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peter wheeldon
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Pistol (2022)
A well made series inspired by actual events
Go into this series with an open mind and there is a lot to enjoy. It makes clear from the start that this is not a documentary, Many of the key events are included (the boat trip, signing outside Buckingham Palace, the final concert etc) but the story of relationships and interactions is at best inspired by events.
This is not surprising as the series is based on the memoirs of Steve Jones, who has frequently admitted that he often used to make up stories or tinker with the truth when it suited him.
The performances are, in general, excellent and very convincing. Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Anson Boon in particular seem to be totally over the top caricatures until you go back and listen to interviews and realise that was exactly how Rotten and McLaren spoke and acted! There has been some criticism that Thomas looks too young, but it is easy to forget that McLaren was only 29 when he first met the pistols!
John Lydon's opposition to this series is well known, but he comes over as probably the most sympathetic character. Anson captured his inherent oddness wonderfully, getting his odd mannerisms and that unique voice perfectly. John for the most part seems to be sneeringly angry about everything and everyone, but there are occasional moments were we get to see that there is a person with feeling under all that, who possibly cares a little too much. The almost paternal care of his friend Sid, offering the band the honour of meeting his mum and his objection to them working with Ronnie Biggs because they were making a hero out of a criminal who attacked a train driver show this other side.
Chrissie Hynde is at the very centre of the series, and her relationship with Jones has been greatly exaggerated to build the story. I was impressed with Ana de Armas' performance, so doubly shocked to check the final credits of the last episode and find out that it was actually an actress called Sydney Chandler playing the part!
Also excellent and well cast are Masie Williams as Jordan and Talulah Riley as Vivienne Westwood. Louis Partridge as Sid and Emma Appleton as Nancy are a little too attractive and not mean spirited enough ( and Emma is almost a foot taller than the original) but their work in playing the roles as written cannot be faulted.
The least convincing portrayal for me was the main role. Unlike most of the cast, Toby Wallace looks nothing like Steve Jones, and doesn't really try to capture his mannerisms. Instead he plays him as a generic east end yob. It might sound petty but he is not helped by the wig department. For most of the series he has big rocker hair almost down to his shoulders which looks nothing like the style Jones had. It is only in the final scenes that it is changed, but even then its not accurate which is odd.
The staging and direction are top notch, with great use of topical music and footage from the time. In the later episodes some footage from actual Pistol concerts is interspersed with the shows restaged version, and this emphasises just how accurate the staging and performances are (Toby Wallace issues above accepted).
Overall this was a great series, entertaining and enjoyable whilst also giving a real insight into what was a short but incredibly influential period in history.
The Rising (2022)
Enjoyable supernatural thriller
We binge watched this in 2 sessions and enjoyed it very much. The central theme is interesting and how a ghost might interact with the world is cleverly handled (a little too cleverly, given some of the review comments about plot holes).
Clara Rugaard is superb as the lead character Neve. At first I was a little distracted by a very slight hint of an accent (I only found out afterwards she is Dutch), and her startling resemblance to Hilary Swank, but this soon passed.
The rest of the cast are also excellent for the most part. The two detectives are rather wooden and Neve's stepfather is bland, but this is more to do with the script I suspect.
The mystery around the murder itself was well handled, with some red herrings along the way and no obvious clues to the killer until the reveal, although the cause of the murder turns out to be a little underwhelming.
There is no doubt that this is "woke", which will have some people screaming at the TV. All 3 married couples are multi racial; there is a trans actor, a lesbian love story, and a climatic speech which is straight out of the #metoo movement. However this is very much the new reality of TV productions nowadays, so any new show is going to have these issues.
I only knocked one star off for the ultimate fate of the killer which was a little to hammy, and out of keeping with the otherwise restrained supernatural elements.
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
Utterly Awful
I could not believe how terrible this film was. The talented actors all appear to be channelling a year 6 school play and the script is weak. Worst of all though it is so very, very boring.
Free Guy (2021)
More depth and story than I expected
Always enjoy Ryan Reynolds in a comedy and Jodie Comer is superb so, as the premise looked interesting I was looking forward to this.
It didn't disappoint but it did surprise me a little. From the trailer I was expecting an out and out comedy, but in fact the humour was quite restrained (apart from one scene towards the end), whilst the story had more depth and range.
I was expecting Deadpool 2, but found it was closer to a cross between Ready Player One and The Truman Show, but with Ryan Reynolds' comedy style sprinkled over the top.
