Author Archives: tldrmoviereviews

The Penguin: Inside Man – TV Review

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TL;DR – We get a quieter, more character-focused episode that shows us how wild the rest of the season will be.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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

Sofia Falcone

The Penguin Review –

The first episode of The Penguin After Hours had to do a lot of heavy lifting. It had to bring people into this world without the guarantee that they had watched The Batman. Now that we have situated ourselves in this world, it is time to explore some of the characters more deeply. Well, if that was the mission for the day, then the second episode did it in spades.

So, to set the scene, things are still tense in the underworld of Gotham City. The damage caused by The Riddler has created a lot of opportunities, but with the death of Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong), there is also a potential power vacuum. Well, nature abhors a vacuum, but when Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) kills Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), well, there is only one outcome that can follow. The question is: will The Penguin be able to play the Falcone’s and Maroni’s off each other, or will he get taken out in the crossfire? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Shadow and Flame & Season 2 – TV Review

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TL;DR – The season ends on a high note as war comes to Middle Earth

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Durin’s Bane

The Rings of Power Review –

Well, we have flown by, and before we knew it, we hit the end of the second season of Rings of Power. There have been highs and lows along the way this season, and some stories have triumphed while others have tried to tread water and failed. Today, we will take the time to see if the finale stuck the landing and then reflect on the season as a whole.  

So, to set the scene, things are dire for the good people of Middle Earth. The Orcs have entered Eregion, as Adar (Sam Hazeldine) has subdued Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and captured one of the Elven Rings of Power. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) might have escaped with the Ring for Men, but it still seems like Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is controlling everything as one of the great elven cities burns. The dwarves could not come to help because they were dealing with a King who was so focused on greed that he might unleash an untold horror. Even out in the East, The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is faced with growing darkness and a choice that could lead to the death of those he loves. Is there any hope for Middle Earth? Only time will tell. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode and season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Joker: Folie à Deux – Movie Review

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TL;DR – This is one of those films that the more I have had time to think about it, the less I liked it. Compelling performances are not enough when you are swimming in the thematic shallow end of the pool but pretending you jump in the deep end.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

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

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

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

The Joker walks under rain surrounded by colourful umbrellas.

Joker: Folie à Deux Review –

Well, hmm, this was always going to be a complex review for me because I did not connect at all with the first Joker film. While many were rightly praising Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and Hildur Guðnadóttir’s musical score. I came away from that narrative feeling primarily hollow. It felt like this was a movie that wanted to say something about mental health, the role of the press, and the way that societies disenfranchise people and then get upset when they work outside societal norms. But the writing felt like someone wanted to talk about all these issues but didn’t have all that much to say other than ‘see … look … bad’ which, yes, okay, but we already knew this: what are you bringing to the table other than you watched Taxi Driver? But we are in sequel territory, and I am always happy when a sequel can improve on the original work. Well, let’s see if that is what we have today.

So, to set the scene, it has been two years since ‘The Joker’ as Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has been dubbed, causing a riot across Gotham City after killing a popular TV host live on air. Since then, he has been housed at Arkham State Hospital a place where nothing ever goes wrong at all. However, as his court case for his crimes draws close, Arthur meets a new inmate, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), who might be just what he needs or a manipulation that could have drastic effects. Now, in our review today, we will spend the first half looking over some of the general themes. When we get into some of the minutiae of the narrative, we will warn you when we might touch on some spoilers.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Doomed to Die – TV Review

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TL;DR – From the opening deceptions to the closing metal romp, this was one of the strongest episodes of the season so far.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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

Celebrimbor stuck in an illusion.

The Rings of Power Review –

We are getting to the pointy part of the season, and things are starting to go down because all things must end. Indeed, there are a lot of characters and storylines floating around, and we know at least some of them do not survive the end of this story. Well, when you are doomed to die, can you really complain? But when you have nothing but action, it can get exhausting, and it is that challenge that we will examine today.   

So, to set the scene, we open with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) quietly working away by himself in his forge, crafting the nine rings of man. He found quiet solitude in those days after all his apprentices had been sent away, with only Sauron/Annatar (Charlie Vickers) as a companion. However, just on the edge of his perception, he gets glimpses of something not quite right. A missing jewel suddenly reappears, and a gaunt visage in a mirror fixes itself when he looks back. Something is just not quite right, but he can’t put his finger on it. Meanwhile, outside of his delusions/illusions, the land of Eregion is under attack by an Orc force that may be its downfall. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Last Days of the Space Age: Only Kids Dream About Being Spacemen – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is an interesting, if overwhelming, exploration of the characters that we will be getting to know across the series.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

The Moon rising through a smashed windscreen.

Last Days of the Space Age Review –

One area that truly excites me is space, its exploration, and the history and impact that it has had on the world. Everyone can cite that one story about a pencil v pen in a spaceship or one small step for man, and that is this far removed in time from when it happened. What must the impact did those events have on the world in the years just after it happened? Well, in today’s series, we explore just that.

So, to set the scene, it is a tumultuous point in Perth’s history as several competing factors look to crash into each other just when the world’s spotlight is placed on the city. These fracture points are brought into stark highlight when a brick goes flying through the front windscreen of Tony (Jesse Spencer) and Judy Bissett’s (Radha Mitchell) as they travel at 60km an hour. How do you get on when you have a house divided? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.     

