Kingslaay

I was not sure what to expect with Poor Things but was quite impressed with it. The cinematography, unique camera angles, direction and use of colours really make this an intriguing and fun filled experience. This film shows us such a unique concept and the tale of random events that follows Bella as she realises the world around her and interacts with society is a treat to watch. Bella took everything that life threw at her and the consequences were amusing. The acting was superb. Emma Stone steals the show and fully embraces her infant and matter of fact like character. Also some strong supporting performances from William Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo & Ramy Youssef who help sell this film. This bizarre, sexually explicit and at times gory tale also gives a somewhat satisfying ending. 7.5/10.

I am surprised by the low reviews on here.

The Ice Road is not that bad a film, I have seen worse that have inflated ratings on IMDB. The plot sounds logical and piques the viewer's interest at the start with these dangerous driving expeditions on the icy roads. At first you think this is only a race against the clock to save the workers trapped in a diamond mine. But it turns out there is a more sinister motive for the truckers.

I feel the sinister motive could have been better explained and unwrapped. Tell us why and what the grand scheme is. Also a better actor and a more believable portrayal for the duplicitous character would have helped anchor this film. Parts of this film also seemed a little predictable and despite the high stakes I found myself struggling to be too interested or invested in the film.

Overall not terrible but also not great. Liam Neeson does what he can to carry this film. 6.5/10.

I was interested to watch this film. Bob Marley was a legendary singer and wonderful soul. He touched a lot of people with his music. I also learned that he had quite a tumultuous life and was a great peaceful soul who tried to create peace. He likely could have lived in style overseas but instead chose to do good for Jamaica.

This film was hard to follow for most of its run. The impersonated Jamaican accents did not land easily and made it confusing to decipher what exactly was being said. Also a very disjointed film. One moment we were during a political struggle and next we see a young Marley, the audience had to assume as there is no date or context given. This proved confusing. Also the jumping back and forth meant the film was all over the place. I personally would have preferred a deeper dive into Marley, his upbringing and how he became the legend he was. But personal opinion aside, I think a little more structure, direction and steady pacing might have conveyed a much better and more meaningful film about such a legend.

I had some hopes for Cocaine Bear, it came across as different and edgy. The first half starts off reasonably alright with some small doses of humour and the audience could laugh at the bizarre turn of events with such a story. I felt such a set up or plot had echoes of Tarantino. The second half of the film falls off the rails completely. The story turns monotonous and ridiculous. We were definitely in silly territory and a lot of it was unrealistic. Not to mention how artificial the bear and surroundings looked. The CGI was very evident and it was hard to believe it. From the bears, the cubs, to the waterfall at the end. It was hard to buy into. A bit disappointing.

Also this was sadly the last film of Ray Liotta, shame it wasn't ending on a high for him. R. I. P. Legend.

I was quite engaged by this doco. It got more bizarre and crazy as time went on. I had my suspicious and felt I called it from the start. It was a simple case, nothing too complicated and the producers do well with the subject matter and make a decent production.

If anything, this really was a case of bad policework. Very poor detective work from the start led to this series of terrible events because the true story and some common sense was always there. If some basic things were actually looked into this would have not taken years. I thought it was complicated only to find out it was the obvious suspect. Overall not a bad doco and an easy watch.

Elemental exceeded my expectations. Besides being cute and heart warming. There was an impressive amount of depth for such an animated film. A lot of themes emerge from this feature: love, pursuing your ambitions and trying different things to get the most out of life. There were definitely some meaningful moments that could move a few viewers. This is also a very creative film that broadens the viewers horizons and gives you a chuckle along the way. You have to forgive a few plot conveniences for the story to work. But overall this is a cute film that is underrated on here and surprisingly controversial. All it set out to do in my view is tell a fun, light hearted tale in the most creative manner. 7/10.

Pain Hustlers is not a bad film. It boasts a well known cast and sheds light on a very interesting and somewhat controversial industry. Not too surprised to see such hustling happening in big pharma. However it follows the same sort of Greek tragedy like many big successful films before it. Some recent films it has striking similarities to are 'The Wolf of Wall Street' or 'Wardogs'. But there are a few others. The mold and set up was also captured well in the iconic Goodfellas in 1990 and many films have followed a similar style. You have a great rise, a great fall and then the FBI circling in.

I feel a better soundtrack, further editing and more flair could have lifted this film as well. Overall a passable film.

I quite enjoyed Anyone But You. It is hilarious from start to finish. The humour is light hearted and easy to enjoy and lands well most of the time. The story or plot points may not be the strongest but the humour carries it nicely. The two leads Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell do well as do the rest of the cast who hit a few home runs.

Rom Coms are not always easy to pull off. The last few decades have seen senseless and poor plots pulled together with humour that falls flat. Anyone But You is refreshing and does not take itself too seriously. I am a little surprised by the rating on IMDB, I feel it deserves a slightly higher rating on here as it's certainly one of the better rom coms in recent times.

I was pleasantly surprised by Holiday in the Wild. This is a decent story that does not solely rely on Christmas for the entirety of its plot. That's what makes a good holiday movie, Christmas serves as a great setting and atmosphere.

