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Reviews
Barbarian (2022)
So many questions.
When starting a film you obviously want to introduce characters. With Barbarian we have two, or do we?
The entire set up is a little odd, why a female would be so open to just staying in a house with someone she has never met is insane enough, but yeah stupid horror troupes.
Suddenly the film changes to meeting what is maybe a protagonist, it isn't explained at that point, maybe he is a good guy? Oh wait, after 2 minutes it turns out he is a bad guy... His 20 minutes of his introduction was pointless.
It ends as you expected in the first 20 minuets but, for me at least, leaves a bad taste in the mouth because the opening offered so much.
The film really isn't very good, it's over long and not as clever as it thinks it is.
Worth a watch but don't expect anything.
The Marvels (2023)
What's happening?
I really don't know how to relate this properly, I think mostly because I don't understand what kind of film was meant to be.
I know that the Marvel universe has comedic moments and has failed with them, looking at you Thor L&T but at least they had some story behind them, this whole was a lack of substance and comedy for the hell of it
Personally I think this whole endeavour was a waste of time and money by the studio. Did they not look at how interested people were in Miss Marvel and Monica Rambeau from the shows?
Everything about this felt a bit on par with the second or third 'Spy Kids' films.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
The most heart wrenching documentary I've seen.
I have to start with the people that have added reviews about this documentary not having great editing, production or directing. Did you actually watch it? I wasn't meant to be a released documentary, it was made as a tribute to a friend so that his son could see how loved and respected his dad was.
Right from the start this was a labour of love by someone that had lost a friend and did an amazing job of finding others that loved his friend as much as he did.
A lot of times with documentary making the maker start out with an agenda, in this case the agenda was meant as a gift to a child as a tribute to his dad he will never meet.
I'm not ashamed to say that by the end I was in tears.
This should have a 10 rating.
Deadstream (2022)
Not bad, not good
I found Deadstream totally l because I like mini budget horror films a lot.
It's really not a bad film at all, on the budget they did a really good job with almost everything about the film and on a while it was great!
Now this is where I found myself quite lost, I'm not sure if it's meant as a serious film or a parody of 'found footage' films. I mean obviously there is a lot of influence from Sam Rami and The Evil Dead in the writing but I can't figure out why the director/writer would put himself in as the lead unless he was playing a Charlie Day in IASIP type over the top character on purpose. To me he was too annoying from the start and it might loose viewers who would enjoy the film quickly.
I'd like to see this re-done with a bigger budget, in an Evil Dead 2 type way, same writers and directors but having the director/writer let someone better fitted take the lead role.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Why has this got such high reviews?
In the pursuit of 'happyness', after watching this I feel like that's almost a question.
What would you do for the 'happyness'? Be the cause of your child's mother leaving? Cause your child to live on the streets? I'm pretty sure both those things aren't actual Happiness for the child but at least the dad feels good..:
This is the story of a selfish man who gambled his sons actual happiness on if he could be the 1 out of 20.
Will Smith played Will Smith under different circumstances. Will Smiths son played a younger version of Will Smiths son and there was a musical score to help emote feelings but that was about it.
A vapid film about a selfish man. 3/10 at best!
Ted Lasso (2020)
I was a fan..
I really enjoyed the first two season of Ted Lasso. They were fun and a bit innocent feeling.
Sadly season three has decided 'innocent' means stupid. I don't really understand why they have gone down this route but it definitely takes away from what was a good show.
I'm really hoping that, if the show gets a renewal, the writers will get back to the fun of the first two seasons and not rely on stupidity and the twee soundtrack to carry it.
I'm expecting a 'cliffhanger' at the end of this season to leave open for a fourth but in all honesty I'm not sure if I'll put myself through another if it continues like this and could not in good conscience recommend anyone else does.
Love, Death & Robots (2019)
Don't believe the 8+ rating
As someone that had heard of the show but it being a Netflix show with great 'critical acclaim', I, like I'm sure many, decided to give it a miss. Last night while bored I decided to give it a go and to be fair it isn't all bad!
For one, the animation throughout the majority of the episodes is great! There are some not so great ones and others that look like you're being told what to do as a next mission on a Capcom game but generally really good and worthy of an 8 star.
Sadly everything else is weaker.
A few scripts in each season throughout the 3 so far were great, but, they were few and far between. Some of them felt like a 15 year old who had seen Black Mirror a few times writing something they think a 12 year old would like.
Along with that a lot of the voice acting was beyond bad! I wouldn't even use 'called it in' because maybe if they had used a phone they may have sounded less wooden.
Lastly as one who couldn't care less about nudity or swearing it was odd to me that Netflix would do so much in one show, almost as if they wanted some controversy to boost ratings..??
