Pat100 Reviews

Arctic Circle (2018– )

Turns Into a Mess

[5/10 · 25 January 2024]

This starts with an intriguing mystery. The explanations that are gradually exposed turn out to be ridiculous.

The baddies are, as another reviewer here noted, like Bond villains of yesterday. This actually helped me it as it made it obvious as to who they were as they were often mysterious to the point of seeming irrelevant.

Things such as police procedure and witness protection are completely ignored.

The sub-plots are pointless dead-ends.

The two dimensional characters frequently suffer personality changes to suit the chaotic plot.

It could have been a neat, atmospheric thriller it it hadn't been built on such a badly designed plot. Any positive attributes are just wasted.

I gave up at episode 7.

Keeping Faith (2017–2021)

Welsh vs Irish?

[7/10 · 23 January 2024]

"Keeping Faith" is the Welsh version of the Irish drama "Acceptable Risk". The similar plots only differ in the fine details. Both are well worth watching with strong female leads and some good supporting actors.

Both have a loving wife and mother discovering secrets about their absent husband.

The intriguing mystery is cleverly built up as evidence is gradually uncovered. Both then come to rather a brief conclusion. Tidying up all the loose ends in a rather simplistic fashion. "Acceptable Risk" probably has the edge in the quality of the production and the credibility of the characters.

Both are fast paced though this is more evenly sustained in "Acceptable Risk." The constraints of this pacing caused me to knock off a couple of points as, sometimes the plot was whisked along at the expense of subtlety.

(I watched the English language version)

Acceptable Risk (2017)

Irish vs Welsh?

[8/10 · 23 January 2024]

"Acceptable Risk" is the Irish version of the Welsh drama "Keeping Faith". The similar plots only differ in the fine details. Both are well worth watching with strong female leads and some good supporting actors. Both have a loving wife and mother discovering secrets about their absent husband.

The intriguing mystery is cleverly built up as evidence is gradually uncovered. Both then come to rather a brief conclusion. Tidying up all the loose ends in a rather simplistic fashion. "Acceptable Risk" probably has the edge in the quality of the production and the credibility of the characters.

Both are fast paced though this is more evenly sustained in "Acceptable Risk." The constraints of this pacing caused me to knock off a couple of points as, sometimes the plot was whisked along at the expense of subtlety.

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

Silly but Fun!

[7/10 · 9 January 2023]

Karen Gillian successfully blends Eve's psychopathic nemesis with The Bride's uniform and Jason Stratham's action to create a dark comedy with a touch of violence.

Being faced by an overwhelming horde of murderous thugs only caused a momentary brow-furrowing for her poker-faced character.

I found the plot confusing at first.

Then, it didn't matter.

The armless fight scene was cleverly amusing though slightly preposterous.

The movie seemed like a series of stylish scenes, well-shot and well-acted, but awkwardly linked.

Rather than a coherent whole.

(I'm glad that Lena Headey only had a cameo part as I fixated on her lower lip.)

Kimi (2022)

Neat, little thriller.

[7/10 · 2 December 2022]

Neat little thriller. I enjoyed it. Not a blockbuster. It lacks: stupid plot holes; product placement; wacky falls-flat banter; dull acting; studio, because-that's-cheaper, location.

Not a waste of time - that's a nice change. I'm sure I must have written 600 characters by now. I haven't got a lot to say. It was good and while I probably won't remember all the details I will have that satisfied feeling of not having wasted my time. Must be 600 by now, shirley? I wonder if Shirley is reading this. Ah! Only 45 to go. I could sing a little song or do a little dance but probably that wouldn't help. Hurray, I made it! (No, not the film - or movie if you will - I mean that I reached the character limit but now I can't stop. I think that I'm in the monkeys-and-typewriters-with-infinite-time scenario and, if I just keep going, I will eventually say something meaningful ...)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

TOO close to the original.

[6/10 · 11 July 2022]

They should have improved a bit on the original. We still have the tacky scenery and heavy handed moralising. And the staggering when they take a hit. And the stories are a bit thin. And the banter a bit creaky. Presumably it's aimed at kids because kids love incredibly loud music, don't they? Rebecca Romijn looks better as a blonde. I hope some plot twist changes her back.

I'll probably keep watching it for the nostalgia.

A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022)

Excellent Production

[9/10 · 25 June 2022]

A intelligent story told by excellent actors. Clever dialogue and realistic character interactions. Branches of families - who happen to be vampires, witches and demons - are involved in power struggles, romances and changing allegiances.

No using magic to get out of a tight spot. No drawn out rituals with people in cowls. No chanting of Latin incantations. No padding-out episodes.

Helicopters instead of broomsticks. Properly observed assembly rules instead of ranting demagogues. Deftly woven spells instead of superpowers.

A high quality production with some very atmospheric locations.

No Time to Die (2021)

Not bad but The End. Please!

[7/10 · 4 May 2022]

Not bad. A bit too long and too much philosophising.

Sad to see the finale but it's the end of an era and with it I'd like to never see another:

Car chase Evil genius Q Army of baddies desperate to become cannon fodder.

Just don't do them anymore. Ever. Passé.

Shining Vale (2022–2023)

Very dark, very good comedy

[9/10 · 3 May 2022]

I'm sure there's something immoral about giving this show a 9 but it had me laughing for all 8 episodes and I can't find any fault with it.

Most shows nowadays seem to start with a couple of good episodes, then have a stretched-out middle and finally a good finale.

Shining Vale keeps up the intensity all the way through.

It's wickedly funny. Well-acted. Has a clever story.

It also has non-stop swearing and is slightly insane.

Omniscient (2020)

Boring. Disappointing.

[4/10 · 22 April 2022]

There's a murder, high tech drones, a divided society, a mystery.

