cmansell-29976 Reviews

Finch (2021)

Fantastic post apocalyptic pic...

[8/10 · 8 November 2021]

This wasn't movie I was expecting to like, at all, let alone love. Hanks absolutely nails it here and the production value is fantastic. It's funny, sweet, heartbreaking and thrilling. What more could you want? I won't go into spoilers, just watch it and make up your own mind.

Trying (2020–2024)

Charming and breezy.

[8/10 · 24 May 2021]

No spoilers at all.

Light hearted with a great cast and writing. Has a very Richard Curtis/Four weddings feel to it all with some fab characters. Subject matter is sure to be close to a lot of people's hearts and it's interesting to see the whole process play out on the small screen.

The Kid Detective (2020)

The surprise star of 2020

[8/10 · 6 January 2021]

Sometimes you stumble across a movie having no idea what it's about or where it's going to go, but you're glad you gave it a shot because it ends up being low key the best movie you've seen in ages. Adam Brody is one of those actors you cant help but like, well, for me at least. I remember him being touted for big things back in his OC days, but it never seemed to pan out that way. Wether or not that was by choice, I don't know, but he still has the goods and that's never been more evident as it is in The Kid Detective. Without giving anything away, Brody knocks it out of the park as a jaded ex-child detective who lost the respect of his hometown after failing to solve a single case years back. So much of his identity is tied up with this boy-genius detective persona that he struggles to make a meaningful adult life for himself years later and his failure still haunts him. There's lots of subtle, and not so subtle dark humour, great performances and a fairly big twist to look forward to. After his cameo in Shazam and now this, I can only hope we see more of Brody in the future.

The Watch (2020–2021)

This isn't even discworld adjacent.

[4/10 · 3 January 2021]

One of the things I keep hearing about this show is that it is not a direct interpretation of Sir Terry's phenomenal discworld, but it is inspired by it. I don't buy it. I think someone somewhere decided that they would cash in on one of Pratchett's most fleshed out segments of the novels, the city watch, in name and name alone, and totally missed the mark. I didn't expect it to be a love letter to Pratchett or fan service, but I did expect the characters to still at least have the same core that made them such treasures to read. Sam Vines is not Sam Vimes, it's true..."That's not my cow." At least not after the first episode. Same goes for each and every character from Angua to Detritus to Carrot to good old Dog botherer. I don't even care about the gender swap. Just give me the impression that there's a Machiavellian mind that's twelve steps ahead of everyone else working its magic behind the scenes, and I'll be happy. But here is where it really stings. You can tell that everyone really is trying. The performances for the most part are committed, albeit misinformed, the production value is decent, aside from Detritus's distracting appearance. And the punk vibe could have actually made for an interesting twist, but it just comes off as forced and therefore, pointless and shallow. I can only hope it gets better.

Man of Steel (2013)

What a Superman movie should be...

[10/10 · 22 November 2020]

A modern and updated take on Superman, man of steel is thrilling, thoughtful and incredibly rich and vibrant. The opening krypton scene alone is worth the price of admission and is absolutely breathtaking. There are complaints from people too stuck in the past to get over Christopher Reeves. Complaints of pacing, and too much action. Clearly these people have never read a comic, this is the definitive comic book movie because it plays out like a comic, how can any TRUE fan not love that? The cast is Phenomenal, Henry Cavill is the physical embodiment of what the Superman of a modern age should be. He's thoughtful, compassionate and selfless, yet feels wildly out of place and yearns for acceptance and to find his place in the world. And he just looks like he could demolish a skyscraper with one punch. Shannon is fantastic as Zod, the tyrannical general consumed with Kryptons resurrection. Crowe shines as Jor-El, the guiding hand and hopeful father of Kal, I only hope we get to see more of him in future stories. Costner is great as the voice of caution, the worried parent desperately hoping to keep the world from taking his son away for being different. All in all this is a fantastic movie, we even get glimpses of a more self assured and even cocky Superman when he allows the authorities to handcuff him and the scene with the drone at the very end. If only the studios would have stayed out of things and allowed a true sequel to come organically, rather than push to catch up with Marvel. At least now with the Snyder cut coming, we may get to see that.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Genius

[8/10 · 24 October 2020]

