t-c-redman Reviews

The Fall Guy (2024)

"Guys", we fell for the hype, don't "Fall" into the same trap

[1/10 · 7 May 2024]

My, oh my, oh my...

We went to see Civil War a couple of weeks ago... That was a good film, thought provoking, tense, quite scary really. Why do I mention this? Because we saw the trailer for The Fall Guy. It looked witty, exciting and well made. My god it was dull.

Now, to be fair it may have been only the first 40 minutes that were dull, the rest might have been edge of the seat, thrills and spills, interspersed with witty repartee and hilarious sight gags. Sadly we may never know, because we decided to exit the cinema and carry on with the rest of our lives unburdened with the blandness of an underwritten, load of nonsense.

I have no idea what film all the 10 star reviewers refer to, it certainly wasn't The Fall Guy.

Den of Thieves (2018)

Not your average heist film.. Oh no! sorry, it is your average heist film

[3/10 · 17 March 2024]

A refreshingly original film which combines high drama and tension with perfect character development, while teaching us that good will not always triumph over evil. Presenting a complex plot with a freshness that keeps us entertained throughout its extra long run time, with twists and turns that keep us on the edge of our seats. I am sure the above was what the producers, directors and scriptwriters thought they were doing. Sadly they missed by a mile. I like Gerard Butler and a good heist movie, but this was clichéd drivel. Maverick cop, check. Broken marriage, check. Macho bad guys, check. Incompetent security guards, check. Conflict between police departments, check. Big twist at the end, check. The checklist goes on and on, just like the film.

The Retirement Plan (2023)

A fun ride and better than the IMDB score

[7/10 · 13 March 2024]

Certainly better than the IMDB rating would suggest. After a slowish and straight start which is basically the same as many thrillers, the humour starts to shine through and the fun begins. Some nice character developments and good pace keep the film interesting to the end. To be honest, the plot gets a bit convoluted and the finale is a bit rushed but overall it was enjoyable. Strangely, I think the film was a bit better than the filmmakers realised and if they had shown a little more faith and invested a little more time and effort they could have had a hit. As it is, it is a fun ride. A strong 7.

Lift (I) (2024)

Seen a lot worse films and seen a lot lot better

[6/10 · 16 January 2024]

I love a heist movie as well as the next man and this is pure heist, with literally all the right ingredients. Clever leader? Check. Witty crew, with the usual skill sets? Check. The Mark who is the real villain? Check. Unlikely, impossible target? Check. Yes, Lift has all the ingredients but strangely they don't really combine that well. The movie is somewhat less than the sum of its parts. It's good clean family fun, nothing more, nothing less.

I enjoyed the high production values and the locations. But found the setup and execution of the heist itself too superficial. If you watch any of the episodes of the BBC comedy drama - Hustle, you get the same foumula, but much cleverer execution, week after week.

A genuine criticism is that the film ground to a halt in all the scenes when the romance plot kicked in.

Also they make a big deal of the "disguise guy", but I am still wondering what contribution he made to the plot.

Overall I am not sorry I watched it but certainly wouldn't watch it again.

6/10.... by a wisker.

Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023)

I would like to disagree with all the bad reviews of this film.... But

[1/10 · 9 December 2023]

I would like to disagree with all the bad reviews of this film. I would like to say this film has heart and an important message for society. I would like to say that this film should become the template for all other Christmas films to follow. I would like to say that the myriad Christmas films in my vast collection have now faded into obscurity.

I would like to say all of those things but my god that is a trillion miles from the truth. "Best Christmas Ever" is inconceivably awful. It is not the "Worst Film Ever", but it is knocking on the door of that accolade.

I speak with authority on this because we did watch the whole film but we really don't know why.

The opening premise was fine, the jealousy brought about by receiving an over the top Family Round Robin newsletter from an estranged friend. Then the kid mischievously entering the said friend's address in the satnav, instead of the correct destination sets up a nice platform for the rest of the film. After that the script and direction were handed over to people who should chose a different profession.

Falling for Christmas (2022)

Watchable drivel,

[4/10 · 5 December 2023]

I was in the mood for a simple feel good Christmas film, which was easy on the eye and the brain, and to that extent this film works. It's drivel but if you are in the right mood, it is not unwatchable.

That said, it is a terrible film when judged by any other criteria. It is a sort of remake of the very funny "Overboard", but a million miles from being as well written and acted.

There really isn't any more to say because it really doesn't deserve analysis in any more detail, to do so would result in pulling the film apart. Take it at face value, check your credibility at the door and collect it at the end.

The Bear (2022– )

We were hoodwinked

[1/10 · 16 September 2023]

Watched 3.25 episodes and realised we have been hoodwinked. It's the "emperors new clothes", in a kitchen.

