Author Archives: tldrmoviereviews

The Costumes of 2024 That Made Us Say ‘Hot Damn’

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You can use many techniques to help build your world, ground your setting, or give dimensions to your characters. You can use music and create elaborate sets, but one of the best ways is through the costumes you make.

People instantly judge a character within moments on the screen, and the outfits are essential to that first impression. More than this, you can also use costumes as a way of storytelling. What do they say about this world? What do they say about how a character is progressing? 

Costumes can build worlds and tell us details we can only see, but also, they can make us say, ‘Hot Damn’, look at that beading on that dress. That must have taken hours to do!

Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Bikeriders, Challengers, Deadpool & Wolverine, Gladiator II, The Holdovers, Hundreds of Beavers & Monkey Man      

Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: The Diplomat, Doctor Who, Dune Prophecy, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Penguin, Star Trek: Discovery & Star Wars: The Acolyte    

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Tension That Kept You On The Edge Of Your Seat In 2024!

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Well, we have looked at Action, then Emotion and swung wildly across the spectrum to Fun, and now we are completing that trifecta by looking at Tension. Tension is one of the most challenging facets of filmmaking because it requires the script, direction, acting, and editing to all work in tandem to evoke the perfect pace. If just one part of that group misses, then an essential part of the film falls apart.

In 2024, we continued to see some excellent use of tension to build mystery, to be the harbinger of the coming dread, or even to tick the clock of inevitability.   

Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: Abigail, Force of Nature, Kill, The Moogai & Turtles All the Way Down
Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: Black Doves, The Diplomat, Dune Prophecy & The Lord of the Rings

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The Works from 2024 That Put Some Fun Into Our Lives

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We looked at the films that hit us in the feels with emotions in our last awards. Now it is time to pivot hard to the other side of the spectrum and look at the films that were a riot of fun. So today, I take a moment to champion those works that brought joy, whether through upbeat action, one laugh after another, or that silliness that brings a smile to your face.

However, I note that this might be the most subjective of all the lists because what people think is funny can vary drastically.

Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: Abigail, Deadpool & Wolverine, Gladiator II, Jackpot!, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, My Old Ass & Transformers One  

Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: Agatha All Along, Black Doves, Doctor Who, Knuckles, & Star Trek: Prodigy  

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The Works of 2024 That Emotionally Wrecked Us

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As I have gotten older, I am not afraid of having a good old-fashioned ugly cry in the cinemas when the time calls for it, and hell, I probably got emotional just writing this list (Spoiler: I did). Sometimes, they are tears of grief or tears of joy, and even still, sometimes, they are tears of anger. 

Emotion is a core part of the cinema experience. If you can’t get us to respond emotionally to your characters and/or the situation, I am sorry you failed to make a great film.

Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: A Quiet Place: Day One, The Beekeeper, How to Make Gravy, Robot Dreams, Thelma & Turtles All the Way Down

Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: Agatha All Along, Earth Abides, The Penguin, Shōgun & Star Trek: Prodigy

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Explosions, Guns, and Punches, Oh My. The Best Action of 2024

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A good action sequence is genuinely impressive to watch, as it can be as expansive as explosions crashing across the screen or more intimate, like a duel between two people. This gives the best action scenes such a range, and in 2024, we were given some unique spectacles.

For me, the best action scenes excel in every element, whether that be live actions, special effects, digital effects, or animation, and bring every facet to shine. It is also the category that looks at some of the department’s people don’t often fully understand, like stunt coordination or the 2nd unit.

2024 was the year that action dominated both the big and small screen, so much so it was hard to get this category down to a shortlist, given how many good examples we got. However, power through I must, and here we go with the rich and varied world of action.  

Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: A Quiet Place: Day One, Civil War, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, The Fall Guy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Jackpot!, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Sixty Minutes & Thelma

Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: Black Doves, Citadel Honey Bunny, Dune Prophecy, Fallout, The Gentlemen, Halo, Reacher, Shōgun & X-Men ’97

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Dune Prophecy: Season One – TV Review

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TL;DR – A fascinating look into the Dune world when it was just starting, but it felt more like half a season than a full one.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Dune Prophecy Review –

Before we dive into our best of 2024, there is one final review we have to finish, and that is for a TV version of one of my favourite novels and movie series: Dune. I have always loved diving into this world, even if I would never want to live there. Today, we have had the chance to catch up with the entire first season of Dune Prophecy, so it is time to see if it all worked.

