Reviews

Gentle Sunday magazine show about faith. It tries to be inclusive but it can't help itself from being Christian centered. That's OK. Doesn't shy away from difficult questions, treats everyone with grace and a smile. And it's much better with Sally Phillips (sorry Naga, you were OK too).

I've watched all the 2019 space documentaries and film celebrating the 50th anniversary of landing on the moon. I'm just old enough to remember it. Apollo Moon Shot goes into a lot of detail about NASA's earlier missions and doesn't skimp on the later; I think more interesting, ones. The Smithsonian has unique access to many of the actual relics of the missions so they do have a unique window on Apollo.

The six episodes are an easy watch and there were many interesting details that I hadn't heard before. Training and planning missions takes up the first three; I'd never seen the cats in zero G before. Episode 4 is Apollo 10 and 11 (the landing); I really got a sense of how rushed they were for time on the surface. Episode 5 relates 12 and 13 (the unlucky one). The final episode covers the scientific missions up to Apollo 17 and recalls the geological discoveries.

If you're only interested in the moon landing my favourite documentary is still, '8 Days: To the Moon and Back.'

Alex Langlands, Helen Skelton (first season) and Raksha Dave (second season) visit archaeological sites in Britain and sometimes help out. Alex and Raksha have both been in other similar TV shows like Time Team while Helen makes up for any lack of knowledge with lots of enthusiasm.

I thought the first season worked better with a presenter that knew nothing at the start so we learned about the site with her. I noticed one dig team kept showing up; DigVentures and the experts they interview are generally very good.

I really like Digging Up Britain's Past. It joins lots of other similar shows that all try to replicate Time Teams long success; and none of them quite matching it. It's good at showing what's there and describing the history. I enjoyed the snippets of banter. What it misses is the unknown at the start of a dig, the immediacy of discoveries and the peril of not finding anything.

I liked, 'Hurry up I want to see what's in there.'

It's 1970 and Miss World is being hosted in the UK where anti-apartheid and women's liberation movements are becoming active.

Most of the setting is seen through the experiences of Sally Alexander who is juggling parenting, a university place and liberation activities. It does effectively also cover racism, gives an acturate portrait of life in 70's UK, sympathises with everyone's point of view and all the while entertains. It's funny, instructive and dramatic just where it needs to be; really good show.

Gender equality has come a long way since 1649 when a group of Leveller women, 'equally created in the image of God,' first petitioned Parliament for the vote. Every generation gets it a bit closer but the 1970's were the last time the issue had to be forced.

I liked, 'my place at the table was in a high chair.'

A group of wives stuck at military barracks with their husbands at war start a choir to occupy their time.

The best part of the movie is the first half where the wives find their voice. The best moment is in a tunnel where they are all sheltering from the rain and one-by-one they start the sing. There is some good comedy, genuine tragedy and rewarding fellowship. I was engaged all the way through but felt the climax was a bit flat.

Based on the real story of three "wives' choirs" that formed in the UK around the same time in 2010. Catterick Barracks that started themselves and two others; Chivenor and Plymouth, that got going with the help of choirmaster Gareth Malone as part of a BBC TV series: The Choir. This is a good film but the real events deserved a great one.

I liked the car.

A top CIA agent gets demoted to stake-out when an operation goes wrong.

This film is a lot better than it has any right to be. I knew it was going to be lame but somehow it wasn't. The formula plot is rescued by the volume of comedy moments; some don't work but most do. The stereotyped characters mock themselves. Scenes are shamelessly copied and paradied from other movies.

This is a comedy. See it for a laugh, not the action or adventure.

I liked, 'poor bird.'

A dog it taken on a journey from household pet to working in the wilderness.

A great re-telling of a classic adventure. It made me laugh, it made me sad, and there are thrills, escapes and triumphs. I expected to be distracted by Buck being a CGI dog but I very quickly accepted him as a character. The book's harsher treatments of Buck are toned down but I still felt his struggle. The photography, scenery and cast are excellent.

Add one if you are a dog person.

I liked, 'I think they know something that you don't.'

A poor family works their way into the lives, and the pockets, of a rich one.

I enjoyed the movie and there are many good comedic moments and the families dramas are well played out. The shock ending isn't shocking because you've been warned by the cinema rating, 'strong bloody violence,' but there are still some surprises. It's typical of the better non-English films that make it into the English-speaking cinemas: quirky and original.

You'll have heard all the reviews that say, 'I won't spoil what happens but, a poor family con their way into becoming the servants of a rich family.' Well; that's all that happens. How they get there is very entertaining and there are some twists but there's not much else to the story. It's good but not a "perfect movie." Palme d'Or ok, Oscar what?

