cam-88268 Reviews

Lift (I) (2024)

It's not bad... it's just not great

[6/10 · 3 February 2024]

I love me a good heist movie, and I like Kevin Hart.. so I really wanted to like this movie, and it's not really bad, per se.. its a bit of fun, but, even right from the start it just lacked.. something.. I'm not even sure what, but Kevin just didn't come across like a Danny Ocean character that I think he was supposed to be.

The whole storyline was pretty predictable and a little cliched. The conflict was resolved a little too easily, though the action was ok, and the scenery fantastic.

Look, it's not going to win any awards, it's not a classic, but it's not really bad in any sense, just don't expect too much.

The Crown: Aftermath (2023) Season 6, Episode 4

Disappointing and repetitive

[6/10 · 3 December 2023]

This was such a great show, I've loved watching the previous episodes, but they really put too much emphasis and time on Diana, and it really wasn't too "new", in fact, just watch "The Queen" and you've seen most of the same scenes. It was an interesting twist to take the blame off the Royal family, as most documentaries tend to do (at best that they drove her into that position due to their treatment, at worst, they actually arranged it), and put it mainly onto the shoulders of Muhammad Al Fahid.. either way though, Diana is always the "perfect" victim, a narrative that really only came about after her death. They had the chance to explore the story in a different way, show a more realistic viewpoint, all divorces have several interpretations of whose "at fault" but the world needs to see famous people as "good" or "bad", I realise this is an unpopular opinion, but they were both to blame for the divorce, we only heard her side of the story (as always, the royal family maintained their dignity by not responding). The media, I believe, in an attempt to allay their guilt in how they contributed to Diana's death have made out Charles to be pure villainous, never a balanced view of how it all went down, and this show just contributed to that once more.

That '90s Show (2023– )

Never watched 70s show, now I remember why

[2/10 · 28 February 2023]

Ok, so I have to admit, I'm basing this on the 1st episode, but the comedy is overstated and tasteless, moreover the whole premise is a 14 year old girl who gets to stay with her grandparents after illegally buying alcohol paraphernalia, drinking, skipping the planned family time (which they travelled across the country for) and then doing drugs, all of which the parents know about about and thinks this is a good reason to give her more freedom, so leaves her behind for the summer to enjoy this rebellion.

Apparently this is supposed to be funny.

Let's not forget the sexual innuendo directed towards the underage girl.. that's appropriate.

Scrooge (1970)

Classic Musical

[9/10 · 16 August 2022]

When I was growing up in the 80s, we didn't always have immediate access to any movie we wanted. Not everyone had video machines, so we usually relied on whatever was scheduled on tv. Therefore, whenever certain movies were on, it became a bit of an "event", I remember Star Wars being simulcast on radio so it can be heard in stereo... as kids, the big ones we got excited for and got to stay up late we're Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Oliver, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Willy Wonka.. This movie (with the same music writer as Willy Wonka) had the same energy, catchy songs and great story telling than those movies.. so why didn't I know about it until today? Maybe just because it was a more "specialised" movie - only watched at Christmas time?

There's probably better Scrooge adaptations now, but this just had that fun and excitement of those classic musicals and I wish I'd watched this throughout my childhood.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

Not sure how to rate it.. great start, but downhill by season 3

[7/10 · 27 July 2022]

I got so excited when this came on Netflix, all the nostalgia, and I have to admit there were times in the first season I got goosebumps. Sadly as it went it on, it got more ridiculous. Every single person is psychotic, it's getting to the point that no character has any redeeming qualities. Situations are so contrived, it's obvious that they just set things up for a fight scene, but it starts losing any sort of believeability. I took a bit of a break after starting season 3, and so maybe I forgot how it was, but when I went back to it, I noticed just how cheesy it was, the poor acting and bad scripting. I'll watch it, but it's lost it's appeal from the original season.

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)

Great Ending

[10/10 · 18 July 2022]

I love Downton Abbey, and , as much as I would hate to see the end of it, I think this was a much better ending to both the series finale and last movie.

