Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “4,722 Hours” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to review another episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and today we’ll be talking about episode 5, “4,722 Hours“. So how was tonight’s episode? Well read on and find out. SPOILERS AHEAD!

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

After her dramatic rescue from another planet, Simmons is still reeling from her ordeal and reveals how she had to fight for her life in a harsh new world.

What I Liked

All I can say about this episode is that I knew it, I frigging knew it. After episode 3, somewhere in the back of my mind when there was all those theories about what happened to Simmons and why she’d want to go back to the planet, I knew that that a man had to be involved and my heart was broken this week. Regardless of my feelings towards Simmons’ love life, this was a really strong episode.

I was curious beforehand whether this would be an entirely Simmons-focused episode or if it’d be non-linear and jump forward and back in time while she talked to Fitz, but no, this was entirely flashback-based up until the last scene in present day after Simmons recounted her story. This was a smart choice because there were a lot of questions that needed answers and a fair amount of time required just to see what she went through while being stranded in space.

Being stranded alone in a desolate location is nothing new to film or TV, its been done before, but it is the way in which story and character is handled that determines whether it is a strong and engaging experience or not, and this episode was good. We as the audience got see everything straight from the time Simmons got taken away to the point when she was found and a lot went down. Simmons at first was optimistic, even though she was hungry, tired and alone, she didn’t give up hope, kept logs of her movements, and even fought a water-based space monster for food. She was quite resourceful and courageous, but beyond that there was that connection to Fitz, her friend, and a solid believe that he’d find and save her. That was beautiful and showed again why these two are so solid as a pair.

But then Will shows up and from that point I knew something would go down. Having Will Daniels present was great as it gave perspective to how not only how bad the situation gets, but also how the planet works and where one should and shouldn’t go. At first I was curious to see whether this character would be someone I would interesting or not, but he had a great backstory coming from the year 2001 with a research team, then losing all of his comrades and being stranded in space having to survive alone until Simmons came. I love how there was some light-hearted elements to this show with some of the banter between Will and Simmons, but also with Simmons talking to herself as well, but it also didn’t forget about the difficulties of living in a deserted location, how having faith in something/someone can only last for so long and that everyone reaches a breaking point. And after Simmons broke, she found solace in Will and those two… Got it on. I bloody knew it would happen and while I’m happy for Simmons to finally hook up someone, part of me shed a tear for the well and truly friend-zoned Fitz. I like how there was development between Will and Simmons before their eventual hook up, it felt natural and built up from an odd pairing to a trusting bond. So after that I was glad that the episode gave reason for not only why Simmons needed to go back by also how she found her way back to Fitz’s location when he went into the portal for her in episode 2.

As for when Simmons finished her story and it cut to Fitz’s reaction, I probably would have done the same. In that moment I think he was disappointed, saddened and frustrated, but also got over his feelings and chose to do what was right for Simmons and showed on the computer that he was gonna get Will back. Always the good guy (but unfortunately not enough for Simmons). 😥

I loved the look of the planet, the sandy surfaces, rocky mountains and overall aesthetic looked great and I was also curious about the mysterious figure who showed up during the sandstorms. Who or what is it? Does it have powers? How did it kill the other people? Will it kill Will? I want to know! 😛

What I Disliked

My dislikes are mainly nitpicks like how much food did will have? I mean the dude would have needed to ration his food very well to live for 14 years alone in space and then for him to share it with Simmons too? There just couldn’t have been that much food unless there was, I would have liked for that to have been addressed. Also if Will had been alone for that amount of time, wouldn’t he be a little more crazy or off in his personality? No matter how much training you have it does seem like his personality and interaction with Simmons was a little tame.

Conclusion

In conclusion “4,722 Hours” is a pretty good episode and will no doubly go down as one of the best episodes of the season and possibly the whole show for a lot of people. The heavy focus on Simmons on the desolate planet with her highs and lows, struggles and victories made for some engaging, funny and dramatic TV. Oh and if it wasn’t obvious already, I loved Elizabeth Henstridge, she killed it in this episode and Dillon Casey was also great too.

Rating: 8/10

So what did you think of “4,722 Hours“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

007 is back again in this Spectre Review

Howdy people of the internet, time for another film review from the cinema and today I’m finally getting around to talking about the 24th James Bond film, Spectre. To say that I’ve been forward to this film would be an understatement, and after the great sense of satisfaction and fun I had with Skyfall, I was ready for more. So how’s the latest Bond adventure? Well read on and find out in this spoiler-free review.

The story can be described as the following:

“A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.”

The story in this film was quite interesting with a great deal of mystery, intrigue, death and more connection’s to Bond’s past coming back haunt him in the present. Like Skyfall, this was another personal tale for not only Bond but also the characters who surrounded him and it was great to see another character-driven adventure. The humour is also back with a lot of great one-liners and visual humour, oh and the call-backs/references to the former Bond films whether they be visual or verbal were awesome and it was the kind of material I had kind of missed from these newer films. However, for me the story was at its strongest when it found was referencing the previous Bond films and tieing them in with the current story, it was smart, well-thought out and allowed for some interesting continuity not only from the last film, but also all the way back to Casino Royale. The only nitpicks I had were that I thought that this plot wasn’t as captivating as the last, the pacing was a little slow at points and there was certain decisions made with the story that I wasn’t as keen on.

