Review: Pitch Perfect/Life of Pi/Jack Reacher

PITCH PERFECT LIFE OF PI JACK REACHER

Doctor Who Review: The Snowmen

 Tis the season to be jolly, mainly because it's the time for the annual Doctor Who Christmas special. I say that, but half of them suck, and none more than last year's boring Narnian tale. Because of that I wasn't hugely excited for this year's, but after seeing it, I loved it. Now I'm not going to try and defend it's many faults,  I'm aware that it has them, but whatever the problems were, this was still a very enjoyable Christmas romp.

First of all I'd better deal with the three main things people'll be talking about in this episode. New Titles, New Tardis and New Companion.

New Titles: Love them. They're a bit mental, but the Doctor's face is back for the first time in 20 years and they sound a bit more classic. Good way to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

New Tardis: I saw the promo pic and hated it, but the way it was shot here was a lot better than a crap on-set shot, and I love it. Again, old-school, 50th anniversary... blah blah blah. It's gorgeous and that's it.

New Companion: I thought she might have just be cast for her looks like Karen Gillan seemed to have been originally, but no, Clara Oswin Oswald was very fun to watch. She's clever, strong and cheeky, which could be used to describe Amy as well, but Jenna Louise Coleman comes across with a much more likable character. It's just really enjoyable to see her and the Doc together.


Now that's over with, what problems were there? Well, Clara didn't get enough time onscreen, maybe it's because she's getting another introduction next episode, but this episode was very Doctor-centric. That's not a bad thing, but when seeing a new companion it's nice to get a little bit more of them. Why she kissed the Doctor, I will never know, it was another end-of-Flesh-and-Stone moment, where the Doctor and companion kiss for no reason except to spark debate. Richard E. Grant was great, but he didn't get a lot of time onscreen either and the scene where the Intelligence took him over was a bit cheesy. The Ice Governess was a cool design, but the effects never really worked and she wasn't as scary as she could have been. In general the main storyline of the Intelligence could have been a bit stronger, but for a Christmas episode it was pretty good, so I'll give it a pass.

But what made it so good for me? Well Grant and McKellan's villains might not have been on screen as much as I wanted, but they're both brilliant actors and their performances were great. The shout-outs to the Troughton era pleased the geek in me. Matt Smith was on top form and made a sulking Doctor interesting rather than boring. It was nice to see a darker Christmas special than the rather too whimsical tales we get normally. And of course, it was hilarious, mainly due to the return of Vastra, Jenny and Strax, three characters I didn't really care about the first time they appeared, but here are used fantastically. This year's special was fun, funny and a bit creepy, but still kept a magical Christmas air about it, being a lot of fun while introducing a whole lot of new things, people and ideas. It wasn't perfect, but for all the work it had to do in one hour I thought it managed very well.

4/5


(Oh and the trailer for next year looks smashing)

Review: The Hobbit

THE HOBBIT

Review: Rust and Bone/Great Expectations/Seven Psychopaths

RUST AND BONE
 
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
   
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
 

Review: Gambit/Silver Linings Playbook/Alex Cross/Trouble with the Curve/Rise of the Guardians

GAMBIT
   
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
   
ALEX CROSS
   
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE
   
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
 

Review: Nativity 2/End of Watch

NATIVITY 2: DANGER IN THE MANGER END OF WATCH

Doctor Who Review: The Caves of Androzani

So, the actor playing the Doctor wants to leave and you want to give him one hell of a send-off. Do you bring enemies back, make a massively overblown story that doesn’t make sense, and then make the Doctor all sad about dying leaving it on an emotionally manipulative depressing ending? Well you do if you’re Russell T. Davies. You don’t however, if you’re Robert Holmes. This time’s classic Who is the final appearance of Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison. You might remember him as the old Doctor who appeared in a cross-over with David Tennant a few years ago. But back in the 1980s, he wasn’t old, he was the youngest actor to have played the Doctor, and in contrast to his predecessor Tom Baker, who was mad and loud and overconfident, he played a more flawed and human Doctor, almost naïve in his search for the good in people. However, while he was the kindest and nicest Doctor, disaster always seemed to strike him and death followed him wherever he went. So, how do you send him off? Well, by placing him in the darkest, grimmest warzone, and pit him in a battle to save him friend because he can’t take losing anyone else. It’s dark, desperate, exciting and harrowing and it’s absolutely brilliant.