I liked, 'Do it clockwise.'

On the remote Hebridean Todday the islanders are in mourning for there is a drought of the water of life; whisky.

A gentle comedy with a little romance and a little drama. Based on a 1947 book that in turn was inspired by a real event; bottles of whisky from the SS Politician (sank 1941) are still occasionally found off Eriskay. This film is fun though not as good as the 1949 version. The story thread of the 'red case' is redundant and time would have been better spent studying the island's many characters.

I liked, 'We don't have a village idiot...'

Emma Woodhouse; a wealthy gentlewoman involves herself in match-making with supreme self-confidence but little expertise.

Great for couples and adults. The 1996 version stretches out the romantic agony a bit better but this is more humorous. Bill Nighy's subtle comic relief is great. Anya Taylor-Joy does really well as Emma and beautifully portrays her inner conflict as she realises her social shortcomings. When Emma tries out her clumsy wit at the picnic the cinema audience drew in a collective sharp breath. Watching the servants mutely obliging their masters was entertaining on its own.

The costumes and scenery is very good. The story moves at pace.

I liked, 'Was that a draft?'

Dr Dolittle has to give up his self-imposed exile to save the Queen of England.

The great cast, great performance, nice CGI and good humour rescue this movie from its rambling story and bad editing. Maybe the director didn't have time to shoot everything or maybe it just needed an extra month in post-production but something was rushed.

I left a bit disappointed that it could have been a better movie. The children really enjoyed it but did get bored in places. And one operation proves that you can take toilet humour too far; an enema would have been funnier.

An introduction to modern Wiccan religion, philosophy and practise.

The presenter's dreary, badly recorded voice over a PowerPoint presentation makes the first two series really difficult to watch. One episode cuts out mid-sentence and another is missing a PowerPoint slide. The third series has the presenter in front of a green screen semi-miming to his (slightly better recorded) words with a very distracting semi-smile.

There is some information about gods, tools, astrology and circles but I don't feel I learned anything useful or even interesting. To me, 'find out what works for you,' just means, 'work it out yourself.'

The Rede or philosophy of Wicca is "An' it harm none, do what ye wilt" (Do what you will, so long as it harms none) so +1 for that. The semi old English grammar gives away that it was written in the 20th century but the sentiment is fine. I don't mind Wicca but this production is poor.

"You probably won't be turning anybody into a toad."

Really enjoyed it. Great performance from the actors with good casting. Staging, costume and scenery excellent. Very funny.

The production is a bit unusual; I think the idea was to follow Copperfield's life as he (as the author) is writing it; with some of his edits included. Felt like it was made for the theatre and then transferred to the cinema with the scene changing instructions left in. There's even one instance where a character is moved to a different scene by a giant hand; for a moment I thought the story had broken into Gulliver's Travels. This doesn't break the story thread but it did break some of my emotional involvement with the characters.

I liked, 'I don't fit. Write me out.'

Four Friends episodes on the big screen. Though clearly far apart chronologcally they kinda tie together but only loosely.

Watched part 1 in the UK on 8th Dec. There weren't many people in the audience but we enjoyed it. There will be a different set of episodes on the 11th and 15th but I'm engaged elsewhere.

I was worried that these made-for-TV shows would look dreadful on a forty foot screen but it was fine. Sound was good too.

Apparently in the Netherlands this was promised with new content, out-takes and interviews. Nope, lost in translation, none of that; just Friends.

Olaf the snowman goes in search of Christmas traditions to cheer up Elsa and Anna.

Have no fear that this is merely a cash-in for the Frozen franchise. They got the whole cast back, the animation is just as good, the joke count is the same and the songs are good.

Twenty minute full-of-cheer story well worth the price when you see it in the bargain tub.

I liked, '..and you dress up its corpse with candles.'

Benoit Blanc, 'the last of the gentlemen detectives,' is engaged to solve the murder of a famous mystery novelist.

A "who done it" with a classic feel and a great cast playing a good collection of characters. All the elements of a traditional murder mystery are blended with some nice humour that ranges from clever to bizarre.

The blame could have been aimed at a wider range of the characters more squarely. I enjoyed the movie much more up until the reveal; there are some surprises after that but not the anticipated big twist.

I liked, 'That was the dumbest car chase.'

James Glaisher; wan'abe Victorian weatherman, arranges a balloon trip to study the atmosphere with pilot Amelia Rennes.

