bookadog Reviews

Defending Jacob (2020)

Great out the gate and then lost its way.

[4/10 · 13 September 2023]

This is a great show with a very interesting plot line, great acting and the pace is phenomenal.

Unfortunately it gets hung up on how good it is and doesn't know how to end.

There are far too many unanswered questions and the writers attempt to just be too clever really let's the viewer down.

Yes, we all know that life is ambiguous and sometimes we don't get the ending we had hoped but please give us AN ending.

Sitting through 7 fulfilling episodes that really draw you in and have you flipping from "did he or didn't he" only to discover, hey, decide for yourself is just a big big let down.

If you want me to decide for myself, prevent me with ALL the evidence.

Go ahead, defend Defending Jacob but for me it's "guilty" - guilty of letting the audience down.

The Walking Dead: Outpost 22 (2022) Season 11, Episode 21

It's not walking, it's crawling

[5/10 · 8 January 2023]

The pacing of these episodes is as close to watching paint dry as you can get. As we lumber towards the series inevitable conclusion, we ask, is it really worth it?

One long drawn out monologue after another. One convenient accident after another. I suddenly realise the walking dead might actually refer to the audience. Zero excitement, just none.

Back in the good old days you were invested in the struggle to survive against over whelming odds. The Governor, Negan, Alpha.....all worthy adversaries but the greatest threat to this series has become the need to lengthen each episode and strangle the last dying breath from each moment.

1883: Racing Clouds (2022) Season 1, Episode 9

Pure unadulterated rubbish

[1/10 · 23 June 2022]

While everyone is riding around in winter gear, our baby child of 18 is wearing a vest lol Listening to the sound of her voice narrate each episode wishes her next or me. She can't act, she does not drive the narrative and what started out as quite possibly one of the best westerns ended up a pike of horse dung.

1883: Lightning Yellow Hair (2022) Season 1, Episode 7

Oh dear oh dear

[3/10 · 21 June 2022]

Teenage love, loves young dream, loves sucks, this show sucks. I love believable stories and I particularly like strong female characters in shows. Goliath had Nina Arianda, Outlander has Caitrona Balf, Stranger Things has the awesome Millie Bobbie Brown and GOT had a bucket load. But when a show gets it wrong it can really ruin the show. Bosche's daughter, Outlanders daughter and now this. It's awful and after a promising start is so hard to watch.

1883: The Fangs of Freedom (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Imagine Tombstone meets Dora the explorer

[4/10 · 21 June 2022]

Such promise, such a great dash out of the blocks and then......we realise this is a little girls story about coming of age (and the other coming too) - I'm continuing to watch in the hope she's next on the chopping block. Watching her cry for lost love was without doubt a switch it off / make it stop moment.

The Protégé (2021)

Leaves you wondering if this was meant to be played for laughs

[3/10 · 16 March 2022]

Sometimes a film comes along and you are left scratching your head wondering how on earth it got made. Take Samuel L Jackson, Michael Keaton and add in the worlds most lightweight, leaky gut star Maggie Q and you end up with something just short of an absolute mess. The plot holes come thick and fast and the script does it's best to layer on the nonsense. During the interrogation someone asked "Has anybody ever lasted this long" - i'm wondering if that was aimed at the viewer.

It's a mes from start to finish and at no point are we convinced that Maggie Q is a top class assasin. Michael Keaton seems to be unable to be in a good "assassin" movie, after the lifeless and excruciatingly bad American Assassin.

Watch Jennifer Garner in Peppermint or the star laden Haywire for some real intrigue and action, directed and acted like they should be.

Give this a miss unless you have a stomach for laughable, unbelievable set pieces.

Red Notice (2021)

More Dead Notice than Red Notice.

[5/10 · 16 November 2021]

How is it possible to take 3 huge stars, a reasonable budget and a pretty good concept for a story and end up with this vacuous, bland excuse for a movie?

Ryan Reynolds playing Ryan Reynolds is getting pretty boring now. He's just Deadpool without the mask in every movie he is in. Even back in the days of Blade Trinity he was just cocky, wise cracking, self deprecating fool. It worked in Deadpool and it worked in the Hitman Movies but it's time to move on, try acting for a change, you did a pretty decent job in Safe House.

