Im not sure what i was expecting from this film but i am certain this wasn't it. The first action sequence was quite good but subsequent action scenes were terribly unrealistic. The narrative about Jesse becoming desensitised to the horrors of war played out too quickly and by the end her cavalier approach was hilarious. Lee having a very temporary bout of PTSD was ridiculous. It tried to add drama and tension artificially and in my opinion it detracted from what i was watching. Im aware that it was supposed to comment on and acknowledge that these events can happen anywhere and that while we allow ourselves to be further divided and partisan politically it becomes ever more likely. I just dont think the film was particularly entertaining or clever in its message. I also think there just wasnt much to the film at all, it is basically a handful of disparate scenes and the car journey between them.
Reviews
36 Reviews
Tabby McTat
(2023 TV Movie)
The worst Julia Donaldson adaptation. By far!
28 December 2023
I've two small boys at home so naturally the Julia Donaldson adaptations have formed an essential part of our television experience for a few years now. I've seen all the JD animations, more times than I care to remember.
This though has only been watched once and a half. My children were bored, my wife was bored and by crikey I was bored.
The animation was as good as always but the story was really, really lazy. It was derivative like most children's stories which is expected and forgivable but it was also really dull. I never care for the characters in the JD stories (they're short stories for kids) this time though I disliked them. I honestly wish Fred had broken his neck in the fall to save me from the last fifteen minutes of this.
This though has only been watched once and a half. My children were bored, my wife was bored and by crikey I was bored.
The animation was as good as always but the story was really, really lazy. It was derivative like most children's stories which is expected and forgivable but it was also really dull. I never care for the characters in the JD stories (they're short stories for kids) this time though I disliked them. I honestly wish Fred had broken his neck in the fall to save me from the last fifteen minutes of this.
By the numbers
11 February 2023
Mostly a dull by the numbers feature.
There are a few bits though that are really quite funny- The beginning of the movie whilst Dickie is a young boy is good for a laugh.
The bits with the former child stars satirising themselves was good too.
The funniest scene was actually cut from the movie and was a deleted scene on the DVD with John Lovitz in the back of a truck.
The best part of the entire film though is the song at the end! I could listen to it on repeat it's really good. It's sad to see twenty years on that so many of them have passed especially ones that went too early.
Everything else in the film was a bit boring and not very funny!
There are a few bits though that are really quite funny- The beginning of the movie whilst Dickie is a young boy is good for a laugh.
The bits with the former child stars satirising themselves was good too.
The funniest scene was actually cut from the movie and was a deleted scene on the DVD with John Lovitz in the back of a truck.
The best part of the entire film though is the song at the end! I could listen to it on repeat it's really good. It's sad to see twenty years on that so many of them have passed especially ones that went too early.
Everything else in the film was a bit boring and not very funny!
Glass Onion
(2022)
Rian Johnson has tiny hands.
28 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Another dull, absurd American murder mystery. I had a quick glance at the critic review section and was not surprised to see that of the eight that were immediately available the first six that awarded absurdly high scores were all American publications (one highlighting unexpected cameos- wow), the subsequent two with more modest scores were British. Europeans are spoilt in this genre and can discern between good quality suspense building mysteries and this.
Edward Norton's character (an Elon Musk caricature) is supposedly a moron yet he runs a huge multinational organisation where presumably someone other than Lionel may have spotted his inadequacies. He also (pre-alpha) helped all the other players achieve their dreams, not so stupid surely. Yet he was stupid enough to commit the murder himself, drive his unique car to the crime scene, invite the only witness to his island along with other friends, send an invite to the person he just killed even though he would be justified with no questions asked if he didn't. He also did not send the worlds greatest detective away immediately upon his arrival. The point being he's either a fairly intelligent, generous man or a complete moron with no redeeming qualities, depending on what the plot requires.
The other caricatures are shouty former model lady, attractive younger woman, lady politician, somehow a scientist (researcher), dimwit muscle man redneck, downtrodden ethnic help and finally twinnanigans and Truman capote.
Also when your character relies on luck (notepad in pocket) to survive it's just poor writing. It's also rubbish to have a twin show up half way through.
In fact the more I think about it this film is just really, really bad. Roan Johnson is just not a particularly good writer in my honest opinion.
