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Reviews
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
It gets a 5 for the concept
I only ever watched a few episodes of the animated series and it kinda bored me. This being live action I thought I'd give it a bash.
Might have been a mistake. I'm only a couple of episodes in and, although I do like the overall idea of the story, I can't figure out if it's trying to be serious or slapstick? The acting is gosh-darn awful, like a school drama production. I'm yet to find one character that seems genuine.
The idea itself should be deep and meaningful, with great mystical powers of good vs evil. But what we end up with is wooden acting, forced humour (I think it's meant to be humour anyway) and a longing for something better.
Maybe the animated show got it across better, I probably won't find out as animations of that style just don't hold me. Such a shame as the imagery is actually pretty good. Not the best I've ever seen but certainly passable.
I give it 5 stars just because of the storyline idea. The execution of it... Maybe 3 stars.
The Sandman (2022)
Good but with flaws
The main plot and story is great, I like the ideas and darkness. However the show suffers from a heavy handed approach to appeasing the woke community.
Watching this show makes you question how the human race still exists at all. Must be 75% of all the characters seem to be gay which just makes things unrealistic. Not sure why they've crowbarred it in like that, it really distracts from the story.
The time line for Rose's family also doesn't really work. For a great grandmother, she seems way too young. Especially as the character was shown falling into the long sleep when Dream was captured. That would make her over 100 now??!
Star Trek: Picard: The Next Generation (2023)
A good opening episode
This was very watchable with some nice nostalgia moments. I don't want to hype too much though as series 2 also opened strong but then quickly spiralled into utter garbage after about 3 episodes.
If they can maintain the feel of this and keep a good storyline, it might actually be a decent final season of Picard. Hopefully they have learned from Strange New Worlds that we don't need the modern woke nonsense that plagues Discovery.
Great to have Riker and Picard together again, but what kind of cosmetic surgery has Crusher had?! She looks terrible!
The only down side for me in episode 1 was Raffi's character, whom I've hated since series one. She can't act and everything seems forced.
Paper Girls (2022)
Chewing gum for the eyes
Is it great? No. Is it awful? Also no. Is it comparable to Stranger Things?
Absolutely not!! Don't believe the critics reviews that say this is going to give you that same feeling, because it really isnt.
The acting is really poor from all of the kids. The storyline idea is actually quite good to make up for it, otherwise I'd give it less than 5 stars.
I'm assuming it has been greenlit for a second series, but if I'm honest, if it gets cancelled it won't be any big loss. A shame really as any kind of time travel story usually has me engrossed, but the awful acting was just too big a distraction.
Worth watching if you really are stuck for something new.
From (2022)
A hidden gem!
Only heard about this show from a friend, I didn't really see any hype or fanfare to put it on my radar. And what a shame that was! Brilliantly original show with some shock and gore that was completely unexpected. It gives me Stephen King vibes, even though I know it isn't one of his.
I really hope they make a second season as I was gripped after the first couple of episodes and blasted through the lot in a weekend. It really deserves more renown and advertising as this is a quality show with some great acting.
I really want to know more! What is the purpose of the town? Is it a test of some kind? What the hell was the lighthouse at the end?! The wait is going to kill me!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Don't expect Peter Jackson's LOTR
It's very pretty and you can see why it cost so much just based on the visual effect (though the CGI was too obvious in places which given current technologies I expected better) .
But the pace is tediously slow. It may follow to lore (as far as I know it) but after the first 2 episodes I feel like nothing has really progressed. Is this one of those things Amazon will drag out to cash in on?
I find it kinda funny that the dwarves seem to be Scottish and the Halfoot's are Irish. Very weird.
I'm going to stick with it as I do love Tolkiens work, but it really needs to inject some excitement.
Some of that huge budget could also have gone on better actors, there were a few REALLY wooden folk in those episodes! Galadriel was a bright point as was seeing Durin (of Durins folk fame)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Elysian Kingdom (2022)
I'm.. Unsure on this one
It had all the right hallmarks of a classic Trek episode, and for that I applaud it. It was very reminiscent of a Q episode on many levels.
However, although the characters were intentionally over the top silly, there was also a fair amount of plain bad acting. It was a little cringy and could have done with a little more realism to sell the fantasy.
I can understand why they wrote the doctors story in the way they did, but I can't help but find it a little anti-climactic.
When all's said and done, this epiode and indeed this series are WAY WAY better than anything we've seen in Discovery or Picard. Keep it coming guys!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Serene Squall (2022)
Thoroughly enjoyable episode
Was it the best episode in the series? No. But was it a perfect slice of Star Trek pie? Yes! Absolutely!
The storyline is something that we've seen before on older trek shows, but that doesn't make it any less of a story. You have to remember this is set before TOS so we have to develop Spock up to how we know him from there. I liked the way this went.
However I have 2 little gaffs I spotted which annoyed me a little. First, when the Enterprise first finds the ship in the asteroid field, it is mentioned that they won't have been spotted yet as they were out of sensor range. However any idiot could look out the window and see the other ship! The camera angle already showed that! Just how naff are their sensors?
Secondly, if it would take 2 days to send a signal back to the Federation and get reinforcements, how come the Vulcan ship seems to turn up in no time at all? Unless everyone fancied a good 24 to 48 hours standing on the bridge with phasers pointed at them, I think another ship would have been much closer.
Just saying.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Spock Amok (2022)
Best series of modern Trek
5 episodes in and still great. I'm so so happy!
Another good episode, building on character development which is something neither Picard or Discovery have managed to achieve effectively.
Best part of this one for me was the throwback to TOS with the music playing when Spock was fighting himself in the dream. Brilliant :-)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Memento Mori (2022)
Please keep this going!
I'm stunned. 4 episodes in and I can say for certain that I'm really liking this show!
