The Witcher Season 1 (2019) Review

The 4th season of The Witcher dropped last week on Netflix, but I have only watched the 1st season before and even that was 6 years ago. So I thought I would start a watch of the series and I have just completed the first season of the show again and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees a Monster Hunter sent on a quest to embrace his destiny and save another. 

Main Character

Henry Cavill plays Geralt of Rivia and he is fantastic in the role. It has been known for a while that he is a huge fan of the games and the character and he really gives it his all in this show. He really encapsulates the role of Geralt and I loved watching his character and the adventures that he goes through. 

Supporting Characters

Anya Chalotra plays Yennefer and she is also fantastic on the show. For the majority of the season she has her own story and it really shows her development and growth and how she struggles to really find her place in the world. 

Freya Allen plays Ciri and she is good on the show. She finds herself on the run and her has her own story arc and Allen does a good show. I was interested in her character but the show definitely keeps its cards close to there chest regarding her abilities. 

Joey Batey plays Jaskier and he is a lot of fun and a bit of comic relief for the show. The chemistry between him and Cavill works for the show and I really enjoyed the episodes that he was around for. 

MyAnna Burning plays Tissaia and she is an interesting character. She is a strong mage and spends plenty of the season teaching Yennefer and her cold delivery was pretty memorable and she is a solid part of the show. 

Story

The story is pretty episodic in nature but I love being introduced to this world and learn more about it. Seeing Geralt go against these different monsters is really call and works really well alongside Ciri & Yennefer's stories as well. However, this show has some confusing timeline issues and I had to google when certain parts of the story take place as it isn't explained that well on the show. Also, I thought the finale focused way too much on Yennefer instead of Geralt considering he is the main character. 

Script

The writing for the show was good. Geralt is a very serious character but they manage to provide enough humour to make it not a totally grim affair. Those dramatic moments were well handled though and made me care about the characters involved. 

Style

This show clearly has a huge budget and it looks beautiful, the show is epic in nature and doesn't hold back on the effects. The Action scenes are also fantastic and flow incredibly well with Geralt in particular being incredibly entertaining when in these fight scenes with either humans or different monsters. 

Overall

Overall, The Witcher Season 1 is a Fantastic Season of TV and I loved this universe that they were setting up. A Pretty simple premise but it worked really well and I loved the first season of The Witcher.

Rating - 9/10

Ballad of a Small Player (2025) Review

Netflix has been making plenty of original films that involve big stars and that can be a big marketing ploy for their streaming service. The next one being Ballad of a Small Player starring Colin Farrell and I watched the film today, here is my review. The premise of the film sees a gambler struggling to meet ends meet when he finds someone who might be able to help them. 

Main Character

As mentioned above Colin Farrell plays the lead character Lord Doyle and he is fantastic here. You really believe the peril that this man is in and his performance is always on edge that you can't take your eyes off of him and he is by miles the best thing in this film. 

Supporting Characters

Fala Chen plays Dao Ming and she is fine in the film. She is a good companion to Farrell and I liked how their characters build this dynamic and progress throughout the film. 

Tilda Swinton has a role in this film as Blithe and when she is on screen she is great, she just isn't used that much. The chemistry between her and Farrell is clear and is handled pretty well. 

The rest of the cast are functional but don't really offer much, even Chen and Swinton don't do that much. This is the Farrell show and that does affect the overall group of characters presented here. 

Story

The story is basically how one mans life can go downhill as quickly as possible and in terms of that it handles it pretty well as I did feel for Lord Doyle and wanted to see him get out of the rut that he is in. However, I think that is more down to Farrell's performance as the story is pretty dull and though there is an interesting twist towards the end of the film, it didn't quite hit the mark for me as much as it really could have done. 

Script

There is some decent writing here, especially when it comes down to Lord Doyle and his way of trying to get out of different situations. But the film does lack some dramatic moments and isn't funny so it doesn't go as far as it really needed. 

