business_kid Reviews

Dublin Narcos (2023)

Good Stuff!

[9/10 · 16 April 2023]

I Lived through all of this! I wasn't involved in any way, but it made the news headlines. There are strong language warnings, but it's sparsely used.

People were content to sweep it under the carpet until a certain point. I never knew the extent of some of the drug use until I saw that series. I do remember hearing of someone who danced at a rave for 13 hours straight and died of dehydration. But people didn't want to know. So older folks stayed in the suburbs, and younger folks went into the centre of town, which was a different world at night. The Olympic ballroom had been owned by a friend of the family. When he died, the place was sold, perhaps 15 years before the rave scene.

I found it absolutely riveting. There's room and material for series 2, but that has been dramatised already. It's called "Kin." What no criminal has the sense to do is take a few good years out of criminal activity, then cut, run, and go legitimate somewhere else. Because none of those guys get to grow old here.

Kin (2021– )

Fiction? - NOT!

[13 April 2023]

I lived nearly all of my life in Dublin. They didn't have to dream this idea up, or write the plot. IT HAPPENED.

What they had to do was change things round so the script writers didn't get shot themselves. There was/is a huge gangland feud in Dublin with about 15 contract killings at least over the years. Google Hutch-Kinahan feud if you don't. The Hutch gang was a tight ship. They were the older players, built around Gerry Hutch, called "The Monk" because he only wanted non drinkers, and kept a low profile. When the Kinahans muscled in on his territory (for selling drugs) he ordered a killing, which ended being 2 killings. The Hutch gang was virtually killed off. Gerry Hutch ended doing his own killings and is going down for murder now. Everyone who isn't dead is running scared. The police have Daniel Kinahan unable to exit the UAE or some other tiny Arab State. It's been on tv here and it's too gritty for my taste by far, but you most folk would enjoy it. It got a prime time slot and went down well.

Poker Face (2023– )

Good, but they need to change direction

[7/10 · 1 March 2023]

This is a good clean show. You don't get sex lessons (yet), an education in killing with your hands, etc. You do get this feel-good blonde (she dies it a light brown later) travelling and solving crimes.

It's a different whodunit, and a lovely concept, well executed. The pilot is great. The scripting totally lacks imagination and will kill this show unless it's fixed, which I really hope it is. It is nevertheless worth watching. Trouble is, the pilot painted the show into a corner. They can't seem to figure a way out of it now. That seems a pity, because any time the 'heroine gets pulled over for a license check, it won't end well as things stand.

Veronica Mars (2004–2019)

Maybe for the Excited States??

[2/10 · 27 February 2023]

There exists a world outside of the US of A. I live there. I should start by saying that.

To enjoy this (and I believe people can enjoy this) you need to be part of the 325 Million folks living in the States, and not part of the 8.? Billion living in the rest of the world. So growing up is different here, and this movie flops. It also moves slowly to me.

It had one star because I couldn't give it no stars. I gave it another because it works if you're American. Sure, Americans don't make up 20% of the world's population, but they do watch more American movies than the world average. The acting looked decent, Veronica held your focus in every scene. I couldn't relate to anything or get involved in the suspense, intrigue or deduction because it needs translating.

Magpie Murders (2022– )

Lovely if you're not too perceptive

[6/10 · 11 January 2023]

This builds into a double whodunit with a very Agatha Christie feel to it. It is ostensibly set in 1950s rural England. The same writer is behind Poirot, and Midsomer Murders.

Now I only gave it a 6 because if you're fussy, things will jar and grate on your nerves. I won't detail Spoilers, but I suggest ignoring them if you can.

I would rate the screenplay as rushed. The plot is very unevenly paced throughout the script. In a novel, you can turn from the last chapter back to page 46 to review earlier events you might not remember. You are unlikely to start searching through Episode 2 halfway through watching Episode 6. My guess is that the writer didn't like the poor price he was offered, and lacked care. He just rushed something off. Midsomer Murders is in the same vein. The Detectives in that show should be called Defectives. They go around for 1¾ hours doing no real police work and without a clue as the murders pile up. Then, when most of the (tiny) village is dead, the "star" is struck by ligntning, and rushes off, catching the murderer in the act.

