Reviews

I had looked forward to this as I generally like Matthew Vaughn movies and the cast was exemplary; anything Samuel L. Jackson works on is worth my time, but oh god this was too much. WAY too much.

It started well and I appreciated the dad jokes (the whirly bird didn't get the worm). I HATED Henry Cavill's hair, but he played his part well. Sam Rockwell is generally reliable and I was happy to see Catherine O'Hara, despite hearing feint twangs of Moira Rose (Schitt's Creek).

I enjoyed the early Bond spoof car chases, and John Cena was a delight, so what's not to love, right? But 90 minutes in I was literally falling into a disengaged sugar coma. By 90 minutes in it had gotten farcically over-written and contrived to the point where I no longer cared - and I still had 44 minutes to endure, but I just couldn't subject myself any longer and so I went to bed. Whether I resume watching remains to be seen but I doubt it. It's too much of a hot mess to care about the ending, and god forbid they make a franchise out of it... *shudder*

This is fine for 15 year-old boys but thinking adults will probably get bored because it's not nearly as clever as it thinks it is, wants to be, or promised to be in the opening scenes. Quite how it scored the epic cast just boggles my mind, but if you have 2.5 hours of your life to waste, you can't say you haven't been warned. Drink a lot of coffee to either keep you awake or going to the loo so you don't have to watch it all.

Good luck!

Oh dear God I could only get through 1.5 episodes of this tripe, otherwise I'd have torn my skin off.

It started okay, but slid precipitously quickly into a pile of hot fondue gloop the moment Hugh Laurie showed up and we were expected to believe Tom Hiddleston was James Bond-in-waiting, just because they put him in jeans and on a motorbike. Nah.

The 1.5 episodes I endured were riddled with plot holes, case in point: Olivia Colman has been chasing Hugh Laurie for ten years because he's so damned careful in his communications, but speaks freely in a hotel room with a random hotel employee (Hiddleston) pouring champagne within earshot. Hmmm. International criminal mastermind he ain't.

And there's no way in Hell Hiddleston is Bond material he's wooden AF, at least in this - no range at all and the (admittedly handsome) boyish grin + downward glance combo got tired really quickly. I half expected a boy band to pop up and start singing, whilst seated in a line on bar stools, in the foreground.

Even the incomparable Olivia Colman didn't have room to express her usual greatness in this clodhopping clunker, and whoever told Hugh Laurie he can act - outside of House - needs their heads examined. What accent was that exactly Hugh? He'll need some pineapple for all the ham in his scenes.

It's up to you of course, but life's too short. My advice is avoid and defluff your navel instead.

Good lord where to start?

1. I love Denzel Washington 2. I dislike Rami Malik 3. I loved Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club.

That being said, what the hell was Denzel thinking accepting this?! It's dreadful. Rami Malik, atrocious in almost all most things, never got out of first gear, whilst Denzel and Jared just phoned this in for the pay check, apparently.

I highly recommend you skip this Netflix padding and spare yourself two hours - TWO HOURS! - of you life that you'll never get back. Nothing happens. Nothing you care about by the end of it.

And the plot holes! Riddled. One case in point... blonde girl at the start of the movie, filmed in 1990 so we're told doesn't age a day in 30+ years, but turns up at the police station when our suspected murderer is detained and wandering about. What are the odds? Last we see of her is still waiting at the police station wanting to speak to someone, with zero resolution to this thread. Pointless time filler but a pay check for the actress.

Netflix is green lighting any old guff these days but it breaks my heart that Denzel is enabling it.

Avoid this tripe and watch The West Wing if you value quality of writing, acting and production. You can thank k me later:

I accept that I'm likely only one of a handful of humans on this Earth who just could not see what all the fuss was about.

Don't get me wrong, it was entertaining in parts (chewy earlobes etc), but for me, this was not the iconic masterpiece others have believed it to be.

To begin with, there are no likeable characters and none of the main protagonists (the three younger siblings) speak in complete sentences, they hedge and haw without making a point, ultimately to allow them plausible deniability. Whilst I understand this is exactly the point the writers were trying to make - eg: these traumatised adult children of a tyrant were afraid of making a mistake or putting a foot wrong - it was exhausting and infuriating for four whole series; they just didn't grow.

I also tired with how the entire Entourage (including pointless Cousin Greg, Carl and Geri etc) had to travel the world together, including family events.

The Murdoch and Musk portrayals were interesting and entertaining and the final outcome was well done too, given the story arch of that particular "winning" character, but the overall tacit message it sends is grim.

I will miss Brian Cox, who truly was iconic as Logan Roy, but the rest of them will not be sought after (by me) in other projects because they were so one dimensional - except for Kieran Culkin in the penultimate episode, who finally demonstrated some impressive acting chops. I'd be curious to see what he could do in something else, but Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook had only two facial expressions each throughout.

Succession was okay but certainly not great. Succession is hugely overrated, in my opinion.

This is dreadful, just deadful. I hope I am sparing you finite time in your life from watching this.

I grew up in the 1970's and John Schneider was a hero of mine in The Dukes of Hazard, and he was decent enough in Smallville. A pleasant looking man, and so I watch what he's in, or at least I used to. WTF is this?!

Is it me or has John pivoted a hard right politically? It's certainly too strong for my tastes and a shame because he's done himself a huge disservice by agreeing to this. The plot, the acting and quality of production are so laughably poor. John Schneider, what has become of you?

