H Lewis

I was in no mind at all about this series... i added it to watch as gentle easy viewing. But I've now watched all episodes and it is SO. VERY. BLAND. OMG! And worse, she seemed to be trying so hard to portray a character she wants us to believe in rather than bringing her true self to this show. There's seems to be a particular type of Markle supporter who will love her anyway and see no reason to be objective... one reviewer for example can't have even been watching the same programme as the rest of us as she described Meg as being surrounded by family and friends! What?!!? Were they not paying attention??... first of all, what family? It was only Doria! Name the others..... I'll wait 😅. And friends??? All 2 of them? Do her supporters not understand the difference between a guest procured by her production team and real actual friends?? Daniel for example is an EMPLOYEE. For anyone who is claiming to have learned anything from these episodes, welcome to the Internet...you must be new! Everything she presents has been done elsewhere...spend a few moments on tik tok / Pinterest etc. and it's all been done before. And emptying a bag of pretzels from one bag to another..... j3susmaryandjoseph! Why didn't she make some pretzels? It's easy! Worst of all is how deathly dull this series. There are no interesting conversations or insights, in fact, isn't the mark of a good host drawing your guests out to talk about themselves and getting to know them and thereby giving us the viewer some valuable or interesting insights about them? But Meg just can't shut up about herself! Take the guest and definitely not-a-friend Mindy Kaling, for example. She's built for herself an amazing portfolio as an actress, writer and producer over the years and in her own right is interesting... but where were Megs questions to her? Instead we get Markle talking about and complimenting herself constantly. It's boring. It's very telling that Netflix dumped all episodes to view on a Tuesday... rather than on a weekend, and then didnt serialised it weekly to build anticipation. Doing so would have given Markle the time to sort out her brand and product availability debacle. The fact that they didnt speaks volumes. Meg has clearly gotten all of these big deals wholly based on the fact that she married into the royal family and it shows. There is no way she would have gotten them on her own because the key thing I learned from this series is that she is neither creative or interesting. She's blown it big time. I'm so disappointed in her.

On the one hand it has some dinosaurs. On the other, it's really boring....despite the dinosaurs. In fact, a bucket load more dinosaurs might have saved this movie. Its set in the days before the colossal asteroid strike 65m years ago as the protagonists race to get their crashed spaceship off our soon to be decimated planet. On the plus side, the dino designs are interesting and may well have looked and moved like this. But they're not enough to make this movie engaging.

This a fantastic film which is such a fun watch! It avoids the pitfalls of sentimental dialogue and spiritual revelations, and is very much a caper movie. The visuals are fantastic, the action sequences are excitingly choreographed, and of particular note is Chris Evans as a shiftless, deadbeat dad who is a great foil to Dwayne Johnson as Santas straightlace bodyguard. In fact, this non-fat Santa is so jacked, that its a wonder he needs a bodyguard at all. Chris has great comic timing and his reactions to the unlikely and fantastical things he sees are brilliantly done. The Dwayne/Chris pair up works a treat as they are fantastic together. The non-human characters are well rendered but thankfully, do not dominate screentime. As supporting characters, they are fun to watch... especially the Snowman thugs and Garcia! There are so many fun ideas in this movie that I haven't seen before which is such a treat. From the size of the reindeer, to Santas original house preserved at the immense 'North Pole Complex', through to how Santa is able to transport so many gifts. These ideas make sense and add depth to Santa lore. And not gonna lie, the baddies goal isn't actually a terrible idea! It's not a film for very young kids to watch on their own....I'd say min. 10ys old unaccompanied, as in style it's very similar to the Mission Impossible films, and some of the scenes are a little dark. But its not horror/scary and there is a lovely thread of underlying humour throughout. There is very limited mild bad language and no nudity. This film is fresh, fun and exciting and one to be rewatched every year. If you have films like Arthur Christmas, Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged and Die Hard on your Christmas watchlist, then Red One is definitely one to add. And similar to many Pixar films, the dialogue and action works on two levels for both kids and adults. Like any movie, you really have to watch it yourself to know if you'll like it or not. I read many of the reviews before watching but went in with an open mind and found I absolutely loved it. Which just goes to show, don't let a stranger / movie critics' opinion dictate what you watch!

