paul-scollon Reviews

Halloween Ends (2022)

Not As Bad As Some Make Out

[7/10 · 20 October 2022]

I'm not sure what people went into this expecting (more of the same from the countless movies that preceded this one?) but it is a fine Halloween movie with a bit of a message about how evil will always exist, just in different forms. I liked it. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen, on TV it probably would have a much less impact. There were some nice references to the original movie(s) and the flashback scenes were pretty awesome. John Carpenter's music is always worth hearing in a proper cinema. I really liked the ending, he's definitely NOT coming back! I can appreciate why a lot of people didn't like it, but would urge some of them to go see it again, at the cinema this time, before actual Halloween itself. It really will be last time you get the Michael Myers experience!

The War of the Worlds (2019)

Read The Book Instead

[2/10 · 28 April 2021]

This was such a wasted opportunity. I thought if anyone could (finally) do a faithful adaptation of this story it was the BBC, but now I'd rather rewatch the Tom Cruise movie... and it was bad. Not even sure the writers read the book, this version is just complete pantaloons...

The Nevers (2021–2023)

Never Say Never

[9/10 · 28 April 2021]

Do you like steampunk? Do you like X-Men? Do you like badass, beautiful female characters? Do you like well choreographed fight scenes? And, importantly, do you want to be entertained? Then you need to be watching 'The Nevers'!

Great period fantasy which could so easily have had a female agenda but is SO much more (but 'Buffy' fans knew this already). Fun fact: Joss Whedon created the popular comic series "Astonishing X-Men". If you enjoyed that, you'll love this show.

Beastie Boys Story (2020)

Only for fans

[9/10 · 26 April 2020]

If you are not a massive Beastie Boys fan, this will likely bore you. However, for real fans, there are nuggets of pure gold within. Very entertaining. However, the main thing you come away with is how much the remaining members miss their friend Adam "MCA" Yauch.

Hunters (2020–2023)

It's okay...

[5/10 · 2 April 2020]

...but not great. Al Pacino is one of my favourite actors, so I really wanted this to be awesome. It isn't. It's does a great job of ripping off Quentin Tarrintino though! Watchable, but there are better shows out there.

For All Mankind (2019– )

Give it a chance...

[8/10 · 7 December 2019]

Once you "buy in" to the alternative history presented here (and this can take several episodes), this is an incredibly entertaining show. The story is dramatic and the cast is great. Via other characters they fully acknowledge that putting women and non-white Americans into space in the 1970s is unlikely and even ridiculous, but clever script writing also makes it plausible. Don't take it too seriously and you will enjoy this. You'll enjoy it a LOT.

The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1979 TV Movie)

Yabba Dabba Doo

[9/10 · 5 December 2019]

Wilma Flintstone in a bunny costume. What more do you need to know?

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

I killed the President of Paraguay with a fork...

[8/10 · 20 September 2019]

One of my favourite movies that is practically a time capsule of the 90s. Great cast, great dialogue, great soundtrack. John Cusack totally nails the character of Martin Blank, it's like it was written for him. Probably one of Joan's best roles also. Worth at least one watch if you're curious about all the fuss...

Nighthawks (1981)

Cool Early 80s Movie

[8/10 · 4 May 2019]

How cool? "Lando Carissian wearing a Superman T-Shirt while sitting next to Rocky Balboa who is cosplaying Carlito Brigante" cool. 'Nuff said.

Lucifer (2016–2021)

A Guilty Pleasure

[7/10 · 14 April 2019]

I really should hate this show for how different it is to the comic books... but I can't. In fact, I LOVE this show! Great cast, very smart writing, well timed comedy and pop culture references galore. So glad to see in "uncancelled" and back in May for Season 4. Maybe there is a God (or Devil) after all...

Green Book (2018)

Outstanding Cast

[9/10 · 20 February 2019]

Having read an interview with Viggo Mortensen recently I was curious about this movie. I was not disappointed. Both he and Mahershala Ali are excellent in this movie, and are working with a great script. It's a nice change to watch movie and not feel like you just wasted 2 hours of your life. Very enjoyable!

