Change Your Image
rhiwderinray
Reviews
Silent Witness (1996)
A series in a long slow decline - please put it out of its misery.....
A series that started off well, but like all long running series it ran out of steam and good stories. It features pathologists who act as crime scene investigators, detectives and coroners and always show the police to be incompetent. Lacking in new ideas, we begin to get the characters back stories, until we end up with 50 minutes of soap opera and 10 minutes of crime story. I really cannot find any empathy for any of the characters and many of the plots are simply ludicrous or contrived. I wonder how long the BBC will continue to flog this particular horse, because it should have been sent to the knackers yard long ago.
11.22.63 (2016)
OK but so much better than the turgid book.
Soppy US moral tale based upon the Stephen King book about trying to change the past. It has its flaws but basically it is ok unlike the overly long and turgid book which I eventually gave up on about 2/3 in. The tv series I stuck with and while not gripping, it was ok mercifully it condensed the awful middle of the book which made sense in the end, i'm afraid King's works translated into film and tv are a bit hit and miss. This one was marginally better than most but could never be compared to the likes of The Shining or Misery. The acting is fine and the photography ok. Unfortunately, it probably would have been better if the book had been left to wither and die.
Firefly (2002)
Good but I can see why it was canned
I'm watching this on blu-ray, so I am a little late to the party but here goes:-
A good series ultimately let down by the overall storyline. Individual stories are good, but the series takes far too long to bring out some individual characters especially River and I am a bit lost as to the purpose of the Preacher character. In this respect the film Serenity was much better. Bit of a crazy combination of part sci-fi and part western. I enjoyed it but it could have been so much better. The acting is pretty good although there is a bit too much stereotyping. So I get why some people loved it and some hated it. Anyway, it is now history....
M3GAN (2022)
Predictable and overrated
Why Hollywood keep making movies where you can guess the outcome in thirty seconds is beyond me. This movie is another example of something that should have been rejected at submission of the script. It has all been done before and better. The acting is mediocre at best and has all the emotion of a wet lettuce. So here we go again with a mediocre movie that spends more on special effects than anything else. Hopefully the writers strike will give us all a break from such awful productions. I really despair for the future of filmmaking when such pathetic product is presented as a good movie. Entirely predictable and totally forgettable....
Cocaine Bear (2023)
Pretty Awful
Neither horror b nor drama, more like a Disney comedy. Acting is mediocre and the casting is totally wrong. The bear effects are the best part of the movie. I wish I could give it more than three stars but three is more than enough. It doesn't prove a great advert for female directors! How Hollywood continues to roll out such trash is beyond me. Having just watched M3gan which is another overhyped Predictable underwhelming Hollywood offering, I am relieved that there is a writers strike do we can all get a break from the dross churned out by an industry that has lost any semblance of quality. Avoid if you have any sense!
Jericho (2006)
OK BUT.....
The series has an interesting premise but ultimately fails to engage. Why is that? Well for one, the scriptwriters only seem to have a very basic grasp of nuclear weapons and the aftermath. OK. Set that aside and then there is the issue that everyone seems to just carry on as normal with a bar that never seems to run out of drink. Characters? Far from engaging with only lightweight roles who fail to gain any empathy. Quite typical of many US TV series. Overall the plotline doesn't move along at a decent pace, so it quickly loses any viewer interest. The acting is average with no real heavyweights to make it interesting. It plays more like a kitchen sink drama than an apocalyptic thriller. Unsurprising that it got cancelled.....
Manifest (2018)
Started well but went downhill rapidly.
Like all tv series, this one starts off with an interesting premise, but subsequently slumps into continuing dross, reaching a low point in series 3. I gave up at this point having watched enough to mske me give up the will to live. It is a pity that tv channels continually press for another season and then another - the scriptwriters run out of ideas and start to scrape the bottom of the barrel and this one really does suck. What can I say? The acting is OK, the production is ok, but then is simply runs out of steam and believability, resorting the religious nonsense instead of a decent plot. Not recommended.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Too far up its own ass!
