paulellis-41020 Reviews

Kill List (2011)

Disturbing, Nasty, Valid

[7/10 · 5 November 2023]

Took me a long time to catch up with this film, sort of glad I did, was tired when I watched it, wide awake after.

It plays out very much as a thriller/psychodrama to begin with and segues into horror territory. Unflinchingly brutal at times- I'm a seasoned watcher of horror and violent films but some scenes made me wince. Probably one of the hardest aspects of Kill List is the characters, often at odds with eachother, arguing and fighting but in love and best friends. The central character is particularly dislikeable despite a sense of twisted morality and there isn't really anybody in the cast you might like, but this creates a dark, morally, ambiguous atmosphere that drew me into the horrific conclusion.

Not a comfortable watch to say the least, goes from hit men at work to horror with some scenes and actions that don't make a great deal of sense but captivating in a very dark way, an antidote to so much stylised fluff with it's unrelenting bleakness of spirit. Certainly not for everyone but as far as modern horror goes it's well worth a look.

Nope (2022)

Nope, in not a good way.

[5/10 · 10 August 2023]

Took a while to get going, seemed like a family melodrama for the 1st hour or so and despite being well acted (and original) didn't grip, was supposed to be a an SF/horror, siblings having conflict and issues went on, with the occasional tickle of mystery.

By the time the protagonistic "alien creature" arrives I was losing interest and progressively did throughout the third act, some poor plot devices are contrived and seem tacked on, new characters seem not to fit .

I guess there is ambition here but a flimsy premise doesn't flesh out the run time.

The cinematography is great. Showing threat in the bright daylight sort of works although has been done before but seriously needs something to shock or surprise rather than elicit dismay, like the Vfx, certainly did for me, and my friends who agreed , nope in not a good way.

Dune (2021)

The BEST SF film for decades.

[9/10 · 29 July 2023]

Wether you like the book (and I read it years ago) or the David Lynch film or SF films generally or not, this is a superlative adaptation of the classic Frank Herbert novel.

Not so easy I guess if you aren't an SF fan but why watch in the 1st place, except this story is universal, family, friends, loyalty, betrayal, subterfuge- Shakespearian themes all encapsulated on far away alien worlds.

Excellently filmed, the progression and betrayal of the Atreides family by the Emperor as they colonise the mysterious planet of Arrakis, an inhospitable, dry place , inhabited by giant fierce sandworms and the indomitable Fremen.

The planet is the only source of "spice" in the galaxy, a precious substance that assists space travel.

OK, sounds like a load of space waffle but if you like a story with some something less flimsy than the majority of fantasy/SF crap then you are in for a major treat.

Acting is top notch, effects fantastic and the story is engaging and exciting.

I've watched countless SF films, this is one of the best.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Talk about Missing the Point..Quantum Yawn

[5/10 · 29 July 2023]

I really enjoyed the 1st Ant-Man film, good fun and great use of effects to drive a character driven story with an anchor in the real world with plenty of emotional gravity.

It was funny and engaging, the script tight and humorous and instilled some wonder on screen. Ant-man and the Wasp less so, and we end up here.

The Quantum realm glimpsed in the 1st film looked alien, dare I say trippy, but truly ODD! Less so in the 2nd film and ends up looking like any futuristic CGI alien planet in the MCU in Quantumania, albeit some quirky characters and plantlife- Avatar has done that much better, and to death I feel.

The last 3rd of the film totally lost my interest, I guess if I was much younger and less jaded it would be fun but I think probably not...the big bad dood was ok, faceless disposable cohorts dull, action was the usual seen before parade of technical proficiency but not much new...sorry I fell tired remembering the mediocrity of this disappointing nonsense. OK as yet another disposable time filler- sad it took so many millions to make.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Good Fun

[7/10 · 29 July 2023]

Plenty to enjoy here, if not a tad overlong, although the movie would bear a re-watch to take in some of the more hectic scenes and snappy dialogue. Obviously put together with love and care and am glad Jame Gunn directed,

Surprisingly moving at times, obvious tugs at the heartstrings are a bit much but not too schmaltzy, often exciting, and a good laugh here and there, a great addition to the trilogy.

