garry-anderton Reviews

Baby Reindeer (2024– )

So, so, good

[10/10 · 28 April 2024]

This is an utterly brilliant series. Powerful, hard to watch, funny, poignant, sad, heart-warming, and brilliantly acted. Just brilliantly acted. Jessica Gunning is the highlight, putting in one of the best performances I've seen in a long while. But the whole cast nails it, including Gadd himself - who obviously deserves massive credit for putting this together as well as actually LIVING it in the first place.

It's so refreshing watching a "limited" series these days, knowing that it's a self-contained story and won't be milked dry over several declining seasons. It hits hard when it's over because, well, it's over. I shed more than one tear, I'm not ashamed to admit.

Fallout (2024– )

Nailed it

[9/10 · 16 April 2024]

I'm more of a casual Fallout game fan, so the franchise isn't precious to me. I'm more of a Elder Scrolls fan. As such, I adore this show! It blends the perfect ratio of silliness, comedy, drama, intrigue, and action. The casting is spot on, with Ella Purnell stealing the show. It's nicely shot, the music is great....there are no flaws here. I really hope they can keep the quality up for multiple seasons.

I'm increasingly getting fed up with Amazon streaming and their business model, ads, etc, but they keep making great shows. I wish they didn't so I could cancel my membership and feel good about myself...but here we are, dammit. Well done again, Amazon.

3 Body Problem (2024)

Mostly great, but occasional misses

[8/10 · 6 April 2024]

Not read the book. It's been on my list for a while...

I'm completely loving this show. As with anything, It's the characters and performances that drive it along. In that regard, the cast is outstanding. With one exception: Benedict Wong is badly miscast, in my opinion. Eiza Gonzalez also starts off a little on the wooden side, but really seems to grow into the role as the series progresses. All the rest of the main cast give 10/10 performances, with Alex Sharp the pick of the bunch for me.

The story is intriguing and keeps you guessing. The science is solid, although I feel the early episodes try and cram in some unnecessary buzzwords like "Fermi's Paradox" in order to tick some boxes for those casual science fans, which then have to be explained for the none science fans. Seems a little clumsy in execution.

However, those are quibles in what is an otherwise ambitious and brilliantly crafted show.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

A very mixed bag

[7/10 · 24 December 2023]

There is a lot wrong with this movie, but at the same time it successfully conveys the feeling of confusion and dread that would most likely hit you if such a scenario took place. Maybe that's the point, and maybe that's enough.

There are equal amounts chilling moments as there are dopey moments. For every awesome scene there is a real stinker just waiting around the corner. It's a rather confounding mishmash of great ideas and downright silly ones.

I did enjoy it though, despite its flaws. I would probably never watch it again, but the good parts will stick with me long after the bad ones have been forgotten.

Banshee (2013–2016)

Utterly ridiculous. Thoroughly entertaining.

[8/10 · 7 December 2023]

This is not a show based in reality. It's beyond silly. But that's OK. It knows what it is and just turns it all up to 11. The sex scenes are basically soft porn, and there seems to be at least one in every episode. Each episode is basically a setup for Hood getting into a fight where he gets his ass kicked but ultimately wins, and also has some girl drag him into bed for some graphic sexy time. But the characters are likeable and well acted, and the constant parade of bad guys getting their well deserved beating from our hero is undeniably satisfying. It's all very dopey, but extremely enjoyable.