The Shape of Water (2017)

Beautiful Movie

[8/10 · 12 January 2018]

This beautiful and very clever movie will not be for everyone, but if you are prepared to suspend your disbelief it really is a lot of fun (I see from other reviews that not everyone did this). Sally Hawkins is fantastic (I've loved everything she's been in recently) and Michael Shannon is the perfect stereotyped bad guy. The story is simplistic, sure, but the sets and the cinematography are the real stars here. If you've played the video game "BioShock" then a lot of it will look familiar.

If you're a fan of Guillermo Del Toro and enjoy all genres of movies (including, but not limited to, science fiction, romance, musical) you may well "get" this movie, otherwise you should probably skip it. Even if you do enjoy it, there are a few noticeable sub-plots and themes that don't really go anywhere (Richard Jenkins' character being a gay man in the 50s, for example) ... my only gripe.

Go watch it, have fun. But leave your brain at home.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

It's not TERRIBLE... but.....

[3/10 · 28 September 2017]

Camera angles reminiscent of the Batman TV show, too much lens flare, poor writing, technology that looks newer than TOS even though this is set before, fake Klingons, plot holes galore (Spock has a sister than nobody know about and he NEVER mentioned? Seriously?)... this isn't the Star Trek fans wanted. At all. However, if they took the "Star Trek" out and released it as just another si-fi series, it would probably be quite decent. Here's a crazy idea for the CBS execs - either do a REAL prequel to TOS (same costumes, props scenery etc, including the 60s colour scheme) or do a proper sequel (which we all want) set about 100 years from where Voyager left off. And stop looking to the JJ Universe for ideas! This could have been so much better, but 2 episodes is enough for me. I'm getting off at the next starbase....

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Decent attempt at a Star Trek outing

[8/10 · 5 August 2016]

Okay, as a lifelong Star Trek fan and not a big fan of the last movie, I had serious reservations about this one - especially as it was directed by Justin "Fast & Furious" Lin. However, credit where it's due, he made a great attempt at this, and it turned out to be good fun (and WAY better than Jar Jar Abrams' "Into Darkness" mess). It's STILL not Star Trek like the REAL Star Trek - there are no memorable lines here and you won't be playing particular scenes over and over in your head, but this is the world we now live in. They've given all your other favorites the same treatment (and ruined them too), James Bond and Star Wars being among the countless franchises to fall victim. Somehow we've got the point where ALL movies need to be a politically correct as possible, have as a diverse a cast as possible, and appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Hollywood want EVERYBODY to be fans of EVERYTHING from here on - no more closed communities thank you very much.

Given all this, and that Star Trek now has to fit this terrible template, this movie could have been SO much worse. Yes, it has plot holes galore (they're on purpose, don't you know? So the fans can have "insane theory" videos on YouTube), but it also has lots of references to the Star Trek Universe over the last 50 years to celebrate the 50th anniversary. These are subtle enough to indicate that they were put there for the real HARDCORE fans, which I thought was respectful and made me sit up and pay a bit more attention every time I spotted one. One thing that really bugged me though - some of the actors, as they get older, look even LESS like the characters should on screen. For instance, Simon Pegg would want to start piling on the pounds to play an older Scotty, and in the same vain Zachary Quinto should probably lose a few. But these are minor details for sure.

To finish on a positive note, Sofia Boutella who plays the alien Jaylah is really good, and a very likely contender to replace Anton Yelchin who sadly passed away recently. As I've read they won't be recasting Chekov (good!) then I think she would make a fine addition to the crew. Someone make this happen!

If you're a Trek fan at all you SHOULD go see this one. It's SLIGHTLY dragged out near the end, but there is at least a solid 90 minutes of big screen action to be enjoyed in there somewhere. A fitting way to celebrate 50 years of Trek? Maybe. I certainly didn't feel like walking out like during the last outing.. and during Star Wars... and during SPECTRE....

