Starts slow, the pace drifts off a little, but when the fuse starts to get short the characters and their interactions together make for a farcical escapist comedy. One of the better comedies I have seen for a while, I actually laughed a few times which doesn't happen with US 'comedies' generally. If you like English style absurdity, then its worth a look.
Reviews
87 Reviews
Morbius
(2022)
Nothing new, but still entertaining.
2 April 2022
I am not a Leto fan, but I think this is probably his finest work as I believe it contrasts with his personality well. That being said the film starts strong but then gets bogged down in the middle.
Its very predictable as hero movies generally are, but I never really felt that invested in the character itself and his journey, unlike Venom or most non-Sony Marvel films. The ethical conflict never had enough depth, and lacked that moral dilemma for the character which would have suited this film perfectly.
People who are into vampirism may enjoy it more than me as its not my jig, but it really doesn't offer anything new besides some cool new CGI, some dark shocking scenes and some half decent performances given the plot was a bit lacking. If you are looking for something to take your mind off the news and to munch some popcorn to, then this is a good timewaster.
Its very predictable as hero movies generally are, but I never really felt that invested in the character itself and his journey, unlike Venom or most non-Sony Marvel films. The ethical conflict never had enough depth, and lacked that moral dilemma for the character which would have suited this film perfectly.
People who are into vampirism may enjoy it more than me as its not my jig, but it really doesn't offer anything new besides some cool new CGI, some dark shocking scenes and some half decent performances given the plot was a bit lacking. If you are looking for something to take your mind off the news and to munch some popcorn to, then this is a good timewaster.
Moonfall
(2022)
Irrational Jaunt
11 February 2022
Usually with science fiction you can suspend disbelief a little for the sake of the story. Many have done this well, and you can skip over the bit of dodgy science for the sake of the characters. But unfortunately it doesn't work here.
With the exception of Bradley, there is no real connection to the characters. The dialog feels forced and cliche. The science is too far fetched and removed from reality to warrant any trust with an intelligent viewer.
While the special effects are decent, and some may get lost in the 'adventure' and destruction scenes, its really not worth your time to see on the big screen.
And someone should really inform the writers that the moon hitting the earth will be a little harder to escape from than to just "move to higher ground" Everyone will be have quite a bad day, no matter where they are.
With the exception of Bradley, there is no real connection to the characters. The dialog feels forced and cliche. The science is too far fetched and removed from reality to warrant any trust with an intelligent viewer.
While the special effects are decent, and some may get lost in the 'adventure' and destruction scenes, its really not worth your time to see on the big screen.
And someone should really inform the writers that the moon hitting the earth will be a little harder to escape from than to just "move to higher ground" Everyone will be have quite a bad day, no matter where they are.
Kimi
(2022)
Slow start, but intriguing
10 February 2022
The first third of the film is quite slow; But it does explore Angela's (Kravitz) character in some depth. Having suffered agoraphobia and hyper-focus myself, I can attest that Zoe does a pretty decent job of portraying someone with the condition. But this film is not for people who want a flashy suspenseful ride, its more psychological than that, about sometimes having to forgo our own discomforts for what we believe is doing the right thing.
I think going into this film with the expectation of it being a thriller is a bit misleading. It is more of a digital crime drama, and in those genres it is very good. Zoe excels at playing introverted characters, and this is no exception.
The direction, choice of colours, lighting, style is very chic and it gives it a very digital almost clinical feel, and sometimes surreal. The music felt a little off for me, the director opting for a more classical crime arrangements. I feel it may have been better off with something more modern.
I don't think this film will win any awards, but I do think it presents something unique into the genre. Worth a watch for those who don't mind a bit of a slow roll.
I think going into this film with the expectation of it being a thriller is a bit misleading. It is more of a digital crime drama, and in those genres it is very good. Zoe excels at playing introverted characters, and this is no exception.
The direction, choice of colours, lighting, style is very chic and it gives it a very digital almost clinical feel, and sometimes surreal. The music felt a little off for me, the director opting for a more classical crime arrangements. I feel it may have been better off with something more modern.
I don't think this film will win any awards, but I do think it presents something unique into the genre. Worth a watch for those who don't mind a bit of a slow roll.
Don't Look Up
(2021)
Film of the Year
27 December 2021
This is very much an unconfirmed sequel to Judge/Cohen's Idiocracy, but is more relevant and accessible. Instead of outright absurdity, it balances perfectly between that and realism, blended with healthy doses of satire. It is truly inspired and will be a popular cult film for many years to come, assuming we all survive.
