GabrielSymes Reviews

IF (I) (2024)

Good, not great

[6/10 · 20 June 2024]

Ryan Reynolds plays Ryan Reynolds. Cailey Fleming, of Walking Dead fame, was superb. And the various animated creatures are inhabited by voices of other well-known actors. They all reside in a wonderfully produced world of live action and animated creatures that is a visual treat,

The story is bedded in Fleming's character, Bea, new-found ability to see others' Imaginary Friends - IF's - very enjoyable animated creatures. The foundations of this film are solid, and it could have gone in a multitude of directions. In the end, it tried to do a little too much. The script chased down and pulled all the heartstrings it could possibly find, tried to be a warm, smudgy comedy that appealed to children while trying to say something insightful about childhood grief, and pursued adults' inner children relentlessly.

The success of Inside Out was partly due to it's singular and very relatable focus. IF meanders a little too much and in the end delivers a slightly muddled story. It wanted to appeal to everyone, but in the end didn't have the depth needed to fully engage anyone.

It's a good film and very well-made. But with a little more time in the in development, this could have been a great film.

Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday (2024) Season 1, Episode 7

Great writing, great acting

[9/10 · 17 June 2024]

The characters hardly left UNIT, there were minimal special effects and other gimmicks. The entire episode was just a concentrated blast of enthusiastic actors with an incredible script.

Gatwa has found his feet. He has just the right balance of incredulous, wide-eyed wonderment with an occasional bout of anxiety, fear even. To me, this is the Doctor, a person with immense power too aware of the peril that follows in his wake. Gibson was great, delivering a warm, fun character that does not feel over the top.

My only annoyance is repetition. In a few previous episodes the same line is delivered over and over, "space babies" for example. The same happens here with "the trap." It is annoying enough to bump you out of the story's flow.

It's a two-part story, following the season arc of Ruby's origins. Although I think they might have trouble wrapping this up in one episode and expect aspects will follow into the next season. The reveal is coming too late. Either way, The Legend of Ruby Sunday sets up the next episode perfectly.

The 13th Warrior (1999)

Interesting, but tame

[4/10 · 16 June 2024]

As far as 25-year-old films go, this isn't too bad. There are, sadly, a lot of inconsistencies and unevenness. The main one is that the mysterious enemy the Vikings face is some mysteriously powerful creature able to rip a man's head off one-handed, but which becomes weak and flimsy by the end.

Baderas plays Ahmed Ibh Fahdlan, a character based on an actual person from Baghdad who travelled north and documented the Volga Vikings. Although this is not explained in 13th Warrior. The film also borrows from Akira Kurosawa's samurai movies, but the discipline of those movies barely makes it to the 13th Warrior.

Overall, it is a film of parts that have not been integrated into a whole. It is a shame, middle eastern poets, samurai, Vikings, that's a heady concoction that could have used a better developed story.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

A visual treat

[5/10 · 16 June 2024]

If you like your oversized monsters going on a rampage, smashing stuff up, then this is your film.

The CGI was on point. In fact, it was a film almost entirely created in someone's laptop. The cast brought little to the film, other than providing some narrative that glued the various bit of the film together.

As instalments of these Godzilla-Kong films emerge, the creators seem to feel the need to iteratively develop the origin story. And so it is here, with the random inclusion of a whole new tribe of people living in a cave.

There is no story as such, other than the evolution of Kong and Godzilla's difficult relationship. The film is a visual treat, but not much else.

Sound of Freedom (2023)

Essential viewing

[9/10 · 16 June 2024]

This is a docudrama, and one that stays fairly close (as far as I can tell) to actual events. It is a documentary about paedophilia, or rather the industry of paedophilia, and the people who are trying to free children abducted and forced into a life of sex slavery. It is not a comfortable, sit back and relax kind of film. And at many times we stared at the screen in disbelief with hands over our mouths. The film brought to us some quite disturbing insights into this world. It's horrific. People need to watch this.

Other than all that, it is a reasonably made production. No performance really stands out. If anything, the cast is a little one dimensional. It is not at the same level as Spotlight, for example, and it's heavyweight cast delivering a story about a similar topic. Sound of Freedom follows a simple linear sequence of events, there are no twists or turns.

