Reviews
Calibre (2018)
Disturbing!
A dark and disturbing movie. Extremely tense. Great acting all round. All the characters are flawed to varying degrees and no one comes out of it unscathed.
Young Wallander (2020)
Well made & exciting. The SWE/ENG thing surprisingly works.
Really gripped by both series. It's somewhat weird, though, that it's set in Malmö, everything is Swedish, down to the papers on the desks yet everyone speaks English as their first language - apart from young Wallender himself, who speaks English with a Swedish accent lol. Weirdly, though, it works. Very enjoyable.
Pleased to see Adam Pålsson in the lead after starring in the superb Innan vi dör.
Before We Die (2021)
Skip this - watch the superior Swedish original.
I was blown away by the original Swedish series, (now showing a second series on TV.) I was so disappointed with this version. The acting was so wooden, it all felt very contrived and I found myself left cold with the main characters. Lesley Sharp just seemed a bit drippy and unbelievable as Hanna particularly after Marie Richardson's storming performance in the original. I really wouldn't bother with this poor copy and head straight to the Swedish original 'Innan vi dör'.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018)
Utterly outstanding!
Wow! Faultless performances all round. What a cast. An absolute treat.
Greenland (2020)
Dreadful! Every cliche and then some.
I thought this might be ok as it has a rating of 6.4 but omg, it's awful! It has every cliche ever - the sick kiddy, the estranged wife, the lonely Dad, etc. Left you hoping all the main characters would get a direct hit from the comets (or 'CO-mit' as they call it). Gerard Butler disturbingly randomly developed a Scottish accent. Very strange.
I've seen more convincing plane crashes on Thunderbirds. This was a matchbox plane on a piece of string.
Surprised to see David Carradine in it, delivering a vomit-inducing speech about needing to die on his farm.
The little birdies tweeting playfully at the end despite total global devastation were the final PTSB moment.
Der Hauptmann (2017)
Superb!
What a great movie! Very well done to everyone involved. So pleased I have it a try. This one is definitely a 10.
Ghosts of War (2020)
Ok film - Stupid and annoying ending
Could have been a really good horror movie and acting was good but the stupidest ending to a movie I've seen. As if the director couldn't decide how to end it so didn't even try. You might end up feeling like... WTF? Is that the ending?
Enemy Lines (2020)
Don't understand the negativity - seen a lot worse!
I really don't understand the extreme negativity of the reviews. I thought it was going to be dreadful but it was perfectly watchable and I've seen a lot worse with higher scores. Don't be put off!
Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (2019)
Outstanding movie.
I watched this having heard great reports. I was even more impressed than I thought I would be. An amazing true story which I'm sure has not had the coverage of American battles. Such a well made, utterly exciting and absorbing movie. Fast paced from start to finish. Shocking that the average age was only 20. Heroes indeed. A must-see.
Renegades (2017)
Massively, overly long.
Could have been an ok movie if a third as long. So drawn out. Started off ok then sinks into boredom. Really quite dire.
Bad Samaritan (2018)
Very exciting, menacing thriller!
Phew, well that was a nail-biting movie! Very exciting with good acting and the pressure kept on all the way through.
Incheon sangryuk jakjeon (2016)
Such a good movie! Exciting and well made.
I don't normally write reviews but this was such a good movie that I felt it deserved a much higher rating than it has.
A true story of incredible bravery. Excellent action and tension all the way. I couldn't fault it and I'd started out with not too much optimism based on the score here. Honestly, if you like a quality action movie watch this! The South Koreans absolutely (rightly) steal the show. Fantastic acting too. Definitely deserves a 10.
Instrument of War (2017)
A poignant story, well told.
A true story of imprisoned WWII allies shot down over Germany doing what they can to keep going in the PoW camp. Nicely and simply told, and very moving. A must see for any musicians - especially violinists.
The Great Wall (2016)
A great adventure story.
Entertaining from start to finish. Great cast, action and special effects. Didn't think it would be so good. Sit back and enjoy the action.
The First Purge (2018)
Unbelievably bad
Didn't think much of the others but this was the worst thing I've tried to sit through that I can remember. Awful dialogue, meaningless characters. I stuck it for an hour as I'd paid for it but wish I hadn't bothered.