Started off ok, notwithstanding the plot - cliche, the script - too smarty for its own good, the language - disgusting, childish and booring, the dramatic tension - contrived and often pathetic. ( The acting is excellent, realistic and convincing, but it can't save the day.)

But the rot set in with the "huge tub of veal stock perched in a high shelf" sequence .. Why put it there? Why the, supposedly, most intelligent member of staff tries to get it down herself, spurning offer of help from taller and stronger member of the team? Why, after the inevitable disaster, the said member of the team calmly helps clear up the mess with not a whisper if "I told you so"?

That sequence nearly made us switch off. But it was the "zanex dropped in the children's party drink" sequence, and more specifically the reaction to that irresponsible accident, i.e. Laughing it off, that made us realise the supposed gritty reality of the show was a complete sham.

Fast cameras, indistinct dialogue, confusing plot, foul language do not make clever or compelling television no matter what the IMDb rating says.

Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010)

Every of often TV gets it so right it justifies the amount of time we spend glued to the television

[10/10 · 25 August 2023]

Ashes to Ashes is the sort of series that makes watching TV worthwhile. It is original, cleverly plotted, has excellent script writing, genuine character development, wit, pathos, perfect music, what more can you ask? You have to watch all three series to get the full benefit, safe in the knowledge that the story resolves itself, unlike so many open ended series where the producers run away from a satisfying ending in anticipation of yet another series. I do wonder if the naysayers on IMDb have watched to the end, fair enough if they gave up but I recommend completing. Lots of people compare it to Life on Mars, but I don't think comparison is necessary, they are companion pieces - complete in themselves but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Every of often TV gets it so right it justifies the amount of time we spend glued to the television, think of the original series of Edge of Darkness as one example of thriller perfection, or The Durrell's as the perfect gentle humourous drama series, and be assured that Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes are right up there with them.

Toscana (II) (2022)

Don't even waste time reading this review, the film doesn't deserve it

[1/10 · 28 March 2023]

Do you ever get to the end of a film and thing to yourself, " why on earth did we keep watching?". Toscana was one such film. It is unbelievably dull and unforgivably inaccurate and unfathomably scripted. I read it was filmed in 19 days, god knows what took them so long. The script must have been written in 19 minutes, and most of that time must have been spent spell checking it, because it certainly wasn't checked for credibility. I reserve 1 star reviews for films that I feel should not have been made, that are belligerent and insult the intelligence of the audience, if this was the aim of Toscarna then it was a resounding success.

The Night Agent (2023– )

I liked the gag with the wallets

[2/10 · 25 March 2023]

I watched the opening few minutes twice. You know that moment when you start watching a new programme on your own and then you think that your wife would enjoy it too? So you stop watching, and build it up to your beloved ... "Darling, there's a new series starting Netflix it looks pretty good." So you sit down to watch again from the beginning... suffice to say, of the first one and a half episodes, the first 3 or 4 minutes are really good and it goes steadily downhill from there. From the second half of the second episode onwards it might reach dizzying heights of dramatic excellence but sadly we'll never find out as we gave up. Cheap production values, writing and plotting have resulted in a sadly disappointing series. All of that said, I did like the gag with the wallets....

Your Christmas or Mine? (2022)

If you want a simple festive seasonal pick me up, this fits the bill nicely.

[7/10 · 14 December 2022]

We watched "Your Christmas or mine?" last night, with high hopes but a little trepidation. We need not have worried. It's fun, ridiculous and charming. And tons better than "Last Christmas" or "The Holiday" both of which have a similar feel but, for me, fail to ballance the cheese with charm. The acting in the scene in very first minute is abysmal, but quickly settles down. If you want a simple festive seasonal pick me up, this fits the bill nicely. I think the expression is " suspend disbelief" and it'll be enjoyable. It deserves neither the 3 star reviews nor the 10 star reviews, but is certainly watchable and I will happily watch again one day. Oh and if you want another feel good Christmas fix, try "Click and Collect".

Christmas Eve (2015)

Compelling, flawed and ultimately watchable

[6/10 · 9 December 2022]

I say "ultimately" watchable because halfway through you will question yourself as to why you are wasting your time, but if, like me, you persevere you will be rewarded.

It isn't well made. The dialogue is patchy. The characters are, on the whole, hard to sympathise with. The lifts are weird. But somehow it comes together, slowly but surely and as it does it grows a heart and builds to a satisfactory conclusion.

I now need to write another 153 characters to get this review entered on IMDB. So here goes. I have seen a lot of Christmas films that are a lot worse, and I have seen many many more that are leagues ahead of "Christmas Eve". But does it pass the "would I watch it again" test? Yes it does, just.