I, Claudius (1976)

Drawn out tripe

[2/10 · 11 December 2022]

Ignore the reviews here telling you to watch this. It covers events in the life of Emperor Claudius, about 50 years. Have you got 50 years? The show moves that slow!

Augustus, who was over 65, is played by a guy who looks about 30. His wife looks old enough to be his mother. The set (not sets) is one Roman atrium. Augustus draws breath before he speaks and you can see him enter the (very boring) part, say his line(s), and promptly exit. I watched two full episodes and NOTHING happened. Augustus was arguably the best Roman emperor ever. I had to watch him played as a dim witted oaf.

Monty Python's (budget) take on Rome knocks it dead. "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum" by the carry-on team blows it away. It's not thriller, history, drama, comedy. It's nothing. Acting is good, I'm told - hence the 2.

The Pianist (2002)

A tedious horror story

[6/10 · 30 November 2022]

IMHO, this was very unevenly paced. In early September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. In early November, there waws Krystallnacht, and the Jews were rounded up thereafter. As soon as they could be takes, Polish Jews also vanished. The film draws this out for two thirds of it's length. The rest can only be touched on. Polanski obviously had something to say on the Nazi treatment of Jews in WW2, which was horrible beyond belief. Who would blame him? I ask you, though: Do you want to be there when he says it? I for one, did not. I think I know that terrible story. It's not entertainment, it's depressing. The lead actor is excellent. Scenery looks authentic, uniforms, etc.

It's also unrealistic.

Saving the Titanic (2012 TV Movie)

I liked this slant on the well-known story

[7/10 · 23 November 2022]

History can only be written by survivors, and winners.

I found this engaging, as I have laboured for hours on factory floors (in Electronic Maintenance) and know the spirit and cameraderie that develops there. I probably will watch it again. The depiction is flawed, as Titanic buffs point out here. The contempt for the "lower classes," the actual onscreen events are inaccurate. I don't think this was meant to be accurate. It doesn't stop it grabbing you.

The Catholic-Protestant thing with Ireland was there, and ever present. But people remember it flaring up 5-10 years after the Titanic went down. Nearly all third class passengers (steerage - the cheapest tickets) went down with the ship, because there wasn't lifeboats for them. The story of the men who took such pride in their work that they kept the ship afloat bears telling. Also,it meant that they went down with the ship. They probably would have done anyhow, as they were lower class. People tend to forget the Titanic was built by working class Protestants. A Catholic couldn't get work in Harland & Wolfe then.

The sets, acting were great. Direction and script less so; too much time wasted on the wrong things.

The Death of Stalin (2017)

If You remember the cold war, watch this

[9/10 · 23 November 2022]

Let me help you understand.

An Englishman, a Frenchman and a Russian were all discussing the happiest moment in life. The Englishman talked about family happiness, the Frenchman about love. The Russian looked at them as if they had two heads each, and said: You're both wrong!" "The happiest moment is at 4AM. There is knocking at the door and it's the Secret Police. You open, and they say 'Ivan Ivanovitch, you are under arrest.' And you say: 'Sorry, Ivan Ivanovitch lives next door.'"

That was Cold War Russia. Once you get that mind set, this is great, this is funny. You have this hammer over your head waiting to fall 24/7. You have to be loyal to the state. So loyal, in fact that you're clearly lying. So everybody is loyal, but all are lying, so who does a paranoid leader like Stalin trust when everyone is lying? Then it stops, and the fun begins.

The interaction between the Politbureau, NKVD, & Army is spot on. Acting is good and scenes are appropriate. General Shukov was the general who basically won WW2 for the Russians. Stalin knew he was loyal, so he was immune to the madness.

