Monthly Archives: November 2024

Wicked (Wicked: Part 1) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – One of the most faithful musical adaptations that I have ever seen, but that brings all the musical’s strengths and weaknesses.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

The Emerald City.

Wicked Review –

Today, we are looking at what might be the most convoluted production history in this site’s history. We are reviewing a Movie [Wicked] adaptation of a Musical [Wicked], which is an adaptation of a Novel [Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West], which is a reinterpretation of another Novel [The Wonderful Wizard of Oz], which in itself is most well known for its Movie Adaptation [The Wizard of Oz] whose design legacy can be seen our feature today. There have even been several more attempts to work in this space in recent years, with Oz the Great and Powerful and even Agatha All Along earlier this year. It could be a crowded or iconic market position, but does it make the most of its situation? That is what we will look at today.

So, to set the scene, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) has not had an easy life ever since she came into this world covered in a dark shade of green. She was thought of as some kind of curse by her own family and lived almost in isolation with Midwife (Sharon D. Clarke), her bear nurse. Growing up, she always had these moments where she acted out with magic, but she could never control the bursts. But her life is changed when one of those magical bursts happens as she is escorting her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) to Shiz University, and she is spotted by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) expert in all things magic. The only problem is that there are no rooms for her at the university unless Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera) shares her private suite.  

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The Boy & the Octopus – Movie Review

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TL;DR – For what is essentially one big ad, it is still charming to boot.     

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this film.

The Octopus.

The Boy & the Octopus Review –

Can an advertisement have artistic merit? That is the question that we are asking today as we explore a short Christmas film from Disney that is crammed with product placement to the point of rupture. But does that make it not worth the watch?

So, to set the scene, one day, a small boy (Solomon Horta) went swimming in the reefs and found an octopus friend who refused to leave his head. Even when they fly home, it is still there. Now, it goes with him wherever he goes, including the Christmas markets.

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Nautilus Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – When this series comes together, it is a delight to watch. Unfortunately, a lot of the episodes are a bit hit or miss.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series.

The crew does a slow walk.

Nautilus  Review –

In today’s re-make/re-boot culture, there are stories that you hear over and over again because they are in the public domain. Sure, it is great to see another take on Peter Pan, but there is a treasure trove of works in the public domain that are interesting and ready for interpretation through a modern lens. Today, we are looking at just such a property that has not been delved into since 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

So, to set the scene, it is 1897, and the British India Company has stretched its influence across the globe through colonisation and imperialism. One of those ships, in its vast navies, was on its way to Bombay when something rumbled the ship from below. They could have let it go, but Captain Youngblood (Jacob Collins-Levy) had to hunt it down. The only problem is that what they saw was not a beast but a craft unknown to science at the time and one that just ripped their hull out from underneath them. For this is a machine, a machine made of metal, that can travel under the water and is led by the magnificent Captain Nemo (Shazad Latif). We will be looking at the season as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Dune Prophecy: The Hidden Hand – TV Review

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TL;DR – This first episode is mainly about the vibes, but if you click with it, you will be there for the long haul.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Bing service that viewed this series.

A lone figure in a red dress appears during a nightmare.

Dune Prophecy Review –

One world that I have always loved diving into is the world of Dune. It is a weird and wonderful world full of texture waiting to be explored. It also has a history that stretches for tens of thousands of years, giving you a wide range to place a story without banging up against the story of the films. A world of intrigue teetering on the edge of the abyss for many.   
So, to set the scene, in the years after the Butlerian Jihad against the Thinking Machines, humanity had to find a new way forward. There were many competing forces during that time, one of which was the witches of the Bene Gesserit. On Wallach IX, those same sisters are grieving the death of their first Reverend Mother. The sisterhood is at a future point. Which way forward would they proceed? Shall they point people in the right direction, or should they be the ones controlling things from the shadows? Thirty years after blood was shed in the Bene Gesserit cloister, 116 years after the end of the Great Machine Wars, and 10,148 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. It will be time to see which direction the sisterhood takes. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Lower Decks: Starbase 80?! – TV Review

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TL;DR – A weird little fun episode that gets to put the cap off the running joke of Starbase 80

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ streaming service that viewed this episode. 

Starbase 80.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Review –

One of the recurring jokes on Star Trek: Lower Decks is that no one ever wants to get transferred to Starbase 80. The very joke of it is enough to put a pause on any dubious activity. We have known how bad it was since way back in Season One and now it is time to find out if the legacy lives up to the reality.

So, to set the scene, after cataloguing a bunch of algae on the ocean planet Piskes 9, the USS Cerritos was meant to head to a Captain’s Conference on Casperia Prime. However, after a navigation malfunction, the ship had to drop out of warp because they were flying blind. That is no problem. There is a Starbase they can reach by impulse. The only problem is that base is Starbase 80: Insert creepy music here. We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Silo: The Engineer – TV Review

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TL;DR – The episode where Rebecca Ferguson gets stuff done.   

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that viewed this series.

Juliette walks across the surface.