Interceptor (2022)

As Shakespeare didn't write... They're having a laugh.

[1/10 · 23 August 2022]

As Shakespeare did write : "Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day does night: it's sprightly waking, audible, and full of vent."

He's quite a good writer, that Shakespeare, he should go far.

Oh, by the way the film Interceptor is unwatchable drivel. Well the first 11 and a half minutes were. That's when I gave up. The rest of the film might have been Shakespearean in quality, sadly I'll never find out.

The Undeclared War (2022)

The Undeclared War is an intriguing 2 part series... Unfortunately it runs for six episodes.

[2/10 · 31 July 2022]

The essential plot is interesting, credible and thought provoking. But the sub plots are dull beyond description. It really is as if the plot and sub-plots were written and directed by different teams, not only with different agendas but different plotting, styling & pacing. The main plot has good pace and ok dialogue while the sub-plots grind the whole programme to a halt, with zero pace and virtually monosyllabic, self-indulgent dialogue.

The series' good bits include, the main plot, the computer programming and de-bugging references, the Lara Croft fantasy sequences and the geo-political conundrums that are explored.

The bad bits are the rest of the show. The personal relationships and cod-political activism references are dull as dishwater, and I mean no disrespect to dishwater.

Ignore the 10 star reviews saying ignore the bad reviews, it really is that bad and is a missed opportunity. It promised much and delivered little, which is a shame.

I give it 3 stars, minus 1 to counter act the 10 starreviews from other watchers. I am glad they enjoyed it, but if you venture in to the series, you should always remember... you have an off switch.

Cyrano (2021)

A wonderful celebration of the classic love story

[10/10 · 26 February 2022]

With its Hamiltonesque styling, it's perfect casting, a moving script and contemporary musical score, this version of Cyrano exudes charm, wit and emotion.

If you are in love, go and see it. If you have loved and lost, go and see it. If you are looking for love, go and see if. If you love a good film, go and see it. If you have an irrational hatred of musicals, don't go and see it. For me? I can't wait to see it again !

Moonfall (2022)

7 stars (plus 1 to counter act the naysayers)

[8/10 · 10 February 2022]

I loved it!! Completely bonkers ... 2012 meets Day After Tomorrow meets Independence Day meets 2001 meets Close Encounters meets The Abyss.

It is a cliche to say don't listen to the naysayers, but if you know the sort of film it is going to be, and, like me, you like these sort of films then you will have a fun couple of hours.

It is not worth any further analysis. It does what it says on the tin.

No Time to Die (2021)

Like Evostick, a perfect Bond

[10/10 · 5 October 2021]

The one star reviewers are trying to be too clever by half. There is no way anyone should give this film one star. It is a James Bond film for God's sake, there is no expectation for it to be Shakespeare, Kubrick , Capra etc. It is full of high octane action, wonderfully absurd plot lines, beautiful locations, hokey emotions, unsubtle wit - what did the one star reviewers expect? If you like Bond films generally then you will love this one. If you hate Bond films generally then you will hate this one - and so don't go. If you are a Bond purist saying the new films have lost the magic, and hark back to the Connery days, then take off your rose tinted glasses and watch them again - having re-watched "From Russia With Love" the day before I saw "No Time To Die", I can assure you as pure entertainment "No Time To Die" wins hands down.

To add some objective details.

Ralf Fienes' M is ambiguously written and I am disappointed that his character hasn't been better developed, that said, I still prefer him to Judi Dench's grumpily lovingly motherly persona.

Bond's love interest is too young for an ageing Daniel Craig. And as others have said, Bond never convinces us that he is over Vesper.

Ana De Armas' Paloma character is a breath of fresh air, full of wit and action, a shame she wasn't on screen longer - hopefully she will be back one day..?

Rami Malik tried his hardest to extract genuine emotion from a ( to be expected) underwritten Bond villain. But he and the writers failed to inject any genuine threat or peril into the character - but no Bond villain ever has.

I can't watch the new Moneypenny without remembering that she was originally a new field agent who was confined to a secretarial job, which is absurd and it would have been better if she, not the brand new female agent, had become the "next generation" angle.

Q continues to bring wit and this time even a bit of emotion.

Daniel Craig is probably the best ever Bond but Connery will always be right behind him. But as a pair they are leagues ahead of the others.

