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Reviews
Lucifer: High School Poppycock (2018)
Charmless
Season 3 of Lucifer answers the critical question studios always ask, 'how many episodes does it take to establish a dedicated fan base who will continue to watch no matter how bad it gets allowing us to reduce the budget by 75%'.
Answer: two full season.
Clearly at the end of season two all the quality directors and writers were moved on to new shows and the c-team were brought in (let's be honest, at best Lucifer only ever involved b-grade staff and actors).
Half way through season 3 and it seems it is already dragging and it's just getting silly now. And there are still two and a half season to go.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith: A Breakup (2024)
Silly and badly done
So they're both dead right and we can now put an end to it.
The 'are they or aren't they' quandary is a common troupe in the end of season episodes and usually it builds suspense and anticipation. But that depends on viewers caring one way or the other and usually hoping they aren't. But I at best don't care and at worse hope they are both dead.
Neither actors or their characters have the charm or are as likable as Pitt and Jolie in the movie. In fact they are both pretty annoying and seem pretty bad at what they do.
There are plenty of flaws in this episode and a few standard overused plot devices which make it difficult to like. No more so than, 'I assume you did something you didn't and that assumption will cause me to make uninformed and potentially fatal decisions'. Ie I assume you tried to kill me and while you missed you killed my cat. We know that it would all be cleared up if one of them says something like 'why did you kill my cat' when they meet which of course would be one of the first things you would say. It is so badly done it just becomes silly.
There are many more flaws no more so than; if you build and equip a safe room in assassins' house why wouldn't you stock pile it with all sorts of weapons particularly if they are already stored or hidden in every other part of the house. And wouldn't you build in all sorts of security measures you could contract from there.
The action scenes are very very bad and the dialogue seems a bit forced.
Veep (2012)
Buffoons
A hilarious satire of politics, politicians and the political operatives who somehow stumble and occasionally maneuver their way into positions of power.
While the characters are a little more caricature and the politics a little more ludicrous than in the real world, like all good satires there is enough truth to make the show work.
Anyone who has worked with politicians or their staff know that most of their time is spent fixing problems caused by incompetence, compromise or misguided self-importance and ambition.
Politics attracts many good people but seemingly it is the worst people who seem to succeed and excel. This show very cleverly shows the truth of that.
Carol & The End of the World (2023)
How to not make an entertaining show!
This show presents like an academic thesis on what constitutes an entertaining and engaging television show. The creators, very cleverly, have demonstrated the fundamental elements required for an entertaining and engaging show by removing all those elements.
Additionally, the world in which the show is set emphasises how critical those elements are and makes it glaringly obvious they are missing. Partly because it provides the perfect opportunities for tension and ironic and awkward humour involving empathetic characters in challenging and interesting situations. The world and situation allows enormous scope for creative scenarios.
But instead it:
- creates characters that viewers can not relate to or sympathise with,
- reduces the pace to a rate that is disconcerting for the view and encourages distraction,
- creates the opportunities for humour and the lead up of the joke but doesn't deliver the punchline, and
- avoids tension and conflict.
In the end all that we notice is the missed opportunities and lack of critical elements. Indeed, it's so obvious it can only be deliberate.
Clearly it is a very clever way to demonstrate what constitutes a good quality show but it is a little self-indulgent and probably better kept as an academic exercise to show 1st year media study students than as an actual piece of entertainment.
Good on them for doing it but it seems a bit strange that Netflix funds shows like this when better more entertaining shows get axed.
Falling Skies: Reborn (2015)
I blame the accountant
Meeting discussion at the end of episode 9:
Director: "Okay team we've got one more episode. Let's make it great wrap everything up, and conclude in a spectacular finale.
I want this to be the ultimate battle that represents 5 years of the 2nd Mass struggle toward final victory and reward.
We need an army of aliens fighting an army of humans across the battle scared landscape of Washington. Explosions! Lasers! Vehicles flying and driving back and forth!
Let's do this! Let's make the 10th episode the best episode."
Accountant: "Wait 10th episode, what? I thought we were only making nine episodes in the final season!"
Director: "No, definitely 10".
Accountant: "But, um we don't have any money left. I budgeted for nine episodes."
Director: "what, no money? Really?"
Accountant: "I may be able to use the money we allocated for the writers Christmas party".
Director: "How much is that?"
Accountant: "Maybe $10,000"
Director: "Special effects guy, what can you do with a $10,000?"
