rptrezise Reviews

The Outsider (2020)

Enjoying it but why change?

[9/10 · 20 January 2020]

Enjoying it, having read the book when it came out. Decent adaptation but I have no idea why they changed Holly Gibney so radically. No, not talking about ethnicity but why they made her semi psychic and almost savant. Rest, so far, episode three down, is good.

Worzel Gummidge (2019– )

Charming and quite heartwarming.

[8/10 · 29 December 2019]

Not sure why anyone is negative about this. Have just watched the first one and it's very pleasant. Casting is well done and the characters, particularly the kids, well acted and not in the least obnoxious - something unusual when this seems to be the case all too often. Saw MC interviewed about it and seemed exceptionally humble and just hoped people liked it. Rather have. Harmless, pleasant and enjoyable. Disregard the killjoys of The Sun and Mail. I'm old enough to remember the original and this does it no harm. Looking forward to second episode.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Same old, same old... what's the fuss?

[6/10 · 31 October 2019]

Nothing new here, save for a switch in protagonists. Sarah Connor and Arnie back into the story by a whole sub plot for no particular reason. A couple of neat ideas, but wasted. The new 'Terminator' unit, which sidesteps all of what went before, is basically a rehash on what went before. But they seemed to have forgotten any requirement for much of a story behind ramming I'm familiar faces; having some big chase scenes and making the machine harder to kill. Our 'enhanced human' seems to have the staying power and longevity of the other bunnies in a certain battery commercial. It was ok. But didn't leave the cinema feeling anything particular but, meh... As a huge reboot? I'd rather have known what the hell was going on with the execs at the studio that though including the big Connor reveal in Genesys in the trailer was a great idea...

Whiskey Cavalier: Czech Mate (2019) Season 1, Episode 13

ABC does it again.

[7/10 · 27 May 2019]

What is it with ABC? Decent, ensemble show with bags of potential and yet they can it. Same as they did with Forever, for example. Does it have to be the same episode, week after week, month after month, year after year, a la Grey's Anatomy for ABC to renew? What's the point in watching anything from ABC? Even The Rookie only just made it. Joke of a network and waste of a good show. Again.

Elementary: The Further Adventures (2019) Season 7, Episode 1

Great performances but lousy location planning.

[8/10 · 26 May 2019]

Really enjoyed the episode and sorting out the Gregson connection could be interesting. But what on Earth were they playing at with the faux London bits? As mentioned on other sections, non existent U.K. number plates, missing plates from the moped, US model cars in background and frequently foreground, very obviously septic buildings, brownstones outside the London police station window when Watson is talking, single-ring phones - which apparently date back to the early eighties if you look at the ancient hospital phone - along with those very London yellow, hanging traffic lights in Baker Street, apparently. Much as I liked the story and always enjoy the show, the poor idea of pretending to be in London does turn into a 'spot the wrong detail' game with whoever is in the room with you. At least they didn't do the 'It's a real pea-souper, guvnor' and lashing rain bit. God only knows what Miller thought. He must have been cracking up with it all.

The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

Suspend disbelief and simply enjoy.

[7/10 · 4 May 2019]

Didn't expect much from this but the kids are good, Merlin (both old and young) is a delight and it's actually rather corny fun. If you expected it to be anything else, why are you watching it? Only effect I thought weak was the one for 'MorganaDragon' and the rest are up to par, in the main. Story isn't overlong, unless you can only tolerate cartoons. Neither the best, nor the worst film you'll see. Give it a go. Avoid preconceptions. If you're disappointed, you simply have no soul. Particularly if you can't warm to Bedders immediately.

Just Like Heaven (2005)

Lovely film with a great cast and a genuinely good feel.

[9/10 · 9 December 2018]

Standard romantic comedy tropes run through the usua hoops but because the cast are genuinely engaging this doesn't matter. The two leads carry the film well but the supporting cast are also excellent - particularly surfer dude psychic. Originally only watched it because my wife wanted to. But I've now seen it loads of times since and enjoy it every time. A lovely film, with heartwarming characterisation and some unforced comedy that works well. Love it.

Doctor Who: Rosa (2018) Season 11, Episode 3

Quantum Leap did it far better...

[1/10 · 21 October 2018]

This series has been derivative at best, thus far. At worst? Outright poorly copied. Episode one stole most of its plot from Predator and Predator 2 but set it in the heady heights of Sheffield. Episode two seemed to follow Screamers and STTNG - The Arsenal of Freedom. Nothing original and not in the least suspenseful. Episode three just seemed to be Quantum Leap rerun.

Malorie Blackman is better than this. Much better. Pig heart boy, for example, is thought provoking and well written. Given the poor scripting so far, I'll give her a pass and assume it's Chibnall. He's been to blame for the dismal showings so far. Not a fan of Whittaker but willing to see how she develops the role. She has time to shine, However, she's being let down by dire writing and it's beginning to look like it was moved to Sunday because it really is so poorly produced, despite the locations. Not the fault of the cast, who have potential to do well but it was scripts that Chibnall complained about when it was Doctor #6 and he seems to have decided to copy past mistakes. Very disappointing. Despite the worth of the subject matter. Sam and Al did this subject much better in 'The Colour Of Truth'.