Unfortunately the movie is too far up its own ass for its own good. Too much gobblygook and a story that is incomprehensible for the most part. A poor reboot of a series that should have ended with the first movie. Another case of Hollywood greed churning out substandard work in the expectation of making huge profits from fans of the original. I would have liked to love this move but the first hour was complete rubbish and the rest not a lot better. The ony good think about it was the reappearance of Carrie Moss. Other than than, it was completely forgettable and a waste of money spent on a blu ray.
Marie Antoinette (2022)
Better than The Crown, but that isn't difficult!
First Marie Antoinette was between 14 and 15 and Lois was 15, so why use two adult actors? This immediately starts the series off on the wrong foot. Versailles had strict protocol, so again history is forsaken for the sake of drama. At least the surroundings are better than the drama. Another "historical" series that panders to the uneducated and uncaring masses. It is fashion now to change or distort history in order to provide a soap opera. Again we are really only provided with a biased viewpoint instead of balance. Lets face it, these people were the super-rich, the Kardashians of their day, and they are probably best relegated to the dustbin of history. Their ending is well documented unlike the series. Hopefully the series will get the chop too!
A Living Dog (2019)
Pretty awful!
No dialog is the main reason why this movie is hard to watch. The story could be told in five minutes but instead it is dawn out to an overly long turgid drama. The special effects are the best bit of the whole thing. The premise that the machines are pretty stupid or blind to humans is totally ludicrous.. i stuck it out to the end but it just felt like a total waste of time. Acting, such as it is, is mediocre, storyline is poor, cinematography is ok. It is obvious that this is a low budget movie where all of the money had to be spent on the special effects. Probably best avoided - you have been warned!
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
A movie for mindless violence fans
Boring. Repetitive violence. Wooden Keanu. Don't really need to say much more. Absolute trash for those with a low IQ or the attention span of a fly. It just follows on from the boring nonsense of John Wick 2 which is another movie that should never have been made. Another franchise movie failure and disappointment, but yet Hollywood still keep churning out this crud because teens are just about the only people going to movie theatres. It will make money of course and that is all the studio asks. Long gone Re the days when the studios made great movies with a multi-layered storyline, fantastic actors and great cinematography. This movie alas isn't one of them by a long, long way.
Black Box (2020)
Black Box is Empty
Might have worked as a radio play but as a film is is pretty awful. Most of the £100 budget must have been spent on building the escape pod. Why does Marcus sound like a Northerner and his millionaire dad sound southern? Anyway, it is badly written, acting is mediocre and the the plot average at best. The voice actors sound totally unprofessional which only adds to the amateur feel of the whole production. Unfortunately it looks and feels like a media student production. I cant imagine why it was released, more likely it escaped, much like the pod at the centre of the storyline. Waste of time and money.
Too Old to Die Young (2019)
TURGID....
Over 12 hours to tell a story (if you can call it that) is not great television. Endless scenes of nothing, slow boring dialog spoken in unexpressive monotone voices by actors who probably can act but fail miserably in this mini series. Characters who are deviant, repulsive ans weird do not score much on the empathy factor. I cannot fathom how anyone put up the capital for this terrible show, but that is show business where there are more flops and failures than successes. Any good points? Well the cinematography is pretty good. Other than that if you want to waste a big chunk of your life then this is one for you.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Quite a good sequel with a background to the 1st movie and a progression
Not as good as the first movie but quite good. It develops its own storyline quite separate from the first movie which is good and also provides a bit of background to the first days of the "invasion". The deaf daughter is a great little actress (she really is deaf) and is complemented by a good cast. Special effects are pretty good but some of the tension of the first movie is missing.
My only problem is the explanation that the aliens came in ships - REALLY? Blind aliens with only stabbing arms, built and flew space ships? How did they build and guide them to earth if they can't see or touch properly!! Other than that enjoy the sci-fi romp.
