steve_batten Reviews

Beacon 23 (2023– )

Science fiction with laughable science

[3/10 · 26 March 2024]

Yet another show churned out by Hollywood who despite calling it science fiction have no clue about science. Add poor writing with characters that behave irrationally and inconsistently to try and drive a "plot" ( not actually sure there is that much of one!) and its basically a waste of time.

Really wish the production companies would get some decent writers and science advisers. The money spent on special effects is just wasted by a stupid story and massive logic holes. Eg A space Lighthouse with a beam that only rotates in a circle (space is 3D not like water surface). Overall, cannot recommend spending the 8 hours required to plough through this rubbish.

Silo (2023– )

Poor script writing, too many logic holes

[3/10 · 3 March 2024]

It was a good book, but the series is a very poor attempt at translating it to the screen. Yet another "science" fiction series that lacks the science and has too many logic holes as idiot script writers try to add excitement and tension. Issues like hard drives that still work after 140 years (they wont), using the a tunneling machine to dig downwards (really! We use normal excavators and ramps to dig big holes downwards, not tunnelling machines where you have to remove all the excavated dirt), having wind rippling on the water at the bottom of the big hole under the silo, the entire installation dependant on a single non-redundant generator which can't even be shut down for maintenance without causing an explosion, and so on and so on. You keep on hitting stuff that just makes you face palm at the stupidity.

The Rig (2023– )

Stilted illogical script

[3/10 · 15 January 2023]

"Science fiction" without the science part. The acting is ok but the script just doesnt hang together with lots of the plot driven by stupid behaviour.

People keep on leaving the people that should be locked up in the control room on their own where they can cause havoc. What morons would do this (repeatedly!).

Then there is the stick together while we search for the lunatic but oh dear we all split up anyway and guess what happens.. The science explanations just dont stand up to scrutiny and fundamentally the story simply doesnt hang together.

Despite the platform getting regular earthquakes lets all go up to the helideck where there is no safety railing.

The Batman (2022)

Pretentious and long

[3/10 · 3 December 2022]

Yet another batman reboot (about the 5th?) but weighing in at 3 hours long it is slow and pretentious. This is the batman as an inspirational life coach .. yuck! Overall will not get that 3 hours of my life back. Preferred the last two reboots. The batman in this one is not very believable, doesnt kill anyone despite being a feared vigilante, and avoids getting head wounds despite only wearing a rubber mask. Overall hollywood seems hard put to come up with anything original or logical nowadays. How you have a batman that just wanders around taking fists to a gunfight and surviving is beyond me.

For All Mankind (2019– )

Series 1&2 very good, 3 less so

[7/10 · 6 September 2022]

The first two series were really good. A thoughtful alternate history of the space program taking a serious look at issues such as gender and other discrimination. Realistic and believable characters. Related to actual history and people.

Unfortunately the third series was nowhere near as good with a story being moved along by out of character behaviours, and unnecessary "action scenes". Looked like someone said less thinking more action needed. Spoilt an intelligent series. Also ditched some of the science and engineering reality for cheap story lines that did not really gel. Eg Nasa engineers trying to do mining engineering.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Overly simplified and cut down from books

[6/10 · 27 December 2021]

Cinematography etc is all good. My big gripe is they have taken a very big and complex world and tried to boil it down to a much simpler view for the screen and it hasn't worked very well. To try and fit a 500 page book into 8 episodes they have skimped on a lot of the detail and made the characters act without any real motives. So characters do things to move the plot along and it just does not ring true. Add in some unnecessary political correctness apparently to gratuitously tick a box (why!). We end up with a 1 dimensional "summary" of the book. Its not the worst thing I have seen, but its a pale shadow of the source material.

Foundation (2021– )

Not really Asimov's Foundation

[6/10 · 19 November 2021]

Series is ok but has already deviated massively from the books and not in a good way. While the logic in the books hung together the series is getting into mystical rubbish to drive the plot rather than rational actions and consequences. One person who can actually dodge meteorites because she can see the future - yech!

Doom Patrol (2019–2023)

Easily Best DC series so far

[8/10 · 25 July 2020]

I am not a great fan of the DC universe. I find most of the series and movies a bit flat and 2 dimensional. But I do enjoy Doom Patrol. Its got the same irreverent sort of writing you see in The Boys or Deadpool and doesnt take itself too seriously. Its a cut above other series like Arrow, Swamp Thing or TheFlash.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Not as good as some of Tarantino's others

[6/10 · 19 December 2019]

Well made and certainly hits the late sixties vibe, but it takes a long while for the story to get anywhere.

V-Wars (2019)

Not credible characters, doing stupid things

[3/10 · 12 December 2019]

Another one let down by the writing. Supposedly "smart" characters make stupid choices to drive the plot along. You just cant relate to them. We've lost contact with our Arctic base - lets go up there and get infected. Wow, we'll put you in isolation for a while and then release you before we figure out whats wrong. Oh, you ripped someones throat out for some unknown reason, but hey because you are a mate I'll use my medical knowledge to help clean the place up so you dont get caught....

Jack Ryan (2018–2023)

Season 1=good, 2=mediocre

[6/10 · 7 November 2019]

Season one was pretty good but the title character seems to have been dumbed down for season 2. He has become an emotional wade into everything without thinking "hero".

In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)

Has potential but didn't realise it

[4/10 · 28 September 2019]

The basic plot had potential but the movie is let down by the script and characters. At the end of two hours my basic reaction was that it was wasted time. Characters do stupid things to move the plot along (very slowly) and it just doesn't gel in terms of being logically consistent.

The I-Land (2019)

Not another one

[2/10 · 15 September 2019]

If you and a bunch of other people were to wake up on an island with no memories, you might think you would be trying to find food and shelter while figuring out what happened. Not this lot. Have fights, try and pair up to have sex, sunbath and go for a swim. Yet another crappy illogical show from Netflix who seem to think they need a 20 something cast and lots of sex to make a winning show. Any intelligent plot or scripts a far distant third and obviously not a priority.

Westworld (2016–2022)

HBO quality, with thought provoking plot

[9/10 · 12 August 2019]

What happens when we make androids as good or better than human? Are they still property. Lots of twists, complex plot with HBO production quality. Really looking forward to series 3.

The Expanse (2015–2022)

Brilliant hard scifi

[10/10 · 12 August 2019]

Big complex universe, complex plot, hard scifi and no qualms about violence and bad things happening (ie not star trek!). Best scifi I have seen in many years.

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

Much better than i was expecting

[8/10 · 12 August 2019]

Was expecting a dud, but surprised myself by quite enjoying it. A bit like John Wick but more funny moments.

The Boys (2019– )

Gritty and well written, with a quirky humour

[8/10 · 28 July 2019]

Allow one premise that superpowers exist, but without the assumption that superpowers make people "good" and you have the setting. Intelligently written with a quirky no holds barred sense of humour and you get a brilliant show up there with the best of them. Reminds me of Watchmen. Does power corrupt? Watch and find out....

Another Life (2019–2021)

More "science fiction" without any science

[1/10 · 25 July 2019]

A bit like prometheus. A crew you wouldnt want crossing the road unaided and science that is laughable (and wrong)

Nightflyers (2018)

Stupidity driven plot

[5/10 · 18 February 2019]

Most of the characters do stupid things to drive the plot along. Similar to Prometheus or the other recent Alien movies, a crew that should never be allowed out without adult supervision!