This is a review of episode 1. Not sure if I'll watch any more. Most people would expect some discussion about how the universe began in episode 1. Nope. 'The universe was not empty, there was a cosmic web and lots of dark energy and this is how the first stars formed'. Hmm. And before that? Massive issue completely avoided. I once heard a chemist comment jokingly that astrophysicists have the luxury of just calling stuff dark if it doesn't fit their theories (dark energy, dark matter). Think of the implications of that- being asked to believe invisible energy and matter that we can't see. The present understanding of the laws of physics does not fit the big bang theory which is why dark energy and dark matter have been drafted in to cover the massive inconsistencies. Brian Cox seems like a pleasant person, but I feel there is a lack of humility about this program thus far, given how little we actually know about the origins of the universe. As other reviewers have pointed out, CGI and dramatic music don't make up for what is lacking.
Reviews
11 Reviews
Local Hero
(1983)
I wanted to care
14 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I am Scottish and visited Pennan, the main filming location for the fictional village of Furness. At the viewpoint before you go down to the village, I was privileged to witness one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. The beach and the views are breathtaking.
Now to the movie. It was difficult to care about the village because it looked shabby in the movie, not charming. The poor lighting and cramped interior scenes didn't help. Add to that the that the fact that villagers didn't care either, and just wanted to sell up. The only person who seemed to sort of care was Marina, played by Jenny Seagrove, who is half-heartedly cast as some sort of modern-era mermaid complete with webbed feet (no, really). Almost always seen in a wetsuit, she pops up from and disappears into the sea every so often, inflicting a Scottish accent on everyone almost as dire as Michael Caine's in Kidnapped. We don't get to know enough about her and how she feels about the place for her to make much difference to the story. It looked like Ben, the old beach guy would turn out to be a descendant of the Scot who founded the Knox oil company that wants to buy the village. That could have been a great angle, but turned out to be a dead end. I found the ending to be less than satisfactory too.
If you harbour romantic views of Scotland in your heart e.g. You're an American with Scottish blood, you may enjoy the movie. If not, prepare to be underwhelmed.
Now to the movie. It was difficult to care about the village because it looked shabby in the movie, not charming. The poor lighting and cramped interior scenes didn't help. Add to that the that the fact that villagers didn't care either, and just wanted to sell up. The only person who seemed to sort of care was Marina, played by Jenny Seagrove, who is half-heartedly cast as some sort of modern-era mermaid complete with webbed feet (no, really). Almost always seen in a wetsuit, she pops up from and disappears into the sea every so often, inflicting a Scottish accent on everyone almost as dire as Michael Caine's in Kidnapped. We don't get to know enough about her and how she feels about the place for her to make much difference to the story. It looked like Ben, the old beach guy would turn out to be a descendant of the Scot who founded the Knox oil company that wants to buy the village. That could have been a great angle, but turned out to be a dead end. I found the ending to be less than satisfactory too.
If you harbour romantic views of Scotland in your heart e.g. You're an American with Scottish blood, you may enjoy the movie. If not, prepare to be underwhelmed.
Star Trek: Picard
(2020–2023)
My rating just went from 2 to 9!
8 May 2020
I'm going to leave my review of Season 1 below by way of contrast. I didn't even bother watching any of Season 2, the reviews were enough.
Am I nostalgic for Star Trek TNG and is this colouring my view of this Picard series? Yes, but why? Because, among other things, TNG represented a positive view of the the future of humanity. The characters had depth and you got attached to them. In my view, Season 3 of Picard rescued the miserable mess that was the previous seasons. This is the way things should have ended for Picard and company. Season 3 isn't perfect, some things are a bit of stretch, however overall, it was masterfully done. Original story, great special effects, really decent script, not entirely predictable.
I started watching TNG as a teenager when it first aired in the UK in 1990. It caught my imagination then, and the old magic returns with Season 3 of Picard. It's not often I get emotional about film and TV, but wow, episdoes 9 and 10 really did it for me. Patrick Stewart, you have redeemed yourself!
