bellapeligrosa Reviews

Passenger (2024– )

Wish there was more like this

[8/10 · 2 April 2024]

When stranger things start happening in an already strange village in rural England (see what I did there?) a detective starts to realise everything might be connected.

Wunmi is outstanding amongst a not-very-well-known cast although there a few actors who pop up from time to time but who I couldn't put a name to, but everyone shines. The potential source of all these goings-on is the bread factory, where most of the town works. Chuck in teenage angst, fracking, racial prejudice and working class frustrations and there is a solid drama here admist the supernatural goings on. My biggest gripe is the cliffhanger ending with no wind of a season 2 from ITV as yet.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Stilted 80s comedy romance

[5/10 · 25 March 2024]

I wish that I could rate this better but whilst it's striving for an Edward Scissorhands vibe it falls short. It's stilted at best, despite strong performances. Kathryn Newton keeps surprising as the new queen of scream with a fabulous supporting cast although Cole Sprous felt somewhat under-utilised and there were a couple of plot holes that weren't resolved which could have been explored more. I think it's the script that lets it down, laugh out loud moments are few and far between so it's amusing rather than truly funny and it ended rather abruptly. Diablo Cody is famous for Jennifer's Body and that film felt a lot tighter and darker than this.

You & Me (2023–2024)

Lacklustre story of grief

[6/10 · 2 January 2024]

This is.a heart-twanging story of 2 people coming together after both experiencing the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately it is more of a tick in the box exercise. It's a six parter that could have easily been a 3 parter. I don't believe.in Ben and Emma's love story, although. Harry Lawley's performance is standout. I usually love Jessica Barden in anything but here I feel she seems confused about how to portray Emma's grief. It was impassionate and felt flat. In fact this could have easily been a story about a young father's struggle without the additional Emma sub-plot. It's still a tear jerker, but the first episode is the strongest out of all 6.

Men (2022)

Compelling, disturbing viewing

[7/10 · 14 November 2022]

Ah, the English countryside. Birds, old houses with character, ancient forests, even more ancient dieties. Hats off to Rory Kinnear and Jessie Buckley here, particularly Kinnear who pulled off multiple roles, each one more stereotypically English than the other. Anyone not familiar with the green man legends (and it's probably worth a quick read before watching this) may struggle a little, but a lot of pagan mythology revolves around a male diety with a face surrounded by leaves - the green man - and a female diety with her legs spread open - sheela na gig. Life, rebirth and death are continual themes through the film, the most disturbing being the broken corpse of Buckley's husband, who died tragically after falling from a balcony. His death haunts Buckley, as they were fighting beforehand, he struck her, and she threw him out, only to see him falling past the window moments later, where they make eye contact.

There's enough on the internet to dissect the film, its mythology and the ending, so cutting to the chase, it is worth a watch as a horror? Very much so. Take away the supernatural, and this would have worked as a decent psychological horror, right up until the last 10 mins (which I wasn't a huge fan of, although I understand why it was necessary). Most women have been in uncomfortable situations with men, and felt scared and vulnerable. The power shifts here are continual, as Buckley's character tries to reason and gain back control as things get progressively weirder and scarier. I found the ending a little unsatisfying, but on the whole the film really delivers. Buckley seems to go from strength to strength in her career and deservedly so, this is an outstanding performance.

Speak No Evil (2022)

Parents beware

[7/10 · 13 November 2022]

I don't have kids, but this was beyond disturbing. I think the scene that got me the most was when the kids were dancing, and the Dutch father was losing it at the son. Unfortunately this is so mired in reality that it hits home. The news is full of stories of parents that abuse and torture their kids, often ending up in the death of the child. Everyone asks - why wasn't something more done? How did the authorities fail to spot the danger?

It was obvious from the outset that something was really wrong with poor Abel (who actually has an impressive CV for a child actor). Louise's spidey senses were tingling even then. There are many takeaways from this movie, but one of them is that men should always listen to their wives. Women have a built in sixth sense when something is awry.

As a psychological horror, this will leave you asking 'why' so many times. Why didn't they get out of there. Why didn't they go straight to the authorities? Why didn't stupid Bjorn listen to his damn wife and just keep driving when they could have got away? Why didn't they fight at the end? However if you are a parent this will probably leave you in tears. It's heartbreakingly sad, because none of these kids had anyone to fight for them. And that's where the horror really lies.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Cliched

[7/10 · 8 August 2022]

Vader used to be terrifying, but the over-dramatic slow delivery is now somewhat laughable, so you have to be a real lover of the movies and how he made you feel as a kid to get the most out of this in 2022.

