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Reviews
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Corruption of the Star Trek TNG Ethos and tedious
Whereas Star Trek Discovery cracks along at a fair old pace and re-invigorates the Star Trek Universe, Picard does its best to bring things to a grinding halt.
Sir Patrick Stewart is my favourite actor but here his doddering performance and lack of even his trademark baritone renders him devoid of the masculinity, charisma and authority his character once had. Maybe this was the point but the writers have got this terribly wrong.
What would have been so wrong with bringing a retired Picard back to active duty to face some genuine new threat, maybe a resurgent Borg with Picard and 7 of 9 mankinds best hope. Re-assemble some of the team and keep the pacing brisk and a new generation will fall in love with the characters and ensemble but what we get is pitiful.
Sack all the writers, get a new show-runner and give us a good character driven story with heart as this was the attraction of TNG and testament to its enduring appeal even to this day.
Picard Season 1, hit the delete button.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Thoroughly Entertaining Thrill Ride
Ignore any negative reviews of this movie, I love Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action movies and the wife (32 and a 'Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia, Rock Of Ages kind of girl) gets bored after 5 minutes with them but loved this giving it 10/10 so a great date movie with a really strong cast, good story-line and great art direction making it look incredible.
Any negatives at all? Well I didn't really like Jesse Eisenberg playing Lex Luthor but that could be because you are not meant to and the big bust up fight with the, 'big baddie' could have gotten a bit same old same old without a plot twist but all in all a highly-charged movie to re-invigorate the 'superhero' genre after the tired and jaded 'Avengers 2' and one I would happily go see again.
Venus (2006)
Proliferation of unnecessary foul language
Thought the movie was different, 74 year-old Peter O'Toole mesmeric in the role but why, oh why was there such a need for foul and unnecessary offensive language?
Both my wife and I enjoy a wide range of movies and visit the cinema regularly but I don't think I have ever heard the 'F' or 'C' word used more except possibly when being used by Danielle Lloyd in the Celebrity Big Brother house!
Character arcs of both lead characters were impressive with POT rolling back the years to become for one last time the swaggering Lothario and Venus grows from typical 'laddette' with attitude (masking painful memories of an abusive relationship and an unloving mother) to confident, balanced young woman.
Loved the classic line when Venus allowed POT to kiss her neck, "I'm going for a bath now to wash your slug tongue off me!"
Crystal Voyager (1973)
Extraordinary!
Whilst I understand exactly what 'Boo the Moo' is getting at when he reviewed this documentary and found it dull I would like to add a few comments.
This low-budget movie was made in the mid-seventies and yes it does it's age badly during the early 'documentary' parts.
The camera system developed by George Greenough to capture what it's really like to be 'in the tube' was pure genius then and I have yet to see anything else to better it in the intervening 21 years.
There really is no better way to become a Pink Floyd Fan! As a 14 or 15 year old (I'm 38 now) flicking through the TV channels one Summer's day during the school holidays I was transfixed as beautiful and 'otherworldly' images of crystal clear blue sea, surf, dolphins and crashing waves were wed to a perfect soundscape of Pink Floyd's 'Echoes'.
If you are already a fan of Gilmour & Co then you must see the 'Echoes' section of this piece in a darkened room with your home-cinema system cranked up to really appreciate the perfect fusion of Pink Floyd's unique sound and Greenough's visuals.
If you are not a fan, try the above and you will be.