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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Amateurish and sloppy addition to a classic
I was looking forward to this but was very disappointed.
This is just poorly made.
The filming is strange with lots of distant slow zoom shots and everyone has a plastic sheen to their faces.
The editing is bad, people are looking on one direction in the close up but a different direction in the next.
The dialogue is atrocious, everything is stilted, sounding like everyone shot their parts separately.
The script is really dumb, often characters go right out and explain what just happened for the benefit of especially slow viewers.
There is a real sense of inevitableity with this. You know exactly what is coming next, they even try to make a joke out of it - but still it plays out the same.
Some good action but it just made me want to watch the original.
The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
A silly superhero fantasy that takes itself a little too seriously
This starts of with Tarzan already in London.
I thought this was a good idea as we don't have to go through the tiresome story we all know - except we do: through the medium of flashback.
Tarzan can pretty much fly, has super human strength and talks to animals.
This is all very silly and there is nothing wrong with that.
But it has moments where it tries to get above its station and make bigger points - these are mainly fleeting but drain the fun feel of the movie.
The story is ludicrous, which is fine for a fantasy movie, but unnecessarily convoluted.
What really put me off this is how tedious the action is.
Some enemy is declared to be big and unstoppable but then is immediately defeated - normally by punching it or running it over with an animal.
There are a lot of enemies to overcome and they don't escalate.
Once you have seen Tarzan beat up a gorilla it is hard to get excited about him fight some Belgian conscript.
I have a feeling a lot of the core audience is here to see Alexander Skarsgård run around half naked - and again that is fine - but not for me.
By the time Tarzan got around to punching the final bad guy I was quite sleepy and had forgotten what the point of this whole thing was.
Slow Horses (2022)
It is hard to say what this is - apart from very, very good
Ever wondered what happens to spies when they screw up?
They end at Slough House.
These are not your "James Bond" type spies but a collection of pen-pushers, surveillance operators and analysts - all headed up by a burnt-out "proper" espionage agent.
The casting and performances are absolutely amazing!
Gary Oldman is perfect as the foul-mouthed straight-shooting disgraced agent who has zero f's to give.
The scenes where he tells (to their faces) how much he despises his co-workers and how useless they are, are pure gold.
Kristin Scott Thomas is the foil to Gary Oldman and is outstanding! She totally holds the show together.
The kidnappers are also very, very good in rather unpleasant ways.
This has gritty moments, funny moments, shocks that will make you spill your tea and heart warming moments that will make you reach for the tissues.
I found the first half of the first episode quite boring - I am not a massive fan of spy films and I would have turned it off if I had something better to do - it is worth sticking with it.
IF (2024)
Only for young kids -a slog for adults
First off this is very well produced and the lead actress is absolutely fantastic.
The effects are impressive and younger children will marvel at the bright characters bumbling around screen.
It does tug at your heart strings near the end quite effectively.
The problem with this movie is that the premise it stretched too far.
Yes, this is all about suspending belief and getting back to childlike naivety but as an adult I could only go so far before my brain started nagging me.
How does this work? Do the Ifs really affect the world or is that just an illusion? Is this girl really wandering around New York or is this in her imagination? What happens when an adult gets their IF back? Does it sit awkwardly in the corner whilst you are having sex?
It sounds mean of me to prod at plot points but none of this film has any rhyme or reason.
None of the events in this film actually matter and it is hard to tell if most of the characters even exist.
As nothing makes sense there is a lot of padding with people tripping over or running around screaming as there is nothing really to do.
Ryan Reynolds seems uncomfortable and distracted the whole time, like he really wished he was somewhere else.
Not a bad movie and young kids will probably love it - but I was hoping for a fun family movie we could all enjoy but all the adults were really bored.
First Daughter (2004)
A surprisingly tight movie
Katie Holmes plays the president's daughter goes to a normal college to have a normal college experience.
There she has to contend with room mates, drink, overly tight security, her father's presidential campaign and, of course, a boy.
As you probably expect this is wholesome light weight fodder with not too many shocks.
What is unusual is the amount of love and professionalism put into this.
Despite its rather whimsical premise the story is very lean and structured - performances are good and production is solid.
Nobody working on this expected it to win any Oscars but it is nice to see people put the effort in.
The result is charming, fun Sunday afternoon movie that is much better than a lot of the other grandiose movie surrounding it on Netflix.
Abigail (2024)
A great old fashion final-girl movie - with a twist
A ragtag bunch of bad guys has to babysit a young girl they have abducted until the ransom money shows up.
They are in a big old creepy house, the details of the job are very vague, and there is something off about their hostage - what could possibly go wrong.
This is an old-school horror/action movie with a lick of fresh paint on it.
It has quite a slow build up and you get quite q bit of time with the characters before things start to heat up.
