Reviews

Pink's most dedicated fans may enjoy this inside look at her life on the road, but it just doesn't amount to much. The concert performances are excellent, but there aren't enough of them and mostly they're partial songs. A one-hour special might have worked better.

Another British comedy about a quirky, single British mother-only this one forgot to be funny. Jokes about anal sex, fertility, and urine fall flat. Don't waste your time and instead look for the Rebekah Staton comedy series Raised By Wolves.

Andrew Davies has written some marvelous movies and TV series, including the definitive 1995 adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. So, I was excited when I heard he was adapting and completing Jane Austen's unfinished novel "Sanditon." Alas, his latest project is a near-disaster, saved only by the lush production values and a couple of performances. The plot is a thinly-veiled rehash of P&P with a spirited young woman clashing with a seemingly pompous gentleman. Gee, do you think they will eventually fall in love? The other characters are surprisingly stereotypical, from the bossy wealthy widow to the shallow hypochondriac. The only interesting character is Charlotte Spencer as Miss Esther Dennon, a seemingly callous young woman with no dowry and a sad obsession with her worthless half-brother. Her struggles are the show's only saving grace plotwise--and that's very sad.

The first four seasons are entertaining, well-acted, and faithful to the Winston Graham novels (even though the earlier Poldark series is better). However, the fifth and final season inexplicably strays from the books. It's a disaster and sadly leaves a bad taste.

The Hateful Eight is easily Tarantino's worst movie. It's a vanity project that lacks the inventiveness and wit of his other works. It's much too long, is way too talks, boasts cartoonish violence, and has nothing interesting to say. The snowbound setting is promising, but that's about it. Save yourself 168 minutes.

"Hanna" is an extremely well-crafted and acted TV series. Don't waste time comparing it to the movie, as they are similar only in a few plot lines. This is essentially a character study centering on Hanna, her "father," and the woman hunting them. If you're looking for an action show with fights every five minutes, this isn't for you. But if you want to see a great drama, then you're in for a treat. (That said, there are some spectacular fight scenes.) One can quibble about he unanswered questions (e.g., how did Hanna and Eric get clothes in the forest, how does Hanna figure out a computer so quickly, etc.) You just have to realize this is not a show that worries about the details. It's aiming for a bigger scope and it succeeds...and even sets up what could be an intriguing second season.