facebook-835-889963 Reviews

The Grand Tour: The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt (2020) Season 4, Episode 2

0-2.....

[6/10 · 6 June 2021]

Two episodes in and season four is proving a bit of let down. How did this happen? The travel specials have almost always been among the best TG/GT episodes. GT took three seasons to trim most of the fat, (celebrity brain crash, ugh......), but had finally found its footing in season 3 with a nice balance between funny tent segments and longer travel pieces. When they announced GT would become a travel special only show, I was elated but also just a little sad to lose the news segment in the studio. But only a little, because those travel specials are mostly among the best of the entire series.

....except GT 4.1 and 4.2. Choosing to do a boat show may or may not have been a novel idea, but probably was not the best choice for the season four opener. It's a mediocre episode at best that that only left the viewer hungry for a proper show about cars. I'm not even certain why it falls so flat; perhaps the pretense of concern about environmental issues while simultaneously behaving in destructive fashion just isn't funny?

So how is that 4.2 is even >less< entertaining than 4.1? The local is certainly exotic. I was incredibly excited to see Madagascar as a backdrop. But the splendor of the scenery is mostly irrelevant and largely ignored in this very heavily, and quite unnecessarily scripted episode. All the bother with buried treasure adds nothing; simply being tasked with driving across the island would have sufficed. And the notion that Hammond actually thought his mods were sensible is really stretching credibility. Yes, the mods are ALWAYS a scripted element, but never have they seemed so pointless and not funny than Hammond's tracked Focus.

Perhaps 3 will be the magic number. Here's to hoping the lads find funny in Scotland.

Nate and Hayes (1983)

Almost like Tropic Thunder, but not quite

[4/10 · 4 July 2020]

Horribly bad 'period' film, with '80's haircuts, cliched '80's dialogue and very hammy acting. Not to mention the European/Amazon/South Pacific Voodoo cult Islanders. Or the bizarre trireme canoes. etc. What's not clear is whether this is intentional parody or accidental irony. The overall tone is 'humor' but the action is quite violent, cruelly violent, even. I can't remember the last time the action entailed so many people shot in the back. Hi-larious. If you're looking for two decent actors hamming it up in a bad script, you'll get some mileage out of this one. If you are expecting anything approaching a good period action film, well, 4/10.

The Tick (2016–2019)

This isn't your father's Tick

[8/10 · 10 May 2020]

Like many others, I'm a long time fan of the franchise. I too held off from watching this latest incarnation for fear of being let down. I finally cracked the ice last night and ended up binge watching the entire first season. A disappointment it is not.

That out of the way, it is important to clarify this latest iteration of The Tick is not just a rehash/recreation of previous series. Many of the same characters are present but the overall tone is darker and more 'real' and less straight up silly and cartoonish. Whether that is good or bad will depend on how much you are insistent that this iteration duplicate what the prior series had already done.

I was not overtly impressed by the first couple episodes. The need to explain Arthur's neurosis as the product of a deeply traumatic event seemed heavy handed and largely unnecessary. The first two episodes really lag because of this burden. But once Arthur's obsessions are established and validated and the crew is set on their purpose, the relevance of that heavy origin story gets mostly shoved to the back and the episodes get MUCH better.

At this point we get introduced to the wonderful cast and can immerse ourselves in the overall great production. Most all the performances are top notch, with a special shout out to Haley as the Terror, though my favorite character hands down is Ms. Lint. Such an inspired bit of writing to introduce the down side to a super power. Martinez plays the role with such nuance. Many of the characters walk a moralistic middle ground but none so sharply as Ms. Lint and I delighted in every scene was in.

Oddly, the only real disappointment for me, albeit a minor one, is the Tick himself. Serafinowicz tackles the role well enough but I still can't help but feel he's not quite right in the part. But even more to the point, it is odd to find the titular character so subordinate in this series to be almost irrelevant. The series is clearly centered around Arthur and quite frankly Overkill could easily fill the roll of protecting Arthur. That doesn't mean The Tick isn't enjoyable when on screen; he is. But the focus of the series is clearly moved away from him and the overall tone shifted as to make The Tick's own bizarre existence seem almost out of place. The Tick's origin is only briefly touched upon, then sidelined even further back than Arthur's.