Avoid this show. Its weak and so simplified as to make the whole series pointless. Its a docuseries only for people who need an intro to limited bare facts of the conflict, before watching something much more sophisticated than this. First of, the narration is terrible. John Boyega's monotone delivery is risible so he really should stick to acting only. Second, youll see that in the first episode alone, its all over the place which gives no event the time and analysis necessary for the viewer to contextualise and understand its relevance to previous or subsequent events. This is a lazy series, redeemed only by some genuine footage which has been colourised and gives a nuance and depth undeserved by this series. Spare yourself, and if you want an informative intro to the war, start with 'The World at War' narrated by Laurence Olivier, and follow up with Netflix series 'How the Nazis lost the war' and 'Hitlers circle of evil'. And the many many others that are far better than this garbage.

This is a fun watch and you won't hear a Russian accent anywhere! Each well known actor speaks in his normal voice which makes Stalins cockney accent very amusing. Jeremy Isaacs as Zhukov should have been introduced much earlier in the film. His dashing, flamboyant entrance is an absolute treat and I wish he had been used more. An enjoyable watch, and its worth looking up the monster, Beria.

This laugh out loud series is an absolute treat. Each episode is like a warm blanket, wrapping you up in gentle 1930s nostalgia. You'll get a sense of the tone of the series from episode 1, so if you enjoy that, you are going to love every single episode of each series. It's gentle viewing, not to be mistaken for simple or unengaging. Each character is fully three dimensional, and all episodes have an interconnectedness without unnecessary plot arcs or contrived drama. The family are dysfunctionally wonderful, with each of the Durrell children distinctly individual, but all very funny in their mannerisms and speech....and all are the bane of their loving mothers life. They're rude and disrespectful to eachother in a way that is never nasty or uncomfortable to watch, and us viewers get a distinct sense of a loving family at all times. Plus there's the hypochondriac housekeeper whose championing of one of the Durrell children is hilarious. The dialogue is spot on and flows easily. The interactions between the core and supporting characters are genuine and every time I laughed out loud, it was for something I never saw coming. Nothing is signposted as a 'comedy' moment, which makes it even better. The period detail is wonderful, the location setting is gorgeous, and it is very much what seems to be a snapshot of life in the '30s, unencumbered by the nanny state. Theres mum giving 12yr old son Gerry a beer or leaving smokes out, weapon-mad son Leslie, always with a rifle ready to shoot something, eldest Larry as a louche writer, and daughter Margot with her non-sexualised obsession with boys. The frank talk between them is both amusing and refreshing... the difficulties of family life aren't trivialised as a grand adventure because, as we get to know them, we see their struggles and heartaches. I can't single out a single actor for particular praise because each is so thoughtfully cast and perfect for the characters they inhabit. Including the supporting characters. Family life centres around the kitchen of their rented home which always has an array of animals in situ. And thankfully the approaching event of WWII does not intrude until towards the end of the final series, and its heartbreaking as their life in Corfu is forced to come to an end, and Gerry has to dismantle his little zoo. I adore this series, and its definitely one to rewatch.

