leasmith-25365 Reviews

Twilight of the Gods (2024– )

Well written, great storyline but...

[7/10 · 24 September 2024]

It's fantastic, the storyline, script & this adaption on Norse mythology, the only thing that let's it down is the Peppa Pig animation, it all looks half finished, even breaking it down it falls short on the minimalistic approach because even the outlines in the animation aren't paticularly impressive.

On the plus side it becomes easier and easier to ignore & take the series as it is, appreciating the story, occasionally you'll get drawn back into the thought of the poor animation but they become shorter and less frequent as the episodes progress.

Overall it's a little frustrating as if the animation was a few levels above, this would have been a masterpiece but even with the low production, it's still very much worth the watch.

The Beekeeper (2024)

Spoiled by Emmy Lampman

[3/10 · 17 September 2024]

The good - Action, fight scenes, directing, Statham, good direction, most of the action.

The bad - Cardboard Agent Parker, no grief for her mother dying, sassy nonsense, literally a day after she's making jokes as if there's nothing going on.

Why Lampman was cast is completely beyond me, she's one of the worst "actresses" & yet she gets role after role for some sort of ticked box exercise.

40 million budget to make this & if they were hellbent on the token characters...I can think of at least 10 actresses that can act circles around Lampman, her poor acting literally ruined the movie.

Worth watching for the fight scenes alone.

Kaos (I) (2024– )

What a shame...

[2/10 · 29 August 2024]

The premise really is brilliant, I was looking forward to this ever since it got announced.

I think if this was made 20 years ago, it would have been a masterpiece but Netflix (in all their wisdom) have the opposite of the midas touch.

They force upon their customers a sickening 'modern' twist that I can only imagine a younger generation enjoy.

The script is poor, trying to be a comedy/drama, showing some bizarre city life, relationships, personal growth & just basic nonsense while trying to be 'edgy'

The acting was OK but nothing groundbreaking, the direction was good but with the amount they threw behind the effects and locations, it would be difficult to direct it poorly.

All in all it's a mess, trying to mix mythology with modern times and just as Netflix always do...fail at it.

The Bikeriders (2023)

Emotionless & bland.

[4/10 · 6 August 2024]

After Sons of Anarchy, as great as it was, putting together a movie with this calibre of a cast, I had very high expectations.

Imagine my surprise when the credits roll to be completely and utterly underwhelmed by the entire movie, it was as deep as a puddle.

No fault from the cast, they all put on Stella performances, played their roles to a tee, but the script was ridiculously poor, it was as if it was written to skip over the brutality of the times and period.

A few fist fights, a couple of broken bones, a few splashes of blood but it was so toned down that it became unbelievable, shallow and unmemorable.

A real missed opportunity.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

A trend set like the art world...

[3/10 · 9 June 2024]

I was really looking forward to Minus one, Stella reviews, great trailer & of course...Godzilla.

The hype might have been unfair, I had very high expectations of this movie but was sure it would live up to it.

Unfortunately this movie got a dose of cultured praise, much like the art world, if prominent critics claim it's a masterpiece...you can be sure everyone will fall in line, regardless of their true opinion, the reason for the term cultured praise is the reputation critics gather, a foreign movie, a different culture, claiming to be true to the groundbreaking original...of course they'd jump at the chance to claim they're dignified, cultured and appreciative of movie classics.

The movie itself was poor, not a complete disaster but certainly below average, predicatable and bland without the Godzilla moments, good acting in the culture it's in, the CGI though was horrible to look at, the original 2003 hulk would give this a run for it's money and Godzilla himself looks like a very detailed mechanical puppet.

All in all it's a poor movie protected by it's origins.

Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura (2024)

Not for true fans of either series...

[4/10 · 7 June 2024]

I can't tell you how long it felt for this to come out, as a huge fan of both series, I knew Baki and the series characters was going to wipe the floor with Kengan, I'd accepted the fact that with their feats and the shows style of portraying strength...Kengan was coming off second best.

What really interested me was how they were going to write this, how were they going to make a storyline out of a one sided affair?

They did it...not the great storyline, not the impossible feat, no...they nerfed the Baki characters, this wasn't the normal powerhouse Hanayama or the colossal Jack Hanma, this wasn't the endlessly talented Baki, it looked like them sure, it sounded like them but...they felt vulnerable, weakened and a shadow of their former selves.

