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Reviews
The Good Fight (2017)
It started off well but then sank down to be very disappointing
I really enjoyed the first three seasons but perhaps that was because it followed the normal course of story lines in a fairly normal world. But then as Covid came along and the horrors of the Trump presidency became evident, followed then by the Biden election and the insurrection, it seemed to stop being a program about lawyers, biases and prejudices alone but turned into depictions of violence and hate.
Now politically I am progressive, but I still hope that hate is not going to be eternally in our lives and seeing that amount of hate and violence in the later episodes was just saddening that the USA seems to be locked in an irresolvable schism of hate now shown in a network show.
I found towards the end I was fast forwarding through chunks of cartoons, unbelievable love and sex scenes and pretty much scraping the barrel of unbelievable plots and stories.
But much of this show is going to be reviewed according to your politics and world view I suppose. Not a very heartening show!
Reprisal (2018)
Knowing that Bruce Willis is not at his best, this was sad to watch.
The movie looked as though it might be OK from the title, but as the movie got underway, that illusion was quickly dashed. I like Bruce Willis, but now we know he is not at his best health-wise, it was a shame to witness his performance this movie when he was unable to be his old self.
Then the dialog and script was hardly outstanding. I dislike that when someone is clearly suffering trauma that when asked if they are OK, they reply 'Yes I am fine' when they are clearly not - and then a good dose of alcohol as if that would improve anything. Cripes, can't people be honest and get some treatment? For me that just seems idiotic.
So, I gave up on the movie after only a short while as I just could not watch it any more!
Called to Duty (2023)
Wow what a disastrous movie
This is not the first war movie that I have seen along these lines though.
My first irritation was the unprofessional behaviour of all these pilots - the usual male chauvinism that would just destroy any hope of having any effective air operations. A tired and stale portrayal of female members of the armed forces.
Then the high degree of insubordination. Effective forces need to be focused on the operation not head off on some individual exploit against orders.
Then the fact that these characters are far to ignorant of what war and conflict involves. 'I am not going to fight' to paraphrase Kaden. What on earth is she doing in the armed forces then?
I am not going to criticize the actors but that scrip was just awful!!!!
Silent Witness: The Penitent - Part 1 (2023)
The seriesd has moved away from pathology and science and ended up with personalities
I have watched this series from the beginning and as a scientist myself, was struck by the fact that it was focused on science and not emotional personal dilemmas for a change. However, this seems to have been lost as the series has continued and now we are back to the too frequent schlock of personal relationships taking precedence over science. To me this is a death knell for the show for those of us that watch it for the SCIENCE!
This show was built around pathology and forensics and how it is all part of a crime investigation. The police are the ones that run the investigation while the pathologists and forensic specialists unearth facts from the bodies and recovered items that aid the police. Pathologists are NOT police detectives themselves. Sure they can be creative in finding items around crime scenes for analysis but there are limits!
I find it sad that the series has taken this very unfortunate turn as I suspect that many others will stop watching the show given it has lost its raison d'etre.
The Mother (2023)
Not as bad a some seem to think
Sure, the story line here was similar to many other action movies, but it held my attention for the whole movie. As an action movie I think it carried itself quite well and it was set in a less trodden part of the world which has some great scenery. Acting is not really the main issue in an action movie in my opinion, and I thought Jennifer Lopez did just fine given the genre.
I don't know really what other people expect in movies of this type as it is hardly a place for a demonstration of award level dramatic performances. Nor are the story lines likely to be that novel.
But there, perhaps it was just that I enjoy this type of movie!
The Christmas Cabin (2019)
Not the most passionate!
As a Christmas story, I mostly enjoyed it but as many others say it was not a romantic barn burner. But then it was also not quite as formulaic as so many other Christmas romances - the female lead did not go home for Christmas, did not overhear something that crashed her romantic hopes and the male was not totally impersonally oblivious of what it takes to love someone.
So i don't rate it quite as poorly as some other reviewers here - I have stopped watching several others halfway through but made it to the end of this one! So it can't have been all bad. At least the story line was a bit different than usual!
Shetland: Episode #7.6 (2022)
What a great series - so sad it has come to the end
I am going to make my comments about the series as a whole, not just series 7, as the arc of this series has been, to my mind, excellent. I shall miss this show very much.
Yes, the plot in series 7 was disjointed and it may not have been the best in the series, but the acting and the lead characters are just so well scripted and acted that i can over look much of this. I especially enjoyed Perez and 'Tosh', whom I really hope to see in future productions.
This is coupled with the setting in a place that perhaps few people have actually visited yet is so beautiful and haunting - coupled with such an excellent score.
Many seem to have thought this episode was less than great, but I have to disagree as it certainly held my attention and I found it difficult to 'solve' the murders ahead of time. So few clues! Yet the topic was one of current concern, and reflected the views of many, particularly young, people who are truly concerned with the future and the environment, even if they tend towards impractical solutions at times. While so may of us are just so complacent about the damage we are all doing to the planet and the high costs which will result in the future.
A truly great series!
Prime Suspect: The Final Act: Part 2 (2006)
This is not really about a crime but about the end of a career.
I had a very hard time watching this episode 7 as it was mainly about what has happened to Tennison. She has become so tired and worn out, disillusioned, lonely and totally burnt out from her career and choices she has made throughout her life that she is barely alive.
She has resorted to alcohol as a solution with all the consequent catastrophic outcomes.
Now maybe I am particularly sensitive to this as my wife was an alcoholic, but it just awful to watch what happens in this situation.
I found myself having to fast forward through the worst parts - where she buys more alcohol and once more descends into the worst depths.
Had this been an episode about what can happen when you resort to alcohol. Then it might have made a more worthwhile show. But as an ending to the career of Tennison it was something I cannot recommend anyone watching who had expected another show about crime.
The crime aspect of this show was completely incidental and really had no part at all. The plot is an old one and the outcome quite predicable early in the show. It was just a background piece to illustrate the complete breakdown of the career detective.
A very sad end to what has been an otherwise excellent program.
Annika (2021)
A nice change from the usual crime series
I have really enjoyed this series - especially the little historical quotes that tie in with the story behind the investigation.
Of course, Nicola Walker is a superb actress and carries this change of presentation wonderfully. I don't think there is anyone more capable to have carried this off so successfully.
Unfortunately, like most UK series, there are far too few episodes each year. It always leaves me with the fear of cancellation when I have just not had enough!
Overall, the crimes and their solution are a bit simple but the acting I found to be excellent, the scenery and location wonderful and the personality of the lead character that Nicola creates I found very touching as it cover many of the real life situations that a single parent confronts with a teenage offspring!
Really hope there are more series to come.
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Good action but hopeless story line
The story line seemed totally unbelievable to me. I just could not buy that so many Korean bad guys with so many weapons could enter the US in the first place. Then the President is a total incompetent ordering his staff to give up highly secure information which could kill the total South Korean population just to save a few friends. What a joke. This guy should have been impeached the moment the crisis was over as a traitor. Then you have to suffer from the over the top US rah rah rah.
The only saving grace was that it is action packed.