He seems to tell a lot of people they will die and then they don't, and he consistently failed to check for a pulse before walking off. I found it a little predictable and cliched, with barely any comic relief to inject some much needed respite from what was a pretty depressing series.

This is a tale of the love a master had for his padawan and the guilt he feels over his failure to prevent him from turning ot the dark side. Out of all the performances, McGregor's is the most rewarding as the tortured Ben. Moses Ingham is one to watch but her character is very one-dimensional for most of it, and she wasn't given much to work with. I've given it an extra star because Rupert Friend would make an excellent Cenobite.

The Staircase (2022)

A nice tribute to Kathleen, but too long

[7/10 · 16 June 2022]

This has an incredible cast, telling a complicated, controversial and emotional story. It's a different take to the documentary, which I watched a few years ago. The real Michael vs Firth's portrayal are very different people, but the central character is a selfish man who managed to simultaneously love and destroy the women in his life.

Collette's portrayal of Kathleen and the relationship between the children make this a drama well worth watching. The death scenes are harrowing and hats off to Collette who managed to channel the horror and pain of each possible scenario so poignantly.

It's long - very long. The last episode is over an hour. They could have cut out 2 hours easily. It switches time periods, sometimes quite quickly between the scenes. If you've not seen the original documentary it might be worth looking at Wikipedia to get a bit of background knowledge of the trial and timeline. This won't detract from your enjoyment because the focus here is very much on the characters and possible scenarios that transpired before and after Kathleen's death, the dynamics of the family and how it affected them all, plus the insight into Kathleen herself. Collette portrays her as a highly intelligent women who keeps a lot of balls in the air, having a difficult time at work and generally quite stressed, something most people can relate to and I think a lot of women that age will see parts of themselves reflected in her. What I like about it is that it doesn't keep the whole focus on Michael. We will never know the truth of what happened to her, and I'd watch the documentary if you want to see what the real Michael is like, but this series is a tribute to Kathleen, and beautifully done.

Deep Water (I) (2022)

Why Ben, why?!

[5/10 · 21 March 2022]

There might be a lack of erotic thrillers out there, but I would not put this in that category. The passion is about as sizzling as a dish rag. Ben Affleck is still has leading man good looks, but even he seems confused about why he's there. Considering that the two leads were dating during this film, the sexual tension should have been ramped up to the max, but the scenes between the two of them are cringe-worthy. I also think Armas is better than the consistent femme-fatale roles she gets offered and takes.

The plot is simple: Melinda (Armas) very publicly takes lovers, one of which has gone missing. Affleck tells her new Brad Pitt-alike lover that he killed him, in a bid to scare him off. BP tells everybody. This all happens very early on in. At this point a hot or grizzled police detective should be poking holes into the marriage, and there should be a number of red herrings and twists... but no. Instead everyone talks about the couple and their affairs and the fact that Vic - he says jokingly - killed the chap who has gone missing. There's not enough mystery or action in this thriller, which would have almost been better off as a dark comedy. I assume the film is meant to be a window on a very toxic and unfunctional relationship that simmers with underlying passion and rage, but the lacklustre performances and mediocre script tone it down so much that it's more confusing than anything. Worth it if youre a fan of the leads, but otherwise give it a miss.

The only reason to watch this movie is their daughter Trixie, precocoius beyond her years, who is standout in every scene and going to be one to watch in the future.

Trigger Point (2022– )

Worth a watch for the action and cliffhangers

[6/10 · 1 March 2022]

UK drama has become punchier and better over the last few years as fantastic shows like Line of Duty, Happy Valley and Broadchurch have upped the ante. Attracting major British talent, the showrunners have their work cut out for them to blend edge-of-seat action, complex plots with plenty of suspects and some personal drama for the main protagonists simultaneously. It's not an easy feat.

This show wins on the action, staggers a bit with the suspects and fails miserably with personal drama. The love triangle is contrived at best. Vicky McClure regurgitates her down-to-earth, job-focussed LOD character somewhat but this only dilutes her emotional scenes and the two sides of her character seem discordant. This isn't down to the actress who has delivered an excellent performance, but it just doesn't ring true, and these scenes feel like they belong in a completely different show. The other characters just don't get enough screen time or have any interesting subtle quirks, and this two-dimensional environment that Lana (McClure) exists in means the series lacks some depth and passion that would have made it far more engaging viewing.

