mnorthco-1 Reviews

UFO (2018)

Derivative, low budget but very well written, performed and deserving of high scores

[7/10 · 6 December 2023]

Never heard of this movie before and only found out about it when it showed up on YouTube. UFO seemed to be a a little B Grade of a name, more suited to 80s Video fare. However I gave it a go, and wasn't dissapointed.

The acting was good and more natural than most other movies. The storyline was well thought out, real and not too dramatic.

I don't know if it was because of the budget but it wasn't over the top, instead telling a story of of a young man searching for answers. I said it was derivative, and does use a lot of what we have seem previously (but does it well), but it avoids the typical tropes eg evil govt out to get our hero.

Definitely recommended.

65 (2023)

It is what it is .. and that's fine

[6/10 · 8 September 2023]

Not a great movie but okay for what it is.

Performances are great from the main two actors. They had good chemistry.

The writing is good, not great, with a few ex machina moments ... just how much stuff did he have in his backpack.

Special Effects were good and I liked the fact that the velociraptors were the right size.

I did like the new twist to the story. Being 65 million years ago, I assumed that they go through a time portal or something, but was pleasantly surprised that they were from an long time ago (in a galaxy far far away) ...sorry.

Unfortunately this wasn't explained earlier so I assumed they would try to go back through the portal ...or because of that, there sos would not be received. I must have missed something.

Anyway, not a bad movie just entertaining enough to be worth the effort.

Black Mirror: Mazey Day (2023) Season 6, Episode 4

Well not really a Black Mirror story ... but on its own, it's good.

[7/10 · 18 June 2023]

I get why some have complained about the direction of this episode, and I do question its inclusion in the season, but taken on its own it wasn't too bad.

Without going into spoilers, I thought that the story was going to be a simple someone does something bad and tries to cover it up while someone tries to expose them. Certainly not a Black Mirror show.

All the characters were pretty unrelatable characters so I wasn't on any ones side.

I will admit by the end of the episode my thinking was different.

Impressive so many characters were fleshed out in a single episode and the writing was good. It was well directed. I wasn't bored.

I didn't pick what was happened and I think that was because it was so un Black Mirror, I wasn't looking for it.

I watch Twilight Zone sometimes and they have an eclectic mix of shows. Pity Black Mirror cant do that.

Family Guy: Girl, Internetted (2019) Season 17, Episode 19

Like an episode from old Family Guy that they found behind the fridge

[7/10 · 25 September 2022]

I've been binging the whole series recently, I know ..right, and I noticed a major drop in the quality of the show over the previous seasons to this episode almost like they were done by other people. That's Fair enough though, it has been 17 seasons, and you can't expect the writers to be as fresh as they were in the early episodes. They've grown up, got mortgages, have to take kids to soccer, all the fun adult stuff.

That being said, this was a very funny episode and called back to the quality of the previous seasons.

Meg telling Peter what she can do was hilarious. Brian and Stewie under the Hummer I spat out my drink laughing.

Gender fluid Euro Carrier .. classic Family Guy.

Family Guy: Brian's Got a Brand New Bag (2009) Season 8, Episode 4

50 is geriatric?

[5/10 · 18 August 2022]

This could have been a good episode but seemed like a dumping ground for out of date old person jokes. If she was 70 and the episode was from the 70s they might have been relevant and raised a chuckle but a foid looking 50 year old woman .. geesh.

I'm writing this when Seth M is almost 49, and he's playing a starship captain.

The Outer Limits: The Choice (1995) Season 1, Episode 6

A missed oportunity for a good story

[4/10 · 20 July 2022]

So the focus of this story is women with powers good and men without bad.

The ending should have been both sides fighting each other for so long have lost sight of what they are fighting for and unable to trust the other side. Then the girl picks to be with neither.

That owuld have been nice.

The Orville: Gently Falling Rain (2022) Season 3, Episode 4

A great action story, great drama and a message that doesn't insult the viewers intelligence

[9/10 · 24 June 2022]

This episode was one of the best when I thought maybe ,the best were behind us. This shows, maybe, The orville has matured, understands what it is, knows how it wants to tell a story, and is going from strength to strength.

They have the action down to an art, the characters are now finely tuned and fully dimensional, and the drama and situations are well thought out, and have reason and purpose.

There was a little bit of politics this episode but unlike other shows where a side is shown as stupid, and agenda expressed, the reasons why both sides are acting in the way they are was given equal time, allowing the viewer to make up their own mind rather than just preaching to them ... just like the Krill. The discussion about how and why what happened happened was almost political science.

