...I watched this for completists sake but I must say I thought it was better than the first one..... on a technical side, it was very well filmed with some absolutely spectacular action sequences. Story wise, there were probably more holes than a Swiss cheese and I know better people than me of questioned why a spacefaring Empire needs a few bags of grain to feed its massive armies.,(.. I actually, kept coming back to that, in my head, and just chuckling to myself at the ridiculousness of it... in fact, I am laughing now as I think back to it..Hee hee..). I thought the cast were game for the nuttiness of it all and they all performed quite well. As I said earlier, there were some fantastic action scenes and that is something that Mr Snyder does very well, in fact, with the open ended ending I would be quite happy to see where it goes so I hope it is a success because I would happily, revisit this universe despite all its cliches and ridiculousness .....hee hee.. I'm still laughing about the grain plot.....
Reviews
97 Reviews
Atlas
(2024)
Surprisingly Fun Romp!!!....
28 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
After reading some sniffy reviews and not being a particular fan of Jenny from the Block I approached this with slight trepidation but my wife wanted to give it a go because Mark Strong was in it,(..she will watch him in anything..),and so off we went....it easily passed my Wife's '10 minute' Test and I personally found myself enthralled by everything happening..... ok,it's not going to win any Oscars but who cares about that. I had fun with all the 'Easter Eggs' and I did not mind the obvious nods to other films.. Hey!.. if you're going to rip off other films copy the Best,(..Aliens,Terminator and Starship Troopers to name a few..). It was flashy, colourful nonsense with excellent special effects and everyone in it gave all they could even Jenny f.t.B. Sterling K Brown was great but he's that in everything. The Mech and its AI was a lot of fun and we were both teary eyed towards the end...Ok,wafer thin plot but sometimes you just need to leave your Brain at the door and run with it. I personally would happily revisit this Universe and see what shenanigans our Heroine gets up to in her shiny new Mech suit.(.. More seriously,is anybody worried about the growth of AI in the real world?..there has been enough warnings on celluloid about it and yet people seem to be rushing to embrace it with nary afore thought.... I fear ANOTHER Pandora's Box is about to be opened with little or no thought to the consequences...Hey Ho!!...it was nice knowing you all.... Forgot to mention Mr Liu's 'Harlan'..much derided for his 'Shang-Chi' outing,(..not his fault,I believe..),I thought he was very good in this. Super Fun........
......Special mention for 'Atlas' Mother played by the brilliant Lana Parilla,(..not in it long enough..). We loved her in the superb 'Once upon a Time'...imaginative fantasy series from earlier this century where she stole most scenes as The Evil Stepmother....actually,she shared scene stealing duties with Robert Carlyle as a manic,cackling,hilarious Rumpelstiltskin. Check it out,Peeps!!...
Dune: Part Two
(2024)
Mixed,(..Spice..),bag...
2 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Hmmm,where to begin...Good points,I think...Good performances, ace effects,sound and everything else, epic music ,(..though a tad familiar,by now..),some fab action scenes,(..though if you've seen the Trailer's,you've pretty much seen em all...big problem..). Bad points...a bit ponderous,colour palette much too dark at key moments and,if they are not doing anymore,absolutely terrible ending. After really enjoying Part 1 I found this a quite big disappointment,I am sorry to say. I do hope it makes decent money, though so at least gives the chance to make more though I would not go to the cinema to see it...far to long to sit in a seat. I am very glad I had a free ticket to see it...would hate to have paid for it. Hey ho.
Dune
(2021)
Sand-tastic Adventure.....
22 February 2024
With part 2 about to land,I've just re-watched this Part One....and enjoyed it,probably as much if not more than the first time,(..I had my headphones on and didn't realise the nuances of the fantastic music and sound effects,which were quite stupendous...). Although I have a soft spot for the 1984 effort,I know the studio was extremely meddlesome resulting in a spectacular mess,really,though I have watched it multiple times,(..the WORSE thing,by far,in that one ,was the inclusion of 'Sting' as Feyd Rautha,his 'performance' always makes me laugh/grimace in equal measure..). This latest version was,to me,damn near perfect with perfect casting,(..wasn't sure about Herr Challomet as 'Paul' but he quickly grew on me and it was great to watch him begin his journey to 'greatness'. I have read 'Dune' multiple times and this is the closest to it that I have seen and I must say after seeing the Trailer for Part 2 I cannot remember being so excited for a film this much,for an eon...the Cherry on the Cake is that we have Free tickets to go see it when it lands...'..HOUSE ATREIDES FOREVER!!!..'...
