martinrobbinsmr Reviews

Star Trek: Picard: The Next Generation (2023) Season 3, Episode 1

Sight for very sore eyes

[9/10 · 19 February 2023]

Oh, I didn't know how much I missed the next generation series. I grew up on great stories (usually), and a more optimistic show, no grittiness, that was Babylon 5 , lol.

Great to see old favourites in action again, and a few new faces. I hope this series sees a 'handing of the baton' over to a new next generation crew who have more in common with Kirk/Picard universe than the recent shows.

The ships look well designed I think, and CGI looks decent.

On the whole, I enjoyed this episode and can't wait to see the next one.

I do fear that we won't get a series 4 and this is it sadly, even if it took a while to get back to its roots.

No Exit (I) (2022)

A refreshing little film

[10/10 · 10 October 2022]

After a glut of bland poorly made CGI ridden messes, this is a rare low budget gem.

We enjoyed the suspense, pace and the fact it did keep us enthralled. It might not be the best film ever, but certainly seemed to do very well with what it had to work with.

Perhaps a little cliche in parts, it was original enough to be engaged with.

The cast was ok, and the script passable.

The lead female was well written I think, and did well to push female heroes. She would fit neatly into the Ripley or Sarah Conner group, rather than Captain Marvel or Rei Skywalker.

Please Hollywood, give us more female hero leads like this, where the lead grows in character and isn't handed a free pass without any character development.

Monster (2022–2024)

Gripping and engaging entertainment

[9/10 · 8 October 2022]

I have no idea if anything or how much is factual or true (I've not checked).

That being said, as stand alone entertainment, I felt it was well written, casted and acted. The lead characters delivered well, I applaud the production and look forward to similar from Netflix.

In a desert of bland entertainment the last 10 years, this is an oasis of talent.

Naturally, I felt sad for the victims and families, but I also felt pity for Jeffrey, that's how well this was made. The natural inclination would be to be repulsed by the killer, but I felt sorry that he was so broken by his experiences since he was a kid. In many ways perhaps a victim as much as the people he brutally killed. It highlighted too the social issues that allowed it all to happen.

If that was the intent, then it worked on me. Well done.

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

Another classic from my past sacrificed to the great mouse

[4/10 · 1 October 2022]

Why? Why? Why?

I wanted to like this, I tried desperately to find an ounce of the old magic. Alas, it was.gone.

A contrived, unimaginative senseless film that should've been more.

It wasn't bad, but I hoped for so much better. It felt dull and lacklustre. The music scenes seemed shoehorned in for the sake of it.

Oddly enough, there was some good bits and incidental comedy, hence the 4 stars. Sadly there wasn't enough.

In my opinion, the casting was ok. The script could've so much better though.

It reminded me of the ghost busters film reboot, it added nothing and took so much more away.

On the whole, it was ok.

Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

I only gave 3 stars because I think the actress can do better

[3/10 · 9 August 2022]

What on earth is this please?

I liked the premise to start with, and I started to get into it. It felt like there was real potential that reminded me of Ripley in Alien. But then it started getting silly.

Then things went downhill for me there. I could go into what I felt went wrong, but I'd be here a while..

I could suspend belief so much before I question what story the writer was trying to tell.

That being said, I believe the actress has real talent but should pick scripts more wisely in my humble opinion.

The Orville: Future Unknown (2022) Season 3, Episode 10

Another true Star Trek episode 😁

[10/10 · 4 August 2022]

Well done again Seth on a great episode, I really hope you get a 4th season. There was a great mix of humour, and trekkiness. More trekky than the current star trek!

The Orville: Domino (2022) Season 3, Episode 9

A sci Fi oasis

[10/10 · 28 July 2022]

Omg, I would have to go back to a TNG episode to enjoy something as good as this.

The right amount of everything, pure storytelling, I don't know what more to say.

Oh where have you been for the last ten years! Please send your writers to Disney to show them how it's done 👍

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part V (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Slight-breeze troopers more like!

[6/10 · 16 June 2022]

I really really want to like this show, and in my opinion it's still better than episodes 7,8,9 but, for me it's still lacking something. Playing to the Wow factor over the narrative is losing it for me. It feels like playing the Vader card repeatedly is devaluing his impact. Vader turns up, kicks ass and wanders off in a sulk.

Storm troopers blindly march forward with no concept of battle order, and miss from 5 yards. For goodness sake, musket fire was more accurate!

And a trooper goes down and stops moving, whilst a fallen civilian will moan long enough to say their final words. What is the point of storm trooper armour?!

Then to add insult to injury, dead stormtroopers are dragged around for no apparent reason and left, very harsh. I honestly couldn't give a monkeys about 3rd sister, please let her just die now, lol. Bet she won't though...sigh.

The Orville: Shadow Realms (2022) Season 3, Episode 2

A return to good old Star Trek days

[8/10 · 13 June 2022]

Thank you for being a bright light in the darkness of dark n gritty sci Fi shows. A good blend of optimism for the future, comedy, adventure, exploration, cautionary tails and peril. Please continue making good episodes like this Seth, 40+ geeks all over the world love you and the cast :)

The Woman in the House (2022)

Waste of a time

[1/10 · 5 February 2022]

I gave it a go, got invested, really thought it was going to have twist.

Wondering if everything had a deeper meaning and we were in her head all along.... And no, it was serious.... I won't be watching series 2.

The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

What I've been waiting for since Return of the Jedi

[10/10 · 2 February 2022]

Omg, what an episode!

This is how star wars should be, a feast after so many years of travelling through a desert.

Please, for the love of all things that is geeky, and to the nerd gods of the outer dark reaches of the cosmos, can we see more of this!? :D.