My 2 star rated review of Picard Season one from earlier below (the former title was "Hoping Q will appear in Season 2")
Though I'll have to wait for someone to tell me if he does, because I won't watch season 2 otherwise. He could save the Star Trek universe by announcing that this dark, dysfunctional future was only a possibility and lets us all return to the TNG standard we loved so much.
What is good about this series? Stunning cinematography, a decent story in itself (a welcome variation on a bad guy with a super weapon trying to destroy the earth and Starfleet stopping him but at great cost). The scenes with Data, Riker and Troi were all satisfying.
What's not to like? Plenty, unfortunately. Messed-up, dark characters who don't seem capable of bonding with each other. Torturously long story, with numerous really boring episodes as a result. A Romulan intelligence agent who looks and sounds like a final-year London architect student, and his sister, played by Peyton List, who did a decent job in the CW series Frequency, but who is awful in this. F-bombs (must we?). A Romulan Ninja who can't decide if he's Steven Seagal or Forrest Gump. A neurotic scientist who alternates between being all teary and vulnerable to murderous and deceitful.
I loved Star Trek Next Generation and engaged with all the main characters, especially Picard. I was surprised to find myself not caring when he died in this series and actually being disappointed at his resurrection.
It would have been great to have Picard in proper command of a Starfleet vessel again, with a crew we care about and who bond with each other.
Star Trek TOS, TNG, Voyager made us feel optimistic about the future. A homicide detective once wrote to Patrick Stewart to say that after a hard day dealing with the worst aspects of human nature, he would come home and reach for his TNG box set to make him feel more positive about humanity and the future. The poor guy might be a statistic himself now if he gave this a go..
Am I nostalgic for Star Trek TNG and is this colouring my view of this Picard series? Yes, but why? Because, among other things, TNG represented a positive view of the the future of humanity. The characters had depth and you got attached to them. In my view, Season 3 of Picard rescued the miserable mess that was the previous seasons. This is the way things should have ended for Picard and company. Season 3 isn't perfect, some things are a bit of stretch, however overall, it was masterfully done. Original story, great special effects, really decent script, not entirely predictable.
I started watching TNG as a teenager when it first aired in the UK in 1990. It caught my imagination then, and the old magic returns with Season 3 of Picard. It's not often I get emotional about film and TV, but wow, episdoes 9 and 10 really did it for me. Patrick Stewart, you have redeemed yourself!
My 2 star rated review of Picard Season one from earlier below (the former title was "Hoping Q will appear in Season 2")
Though I'll have to wait for someone to tell me if he does, because I won't watch season 2 otherwise. He could save the Star Trek universe by announcing that this dark, dysfunctional future was only a possibility and lets us all return to the TNG standard we loved so much.
What is good about this series? Stunning cinematography, a decent story in itself (a welcome variation on a bad guy with a super weapon trying to destroy the earth and Starfleet stopping him but at great cost). The scenes with Data, Riker and Troi were all satisfying.
What's not to like? Plenty, unfortunately. Messed-up, dark characters who don't seem capable of bonding with each other. Torturously long story, with numerous really boring episodes as a result. A Romulan intelligence agent who looks and sounds like a final-year London architect student, and his sister, played by Peyton List, who did a decent job in the CW series Frequency, but who is awful in this. F-bombs (must we?). A Romulan Ninja who can't decide if he's Steven Seagal or Forrest Gump. A neurotic scientist who alternates between being all teary and vulnerable to murderous and deceitful.
I loved Star Trek Next Generation and engaged with all the main characters, especially Picard. I was surprised to find myself not caring when he died in this series and actually being disappointed at his resurrection.
It would have been great to have Picard in proper command of a Starfleet vessel again, with a crew we care about and who bond with each other.
Star Trek TOS, TNG, Voyager made us feel optimistic about the future. A homicide detective once wrote to Patrick Stewart to say that after a hard day dealing with the worst aspects of human nature, he would come home and reach for his TNG box set to make him feel more positive about humanity and the future. The poor guy might be a statistic himself now if he gave this a go..
