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Reviews
Invasion (2021)
Interesting but just too damn slow
While the premise is serviceable, and the effects ok, the series really drags. So little happens and stuff is dragged out so much .
Yes, character driven drama is a good thing but if you are hanging everything off an alien invasion and you make your characters boring with little progression or development you lose your audience. Not all the actors are particularly good , or at least have such poor material to work with it barely registers.
Do we really need the. British kids or there's soldier? At least put some of these groups together and we'd have a bit more momentum.
It could really do with a cull of about 2/3rds of a season and the whole lot would be done in about 3 hours.
The Blacklist: Raymond Reddington (No. 00): Good Night (2023)
Poorconclusiin to a great character.
Raymond Reddingtom is one of those iconic characters brought to life with James Spaders excellent acting.
However despite a gradual drip drip drip of information and guesswork fans were fed throughout all 10 series about Reddington and his true identity. All that was Ava dined. Was that because the character of Keene left the series 2 seasons ago? Or because the writers ran out of ideas? Or got bored with it?
There are so many satisfying alternatives to our favourite anti-hero's swan song that we could have had. I mean, breaking bad did it so much better wit Walter White!
I mean, he randomly walks into a random field and gets mowed down by a random bull. He literally ended with a Pun! "seeing red"
No tying up of loose threads, no payoff, no closure. Just Reddington in a bloody mess on the floor...
(Leaving scope for a follow up movie? Or fan interpretation? Nobody confirmed his death...)
Foundation (2021)
Terrible adaptation but good sci-fi show
As an adaptation, this is poor. It strays from the source in dramatic and jarring ways and invents whole new plots that don't exist in the original books.
There have been much more faithful adaptations of books in other series and films.
However , if one has never read the books, and judged in isolation, this is a decent, albeit slightly cliched sci-fi epic space opera that is vast in scale, and has a compelling story to tell.
I understand why particularly readers of the books are very negatively reviewing this series, but some of the critiques seem overly negative because of the deviation, rather than about the actual story told here.
This is more like Dune, or Babylon 5 than Star Trek or star wars. It's not quite as good as The Expanse, but better than a lot of the recent Star Wars series or Star Trek:Discovery .
How I Met Your Mother: Last Forever: Part Two (2014)
Up there with game of thrones for worst finale
I came late to HIMYM and have enjoyed pretty much everything about it. But this and the other part of the final 2 episode so really did the entire show a disservice.
The worst thing is the cavalier way they disposed of the "Mother" in order to bring the Robin and Ted romance full circle. It felt hollow and cheap. Literally the character had not moved on as a result. The episode should have ended at the moment they met , and left it at that. It would have been so much better.
The drawn out wedding weekend that dominated this season was ok, if a bit of a chore. The fact that it was thrown away within a single episode was bad enough, but to then do pretty much the same with Tracy, was worse.
It feels like all that build up, all that character development and momentum was thrown into reverse simply for a twist .
Robin didn't even deserve the attention she got as a character . She was shallow, and put her career first over her marriage to Barney.
Oh well, at least the prior episodes were a fun experience .
The Flash (2023)
Good, not great, fun and best of the current crop of DC
Aside from the extremely poor CG later in the movie and the sword of Damocles hanging over the Snider-verse, , and the fact we've had far better multiverse movies recently from Marvel, this was good fun and had plenty of laughs. Who knows if this will be a bit, but I'm glad I saw it.
Ezra Miller was ok as Barry Allan but got quite annoying quite quickly. Given the controversy that surrounds this actor I do wonder if they will survive the Gunn-verse retooling DC world .
Such a shame that Grant Gustin wasn't included somehow , given they even included a dodgy CG Nicholas Cafe superman and resurrected PlayStation 2 C G Christopher reeve! His contribution to the character ended this year , and he'll be far more fondly remembered than Ezra Miller.
As I said, mostly the effects work was OK, but the lamentably bad Multiverse scenes were tragically poor.
Secret Invasion (2023)
Decent start to a promising series
This started off strong, but the series structure and short episodes really hurt this. This felt like a 90 minute movie stretched out to breaking point, and by the end was just absurd.
So now we have another overpowered character just let loose who through the power of CGI has all the avengers abilities all in one go?
And for god sake, why did t fury just shoot Rhodes.as that would have revealed he was a fake before it could ever escalate! ?
Totally pointless as all fury had to do was call in the Avengers, who seemed to be a self without leave.
(Yes I k ow he made an excuse for that, but it was weak)
A forgettable series tha t retros much better plots from Agents of Sheild .
Dreamland (2023)
Fairy uneventful but fun comedy
Nothing particularly stands out with this comedy, it's a pleasant watch and makes Margate look quite idyllic. I must admit I got a kick from the nostalgia of many seaside holidays there .
It's not particularly funny nor so many of the main cast gel all that much, with standard EastEnders /soapy plots. .