Dark Matter (2024– )

Definitely going somewhere

[9/10 · 13 June 2024]

The basic idea is one that resonates with a number of other productions. There's a multi-verse of realities, and people can jump from one to another. Dark Matter brings a novel twist, however, in that the antagonists and the protagonists are all the same person, just from different realities. And this then unlocks an interesting opportunity to explore the nature of self, or rather how nature and nurture conspire to create who we are.

I've seen up to episode seven, and I'm hooked. The characters are being developed nicely, maybe a little slowly in places, but that's fine. The sci-fi side of things is plausible, in as far that a box that lets someone traverse the multi-verse is plausible. And the story has just the right amount of bumps and twists to keep you engaged.

And I think that the idea behind Dark Matter could run over multiple seasons, beyond the current incarnation. It's not Star Gate, but it does have a similarly rich universe that might lead to lots more exploration.

If you like a bit of gritty sci-fi with a nice bit of drama and mystery, this is for you.

Star Trek: Discovery: Life, Itself (2024) Season 5, Episode 10

A soggy mattress

[3/10 · 7 June 2024]

If you leave an old mattress out in the rain for a few days, then hoist it up 50 feet and let go... that's the sound I made when this episode finally ended.

It's a shame. There were some really engaging episodes in amongst the warm hugs and understanding conversations. This last episode is not one of them. I do think it is worth watching it, none-the-less. The CGI, as it always as been, was very fine.

And in some ways the story about the progenitors was quite clever. To the extent that I hope they revisit some of the ideas in a voyage discovering creation across time and space. Maybe the reveal around David Cronenberg's character (one of the more interesting characters in the series) might play a role. Who knows.

But overall, it's not a series I'll miss.

Abigail (2024)

Over-the-top

[7/10 · 1 June 2024]

A 12-year-old ballerina against a swarthy team of professional criminals? I had to give this horror movie a go. And I'm glad I did.

It is ridiculous. Beyond the basic setup, there's not a lot else going on under the hood. The acting was a good as it could have been. Alisha Weir's character, as the tiny Abigail, against the likes of Kevin Durand's Peter works. It shouldn't, but it does.

What Abigail does is not take itself at all seriously. And you're almost drawn along by wonderment that it might get even more daft as it goes along. And, to a large extent, it does. The plot holes and illogical twists don't seem to matter.

It's not a great film, but it is a very enjoyable and quite novel romp.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Fun

[7/10 · 1 June 2024]

Probably worth looking up Operation Postmaster before dipping in, the movie is based on those real events and the characters were actual people. The true story was one of extraordinary bravery, people putting themselves on the line to stop the Nazis.

Unfortunately, Ritchie's treatment of those events is an overly fictionalised comedy that some might find belittles the memory of those who served. The film does not provide any character development, or any insights into who these people were.

It's a shame. Ritchie's Covenant, another wartime film based on true events, was excellent. He did not put the same effort into the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's script, alas.

What we end up with is a set of nonchalant larger-than-life characters breezing through over-the-top, almost cartoonish, action scenes to a fairly predictable end.

That said, it is a fun film. There are some genuinely funny scenes. It is entertaining. It's just not the film of espionage and wartime action it could have been and will be forgotten.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Delightful

[7/10 · 29 May 2024]

Low effort entertainment that keeps you engaged from start to finish. As in, you don't have to make much of an effort to understand what is going on.

I get this is a homage to the movie stunt people, and for that it works well. There's a nice few scenes at the end of the film worth hanging on for.

But otherwise, the script does not make much sense. Unless there was some deep subtext I missed. I don't think I did, to be honest.

Gosling and Blunt were excellent. Without actors with their screen presence, this would not be watchable.

There are, as you might expect, a lot of stunts.

A good film to cheer up an otherwise dreary day.

Atlas (2024)

Entertaining filler

[7/10 · 29 May 2024]

Do you have a few hours spare and fancy some mindless Sci-fi? Then this might be for you.

What you will not get is a coherent plot, stellar acting, challenging story lines, or much of anything else really.

