Prime Time: Postman Pat: The Movie (2014)

I don’t know why I decided to watch Postman Pat: The Movie this week, but watch it I did. Maybe it was my brain being more alert than ever to Royal Mail, considering how much time and space it has taken up on the news and TV lately (and this movie could have been very different if it reflected any real-life events), or maybe I decided to revisit a character I hadn’t spent any time with for about four decades. It was probably just my usual roll of the dice, consider my willingness to give anything a chance, but I wasn’t exactly over the moon as I pressed play.

The plot is enjoyably simple. Postman Pat (voiced by Stephen Mangan) is disappointed to hear that he won’t be receiving a pay bonus that he was looking forward to, which means no holiday to Italy for the family. He doesn’t want to let them down though, considering how keen they are, so he ends up entering a talent contest that could keep everyone happy . . . if he wins. His main competitor is a young man named Josh (Rupert Grint), managed by someone (Wilf, voiced by David Tennant) who isn’t above using some dirty tricks to ensure that his star client wins. Meanwhile, Edwin Carbunkle (Peter Woodward) has a plan to make the mail delivery system more efficient and profitable, all thanks to robot versions of Pat and his cat, Jess.

Being unfamiliar with director Mike Disa and writer Nicole Dubuc, Postman Pat: The Movie was a film I thought I might end up enduring, as opposed to enjoying. The characters and antics would obviously be aimed at a MUCH younger demographic (I know I can be accused of immaturity, but I am not actually as childish as I sometimes seem) and I figured that the animation would lack the polish and detail of the movie output seen from more renowned studios.

Fortunately, I ended up finding a lot to enjoy here. Yes, it is very definitely made for younger viewers (although none of them will laugh at how inappropriate it is to see Pat reading “The Postman Always Rings Twice” to his young child), but the enjoyably simple plot allows for a great mix of small and big gags in every main sequence. The animation may not be the very best, but it feels like a nicely updated version of the character and the world that he inhabits. Maybe this is just ported over from later TV episodes, or maybe it isn’t (I wouldn’t know as I haven’t watched it since the early 1980s), but it’s a good mix of the old and the new.

It’s also helped enormously by a voice cast all feeling perfect in their roles. Mangan is great as Pat, trying to stay upbeat even in the face of overwhelming odds, Grint is enthusiastic and pleasant as Joshua, and Tennant seems to relish arching his eyebrows and rubbing his hands together as he acts like the panto villain of the piece. As for Woodward, playing the more harmful villain, he delivers his dialogue with a cool hint of menace underlining almost everything he says. Susan Duerden and Sandra Teles play Pat’s wife and son, respectively, and both feel just right in their roles, and you get to hear Jim Broadbent, Ronan Keating (providing the singing voice for Pat), and a hugely entertaining Robin Atkin Downes, playing the talent show judge, Simon Cowbell.

I doubt I will ever watch this again, unless I am babysitting younger children in my home, but I enjoyed it while it was on. It provides a fun adventure for a beloved character without having to change or mutate the essence of the show, the whole community becomes involved in the unfolding drama, and there are good lessons learned before the end credits roll. I genuinely enjoyed it . . . although maybe that just shows that I AM as childish as I sometimes seem.

7/10

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Prime Time: What We Did On Our Holiday (2014)

Holidays, as much as we fantasize about them in our minds, don’t always go to plan. They can actually be very stressful, especially when you are wrangling various family members, and especially when you aren’t heading off to sun-kissed tropical climes. And visiting family, including a very ill father who may not see beyond his next upcoming birthday, while pretending that you and your wife haven’t separated and are struggling to behave in a way that doesn’t negatively impact on the children? That probably wouldn’t be a nice and relaxing holiday. It is the holiday that viewers see depicted here though.

Rosamund Pike is Abi, David Tennant is Doug, and the two are taking their three children up to Scotland to visit Doug’s father, Gordie (Billy Connolly). Gordie has terminal cancer, with not long left until he reaches his expiration date, so Abi and Doug try to put on a united front, despite going through divorce proceedings. This united front will also require the help of their children, Lottie (Emilia Jones), Mickey (Bobby Smalldridge), and Jess (Harriet Turnbull). Other characters populate the screen, including Doug’s brother, Gavin (Ben Miller), and his sister-in-law, Margaret (Amelia Bulmore), but the focus stays on the antics of the children, eventually left in the care of their grandfather, and the bickering between Abi and Doug. It isn’t long until some messy stuff hits the fan.

Co-directed and co-written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, What We Did On Our Holidays is very much in line with other work they have delivered over the years, most often on the small screen. These two men have decades of experience, and they help themselves by casting familiar adults with an equal amount of experience in front of the camera. If you like any of the cast members here then you’re going to enjoy this, to some degree, and you may be relieved to hear that the child actors are all more than up to the task of being amusing and entertaining without becoming too annoying.

It cannot help feeling like a TV movie though, as opposed to something that could stand tall as a theatrical feature. The small scale of the story, the familiar faces most recognisable from their TV work, the tone and pacing of the whole thing. It’s not bad, and it certainly doesn’t feel as if it was made by people lacking skill or resources, but it’s not inherently filmic. Not to me anyway.

The children get to shine, especially in their scenes alongside a typically cheeky and anarchic Connolly, Tennant and Pike work well together, Miller and Bulmore are entertainingly uptight throughout, and I will always welcome screentime for the likes of Celia Imrie and Annette Crosbie. Nobody is doing their best work, but they all add extra value to the project.

