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Reviews
Kaleidoscope (2023)
I liked it
I wasn't so keen on the premise of watching the episodes in random order, but I actually enjoyed this series. It kept me guessing right to the end (I watched the White episode last). Sure, I didn't like most of the characters (Ava and RJ were my favourites), and there were some big plot holes (which all heist plots have, so nothing new there), but I found the series to be engaging and different. I thought most of the actors did a good job and I hope they do a series 2. I do have some questions about a couple of things, which might be answered then too. Well done to Netflix for giving us something a bit different.
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)
Brilliant documentary
Unlike an earlier reviewer, I did not find this documentary too long at all. In fact, in my view, it could have been longer. I was mesmerised for every single second, and I don't even usually like documentaries. Perhaps it had special meaning for me because I live in New Zealand and have visited Whakatane many times. Although I've seen it from the shore when visiting the region, and from boats when fishing, I've never been to White Island/Whakaari.
This documentary is extremely well done, with a lot of real footage, and with a heart-breaking and emotional impact. I started tearing up the minute the description of the eruption started, and haven't yet stopped. How brave those rescuers were. And thank you to the survivors (and relatives) for telling us their stories.
Liu lang di qiu (2019)
I wanted to like this
I love Liu Cixin's books, so was excited when I saw this on Netflix. Unfortunately, despite the amazing visual effects, the storyline is frustrating as it's very hard to follow what's going on in some of the scenes. The overall idea makes sense, but the execution is all over the place. Can't wait for the Three-Body Problem though.
Utopia (2014)
Love this show
I love, love, love this show. The characters are well acted, and it has given me a lot of laugh out loud moments. I'm in the fourth series, and am so sad that is' about to end. Highly recommended, especially if you live in New Zealand or Australia, and work in government.
Archive 81 (2022)
Tried hard to like this
I had listened to the podcast, so had great expectations. I made it half way through episode 5 before giving up due to excessive use of the F word, almost in every sentence. It makes for a pretty boring script. Yawn. Everything else about it was quite good, what a shame the writers couldn't be bothered to be a bit more creative with their dialogue.
Cruel Summer (2021)
Oh what an ending
I really enjoyed this, after being worried it was for teenagers. It held my interest throughout the 10 episodes, and had a great ending. Definitely recommended.
The Lie (2018)
Don't understand the poor reviews
We watched this on a Saturday night, and it held our attention right to the end. We did not see the ending coming. OK, maybe some of the actions were a bit implausible but it's not meant to be a documentary. The acting was great. I don't understand the 1 star reviews at all.
Cinderella (2021)
Pretty good actually
I don't get the one star reviews. I went into this with no expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable couple of hours while in lockdown.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)
Had promise but, sigh, zombies
If I'd known this was about zombies, I wouldn't have bothered. There are some interesting ideas and characters but unfortunately all the characters are completely unlikeable.
Left Behind (2014)
Not the worst film ever
Unpopular opinion here, I enjoyed this film, and no, I'm not religious. Luckily I hadn't read any reviews before watching it, so had no expectations going in. Most of the acting was fine, effects were OK, there was some tension, and I cared about some of the characters. I even liked the ending. Sure there were some dumb things, but no worse than the average leave-your-brain-at-the-door Hollywood action movie.
Deadly Switch (2021)
Actually it's quite good
I don't get the bad reviews. I found the movie to be quite engaging, with good performances from the actors. The ending was a bit weird and didn't completely make sense, but overall I liked it.
Mortal Engines (2018)
Liked the film but a waste of Robert Sheehan's talents
I absolutely loved Robert Sheehan in Misfits, which I think is one of the best and funniest TV series of all time. In Mortal Engines, they took away his wonderful Irish accent and sense of humour, and turned him into a soppy, Frodo-with-big-limpid-eyes-like character. For me, this made his Tom uninspiring and hard to care about. Apart from that disappointment, I enjoyed the film and thought it was well worth seeing for the visuals and the elements of the story that were completely different to anything I've seen before.