Now the film is obviously about climate change, and our current response to what is the most important global challenge of our generation. It highlights the bureaucracy, the politic rhetoric, the media obsession with irrelevancy, cultural greed, corporate interests, the failures of capitalism, our combined inability to access critical information and ultimately the lack of discernment of professional opinion, especially in the political sphere.
I know it might not be some peoples cup of tea, mostly people who either do not live in the US, who laugh at fart jokes or who are brainwashed by some extremist political idiotologies. But for anyone with half a brain who understands the current social conditions in the US, and to a lesser extent in many other places, this film correctly displays how absurd our current culture is, especially the anti-science movement.
Two days after watching this film it still has me thinking, which is a sign of a good film also. Anyone who cares an iota about our world and its people should watch this film.
Now the film is obviously about climate change, and our current response to what is the most important global challenge of our generation. It highlights the bureaucracy, the politic rhetoric, the media obsession with irrelevancy, cultural greed, corporate interests, the failures of capitalism, our combined inability to access critical information and ultimately the lack of discernment of professional opinion, especially in the political sphere.
I know it might not be some peoples cup of tea, mostly people who either do not live in the US, who laugh at fart jokes or who are brainwashed by some extremist political idiotologies. But for anyone with half a brain who understands the current social conditions in the US, and to a lesser extent in many other places, this film correctly displays how absurd our current culture is, especially the anti-science movement.
Two days after watching this film it still has me thinking, which is a sign of a good film also. Anyone who cares an iota about our world and its people should watch this film.
The Matrix Resurrections
(I) (2021)
The Walking Matrix
24 December 2021
The first half is almost pure reminiscence. Sure there are some pretty lights to look at, but it follows too closely to the original material to get emotionally involved. Just like the cats name, it feels like Deja vu instead of fresh and exciting. Full of content but lacks in introducing the characters and then developing them.
There is some interesting and unique action scenes, especially towards the end, as our heroes remind themselves of their place among the chaos. Some of the links are not well explained and convoluted, but at other times the dialog shows hints of something deeper and more profound. Almost as if the writing team were not quite on the same page, so they crammed as many of the ideas in as possible. Some hit their mark while others were lost amongst the quickly chopped scenes.
All in all there were some decent performances, good CGI. But much throw away dialog and not enough to make you feel for the characters. Hardcore Matrix fans will be disappointed; but never the less Resurrections is a flashy futuristic romp for the casually interested which could lead to some more interesting material in our cinemas if they decide to further pursuit the reboot.
7/10.
There is some interesting and unique action scenes, especially towards the end, as our heroes remind themselves of their place among the chaos. Some of the links are not well explained and convoluted, but at other times the dialog shows hints of something deeper and more profound. Almost as if the writing team were not quite on the same page, so they crammed as many of the ideas in as possible. Some hit their mark while others were lost amongst the quickly chopped scenes.
All in all there were some decent performances, good CGI. But much throw away dialog and not enough to make you feel for the characters. Hardcore Matrix fans will be disappointed; but never the less Resurrections is a flashy futuristic romp for the casually interested which could lead to some more interesting material in our cinemas if they decide to further pursuit the reboot.
7/10.
The Wheel of Time
(2021– )
Surprised by this...
30 November 2021
With quite an inexperienced cast I was expecting much less. Perhaps in the line of the Shannara series recently which was completely terrible. So upon starting this series I didn't have high expectations.
This genre is really difficult to get right. If you look at all the high fantasy series in the past 20 years on IMDB, remove the animated options, you would see a very extreme lack of ratings. Sure, there was GoT and sometimes something else is also very good such as His Dark Materials or some would argue Stranger Things fits the category, but the point being when you compare this to most other series in the genre Wheel of Time is heads and tails above most.
But it is not GoT, it has a different pace and style, but it doesn't need to be either. The pace is sensible; They removed parts of the narrative in the books which dragged on, to keep the story moving. The acting is adequate. We aren't winning any awards here but they are believable enough to lose yourself in the prose. CGI is good and the world-building is not just thrown at you but accumulates. All these make a good fantasy series.
For lovers of the genre, I really recommend it. For others, it may not be your forte, but it doesn't make it bad. As mentioned it would be in the top 5 high fantasy series in the past twenty years the way its going.
This genre is really difficult to get right. If you look at all the high fantasy series in the past 20 years on IMDB, remove the animated options, you would see a very extreme lack of ratings. Sure, there was GoT and sometimes something else is also very good such as His Dark Materials or some would argue Stranger Things fits the category, but the point being when you compare this to most other series in the genre Wheel of Time is heads and tails above most.
But it is not GoT, it has a different pace and style, but it doesn't need to be either. The pace is sensible; They removed parts of the narrative in the books which dragged on, to keep the story moving. The acting is adequate. We aren't winning any awards here but they are believable enough to lose yourself in the prose. CGI is good and the world-building is not just thrown at you but accumulates. All these make a good fantasy series.
