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Jupiter's Legacy (2021)
Lacks Cohesion
This series looked extremely promising and when viewed from a technical point of view is put together quite well, but at a total run time for the 8 episodes of around 6 hrs it severely lacks any real content. When we sign up to watch any superhero show, we expect to see superheroes doing superhero stuff. The first episode sets up what you feel is going to be a truly compelling franchise, but rarely delivers on that promise.
A team of older superheroes and their off spring square off against a meta human villain, only to find that things weren't quite as they seemed. What follows is 7 episodes of the good guys trying to figure out what the bad guys are up to or who they are. This is interspersed with a legacy story of how they got their powers told in flashbacks, with nothing really interesting happening along the way, leading to what you think is going to be an exciting climax, but actually turns out to be a disappointing damp squib.
The whole thing is just a setup for a season 2, which at this stage I feel wouldn't be losing much sleep if it's never made. If you have a Netflix subscription already it is worth a watch, but approach with meagre expectations.
7/10.
Time (2021)
Simply Wonderful
What do you if you match up writer, Jimmy McGovern, with acting heavyweights, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham? The answer is 3 hours of nail biting television drama. The BBC has continued its tradition of filling their 9pm Sunday slot with high quality programming.
The series follows newly convicted Mark Cobden (Bean), an English teacher who is faces a four year sentence for killing a cyclist while driving under the influence. He must come to terms with the difficulties of life on the inside, while at the same time battling guilt as he contemplates the terrible results of his actions. His prison officer is Eric McNally (Graham), a 22 year veteran of the prison service with an impeccable record, known for his firm but fair attitude. Eric is faced with an awful dilemma, as he is forced to choose between his integrity and the well being of his son who is an inmate in another prison.
The series is a frank and gritty portrayal of life in a British prison, and the difficulties and dilemmas face by both prisoners and prison guards, and the lines that might need to be crossed in impossible situations. The performances of the two leads are fantastic, and worthy of the accolades that will surely follow in the future, with a great ensemble cast including Sue Johnston and Siobhan Finneran. The writing is possibly McGovern's best in years and will most likely pick up a gong or two as well. With all 3 episodes on the iPlayer, my advice is to set an evening aside, get the snacks in, put your phone on silent and binge the 3 episodes. You will not be disappointed.
10/10.
Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away! (2014)
Absolute Scum
These guys are the stuff that you want to scrape off your shoe.
I just watched an episode of this program were a family were evicted from there home. Among those evicted was "Riley", a 2 year old child who needed round the clock life support just to 'stay alive'! this is the worst television I have ever I have never seen anything as terrible as this. for this dickhead to say 'dont panic, there's nothing to worry about, is unbelievable.
I live in Irelans, where this cant happen! Why? Because these guys would get torn to shreds. When people stand up against this bullying then it doesn't happen. YOU ARE SCUM.
Black Swarm (2007)
Utter Drivel!!!!!
Since satellite and cable have brought so many choices of what we can tune into on the box, it is only to be expected that the calibre of the content may drop from time to time. That being said it has provided an excellent opportunity for low budget movies and TVs show to help hone the skills of prospective Speilbergs and Scorseses. With this in mind I will often tune in, with gleeful optimism to what, on the face of it may sound like a bad idea at the time it was conceived, to she a glimmer of something to look forward to in the future at least. This however had absolutely no redeeming features. It was so bad that I barely made it through 20 mins, so forgive me if this is not a complete review.
The effects were adequate, but not really anything that a 14 year old could muster with a home PC and the smallest modicum of imagination couldn't put together on a rainy afternoon, if he was bored enough. As for the acting. Well lets just say I shouldn't think any of the cast were awaiting the postman when the academy made their shortlist. But they cant really take the blame for the dialogue and the plot. Overall this was awful. If you are planning to watch this, please find a newly painted room to watch instead, magnolia would be best. I promise a better time than however long this embarrassment lasts.
If still don't know how it all turned out so, if you know, my deepest sympathy.
You have been warned.
Almost Famous (2000)
Wow!!!!
Amazing coming of age tale based loosely on actual events experienced in the early 70s by the director - Cameron Crowe. The dialogue, the story and the the music are individually excellent and added together ... sublime! The tiny dancer ( don't know it ....??? Why???) scene is probably the best 5 minutes of cinema...... ever! I could waffle on about all the film's great points, yet only by watching it will it actually mean what it is meant to.
Fabulous script! - Amazing cast! Perfect .. watch it ... you will be amazed!! You will be loved......and you will love........
Cameron Crowe, the one Hollywood director who seems to have a map of the human heart, has turned out some great films but this will be hard to top.
If yu haven't seen this then you are one of the luckiest people alive, for you can watch it for the first time, and if you buy dvds you will buy it the next day, because it never gets old.
watch and enjoy!!!!
