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Reviews
Yellowstone (2018)
Ludicrous, utter nonsense.
Yellowstone, a television series that aspires to be an epic western drama, falls short of its lofty ambitions. From its contrived plot twists to its uninspired character development, the show struggles to rise above mediocrity, ultimately leaving viewers with a sense of disappointment.
One of the most glaring issues with Yellowstone is its reliance on predictable and melodramatic storytelling. The series seems to prioritize shock value over substance, throwing in one implausible twist after another in a desperate attempt to keep audiences engaged. Instead of investing in well-crafted narratives, Yellowstone often feels like a haphazard collection of sensational events strung together without a coherent vision.
The characters, despite being surrounded by a breathtaking backdrop of the Montana wilderness, lack depth and fail to evoke genuine empathy. John Dutton, portrayed by Kevin Costner, is meant to be the patriarchal figure anchoring the series, yet his character is marred by inconsistent writing and questionable decision-making. The attempts to humanize him through strained family dynamics come across as forced, contributing to an overall lack of authenticity in the character portrayals.
The series also suffers from a lack of nuance in its depiction of complex issues such as land disputes and environmental concerns. Instead of exploring the intricacies of these topics, Yellowstone resorts to simplistic and often clichéd representations. The conflict between the Dutton family and various adversaries feels more like a caricature of a western feud than a thoughtful exploration of the challenges faced by ranchers in the modern world.
Furthermore, the dialogue in Yellowstone often veers into the realm of melodrama, with characters delivering lines that sound more like overwrought monologues than authentic conversations. The heavy-handed approach to dialogue diminishes the impact of crucial scenes, making it difficult for viewers to take the characters and their predicaments seriously.
The series also grapples with pacing issues, oscillating between frenetic action sequences and sluggish moments of exposition. This uneven rhythm disrupts the narrative flow, leaving viewers disoriented and disconnected from the unfolding events. The pacing concerns contribute to an overall sense of frustration, as the audience is left yearning for a more cohesive and engaging viewing experience.
Yellowstone's portrayal of female characters is another area where the series falters. Despite the potential for strong, multidimensional women in a western setting, the female characters often feel like mere accessories to the male-driven plotlines. Their arcs are underdeveloped, and they frequently serve as devices to further the storylines of their male counterparts rather than standing on their own merit.
The cinematography, while capturing the grandeur of the Montana landscape, cannot compensate for the fundamental flaws in storytelling and character development. Beautiful panoramic shots of the wilderness become a veneer attempting to mask the lack of substance beneath. The scenic backdrop, rather than enhancing the narrative, feels like an aesthetic distraction used to compensate for the show's narrative shortcomings.
In conclusion, Yellowstone fails to live up to the expectations set by its premise and cast. The series struggles with contrived storytelling, one-dimensional characters, and a lack of nuance in addressing pertinent issues. While the picturesque setting of the Montana wilderness offers a visually appealing backdrop, it cannot salvage a narrative that lacks depth and authenticity. For viewers seeking a truly compelling and well-crafted western drama, Yellowstone is a disappointment that falls far short of the mark.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
It's a fun film
It's fun film, great fun in fact. I've seen it three times so far and bought the Blu-ray I enjoyed it so much. It's up there with first three, easily, the fourth film was flipping awful, with that Shia what his name.
Special effects are excellent, the storytelling fabulous, the cinematography superb, and Harrison Ford has still got it. Pheobe Waller-Bridge is great fun, though a little annoying in places, but she has nice smile and a twinkle in her eyes, which is charming. Toby Jones was underused which was a shame, but there you go. Overall I really enjoyable piece of cinematography. Just enjoy it for what it is.
The Morning Show: Testimony (2021)
Stop Shouting
Another episode where someone is shouting at another, this time it's Bradley shouting at her moronic brother. She should have dropped him years ago, who cares FFS!
So the revelations from the book are revealed. Who cares?
And Chip ( stupid effing name) is wondering around looking like he's lost his car keys again. Big off Chip, and when you get to where you are going, big off some more!
The only decent thing in this entire episode is Martin Short's memorial speech, in which he mentions cancel culture, he ends it with a'feck 'em'. And quite right too, feck 'em, and the horse they rode in on!
The Morning Show: Confirmations (2021)
Utter nonsense.
Goodness me, this series gets worse every episode.
First, it's blatantly obvious that ya man is going to die, it was signposted various episodes ago, it's a pity they didn't write the character out a while back, get it over and done with, get rid of the awful character and the bloody worse actor. Good riddance.
And that nonsense in the car where Alex and Chip ( what a stupid name WTF calls anyone Chip?) are shouting and screaming at each other, no one behaves like that. Completely ludicrous, badly written. I just hope the actors had a good laugh filming it.
I really don't want to watch it anymore, but it's bordering on the ' it's so bad, it's good' register, so might continue.
The Morning Show: My Least Favorite Year (2021)
I'm not sure but still watching...
But ready to quit. I'm following a drama about rich spoilt TV presenters, played by rich spoilt actors. It's hardly a stretch is it?
Some of the performances by the supporting cast are very good though, especially the younger cast members.
Crudup's character is annoying, and hopefully soon, Carrell will be written out, one of the most overrated performers to stand in front of a camera. Get him gone.
At the end of the day it's entertaining enough to watch whilst you're doing something else, like dusting or riding your Peloton or squeezing zits.
I can't begin to think how much money this show cost, but it ain't worth it.
The Batman (2022)
Utter crap
Too long, too dark, too busy, too noisy. Can't hear the dialogue, to many characters that don't move the story forwards, got bored, couldn't care less what happened. Pattinson was awful, Andy Serkis was wasted, as was Colin Farell, ( what was the point of all that makeup, could have been anyone underneath all that, same applies to Paul Dano).
Could have left out Zoë Kravits' Cat Woman out of the story, a completely pointless time wasting story ark.
The only decent character in it was Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon.
I hope to goodness they don't make another one.
I think I might go and watch the 1966 Batman Movie, to take my off this garbage.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part I (2022)
It's just not very good
There's no magic, no charm of the early movies, it's slick, it looks good but the script is painfully dull, and that kid playing Leia is just irritating. Shame really.
Reacher: Reacher Said Nothing (2022)
Incoherent inconsistent idiocy.
Goodness this show is hard work. The man looks the part, but I've seen better acting from my Action Man doll. The rest of the cast mumble their lines and say them as if they're in a hurry to get off the set and do something more interesting. It's blumen difficult to understand the dialogue most of the time.
The TC full length movies are much much better.
The Phantom of the Open (2021)
Blumen' Excellent.
A lovely, charming feel good film, great story, great script, laugh out loud funny, great cast. Go see it you won't regret it. Stop reading this review and go see the movie now! It's FAB.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian (2022)
Goodness this episode was dull
The special effects looked good, but the plot was tedious, the pacing was as dull as dull thing, made watching a Sloth look riveting. And why do all the extras look like humans from a CosPlay game?
Dix pour cent (2015)
Genius.
A work of sublime genius. Well written, poignant, farcical ( in the best way) , it looks great and has a superb cast. Utterly brilliant.