Hugely enjoyable....the 2hr run time seemed to go by very quickly. Godzilla is suitably elemental and monstrous, and each of the human characters are thoughtfully portrayed and sympathetic....quite an achievement for the writer & director considering they are WW2 Japanese characters. It's a particularly good monster film if you prefer to have movies like this be a little more grounded....Godzilla is more a force of nature than a 'goodie' or a 'baddie'. Everything happens for a reason and is realistically done. The post war Japan setting feels authentic and the music score is rousing but not unnecessarily emotive. It's a good 30 odd minutes before we get any monster action, starting with a great scene of Godzilla stalking the protagonists boat like a killer whale with a seal. But when big G rises out of the ocean to confront the attackers who just tried to blow his face off, the payoff is gloriously menacing.... Godzilla has a very traditional look which I really appreciated. It's frankly astonishing that the budget was so tiny, which makes it a great example of why the $X hundred million budgets of US blockbuster films is just embarrassing. And I never got the sense of this movie being pro military or war....just survivors of the war, including military personnel, trying to do and be better than before - this is illustrated by the hero's plane being fitted with an ejector seat, which during WW2, no Japanese pilots at all had in their aircraft. His reaction as a kamikaze pilot to having an e-seat was one of incomprehension. It's really easy to suspend disbelief with this movie as it is very hard to spot obvious CGI. The sense of a ruined Japan and old warships is so realistic that it was only in afterthought that I remembered it was all CGI. The vast scope of the devastation Godzilla causes is very authentic looking. I'm not sure why some critics have accused the film of glorifying kamikaze pilots... I never for once got that impression. I think the hero did what he did at the end KNOWING that he had an ejector seat. But even if he didn't, the character would have done it anyway .... just like Dennis Quaids character sacrificed himself in the original Independence Day. Although I'm a viewer that usually roots for the monster to win, the human victory was well earned and they do show Godzilla the proper respect upon his death. A great film for those who enjoy a thoughtful action movie. Ive watched both dubbed and Japanese language version, and the original voices are far superior. Highly recommended.

I'd never heard of Critical Role, so this review is based entirely on the animation without any prior knowledge of its origin. This is an absolutely fantastic animation, but NOT one to park your children in front of! The opening scene of ep1 really sets the tone for what to expect for the series. But alongside that, there is a depth and darkness to what plays out that really pulled me in, and the characters are portrayed with nuance and sincerity. I really enjoyed S1, but S2 blew me away. The opening scene in ep1 is astonishing! Visually, it's utterly cinematic, and the scope of the action is vast and detailed. The close up of the main protagonist incoming, how he fills the whole screen with his menace, is absolutely brilliant. The dragons approach is beautifully choreographed as they spread out, giving us viewers a glimpse at the huge scale of the city. What follows next would make Spielberg proud....as the dragons come into view, citizens gawp up in awe and fear with only a few having the wherewithal to run. As most people stand staring, the guards start to mobilse, pushing their way through the crowds with calls to arms. And then the dragons attack. Us viewers are not spared any of the gore and destruction, and the opening attack is sustained and brutal. The overriding sense of ominous threat is breathtaking. When the main dragon destroys the citadel....oh my goodness....the sense of power is tangible and truly epic. In a brief scene, the camera cuts to the guards there and we see their faces as imminent death from dragon fire approaches. From thereon, every single episode is fantastic and I particularly loved the Sphinx. The character complexity remains, the dialogue is creative and realistic and the action sequences look well thought out and logical. I can't wait for S3. I think I'll check out CR...if it inspired this, then I'm sure to like it.

I am not the demographic for this movie, being a grown woman from England with no Jewish friends (yet). I thought it was sweet, if overlong. The child actors were fantastic, particularly the two lead girls and the drama and dynamics portrayed between all the teenagers is universal, no matter the country, so it was still relatable to my own teenage memories. In this movie world, all the Jews are quite well off but other than that, there didn't appear to be any other stereotypes involved....at least from what I could tell. It's definitely a movie for teenagers though... my fiance and I liked it but it's not one to rewatch.

JLo overacts as an analyst called Atlas, with mental health issues. She plays an AI expert with a severe distrust of AI......and to say she over-emotes throughout the film is a gross understatement. The premise of the film, human-form AI turning against humanity, is timely and interesting, and the CGI is quite good... the production obviously had the budget. But the casting of the main character should have been better considered... off course that might very well have meant a much smaller budget, but it would have worked better with someone like Brie Larsson in the lead. Emily Blunt would have nailed it. Most laughably, during a scene in which the leads have a time-sensitive chance to take action and save earth, Atlas decides its time for a therapy session and wastes precious time with a predictable pop-psych explanation of why she's the way she is, and why everything is specifically her fault. Sigh..... And again with the exposition about cleansing away humanity by obliterating the earth. Why don't any of these 'baddies' think of the animals? WONT SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE ANIMALS!!! If JLo could learn to nuance her performance and understand that just because the character is described as anguished, doesn't mean she should gurn it thru the whole film. Disappointing and not one to rewatch.