Sacha is back as Borat, and by gods is it a cringeworthy cocktail of hilarity. There's lots of folk that won't like this and simply dismiss it as crass and dumb, and on the surface you could be forgiven for thinking so, but it is anything but. Sacha is his usual amazing self, always staying in character through situations that would quite frankly have me pissing my pants laughing. The real treat here is his daughter. I've never seen Maria Bakalova before, but she more than holds her own on the screen and even outshines in a lot of scenes. Equally as fearless and fun as Sacha and a great sport for putting herself in a potentially bad situation with a prominent American figure. Trump supporters will no doubt cry fake and throw stones, but without verging into spoiler territory I'd say it was pretty obvious what happened and I'll say no more, other than I doubt Sacha would compromise his artistic integrity by lying. It was clear to me his only concern was cutting it short to keep his co star safe and unharmed. Good man!

Love and Monsters (2020)

Delightfully surprised

[10/10 · 17 October 2020]

Went into this having heard nothing about it and not knowing what to expect, which is rare in this day and age. As soon as I saw that Dylan O'Brien was the lead I decided I'd give it a go, and it wasn't a mistake. O'Brien is in his wheelhouse here, playing on the likeable beta male sidekick role that made him a breakout in teen wolf. He brings humour and heart to a project that could have easily been a generic and forgettable affair, aided with some great supporting stints from the likes of Rooker and Greenblatt, however brief they might be. Funny, warm and utterly charming. It's a family friendly Zombieland, without the expletives, the gore and...well, the Zombies. Well worth a watch if you're bored/down and in need of a good cheering up.

A.P. Bio (2018–2021)

Awesome show with widespread appeal

[8/10 · 5 September 2020]

I was gutted when I thought we wouldn't get a season three, but so happy that's not the case. Fantastic cast, great writing and just an amazing showcase of Glenn's talents. Anyone who loves Dennis Reynolds will get a kick out of this, although I disagree with those who say this is a toned down version of Dennis. Glenn really is great at capturing the narcissistic side but here he displays a great warmth and humanity albeit a repressed side that's coated in neurosis. His interaction with the very talented students, make this show what it is, and without giving too much away, is every bit as rewarding as anything on tv right now. Let's make sure we get many more seasons! Because we all deserve it.

Ted Lasso (2020–2023)

Brilliant little gem

[10/10 · 29 August 2020]

Funny and sometimes surprisingly heartwarming story of a rookie American football coach coming over the pond to coach a premiership football team down on their luck. Jason Sudeikis Is one of those great comedic actors who can handle pretty much anything you throw at him. Based on a character of his own creation you can't help but immediately root for his naive but eternally optimistic Ted Lasso, who doles out more than just a few nuggets of wisdom throughout that give us a clue that perhaps old Ted ain't quite as clueless as you might think. Supported by a fantastic cast with standouts from Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, the self obsessed rising football star. Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, a former legend/aged, cynical captain of the team with a mean streak that shares a few similarities to good old Roy Keane. Also Juno Temple as the it girl/girlfriend of the rising star Jamie Tartt, and Hannah Waddingham as the jilted ex wife of the clubs former owner who wins the club in the divorce and sets about destroying said club. There's not a weak link in the bunch with everyone bringing true comedic chops and depth to their respective roles, (Sudeikis and Goldstein are my personal favourites) Supporting cast is great and the whole American/British meld of humour just works. Reminds me a little of a fish called Wanda in that respect. A perfect remedy to anyone suffering from the lockdown blues.

Doom Patrol (2019–2023)

Strange, special and somewhat soulfully sweet.

[10/10 · 2 July 2020]

I love superhero shows. Like the movies, I find a very specific escapism to the genre that's in line with the comics on which they're based. There are great shows, like Marvel's Daredevil, that for me at least, are near pitch perfect, then there are those shows that started off amazingly, cough cough, Arrow/Flash, but faded into a shadow of what could have been. There are shows that never had the chance to become, (I'm looking at you Constantine) and then there are shows that tried something so different they were never fully appreciated for what they were. Ahem...Legion. Then we have Doom patrol. Perfectly cast, wonderfully written and flawlessly acted in almost all aspects that even when it's not firing on all cylinders it's giving us something truly, utterly, gleefully wonderful, that it can be forgiven it's so-called shortcomings. I say shortcomings because not everything can be all things to all people. And there will no doubt be people who will tell you this show has its faults. Maybe it does. But honestly. I fail to see them. Fraser is an absolute breath of fresh air as Robotman, so glad to see him again after so long and in such expletive joy, he is easily my fave, but I won't say the best because that can't be said easily with a cast like this. Mat Bomer is tragically wonderful and I love the depth that he brings. Dalton is his usual superb self. Bowlby is a scene stealing machine that I kinda have to admit that I have been secretly in love with her since Two and a half men, and she really shows off her chops here. Diane Guerrero is something truly special and that's all I'll say for anyone coming into this brand new, but be prepared for the underground. In fact the only negative thing I can say about this show is that Jovian Wade's cyborg feels strangely out of place at times, but being that he's the only true blue hero of them all it adds to the weirdness...my only gripe is his cyborg costume looks a little too rubbery/cosplay at times. But he's still so good, most of the time you don't notice.