As for the cast they were all pretty good. Firstly there’s Daniel Craig as James Bond, what can be said that hasn’t been said already? Craig did a terrific job, he’s smooth, sophisticated and badass, but also focused, aggressive and thoughtful. Léa Seydoux was also great as Dr. Madeleine Swann, I didn’t know that she’d be so integral to the plot but she had a great backstory and had an interesting relationship with Bond. I’ve seen Seydoux in a few films here and there but she did a wonderful job here and damn she is gorgeous woman. Oh and of course Christoph Waltz was good as Franz Oberhauser, this character has a history shrouded in mystery and once he came into the light things got a lot more interesting. Waltz is a great actor and he had a lot of his charming and intimidating traits that made him cool in Inglorious Basterds, but I wish I’d seen more of him and I didn’t find him as memorable as Raoul Silva.

Ben Whishaw was good as Ql, in this film I felt like Q’s appearance was expanded as he had more to do and had some pretty memorable moments whether it was for the sake of humour or story. Naomie Harris was also good as Eve Moneypenny, like Q, she had some interesting moments with Bond and was key to the story. I really liked Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx, all I can say is what a beast! From the time Hinx steps on-screen he leaves an impression, he’s a man of few words but is tough as nails, tenacious, scary, smart and resourceful. Bautista was so cool and intimidating in this role and when he wasn’t around I missed him. Ralph Fiennes did a good job as M, he had a lot to deal with the changes in government and Bond’s personal ventures, but I appreciated how he was central to the plot and had some great lines. As a fan of Sherlock I enjoyed seeing Andrew Scott’s performance as Max Denbigh, his character was smart, witty and a bit of a prick but very relevant to the plot. Monica Bellucci was beautiful as Lucia Sciarra, however like Bérénice Lim Marlohe her presence wasn’t as large and she wasn’t utilized as I’d hoped. And finally Rory Kinnear as usual was good as Bill Tanner and it was nice to see Jesper Christensen return as Mr. White.

When it comes to the presentation it was lovely. The visual presentation was good with some wonderful cinematography and pretty awesome action sequences. There are a lot of memorable sequences including one with a helicopter, a really cool and tense car chase or another hand-to-hand combat sequence later on which was really crazy, intense and badass. And Thomas Newman returns again to craft the film score and it is great, Newman’s soundtrack always has this great level of energy, drama, sensuality and has the right sound for the right situation. One thing I was happy about was the inclusion of one key theme from Skyfall returning in this film (“Mother” I believe is the name of the track) it was my favourite piece from the last Bond film and I’m glad Newman brought it back. As for the new theme song, “Writing’s on the Wall” by Sam Smith I’m a little indifferent to it, on one hand it is quite lovely, subtle and Smith’s vocals shine through, on the other hand the song’s a little too light on the instrumental side of things and I do prefer my Bond songs to be a little more epic.

In conclusion Spectre is another solid entry in the Bond franchise, it has all of the great elements that make the recent trend of Bond films fun to watch, but it also features a lot of cool throwbacks to the older films too. I will admit that there were certain narrative and character choices that I didn’t agree with/would have handled differently, but putting my issues aside, this is still a very good film and if you’re a fan of this franchise it deserves your attention.

Rating: 7.5/10

So have you seen or are you going to watch Spectre? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to leave them in the comments below, until the next time, laters! 😀

 

What I’m Currently Watching #10

Howdy ladies and gents, and welcome to post #10 on What I’m Currently Watching where I give you a tiny update on what TV-based stuff I’m watching and give mini reviews/impressions on them. Because of a busy schedule I haven’t watched Gotham, Castle or Arrow this week so I’ll be skipping them and then talking about their follow-up episodes next week instead. With that out of the way let’s crack on, oh and careful for spoilers as we continue…

South Park (Season 19) “Safe Space”

After last week’s funky yet funny episode. Like before SP is continuing its continuity not only the last episode but also the start of the season with its focus on political correctness and current social issues that are real and relatable (I know how Randy felt when it comes to the charity stuff). The musical number in this episode was very strange yet fun, but what was great about it was the character of Reality and how he was actually a physical character in the real world, his comments about their poor use of money, how not everyone in the world is nice and being public on the internet was harsh but hilariously very spot on. Oh and the fact that he got hanged in the end was jokes. 😛 There were parts of this episode that really had me laughing, like when PC Principle shouted at that girl in the assembly or Steven Segal showed up or when Randy met with the Whole Foods man the second time and had to deal with the touchpad and hungry child cutout to get his change, that was some funny stuff. But seeing Butters suffer, that was painful but also hilarious. I knew he’d end up having to help Cartman, but seeing him run into the ground because of his social media filtering, I felt for the guy and then seeing mad, run naked through the school and jump out the window, that was amazing.

