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Reviews
The Winter King (2023)
Slow to start but very good overall making me want a 2nd series.
It took a while to get going but by episode 4 compelled me to keep watching and by episode 6 I binge-watched to the end. It was well-acted and solidly produced. Ignoring the views of the history buffs, this is a solid watch. Overall not as good as The Last Kingdom (which is as good as Game of Thrones and Vikings so a very high bar for comparison) but excellent all the same. Ignore the very low reviews which are simply not realistic considering the acting and production values. I'd give this 6 stars for the first 4 episodes and 8 stars for the last 6 so 7 overall. My anticipation is that the 2nd series will be better now that the main characters have been established.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Simply can't understand the negative reviews; outstanding film.
Can't believe that some folks gave this film a 1 to 5/10 rating. It is beautifully shot and acted and on a high emotional level that kept me gripped through. Even the slower-paced first half caught my attention. Not sure what people expect from a movie these days....explosions every 2 mins seems to be what is required to grab folks attention or to give a film a decent review. This is a sci-fi drama with more emphasis on the characters and their inner struggles rather than all-out action but I was enthralled just the same. It all came together beautifully in the end. Go and watch for yourself and decide. If you like a combination of "The Martian" and "Gravity" then you will like it a lot.
Barbarians (2020)
Watch it if you loved The Last Kingdom and Vikings.
This is a really gripping series with good acting and high production values. The central story is similar to The Last Kingdom except in this series It is a German/Barbarian who is kidnapped and grows up in Rome but has split loyalties initially unto he realises that he must fight for his homeland. I can only imagine e the 7.2 rating is because it is German rather than English but that really doesn't matter. It is far better to watch in the original language with the Barbarians speaking German and the Romans speaking Latin (rather the dubbed version which doesn't seem right) , as it adds to the authenticity, and you get used to the subtitles after a short time. The acting is excellent with Laurence Rupp and Really hope Netflix will commit to more series of this as it's as good as the aforementioned shows and so deserves an extended run. Watch it!
Belgravia (2020)
Brilliant and gripping!
Can't believe anyone who loves period dramas would not love this. Binge-watched this in one evening as couldn't stop watching it. Downtown Abbey with a touch of Dickens/David Copperfield!
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Really excellent fantasy series.
Forget the reviewers who have read the books and so you know will say it is bad before you have read their review...or before they have even watched it! I have not read the books (or even knew anything about them) but binge-watched this in one day when in bed with Covid. Multiple different characters with diverging roles to play and personalities and overall the acting was pretty convincing. A few dodgy CGI scenery shots early on but generally looks excellent in 4K HDR, with ever changing, interesting sets and beautiful Croatian et al. Scenery. The dark characters with no eyes and a mouthful of teeth are rather disturbing and the Trollocs are more fierce than Orcs. Also not afraid to kill of endearing characters like in GoTs. Will definitely be watching Season 2.
Game of Thrones (2011)
Best TV show ever, even with Season 8!
I initially resisted watching GoTs because when I first tried to watch a couple of episodes in the early Seasons it was full of gratuitous sex. Then I got a bad cold and was in bed for a week so watched the First Season and was hooked and so ended up binge-watching Seasons 1 to 6 over 2 weeks! Then watched Seasons 7 and 8 in real time. I have recently bought it on 4K UHD and are gobsmacked at the picture quality on my 75 inch Sony OLED TV. All 8 Seasons are brilliant. Forget what some say about Season 8 being terrible...absolute nonsense! Yes, the 6 episodes shortened the narrative but Series 8 episode 3 is the greatest 1hr 20 mins ever aired on TV (and the darkness is not an issue in 4K) and episode 5 also comes close.....even if I wanted a different outcome at the very end. Could have done without the gratuitous sex and violence in the first 5 Seasons, not because I'm a prude, but because it turns other off from watching this brilliantly written series. Seasons 6-8 just tell the multiple intertwined stories, politics and intrigue without the unnecessary sex. Go GoTs.... You can't beat zombie dragons!
Reminiscence (2021)
Simply can't understand the negative reviews.
I thought this was a great piece of film-making, being the perfect blend of film noir (loved the 50s Dick Powell, Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth et al movies), science fiction and romance and looks fabulous on a 4K OLED TV. This and the M Night Shyamalan film "Old" are the 2 recent movies that got a lot of mixed reviews but I really loved and simply don't understand the hostility.
No Time to Die (2021)
Utterly gripping from start to finish..didn't want it to end.
