valkyber Reviews

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018 Video)

Feels like the original 'Morituri' vibe of the comics

[8/10 · 6 April 2024]

For those who remember comics in the '80s, there was a frequent 'head to head' feeling about post-Crisis DC and a Marvel trying to unscramble the eggs in its New Universe basket. Out of this emerged a Task Force X with a high turnover and, on the Marvel side, the Strikeforce Morituri of Earth-1287.

This dark, "the mission is all that matters" take on the Suicide Squad brings back memories of how we were brought to care for characters who were not long for this world, and to recognize the sacrifices people make, both for their community and nation. There is an individuality here that I have rarely (on screen, at least) seen invested in these tertiary characters from the JL's various Rogues' Galleries, and Amanda Waller for once comes across as someone even the Batman cannot safely assume is contained.

The Makeover (2013 TV Movie)

A reworking that finds its footing

[7/10 · 1 December 2023]

There are a very limited number of core story ideas, so it pays to steal from the best. This other arrangement of Shaw lifts its thematic framework entire, but turns the original Higgins' bungalow with its interloper into the ground floor of what could become a family home, if our reluctant flatmates can get their act together. In a.manner never made explicit by one main character to the other in Pygmalion or MFL, these two people can assist each other to scramble free of the ruts into which they have trudged, and neither one has the whip hand which society (in GBS' original) bestows on Henry Higgins. A surprising number of the supporting cast also have a vibrancy which says they will still be here when the camera leaves.

Magnum P.I.: Close to Home (2022) Season 4, Episode 20

Knowing what I know now

[8/10 · 21 May 2022]

I have enjoyed this ride, and felt the 21st century was present but not overwhelming in this update of an essentially escapist piece.

The general arcs of the final double-header were fine and brought closure where it was needed, but I do wish the very last scene were not so blatantly a pick-up shot thousands of miles from the heart of the series. The characters grew as much as mainstream television allows, and the ending was - fitting.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Like - and yet unlike

[8/10 · 14 May 2022]

Somehow the makers of this unquestionable homage to the 80s as they happened on the silver screen produced a work that is both respectful of its roots and clear on the fact that those days are gone.

Without drifting into spoiler territory, I can safely say that Egon's return is both adequately explained and perfectly timed, and the idea that this "treehouse club" they once shared has made them the men they are is poignant and hopeful, for when the rust is wiped away, the machine - still works.

The Punisher (2017–2019)

Far more brutal than I usually like

[9/10 · 9 March 2022]

While the heroic/anti-heroic/necessary evil moral debate is a fascinating one, I am not inclined to gorefests, and if it were not for the positively bewitching spectacle of this Frank Castle in "Daredevil" I doubt I would have ever looked up an episode. This is, in its visible pain and suffering to the protagonist, its weird light moments that come at unexpected but much needed junctures and its refusal to drape any sort of justification over Punisher and his actions, a refreshingly honest appraisal of violence's role in survival and its slowly toxic influence on living a life not made of conflict.

Jon Bernthal draws me in irrespective of my feelings about Frank in the moment and conveys the Sisyphean struggles of a once good man, now broken.

Iron Fist (2017–2018)

A comparative disappointment

[4/10 · 9 March 2022]

For me, this is truly the runt of the Marvel Netflix litter, a show with a number of great points and excellent performances, massively let down by the lead's apparently wavering interest and resolve in the matter of his own life. How this Danny Rand was gifted the.power of Shou-Lao goes beyond mere mystery into the realm of the unfathomable as he never gives the impression of being fully committed to anything.

Charlie Cox's Daredevil is a wonder, Jon Bernthal's Punisher I believe (and would be terrified of), Jessica Jones seeks to forge her own justice out of her fragmented past, Luke Cage's progression is a good man on a dark path, and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin feels like he COULD take NYC. Every other major character, including Colleen Wing here, apart from Danny Rand has an arc and growth - the once-bearded prodigal son just slouches towards Episode 10 each time.

Bel-Air (2022– )

Pleasantly surprised

[8/10 · 15 February 2022]

I think this time they have made a wise decision to look at the same theme but take avery different perspective. This is in no sense a sitcom, nor is it as PG as the original, but the pilot definitely grabbed my attention, and characters with differing and inconstant motivation hold my attention much more firmly than anyone, no matter how charismatic, doing a great Will Smith impersonation. I am looking forward to the second episode, but with no specific expectations because I don't feel I know where this is headed.

Have I Got News for You: Episode #35.3 (2008) Season 35, Episode 3

The "What if the lunatics ..." theory tested

[10/10 · 5 February 2022]

The booming, boisterous, beneficent and bloody-minded Brian descended upon the studio, and (according to TV legend) proceeded to break all bounds and attempted restrains, temporal or physical. From bellowing "Gordon's Alive!" within the first minute to offering to chin a sitting (in every sense) MP and leaving Paul Merton bemused as to which show he was on, the Blessed one ran roughshod (metaphorically) over the autocue and participants with equal glee. HIGNFY purists, I imagine, may well have hated it, but I know of very few other guest hosts (at least a decade plus on) the public can remember. Apparently, those audience members who had forethought themselves to bespeak transportation had to be paroled considerably before the festivities eventually burned out.

