erolsabadosh Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Stunning visuals! Narrative needs more focus though.

[5/10 · 3 September 2022]

Mostly visually stunning and a feast for the eyes, the story and characters on the other hand didn't really grab me so I found myself losing interest. The sweeping arial shots, beautiful backdrops and generally solid CGI had me hooked for the first twenty minutes of episode one but after that there's too much of characters standing still talking to each other in over-lit static scenes for too long (the overly stylized modern hair cuts are actually quite distracting I must say). The music is really good, the acting is solid and the dialogue is serviceable, it's really the visuals that kept me watching though. I'm not a big Lord of the Rings fan; I've only read part of the book and seen the first trilogy of films when they originally came out so I can't comment on changes for adaptation at this point, but as a casual viewer I think this show has potential and if it can achieve more character/story focus as it goes on it could become essential viewing but it's off to a shaky rambling start.

Hell or High Water (II) (2016)

Beautifully shot but overrated

[6/10 · 4 January 2017]

I held off watching this because the trailer didn't really impress me, but I decided to check it out in the end as it's one of the few films of last year that I hadn't seen which the critics had been raving about. It started off really well, I was quite engaged in the first act but by the end I was bored. The characters aren't that interesting or likable and the story was so predictable it was disappointing. I was hoping for a little more than just a cut and paste job from other films. We've seen so much of this countless times before and for me this just didn't stand above any of the other heist/chase films. One of the biggest issues for me was that the film requires so much suspension of disbelief in order for you to go along with what's going on that by the time it hammers its point home you just don't really feel emotionally invested. It's still good; the acting is solid and the cinematography is stunning, there are a few funny moments and what little action there is is well handled but overall I didn't think it was extraordinary like some other people have, so my advice is if you like the trailer, watch it, if the trailer didn't entice you then don't rush to it.

Office Christmas Party (2016)

Not bad but should have been better.

[6/10 · 30 December 2016]

With such a great cast assembled, including Silicon Valley's TJ Miller, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Anniston and Kate McKinnon, this film really should have been better. Nonetheless, it has just enough moments to make it worth at least a one time watch. The script has a few really great laughs, but not enough jokes overall and the direction is uninspired and glaringly generic. Miller seems bored throughout and Bateman's on autopilot but Anniston and McKinnon have a lot of fun with their roles and really get into the silliness, the former as a ruthless CEO hellbent on removing her brother (Miller) from the family company and the latter a seemingly stuffy boss with flatulence problems. Jillian Bell perhaps steals the show though in a hilarious role that I won't spoil for anyone that doesn't know. Without her there wouldn't be any hysterical moments, I honestly don't know why they didn't just go all out with the whole film like they did with her character. Overall, I enjoyed this though. I like crude humour, and this had plenty. It didn't all land, most of it was forgettable but some of it was so funny that it makes it worth watching. Don't rush to see it by any means, but when you're bored and are looking for a laugh but don't need a life changing cinematic experience then give this a watch.

Pod (I) (2015)

Solid film

[7/10 · 30 November 2016]

I decided to put this on after watching Darling on Netflix and subsequently looking up more from Mickey Keating as I really enjoyed that offering. 5 minutes into this movie I was hooked, and stayed that way until the end. The only reason I wouldn't rate this film higher is because it isn't very ambitious, but what it aims for it does pretty well. This is a B movie, and I don't want to say any more than that because I don't want to spoil it. In fact I'm angry at Netflix because the images on the film's page contain spoilers, I recommend going into it knowing absolutely nothing. Lauren Ashley Carter is really good in the film, yes her character is extremely wildly emotional which some may find annoying, but I found her very entertaining. If you go into this expecting a decent B movie with a simple plot then you should be satisfied, there is certainly emphasis here on style and atmosphere, the story won't impress you as its one we've seen countless times before but it does what it sets out to do and delivers a little bit of suspense, mystery and horror on a low budget and at under 80 minutes it's brisk and easy to watch.

Search Party (2016–2022)

SO good!!!

