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The Acolyte (2024)
Bring back the realism
For the first two episodes...
So thought I would brush aside the pre-hate for the show and see for myself what the latest Disney offering would bring for Star Wars fans.
The idea seems good in principle, with a murder mystery set in the SW universe pre-phantom menace.
The visuals are actually very good as is the cinematography on a whole.
The problem is that the characters seem paper-thin and unauthentic. I know, it's all fantasy anyway, but there was a higher sense of organic realism in the original trilogy that's never really been matched since.
The acrobatic, cartoonish, overly choreographed dance movies in the modern stuff always seems over the top to me.
Mark Hamill held the light sabre with both hands as if it was really heavy and this made you believe in the danger and power of the weapon. In the modern shows we're seeing dainty dancers twirling light-weight, glowing batons in the air. There's just no sense of danger.
Invasion (2021)
Slow to the breaking point
If they condensed the entire season into 2 hours, Invasion would be an average, slow burn sci fi movie.
But what you actually get is an expensive looking, 10 hour cure for insomnia.
You may get pulled in to the hypnotic feel of the show and the stunning visuals, and the promise of interesting characters. But trust me when I say, you'll wish you'd invested the time in something more worthwhile.
The Vanished (2020)
Unholy screw up
What were they thinking?!
It tries to be an abduction movie, a marital breakdown study, a slasher flick, a whodunit, a noir thriller and a psychological character study and falls miserably on literally every count.
Anne Heche's OTT mania is way off and annoying, whilst Thomas Jane is about as believable as a six pound note.
By the time the twist arrives, you just don't care.
Ludicrous and messy, avoid.
Selena: The Series (2020)
Huge let down!
It's just like the movie with all the good bits taken out, and all the slow bits expanded to a painful degree.
It's all played out with C list actors engaging in drunken karaoke lip syncs and the worst editing imaginable.
For example, the editor thought it would be a good idea to spend time building up the motive and melody of the songs and then abruptly cut away just as the rhythm starts to build, so we can focus on something far less interesting, like say Selena taking about buying a new car with her sister instead.
Why, why, why?!!
Save yourselves a few hours and re watch the movie instead.
Blackstone (2009)
Great potential ruined by cheap camera tricks
I really wanted to watch this series, but I literally could not tolerate the nauseating camera work. Why film directors ever choose this approach is beyond me. Don't they realise that by shaking the camera all over the place, you instantly alienate every single audience member with notion sickness tendencies. Sucj a strange model trend in cinematography.
Greenland (2020)
Surprisingly entertaining and moving
This film deserved a much better reception and a full cinema release. A more human and character focused story than either Armageddon or Deep Impact. Perhaps less visually spectacular, but also more realistic and gritty then any other meteor disaster movie.
It's a shame that the creators didn't put a bit more budget and time into the final impact scenes, that could've pushed this film up to a 9 or 10 for me. It was somewhat anti climatic, after such a well written build up, you couldn't help but want more scenes to hammer home the effect of this miles wide monster impacting the world. A few tidal wave scenes and a city being destroyed would've put the icing on this tasty cake of a movie.
Through Black Spruce (2018)
Stunning slow burn
A beautifully shot and well acted and slow paced character study. Watch it in a chilled out mood. I really liked the understated performance of the two lead actors and the soporific tone of the piece.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
A late wake up call
Very interesting and well put together. I fear that it's too little too late to repair the incalculable damage done to our societies by social media and the intolerant, overly entitled and ultra sensitive millennial generation that it has bred. Still, it's good to know that there's at least some people out there who are trying to reverse the tide.
A Rainy Day in New York (2019)
Unfairly under-rated
Despite the controversy regarding Woody, he sure knows how to make a slick, witty drama. As always, come with stunning visuals, a stellar cast and those signature sleepy, jazz piano scores. I'd say it's well worth the look if you're a Woody fan.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Awful, just awful
Terrible script, bad acting, total discontinuity from the established narrative of the first two movies, and the dialogue is just unbelievably bad. It's shocking that James Cameron put his name to this drivel.
Knives Out (2019)
Masterful script - shame about the unecessary digs
It is surprising to say this after the awful mess Rian Johnson made of the Star Wars franchise, but he actually has a lot of talent. This is a masterfully written screenplay and a well directed movie. This movie honours it's genre roots, whilst adding a few extra layers of narrative twist with a modern flavour.
It was a shame that once again the director couldn't resist his urges to pepper the work with unnecessary anti-right wing agenda, which weakens the work considerably. Regardless of how you feel about Trump, the story would've worked better as a pure character story without the rich, white American bad guys v poor kind-hearted immigrant good guy slant.