The orville hasn't always done that but they are getting better in expressing something thast needs to be discussed in the old Star Trek way.

... and, as opposed to other shows, it wasn't at the expense of a great, entertaining episode which surely must be one of the best in a show with very high standards.

The Dead Zone: Outcome (2007) Season 6, Episode 8

One location and that's it

[8/10 · 20 June 2022]

This is why I like this show. Most of the show takes place in a bus station and the writers (crew) and actors work at their best to create a great story, with multiple threads, without the benefit of multiple locations. Well done.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

I get the low scores but it has something

[9/10 · 22 May 2022]

It's been sometime since I watched this movie, and having watched it 4-5 times, it's time for a review.

I get what some have said. That the movie can seem boring, slow, without purpose. So why have I watched it 4-5 times?

I was a fan of the original. You know how some people say it's their favourite movie... it really was mine from the second I left the cinema in the early 80s.

At the time, there had never been a movie like it and I loved the world building, the story, the characters.

Unlike many movies lately where they take the original in name only and build their own version, this movie builds on the original and delivers a feasable sequel to the story.

The characters are flawed and there journey makes sense from their perspective. There is no forcing of good or bad on the characters, their journey does not have forced conflicts and obsticles... all actions are reasonable, all decisions sensible from their perspective. The world building continues to be at the core. There is zero "subversion of expectations" without a valid reason in the storytelling. You feel comfortable watching the movie because there are few of any "that's not right" or what? Moments.

As an example, When wallace is with the new born replicant, you can see the conflicting emotions of Luv, who would be, in any other movie "all bad" and not show any emotions.

I guess for some, the deepness of the characters, story and world building takes some effort and might detract from the enjoyment of 2 1/2 hours of entertainment. I'm lucky that I have seen it a few times and got something new in every viewing.

The Spirit of '76 (1990)

Low budget, formula but actually a lot of gun

[6/10 · 15 March 2022]

Looks like they spent the money on names and forgot they'd need money to actually shoot the movie.

However, it was a lot of fun and I don't regret watching it.

Blooper at the very end showed they had fun making it too.

Recommended as a filler.

The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)

Classic 60s scifi with a modern touch

[7/10 · 22 January 2022]

I like this movie.

Forget the sets and such, they're there as literal background, helping to tell a story. Yes, it's a little talky but I'm fine with that. The story has a complexity not found in most scifi of the time. The characters are not stereotypes and have depth.

I'll think I'll remember this one.

The Grand Tour (2016–2024)

Binge Top Gear from 9 to 22 .. then move to Grad Tour

[8/10 · 23 November 2021]

Having just binged 9 to 22, the best of Top Gear. I clicked pause at S23Ep1 and moved to Grand Tour.

This show has always been about the guys (and the people in the background who made it flow) so, while i miss a lot of the classic bits now owned by the BBC, it is still the same because of the guys.

When they're racing around a track, you don't care they are on Amazon and not the BBC. I just wish James May didn't lose his "Oh, Cock"

A.I. Rising (2018)

One of those movies you remember ...if you want to

[8/10 · 10 November 2021]

Okay, yes it is a little slow, it's no action movie for sure. It could be classed as robot-porn .. I get that.

However, if you just take time to see the characters(and I'm including the android in that), try to understand who they are, there motivations, their feeling, how they develop (and it's subtle) and see it to the end, you might see what I saw.

Some may like this movie, some may see it as a crashing borefest, and some, like myself, will remember it.

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)

Is everything bad .. yes. Is it entertaining ...yes

[6/10 · 23 October 2021]

Just listening to the dialog you know it's bad but you laugh. The plot, the acting, the sets, the special effects are terrible but you keep watching.

At the end of the movie you are entertained.

I've seen big budget movies that have cost hundreds of millions whose writing and acting are much worse. They never entertained nor got a single laugh from me. This movie does. This movie entertains.

Well if being called the worst movie ever made gets it popularity...well, that's fine.

Coming 2 America (2021)

Not as great as the original but still fun to wathc

[7/10 · 4 October 2021]

As sequels go, it was okay. Not great but okay and definitely worth a watch.

It did a good job of pulling al ot of the original characters in so there was a lot of fan service.

It nicely showed the lives of the characters after the first movie.

Did the drama seem real? Well no.

Maybe they should have followed the heroes tale in that the son could have let everyone down and then redeemed himself. Even doing the same with Akeem would had added to the drama.

The danger from the general never seemed real. Let him kidnap the daughter instead of letting her beat 100kg men (but show here escaping on her own) would have added some suspense and realism.

Anyway, it's still a good movie and obviously a work of love from many of the characters.

