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Reviews
The Tomorrow People (1973)
It's Raining Men!
There were many reasons why British children ran home from school every Monday afternoon to watch The Tomorrow People. For some, it was a fantastic source of escapism from the everyday stresses of life. For some, the special effects were so cheesy it made then show a must-watch for a laugh. And there were those who ran home to see their Heathcliffs. The latter category is, unusually, the category that I, an innocent 21st century teenage girl, fall into.
Well, it's not as though these ladies-and gay men-could help it, couldn't they? There was John, a strong father figure, with chiselled good looks and luscious dark hair. There was Kenny, feisty but still a Catie pie. There was Stephen (one of my personal favourites), a nice young lad with a nice body and face. There was Tyso (another personal favourite), an adorable gypsy who went from cute to sexy in just a few stories. There was Mike, great to look at and a mean drummer, not too bright but still great to look at. And finally there was Andrew, an absolute sweetheart with a mischievous streak.
So those are the reasons why I watch the Tomorrow People. Oh, the stories were great too. But I mainly watch it for the hunky men. 8 out of 10 for that alone.
Fraggle Rock (1983)
Let's Go Down to Fraggle Rock!
Everything was better in past days. Even children's television. And Fraggle Rock proves my point quite easily. At the time of writing this comment I am fourteen years old but even in my teen years I can't resist the charm of Fraggle Rock. For those of you that have indeed been living under a rock (haha!), Fraggle Rock is about a horde of playful and goofy creatures called Fraggles who live-amazingly-in a rock. But they're not the only creatures. The rock is inhabited with many other species like the hardworking Doozers and countless living plants. Outside the rock on one side live inventor-scientist Doc and his dog Sprocket (who later befriends Gobo Fraggle), on the other side a family of Gorgs-supposed rulers of the Universe. The five main Fraggles Gobo (fearless leader), Mokey (arty and peaceful), Wembley (indecisive and a friend to Gobo), Boober (a pessimistic domestic god) and Red (loves anything to do with sport and general feistyness)get caught up in some strange situations each episode while at the same time sing and dance their cares away.
Fraggle Rock is definitely a family show-the plots may have intricate details that infants may not follow well, but the song-and-dance routines will hold their attention. The characters are strong and likable, their conflicts believable and their adventures thrilling. The Gorgs are frightening, Doc and Sprocket enlightening, Uncle Travelling Matt hilarious (the postcard segments are very 80s!) and the final episode, Change of Address, genuinely touching. Let's go down to Fraggle Rock again!
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006)
Why bag this movie out? It's great!
Teenage girls wheeling themselves off to the cinema to see Alex Pettyfer rather than this actual movie will be pleasantly surprised, indeed.
Instead of the usual teen movie involving complaints about puberty, school dates and dances, full-on romance and insulting humour, they will be treated to high-class writing, fantastically choreographed action, a plot that makes sense and sly, clever humour. Oh, and did I mention that the gorgeous Alex Pettyfer takes up most of the movie, just as a special treat?
For the uninitiated, Stormbreaker is the movie adaption of a book by British author Anthony Horowitz that was written some years ago. It is about a 14-year-old boy called Alex Rider, who unbeknownst to him had been trained by his uncle Ian (Ewan MacGregor) to follow his father's footsteps and become a recruit for the intelligence agency MI6. Well, unfortunately Ian is killed while on a mission, leaving Alex's American housekeeper, Jack Starbright(Alicia Silverstone), to have guidance over him. However, Alex suspects something is going on and to his surprise he finds that his uncle wanted him to be a recruit for MI6. So MI6 send him on his first assignment: discover the secret of the Stormbreaker computer, before Darrius Sayle (Mickey Rourke) launches them with a deadly virus that will wipe out the world. Of course, Alex will have to front his trials, including a Portugese Man-'O-War...
This movie, as I mentioned earlier, is almost flawless, except two things. 1) Even though given major credits, big-name actors such as Steven Fry (Smithers), Andy Serkis(Mr. Grin)and Robbie Coltrane (the British P.M) are only given limited screen time. It's also a disappointment that Ewan Macgregor only barely appears in the film before he is killed off. 2) The aforementioned teen-aged girls will be frothing at the mouth when they see sparks fly between ALex and Sabina Pleasure (Sarah Bolger). However, their neutral relationship does sometimes make the picture effective in some scenes.
So why bag this movie out, apart from some flaws? A movie doesn't need to be like the book. A movie is a movie. And Stormbreaker is a bloody good one as far as I'm concerned. Ten out of ten!
H.R. Pufnstuf (1969)
A little poem
Pufnstuf, oh Pufnstuf, You're our mate when things get rough You'll never run out of puff Even when the fans say you're smoking stuff You're our favourite dragon-like thing When we see you our hearts go 'ping' You're more legendary than Sting Bling bling bling, ching ching ching, Rah rah rah, blah blah blah. Witchipoo is a little brat, She's a notorious version of The Cat in The Hat, But you'll squash her in ten seconds flat, But I guess I'll do better since I'm really fat. Jimmy, Jimmy, my darling Jimmy, I would kiss you in a jiffy, I can't think of any more words to bloody well rhyme with this poem.
Oh, 10 out of 10.
Postman Pat (1981)
Hmmmmm....
I really am not so sure about this show. When I was a little girl, I begged my mum to put on the tapes for me, so I could watch Postman Pat and his black-and-white cat go on all their amazing adventures.
Now I'm not so sure.
I gave this show a 6 out of 10 because, even though the new series is far from perfect, it has its moments. Like baby Niquille (please pardon my spelling). And something about Mira and the Doncaster soccer team. I wasn't too keen on the Greendale Rocket and Clown episodes, they were okay, but I much prefer the old series. Don't get me wrong, both are carefully crafted in a manner that only the British can achieve, but the old series had that archaic mid-20th-century England sort of feel, which was peculiar in a time like the 1980s. The new series is, in one word, alright. But Postman Pat is still an old favorite of mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Doctor Who (1963)
Probably the best show ever.
Is there any stopping the Doctor? My answer is no. Even though some reports have suggested that time lords may only go through 12 generations, hopefully the Doctor will break that tradition and the internet geeks will bury their faces in their hands with shame.
Even though it may not sound like it, I used to be a normal little girl who liked pink and ponies before I discovered the wonderful world of Who last year. I was never into science fiction or fantasy, just comedy and family, but Doctor Who changed all that.
It was in April 2005 when my middle-aged aunt had misheard something about me liking Doctor Who. She bought 'The Three Doctors' on DVD, and I had no choice but to watch it. Since then, I've been hooked.
I know Romana's full name (well, it's either Romanadvoratrelundar or Romanatrevortrelundar), how Adric died (he was trying to solve a logic code when a Cyberman destroyed the keyboard and the ship blew up), the importance of the sonic screwdriver and nearly all the monsters and planets mentioned. I am a true Whovian (complete with a crush on Matthew Waterhouse) and I'm not afraid to admit it.
If the Doctor had to die for the last time, the world would be in deep despair. People would talk about for years. I would be one of them. If the Doctor died, shame, shame. At least the Who legend will live on.