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Reviews
The Way (2024)
Apocalyptic?
Honestly, after one episode, I'm not sure what to make of The Way. It has the feel of an apocalyptic thriller, but it's just a fantasy of what would happen in Wales if Port Talbot stopped making steel. So, lots of choreography going on for the riot scenes, or maybe the local extras are just gifted like that. The police turn Port Talbot into a Chinese-like police state which doesnt really make sense. Then the army come in because if police budget cuts. There's no rhyme or reason for any of it really but it seems to want to evoke the memory of the miners strikes from back in the 80s but with no apparent end-game. The episodes flit across multiple days without context. It's not like they tell us what's happened in the intervening days.
For me, this evokes memories of the highly depressing post-apocalyptic BBC thriller, Threads. It has that sort of feel, that sort of peril. There's even an eerie emergency siren warning that turned out to mean nothing. The music is great however, it keeps me going but whatever the story is, it's a mess. Watch it for the familiar faces but don't get too lost by the narrative. I really can't see where it's meant to be going.
Ambulance (2022)
I expected better
Its a convoluted film. Afterall it's a 2 hour car chase! The heist scene took too long for me. It needed to be snappy like the first heist scene in Beverly Hills Cop 2. But it seemed to linger. The initial escape was reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto Five, which I rather enjoyed, but it just didn't feel slick to watch. I don't want to slam it entirely, it just didn't feel like a final edit. The chase itself, is quite impressive. If you've ever watched the Blues Brothers, it's on That scale but that feels somewhat laughable in this day and age. There's a significant flaw here: you'd just leave it the the helicopter to follow the Ambulance, which itself should have a tracker of some sort anyway, instead of writing off cruiser after cruiser. The script is rather abysmal. Jake G is constantly throwing out one-liners that it feels like nobody hears, and other lines that come out out of classic films - "that thing in LA" ring any bells? And the character Cam, the unwitting paramedic stuck in the ambulance, constantly seems to put the patient at risk by trying to run away or cause an accident, but redeems herself by performing open surgery whilst facetiming a doctor on the golf course. It works but maybe it's overambitious and a bit of filler for the runtime. It serves a purpose as the sub plot is to keep a shot up police officer alive. Speaking of police, this film lacks a charismatic lead; Dwayne Johnson should have been all over this film on that front and instead we have to settle for a reject from from Fear the Walking Dead who drives a classic Fiat 500 with a massive dog. At least they should have called James Belushi if they wanted to go down that road. Anyway It's a 2 star film at best. Or 4/10. It's too long a film to say its worth a punt. Jack Gyllenhall lacks charisma to make him the draw to watching this.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Equal to most episodes
Perhaps they shouldn't call it a movie . Its an epilogue episode not dissimilar to how Vince Gilligan handled the final few episodes of Better Call Saul. Of course being made 6 years after S5ep16, it's more of a nostalgia trip but it does tie up Jesse's ending without undermining the legacy of the final episode. Certainly Emmy worthy with some excellent cameos and equal to most episodes of the series itself. Anyone who wants to complain about it isn't a fan and needs to watch the series because you can judge El Camino on its own. I hope they can do the same with Better Call Saul although that also has the perfect or most logical ending.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Long but didn't match up
For a 2hr 20 minute film I expected a lot more to happen in it. But there are only 7 characters in it and not a lot happens. OK, they certainly built a lot of tension up and there were some cool cinematic sequences. The out of control boat, and planes crashing, were memorable and indeed credible set peices. The deer turning up from nowhere was quite intimidating yet they werent there for that reason except to warn of impending nondescript danger. The sense of not knowing whats going on is effective and it spends a lot of time developing the characters. Reminds me though of another film I saw this year on Netflix about the world ending called How it Ends So it wasn't especially original. And there were some challenging directorial decisions. What first irked me was the kids. They're real a-holes. In one scene the boy starts pulling his own teeth out, relentlessly, as if it was a dream or that it was funny. It wasnt. And the Scott's; when they first arrived at the house they were so needlessly evasive and suspicious-behaving; it was their house but they were so awkward about it, as if it wasnt actually their house, when it was, but in the end, it was for no apparent reason except that the Scott daughter is a little bit racist about white people and it was just irritating to watch because it looked like the actors were uncomfortable and just improvising a scene, badly. Kevin Bacon gets 5 minutes of screen time pretending to be Burt from Tremors and barely added anything to the film. I'm still evaluating the twist but it wasn't that hard hitting. It was inferred that if you cut off people's communication, break up their mobility, and feed false narratives, that the people will turn on themselves and do the job of an enemy force and destroy themselves from the inside out. It was supposed to be a big revelation but it fell a bit flat if you ask me and with further evaluation I'd say it wreaked of plot holes. They spent 2 hours 7 minutes getting to that point and then we see explosions in New York, though not the nuclear blast itself. It wasn't obvious whether it was a bona-fide enemy attacking the city or whether that was supposed to be the US army imploding on itself. Again it was inferred that actually it was a foreign attacking force, possibly a joint Iranian, Russian, Korean affair and a nuclear attack at that, which we seem to see emanating over NY but if that's the case, you wouldn't then see more aircraft attacking the city during a fallout situation so that didn't make sense. To give you an idea of what seemed to be happening, play a computer game called Call of Duty Modern warfare and you'll get the picture. But I swear they could have done this film in about 90 minutes and still get 6/10 from me, which is a generous score when it didn't seem to move the genre on.