Style

The film is set in Macau and it looks beautiful and is a nice fresh location on film. Also the first act of the film moves at a great pace and is shot beautifully. However, the films pacing grinds to a halt and basically kills all of the momentum that the film had and made the final act feel a bit underwhelming. 

Overall

Overall, Ballad of a Small Player is an Above Average Film and that is mostly due to a great Colin Farrell performance. It is a nice film to look at but it lacks lots of substance and just needed better writing to make it stand out, so probably only worth a watch if you are a big Colin Farrell Fan. 

Rating - 6/10

Tron: Ares (2025) Review

After 15 years, we finally have another Tron film and with our huge advances in technology there should be big hopes for Tron: Ares and I managed to finally give it a review today so here is my review for Tron: Ares. The premise of the film sees a programme from the grid sent into the real world in order to undertake a mission. 

Main Character

Jared Leto plays Ares and he does an okay job. Now, though his career recently has been a bit of a mixed bag, I really do think he is a great actor and he is really trying his best here to make this character interesting. But Ares just falls a bit flat for me, his character arc is really rushed through and it makes him a pretty forgettable protagonist. 

Supporting Characters

Greta Lee plays Eve Kim and I actually like her character. She is the new chairwoman of Encom and she is looking to help the world but she actually has some personality to her and somebody who actually seems worth rooting for. 

Jodie Turner-Smith plays another programme called Athena and I thought she was great. There was just a presence about her intimidating role and there was definitely some development in her character, I just wish there had been more. 

Evan Peters plays Julian Dillinger and he was an over the top generic bad guy. I mean Peters is a good actor and he is clearly committed here but there is nothing for him to really do in the film and he kind of gets forgotten about. 

The great Gillian Anderson plays his mother in this film and she is completely wasted, she could have been played by anybody and she was just a pointless character that was super cliché and poorly written.

Story 

The story has some good themes to it and at least tries to give some of the characters arcs throughout. It also tries some new things in an attempt to refresh the franchise. But this story has no meat on it and feels incredibly rushed, it moves so quickly through it that it doesn't give us anything to make us really care, it is definitely style over substance. 

Script

The Script has some decent moments, I actually chuckled a few times which I wasn't expecting from this film. But the writing is overall pretty weak and doesn't allow the characters or plot to shine in a way that it could have. 

Style

The style of this film is beautiful. Tron films have always really focused on its style but this film really nails it. It feels really grand in scale and finally delivers on what it wanted to back in the 1980s. The film flowed really well and it is just hard to take your eyes off of this beautiful film. 

Overall

Overall, Tron: Ares is an Above Average Film and is actually my favourite film in the franchise. It is frustrating as I truly believe this could have been a fantastic film and it falls way short of that. But when it comes available on a streaming service I would say it is potentially worth a watch. 

Rating - 6/10

Tron: Legacy (2010) Review

I am going to watch Tron: Ares tomorrow, so before that I thought I had to watch the film in the franchise before it in Tron: Legacy and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees the son of a computer programme go into the grid in order to try and track him down. 

Main Character 

Garrett Hedlund plays Sam Flynn and he is a pretty dull character. Hedlund tries his best and he seemed to really dive into the role and give something to it. It is just there isn't really anything interesting about Sam at all. He is the most generic protagonist for a film like this and it takes away from the film when you really just don't care about the main character. 

Supporting Characters

Olivia Wilde plays Quorra and I really liked her here, to be honest with a bit of a rewrite she could have been the main protagonist as she is a way more interesting character the Sam and offers a lot to the film. 

Michael Sheen appears in a small role but it certainly is memorable. He seems off his rocker and is having the time of his life and he isn't in it enough to make it an issue but he is a lot of fun. 

Now Jeff Bridges plays two roles here in Kevin Flynn & Clu and it is a mixed bag. He is decent as Kevin and there are shades of his performance from the original film and some charisma there. But as Clu he is really cheesy and the CGI used is some of the worst CGI I have seen in a long time and made his character even more jarring to watch. 

