Reviews

Occasionally in life you witness an injustice that moves you to the point of action. The recent episode of The Chase Australia had this particular impact on me.

Now, before I start: Larry Emdur is an excellent game show host (including here). He's in his element, captivating and fun, delivers questions clearly.

The Chasers themselves are incredibly talented. Each of them seems genuine, like somebody I'd want to be friends with. They're naturals onscreen. Each of them is doing an excellent job of promoting trivia in Australia.

My issue is with the producers and Channel 7. The episode featured Goliath successfully chasing down 17 'steps'. It was apparently his 'most ever.' The total (by the four-person team) was $107,000.

The face of one contest during The Final Chase said it all: one of disbelief that such a mainstream show would stoop to such low tactics. The questions delivered to Goliath were noticeably a different level (easier) than those given to the contestants. We're talking Primary School-easy.

Examples included: Q: What cricket team is known as the Windies? A: West Indies. Q: What sport involves bending a rod? A: Fishing.

Instead of risking having to payout a possible $107,000, it would seem the producers set Goliath up for an easy slam dunk. I won't be watching again.

Watched a couple of episodes and began to question my life choices.

I love Kiwi humour - New Zealand has produced some excellent comedies and films in recent years. But this wasn't one of them.

It just seemed like a series of comedy improvs and lacked any kind of direction, even when comedies of this type don't exactly require that much. But it tried too hard to be funny, and crass, and often fell short.

There's more to comedy than delivering quirky lines in a heavy Kiwi accent. It all ended up rather annoying and awkward. Avoid.

This could have been something really special, especially with the hosts, which seemed to have chemistry and banter. But it turned into the cure for insomnia.

Hugh goes up an intriguing lighthouse in the first episode, and from then on, my interest started to disappear as things delved far too deeply into the geology of the areas and landscape. It was all quite scientific, instead of travel-like - complete with layered animations of the Earth.

That is not what I wanted. I just wanted to relax and learn about some nice places in the beautiful British countryside, places I would be inspired to visit for myself someday.

Perhaps a product of the times, this just came across cheap, and mundane - there are so many other better shows of this type out there.

Couldn't get into this and had to abandon it after the first episode. Very disappointing as was looking forward to it, especially after it was recommended by a friend in Wales familiar with the case.

I can see why it would appeal to locals and those that remember the events depicted. But for everyone else, it's perhaps a little more difficult to become invested.

The show should've really started out with the tragic murders, or the victims, to at least give the viewer an emotional investment in proceedings.

It was all just too boring and poorly written. I imagine this show getting lost in a sea of other shows of this type; many of which have tighter writing and more engaging scenes than this one.

I can't believe The Kennedys didn't get a second series commissioned! It felt unique and was laugh-out-loud funny each episode.

It has made me want to read the source material its loosely based on - The Tent, The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy. The first episode in particular had us laughing until we cried and excited that we had somehow stumbled upon a hidden gem.

Things were just as funny when 'the bucket' itself makes an appearance. Glad I never went camping with them. In fact, I don't think I'll go camping in a tent ever again now! It's the kind of show that makes you smile while reminiscing about it.

Not every episode was a winner though. Some fell flat, and even though it wasn't a long series, it did somehow manage to lose momentum. Still, the acting was all great and the lines delivered with excellent comedic timing. Will definitely watch again, especially when needing some laughter medicine!

I was excited for this after watching the trailer - it made me laugh from start to finish. The show itself, however, was quite a disappointment.

The funniest parts all seemed to be contained within the trailer, and took place early on. Because after that, it just seemed a bit weird. It tried too hard to be silly and quirky and fell flat.

There are better shows of this type out there. Funnier Irish comedy shows and comedians. Just wasn't my thing and can't recommend it.

I'm a lifelong fan of Rowan Atkinson. His work has given me immeasurable amounts of joy and happiness throughout my life. This abomination won't take anything away from that, but I sincerely wish I hadn't subjected myself to it.

Man vs. Bee is simply a case of Rowan Atkinson putting out a poorly developed project to help cover his recent divorce settlement. Many actors have done similar when life takes a turn and I'm not one to judge - but it often results in woeful, misguided projects that lack any heart and soul.

Man vs. Bee was rather horrendous right from the start. I watched it with family (all huge Rowan Atkinson fans) and none of us laughed. I actually felt irritated. The whole vibe was off. It was like one Mr Bean skit (the bee at the picnic) had been taken and expanded into a heartless, monotonous series.

