After a lovely day out in Taupo celebrating my birthday this last Saturday, we had cake at home and finished the day with a movie night. We watched Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which we really enjoyed. Great performances all over, I loved the video-gamey look on the action scenes, and the Goldilocks-Bears family and the Bounty Hunter were interesting additions. Definitely the best animated family movie I have seen since probably Moana. Very recommended.
3 Likes
Yes, I only watched the end and self-indulgent is certainly what came across to me. Ncuti Gatwa looks great, but weâre not given too much of him of course, because Tennantâs doctor once again refuses to effing die in good time.
3 Likes
We just finished Season 2 of Ted Lasso and while this was still really good and full of puns and humor and good characters and relationships and Roy Kent (wearing charcoal heather!) âŚthere were some more cringe moments here than I wanted.
Roy is definitely my favorite.
But I have yet to find a Jamie that doesnât get a redemption ark (that scene with his father was awful)
Inevitably to keep things interestingâafter season 1âsomeone has to through wrenches into the story. And Ted Lasso did this with less enthusiasm and quicker resolutions than most but there were a few bits and pieces I could have done without.
Still want to watch the next season sometime soon.
Also can someone tell me: were all the episodes in season 2 modeled on some movie or other? I definitely saw David Lynch, 4 Weddings and A Funeral (that wasnât even subtle) and Random RomCom. Did I miss the rest? Or is not all episodes?
2 Likes
I donât think they were modelled on movies, but the Christmas/dentist episode and Coach Beard episode definitely werenât, as those two were added in at the last minute.
Apple tv originally commissioned 10 episodes for S2 (S1 had been 10) but then increased it to 12, so the writers added those two. I think the Coach Beard one is amazing, and the Christmas has lots of Roy Kent being⌠Roy Kent, so I like that too.
2 Likes
Coach Beard was the David Lynch one though 
I need to ask the internet I think
Roy Kent has the best vocabulary. And I really like the contrast between what he says and how he says it.
2 Likes
Watching Lawman: Bass Reeves - the title sequences remind me of the loading scenes for Red Dead Redemption 2
Finally watched Wakanda Forever, now that itâs available on DVD. Iâm just gonna say that Aquaman did it better.
2 Likes
Went to my local independent cinema to see The Marvels. I feel like the trick with recent Marvel offerings is to go in with low expectations - Iâd heard mostly neutral to negative things about it and enjoyed it much more than I expected. Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel) in particular I thought was excellent. Definitely better in my opinion than the most recent Thor film.
(If you havenât seen it yet and your expectations have been raised as a result of reading this, Iâm sorry.)
4 Likes
Took the kids to see Wonka this afternoon; charming and fun, very similar to Paddington but not quite as perfect as that movie, slightly overlong and just a touch too sweet, but good natured, funny and fun. Everyone enjoyed it.
2 Likes
I missed The Marvels in the cinema here but will catch it soon, but yes the one thing that came out of the Ms Marvel tv series is that Iman Vellani is just an instant star.
2 Likes
The Marvels got a bad rap for no good reason. It was a fine film, I think dragged down by those who hate Brie Larson (judging by all the flak she received from the first film).
Though there is the one issue of having to have seen two television series on Disney+ in order to know all the characters. Actually, probably three series (I have not seen Secret Invasion, but there are probably events there that tie in). I can see that being an issue for some people.
3 Likes
We went and saw Wonka tonight. It was really good! Chalamet practically oozes charm throughout the film, and it felt like an appropriate prologue to the old Gene Wilder film.
2 Likes
For some reason, I read that initially as âoozes clamâ which doesnât sound nice at all
7 Likes
Yes, he was cold and wet, said nothing, and was very shellfish.
5 Likes
We were surprised last night at how early the kids went to bed, so we stumbled upon The Mask on Netflix. We lasted half the movie until Morpheus started appealing to us. We will likely finish it tonight.
Two things: I didnât remember Cameron Diaz singing and dancing. Makes it even funnier for me in her role at My Best Friendâs Wedding where she was singing shockingly bad.
And the dog. How good is the dog.
And also, considering it is a 1994, the graphic effects have aged relatively well.
3 Likes
Currently re-watching the 2004 Battlestar Galactica mini-series, given itâs its 20th anniversary, which is hard to believe. I must be getting old or something.
Couldnât stop there though and 33, the first episode of season one, remains one of the finest episodes of any SF show ever made.
Now on season 3 and have just gotten through the boxing episode, which Iâm still not super impressed with (I disliked it less than the first time watching it, but meh).
5 Likes
Oozing charm doesnât really sound much better, to be honest.
1 Like
See also 1988âs Who Framed Roger Rabbit â special effects which are purposefully stylised to not be realistic tend to be pretty immune to the passage of time, and I think itâs especially true of these âcartoonâ styles because thereâs no uncanny valley effect whatsoever â they do in fact look exactly how they are supposed to look.
5 Likes
I have to give it another check, it might have been over a decade since I watched Roger Rabbit, but I remember loving the cartoon car and the bullets.
1 Like
Saw the boy and the heron last night. Loved it, visually stunning particularly the opening fire scenes. Although it is a very trippy film even by ghibli standards.
2 Likes