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Reviews
The Gold (2023)
Yawn - so slow with a mixed bag of fairly mediocre actors struggling with a boring script.
Well they had a few big name actors which is obviously where all the money went. Most of the remainder were average at best. Unfortunately even the good ones couldn't breath any life into the lack lustre storytelling.
The budget that was left went on transporting the characters to 1983. From the pace and tedium of the script it felt like it was made in 1983 as well.
Unfortunately that left nothing for the robbery itself! So what should have been a fast paced action piece was instead all over in a couple of minutes and consisted of the Villains quickly breaking in to a secure facility, ie going through a door somewhere and overpowering the security followed by the guards pressing a couple of keypads and hey presto the unexpected hoard of gold was being driven in a land rover through a forest somewhere. That was it followed by seeing a few sealed boxes with 4 gold bars on top somewhere in a lockup. Unfortunately it didn't get any better and the tired script and lack of action made the rest a snooze fest that even a few big names couldn't save.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
I thought this was good until I watched House of The Dragon
There is lots to like, sets are good and acting solid, the music is great but maybe not enough light and shade.
A little slow and childlike at times but so was The Hobbit so to be expected.
None of this prevented me enjoying the story unfold and leaving a good rating ....
However House of The Dragon just does everything except maybe CGI better. It is darker and more adult with more pace and greater tension, the acting and direction is a couple of notches higher, the music is better integrated. It just draws you in and I found the 6 episodes I have watched more exciting and enjoyable.
I think comparisons of two similar huge series released at the same time is inevitable, if I could only watch one I think I have made it obvious which one I would choose!
We Need to Talk (2022)
Unrewarding low budget nothingness
Watching a self absorbed guy running a Video Game social media channel having conversations and banter with friends and players didn't really hold my attention. It didn't help that I disliked like the main character and didn't find the attempts at comedy even remotely funny. If you are a teenage video game player maybe you will find it more appealing but there are far better movies to invest your time in.
Emily Rickards was definitely the best of the bunch however she seemed a bit out of place given the rather average acting ability of the rest of the cast but even her over the top character Amber couldn't save a shallow unfunny script and rather trivial storyline. There was nothing to pull you in and to me it felt more like a cheap TV show than a movie.
If you are an avid game player on social media it may strike a chord but I would rather have watched Tom and Jerry.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
There was no story or tension just rehashed special effects
They had the big blockbuster effects but also two big problems, we've seen it all before and there was no story.
Same old characters can't rescue a lightweight script so I didn't care if they all got eaten, it might have meant the film would have been shorten as I was waiting for it to end. With a huge budget they should have spent more on developing the plot rather than on overpaid actors who were just going through the motions.
The Control Room (2022)
A little far fetched but I've seen worse.
Iain De Caestecker was the standout for me. His portrayal of Gabe a nervy anxious character who was caught up in something not of his making held my attention throughout. The plot was a little far fetched in places but there was enough tension and pace to keep me watching. I'd like to see more of Iain De Caestecker as I think he is very watchable young actor.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Great CGI lousy movie
I was expecting more, it's nowhere near as good as the last movie as it lacks the suspense, the character development and the storyline of the original. Even the acting was below par and the movie jumps all over the place with little explanation and with some juvenille parts that felt at odds with the rest.
Visually the CGI was stunning, full of interest and detail however it couldn't rescue the movie which was confusing, boring at times and therefore too long. With such a big budget it's disappointing that the result was so mediocre.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Elysian Kingdom (2022)
Poor Storylines, Poor Scripts and Poor Acting
This is a really bad series, there is no consistency, and much of it is either woke or just plain silly. There really isn't much to like, none of the characters are interesting and the acting is wooden and amateurish. Even the title music is overproduced and doesn't feel right or add to the tension, although that's probably because there isn't any, it's all rather flat. I've stuck with it hopping it would improve but it is so inconsistent, I had to skip through episode 8 as it was basically a children's fairy story with cringeworthy script and facial expressions. I don't think they know what age group they are aiming for but it's barely adult entertainment. Episode 9 looked more promising with Alien vibes and it was one of the better episodes but it was still slow and lacking emotion, I think one of the problems is I don't really like or care about the characters so never feel drawn into the story. I have just been watching early seasons of The Flash and Arrow, everything about these shows is way better than STSNW, maybe that's why they ran for so long.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)
Worse than I was expecting which is a shame.
I am half way through watching Arrow and The Flash, both series have tight direction, good acting and a well written script. I feel drawn into the story and totally immersed. Switching to Strange New Worlds I find myself watching from the sidelines, the script, direction and acting are not great, the pace is slower and the female dominated crew is a distraction. Watching through to episode 6 there is an unevenness, some episodes are on point with fairly good action sequences and others are slow and boring.
The sets are a strong point with great detailing and CGI and the musical score has been evolved and modernised, the trouble is both these cues make it feel like the timeline is way ahead of Captain Kirk not prior to him.
To save this series better storylines, better acting, more action scenes and a faster pace are required. If it wasn't Star Trek it probably wouldn't make it past the first series but I expect it will continue until someone dies of boredom.