pottypat-406-988909 Reviews

Unforgiven (2013)

Painfully slow, none of the subtleties of original

[2/10 · 1 May 2024]

I would not recommend bothering with this incredibly slow re-make, with unnecessary repetitions. As an antidote I re watched Clint Eastwood's original and it is vastly superior in every respect apart from the cinematography.

The director and writer have euthanised tensions created in the original to such an extent I was bored rigid. At 20% faster it was still boring. The beautiful photography and competent cast failed to create anything redeeming. The original despite being 20 years older still has a superior pace. A friend I watched it with said, 'It's really just a western, nothing much about Japanese Samurai in this'.

Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (2023)

Gave up watching after 15 minutes

[2/10 · 14 April 2024]

Unfortunately CGI's over use for spectacle does not make up the writers need for a decent script. What remains are all the usual cliches used in these types of films. Why use 10 Trebuchets, when you can have 100? Etc. Loyal and obedient to the death sons, grubby barbaric warlord traitors and demonic women abound. Shame this sort of nationalistic nonsense gets funding to the detriment of the great films that China can and has produced in the previous 100 years. It all looked wonderful, like a shiny Hollywood musical but I was bored 15 minutes in and gave up. I'm sure the original tale was far better. Learn Mandarin and read the original. Got be easier than watching this.

Empire of the Seas (2010)

Appalling drivel

[1/10 · 23 September 2019]

How not to make a documentary on 500 years of Naval History in three episodes. I sat through the first one as it skipped briefly through 200 years or so. The loud incessant music thundering around as Snow delivered his lines while scrubbing decks, riding in boats, climbing rigging. The only naval type scenes missing unfortunately, were him being keel hauled, flogged or dying from scurvy. Started to watch second episode as my wench liked them and the sight of him blathering away rowing a bloody boat was enough. Awful rubbish. Whoever commissioned, wrote, scripted and directed this should be drowned

Killing Them Softly (2012)

A pleasure to watch an intelligent well made movie

[10/10 · 16 March 2013]

If you are sick of generic clichéd action film making, you will enjoy this unique gem. An actors movie. The superb cast subtly weave a bleak and violent morality tale. Everyone is given beautiful little soliloquies. This drew me into each character, even though they are all without exception unpleasant, I still was able to empathize with them. It was like a modern Shakespeare with the regular TV news and political speechifying in the background as a running commentary on the stories progress. The editing was so good I never noticed it. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in this classic. It is a dark movie and I can imagine its subtle complexities being lost on the great unwashed and washed.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Dumb dumb Dumb dumb dumb dumb

[1/10 · 21 November 2012]

Those drums and bloody music will they ever stop? Yet another corporate serving of Hollywood, dumb nastiness. A dead pan murdering of The Batman saga with no humour or comic relief. It has a patronising ending ripped off from any James Bond movie. Countdown bomb clock 1minute 30 seconds to go and they are still exchanging sloooow meaninful glances, Hortense. And The Iron Giant with IT ALL SPELLED OUT IN BIG WRITING for the less imaginative in the audience so they can scuttle back home sucking thumbs and gurgling happily. I don't expect anything cerebral from Batman flicks with absurd plot twists etc. Batman movies have had some depth in the characters that allowed you to involve. This had none despite all the 'deep emotional' speechifying. It would have benefited from sawing off about an hour of the interminable akshun sequences and very, very and honestly to God folks, fake cliff hangers. Dreadful directing, all a fine cast told to act in the 'Standard CSI Self Important Wooden' manner. Cain didn't. A generic habit of inserting deliberately sadistic violence in some American action films as a plot device fails every time. It means nothing adds nothing and fails to entertain, which is how I felt afterwards about the whole movie. Peckinpahs', The Wild Bunch will always be one of the greatest ever movies.

Little White Lies (2010)

Pretty good film if you turn it off 10 minutes before the end

[7/10 · 3 July 2012]

I really enjoyed this movie. I liked the way it was filmed and directed. A good story, the script was tight, the actors very good and I engaged well in their characters. None of them were particularly likable either. I loved the sound track too, some great tunes. A shock for me was the ending, last 10 minutes. It appeared tacked on, as if the producer's wife said to him if you don't stick this on, no more amour for you Cherie. To me it almost ruined the movie, so turn it off about 10 minutes from the end, you'll know when. It would have got 10 stars from me but for that. But having said that if you're into Hollywood style huggy, tears and let it all out crap in slow mo with a wincingly appropriate tune, let it roll.