It Follows (2014)

Solid but unremarkable

[7/10 · 1 November 2023]

Obviously, this is a tribute to older horror classics like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm St, so to call it unoriginal would be missing the point. The scares are a little hit & miss - sometimes a little dopey, sometimes genuinely creepy. The music is fantastic (very John Carpenter) and I particularly enjoyed the deliberate ambiguity regarding the decade this story is set. Overall, this movie hits all the right notes without really bringing anything new to the table. Younger viewers who are new to horror and have never seen the classics it borrows from will most likely enjoy it immensely. More seasoned fans should still find themselves nodding appreciatively.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Good effort

[8/10 · 25 April 2023]

I know this movie won't be gritty enough for the cool kids, but there's plenty of entertainment to be had for everybody else. It's very reminiscent of Marvel movies back when they were still fresh and hadn't completely out-stayed their welcome. Basically, a collection of likeable characters, witty dialog, and set piece action sequences that appeals to a wide audience. Die hard D&D fans won't find much to satisfy their encyclopedic knowledge of the subject, but casual fans will appreciate the approach and enjoy picking up the odd reference here and there. I'm definitely on board for another movie or two in this franchise.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 24: The Return (2023) Season 3, Episode 8

Yawn

[5/10 · 20 April 2023]

How has the writing gotten so bad in this show? Moff Gideon explaining everything he's doing, laughable anger about his clones, and turning into an OP super villain was so, so cringe. Then The Armorer saying Grogu can't become an apprentice because "reasons" for Mando to just be like "OK, I'll adopt him" and she's like "...yeah, that works I guess" LOL! Then no setup for the next season at all, yet alone any cliffhanger. It honestly felt like maybe they're going to end it there. What's left to do? I was enjoying the First Order foreshadowing, and maybe they could explore that further? But really, this show is a shadow of its former glory and they should just end it there.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 19: The Convert (2023) Season 3, Episode 3

Excellent, but I get the hate

[9/10 · 25 March 2023]

I'm totally fine with them using this show to explore the time between the Empire and the early stages of the First Order. It doesn't (so far) look like we'll be getting a show that just focuses on that. In that regard I'm happy for them to dive into that, even though it can seem a little jarring. I totally get that some people don't like it - especially younger viewers who just want Mando shooting stuff and don't care about world-building or setup. However, speaking for myself, anything that explores this time period more deeply could well make the awful sequel trilogy a little more interesting. I'm also loving how they're using Grogu to connect back to the prequel era. Maybe it shouldn't be the job of this show to try and tie everything together, but I'm I admire their vision for giving it a go.

Bluey (2018– )

Yes, it's that good

[9/10 · 9 March 2023]

As parents of two young kids we get to see a lot of kids TV. There are a few good shows here and there...and then there's Bluey. It's so utterly relatable, hilarious, cozy and wholesome. If you're a parent you are almost guaranteed to love this show. Your kids will love it too. I mean, yeah, SpongeBob and Big City Greens are great, but nothing hits like Bluey. It's just beautiful in every way. Truly great shows have you invested in the characters almost immediately. I would go to war to protect this family of cartoon dogs. I'm genuinely sad they're not our neighbors. I hear the theme tune and I'm happy. Am I being over the top? Probably. Is it THAT good? Most definitely.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 17: The Apostate (2023) Season 3, Episode 1

Oh dear

[5/10 · 3 March 2023]

What's happened here? This was an almost unbearably pedestrian outing. The swagger has gone completely. It felt like nobody involved really wanted to do a third season. The whole thing was perfectly summed up by Bo Katan sitting on her throne, looking and sounding bored out of her brain. I imagine everybody behind the scenes looking much the same. It was all just so lazy. Grogu is back like nothing happened, completely undercutting the emotional investment built up in the previous two seasons. Mando wants IG-11 back because...he just does. Then IG-11 wakes up and we get some pointless and rather strange sequence of events. We get some lazy exposition about what's happened to previous characters. Mando also wants to go swimming on Mandalor so he can become proper again, even though the show was setup with him NOT being your average Mandalorian. And then it's over. It was a completely underwhelming season premier. Sadface.

Wednesday (2022– )

A winner

[8/10 · 20 February 2023]

This show is far from perfect or "must watch" status, but it does do everything really well and succeeds in its goal of being great entertainment. The ratio of comedy / scares / teen life / cheese / plot twists is perfectly balanced. We have an 11 year old son who enjoyed it immensely, and the wife and myself thought it was great fun. All the performances are spot on, and with likeable characters it's easy to forgive any minor niggles elsewhere. To describe this show...imagine throwing Buffy, Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, and Tim Burton into a blender, then throwing the resulting mixture over The Adams Family franchise. It's nothing groundbreaking or original, but it IS silly fun! I love gritty HBO dramas as much as the next man, but sometimes you just need a little light entertainment in your life.