The Flash (Season 2) “Family of Rogues”

The Flash continues to be one the best shows on TV with its blend of action, drama, humour and great use of superhero codes and conventions. I really liked the story involving the Snarts, it was very interesting, compelling and really added layers to Leonard and Lisa. Having their father Lewis be not only the main brains of latest potential crime, but also be a merciless killer and the source of so much pain for his children made him a great antagonist and put both Lisa and Leonard in tough positions which created issues of trust and uneasy alliances between these siblings and Team Flash. I love Wentworth Miller in this role and he was great in this episode, his character got some great development which I think was foreshadowing for the Legends of Tomorrow. In addition the main story, I also enjoyed discovering the deal with Iris’ mother and why Joe hid that information from her, it led to a really emotional conversation between those two and Jesse L. Martin continues to show such skills when it comes to the dramatic material as Joe West. Outside that stuff I like how Patty Spivot’s developing especially with Barry, Cisco and Lisa’s moments alone together were nice (especially their parting with that kiss) and seeing Harrison Wells pop in from the stabilized portal was random and intriguing. I’m not sure if I like Caitlin’s feelings toward Jay, seems like there’s set up towards a potential pairing, and I don’t mind the flirting but it could be building towards more than that and even though Ronnie’s gone I’d prefer for her not to enter into a new relationship so quickly because: 1) It would seem like she’s easily forgotten the past. And 2) Not everyone has to hook up on this show, I like some people just remaining friends.

Moonbeam City “Glitzotrene : One Town’s Seduction”

“Glitzotrene : One Town’s Seduction” may be my favourite episode so far. While Moonbeam City has yet to have me laugh really hard, there’s a charm, randomness and sense of fun that keeps me coming back. This episode had a better use of the main characters and a plot that was totally ridiculous but also quite funny and felt like a more mature version of what Regular Show would come up with. I liked the introduction of Mayor Eo Jaxxon, his demeanour, personality, his tigers and dwarf bodyguard, and his lack of interest for the police department made him one of the best parts of the episode. The best aspect of this episode was how Dazzle, Chrysalis, Pizzaz and Rad came together to deal with a big situation, it was nice to have them all on the same page, Dazzle was his usual silly self, having Rad pretend to be a villain created a lot of crazy situations, but Pizzaz was the most improved as she wasn’t just moaning and being a bitch, but contributed to planning and was quite fun to watch. The only issues I had with the episode was with Pizzaz’s fate with the Major and that in the end Dazzle and his friends’ actions still didn’t affect the fire department, as cool as Sizzle Conrad and his showboating crew were, they were assholes and I just wanted to see them knocked off their high horse or something.

Star Wars Rebels (Season 2) “Relics of the Old Republic”

So the first episode of season two was pretty good and “Relics of the Old Republic” continued Rebels’ clean streak. Seeing this bond between Ezra, Kanan, Zeb, Sabine and the old Clone Troopers was fun, there was a natural connection starting to form between them, and while Kanan still had trust issues it was great to see him finally start to accept the fact that in times of peril, the right moral choices had to be made. Also I didn’t expect Agent Kallus to actively go into battle and hunt our heroes down, I’ve always liked this guy and seeing him in the thick of the action only made me like him more. I have to mention how good this show looks, the animation is solid and fluid, but it is the art direction that I really admire with the vivid colours and balance between realism and it’s 3D CGI style diverse. Oh and finally we got to see one of the new Inquisitors and this guy doesn’t look to friendly, I fear for what he’ll do to the Ghost team later down the line.

Well that’s what I’ve been watching. So have you seen or plan to watch any of these shows? If you have any thoughts be sure to drop a comment below and let me know what TV shows you’re currently watching  too. Until next time people, laters! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Devils You Know” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to review another episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and today we’ll be talking about season 3, episode 4, “Devils You Know“. So how was tonight’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Having reluctantly agreed to share information with Rosalind and the ATCU, Coulson and the team search for the Inhuman who is killing other Inhumans; May feels that Hunter’s mission to take down Ward is getting too personal.

What I Liked

This was another solid episode, there was direct continuation from the last episode with was going on with Hunter’s plan to ascend in Hydra, Simmons’ continuing recovery and obsession with going back to the alien planet, and Coulson and Rosalind’s alliance to cooperate on missions. There were some nice surprises, shocks and cool developments overall.

