SMcFirefly Reviews

Curfew (2019)

A fun watch!

[18 April 2019]

The only reason I watched this was for Sean Bean. The premise made it sound like a train wreck waiting to happen. It's surprisingly decent. Love the atmosphere, the tone, the characters (Billy Zane is my favourite while Bean kind of disappoints), and that soundtrack.

It's not groundbreaking television, but it is a good time. Definitely worth a full watch through once!

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

A decent Star Wars flick!

[6 October 2018]

After the disaster that was The Last Jedi, and only really liking the Vader scenes in Rogue One, I went into this movie with extremely low expectations. I surprisingly enjoyed it while there were parts of the movie that had me shaking my head.

L337 is one of the most obnoxious characters ever. This character is written with social justice politics in mind. Almost all of her lines were irritating, and it just felt like it was thrown in. Adding to that, the "Pando" Lando was also unnecessary, and completely unlike the Lando we were introduced to in Empire. However, Donald Glover plays him very well; echoing a young Billy Dee Williams from his line delivery to his mannerisms.

Alden was not bad, but not amazing. I would have preferred Anthony Ingruber. Alden at points resembled Han Solo, but it wasn't consistent enough for me. The origin of his name is also ridiculous. His chemistry with Chewbacca is in my opinion the strongest part of the movie.

The score was good and hearing John Williams' old themes really got the blood pumping!

I love Star Wars. The original trilogy will always be among my favourite of all time. The prequels also hold a special place in my heart. Despite the problems I have with this movie, it has been my favourite Disney Star Wars film thus far. I feel like it would have done much better at the box office if it weren't for The Last Jedi leaving a poor taste in many people's mouths.

The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015–2017)

This needs to air in North America ASAP!

[10 November 2016]

Sean Bean, superb as usual, leads a fantastic supporting cast through this dark and gritty investigation of mutilated corpses and the possibility of galvanizing the dead back to life.

I cannot say enough about this 6 episode (what was originally supposed to be mini-series - but now renewed for a second run!) season. Everything from the costumes, the sets, and the music (oh, the great music!) is phenomenal! The opening credits and theme deserve some recognition as it was very well done (I had a Game of Thrones vibe watching it)!

This could have easily ended at episode 6, because it was a perfect way to end this story, but I am also excited to see where they take Sean Bean's character next!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

The word Underrated gets thrown around a lot these days!

[23 April 2016]

This film is the most underrated movie I have actually seen. Going into this film knowing about all the negative reviews, the Rotten Tomato score, etc... I still was excited to see my two favourite superheroes on the big screen for the first time. I left the theatre wondering how in God's name did the critics get this so wrong?

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but mine is this: this movie exceeded my expectations. Ben Affleck is honestly the best Batman I've ever seen (Keaton close second; also not including voice acting - the amazing Kevin Conroy). I loved every second of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and his dynamic with Jeremy Irons' Alfred. Everybody knows about the warehouse scene, which is the best Batman fighting scene ever put to screen.

Henry Cavill is a great Superman. I do feel like Batman may have taken the spotlight away from him, but I am looking forward to see where they go with him. The returning cast from Man of Steel was great, with a heart felt cameo appearance!

Gal Gadot was terrific as Wonder Woman, my only complaint with this has to do with the marketing. It would have been much better to have not known anything about Wonder Woman appearing in the film until release (would have made an epic entrance even better).

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex is... different. I wasn't a fan at first but then after repeat viewings he grew on me as I realized, this is a fresh take on the character (though I could not help but picture Michael Rosenbaum delivering those lines.... man that would have been special).

One of the best characters in this film was the score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. "The Beautiful Lie" is the most powerful song in the film, appearing at the beginning- the Wayne murder (which by the way was probably the best interpretation of it to date), and the famous "MARTHA" scene (which is one of the most powerful scenes in the film with Affleck's line delivery partnered with the music). Wonder Woman's theme also kicks some major arse and all the returning music from Man of Steel was great!

To date I have seen this film 3 times, and each time I enjoyed it more and more. Is it perfect? No, no film is. I rated this a 10 because that is simply how much I enjoyed it.

Pixels (2015)

Reviews don't tell everything. Watch it for yourself!

[24 July 2015]

Everybody seems to hate on Adam Sandler. Is it the cool thing to do? When he plays the straight character he is boring, or when he plays a goof ball he is either annoying or over the top. He cannot seem to win and there is a terrible bias towards him. Not all of his movies are great I admit, but he is one of my favourite comedians.

The supporting cast is great too. Josh Gad and Peter Dinklage were hilarious. Sean Bean's small role was great too.

The video game nods made the inner nerd in me come out. All in all it was a good movie, a solid 7 out of 10.

Honestly, decide for yourself if you want to go and see it. Don't listen to the reviews. Make up your own opinions!

Cleanskin (2012)

Not your typical independent British movie!

[2 April 2015]

The production value in this movie is outstanding given the budget that they had to work with. Solid performances throughout the entire cast, and who doesn't like to see Sean Bean kick some major butt!

There was some pretty great action sequences in this movie, but do not go into this movie thinking that it is a full on action flick.

We also see the complexity of Ash, as he is changes from a normal University student to a brainwashed terrorist.

It's on Netflix too, so you should watch it when you get a chance! I highly recommend this movie to fans of Taken, James Bond, or anything Sean Bean!

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Decent Flick, Worth the Price of Admission!

[5 February 2015]

The Good: Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, the musical score, the effects, the fighting scenes were cool. The concepts are really cool, especially the spliced human and animal DNA.

The Bad: The underused characters of Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne. There was no real character development which stopped any emotional investment into the characters. The pacing was weird. Very slow feeling at parts and rushed at others. The writing wasn't the greatest. As stated in "The Good", the concept of spliced human and animal DNA was so cool, but they did not show nearly enough of how it made them different. They could have done some really cool things with Stinger and Caine. I feel it was a missed opportunity.

All in all, a decent flick that I will be purchasing on DVD.

Legends (2014–2015)

Solid Entertainment!

[7 September 2014]

This show will probably be cancelled (hopefully not), because many good shows these days do not get renewed (I'm still not over Jericho).

As a huge fan of Sean Bean, his acting does not disappoint. IMO, from his performance in the pilot episode as Lincoln Dittmann, I feel like he deserves a Primetime Emmy nomination for Lead Actor for this show (especially after being snubbed for Game Of Thrones). 4 Episodes in and I cannot wait to see what Bean can pull off.

Aside from the lead, I am probably in the minority but the supporting cast is excellent. I love Ali Larter and I think she and Bean have tremendous chemistry. Steve Harris is really great, same with Morris Chestnut. I cannot wait to see these characters flesh out some more as the episodes air.

Here is hoping for a second season!