diadectes58 Reviews

Robot Overlords (2014)

Watchable low budget Sci-Fi movie

[6/10 · 24 June 2018]

A group of English kids on the run from robots that have overrun the Earth must find a way to defeat them or die.

Surprisingly good effects and okay acting. The story line flows well but there is not much to it and most of the situations the are not realistic.

I give it six out of ten because it is good for a low budget movie, kept me interested, made me care about the characters and is well paced.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

Made no sense

[6/10 · 17 June 2018]

I nominate this film as The Worst Movie in the History of the World. Why? Because the criteria is that the movie has to be bad, but not cheap, and made by a studio that should have know better, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi fits this description perfectly.

Justice League (2017)

Better than expected

[7/10 · 14 June 2018]

Just watched this movie on DVD. I did not go to see it at the cinema because of the poor reviews. I have not watched Batman v Superman for similar reasons so I did not understand a lot of the back story to Justice League. Overall, I thought the movie was good: not great but good. The humour was appropriate, the fight scenes were exciting and the story was okay as well. CGI was a bit dodgy at times but it did not stop me rewinding and re-watching all the fight scenes. And I did not have to fast forward at all - always a good sign. I even cried when Superman came back. I personally thought some of the character chemistry a bit forced but that might just be me. I know people have criticized Steppenwolf (and I understand why) but I thought he was okay in a 1980s video game 'boss battle' sort of way - no real personality or back story - but tough and hard to beat which I think is all you want in a fantasy superhero movie. Overall a good and satisfying movie: definitely 7 out of 10 (possibly 7.5).

Bill (I) (2015)

Surprisingly good

[7/10 · 19 November 2017]

I have just watched this movie on Amazon Prime. I had never heard of it but it was free to view so I thought I would give it a try. I ended up watching it till the end (plus the credits) and really enjoyed it. It was amusing rather than funny but I laughed out loud a few times. It is a bit silly so is not recommended if you like serious films. However, if you like Monty Python and Blackadder you should like this film. I will not say anything about the story as if you are reading this you are obviously on IMDb so will probably have read the plot and a few other reviews. It is definitely worth watching and surprisingly good. More so if you are from the UK as other nationalities will miss a lot of the jokes and humour. It is also full of quotes from Shakespeare, Easter Eggs and at least one reference to a certain science fiction movie.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I liked it

[7/10 · 7 October 2017]

Just finished watching this movie on DVD. I got it from the local library today along with three others. I watched it first as I thought it would be rubbish; it wasn't. Not sure why all the bad reviews. I thought it was a good story and was well done. I knew nothing about the subject before I watched the movie so it was all new to me. I liked the way the main character developed (a bit like Robocop) and thought the supporting cast good. Do not get me wrong: the film is not great, but I was entertained and did not have to fast forward at all (always a bad sign) and I rewound quite a few bits to watch again (always a good sign). It's fantasy of course and definitely silly in parts. The CGI is poor in parts too. However, overall I liked it and would definitely watch it again.

The Runaway Bus (1954)

Pretty dire.

[5/10 · 29 October 2016]

Pretty dire but just about watchable. A rather strange film too. I kept getting the feeling that I was watching two films at the same time: one a rather dull and silly crime thriller, and the other a Carry On film that Fankie Howerd seemed to think he was in. Just watch the movie and them imagine it without Frankie Howerd. See what I mean. He does not contribute anything to the story. He does his routine and the cast just stare at him bewildered. He then shuts up and the cast pick up where they left off and get on with it. It's almost like they started making the film as a regular crime thriller but then had second thoughts, so brought Frankie Howerd in to liven things up, and quickly wrote a few gags and lines for him.

The Last Stand (2013)

Contrived, clichéd, silly and predictable

[5/10 · 30 September 2014]

I have just finished watching this movie on DVD. Cannot say I disliked it but cannot say I enjoyed it either. I had to fast forward through a lot of it to get to the interesting bits (and the end). It was just too silly and predictable e.g. cops constantly sheltering behind apparently bullet proof cars. My summary says it all really. I should add that it is pretty juvenile. It's just the same old stuff: dumb cops constantly outwitted by all powerful and omniscient bad guys; arrogant but ineffectual FBI; an whole army of cops unable to stop one bad guy; one man saves the day and takes out all the bad guys. Just another Die Hard movie really. None of the actors are particularly convincing, especially Arnie who looked really old and past it. They didn't even bother to try to disguise his lack of height. You might like the action sequences but it really needed a younger man in the lead role, a more sensible plot, and more realistic characters. Not sure what the film was trying to be either: comedy, action movie or thriller.

