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Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Visually stunning with some well written characters but story falls flat
This film has some great characters but the main story is rather lacklustre.
Of course the film makes the mistake of killing off Jon Hamm's character way too early as I found his little side story really interesting. Lewis Pullman as the Hotel employee really stole the show and both Jeff Bridges and Cynthia Erivo also give great performances.
Where my problems lie is with what ends up being the main narrative. Dakota Johnson and her sister running away from Chris Hemsworth's cult, I didn't find this part all that interesting. Chris Hemsworth is at least trying to be an intimidating villain but it just seems to fall a bit flat and he comes across less like a menacing & manipulative cult leader and more like a sleazy a hole. Johnson's acting is quite wooden (between this, the 50 shades films and the recent Madame Web film I don't think she's a very good actor) and the sister feels very one note (c'mon we're shown the bond between the 2 sisters and when she's killed there's no sort of conflict or sadness).
Jaws 2 (1978)
The First Jaws film but with annoying teens
The only positives I can give this film is that I enjoy the returning cast from the first Jaws, particularly Roy Scheider as Chief Brody. It's also a competently made sequel which isn't something that can be said about the other Jaws films.
This film commits a sequel sin I can't stand, when a sequel repeats the plot of the first film without any of the characters having learnt anything from the first film. With the exception of Brody everyone seems to just have forgotten the events of the first film. The mayor is back to caring more about money/tourism rather than if people die and Brody's kids despite almost getting eaten in the original still continue to sail the water despite their dad running around screaming shark.
This film also has some awful characters. Outside of Brody the film heavily revolves around his son Mike and his teenage friends and they are by far some of the worst characters in the film that you end up rooting for the Shark. In particular Mike's love interest Jackie is the worst, she convinces him to disobey his dad and go sailing then she spends the entire final act screaming and just irritating me.
Jaws is better off if you just pretend it's the one film.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Disappointing, the charm has worn off
As a lifelong Ghostbusters fan this film was such a disappointment.
The film's story was very lacklustre, moving at a snails pace to what we know is already coming from the very spoiler heavy trailers. Paul Rudd is absolutely carrying this film along with a fun performance from Kumail Nanjiani. The original cast while I still enjoy have very little to do and the appeal of seeing them again from Afterlife has worn out.
I originally liked the cast from Afterlife but here they either don't do anything or in the case of the main character Phoebe are so much worse. I hated her subplot with her friendship with that Ghost Teen, one of the worst parts of the film.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
A Good Show that could have been Great if not for an awful Character
Honestly this show gets way too much hate. It has its problems but overall it's more good than bad.
First I'll start with the good. Ewan McGregor is still amazing as Obi-Wan as well as all the other returning cast members such as: Hayden Christensen, James Earl Jones, Jimmy Smits and Joel Edgerton. They all slot back into their roles perfectly. Some of the new additions are also great including a great young Leia, Kumail Nanjiani and Indira Varma.
The bad all stems from one character however the Third Sister Reva. I can't say that Moses Ingram is a bad actor as I've never seen her in anything outside of Kenobi and from looking at her filmography she has got roles in some prestigious films and shows but she is so bad in this show. Reva absolutely drags the quality of the show down, she's a unlikable and annoying character that gets handed plot conveniences on a silver platter. She just so happened to be stationed on the planet Kenobi was hiding on in the opening when discussing looking for him. She unlike everyone else thought to use an Old Clone Wars friend in order to lure him out and the most ridiculous part SHE SURVIVES BEING STABBED TWICE BY DARTH VADER. The fact that the show has the cheek to keep her alive like the audience wants to see her again.
So overall I'd still say it's a good show with some incredible moments especially anytime Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader confront one another but it is lessened by a weak Villain which the show expects us to care about and even feel bad for her when she turns somewhat good in the finale.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Awful sequel seemingly written by someone who's never seen a Jurassic Park film
First off I'd like to give some of the positives, it's a well made film with fine acting and decent effects. The opening scene was also very good. Now the negatives, the film actively craps all over the previous films and it's clear that whoever wrote this has never seen any of the previous films including the first Jurassic World. Let me explain why I believe this is the case: the film introduces a business partner who supposedly worked with Richard Hammond to create the original park yet this person was never mentioned at all or even hinted at in the original Jurassic Park. Second the main plot point of the film the Volcano threatening to destroy the island, you would think that Richard Hammond or even Simon Masrani would think it stupid to build the park on an Island that will potentially be destroyed at any point. This is also ridiculous because the film forgets that there is a second island with dinosaurs from the sequels The Lost World & Jurassic Park 3, so like Ian Malcom said they should have let the dinosaurs die since there's still more alive on the other island. Finally the characters of Claire and Owen have been swapped since the first Jurassic World, Owen was the caring one who loved the dinosaurs while Claire was only interested in profit and now for some reason Claire (who should be in prison because of Jurassic World) is trying to save the dinosaurs while Owen would rather just let them die. Aside from these continuity breaking issues the film is just a retread of The Lost World with bland characters. Also the ending is so ridiculous, that little girl has just doomed humanity.
