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Reviews
The Alligator People (1959)
Engaging medical thriller
Alligator People is an interesting look at the experimentation in early 20th century medicine. The next great medical breakthrough was always just around the corner and sometimes horrible consequences were the result of ambitious medical professionals.
This film was engaging and at 74 minutes felt like it was edited to perfection.
The makeup artist had their work cut out for them making the everchanging aligator skin and prosthetics. A real achievement for the time.
Aligators feature regularly in the film and are often in close contact with the actors. It would be fascinating to see behind the scenes on the making of this classic film.
Free Guy (2021)
Really disappointing
Free Guy has exceptional special effects and a great cast full of highly likeable characters but the storyline is just ridiculous. Even for a fantasy Sci-fi film the storyline was really stupid.
How people are rating this movie as a 9 or 10 is just beyond me.
The Irishman (2019)
The epic gangster film of the 21st century
The Irishman has it all, a stella cast, one of the greatest directors of all time and a fascinating mystery that still grips America and the world 50 years later.
The long runtime brings us deeper into the characters lives. DeNiro was great but Joe Pesci was the standout performance. It's hard to believe he used to do comedic roles. He is just an exceptionally talented actor.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
One for the ages
JoJo Rabbit is an exceptional film straddling the boundaries of comedy and intense drama. The subject matter is handled in a truly masterful way.
The tragic yet uplifting end to the film is just perfect.
Taika Waititi is one of the best filmmakers around at the moment. I hope he doesn't spend all his time making generic Marvel films. He's so much better than that.
Commando (1985)
A deeply flawed classic of the genre
The storyline is the standard action story. The acting was woeful and the action scenes were uninspired. Despite all this the film drags you in and keeps you hooked.
Arnold's presence just holds you tight. His cheesy one liners are the true hero of this film.
"Bennett, let off some steam" is one of my all time favourites.
Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (2022)
A long fascinating grind
Jeen-yuhs is a fascinating and heartbreaking masterpiece that will go down in the history of music documentaries.
It can be difficult and uncomfortable to watch at times but the brutal honesty is what makes it so amazing.
Kanye's life has clearly been in two parts, with Donda and without Donda. She made him the star he is and held his genius together. It's sad to see what has happened to him since her grounding influence left.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
An epic conclusion
It feels wrong that I find myself cheering the demise of humanity.
The character building and the emotional depth in caesar and his kin really draws you in to this exeptional conclusion to the trilogy.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
A great installment
Dawn of the planet of the apes respects the films that came before it while blazing its own trail.
The tension that builds between the apes and humans is brilliant. The break down of the relationship between Ceasar and Koba builds through the movie leaving us with the final battle. Well coriographed while using state of the art CGI.
A very impressive film.
Don't Look Up (2021)
How to turn a great mobie into a drag
The concept is fresh, the acting talent is stellar and the dialogue was sharp but the film just dragged out. They redid scenes over and over again. I understand they were trying to convey the ridiculousness of the situation but it was a bit too much.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
An enthrawling ride
Not often is the 7th film in a franchise so well made. They got just about everything right in this one. The emotional story between father and son, the relationship between Will and Caesar, it was all enthrawling.
The final scenes are some of the greatest action sequences of the year.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
A waste of Burton's talent
Everything about this film was slightly off. Mark Wahlburg was a poor choice. His movies are always terrible.
The talking humans removed an important and interesting element of the original film. Its hard to understand how the writers didnt forsee this.
The rnding just made me cringe. It was ridiculous and just didnt make sense.
I'll never watch this film again.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Give them a budget!!!
The concept behind this instalment of thr series was good and had alot of promiae. The execution however was poor. The obvious ape masks were distracting and the sets were lackluster.
I found the build ups to the action sequences were generally good but the fight scenes were always poorly choreorgraphed and looked horribly fake.
If 20th Century had pumped a bit more money into this one it could have been a classic.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
A lazy final instalment
The sets were really poor and it felt like the film was shot in a local park.