What you will get is lots of Jennifer Lopez, some decent CGI and about just enough of a story to hang scenes together. And that is about it. There are gaping potholes. There are distracting peculiarities, and many many things that make zero sense.

So if you do decide to give this a go, you will have to leave your common sense and intellect at the door. It will be an easier ride if you do.

Star Trek: Discovery: Lagrange Point (2024) Season 5, Episode 9

Nearly at the end

[5/10 · 24 May 2024]

Nearly at the end of the road, which isn't a bad thing. I do think the people responsible for the CGI, staging, and all that, have done an amazing job in this episode. And there is a lot of eye candy to enjoy.

But the writers have sorely let the franchise down. There are so many inconsistencies, plot holes, and frankly stupid decisions that it renders the entire episode pointless.

Pointless because as a viewer you end up questioning the script, rather than engaging with the characters and story.

This whole voyage of discovery for Burnham is pure cringe, and taken to an entirely new level in this episode. And, of course, as is now normal with Discovery, there was a moment of touchy-feely niceness between her and Book. Just as they had camouflaged themselves as Breen, a very violent race, and infiltrated their ship. Seriously? That's when you have a heart to heart?

It was nice to see Blu del Barrio's character, Adira, in a slightly different light. The actor had a little bit of space away from the cringe and did a nice job being terrified.

Knox Goes Away (2023)

Perfectly watchable

[7/10 · 5 May 2024]

As the blurb points out, the lead character, John Knox, played by Michael Keaton, has dementia. Throughout the film, it becomes more and more of a theme. At the same time, there is a story line where Knox is, or rather was, a skilled contract killer.

The depiction of dementia is reasonable. But the film does not bring to life dementia's effect on close family and friends. In some ways, the portrayal, while accurate, feels a little sterile. Although Suzy Nakamura's character does bring some of the angst associated with dementia to life.

The contract killer aspect does not bring in-your-face gruesome content, or at least not much. A contract killer with dementia sounds like two potlines that could not work together at all. Where this film succeeds is in bringing together some quite disparate ideas and creating a sensible narrative. This really demonstrates Keaton's skill as a director.

Many of those with dementia will experience frustration and aggression. A frustrated and aggressive assassin with dementia could have made a heady mix, that was not explored. However, this is a solid film that is worth watching, and hopefully a harbinger of Keaton's future as a director, where I hope he takes a few more risks.

Star Trek: Discovery: Jinaal (2024) Season 5, Episode 3

Fuzzy space feelings

[2/10 · 13 April 2024]

I like Discovery. But this episode perfectly encapsulates where things have gone awry. It's an episode of in-your-face touchy-feely niceness. Never mind the galactic peril, the imminent destruction of the galaxy. So long as there's a regular heart-to-heart, understanding chat with empathy and positivity, all is well. Don't worry about the aliens, have a hug. And of course I'll accommodate your feeling when I make plans to save the universe, because they are just as important.

The first two episodes of this season were decent. You can easily skip this one. Unless you are on a mindfulness binge, in which case fill your boots.

This is the last season of the series? If so, I really hope they pull something out of the hat. But I'm not sure that they will. Some of the cast look like they are beginning to dial it in.

Star Trek: Discovery: Red Directive (2024) Season 5, Episode 1

Frantic

[8/10 · 6 April 2024]

It is very clear that Discovery is not sitting well with the die-hard Trek fans. Who cares about Discovery not being true to some 1960s ham-fest? I don't, I just want to be entertained, and I do not care if it is a bit like Star Wars, or Indiana Jones, or something else. I really do not care. This first episode of Discovery was great. A fast moving rollercoaster with some neat CGI.

Discovery does build on S06E20 of TNG and the archaeological mystery surrounding the origins of humanoid life in the galaxy. This sets up the rest of the season well. There's enough mystery, but with a nod to the past.

The cast is okay. Sonequa Martin-Green can certainly fill out an interesting character, she was one of the few to do so in The Walking Dead. In Discovery, though, there's something amiss, and it is the same across all the characters. You never really get to know any of them. David Ajala's character Booker might be an exception, but it still feels like he is being held back. And some of the interactions between characters are a bit tepid and cringe-inducing. It feels like the script was finalized by a committee of pre-teens.

