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Luther: Series 2 (Review)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Darren

I loved the first series of Luther. I genuinely adored it. It was a wonderful six-episode arc following the perils of DCI John Luther as he walked a thin line between, as Ripley remarks here, “being dirty and being willing to get your hands dirty”, all of which culminated in a rather fantastic final two episodes that explored the implications of that sort moral corruption in law enforcement. So the follow-up season had a lot to live up to, and – while it’s still well-written, well-acted and solidly entertaining – it can’t help but feel a little disappointing. While there are other considerations, the most damning one is this: two two-part episodes don’t given enough room for a season-long arc.

Putting it all together...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: Alice, Alice Morgan, bbc, british television, dci john luther, Fawlty Towers, Idris Elba, john luther, luther, paul mcgann, police procedural, review, Ruth Wilson, Saskia Reeves, Television, United States | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Drop Zone

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Darren

I’m going to level with you up front. I was born in the late eighties, so – in ways – I’m a child of the nineties. I grew up with cheesy action movies, and I have a certain fondness for that sort of outrageously cheesy nineties action thrillers. Hell, I’ll confess to being a huge fan of Demolition Man, for cryin’ out loud. So, in the interest of full and frank disclosure, you should know that I probably have some form of bias in favour of Drop Zone before you read this review. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s a great film – I’d struggle to even describe it as “good”– but, if you know what you’re going in for, it can at least be entertaining.

Oh, chute!

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Action film, Drop Zone, Gary Busey, Hans Zimmer, nineties, non-review review, Parachuting, Point Break, review, Steven Seagal, United States, Wesley Snipes | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Super 8

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Darren

Super 8 is a love letter to film. It’s an ode to the trashy, forgettable – yet still endearing – stuff, like a bunch kids screwing around with an obvious fixation on the work of George A. Romero. It’s also a sweet tribute to the film that emotionally connects with us, like the footage of a long lost relative projected against a wall, almost convincing us for a second that they’re still with us. JJ Abrams might consciously evoke early Spielberg with his style, but it’s only to celebrate the common ground they both share, the believe that film is truly powerful and emotion medium, one that strikes a chord on the most improbable of notes, teaching us life lessons and engaging us in nothing short of magic. The posters and trailers might convince you that Super 8 is a classic monster movie with seventies trappings – and it is – but it’s also that other difficult-to-get-quite-genre, the coming-of-age tale. Just one that features giant monsters.

Nice camera work...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Elle Fanning, film, george a. romero, J. J. Abrams, jj abrams, Joe Lamb, Michael Giacchino, Movie, non-review review, review, steven spielberg, super 8, Super 8 mm film | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Enemy of the State

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Darren

I have a soft spot for Enemy of the State, I must confess. Perhaps it’s the opportunity to see Will Smith in a great leading role, perhaps it’s the fact that this is one of those movies that actually became far more relevant after its release, or perhaps it’s the superb ensemble assembled by Tony Scott. I don’t know, I think it’s a lot of those things together, but – along with Scott’s superb Crimson Tide – I think that Enemy of the State can easily be considered one of the best things that Jerry Bruckheimer ever put his name too.

Brill dishes the dirt...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Crimson Tide, enemy of the state, enemy of the state (film), film, Jake Busey, Jerry Bruckheimer, jon voight, Movie, non-review review, patriot act, political, politics, review, Scott Caan, tony scott, Wild Wild West, will smith | 9 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Signs

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Darren

You know what? Even though history and experience has retroactively soured the movie, with M. Night Shyamalan’s career entering freefall and Mel Gibson’s personal problems clouding his career, I kinda like Signs. In fact, I’d go so far as to argue that the movie represents Shymalan’s last good film. That said, it’s a well-constructed and engaging little thriller that is, unfortunately, hugely flawed. Some of these flaws are so fundamental that they’re hard to ignore, but I think that this movie was the last time that Shyamalan demonstrated a real organic talent and skill for film making.