One great thing is how we didn't need any character development, it was a 'rounding out' of what we already saw of them.

Having said that, there are two things I don't like about period dramas.. 1. There always has to be an unrelenting, unredeemable, purely evil and conniving villain, and 2. They have to be in jumping in and out of bed with each other. What I like about Downton Abbey is that, while it has its conflicts, it doesn't have these elements. I would have to say, however, is that this movie maybe goes too far away from this. It could be considered almost farcical in how little conflict there is.. some of the situations, when you consider how historically accurate they tried to make the series, are almost ridiculous, it's almost like they just wanted to do a reunion and contrive a plot where they gave the chance for the "lower class" characters to experience dressing up and sitting at the formal table.

For a bit of fun, and for a final ending to Downton, this was a great movie, and I really enjoyed it, but.. it just didn't have the same feel as the series and I could understand if Downton fans (or anyjpone new to the franchise) would think this movie had no real substance.

I would hope, now, that if they did ever bring Downton back, it'll be in 10-15 years and be based around the next generation and WWII.. I reckon that's something I'd like to see.

The Princess (I) (2022)

Yep, the reviews are true

[4/10 · 17 July 2022]

Most of the reviews are saying the same thing.. no storyline at all, just an endless string of fight scenes.

Obviously some people love that, others hate it.

One or two actual funny moments. The actings not really bad and the "mediaeval die hard" I've seen observed rings true as she anonymously fights her way through the tower picking off the guards, but many of the tired cliches, ridiculous characters, super human feats just make it a little hard to watch.

In the end, if the plot was better, it would have been forgivable, but there's just nothing in this movie that is any way believe able or interesting.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Was this a Mel Brooks spoof?

[6/10 · 10 July 2022]

I'm disappointed to say this was a poorly presented movie.. the humour was bordering on the 'ridiculousness" of a Mel Brooks film. There were a few laughs, and the actual storyline was ok, but there wasn't the witty subtlety of the previous movies. Thor himself has somehow become extremely dumb, the guardians seemed to have forgotten how to play their own characters, Valkyrie is all over the place, and, realistically, only Natalie Portman's performance as Jane saved the movie. Before the opening titles ran I began wondering if it was actually a "Pure Blond" beer commercial and not the start of the movie, considering the poor acting and amateurish feel to it.

There was never any real tension or conflict, and a poorly developed character arch for most of the roles.

Sorry, I love Marvel and I hate it when people are so negative on new movies or series'.. but this didn't even feel like it belonged amongst any of the rest of the MCU - it was entertaining, a bit of fun, good action sequences and an acceptable plot.. it just didn't have the usual 'finish' of the Marvel universe movies and appears to be made for children.

Man vs. Bee (2022)

Like a bad dream (in a good way)

[9/10 · 4 July 2022]

Like "Some Mothers Do 'ave em" and (of course) the Mr Bean movie, it's a bit like a nightmare where everything goes wrong and you can't do anything about it. There are times when you just want to yell at the tv.. but that's the fun of it all. Such a great movie.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Just ok

[6/10 · 5 June 2022]

I know so many think this was Heath Legers crowning glory, and the best Batman movie.. but maybe it's just cause I grew up watching the campy 60s version, then the Tim Burton movies, but I just didn't find this version spectacular or groundbreaking in any way.. possibly I prefer it to be more fantasy-comic-like (and I do realise that the 60s version is far from the comics).. I've always seen the Joker more manic and villianasly playful than violently psychotic. I just don't think the movie really was worth all the hype.. and frankly, George Clooney was a better Batman in my opinion.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

A New Hope "feel"

[8/10 · 4 June 2022]

Not sure how my "sorting" of reviews created the list I saw, but I genuinely surprised that all the reviews were so low.. only when I went into the summaries that I found the rating is quite high and there are more good reviews than bad.

I'm old enough to remember Empire Strikes Back coming out, and was already a fan of the original, frankly I wondered after they made the prequels I wondered how Obi Wan went from such a skilled warrior to the slow old man.. I think this shows a great transition, he's no longer young and practised like he was, he's been in hiding for years and reluctant to show his skills.

