Reviews

Part fantasy, part family historical drama. I wasn't sure what I was in for when I saw 'Renegade Nell' pop up on Disney+ in the UK, but I was happily (on the whole) entertained enough to watch it all in a couple of days.

Set in England in 1705, the story centres around the young Nelly Jackson, returned from war in Europe, Nelly finds herself and her family unjustly accused of murder, and so the adventures, and her increasingly long list of crimes, play out. Into this is dropped the fantasy element as Nell and her adversaries have 'powers' - not in a 'superhero' sense - more of a mash-up between Peter Pan (think Tinkerbell) and Harry Potter (think Voldermort).

And once you remove the expectation of this being an accurate historical drama, and accept the fantasy element, then you'll enjoy a well shot, entertaining, amusing and engaging series. You can feel Disneys hand, especially in later episodes when the insertion of a musical number feels out of place from what has gone before. And while the classic good versus evenly plays out, the script is, at times, a little too 'preachy'. Occasionally forcing commentary on social and racial inequalities as though this were an opportunity to be a social education platform rather than dramatic entertainment.

But it's still a fun, well put together and shot series, with high production values, and a nice cast and characters. Try to ignore 'Tinkerbell', which feels like a random Disney wash and which sits awkwardly amongst everything else going on, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

In a pre-Netflix world this would have gone straight to video and be found lurking somewhere in Blockbuster, unloved by most, but occasional rented by students when they needed a night away from the student bar.

Jason Statham rolls out his standard character, although for some reason someone suggested he try using an American accent. This is unfortunate as his accent is like listening to Lynard Skynard played backwards on half speed.

Anyway, he's the standard ex-government super agent now retired. The saving grace to this pop-corn action movie is that the 'baddies' are super-scammers, praying on the unwary and aged. About time these low-lifes had some payback. But aside from that this is a comic book action movie that is full of cliches and tropes and is too removed from reality to make any jeopardy elicit any sense of engagement. Casting Jeremy Irons musty have seemed a coup for the producers, and he has been a great actor, but if this is the sort of thing his agent is presenting him with then times must be tough.

So if you want mindless action, some 'pantomime villains' and you've got a few beers and some nachos with nothing else on...go for it. Aside from that, it's straight to video.

Taking the same path of the movie, this Netflix series follows the adventures of former soldier and recently titled Eddie, who inherits the family estate, and unknowingly, a joint-venture weed empire with a London gang.

And it's this entertaining clash of old-English aristocracy and contemporary London drug gang that makes this series entertaining. Eddies older brother, Freddie, who should have inherited, is errant if well meaning, provides some classic ineptitude for comedy value.

And there's a good balance of romantic tension between Eddie and the daughter of the gang's boss to keep you guessing. The casting is good, production values high and storylines engaging.

Witty, stylish and fun, it's a good addition to the Netflix lineup. Not too serious and gory, but with enough tension and characters to keep you entertained.

This review is about Season 4 only. True Detective's formula is pretty simple, interesting plots and quality casts. So with Jodie Foster, Christopher Ecclestone and Kali Reis to name just a few, you sure you've got a quality season to get your teeth into.

Set in the fictional Alaskan town of Ennis (but filmed in Iceland), we have strange goings on as the never ending darkness sets into the Artic Circle.

And here the similarities to Sky's Fortitude (2015) begin. Isolated Artic setting, a research station studying Paleo-microbiology from thawing tundra, disappearing researchers, bizarre (almost paranormal) behaviour from residents, world weary cop, usually locking up local drunks but now faced with something much more bizarre.

While there are differences, the central plot and behaviours are just too similar, indeed, if this was a song by Ed Sheeran someone would be suing him for plagiarism. And the constant darkness, only broken by the harsh glare of interior strip lights, while atmospheric, just made me feel like I was suffering from SAD too (seasonal affective disorder).

If you've not seen Fortitude I'm sure you'll enjoy this, but take some Vitamin D.

