EmeraldMaz Reviews

Little Favour (2013)

Technically excellent

[8/10 · 25 February 2014]

I was convinced to watch this after reading the summary here on IMDb, and if I'm honest, I would probably say that the summary perhaps overshoots the film a little.

That said, the evident acting is brilliant and the camera-work and editing were excellent. The score, too, was excellent. Fully engaging and brutally so. I was never distracted from it, but instead my mind was locked into it.

I only think that there was perhaps something missing - despite myself, I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it is (which irritates me, as that's no help at all).

I was left with a feeling of needing more, but perhaps that is what we are meant to be left with. It's a slice, but we don't get to taste the rest of the apple.

(Edit: Upon rewatching, I found that I missed a lot in my first viewing. This is largely due to sound - there's a lot of dialogue that I missed when played without headphones, though whether that's my fault or the editors (or a combination thereof) I don't know. That said, I've got more appreciation for the story, now. I suggest keeping the volume up when watching.)

Beautiful Creatures (2013)

Not perfect, but not bad

[7/10 · 23 February 2013]

I must say that this movie is actually a little better than I thought it might be - from the trailer, I thought it would be very "Twilight-ish" however, this wasn't the case and I was actually able to watch it without thinking about sparkly vampires. Now, I went into the movie without having read the book, and from what I can tell, this is probably better. I am now inspired to read the book, but probably not entirely because of the reasons that might be wanted. The movie seems a little rushed, and I feel that I left with some questions unanswered. I felt almost as if I'd gotten an overview of the story, with details omitted for time, and that's why I want to read the book, for more details. That said, it was still easily watchable. The actors worked well together, and the characters were likable. It's a nice, easy watch for a relaxed night.

Shortland Street (1992– )

No Appeal

[2/10 · 22 June 2011]

I really see no appeal to this show, it's a struggle for me to watch when I'm forced to. I remember watching it a lot when I was a kid, but that's because back then there were three channels, we couldn't get TV3 and TV1 was pretty bad reception.

The show is repetitive and, personally, boring. When forced to watch it, I know what's going to happen because I can almost always say "This happened ten years ago," and it will have, except with different characters... well, sometimes it's the same characters.

Also, sadly, there are often untalented actors. But that can almost be excusable, as there is admittedly little public outlet for actors in New Zealand to hone their skills.

In all, I feel that the show is rather cheap. So I guess if you want to watch something with limited quality, and you didn't watch the show already a few years ago, you can give it a shot, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002 Video)

How... disappointing... And the mice speak too much!

[4/10 · 26 April 2006]

I grew up watching the original Disney Cinderella, and have always loved it so much that the tape is a little worn.

Accordingly, I was excited to see that Cinderella 2 was coming on TV and I would be able to see it.

I should have known better.

This movie joins the club of movie sequels that should have just been left alone. It holds absolutely NONE of the originals super charm! It seems, to me, quite rough, and almost brutal, right from the (don't)Sing-a-longs to the characterization.

While I remember the character's telling a story through a song, this film's soundtrack was laid over the top, and didn't seem to fit. Jaq's transformation into a human is a prime example: Where he was walking around eating an apple and adding a few little quips in here and there, he should have been dancing around and singing about how great it was to be tall! And in the ballroom, there's old barn dance type country music. It's as though the writers forgot where and when this story was set. The upbeat fiddles certainly didn't fit.

Even the artwork and animation in Cinderella 2 isn't up to scratch with the original. The artwork in this film seems quite raw and less detailed. And we see part of Cinderella's hoop skirt, which doesn't feel right.

The movie itself could have been it's own story, I think that it should have been just that. I wouldn't say that I hate it, but I believe that it had many shortcomings. It seems to downgrade in a significant way from the beloved Cinderella original.