Reviews

Excellent thriller production, action and acting but this is an airport novel played straight so some disturbing messages. Feel free to cheer our "hero" on his Kill Bill revenge spree, but please count the bodies and think about the message.

I enjoyed this odd little take on the werewolf genre. The humour and styling reminded me of Fargo - a very dry wit that comes from quirky realistic characters bouncing off each other and a film genre that doesn't quite fit. Clever editing and acting but this won't be for a lot of people, especially if they like movies with likeable protagonists.

Star Trek (Picard) nerd friends - Jerri Ryan and Michelle Hurd (7of9 & Raffi) need their own SciFi buddy cop series. Season 2 Picard is a sweet trip down memory lane.

This is patchy but intriguing. It has some of the most horrific Zombie moments without having to go full Walking Dead gore fest. For the me most interesting aspects were the traditional Korean cultural values (especially family) juxtaposed to what we see in western versions of this genre. My hero was the commander - his medical protocol Vs family (in the age of COVID) was a better take than shows like Contagion.

The book has an insanely complicated meta-structure. This TV adaptation shares a lot of the same problems as the botched "Cloud Atlas" page to screen transmutation. You need writers and editors to be smart enough to understand the source material before they play cut and paste. It's painfully obviously from posts by viewers confused about the plot, that the folks that brought this to screen had no idea what the book was actually about.

Polystyrene (PS) is a polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum.

This show helped caused global warming on a 70's Dr Who budget. That's a record we don't need to break again.

Joss Whedon -you gave birth to a vengeance demon with THAT one musical ep. Now They all need one and Rivervale thinks that's the secret sauce. Plot? What plot? Let's filter our comics through Arrow /Glee and take our shirts off. The only reason you can tell your friends you watched this, is to show off your pop kulture knowledge when you discuss the scene in a smart TV series where the Indian women sit on a couch watching Riverdale and discuss what it says about American values.

Don't spoil this - I went into it blind and enjoyed watching a few episodes before I knew what genre I was in. Once I was in, the theology VS horror script was interestingly intellectual but more than a bit emotionally patchy. Zach Gilford totally shines in his usual understated way. His "what happens after you die" speech was glorious. Great writing there and a pitch perfect delivery. I'm looking forward to seeing him get a role that is worthy of his obvious talent. Alas the series mix overall is uneven, but still worth a watch - just don't spoil it by mentioning the V word (because obviously none of the characters have ever heard it).

I jumped the gun and rated this lower for early episodes, but it builds as the series progresses. Having lived through these times and watched these 80's stories when they happened, this brings back so many bitter sweet memories. I'm glad the production team didn't exaggerate the 80's vibe as many other shows do - They nail it. The acting seems shallow at first (like the TV industry), but builds into something complex and real. Sam Reid's acting exposing his character's growth is exception - but you need to watch the whole series to see what this amazing talent can do with a slow arc.

End of the world again - let's take a moment to chat about that time you were unfaithful. Me - at least give me better CGI to destroy these people I don't care about.

This is quite well made but the biggest problem is weaving the two time period stories together. The modern tale is a sweet predictable Hallmark romance, the 1940s story is gory and full of sexual violence. You'll need a very broad taste to accept both ends of the spectrum - although the time cuts work for the pacing.

This is mostly interior shots - a tragic irony given the show is about preserving an historic building. I'm guessing there's not of a lot of WWII Singapore left to shoot sweeping period outdoor scenes that would have helped with the epic reach.

The leads are stand out actors - very easy on the eye, doing the best they can with compromised script choices.

I'd like to note Jeff Chou (Inspector Mak), great, reserved and VERY sexy performance. With a screen version of Fonda Lee's award winning novel "Jade City" in the pipeline, the folk casting for that coming series would have to have rocks in their heads if they didn't consider him for the role of Kaul Lanshinwan!

Very little comedy makes me laugh because I am a cranky old man who knows all the tropes. I think I annoyed my neighbours laughing and crying simultaneously with this gem. More please!

So every country has to do a version of open source "The returned". Iceland trumps all for scenery! Australian "Glitch" for real characters. The French for creepy and getting there first - and the USA for showing us how to rip it off.

What are the Chinese going to do and will there be a serial killer?

This has it's heart in the right place but the plot is a mess. Sweden still has a way to go to reach nuanced GLBTQI story telling but baby dance steps are heading in the right direction.

This is a lovely blend of tragi-comedy with a smart mouth. The real world issues weave seamlessly with the funny moments so it never feels like a social issue drama, never feels like preaching - but we come away feeling and knowing more.

This is what happens when you try to write a script to raise social awareness about an important issue. The world's legislators are keenly watching the data from Scotland which now includes coercive control as domestic violence. Commentators say we need to change community attitudes as well as laws and obviously this show wanted to help there, grab a big name actor, spread the message. Alas the dramatic beats all feel like they came off a brochure and don't really get to the heart of the issues they were aiming to tackle. Smouldering sociopathic looks and poor pacing. I hope this issue is tackled by a better script soon but 3 stars for trying.

Well shot melodrama with great locations but sub par plot.

Not a typical superhero show, but worth a look for its take on an unrepresented (invisible) people (immigrants in Italy). It's closer to Misfits than Luke Cage, and would have profited from writers from both those shows for plot, humour and character - but it has good bones and I look forward to seeing where this goes in (hopefully) season 2.

Of course this just had to be filmed in Australia. Gorgeous scenery and all the creatures want to kill you. And we even have famous statues of dogs just like the one who stars in the film (@Gundagai).