nandedarou Reviews

Willow (2022–2023)

Well-crafted, derivative and entertaining

[6/10 · 3 December 2022]

The original Willow feature is basically a medieval retelling of Star Wars: Episode IV. This series introduces several new characters and resurrects some familiar ones.

Joanne Whalley is a standout as Sorsha. A princess in the original movie, she is now a queen with children of her own.

The new characters are well-cast and have some genuinely funny moments. The dialogue is like, jarringly modern at times though.

A show as derivative as this one would quickly be dismissed if not for its connection to a beloved property from the 1980s.

If you are looking for something edgy, challenging or insightful, then this is not the series for you.

This is a show that offers some well-crafted, predictable fantasy from the world's most bloated and exploitative media company.

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Fun, fun, fun and surprisingly profound

[8/10 · 12 June 2022]

A 60s rock band forms, rises to prominence on the back of a hit song, then falls apart again.

This simple tale is lifted by compelling, relatable characters and impeccable casting.

Adam Schlesinger's infectious title song perfectly evokes the spirit of early Beatles. The cast's enthusiastic performance of the song make it all the more convincing.

But inderlying all this comical exuberance are Tom Hanks' own philosophical views. "This too shall pass".

Are you failing to realise your dreams? This too shall pass. Are your dreams being realised, bigger and brighter than ever? This too shall pass.

This too, shall pass.

What Did Jack Do? (2017)

Pointless and unethical

[1/10 · 14 August 2021]

Don't be fooled by the 17 minutes running time. Time will slow down while you watch this. Some might call it an absurdist masterpiece. What's absurd is the exploitation of a capuchin monkey to relate this non-starter of a story. If Lynch really wanted a lip-syncing monkey, he could have at least used CG. But if course, he never would have received the funding required to do so.

Do yourself a favour and give it a miss. Monkeys don't exist to be our cinematic sidekicks, dressed in little suits to perform showtunes.

His Dark Materials: The Lost Boy (2019) Season 1, Episode 5

Hitting all the right notes

[10/10 · 3 December 2019]

As a major fan of the books, I've been watching this series from day one. This is my favourite episode so far. It has the most narrative drive and the highest emotional impact.

A book is a book, a TV show is a TV show. You can't turn one into the other. That's adaptation. There are many practical considerations. For example, it would have been cost-prohibitive to have a daemon shown with every human all the time. There are also child labour law as preventing Dafne Keen from having as much screen time as her adult co-stars.

The important thing is that the show's creators have stayed true to the spirit and the themes of the book.

My Father, the Bride (2019)

Diversity in a conformist world

[8/10 · 1 December 2019]

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down". This well-known Japanese proverb is a good introduction to Tasty Family aka My Father the Bride.

The more familiar tale of conservative old men stifling the individuality of youth is inverted here.

Although the film is a little cheesy in parts, it is more often genuinely touching.

Lady Bird (2017)

Marred only by its tired tropes

[8/10 · 14 October 2018]

I found Lady Bird to be a beautifully written and acted film which is let down only by a couple of old tropes.

One is the "fat best friend" trope and the other is a variation on the "all the good men are gay" trope.

Apart from these flaws, this is a moving and entertaining look at coming of age as a non-conformist on the west coast in a Catholic School.