[9/10 · 23 November 2016]

7 episodes in and I'm hooked! This show is absolutely HILARIOUS!!! The style of humour is somewhere between Broad City and Louis; it's quite dark and weird at times but also fun and irreverent. The cast is awesome, doing a really good job portraying characters who are deeply flawed and making them entertaining to watch. A lot of the comedy stems from making fun of them and the often ridiculous things they do but it's not mean spirited; the show has a real charm to it that makes it ideal for binge watching. Every episode adds another layer to the mystery and we watch the characters unravel and get into ever-increasingly bizarre situations that all had me laughing out loud and often cringing too. One of my new favourites!

Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

Not bad but not that great either.

[6/10 · 8 November 2016]

I saw a lot of positive things being said about this movie, having not seen the first instalment I decided to just jump in and check this out anyway. I do like Mike Flanagan, but I think Absentia and Oculus are far better than his other films, including this one. It's wonderfully shot and stylistically very well handled. Where this film fails for me is in the actual horror and its final act; you have a nice build-up with attention to characters and mood only for the film to completely fall apart two-thirds in, turning into a PG-13 Exorcist on steroids, which isn't scary at all. The suspense at the start was nicely built, but once it starts piling on ropy special effects and endless attempts at jump scares I really lost interest. Without a doubt I would recommend this if it's on TV and you're bored, but I wouldn't go out of your way to see it.

Joshy (2016)

Really enjoyed this!

[8/10 · 5 October 2016]

I watched this with no prior knowledge of what it would be and was very pleasantly surprised. There's a great cast, all of whom I've seen and enjoyed in their various TV shows. The story is about a group of friends on a weekend retreat bonding after a traumatic event and it's mostly just conversations and mundane character interactions, usually involving drinking and drugs.

Some of it was absolutely hilarious and some of it was very emotional, yet it all felt very real. It's not a mind blowing or deep film but it's brisk, fun and well acted. A great low key adult comedy! Definitely recommended.

The Wailing (2016)

Not bad.

[7/10 · 5 October 2016]

If you're looking for a good horror film I wouldn't really recommend this as I didn't find it scary but it was still entertaining enough to sit through and I would say it's worth a watch in general. I'd describe it as a supernatural modern mystery fable with horror elements and dark comedy, the tone really does vary though. The comedic dialogue and slapstick moments peppered throughout gave it a slightly goofy feel in places but there's plenty of dark imagery and nasty violence too. It's all wonderfully shot and well acted which definitely keeps it engaging. I preferred the first half of the film to the second; I thought the set up was really good but found it slightly predictable once the story started coming together. Overall; not bad, well shot and entertaining but overly long and unfocused.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Great fun!

[8/10 · 12 August 2016]

Suicide Squad is a film about bad guys joining forces under the watch of the government to fight against an evil being that's been unleashed upon Midway City, a fictional city loosely based on Chicago but transported to Michigan. The team is assembled by government intelligence operative Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis, and includes a hit-man who never misses called Deadshot (Will Smith), a former gang member who can create and control fire called El Diablo, Australian thief Boomerang, mercenary Slipknot, a sewer dwelling monster called Killer Croc, Cara Delavigne playing a scientist possessed by the spirit of a powerful witch called Enchantress, and the star of the show, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie.

Smith and Robbie absolutely steal the film and are thrilling to watch. There are also a host of familiar characters who crop up throughout including The Joker, played by Jared Leto, Batman & The Flash. The cast is well chosen and all do a great job, although something about Cara Delavigne as Enchantress doesn't quite land, thankfully she's shrouded in CGI and her voice is manipulated so it's not that big a deal but I think the film would have benefited from having someone else play the evil spirit, Delavigne does a fine job as June the scientist but as Enchantress she's just not very enchanting, the way she moves is unintentionally hilarious and quite distracting.

The best parts of the film are when the squad are sharing banter, director David Ayer revels in the outlandish personalities and looks of these characters. The script is very serviceable, balancing dialogue, action, humour & horror fairly well. In fact, there really isn't a single moment of the film that isn't fun and exciting. It breezes along at a steady pace and doesn't feel convoluted or complicated in any way; in fact I'd say it's pretty much the most straightforward comic book movie we've seen in a while and one where we have a big cast of characters but a simple narrative that allows us to get to know them and see how they interact without having to worry about a million different plot points. The love story between Joker and Harley brings some unconventional romance to proceedings, and it works. Visually the film excels, from the styling, to the direction and the special effects. It's a joy to watch and looks extremely comic-book like, imagine Robert Rodriguez's Sin City on LSD.

