castielminion1 Reviews

Black Summer (2019–2021)

Stupid decisions abound!

[2/10 · 6 August 2023]

It's a zombie apocalypse show, so I accept that there will be some decisions that procaine an eye roll. But every. Singe. Decision? Lance should have been dead after his feature episode- the fact that he made it to season two (albeit for 5 mins) is a miracle. He made so many downright stupid decisions I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did.

Him aside, the rest of the characters weren't much better to be fair. In the first five minutes of season two, two people manage to take control of the only working car in their area by killing someone for it- only to crash it 100ft later rather than taking 2 seconds to clean the window when there was no present threat!

Aside from stupid decisions, we have stupidity in general. From the get go they know that these thing can only be killed with a head shot. With limited ammunition why do they then insist on emptying a dozen or so rounds into the torso of every zombie before going for a headshot?

Damn near every car is out of fuel, which makes no sense. EVERY car is out, so the survivors have to fight over fuel and running vehicles after less than 6 weeks?

Lance stumbles across a supermarket that hasn't been raided in the 6 or so weeks since the event? It's unlocked and still has enough electricity going to operate the automatic doors!

Writing decisions aside, the acting is pretty average, maybe even below. Heavy breathing and staring is not acting! I still don't care about any of the characters because they all seem to blend together as one massive blob of blandness.

The show has been shot with a very specific style. It comes off as almost clinical- the houses and shops mostly being white or shades not far off, with very bland backdrops. It seems to be intentional, which I find odd for a zombie show. It doesn't really fit with what they're trying to convey.

Black Summer: Alone (2019) Season 1, Episode 4

How is this guy still alive!?!

[2/10 · 26 July 2023]

This guy should be dead several times over. Cut his hand and suddenly it's unusable. It's a bad cut, but not bad enough to make his hand useless. Then he finds a supermarket that somehow hasn't been looted in the 6 weeks or so since the event. Rather than get a back back, fill it up with what he needs and see to his hand by either visiting the medicine section or using the employee first aid kit, he gets a trolley and goes shopping! He even starts putting stuff on the conveyor belt! What the heck? Then when a zombie chases him into a fire station, instead of taking the multiple chances he has to leave, he gets into a corner, grabs an axe, which he then gets stuck on equipment before being chased to the top of a school bus. If this guy doesn't make it or makes it solely off the backs of others I won't be surprised in the slightest.

The Little Mermaid (I) (2023)

Wasn't sure what to expect...

[8/10 · 5 June 2023]

But I loved it! Hallie Bailey is brilliant as Ariel, with an incredible voice. I loved the look of the mer people and the world they inhabited too. As for Sebastian and Flounder, I was expecting to be disappointed, but I liked their photo realism and their humour. Melissa McCarthy was great as Ursula too- though I would have liked a bit more interaction with her and Triton to flesh out their history. The music was fantastic- the renditions of Part of Your World are perfect. My only question with the songs were the inclusion of Scuttlebuts' song. It was an ok song, but I'm not sure it fit in with the story and was a bit out of place. Other than that I thought it was a brilliant stroke making the music with a Caribbean flavour!

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Just bad...

[2/10 · 17 February 2023]

This was terrible. I've seen and liked the first two Ant Man films but wasn't fanatical about them. After this I doubt anyone will be about any more Ant Man outings.

The story was all over the place and everything could have been avoided if Janet had actually had even a brief discussion about her time in the Quantum Realm. Cassie shouldn't have opened the portal I grant you, but based on the limited info Janet had given it was an empty realm. She wasn't expecting any of this and quite rightly so in my opinion.

Then there were so many plot holes and bad writing decisions that I could be here all day. The one that jumped out at me was the ending. Hope comes back and she and Scott work together and kill Kang. But instead of going back through the portal (which they both know is only open for a limited time), they stand and watch Kang die- even though he can't possibly escape from the core. They stand there and watch and let it close up. Rather than have them stay there and have a major plot twist, it's all ok because Cassie opens another portal and brings them home. No jeopardy here!

The side characters were forgettable- there was a guy who can read minds, a thing obsessed with having holes in his body, the leader of the resistance and weirdly, Bill Murray. The last one was shoehorned in for two reasons- 1. So they could say this was a Bill Murray film, even though he was there for less than 5 minutes.

