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richpeall
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Joker (2019)
A movie unafraid to approach mature concepts. Near perfection in its execution.
Simply one of the most meaningful movies I've seen, possibly ever. I don't even mean that flippantly or with glib offhand comment.
Despite the fact it is 'based upon' a comic character, the acting, the script, the direction, the lighting, the pacing, everything in this movie was, in my very humble opinion, perfect.
I've seen this film twice now, and while I must admit it is a film that might push the wrong buttons for some folk, to me, this is an exact and detailed exploration of some very mature themes, while remaining true in the canon of it's 'world'.
I could explain every small thing I found to be exceptional about this film, but to do so, I'd have to recite the movie from start to end. Instead, I can only recommend that you see this film.
Don't expect to feel good at the end, but go and see it and then think on what you saw. It's not a nice movie, it's not a movie to enjoy, it a movie that is to be seen.
Skyfall (2012)
Big Budget, Big Ideas, Tiny Comprehension.
The plot is overall relatively interesting. The portrayal of 'the bad guy' was for me, a high point in the movie. While adding little to the actual story, some of the cinematography was picturesque and visually rewarding to the viewer.
The movie, while overall had been mildly enjoyable sadly left me angered by constant plot holes and poor storytelling elements. In every instance of the movie being disjointed it seemed like the director or perhaps the editor was suffering from an attention deficit.
There are glaring issues which can, for some, be washed over with a little ignorance, but overall the story had the apparent appearance of a young child excitedly, if rather poorly retelling it.
There are too many things in this movie that leave me frustrated that I can be anything but unsatisfied with my viewing.
Runaways (2017)
I have no idea what is going on...
So, I'm closing up having watched all of series one, and yet... I still don't really get what is going on.
let me preface this review by stating that I've loved other marvel TV series, Jones, Daredevil, SHIELD and Cage have all been VERY enjoyable. However...
The story-lines (and I'm sure there is at least one somewhere...) are so poorly introduced, or have such little in the way of explanation in the 'viewers eyes' that frankly I just gave up actually paying attention.
Then a dinosaur showed up, then there'e like, some tony stark dude, then there's a VERY poorly CGI's rainbow-girl, and something about a church and BLAH BLAH BLAH {insert white noise here}
None of it meshed together, the acting was, if I'm to be complimentary, certainly better than a high-school stage play.
The directing was apparently done by one of those inflatable wavey-armed mascots and a bag of frozen peas, because there is no way a sentient human saw that on the cutting room floor and said, "yes, this is how a story should be told"
While I'm certain there are some 'interesting' characters, or perhaps some biting plot details, it's all washed into an amalgam of quite dreadfully dull cheesy acting and overblown mediocrity.
I honestly can state I have not enjoyed this series, and personally I'm willing to forget it ever happened and ignore any future instalments.
The Punisher (2017)
Fantastic adaptation of a complex comic character
Honestly, I really liked the Punisher series, and for all the right reasons. I think Frank (the Punisher) is portrayed well, I think the story is a 'true to canon' adaptation worthy of Marvel and is written and acted well enough that I became absorbed in the characters and their world.
Sure there are definite departures from an absolute 'purist' canon, but I think it's done for the right reasons, to make the characters more tangible, to enhance the suspension of disbelief into the story as portrayed in a 'real' world.
Is it Frank Castle from the comics? No... but I can without a shadow of a doubt say that the Bernthal series is my personal favourite Punisher adaptation, sadly Tom Janes adaptation was too cheesed-up, while Jane provided a Punisher I liked, and some of the action was fun, the overall movie left a bad taste. This series had me hooked and Bernthal does a pretty good job of showing the audience the broken man that is inside of Frank Castle.
The action is plentiful and meaningful, the pacing of the series was fantastic as I found myself binging several episodes at once, eager to unfold more of the story.
Some downsides; In places, it didn't quite go far enough into the'darker' aspects of the world of the Punisher. For me, this left me wanting. I wanted so badly for the show to break away from some of the platitudes and really help the audience take a swim in Castles psyche, help us peer into the depths of the human emotional fissure that is Frank Castle.
There are attempts at this throughout the series, even being used as a plot building device, but the character introspective scenes just didn't make me 'feel' it.
