barbaraehiggins Reviews

The Witches (2020)

Just watch the original

[2/10 · 1 January 2024]

Another unnecessary remake that's just annoying. Read the book to your kids then watch the Anjelica Huston version; both are brilliant.

I'm all for diversity but why try to shoe horn it into existing stories? Why don't the film makers just make new, diverse films?

Seeing this classic relocated to a god-bothering America is just wrong. Anne Hathaway is a pale imitation of Anjelica Huston and her accent is all over the place. The latter didn't need CGI tricks in order to be the perfect Grand High Witch.

There is nothing to recommend this film at all really though I suppose the costumes are ok .

The Boys: The Name of the Game (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

Good but wait ...

[9/10 · 5 September 2023]

...is Butcher supposed to be English?! Has Dick Van Dyke's performance in Mary Poppins taught Hollywood nothing?! Karl Urban is a fine ( in the just ok sense) actor but I can think of loads of others who'd do the job equally well AND be able to handle the English accent. Spending most of episode 1 being distracted by the weird mix of antipodean accent and English idiom was irksome but that apart, it's an entertaining show and it's nice to have something out of the ordinary to watch on television.

Very much looking forward to seeing how the characters develop and the story unfolds. The writing is good and the humour works throughout.

We Have a Ghost (2023)

Not very good

[3/10 · 12 May 2023]

Found this to be overly long, self indulgent and unconvincing. The story line tried to embrace too many themes ( eg difficulties of fatherhood, awkwardness of being an adolescent who's a misunderstood musical genius, geeky whizz kid next door who just happens to be a genius hacker, a murder mystery, a haunted house, a car chase......it just goes on and on) and in doing so simply scraped the surface of all of them. The family at the centre of the story were just four individuals who didn't seem to be a family at all. Couldn't wait for it to end but even the ending was drawn out and gave itself too many boxes to tick.

Silent Witness: Familiar Faces - Part 2 (2023) Season 26, Episode 4

That's Me Done

[2/10 · 19 January 2023]

Last week's story was poor but, foolishly, I decided to give it one more chance and watched this week's in one sitting. I'm not particularly picky or difficult to please, in fact I know I'm the target audience for this sort of programme, but this was downright risible. The plot was weak, the acting poor and there were obvious signs that money was saved in its production wherever possible. It left me feeling annoyed at being fed such lazy rubbish by the BBC, who used to be such top rate programme makers, and at myself for watching although I knew the format was about 15 series past its natural lifespan.

I'd rather watch old episodes of Morse than this.

Hook (1991)

Not Bad

[7/10 · 22 December 2022]

Ideal family viewing when you know people will keep talking, moving about, dozing off, looking at their phones, fetching tea... Visually very good - colourful and bright. English accents are well done. Inevitably a bit mawkish because Americans / children are involved but as no one looks too deeply no one actually minds. It's a little dated ( don't think they'd include the anti fat people gags nowadays) but it's all quite gentle. Sort of film one sits and reviews while it's still on for something to do; can predict that it will all turn out well in the end and I'm sure lots of lessons will be learnt by the characters if not the audience.

Absentia (2017–2020)

How can they perform with straight faces?!

[1/10 · 7 December 2022]

I like a far-fetched thriller / mystery as much as the next person but I couldn't get past her eyebrows : she's been abducted and has been, presumably, having a hard life for 6 long years and yet she's there with perfectly plucked and brushed eyebrows. Tip of the ice berg; so much of this story and its telling is just unlikely and unbelievable. I know it's fiction but surely there has to be a thread of credibility.

The actors strut about taking themselves far too seriously and not one of them seems like a real person. Emily lurks about looking like a Hollywood actress who fell into a grunge kid's wardrobe and her husband looks like a dying duck in a thunderstorm throughout.

Anyway, I'm out; life's too short for this lightweight tosh.

Falling for Christmas (2022)

Luckily I fell asleep for a chunk in the middle

[3/10 · 19 November 2022]

Unconvincing and predictable. This film can't make up its mind what to be - it either goes completely over the top in silliness or takes itself very seriously. But most of all it's just annoying.

There are ridiculous amounts of Christmas decorations, even in the police station an old man's fishing hut and a hospital room, not to mention a full sized OTT tree in a hotel room that wasn't even going to be used before female protagonist's accident. Add an annoying kid that never stops grinning and a clichéd dash to tell raddled love interest of annoying kid's widowed father how he feels .... Honestly, don't waste your time. And yet another film where the dodgy / weird one is English!

The Watcher (2022– )

Very Silly

[5/10 · 18 October 2022]

So we're supposed to believe that this very average, not that old, house is something special. The couple use up every penny they have to buy it and the first thing that needs doing is to change the kitchen worktops because marble can be stained by tomatoes?! It's not even a proper kitchen - it seems to be by the staircase and near the front door, not to mention opening on to a dining area. And replacing work tops would take a day and not cause a major upheaval.

Overall, very sloppy and unconvincing. How fortunate that the very amateur looking vases / pottery became a huge financial success just as the laziest office worker ever seemed to lose his job. I could go on unpicking this nonsense but life's too short.

Diana (I) (2021)

Runs the gamut from dreadful to hilarious.

[1/10 · 3 October 2021]

Ridiculous, laughable, toe curlingly awful.

More questions than answers...Why didn't they ask some English people to check the script? Why are the paparazzi in 1940s fancy dress? Why was Wales labelled? What were they thinking making this at all? Is it actually supposed to be a comedy?

