Watched Better Man (2024) by an author from letterboxd.com
Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

Honestly, you’ll be over the chimp thing in minutes and as long as you remembered it’s not a documentary you should be OK.

I’m no fan of Robbie, in fact I think he quotes me in the opening, but I now have a little more respect for Robert.

★★★★

My review

Watched The Happening (2008) by an author from letterboxd.com
When a deadly airborne virus threatens to wipe out the northeastern United States, teacher Elliot Moore and his wife Alma flee from contaminated cities into the countryside in a fight to discover the truth. Is it terrorism, the accidental release of some toxic military bio weapon -- or something even more sinister?

Mike Muncer made me watch this again…

My only commentary is that Marky Mark is supposed to be playing some beta-male everyman and it appears beyond him. Good on him for trying but he can’t hide his quintessential self-confidence. He’s just too alpha.

Actually, there is one other thing… do the plants also control the wind or are they, like, just waiting for the wind to blow in the right direction…

★★

My review

Watched KPop Demon Hunters (2025) by an author from letterboxd.com
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.

It’d be wrong to criticise the tone because I am not the target audience but, as a hairy old man, I can’t help but feel that the “threat” is under-sold and thus it all feels a bit throwaway. Like, I don’t want it to be burdened with Nolan-esque gravitas but SOME would have gone a long way.

But, you know, is that the REAL battle at the heart of this story? Probably not. Does it tell THAT story well and pay it off? Absolutely. With sparkles.

★★★★

My review

I never thought that the UK’s slide into authoritarianism would be centred on protests against the killing of women and children

Watched Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) by an author from letterboxd.com
Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life. But when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers' war.

Started watching this with my kids last night (10&13), they enjoyed the first film, so we thought we might try it.

Based on my memory, I had slight misgivings but we can’t have been more than 15 minutes in and we agreed to turn it off. The tone was making them visibly uncomfortable. For what audience was this made?!

★★

My review

Received an email today about service that is relaunching with a greater focus on “inclusivity” (in a DEI sense). The email was addressed “Dear Sir/Madam”. There’s such a long way to go.

There’s a new Microsoft Copilot ad, with everyone asking a colleague for things and she just uses Copilot… the unspoken implication is that, if she can use Copilot, so can they… so what do they need her for?

Watched Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) by an author from letterboxd.com
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world's three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora's operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that's been hidden from the world for decades.

As they inevitably leave the island, you realise you’ve seen this film so many times before. Why not try something different? Why not have them work out how they’re going to survive with no prospect of rescue? Like, The Martian with dinosaurs?

My kids enjoyed it well enough but half the screening was notably bored. There are some tense scenes that work well and plenty of people getting chomped, so I wasn’t disappointed there.

But there is literally nothing I haven’t seen before. I’ve not read it for a while, but I think the T-Rex/raft chase is in the original novel. The lack of invention is honestly baffling.

The contrivance that brings children into the story means there are far too many characters. Despite the screen time invested, even the back stories of the main characters are paper-thin. You could sum up the remaining characters in a single sentence.

Finally, and this is my own personally nerdy beef, why do they go so woefully under-armed again? One guy, has one gun which is so ill-suited to the supposed purpose it is ludicrous. Where’s the .50cal armour-piercing long rifles? If you don’t want to kill it, why not light or sound? No-one has ever even chucked a flashbang at these things. Dinsoaurs have been living in the world, they must know how to kill or at least dissuade them by now!

P.S. yes, I have seen the Netflix animations

★★½

My review

Just had to write to my MP (Alex Mayer) to clarify that I don’t support the murder of women and children. You know, by anyone? Just for the avoidance of doubt.

I don’t approve of AI image generation, but my colleague just made this off the back of a comment I made…

Too good not to share. Though I think a ghost might be force-feeding Wes…