There are mysteries here but they are only half-cloaked and it is no big surprise when they come to fruition.
Normally child actors are the weakest link in these types of movies but Alisha Weir does an amazing job and really sells are character on multiple levels.
There is some cheesy dialogue, silly actions and lots of swaggering around - but that is necessary.
This is violent but in a very cartoonish kind of a way with severed limbs strewn floating around in pools of bright red blood.
This film isn't scary but it is interesting and, most of all, a lot of fun.
The characters are intriguing and quippy and there are some great set pieces.
The Fall Guy (2024)
Good fun but too much action
There is a lot to like here both Emily and Ryan are great and they have some good chemistry.
The bits between them are funny and charming.
The action set-pieces are exhilarating and inventive and are great fun.
The problem with this film is it doesn't get the comedy/action/romance balance right for me.
This is very action heavy, eclipsing the other elements of the film.
Ryan will go on a wild car chase with explosions and mayhem, then dust him self off and go back to the set to explain to Emily why he missed lunch - who cares?
It just felt like I was just waiting for the next car chase which became more outlandish and tedious as they went on.
There is lots of fun to have here but I can't see me returning to it.
What's Your Number? (2011)
2024 re-watch - middling RomCom
A woman feels her life is running away with her and recruits the hunk next-door to help her track down her ex-lovers to find the one that got away.
You don't need to be a genius to work out where this is heading.
This is light, bouncy and good fun.
Anna Faris is good game here (although her character from Scary Movie is entrenched in my mind) and Evans does what is needed - mostly raising his eyebrow and walking about naked.
There are all the usual jokes you would expect and this is well executed with good supporting performances and a wealth of talent - the ex-lovers is a shopping list of minor movie/TV stars
I had good fun with this but I think it sits further down my list of Romcoms.
This Means War (2012)
2024 rewatch - good fun
Two spies fall for the same girl and compete to win her affections.
From that one line you can pretty much guess what is going to happen - and the film doesn't disappoint in that respect.
A lot rellies on the relationship between the two male leads and how their growing competition unfolds.
Pine and Hardy are great here - things escalate by logical and believable stages - sure Reaper drones are misappropriated and the two men break about every law going but this shouldn't be taken too seriously.
Witherspoon makes an excellent prize for the two men and plays it really well when things inevitably go wrong.
Good fun, lots of light action, a splash of romance and some funny moments.
This is perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Fallout (2024)
Totally Surprised
Having hundreds of hours playing the 5 (true) Fallout Games I was not looking forward to this - as a TV show cannot match the fun I had exploring this world.
Well, the people behind this have managed it somehow.
This doesn't have total fidelity to the game lore but I think that was needed to make the transition between medias.
This pushes the comedy element quite hard but it worked for me.
The production is great and the characters are amazing. Ella Purnell is perfect as is Walton Goggins and Aaron Moten - but everyone is great.
The only gripe I had was that the end battle was a little lacklustre.
But overall I really enjoyed this and are anticipating the next season
.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
A dull mess -but looks pretty
I expected Ghostbusters to be a family film - but this really is for kids.
Not much of it makes much sense and nothing really happens - it is a showcase for some good effects.
The Ghostbusters are broke - not even the windup windows on their car works - for some reason they still tear up the town busting ghosts, possibly for money but mostly for kicks - I think?
The action is slapstick and it is made abundantly clear from the start that nobody is ever going to get hurt, no matter how many cars crash or icicles shoot through the floor everybody is going to be fine.
The Ghostbusters are useless at what they do - they have no expertise or skill and really anyone else would be better to take over their business.
Then it turns out that the old Ghostbusters are still around and they do have money and aren't quite as useless as the new Ghostbusters.
The cast wander around town triggering hat tips to the older films - oh the nostalgia!
Then the bad guy is here then someone does a thing and he isn't - the end.
This is ok to put on whilst you are doing something more interesting on your phone - James Acaster is surprisingly good and the highlight of the show.
The effects are great and it doesn't hang around too long - but even a day latter I am struggling to remember what actually happened - it turns out not much.
Arthur the King (2024)
I really wanrted to like this
This is a great story and I was looking forward to watch this - but it has too many technical issues for me to really enjoy it.
The pace is really bad - I love a lead up to a movie but this is just too much with nothing getting done.
We don't start racing for what seems like ages but in that time we don't learn much about the sport of the characters. Really important aspects are just blurted out rather than shown.
This makes the characters really flat as they have just one characteristic to define them - you get the ego one, the pushy one, the bad knee guy and the daddy's girl - nothing more.
Despite tracking through some of the most beautiful countryside on the planet the film looks very dark and colourless.
It is also rare for the camera to actually be on a tripod and even scenes in a cafe feel like they were shot from a dingy floating on a pond.
The acting also is quote stilted where every line feels like a quip.