Overall this was very disappointing, not just because of the ridiculous changes in strength or even the art style, this was disappointing because their were matches available within both series that Kengan could have won, Ali Jnr against the Thai god of war, Sekibayashi vs lgari to name a couple swinging Kengans way.

It was a lazy attempt to promote both sets of fans over to the other series, the issue is...most are fans of both anyway.

Atlas (2024)

Not a masterpiece but very entertaining.

[7/10 · 30 May 2024]

Solid, entertaining Sci-fi with some decent CGI and good acting from all...weird bunch hating on JLo, not exactly a fan but to claim she did bad job is just odd. Great premise of a sour relationship that grew between human and AI and a distrust that desolves at a decent pace throughout the movie also.

Good script, solid directing and the bots were very cool to see, definitely recommend a watch on a lazy weekend or evening.

The only minus I would give this is the premise seemed way to short to stick it into a movie format, in a tv series this could have been a Battlestar galatica type show. Still solid 7/10.

Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf (2024– )

Poor imitation of better fighting animes.

[2/10 · 24 May 2024]

Starting with the pro's - art style, voice acting, sound production.

Now the Cons, storyline and characters, very odd and just no build up or character building, I can only remember Fujimaki (main character) the rest were small foot notes, the storyline itself is weak, never really heading anywhere at all, occasionally mentioning a couple of tournaments but they draw in excitement but then let you down as it is just a drab affair, it never really draws in any excitement when they start.

Finally the animation, while some parts are brilliant, gorgeous to look at, the fighting animation is beyond poor, it reminded me of something I couldn't quite put my finger on...then it came to me - Prince of Persia on the Amiga, sounds odd but it's clunky, slow and turns off the polish that the rest of the show had, a couple of close up shots look fantastic but it follows a poor animation punch that looks like a slow and weak attack to the cut scene that ripples the opponents face, it just doesn't make sense between the two animations.

Overall the series is forgettable, a great premise to give Baki, Kengan & even Record of Ragnorok a run for it's money, but it falls so short off the mark that it can't even be classed in the same genre, won't be disappointed if season 2 is scrapped.

The Paper Tigers (2020)

Attempts alot but fails in all...

[4/10 · 18 May 2024]

4/10 - Can't say I didn't enjoy the movie, I can't say the casting was paticularly bad or that direction was of poor quality, the reason for a lower than average score is because of the movie and what it attempts.

It seemed to try so much, comedy, martial arts, heart felt, struggles, tackling adversities but it ended up failing on all.

Genuinely If they'd have taken out the poor comedy or the attempts of heart felt moments, it may have been a much better movie.

The lead without fully explaining why was a coward, it never explained how he went from a revered martial artist to a middle aged, out of shape, unreliable coward.

If they went serious with this movie (karate kid style) they obviously had the talent and fight direction, they had the cast, they even had the story line for a comeback path but they again tried so much and it felt like an unsatisfactory mess that just ended.

Might have even been great for kids but with clear racism (the n-word) being shouted out, it doesn't even qualify really for that.

All in all, a frankenstien-esq movie that never realised what it was, so it tried everything and achieved next to nothing.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

They lost the passion of making KFP...

[3/10 · 5 May 2024]

First off the animation as expected was incredible, definitely didn't short change on making this look incredible, the two biggest reasons where it went wrong for Kung Fu Panda 4 were:

1) Lack of passion by the writers, they had the exact same team of writers as previous movies & yet by the end it whimpered across the finish line, the 3 previous movies were spectacular endings, this was like an abrupt end with no major epiphany added for a fireworks finish.

2) The cast, was this a cost cutting exercise not bringing in the furious 5 voice actors? Or was this a strange attempt to make Kung Fu Panda relevant for today's audiences? Regardless the cast was wrong and without the 5 it didn't feel like Kung Fu panda, it felt like one of those weird spin offs they make at Christmas.

They could have done so much more with this movie, they could have created a bad guy in the shadow realm, they could have reused Tai Lung or a corrupted master Oogway, they could have made the main protagonist even better but evidently they cashed in and marketed the hell out of it.

A real shame as I think that's it for the magic of Kung Fu Panda, if they make more...they've already made their bed with the latest and weakest addition.

A Man in Full (2024)

The south didn't like it...the rest of the world did.

[10/10 · 4 May 2024]

Some bizarre reasons stated for people not liking this series, his southern accent?...nothing wrong with it and quite easy to understand, boring writing?...we watching the same series here? Similarities to a certain ex president?...well those particular voters are nothing but petty but determined.