For lovers of the genre, I really recommend it. For others, it may not be your forte, but it doesn't make it bad. As mentioned it would be in the top 5 high fantasy series in the past twenty years the way its going.
Jessica Jones
(2015–2019)
Unlikeable hero.
6 November 2021
Was enjoying it until Jessica started abducting children from outside her country. Writers from the US really need to start learning that their countries laws do not apply and should not be applied elsewhere.
Decent performances, fine story, -100 for the exceptionalism and arrogant writing.
Decent performances, fine story, -100 for the exceptionalism and arrogant writing.
Eternals
(2021)
Its a pretty decent film but...
4 November 2021
As there are ten new heroes to introduce, it does not allow enough screen time to introduce the audience to all of them properly, which leads to people not really feeling connected with the characters due to lack of this characterization.
Its a problem with all team based hero movies to some extent. Avengers were fine as mostly they were introduced with their own films. Guardians worked because it revolved around Starlord as a primary character and the other characters were sort of introduced in the periphery. But the Eternals tries to introduce them all in one go, and give a small piece of development before the action sequences, so you don't really get time to learn them and feel for their character.
But apart from that its a pretty generic film, writing wise. It does have more of a DC vibe to it than most Marvel films. Good CGI, decent performances, but character development was off which lead to a somewhat disinterested viewing.
Its a problem with all team based hero movies to some extent. Avengers were fine as mostly they were introduced with their own films. Guardians worked because it revolved around Starlord as a primary character and the other characters were sort of introduced in the periphery. But the Eternals tries to introduce them all in one go, and give a small piece of development before the action sequences, so you don't really get time to learn them and feel for their character.
But apart from that its a pretty generic film, writing wise. It does have more of a DC vibe to it than most Marvel films. Good CGI, decent performances, but character development was off which lead to a somewhat disinterested viewing.
Just Beyond
(2021)
Teenage black mirror
24 October 2021
Simple, short, cheesy small stories based on tried and true premises. Everything feels 'Disney' but sometimes that's not a bad thing, well performed, decent scripts avoiding many dialog clichés. They do drown you in family values and friendship tropes but that's just Disney.
Good for teens, not really for adults. So should be rated with this in mind.
Good for teens, not really for adults. So should be rated with this in mind.
Titans
(I) (2018–2023)
Pretty decent.... for DC
8 October 2021
Story and characters are likeable, it ties in some elements of other stories. Casting was well done.
Just to be clear I am not a DC fan. I find their films and shows very sub-par compared to Marvel , mostly on the back of just horribly written characters and cliché dialog. Titans is a step in the right direction for the DCU. But sometimes its so bad that its actually unintentionally funny. An example is when the cops are on the look out for someone who is extremely hard to miss, and she just strolls into a crime scene with no question asked. However, considering most of the DCU is unwatchable this is an improvement.
DCU in general suffers from many things. Characters are generally either unrealistically ultra-conservative, have no substance and the plots are usually extremely US centric. There are still some unbelievable interactions in Titans which never would happen in real life, terrible dialog, stunted acting in parts and overused plot points. But it sort of works and keeps you entertained.
Thwaites and Croft specifically are very good, especially for relatively an inexperienced actor/actress. They actually feel like real people somewhat, even when they have to deliver some generic line or some real cheese.
Comic fans will love the abundance of characters, this series has been made basically to tie in the DCU together. But if they continue making reasonable quality series like this, then there might be a future for the DCU after all.
Edit: Character development stopped in season 2, and so downgraded my rating. There is an issue with bad writers, in how they write plots and then deliver their characters to the plots rather than the other way around.
Bad irrational decisions, horrible dialog, tween style drama tropes, blame boomerang or blame deflection episodes, villains who have less brains then the stray cat who beats its head on the glass door for food. Just a typical DC show.
Emotional irrational decision making against character to deliver you from plot point to plot point.
Just to be clear I am not a DC fan. I find their films and shows very sub-par compared to Marvel , mostly on the back of just horribly written characters and cliché dialog. Titans is a step in the right direction for the DCU. But sometimes its so bad that its actually unintentionally funny. An example is when the cops are on the look out for someone who is extremely hard to miss, and she just strolls into a crime scene with no question asked. However, considering most of the DCU is unwatchable this is an improvement.
DCU in general suffers from many things. Characters are generally either unrealistically ultra-conservative, have no substance and the plots are usually extremely US centric. There are still some unbelievable interactions in Titans which never would happen in real life, terrible dialog, stunted acting in parts and overused plot points. But it sort of works and keeps you entertained.
