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8/10
A promising beginning ...
23 May 2012
I rarely really enjoy pilot episodes of shows. The writers are always so concerned with trying to chuck as much information at you - and "set the scene" - as possible, rather than just creating a good episode of television. On that note, I thought Tricky Business held up quite well. I grew up watching Farscape so I'm a Gigi Edgley fan - though she certainly is not Chiana here. I'm also quite fond of Antony Starr due to his wonderful work in Outrageous Fortune. What I'm trying to say is, I was predisposed to like the show, but I still felt in spite of my bias that it met my expectations very soundly.

I like the way Edgley's character is being crafted, with a clear contrast between the way she is perceived by those around her, and her reality. I think the "family business" is an interesting one. I have never really seen this kind of work portrayed in television before - though they do seem to stumble quite luckily on many of their marks.

Starr's character, obviously designed to construct the 'love triangle' is the most interesting though and again, there is a contrast between perception and reality - though this one is external, not internal. Rick, the current boyfriend seems much more mature and together and safer, but perhaps below the surface, a 12-year-old's messy bedroom waits.

I have enjoyed the show so far and look forward to seeing where they take it. It is certainly more enjoyable than that Channel 7 Packed to the Rafters nonsense that makes me what stab my eyes out with a blunt knife. Undoubtedly there are going to be many viewers (particularly Australian ones) that will immediately dismiss this show, partly because of that tall-poppy-syndrome that so many Aussies seem to suffer from, and also because most Australians have become so used to American television that nothing else quite hits the heart. Well, if you're one of those people, leave your predispositions at the door and give it a crack!
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9/10
The Karate Kid Re-Kindled
10 July 2010
Set in the beautiful and raw backdrop of Beijing and rural China, this wonderful coming-of-age film explores issues of family, friends and self-pride. The story begins with a widower (Taraji P. Henson) and her son, Dre (Jaden Smith), relocating to China for a new job. Dre, predisposed to dislike his new home, quickly finds himself at adolescent war with some of the local children who, unfortunately for Dre, are skilled students of kung fu. Life becomes increasingly concerning for Dre until the maintenance man of his apartment building, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), reluctantly agrees to teach him kung fu.

The performances in this film range from solid to strong. Jaden Smith leads the cast well but the real stand out is Jackie Chan, who produces the performance of his career as the troubled and mysterious Mr. Han. The cinematography is wonderful but what really makes this film work is that nothing is artificial. No character or location is over-beautified, everything is natural. The story is also laced with important messages about right and wrong which will not be missed on children.

No doubt, those fans belonging to the original "Karate Kid" franchise will find reasons to be dissatisfied. Many complaints have been made about the title itself, as it is kung fu, not karate that is taught (an issue that is acceptably addressed and dealt with in the film). But this film should not be and is not meant to be compared to any other, it stands strong on its own.

A film well worth seeing and will be thoroughly enjoyed by all those over the age of ten.
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Angel (1999–2004)
7/10
A Decent Show, But Missing It's Originator
26 January 2010
Angel, a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is usually considered to be a more mature version of Buffy. And more maturity, in this case, often meant less entertaining.

The series starts of slow. In fact, it doesn't really get good until about half-way through the third season. Earlier episodes have their moments, but they are often choppy and uninteresting. Angel and Cordelia both evolve and though, if they were real people, it might be considered a good thing, in the context of entertainment it isn't. Angel should always be reserved, reflective and broody - whatever other personality traits he cultivates on the way. Cordelia should always be shallow and witty and oddly compassionate. They could have grown and changed without losing the essence of what made them great and interesting characters.

As mentioned before, the show picks up greatly halfway through the third season. It becomes compelling and entertaining but simple. Which is what this show should have always been. I strongly believe that the spin-off should never have happened. Buffy was not as good without Angel and Cordelia, and Angel suffered without the Buffy characters. Many, in fact most of the story lines in Angel could have been adapted for Buffy. I feel the spin-off was completely unnecessary. Instead of one really great show, we ended up with two okay shows that occasionally had moments of brilliance. I would have preferred the former.

All up, Angel is a decent show and one worth watching if you're a fan of Buffy or Joss Whedon. But prepare yourself for some mediocre and sometimes, frankly, bizarre story-telling until the third season hits.

Whedon's finest work can be seen in Firefly and the first three seasons of Buffy.
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Australia (2008)
9/10
A wonderful film!
28 November 2008
No, this movie is not perfect. Firstly, I'll say that. But it is WONDERFUL.

Nicole is fantastic and Hugh is very good too. There is a strong supporting cast, and Brandon Walters is BEAUTIFUL. Seriously, you will love this boy and want to take him home and keep him forever and ever.

The story is good because it is not about one thing, but many important things. And of course, the cinematography is superb.

Just don't listen to the bored people on the forums who just sit around bagging the film when they haven't even seen it. Trust me, it's a really good film. GO SEE IT. You won't be sorry!
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10/10
The Ultimate Teen Film
31 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I have so much love for this film that it can barely be contained. It really is just such a clever and inclusive way at looking at adolescence and high school cliques. The movie is easy to follow and the change in each character is gradually and believably seen.

Judd Nelson is mesmerizingly charismatic as the witty and defensively flippant, John Bender. And really, he makes this movie. Not wanting to take anything away from the other actors, but he has about 40% of the dialog. If Nelson's performance had lacked even slightly, the whole movie could have fallen over. But he is fantastic.

One of the most interesting things about this movie, is how much you care about the characters and how much you just wanted them to succeed at everything in the future. A sequel here, would not have gone astray. But obviously now, it is much too late. And the idea of a remake makes me nauseous. I would hate anyone else playing these characters. They were all that good.

The most asked question, upon finishing the film is, no doubt, "What's going to happen on Monday?" And I, as much as anyone, would love to know the answer to that question. But ultimately, it doesn't matter. If they all ignored each other for the rest of their high school careers, it wouldn't matter. Because they still had something that day in detention. They still learned something about themselves from each other. And for a day, at least, they could say they were completely themselves, and they were still liked.

I don't care if Judd Nelson was an a-hole to Molly Ringwald during filming, I don't care that they played horrible 80's music throughout (like seriously, they had Duran Duran, the Go's Go's, Cold Chisel, etc, they couldn't have taken one of those paths?), I don't care that there's no way that Emilio Estevez could have broken that glass simply by yelling (he's hardly Pavarotti). This movie is brilliant and a MUST watch for anyone over the age of thirteen.

It'll change your life.
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