ib1903 Reviews

Shotgun Wedding (2022)

Not too bad....

[5/10 · 28 January 2023]

....but most certainly not that good either.

The story is fine and the acting is decent for the large part but it just keeps failing to hit the target.

I thought I remembered JLo being a believable actress but she just comes across as loud and obnoxious and I am sure the writers did not want a dislikeable lead character. Indeed many a time her overly loud shrieking voice would have led to their capture or death. Josh Duhammel should be commended for not doing the deed himself.

Any funny parts all revolved around Jennifer Coolidge and she fulfilled the task with her usual enthusiasm. Without her I struggle to see what was funny about the film. Silly perhaps but not funny.

Smile (V) (2022)

This is what passes for horror these days

[4/10 · 9 November 2022]

Overly long, tediously boring, not scary, annoying lead actress and excessive jump scares. What could go wrong?

The story itself is not that bad but the execution is lazy and unimaginative. It relies on cheap tricks to make the audience jump. An overly loud bang makes you jump but it is hardly frightening.

There are a lot better movies out there with a similar premise that are actually scary. One of the things other films do is to make you relate to the lead characters so that when bad stuff happens you actually care. In this movie when she eventually does get her comeuppance, I could not give a proverbial either way. In fact, if it had come a good half hour earlier there would have been no difference.

After hearing all the hype about this I was very hopeful. Of course horror is difficult to do well but I must say this was disappointing and in the end a movie that will fade into obscurity sooner than it could have.

Dexter: New Blood: Sins of the Father (2022) Season 1, Episode 10

Why bother?

[3/10 · 10 January 2022]

Resurrect a defunct series only to give it a worse ending than the original series. Honestly, why bother?

Despite not being the best ending the original series gave us a bit of hope that Dexter would live on to do whatever with his life and maybe someday come out of retirement... but not like this.

Without Dexter doing what he does best this series is pointless and to be fair it was built up that Dexter's dark passenger would win out and carry on from where he left off but then the writers' gave up on him and killed him off in the most unfitting way by one of the most obnoxious characters ever. I for one do not give two figs about what Harrison does with his life so any spin off will be one viewer lighter. In fact there are no characters strong enough to carry on the legacy so a big fail if there is to be a season two or spin off.

All in all a poke in the eye to many Dexter fans.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Had promise but ultimately a huge deflated balloon

[4/10 · 24 September 2021]

I liked the slow start and the character development but in earnest had the plot guessed before the second episode had begun due to it's unoriginality. The religion aspect went a bit OTT for my liking but I accepted that it would help the plot and in all liklihood places like that really still exist.

Action was to be had for a few episodes and it seemed like it would resolve quite nicely but then it just wouldn't end. At one point I think I was a little bit sick in my mouth but still it wouldn't end. I then started thinking of what was for dinner and had changed my mind a few times but it still wouldn't end. The sun started to go down and I thought about closing the curtains but it still wouldn't end. Well you get my point.

On the whole the acting was very good apart from the multi layered cheese endfest which spoiled a decent average series.

If you do decide to watch stop with about 20 minutes to go.

Joe Bell (2020)

Confusing and ends up a damp squib

[5/10 · 16 August 2021]

All the ingredients here for a powerful, emotional rollercoaster of a film especially due to the true story aspect. In the end though it ends up being a confusing mish mash that leaves you thinking WTF rather than the message it is supposed to be sending out. The acting is superb but let down by the screenplay in the end.

It does highlight how you should love those important to you while they are alive without any caveats as you never know when they will be taken from you. And don't be like Joe Bell and abandon those left behind.

Blast Vegas (2013 TV Movie)

Best avoided

[2/10 · 13 June 2021]

The only redeeming thing about this movie is that it is short but unfortunately it still manages to drag it's way to the finish line.

Poor script, terrible acting and laugh out loud special effects. I understand budget constraints and B movie status but really why bother when this manure is the best you can come up with. A little bit of research and a bit more care and attention to detail might have made it a bit less awful but why bother if this is the best that you aspire to... the director's philsophy obviously.

Nobody (I) (2021)

Entertaining

[8/10 · 3 May 2021]

Honestly this film is never going to win any awards but what an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.

Bob Odenkirk is surprisingly perfect and well supported by the rest of the cast with a special mention for Christopher Lloyd who still manages to steal his scenes.

At a time when expectations have dropped significantly this was a pleasant surprise. Don't bring your thinking head though. This is mindless entertainment that you can just give in to.

Things Heard & Seen (2021)

Best bit was the end which was terrible.

[2/10 · 3 May 2021]

Decent acting but that was the only positive throughout a total borefest.

The story had all the attributes of a creepy thriller style horror but failed on every level unless the objective was to put the viewer to sleep.

I guess the cast must have cost too much given they couldn't afford to film an ending. Covid might have lowered the bar for quality somewhat but if Netflix thinks this sort of crap will keep subscribers they are in for a big shock.,

Doctor Who: Ascension of the Cybermen (2020) Season 12, Episode 9

Best of the last two seasons

[6/10 · 24 February 2020]

Doesn't really say much I know but with the finale to come this was a reasonable set up. Hard to believe that some rate this a 9 or 10. I mean 10 the best there is ...really? Easily pleased I guess.