Thwaites and Croft specifically are very good, especially for relatively an inexperienced actor/actress. They actually feel like real people somewhat, even when they have to deliver some generic line or some real cheese.
Comic fans will love the abundance of characters, this series has been made basically to tie in the DCU together. But if they continue making reasonable quality series like this, then there might be a future for the DCU after all.
Edit: Character development stopped in season 2, and so downgraded my rating. There is an issue with bad writers, in how they write plots and then deliver their characters to the plots rather than the other way around.
Bad irrational decisions, horrible dialog, tween style drama tropes, blame boomerang or blame deflection episodes, villains who have less brains then the stray cat who beats its head on the glass door for food. Just a typical DC show.
Emotional irrational decision making against character to deliver you from plot point to plot point.
La Brea
(2021–2024)
Watchable, if you can sit through the tired dramatics.
5 October 2021
Yes it might have acting that derived from the Nicholas Cage school of acting, and the CGI looks like a student project, but sometimes these low budget shows can have surprisingly decent plot. After one episode it is impossible to judge.
Whilst true, I think they should just take the comedy elements of this show and run with them. As long as this doesn't turn into just another soap opera the 100 style, it could be worth watching. Won't know until the about 3 episodes in.
The style reminds me somewhat of 'The Outpost' which first episode was absolutely terrible, but ended up being a semi-decent cult following style show.
Edit:: 3 Episodes down now. Its not unwatchable, but the acting and writing have something left to be desired. In the style of a soap opera, you can skip half the scenes which add nothing to the plot and are just poor dramatic scenes, but when the plot does move forward it holds interest at least to a minor degree. And sometimes there is a scientific gem which you can tell was researched properly.
Overall, won't win any awards but if you can sit through the bad drama, then its ok.
Whilst true, I think they should just take the comedy elements of this show and run with them. As long as this doesn't turn into just another soap opera the 100 style, it could be worth watching. Won't know until the about 3 episodes in.
The style reminds me somewhat of 'The Outpost' which first episode was absolutely terrible, but ended up being a semi-decent cult following style show.
Edit:: 3 Episodes down now. Its not unwatchable, but the acting and writing have something left to be desired. In the style of a soap opera, you can skip half the scenes which add nothing to the plot and are just poor dramatic scenes, but when the plot does move forward it holds interest at least to a minor degree. And sometimes there is a scientific gem which you can tell was researched properly.
Overall, won't win any awards but if you can sit through the bad drama, then its ok.
The Handmaid's Tale
(2017–2025)
Frustratingly empty of plot
3 October 2021
Gloves are off.
People remember the television of old before steaming, when each episode started just the same as well the others, and ends at the same place. Well imagine, that but instead of episodes, pretend it is whole seasons.
The criticism that Handmaids tale is slow is unfair, as that is not the issue with it. Slow can work, and has worked in many different genres. But Handmaids tale never goes anywhere, its not slow its on pause.
Frustrating in that you can get absorbed in a vibrant interesting world, great cinematography, strong performances and still feel you have wasted every second of your time invested at the end of each episode. It is not Atwell's fault, not the acting nor the production team. Its the showrunners milking the story for every second that its worth, just to keep the show on air - and probably winning awards.
This milking of plot, manifests itself in many ways. A knife in the heart or a bomb in the face ( which killed people a twenty yards away ), can't penetrate the plot armour. As the story ebbs and flows between threats, blame, demands, harsh words, heart-warming moments, scheming. And in the end nothing happens.
You can literally skip whole episodes and miss nothing. Then occasionally, once every few episodes a scene comes along that tempts the viewer to keep watching by giving them one line, or perhaps two, of plot material which makes them feel like it might be worth pressing on. Its like crack just perpetually waiting for next small bit of plot to dribble forth from the never-ending void.
I would recommend people read the book. I haven't but it has to be better than this. Or you could waste 46 hours of your life watching this tripe, and be no better off for it.
People remember the television of old before steaming, when each episode started just the same as well the others, and ends at the same place. Well imagine, that but instead of episodes, pretend it is whole seasons.
The criticism that Handmaids tale is slow is unfair, as that is not the issue with it. Slow can work, and has worked in many different genres. But Handmaids tale never goes anywhere, its not slow its on pause.
Frustrating in that you can get absorbed in a vibrant interesting world, great cinematography, strong performances and still feel you have wasted every second of your time invested at the end of each episode. It is not Atwell's fault, not the acting nor the production team. Its the showrunners milking the story for every second that its worth, just to keep the show on air - and probably winning awards.
This milking of plot, manifests itself in many ways. A knife in the heart or a bomb in the face ( which killed people a twenty yards away ), can't penetrate the plot armour. As the story ebbs and flows between threats, blame, demands, harsh words, heart-warming moments, scheming. And in the end nothing happens.
