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rtgannon1
Reviews
My Greek Odyssey (2018)
My Big Fat Greek Odyssey
The Good
You get to see lots of scenic Greek islands, meet interesting locals and immigrants, and learn things about the history of Greek civilization. Never mind that the islands do all basically look the same because our host, Peter, eagerly explains the unique qualities of each place. I'm reminded of the Thai phrase "same same, but different."
The Bad
The yacht Mia Zoi looks great, and with her twin 2,800 horsepower engines that use thousands of liters of fuel each day, why worry about climate change and global warming as long as you can satisfy your urge to get to every known inhabited Greek island and host a nifty travel show?
The Ugly
Lose the man purse and the neck turban Peter. I understand that your wife Helen probably gave you those for your birthday and that puts you in an awkward situation, but do you really need those things? When you've freed yourself from the unnecessary adornments, why not splurge and get a nose job and some laser hair removal for your arms and back, please. And last but not least, if I see you shoveling food into your mouth one more time, I will swear off eating forever.
I must be a glutton for punishment though, because I am actually looking forward to the seventh (and final) series when that comes out.
World's Most Dangerous Roads (2011)
World's Most Dangerous Numpties
The idea behind this series sounded good - having adventures on perilous roads around the world. The actual execution of this production, however, left a lot to be desired.
Production methods were used to exaggerate the "danger" of the terrain. As an example, I noticed many instances of close shots repeatedly inserted that showed the wheels of the vehicle rolling perilously close to the edge of a great precipice. And then the wider shots showed they were nowhere near the edge of the road.
The celebrity personalities chosen for these drives seemed to have little to no experience in off-road driving, and often seemed challenged to be able to handle relatively minor obstacles. Their banter was all too often childish and gave the impression of not being very intelligent. I found myself using the fast forward button to skip past most of the scenes where these people were jabbering inside the cars. I really had hoped that more of the scenery and history of the locales would have been covered, instead of being subjected to this banal tripe.
There were some instances where the drivers were clearly not worthy of these drives, and should have never been allowed behind the wheel. The worst example of this was when Sue Perkins lost her nerve in the middle of a total whiteout blizzard and stopped her vehicle diagonally across the road on a curve where heavy truck traffic would not be able to see it in time to avoid a very nasty collision. When Charley Boorman scrambled to take the wheel and get them out of the predicament, Sue further endangered things by chasing after her "lucky hat" when a gust of wind blew it away as she climbed back into the car.
It's too bad that all the effort in producing this series resulted in something that I would rather forget.
Lost Treasures of Egypt (2019)
Constantly shifts from one scene to another
While there is some very interesting history presented in this series, the big downside was the incessant moving from one excavation location to another every few minutes. It would have been much better if they just stuck with one story for a longer period. I suppose this style was chosen in a weird attempt to hold the interest of those that have a short attention span, but I found it to be extremely annoying.
Most of the historical experts do a pretty good job of hosting their segments. There is one notable exception, that being Colleen Darnell. Her obsession with 1920s period clothing comes across as unprofessional while she parades along as though she's on a fashion show catwalk. Along with her mousy voice, it just makes her segments cringe-worthy.
All said, I feel the production method really downgraded the effort and left me disappointed with what could have been a much better series from National Geographic.
La Liste: Everything or Nothing (2021)
Spectacular scenery and very scary skiing
I really wanted to like this program more than I gave it credit for. The mountain scenery looks amazing in high definition on a big screen. The skiing is almost beyond comprehension when they barrel down slopes that look to be 80 degrees steep or more. What detracted to the extreme was the audio that was so bad I could not determine what most of the dialogue was. To make matters worse, English subtitles were only available for the French dialogue, but not for the English dialogue. For this reason I lowered my rating from 7 down to 6. I recommend giving the program a view if you can read lips, or if the lack of intelligible dialogue doesn't bother you.
The Legacy of Lawrence of Arabia (2010)
The self-promotion of Stewart of Arabia
The program is supposed to be about Lawrence's exploits and the possible long term consequences from the events of his day. The host shares his opinions on how present day Middle Eastern issues have been effected by historic actions taken, such as the signing of the Sykes-Picot Agreement between the United Kingdom and France during World War I.
While I appreciated the effort in describing how history effects the present day situation, I found the host's efforts to impress viewers on how similar his exploits have been to those taken by Lawrence to be too much. It would have been enough for the host to simply explain his background and why he believes his opinion matters at the beginning of the program, rather than continually trying to impress viewers with how important he is throughout the show. Stewart could possibly be the second "most shameless exhibitionist since Barnum & Bailey."
