nullcreations Reviews

Snatched (2017)

Not worth your money

[1/10 · 11 May 2017]

It's really unfortunate that Goldie Hawn was in this movie, because she's genuinely capable of doing great work.

Schumer on the other hand has never really been funny, and has been recycling the same tired vagina jokes for what seems to be an eternity.

The mother-daughter duo have horrible writing, it's difficult to really relate to them (which is a problem with a lot of Schumer's stand-up - she says a lot of unrelatable things) and I had a very hard time liking or even finding the characters interesting.

At some point Hollywood is going to realise that the quickest way to kill a movie is to include Schumer, who is rapidly becoming a poison pill in the industry.

That time can't come fast enough.

Bill Nye Saves the World (2017–2018)

What are you doing Bill? Don't do this!

[1/10 · 3 May 2017]

I can't even begin to express how disappointed I am in Bill Nye. This is a man that used to be synonymous with science education. The Science Guy was awesome, and like so many others I used to go out of my way to watch it because it eschewed everything in the name of science and experimentation. Imaginations were lit on fire by this man who unquestionably encouraged a whole generation of new scientists.

This new show is less about science and more about activism. The worst kind of activism. So little of it is science based. There is literally (and I wish I were joking about this, look it up, it's out there) an act where a woman sings about her vagina and gender fluidity. When I saw that I was speechless. It wasn't just a terrible song with terrible lyrics, and a ridiculous message that had nothing at all to do with science but the singing was amateurish and atrocious to the point where it couldn't even be enjoyed from a technical perspective.

I hope Bill figures out what a mistake he's making and gets back on course. We want to love you, but you're making it so very hard. More science, less agenda driven political garbage please.

Black Sails (2014–2017)

Absolutely incredible. Easily on par with Game of Thrones.

[10/10 · 26 March 2016]

WARNING: mild spoilers, but nothing that will kill how awesome this show is.

Black Sails is the pirate show you've been waiting for. It's a serious story told for adults that doesn't hold anything back. This show is not for children and should be a considered a "hard R" in terms of rating. It's often very violent and sexual. Yes, you get to see Hannah New in all her birthday suit glory - and she's pretty damn glorious.

It takes place near the end of the pirate era. England is plagued by pirates pillaging ships, names hold power over men with their mythos, and a small island in the Caribbean called Nassau (pronounced "Nah-sar") is the center of it all. Refusing British rule, this is not just a story of a den of thieves and villains, but it's the statement of a group of men and women that come from all walks of life who refused to be ruled by an Empire.

The story revolves around Captain Flint - a former English naval officer pushed out of society by scandal and his unpopular ideas. He ultimately becomes the notorious pirate Captain Flint who sets his sights on a Spanish treasure fleet so rich it would allow him to turn Nassau in to an Empire capable of resisting English rule. Just one problem - he doesn't know where it is and he's been lying to his weary crew about what they've been doing because he doesn't trust them.

This story is not one dimensional, and it's not one where there are clear cut heroes and villains. In fact, you'll often see most of the central characters switching between the roles of protagonist and antagonist as the story progresses. This story places heavy emphasis on character development and dialog, and you will see profound changes in characters as time goes on. It's one of the most stunning displays of writing brilliance I've seen in a television show.

If Black Sails is not on your must watch list, it should be. You're missing out.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Best movie of the year

[10/10 · 12 January 2014]

Few films move me, and fewer still evoke an emotion so powerful as to move me to tears. Made all the more real by it's truth, one that we as a species must never forget. It also endeavors to show us all the shades of grey which existed at that time, and that slavery was not a universally accepted ideology even then.

The entire movie I found myself waiting for Solomon (the protagonist played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) to lose it and kill them all like some tale of vengeance, but this doesn't occur. If you're expecting Django Unchained here, stop and forget the thought. Despite action aficionados wanting such a thing believe me when I say it's good that it doesn't go down this way. Solomon is not a murderer (even if one could consider it justifiable) and he's not cruel. He's just a man thrust in to a world he doesn't know, but is forced to understand. The development of his character from a carefree person with no worries to a person who's eyes are opened to humanity's horrors through physical and emotional pain and loss is well paced.

To say that Chiwetel Ejiofor performance was incredible and heartfelt wouldn't be doing it sufficient justice - nor would it be fair to discount the performances of any other actor in this film. It is a rare pleasure to have a cast so invested as to give 150% throughout. When I saw Brad Pitt's name in the cast I thought for sure that he would have more screen time being as well known as he is, but such is not really the case. He plays an important but relatively small part in the picture which is assisted in just the right portions by the entire cast.

Even if you're not one for dramas, you should make time for this movie. Through its profoundly brutal depiction of a pre-civil war America we are given a very small but revealing glimpse in to one of the darkest and most deplorable periods of the country's history. Cinematic performances don't get better than this.