Fat Slags (2004)

Not the real thing

[2/10 · 26 August 2014]

If you are expecting to see a film featuring the Viz comic strip characters Sandra Burke and Tracey Tunstall you will be disappointed. The characters in the movie are different. They have different personalities and are portrayed in a more favourable and sympathetic light. In the comic strip the girls are disgustingly loutish rude and bullying. In the movie they are more sensitive and likable. The film itself is pretty dreadful although not totally unwatchable and you can fast forward through the worst bits. The story, script, acting - everything really - are all bad. It has a few - very few - good moments. I give it two stars as there are worse films out there. Conclusion: there was only ever going to be one reason to watch this film and that was to see the Fat Slags, but, as they are not in the movie, there really is no reason to watch this film.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

It's not Star Trek

[6/10 · 12 January 2014]

Mickey from Doctor Who blows himself up killing a lot of innocent people and jeopardizing the safety of The Earth, and the Federation, just to save the life of his daughter. Did he talk this through with his partner? Sherlock Holmes appears looking enigmatic. Kirk and Co ignore the prime directive and rightly get the sack. Sherlock Holmes appears again - this time as a homicidal maniac. Pike dies. Kirk and Co reinstated for a 'secret' mission. Scotty quits and the Enterprise promptly breaks down. Kirk and Co captured by a bunch of random Klingons armed with bat'leths. Sherlock Holmes appears again but is now Arnold Schwarzenegger and kills all the Klingons. Do edged weapons really have a place in 23rd century close quarter battle? Do Klingons know something the SAS do not? Sherlock Holmes surrenders and pretends to be Khan Noonien Singh - not one of his better disguises. Crazy admiral appears in a big black badass Enterprise. Crazy Admiral tries to kill everyone but is stopped by Scotty!?! Holmes/Arnie/Khan kills crazy admiral. Kirk and Co destroy badass Enterprise which crashes into San Francisco. Kirk dies. Hurray! No more sequels. Holmes/Arnie/Khan walks away from the crash, so it was actually a good landing. Spock and Uhura capture Holmes/Arnie/Khan. Kirk resurrected. Boo! More sequels. Kirk commended for wrecking the Enterprise (again), destroying a valuable spaceship, destroying San Francisco, killing thousands of people, and starting a war with the Klingon empire. It's Star Trek, Jim, but not as we know it.

Dredd (2012)

Extremely gory

[6/10 · 30 March 2013]

Far too gory for my tastes. That's why I only give it a 6 and not a 7. I started watching this movie on DVD while eating my tea and wished I had not. I had to keep turning away. It's not a bad film really with a decent plot and pretty well acted albeit in video game style (like Resident Evil). The movie would have been much better without all the slow motion gore though - it is good enough to succeed without it. It has one of the best of all types of story - set in one place at one time about one event (like High Noon) which makes it very easy to watch and digest. The villain is extremely unpleasant and nasty - which helps. Do not expect a re-make of Judge Dredd (1995) starring Sylvester Stallone - it's totally different. Over the top: yes. Gory: yes. But, still a half decent film.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

It has a bit of everything

[8/10 · 23 March 2013]

I saw this movie in 2D at the cinema the other week. I was not expecting too much but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the film. It has a bit of everything: pathos; excitement; thrills; action; tension; love; plot twists; surprise ending; nostalgia; good characterisation etc. It's a good story that keeps you involved and interested all the way through. The film gets you involved and soon has you rooting for the characters. It helps if you are young enough to have played the games shown in the film or have children (or grand children) who have - but this is not essential for your enjoyment. Definitely worth seeing whether you are young or old.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983 TV Movie)

Just about watchable

[5/10 · 23 March 2013]

I watched this movie on the television the other day. I am a great Sherlock Holmes fan and have read all the stories several times. This film is not bad. You get the usual irritating plot changes and extra characters thrown in but overall they keep to the original story pretty well. Ian Richardson gives a competent if rather weak performance as Holmes but Donald Churchill is dreadful as Watson. Unfortunately he tries to do a Nigel Bruce impression and the result is terrible to watch. There is none of the humour and charm that Nigel Bruce brought to the role; however much you hate his version of Watson. The rest of the cast are pretty competent. Martin Shaw is okay as Sir Henry. I am not sure what Ronald Lacey and Brian Blessed are doing in the movie but Ronald Lacey (one of my favourite actors) is pretty amusing and brings a welcome bit of light relief to a pretty dour movie. I think Stapleton - like Moriarty - is one of the most difficult villains to portray in film because the evil is all hidden. Nicholas Clay is no worse than many others. All in all strictly one for Sherlock Holmes fans I think.

Resident Evil (2002)

Unconvincing and poorly put together.

[4/10 · 23 March 2013]

I watched this movie on the television last night. I have not played the game. It came across like a video game with real actors playing the roles. However, I think it would be more entertaining to watch people playing the game for real on YouTube. I could not finish the film and stopped watching about half way through. I looked up what happened next on Wikipedia and was glad I stopped watching. Nothing made sense or felt right. I know it's fantasy but no one uses bimbos in mansions for security. And why did those SAS type commandos burst in through the windows? Why not just come in quietly through the front door? It was supposed to be a secret entrance after all. Did they ever explain what Matt was doing there? And why did they take Alice and Matt in with them and not just leave them with the back up outside? And why was there no support and back-up at the mansion to secure things as they moved in? And why did the Red Queen not just kill the four commandos in the Queen Chamber straight away instead of playing with them? And how come Alice was able to disable a zombie with her bare hands and kill a pack of zombie dogs with a pistol when the commandos could not do this with a small arsenal of weapons? And why were Alice and Matt suddenly wandering around on their own anyway? I could go on and I only watched half the film.