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gordymck
Reviews
Next (2020)
Interesting concept
I like this show; but please please please, if you're shooting another season, and in particular car scenes where somebody is driving a car, please have them pay attention to what they're supposed to be doing - i.e. driving. I lost count of the number of times characters should have died because they were too interested in looking at their passenger as opposed to what was in front of their moving car.
Good sci-fi... though maybe a bit too close for comfort :-\
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Expertly sets the foundation for a new Trek story
To all the reviewers who have lamented this is not Star Trek... they've missed one important point. Episodes 1-3 bring in a new award winning director to set the scene for a story we've not been part of for nearly 20 years, so in doing some of the familiar Star Trek elements haven't materialised yet. However, in episode 3, then fully in episode 4, the baton is passed to Jonathan Frakes as the story develops.
Picard is excellent, and very much the character we remember, if now wiser and more reflective at this point in his life. The whole production has been well worth the wait and you'll be pleased you gave this a go.
Star Trek: Picard: Remembrance (2020)
All the ingredients come together just right!
I've waited nearly 25 years for a Star Trek as good as this and it was definitely worth the wait.
The first episode is like being introduced to old friends you haven't seen for a while; but then get thrust right back into their lives & a rollercoaster story. This ticked all my boxes for what I remember great Star Trek being, and what I hoped it would be again... can't believe Amazon is going to make us wait a whole week now for episode 2 lol!
The cinematography is polished and the whole production looks amazing with attention to detail. Patrick Stewart is definitely on form and brings the class and commanding presence that we remember, but without the need for a uniform.
Perfect start A+
Fractured (2019)
Doesn't take a genius to work this one out
The biggest mystery here is all the positive reviews that claim they were guessing until the end and never saw it coming (the 'twist'). However, it was obvious as soon as he first arrived at the hospital parking lot and didn't open the door for his wife and daughter on the back seat. From then on in I called it, and wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Definitely not on a par with twists like The Sixth Sense, which was clever and original. So, unfortunately I didn't enjoy this and ended up skipping through most of it until my suspicion was confirmed at the end.
Only an Excuse?: 2019 (2019)
Not clever & not funny!
A couple of mildly amusing moments; but most of the show left me embarrassed to be Scottish. Impersonation were so far off the mark I thought I was watching You've Been Framed and the quality of the humour was scraping the bottom of the barrel. If this is the best Scottish comedy we have to offer it's time to throw in the towel... 30 minutes of my life wasted on utter drivel!
Hereditary (2018)
Walked out!
I walked out of cinema half-way through, which in hindsight is a whole hour more than I should have waited. This was dull, uninspiring, not scary, and didn't make me care about finding out any more.
Initially I was impressed with the 7.7 IMDB rating and the first positive critic reviews in the list, which made me optimistic that it was likely worth seeing. I now wish I had scrolled through the reviews and read the Observer columnist review... it sums it up.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Visually stunning, philosophically satisfying
Don't be dissuaded by all the negative reviews about this film; just go and see it yourself before making up your mind. The vast amount of negativity on IMDb has started to seem like a deliberate smear campaign either against Disney or the director; but none of it seems to make much sense.
For me, having grown up with Star Wars from it's beginnings with Episode IV, I've seen the evolution of the franchise from a somewhat mediocre sci-fi movie with an interesting backstory; to a phenomena with a growing philosophy regarding the Force, those that interact with it, and it's parallels in the ancient spiritual traditions of the real-world. For this reason, particularly this film's dialogue concerning the Force, I thoroughly recommend it and feel it more than adds to the evolution of the Star Wars Universe.
The locations photography, particularly the island scenes, are breath-taking and would be reason enough to see the film if this were it's only merit. Fortunately the story and the action is fast-paced and engaging to make this a success. I understand why some fans may have been disillusioned with some of the story and character decisions, particularly the deviations from expectation; but Game of Thrones has been doing this for years and has pushed it's way to the top of the ratings as a result.
Forget any prejudice you may have towards this film after reading any negative review, and remember that the success of Star Wars is far more than any single character or story-arc; it's an exploration of an energy that permeates all living things and can subsequently manifest as good or evil. Crucially, our current real-world quantum physics and Eastern philosophies are almost at a point where The Force from the Star Wars universe is more than just a fictional creation and it is this comparison that has the ability to make Star Wars real for so many.
The caliber of the acting is high with Mark Hamill giving probably his best performance in the role, and I think praise should genuinely go to the Director for daring to be different and go his own way while preserving what is REALLY important to the Star Wars universe. If you go and see this film at the cinema, that'll be £10 well spent!
Fantastic Four (2015)
Harsh reviews don't really do this justice
If you're a fan of Doctor Who, the British Sci-Fi show that was rebooted in 2005, then this movie will be fantastic! Doctor Who fans are in for a treat, as this has all the ingredients that have made all the recent Doctors a hit with the fans; humour, adventure, bonkers science fiction, a leading lady, and an evil nemesis. Okay, Doctor Who is primarily aimed at older children and young teens, with a niche adult fan-base as well. However, the fans of that series know what to expect and as such have rated it 8.8 on IMDb. In that regard, given this movie has most of the same ingredients, perhaps if it were put into a similar genre and fan-base as Doctor Who then this movie would not suffer from the harsh reviews it has.
I enjoyed the film, as I had not expectations and definitely found it entertaining. Would I go and see it in the cinema? No, I wouldn't waste my money; but then I would only watch Doctor Who on the TV if there was nothing else to watch. The point here being, know what to expect and you'll be pleasantly surprised and entertained. The current rating, at time of writing, is 4.8/10 which seems a bit unfair.
Also you get to see Kate Mara in a latex suit, which may or may not be your thing - but lets look for positives here lol!
Collision (2009)
Nice idea, shame it was a one-off
Interesting spin on the usual police investigation story, that starts with the incident and then unravels the story over the 5 episodes as the main characters piece together what happened. Douglas Henshall is excellent as usual, in his trademark moody Scottish leadership role (see 'Shetland' for more Henshall) and the background story move along reasonably well. This had so much potential, with the calibre of the acting and the plot, it could have easily have been renewed for more than one outing, if only the producers had the foresight to take the format forward. The basic premise of the show, that of a road traffic accident and the subsequent investigation of all the many variables that led up to the crash, offers the possibility of many different season arcs as the characters investigate different scenarios over a number of episodes. If this had been an American show, I'm sure it would have been renewed.
Nice twist at the end, which adds a whole new dimension to the whole story :)