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alicechisnall
Reviews
Plane (2023)
Best action movie in years!
Action movies aren't supposed to be Oscar-worthy. I was on the edge of my seat, my heart rate was up, it was brilliant fun. Gerard Butler was typical action-guy tough, with a touch of good-guy sweetness. His co-star Mike Colter was excellent. He could have carried the film on his own. I sincerely hope they do a sequel involving his character - especially if Gerard Butler's character is involved. I watched all the way through the credits expecting to see what became of Louis, but sadly, I'll have to imagine.
If you love a good adventure in a film you don't have to think too hard while watching - this is the flick for you. Wonderful fun!
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)
Tasteful and cinematically beautiful
There is a fair amount of American melodrama, but the Kiwi and Aussie stories along with the Maori perspective balanced this doco well. The survivor descriptions of Whakaari made me feel as if I could almost taste the sulphur. With haunting music and sweeping drone footage, the interviews were evenly spaced with dramatic reenactments and actual footage, creating tension and moving the story at a good pace.
Unfortunately at times, presumably to appeal to an American audience, this film is underpinned by over-the-top emotion and the veiled threat of blame and litigation.
But overall very good.
Irreverent (2022)
Wonderful Aussie fun!
I was looking for something to keep on in the background, but this one was a gorgeous surprise! The characters are kooky and easy to love, the story is quirky and fun, and the Australian actors are brilliant in their small town character roles. The pace is quick and the writing combines the best of antipodean humour and American family drama. I've been looking for a reason to move from New Zealand to Queensland for a nursing job, and if anything would convince me, it would be this! The tropical locations are stunning, and I'm really looking forward to the next season. Cute, off-beat fun. Definitely recommend!
Echoes (2022)
Don't bother!
So much potential - what a waste. This show started off with such a great premise. Twins who periodically swap lives, with one of them going missing. The story went off on a dozen tangents, the loose ends of which were never tied up, which is why so many reviewers were probably confused. But instead of feeling like you were being lead down dead ends to build towards some kind of plot twist, it just reeked of bad storytelling. The characters were difficult to like, the back stories weren't fleshed out enough to draw you in, and the timeline didn't match up to events properly. The ending was a worse let-down than Game of Thrones. It beggars belief that any of the actors agreed to sign on with such an under-developed plot.
Save yourself the binge-watch and pick out a European miniseries like "Behind Her Eyes" or "Katla" or "The Bodyguard". They may not have the big names or the budget, but they definitely have better acting, better scripts and much better plot twists.
Take Me to Pitcairn (2013)
Engaging, funny and strangely suspenseful!
I stumbled across this entirely by accident while looking for Pasifika health documentaries, and I'm glad I did! Admittedly I had no previous knowledge of Pitcairn Island other than a Mel Gibson movie about the Bounty, but with this little gem of a film I was hooked within minutes, and watched intently until the end.
The array of characters are charming, and I became so invested in whether or not they achieved their various goals of safely reaching Pitcairn, meeting the locals, taking part in island festivities, and even who would make it back to civilization unscathed.
I'd pay good money to see this intrepid documentary-maker braving the pitfalls of dodgy sail boats and lively locals on other Pacific Islands. Perhaps a visit to the highlands of Fiji and the wilds of Rapanui might be next?
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness (2022)
A fun, easy watch that's actually educational
I'm a big fan of documentaries, but it seems interesting or topical information always seems to be presented in a dry manner by those who already have a deep understanding of the subject matter.
This show takes the opposite approach, by assuming the viewer has a passing interest in the episode topic and would be more engaged if it's presented with humour and empathy by someone with little or no prior knowledge. The presenters sweet and sassy approach draws out the passion of those being interviewed, and looks at the human impact of each topic in a thoughtful and inclusive way. As a lecturer, I'm always looking for innovative ways for my students to learn, and this is certainly a great way to introduce unusual or little known issues and topics to a wider audience.
I'm looking forward to new episodes!
The Royal Treatment (2022)
Gorgeous New Zealand locations
The supporting characters and stunning locations are the stars in this romantic comedy - similar in style to Falling Inn Love. This movie is an easy way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. Full of colour and heart, but it doesn't tie up all the loose ends, or go too deep - just like every good chick flick.
I'll never understand how Kiwi actors seem to be so good at accents, but once again, they all nail it!
Copshop (2021)
Give credit to female leads!
Why did two male action stars get top billing when they're not the main characters? The female lead was clearly carrying the story, in terms of both acting and storyline, so it's ridiculous to advertise the film as if Gerard Butler and whoever the other WWE guy was, feature prominently. Even the psychopath hitman was a better character and actor than the two "stars".
As for the film itself, it was campy and formulaic but it was still entertaining in a Quentin Tarantino kind of way.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Depressingly parallel to real life.