I like the look and feel of Discovery, it is very futuristic and a nice change to the carpeted Next Generation, and the styrofoam original.

Overall, it's a decent disengage your brain, put-your-feet-up and just let it wash over you, kind of episode.

3 Body Problem (2024– )

Smart, intelligent sci-fi

[9/10 · 28 March 2024]

First, if you like a bit of intelligent sci-fi, this is for you. I nearly skipped 3 Body Problem because the write-up and reviews suggested it was going to be awful. I am very pleased that I eventually jumped into this. Yes, it is TV that is mostly rooted in some hard science. But it's a TV programme about super advanced aliens on their way to conquer Earth. So, and like all sci-fi, you are going to have to suspend your disbelief. I saw one review moaning that 3 Body Problem was not realistic because there was a 30-something woman who was a Professor of physics. I actually know a 30-something woman who is a Professor of physics.

Second, the cast is superb. There are some old and new faces, and not one of them dials it in. It's an ensemble of talent. I would like to see more of Marlo Kelly, she looks like someone who can play an evil psycho really well. John Bradley and Adrian Edmondson rock, of course.

The location filming takes the cast all round the world, the only minor gripe is the CGI. When it is there, the CGI is cumbersome. But the locations, costumes and sets are great. The time needed to get to know the characters is not there, so some of the more emotive scenes don't resonate as much as they could. But for an eight episode season, that's a minor gripe.

The story is quite complicated, and you do need to pay attention. The early episodes can be a little confusing as they jump around a bit. But all is explained and eventually makes sense. The second half of the season is more-or-less linear. I haven't read the books, so don't at all care if they are faithful to them. I just want to be entertained, and 3 Body Problem does just that.

American Fiction (2023)

It has almost everything

[10/10 · 22 March 2024]

The cast is fantastic, not one weak performance. As lead, Jeffrey Wright provides warmth, humour, and sadness as he explores the world that his character Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison inhabits.

The writing is superb, developing and delivering a clever story that talks to modern themes around ethnicity and cult of the celebrity. It dissects the politics of race in a broader exposition of art and compromise.

CGI was non-existent, thankfully. It is just a provocative drama and biting satire, great actors delivering a great script. As a member of the audience, I did not leave feeling I had been told off, chastised for being who I am. Instead, I left feeling warmth and enlightenment.

This really is a lovely, clever film.

Land of Bad (2024)

Pleasantly surprised

[7/10 · 22 March 2024]

There are a lot of movies based around the special forces do incredible things format. And, honestly, it's a genre that's a bit overcooked, IMHO. Land of Bad is an exception.

Land of Bad, while not pushing boundaries, delivering exceptional performances, or providing a particularly insightful look into this world, does deliver an engaging slice of entertainment. It's an action film that is devoid of melodrama.

Russell Crowe delivers a solid performance, as a passionate drone operator who battles against bureaucracy and for the special forces unit under his watchful gaze. But none of the actors have space to stretch their legs and deliver meaningful performances.

I was surprised this was a Cert 15, there are some scenes that are quite violent, beyond the to-be-expected shoot-them-up scenes.

If you like these kinds of action films, you will not be disappointed with this one. It's a solid piece of cinema that will keep you engaged.

The Beekeeper (2024)

Fun action film

[8/10 · 17 February 2024]

Probably one of the better Jason Statham action films. Like the rest of the genre, you do not go into these films expecting deep insights into human nature, erudite dialogue, and so on. So it is with the Beekeeper. Except this outing was nicely polished. The characters were typically shallow, but did have interesting backstories. And the baddies were almost believable. Of course, there were oddities and plot holes. And the fight scenes were impressively over-the-top ridiculous. It is non-stop action with an occasional bit of dialogue to glue things together. The beekeeper angle kind of worked, if underdeveloped. This one is worth a watch. Even if you are only lukewarm about this sort of film.

