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David McK (3425 KP) rated Sharpe's Rifles in TV

Jul 11, 2021  
Sharpe's Rifles
Sharpe's Rifles
1993 | Action
7
8.0 (3 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Sean Bean as Sharpe (0 more)
Lack of Budget sometimes shows (0 more)
The first of the Sharpe adaptations from the early-to mid '90s, based on what was then the earlies set novel in Bernard Cornwell's long-running series set during the Napoleonic Wars.

I say what-was-then, because - since the culmination of the various TV movies, and even right up to date (the most recent to be released in a few months time, in late 2021), Cornwell has released plenty more such novels, quite a few of which are set even before the start of the Napoleonic Wars, never mind those set 'in-between' the core set of novels; said set of which provided the basis for the TV adaptations.

And that is what these are: an adaptation, rather than a straight re-telling. Sharpe, for instance, is supposed to be a dark haired Londoner rather than fair-haired Cockney (although Sean Bean's portrayal would win over Cornwell, who would later 'retrofit' his character to be closer to Sean Bean). That is probably for the better: literature and film, after all, are two distinct mediums: what works in one may not work in another.

To this day, though, I would still love to see a proper big-screen adaptation, with the budget to match, of one of these stories ...
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated Stargate Atlantis in TV

Dec 5, 2017 (Updated Dec 5, 2017)  
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
2004 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
8
7.4 (55 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
A very worthy spinoff
For most film and tv shows, spinoffs tend to be a very poill Stargate Atlantis, which is a very entertaining and fantastic show in its own right.

Like SG-1, it’s packed full of sci-fi and action, as well as humour. They’ve tried to follow the same formula as SG-1, and it really works. The majority of the main characters are just as likeable as their SG-1 counterparts, McKay being my personal favourite. However some of the other characters I feel are a little weak, like Teyla who is a poor match to Carter or even Teal’c.Weir as well doesnt live up to O’Neill or Hammond.


The wraith are a terrifying new enemy, although I think some of the physical makeup and effects perhaps let them down. Especially watching it recently, it does look a little bit naff.
  
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Nickg24 (492 KP) rated Chernobyl in TV

Jun 4, 2019  
Chernobyl
Chernobyl
2019 | Action, Drama, History
Incredible Acting Photography (0 more)
A masterpiece of a TV show
I didn't really know much about the whole Chernobyl incident (I was 6 years old when it happened) except what I read but this show was a real eye opener.

Its a heartbreaking story on how the disaster affected the lives of the residents and those further afield and shows how the highest authorities in the russian government tried to cover everything up.A few upsetting scenes in depicting the illnesses that occurred after the incident but for me the most heartbreaking part was showing the emotional difficulty one man had in being given the job of going round and having to shoot all the dogs and cats that were left behind and then watch them being buried in the ground and covered in concrete.

A real triumph of a show that everyone really should watch.
  
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House
2018 | Horror
Plot is twisting and turning and provides for a consistent and ever guessing tale of tragedy and despair (0 more)
Cast can be wooden at times and on occassion the story lines do not intertwine as consistently as in the book. (0 more)
Amazing Whirlwind Ride From Start to End
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is one of the most honestly thrill seeking adaptations I have seen for a long time. I am a big lover of original novel based stories and when these stories are made into on screen adaptations, it is easy for things to go terribly wrong and the story to become lost within flashy CGI ect. This is one of the best TV shows I have watched for a long time, to be honest I binged watch it within 3 days. The crew and cast of 'The Haunting of Hill House' created a modern day masterpiece whilst staying true to the original paper back.
  
The Girl With All the Gifts (2017)
The Girl With All the Gifts (2017)
2017 | Drama
In this modern age the market is saturated with zombie films and TV shows. With all of this choice a good one needs something different to stand out from the pack.
The Girl with all the gifts is one such film that stands out even with a limited budget. However, all the leads give solid performances and the story refreshingly doesn't rely on the same old tired zombie tropes that bog down other genre fare.
There is some prime story telling and the acting of young Sennia Nanua is by far the best thing, going from sweet young child to blood crazied killer in a heartbeat.
The film also looks superb wether it's tight claustrophobic interiors or zombie infested streets the cinematography is a joy.
This may be as good or better then fellow Brit zombie flick 28 days later even if it does lend from Danny Boyle's film in places.
  
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Dean (6926 KP) rated The Outsider in TV

Mar 9, 2020  
The Outsider
The Outsider
2020 | Drama, Thriller
Typical Stephen King (1 more)
Great look to the show
Gripping Storyline
I decided to give this a go as it's based on a Stephen King novel. From the first episode you will be hooked. A truly terrible murder has been committed and the suspect is seen by many witnesses. It seems an open and shut case apart from the fact the suspect is also seen 60 miles away at the time.
I really enjoyed this, one of the best TV shows I've seen in a while. In many ways the look, feel and the way it unravels reminded me of @True Detective as the police and investigators try to make reason of a complex case. But it could be something they couldn't possibly have imagined.
If you like a typical Stephen King story that you know will be weird and wonderful start watching this!