You can literally skip whole episodes and miss nothing. Then occasionally, once every few episodes a scene comes along that tempts the viewer to keep watching by giving them one line, or perhaps two, of plot material which makes them feel like it might be worth pressing on. Its like crack just perpetually waiting for next small bit of plot to dribble forth from the never-ending void.
I would recommend people read the book. I haven't but it has to be better than this. Or you could waste 46 hours of your life watching this tripe, and be no better off for it.
Foundation
(2021– )
Best New Sci-Fi since Expanse
25 September 2021
I read Asimov about a decade ago, and although it was a bit dated and I skimmed them, I still enjoyed the read. Foundation, although not quite true to the books, does hold the same general plot and concepts which were brought alive by the books.
There are some subtle changes in characters compared to the books. This was done to teleport the story in the 21st century since Asimov wrote the series this was based on in the 1950s, which was a very different time. Much has evolved since then, society can come forward leaps and bounds, and the writers have taken that into account with casting, language and character development.
And this is why some are calling this 'woke' in reviews. Remember that the minority using that term accounts for less than 1% of the world's population, being angry right wing people from the US. And foundation is about humanity, sociology, politics and the exploration of ourselves, not about US political views or social debate. To adjust a series for less than a 1% population based on their political prejudice doesn't make sense.
So for everyone else, who isn't polarized by political discourse, Foundation is really inventive, well performed, highly cinematic, well paced and true to the message of the books to the best it could be portrayed on screen. Highly recommend for science fiction fans, just don't expect a marvel/star wars like high octane action. This is made to be a slow burn.
There are some subtle changes in characters compared to the books. This was done to teleport the story in the 21st century since Asimov wrote the series this was based on in the 1950s, which was a very different time. Much has evolved since then, society can come forward leaps and bounds, and the writers have taken that into account with casting, language and character development.
And this is why some are calling this 'woke' in reviews. Remember that the minority using that term accounts for less than 1% of the world's population, being angry right wing people from the US. And foundation is about humanity, sociology, politics and the exploration of ourselves, not about US political views or social debate. To adjust a series for less than a 1% population based on their political prejudice doesn't make sense.
So for everyone else, who isn't polarized by political discourse, Foundation is really inventive, well performed, highly cinematic, well paced and true to the message of the books to the best it could be portrayed on screen. Highly recommend for science fiction fans, just don't expect a marvel/star wars like high octane action. This is made to be a slow burn.
Prisoners of the Ghostland
(2021)
Insane
16 September 2021
Probably the most crazy film I have ever seen. It will go down as a stoner's cult hit. Needs to be viewed as a comedy and don't even try to have it make any sense, its not supposed to.
Even though this kind of film isn't my personal cup of tea, I respect the absolute tenacity to make a film like this. And for set design, costumes and ensemble alone, it needs to have 10 stars.
There is quite simply nothing like it. Rating it 1-2 stars is really disrespecting absurdity altogether, whether or not you personally enjoy it. I guess absurdism is lost on some people with no creative impulses.
Even though this kind of film isn't my personal cup of tea, I respect the absolute tenacity to make a film like this. And for set design, costumes and ensemble alone, it needs to have 10 stars.
There is quite simply nothing like it. Rating it 1-2 stars is really disrespecting absurdity altogether, whether or not you personally enjoy it. I guess absurdism is lost on some people with no creative impulses.
The Republic of Sarah
(2021)
Some bright spots, but overall disappointing.
29 July 2021
The premise is interesting, the characters are somewhat likable, but what could have been a interesting drama that explored current issues and found alternative solutions, turns into more of a oversimplification, naïve and idealistic view of country management.
It isn't all bad. The series does explore some realistic issues that would be involved in a situation such as what they find themselves in. And its hard to write a drama on this premise without jumping the shark a little to initially establish it. So have to give them some credit for bringing what is probably realistic situations, even if it is spaced in episodic form, to bear amongst personal drama.
However, that personal drama permeates everything in this show. I feel that sometimes by forcing it to try to appeal to a larger audience, they lose the audience that could have made it a cult sensation. Much of the show is about personal relationships, and even though its decently acted and the characters are somewhat interesting, it clouds the whole theme of the show to the point where the actual important elements and issues the show is trying to uncover is hidden amongst it and is taking away from how complex these issues are.
For example, the show brings up the issue on immigration. The show could really explore the arguments, the different points of view, the different angles of belief and key political points of each option. Instead it darts around personal situations and interpersonal decision making, splattered with some very basic opinions which aren't really explored before they sort of come up with a decision. Anyone who knows anything about law and politics would understand that The Republic of Sarah, in the real world, would last about the same time it took to write this review.
