Abdul M. Ismail

I first started watching "CHiPs" in 1979. Here in the UK, it aired 2 years after it was first released in the US. As a 9-year old, it was an immediate hit. So much so, I watched it religiously. 43 years later (in 2025) I watched the Pilot and plan to re-watch the entire 5 seasons.

I found Martin Freeman's Scouse accent to be spot on and some reviewers have said, it was 'over the top', which is incorrect. I grew up in L21, went to school in L23 and currently live in L18. There are certain areas in and around Liverpool (Kirkdale, Huyton etc.) were the accent is really strong so Freeman does great impersonation (perhaps one or two words sound exaggerated but that's about it). As for the story, I can understand some TV shows have to start with a mediocre budget and Season 1s are usually quite poor. Season 2 tends to settle in but then things get mental. I remember getting bored of "Breaking Bad" mid-way through Season 2 but a friend said "keep watching" and Season 3, 4 and 5 were something else. I see great things for this show but they need to expand and bring in more characters because some of the characters are a little stereotypical and stale and not everyone in Liverpool are coked off their heads.

Cross between "Bladerunner", "I Robot" and "Independence Day". It's an enjoyable movie to watch but nothing out of the ordinary. That said, I increased the rating from 2 to 3 stars because at least they gave it a try and it's better than superhero movies.

I read a lot of reviews; starting with the 1-star ones and while some of them state that aircraft aren't modelled properly, I'd have to ask the question (to them) - then why are the US Air Force, French Air Force and other air forces around the world either using or planning to use DCS for initial combat pilot training? Eagle Dynamics must be doing something properly if those air forces are queuing up to procure DCS. The learning curve is definitely high. Unless you're dedicated to spending hours to learn every aspect, then it will take a lot of time to master it. That can be frustrating. I think they could do with more tutorials. But, from what I've experienced, it's incredible. Please note, however, that in addition to a moderate specification computer (I only have a Alienware 15), you'll also need a decent "hands-on throttle and stick", i.e. HOTAS such as a Saitek X56, Thrustmaster Warthog, Virpil and WinWing (in order of cost) but there are cheaper ones available. I started with the Saitek X56 because it has a built-in twist grip for rudder action. You'll also need a head tracking system, e.g. TrackIR 5, or a VR headset, e.g. Oculus Rift S or HP Reverb G2. So, besides your computer, you could spend anything between $US 400 (or for me, £360) for an X56 and TrackIR but I since invested in the Thrustmaster Warthog as well as the Thrustmaster TPR pedals. I also use the Oculus Rift S headset but I intend to invest in the HP Reverb G2 soon and buy a much more powerful computer.

An enjoyable feel-good movie to watch and really pleased to see Jodie Comer from my home city of Liverpool (England), but... [Semi- spoilers below] . . . . . . . . . ...I found some of the storyline was hijacked from a number of movies like the original "TRON", i.e. theft of original source code by a slimy software designer, as well as the "Truman Show", where people were observing characters from another life (in this case, digital).

Burnham doesn't stop crying and whispering all her lines. All the crew are snowflakes. Been a Star Trek fan since The Original Series and The Next Generation and it's seriously gone downhill from there.

The movie focusses 100% on generating sympathy for Israelis and 0% for the "agressor Arabs" - but they failed to mention that; a) the Syrians were trying to recapture the Golan taken from them in 1967 b) the Egyptians were tying to recapture the Sinai taken from then in 1967 But, the movie makes out that Israel was under attack. They also missed out a very important fact. King Hussein of Jordan met with Sadat (Egypt) and Assad (Syria) but this time, Hussein refused to participate. However, when Hussein did on his return to Amman was call Golda Meir and warned her of an impending attack - which she ignored. So, she should have been blamed. As for the conflict, this is fact. The Egyptians had a SAM umbrella which stopped the Israeli air force from bombing Eyptian targets. The Egyptians successfully crossed the Suez and took up positions on the Suez side. Sadat told Assad he's going all the way to Israel but he lied. He was only interested in taking back the Sinai. The Israelis noticed this and sent most of their combat troops to the North and retook the Golan. As for the Golan, the Syrians were doing really well - but then stopped on the orders of Assad. If they continued, Israel would have bene finished. When fresh Israeli troops arrived, Assad cried for help and Sadat was forced to leave the defensive umbrella - much to the disagreement of this General. The Egyptians were then destroyed and Ariel Sharon was able to force their way between two Egyptian armies and surround them. Israel didn't win because of military superiority. They won because the Arab politicians kept taking over and over-ruling the senior military officers. Going back to the movie, it's a shame because Helen Mirren is a superb actress but this movie was white washing a vile woman.