Extinction (2018)
I've sort of seen this film before
Oh, perhaps that's a play on one of the themes of this film which has subtle hints to Michael Crichtons book, Westworld, most recently adapted into a longish running TV serial. The film is tidily made, with decent FX and a story that doesn't linger too long once the big reveal is made. Admittedly, I lost interest at that point because it becomes obvious that there isn't going to be an earth shattering ending to the film. It's humans versus AI humans and whenever they break through their programming, they are destroyed or reset by the humans so it would seem with some able to avoid being reset so that they can remember and protect their AI race the next time the cycle of "extinction" rocks by.
There aren't any particularly familiar faces or stand out performances and the ending appeared symbolic rather than final as if to say its a human play thing and we're packing up our train set. It's a 5/10 for me. It isn't a bad viewing if you want a quick sci fi, but there isn't really any substantial content, no significant build up and the visions of invasion acting more like spoilers if anything. Just another typical Netflix movie; one or two points higher than an equivalent SyFy movie.
Fast X (2023)
The Flat and the Flatulence
Wow. This film is so awful. I love the franchise. I cried when Paul Walker died. These films are some of my favourite comforts when I want picking up. But my goodness, number 10 is like watching Robocop 3. What can I say? It's campy. It looks like I'm watching a computer game on YouTube with third rate commentary. The band of regular actors hardly look like they want to be in the film, or with each other. The unlikely partnerships between arch enemies is tiring, but suspend your disbelief. There's science fiction guns, vehicles and medical equipment to wreak havoc. There's fight scene stunts that even superman would have winced at. In fact, the Matrix' Neo couldn't even have beaten Letty. Jason Mamoa thinks he's Johnny Depp on a Tuesday night binge. And all of these retcon characters that take on importance where none existed before is just about what the franchise has become. A retcon of when the series was great by number 7, and should really have ended. But do you know what. It's entertaining. I didn't see it in the cinema and I've totally justified waiting for someone to buy for me on bluray. It's high octane with lots of unexpected humour thrown in. It matches up to the popcorn flick stereotype and aside from being ridiculous it still deserves to be seen, not least because any film with a Helen Mirren cameo is worth watching.
Thunderball (1965)
Nearly 60 and still timeless
Oh my goodness I've just rewatched this film for the first time in about 20 years. The overriding mission to retrieve two nuclear missiles still seems as relevant as ever, and the locational filming is excellent. The underwater scenes to this day are some of the most intense and fantastically choreographed and I don't think I've seen any better than in another Bond film perhaps. And this was filmed in 1964/1965!
I think this film suffered a little under the wings of the full five star Goldfinger and maybe lacks the iconic visionary aspects like a body painted Gold, or a memorable henchman like odd job. But for me, this is replaced by the fantastic musical scores throughout, Shirley Bassey's Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Tom Jones' Thunderball theme, which is also the code name for Bonds mission.
I happen to feel that the best Bond films were the Connery 60s, and this is every bit the equal where the Bond franchise gets into it's stride leading to another iconic film, You Only Live Twice.