If you can get past the annoying self-promotion by the host, I found the program to be interesting and worth the time, especially for those that have a keen interest in T. E. Lawrence and want to learn more about him.
Hurricane Man (2019)
Hurry if you can, man
If extreme weather events make your day, this could be a series for you.
On the plus side, Josh's on-the-ground pursuit of hurricanes and typhoons provide some great footage of these storms coming ashore. I can't recall seeing coverage to this extent before, probably because most people with their sanity in check would be inclined to seek shelter in these situations. After the storms pass, there is interesting coverage of the impact to the local residents, then Josh and his crew scramble to intercept new storms, having to catch last minute flights to reach their destinations around the globe.
On the down side, Josh's ramblings about his obsession with chasing storms, interjected numerous times during each episode, gets old before the first example is finished. Fortunately, the fast forward button can spare you from being subjected to that. Another concern is the way Josh puts his crew in harm's way, like his decision to pursue a super typhoon by driving at night in the midst of the raging storm up a hazardous unfamiliar dirt road. It's one thing to risk your own life carelessly, but to include others in this craziness is irresponsible and unacceptably dangerous.
All said, I would recommend this series for those that share an interest in this fascinating weather phenomenon.
Walking with Elephants (2020)
Walking near elephants
Levison Wood presents this mini-series that follows elephant journeys taken by matriarchal families and bachelor herds along different migration routes to the Okavango Delta. The series title might lead you to think that Levison walks along with these elephants as they migrate. In reality, the interaction is more limited, mainly due to the wariness of the elephants to human presence. I enjoyed the episodes as they showed a unique perspective by walking the distance instead of taking more convenient modes of transport. This gave a more natural view of the wildlife and their surroundings then you might otherwise see. Levison's interactions with local people in a few villages along the way helped to show how people who live in the presence of the elephants feel about them. Unfortunately for the elephants, their human neighbors don't always appreciate them due to conflicts stemming from different needs.
Brothers in Blood: The Lions of Sabi Sand (2015)
Difficult to watch at times, but that's how lions live
I've watched many wildlife documentaries over the years, and this one really stands out. The film does a great job of capturing the brutality and savagery that wild lions must contend with in their struggle to survive. The video presentation is very good, with most scenes in high resolution, along with a few scenes from lower resolution sources. The audio is good - the only issue I noted was difficulty understanding dialogue spoken by some of the cast members who had heavy South African accents. Subtitles would have helped with that issue. All in all, I would highly recommend this film to those who enjoy a good nature documentary, but be warned - there are very graphic scenes of violent predatory behavior that can be difficult to watch for the faint of heart.
Serengeti (2019)
A Serengeti Soap Opera
This was an unusual documentary series for me. I would typically prefer to go with a more traditional approach that is not dramatized as this series is. I found the stories interesting, although the production methods stretched the truth a bit. Animals and scenes have been edited together to match the story lines, but with obvious differences. As an example, shots of different individuals and kills are edited together as though they are within the same scene. To a person who doesn't notice or mind those kinds of disparities, the series can be a good way to envision how different species might live and struggle to survive. The cinematography is often quite spectacular, but I suspect that some altering of the visuals has been done to enhance effects. All in all, I found the series to be good entertainment and would recommend it to others, as long as they are ok with the caveats I've mentioned.
Man, Cheetah, Wild (2013)
A new perspective into the lives of wild cheetahs
Before watching "Man, Cheetah, Wild", I was skeptical of what Kim's purpose was for his up close and personal interaction with cheetahs. I wondered if he was trying to sensationalize and capitalize on the endeavor, strictly for fame and gain.
After viewing, I was convinced that his goals were sincere in that he wanted to present as much information as he could about cheetahs, in addition to providing a unique experience for viewers. I would usually be concerned with close human interaction and the effects that might have on wild animals. In this case, Kim demonstrated that enough effort was taken so the cheetahs only became used to his presence, and not humans in general, and that he truly cares about their well being.
I was impressed with Kim's skills in judging animal behavior and this program certainly gave an interesting new perspective into the lives of wild cheetahs. On these merits, I would highly recommend this film to those interested in learning more about cheetahs and African wildlife in general.