The setting is fantastic by being set in Africa, which is so culturally rich and offers such a unique landscape for this film instead of the usual concrete hustle and bustle settings of other holiday films. Working with Elephants makes a great plot feature. The acting also sells this film really well, Kirstin Davis and Rob Lowe excel in their roles. Despite being reasonably predictable, this film is heartwarming and enjoyable to watch during the holiday season. It is certainly one of the better Christmas movies in recent times.

Despite boasting a strong and popular cast, Unstoppable does not have much traction. It is a mundane and flat film. Ridley Scott has made some great actioned packed films but this is not one of them. The film drags on and builds up a seemingly bland subject matter. There probably was only so much one could do with this true story and incident. I feel a small TV episode or a short spiel in a documentary might have sufficed instead of a long film. The film felt like a chore to finish and get through. Unstoppable also lacks originality and we all likely knew how it was going to end up, there were no twists and turns to keep you engaged. It was boringly watch a runaway train a lazy worker forget to secure.

I did not have high expectations going into this film. But I was somewhat surprised. Firstly the setting of the 1800's is well established and believable. You honestly feel like you are watching a true tale that took place during that era. The devotion and eternal patience for true love shown by Michael Hosea is somewhat touching.

There are a number of things you can pull from this film. One of them is how different a love story this is and quite unique. Two very different people. Also the futility and fragility of Angel who struggled to escape her life and constantly felt she was not good enough for anyone. Another theme on display is the struggle a woman faced in those times to stand on her own and how institutions have a way of handcuffing a person to a certain way of life, she felt branded by the cards she was dealt in life. The film has a nice enough outcome and ties the story well together in the end.

Klaus was an enjoyable film to watch. What makes a good Christmas film is something novel and interesting. Klaus keeps you entertained and wondering how things will work out. In the back of your mind you are trying to piece together how this feel good film will end. How creative to use a town in the wilderness as a setting and tell this fun tale. The tale also has some depth with a great meaningful message about acts of kindness. It is through this and the magic of Christmas that we see a hostile town transformed to a happy town. The film does not try too hard to weave in the traditional Christmas stories and legends into it but effortlessly makes references to it. Christmas movies can take a page out of Klaus's book on how to make a good Christmas film.

Late Night comes across as quite realistic which is one of its strengths. I could see this happening behind the scenes of a Late Night show. The world is a diverse place but the industry can still contain relics from the past and have old ways quite ingrained. Late Night explored a number of interesting themes. Kathernine Newbury made it in the business as a female talk show host yet she has a team of male writers and proceeds to treat the only female writer she hires, reluctantly, badly. Emma Thompson gives a great performance and carries this film. She proves to be so versatile and believable in every role she takes on. Overall not a bad film.

The Noel Diary starts off with some promise, the strongest part of the film is the first half. The second half feels rushed and sprinting to the finishing line after setting up the film somewhat well with the characters and backstory. One of the gaps of the film is the premise of the Noel diary itself. It felt unfinished and a missed opportunity to only have Jake Turner as the person that connects with Rachel's mother and not Rachel. Why did the mother not reach out sooner or try? Also Rachel's reasoning for not connecting with her mother was flimsy. She waited in a car outside her old house for a long time only to come this far and then not reach out to her mother.

The cast do their best with a subpar script but there's only so much they can do. This is a weak 6 from me but it was predictable. So if you like easy films that you can turn your mind off for the holidays then this film works.

Despite boasting a recognisable cast like John Cleese, Kelsey Grammer & Liz Hurley this film sadly falls flat. The plot, acting and direction is abysmal. This is a chore to get through. The only selling and strong point is Christmas itself. I am quite frustrated that films have a flimsy or close to no plot and rely on Christmas to be subject itself. The best Christmas films use the setting and evoke the spirit of Christmas well but still rely on a strong story line or plot. This is sadly absent in a lot of films that fall flat. Father Christmas Is Back is overall a pitiful mess that leaves a lot to be desired.

There could have been some potential with this film. It seems steady in the first half and then badly unravels towards the end. I was hoping for a suspenseful thriller with an interesting twist. But so much of it falls apart and does not add up. Why was Grace so easily able to get away with being the baby sitter for so long? Did the agency not check in or Mary not expect to pay for services? It was quite predictable that Grace would be a villain of sorts in the end. The way they explained it did not add up. They didn't explain her condition well enough and her erratic behaviour was never really explained, it felt like a rushed and poorly developed plot point. Also the icing on the top of this bad film is the bad acting which poorly sells this film.

Season 5 has not been the strongest season but also not the weakest. Most of the episodes are middling to decent with elements of quality scattered around. In my opinion, Mou Mou was the episode that stood out and the strongest. If they continued episodes of this quality it might have been a stronger season. I would have liked to see more historical connections and political involvement. The strength of The Crown has been its connection and influence to historical events due to its longevity and its influence over political leaders.

I feel Dominic West stole the show and gave a very good performance as Prince Charles. Elizabeth Debicki was passable as Princess Dianna, nothing too special or terrible either. Imelda Staunton was decent as The Queen. I look forward to the final two installments of The Crown.

