wolfghostninja Reviews

Secrets of the Neanderthals (2024)

Didn't enjoy it.

[5/10 · 24 May 2024]

Patrick Stewart is the narrator of this light "documentary", and the posh received pronunciation accent starts to drone quickly. British accents have oversaturated the documentary landscape. I can't abide listening to them for several hours anymore.

I've read that the Scottish accent is the most desirable in terms of call centres, and that is due to its pleasing lilt.

Anyway, aside from the tedious voiceover, there's really nothing much here, and it seems to be a hair and makeup exhibit more than an educational journey into an interesting topic.

And now I shall keep writing until the required character limit is met. Thanks for reading.

3 Body Problem (2024– )

British gonna save us lol.

[6/10 · 24 March 2024]

3 body problem is an interesting sci-fi premise wherein a advanced alien civilization has telegraphed their intentions to conquer earth in 400 years time, and have sent omnipotent spy computers to watch our every move as well as to engage in psychological warfare, in an effort to claim earth for themselves.

After a decent first three episodes, the show falls off a cliff, there are casting problems, writing problems, such as why are British involved? Britian has no space program in real life, no natural resources etc. If Aliens arrived Britain would be a trivial country, - so poor scifi there as its not realistic in the slightest.

Then there are two women cast in important roles as leading scientists, one of the actors has had obvious cosmetic surgery and is sporting pornstar lips, while being cast as having invented some gobbldygook mcguffin weapon, its ludicrous. The other scientist is poorly developed and is herself just a mcguffin for the cancer sidestory.

Oh yeah, there's a cancer death, long and drawn out, so you can enjoy that ride.

The final "twist" is that a somewhat disinterested scientist is given immense power by the UN (How exactly?) to prepare earth for invasion. I found this to be very lazy and really the second half of the show just never really picks up.

If Aliens did as the show premised, then it would have been interesting to see how the UN achieves it's new immense power, to supercede laws and assume a role as World Government, but the show thinks you are a bit dim, so they just did it OK? Also hilarious to see the UN Secretary Gen cast as an American black lady. In the end this is a muddled show, with pacing and writing issues. The writing is dumbed down, as is to be expected by contemporary cinema, and the plot with the ultimately facile cancer story started to drone on about half way through.

No real standout performances, but couldn't get over the British Royal Navy (who can't even float an air craft carrier) getting involved. Britian in the 21st century is not a Naval, Space, or geopolitical force, so it was a tough ask to believe the fantasy that the Royal Navy would have any real role, or humanist intention for that matter. Perhaps if the show was made 15 years ago this would have been a plausible scifi outcome, but unfortunately it seems really really dated. The most important goverments in the event of an Alien invasion would be the US, China, Russia, Brazil, India, and Australia. Tiny countries like the UK and Estonia would just be hangers on the to decisions and actions taken by Great Power countries, and I was surprised to see this "adaptation" stretch credulity like that when there is, to be fair, lots of juicy scifi concepts all over the show - probably its biggest strength. More needed to happen this season, and ultimately the show disappoints despite having lots of potential.

Poor Things (2023)

A poor movie.

[4/10 · 8 March 2024]

I made it about halfway through. It's a sad thing, but it's just my personal opinion, there are actors I like and actors I don't like, just like everyone else I suppose. Emma Stone falls into my unlikeable category, she always looks like she's acting. If you are an Emma Stone fan, I'm sorry don't mean to be mean, but I think her screen presence has an annoying quality.

So, does Emma Stones female Frankenstein have any merit? Not really. Frankenstein is a story that has been done over and over, a well worn trope, with fairytale status. I've never seen a Frankenstein movie that resonated with me, and after Poor Things, that hasn't changed.

Lots of "feminism" in this one, by which I mean a heavy handed lecture from our betters in Hollywood, making sure they "use the platform they have". Yeesh.

OK the positives, great set design, but I can just open a copy of Architectural Digest and be sated for a few hours until I need my set design fix again. The costumes were really impressive.

I like off beat films and do tend to seek them out, but this couldn't end soon enough. Felt exasperated and bored, which is not a usual feature of being entertained. The thought that the makers might be mentally ill crossed my mind, but

Nowadays, any "Oscar" buzz around a film and you just know already that it's not for you, it's for their bubble and the whole self congratulation that comes with film awards is a sign that they are slightly too self indulgent.

