simon_sanos Reviews (15)

Sex Education: Episode 8 (2023) Season 4, Episode 8

Both closure and hope

[9/10 · 29 November 2023]

I thought this last season was really important.

I'd argue it should be compulsory viewing for young folk sucking to find their way in an increasingly complex world. It should also be compulsory for older folk, like me, who grew up in a close minded, binary world and might struggle to understand the new one.

Either way, I thought this was a great last episode. The story arcs of almost all the characters were resolved very satisfactorily and often in clever ways.

There were gentle twists ("I live being inside you"), logical outcomes and hopeful messages.

What I don't agree with is the number of viewers who think Otis and Maeve are done. That's not what I saw at all. Did they not see Maeve with Otis's polo shirt? Did they not hear It's acknowledge that Maeve needs to develop. Was the scene of them both staying out at their shared sky thinking of each other missing in the version aired? I thought their path was hopeful. They are apart for now, but that's not an end. They aren't so far away, either can return to the other when their lives have developed. I have personal experience of having to live away from the person I fell in love with and returning. Twice. Otis and Maeve have every chance of making it, or learning that they can live without each other and moving on. I like to think they grow closer through their absence.

IMHO, it was a great end to the story, with well and acted superbly but a remarkable cast. I laughed, I cried and I learned.

Passenger 57 (1992)

Hmmm... Low rent action movie with few redeeming features

[4/10 · 22 August 2023]

It's not very good.

Snipes is a wooden and lacking in charisma as usual, the plot (there's a plot?) is kindergarten level and the characters are disposable, forgettable or irrelevant.

This film bears all the hallmarks of bad 1980s Hollywood, down to the music, the directing, the poorly choreographed fights and the painful stereotypes. It's full of tropes, done badly. As an exercise in predictable narrative and artless cliche, I suppose it has merit.

Needless to say, after this damning assessment, I cared little for it. The only redeeming elements I could discern were Bruce Payne's performance which was almost Cumberbatchian, thus meriting the film a 4 rather than a 2 and ... Nope, that's all I have.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Subspace Rhapsody (2023) Season 2, Episode 9

Wonderful!

[10/10 · 14 August 2023]

I absolutely loved this.

The first hint was the acapella theme song, at which point I knew something was up, but not how committed they would be to it.

The story wasn't as forced as one might fear, and at least the equal of most musicals.

The surprises were how good the music is and the fact that all the numbers are performed by the cast, and some outstandingly so.

I've spent today listening to the soundtrack and it gets better with more exposure.

Not every actor is as strong a singer (though lots are terrific), but they were all having a blast and it showed. The set pieces were well choreographed, the directing was spot on for a musical.

It wasn't just fun. It provided some serious character development on multiple fronts. I'll leave that hanging lest spoilers creep in.

Suspend your scepticism, allow yourself to be carried in the moments and experienceone of the most fun Star trek episodes ever.

An absolute blast.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

Outstanding!

[10/10 · 13 April 2023]

I absolutely love Strange New Worlds.

Anson Mount impressed in Discovery, before that series went into a dive for irrelevance.

With the rest of an engaging crew with equally accomplished actors around him, sharp writing and exciting standalone episodes (yet with underlying arcs), this is some of the most sophisticated Trek ever presented.

It's as good as DS9 at its best.

The episodes have pace, pathos, peril plus humour and philosophy n solid balance. It's not only great fun and visually gorgeous, it's also very often that rarest of things on screen; good science fiction.

Obviously it has its ups and down, but every episode has left me wanting more and the best of them resonates for days after the experience.

Did I mention that I absolutely love it?

For my money, scrub Discovery, with its worthy but unsatisfying and overplayed appeals to diversity. Push the budget and better actors/characters (no Michael, you aren't on the list) into this. Or the rumoured Section 31 spin off.

See How They Run (2022)

Humour, in-regetences and twists aplenty

[9/10 · 15 October 2022]

I really enjoyed this film. It's my wife who is the big Agatha Christie fan, I'm just the willing patsy!