One of my favourite aspects of the episode was seeing SHIELD and the ATCU team up.  It was unlikely team-up which clearly each side had reservations/issues with (mainly when it came to Daisy, Mack and Rosalind), I love how Coulson wanted to collaborate with the ATCU just so they’d have more resources but when it came to handling certain situations Rosalind had different ideas or questioned Coulson’s decisions. There was a lot of pulling and tugging and unwanted compromise from Coulson and Rosalind, each had to make choices that would not only benefit them in the long run but also keep the other person happy. It showed off some interesting decision-making between the two of them and once again allowed Coulson and Rosalind to have some fun banter (and possibly subtle sexual tension?). Other great part was seeing Ward back again, Brett Dalton was great as he brough wit, charm, humour and that small level of crazy to his interactions with people (this time with Hunter and May), I love how as soon as Hunter showed up, Ward was worried, there was a shoot out and thanks to May, Ward lost a lot of his forces up until Ward pulled out a secret ace; he had his Hydra goons waiting for Andrew in a shop. And even though Ward escaped, he got a bullet to the back, but also had Werner von Strucker and the other Hydra guys seemingly kill and blow up Andrew. While we didn’t see Andrew get killed on-screen, that looked pretty permanent and if that’s the end of  Andrew then frigging hell that’s pretty hardcore, and I can see that May will hate Ward forever if he’s taken out her ex hubby.

Seems like there was domestics going on in this episode between certain people. Firstly there’s May and Andrew, there seemed to be more to their getaway as Andrew wanted to apologize to May but she wasn’t having it. Clearly life outside of SHIELD for the both of them wasn’t what they imagined and either May or Andrew just had different ideas of what their relationship would be like. I’m curious to know more, though considering what happened to Andrew I’m not sure if we’ll see that conversation continue (more on that later). Then there’s May and Hunter, she was trying to get him be organized and plan ahead when it came to Hydra but Hunter’s obsession with Ward just made him want to throw caution to the wind and jump into the belly of the beast, and later on with Ward having Andrew under surveillance, that put May in a tough situation and with Hunter just going after the enemy regardless, you could tell that May was not happy about his decision at all. And then there’s Fitz and Simmons, Simmons is researching a means to rebuild the portal to go back to the planet behind Fitz’s back and her reaction when she saw him with her stuff was totally crazy. Luckily Fitz found out about her plans, confronted her and basically told him that she was gonna give him answers which is what I hope we’ll get next episode or so.

When comes to Lash I liked him, he was not only cool with the use of his powers, but we learnt he’s on a mission and he was smart with his use of Dwight Frye’s ability to sense other Inhumans and take them out. Also in Daisy’s blurred vision she saw his shadow do a Hyde to Jekyll type of transformation into a normal human, which suggests that Daisy’s assumption about him being able to transform would make him pretty illusive, and gives him a tactical advantage over SHIELD and the ATCU. I’m kind of in two minds about that reveal as on hand it makes him very illusive but at the same time if he is just a man who can transform at will then it takes away from his current intimidating look. And speaking of Lash and the Inhumans, I was surprised to see Alisha back from season two and some other Inhumans who had gotten their powers pre-fish oil exposure and then have them unfortunately taken out by Lash. Poor Alisha looked messed up after that event and Andrew wasn’t happy about it, so much so that he had a go at Coulson for bringing her in on a mission without his consent. Seems like he doesn’t agree with Coulson’s secretive methods and wants to be brought in all the potential patients for their well-being and not just to be evaluated for Daisy’s new superpowered team.

What I Disliked

I guess I wasn’t too interested in Hunter’s revenge story and how planned to get into Hydra, it wasn’t until the latter part of the episode when he came into contact with Ward was when I was engaged.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Devils You Know” is another good episode. We got to see more of Lash, more Daisy and Mack teaming up, some drama between certain couples, death and some cooperation issues between SHIELD and the ATCU. I like how there are small yet significant surprises that this show keeps bringing in each episode as it gets me more curious and excited to see what happens later.

Rating: 8/10

So what did you think of “Devils You Know“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: The Last Witch Hunter

Howdy ladies and gents time for a new film review and today I’ll be talking about The Last Witch Hunter. While the trailers haven’t blown me away, I’ve been looking forward to this film just to see what’s up and whether it would be worth my time. So is it good or not? Well read on and find out!

The story for the film can be described as the following:

“An immortal witch-hunter is tasked with the job of coming between the covens of New York City and their goal to destroy humanity by way of a horrific plague. In order to accomplish this, he must partner up with a beautiful female witch, something he thought he would never do.”

Back in my review for the first trailer I said the following statement:

“My fear for this film is that it is just going to be another generic action film with a lazy/boring story that only serves to justify the action like the recent Clash of the Titans.”

So it was interesting to see how this statement ended up being half right. The main strength in this story lies in its history and mythology, there is a lot of interesting things to learn about the witcher-hunters, how magic works, how witches exist coexist with humans and rules that have been kept in place to stop evil from happening. It is quite intriguing and engaging. The journey of the main character Kaulder and his unlikely partner Chloe is a familiar one, but there are enough unique elements to keep their adventure from feeling too generic… That being said there are certain clichés and standard plot points you can see coming, and for all of the interesting history and knowledge of this world I feel like it could have been so much more. If this had been in the hands of a more established or confident director and had a more polished script with better dialogue, this film would have been more enjoyable.