Stressful too? Yeah, sure, if I could be bothered feeling invested in this drivel. Such a disappointment, because Rowan's most recent work (Johnny English Strikes Again) had been such good fun. Hopefully he bounces back with something stronger and more inventive soon.

I wanted to love this, and while I enjoyed some scenes, it was ultimately too slow and dull for what I was hoping for. The glacial pace can sometimes work for films of this type when done right, or when attempting a character study, but this felt slow.

I enjoyed the self-awareness, and there were some great one-liners delivered by Clint in his trademark style. It's amazing that Clint is still working and creating into his 90s. It's rather inspiring, and I loved getting to watch him do his thing in a new film. This was the film where his age was most noticeable though, with some scenes taking on a sad quality.

The plot didn't always make sense, and the ending didn't quite land or pay-off. The family scenes in the small town were by far the highlight. It showed a tenderness and a big heart, which felt like the essence of the film. In saying that, a goddamn rooster basically steals the whole show.

If it happens to be Clint's last film, then it's a rather understated exit by one of the legends of cinema.

I couldn't look away from this. The script and one-liners were Woody Allen at his best, even if Anything Else descended into shouting matches a little too often.

It was somewhat strange watching Jason Biggs working with a script like this and throwing around the type of vocabulary here - quite unlike the American Pie films. But his awkward character traits suited a Woody Allen film perfectly.

Christina Ricci delivered a good performance too, albeit incredibly annoying and trigger-inducing for me who has encountered an Amanda or two in my dating past.

The cinematography was beautiful and often a feast for the eyes. The story itself didn't go anywhere fast, but it was satisfying enough and I enjoyed it. Way better than I thought it would be.

Gripping film about a heroic true story. I had previously seen another film about these events, The Man With The Iron Heart, and while that was alright, I prefer this depiction.

The cinematography was a little dizzying, but it succeeded in placing the viewer in the heart of the action - to often anxiety-inducing effect.

Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan delivered really strong performances and seemed to have good chemistry together. They had believable romances with the respective Charlotte Le Bon and Anna Geislerova too. It was nice to see Toby Jones in a role like this too.

At first I found the accents slightly distracting, but I got used to it in time. The action scenes were worth the wait, and the buildup of tension had me on the edge of my seat.

If you're looking for a feel-good film, this is not the one for you. It's bleak, and brutal, and will stay with you a long time. It's definitely the type of film that makes you want to come up for air afterwards, and need to watch something lighter. Solid film though, and makes me want to visit the Memorial when in Prague someday.

This quickly solidified itself as one of my favourite climbing documentaries - and I have seen a lot. There was something incredibly authentic about everything, which complemented the breathtaking (and equally terrifying) cinematography.

The Alpinist is as much a film about alpinism itself as it is remarkable young man. I learned a lot, while having my vertigo set-off at the same time.

The closest I'll ever get to scaling these peaks is watching this. But the way Marc-André Leclerc lives his life and chases his dreams is more inspiring and motivational than any self-help book or doco. The Alpinist got me reflecting about life and wanting to go on adventures around the world.

It's an incredible story wrapped up in a well-made documentary, and one that should be essential viewing.

Some of the best cinematography in a documentary you will see. Each scene was a feast for the eyes, and like looking at a beautiful painting.

It felt very meditative. A simple way of life depicted in a simple style. But I couldn't look away. I felt increasingly more relaxed as I watched, and further transported away from my own life and into the hills of Italy.

The eccentric old men touch your heart and make you laugh out loud. They're also to be admired for the way they go about life and pursue what makes them happy.

I loved the relationships they had with their dogs, and the insight into the world of truffles was fascinating too. If you are into "Slow TV" type of things (or mindfulness) then you will probably enjoy this!

A powerful Kirk Douglas performance, with a tight script and the usual expertise direction expected from Billy Wilder.

It took some time to warm to this, but once I was hooked, I couldn't look away. It feels very ahead of its time and remains as relevant today as it did back then. Crazy how the media and society's hunger hasn't really change in all that time.

Wilder doesn't beat around the bush here. Ace in the Hole is savage in its portrayal of journalism and its lack of morality. It's not just the journalists being portrayed as the villains here - but us, the people who lap up their lies.

This isn't a feel-good tale. There's a lot here to make you depressed, but then that's how the news seems to work. Some particularly violent scenes between Douglas and Jan Sterling made me more uncomfortable than the trapped-in-cave-scenes.