It looks nice and it's mildly amusing so four stars.
Edward Norton's character (an Elon Musk caricature) is supposedly a moron yet he runs a huge multinational organisation where presumably someone other than Lionel may have spotted his inadequacies. He also (pre-alpha) helped all the other players achieve their dreams, not so stupid surely. Yet he was stupid enough to commit the murder himself, drive his unique car to the crime scene, invite the only witness to his island along with other friends, send an invite to the person he just killed even though he would be justified with no questions asked if he didn't. He also did not send the worlds greatest detective away immediately upon his arrival. The point being he's either a fairly intelligent, generous man or a complete moron with no redeeming qualities, depending on what the plot requires.
The other caricatures are shouty former model lady, attractive younger woman, lady politician, somehow a scientist (researcher), dimwit muscle man redneck, downtrodden ethnic help and finally twinnanigans and Truman capote.
Also when your character relies on luck (notepad in pocket) to survive it's just poor writing. It's also rubbish to have a twin show up half way through.
In fact the more I think about it this film is just really, really bad. Roan Johnson is just not a particularly good writer in my honest opinion.
It looks nice and it's mildly amusing so four stars.
Andor
(2022– )
Is this heading somewhere?
21 September 2022
So far this looks really quite good. It's building to a decent story and I really hope it's not a false dawn. It looks like Star Wars! It's a little daft in places but so far this seems like rogue one and I like it.
So far this looks really quite good. It's building to a decent story and I really hope it's not a false dawn. It looks like Star Wars! It's a little daft in places but so far this seems like rogue one and I like it.
So far this looks really quite good. It's building to a decent story and I really hope it's not a false dawn. It looks like Star Wars! It's a little daft in places but so far this seems like rogue one and I like it.
So far this looks really quite good. It's building to a decent story and I really hope it's not a false dawn. It looks like Star Wars! It's a little daft in places but so far this seems like rogue one and I like it.
So far this looks really quite good. It's building to a decent story and I really hope it's not a false dawn. It looks like Star Wars! It's a little daft in places but so far this seems like rogue one and I like it.
Resident Evil
(2022)
Never a massive fan of RE. Hate it now!
15 July 2022
How on earth did this show get made and released.
I'll be perfectly honest I couldn't even make it all the way through the first episode. It really was that bad. The acting, the direction, the special effects, everything was awful. I've seen better production on YouTube.
I can honestly say I was rooting for the zombies!
I'll be perfectly honest I couldn't even make it all the way through the first episode. It really was that bad. The acting, the direction, the special effects, everything was awful. I've seen better production on YouTube.
I can honestly say I was rooting for the zombies!
Beyond bizarre acting/directing
15 July 2022
I found this absolutely painful to watch.
During the scene where the main character is being chased by zombies at the start - why when she is on the floor with a zombie on top of her do the remaining zombies just stand there? Some even walk away. The acting and directing in that scene is so bad It's absolutely bizarre.
During the scene where the main character is being chased by zombies at the start - why when she is on the floor with a zombie on top of her do the remaining zombies just stand there? Some even walk away. The acting and directing in that scene is so bad It's absolutely bizarre.
Better to a point but still not very good.
8 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The action was better in this episode as were the sets.
Unfortunately the story is still not very good, the acting is atrocious from the inquisitors.
How many times are Disney Star Wars characters going to be saved by spaceships turning up at just the right moment too. It's really boring!
Why can no one run properly, seriously everyone runs really oddly and really slowly.
Unfortunately the story is still not very good, the acting is atrocious from the inquisitors.
How many times are Disney Star Wars characters going to be saved by spaceships turning up at just the right moment too. It's really boring!
Why can no one run properly, seriously everyone runs really oddly and really slowly.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
(2022)
Greased up deaf Leia!
27 May 2022
If you watched the trailer and enjoyed it then you'll be disappointed by this.
I'm not sure who this is for. After the first half episode I was excited. It was gritty and dark, almost adult. Leia arrives and there's a slapstick chase and I'm left deflated.
The big bad lady is a caricature. Badly acted but sassy.
It's not without its charm, mcgregor is very good, the effects are good.
I'm on the fence so far.