There are other instances that don't really gel - finding some highly unsubtle key evidence in a place where no terrorist in their right mind would leave it, and a scene with a bomb in a car where even I could have made some better decisions with my zero bomb-squad training. Each viewer will have a few of these eye-rolling moment, but those aside, the show does deliver on action and cliffhangers as the team really races against the clock to diffuse the bombs, track down the terrorists and save as many lives as possible.

The professionalism and expertise will, I'm sure, mirror what the real-life bomb squad have to go through on a daily basis. Having lived in London for over 30 years, from the IRA attacks in the early 90's, to the tragic events in 2007 and the more recent terrorist attacks in Borough and Westminster - I've been nearby (some near-miss) for all of them. I remember in the 90's hearing the bombs explode. The brave people that put themselves on the line - whether in law enforcement, terrorist control or even civilians - these are the people that I think about when I watch shows like this. Terrorist attacks are foiled in London on a daily basis (and no doubt worldwide), and the effort that goes into preventing them is heroic. That's what I think about too when I watch shows like this, the real-life heroes that the show aims to mirror, bringing these scenarios to life so we get to experience a little bit of what they have to go through to protect our lives. And in achieving that, Trigger Point is a winner and well worth a watch.

The Box (2021)

It could have been so much better

[5/10 · 19 January 2022]

I wish Anna Friel had broken out of the Marcella mould to do something completely different. I feel like she is now typecast to be an atypical off-the-rails detective spiralling into (or from) a nervous breakdown who always solves the case using unconventional means. Chuck in a supernatural element and you've got The Box.

Conceptually there is so much good stuff here, yet it fails to be creepy enough, cohesive enough, or edge of your seat enough to actually level up to being anything compelling enough to recommend. The half hour episodes don't help. The lack of locations make it stifling - which is clearly intended to amp up the overall psychological oppresiveness - it fails to do so. Midway through the series, the case should have been ramping up significantly, some red herrings thrown in. A bit of actual legwork should be involved (forensics don't even seem to come into it). That Pici is still walking around with a badge at this point is ridiculous enough in itself as she jitters her way out of one absurd situation into another whilst her colleagues orbit around her, clucking with anxiety like mother hens. Peter Stormare seems to be hamming it up for the Razzie awards which would be well-deserved if he gets nominated (I'm hoping he goes head to head with the actor who plays Marco Inaros on the Expanse). The ending is one big massive confusing mess.

The premise is great. The execution leaves a lot to be desired. There's plenty of better stuff on the box (see what I did there?!)

Troy: Fall of a City (2018– )

Worth a look

[7/10 · 29 July 2018]

There's a lot of positive and bad reviews here, but ultimately I think this is worth a try. If you're a classical scholar or a fan of the Iliad, then potentially you might be disappointed - but it's not a retelling of the Iliad, which is also a work of fiction let's not forget, but another spin on the tale. Historically there's nothing to suggest Helen existed, let alone a Trojan horse or a 10 year war, so if you're expecting a faithful classical retelling don't even start watching, as many people have pointed out there's anachronisms galore. The hardest thing for me was the way it varied wildly in its delivery, something between a Starz-type T&A series to credible historical drama, and as such it never seemed to settle comfortably or confidently into something that was easy to watch. They could have done without the threesome, however I've got no issue with the casting (and if they hadn't cast black actors in some of the main roles they would have been accused of white-washing, it's a no-win situation). I thought it gained traction and the last few episodes were more enjoyable than the first. I would have liked a little more involvement from the Gods as they seemed to start with a supernatural spin yet not really develop it. For me, personally, it was lovely to see the South African backdrops being used so beautifully as well as a lot of South African acting talent.

The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013)

Doesn't deserve such a low rating

[7/10 · 18 March 2013]

This is loosely based on real events, which doesn't help explain the completely absurd title. Research into the Wyrick hauntings won't ruin the film for you however as the only comparison to recorded events are the names of the characters.

As with any horror movie these days there are plenty of stock thrills: ghosts in white dresses, waking from a dream to find you are still in a dream, swings that move by themselves etc. The best thing about this film is that the characters are quite likable and you do become invested in their welfare. There's enough twists and turns to keep you guessing at the real nature of the evil. The breakout star is Emily Alyn Lind, who is so adorable that you want to reach into the movie and rescue her yourself, her plight not helped by her somewhat inconscient father who encourages her friendship with an old dead guy if it means directions to hidden treasure. His commitment to his daughter is only outweighed by his commitment to their hapless rescue dog.