What a good start FX's (seen on Disney+) has made. Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, this story is based around the real life experiences of English sailor William Adams (John Blackthorne in book and series), a Royal Navy veteran, who became the first Englishman to reach Japan, and his rise to influence.

With Spain and Portugal the great sea powers of the 1500s, Japan was little known, incredibly difficult to navigate to and closely guarded by the Catholic states, who were on a quest for riches. After the English defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, the Dutch and English, Protestant nations, allied against Spain and so Adams (Blackthorne) finds himself on a Dutch ship trying to open trade routes to Asia.

From the outset this series takes us into 16th century Japan, in culture, language, politics, rivalry and intrigue. It's an excellent tale of differing cultures and beliefs conflicting but also merging, from Japan's rich heritage and tradition to the Catholic church's influence, not to mention the early antagonism between Protestant and Catholics.

The story is rich, the production values, sets and locations excellent. We are only two episodes in, but one hopes the current standard in script and production continue.

Following Band of Brothers and The Pacific, this long awaited third series from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, focuses on the USAAF arrival into the European theatre. Specifically on 'The Bloody 100th' bomb group.

The detail and realism of the aerial CGI scenes are excellent, and (so I have read) are as accurate as they can be, down to the detail of how and where specific B-17s were damaged or shot down. It certainly brings to life the courage and tension that the crews endured more than grainy b&w or early colour footage can.

But the series lack the characters and empathy one felt watching Band of Brothers, which allowed us to become invested in the individual characters. Of course, following a squadron of bomber crews versus a company of paratroopers might require a different approach. But it left me feeling less involved in the people while appreciating their courage and professionalism none the less. How accurate the portrayals are to the real people I cannot say. BofB benefitted from the ability to interview the real people while they were still with us.

As a 'Brit' one can't help but feel (up to Episode 6) that the contribution and collaboration with the RAF is given stock 'Hollywood' treatment. Brits are portrayed as aloof, patronising and belittling to US crews, bombing Germany without accuracy and effect. Sadly this portrayal is the easy option to televise, the truth being more nuanced. The RAF and USAAF closely collaborated during World War II, sharing resources, intelligence, and tactics to achieve air superiority over the Axis powers and cripple their industrial capacity through strategic bombing campaigns. So it's these interactions that my 'irked' alarm starts to ring. Having spent 12 years in the army I was never referred to directly as 'subaltern', I may have been a 'subaltern', people may have said 'tell the subalterns to stop blowing each other up', but I was referred to as 'Mr' until I reached the rank of Captain. Maybe they did in 1943, but it sounds very odd. And no doubt the views of damage and casualties inflicted to a German town serves a purpose, but (as of Ep6) where are the references to the 30,000 London casualties from over 2,000 bombing and V rocket attacks on London between 1940 and 1945?

So it's not BofB, nor The Pacific. But it's a worthy historical reflection of the USAAF and worth watching none the less. It certainly doesn't short change in terms production value, but you'd wish the Brits weren't always portrayed as stereotypes when in reality the US and UK, despite initial hesitations, formed a critical alliance in WW2, combining their industrial and military might to become the backbone of the Allied victory.

This is not a remake of the Brad & Angelina hi octane Hollywood movie. However, the proposition is the same, John and Jane Smith brought together by some mysterious corporate entity to undertake high-risk clandestine missions around the world, while funded to live a lifestyle of relative luxury as their cover.

Instead of a standard delivery of bangs, bullets and booms, what we have is a clever and witty examination of how our John and Jane interact and evolve, while still undertaking their perilous missions. So in essence the bangs, bullets and booms are still there, but interspersed with a well written and humorous examination of what it is to be a couple, albeit a couple whose jobs are assassination and espionage. And so to some of us that may sound a bit dull, but it isn't. It's really enjoyable, wel, paced series, made refreshing by the lack of endless chase scenes.

Some episodes start, and you may think you're watching a purely human interest, drama, but the action is there, used in a more lite-touch way compared to what we might be used to. While other episodes it is more overt, a the central pillar to the story.

