Rich-91749 Reviews

Adventureland (2009)

The dialogue and acting is unbearably awkward and not on purpose

[3/10 · 28 January 2024]

This was sold to me as a comedy featuring Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Reynolds. I was not expecting an awkward teen drama with some diabolically bad acting from Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart.

I found large portions of it genuinely difficult to watch. The script is really clumsy and the two leads are a chemistry black hole. They don't act like human beings. Side note: can Kristen Stewart make it through a single scene without touching her hair?!? Even Ryan Reynolds is disappointing as he mumbles his way through the entire film.

This movie would be accurately described as a "coming of age teen romance" and not a very good one.

Ahsoka: Part Five: Shadow Warrior (2023) Season 1, Episode 5

Bit of a nothing episode

[4/10 · 13 September 2023]

I'm surprised that this was the episode they opted to show in cinemas, nothing happens!

There's a fairly lengthy sequence of fan service but it doesn't really drive the plot forward at all. They could have found Ashoka sat on the beech smoking a cigarette and the overarching story would be completely unaffected.

The acting was again a bit dodgy in this episode. Lots of arm folding and flat delivery of lines. Not terrible but not great.

Another thing that was really noticeable in this one was how fake the tentacle prosthetics for the alien women looks. They're really obviously rubber because they're bouncing around all over the place in this episode and it was quite immersion-breaking.

There was a few positives. Hayden Christensen had clearly been putting in the reps with his swordplay because he's still got a few cool moves. Young Ashoka has similarly impressive. The whales were pretty cool too (I guess they spent all their budget on them and had none left to make two of the main characters look realistic?).

Overall not a terrible mid-season filler episode but I was just surprised that they made such a fuss over it with the marketing. Not an episode I'll remember even a month from now.

Ahsoka (2023– )

Massive let-down

[3/10 · 2 September 2023]

I was so looking forward to this but what a complete let-down.

The basic premise driving the story is fine, if somewhat unimaginative. The problems are all in the direction and acting.

Let's start with the acting. It's really disappointingly BAD. The line delivery from almost all the main characters is completely flat. There's very little emotion of any kind on display. I'm finding it hard to care about the events of the show simply because none of the characters seem to!!!

Next let's talk about the direction. It's decidedly mediocre. I won't go into some of the little illogical plot points because you can pick apart any Star Wars content if you're really pedantic. My main issue is, all the scenes are so lifeless. There's no real sense of urgency or real threat. In the first episode something "dramatic" happened with one of the main characters but I could tell from both the plot direction and the way that it was shot that it would actually not count for anything and sure enough, it doesn't. The third episode has a scene that has parallels with a scene from 'A New Hope' and unfortunately, that comparison only serves to highlight how bad and lacking in drama that scene is.

The harshest thing I can say about this show is, if it wasn't Star Wars and was some random new IP and shown on daytime TV, nobody would bat an eyelid. That's the quality of the content.

Disney needs to hire in some new talent.

Dune (2021)

Honestly, quite bad and a real slog to get through!

[3/10 · 13 August 2023]

The director clearly LOVES Gladiator because you can see the influence in the filming style. Slow-motion + dramatic vocal overtones to add drama to a scene. Here's the problem though, whilst gladiator uses this sparingly to make big moments hit hard, it is barely an exaggeration to say 50% of this movie is in slow motion. It is so painful watching the 20th slow motion shot of the boy's reaction to something.

The plot is fairly standard sci-fi fair. Nothing too original but with better direction and editing this could have been an entertaining watch.

This is part 1 of 2 and having watched it, it seems abundantly obvious that this should have just been one movie.

Slow. Boring. By the end I was just willing for it to be over so I could go to bed.

His Dark Materials: The Botanic Garden (2022) Season 3, Episode 8

Ends on a limp

[1/10 · 3 July 2023]

Presumably the show runners were hamstrung by bad writing in the original book but this entire episode is absolutely full of contrivances and macguffins that are basically necessary to get the ending they wanted when it hasn't been naturally setup by the story.