I think this is a suspenseful and nicely written episode. But I'm unsure if this fits within the Black Mirror universe. I was surprised to see such an episode in this season. While it is intriguing, disturbing and very dark, I wondered if this fitted better in another TV series or a thriller on its own. There is nothing futuristic or technology related here. I always thought Black Mirror was showcasing the advanced levels of technology and its intersection of the human experience. Those two facets often crashed in a dark and intriguing way that was hard to pull away from. But this episode feels out of place to me.

I was very excited when this documentary came out on Netflix. Wham has been one of my favourite bands growing up and I have always been a fan of George Michael. So it was nice to get more of an insight into the other half of Wham, Andrew Ridgley and how the pair met and the early days of Wham. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the production. It felt rushed. It was good seeing the early years of George and Andrew, how they bonded and their paths to success. But I felt the doco focused a lot on the early years and rushed through the end. We only saw brief moments of some of the highlights some of us are familiar with. The doco glossed over Band Aid, Last Christmas, some of their biggest hits and could have spent more time on the dynamic of the pair. One of the sad realities of this doco is we never get to have a first hand account from George Michael. If only this doco was made years earlier, it might have been a slam dunk and changed the narrative and how it was told by the pair instead of solely relying archived footage which while useful, only captures glimpses in time.

It is always difficult to wrap up a universe and big film franchise. The books will always be a rich source of content and have so much details. But Harry Potter does a good job by capturing so much in a film. We see the ultimate showdown between Voldemort and his forces and Harry Potter and his allies. Some of the best scenes according to me was the final battle at Hogwarts where we saw magic in such a great display. The detail around Harry's scar and his connection with Voldemort was great storytelling.

The previous seven films' worth of emotion has built up to these final moments, and every one of those feelings comes rising up into the throat throughout the course of the film.

As the universe and entire film series starts to wrap up, the stakes and expectations are high. I found this first half really explored the tensions, emotions and vulnerabilities of Harry, Hermione and Ron. We've come a long way from the innocent and carefree children that started the film series. We've seen them grow up and take on a darker and more dangerous world.

The Deathly Hallows storyline is intriguing and well told. It nicely grounds the film and serves as a good set up for part 1 and part 2. We also see the power of friendship that still holds strong even when times are tough. 7/10.

I consider this a good sort of set up episode as in laying the groundwork for some fireworks that we know are on the way. Having said, there were some memorable moments in this episode. The scene about the BBC and its position in the modern world. Also the intimate and soft moments between Dianna and Dr Khan. Two people from very different worlds and backgrounds. I feel Dianna was trying to be a normal person and live a normal life where she would be cherished, ultimately that is what she craved. She saw something in the simple, hard working and ordinary Doctor who made such a difference to the lives of ordinary people.

Overall a passable episode.

If people were surprised this film was ridiculous, they clearly missed a glaring detail, it was meant to be ridiculous. The clue was in the name. A lot of people I suspect will mindlessly jump on the bandwagon that criticizes any new film made by Adam Sandler. Granted, his newer films may not be as strong as the classics that him a household name. However shouldn't we judge a movie on its merits?

The Ridiculous 6 is definitely not an Oscar contender but it never set out to be one. It delivers exactly as expected on its premise. I actually found this film quite funny and even a little witty in parts. There are a number of films that exist to solely entertain. It is simply the genre it falls in. It is nice to enjoy some mindless silly fun, we all need that.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince starts off strongly. Harry gets hold of a book that is mysterious and intriguing and it gives him a head start at the start of his film. We also see Harry, Ron and Hermione grow and develop into young adults. We see Malfoy descend deeper into darkness and grow into a complex and confused young wizard. One of the strengths of this film is the character development side of the film. It does not jam pack a lot of events into it.

The second and especially the last part of the film is disappointing. We had a huge event involving a main character and it felt somewhat rushed towards the end. I felt this character deserved a stronger set up for this scene to deliver the emotional payoff it deserved. This is possibly where the films do not do enough justice to the books and capture its depth.

One of the reasons Black Mirror became such a good show was its creativity, thought provoking situations and how unforgiving it could be at times. I feel we get none of these elements in 'Joan Is Awful'. For those who remember 'The Truman Show', a film in the 90s starring Jim Carrey, the concept of having your life as a TV show is not new. It has been done before. While I agree this builds on that concept and has variations to it such as deep fake and the power of AI, the concept is not new. We have already seen how deepfake and AI has been used on YouTube. So what makes this a special episode in the Black Mirror universe?

If anything this episode misses its opportunity to use a talented cast. The episode boasts some big names but they only do so much with an average episode. Also early on Joan learns that her phone is key to capturing her private moments, so why did she not get rid of it or try go off the radar? Also we have a underwhelming ending where everyone is fine and dandy. Black Mirror is dark and unforgiving at times, it shows some dark outcomes that are more acceptable and realistic to the audience. I feel they should not tweak their writing to pander to the masses who want happy outcomes. A Disney movie should give you that, not an episode of Black Mirror.