Author Archives: tldrmoviereviews

Civil War – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A deeply haunting film that engaged you so you could not look away, even though you wanted to.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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

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

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Civil War Review –


Today, we look at a film that I didn’t know if I was going to review or not. It had awkward screening times when it had its theatrical release, and the election happened, and things felt a little too real to dive into a film like this. However, as the year came to a close, I felt like this was one of the films of 2024 that I had to watch to be able to understand the year that was.

So, to set the scene, in the not-too-distant future, The United States has devolved into civil war again, with the forces of the so-called central United States government based out of Washington DC up against the Western Forces of Texas and California. It is a chaotic time, with competing narratives as to what is happening and scarcities of resources like water putting pressure on everyone. In the midst of all of this are the photographers who are documenting the war, including veteran photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), who has been doing this long enough to know when a suicide bomber is coming. Everyone can see that DC is going to fall, and rather than being on the frontlines, Lee and her partner Joel (Wagner Moura) want to go into the Capital and interview The President (Nick Offerman) before he is murdered by whatever faction gets to the Capital first. The only problem, well one of many problems for them, is that the road from New York to the Capital is fraught with fighting, damage, and military forces looking to blow up anything that moves.    

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Star Wars: Skeleton Crew: Zero Friends Again [S1E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – It’s a fun little romp to get us moving towards the end game.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Skeleton Crew Review –

If there is one thing that I will always appreciate Skeleton Crew for, okay, other than for making me learn how to spell skeleton correctly, is that it brought the fun back to the Star Wars universe. Now, I don’t mean that they brought jokes back. Every film in the modern era has had its fair share of quips. I mean that joy you get when you have a smile on your face because what you are watching is fun. Today, we will see if they can continue that moving forward.

So, to set the scene, well, things are not looking good for the kids, Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith/ Kacie Borrowman). For in You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates, Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law) betrayed them all by forcing SM-33 (Nick Frost/Rob Ramsdell) to declare that the dubious force user was now captain. Not wanting to be a part of his dastardly plan anymore, Wim has a quick thought and yeets the kids through a trap into the floor. Now they all have to work out where to go from here, trapped on the bottom of a mountain, away from their ship, betrayed by the one person they trusted. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – Movie Review

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TL;DR – There are some interesting moments here, and the cast is having fun, but the story feels more contrived than anything else.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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

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

A storm approaches New York.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Review –

The Ghostbusters Franchise has taken some turns in the last 40-odd years. In many ways, it has shifted from being at the forefront of the genre to being utterly indicative of their time. The question I have is if this new entry will tread along the same tired lines or try to do something new.

So, to set the scene, back in 1904, firefighters in New York stumbled across a peculiar scene when investigating a fire, where the room was frozen and not burnt. In the present, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard), and Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) are trying to hunt down the Hell’s Kitchen Sewer Dragon. But when Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) brings an old Mesopotamian ghost trap to Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), little does he know what he just unleashed on the world.

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Shrinking: Season 2 – TV Review

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TL;DR – It is rare when a series can both genuinely make me laugh down to my core yet also deliver one of the most potent emotional slaps to the face that I have ever gotten.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Shrinking. Image Credit: AppleTV+.

In today’s binge-streaming culture, it is almost expected that you will sit down and plough through a series in one or two sessions. Television that is almost just on in the background while you are doing other things. Well, today, we look at a series that respects you as a viewer in a way that you can’t watch all of it in one sitting because you need to savour every moment of it.

So, to set the scene, throughout Season One, Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) was trying to find his place in the world as he was still reeling from the tragic death of his wife Tia (Lilan Bowden) in a car crash years earlier. It was in this space that he decided to try a more hands-on type of therapy with his clients called ‘Jimmying’. There were success stories and failures, but it was working right up until one of Jimmy’s patients, Grace (Heidi Gardner), decided to take some advice a touch too literally and pushed her abusive boyfriend off a cliff. Meanwhile, Gaby (Jessica Williams) is dealing with always having to be the support mechanism for her family while starting a new role as professor, Sean (Luke Tennie) is working through having his dad back in his life, Alice (Lukita Maxwell) is still processing her own grief, and Paul’s (Harrison Ford) Parkinson’s is getting worse. Now, from here, we will be looking at the series as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.  

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Earth Abides: Forever is Tomorrow is Today & Full Season – TV Review

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TL;DR – A beautifully contemplative end to a fascinating series.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Year 20.

Earth Abides Review –

One of the interesting little gems that I found towards the end of the year was an exploration of life and death in the aftermath of absolute tragedy. What do you do when you are alone in a world that was once teaming with life? Do you survive? Do you pack it in? Do you reach out? Or do you close yourselves off from everything? These are the questions we ask in the ruins of the old world.   

So, to set the scene, twin tragedies have struck the small community of San Lupo. First, Heather (Aleksandra Cross) has returned home alone after a long sojourn north without Raif (River Codack). Even worse, after twenty years, the virus returned, and soon, many members of the town became ill. Sadder for Ish (Alexander Ludwig) and Emma (Jessica Frances Dukes), one of those affected is their son Joey (Elias Leacock), whose shoulders much of the future was resting on. We will be looking at the episode and season as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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Kneecap – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Sex, drugs, and rap, with a dash of politics, violence, and only one reference to the Pope

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film

Arlo flips the bird at a government helicopter.

