gnokial-59688 Reviews

The Alternate (2021)

Worth watching, low average rating is unjustified

[10/10 · 17 December 2023]

I didn't like it at first, it started miserable, the dim lit environment not helping, obviously a low budget film and the main actor had a jihardist beard that I found off-putting. However, the portal was kind of beautiful and hypnotic, so I carried on watching and then the plot began to engage. I'm glad I didn't give up. It does have something different to offer and an interesting ending as well. As someone who rarely bothered to write reviews, I hope anyone reading this appreciate my recommendation. Well I don't why this platform insists on having a minimum of 600 words to post a review, hence the dross.

Better Than Us (2018–2019)

Better Than Hollywood

[10/10 · 18 May 2022]

No thanks to all those bad reviews left on this site, I avoided this series until recently. I'm glad I did not completely miss it before it drops out of Netflix, because the show is actually rather brilliant! It has techy stuff that I like; Many twists and turns that I did not predict; Good acting by all actors and actresses, a lot of them acted well just mimicking robot! My special commendation to child actors Vitaliya Kornienko who played Sonya, and to Yaroslav Sidorov who was Boris in the show; Lastly, what's most enjoyable for me is the intelligent dialogue which is refreshing after a life-long diet of American shows and tired from British sarcasm.

I've come across a review here recommending to watch the series in Russian language in order to feel the characters' emotion. Unfortunately too late for me, but the dubbed speeches did not dent my appreciation because the dialogues make sense, unlike many made in the west. I do, however, have one tiny complaint, without giving too much away, I would just say it was never made clear why the character who does all the dirty work for the corporation is also the head of an organisation that opposes the ethos of the corporation. Otherwise it's all good. Lastly I hope there will be a second series, using the downloaded memory perhaps?.... Just suggesting with fingers crossed. Well done Netflix, make more good foreign films like this!

Alice in Borderland (2020– )

Mindless Great Japanese Torture Game Show

[1/10 · 2 January 2021]

Expecting some exciting mystical stories in the ultra-modern backdrop from the Land of the Rising Sun, I did not expect this to be just another series of the old but well known Japanese torture game show. The only difference being now equipped with smartphones and hi-tech gadgets. The fact that the people in the show aren't really tortured like they were in the reality shows, a lack of logic or any coherent plot line, are the reasons it failed to hold my attention beyond 3 episodes. So it was an early sayonara for me.

The New Legends of Monkey (2018–2020)

Based on a very famous ancient novel

[1/10 · 2 January 2021]

The Monkey, proper name Sun wu kong is the protagonist of the Chinese novel Journey to the West which was published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. Many many movies have been made of the novel. This one - The New Legend of the Monkey, has by far the one of the best costumes and background setup, which is praise-worthy. Unfortunately, that's about the only good thing I can say for this production. I don't mind the fact that it does not follow the storyline of the original novel because I wanted very much to like it. I managed to watch the first season despite finding the acting is between silly and wooden. In the second season the plot got really shallow and the acting got worse. I just wished it was better.

Mortal Engines (2018)

Best film I've watched this year

[10/10 · 29 November 2020]

The application of darwinism to the human race in empire building, ruthless Americanism disguised in British colonialism. Backward looking or forward thinking depends on whose point of view one adopts. A much much grandiose scale of Mad Max with enough grime to please a lot of true cockneys. The actors and actresses are believable and well acted. Don't believe to all the negative reviews. They are totally unfair or have no taste.

Raising Dion (2019–2022)

Should have 8 Stars

[10/10 · 29 October 2019]

This is a very enjoyable show to watch. The story is interesting in that it uses science to explain abilities that usually deemed supernatural or magical and so lends credence to the phenomenon. Such an approach makes the impossibles more acceptable. The main character, Dion, is a believable and likeable active boy without coming across as an unbearably hyperactive brat. I also find all the actors and actresses acted very well. They deserve a lot of credits and recognition. I did find the character Pat a bit too nice but I like the unexpected twist in the plot towards the end. Everything is great except for the mediocre dancing scenes that needs further improvement so as to look less like a cleaner lifting up 2 bucket-full of water. This is not a criticism on her acting ability actually, she is great in the rest of the show. I would love to see her again in season 2 (if there is one). I think the last episode is a bit rushed, not enough development on how they knew what the crooked man can or cannot see or work out the method to defeat it. In my opinion the show should be an 8 but it is only 7.2 at the moment, therefore I am awarding it a 10 to help raise the score.

Lilyhammer (2012–2014)

A comedy with hidden message

[1/10 · 28 October 2019]

I didn't know mush about Norway until I watched this flick. It is ok at first, entertaining, a few bits of laughable moments, slowly plotting along in a typical small town folk way. Despite the number of lucky turnaround situations that became nothing less than contrived, I kept watching because I am partial to shows that have background scenes filmed in foreign countries. By the last two episodes in the first season, the real campaign message became loud and clear : the country's immigration policy is being taken advantage of, immigrants are ungrateful, Muslims are wicked, Norwegian police are incompetent, their treasury is being usurped by the non-indigenous, etc etc. The show is clearly a satire to lampoon the Norwegian government. No doubt this show will be very popular with the anti-immigration nationalists and that must explains why the high rating on IMBD.

