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Stargate: Atlantis: Letters from Pegasus (2005)
"Letters from Pegasus"
Letters from Pegasus picks up where the last episode, "The Brotherhood" left off...with the Wraith fleet ("an alien armada," according to McKay) is bearing down on Atlantis and things don't look good.
Thankfully - to a point, anyway - McKay is able to come up with a way to get messages back to earth. The Atlantis team have the chance to record limited personnel communiques. Except for Teyla and Sheppard, who are off spying on the Wraith fleet, on yet another primitive planet, with specific orders not to take on the entire enemy fleet.
A bittersweet episode with the Atlantis crew facing their mortality and recording messages for their loved ones. Declarations of love, as well. And some record their gripes, too.
Sheppard and Teyla disagree initially about getting natives off the planet before the Wraith arrive. Then they witness the Wraith culling a village.
Samantha Tapping has a cameo right at the end of the episode as her Stargate: SG1 character, Samantha Carter.
Stargate: Atlantis: The Brotherhood (2005)
"The Brotherhood"
Not as good as the previous episode, but you get through to the end, through all the usual drama that comes with strange races and the ever-present Wraith threat, and you realise it's only the beginning of the crisis - cool mini-cliffhanger to whet our appetites for the next episode.
This episode sees the return of the Genii, who are always looking for ways to cause Sheppard and co trouble - you can always guarantee there'll be drama and some good action when the Genii are involved. And it also guarantees that Major Sheppard will get a chance to go full-commando, which is never a bad thing.
There's a mysterious brotherhood and the presence of a deep-space scanner is revealed.
Stargate: Atlantis: Before I Sleep (2004)
"Before I Sleep"
Off the top, it's hard not to agree with the vast majority of previous reviews: "Before I Sleep" is the best episode of Stargate: Atlantis so far. Good acting, a good script and an original story that was very engrossing. The forty-two minute episode flew by.
Sheppard figures out - somehow - that it is Dr Weir's birthday and presents her with a token to mark the occasion. Then, when patrolling through a laboratory, the Atlantis crew find a woman who has been frozen for thousands of years. The big surprise? That person is a time-travelling Dr Weir, who hails from an alternate timeline, where the Atlantis mission didn't quite happen as it did in this timeline.
Masters of the Air: Part Nine (2024)
"Part Ten"
The final chapter of Masters of the Air was as good as I expected, with American POWs sent on an unrelenting march through the bitter German countryside, assailed by snow, wind and sleet and freezing temperatures, as their German captors tried to keep them away from advancing Allied forces. The scenes where the camp they end up in is finally liberated will definitely tug at your heart strings.
Ultimately, the war ends and the men of the Bloody Hundredth are left to take stock. The last 15-20 minutes were very poignant, as was the information about the main protagonists. Well done to those in charge of casting: they really nailed it.
Brilliant television from start to finish. And a fitting tribute to the men who flew countless missions over occupied Europe, often paying the ultimate price. We should be thankful, as the world we live in today is in large part thanks to their bravery.
Masters of the Air: Part Eight (2024)
"Part Eight"
Lots going on. The June 6 1944 D-Day raids over Normandy take place during the first third of the episode, and there are some stunning visuals of planes flying over the enormous Allied fleet, then over the invasion beaches. "Masters of the Air" is nothing if not visually spectacular.
For the first time, Tuskegee airmen feature - not before time, either. The African American pilots are going after French targets in support of the D-Day invasions, and face race-related roadblocks for promotion, not to mention taunting by Germans when they are shot down and captured. That these men continued to fight and die is quite a story of heroism. They deserve a miniseries of their own, really.
Meanwhile, the rest of the downed Allied airmen learn of D-Day and the Russian's breaching German borders and are left to ponder and prepare for what that might mean for them in the future.
Masters of the Air: Part Seven (2024)
"Part Seven"
There are two key storylines running through the seventh episode: the fate of those downed fliers who are German POWs deep behind enemy lines trying to get every little scrap of information about the progress of the war and when/if they might be rescued...and the men of the Bloody Hundredth who are still flying missions over Germany and especially over the heart of Nazism, Berlin.
Black Monday - March 6, 1944, three months before the D-Day invasions - is referenced early on, as a notably horrific day for American forces. The Hundredth is not spared.
Rosenthal's crew makes their twenty-fifth successful mission, which is the threshold to send them home. But there is news on that front that truly upsets the pilots, and Rosie himself makes a momentous decision.
Masters of the Air: Part Six (2024)
"Part Six"
"Human beings weren't meant to behave this way," is perhaps the most poignant and correct line of all that have been uttered to this point. Not meant to behave...but somehow we did, and do. Food for thought.