The Office (2005)
Incredibly Funny Show (with a weak final 2 seasons)
I got into this show very late, I was initially put off because I wasn't a fan of the UK version so I figured I probably wouldn't like this but I gave it a watch and I got hooked quickly. While season 1 could be slow I would not consider it bad (Diversity Day is a hilarious episode). S2-7 are the peak of the show, almost every episode is hilarious and it is all due to the excellent writers and the amazing cast. However the final two seasons aren't great, Steve Carell leaving the show affected the show but that's not to say it's all bad. The first half of Season 8 (up until the end of the Tallahassee story arc) is pretty good and the final stretch of season 9 when they're finishing up the show are great especially the final episode.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Best Batman Film
While I wouldn't say this is a perfect adaptation of Batman, it's an incredible take on the Batman source material from the great director Christopher Nolan. The dark and gritty Gotham is portrayed perfectly here making it feel like a real place. Christian Bale is in my opinion the best Bruce Wayne and a damn near perfect Batman. There's not too much to be said about Heath Ledger, he's a perfect version of Joker and it's a absolute shame that it was this incredible performance that contributed to the unfortunate death of the actor. The film also gives us the best portrayal of Harvey Dent with his gradual decline being done so well. Sir Michael Caine is another stand out performance as Alfred, turning a usually generic butler into the father figure for Bruce Wayne and seeing his grief at the thought of losing his foster son is incredible.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 16: The Rescue (2020)
Not as good as everyone makes it out to be
I'm giving this a 8/10 because it's still a great episode mostly because of Luke Skywalker's cameo. Outside of that this episode has some major problems people are Ignoring because of Luke. First Moff Gideon seems to have been dumbed down: in Season 1 he knows the weak spots of Mando's armour and aims for it yet when he turns his back on him he could have easily chopped his head off (like Mace Windu did to Jango). My other issue is the girl power moment, now I'm not against these scenes when done well (like The Boys S2 for instance) but it irks me how they conveniently dismiss the male Mandalorian from Bo-Katan's team and sideline Boba Fett to give us this girl power moment. My biggest issue though is Bo-Katan herself, she's so unlikable. Bickering with Boba Fett and the ending of the episode, she's lost the darksabre so many times due to her own incompetence that she doesn't deserve to rule Mandalore but not only that she's never been the rightful owner of it (in Rebels she was simply given it by Sabine) so to contemplate fighting Mando for it is ridiculous. Aside from those problems I was very happy with the ending, seeing Luke again was incredible.
Pixar Popcorn (2021)
Some are good, most are bland
Some of these shorts are quite fun but most of these are quite bland and the lack of voices are really noticeable. The Soul one was particularly bad since it was literally trailer shots reused for the short. The Incredibles ones & the 2nd Ducky/Bunny one are particularly great.
Spaced (1999)
What was once great is not
This show has become outdated like many other shows from around the same time (Bo Selecta, The League of Gentlemen, Little Britain, Come Fly with Me and The Mighty Boosh). I'm a huge Edgar Wright fan but this show just isn't great. When I first watched it, I really enjoyed it but now not so much. The main style of humour within this show is surrealist randomness where they try to be random and quirky and it just often falls flat. There are some good episodes like the paintball one but the style of humour really hurts the show since it's so outdated. A good example of this is from the 3rd episode where a character says how they constantly go on and on and on, they then end that episode with her putting on some weird play where she repeatedly shouts the same sentence it's not even funny it's annoying.
Space Force (2020)
A fine if forgettable show
First off, Steve Carell is incredible in this show and so are the other cast members (John Malkovich, Don Lake and Ben Schwartz are also incredible). The main plot is also interesting because of its real life similarities to what's going on with at the moment. However the jokes don't seem to land that often and the episodes definitely drag. If it weren't for Any of the actors I've mentioned above I don't think these characters would be as likeable And overall the show not as good. The other cast members are fine and while it's great that Fred Willard's final performance is here before his unfortunate death it's kinda sad as in his scenes his viably shaking. Episode 2 & 3 are the highlights of the show with the other episodes ranging from forgettable (Episode 1 & 4) just outright bad (episode 5 & 7). Overall, this show could become great as most shows don't get it right with the first season but so far nothing too great and it's probably not worth watching especially when compared to Steve Carrel and the show runners previous show The Office.
