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2/10
Another Snyder film super glossy utterly awful
30 April 2024
Words cannot express how dire this film is, within the first few minutes there's a terrible monologue recite character names that sound like most of the vowels were removed from a scrabble bag in order to sound sci fi but wait an overly dramatic 'or so they believe' enigmatic clap trap.

It's 70's B movie plot and dialogue but without ANY of the B movie schmaltz that made them classics.

It takes itself seriously when it shouldn't as it's terrible. It should have a RAZZIE category all of its own, The Snyder Razzie - films so terrible that only 'piping up that it's not the film you wanted to make and if you throw more money at me I will make the cut I wanted to make in the first place.... I have the footage, honest' Snyder effectively throws talent at a wall and sees what sticks and then shouts wait... I can make it better whilst not being able to make it good in the first place.

Awful, awful film.

I thought one was bad but part two laughed and said 'watch this then' because it had no beer to be asked to be held.
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9-1-1: Lone Star: Slow Burn (2021)
Season 2, Episode 11
4/10
Stupid stupid stupid
16 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I'll be honest this sort of episode is what makes you hate a series. Nice plot line about a job that goes south and the backlash on social media but then there's the overriding plot line of the usually sensible and pragmatic Captain going mental as he's on medical sabbatical and making decisions that even the most greenest of green people wouldn't make.

It's ludicrous and obvious and above all stupid.

Happy to suspend my belief with the rest of them but decision after decision is stupid and the 'investigating officer' accusatory to a 30 yr firefighter. Gods it's just stupid.

Did I mention stupid?
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3/10
Everything you have seen before but not as good
5 January 2024
It's taken me several sittings to wade through Rebel Moon as it's a firm pile of... well.....you get it.

Visually nothing we haven't seen and in fact have seen often. Same re the plot nothing we haven't seen and character wise, well we have seen a lot of these characters over and over.

It's like Snyder set out to steal from every single trope and make it worse.

I have no doubt there will be a directors cut but this is starting to tell me he can't make a film in the time allocated and sets out to fleece us twice over.

It's dull and unoriginal - stealing from seven samurai, rogue one, starship troopers and a host of other better stories.

I truly believe he has nothing original to give but I've no doubt they will keep chucking money at him as he talks a good game.

I was a fan but that affair is firmly over.
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5/10
One dull monologue after another
23 August 2023
Oh my days.... Laverne Cox's character is awful and frankly her acting is awful too.

The writing for her character is one dull monologue after another however it's all delivered in an overly dramatic breathy manner that just annoys and annoys.

At one point my wife exclaimed 'oh for goodness sake just shut up!!!!' Dembe as always is great and the series is trundling along nicely.

I'm hoping that it all wraps up nicely and that the series end is finale but I could really do without any more episodes like this or more specifically without any more characters like this.

There are so many rich characters out there from this entire series, why bring her back??
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Asteroid City (2023)
5/10
50% of a film
22 August 2023
Normally when you think of a film that's fifty percent you think that it has a strong ending or strong start and is missing the other half. Plenty of films go that way with either a magnificent start that fizzles out or a dull start that you have to endure to get to the exciting second half.

That isn't what I mean.

The 50% is that it has a majestic cast that any film would be proud to have a fraction of, it has stunning visuals that demand attention and it has a great director whose attention to detail is fascinating to watch.

The 50% missing is the plot.

It's missing a coherent plot. The one we are given regarding a tv show about a film about a play that's about a competition set in a desert where an asteroid landed isn't a plot. It's a series of small jokes that aren't funny.

Watched it, gave it 5 for the cast etc and left the other 5 off due to lack of substance over style.
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8/10
Missed its target
25 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
If this had been about eating meat and how meat is produced then this would have been fantastic.

It was about housing and living which was a wasted message.

This absolutely should have been a meat producing production and as a meat eater I would have been intrigued, the vegan group would have hoisted this program onto its shoulders and heralded a champion, the meat eaters would have see the funny side or paused for thought.

I've finding it funny that it's caused controversy or that people believe it's real?!!!

Greg Wallace was fantastic and should be applauded.

Everyone involved played their role perfectly.