This show has a lot of the same "feel" as the original New Hope, more so than the prequels I believe, the puppetry is better than CGI and the fight scenes are more in keeping with how you'd expect unskilled underground movement to be.

Some of the storyline is a little confusing (I'm thinking episode 3 and the escape through the tunnel, it left me unsure how Kenobi got out of the building, how Darth Vader found him in the quarry, how the Inquistor got past Leia to meet her at the end, how Tala went back through the tunnel and got past the Inquistor and how she knew where to find Obi Wan..), and it does seem a little same-ish to the Madalorian (protagonist being chased by the evil system with a cute offsider whom they slowly form a connection with), but overall it's been great so far and I'm in hope that more will be revealed.

A lot of Disney Star Wars shows rely on nostalgia, and this doesn't disappoint, though.. the one thing I would really loved to hear was some of the original music - Leia has her own theme, why don't we hear that, and when Darth enters the town, if the Imperial March was playing, I reckon I would have got goosebumps

My understanding is that John Williams came out of retirement to assist, they have Ewan Macgregor, Hayden Christiansen and James Earl Jones, so this isn't a cheap spin-off, I can't imagine there would have been copyright issues with using the music, so why did they not use it? I honestly think using the Star Wars themes would have taken this from great to fantastic!

The House (III) (2022)

Just because there's detail, it doesn't make a good movie

[3/10 · 24 January 2022]

Sometimes I think people only like something cause it's artsy and, therefore must have deep and spiritual meaning. This is just dull, frustrating and weird. Can't recommend it at all.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Was the idea to hate the characters?

[4/10 · 19 July 2021]

I'm a bit behind the game, thought I'd watch the Transformers movies, I mean, I loved the cartoons as a kid. The first two were pretty funny and quirky, this one had its moments, the plot was thin and predictable, the storyline cheesy and the action as expected. But what I couldn't get past was just how unlikeable the characters were - especially Shia Le Bouf, he was loud, annoying, argumentative, the sort of person I'd avoid if I had the choice (I realise this is supposed to be his 'charm', but I had no empathy for him, I really didn't care what happened to him), sadly, his GF was just as dull with absolutely no character development, a quick cheesy recap of how they met, and, I guess, we just accept her as a replacement for his last one.

Ocean's Eight (2018)

Sadly Agree

[6/10 · 20 July 2019]

I loved the Oceans Trilogy of the early 2000s, which prompted me to go right back to the original with the Rat Pack, which set the tone for the new movies, and, admittedly rolled my eyes when they announced its reboot with all female cast. I don't have a problem with that, the new Ghostbusters was pretty good, and I sorta like the new Doctor Who (I think it's the writers that are getting that wrong!), but I did think "do we just have to do this with every successful franchise now?

Regardless, I did get excited about how they would find a new original plot that could compare with the (admittedly) sometimes confusing, yet amazing intricate storyline's of the previous 3. I like Sandra Bullock, in fact, I liked most of the cast, it was a real gathering of 'fun' artists I thought may make a great team... but then 5 mins in and it just didn't have that same quirky ness and charm of the other Oceans. TBH, Sandra, not any of the others were that likeable, there was no real spark between them.. the banter just didn't feel real, the timing wasn't there, they really just didn't have the charisma needed to pull off what really is a character driven movie.

Rhianna just looked like a sullen teenager throughout it.., I don't know if that's what she was going for, but it wasn't endearing at all. Helen, while one of my favourite actors, just looked uncomfortable in her role, like she didn't even quite care. I could go on, but the truth is it just fell flat, and I'm not surprised to see that almost every other review is similar in its opinion.

There are a few positives, I laughed at the bubbles in the window, but even then, Helen just didn't pull that scene off.

The 'twist' was ok, and loved the cameo, little predictable (come on, pulling a heist in a museum where they mention over and over about the current Newell display, as if they weren't going to do something about that...), but unlike the earlier movies, there just wasn't the 'clues' thrown in along the way that made you go "aaahhhhh...that's why....", apart from the submarines of course, which I did watch with some appreciation.