2. So they could steal his plane thing.

Darren, the villain from the first film was back, but as a caricature that looked like a floating Humpty Dumptey. The villain was ok, just a shame his efforts were clouded by a poor film!

The main actors looked like they wanted to be anywhere else and honestly I can't blame them. Kathryn Newton was... not great. All in all not a great film, so watch at your own risk!

Devil in Ohio: The Dawning (2022) Season 1, Episode 8

Rushed to say the least

[4/10 · 15 September 2022]

A lot of promise let down by the execution unfortunately. The story could have gone down an interesting route, but it stayed largely within the standard formula of a thriller.

A lot of the storylines felt rushed and without a solid conclusion. For example what is wrong with Malachi? Why does Mae seemingly want to leave the cult? Why is Mae so manipulative and no one caught on before she pulled off her plan, especially since she was the chosen one and would have been closely watched? Where can the cult move to now that people are on high alert for them and they build new churches/complexes as part of their base?

My biggest problem is this though: Suzanne left her family for a proven manipulative stranger that her daughters and husband wouldn't even let in the same building as them by the end. Suzanne's character is all about healing past childhood trauma yet she has gone and scarred 3 young girls by abandoning them for someone they hate? Her husband also told her that he can't be around Mae and she still brings her? (In the car, but still clearly visible to her family.) Even worse, she and Mae stay in the family home while her husband and 3 kids had to live in an apartment complex? Nope, my sympathy has all but dried up for her here.

It would be interesting to see where the story goes after Suzanne realises she has been played and if her family will forgive her, but the story shown in the show was just ok for me.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

The one star is for the dinosaurs...

[1/10 · 13 June 2022]

This was terrible in every way. Bad acting, terrible script, bad CGI and stupid decisions (on and off the screen) cannot rely on nostalgia for a good film.

1. Ellie is not as stupid as the film makes her out to be, as one of the characters signposts the fact that he is a double agent and she apparently doesn't pick up on it.

2. Everyone seems to be phoning in their parts. They know the film will make money, so in their minds why bother I guess? The absolute worst culprit Campbell Scott who plays Dogson- I have no words. He's terrible and I can't tell if it's due to the script or he wasn't right for this part. It might be both. The original cast are awful- they don't seem enthusiastic to be there and I don't blame them.

3. The plot makes no sense. After lengthy exposition opening the film we dive headfirst into one bad and nonsensical decision after another. For example, despite knowing that everyone is looking for her Maisie goes into town, despite being told not to, sees a dinosaur at a construction site then comes back. What was the point of this?! And this is just in the first 10 minutes- there are plenty more. Also, Owen is catching Parasaurolophus with a lasso on a horse, despite the fact that if the dinosaur spooks for any reason it will drag both him and the horse along for the ride? He was dragged from the horse already- surely he's learned his lesson?

4. The callbacks to the original film take you out of the story. Instead of being subtle they practically scream "notice me!"

5. The CGI is bad and doesn't blend well with the puppets they clearly used in some scenes. I applaud the fact that they are going back to puppetry, but it needs to be seamless with the CGI.

6. The script. Wow. Some of the lines are so cringeworthy I can't believe they made it into a Hollywood blockbuster. Just... wow.

Do yourself a favour and watch the original Jurassic Park- pretend this one and Fallen Kingdom don't exist.

Human Lost (2019)

Terrible...

[2/10 · 11 March 2022]

I literally just finished watching this, hoping that it would get better as it went on. It didn't and right now I wish I had listened to that little voice telling me to turn it off at the 10 minute mark.

It was a cool concept for a story- what price does longevity carry?- but the execution was awful. The story isn't coherent; you have to guess at that is happening at some points whereas others are too exposition heavy. I still don't understand some of the concepts in this film because there was little or no explanation as to what they were or why they were important.

Some of the points felt so fleeting that it felt like the script writers just threw a bunch of ideas at it and whatever one stuck is what they went with, which makes it not only inconsistent but extremely confusing! Like why did not being part of the S. H. E. L. L system give people superpowers? Why were the powers so inconsistent with their presentation, for example the main character can turn into this skull creature that can destroy monsters. In The first half of the film he is just a creature, but come the second half of the film he suddenly has a suit of armour, a helmet and a spear with no explanation as to how he got them?! The main character has repressed memories about a childhood trauma, breaks down for all of a minute about it, then is totally fine, like he didn't just have a life changing realisation! It's barely mentioned again after this one scene! If you're going to introduce these themes be consistent with them!

