Stephen Wadge

I'd been watching many police documentaries, and when the drama Blue Lights came calling, I thought I'd give the show a try. Unfortunately, I dropped it right at the end of episode 4 of the first series because it went downhill. Here's why. The show is about a group of police officers working for the PSNI in Northern Ireland, who deal with bad communities and other minor incidents happening in Belfast. They also had to contend with other issues within the organisation as well, which is thoroughly complex for me to try and explain. The pacing was at times long-winded involving some of the characters' backstories and the many interactions in certain scenes that never suited me whatsoever. Speaking of said characters, I dislike Constable Jen Robinson because of her nonchalant attitude on the frontlines, specifically because she cares only but herself and not her colleagues. I was unfazed by the drama side of it as well. Furthermore, some of the story scenes that showcased the two different sets of characters; the officers working for the PSNI, and the bad guys mainly the McIntyres were difficult for me to understand more about their motivations. Gilles Bannier and his team of writers should've done a more straightforward plot with just one major incident with the McIntyres and their dodgy dealings rather than making it convoluted. These include not putting in random police incidents that aren't affiliated with the story, along with the so-called wisecracking jokes from Gerry Cliff that aren't humorous in my eyes. In short, bad writing. Also, wouldn't it have been better for the runtime of each episode to be somewhere about 30 or 45 minutes long instead of an hour for future seasons if there are any on the horizon? Though this show was rated highly by critics who appreciate it more than I do, I'm one of the minority who couldn't think of anything good to say about the show.

I'm not a diehard Terminator fan, but I thought of giving Terminator Zero a try and see what happened. Unfortunately, the resulting impact didn't live up to my expectations. What I didn't like, however, was that there was a lack of humour throughout the majority of the episodes from any of the characters at all. The whole thing was so bland that I felt like dropping it altogether, but I pressed on hoping that there I'll like it eventually. I didn't care about all the characters at all since they didn't resonate with me. Whenever some of them felt emotional, along with engaging in conflicts or interacting with one another, I had a blank look on my face, thinking to myself, "Is this all these writers could come up with for the show, especially the showrunner?" The mixture of 3D and 2D animations in certain scenes wasn't what I wanted. It would've been better if the show were in 2D because that's what original anime series had been in the past, excluding the 3D parts. The latter was off-putting. The fight scenes were jarring at times because the animation wasn't as fluent and stylish as I thought it was, although the gore parts slightly impressed me a bit. Lastly was the story itself. Although it centered around a family trying to escape from a Terminator who came from the future to kill them, and also that Malcolm Lee had developed an AI that would compete with Skynet, the overall picture of it wasn't engaging for me. Here are some story suggestions. Wouldn't it have been better if Malcolm wasn't the damsel in distress perched high in his lofty power being a slave to Kokoro, and instead, demanding to be rescued by his family? Or, how about if throughout the story, he had been on the run from the Terminator with his family, and not having those boring conversations with Kokoro, the talking AI, and that the latter was following their every move in different locations outside and attacking them randomly? These were the options the writers failed to follow. I only dropped the show at around episode six and didn't bother watching the twist because the whole thing was bland. Again, I had a blank look on my face throughout the show. Overall, it just wasn't for me because I couldn't find anything good about it, apart from the gore scenes.

I thought about watching Inside Out 2 because I enjoyed the first film, so I gave it a try. Sadly, I dropped it near the forty-minute mark because of a couple of things that I wanted to point out. Firstly, I thought that the characters didn't resonate with me because of their humour. Secondly, the film would have been better if the writers had moved the characters to different locations with the same controller connecting with Riley instead of in the same place the observation deck all the time. much like in the first film. After all, newer, colourful environments elsewhere inside Riley's head could've made the audience interested along with the different themes that correspond with each one. Plus, the writers could've made them easy and imaginative as well. Thirdly, the new characters in the franchise, such as Anxiety, Ennui, Envy, Embarrassment, and Nostalgia, make the film massively complex when they interact with Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Sadness, considering they're all part of Riley growing up. My head was in a twist while trying to figure out the lines of dialogue they were conveying. Furthermore, the way the new characters controlled Riley with their corresponding emotions while she was exploring high school felt bland and uninspiring. Overall, I didn't find anything interesting about the new characters, plus the original ones as well. My final words about it go like this; I've grown out of it altogether.

Having just finished watching "Black Swan," I found myself disconnected from the hype surrounding this psychological drama. While it promised an intense journey into the world of ballet, I struggled to find enjoyment in its narrative. The storyline had its moments of intrigue, yet failed to fully captivate my interest. Despite the gripping nature of certain scenes, I never felt fully invested in the outcome. As a newcomer to ballet-themed films, I was left unimpressed and disinterested in exploring similar narratives in the future. One of the film's shortcomings lay in its portrayal of secondary characters, who felt one-dimensional despite the efforts of the talented cast. Nina's relentless pursuit of perfection, while central to the plot, became repetitive and failed to evolve beyond its initial premise. The romantic subplot between Nina and Lily lacked depth and failed to evoke any significant emotion. While some interactions felt authentic, others bordered on melodrama, detracting from the overall experience. The use of ballet music to underscore Nina's mental struggles and hallucinations fell short of creating the desired impact. Similarly, Vincent Cassel's portrayal of a ballet instructor failed to resonate as a compelling mentor figure. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis delivered commendable performances, albeit without fully elevating the material they were given. In conclusion, while "Black Swan" may have received critical acclaim and accolades, including an Oscar, I personally found it lacking in substance. However, for those intrigued by its premise or interested in exploring the darker aspects of the human psyche, it may still be worth a watch