Special effects guy: "If we turn off all the lights, use the red balloons from the writers party and some cheap torches, I could probably cobble something together. But it won't be that great."
Director: "It will have to do. Hey writers how are you going with the script for the final episode."
Writers: "Did you say something about our Christmas party."
Director: "Yes, we had to cancel it, it's for the good of the show."
Writers: "Writer the episode yourself, we're off".
Mortal Engines (2018)
Made want to read the books
If it wasn't for the books and the world they created this film would be nothing but a messy B grade film.
The world and concept it is built on are fascinating but the movie is very poorly executed.
It is very disjointed, full of 80s cliches and occasionally farcical.
Often a good indication for how bad a movie is, is whether you notice how farcical some scenes and aspects are. If it is good you may not notice them and if you do you can forgive them. But when it is bad, like this film, the bad & farcical bits are glaring and completely undermine any enjoyment.
And the books deserve better they are a lot of fun, very interesting and with plenty of great conscription set in a fascinating world.
But if there is one thing good about the movie it is that it is based on some great books and encouraged people, including me, to the read them.
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Important and beautiful
Plenty of style with even more substance.
The film like the subject it covers and characters portrayed in it has plenty of integrity and quality.
It is a film as much about the people in the newsroom, their courage and their integrity as it is about the politics and issues.
Shot in black and white seems to add more depth and nuance to the story.
The issues the film covers and the journalists pursue are as relevant now as they were then.
And similarly, the film is even more relevant and timely now, 20 years later, as it was when it was made in 2005.
There is plenty of take ways from this film - the importance of good journalism, the importance of holding people particularly those in power to account, the importance of sticking to your principles, the importance of good process in politics - but after watching this film again I'm not sure what I want to do more, start smoking again or to become a journalist.
Good Omens: Chapter 6: Every Day (2023)
Half as good
Season 2 has the style of the original and some of the humour but without the nuance and cleverness that made the original so special. And it definitely does not have the satirical eye that ran through the story and homour of the original and is so much part of Terry Pratchett's writing.
The original had multiple narrative strands that were all essential to the story and all came together to create a sophisticated story. This was a very linear and one dimensional story.
The original was also a cynical and subtly commentary on absurdities and irrationalities of Christianity while also celebrating some of its fundamentals ie it's all about being good and caring to each other. They seemed to miss all that in this season.
Much of the enjoyment of this season came from the well formed and lovable characters and how they relate. Given they were all pre-formed prior to this season it was pretty easy to carry that on to this story. And when it comes down to it, if you strip the characters away there is not much holding this story and season together which doesn't say much for the it.
It is clear there is something missing and it is pretty obvious what that is - Terry Pratchett. In that regard, it is only half as good as the original and highlights the huge gap that was left when Pratchett left us.
Black Adam (2022)
About 2hrs too long
This movie is about 2hrs too long. If it had been a short film, say about 5mins long it may have worked. This is a very boring movie.
The writing is particularly bland and much of the 'humorous banter' is tired gals flat.
If the writers' strike currently going on (mid-2023) is intended to protect the people who wrote this they won't get much sympathy and deserve very little support.
The superheroes are not very interesting and all seem a bit whimpy with no real personalities or substance. And a main premise of a good superhero film is that you want the good guys to win, but in this there are none that are really worth saving and definitely none who you worry about when they seem to be threatened.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Masterpiece
A masterpiece!
This is nothing less than an act of extraordinary creative genius.
Not only is it the best animation movie ever made, it is also one of the best movies ever made.
This wonderfully engaging story follows deeply realised characters through action packed superhero adventure story. And while as much as it is a superb roller coaster superhero adventure it is also a wonderful story about relationships, family and love. And those relationships are touching, genuine and deep. Much of that is down to well formed and relatable characters and great dialogue.
And while all that makes the film outstanding it is the film's mind-blowing creativity and stylistic animation that raises it to masterpiece status.
It is a perfect example of art conveying feeling, meaning and substance. While watching it you constantly feel the urge to hit pause so you can admire the beauty and creativity and study the detail. And you know you could do it at any point randomly in the film because the beauty, creativity and detail is in every scene. But of course the story is way to engrossing to do that.
Animation, colour and style is used throughout this film to create and emphasise feelings, plot points, characteristics, intentions, emotions, action etc in a way that adds enormous depth, nuance and meaning.
As a result of the superb storytelling, wonderful characters and mind-blowing creativity it is a film that you experience as much as it is a film that engages and entertains.