Not sure what people expect from a film when they give this a 5/10 or less review. I was hooked right from the off and engrossed for the full 2 hours and 48 mins, not wanting it to end. Daniel Craig cannot be matched as Bond. Non-stop action, beautiful locations, expansive cinematography and great acting...it has everything.
Old (2021)
Was engaged from start to finish, don't understand the poor reviews
Yes, there are some unanswered questions but I was really captivated and engaged from start to finish, and loved the ending, even though data from a single subject with a disease would never get a drug approved (I work for a pharmaceutical company)! Does not deserve the low rating by some and I always ignore 1-3 star reviews as they are based on emotion and not on rational thought. The production, values, cinematography and cast alone would give this movie a 5/10 but it is much more than that. Watch it.
Mulan (2020)
5.6 average rating is a travesty as it is excellent.
Can't understand why the critics panned this so much as the acting is good, the sets magnificent, and action sequencing exciting. They also avoided the mushy romance in the cartoon version and made only subtle allusions to it, and decided not to make it a musical which was a a good call. I also think the Gong Li witch character real enhances the film. Also no jokey, talking dragon! The 4K Bluray looks incredible on my OLED 4K TV played through my Oppo UHD player. The colours just glow from the screen. This and Aladdin, are the in the top 5 of my 4K films where the colours just take your breath away and make the extra cash for a 4K film really worth it. I gave it a 9 rating to increase the average rating but it is probably an 8.
There Be Dragons (2011)
Thoughtful, moving filming, beautifully capturing 1930s Madrid and The Spanish Civil War.
Can't understand the negative reviews for this film. Well-acted, beautifully shot, haunting soundtrack and left me reflecting on it for days after. Was moved by the storyline which was tragic, with a tale of lives lost and unfulfilled, but ultimately it's forgiveness that leads to redemption.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
One of my all-time favourite movies.
The Director's Cut of this film is one of my all-time favourite films and is on a par with epics like Spartacus, Ben Hur and El Cid. The scale, the grandeur, the acting, the haunting soundtrack are all top-notch and I never understood why critics did not think the same when it was released. I also never understood the criticism of Orlando Bloom as I thought he was perfect in this role and held the movie together. Would love a 4K release but the blu ray still looks amazing on my Oppo UHD upscaling player and Sony OLED TV!
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Forget the ridiculous 1 star reviews, this was highly enjoyable.
Had to write this review just to counteract the ridiculous and preposterous 1 star reviews. What are people expecting from a WW movie? This was generally excellent, especially the first 30 mins (the opening 10 mins were exhilarating), fun, and Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and Kirsten Wiig are always worth watching. If you loved the first WW movie then you will love this one as well. Since I love the whole movie experience (I still buy 4K and 3D blu rays for my 9.2 surround system and 85 inch TV) if a film has high production values, immersive sound e.g. Dolby Atmos and fine actors, I rarely give a film less than 5 stars even when a lot of other stuff is wrong). Hence 1 star reviews are based on immediate reaction to unmet, unusually high, expectations and are never usually accurate. This film is probably a 7 but gave it an 8 to boost the average!
Dumbo (2019)
Can't understand the bad reviews I loved it!
I loved this film as it was visually stunning, the period detail was sumptuous and the Colin Farrell and Eva Green characters' backstories added depth to the original. I also cared about the characters and Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton were great hamming it up. Hence can't understand what more people would want from a live action Dumbo movie. Personally, I love the Disney live action movies and have bought them all on both 3D and 4K. Haven't watched the cartoons in a long time, since the live actions came out.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Why the hostility? Parallels to T2 but with enhanced SFX.
Can't be believe the people giving this a 1-star review. If you had never seen a Terminator film then you would think this was excellent. I've seen them all and this was pretty exciting and visually stimulating from start to finish. Yes, has some similarities to T2 Judgement but with updated and additional SFX, which will do me fine since T2 is one of my all-time favourite movies. Not really sure what the negative reviewers were expecting? Give it a chance, as it is certainly better than the 3 movies that preceded it.
Black and Blue (2019)
Can't believe the negative reviews!
Gripping thriller from start to finish. Ignore the negative reviews!
The King (2019)
Timothee Chalamet.... a smouldering superstar in the making.
Brilliant, well-paced supremely-acted bopic of the young Henry V. Slow-paced but in a good, thoughtful way, with a great and haunting score, and the Battle of Agincourt was realistically portrayed. Took me a few minutes to recognize Joel Edgerton as he was middle-aged, portly and with a brilliant Lancashire accent. However, undoubtedly, Timothee Chalamet dominates this movie with a tour de force performance. What a screen presence for someone so young, especially when he isn't speaking. I have no doubt he is going to be huge, the next Leonardo DiCaprio I suspect.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
Ignore the unbalanced 1/10 reviews. If you enjoyed the first one then you will enjoy this one just as much.