The character design leaves much to be desired too. Nothing about the characters stood out individually and some of them seemed to just be cookie cutter stereotypes in terms of personality. (Evil big boss, reluctant hero, several plucky side characters, mysterious girl e.t.c) In terms of design the main character's alter ego looked like a Ghost Rider rip off. If you're going to create a superhero type monster then at least make him unique. Also, the previously mentioned helmet was awfully designed and made the character look a bit daft instead of intimidating. It was well rendered, but awfully designed!

They also didn't do much character building. The main character just felt two- dimensional and in all honesty a bit boring. The side characters weren't given enough screen time, development or personality to make you care about them or about their deaths, which I am sure was not the intention!

The Lost monsters? I don't have the space to go on about how poorly designed they were and how awful a concept they were, so I'll leave this part up to your imagination. Suffice to say they were terrible.

Some of the animation was good, which is why I'm giving it two stars instead of one. I could go on but I don't want to waste anymore time thinking about it! Do yourself a favour and don't watch it!

Japan Sinks: 2020 (2020)

Part of me wanted to give up at episode 5...

[3/10 · 8 December 2021]

... but I forced myself to watch it to see how ludicrous it got! Everything about this show was a huge let down.

It has an interesting premise and could have some real potential, but it was let down by bad storytelling, underdeveloped characters and bonkers scenarios. The story would have been better served as either having a 40 minute run time per episode, which isn't typical of anime but this one definitely needed a longer run time. If it had it could have developed the characters and their interpersonal relationships; as it stood they were one dimensional and fell broadly into two camps- odd (the mother having a camera that withstands everything thrown at it and stopping to take pictures whilst they fight for survival) or whiney (the kids- Go wants to play computer games on his portable console and wants to complete in the e-sports events at the Olympics: spoiler- this actually happens). Their reactions to major character deaths were all over the place too- little to no emotion shown for the Dad's death, muted reactions to their mother's death but when an old man they've known for maybe a week dies the wee boy is shown in tears and is constantly asking after him? What gives?! So little time was spent developing their characters that I didn't have any reaction to the deaths. You should have at least a little attachment to these characters but you weren't given anything to work with!

And the girl has a string of bad luck that is rivalled by no other person I've ever seen on screen! Beware if you are related to her or even a passing acquaintance (like the poor guy on the lifeboat- mostly eaten by seagulls and the rest gobbled by a shark?)

Which brings me on to the unbelievable (even for an anime about Japan falling into the sea) and downright bizarre story points: cults, riding on weather balloons that have been pulled from the sea without a puncture, showing up in a freaking armoured aquatic tank, rapping (yes you read that correctly) after taking a brief break from said tank. There are many more but I think you get the picture. These things might have worked if they had been fleshed out more, but as it stands it felt very episodic and rushed.

The art style was interesting and I thought matched well with the subject matter. The earthquake scenes were very well done too. It's just a shame the rest of the show didn't live up to the standard the animation set!

Extinction (2018)

Lasted 10 mins...

[1/10 · 21 October 2021]

I was Netflix surfing with my Mum and we happened upon this. We both like Michael Pena and Sci-Fi, so we decided to put it on. We watched 10 minutes before turning it off. Terrible script, the extras walking in the background look like poorly programmed Sims, they gave one of the lassies a truly godawful haircut and to top it all off, the main character was a whiny, self important jerk who was content to let the people around him watch him fall apart while he did nothing to help himself. It took 10 mins for me to hate this guy and the visuals in the film so much that I gave up. Watch at your own risk!

*Edit* I watched the whole thing- don't ask me why. The "twist" was broadcast from the start if you ask me! Just read my earlier review and you can guess it no problem.

The characters all dress like they're from the 50's. I get that they're androids but they are in the future. You'd think that even out of date fashion would have advanced even a bit?

The humans now live on Mars?! Rather than make that their new base and expand outwards from there, they go back to the place where they were massacred before in the hopes they might be able to win? Why? Their technology has advanced enough that it shouldn't be a problem to expand elsewhere, so why wage war when it can easily be avoided & not loose valuable lives/manpower that could be used elsewhere.

And talk about bad decisions! The girls jump from a train to safety to meet their parents, where they have a reunion in the middle of what is essentially a war zone rather than the safety of the train a few feet away. This is just one example- there are many more by various characters!