The cast do what they can with the material given to them, but it is Vin Diesel who steals the show as Kaulder. Diesel is very similar to his persona in other films, except here he’s a little more talkative, aggressive and emotional (yeah you read that last part right). As usual Diesel is very charismatic, has a magnetic screen presence and is pretty cool to watch when he’s being a badass, I think I liked this film a little more because it gave Diesel a chance to be someone other than Dominic Toretto and while his dramatic scenes won’t sway harsh critics, I just liked seeing some varied emotions from him. Rose Leslie as Chloe was decent, her character fluctuated between being nice and interesting, to being annoying and troublesome. Leslie was awesome in Game of Thrones, but here she’s not nearly as cool, fierce or enticing as she was on TV. Elijah Wood was alright as the 37th Dolan, but he was severely underutilized and even though his character gets a bit more interesting towards the end of the film, it’s not enough to save his character. Michael Caine as Father Dolan was fine, Caine’s role in this was as interchangeable as he is any other film in the action, sci-fi or fantasy genre where he’s a main or secondary character. Julie Engelbrecht was suitably strange and over-the-top as Witch Queen (it’s just a shame that Engelbrecht’s face was covered under all that make-up because she’s quite pretty underneath it all). Oh and it was fun to see Bex Taylor-Klaus from Arrow as Bronwyn as well, everyone else was okay to forgettable to be honest.

As for the presentation it was nice. Visually the film has some good CGI, art design, interesting monsters and pretty sweet flame sword, I also liked some of the fight sequences (even though the camera was a little too close in certain shots) and the soundtrack by Steve Jablonsky was fine, but didn’t have that trademark energy I know he can bring to films especially ones in the action genre.

In conclusion The Last Witch Hunter was a decent if somewhat flawed film. There’s a lot of interesting ideas with the mythology, Vin Diesel is good in the central role and some of the action scenes were pretty cool. Unfortunately the film’s a little by-the-numbers when it comes to action, story and characters, it is still fun but I’m sure it won’t be looked upon kindly by anyone outside Diesel’s fan base.

Rating: 5.5/10

So have you seen the The Last Witch Hunter and if so what do you think of it? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to leave them in the comment section below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer #3

Yo people of the internet, time for the trailer review I’ve been waiting an eternity to watch; the official trailer for Star Wars The Force Awakens. I waited all of yesterday for this trailer but didn’t know when it was specifically coming out, so when it did get released it was like 3am over here in the UK, but it was worth the wait because I loved the trailer and I’m gonna attempt to tell you why in this review.

Check out the trailer below:

I think this may be the best trailer I’ve seen to any film this year. I know that’s an incredibly biased statement but screw it, it’s frigging Star Wars and because of this final trailer I have no doubt in my mind that this film will be awesome. I liked the first teaser, really digged the second, but this trailer just blows the previous two out of the water.

I am honestly a little lost for words, this trailer blew me away. I had hopes and they were met and exceeded. Would I like to have seen more like possibly some footage of my man Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker? Of course I would! And am I still curious to know where Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and Lupita Nyong’o are also? Totally! But the brilliance of this trailer is in the fact that it gives you so much and yet holds back the finer details. You still don’t know what the story is and there’s still a lot of room for speculation.

There is so much awesomeness in this trailer that’s it’s hard to find a place to start. I’ve seen the trailer around 3 times and yet I feel like even after that talking about this trailer won’t be enough because there is so much to cover. Firstly I will say that the presentation is simply amazing. The dog fights have this new level of energy and intensity not yet seen in the series, X-Wings and Tie Fighters fly, shoot, crash and explode with clarity, beauty and speed, and the classic Millennium Falcon is the thick of it getting chased too. And seeing these different locations like space or that snowy planet or the jungle/water-based planet as the arenas for these crazy battles looks so good. Those visual effects people are really taking Star Wars into the modern era with the cinematography used for these battle sequences.

There are loads of little things to mention like:

• Rey is special: This lady feels very similar to Luke Skywalker because of where she begins; she’s in a desert, looking out to the stars and because of a specific event it will trigger her adventure. She seems tenacious, strong and it looks she’ll be the central focus of this film.
• Finn, where does his alliance lie?: Finn looks like he grew up believing what he was doing, but has defected and starts a new path in this film. I also love how he goes from being a Stormtrooper to joining Rey to then attempting to fight Klyo in the forest (that scene alone look frigging epic), he’s gonna have one hell of a story arc.
• Klyo Ren, the dedicated badass: Klyo is definitely a Darth Vader fanatic, he’s on a mission to complete something that Vader didn’t finish (at least that’s what his dialogue suggests), he’s got a badass posse with his Knights of Ren with him in the rain, he’s someone you don’t want to encounter as demonstrated with his force abilities being used on Poe in a torture scene.
• Poe Dameron, more that meets the eye: Besides being a good pilot, he looks like he’ll be pretty important as he has some interaction with Klyo Ren (as mentioned above) but also with Finn which makes me wonder if there’s some history between them whether it is prior to this film or during with Finn converting from the Order to join Poe (that shoulder tap and Finn’s reaction suggests that there may be some allegiance there).
• Han Solo is a believer: Out of the original trio, Han shows up the most and seems like he’ll be the guide for Rey and Finn into this world we’ve known for a while now. When Rey asked him about the events of the past and he says that “It’s true, all of it.” It feels like he’ll be giving them the history on what took place in the Original Trilogy. Also when he says “The dark side, the Jedi, they’re real.” That’s a big statement as he was a non-believer many moons back but has definitely changed his opinion on those things. Also I liked seeing him and Chewbacca lowering their hands from their heads, but what was even more interesting was seeing him and Leia hug, I wonder if they’re still together or that the events of this film bring them back into each others lives?
  