If you eat veal or an meat then this program is interesting to watch.

Now, where's my steak.

Soylent Green meets Black Mirror.
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Allelujah (2022)
2/10
Lovely start awful finish
27 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The film started great and I even messaged a friend to tell her to watch the film too. Stellar cast great acting and warming themes about age, closures and redemption of family.

Then the writer Alan Bennet did what he always does and became preachy and ludicrous.

The matron is a serial killer and the rest of the film is flipped over like a monopoly board by a sore loser.

Suddenly we are in Covid we see another character die in a Covid ward and then the good doctor is talking harshly to the audience breaking the fourth wall.

Lecturing whilst striding down corridors to us.

It's a jarring pompous ending and missed its mark hugely.

It felt that he didn't really know what to write for an ending to a nice film so one night he got drunk, ranted and then submitted the film for distribution.

Don't bother watching this film.
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8/10
Be careful what you wish for
8 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is a good episode about wanting to see excitement and valour but being brought sharply up by the horror of a war up close. Very reminiscent of All Quiet On The Western Front.

Every plays their part well and Bashir and Jake are stalwart characters, the battle hardened surgeon operating on his meal as if it was a patient and he hadn't just been involved in patients dying from battle and the youthful optimism and despair as the reality sets in, hitting hard and eroding the rose tinted glasses of nativity.

However all of the above was mainly so I can rage about how when Jake is offered the last packet of water from a battle injured soldier he opens it with such abandon that it splashes everywhere and the he effectively throws the water towards his face and hopes some goes in his mouth.

I wanted to slap him!!!!
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Star Trek: Prodigy: Kobayashi (2022)
Season 1, Episode 6
8/10
Nods forward and backwards
4 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode was a beautiful homage to previous Star Treks whilst keeping its eye firmly on the future.

The inclusion of the test to show the new captain how far he has to come was subtly done whilst allowing growth of the other characters.

Seeing classic characters from older series and being in character was a lovely touch, as was the tribute at the end of the episode. It allows for the introduction to its newer audience that there are other series to enjoy without bombarding them with history and character information.

I liked seeing the initial growth of the other characters interactions with each other that although they are flawed and with back stories they could be something more together. Classic Star Trek.

Even the villain showed some history.

And right at the end an enigma.

I'm hoping it will keep going in this direction.

I keep seeing reviewers saying it's a children's programme. Perhaps but I'm a 50 year old guy watching an animated series and enjoying it. I like series that don't treat the audience as imbeciles that require lengthy explanations of flashbacks of something you saw only five minutes ago.

This didn't pander.

Kudos.
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The Rookie: Take Back (2022)
Season 5, Episode 9
8/10
Hilarity of American police tv protocol
8 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I like this series, I really do and it covered some great themes however periodically they become ludicrous in the plots.

The characters struggle becomes nonsense.

There are lots of sub plots in this episode and the overarching feeling is it's a filler episode as no one really cares about any of the plots, at all's However the star of the pointless plot that no one cares about is the death in custody.

I mean really, what's the plot line.

They shoot and kill bad guys regularly in this series, but an arrested prisoner that dies whilst you are nowhere near them and have actual professional alibied due to you being in hospital yourself gets you suspended.

Ludicrous.
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Wednesday (2022– )
9/10
Excellent series, cast and plot except for two things
27 November 2022
If anyone is on the fence about watching Wednesday, watch it, it's very good, the cast, direction, plot and style are all excellent except for two things.

Gomez and Morticia are awful, awful actors acting awfully and completely miss the passion of the characters reducing them to the effect of teenagers in the back of a pickup truck, but thankfully they aren't in the series much.

Morticia doesn't spark the dark sarcastic cold note of the character but hams it up not in a good way.

Gomez is a parody of a great character who is meant to me stylish, debonair, witty, clever and focussed on the love of his life being everything. This character depiction is reduced to stupid hair, acting like he's a teenager with raging hormones and awful one liners referring to Wednesday. It's an awful depiction in my opinion.

Thankfully they are only in the series a couple of episodes and I'm hoping that will continue in series 2 I cannot imagine that there won't be a second series as there is so much to love about it.