The storyline offered nothing to the series and worst of all the action scenes were boring. It was a horrible movie which felt like a high school film project.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
It just doesnt make sense
The first film of the series was a serious and genuine sci-fi classic. By the time Escape was released, the franchise was a joke.
The concept behind this installment makes no sense. The reason Taylor travelled through time was because he was travelling faster than the speed of light. He wasnt in a time machine and there was no way to travel back 2000 years. Never mind, lets just do it anyway.
I still think this is better than Beneath the Planet of the apes because it at least has some original concepts in it.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Unnecessary
Beneath the planet of the apes was an unfortunate sequel, the openong scenes are like a poorly made remake of the original. The ending doesnt get much better and the concept is just ridiculous.
Charlton Heston should have stayed out of this film altogether ratherthan putting in a half hearted performance he clearly didnt want to be a part of.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
A cheeseball of a film
Top Gun Maverick is the cheesiest film Ive seen in years. I guess it was intentional and they wanted to give it an 80's filmmaking vibe but it's a bit much.
The unnamed and never seen enemy kind of irritated me. I feel like you need to know who the bad guy is. Even if it's a fictional country, we need someone to rally against.
The final action sequences are solid and bump the rating up a couple of notches.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Perfect for its time
Planet of the apes holds up very well for a 55 year old film. The storyline is tight and the action is gripping.
Charlton Heston hams it up a bit, but it was great acting for its time.
Planet of the apes is a true classic that set a new benchmark for future sci-fi films.
If our civilisation is ever destroyed, I hope a copy of this film survives in a cave somewhere for the creatures of the future.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
It shouldnt have been made
Alien vs Predator really cheapens the brand for both franchises. The premise was ridiculous and the build up is non existent.
The film is full of plot holes that just gnaw at me.
I came into this movie wanting to like it but it just didnt come close for me.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Tuck in the children before you watch this one.
Alien: Covenant was created with a great deal of skill. Ridley Scott is a true master when it comes to suspensful action.
Having just watched all the Alien films in order of release, I place this at number 3 after Alien and Aliens.
The acting was supurb, Michael Fassbender was perfectly cast in these prequels.
Prometheus (2012)
A beautifully executed film
Prometheus has a stunning visual design which was a pleasure to watch. The problem was the plot. It was generic and nothing particularly special happened.
While I believe this was a deeply engaging and suspensful film, it left me thinking that nothing really happened in the end.
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Ripley still has it
While Resurrection doesn't cone close to the first 2 Alien films, it is still a solid installment. Sigourney Weaver puts on her best performance of the series and the addition of Ron Pearlman makea for an enjoyable action packed sci-fi horror film.
Winona Ryder is just terrible. She's an actress who fascinates me. Why was she ever popular. It's beyond me and irriates me at the same time.
Alien³ (1992)
A slow fizz
Alien 3 is one of those films where everyone is constantly shouting but noone is saying anything. The action sequences are minimal yet occassionally impactful. The dialogue is dull and the special effects were poor. I kept checking to see how long the film had left to run.
Aliens (1986)
One of the best
As an action movie sequel, Aliens is absolutely top notch. Ripley becomes a character we truly care about. The action and special effects are brilliant for their time and the set design is perfect.
The suspense created in Aliens will keep you riveted to your seat.
Alien (1979)
An incredible achievement
Watching Alien in 2022, it's hard to believe the film was made in the 70's. This is a masterclass in film making. Ridley Scott did an amazing job with Alien.
Sigourney Weaver is outstanding, she set a new standard for female scifi/action stars.
Alien is a must watch for anyone who loves film and enjoys an edge of your seat thrill ride.
Predator 2 (1990)
Classis early 90's action
Predator 2 has non stop action from start to finish. The opening scenes are intense and it doesnt slow down much for the next 2 hours. Danny Glover was an excellent choice for this one. He plays a cop so well.
The concept behind Predator 2 brings a new dimension to the franchise and works really well.