Many have commented on the darker tone in this series and yes, that is a noticeable difference. However, the humor is still there though it too is often dark and much less cartoonish than one might expect. The series is also considerably more mature than previous iterations; this is not for the kiddies despite visual appearances. Indeed, the show can get quite graphic or vulgar in an instant and it's not hard to imagine that Amazon was inundated with angry letters from parents who had to explain four letter words or slashed throats to their confused eight years olds. It's almost a certainty that is why the series was cancelled. A real shame too, because this iteration of the Tick was really well done; as good as any of the previous iterations despite all its differences. That's a rare feat to achieve in an established franchise.

Einer frisst den anderen (1964)

Odd, disjointed but somehow compelling

[6/10 · 20 April 2020]

Am I the only one more excited about the presence of Dodie Heath than Jayne Mansfield?

Avenue 5 (2020–2022)

Off course

[4/10 · 17 April 2020]

So much talent gathered together, sadly all, (mostly all), hamstrung by a flawed concept in which most every character is annoying. Most any show can hand 1, perhaps 2 or 3 annoying characters but whatever the number the percentage of annoying needs to be a minority. 98%+ annoying characters makes for a thoroughly unenjoyable story, because, well, everyone's annoying.

Pity, the plot is intriguing but as executed it misses the mark by at least 1,000,000km.

Should the show decide to continue, first order of business is to scrub Judd. Just bin him, he's utterly flawed in every way.

#cats_the_mewvie (2020)

Victor the Cat, (not an 'instacat', doesn't care to be one), was not impressed.

[5/10 · 16 February 2020]

Cats - Awesome. .

Cats on the Internet - Awesome. .

People intentionally pimping their cats in an attempt at stardom - mega meh.

Knives Out (2019)

Not Brilliant, not horrible, just kinda meh.

[6/10 · 26 December 2019]

Who dunnit like a good whodunnit? (See what I did there?)

Knives out looks great on paper. Ensemble cast filled with great talent, all sure to be delivering quirky, eccentric performances through a roller coster plot with a twist at the end. What could go wrong?

Overall, I thought the actors delivered well, no real faults. Indeed, the performances are all the more impressive considering some of the odd casting. Craig, who was horribly miscast, puts on an unexpectedly enjoyable performance as a sleuth from the Louisiana Bayou. de Armas puts on a very strong performance despite the horrible character device she was handicapped. Special mention for Evans who does a wonderful turn as creepy bad guy. Clearly Evans has been miscast in the past in all those hero roles.

The dialog is decent enough as well. A wee bit Hollywood at times but not achingly so. And a fair amount of good jabs as the quirky characters cut into each other.

And I'll tip my hat for good cinematography. The film did look wonderful.

So what went wrong? In a word, the plot. Points for novelty, but the circumstance is just too improbable to accept Plummer's reactions. But that really isn't the worst of the film. The biggest problem is that the plot places far too much of the story on de Armas' character. So much so that all the other characters fall away and become largely irrelevant. And when one particular character stands up to assist de Armas, well, you know then and there whodunnit. That whole ensemble cast, who each should have been vying for a place as the bad guy right up until the very end, instead relegated to a bit of shouting and noise from the sideline. It's the pre-school toddler's, 9 piece puzzle version of a whodunnit.

There you go, a fair and honest review without mentioning Rian or Star Wars........

It's Gawd! (2017)

Even better than I expected.

[9/10 · 10 November 2019]

_It's Gawd_ is a genuine and warm hearted tale of the current state of religious faith in the 21st century. The story and execution are fantastic and the film never drags. The humor is not reliant on mockery and takes the same high road as _Life of Brian_ by simply pointing out inconsistencies within Faith, (mostly focused on Christianity).

I was dubious as to whether Tommy Chong could pull off the titular character but he absolutely nails it. I am not a religious person. Purely fantasizing, I always imagined a Divine Creator would not be hung up on dogma but instead would ultimately be a rather practical and rational supreme being. That is precisely the character Chong delivers in Gawd.

I was a little chagrined Gawd's antagonist shared my namesake, though I'll cut them some slack that they spelled his name wrong. ;)

A thoroughly enjoyable movie. Lots of laughs and a very positive message.

The History of Time Travel (2014)

Soap opera twists as science mockumentary, how could that go wrong?

