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Reviews
Doctor Who: New Earth (2006)
New Earth
Having made quite an impression in the 2005 Children in Need mini episode/sketch and his almost cameo appearance in that years Christmas Special, 'New Earth' marked really the first full appearance of David Tennant's 10th Doctor.
It's a fun one. It manages to not only reintroduce the show, but the new Doctor, Rose, and what fun it could all be.
There's laughs, there's drama - I remember really liking this episode when it first aired, and it holds up well to this day.
Lots of lovely moments, a good sense of heart - by the end of it you feel that this new Doctor is very much welcome indeed.
Lovely.
Ted Lasso (2020)
Ted Lasso
Sorry, this is popular why?!
It brought Hannah Waddingham into the limelight a bit more, so we thank it very much for that, but apart from that factor this to me isn't that funny a comedy.
It has its moments, but it feels like this has been hyped up beyond all recognition, as people often tend to do with comedies (hi Gavin and Stacey), when actual fact it's not half as clever or as funny as it's made out to be.
Will it be remembered fondly in years to come? No. Will unfortunately the chattering classes buy t-shirts with quotes from the show on? Yes, almost certainly.
Comedy is subjective, and this for me isn't a good example of it.
Paris 2024: XXXIII Olympic Summer Games: Opening Ceremony (2024)
Opening Ceremony
With all the pomp and ceremony that we expect from our French friends across the water, the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games 2024 gets underway.
The tone flitted from the sublime in terms of the visuals, to the ridiculous (those 'Despicable Me' Minions strike again!) and we even had the emotional 'return' of Celine Dion, which is something in itself.
For people like myself who have only a very passing interest in the actual event itself, this was pretty much my main point of viewing.
I enjoyed what I saw and thought that the French did a good job of bringing so many elements together. Especially after the issues earlier in the day, and the rain!
In for a Penny: Walt Disney Land Florida (2024)
A special episode in more ways than one
So here we go then - the big Walt Disney Land Florida episode.
It's a shame that this wasn't the 50th celebratory episode actually, but I suppose it was more fitting that that one was the normal format.
I really like that this one was an extended episode, and Mulhern as always seems very much in his element as the host of this quite frankly daft show.
The American's get in on the act to full aplomb, and there's always mileage to be found in seeing Brit's abroad.
I do worry that this was the final ever episode though. The thing about this show was always that it was a bit naff. By taking it to a glamorous location felt like it had finally 'made it' - the 'big time'.
I hope it's not the last one ever though, because it's pretty much the only thing I watch on ITV.
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Mission: Impossible
This was the film that launched the franchise.
It feels a bit different to the ones that would follow it, and that's interesting in itself.
I can't say I cared for this film. It's quite slow in places and there's a few too many 'clever' twists in it for its own good.
Tom Cruise is good in it, there are some nice (I suppose in terms of the franchise you would say 'iconic') moments along the way, but it does drag through its run time.
It was a massive hit though, and that's the main thing. It proved Tom Cruise could be an action star, and the whole franchise then kicked off, interestingly in a different direction to the one charted here.
Fine, but not for me.
Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Romeo and Juliet
For many this is still the definitive film version of Shakespeare's immortal love story.
While we do have the very popular Leo/Claire version with guns replacing swords version from the 90's and the sweet blend of traditional/modern language in the Douglas/Hailee version, there is still an awful lot to like in this production from 1968.
It's traditional, it certainly nails the romantic side of the story (2024 teenage boys still go as weak at the knees for Olivia Hussey as Juliet as their 1968 counterparts did), so it's still a very good version to show.
So if you're bored to the back teeth of angel wings and gunfights, give this a go.
Romeo & Juliet (2013)
Romeo & Juliet
If as a teacher you are sick to the back teeth of watching the Claire and Leo version of 'Romeo and Juliet' then this more modern version could be the way to go.
Blending Shakespeare's original language with more contemporary speech, this flows quite nicely for students whose main stumbling block with the text is that age old "what are they actually saying??" issue.
It helps that you have a very capable female lead in the form of Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet and that this version is visually interesting for young people. It's also a bit more of an accurate retelling of the tale than the Baz Lurhmann version.
So give it a go with students if you get the chance.
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Look, anything I say about this film doesn't really matter.
The cartoons continue, the franchise has gone on to produce multiple further films, so the fact that this film isn't very good is neither here nor there.
It's fine entertainment. It passes the time and services the book fine enough. Parents will have a giggle whilst watching it, and I'm sure kids who are the target audience will have a blast with it too.
I think I laughed a couple of times, and that's something I suppose.
It's not aimed at me, I'm really not the target audience, and even when I was I would probably have deemed this too silly anyway.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Look, anything I say about this film doesn't really matter.
The books continue, the franchise has gone on (at the time of writing) to produce another three films and an animated version of one of them (not just content for Disney Plus...honest), so the fact that this film isn't very good is neither here nor there.