Total Recall (I) (2012)

Best of the unnecessary remakes

[7/10 · 1 July 2016]

This movie is actually not as bad as other reviewers think, and this is coming from a massive fan of the original Total "Get Your Ass To Mars" Recall movie (1990) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone et al.

It's got a great cast (including the multi-talented Colin Farrell and the beautiful Kate Beckinsale), the action sequences are insanely well choreographed and the effect top-notch... it's just that none of it is memorable (ironic, given the title of the movie).

For some guaranteed, quick, si-fi entertainment though, this movie is top notch. If you like Minority Report (also with Colin Farrell) and other similar movies, you'll enjoy this one. It's definitely WAY better than Robocop and a bunch of other remakes that were made recently, mainly because they changed the story around instead of trying to to a frame per frame (but family friendly) remake of an classic.

Chuck (2007–2012)

I see what you did there...

[9/10 · 11 May 2016]

I was genuinely dubious about this show, and put off watching it for quite some time. However, it is now firmly in my top 5 shows of all time. The reason? The sheer amount of pop culture references in each show. It is amazing fun spotting all the hidden references layered below the obvious ones - some not so obvious at all - for example a reference to the movie "Gotcha!" (that I only just got because I had watch that movie the night before) or a sneaky reference in one episode to "Firefly", in which Adam Baldwin also starred. This is stuff made just for geeks, and it is brilliant. On a regular day there are also subtle references to Mad Max, Die Hard, Dune, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Back to The Future, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and so on. The scripts are also quite good, with some genuine laugh out loud moments. Check it out, you won't be disappointed, but give a few episodes before you decide.. your brain won't be able to take it all in immediately (and you'll see what I did there).

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

The Hype Awakens

[4/10 · 7 January 2016]

Disney perfects the process for turning nostalgia into hard cash. Possibly the most over-hyped movie EVER in history, and also one of the biggest let downs for fans of the original trilogy. I really tried to love this movie, but that's the problem right there... everyone is trying a bit TOO hard...

** POSSIBLE SPOILERS **

Also, it's an incredibly unoriginal movie. Secret plans for a planet destroying weapon hidden inside a droid on a desert planet? Said droid found by a young local who is also a talented pilot and in touch with the force? Local villagers slaughtered by Stormtroopers looking for the plans? Escaping desert planet in Millennium Falcon? Someone needs rescuing from the "Death Star"? and there's more... any of this sound familiar at all?!! Are you kidding me Jar Jar Abrams?

This is the last Star Wars movie I will ever pay to watch. Disney can have everyone else's cash, but they are not getting any more of mine.

Terminator Genisys (2015)

This franchise is... terminated

[2/10 · 6 October 2015]

Terrible, terrible outing for the franchise, and hopefully the last (Arnie has confirmed he's definitely out anyway). I'm a HUGE Terminator fan, have read all the Dark Horse comics and everything, but half way through this movie I was caught between bored and horrified at how much of a mess they made of the whole thing. Granted, the first 30 minutes or so are clever, but about halfway in the whole thing goes downhill, and then some.

As a real fan, this is not one I will add to my collection, this is just garbage. I will instead be buying the Sarah Connor Chronicles on HD, which together with the first 2 movies, is a perfect franchise. 3 and 4 are okay, but this one? Forget it. I only wish I could go back in time and never have seen just how bad a Terminator movie can be...

Pride (I) (2014)

Much better than expected

[9/10 · 20 January 2015]

I didn't know what to expect with this movie, it was my wife that picked it, I was watching it more for her than me.

However, I in no way expected to enjoy it as much as I did! The cast are absolutely superb, and the story is an intriguing look at solidarity in the least likely of places - it was hard in this modern day to believe it is a true story, as nobody sticks their neck out for complete strangers like this any more.

The movie also boasts a fantastic soundtrack and some good clean humour. Another British cinema triumph. Be you gay, straight, Welsh, a miner or none of the above, this movie is well worth watching.