• The Millennium Falcon’s warp speed: I know it’s a minor detail, but in the original films we never saw the Falcon while it was in warp. It would always boot up and then blast away into the distance, but here we see the full extent of the speed much like the starship Enterprise in Star Trek (2009).

Oh and that music, bloody hell, hearing those classic themes reworked into this trailer (“Han Solo and the Princess”) being all loud and dramatic over this footage was beautiful. It gave me goosebumps and felt suitably nostalgic. I loved it and I wonder if that’s just cut for the trailer or if it’ll be part of John Williams’ new soundtrack for The Force Awakens? I really hope the new film can sound similar to this because I’ll lose my mind.

I have to hand it to J.J. Abrams for his ability to keep this film secret for so long and continuing his trend of not revealing key details for his films in the marketing process especially when it comes to this trailer. And speaking of Abrams this film definitely has his style over it in terms of the camera work and swifter pace, and it looks like he’s gonna breathe new life into this franchise the same way he did with 2009’s Star Trek (and I loved that film so I can only imagine how good TFA will be).

In conclusion Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I’m beyond excited for this film, I know I’ve probably missed out tons of details but I’m only offering quick thoughts. This is all I’ve wanted out of the films of 2015 and if it is nearly as good as this trailer suggests then it will be the best December film experience I’ve had in a long time. I just want this film now, give it to me! MY BODY IS READY!

So have you seen the trailer for The Force Awakens and if so are you hyped or underwhelmed? Please be sure to comment below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

What I’m Currently Watching #9 – Regular Show Season 7 So Far

Howdy ladies and gents, and welcome to post #9 on What I’m Currently Watching where I give you a tiny update on what TV-based stuff I’m watching and give mini reviews/impressions on them. Earlier on today I was having a mini binge session of Regular Show since I hadn’t really watched much of season 7, so with that in mind. With that out of the way let’s crack on, oh and careful for minor spoilers as we continue…

Regular Show has survived into its 7th season and that was no fluke, thanks to great humour, madness, and stories with characters that have relatable issues and great pop culture references it has continued into 2015. Like many other TV shows that have lasted beyond 4 or 5 seasons, RS has been quite reflective with its episode content when it comes to its stories and established characters, and while there are new scenarios presented, it retains the same quality and consistency that you’ve come to love (similar to what I experienced with Parks and Recreation and Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s final seasons). At this point all of these characters really are family and have been through a lot together, so when they’re bonding, having a good time or going through a struggle it is quite effective. But beyond the character development, the show still retains a lot of its random nature that made the show so much fun to watch and while not all of the episodes are laugh-out-loud material, it definitely has its moments of hilarity in specific episodes that’s so stupid, ridiculous and amazing because of the creativity and humour. This cartoon has been going on for a while and yet it continues to transform and be relevant with its continuity, character development and references to modern culture were good as always.

My favourite episodes so far would be “Dumptown USA“, “The Parkie Awards“, “The Lunch Club“, “Local News Legends” and “The Dome Experiment“. These episodes have been great because of the humour, chaos and touching moments between the characters. Having the focus not so much Mordecai and Rigby and giving screen time to Margret, Mr. Maellard, Muscle Man and High Five Ghost or pairing Benson with Rigby was interesting as it created different dynamics and cool new situations in certain episodes. Oh and while I didn’t like “Cat Videos” as much as the other episodes, the concept was fun and seeing Benson, Mordecai and Rigby as cats was worth the watch, it was so bizarre and delightful. In additional to that I adored the references to The Breakfast Club, Terminator 2 and Rambo, they were handled pretty well and used effectively.

In conclusion if you couldn’t tell already I’m really into season 7 of Regular Show, its good stuff and if you’re a long-term fan I would definitely recommend it. So have you seen Regular Show yet and if so what do you think? Also if you haven’t gotten on this hype train yet then why not? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to comment below and I’ll se ya on the next TV review, laters! 😀

 

LATE QUICK REVIEW: Macbeth

Howdy people of the internet, I come to you with a film review and today I’ll be talking about Macbeth. This was a film I wanted to see purely based on the epic trailer I saw online which was so visually striking and dramatic, and even though I saw the film this before Crimson Peak Wednesday I kind of had to delay the review til now because it was hard to sum up my thoughts on the film. So was the film good or not? Well read on and find out!

So the story can be summed up as the following:

“Macbeth, a Thane of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.”

Macbeth was my favourite Shakespeare story in school because of its otherworldly nature, aggressive tone and death, however most of the story I’ve unfortunately forgotten over the last 12 years since I last read it. Parts of the story I recalled during the film, however most of it was lost to my memories.