Writing from New Zealand, where we have access to all news channels, all areas of the Internet and where our healthcare and science is first rate (as evidenced by our coronavirus response), it's interesting to watch this. Despite our efforts to contain COVID-19 and climate change in the Pacific Islands with a tiny budget, the US continues to decimate every other countries economy, natural resources and health status in order to maintain the lifestyles of a chosen few. If it wasn't so serious it would be outrageously funny. This movie reminds me of Idiocracy. The caricatures of the Trumps, Fox News and Alex Jones were brilliant.
The One (2021)
Don't agree with the critics!
I was immediately absorbed! I'm usually not a fan of any romance that doesnt involve period costume or the words "Jane Austen". However, the love angle is less the focus, as power, money, insecurity and selfish desire drive the storyline. The two main characters are both strong women and it's hard not to want them both to win - while obviously only one can. My fingers are crossed for a second season. I just HAVE to know if Hannah has a match!!
Synchronic (2019)
Would have been better as a series!
Great premise, however there were too many questions, not enough character development and the music (though beautiful) was badly timed and built annoyance rather than tension. I was more irritated than entertained.
Would have been a fantastic series.
1pm Daily Update (2020)
Is Ashley Bloomfield the next McDreamy?
Jacinda may be the main character, but it's Deaf Aotearoa Translator Alan Wendt and Public Health Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield who steal the show. They're hot. Move over, Brad Pitt and Patrick whats-his-name!
Living Undocumented (2019)
Rednecks & Nazis
The rest of the world sits back in amused, morbid fascination as America implodes. Anyone with half a brain sees the blatant hypocrisy in all the "do it the legal way" arguments from uneducated, working class ignoramuses who're vulnerable to the right-wing rhetoric of Trump and his cronies. They don't seem to see how much they all have in common with South American immigrants. They're all paid-up members of the American Cult which tells it's members that if you just work hard enough, you'll achieve the ellusive American dream. And if you're working hard, but not getting anywhere, it's because "immigrants are taking your jobs!"
I bet the First Nation people are wondering when white America will wake up and realise what goes around, comes around.
The Last Dance (2020)
Not even a basketball fan...
I watched because my younger brother is a Scottie Pippen fan, and I was keen to see what all the fuss is about.
I was transfixed and watched the whole series in 2 days without the benefit of previous basketball knowledge. I felt like part of the team, I cried, cheered, swore. Wonderful fun.
If the crew behind this doco made a series about paint drying, you better believe it'll be on my watch list.
The Black Room (2017)
Watch something else instead
This was a mortifying waste of time. I watched because it claimed to be a campy, horror-comedy, inspired by the 80's. Nope. Not even close. It was just a bunch of nudity, no real storyline; and actors who I've previously seen actually act, pretending they CAN'T act for this ridiculous script. It wasn't funny, it wasn't sexy and it wasn't worth the 1 hour and 35 minutes it took to almost cringe me to death.
Skyscraper (2018)
"Die Hard" for a new generation
Less character development than Die Hard, but similar storyline and stunts.
I'll watch anything with The Rock in it, and I wasn't disappointed - true to form. Loved the idea that he's disabled but still stuck it to the bad guys. Also nice to see the wife character was a kickarse type too, instead of the damsel in distress.
Overall, a great rainy day movie that doesn't require too much brain power.
Messiah (2020)
Asks questions we're too afraid to ask...
I passed over this a couple of times in my Netflix queue, because I was convinced it would be another one of those "the good guys are all American and the bad guys are all Middle Eastern" bullshit series. I was pleasantly surprised to find the opposite. It was respectful towards other cultures and religions, and certainly took aim at the current xenophobic American government. The story was intriguing, and it raised issues such as how we're educated on history, why we willfully don't understand other religions, why we put up with corrupt leaders and why we're so convinced we deserve to live in safety while others should be banished to live with war and poverty because of an accident of birth.
The acting was good, I was pleased to see Middle Easterners played by people actually born in those countries, and the locations, music and camerawork were excellent.
I'm excited for season 2.
The Witcher (2019)
No expectations = blown away
I'd never heard of the books or the games or whatever, I simply saw a trailer and thought "I'll give it a shot". I'm not a fan of Henry Cavill, and had never heard of any of the other actors, but the costumes and locations looked stunning enough to entice me. I was hooked from episode 2.
The production values were on par with anything produced by New Zealanders (known for their superior craftsmanship in film artistry), and the story was twisty enough to keep me guessing. Character development was evenly paced, but I had hoped for more background on Garault earlier in the piece.
I always hope to get lost in a show, and am too often disappointed considering the huge money going into television these days. However, The Witcher had that rare quality of giving me the "now what will I do with my life?" feeling at the conclusion on the last episode.
I believe that if you've had no prior knowledge of the story or characters, and you're a fan of medieval or fantasy, you'll enjoy this series immensely.