phoenixyk1 Reviews

The Tripods (1984–1985)

Revisiting a Classic

[7/10 · 4 June 2023]

Writing a review of The Tripods in 2023... Wow I must be feeling nostalgic.

It may be dated by todays standards, but it is remarkable how much effort was put into the show and how good some areas still hold up even now.

Unfortunately, I have not read all of the books, so i am unable to comment on how faithful they are to the source material. I was far too young when this first aired and while I tried to read the novels - They were difficult for me to get into!

It is sad that the Third Season was cancelled as we never got to have a proper conclusion.

The effects for their time are amazing! The story can be kind of slow at points - According to some reviews, a lot was cut from the books and replaced with Padding... I am guessing maybe budget constraints.

If you enjoyed the Fellowship of the Ring - And don't mind a slow paced story - This is absolutely worth the viewing!

One of few TV Shows where I feel a Reboot / Reimagining could be in order... Though I would be very reluctant to alter the Tripods themselves. I do feel a much closer adaptation of the books could be a winner today,

Don't let its age fool you - The series is good, If you gave never had the experience - I highly recommend at least giving it a try!

Resident Evil (2022)

28 Days Later meets Capcom!

[3/10 · 25 July 2022]

I knew there were going to be issues with eth Netflix Series - The moment Lance Riddck was cast as Albert Wesker, The Furore was already beginning - But I commited myself to being FAIR!

Just logging in I can already see harsh 2/10 Reviews and 1/10 Reviews...

I am going to do my best to be FAIR - But I am also going to be VERY CRITICAL as I am a fan of the games!

Starting out strong in Episode 1 - The opening is AWESOME, The sets look stunning - Living in the UK, it felt REAL, it felt like it was a genuine Apocalypse in London... The Mutated Animal Lok GRAND, I was actually quite surprised at how good it looked...

But then we come to one of my MAJOR BLOODY ISSUES with the Series - RUNNING INFECTED! This is NOT A DANNY BOYLE SERIES!!! IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE RESIDENT EVIL!

And in Resident Evil - THEY ARE ZOMBIES... THEY SHAKMBLE AND YES THEY ARE DEAD! Not in this series!

But to the defence of Netflix, I know why! CAPCOM... They not only gave Netflix Rights to make the series but also for Hollywood to make Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City... And CAPCOM in their wisdom decided only ONE could remain truly canonical! GREAT! That means that the Series has had to steal ideas from every other source to make it work but at the same time be different enough it does not clash with Capcom's baby!

So a Great deal of blame has to be laid at Capcom's door... That being said, WOW ARE THERE SOME TERRIBLE TROPES!!! So, yeah - Some Minor Spoilers for the first few episodes - I am only up to Episode 4 right now...

FLASHBACKS: The Series Opens in the Future, and flashes back to teh past... Frequently, telling two or more stories at once! While I have got used to it - It is ANNOYING as all Hell! Just as you finally feel you are developing a bond with Characters in one story, WOOSH, You are either in a Flashback or back to the present!

This can be a good story telling narrative when used SAPRINGLY, but its is CONSTANT in this series!!!

Being introduced to the two main leads - Played by. Tamara Smart (Young Jade) and Siena Agudong (Young Billie) is OK, at first they come across VERY GENERIC... but they do build up to be good characters - But OH DEAR GOD CAN WE STOP WITH STEPHEN KING BULLIES???

Young Billie gets Threatened by a Bully because she is a Vegan and has a Hamburger slammed in her face... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

I can honestly say AND PROVE as I still have Messages in my Social Media from Vegans that THE OPPOSITE WOULD BE MORE LIKELY!!! Vegans can be really bloody vicious!!!!

This Trope needs to END! It needs to stay in Stephen King Novellas and stop being adopted as a Norm!

The Future Portions where Jade is played by. Ella Balinska are OK... But again, it either borrows way too much from 28 Days Later or is SO DAMN GENERIC of almost any Post Apocalypse movie or TV show you have ever seen and many of them are way more exciting...

The Soundtrack is - OH LORD! It is all over the place... The Music opening Episode 1: Welcome to Racoon City (Ha! Funny! Cos they has a movie called that too! NO!) - ABYSMAL! I am sorry, I know people are into this Swooping "Drone Effect" in Pop Music but it is annoying - That said, It is also Unsettling - And while it is not to my tastes, I do actually feel that could have been better utilised to create an atmosphere of Horror... But it isn't a Horror Series!

Yeah, That's what's going to hurt fans most - IT IS NOT A HORROR SERIES!

The Series is more a "Survivors Drama" with a Horror Background...

Now, I have approached the Series with an Open Mind - And by the end of Episode 1, I was feeling it was OK... Not Great but OK! I knew this was NOT going to be the Resident Evil Series everyone wanted - So I tempered my expectations accordingly and was prepared for something different.

As a Survivors Drama, It has potential - BUT, that style does not work with the Resident Evil name! And by the time I hit Episode 4, I can honestly say I was getting bored!

The problem was there are FAR TOO MANY STORYLINES ALL AT ONCE, It is TOO MUCH, and some don't even last more than a few minutes.

There is a lot of BAD Film Making choices too - Occom's Razor is NOT OPTIONAL when you do something that is supposed to be Scary - You show something, You make it pay off!

By Episode 2, Future Jade is on top of a Speeding Vehicle and the Cameras DELIBERATLY FOCUS on a Barricade she is going to be Impaled into - You know that wont happen as she is the main lead, But it gets close... That's all good...

But when Attacked by Infected and she steals the Truck, NOT ONE ZOMBIE GETS IMPALED!! YOU MESSED UP OCCOMS RAZOR! IN ONE SCENE!!!

There are a LOT of Questionable Choices made when creating this series... But I do feel that is because TWO Projects had been Greenlit by Capcom - limiting scope on what was going to be available .

With which, I guess we must get onto the casting -

The four young ladies I have already mentioned, Relative unknowns and I honestly hope they all go far as they are acting to the best of their abilities sand beyond - In a better series, I could really feel for their characters and their plight - They are doing a tremendous job against the odds!

The Flashbacks make it hard to truly develop any lasting emotion... This is NOT their fault, They are among some of the best actors in the series beyond doubt - and believe me some of the other performances are cripplingly bad when you compare how much effort they are putting in!

But again, I do not believe this is the fault of the Actors - but a bad production! Evelyn Marcus (Paola Nuñez) is such a Generic One Note Villain IT HURTS! And yes, Her name is a call back to the games... And I see going through the cast list that they also have LISA TREVOR in the series??? WHAT!? OH COME ON!

Albert Wesker (Lance Riddick) has many worked up because of the "Race Swapping" of a White Character for a Black Actor... This saddens me as already in many videos I have seen online - There is a disproportionate amount of "Racist Comments" and that I do not condone nor agree with!

As a Resident Evil Fan, and as a fan of Movies, History and Media in General - I NEVER agree with race Swapping ANYONE in an Established Franchise... YOU JUST DO NOT DO IT! No matter if it is a White Character played by a Black Actor or Vice Versa...

With that being said - The casting of Lance Riddick is actually GENIUS! He is beyond any doubt in my mind the shows major saving grace - Had this been a Prequel or a Retelling of the Spencer Mansion incident, The shows fans really wanted... Changing Albert Wesker for Lance Riddick may still have upset some "Die Hard" fans, but I feel it would have been more widely accepted... And I honestly believe that he is a PERFECT ALBERT WESKER!

Riddick Straddles that line between the "Nice Guy" and a "Total B**ard" brilliantly - You could really see him as the Double Agent betraying S. T. A. R. R. S Alpha Team...

I don't knwo where the rest of the series is going yet, but I also feel that this is where another WELL WORN HOLLYWOOD TROPE is showing its way in... We have seen it with Venom, We have seen it with Morbius...

"Oh Sure in that Continuity he is a Bad Guy, but in this one he is more an Anti-Hero" - STOP DOING THIS!!!

Lance Riddick is doing AMAZING! He really does carry the show - He manages to balance genuine Drama and emotion with a Cold Corporate Mindset... And he is the reason why I am enjoying the flashback sequences...

The shows problem is it is trying to be more than the sum of its parts... Because they have been left no choice... There are some amazing effects, Brilliant Sets, and a Good to even STELLER cast.... But they are hampered by having to work within Capcoms restrictions!

There is WAY TOO MUCH FAN SERVICE (Seriously, WHAT THE HELL IS LISA TREVEOR DOING HERE??? Its bad enough they have tried to explain Wesker being Black as "Cloning" when even a Kindergarten Student knows that is not how cloning works! But bringing back a character that is CANONICALLY DEAD... NO! JUST STOP!) - The Story is Convoluted and tries to cram in too much to try and make you feel Something instead of having an actual focus... When it does slow down enough to give you a focus, It can be engaging - But it is too little too Often!

Going to say this straight though - Netflix and Capcom.. YOU HAD BETTER BE LISTENING!

If yo do finally make a Prequel or Make a Series based on the Spencer Mansion Incident - IF YOU DO NOT CAST LANCE RIDDICK AS WESKER... YOU ARE MORONS!!!

I am doing my best to be fair - But I am learning so much about Movie and Television Production from watching professionals online, that I have to be realistic as well!

Go into the show forgetting it is even remotely related to the Capcom property at all, and its a good 6 out of 10... Not a great series but enjoyable enough - But if you want RESIDENT EVIL, Stick with the Paul W. S Anderson Movies!

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)

Well, this is new....