The Watch (2020–2021)

Sir Terry's ongoing burial rotation posture (hypothetical)

[1/10 · 18 January 2022]

If only they had called it something else, pretended, perhaps, that they were possessed of some originality and came up with this not by ransacking the bibliophiliac burial mound of a recent literary giant but through the acid trip that seems to have spawned it, it might have been tolerable. As a Greek fire applied to practically every principle of thinking for yourself to which Pratchett was attached, it is a burning, unwelcome yet eternal memory.

Private Eyes (2016–2021)

Unlike so many binge sessions

[8/10 · 31 October 2021]

I absolutely loved the ending here, which was in keeping with all that had go before, and felt like turning the page to further tales we must envision for ourselves. Light on the violence, which (as I understand it) is typical for most PIs, this is a feelgood piece throughout, with some nice breaks with tradition - for example that Shade's ex is never a monster/gold-digger/psycho, and Dad is neither all-knowing nor useless. A fun portrayal of a second act with the need for focus and a desire for redefinition on the part of the principals.

Rumble (1995– )

In the days before the curtain got ripped away

[6/10 · 10 October 2021]

This, and I'm speaking for the memories of a teenager, was a fun take on wrestling, and the first time I understood it was a business and a livelihood for its practitioners, and so required a degree of planning and forethought. No one gave anything award-worthy in the way of performances, but far worse has darkened our screens, and the "soapiness" of the backstage machinations was a light-hearted Saturday evening bit of escapism.

Free Guy (2021)

An unexpected joy

[9/10 · 24 September 2021]

Simply put, for me, this was what Tron: Legacy should have been, a heady concoction of adventure, action, comedy and romance with some intriguing questions about where we are and where we're headed.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

An odd-numbered Trek, and yet ...

[8/10 · 10 September 2021]

For me, this is the most entertaining of the ST: NG crew's big screen adventures, since it lays out what they mean to each other, and their collective vision of the Federation without involving galactic stakes. This lower key approach and concern with the details was a great deal of what I liked about the TV series and, to me, where it most differed from its predecessor.

Where the fleet cannot warp to the rescue, the question of the fundamental values of the Federation must truly be addressed.

Little Italy (2018)

Very much as advertised

[8/10 · 5 September 2021]

This is a rom com with just enough bumps in the road to prevent a boring predictability, but still hitting pretty much every essential beat of the genre. Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen both manage the "I've known you all my life" vibe beautifully, and the fact that the other characters have lives (and quirks) helps to hold on to a third-dimension and avoid the fate of the boiler plate, or paint by numbers.

A lively but stress-free hour and a half, with a lovely lift at the crescendo.

Baby Daddy (2012–2017)

Looking back over the series

[5/10 · 5 September 2021]

I enjoyed "Baby Daddy" during its run, but now, having revisited every episode in quick succession, I am struck by how inconsistent the characterization was and how often a storyline appeared to be designed for someone other than its protagonist. I would not recommend bingeing this, although, taken at a "one per week" rate, it might prove as inoffensively relaxing as I found it the first time around.

The Accountant (2016)

What it might be like, on the cusp of reality

[9/10 · 25 July 2021]

For me, this is a kind of "Batman in the real world" tale of a man with a rigid code who takes out those who violate his order, and occasionally, almost against his will, forms attachments he doesn't understand to other humans.

I find all of the principals excellent, but Affleck is a revelation in his ability to commit to the utterly inflexible worldview, and carry it to its inevitable, and borderline insane, ultimate form.

It doesn't have the body count of John Wick, and Christian certainly isn't positively charismatic, though unquestionably terrifying in places, but the mix of math, mayhem and a need for structure make this the closest thing I've seen, if he could kill, to a Batman not confine to comics movies.

Steptoe and Son: Oh, What a Beautiful Mourning (1972) Season 7, Episode 3

A half-hour I can revisit endlessly

[10/10 · 5 June 2021]

As someone who has lived away from Britain for a long time, this beautifully erratic portrayal of a family getting together reminds me what I'm missing out on. As a teacher of English, this episode with its varied pace of dialogue at different stages and implicit conversations, as well as replayed feuds, shows the range, both spoken and unspoken, of the English language.

Albert's past and present relationships with the baker's dozen of siblings are fleshed out enough to make it clear there are differences, and. Harold's assessment of his dad's chances ("They're professional grave robbers") once again elevates an episode of this classic sit-commentary to show how much the change from where you started in life matters as well.

The Lobster (2015)

I can't offer an actual review

[1/10 · 5 June 2021]

Given that this is one of two movies, the other being "The Exorcist", that I have walked out of, and the horror movie was one I was persuaded against my better judgment to try, I feel my inability to see the process through speaks for itself.