It is a film that will set new standards and direction in film making and studied, discussed and admired for decades.
Buffering (2021)
Mediocre
C+ "Nice first attempt but needs more work and polish particularly on dialogue, humour, character development and narrative flow. I think your style is more suited to children's books than adult comedy". This I'm sure was the mark and comment from the Creative Writing for TV professor who set this 1st year writing assignment.
The comment goes on to say, "You did successfully address one of the assignment's key goals to create a group of characters that demonstrate the most annoying characteristics of the millennial generation".
The greatest achievement of this show is that it went from a mediocre 1st year creative writing assignment to a funded tv show.
Rain Dogs (2023)
Superb
A superbly acted, superbly written and superbly directed show.
The two main characters are superbly formed. Daisy May Cooper brings enormous depth and nuance to the character Costello Jones showing that she has much more than superb comic style and timing. Jack Farthing as Selby is equally as good.
Based on the initial scenes it seemed like another working class British dark comedy. An interesting and funny view into the lives of some off-beat, resilient and charming working class people who find ways to overcome their lot in life. But pretty soon it becomes clear the show is much more than that.
It is carefully crafted, enthralling and entertaining observation into a group of complex people who deal with their and their friends flaws and shortcomings while also navigating an unfair and unsympathetic system. But while it portrays a pretty difficult world it is also interwoven with plenty of humour, charm and substance resulting in a funny, heartfelt and rewarding viewing.
It is in many ways a show about deep feelings and how those feelings affect people and how they relate with others. Many of the characters and their traits and motivations seem familiar.
In that regard it is a show that requires and draws on compassion and empathy from us as the viewers. That can be difficult for some people and I suspect that may explain some of the negative reviews.
Shadow and Bone: No Funerals (2023)
Damn
At the start of this episode I had assumed Netflix had decided not to continue this series. The storylines were concluded, the characters seemed content. And I was pretty pleased about that because the last half of season two was really really bad. The use of clearly secondly rate writers and directors for the last four episodes, I surmised, was clearly due to Netflix not wanting to invest money or effort into what they had decided was a show that had no future.
Unfortunately, the base story was intriguing enough to make me want to watch to the end - I did fast forward through a fare amount of the last four episodes - because even though it was pretty predictable I wanted to know how they closed it all out. There is not much positive to say about the final episode other than it concluded and Aleksander Morozova died which meant an end to the terrible acting of Benjamin Barnes (it's not a spoiler because we all knew it would happen).
It also meant I saw the final scene and therefore was enormously disappointed to find out that it seems Netflix does have a plan to continue it. But if the end of the final episode is anything to go by it's going to be even worse than what we have seen in the second season.
Shadow and Bone: Ni Weh Sesh (I Have No Heart) (2023)
It's just getting silly now
Yes this show, like the books it is based on, was always a teen fiction story but it also catered for adult fans. But occasionally the characters, their motivations and their decisions and the story itself are clearly catering for and reflecting what seems a more silly, overly sentimental and naive teen consideration. But this episode and unfortunately the ones following are almost entirely silly and naive.
I really hope if they continue to make shows based in the world they focus on some of the more interesting and complex characters and communities like the Crows.
It was so silly at times there were laugh out loud moments.
The Umbrella Academy: The White Violin (2019)
The music was good - well some of it
Let's go bowling, really! And then argue and resolve some teenage angst. The show wants to be quirky but quirky done badly - and this is bad - is just silly.
A clear example of the end justifies the means. It's pretty obvious when a show doesn't really know how to continue the natural flow of a narrative. They shoehorn inconsistent elements and actions in to achieve the outcome.
It all seemed to go wrong in episode 9 and then they seemed to continue it into episode 10.
And surely the intent of character driven shows like this is that you like and care about them. But the only characters that had any substance or depth were Klaus and Hazel. The rest would not be missed.
Travelers: Protocol Omega (2018)
We
A bit disappointing. Why didn't they just do that at the end of season 1 or at any point after 001 was introduced. The producers would have saved themselves a lot of money and we, the viewers, could have saved ourselves 20 episodes.
It was an interesting and fun series with plenty of drama, interesting concepts and engaging characters. Well performed and well written.
But this final episode seemed a bit ill conceived as if the writers couldn't seem to find a way to solve and conclude the story.
I suspect it was written at the last minute when they were told they didn't have funding for a 4th season.
Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
Such fun
A really fun way to spend an evening. It is a genuine who done it packed with plenty of laughs.
Don't take it too seriously and watch it for fun.
Undoubtedly, we have seen it all before but you could say that about most movies and not very many do it with such charm, style and humour. There are plenty of fun and cleaver uses of action and crime mystery tropes.
Sandler and Aniston are charming and have great chemistry. The Spitz' would clearly be lots of fun to have over for dinner as long as you didn't mind the occasional murders that seem to happen around them.
The other characters compliment each other really well with two of the best characters from the first movie returning.
If anything it seems a little too short another 20-30mins would fill it out.
The Pacific (2010)
Skip the first 5 episodes
It is like they made two different tv shows; the first five episodes make up one rather slow, none engaging and confusing fires show. The second starts at episodes six and is genuinely high quality and interesting.
The first show was slow, confusing and boring. I kept checking if I had missed episodes because there seemed to be huge gaps in the plot. The writers seems to assume viewers had the background knowledge they had because it introduced and portrayed major multiple historical moments without any explanation or links. The characters in the first show were completely miscast and very badly formed. It did the complete opposite of a fundamental intent of shows like this, the characters were not engaging or sympathetic. And for me I didn't care what happened to them, in fact I didn't like the main protagonist.
Then the new show started at episode five. The old characters either died or went home and new characters were introduced. The plot picked up pace as did the action and you got a genuine and real feel for the tragedy they characters faced.
So just skip the first five episodes.
Snatch: A Family Affair (2017)
Who wrote this a 10yr old
This is so flawed I don't know where to start.
It is the sort of thing a high school film studies student might write for a class project about Guy Richie films: 'write a script in the style of Guy Richie film".
Unfortunately this effort would likely only barely get a pass 'for effort' with a comment: "I can see what you were trying to do but unfortunately you were not able to execute the idea effectively. Your contribution failed to achieve a cohesive narrative that held the viewers interest and was at all believable. The characters were two dimensional and unrealistic. The action scenes were clumsy. There were occasional elements that reflected Richie's films but on the whole it was a very poor imitation that was not able to replicate any of the charm humour and style of the original films. In this regard your script failed in the assigned requirements to do a 'Richie style script'. I suggest a job in advertising may be more suitable for you than a career in film and tv script writing."
Ten Percent (2022)
Yawn
It is perfect show to put on while doing the cooking or exercising because it won't engage or distract you much. You can listen to it in the background but will never need to go back if you miss anything, partly because you won't notice what you miss but mostly because it doesn't matter. It just seems to stumble from scene to scene with no continuity.
All the jokes seem to miss the mark and are totally predictable; delivery is stilted and clumsy.
All the characters are two dimensional while also being unlikable or maybe it is just uninteresting. They have no connection with each other or with the story.
With all the various other shows now available it isn't worth your time.
Community: Wedding Videography (2015)
So bad
The whole show was a really boring and bad construction to a very mediocre punchline.
What once was a show about loveable relatable characters who have a genuine rapport and add too each other became a series of excuses to get loosely connected characters together in the same room.
There is a claim in this episode there is a writers room, I assume they lost the key to the room and no one could actually get in so they just used the ideas the make-up staff came up with just before the the cameras started.
Another very sorry mess that seems to be the norm for season 6.
And that guy at the end what a tool.
Snowpiercer: A Beacon for Us All (2022)
Netflix is done
No wonder Disney is beating Netflix.
This is just a very poorly executed attempt to keep a dead show going but with clearly a much reduced budget and talent.
Interceptor (2022)
Made by IASIP gang
This film looks like the IASIP gang had a go at making under siege 4.
A cut and paste plot from the 90s, unlikeable characters, bad dialogue, silly action and flat lining acting makes for a low grade but watchable movie.
The Outlaws: Episode #1.6 (2021)
Loose ends
A fun, involving and well made show with a interesting story and great characters. This episode had a lot more action and tension while still be fun.
There seemed to be lots of loose ends which probably don't affect the main story but the lack of resolution makes it feel like the season is one or two episodes short. It looks like there is another season which may tie the loose ends to some more story threads but given the main narrative has a conclusion it would be unusual to continue the supporting stories into a new season.
Memphis Belle (1990)
Good movie
The chances of surviving 25 flights as a bomber crew was extraordinarily low, about 70% of crew members died (50% approx), were seriously injured or became POW. The average survival of crew members was 11 flights.