jim-75272 Reviews

Fear the Walking Dead (2015–2023)

Kill it Already!!

[1/10 · 24 October 2023]

Well they managed to destroy and drag on the original series then when FTWD started just like TWD the first years were well written and the acting and characters were compelling.

Fast forward to where we are today and it seems the writers are just plain lazy or must think the fans are stupid. Episode 1 and the characters are cardboard versions of their past self. What were they thinking? Keeping a story interesting for a few years is tough enough but at 8 years you are really pushing the limits of what people will tolerate or expect.

Maybe most shows should take a hint from Gilligan and the decision he made to end Breaking Bad at 5 years. And that was such an incredibly well written and acted show full of interesting characters we might have easily gone for a few more. But he left us wanting more. Sort of tantric TV show.

FTWD has long climaxed over and over and we are all spent and so are the writers and even the actors seem uninterested in their characters or stories.

The Darrel Dixon series are doing very well and so I hope they will not push those past the point of these have gone.

Kill the show before it rots like an undead.

Another Life (2019–2021)

ChatGPT can write better

[17 April 2023]

One of the worst shows I have ever seen and I have watched hundreds if not thousands of them. I really tried to find some redeeming qualities in this but after 3 episodes I started to FF more and more and finally had to admit it was getting worse not better.

Atrocious convoluted writing and editing. No likeable characters nor hateful ones either. Just no character and no real story except every cliché in SF in the last 20 years.

Is it so hard to write these days where you have at your disposable every kind of CGI imaginable. I guess the imagination is what is lacking here.

I used to think mediocrity was the new excellence but after watching dozens of SF shows this one finally teaches us that even mediocrity is above this crap.

Redemption (I) (2022)

Does every single show have to be about inclusivity?

[2 October 2022]

What happened to suspension of disbelief? When "the message" overides the narrative and acting talent etc. What is the point? That we have to be more open minded? Who are these people to judge the viewers? Why feed us this constant message of exclusivity vis avis LGBT, colour and race and gender?

I have nothing to say about the plot of this show as I am fed up of it all. Always a "mindblowing strong woman" and "stupid weak or mean: men.

There are ways to show this to the audience and educate them without being condescending. Yes it is fiction but it's not Fantasy is it? All shows now seem to have an agenda of some political or moral social code they need to educate us deplorables.

This is the equivalent of force feeding a child that does not want to eat his food. What a great way to make sure the kid develops an eating disorder or learnes to hate some foods?

Just tell us the story in a believable way. Not every story needs to have gay men or women in it. Not every story needs to have a strong woman and weak immature pitiful men in it.

Tribal (I) (2020–2022)

12 reviewers that gave it a 10 have only this one review!

[10 September 2022]

The dishonesty that the fact of at least 12 reviewers giving this show a 10 (didn't look past 12 so there could be more) is clearly apparent.

I am going more with the 1 rating as this show lets anyone with an IQ of 100 or more down like a lead pipe.

The acting and writing are pedantic at best. Time and time again shows that have enough in the budget to hire good writers and good actors fail to do either. Ot maybe it is teh bad directing. Somwtimes a good director can squeeze talent out of people that don't know how themselves. Not in the case of this series.

It is an insult to Indiginous community and every one's intelligence.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Almost done right but Woke enough to be tiring

[3/10 · 23 June 2022]

How sad that most shows today need to dramatically change the character of the characters. Here we have predictable plot where one can almost speak out what the dialogue is before it actually is spoken by the actor!

The CGI is as good as it gets so there is that. The costumes are very well done and the worlds and backgrounds are very believable.

All that effort by the technical staff only to be ruined by bad scripts hell bent on constantly giving us weaker and dumber men and stronger and smarter women. That in itself should not be a problem but when it is an agenda to cram this ideology into our heads it takes it's toll on us.

Watch the film Hunted where the lead role is a women. She is strong and smart but the character is acceptable because the script is well written and there is a lot of tongue in cheek. It feels natural to see this woman beat and outsmart everyone. But in this series the little girl is damn annoying (yeah I know she is supposed to be but there was a charm to Lea even when she was annoying. Not his kid who is supposed to be 10 but looks like she is 6 or 7 at best).

