Tag: Disney Plus

Boston Strangler – Review

Disney Plus have recently released a movie about a famous murderer. Having seen the trailer, I was intrigued to see that Kiera Knightly played a journalist for the American Record, who took it upon herself to hunt him down. My Boston Strangler review is all about thoughts on this under-publicised film.

In A Nutshell

This movie is a true story of how a woman working for a prominent US newspaper wrote about a string of vicious murders. She had to convince her boss to let her deep dive into the killings and keep reporting on the continued investigation.

With many of the attacks involving a tell-tale signal, Loretta (Kiera Knightley) was starting to notice potential linkages. Despite being advised to leave it to the male reporters, she continued to push to see the evidence for herself and join the dots.

Set in the 1960s, this narrative was well told. The dim lighting and stylish cinematography make this an easy watch. The subject matter, however, is disturbing. Having said that, you see very little gore but mostly watch the lead up to each murder.

Positives

– The movie is well written with a good pace.

– Quality acting from Kiera and others.

– I felt intrigued and surprised throughout.

– The cinematography made it feel like you were taken back to 1960s America.

Point to improve

– If I am honest I was totally satisfied with this film but I do feel it would have made an excellent TV series. It deserved wider advertising and more credit.

Final Thoughts

With an audience score of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film is definitely well received. Kiera plays the lead cleverly and you really get a feel for what it must have been like working at a newspaper during a very traumatic time.

Thank you for taking the time to read my brief review of ‘Boston Strangler’. For another of my film review articles check out my thoughts on the recent Dungeons and Dragons movie.

Willow Review – Was This Remake Any Good?

One of the few famous people who lives near me is Warwick Davis. Best known for playing an Ewok who hung out with Princess Leia and a Harry Potter wizard, he also starred in the eighties film, Willow. My Willow TV show review explores his new Disney Plus series which I recently finished watching.

Willow is a sorcerer and dabbles in magic.

I have been lucky enough to meet Warwick on many occasions over the past twenty years. He is a friendly guy who gets involved with local charities and is really approachable. It is lovely seeing him acting in movies as well as presenting a daily quiz show on ITV.

When I heard that Ron Howard (Willow 1988 director) was producing a new TV series of Willow, I knew it would be good. Originally a George Lucas idea, Willow was always going to stand the test of time.

Read on for my thoughts on the 2022 Willow TV remake.

What’s it all about?

Willow is a sorcerer who used his powers years ago to defeat an adversary. He is back to help a Queen get back her son. The prince was taken by The Crone and her soldiers beyond the Shattered Sea.

Willow had put Elora Danan under the protection of the Queen and she is now grown up. She is special as her powers are said to be stronger than The Crone. At the start of the season, a castle maid discovered that she is Elora and her future is also as a sorcerer. She had no idea of her importance but soon took on the mission to rescue Prince Arik and bring back peace.

Things I liked about Willow:

– Great acting! Warwick stars with his real life daughter. The group of younger actors are funny and carry the story brilliantly.

– The narrative was interesting and easy to follow. Although there was specific language that linked to that world, it all made sense, unlike some series with too many difficult references.

– Each episode had a focus, a mission and some wonderful character highlights. I really felt like I got to know each main character. The conversations helped me understand the relationships between each of them as well.

– The script was witty and made me regularly chuckle. With one liners and clever sarcasm, especially from Willow, I found the TV show really entertaining.

Shortfalls:

– Some of the special effects were ethereal and glowing, which made a few scenes feel dreamlike. Having said that, lots of real Welsh settings were used too. I always prefer real backdrops to CGI ones.

Final Thoughts

This particular TV series was really lovely to watch. It began with a throwback to the 1988 film which also starred Val Kilmer. His ex-wife returned for the season as Queen Sorcha and it was great to see a clear link to the original dilemma.

I enjoyed the humour, the swashbuckling adventures and getting to know a new group of heroes. The series was full of nostalgia, emotion and hilarity. One such moment of laughter came from the cameo by Hannah Waddington (of Game of Thrones and Ted Lasso fame).

Willow scored 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and I give it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.

Thank you so much for reading my Willow review. For more recommendations please check out Two TV Shows Worth Watching. Perhaps also consider following my blog for future similar content.