A tense episode. I like how 'Masters of the Air' doesn't just show the fate of the pilots in the air, but also those who are lucky - or perhaps unlucky - to be shot down and survive. The scenes of Americans landing in Germany and set upon by the local populace who call them "terror bombers" (rough, but understandable) are very hard to watch at times. Well done, but hard to watch. That's the mark of good TV though.
Enjoyed hearing the "Over-paid, over-sexed and over here," to describe the American forces in Britain. This was a popular saying here in Australia when the United States Marine Corps arrived in places like Melbourne.
Strong episode. Again.
Le Cinquième Élément (1997)
Really fun Bruce Willis sci-fi
There is a lot that can be said (and probably has been said at this point) about The Fifth Element, but the main thing is that the movie is undeniably a truckload of fun.
A good versus evil storyline (who doesn't love one of those?), Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis plays Major Korben Dallas with a wink and a nod to the audience, the action is almost as over-the-top as the personalities of some of the other characters - I'm looking at you, Chris Tucker - there are one-liners galore, and the visuals are just brilliant. And, honestly, who doesn't love a movie where the bad guy is played by Garry Oldman. He does it better than most.
From start to finish, "The Fifth Element" delivers A-grade entertainment.
Stargate: Atlantis: Sanctuary (2004)
"Sanctuary"
More than halfway through the first season of Stargate: Atlantis and in "Sanctuary", we see a more diplomatic side - and, dare we say it, romantic side? - of Major Sheppard. By now, we all know he can get into and out of a gunfight like it's nobody's business, but seeing him take care of business sans a machine gun was a good piece of character development for Atlantis' main military man.
The Wraith loom large over this episode, as they have over pretty much every one so far. Sheppard and the Atlantis crew meet with a high priestess from what seems like a fairly primitive and spiritual race about a weapon that keeps the Wraith at arm's length.
Wolves (2014)
Supernatural
Werewolves, small town America, bloody violence, gorgeous girls (I only discovered this movie because Merritt Patterson is in it, and you definitely get to see plenty of her...), starring the guy from the MacGyver remake (Lucas Till) and also Jason Momoa, well and truly pre-Aquaman/DC Comics movie fame.
A weird mishmash of themes and actors, but entertaining enough and considering it was a low-budget movie, the production values are pretty good.
Nothing really exciting to write home about, but there are worse ways to spend ninety minutes of your time if you're into werewolves and/or Merritt Patterson.
Toy Soldiers (1991)
Die Hard, in a school, with teenagers
A fun 90's action film. One of many Die Hard-adjacent movies, and one of the better ones.
Regis Academy is a high-end prep school famous or infamous for being home to a lot of hot-headed kids with anger issues who have been expelled from other institutions. Included amongst them is the cocky Billy Tepper, played by Sean Astin.
When terrorists take over the place and take the student body and teachers all hostage due to their beef with the parents of one kid - who, ironically, had already been taken away by the government - it's Billy and his friends (including Wil Wheaton's Joey Trotta) who have to save the day.
The late great Louis Gossett Jr. And the late great Denholm Elliott co-star, along with everyone's favourite gunnery sergeant, R. Lee Ermey.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Funny, but also heartfelt.
Not sure what was funnier: the cameos by Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas as the creepy-as-F brother and sister or the scene that starts in the Brazilian restaurant, continues in the bridal store and, for Maya Rudolph's Lilian, ends unfortunately in the middle of the street.
I thought Melissa McCarthy's turn as Megan was brilliant. Literally every scene she is in is funny. One-liners, facial expressions, personality, the lot. She stole the show.
"Bridesmaids" has scenes that will make you laugh out loud and scenes that remind you of the importance of friendship and love. A well-balanced movie in that regard.
Fun stuff. Good rainy day entertainment.
Wimbledon (2004)
Entertaining sports rom-com
Kirsten Dunst is like a ray of bright sunshine in any movie that she stars in, and her chemistry with Paul Bettany in "Wimbledon" (apparently from the same creative team that brought us "Notting Hill" is pitch-perfect. For me, she's appointment viewing.
There's absolutely nothing ground-breaking in this somewhat - okay, completely! - predictable sports rom-com about two tennis stars, an aging Brit playing in his last big tournament (Bettany's Peter Colt) and an up-and-coming American (Dunst's Lizzie Bradbury) who fall in love during the famous Wimbledon championships.
That said, it's entertaining and funny (laugh out-loud funny at times) and easy to watch, with likeable leads and a supporting cast including Sam Neil, Hornblower's Robert Lindsay and real-world tennis stars John McEnroe and Mary Carillo.
Varsity Blues (1999)
Good if, at times, stereotypical football drama
Whilst largely stereotypical in terms of the characters and situations they find themselves on - last-minute touchdown on miracle play to win big game and an unheralded backup thrust into the starting role following an injury to the incumbent star, as chief examples - "Varsity Blues" also takes a moment to get serious, and describes the dark side of high school football, largely through the bully, racist and win-at-all-costs coach Bud Killmer.