I don't blame the actors here only the script writers and whoever aproved it all. I watched 3 episodes and just gave up.

Blacklight (2022)

What is going on with Liam these days?

[3/10 · 6 March 2022]

It's one bad over dramatic cliché one after the other. Liam has an incredible presence on film screen, but why does he take on these childish scripts? Or maybe is it that there are no good scripts out there?

Maybe it's the quantity of film releases but it seems for the last 10 years there has been an increasing downward spiral of quality in the cinema industry. On the other hand TV production has gone up in both writing quality and production values since then. It may be that the audience is shifting to shows rather than films.

This film however was a waste of time. I ended up FF much of it as many scenes just went nowhere or were unnecessary.

Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace (2021 TV Movie)

The Prince and Princess of Narcisism and Entitlement

[1/10 · 1 December 2021]

What a pile of utter rubbish these 2 are. The virtue signalling is so loud it can be heard all around the world.

Watch this film to learn what entitled and ungrateful brats really are like. And also watch a man help his false modesty wife emasculate him before your very eyes.

Two more phony and pretentious people I could not imagine. The rest of the family must be relieved they are gone. Let's hope they don't pass these genes onto their kids.

La Brea (2021–2024)

Oh the Horror the Horror!

[1/10 · 1 December 2021]

Here we go again, wasting millions on lousy concept, idiotic story, bad acting, woke storytelling and casting and PC drivel. Why is it so hard to be discriminate enough to know this? Aren't the people doing this in the business? Anyone that has half a brain and has read a few good books and watched a few good films has to know this is utter crap.

A 1 is too much rating for this foolishness.

Roadmap to Apartheid (2012)

Political agenda disguised as unbiased documentary

[1/10 · 4 November 2021]

Anyone with half a brain and their own mind will see through the lies perpetrated in this obvious pro Palestinian film.

Just read the history of the region to know what really happened and what is really happening there. It's not that simple.

I used to be sympathetic to the Palestinians until they started to blow up innocent civilians indiscriminately. Notice how none of that is pushed in this film. But you can look it up in history.

The truth is that they continuously have allowed terrorists and anti Semitic leaders to bring them to where they are today.

But no matter what I or anyone may think the truth is not in this film. None of it is.

Invasion (2021–2024)

Another failure at great SF

[1/10 · 24 October 2021]

EDIT: Watched until the last episode and lowered my rating to 1 which is minimum. But I would chose 0 if I could. I found myself finally routing for the invaders (the few apparently there are) to kill all the stupid humans.

Watched up to episode 8 as I am a sucker for punishment and I have not changed my mind. All episodes in and it just drags on with more "romantic love" relationships than any story or even sci fi story. They just never seem to get it right. It's not about effects and costumes (although it does not hurt if story is good). However we get the usual WOKE characters again. Remember when one never thought they were watching ideologies pandering to them when watching a show or movie?

Here they had another chance to create what great SF is all about. Yes it is not only about technology or the future or Aliens etc. It should also be about the human experience. But in the ALL episodes we are deluged with more than 80% to 90% of dragged on personal feelings of the characters. Cutting those scenes down to 1/4 of what they were would have sufficed to portray the characters. Now I am actually fed up with their whining. I can only guess at how they will save the world from the new invaders.

Suspension of disbelief is necessary for any film in order to express the narrative. Here we are constantly reminded how absurd even in a world of fantasy certain occurrences are. Also why is it when they announce the location on screen it ends with "Earth". Yes because obviously the show was filmed on another planet and they have to make sure that Tokyo or N. Y. city are not mistaken with the ones on whatever planet they are filming on. And believe me when you watch this show you will wonder what planet the writers and Director were on.

Watch the first episode and know that it gets worse in episodes 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8. Only the Afghanistan scenes seems to pass the test.

Reservation Dogs (2021–2023)

Sincere joyfull and tragic series

[9/10 · 7 October 2021]

What this series does with a budget that is probably a fraction of what most popular shows are these days is incredible. A lesson to wannabee screenwriters and filmmakers. It's the writing.

