Category Archives: 2019 Reviews

Movie Review – Top End Wedding

Posted on by
5

TL;DR – Joyous, Funny, Beautiful, and Moving.     

Score – 4.5 out of 5 stars

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

Top End Wedding. Image Credit: Universal.

Review –

As a guy, it might not be kosher, but I love a good romantic comedy, one that you can sit back, laugh, but also be moved by the characters. However, this is a genre that has kind of been on the backburner in recent years with only Crazy Rich Asians being the one to come to mind when I think of good works to draw from. Today, thankfully, I get to add another film to this list with the joy that is Top End Wedding.

So to set the scene, we open in on a couple living in Adelaide who are both having very important days. Lauren (Miranda Tapsell) is having her first major client meeting and if it goes well she will get a promotion for the firm she works in under Hampton (Kerry Fox) who is often referred to a Cruella. Meanwhile, Ned (Gwilym Lee) is trying to live up to his father’s memory in the courtroom but finds the job difficult because he has no passion for it. Well, Ned decides to quit his job and proposes to Lauren, the only catch is that Hampton will only give Lauren 10 days off for the wedding, as in the next 10 days, and Lauren has always dreamed of having her wedding in Darwin where she is from. While this should be easy to put together, things take a turn when she arrives home to find her father Trevor (Huw Higginson) and mother Daffy (Ursula Yovich) had recently separated and no one knows where her mother is.

Continue reading →

TV Review – Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Cinco De Mayo

Posted on by
1

TL;DR –  After six years, will the annual heist be a dull affair, no of course not.

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Cinco De Mayo. Image Credit: NBC.

Review –

Throughout Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s history, there have been a number of running jokes and the most recurrent of these is the Halloween heist. For me, the original heist episode all the way back in Season One was one of the episodes that elevated the show from being just fun to something more. However, after six times around is there anything new you can do with this idea, indeed Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) calls out this very sentiment, but I think the show still has a few surprises left.

So to set the scene, it is Cinco de Mayo and Terry (Terry Crews) is stress eating because it is the day he is taking his lieutenants exam. As a way to help take his mind off it Jake (Andy Samberg) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) both suggest that they run their annual heist today as they could not run it on Halloween because of a gas pipe explosion. Soon it is decided that the teams will be Terry and Jake vs Holt and Amy (Melissa Fumero), because Rosa and Charles (Joe Lo Truglio) are over it. All they have to do is get Scully’s (Joel McKinnon Miller) medical alert bracelet by the end of the night, which can’t be too hard … right. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

Movie Review – Detective Pikachu (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu)

Posted on by
13

TL;DR – I had a smile on my face for the whole film, filled with joy and heart.     

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

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

Detective Pikachu (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu). Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Review –

Before we start I should mention that I am probably the easiest sell when it comes to a live action Pokémon movie. I grew up with the show and the video games, so this is honestly the perfect setting for me if you want to hit that rose-tinted nostalgia that people in the industry crave. With this in mind, I walked into the cinemas with a sceptical mind, but I have to say it got caught up in the world almost instantly.

So to set the scene, we open in on Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), there was a time long ago when he wanted to be a Pokémon trainer, but that time has passed and now he is happy being an insurance claims adjuster (which I think they chose because it sounds like the most boring job in the world if you were a child … or adult). His best friend Jack (Karan Soni) is about to leave town to be a Pokémon trainer and he fears for his friend being left all alone, so they try and catch a Cubone, this way he will have a companion. After that all falls apart they walk back into town only to discover Tim has several missed messages from Detective Hideo Yoshida (Ken Watanabe) from Ryme City where his dad works. There has been an accident and his father has been killed in the line of duty and Tim needs to come to the city to settle his affairs. However, when he arrives he finds someone lurking in his dad’s apartment, a Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) that only he can understand.

Continue reading →

TV Review – Game of Thrones: The Last of the Starks

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – An episode of two halves that don’t work together, but at least it nails the first part.

