bobn-10809 Reviews

Stargate: Atlantis (2004–2009)

Very enjoyable, gave it a 9 and recommend it but I feel that the writing sometimes left me irked.

[9/10 · 29 December 2023]

Love the series, rewatched more than 'lots'.

...BUT... there are two criticisms:

• The lack of character development. The obvious one is the Rodney McKay character... perpetually arrogant and hysterical coward incapable of mastering basic weapons skills. No capacity for self-reflection and awareness... after 2 1/2 seasons I found the character irksome... I put that down to poor writing and direction. Hewlett does a great job given the character constraints.

• The relentless moralising by the Dr Beckett character ("I have sworn an oath and have a duty to do no harm").

• ...and similar criticism of the Tayla and Weir characters.

There is no 'edginess' developing as impending doom approaches although Flanigan does a great job as Shepard as does Momoa as Ronan (a glimpse of what he has to offer).

The last season finishes with a whimper.

Overall, loved the series, but it could have gone for another 1-3 seasons if the writing had more depth.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Adaptations always require compromise, this one is well done

[9/10 · 8 October 2023]

I am a big fan of the world Jordan created and this adaptation is both excellent and irksome at the same time, but then the same is true of so many adaptations (The Game Thrones being the most recent but likewise for series like the Shannara Chronicles and the Conan books and so many others).

The books are irksome in the sense that the middle volumes (6-9) lacked the pace of the earlier books with too much focus on clothing fashions and not on plot lines... they could have been easily condensed into 2 novels. The 'chapter written by Sanderson regain the rhythm, tension and excitement factors that made the first five so engrossing.

The series so far lacks any real backstory about the Dark One and the 'Breaking of the World' and it lacks any sense of geography (where is the Two Rivers, Falme, where were the Sanchean from, the Sea People etc., etc.). These two things would have given some better context.

That aside it is excellent, worth the effort and I suspect that for those who have never read the books it would be a rollicking yarn just like GoT.

While the acting is really good overall I think the direction of the lead characters presented those characters as immature and hysterical teenagers rather than adults, albeit naive.

As it stands the series is If you are new to the story and haven't read the books it is well aimed for the young adult and the young of heart who like high fantasy (unlike the GoT series it doesn't have the graphic sex and violence depicted on TV).

If you expect a play-by-play of the books you will be disappointed, if you enjoyed the books you will need to accept the divergences and the practicality of condensing 14 intricate books into what is (hopefully) 5-6 seasons of ripping and gripping high fantasy.

To me? ...a must watch.

Lie to Me (2009–2011)

Loved the series, but understand why it lost viewership.

[9/10 · 13 August 2023]

For me 'Lie to Me' was a fantastic and very original series.

But ultimately it needed some new characters to keep the interest up.

Tom Roth was, as usual, outstanding and so much fun to watch him having fun... maybe they should have killed him off but there was no obvious 'inheritor' that had been introduced, or killed off Gillian or Emily and exposed his emotional side.

Perhaps the story lines did become a bit stale and less creative.

The finale could have been so much better, which highlights the lack of creativity from the writers... it's lime everyone got bored and looking to do a 'Loker'.

But Is was a better way to finish than another awesome show, 'The Mentalist' dragging out the series after Red John was killed off...

Anyway, Lie to Me was fun while it lasted.

Grey Man (2022)

A rare 10 from me, and it's just another Thursday

[10/10 · 11 August 2023]

I started watching because I paid for a subscription. And fell in love with an offbeat classic...

I know a 10 seems a bit effusive but hey, we all have our Bo Derek's. So here goes...

Up until about 35 mins in I was "meh, ok, formula assassin/spy stuff... happy to accept it as fluff"... then we got to the background flashback with Fitz and the bonding with his daughter and then the 'Just Another Thursday' scene and the sublime use of a B-Side single by Mark Lindsay... ok, so it's a simulated vinyl sound but it's awesome....

A camp, sociopathic Chris Evans... in a cardigan... 🙃 and who doesn't live a smarta$$ teenager.

It's like Tarantino was mentoring in the background.

A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

Unpretentious and joyful

[10/10 · 23 March 2023]

Yep, just a good old fashioned movie about joy and happiness and remade for another generation.

Looking for drama and action?... watch John Wick (also much fun to watch)...

Great cast... cranky, overprotective father; Anthony Quinn is perfect as the wise man; serene cinematography, a perfect soundtrack, exquisite moments and a well paced script.

Soppy, sugary, idealised? For sure, but uplifting, light-hearted fun without complicated and unnecessary plot twists? Absolutely, definitely and most assuredly.

Think "Sleepless in Seattle", another remake but just simple fun without any complication.

V for Vendetta (2005)

Quite simply, one of the most superb works of art of the modern era

[10/10 · 15 July 2022]

I have watched this masterpiece many times and each time I find more nuance and subtlety.

Easily Natalie Portman's best performance so far (2022). Hugo Weaving is invisible behind a mask and yet his delivery of the poetry that is the essence of the film is simply sublime.

For me, it's in the equal of Shawshank, The Godfather, Django, Pulp Fiction and Peaky Blinders.

It's 'arty', it's 'cerebral' and it's political and social challenging... I love my John Wicks, 'Pirates' and Empire Strikes Back as much as anyone, this is next level.

