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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 5 in TV
Jun 15, 2019
Not up to it’s usual high standard
Black Mirror is known for having a dark and futuristic take on modern society, and this is why it has always succeeded. It’s bleak and harrowing at times and whilst it’s not a happy programme to watch, it’s bloody good. The problem with series 5 is that it feels like an entirely different show, and not for the better.
Whilst each episode has it’s own take on modern society and technology (VR, social media and musical pop culture), none of this felt particularly new or unique. Don’t get me wrong, the episodes aren’t bad at all. But they’re just not brilliant. There are good performances (Andrew Scott especially) and the storylines are vaguely interesting, they just don’t get pushed far enough into the dark and bleak Black Mirror world we’re used to. Not only that, but none of these stories have particularly bad endings. It all just feels a little bit meh and after the rather wonderful Bandersnatch, I’d been looking forward to another great season. Sadly, it’s been a bit of a letdown. I’m really hoping that this is just a blip and that the next series is back on form, and not a sign that Black Mirror has run out of decent ideas...
Whilst each episode has it’s own take on modern society and technology (VR, social media and musical pop culture), none of this felt particularly new or unique. Don’t get me wrong, the episodes aren’t bad at all. But they’re just not brilliant. There are good performances (Andrew Scott especially) and the storylines are vaguely interesting, they just don’t get pushed far enough into the dark and bleak Black Mirror world we’re used to. Not only that, but none of these stories have particularly bad endings. It all just feels a little bit meh and after the rather wonderful Bandersnatch, I’d been looking forward to another great season. Sadly, it’s been a bit of a letdown. I’m really hoping that this is just a blip and that the next series is back on form, and not a sign that Black Mirror has run out of decent ideas...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 1, 2019
What-time-d'you-call-this-then Shining sequel/follow-up doesn't have the magisterial formal brilliance of Kubrick, but scores consistently for solid storytelling and simple entertainment value. Many years on from the nastiness in the snow, Dan Torrance has tried to put his special faculties to good use, working in a hospice. However, a gifted young girl he has befriended becomes the target of a pack of inhuman killers who feed on the souls of psychics, and he finds himself compelled to intervene. Faced with a terrifying enemy, he finds he may have to make a reservation at a certain hotel.
The prospect of a two-and-a-half-hour sequel to a Kubrick movie, made by someone I hadn't really heard of gave me pause, to be honest, but Doctor Sleep rapidly develops into an engrossing and satisfying dark fantasy, with mostly good performances and impressive set piece sequences. Most impressive is the way it works hard to stand on its own merits, saving all the crowd-pleasing Shining references until late on, by which time it feels like it's earned them - almost. It's still probably self-indulgently overlong, and the climax likewise feels a bit overcooked, but this is still a cut above the majority of Stephen King movies.
The prospect of a two-and-a-half-hour sequel to a Kubrick movie, made by someone I hadn't really heard of gave me pause, to be honest, but Doctor Sleep rapidly develops into an engrossing and satisfying dark fantasy, with mostly good performances and impressive set piece sequences. Most impressive is the way it works hard to stand on its own merits, saving all the crowd-pleasing Shining references until late on, by which time it feels like it's earned them - almost. It's still probably self-indulgently overlong, and the climax likewise feels a bit overcooked, but this is still a cut above the majority of Stephen King movies.
Jonas Carpignano recommended Faces (1968) in Movies (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Jacket (2005) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020
"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯... 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴? 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥?"
Categorical drivel, nonsense almost solely for the sake of nonsense. Emo time-traveling 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 + 𝘛𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴 that feels like a Marcy Playground music video which basically acts as a one hour forty-three minute essay on why dying kind of blows. Sort of awesome, though if there's any supposed underseen masterpiece here as I was led to believe, I haven't found it. Don't get me wrong, there are brilliant concepts here - the whole idea of the titular womblike jacket system is tantalizing, and in numerous instances this portrays a very clever way in which the people in your past manifest into your future and can either help you or haunt you depending on the choices you've once made towards them. But none of it is developed enough, this feels like one of those movies that was really promising until it got whittled away to scraps by the studios - but that wasn't the case? Idk I still liked it - I'm glad this wasn't condescending and purposefully cold like it probably would have been were it made today - but I just wanted it to be longer, man.
