Change Your Image
pringlepowell
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Monsters (2022)
Watched it twice - please don't be alarmed though...
Superb. A chilling look at the life of this notorious serial killer.
The performances are expectational, especially PETERS, and a special mention for Richard Jenkins, who puts in one of the best performances I have ever seen in a mini-series.
My only two criticisms surround the last few episodes that seem to focus more on the troubles and tribulations of Glenda rather than the sequence of events. She almost gets to the point of coming across a little sanctimonious, however horrendous her experiences clearly were.
The court case (I know it was a guilty plea) was also covered in the space of 5 minutes, when I can imagine the emotion and drama of his crimes would have reached their peak.
Overall a majestic portrayal, and one I will likely enjoy a third time in the future.
Idiocracy (2006)
Nostradamus would be proud...
The fact this film was released in 2006 and predicts a world 500 years in advance is a great premise. Truth is though, the world isn't far off this vision within 20 years!
The comic book-style visuals are a joy in the background, and I would love a screensaver of the view overlooking the city, with buildings tethered to other buildings with rope, and vehicles plummeting off freeways as they've not installed warning signs to name but two.
There are a few belly-laughs, but its the realisation this 'fiction' is in fact now true is quite disturbing, and pokes fun beautifully at governments and society alike.
Great movie, not sure why it took me 17 years to see what my future was going to entail...
Vesper (2022)
Gritty and different......or is it?
Firstly, on a budget just over a £1m, this is a triumph of small-budget film-making. Great atmosphere, beautifully shot, and the special effects, although used sparingly, are strong. The performances also are good, if occasionally leading my partner and I to look at each other and wonder if a scene needed to be stretched out (wolf impression anyone?). It felt like a Director's Cut at times.
I was reminded of Threads as the movie started, a dystopian view of the future that appeared overly bleak. The initial text at the start of the movie did nothing to add to that also, as the movie fell into the traps of many alike flicks, in that the description of how society got into that state is covered in around 30 seconds of this two-hour movie.
The ending also, was somewhat underwhelming, and I was looking forward to seeing what the 'Citadels' looked like in comparison with the lower classes, alas the film ended with a whimper before that happened.
Expect a prequel to explain earth's route to this point....
Mummies (2023)
When a committee designs a movie....
A Pharoah from deepest Sheffield, and a remaining cast plucked from the finest housing estates in Buckinghamshire and surrounding counties.
At the end of production, I wonder who gave the green light and said, "Perfect"? This movie suffers from animation akin to an Xbox cutscene, sound mixing that baffles, voice-acting added some time post-completion, a story that makes absolutely no sense, an awful if predictable ending. Is it a musical or not, as there are a couple of nonsense and forgettable numbers.
Apparently there is now a portal that connects ancient Egypt of 3000 years ago and present day. Nobody knows how it got there, nobody tells you, and is now open whenever the 'Mummies' want to use it.
Awful, especially compared to such offerings as Puss in Boots 2 recently...
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Was falling asleep....but then....
So I I saw this in a cinema with my son, who now rates this as his favourite movie.
I was drifting off to sleep in the theatre until the Wolf appeared. What a character. Genuinely up there with the likes of the Joker and Darth Vader as a supremely chilling super-villain.
I was then captivated by the depth of the animation, switching seamlessly between comic book (almost spider verse) styling and typical Dreamworks animation, it really is the best animation I have seen from a mainstream production company.
No spoilers here, yet the story becomes engrossing if a little scattered between the various competing 'baddies', who never really seem to tie together. I'm also annoyed by Florence Pugh voicing Goldilocks as some sort of cockney market trader. The accent doesn't fit the character.
Overall, enjoyable, and look out for the wolf who is awesome!
12 Angry Men (1957)
Gritty, Emotion, Superb
The atmosphere is terrific, cinematography captivating and performances perfect. I was surprised there was less coverage of the actual trail, so it's not so much a 'courtroom drama', which sets this movie out as unique immediately.
This movie had been on the watchlist for so long, and I am so glad I took the time to watch it. The craft needed to hold an audience for 90 minutes when the movie is set more or less in one room, with a cast of misfit characters interacting.
Having been part of a Jury myself, this is very remeniscent of a Jury room and the arguments people make to sway others their way. You can perfectly understand why some hung juries exist, as to have a dozen very different people, with different moral compasses and different ideas of common sense.
Smile (2022)
Movie didn't quite match the marketing...
Scary, if a tad predictable. Smile was advertised brilliantly by planting smiling characters from the movie into everyday situations such as sports crowds. Such impact. The movie however, suffers from the problem a lot of great jump-scare films suffer from, in that the premise is better than the outcome. You will jump at a couple of spots, and the cinematography is a gem with a great mix of colours, and soundtrack to boot.
In essence though, despite the imaginative idea, this falls into a similar vein as The Purge - good idea, frightening imagination on the part of the writer, but ends up being too predictable unfortunately.
The Handmaid's Tale (2017)
Yet more facial close-ups to come...
First 2 seasons - original, shocking, gripping, but was slightly annoyed at the use of the slow camera motion into Rose's face. It became less of "I wonder what she is planning" to "Please lets not waste 30 seconds more of airtime by being able to count her freckles".
Alas, the problem persists, coupled with some incredibly unrealistic additional writing once the content from the original books had been exhausted.
Rose (lead character) turned into a teflon-coated superhero with remarkable levels of bravery and determination, not seen since Arnie made strides against a whole militia in Commando!.
Elizabeth Moss performance is overshadowed now by some of the supporting cast, not least Ann Dowd, who I seemed to have more sympathy for than any other character.
It's one of those shows that makes me think, "I've done all the seasons so far, I should watch the last one", rather than really wanting to.
Orphan: First Kill (2022)
Didn't see the twist coming, or much else actually!
Okay, so in agreement with most reviews that this does not hold a candle to the first Orphan.
In truth, not many 'shockers' can, as once you know the main character is not a young girl (I don't think that classes as a spoiler), the whole thing seems to lose impact.
Whether this movie was produced on a budget I can't be sure, but I would never recommend the purchasing of movie cameras from eBay, or Wish, as the whole production seems to be clouded, as a photographer would try to improve a model's complexion with Vaseline. It's off putting, and can take some getting used to.
When the twist does come, it's a doozy. Lifted the entire film at that point, and it needed it, but from that point on it almost becomes a standard horror-chase.
Still enjoyable, but don't expect the magic ending of the first movie.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Almost felt like a parody...
Firstly, this is an entertaining movie. That aside, I wondered if I was watching a rehashed 1990's romantic comedy rather than something belonging in the MCU. Granted there are some fantastic set pieces and battles, but unfortunately the storyline and humour level are way below what I was expecting, given the last Thor movie was Ragnorok (a riot).
Some great cameos playing the 'actor' parts of Thor, Odin and Loki, but the biggest shock was Russell Crowe as Zeus!
Fortunately there are not too many out there who still worship the Greek Gods, but I am certain there will be some areas of 2022 society that consider his portrayal as blasphemous.
Overall, a decent couple of hours entertainment, but don't expect it to influence the MCU in any way going forward.