I am not blinkered to the absurdities. Yes, the hand guns have too many bullets. Yes, the ground troops of the Bond villain are like canon fodder and why on earth would any of them enlist? Yes, some of the exposition dialogue drags in a couple of places. Yes, the final ending is telegraphed and therefore looses a little of the shock factor. But I gladly forgive the film all these trespasses ( and others that I won't refer to as they are spoilers) simply because I smiled throughout, enjoying the spectacle and escapism, which is after all why I go to the cinema, to escape the dreary horrors of the real world, and I certainly don't go to a Bond film to be lectured or educated.

Nine stars and an extra one to counteract the naysayers.

Baptiste (2019–2021)

Series 2: watch the first 4 episodes then stop watching and make up your own ending

[1/10 · 17 August 2021]

S2, Ep 1-4 were great and really compelling then, as I understand it, filming had to stop due to the pandemic, and then restarted. Something went very wrong in the gap, because Ep 5 was dreadful and Ep 6 was frankly insulting to the audience in its absurdities. We are not talking plot twists here, we are talking throwing logic and credibility to the wind and the result was childish to say the least.

Watch and enjoy The Missing, Baptiste Series 1,and two thirds of Season 2 then stop watching and let your mind complete the series.

Kodachrome (2017)

A missed opportunity, with a good soundtrack and a clichéd plot.

[5/10 · 25 June 2021]

I really wanted to love this film, it had so many of my favourite ingredients: Road Trip - check, Nostalgia - check, Father Son reconciliation - check, Kodachrome! - check. Kodachrome itself is so evocative, the film really had a massive head start, but it quickly became clear it didn't know where to go. And the result was ultimately disappointing and confused. Was it a drama or a comedy? Mostly a drama, it was as if the comic sections were an original idea that got subsumed by the drama and as a result, felt out of place. The problem was that the drama had every cliché in the book and was totally predictable, I mean really predictable. I enjoyed the soundtrack which is useful given that one of the sub-plots surrounds the music business. But the promised visuals were underwhelming, which was a shame given that the director was trumpeting the fact that it was shot on 35mm Kodak film! I suppose the most disappointing aspect was that so many films do the themes better. Father & Son plot - Field of Dreams, the death of camera film plot - the remake of Walter Mitty, the dying relative road trip plot - The Straight Story. Road trip plot - Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Conclusion: a missed opportunity.

Enola Holmes (2020)

Great fun - give it a go, you won't be disappointed. Deserves a much higher IMDB rating.

[9/10 · 1 June 2021]

We stumbled on this film on Netflix and were thoroughly entertained. It has a great Harry Potter / Series of Unusual Events vibe to it. Millie Bobby Brown was excellent and carried the film effortlessly. I loved the up to date music juxtaposed with the very detailed styling of costumes and scenery, the fast pace, the asides to the camera and the total lack of pretentiousness .

Some reviews seem to get hung up on it not being up to the usual Sherlock Holmes complexity and intrigue, to which I say, why should it? Personally I always find Sherlock Holmes a bit dull and humourless ( give me Poirot any day), so the reason many people seem to give this a low score is probably the very reason why I would give it a high score. I rate it 8 and give it a bonus point to counteract the naysayers.

It's not perfect. The ending is a little sudden. And the scene on the tea-room with the jujitsu teacher explaining things to Sherlock Holmes is out of kilter with the rest of the film, both in terms of script and acting style. Also, it was hard to make out what Henry Cavill was saying in his opening scenes. But the minor irritants are more than compensated for by the charm and pitch perfect timing of the rest of the film.

If you just want to be entertained for a couple of hours you could do a great deal worse.

Golden Years (I) (2016)

We watched this so you don't have to, please, don't .... just don't.

[1/10 · 10 May 2021]

Based on the trailer, we watched this with my 93 year old mother on a Sunday afternoon. I say this to emphasise that we didn't build this up as prime time viewing. But in spite of the promised wit of the plot and charm of the recognisable cast, we saw what is certainly one of the worst and most amateur films ever made. Of course it is a fantasy, but that is no excuse for shoddy plot construction, terrible dialogue, dreadful direction and unwatchable cinematography - unworthy of a crime reconstruction film, the locations were nice, and that was it. The unevenness was excruciating e.g. Crass sex references throughout; the dubious social commentary e.g. Stopping of NHS funding for life saving drugs; the untimely death of one of the leading characters (reprising his early death in a previous, seminal, British comedy). The cast have huge talent, with one exception, but my god, they didn't stand a chance with the script (the exception being the spray tanned policeman, who was one of the worst actors I have ever seen). An oddity was all the extras being listed in the closing credits, does this mean they either worked for no fee ( but a credit instead) or perhaps the film was crowd funded? I can only imagine the biggest cost of the film was for the rights to the music, but sullying David Bowie's classic title song can surely not justify the fee paid? Can I respectfully request that the producers and writers go back to their day jobs, and despite their best intentions, satisfy themselves with the knowledge that just because you can make a film, it doesn't mean you should make a film.