The Nile: Egypt's Great River with Bettany Hughes (2019)
A voyage of the ages
This 4 part series covers a voyage by traditional Dahabiya boat starting at the Nile delta and traveling up river to the city of Aswan. From there the trip is extended by road to the final destination of Abu Simbel. Along the way, our host make stops at historical points of interest, including archeological sites where excavations are taking place, and at temples, tombs and museums. Taking all this in through the perspective of a boat journey up the river makes for an interesting presentation when you consider this was the way the ancient Egyptians would have seen and experienced their world. Bettany Hughes guides us on this journey, sharing her expertise and enthusiasm for the history and wonder of this fascinating civilization.
Jungle Atlantis (2014)
Technology helps solve an ancient mystery
Highly recommended for those with an interest in Southeast Asian history. The two episodes cover the rise and fall of the Khmer Empire, which controlled much of the region for centuries. LiDAR technology, a form of laser mapping, is a major focus of the effort to more clearly understand the extent of the empire, particularly in the area of the city surrounding the famous Angkor Wat. As the title suggests, much of the former capital has been swallowed by jungle since its abandonment. What would have taken decades to explore and document, has been revealed through the use of LiDAR to show how the city was designed and the attributes that helped it to flourish. In particular, the extensive waterworks that allowed the empire to mitigate the effects of the annual monsoon and dry seasons are illustrated in great detail.
Great Australian Railway Journeys (2019)
An armchair adventure worth checking out
This is a very nice series covering railway routes throughout Australia, with side trips to highlight areas of interest along the way. Michael Portillo guides us on his journeys, describing historic and present day aspects with great panache. It's apparent that Michael enjoys his work and likes to get out and mingle with the locals. Michael meets people of many ethnic backgrounds and through their talks, the viewer gets a taste of the diverse culture that is modern Australia. All the episodes are well worth the time. My personal favorites are those covering the route of the Ghan up the center of the continent, and the route in northern Queensland from Kuranda to Townsville.
Immortal Egypt (2016)
A fascinating journey back in time
I really enjoyed this little series, largely due to the enthusiasm shown for the subject matter by the presenter, Joann Fletcher. I have always had a strong interest in Egyptian history, but over the years I have not kept up on the latest developments. From these episodes, I learned many new things about how the civilization had its beginnings, flourished, and ultimately declined. As an example, I didn't know that looting of tombs in the Valley of the Kings was sanctioned by the state, namely the high priest of upper Egypt. The cinematography is well done, giving beautiful views of the scenery, structures and artifacts left from their time.
Long Way Up (2020)
Splendor on the blenders
I believe rugged individualism should be a defining factor in high adventure. In the case of Charley and Ewan's latest tour de force, that factor may have taken the back seat. It seems the top priority was sponsorship and bowing to the wishes of corporate demigods at Harley, Rivian and Apple.
Getting out of the starting blocks was awkward and frustrating. The first three episodes were wasted on charging concerns for the electric motorcycles and support trucks.
Momentum eventually picked up, with the best episodes being "The Andes", "Atacama Desert into Bolivia", "Bolivia" and "Peru". As episodes progress beyond, focus drifts a bit from the main theme, namely having an adventurous motorcycle journey.
An example of this drift was the lengthy outfitting of an old bus, which was meant to address security concerns for travel through dangerous areas of Mexico. Ultimately, the bus stole that episode, not the banditos.
By the time the team hits the U.S. border, the final episode seems to fizzle out. The big reception committee escorting the duo home was staged to impress the viewer, but was in direct conflict with that concept of rugged individualism.
In the end, I wondered why the series ended in Los Angeles, when there's so much to be seen along the U.S. Pacific coast. It's possible the trip was planned to end in Ewan's home port, just for the sake of convenience.
Gripes aside, I recommend the series for anyone interested in adventure travel. It provides a unique glimpse of life in the countries traversed, as seen through the lenses of Charley's and Ewan's helmet cams, along with Claudio, Jimmy and Anthony's excellent camera work.
Loong Boonmee raleuk chat (2010)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can't Recall Where They Put The Plot
This is the first review I have written for IMDb and I felt compelled to do so after seeing this particular movie. I'm an expat living in Thailand with my Thai wife. I consider myself to be fairly open minded towards films that might be considered different and which might not appeal to a broader audience, whereas my wife typically prefers to stick with films that are popular with the masses. That said, my wife and I were curious about a Thai made film which had won a prestigious award from the Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, we were both quite disappointed in the film, which seemed to wander from scene to scene with little cohesion. In particular, the closing scene left us wondering what that was all about. I agree with the reviewers who wonder what the Cannes judges were thinking when they gave this film the top award. The director succeeded in making a very unique film, although I am not sure why it would appeal to anyone.