[4/10 · 23 June 2019]

I so very much wanted to love this film. Everything about the premise ticks the right boxes. Mockumentary, check. History of 20th Century science, check. Positing an amusing/entertaining/semi-plausible scenario for the existence of time travel (-vinyl scratch-).

Problems begin right from the start when the film unveils the ultimate punchline far too soon with almost no setup; time travel is real. We're then presented with a convoluted, and I suspect very hole ridden series of plot twists as history is rewritten over and over again. I lack the patience to map out all the plot twists but suspect it wouldn't work even in 14 spacial dimensions. At the end of it the gorilla in the room is still looking unhappy: how do we have record of these convoluted events and why weren't they all erased from memory when the last history was written to produce the timeline the documentary was made within? The self recording of the first time machine usage only explains a portion of the mystery but does not explain the many alterations of history. Had they taken the effort to explain that paradox, well, the plot holes might be reduced to perhaps 8 spacial dimensions.

It didn't help that many of the actors were far too young to believably portray the learned, experienced and degreed specialists. Yes, yes, I know, student production, yadda yadda, it was still a problem.

Mildly amusing but ultimately disappointing.

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways (2012– )

Someone forgot to tell Chris the Empire is no more.

[5/10 · 24 April 2019]

"I bet she'd hit you just as look at you."

That is pretty typical for Chris Tarrant's worldly observations. Arrogant, critical, snarky and most annoyingly, he thinks he's charming in the process. I can't help but wonder if he's ever retraced his own steps after a program has aired and his 'Brit as Borat' schtick has had time to grate on the locals he encountered.

Pity, the localities are interesting, often unusual. And when the creature comforts are up to Tarrant's British standards, he can even be complimentary. It begs the question; why doesn't he just stay home? I guess some are born to feel superior.

"It tastes like.... the bottom of a rhinoceros' cage." That's it Chris, never let the colonies, or the third world, forget their place.

Scavenger Hunt (1979)

Fond memories, still enjoyable

[9/10 · 16 April 2019]

A poor man's version of Mad Mad World, with a very rich cast. As a kid I loved this film, having seen it a dozen times or more when it was in frequent rotation on one movie channel or another. Funny, goofy, filled with cartoonish villains to boo at and silly good guys to cheer for. And then the film quietly disappeared. I was always surprised that it hadn't been released on DVD, always surprised it wasn't also in the collective memories of other people I met. Eventually I learned the movie had been panned in its day because the adults at the time found it tedious. All I can say is 'Scummy'.

So, put on your 10yrs old game face and enjoy.

Man Down (2013–2017)

Brilliantly bizarre

[9/10 · 4 April 2019]

_Man Down_ is absurdist humor at its finest. Improbable characters living out ordinary lives in very unordinary fashion. Watching the show makes one's brain scream things like: "Why doesn't Brian find a new group of friends?" "How could Emma possibly have...., one couldn't imaginably get that drunk/desperate/whatever?" "Why hasn't Jo died from accidentally drinking bleach or some other life hazard?" And yet in the world of _Man Down_, all these improbabilities are in alignment to create a lively comedy that will keep you on your toes and in stitches. There's even a heavy dose of dysfunctional tenderness to comfort through all the disrespect and inappropriate behavior. Bird attacks were never funnier.

Apollo 11 (I) (2019)

Totally Fake!

[9/10 · 24 March 2019]

Ha Ha, just kidding :p

_Apollo 11_ is a beautifully crafted documentary chronicling footage of the first moon landing. The original footage has been lovingly restored, with the marvels of current technology put to work to extract every ounce of vibrancy from the original prints. Lots of never before seen footage is presented and one can clearly see why we're seeing it now for the first time. Much of the newly presented material is actually quite banal; panning shots of the crowds at Kennedy, etc. But the editing is very tight and well synched with audio from the Command Center, creating a fast moving and personal experience that makes you feel like you're watching the events in realtime.

Make no mistake, this is not a documentary of facts and figures. This is a documentary of sight and sound and experience. Indeed, the facts and figures come out naturally as an artifact but the real glory is in presenting the nearly 50 year old material in a beautifully restored fashion.

Highly recommended

Victoria: A Public Inconvenience (2019) Season 3, Episode 7

Beware the side plots.

[6/10 · 26 February 2019]

I have been enjoying _Victoria_ greatly. Well acted, beautiful production. Telling a tale about historical figures keeps the story mostly grounded and sets the direction, though I accept the farcical deviations as norm for this sort of light entertainment.