Usual CGI excess spoils the action, looks so generic, mix it up with more VFX please!! Some great choice of music, as ever.

Acting is decent and the characters as engaging as ever, and there is a story! Won't disappoint fans of Guardians I reckon (unlike Ant-man Quantumania).

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Not that good..

[4/10 · 16 June 2023]

Avatar was fun, I watched a few times on Bluray the story was very average but the visuals were great.

This sequel is so lazy as far as the story goes..pretty much the same as the original which was derivative in the 1st place. The CGI is often wonderful but does not make a great film.

An hour or so too long, I waited for it to really get started and when it did the finale was so protracted I almost gave up...I pity cinema goers where their is no interval. As a a fan of this kind of thing I don't look forward to any extended version.

Not totally awful but millions of dollars seemed to have gone into showing how an imagined environment should look rather than engage the audience with how we could imagine that- no nuance, just polished spectacle Where next for Pandora as we have seen a lot of forest, sky and sea...caves, space..?

As more is to come I hope James Cameron comes up with something better, the box office and aftersales suggest not, which is a pity, for a fraction of it's budget lot's of better films could be made.

Sherlock (2010–2017)

Well Worth a Watch!!

[9/10 · 23 March 2023]

The scripts, acting and filming raise the bar. Rarely have I watched a series from the UK to be so entertaining. Took me a while to catch up on this and so glad I did, deserves classic status for it's wit and originality (despite adapting a character created over 100 years ago).

Worth re-watching for the meticulous detail and lines that you might miss. Each episode is both standalone and linked, best watched from the beginning though I reckon.

Cumberbatch as Holmes is superb, as is Martin Freeman as Dr Watson and Una Stubbs as Mrs Hudson as the central characters.

The supporting cast are ok but there are standouts, Andrew Scott as Moriarty is particularly good, at 1st I thought he should be older but he comes across as convincingly deranged, menacing and cruelly playful.

Altogether a top bingeworthy watch.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

185 Million Budget-What a Waste

[5/10 · 30 December 2021]

I had high hopes with James Gunn at the helm, even though I find Guardians of the Galaxy a bit over-rated. This is just ok, slightly better than the 1st Suicide Squad. Dumb and kind of fun but too long and to say this is supposed be for a more mature audience plays out as a load of early teen crap. Really disappointed.

Midsommar (2019)

Captivating Darkness in Bright Sunlight

[9/10 · 13 September 2021]

My only criticism is it's a bit too long- but what a journey from dark trauma in the States to sunny Sweden. It has been described as folk horror, and the only film that comes to mind is The Whicker Man..what a rare delectation of a descent into darkness these are.

Playing out like a fever dream memorable scenes abound, with decent acting, dialogue and a set that intrigues, I was captivated by what happened next with an increasingly dark and involving progression into ordinary/ extraordinary madness.

I would put this in the modern classic category, satisfying fans of horror,thriller and art-house.

Your Honor (II) (2020–2023)

Starts off Average, Doesn't get much better.

[5/10 · 14 April 2021]

Wanted to like this more-Bryan Cranston is a great actor but there is a lack of panache to the writing, it lumbers along with a good twist thrown in occasionally but it feels like it could be compressed. Don't get all the hate for the kid- he is a teenager and is predictably annoying, his acting isn't that terrible.

Only on episode 6, have invested that much time so will persist as the pace seems to be increasing but sort of wish I hadn't bothered- would be mystified if a second season is made.

Farscape (1999–2003)

Glad This Gets a high Rating

[8/10 · 19 March 2021]

Watching season 5 of Andromeda ( which is pretty poor) reminded me of this superior series which was out around the same time. Lots of fun, often surprising and well put together-sometimes a bit derivative and drags out storylines, like most series but deserves a positive nod for originality of plots and effects (ok, dated now but c'mon, so is most great SF). If you haven't seen before, wether you are into SF or not it's certainly worth a watch.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Poor, with some flourishes.