The dog parts also aren't great - a chase scene with just dogs is a brave thing to try but very hard to do.
I feel really mean talking so badly about t a film that was obviously made with a lot of love but just didn't do it for me.
My wife really enjoyed it and there is fun to be had here but I couldn't get in to it.
Unfrosted (2024)
Silly, very tedious, not sure who this is for.
I thought this was about the origin of the poptart but is actually a two hour long sketch about corporations run by Edith Blyton characters.
A lot of the comedy relies on dad jokes and slapstick.
There are lots of silly voices, people getting hit in the nuts and painfully unfunny stereotypes.
It feels like this is made for 8 year olds but a lot of the "jokes" rely on knowledge of inflation, Argentina's acceptance of war criminals, the advancement of technology and U. S history.
There are lots of familiar talent here.
Amy Shimmer plays protagonist and if you are a fan of her work you will probably love this.
This is jarringly puerile and has no plot, just random things happening.
It probably looked funny on paper but I found this impossible to watch.
The Portable Door (2023)
Starts off a little sharp but quickly becomes more fluffy
This starts off feeling like an adult surreal, mind-bending, possibly psychotropic kind of affair - but quickly changes into something more family friendly.
After about fifteen minutes we are made aware that the world contains all sorts of fantasy type characters and it gets a bit more fluffy - the Jim Henderson tag should be a give away.
The main character is very good and not your typical hero and the supporting cast all do a great job - Sam Neil is obviously having a lot of fun here.
The story unfolds and interesting stuff happens until it all ends. Pretty much what a film should do.
As I was watching interesting characters stepped from behind the curtain then dash off again.
It gave me the sneaking feeling that this is actually a part of a series of books?
I was spot on - it looks like there are eight of them at time of writing.
This means that if you like this there are likely to be more on the way but it does mean this isn't a film that stands solely on its own and some scenes are clearly foreshadowing.
A good fun family film with some silly fantasy elements that kids will love and adults can relax to.
The Family Plan (2023)
An old style family-action movie
A dull suburban dad turns out to be a hitman in retirement.
This has been done a thousand times before as comedies, dramas, thrillers and Manga.
But I still think there is a little space for this.
The slight twist here is that Mark Wahlberg really leans into the satisfaction of having a good life.
In a sea of inspirational films, where every character saves the world before breakfast, it is a little refreshing to have a main character who just wants to be happy with his family.
Saying that, there is a lot of action here with plenty of shoot-outs and car crashes.
The main joke is that Mark tries to keep the truth from his family as long as possible and it does add to the hijinks.
There is nothing new here but it is honest to what it is, there are no hidden themes or unexpected twists just a fun family action movie.
The violence is quite tame and slapstick - you never see what happens to the motorcycle riders as they fly off screen to their doom and when people are shot they just lie down as if taking a little nap.
Take this for what it is and you will have fun.
A Haunting in Venice (2023)
Slow but very atmospheric
This film takes a really long wind up to get going.
You get lots of shots of children running around spooky mansions and the ever present water that is all around.
The arty camera angles in Death on the Nile really bothered me, but here they are toned down and add to the disjointed feel of the haunted house that Poirot has come to investigate.
Performances and production are all great and the characters engaging.
My wife got a bit bored waiting for something to happen and was unimpressed when it did - so I can see how this one can be a bit divisive.
This has a darker feel to it than the other films and if there were to be a Halloween-special then this would be it.
Have some patience and you should enjoy this and may even get at ingle down your spine.
Road House (2024)
Not Road House but qyuriky action fun
This has very little in common with its older namesake - apart from it is set in a Road House (whatever that is) and there is some fighting.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays an amusingly pragmatic fighter who smiles and quips before throwing people through windows.
The plot is very silly and things that look like they are going to be built on aren't and so much of it makes little sense.
But there are lots of fun characters and lots of action.
It is quite violent but in a semi-silly way.
Jake Gyllenhaal gets punched in the face about a thousand times which only results in the odd split lip or a black eye.
This has nothing on the original and really it shouldn't have bothered trying to dress up in Road Houses's clothes as it is its own, rather silly, thing.
But all being said this was good fun, full of action and just quirky enough to catch my attention.
The 'Burbs (1989)
2024 rewatch - still got it
This is a simple story of busy-body neighbours taking things to the extreme.
It is a fun light comedy based on a fairly simple premies: the new neighbours are weird and up to no good.
This stars a very youthful Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher.
This is quite innoffensive with simple jokes and a bit of slapstick.
When you break it down there is not a lot going on and this does look a little dated and in some ways underwelming.
But like many films of its time it is lean, getting in and out without wasting any time.
I got the bluray of this and really enjoyed watching it again after so many years.
Ricky Stanicky (2024)
A fun comedy that doesn't try too hard.
I am not a big fan of really zanny gross comedies - but this plays it nice and safe, and was refreshingly fun.
