Interesting storyline and good acting. Had the potential to be the next big movie, unfortunately it seem they had the budget for their vision... but this doesn't distract from the story and it's definitely worth the watch.
Reviews
10 Reviews
Stowaway
(I) (2021)
Bored
24 April 2021
The acting was brilliant and I found it quite exciting in the beginning but by about half way through I grew bored. The whole movie/story could have been condensed to about half of what it was or it could of expanded further into a whole series since there was still a lot that was left unexplained.
Shadow and Bone
(2021–2023)
A non book readers review. Needs more than 8 episodes.
24 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The first half of Episode 1 had me entranced due to the beautiful world portrayed on-screen, but by the second half of episode 1 I knew Netflix wouldn't do it justice.
Like many of netflix's new shows, I found Shadow and Bone to be too fast paced, not in action but conflict resolution. It seems me that everything happened rather quickly, thus making the story rushed and frankly uncompelling.
Apart from the pacing I found the casting to be off. I found no chemistry between Alina and Mal nor Alina and the Darkling. Mal exudes a chemistry with whoever he is with on-screen but I just don't see that when he's with Alina, their chemistry is more friendly than romantic, even after they've reunited.
Then with The Darkling, Ben Barnes' portrayal felt very lacklustre. He had no chemistry with Alina nor do I feel that he was manipulating her on anyone else for that matter, maybe that was the point but it honestly felt that Ben Barnes would rather be somewhere else then acting on that set. That aside, Ben Barnes is pushing 40 and he's pared with this 20 something year old girl? No wonder there's no chemistry. Anyway, overall his performance felt very flat.
Back to Alina, She did exude a friendly chemistry with the girls in The Little Palace so that's not to say that the actress who plays her is completely inept but just maybe not the right person for the main protagonist. I think the protagonist Bea from the netflix series, The Irregulars, would have honestly been a better choice for Alina.
I have a lot more to say but the main points are that the pacing was too fast with too many things happening at once and the casting for main characters did not make for a compelling story line and all this possibly could have been avoided with more than 8 episodes.
Like many of netflix's new shows, I found Shadow and Bone to be too fast paced, not in action but conflict resolution. It seems me that everything happened rather quickly, thus making the story rushed and frankly uncompelling.
Apart from the pacing I found the casting to be off. I found no chemistry between Alina and Mal nor Alina and the Darkling. Mal exudes a chemistry with whoever he is with on-screen but I just don't see that when he's with Alina, their chemistry is more friendly than romantic, even after they've reunited.
Then with The Darkling, Ben Barnes' portrayal felt very lacklustre. He had no chemistry with Alina nor do I feel that he was manipulating her on anyone else for that matter, maybe that was the point but it honestly felt that Ben Barnes would rather be somewhere else then acting on that set. That aside, Ben Barnes is pushing 40 and he's pared with this 20 something year old girl? No wonder there's no chemistry. Anyway, overall his performance felt very flat.
Back to Alina, She did exude a friendly chemistry with the girls in The Little Palace so that's not to say that the actress who plays her is completely inept but just maybe not the right person for the main protagonist. I think the protagonist Bea from the netflix series, The Irregulars, would have honestly been a better choice for Alina.
I have a lot more to say but the main points are that the pacing was too fast with too many things happening at once and the casting for main characters did not make for a compelling story line and all this possibly could have been avoided with more than 8 episodes.
Vagrant Queen
(2020)
eh
30 May 2020
I watched the first episode and did not enjoy it. The first thing I noticed was that the fx makeup was terrible, secondly the vfx was like it was from the early 2000s and lastly the dialog was extreamly cheesy. I don't mind cheesy dialog, but this is something you'd see in a show for teens on ABC and paired with the vfx made it unwatchable for me. Some people may enjoy it, buy I didn't.
Troy: Fall of a City
(2018– )
Not Bad
30 May 2020
I would normally give something like this about 6 stars, but because of the unfairly negative reviews I'm giving it a 10. One of the main talking points for the negative reviews is that it isn't historically accurate with it's casting choices so I'd like to remind these people that this series is a retelling of a retelling - Homer definitely took creative liberties of his own and to think otherwise would downright ignorant.
Beastars
(2019– )
meh it's whatever
26 April 2020
I'm not a fan of CGI animation - especially by netflix - but this was actually really well done...although the characters walk around like they're from old Barbie movies - or GTA lmao.
My biggest gripe is the music - does not fit at all. idk what it is w/ netflix and their music choices. but it sucks. Sounds like an old western at times and really brings the whole mood down, as well as slowing the show imo.
secondly there was no plot.
So someone was murdered - eaten alive - and....big deal, that's it?
Don't watch this expecting any progression with the plot. im guessing this season is more about an introduction to the world and the characters... which wasn't done well, but it'll prolly pick up in season two idk.
i liked the episode with the chicken - bc of how horrendously absurd it was lmaoooooooo
In conclusion - this show is ridiculous.
I wish they put more effort into their Altered carbon movie. smdh.
The Witcher
(2019– )
I wish it were longer
20 December 2019
8 episodes made it feel like the story was going too fast and that some thing's that happened in season 1 should've happened later on in the series. But i haven't read the books or played the games so i wouldn't know.
The names of places and people and creatures will take some getting used to. (like any other fantasy) Honestly at one point, with the episode of the 'Striga', i was 30 minutes in before i realised i had no idea what was happening and who was who so i quickly pulled up 'the witcher' wiki and restarted the episode.
The timeline was also confusing. It was only episode 4 when i realised the characters weren't appearing chronologically. In the end it all came together nicely and i thought it was a decent method of story telling. (although dates wouldn't have hurt).
Apart from those three things it was a really great watch. I loved the characters and the actors portrayals or those characters and the story is just so interesting. can't wait for season.
@The Mandalorian, this is how a tv show about a brooding loner/anti hero is made.
The names of places and people and creatures will take some getting used to. (like any other fantasy) Honestly at one point, with the episode of the 'Striga', i was 30 minutes in before i realised i had no idea what was happening and who was who so i quickly pulled up 'the witcher' wiki and restarted the episode.
The timeline was also confusing. It was only episode 4 when i realised the characters weren't appearing chronologically. In the end it all came together nicely and i thought it was a decent method of story telling. (although dates wouldn't have hurt).
Apart from those three things it was a really great watch. I loved the characters and the actors portrayals or those characters and the story is just so interesting. can't wait for season.
@The Mandalorian, this is how a tv show about a brooding loner/anti hero is made.
Life
(I) (2017)
Great concept but meh..
5 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start off by saying that the cinematography and special effects were superb. I even loved the concept- resurrecting an alien species, but 30 mins into the movie and knew how it was going to end or at least I thought I knew. -Miranda and Jake Gyllenhaal's character will be the last ones standing, Gyllenhaal will be stranded in space and Calvin will make it to earth - I was pretty close.
Anyway, I was not invested in any of the characters at all, maybe Sanada's character because he had his family back home and Ryan Renold's character because truth be told he's the main reason I went to see the movie in the first place but he only lasted about 20 mins...
So overall; great concept, terrible execution. Would not want to see again.
Anyway, I was not invested in any of the characters at all, maybe Sanada's character because he had his family back home and Ryan Renold's character because truth be told he's the main reason I went to see the movie in the first place but he only lasted about 20 mins...
So overall; great concept, terrible execution. Would not want to see again.
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