Nice to see Willem Dafoe having really stuck around in Hollywood, he's still in demand and really has had some great roles over the years. My recent favorite was the cameo as the shaman in Norsemen.

Shōgun (2024–2026)

Poorly cast, spurns the beauty of Japan.

[5/10 · 7 March 2024]

This show came with a lot of hype, and nowadays everybody on social media is basically shilling for somebody. A show doesn't even have to be good to earn a second season, it just has to bring in enough viewers to merit a second, and the number of viewers doesn't hinge on the quality of the show, just how well it was marketed. I watched it because Sanada has a lead role and I fell for the hype.

So the show has good marketing, good enough to raise expectations, but alas Shogun fails to match its hype. This is has the distinct feel of a tv show, and some of the dialogue is a bit simplistic. What really threw me was laziness that infests the show. We have Japanese actors speaking Japanese, but everyone is speaking Portuguese in English. Incredibly silly choice that completely degrades the seriousness of the show. It's a fact that the Portuguese tried to colonise Japan, so why hide from the epic scale that multiple languages would have given the show?

Some of the casting gave this a Xena warrior princess feel. Perhaps it should have had a bigger budget or been made as a movie? Theres not much going on in terms of plot, and the weekly release schedule just doesn't work in today's day and age. There's just no way to remember what happened over the previous episodes if one takes a month's break.

The British protestant captain is poorly cast and the acting bordering on pantomime.

Japan is a stunningly beautiful county, and I think they really missed a trick with the cinematography. Nearly all the shots fail to immerse, looking like they have shot this distinctly TVesque show in a studio somewhere, rather than on location.

As an aside, I'm very skeptical of reviews that rate 10 on the basis of a few episodes.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024– )

Below mediocre cartoon "action"

[1/10 · 16 February 2024]

This was so bad. I couldn't make it past the end of the first episode. It reminded me of those 90s action movies that have aged terribly. Bullets that are only deadly when the writer has decided that person x needs squibs to go off.

Indulging in this fantasy of "spy couple" who kill romantically for each other is so disconnected from reality where the US hasnt even had human spies, other than gullible journalists, for like 30 years. Brain dead.

Just garbage CIA propaganda, really. Embarrassing.

Amazon is literally the worst content producer. They should call it quits and just get back to selling whatever. This Prime thing for streaming is just so mediocre. Yada Yada Yada, blah blah blah I've met the required characters.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

I am Become the Elephant in the Room

[4/10 · 14 February 2024]

Nolan has made some exceptional films and is without a doubt a technical master, but he's also made some lousy films too. Have been a Nolan fan since Following, and was very excited to see Memento and The Prestige, both of which are in my personal favourites of all time. But, as his films became more mainstream they have also grown weaker, and Oppenheimer continues that trend.

Nolan leans heavily on music, since he believes that films should be seen in the cinema, but for whatever reason dialogue is often difficult to hear or understand properly, and I know I am not alone in that complaint. It becomes so bad that one begins to wonder whether he is papering over the cracks, or that he lacks confidence in the story being told, either way, I did not enjoy this film and frequently hoped it would end soon.

Structurally, there's no film here, theres no timeline, and it jumps from future to past and back again. The music is manipulative, trying to invent tension, but there is nothing really there other than a jumbled loud mess.

There are no characters, and perhaps that is the idea, the film studiously shys away from the subject matter of a nuclear bomb, what it is, and what it does to people. In focusing on trivial details perhaps the film should have been retitled "I am become the Elephant in the Room". It is shallow filmmaking, as the core subject matter is basically ignored. A similar result was achieved in Dunkirk, a WW2 film that couldn't acknowledge the fact that war isn't a PG12 experience. Nolan doesn't have a worldview or if he does, he's quite happy to pretend he has nothing interesting to say.

There's plenty of goodwill nevertheless. I like Nolans willingness to invent, to push boundaries, but his work has become 1 step forward and two steps back. I won't disrespect his work by calling it cowardly, but the thought has crossed my mind. 4 on 10.

The Swan (II) (2023)

Meh.

[5/10 · 14 February 2024]

Beloved author Roald Dahl meets experimental director Wes Anderson (again) but the results are not great.

Andersons films are hit and miss, some are brilliant, and others amount to tedium. Such is the nature of creative risk taking.