Derivative Fun..(..Leave Brain at Door and Enjoy..).
26 December 2023
After seeing many unfavourable reviews, I still wanted to see myself and make my own mind up. I did, and despite its many flaws, I did quite enjoy it. Mr Snyders recent efforts have been hit and miss, to say the least, though I will probably always give him a chance due to his very best works,(...'300','Dawn of the Dead' and 'Man of Steel'...),currently though I'm beginning to think of him as more of a 'Uwe Boll with more Money and Shinier Toy Box' type of filmmaker. His recent films are really just a collection of scenes,(..admittedly spectacular, at times..),with very little character development,sadly. It's like he just can't wait for the next slo-mo action scene to happen and hang everything else. I will happily watch the second part to see if he can bring it back. Despite all its faults, I still enjoyed it more than the recent risible 'Star Wars' efforts. To sum up...watchable pap.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
(2023)
Godsawful...for the Most Part....
15 December 2023
Just watched this on 'Now TV',another one to file under 'Sure glad I didn't go to the Cinema to see this bilge!!!'. Did see the 1st one on the Cinema and sort of liked it but ,for me, and, I suspect, most people, Super Heroes are dead. From the puerile humor, fast-talking but saying nothing,annoying,really ANNOYING characters some crappy effects,I would happily have turned it off but I guess I'm a bit of a masochist and stuck with it to the bitter end,(..actually,that was sort of sweet but the after credits sequence was really the film in microcosm....really,really,really ANNOYING...,I cannot believe that the people involved in this thing did not realise what an absolute Turkey they were involved with. Hey ho...hopefully this is the End for Billy Batson and pals. Shame.............
........... I remember going to the 'ABC' film club here in sunny Doncaster back in the 1970's, and part of the show was a Black and White 'Captain Marvel' series and Billy Batson,(..his Alter-ego...),was the kid with the walking stick....that was 10 times better than this pathetic film.... Helen Mirren!!!..Whst were you thinking???, (...actually, I can guess,"..Oh yes, I can certainly spare an afternoon for this amount of dosh!,Thang you very much!!!...". Ha ha.
Conan the Barbarian
(2011)
Jason Good...Film Bad...
14 December 2023
Oh Dear....when will the Mighty Conan be given the deserved respect he warrants. I have loved Conan since the early 1970's, reading and re-reading the stories countless times,(..also had a full set of the Marvel run of comics,which to my chagrin,used,with others,to start a Bonfire in 1977,whilst my balance of mind disturbed by my dad leaving the family,at the time....what an eedjit!!!...),in fact,after seeing 'YouTube' feature praising the Conan stories and also mentioned and showing a Conan Omnibus,(..and that it was quite rare..),which I realised I had in my possession,(...bought it for my son,he loved it..),so I've started reading them again...enjoying just as much as I ever did. Sooo...thought Jason M was v good but really did not like the film...Stephen Lang,(..I do like him..),
I seem to recall,spent all his time showing off his perfect teeth,which I found distracting and anachronistic. My mental image of Conan is shaped by the fabulous book cover drawings by Frank Frazetta,(..which drew me in,all those years ago..),and I thought Jason M was not far off,but the story was awful. When I think of the incredible stories that could be adapted,I weep,(..not really,but you know what I mean..),like 'Phoenix on the Sword',Scarlet Citadel,'Rogues in the House' to name but a few.,), And can only think it must a rights issue. What a shame. The Arnold Schwarzenegger films were quite enjoyable, in their own way, but for a Conan purist like me, they still lacked a certain something. Hey Ho, I live in Hope.......