The story was pretty interesting with the deception, death, madness and strange/supernatural-feeling elements. The tone was suitably dark, disturbing and unnerving, from the beginning the film was engaging and even though the pacing was on the slow side, once certain aspects came into play things started to get more intriguing. However, for me I don’t feel like I enjoyed the film as much as I could have because of the dialogue. Unless you’re a fan and are very familiar with the Shakespeare dialogue then you’ll be a little lost. I know I was. I got the gist just of what was going on but I would have been more invested in this film if standard english dialogue.

The cast all did a great job, however for me it was all about Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. With Fassbender as Macbeth he was great, this was a man who was strong, ambitious, but also corrupt and deluded too. Fassbender brought a great deal of passion, drama and power to the role and this may be his best dramatic performance to date. Cotillard was just as Lady Macbeth, she was strong, confident and cunning, I thought Cotillard did a great job not only with her accent but also with her physical performance and interaction with Fassbender. I also liked Sean Harris as Macduff, Paddy Considine as Banquo, Jack Reynor as Malcolm, Elizabeth Debicki as Lady Macduff and David Thewlis as King Duncan.

 

As for the presentation it was really good. Visually the film was beyond incredible, I mean wow. I love the way this film looked. The environments were shot well when it came to the interior and exterior locations, and a good deal of landscape looked great. But it was the battle sequences which really caught my eye. They were handled with such care, intensity and intimacy. The use of slow motion, close up shots, lighting and dramatic colours like red and orange really add to drama and chaos. I cannot stress enough how great these sequences came across and my words really can’t do them justice. Also Jed Kurzel’s film score is suitably atmospheric, dramatic and desolate and matches the action on-screen.

In conclusion Macbeth was a very dramatic and interesting film with great performances and incredibly beautiful visuals. Unfortunately because of the pacing and Shakespearean language barrier I couldn’t enjoy it as much I would have liked. I’ll probably be labeled as being ignorant for my thoughts and will be in the minority, but hey that’s why we all have different opinions right?

Rating: 7/10

So have you seen Macbeth and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters!

 

What I’m Currently Watching #8.5

Howdy ladies and gents, and welcome to post #8.5 on What I’m Currently Watching where I give you a tiny update on what TV-based stuff I’m watching and give mini reviews/impressions on them. I’ve already done the 8th edition for this week, but since there were a good few more shows to talk about I thought I’d split this week’s reviews in half to save on amount of long text I’d end up writing in one post. With that out of the way let’s crack on, oh and careful for minor spoilers as we continue…

South Park (Season 19) “You’re Not Yelping”

This week’s South Park episode was good, but not as funny last week. I thought the food critic angle was interesting and having characters like Kyle’s dad or that police officer believing that their reviews mattered the most was great, but my favourite parts were when Cartman made the speech to all the Yelpers outside his house and then they went on a rampage and destroyed Whistlin’ Willy’s and “beheaded” Willy which was frigging hilarious. What wasn’t as funny was Cartman and his need to feel important and taking jabs at David, it wasn’t all that funny and was quite annoying. Listen, I love Cartman, he’s the best douchebag on TV but even I grow tired of his antics at times and this episode highlighted that for sure. That song at the end was amazing, but just seeing people eat the food after what the chef and waiters had done to their food, fucking hell that was so cringey. Sure they deserved it and if was bloody impressive how Kyle, David, the government and restaurant people came up with this solution to the food critic situation.

Moonbeam City “Quest for Aquatica”

Moonbeam City continues to be funny and random as hell especially with this week’s episode which had that crazy introduction on shooting and stabbing and then cutting to Dazzle’s birthday party, but things got weirder when Dazzle decided to hang around with a dolphin which he got enamored with for the majority of the episode. Patrick Warburton’s guest appearance was great as Chrysalis’ father and seeing Rad suffer near the end of the episode stuck in Russia in that whale machine was nice. My issue now with this show is that I’m getting less and less interested in it as the jokes are decent at best and there’s nothing truly amazing about the show that makes me want to see immediately or recommend it to friends, I’m still just watching for the visual style and Rob Lowe.

Black Jesus (Season 1, Episodes 1-4)

This was a show that was in IGN’s fall season of stuff to watch, but I didn’t know that it was for season 2, so I’ve recently watched the first few episodes and I’m liking it so far. It is an interesting take on Jesus, religion and black humour. The show is incredibly silly and random, but that’s what makes it so good. Gerald “Slink” Johnson as Jesus is what makes the show work, at first you question whether this guy is the real deal as he’s so relaxed and has many bad habits, when he shows off his abilities and recalls stuff from the bible you see that he’s the real deal. Also Charlie Murphy and John Witherspoon are amazing in the show as well, I’ve seen them in quite a fw other films and TV shows and whenever you have them around you are normally in for some funny stuff and that is definitely the case here. One thin that surprised me about this show is that even though it’s a comedy there is an ongoing story, and while that’s nothing new for shows in this genre, I did assume everything would be episodic, so I’m curious to see where these characters and stories go in the future.