The film is nicely shot in 1950s period London, work plenty of fun cameo roles.

It had plenty of humour, both direct and subtle. The characters had all the quirks and clichés one would expect of a Christie story. The plot twisted in the right places and resolved in a satisfyingly predictable way, while also referencing the ridiculous Hollywood take on the story.

Ultimately, it's the recursive references that make it so entertaining, along with solid acting and exactly the right amount of kitsch.

Foundation (2021– )

It's good, but it's not Foundation

[7/10 · 28 April 2022]

I ultimately enjoyed the series. It's visually stunning and has talent aplenty. There is much to commend it in the story devices; the clone dynasty and relationship between the 'brothers' is clever, the exploration of actual characters, the palace intrigue and more.

My problem is that it fails to understand the potency of psychohistory. By focusing on narrative impact of individual characters it undermines the statistical predictions of psychohistory that are core to the Asimov vision.

Foundation, the novel, has a great deal to embarrass a 21st century reader. It's very much a product of its era. However the underlying concept is clever and visionary.

Foundation, the series, is a fine yarn and nicely done, but it is a fun story rather than a visionary modern interpretation of a visionary and important work.

Watch it, enjoy it, but don't expect it to be Asimov's story. Appreciate the new questions it raises, but seek elsewhere for insights into the questions Asimov asked.

Stargirl (2020–2022)

Really develops if you give it a chance

[8/10 · 2 September 2021]

I anticipated that this would be to much of a teen-flick for my tastes. I was wrong. The young actors more than good their own, the directing manages to walk the fine line, mostly avoiding stepping over it into schmaltz.

The story is strong, with enough twists to keep it engaging to the end.

The antagonists are variously darkly evil, likeable and righteous, which is unexpected and sets up a strong moral dilemma.

Luke Wilson is perfectly cast and the developing relationship between his character and Courtney/Stargirl plays out predictably but with reassuring chemistry.

The final episode is great; classic action elements, turn arounds, emotion and post-conclusion reveals.

It's not going to stretch your mind, but the season remained highly entertaining and we'll worth a watch.

The Dig (2021)

A beautiful, gentle nuanced film

[9/10 · 5 February 2021]

With a cast as good as this, it had a very good chance of being a wonderful film. It did not disappoint. It is a constant delight, with subtle performances, gentle reveals and perfect characterisation. One of the most rewarding films on Netflix in a long time.

Grease (1978)

Some nice tunes

[3/10 · 30 September 2020]

The music had been part of our culture for forty years and some if it is good. As for the rest of the film, oh dear...

My wife saw it when it first came out. My daughter has watched it, by choice, many times. I was required to watch it as a family evening. It was rubbish.

The acting is lacklustre. The plot is paper thin, land continuity or purpose. The themes are banal, dipping into either irrelevance or being morally unacceptable. The characters are unlovable, two dimensional, unbelievable. Worse, they are not developed over the course of the film. Many of them are jerks. Few are sympathetic. Most of the set pieces are irrelevant to the plot. There appears to be no effort to get the actors to try to sing in time with the recorded musical pieces.

It's some of the worst writing I've encountered.

There are some good bits. The school principal and school secretary are nuanced, funny and well acted. Some of the dances are good.

If it were released today, it would be panned more than Cats, and rightly so. I totally get that it comes laden with nostalgia and I'm glad other still enjoy it, but frankly and objectively, it's a terrible film. Fine as a guilty pleasure, but far, far short of the great reviews.

The Boys (2019– )

Dark hero stuff at its best

[9/10 · 2 November 2019]

A few people mentioned The Boys, but none were effusive about it. So my expectations were that it would be ok, but not great. I'm glad to say my expectations were wrong.

It's at the other end of the scale from the excellent Marvel films, which unflinchingly portray heroic superheroes; much closer to the Marvel series like Jessica Jones, that delve into the psyche of the heroes themselves. Unlike Marvel's heroes, those in The Boys aren't just flawed, they are convincingly broken.

The subtext, the shocking brutality, the corporate manipulation, the impotence or obliviousness of ordinary people and the terrifying prospect of such power in the hands of charismatic, amoral celebrity makes for an outstanding alternative to the superhero mythos; one that is almost believable (bad physics notwithstanding). Add some excellent acting, especially from Homelander, and this is a series you should watch.

Wild Bill (2019)

It's a crackingly good start to a show with real potential

[8/10 · 26 June 2019]

As others, I started watching because I was intrigued by how Rob Lowe would shape up. The first episode was intriguing, a surprisingly well balanced blend of dark drama, cleverly plot and character interplay. The Lincolnshire backdrop is really unusual and adds context and flavour. The second episode was even better. The plot kept me guessing; the writing avoided the obvious clichés, the acting remained solid.

I have high hopes for the series remaining as entertaining and engaging.

Not yet a tour de force, but it's in the zone

Travelers: Protocol Omega (2018) Season 3, Episode 10

Cracking Finale, even if they crammed everything in

[9/10 · 28 February 2019]

The entire show had been entertaining and season three was really powerful, especially the way they toyed with our emotions by messing with our favourite characters.

The final episode felt a bit rushed; I definitely had the impression that they wanted a full 12 episode play-out but only got 10. That notwithstanding, it was powerful, clever and did reach a proper conclusion (so much so that I wonder if they do plan a session 4). If only all series were as well done.

Bright (I) (2017)

After months of putting off watching, I'm glad I finally made the time

[8/10 · 21 October 2018]

Surprisingly clever, this film riffs on so many cop movies and fantasy tropes, but brings something entirely new.

The racial metaphor is a bit obvious (and I'm frankly rather bored of the whole black repression thing. But then I'm English and we dealt with that centuries ago, more or less; if I was a black American I'd undoubtedly feel differently). But the fact that the main protagonist is black and it's the orcs who get the rush deal is a cute departure and helps us think about these issues a little more objectively; that's a powerful application of sci-fi.

More impressive is the alternative history, with elves, orcs and even fairies coexisting in well thought out modern world. This is subtly done and leaves so much more to explore.

The film itself is solid. Plenty of action, decent enough dialogue, solid acting and some nifty fight scenes and even a spot of magic.

There are missed opportunities, Ms Rapace has yet to impress me and the young elven character is largely under developed.

Overall, a solid 8/10 for a great concept with room to explore in a series.

Lucky Man (2016–2018)

Classic British drama with a twist

[8/10 · 28 January 2016]

It's early days, but the pilot episode shows real promise. Played out as a proper British cop show/gangland drama, with characteristic British tropes, the excellent London setting and some fine actors, but with Stan Lee influence. What's not to love as a concept!

There is a danger that it may over play the clichés and tropes - court room, marriage drama, mysterious strangers, corrupt cops, hard arse bosses and instantly dislikable colleagues all make an appearance (not spoilers!). That's fine as long as the writers continue to keep them balanced.

But if they can maintain this balance and keep it dark and true then it bodes well.

Jekyll and Hyde: The Harbinger (2015) Season 1, Episode 1

Intrigue, action and the supernatural promise much to come

[9/10 · 26 October 2015]

An exciting beginning. Beautifully detailed period setting which captures the grime of London, with the beginnings of a plot that subverts and extends the Jekyll and Hyde contemporary myth/metaphor.

As a first episode it focuses on character development and exposition, setting the events that have led from the classic Gothic tale to this later time; like all good first episodes it achieves this without clumsiness or prosaic narrative. A few carefully placed flashbacks bring us quickly into the story.

It's delightful to see Richard E Grant in a role well suited to his acting style. Other strong performances from a highly credible cast.

With its blend of action, whimsy, mystery, the supernatural and intrigue, and with the highly dependable Charlie Higson wielding the pen, backed by some first rate actors, things are looking good for Sunday evening viewing for the next ten weeks.