The Great (2020–2023)

Not Great

[2/10 · 23 November 2022]

Spoiled by a woeful screenplay. What the actors, scenes & wardrobe folks did was excellent - they reproduced the (expletive) they were given faithfully.

As for history - It announces itself as 'an occasionally true story,' which settles that. It is talked about as comedy/satire and hilarious. I found it as funny as a sustained wet fart. They're obviously leaving room for series 2-8, so it moves terribly slowly. Nobody in their right mind spends that long laughing.

My biggest complaint is that the viewer treated as stupid, perverted immature, and drunk, or at leat prepared to laugh to excess at anything; Russians are made to look as if they had just come down from swinging from tree to tree. You're having a laugh at a fictional Russia. And it's not tastefully done, it's totally OTT. Pay and watch BBC.

Elvis (2022)

Don't Watch - just listen. Because I couldn't

[4/10 · 14 October 2022]

If you did a totally accurate screenplay of the life of Elvis, everyone watching it would go away looking for the rope to hang themselves. There was at least 10 declining years after he had stopped 'living happily ever after.' He was just an ordinary guy with a great voice and totally unprepared for life in the fastest lane ever.

What the film did get right was the voice. Whoever sang sounded like Elvis did when I first heard him. It's a fair imitation of Elvis in his 1960-1965 period and earlier. Later, Elvis entered an "Imitate Elvis" contest one night out with his friends and was placed 3rd. He couldn't imitate himself.

The dancing tamed down pretty early on, so continuing that throughout his career was silly. But Elvis had a very long tailspin as he fattened up, realised his idea of Paradise wasn't making him happy. I'm sure he didn't enjoy touring in the 1970s when he was fat, addicted to drugs and out of condition. They alluded to this whole period with one song at the end where his voice had no power.

Sure, Parker was ripping him off - that's the game managers play. That tension only became obvious in the 70s. The dialogue throughout I found slow and boring. It may be accurate, but why so much of it?

District 9 (2009)

Too much 'fi' not much 'sci'

[3/10 · 17 September 2022]

I perhaps should stay away from sci-fi. District 9 is supposed to be classic & good, but I couldn't finish it.

I found this full of inconsistencies, racist stereotypes, blackballing and you had all the ingredients to "justify" a mad orgy of pretty inhuman violence which the second half of the movie seemed set up to be. I felt no thinking person should watch this. There was even tricks from the Nazi playbook brought out to set up a genocide. It didn't move quickly either.

I saw no good guys in this film. But most other reviewers held this up as good. Perhaps people want this sort of thing. I certainly don't. I would like to think one of my kids could have done a better essay on the subject for school homework. Scenery was good. You felt like you were there. Acting was predictive - actors were predicting plot twists by their expressions. Anyone who wasn't cool, calm & collected was going down. No oscars here, that's for certain.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Dead On the money

[9/10 · 31 August 2022]

This is Brilliant with a capital B and insightful with a capital 'I' Most films rehash a trashy, known money spinning recipe. Astronomers discover a comet coming for earth and try to warn people. I am a J. W. - one of those irritating people on your door talking about the last days, so imagine how funny it was for me! It's exactly on the nail, and ticks every box. What is most powerful is how careless people are of their lives. Those who get the message end up having dinner at the end. Count them if you can. That's when the message of this film hits you. Keep watching to the very, very end of the credits.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Definitely not your best work, Disney.

[5/10 · 28 June 2021]

It's good & clean, but not really fun. The actors try, and the dancers aced their repetitive routines. It totally lacked class. Most of the songs sucked. I can only remember one "The cover is not the book," set in the middle of a section which started as real life and ended as the 3 kids waking up from a dream :-o.

Don't look for details being right - they are wrong. Don't look for a plot, that'snot there. If you like 'hat & cane' numbers, they are there. I watched it through, but would not do it again.