The series itself is fully entertaining & while their are similarities to a certain ex president...I can't help but want him to pull through, it's really odd, Jeff's character is everything we should hate, ruthless, entitled, almost sociopathic and yet I found myself rooting for him.

The other reason which is painful in today's society for low scores, is the highlighted subject of racial discrimination...so we've got a perfect mix for certain voters to hug their 'Merica flags while crying over a fictional series.

Road House (2024)

A very tough watch...

[1/10 · 22 March 2024]

The original road house felt like a place that could have easily existed, yes it was cliche with the escalation to a boss that rivalled Dalton but it was smooth.

This adaption is like Road House for teenagers, you had Jake Gyllenhaal leading & instead of tapping into his undeniable talent and backing him up with rivalled talent, they hired a whole host of amateurs, a washed up UFC fighter, a couple of controversial cult TikTok dancers & an embarrassing script.

Gyllenhaal did what he could but the movie felt like it was a network and favour event, agents calling in favours, casting agents more concerned with collaborations than hiring talent fit for the Characters.

Nothing stuck out in this movie, the only thing that was worse than the script, the awful castings, the glaring networking hires...was the cgi, it was like a bad video game.

Going to watch the original now to try to erase this awful memory of a parody.

The Gentlemen (2024)

The Gentlemen movie...if ordered on Wish.

[3/10 · 12 March 2024]

Has everyone not seen The movie version? The snappy dialogue? The sharp script? The top tier acting and cast? That was the bar in which this is being judged upon.

The acting is surprising good, I can't knock some half decent performances, the issue really is the script itself, The movie focused on introducing the different factions, all unique, all memorable, all likable and made them intertwine by the closing credits. They all had their quirks, strengths, weaknesses, personalities & that's why the movie was so intelligently made.

This follows, more so, a bunch of privileged posh people trying to negotiate millions of pounds as if it was a few quid, it's slow, it's rigid, it's forgettable, it's like a false version and no amount of profanities thrown in to emulate the movie is going to cut it.

For those rating so highly, I suggest you watch the original movie once more, remind yourself what the premise was and how well it portrayed it, come back & re-evaluate the rating for this poor, sell out imitation.

Ricky Gervais: Armageddon (2023 TV Special)

Same tired formula...

[3/10 · 27 December 2023]

First off, I'm a super-fan of Gervais, listening over and over to his old XFM show through YouTube videos, watched all his TV series, movies and stand up's, loved the Golden Globe host gigs he did but this...

...it's tired & smacks of not true Gervais material, it feels like he's pandering to a knuckledragging crowd with the most basic of material, he reminds me of a class clown that needs the attention of the wrong crowd but deep down he's a decent bloke.

To see Gervais sell out and punch down consistently on basic minorities is a sad sight to see, it's a comedians easy way out path that sells to the awful side of humanity.

At the moment Gervais is slowly becoming this generations Roy Chubby Brown while holding up his hands screaming "Its only a joke! I'm acting!"...the issue is, Jokes are meant to be funny & real comedy punches up from society, let's hope he reinvents and comes back stronger than before.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

An Action movie with no skill...

[3/10 · 23 December 2023]

Like so many others, this really did look like it was going to be a special edition in the world of Action movies, such great talent hired, a huge budget and the director who has pedigree...what went wrong?

I honestly believe out of everything it was the fight scenes, why can no one fight well? No one can shoot well? Even the most skilled took multiple hits & the only one that landed an impressive shot was the robot.

When you put this next to the script? It can be wrapped up in minutes as it's a generic premise that's been done hundreds of times.

The effects were the best thing about the movie, clearly see where most of the money got spent but effects don't save a poor movie.

Disenchantment (2018–2023)

A Gen Z Simpsons/Futurama

[3/10 · 8 December 2023]

It's odd, it feels, looks & sounds like Groening but it's like the cheeky undertones that Simpsons & Futurama have aren't in this.

Forced scenario's to keep a volatile young generation happy & in doing so the show is disjointed, it didn't need pandering, this could have hit the highs of Groenings other projects but it seems he brought in a team of Oat milk Latte drinkers to make sure boxes were ticked.

Shame, I can see the raw foundation for a great show & yet pandering put this show well below expectations.

Something to watch still but when it's up against the likes of Archer, Paradise PD & various other animations on the Netflix platform, this show sticks out like a sore thumb in a bad way.