The Last of Us: Endure and Survive (2023) Season 1, Episode 5

Grim

[8/10 · 13 February 2023]

This episode (and show in general) is technically outstanding. I just don't know if I can stick with it. There's enough misery in the world as it - why do I want to plunge myself into depression for "entertainment" on top of that? The episode with Bill was at least "bittersweet"...this one was just plain sadistic. Yes, I understand it's horror, but I guess I prefer my horror to be rooted in escapist fantasy rather than brutal realism. Give me people getting ripped to shreds by monsters instead of children being shot dead and people killing themselves.

Can't argue with the writing, directing, acting, cinematography and score. It's absolutely top level all around. If you can stand the mental anguish it doesn't get any better than this. I'm still trying to decide.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Avatar 2: Free Willy

[6/10 · 27 January 2023]

I mean, it's beautifully crafted. But if this is Jim Cameron's passion project, his magnum opus, then he'll have to accept that Avatar will only be remembered for its visual effects and nothing else. I'm going to steer clear of any commentary on the themes in the movies, but the words "ham fisted" and "hugely unoriginal" probably suffice. There are also times when the movie appears about ready to burst into a Disney musical number, and one unintentionally funny line from a whale creature that illicited sniggers and head shakes from the audience. It IS entertaining, and the technical brilliance on display is enough to warrant seeing it at the theater. Yet, this seems to be a series of movies that is trying to be its maker's epic, and to create some kind of legacy. In that regard it falls way short of greatness.

Prey (I) (2022)

Great new angle on the Preditor franchise

[8/10 · 26 November 2022]

For me, this is probably the second best in the series behind the original. We don't really learn anything new about the Predator, but it almost pulls off the same levels of suspense and tension as the original. The lead actress is fantastic and carries the movie effortlessly. The only criticism I have is that the CG animals weren't the best and pulled me out of the movie a little, but they also weren't terrible. It looks like this isn't going to be a standalone entry so I hope they can pull off a sequel without it being too "meh". We've had enough of "meh" Preditor movies, so let's keep things fresh, please!

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Too much comedy

[7/10 · 10 November 2022]

Ragnarok is my favorite MCU movie, so I was both hyped and cations for this one. Unfortunately, taika really "over-egged the pudding" with Love & Thunder. A classic case of getting good feedback for one project and then thinking you can just turn everything up to eleven to make the next even better. It just tries way too hard to be funny. Also, as much as I like Natalie Portman, she just can't do this type of comedy.

It's a shame because this movie is quite poignant in places, and could have been a great emotional ride. But the act of cramming in as many gags as possible really takes the edge off any deeper meaning the story could have told.

On the plus side; Christian Bale is amazing. Really, really, amazing. Again though, I feel slighly embarrassed for him that he put in such a great performance against so many dumb jokes. Russell Crowe was also hilarious - I never knew he had a performance like this in him.

All-in-all, I was entertained, and I did actually LOL a couple of times. I just wanted to yell at Taika to dial it back a little.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

So far so good

[8/10 · 20 September 2022]

Look, we all know this show is getting review bombed by 2-3 different groups, but speaking as a fairly liberal, casual Tolkien fan, with no major anti-corporation feelings, I'm enjoying it a lot. I know in today's world everything has to be a 1 or a 10, but I'm giving this a solid 8. Considering this is planned to run for several seasons I think they're setting it up nicely. I doubt (or hope) that people don't make the decision to watch something solely based on internet reviews. Watch this with an open mind. Give it a chance. If you simply don't like it then that's fine. If you go into it looking for things to be mad about then you'll find those things.