I honestly don't understand all of the flack this is getting from critics. In my opinion it's a hundred times better than the woeful Batman Vs Superman. As a David Ayer film it's not quite up there with his previous work, you can tell that there was some studio-pleasing involved in terms of structuring, but as a comic book adaptation I think it gets the job done with a real sense of fun and giddiness. It's very much a Summer crowd-pleaser but there's enough to set it apart from bland studio fare and it's clearly been made with great care and passion. I really hope that if they do another Suicide Squad centred movie that Ayer is on board.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

Worth watching

[7/10 · 23 July 2016]

I can't remember the last time I saw the original Ghostbusters so I'm not going to bother comparing the two. On its own merit I thought this was pretty entertaining and lighthearted fun. There were some really funny scenes and moments, not enough to make it truly great but enough to make it worth watching at least once. I thought that Kristen Wiig was particularly funny but that all the actresses were great together. The ghosts looked cool but the best parts of the film were scenes with the women talking instead of the action which takes more of a back seat. If they make another one with the same cast I would watch it and it does also make me want to go back and re-watch the originals!

Keanu (2016)

Disappointing, but still entertaining enough

[6/10 · 30 May 2016]

I'm not a huge fan of Key & Peele, I find their comedy very hit & miss, but the trailer for this film looked great and promised a silly good time, which is something I seek out. I actually laughed harder at the trailer than I did during the film, because of how it was edited. In the actual film almost every single joke is run into the ground so much that it stops being funny. The plot revolves around a Slacker, Rell, who comes across a lost kitten and takes it in. When the kitten is stolen by a thug ransacking the wrong house Rell recruits his high strung cousin Clarence to go after the criminal and his gang to retrieve the kitten, only they end up having to work with him. The plot doesn't really make any sense and is unfortunately worn thin by the end credits. There are, however, a couple big laughs in the film, one involving a hilarious celebrity drug deal gone wrong which had me in stitches. Unfortunately, even the ending slightly unravels the brilliance of that scene by explaining it with an unnecessary reveal. There are some great performances from the supporting cast, including Nia Long and Luis Guzmán, and Key & Peele themselves do a pretty good job, but the script definitely could have used more work; injecting some more variety into the comedy and perhaps not beating to death the jokes that initially work. It's entertaining, and worth watching for that one brilliant scene, but I do think it could have been a lot funnier throughout and less clichéd at the end.

Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Crude but funny if you like that sort of thing

[6/10 · 17 April 2016]

Dirty Grandpa is a crude and over the top adult comedy featuring solid performances from Zac Efron and Robert De Niro who both manage to bring a charisma that somehow makes it work despite an uneven script and some truly twisted humour that definitely won't appeal to everyone. It isn't particularly clever but I have to admit I found some of it really funny. It's too long but the chemistry between Efron and De Niro kept it entertaining. I can understand why some people don't like it but if you enjoy outrageous irreverent humour it's worth a watch. The storyline isn't exceptional but I did think the dialogue was often funny and the supporting cast did a good job at going along with the silly tone of the film. It drags a little bit in the middle and the ending is very clichéd but overall it is both fun and funny enough to please its target audience and, while not amazing, certainly not as bad as the critics are saying.

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

More drama than horror but still worth a watch.