Archer (2009)
Great show but awful after Season 7
This show is great but after Season 7 is when the quality of the show declines and you start to hate all the characters. S1-7 are definitely worth watching though
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Slow starter but once it kicks in, the film delivers
The first 2 hours while still great are a bit slow more akin to Jackie Brown than other Tarantino films. It has great moments including everything with Rick Dalton and his acting career, the Bruce Lee scene and the ranch scene. However towards the end when the cult invade Rick Dalton's home that's when we get one of the best sequences in any Tarantino film. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio give terrific performances, Margot Robbie feels a bit wasted and was used to throw off audience expectations as to what would happen with the Manson cult.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Pointless Sequel but still good, ruined by the ending
First I'll start off with the great parts of the film. The new characters are great especially Ducky and Bunny played hilariously by Key and Peele. It's great to see the returning characters from the series and the start really helps to bring back the nostalgic feel. However, the reason this film feels a bit off is because of its terrible ending which craps all over the other films especially Toy Story 3's end. The film ends with Woody leaving Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the toys that he's been friends with since the start of the series because he isn't being played with to go off with Bo Peep. While the decision makes sense in the context of the film it makes Woody seem really selfish as he's ditching his best friends that he's been with for more than a decade all because he hasn't been played with. Not to mention it ruins the end for Toy Story 3 because Andy didn't want to give Woody away but decided to because Bonnie wanted him, making Bonnie really unlikable and Woody's decision to move on meaningless.
Bottom (1991)
Contains some brilliant moments but let down by toilet humour
Some moments in the show are brilliant. The character of Eddie is easily the best of the show while Richie has his moments can tend to be very irritating and often has the weaker jokes. The show however is let down by its constant use of potty humour which is very lowbrow and painfully unfunny, yet it isn't used as much so it doesn't detail the show as much
Good Omens (2019)
Brilliant
This show is great. The storyline is intriguing and the characters are greatly written and performed with the highlights being the two stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen they are instantly likable and improve the show. The show is visually stunning but the only area it fails is with the CGI as most can be forgiven but some like you see in episode 4 are just awful.
Game of Thrones (2011)
An Once Great Show
S1-4 was truly one of the best shows on TV but as the show went on without the guidance of George RR Martin the quality took a nosedive. S5-6 were still great because he was guiding the show runners. Now as S7-8 show the Show Runners had no idea with how the handle the show and as a result a once beloved show has become a joke and a shadow of its former self and will go on to be remembered for its great first series and having one of the worst final seasons of any show
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Perfect Film up till the end
John Wick Chapter 3 was great it had amazing fight scenes and good performances yet the biggest issue I have with the film is the ending. It teases another entry with a cliffhanger that won't be resolved for a few years
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
I don't think I've reacted the same way to any other film
This film just contains so many great moments that you need to see for yourself. It provides emotional gut wrenching moments and hilarious moments. It is also the perfect way to bring together 11 years of MCU movies
Yellow Submarine (1968)
Stunning visuals and great music
The animation still looks great and the soundtrack is legendary. The only issue I have with the film is that it's a bit outdated in places like the Beatles voice acting sounding off in places and the sometimes nonsensical story can be a bit of putting but other than those minor issues it's great.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
The death of a franchise
It says something about your film when the best part is a cameo for Sir Paul McCartney. Johnny Depp is giving a bad performance fueled by his recent divorce making the character of Captain Jack Sparrow seem dumb and unfunny which goes against everything shown before. The new characters are boring and forgettable. The Villain is fine but just a weaker version of Davy Jones. Geoffrey Rush is outstanding in this film offering up some great scenes particularly towards the end. Overall just skip this and stick to the original trilogy
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Up there with Empire Strikes Back
This is by far one of the best installments of the Star Wars series. The film jumps straight into the action from memorable scene after scene. The acting is better in this film than previous entries with some slight duds. Ewan McGregor shines in the role he was born to play Obi-Wan Kenobi providing the series with some of its best moments and giving one of the series best performances. Hayden Christensen while he gets a lot of criticism for his portrayal of Anakin he still manages to give a decent performance and provide a believable performance for Anakins's journey to become Darth Vader. The Villains are great in this film, with Count Dooku's arc finished up from the previous film and TV series with a brilliant performance from the late Sir Christopher Lee. This film provides the best scene in the entirety of the franchise in the climatic battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Overall, this is one of the strongest entry's into the series and a much watch for fans of the original