However, as much as I enjoy the subplots of fictional secondary characters I am not at all interested in seeing those side plots spun off into silly soap operas. Thus far _Victoria_ has kept a pretty tight ship, but this latest installment, and the previews for the next, clearly indicate Sophie and Joseph are about pull up oars and head for rough waters.

Please, please don't capsize the boat for a silly soap opera.

Downton Abbey (2010–2015)

Beautiful and indulgent, it's your 'stories' in a gold wrapper but just as sickly sweet.

[6/10 · 25 February 2019]

I enjoy a good period piece. _Downtown Abbey_ starts off well. Attractive setting, great costumes, high production values, all the eye candy one would hope for. The characters are mostly good even if many are clearly two dimensional and obviously fictional, with some a little more lovable and some a little less, (ugh, Bates).

I can accept the notion of modern sensibilities inserted into a period piece. This is, after all, light entertainment not a historical reenactment. I can also accept revisionist history whereby our fictional heroes are all somehow directly involved in the significant events of the day. But I still expect a bit of integrity and maturity in the character development, and sadly _Downtown Abbey_ drops the ball in that regard. Petty sensibilities leading to false assumptions are the norm and the driving force for so much of the plot. It's a tired, albeit well proven and effective model for creating drama instead of allowing the story to flow naturally from the depth of the characters themselves.

I faithfully immersed myself in the first season of _Downtown Abbey_ back in 2011 during its original airing. I cringed and winced a bit, particularly at Mary's fickleness, O'Brien's treachery, and the ever pathetic Bates. Then season two began and the soap opera kicked up to extra suds. Bates accused of murder! I'd had enough. Even as a guilty pleasure it had become too much of a chore to stay emotionally invested.

Eight years on and I'm rewatching _Downtown Abbey_ again, as it conveniently follows after _Victoria_. And I find my feelings are exactly the same as they were 8 years ago. Starts off well, progressively getting more and more shallow by the end of season one. Can I tolerate season two and beyond?

Space Dealers (2019– )

Entitled Space Junk

[3/10 · 22 February 2019]

A rather interesting twist on the 'find a collectable and flip it' reality show. Sadly, this one is spoiled by three of the most unlovable hosts ever to appear on the idiot box. Selfish, self-absorbed, self-entitled, arrogant, even often disrespectful to their own clients. Wife jokes, seriously? Horrible execution of what may have been an enjoyable show.

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978 TV Movie)

Not very long ago, on a planet not so far away.

[10/10 · 13 February 2019]

I am of that generation. I was 8 years old in 1977 and I remember well the impact of _Star Wars_. I remember my brother shouting for me to come see the commercial promoting the movie. I remember seeing the film in the long, narrow Boca Twin theater. I remember the day after at school, with every child running about the playground reenacting the film.

My memory of the Holiday Special is much foggier. I'm certain I saw it, as all its elements are familiar watching it again 41 years later. But at the time it made no real impact and was quickly forgotten. I don't remember being elated or disgusted. More likely than not I was probably disappointed and more than a little puzzled.

Much modern debate is cast on the significance of the Holiday Special. Was George involved? Was Carrie coked out of her mind during the taping? Is this an embarrassment? Is this canon?

To understand the Star Wars Holiday Special one must forget about everything that has come afterward. It is 1978. George and Co. are riding high on the success of _Star Wars_. In 1978 it is still just _Star Wars_ and I will only refer to it as such. There is as yet no _Empire_, though the film is then currently in production. There are no books and cartoons and side stories. There are no prequels or sequels. Kenner figurines were only just flooding the stores. In 1978 there is yet no franchise.

At this point it is important to remember that Lucas has a proven history of being rather fickle. He has waffled between intense passion about the Star Wars franchise at one moment and almost complete lack of interest the next. His moments of great creative lucidity, (_THX:1138_, _American Graffiti_, _Star Wars_ & _Empire_), are counterbalanced by a tendency to pander, (Ewoks, Jar Jar Binks, etc), as well as continually revise the _Star Wars_ history to negative effect, (CGI additions to older films, Greedo fired first.....). Imagine for a moment what might have been had the Ewoks or Jar Jar appeared in _Empire_? Replace the Cloud City with Endor. Would _Empire_ have been the monumental film that it was, reaffirming the original success of _Star Wars_ and setting the foundation for a franchise? Or might it have sounded a sour note, not unlike _Conan the Destroyer_, thus permanently aborting future plans for the series? In 1978 the success of a franchise had yet to be established.