.......Just occurred to me that Alan-'Reacher'-Ritchson,with a Black wig and Blue contact lenses would make a brilliant Conan...c'mon people!!,somebody show Zac Snyder the Books or comics,(..actually thought,when I saw his fab '300' flick that that 'World' he had created could easily be 'The Hyborian World' in which Conan lived, and there were a couple of actors, in it, who I thought I could easily imagine as the mighty C.....). Make it happen,somebody!!....
......Just occurred to me....'Reacher' is 'Conan'....they are the same Archetype and pretty much doing the same things.... Wonder if Lee Child ever read the 'Conan' stories...would not be surprised.
Archie
(2023– )
A Handsome Production.....
9 December 2023
....I knew Cary Grant mostly from 'North by Northwest',a super enjoyable film.... I remember reading of him being a lovely man and never having anybody say a bad word about him,so we wanted to know more about his life and we were not disappointed...even if some things were dramatised I felt it authentic and touching with uniformly excellent performances,(..also whenever I think of Cary Grant, I am also reminded of a very amusing article which I read back in the 1970s, when my mother used to get 'Weekend' magazine... it was about Japanese people who give names to their celebrities and other culture celebrities, I don't remember the Japanese names, but I do remember the translations, so,Cary Grant's Japanese name translated as 'Old Handsome Man', the other famous American star mentioned in this article was Frank Sinatra.... His Japanese name translated as 'Skinny Monkey'..... always brings a smile, that one...), especially Jason Isaacs in the title role. There was also a lot of enjoyment to see other famous stars of the time portraying this lovely show, Mae West was very amusing. All in all a very enjoyable little miniseries.
Lovely Old-Style Family Fun...
3 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A Film that puts a a Smile on my face and keeps it there is a Winner,in my Book and this did just that,from start to finish. I had read overwhelmingly positive reviews but I understand it was a bit of a flop,(..Big Shame that..),I suspect because the makers,unwisely,put 'Dungeons and Dragons' in the title immediately conjuring up ,(..it did for me,anyway..),memories of previous dross under that nomenclature,but it was so superior to earlier iterations as to be ridiculous. From Herr Pines effortless charm to the rest of the charismatic cast we found it a total joy. A fantastical colourful World and interesting Characters,superb effects,zinger-filled,laugh out loud funny at times all add up to a splendiferous couple hour's entertainment and we would love to see more from this World. Ok,all Fantasy Tropes were Ftd,(..Staff of Tharg,Mirror of Pligg etc..), but everything was done with such charm and tongue-in-cheekedness that you would have to be a very sour-puss not to love it. Special mention to Hugh Grant for his new found roles as slimy but charming Villains,(..I suspect he is basically playing himself if Gossip columns are anything to go by..),which he does to perfection. Also enjoyed the 'Bridgerton' Mr,(..although I have no time for such History Warping Shows,I thought he was very good and the best compliment I could pay is that I could actually see him as J Bond-I believe he is in the running for that role-as he proved he could do fight scenes and,again,effortlessly charming.... Mr Connery will always be Numero Uno,though...),superb in his limited screen time. All in All,Wonderful Fun!!!....
Doctor Who
(1963–1989)
Pertwee for me!!!.....(..The 8/10 is for him..)
29 November 2023
Jon Pertwee was MY Doctor,(..Tom B,to a lesser extent..),and at the age of around 9 or 10 I found it exciting stuff and at times quite scary,(..Spearhead from Space-the Dummy's with Gun Hands,especially so..),as it went on,life happens and I just used to dip in occasionally...wasn't really impressed with what I saw,what with the low budget cardboard sets. I quite liked some of Ecclestones reboot,some of Tennants and Smiths but that's where it lost me,big style. This is when the Activists got there dirty mitts in the IP and,for me,it's been downhill all the way. I have rolled my eyes too much at the 'Progressive',(..Really??..),Guff I have seen and after the latest '60th Anniversary 'Special', I have given up...it's gone..Hey Ho!!.. C'est la vie DrWho....should be Dr Why,now,(..0/10..for latest travesty..).