The 39 Steps
(1935)
Huge Disappointment
31 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Having watched the 1978 version starring Robert Powell, and thoroughly enjoyed it, I was intrigued to discover that this 1935 movie (at time of writing) scored 7.8, as opposed to 6.6 for the 1978 version. I was really anticipating an outstanding movie, especially since it's a Hitchcock, and given that I am a big fan of British or American thrillers of this era.
I was, however, extremely disappointed. Robert Donat's performance is disappointing and the actions of his character are puzzling e.g. random loud whistling in a dire situation while trying to escape pursuers. Lucie Mannheim's acting is simply dreadful, notably the death scene. The Scottish accents are Michael Caine Kidnapped (1971) grade.
The movie is too short for what it should have accomplished- more time should have been devoted to the final stage- scuppering the bad guys' plot. Incidentally, the premise is just ridiculous.
Very surprised at the relatively high rating. I would recommend the 1978 version which is somehow undersold, in terms of rating.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
(2016)
The magic is back!
27 December 2016
I panned Force Awakens (you can read my review). Due to my disappointment, I deliberately kept my expectations low for Rogue One. If you felt the same about Force Awakens, GO SEE ROGUE ONE. Great story, amazing CGI, good character development, no ridiculous villains, no characters mastering Jedi skills in 10 minutes. Music, script, acting all very well done. Felt like a genuine chapter of the original series. With Force Awakens, we got the rousing musical score at the outset and the traditional Star Wars logo and story script, then it all went rapidly down hill. Force Awakens did not deserve the Star Wars brand. Rogue One doesn't have these traditional opening features, but it deserves to. I call for these features to be re-mastered into the DVD version...
Just look at all that cheddar!
29 December 2015
The plot of Avatar (yes, got the right movie): If you've seen Avatar, you'll understand - A powerful corporation (can you guess?) buys up the mining rights to the planet Pandora (the Star Wars World).
To be found here are vast amounts of 'cheddar', the element Unobtainium (profit).
Potential problem- native population, the Na'vi (fans of original series) occupy the planet. Now, the corporation preferred to get at the Unobtanium while accommodating these natives (give them the opening logo and music), but this was insufficient, so they authorised Col. Quaritch (whom might that correspond to?) to use whatever means necessary (clever marketing, tantalising trailers, special effects, lots of girl-power scenes) to get to the Unobtanium i.e. bulldoze the things the natives hold sacred- (great story, meaningful characters, menacing villains etc.- okay sacred may be taking it too far).
In Avatar, the corporation was stopped....
To be found here are vast amounts of 'cheddar', the element Unobtainium (profit).
Potential problem- native population, the Na'vi (fans of original series) occupy the planet. Now, the corporation preferred to get at the Unobtanium while accommodating these natives (give them the opening logo and music), but this was insufficient, so they authorised Col. Quaritch (whom might that correspond to?) to use whatever means necessary (clever marketing, tantalising trailers, special effects, lots of girl-power scenes) to get to the Unobtanium i.e. bulldoze the things the natives hold sacred- (great story, meaningful characters, menacing villains etc.- okay sacred may be taking it too far).
In Avatar, the corporation was stopped....
Caché
(2005)
Title refers to the point of the film
24 May 2014
Had it not been for the quality of the acting, I would have rated this one. What do you want from a film? Are you the type of person who likes a film that 'makes you think', but doesn't necessarily have a clear ending? Or have you, as I did with this with film, sometimes got to the end of a film and felt robbed, asking 'Is that it? What was the point? Did I miss something?' The majority of those who reviewed this film on this site must fall into the first group, given it's relatively high rating. The main character in the film is a talk show host who hosts book reviewers. In one scene, set on his show, a group offers their various interpretations of a book. It seems to me that the director is trying to generate something similar with this film.