[7/10 · 16 April 2016]

I've been looking forward to seeing this movie as I'm a huge horror fan but after watching it I'm a little bit disappointed by the lack of actual scares in the film. In all other aspects it's really well crafted; the cinematography is stunning, the acting is great and the authenticity of the time period is impressive. I liked the storyline but I found the execution a little bit confusing. The witch is shown at the start of the film dispelling any mystery and what follows is mostly a psychological drama following the family of the story as they question the bizarre occurrences that are unfolding due to the witch's magic. The dialogue is in old English but still easy to follow, the actors do a wonderful job of delivering the lines and getting into character. I thought the direction was good but I did wish it was actually scary rather than, in my opinion, mostly just being creepy and atmospheric. I wanted something more terrifying or bizarre but in the end it was, bar a couple of occasions, quite restrained even when depicting mystical goings-on. I thought the imagery could have been heightened but it's all very realistic which struck me as an odd choice, I just felt that it could have had a little bit more to it. I would definitely recommend checking this out as it has some good moments and a very rich moody atmosphere but don't expect to be blown away or particularly scared.

Compliance (2012)

Good film

[7/10 · 15 April 2016]

This is a really interesting and well-made film. Despite the disclaimer at the beginning I was still slightly skeptical of just how true to life the events depicted were but after looking it up I'm really shocked that everything in the movie actually happened. I won't spoil any of the plot, I think it's best to go in not knowing anything other than it's a bizarre and uncomfortable true story that involves elements of crime and psychological drama in a very mundane setting. I didn't find it quite as uncomfortable as some people, there was enough dark humour peppered throughout to make you laugh at just how insane the actions of some of the characters are but it was certainly also terrifying to see how easily manipulated some people can be. You will probably wonder to yourself how some of these people could be so stupid and gullible but the fact that it happened for real makes you realise the true horror at the centre of the film; the brainwashed masses who comply with any authority figure out of blind faith. The director really nailed the drama with restraint, rather than ratcheting up the weirdness with gimmicks or a heavy hand, and I thought the ending was very well done. Definitely recommended!

Hush (I) (2016)

Disappointed

[6/10 · 10 April 2016]

The film started off quite well from the outset, with a nice setup. Having the main character be deaf is interesting, but unfortunately it doesn't pay off very well. There's not much buildup to the game of cat and mouse that makes up the bulk of the story and so the viewer is thrust into the action in a way that seriously lessens its impact. There are flashes of promise in the first ten or so minutes but after that it's a fairly clichéd survival horror that doesn't offer anything spectacular. Some fleeting moments of tension and shock make it worth a one time watch if you're curious, but don't go into it with high expectations.

The Boy (2016)

Not very good

[4/10 · 6 April 2016]

The Boy is a story about an American babysitter who takes a job in England for an old couple with a son who turns out to actually be a doll. Or is he? As strange things begin to happen in the house our heroine, played by Lauren Cohan, starts to believe that the doll may have a life of its own.

The film attempts to create an atmosphere of suspense but frankly I found it far more funny than scary. If you want to watch something so stupid that it makes you laugh then this could be a fun way to pass the time but after laughing at the first hour of the film I fell asleep as it just didn't hold my attention until the end. If you want an entertaining evil doll horror watch Chuckie, or even Anabelle. There really isn't much to recommend here; nothing about this film rises above mediocre, not the acting, the scares or the story. Don't waste your time.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Totally disappointing!

[1/10 · 30 March 2016]

Let me just get this out of the way; this is a really awful film that doesn't warrant your time at all. I'm not a big fan of Zack Snyder but I am a big Batman fan, and I do like superhero films and comics. This film is about as passionless and empty as a blockbuster can get. The first hour and a half is just jumping from one scene to the next with way too many things going on yet somehow a complete lack of momentum or interest, taking time setting up a fight between Batman & Superman that is eventually anticlimactic and setting up Lex as the villain, all of this happening with quite a dark overtone. Then all of a sudden there's a new villain, and Wonder Woman, and then a whole new film seems to kick in that's far more goofy yet somehow much worse than the muddled first two acts. The dialogue is embarrassingly bad, the story is all over the place and has no thrust, emotion or substance. All they do is keep talking about morals when both Batman and Superman act out of character numerous times and cause insane amounts of wanton destruction and death. Batman and Superman hate each other for barely a good reason, and the way their dynamic changes throughout is extremely unbelievable and lacking in deep motivation. You start to wonder how Snyder, with some of the most iconic characters in comic book history, couldn't muster one moment of actual interest, suspense or artistic flair. I found it more joyless and pointless than the recent Fantastic Four (which had good ideas but was ruined by the studio in my opinion). There are way too many characters, for no real good reason, some decent special effects but not really any memorable action, completely inappropriate casting (Jesse Eisenberg comes across more akin to the Riddler than Lex Luthor), relentless superficial moralising and religious claptrap and an ending so anticlimactic that I've forgotten most of it already. The script is the first thing that should have been altered, it's just awful, and then Zack Snyder should have been booted off and somebody with at least some capability in extracting something credible from an overcooked, poorly written plot-hole filled script should have been pulled in to save the mess. He takes the bad writing and runs it even further into the ground with a completely uninspired directorial effort. What a waste of source material and budget! Avoid.

