Reviews

With a great cast, clearly a huge budget and a fun concept, this could have been a fun cheesy spy romp. Unfortunately, someone decided to push the silliness beyond 11 to the point that it just became bad, childishly so.

Even in a spy spoof, there's value in a bit of restraint and there is none in this. There aren't just plot holes, which are kind of expected in a spoof like this, there were gaping plot abysses that's just spoil things.

I'm glad that I watched this on a streaming service since if I'd actually paid to rent this, I'd have been furious. At the time of watching, this film had a 5.7 here. I does not deserve that. It deserves far less.

This film pleasantly surprised me. It was chilling and compelling as the story rolled out and I loved the balance of good acting by Kaitlyn Dever and well executed and restrained special effects. All of which was even more impressive since there was barely a word spoken during the whole film, yet a complex plot and a rich character still shone through.

The last scene was a bit twee for me, and I felt it could have been better executed, but I got what they wanted to say with it, so it didn't let the rest of the film down.

This film will appeal to horror and science fiction fans but it's got the legs to capture the attention of a wider audience, too.

I thought, with Ellen Barkin, Pierce Brosnan and the other stars, what could go wrong?

Everything. The characters are one dimensional and the acting hammed up terribly (especially Adam DeVine, who is cringeworthy in his performance). The story is average, a real disappointment since the concept had a lot of potential. Everything seems cheap and put together for the lowest common denominator. There are few laughs, but not anywhere near enough to keep this film afloat.

Were it not for the stars, I'd have given this a 2, but even with them, this film is to be avoided. Very disappointing, considering what could have been done with the stars appearing in this film.

Overall, it's well acted, but Birdbox: Barcelona is lacking the spark to make it interesting. There are a few highlights, but the majority is rather plodding and lacks the tension that should keep the audience engaged. The sets are well put together and Barcelona is convincingly transformed into a post-apocalyptic shadow of itself. The lack of plot elements to keep the pace results in this being more Boredbox than Birdbox, just a shadow of the gripping original.

Such a shame. I enjoyed the original Birdbox and loved the idea of seeing it played out from another angle, in a city I know so well.

I'm a sucker for Marvel films. Sometimes, one needs to be able to just sit back and enjoy films, and that's what I find myself doing with a lot of Marvel films, including the first Black Panther film. Wakanda Forever is different. It's slower paced, has much fewer action scenes, less comedy, and more of a focus on the emotions of the characters. I think that for some, these differences will turn them off, but I absolutely loved it. I was captivated from start to finish and loved the greater depth and the character evolution.

Recent Marvel films have been a bit of a mixed bag, some still really great, but several lacking the spark that made earlier films so good. If Wakanda Forever is any indication of how MCU films might evolve, then I'm hopeful.

Andor is light years ahead of the rest of the Start Wars universe. It's complex, dark, and powerful, with characters that have much more depth to them than many other series and films in the Star Wars universe and a touch of suspenseful mystery which makes it that much stronger. Well written, well acted, and well filmed, with effects that are believable yet still impressive Andor is what Star Wars should have been all along, targeted to adults and a compelling series.

It's not perfect, of course, seeming to drag its feet a little a couple of times, but it's a much, much stronger than anything else to come out before or after the Disney purchase of the franchise.

I hope that Disney makes a lot more Star Wars Content in this fashion. This could truly reawaken the franchise and make it relevant for those who fell in love with Star Wars as kids and are now looking for more as adults.

The Norwegian film industry delivers yet another top series. Furia is well acted, well paced and has a really intriguing storyline, all of which keeps the tension mounting as we learn more and more about what's going on.

Historically accurate? Totally not! However, they've taken the building blocks of the history of the period and made a truly entertaining hour and a half.

There's more drama in this than in the previous two Kingsman films along with fewer gadgets, and I think that the mix of this film ultimately makes a better film than the others in the series. There's still comedy, with some laugh out loud moments, and some well executed action scenes, but with more meat to the film thanks to the more complex storyline and the dramatic elements, they seem to come off better.

Highly recommended.

This was an entertaining hour and a half but its was missing something. There are some interesting characters, a nice enough plot line, a decent character reveal and an entertaining conclusion. Unfortunately, it felt a touch glossed over, simplified. A touch more complexity, a bit more depth would have made this something special. As it was, it's still worth a watch, but it won't wow you.

Gunpowder Milkshake is a great piece of fun. It's very stylised and definitely tongue in cheek, but it's fun and fast paced with some great actors hamming it up and obviously having fun.

If you're looking for realism, this isn't the film for you. If you're looking for an action romp with a fun storyline and some great characters, both male and female, you're going to enjoy this one!

I love the Dune books and have read and reread them countless times since my childhood. The 1984 film was such a huge disappointment that I've been waiting for a film which does the books at least some justice. Is it perfect? Of course not. Even splitting the first book across two films leaves some of the complexity of the book out, but the atmosphere is so right, as is the message. As a film, it's also top notch. It's gripping, engrossing and clever with superbly executed effects that tell the story without trying to be the story.