Arrow (Season 4) “The Candidate”

Last week Arrow returned and while I didn’t enjoy the entire episode, it was a step in the right direction. And this week’s episode was another good episode, but I think I liked it better mainly because there wasn’t any Olicity lovey dovey stuff haha. It was interesting to see Lonnie Machin, his abilities and his ties to Damien Darhk and make sure that Jessica Danforth’s bid for mayor was disrupted. Also appreciated Felicity feeling more like her old self with her witty humour, cute and smart demeanour, whether she’s asking for a codename or dealing with issues at Palmertech. The flashbacks are starting to go somewhere a little, but again its still not very meaningful at the moment. I liked how the show finally addressed Thea’s aggression and crazy need to almost kill people, sure we’ve heard talk about the Lazarus Pit and it’s effects on people, but with Thea it seems to become an issue very sporadically. But now it’s happening more often to the point where she set a dude on fire! Even though I’ve not been to fussed about Thea’s dangerous tendencies and Oliver’s continuous lectures about her almost killing people, seeing her beat up Lonnie and set him ablaze was brutal and badass. I am curious to see what we will discover when Laurel and Thea go back to Nanda Parbat, but I think I’m more interested in seeing Sara’s nasty decomposing body being brought back (which is probably how she comes back in Legends of Tomorrow right?).

Well that’s what I’ve been watching. So have you seen or plan to watch any of these shows? If you have any thoughts be sure to drop a comment below and let me know what TV shows you’re currently watching  too. Until next time people, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Crimson Peak

Howdy ladies and gents, its review time once again, and today I’m gonna be talking about Crimson Peak, the latest film from Guillermo del Toro. Now I’ve been looking forward to this film since before there was any images or footage released, and even after the trailers came out I never watched them, I was going into this film pretty fresh which is almost impossible to do these days. So was the film good or not? Well read on and find out!

So the story can be summed up as the following:

“In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers.”

Well the story certainly didn’t unfold the way I expected it to, even though this was a horror film there was also a romantic element to the film as well. This was a tale of love, family, deception, death, and the past coming back to haunt you. What I appreciated about this film was its tone and style. Too often these days horror films are filled with jump scares, excessive violence and gore and paranormal stuff. This film is consistent in its need to creep you out through its imagery but also through atmosphere, suspense and the actions of the characters. I will admit that there were certain plot points I guessed were coming and I was curious to know where the story was going around halfway through but by the third act things to became clearer. I think one of the key reasons I liked this film a lot is because unlike del Toro’s mainstream films like Pacific Rim and Hellboy and was closer in tone to Pan’s Labyrinth (one of my all-time favourite films) with the horror and disturbing nature of the plot.

Tom Hiddleston was as great as Sir Thomas Sharpe, obviously we all associate Hiddleston with his great performances as Loki from the Marvel films, but I know he’s great beyond those films as well and since not many people saw Only Lovers Left Alive, this film was the perfect place to illustrate how much he can bring to a film outside of the superhero genre. Hiddleston’s character was confident and charming, but also troubled and scared when it comes to certain aspects of his past and I loved his performance. But Jessica Chastain as Lady Lucille Sharpe, Sir Thomas’s sister. This character is like a hawk, always watching, she doesn’t say much but she say more with her eyes and body language, and when she does speak at first she’s nice yet withdrawn. It is only later when we start to see more of her personality and plans come into he light and then she becomes a much more aggressive and complicated character for sure. Chastain’s performance was reserved and full of intensity and drama, loved it. And then there’s Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, and I didn’t save her for last out of the main trio because she’s terrible, but I don’t feel like ger performance was nearly as strong as the people I mentioned before. That being said this is my favourite performance from Wasikowska so far, her character was a lovely and bright individual who just happens to have her life changed forever in an unexpected way and she was someone you could connect and sympathize with as well. Also Charlie Hunnam was really good as Dr. Alan McMichael and Jim Beaver did well as Carter Cushing too.

The presentation was lovely. Visually the film was incredible and had that del Toro touch when it came to way the environment and ghosts looked and came across. I loved the use of colour and lighting, oh and the costume design is awesome in terms of the design and colour. As for the mansion at  Allerdale Hall, I loved the way it looked, there was beauty to the decrepit house. Whether it be the design of staircase, the look of the attic, the fireplace, the open hole in the ceiling or the fact that the house oozes red clay that looks like tick blood, the mansion is just a sight to be hold and is very much a character of its own too. The apparitions were handled well too with them looking quite unique and disturbing, and when they’re in the background they slip around so swiftly with one even reminding me of moment from Signs (if you know the key scene I’m referencing). I also liked the use of violence with these being some pretty brutal attacks and deaths on display, the make-up and practical effects team should be commended for their work as its realistic and raw.

In conclusion Crimson Peak was a pretty damn good film and was a deeper and more personal tale than I thought it’d be. With gorgeous presentation, stellar performances from Chastain and Hiddleston, and a story that is both heartfelt and creepy, it succeeds in being another great film in del Toro’s filmography and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 8/10

So have you seen Crimson Peak and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters!