Charliedog2015 Reviews

Prey (I) (2022)

Finally, a Predator movie with a real predator

[10/10 · 6 August 2022]

Unlike the catastrophic remakes since Predator 1 & 2 and all the pandering and virtue signalling we've grown accustomed to (thanks focus groups and marketing) we were given a real treat with Prey.

The Predator has returned, and a more violent and less plasma cannon repaint one at that. The storyline is predictable. Predator comes to Earth, the hunting trials it puts itself through to test its mettle against the best 18th century earth has to offer are pretty brutal, a singular character stands up to the alien hunter and eventually prevails but at enormous cost.

If you've come here looking for the King's Speech you won't find it. Is the acting stellar (no) but who cares? It's a sci-fi movie that returned to its original gory roots. It's a lot of fun and you should just sit back and enjoy. C'mon the Predator holds il a newly killed grizzly bear carcass in the air and BATHES IN ITS GORE AND BLOOD LIKE A MANIAC!

One final note, if you're of certain age set (say 16-40) a certain gender and with a definite right to far right view of the world and especially your place in it and you like whine and moan about how your expectations are being overturned all the time and "this sucked female Comanche weren't warriors!"Tough. Were you there? Did you use a Time Machine to validate this assertion? As you're so fond of saying "where is your indisputable 100% certain evidence?" Again it's sci-fi. Sci-fi, my boyo. Stories can be told that don't involve you and your stereotypes. And you know what? They're just as enjoyable like this one was. Grow up.

Ted Lasso: Beard After Hours (2021) Season 2, Episode 9

Best episode of the entire series

[10/10 · 26 September 2021]

We're constantly fed bad news in real life and Ted Lasso, while sometimes saccharin, is always very funny and very touching. This episode as stated, is all about Beard and we finally get a glimpse into his eccentric character. We experience his lacklustre ups and blow-by-blow downs (who hasn't felt like a complete loser, self loathing or angry at oneself?). But with all good screenwriting, you must drag your storyteller down before elevating him or her to the soaring heights of victory and in this case pure, unadulterated joy. I literally have the following scene on loop as it just so wonderful - Spoilers: the club scene towards the end of the episode is how we want to express ourselves but can't right now, as we stumble through this pandemic-laden world of ours. If you don't choke up a bit at the sheer glory and carefree fun of their dance, well there's always episode 10 to get you in the feels.

Coco (I) (2017)

Heartbreakingly beautiful. Surpasses Up and Inside Out

[10/10 · 15 April 2018]

Coco is about Dias de las Muerte (Day of the Dead), family, family crises and musical passion. The posters have a boy and an adult skeleton capering through the afterlife. So you can know that upfront, Pixar is going to fully deal with the subject of death that it touched upon I UP and hinted at in the death of childhood innocence in Inside Out.

We were subtly forewarned that tissues would be needed. :)

It surpasses the other aforementioned masterpieces by being more relatable, drawing on family restrictions and prohibitions (e.g. "there will be no X in this family!" X being "instead whatever has caused pain to a family member in the past". Pick your poison my reader). It surpasses them in making death tolerable. It reminds us that we should be mindful and respectful of all those who went before us. Most of all it taps on the shoulder and whispers that the temporal, the world we live in, in just as important as the next one and we should strive to keep family bonds strong. For when we're at the end of our rope, who else is there to pull us up?

Did I mention bring Kleenex? A full box. Even hard core macho men are driven to quiet sobs and immediate phone calls to mothers and fathers telling them "mama, I miss you."

Beautiful.