nb99 Reviews

99 (2024)

A must watch for United fans and any genuinely neutral fans

[10/10 · 22 May 2024]

United fans will love this program. A great synopsis of their finest ever achievement as a club. Interesting insights from nearly all the main players involved (notably Roy Keane didn't participate which is a shame). Amazing to see even some of the players surprised by new revelations. Those of us who remember 1999 will love reliving it and will love the additional insight given by players and staff involved. Those United fans too young to remember will maybe learn just why this was such a unique group and why they are still worshipped to this day.

It's harder for me to say whether neutral fans will enjoy this. Obviously fans of rival teams won't and will say it's self-indulgent nonsense. However I do believe genuinely neutral fans of football (if there is such a thing!) will enjoy the new insights and details which generally would be kept "behind closed doors" at and soon after the time it all happened.

For me, thoroughly enjoyable, just the right length and a great piece of football documentary TV.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

There are no sides

[9/10 · 7 March 2024]

I wasn't totally impressed by the first part (yes, it seems I was in the minority). This though is a whole different ballgame. The same stunning visuals of the desert and the worms are present once again. The sound is again superb. What steps up a level here are the themes broached which are unusually dark and complex for a "Hollywood Blockbuster". Fate, greed, ambition, the manipulation of faith, the need for people to follow, the lack of clear winners - the list goes on and on.

Paul's character develops well from unlikely hero to credible hero to.....well something else, something darker. Why does he lead the galaxy to war when he knows billions will die needlessly? Does the power corrupt him or was this part of the necessary "fine line" he could see to save his people? It leaves the viewer with questions which probably leads to a welcome third movie. In fact the very brief cameo by Anya Taylor-Joy as Paul's future sister would suggest the 3rd movie is inevitable.

The stars of the show though are the deeply sinister Bene Gesserit who are behind all the major moves in the film "You of all people should know by now, there are no sides, Reverend Mother" was such a beautiful answer to seemingly having backed the wrong horse.

Some of my issue about the first movie was it felt at times a bit contrived. The only time I felt this in this one was the character of Feyd-Rautha. He wasn't a bad character but was he necessary? Firstly, not every film has to end in hand to hand combat. But secondly, if it did, didn't we already have Beast Rabban there who could have fulfilled that requirement? Anyway, small complaints.

So overall an enjoyable sci-fi movie which brought more complex and darker views to the game than the traditional good v evil movies. It has huge potential to continue the series and could go very dark indeed in the next one when we learn what Paul is really all about.

"There are no sides".

Ultimate Survival: Everest (2004– )

Excellent Footage

[9/10 · 21 February 2024]

I've watched a lot of films and documentaries on Everest and what made this one stand out was the footage of parts of the climb you don't usually see. The relatively long length of the program means they had time to explain lots about the equipment, the various parts of the route up and interestingly a bit about coming back down (which is actually the bit most people die on). They also captured the steepness of the climb better than most of the other programs I've watched on it. Yes the music and commentary were at times a little over-dramatic but the stunning footage in my opinion more than made up for it. It's quite long overall so probably only for those already interested in climbing rather than a "must-see" for everyone.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Christopher Nolan Magic on Show

[8/10 · 19 July 2023]

I was intrigued to see what Christopher Nolan could do with a biopic about an important if perhaps little known figure from history. I vaguely knew the story but still learnt a lot. Give a theoretical physicist an unlimited budget, a tight deadline and get him to beat the Germans and Russians in turning theory into a real, working "experiment" which would quite simply change the course of history forever. Not a bad challenge.

The science is clearly dumbed down enough so the general population can follow, which I think they did pretty well (though a physicist might say otherwise!). Add in a wonderful performance from Cillian Murphy and of course the genius that is Christopher Nolan and you get a very entertaining film. The soundtrack is magnificent as ever with Nolan and the film is beautifully shot. Some of the dialogue between Murphy and Damon is superb, even if Damon's portrayal of the brash army man was at times a little clichéd.

I did enjoy the film and would recommend it. I think perhaps it didn't need to be 3 hours long. I think they could comfortably have shaved off 20-30 minutes without losing anything overall. Some of the post-experiment politics dragged a little for me. However I really am convinced Christopher Nolan is a genius and he's added a new string to his bow in taking on such a serious and potentially boring subject matter and turning it into an excellent movie experience. Well worth a watch.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The Best Yet

[9/10 · 14 July 2023]

In a time when many franchises (Bond and F&F spring to mind) feel like they're running out of ideas, MI seems to go from strength to strength. It's a great mix of stunts, humour and excitement and in my opinion represents the best of the franchise so far. Credit must be given to Tom Cruise - not my favourite actor - but he really does make the role his own. He plays the character so well - flying by the seat of his pants throughout and for the most part getting away with it. Some of the chase/stunt scenes are really superb including one of the most entertaining car chases you're likely to see.