[7/10 · 27 December 2021]

OK! I am late to this party but I wanted to let everyone have their say before I watched...

Being born in 1973, He-Man was a major part of my childhood... But also being OLD I know that all teh original series was at the end of it all was a glorified Toy Commercial - And a Very Successful one! Hell, It got me wanting the Figures - I even commandeered my Sisters She-Ra Collection when they lost interest.

So, What is MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE REVELATIONS like overall?

Lets get the good out of the way for starters...

Animation is Great! The Story is actually compelling and entertaining, Action Packed and enjoyable!

However, and now we have to talk about the bad... It has a major issue!

The Problem, and its MAIN PROBLEM... The Original Series was a glorified Toy Commercial!

As such, Revelations has NO PLACE in the Masters of the Universe Lore - As there is NO LORE to build upon!

This has to be the most serious issue and why so many have claimed the series is "Woke Trash" - I disagree... I don't think it is but its a story without a Beginning!

SPOILERS INCOMING - Right form teh first episode, we are informed that He-Man and Skeletor BOTH DIED in a final Battle we never see!!!

THAT is a major issue!!! Had there been a series before this that actually showed the major events beforehand - I feel this series would have been more widely accepted... As a Franchise, Fans have always seen He-Man as the selling point... Despite teh fact that the Toy Series was called "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE" - And yeah, I am among the Guilty! Not going to pretend I am not...

To me, and to many who came before me - Its not MOTU, It is HE-MAN!

One hell of a hurdle to overcome! As such, Many of us went in expecting more He-Man and less anything else! It needed a Build up... To start from the End was a Mistake on the part of Kevin Smith!

He should have started with a Lore Building Series... Give us something to latch onto... As the Filmation originals and even teh reboots never went far enough to really detail the Lore.

SOMETHING I AM HAPPY WITH... Again, Spoilers... but if you are a Fan of MOTU from back in teh 1980's heyday... You probably already knew this anyway and just wanted it to be canonised ... Teela as the Daughter of the Sorceress!

Unless you were a collector back at that time, This was actually always the plan for Teela (In fact, According to some sources, She was supposed to be the Sorceress!) but it got changed during production of Filmation's Series!

There are Numerous Toy Channels on YouTube that cover teh complicated History of Teela as a Toy and how the Cartoon differed so much from the original Intentions and Design - If you want to know more I suggest seeking them out...

This storyline was simply axed... It is why her figure was always kind of odd compared to her appearance in the show.

So old school fans have always suspected that Teela and The Sorceress were related... To have that now Canon was a good move...

SOMETHING I HATE - This hurts to say but Mark Hamil as Skeletor - NO! JUST NO!!! He is an amazing voice actor, hell he is an amazing Actor PERIOD... But he just does not suit Skeletor... He sounds too much like "The Joker" from his Animated Batman Appearances - The man is a legend but this is far too distracting!

OVERALL: Kevin Smith decided to take a risk... I admire that! And overall I personally think it paid off...

If you are going into the series expecting "HE-MAN" ... You are going to be disappointed ... If you are going into the series expecting "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE" - Again, You may be disappointed... But for a totally different reason!

As a Continuation of an Ongoing Story - It is Excellent, Very Enjoyable... I always review anything I watch on a basis of "Did it Entertain me?" - For any complaints I may have... The answer is a very simple YES IT DID!

However, the flaws cannot be ignored - And if Kevin Smith reads these reviews... I hope he will take this on board!

The Show is not an issue - It has a Great Premise and should work... But to make it work, You now need to work on a Couple of seasons (I would say at least three!) that build up to the events of Revelations!

The Major issue the series has and why I feel it has failed the Fanbase, It is the Third Act and we are missing Acts 1 and 2!!!

Great Ideas, Not fully realised... But if you can enter with an open mind, Its is a Quite Enjoyable series!

Thunder Force (2021)

Thunder Farce is forgettable!

[3/10 · 20 April 2021]

I am going to be fair... I am not a fan of Melissa McCarthy in general, but I know she can be a damn fine actress and very funny!

So what went wrong here?

There were a few points where I did Giggle... But ask me to tell you what they were and I draw a blank!

The plot is TERRIBLY Predicatable... And Deeply DULL!

Its upsetting as McCarthy and her Co-Star, Octavia Spencer act their backsides off... They really are TRYING to make this work!

But there is simply NOTHING to it! Its so DULL!

I wanted to like it... And for what its worth I did... But its just SO DAMN FORGETTABLE that I cannot rate it highly! I canot even class it as average... Because you simply WILL NOT REMEMBER THE MOVIE after watching it!

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

Redemeption has arrived

[9/10 · 20 April 2021]

This will be a very short review for now... Mainly as its been qute some time since I saw the orginal cut and need to go back and watch it again to make a fair comparrison.

But, There can be NO DENIAL... THIS IS THE DEFINTIVE JUSTICE LEAUGE!

Zack Snyder has some annoyances, I wil say that... There are some things he will always do that mark him out and you always know you are watching a Zack Snyder Movie when you see them... Lens Flare, Dark Shadows, Overuse of Slow Motion...

Yeah, Slo Motion is OVERUSED... There are points where The Flash is running where everything is Slow Motion where Barry Allen would have been better seen in NORMAL SPEED to truly reflect how teh world for him LITERALLY SLOWS... Not him! Minor asthetic thing but yeah... When you see it... You never get it out of your head!

Already the Internet is ABUZZ with how this movie FIXES the issues many had with Jared Leto's JOKER from Suicde Squad (I still maintain that even putting Joker in Suicide Squad was a DUMB IDEA! It was a SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE, But Warner Brothers wanted to throw in the best selling characters for MONEY - And banked on making it a JOKER MOVIE! Warner Bros... STOP DOING THIS!!!!)

While it is a very short appearence, YES... IT DOES PROVE THAT JARED LETO CAN AND WILL BE A BRILLIANT JOKER! Now does WB have the Balls to make that happen?

Another character redeemed by the Snyder Cut - JESSIE EISENBERG'S LEX LUTHOR! I am being SERIOUS... Eisenberg has proven he CAN pull this off... Once more a very short scene... BUT THIS IS THE LUTHOR WE WANTED AND NEEDED!!! NOT whatever that was we saw before!!!

Cyborg gets more time to shine... Something that Joss Wheedon failed to do... But there are sacrifices made to make thsi happen!

WAIT! WHAT!? I AM DARING TO CRITICISE THE SNYDER CUT? BLASPHEMY!

Yeah... I dare! I truly Dare....

In return for Cyborg getting the much needed character development he sorely needed, Barry Allen actually loses some!

A Scene from the original cut has the Flash stressing to Batman how he is not a warrior... How he is afraid... How he lacks confidence against his peers... And batman simply asks him to rescue people... "Save Just One" in turn helping build Barry as he becomes more confident as he succeeds.

THIS IS MISSING IN THE SNYDER CUT... Allen has little doubt in his ability making him slightly blander than the original, Not enough to really harm the movie but it is again a noticable difference!

The Darker Tone and havng a great many unnecessary Jokes removed WORKJS BRILLIANTLY in the movies favour - It is NOT devoid of Humour... And that which is there is PERFECTLY EXECTUTED!

4 Hours is DAMN LONG... But there was not a single moment I did not enjoy!

I will say however, If you took BOTH VERSIONS, and took the best points of each... Bring back the Flash / Batman speech Especially... PERFECTION!

While Joss Wheedon at this time is a bit of a "Problem" - A Colaboration between him and Snyder could create Miracles! Let us hope that Wheedon can address his past and become a better person so that may one day happen. (You have to have some faith that people can change... Otherwise whats the point?)

There can be no argument - The Snyder Cut is the BEST VERSION... BEYOND DOUBT!

Warner Brothers, HAVE SOME DAMN FAITH IN YOUR CREATIVE TEAMS FOR LORDS SAKE!

The War of the Worlds (2019)

Not a bad start.... But a few too many issues!

[6/10 · 17 November 2019]

SPOILER WARNING INCOMING! Sorry but I have no choice but to spoil so if you have not watched... Please do so first!

I am a MASSIVE Fan of War of the Worlds, I own Jeff Wayne's Musial Version on CD, I used to have the LP but this was stolen... I also own Alive on Stage and The New Generation... I have read and OWN the Original H.G Wells Novel...

So, Since adaptations have started, None have so far come close to the book - When teh trailer dropped... I was intrigued!!! This was going to be a period piece!!! OK! I AM INVESTED!!!

UP: The Opening Narration - While read by one of teh main characters Amy, It is still a nice touch, Some may have issues with the changing of the words - But there is actually good reason behind this...

The Opening Narration was EXCLUSIVE to Jeff Wayne's Musical Adaption and is NOT a part of the novel... Therefore, To use teh full Original means paying Royalties to Jeff Wayne - And given teh success of the Stage Production - That's going to be EXPENSIVE! The Alterations are enough to make it Original...

In addition, The opening shots were wonderful!

UP: Character introduction - Slow and methodical build up, For some this might drag but I actually liked it - You need to feel fro teh characters and they were all perfectly acted! George and Amy stand out as a loving couple in an Era we would now consider backwards, and is it just me or does Robert Carlyle as Ogilvy, the Astronomer seem to get Younger as he gets older?

The Character build up is fantastic and gives a good broad sense of their place in this Edwardian Society, which was not really that nice...

DOWN: Oh there had to be a down, And this one is more a minor gripe but it annoyed the heck out of me! Whats with the Random Cuts to ANT'S in Scene Transitions? Its Jarring and out of place! Maybe a "Subtle Hint" that we are just Ants on the face of the Earth? Yes, I was being sarcastic... Its about as Subtle as my backside after a Chicken Vindaloo.

UP: Politics - Yes its a boring subject but essential to laying the story... Again it gives much needed character development in a short time span, George being a disgrace to his family for leaving his wife for another woman, and in a time where you could be paired up with YOUR OWN COUSIN if it meant "Keeping the Family Linage Pure" - Yes, This really happened!

Kudos to the BBC for actually covering this which to us now seems disgusting... And offering a bit of a history lesson into the story!

UP: The Crash - Beautiful Visuals in the Night Sky when the Cylinder lands... It looked extremely realistic, and I was very impressed with the CGI work.

DOWN: The Cylinder Opens... NO! NO! NO! I know this series is going to be a massively expensive venture and cuts need to be made somewhere... BUT STEALING THE EFFECTS FOR THE DALEK SPHERE FROM DOCTOR WHO?

Yes, This really ANNOYED ME! The Meteorite Breaks apart, A Sphere rises up from the ground, and then the Heat Ray Strikes... I am sorry but this looked like *CENSORED*!!! Not the Heat Ray, That was FANTASTIC! Explosions and the merest sense of blur as just Raw Heat strikes the victims... No, I mean the Sphere!!! It was a LAZY COP OUT!

In the original Novel and the Musical, The Opening takes place at night, so the Creatures are hidden in Shadows - "A Lark rounded Bulk, Larger than a bear", "A Lipless Mouth" - Have the scene at night, and a Puppeted Figure with no distinct features... It would have promoted curiosity and kept viewers coming back to see what the final from is like... But NOPE! We get BALLS! A Big Black BALL!

UP: The Action Begins... Yes, I have to give credit where its due.. The slow build up is perfect and leads nicely to the Emergence of the Machines, And teh attacks look amazing! HOWEVER...

DOWN: Borrowed from Spielberg Much? Yes, as another reviewer has already pointed out - The Martians BURROW underground and emerge in their machines... Now, The design of the machines, I do actually like! A kind of Crystalline Structure... Yeah that cool! But WHY BURROW UNDERGROUND??? Oh OK... Yes I get it is actually a SENSIBLE Tactic... But again it just seems more of a cop out to save money...

It would have been interesting to see or even HEAR the creation of the machines... Not just have them rise out of a bloody hole in the ground... and again, This was done by STEPHEN SPIELBERG!!!

UP: Amy and George - Look, I cannot sing the praises here enough... While a diversion from the original novel, Namely George was travelling to London to rescue his Girlfriend in the Book... I have no issues here... Both are wonderfully acted, Believable... And in another nice change, Both are proving to be strong characters...

I was also pleased that (SPOILER ALERT!) Amy rides off on a horse after George appears to have died, only for it later to turn out that he had in fact survived!

Now just to be clear - i have NO PROBLEM with female Protagonists in Any Media... I am possibly one of the few OLD Star Wars Fans who actually thought Rey was a GOOD ADDITION in The Force Awakens - That being said, That was a SEQUEL MOVIE... If the BBC had tried to kill George the Journalist and replace him with Amy - THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN UPROAR! And I am not ashamed to admit that I would have been one of those vocal voices...

Thankfully, They stayed true to the novel and George seems to be the main focus of the story... While an Adaptation, Sometimes you should respect teh Authors work. Amy is a wonderful addition giving a lot more flesh to the story and proving to be a strong character... And I do love that! Sadly, that also brings me to my final and MOST MAJOR ISSUE!

Its a BROWN DOWN for those Random Red Planet Shots... Much like the Ants at the beginning of the show, These are interspersed throughout... At first it looks like MARS and you get shots of teh War Machines shrouded by dust so you cannot see too much detail, but all are still... Later a Wanderer walking down by the Thames, before the show closes out on AMY AND HER SON...

WHAT!? COME AGAIN!? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Yes, They have included a Hollywood Trope of TIME JUMPS... The Majority of the story is set in the past, but these Red planet Scenes are EARTH IN THE FUTURE!

Which in effect also means that the BBC are already DISHING OUT SPOILERS IN THEIR OWN TV SHOW!!!!

There are times that Time Jumps can work and be effective in a story - Sadly, I do not feel that is working here... NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST! In fact it is giving away massive plot threads that we should be looking forward to as the season wears on....

The Martians will invade for YEARS... Earth will be Devastated! And Amy with her son will be on a Desperate Search for George!!! WELL THANKS BBC! SPOIL THE STORY BEFORE ITS EVEN AIRED!!!!

In conclusion:

STORY: 7/10 - I like some of the changes - They add more oomph and narrative to a story that was when written more focused on one persons perspective, but not all of the new additions make sense!

CHARACTERS: 8/10 - For the first episode, They have done a wonderful job establishing the main cast, it may be a hard slog fro some who like to get in to the action fast, but for me - And knowing how the story works... This is very well done! WotW is a CHARACTER DRIVEN STORY - Its never been about all out action, and if thats what you are looking for, You are in the wrong place... The first half an hour is SLOW but it is Important as well and should help you gel with teh characters to feel for them as the story progresses.

COSTUMES AND MAKE UP: 9/10 - Look, I don't know much about Historical Fashion, but I know enough to get by... And yeah! This looks damn good! I really cannot fault it!

LOCATION: 9/10 - I dare say some sets are CGI, but WOW its well done... Period Perfect! Looks amazing!

EFFECTS: 8/10 - OK! Look... I will admit that the Sphere annoyed me to all heck... Its just so LAZY! But overall, The effects are pretty fine! In fact, the only really notable fault was when George climbs from the Rubble of a Destroyed House, and some of the Wooden Planks are so clearly Painted foam it can be a little off-putting for a brief moment... But overall so far I am very impressed!

OVERALL: 6/10 - Its a good start BUT I cannot deny I have DEEP CONCERNS going forwards... The Time Jump Narrative is overplayed and not suited to the story... The Dalek Sphere just really annoys me that I just cannot get it out of my head... I guess I will have to risk another episode to see if my view changes, but as first episodes go - Give it a watch and you will know if this is what you are looking for from a War of the Worlds Adaptation...

If this does not grab you - Then I recommend going back and either listening to or Watching Jeff Wayne's Musical Version "Alive on Stage" or "The New Generation" (Seriously, The New Generation is AMAZING! Who would have thought that not only could Jason Donovan actually Sing but also ACT!!! Joking aside... He really does AMAZING in the show and seems to almost be possessed by the late Phil Lynott... Russel Watson was Great in the Shows original Runs but Donovon far surpasses him! Sorry Russel!)

Or, As its now widely available Online, Listen to the original Orson Welles Radio Broadcast....

I hate to say this, as I really want the show to do well... But if the first episode doe not encourage you... It will be better to leave this one alone!

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

A Phoenix that wont be rising anytime soon

[4/10 · 24 June 2019]

I did my best to avoid spoilers before seeing the Movie, but I am abundantly aware that the Director has said "We made a bad film... I'm Sorry"

That is maybe a little harsh, but sadly as farewell to the X-Men Series before it is rebooted... It is a very Lacklustre ending!

So many things have changed and it clear that even some of the cast were no longer as into the roles as they used to be, The Make up Effects on Mystique are a serious downgrade and look out of place to the other movies.

However, I can understand how frustrating sitting in a Make up chair for hours may be... It sadly does ruin continuity!

Still, What about the film and story?

Well, Effects are not too bad... And the overall adaption of the story will REALLY UPSET Comic Fans, As an X-Men fan - This is FAR FROM the Dark Phoenix Story I would have wanted... But as an adaptation - Its Reasonable!

The film opens VERY STRONG... A Deeper dive into Jean Grey's history is dark and disturbing - The first Half and hour are Seriously Strong! Unfortunately, this strong momentum is hard to maintain!

The 'Phoenix Force' follows a typical Hollywood formula of appearing as a Cloud of Effects - WHEN WILL HOLLYWOOD LEARN WE ARE FED UP OF SEEING THIS!!! We have seen this in Green Lantern, Fantastic Four and so many others and each and every time it is met with Disdain!!! Yes, We get it... The characters from teh comics are a little too ridiculous for the Big Screen, but TRY SOMETHING ELSE!!!

The first Two acts of the movie are other than that very strong, Though Jessica Chastain is TOTALLY WASTED... Her character is never truly developed and comes across as Generic Villain Number 89...

Michael Fasbender as Magneto is once again AMAZING, and alongside James Mcavoy is the highlight of the movie!

Unfortunately, Come the Final act... It reduces into Generic Big Battle... Its not dull, but so fast paced it is near impossible to work out whats going on.. The editing cuts so much that you are trying to keep track of 6 fights at once and its RIDICULOUS!!!

The Geography is awful!

A nice slow ending finishes teh movie off but overall... Its just BLAND! And thats not what we want from an X-Men Movie!

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

A Totally Unnecessary Addition to the Mythos - But worth a watch!

[6/10 · 8 June 2019]

Let's start by being very honest - When this film was announced, I was NOT ON BOARD! Half of teh fun of Han Solo in Star Wars for me has always been his 'Typical Western Outlaw in Space' Gimmick - Where you do not know his past... Where he is a Mystery and could be ANYTHING you wanted him to be, there is a reason there has never been a Prequel to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Looking at Clint Eastwood before he became the Spaghetti Western Outlaw that so many love, There is a reason that we never see John Wayne Prequel Movies... And I felt the same should be true here.