Le Mans (1971)
Historic racing masterpeice
From the start this is a very impressive racing film with terrific race car scenes that give you a precision interpretation of what it felt like to race in the 24 hour series, in cars that lock up faster than an off license during a riot, and spin in the slightest greasy conditions. Driving these cars is hard, while racing in them is for speed maniacs. The film shows how easy it was f9r drivers to be distracted by off-track events, such as other cars exploding in a Bush, inadequate yellow flag positioning or just slow traffic in the race. There isn't much meaningful dialogue, there isn't really much story to latch yourself to. And in my opinion had this been a war movie with its slo-mo detail of destruction and death, I would refer to this film as anti-motor racing, which was certainly picked out in one scene by the widow of a former le man driver. I love the build up to the race, and the cutaway scenes of the fans, the atmosphere, and there is plenty of tension. Being 1970, there's no CGI and I love it. The sights, the sounds, the classic race cars, make this a joyous film to watch and I would say that the only heroine of this film is oil, rubber and noise. Follow this film up with Le Mans 66 for a great afternoon.
The Pacific (2010)
Just a little bit light on story telling
Here's the thing if I get straight to it. There isn't enough material to fill ten 1-hour episodes. Which is why many are 50/55 minutes long. Then I realised that eight minutes of each episode is just credits, two minutes are recaps and previews, and occasionally there's a 2 minute video at the start narrated by Tom Hanks to justify his inclusion in the production. Realistically this is a story about a company in the marines that could have been told in three and a half hours. Episode three, is entirely forgettable and second time around I skipped it, relying on the episode recap in ep 4 to clue me in that nothing pertinent happened. It irked me that some major characters like Colonel Puller just disappear and not enough time was spent developing the major characters. In fact I really struggled to keep track of the characters during battle scenes, which in a sense is realistic, but not helpful . There's also a weak establishment of the timelines. For instance Mr and Mrs Basilone were married 7 months but the series portrayed it like is was a fly by night marriage which is lazy considering. The action scenes are great and well put together, and completely suffocating to witness. But they weren't long enough sequences to justify the effort in some cases. And like I say, the episodes are surprisingly short considering the producers wanted to tell the story of the Pacific partly because it has been undeserved in story-telling. If like me you like watching WW2 film and TV portrayals, the Pacific is a must watch. Its production falls a little short compared to Band of Brothers though, who's actors were more recognisable and easier to track through the series' progression, but a good watch all the same. It needed a wider breadth of Pacific war coverage, and it just the handful of islands that feature in the series.
Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)
Amusing but in the shadows
Had this been a straight-to-video movie it could probably excuse corny dialogue and disappointing story construct. But I'll l say it straight away. This film fails because it's a mid 90s Eddie Murphy film, suffering from poor mid 90s music choices, cheesy TV movie scripting, and missing major characters from the first two films. Not least John Ashton as Taggart, Billy's foil and on screen mentor. But also, where's Harold Faltermeyer and his groundbreaking techno pop incidental music? The 90s version used here is almost akin to the cheesy namesake Axel F chart topper by Clock. Catchy but dreadful and a poor imitation of the orginal. Which sums up BHC3. It's a poor imitation. But critically, the film for me fails in the first ten minutes when a popular legacy character is killed in a shootout. This always happens in delayed sequels that span the best part of a decade from the previous entry. Make it controversial but in the process destroy a component that made the original, and to a lesser extent its sequel, popular and loveable. For all the action sequences and comic dialogue, as well a certain commentary on mid 90s culture, this is best viewed as a standalone film that can then maybe be appreciated for its more broad entertainment brief, special effects, and to be fair, a reasonably imaginative setting for a criminal enterprise behind the scenes of a popular theme park. Here's hoping that the forth film pretends the third film never happened.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Needs more love
I have only watched this film twice. The first time, I was distracted by the obscene amount of CGI work that made a lot of this film totally unrealistic. And yet, and yet, and yet... it's an adventure film, foremost. And for that, upon the second watch, this film delivers. And there's plenty of dna in this story that relates to previous Indy adventures and links to previous characters. It didn't go over my head the amount of sci fi that features in this film, because, as I recall, in the original film its final scenes also contained some gruesome sci fi horror. As for the cgi, well, I recall a lot of blue screen action in the previous films too, not least such as like that boulder scene in the first film. Was it any less realistic than any of the chase scenes in the Kingdom film? I say the originals used just as much visual pretence and exaggeration as this film does, and fans still enjoyed them, so give this one more of a chance too. And complaints about the nuclear scene? The blast was realistic enough, if you think of various elements as being slowed down for dramatic illustration. The fridge was a good idea and maybe it would have been less ridiculous if they'd not had the fridge fly across the desert like it did, but then that was the only way Indy could escape the ground zero radiation, and, is no less ridiculous than other high profile escape scenes in the series. Any of this films flaws are comparable to Indy's second outing as far as I'm concerned which too struggled versus the original. There's a great cast ensemble, humour, DNA, action and suspense, and the visual effects, as silly as some of them are, are if a good quality. 7/10 is a fair reflection that it isn't an awful movie and I think one must remember it's incredibly difficult to recreate the qualities of the original.