This was no bad thing though, and afterwards our whole group agreed that it was a great film and worth recommending.
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Democracy 3D Live at Hard Rock Las Vegas (2014)
Soulless and fake
I watched this amazed, as it was clear Axl Rose was miming to a pre recorded track for most of the songs. His timing was frequently out and he occasionally pulled the Mike away or broke off before the vocal had finished. I feel sorry for anyone who paid to watch this.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Another dull film full of plot holes
I am coming to the conclusion that Zack Snyder is a lousy director.
This is another one of his films with a badly written script full of plot holes and terrible dialogue. Whatever fun might have been had from the original b movie high energy concept is crushed by the director taking it and himself far too seriously.
I was very much looking forward to this film but it was so poor I struggled to make it to the end.
You Should Have Left (2020)
OK Film but great location!
Not usually my sort of film, in fact I only watched it because I stayed at the house they used! Overall the film was fine, nothing special but managed to be creepy rather than all out jump scares.
The house has been altered a little though, as there is no outdoors pool (it is in the middle of Wales!) and they have had to CGI another floor in, as it is only a single level building in reality.
They have used most of the interior fittings and furniture, which is all custom designed just for the house, but added in additional clutter to de-emphasise the stark modern design of the real thing.
Best of all though they used the amazing bath, so I can happily claim that Amanda Seyfried and I have shared a bath!
Bulletproof (2018)
So awful
This has to be one of the worst TV shows ever made. Utterly, utterly ridiculous at every turn, appalling scripts and diabolical sub-school play acting.
Mitchell & Webb had a recurring sketch about a couple of screenwriters who never bothered to research any of the dramas they wrote. This is as bad as those parodies, but they were made for laughs, this thinks it is a serious drama.
I cannot be bothered to type up all the idiotic aspects of this show, but just one made me want to kick the TV, and that is the fact that this just rips off the stories and set ups from countless US shows without even trying to adjust them to fit with the London setting.
Here in the UK we have strict gun control regulations, and these extend to the police and security services. Weapons can only be carried by dedicated armed response officers, and have to be signed out of secure storage at the start of each
shift along with ammunition and other equipment. In this show the cops all carry non standard weapons, sometimes in shoulder holsters, sometimes in jackets or waistbands. They take their guns with them everywhere and never have to account for ammunition.
In the endless shootouts all criminals are always armed with hand guns or more often assault rifles and machine guns,, and they blast away indiscriminately, shooting off hundreds of rounds. In reality guns and ammunition are relatively rare in the UK because everything has to be smuggled into the UK.
If (sorry, when) a shootout occurs there is usually a high body count, but our heroes, after a few celebratory Bruvs and Mans jump back into their cars and speed off back to the office, home or bar and no one mentions the killings or questions them.
I could add so much more about the truly appalling dialogue, or storylines from US cop shows so cliched they approach parody, or the GIANT logic holes in almost every plot development, and on and on, but you get the point.
This is terrible.
Tenet (2020)
Less than the sum of its parts
First, the positives.
It is impressively made, with all the effort to do everything without greenscreen/CGI very much there on the screen.
It feels epic and, for a 150mins film did not drag.
Some of the twists and turns are clever and give you an "oh, right" moment.
All of the leads are good, although Washington's character was a little bland, with Robert Pattinson and Kenneth Branagh the standout performances.
Although it is dressed up as a serious, thoughtful film, at its heart it is a tribute to the 007 movies. Multiple exotic locations, big practical effects and stunts, a plot which doesn't stand up to a great deal of critical analysis and a great villain.
There are some amazing practical effects. So good in fact that it is easy to miss what you are seeing until you have a "hang on, how are they doing that..." moment. If there is a "making of" segment on the Blu-ray it might be worth buying just for that.
But...
Background music and effects drowning out the dialogue is a common complaint where Christopher Nolan is concerned. Where the concept of the movie is explained early on (Inception, Interstellar) this is not such as problem. With Tenat though, the plot develops over the course of the movies with several plot twists. Unfortunately some essential pieces of exposition are almost impossible to make out on a first hearing, leaving me and others watching with me with no idea why certain things were happening. At least three key scenes introducing important plot elements were incomprehensible for the most part.
Perhaps because it is hard to follow in places, several potentially interesting set ups seem to go no where or remain unexplained.
