randomorwhat Reviews

House M.D.: Saviors (2009) Season 5, Episode 21

Interesting bridge to the end of the season

[7/10 · 5 May 2009]

House Season 5 has been quite hit and miss for me so far, however this episode encapsulated the entire feel in a 45 minute segment. Ideas were well controlled, others were flying quite wildly. Some story lines were superb, others dragged for quite a long time. The patient of the week was, for once, quite an annoying character, which provided a welcome change for me, as patients are often seen as quite morally superior.

Suffice to say, the acting was as ever, up to a high standard. The ending provided a superb twist, which would have been made even more effective with some foreshadowing. Medicine was tenuous to say the least, but concluded in a fairly House-esquire manner.

This episode helped tie together the abrupt departure of Penn with the end of the season looming. 7/10 - enjoyable, not the best, but entertaining nevertheless. Perhaps Cameron / Chase scenarios were overplayed, but still a good filler for the ending of the season.

South Park: Eat, Pray, Queef (2009) Season 13, Episode 4

Amazingly poor...

[3/10 · 3 April 2009]

Surely critics have managed to convey the point to Trey Parker and Matt Stone by now? Terrence and Phillip are just basically not very funny. In small clips, sure, they can have their comedic moments, but stretched over an entire episode, they are stale, boring, and flat out immature. And then they somehow came up with the fantastic idea of adding in another two irritating identical characters (oh no, wait, they're women), creating an episode with little to no storyline (queefing against farting...not the most mature way in which to discuss feminism and masculinity) and an episode with very few laughs. In fact, I can scarcely remember any which made me do any more than chuckle slightly, and that was more out of respect for some of the previous episodes. Randy, usually such an intelligent central figure, was annoyingly one-dimensional, which is a damming reflection on the 'protagonists'.

Trey and Matt seemed to be trying, for the typical 'April Fools' episode, to recapture some of the immature humour of the previous seasons. However, they fell horribly in attempting to introduce issues, then skirting around them without addressing them. The only thing that kept previous episodes from becoming mundanely immature and pointless was an intelligent and compelling story. Or great humour addressing interesting sets of moral values.

This had neither. No substance, no humour, no storyline. This was little more than a horrible return to reality that, perhaps, all television shows can eventually go under. I'm just praying that this is the lowest point the season can sink to, and am keeping my fingers crossed that the wit and sparkle hasn't left South Park. In my opinion, 2 good episodes this season, 2 bad. What will the next be?

South Park: The Coon (2009) Season 13, Episode 2

South Park returns to form...

[8/10 · 19 March 2009]

Having been disappointed with the first season episode ('The Ring'), which I felt lacked real depth and subtlety, I though this episode delivered that lost promise.

It begins with an obvious 'super-hero' imitation, where Cartman has adopted the persona 'The Coon' (a raccoon reference...not what was expected!!) Indeed, there was very little dangerous in this episode, and I think this is a step forward for the writers. There was no need to shock, or surprise...no real need to make everything overblow or ridiculous. We were given back the funniest South Park characters, and their alter-egos (Professor Chaos, Cartman's new evil super-hero identity).

The episode focused on intrinsically good story-telling and intelligent jabbing at a genre which has recently been overly-milked by Hollywood, and has almost become an imitation of itself. Well-rounded, well voiced and very well shot, the episode was backed up by a cleverly over-the-top musical score and ambiguous ending.

Well done Trey Parker and Matt Stone; you have made a return to form with great storytelling, intelligent writing and some brilliant pieces of continuity. I was very happy to see references to past episodes, something some recent series have lacked.

An 8/10 - South Park reaffirms itself as being a subtle form of comedy, and, in my mind, the funniest cartoon on television.

South Park: The Ring (2009) Season 13, Episode 1

Trey and Matt...you're better than that

[5/10 · 12 March 2009]

Season beginnings are always tough, particularly when you have raised the bar as high as South Park has with regards to satire. However, I approached season 13 with trepidation. I'd been hurt before by recent seasons (Pandemic 1+2, Imaginationland) and was thus understandably nervous. First off, whilst the Jonas Brothers are a much deserved object of ridicule, are they not simply too easy a target? The same accusation could have been levelled at Paris Hilton; however, Matt n Trey carried THAT episode off with panache, poking fun at a culture that deifies promiscuity and reality TV without resorting to cheap, corporate symbols (an increasingly irritating Mickey Mouse). In all the episode, whilst containing a number of amusing moments, did not do enough to justify its content. The main comedic sources (the boys) were marginalised to the detriment of the episode, whilst the Disney references were overdone (I mean WHO KNEW that Disney were an evil corporation?) That said, seasons often have a tendency to start off slowly, and it is this hope that keeps me on edge, praying for a return to form.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

A great homage to two long running styles

[7/10 · 11 November 2008]

This film was originally written, with inventive killings and witty dialogue. It managed to maintain the skill of the first few films (in which Freddy and Jason were horror characters) but also allowed some of the dated and cheap humour which the sequels followed with.