There is a set up for another film at the end. This is one film that I hope Netflix deliberately doesn't pick up for a sequel!

Castle: Fidelis Ad Mortem (2016) Season 8, Episode 15

Awful

[2/10 · 29 March 2020]

There really isn't much to like about this episode. They try so hard to make Kate look like a peerless badass that it comes off as a joke. We have had almost 8 full seasons showing why she is badass, cool and smart- they do not need a whole episode to show us this in such an overdone and cliched way!

The supporting characters introduced are annoying and/or forgettable. Decker is the absolute worst though. Rolling her eyes whenever anyone (superior I might add) tries to help her, a horrible attitude to everyone and on top of everything horribly acted? Are we really meant to believe that this is what Beckett was like when she started out? If so way to ruin an origin story by making her completely unlikable!

This was clearly meant to be Stana Katic's feature episode- artsy shots that make it stick out like a horrible sore thumb and lots of (overdone) Stana scenes. Kate is made out to be the perfect police officer- even though her flaws have been made evident throughout the show and are part of the reason people- including me- love her! She deserved so much more than this!

Ad Astra (2019)

So many unanswered questions!

[1/10 · 11 February 2020]

Ok, to start-

1. What happened to Donald Sutherland's character? Did he survive?

2. What happened to the Biological research ship? Was the baboons escaping what caused it to issue a mayday? Or did the baboons escape BECAUSE of went wrong?

3. How did he get in the ships airlock without burning up?

4. If the ship Brad Pitt took can get to Neptune in 79 days, why was his Dad the only one that far out doing research?

5. How can blasts from a ship reach earth from Neptune?!

6. What did the crew do to create these blasts?

7. If his Dad was that single minded, why did he get married and have a kid? According to his character it would just distract him?

8. How did he sneak his obsession with finding alien life into a deep space flight when they are heavily monitored for their mental health? Once the crew realise this, why didn't they contact back home and say that their Captain was insane and a rescue ship would have been there in 79 days?

These are just the ones that spring to mind- I'm sure there are more!

Also, the narration was awful. The characters were bland- I don't think being focused on space at the expense of everything else is a character trait, it is specifically the lack of ANY character traits! Why should I care about this guy and his Dad when they are indifferent to anyone and everything that isn't an Alien? Why was Liv Tyler there for all of 5 minutes and didn't add a thing to the story- and Brad Pitt's 'pining' for her was completely unbelievable, R.E previous statement!

It was a cool concept, but down a horrible route to tell the story and the way it was told was atrocious.

The Walking Dead: We Are the End of the World (2019) Season 10, Episode 2

Wow this was bad!

[1/10 · 22 October 2019]

The whisperers are so overacted it is ridiculous. Samantha Morton and Ryan Hurst are TERRIBLE in the roles- the way they hold themselves, the way they deliver the lines (The scripts are pretty bad too- "Are you content?! Seriously?) You can tell they are trying to be deep and meaningful, but it just comes off as so stupid!

Plus, I am tired of having whole episodes away from the main group: it makes for uneven viewing and usually there hasn't been enough character growth to let the secondary carry an episode on their own. Especially in this case- I don't care about The Whisperers enough to want to have a whole episode about them and looking into how they became depraved psychos!

I am a HUGE fan of the show- I have been to several Walker Stalkers and met quite a few of the actors- but I have to agree with what others are saying. Write a good ending and let it finish: it has been getting steadily less enjoyable since season 5 or so and this episode just confirmed my thoughts on the matter.

Air (I) (2015)

I enjoyed it!

[7/10 · 18 October 2015]

Despite the low rating, which I think is undeserved, I quite enjoyed this film! The characters were interesting and each was well developed, although I would have liked to have delved a bit further into their backgrounds, which are mentioned but never really examined in depth. I know that the film is primarily about the two leads coping in a dystopian future, but it would have been nice to know a little more about how they lived before and the decisions that got them there. (It is mentioned in the film, but very, very briefly.) Norman Reedus' Bauer was awesome- able to switch between being relaxed and almost happy-go-lucky to a man willing to do anything to survive and Djimon Hounsou was brilliant as the fractured and desperate Cartwright. The two of them had obvious chemistry and between the two of them they really carried the film. Sandrine Hoult was also great in a key role as Cartwright's wife.