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine do a great job as our Mr and Mrs Smith, and the locations take us from the Italian Dolomites, to Lake Como, Central American jungles to New York. I'm nine episodes into this 10 episode series, so I'm not quite sure how it ends but I sincerely hope they make a second season as entertaining as this one.

Ridley has made some epic films, so when presented with 'Napoleon' I assumed such a huge wealth of material would give us a sweeping epic tale of his rise and fall. Ridley's ability to blend action with story-arc are (usually) his great skill, although mostly when fiction is more important than fact. But blessed with a budget, cast and crew to deliver something that tells the tale of the man who brought war to Europe for 20 years in the early 1800's I anticipated great things.

But with the focus on N's relationship with his muse, Josephine, this is neither a love story, nor a biopic that has any sense of purpose. The relationship between Napoleon and Josephine lacks any insight into their ambitions, motivations or attractions for each other beyond he likes the look of her and she just needs someone. The historical accuracy is limited, both in accuracy and opportunity, limited as it is, to odd moments that give no understanding as to why or what this self-proclaimed French 'Emperor' really wanted to create or leave as a legacy as he subjugated mainland Europe.

I know, it's a film! It doesn't need to be 'accurate' does it? But if you limit the facts and distort perspectives then it becomes a fiction, and you watch asking 'Is anything accurate or just a script-writers perspective'? There is no reference to his invasion and ultimate defeat by Wellington in Spain and Portugal. No reference to inserting his wider family onto the thrones of subjugated European nations. No reference to his defat at Leipzig resulting in Paris being captured and why he was then exiled. So it makes you wonder what story is being told and why? And the lack of any clear personal motivations, no historical accuracy or insight, and a perspective of history from the 'screen writers guild' left me watching 2 hours but I wasn't quite sure what.

And as for his final battle at Waterloo. This was so poorly dramatised and fancifully inaccurate that even saying 'dramatic licence' can't forgive a woeful portrayal of what Victor Hugo described as "not a battle; it is changing the face of the universe". No one was 'dug-in', they didn't have time. No reference to the critical battle around 'Hougoumont' farm on which Wellington's position hinged. No British army lying down behind the slope (not a steep hill) to avoid French cannon fire. No mention of Blucher's Prussian's being defeated by Napoleon at Ligny the day before, yet still arriving to support Wellington's Anglo-Dutch troops. Oh, and French troops advanced in column not line abreast....the list is endless! Apologies.

If you don't care for accuracy, enjoy a vague plot and have no idea who or what Napoleon was, then you might enjoy it. If you studied any history, would like some depth or understanding of motives you might not. I fear Ridley's success means not many people are able to ask 'Ridders mate, are you sure this is what you wanted to make?'

Many many years ago, my father directed a series called "The further adventures of Oliver Twist" for ITV in the UK, so I was interested to see Disney+ present me with this "further adventure" of 'The Artful Dodger'. I suspected this might be a classic 'made for teens' piece of Disney content. But I was pleasantly surprised to find myself immersed in a highly enjoyable tale of what becomes of Dodger after he escapes from England. Finding himself in Australia, he is now Jack Dawkins, a former Navy surgeon practising his trade on the shores of this former penal colony. The various episode plot lines, the cast of characters and settings, are excellently scripted with great wit which had me laughing out loud. Watch out for the subtle references to songs from the 60's musical 'Oliver!'. Indeed I've binged watch this series in a day as I enjoyed it so much. It's not a complex tale, but it doesn't need to be as each episode is acted, shot, produced and delivered with real style and humour and a really good blend of the dramatic, comedic and romantic. Definitely worth a second season if they can maintain these high standards and well worth a watch.

Ok, I'm late to the party for this 3 series German production that aired in the UK a few years ago. When I saw the trailers pop up on Netflix I was obviously hesitant. Having spent a couple of years in Germany in the 90s I 'd been scared by awful TV from back then. How wrong I was. This isn't your "Back to the Future" linear storyline about time-travel. This series takes the characters of the small German town of Winden and digs into the complexities of the impact we make if we could go back and forward in time. There's an over arching theme about an apocalyptic event that holds this all together, and so the 3 series drop in and out of the 00s, 80s, 50s, 20s and 1880s. It's not straight forward, but all the more engaging for that. The characters and acting are good, production values excellent and it's a gem of a find. Watch in the German original with English subtitles.

No Escape (and that's not a family Christmas)...I wasn't quite sure what I was letting myself in for as we stumbled across this while trying to recover for Christmas excesses by lying on the sofa! Don't be quick to judge I should remind myself. Two English girls, brought up in care, do a 'runner' from rainy old 'Blighty' after Christmas lunch turns turkey. They find themselves in the Philippines (although this is shot in Thailand I think), and having find themselves on a nice (if a bit old) yacht, falling in with a couple of Aussies, a German and an American who're lucky enough to be cruising the islands...but all is not quite as it seems and the plot quickly picks up pace. Who can you trust when there's a lot of cash to be had, and where's it come from? The locations are good, the acting is good, and the story is pretty good. It may sound formulaic (I think Chaucer may have been some of the source material - think avarice) but it's delivered with pace, tension and intrigue. We binged this in two sittings and really enjoyed this Anglo (Aussie/Thai I'm guessing) production.

For All Mankind's early promise and engagement, essentially an alternate history sci-fi series on the events around the space race, from the 60s onwards, was a compelling and pretty good watch. Series one was linked to just enough real events and history to make it believable and therefore entertaining. And as the various series have progressed through the decades, from the 70s to the 80s 90s and 00s, so too have the storylines lurched and descended from being believable, viable (just about) and so intriguing and engaging, to poorly contrived and convenient. I'm afraid the acting seems to have followed the way the storylines have gone, with some good character actors, delivering pretty good performances early on, into wooden stereotypes delivering unrealistic characters, lacking empathy or engagement. What started as an good piece of sci-fi has descended into daytime soap opera - do we really think taking a 10 year old boy to Mars so he can 'be with Mum' is realistic , let alone 'smuggling' a North Korean's wife into orbit - just a few of the many baffling and contrived storylines, making this a daytime soap with a dusty red backdrop. In truth it's a disappointing watch once you get beyond season two.

Star Wars meets The Magnificent Seven meets Dune meets ... well you get the idea. From the opening credits I spent most of this movie wondering which remake I was watching. And there are any number of films to choose from in this mash-up. Thats not to say it's a bad movie. A credible cast and budget deliver credible if not gripping performances and not quite enough to have me on the edge of my seat, especially when there are too many tropes you can see coming from a mile away. And this is 'Part 1' so perhaps it's a slow burner with more to come. It's ok to fill a few hours in between Christmas and New Year but lacks anything to make it stand out from the crowd.

Bernard Cornwall's Winter King trilogy are three great historical fiction novels centred around the legend of King Arthur. The books are full of characters, intrigue, action and compelling plot lines, all told with Cornwall's excellent skills that bring 4th century Britain to life.

So seeing a TV adaption with string source material filled me with excitement. Sadly, this series, while broadly following the books had inexplicably replaced strong characters with the cast from a day-time TV soap, with a similar dilution of any of the colour, depth and visceral action that make the books so compelling.

In truth I struggled through watching this with a constant sense of irritation and disappointment as the characters I so enjoyed in print were portrayed with all of their interesting flaws, eccentricities and depth of character removed. This felt like ordering for steak and red wine for dinner but being served tofu and water.

Apple's second series of their 'War of the Worlds' genre series 'Invasion' starts off as series one ended. The series essentially follows the individual stories of a core cast of characters, the soldier, the mum, the schoolboy, the scientist et al. Our cast are found coping with their various situations as earth is threatened by (what look to me like) early drafts of a 3D emoji. And it is here the paradoxes of the series starts to niggle at back of your mind. While California (or is it Florida?) seems to be carrying Onassis normal, with seemingly minor impact of an alien invasion to peoples daily lives, the north of the US seems to be in a dystopian anarchy. And I guess that's where the series falls between a love and hate relationship for me. Any of the dramatic, jeopardy style 'what if' scenes are spaced between the more frequent and slower human interest scenes. So while it's engaging, it's certainly not edge of your seat stuff. It feels like the Producers weren't sure whether they were making a purely human interest drama or a dystopian sci-fi series, and consequently Invasion doesn't really manage to do either one the justice it deserves.

