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Reviews
The Last Pirate (2023)
3 Stars for Effort
Swashbuckler fan here. Bring on Erroll Flynn! I love adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy; however, I was not a fan of the PotC franchise.
We tried so hard to watch but tossed in the towel at 20 minutes. It was unbearable.
I have difficulty grasping the kudos and awards. The acting is pancake-flat. The concept is cool, but the script is stilted. The camera work is not bad.
Sorry, there was no swash in this buckle. The fight scene on the beach was ridiculous; like a drunk punch-and-roll. But when the blonde pirate is wearing pants with back pockets, belt loops, and a belt that looks like my husband's golf pants, we are off to a rough start.
Hard pass on this one.
Death in Paradise (2011)
The Downhill Slide Continues
This series began brilliantly with Ben Miller, Sara Matins, Don Warrenton, Danny John-Jules, and others as the main cast. It was brilliantly written and acted. As one viewer mentioned, the sexual tension was perfect.
Each change in the main protagonist, four and counting, has been interesting. Chris Marshall was so "aw shucks" it was hard to believe he was such a brilliant DI, but he grew on you. Ardal O'Hanlon was neurotically obnoxious, and his storyline was always as weak as his acting skills. We have moved on to Ralf Little. Thankfully, the writers have toned down his exceptional neurosis, which was so hard to watch in the first season.
Since Sara Matins, each subsequent DS has been another step down. Josephine Jobert as DS Florence Cassell was never more than lukewarm milktoast; she felt like cardboard. Having no new tropes, the writers made her a romantic interest of her boss, ala Miller/Matins. (Notice to writers: We don't all fall in love with and/or have sex with our bosses and or subordinates. Nope. Usually pretty far from it.)
Shantol Jackson, as DS Naomi Thomas, is a place marker; a child, not a mature, competent woman. Tajh Miles as Marlin Pryce is entertaining and has been nicely developed. It is tiring to watch Don Warrenton's character dissolve into a personal crisis. This isn't a soap. Keep it light.
Ginny Holder as Darlene Curtis is just plain god-awful. It was blindingly obvious from the first episode in which she was introduced that someone was intent on writing this ham into the storyline. She has been, and continues to be an obnoxious, overbearing mother-type who must always one-up everyone. She endlessly denigrates the men, and her now willing compadre is DI Thomas. Rude and overbearing, Curtis is a stereotype of the sassy black momma. Please. Throw her off a cliff like the guy in the episode that triggered this review.
I used to look forward to this show. Now it is a place marker as I clean house. Missing sections of it as it runs in the background does nothing to damage the story.
If it is so hard to find good actors to work on this mystical island of murder, close it down and move it to rural England. At least they know how to cozy mystery there.