Some inventive new ideas, some great kills and an excellent ending fight sequence. The acting was good enough to allow the film to progress, but once again Englund steals the show as a demonic figure who can still make audiences worried about turning off their bedside lights.

Well worth watching - better than any Nightmare film apart from the first and Craven's last. Better than any Friday beside the 1st and 4th.

Futurama: Bender's Game (2008 Video)

The best Futurama 'film' so far...

[8/10 · 1 November 2008]

I have been impressed with the other Futurama 'films' (for wont of a better word), yet none of them achieved what this one did, the main thing I look for when watching the Futurama cartoon: laugh out loud comedy. And this has that - though not wall-to-wall, it contains enough clever plot writing to satisfy the most adamant of cartoon fans. The CGI far excels the majority of former episodes, although Futurama has always enjoyed a very shiny veneer of pure 'cool'. The character development was handled with far more maturity than in the previous longer installments, and focused on characters which were previously overlooked. In addition, the popular culture references were intelligent, amusingly accurate and, above all else, integral to the plot. No part of this film felt unnecessary - every moment of the outing felt it was necessary to the overall shape of the piece.

In conclusion, this is by far the best longer-addition Futurama produced to this day. In fact, I'm only sad I saw an advanced viewing, because now I have longer to wait for the next production! The writers have proved they can provide fresh material and give it to the viewers in a non-patronising, intelligent but not pretentious manner.

Bring on the next installement!

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

The best Friday? Perhaps...

[8/10 · 7 October 2008]

There can be no denying the cult status of the original Friday the 13th. Or even, for that matter, its two sequels. This sequel separates itself from its predecessors in its tongue in cheek approach to horror movie clichés and clever cinematic techniques. Homages to Nightmare on Elm Street, Frankenstein etc., are controlled well without relying on previous horror tradition.

One thing that separates this is perhaps its pure enjoyable nature. This film is amazingly fun to watch and well acted. At some point, when I come to watch he film again, I will give a point-by-point analysis of why this film has such a place in my heart. Until then, suffice to say - excellent kills, sufficiently good acting, a well-shot film, and cleverly directed (watch for the breaking of the forth wall...tres pretentious)

Funny Games (2007)

Not overtly exciting, or entertaining. But not bad...

[4/10 · 16 May 2008]

I'd heard a lot about this film - apparently the original was superb and nicely psychologically dark. This, however, was just a disappointment, Positives of the movie: the two lead 'men in white' had their nicely eerie moments, and played their parts pretty damned well. Some of the forth-wall breaking was very well done, however it just wasn't done enough. The father's acting was good, and his pain was well simulated.

As for the rest of the film...I thought the moments of drawn-out nothingness were, at times, effective. But when you look at the brevity of the film, and the amount of cinema time actually wasted, it just didn't seem to add up. Naomi Watts was wooden and pretty appalling, the dialogue had definitely seen better days, the supposed 'brutality' was surprisingly disappointing.

I wasn't expecting much from what I thought was going to be a standard horror movie. Perhaps the main reason I was so disappointed was because at moments the screenshots, dialogue and directing seemed superb. However, it was lost in bad dialogue, mediocre acting and a poor sense of suspense.

Watch the original. This remake was a complete waste of time.

Halloween (2007)

The classic was classic...this was frankly poor

[2/10 · 28 April 2008]

I'm tired and highly bored, having had to sit through almost two hours of pretentious, predictable and overly-dramatic hyperbolic film. Considering how over the top that sentence was, symbolises my feelings about this film. The mediocre actors suffer from a poor script, which could be written by a Hollywood book of clichés, the scares (though minimal) were obvious to the point of semi-plagiarism. Indeed, the one positive element was the hilarity which the exaggerated film brought to a late night's entertainment. Some parts of the film deserve merit. It was in the breakdown of the stereotypical horror elements in which Zombie creates an effective atmosphere, but far too often, he falls into the typical traps which standard horrors have done before him. Kill moments - mediocre at best. Not horrific enough to be considered 'Saw'-worthy (not that's a good thing) and not ridiculous enough to be considered Friday the 13th II's pure fantasy. No intelligent elements which 'Scream' brought to the screen. Attempts to multi-dimensionalise characters was laughable, and though efforts were made with our killer, I felt such little pathos with any single member of the cast, that I would rather have been watching Halloween: Recurrection. At least that I could have laughed and not felt bad. I mean, Jesus, some people actually liked this piece of tripe.

Oldboy (2003)

Such promise, let down by a poor ending

[5/10 · 10 April 2008]

I felt compelled to write a quick criticism of a film which I enjoyed, but was nevertheless disappointed with. This film held some superb acting and some superb dialogue, however it was marred by a frankly pathetic ending (the last 20 minutes were without structure or directorial construct) and some cringeworthy writing. I am a great fan or Korean cinema, however I also understand that not all writing need be in a faux-haiku style. Though much must be lost in translation, there are metaphors, similies and general speeches which make little or no sense, hugely detracting from the atmosphere of the piece.