Maybe it just lacked that glamour of Las Vegas, and the numerous Cameos and Easter eggs from the previous movies, maybe it just didn't have that chemistry between the team, nor the amazing soundtrack to boost that feeling of 'naughty fun', but, it's watchable... it was following some pretty big footsteps, and like all reboots tried to throw in a bit of nostalgia to keep the fans happy, but in the end, I hope there isn't going to be an Oceans 9..

The Wild Life (2016)

How did they pick the animals?

[7/10 · 25 April 2019]

I probably don't have to add to much more about storyline or animation that hasn't already been said. However, I'm confused over where this is supposed to be set? We have a South American Macaw, a Malayan Tapir, Asian Pangolin, Australian Echidna (or is it a European Hedgehog? My daughter thinks the nose is more like an Echidna), Asian Blue Eared Kingfisher, African Chameleon and what looks like a Russian Goat. I'm all for artistic license, but surely some sort of consistency. Otherwise, a reasonable enough movie, definitely for kids though, my daughter really enjoyed it. Also, anybody else think the cat looks like one of the Gremlins?

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018)

Modern Take on Classic Literature - which seems to have gone over a lot of heads..

[7/10 · 2 October 2018]

The movie is cute, somewhat predictable and a fair bit unbelievable, especially how quickly it all turns around for the happy ending. There's a lot of talk about catfishing and stalking in these reviews... BUT I don't think anyone has actually 'got' that this is supposed to be a modern take on the classic play "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand - much like the Steve Martin film "Roxanne" from the 80s (the hints were in how much classic literature is featured in the movie), yet not as obvious, given Roxanne is the original name for the romantic interest. In that sense, it's pretty close to the mark... the witty, intelligent protagonist, who doesn't have the looks (or at least doesn't believe they have) to win the girl/guy, through mistaken identity still gets the opportunity to 'woo' said romantic interest through the better looking, al beit less intelligent friend, until the charade is uncovered and the protagonist has to try and win their heart... which, of course, they already had... classic drama. It's not about being nasty, or "tricking" someone for some sexual gratification or extortion like catfishing really is, instead, it's the romantic interest falling in love with the mind over looks. This one probably wraps it all up too easily and quickly... and the "betrayal" and "reveal" just seems a bit too over the top to be swept away with a smile as it was, but in all, for a teenage romantic comedy, it was a pretty good movie. I'd give it more stars, but I don't like teenage romantic comedies...

The Kissing Booth (2018)

How old are these kids supposed to be?

[6/10 · 22 May 2018]

There is a heck of a lot of open binge drinking, swearing and sex in this supposed "teen" movie. I'm trying to work out what age group it's actually aimed at? And the adults in the movie seem to think this behaviour is fine? The prom even features a photo of a kid doing a keg stand. Fairly predictable plot but entertaining, I just think the content should be more about college students than high school children

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Yeah, just don't call it King Arthur, cause it has nothing to do with the legend

[3/10 · 25 August 2017]

From the start it was confusing, I had no idea what it had to do with King Arthur, when or where it was supposed to be set, and why the freakin elephants looked like they came out of LOTR except the size of mountains. Then there was the editing, playing two scenes at once, no idea if it was a flashback, flash forward, alternate reality, or what... Costuming, architecture and speech didn't belong in any one time period, so once I figured out it was nothing more than a fantasy and had nothing to do with the King Arthur legend, I figured I could start enjoying the movie... but nup... it was rubbish. Were there scenes cut? What started as some interesting fantasy plot was just predictable and unintelligent, there seemed to be conflict between the main characters that just didn't make sense and introduced fantasy creatures that are never seen again. It just seemed they were trying to ride on the back of Game of Thrones and LOTR, and it just didn't work. Terrible editing, terrible storyline, terrible tentative link to a legendary story mixed with this trend to make the hero dark and flawed. Best I can say is the action was mildly entertaining if you just don't want to too challenged intellectually in a movie.