Detective Story
(1951)
Uncompromising and compelling
22 May 2014
Detective Story feels like a contemporary interpretation of one of Shakespeare's plays. Most of the action takes place in the NY Police 21st Precinct Building. Indeed the film is based on a stage play. Douglas is very convincing as McLeod, a moralising, black-or-white policeman, a lonely crusader in world of big-city, 24-hour crime. We get a snapshot of some of the characters that pass through his world. One of the engaging aspects to the film is that you wonder if and how one or more of these characters is going to interact with the main story. Bringing McLeod happiness during his crusade against corruption is his wife Mary, played by the graceful Eleanor Parker, who would later go on to play the spurned countess in The Sound of Music. This is the story of what happens to McLeod as he makes the painful discovery in a most personal way that his black-or-white approach to life and work is unsustainable.
The Lego Movie
(2014)
Somewhat overrated
2 April 2014
I usually enjoy children's films more than my children (Shrek and Toy Story being two examples). This one didn't quite hit the mark with me. There's enough to keep the children amused throughout and the graphics are what you would expect from today's CGI standards. However, the humour doesn't sparkle like the titles I mentioned above, and the whole film had a claustrophobic feel to it, a bit like Tron Legacy. The ending, though charming, was a little lame, I felt. I went to see it based on the score given by previous viewers, but won't be bothered if I don't see it again. One other gripe - the continual playing of the 'Everything Is Awesome' song became very irritating- even the children commented on this.
A Shine of Rainbows
(2009)
Works well, even with flaws
3 May 2013
Tomas is a young orphan who is rescued from a drab church orphanage in Ireland by a 'rainbow' in the form of Maire (Connie Neilsen) who takes him to live with her and her husband on a small island of the coast of Ireland with a view to the couple adopting him permanently.
We are spared the most of cruelties that Tomas must have suffered in the orphanage (this film steers completely clear of the clerical abuses suffered by many children in Ireland's church-run institutions of the period).
If Maire is a rainbow to Tomas, her husband Alec (Aidan Quinn), a decent but surly man, is a storm cloud. He doesn't warm to the boy, as Tomas falls short of his expectations. Throughout the film, chinks of light shine through the cloud as it seems Alec is warming to Tomas, but the cloud soon moves over again...
There are many emotional moments in the film, from the outset. Overall, it works very well, and ends on a high note, though there is much heart- wrenching in between. Slightly off-putting for me was Tomas' accent, which sounds Scottish rather than Irish, as well as my perception that the emerging acting talents of the young John Bell (Tomas) didn't seem quite capable of delivering with as much naturalness as I would have expected.
A moving and compelling film.
We are spared the most of cruelties that Tomas must have suffered in the orphanage (this film steers completely clear of the clerical abuses suffered by many children in Ireland's church-run institutions of the period).
If Maire is a rainbow to Tomas, her husband Alec (Aidan Quinn), a decent but surly man, is a storm cloud. He doesn't warm to the boy, as Tomas falls short of his expectations. Throughout the film, chinks of light shine through the cloud as it seems Alec is warming to Tomas, but the cloud soon moves over again...
There are many emotional moments in the film, from the outset. Overall, it works very well, and ends on a high note, though there is much heart- wrenching in between. Slightly off-putting for me was Tomas' accent, which sounds Scottish rather than Irish, as well as my perception that the emerging acting talents of the young John Bell (Tomas) didn't seem quite capable of delivering with as much naturalness as I would have expected.
A moving and compelling film.
The Devil and Miss Jones
(1941)
Still sparkles after all these years
10 April 2013
I don't cry easily at films, but this one got me going (at the end). The faded black and white film quality takes nothing away from it's delight. One of the joys of this movie is that it takes it's time, but it's NEVER boring. In some ways, it's a simple tale- a company chief executive goes incognito as a salesman in his own store to ferret out trouble-makers among the staff. The consequences are humorous and ultimately delightful. The lead Charles Coburn was actually considerably older than he was supposed to be in the film, indeed he only started his film career in his 60s, but one would never guess at his acting inexperience. I was stunned to discover that Jean Arthur was aged about forty in the film- she looks the part of a much younger woman. Don't miss any opportunity you get to watch.
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