The two female leads are nicely balanced. All the women in this 'see dead people', and it's how they handle it that is the crux of the film, their conflicting reactions and opinions driving the plot forward as the truth is revealed. This is obviously low budget, shots of the forest using various filters providing the atmosphere, the gore is minimal and the special effects fairly low key, but enough here to give you a tingle, even if it's only the fact that Mr Gordy really did appear to Heidi and he gets his photo in the end credits.

The Lady Vanishes (2013 TV Movie)

Plodding Sunday night fare

[5/10 · 17 March 2013]

Based on the 1938 Hitchcock thriller of the same name (which I haven't seen), this looked like rather a good whodunnit. The cast if full of young up-comers and old stalwarts, many of whom seem to be doing the rounds in British TV at the moment.

The premise: a beautiful young socialite, Iris Carr, is making her way back to England by train after a Balkans holiday and finds herself befriended by a kind older lady who calls herself Mrs Froy. Disorientated by a fall at the station earlier, Iris drifts off to sleep, only to find on awakening that Mrs Froy has disappeared and nobody else seems to have seen her - in fact they don't believe she existed in the first place. Of course there are only two possible outcomes: the woman isn't real and Iris is barking mad, or she has genuinely disappeared and there's some sort of conspiracy going on.

Unfortunately the final hour dedicated to resolving the mystery is slow-paced, boring and ultimately all a bit predictable. Apart from Sandy McDade and Tuppence Middleton, all the other characters are stereotypes who get to do very little with their screen time. Middleton is superb, tackling Iris's transition from petulant snobbery to concern and brave determination with aplomb, but the plodding script can't keep up with her enthusiasm. It's definitely a Sunday afternoon movie, and one you can watch with Grandma - just don't expect edge-of-your-seat thrills.

Eternal Law (2012)

Quirky

[7/10 · 26 February 2013]

I'm surprised this got such a bad rating. It's the kind of quirky TV series the Brits are so good at. The subject matter is a little off- putting to the first time viewer (angel lawyers, really?!) but shouldn't be as this is a good old-fashioned human drama and the angelic theme is just a good guy/bad guy spin. In fact if you are tuning in expecting to see a 'Supernatural'-esque show you are more likely to be disappointed. It could have just have easily been a courtroom drama and in that respect it delivers. The angelic element adds a little mystery, and the city of York is the kind of backdrop where you can believe mortals and eternals could mix. Whilst it might not be the best-written series on TV, it's also not worth a 5.6 rating.

Doesn't look like it will return for a series 2 but if you can catch series 1 somewhere - on DVD or demand - well worth a watch.

Supernatural: Ghostfacers (2008) Season 3, Episode 13

Brilliant

[8/10 · 23 May 2009]

SPOILERS: This reminded me so much of the occasional humorous X-Files episode, where the script was firmly tongue-in-cheek,and almost Whedon-esquire in its execution. Playing on the hand-held reality ghost-hunting TV shows like Most Haunted, Sam and Dean aren't the stars in this, but the slightly-sad Ghostfacers who get more then they bargained for when investigating a haunted house. Wonderfully inept, and full of their own bravado, they have to face their own fears and band together, even using 'gay love' to reach one of their own dead team and help him cross to the other side. I hope to see more of Dustin Milligan, who was outstanding as the doomed intern Corbett. A smart and funny piece of writing, and one of my faves.

The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

Where's the X??

[6/10 · 24 July 2008]

The end of Season 9 certainly left enough material for a whole new season, or a movie. The problem was the actors were tired, the story was tired and developing in random fits and starts - and it showed.

But the material WAS there - an alien invasion, super soldiers, and to cap it all the love between Mulder and Scully - TV's most famous pairing - finally realised - and they even had a super baby together! Sci-fi fans around the globe jumped up and down in joy! Bittersweet as ever, baby William has to be given up for adoption in order to keep him safe, and Mulder and Scully are left with the remnants of the family that never was. But then the X-Files was never about happy endings.