The Wave (2015)

Worth a watch

[6/10 · 6 March 2016]

This film was brilliant up until about half way through with a great build-up leading to an epic action scene followed by a fairly uninspired rescue. The tsunami itself was intense and well handled with nifty visual effects. After the main event though the film gets a little clichéd and drawn-out and I found myself losing interest. The whole set piece following the wave was rather predictable and went on too long. It follows a very formulaic Hollywood template but with an attempt at a heightened sense of realism, yet it still suffers from plot holes and a lack of logic at times. On the plus side, the acting was really good throughout and everything looked stunning. Definitely worth a watch if you like disaster films but ultimately a little disappointing towards the end.

Zoolander 2 (2016)

Made me laugh!

[8/10 · 16 February 2016]

I don't understand how you can like the first one and not like this one, I laughed all the way throughout! It was nice to see so many actors from the first film along with some big cameos. The interplay between Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson is as hilarious as ever and the jokes come thick and fast. There's a good amount of satire poking fun at the fashion industry and a lot of familiar faces including Anna Wintour and an A-list of designers playing themselves in a great scene I won't spoil. The plot is rather purposefully convoluted but brings a good amount of continuity from the first film. I wasn't blown away by the premise but the comedy level was enough to keep me distracted from any negative aspects. I would definitely love to see them do a third film at some point.

Grandma (2015)

Extremely impressive

[9/10 · 27 January 2016]

Absolutely one of the most enjoyable films I've seen in a while with a brilliant performance from Lily Tomlin. The plot follows a girl who goes to her loud-mouthed liberal grandma for help paying for an abortion and their quest to come up with the money when they don't have enough. The film takes place over the course of one day as they drive to meet various people whom they think can help, including grandma's scorned ex-husband and her crazy work-obsessed daughter. There is a lot of comedy throughout but there's also a strong helping of drama too, and the film manages to be quirky and fun but also deeply moving at the same time. If you like intelligent adult comedies with a realistic tone then I definitely recommend you watch this as soon as you can, you won't be disappointed!

Rock the Kasbah (2015)

Worth a watch!

[7/10 · 21 January 2016]

I don't see why the critic reviews for this are so low, they put me off watching it initially but I'm glad I saw it eventually. It actually starts off really strong with a great setup featuring Zooey Deschanel who I'm not the biggest fan of but her scenes were very funny and her chemistry with Murray was quite good. The plot centres around Bill Murray playing a washed up music manager who ends up booking a tour of Afghanistan with his only decent act played by Dechanel. Once they arrive in the Middle East things don't exactly go as planned and some unlikely antics ensue to varying comic effect. Bruce Willis and Kate Hudson both appear but the real star of the show is obviously Bill Murray, and while this isn't his best work he's still charming and entertaining and manages to elevate the proceedings enough to keep things fun. I laughed intermittently throughout but I did find the beginning to be the strongest and thought that by the end it had lost a little bit of steam but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. I definitely recommend giving it a watch if you like Bill Murray or if you're a fan of adult comedies that don't rely on raunchy humour for laughs.

The Expanse (2015–2022)

Everything I want in a sci-fi show!