We watched this at home and normally, there's at least one of us who will do something on the phone at some point during a film. The three of us that watched this together were totally engrossed. The phones were completely forgotten and we all delved deep into the story of Dune.

Loved it. Can't wait for the second instalment!

Watching this, slightly hung over on a chilly October Sunday afternoon, this film is an ok bit of light diversion, something to watch whilst not too focused on anything. Any other time, this is a case of flashy effects but little else. Mark Wahlberg is Mark Wahlberg, as always. Chiwetel Ejiofor is totally wasted, though obviously having lots of fun. The rest is just hugely silly, enough plot holes that a Swiss cheese would be proud.

Don't expect a lot, don't think about any of the inconsistencies in the story and don't pay too much attention to Wahlberg's lack of acting skills and maybe you'll be sufficiently diverted. Otherwise, don't waste your time with this one.

The idea behind this series is interesting enough and it started relatively strongly. However, it never found its full potential and declined into bland drama with am the scifi being replaced by religious overtones. The acting was never that solid, but by series three, it couldn't carry the plodding plot. One to avoid.

I loved the last Wonder Woman film and as someone with fond memories of the 80s series, I had high hopes of an eighties themed Wonder Woman film with the same quality as the last one. Unfortunately, that want to be the case.

Schlocky, over sentimental and one-dimensional are the terms which spring to mind. The cast is pretty strong and I can't really criticise the acting, but I can only imagine them cringing at needing to act these roles.

I made it to the end, but certainly don't recommend others to go through the same ordeal!

This is pure binge material. The acting is, frankly, superb and the story compelling with powerful, interesting characters and a plot which draws you straight in.

Anya Taylor-Joy leads as the orphaned Beth Harmon and shows just how powerful a force she is becoming. I look forward to seeing her in many more films and series on the future!

You *will* be browsing Amazon for chess sets by the end of the second episode!

Mulan is about a young woman in a society that doesn't value women showing that she can be as good as any man. It's a simple story and a powerful one that has importance even today. This film captures it perfectly. It's powerful, beautiful, fantastical and completely compelling and Disney has honoured that original legend with this film.

What a pleasant surprise! Good acting with the superb Charlize Theron playing a strong role with some hidden depths and KiKi Layne playing the surprise element. The team at the centre of the story has a good mix of characters and allows some exploration of their backgrounds, so they're just that little bit less two dimensional than so many films.

It's still an action film, but one which is just that bit different. Less male oriented, less stereotypical and with just that little extra that could make this the start to a cool series of films. Some truly fabulous choreography of the fight scenes, too!

Well worth a watch and definitely something I hope will continue with a follow up. The ending of this film sets things up just too well to end here!

Helen Mirren and Ian McKellan carry some weight as actors and delivered well in this almost Hitchcockian thriller. A couple of really interesting plot twists make this film really worth watching and even though you'll work out something is going on, the truth of it is a real surprise.

There aren't many films coming out at the moment that are both interesting, fun, profound and surprising all at once, making this film a real pleasure.

A real rollercoaster of a ride, Watchmen is intense, clever, funny and very much in tune with today's problems, even if it's doing it from a totally insane alternate reality!

It grips from the first couple of episodes and keeps you hooked right to the end with characters that are interesting and rounded, helped along by a well-developed backstory about what leads us to this point (well told in a flashback form which meshes well with the story).

I'm waiting for season two with bated breath!

It's nice to see a film about superpowers be about "normal" people, about the choices they have to make to live their lives. A solid story, good characters, good acting and very well done special effects make this film well worth watching.

I loved the book, the dry humour, the paranormal and the clever weirdness of it all. Pretty much all of that is missing from the series.

That said, it's still a lot better than similar series which I've watched and refreshing in its approach. It's good enough that I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a second series will be on its way! I enjoyed the characters and the storyline was taught enough to remain compelling through the series. If the can keep that going through another series, it will definitely be worth watching.

It's nothing new as a concept, but it could have been fun. Unfortunately, the acting was wooden and uninspired during pretty much all of the film. In addition, there were so many moments where we thought people in that situation would have acted completely differently that it became a bit wearing.

The last third of the film was a bit of a slog and we watched it mainly just to see how it ends. The last five minutes were a little better, making it a little less painful.

If there's nothing else on and you have a source of good drinks, watch it. Not recommended sober!

I always look at IMDb before watching a film. At the time of this review, IMDb is showing a 6.5 and I have absolutely no idea how or why! Boring, formulaic, totally unfunny... A cast full of good actors and bit parts from famous people of all types, yet it's a complete waste of time.

Please don't watch this film. You'll be disappointed, you'll be bored. If you're watching this film online or on DVD, fast forward to the last 10 minutes - they're about all that's worth watching. I should have read the user reviews... All the one, two or three star reviews should have warned me that this is not worth watching, irrespective of the 6.5 shown at the top of the page!