Gutted but letting go of your memory now.

A natural comedian and beautifully observed comedy.

I have followed Leanne Morgan on Facebook and Instagram for years and have loved her delivery and belly laughs so much, I even emailed Reid Hastings of Netflix a couple of years ago, begging for a special like this. I'm "tickled" (a Morgan-ism) that Leanne had finally found the larger audience she deserves.

Her comedy is so self-effacing, natural and good humoured (no snark or divisiveness), which straddles every demographic with love and kisses on the mouth (another Morgan-ism).

This special is a true testament to the power of dedicated hard work over decades, and the rewards it can do richly bestow on those who truly deserve it. An excellent and hilarious comedy special by Leanne Morgan. God bless.

Generally speaking, I love Ted Lasso but this third series, so far at least, seems to be lacking it's normal oomph and charm;. It feels like it's painting by numbers and that the soul has gone.

This particular episode there is a lot of wasted time, the pacing is too slow, and the overall feel is sickly twee - like it's going through the motions - and it is definitely not funny.

I sincerely hope it snaps out of its own self-satisfaction, and for what it's worth, I am hopeful as series two was able to recover from the abysmal Christmas and Coach Beard filler episodes.

The faint whiff of Jamie's evolution in this episode though is delectable, and I'm looking forward to seeing where that may go.

Brilliant film, even 40+ years later; it's still able to frighten the bejesus out of me. I can't wait until my kids are old enough to never take a bath again!

I could only bear 3 episodes because it is just so boringly formulaic, without a single sympathetic character. Everyone is a meme!

It tries desperately hard to be gritty, properly PC and engaging but it isn't. I have now come to believe that all Harlen Cobden pieces are merely recycled cut and paste dilutions of their previous incarnations. If you've seen The Stranger you've seen Stay Close, and anything else he's written.

Why Cush Jumbo left The Good Fight (in which she was excellent) for this guff is anyone's guess, but she deserves better than driving + answering phone + looking concerned + rinse and repeat.

A swing and a miss. Netflix must be hard up for content to pay for the production of this hot mess. Aim higher. Expect more.

Having slogged my way through every episode, specifically looking to find what all the fuss is about, I couldn't find what all the fuss is about.

It's okay. It's not terrible (for the most part), but "it ain't all that"... and I am beginning to wonder if Dominic West can play any other character besides reckless maverick.

Watch if you must, but don't say you haven't been warned, it's meh TV for when there's nothing better to do.

An interesting premise to begin with but now very tired and too contrived.

I am stunned with how utterly abysmal this film was.

With an immense cast and a dialogue heavy premise, I was all in with my high expectations of excellence, but urgh.

Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino were solid, as they so often are, but the others were infuriating and hammy. I have no earthly idea how this has become a must-watch classic, but I can't recommend it to you in good conscience.

By all means give it 20 minutes, but if it doesn't have you by then, it's not going to ever. Good luck.

Hugh Grant was a revelation in this. Having doubted his ability to be anything other than Four Weddings Bumbling Hugh - even in The Undoing - he's proved me wrong. And now I want more!

I do enjoy Guy Ritchie movies. I always stare them with my nose slightly upturned but equally always enjoy them by the end. There is a formula, we know this, but they are fast becoming one of my guilty pleasures.

This movie is beautifully crafted and now I must watch everything Michelle Dockery has ever been in.

A romping good yarn - but the 'C' word is used too often and like it's big and clever (it's not), hence only 9/10.

Everything was absolutely flawless and this movie remains my favourite comedy to date.

I found the book a dull slog and hoped the film would be more inspiring. Regrettably however the film was a heavily diluted version of the book (in my personal opinion), with vast swathes of Strayed's experience left out. This rendered the film hollowed out and meaningless.

What Strayed accomplished on the PCT was courageous on many levels, and she writes about it dryly. The film though is an entire swing and a miss, and does Strayed's impressive personal growth a huge disservice.

Disappointing finish. The first half is intriguing, but it then plummets into enormous plot holes which snap credulity. The ending is simply preposterous; the authenticity of which was compromised to accommodate Series 2.

The level of 'girl power' in 1947-1950 was nothing less than quixotic pandering to current trends, and as such was inauthentic. Sharon Stone was a delight, Sophie Okonedo masterful as always, and the whole production was visually delicious.

This is a criminal waste of Michael Sheen's time and attention; it's overacting a-go-go all round, except for the reliably wonderful Mr Sheen.

Packed full of cliches and plot holes. Only marginally better than watching static.

Tim Allen playing Tim Allen, again and he's boring. This is a pitiful Home Improvement reboot attempt, and an entirely laughter free zone.

Flawless.

I became a little disconcerted throughout due to a minor change in the format, but OMG! Not only did it keep the series fresh, it was so entirely necessary.

I have loved every single second of Series 3. It just keeps getting better and better!

I feel like I have feasted on the greatest meal imaginable. Not a single hair or foot out of place.

I was worried after Series 2 that without Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve was going to slide - and it did for the remainder of Series 2. But oh, how it has bounced back with a vengeance with Suzanne Heathcote.

Vibrant, understated brilliance, script, acting, set designs, plot advancement... just everything is perfect.

Delicious!

I could write you paragraphs, but I'll let you discover this show for yourself. There's not a weakness anywhere.