russelljcatchpole-46016 Reviews

Ghosted (I) (2023)

If AI created a romcom action movie, this was it

[5/10 · 15 July 2023]

Bottom line: If you are looking for a film that will keep you enthralled for two hours, and will still be thinking about three months later, keep looking!

If you are looking for a film to have on with some friends around while you chat, consume a lot of booze, and will have completely forgotten by the morning, Ghosted is perfect.

I just wish Apple would show a bit more info in the TV app. Anyway, my wife & I plumped for this film without too much thought as our free 3 months of Apple TV expires in a couple of days, so is being cancelled tomorrow. I had a feeling Ghosted was going to be disappointing and I wasn't disappointed.

Seriously, the first 20 minutes or so is plain pukey American sludge churned out by cart load, but it does liven up a bit as the 'story' unfolds .. well about two paragraphs of story to be more accurate. The movie progresses into a completely over the top chase & shoot-up with a few humorous bits thrown in.

On a serious note; I can't help wondering if movies such as Ghosted, with hundreds of people being shot with no drama attached, just lighthearted humour, is actually complicit in lunatics going out on mass shooting rampages?

Home Before Dark (2020– )

Started bad, got a bit better, but season 2 is awful

[3/10 · 14 April 2023]

I only started watching this as I got a free month of Apple TV & music with an iPad, so I looked up what's hot on the platform & Home Before Dark was at the top of the list.

At first I thought, oh no thanks, this is just a show for kids. Then I found Hilde, the main character, quite intriguing, so although much of the time was taken up with cheesy heart to heart conversations, the show was still worth watching (her two young friends are brilliant by the way). The story line about the missing boy was quite engaging and had some nice twists. By the end of the season it clearly wasn't a show just for kids.

Now I'm 1/2 way through S2 and giving up, it's just plain horrible. Hilde's character has turned into an annoying brat and the sickening cheesy heart to heart scenes are just relentless, so there's nothing left that's worth watching. I'm also not sure anymore if it's supposed to be show for kids or not.

Money Heist (2017–2021)

Stupid plot made the series unwatchable from the outset

[6/10 · 27 April 2022]

The moment it was revealed that the heist was to steal 2.4 billion USD in bank notes, I lost interest. Really? In this day and age big crime is commited with cryptocurrency, not cash. Where on earth could they launder that much cash?

I persevered to episode 2 when after the heist had gone wrong, they just happened to find 67 matching boiler suits for their hostages 🤣 So many ridiculous story lines .. ugh!

Life Is Sweet (1990)

Stick with it

[8/10 · 19 February 2022]

I found this film quite off putting at first. A scummy family with a mother that has the most annoying laugh and twin daughters, one of whom acts like a spoilt toddler only with a building site vocabulary. There are funny moments as the film progresses and explores the characters, and some quite unpredictable moments, which add to the intrigue. Without wishing to spoil the plot, the final final scenes are quite moving, especially to anyone that has experienced raising a troubled teenager.

There is no story as such, but it doesn't matter. It's a more of a fly on the wall production just following & getting to know the family for a few weeks.

Worth a watch for free on All 4.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

A bit of over OTT fun!

[7/10 · 3 January 2022]

I'm only adding this review to help stop the overall score from being dragged down by so many people awarding 1 star.

This film was never supposed to have a mind bending plot or a message that plays on the audience's minds for months after watching. It is intended as a bit of light relief with zero effort required to watch. I had seen it some years ago but had mostly forgotten the plot, which could be written on a post-it note and still leave room for a small shopping list.

And fun it is! The main characters are beautiful and funny with a good deal of chemistry. The script is lightweight and light-hearted, but always entertaining. Everything else is ready-mix Hollywood & ticks all the required boxes.

The violence & shooting is so excessive, it becomes part of the humour. It's not graphic or scary compared to most serious action films

After watching the Hannibal series back to back for the last few days, this was a perfect choice!