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Reviews
The Day of the Jackal (2024)
So staged and 2 dimensional
The modernisation of the story was good in terms of technology but it's like the writers don't research basic stuff about guns, tech, or mi6 procedures.
Everything felt so obvious and staged like going through the motions rather than genuine drama. I think its a feature of current movie making where everything is over the top and not believable. Also another example of D ee yi erasure of who would be much more likely actually in those positions. I see it in all police dramas where it's always a super smart female detective usually of different race even though in real world they would make up 5% of the detectives. Id love that if it were a one off but it's turned into a trope. The formula is always the same about identity of the evil villain. Always a yt person. How about some villain diversity?
Now i thought the acting was reasonable despite the roles feeling very 2 dimensional.
I plan to watch the earlier versions to see what the quality of drama was like.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2024)
Another drama where some identities are saints
Another show where certain groups are portrayed negatively, and others as saints. This is just so commonplace i feel like its in every TV show and movie. Now its okay if its one or 2 shows, but the continued onslaught of villains only ever being from one group is just getting to be too much. This is exactly the mirror of what is acknowledged of TV and movies up to the 1960s. Always typecasting certain groups. Also this was just too much of an angst teen drama for me. Is it considered young adult. Perhaps not a genre im really interested in. It sounded like the books were a lot better but i havent read them. Maybe they are free from some of the problems ive outlined.
Eric (2024)
Tropes all the way down
It showed early promise by initially having a poc villain, almost unheard of in TV and movies and that was offset with good guy African American cop. So far all good, but the next step it's the kidnapper is not a kidnapper just another heart of gold POC.
In there lies the trope the formulaic downfall of the show painting all the yt good ol boy cops, councillors etc as bad/evil but the person of color always heart of gold. Good drama ending in a w oooke mess.
The acting seems pretty good, powerful work by cumerbatch, his wife and the black cop. That part was compelling. The puppets were a little weird.
3 Body Problem (2024)
All Hollywood tropes represented
Why? I was looking forward to this series, but immediately the show lazily falls to new Hollywood diversity tropes. Smart attractive young diverse female lead looking like a super model doesn't convey intellectual to me. Then the identity of villain is set up from episode one, no surprise another Hollywood trope.
Then in the first episode the lead smashes the black guy in the chest. Imagine the shrill hysteria if that was gender reverse.
I'll continue to watch and may change my review. I expected so much more from these got legendary show runners but do far is pulp. Maybe JRR held them back from their worst impulses.
Unforgotten (2015)
Too many tropes
I had high hopes for this one. It set out as a well acted in depth multigenerational murder mystery, with just the right amount of intrigue. It devolved into the usual politically correct tropes, where you can guess what group identity the bad guys were. We now have many good detective shows with good interesting female leads, but never do they change the formulaic tropes of who the bad guys are allowed to be. Pay attention next show you see from UK or any Hollywood movie or TV series and you will find that the bad evil villains are white men, (occasionally white women). Studio are terrified of breaking this trope, and being called some variety of -ist.
Unknown: The Lost Pyramid (2023)
Good Watch could have been much better
To answer some other reviewers questions
1. Yes most of the finds are partly staged, ie they will find a peek hole into a tomb, and then cover it up , and ring the film crew. Im sort of okay with that, as it does give a feeling of discovery, which is partly true.
2. The arrogance of Hawas, and even his learned protégé , though i respect their expertise, their arrogance, and Egypt centric nationalism are more annoying than awe inspiring. Good that they have local Egyptologists but they dont have to exclusively block or insult foreigners, when the history of Egypt is a global treasure.
3. Nothing of the greatest finds was really gone into by the time it wrapped up. Thats because Netflix will for sure have a deal to unfold these in their next Egypt piece. But they should have named it differently and called the next one The Lost Pyramid
Besides that it was a good watch with some inspiring moments, but the previous Netflix Saqqara one was way better.
Truth Be Told (2019)
First Season pretty good
I didnt mind the 1st season. Not quite as good as some of other quite similar formula shows out there. Acting is good throughout, but why cant they write a great story with black actors and not make it about race? Its just an annoying trope at this stage. Im thinking the casting of POC in lead has worked out well, but guess what race the evil baddies are always going to be. This is the biggest trope in hollywood, that is rarely or almost never broken in TV or film.
Would i recommend this to anyone, yes if you like crime, who dunnit dramas, or true crime.
Will i watch the 3rd season, hmm, ill see how it reviews.
The Baby Killer Conspiracy (2021)
Not an even handed documentary
I dont know if shes innocent or guilty, though i have my suspicions. What i do know is that this is an awfully biased documentary that tears at the heart strings rather than presenting dry facts, which i prefer in a criminal case. Instead the documentary has well and truly chosen a side, editing as to villainise the expert, with close ups on his eyes, and worst shots you could find of him, while pitching the other side as fonts of truth.
In DNA they go one about eg 1 in 5 million chance of a match or sometimes orders higher. With this case the multitudes and variety of cause of death starts to create astronomical odds as well. Then theres the diary entries that are damning. At the end of the day was there reasonable doubt, yeah probably.
Andor: Rix Road (2022)
Another epic episode
Andor continues to shine in the starwars universe with another gangbusters episode, the finale. Staring with a slightly slow pace, the episode builds and builds suspense, and doesnt disappoint.
I feel each 3 episode plot arc is as good as any starwars movie outside the trilogy.
Like previous episodes it really running parallel to the starwars universe, in terms of adult themes, less clownish empire troops and officers, more intrigue, and of course less light sabres. Though this episode certainly got some blaster and battle action pumping.
Loving the music score to the funeral, very creative and fitting in with the overall world.
Again, people who have been ignoring Andor really need to give it a try for 3 episodes, and if you are not hooked by then i would be surprised.
Ancient Apocalypse (2022)
Such promise, such hope, such garbage
From episode one, this show is well narrated, well shot, obviously well funded.
We are shown the site in Indonesia where surface works are shown to be likely 500BC, but then Grahame continues on, without any further evidence, with the presumption that the entire temple style structure must be 15000 yo, because they found slight material further down in core samples, that may bear little relevance to the upper structure. What kind of academic rigor is going on here?
Im going to continue another episode, because this show could have been really good, if Grahame was someone who based his opinions on solid ground. He is a fantasist, with next to no background in scientific methodology. Hes a journalist, maybe he could design a building or dam next with such knowledge.
Andor (2022)
Finally Star Wars universe is rescued.
From all the dismal world expansions of other universes, and Star wars spin offs, finally something breaks free, a real adult drama, with non cut out characters.
You wont find light sabers or constant laser battle scenes. Instead you will find compelling dialogue, layers of political intrigue, slow burn that finally hit gripping climax.
The only Star wars that surpasses is the first 2 movies, though Mando was at a similar level. Kenobi was a complete washout.
Im glad the producers/directors didnt slavishly pander to the identity trap that so many shows are falling into, and chose strong characters, and story telling over ideology. Bravo.
Last Survivors (2021)
Formulaic
The premise was sound, the setup okay. The clean clothing, clean cut, clean shave look did not match 20 years in wilderness, but he director must have thought it made more sense for main character to be chiseled and clean cut.
By 10 mins the setup was too obvious, and this lack of subtlety was a weakness throughout.
The ending could be pretty much figured out half way into the movie, but i wont lay any spoilers, other than to say it was mostly a mess and her final destination preachy.