Catherine Called Birdy (2022)

Awful nonsense

[1/10 · 17 October 2022]

If there was nothing else like this it might have been treated as an original concept, a pleasent teenage piece of niceties, a high budget but with shallow but smooth storyline...the issue is not only has this concept been done, its been done recently, House of Dragons circled around the same storyline when the princess had come of age to be wed, the fact it's been copied but not only poorly and with a bad attempt at humour.

It can't be taken seriously as a film, its poorly written, the acting isn't bad but the script let's all those involved in the project down, a shame when the calibre of acting talent was this high.

Saints Row (2022 Video Game)

Lazy remake without the fun...

[1/10 · 3 September 2022]

So the first outing for the studio Violation on next gen consoles, this is about to get wild! (I thought) inventive, crazy & pushes the limit on destruction, gameplay & script...except they made a game about 4 nerdy students who start a gang, the worst part about the game though I not the rehashed 10 year old ideas, it's not the poor script, it's not even the gameplay that's repetitive, what really gives the game away that Violation didn't really put effort in is the graphics, the rendering is abysmal, the graphics look straight from a 360, they've hopped on to a new era of powerful consoles with a bag of old tat.

Banshee (2013–2016)

Can't say I'm not enjoying it, but...

[6/10 · 14 July 2022]

It is a generic American series, some decent twists in the storyline, the fight scenes are quite odd always focusing on counter punches, if someone throws the first punch its getting blocked.

The sex scenes are wildly unnecessary, frequent and dare say it almost feels like they're superglued in and don't really fit into the whe series, the aim of perking up a series but it didn't need it, should have trusted the script and show. Now we're verging on Bridgeton tactics and that was awful.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Alright...if you're 10 years old.

[1/10 · 10 July 2022]

When did Disney lose its ability to entertain adults and children in the same show? This is so cheesy it makes Stilton look mild, it's like day time Nickelodean.

The whole script is laughable, it's direction amateur, the acting so ridiculously over the top.

Disney is creating more misses than hits...weirdly since Disney+ started.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Multiverse of Disney washed...

[5/10 · 22 June 2022]

Let's start with the positives, as always the movie was as polished as any other Marvel movie with a ridiculously high budget.

The negatives, firstly it was drenched in P. C garbage, the lesbian parents (didn't need stating but just to throw that in with nothing) the Mexican new hero (again not an issue but so little was focused on her that there was no backstop, just a frail Mexican who didn't know her powers) the multiverse illuminati (got to have women and black alternatives in which they nerfed them completely (1st avenger!? And black captain Marvel!?) & of course the odd Tim Burton-esq sound in every scene.

The movie in other words was a mess...but not a good multiverse mess but in a virtual signalling mess in which they cast & then completely destroyed & weakened the alternatives. Very disappointing.

Morbius (2022)

Ignore the DC fanboy hate...

[10/10 · 29 May 2022]

There's two reasons why this movie is rated low, 1st is the appearance of bats, DC fanboys losing their minds that its not the worlds greatest detective flicking a switch, the 2nd is the universal hatred of Leto for no reason.

Not an Oscar winning movie but certainly higher than the average rating its got.

Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)

Amateur hour...

[1/10 · 2 May 2022]

Another vain Essex product funded by halfwits with a few quid but lacking an actual education.

It's laughable the pretend gangstas and drug dealers playing the big I am.

The Batman (2022)

Don't blame Patterson...

[1/10 · 24 April 2022]

I actually got the downfall of this movie wrong, I got what I thought the rating of this movie would be wrong (average but went in with an open mind) I honestly believed Patterson would be the poison to an otherwise ok movie but after renting it...it's not Patterson, no he's not particularly good but Pattersons acting skills (while I don't rate him anyway) are better than this & that's all down to the direction and dialogue, the whole movie is takes place during a flood (or with at least the amount of rain we see) it's extraordinarily long (directors shot at trying to be Nolan) the cast are ex comedy and young guns which again is another nail in the coffin, the shots are 95% close up shots which unlike Nolans (which gave a hugely atmospheric feel) this feels like a box within a box, I can confirm this portrayal is 100% overhyped by the new generation that want their Batman to be best...it's not by a long shot, but it's biggest crime against the best comic book character? The dialogue, its awful, truly awful and hides behind excuses of "It's 2nd yeah batman though!!"

Moon Knight (2022)

Bad British setting...

[9/10 · 9 April 2022]

This has got to be worst decryption of modern London I've seen on any screen, cor blimey, apples and pears, jog on, etc...the dialogue is awful. The series is great to a point apart from being set in London.