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Devs (2020)
Awful end
I give this five because the final episode is a hot mess. It loses itself in an incoherent dead end. Better series don't do this. An ultimate d disappointment. A shame as Alex Garland is good at demiurge characters like Forest.
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Such stuff as dreams are made on!
I enjoyed this series very much. I am rather surprised at some of these negative reviews, since this show seemed entirely written in the great Star Trek tradition to me, which one I grew up with. Picard himself displayed the same traits he always did in TNG: a mixture of hubris, gravitas and inspirational yet democratic leadership.
The assembled crew quickly establish themselves as a varied one in the Trek tradition and the adversaries are nicely done, particularly as the viewer suspects that they might actually be in the right..!
Best of all, this series with all its nods to previous locations, art styles and planet-hopping narratives takes us forward in the Trek universe, showing us how their technology develops.
Well done!
Watchmen (2019)
Slow and feels nothing like Watchmen
Seems to be working to a weird premise, working to some odd agenda reather than being a show about the brilliant watchmen universe. It entirely failed to intrigue me or even keep my interest. the dialogue was flat, the acting flat, the music jarring and the colours dreary. The camera angles were overly showy at times (egg scene...) and the narrative jilted. A big disappointment.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Incoherent nonsense
This film sadly fails Marvel in every way. It's the first one I've disliked. It relies on fake emotions and cliched tropes to draw people in. After half an hour, I failed to care about any of the 2D characters. Zero plot.
Starship Troopers (1997)
Visionary
The lurch to the right wing has never been more presciently delineated than here. For generations of people growing up in the Long Peace, this has been a fantasy.
Warcraft (2016)
Really Enjoyable
Once again I am left stunned at how disconnected these 'professional critics' seem to be. It seems they just like to torpedo films, but scores like 29% putting things like Warcraft and Batman vs Superman below well-known howlers are just bonkers.
I played World of Warcraft and so did my 16 year old daughter, whereas my partner never has. We all really liked it.
The cinema clearly did too, with cheering at certain points and a really positive vibe.
The film pays SO much subtle tribute to the game and its players, yet is accessible to everyone.
I am so glad China has made this film a success because it deserves to be. The world of Azeroth and the quirky games set in it deserve it.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Defiant, Dark and Glorious
*** This Review Contains Spoilers ***
Very soon everyone will know what happens at the end of the movie, but if you do not yet, stop reading now and go and watch the film soon.
Initial reviews have claimed that Batman is out of character because he kills people and that 'too much happens', or that Lex Luthor is a poor villain. None of this seems true to me at all. The film is a powerful one and had many people crying by the end.
Some waited till the final roll of the credits, perhaps hoping for a Marvel-like scene. A few waited because they were not ready to leave. The emotional impact was that great.
Flipping the original comic book so that Superman gets buried instead of Batman was brilliance, even down to the heartbeat heard at the close of the film. The Jesus imagery is totally appropriate and links in with Lex's paranoia and discovery of what are in effect 'ancient aliens' who have probably spawned religions throughout time. Brilliant. Yes, the imagery is heavy, but many will not see it otherwise.
Anyone complaining that Superman dies should know that this also took place in the comics years ago in 1992.
'Too much happens' is simply an odd complaint perhaps, with the caveat that lay-viewers may struggle to follow some elements, such as the identity of Johnathan and Martha Kent, or even the Batman origin story. However, compared to the glorious mess of 'Avengers 2', with heroes popping up all over the place, this was tight and controlled.
I think many of the professional critics are making foolish complaints. One objected to 'Justice League' being too-obviously set up in the scene where Wonder Woman opens the LuthorCorp files. Come on! EVERYONE wanted to click on those as soon as Batman opened them! It was great.
Complaining that there is 'no humour' is untrue. There are a number of moments that raise a smile, but it seems that some critics just want to see more Marvel movies and Tony Stark-like quips. Such levity is great in those films, but this is not such a movie: it is a Batman film and here both he and Superman come to grips with inner and outer demons. It is defiant, dark and glorious.
Lex developed from an autistic-savant-type dotcom billionaire (ironically starting in his 'Social Network' persona, as we all I think dreaded seeing) into a genuinely terrifying being, seeming inhuman himself. The scene where he has the sass to threaten Superman on the roof was tension-to-the maximum.
Wonder Woman was less fully drawn but featured far more than expected and seemed strong, defiant and independent. In particular, I could believe she was almost-immortal, because she seemed so distant.
Finally, yes
Batman does shoot people, not just in his dream but surely with his vehicles and definitely during the chase scene for the kryptonite. This only seems realistic in out post 9/11 world, some may say, but artistically it positions him nicely against Superman. One kills criminals when he has to: the other kills innocents through collateral damage when he has to. Brilliant.
We are very lucky to be living in a time when these films are being made. I can't wait for what is next.
Supergirl (2015)
Keep on flying, Supergirl!