Its disappointing because this could have been an excellent show, similar to a present day Star Trek TNG style exploration of humanity and sociology. But instead drama plucked from a hat, and painted in a way to try to make it seem realistic.
It isn't all bad. The series does explore some realistic issues that would be involved in a situation such as what they find themselves in. And its hard to write a drama on this premise without jumping the shark a little to initially establish it. So have to give them some credit for bringing what is probably realistic situations, even if it is spaced in episodic form, to bear amongst personal drama.
However, that personal drama permeates everything in this show. I feel that sometimes by forcing it to try to appeal to a larger audience, they lose the audience that could have made it a cult sensation. Much of the show is about personal relationships, and even though its decently acted and the characters are somewhat interesting, it clouds the whole theme of the show to the point where the actual important elements and issues the show is trying to uncover is hidden amongst it and is taking away from how complex these issues are.
For example, the show brings up the issue on immigration. The show could really explore the arguments, the different points of view, the different angles of belief and key political points of each option. Instead it darts around personal situations and interpersonal decision making, splattered with some very basic opinions which aren't really explored before they sort of come up with a decision. Anyone who knows anything about law and politics would understand that The Republic of Sarah, in the real world, would last about the same time it took to write this review.
Its disappointing because this could have been an excellent show, similar to a present day Star Trek TNG style exploration of humanity and sociology. But instead drama plucked from a hat, and painted in a way to try to make it seem realistic.
The White Lotus
(2021–2025)
Unique farcicle comedy.
28 July 2021
This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Amazing. It took two episodes to really start rolling but by the third, the guests were starting to unravel. For those who love quirky satire, and has elements of english farce.
Your Honor
(II) (2020–2023)
Adam's performance was the best I've seen on a television show...
24 February 2021
... of an idiot who has absolutely no clue whatsoever on life. How did he get through secondary school? He plays the part of a complete and utter moron, unparalleled since Mr. Bean, with perfection. He makes Ralph Wiggum seem like a genius. He deserves an Emmy. Words cannot describe the complete correct portrayal of someone who failed an IQ test, because he spelt his name wrong and ate all the crayons.
But apart from that its pretty good. Well acted, good pace, nice tension. Interesting twists etc. Worth watching.
But apart from that its pretty good. Well acted, good pace, nice tension. Interesting twists etc. Worth watching.
2067
(2020)
Not that bad- considering the budget
19 February 2021
Considering this is a low budget film, its not awful. Actors a bit wooden, script isn't perfect, a few plot holes, predictable in parts etc. But good experience I imagine for those involved, and watchable narrative. If same script was delivered by a major production company probably would be a 5/10, but need to give the smaller films some credit.
Upside-Down Magic
(2020 TV Movie)
Strong personal message among good performances.
27 December 2020
Cute and with a good message for the 8-13 or so age group.
Unfortunately some genres on imdb get rated lower than they deserve, and children/teen content is one of them. I dare anyone who rates this lower than a 4 to write good content for someone of this target age group. Most negative reviews are reviewed from a critical and authoritarian style adult prejudice. Reviews for tween content need to be written from that perspective and target audience in mind.
And from that perspective this is very good content. The performances from a young cast are impeccable. The story is compelling and interesting. The CGI is believable. It is a bit like Harry Potter in a way, so point off for unoriginality, but it does have a more personalized message about self acceptance and self improvement.
I wouldn't hesitate showing someone of that target audience this film. 9/10
Unfortunately some genres on imdb get rated lower than they deserve, and children/teen content is one of them. I dare anyone who rates this lower than a 4 to write good content for someone of this target age group. Most negative reviews are reviewed from a critical and authoritarian style adult prejudice. Reviews for tween content need to be written from that perspective and target audience in mind.
And from that perspective this is very good content. The performances from a young cast are impeccable. The story is compelling and interesting. The CGI is believable. It is a bit like Harry Potter in a way, so point off for unoriginality, but it does have a more personalized message about self acceptance and self improvement.
I wouldn't hesitate showing someone of that target audience this film. 9/10
Star Trek: Discovery
(2017–2024)
Improving since season 3
17 December 2020
Edit:
This needed to be said that season 4 is much more like the Star Trek we know and love. Its almost as if the writers finally got around to watching DS9 and TNG after 3 seasons. Now if they just shortened the inter-personal filler during conflict scenes, we would have a great show.
Original review:
There are trekkies which believed that Star Trek was perfect the way it was represented before in TOS and TNG, and there are trekkies who knew that Star Trek needed to change and evolve if it had any hope of reinventing itself for a modern audience.