The Boys: Payback (2022) Season 3, Episode 1

Just TOO over the top

[5/10 · 26 June 2022]

One of the things I loved about this show was that the graphic violence was used in ways that caught you off guard and then made you laugh out loud. One episode into this season and it seems like they're now just seeing what they can get away with. It really doesn't need it as it's such a well written satire. I'll probably watch the rest of this season, but I'm not in the mood for something that is being shocking for the sake of being shocking. This show used to be better than that.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Enjoyed it

[8/10 · 26 June 2022]

I mean, it's the MCU...honestly I rate them pretty much all the same. I love good food and fine restaurants, but sometimes I just want a Big Mac and fries. The MCU is the McDonald's of the movie world. Trying to pick it apart is silly. Wanda and Strange are good protagonists, it's fun, it looks great, and the multiverse lets them throw in all sorts of cameos, cross-overs and alternate versions of characters. Anybody who gives this less than a 6 is kidding themselves, and no amount of "unhelpful' votes will convince me otherwise.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part VI (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

Strong ending to a weak series

[8/10 · 23 June 2022]

They pretty much nailed the "big fight" and there were some very well done moments that any SW fan would appreciate. Even in this episode, however, there were a couple of moments that made one wonder what the writers were thinking. Overall, I don't think this show recovered from its early resets...it was going to be a movie...then a TV show....which started to be made but then reset again when it was felt things weren't going in the right direction. What we were left with was a rushed and careless do-over with silly plot and hit and miss casting. While not a complete disaster (Vader and Obi Wan were worth the ticket price alone), it simply wasn't good enough overall.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part V (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Better

[7/10 · 18 June 2022]

This wasn't bad. Still some lazy writing and why-oh-why didn't they de-age Hayden? But overall, it was enjoyable. Vader was perfect and James Earl Jones sounds like it's 1978 all over again. Still loving the 1-star bandits and their crying over the 10-star reviews (LOL) while dutifully watching the episode as soon as it drops and jumping on here to leave their epic rants. Amazing how Disney is apparently so incompetent and awful but they keep handing over their money every month. Just chill out - it's a goofy sci-fi story (remember the Ewoks or Max Rebo?) and that's it.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Yes, it's aimed at a younger audience

[7/10 · 13 June 2022]

But so what? With the amount of content we get from Marvel who cares if we get something squarely aimed at kids? I thought it was fresh and fun - and WAY more enjoyable than Moon Knight. It's sad that a bunch of man-babies have to resort to review bombing because "Disney bad"

Stranger Things: Chapter Four: Dear Billy (2022) Season 4, Episode 4

The Sadie Sink show

[9/10 · 11 June 2022]

Good episode leveled up to greatness by Sadie Sink's performance. Really enjoying this season. S3 was fun, but it felt like the main idea had run its course, and it was borderline straight comedy and self-parody at times. I like that they have gone in a slighly different direction now - possibly using some ideas from the show's anthology roots? Anyways, this show continues to be one of my favorites. Again, great Job Sadie Sink!

Big City Greens (2018– )

Unexpected gem

[8/10 · 9 June 2022]

This is one of those shows that my kids started watching and their parents also ended up loving! Compared to all the rest of the vacuous drivel on the Disney Channel it's like a blast if fresh air. If you liked Gravity Falls then definitely check this show out as well.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part IV (2022) Season 1, Episode 4

For me, best episode yet

[7/10 · 9 June 2022]

This actually felt like SW, at least. Is it brilliant? No. But I am so done with all these 1 or 2 star reviews trashing everything about it. Always the same tired old anti-Disney crowd. Hate the show SO much yet watch the next one as soon as it drops. Yawn. Also, crying about the fact the score on IMDB doesn't tie up with the reviews is very telling. People only bother to write reviews when they want to cry about something (yes, like I'm doing right now...), whereas people who just kinda like the show will record their star rating and not bother typing an actual review.

In short; average show. Better than Book of Boba though!