Other than these critisisms, the film was overall a very good watch. How it has achieved an 8.2 rating I do not know, however to each their own. I was disappointed with what seemed like a hugely sold-out, Hollywood-ised twist at the end of the film; a structure which is no longer shocking or surprising, and which detracted from an otherwise atmospheric and effective piece of film-making.

Far better than the majority of films being released at the moment, however still falling into many of the same pit-falls.

The Golden Compass (2007)

Nothing close to expectation...

[2/10 · 6 December 2007]

Disappointment abound. They've managed to take the first installment of one of the finest triolgies written and turn it into an hour and a half family fantasy, with little hint of storyline, underlying message or relevant dialogue. Casting? Very nicely done. Acting? Mediocre; nice to see some pretty decent performances from younger actors and actresses, very well played role by Kidman and Craig (managing with a Godawful script) CGI? Very reminiscent of any fantasy-based epic over the last five years. Hoardes of people screaming at one another? It's been done; time and time again. How about a moment or two to focus on the character's development, also to write a linear plot faithful to the literature work it was bastardised from? For children, this will be a pleasant yarn - something perhaps straight to DVD worthy. For adults, this is mediocrity and Hollywood at it's finest and most stagnant. For followers of the books, it is nothing short of appalling.

A superb cast let down by a woefully inadequate scriptwriter and director.

The Covenant (2006)

Not too bad really...

[5/10 · 3 August 2007]

When my mate got this film out, I was convinced the acting was going to be terrible, the film would look cheap, and I'd get even more irritated than I did when watching 'The Craft'.

I was pleasantly surprised. The effects were pretty damn decent, and the acting, though slightly sub-par at the beginning, definitely improved as the film progressed. The CGI characters were well created, and even the main male leads had a certain amount of depth. Unfortunately this depth was not transferred to the other female characters within the film.

This film sufficed for a night-time viewing; you don't need to concentrate too much, you can enjoy the visually decent elements and sometimes even get dragged along by a fairly 'compelling' storyline.

Do not expect amazing cinema, because this isn't what the film is about. But there's nothing wrong with that - sometimes it's nice to see a film lacking in pretension and merely being entertainment for entertainment's sake.

One final slightly irritating disclaimer - young adults by and large, do not speak in a similar manner to the kids in this film! Some good dialogue, but some seemed really badly written, even if the actors sometimes managed to pull it off.

5/10 - an entertaining film

Captivity (2007)

Absolute rubbish - but really funny if you want to tear a film apart

[1/10 · 2 July 2007]

I went to see this film with my brother a couple of days after it was released. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting a huge amount - Cuthbert has never really been the most gifted actress, and her in a room by herself didn't really appeal to me. However, I quite enjoyed the premise and ideas behind Hostel (plus we got into the cinema free) so I thought what the hell. After all, it can't be as bad as some films. Right? So very, very wrong. The script was appalling - made (if possible) even worse by the amazingly wooden way all the actors delivered the lines. The plot was stupidly flimsy (we need a way to make these two killers...I know, they were abused when they were younger!), and the camering was repetitively dull and quite amazingly unprofessional (if in doubt, go for a blackout. The whole film was full of them) I think that was something that grated the most - the repetitive nature of the film. There would be one prolonged bit of brutality (nothing amazingly brutal to be honest - the only thing that merited the 18 certificate was the use of acid), followed by either a tranquiliser or slap - blackout. Another scene. Blackout. Another scene. Blackout.

This film was one of the worst I've ever seen, and one of the only "thrillers" throughout which the whole audience has been laughing. Poor acting, terrible script and directing, not to mention camering. Poor continuity and elementary mistakes (she writes on the wall the right way around, which to the person inside would be backwards). Had I paid to see this, I would have walked out, just as a form of protest. As I saw it for free, I enjoyed ripping it apart with my brother, and agreed with his overall assessment when we came out of the film: that was bloody terrible.

Oh, one final thing. Look out for the killer from Identity. He is one of the only redeeming features of the film (which is probably why they kill him off so soon - heaven forfend they have a semi-decent actor for more than a few minutes.)

Absolute rubbish, and a waste of time and energy.

Family Guy: Patriot Games (2006) Season 4, Episode 20

As the forth series continues, the episodes get better

[8/10 · 21 May 2006]

Far from being a weak episode, I found this one to be such a step-up from the rest of the otherwise fairly aimless forth series. The beating scenes, far from trying to 'recapture the chicken fight' finally bring back a semblance of the brutality that made Stewey such an interesting and funny character in the first place. Brian is darker, as are the majority of the jokes. Great pop-culture references; music as fine as any produced by the crew in any of the other series (and intentionally run on to that moment of audience discomfort which Family Guy enjoy doing so much!) Class act - one of the finest Family Guy episodes to date