steventubby Reviews

The Peripheral (2022)

A really good start

[9/10 · 21 October 2022]

Watched the first two episodes today (it arrived just in time to fill a Rings of Power shaped hole in my Fridays) and it was pretty great.

As usual Chloe Grace Moritz is fantastic, and everyone else does a fine job too, have to be honest I prefer Charlotte Riley when she's talking posh and not like a comedy Cockney, but that's a personal preference.

Having not read the book, the concept seems fairly original and intriguing, I've seen bits and pieces elsewhere that way have influenced the look and feel, but none of it seems too derivative.

The production design and effects are absolutely top notch, but I could have done without Audi product placement, convoys of death squads drive Mercedes G Wagons and there's nothing you can do to change my mind.

That said I'm already pretty invested and look forward to future episodes.

Who knows, I might even upgrade this to a 10 if it continues at this level of quality.

Big Bug (2022)

Derivative at best

[3/10 · 11 February 2022]

It seems Netflix is ripping itself off. In terms of premise, aesthetics and plot this is essentially a fleshed out longer version of an episode of Love, Death and Robots called Automated Customer Service. Whilst that was entirely CGI and this is a mixture of live action mixed with CGI, apart from the run time, the differences end there.

It's not bad, just unoriginal verging on derivative, hence the 3.

Netflix, if your ideas cupboard is that bare, I have 3 original IPs that I'd like to finish on your dime.

Cycle (I) (2012)

I don't get the scoring!

[8/10 · 6 January 2022]

Overall this is 4.3, strange when there are only 3 other reviews giving it a 10.

A strange mind bending homage to so many films and games, the multiverse version to Primer's time travel. Also seems a bit Lovecraftian.

Totally bonkers and I quite liked it. The CGI wasn't as convincing for me, looked like like a generic decade old sci if video game.

Nobody (I) (2021)

Outstanding

[10/10 · 27 April 2021]

A truly original comedy action movie, but what do you expect from the same guy behind John Wick? Loved the fact that we only got tidbits about his backstory when he told a dying person. Bob Odenkirk, is thoroughly convincing and amusing. It uses every action movie trope available, yet still seems fresh. Wish fulfilment at its very best.

Tribes of Europa (2021)

Outstanding so far.

[9/10 · 19 February 2021]

Three episodes in and I'm hooked. It's a bit like an adult remade The 100, so similar is the aesthetic, but that's sort of where the similarities end. It's got the bloke from The Dark and the lead female is an affordable Katniss. The McGuffin is a ghost from Destiny LOL. Production value is pretty high. I have high hopes for this to stand out in the deluge of post apocalyptic nonsense.

Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

Why the hate?

[8/10 · 4 February 2021]

That was thoroughly entertaining. Okay the feminist agenda was a bit heavy handed. Hit girl makes an okay Ripley and carried the film brilliantly. Loved the soundtrack, very John Carpenter. Special effects were okay, the under the plane stuff looked kind of rubbish. The first half of the film has genuine claustrophobic tension then it turned into a kickasss action movie like it was on rails.

Skylines (2020)

Not as bad or as good as some reviews suggest.

[6/10 · 27 January 2021]

Basically a B-movie rip-off of Aliens. Which is not an entirely bad thing, if you are going to plagiarise, do it from one of the best movies ever made.

The dialogue is next level cheese, but amusing. The acting is a bit Am Dram, but done with conviction. Raven from The 100 is easy to watch for obvious reasons. B-Tec Gaius Baltar sort of phoned it in.

The CGI is passable when used for sets, the practical sets are appalling, they are supposed to be on an alien spaceship, yet the interior looks like a warehouse. I even saw some shredded bin bags stretched to look like alien tissue on the planet.

They seem to keep forgetting how the 'Pilots' legs work, several scenes show them backwards articulated, then switch to a man in a suit.

This is clearly done on a budget, and most of that budget was probably spent modelling the creatures from scratch, it looks like they didn't have access to the CGI builds from the first two visually superior movies.

A bit long and very trashy, but not without its charm. The bloopers were a nice touch too.