It's a summer blockbuster - not life-changing but highly entertaining nonetheless. It's a cliché but the nearly 3 hours absolutely flew past. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended. Looking forward to part 2 already.

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Fantastic Indeed!

[10/10 · 12 July 2023]

I went into this film blind - it was recommended to me so I watched it - I knew nothing about it. Frankly I assumed it was Marvel or DC based on the title and of course I couldn't have been more wrong! It's a relatively simple story of a single father doing his best to bring up his 6 kids alone in a forest. He raises them in an unconventional way but how he genuinely believes he can best prepare them for life.

The film is wonderfully written, fantastically acted by all including the kids (who can sometimes be painful to watch in such roles) and beautifully combines humour with a heart-warming story. Because the moral of the story really is that there is no right way to bring up children. Parents try their best, make mistakes, inevitably compare themselves to other families and never find the "right" solution. Because there is no right solution! The kids here on paper are hugely outperforming in every way yet all they long for is boring normality. And so what we watch is their father desperately trying to blend what he believes is best for his kids with what he knows they actually want.

I'm perhaps not doing the film justice - please just watch it. Particularly if you are a parent as it will make you laugh and cry. It's surprisingly intelligent and thought-provoking but still funny and entertaining. It's genuinely one of the best films I've ever seen.

The Devil's Hour (2022– )

Unusual and Riveting

[9/10 · 7 July 2023]

This is not like many other TV series. It's fundamentally a Psychological Thriller mixed with a Detective series with a little dash of supernatural thrown in. And it keeps you guessing. Despite the name it's not a horror and it actually has very little at all to do with "The Devil's Hour" (3am to 4am) at all. But it's certainly worth watching.

Like many viewers, Peter Capaldi was a big draw from me but actually he plays one of the more minor characters (in terms of screen time). That might be a disappointment to some but some very fine performances by many of the other lesser known actors actually makes for a very watchable series. Special mention to Jessica Raine for a fine performance.

The story is well paced - a little slow at times but the story is always moving forwards even if you don't always realise it. It's confusing at times but all is "revealed" in the final episode and you never feel completely lost. What's unusual is that the "conclusion" is neither predictable nor completely out of left field - you're being given hints throughout of what might be going on but it's unlikely you'll guess.

Overall, a very watchable series - not too long or short, well written and well acted. 9/10 for me.

The Mummy (2017)

IMDB has it right, don't bother

[5/10 · 6 July 2023]

I broke my golden rule which is to never bother with a film rated below 6 on IMDB and so this was a disappointing 2 hours. For me, the main problem is it doesn't know what genre of film it is - Horror? Certainly not. Adventure? Mainly, but nothing new. Marvel/DC? No - the humour was missing. I think it doesn't do enough of any single one and the overall mix was disappointing.

As you'd expect the film is all about Tom Cruise - I think other than the introduction he was in every single scene of the film, front and centre. When in truth the Mummy was by far the most interesting character in it yet barely featured in comparison. And for a film with such a big budget, why were so many of the CGI scenes hidden by shooting in the dark where one was barely able to see what was even going on? It's usually a trick played by low budget movies so no excuse for it here.

It's not awful, but it is disappointing. It's like a poor imitation of Indian Jones (the original 2) or a Suicide Squad without any of the fun.

Fast X (2023)

Even for F + F, it's a Mess

[5/10 · 20 May 2023]

Do you remember the game people used to play where someone would write down the first line of a story on a piece of paper, fold it back so the next person couldn't see it and then they'd add another line, fold it back etc. Then at the end you'd read the story in full and laugh at the results? Well I think that's how Fast X was written. It's a mish-mash of the previous 9 films rolled into one with cameo appearances from almost anyone who's ever starred in any of them. The problem is the story is nonsensical - we have jumps to shoots all around the world for no reason at all. We have a few maudlin scenes from the past. And of course (this is not a spoiler as it's now everywhere in the press) Fast X is not in fact the last film of the franchise so there is no closure of any sort at the end. The cast felt tired, going through the motions. I think even they think there's maybe been too many movies in this franchise. The only saving grace here was the wonderfully over the top villain played brilliantly by Jason Momoa - every scene he was in stood out.

