Downsizing: Shrink Down To Save The Planet?

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is really all over the place. It seems to have a lot to say about various different things, it is ruled by its themes. That sounds like a criticism, but it is not. Though I found the film underwritten in a few areas and points it was trying to make, I actually found the wider piece to be surprisingly soulful and reflective.

The concept of turning people into miniature versions of themselves to stave off an oncoming apocalypse is refreshingly original. The entire film is a comment on climate change and man’s response to it, and in this area the writing for the film and the metaphor that holds it all together works well in communicating that relationship.

I thought the performances from all involved were good, with Christoph Waltz being a particular highlight. Though the film may be sold as a comedy I think it is more than that. Truth be told there are few funny moments in this film, but there are a large amount of smile inducing or thought provoking ones instead.

The film almost reads like a dark comedy, and I think it nails that tone perfectly.

Overall, if you go in expecting a silly comedy about Matt Damon being tiny you will be disappointed, however if you go in ready for more of a quasi-conversation about climate change and human impact on the world you will be more than satisfied.

Overall, surprisingly intelligent though not at all funny.

Pros.

The themes and wider comments

The ending

The genuine emotion and feeling

It is smart

Cons.

It is not funny

It tries to comment on too many issues and real world talking points.

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Tuca And Bertie: Planteau

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

At this point I am starting to question whether the writers of Tuca And Bertie are deliberately drawing from my own life experiences. It is just too specific.

I am of course talking about the depiction of Bertie’s social anxiety and her need to drink on a night out to be able to feel comfortable and accepted. Many, many people feel this way, not just me, but it is nice to see this form of social anxiety be represented and shown on screen. I really do think that this is the biggest pro the show has going for it, it is not afraid to cover and highlight mental illness and in doing so it normalises it and helps to ease the stigma and for that I will always be grateful.

The episode itself takes the duo outside of their usual haunts and to a plant land, yes we see far more plant people in this episode and are also treated to a beautifully animated trip sequence that really works not just in a character arc sense but also visually too.

I would not say I found this episode funny at all, it almost feels more like an animated dramady, in a similar vein to something like F Is For Family, where the goal of the show is to make you feel rather than just to bombard you with jokes. This is nice to see as it shows that adult animation is moving away from simply being edgy humour for teens and is trying to be something more.

Tuca is very much pushed to the side this episode, so there is not much to talk about with her.

Overall, effecting and nicely representation but not funny and also a little uncomfortable to watch at times.

Pros.

The mental health representation

It is very effecting

I enjoyed seeing a new local explored

Cons.

It is not funny

It is hard to watch at times

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Tuca And Bertie: Bird Mechanics

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I am glad to see that Tuca And Bertie survived being cancelled and has found new life elsewhere. I appreciated this show when it was on Netflix, as though it was not another Bojack as many had expected it to be it was deep and funny in its own way.

I enjoy that the characters in the show feel true, yes in one respect they are larger than life cartoon characters but in another they are deeply flawed individuals just trying to get through. I always found this show to be very relatable when it came to its depiction of anxiety and other mental health conditions. I think it is important for the medium to talk about this topic and to analyse it both to spread awareness as well as to take apart harmful or misguided stereotypes.

In this particular episode I found the scenes with Bertie being unable to cope with and then having a panic attack at the romantic meal with her boyfriend particularly powerful. As someone with anxiety disorder myself I can see how it would get to that level.

Moreover, the Tuca storyline has her surround herself with people in a dating show format, but then just ends up with her pushing them all away because she can’t commit, yet fundamentally she is lonely. The show is as deep if not deeper than anything Bojack ever was, not to belabor the comparison. The nuance of the characters and the emotions really speak to the level of the writing. Additionally it is also quite funny, so it is firing on both barrels.

Overall, it is nice to see the series back.

Pros.

The mental health representation

Bertie’s panic attack storyline

The emotional nuance

A few funny jokes.

Cons.

Not all the jokes land

Tuca needs more exploration

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iCarly: iGotYourBack

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This episode did what I have been saying for a while the series needed to do and that is to feel more human. This show seems to exist to do one purpose and that is to mock the modern internet/influencer landscape, which is fine, but the show also runs the risk of becoming just as bad and as vapid especially in a lot of the moral teachings of the show. However, this alarming trend is somewhat postponed here as this episode moves away from all that and instead focuses on the lives and friendships of the characters.