There is no shoving morals down our throat. Every message is done with wit and sincere humanity rather than the current PC culture that is prevalent today. It doesn't talk down to us. It speaks to all of us without insulting our intelligence. Also so glad no one has a superpower!

Bravo for all involved and especially the writers and director. One does not need to be indigenous in order to appreciate this series. A welcome breath of fresh air in today's world of moral high ground preaching.

Much laughter and some tears.

II look forward to a second season.

Old (2021)

Great concept but badly executed

[3/10 · 22 September 2021]

This could have been such a better film. For one the acting was not consistent and overacting way too often. This was more of a made for TV movie.

It could have been so much more with the right actors (or acting or maybe it was just the bad dialog). It is not an easy concept to realize but it was a bit insulting to the viewer's intelligence more often than not.

The thing about most M Night Shyamalan films is that they resort to only the ending or punchline being the main part of the story and makes the main story weak. His first few were done well and teh films were strong from beginning to end but this one I have to say is another disappointment. I did like the ending though so there's that.

Cry Macho (2021)

When the rooster is the best thing in a movie

[2/10 · 20 September 2021]

Nothing like a cartel mom boss yearning to be made love to by a complete stranger 91 year old man and then being insulted he refuses.

Suspension of disbelief suffers greatly in this film and that is sadly Eastwood's fault in this one. I've seen cardboard figures that are deeper and better actors than the kid in this film.

There are some good lines by Eastwood in there as only he can deliver them The story line jumps around too much or maybe it is the editing. In any case there are too many instances where one has to shout WTF.

If there ever is a sequel I would want the rooster to be the main character otherwise I'm not buying it (in every sense).

Calvaire (2004)

Some signs of being a good film but....not quite there.

[5/10 · 18 September 2021]

This is a slow paced film with editing that is a bit jerky, or maybe it's the story line that jumps around a bit. I did like the querky style and also that it is not the typical generic horror story. However for my taste it could have been done better but this also looks like a real low budget film (some of the actors seem to be just extras that were given a line or two.).

If you don't get into this film by 20 minutes in you will not like the rest.

Midsommar (2019)

A bad version of The Wicker Man

[16 September 2021]

Albeit the film style and effects are very well done I'll give them that. However like anything in life all style no substance is indicative of someone that is bent on impressing you with the shallow.

I have watched thousands of films. I love cinema. I am crazy about it and even watch B movies as some of them are quite good and "know" they are B movies. This film is well....pretentious in that it leaves one with nothing really. It becomes tiring and eventually boring.

Watch The Wicker Man to get a sense of perspective on this film and then try and watch this one.

Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God (2009 TV Special)

A comic that fails to be funny

[13 August 2021]

Sarcasm is OK but when it is the only route to your comedy act then it is lazy and cheap. Anyone can write better comedy than this crap.

And nope I am not religious.

The Prey (2011)

Almost a great film but pace is well orchestrated

[8/10 · 18 July 2021]

A great script/story line can sometimes turn in to a great film. Here we have an example of a great story line well executed and acted. Although I find French actors a bit stiff in the way they deliver their lines there is less talking and more action in this film, which probably ends up saving it.

I judge films on expectation vs results. This film is not pretentious at all like some other french films can be. It delivers the goods it promises. That for me is a film worth watching.

The Last Deadly Mission (2008)

Convoluted and jumpy editing make it hard to watch

[2/10 · 18 July 2021]

From a cinematography point of view the film loses me a few times. We don't know what is going on at some points and some scenes are inexplicably there with no purpose.

Were it not for Daniel Auteuil I would give it a 0. He deserves an 8 if not just for going through with this sad excuse of a film. The other actors are so stiff it is cringe worthy.

Every cliche from American cop movies is repeated several times. There is so much cigarette smoking I had to open my windows while watching it.

The ending for me was a waste. There are 2 plots going on at same time. None come to a complete "denouement". This film takes on more than it can chew.