Yes there's the usual over the top stunts (though personally I thought not as good as some of the previous films) racing for no real point, fight scences etc so the fans of the franchise will probably enjoy it. But as a standalone film and even in comparison with the previous 9, it's a bit of a mess.

Good Boys (2019)

Not sure who the target audience is...

[5/10 · 1 May 2023]

So this film is most definitely not for kids. But it's not really for adults either. Listening to high-pitched pre-pubescent boys cursing a lot isn't really my cup of tea. I'm fine with bad language in films but here it's totally unnecessary and quite clumsy - but did they really expect 12 year old actors to curse constantly and make it sound natural? The story is fine, there's a couple of laughs but most of it is very predictable and quite forced.

Back to the title of my review - who is the target audience for this film? I guess maybe teenage boys. For what it's worth, the Inbetweeners is about 100 times better and appeals to a much wider demographic.

Summits of My Life: A Fine Line (2012)

Could have been better

[8/10 · 25 April 2023]

I like it, but could have loved it. The footage in the mountains is quite stunning, outdone only by the incredible achievements of Killian Journet, which are bizarrely almost brushed under the carpet. He's one of the most talented ultra runners of all time but he seems so uncomfortable discussing his achievements that they basically are barely mentioned in the film. Instead the film focuses on his relationship with the mountains from childhood to modern day. It's interesting but I'd guess most viewers would be more interested in the races he's won. But, like his move from racing to personal goal achievement, this film focuses on what he wants, not the rest of the world.

What I didn't enjoy was the way the film left huge gaps in the story - I had to go research a lot of the detail myself afterwards. It felt in some ways as if we were watching a long trailer instead of the whole film. Again, it felt like Killian made it for himself rather than the general public and so didn't need to go into too much detail.

Overall an enjoyable watch, a feast for the eyes. It's well worth doing some research on Killian to appreciate what an incredible athlete he is. But it just wasn't quite well enough put together for my liking.

No Time to Die (2021)

What's gone wrong with Bond?

[5/10 · 12 April 2023]

It's slow, it's serious, it's moody, it's sulky. It's the trend for the last few Bonds and one I personally don't like. I don't know if this is the writers', the producers' or just Daniel Craig's interpretation, but I find the recent Bonds have lost the one element that always made them great - the fun. Despite his huge ego, James Bond never took himself too seriously (until Daniel Craig appeared). A little joke here, a cheesy line there, a double-entendre to make the parents laugh. Why can't James Bond smile anymore?

Moving on from the more general to this specific film, I found the opening sequence extremely disappointing - one thing you can always rely on is a stunning opening action sequence, but not in this one. It's slow, overly drawn out, like the whole film really. Why make a nearly 3 hour Bond when the storyline isn't there to support it?

Yes some of the actions scenes are decent, Q as ever steals the show (and provides some of the few lighter moments) and the villains are great, but sadly for me this is the worst of the new franchise and they have been steadily regressing ever since the Casino Royale which showed promise.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Very Stylish

[9/10 · 24 March 2023]

It's stylish, very stylish. It's smooth, slick, fast, beautifully put together and keeps you entertained for almost the full 2.5 hours (which is quite long for an action film). Ultimately though, it is just a martial arts film and so if long fight scenes aren't your thing you're probably not going to enjoy this no matter how pretty it is to look at. But if martial arts are your thing, you're in for a visual treat.

For what it's worth, I personally found the Osaka scene just a little bit too long. The Berlin one was superb and the some of the action in Paris was quite remarkable - notably the scene shot from above which was really excellent. Also the irony that the Parisien drivers on the Arc de Triomphe were far more lethal than 25 men with guns made me laugh! And to go with the stunning visuals is a great soundtrack throughout.

If action/martial arts are your thing, it's hard to see you not enjoying this movie. And it really is one of those films you need to see on the big screen to appreciate.

Black '47 (2018)

Dark, Bleak, Compelling

[7/10 · 16 March 2023]

A film set in 1847 Ireland was never going to be a feel-good movie and this most definitely isn't. It's bleak and dark - practically filmed in black and white with only the bright red and gold uniforms of the British army providing any respite (which is ironic in itself given they commit most of the dark atrocities). The background is the Irish famine but it is not a historical drama - it's a strange mix of historical and revenge thriller. And I think that's the main flaw here - it's neither one genre nor the other and I think fans of one will find too much of the other and vice versa.