The ones who believe the former will probably not like this show, but they aren't being realistic. For Star Trek to have a future it needed to change and explore new social issues and ideas. However, the major complaint for many is how far the new material strays off the canon.
Unfortunately Discovery strayed off canon by a large margin in season 1. It was if the show was written by people who had never watched an episode of DS9 or Enterprise, people who didn't know the history, the timelines and the principles of Starfleet. And even the flashy new CGI and decent performances couldn't save it.
This continued into season 2 as well, but by the end of the season 2 something changed.
I don't know whether or not they decided to change up Burnhams character to make her more likeable, whether they decided to move back more into the sciency as opposed to dramatic personal relations or whether or not they started listening to writers who knew their trek history and lore, but things started to gel. It may have been the fact that in a new unexplored time, they could create their own story and build upon the existing worldbuilding, instead of trying to slot into an existing time zone which already had existing lore - especially if they didn't have much knowledge of it in the first place.
But what it has done is eventually they have arrived at a pretty good series. Whilst season 1 and 2 were failed writing experiments, it gave time for the crew to settle into their roles, and by season 3 you can start to become sympathetic to characters which we previously didn't care much about.
There are still issues with canon, but now they are seemingly inconsequential. Hope it continues into season 4 and beyond.
Season 1: 7/10 Season 2: 7/10 Season 3: 9/10.
This needed to be said that season 4 is much more like the Star Trek we know and love. Its almost as if the writers finally got around to watching DS9 and TNG after 3 seasons. Now if they just shortened the inter-personal filler during conflict scenes, we would have a great show.
Original review:
There are trekkies which believed that Star Trek was perfect the way it was represented before in TOS and TNG, and there are trekkies who knew that Star Trek needed to change and evolve if it had any hope of reinventing itself for a modern audience.
The ones who believe the former will probably not like this show, but they aren't being realistic. For Star Trek to have a future it needed to change and explore new social issues and ideas. However, the major complaint for many is how far the new material strays off the canon.
Unfortunately Discovery strayed off canon by a large margin in season 1. It was if the show was written by people who had never watched an episode of DS9 or Enterprise, people who didn't know the history, the timelines and the principles of Starfleet. And even the flashy new CGI and decent performances couldn't save it.
This continued into season 2 as well, but by the end of the season 2 something changed.
I don't know whether or not they decided to change up Burnhams character to make her more likeable, whether they decided to move back more into the sciency as opposed to dramatic personal relations or whether or not they started listening to writers who knew their trek history and lore, but things started to gel. It may have been the fact that in a new unexplored time, they could create their own story and build upon the existing worldbuilding, instead of trying to slot into an existing time zone which already had existing lore - especially if they didn't have much knowledge of it in the first place.
But what it has done is eventually they have arrived at a pretty good series. Whilst season 1 and 2 were failed writing experiments, it gave time for the crew to settle into their roles, and by season 3 you can start to become sympathetic to characters which we previously didn't care much about.
There are still issues with canon, but now they are seemingly inconsequential. Hope it continues into season 4 and beyond.
Season 1: 7/10 Season 2: 7/10 Season 3: 9/10.
Love and Monsters
(2020)
Endearing
27 October 2020
This is one of the best recent adventure films. It avoids many clichés that inhabit the genre, with small twists which made watching it a pleasure.
Even though the action scenes were sort of predictable, it didn't deter away from getting absorbed into Joel's story and caring what happened to him and the other characters. It had some small lessons in it too, which added to the story.
Its a little too adult for young children in my opinion. Young teens though would enjoy it.
Even though the action scenes were sort of predictable, it didn't deter away from getting absorbed into Joel's story and caring what happened to him and the other characters. It had some small lessons in it too, which added to the story.
Its a little too adult for young children in my opinion. Young teens though would enjoy it.
The Witches
(2020)
Fun for the kids
25 October 2020
When watching a movie like this, its all about the target audience. As an adult this movie was not made for me, but I still got enjoyment out of it. I like to write reviews taking two things into account: Target audience and Genre.
Giving this a 1 just because its not as good as the original is really unfair, especially since most people who are rating are rating upon their own adult bias.
This film is a lot of fun, the plot wasn't cliché and the acting was solid. Based loosely on Dahl's writing, it avoids a lot of the pre-generated story telling that makes the basis of most adventure films for a younger audience that Hollywood keeps squirting out in the past few decades.
The Witches is interesting and gives some good lessons to children about greed, teamwork, acceptance etc. The CGI isn't perfect, and its a little over done. But it is intentional. And whilst Dahl might be turning over in his grave, it doesn't detract away from the fact that for kids, this film is lighthearted, fun and enjoyable.
9/10
Giving this a 1 just because its not as good as the original is really unfair, especially since most people who are rating are rating upon their own adult bias.