Barely anything really happens in this final episode and I can't help but feel like they could have done a 5 minute montage and voice-over at the end of the previous episode to deliver ultimately the same outcome but without wasting another hour of our lives.

Genuinely a pretty bland and boring 1/10 episode of tele that I only sat through to see if anything actually does happen (it doesn't).

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

I'm annoyed at myself for paying to see it

[1/10 · 1 July 2023]

What an absolute load of garbage.

The opening scene is decent. Classic Indiana Jones, well-paced action with some slight outlandish fun...

Then we fast forward and the real movie starts. This is where the movie drops from a 7/10 to a 1/10 very quickly,

Indie is a shell of a character. Harrison is there only for the paycheque and it really shows. The writing of the character is lazy. A tired trope of a jaded once-hero turned-loser.

Phoebe viscount the posh is just the absolute worst. Devoid of any charisma and reeking of arrogance in both the writing of the character and the actor's portrayal. Incredibly unlikeable.

Then as the story develops you realise the plot is nonsense. Indie has no impact on it at all and is basically a mcguffin to allow the story to occur.

I really hated this film and I wanted to like it.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

His Dark Materials: Lyra and Her Death (2022) Season 3, Episode 4

Definitely the worst episode so far

[1/10 · 19 June 2023]

Bit of a nothing filler episode.

Mrs Coulter remains an interesting character but Lyra's storyline is so convoluted and full of macguffins that it barely makes any sense. It seems like the writer just wanted to get to her to the land of the dead someone and it have some weight to it and wrote backwards from there. Also her motivations are beyond idiotic. She needs to risk her life, her friend's life and permanently separate herself from her demon just to go speak to someone that's already dead. Why?

The final scene is clearly supposed to be emotional but the plot is so nonsensical that I felt absolutely nothing.

Gangs of London: Episode #2.8 (2022) Season 2, Episode 8

Big mistake not to kill Elliot

[3/10 · 31 March 2023]

He's had his arc and served his purpose. All he's doing now is standing in the way of more interesting characters.

The show is setup for a pretty boring season 3 with Elliot now being a full-on gang member and Marian being in charge of the Wallace family.

An alliance between Lele and Asif? Come on! They have brutally murdered each others families and yet we're supposed to believe they're going to work together just because they've both lost some power in the shuffle?

It seems the show runners are just running out of ideas but have a need to keep it going so they're just writing the first thing they can think of that might seem dramatic.

The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023) Season 1, Episode 3

Masterpiece in storytelling

[10/10 · 7 February 2023]

This episode represents a major deviation from the source material but in doing so, the writers manage to create a truly beautiful piece of storytelling which is not only compelling in its own right but also helps to provide a platform to explore the development of Joel and Ellie's relationship in a little more detail.

It didn't bother me in the slightest that this deviated from the game. This section of the game is mostly action and it's clear that the show wants to use action more sparingly and focus on characters. Ultimately, the core plot for our two main characters remains exactly the same, the only deviation is how they end-up getting there and the backstory of bill being told. You could never do justice to a side-character's backstory in the game because everything is told through Joel's eyes. This is a great opportunity to add more depth to the world building and I'm glad the show writers seized that opportunity.

Andor (2022– )

Loved it

[9/10 · 28 November 2022]

Really enjoyed having a slightly more grounded story within the established Star Wars universe which still managed to stick to some of the running themes of other Star Wars content.

This type of show helps to add depth and relatability to a fantastical IP. The show gives you a really good sense of what it might have been like to be a normal person living under empire rule. The subtle oppression at the start, ramping-up into tyrani cal rule, all behind the facade of genuine politics.

Good plot that moves at a reasonable pace. Good acting. Maybe a tiny bit shy on the action but nonetheless very enjoyable.