Then the Review Bombs and Critical YouTube Videos started to drop over SJW Agendas... Personally, I didn't care - I was not interested in the movie anyway - But these people seemed to enjoy scoring a few cheap points!

Well, It took until now, But I finally sat back and watched SOLO: A Star Wars Story...

And... Its actually pretty good!

Lets start with a very basic Story - The overall Synopsis is that Han is an Orphan on a planet where Children are essentially treated as Slaves, Desperate to escape - He and his love interest try to stow away on a Space Vessel only for her to be captured... Promising to return, Han signs up for the Imperial Navy and his adventures begin, Seriously, That's all you really need to know Story-wise... And that for a start is a good thing for me! Keep it basic.... Don't over complicate a plot and you will have my attention! The movie is simple and plain Popcorn Entertainment - It does not need to be complex though it does have a lot of characters to introduce.

Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo was possibly one thing that did throw me off when the film was first announced - I do not know him as an Actor, and I felt he looked wrong for the part. I am happy to say that this was a mistake. He actually manages to pull off a very convincing performance that shows the vulnerability of youth but also leads into the more belligerent Han we know from 'A New Hope' - I know some people are still not happy with this, I think after 40 Years of Star Wars fans have become use to Han being the smug son of a gun smuggler so having him actually being Weaker in anyway is an insult to them! Honestly, I do actually feel I was maybe one of those fans too... But realistically, Han was NOT always the man we see in the Main Trilogy - Everyone starts somewhere.

Ehrenreich's Portrayal is very convincing... He handles the part well and I was pleasantly surprised!

However, And I am very sad to say this as I do adore Emilia Clarke, But her portrayal as Qi'ra - Han's Love interest, was not so good! I do not feel this was her fault... This part of the story was more of an after thought in a film that has SO MUCH going on that its is hard to keep a focus on any single story arc... Clarke really does do her best to sell the part, and by the end when her true motives are revealed (SPOILERS: Love has taken a back seat ENTIRELY... She is fighting to survive and Han is now just a tool to her survival!) - It comes across well, but due to the constraints of time and needing to keep the focus on Han, it does come across as a rather lacklustre reveal.

Woody Harrleson as Beckett was possibly the most surprising role to me... I do not know why as he is a very versatile Actor and has played Bad Ass Characters in the past - I guess maybe some of my own pre-disposed biased crept in and I felt he was wrongly cast - And I was very wrong!

I guess I should discuss the Elephant in the Room...I doubt that there is a single review that has NOT at least Mentioned the subject... Is teh Movie pandering to SJW Agendas?

It has been well covered now that in a Q&A with the Crew of SOLO... Someone from Disney was asked about Lando Calrissian played by Danny Glover - Who may I just add is BRILLIANT! - and his Sexuality... Mainly as there is a plot thread that suggests he is in love with his Female Co-Piolot Droid (L3-37) - And the Crew Member stated something about Lando being 'Pansexual' - Needless to say this was immediately jumped on by the various YouTubers and Commentators who wanted to attack the movie.

Well, I watched - And I was expecting something in your face... But what I saw instead was actually nothing like what was being echoed by many wannabe critics.

There is an element of question to Lando and his relationship with L3-37 - But that is the idea... Its a QUESTION! L3-37 Claims at one point that She feels Lando has irrational feelings to her with her being a Robot... BUT THAT'S IT! Yes, When L3 is Destroyed... Lando is Upset... But it does NOT in anyway hint at Lando having Sexual Feelings - People do over time develop attachments to physical objects... I remember breaking down in tears when my first ever PC bought the farm, I did not have emotions of love towards the machine... but it was my lifeline! The idea in the movie from what I saw was that L3-37 is designed to think as human as possible and may infact read Lando's attachment to a piece of equipment as emotional... reading more into him than is actually there! It is never suggested at any point that there is an actual relationship... or at least not the way critics want to read it.

It is actually very open ended, read it how you wish - You will see from their interactions what you want to see... To me it was more how I felt when I lost my first PC - It was a major part of my life wand while I had no sexual feelings for the machine, it still hurt me emotionally when i had no freedom (The Internet)...

Likewise, L3-37 is Rebellious and sees Droids as being Slaves... Many have once again jumped on this as some kind of Political Narrative as L3 is Female and its about female Empowerment and forcing SJW Agendas... What they all failed to see was that this was ABSOLUTELY DONE for HUMOUR!

Every-time L3 tries to 'Make a difference' - She also does NOT think through her actions... And they normally cause more issues than there were in the first place... If I were to explain every single one of these - It would really harm your enjoyment of the movie as they are also some of the funniest scenes. This is actually very realistic and takes a fun spin on this very real issue. In fact, I would even dare to say that the writers were EXPECTING These commentators and DELIBERATELY played this way with L3-37... Not only is it actually funny and should make us think about our Thoughts compared to our Actions... The best of intentions can go wrong of you do not know the consequences of what you are doing.

So - Yes there is a Political Narrative in the Movie, BUT unlike what you will have been told... It is NOT Pandering - If anything it is deliberately having a laugh at the expense of so called 'Social Justice Warriors'

Though Disney do need to watch what they say in future as they end up feeding trolls rather than combating them.

Effects - I am pleased to say that Effects wise, Things remain a high standard... I am not sure how many Practical Effects were used throughout the film, but they blend well with the CGI elements and the film as a result looks amazing. It can be Quite dark at points, but this is simply due to a very Gritty Story where colour would actually be inappropriate to the drama taking place on screen. Yes there will be people NOT happy about that, but it does help set the mood for the various set pieces.

Flaws - Yeah, There are flaws in the Movie... One that will annoy George Lucas as it makes his Special Edition of 'A New Hope' look totally redundant is Beckett teaching Han not to trust anyone - As HAN SHOT FIRST... And this film PROVES WHY!

The flow of the movie is somewhat jumbled, Easy to follow but its seems more like Set-Piece after Set-Piece rather than a flowing Narrative until the third act!

And finally - Fan Service... OH YES THERE IS INDEED A LOT OF FAN SERVICE!!! But it also confirms some things as canon that people have been BEGGING FOR! SPOILERS - The Fate of Darth Maul... We now KNOW there will be a Darth Maul Movie to come! (Really, I should have seen this twist in the movie coming - I am more than aware that Star Wars - rebels is Canon to the Movie Universe... But I was Genuinely Surprised to see Darth Maul appear in the film!)

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is simply a Story that DID NOT NEED TO EXIST... No one really wanted the 'Life Story of Han Solo' and it serves more as a movie to set up other Star Wars Spin-off Movies... Its easy to guess there will be a Lando Movie (Which actually could be interesting!), Certainly a Darth Maul Movie... It does its job as a Pseudo-Prequel but does not really go that far into developing the Main Character of the story! Rogue One this is NOT...

But what it does, It does well... Its fun! It's action packed, Its a great Popcorn Movie and very well acted.

Venom (2018)

What else can WE Say... I have a Parasite!!!!

[8/10 · 4 March 2019]

I am a self Confessed SPIDER-MAN FAN - have been since my mis-spent youth, So the mere idea of having a VENOM Movie WITHOUT SPIDER-MAN sent Shivers down my spine...

BUT... I try to go into every movie with low expectations, and simply look at them as a case of if it is entertaining - if not why not and if so, What marks it above the rest!

VENOM starts as a slow burn in many respects - It teases action from teh start but actually does a lot to build charterer, However once it kicks into High Gear - YOU ARE IN FOR A RIGHT ROYAL ROMP!

Would I have preferred to see a Spider-Man / Venom Story - Like the comics - ABSOLUTELY! But we have an Else-world Story that simply DOES WORK!

Tom Hardy is BRILLIANT! There is little more that can be said... His performance is 100% on point except a couple of minor issues... But we will get to that....

The film is overall Exciting and fun! And the characterisation of Venom is on point!

Effects are Excellent - Except a couple of minor issues _ I would say Spoilers but its in the Trailer anyway... One point Eddie is on teh Ground and Venom takes over his body to attack a bad guy - And... WOW! The CGI as Venom covers Eddie Brock's face is POOR - The Rendering of Tom Hardy is SO LIFELESS!!! But thats Minor and it only stuck out to me as I was so invested in the film!

Where I do take an issue - SONY YOU ARE COWARDS!!! This film could 100% have been better with a HARD R (18) Certificate. Venom is a BRUTAL Character - and in a solo Movie SHOULD BE HARD R!

The film is 100% a Real Romp - Great Fun, Great Action, Great Effects.. and You just know the Sequel is coming and I am looking forward to it!

EFFECTS: 8 STORY: 7 CAST: 9 SOUNDTRACK: 6 ENJOYABILITY: 8

OVERALL - 8 WE ARE AMUSED!!!!

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

This may not be the Star Wars you are looking for...

[7/10 · 1 March 2018]

OK! This will be my LONGEST EVER iMDB review... As such, I am going to break it down into sections - YES THERE WILL BE SPOILERS... It is necessary to try and explain how I have come to my conclusions.

Because, At first - I HATED THIS MOVIE... But as i planned to review it on YouTube and DEFEND REY who has become a poster child for Fans who Hate the new films, and as Fans get ready to DESTROY the career of Daisy Ridely the same way we did to Jake Lloyd (Annakin Skywalker _ Episode 1) - I had to rewatch and make sure I was on point...

I have now watched the movie 4 times... And I now see tings i originally missed...

Now, Is every Star Wars fan going to be happy with this Movie - NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! But is it a Good Movie... Well, let me start with my breakdown...