Enid and Wednesday are perfectly cast as are the rest of the crew and the plot will twist and turn sufficiently to entertain and make you laugh etc.
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8/10
Great film, lovely story telling but a very jarred ending
20 November 2022
I loved this film, great story telling, lovely animation and such nostalgia.

This was coupled with a great soundtrack.

So much to love of this, especially if you're a lover of history or nostalgia, such memories of things forgotten and I'm not even American.

However the last 5 minutes spoilt it all and left a dulled taste.

They wanted us to know some statistics and instead of the narrator saying it they rammed words onto the screen breaking the feel of the whole film. That was bad enough but it just stopped. No rounding off of the nostalgic story, no suggestion the narrator was talking to someone special. It just stopped like they ran out of cash or effort. I think this felt worse due to the writing stats.

A lovely film, well told whose ending was ruined.
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The Sandman (2022– )
9/10
The plot is dream not the episode
10 August 2022
I've read the graphic novels and I know the stories.

I'm watching the series and reading the reviews.

There are no filler episodes, it's all about Dream.

Each episode is about him.

It's a masterclass of transitioning a graphic novel to a series successfully.

A masterclass I am loving this series.
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The Rookie: Day in the Hole (2022)
Season 4, Episode 22
7/10
I'm sorry, I enjoyed it
4 August 2022
It's ludicrous and stupid writing but that's what I used to love about this programme.

It never used to take itself seriously, it was never real in the early days but then it lost its way, it started being serious, dark, with meaning but couldn't quite pull it off as it didn't quite mean it.

This was a silly episode with a silly series of plots. But occasionally pretended to be real.

Think TJ Hooker. Cheesy silliness, and I enjoyed it.
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Star Trek: Picard: Hide and Seek (2022)
Season 2, Episode 9
4/10
What are the Borg aiming at?
29 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
During the initial attack by the Borg soldiers their lasers are pointing all over the place despite knowing exactly where Picard et al are.

It's this kind of stupid acting and direction that detracts. I'm enjoying the series and plot but the sheer stupidity of those moments ruin it.

FAR too many flashbacks too. It's getting dull.

We get it, his mom had issues and Picard has mommy issues.
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8/10
Classic Cold War series - ignore the imdb haters that cannot see past the film
19 March 2022
I have binged this like I haven't for ages. Imdb gives very mixed reviews and compares it to the film a lot. The film is a classic but hasn't really held up to time.

This doesn't take away from the film and the plot is as solid as ever.

I really like the cast and the main leads are stellar.

The female leads are what stand out for me however as the focus isn't solely on Palmer, but subtly he takes a second to Jean's character who doesn't put a foot wrong and Lucy Boynton is both talented and stunning.

If you like classic drama done well watch this.
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The Rookie: Real Crime (2022)
Season 4, Episode 16
1/10
Stopped after 7 minutes
18 March 2022
Cannot stand reality tv and to be bombarded with clip after clip of Thorsons reality show in such a short amount of time I realised I was instantly tense and couldn't watch the episode.

I dislike 'documentary' episodes in general but when they are heavy loaded with annoying music and WAAAASUP whut whut! Clips it's just too annoying.

Don't think I've ever given a 1 before.
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Batman: Hush (2019 Video)
5/10
Why change the graphic novel version?
24 October 2021
What is the point of making a film based on a classic story arc and then not adhering to the story line.

The big reveal, the reason why, the build up. All wasted and ignored for a bland story that leaves you slightly bored and very disappointed.

I gave it five as the animators and voice actors gave it their best, i didn't give it any higher as someone wrote this story and someone approved it instead of shouting why have you changed a CLASSIC story line.

THIS is why marvel is winning and why DC fans such as myself are so angry that they are but not surprised.
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9/10
Ignore the snippy reviewers
24 July 2021
I have loved this series since day one. This film fulfils on every level and made me laugh out loud, feel and love the ending.

Those being mean have no soul.

Trust me as an honest review.

You will love this culmination.
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Nobody (I) (2021)
9/10
Redressing the bizarre 1 someone gave this film
23 May 2021
It's a solid 8 but I've given it a 9 to redress the bizarre 1 a reviewer gave it 'beats up college kids' did you even watch the film?? The college kids were Russian mafia about to do very bad things to a young lady.