Effectively and menacingly played by Jon Voight, Killmer is a school legend, allegedly, who bribes and blackmails and berates kids to get what he wants. He wins, but not through inspiring his players. The dark side of football in "Varsity Blues" was handed well.
James Van Der Beek was fine as the afore-mentioned second-string quarterback. Scott Caan played arguably the most stereotypical role, until near the end. Same goes for Ron Lester as Billy Bob.
And, let's not forget to mention Ali Larter as cheerleader Darcy, responsible for the most iconic - for better or worse - scene in the film: the infamous whipped cream bikini.
Entertaining, even though you knew what was going to happen, and a cool early 00's sports movie time capsule with a good soundtrack and plenty of stars from that era.
Stargate: Atlantis: Hot Zone (2004)
"Hot Zone"
Atlantis scientists are unwittingly exposed to a deadly virus that claims a few unfortunate souls...and looks set to do the same to everyone else who comes in contact with it.
"Hot Zone" is notable the first episode where we see real friction between the military commander Major Sheppard and the scientific chief Dr Weir. Obviously competing interests and two strong personalities butting heads. Was bound to happen eventually. A little inter-team conflict makes things interesting.
As another reviewer noted, this is a strange episode to watch in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic - rewatching in 2024 - but ultimately one of the better episodes in Stargate: Atlantis' first season.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
A solid Batman animation.
There's a new vigilante in town, wearing a similar uniform to Batman. Batwoman is the new kid on the Gotham block, and she is a little more destructive and violent than Batman. A lot of bad guys have their plans thwarted by Batwoman's timely appearances.
The Caped Crusader has to figure out who's underneath the mask, whilst simultaneously battling some of the dregs of Gotham society, like Penguin and Bane, the latter of whom was voiced by Hector Elizondo of "Last Man Standing" fame.
The action sequences were very good, and I liked that the identity of Batwoman wasn't quite who you expect it to be. Solid animation action.
Wonder Woman (2009)
An animated Wonder Woman origin story.
An origin story that is similar in some ways thematically to the excellent DC Comics live-action movies starring Gal Gadot not quite a decade later. In this version, events take place in the present day (following a pre title sequence) and things ramp up when Nathan Fillion's Steve Trevor, a USAF fighter jock, crash-lands on the hidden island of Themyscira.
The imprisoned Ares, God of War (voiced by Alfred Molina) uses Trevor's unexpected arrival to escape back into the world. This means that Diana (voiced by Keri Russell) and Trevor join forces to put an end to Ares' nefarious schemes.
Marg Helgenberger, Oliver Platt and Rosario Dawson also lend their vocal talents to this short-ish feature.
Good animated entertainment.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
Great alternate reality DC animation.
Decisions made by Barry Allen affect the earth's timeline and The Flash finds himself in a violent and bleak alternate universe that is ravaged by a war between the followers of Wonder Woman and those of Aquaman. Earth is the unfortunate battlefield. Violence abounds. Lots of characters die.
"Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox" is a good animated film that gives us a glimpse into an entirely different DC universe, where there are all sorts of strange alliances and rivalries. That alone is worth the proverbial price of admission.
A talented voice cast including Justin Chambers and C. Thomas Howell.
Stargate: Atlantis: The Defiant One (2004)
"The Defiant One"
Sheppard, McKay and their team land on a desert planet and discover a downed Wraith ship, which they find out crashed about ten thousand years before, during the height of the Atlantis-Wraith War. Unfortunately for the Atlantis crew, the ship is still sending out a distress signal. There's also a - very old - Wraith onboard, who has apparently been able to feed himself just enough to survive all that time, and he definitely doesn't take a liking to Sheppard. If nothing else, "The Defiant One" gives Sheppard a string of opportunities to have a gunfight with the Wraith. It's really our first good look at the Big Bad of Stargate: Atlantis, and they are suitably menacing.
There's a cool Star Trek reference where Sheppard reminds the puddle jumper crew to remember where they parked. William Shatner's James T. Kirk famously and memorably said that when the Enterprise crew landed in 1980's San Francisco in "The Voyage Home". A fitting piece of homage, considering the parallels between Star Trek and Stargate, both of which deal with exploring strange and alien planets.
Stargate: Atlantis: The Eye (2004)
"The Eye"
Like previous reviewers, I quickly deduced that "The Eye" was the show's writers paying homage to Die Hard.
Sheppard, of course, plays the hero, taking on the entirety of the Genii strike force occupying the Atlantis Stargate as the violent storm bears down on them in a big way. Watching the elusive Sheppard evade his enemies and frustrate their intentions whilst at times verbally taunting them is indeed John McClane-esque.