Anyway, I diverge. The animation is mostly great, the stories are more miss than hit and the voice acting is generally not good but passable. Overall I think a 7/10 is a very fair.
65 (2023)
Awful doesn't even cover it
I really can't say anything good about this movie other than the effects were great, especially off world.
I feel bad for giving it a one star purely for the obviously good effects department but my god is this a bad bad movie!
That anyone puts their name to having written a 'script'?? Where? On the back of a napkin??
Just because there is a child and an emotive score does not mean there is a good movie. Adam Driver is not a good enough to front a something like this with a small script that depends on his abilities.
Boring would be too much of a praise for this mess. Go watch The Room again it's more fun in its awfulness.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
It's just so bad
I hate having to write this review but I just can't not in the hope that Marvel might take notice to actual fans.
I have no idea how this has happened but I'm actually cringing at being an MCU fan, we all know it's getting a bit stale and loosing some appeal but this show is just embarrassing. People are talking about Thor L&T relying on humour too much but this show has no actual story just humour that 90% of the time isn't funny and is just bad. There is no comedic timing, no drama, no tension and no story.
This is the biggest miss the MCU have made so far and I hope they look at the real commentators and see the mistake.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Having just watched Prey..
Having just watched Prey and deciding to go back through the Predator films I think this is the one that disappoints me most.
The bones of the story are great and the budget was obviously good but for sadly between the scene writer, the director and a bad cast they crated an absolute dud.
If somehow and some way they could redo the story with competent people behind it I think it would actually be amazing.
I'm only giving 5 because I really think the bones of the plot deserve better than it got.
Lockout (2012)
Stepping on Snakes 'tale'
What in the hell is this?!? To be honest I'm just going to fill my words to tell people not to watch this. Everything about is is so bad! I'm guessing Guy Pearce needed a payday, which is sad because he's generally an excellent actor. Sadder still is maybe with a better director, editor and some work on the script it might have been good because the set design and CGI after the first 10 mins are actually great. Don't believe the 6.0 it's fake, but it could have been.
Licorice Pizza (2021)
I really love everything he's done, before this..
Licorice Pizza looks amazing, the acting is great, the music is great. The story, absolute trash! I feel like I've just wasted a couple of hours trying to figure out what it was actually about to realise it's nothing.
Such a shame that the script is so damn bad.
Space Force (2020)
I hope for a season 3...
I quite enjoyed the first season, except for Phoebe, how does she even get parts?? Baffling.
Anyway, season 2 is bad, like really bad.
The idea that a millennial would know who 70s bands were but be excited to learn Madonna and Rodman were together at one point is weird, and thinking it was a big deal? I mean at the time it got some press but I seriously doubt any millennial does or would care about that relationship or even know who Rodman was. There are many more misses other than this, It was all a bit Mel Brooks/Naked Gun type humour, meaning dates and just not funny anymore.
I hope there is a season 3 so the writers get a chance to redeem themselves as it could have been a good show.
Chucky (2021)
Except for the knives this was pointless
I didn't really have high hopes that this would be very good and it matched my expectations.
Chucky himself is fun, he always is, I mean how could a foul talking, murderous doll not be fun!?
The problem with the rest of it is that nothing else was fun or even particularly enjoyable.
Props to Jennifer Tilly and Fiona Dourif they were the exception, without them I would have given 3 stars.
Bruised (2020)
Not bad, not good...
I'm going to keep this one a bit short in the hope that the director sees it and knows how to keep things short for the next feature...
If you've seen any film about a fighter overcoming adversary then you've seen this film.
Nothing different was offered other than the fighters being female but we've already had that done too with Million Dollar Baby which was a far superior film.
Only Murders in the Building (2021)
Great to a point..
I've just binged this over the last 6 or so hours and for the most part it was great!. I really enjoyed the characters, the actors playing them, the directing, music, literally everything to do with the production up until the last two episodes.
Don't get me wrong the last two episodes did still hit all the boxes except one, it was two episodes too long for the story, things could have made more sense if ep7 was a round up but I think they could have done it on ep6. Ironically I think the money men got involved to leave it needing a second season.
Personally I kind of hope there won't be another one because of how wrong and cliched the ending was, it was fun while it lasted.
If this had been a stand alone 6/7 episode show it would have got a 10.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Biggest Marvel dud yet
I'm a bit late to this review as I waited for the Disney channel release rather than go to the cinema.
I'm very happy with my choice! If I'd spent money going to see this I would have been even more disappointed than I already am.
By far the weakest MCU film to date in almost every way. The story was at best okay, the jokes missed the mark more often than not, the fight scenes were messy and childish looking and the effects weee probably the worst I've seen in the universe, cartoony and like a bad video game.
