connollymeister Reviews (4)

Killjoys (2015–2019)

So, so OK.

[4/10 · 8 March 2019]

The best way to describe this show is "Firefly, if every aspect was done by someone less talented". First, the low budget is painfully obvious. This always feels like it's being done for pocket change, and not in a "Labour of love" way, I'm always aware of it, in a way I wasn't looking at other shows. Second, everything feels un original, anything you see here you'll have seen in another movie or TV show, but done better. I can't fault the cast, but they're not given much to work with. It's a pity, because it seems like there's the nucleus of a really interesting show here, but it was just bungled in execution.

Going Postal (2010)

Discworld does not work in live action

[4/10 · 29 March 2013]

I've just finished watching "Going Postal", yet again a live action adaptation of a Discworld book has missed the mark. 1) The whole thing looks like it's been filmed on a back lot, this is especially sad, since I'm pretty sure that they spent a lot of money on the production, but I think it looks like a school pantomime. 2) The eccentric, larger than life style of the books works in print (and I think would work in GGI) but falls completely flat in live action, unless you're willing to spend movie budget money, not TV miniseries money. For example, the city watch uniforms look comical in real life, and they ruined my suspension of disbelief. 3) The characterization of so many characters is markedly different from the book, and for no particular reason. Most egregious is Reacher Gilt, who's much more a pantomime villain, and far less the smooth talking master con man. 4) The storyline is drastically different to the book in key point, but none of the changes seem to have a practical reason, they don't add to the story or condense it for TV. 5) While major plot points are changed or omitted to the detriment of the story, incidental pieces of dialogue that add nothing to the plot are transcribed faithfully, but what reads well in print falls flat when spoken aloud. 6) Coyle, who's a perfectly capable actor, is simply much older (6-8 years) than the character of Lipwig as described in the book (~27 years old).

Arrow (2012–2020)

This is "Batman Begins - The Soap Opera"

[3/10 · 24 October 2012]

I'll be honest, as soon as I heard about this show, especially how about it would be "dark and gritty", I felt I wouldn't like it. However, two friend of mine recommended it, so I watched the first episode.

I'm giving it three out of ten because the cameraman had the camera turned on and pointed in the right direction during filming, the scenes located in a castle were actually filmed in a castle, the costume department had provided some costumes and the actors weren't actually reading from scripts during the scenes. But everything else? Waste of time I know that the biographies of Green Arrow and Batman share some similarities, but this simply lifts a good portion of the plot of batman begins, re names a few characters and places and packages it up in 42 minute installments.

No-one in the cast stands out, they've gone to the same pool of TV/ soap opera actors you've seen in half a dozen shows already. They're generic looking actors (for example, the actor playing "arrow", I can only imagine the casting call described him as "Christian Bale/ Chris O Donnell but cheaper"), which wouldn't be so bad if the script gave them any chance to shine, but it doesn't - it's just thoroughly mediocre. At one point someone says the line "I guess starling city has a new guardian angel", always be wary when a writer has a character say this, it mean they're not sure they've managed to convey that through the plot, which is sort of the point of the plot.

Speaking of the actor, Stepehn Amell, I guess he watched the dark knight trilogy, and decided that portraying a multi faceted character with layers to his personality, who's hiding a dark and sinister nature mainly involves scowling a lot. there's a reason Christian Bale is paid a lot of money to scowl in movies; he knows how to do it well. This guy? not so much.

Long story short, if you liked "Smallville" maybe you'll enjoy this. But for all it's pretension for being a dark and gritty adult drama, this is aimed squarely at angsty teens who'll buy iPhones because they see them in this show. If you want to watch an engaging character based drama about a DC comics superhero, watch Batman: The Animated Series from the nineties, because honestly, the animated characters in that seem more human

The Middle (2009–2018)

Not bad, but so, so mediocre

[6/10 · 16 May 2012]

I don't hate this show, it has a certain amount of charm, but if I were asked to sum it up in a few words as possible it would be "Take the mom from "Everybody Loves Raymond", have her married to the janitor from "Scrubs", put them in the lives of the family from "Malcolm in the Middle", but with the quality of writing of a three camera sitcom and none of the subversive humour and top it off with a voice over."

Frankie Heck is a straight re hash of Debra Mike Heck is a straight re hash of the Janitor Axl is a combination of various teen boy stereotypes Sue is a combination of various lovable geek stereotypes Brick is just Dewey (though he is my favourite character) Bob is just Craig from "Malcolm etc"

This is shown in a double bill with "Modern Family" in the UK and Ireland, and I catch the last five minutes of it because I'm switching over to watch modern family, the show this aspires to be.