This episode was simply terrible! It differed from the book so significantly that I could hardly finish it. This series had so much potential. The "look" of it takes me back to the early 1800s. If you have never read the book, it will actually be ok.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Evil Under the Sun
(1982)
Read the book
13 August 2018
The first 45+ minutes have nothing to do with the book except for location and character names. It should be described as "Loosely based on the novel of the same name." In the books, there is hardly any connection between the characters. In this movie there are deep connections. I guess if you did not read the book first, it would be a good movie but my advice is to forgo this movie and read the book.
The Pact
(2017 TV Movie)
Should Have Had a Part 2
23 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I only give it 5 stars because of how it ended. Maybe it is just the American in me but I do not like abrupt endings. I thought (and waited for) a Part 2 that never came and is not even in the works. Don't waste your time watching this. It is like watching only half of an okay movie but never getting to see the ending.
Kong: Skull Island
(2017)
Worthless
6 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
When I go see a sci fi movie like this one, I know that I am expected to suspend my disbelief but this one is beyond even that.
"Kong: Skull Island" is an updated version of the Edgar Wallace/Merian Cooper 1933 creation "King Kong". There have been many others that more closely follow the story-line. There have also been dozens of sequels. Most are rather low budget but entertaining.
This update is set at the end of the Vietnam War. It is a story about a group of scientists and soldiers sent to explore an uncharted island. So far, so good. The acting is okay but not great however no reason to leave the cineplex just yet. However, this changes once on the island. Here are some of my issues with it:
1. Lack of tactical retreat: When they are flying low across the island and first come across Kong, they keep flying toward it. I guess that is reasonable. However, at some point, certainly after a couple of the helicopters were easily destroyed by Kong, you would think the commanding officer (Col Preston Packard ie Samuel Jackson) would order a tactical retreat in order to reassess the situation and decide on an appropriate course of action. Instead, he tries to fight on.
2. Getting too close: Kong is much bigger than in most previous versions of this story. His arms seem to have a span of a football field. Yet the helicopters (including a Chinook full of scientists) keep darting in front of his face. Why not back off? Although he can run very fast, a helicopter can fly UH-1 Huey can fly at a speed of over 100 mph, Konk could not keep up. Or, why not climb?
3. Shoot first and ask questions later: This movie maintains the stereotypical soldier who shoots first before assessing the real danger. I will not comment on whether or not that is a warranted stereotype but it certainly is how the soldiers in this movie react out of fear. They shoot at anything and everything that moves without regard to the true level of danger.
4. The "White Whale": Kong becomes Col Packard's white whale for which he is willing to sacrifice the lives of all his men in order to kill. Okay, you might be thinking this is not a bad direction for the movie to take and you are right. I am just tired of it. Why do so many military type movies have to have an obsessive character whose only thought is to kill at any price?
5. Why are the chief bad creatures immune to bullets and fire but not to swords?
6. While on the subject of fire, where did the flamethrower and chemical grenades come from? Neither are standard equipment for a tactical military unit of any kind.
And I could continue on but will not tire you. If you can suspend your disbelief beyond what I am able, you might enjoy this trash.
"Kong: Skull Island" is an updated version of the Edgar Wallace/Merian Cooper 1933 creation "King Kong". There have been many others that more closely follow the story-line. There have also been dozens of sequels. Most are rather low budget but entertaining.
This update is set at the end of the Vietnam War. It is a story about a group of scientists and soldiers sent to explore an uncharted island. So far, so good. The acting is okay but not great however no reason to leave the cineplex just yet. However, this changes once on the island. Here are some of my issues with it:
1. Lack of tactical retreat: When they are flying low across the island and first come across Kong, they keep flying toward it. I guess that is reasonable. However, at some point, certainly after a couple of the helicopters were easily destroyed by Kong, you would think the commanding officer (Col Preston Packard ie Samuel Jackson) would order a tactical retreat in order to reassess the situation and decide on an appropriate course of action. Instead, he tries to fight on.
2. Getting too close: Kong is much bigger than in most previous versions of this story. His arms seem to have a span of a football field. Yet the helicopters (including a Chinook full of scientists) keep darting in front of his face. Why not back off? Although he can run very fast, a helicopter can fly UH-1 Huey can fly at a speed of over 100 mph, Konk could not keep up. Or, why not climb?
3. Shoot first and ask questions later: This movie maintains the stereotypical soldier who shoots first before assessing the real danger. I will not comment on whether or not that is a warranted stereotype but it certainly is how the soldiers in this movie react out of fear. They shoot at anything and everything that moves without regard to the true level of danger.
4. The "White Whale": Kong becomes Col Packard's white whale for which he is willing to sacrifice the lives of all his men in order to kill. Okay, you might be thinking this is not a bad direction for the movie to take and you are right. I am just tired of it. Why do so many military type movies have to have an obsessive character whose only thought is to kill at any price?
5. Why are the chief bad creatures immune to bullets and fire but not to swords?
6. While on the subject of fire, where did the flamethrower and chemical grenades come from? Neither are standard equipment for a tactical military unit of any kind.
And I could continue on but will not tire you. If you can suspend your disbelief beyond what I am able, you might enjoy this trash.
Amber
(2014)
I loved the series... until the very end
24 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The ending that was not an ending ruined the series for me. I am not saying that I only enjoy series when all loose ends are neatly tied off. I have seen many series where the villain won or where there were a few hanging threads. This one just abruptly ended. The description of the show says something like "What happened to Amber?" implying to me at least that we would come close to an answer. I guess I could understand if at the end there was some public service announcement about how many missing children cases go unresolved leaving the families lost in their fears and unanswered questions. However, not even that happened to let us know this is the end of the series. The acting was great. Just the end could be better.
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