I'm not sure who this is for. After the first half episode I was excited. It was gritty and dark, almost adult. Leia arrives and there's a slapstick chase and I'm left deflated.
The big bad lady is a caricature. Badly acted but sassy.
It's not without its charm, mcgregor is very good, the effects are good.
I'm on the fence so far.
Death on the Nile
(2022)
The worst Poirot!
4 April 2022
Both David Suchez and Peter Ustinov treated Poirot as a hyper intelligent, pragmatic individual with a toying sense of fun. Poirot enjoyed being more intelligent than the other characters and he knew and we knew that it was only a matter of time until the killer was caught in Poirot's web.
Branagh on the other hand plays Poirot's intelligence as a burden, as if weighed down by the expectation on him to solve the mystery. This for me takes an interesting part of the character away. It makes the character duller, less whimsical and less likeable. It makes Poirot the same as so many detectives that have gone before. Coupled with Branagh's tendency to massively overreact (shouting isn't acting) then a dull Poirot is created.
As for the film itself, watch the version with Peter Ustinov instead. It is superior in every sense. In this version the support cast is not fleshed out, they're just there. You don't care when people die even though you know you're expected to care about a particular death as Poirot basically screams we should.
In short the movie is not very good because as a murder mystery it's been done much better and the main character is unbelievably dull.
Branagh on the other hand plays Poirot's intelligence as a burden, as if weighed down by the expectation on him to solve the mystery. This for me takes an interesting part of the character away. It makes the character duller, less whimsical and less likeable. It makes Poirot the same as so many detectives that have gone before. Coupled with Branagh's tendency to massively overreact (shouting isn't acting) then a dull Poirot is created.
As for the film itself, watch the version with Peter Ustinov instead. It is superior in every sense. In this version the support cast is not fleshed out, they're just there. You don't care when people die even though you know you're expected to care about a particular death as Poirot basically screams we should.
In short the movie is not very good because as a murder mystery it's been done much better and the main character is unbelievably dull.
Mother/Android
(2021)
I'm really not sure what to think
11 January 2022
This is a real dichotomy of a film. Mostly I thought it was very much a slow burn. Too slow! Decisions they made were frankly ridiculous and the stupid machismo of the army really grated with me. The whole scene with the bike was dreadful- they had to go 20 miles, half an hour on a bike? Yet they stopped so CGM could soak her feet?? The androids couldn't keep up with the bike but then could keep up by jogging? None sense!
However, I really enjoyed some of the ending. The twist, though in some ways obvious, was really well put together. I kept second guessing myself, which makes for a good twist in my book.
The acting was also decent and the effects were ok.
I get that the budget was small but they could have used a bit more action. If the androids were too expensive to CGI they could have used humans, perhaps like mad max or the raiders from fallout.
However, I really enjoyed some of the ending. The twist, though in some ways obvious, was really well put together. I kept second guessing myself, which makes for a good twist in my book.
The acting was also decent and the effects were ok.
I get that the budget was small but they could have used a bit more action. If the androids were too expensive to CGI they could have used humans, perhaps like mad max or the raiders from fallout.
Vigil
(2021– )
Just not very good.
8 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This program is really quite dull. The drama is in my opinion forced- nothing seems natural as the crew lurch from one near disaster to another like complete amateurs. The crew from "Up Periscope" were more competent.
Suranne Jones is a very capable actress but In this I'm not sure what her direction is- just to be as belligerent as possible whilst pulling a face that shows your contempt and disbelief?
The other problem I have with the show is the ridiculous number of 'why would they do that?' Questions.
Why would Martin Compston's character still be on active duty after being disciplined so many times through his career?
'Why would a claustrophobic with drowning issues be put on a submarine?
Why was she investigating alone?
Why was the other lady investigating alone?
Why was she allowed to carry out searches on a nuclear base alone?
Why did she shout hello to her intruders?
Why did the protester lie down on a country lane to stop a car?
Why didn't they see that tanker?
How did the protester get onto the nuclear base with her boyfriends ID card?
There's loads more but the point is if during an episode you're forever thinking 'that's stupid' or 'that wouldn't happen' then it ruins the experience for you!
