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Haunted Mansion (2023)
Surprisingly entertaining
I enjoyed the original Haunted Mansion movie. But with Disney's spate of duff remakes I was hesitant to even bother watching this one. So I was incredibly surprised to find it a fresh take on the movie with a huge yet very well done emphasis on the original Disney "Haunted Mansion" park ride elements.
The cast are spot on and great in their roles. The ghosts fit the elements of the park ride without jamming it down your throat. Even Jared Leto as the hatbox ghost is a worthy performance. For once Jared Leto's over the top performance style works well.
The reveals are well done, the jokes are funny. Although it may not be suitable for the youngest viewers, it is generally suitable for everyone.
The runtime may make some complain but it I felt it was fine as it allowed the story to be told without rushing or dragging it out too much.
I'll definitely be adding this to my Halloween watchlist for nect year and more.
Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
Watchable but not as great as the original
It is clear it is not written by Michael Hirst as it lacks his touch. It is entertaining but is missing that sprinkling of Hirst's magic that made the original Vikings run for 9 seasons. It looks brighter & more colourful and covers a new era interestingly. But the race & gender swapping of Jarl Haakon is jarring and stands out horribly as factually & historically inaccurate.
Seeing the tensions between the old Gods & new in Norway is interesting and educational. Especially knowing that the Pagan temples at Uppsala were all destroyed and replaced with a large Christian Cathedral.
Seeing the Seer in his "between worlds" state is a nice throwback to the original series.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Meta to the max, so requires a 2nd watch
Most films are pretty easy to understand but the Matrix films are subtext layered on top of subtext. The originals were about a number of things, one of which was our reliance on machines to survive. And thus the machines were reliant on us.
The new film is a less than subtle dig at social media, reboots and sequels (you don't get much more meta than a sequel that is a bit of a reboot making commentary on the current obsession with reboots & sequels.)
Plus the commentary on the extreme left & right and cancel culture (swarm mode)
If anyone doesn't like this film then they didn't get it. Later they'll have a moment of dawning realisation where they 'get it.'
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
The true sequel is here
Amazing.....oh you want more? Not only does this film give fans of the original films everything they want. It also gives new watchers a great film. Without giving anything away, it captures the humour, spookiness, and essence of what makes the 1984 classic so damn good.
It is a shame that as usual the critics have ZERO clue what makes a good film. Those Film Studios degree's from watching French New Wave Cinema does not mean you know what a Ghostbusters fan wants critics.
Jason Reitman knows his stuff, but then he should as grew up on the set of both Ghostbusters movies, and had a role in the 2nd film. 10 out of 10 !!
Cursed (2020)
*sigh* Men bad, Women amazing. Woke at its worst !!
Do you like the Arthurian legends? Yes? Well don't bother with this as it took them and threw them out of the window.
It is so woke it's infuriating. It has changed established key elements away from the known stories, to appear more diverse, with not a care for how they screw with the legends.
Arthur is a mixed race black thief. Morgana is black and a lesbian. Merlin is a drunken buffoon. Every female character is a Mary Sue, and every male character is incompetent.
It is not trying to tell an engaging or interesting and intelligent story, that is told to you from what is a secondary character in the legends perspective. It is instead trying to bash you with an ideology.
Also it treats those legends as though you know them all off by heart. So the average viewer who is not familiar with the legends is just left confused and wondering why on earth certain things have panned out the way the do.
The only plus is it looks pretty for a series filmed near Slough
ThunderCats Roar (2020)
Utter drivel
The 80's series was great, the 2011 remake was astoundingly even better (great story, great animation.)
This however is utter drivel. It is one of those idiotic series that insults the intelligence of the viewer and offers nothing in return, but with a very poor Thundercats skin put on it.
There are so many good series in the last few years, (Gravity Falls, Phineas and Ferb,) this sadly is not one of them.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Addictive and realistic
I thoroughly enjoyed the originals when they came out and they helped foster a love of Japan and Japanese culture. I was interested in Cobra Kai enough to watch this new series and I am very glad I did. It is addictive.
You can see the elements of the characters coming out with a natural pacing. Their gradual change is perfectly timed and not forced. There are still some of the expected "bad guys" who are comic in their depiction but without giving things away they have far more normal and natural responses than Hollywood normally gives.
In fact a large part of the success of Cobra Kai is the perfect blending of characters you think initially are just Hollywood stereotypes who turn out to be far more like real people. With real responses. The progression of their characters far more like real life than any other series.
Watch Cobra Kai !!! You will be glad you did.
Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)
Entertaining but far too dark
If you like the Underworld series you will like the film. It has Kate Beckinsale in her leading role again, and interesting premise which I shall not say to avoid spoilers.
Some old idea's and tropes along with some new one's to put some fresh blood in to the mix (blood....get it) ;)
However the entire film is far too dark. Underworld is set in the dark world of Vampires and Lycans and is almost entirely set at night but even then it is far too dark. It is as if all the lights are off and we are expected to watch the entire film by moonlight.....or specifically obviously day for night shots coloured to look super dark.
If there is another film I sincerely hope that they add more light. None of the other films have been so dimly lit.
Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies (2016)
Amusing Spoof ZomCom
An amusing spoof B movie with some of the cheesiest music since 70's porn films
It is not a blockbuster. It is like the old school gore flicks like Reanimator.
Worth a watch if you are a Zombie movie film fan.
Macross Zero (2002)
Quality Entertainment
Once again Shoki Kawamori-San has given us something that rivals the complexity and sheer beauty of Macross Plus. Seeming to follow a Lucas-esque trend he has chosen to do a prequel instead of a sequel in an attempt to show us a key point of the Macross 7 series. Spiritia.
This strange, mystical, yet apparently inherent part of us all all, force. Stirrings of the Force from Star Wars abound, but you won't be seeing people leaping 50 feet in to the air. Its more nature based. With episodes 1, 2, 3 & 4 out, and only 5 to go we are all still a little confused as to spiritia and more important the 'birdman' alien device, for which the head is running around whilst the body is sat on a Stealth Aircraft carrier. Hopefully all will be explained in the final episode as its set one year before the original series, (set in 2009, but released in 1984.)
The artwork and action is amazing in some places, (during fight scenes mostly,) and a little lacking in some others, but overall is pretty good. Better even than Macross Plus. Unlike before however characters are not predominantly Japanese but American or European. An attempt to play to the large US and European fan bases that have had immense difficulty getting hold of Macross material due to legal constraints over distribution rights. Shin is an often confused character, much like Hikaru Ichyjo in the original series, (NOT Rick Hunter his americanised version in the stolen series.) The stories have progressed and are more mature, although still comprehensible and enjoyable by the kids.
All in all an excellent buy, if you can find a copy outside of Japan.
Human Traffic (1999)
British Film at its best
Human Traffic is a fantastic piece of film work detailing 5 friends and what their lives revolve around at that most special time of the week for all of us. The Weekend. Government 'facts' mix with the truth, and thoughts intermix with reality, in dream/thought sequences. It is a biting look at life in Britain and the way that we live our lives and treat/think of other people, focusing on things that we have all seen and done ourselves. The scene in the pub where Jip and Felix run through both their actual dialogue and and Jip's inner thought interpretation of what would have happened if they had been brutally honest with each other.
Don't confuse the drugs content of the film with its true focus. Relationships/friendship and how we act towards people.
Human Traffic is a new start for British comedy, both its dark and light moments. Once you've watched it you'll recognise all the people in the film as those you've met in clubs before, some you've liked and some you've detested. But they are all in their in their friday night finest ;)