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Reviews
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Alien: Inferior
The film begins really strongly and sets the scene nicely with some really good tension scenes with the introduction of the xenomorphs. Unfortunately about halfway through it loses its zeal and realism. The characters do the equivalent of 'running up the stairs when they should be going out the front door' several times - so much so that I really didn't care if they lived or died towards the end, I was almost rooting for the aliens. Perhaps the stupidest story arc is when they know that Andy the android is working for the company but still allow him to lead them and follow his instructions to try and escape: complete stupidity. The film tries to be almost a remake of 'Alien' and 'Aliens' in one but it's neither - it should have just tried to be its own film. It's watchable and starts off strong but the actions of the main characters are just unbelievable.
Woman of the Hour (2023)
Good start but slowly dies
The film and its premise have promise and sound good on paper but the execution just isn't there. There are some good tension-filled moments but once you realise what's happening it loses its spark. The jump around in timelines, victims and stories make it confusing for the viewer. The film doesn't really go anywhere until over an hour into its runtime which isn't great. Towards the end I just wanted to know how it ended - the nuances of the killer and other characters had lost all their appeal. The film had a strong start and I had high hopes but it got lost along the way - I'm still unclear how some of the storylines came together (unfortunately they didn't)
Carrie (2013)
Watchable until the end, then falls apart
This film had promise, especially as it was billed as a different take on the original, but it wasn't - it was the inferior. Julianne Moore does a good job as Margaret White but nobody will beat Piper Laurie. The same with Chloë Grace Moretz but unfortunately it can't live up to Sissy Spacek's amazing original performance. Parts of the film are good and parts of it just don't fit - there are several extra scenes especially towards the end that don't sit right with me when considering the original film. The final scene at the prom is almost laughable because it is clearly 99% CGI effects and you can really tell. Add to that the fact that this Carrie character isn't just having a 'rage', as was the case with the original character, but she is actively targeting individuals to punish them: that changes the entire premise of the character in my eyes.
This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
Good cast, wasted potential
This film could have been a great comedy given the stellar cast, but instead it went down the drama/heartstrings route and falls flat on its face. It starts off promising enough but quickly loses its way. The characters just don't act the way normal people would in everyday situations and it eventually ends in farce (while trying to be funny). The main cast had such potential but they are all underused and basically given one-dimentiomal characters. By the end you kind of wish they were all dead so it would just end already. The writing and character development really lets it down: nothing new or original to see here.
I'll See You in My Dreams (2015)
An emotional tour de force - Danner shines!
This film hooks you in from the very beginning... As a dog lover I was in bits by 10 minutes in. This is a raw and compelling look at life and what you can do with it. Blythe Danner is absolutely perfect in the title role: a tough exterior with a vulnerable core, like many of us. The connection she makes with the two male leads seems genuine and fun (personally, I think the younger one got a raw deal). Her reactions and feelings are so well expressed and her kooky bunch of friends (who I think we all need) are the perfect support. Danner makes us think about who we are, where we're going and the best way to get there.
The Sister (2020)
Potential - but that's all
The premise of this sounded good and the initial story set up was quite promising, but unfortunately that's where it ended. As the story went on it became clear that all the characters simply didn't act as normal people would have and didn't say enough to each other to make their actions clear. Most of the premise is on perceived 'wrongdoing' by the main character in several story arcs (the sister, the police officer friend, etc). However almost all of what happens later is because of bad lies and omissions by characters. It is trying desperately to make itself into a classic whodunnit tale but the reality is, by the end, nobody cares.
Poor Things (2023)
The only good thing is that it ended
I wanted to like this film and love Emma Stone but 'Poor Things' offers nothing in the way of entertainment or coherence. I imagined it would be something like 'Edward Scissorhands' or a similar vein - it is not. It's over two hours of disjointed dialogue and confusing, pointles storylines. Not to mention way too many gratuitous shots of Emma Stone's nude body - no thanks. I kept going in the hopes that it would all come together in the end, but it was a waste of time like almost the entire film. One could easily watch the first 20 minutes and the last 20 minutes and it would still seem too much. The only potential saving grace is Tim Burton-esque visuals but it's not enough to save this train wreck. An utter diatribe on decent films - and another example of how the Academy Awards is completely out of touch with entertainment.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Interesting but overdrawn - not one you'd watch twice
The story fascinates me and I knew nothing about the title character coming into this, but it is a very slow and drawn out film. The first hour and a half or so could probably have been condensed into 30 minutes, considering most of it is told through flashbacks anyway. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr played their roles well and deserve the praise, but this is not a film you'd watch twice: it is far too long in length and there's too many nuances going on that, quite frankly, aren't necessary - or at least not to the extent of that they are shown on screen. I would classify this more as a biopic than anything - you walk away with a lot of information about Robert Oppenheimer but not much else.
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland (2024)
Strong start
I really like almost all the comedians involved in this and it's a really strong cast, not to mention Graham Norton. The format was completely foreign to me and I really didn't know how to expect. I liked the cameos - no spoilers - in the first few episodes: they gave it great buoyance and added a bit of variety. However as the episodes went on, it got a little tiresome and the comedians - understandably - got a little desperate. But instead of making it funny, it almost seemed childish. It started off strong with good comedic timing and the cameos, but the last episode or two really just felt like filling airtime. I think the format could have worked better if they actually had more time, in the style of a 'Big Brother' house, or if the criteria to peck off contestants was more fluid. I did enjoy this and will be watching any follow up, if there is one, but it just didn't hold its pace to the end.
