Reviews

We live in a hyper-critical, hyper-sensitive world where Santa Claus should watch his diet as diabetes is a killer.

Relax everyone! This movie was entertaining from beginning to end and MUCH better than I expected. Listen to the other positive reviews and give it a go.

Overambitious? Yes. Excessive concepts? Yes. Completely enjoyable? Yes!

Not everything is designed to be scrutinised, dissected and critiqued to its dying breath. This movie is exciting, ominous, tense and, at times, intriguing and even confusing. That's good! I was glued to the screen and enjoyed the ride, twist and all.

At times, questionable acting and questionable accents.

A very predictable plot twist you could see coming a mile away.

A lacklustre ending that offers no resolution.

Evacuating a group of people, during a bomb threat, to a single designated location. Not standard protocol and a really dumb idea!

As mentioned by others, concerns that the young Wallander exists in the present day, as does his much older self in the earlier series.

The one shining light, for me, was Hemberg. Dry as a bone and made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

While many reviews debate the politics and potential bias of this series, at the end of the days one thing remains: rules are rules.

If you're responsible for the analysis and reporting of alleged drug seizures, you must do so objectively, accurately and honestly. To perform this task while impaired by drugs or, even worse, not testing but signing off on positive results is both unethical and unacceptable. For government departments to then minimise or bury the issues only worsens the situation.

At the end of the day, this was an entertaining and informative program that highlights, yet again, the flawed nature of our 'Justice System'.

Funny as hell! Take a polarising, arrogant shock jock and allow him to rule a court room. He's as caustic as Judge Judy but with zero legal skills or knowledge. For him, it's all about gut feeling and whether or not you're likeable.

Blood. Action. Blood. Action. Loved it!

When bad men do good things, there are consequences. And in this film, there are dire consequences for about 200 people! This was a non-stop fight party and it was awesome.

Small suggestion: do not invite your kids to watch it with you!

Long story short, I don't know the main actor or his previous shows. As an Aussie, I'm also not a huge fan of American humour which is often hit-and-miss for me. Not the comedy's fault, of course, just a preference thing on my part.

Anyway, I watched this show with very little expectation, especially after the stream of very low reviews. I was therefore pleasantly surprised as I laughed my head off for the majority of episode one.

Is it silly? Yes. Is it immature? Yes. Is it utter nonsense? Yes. But, is it straight up funny? Yes! Take it for what it is; the moron at the job interview or the horrible friend at the birthday party. And watch out for Turbo Team and their joke toilet, I thought that was hilarious.

Throw it on, switch off your 'inner adult' and just enjoy the stupidity.

The Sinner is a well crafted and credibly acted tale. Knowing the crime and perpetrator from the beginning sets the scene for a tale of grim discovery; a man is randomly stabbed to death on a popular beach, witnessed by dozens. The only question is why Cora, a young mother, husband and son by her side, would suddenly snap and commit the terrible crime?

From there we embark on a disturbing, twisted journey that gave me nervous butterflies for several straight episodes. As I hate spoilers I'll keep it very simple.

Aided by one of the investigating detectives, Cora (and the viewer) explore the black hole in her memory that leaves several terrifying months missing from her mind. It is this void, the detective believes, that holds the key to unraveling the mystery. Simultaneously, we are invited to witness her troubled childhood which may or may not have contributed to her current predicament. As the layers are peeled back, your assumptions and theories are repeatedly rendered inaccurate. In fact, although flirting with the truth on occasion, it took the last 30 minutes of the final episode to truly reveal all.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sinner and give credit to both the writers and the cast. It's a mere 8 episodes which I devoured in short time. If you've got a lazy weekend to fill, I'd seriously recommend you give it a go.

Kudos to other reviewers who intimately understand the Palestine/Israel conflict. Their reviews are in-depth and broadly cover the topic.