Kneecap Review –

Today, I start the process of catching up on all the films of 2024 that I missed on the first release, and the first one off the bat is a film out of Northern Ireland or the North of Ireland, depending on your perspective. I was drawn to this film because it is about the Irish language, which should be a part of my heritage, given my ancestry, but it is a gap that I want to explore today.

So, to set the scene, in the tumultuous world of Northern Ireland, contestation of politics can be everywhere, even in language. It is here where so-called ceasefire babies grew up. In this world lives Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin (Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin), Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh (Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh), and JJ “DJ Próvaí” Ó Dochartaigh (JJ “DJ Próvaí” Ó Dochartaigh). They are dealing with a multitude of issues, like Naoise’s father, Arlo (Michael Fassbender), living undercover after faking his death. In the shadows of the Irish Language Act debate, the three find themselves coming together for a drug-filled night of music-making. Where they discover a way to bring the Irish language to a new generation.

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The Diplomat: Season 2 – TV Review

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TL;DR – A fantastic follow-up from the first season that had me on the edge of my seat at times and ended on one of the most bonkers moments I have seen all year.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

A coffin draped in the USA flag.

The Diplomat Review –

My background is in International Relations, and it does not come up here as much as I would like, other than the occasional The Hitman’s Bodyguard jaunt. Well, today, I get to dive back into a series that plays on a lot of those themes, so much so that we get a deep dive into Australian defence policy that I never thought I would see on the big screen.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Season One, Ambassador Katherine “Kate” Wyler (Keri Russell) and Austin Dennison, UK Foreign Secretary (David Gyasi), discovered that while they know which terrorist undertook the attack on the British Aircraft Carrier. It was not the Russians who paid for the attack but Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), the UK Prime Minister. What do you do when you discover the head of one of your most trusted allies might have undertaken a false flag operation, killing thirty of their own military personnel? A secret that not only could sink at least one government but could fracture alliances, and destabilise the world. Who do you trust when your main allies could be the ones not only stirring the pot but could be targeting you as well? Now, from here, we will be looking at the series as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Doctor Who: Joy to the World [S2E0] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode that is filled with fascinating character moments and an interesting setup, yet tied together with a dull narrative.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

The Time Hotel.

Doctor Who Review –

Many traditions exist out there for those who celebrate Christmas, and for many years now, for many, including myself, it has been capped off on Boxing Day with the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Last year, we got The Church on Ruby Road, which brought the two main characters for Season One together for the first time. In the past, we have gotten new regenerations, deaths, famous people from history, and even Catherine Tate that one time. Thus, the question is, what will we get today?

So, to set the scene, it is the Queen’s Hotel, Manchester, during the middle of the Blitz. People are lamenting the fall of democracy when a man bursts through the door carrying a ham and cheese toasty and a pumpkin latte. Wrong door, that’s okay. Let’s try The Orient Express. No. Okay, maybe Everest Base Camp? But maybe, just maybe. The Sandringham Hotel, in 2024, will be the right spot. Right where Joy (Nicola Coughlan) is arriving to spend the week. 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 Wars: Skeleton Crew: You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates [S1E5] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode that balances both the fun that this show needs and the seriousness that the universe has acquired over the decades.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

The crew on the bridge of the Onyx Cinder.

Skeleton Crew Review –

Well, today is the first day that I am going into Star Wars: Skeleton Crew with a touch of trepidation. This is because last week’s episode, Can’t Say I Remember No At Attin, was the first that fell flat for me. Which was doubly disappointing given the quality behind the production. The question I am now faced with is, was that just a speed bump on the road, or was that a sign that we had shifted in the wrong direction?

So, to set the scene, things are tense for the crew of the Onyx Cinder as SM-33’s (Nick Frost/Rob Ramsdell) memory was activated and they turned on Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith/ Kacie Borrowman). Knowing that they could turn on the crew again, the question remains: keep him tied up, or see if you can find the coordinates for At Attin in their memory banks? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Black Doves: Season 1 Review – TV Review

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TL;DR – This was a series that was full of equal parts fun and suspense, and it shows that one of your best strengths is just letting your cast do what they do best.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Helen looks down at a church service.

Black Doves Review –

I love a good spy mystery with betrayals, twists and turns, and some good quality suspense. A lot of countries can make this work, but few do it as good as the Brits. So, when I heard there was a new series coming out and then that it was headlined by Keira Knightley & Ben Whishaw. Well, I had to check it out.

So, to set the scene, it is Christmas time at an English pub, and the vibe is cheerful, with people singing along to the carols and ignoring the death of the Chinese ambassador on the news. However, there is one person, Jason Davis (Andrew Koji), who is not having an enjoyable time. He is moving at speed because he thinks someone is following him. It turns out he was right, as all of his friends are murdered, and he is shot making one last call. That last call was to Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), the wife of the now Defence Secretary, Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan). It is odd that someone would spend their last moments calling another person’s wife, but even odder when Reed (Sarah Lancashire) shows up to the Christmas party and we discover that Helen is not what she seems. We will be looking at the season as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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