It was quite a feat to make all of that boring but they succeeded.

Some scenes seemed totally irrelevant.

Weak acting, unrealistic dialogue and poor science.

Walk of Shame (2014)

Amusing, lightweight farce.

[7/10 · 18 April 2022]

Meghan looks exactly like an overly made-up Faax News presenter so it's ironic to see her tottering around completely out of her depth but still coping.

She weaves a path through a slightly insane collection of very dubious characters, sighs, and dives into the next catastrophe.

It's fun once it gets going and there are some good laughs. Competent, slightly raw, takeaway entertainment, sidestepping any moral issues.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Quite poor and rather silly.

[4/10 · 30 March 2022]

I was surprised by how badly made this was. A disjointed weak story. Jarring scene transitions. Some hammy acting. Some of the sets were good. Perhaps they were borrowed from another film? A bit of a pointless waste of everyone's time. Irritating.

This Means War (2012)

Who knew ... ?

[2/10 · 21 March 2022]

... that they were still making dire 80s movies in 2012?

Hollywood's idea of how cool people might act and talk.

A totally cringe-worthy, misogynistic load of rubbish.

Nauseating!

I'm still baffled as to how I thought this might be worth watching.

Looking it up now, the critics who gave it 30% or less were spot on.

The Wilds (2020–2022)

Thoughtful Drama with a Mystery Background.

[7/10 · 14 February 2022]

I liked the intelligent, sympathetic character development and snappy dialogue.

I hope that they will use some subtlety with the SF element in the next season and not let it dissolve into overwhelming silliness as so often happens in other shows.

I'm hoping the next season will grow to an 8 as this one is close.

In from the Cold (2022)

Just Awful

[4/10 · 12 February 2022]

I knew at the first "Morph" that I should stop watching but lasted until the end of episode 3. What a ridiculous, dated idea. Folk who put money into this must be as short sighted as the backers of Theranos.

Archive 81 (2022)

8 Stars Only if there's a Part 2

[8/10 · 10 February 2022]

This is a great mystery thriller. But it's definitely Part 1. If it doesn't get renewed for a Season 2, then it's not worth watching as you'll want to know what happens next!

(Though I felt that the restoration process could have been a bit more technically realistic)

The Woman in the House (2022)

Rather pointless ...

[5/10 · 9 February 2022]

I was expecting the series of inexplicable and unlikely events to have a clever ending but it didn't. It left me with the feeling "Why did I bother watching that?" It was a bit like the Adams family have moved to suburbia. Very mildly funny weirdness.

Survivor (I) (2015)

Average, Dated, Brosnan, Spy Thriller

[5/10 · 5 February 2022]

I should have heeded the critics on this one. Usually the baddies plant a nuclear bomb in a crowded place which the goodies defuse in the nick of time. Accompanied by nail-biting music. Well, this time it's not a nuclear bomb. Makes a change! The actors and screenplay were good. The plot wasn't.

The Forest (2017)

Good Mystery. Awful police.

[4/10 · 4 February 2022]

The ridiculous police team in this series really spoilt it for me. I can suspend my belief for a plot hole or two but their utter disregard for procedure in interviews, security and forensics was really bad. Surely someone in the production team must have realised this? It's not just that they are slack, as perhaps might be expected in a village by-water, but the department just couldn't function like that. I'm not talking about technical details. Just common-sense.

In the Blood (I) (2014)

Pretty Weak

[4/10 · 29 December 2021]

Gina's character has been brought up to be violent, so, while we can understand the consequences of her abuse, it doesn't make her amoral actions any easier to stomach. At least she is realistically built for fighting compared to other films starring skeletal actresses whose fighting skills are ridiculous.

Sadly, the rather unpleasant story of corruption is badly told and has a weird ending.

Siren (2018–2020)

Nice Mix of Myth, Science and Obsession.

[8/10 · 22 December 2021]

I thought that the first two seasons told a great, imaginative story. If you like a bit of fantasy then mermaids/sirens are a good watch. Especially, if they are feral, savage and strongly matriarchal! Well, until they make human contact. I was able to ignore a few contrived scenes to move the plot along which might have benefited from more subtlety. I suspect Season 3 was Covid affected. It tried to spice things up a bit but came over as a bit uneven with some unlikely plot holes. And, possibly the mermaids were better seen in tantalising glimpses rather than in graphic CGI though I thought it was quite well done. I'm looking forward to an improvement in Season 4 rumoured for Sept 2022. Full marks for the English subtitles as I'm hard of hearing.

Rust Creek (2018)

Good small movie

[7/10 · 16 December 2021]

I've seen 3 of these injured-girl-trying-to-evade-baddies-in-the-woods movies, recently. They have all been good short stories stretched into films. Rust Creek has a slow start but a good story develops. A few small plot holes and rather formulaic but it's watchable and well acted. Simple and gore-free.

Countdown (III) (2019)

Silly, Spooky Fun

[7/10 · 15 December 2021]

It's a bit messy but watchable. Tongue-in-cheek mild horror. The story is somewhat uneven and at least one scene is just padding. I think I've probably given it an extra star because it made me smile.

Sicario (2015)

Macho Men Revel in Drug Wars

[5/10 · 12 December 2021]

A nasty, miserable film with a paper-thin revenge story. Great cinematography and acting but morally bankrupt. A lot of men swaggering around heroically with guns to kill Mexicans. Mexicans tentatively suggest that maybe it's not all their fault but die anyway. Tough guys regularly beat up Emily to educate her because she is naïve. (Why on earth did she take this part? )

Elf (2003)

Surprise!

[8/10 · 10 December 2021]

This should be cringingly ridiculous. And it stars Will Ferrell who is often cringingly ridiculous.

But it works!

I amazed myself by really enjoying it.