Enter the Holiday Special. Variety shows, a format existing somewhere between talk show and sketch show, had been a staple of television from its very beginning. Their peak in popularity was in the 1950's and '60's. By the late 1970's the variety show was in its twilight, soon to go virtually extinct in the early '80's. But in 1978, the variety show was still an important promotional tool for Hollywood. The format was frequently used as a platform for showing off new talent, (such as Hamill, Fisher and Harrison), or allowing nearly forgotten veterans a last opportunity at glory, (Carney). Back in 1978 a Star Wars themed variety show would have made perfect sense to anyone in the business as a way to further promote the movie and add to the newly forming franchise. Remember, 1978 was 15 years before general public access to the internet. Television was, hands down, the most effective distribution method for hype back then.

What happened next was indeed regrettable. Lucas agreed to allow a variety show. Lucas provided creative input but otherwise allowed the TV production to go along without his direction. Plans were even being made for a possible TV series and toy lines to be based on the Holiday show. Most importantly, Lucas never pulled the plug, at least not until after the first airing, almost certainly on the adage, "There is no such thing as bad publicity". To that end the adage was proved correct. Despite the initial embarrassment of the Holiday Show, it was quickly dusted under the carpet and, in time, massively over shadowed by Lucas' final great creative act, _Empire Strikes Back_.

Stripped of its Star Wars content, the _Star Wars Holiday Special_ would easily be a forgettable blip in the history of television, like so many other inane and innocuous variety shows and vanity specials of its day. There is nothing poignant in the story and the performances offer nothing of particular note, (though credit to Carney, Arthur and Korman for at least making an effort; Fisher, Hamill and Harrison look bored, distracted and/or annoyed). As general entertainment this might get a 4/10, tops.

However, the Holiday Special marks a very important moment in the history of the Star Wars franchise. The Holiday special serves as a reminder there was once a time when the long term success of the franchise was yet to be established. Ravenous fans who cosplay; Jedi as religion; heated debate about canon; all that was yet to come. It is a reminder our Hollywood heroes are in reality humans like us, pulling a paycheck and occasionally making a poor decision. Lastly, it is a reminder that Lucas' own vision of his best known creation has had a very fluid history, one that has been altered and rewritten numerous times. To that end I say bugger to canon; take the cream and disregard all the rest, regardless of whether it is 'canon'.

10/10 for historical significance.

The Grand Tour (2016–2024)

The magic's still there...

[9/10 · 12 February 2019]

I consider myself a car enthusiast even if I'm not a true gear head. To that end I enjoy car programs. What an unexpected delight it was to discover Top Gear back in the early 2000's. It quickly became one of my favorite shows. And no surprise that it became such a monumentally popular show. That success had NOTHING to do with cars. Lamborghinis and Ferraris will only net you so many viewers before the masses nod off. No, the secret to TG's success lies squarely on the dysfunctional relationship between the three hosts. The cars, the excellent cinematography, production, music, etc, are all just icing. This could be a show about kitchen appliances and would still be just as entertaining given the same chemistry between the hosts.

Fortunately Clarkson, Hammond and May recognized that and have played to their strengths. Yes, TG could at times come off as too contrived and it suffers for it when it happens. That is a tricky balance that the three will have to juggle as they carry forward with GT.

The first season of GT was a little lumpy as it worked through whatever non-compete arrangements it had to make with the BBC. The American test driver was a still-born idea, reportedly forced on them by Amazon themselves. Lesson learned and wisely dropped for the second season. Same for the completely idiotic Celebrity Brain Crash. Interesting to see that in the third season the celebrity guest segment has been dropped all together, which has always been the weakest element in the show and should have been discarded long, long ago even while the show was still TG.

Clarkson, Hammond and May knew well to simply keep on keeping on. That they are doing and GT is a success for that. There may come a day when their schtick grows tired, but considering much of their humo(u)r is based on being curmudgeonly old men, they should be golden for some time to come. Sit back and enjoy. GT is your old TG with a new shirt but the same old smile.

The 10th Kingdom (2000)

It does improve as the story progresses; hang in there....