[5/10 · 10 March 2021]

After the original 28 Days..such a standard and crap attempt to cash in. Despite some stylistic and atmospheric scenes, at the beginning and 3rd act this plays out as a lazy cash in, it could have been so much better!! The most annoying thing for me was the American army was deployed to save us Brits- despite our army, navy and air force deployed around the globe before the infection struck..just them to save us, total BS. Some good scenes but FFS, spare me the patronisation.

Raised by Wolves (2020–2022)

Smart, Impressive looking, dissapointing end

[8/10 · 19 January 2021]

This looks amazing, good budget allows for great effects and sets. Well acted and scripted- the obvious shortcomings are being a 10 part series, always will show some lame scripting and acting. An impressive attempt at grown up SF, sadly the last episode left me puzzled, perhaps a second series will lift it and tie up some plot holes/ambiguities. Generally this was for me brilliantly entertaining-best SF series since the 1st 2 Expanse.

Brave New World (2020)

Great start, captivating for a while but disappointing..

[6/10 · 7 November 2020]

I was very interested by this series when I saw it pop up. I had little doubt it would not be very faithful to the original novel, as brilliant as it is was written in the early 20th century so there could be an opportunity to adapt the themes Huxley created. Sadly my interest waned. The scenes of the savage lands where clumsy but forgiven..the story arc not though. The fact the series might try and perpetuate itself after so many episodes became tiresome, after the prospect of revolution is established where do you go, Same Old World ? The Utopia is of course not what it is but once it is destroyed then what do we have but a thin allegory of the world we live in, rather than a shocking but captivating view of the future.. The revolution was predictable and again, quite clumsily portrayed, as are the Alpha/ Beta characters and the savage after a while, it starts to play out like a soap opera, the acting getting worse. Despite some excellent production design, superb electronica soundtracking and good sfx this wears out its welcome with a lack of ideas toward the last few episodes which rely more on metaphysical meandering and predictability. Really disappointed as it showed a lot of promise to be a slow burn smart show.

In Fabric (2018)

Bonkers in a Good way

[7/10 · 22 June 2020]

Billed as a comedy horror on Now-TV, hmm, not your usual fare, it's quite grown up stuff. Read a review when it came out and was quite intrigued, was hard to catch due to it's limited release but glad I caught up with this. There are horror elements, I loved the 70's lo-fi visuals that layer the atmosphere. One particular scene was both funny (peculiar-but a lot of this film is) and gross out. There is a sense of dread and foreboding pervading a lot of the film. There are some laugh out loud moments, particularly toward the end. I really enjoyed this, the performances were great, didn't take itself too seriously and was engaged throughout though I felt it faltered at the beginning of the 3rd act before picking up to a satisfying finale. Certainly not for everyone, a bit arthouse psychedelic, certainly not mainstream but for me an interesting, fun and different watch. Just don't expect a lot of sense and immerse yourself in it's stylish and assured bonkersness (if there is such a word).

Uncut Gems (2019)

Ok but Very Tiring!!

[6/10 · 19 May 2020]

Sandlers character is a grating ego-centric ahole mostly throughout. Got on my nerves, like a lot of the film. Long run-time for a slim plot, didn't have the stylistic flourish to justify it but just about held me to the end due to Sandler's great performance and occasionally engaging script. The pay off was not rewarding enough...disappointed after reading pro reviews (not just IMDB). Very "meh" about this.

Color Out of Space (2019)

Flawed but Engaging enough

[7/10 · 17 May 2020]

Enjoyed this enough to give it 7, probably should have been 6 but after reading so many 1-2 star reviews wanted to give it a little boost. Starts off quite standard horror and stays there pretty much until the last 20 minutes or so and then gets more original scary/unsettling. Acting is ok, Cage is relatively steady until understandably becomes his usual unhinged movie persona, but you kind of expect that. The rest of the cast serve the quite slim plot well. No classic but some good effects (the odd nod to The Thing), especially the freak out visuals toward the end made it enjoyable enough. Was good to watch a less run of the mill horror.