[9/10 · 2 January 2016]

This show is amazing. I like sci-fi but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan, the only sci-fi show set in space that I really got into was Firefly, but this is more like the sci-fi movies that I like which mix drama, action and survival horror. The first episode has a very dark mood to it, the setup recalling the plot of Alien, but four episodes in the story is already branching off in unexpected directions and fleshing out what seems to be a much deeper plot. I binge watched the first four episodes in a row and would have kept going if there were more available. I love the mix of different genres and the way you never know what's going to happen. One minute everything is funny and lighthearted and the next something horribly violent and terrifying happens, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I have no reference to the source material but either way the dialogue is refreshingly realistic; the characters all coming across very believable and intriguing. It's a very adult-oriented show, so expect gore, nudity and bad language, but it's very effectively and tastefully done. I would say the vibe of the show reminds me of some of my favourite TV from the past like Buffy & The X Files, it definitely has an element of self-awareness that works in its favour; it really seems that everyone involved is putting a lot of effort into this and it's paid off. The cinematography, special effects and set design are spectacular for a basic cable show, the direction is exceptionally confident and flashy at just the right moments. I cannot recommend this show enough to anyone looking for smart and fun adult entertainment with a sci-fi twist, watch it now and let's make sure it gets renewed!

Chi-Raq (2015)

Don't bother

[4/10 · 30 December 2015]

I was really looking forward to seeing this as the trailer made it look amazing and I like a lot of Spike Lee films but it wasn't at all as advertised. Did you know that all the dialogue rhymes like some kind of cheesy musical meets a Dr. Seuss parody? And Lee uses names and dialogue from a Greek play so while the film is set in modern day Chicago the characters call themselves Trojans and Spartans for no apparent reason whatsoever. We couldn't get through more than 40 minutes of this annoying shtick, what a disappointment it was to see such an all-star cast (Wesley Snipes is back!) wasted on an absolutely terrible idea. The only good aspects of the film are the cast and the cinematography, apart from that it's a misguided pretentious mess. Avoid!

Creed (II) (2015)

Walked out

[4/10 · 25 December 2015]

I can't believe Creed has so much praise, did I watch the same film? Firstly, I thought Ryan Coogler did an excellent job with Fruitvale Station and that's the reason I wanted to see Creed, not because I'm a fan of Rocky, which I'm not. I did expect this to be enjoyable though and I expected it to be easy to follow without having seen the originals but the film didn't suck me in at all and instead I was questioning everything because I wasn't engaged. Why does Rocky, a famous ex-boxer, live in a terrible house? It's never explained why a former champion boxer has decided to live a meagre lifestyle and what happened to all his wealth (if this was shown in Rocky III then it would perhaps have been nice to allude to it here). I also didn't understand why Adonis, whose mother is incredibly wealthy, chooses to drive a van around and quits a good job to go and fight. Yes, he loves fighting, but why does he love fighting? We don't get a real feel for any of the characters before suddenly Adonis is moving in with Rocky who inexplicably is perfectly happy to have him and his girlfriend sleeping on his couch when they both have their own apartments. Normally I would be fine connecting the dots and just going with it but it was so boring I couldn't help but notice the sheer amount of stupidity in the script that we're supposed to believe for no reason. The fight sequences are quite well done, the film is well photographed and the actors do a fine job but the script is awful in my opinion; flat characters, trite dialogue and inexplicable plot developments would be fine in an otherwise entertaining comedy or horror film but not in a drama like this. I walked out just under two thirds of the way through.

The Canal (2014)

Riveting and terrifying!

[9/10 · 23 December 2015]

I don't know why the IMDb score and Metacritic score are so low on this one. That's one of the reasons I put off watching it for a while but I'm so glad I finally got around to seeing it; it's one of the better horror films of recent years, and I'm a huge horror junkie. If you like disturbing horror that gets under your skin and doesn't rely on jump scares or constant gore then this is for you. The film is beautifully shot and has some exceptionally creepy visuals. It's sporadically violent and cruel but every moment of blood letting or grotesquerie is expertly handled and actually frightening rather than pure gross-out. I urge you not to watch the trailer as it contains spoilers I wish I hadn't known before going into it. If you want to know what to expect, I'd say it's got elements of films such as The Shining and The Ring, but it has a very unique feel. There's a nice dose of drama along with the horror and Rupert Evans is thoroughly believable and engaging in the lead role, much more so than your average modern horror protagonist. Highly recommended!