CREATIVE CHOICES: I do not know Rian Johnson as a director, but I do know DISNEY as a Business... I have NEVER AGREED with the idea to bring out a New Episode in the Trilogy every 2 years - This is more about maximising profits and pleasing shareholders. Sadly, with that Mindset of Disney, Creativity is Stiffled.

That being said, there are creative Choice made by Rian Johnson that tome are foolish - GONE are the Screen wipes which,while dated have always been a tradition of Star Wars... You may think they do not matter but when you spot it - You suddenly realise what they added to the films.

They slowed things down just for a second or two and allowed you to take in the scene... It was never something I thought about as a child back in 1978, but now they are not there - It does show something... It is a subconscious change that helps the movies thematically and should never have gone... Without them, The Movie seems a little too Generic! Like a generalised Hollywood Action Movie.

Sadly, These creative decisions also lead into section 2.

STORY: I think everyone knows by now that The film Picks up DIRECTLY where The Force Awakens left off... BUT not at the same time, At teh endof tehForce Awakens, Genral Hux and Kylo Ren are given orders by Snoke NOT to pursue teh rebels after Starkiller Base is Destroyed... But teh Last Jedi opens with The First Order chasing them down... IGNORING THE STORY THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED!

I could have forgiven this if it was at least alluded to in the Text crawl at teh start of the movie - Just a hint that Kylo Ren had DEFIED Snokes Orders or such, but NO! IT IS EMPTY!!! IT MAKES NO EXPLANATION!

Even Fans who loved The Force Awakens, Such as Myself, have called out this BAD creative choice as a Plot Hole - And Sorry Rian Johnson but IT IS A MAJOR PLOT HOLE!!!

The Story overall does continue man themes that had already been laid out in TFA, The idea of Legends, Inspiration Faith are all handled well... But Mired by many unnecessary Sub-Plots... I know that many fans are NOT happy with these themes as they wanted a more coherent 'The Force is something you are born into 'Story - a Continuation of the Skywalker Linage... Myself? Sorry but I am happy that that arc has CLOSED!

The biggest issue for me was teh Sub-Plots, They had far too much attention and not enough attention was paid to the Man two Plots of Reys Training and teh Rebel Escape plan... The whole situation on Canto Bight just comes across as Filler...

With that said, If you can ignore the subplots and focus on the main story that truly matters - Its holds up very well... But there is one more issue here that does throw people out... It even got me...

Star Wars has always had subtle nods to its real world influences, whether that be History or Religion, you can see it.... But its never in your face...

The same is true of The Last Jedi, BUT - Many of the 'Nods' are FAR TOO SUBTLE!!! True fans will miss them over and over again and new fans will not see them at all.... Hell I am as OLD as the Franchise itself, and it has taken me 4 VIEWINGS to spot teh little Story arc Hints and Easter Eggs that foreshadow where the story is supposed to go... The Ideas and influences are FAR TOO SUBTLE this time that most will simply NOT CARE!

CHARACTERS: OH BOY! This is an area me and many fans will agree - Some of the Characters are NOT handled well.. But again it comes down to SUBTLETY... The Film does not do ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY WHY CHARACTERS BEHAVE AS THEY DO!!!

Multiple viewings CAN give you a better idea, but it should not need multiple viewings to understand a characters motivations... The Biggest Victim of this is POE DAMERON - His Character at first appears completely Neutered, and treated BADLY!

Again, It took multiple viewings but thats not actually true - But to understand you NEED to watch over and over again... THAT IS BAD SCREENPLAY!

Once it does become clear... It actually makes sense... For Long Time fans and Fanatics, They will be P**SED OFF! For newer fans, Most probably wont even see that at first t makes no sense and will just shrug it off... I could not shrug it off but I at least now see where Rian Johnson was heading - He just handled it VERY BADLY!

Another aspect many have taken issue with is Forced Humour in Characters - And sadly, again this is a creative choice I CANNOT DEFEND! The worst being - Spoiler Alert! - Luke being handed his old Light sabre by Rey and Tossing it over his Shoulder... While it got an initial giggle from me... It felt WRONG! An Empty hollow Gesture played for laughs... The scenes following make clear that Luke has NO INTEREST in teaching Rey... But that could have been done with one line of Dialogue, DAMN It was done with the LOOK in Mark Hamill's EYES!!!

Even one word... Just Hamill looks at Rey, Silent for a few seconds before dropping the sabre to the ground and saying in a cold monotonous tone 'NO'

So - The Chgaracters are BAD? Actually - No... Many get Great development - Rey is growing as a Charcater, Kylo Ren is more dangerous than ever, Poe Dameron is shown to be a Rebel Hero but also a bit of an asshole with an Authority Problem... In fact the east developed Character is Finn who is consigned more to a Comic Relief Role.

many Fans are being far too hard on the characters - Especially Rey - And I hate to say this but I will call out the Fanatics who are still attacking her - We destroyed the career of Jake Lloyd, Now you want do the same with Daisy Ridley?

She is a Great Actress doing an amazing job with the material she is given... The HATE on Rey is UNFAIR! If you are NOT happy with her character - That's fine, but ATTACK DISNEY for not developing her character... Dont just belittle the Character!

EFFECTS: Frankly, The effects are mainly Stunning - A great use once again of both Practical and CGI, teh way Star Wars SHOULD be handled... I thought I would hate the Porgs as a CGI addition but they are actually used Fantastically and are not a issue as I expected them to be... In fact, they add to two of teh funniest scenes in the movie and feel perfectly fine...

There is not a single thing I can critique about the effects - Some have moaned abut the sets such as Snokes Throne Room, And I admit I found it Bland, but thats more a personal preference... It does not affect the story and does not get in the way - So I do not consider it an issue. Canto Bight on the other hand.. Well, We have already covered that this is more a sub-plot that goes nowhere so anything to do with that is just wasted...

OVERALL: I always lok at a movie in One way... Did it Entertain me?

Taking advice from YourMovieSucks.org - Adam Paluze, thank you Dude! - I go now to each film no matter how hyped I am and give it an average 5 out of 10... What it gets right may see it get a better score, what it gets wrong will see it drop...

On my first viewing, While entertained, I was VERY disappointed in the film and it was a 4.5... But upon rewatching, it was back t a 6, Then a 7... And a & it has remained...

I cannot and will not defend teh Creative choices of Rian Johnson, He was given too much free rein and altered things that are staples of the Franchise... Much like George Lucas with the Prequels.

And I feel that teh true Ire from fans should be directed at Disney being more interested in Shareholders and Profit Maximisation -as this is hampering teh creative process by placing extremely heavy and dangerous time constraints on the Movies...

There will be fans who are DEEPLY unhappy with The Last Jedi... Some of it is indeed justified... But not all of it - And I feel that its a mark of a pretty poor Star Wars Movie that you need multiple viewings to understand where the story is heading... To Paraphrase Han Solo from The Force Awakens - 'That's not how Star Wars works...'

But there is actually more to enjoy here than hate... Badly handled, Indeed - A Bad Movie? I guess thats up to you.. To me, It was at first but I now appreciate what it was trying to do even if I do not like the direction it took to get there.

When my new computer returns, I may do an upload to YouTube breaking down the areas I feel have gone wrong and why Fanatical Fans are now the REAL THREAT going forwards...(Seriously, I get told I am not a true fan because I have not immersed myself in every book... By 25 year old's who first watched the movies on VHS and DVD - I am 45 YEARS OLD! Not only did I see A New hope on the Cinema Screen, I Bought the first issues of the Marvel Comics back in 1978... Don't you DARE tell me I am not a True fan! I have QUITE LITERATELY Grown up with these movies...)

Despite my 7/10 _ this film will NOT be to to everyone's taste... If I marked it as a Star Wars Movie, I have to admit it would be more a 5-6 out of 10 as it fails in the creative choices... As a Movie in general it has many good moments...

So its a Final 7/10 - Its good.. But Not that good!

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Truly Great take on a classic Genre

[7/10 · 5 February 2017]

Man I am so behind the times - Why has it taken so long for me to see this movie?

Lets get the way as this film is EXCELLENT!

Samuel L. Jackson is HILARIOUS!

Colin Firth is simply Colin Firth but god damn does it work... I never had him pictured as an action hero but he pulls it off brilliantly!

The film is just plain enjoyable... It takes all the greatest Bond Movie Tropes and turns them into a thoroughly entertaining movie... While at the same time throwing a lot of real life questions into the mix... Not going to go too much into that as it would spoil the movie.

So for an Excellent Movie - Why only a 7?

Well, yeah there are bad points and here its the old classic of Shaky Cam... I can forgive it as this was 2014 and this was pretty much a staple of most movies back then, but it makes fight scenes very hard to follow.

The action IS enjoyable, but also somewhat too chaotic at times...

And some of the editing is DEPLORABLE!!! Why have 3 cuts when you can have 15?

No Seriously!!! Some of the action scenes cut between two different scenes up to 15 TIMES!!! The Church scene cuts between Samuel L. Jackson and the main fight over and over and over... And to be honest there is just no need for it!

With that said, its a brilliantly written comedy, and has a reasonably good pace... A must see if I am honest.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Very Entertaining - But not always for the right reasons!

[7/10 · 2 February 2017]

Oooooooooooh! I am a massive fan of Sherlock, and Benedict Cumberbatch is a great actor... So his casting in this movie was EXCELLENT in my view...

