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Reviews
Little Joe (2019)
Low budget soundtrack
This was generally a good movie. An interesting idea - there's a hint of Bodysnatchers in there - some tense moments as we're not quite sure who can be trusted but the budget must have run dry when it came to adding the music. It seems like they ripped off a 60's B-movie soundtrack and got someone to bang two sticks together whenever there was a bit of tension.
I've never known a good film get ruined by its soundtrack before. I'm sure there are others but this was a first for me.
The Outsider (2020)
Started off great, all down hill from there
I was thoroughly gripped after the first episode and the first few were very good. This probably just exasperated the downhill slide in the second half of the series. I'm used to movies/TV series adapted from Stephen King novels having below par endings compared to his books but this started deteriorating from before halfway and it took me four attempts to watch the final episode - I had lost all interest in anything that was happening and didn't care about anyone by then. What a terrible waste.
The War of the Worlds (2019)
Decent cgi, costumes, and the first 5 mins are interesting
Being the first adaptation to be set in the period the book was based, I mistakenly thought the whole film would be based on the book. Well, based it is but very loosely. I really don't understand why someone would take a very successful story and decide to change it. Obviously a few tweaks to allow for translating to the screen and explaining storylines may be necessary but rewriting the whole thing, changing the overall concept, adding pointless sub plots that don't have any relevance or bearing on the story we're all here to see... I don't get it.
So how does it fare as a film in it's own right? Well, the CGI is good and the period settings and costumes are well done. I found the opening scene actually was well done and had me wanting to see how it was all going to play out. Unfortunately after that it was all down hill. Side stories that were irrelevant and boring; a leading male who's as wet as a damp squid; a leading female who screams too much; political correctness being thrust in your face with monologues about colonialism, women's rights and the integration of refugees - even if you could accept they were relevant to the story, they were too long, boring and unecessary. The tripods looked good although very cliche with the obligatory big blue light thing; but the aliens themselves look and act like animals and not the intelligent beings they should be and (no spoilers) what happens after they land looks like it has been written/ directed by an 8 year old. In addition the story is told with flash forwards' every so often which was really annoying and completely uninteresting.
I had no interest in any of the characters, I didn't care about anything that happened and I was clock watching to see how much longer I had to watch it for.
To put it in a nutshell, they've made a proper mess of this. 3 stars for the period sets, some of the cgi is great and it really did grip me in the first scene. Shame it lost me by the end of the third.
Alien Overlords (2018)
Watching someone tell a story
A sort of 'found footage' style film - although it presents itself as a re-enactment of actual events instead of being found footage, it is all still filmed through a hand held camera. The acting actually isn't so bad but it's just really slow for the most part as we are largely just watching someone tell a story about what is going on in their life with regard to the conspiracy he is trying to expose rather than watching the events unfold ourselves. Saved from a 1 star by the final 30 minutes which manages to bring some mystery and tension to it but it's too little and too late and the twist at the end was seen coming halfway through.
Also, don't be fooled by the poster - it has no bearing on the film at all!
Life (2017)
Great idea, poor execution
No spoilers here, just what I think I've heard a few people say this is just a poor remould of Alien - but so what? If it works and it's good then who cares? Let's just enjoy it. Unfortunately it isn't that good. Although the ideas are sound, the script is not and there were just so many plot holes and clichés it quickly got ridiculous. I will say that there was enough going for it to keep me interested until the end but if you're looking for an intelligent sci-fi then this isn't it. This is more like one of those clichéd mindless action films but based in space. What a shame, it could have been loads better.
Below (2002)
Annoying lead character and full of plot holes
NO SPOILERS IN THIS FIRST PARAGRAPH... This film had a good story, the CGI was pretty good for a B movie and the acting wasn't bad either (mostly). On top of that the horror aspect was done well too. Unfortunately it was so full of clichés and unnecessary plot holes it was just ridiculous - even for a B movie! You should only watch this if you've moved all objects away from you because you WILL want to throw them at the TV!
SPOILERS ALL THE WAY FROM HERE... The English woman was incredibly annoying throughout the whole thing. She walks around the boat after being confined to her cabin; gets caught rummaging through the captain's cabin; then tries ordering the crew around and demanding things from the XO and yet nobody seems to do anything about it. And do Americans think all English people speak like the Queen? I mean, really, why does Hollywood always have to give female English characters a silver spoon up their arse? So annoying was she that I was constantly rooting for someone to throw her off the boat or lock her in the torpedo tubes. In fact I think if she hadn't been in it I would have given this 6 stars instead of 3.
When she took her mask off in the smoke filled compartment I thought 'Yay! She's going to suffocate now!' Alas, the smoke seemed to have suddenly disappeared and the air was breathable again - quite a thing to happen in an airtight submarine!
Apart from that (and if you don't mind that the crew are standing on the deck of a sinking submarine in the middle of a storm yet they aren't having any trouble staying upright) there were only a few other plot holes so if you like ghost films and have exhausted every other option then it's worth a watch.
Capsule (2015)
Great idea, poorly told story
I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it was not for the pilot being a bag of nerves, always panicking, losing his cool and nothing at all like someone who had an outstanding career in the air force and been selected to be the first pilot of the British space programme. It was just ridiculous, and because of this I never felt anything for him because he just annoyed me so much.
Fortunately I forced myself to put up with up with all that and eventually the story started to improve in the last 40 minutes. I liked the ending and there are twists in the ending which were unexpected.
It's worth a watch but try and put up with the slow burning start and the awful unrealistic reactions of the pilot and you'll see an enjoyable story unravel - eventually.