The actual premise for the film and resultant media circus, actually reminded me a lot of the Beaconsfield Mine Disaster that took place in my home state.

Like many Wilder films, this will no doubt stay with me awhile and be something I process and unpack over the coming days. Maybe a bit too dark for some (myself included) but well worth a look and deserving of its classic status. Great film-making.

One of those films that will get you delving down rabbit holes reading about and researching the true life events and people. Violette Szabo was the definition of brave and heroic.

So many classic films are best left as they are, without being subjected to the remake treatment so prevalent these days. Carve Her Name With Pride would be a good candidate for a remake though, as some aspects felt slightly dated. The story of Violette Szabo should certainly inspire and empower many young women.

Virginia McKenna delivered a great performance as Violette. She was convincing in both romantic elements and the action scenes. This could easily be a mini-series, as I feel the film only briefly touched on aspects of her service and sacrifice.

It's definitely a classic British WWII film with a refreshing perspective. If you have seen the reality TV show Churchill's Secret Agents: The New Recruits (like I had) then this is compulsory viewing.

This movie was so sweet that it literally gave the Katie Holmes character a toothache (and myself one too).

It felt very Nicholas Sparks. But it was simple, feel-good and had enough heartwarming scenes to make me happy. It didn't require much brain power, which was what I wanted.

It focuses heavily on the law of attraction, but I didn't feel like it was too preachy. It gave some food for thought. Some scenes were over-the-top cheesy, or featured some questionable acting. But it had a big enough heart to look past most of that.

It's easy to see why this film has been panned heavily by critics, yet has more favourable reviews and feedback from regular audiences. Some aspects reminded me of Dawson's Creek - the setting, aspects of the Katie Holmes character and her love life, the storm.

The world is so damn gloomy these days, that a little positivity can't hurt. Glad I gave this a chance.

Started out really great and full of laughs. It felt refreshing and a solid directorial effort by Simon Bird.

The Belle and Sebastian songs really helped with the vibe of it. The two leads had good chemistry, and managed to balance tender moments, with dramatic ones, and dry comedy.

Things lost momentum as it went on though. The slice of life elements started to wear thin, and the depressive angst just became a bit tiresome. I wasn't a fan of a particular development involving a certain animal.

But nevertheless, it was unique, succeeded in some laughs and was an alright way to spend 80-something minutes.

This felt a bit like a real-life Aussie version of 'The Americans'.

It's refreshing to watch such a well-made documentary about real-life espionage in Australian history. Most of the time, such documentaries or TV shows concentrate on US-Russia, or UK-Russia etc. So this is a rare find!

It's engaging throughout its short runtime. It features a host of the usual tradecraft and shady characters associated with spy films - but it all really happened.

The few experts interviewed gave fascinating insights; in particular the unnamed former ASIO agent. Highly recommend for those after a short documentary on the espionage world in Australia.

I had previously seen the Robert Zemeckis film, The Walk, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit and loved it. If you have seen that, then you probably won't learn anything new here (despite this being released first).

But you will get to experience the real Philippe Petit describing his experiences tightrope walking across the Twin Towers. He's quite the rare unit. A rather interesting character that had me laughing out loud numerous times and shaking my head in disbelief.

It also includes real footage of not only Philippe's famous walk (or dance as one NYPD officer said), but his training and life in France too. The sheer scope of planning was involved, though I did find my interest waning in other areas.

It was really nice just seeing the Twin Towers being constructed and at that point in their life. Easy to understand this would make some people emotional. A worthwhile documentary that captures history and how one person chose to pursue their dream.

A film that has been on my to-watch list the longest.

What can you possibly say about a film that has already had everything said about it?

The Bridge on the River Kwai succeeded in keeping me engaged throughout - it even caused my Mum to stop what she was doing, start watching and lose track of time. The last hour was particularly gripping, edge-of-seat stuff.

The cinematography was so beautiful, and on such a grand scale, that I was occasionally distracted from dialogue. It was hard not to pause and appreciate the filming. For a film that has such a tight script, the scenes without dialogue often held my suspense the most.

William Holden delivered a career-best performance. His character of Shears was my favourite. Alec Guinness was also particularly solid, with it being easy to see why his performance was so critically acclaimed. His character of Nicholson frustrated the hell out of me though!

In fact, there were numerous things that frustrated me about this film - mainly the characters, motivations and authenticity. The bigger picture message about war, power, colonialism etc sometimes reminded me of Kubrick's Paths of Glory - the absurdity of war is well on display.