Story

The main positive I can say about the story is that it is way more coherent then the previous Tron film. I like how it shows the progression of the grid and how Kevin really failed in what he was attempting to do in the original film. However, the film is pretty cliché and I just really didn't care about Sam's character development. The film also has a really frustrating ending that is just in the business of setting up sequels then giving a satisfying ending.  

Script

The film is written okay, it has some good moments of character, mainly for Quorra and everything about her when she is introduced. But the film falls a bit flat when it comes to really looking at its themes and overall writing of the characters. 

Style

The film is visually stunning. It looks like what the filmmakers wanted the original Tron to look like and it is fantastic to see this world really come to life with more modern technology. However, there is one character that relies on CGI and it just looks awful and like something out of a dodgy game. Also the aspect ratio kept changing for me and it was super annoying and really felt quite jarring which is such a shame because the film does look great. 

Overall

Overall, Tron Legacy is an average film that looks fantastic but falls flat in pretty much every other department. It is such a shame as there is a lot of potential here but it just doesn't hit those levels and it took them 15 years to make another one of these films. 

Rating - 5/10

Chad Powers (2025) Review

For the last month or so, I have been watching a new show on Disney Plus call Chad Powers and the finale was today and I have watched that so here is my review for the whole season of Chad Powers. The premise of the show sees a disgraced former quarter back aim to get back to playing football under a new identity. 

Main Character

Glen Powell is one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood at the moment and can pretty much pick any project he wants and he is Chad Powers. He is easily the best part of this show and his star power shines through some of the other elements of the show, he really delivers a mix between comedy and drama and really excels, especially at the surprising dramatic moments. 

Supporting Characters

Perry Matfield plays Ricky a female coach who takes a liking to Chad. Though there is more to her character then that, she is going through her own character arc and that works alongside the arc of Chad. The two of them have great chemistry and are a real highlight of the show. 

Steve Zahn plays Coach Hudson and he is a fun character here. He is really feeling the pressure of being the coach of an American Football Team and he really sells it well. He is pretty charming but always on edge and it works for him. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast aren't so good. Wynn Everett plays Tricia and she is super unlikeable. She sees herself above everybody else in the show but not in a charming way but in a way that made me dislike her character. 

Frankie A. Rodriguez plays Danny and he is the closest friend to Chad and honestly I found him quite over the top and annoying for the most part. I just didn't really buy into their relationship and it is the one part of the show that didn't quite hit for me. 

Story

The story has some good character arcs that make you care about Chad and some of the people around him. The finale has some interesting turns that really subvert expectations of a show like this and I really appreciated that. However, this show is pretty predictable throughout and some of the character were pretty annoying throughout. Also, the ending of the show is disappointing and feels like it is just setting up a second season. 

Script

This show has some really surprising heartfelt moments that are written really well and flesh out the characters. But this show is focusing on comedy and I barely laughed throughout, the writing is weak and just not very funny which is a big shame when your show is mainly a comedy. 

Style

The show flies by with its pacing which is both good and bad. Certain episodes, especially when it focuses on the actual football, I really enjoyed the fast pace and way the show is shot. But at times it feels like it is rushing itself and doesn't give certain aspects of the show the time that it needs. 

Overall

Overall, Chad Powers is an above average show that has some potential. Some good performances and surprisingly heartfelt moments help this but it isn't funny enough or memorable enough to watch. If a second season gets announced then maybe give it a go as it is an easy and quick watch. 

Rating - 6/10

Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2025)

It has taken me a while but the new series of the anthology Monster focusing on Ed Gein has been out and I have now watched the series. So here is my review for Monster: The Ed Gein Story. The Premise of the show focuses on Ed Gein who was the first real serial killer and how his impact affected people over the next number of years. 

Main Character

Charlie Hunnam plays Ed Gein and I am really conflicted about his performance. There is no doubt that he fully commits to the role and there are some times when he is super chilling and really uncomfortable. But there are times when it is just too over the top and the accent that he is doing made me laugh. I think he does improve as the episodes go on but I can't get over how silly he can be, especially in those first few episodes. 

