • 7
  • helpful votes
  • 30
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Greed leaves its mark

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-31-24

Very suspenseful story, a tale of one man’s greed and another’s unstoppable quest of retribution

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Good performance, gory details

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-31-24

Story can be alittle meandering, but is a brutal and emotional tale of the Old West without the glamour.

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A diminished, but enjoyed sequel

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-18-23

Whether it’s the original book or the the movie adaptation, “The Thin Man” is hard to top. It’s characters, mystery, all are excellent. The movie as well for how little it strays from the source material. This book combines two sequels that try to recapture the magic of the first. Nick and Nora Charles are as endearing as ever, but the plots are straining to pull them back into solving murders that occur in front of them inexplicably. The fact that these stories are set almost immediately following each other may compound these issues. Still, the voice actors are giving great performances that liven up what is more of the same but familiar Hammond storytelling.

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Excellent performance, so-so story

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-01-23

Maybe it’s not a story for my tastes, I enjoyed “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. I’ve only seen the Tim Burton “Alice in Wonderland”, and so I wanted to get the actual story. It’s very whimsical and unfocused (not unlike Tom Sawyer in that regard). The Disney cartoon version streamlines the plot and makes it alittle more compelling from the visuals. Everything seems to be Alice meets weird character doing some activity in a weird way. The only thing that really moves the story forward is Alice chasing the White Rabbit but it’s never explained why and in the end it doesn’t matter. She and the White Rabbit end up in the Red Queen’s court at the end of book.

The one undeniable positive of the book is Scarlett Johansson’s reading. She commits to each character’s voice and even attempts a mock British accent for some. Part of that could imitating the Disney cartoon, it’s still admirable how much energy she gives to bring the story to life on her own just from her voice.

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An American Classic

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-05-23

Took a few stars off because the plot seems to meander a bit.

Nick Offerman was a great choice as narrator, who commits to giving each character their own “voice” and brings the story to life literally . The southern dialect can come off as hokey if you’re unfamiliar with it, and Twain’s capture of it even more so. This is a time capsule to people of that place and time, and so a common turn of phrase could confuse people today. It did me a few times, which is why I recommend Twain’s books come with a glossary in the future. It’s not necessary, but it does help with immersion in the story if you understand what the character means when he says an obscure retort.

The story is Tom Sawyer being a mischievous boy in rural Mississippi with his friends and partner in crime, Huckleberry Finn. The story has a wonderful nostalgia and innocence to it framed through Tom and Huck’s perspective. For instance;they decide to run away from home to be pirates, but pirates are an exciting and “respectable” career choice for the boys. If they don’t know something, they feign a just recalled fact or detail to save face. This book seems to me to be what “The Hobbit” is to “The Lord of the Rings”. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” seems to have a lot of allegory and subtext, while the book that preceded it was simply about adventure and a story for children to enjoy. While I think the plot meanders, that could be intentional on Twain’s part to illustrate the spontaneity and common experience of youth over the course of a summer.

Nonetheless, it’s a fine tale and one I recommend for young and old who appreciate the literary classics.

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Gamble of a lifetime

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-27-23

Strong cast of characters, a nigh impossible robbery, and some surprise wrenches in the plans make this an enjoyable listen.

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Where’s the money?

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-27-23

Another great story, stronger than the last I want to say. Don’t know how Stark does it.

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Tense and engrossing

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-27-23

The action begins immediately and doesn’t let up until the last page. A whirlwind of intrigue and danger. A few complaints, minor ones though. The foreword seems missing from the recording (usually they have some great insights on Stark, his writing process, or the history behind the series). The second is plot related, and I can only assume Stark did this for brevity and pacing. The returning villains who are behind Parker’s personal troubles are revealed slowly then dispatched “off-screen” suddenly. It’s makes sense but it would have been nice to hear Parker’s reaction to their current state, or how he plans to break into their lair. Even their preparation for his arrival seems cartoonishly lax. Those aside, another cracker of a story.

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Sour Lemons

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-23-23

I saw many reviewers noting the poor performance of the narrator, while I think they were harsh I do have to agree. Steve Aveson does fall short to the previous narrators of the earlier Alan Grofield novels. I also find fault in this book in other respects, the plot seems to meander in a few places and the resolution lacks punch. As much as I want to, I never enjoy Grofield’s solo adventures as much as his team up’s with Parker. Other novels focus more on espionage or political intrigue, having this novel focus on failed jobs or personal grudges feels like small potatoes. Stark’s humor and attention to detail ramain, I just wonder if this wouldn’t have been better placed as the first novel, and let the others put Grofield in more exciting and unknown territories. After the events of “Butcher’s Moon”, I hope to see more Grofield in the remaining Parker books so this isn’t the last I see of the character.

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Surprising look at the dark side of the porn world

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-20-23

Well done production and narration. I remember hearing about this person’s death when the worry over social media was more focused on mental health than disinfo. It’s engaging, and even tragic in many instances. By the end though, there’s no great shock or twist to how August Ames died. The shocking part is that almost everyone interviewed, regardless of how much they cared for August herself, was deeply flawed and unable to see their own shortcomings. It adds a tinge of mystery but it is a let-down if you’re expecting a big revelation. It’s still worth it for the psychological aspect of hearing the makers of porn try to understand why a young, beautiful woman committed suicide in a public park after a Twitter backlash.

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