This film is a lot of fun, the plot wasn't cliché and the acting was solid. Based loosely on Dahl's writing, it avoids a lot of the pre-generated story telling that makes the basis of most adventure films for a younger audience that Hollywood keeps squirting out in the past few decades.
The Witches is interesting and gives some good lessons to children about greed, teamwork, acceptance etc. The CGI isn't perfect, and its a little over done. But it is intentional. And whilst Dahl might be turning over in his grave, it doesn't detract away from the fact that for kids, this film is lighthearted, fun and enjoyable.
9/10
Roadkill
(2020)
Please leave your political bias out of reviews.
19 October 2020
So now I got the public service announcement out of the way, lets discuss this series so far.
Acting is solid, pacing is suitable. Dialog seems a bit unnatural at times. Its as if the cast don't really gel, but sometimes that takes time in a new series.
Subtle comedy and intrigue support what would suite those who like dry slow-roll political drama. It has enough to keep you watching, but mostly because of Laurie's character and on-screen presence.
I would not recommend for those not familiar with UK politics. Most US viewers won't understand some of the political interactions.
For this genre and target audience its a solid entry. It may end up being something special eventually, but currently its a little stunted- and that's what stops it being great.
7.5/10
Acting is solid, pacing is suitable. Dialog seems a bit unnatural at times. Its as if the cast don't really gel, but sometimes that takes time in a new series.
Subtle comedy and intrigue support what would suite those who like dry slow-roll political drama. It has enough to keep you watching, but mostly because of Laurie's character and on-screen presence.
I would not recommend for those not familiar with UK politics. Most US viewers won't understand some of the political interactions.
For this genre and target audience its a solid entry. It may end up being something special eventually, but currently its a little stunted- and that's what stops it being great.
7.5/10
Raised by Wolves
(2020–2022)
Strong start, gradual decline
2 October 2020
This show about humanity's hope for survival started strong, with great premise, plot devices and a quick pace. It set the setting early, seemed well acted and thought out. The characters were interesting, and there was early signs that they would develop strongly, and in the end provide with some great science fiction entertainment.
But alas, it was not meant to be. Around episode 5-6, the show started to drift into what I call a drama carousel. Here we have a small human population, as far as they know are the last humans to survive. Their job is to establish themselves in a new environment and re-invigor the human race.
However all the characters are much more interested in what someone said or done many years ago, or what some one else thinks, then of course they argue at each other for usually no real reason, blame each other for what they did. Then onto the next scene of blame, shouting, accusations and assumptions.
And all the characters are stuck in the same pattern, its a tool the writers use to milk the story, but unfortunately its been the death of many a series.
I often say that writer's cannot write character's more intelligent than themselves. These characters, which started to develop early on, were ruined by this pseudo-drama. Even character who supposively have 200 IQ are roped into it. A message to the writers, smart people don't act the way that these characters do. If humanity had to take 1000 people into space to start again, not a single character on this show would have been chosen.
As well as that the mindless and irrational bloodshed escilating episode after episode for no actual reason. Would people in this situation actually resort to this behaviour? Very unlikely! They would be behaving like rabbits to get the human race going again, not finding reasons to kill each other off one by one. But then again it doesn't matter how many extra's die, because the 25 or so in the first episode can be 40 the next or 10 the one after that. Just pick a random number, and thats how many people are there.
Please treat your viewer with some respect.
But alas, it was not meant to be. Around episode 5-6, the show started to drift into what I call a drama carousel. Here we have a small human population, as far as they know are the last humans to survive. Their job is to establish themselves in a new environment and re-invigor the human race.
However all the characters are much more interested in what someone said or done many years ago, or what some one else thinks, then of course they argue at each other for usually no real reason, blame each other for what they did. Then onto the next scene of blame, shouting, accusations and assumptions.
And all the characters are stuck in the same pattern, its a tool the writers use to milk the story, but unfortunately its been the death of many a series.
I often say that writer's cannot write character's more intelligent than themselves. These characters, which started to develop early on, were ruined by this pseudo-drama. Even character who supposively have 200 IQ are roped into it. A message to the writers, smart people don't act the way that these characters do. If humanity had to take 1000 people into space to start again, not a single character on this show would have been chosen.
As well as that the mindless and irrational bloodshed escilating episode after episode for no actual reason. Would people in this situation actually resort to this behaviour? Very unlikely! They would be behaving like rabbits to get the human race going again, not finding reasons to kill each other off one by one. But then again it doesn't matter how many extra's die, because the 25 or so in the first episode can be 40 the next or 10 the one after that. Just pick a random number, and thats how many people are there.
Please treat your viewer with some respect.
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