The Marvels (2023)

Well, I liked it

[7/10 · 21 January 2024]

I went into this film not expecting much. I just wanted some mindless superhero nonsense. And that is what I got. I would go further, and say some of the scenes and ideas were wonderfully silly (the singing kingdom was hilarious). And throughout, the CGI was (as you would expect) superb. Overall, I don't expect challenging entertainment from the MCU and The Marvels delivered a decently mind-numbing but enjoyable distration.

Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani each delivered a decent performance. I preferred Vellani in the current film to her earlier TV series, the Carol worship made sense of the character.

My only niggle is that it might be The Marvels sets up a team of giggly school-girl characters. I hope not.

Freelance (2023)

Fun B Movie Vibe

[6/10 · 7 January 2024]

Freelance has a strangely low budget feel that is coupled with very tongue-in-cheek lines. It is a film that cannot be taken seriously. However... the silliness rests on a quite poignant issue. How malign private operators exploit countries for their resources. Although this is buried away under the cheesy action scenes, looking back it is something that has stuck with me. Whether this is by design, I do not know. But the more I think about it, the more I realise the film included some clever nods towards recent dictators and various situations around the world. At the very least, some thought has gone into the film.

That to one side. John Cena is John Cena. I would like to see more of Alison Brie on the big screen, she is someone who seems to have a lot of talent that is not being used to its full extent. That is evident here, she brings something extra to her two-dimensional character in Freelance. Not a lot, though.

It is a film without revelation. If you watch it, you cannot be surprised by its mediocrity.

Blue Eye Samurai (2023)

Could be even better

[7/10 · 4 January 2024]

This is a very well-made animated story. It is up there with some of the best. The conflict between characters is clear, and each character has depth. For a lot of positive reasons, this is a good series worth watching. But it's quality also highlights the limitations of animation. The scenes are beautifully set, but the animation takes something away. You do not appreciate the mud, dirt, and gore, or the searing beauty of the snow clad forests to the same extent. And I would have liked to have experienced that. Animation also hides facial emotion, and this limits important aspects of characters' development.

Saltburn (2023)

Lacks a Round Table

[4/10 · 31 December 2023]

It is a well trodden path. An outsider without means threatens courtly traditions; with a weak king, overseeing rebellious, dangerous courtiers jostling for position. It initially seemed like Barry Keoghan's character, Oliver Quick, a seemingly grounded Liverpudlian, would make an interesting foil for aristocratic eccentricity. Instead, as the film progresses, we end up with a mirage of sociopaths. The cast, as a whole, does very well to portray each character's flaws. But the interactions between them have undercurrents of spitefulness, in scenes designed to shock more than inform. The result is a narrative that distances the viewer and moves the collective film into the realm of absurdity. It lacks heart and soul, and by the end I simply did not care for any of them, Quick included. It's a shame. Pike, Grant and Keoghan, in particular, perform well in an appealing setting.

Dream Scenario (2023)

Simple

[4/10 · 28 December 2023]

The entire script revolves around a single idea. How the subjective, and very personal opinion of someone else can nurture malicious intent. Even when that other is a complete stranger. It's topical, because the collective madness associated with cancel-culture being played out by the cult of the celebrity on social media. But it is a theme that resonates with Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and many others. How the perceived nature of another, or in this case how they appear in a dream, motivates action. Dream Scenario brings a slightly modern twist to an old idea, but not much else.

As a film, it could have easily been a monologue, linearly moving from start to end with little character development, and world building. I appreciate the effort, but they ought to have spent a little more time developing the idea. It feels like a nice idea that is left strangely rushed and incomplete.

Obliterated (2023)

Daft fun

[3/10 · 26 December 2023]

Obliterated does not take itself seriously. The TV-MA rating is very much justified. And they really ought to have another classification for Obliterated: toe-curling, cringe inducing mayhem. It is a chaotic, non-stop, drug and sex fuelled romp. The torture scene was quite hard to watch. I have watched all the episodes, but don't feel that that was the right choice. I gained nothing from this. It was more a spectacle, than entertainment. The creators have produced a freak fairground obscenity, appealing to viewers' morbid fascination to lure them in. There are better, more fulfilling ways to spend time.