But it remains an interesting watch. There is an excellent (though unlikely) scene with a local drinking with the ruling British Lord which sticks in the memory. Many will learn of this bleak period of Irish history for the first time and will be shocked by the unthinkable horrors the Irish people faced at this time and the apparent apathy of their British rulers. Over 4 million Irish people died or were forced to emigrate during the famine - a tragedy on a scale that can barely be comprehended. And on that note, I loved the final scene which beautifully summed up the choice that so many Irish faced at that time - do we stay and fight an ugly, perhaps unwinnable war or do we walk away and start afresh in America?

Hereditary (2018)

The Scene was Set but Ultimately Disappointed

[5/10 · 28 February 2023]

I like horrors, the cast was strong, the IMDB rating high - I was looking forward to this. The opening 30mins set the scene well - it was all a little disconcerting without anything particularly scary actually happening. The clever background music added to the sense of impending disaster. They then killed off the best character in it pretty early, but it was at least a sign that no character was safe. Unfortunately from there it lost me a little. Watching Toni Collette's character scream and cry and then scream some more might be credible given the circumstances but made for unpleasant watching for 90+ minutes. That and the absurd casting of a 20+ year old man in the role of a teenage boy grated a little. The ending in fairness wasn't bad but the problem is I hadn't enjoyed much of the previous 90 minutes or so. So for me, it had a lot of potential, many of the elements required for a good horror but sadly let itself down with an un-enjoyable middle 90 minutes.

Waves (I) (2019)

Technically Excellent, Disappointing to Watch

[6/10 · 26 January 2023]

There's lots good here - the production value, the cast, the music. We meet a young man who seems at the top of his game, leading a life most teenagers would aspire to. Then there is an "incident" which changed everything. I like how we just jumped right into his life and frankly were happy to ride along with him on his journey. It made for comfortable, easy, entertaining watching - I have to say I was really enjoying it.

And then everything changes. I understand fully the director is trying to show how the "incident" changes everything, not just for the 2 people directly involved in the incident, but everyone around them too (hence "Waves"). My problem with it is that we effectively have 2 completely different films, each an hour long - different style, different genres, practically a different cast. It was just too much of a change for me - I came to watch an edgy, atmospheric high-school drama/adventure and I got that for the first hour. But then I had to watch an hour of a slow, depressing romantic drama which I found frankly boring. And I think the opposite would apply - if you came for the moody romantic drama, I think you'd have been disappointed by the first half. So for me, despite an excellent first half, it was overall a disappointing experience.

Les Misérables (2019)

Best Film I've Seen for a Long Time

[9/10 · 25 January 2023]

This is a really impressive film highlighting the complex nature of the problems in the Parisian "banlieue". As history has shown us, there's a lot of anger simmering below the surface in these areas and the film does a great job of showing how complicated these situations really are. We join a new policeman on an "undercover" beat ("Put away your Police armband, everyone knows we're cops" as one of them nicely puts it) and see their world through his "first day" eyes. It's a complicated world where there's no black and white, only shades of grey. The cast do an incredible job, particularly the kids and are so credible it wouldn't be surprising if many were actually from these areas. The story brings us gradually through the day with a building sense of impending doom throughout. I don't want to go too much into the plot but it keeps the tension high and keeps the viewer guessing right to the end.

Comparisons with La Haine are predictable and a little lazy. Yes both are set in the Parisian Banlieues and both are gritty films. Both are also excellent films. For me though, the fact that we see this film mostly from the point of view of the Police, changes things a lot. And don't think that means the film maker or audience are "on their side" - it just gives a different perspective. It also raises the concept of "Policing By Consent" and more to the point, what happens when the people no longer agree to be policed.

Overall a superb film - well made, well thought, well acted. Not too preachy but making several points and stays well clear of sentimentality. I can thoroughly recommend this one.

Amores Perros (2000)

Lots Wrong Here

[4/10 · 18 January 2023]

I'm not a huge fan of subtitled films but the raving reviews here convinced me to give it a go - that was my big mistake. In the end the subtitles weren't too much of an issue - always easy to read and many scenes without dialogue so not too intrusive. No, it was the film that was the problem. 3 vaguely connected stories which other than the 1st one, I found simply boring. The only positive were the young actors in the first story who gave credible performances which went well with the decent storyline.

I am not easily offended but found the treatment of animals in this film difficult to watch. I've read the "defence" of this - that there were vets on sight and the dogs were "only" drugged to look like they were dead, so only in fact sleeping. But what on earth are we doing drugging dogs for human entertainment? I found it completely excessive and frankly surprising that such treatment of animals is allowed.