The cinematography is all over the place though. Lots of lovely shots of the seaside with oversaturated colour and bright vibrant colours give it a pictur postcard look, but the CinemaScope widescreen aspect is totally wasted on everything else. Scenes with characters talking flick between characters and we have full frame
closeups instead of wider shots that would look better in the format.
It's clearly filmed for a normal 16:9 aspect and modified in post as the directors just don't take advantage of the format properly .
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Superb family fun
The Super Mario Bros" movie is a delightful return to the beloved world of Mario, Luigi, and friends. For those who grew up playing the classic games, this movie is a nostalgic treat that transports us back to the colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Even better, the film offers a fun and lighthearted adventure that the whole family can enjoy.
One of the movie's strongest aspects is its attention to detail in recreating the look and feel of the Mario universe. From the bright, cartoonish visuals to the whimsical soundtrack, every element of the film is designed to evoke a sense of childlike wonder and excitement. Even the familiar sound effects from the games are present, providing a satisfying nod to longtime fans.
Another highlight of the film is its family-friendly humor and messaging. While there are plenty of action and adventure elements for younger viewers to enjoy, the movie never veers into overly dark or violent territory. Instead, it emphasizes teamwork, friendship, and the power of perseverance to overcome obstacles.
Despite the controversy surrounding Chris Pratt's casting as the voice of Mario, he brings a unique energy and humor to the character that helps to anchor the film. The supporting cast is also strong, with standout performances from Charlie Day, Jack Black, and others.
In conclusion, "The Super Mario Bros" movie is a joyous celebration of one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time. While it may not be a perfect film, it offers plenty of nostalgic charm and family-friendly fun that will leave viewers of all ages with a smile on their face.
The Blacklist: 16 Ounces (2021)
What the hell has happened?
I was late to The Blacklist , and have enjoyed James Psaders Red from the outset.
But this "Who Is Red" mystery has run its course and needs resolving.
But the idea that the Lis Keene character has fallen so far that she's would blow up Reddington in a public space just as he's dying anyway is absolutely so far beyond the character that she started out with and any values established so far.
Yes, she's angry . And yes she believes he killed her mother, but she knew her mother for so short a time and her relationship with Red so much more established that it feels unbelievable
Such a shame and clearly they are going with a scorched earth with the character before she leaves.
1899 (2022)
Excellent , atmospheric sci-fi drama, surprise of 2022!
Look, I get some people come in with expectations and some hate puzzle box mysteries like this, but I came in without even knowing what the show was except a spooky mystery set aboard a steamboat . The only thing I know is that I was told to turn off the English dub and watch it with subtitles as this enhances a lot of the interactions between characters and puts more context there and boy we're they right! I do wonder if a lot of the criticism about characters and backstories being poor and acting are down to people watching it with the English dub? For us though, this is the surprise of 2022 and is a superior drama.
It's a little humourless and dour , and I get that the genre will not be everyone's cup of tea , particularly as answers are hard to come by and following everything can be confusing given how much is thrown at you but by the end there are lots of "Ahaa!" Moments as the prices slot together.
As I said , watch it with the subtitles original English track rather than subbed and you'll be rewarded with a more rounded experience. E.g in the dubbed version, everyone speaks English, and when interacting , there is no obvious reason why they appear to be unresponsive and cold Ito each other. However in the native language version with subtitles, it becomes clear they are unable to understand each other and that is why the responses are the way they are! Also dubbed versions lose a lot of the international and presence of the original so you may be judging a poor dub actor rather than the on screen actor.
Did I like Dark? Sorta. I found Dark overly long and got boring . This is much better so far.
The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself (2022)
Decent enough but with some flaws
A pleasant surprise in that it wasn't bad. It's decidedly Y. A. With love triangles and parental angst tinged with coming of age all interwoven. The most obvious thing is that this plays out as closer to Marvels the Runaways or the series Heroes than a darker Harry Potter ( they might be called Witches but they are portrayed more like typical super powered people )
The cast was alright, with Gabriel being the standout for me. Nathan was poorly cast as the actor was fairly wooden the entire time . As for the villains, well they lacked believability and were pretty shoddily cast.
But it was still a compelling tale and still managed to surprise without delving too headlong into cliche. Would not describe this with the superlatives some have afforded it, but it's nowhere near as bad as others have suggested either!
No Time to Die (2021)
A solid Bond movie; Ignore the 1 star reviews!
It saddens me that there are so many people review bombing this movie. Reading a selection of them suggests strongly they haven't watched a second of the movie and are just reacting to plot elements that they are politically opposed to: nothing in this film massively deviates from the tried and true bond formula, it has plenty of action,cool gadgets and cars and some great set pieces , romance and witty one liners . The only elements missing are the "classic" womanising and funny names for the Bond girl. Oh and the controversial ending. But this is a very good and fitting end to Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond. No doubt there will be a big reset for the next actor to take on the role so keep your hair on anti woke warriors! .