m-m-mcadam Reviews

Behind Her Eyes (2021)

Slow burn

[9/10 · 24 February 2021]

This is a good show and worth a binge if you have the patience. It starts slow and takes at least three episodes to start to get a grip of its storyline. Now some shows can do this and maintain it but you feel with this show that a lot of people will get bored and turn off. However, if you stick with it you'll be rewarded for your patience.

A story of infidelity, betrayal and people trying to make sense of their lives - the first three episodes create the illusion that this is a generic thriller about three people (the cheating husband, the wife and his mistress) and you expect it to almost take a fatal attraction type route. But you'd be wrong and for that it's worth sticking with.

The last three episodes pick up the pace and the story goes into a different and unexpected way. Some will love the ending (I did) others will hate it, but either way this is a show that's worth your time.

American Dresser (2018)

If you're a biker you'll get more out of it.

[5/10 · 11 February 2021]

There is a lot you could like in this movie if it had been made by a better director and had a stronger plot. The acting is fine, Berenger and David are good but are strung up by a movie that just doesn't know where it is going. It strives for drama but is not strong enough in its plotting to develop the drama or the plot strands and throws in events that just don't make sense. The direction is week and as the director is also one of the key leads, it comes across as too much of a vanity project. There are some positives: the two leads are strong and it's a pleasure to watch them. Also, the bikes are great and if you are a biker (as I am) then you'll probably enjoy the film cause you'll understand the thrill of a long bike tour. So if you are then this is not a bad way to while away 90 mins. However, if you're not, then this film will leave you frustrated because there is a lot here that could have been so much better.

House of Cards (2013–2018)

Terrible terrible ending

[2/10 · 4 November 2018]

After committing so much time to what was once a great show, I can only say avoid season six. It's ponderous, dull, full of plot lines that go no where and has one of the worst series finales ever made. They should have cancelled it when Spacey was sacked.

Daredevil (2015–2018)

Season three takes this to a new height

[10/10 · 22 October 2018]

The Daredevil series has been excellent from the beginning and the third season takes it higher. The characters are fully fleshed out and the story arc from beginning to end is superb. Highly recommend this show.

The Predator (2018)

Average

[5/10 · 15 September 2018]

I remember the original predator coming out and thoroughly enjoying it. It was original, tongue in cheek and the alien came across as a deadly threat. With this sequel it seems they went with the cliche "let's make it bigger"! Does this add to the original? Not in the slightest. There is no suspense in this film, no sense of dread as the hunted try to avoid a bloody fate. It is a film of action that misses what made the first one good, the fear of being hunted. Instead you get set piece after set piece, some good and some bad. Even the special effects are ropey with the beginning in particular looking like it came from a SYFY TV movie. There's jokes, many of which fall flat, some good actors wasted (Thomas Jane in particular) and an ending that is absolutely terrible. As this came from Shane Black who has written and directed some great films, I expected much much more. As a go to the cinema film it's a miss, watch it via cable at home and it's passable.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

A missed opportunity

[6/10 · 26 March 2016]

This was a film that I was very excited about seeing, I thought the casting of Ben Affleck in the role of Batman was a good one, he is an interesting and talented actor and I thought he would bring a new dimension to the role following on from Christian Bale. It is shame that whilst he is good in the film he is never given the opportunity to shine and that is down to the films shoddy narrative and structure. You go to a superhero film to be thrilled not to be overwrought by the heroes constantly moping about their actions and what has happened in their past. In this film not only do you see the death of Bruce Wayne's parents once but at least three to four times. Even during the middle of one of the major fights in the film, it pauses to show his parents' death - again!. This constant brooding of the main characters is the films major plot for over an hour of the first part of the film. You end up wanting to scream, yes his parents died now go and kick the hell out of superman!!!! Even Superman is not immune to this brooding (at one point he inexplicably ends up taking to his dead father on a mountain). So for the first hour its brooding, then we get the best part of the film, the showdown between the two main characters. This is handled extremely well and if you're a fan of the comic A Dark Night Returns, you're going to love the nod to its battle between the two. The final 40 minutes of the film are good but there is absolutely no reason for the character of Doomsday in the film. It really comes across as a way of adding another bout of city destruction which kinda ruins the whole plot of why Batman hates Superman in the first place. The structure of the film would have been much stronger if they had used Wonder Woman to calm the situation between the two rather than Lois Lane. The other weak point is that they are relying too much on people knowing the characters and their DC counterparts. If you don't know them then you are going to miss a lot and end up even more confused by the plot. Thirty minutes could have easily been cut from this film to give it a much tighter structure. It's worth seeing and there are some good parts to it. But Warner and DC need a lesson from Marvel on how to make superhero films that are fun to watch.

Daredevil (2015–2018)

Excellent series

[10/10 · 21 March 2016]

Daredevil has always been a character that I've enjoyed in the comics but never been a massive fan of, however, the first series convinced me that done correctly a superhero series could really bring a character to life and they certainly did that with this series. Whilst a slow burn (the first four episodes take patience to get through) once it gets into its groove the remainder of the series is exciting storytelling at its best. Charlie Cox completely nails Daredevil and Vincent d'onofrio is superb as the Kingpin. And then series two came to be featuring my favourite comic book character The Punisher. Series two just kicks straight into the action and the story arc of bringing the Punisher into being is excellent. Jon Benthal is just brilliant. He brings the punisher straight out of the Garth Ennis series of Punisher Max comics and onto the screen. The Punisher is exactly as the comics portray him. Even when the series comes close to making him appear soft they go straight back to what the essence of the punisher is. The direction is excellent, the plot is taught and never leaves you wondering about what's going on. If you're a fan of Daredevil or the Punisher, I highly recommend watching this show. Even if you're not a fan then there's still an awful lot to enjoy about this series.