Eye of the Tiger (1986)
Just acceptable
I think someone simply liked the song and thought, let's name the movie after that Rocky song. I can't see how the title genuinely relates to this film, which has a sort of Deathwish-esque revenge theme after Busey's screen wife is raped and murdered by a biker gang, and his young daughter is also raped and traumatised in the same incident. I like seeing actors like Yaphet Kotto in this film, just because he was in some of my favourites like Live and Let Die, or, The Running Man. He plays a good guy cop. The film has plenty of action sequences, although most belong in an episode of the A Team. There's a bit of humour but the film lacks a little bit of follow-through, such as in the hospital scene with the dynamite stick, shoved up a bad guys' backside. It didn't go off? The fight scene punch-up at the end revealed that maybe Busey's character could have saved his wife earlier in the film. The fact that the film went from her being alive, to suddenly lifeless was either down to bad editing, or the director didn't have the stomach to film a rape scene, unlike Michael Winner's Deathwish, which would at least have explained what happened to the wife at the time, for completeness. The video quality, at least on Prime, is bad, which distracted my enjoyment but get past it and actually it's a watchable film. I split this film over two nights, mostly because it's the sort of film you'd watch alone when the wife has gone to bed. But hey, it's led by Gary Busey, but it's clear to me he isn't really a strong lead for a film and does his best work as an antagonistic henchman in roles like Lethal Weapon the following year, or Under Seige in the early 90s. Its the sort of film that deserves 2/10 but I'm being generous with a 5 because the cast contains a few regular faces from the 80s, and for me, its a novelty to see Busey in the lead role.
Vengeance (2020)
Nothing much happens
For all the slick film work, there isn't anything worth watching in this film. A daughter gets raped, feels a bit suicidal, hates her absent father. Her father, on the run for 30 years, holed up in a lovely Turkish villa comes back to London to exact revenge on the perpetrator, only get his arse kicked, then kick a little arse back, have a fisty kuff with his fellow Eastender mate, then get his arse kicked again just when he thought he was going to kill the perpetrator, then get stabbed in the back by someone who has nothing to-do with anything; the perpetrator incidentally gets killed running into a vans path, and father goes backs to his Villa in Turkey, still estranged from his daughter. Deathwish it ain't. Vengence it ain't either. Limp. Don't bother with.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Oh no, oh no
It's not quite one-star worthy but this one is sh... Why on earth is Mark Strong still persisting with a dreadful Scottish accent? Why had Colin Farrell returned? Why is Taron Egerton so annoying in his suit? But what's worse is every action scene looks like a computer game simulation . It's off putting and difficult to suspend disbelief when it looks so unreal and therefore I felt less than fully engaged with this film. It hits those B movie hall marks I'm afraid and lacks the freshness of the original film. Unfortunately the makers managed to get some vig names attached to the film, which is a bit of a waste when the writing and general story lines let it down. If you've ever watched a 1970s James Bond Spoof with Bernald Lee and Lois Maxwell, this is one of those films. Stick to the original and pretend the sequels don't exist.