The ending is one I won't forget. The whistle tune is one that I'll be humming for days. This is entertaining and skillful film-making. It's a film that will occupy my thoughts for a while to come. While, I didn't enjoy it as much as the likes of The Great Escape or The Guns of Navarone, I feel it's well-deserving of its status as an all-time classic.

This was way better than I expected. A soundtrack featuring a large amount of songs by The Cure definitely helped take it up a level.

Some aspects were predictable, while others felt refreshingly original. Given it's set in 1985 (and came out in 2006) it doesn't feel dated. It managed to avoid falling into some of the usual problems plaguing films of this type.

I was happy James Corden only appeared in a small amount of scenes at the start. James McAvoy was really great in his role as Brian, and smiles and laughter were guaranteed whenever he shared the screen with Catherine Tate (as his Mum). Benedict Cumberbatch (hilariously annoying) and Rebecca Hall were also great. McAvoy's awkward chemistry with the latter had me yelling at the TV.

Definitely recommend for fans of some of these actors, or those looking for a rom-com with a bit of a difference.

A really touching film depicting an often overlooked perspective of the Holocaust.

I learned a lot by watching this. I knew very little of how Britain helped child survivors of the Holocaust post-WWII, and how the likes of Windermere helped start a process of rehabilitation. This film worked as a good history lesson.

Tears were shed numerous times. There are understandably countless emotional moments here, such is the heavy subject matter. I felt a connection with each of the characters. The Windermere Children also manages to balance the devastation and drama with lighthearted scenes too.

It features some of the real-life survivors at the end, which was incredibly effective, and made me even more emotional.

The Windermere Children is an engaging, simple, and life-affirming film, that features beautiful scenery, touching moments and inspiring real-life stories.

This certainly cranks up the nostalgia. If you grew up playing the Tony Hawk games, or skateboarding, then you will probably enjoy this.

As great as the subject matter is, it's a rather bland documentary. Just a lot of talking heads, a lot of patting eachother on the back, and a quick overview of the series itself.

The documentary is best when talking about the first two iconic games; in particular their development. The impact the games had on not just the skating world, but the bands who featured on the soundtracks was interesting too.

This makes me want to listen to the music featured on the Tony Hawk games even more than it does play the games themselves. You're probably not going to learn anything new here. The sheer volume of quick interviews is enough to make you more dizzy than the gameplay angles.

But for all its documentary shortfalls, it's still a nice enough trip down memory lane.

One of those films to switch your mind off to while watching. It's also a film to help cool you down on a hot summer's day - so much snow and ice!

Liam Neeson does his usual thing. Some miners need rescuing this time, and Neeson plays the role of an ice road trucker (along with his brother) tasked with delivering urgent equipment to aid in the rescue. Various disasters and baddies make the arduous journey even more treacherous.

It was entertaining enough, but frustrating at the same time. It's poorly written, with some questionable acting - though the average viewer isn't expecting Academy Award-winning writing here.

A lot of unlikable characters, but the film has a big heart underneath all the truck-driving, cold landscapes and dodgy baddies. Not a film I'll remember though, nor one I could recommend.

It's worth the watch for the incredible soundtrack alone, but it helps that it features great performances depicting an important true story too.

Michael Sheen often steals the show with his performance of Art Honeyman, a foul-mouthed genius with cerebral palsy. He managed to blend humour, with touching moments, while never descending into becoming a caricature. Without doubt the best performance of his I have seen.

Ron Livingston showed he can successfully carry a dramatic film as the lead. He was perfectly cast, and kept me engaged the whole time. The story of Richard Pimentel is an important and inspiring one to tell. He did it justice.

Music Within is the type of film to get you researching more about the various people and topics. It's a simple film, with an excellent blend of drama, humour and education. It taught me a lot, while putting a smile on my face at the same time.

"I swear, I'm hotter than a goat in China."

That line from Alan Alda is probably the only thing I'll remember from this.

What could have been a unique, if somewhat flawed, 90s film, just ended up a boring, weird mess.

It felt like a film of two halves. The first half, was fairly easygoing and refreshing (if at times dated). But it had a likeability about it. Around the 50-minute mark, it felt like the film was almost ending. Enter the second half, which then became slightly incoherent.

The talent was all there - Aniston, Rudd, Alda, Janney. It was Sir Nigel Hawthorne which stole the show though, but even that wasn't enough to save things. It felt way too long. Some of the character actions didn't make sense.

It ended up a little unsatisfying, and was a chore to get there.