Shine a light on it...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: abigail breslin, Alien invasion, aliens, belief, film, Filmmaking, films, Joaquin Phoenix, M. Night Shyamalan, Mel Gibson, Movie, Movies, non-review review, review, Rory Culkin, signs, Sixth Sense, spirituality, the war of the worlds, unbreakable, war of the worlds | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Darren

I’m a sucker for a good old-fashioned criminal law ethical dilemma. I honestly think it was Primal Fear that sent me rushing off to law school, with its wonderful twisty plot about the relationship between innocence and guilt, lawyer and client in the criminal justice system. The Lincoln Lawyer isn’t quite as strong, but it’s certainly a worthy addition to one of the oft-ignored crime drama subgenres, anchored in superb central performances and a powerful little hook.

He rests his case...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: A Time to Kill, bob gunton, Bryan Cranston, crime drama, lawyers, legal thriller, Lincoln Lawyer, Marisa Tomei, Matthew McConaughey, non-review review, review, Ryan Phillippe, william h. macy | 4 Comments »

Luther: Series 1 (Review)

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Darren

You know, when I wonder why Irish television can’t produce quality drama, I am not looking across the pond towards our American cousins. I realise the sheer scale of the economy and the entertainment industry over there means that any possible point of comparison is just absurd. While the Great Britain is considerably larger, I look at the BBC and wonder why Irish television can’t even be nearly as good as that. After all, we have produced more than our fair share of Nobel laureates for literature, produce great artists, writers and actors in numbers quite disproportionate to our side. And I can’t point to a single Irish television show that is any way iconic – but perhaps that’s too much to expect.

Why can’t we even have something half as good as Luther?

I think he just copped it...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: bbc, Criminal Minds, dci john luther, Great Britain, Idris Elba, Indira Varma, john luther, luther, luther (television show), luther (tv show), Neil Cross, paul mcgann, police procedural, review, Ruth Wilson, Saskia Reeves, serial killers, Television, television review, United States | 8 Comments »

Non-Review Review: No Strings Attached

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Darren

If ever there was a movie that demonstrated that you need more than a single great idea to make a good movie, I think No Strings Attached is really it. It basically takes the conventional romantic comedy and reverses the traditional gender roles that have ben reinforced for centuries. Instead of an emotionally-needy woman being paired with a commitment-phobe man, this time we see a free-and-easy lady hooking up with a guy who simply wants more. In fairness to it, it’s a nice way to distinguish the comedy conceptually from the standard rom-com template, but the problem is that it’s executed in the most mundane and half-interested fashion ever, substituting vulgar and crass jokes for actual humour and development.

Is she stringing him along?

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Adam, Ashton Kutcher, black swan, film, Friend With Benefits, Friends With Benefits, ivan reitman, Love And Other Drugs, mila kunis, Movie, Natalie Portman, No strings attached, non-review review, review, romance, Romantic comedy film | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Darren

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince represents a fairly significant improvement in quality from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It seems the movie franchise is finally getting a handle on this sort of serialised story-telling, as the movie serves more as a collection of sub-plots leading into Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows than it does as a story in its own right. However, there’s a sense that the series is getting a bit better at balancing all the competing demands for screentime, and it even manages to explain the title mystery, albeit in a slightly off-hand manner (almost as an after-thought).

Storm clouds are gathering over Hogwarts...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: alan rickman, Albus Dumbledore, Death Eater, film, harry potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, HarryPotter, helena bonham carter, Hogwarts, jim broadbent, JK Rowling, Lord Voldemort, magic, michael gambon, Movies, non-review review, ralph fiennes, review, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Darren

Truth be told, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has a lot of problems. It’s structurally the weakest of the films, existing as a bridge between what came before and what follows – but ultimately feels like treading water. One gets the sense that the ruthless editing that made Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire work so well was sorely missing here. It literally feels more like a collection of subplots rather than a movie in its own right. And then there’s the ending, which is ridiculously weak, but also somewhat undermines the threat the last film spent so long building up.