Who is Erin Carter? Good question. This Netflix thriller follows the enigmatic supply teacher, Mrs Carter, as her mysterious past life returns to haunt her as she tries to make a new, somewhat idyllic, life in Spain. And the plot could be engaging, and at times it is. Barcelona's sunny and mildly exotic locations certainly make for a more appealing backdrop than rainy old England. But the challenge is that in order to a.low the story to unfold within the confines of 7 episodes there are too many convenient plot lines that make the make everything feel rushed and contrived. Leaving England with her young daughter and one suitcase in a fishing trawler, but a few years later we find her married to a husband who seemingly knows nothing about his wife is just one of many story arcs we are expected to accept. And it's this nagging sense of 'plot convenience' at every turn that leaves me feeling like what could have been really engaging and suspenseful, is annoyingly formulaic and too contrived.

There are several excellent German films about the Second World War, and The Hauptmann (The Captain) is certainly worth watching. Based on real events, this is a tale of a German army private deserter masquerading as a decorated Captain and the madness and barbarity he creates in the final days of Hitler's reich. A tale of lost souls latching onto anyone who purports to be a leader. It's grim, Schindler's List grim and doesn't hide behind watered down truths and manufactured storylines. Well shot and acted, if bleak in its black and white version (colour is available). It's no feel good movie, but if you want an insight in Germany in April 1945, this is the film to watch.

You've got to love The Beatles, or be a fan of their music, to really enjoy this long but hugely insightful insight into John, Paul, George and Ringo. Taking footage shot during the rehearsal and recording of their final studio album 'Let It Be', the films gives us a 'fly in the wall' insight into their creative process but also the tensions, as the bandmates struggle with their own lives and ambitions after years of success as the 'Fab Four'. What was interesting was the constant presence of Yoko Ono, who seemed to be sat in the corner in almost every scene, like an ominous physical manifestation of the bands tensions. The culmination of the series is the legendary roof top gig in central London, and is a great finale, but also a fascinating glimpse into London of the late 60s. Well worth the time to watch....so long as you like their music (and who doesn't).

Clearly there's an audience for the John Wick franchise, so if you're looking for some escapism, lots of action sequences, arty cinematography, sets and locations, then you've come to the right place. Plus, with a run time of almost 3 hours, you'll get value for money. If, however, you'd like a plot that's deeper than a papercut and less random scenes of limited relevance, then you might want to look elsewhere. It's a fun, high production value, big budget movie that's too easy to step away from to make dinner, answer the door to another delivery, update your social media, and not feel like you've missed anything important.

I wasn't expecting this to be as gripping and enjoyable (in that mildly stomach turning, top of a roller coaster kind of way) as it was. A British cast, crew (mostly I think) and shot in locations that no tourist would want to visit, this isn't a big budget film, but it doesn't need to be. The plot follows 'Bull' who is out for revenge, but I'll stop the spoilers there. The film cuts between flashbacks and real time, but you don't need some text overlay for you to follow what's going on. The cast, while not well known, were excellent and the Director maintains pace and suspense throughout. Well, almost throughout as the last few minutes take a turn that some might enjoy, but to me it felt like they'd lost the last few pages of the script and asked someone from a completely different genre to cobble something together. It's worth watching though despite the ending (hence the 8/10).