But overall, I go back to the original point which is that the stories had too little of a connection to make them relevant to each other and that all but the first lacked, in my opinion, a decent storyline. So it was 2.5 hours of long, unpleasant viewing.

Dune (1984)

Weird and Not at all Enjoyable

[4/10 · 17 January 2023]

This film really is one of the strangest I've ever seen, but strange in a bad way, not in an intriguing one. I really disliked all the whispering used to share the characters' thoughts - other films use many different, far more pleasant ways to convey what characters are thinking. The storyline is difficult to follow, many of the characters are simply too weird which makes for unpleasant viewing in my eyes. The special effects were far from cutting edge when it was made and they have certainly not aged well in the 40 years since. I saw the first part of the recent remake and didn't enjoy it so much but this, well this is many times worse. Not for me.

War of the Worlds (2005)

Difficult to Watch

[5/10 · 4 January 2023]

I didn't particularly enjoy this when it first came out and having just watched it 17 years later it's still no better. The story is a good one, but the execution was poor. Firstly a bugbear of mine - can't we have a disaster movie without a divorced family involved? But that's far from the biggest issue. If watching a girl screaming every 5 minutes is your thing then you might just enjoy this. For the rest of us it's pretty painful to watch. The action scenes are totally unbelievable with countless massively unlikely near-misses for the lead characters. The only pluses for me are the special effects for the aliens and the fairly credible portrayal of a post-apocalyptic USA. But other films have done this and done it better. Not for me thanks.

1408 (2007)

Not enough plot for a full movie

[5/10 · 15 December 2022]

John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson are 2 of my favourite actors and I like the horror genre, so this should have been right up my street. I was intrigued to see how they'd keep a 1h45 film interesting when it was essentially set in just one hotel room. And the answer? Well, they didn't. The actors tried their best but ultimately there just wasn't enough story here for a full film. It does make you wonder how some scripts make it to the big screen at all. It felt more like a 30 minute "Twilight Zone" story or "Tales from the Crypt". So sadly, it goes on the very high pile of Stephen King stories that don't succeed in film format.

Serenity (2005)

I think this is only for fans of Firefly

[5/10 · 26 November 2022]

I haven't seen Firefly, know nothing about it. So I am just judging the film on a standalone basis. It's not great. It feels a bit like a low budget pilot for a series that never got made. For those old enough to remember, it reminded me a lot of Blake 7, but that in fairness was made in the 1980s and undoubtedly with a much smaller budget than Serenity. It just felt cheap from start to finish - the sets look like they came straight from Crystal Maze. The story jumped around without much explanation. I didn't really feel for any of the characters and River was a huge disappointment in terms of her contribution to the overall film. I'm sure this review will get slated by the many fans of Firefly who mostly admit they liked the film because they liked the series. As a standalone film though I'm afraid it offers very little.

Godzilla (2014)

Boring Build Up Just isn't Worth it

[5/10 · 15 November 2022]

This film is about 85% build up with irrelevant side-stories and unnecessarily long and boring scenes. Even in the world of Sci-Fi/Fantasy it's a very random story altogether. And then in the end it's a fairly predictable final battle scene most of which takes place at night so you can't really follow what's going on. I'd actually rate it far lower than 5/10 but I watched it on a TV and there is no doubt some scenes would be far more spectacular on a big screen with perfect surround sound. Overall it's hard to see the value of this film - it doesn't have ground breaking special effects, is quite boring in parts and is barely even watchable in the end it's all so dark. Hardly the recipe for a great action movie.

The Undeclared War (2022)

Not bad but too much filler

[7/10 · 6 September 2022]

The premise was interesting - in the near future, the UK falls victim to a sophisticated state-sponsored cyber attack. How should they respond? How quickly can things escalate? The story was fairly credible, there were some good acting performances. None of the characters were too annoying or irrational. My biggest gripe with it was the needless filler both in the form of unnecessary subplots and in one entire episode (3) filmed in Russian with English subtitles, which added little to the overall story. Effectively I think it would have made a good 4-episode season instead of the 6 they filled it to.

Overall probably worth a watch, maybe skip episode 3 altogether.

Mr. Robot: eps1.4_3xpl0its.wmv (2015) Season 1, Episode 5

Seen it all before

[5/10 · 16 August 2022]

I thought the clichéed cold turkey episodes were done with but apparently not. A serious drop off in quality for the series. Not sure if I'll even bother with the rest after this.