Lost in Space
(2018–2021)
The Kids are Alright!!!....
28 November 2023
...I love the premise of 'Lost in Space', from the 60's original series through the 90's Film to this iteration,(...the original series was my earliest TV Memory when John Robinson and Don West were in their Chariot being confronted by a one-eyed Giant on a rocky planet....absolutely terrifying at the time,from what I saw from behind the settee,Ha ha!!..),which I found,ultimate,very satisfying. Ok, they 'updated' the cast members as is the modern want but everyone was very good for me though Will and Penny were the standout's. Ok,I've seen reviews where people were bemoaning the daft decisions that the Family made. There were a lot of them but I feel they kept things moving nicely along. The effects were uniformly excellent,cinema quality in fact. Add an absorbing twisty and turny story and I found it a fun,enjoyable series's. I nearly forgot to mention The Robot which was a work of Art and his relationship with Boy Genius Will was often very touching and always watchable. I would love to see more like this. Great Stuff..........
........ I've just noticed my mistake,although all the child actors were good,it was Will and Judy ,(..not Penny..),who really stood out,I felt.
The Killer
(2023)
Nihilistic nonsense....
20 November 2023
...I like Mr Fassbender,have done since he appeared in '300',then he was a brilliant'Magneto' in the 'X-Men'. I think I read somewhere that he was in the running for 'James Bond' but it went to the Pouting Pug that was D Craig...I think he'd have been pretty good as JB,(..obviously,he'd have had to have bulked up a bit...),but Not even he could make this character one to root for. He had not one redeeming feature and if it was meant to feel some sympathy for a Monster like this,it utterly failed,I feel. Was this film a Tax right off,or something?...who was it for?..was it a study of man's inhumanity?..I think we already know the depths to which humankind can stoop too,the last few weeks have shown us that. Mark Kermode described it as '..M'eh!!..',I would have to agree. Depressing really. Must do better,all involved.
Blue Eye Samurai
(2023)
Blood-Soaked Masterpiece...
20 November 2023
As a fan of all things relating to Martial Arts and being fascinated by the History of Japan,(..I've never been abroad but Japan is the only place I would dream of going to if I had the funds..),I had high hopes for this and was certainly not disappointed. A believable Heroine,totally not a 'Mary Sue',as we have seen sooo many of in 'Western' 'Entert..er..Product',but a Girl who goes through massive trials and tribulations gets knocked down and gets back up and battles on,indomitably...ok,she's virtually invincible but she's trained since childhood and she deserves all her victories and what victories they are...whirling around like a dervish,lopping limbs and heads in equal measure with her blue meteor metalsword,it's super exciting to witness but certainly not for the squeamish even if it is only a 'cartoon'...actually,calling this a 'cartoon' is a massive injustice as it is so far superior to most live actioners that it's ridiculous.... Super nuanced story,beautiful visual style,excellent voice acting...oh,did I mention the action?,just fantastical,(..though I think based on actual Historical events..),and cannot wait,(..though will grudgingly have to,like every other Fan..Grrrr!,..),for more from this World. Marvellous!!!.
Little House on the Prairie
(1974–1983)
Perfect Antidote to,(..nearly..),everything Modern!!!
