Category: Review

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Trollied (Season 2) TV Review

Ben

Because I review a whole tv series rather than individual episodes, there is a chance of spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the whole series yet, stop reading now! A second season will often make or break a television show. It’s not got the “new shine” anymore. It’s not got the pressure of introducing new characters or the safety net of no-expectations. Instead, the series has to develop the characters and try to move the series forward slightly. This is harder with sitcoms because the status-quo can’t change too much. The situation and characters can’t develop too far or you lose the essence … Continue reading Trollied (Season 2) TV Review

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The Crazies (2010) Review

Ben

Timothy Olyphant is a very underrated actor. If you take a quick look at his past films and tv roles, what you find is a man who provides consistently decent, sometimes brilliant performances, which fall just short of public awareness. He is becoming much more a go-to actor rather than a stand-out lead and I think there is something to be said for that. There are some great performances that many wouldn’t even realise was Olyphant. One of the chasing cops in Nicholas Cage’s Gone in Sixty Seconds, the high-tech villain who was outdone by Bruce Willis’ blunt force in … Continue reading The Crazies (2010) Review

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Friday Night Dinner (Season 2) TV Review

Ben

Because I review a whole tv series rather than individual episodes, there is a chance of spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the whole series yet, stop reading now! It seems like we’re in the middle of a “golden age” of British sitcoms. It’s in doing this blog and beginning to review television shows that I realised how many sitcoms I watch and how good the British ones are. This year alone has seen Cuckoo, Bad Education and Moone Boy. It’s also seen the return of Red Dwarf (properly) and also new seasons of Trollied, The Thick of It and Friday Night Dinner. … Continue reading Friday Night Dinner (Season 2) TV Review

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Puss in Boots (2011) Review

Ben

Puss in Boots benefitted from being released with most people’s expectations being quite low. It wasn’t the fault of the character but more the fault of the franchise that created it. The Shrek movies had become a perfect example of how to run a successful and much-loved franchise into the ground with unnecessary sequels. After Shrek 4, there was only one way the Shrek franchise could successfully continue and that was by branching out with another character. Puss in Boots wasn’t the best of characters from the franchise. He served a purpose in the second film and there were some great gags to be … Continue reading Puss in Boots (2011) Review

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Red Dwarf X TV Review

Ben

Because I review a whole tv series rather than individual episodes, there is a chance of spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the whole series yet, stop reading now! Red Dwarf X had “mistake” written all over it! Any comedy show struggles to recapture what made it so good when it comes back after a long hiatus. Only Fools and Horses and The Royle Family are two examples that come to mind immediately and usually their resurrection for “one last special” actually tarnishes the decent reputation a show had. It’s also the case with sitcoms that they usually out-live their best years rather … Continue reading Red Dwarf X TV Review

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The Dilemma (2011) Review

Ben

The Dilemma strikes me as a film that doesn’t know what it wants to be. It has all the makings of a buddy comedy, something that Judd Apatow would be comfortable making. The central actors are two that are synonymous with comedy, Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. Unfortunately, the story itself never really goes to the comedic extreme it could. It feels like a difficult story to get comedy out of anyway. Vince Vaughn realising that his best friend’s wife, played by Winona Ryder, is cheating on him, then struggling with the dilemma of whether he should tell him or not. It’s … Continue reading The Dilemma (2011) Review

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The Thick of It (Season 1 – 3 and Specials) TV Review

Ben

Because I review a whole tv series rather than individual episodes, there is a chance of spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the whole series yet, stop reading now! It took me no time at all to get through three seasons and two hour long specials of The Thick of It. Not just because its only 6 episodes to a season, but because the show is brilliant aand compulsive telly. Its not exactly the most mainstream of show or topic for a comedy. Shining a light on what happens behind the scenes in the British political system, albeit in a … Continue reading The Thick of It (Season 1 – 3 and Specials) TV Review

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The Change-Up (2011) Review

Ben

By copying an idea that has already been done a few times, you are almost setting yourself up for an automatic fail. Most people will see the idea, usually in the trailer, and decide that they’ve seen it all before and that it’s another “lazy movie” rather than something unique. You can certainly make that argument with The Change-Up which bares more than a passing resemblance to both Freaky Friday (which itself has been remade once at least) or Vice-Versa, which is the same as Freaky Friday but with Father/Son rather than Mother/Daughter. Add that to the fact that in many … Continue reading The Change-Up (2011) Review

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Cuckoo (Season 1) TV Review

Ben

  It was great to see the American, “Hollywood,” comedy star, drafted in to add a bit of weight and notability to the sitcom, outshone and out-funnied by the UK comedian. It’s not that I didn’t like the idea of having the American star come in and play the “main character” but it felt slightly like the comedy wanted him to be at the center of the show when there was a much funnier character in there already. Maybe I’m reading too much into this but Greg Davies, the tall, aggressive looking, UK comedian managed to get the funniest lines, moments and … Continue reading Cuckoo (Season 1) TV Review

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Youth in Revolt (2009) Review

Ben

Michael Cera is seriously typecast. He is an actor that suffers from his own success. Films like Superbad, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Juno, have sealed his fate as the likable, sweet and vulnerable “boy-next-door.” He’s done very little to destroy this image and unfortunately it seems like his career is beginning to suffer because of it. It’s very refreshing to see him play on that typecasting, whether intentionally or not, in Youth in Revolt. He does seem to play the usual “Michael Cera” character, hopeless with the girls but sweet and likable, but this time with a Jekyll and … Continue reading Youth in Revolt (2009) Review