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iZombie: My Really Fair Lady (2018)
Lost me as a viewer
This episode dealt with open relationships (didn't really going anywhere and was unconvincing and clearly uniformed on the subject), drug addiction (didn't really going anywhere and was unconvincing and clearly uniformed on the subject) and sexual harassment (didn't go anywhere and was unconvincing and clearly uniformed on the subject), with some sprinklings of homophobia, inconsistent lore and embarrassing jokes.
What I loved about the first two seasons was the natural and interesting character arcs and the cool world-building. I didn't really laugh at most of the 'wacky' comedy and the mysteries became very predictable, but I was so invested in everything else that I didn't really mind. However, now nothing anyone does makes much sense because they've put too much focus on plot and not on characters. Plus I'm pretty sure they killed off a character, brought him back to life and then killed him again (remember how Dino got smashed with a hammer in the season premiere, only to return with no lines two episodes later, and then be missing again?!)
In regards to constancy: the first ever episode of iZombie featured the brain of an Eastern-European sex-worker with kleptomania. Liv had no accent (but found she could speak Romanian fluently), was not promiscuous (not saying that sex-workers are, but people being defined by their jobs will become relevant in my follow up sentence) and Liv kept stealing things. In 405, Liv picks up a silly Canadian accent, and almost every brain the last two seasons has been focused on one specific, shallow aspect of the victim's life. Just because Nellie (Rachel Bloom, by the way, was the best part of this season so far in her 3 minutes of screen-time) was an actor/director, doesn't mean that was how she acted all the time. It isn't funny, it doesn't make sense, and it means that we have no idea what Liv's personality is because the writers have stopped bothering to think about that. This consistent inconsistency means that we can't believe in anything that happens, and it makes being invested in everything hard.
Unfortunately, the focus on Adam Sandler-level comedy has ruined the show for me, and the trivialisation of heroin addiction prevented me from seeking any enjoyment even as a light guilty pleasure. A shame, but the show seems to still be popular so I expect a further deterioration in quality for future seasons.
Also shoutout to the dockworker being comically confused that Suki had a (fake) wife. I love being in the 90's.
iZombie: Dirt Nap Time (2017)
Terrible brain ruins the episode
I get it, some brains have to be funny while others have to be serious. But school- teacher brain? Really? Just because that's his job doesn't mean he was like that normally. We know that he was a serial-cheater, we know that he was charming, we know that he was a good listener. By taking a basic, shallow part of his character, the entire episode falls flat. You can't believe in the logic in the show, which means that nothing has any stakes. It's a shame because the B-plots are very interesting but, because of lazy characterisations, this is one of the worst episodes of the season.
Iron Fist: Snow Gives Way (2017)
A pre-established fanbase manipulates the IMDb score
It is a well-known fact that critics and audiences often have different responses to film/ television etc. So I wasn't particularly surprised when I saw a very high rating for Iron Fist on IMDb compared to it's 37/100 score on Metacritic. For this reason, I went into this first episode with an open mind.
I have seen maybe half of the first season of DareDevil and all of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, and really enjoyed all three. Something I've noticed is how realistic everything that can be is. What I mean by that is that the dialogue, the human interaction, the plotting etc. feels so natural that the element of superhuman abilities just feels like an extension of the world, rather than anything else. We believe that Luke Cage is a real person working two jobs and still mourning the death of wife, so the fact that he is bulletproof and has super-strength doesn't faze us.
That is where, in my opinion, Iron Fist fails. The dialogue feels so forced and unnatural that every scene just feels a little off. Every scene seems to go on for slightly too long so you're left a little bored. The pacing is so jarring that after every new scene you need time to adjust. It hopped between light-hearted and dramatic so quickly that I had no idea how I was supposed to feel. And I was genuinely shocked at how choreographed the fight scenes seemed to be. Obviously fight scenes in media are choreographed, that's not the problem. The problem is that it's clear that the actors have been told exactly what to do and rehearsed it so it's clockwork, which means it's so unbelievable. I was sure that if there was one thing I could enjoy about this show it would be the action, but clearly I was wrong.
I've seen a lot of IMDb reviews where people complain that the only reason this show has not received critical acclaim is due to political correctness. That is an easy way to trick yourself into enjoying a very mediocre program. Very disappointing from a Marvel/ Netflix collaboration.
The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)
A dignified ending (just)
'The Inbetweeners' is one of the UK's most popular (and best) television programs ever. It was predictable that a film would follow but it was surprisingly good- some brilliant jokes, likable (new) characters and a happy ending.
The problem with 'The Inbetweeners 2' is that it's like an over-long episode of the television program with a bigger budget. There were far too many jokes that fell flat and 2/3 of the film were either smiles or dry spots. I was lucky enough to see '22 Jump Street' earlier in the year so I know that the sequel to a film can still be consistently funny.
The British film critic Mark Kermode says that a comedy film is good if it has at least six laughs. 'The Inbetweeners 2' the audience at the screening I went to laughed (out loud) exactly that amount. To conclude, the film is quite good, with some very funny moments, but wouldn't convert any new fans, unlike it's predecessor.
Homefront (2013)
Cool plot, great acting, bad direction, terrible screenplay
The plot of an ex undercover cop who has trouble with the aggressive members of his new neighbourhood, combined with the excellent cast of Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovic and Kate Bosworth sounds like an amazing movie. Unfortunately, a dodgy screenplay (with completely pointless uses of the 'f-word' 115 times) and obvious, boring direction lets 'Homefront' down. If it wasn't for the cast, there would be no point in watching this film.
I would like to give a special mention to Izabela Vidovic who, considering this was her first full-length feature role, gave a brilliant performance.
P.s. Sylvester Stallone- Lots and lots of swearing doesn't create tough characters, it creates lazy screen-writing.
About Time (2013)
Absolutely wonderful
Before I start this review that I would like to point out that almost all of the negative reviews on this page are written by people who hate most (or all) Richard Curtis films. Now everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if you hate those types of films, why watch it? Do you have nothing else to do other than insult a film you assume that you will hate from the start, and then give it a highly unnecessarily bad review of a film you have probably barely watched?
But that's not why I'm writing this; this review is being written because I think that 'About Time' is one of the funniest, most moving films I have ever seen, and believe me, I've seen a lot! The plot (or, as the slaughters would call the 'lack of') is about an ordinary, middle class man who, at a new year's eve party finds out that his family has the power to travel back in time. The film then shows the lovable main character find a girl, and have a relationship e.t.c. I won't go into details for the sake of ruining the film, but it is very sweet. I like the thought-provoking plot, I enjoyed most of Curtis' script, and thought that all but Bill Nighy were excellent. My reason for picking of Nighy is because he is one of my favourite actors, but his part was full of obvious, awkward dialogue that didn't really suit him, although he still made me laugh on more than one occasion! All in all, despite the fact that most people who dislike most of Richard Curtis's films will not like this, 'About Time' is a great film which should make the audience laugh, cry and be merry!