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mjweston
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The Marvels (2023)
I tried. I really did. Does anyone want a cheap Blu-ray?
I have all the Marvel films. I have seen none of the TV series as I don't have any paid streaming services. I understand I may have gaps in my knowledge because of that. I had seen the bad reviews, but I thought a lot of them were probably based in misogyny. I read up on the content of Wandavision and Ms Marvel so I would understand the events I had missed by not giving Disney + money I don't have. Over the first hour I was quite engaged and was able to follow the storyline, relate to the characters and realise there was a certain tongue in cheek quality to it not unusual in the MCU. The music was a bit annoying but no problem. Then it turned into a musical quite ridiculously and for no good or logical reason. Why someone didn't just say to the Director, this is crazy, please don't! I don't understand, but that was it for me. I lost interest, it broke the engagement I had and I just assumed that this was the next step in the MCU and it wasn't for me. If you're going to do an MCU for kids at least make it clear that's what you're doing. Anyone want a cheap Blu-ray?
Dunkirk (2017)
A generous 6.
A very disappointing film. In my opinion not as good as the 1958 film. Disjointed and lacking heart after an hour and a quarter I was looking forward to it finishing. Some of the acting and dialogue was below par and this contributed to my disinterest in what happened to the individual characters.
On the positive side the sets, the costumes and the hardware were very good. The cinematography and sound were outstanding and the aerial scenes were excellent. I watched on blu-ray and the visuals were crisp and clear with vibrant colours. It came with a disc full of extras but, to be honest, after struggling though the film I couldn't face watching it!
A Spy Among Friends (2022)
Slow, disjointed, dark and hard to follow
I wanted to like this. It's the sort of thing that I usually enjoy. I was encouraged by the quality of the cast , it seemed to have a real pedigree. But it was slow, very slow, it was disjointed and the leaps around timelines very confusing making it extremely hard to follow. Many of the scenes were too dark to even see who was who and the concentration required was too much for me. I gave up during the third episode. Don't get me wrong, it has quality, the acting is excellent and the settings and props seem spot on. I have no problem with the role of a woman as the interrogator, I don't care who she is married to, in fact there was no need to even have her husband in the show, nor to have her speak in an accent she couldn't master. It should have been a lot shorter, had more pace and been better filmed. By the time I gave up I couldn't have cared less what happened to any of the characters which is a shame.
McDonald & Dodds: A Billion Beats (2022)
Bloody dreadful
Just when I thought the series was picking up it reverts to stereotype characters, poorly acted and poorly written. Some of the BBC's afternoon serials are far better than this. And why are so many of the personalities so unlikeable ?
A Star Is Born (2018)
Worth watching
Lady Gaga is no Barbra Streisand and Bradley Cooper no Kris Kristofferson but they make a good stab at this. Well paced and well acted. Musically not up to the previous version and I can't help feeling Ally's character sold out too much to the demands of modern, manufactured pop music, in a way her character wouldn't have, which weakened the film for me. Hopefully the next remake will have the best of all the previous films and we'll see a perfect version. But this one is certainly worth a watch.
The Watch (2020)
Seems you love it or hate it, at least give it a chance.
I haven't really enjoyed other Pratchett adaptations simply because they can never match the quality of Terry's writing coupled with my own imagination. So I approached this adaptation of one of my favourite Pratchett discworld novels with some trepidation.
This is different. It takes nerve to mess with a genuine original but having that nerve, and sufficient imagination, has paid off here. After a short period where I adapted to the style I'm well into it.
One thing I am sure of is that Terry would have always advocated an open mind. Shame that it seems so many avid Terry Pratchett fans can't apply one to this.
Or maybe they just watched 10 minutes, gave up and scored it 1. Ultimately their loss.
Ben-Hur (2016)
Better story than the original.
Is it just me or does the removal of the overt religiosity of the original, which was, after all, subtitled 'A story of the Christ', along with removal of the unbelievable 'divine intervention' of Jack Hawkins give us a better story? Certainly a more believable one. Add to that the contemporary special effects, the lack of cruelty to animals and this is better than the original. This does not have to detract from the plaudits justifiably heaped upon the original at the time. As usual any remake of a classic gets more than it's share of unfair criticism. But at least in this remake Morgan Freeman doesn't sport a Welsh accent!
Luther: Episode #1.3 (2010)
Unbelievable nonsense, largely hokum.
Littered with inconsistencies and inaccuracies. I can see the appeal of a 'rogue cop' but Luther is totally unbelievable. Not a patch on Bancroft who was a far more believable example. A waste of a good cast, I cannot see how this series lasted so long. And you wouldn't get far round Birmingham canals in a Dutch barge!
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Worthy remake?
I see a lot of very negative reviews from those who've seen the original. All remakes come under extreme examination which often leads to unfair comparison. This is a good Christmas film, not as good as the original, which is a shame, but no doubt more relevant to an audience unsuited to watch a 1947 black and white film. I understand the desire to change Doris and Fred's names, I understand the urge to give the film a bit more edge than was needed in 1947. What I don't understand is the decision to change a logical and clever resolution to the trial to such a vague and unsatisfying one. Another example of religion spoiling the meaning of Christmas?
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Disappointing
Thin story, mostly mediocre songs not performed that well, not a film I would watch again, generally well acted though.
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Best Avoided
Waste of a great cast. No suspense, poor character development. Implausible storyline for a very contrived plot. A terribly miscast James Corden. A struggle to get to the end, and having got there I wondered why I bothered.
Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)
Too short.
This film actually runs for 1 hour 16 minutes, leaving out the extensive credits and the repeated beginning from Awakening. Is that good enough? Not for me I'm afraid. Seems they're just interested in cashing in on the franchise. No more sequels please.
The Salisbury Poisonings (2020)
Interesting story, turned into a melodramatic soap.
Could have been so much better and so much more enlightening. But the makers obviously have a preference for melodrama rather than recognising the events for what they were. Far too long, unless you like soaps.
The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
To be avoided . .
This is the worst film I have ever watched to the end. Poorly acted, over the top characterisation in story that, in better hands, could have been worthwhile. I'm sure the actors enjoyed making it more than I did watching it, but that doesn't help with the feeling that I wasted an hour and a half of my time. If it wasn't for the lockdown I'd never have had the will to reach the end. A film to be avoided unless you really do have nothing better to do.
King Arthur: Excalibur Rising (2017)
What do people expect?
This is a low budget film. It's well done, engaging and imaginative. It also has the benefit of being largely Welsh. There's no way that the ridiculously low scores some have given it are justified. I've seen far worse offerings with much larger budgets. OK it's not a 10, but deserves that score to offset unreasonably lower scores. Certainly a 6. I wonder whether people have seen so many blockbusters with multi million budgets that they simply expect too much. I suspect those involved in making this film were pleased with the result and rightly so.