Spencer and Freddy have an arc about Freddy getting back into the dating saddle, and Carly and Harper have a storyline about Carly needing a new dress and Harper trying to design one for her. Both story threads are not perfect, but they do at least produce warm moments to make us like these characters a bit more. I still think far and away Jerry Trainor’s Spencer is the best character on the show, and he is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, often having to make up for the growing unlikability of Carly.

I thought the jokes about Spencer hiring Freddy a prostitute unknowingly were a little juvenile, and though it does produce one or two funny moments by and large it left me cold. Laci Mosley’s Harper was by far the comedic standout of the episode and is at times overshadowing Carly herself.

Overall, better but still plagued by issues.

Pros.

A more human approach

A few funny moments

Spencer and Harper

Cons.

Carly is incredibly self-involved and is becoming everything the show is mocking

The humour is quite juvenile

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iCarly: iFauxpologize

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This episode is of a very similar quality to the one before it, my concerns for this series are reinforced.

My main issue with this and the previous episode is Carly herself and her characterisation. She is portrayed as being deeply self-involved and almost unfeeling to anyone else: using them to boost herself and whatever she is doing. This continues here as she becomes the subject of an internet meme, however, said meme has a negative effect on her brother’s art exhibit. Carly doesn’t seem to hugely care about this until it affects her. I can only hope that this a surprisingly accurate meta commentary on influencers, and not what creatives think makes for a likeable character.

However, I did enjoy seeing the show call Carly out for this behaviour and thought Spencer’s hellish art exhibit going after Carly and online culture to be not only funny but accurate. Moreover, I like how the show then uses this as an example to lampoon cancel culture, which is really the main subject of the episode.

I think the series meta commentary is very much on point and well done, however the series can’t just rely on this for its humour and needs the characters to also have warm moments so that you still care enough about them to keep watching.

I didn’t find this episode as funny as I had the previous two, but it did make me smile several times. I thought the show referencing the ‘interesting’ meme was suitably amusing though I am glad they did not linger on it for too long.

Overall, this show needs to balance its broader lampooning of internet culture with likeable character moments sooner rather than later otherwise people will turn off.

Pros.

The jokes about cancel culture

Spenser’s art exhibit

Bringing back the ‘interesting’ meme

Cons.

Carly is still unlikeable

The meta commentary is starting to feel gimmicky

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Rick and Morty: Mort Dinner Rick Andre

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This will be my first Rick and Morty review, I have been a fan for a long time and I thought that I would start covering it on here so I could share my passion.

I was very mixed on season four of Rick and Morty it had a few hits but by a large it wasn’t of the same consistent quality as the previous season. However, if this first episode is anything to go by season five might be bringing the show back to its previous glory.

My favourite part of this episode was the evolving story of Morty and the wine. In an effort to age the wine for his dinner guest Rick sends the wine into another dimension wherein time moves differently whereby a few minutes to us is centuries to the inhabitants. Moreover, Morty is tasked with entering this dimension over and over again to get more wine, each time doing so managing to hurt someone or destroy something, thereby becoming basically the devil of their reality. What I enjoyed about this is the escalation, each time Morty goes back the people of the other dimension have evolved to defeat him, I think the idea is quite interesting and is used in a way that is both visually impressive and also funny.

Moreover, I like seeing Morty and his long time crush Jessica finally acting on their feelings for each other. Sadly it doesn’t pan out and the can is kicked further down the proverbial road. This would be my only downside of the episode, I would have liked to see Morty and Jessica finally get together and then have the two of them adventuring with Rick and seeing how that changed the dynamic. Wishful thinking for now.

I think the Rick story involving the arrival of his nemesis Mr Nimbus was the weakest part of the episode. Until the closing moments this story did nothing for me at all, it felt very random and slapdash, and I feel it could have been better done if Mr Nimbus had at least been mentioned before in the show. However, I did like the emotional pay off of this storyline, when Mr Nimbus ends up saving Rick, Jessica and Morty at the end of the episode: I thought the emotional growth of Rick as a character in this moment felt earned and mature. I would like to see Mr Nimbus return in the future, if only to further explore his relationship with Rick.

Overall, a very strong start to the season let’s hope it keeps up this level of quality

Pros.

The building of dramatic tension

Morty and Jessica

The emotional growth for Rick

Beth and Jerry have a funny bit

Cons.

Until the end the Mr Nimbus storyline is a dud.

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iCarly: iHate Carly

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

So by popular demand I will now be covering the new iCarly revival weekly. I thought this episode was nowhere near as strong as the first episode in a lot of ways, the cracks are starting to show.