Predator 2 (1990)
Underappreciated 90s action
I watched this for the first time in full this week (2023). I've only ever seen a few scenes of the first half of the film before now, over the past 33 years since this film was made. I have to say, wow, what a cast ensemble. The who's who of late 80s character actors and action stars makes this a peice of history, not least with the transition from 80s influence to 90s take on action films. The visual effects moved on, with enhanced effects for the cloaked predator. And a much larger, concrete, jungle to play in. It was like Die Hard moving from an enclosed skyscraper setting, to the whole of NYC in DH Vengence. To me this was a natural evolution on the original concept. Its pales compares to the Arnie original in terms of characters and memorable one liners; no "stick around" or "tyrannosaurus" but it's got the action and set peices you would hope for, with elements that surely inspired aforementioned DH Vengence, Speed, a bit of Lethal Weapon course, and I couldn't help but remark on similarities to Dirty Harry, not least about the partner situation as well as Glovers attitude in the film. I shall definitely watch this again. But where the original for me scores a perfect 10, the sequel is a couple of notches down because that's usually the way it goes. Set in 1997, perhaps there's an Easter egg in itself, woth Arnie appearing the next year in T2, set in 1997. Also, I swear I saw the skull of a Xenonorph in the Predators trophy room on his ship - perhaps justifying the AVP spin-off which is also better than the ratings suggest.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Sorely under rated
I've only seen this film twice. Last night (2023) and ten years before that. Originally I hated it, but revisiting it now I came to appreciate the action, the characters and the slick integration between two franchises. For me it worked although there were moments I struggled to keep up with the action, particular when the pyramid went active every ten minutes and people got separated. Bit everything about this film feels modern and really quite watchable. It has a good cast with the odd Easter egg for fans of the Alien franchise. And I really liked the sequel, Requiem, which follows the action from this film. The key to this being a good amalgamation of two franchises is they kept it serious and avoided cheap humour. I think it's best to see this film before watching Alien, or Predator, so you can really appreciate how great the originals were. The ending also had an element if The Things ending which I liked.
The Predator (2018)
It's watchable
Well it certainly moves the franchise on a bit. It's a hybrid Predator film of sorts, much more comedic than a violent Predator film has any right to be. It feels like they've tried to humanise the Predator just a bit too much. And revolving around an autistic child doesn't really work for an adult film; ever see the film Flight if the Navigator? That's what this film feels like. I quite enjoyed the loonies group of characters that said a band of pirates perhaps. Fun but doesnt hild a candle to the original cast. It bares little relation to the tense and graphically violent original and it doesn't feel grown up enough, coming across a little bit cartoony. The main characters are a bit pants and some of the story progression is ill conceived. For example, the kid blows up a house and kills its occupants just because they didn't want to partake in trick or treat. It might seem funny but it dampens any attempt at this being a serious thriller. And making the Predator 11 foot tall meant it instantly has to be a cgi foe instead of an actor in a scary costume, which takes away a bit of the realism, if that's a word you can ever use in a sci fi. I would say then that this film is best iewed away from the franchise. It has entertainment value in its own right and you can then really appreciate the original as a masterpiece in Predator story telling.
Queen of Oz (2023)
Quite dreadful
I didn't have high hopes. The adverts were fairly telling. Catherine Tate is the wrong actor for this role. I couldn't help but recall Jennifer Saunders role as Eddie Monsoon in the BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous. That character is what the Catherine Tate appears to be mimicking and regardless, her outbursts and numbing f
dialogue is simply forced, unfunny, and almost unwatchable. The other main characters are campy but not funny and I think it misses the mark. I think this series is trying to be something like The Thick of it. A sharp witted political comedy with outrageous characters and a fantastic slew of blue language wittily spurted out like it was yesterday's gone-off yoghurt. The fairest thing to day is it's filmed in Australia. Unfortunately it's got Australia's lack of comedic talent, supporting an actress I otherwise find very funny. Just not this series. Wrong actress. Try again with Jennifer Saunders, or Kathy Burke.
