Steven J Firth

While only very loosely reflecting Asimov’s books, this still remains unparalleled Sci-Fi. Credit must be given, however, for an attempt at presenting an incredibly complex book series in a way which is, at least, marginally approachable in film (the book-lore groupies forget that being faithful to the text in film series would be incredibly difficult (if not impossibly opaque) given its complexities). The world-building is progressive throughout, but the first season does an outstanding job of much of the grunt work. The first few episodes need some patience, but after that it slips in to place. The moving paintings which are so beautifully done in the first season are sadly less prominent in later seasons, but the other imagery and cgi makes up for it. Remarkable cinematography throughout, outstanding costumes, and excellent acting — together with an hypnotising story (again, loosely based upon the original), makes this engaging work deeply entertaining and a pantheon of light, dark, and everything in between. Not as boisterous, philosophical, or optimistic as Trek; nor as banal as Star Wars; nor as politically depressing as Expanse, this is stand alone cinema — and is well worth the time investment. 11/10

I am a huge fan of the Naked Gun films and the earlier Police Squad series, and I was excited for this film to land. Sadly, despite an excellent cast, some great cameos, a good soundtrack, and passable cgi, it didn’t really land. Anderson plays her part as well as it is intended to be, but I’m not a great fan of her acting in general. Neeson isn’t much better, having seemingly lost the spark that he had back in the Taken epoch. While the jokes and visual humour are of the style of Police Squad, they don’t seem anywhere nearly as well timed or well lined up as in the original series and films; they’re of the same order, but they miss their mark repeatedly. The production is excellent, yet the whole film feels off. I’d say that the cameos were likely the best part of the movie — which is a great shame, as the earlier movies and series were outstanding and there’s a definitely a place for this kind of material. 2/10. Ok to watch if there’s little else going on and another fine example of how Rotten Tomatoes has lost any kind of accuracy in its reviews.

This is another fine example of Rotten Tomatoes having zero grasp on what constitutes a good film. This is a consummate western that distances itself from the tired tragedies that have previously dominated. This isn’t the dark westerns of the Eastwood Directed order, but it doesn’t skip out on their grand scenery and cinematography. Some stunning visuals and a unique story make this a departure from those previously seen in the genre (though it is not without its pastiches). Excellent work from Brianna, Lessard, and Kilcher — with special mention to Sam for a surprising portrayal of St. Christopher. The soundtrack is somewhat uninspiring, but not a detractor from the film. This movie warrants a far better rating than it seems to have garnered elsewhere, but perhaps people are only interested in continuing the tired Superhero and banal Anderson movies to be swooned by epic scenery and a novel plot.

This was a great film, plenty of character development, a tense and pressing plot, and the runtime doesn’t feel so long as it actually is. Great performances all round with some lovely scenic shots. Minimal use of CGI and sole excellent choreography. Well worth the time to watch.

Ok, I have no idea why these moron critics think so poorly of this movie; it’s a light-hearted, well acted, comedy, action movie — it’s not meant to be Citizen Kane! There’s enough political commentary to make its mark on even the least inclined armchair politician, and enough excitement to stand in as a Schwarzenegger movie. It’s fun, well filmed, has a good cast, reasonable soundtrack, a plot which is sufficiently different from other action movies, and gently passes an apropos political observation on tired insular and isolationist thinking. Elba and Cena work well together and the rest of the cast hold their own beautifully. A good strong female role, though sadly also roped in to be the love interest, is a welcome relief that’s not just token casting, and great sets and locations. The CGI in some areas needed attention and lest the movie down for lack of polish, but it is what it is. I’m fed up of critics being heavy handed with these kinds of popcorn movies — this is a fun, well paced, entertaining, action movie that can easily pass an evening. Watch it; you’ll enjoy it,

This is simply superb. Guy Richie is in epic form with his newest release. A gritty British gangster series with a strong (if not predictable) plot. Outstanding performances from an outstanding cast. Younger Brianna was, perhaps a bit sharper, but this is likely one of his best performances in the last 20 years — the character he plays maybe permitting him a more age-appropriate and realistic chance to show his skills. Excellent performances from everyone else — particular mention to Froggat and Mirren. This series is setting out to be unparalleled and I’m greatly looking forward to watching the story unfold — even if the process of getting there may be somewhat tried and tested.

This, this is Disney at its best. From one brought up with the magic of Disney in perhaps its most creative period, this is a welcome return to the wonder (the magic) Disney instilled in me when I was a kid. This is a simply outstanding movie with gorgeous sentimentality, a much needed message, with a strong moral compass and outstanding ideology — well positioned for our current upheaval, disjointedness, and apathy. I have no idea why this movie has not fared better in the rankings — though it confirms my belief that the critics behind Rotten Tomatoes have almost no comprehension of what it takes to be a good movie. The cinematography, cgi, and acting were outstanding, though Laurie was wasted as the paradigmatic British bad guy (Hollywood really does have to let go of that tired cliche). The story was a little slow to get going, but was on point and definitely needs to be told. If you do nothing more than encourage your children to watch this film, then you will have parented like a boss. The future — our future — does lie with our kids, and this may help them to unleash the capacity for innovation and problem solving innate within our species. Our generations have certainly let the side down — but making this movie was not one of those times. 11/10 — outstanding.

I am a sci-fi addict, and frankly, this film was one of the worst I’ve ever watched. It’s slow, disjointed, incoherent, and beige. There are multiple un-resolved subplots and character roles, and the director made almost no attempt whatsoever to abide by the rules of physics in space. There are some good performances from an outstanding cast, but they are unable to buoy an otherwise terrible film. I’m certain that the investigation of human psyche is relevant (and I suspect that this investigation is why it reports so highly in the reviews), but the violation of space facts are unbearably distracting. 1/10 — don’t waste your time.

This is a refreshing return for Axle F and the gang. With better production and post production than seen in the middle of the quadrology, this film re-ignites the legend with some serious fandom together with a refreshing plot, lots of wild action, and an excellent soundtrack. Unlike many films recently, this kept my attention throughout (more than can be said for the snore-festa, Furiosa and Oppenheimer), but it’s firmly set at catering to those of us old enough to watch the originals. While I know that Murphy intentionally lost his laugh, there were a number of times in the movie that I wished he’d bring it back; that role and that laugh are synonymous with the Beverly Hills Cop movies and are sorely missed. This is a 10/10 easy going and entertaining movie that will be lost on a generation who haven’t seen the originals and are not familiar with the more carefree ‘80s. Once again, Rotten Tomatoes is as much use as a chocolate fire guard in accurately rating this movie.

This is another example of why Rotten Tomatoes ratings are out to lunch. This film is meh at best and simply insipid at worst. The acting has some passable moments, but is generally poor despite having some heavy-weight actors involved; the story is predictable and bland; the cgi is overused, poor, and undermines an already poor production. There’s very few films that I actually turned off, but I gave up on this one half way through and found the (underrated, but still not great) Lassiter to be a massive improvement (despite the fact that it’s not great either). 1/10 do not recommend.