You get a fair few decent laughs, some entertaining characters, and some pleasant views of the Scottish countryside. If that sounds like enough to keep you happy, and you may already be swayed if you are a fan of Tennant, Pike, or Connolly, then I recommend this. Unlikely to become a firm favourite, but it’s a decent enough little film with a big heart.

6/10

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Jessica Jones (2015)

Over the past few days, and for at least a few days ahead, you will no doubt have seen/will see plenty of online critiques of Jessica Jones, the latest Marvel TV show helping to build an enjoyable, cohesive, superhero universe on Netflix that complements the recent cinematic output from the comic book powerhouse. Would it be able to compete with the great success of Daredevil, the previous show that premiered on the streaming service?

Dare you to miss Jessica Jones

For the relatively uninitiated, the titular character is played by Krysten Ritter. The main villain, a man who can use mind control to make others do his bidding, is a man named Kilgrave, played with superb charm and menace by David Tennant. And Rachael Taylor and Carrie-Anne Moss play important, supporting female roles. Oh, and fans of comic books may also like seeing Mike Colter as Luke Cage.

From timelord to mind ruler

I am not going to be breaking down elements of this show. I haven't read the source material. I don't want to comment on each episode individually. If you're after that then you can browse at least three dozen other websites (at a conservative estimate).

No. After watching all 13 episodes of Jessica Jones in record time (for me, anyway), I was compelled to praise it for a depth that I hadn't at all expected. Daredevil was about the dangers, and moral quandary, of vigilante justice. It also generally kicked ass, and had yet another astonishing performance from Vincent D'Onofrio, a man who can probably deliver astonishing performances in his sleep.

Jessica Jones may be equal in the kicking ass stakes, almost, and may benefit immensely from that Tennant performance, but the most impressive thing about it is that, both overtly and in so many layered ways, it's about consent and control. It's there at the forefront, of course, with a villain who can make people do exactly what he wants them to. But that's almost irrelevant when the series starts to show more of the supporting characters and their relationships with one another.

Living, or just surviving?

Jones herself, for example, likes the feeling of self-control she can get by slumming it as a private eye, allowing her to seek out information that other people will use, while also helping her to keep a low profile. Jeryn Hogarth (played by Moss) is a powerful lawyer who quickly shows a very controlling, indeed ruthless, personality. She's involved in a bit of a . . . . . . . . complicated situation with her love life, and as things develop we get to see more and more instances of her trying to control those around her and keep them acting in her own best interests. Wil Traval plays Will Simpson, a man who first encounters Trish Walker (Taylor) in a violent scene before looking to create a, to put it simply, better second first impression with her later on. He apologises profusely, seemingly very sincere while always having the excuse that it wasn't actually him in control of his own actions. But what part of that provides full justification for the actions of the people onscreen, and what part of it is a very handy get-out clause for anyone who knows how Kilgrave works? Even the main villain, as shown in the most interesting backstory sequences, spits out pathetic, wheedling lines like: "what's the point in having ears if you don't listen to me?"
That may not sound like a particularly interesting piece of dialogue, but it sums up everything the show covers - as does the episode title itself, AKA 1000 Cuts.
And that really is just the tip of the iceberg - a mass made up of guilt, resentment, debated responsibilities, more apologies, obsession, and lots and lots (and LOTS) of emotional manipulation.

Jessica and "Patsy"

While it's decidedly not aimed at kids, and really don't just let your kids sit down to watch this (although I'd say teens won't be too scarred by anything here), it's impressive that this show has such a strong, yet flawed, female lead, and addresses issues that we've previously seen dressed up and romanticised in the likes of Twilight and 50 Shades Of Grey.

AKA Badass

There is plenty more to dig into here, and I am sure that better minds than my own have already started on that, but this post is here just as an attempt to encourage anyone to watch the show. Whether you like "superhero" fare or not, this is well worth your time. And I hope the continuing relationship between Marvel and Netflix delivers more of this fascinating content.

Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger! (2012)

I didn't really like Nativity! that much, so it really comes as no surprise that I am not a fan of Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger!

Debbie Isitt handles both the directing and writing duties, once again, and relies on some cute kids to carry the whole thing, once again. There were one or two moments that made me almost grin, I admit it, but most of this film was almost painful to endure.

Poor David Tennant plays two roles here. In one, the main one, he is the teacher - Mr. Peterson - taking over from Martin Freeman's character (Freeman at least had the sense not to return), while his other character is . . . . . . . his nasty twin brother. There's a national singing competition being held that Mr. Peterson ends up taking his new class along to, after the smallest amount of persuasion from the loony Mr. Poppy (Marc Wootton returning to his role).

With Jason Watkins and Pam Ferris also returning, as well as many of the kids from the first movie, this is a film that wants to take viewers on a gentle trip through some familiar territory. That can work, and is often the way of sequels, but when it's not done well it just ends up feeling horribly lazy. Considering the lack of laughs, and lack of care taken with the slipshod plotting and characterisations here, that feeling of laziness just grows with each moment.

Tennant is someone I like, and his presence here helps to make this bearable, but he can't do much to improve what he's given. Wootton enjoys himself again, and occasionally forces viewers to smile, but the only consistently good comedy comes from Jessica Hynes, playing the celebrity hostess of the competition as a cross between Charlotte Church and Katherine Jenkins.

Utilising the same mix of scripted moments and improvisation as the first movie, this poor effort MAY please those who enjoy David Tennant, Marc Wootton, and/or cute kids being cheeky. But that's not guaranteed. It's more likely that by the time the end credits roll you will curse yourself for having wasted your time on it.

3/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nativity-Danger-The-Manger-DVD/dp/B00EE6C4IW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1387663567&sr=8-2&keywords=nativity+2