The main cast were too old for the characters they were portraying, watching it felt like people in their 30s playing people in their 20 who acted like 15 year olds
I really hope these characters get left behind during phase 4 to be honest. MCU made a massive casting mistake and because of it I can't see how it can be reframed for them to come into the wider spectrum unless through the multiverse new actors can come in.
As bad to the MCU as Iron Fist was to Netflix.
Red Notice (2021)
Another dud!
Why do Netflix keep doing this to us?? Another film with money thrown at it but with no substance.
Three big name actors of which only one is any good, as long as he is playing a jokey, ironic character with voice over work. Thankfully I do like his being jokey, ironic and his voice over work, it's the only thing that stops this film getting 1 star.
Can we please stop pretending that the Rock and Gal Gadot are actors. They aren't, there really isn't anything that makes them enjoyable to watch other than their obvious physical attributes.
This film is just as bland as every other film Gal and the rock has ever made bar Pain and Gain and parts of Wonder Woman, films they were born to be in.
I think everyone should watch this pile of c**p just to give it the low score it deserves and beat off the fake high votes it's been getting.
Do better with my money Netflix!
Infinite (2021)
johnny mnemonic for 2021
It's rare I find a film so lack of even one good thing to say about it but this pile of dung had done it!
There is nothing I can complement, from the atrocious acting, the cinematography the effects, sound and lighting, this is all just a big mess! So bad I don't even think a James Bay fan could find it fun.
Some films are so bad they are actually quite good (johnny mnemonic) this isn't one!
Chapelwaite (2021)
Sadly...
... It's sadly not very good.
A prequel to Salem's Lot is totally fine, King did it himself with the short story 'Jerusalem's Lot'. This is not that story, or anything that should be associated with it.
Even if I didn't know Kings short stories this series would annoy me. Hours of dribble to get to any kind of point.
A feature length would have been better but it's pretty obvious that the hope was a long series would make the money through streaming.
So sad, Adrien Brody is so much better than this.
I wasted my time to say it's not worth yours.
Dune (2021)
Epic and beautiful! Don't believe the neigh-sayers
As someone who has never read the books but seen the Lynch version (which I love) a few times I might be frowned upon but this Dune is amazingly good!! The haters are just haters!!
Yes it's a slow build but the directing, actors, composers, effects, literally everything you can think of are there making the slow burn exciting, every scene I want to know what's going to be happening next in a good excited way!
Personally I'm hoping this is a trilogy at least, if it carries on like this I'd be happy to see a fourth to finish it though.
A beautiful film and almost flawless in any regard I can think of as a film fan.
Midnight Mass (2021)
Midnight Mass'ive reimagining
Firstly I want to say I actually really enjoyed the show, almost everything was spot on. The cast were great, the directing and cinematography was great, the music was great and most of all the story was great.
As a massive Stephen King fan I personally would have loved to have seen this as Salem's Lot remake but reworking is great too. It's very close, so close in fact I don't quite understand how King hasn't got a writing credit but knowing how he works he probably really doesn't care. Good man!
Other than that my only two other slight gripes are that you could tell who would de-age because of not quite on par effects and the Doctors sexual orientation which felt shoehorned in for no apparent reason.
All in all a definite 8/10.
What If...? (2021)
Just not very good
I'm up to date with the show and I swear it just seems to be getting worse! I'm actually starting to get annoyed as I know that I have to stick around for all the episodes because I know it'll all link in with the next phase but damn it's hard! By far and away the worst thing The MCU have done.
Edit: I was wrong!! Skip the first 4 or 5 episodes, and watch the rest, they catch you up with what's happened anyway without having to deal with them for a full half hour.
Old (2021)
It's a big no!!
Wow!! This film is worse than bad, literally in almost every way I can think of a film being bad in! I'm pretty sure I've seen some of the cast 'acting' better than they have in this so I'm assuming it's MNS directing them to be this bad. The idea from the trailer seemed like it might be interesting so I was looking forward to it but I was mislead! MNS seems to have decided he's a modern day Homer mixed with Shakespeare without realising his head was so much up his bum that he made possibly the worst film of the 2020s and it's only 2021! That he's obviously left it open for a prequel with a 'twist' that Cabin in the woods has already left people thirsty for is has left me even more embarrassed for him. People thought that The Happening was bad, this just trumped it big style!!
The Wire (2002)
Somehow it's great!!
It doesn't make sense but somehow this is one of the greatest shows ever! The writing isn't great, the acting isn't great, the cinematography and direction isn't great but somehow all these things come together to make something GREAT!! It's gritty and cheap just like its subject matter and I think this may be why it works so well, not that it matters because whatever the magic is it just works.
It's great!! Have i said that enough?
Watch it, get immersed in it and enjoy!