Categorical drivel, nonsense almost solely for the sake of nonsense. Emo time-traveling 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 + 𝘛𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴 that feels like a Marcy Playground music video which basically acts as a one hour forty-three minute essay on why dying kind of blows. Sort of awesome, though if there's any supposed underseen masterpiece here as I was led to believe, I haven't found it. Don't get me wrong, there are brilliant concepts here - the whole idea of the titular womblike jacket system is tantalizing, and in numerous instances this portrays a very clever way in which the people in your past manifest into your future and can either help you or haunt you depending on the choices you've once made towards them. But none of it is developed enough, this feels like one of those movies that was really promising until it got whittled away to scraps by the studios - but that wasn't the case? Idk I still liked it - I'm glad this wasn't condescending and purposefully cold like it probably would have been were it made today - but I just wanted it to be longer, man.
Missing You
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t’s a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Adam Project (2022) in Movies
Mar 22, 2022
I really didn't get a lot of enjoyment out of The Adam Project, but in the interest of fairness, it's not without its merits. Most importantly, I can only imagine how much of a blast kids will have watching it. It's family friendly presentation, copious amounts of Ryan Reynolds, and it's main young protagonist make it a done deal in that respect. It's helped along by some snappy action moments, some good humoured dialogue, and some genuinely touching character beats.
Personally though, the jarring editing and conflicting tones are hard to look past. The comedy and seriousness aren't well balanced at all, and the often and sudden switching of on screen proceedings feel scrappy. It's comes across messy. Zoe Saldana crops up about halfway through and feels like she's walked in from a completely different movie. The CGI is hit and miss. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's ropey, and then there's poor Catherine Keener, who is subjected to possibly the worst bout of digital de-aging I can recall.
The Adam Project isn't a completely awful experience, it's just a very cookie cutter sci-fi action that feels instantly forgettable. As mentioned though, kids will undoubtedly love it, which can only be a positive.
Personally though, the jarring editing and conflicting tones are hard to look past. The comedy and seriousness aren't well balanced at all, and the often and sudden switching of on screen proceedings feel scrappy. It's comes across messy. Zoe Saldana crops up about halfway through and feels like she's walked in from a completely different movie. The CGI is hit and miss. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's ropey, and then there's poor Catherine Keener, who is subjected to possibly the worst bout of digital de-aging I can recall.
The Adam Project isn't a completely awful experience, it's just a very cookie cutter sci-fi action that feels instantly forgettable. As mentioned though, kids will undoubtedly love it, which can only be a positive.
Andrew Furlong (14 KP) rated Star Trek (2009) in Movies
Sep 27, 2017
It is fun (2 more)
The cast gets their characters so very right, especially Karl Urban as bones
Michael Giacchino delivers a good score
I just don't like the aesthetic of the reboots. It doesn't look like Star Trek to me and the new Enterprise is honestly kind of ugly (3 more)
The plot is very contrived
Shaky cam
Not much going on thematically, mostly feels like a dumb actioner
Torn on this as a lifelong Trekkie
I can certainly understand why people enjoy this, but it just doesn't feel like Trek to me. Still it is enjoyable in its own way.
GameCritics (290 KP) rated Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure in Video Games
Nov 9, 2017
Play levels based on six different Pixar film franchises. (2 more)
Two-player split-screen support makes this a great game to play with kids.
You can play with either physical or motion controls.
The hub world serves no purpose beyond level selection. (2 more)
Voice samples often become repetitive during gameplay.
Platforming feels a bit simplistic when using a controller.
Awkward movement controls always held the original game back, but now Rush plays great with a controller – and you can still use the Kinect if that's your thing.
Critic- Paul Acevedo
Original Score: 4 out of 5
Read Review: https://www.windowscentral.com/rush-disneypixar-adventure-review
Original Score: 4 out of 5
Read Review: https://www.windowscentral.com/rush-disneypixar-adventure-review
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Dunkirk (2017) in Movies
Jul 24, 2017
Cast (4 more)
Scale
Sound Design
Narrative structure
Direction
A return to form
I personally didn't love Nolan's last two efforts, (Interstellar and The Dark Rises,) but this is a return to form. This isn't Nolan telling an overly ambitious story about interdimensional space travel or a billionaire crime fighter, this is a story that actually happened. Although it feels epic in scope, this movie takes place in one location and it benefits from it. We get to see personal dramas and intimate conflicts and we feel like we are right there alongside the men on that beach. Also the sound design is utterly incredible.