Howe's World of Film and TV

Justice League: Synder Cut – Announced

In a moment that has shocked the internet to its core, the long running fan movement to #ReleaseTheSynderCut has paid off as Zack Synder spectacularly announced he will work on and release a ‘Synder Cut’ of 2017s Justice League, to premiere on HBO Max in 2021.

It could apparently take the form of 4 hour movie, a mini-series, or something else entirely, but Warner Bros is committing over $20 million to help Synder finish the project with the crew he initially worked with.

No word on if the cast, including Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, will return for any necessary extra shooting, but I will follow the story closely and update anyone with the news.

This won’t be huge news for everyone, especially those who didn’t like what Synder did with DC, but for those who love him and wanted to see him finish his story, this is a great win and I am very happy they will get to see it at last.

An interesting consideration is what this may do to the continuity of the DCEU, and may this act as the end of that continuity, allowing for The Batman universe to be merged in?

Stuber (2019) – Review

A 20th Century Fox Picture, Written by Tripper Clancy, Directed by Michael Dowse.

Stuber opens with Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista exchanging sharp ‘cop banter’ and then a shoot out, fight, and chase against the iconic Iko Uwais, and the whole sequence is very impressive and I was surprised, wondering what film we were about to get.

However, the rest of the film is nothing like this, featuring very little inventive action and very little Iko Uwais, but we do get a reasonably entertaining comedy.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it does give us some funny moments between Nanjiani and Bautista, as they have good chemistry and the film occasionally has something to say on toxic masculinity, but never quite commits to it.

However, the two most interesting things about the film were the great Betty Gilpin and Karen Gillan, and while they unfortunately only get extended cameos, they both make an impact. I would love a buddy cop comedy starring the two of them.

Rating = 3/5

Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle (2016) – TV Review

In my opinion, Alan Partridge is one of, if not the, best British comedy character of all time. There have been multiple legends, from Basil Fawlty to Del Boy to Brian Potter and beyond, but there is just something about Partridge, and the wide range of formats he has been used in.

The best use of the character was in the sitcom style show “I’m Alan Partridge” which ran for two seasons, and remains one of the funniest shows every produced.

This time however, Steve Coogan returns to the role in a one off special where Alan attempts to repair his reputation by making a documentary about the class divide in Britain.

This is a perfect topic for Partridge’s particular obnoxious personality, and it makes for very entertaining viewing.

Rating = 4/5

The Stranger (2020) – TV Review

This Quibi thriller stars two actors who seems poised to be major breakout stars in Hollywood, but so far it hasn’t quite materialised for either, Maika Monroe or Dane DeHaan, but they are both really good here.

Monroe is very believable in the role of lead role to a girl who has huge self loathing issues and plenty of baggage in her past, and DeHaan is chilling in the role of sociopathic murderer who is hunting her down.

However, the show is so packed full of every cliche in the book that the performances (and occasional striking cinematography) can’t make up for that.

Also, it uses a ‘24’ style clock to show each new episode happens at different times, but the events seem to happen very close together which doesn’t match up with the time on screen, and I have no idea why it was included.

Rating = 2.5/5

Killing Eve Season 3 – End of Game (Reaction)

Following last week’s episode exploring her family, Villanelle (Jodie Comer) continues to unravel mentally in a way we haven’t ever seen before. This allows for great character development and also another chance for Comer to show what an incredible talent she is.

The best thing head writer Suzanne Heathcote has done this season is to deconstruct Villanelle, and while we all love the crazy, stylish, funny assassin, it is also nice to see who Oksana is underneath the facade.

However, one of the issues of the season is the focus on supporting characters, like Carolyn, Dasha or Konstantin, and despite them being good characters, it is taking away from Eve’s storyline, and since the first few episodes, it feels like she has had very little screen time. The season is nearly over and due to this decision, it seems like the story is just getting started.

I’m unsure why Niko needed to narratively survive, unless it ya simply to give Eve the chance to actively leave and move on.

I am curious what will happen with Irina going forward as it seems Konstantin may have more on his hands than he bargained with after letting her spend so much time with Villanelle.

The ice rink scene with Villanelle cheering and thrusting with the horn is one of them funniest scenes in the show for a long time, and I hope we get more golden moments like that from Villanelle to come.

I hope in episodes 7 and 8 the focus on the side characters plays off with big plot reveals, and it all eventually leads to Eve and Villanelle finding each other, as the season is making it even more clear that they are the two that need to depend on each other.

Episode 7 is again written by next season’s showrunner Laura Neal, who is also responsible for writing the ‘bus scene’ so I am excited to see what she has in store.

Veep Season 7 (2019) – TV Review

In the last decade there have been multiple great comedy shows on TV, especially due to the rapid decline in big screen comedy, but still few manage to come close to the absolute hilarity of ‘Veep’, which closes out its seven season run with a series packed full of surprises, laughs, and occasional emotion.

This season focuses of the chaotic race for President, and while I won’t spoil the ending, the choice of President and VP is so ridiculous that it is perfect.

The finale itself is one of the best TV finales I’ve seen in years, containing so much plot and character development, and a flash forward ending that ties the show up so perfectly that it is hard to even consider how they pulled it off (and the final joke is a call back to a throwaway comment in the initial pilot that works so well as the signing off point).