Someone Is Watching (2000)
A real gem
I really didn't know what to expect from this, but it was so much better than I thought. Right from the start it has a creepy undertone and is straight in on the action - something you just don't get these days. Stefanie Powers is brilliant and demonstrates that she hasn't lost a thing! Margot Kidder also shines as the kookie new-age neighbour. While parts of the storyline seem slightly predictable, it really is very hard to tell which way it's going which is exactly what makes it such a good watch. I'd go so far as to say this is better than most of the films on the market at the moment, having watched a few of them lately. I wish they made more like this.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Tries to be clever but falls flat
Another expressionist film trying to take a clever look at Hollywood/Broadway. Like so many others it doesn't have a well thought out storyline, you don't know or care about the characters - who are just thrown at you - and it's a hard slog. Once you get an hour into it and realise there's still no plot you know it's a lost cause. It's a shame because the cast is quite strong and in another space and time the story could be too. But it tries to be too clever for its own good... being shot in 'real time' through corridors, in and out of doorways, up and down flights of stairs. Who cares: give me a decent film with a good storyline, the camera angles aren't that important to me. Unfortunately this film has none of those - except annoying camera angles. Hard pass.
Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
A flawed remake that offers nothing new
This film has so many flaws in the storyline. I wanted to find something redeeming about it, bit there isn't. The whole premise is ridiculous and nothing like the original. Neighbour child steals (unbeknownst to the owner) valuable statue doll and they try to get it back off him. This means there is no threat to the child (comedic or otherwise) like there was in the original. The neighbours could have simply asked for the doll back, from the mother or the boy. Mobile phones exist now, so it wouldn't be an issue. The family flying to Japan, and forgetting the child, is also lacking in comedy or importance to the story. The mother has already left (?) when the rest of the family wakes up. What? Not to mention that the mother and son having British accents makes no sense - the rest of the family doesn't. By about 25 minutes in, I wanted to turn it off. Nothing pulls you in. A blatant unnecessary remake that offers nothing new.
Mindcage (2022)
It's as bad as you think
God this is bad...I wanted to like it and give it a chance, but it just never took off. The acting is so wooden you don't believe for a second that the two main detective characters are actually investigating anything. Malkovich is plausible, but only because it feels like he's almost just playing himself. I can't take Martin Lawrence seriously; unfortunately Melissa Roxburgh is no better. It just starts wrong and keeps on going. The main detective characters begin by not really liking or trusting each other, and suddenly 30 minutes into the film they're best friends and figuring things out really quickly in terms of the different murders and the items found - but still the film drags on. By the end, even before that, you just don't care what happens. I see one reviewer compares this to a poor copy of 'The Silence of the Lambs' - they are right. Just watch that instead.
Frasier (2023)
Disappointing, obvious laughs
This reboot was always going to struggle to come up to the level of the original series. However not only does it not come up to it, it falls so far short and it's laughable - for all the wrong reasons. There is something nice and warm in seeing the Frasier character back on-screen just like his old self, however that's where the good part ends. The show is lacking in funny supporting characters and, arguably more importantly, actual comedy. I laughed once watching the pilot episode. I can remember in the original series laughing maybe 10 or 12 times an episode. The bottom line is the writing is not as clever, and the laughs are incredibly obvious; you see them coming before the punch lines are delivered. Like other, similar reboots of late it just doesn't hold water. I'd like to say it tries too hard, but it doesn't.
Tradition (2019)
Modern 'Paddywhackery' that still isn't funny
I knew 20 minutes in this wasn't going to get any better. I had moderate hopes for this on account of it being made in the recent past, with some of the cast members I had heard of or seen before. However unfortunately it seems to be modern 'Paddywhackery' which really has very little substance to it. The scenes in the courtroom are also cringeworthy - they would make anyone who's actually worked in a courtroom feel the same. This is essentially a pantomime on film: although there are one or two good lines and serious moments, the rest of it can be binned. It's only possible saving grace is that it's not too long, at 77 minutes, but those are 77 minutes you won't get back. I do understand what it's trying to be: it wants to be a comedy without putting in the legwork, but this approach falls flat and leaves you feeling like you're not sure what you've just watched.
Steel Country (2018)
The poison of silence
Small towns have big secrets. The film starts in a strange place, and you're not sure what's going on. It takes a while to get going, but once you realise what you're in it's gripping. No one really listens to or believes Andrew Scott's character because he's taken as the town fool - a role he plays perfectly and convincingly. But as the mystery unravels, Scott's character is stoped at every turn including by those at the very top. A sound supporting cast as well, it becomes a real whodunit and is well worth your time. A perfect example of what happens when no one speaks up for other people who need their help.
The Ambassador (1998)
Enjoyable and fascinating - Collins shines
I thoroughly enjoyed this: it's a fascinating look at the sometimes contentious relationship between two neighboring countries, with a long and complicated history. The characters are, for the most part, relatable and believable but the brightest one is Pauline Collins. She shines in her role as Ambassador Harriett Smith who - on several occasions - has to walk the line between her personal and professional beliefs. I saw this as a child growing up in Ireland, and recently re-watched it on Prime Video and it was almost as good as I remember. Some of the stories are a bit far-fetched and a stretch, but others are very believable and relatable to today.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Nothing much to it, don't bother
There was nothing redeeming about this film, really which is unfortunate because I really liked the first one. But this sequel offered nothing in the way of new challenges or experiences for the characters - it is essentially a re-hashed version of 'The Mummy', only with more annoying secondary characters than the first one had. About an hour into it I didn't care about what was happening and I just wanted it to end. That's not even taking account of the terrible plot twists involving a reincarnation for Rachel Weisz's character that saw her directly involved in the events of the first film... reincarnation, really? Is that the best we can do? We have every ancient magic trick up our sleeve, and reincarnation is it. By the time you get to the pea-shooting monkeys, who essentially save the day, it's time to call it quits.