There are also zero surprises or twists so far as it's so bloody cliched! You know there's a drowning issue in the leads past so the flashback was pointless (execution was bad too).
You know that the second the protester didn't say who she was meeting that she was done for.
It's dull, uninspired, uninspiring and underwhelming.
Suranne Jones is a very capable actress but In this I'm not sure what her direction is- just to be as belligerent as possible whilst pulling a face that shows your contempt and disbelief?
The other problem I have with the show is the ridiculous number of 'why would they do that?' Questions.
Why would Martin Compston's character still be on active duty after being disciplined so many times through his career?
'Why would a claustrophobic with drowning issues be put on a submarine?
Why was she investigating alone?
Why was the other lady investigating alone?
Why was she allowed to carry out searches on a nuclear base alone?
Why did she shout hello to her intruders?
Why did the protester lie down on a country lane to stop a car?
Why didn't they see that tanker?
How did the protester get onto the nuclear base with her boyfriends ID card?
There's loads more but the point is if during an episode you're forever thinking 'that's stupid' or 'that wouldn't happen' then it ruins the experience for you!
There are also zero surprises or twists so far as it's so bloody cliched! You know there's a drowning issue in the leads past so the flashback was pointless (execution was bad too).
You know that the second the protester didn't say who she was meeting that she was done for.
It's dull, uninspired, uninspiring and underwhelming.
The Walking Dead
(2010–2022)
Rewatched the whole series!
21 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I've just rewatched the whole thing. Whilst most acknowledge that the first 3 seasons are the best it's only on a second viewing have I come to understand why.
The characters in the early episodes of the show are grounded in reality. You can relate to them all as we all know a Shane and a Dale. People who have faced adversity and triumphed and those that have faltered. The struggles they face seem real and how they embrace them seem logical and sensible.
By the fourth season the quality drops considerably. The characters are still largely reflective of real people the decisions they make are not. There's also more plot contrivances particularly around the loss of the prison and the journey to terminus. On several occasions there is an all is lost moment followed by a heroic and nonsensical redemption.
There is a lack of attention to detail which makes things seem unbelievable, as an example in one scene a man is partially surrounded by walkers yet instead of running for the considerable gap he stands flailing a stick around waiting for the inevitable.
Terminus is disappointing- the concept is brilliant but the execution is dull. No guards? No lock on the entrance? Just an old lady to greet you? Rubbish.
Negan is a bit bad too as are the saviours but at least they behave like people might. The whisperers are the worst of the bunch- earlier on it's established that the walkers detect through smell, sight and noise yet the whisperers can talk to them whilst wearing just a mask? It's rubbish!
Later characters detract from the believability of the show (yes I'm aware it's zombies) Ezekiel, princess, Jesus, the priest, the whisperers, the people in the junk yard etc and to a lesser extent Michone aren't really relatable. It moves the show from a gritty drama that excites because it's something you could imagine being part of to a bit of a joke show.
The characters in the early episodes of the show are grounded in reality. You can relate to them all as we all know a Shane and a Dale. People who have faced adversity and triumphed and those that have faltered. The struggles they face seem real and how they embrace them seem logical and sensible.
By the fourth season the quality drops considerably. The characters are still largely reflective of real people the decisions they make are not. There's also more plot contrivances particularly around the loss of the prison and the journey to terminus. On several occasions there is an all is lost moment followed by a heroic and nonsensical redemption.
There is a lack of attention to detail which makes things seem unbelievable, as an example in one scene a man is partially surrounded by walkers yet instead of running for the considerable gap he stands flailing a stick around waiting for the inevitable.
Terminus is disappointing- the concept is brilliant but the execution is dull. No guards? No lock on the entrance? Just an old lady to greet you? Rubbish.
Negan is a bit bad too as are the saviours but at least they behave like people might. The whisperers are the worst of the bunch- earlier on it's established that the walkers detect through smell, sight and noise yet the whisperers can talk to them whilst wearing just a mask? It's rubbish!
Later characters detract from the believability of the show (yes I'm aware it's zombies) Ezekiel, princess, Jesus, the priest, the whisperers, the people in the junk yard etc and to a lesser extent Michone aren't really relatable. It moves the show from a gritty drama that excites because it's something you could imagine being part of to a bit of a joke show.