Score – 3.5 out of 5 stars

Game of Thrones: The Last of the Starks. Image Credit: HBO.

Review –

One thing that always resonates in a good show is an impact. When you change the game what is the impact on the characters and the greater world. This is one area that historically Game of Thrones has excelled at, and this might be the biggest impact we have had so far. After the battle comes a moment of reflection, but then what if there is no time because there are still enemies on the board?

So to set the scene, we begin in the moments after the end of last week’s The Long Night. At the end of the battle, Arya (Maisie Williams) was the one who finally stopped the Night King (Vladimir Furdik) destroying all of his minions. However, this was not before thousands of lives were lost, including the leader House Mormont Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey). It was a major victory but also a stunning loss, one that might have set the scene for a safer world but at the cost of putting Cersei (Lena Headey) in maybe an unbeatable position. However, when you have gumption on your side (and also some dragons) anything is possible, maybe. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

Movie Review – Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – While it focuses on the charismatic nature of Bundy and his toxic effects, that is all the film has going for it, and that is not enough when you are exploring a narrative like this.     

Score – 2.5 out of 5 stars

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit sequence

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Image Credit: Netflix.

Review –

Murder, it is a topic most foul, but it is also one that is ripe for adaptation. We have seen this time and time again, and today we are looking film depicting the life of one of the most heinous serial killers in American history. There is a lot of obsession around him due to his charismatic nature and the way he used the media in his trial, after numerous escapes from custody. Quite often this obsession is deeply problematic, so when you are dealing with a film in which he is the core subject you have to be very careful. Today we are looking at Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a film that attempts this but does not quite succeed.

So to set the scene, in the middle of the 1970s and Liz (Lily Collins) is out at a bar with her friend Joanna (Angela Sarafyan). Joanna wanted Liz to have a little fun, instead of being stuck at home with her daughter and there is one man that has not taken his eyes off her. He walks over and introduces himself as Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) and the two instantly hit it off. However, not long after they move in together Ted is arrested in Utah on what he claims are trumped up charges. This begins a long march for justice and the long decline of Liz’s health.

Continue reading →

Movie Review – The Last Summer

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – This is a perfectly fine film, but it felt like it could have been more if they had gone for something other than the shotgun approach to storytelling.

Score – 3 out of 5 stars

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

The Last Summer. Image Credit: Netflix.

Review –

It has been a long time since the sort of wholesome teen romance film was in vogue. You know the sort of film that can get away with having bloopers during the end credits. In some respects, this feels like a lost art that was only recaptured recently thanks in part by a number of films on Netflix. Well today we take a look at an interesting example of this genre that has moments of real joy in between moments of real dullness.

So to set the scene, it is the last summer after the end of high school where everyone is having fun before having to move away for college. Our story revolves around a group of teens that sort of know each other from school as they endure heartbreak after heartbreak. You have Griffin (KJ Apa) who is coming home from prep-school, so he feels disconnected for most of the people who stayed in Chicago. You have Alec (Jacob Latimore) and Erin (Halston Sage) who are going to different colleges so they decide to pre-emptively break up. Also Audrey (Sosie Bacon) has been put on the wait-list from even her back-up, back-up College and does not know what she wants to do with her life. All of these stories sort of collide with each other over the summer as people’s priorities are put into focus.

Continue reading →

TV Review – Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Return of the King

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – Gina is back, and she brings her hectic world with her.

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Return of the King. Image Credit: NBC.

Review –

When it was announced that there was going to be a new season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine there was a sense of jubilation that was only tempered slightly by the fact that it was also announced that Chelsea Peretti would not be doing the full season, but she would be back for guest appearances. Well, today we get the first of those as we get a little insight into the crazy world of Gina Linetti.