No spoilers here but the central theme of the plot is complicated, which helps in some ways whist watching, as you do not have time to analyse anything. However afterwards various holes in the logic and physics become clear.
When ultimately the big baddies plan and the reason behind are revealed, it seems trite and weak. With a bit of thought it also makes no sense whatsoever, as achieving the ultimate aim would make no difference to the instigators of the plot..
Overall, I admired the skill in making this film, its ambition and the efforts made to put everything up on screen. The problem for me was, at its heart, the central plot was not that thrilling or engaging.
Watchmen (2019)
Struggling to care about this show
I am just reviewing this as a standalone TV series, so not concerning myself with the comic or movie.
I was looking forward to a dark, adult exploration of what a world with super "heroes" would be like but, so far, this is one issue that is largely ignored. The main plot element is the issue of racism in America. The opening scenes depicting the Tulsa Race Riots was stunningly effective and highlighted an event I had never even heard of before (and would be a fascinating subject for a documentary).
After this impressive opening though the show became dull and pedestrian, and the principle problem is the main character.
Regina King is a superb actress but here her character is so dull and monotone that it is impossible to engage or care about her. This is a huge problem as she is the core around which the series seems to have been constructed.
It really hit me when watching the 3rd episode. Here Jean Smart's Agent Blake made her appearance and suddenly the whole show seemed to have taken off, showing some pace, decent dialogue and some edginess so badly lacking from the first two episodes. I went into episode 4 with renewed hope therefore, but instead it was back to the previous glacial pacing, forgettable plot and relentlessly dull lead character.
The only exception to this so far is the story-line featuring Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt. These quirky scenes are interesting and are build a sense of menace and intrigue. Although Irons american accent is as bad as ever, these scenes almost feel like they are from a different and, frankly, better show.
I will try and stick with it to the end as I do want to support shows which take a chance, but on the evidence to date it will be a chore rather than a pleasure.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
So good we wanted to go straight back in and watch it again!
We all loved the first Deadpool, even though it had a weak baddie and it got bogged down on occasion, so had fingers crossed that this would be as good. What we didn't expect was that this would blow the first movie out of the water.
This one is laugh out loud funny from the first scene to the last (as well as the best end credits scene ever). The story rolls along without any dead spots. Josh Brolin is superb as Cable but all the supporting cast are excellent and they all get some good lines.
The star of the show though is Ryan Reynolds, and wow, he just dials it up to 11. The one liners and asides are punchier, filthier and funnier. Several times we wished we had a pause button because the whole cinema was laughing so loudly and for so long at a line that we missed the next 3.
Coming out afterwards our party and the people around us were buzzing, and all the talk was about how fantastic it was.
how to sum it up? We are looking to go and see it again tonight!
Paddington 2 (2017)
Possibly the worst film I have ever paid to watch
Friends told us this was hilarious so we bought tickets for our family if 4. However our children refused to go and see it, having heard from school friends that it was terrible. If only we had listened to their wisdom.
So my wife and I set off, knowing we had 4 seats to choose from. About 15mins into the movie I realised it still felt like the title credits were rolling. Nothing happened. I started to nod off, but realised my wife was already asleep so fought to stay awake so that one of us would know if something happened.
Hugh Grant appeared and was mildly amusing without getting a single laugh. The one laugh I heard in the cinema came from the chef's tattoo.
After that the laughs dried up and I spent the last 20mins checking my watch hoping it would end soon.
Walking out we both started laughing ( for the first time that night) as we compared notes on how much we hated this film.
Mountain Men (2014)
Well worth a look
Bought this on Netflix and pleased we did. Well chosen cast played things naturally which, with the restrained unflashy directing, made great use of the atmosphere and amazing location.
Chace Crawford and especially Tyler Lebine do an excellent job of carrying the movie, which is 90% a two hander.
It has some laugh out loud moments which I won't spoil and a nice set up and exploration of family tension. Overall a good movie and one I would recommend.
It also does the Canadian tourist industry no harm, as we want to visit now!
Air Force One (1997)
Did the budget run out?
Having read through a few comments on this movie, I'm amazed that there are no comments on the final scene. Without wishing to spoil the film for anyone who has not seen it yet, it involves possibly the worst CGI I have ever seen. The movie preceding it was a bland piece of candyfloss, but that finale really was a "sit up in disbelief" moment. My first thought was that it was an outtake from the Resident Evil" on the Playstation!