Origin (2018)

Masterclass in Sci-fit suspense!

[9/10 · 3 September 2020]

An alien parasite infested whodunnit aboard an almost deserted colonisation spaceship - what's not to love?

Amazing production values, not as hard and scientifically authentic as The Expanse, although glass bullets are nice touch, but this blows Another Life and Night Fliers out of the water. I'm not surprised to learn that the Event Horizon guy had a hand in this.

The acting is top notch, Tonks is exceptional as always and Draco Malfoy's character has a genuinely touching back story. The rest of the cast are solid too, although some are so underused, they don't even get a back story. Apologies if i make it sound like Harry Potter in space - it's not.

Despite a satisfactory 'here we go again' ending that could easily conclude the show, it's obviously setting up season 2, fine by me, i'd love to see more. Having just done a bit of a search it seems like it may be revived despite Youtube's cancellation. Make this happen, as it outscores and outperforms the aforementioned contemporaries.

Cursed (2020)

Disappointing

[3/10 · 20 July 2020]

Much has been made of the forced diversity in this production. Not so much about female biased objectification, we get a gratuitous scene just to show Arthur's bum, couldn't they even it out with Nimway's booty? It's very much - something for the ladies.

The acting is spotty and the script is poor, aimed at the lowest common denominator, using archaic terms such as "in his cups" but explaining that means drunk.

Furthermore, the blend of locations, sets and CGI are awful. Going from a forest to a grotto set that looks like it belongs on a child's theme park ride. Don't get me started on the wolves.

A worthy successor to The Witcher this is not, I'm sure it'll find its audience but who that is I don't know. I'd describe it as a CBBC production, but with gore.

Into the Night (II) (2020–2021)

Brilliant on every level

[9/10 · 8 May 2020]

Don't understand low scores and negative reviews, I'm watching this for the second time and we both think this is the best foreign production since The Rain and the Dark. Netflix, give them all them all the money they need for season 2. This is very little like the book 'The Old Axolotyl' but rather borrows the Extinction Level Event premise and personalised it. Would have given it a 10 bar a few jarring inconsistencies.

Hunters (2020–2023)

Shouldn't the holocaust be taken more seriously

[5/10 · 9 March 2020]

Okay I don't hate this...yet, but the pop culture (of the time) references and grind-house/tarantino-esque/blaxploitation skits are grating on me.

As is the weird juxtaposition of realistic violence perpetrated in the camps versus the cartoonish violence of their retribution.

Furthermore, the characters are actually caricatures, more suited to cameos in Starsky and Hutch. I suspect if a non Jewish person was behind this they'd be headed for the showers, now that's a horrible joke (redact if needed IMDB), but it wouldn't be out of place in this show with it's often tasteless breaking of the fourth wall.

I'm hoping it gets better, because I like the premise, i've never understood wholesale hatred of a race or religion and always wondered why the Jews have been persecuted so, but more curious as to why they didn't retaliate. It turns out they did, if the claim that this how is based on true events holds any water, but surely it could be done in a manner that doesn't trivialise the plight of an entire religion.

I understand that in this day and age you need to entertain to educate, but I feel that this would have worked better with a bit more reverence.

Lost in Space (2018–2021)

Love this show

[8/10 · 28 December 2019]

It's objectively bad, but just so wholesome and fun. I'm sad it's finished and hope we don't have to wait another year for season 3.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Enjoyable but flawed.

[8/10 · 19 December 2019]

Saw it at midnight, it's a terrible movie objectively, and picking holes in it would be like shooting fish in a barrel, but... damn it was a lot of fun, felt like a Star Wars movie and for brief moments I was a child again.

Watchmen (2019)

Based on one episode so far.

[8/10 · 11 November 2019]

Yes this could be Lindelof 'Lost', but it is true to the spirit of the graphic novel, so far. Anyone calling it 'Woke' sarcastically needs to understand that it comes from a period before 'Woke' was a recognised term, it's over 30 years old, from a time when there were people who knew and cared and the other sort. The massacre at the start was a real thing, that I've never seen depicted before. If by 'woke' you mean informed, educated and and capable of empathy then yes it is indeed 'woke'. But I don't see that as a problem.