The Rock is actually making a bid for his worse performance in a movie EVER.......where is the beast from Ballers or the kid like enthusiasm from Jumanji.......even go to the weird and wonderful Scorpion King and there's something to see. Here the Rock is literally playing a rock or a similar inanimate object.

As for Gail Gadot, Wonder Woman? Woman, I wonder what possessed you to climb on board. Maybe you read the script which probably in it s first iteration was decent.

We're left with a mess. It's attempting to be 007 with the multiple locations but ends up more Johnny English than James Bond, perhaps the humor of Spy but unable to match the comedic timings of Jason Statham. At one point it shoots for the unmatchable True Lies but ends up way short and can only manage to truly lie about its intentions.

In the end it is like watching a comic strip come to life, not a good one like TWD or Sin City but one of those free comic strips like Striker from the Sun Newspaper.

It lacks style, class and charisma and feels like a patchwork quilt made from blankets stolen from the homeless. It'll keep you warm but you'd prefer to stay cold in a pinch.

The Harder They Fall (2021)

The Harder They Fail

[5/10 · 10 November 2021]

This movie is OK - nothing special.

For all the talent on hand, Idris Elba, Regina King, Delroy Lindo and the incredibly talented Zazie Beetz....it felt like a waste.

The plot is wafer thin, the direction a little over indulgent and it's style over substance all the way. I really liked the cinematography and the sets were pretty awesome on the eye too. Costumes great and the acting bang on BUT it felt jumbled and a little too self indulgent when perhaps a clearer narrative and better pacing could've turned this into a huge hit.

It's not the worst film you'll see this year but it is also far from the best. If you've never seen Idris in Luther (BBC TV Series) - give that a whirl.

Yellowstone: Half the Money (2021) Season 4, Episode 1

Great but NOT fantastic

[7/10 · 8 November 2021]

The season premier starts right where the season 3 finale left off. We start in the aftermath of everything, Beth wandering out of the explosion, John on his way air-lifted to hospital and Kayce chasing down the mini van from hell. The pacing is great, the action fabulous and the tension rises and flows through the episode BUT there is a huge plot hole which drags on through Episode 2 as well. Where are Monica and Tate and why are they never mentioned? You would think that John and Kayce would mention someone breaking into their home and trying to kill Son/Grandson but the conspicuous absence is just that, a little conspicuous. You would think that Thomas Rainwater would ally himself to the Duttons for this reason alone. Very odd writing and left me feeling as though Taylor Sheridan was more interested in shoving himself on the show. As the episode concludes and we move into Episode 2 there is a sense of rushed writing and stones being left unturned. Show is still great BUT less is more.

Land (I) (2021)

Let's all get lost together

[5/10 · 7 June 2021]

First of all let's talk about the location.... WOW...beautiful scenery abounds in this panoramic overload of vistas, rivers and wildlife.

Unfortunately that's all that's good to say about this poor attempt to play at the heartstrings of life and how it is all so random.

We know Robin Wright can act, we've seen her with performances as Jenny in Forrest Gump and of course as the Princess in The Princess Bride as well as carrying many episodes and seasons of House of Cards.

Here she is lost. Whether that is because she is also directing, who knows but her performance is sketchy at best, close to overacting at worst. She tries far too hard and labors just about every point going, in the end going as far as shouting what is wrong with her so we all are in on it.

As a director she doesn't fair much better either. Long, slow shots of leaves, trees, icicles and her own face detract and serve to bring us in to something we really don't feel invested in. There are implausible plot developments that you can't ignore. How does a grown woman fall into a river and how badly was that sequence filmed? Why doesn't she use the main fireplace until someone else uses it? Did they need to show frozen Chilli for us to understand how cold it is AND if it is that cold why does she not wear the all weather gear in the house and only puts it on to go outside?

The subject matter of course is sensitive but it is handled with such fumbling, bumbling cack handedness that you feel like perhaps the best thing for all concerned would be to just move on.

In the end we are left with nothing. Is that the idea? The only relatable character dies of cancer and the main star calls her sister HURRAH !!!

Don't bother.....if you want lost in the wilderness action, scenery and a truly enjoyable experience go with Wild starring and produced by Reese Witherspoon, the tale that is recently back in the news Into The Wild with Emile Hirsch or for frozen magnificence go with Madds Mikkelsen in Arctic.