Baptiste: Episode #2.1 (2021) Season 2, Episode 1

Don't Bother

[2/10 · 29 July 2021]

Just not very good. So many aspects of this were deeply unsatisfactory that I hardly know where to begin.

Casting : poor acting: unimpressive plot: unconvincing in the extreme story telling: ridiculous with far too much then / now jumping sets: cheap and under populated characters : annoying and unsympathetic.

Emma Chandler's ability to go ANYWHERE in her wheel chair ... so good that Baptiste arranged to meet her on a hospital ROOF!!

Bosch: Por Sonia (2021) Season 7, Episode 8

Entertaining but...

[4/10 · 27 July 2021]

...doesn't bear scrutiny or deep consideration because it's mostly unconvincing and unbelievable. There are some risibly wooden performances - good job Irv and Mads didn't get too close or there might have been a fire - and even the sainted Harry Bosch is stilted and predictable in his very narrow range of facial expressions, rudeness and weird strutting walk. Our theory was that he's wearing a corset and that made him walk as if he had a stick up his ... back!

Oh well, despite all that we binged 7 series and amused ourselves critiquing it as the stories unravelled. Good fun!

Line of Duty: Episode #6.7 (2021) Season 6, Episode 7

Very Cleverly Done

[10/10 · 4 May 2021]

What a phenomenal series, loved it all the way through and just didn't see that ending coming!

Having watched A LOT of crime series over the last year, I feel this one puts all the others in the shade ( looking at you, Viewpoint, Hinterland, Bloodlands ...) Thank you, Jed Mercurio, all the truly magnificent actors and EVERYONE who worked on Line of Duty!

Viewpoint: Episode #1.5 (2021) Season 1, Episode 5

Just not very good

[4/10 · 1 May 2021]

I'm always happy to suspend my disbelief but it doesn't stretch far enough for this one. The whole premise was unlikely, unbelievable and unconvincing. There are so many brilliant thrillers out there these days, there's no need to waste time watching this one.

Page Eight (2011 TV Movie)

Enjoyable but probably not memorable

[7/10 · 8 April 2021]

I enjoyed this film despite the (to my ear) at times poorly written dialogue. It was just the right level of intrigue and drama, well acted and good to watch. Perfect mid-week viewing.

Greta (2018)

Thriller for Wimps

[7/10 · 6 April 2021]

I'm a self confessed wimp who can't watch hard core horror films and this one was just the right level for me. There are definitely loads of things that are questionable but I was prepared to suspend my disbelief and I found it quite entertaining.

I liked the fact that the men all had relatively minor parts to play and that we had female baddie, victim and saviour.

Give it a go - it's too daft to give you nightmares!

Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)

Pretty Dire

[3/10 · 26 March 2021]

Well made if it were by year 11 for their GCSE course work. A thin and unconvincing effort . We watched mainly because we live near Bexhill-on-Sea and were curious to see the environs on film but we were let down on that front too.

It's a firm thumbs down, piss poor, from us.

Condor: Not Necessarily to Lose (2020) Season 2, Episode 10

Really? This plot was phoned in

[3/10 · 16 September 2020]

What a weak season finale! No clever twists, 'hero' behaving like a twerp throughout ( his great idea to get the mole's name out of the Russian boss was like something out of Enid Blyton) , any inconvenient characters bumped off with no questions asked ... and watching Max Irons has made my neck ache! All set up for a third 'thrilling' season but I think I'll give it a miss. There are so many better action thrillers to enjoy that we're spoilt and the weaknesses of duff ones like this really compare badly. Try 'Peaky Blinders' or 'Line of Duty' if you want some well crafted plots!

Hereditary (2018)

Tripe

[2/10 · 27 June 2020]

Was made to sit through this. I don't enjoy horror films and this reminded me why. I never find the plots credible at all and I don't empathise with any of the characters. So if you watch this, make sure you have your online Scrabble handy too. Two stars because Toni Collette acted her socks off with a straight face and I managed to see it through until the end.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Captures Eurovision Bonkersness Perfectly!

[8/10 · 26 June 2020]

Don't watch unless you know about Eurovision ( so that's most Americans out, phew!) and have a soft spot for Will Ferrell's type of humour. This made us laugh quite a lot and was good to look at. All the Eurovision parts were absolutely spot on, right down to Graham Norton's commentary and the range of songs. Dan Stevens was a comic revelation!

Hot Air (2018)

Oh Dear

[3/10 · 26 April 2020]

If I can't say anything nice I'll say nothing at all. But I usually like Steve Coogan's work.

Christmas on Holly Lane (2018 TV Movie)

Predictable Schmaltz

[2/10 · 26 November 2019]

Cheesy, poorly acted, predictable and totally unconvincing. That I watched the whole thing was testament to how ill I was. The best thing about it was that it was so awful it took my mind off my sickness. Or maybe it just isn't intended for the more cynical, less gullible, English viewer.

Strangers (I) (2018)

Disappointing

[3/10 · 8 October 2018]

Slow moving, weak, cliched and simplistic script, cavernous plot holes, unconvincing protagonists and some truly awful acting... apart from that it's ok. Premise of story is just about good enough to keep me watching and there are some picturesque views of Hong Kong. John Sim and Emelia Fox are consummate professionals but they might as well be appearing in a Mitchell and Webb spoof; I found myself feeling sorry for them!