Let's Kill Ward's Wife (2014)

Unexpected surprise.

[7/10 · 31 May 2020]

Slightly dark but charmingly funny with a great cast and dialogue. I love Scott Foley and as soon as I saw that he directed and wrote the screenplay I decided to check it out and I'm glad I did. I won't go into spoiler territory other than to say murder as never been so charming and breezy. Definitely worth checking out.

Defending Jacob (2020)

Slow burn murder/mystery

[8/10 · 27 May 2020]

Well written and produced, defending Jacob is one of those productions that won't be for everybody. The plot is a familiar and it unfolds slowly with plenty of (potential) red herrings thrown in to keep you guessing. What really sets this apart from other stories with this premise is the performances. Chris Evans is fantastic as always, once again proving he doesn't need Spandex or leather uniforms to steal the show. As Jacobs father he shows an unwavering belief in his son, fighting every step of the way to clear his name. Michelle Dockery is a rung out mess, having her life turned upside down both personally and professionally, she begins to question her so-called perfect life. Then there's Jaeden Martell as Jacob. After seeing him in both chapters of IT and knives out, it's hard not to be impressed with this young man. There are gut-wrenching moments of raw emotion coupled with cold and distant instances in which you start to believe this kid may actually be capable of murder. I haven't read the book, and having not seen the final episode yet I still don't know the outcome. I could totally believe that Jacob is a closet psychopath and at the same time believe he could simply be bright but misunderstood teenager lacking in a good dose of common sense. Looking forward to the final episode either way.

Upload (2020– )

The good place for the tech world

[8/10 · 4 May 2020]

Without providing any spoilers I will say that this was A) not what I was expecting, B) a very refreshing take on an already tried format. Great to see more of Amell, especially after the awesome code 8 with cousin Stephen. Great performances all around with a semi-dark comic twist. This isn't the glossy gag filled good place kinda thing, (which I loved also) but it is smart and surprisingly deep at times. That's not to say it isn't hilarious, but it's not laugh track corn. Highly recommended binge session.

Deputy (2020)

Could be better

[6/10 · 3 January 2020]

One episode in and this really could go either way. There's some decent actors, production value is good and the action is plentiful enough that it almost distracts from the fact that it's trying to be the next Justified. Almost. The big difference between this show and Justified is the writing, and dear god is there some bad writing here. There's cheese and then there's the veritable smorgasbord that is Deputy, with cliche after cliche of the tough guy, lone wolf, modern day cowboy, rootinest tootinest hombre in the whole of the west. And god damn, if he ain't just the guy to fix this whole mess. In all seriousness though, If they can tone this down a bit, try writing some of the supporting cast a little less cartoonish, (honestly, what was with the informant in the cell block?) and actually tighten the story up a smidge, this could actually be pretty entertaining.

The Witcher (2019– )

Epic!

[10/10 · 20 December 2019]

First episode in and I can say without a doubt that it's by far the most anbitious bit of fantasy put to the small screen ever. Interwoven snippets of the first two books are told here, which suggests a larger scale story throughout the series. Cinematography, the sets, costumes and cast all do well to bring the the last wish to life, but it's the last act of the episode that really hits home just how much the guys have really nailed it. Cavill, after a few jarring moments of dialogue, (I think I was probably still trying to get used to his "Geralt" voice) settles into the role and truly does become the witcher. His mannerisms, his graceful movements during swordplay, (pirouetting, just as he does in the books) his wording and even the sub-text, the words not spoken, he captures it all perfectly. And yes, the fight scenes really do make game of thrones look like an afternoon at downtown Abbey. I won't go on any longer, mostly because I'm dying to watch the next episode, but to anyone still in doubt of the casting. Watch it and fall in love, or don't, it's your loss!