neilmcdowell Reviews

Wild China (2008)

Not very wild

[1/10 · 14 July 2013]

I watched Wild Indonesia a few years ago. It was only three episodes long, but every minute was filled with information and wild animals, there was never a dull moment. Why then do we need six episodes the tell us about the meager wildlife in China? The answer is we don't, which is why the scenes drag on forever and the pace of everything is so slow.

As for narration, I like Bernard Hill in some movies, but in this his voice is, to me anyway, incredibly dull and gray.

I can only assume that people rating this highly do so because it's a nice introduction to China and they don't know to much. I lived there for two years, and travelled through Indonesia, so perhaps that's some explanation.

To sum up, this would have made one or two hours good TV, but production companies are probably paid by the minutes of TV shown.

Your Highness (2011)

Fun

[22 November 2011]

I just read someone describe this movie as set in medieval England...did you really this the minotaur, wizards, dwarf village and seventeenth century wigs were an attempt to recreate pre-renaissance England? The film is set in a fantasy world, if yoú'd bothered to pay any attention you would have realised.

ANyway, the movie is a lot of fun, not to be taken seriously on any level, and does a good job of sending up the fantasy genre with actual original humor, rather than just copying certain scenes as they do in other spoofs such as Scary Movie.

7 out of 10 from me.

K-PAX (2001)

not OK PAX

[2/10 · 25 August 2006]

When i first heard the idea for this movie i thought it would surely be good, with Spacey perfect for the role. Later i read the book and it only convinced me that surely it would be worth a watch, unfortunately , it didn't live up to expectations. The reason that this book works so well is that is in the style of Oliver Sacks, the psychiatrist who wrote about many fascinating true cases of his own. The movie offers none of this and the normal, is he or isn't he ambiguity is missing right from the start. From the word go, it's obvious to the viewer that PROT is indeed from another planet. Quite why people from another planet should demand that their planets name be in capitals when spelt in English is never explained.

In short it's one more case where "the movie is nowhere near as good as the book."

Sahara (2005)

dull movie

[1/10 · 24 June 2006]

I wanted to see a movie in the cinema, and this was my only choice. As i had no idea what it was about i gave it a go. After the first five minutes it became clear it was an action b movie, but i thought "I'll just enjoy it for what it is, like i did with Charlie's Angels". But while Charlie's Angels had great CGI, wonderfully choreographed fight scenes and humour, this had nothing.

If you put three random people in a room for a week and told them to write a script for an action movie i'm sure that they could do better than this. The plot is silly and predictable, the dialogue is dull and what seem like attempts at wit fall flat, the characters are one dimensional and totally uninteresting.

I can only assume the score is so high because most people avoided the movie.

Formula 51 (2001)

weak tarantinoesque brit flick

[2/10 · 30 January 2006]

Didn't anyone else seem to notice the glaring plot holes in this movie? For example, McElroy wants to meet somewhere very public with lots of people, so they meet at a football match...in a private box...it's so obviously contrived just cuz the writer wanted his big finale at the match...

Then they meet the top gangster in Liverpool, waiting with $20 000 000, and not a single henchman, no attempt to search guys he's dealing with, then an even bigger American gangster turns up...without a single bodyguard, for Austin Powers it would be OK, but in this movie i expect a bit better. The whole plot is so flimsy, if it was a British indie pic with no big names i would have liked it OK, but i expect more from Robert Carlyle and Samual Jackson.

The Last Sign (2005)

atrocious acting from the French guy

[2/10 · 9 January 2006]

I bought this movie because Tim Roth was in it, and Andy MacDowell is usually worth a watch too. Unfortunately Tim Roth has hardly any lines, and the main male character is just awful, his acting almost made me stop the movie a few times, and even Andy MacDowells' acting lets her down at times.

Anyway, on to the plot. The movie starts like a regular horror/thriller, we get the arrival of a stranger in the protagonists' life and spooky music and the beginning of supernatural goings on. But then the movie kind of changes direction and comes to an ending more commonly seen in romantic comedys, it's a brave and original idea, but it falls flat and you feel nothing but relief that it's over and possibly a little cheated out of your horror movie.

On a positive note, it's probably better than Police Academy 6

Must Love Dogs (2005)

waste of john cussack

[1/10 · 19 December 2005]

I was looking forward to this movie, in the mood for a romantic comedy while trying to woo my ex,but from the start i was disappointed. The script is actually well written and has genuinely funny lines, but their delivery left me wanting to shout 'Cut, let's try that again'. The little kid playing the so of the handsome single father is the worst, why anyone would include him in a big budget movie is beyond me, he's awful and i had to cringe in the one scene where he has a nosebleed and shouts 'It's a gusher'.

John Cussack is the exception, he's excellent as always, but not even he can salvage a very weak ending.