17 November 2023
....Everybody has heard of 'Little House on the Prairie' but,growing up, I was much more interested in Sci-Fi,Fantasy and Actioners like Star Trek,Avengers,Thunderbirds and many,many others so it passed me by.....Luckily for me,my wife had seen it as a child and had fond memories of it. So with the advent of streaming Channels,in this case,'Freevee',(..mostly brilliant Channel...tho,whilst enjoying 'The Addams Family,earlier this year,we found it had disappeared and resurfaced on 'Amazon Prime'...no coincidence,we believe...hope this series does not suffer the same fate..),we spotted it and,at my wife's behest, I decided to give it a go...I am sooo glad that I did. I am loving it. Uniformly,excellent writing and performances,superb casting,laugh out loud funny at times but also full of pathos and sadness,(..a very good insight into life in the Old West,without going Too Dark...). The Ingalls Family are an absolute Joy and I find myself,usually,grinning from ear to ear at the kiddy's,(..who are uniformly brilliant especially Ms Gilbert who is/was a very accomplished little actress...),antics tho Mr Landon's 'Charles' is also fab,delivering zingers with always a twinkle in his eye. His wife too,'Caroline' is a constant joy,beautiful,loving,stoic,hard working,(..as indeed all the Family are,kids included...very realistic,of the times,I believe...). I love how Mr Landon,who has a lot to do with this super series sits back and lets everyone else shine and I love the very able supporting cast in particular the actor Kevin Hagen who plays the kindly Doc Baker...I remember him from being the scary detective in 'Land of the Giants',so it is nice to see him playing this lovely part,ditto,all the other residents of Walnut Grove. The biggest problem with this series is that we are using tissues up at a ridiculous rate. Ha ha!!.PS...After our enjoyment of this, I expect we will be looking to try 'The Walton's' and certainly Mr Landons 'Highway to Heaven'. An absolute Joy.........
........ Into Season 2 now and it just gets better,aided no end by legendary Guest stars like Ernest Borgnine and Oscar-winning ex-wife of Ronald Dahl the wonderful Patricia Neal,(..just watched her in an heart-rending 2-parter as a proud dying widow trying to find a home for her 3 children...it was..sniff!!..very traumatising actually....but like all eps,ultimately very uplifting...So pleased that I've discovered it now,at age 62..would not remotely have got all the nuances and subtleties as the callow youth I was when it first came out. Did I mention how funny it is??...not the last ep,obviously but a recent one about an inter-town Baseball Match was absolutely hilarious. We are absolutely loving this delightful,delicious Slice of Nostalgia Pie........
.......Into Season 3 and the quality is not dropping just watched hilarious 'Monster of Walnut Grove'ep-Halloween shenanigans-enormous fun and laughs............Into Season 6 and the joy continues,(..it's 17 Jan 2024..),and just watched a lovely ep with guest star legendary 'Bad Guy' actor Leo Gordon,(...who I found quite scary when I was little.. scary dude..),playing a lovely sympathetic aging Wrestler and his inevitable road to redemption... Super Stuff- still single- handedly supporting Tissue manufacturers,though..Sniff!!!...
Enter the Dragon
(1973)
Seminal Kung-Fu Classic....
13 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
...Back in the early 1970's I remember a trailer on TV for this film,(..the Kung Fu craze was in full swing and we were tantalisingly too Young to go to see them at a the Cinema...),and it looked to be from another world,a world of fantastical colour,glamour and incredible derring-do....ok,we had the 'Kung Fu' series but enjoyable as it was it was a pitiful 'ersatz' version after we eventually got to see Bruce in all his glory,(...poignantly,found out later that 'Kung Fu' was meant to be a star-making vehicle for Bruce himself,but he was judged to be too 'Chinese-looking' and the rest is history...). I got to see it a few years later at a local factory Film Club and it did not disappoint as I and my two friends were utterly enthralled by what we saw on screen.it gave me my life long love of Martial Arts films and appreciation of what the Artists go through to achieve their incredible goals.obviously,as you go through life you pick up fascinating info,like,three of the best subsequent MA Superstars were also in the film,notably,Sammo Hung,who Bruce spars with in the first scenes,then buddy Yuen Biao,(..fabulous gymnast..),who doubled for Bruce's acrobatic flips,and last but certainly not least the incomparable Jacky Chan,who I absolutely adore,(..a 19 year old Stuntman then..),all three of these fabulous stars grew up training together and made many super enjoyable films together and separately. Back to ETD...like an Asian James Bond was he,sneaking around to uncover the dastardly Mr Han,(..Man's..),plot and then,in the Tunnels, unleashing an unrelenting Beat down of Han's henchmen,(..inc the luckless Mr Chan who apparently lost a big chunk of hair in the melee..),in an incredible exhibition of skill and speed where he showcased all of his mind-blowing abilities with weapons and without. To this day,I do not think I have seen better more exciting sequence of fight scenes,and have watched them times beyond measure,(...ditto,all the fight scenes from his earlier films...). I've not even mentioned the excellent support from a brilliant cast,John Saxon,Jim Kelly, Ahna Capri,Bolo Yeung,Bob Wall and Mr Han himself,Shih Ken...they all ably contributed to the catching of 'lightning in a Bottle' which was this remarkable,entertaining film which had been often copied but never equalled. Loved it then,love it now......AAaarrghhh!!...forgot to mention the beautiful,charismatic Angela Mao in this film who played Bruce tragic sister...this lady,surely one of the earliest ass-kicking heroines on the Silver Screen,(..sorry Ms J Lawrence,you,MOST DEFINITELY were not the first...in fact,racking my Brain, I can't think of anyone earlier than Yvonne Craigs'Bat-Girl', in the fantasticly campy 60's 'Batman' series..)),and fantastic to watch...See her on You Tube too...don't think you'll be disappointed.....
Invincible
(2021– )
Surprising Good,(..and Gory..),'Fun...'
3 November 2023
I had seen snippets of this series,and overwhelming positive reviews on YouTube and so after getting my latest Am Prime Free Trial I decided to give it ago...Sooo glad I did,from the stellar voice cast,(...which really,really helps..),to the brilliant writing and stunning twists and turns,this is a superb,adult-centric animated series. The animation is not the greatest but I suspect that might be on purpose and,really,it does not matter as everything else is just so good. It's an old trope about Young Protagonists navigating,painfully,into adulthood but it is done so well and the best compliment I can give it is I might get Am Prime just to see the next series.(..if 'The Boys' and 'Reacher' came out at the same time,it would be an absolute No Brainer....).
John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
A Fitting Odyssey's End...
24 October 2023
..... After finding 'JW- Parabellum' enjoyable but utterly exhausting i and my wife were ambivalent about this one but after getting an Amazon Prime free trial, well,how could we refuse,(...the fact that Martial Arts legends Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins were in it,also helped my choice to watch...),and off we went. I thought the first half was quite predictable and although I was never bored,it felt a bit samey,with accommodating stuntmen and moves we'd seen lots of times before but when our ,(..Anti?..),hero got to France,well,that's when it REALLY took off. It didn't matter that they copied some of 'The Warriors' bits,(..Lady DJ Commentator etc..),because it was SOOO incredibly inventive and Fun.... Some of the Stunts were off the charts with their style and skill,add a few laughs and uniformly charismatic performances and a satisfying ending made for a thoroughly enjoyable romp. I know they won't but I think that should be it. I do not see how they could possibly Top what this film did.
Almost 'Poe-fect'.......
16 October 2023
..... I saw this advertised and vaguely remembered the old Vincent Price effort from eons ago and wondered if it was just a generic update but when I saw the peeps involved,(..Mr Flanagan and his coterie of players..),I thought,"...Mmmm...this looks promising...",and so it proved. With the always reliable Mr Bruce Greenwood joining 'The Regulars', we thought it was the best yet from this talented Band,skilfully weaving the Legendary Edgar Allan Poe's stories and poems into a spooky and absorbing narrative also cleverly,(..avoiding annoying preachiness...),weaving in poignant reminders of the twisted world we currently reside in. Add some scenes which would have graced the 'Grand Guignol',(..look it up..),often,sparkling ,(..'Succession' worthy..),dialogue,superb effects and lots of 'Easter Eggs' for the eagl...er..Raven eyed..ahem!!..to spot,(..I'm sure I didn't get them all..),all add up to a quite splendid series and a worthy tribute/homage to the Horror-Meister E A Poe,who thankfully continues to enthrall through the Ages. A Brilliant Series. More please, Mr Flanagan......(..If you haven't already please checkout 'Legend of Hill House' and 'Midnight Mass'...don't think you'll be disappointed.
Succession
(2018–2023)
Modern Sweary Masterpiece.....