Cherry (I) (2021)

It's definitely NOT Cheery.

[6/10 · 14 May 2021]

This is a hard watch. Probably not a film to watch if you are feeling down about the world we are currently living in, unless of course seeing people more miserable than you is how you make yourself feel better.

Tom Holland in an effort to shake his Spiderman persona (much like Daniel Craig and his forrays away from Bond) really does act his socks off. It's an incredible performance where he manages to equally draw you into his plight while simultaneously repel you and make you recoil from his behavior. You are rooting for him almost as much as you are rooting against him. The film is bereft of light heartedness, save for the casual conversations on his bunk with his army buddy and the cast of supporting characters are, for the most part, contemptible.

Warning - if you hate needles - this film has them in spades, be prepared to look away multiple times.

It's a long film too, so strap yourself in for the ride.

At the end you are left wondering if he did find his place in the world and if we must all struggle like he does (and boy does he struggle) in order to eventually gain redemption and the life we want.

From someone who has returned to old depths of depression courtesy of this pandemic I found this film didn't make me feel any worse BUT it didn't make me feel any better either.

If this movie typifies the struggles that all veterans face from the lack of help and understanding ,to the nightmares and terrors then you have my utmost sympathy and respect for battling on.

This film won't win any oscars and you probably won't sit through it twice, a popcorn flick this isn't. A truly human story that shows the truth of addiction, loss and personal trauma that the world doesn't want to look at.....this is that movie.

Line of Duty: Episode #6.7 (2021) Season 6, Episode 7

It all went a little limp

[4/10 · 4 May 2021]

A series, a season, should never just be a stocking filler. It should never be a hors d'oeuvre unless it is part of a main course. Episodes that lead to a fantastic climax is what it is all about. That main course cannot be the next season, that's lazy writing. LOD has given us some fantastic actors and actresses over the seasons. Keeley Hawes, Mark Bonnar, Stephen Graham, Thandie Newton, Lennie James and the short lived brilliance of Jason Watkins. We didn't get a superstar this season and it lacked the class and brilliance of previous seasons. There were no bells and whistles of Kate FLeming riding on a truck or Steve being hurled down a flight of stairs, no gun fight at AC 12 for a quick exit or Ted Hastings and his grubby Travelodge wheeler dealings. What we got was Steve with erectile dysfunction and an entire episode where the main character said no comment for 20 minutes. If anything sums up this season more perfectly it is that. I got a cuddle because nothing could arouse me enough to successfully climax and afterwards when I asked how good it was she simply said "no comment"

Line of Duty: Episode #6.6 (2021) Season 6, Episode 6

A waste of an episode

[4/10 · 26 April 2021]

The whole Line of Duty series has gone on an incredible arc. From the Anti Terrorist shooting, the OCG and 'bent coppers' it has kept me hooked. Season 6 really tested my patience as the easter eggs, the twists and the turns and the suspense was either massively contrived or incredibly convoluted. If an episode were to sum up everything wrong with this season, then it is this episode. Slow, boring, painful to watch and not worth making (yes I know they made the series during Covid). They could have missed this episode completely and it would not have harmed the story one bit. When the season began and I was left feeling flat, a friend of mine recommended Unforgotten - if you haven't yet, you should, that series never loses its way and is everything I wished Line of Duty could become. For a good representation of summing up how I feel, see the life and times of Ryan Pilkington.

From Darkness (2015)

Cliché's galore in a steaming pile of nonsense

[1/10 · 25 October 2015]

I was hoping for Luther, Sherlock or at the very least some entertainment. Laborious close ups and atmospheric music cannot substitute for a good plot and some tense action. Implausible plot developments and characters changing character every 2o minutes makes this feel like it was written by a 12 year old and that would be unfair to all 12 year old, unless they were actually 8 year old pretending to be 12 year old. Vastly underwhelming and ultimately a waste of everyones time. Such a shame that lead actor Johnny Harris after such a standout performance in This Is England 86 and Fortitude has really hit a low point. I hope Anne-Marie Duff can regain her composure for the upcoming Suffragettes movie. If Luther is reading this, arrest everyone responsible and Sherlock ? please investigate the missing entertainment.