Allow me to present the perspective of someone who knew little more than the fact two countries are battling over land. One heavily represented in the media as an ally of the Free World, the other portrayed as a nation of extremists and terrorists. And this from the occasional media I watch and hear in Australia (another allied nation).

So here's the kicker: Fauda, an Israeli series depicting the very conflict I've just mentioned, manages to infuse its tale with humanity, love, family and friendship. And it does so on both sides of the fence. Two clear enemies, major stakeholders in the war they wage, are shown with objectivity and fairness. Both men are flawed, both men are biased and heavily indoctrinated in their cause. Yet both have wives and kids they adore, and both men wage their war in the hopes of creating a better future for their families.

That being said, war is ugly and the price paid is often high. Fauda does not stray from this reality and the ripple effect is ever-present, slicing its way through the lives of those embroiled in the fight; some guilty, some innocent.

Woven through these fundamental connections are the various political and military involvements. Watching the puppet masters at work is both interesting and disturbing. Nothing is ever straightforward and Fauda is no exception. There's always someone watching or listening and there's always someone a step ahead of you.

In essence, Fauda is wonderfully acted, riveting, fast-paced and even educational. It is a superior series and deserving of the praise it has received. I truly look forward to Season 2.

I'm sure you don't need a full blow-by-blow account as hundreds have provided that already. So, I'll keep it simple.

I'm a child of the 80's and Stranger Things threw me down memory lane with a jolt. It embraces all we did and all we were: the hair, the music, the arcade games, the friendship, the young love. And, of course, the awesome movies that inspired this amazing show.

Truth be told, I wasn't sold on Series 1 and did struggle on occasion, although I ultimately enjoyed it. I'd have rated it a 7-8 out of 10. Then I watched Season 2 and was blown away. It surpasses its predecessor at every turn and converted me into a drooling addict until the final minute. Now, I'm already pumped for Season 3!

In summary, do yourself a favour and watch this show. Best of all, there's no gratuitous violence, sex or language so it can be easily watched with your suitably-aged children. Watch it now, you'll be glad you did.

Suburra is simply awesome. I was lured into watching it after some frenetic Netflix advertising and am glad I did.

This series, although not without flaws and the occasional cheesy indulgence, is highly entertaining and addictive. What's better than a double cross? A triple cross, of course! Watching the various factions (Mafia, Vatican, politicians and local crime families) battle it out is exhilarating. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer!

Suburra has everything you'll need if energetic, fast paced entertainment is your thing. Watching the players sinking in the quicksand they've created is just an added bonus.

In summary I can say only one thing: Come on Season Two!

Firstly, I won't burden you with the same criticisms and disappointment already left by many others. Instead, I'll try to keep it brief and to the point:

The original Aussie film is dark, bleak and disturbing. It's shocking and violent and makes no compromises. This is also why, as people have noted, it was always going to struggle in the mainstream.

The American TV series, on the other hand, is so far removed from the film it really should have had a completely different title. This is screen upon screen of beautiful 'bad ass' youngsters who are all too happy to overindulge in sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Oh, and commit some robberies along the way to maintain the lifestyle, of course! Luckily, they have their domineering, hard-to-like mother to 'mastermind' these occasions. Add a few contrived, poorly thought-out twists and, voilà, you have your finished product.

My advice? Think of the two as completely separate entities. Watch one as a confronting film, the other as a teen action/drama which is oozing with eye candy. Acknowledge the two are sadly linked and this is where your problems begin.

A truly impactful series that all should watch, regardless of religious background or belief.

This series exposes what occurs when a radical cult, and that is fundamentally what Scientology is, grows and morphs into a billion dollar industry.

Whereas Waco, and many others,eventually suffocated under gunfire and casualties, Scientology appears exempt from the reach of both US taxation and legislative arms.

Leah Remini, after three decades as a loyal and devout Scientology member, now relentlessly campaigns against the religion, interviewing many former high ranking Scientologists that have escaped its clutches.

Disturbing, emotional, frustrating and deeply engaging; watch it and learn.