Dark Waters (2019)

Nobody Does It Better... Except Erin Brockovich did

[6/10 · 7 May 2021]

The good: an important story to be told, occasionally compelling and frightening, cameo appearances from some of the real life characters

The bad: strangely unengaging; unnecessary dim lighting throughout (to the extent that I thought it was my TV set); often strange or tedious camera-work (e.g. The ultra slow pan up to reveal a mountain of legal disclosure boxes); occasional over acting from actors who should know better (e.g. The - usually excellent - Anne Hathaway overacting in most of her scenes but notably in the hospital scene) , numerous clichéd scenes (where to start? The lone lawyer trawling through millions of pages of documents sitting cross-legged on the floor. The rainfall at the funeral. The argument at the family breakfast table. The time-lapse of documents being photocopied. And on and on)

The verdict: glad I saw it; won't watch it again; Erin Brockovich did it much better; ultimately a suspiciously underwhelming indictment of a major corporation.

Parasite (2019)

An excellent film of three halves

[9/10 · 18 April 2021]

We came late to the Parasite party, watching it a year after the brouhahah, and it does live up to the hype. Despite the universal praise the film received, I was somehow reluctant to watch it, but I am very glad I bit the bullet - the film was satisfying, informative, funny, sad and beautifully made. It's a film of three halves, part Roma, part French comedy of errors, part Shakespearean tragedy. The Roma elements introduced us to Korean culture which was a refreshing insight to lifestyles I knew nothing about. The comedy of errors elements are genuinely funny and very well scripted, with sass and wit and portrayed and directed with excellent timing. The tragedy is shocking but never out of kilter with the rest of the film (I'll say no more in case of spoilers, suffice to say, it somewhat vindicated my earlier reluctance to watch the film, but I am extremely glad I overcame that reluctance.). It is a 10 star film given 9 because, realistically, I doubt I will watch it again even though it is an excellent film.

Greenland (2020)

Not original but some nice twists and fresh angles

[7/10 · 7 February 2021]

Yes, Greenland is like 2012 -lite. No it's not as daft as Deep Impact (which I love). Yes, its got echos of Seeking a Friend For The End Of The World. No, it's not as overblown as Armageddon. Yes, the ending is pure Day After Tomorrow, and a bit of a cop out. But it does have enough "What would I do?" moments to make it fresh and entertaining.. My main disappointment was the lack of snow in Greenland. Good cast, good special effects, (mostly) good crowd scenes. Rushed ending. Ticks all the standard disaster film boxes, except there is no dog to be rescued . Watch Greenland for a bit of light End of The World entertainment. If you want real End Of The World drama, watch The Day The Earth Caught Fire.

The Serpent (2021)

Intriguing but very flawed

[4/10 · 4 February 2021]

Initial review after 3 episodes, amended at the end after watching the whole 8episodes. The good: the story is intriguing and I really do want to know what happened ( only on ep 3 of 8 so far). Also I like the 70s vibe and I appreciate the 16mm film effects which do help establish the period. The bad: 3 episodes in and it is really very very repetitive. The Ugly: as many have mentioned, the flash backs and forwards are tedious and are frustrating, rather than building the tension they dilute it. Equally ugly is the direction which I think is poor: a prime example of its lack of directoral skill is the frankly pathetic presentation of people smoking. I hate smoking and would ban it if I were king, but the reality is that in the 70s people smoked, a lot. Presenting this by having actors play-act smoking and waving cigarettes around in virtually every shot, while holding them like they don't know how to, is unbelievably distracting. The smoking dilemma is going to be around in every drama in the future, this show is a text book example of how not to do it. Another oddity is the Dutch Embassy couple who seem to act like unbalanced robots, especially the man. I am going to watch the rest of the series, and my wife is enjoying it much more than I do, but be warned, it is no Night Manager! Update: after all 8 episodes. To be honest, you can watch the first 3 then skip to 7 & 8; I honestly don't think anything significant happens in 4,5,6, which hasn't already been said. The writers wasted episodes on the repetitive crimes, time which would have been better spent on the just as intriguing capture and trials, which were rushed in ep 8. And to belabour the point of the smoking, it is absurd how many shots there are of people lighting long cigarettes, yet NO shots of people having half smoked ones. Also, to make such a play of the smoking, yet there is no ambient cigarette smoke in ANY scene. I know why, because of the law, but why draw so much attention if you can't fulfill the device cinematically. Frustrating. Best bit of the series was the credits , showing the real people - fascinating.