The writing on the surface was the same all over the place stuff but could easily be redeemed and explained with a decent last episode. On the flip side Chibnall could alienate himself completely from the classic Who fanbase by being the man that "changes everything". In all honesty this sounds very worrying to me.

The companions were mostly their usual pointless selves especially Ryan who is as wooden as they come. I had hope for a while but no he is still with us. Why they stood and watched instead of following the Doctor's instruction is beyond me and should have led to them all being converted into better actors as cybermen. Again no apparently the cybermen are crap shots.

The Doctor is again believable and doing as well as can be expected despite her reliance on a sonic screwdriver that appears to do everything these days.

The best part was the special effects which added a bit of gloss to the episode especially the eerie floating cyberparts.

Fingers crossed for next week.

The Witcher (2019– )

Interesting

[9/10 · 16 February 2020]

As a stand alone original series this has it all really. Story, drama, magic, sex, action, humour and a wee bit of music. What's not to like? I have not experienced any other versions of The Witcher so have nothing to compare it against but I reckon that is a good thing as I did not go into this with my mind already made up. The acting is generally very good with some exceptions but for the most part I wouldn't change a thing. It was too short though and now the inconvenient long wait begins for Season 2.

Doctor Who: Can You Hear Me? (2020) Season 12, Episode 7

Hit and miss

[5/10 · 16 February 2020]

This episode had more potential than it ended up delivering on, again down to shoddy scriptwriting. It had the basic premise of a classic old school story but failed to capitalise with some ideas that were pretty stupid. One big hint to the writers that think there is no such thing as a rubbish idea ...... there most definitely is! Floating fingers ... is someone taking the proverbial ... ?

On the whole though this is no better or no worse than any of the other episodes this season. I just can't decide if that is a good thing or not.

Locke & Key (2020–2022)

Infuriatingly predictable

[5/10 · 16 February 2020]

An original idea and some decent acting with a polished finish. This had a lot going for it but was ultimately let down by scriptwriters that focused on poor decision making to the point of stupidity. I know these were teens but are they really this stupid in reality ... I would hope not.

The end was broadcast out loudly way before it happened and ended up being as stupid as some of the decisions made by our teen heroes.

I did also find it hard to feel any sympathy for the main characters as they were not very likeable. Not the actors faults as they were actually really good.

Should this get a second season I would likely check it out. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't.

Doctor Who: Praxeus (2020) Season 12, Episode 6

Almost as bad as last week.

[5/10 · 2 February 2020]

Diversity ... tick Moral high ground .... tick Fam gang .... tick

Other than all that this was just a no better than mediocre episode. Seems like the writers should be putting more focus into what the viewers of Doctor Who actually tune in for.

Doctor Who: Fugitive of the Judoon (2020) Season 12, Episode 5

All over the place

[5/10 · 26 January 2020]

5 for the under used return of Jack Harkness alone.

It will be interesting to see how this disturbing of the continuity will be explained. I can't really think of any way that will give any credibility to a show seemingly on it's last legs but we shall see. They did it with Hurt but he counted towards the regenerations so it surely can't be as simple as a previous version.

As a standalone episode there are none poorer.

Doctor Who: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror (2020) Season 12, Episode 4

Better bit still far from good

[5/10 · 19 January 2020]

More like a classic monster of the week episode but completely lacking in any originality. At least the supporting cast were decent which went some way to disguising the usual munchkin brigade. One of them would be more than enough but three every week is overkill.

Oh and could someone please break that sonic screwdriver that appears now to be the star of the show. Better with K9 and no I don't want him back either.

JW still needs an really strong episode where she can truly own the role of The Doctor. The scriptwriters are giving her very little to go on so far which is a big shame.

Doctor Who: Orphan 55 (2020) Season 12, Episode 3

Seeds of hope extinguished

[3/10 · 13 January 2020]

Very poor even by the substandard efforts of last season. All written to deliver one message that most tuning in to Doctor Who a sci-fi program are trying to escape from especially the way it is lectured at the end. Current affairs and agendas are top of the list now superceding story and plot and will likely be the final nail in the coffin of this once great programme unless sackings happen sooner rather than later. If more effort was made to keep the story believable then maybe the less than subtle preaching wouldn't seem so bad but sadly no just plain terrible.

Poor Jodie is being hung out to dry.

Doctor Who: Spyfall: Part Two (2020) Season 12, Episode 2

Better but not great.

[6/10 · 5 January 2020]

Personally for me it feels like the first episode where Jodie Whittaker actually acts like The Doctor a Timelord from Gallifrey and not just some leader of a "fam" gang. No coincidence either that her companions featured a lot less than usual or at the very least have less screen interaction together with the doctor which is generally acutely cringey.

Despite many plotholes the episode was helped by the interaction between The Doctor and The Master which made it feel like an episode of Doctor Who and not some children's soap opera.

If the writing continues to improve and we have a companion cull there is at least now some hope for future episodes.

Doctor Who: Spyfall: Part One (2020) Season 12, Episode 1

Unimaginative

[5/10 · 1 January 2020]

Nothing original. Noisy, flash and extremely boring. It seems some of that money would have been better spent on some decent writers.

A bit too cringey with all the "fam" stuff too. The Doctor always has different personality traits but this one is just coming across as too dependant.

Disappointing.