Dark City (1998)

A solid sci-fi movie with ominous undertones. Innovative for the time, well worth the time to watch

[7/10 · 15 June 2022]

Excellent performances from a strong cast, well directed and shot with great sets and lighting setting the tone. Some good early CGI effects to deliver the 'world-twisting' but it's not overused or out of place.

Rufus Sewell delivers his usual solid but unspectacular performance and William Hurt his usual laconic performance while Richard O'Brien channels his best Riff-Raff and is menacing in another off-beat role as one of the main 'Strangers' (it's clear the series 'Fringe' appropriated some key elements from this movie). Jennifer Connelly's role is mainly a background character but she does it well.

The only negative for me is Keiffer Sutherland's usual panting delivery of his lines. I mostly enjoy his acting, 24 is a favorite action/espionage series and I've watched it a few times... his only irksome attribute is that in all of his movies or TV series he always seems to be on the verge of a heart attack because he can't catch his breath. It's tolerable or I wouldn't keep watching him but it's very, very irritating.

Overall it's interesting fun if you are a fan of noir sci-fi with a few twists and turns.

6 Bullets (2012)

Solid movie, standard plot but well acted and directed, JCVD is like a good red wine

[7/10 · 9 June 2022]

Van Damme have been at this game for a lot of years and from the early stilted and immature actor to this performance shows he continues to learn from his past and improve his craft.

The plot moves along at a nice pace, not a lot of 'fluff', well directed and solid camera work.

Takes a lot from the Taken stories but then again those took a lot from other movies before it so this movie is hardly a ripoff. Perhaps it could have been improved if Samson Gaul had some old buddies to call on but he does the 'Lone Wolf' thing well.

I like Joe Flannigan and don't understand why we don't see more of him in quality movies (I'm biased tho', I've watched all the Stargate series many-times).

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

??? The least interesting of the Spider-Man universe

[3/10 · 7 June 2022]

I just don't get all the fuss.

This is a complex story driven by some weird concept of faux morality and CGI, for no more reason than a box office take.

Marvel is supposed to be a comic world, it's not a world of social commentary, self-pity and self-righteousness. It's supposed to be Good guys saving the world from Bad guys, that's what the comics are all about, it's not complicated and this movie is way too complicated. "Far from Home" was a good example, clever... this movie is not.

The whole idea of Strange trying to accommodate the whims of a teenager for no more reason than Parker wants to please his girlfriend and best friend... it's just dumbness squared.

My advice is to "Keep it Simple Stupid", this too much like the nonsense that Disney came up with for the 3rd round of Star Wars, disjointed, confusing and too complex...

Drift (II) (2013)

Loved it, lived, my home from '76 for 20 years

[10/10 · 22 December 2021]

From '76 when Margs was the Nimbin of the West, carved my name on the log bar at Settlers, surfed the coast from 3-Bears, Yals, Smiths, Cowaramup, Gracetown, the Box and the Point to Redbank and all spots south, fish and crays whenever we wanted.

Got stuck on the bommies just like the opening scene, thought I'd never coming up but got dragged out by a wave that snapped my board in half.

Had a 6' 10" single fin for my first board (the one that snapped)... never got out to Cow Bombie or The Right, they were the stuff of myths. The house and Park at Prevelly...

Sigh, it's all millionaires now and it's sad (although I have to admit I still have my block on the hill at Yals...).

I love this movie if only for the memories of the waves I rode in my teens, 20s and 30s.hard to explain the stoke and even with all the development I still get 'locals' privileges in my 60s.

An ace movie.

Fringe (2008–2013)

So much fun, 5 seasons was perfect

[9/10 · 26 August 2021]

Like a lot of great series the studios didn't try to milk it forever... probably because as a weekly before streaming it lost viewers as it jumped around and the plotlines became a bit disjointed... (I was one of those who got a bit frustrated at the time it was on it's weekly debut)...

Having 'binged' the series and just finished the last episode, I'm buzzed like I am for most of my favourites... of course there are some forgettable eps, some that are procedural and some that are just classic pieces of creativity.

When it originally screened I had no idea who JJ Abrams was and no idea he also did Person of Interest... the man is a powerhouse, despite some of his less creative outings.

Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv (Mindhunter et al) and John Noble (LoTR Denethor) are terrific leads, the Aussies keep on producing great talent.

I would recommend this to anyone.

Satellite Boy (2012)

Brilliant, Australians do this stuff so well, understated... total respect for the film-makers

[10/10 · 12 April 2021]

Aussie movies share common characteristics... understate, irreverent, subtle and in this case a sublime respect for culture and roots.

A young man man torn in two directions eventually finds his own sense of self, self respect and respect for his history.

Slow paced, just like the country he comes from and every moment rich in joy, if you choose to look at it with eyes other than those that only appreciate the Marvel Universe, (which I love also).

Enjoy it.

Safe Haven (I) (2013)

A remake of 'Sleeping With the Enemy' with Julia Roberts and Patrick Bergin

[6/10 · 1 April 2021]

Pleasant enough but if you've seen 'Sleeping With the Enemy' then there's no need to get too excited.

The Warrior's Way (2010)

A Hoot!!

[8/10 · 31 December 2020]

Loads of fun... stylistic, foolishly simple fun.

If you're looking for a movie that will win an Oscar then this is probably not going to make your Top 500 but if you like old-school samurai-rebel-westerns and want to sit for a couple of hours with popcorn in the bowl and enjoy some time with a friend or two, then this is one for you.