Point Blank (2019)

Repeat attempts to discredit people with no children

[1/10 · 5 August 2019]

1. Good guy asked main villain for pre-natal advice. Main villain said I chose not to have children and I can't help you; 2. Pregnant woman asked main villain if she has a family, main villain said the co-villian is her family; 3. Good guy asked Gangster with a good heart "Do you have any children?", answer 8.

Rim of the World (2019)

Not bad at all

[10/10 · 28 May 2019]

My other half and I watched this show reluctantly because we were worried about typical immature teen stuff. Fortunately none of that and the interesting development of the plot made viewing rather enjoyable so I definitely recommend this film.

Cold Skin (2017)

Realistic creature and good acting

[9/10 · 3 March 2019]

I just don't understand why the low rating and criticism. This is an enjoyable film to me. I especially like the realistic look of the creatures. Great acting by all and the character Aneris loveable. There's a fine plot and a good message (to me anyway).

The Great Wall (I) (2016)

Don't follow the haters. Watch with an open mind

[8/10 · 14 February 2019]

I would not have watched this film if I wasn't running out of choice on Netflix, reason being, I always assume Chinese films are disappointing. I was wrong with this one. Glad I did not let my prejudice deter me from getting the entertainment out of this show.

Polar (I) (2019)

No flaw that I can pick on

[9/10 · 14 February 2019]

If you can accept a hero that is no saint then this one is for you. For me, I'm happy to have watched this film. Fine acting by all the actors and actresses plus a reasonably good twist at the end. What I applaud most is that, for once (in my not-that-vast movie-watching experience anyway) the bad guys who work for the main villain actually realise that there is no point in fighting the invincible hero and sensibly stepped aside to avoid risking their own life. Something different from all the fight movies. Also there's this cool laser-guided gadget which is delightful. For all that I award this show 9 stars (to bring up the average, otherwise it deserves at least a 7).

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Perfection ruined by incompetence

[1/10 · 9 February 2019]

Good quality CGI and a decent story line which should have helped this movie to be a hit.... but no, unfortunately, the protagonist is the most annoying, exasperating, bothersome, smarmiest irk-bag I have ever have to sit through a show. More than 120 minutes of torture, made me want to vent about the frustration. Who's fault is it? The director? The casting team? or the actor? I want answer.

American Assassin (2017)

A better than average film.

[10/10 · 23 September 2018]

I watched this film on Netflix, not in the cinema. Yes I said cinema instead of theatre because to us Brits, a cinema is for film-showing, a theatre is for live performances. And I am glad I did, because I had to rewind some parts to establish the political who's who. I don't consider myself a film critic because I don't want to stress myself out reliving the bad films. I'm writing this review as a feed back to the film-makers so that, hopefully, they won't make the same pitfalls. So I go:

1. There weren't many boring moments except from the swimming pool to the sandy side of the beach. Although I appreciate that it was probably done to establish the trait of the main character, but there are plenty of opportunity in the show to do that instead of dragging a scene. The other long drawn scene was watching a man lying on the bed doing nothing, possibly asleep.

2. Not enough time is devoted to introducing the other characters - I'm not good at remembering faces or names that I have no idea how to spell or pronounce while I'm busy following what is going on in the plot. Trying to establish who the baddies are and what are their agenda was like attempting to take photos of a tree or a house from inside a fast-moving train.

3. Featuring a black female on the top of the command chain is nice, I embrace racial and gender equality. However, someone in this important role wearing a pair of stiletto and a wig is not really believable. I'm sure this prejudice about how someone dresses for a role isn't just mine, given the bad press about what the current wife of the 47th presidents has been showing up for official visits.

4. My last point is more to do with marketing. When we saw the film's title American Assassin, both my partner and I straight away thought that we have already seen this movie, for we have seen many films beginning with "American", surely we must have seen this one. Had I not subsequently gave it a chance by perusing the preview in IMDb, we would never have added this title to our list of movies to watch on Netflix.

Despite the above, I'm happy to say I came away with satisfaction that I had been entertained after watching the show. My favourite part, without being specific and have to issue a spoiler warning, was seeing all the big water movement and chaos on the ocean, which are very well done, in my unsophisticated view anyway. I think all the actors and actresses acted convincingly (despite the wig and high heel shoes). I think this film deserves a higher rating than the current average of 6.2, so I give it a ten with the aim to lift the average so that maybe less people will get put off by insufficiently high ratings.

Extinction (2018)

Need to be patient and go with the flow

[6/10 · 29 July 2018]

This is a slow starter. It takes nearly an hour before we got to know what the heck is going on. Once you know the twist you might then start to rethink who the enemy actually is and deal with the conflict of loyalty. The concept is fine but there are a lot of things to questions about whether a society as such can be a reality. Anyhow, the film is ok if you hadn't taken a lot trouble to go to the cinema and paid big bucks to watch it.