... And so we join them years later. As I sat with my popcorn in a darkened cinema I waited for it all to be wrapped up. They would go after their baby! They would conquer nasty aliens! There would be chases, clever mind games, disapproving looks from Skinner, a really good villain we could all hate (preferably with some sort of bad habit), subversion, spaceships, morphing and little green men.

Well at least Mulder and Scully were still together, although their past weighs heavy on their shoulders, or in Mulder's case, on his face. Scully has gone back to her passion - medicine - and buries her pain by saving people. Mulder is whacky as ever, his grizzled visage hiding a mind going slowly crazy with boredom. When a white flag is waved by the FBI in the form of feisty agent Amanda Peet, all of a sudden our duo are off and running on another trip down Paranormal Blvd.

Or are they? The only hint of any psychic activity comes in the form of a rather alarming looking Billy Connelly (sorry - I'll always remember him for his once-shocking brilliantly funny stand-up and hate seeing him in roles like this) who is a ex-priest, paedophile and has an apparent psychic link to a missing FBI agent. This is about as 'X'-ey as it gets - until one incredibly brief scene much later in the film.

Sadly, the X-Files 2 lacks the magic that kept viewers riveted time and time again in the earlier TV series. None of the creepy outdoor locations crawling with dry ice, none of the old cast apart from Duchovny, Anderson, and an all-too-brief cameo from Mitch Pileggi. No scenes of Mulder dizzy with puppy-like excitement over the appearance of some unidentified gunge, whilst Scully tut-tutted with her scientific eye. None of the strange story lines with quirky characters that may or may not be based on a true story. No subtle black humour. No mutants hanging out in barns. And nary an alien in sight, morphing or otherwise... just some very, very naughty Russian scientists.

The final reveal was rushed and unfulfilling, and Mulder didn't even have time to wax lyrical over the weird and wonderful something that he was chasing all along. Mulder's quest appears to be at an end, and it is echoed in his tired relationship with Scully. The plot limped along, hampered even more so by the hang-ups of the major characters. The 'mystery' was C-Grade - maybe it was a recycled storyline from the series that never got used. The film seemed to be more about Scully's faith and Mulder's tenacity than anything else and that subject was wrung to death in the last few seasons of the show.

It was fantastic to see them back, it really was. But the experience left me inexplicably sad to witness these two iconic characters that have become so ingrained in sci-fi culture reduced to bickering, washed out home-bodies chasing after hatchet men instead of doing what they were great at - saving the planet from aliens, long-legged beasties and things that go bump (or slither) in the night. Ultimately, I didn't believe.

1408 (2007)

Disappointing

[6/10 · 19 July 2008]

'Based' on a Stephen King short story, the premise of this movie is enough to send shivers of anticipation up and down the spine of any movie buff or horror fan. John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson share only a short amount of screen time together but even these electric few minutes serve to make the mouth water for the main course - the room! Unfortunately the movie relies on too many plot and character stereotypes to make it memorable after closing credits. The dishevelled protagonist with a tragic past is not only a staple of King's fiction but of other horror films (ie the Reaping). The wife and daughter have scarcely anything to work with, whilst Jackson's appearance is sadly too brief and he barely hits his stride before his scenes are over.

Once in the confines of 1408, what could have been a wonderful chillfest turns out to be a bizarre montage of events, some of which are downright creepy and some of which are downright idiotic. The scares come like clockwork - good scare, crap scare, good scare, crap scare... it starts off nicely with the creeps being subtle, building up the tension. As all hell breaks loose and the skeptical Cusack starts to lose it so does the plot. Cusack holds up his own but the room fails to deliver - except for the annoying receptionist on the end of the phone - pure gold! This could have been so much more and is made even more disappointing because the premise was so fantastic - it was a blank canvas waiting to be filled with horror - yet it appears as if the artist wasn't up to the task.

Alien Autopsy (2006)

Fact or fiction

[8/10 · 11 July 2008]

First off, this film is based on a true story. Check out Ray Santilli on Wikipedia. And that's what makes this film so hysterical - not to mention the inspired casting of Ant and Dec. It's weird but true - even down to the homeless man. The boys camp it up in true British style proving they are the ultimate comedy pairing with a tootsie in every type of entertainment pie. Unfortunately it's two years since the film's release and they haven't done anything else as yet - but don't give up boys - the silver screen misses you! I'm personally glad I set my timer to record this at 5am in the morning. The comedy is well-timed, and the gags subtle but constant. One of the best British comedies of the last two years.