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
A Galaxy much too far away
I am sure I am one of many who almost cried upon this film's release. It is sad to acknowledge this not only falls short on anticipation. It also fails to compare to many contemporary Scifi greats EG 'The Matrix', a film which released in the same period, blew EP1 away in the genre.
Sure the look of SWE1 is great, and the combination of THX in theatres with ILM's effects does occasionally blow your head back, and the film does deliver in most areas that a SciFi film should. This. however isn't just a SciFi film .... This is STAR WARS! And as a result it needs to deliver more than most of it's rivals.
The commonly held flaw in this film is that it doesn't inspire the same 'awe' that the original trilogy did. Twenty years on the effects, though technically better do not seem as fantastic when measured against other effects laden extravaganzas that have been served up in recent years. (ID4) (Armageddon). The originals were made magnificent not only through their Special Effects, but the stories that supported them. It seems that where Star Wars set a benchmark, episode 1 fails to exceed.
If this was the only flaw then so well and so good, but the script is without doubt another great failing. At times too anxious to involve story aspects that might play well with the die hards, while at other times pandering to the new wave of Scifi fans while disregarding the purity of original continuity, this seems sketchy all too often. This is one aspect of the film's undoing. In essence there is way too much of trying to please too everyone and managing too please (well) few.
I have to admit though that this film is not without its plus points. The light sabre battle at the end between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn is simply outstanding (a real high point... considering the disappointment that the film had been until then), bringing it to an excellent climax that sets the form for eps II & III.
So to the reader of this review. You may discern a pattern of inconsistency...... Well that's because my feelings and my opinions are torn between my objectivity towards any sci-fi film and my adoration of StarWars. To be anal....
Let's look at the major let downs......
Characters.....
Qui-Gon Jinn.... Ultimately the hero of the film is killed off, and whereas Obi Wan is, as well, killed off in the original, he is not set up as the ultimate hero in the way that Qui-Gon is. There is no resurgence of the the character in the films that follow in the guise of a 'dead but with the force type mentor'.. most unfortunate.
Darth Maul.... His silence (lack of dialogue) adds to the film. A perfect representation of the dark side. (the pacing back and forward behind the energy barrier while awaiting the conclusion of the battle with Qui-Gon provides the best piece of anticipation in the whole film)Yet rather than carry the thread through the later episodes he is killed off in a most unsatisfactory, post Qui-gon demise confrontation with Obi-Wan. There is a need for a sustained contempt for a bad guy to carry through all the prequels (the references to senator Palatine are just too vague in the opening film and would mean nothing to anyone entering the star wars universe as a star wars virgin (so to speak). He was set up perfectly after killing Qui-Gon. It would have proved a great source of momentum for the films to follow.
Jar Jar Binks... George Lucas .... What were you thinking????? (enough said)
Padme... In attempt too pacify (or attract) the female audience... our queen much too easily becomes an action hero. (Lea had to prove herself over three films) She too easily assumes the mantle of hero.
Young Anakin... Too easy... no depth in his back-story... I mean the Jedi equivalent of Jesus Christ.... Please. He is what, 8, and he saves the day in a bumbling, fortunate way..... Twice! Too much and not enough all at the same time. He is to be the saviour and the undoing of the republic, though perhaps with a more capable young actor this might might have proved more plausible.
OK how bad the story was.....
There was an anticipation of commencement regarding the whole star wars universe about this title ... yet it began more or less the way the original did. Leaving the viewer to piece a lot of the story for him/her self.
Anakin Skywalker's mother has a virgin birth?? (meticurles and stuff.. more than Yoda) or something similar.
The whole thing just seemed tacked together. Jar Jar is an outcast,.. then a saviour. With bumbling ineptitude be causes enough of a set back-back in a battle to allow other factors to bring about victory.
All thing being equal though.....
This is still an above average Sci-Fi Film... Some well put together effects..... A reaching yet, just about plausible story line (if your a fan), with some great cast members. Makes it a must for anyone who has ever through any resource been part of the Star Wars universe.
The Light Sabre battle Maul's pacing Qui-Gon's Meditation. Is The ultimate high point in the film.
Star Wars (and its 2 sequels) is the pinnacle of big budget movie marking yet this prequel leaves much to be desired.
Lets face it... this is a film not to be missed ... but if it was two hours of a blank screen.... with its predestined anticipation it would still be a film not to be missed ...
That is the way of the force.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Cinematic Perfection
I look at many of the contenders that would be the most marvellous movies ever made and can only be more reassured of this film's true status as the absolute pinnacle of what Hollywood has tried to portray over the past century. This film (as many greats), was originally ignored by critics even shunned.
So we should ask what actually makes a good film..., what makes the perfect movie???? Well, the answer in three words is .... 'The Shawshank Redemption'. This film was originally put down because it was not the best filmed or best acted etc., but overall it is better than 'ANYTHING' ever before and the benchmark for all that followed. I can't imagine a movie lover who would dismiss any notion that his or her life was made slightly better by this film (YES REALLY IT IS THAT GOOD).
