Movies etc.

I was asked in another post what I thought about Star Wars and the simple answer is it was OK, I remember being awed by the first movie but perhaps we have just had too much of a good thing and dare I say it is a bit dated? It doesn't help matters that I am not a fanatical Star Wars fan and my interest was badly affected by the 'Teddy bears' in Return of the Jedi and completely killed off by Jar Jar Binks and the dreadful accents, acting and storylines of the prequels. As we all know now this is basically a remake of the first movie and I have heard all the reasons as to why, but I think they are excuses and it was easier than coming up with a real story. For me it did not live up to the hype and it was OK as movies go.

I will add in the films defence that I am notoriously happy to please when it comes to movies etc. When I worked offshore if people came into the cinema and saw me sitting there they rolled their eyes and moaned because if I wanted to see a film then 98% of the crew did not. It was also part of my job to order the movies, so I subjected those poor people to The Seven Samurai, Battle of the River Plate and anything with Bop Hope and John Wayne in them, I am not sorry.

Before I go any further how is it that an evil Galactic Empire can't hire troops who can actually hit what they shoot at, how can you conquer a galaxy if you can't kill anyone, how evil is that? Also how do you find a company that can build you a Deathstar or dig out a the insides of a planet without the project going over budget, being delayed indefinitely or even scrapped. And why do they always leave that weak point which someone in planning notices and passes on to the enemy?

So, onto Legend, the Kray brothers, those nice east end lads who were always nice to their mum and neighbours and that poor Reggie who really wanted to go straight or rather straightish but mad Ronnie put an end to that. It was so much better in them days, you knew them that would stomp and torture/murder you and them that wouldn't. Absolute tosh, I've read about those two and I for one would not have liked to have been anywhere near them, the movie left mountains of stuff out about them and despite Tom Hardy's excellent job playing both it left me cold.

And on the subject of cold, The Revenant, a beautifully shot movie with a great start and a spectacular bear attack on the main character. I had a clash myself with a black or brown bear in the Smokey Mountains when one nearly took the face off my youngest son and once he had left the area at the speed of light the thing was about four feet from me, but that is another story. I can only admire those men who pushed into the vast American wilderness with almost nothing except what they carried. Perhaps the movie was a tad overlong, but it passed an evening.

Long movies, The Hateful Eight, almost nothing seems to happen in the first hour or so but when it does it jolts you out of your seat. There is a lot of talking and you eventually get the full story through flashbacks, which you don't really need as it is not difficult to work it out. I was tempted to give up on it but I as soon as it got to the mindless violence, which I enjoy now and again, it was fine.

The Martian, another long movie which could have been boring but wasn't, our hero being trapped on Mars and seemingly years from death or rescue. The political goings on on Earth were interesting as a backstory and extremely believable, to me at least. There was a lot of sugary feelgood stuff in it which if dumped would have made a better film, but it is worth a watch.

I am only now just getting back to catching up with the telly, I was saddened to read on another blog that Jekyll and Hyde will not be back for a second season, a real shame as it was a very intriguing show. I have enjoyed Dickensian and despite myself watched the Detectorists Christmas special, a charming, harmless little show but did it need a special, I think not. I have still to get around to Sherlock, that's next when I get spare time.

Before I sign off, if you do not already watch Gotham, you really have to, I am biased as I like and forgive most things taken from the comic universe, but this is in a class of its own and the second season is pure gold.