So, was it good - Well, honestly - I thought this was excellent!!! It was thoroughly entertaining if a little jumbled.

Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One was a controversial choice to many, but honestly I could not give a damn... Yes, it is an Asian character in the comics, but Hollywood KNOWS that it needs big names to sell seats - And her acting was fantastic!

The Story, while not the greatest had some fine action scenes and though it borrowed a little too heavily from Inception - It all worked!

And it is damn humorous as well... Some great Funny Moments...

So why only a 7 if I enjoyed it so much?

Well, yeah there are bad points - To Quote Rossatron, a popular YouTuber and Movie Making Critic, The 'Geography in the fight scenes gets a little convoluted and can be quite hard to follow at times.

The fight scenes are all epic but it can be difficult following the various characters.

And there must have been some kind of 'Behind the Scenes' discussion... As they made a TERRIBLE CHOICE asking Cumberbatch to try and do an American accent!!! OH BOY IT IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH SOME OF THE WORST ACCENTS IN MOVIES EVER!!!

Only slightly behind Sean Connery trying to do Irish in The Untouchables...

Benedict tries really hard to maintain the American Drawl, but it sounds so fake... and far too often he ends up reverting to British!

I know that in the comics Strange is an American Doctor, but GOD DAMN IT its an Adaption!!!! Play to the strengths of your leads!!!

Would it have been that hard to believe that Strange was a British Doctor who had migrated to the US for better opportunities to test his skills? NO! It wouldn't... And it would have saved us from the TERRIBLE Accent that Cumberbatch delivered!

And its the accent that makes the film unintentionally hilarious too often... It slips in and out so much you wonder if Strange has a Split Personality!

No, It has to be said - Its an enjoyable movie... Not perfect but to launch Doctor Strange into the Marvel Universe, it works!

Now lets just hope they do NOT ask Cumberbatch to try and be American again and try and get a little more focus behind the action next time instead of relying on the effects to sell the film.

Far better than I actually thought it was going to be... Just minor niggles let it down.

The Crawlers (1990)

Its not TROLL 2 Bad...

[3/10 · 9 January 2017]

Well, I would not go out of my way for this one...

Its a nice idea, but DAMN its so cheesy!!!

I really do not know what more to say - Its a typical Exploitation Movie in many ways... Seriously Low Budget, Very Poor Acting, all around its fun!

I saw someone review say that it was being offered as a PAY PER VIEW? Dear God NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

If you see it on The Horror Channel or something, take a chance... Its harmless fun!

Is there anything good I can say about the film? Yes... A Very predictable but good twist ending!

Just like Troll 2, You would not be missing out in this Sequel - If you can even call it that... It has nothing to do with its predecessors ... Not even under its many other names!

But if you want Cheese... Worth a shot!

The Walking Deceased (2015)

I'm not dead... Yet!

[4/10 · 7 January 2017]

What has happened to Spoofs and Pardodies?

Oh wait... I remember! The Scary Movie Franchise...

Yeah, it has to be said that this movie follows all the old tropes of trying to cash grab at a popular formula. We are long past the days of Mel Brooks thanks in part to a Politically Correct sensibility that seems to have issues with people taking the P**s out of every cultural stereotype and shoving it in our faces about how Hypocritical society really is...

This was the Genius of many Early Parody Movies... Mel;; Brooks, a Jewish Director/Writer/Movie Star, was more than willing to not only shove the ridiculous stereotypes of most people into our faces and say 'Seriously! This is how Stupid we all are!' but also send up his own beliefs because he KNEW that even he and his beliefs were not above a level of Hypocrisy.

Brooks, Zucker and Abrahams were very culturally aware... and never afraid to ruffle feathers for a laugh - because when we laughed at what we saw on screen, we were also laughing at ourselves...

Sadly, this art seems lost... This movie does NOT hit any of those notes and instead relies on 'Parody' of the most popular movies of its genre...

The Title is obviously a Parody of The Walking Dead, There are references to 28 Days Later, Star Wars, Zombieland (Parody of a Parody? Are you serious?), Warm Bodies and many more.

For what its worth, the film is NOT terrible... In fact, it has elements that are genuinely funny, though they are few and far between.

The effects are possibly one of the better elements of the movie - And sometimes quite graphic and gory... But this does not make it a great film.

Its biggest problem is they try too hard to cram as many pop culture references into the film to try and score cheap laughs that most of the time just do not work.

Given that so many films seem to be pandering to the so called 'Social Justice Warriors' and avoid making jokes that may even remotely come across as Racist or Religious in anyway - Its still baffles me how so many of these movies still rely on Stoner Humour to try and get laughs!

Overall, its cheap, tacky, but to be fair... Its short and mildly entertaining.

It could have been so much more though - Instead to falls into the vain of Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Scary Movie 4, The Starving Games and such like... Only with a much lower budget.

Its not going to challenge your humour much - But you may get a few cheap laughs out of it.

If people are going to continue doing parodies - PLEASE FOR GODS SAKE STOP TRYING TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT! NOTHING SHOULD BE SACRED TO HUMOUR!

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

I ain't afraid of no Movie... Well, Except Trainspotting!

[7/10 · 3 January 2017]

Oh Boy! After its box office slamming and all the controversy, I finally got around to seeing this film...

And -

Well, its actually OK!

Not groundbreaking - But its OK!

Its actually easier to deal with the BAD first.

First, The Marketing was DIRE!Sony Pictures in my view wanted to stir up controversy to sell more tickets - Hence they said a New Ghost-busters was on the way and led fans to believe it was going to be a sequel before admitting it was a reboot...

The effects, Oh dear god... Was this a Sony Pictures Release or an Early 1990's Nickelodeon TV show Pilot? The amount of SLIME you have to wonder... And the Visuals look like a bad Scooby Doo Movie, of which we have had too many already!

And I HATE DESPERATE ATTEMPTS TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT!

And NO! I am not talking about the Ghost Busters being Women... In fact, that was FINE! I will get to that more shortly as I talk about the Good...No, I am talking about some of the jokes which are very hit and miss,

For instance, I would say Spoiler alert but this is shown in the damn trailers... Leslie Jones attempts a stage dive and is dropped to the floor and says something along the lines of 'I don't know if that's because I was black or a woman...' - WHAT THE HELL!?

And Chris Hemsworth - Great Actor, and again - He does his part well... But its overwritten, overplayed, most of the time is NOT that funny, and worse still... SEXISIM MUCH!

YEAH! I said it! SEXISIM!!! Hemsworth is there to be the Eye Candy, and its wilfully and deliberately displayed in the movie as a joke...

If that was done a Male Dominated Movie - The Feminists would be hammering down the door to burn every copy of the movie - But if its a man being ogled by women - That's fine!

NO ITS NOT PAUL FIEGE!!! You are either FOR OR AGAINST EQUALITY! YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE ROLES AND DECLARE IT AS PROGRESSIVE... THAT'S TOTAL IDIOCY!

Paul Fiege declared that this movie was 'Progressive' - A Nice Hollywood Buzz word for being PC... My message to him would be Go and see Mel Brooks... He KNOWS how to do Progressive Comedy!!! Blazing Saddles did a better job than you and that was in the 1970's!

And finally, THE SOUNDTRACK! OH DEAR GOD THE SOUNDTRACK! Talk about desperation... I HATE the Fall Out Boy Version of the Ghostbusters Theme, Sorry but I do.. But that's not the worst part...

The worst part is if you BUY the soundtrack, you will have no less than 5 Versions of the SAME SONG! I kid you not, In fact I may have got too few... As well as Ray Parker Jr. Original Version, there are about 5 Cover versions!!!

WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!? ARE YOU KIDDING US SONY???

So, Onto the Good...

Sorry fans of the Original, but the new film holds up when it comes to action. It has a good pace most of the time, Though there is some awful editing that leaves you scratching your head...

The Ghostbusters, Kristen Wigg and Kate McKinnon are EXCELLENT! I am not a fan of Melissa McCarthy, but she too does well, but sadly it is Melissa McCarthy Playing herself more or less.

Leslie Jones to me is a relative unknown, She is not that well known here in the UK. I think she did damn well with the script she was given - The only complaints lie with the Director and Writer... How can you have a so called 'Progressive Movie' then cast a Black Actress to behave in a typical Hollywood Stereotype of a Black Woman? That's NOT the fault of Leslie Jones, that's down to Paul Fiege who clearly likes buzzwords but does not know what they damn well mean.

The film is very PG-13 indeed... Which is not actually bad for it... Kids will enjoy the bright colours and it does have some tense moments.

After all the hate the film received, I am actually glad that I enjoyed it...

Will it ever be as popular as the original? Nope... But is it worth seeing... Well, actually yes... Leave your fears at the door... Its not as bad as you may have been led to believe.

But there will only ever be ONE True Ghostbusters Movie, its the 1984 Original...

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Very Surprised that this was ACTUALLY GOOD!

[8/10 · 9 December 2016]

The whole idea of making 10 Cloverfield Lane filled me with trepidation the moment it was announced.

Things got yet more worrying when it became clear that the film was going to have NO CONNECTION to CLOVERFIELD...

But the trailers looked interesting, so I gave it a chance...

...Damn Glad I did!

There is not much in the way of effects to speak of until quite late on, Make up Effects are ASTOUNDING and very believable.

John Goodman is excellent in his role, and truly creepy...

The film is Tense, Really Tense... If you have avoided Spoiler talk online, then this film will have you on the edge of your seat... Not scared but Tense and Bewildered.

So - Basing my views on did the film achieve its goal of entertaining me? YES... Yes it did!!!