Dahls books are almost uniformly brilliant, but they shine as books, not as films, or at least not very often. Matilda (1996), for example, is a rare Dahl adaptation which becomes a superb film, with excellent casting. As is Andersons Fantastic Mr Fox, but that film is claymation, not live action and is better for it. Here, The Swan, is live action, and while competent, it jarrs.

Making poor Roald Dahl films only serves to cheapen the authors legacy.

If you want to be entertained by Dahl, read the books, they are superb and infinitely re-readable. They are so good, that it films run the risk of being frivolous imitations.

While it is comforting to know that an auteur like Anderson also loves the books, the films greatest success is to remind one just what a treasure Roald Dahl was.

Dumb Money (2023)

Dumb Audiences.

[6/10 · 19 January 2024]

The film Dumb Money was reasonably decent timepass, although it leans heavily on a particular montage style and patronising approach to tiktok dances. There are some pretty decent performances, particularly Paul Dano, but the film is really dumbed down and treats the audience with kid gloves. I had half expected the film to veer into a legal thriller, but the length was a disappointment and whatever substance the film had was heavily watered down. Given the subject matter I thought a 2 hour runtime would have been an improvement, but instead the film is too short and the story is delivered via montages and doja cat songs.

I guess the filmmakers admired The Big Short, and sought to emulate that film, but in the end they lacked the courage that The Big Short had, to not treat the audience like they were the Dumb Money.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Flawed, too long, and morally dubious.

[4/10 · 21 December 2023]

It's taken the United States a long time, a few hundred years, to come to grips with the atrocities that created their somewhat dangerous society. Mostly it's still taboo to discuss the genocidal history, and many might react angrily if the topic is raised, especially today. Having said that, it happened, an entire civilization was murdered, starved and then enslaved, and most people today would rather not confront this, and that's their right.

Scorcese and his cabal of DeNiro and DiCaprio shoot Indian women in the back, scream at women for their "Indian ways" ignoring the victims and reveling in the violence, as is typical of American films which tend to avoid empathetic or thoughtful characteristics.

The film is very long, and would have benefitted from being a mini series. In the end there's not much to learn here. Atrocities and hatred get a cathartic airing for the benefit of the typical New Yorker that reads widely but remains ignorant. Tiresome filmmaking, Scorcese, whose heyday is long gone, and whose relevance today is circumstantial. There are very few auteurs working in Hollywood today, as studios won't back their projects, and the market has moved on to streaming, so Scorcese is that old horse that gets its exercise lest it waste away. His fans are the film fans who haven't yet quite come to grips that cultural decline is the norm and so are still excited for his output.

Honestly, he's too old and out of touch, and so the film has little to no cultural impact. Long tedious and sacrimonious. 4 stars.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Here I come, your Useful Idiot, to fullfill my purpose.

[6/10 · 20 December 2023]

Obama, a former US President, further blurs the lines between media and power. Govts today are packed with "media experts" meanwhile "the people" - on whose behalf they are supposed to govern - are all on what the lunatics at the CIA and other fascist government bodies call "a need to know" basis.

You don't need to know buddy so be a good gremlin and sit down and take your medicine. This is the totalitarian system that describes the United States of America today. And that is what the film Leave the World Behind fetishises. From this privileged and walled off world emerges a fantasy that especially resonated with Obama enough for him to put actual money towards making this film, which demonstrates how helpless and clueless they think Americans are.

Dressed up as art, the film is utterly soporific in the first hour, as we follow a family of vapid stereotypes meandering their way to a beach upon which moment the film actually and finally begins. From then on it becomes mildly interesting but I still skipped through sections of bonding between characters (because I can).

Lets be blunt, this is a poorly structured film, the best performance going to the stranded Spanish speaking (no subtitles) lady encountered by Ethan Hawkes nothing character on the side of the road. Julia Roberts plays a smart dumb person, who might be bi-polar, but is actually there as a vehicle to explore white prejudices and to gaslight the audience anywhich way. Mahershala Ali plays a "sophisticated man", but hides the reality of the certain death of his wife from his daughter, who also never really processes reality. All in all this is an emotionally stunted film, from people who marvel at the ridiculousness of the world, without ever stopping to consider their own ridiculousness. Worth a watch, if only as a trivial cultural milestone considering it was openly produced by narrative peddlers and ideological backers of real political power.