I also liked how the technology used in in the facility was a mixture of vintage and modern technology. It backed up Bauer's claim that the mission was patched together at the last minute using whatever was available. It was a nice change to all of the other sci-fi films out just now that are all sleek and shiny! I only have two complaints with the film and even then, these are things that I think could have been expanded upon rather than actually changed. I think the moral debate of taking one of the sleepers off of life support could have been examined a bit more in depth. For example the point that if only one of the caretakers survived and something happened to him further down the line, that would be the end of all of the human race! To me it was one of the most compelling arguments in Bauer's favour, yet it was never brought up or even hinted at.

Secondly the ending was a bit rushed. The rest of the film was paced nicely, which made the ending feel a bit off, but it wasn't enough to ruin the film. If they had made the film even 10 minutes or so longer I think I would have given the film 8 or 9 stars.

But these are just my opinions, I would strongly recommend you watch this film to make up your own mind about it!

The Last Ship (2014–2018)

Good, but not in the way they intended...

[5/10 · 16 October 2015]

I did originally rate this five stars, but the season final had a huge twist that was a huge game changer and was enough for me to bump up my rating by two stars. It is still cheesy and over the top patriotic, but the finale suggested a change in tone that I hope will be carried over into season 2. The only real complaints I have are about Lieutenant Green and the Russians inability to shoot/American miracle aim.

Lieutenant Green is a really poor character in many respects. He blames his secret girlfriend for HIS nearly screwing up the mission (to her face I might add), despite the fact she was doing her job and had to force him to do his! When their relationship is revealed she accepts her punishment gracefully without a single complaint. Yet when he is given the EXACT SAME punishment, he objects! There are many other flaws I could list, but I'd be here all day. In short he is my least favourite character, even below the Russians who are meant to be the bad guys! The other thing that I find difficult to accept, even for a TV show is how spectacularly bad the Russian's aim is. In the first episode for example, the Russsians attacked the Americans with 3 or 4 helicopters and 2-3 snow mobiles and guns to go with all that. The Americans, who only had two snow mobiles and two machine guns, managed to take out two of the helicopters and all the snow mobiles before the ship locked on and took out the other two choppers. The ship coincidentally had no significant damage, despite the fact it had at least two direct hits from bombs from the choppers. And this is just episode 1!

Despite all of this it is very watchable and by and large the characters are likable. It is a interesting concept and the ship makes a good setting for the story- you feel claustrophobic and relish in the time they get to spend away from the ship. Well worth a watch.

Floating (1997)

Brilliantly acted film.

[10/10 · 5 February 2015]

I only found out about this film after watching The Walking Dead and deciding I had to see more of Norman Reedus' films. I discovered that this was one of his first acting credits, so I figured it would be a good one to watch. And I was right! The film is slow moving , so it might not appeal to everyone, but what it lacks in action it more than makes up for with drama and family dynamics. The acting was top notch from everyone- I personally thought the two best turns came from Norman Reedus and Will Lyman as son and father respectively. Chad Lowe didn't do a bad job either. The characters were believable and had their own flaws, making every character sympathetic but not above criticism for their actions. Also, the location was beautiful and provided a serene, constant backdrop for the emotional turmoil that forms the basis of the plot.

The film is not without its faults though- I think it would have benefited from being a bit longer in order to examine the consequences of the events of the final act. However, for me the rest of the film was of such a high standard that I can forgive it for this, hence the 10 star rating. It isn't a bad ending- far from it in fact (I teared up!)- I just think it would have benefited from showing a bit more of Van's story.

I would definitely recommend this film- it is difficult to find on DVD for a decent price, which is a shame because it deserves more recognition. However it is easy to watch over the internet, and it is really worth the watch.

Hello Herman (2012)

A flawed but important film

[7/10 · 12 November 2014]

I think the premise of this film is very intriguing, but I think the execution was flawed. The actors were all very well cast and played their roles brilliantly, but I think the script was a bit shoddy in some places and could have benefited from being longer and fleshing out the characters a bit more- the potential was there but the back stories weren't fully utilized. The story could have done with more development as well- it felt a tad rushed in places.

That being said, I think this film is (sadly) very relevant to the world today. It has an important message that needs to be heard, and so far this is one of the only (if not the only) films that touches on this subject matter. It deserves a wider audience because it really does have a lot to say.