[7/10 · 12 February 2019]

For those of you who reviewed this mini-series after only watching the first episode, it does get better. Otherwise, I agree with the general sentiment that that the first(*) episode is difficult to get through. Flat, simplistic dialog. Hammy, over the top acting. Williams-Paisley is dull and lifeless in that first episode and Cohen beyond obnoxious in his efforts to convey 'eager puppy'.

I can only assume early jitters as the series improves dramatically with the second episode. There are occasional, brief lapses when the dialog and acting falls through the floor. Perhaps these moments are the result of a rushed shooting schedule and on those days they simply couldn't take all the takes necessary to get it right. Fortunately those moments are brief and few.

No high art here but I did throughly enjoy this modern reinterpretation of the Grimm material. Casting is a bit lumpy but overall enjoyable. Williams-Paisley eventually settles down and delivers a genuinely heartfelt performance. Wiest is good but not nearly menacing enough. Hauer too could have shown more bite. Larroquette gives a passable performance though he has done much better, (_Camera Store_). O'Neill is far too much oaf and not enough snarl. The other three trolls, Lewis, O'Gorman and Birkett, are delightful and I loved their Ferengi inspired performance. The Prince is pretty forgettable either in human or dog form. Davis is wonderful as Acorn. However the tip of the hat goes to Cohen for giving a very enthusiastic performance as Wolf. He is almost nauseating in the first episode but eventually gets the balance right between human and canine.

Definitely worth a watch.

* - I'm counting episodes as they were originally presented; five 90 minutes episodes. Thus when I say first episode, I'm referring to 1.1 & 1.2 as presented here on IMDB.

The Man Who Lost His Head (2007 TV Movie)

Q: Series potential?

[6/10 · 11 February 2019]

A: No.

Martin Clunes stars in a tale of culture clash when a sophisticated urban professional meets the provincial locals. Now why does that sound familiar?

A mostly benign and enjoyable, albeit unremarkable story with a few sloppy plot holes*. The local characters of Otakataka are fun. The biggest let down of the film is perhaps Clunes, whose character Ian simply lacks character. He's just kind of there, in the way that a body occupies space but really nothing more.

* No real reason given why Ian is dissatisfied with fiancee, making him look quite shallow and callous. Leaving the price sticker on the statue in the museum was unnecessary, we the audience know what happened. Now the museum staff also knows and will soon be making a trip to NZ to prosecute Ian and recover the statue.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

Has the franchise really devolved to such low depths?

[4/10 · 7 February 2019]

It really is sad to see a Star Wars film and not only not be impressed, but to see it as no more than any other generic Hollywood schlock. A Star Wars film should be cause for excitement and expectation, not simply a quick fix of CGI effects and beloved characters.

Perhaps this was meant to be a parody? The film comes off as an amalgamated collection of every cliche introduced in episodes IV-VI. Watched in that light, The Last Jedi is almost enjoyable. Somehow I doubt that was the intent, though it does suggest there is good potential for a purpose done parody, but I digress....

I blame the Star Wars fanbase. Their gluttonous, insatiable lust for ever more has led to numerous watery entries into the franchise that lack the passion and punch of the first 2.5 films, (_Star Wars_ and _Empire_ are awesome; _Return of the Jedi_ is already showing dangerous signs of self importance).

So, a call to all fans of the franchise. Insist on quality over quantity. We won't see another >REALLY< good Star Wars film until then.

A very generous 4/10. The special effects are good and I always enjoy watching Laura Dern, even in a bad role.

The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Kurt saves the day, again

[5/10 · 2 December 2018]

10/10 - Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. Truly inspired casting. If only all the other pieces of this wreck were as good, this film really could be the future classic it so desperately wants to be.

2/10 - Morally deficient actions that defy the message of the film and are there solely to drive the sloppily written script.

1/10 - Creepy Ewok/Yoda/Gremlin amalgamated ripoffs standing in as Santa's helper elves. May go down in film history as one of the greatest examples ever of pandering to the audience.

10/10 - Santa winning over the police officer. Had the film charted this sort of vibe for its entirety, this really could be the future classic it so desperately wants to be.

So 23/40, a nudge over 5/10. In all honesty, the horrible script and plot should be broken out into their own separate ratings, but then again I can only give 10 for Kurt as Santa, so I guess it balances out. Truly inspired, that casting. Once again, Kurt saves the day.