So Dark (2016– )

Why only two episodes?

[8/10 · 7 November 2019]

Especially as FBI girl is listed as being in 7 and Sean is listed as being in three. This had real promise, Dexter with teeth. quite nicely shot too.

Anima (I) (2019)

I bloody loved that.

[9/10 · 17 July 2019]

Really beautiful, on every level, choreography, visuals, practical yet trippy effects, fantastic score (and I haven't liked Radiohead for a while). Just brilliant, intimate, heartfelt and surreal. I would have given it a 10, but the cylopes freaked me out a bit.

BTW ZVLASTNI JIZDA literally means strange drive, but in context, I think it means knowledge journey.

Turn it up when you watch if you can.

The Perfection (2018)

Brilliantly insane

[9/10 · 29 May 2019]

I don't want to post spoilers as I would advise going into this movie with an open mind, don't even watch the trailer for maximum impact.

This is quite simply a brilliantly crafted movie, that changes genre several times, effortlessly. I was not aware of any so-called feminist agenda, other than the two leads were gifted young women unafraid to change their reality. Even then, I was too entertained to care.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020)

Buffy re-skinned, takes time, but worth it.

[8/10 · 30 April 2019]

How can this series have a 7.8 rating, when no one has scored it higher than 6?

It took too long for me to really start enjoying this, but once I did, I did. Once engaged, I felt like I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer again for the first time. And that's in no way a criticism.

Kiernen Shipka started as discount Hermione, but grew on me, because I started to think she really is that earnest and she's equally good in The Silence, whoever played Lord Blackwood is a committed scenery chewer and what can I say about Michelle Gomez and Dawn from The Office, that doesn't sound like i'm trying to get their numbers? I am BTW, 😂

They're slightly more subtle in the monster of the week, foregoing it for challenge or obstacle of the week. Some of the lore, admittedly respun, is just credible enough with its use of authentic sounding names and phases - Phsycopomps, Lilleth etc. had me reaching for Google to check veracity/interpretation.

It borrows copiously from Hogwarts, Stephen King and many others, but I think it does it with love, so not offended, why would I be? Stranger Things repackaged both Stevens/Stephens - King and Spielberg and I bought the collectors edition of that, metaphorically.

If you have a bit of time - pursue..! Season 1 doesn't really get going until halfway through. Season 2 is far more immediately enjoyable.

La Frecuencia Kirlian (2017– )

Magnificent

[8/10 · 15 April 2019]

There are so many wonderful references in this, Lovecraft, Poe and King. no disrespect to the animator, great job of building tension, but couldn't this benefit from a Love, Death + Robots approach whereby a different animator tackles each topic. Very good, a must for Tales of the Crypt and Twilight Zone fans with its cautionary tales.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

Just watched the one where it dovetailed with the original!

[9/10 · 8 March 2019]

Now that's Star Trek! What an accomplished episode, it was like watching a really good TNG episode. New Spock is cool, despite non-goatee beard, in fact I call my garage band is called "Spock's Beard...", the ellipsis is for drama.

The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)

Not for pellebaphobiacs.

[9/10 · 22 February 2019]

As there are many umbrellas in this series at least 2 per episode not counting renderings of umbrellas, but I for one could have done with more umbrellas, so much so that I now have a barely contained compulsion to steal umbrellas. Umbrellas, U-m-b-e-l-l-aaaaaahhhhhh, I just like the word, it's almost onomatopoeiaic.

Loved the show, it's the first time i've properly binged in a while. As I get older, I find I like more character and plot development than flashing lights. Not that this show has shabby effects at all, every thing is good on every level in my opinion. If I had any criticism, nah I don't.

Thank god it is not owned by Marvel or the 'house of mouse' or it might suffer the same fate as. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, Luke Cage, The Defenders and last, but yes, least Iron Fist.

Netflix, I trust 8.5 on imdb, a (more) independent comic publisher and my approval, will immediately guarantee us a second season. C'mon Netflix, we need a win...