BTW, what's with the constant Al Jolson jazz hands that Jodie keeps doing?

Bad Moms (2016)

Bad moms? Terrible movie.

[3/10 · 29 October 2016]

Clichéd. Hackneyed. Only one man who isn't an arsehole and he's the hot guy. Shock horror. if you can think of a stereotype and then add in a female equivalent to Will Ferrell, you've already got the movie summed up. Gross out is the only punchline and it's weak. Yes, mums do a heck of a job. But where the heck are the dads? No brainers are fun, when they deliver. This is just a female version of the worst stoner comedies starring Seth Rogen and co. That's 100 minutes of my life I could've done something worthwhile with... but being a bloke, it wouldn't matter in the universe of this movie. It kind of depends on whether you liked Bridesmaids. If you did and your brain didn't leak fully out of your ears, then you'll probably like this. If you thought Bridesmaids sucked. Then give this the widest detour possible.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

Lives up to all of the negative publicity all too well.

[1/10 · 1 October 2016]

Watched this last night. I put it on, thinking that perhaps it'd be OK. Fine. Not the best of approaches but hey, it worked for Lesbian Vampire Killers and I actually enjoyed two or three lines in that! Bad movies do sometimes have their charms and, despite lukewarm reviews, I was willing to give it a go. It riffs off the original in any number of ways, which, in itself, is not a bad thing. But it doesn't do so with any particular style and, quite frankly, goes downhill rapidly after a start that could've come from Scooby Doo 2. Cameos come and go, a pleasant nod to Egon/Ramis with a bust in one shot. Murray telephones in his role and Ackroyd has definitely seen better material. McCarthy is McCarthy - no change there. Still plain speaking and 'sassy' with more than a hint of 'bloody annoying loudmouth' about her. The supposedly kooky technician, Kate McKinnon, is just dumb and phenomenally irritating. She doesn't seem to know where to take the performance at all. Veering from odd genius to goofball but with no charm in any respect. Kristen Wiig plays Kristen Wiig in exactly the same performance as she has in so many movies before and if Leslie Jones thinks her Twitter feed comments were racist, (which they undoubtedly were - along with her own observations on white people BTW) she obviously never considered her performance too deeply as a stereotype of a 'black mama' that even Martin Lawrence would balk at delivering. For a movie which complained about misogyny and general sexism in response to the backlash to the all female leads, it's kind of ironic that all men in this movie are weird, stupid and have nothing to offer, aside from Hemsworth who's just eye-candy. The final battle scene is a mess of pointless gadgetry and poor effects which just looks like Feig figured that more was, well, more. If I could sue them for the waste of my life that this film was, I would. But I'm off to watch some other piece of trash and hope it'll be an improvement. It'd have to sink to lows of Showgirls levels to even come close to being as poor as this. As for the after credits scene - PLEASE GOD NO!

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Great romp, shame about the need to be so obvious...

[3/10 · 12 May 2013]

The film is a great piece of entertainment. Lots going on, plenty of humour, packed with action. But characters are left to fade into the wallpaper and serve little purpose. Without putting in spoilers, the bad guys may as well have neon signs flashing above their heads saying boo-hiss! (They're that obvious!) Crew members who are not Kirk and Spock serve VERY little purpose. As a homage to earlier versions, OK, but why do we have to have classic lines/scenes re- shot and mangled? It is fun but if you're a fan of the original your appreciation of this movie may be affected. If you're above 5 years old you'll see key twists coming all too far away, particularly with the 'Neighbours-like' telegraphy of specific elements. Also, why oh why has Abrams ignored the testy and curmudgeonly McCoy so much this time round?

Storage 24 (2012)

Very poor indeed.

[2/10 · 26 April 2013]

If you saw Attack the block and thought it had a certain charm (ignoring the subplot about muggers just being victims of society) then you might have gone for this thinking it'd be OK. Sadly, it's not. Wooden acting. Ludicrous plot. Every cliché you can think of. In addition, Nolan Clarke? How DOES he keep getting roles in anything? As for the ending... What? This kind of monster in the locked building/haunted house has been done better by pretty much any version you can name. We are not talking comparisons with Alien. This comes off looking bad compared to the average Goosebumps episode. Killer revealed too soon. Stereotypical characters. The victims may as well be wearing a neon sign round their neck saying they will not make the finale. In short, save 90 minutes of your life for something better. Like listening to nails scraping on a board...

The Stepford Wives (2004)

Lost the whole point of the original...

[1/10 · 19 March 2013]

In the original Katherine Ross was independent and successful. Her husband, weak, vain and pathetic. The idea, though feminist, was of appeal to both sides of the gender divide by virtue of being ABLE to view both sides but with the simple idea that what was being proposed was inherently wrong. The concept was horrific.. Everyone in this version of the movie is so unbelievably obnoxious, both male and female, that you would gladly nuke the town! Even the tacked on ending, no reveal here, doesn't make up for the scripts failings. This 'post modern' version is not funny, not horrific and unaffecting - aside perhaps from the desire to wonder where the last couple of hours of your life went and why...