So to set the scene, at the end of Four Movements Gina left her job at the 99 to better find herself. Since that time she has been apparently blowing off her former friends, not that Jake (Andy Samberg) notices. But meanwhile, she has built a large media empire and brand that has been exploding across the internet. Well, she is back in New York, so she invites Jake and Terry (Terry Crews) come meet her, only for it to be a work thing. For you see someone has been sending her death threats, and this time it might be serious. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

TV Review – Lego Masters AU

Posted on by
3

TL;DR – This is a breath of fresh air in a crowded market that shines by showing the strength of people and not my trying to tear them down.

Score – 4.5 out of 5 stars

Lego Masters AU. Image Credit: Nine Network.

Review –

In Australia, it feels like if you want to make any new content you have two choices Sport or Reality TV. Everything has to be designed around “Event TV’ that is television that you have to watch live so that you can be part of the conversation the next day in the office. This has been done in the response of shifting viewing habits of people away from traditional timeslots and TV stations not knowing how to respond. In Australia that has meant that we are inundated with one reality show after another, each jostling to try and be that next event, often by scraping through the bottom of the barrel to see what is underneath. For a viewer, this means that they take a concept and try and stretch as much out of it as possible so it can fill as much of the schedule as possible, and for a consumer, this is a real drag (and I assume it is no joy for the people making it either). However, every now and again something will break through the noise, and today I get the chance to look at just one such show, even though it is a reality TV show on three times a week.

So to set the scene, if you have seen a reality competition show before then you probably know what to expect here. Eight teams enter into a warehouse where they battle in the challenge after challenge where some of them will be eliminated until there is only one team left. The big change this time around is that the arena where they are battling is not food, or singing, or being married, at first sight, no it is building Lego creations. It is a show that celebrates creativity, working under pressure, but also being part of a team, and supporting them at each step of the way.   

Continue reading →

TV Review – Game of Thrones: The Long Night

Posted on by
5

TL;DR – The storm is here, the storm is coming for you, the storm bites.  

Score – 5 out of 5 stars

Game of Thrones: The Long Night. Image Credit: HBO.

Review –

Have you ever watched a show where over seven seasons of story led to one moment, thinking back for me only maybe Deep Space Nine, or possibly Fringe funnelled everything into one moment. Well, today we have another example to add to the mix, with just about every single person left alive in Game of Thrones all in the same location waiting for the oncoming storm.

So to set the scene, during last week’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms we got a chance to sit back and revisit all the characters that we had gotten to know over the last few seasons, which would have been great if this didn’t have the feel of one last happy moment before the end. Jon (Kit Harington) told Danni (Emilia Clarke) about who he was which yep shocker did not go down well. Arya (Maisie Williams) made it with Gendry (Joe Dempsie), Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) plan out their post-conflict lives and we get drunk by the fire. However, at every moment there is the threat of death that will be with them before the morning. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that time is here, and oh wow, just wow. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.  

Continue reading →

TV Review – Street Food: Season One

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – This is a fascinating series exploring the food and people that make up some of the most interesting cities in Asia.  

Score – 4.5 out of 5 stars

Street Food. Image Credit: Netflix.

Review –

If you have read my reviews in the past you could probably tell that I am a sucker for a good food documentary. A documentary that explores the origins of a dish, or the people that make it, or the cultural context it exists in. Well, today we get a show that does all three with Street Food. When you think of street food, what first comes to mind? Well for a long time for me it was that kebab shop that is open to late in the morning or that one chip store I found in Sydney that one time. However, as I have started to travel I have found it is much, much, much more than that, and this is what we will be exploring today.

So to set the scene, today we delve into the street food cultures of eight different cities across Asia. Some of these locations are quite well known like Bangkok, Osaka, Delhi, Seoul, and Singapore, as well as some less well-known places like Chiayi, Yogyakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We see the foods that mark each of these cities and the people that make them. We discover the Fish-head Stew of Chiayi, the Crab Omelette of Bangkok, or the Putu Piring of Singapore. But more than this we explore the cities, their history, their relationship with food, and what it means for the people who make/eat it.   

Continue reading →