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The War of the Worlds (2019)
BBC mediocrity strikes again!
When I learned that this H G Wells classic was going to be produced as a TV series and it was going to be set, as the book was, in Edwardian England, I was thrilled. I had some misgivings, however, when it was going to be a BBC production. Once, the BBC was a world-leading outfit, their productions were polished and second-to-none. Nowadays, they've lost their way and become a rubbish outfit, you've only to watch their latest series "The Dublin Murders" to see what a load of unintelligible drivel they churn out these days.
Finally, I watched the first two episodes, which were aired on New Zealand TV (a slap in the face to UK license subscribers from the arrogant BBC!) and they were rubbish, not following the book at all and full of the BBC's usual formulae of flashbacks and flash forwards, an unnecessary distraction, which spoils the continuity of any story.
They haven't aired the third and final episode yet, but that doesn't matter, as I won't be watching it! Time to get your act together, BBC!
Condor (2018)
Hmmm!
Robert Redford's "Three Days of the Condor" was excellent; fast paced and progressed in a logical way. I started to watch this and very quickly realised that this series bears no resemblance to the 1975 film and it's projected to be a long and drawn out affair, going by the fact that there a heading on this site for Season 2. It only highlights the fact that modern entertainment, on both sides of the Atlantic, isn't about taking pride in making memorable and worthy screen productions on TV and cinema, but screwing Joe Public for as much money as it can.
Lost in Space (2018)
Mostly OK
I don't know what some of these nay-sayers who panned this series were watching, but it wasn't this one. When compared to the original 1965 series, this reboot is light-years better, but then it doesn't take much to be better than the show that had that obnoxious and campy, Jonathan Harris, in the role of Dr. Zachary Smith. I used to hope that one of the Robinsons or Major West would bump him off!
The 1998 film was diabolical, too, even with top-drawer actors like Gary Oldman and William Hurt starring. It only shows that if you have terrible scripts and bad direction, you're only going to get rubbish.
I've only watched one episode and I liked it. It has promise, if the subsequent episodes are anything like the first one. There are some negatives, like the fact that in typical American fashion, the youngsters are precocious know-it-alls, but that's par for the course these days. It certainly doesn't deserve the 1 or 2/10 ratings that some "reviewers" on here have given it.
Story of Eva (2015)
Stay away, if you value your sanity!
I settled down to watch this film with my wife, three nights ago as we both like films of this genre (Death Wish, Double Jeopardy, Sleeping With The Enemy and so on).
After fifteen minutes, we both looked at each other and she had a look of bafflement, as, I suppose, did I. It was DIRE! I've very rarely seen a film of such abysmal quality such as this and I very rarely review films on here. The abduction sequence near the beginning was unbelievably bad in its execution and the continuity was the worst that I've ever seen. The film progressed from one scene to another and left us thinking "What was that all about?" the lead actress, Nicole Rio, was wearing one outfit on one scene and she had another on when the camera moved back to her in the same scene!
On this web page's entry under "Trivia" it says of this film's writer, Tom Woodbeck, "The film originates from a dream the writer had for over 15 years." I think he never should have woken up!
So please, folks, do yourselves a favour and give this stinker a wide berth!
Escape Plan (2013)
Many flaws
During one of the later escape attempts much is made of the use of aluminium rivets in the floor plates. Nonsense! - aluminium rivets wouldn't be used in that environment, due to seawater corrosion and before anybody says they would have been anodised, not so, during the swaging process to splay the rivets, the surface coating would be compromised. Stainless steel rivets would have been used instead, no question. Also the overall design of the prison wouldn't be like in the movie; too many girders and beams around giving lots of nooks and crannies for inmates to hide. I would think that in a maximum security facility, plain walls with no obstacles would be in the design.
Ender's Game (2013)
Wtf!!!
I would give this "0" if I could. I had high hopes of this film and after I'd seen it, I thought that I'd been robbed. This film was dire, truly dreadful, it was even worse than Shyalaman's "After Earth" and that's saying something! Practically the whole film was taken up by a sullen, pouting little brat and his sulks and temper tantrums, a kind of future version of Justin Bieber. The way all the figures in authority, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley et al, just indulge the child filled me with the urge to vomit. The whole point of the film, the fight for the survival of the human race, took a back seat to this child.
What is the matter with the film industry? Are there no decent directors who can make a good film any more? Most Sci-Fi blockbusters of the last few years have been pure drivel. There have been many good stories written only to be hacked to pieces by very mediocre screen writers, whose end results bears no relation to the original stories.
Eden Lake (2008)
The wrong female lead
That Kelly Reilly is such an insipid actress, I'm surprised she gets called up for any parts. She is so unconvincing playing opposite Ciaran Hinds on that TV crime drama - a Detective Inspector - Non,no,no! But this movie shot in Nottinghamshire, the people are the friendliest you could ever meet, I'm surprised they don't take the movie-makers to court for defamation of character. The portrayal of teenage boys getting out of control is stretching things a bit far, I mean burning people alive? - come on! I used to be a member of a wild gang in the late '60's, but if an adult threatened us, we would run a mile. I actually felt angry towards Michael Fassbinder's character for being such a cry-baby; I was actually glad he was killed.
Game of Thrones (2011)
Fabulous!
What a series! And the richness and depth of its characters! This gets my vote as one of the best TV series of all time. At the same time, I've been watching that drivel called "Camelot" (no more, though) and this fantasy series is what good viewing is all about and deserves an award.
Having read the books, I know that the story has been streamlined for television and it has probably been criticised for that reason but the essence is still there. It would be a mammoth undertaking, but I can only hope the producers of the series continues with all the books ( there are four in print with one due out next month and two more forthcoming). Keep up the good work, George!
Camelot (2011)
They can't be serious!
If there was an option for 0 out of 10, then this is how I would score it.
Where do I start? Firstly, Jamie Campbell Bower ( who looks uncannily like Anneka Rice from British TV's "Treasure Hunt", complete with wispy beard!), has to be TV and cinema's worst ever King Arthur. His acting and character portrayal is so weak that that alone would ruin the show but it has to be said there are other factors here that make the series so abysmal. The plots are so simplistic and childish; some of them remind me of pantomimes where the characters are looking for the villains and the audience shout out, "He's behind you!" The dastardly Morgan Pendragon hatches scheme after scheme and always gets foiled only to fawn and scrape before Arthur and swear loyalty and live to plot anew. Episode 9 was particularly laughable; Arthur's forces creep up to Bardon Pass and occupy a tumbled down keep and then run away!
I can't see the film company that produce this series letting it run for another season, other, more worthy series have had the plug pulled on them.
Splice (2009)
Unpleasant!
I've seldom come across a movie of which I could describe as a totally unpleasant viewing experience, until I watched this. Every aspect of this movie made my skin crawl from the opening scenes to the last scenes showing the girl geneticist pregnant from the monster's rape of her. As a cat lover, I detested the scene when the monster's tail wrapped around the poor cat's neck and stung it with it's envenomed stinger. What the hell was the point of that completely unnecessary piece of violence? I thought it was going to be on the lines of "Species" - another awful film or "The Human Centipede". At least that was quite comical! This "Splice" was just sick!