11 October 2023
...After reading great reviews for this Show we were lucky enough to watch the first 3 seasons,a while ago and the last Season just last week......what a ride...a foul-mouthed roller coaster ride but a fabulous thrill ride,nonetheless. It passed my wife's 'famous' 10 min test with mucho ease and we were off.... Mesmerising performances all around with the magnificent Brian Cox as the central character,ruthless,charismatic Logan Roy but he was soon well matched by everyone else in this labyrinthine story. I don't feel the need to dwell on other characters because anyone worth their salt would want to see this and enjoy it for themselves....however,one person did stand out,for us,Herr Culkin, whose lines of dialogue,whilst often quite disgusting and distasteful were also laugh out loud funny,in fact, heaps funnier than most comedies I've seen lately,though everyone else had absolute Gems of dialogue,which really,was the real star of this Show. You know you are in the presence of Class when the Writer trusts us,the audience to keep up with the narrative without spelling every thing out. We were frequently bamboozled by some of the happenings but by the end of the end of episodes we ,more or less had caught up with what had just happened. Superb. Finally,what a pleasure to watch a series not 'BOTTLE' the ending,no names mentioned...oh.. go one then...Game of Thrones, Witcher,Walking Dead,Ragnarok,for starters. Take note writers. So in summary,a Magnificent Must-See.....
One Piece
(2023– )
Weird,Wild and Wonderful...
25 September 2023
After reading overwhelmingly positive reviews on this one I decided to 'give it a go'. Although I love Anime I was not familiar with this IP but I was hooked within a few minutes, from the colourful palette to the bright and breezy characters,i couldn't get enough of it. I understand that the original creator was heavily involved and it showed in spades..(..note to 'Witcher' crew,if you don't like the Characters you are working with,for everyone's sake,stop wasting everyone's time and go and do something else,instead...). I would say that this Show is definitely one of the best things I have seen on 'Netflix' and can not wait for series 2. I enjoyed seeing a bunch of mostly new faces,(..though,scenery- chewers Vince-300-Regan and Craig-Eastenders-Fairbrass were super fun...),and they all added to the enjoyment,'Goodies' and 'Baddies' alike. I loved the themes of standing by family and friends and M D Luffy's effervescent smile and optimism were a constant source of enjoyment. I've no need to really go into the other characters as you need to see for yourselves, if you are any sort of a Fantasy Fan,I think this is unmissable fun and I cannot wait for more. Quite Magnificent....
Sisu
(2022)
Gory OTT Fun.....
13 September 2023
....Watched this the other day and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it,(.. I'd seen the Trailer and thought it looked like great fun..). Ok,a familiar trope of a silent,stoic,resilient Warrior who just wants to be left alone until he's drawn back into the Fray by Evil,(... and this bunch of Goosesteppers certainly fill that role...). Once the 'Fun' starts it doesn't let up and the fantastic effects are often stomach-turning but so ott that you cannot help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. We've seen a few of the Director's Films and enjoyed them a lot and apart from the Nazi Leader,it was nice to see another lot of new faces,(..though some of the Nazi's had faces I'd definitely not like to see again....very good casting,though..),though I did recognise the Tank Driver as the Young lad from earlier films 'Big Game' and 'Rare Exports',all grown up,(...both worth watching,I might add..),who,I've just found out is the real life son of our Hero in this film. Anyhoo,we found it to be enjoyable,ridiculous entertainment and would happily watch more from this talented Director. Well done,Sir!.....
Ragnarok
(2020–2023)
Its a Thor point, this one.....