I would like to think that as an old soldier my top 10 war movies are generally either accurate, great cinema or great escapism (no pun intended!). Before watching War Machine the only movie I'd seen that gave Afghanistan any accuracy was the excellent British movie 'Kajaki'. But flip that coin over and this darkly comical, but frighteningly accurate film has certainly made my top 10. It's not an action movie, such sequences are few and far between and very small scale at that, but this isn't a film for action. This is a film that characterises the clash of political expediency, professional ideology, and cultural disparity to put into sharp focus the "cluster ****" I knew as Op HERRICK. Some people may view it and think that it is a critique of US and coalition activity.but actually the film does a good job in highlighting the bravery and moral dilemmas soldiers on the ground, be they American, British, Danish and many others, faced every day. What this film does so well is shine the light onto the political and military leaderships inability to contextualise, strategise, resource and so ultimately betray both their own armed forces and the people they claimed to want to help. Brad Pitt does a great job in characterising so many of the traits and tropes in a deliberately over the top way. I'm afraid it's not a chest beating flag-waving good versus evil, but nor is it critical of the high ideals that political expediency betrayed. It simply lampoons some of the characters you find in such circumstances. Well worth a watch with a great cast, but don't expect fireworks flags and the Fourth of July.

Why Netflix would push this to me as a "Top 10" for my current viewing pleasure may have been down to their algorithms having an off day. That's not to say this 2 hour long film is a shocker. There's plenty more films with an equally decent budget that result in lower quality delivery. Mortal Engines is in that genre of belief suspending, imagination set-free, genre of fantastical stories that appeal to many. Scattered with a decent cast and with decent production values, it's a narrative that would have been better served as a 6 part mini-series. Too much is crammed into too little time, despite the films length. Consequently none of the characters, their back stories, rationales or plot lines have enough time to generate much empathy or really engage you. And, as for originality? This feels like the scripts from Star Wars, The Terminator, Mad Max and Lord of the Rings were put in a blender and out popped Mortal Engines. So not awful, not very original and certainly not the right format.

If you're aged between 8 and 13 you'll probably enjoy this. If you're aged 14 and above and blessed with any level of intellectual rigour you're going to find this a challenge to enjoy. Clearly the Chinese investment in this film was significant and maybe it was made to appeal to a very specific audience as a result. But unlike better films of this world ending disaster genre this film lacks any sense of jeopardy, empathetic characters, emerging plot or immersive CGI. The plot...usual stuff but this time the moon isn't doing what it should. This feels more like someone generated the script and plot via ChatGPT, found some funding and made a film. I wanted to switch off after 20 minutes but having paid my money I saw it through. A decision I regretted. I'm giving it 2* as I'm sure my kids would enjoy it, but they're older than 14 now!

Let's start by saying that it's nice to see a contemporary film about the Korean War, one of the worlds less portrayed, but no less important, wars. Based (according to the film) on a true story, the plot revolves around US Naval Aviators, and specifically, the challenges faced by Ensign Jesse Brown,. As an African American in 1950s America, his determination in the face of prejudice forms the central theme (remembering that parts of the US had apartheid until the 1960s). Well shot and incorporating some nice flying sequences, the film plods along at a gentle pace with the usual tropes to a predictable conclusion. It's not a bad film, the production and CGI are pretty good, but it lacks any real jeopardy. All the combat scenes are too 'Hollywood' portraying scenarios, unrealistically and some of the establishing scenes are too contrived and scripted, too obviously trying to squeeze some social justice elements into the film's narrative rather than just allowing the story itself to make valid points. This film is the music equivalent of 'easy listening', there are a few nice tracks, some of the lyrics are relevant, but you play it in the background rather than turn the volume up and 'thrash it out' in the mosh pit!

Like a Ben & Jerry's caramel core, the cwntre of this mini series should be something to look forward to. It's quite compelling, taking a young lawyer and dropping (crashing more accurately) her into an environment about as alien to her as you can get. But also like that ice cream core, it's surrounded by overly saccharine and not especially different, protracted back story full of tropes which do little more than have you pressing fast forward. Nicely shot and acted though this is, the scripts and direction make this a flavour that is neither wholly satisfying nor wholly disagreeable. It's one of those Netflix productions that could have been good, but ends up feeling like more content commissioned, produced and released to pad out the platform until something better comes along. If you've exhausted other possibilities it's a slow but mildly engaging way to spend a few hours. In short, average in parts, above average in others, and just about worthy of a watch if there's nothing less obviously manufactured on offer.