War of the Worlds (2019– )

Not H G Wells aproved !!!

[26 June 2021]

If you are going to call a series by this name then why turn it into something else? Ok maybe that is closed minded a bit but then the show is just utterly ridiculous in it's portrayal of an alien invasion.

Seems like every single show and movie these days no matter what budget never really achieves greatness. More like mediocrity mostly.

The movie version directed by Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise is infinitely better than this insult to our intelligence.

The Walking Dead (2010– )

You have milked it enough

[6/10 · 19 June 2021]

This show should have ended a long time ago. Mainly at season 6. But the not only did they keep it going but they started an offshoot Fear The Walking Dead. Not to be outdone a while after they launched another offshoot "The Walking Dead World Beyond" a version for teenagers.

It should be obvious to all of us by now that what started out as great writing, great acting and directing turned into sloppy pandering scripts with a lack of any interesting characters. Then they kill of THE main character followed by a few other quite pivotal ones. Even FTWD started out great and then they go and kill off one of the main characters followed by the next main character. Don't even bother with World Beyond it is a ridiculous and insulting show even if written for teenagers.

They should have either finished the show while they were at peak or rebooted it with brand new interesting characters. The dynamic between the characters is long gone. No chemistry left anymore. Just episodes that are a sad reminder of what it was. Now the show is deader than it's walkers.

I gave it a 6 because the first few seasons were so damn good.

Awake (III) (2021)

Why can't they make good movies anymore?

[1/10 · 14 June 2021]

What is it about the movie industry these days that no matter what budget most of the movies are mediocre. In this one we go one level lower in that the acting is atrocious. Maybe it is the director's fault because the cinematography is mostly lame and amateurish.

But worse of all is the story or script. A good story/script will sometimes be able to make us forget the acting or directing etc. But when the story sucks nothing can save the movie.

This story has been told many times before and much better.

Debris (2021)

Over emotional FBI agents etc.

[1/10 · 19 March 2021]

Is this a Sci-Fi or some new let's al cry every 10 minutes about how sad our life is show?

The show premise has potential but it is destroyed by the incessant and frankly neurotic insistence on making an FBI main character into a blubbering emotional mess.

Where is the story? Concentrate on the story instead of trying to save a few people every episode. We want to see Sci Fi not General Hospital.

I'm giving it one more episode then I'm out if it doesn't change. Another waste of good money going to a show that could have been great.

Miss Sharon Jones! (2015)

The Real Thing

[10/10 · 9 March 2021]

I have to admit that I am biased. I saw her several times and once got to meet her in a way I'll never forget. What I saw on stage was the same person off stage. An incredible human being with a god given talent she never disrespected.

This film only shows a glimpse of who she was and in the throes of a cancer even. Not the best light. However I appreciated the way the documentary presented Sharon. Too often we see an artist shown at their worse or only their phony side but here we get a glimpse of a real person and the passion she had for her music and fans.

A true legend as great an artist as any of the other American Soul and R&B performers. I had always hoped to see her again. Gone too soon but not forgotten. See this movie to see a true great talent show her human side.

Resident Alien (2021– )

Another missed opportunity

[1/10 · 8 March 2021]

Why do these people keep making these shows or movies with what looks like a decent budget, god awful ad frankly insulting to our intelligence.

A lame show that had potential. So many great writers out there but I guess when it comes to SciFi or Horror the good ones are not taken seriously too often.

I can tell you to watch it and I am sure you will make up your own mind. Just watch the first episode like I did. Then it's up to you to watch the rest.

The Shack (I) (2017)

God help us!

[25 February 2021]

I'm sorry but this an insulting film. Insulting to one's intelligence and I'm sure 99% of people have a higher one than the people involved in this project.

However if you want to suspend disbelief to a level never before done go aead and watch this bad advert for ...... dare I say it? Christianity? Well yes it is.

The worst part is when the camera "casually" focuses on the scars on their wrists (you have to watch it to know who "they" are). That was the final straw for me and I had to fast forward the rest.

One of the worst and most pretentious things I've ever had the misfortune of experiencing.

It was God Awful!