28 August 2023
So,having a love of All Mythology,(leading me into Fantasy Worlds..), from my Junior School years,(..introduced by a very good English Teacher,back in the sixties and early seventies...),starting with Ulysses and other Greek myths then the story of Balder the Beautiful,(..and his encounter with Loki and Mistletoe..),and other Norse Adventures, I will gave almost anything related to that genre, a chance. I spotted this on Netflix a while ago but we settled on to it,yesterday,(...Sunday 28th Aug 2023..),and after persuading my Wife to give it her famous '10 minute Test',we were quickly hooked. I love foreign films/series anyways,so subtitles do not bother me at all,in fact,I positively enjoy them. It very quickly reminded me of the Wonderful series 'Smallville' in that our young Hero is navigating his way through his teen angst and other problems not least of which is that he his probably destined for greater things as mysterious strangers are cryptically whispering to him,here and there,(...I was told to shut up as I was telling my Better Half who I thought who or what, all the characters were....).A cast of likeable,(...and capable..),new faces,(..obviously due to its origins..),only added to its narrative...there was some 'woke' stuff but,for once,unlike Hollywood it was organic and believable and absolutely did not detract from the story,in fact ,there were some decent laughs to be had,here and there because of it. There was a strong Environmental Message woven into it which made it very topical but unlike the Swedish Munchkin Greta Thunderberg was not at all annoying and only added piquancy to the proceeding,(..it was actually quite central to the story,and made total sense,in this case...). So,we've got eps five and six in season two to go and hopefully it will keep its 'Mojo' to the end.... I have seen a couple of negative reports of Season 3 and can only hope that person is wrong...I would be a bit miffed if that reviewer turned out to be correct. Anyhoo,so far,Sooo Good....
.....just finished this series and....... Good points,always engaging characters and it did hold us to the end but...let's just say it was bang up to date with ALL issues that seem to beset the minds of young people,good or bad. Fantastic scenery,always but I have reduced my earlier score of 8 to a 6....if you see it,I think you'll understand. Overall,passable effort. Certainly left me thinking about everything I'd seen.....
Heart of Stone
(I) (2023)
Undemanding Fun!!!....
17 August 2023
....Take a pinch of 'Bond',and loads of other Films that 'pinched' offa Bond and you have this decent Actioner. Gal Gadot is a very limited Actress,(...I do not remember her expression changing once,really...),but she commands the screen every time she's on it and is totally believable as a action heroine,(...I won't dwell on her cringy Social media efforts ie singing the legendary song 'Imagine' ensemble Covid downer with all the other entitled Hollywood Numpties...),and it is great fun as she globe trots in her efforts to save the World,(...Just like 'Bond'...). A very good cast and some good twists plus very good effects all add up to a enjoyable couple of hours. It almost felt like a franchise starter and I,for one,would be happy to see more.
Faithfully Yours
(2022)
Twisty Fun...
10 August 2023
Watched this today with my wife and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. I have always enjoyed 'foreign' films as I am able to read subtitles very quickly,(...only have to glance at them,really...),so,we watched it with,(..very good..),dubbing for my wife. After the premise was established at the beginning I found the protagonists very unsympathetic,especially the Main One,(..having been at the receiving end of similar treatment by my first wife..). Because of this,I was able to not really care about what happened to the characters and just enjoy the twists and turns of the adult narrative which kept us guessing right to the very end. Very Good Fun.
A Fitting End?.....
3 August 2023
Just watched this cracking film and was totally surprised how good it was, I wouldn't say that it has totally restored my faith in the Marvel universe,because that is long gone, but when people like James Gunn make films, you have to watch them because he is obviously a fanboy and also, more importantly, he knows what he's doing.(.. if anybody can rescue the dysfunctional, DC universe, it would be him and I will be interested to see what he can do, having said that I I loved, Henry Cavill, superman, and Ben, Affleck and gal Gadot, as Batman, and Wonder Woman, respectively, it's a shame the second, Wonder Woman film was such a hot mess...). I am familiar with the origin of rocket raccoon in the comics, and although this was changed, it still made logical sense, and it was great to see his friend Lyla,in it, ditto, lots of other characters from the comics,(.. I chuckled when I spotted Howard, the duck in a scene,-I know his film was pilloried, but I remember I didn't think it was too bad in at all...), I was not sure about Will Poulter playing Adam warlock, but in the end I thought he did very well, as did everybody in this superb romp. My wife and I had laughter and tears in equal measure, easily the best of the three films. The first film was a breath of fresh air, the second was still fun if a little generic, but this one was a fitting climax to the trilogy, although at the end it did say ' star, Lord will return'.... Got to say, I would have to be interested in that, especially if Mr Gunn is at the Helm. Great Stuff!!!.....
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