Better and better. I am constantly astounded by the people who don't get the tone of Supergirl. I doubt many ever even opened a comic. This is not Batman or Daredevil. It is perfect for its target audience and is much more self-aware than almost all of the shows since Buffy, which it strongly resembles with its post-modern, strong-yet- ironically- human heroine. The little Superman references are brilliantly subtle and knowing, such as the toy plane ride in episode 10. How perfect for an episode featuring the iconic Toyman. Yet viewers in the know will see that Supergirl shares her cousin's ingenuity in solving the dilemmas she is placed in with her neophyte skills. Really, people couldn't ask for more. We are lucky to be living in a time when these shows are being brought alive.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Facile pap
I wrote my university thesis on Sherlock Holmes. This is a crock of rubbish. Hollywood-ized, exaggerated, unbearable trash. It seems to expect us to believe that Holmes is a Matrix-era Neo with super-hero-styled martial arts abilities. Downey could hardly overact more without this film being deemed sheer comedy. Indeed, that would be what this is, were it not so woefully bad. 'Suspension of Disbelief', anyone"? Aye...not even worth a free download. One wonders why anyone would pass this script or agree to act in it. It must just be a cynical hope that some money can be made. The first film had, at least, a slight nod to the brilliant restrained excellence of a TV actor such as Jeremy Brett, in his utterly British, ironic and subtle acting of the detective icon. Downey and whoever acts Holmes (he's too 2D for me to care who he is)simply dissolve into a pap of loud SFX and rushed stereotypical trash. All that is sloppy with modern Hollywood distilled. I give two stars for the waterfall finale with Holmes and Moiraty: that was poignant....sadly undone by a facile ending.
Terra Nova (2011)
Generic
The concept is good: a time-travel Dinotopia with a militaristic edge. Sadly, by episode 4 it's degenerated into boring, dull pulp with the 'Amnesia' storyline cliché being dragged out already. In that episode, it was transparently obvious from the faked sneezes of the 'cop' character that a cure would be related to his very faked symptoms. I just wanted to turn the show off forever! The characters lack the sort of edge that classic sci-fi can achieve. Compared to the quirky, sparky characters of a show like Serenity, these guys are just All-American, Straight-teeth-chisel-jawed pseudo-forgettable models. It's impossible to believe that a society founded due to the ruination of modern Earth would be such a parochial one and that it wouldn't have asked for help when the 6th group of Immigrants turned out to be terrorists. Too bad really, this generic pulp is a waste of a budget.
Angry Boys (2011)
A Huge Letdown
It is no surprise to see this show bleed so many viewers so quickly and make so many 'Disappointment of 2011' lists here in Australia. It looked to be one of the year's most anticipated TV releases, and many of us hoped for something of the brilliance of Summer Heights High. Were we wrong! One wonders why even those few left watching bother. Apart from a forlorn hope that the show will capture some of Chris' past brilliance, I cannot think why anyone would be. The main problem is that the show just isn't funny. There is so little unforced irony, parody or satire:it is just plain dull. Chris has recycled his characters so often by now that all one sees are echoes of the really great characters of his past like Jonah and Mr Gee. It's like a very low quality retread of his quality work. and actually plain embarrassing to watch. Many have commented on the bucket-loads of offensive 'jokes' Chris seems to think will shock his dwindling audience into laughing, but this seems a lot like desperation by now. Whilst most artists seem to have a Prime, it is sad to think that Chis may have past his already. Let's hope not. Better luck next time, mate!
Firefly (2002)
Subliminal
The brilliance of this series creeps up on you. It's in the characterization...every individual on the ship is brilliantly delineated. I always liked 'Buffy' by the same Director, Joss Weadon, so I expected to like 'Serenity'...at first, I didn't see anything special in the Pilot episode...just the usual space bandits and pseudo Han Solo-Mileninum Falcon scenario. How wrong I was...the series contains deep, empathetic characters, each with a detailed, personal story and enigmatic mystery to draw the audience in. One episode focuses on the ultimate anti-hero Jayne...another, the brilliant eighth episode 'Out of Gas', is a classic hyper-real reflection on the whole season. The 'wild-west' genre is appropriated into the nature of the show, and it's one that most people will instantly warm to...Fringe Space as a new Frontier. In a recent episode of 'The Big Bang Theory', the demise of Firefly after only one season is thrown in there as a little one-liner. But for anyone who watches this series, brief and glorious, it will live on in your memory, like...well...a Firefly.
Valhalla Rising (2009)
A filmic world outside of the ordinary
This potent movie exists in a filmic world outside of the ordinary. It is a remarkable creation, yet one demanding intelligence, open-mindedness and patience. The action at the start is visceral and graphic, gritty and primitive. The central character is enigmatic and defies stereotyping. He is a silent, primitive proto-Viking in a Dark Age Scotland. The bass-driven music, gray-scale atmosphere and scenery combine to create a brooding, doom-laden atmosphere that is utterly compelling.
To watch this film is to sign up for an Experience. The bleak winter Scottish Highland scenery is vast, despairing and almost dominates the film: this is a great facet the experience. Anyone who has imagined walking on those highland moors in the low-slung mists will instantly identify with the Doomsday vibe of the film.
As the film progresses it develops themes of Good vs. Evil /God vs. the Devil...a kind of "Heart of Darkness" voyage into hell itself. Everyone in the film takes it seriously: this is in no way a lightweight. I am so pleased that artistic works like this get made; it's almost the antithesis of a Hollywood Blockbuster and thank god for that.
Art house Conan meets Seventh Sign film noir? Yes please!