prclark46 Reviews

Joe Pickett (2021–2023)

Satisfying adaption of the book

[9/10 · 6 August 2022]

This was surprisingly an excellent adaption of the book. Few adaptions capture the mood and flavor of the original but this one does it well. Great suspense, characters (even if not exactly like the originals) and well shot. Like most adaptions it is futile trying to exactly match everything in the printed word. We watch and immerse ourselves in visual book adaptions in a different way. Highly recommended.

The Postcard Killings (2020)

Not so bad

[8/10 · 24 July 2021]

I just watched this suspenseful, well produced and exotic (for a non-European) murder mystery. Haven't read the book so my viewing was not distracted by the original story or preconceived expectations. Great locations, good acting and tight story telling with a slowly revealing plot. Had the feeling of a police procedural with a twist.

Can't understand the many very low ratings (anything under 5 is trolling) but I blame The Walking Dead for the critique of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's acting - I suspect some of them wouldn't know good acting if they fell over it!

Perry Mason (2020–2023)

A master class in scripting

[9/10 · 28 July 2020]

Once you get over the controversial "origin" of Perry Mason this series is a master class in drama scripting, plot development and period authenticity. Based on the original concept from a legendary crime novelist the story gradually unfolds over each episode that irresistibly draws you in, like a good crime novel should. This is a real treat so Ignore earlier questionable criticism and don't miss it.

Washington (2020)

Cartoonish, cheap and shallow depiction of a great leader

[3/10 · 14 July 2020]

I was very disappointed with this miserable depiction of Washington and the War of Independence that fails both as a mini-series and a documentary. At times it gave the impression no one knew what they were making! Considering the vast amount of material available to the creators responsible many events were trivialized, truncated or just plain ignored. No effort was made to make the actor who plays Washington physically like the historical portraits but surprisingly Benedict Arnold was close to the mark. The action scenes appeared clumsy and largely inaccurate (much of the fighting at Trenton occurred in the streets of the town but the episode depicted some kind of artillery duel!). The early years were interesting and a reasonable guide to the makeup of Washington's drive and ambition, but the rest was just too Hollywood cartoonish to hold my interest.

Emerald City (2016–2017)

D'Onofrio's wizard is wizard

[9/10 · 17 March 2019]

Only now catching up with Emerald City. I originally thought it would be a trite version of the original Wizard of Oz but was pleasantly surprised by a fresh and interesting fantasy. Vincent O'Onofrio's wizard steals every scene while the performances of the rest of cast makes this series a worthwhile investment. Puzzling why there was no sequel but in my opinion Emerald City as a story (or a long movie) comfortably stands alone.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Ignore the negatives

[9/10 · 28 August 2018]

Only caught up with this film recently on cable, mainly put off by the negative and dismissive reviews. This is a fascinating, extraordinary and thoroughly entertaining sci fi film that shows Luc Besson at his very best and deserves to be treated better. It truly puts Star Wars and Guardians of the Universe on notice.

If you haven't seen it on a big screen TV this is a good excuse to out and buy one now! You won't be disappointed.

The Crossing (2018)

Excellent sci fi mystery

[9/10 · 28 June 2018]

Just caught this in Oz; we may be behind many US releases but at least the sun rises here before it does in the States! This is a good sci fi mystery series that instantly grabs you from the first episode with dollops of intrigue, characterisation and settings. As the story unfolds and gradually expands the plot it enriches the viewers' experience as only a good series could. More worthy of a multiple season run than most of the dross currently available and would thrive on a streaming service.

C.B. Strike (2017– )

Black gritty gold

[9/10 · 9 June 2018]

Excellent well written noir mystery set in gritty contemporary Britain. The story develops slowly but the characterisations and great acting carry you on a journey the antithesis of typical TV crime shows. This is television gold, best watched streamed with lots of beer and chips on a cold wet winter's day.

Genius (2017– )

Hysterical history

[3/10 · 27 June 2017]

If this poor excuse for a historical drama tried to convince us of anything it was that Einstein had Asperger's, Zagreb was in Serbia and WWI started in a very cold snowy winter. The war in fact began in August 1914 at the height of Summer and Zagreb is actually the capital of Croatia, which in 1914 was part of Austria-Hungary not Serbia, but I totally agree Einstein as depicted was in desperate need of treatment! The real Albert must be turning in his grave, relatively speaking!

The Good Karma Hospital (2017–2023)

It's fiction not a travelogue

[7/10 · 24 June 2017]

This is a pretty average TV series but I can't agree with many of the reviewers, presumably expats, who seem to take the location a little too seriously. People, it's a fictional hospital series that could have been completely recorded in a studio (as some of it obviously has been) but has many externals of an exotic (to the rest of us) tropical sub-continent coastal locality. Whether it is Indian or Sri Lankan in the end is of little consequence because it is the atmosphere that is important not the accuracy. Often it is too difficult to satisfactorily film in an original locality.

There may have been good reasons why a Sri Lankan rather than a Southern Indian location was chosen, much the same as the recent films that have been made in Australia but set elsewhere, e.g. financial incentives. Another example is the use of Canadian cities for externals instead of New York. I guess we all have to get used to it and accept what film is all about - imagination!