Silo Review –

I was unsure what to expect when the first episode of Silo, Freedom Day, dropped. I had not read the original novels by Hugh Howey, so when we went down the rabbit hole that was the mystery of the Silo, I was captivated by which turns the show would make. Now that we have seen the first season, I am even more fascinated by where the show can go from here. Well, after a long wait, it is time to see just what they will do as we dive back underground and see what waits in store for us.

So, to set the scene, after being set up by Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins) and Robert Sims (Common), Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) was forced to go outside and ‘clean’ in the season finale. However, thanks to some work from Martha Walker (Harriet Walter), Juliette’s suit was fitted with tape that actually worked so that the poisonous air would not leak in. It is here where she discovers not only is there still a barren, poisoned world on the surface, but their Silo is not the only one. Not knowing how long the tape will last, she runs to the next Silo over, only to discover thousands of dead bodies spilled across the ground. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Piper (The Piper) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – While Piper has a solid premise, it does not have the narrative to hold you for the runtime.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was sent a screener of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

The Piper on a roof top.

Piper Review –

Today we are looking at an interesting film, in that I think we have something with an interesting premise, is conceptionally quite sound, yet ended up feeling more lacklustre than anything else. It is an odd disconnect that I hope to explore.

So, to set the scene, Liz (Elizabeth Hurley) and her daughter Amy (Mia Jenkins) have moved across the world to a small town in Germany. The town is so quiet and charming that they didn’t need their local prison so they turned it into a school where Liz will now work. Just don’t ask about the wi-fi. But beyond the charm, this is a city with a dark secret, but secrets are everywhere, and these secrets could kill.

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Gladiator II – Movie Review

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TL;DR – It has a strong cast, all the bombast you need, and a solid narrative. It is just frustrating that it has these creative choices throughout that just rip you out of the film.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film

The Battle of Numidia.

Gladiator II Review –

Well, 2024 has been the year of the legacy sequel, with Alien: Romulus, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Twisters all trying their hands on it to a mixed success. The next cab off the rank might have the most significant legacy of them all, or at least the most attempts in the past to make a sequel because there have been many. But it has been 24 years since our last outing of Gladiator, and we have to ask, was this the film we needed, or should it have stayed contained in the past?

So, to set the scene, it has been 20 years since the death of Marcus Aurelius, and Maximus Decimus Meridius’s slaying of Commodus did not bring about the grand return of the Republic. Instead, it drove it deeper into tyranny. Rome is now ruled by the Twin Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), who care more for blood and entertainment than the people’s health and happiness. Looking to secure their reign, they lashed out at any place defying the Empire using their dutiful general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). The last free city on the Mediterranean was in Numidia, where a young man (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Arishat (Yuval Gonen), live. It is a pitched battle, but the Romans win, and the young man who is versed in Roman poetry is carted off to die in the games after watching his wife fall to an arrow. But he stubbornly refuses to die in the arena, which brings the attention of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who has the want to change his position, and now he has the means.

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Gladiator (2000) Review – Exploring the Past

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TL;DR –. When the bombast hits, you still feel what made it a special film all those years ago.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that viewed this film.

A hand in the wheat fields.

Gladiator Review –

In this day and age, companies are trying to find a way to get people back into the cinemas, and the current plan has a lot to do with bringing back classic films with sequels decades later. That means this week we get a new Gladiator film, which I am honestly looking forward to. But as I was sitting there, I realised it had been a decade since I had watched the first film, and that is something that I had to fix, and there is no better time than the present.

So, to set the scene, it is at the height of the Roman Empire, and the Romans controlled everything from Britain to the Deserts of Africa and Arabia. In the north, Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) was fighting a campaign against the tribes of Germania, led by his one trusted general, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe). But when Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of the emperor, discovers that his father wants to restore the Republic, he kills him. He has Maximus arrested when he won’t declare loyalty to the new emperor. Maximus escapes, but before he can get home, his family is murdered, and slave traders capture him. Now, he has but one choice: die in the arena or win and get revenge for his fallen.

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Citadel: Diana Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – This was a substantial improvement on Citadel’s first outing, and while it might still be struggling to find its feet, it is heading in the right direction.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this series.

The ruined Milan Cathedral.

Citadel: Diana Review –

I was intrigued when the first announcement of this new sort of spyverse based around duelling Citadel/Manticore organisations with companies across the world creating their own shows in the greater lore. Well, it was a fascinating concept, and I love me a good spy show. Unfortunately, the first primary season was … a bit of a mixed bag, not helped by significant production issues behind the scenes. Today, we move to Italy to see the first major spin-off and see if this concept can truly be a global work.

So, to set the scene, we open with a young lady, Diana Cavalieri (Matilda De Angelis), killing someone before turning the gun on themselves to provide a wound in the arm. It is 2030 in Milano, and it has seen better days, with citizens feeling like a police state is being created one block at a time and the ruins of the Duomo being a constant reminder to all. Diana works at Manticore Italia Quatier Generale, the powerful criminal syndicate that has grown unchecked since they defeated the Citadel spy agency. But when your criminal syndicate is being run by many powerful families, friction and mistrust will naturally occur. We will be looking at the season as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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