The film played out more-or-less as I expected with a few scrapes and heroics. I'd been told that the cinematography was really good and that description does not do it justice; it far exceeded my expectations.

I did not like the constant flashbacks that become more meaningless as the movie progresses. Why not start at the launch, rewind then let it play out chronologically?

I liked it when they dropped Posey.

America is drawn into a fog of war at sea with Japan.

Midway tries to recount the history of Midway but unless you already know it you wouldn't pick up on the morsels of details that it provides. By trying to cover all the events from 1941 it really gives itself too much to do. Perhaps it should have picked up where Pearl Harbour (2001) left off: after the Doolittle raid. The Battle of the Coral Sea is barely mentioned yet it was far more crucial to the events at Midway as it evened up the odds.

We learn a little of the information gathering, almost none of the strategy and lots about the heroics of the pilots. The audience is still left in the fog of war.

A new type of terminator comes back in time.

Very much in the style of T2. Dark Fate brings the old crew back together. All it is missing is a dream sequence with Michael Biehn but otherwise all the boxes are checked. This is a good thing; instead of slapping the terminator badge on some other movie to give it a bit of a shine they dump the whole trolley in. Who doesn't want a bit more T2?

I liked, 'They'll be back,'

Driven from their homeland the Adams family find the perfect retreat in an abandoned, haunted asylum.

As soon as the ball drops in front of the lion you know you're going to enjoy this. I chuckled all the way through. The animation is pretty good and the voicing is really good. The Adam's take on normal family dynamics was well done.

The story is OK. Many of the gags are outside the story arc and some are very contrived. It's as if they did the story and realised there wasn't enough humour in it so then cut and pasted the jokes in. But; it's funny so I forgive it this.

I liked, 'I thought everybody had a crossbow.'

The farmyard gets a close encounter of the third kind.

I was going to say 'herd kind' but that would have been a terrible pun and not very accurate. This film is worth much more than that.

Without any dialogue as such, just like the first Shaun the Sheep movie, this film tells a perfectly understandable story with wit and skill. It really is beautifully crafted. The gag count is high from beginning to end and everyone from your three-year-old nephew to your deaf granddad will be thoroughly entertained. Even the end titles are worth watching through.

The humour is mostly physical slap-stick. Smart sheep, hapless humans, perilous pizza.

I like the pizza.

Maleficent gets invited to her step-daughter's prospective in-laws.

I was hoping for another re-writing of a classic fairy tale; maybe Babes in the Wood or Red Riding Hood would have served. The first movie was unexpectedly good: a retelling of the Snow White story from the 'wicked witch's' point of view. This movie is what I expected the first one to be; OK but a bit lame.

There are lots of character threads here but none are explored. It's looks like the writers just chucked all the regular fantasy tropes together and hoped for the best. The a happy ending feels very forced and rather fake; just like Maleficent's smile when she has to meet the in-laws.

An agent wants to retire but the agency has other ideas.

Standard formula action movie with all the tropes; good agent, corrupt agency, old army friends, international locations, insane boss, explosive fights, chases, escapes... There's enough of a spin on the plot, good make-up and Will Smith humour to raise it above the crowd; but only just. The villain is too grey and the resolution too predictable.

Subtract one if you aren't a big fan of action movies. Add one if you are a big Will Smith fan.

A Yeti escapes from a laboratory and hides on an apartment roof where a young girl discovers him.

It's a good adventure with some twists and enough humour for both children and adults. It's a story of friendship, questing and redemption. The violin playing is great, hopefully that will inspire a few children to take up music. Stay behind during the credits, there are some stills that tell a few jokes and complete the story.

I didn't get the studio association with 'How to Train Your Dragon' until afterwards but now I look at him the face of the Yeti is almost identical to that of Hiccup's pet dragon.

I liked, 'You darted Dave dude.'

A documentary following the events, people and history of 'The Big Meeting' in Durham. Organised by the miner's trade union; it's a festival, carnival, parade, fete and general celebration of all things working class.

In my cinema viewing there was one other guy in the audience. We didn't speak.

When a film starts with a ten second shot of some weedy grass following by another long shot of some cobble stones you know you're going to have to be patient. It would have been better to start with the proper working-class art that is does cover later on. There are some interesting articles, well meshed historic film scenes and good interviews. It's also heavily over laid with Labour politics. I found myself day dreaming a lot.

If you're attending the Labour conference in Brighton this week you need to get your excuse ready as to why you missed this. 'My dog ate my cinema ticket,' might receive sympathetic nods. I wish mine had.

I've never been to the big meeting but it looks a lot of fun.