Outlast (2023– )

Disgraceful

[1/10 · 11 October 2023]

This reality show had an interesting enough premise for me to watch about 5 episodes, but I turned it off as soon as the two contestants basically indulged in criminal behaviour. People are so poorly educated, and constantly indulged/ spoilt throughout their lives and it gives rise to a colossally stupid entitlement, and that sort of reality show participant makes for car crash TV.

Ultimately the blame for this disaster should lie with the creators and producers, who likely are just chasing profits and reflect the controversial contestants in their character. They deserve each other. This show damaged the Netflix brand in my opinion.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Rather dull.

[6/10 · 30 August 2023]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an artsy French film about lesbians in the 19th century. While the cinematography shines at times, the direction resembled the American soap opera "Bold and the Beautiful". The actors don't seem to have much to play with, resorting to lots of thoughtful stares into the distance, or out of windows, or out to sea.

Not much of a plot, the two lesbians fall into each other over at a soporific pace and then their forbidden love is cut short by the material concerns of the real world. In between a maid has an abortion but the thread is itself aborted and there is little substance given to the matter.

All in all I found the film quite a chore to watch, with little chemistry between any of the actors on screen. Nice set design and probably very cheap to make, but a kind 6 on 10 is what I give this film.

Mythic Quest (2020– )

Painful to watch. Needed laugh tracks.

[3/10 · 2 May 2023]

I don't have Apple TV, and I'm certainly never gonna be a subscriber either. There are one or two shows that catch the eye, and Mac from Always Sunny should have been a red flag, not because he is somehow deficient, but because that show was once in a generation ensemble gold.

Mythic quest totally fails to capture the gamers zeitgeist from the outset. It's embarassing, but this is corporate schlocky garbage, comedy by committee, so one watches a little further only to start to question ones eyes. As companies begin to waste their investor cash on content art ceases to exist entirely, merely churning out formulaic soporific is no substitute for ambition or talent. Apple TV? Don't make me laugh.

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

Dull propaganda filled with impressive array of acronyms.

[5/10 · 22 April 2023]

Obviously heavily influenced by the late 90s show The West Wing which preceded 9/11 and the ill-fated escapades in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this show must have begun production before Blinken and Biden decided to abandon Afghanistan two years ago, so likely it was pitched as a production intended to be restorative to the heavily tarnished US "diplomatic" corps.

This show want us to empathise with the bureaucrats who in reality have a poor track record in terms of achievements and an even poorer track record when it come to being the good guys - let alone being "diplomatic".

Those who actually follow the "news" will be aware that in the last month the Pentagon suffered a leak which exposed to the world (for the second time in 15 years) that our "diplomats" have been spying on everyone, including our so-called friends and that the US happens to be failing diplomatically, as a disastrous and humiliating tour of various African States led by the hapless Kamala Harris, where we were politely entertained (by their diplomats) but essentially ignored.

Perhaps the slightly fanciful title is stuck in my craw, but still the show itself amounts to a rather dull series of acronyms which are constantly spewed from people dressed up and trying their best to pretend they are professionals, despite the jarring contrast reality provides.

Nice sets, nice clothes, lots of jargon, but far less ambitious than the West Wing, and even slightly cynical at times.

The incredibly beautiful Kerri Russel was worth it in the end, always a pleasure to watch her on screen, alas, this is a far cry from the intellectual exercise that was The Americans.

Air (I) (2023)

Dull subject matter, but well made.

[5/10 · 6 April 2023]

Hollywood stopped making movies, so the charge goes, and yes there are fewer and fewer examples of actual cinema being made and even fewer that find success at the box office. I thought this might be a breath of fresh air, considering the star-studded cast, and the wealth of talent available to a director like Affleck, but bafflingly they chose this obscure story and likely they all signed on like sheep when the project had a confirmed budget (I would too, probably).

Still, it's difficult to call this cinema. Frankly, I found the film to be bland and boring. A giant ad for a megacorporation, and one that only shows the protagonists in a relatively positive light. Dull really.

5 stars. All dressed up and nowhere to go. Dishwater dull.

Werewolf by Night (2022 TV Movie)

Best of Marvel Phase 4?

[7/10 · 4 February 2023]

Werewolf at Night isn't even a feature film length, so why one has to have the same word count when writing a review is a question that has just occurred to me.

Anyway, I spent a day or three watching Marvel Phase 4 shows and movies. This was one of the best. A refreshing change of tone. Marvels strategy is to lean heavily on uber talented actors while keeping the dialogue as simple as possible, and it works here.