More of this please, Disney.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

Puerile and leans into the worst incarnation of the Hulk

[1/10 · 16 November 2022]

I tend to rate Tatiana Maslany as an actress but I really could not get into this show. For one thing, it is so incredibly childish and silly. If it was obviously pitched as a children's or pre-teen show, it might work. However, it seems to be trying to engage an adult audience also which is what makes the tone so baffling.

I also really don't care for this friendly hulk thing. Sort of misses the point of the hulk which is supposed to be a bit of a Jekyll/Hyde story.

Last complaint: the GCI is absolutely awful. You've probably all seen the scene of hulk clapping and it sending the shockwaves now as it has been memed to death. Given the budget they reportedly had for this show, how is it possible that it looks like it was filmed in 2004?

The Gray Man (2022)

Surprisingly decent

[7/10 · 23 July 2022]

This turned out to be quite a fun action movie. There are some quite exciting sequences, Billy Bob Thornton is great in everything and Chris Evan's deranged mercenary was brilliant.

There were some issues, though. Ryan Gosling is incapable of playing anything other than his signature blend of stoic and glib and that's exactly what you get here. He's not too bad, suppose. Who is bad is Regé-Jean Page. Glaringly bad. I've never seen him in anything before and will not be in a rush to see anything else he's in.

At the end of the day, if you're into silly action movies, this is worth a watch. If you're looking for something more serious and plausible, this ain't it.

Stranger Things: Chapter Nine: The Piggyback (2022) Season 4, Episode 9

Not a great finale

[3/10 · 15 July 2022]

For one thing it's needlessly long (some bits are dragged out quite a bit).

I also think there were quite a few cases where characters did totally nonsensical things purely because they needed to for the sake of the plot. I know that happens in all shows to some extent but it was jarringly obvious here.

Good season but a rubbish ending.

Prehistoric Planet (2022–2023)

Lacks drama

[4/10 · 31 May 2022]

The CGI is extremely impressive and it's interesting learning new information about prehistoric earth but compared to the likes of Blue Planet, Life etc., the show just lacks good drama. The scenes often end abruptly or build-up to nothing.

The Batman (2022)

Superb!

[9/10 · 3 April 2022]

Dark, moody and focuses more on Batman the detective than Batman the super hero. It's closer to a thriller than a super hero movie in a lot of places. Reminded me a bit of 'Seven' but with a 'Sun City' vibe.

I now understand why Pattinson was cast as Batman because this iteration of the caped crusader focuses more on his pain and desperation to help people. Pattinson's Batman is more visibly emotional, even with the mask on, and he nails the role.

The music was absolutely on-point too and created bucket loads of atmosphere and tension throughout the film.

The reason I'm giving it a 9 and not a 10 is I felt the ending was a tiny bit anti-climactic. It just wasn't quite enough of a pay-off, given how gripping the middle part of the film was. Still thoroughly enjoyed it!

Don't Look Up (2021)

Felt scarily plausible

[10/10 · 3 January 2022]

Despite being satire, the movie felt scarily plausible. Not just the meteor but the reaction of arrogant nations and corporations. I can totally imagine some of our billionaires that recently went on a joy-ride to space acting exactly like the Isherwell character.

Brilliant film, though. Entertaining, spot-on with the social commentary and very well-acted.

Wonder Woman (2017)

They couldn't help themselves...

[5/10 · 22 December 2021]

This movie suffers from the same issue that seems to plague every DC movie - they cannot resist the temptation to dial the power level of the hero and villain up to farcical levels as the movie towards the end.

The first half of the movie is alright. The bullet blocking/dodging is a bit over-the-top and immersion-breaking but I was enjoying it in spite of a few silly sequences.

Things go badly wrong when she meets the big baddie. She's no longer just stronger, faster and more skilled then normal humans. Apparently now she can fly? Just because. In the sequence that follows we get everything from flying to telepathy to laser beams. It's dumb. It's particularly dumb because the movie attempted to go with a more grounded story based in WW1. By the end, I couldn't wait for it to be over.