The Godfather films even The lord of the rings are enormous cinematic triumphs, but for me the measure of a film is in how it tells a story, and how it leaves you feeling at the end. I can't imagine any narcotic that could rouse you in the same way as this would should you be viewing for the first time.
A simple story of a middle class young man, imprisoned for killing his wife in an unforgiving fortress, left with nothing but his intelligence and his strength of heart. Through his relationships with his inmates, and his ability to survive we walk every step with Andy until we finally witness the genius of ..... "The Shawshank Redemption" If you haven't seen this you are so unbelievably lucky to be able to experience it for the first time.
The best and most 'need to see' film ever made.
11/10
The Last Samurai (2003)
Cruise Control
Dare I say it, I feel I am becoming a cruiser (is that the term for a fan of Tom or have just made it up). Lately I'm beginning to see some real talent behind that Hollywood smile.
OK let's face it Mr. Cruise has made his share of 'look at me I'm the perfect looking hero in a kinda Jerry Bruckheimer type way' movies. But more and more he is beginning to bring some real talent to any venture to which he is attached. The Last Samurai is certainly no exception. Ed Zwick directs beautifully, especially in the middle segment where Captain Algren (Cruise) is won over by the simplicity and beauty of Samurai way of life. Superb support from the ever great Tim Spall and A fantastic turn by Ken Watenabe ensures a thespian delight.
Although at times a trifle drawn out and perhaps leaning towards sentiment rather than historical accuracy, this is nevertheless a hugely entertaining movie. The fight scenes are excellent, with Cruise apparently learning 30+ genuine samurai sword moves. This is most noticeable in a scene where he fights 5 armed swordsmen. Although played through in real time with the usual MTV editing, it is then replayed in slow motion in Algren's mind as we are treated to a great fight scene from an actor who is definitely not usually a martial artist.
Again I think that with a good script and great direction Cruise plies his trade more than adequately. Well scored and beautifully shot this was an absolute joy to watch.
Good on ye Ed & Tom A pure delight 9-10
Memento (2000)
Unforgettable
Undoubtedly the most astounding piece of work Hollywood had produced in decades. If Hitchcock was around today even he would surely bow to this movie's understated genius. What is undeniable here is the urge to keep watching. From the start you are shown the plot's climax, but to make sense of it you are pushed into rewind, slowly absorbing the plot, only understanding fully the end (or the beginning), by enduring long enough to finally see the revelations laid down at the beginning (or the end). Anyone who has watched the Easter egg chronological order of this on DVD will know it is not the plot but the reverse telling of the story in which the genius lies. This is a film that doesn't just entertain through its runtime , it will keep you enthralled for days as the outstanding plot reveals more and more with closer scrutiny through 'dare I say it', your own attempt to piece it together through memory. The little known Chris Nolan has outdone himself with this marvel and although his subsequent effort 'Insomnia' failed to make quite the same impression it will be interesting to see what he makes of the much anticipated 'Batman Begins'. A shrewd movie lining up Carrie Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano fresh from their success in the original Matrix movie. It is the performance of Guy Pearce 'LA Confidential & Neighbours (sorry Guy had to mention it)' that is enthralling. The audience insight through him into the complex life of a man with no memory is mesmerising. Many films which gradually unveil a series of complicated twists fall down upon subsequent viewing, but this delivers time and time again. In a time when originality is the greatest gift that a talented film maker can give us, this is without doubt the best example of a gripping original film ever made. It is just a shame that such original, independent films go unrecognised by the academy.
Don't dare miss this 10-10
Independence Day (1996)
What's all the winin' about
I getting pretty sick of the constant berating this film seems to keep getting. It's a GREAT explosion of a SciFi movie.
People seem to think that the plot is insulting! Well hey... it's about aliens who invade earth. It kinda requires a hefty suspension of disbelief.
Next is the popular whinge that 'the Americans save the planet ....again'. Now I'm not American but I imagine - and correct me if I'm wrong - that the $75,000,000 budget was mostly made up from American money, so hell yeah, they paid for it so let them be the heroes.
Finally, the fact that it borrows all its plotlines from other, earlier more groundbreaking SciFi. Well the movies that lend these themes were at the forefront of the SciFi era. So it was easy to be original.
The other main complaint was President Whitmore's address immdiately previous to the climactic battle, ........ well I have to give you that one. I actually thought that someone had fired up a fondue pot in the row behind me the smell of cheese was so strong, and there were other cheesy moments too, but sometimes a bit of cheese is OK, afterall those bastards were about to wipe us out!
This film was never was meant to to be disected in a post end credits, deep and foreboding intellectual discussion.
Its a go in, sit down, switch off, they beat us, we beat them, while getting blown back into your seat by 2-1/2 hours of explosive never seen before special effects, where in the end all is well in the world again.
Great Stuff
All you Harsh Critics - Chill out!