Five Days at Memorial (2022)
There but for the grace of God go I
Great series that shows part of the true horrific drama that unfolded in the wake of hurricane Katrina. We were due to be in New Orleans at that time on honeymoon and due to family issues, we changed our destination and watched the horror unfold on tv. The incompetence of FEMA and the Bush administration was unbelievable. The series looks stunning and provides a human perspective upon the major disaster. Some of the events that happened in the hospital are truly mind blowing and the dedication and personal conflicts are well dramatised. The effects and production are terrific, so congratulations to the team. I wonder will there ever be a series about the superdome?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Good effects, story (so far) ok, acting lacking in impact
With all the money spent on this series, you would think that they would cast a couple of powerful actors in the lead roles, but sadly not. The money has been spent on special effects, etc but not on the important bit - acting impact. Few of the main characters are memorable and that is a real issue. They fail to bring the audience with them because of that. I will watch it, but it could have been so much better. And why insert all the regional stereotypes - Scots for dwarves, Irish for Hobbits and English for elves? Pretty insulting and most of the accents are pretty dire. The best actors so far are the soldier and his medicine woman girlfriend. Hopefully it will get better, but I doubt it!
Marriage (2022)
If I wanted to watch an ordinary family I would have videoed mine
Who thought this was a good idea??? Nobody wants to see ordinary live in almost real time.
Funny? Like Mum? NO
Dramatic? NO
Boring? YES
Nonsense? YES
Four hours of drivel in which little actually happens that could be condensed into 10 minutes.
And the intro "music" HORRIBLE
Another BBC failure.....
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
A far cry from reality.
I wish movie makers would avoid historical drama - it tends to end in failure as this one does.
Lets start with the fact that Elizabeth and Mary never met. Then much of the Scottish political intrigue is glossed over. And why does Mary have a Scottish accent when her first language was French?
And historically inaccurate black English aristocracy??
As for Scotland - why does every shot of Scotland show mountains? Virtually every shot shows mountains even when supposedly near Edinburgh and the border with England.
It looks good but is lacking in substance. The BBC documentary is the best I have seen on the subject, but you cannot do better than to read a good book on the subject.
Forgiven (2016)
UNFORGIVEABLE !!
What a dreary, miserable, predicable, God forsaken movie this is. Typical American claptrap. 3rd rate acting and a 4th rate script. Dont waste your time watching it.
Sin límites (2022)
Ok but why is everything so dark?
The series is ok as historical dramas go. My main complaint is that most of the time the screen is so dark you struggle to see what is happening.... about 75 percent of the picture takes place either at night or in the dark recesses of a ship!
Avoidance (2022)
What????
I watched the first episode and that was enough. Not funny, not serious, not a lot of great acting. It could have been good, but it wasn't. Maybe I expected more, but I certainly wont be watching the rest......
Love (2011)
Poor 2001 rip-off without much of a plot
Apparently meaningless and disjointed which eventually takes on a semblance of a story. However it is really boring and (spoiler) the resemblance to 2001 is obvious towards the end. A total waste of time.
Tales from the Loop (2020)
Ignore the stupid low ratings!
At last an intelligent sci-fi series without superheroes, explosions and violence! Yes the stories take time to develop but entertainment isnt all about immediate gratification. The acting is pretty realistic and the effects are pretty good. Refreshing and enjoyable!
The Man from Earth (2007)
Tedious, self-absorbed drama
Tedious claptrap that outstays its welcome from the five minute mark. Basically speculation on the history of man using the literary device of a man who lives for thousands of years.
The Stranger (2020)
Good but with some real plot howlers
A good series and story. Well acted.
However there are some real issues with it.
First of all it feels all too contrived, everybody knows everyone else.
Next, people do not act that way in real life - Corrine going off somewhere and leaving her kids.
When the police are examine cctv from outside the cafe the numberplate of the ransom girls car is clearly visible.
Body hidden in the walls? - not in the walls of a British terrace house which is single brick. Should have been in the attic.
Apart from these obvious flaws I enjoyed it.