Its slow burning, So if you like action and blood... Look elsewhere - This is Psychological Tension not a all guns blazing action romp!

So Yup - I enjoyed it and you are probably now asking if I have anything bad to say about it...

Well... Yeah! I do... The Ending is so Cliché... Don't get me wrong, its fitting but it is Cliché!

In fact, I feel they could have ended the movie far better with a darker ending... But that's just my view and I do not want to include spoilers.

Much of the film is Guesswork - Trying to work out what the hell is going on, who is telling the truth, what really is going on around the lead characters.

So seriously, If you have managed to avoid Spoilers and have NOT seen the film - SEE IT... Its a slow burn movie but it works well! A Must watch at least once!

And if I am honest - Far Better than Cloverfield ever was!

Suicide Squad (2016)

DC seems to be getting it right... slowly...

[7/10 · 7 December 2016]

I finally got around to watching the movie after missing out at the cinema. Kind of glad as it was the extended cut.

I also watched after YouTube Veteran I Hate Everything released his own scathing review of the movie...

So the key is what do I think?

Well, in all honesty - IHE - Or Alex as he is better known - had many valid points about the film... For me the film is a mix of the Good, The bad and the downright Ugly.

The Joker: The Good

Jared Leto - I have to admit, I was concerned about Leto as The Joker - Following up the late Heath Ledger was going to be an uphill struggle.

Thankfully, he actually pulled it off... More of a reckless gangster than Ledger's darker portrayal, Leto does come across the right side of Crazy and sells the New Joker very well indeed...

The Bad:

Simple - LACK OF SCREEN TIME!!! Maybe DC and WB have plans for a solo Joker Movie but if that's the case, Suicide Squad FAILS TO SELL THAT VISION!

The Ugly: Flamboyant though the Joker is in the DC Canon, Many have taken exception to the Makeup and tattoos of Leto... I am somewhere in between, they do suit his portrayal but I can also see why fans are up in arms.

Harly Quinn, Margot Robbie is FANTASTIC and gets the best amount of screen time to sell her character in my view. Sadly, and it is rumoured to have been a major point of contention for Robbie on set, she is WAY TOO OVERSEXUALISED!

This does detract a lot from what should be a very personality driven character.

The Effects are FANTASTIC! The sets look great and a perfect balance of CGI Vs Practical for many set pieces works well... With that said, there is a LOT of CGI. Which actually leads into IHE's Biggest gripe and one I concur with.

In a Universe that has Batman and The Flash, Both making Cameos... They rely on the Suicide Squad to take out this evil... WHAT THE F**K!?

Seriously, While the Enchantress looks amazing, and the first transition is LEGENDARY - I can see why Alex calls this the best scene in the movie, it truly is epic in its simplicity - the overall idea and what they are fighting... NO! JUST NO! THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR THE SUICIDE SQUAD!!!

While we are on Enchanteress, Carla Delevigne is one of those Models that everyone raves about, but to be honest I have never really paid any attention to... As the Archaeologist, she plays her role very well indeed and seems to be a very competent actress...

...But when she becomes Enchantress which is 90% of the movie, She is not acting!!! She is just being a damn supermodel!!!

Now some may rave about this, but I am sorry - it really spoils the immersion. She literally is just modelling!!! BORING! A real shame as I think she actually has real potential.

Will Smith - What more can you say - He is Will Smith!!!

Overall, Each Character is great and played well... Its also where the film suffers its greatest issues.

It has action a plenty, some lovely slower moments to develop SOME of the characters - El Diablo's story is great... But there is too much to build on...

While in the comics each character has had time to shine and build up a history, there is no room for that here!

Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang is actually great fun - But you never really get to know him... This is a character that needs a place in a stand alone movie to build his history. Likewise, Killer Croc, El Diablo has a story that would be great for the Big Screen...

For DC's Cinematic Universe, Suicide Squad is a step in the right direction - Overall I found the movie very entertaining, but it lacks in other areas.

The problem is that the movie has been made far too early - All the characters could have done with a role as a villain or their own stand alone to really shine!

Its has plenty of action, some real heart wrenching moments and some laughs - Nothing laugh out loud funny but some... And it is enjoyable!

But DC is never going to compete with Marvel as long as they keep trying to cram so much in!

DC, Warner Bros... SLOW IT DOWN!!! You saw what happened to Spider- Man when they tried to shove in way too many story arcs and characters... You are doing the same thing!!! BUILD UP!!! That's what is needed!!!

So overall, I have marked it quite low for those technical reasons - There is so much potential in this movie that was wasted by trying to go full force too soon.

A real shame as actually it not a bad film at all... But its way too cluttered and most of the characters you just won't give a toss about unless you are an avid comics fan.

Unfriended (2014)

Such Promise... What Went Wrong???

[3/10 · 25 September 2016]

Unfriended SHOULD have been Amazing...

Its not - Maybe its because I am too much of a tech Geek or just bad direction but the film takes what should have been a truly scary story and ruins it with some really BAD decisions!

The idea in itself is PERFECT! In fact - this should have been one of the scariest movies EVER!

However, the main cast are Unlikable - It does not take long to get a look into them all and see they are a bunch of arrogant ass-holes and frankly deserve to die!!!

When making a Horror Movie - Relationships are important... You need to feel there is some kind of redemption for at least one person otherwise the point is lost!!! NO ONE HERE DESERVES REDEMPTION... So instead it becomes a case of waiting to see how gory a death they get!

Gore Fans, Forget this movie... There is Very little Gore! There is not supposed to be - One of the reasons I was actually looking forward to this film!

If you re not Tech Geek and do not know everything that most people should know about computers and the internet - You may find this movie Scary - But sadly, I know WAY TOO MUCH!

As a result, Events through the film just COULD NOT HAPPEN!!! The software used would not allow for most of the things you see to happen - Knocking me right out of the story.

Scenes that are supposed to be happening over a Live Video Chat have the Very VERY OBVIOUS Windows Media Player and Quick Time Player Bars Visible throughout...

And the Deaths? DAMN! How DUMB!

You have a ghost haunting its victims via the Internet - How do you kill them??? Maybe like The Ring where they are Literally Scared to death??? That would work and work DAMN WELL in my view...

Not here!!! Nope... One of the earliest deaths has a Victim ram his hand INTO A BLENDER!!! And towards the climax, the Ghost SHOOTS SOMEONE!!!!

Oh and lest not forget this is a Blum House Movie - so be all ready for the obligatory 'BEGHOUL' Scare at the end... Which is now so predictable it is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRING!

This film annoys me so much... The Idea was AMAZING! The Premise was Brilliant!!! But THEY SCREWED IT UP SO BADLY!

Damn! You know a movie has been done bad when a Movie Reviewer on YouTube - YourMovieSucks.org, has to dedicate THREE ENTIRE VIDEOS to cover all its flaws!!! I am not joking!

The YMS review is in total almost as LONG as the Movie itself!!!

I know people will get some enjoyment out of this film, and were it not for knowing too much - Maybe I would have too... But I hated the Characters, I felt no connection, I felt no remorse for any of the victims... And it just felt hollow.

A real shame as the idea was just so Great - I think with a better plan and better direction - And at least ONE PERSON you actually could care about and wanted to live... The movie could have been fantastic!

Slither (2006)

Why did it take me so long....????

[7/10 · 25 September 2016]

Well, this was a film I had avoided watching because I had got bored with the Genre... But decided it was time to view it after watching a lot of YouTube.

I do NOT regret it!

The film is pure B-Movie Cheese with a big budget.

But what really makes it work is the fantastic acting from its cast.

While simple in premise, its enjoyable and not too over the top - Gore fans may be disappointed, but I personally find Gore Fests get to be very repetitive (Yet there is still talk of another SAW Movie!!!)

The idea just works and works well... Most disturbing thing for me - Being a father was an issue I also had with Aliens Vs Predator - Requiem... Where (Spoiler Alert) you see a couple of Children become victims of the menace... While no where near as disturbing - For a parent this may make your skin crawl.

Its not overall Gruesome - In fact compared to John Carpenters The Thing - This film is really tame!!! But its a great fun film and well worth a viewing!

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015 TV Movie)

You had One Job...

[6/10 · 15 April 2016]

...and you blew it!

Minor spoiler alert ahead!

OK! If you are a fan of the original Sharknado, there is virtually NOTHING in this film that is going to surprise you. And thats good!!!

These films are deliberately over the top, totally insane, and frankly just a lot of fun!!!

So what's not to like???

There is a nice twist to the ending which I ADORED!!!

There is not really much you can say - You are getting more of the same over the top nonsense that has made this franchise so damn popular... No one watches these movies for a Story - They watch to see how much more over the top they can get - and BOY this one delivers BEAUTIFULLY!

BUT - There is a very Serious Complaint!!!!

THEY HAD ONE BLOODY JOB!!! AND THEY FAILED TO DELIVER!!!

SPOILER ALERT RIGHT NOW - They managed to get JEDWARD to star in the film!!! JEDWARD!!! YOU KNOW WE ALL WANTED IT!!!!

BUT NO! THEY LIVED!!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO US???

Cameos abound as well... From the late Jackie Collins to so many others... Hell folks, This film is just fun as hell... And I would have rated it a 7 or 8 had they not let JEDWARD live!!!!

Totally Mindless like all its predecessors, Switch your brain off and just enjoy the insanity!