This is the modern star trek I've been waiting for. Discovery and Picard are both cringy awfulness that pander too much to the woke community. This actually feels like a series of old. I already remember the names of the key crew! I struggle doing that after 4 series of Discovery!!
Ortega reminds me a lot of Tom Paris in the early Voyager seasons, a little cocky and loose for be a ships pilot. But if her character develops in a similar way then we'll end up with a cracking bridge crew all round.
Pike and Spock are great, really love how they interact and behave.
Please keep it coming, don't let it slip.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Children of the Comet (2022)
Alright, 2 for 2
A second good Star Trek episode in a row!
A new species, some science lingo, an away mission and a sprinkling of 'moral of the story'. Sounds like the perfect Trek recipe to me!
So far this is way better than Discovery or Picard. It has the feel of the older series, you even get proper dialogue with crew members!
Oh and most importantly, no woke or LGBTQ characters forced down your throat.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Strange New Worlds (2022)
This is more like it!
How crazy that after just ONE episode, I feel like I know more about the bridge crew in this series than after 4 seasons of Discovery?!
This feels more like a Star Trek show already. I'm hoping it keeps to the opening promise, I got burned by Picard season 2 which started great and then fell off a cliff.
The Batman (2022)
Not bad but slow
I liked the darker feel to the film, but it just seemed so slow which is a shame. I actually quite liked him as Batman which was a pleasant surprise.
But did they really need to drop in a line about white privilege?? It felt very out of place.
Star Trek: Picard: Monsters (2022)
And we're back to utter garbage
The start of season 2 was a massive improvement on season 1. I actually rated the first two episodes 8 and 9 stars respectively! But then the gradual decline started, 6 stars then 5. We've now got back to 1 star as the storyline has lost all focus and is just filler after filler. How was this green lit for season 3???
Star Trek: Picard: Penance (2022)
Night vs day compared to season 1
I hated the first series of Picard. If you can find my old reviews, they were mostly one star per episode. Utter garbage, destroyed my ideals of Star Trek.
Series 2 so far couldn't be more different! This is actually really good! The Borg, Q, an actual sense of a Trek storyline. This is how it should have been from the start. Aside from a few characters who are a little annoying, I'm back on board with this series. Shame they haven't fixed Discovery yet. I hope it maintains this quality for the rest of the series!
Extinction (2018)
Surprisingly good
I didn't hold much hope for this film as I'd never heard of it. However, it actually turned into a pretty good sci-fi! Is it perfect? No. There are definitely parts that frustrated me, but overall I liked the idea and the plot twist.
Worth a watch.
The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
Only worth it for last 3 episodes
Boba Fett, the famed bounty hunter of Star Wars fandom, is now a pointless and weak old man. Every fight he's in makes him look pathetic. A very dull show with the highlights being The Mandalorian crossover in episodes 5 to 7.without that, a complete waste of time.
Also the acting was atrocious!
Eternals (2021)
Nice idea but
Dragged out to an extent that it was boring. Also should be separate from the MCU in my opinion. The actual storyline idea I liked though which surprised me.
Star Trek: Discovery: Stormy Weather (2021)
Best of a bad bunch
The best episode of season 4. Not that it took much. It was still utter rubbish but at least it had an underlying Trek theme for once. It just happened to get lost under all the emotional wokeness.
Star Trek: Discovery: All Is Possible (2021)
2 stars for at least having an idea this week..
But executed with neolithic incompetence. This show is just awful! LGBTQ Trek it should be called. At least we've seemingly got rid of one annoying character. How bad does a Star Trek have to be to say we are in the 4th season and I still struggle to name more than 4 main characters?? Seriously this isn't a patch on Trek of old where we had quality character development and good acting. And of course Michael is the only one who can save the day in the political arena... By being an impartial 3rd party (the fact she is a Federation Captain is overlooked?) also, I thought the crew all used personal transporters now? Did they suddenly not work on the ice planet? It would have saved a lot of walking!
Star Trek: Discovery: Anomaly (2021)
Sad, cry, whisper, repeat..
Ad nauseum. This is just terrible. Words have now failed me with this show, I've written many reviews in the hope it would improve but it just doesn't. The writers of this show need sacking, putting on a Spacex rocket and launching into the sun. It really is awful.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Absolutely brilliant!!
My wife is one of the biggest Ghostbusters fans out there, the 2016 film left her devastated due to how awful it was.
So it was with trepidation we saw this today. We were not disappointed! It was a fabulous film from start to finish and completely kept the feel and vipe of the originals. The numerous nods to the original (especially the ones only true fans would get) were excellent. We haven't come away from a film so happy in a long time. For all ghostbusters fans out there, THIS is the film you've been waiting for. I hate to admit it, but there were times we both had wet eyes with emotions.
Well done for this young Reitman. Bravo.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Very good, but with a flaw
It's a great film, nice story, nice animation. But the casting for the voice of Hiccup...? Awful! I just want to punch him throughout the film. So annoying in fact I give this 7 stars when really it should have been a 9.
Dune (2021)
A great adaption!
Definitely the most accurate portrail of the book so far. The look and feel is how I imagined in my mind and the casting job is superb.
My criticisms though are that there are still details missing which would have explained things clearer. If I hadn't read the book then I probably wouldn't have enjoyed this. It could have been split into 3 films rather than 2 to get the details.
As loan other trait which is becoming all too common is to have whispering characters with too loud a background noise going on. Sections of dialogue were completely lost to me because of this which is a shame.
I had hoped to rate this 9 or 10 if not for these issues.
The Guilty (2021)
Boring as hell
Remake or no remake, this will put you to sleep. Frustratingly slow and doesn't really go anywhere. It feels like a high school project. Avoid unless you like background noise to help you nod off on an evening. Made in 11 days... And it shows.