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Vonpelt
Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Not as bad as the reviews make out
After reading the first reviews (which were mostly negative) coming in I was steeling myself to watch a dud. I gave it a go though and I'm glad I did. It's not as bad as the reviews make it out to be. It's obviously not as good as the movies, but still watchable, mostly interesting, and enjoyable. The CGI isn't bad, the cinematography is fine and the acting is okay too, despite reviews to the contrary. I'd recommend sticking with it. It's great to revisit the LOTR world, and interesting to see pre history and actually see things mentioned in the film. Does it look like it cost a billion dollars? Probably not. But it's still entertaining enough and I recommend giving it a go.
The Huntress of Auschwitz (2022)
Needs a better cast
Lowri Watts-Joyce is possibly the worst actress I've ever seen. Can't believe how badly she delivered her lines - I've seen better in high school drama productions. This movie bored me to tears. I ended up quitting before the end.
The Wheel of Time (2021)
About to give up on it
I'll just say it - the ultra-diversity in this show is distracting, over the top and unrealistic. It took me some time to get used to it. Diversity is a good thing as long as it's believable, and if done well you just don't even notice who is cast. But this feels purposely pandering to diversity and much of it doesn't make sense. If all the different races in the one small area (in the valley for example) had been living and procreating together for hundreds of years, then the people would have blended together and been much more mixed race. But this isn't the only problem. The acting is mediocre and the majority of characters unlikeable and forgettable. Trying to watch episode 4 and I think I won't be bothered with any more.
Haunted (2018)
An insult to your intelligence.
This is incredibly bad, trope filled, badly written and acted nonsense. So contrived that they even include unnecessary nudity and sex scenes I presume to tititvate and keep viewers who are already regretting tuning into this trash. I really wish someone would make a really good, genuine haunting series. This is exactly the opposite.
Cursed (2020)
Oh dear - what a waste
I tried sticking with this but it was just too bad, and it's a shame because it could have been good - it looks like it had a decent budget, set design, costume etc. I think what bothered me most was that it was so full of tropes, nothing was new. The main girl was too good to be true, set up as brave and fiesty with special powers who then proceeds to not use them to save any of her fellow villagers. Token obvious diversity and what the heck is with Floki, I mean the Skarsgard dude always half or even fully naked? Did they think 'ah we got a Skarsgard - must make the most of that!'?! I gave up after one episode. Maybe it gets better - I dunno, but it was so bad I couldn't put myself through any more.
The Angel of Auschwitz (2019)
One of the slowest, most boring films I've tried to watch
I only managed to watch about fifteen minutes of this film. I turned it off, watched something else, then thought I'd give it another go, thinking maybe I just hadn't been in the right frame of mind for it the first time. Nope - still unwatchable and I could only stomach another five minutes, in which the film had gotten nowhere. It jumped about in different time lines, the actors sleepwalked through modern-style moral preaching sermons disguised as dialogue which probably wouldn't have happened during that time as prisoners would have been too scared to say anything negative to their captors.
As a previous reviewer mentioned, the music is annoying and kind of adds to the droning mind numbing-ness of the film. The female actors were so nondescript I couldn't tell them apart. The 'actor' who played Mengeles was DREADFUL. It was like watching a really bad amateur theater production you have to stick out because your kid is in it. Maybe it got better after twenty minutes - I don't know, but I HAVE managed to stick out a boring film until it got better before, but this one was just unwatchable - and I did try. What a shame because it is such an important topic, particularly in this day and age.
Supernatural: Wayward Sisters (2018)
Oh dear...
As much as I'd like to support my favourite show with a positive review, I've got to be truthful and give it a big thumbs down. Plenty of holes in the plot and improbable situations, such as super-hunter perfect teen girl Claire being able to take down werewolves without so much as a hair out of place. Oh, and while I'm on the subject of hair - would a hunter really sport perfectly cascading curls and makeup worthy of a nightclub rather than hunting supernatural beings, perfectly applied even after beating up spooky critters? Everyone else's characters were way more convincing. Claire seemed to be the main focus of the show and I don't think the actress, nor the character can carry it off. If the writing improves I might consider watching a spinoff, but only if the writers start using their brains and take the focus off Claire and turn to the more interesting (and better acted) characters.
Sword of Vengeance (2015)
Unwatchable
This film seems as though a bunch of film students finished school and had a go at making a movie utilizing their favorite director's cinematic techniques, without nailing any of them. The sound department used every clichéd spooky sound effect they could - even when just a bowl of soup was being poured. Oooh! Creepy gruel, which must have been awesome because the main character was so engrossed in it he didn't see a tribe of warriors walk up and stand in front of him. Probably couldn't hear them because of all the creepy music again. The set and costumes were fine, the script? Well, there wasn't one really. Just characters you couldn't care less about fighting a bit, looking pensive in their dark filtered shot.
Anzac Girls (2014)
Disappointing
This was a great concept and could have been a magnificent series. Unfortunately a weak script, bad dialog, poor acting and unconvincing sets/locations let the show down. The plot was shallow, full of silly, unnecessary little dramas and romance and unlikely, anachronistic behavior/reactions from characters I felt no empathy for whatsoever. From the moment the nurses stepped foot off the train they were making eyes at soldiers. I can't help but think that the minds of those nurses would be on other, more important matters than romance when arriving in an exotic country after a sheltered life back home in Australia or New Zealand but it seemed that was all one of the main characters could think about. Their interactions with each other didn't seem realistic or what would have happened. Scenes or lines which were obviously meant to be light hearted or humorous fell flat. I was cringing within five minutes of the show starting. I can't decide if the actors are bad, or whether they were just struggling with an impossible script with awful dialog.