I think the film was well cast, with Norman Reedus and Garret Backstrom giving great performances. They really make you care about their characters, which from the premise of the film clearly isn't the easiest thing to do, but that is really the whole point. The script and the direction could have been better, but overall the film succeeds in doing what it set out to do- make you think.

Man of Steel (2013)

I was expecting so much more.

[3/10 · 19 June 2013]

I saw all the trailers for this and thought it looked amazing. I hoped it would be better than Superman Returns, which I thought was mediocre at best. This film, I'm sorry to say, was worse.

It started off well- I thought the opening sequence looked great- but it was a little bit rushed. From then on the film just got worse.

It was disjointed- the back story was told via flashbacks that interrupted the flow of the story to the point where I wasn't entirely sure which parts were flashbacks and which sequences were the main story.

There were huge plot holes- why couldn't more Kryptons escape? How did Superman's suit end up in a spaceship encased in ice (by his father), 3000 years before the events of the movie? It takes Superman a lifetime to master his senses on earth but General Zod manages it in 5 minutes? How did Clarke suddenly come out of the spaceship (which he seems to instinctively know how to control) and know that he can fly? How come he can breathe in the vacuum of space but not in General Zod's ship? I could go on here, but I'll stop myself and move on.

The main thing that bothered me was the exhaustive use of special effects for explosions and fight sequences that seemed to drag on forever. I know that it is a superhero movie and they are par for the course, but I don't think I have ever seen so many CG sequences in so short a space of time before! (This is coming from someone who loves the Avengers Assemble, Iron Man etc., as well as action movies in general!)

Half way through the film I was praying that there wouldn't be any more fight sequences because I was tired of the film makers showing off the special effects. Yes, they were amazing and they know how to make the explosions and fights look cool, but multiple explosions does not make up for the many plot mistakes or the fact that the script is so weak that you don't really care what happens to the characters. If they had focused more on the story and actually had the effects contribute to the plot then they would have had a winner!

The only thing that saved the film were the acting- I thought by and large it was pretty good. I should also say that the effects were good- which they were-but they need to know when to use them rather than just sticking them in the film to make it "interesting."

The Land Before Time (1988)

Childhood Gem!

[10/10 · 26 June 2011]

I remember watching this movie over and over when I was a kid (so much that I wore down the tape!) and I loved it. Recently though, I saw it again for the first time in years and I had forgotten just how good it really is. It brought back so many childhood memories and I ended up fighting back the tears within the first half hour of the movie! I never realised just how meaningful this film is until I saw it almost a decade since the last time I saw it (I'm 17 by the way) and it hit home just how much this film means to me.

Following the story of Littlefoot from his hatching, through his journey to the great valley and the friends he meets along the way, this film is an emotional roller-coaster that sweeps you along for the incredibly enjoyable ride without loosing pace. It has one of the most heartbreaking sequences ever in a "kid's" movie that I have ever seen- one that I deny anyone not to have a tear in their eye at.

I would recommend this movie to anyone, young or old, because it truly is a brilliant film. Please, if you haven't seen it yet-watch it! You don't know what you've been missing!

The Last Airbender (2010)

It really is as bad as they say...

[1/10 · 7 March 2011]

I went to see this not long after it came out, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I had seen a couple of episodes with my family, and I have to say I quite like it: it was better than most of the rubbish that is on today! I have to say that I was really disappointed with this movie. The characters were nothing like they were in the show (and for someone who is not an avid watcher to be able to deduce that is quite appalling), and WHY OH WHY could they not pronounce the character's names properly!!! There was no character development and the acting was very poor (although the lack of a decent script could have played a major part in that.) Granted some of the settings were impressive, as were the special effects, although why he raised a massive tidal wave at the end and did nothing with it other than sink a handful of ships is completely beyond me! Take the advice that has been given by myself and fellow reviewers: DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!

Supernatural: The Rapture (2009) Season 4, Episode 20

Misha is an incredible actor

[10/10 · 6 February 2011]

This episode is one of my favourite Supernatural episodes EVER! It shows Misha's incredible acting ability as well as shedding some light on Castiel's vessel's back story.

I thought that Misha's acting was amazing, as he was able to create two totally different characters and could shift easily from one to the other when required. The ability of the actresses playing Jimmy's wife and daughter should not be underestimated either, nor should that of Jared and Jensen.

I would thoroughly recommend that you watch this episode, even if you are not a huge Supernatural fan. It is well worth the watch!

