ryan_acc Reviews

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

Come on, this is actually good!

[10/10 · 9 October 2022]

Let's get this average rating above 5 guys, seriously. It's such a great show. So quirky, weird and just unapologetically itself. Ally McBeal meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The most recent episode really elevated it too with daredevil...don't think that counts as a spoiler since his picture is plastered everywhere.

I almost yelped with glee when Charlie cox started flirting with Tatiana Maslany. The walk of shame after was probably the funniest moment in the entire 9 episodes.

I think the best way to look at this show is that it's taking its time to develop a very new character and isn't sticking to the monster of the week format that often makes individual episodes a little repetitive.

My biggest gripe with how this show being released is the schedule itself, and is likely the reason for the bad reviews. It is so deliciously bingeable and really would have been much better received if you could watch 4 episodes in a row for example. That would have allowed the episodes were very little happened to be enjoyed without finishing them going, "wait, did anything actually happen in this episode?"

Anyway, I hope there were some solid viewing figures for this show so we get to see more she hulk in the future. Don't listen to the reviews.

Murderville (2022– )

Shaking with laughter

[10/10 · 4 February 2022]

Clearly this is a divisive style of comedy based on the reviews but for me it was unbelievably funny to watch will arnett torture celebrities who are forced to improvise. I've only watched one episode so who knows if it'll be as funny with the other celebrities but I think only Will Arnett can bring out such silliness in people without it feeling forced so I have high hopes.

A notable hilarious scene is where they're forcing Conan to interrogate the witness while also making him eat a sloppy joe doused in hot sauce. I don't know what to tell you, it just tickled my funny bone.

Eternals (2021)

6.5 out of 10 is accurate

[7/10 · 2 February 2022]

I've always thought IMDb ratings (after a sufficient amount of time) end up being quite accurate as to the quality of a movie. In this case I definitely agree but wanted to add a review here just to push down the nay sayers who are giving it a 1 or 3.

Without long winded explanations (like the movie) it's quite simple why you shouldn't listen to the low ratings for this one.

5.0 out of 10 Was I entertained and interested in the story enough to watch the whole thing? Yes. That automatically puts it above 5 out of 10. Pure and simple.

6.0 out of 10 Was it good enough to feel like it was worth the $15 at the cinema and engaging enough for me to have a heated debate about it after with my friends. Also yes. That automatically puts it above 6 out of 10. Easy.

7.0 out of 10 Am I willing to go and see it again (at the cinema) and unquestionably recommend it to friends? Probably not. That means it definitely isn't above a 7. Makes sense.

6.5 out of 10 Am I willing to give it another chance a few months later based on how likeable (some of) the characters are? Or how interesting the story was (even if it was very long with plenty of fluff)? I would say, on balance, yes. That, to me, puts it at 6.5. I hope some people agree with me on this because giving such a well crafted movie a 1 or 2 rating is really quite absurd.

Anyway, I won't go into all the positives and negatives since others cleave covered it but the main thing I need to say is that the main fault if the movie is that they were intentionally trying to build an avengers style team but with absolutely no build up.

This meant we were left with 8 or so backstories all crammed into a movie that should have focused (finally) on explaining the celestials in more detail other than what Ego told us in GOTG2. It was a rushed addition to the universe which isn't Marvel's style. A shame really considering how well they created the slow burner of phase 1/2/3/4.

In short, the movie is good enough to watch again at some point, so it's a 6.5.

Troy (2004)

You should rewatch this. It ages well.

[10/10 · 26 December 2021]

I loved this movie on the first (and second and third etc) time watching. I was truly baffled at my friends and peers who ridiculed the movie and said it was just Hollywood cashing in on big stars and the trend of epic movies being released. Maybe that's true but it shouldn't detract from this being honestly one of the best 'epic movies' of its time.

Really go back and analyse each scene (if you feel the inclination). Is there a single speech or sentence that doesn't add something to the story? Is there a set piece not worthy of attention? Was there any character who was obsolete or rambling or unmemorable?

Every character is so perfectly crafted and so different from their counterpart that you really feel for the characters.

I loved and hated each and every one of them in all the right ways. I wanted to punch Paris (which is the point of his character). I was devastated when hector died but loved every blow of the fight. I spent the whole movie trying to decide whether I was on Achilles side or not (again, that's the point). Even the side characters like Sean bean, rose Byrne and Peter o'toole gave 3D performances that gave the story more heart.

Then onto the fight scenes. Every spear throw, punch, kick and swing of the sword was felt. I really don't know where half of these film makers have went wrong in recent years. The late 90s and early 2000s seemed to be the golden age of action. When CGI complimented practical effects instead of replacing them. Watch the new matrix and you'll see what I mean. You don't even see half the hits they make.

Finally, you can't get make a good epic war movie without some goosebump inducing speeches or quotes. This has it in spades (admittedly mostly from Achilles). E.g. "beyond those walls is immortality. Take it! It's yours!!!" Awesome.

Ok, so maybe my 10 stars is a little over the top. It deserves 8.5 in earnest but for anyone reading any of my other reviews you'll see that I tend to inflate the rating out of spite for those giving movies unnecessarily low ratings (i read a review from someone who gave the matrix one star but had only watched the trailer!!! That's really messed up in my opinion. At least watch the whole thing before you trash it).