Cosgrove and Trainor are still a delight, but the humour is getting weaker and weaker. I said in my previous review that the laugh track was not helping the show, and this only gets worse here. Characters will simply say a word and the canned laughter will be used- they aren’t even trying to be funny most of the time.

Moreover, the message of the episode was flawed. Carly forgives and eventually starts dating a guy that used to cyber bully her, but it is okay because he has reformed and is now a nice person: that on its own would be a fine episode arc. However, where it gets troublesome is that Carly forgives him for his troll-like origins, but then says he gives her ‘the ich’ when he starts doing spoken word poetry- really.

I think in this episode the writing for Carly is slightly off as you don’t really warm to her, she seems self-righteous and judgemental and worst of all deeply self-involved, which starts to make her a character you want to avoid. Personally I found the Spencer side story much better and more enjoyable.

Overall, Carly is heading down a path towards unlikability, I hope the show veers away from this.

Pros.

The Spencer side story

A few good jokes

The side characters

Cons.

The concept of ‘the ich’

The ending of the episode

Pros.

The action

The cinematography

Cons.

The dead zombie baby

The runtime and staggering pacing issues

It is repetitive

None of the characters are allowed to be interesting

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Father Of The Bride Part II: Slightly Less Sociopathic

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Whilst I gave the first Father Of The Bride film a hard time I do think this is marginally better. Mostly this is allowing to the fact that this film feels less whiney and cynical, and Steve Martin’s lead actually feels like a loving family man rather than a sociopath who wants to control everyone in his life.

In that regard I think the film does a lot better to make you feel sympathetic towards Martin’s character and to warm to him. There is a scene near the end when Martin is waiting outside the room as his wife gives birth worrying for her and their babies’ safety and we feel for him, this is a million miles away from the self-obsessed ego maniac in the first film that moaned about being comfortably off and living in a large house.

The stereotypes and accents are still an issue with the film’s comedy, and no they don’t age well as you can imagine. I found the film more emotionally feel good then I did funny, I had several moments where the film made me feel warm inside and I had no moments where the film made me laugh- or even really smile.

Overall, it is a shame as Martin is trying but sadly these films just aren’t very funny, to me at least.

Pros.

Less obnoxious

A few heart-warming moments

Cons.

It is not funny

The accents and the stereotypes

The plot makes very little sense

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Boys From County Hell: Only Heroes Get Barred From Their Local Pubs

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I found this film to be surprisingly good. I went in with very average expectations and found myself pleased with what I was offered.

Firstly I appreciated that this film differed from standard vampire lore, going so far as to show how certain tropes of the sub-genre don’t work in this world. I thought that by doing this the film felt original and refreshing, I also enjoyed the uniquely Irish feeling to the film and would like to see more horror comedies or even straight horrors come from the Country.

Furthermore, the character interactions and relationships are well done and actually deeper than they first appear. The father- son relationship, the broken friendship, etc all of these emotional arcs are explored and given a satisfying conclusion by the end of the film and I tip my hat to the filmmakers for that.

In terms of horror comedy balance I would say the film has instances of both, but ultimately leans more into the comedy. The comedy I found to be a mixed bag, and the main issue with the film as there are a few scenes that will make you laugh but for the most part the jokes don’t work; but as I often say comedy is subjective- almost a personal catchphrase at this point.

Overall, I felt something of an early Edgar Wright here- need I say more?

Pros.

Strong character works/ arc

A few funny scenes

The unique twist on vampires

Irish representation within the horror genre

Cons.

It is not particularly scary.

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Dream Horse: A Questionable Welsh Accent

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Many have taken issue with Toni Collette’s Welsh accent in this film, but after hearing it, it’s not as bad as I was expecting though I can’t really speak to the matter as I am not Welsh but have lived in the area in the past.

This followed a similar film to a lot of other feel good animal films, it certainly wins no points for originality, they raise the horse, it brings the community together, it proves to be a winner, oh no the horse is injured, its okay in the end: beat for beat you can see where it is going.

The film for the most part is functional as a feel good film, that is to say it made me feel good, however, I would say it has pacing problems that make it less pleasing and more irritating as it belabours the point in a few sections.

Overall, this film is very much what is says on the tin, your early guesses for what the film will be like based on the trailers and other promo materials will be pretty much right- this film is not surprising. However, the question is does it need to be? As though predictable there is also something comforting about this film.

Pros.

It is feel good

It is nice to see some Welsh representation within wider British Cinema, even if most of the actors cast are not actually Welsh

You become attached to the horse

Cons.

It is bloated

It is deeply obvious and predictable

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