Great effects, used sparingly. Neat characters and overall enjoyable watch, without trying to be a Christopher Nolan movie with twists and turns as some Marvel output can veer towards.

Finally met the character limit. Watch it, it's good.

You People (2023)

It doesn't work.

[5/10 · 27 January 2023]

Every character in this weird slightly psychotic, overdressed comedy is a cliche. Pretty much every scene is a cliche. Some talentless Netflix exec said hay podcasts and youtubers are so hawwt right now, Jonah should be like a cool yuutuber who's like an uber consumer and he's like totally into kulturre. There are moments where you feel some sort of chemistry between the two leads, both whom do fine, but then the director decides to stop the conversation and now music while they smile at each other. Vapid.

Julia Louis Drefus has had a little bit too much work done to her face and there's no cinematographer so the lighting is all wrong and she looks a little plastic, always a distraction. David Duchovny seems to have had his scenes cut, just a bystander.

Eddie Murphy is in this too, but I thought the n word usage was probably gratuitous at points. Since all the people on the screen are depicted as incredibly well heeled (literally, the director really likes shoes and product placement, i mean like really likes shoes and product placement! Did i mention the constant product placement?

I'm not sure watching a Jewish family be openly intolerant of a black girlfriend makes for great comedic material, and guess what it doesn't. There's a lot of cringe to wade through.

I can sorta see why the project was greenlit and that people thought this would be great, i liked the trailer, is why I watched it, but the film seems desperate for generational approval and the desperation shows.

5 Stars.

Palm Springs (2020)

Simplistic and underwritten

[6/10 · 22 January 2023]

This made for tv movie rips off Groundhog Day unashamedly, but Groundhog Day remains the superior film and a more effective, memorable romcom, even after all these years.

I found the film to be mildly entertaining, but lacking in originality, typical of the Netflix era "content" production. The first few time loops where the premise is explained seemed to drag, and I was waiting for the film to catch up with me rather than the other way around.

The leads lack chemistry somewhat and there's a fair bit of melodrama. There are some funny set pieces, but the romance was badly written, in contrast to the original film and was the the reason that I decided I had had enough of this clone at the halfway mark and switched it off, since it had all become very predictable.

Fleabag (2016–2019)

Overhyped. Some good comedic moments, but too often tedious

[6/10 · 22 December 2022]

Fleabag is definitely beloved by many, hence the high score, but after the first season i had had enough. The show has an amateurish quality about it, relying heavily on a fetish for disastrous social situations and it then repeats the formula ad infinitum. It became quickly predictable. Having said that, there's much to look out for too, the occasional zinger, and in particular the stepmother steals the show. Fleabag is brimming with interesting characters, but then fails to use them and some remain as caricatures throughout, particularly the males.

Could have been shorter by an episode or two, and the premise of the friend accidentally killing herself seemed too implausible, half-parsed and lazy, like a teenager had written it. The whole production is quite immature, and could have used a dose of substance.

Andor (2022– )

Dull, BORRRINGGGG!

[5/10 · 11 November 2022]

It is quite incredible just how many shills there are in the media in 2022. The vast majority of reviews are inexplicably positive, and more fool me, I believed them and sat down to waste my life away by watching this tripe.

Andor is dull, it is boring, it is cliched, it is tedious. Disney's train wreck of Star Wars output continues unabated. There were only moments in the entirety of the show that I found to be memorable or of any interest whatsoever, and both involved special effects. The first one being the pig-dogs that roam around a couple of episodes, and the second was the spectacular Tie Fighter flyby at the rebel training camp.

The rest of this show was dull as dishwater. The lead's motives are uninteresting, and there isn't a single well acted or interesting character in the entire show except perhaps for a fleeting moment the Skaarsgard character, who is basically a cameo.

Disney may or may not make money on these shows, I don't know, but for pity's sake its stewardship of the Star Wars franchise has been abysmal. Have I reached the 600 word limit yet? Well thank goodness for that, I can cease ranting.

Triviaverse (2022– )

For American audiences only.

[5/10 · 10 November 2022]

Ever play a foreign version of trivial pursuit? Your lack of cultural knowledge is quickly exposed and it can be quite disheartening. Triviaverse is basically meant for US Audiences only, so if you aren't overly familiar with sports like baseball or American football chances are you will feel pretty helpless at some points.