It's fine entertainment. It passes the time and services the book fine enough. Parents will have a giggle whilst watching it, and I'm sure kids who are the target audience will have a blast with it too.
It's not aimed at me, I'm really not the target audience, and even when I was I would probably have deemed this too silly anyway.
Miss You Already (2015)
Miss You Already
Well if nothing else this film does a decent job of pulling the carpet out from underneath you.
You see Drew Barrymore, you see Toni Collette and you think you are going to get one sort of film.
You very quickly realise that you are not going to get the sort of fluffy film you were expecting.
Your 'enjoyment' of this film will really depend on how well you can get over the fact that this is not cheerful fare at all.
It's a fine piece, it's nice to see Barrymore do something a bit different, but it sadly doesn't end up being a good film, regardless of the subject matter.
Both can and have done better elsewhere.
Funny Woman: Episode #1.1 (2023)
Episode 1
I really enjoyed the book 'Funny Girl' on which this is based, so I thought I'd give the tv series version a go.
Gemma Arteton clearly had an interest in this project, and being a big name they then obviously decided to alter the name from 'Girl' to 'Woman' and age Barbara up a bit.
That's the first slight niggle - Arteton is a bit too old for this and makes Barbara's naivety a bit harder to buy.
Of course there have been changes from the book, there always are, but on the whole this is a fair adaptation of the early bits of the book so far.
Quite why they decided to portray her agent in this way though I don't know. Perhaps they thought that once they secured a big name in the form of Rupert Everett they should let him get on with his 'craft', but his portrayal/performance here is poor. Very OTT and pantomime when it really didn't need to be.
It's not making me jump out of my chair and go "love the book, love the tv version" just yet, but it's a decent first episode.
In for a Penny: Episode #6.7 (2024)
Happy 50th
This was another very fun episode of a show that surely deserves more recognition from ITV than it gets.
50 episodes! Congratulations to everyone involved in making the show, because that's a big achievement.
This episode pretty much summed up what has made this show last for that amount of time.
It's big, it's silly and Stephen Mulhern is the perfect presenter to deliver that silliness. You can tell though that he really does care about the people he meets, and has that almost 'Brucie' quality about him that he can say anything to them and it'll be taken in the right spirit.
So, well done for the 50, here's hoping it continues for a long time.
In for a Penny: Episode #6.6 (2024)
Great fun
I love the fact they had to go really over the top and explain that 'Flush or Float' was not ACTUALLY going to send bizarre items into the water. I love the fact also that the show did this in a way that was very fitting for the sort of low budget/"we know this is all very silly" vibe that 'In for a Penny' is known for.
There's nothing like this on telly. I say that in the best possible way. I'm not sure ITV ever really give it the best possible timeslots, or indeed treat it with the respect/love it deserves, but if you get the style of humour then you no doubt think it's brilliant.
I am one of those people.
Aquamarine (2006)
Aquamarine
This isn't masterpiece cinema, that's for sure.
What is is though is a nice mix of 'Splash' and those sort of tween girlie films that sadly they don't seem to make any longer.
It's got enough charm to carry it though, it's entertaining enough to pass the time. It'll probably keep parents happy enough during the slight run time too, which is always a plus.
Jojo wasn't much of an actress, though she did pop up in a few other things. Emma Roberts is the stand-out, and you can see what convinced other producers to put her in other projects after this one.
You could do a lot worse than watch this film.
We're the Millers (2013)
We're the Millers
Jennifer Aniston's career really was in the doldrums by this point. You can clearly see why she then started to make films for Prime/Netflix etc because mainstream audiences really had had enough of her 'schtick'. You want to see Aniston at her best? Dig out your 'Friends' boxset.
Like many before her, Aniston seemed to think that by tarting herself out by playing raunchy roles ('Horrible Bosses' would be another example) she'd be able to keep her seat at the Hollywood top table.
Unfortunately, much like those films (yes, they did make two) this isn't much good, and Aniston misjudges what the public actually want to see her do.
Emma Roberts is the best thing in this film, and should choose her future roles wisely based on Aniston's career trajectory.
Empire Records (1995)
Empire Records
A crop of 90's young bright things strut their stuff in this comedy.
It's got almost a 'Breakfast Club' style vibe to it and is interesting enough viewing if you are are in the right mood.
It isn't great though, and feels almost like a vehicle for this talented group to show off what they can do on the off chance that potential directors of better future projects can sign them up.
It has its moments, but nearly 30 years later it's more interesting to think about who of this cast actually went on to achieve their full potential. For some of them, this was as good as it ever got.
Of course they didn't know that then.
Rodney (2004)
Rodney
'Rodney' is very much in the 'According to Jim' style of sitcom. It allow the star stand-up performer plenty of leeway to work in bits of their act, while allowing them to 'act' in a situation that is very familiar.
This is an amiable enough show. It provides enough gentle laughs to carry it along, and the situations aren't exactly a stretch for either cast or viewer alike.