So many of these characters belong in the comedy hall of fame (and they are played to such perfection by all the cast). Selina, Jonah, Amy, Gary, Ben, Dan, Mike, Kent, Richard, Catherine, and many, many more are quite simply the greatest ensemble in the history of comedic TV.

Armando Iannucci launched this show and then David Mandel took the reins, and together they created one of the best TV shows of all time.

Long Live Selina Meyer and team! Long live one of the funniest TV shows in history.

Rating = 4.5/5

Les Misérables (2012) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written by William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer, Directed by Tom Hooper.

Tom Hooper has had a very odd last decade. Three of his films became Oscar winning successes for both him and his cast, and ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘The Kings Speech’ were box office smashes too, and then ‘Cats’ happened. However, we won’t dwell on that, and we will look at the film in hand.

The way the songs are incorporated don’t always work, but when they do it’s effective, and the music in general is just so iconic and powerful that you can’t help but fall in love with it.

The cast is strong, with Anne Hathaway deserving of her Oscar, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, and Amanda Seyfried very well cast, and Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter delightfully evil.

Russell Crowe is the obvious stand out in the fact that he just can’t sing and it’s very obvious. He’s a great actor and does his best, but I just wish a different actor had played the role.

However, one man was perfectly cast and delivers a powerhouse performance that is likely the best of an already remarkable career, and that is Hugh Jackman. He brings the dramatic gravitas, the charisma, and the startling voice that Jean Valjean requires, and he dominates this film.

I think the TV adaptation on BBC last year starring Dominic West, David Oyelowo and Lily Collins is a superior version of the story, but that doesn’t take a way from what a strong effort this movie is.

Rating = 3.5/5

The Eddy (2020) – TV Review

Damien Chazelle is arguably the most ‘exciting’ and respected young director in Hollywood, as he has already delivered multiple critical darling films and won multiple Oscars for both himself and his cast/crew, so it is always going to be a big deal when he comes to Netflix to do a series.

However, after watching the first the first few episodes, I was finding it a real chore to get through. I had no desire to keep watching this story or these characters, but I persisted due to review commitments, and I am glad I did.

While it doesn’t become a sudden masterpiece, it does become good easy viewing, although it is better spaced out instead of binge. You can lose yourself for an hour a day in the messy lives of these characters in modern day Paris.

Jazz is clearly the love of Damien Chazelle’s life, and it resonates heavily throughout here. It doesn’t have the same lasting effect as La La Land, but the soundtrack is still impressive, with ‘Kiss Me In The Morning’ and ‘The Eddy’ being particularly effective songs.

Andre Holland and Amandla Stenberg do good work, and the rest of the cast are decent too, but the standout is ‘Cold War’ star Joanna Kulig who not only has a beautiful voice but real acting talent.

It wasn’t the show I was hoping it would be, but it’s certainly an interesting piece of work.

Rating = 3.5/5

NCIS Season 17 (2019) – TV Review

NCIS is now one of the longest running shows on TV, and it remains one of the ‘biggest’ in the world, despite almost no social media presence. It has a audience that it caters to, and over the years, they have perfected the formula.

While the show lacks the drama and comedy of the early years with the characters we loved, the newer characters (Bishop/Torres etc) are a familiar part of the family now.

The episodes that featured the return of Cote De Pablo’s Ziva David were an absolute stand out, and it would be brilliant for Ziva and Tony to return in some capacity later down the line.

The show isn’t going to win any awards or break new ground, it does almost the same thing every week and is repetive, but it’s also good easy viewing, and especially in times like these, it’s nice going back to something familiar every week.

The team will return for Season 18 (and I’m sure many seasons after that).

Rating = 3/5

SCOOB! (2020) – Review

A Warner Bros Picture, Written by Matt Lierberman, Eyal Podell, Jonathon E. Stewart, Derek Elliott, Jack Donaldson, Adam Sztykiel, Directed by Tony Cervone.

Scooby-Doo has lived on for over 50 years and has been a key part of the childhoods of multiple generations (including mine) so it is natural that Warner Bros would try and update it for a new generation of kids to enjoy, and I think they mostly succeeded.

While it is a shame that the gang we know and love have to spend most of the film apart, and that we lose much of the ‘teen detectives solve a mystery’ elements, what we get is a warm hearted, amusing, and entertaining film.

The characters are expanded out of the Scooby-Doo canon and now include a whole range of Hanna-Harbera characters including Dick Dastardly, Blue Falcon, and Captain Caveman. While a cinematic universe is unlikely, it was interesting to see these characters interact on the big screen.

The voice cast do good jobs, with the legendary Frank Welker providing a new twist on Scoob, and Will Forte doing a fine job as Shaggy (although I see no reason why Matthew Lillard wasn’t asked back for this). Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, and Gina Rodriguez all really fit the roles of Fred, Daphne, and Velma, and I’d like to see them continue going forward.

This is no classic but it’s certainly enjoyable and I would really like to see this cast return for a mystery centric sequel.

Rating = 3/5

*A UK release date is not officially confirmed for this film yet.