hgg17 Reviews

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)

Fans will undoubtedly love it. (potential spoilers)

[5/10 · 4 January 2014]

Just got back from seeing this and I was admittedly skeptical watching the trailer feeling as though it had steered off in a completely irrelevant direction, but was ultimately pleasantly surprised.

It does a good job of tying up links and answering questions made by previous installments, whilst also opening up new ones for future sequels. There's also lots of subtle little clues, hints, and links to notice throughout the movie that link to the others, which is also interesting to see if you're a fan.

The only negative thing I have to say about it is that *spoilers* when Jesse got possessed by the demon on becoming 18, he gained supernatural like abilities. The film spent a lot of time focusing on this fairly irrelevant footage, and felt too similar to Chronicle, another film in the found footage sub-genre.

Overall, I loved this film and the doors the ending opened for future installments. I also like the ever growing complexity of the Katie / Kristi / Hunter / Grandma Lois / Toby story line, which this film contributed greatly towards. The Marked Ones is great story-wise, so fans will undoubtedly enjoy it.

Kath & Kim (2008–2009)

abysmal

[1/10 · 13 May 2013]

being a die hard fan of the original Kath and Kim series I was curious, but shortly after literally disgusted at this attempt at a successful remake.

apparently the American producers wanted to remake it so that the audience of the USA could understand the 'Australian humour'. Not only does this make 'humour' sound like a cryptic code unless it's one liners thrown at canned laughter, it's not even difficult to understand the gags and humour of the original. I'm a British viewer, and enjoyed the original all the same. The only references made to the country really are Australian actors, actresses, athletes etc.

All of the original jokes, gags, recurring quotes from the original are either scarce or retold so badly through disgraceful delivery it didn't make a difference. The characters played off of one another in the original. The contrast between Kath and Kim was what made it so believable; they seemed like a true mother and daughter. Their petty bickering never got old. This isn't even evident here, as the actress who plays Kim's delivery is so poor and as dull as dishwater she sucks all the life out of the original, selfish Kim.

I'm not sure if this was an attempt at the USA version putting it's own twist on Kim, either way it was a diabolical choice. The acting from Kim was just dull and uninviting. Kath was slightly improved on this, but it doesn't work if the woman reacting from her insults and lines has the personality of a bit of dry wall.

I got through the first two episodes without seeing Sharon, checked the IMDb cast list and saw there was no Sharon. No. Sharon. Really? Her constant loyalty to Kim and Kim's brutishness to her was a key point of humour in the original.

The USA version is too polished - it's not the semi-shaky mockumetary style camera used in the original to present a seemingly funnily real family. It's over done, too false and glamorous.

I could honestly go on for hours, but I'll limit myself. The USA version is just a diluted, lifeless and just poor attempt at a remake. Original gags are scarce. Anything that even slightly resembled the humour of the first one is gone.

Just watch the original - Words can't explain how better it is. Me, my sister and mum all bond over the shows humour, it's funny, real, and just enjoyable. All of which doesn't exist in the new version. It's impossible not to compare them, but apparently American audiences want nothing more than lifeless one liners and be told when to laugh.

k&k USA: 1/10 - awful.

reasons: poor delivery and acting, humour diluted to an extent it's boring, lifeless jokes, lacks the character of the original. basically everything is wrong with it.