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 season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Thelma – Movie Review

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TL;DR – It is an absolute blast that also hits you so hard in the feels that you can’t help but surf a wave of emotions.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Thelma Review –

Well, what a surprise this film was. When you hear that there is a revenge film out there, but the hook is that the lead actors are in their 90s, well, that is something that you need to check out. If they had just kept the film at that, it would have been fine. But no, they don’t stop there, and the film is so much better for it.

So, to set the scene, Thelma (June Squibb) is living her life in a world that is very different than the one she grew up in, but she does not mind because she has her knitting, her routine, and a grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger) who she loves. Daniel has been teaching Thelma how to use her computer so she can connect more with her family. But Thelma becomes a victim of the “Hi Mum” scam and loses $10,000 in cash. When she finds out she has been scammed, there is only one thing to do, which is Tom Cruise it! Hunt down those who scammed her and make them pay.

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Paddington in Peru – Movie Review

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TL;DR – While it has not reached the heights of its predecessors, it was still a joy to be back in this world.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and end-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Paddington in Peru Review –

Few films series have hit such high expectations as the Paddington series, especially after just two films. Paddington 1 will always hold a special place in my heart because of getting to watch it with friends at a drive in one day and the joy that came with it. I don’t think I need to tell you about Paddington 2, given its impact on the film landscape. I mean, it was an entire plot point in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. But can they make it a hat trick? That is what we will find out today.

So, to set the scene, there have been a lot of changes to the Brown household. Henry (Hugh Bonneville) has a new boss, Madison (Hayley Atwell), who has told him he has to embrace risk. Judy (Madeleine Harris) has begun looking for a University, Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) has gone full-teenage and spends all his time in his room, and Mary (Emily Mortimer) is struggling with the coming empty next. But Paddington (Ben Whishaw) has just gotten his British citizenship and passport, which was just in time because The Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) of The Home for Retired Bears in Peru writes to let everyone know that Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) not well. The Brown family rush to Peru, but when they get there, they find out that Aunt Lucy is missing and only Paddington might know where she has gone.

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Better Man – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A fascinating look at a pop icon that takes some wild swings that don’t always pan out.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film

Warning – contains scenes that may cause distress.

Better Man Review –

Today, we look at one of the oddest films that I watched in 2024. On the one hand, this was a very boilerplate biopic that explored the life of pop icon Robbie Williams. However, they also make massive artistic choices throughout the film, most notably by depicting the focus of the biopic as an ape. This was a fascinating choice, but did it work? And that is the question we will explore today.

So, to set the scene, Robbie Williams (Robbie Williams/Jonno Davies/Adam Tucker) had spent most of his life growing up in the small town of Stoke-On-Trent. Living with his mother Janet (Kate Mulvany) and Nan Betty (Alison Steadman) after his father Peter (Steve Pemberton) left to try and be an entertainer. He hasn’t done well at school because he has these lyrics in his head and a drive to be famous. It’s a good thing that his first big break has just strolled into town as Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) is looking for boys to be part of a new band, Take That, which is Robbie’s chance to get out of this town and make something of himself.   

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Robot Dreams – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A warm winter hug while the winds blast all around you.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Robot Dreams Review –

One of the many strengths of animation is how easier it is to translate across cultures and languages. There are a lot of examples, maybe most notably, that show that with sound localization, the skies are the limit. But what if not even the language was a barrier?

So, to set the scene, it is 1984 in New York, and Dog sits alone at night eating his microwaved meal. In his loneliness, he sees an ad for a companion robot, and phone orders it right away. One building montage that would put Ikea to shame later, and while pigeons watch, Robot is created. So, Dog takes Robot on a tour of the city, but things go wrong on a trip to the beach when Robot breaks down, and Dog can’t get to him.

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