Anyway, I would agree that this probably sits one rung below gladiator, braveheart and lord of the rings, but perhaps that's why so many people panned it. Because they were comparing it to utter greatness. It's a shame this came out in 2004 and not 1994. It would be sitting among the 'best of all time' if it hadn't followed in the footsteps of (and probably learned from) so many other incredible epics.

"That's why no one will remember your name!" Achilles.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Better than you think

[6/10 · 24 December 2021]

I'm giving it a 6 (previously rated as 8 to counter the unnecessarily bad ratings but I can't bring myself to leave it at 8 even if it was for the greater good). Either way, I stand tall that It wasn't a 1 or even a 5 or any of that malarkey.

Another reviewer said that the first half was the more enjoyable half. I think that's probably true, though maybe because of the excitement and nostalgia factors gripping me to the screen. It felt a lot like the first matrix with plenty of 4th wall digs at Warner bros for forcing this to be made at all.

I was a little disappointed when they didn't venture further into simulation theory which in my mind is exactly what the first half of the movie was building towards. I mean, the first matrix sparked a 20 year debate about simulation theory. How cool would it have been to have neo create a simulation of a simulation and for him to become the architect (I know that is technically what happened but it felt more like a footnote than a theme).

Anyway, the movie was ok and it definitely feels like another sequel is the intention.

One big thing though that lets it down a lot a is that many of the fight scenes were sadly quite terrible so if that's all you're hoping for in this movie then maybe a lower rating is valid. I was expecting something as good as the first matrix, especially since they even mentioned that they had to 'surpass bullet time' early in the movie. Instead, we had fight scenes where you couldn't see the punches land. A leaf from John wick's raw beatings would have been enough without trying to find some new CG to outdo bullet time.

Overall, (mostly thanks to nostalgia) i'm happy this was made and I will likely watch it again and will eagerly await a sequel. Though I would say that this movie / universe would work well as a limited series in the age of streaming. Fingers crossed they get a handle on some of the let downs from this one.

The Walking Dead: Diverged (2021) Season 10, Episode 21

This deserves a higher rating

[10/10 · 6 April 2021]

I'll skip the stuff about it being a filler episode and Covid blah blah cause others have already said what is necessary.

However, even without the Covid asterisk I would say this episode was sorely needed.

This entire season I've been shouting at the screen asking them to focus on the main characters more. They just kept adding more and more people that I didn't care about.

10 seasons is long and the writers really need to remember that we're not going to recall some emotional moment from 6 seasons prior that validates Carol's character. In my mind she was barely in this season except to go and do something impulsive and not really befitting her character from the past. Until this episode I had basically forgotten who she was. She'd become a 2D character, despite being one of the longest serving cast members.

This episode finally gives carol some much needed screen time and I'm now reminiscing about her past and realising why I used to like her so much.

The same goes for why Carol and Daryl keep saying they're best friends. It's been so long since they had any meaningful dialogue together. After a while I was thinking, ok, they've basically said they're best friends because they're the only two left from the original 2 seasons.

Basically what I'm saying is this felt more like the original walking dead where there was a little zombie action and scavenging but overall they focused on the dynamics between one or two characters and in one or two locations.

Having the kingdom, Alexandria, hillside, ocean view or whatever it was called and god knows where else was just confusing. I could rarely remember who was supposed to be living where. Add in the poor editing of the previous season and it just got frustrating.

With this episode being back to one location with a smaller cast was great and far more intimate. This episode and the few before it have brought back my love for the walking dead.

Hopefully this forced style due to Covid will spell a more intimate final season.

The Beach (I) (2000)

Dream like state scarred with ultra realism

[10/10 · 23 November 2020]

Reading the reviews here has been quite enlightening for me. I've always held this movie in a very high regard. A great story (regardless of whether it's believable or not), well acted cast, good pace and a pitch perfect soundtrack.

I first watched this movie in my teen years as a working class Glaswegian who could only dream of travelling to other countries. On the face of it, it taught me that you don't have to be rich to travel. Further, it taught me that travel wasn't just an extended holiday, but rather something that could change your entire perspective on life (for the better or worse).

Fast forward to the rewatch in my 30s (having travelled to over 40 countries and all 7 continents). It still holds up. Some of the characters that seemed so cartoonish to me back then became all too real as I jumped from place to place. In fact, the number of young travellers I met who were clearly inspired by this style of travel cements this movie into society more than most people would believe.

I've never actually travelled to Thailand. Maybe I don't want to shatter the dream like state this movie created for me. Maybe I've just not got round to it. Who knows. What I do know is that even the so called 'worst scenes - video game for example' had a lot more to do with character development than my younger self would have realised. In fact, I'd argue that the video game scene sped up a process of descent into an escape from reality of the main character far better than a dreary apocalypse now candlelit speech ever could - in terms of pace at the very least. Maybe I should take that last part back. Comparing a Brando performance to a video game motion sequence is probably blasphemous but in terms of pacing and the feel of this particular movie I'm ok with it. I often compare it to the dance sequence in 500 days of summer in regard to how a seemingly 'rooted in reality' movie can swiftly jump into pantomime and back again without an eye brow being raised. Risky filmmaking, but in this case, useful.

Overall, there are undoubtedly things I would change but to me the way Danny Boyle created an idyllic dream like movie scarred with ultra realism was perfect in my opinion.

Worth rewatching if anyone is stuck at home over the holidays and is dreaming of the outside world.