Ignore the unbalanced 1/10 reviews. If you enjoyed the first one then you will enjoy this one just as much. Yes, it took a while for Aurora to "wake up " and see what was really happening but overall a visually stunning and exciting movie. The script was as good as the first one so don't understand the people taking about a poor script. 8/10.
Daffodils (2019)
Great film let down by the ending.
I enjoyed this film quite a lot. The music, the period details, the nostalgia and the 2 main leads and music are all excellent. However the main scene near the end when the wife is about to leave with the kids because she thinks he did something that he didn't, and he just stands there and says nothing, just didn't make sense to me. It made me so exasperated enough to shout at the screen and left me feeling cold and flat. Think the director was trying to give the film a La La Land-like ending but it didn't work. Worth a watch all the same!
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Brilliant action movie as well as drama..can't believe anyone could give this 1 star!
Can't believe the IMDb bozos who have given this one star? Were they watching the same movie as I? Totally gripping from start to finish, with depth, brilliant acting, convincing CGI and edge of your seat sequences, one after the other. A brilliant ending to a brilliant trilogy.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Ignore the negative reviews. Brilliant remake with 3 additional brilliant songs and more Belle and beast backstory that adds greater emotional impact.
I can't believe that anyone who loved the original would not love this. Evermore, Days in the Sun and How Does a Moment Last Forever are 3 new and fantastic emotionally- charged songs that take the original to a new level. Overall it is a better musical for these songs. The Beast is better represented as the protagonist and his aria "Everymore" could very well win the Best Original Song Oscar. He has more of a backstory that explains his previous selfish behaviour. Belle too has a backstory that adds depth to her and her father's characters. Emma Watson cannot reach the vocal heights of Paige O'Hara in the original but she has a sweet voice and shines as Belle as does Dan Stevens as The Beast (and his version of Evermore is better than Josh Grobans in the closing credits). In fact the whole ensemble cast is perfectly cast. Not surprised it has taken 1.2 billion at the box office and is the 2nd highest grossing musical of all time. Sure to watch it many more times in the future as I do other great musicals.
The Last Tycoon (2016)
Looks sumptuous, perfectly cast, can't wait to see more
I am hooked on this already. Was looking for something to fill the Game of Thrones and Vikings hole and this is it! Then realised that so far it only a single episode pilot. Glad it has been picked up as a series and can't wait to see more. Great sets and perfect cast. Can't believe the pompous reviewer at the Guardian trashed it. If you liked the recent version of the Great Gatsby then you'll love this.
Glorious 39 (2009)
Confusing ending but absolutely gripping-loved it!
From the previous reviews you are either going to love this film or hate it-although I don't know how you can hate a film that is so tense and claustrophobic and pure Hitchcock in places. I was gripped from start to finish, didn't think it was overlong and recommend this highly. I didn't understand the ending i.e. of why Anne Keyes, after escaping from her bedroom where she was being tormented and drugged by her own family would walk toward her evil father and siblings and stare at them for a few moments before running-and why did they not seem perturbed and run after her (because they already had the evidence/record and so had decided to let her go?) Apart from that-fantastic.... and my wife agrees!
Persuasion (2007)
Excellent adaptation-can't understand the negative comments!
I thought this was excellent having seen the 2 earlier adaptations and virtually ever other Jane Austen screen and TV production. It was certainly the best of the recent ITV Jane Austen productions.
I watched it on a flight to Japan on a very small screen and liked it so much that Í watched in twice on the return flight as well as watching the amazing Pan's Labyrinth twice also-sad I know! I think there was a lot of screen chemistry between the 2 leads (far more than Kieran Hinds and the exceedingly plain Amanda Root) and had no problem with the last "running" scene. The musical score was also first class, with haunting piano music throughout. Although I enjoyed the 1995 version, I found it quite understated and a bit drab and found it hard to sympathise with Kieran Hinds and Amanda Root who were quite dull and unattractive (superficial I know but that is how I felt and probably why Pride and Prejudice was such a hit because Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth are good looking so that you can empathise with them!). I thought Rupert Penry-Jones was quite good, brooding rather than wooden. Sally Hawkins had was good enough looking and with a strength of character that you cared about her. I found Amanda Root too feeble. I must say that I never read Persuasion and hence can make no comment on the faithfulness of the adaptation but it didn't differ too much from the 1995 version in narrative and presentation. Recommended despite the previous negative comments.