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

I love This Movie!

[10/10 · 1 February 2011]

I saw this movie when it was released on DVD, as I missed the opportunity to see it in the cinema. I really wish I had been able to, because TV does not do the amazing soundtrack or visuals justice.This was my favourite movie when I was 9 years old, and is one of my favourite animated films ever! I love how the emotion of the characters is easy to read, despite the fact that none of the animals talk (unlike almost every Disney film released to date!) The voice-over by Matt Damon can be a little annoying at times, but at others makes the film that little bit better.

The plot may not be all that strong, but it is an enjoyable film all the same, combining adventure and romance together perfectly. The characters are likable and superbly animated. The opening 10 minutes of the film are incredible, with a fantastic 3 minute unbroken shot of the animals and landscape of the wild west, and the movie just gets better from there! There are some genuine laughs in the film, as well as scenes that will make you reach for a tissue! I have also read a lot of reviews that complain about the number of Bryan Adams songs in the film. My advice: ignore them. Bryan's songs are amazing and help to express the emotions that Spirit is experiencing at any given time in the movie. The score is also incredible, which was pretty much a given with Hans Zimmer at the helm. The soundtrack remains one of my favourite to date, despite me being in my late teens! It is also responsible for introducing me to the amazing songs of Bryan Adams, of whom I have been a fan of ever since I saw this movie! I would thoroughly recommend this movie to all horse lovers, people looking for a good movie, and parents looking to keep their kids entertained for an hour or two!

CSI: NY (2004–2013)

Amazing Show!!!!

[7/10 · 1 October 2009]

I started to watch CSI NY after I found out that one of my favourite actors, Gary Sinise, plays the main character, Mac Taylor. I fell in love with it instantly. The cast is great, made even stronger by the presence of Lindsay Monroe. The story lines are unique to New York (for example, a murder on the Statue Of Liberty!)and there have been some amazing guest stars on the show, my favourite being Myketi Williamson as the Deputy Inspector:it was good seeing "LT Dan" and "Bubba" on screen together again!!! Other notable guest stars include Ashley Simpson, Kid rock, Nelly Furtado (as a professional shoplifter) and Will Dailey.

A Midnight Clear (1992)

Amazing Movie!!!!!

[8/10 · 28 September 2009]

I had to order this movie in from the US because you can't get it in Britain. But it was worth all the hassle of tracking it down because it is an amazing movie. Ethan Hawke is great as the young Sergent who must lead a group of frightened young soldiers to the German front. Gary Sinise is amazing as the emotionally damaged "Mother" Wilkins, and the supporting cast is great too! When the group discovers a Nazi camp of soldiers who have lost the will to fight, an uneasy truce is formed, which will ultimately and in tragedy as the American Platoon try to protect "Mother." The movie is brilliantly acted and with a emotionally powerful ending. (I was very nearly crying at the end!!!!) Defiantely worth hunting down!!!!

Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)

The King before the drugs kicked in.

[9/10 · 18 August 2009]

This is the movie to see if you want to know what the deal is about Elvis. Forget the movies, which were mostly rubbish. This is the king at his on stage best. The only reason I never rated this movie as a 10 is that it came hot on the heels of the 68 Comeback Special and that cannot be beaten. This film shows Elvis backstage in Las Vegas before one of the Elvis summer festivals organised by Col. Parker. There is also footage of Elvis in rehearsals for his shows. You get a glimpse of the man behind the image at certain points. For us ladies there is also the bonus of seeing Elvis at his sexy best! The only thing to remember is this was made in the 70's so there are flares everywhere.

Of Mice and Men (1992)

Great Movie!!!

[10/10 · 17 August 2009]

I took me ages to get my hands on this film, and it was so worth it!!! Gary Sinise and John Malkovich are brilliant in the two leads,and Gary's directing is spot on! The story is brilliantly played, and Ray Walston is instantly likable as Candy. Casey Siemaszko is great as Curly, and Sherilyn Fenn doesn't miss a beat as Curley's wife.

My sister was a little skeptical at watching the movie after some persuasion, but by the end of the movie, we were in tears!

If you are looking for a movie with jaw dropping special effects, then this is not the movie for you. However, if you are looking for a quiet, down to earth, good movie with great acting, then this is the perfect movie for you. Be warned though, have a box of tissues at the ready, you'll need them!!