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teagueandrew
Reviews
The Kitchen (2023)
Terrible Writing
I do wish that studios think long and hard about handing the keys to 'names' to indulge in vanity projects.
You would think that someone who had penned a story, someone who has acted in many productions would know how to meld words with direction. This just didn't seem the case here and resulted in a lack of coherence and saggy pacing.
The writer being the director ensured there was an irritating inbalance in the character development department too that could have been easily rectified.
I think maybe trying your arm at a few episodes of something low key before throwing yourself into a full on project.
Unknown: The Lost Pyramid (2023)
Contrived and Staged
If you are searching for an organic well formed documentary on archeological digs in Egypt, this isn't it.
One scene to the next feels scripted and contrived to the point that they seem to have let the cameras down newly found shafts and into buriel chambers before the experts to allow a shot of them entering the 'lost' tomb etc.
It's the sort of thing that may have floated a viewer's boat Inthe 1970s but feels staged and ridiculous in the modern televisual era.
As stated by other reviewers, it feels like a promotional piece for some egos. Lots of backslapping and hyperbole.
At the start, one of the experts begrudgingly proclaims that all the major finds have been made by foreigners. Well without them you wouldn't have a tourist industry and based on the shabby way teams of diggers are smashing their way through historic sites in this documentary, I can see why organised 'foreigners' have had so much success.
The contrivance starts to become jarring after about 20 mins. Might do well on some inflight selection on Emirates or something but I wouldn't go out of your way to watch it. Better archeological material in you tube.
Black Mirror: Demon 79 (2023)
Substandard Mirror
One or two good ideas in this series, Joan and Beyond the Sea were particularly good. The rest, not so much with a seemingly preoccupation with a degree of unnecessary and out of place box ticking, that distracted from the stories. Charlie Brooker would have been better distilling this series down to maybe 3 great episodes.
Loch Henry was an interesting murder mystery but nothing more, Demon79 seemed determined to offend with some of it's depictions of North Britain making it almost unwatchable.
Black Mirror needs to drop the social politics and concentrate on the techno dystopia that made it unique and interesting in the first place.
Extraction 2 (2023)
Redefining the Action Movie Genre
Paul Greengrass's Bourne movies pushed the dial of how action movies were performed and shot, others had to follow to survive.
The Extraction movies have nudged said dial even further. The first movie was simple but breathtaking and set in a unique and exotic location . This second outing took everything from the first audiences fell for and added to it in spades.
As usual a simple mission driven story. This is Mission Impossible without the pretty boy gadgets, more a brutal even medieval drive that simply doesn't give up.
Unlike a lot of actioners and helped by the fact Tyler Rake nearly died in Extraction, the stakes and jepody seem a little higher than the MI or Bond.
Just watch and enjoy, then wonder how on earth they will top this.
The Grand Tour: The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick (2022)
True to Tolkien's Vision of a Car Show
The 3 knobbits set out on a quest to discover the mythos behind 3 rally car legends (apart from Jezza who has brought along a salesmans Audi for some reason). The usual hijinx ensue.
Fantastic effects and photography. The usual rallying race segments are well done and some of the japes and jokes come off well compared to some of their most recent outings. It does feel like they might be on the cusp of getting their mojo back.
Don't come to this show looking for indepth critique of any particular car but sit back with a wine and beer and watch the boys take you on a fun ride for an hour or so.
Great stuff. Tolkien would have bee. Proud.
Spiderhead (2022)
Black Mirror
This would have been better presented as a Black Mirror special and trimmed down to make more punchy.
Some intetesting concepts but I was left with a feeling that so much was left unexplored.
The Grand Tour: The Grand Tour Presents: Lochdown (2021)
Poor, tierd and formulaic
Appreciate this was filmed during some brutal lockdown conditions but then you have to ask why bother?
The boys trudge through some of the old routines; big cars small streets, bad caravans, build a bridge, dodgy cuisine, forecourt pranks and when all else fails, a race around a muddy field.
This episode just feels rushed and detached. The ending doesn't make any sense at all and feels tacked on at a later date.
Wilman's pandering to US audiences is becoming jarring and repetitive (do we need another love letter to muscle cars?). Scotland has some of the most stunningly beautiful driving roads in the world, why not use 3 Hillman Imps, terrible under-powered and unreliable. Perfect.
There are some laughs but this episode feels contrived , disjointed, tierd and contractual. The boys look weary and dare I say it, a little too old.
Vikings (2013)
Vikings - Set Adrift
As many have commentated the first 3/4 series were brilliant, well paced , well acted and scripted. Packed with action and high jinx.
Unfortunately the last 2 series, particularly series 6 have lost their way and were frankly somewhat unecessary . I appreciate the makers wanted to conclude the story arcs , especially if Ragnar's sons but it's drifted into one too many mystic montages and Slo-Mo concept battles to hold much interest.
Watch up to series 4 and then start The Last Kingdom which overlaps the same period in history but has kept the pace and consistency going where Vikings seems to descended in character padding.