Red Dawn (2012)
Not so bad
This film does not deserve the panning that a litany of reviewers have given it. It's produced on a decent budget and there are a couple of well known names amongst the cast. The action is solid. Given its only 90 minutes long it can't hang around. It has one of those "what if" scenarios that have fascinated many film fans for a long time. This is a remake of the 1984 cult classic and instead of Russians, it's North Koreans invading US soil. In the 1940s it could have been the Japanese. Perhaps in the current climate they should have gone with the Chinese! But you could also think about recent apocalyptic tv series and also The Man in the High Castle for inspiration. The film moves pretty fast which is a shame because it doesn't have much time to develop the characters, so we're a little force fed at times but on the whole it passes for a quick action movie and I confidently give it 6 out of 10. Its worth a watch if you're stuck for what to see next and with Chris Hemsworth in the lead you can't go wrong. There's even a Walking Dead star in the third act that maybe keeps this film relevant. Watch it, enjoy it. There are plenty of dreadful high budget Netflix and Amazon films to wish you'd never watched, so why not.
How It Ends (2018)
Subtle but tense
I have to say I really liked this film from beginning to end. Starting from the beginning, Will, played by Theo James, is visiting his in-laws in Chicago while he's left his girlfriend, Sam, back in Seattle, so he can ask permission to marry their daughter over dinner.
The father, played by the excellent Forest Whittaker, doesn't like his potential son in law and they have an argument before he even asks the question, and Will leaves for his hotel. The next morning while face timing with Sam, the line goes fuzzy and there's an apocalyptic and almost alien sound and Sam says the power has gone out and moments after, the call terminates. Will, leaving Chicago at the airport, finds all flights have been cancelled and he returns to the in laws. Sam's mother leaves to be with their son, and the father asserts to travel across America to Seattle to find his daughter with Will.
This film is a journey we would all face if something like this happened in real life. The mass exodus of the cities. Civil society collapsing through panic, greed, and of course survival. There are no zombies. No scientists. No heroes. It's simply a story of a father and his potential son in law, fighting their way across the USA to find Sam. The enemy is other people. The tension comes from not knowing what has caused events of mass destruction to occur.
The ending? Well as far as I'm aware there is no sequel and the ending of the film finishes abruptly with our survivors heading north and away from a thick Ash cloud. There are no apparent saviours or explanations to what's going on. Could it be the beginning of a war? An alien invasion? Natural disaster? Is it the end of the world? Its quite ambiguous and taken in a literal sense, the film doesn't really say How It Ends but I'd argue that in a real life scenario where all of our communications and power supplies are abruptly broken, we wouldn't know what's going on either, and so it's down to an individuals observations. We are offered a theory near the ending, that it's all part of a previously considered simulation turned real. But I think that's why it deserves a rewatch and enjoy the few characters that there are. The effects are perfectly good so it's not going to date like a cheap SYFY flick The acting and the writing is believable and not cringy and for anyone caring about production values, it's good.
I think it's a must watch film that you could then partner up with something less ambiguous like 2012, or The Day After Tomorrow, or Bartle Los Angeles, something like those. Heck, why not even try San Andreas.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)
Worth a watch
OK here's the deal with this film. The title is dreadful. It sounds like a working title that they couldn't be bothered to replace with something catchy like "The Handle" which happens to be the focal point of the film. The Handle is a code word given to some high tech weapon that's been stolen from the Ukranians and up for sale to the highest bidder. The film starts quite badly, as if directed by some kid who doesn't know what a big budget spy film looks like. But as other people have said, the film steps up a gear after the first laborious 45 minutes of generic doesn't-make-much-sense drivel, presumably when Guy comes around from a concussion I'm guessing. For me, the highlight is Hugh Grant's performance of Greg, whom is reminiscent of his character Fletcher, from another Guy Richie film, and happens to be my favourite of his: The Gentlemen. It kept me going right to the credits and his bromance with Josh Hartnett (I can't say I've ever seen him in a film) is worthy of a second watch alone. Jason Statham kind of goes through the motions in the beginning but just like the the film he steps up a gear in the second half. It's fair to say the film does get better and enough so that I'll watch it again but it's by no means Guys best work and I can see why he's never signed up to direct a bond film. They're not quite gangster enough for his talents. The set pieces are great that said. Stathams stunt work is as good as ever here although he seemed to have lost his voice a bit. I could have sworn Guy reused the BBQ table from The Gentlemen in the credits sequence scene with Hugh Grant's Greg/Fletcher character burning a wagyu steak. And several other actors from The Gentlement share a scene or two here, not least Bugzy Malone who also lit up the film when given the opportunity. Anyone scoring below 6 needs to rewatch the film as they were probably staring at the phones rather than the screen. 7 put of 10 is probably too generous but I found enough to enjoy out of this cheesy spy film. See you next Tuesday.