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Shrinking: Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is a delightfully sad, yet also uplifting, series of broken people doing broken things, yet finding the strength to be better in each other.  

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Paul on a couch reflecting on his life.

Shrinking Review –

Recently, there has been a running theme of there being a lot of good shows on AppleTV+ that absolutely no one is watching because the channel cannot seem to advertise anything that is not Ted Lasso. Now, while I have jammed with a lot of the sci-fi that they have, like Silo and Foundation, I think this would be an excellent time to see what else the service has to offer. The first stop in this exploration is a show that has been heavily recommended to me, and with that cast, I can understand why.  

So, to set the scene, it is late one night, like 3 a.m., and Liz (Christa Miller) and her husband Derek (Ted McGinley) are trying to work out who is going to go down and tell their neighbour Jimmy (Jason Segel) to turn off their music and stop making noise in the pool. Jimmy clearly looks to be an emotional mess who is trying to self-medicate via illicit substances and people you hire late at night for their professional services. That looks even worse in the morning when you see that disaster unfold with his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) ghosting him, there being no petrol in his car, and a bike that does not quite fit. The good thing is that it looks like Jimmy is going to therapy until you realise that he is the therapist.   

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Wolfs – Movie Review

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TL;DR – This is a film that should have knocked the ball out of the park home run; instead, it just felt like a safe walk most of the time.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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

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

Brad Pitt and Georgy Clooney draw guns on each other.

Wolfs Review –

Some films just excite you when you hear who has been cast in it. Some actors have built this reputation that if you see both in the same movie, then you know it is going to be good. For example, you know if N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan appear in the same film, it will cause a stir. Well, today, we look at a movie that should have captured that same vibe but instead just fell flat.

So, to set the scene, we open with the sound of a crash, a scream, and then a string of obscenities, as something has clearly gone wrong. What could be so bad, you say, how about a recently dead body of the Kid (Austin Abrams)? Well, after an appropriate length of time freaking out, Margaret (Amy Ryan) phones a contact that she was given years ago, one that can make things disappear. That man is Jack (George Clooney), a cleaner. The only problem is that the owner of the hotel, Pamela Dowd-Henry (Frances McDormand), also witnessed what happened and hired her own cleaner, Nick (Brad Pitt). Now, the two of them must work together as this relatively simple case starts falling apart.  

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Agatha All Along: Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials – TV Review

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TL;DR – The first trial is here, and it very much sets the tone for the show going forward.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

The Coven arrives on the Road.

Agatha All Along Review –

After last week’s Seekest Thou the Road and Circle Sewn With Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate double opener gave us the foundation of this world, it was going to be interesting to see where they would go from there. Everything was building to that road, and by the end of episode 2, we were there. Now, we need to find just what trials will appear along the road.

So, to set the scene, when Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) combined the powers of Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) & Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), oh and Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp) and Teen (Joe Locke) are also here, to open the door to the Witches Road, she seemed surprised the most that the door opened. But attackers were there, and Agatha had no choice but to run down the staircase. But now that they are all on the road, the dangers start hitting home because even straying off the path can be deadly. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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Divorce (Rozwodnicy) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – This was a delightfully fun look at trying to work your way through many layers of church bureaucracy.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

the school band plays in hard hats.

Divorce Review –

If there is one area that deserves a little comedic exploration, it is religion. However, it might also be the most fraught area to explore. To pull it off, you have to have an intimate understanding of the subject matter because it needs to hit home in a realistic manner. Today, we look at a film that might do just that as it explores trying to get a divorce, sorry, an annulment, in Poland.    

So, to set the scene, Małgosia (Magdalena Popławska) and Jacek (Wojciech Mecwaldowski) have been divorced for a long time. So long that Małgosia has married again to Andrzej (Tomasz Schuchardt). Małgosia is struggling to relate to her daughter Ala (Oliwia Drabik), who has a defiant streak. But when her ex-husband Jacek wants to get re-married, he needs a favour. Because his new in-laws want a church wedding, and that means not just a civil divorce, but Andrzej needs the church to sign off on an annulment in an Ecclesiastical Court. It is clear that the marriage has broken down completely and irretrievably, and Małgosia has re-married, so it should be easy … right?    

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Where Is He? – TV Review

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TL;DR – While frustrations remain, you can feel the momentum of the series shift as we start getting to the pointy end.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Sauron smirks.

The Rings of Power Review –

We are getting to the pointy end of the season, which means things need to start rolling towards the conclusion. Orcs are on the move, evil beings are manipulating, and calamities abound. But as we rush to the end, manipulations get stronger, allies become odder, and fractures become profound.

So, to set the scene, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) is hot on the heels of the orc band that cut their way through the forest, angering the Ents in Eldest, but when he catches up to some deserters, he is shocked to see that they march on the Elven city of forges. Meanwhile, in that very city, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is showing more signs of instability as he cannot get the rings for man to work, and he has started forgetting things. This alarms his smiths, but what they don’t know is much of his current disposition has been influenced by Annatar/Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who has slowly twisted the grand forger’s mind. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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