"Die Hard: Stargate" was a fun episode, in which the Wraith - the Big Bad of Stargate: Atlantis, a fact that has been rammed down our throats at every opportunity - was rarely mentioned. A nice departure from the usual. I have enjoyed the Genii: formidable enemies. No match for Sheppard, of course.
Stargate: Atlantis: The Storm (2004)
"The Storm"
There's a big storm coming and Atlantis is right in the eye of it, so evacuation is ordered.
As it turns out, the natural storm isn't the biggest danger to Sheppard, Weir and co.
That comes from the Genii, who wanted C4 explosives and were trying to build an atomic bomb to take out the Wraith a few episodes ago - their leader was played by "Star Trek" veteran Colm Meaney.
Well, the Genii - a good bunch of adversaries for the Atlantis crew - are are back in "The Storm" with a loftier and far more nefarious goal in mind: control of the Atlantis stargate. And, it seems the leader of their strike force doesn't care how he gets control, just as long as he does.
A two-part episode with a solid cliffhanger leading into the concluding half.
Stargate: Atlantis: Home (2004)
"Home"
It's earth, but not as the Atlantis crew remember it. An aborted homecoming for Sheppard, Weir, Teyla and McKay who make contact with General Hammond at Stargate command then branch out to pick up the pieces of their lives. But it becomes quickly apparent for some of the returnees - especially Sheppard, who is with Teyla - that all is not as it seems. Turns out, that's because they actually aren't on earth. Everything they're seeing is figments of their imagination.
Speaking of imagination, "Home" was a very imaginative episode. A homecoming without the homecoming. It all seemed above board, so the revelation towards the final third of the episode came as a bit of a shock. Sheppard's way of figuring out that it wasn't real was certainly...inventive.
Dracula 2000 (2000)
Dracula, modern-day, not that great.
A decent cast - Gerard Butler and Christopher Plummer headlining - couldn't quite save this movie, which started well, with an intriguing opening sequence, but fell off a cliff pretty quickly thereafter.
There is a lot of violence and a kind-of plot where Dracula (played by a very young-looking Gerard Butler with a haircut to remember) is untombed and decides to use the opportunity to head down to New Orleans during what looks like Mardi Gras to take out the daughter of his enemy, Plummer's wise, sage Abraham Van Helsing. The remainder of the cast, especially Justine Waddell's Mary, were fairly bland.
Once Dracula gets underway, there's all the kinds of scenes you might expect from a vampire movie. The thing is, we've seen them done before, and done better, though perhaps not quite as bloodily.
I don't think I'll bother with the two made-for-TV sequels.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Nowhere near as good as the original
The bulk of the original movie's cast - Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddlestone, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings and Sir Anthony Hopkins - are back for more in "Thor: The Dark World".
Unfortunately, the same magic that made the first instalment in the franchise one of the best Marvel movies we have yet to see, isn't.
The plot is threadbare, there are a lot of action/battle sequences that we have seen plenty of before - lots of characters getting thrown against structures and bringing them down in concrete rain - and it felt at times like some of the returning characters were written in...well, just because.
I'd argue we could have done without Kat Dennings in this one, and perhaps Stellan Skarsgard as well. Not much going on with the Thor/Dr Foster romance. I must admit Tom Hiddlestone is a convincing and conniving bad guy. You knew never to trust him, and sure enough...
Reasonable, but a big step down from the first one.
P. S. Someone will have to explain the mid-credit sequence as well.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Perhaps the best war epic ever made.
How "Saving Private Ryan" didn't win Best Picture at the Oscars is beyond me. Even by the lofty standards with which we adjudge Spielberg films, this is his best work...and for mine, it isn't particularly close.
Setting aside the storyline, which is brilliant, and the acting, which is brilliant, "Saving Private Ryan" is responsible for changing the face of war movies.
The opening sequence on Omaha Beach is as harrowing, violent and depressing a fifteen-odd minutes of film as I have ever watched. No glorious, clean deaths here like you might see in a John Wayne movie. Instead, blood and guts and gore, fear so thick you could smell it.
Lots of "Saving Private Ryan" is tough to watch, because it's so damn realistic. If it's uncomfortable viewing, that's good. No wonder WW2 veterans reportedly could not watch all the way through.
Tom Hanks is at his best. His portrayal of Captain Miller, a schoolteacher forced to make horrible decisions in war and trying to get home to his wife and his old life, is superb.
Ditto the performances from Ed Burns, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper and Giovanni Ribisi. Both Burns and Sizemore played somewhat stereotypical characters, but they managed to make them somewhat less than stereotypical. Even Vin Diesel did a good job, before he moved on to less challenging acting pursuits.
Matt Damon as Private James Francis Ryan only appears in the film's final third, but Damon plays the Iowa farm boy so well and with such humility you can't help but hope he survives.
A triumph of filmmaking.