The Witness for the Prosecution (2016)

Depressing but brilliant

[8/10 · 22 February 2021]

A few have said that this was depressing and then proceeded to give it a low score. I will agree it is very, very depressing but it is also one of the most well written and skillfully acted Agatha Christie stories I've seen. I was left drained by the end. Each character has depth and are all both good and bad, with all painted with lashings of grey. Devoid of modern politics but full of political messages subtly made, this is storytelling at its best.

Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)

Good documentary, just jump ahead 10 min when they mention patriarchy

[5/10 · 26 July 2020]

This documentary is actually good, and I was enjoying it but then some sad, angry, pitiful person started spouting on about how the story is an attack on the patriarchy by people with male guilt and that the chest scene is a symbol of male rape...wow. How disrespectful for all those who worked on this movie. This is what happens when someone believes their politics and beliefs are more important than common decency.

Anyway, nice try. I thought it was just a great horror, sci-fi movie with a great, iconic hero who just happened to be a woman.

Just skip 10-15 minutes when she starts talking and you'll be fine.

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020)

Pretty funny movie

[7/10 · 19 July 2020]

Okay, Hoges is 80 now so those expecting him to be as funny in his heyday is expecting too much. That being said, this movie is still very funny because he plays the situations he's placed in well and, frankly, he's still got it in my opinion. Whoever wrote and directed this deserve praise too. Some probably don't like that the current politics is played for laughs but its hardly something that hasn't been done before, the random person the goofball stuffing up and being falsely accused, and becoming a social pariah. I laughed a lot so that's the main thing.

Aussie Girl (2017– )

Wow, what a surprise

[8/10 · 21 May 2020]

Saw this and thought Tammin Sursok was interesting in Home and Away days but comedian? Okay. Decided to give it a go and wow was I impressed. She was so serious in her previous roles but here she is an amazing comedian. Loved this show. Very Fran Dreisher. Hope she does more comedy.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

A really fun movie

[6/10 · 16 April 2020]

Wow. So much hate for this movie just because the families are rich ( and crazy) If you leave your politics at the door and just enjoy this movie for what it is, a great, funny rom-com with likable characters (except the mean ones) ,you'll have a great time. If you think this movie is about materialism, you missed the whole point. Its all about family.

Australia in Colour (2019)

Brilliant visuals but so much politics.

[5/10 · 16 April 2020]

The visuals are amazing but the politics in this documentary crosses the line of being informative and educating viewers and decends into preaching, speculation and pure negativity. Indigenous disadvantage, women's rights, race and other social issues make up the lions share of the first episode and is done poorly. Could have been done better and still raised all the social issues more effectively. Its been done by better documentaries.

The Room (2003)

I have a great fan theory - what if the movie is Johnny's perception of his reality and in reality he's a terrible person

[7/10 · 14 March 2019]

Okay, if you look at this movie as a man's perception of himself not reality, it's actually a pretty great movie. If it is from Johnny's perspective. He sees himself as a great guy who is loved by all, friends and girlfriend, is brilliant at his job and is a fantastic lover (the way the sex scenes are like a porn movie with him as the star) but in reality his friend and girlfriend cheats on him, she accuses him of hitting her which he denies, he doesn't get the job he thinks he deserves and his whole life falls apart despite him being, in his eyes, a lovely person. Maybe the whole movie is his delusion. If you look at it like that, it is brilliant.

Documental (2016– )

Unique, enthralling and very funny

[8/10 · 12 March 2019]

Language is no barrier to laugher. Loved this show. I laughed so much. Definitely worth a look. 1st episode is just introductions but stick with it, it hots up from episode 2.

Only problem is that it gets less funny as the end gets near and all the really funny ones get eliminated but hopefully the second season is better.

Alpha (II) (2018)

A movie about how the domestication of wolves might have happened

[7/10 · 1 March 2019]

I watch a lot of movies so it is a testament to this movie that I'm still thinking about it weeks after seeing it. Visually beautiful but with a simple, well told story made even more interesting because it uses a made up language to simulate the alienness to modern society. Also, the story of a man, separated from his tribe, befriending a wolf and trying to get home is simplicity itself and uncomplicated. Worthy of a look.

Russian Doll (2019–2022)

A unique, original and engrossing groundhog day

[8/10 · 3 February 2019]

Admittedly I did think this would be another Groundhog Day homage, and there have been many, but it was so original and well made. Nadia felt annoying from the start but she did grow on you and the depth of the character increased as the show went on. Same with her maturity. Cast, writers, directors and the rest of the crew made a gem here.