Supporting Characters

Laurie Metcalf plays Augusta Gein and I thought she was pretty good in the show. She is really over the top and controlling but it kind of works and the relationship between the two of them was a better part of the show. 

Suzanna Son plays Adeline Watkins and she is also pretty good. Her relationship with Gein is a major part of the show and it is pretty well realised and actually gives time to flesh out her character. 

There are a large group of people on the show but none of them stand out and do very little. Tom Hollander plays Alfred Hitchcock but the overuse of makeup and his weird performance was really distracting and took away from those scenes. 

Story

The story is clearly trying to document this crazy man and the legacy that he left for other people with issues. But I have to be honest, I just don't think the show does a particularly good job at it. It is so all over the place and tries to cram so much into it that it just really feels like nothing gets the time to be that interesting or something worth caring about. The Finale also is underwhelming and doesn't really do enough to justify this show existing. 

Script

The script has some okay writing, some really chilling pieces of dialogue are in here. But the writing suffers from the fact that it is trying to cram so much in here and make it so outlandish that it kind of comes across as a bit of a caricature. 

Style

The show certainly doesn't shy away from violence and the gore. You really feel the terrible things that this guy did and the gruesome way that he did them. However, this show has a really slow pace about it and I found myself pretty bored throughout with storylines that I really didn't care about. 

Overall

Overall, Monster: The Ed Gein Story is a Below Average Show that missed the mark for me. This show had poor pacing and a bad story that didn't all connect. Mixed with a strange lead performance and it just isn't worth your time. 

Rating - 4/10

Tron (1982) Review

I am looking to get the chance to watch Tron: Ares at some point in the next week, so I thought in prep I would go back and watch the original film as I actually have never watched Tron. So I did that today and here is my review for Tron. The premise of the film sees a computer hacked abducted by a Digital Programme and is forced to try and survive with the aid of some new allies. 

Main Character

Jeff Bridges plays Kevin Flynn and he is great here. He is the person who is enjoying himself the most and I think with that it makes him the most fun person to watch. I mean his character isn't the most interesting but he manages to make it work just about enough to make me care about his story. 

Supporting Characters 

Bruce Boxleitner plays Alan Bradley/Tron and I thought he was also really good, especially as Tron. He plays the AI really well and the fact that he is basically the saviour of the universe was handled pretty well. 

David Warner plays a pretty entertaining villain in Ed Dillinger/Sark. He is a pretty generic character but he ate up all of the scenes that he was in and provided some much needed entertainment on screen. 

The rest of the cast aren't so lucky, I mean the only real ones to talk about are Cindy Morgan as Lora/Yori & Dan Shor as Ram. The first is just their as a love interest really and she is a boring one of that, especially with some weird writing for her towards the end of the film. Ram is fine but I never really cared about him and I just think the film needed a 3rd member of our heroic group of male AI's so they added him. 

Story

The story heavily focuses on AI and its relationship to humans which is quite funny as it probably fits more with modern times then it did in 1982. I think it achieves this in an okay manner but the majority of the plot is either cliche or just not very well explained. It fails to really delve into its subject matter enough like other films and has a really abrupt ending that leaves us with more questions then answers. 

Script

Unfortunately, the worst part of the film for me was the script and writing. It really feels like this film went for a style over substance philosophy and that was really realised with the lazy and dull writing. A few good moments here and there, but it just doesn't have anywhere near enough depth for it to be worthwhile. 

Style

For a film that was released in 1982, the CGI and Style is amazing for this film. It has great colours and some really unique ideas that were ahead of its time. It also has a great score and sci-fi feel that is rare to see even amongst current films. However, the film is really short, barely making it to 90 mins and thus everything feels really rushed and the story is just forgotten about in order to show these pretty revolutionary computer effects. 

Overall

Overall, Tron is an average film that doesn't really stand out in todays market. I am sure in 1982 that this film was revolutionary and that should be appreciated. But when you look at the film as a whole it doesn't really stand up and is one I wouldn't rush to see. 

Rating - 5/10