There is quite a bit of silliness but this film keeps its feet firmly on the ground.
The cast are great and work well as a team to set John Cena up for some great jokes.
This has a classic feel about it where it doesn't try too hard to be too mad or too clever.
The story is nice and lean, you could write the whole plot out in a few lines, and amongst the jokes there are a few welcome moments of sadness and tenderness.
I thought this looked pretty lame but I ended up really enjoying as did my wife.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Rewatch after thirty years- still great
I watched this in 94 and quite enjoyed it.
Then when the radio played Wet Wet Wet to death I associated it with the film and never watched it again.
This is a great story with great characters and some genuinely funny moments.
Hugh Grant does what he does best being adorably foppish and awkwardly witty and is backed by an epic supporting cast.
It is hard to pick out a favourite couple as there is a real mash of personalities and everyone adds something.
The four weddings all have a humorous twist and I must admit I shed a few manly tears at the one funeral.
It has aged quite well but the pacing is slow compared to modern films and demands some of your attention.
I highly recommend this as a Sunday watch it should make you laugh and cry.
About a Boy (2002)
2024 rewatch - it is better than I remeber
I saw this back in 2002 and, apart from the title track lurking around on my play list,I haven't given it a second thought..
This came on the TV in 2024 and I was just too lazy to turn over the channel - soon I was chuckling along.
The premise is really simple but super effective: the internal bachelor gets drawn into a kid's life and, after some resistance, realises he needs to "grow"
Looking back, casting Sharon Small opposite Hugh Grant, as a well meaaning but oblivious new age mum was a touch of genius.
Marcus (the boy) is the exact right about of annoying and hopeless for this story to work.
This has some dark themes about bullying and depression but they are all handled with delicate grace and always measured with wit and optimism.
Near the end it does get a bit cloying and you need a glass of water to wash the sugary taste from your mouth - but then what else do you expect from a 2002 Hugh Grant film?
Migration (2023)
Fun for young kids
The trailer made this look like it was a film the family could enjoy but I think it is more aimed at kids.
There are a few (rather lame) jokes that adults can appreciate but this is really just about getting fast moving bright colours on the screen.
There is no real story just a bunch of stuff that happens, normally ending in some of the birds tumbling through a door.
This is well made for what it is and I am pretty sure that younger kids will get a kick out of it but this is the kind of film where it comes on the TV in 6 months times and it feels vaguely familiar but you can't really remeber why.
The Boys in the Boat (2023)
A good Sunday afternoon movie
I don't like sport but I do love a good sport's movie after my Sunday roast.
This has everything you would expect, down-trodden beautiful people who need to strive to win a game of sports.
This has a very traditional feel about it with a fairly standard hero and romantic interest which, bizarrely, felt quite refreshing.
The boys row the boat and get knocked down but then do better to some rousing music.
There really is nothing new here but the people making this film realised it and ran with it.
It is great to watch a film that isn't trying to be something it is not.
The costumes and sets are amazing and you get a real (although sanitised) feel for the time.
The story focuses on a few characters meaning other members of the crew fade into the background - but the main characters have enough to them to carry this along.
There is nothing to get excited, upset or hot under the collar here - just a good honest story.
I miss movies like this.
My only criticism is it felt a little long - but then that is what Sunday afternoons are all about.
Wonka (2023)
An average movie that is very pleasant to watch
This has a lot of things going for it - great cast, good performances, production and clearly some love was invested in making this.
The result is a fine movie - but nothing fantastic.
I think this is a children's film as oppose to a family movie.
There is not much of a plot: stuff just happens and when a problem seems too difficult to tackle Willy literally pulls the solution out of his hat.
This leads to a lot of silliness that kids will probably appreciate.
The songs are ok but I have forgotten them already.
The sets are interesting but the CGI feels oppressive.
There is some great acting (especially Coleman) but most of the charters are pretty shallow.
Whereas the original was about shunning greed, gluttony and selfishness - this seems to be about solving everything with magic and chocolate.
Got a problem? Eat this sweet and it will make you big or small or strong or whatever you need.
Got no money or any place to sleep? Eat a chocolate.
I think too much was put on Calah Lane's shoulders - she gives a sterling effort but it is such a big part to put on such a young actor - and in a lot of places it shows.
Men in Black³ (2012)
Much better than I remember
I watched this in the cinema when it came out and was so displeased with it I never watched it again - until 2024.
Maybe I am mellowing in my old age but I really enjoyed this.
It has a workable time-travel story with an interesting villan and lots of little side-jokes that mostly land.
The action is low key but when things do happen the set pieces are energetic and the visuals standup pretty well considering the age.
The character development is where this really shines and I loved seeing young K and O in action.
This isn't an amazing movie but for a Sunday afternoon this is perfect viewing.