welsh_dragon_roar

Short review - it's obvious there wasn't the same sort of budget for this spin-off, and it does show a little in the production value - the dragons and scenery look like they were done on the cheap, but they're still passable.

The cast is reasonable, but they seem hamstrung by a slightly poor script.. they come across a little bit like people pretending to be their favourite characters on GoT. There's none of the clever conversation that we were used to.

I was going to complain about the lack of grittiness, but then remembered this is a period when all was good in the Seven Kingdoms (initially), so it's understandable that things would actually be quite nice and not so caked in mud!

So not much more to say beyond that really - it'll be better to judge properly after all ten episodes have aired. If anyone is saying this is the best/worst thing ever, ignore them - it's impossible to know until we've had the first season, so approach with an open mind.

I love a good disaster film and this fits the bill just nicely. After a hard day at work it's good to take your shoes off, leave your brain somewhere nice and quiet and watch a fun adventure like this. The effects are absolutely brilliant - really capture some good environmental scale in particular scenes.

So if you're not in the mood for something like La Belle Noiseuse then watch this and you'll have a blast.

Netflix have really upped their game with their original titles lately, and this film is no exception. The acting is good, the story is relatively original (considering how many themes are usually recycled ad nauseum in sci-fi) and the special effects were absolutely outstanding.

The pace of the film is perfect and there's never a reason to lose interest, especially as our cast delve deeper into the mystery of what's going on and how to deal with it. The tension themes were similar to Darkest Hour & FF:SW insofar as you never quite knew where the threats were going to come from at any given time, despite the countermeasures in place. Some people have compared the story with those two titles pre-release, and after watching you can see how it could be inspired by them, but only as much as other themes in cinema inspire each other; the story itself is very original.

If you like your action with an original story and extremely well- polished, then you'll probably enjoy this.

This gets an average rating. The plot was extremely good, great acting and there was a wonderful claustrophobic feel to it. Unfortunately, as compelling as it was, the pacing was all off, and I found myself getting bored about three-quarters of the way through. It almost felt as if it could have been an hour long and much more satisfying.

As mentioned though, the acting was really good, and there was some real talent on show; I would hope that some of the names in the film go on to bigger things as the characterisations were fantastic.

It's definitely worth your while to watch it if you've already got Netflix, but beyond that I'm not really sure of its place in cinematic history.

So I just sat there for ten minutes in silence after watching this, exhausted, emotionally drained & completely stunned at what is one of the best titles I've seen this year. Forget your superhero films with billion dollar budgets and so-called 'A-list' actors; this motion picture gets you in the feels and really puts you at the heart of the action.

The Earth is under threat from a cosmic calamity, and an honest Dad is separated from his family when disaster strikes. We follow his perilous journey (along with a well-realised wise-cracking sidekick) across the now dangerous post-apocalyptic wastelands of the US of A. Combined with the danger that his innocent yet feisty teenage daughter finds herself in (a great role model for all young women, spitting in the face of the gender-defined stereotypes peddled by the Hollywood Patriarchy movie-mill) and his inspirational strong-willed wife, who herself is caught up in the shadows of a sinister government conspiracy.

I was hovering on the edge of my chair throughout the film, and literally jumped out of my skin with some of the special effects and explosions. Michael Bay take note - you don't need explosions every ten seconds, just when it's necessary. Watch this and learn.

In a nutshell, watch this film. 10/10.

quick edit - I see that some reviews are suggesting I am somehow affiliated with the production of this film. I am not. Furthermore, I rate films how I see them, and I happen to like a broad range of productions. As a member of this website for over 7 years, I am completely independent and honest about how I view and rate films.

From the very moment this film starts, you know you're in for a scientific and emotional roller-coaster ride. The characters are very well introduced and you quickly bond with them, becoming familiar with their nuances and unspoken connections with each other. This really allows you to empathise with them given the extreme terror they face.

And what terror. The attention to scientific detail is second to none. I expect this to go down as a hard sci-fi classic. I was quite literally hovering on the edge of my seat during the space sequences, and when tragedy struck, it felt as if it was a family member I was seeing there on screen.

Strongest though is the rapport between the two male leads. Never have we seen such a strong representation of two lovers in denial and using a woman as a catalyst for deflective antagonistic discourse. But towards the end when they realise they can deny each other no longer, well, let's just say that parting can be such sweet sorrow.

I cannot wait for the director's cut to come out. The film felt far too short and rushed at a mere two and three quarter hours, and hopefully we'll have it restored to its full glory at some point.