An hour of no comment!
25 April 2021
Bill & Ted Face the Music
(2020)
I liked it.
17 April 2021
Is this film as good as the first two? No.
Does this make it bad? No.
It's a perfectly enjoyable film. The final act was very good if slightly rushed. The acting was decent and you could tell the cast had a lot of fun making it.
Does this make it bad? No.
It's a perfectly enjoyable film. The final act was very good if slightly rushed. The acting was decent and you could tell the cast had a lot of fun making it.
Beneath
(I) (2013)
I don't know why but I didn't hate this movie!
4 April 2021
As the title of this review suggests there was a lot of rubbish in this film. The acting was fairly ordinary. The characters made bad choices. They had all the facilities they needed to escape their predicament in the boat with them. An 8ft x 3ft boat that somehow managed to conceal all of these tools until the plot demanded they were discovered. If they worked together they could have escaped easily, yet they chose not to. They chose to turn on each other.
I think this is where I got my enjoyment from. The descent, the bickering. Sure, it wasn't always coherent but it was fun. It was fairly believable that for self preservation you'd try anything and I imagine once you've done an abhorrent act your more likely to continue down that route.
I think this is where I got my enjoyment from. The descent, the bickering. Sure, it wasn't always coherent but it was fun. It was fairly believable that for self preservation you'd try anything and I imagine once you've done an abhorrent act your more likely to continue down that route.
Grace
(2021– )
Like a long midsummer murders.
20 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't sure at first if this was supposed to be a bit of a daft comedy style murder mystery. It certainly had loads of moments where my wife and I were looking at each other in disbelief. A lot of the plot makes absolutely no sense, the police are borderline idiotic.
Why didn't they bother to check her story? Why did the bloke who got thrown of his balcony keep looking on an empty street for someone? Why did she kill her boyfriend and not the policeman? Why was she sleeping with the best man when the thought repulsed her? Why did John sims character show no urgency at the end when looking for the victim? Instead staring out to sea at the new development then spending time looking at a chair and some pliers.
It was pretty poor to be honest.
I've reread this, the English is bad but I don't want to rewrite it. Sorry.
Why didn't they bother to check her story? Why did the bloke who got thrown of his balcony keep looking on an empty street for someone? Why did she kill her boyfriend and not the policeman? Why was she sleeping with the best man when the thought repulsed her? Why did John sims character show no urgency at the end when looking for the victim? Instead staring out to sea at the new development then spending time looking at a chair and some pliers.
It was pretty poor to be honest.
I've reread this, the English is bad but I don't want to rewrite it. Sorry.
Family Guy
(1999– )
Sadly a show in seemingly terminal decline.
8 January 2021
I used to love this show. Back when it first came out I tried to encourage all my friends to watch it. I had a peculiar sense of pride and ownership that I had seen this show before any of my friends and got them onto it.
How sorry do I feel now that for at least the past six or seven seasons the fall from grace for this show has not just been consistent but has in my opinion been accelerating.
This obviously is only my opinion but there are fewer episodes per season that I even moderately enjoy. I used to watch every episode intently but now it's just background noise and sadly soon I fear I won't watch at all.
I suppose it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Many ways to skin a cat!
1 October 2020
To the race baiting chap in the reviews on here who's comparing the treatment of this fellow to those poor black souls of the Central Park 5 who were treated so badly, you do realise that police employ different tactics to ensure the optimum outcome. In this case by being overly gentle with the suspect the crime was solved with a favourable result. Also I'd imagine, and this is purely based on my experience with police, most want to get a productive outcome from an investigation and are not solely motivated by racism, homophobia or some other bigoted point of view.
White Lines
(2020)
Confusing mess of a story
20 May 2020
This was one part predictable whodunnit, one part slapstick and one part teen drama. Remarkably it's actually worse than the sum of its parts.
I watched this all the way through and I've no idea why. The programme gets worse as it goes along. It was laughable how daft it gets, this wouldn't be a problem if it was a comedy but the cast are deadly serious in their portrayals.
The parts that irritated me the most were the awful monologues to camera by the protagonist, who was a complete piece of s**t by the way.
I would absolutely not recommend this to anybody.
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