Otherwise the trivia is challenging and fair, wasn't a fan of the timer which was probably a bit too agressive as was the frankly odd choice to have the creepy eyes of the so called Trivia Master boring down on you.

Must have been quite cost effective to produce, there are few bells and whistles, and the whole thing is quite simple. A sign of Netflix's continuing decline? Will it soon be filled with worthless games attracting the lowest common denominator? Like what happened to Facebook? Is Netflix trying to hook people on a new version of Candy Crush Saga or Zynga poker?

Probably best to FOCUS on what they are vaguely good at, film amd tv production.

Superwog (2017–2022)

Unique and funny.

[7/10 · 8 November 2022]

I rate shows quite harshly, and have never given a ten. Eights and nines are reserved for top quality productions, and sevens are great shows, but if toilet humour is leaned on heavily, a seven is the best the show can hope for.

Superwog, or as Netflix has named it Superbro, is a silly, funny, outrageous tv show taking place in suburban Australia. Two people act in multiple roles to great comedic effect. The character of the father is my personal favourite, but all the characters play off each other and the show is generally very funny, and uses misfortune as a key plot driver.

I found the show illuminating as it exposes a little bit of Australian suburban life to foreign audiences. The writers have talent and can play their roles to perfection. A solid 7.

The Peripheral (2022)

If you like "content" you'll love this.

[6/10 · 2 November 2022]

It's been a really long time since I watched something that felt original, Mr Robot comes to mind. The reviews and the press indicated that The Peripheral might be on to something, but alas, the show is just another well reviewed assemblage of cliches. The Peripherals primary ambition is to be "content", and it succeeds in that endeavour. It is content. To that end it might convince millions of people to binge watch it, and if you believe what you read it will also result in people unwittingly shopping at a particular company's website which also happens to be owned by one of the richest people in the world, and who also owns this website, which has at the time of writing declared The Peripheral to be worth your time.

The Peripheral has up and coming starlet Chloe Moretz in the lead, wherein she plays the role of someone who is very very good at future video games. A shady company with plenty of foreshadowing, ahem, has selected Moretz as special agent/beta tester with deadly consequences! If it sounds lame, that's because it is.

6 on 10. Good for a rainy day, but not of you want something original to watch.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Expensive soap opera

[5/10 · 28 October 2022]

House of the Dragon, but is it any good, or is it just something people watch so they have something to talk about?

Its not very good. The show struggles, and the actors seem to lack confidence, with very few strong performances. It carries the vibe of one of those cheap British soap operas, only without the drama. Weak acting, dull dialogue, and some poor direction.

In the opening episode, a noble and his guard commit atrocities in a town square, in the final shot the noble raises his longsword intending to kill a man who is being held down by foot soldiers. The trouble is that had the sword actually swung as it did, it would have also likely removed the arms of both men holding the victim in place, but the next shot shows a severed head. This struck me as careless direction, and frankly that attitude permeates throughout the show. The actors seem to either lack range or they are on auto pilot, assured that the show is already a success on the back of its name. Which seems to actually be true if one looks at the many gushing reviews.

I found it to be dull and lacklustre, certainly not worthy of the press it gets online. Struggled to finish the first episode. The original show also started slow but soon found its footing after a few episodes, particularly with the death of Ned Starck, it's possible that this show will also grow into itself, but it does not look promising, especially since there are few secrets about the world after the first series - such as the white walkers ect.

A disappointment. 5 stars.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022–2023)

Falls off a cliff after the first episode.

[5/10 · 27 October 2022]

Adam Mckays particularly grotesque and deliberately provocative style both suits and ruins what should have been a superb production. There's a shortage of great basketball productions, and while Winning Style shoots for the stars, it's distinctly a miss.

I thought the actor playing Magic Johnson was miscast, and they should have looked for a more charismatic actor, or even someone better looking, ultimately the portrayal fails much to the series detriment.

John C Reilly shines as he tends to do, and the casting of Jerry West was inspired, but overall the production has too many flaws, which should be laid at the feet of the director who sullies the story with silly, childish cuts to dogs humping and other cheapshots.

I wasn't a huge fan of the filter that obscures the production, it had very little merit, and wasn't justified.

McKay should go back to writing grotesque college humour movies from 20 years ago, he can't tell a story properly.

I was excited to watch this, as a Lakers fan, and it has some nice moments which are illuminating, but it's difficult to know what's true and what's just creative license. Watchable, but not great.