Point of note - How insane is the movie? Maybe not as insane as yo might think and going to be very naughty now and recommend Film Theory on YouTube as MatPat goes through a very shocking theory - And manages to prove that in the right circumstances, a Sharknado is ACTUALLY VERY PLAUSIBLE!!!

Check it out, Well worth a watch... Highly unlikely but the facts remain it IS actually possible!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Not as bad as the Critcs are saying...

[6/10 · 26 March 2016]

OK! Just ahead of me doing an Audio Only review on YouTube on my 'Just Another Review Show' Channel - Still in its infancy, I thought I would do my usual and share a few thoughts - Relatively spoiler free - on Batman Vs Superman...

And I am going to be brutal and honest IT WAS... Actually quite good! Criticisms first! How many bloody times do we need to see the Batman Origin Story? His parents were murdered in front of him as a child... We get it! The first 10 or 15 minutes is the same story AGAIN! ENOUGH ALREADY! Secondly, If you are one of the many people who has watched the Trailer expecting an all action set piece - FORGET IT! YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS MOVIE!!! The Trailers are very misleading! This film is all about atmosphere and build up... It takes time to get to the meat of the story, hence many critics saying its Boring and Too Long...

NO! Actually its not, Thats GOOD STORY TELLING! I have to be honest, much as I tried to avoid the hype train, Even I went in expecting things to happen a lot sooner than they did... So I am giving you fair warning - DON'T TRUST THE TRAILERS! The film is all about Build up and pay off!!! If you go in expecting that, you will enjoy the film a lot more...

Finally, BaGhoul Scares!Yes, this movie has a freaking Jumpscare!!! For crying out loud Hollywood - Has this cliché not done its rounds enough? Bruce Wayne having a nightmare and a bloody Jumpscare? OK! Credit where it's due.. It did make me jump - Even though its so damn obvious that its coming... But it was NOT NEEDED!!! END OF! So, That's the bad out of the way... Whats good about it? The Build up, Its atmospheric - Emotional, Maybe the more cynical and the young will not get affected by that but for me as a father, there are many points that really tug at the heart...

A lot of people seem to be moaning about Ben Affleck's Batman as well... Personally, I liked him! He looks the part, and plays it damn well...

Henry Cavill as Superman - If you hated Man Of Steel then you are NOT going to be on board for this film, so don't bother but again - I think he puts in a perfect performance.

The shocking castings, Amy Adams returns as Lois Lane - And she once again portrays her really well... So no shock there! I am just finding hard to get used to her in serious roles after seeing her in The Muppets... But yeah she is good! And Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor... Possibly the one casting EVERYONE was worried about!!! He comes across to me as Jon Simms as 'The Master' In Doctor Who (If you have not seen them, Check them out AFTER you have seen the ORIGINAL Master in The Classic Episodes with tom Baker and Peter Davidson)...

He walks a really fine line of being slightly camp to overly maniacal... And he walks that line well! Very Well! It was the one casting choice I actually thought would fall flat on its backside, but instead I was enthralled!!! It was sad not to see more from him and the diabolical plot - Well they are far better than Gene Hackman's Real Estate plans in the 1978 Superman!!! Unsung Heroes so far - Wonder Woman's appearance - Yeah! You can already see the reviews out there - She REALLY IS BAD ASS! If I was worried about a Wonder Woman Movie before, I am not now... I can really see it working but will want to see a Prequel before anything else! Obvious clues for the future - I should warn of Spoilers but we have the Internet and we all know its coming... The first glimpses of Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg...

There is no avoiding it - We all knew a Justice League Movie was on the way so I do not really think its a spoiler... Disappointments here - NOT Linking The Flash into their already established show (Why not? Its done no harm to MARVEL with Agents of Shield!)...

Plus Points - A Cyborg Origin Story is definitely going to happen in my view - Or needs to... And Jason Samoa as Aquaman - It is only a brief glimpse but again I am ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD to the movie even though I have NEVER LIKED AQUAMAN! So, Long and the short - The hype train has done its worst and the film due to that is going to be VERY polarising... If you are after an all action epic, Avoid it as you will be plain ANNOYED! But if you want a slow build up to a good pay off (I want to say great pay off, but I didn't really care much for the final battle... Except for seeing Wonder Woman!) then go in with open eyes and I am sure you will like it.

Overall, 6 out of 10 from me - Mainly due to the Hype train....Would have been a easy 7 or even 8 had it not been built up for a fall!

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

The same as my first ever YouTube Review... Worth a watch!

[7/10 · 20 December 2015]

Fans have waited too long to see if the Franchise can survive without Lucas.. So is the film any good?

Well, Lets deal with the Critics first and look at the bad points.

The film is a re-skin of Episode VI: A New Hope ... A little unfair from critics but yes there are many similarities.

So is this a bad thing? George Lucas tried to experiment with the Prequels, look how that turned out!!! Long an the short, if it ain't broke - DON'T FIX IT!

Poor Acting - I saw this on another reviewers comments here... And yes some of the acting is quite "Stilted" - But hang on - The Original Trilogy which I LOVE AND ADORE had really poor acting, some really cheesy lines and they are declared MASTERPIECES!?

I have to disagree... John Obayga as Finn is AMAZING and worthy of an Oscar for giving a full range of emotions in a retentively short space of time... He won't get one as Fantasy films NEVER do...

Its a Bad Script - Again! So was the Original Trilogy!!!

Its predictable... Sadly, this is one major downside - It is... This is not just because of the story but the Disney/Lucasfilm Marketing campaign which gave way too much time for leaks and spoilers!!!

The Good... Effects are amazing, the story is EXACTLY what Fans wanted... Its fits the overall feel of the Original Trilogy without being "Too Good" - And for all those moaning about the stilted acting, if they had been BETTER than the OT, Truly Oscar Worthy... It would have gave Disney the power to REMAKE THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY!!!

THAT MUST NEVER HAPPEN!!!

Ignore the hype, go in expecting a good Fantasy/Action movie without the Internet japes and you will enjoy! No its not perfect - Its not supposed to be either or it would truly destroy what we have all loved for so long!

Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003 Video)

A chance for redemption? Maybe.... but....

[4/10 · 8 November 2015]

The start of the movie looks very promising... But do not be fooled...

While this movie was released in 2003, much of the visuals are taken from another two movies in the series.

So, nothing unusual there you might say... Well, yes there is when they did not get released until 5 years LATER!!! Yes, one was released in 2008 and the other in 2012.

The best guess possible is that production problems struck but the studio still had to put out a film as per contract, so a Quick story was put together to try and plug the gaps until the later films would eventually be realised.

As such, this film is one giant Spoiler!!!

What makes me think that the Later movies were in production but put on hold? Well, having watched them in chronological order - Some "Post Production" effects are missing from some of the cobbled together scenes, as well as some small dialogue changes.

Compared to the last movie, the editing is far, far better... So even though this is just a "Greatest hits and those yet to come" episode in the franchise, it works out OK!

Sadly, its not a story as such... Continuity wise its hard to know where this actually fits in the series as once again it seems to ignore events of previous films in the franchise... But at least its not as badly edited as Curse of the Puppet Master.

Random Irritations:

The stolen scene from one of the old Sinbad Movies...

Some of the cobbled together Post Production scenes give a little too much away about the inner workings of the film... You can actually hear the small explosive charge used to shatter a window!!!

A scene boarding a train taken from another entirely different Movie.

Random Superb Moments:

Revisiting the far superior Puppet Master 3: Toulon's Revenge

So, this is rightfully the LAST in the series, regardless of what the Wiki says...

To relive the best moments and get a final great twist is good... Could have been a bit better and, who knows, there may even be yet one final sequel.

Curse of the Puppet Master (1998 Video)

Darker and deeper than the rest...

[5/10 · 8 November 2015]

Curse of the Puppet Master takes a very different turn from the rest of the series, which for many is a bad thing - I have to agree as it does not fit chronologically anywhere in the original story...

Another notable thing that may upset many fans is the amount of footage from previous movies that has been used to cut down on the budget... Sadly, where this is done it is VERY noticeable and it does ruin the immersion in the story.

With that said, it is far from a terrible film but has marked a new direction which has upset long standing fans... My guess is they could not get a good enough script for a true Sequel or the cast were not willing to come back after Puppet Master V.

Either way, this is a new story arc in itself.

A doctor has now taken possession of Andre Toulon's puppets and seeks to recreate the work that his predecessor had done, but the opening scenes suggest all is not well.

While the change of story arc is unwelcome (If you wanted to fit this movie in Chronologically, it would appear somewhere early on as Leech is still alive...) the overall quality is good and the acting is actually better than some of the rest.

Joss Green who pays 'Tank' is brilliant in his role, which makes it surprising that he has not had more roles overall - He has the potential for great things... I could really see him in an Avengers role.

So, yes - if you were expecting a continuing story - Afraid you will be disappointed, but the new story arc has some sufficiently dark turns to get the nerves tingling!

Puppet Master 5 (1994 Video)

Perfect follow up...

[6/10 · 8 November 2015]

Filmed back to back with Puppet Master 4, this film picks up just 24 hours after the last one and the Demon itself transports itself to our world to finish the puppet master.

Again, as with all the Puppet Master Movies, switch your brain off and just sit back and enjoy - Do not try and make sense of the plot as the Movies are quite disjointed and out of chronological order.

Its more of the same silly fun as last time. Effects are as excellent for the time as they have always been, especially for a low budget production.

That said, the film has also managed to pull in Major talent in the form of Ian Ogilvy - A very well respected actor who plays a perfect slime ball as always...