I think projects should only be green lit, with the condition that funding is set aside to finish the story whether it be an additional series or a feature length episode.

Venom (2018)

A misunderstood gem

[8/10 · 10 December 2018]

It's ironic that Sam Raimi didn't want Venom in one of his films, because Venom certainly has one of Sam Raimi's films in him/it... the film!! It was like watching the Evil Dead again for the first time, in that i truly enjoyed it in a dumb way. Quite surprised that Tom Hardy is so good at physical comedy, the smashing plates over the head routine would have fit right in. CGI was pretty run of the mill, couldn't tell who was who in the final battles, too many particle effects. Think it could have been even funnier it there was was an 18 or R rated cut.

The Night Comes for Us (2018)

Wow martial arts at it's best

[9/10 · 15 November 2018]

The plot was prosaic beyond belief, but boy did the martial arts make up for it. That's not to say that a film like this needs a complex story, which to be fair may have hindered it with subtitles.

As I get older, i've become less of a fan of over the top gore, but neither am I a fan of consequence free violence, the lead - Ito actually looked like he was suffering during his ordeal. Furthermore, I liked the fact that several times they addressed the trope of all the henchmen patiently waiting their turn to fight the unarmed hero. Not only did they show the heros facing multiple combatants, they showed the consequences when too many aggressors are using melee weapons.

After this experience, I will be on the lookout for The Raid and Headshot, but only after a bit of Jackie Chan, to sooth my scorched brain.

Not really a complaint, but could we have an English dubbed version please Netflix? I struggled with this one at times, and you did such a good job on Dark and The Rain. I think it would make films like this more accessible and help get the recognition they so richly deserve.

Hold the Dark (2018)

The supernatural is something you DON'T understand

[9/10 · 24 October 2018]

Spoilerish..?

Someone once said "Art is something that just provokes a reaction or feeling", my first reaction or feeling was, despite the excellent pacing and cinematography creating a near perfect emulation of isolation and alienation, what the hell did i just watch?

After a bit of thought, I realised that you were supposed to experience the confusion of unanswered questions, the why's, the how's, the what for's of the protagonist, he left with as many unanswered questions and relief as I did.

The supernatural IS the unexplained, the proverbial 'WTF?' why do I need answers? life doesn't come in neat little sachets with a spork. so why should a movie about a posssible 'Wendigo' hunter and his exploits come with a cleanly defined conclusion?

So I think the question is did I enjoy? No, but i didn't enjoy 'The Green Room' - same director. Did I experience? Yes. Finally, did I have reaction or feeling? Again yes - so this is art, it may leave you feeling baffled and uncomfortable, but it leaves you feeling.

BTW props to the the "Egyptian Cotton Mutha..." dude from the 'Shaft' remake, first 'Westworld' now this, you nailed it. So did scary Marine dude, and actually pretty much everyone.

This is only my second review, and i decided my thing was going to be including: - an in a nutshell. Wow, that gimmick broke really quickly with this movie. Make up your own mind.

Rebirth (I) (2016)

Interesting film kudos to Netflix for funding it.

[8/10 · 24 October 2018]

Spoilerish...

An entertaining essay on the mechanics of a cult. The lead actor - the stoned guy from 'Cabin in the Woods', killed it, even though I didn't recognise him straight away, 'cos he's sooooo straight in this. Not quite a comedy, not quite a mockumentary and not quite a remake of the 'The Game', this film explores themes of network marketing, pyramid schemes, the desire to break from the mundane and of course that sketchy guy from college, who turns up out-of-the-blue and wants you to 'experience' something, essentially all the ingredients of a recipe-for-disaster.

Judging by the reviews, this film is as polarising as Marmite - 'you either love it or hate it', but i'd wager this film would not have been made 10 years ago, and i'd urge people to give it a try and review with a bit of thought, so that they keep green-lighting flawed, yet creative and ultimately enjoyable films like this.

In a nutshell: The Game meets The Hangover with a screenplay by Kafka.