Onto the review - it's a romp, if you're expecting Hamlet you're sorely in the wrong place. It's about a guy with a pst trying to be a better person with a better life but ultimately he is true to his dark demons. It's all done with a smile and a wink and a strong dose of subtle humour.

Bob Odenkirk is stellar in this role as a man who at each stage hopes the villains don't act in a certain way whilst pleased they do, he also flips that to be the every guy father and husband just trying to get by.

The violence is brilliant and set pieces well timed. It's not that he is a ninja, it's just that he can take a punch and keeps on trucking.

The sound track is on point and lends to the humour.

It's a great film that you should go and watch right now.
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Raised by Wolves: The Beginning (2020)
Season 1, Episode 10
2/10
Disappointing season finale
13 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I have enjoyed the series up to this point. It's been slow and enigmatic and I'm ok with that, not everything should be instantly explained or with flashbacks for the stupid. I'm ok with the premise of a massive snake as it's been hinted at throughout with the giant holes in the ground and skin shed throughout. I'm NOT ok with mother giving birth to it in a allegory of the Virgin Mary. I'm not ok with a lot of what happened as it effectively decided it was no longer about the series plot but about ramming in cliffhangers and mysterious plot points so there would be a series 2. This episode lost its way and decided that that was ok, as if they made it wild enough 'deep' enough then someone would put their hand in their pocket and commission series 2. On the basis of the last episode alone, don't bother.
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Mulan (2020)
8/10
Honestly do not know what the haters are on about, brilliant film
5 September 2020
I honestly do not know what the hell people are talking about. The new Mulan is brilliant. It's a solid 8 and I would watch it again. I used to love the old classics such as The Water Margin and this did those stories honour. Absolutely brilliant film and better than the original (which I watched a few months ago) also a nice cameo from the original voice of Mulan at the end
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10/10
The low ratings are the easily bored and confused
25 December 2019
I'm once more at a loss, I'm watching a fantastic series, with amazing writing and dialogue, delivered by an astounding cast. The direction is superb and cinematography and music score beautiful. There is humour, action, pathos and a whole host of everything that makes a series great is great, and yet there are lots of low ratings. These are the people that get brilliant series such as Firefly cancelled, these are the Star Wars fans that hate because they can't be bothered to think, evaluate the information presented and interpret a result. In short the easily confused and bored. They have no ability to read subtext but want it all laid out with clear idiot boards signposting the way. The low raters are the people that require a flashback scene to ram home the plot information that occurred a mere 15 minutes earlier but are too dumb to remember or think 'oooo it all makes sense now' The Witcher is a stunning series that treats the audience as adults and lets you work out the plot by piecing the puzzles together and one of the puzzles you need to work out are the fact that there are different timelines at play. Enjoy
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The Mandalorian: Chapter 3: The Sin (2019)
Season 1, Episode 3
10/10
A master class in direction and acting
24 November 2019
The Mandalorian just keeps getting better. Pedro Pascal gives a great master class in how do convey emotion whilst saying very little and wearing a mask. You know exactly how he is feeling, his turmoil and frustrations despite the fact you never see his face. This is ably assisted by the Pitch perfect direction. If only the films were this good
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Black Mirror: Striking Vipers (2019)
Season 5, Episode 1
10/10
Brilliant episode and completely black mirror
12 June 2019
I've read the reviews complaining about it not being black mirror or the episode being boring. What were you watching? Black mirror is all about technology affecting our lives in the near future and showing us paths that may be trodden. This is about the perils and highs of immersive gaming, this is about better than life (thank you Red Dwarf), this is about boundaries being blurred, relationships being blurred, life being blurred. Nothing in this episode couldn't happen and very likely will happen. The cast was strong, the writing and direction both strong, ending strong. This had it all. Writing this review I changed my score to a 10 from a 9 as I couldn't see what was dropping the point whilst I wrote. I've intentionally not put any spoilers and the hints I have given were in the trailer. It's a great episode. I have no idea what the negative reviewers were watching to be honest.
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