paul-carlier Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

A truly awful end to the Indiana Jones films

[1/10 · 30 December 2023]

This film should never have been made and is a horrible end to the franchise. In the original films the violence has an almost comic edge to it and it is largely confined to the 'baddies' getting their well served punishment. This film seems to revel in the body count of dead civilians. The chief villain is a poorly fleshed out character and his henchmen have no redeeming or comic qualities. They are just nasty pieces of work. The plot is confusing and frankly boring. And there are very few nice characters including Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character. Those that do raise a smile are not in the film long. The tone of this film is bleak and miserable, it has been made by old men about an old character and you can feel it in every frame. There isn't much humour in watching an old man at the end of his life. The budget was far too big and they've, frankly, chucked everything and the kitchen sink at it. The action scenes are too lunch and predictable and everything is drenched in CGI. The sound quality is awful. Hollywood continues its march away from clear dialogue cleaned up in post production and continues to encourage mumbling. Why? I have no idea. This is a film best to forget. Remember the original three films fondly. Not because of nostalgia, but because they were better films.

Romance Retreat (2019 TV Movie)

Hard to like the main character

[4/10 · 15 September 2023]

I found this a difficult film to watch and didn't get far into it. The plot was your standard romance fayre, predicable and inoffensive. The difficultly arose from the main character Diana Willingham, who came across as a deeply unpleasant and self centred person who treaded her boyfriend pretty badly. They go on a trip together which is supposed to be the launch pad to love and romance. The only problem is that I found myself hoping that the boyfriend either ran away or found a refuge for abused men. The underlying premise of the film was I'm sure meant to be interesting, but if you don't engage your audience in the first few minutes then you've lost them for good. This was a film with potential that was sadly not realised.

Willow (2022–2023)

What a missed opportunity

[5/10 · 7 December 2022]

As a fan of the film, though mindful of the 'curse of the sequel', I came to this with only mild hopes but even then I am disappointed. It lacks any of the energy, joy and humour of the film. It is dark, gloomy, and overly violent. I'm still waiting for a plot to emerge. Most of the action takes place in darkness. This ain't a plot device. CGI is cheaper to do if you can't see anything clearly. Other than Willow, none of the other characters are very likeable and don't seem to have anything to do other than get lost and bump into each other. For the audience it is hard to muster an emotional connection to any of them. I suspect that like many watching the series I'm sticking with it hoping that something good is coming in the next episode. But I'm not hopeful. What a missed opportunity. Still, you can watch the original film and pretend that this never happened.

Exposed (III) (2016)

A waste of acting talent

[2/10 · 8 April 2021]

I'm shocked at how bad this film is. There is no real plot. Keane Reeves drifts from one crime scene to the next with the flimsiest of links but says little. The two main characters, his and the protagonist played by Ana de Armas only meet in the final 5 minutes. The plot resolves itself without any seeming link to the storyline and the big reveal comes out of nowhere. It has no link to any of the plot strands. Who were the strange figures? Why did they follow her? We'll never know. Then the credits roll. The direction is non existent and I actually feel robbed of almost two hours of my life. The only saving grace is Ana de Armas who puts in a fine acting performance.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

A complete mess

[5/10 · 4 November 2018]

This film simply doesn't work. However, with a major studio behind it there appears to have been an effort to spend their way out of trouble. Firstly the plot is boring and confusing and has no direction. It wanders aimlessly. The editing is all over the place with scenes stitched together and jumping about. The acting from some of the cast, particularly the Nutcracker, is embarrassing to watch. Thankfully Matthew MacFadyen provides much needed emotional gravitas as the father and Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirran are great scene stealers. Keira Knightleys also does her best she can with a poor script. There are great actors in this film such as Richard E. Grant who are criminally underused. Hopefully they were paid well. This film clearly took so long to make, probably due to reshoots, that you can see Mackenzie Foy getting older and then younger between scenes. This is a very poor addition to Disney's recent high quality live action films.

The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Drifting away from it's roots

[5/10 · 22 October 2017]

I was surprised by how soulless this film was. The previous films revolved around the emotional bond between Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jordan Brewster and the absence of two of them is evident. The plot doesn't lead on from anything and you can see each twist coming for miles. It is also unnecessary brutal while adding no real value to the story. The franchise has always revolved around the concept of family, and it is rammed home in this film. However, the loss of so many of the original crew, including Han, means that replacements have been introduced and their characters are weaker and seem destined to be used as filler.

The great strength of the franchise was that it dealt with a unique urban culture. The first films had an element of reality to them as well as being great fun. However the latest films have the crew saving the world in Bond-like plots and they are becoming increasingly ridiculous. The franchise needs to return to its roots to survive. However, the inclusion of Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham makes that unlikely as they are unsuited to that type of plot.

The Last Legion (2007)

Oh dear, what a shame

[5/10 · 22 July 2017]

This film has the kind of cast that most directors can only dream of including Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley. So how it turned into such a car crash is a mystery. The result is a complete mess. Roman history and the King Arthur legend do not fit together. The film King Arthur starring Clive Owen proved that. Somewhere in this film is a good plot. However, you'll need a good compass to find it.

Passengers (I) (2016)

A great sci-fi film. Ignore the critics.

[8/10 · 29 December 2016]

If 2016 has taught us anything, it is to ignore the professionals and make up your own mind. This is a very good film with two likable leads. Visually it is stunning and the CGI adds to the plot rather than drowning it out.

The cast is top notch; Chris Pratt portrays a character with more depth than he usually gets and Jennifer Lawrence is reliably excellent. Michael Sheen adds acting class, with Lawrence Fishburne bringing his usual gravitas. Andy Garcia is in the credits but most of his role appears to have ended up on the cutting room floor.

The plot is a slow burner and rightly so. It also contains a genuine moral quandary which leaves you wondering what you would do in a similar situation. Pasengers will suffer at the box office as it is going head to head with the Star Wars franchise.

Don't chose between them. Do what I did and watch both!

The Man Who Lost His Head (2007 TV Movie)

Good solid family entertainment

[7/10 · 26 August 2007]

This programme from the ever reliable Martin Clunes felt a bit like it had been produced using the 'writing a script by numbers' guide. Martin assumes his everyman mantle, playing the typically repressed and uptight Englishman. Needless to say he finds happiness and fulfilment in New Zealand in a village inhabited by stereotypes. Of course there is a happy ending, which most people can see coming for miles. Despite these shortcomings this was actually very enjoyable. Martin Clunes is always watchable and the New Zealand cast were a bit of a revelation. The amazing scenery was also a real plus. This was a good length at 2 hours in duration and easy Sunday night viewing; not too taxing on the brain but great fun to watch.

Secret of the Sahara (1988)

A haunting drama

[8/10 · 14 November 2005]

The Secret of the Sahara is the type of drama that Hollywood has long since abandoned. The story is original, the location (and sets) are breath taking and the cast is first class, with outstanding performances from Michael York as the obsessive archaeologist Desmond Jordan and Ben Kingsley as Sholomon, the Polish Jew who has found peace in the desert. David Soul provides a real sense of menace as Lieutenant Ryker and steals almost every scene from his co-stars. Andie MacDowell is slightly under used as are the other female cast members, but the director Alberto Negrin keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace, aided by a hauntingly beautiful musical score from Ennio Morricone. There are some obvious limitations to the production which are easily over looked; Ryker seems to cross the desert to the same two or three locations to dizzying effect, and some of the dialogue feels a bit out of place but these are only minor points. All in all this is a quality drama and I only wish that more of this calibre were made.