Free Guy (2021)

Can't make its mind up

[4/10 · 4 December 2021]

This movie can't seem to decide what it's target audience is. It would appear to be targeting gamers but then repeatedly goes out of its way to insult them in the script.

Aside from that, it's pretty cheesy but sort of fun. Ryan Reynolds is charming as always.

Papillon (I) (2017)

Surprisingly good

[8/10 · 12 November 2021]

I went into this film thinking Charlie Hunan is as one-dimensional as Jason Statham but he actually surprised me here. There were still a few moments of him trying desperately hard to look really tough but he displayed some range.

Rami Malek is a super star.

An enjoyable prison break movie.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Interesting but not nearly scary enough

[6/10 · 10 November 2021]

I enjoy Flanagan's style but he seems to have gone soft since The Haunting of Hill House.

The story and characters here are interesting but they give away the mystery quite early and there's almost no tension or scary moments.

Squid Game (2021– )

Starts weird, gets good but the end is poor

[7/10 · 12 October 2021]

It starts very weird as the concept is quite abstract, the violence is sudden and spectacular and some of the acting is very OTT. However, the story is intriguing enough to keep you going and around the middle of the series it really finds its stride. One particular episode is truly heartbreaking and superbly well-shot and acted. Unfortunately, in a needless desire to force a 'shocking twist' into the ending, they up completely undermining that best episode in the show. It really left a sour taste at the end before the final episode just drifts on a bit and ends without much more happening.

Overall, glad I watched it but felt the last episode was a enormous let-down.

Cruella (2021)

Surprisingly good.

[8/10 · 26 September 2021]

It's basically a heist movie with a great soundtrack. Emma stone does a great job of drawing parallels with the iconic character whilst also taking it in a slightly new direction. Emma Thompson makes for an excellent villain. Not much to complain about apart from some really dodgy CGI at the end in the parachute scene.

Clickbait (2021)

Very entertaining until the last episode

[7/10 · 15 September 2021]

I was really enjoying the show right up until the last episode. The plot had a good amount of intrigue and moved at a good pace. I enjoyed the style of each episode focusing in on one character and almost showing that episode through their perspective. It was reasonably well acted. Lots to praise.

Going into the last episode there was numerous different paths set up to explain the events of the show but unfortunately, the writers took the most boring possible path. In an attempt to subvert expectations, they just went for an explanation that came completely out of nowhere with no foreshadowing and could largely be summed up as 'a series of unfortunate events'. So unsatisfying after spending the rest of the series setting up motives and conflicting perspectives for multiple different characters.

Despite the weak final episode, I'd say it's still worth a watch.

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

Would have been a good movie if it wasn't trying SO hard to be funny

[6/10 · 30 July 2021]

Starts well. Visually impressive, good sound track. It goes pretty off-track when you meet the dragon. The comedy and pop-culture references miss the mark frequently. It's trying too hard. Overall still enjoyed the movie but the cringey forced comedy held it back.

Tenet (2020)

Not Nolan's best

[5/10 · 18 April 2021]

I usually love Nolan's work but this was not his best.

The plot is OK-ish but they don't actually explain the thing that drives the entire movie until the very end. Not in a satisfying revelation kind of way but rather in a 'I needed this information an hour ago to be invested in the story' kind of way.

Looking back it mostly makes sense but while watching it real time it can be very confusing, particularly towards the end when they start layering multiple timelines at once. I think that's what Inception did well but this film did not. Inception is a pretty complicated film but in any given scene, it was clear what they were trying to achieve. There's a whole section of this film where they go back to an airport and I still don't know why even though it took 15-20 minutes of screen time!

The soundtrack is decent but it's actually too loud and more than a few of actors are guilty of mumbling. I actually had to mess with my EQ settings just to hear some of the conversations!