Not all stories are happy stories, and anyone looking at the Punisher for morally uplifting, or self-affirming ingratiating story is looking the wrong way. The Punisher is a character that reminds us that the world is a sometimes awful, and we have to recognise the awful bits and learn how to cope with it or overcome it.
Frank is us, looking into the awful parts of the world. That can be uncomfortable.
Heat (1995)
I Just don't see why people love it.
So, this may come as a surprise, but I've not seen this movie properly, and now that I have, I realise just why I've never watched it properly.
The story takes too long and goes nowhere. The side 'interests' feel more like added filler content. The acting is okay, but not what I'd say even comes close to good, and is far behind amazing.
Sure there is the one exciting scene (which anyone not having lived under a rock will know which scene I'm referring to...)
But then the rest of the movie hangs around like an unwelcome smell.
The actors are all up there, lots of big names, but they look dull as they swim through this glacial story.
I see and hear people raving about this film, but for me this is a clear miss on potential.
Inhumans (2017)
One of the worst things I've ever watched.
I'm going to point out some of the things I enjoyed
The shots of Hawaii were nice... Anson Mount actually felt pretty good in his role.
Everything else is so very disappointing considering this bears the Marvel tag.
From the opening graphics which appear to be a rejected high-school power-point presentation through the terrible fight choreography, the hideous dialogue and acting that is possibly so bad that it offended my neighbours as I was watching the show just by some form of repugnant-osmosis transmitted through my walls.
There is zero realisation of what motivations propel the characters, the story opens and immediately wants so badly to be complex and 'rooted' and yet with no real introduction or build up to allow such pretences to become realities.
This series is an offence and should really be avoided.
If you're not a Marvel fan, do not watch this. If you are a Marvel fan, do not watch this.
Postal (2007)
Honestly, not worth it...
Some movies are visual treats, some bring the viewer into a deep or compelling story, some excite the mind...
This one just made me regret wasting my time.
Sure, the visuals aren't terrible, I'd go as far to say that the scene work, sets & costumes are actually a highlight of the film. Even the best-dressed pile of garbage is still actually just a pile of garbage.
The pacing of the film is just horrid, many scenes feel like filler and ultimately add nothing. A good portion of screen-time appears to be focused on actors apparently waiting to deliver their next horribly written line of dialogue.
The whole thing feels like it went on 40 minutes too long and all the while I could only wish that time would pass faster so that I didn't have to endure the wooden, hollow acting performances on my screen.
And; granted that the base around which this film is formed is hardly pure gold, the original video game being pretty damn wooden and filled with more than a little uninspired nonsense... But I firmly believe that a movie, any movie must stand up on its own merits, and this has very few merits.
Crass humour (often badly delivered), simplistic renditions of what can loosely be referred to as 'plot' and characters with less dimension than a well flattened napkin which all culminate in an overblown and ultimately unsatisfying shoot-out ending which just left me feeling bored.
There are a few one-liners and a handful of mildly entertaining scenes, but ultimately if I'm served a stagnant swamp mud-pie and told there are cherries in it somewhere, then I'm willing to forego any desire for cherry.
London Has Fallen (2016)
No, just.... No.
Watched this based on a recommendation.
I really regret watching it, from the very moment the 'action' starts there are so many plot holes and errors in believable world lore that it utterly and completely destroyed any suspension of disbelief.
What happens after is just a pro-US propaganda cliché.
I was hoping for a suspenseful or thrilling action film, one with plausible story line. What I got was nothing more than a horrid abuse against my intelligence.
If you are thinking of watching this, don't. Save yourself the time and effort, if you really must engage in a painful waste of your time spend 5 mins headbutting a rusty blunt nail rather than watch this.
Grimm: Eve of Destruction (2016)
What happened to this series?
Very disappointed in this episode. The camera work was literally distracting, the acting and script were not only sub-par but bordering on terrible... If this were a pilot, I'd never watch the show again.
I don't know what happened over the 'mid-season' but Grimm has taken a turn for the worse, I hope the next episode can redeem it. I've invested a lot of time liking the show, watching the characters grow & the story evolve, but this episode was horrid and left me with a very bitter taste.
I think what surprised me most was that actors which by now have generated a genuine chemistry between them appeared to be acting as though it were a first night and they'd never met before. I can almost here the director yelling "add more ham! really cheese it up!".