It doesn't hurt that you have sitcom veteran Don Reo behind the scenes or the always lovely Amy Pietz ('Caroline in the City') in the cast too.
It's fine enough viewing, and two series was probably about as much as it was ever going to get.
Raise Your Game with Gareth Southgate (2021)
Raise Your Game with Gareth Southgate
'Raise Your Game'?!
Gareth Southgate, though coming across as being a frightfully nice chap, never looks like he's able to raise a smile, let alone anything else.
As England Head Coach he often looked unlikely to raise anything at all, so this whole film ends up looking like a massive and embarrassing waste of time, because these people are being motivated by a man who couldn't get Harry Kane to run.
So yes, deeply uninspiring stuff, and the longer Southgate's reign went on as England Head Coach, the more uninspiring this film looked. However, the comedy value behind it only soared.
One star at best.
Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)
Mr. Popper's Penguins
This is Jim Carrey at his most family friendly, and working with very slight material at that.
It's not great, it's very much aiming for the younger generation of viewers and their poor unfortunate parents who have been dragged along to see it.
It has some laughs, nothing with Carrey in is ever a complete and utter wash out, but this does ever so slightly reek of the very funny man sniffing out an easy paycheck and delivering a performance on autopilot.
He's not alone though - Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, even the late great Robin Williams - they all went down this path. If you're very lucky the film lives on for the next generation of kids.
Or not, in this case of this film.
The Bounty Hunter (2010)
The Bounty Hunter
Jennifer Aniston's film career has led a charmed life for many years, with her just about getting past some very dodgy choices and absolute duds of films.
This is one such outing. My gosh, it's dreadful. Aniston and her co-star here Gerard Butler are two people with charisma, both of them can make poor material work. They leave themselves with too much to do here, and this is one turkey that can't be revived.
A nasty premise, too many 'clever' twists along the way, and a dreary romantic comedy meets road movie plays out.
Both leads lose their charm early on, and it ends up being as much of a mess as you can imagine a studio could bear instead of just sticking it straight to DVD.
Nowadays of course it would just disappear on a streaming site. Much like Aniston's more recent films.
Dharma & Greg (1997)
Dharma & Greg
This is a show killed by its leading lady.
Jenna Elfman obviously believed her own press and that she was the next big sitcom leading lady. She is terrible here. OTT and then some.
The premise of the show isn't great, and Elfman obviously thinks that by playing up to the whole 'manic pixie dream girl' sitcom trope she is going to win hearts and minds.
Nope. Sorry, that didn't happen.
While everyone else is giving fairly standard sitcom performances, she chews scenery left, right and centre.
It's an embarrassing hammy performance from start to finish.
It spoils the whole show for me and I'd avoid it.
Dharma & Greg: Pilot (1997)
Pilot
I watch and love a lot of sitcoms.
In all of these I don't think I've ever found a lead female character half as annoying as I found Jenna Elman here.
She is playing comedy wrong, right from the off. Comedy works best, especially in a sitcom, when you play the situation/your character staight and don't think of it/yourself as being funny.
Elfman however seems to wrongly think that she is absolutely hilarious, and chews scenery like it's going out of fashion. She makes Jim Carrey look subtle.
Everyone else gets blown out of the water because of it.
This is a show singlehandedly ruined by a lousy performance from its leading lady.
Eitin Eogein: Life Goes On (2020)
Life Goes On
This is fine.
It's a novel idea to see the 2009 film '17 Again' adapted into a Korean mini series for tv and I suppose the hope is that with this added run time it is able to go into a bit more depth than the film could in 90 minutes.
This first episode though does stay quite closely within the realm of the film, even making use of some of the lines that appeared in it.
By doing this you risk comparison though, and this show comes off second by doing so.
There are signs that it is aiming to go into a bit more depth in terms of the dramatic elements of the story, and that bodes well moving forward.
Eitin Eogein (2020)
18 Again
When you think about it perhaps there was more millage to be mined from the 2009 film '17 Again'. I'm surprised an American TV network hasn't had the idea before, especially in our age of streaming/short run tv series.
The Korean's though have beaten them to the punch, and there is a fair bit to like about this show.
It manages to combine the humour (albeit a bit more subtle here) and the heart the original film had, and even goes a bit more in-depth with the dramatic elements too.
It does feel rather stretched at sixteen episodes though, and there's some new elements that I didn't much care for to pad out the run.
On the whole though, something different.
UEFA Euro 2024 (2024)
UEFA Euro 2024
Some tournaments live fresher in the mind than others. I remember the World Cup of 2006 (also held in Germany) very highly.
This one won't in the passing of time. Too many teams underperformed. Yes, hello England. Goodbye Mr Southgate.
There was some nice attacking football at times, but too many games were cagey affairs that didn't really get going until later on.
We probably have seen the rise of some future superstars and the end of the run for some others (Ronaldo, Kane) but this was a good celebration of Football on the whole and it all aired for free too. Long may that continue.
It did NOT come home though.