Everyone Else Burns (2023)
Disappointing
When I started watching this, I was hoping for a level of comedy similar to Friday Night Dinner. It isn't close. Simon Bird is questionably plausible as a father of a 16 year old daughter, hampered by his Will McKenzie character image no doubt. There are amusing occurrences throughout the series, some cynical, some briefly exploring what happens when moving away from the "cult" rules, but the overall tone is up and down, between comedy, and drama and the final episode for me was a bit dark and sinister to genuinely enjoy it. So what is it I've been watching for 6 episodes? A comedy about the absurdity of cults? A drama exploring the control and abuse that members are subjected to avoid being expelled from the order? Was it written from the perspective of somebody who left a cult once upon a time? It wasn't very entertaining and I don't expect it to receive any comedy awards, or a second series for that matter. I think the subject matter is too complex for the writers to make targeted jokes and so it's all a bit ambiguous. And genuinely, there were scenes in each episode that I just didn't enjoy because they felt clunky, and lacked the commitment to exploit the full absurdity of the characters beliefs, and I didn't understand the motivation behind making this series. I'll stick to father Ted and Derry Girls.
Far Cry (2008)
Predator vs Universal soldier
So, I've played the original game and the film contains a modicum of similarity. It's a shame it's on such a small budget but I have to say, I enjoyed it. I could well have imagined Jason Statham playing Jack in a big budget adaptation. And Jon Lovitz as the food guy. I watched the film because at 95 minutes long, well 85 excluding credits, it felt like a punt to pass just over an hour. And I don't regret it. In fact I'd watch it again. The story that said is hampered by the runtime. There's little time to develop any characters. Jack gets a little obsessed about his 2/10 rating by Valerie, where a more secure character would have merely said "hey, it's a start". Craig Fairbrass is a face from the past, and a welcome one at that for me. He was watchable and a source of entertainment for a secondary character. His best henchman role is in Cliff Hanger but he does a decent job I'm Far Cry. Watch it when everyone has gone to bed because they'll think it's rubbish unless they find themselves curiously addicted.
EastEnders: Episode #1.6616 (2022)
The episode that cried wolf
Maybe it's just endemic of the low quality and writing ambition that we arrived at this episode on Boxing Day. After the cliff hanger that Mick went back into the water to save Linda, in this episode he's disappeared. Ooooh. So the fall out is Janine and Linda both heading back to the square under their own steams, to face off in the Vic. A distraught Linda has to tell Shirley that her son went in the water to save her but hasn't been seen coming out. Janine of course assumes he's drowned while Shirley, who suffers a brief fit of strangulation of Janines neck, goes through all the emotion of a penguin, when we the viewer knows full well that in soap opera land, if there is no body there is no death of said character. So all in all, the acting talents of the three ladies is just one waste of time if any viewer fell for the emotion of the storyline. It is so transparent that while Mick has certainly been written out, and we've been left to believe he died, we have to accept that given the parallels to Den and Angie with Mick and Linda, that this can only be a dirty den canal moment. It can be nothing else. So what a waste of effort this episode transcends to, the only satisfaction being that Janine is also being written out. Hurrah.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)
Gorgeous animation
As I say in the headline, the animation itself is gorgeous. CGI animation in the form of Pixar films has become wearisome and cheap and so it is really refreshing to see something akin to classic cartooning, and to draw an obvious parallel to the Snowman. Of course, the animation in the Boy... is far superior and can be savoured on its own. The story is sweet. A young lad searches for a home and befriends some animals on the way. The voice work isn't to my liking. The boy sounds a bit American. Despite who they are, the other voices felt a bit out of place for the characters they're portraying and lacking synpathy with the tone of the cartoon. And for the duration I found myself comparing the story to Animals of Farthing Wood and ultimately I was found wanting by the end. I appreciate times have changed but the story elements are a bit saccharine and woke. And the ending whilst feel-good, makes little sense when the boy needs food, water and warmth. It's a definite watch at least once but I'm not convinced I'd watch as many times as I have the Snowman , or Animals of Farthing Wood for that matter.