Heroes: Chapter Twenty-Three 'How to Stop an Exploding Man' (2007) Season 1, Episode 23

Let's round up...

[7/10 · 28 May 2008]

Inconsistencies abounded in this last episode. I expected the final showdown between Peter and Sylar to be a sort of Harry Potter vs Voldemort extravaganza with the two heroes pitting all their superpowers at each other. Instead it goes Hollywood soppy, with Nathan making the ultimate sacrifice (yawn) after the words of his illegitimate daughter somehow convince him that blowing up half of New York City is not the right thing to do. I don't think he had to worry that much as apparently all the citizens of New York were sleeping or at home watching House, instead of gathering round and watching the showdown go down. Akira has a point there - if a bunch of people were running round with swords and lightshows the general populace would think it was street theatre and crowd around to watch! Sylar could have made a buck or two if he'd passed around a hat. Ah well... at least no-one was watching the really really bad baddie slide away into a drain. I mean puh-lease! The last few episodes of the show have been about killing Sylar. Admist the tears and cuddles and talk of home somehow he's forgotten???? As for the talk of a new ultra-baddie - that little nugget was so unsubtly dropped that the writers must have realised they didn't do a great job with episode 23 so they needed something to keep the general viewing public tuning into Season 2.

OK so the ending of season 1 sucked. I've had my rant! All in all this has been a great series, with some excellent acting from some gorgeous people. Hopefully Season 2 will be more of the same. Bets on Peter & Nathan's mother turning out to be the Wicked Witch of the West???

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

I'm a little bit disappointed *WARNING - HERE BE SPOILERS*

[7/10 · 27 May 2008]

Well after years and years of waiting, I finally paid my ticket and went to see the 4th (and final?) instalment of Indiana Jones.

So the positives: The first and most obvious is the fantastic relationship between Indiana and Mutt. This is the true dynamic of the film, and it is a better film for it. It picks up the mantle of Indy and Henry Jones Sr, alike in so many ways, resentful of it, and yet with a wise-cracking fondness that provides much of the humour of the Indy series. Indy is at his humorous best when he is in conflict with other characters - even those he loves most. LaBeouf and Ford have a tangible chemistry on screen, and Spielberg knew what he was doing casting LaBeouf. I smell a spin-off film in the air...

Unfortunately this cracking chemistry is not carried through with the other characters, and the film is weaker for it. Hurt's character Oxley, Allen as Marion and Winstone's character Mac are all so underdeveloped that their presence actually detracts from some of the more humorous and adventurous moments. Even the lovely Blanchett flounders a little with the skeleton of a character in Spalko. She's psychic - apparently. Her accent is strained and forced, as if she's trying too hard. There is no backstory, and she's not a worthy adversary for Jones. Without her pack of inept henchmen and Mac's sneaky help, she'd be clueless in the jungle. Never a hair out of place though - so kudos for that alone! You almost wish there had been some sexual chemistry between Indy and Spalko to spice it up a bit...

Instead the love interest here is Marion, referring back to their fling in the Lost Ark. A long-running love/hate relationship, Marion was spunky, hard-drinking and saucy - the perfect match for an adventurous commitment-phobe like Indy. 1957 Marion is still feisty - unfortunately in middle-aged women it's called 'nagging'. None of the chemistry between the two characters remains - when she goes in for the smooch at the wedding Ford almost seems to recoil.

The adventure set pieces and chases are satisfactory - with echoes of the trademark Indy adaptability but with less wise-cracking and amusing close-ups of Indy's long-suffering face. The traditional 'clues' were a little more contrived and slightly less romanticised. The natives were ridiculous and arbitrary adding nothing to the atmosphere. Time spent on the atomic bomb scenes would have been better spent developing the story later in the film. I thought National Treasure had a better 'modern day' plot. As for the aliens or 'inter-dimensional' beings - hey I liked it! It's a little leftfield, a bit different - if the path to getting to the climax could have been a bit more complex and the supporting characters more rounded, the film would be much stronger.

BTW one of the reasons that the Nazca lines ARE so well preserved is that there is no wind or rain on the plains of Nazca. They are not all grouped together either - it takes a good hour to fly over just the major formations. One of them, not included in the film strangely enough, is what can only be described as a spaceman - complete with tiny body and large head and eyes. They are still one of the world's biggest mysteries and they can only be seen properly from the air. If you fancy a do-it-yourself Indy adventure they are definitely worth checking out.