This is widely regarded as one of the best stories in Doctor Who history. Why is it so good? Well, it has one of the best writers of the show, Robert Holmes. He had written some of the best stories before this and created both the Autons and the Sontarans, both of which are still in the show today. It has one of the best directors of the show, Graeme Harper, who only directed two stories of the classic series, but returned to direct some of the new series and has been greatly praised for his work.  Together they create such a grim world, with dark environments, brilliant sets, gritty location shooting, and script that holds together fantastically even today. There’s political back-stabbing, gun-running, drug dealing, military executions, androids, spying, mud volcanoes and some brilliant characters. The slimy Morgus, the ‘do-anything-for-money’ Stotz, the two sided performance from future Hustle star Robert Glenister, the three-dimensional military commander and of course, the fantastic Sharaz Jek. Sharaz Jek is one the best villains in Doctor Who. He’s completely mad and deformed, but instead of this making him a joke, it makes him all the more terrifying. He also is a well rounded character, as he has a tender side as well, but it just makes him even creepier. He is a brilliant character and all the actors do a fantastic job here. None however, do a better job, than Peter Davison. His performance as the Doctor shows what made him so good, as well as taking him to new and interesting places that the character had never reached before, making you miss him all the more.

This story has it all. It’s got a striking look, it’s fast-paced, it’s well written, it’s grim and it’s harrowing and Peter Davison shines in his final appearance. If it was made now, it would be the best series finale ever, unfortunately back then the show still one more story, which was regrettable. This however, is truly the finest send-off a Doctor has ever received. Absolutely fantastic, one of the best stories ever made.

5/5


Also this is only Doctor Who where someone is called a slut. Just saying.

Review: Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

Review: Here Comes The Boom/Argo (Also Bollywood)

HERE COMES THE BOOM
   
ARGO
 





As I mentioned, I did also go and see Jab Tak Hai Jaan, a Bollywood movie released as part of Cineworld’s annual Bollywood month of November. I really enjoyed this film, but I’m not going to review this or any of their other Bollywood movies for two reasons. The first is simply that these films are being released as well as the usual Cineworld movies, which would practically double the amount of films I would have to go and see and I simply don’t have time to do this. The second and the more pertinent reason though is that I found some aspects of these films odd, or badly done, when it is obviously just the style that they are made in, which I just don’t know enough about. While I would love to describe what I thought of these films, I don’t think I’d be able to do them justice in a review without first knowing the conventions of Bollywood cinema. As I don’t know these things, doing a review wouldn’t be a good idea as I’d probably get it all wrong and say things were bad when they were deliberate, etc. I just don’t know enough about Bollywood to comment on its films properly. I would however recommend Jab Tak Hai Jaan, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s long, but it has an intriguing plot, good music, interesting characters and the action moves along at a good pace. I would definitely recommend it.

Review: Fun Size/Silent Hill: Revelation

FUN SIZE

  SILENT HILL: REVELATION

Skyfall Review

Review: Frankenweenie/Paranormal Activity 4

FRANKENWEENIE PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

Review: Madagascar 3/Hotel Transylvania/Ruby Sparks

MADAGASCAR 3 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA RUBY SPARKS

Doctor Who Review: Amy's Choice

I didn’t like this story that much the first time I saw it. And now, I really know how I couldn’t. I can find very little to criticise after my last viewing. Two worlds, one is a dream; one is real… but which one? It’s a brilliant and fascinating idea. And it’s done really well.

Does it look good? Yes, each world has a very unique style, and I especially liked the look of the frozen Tardis, very nice. Well acted? Yes, this is rather unique in that it only really features the main leads and one other person in main roles. And they all do great jobs. Matt Smith is his usual best, Arthur Darvill is as entertaining as usual and we’re starting to see the great Rory of Season 6 appearing and Karen Gillan gives a good performance, which for her in series 5 is quite impressive. And the other main character is the Dream Lord, the controller of the dreams, as played by Toby Jones, who seems to have had a minor role in just about everything, and he’s brilliantly sinister here. I very much like the Dream Lord, although the reveal of who he was a bit ‘meh’, rather than the big shock the writer obviously thought it was. Is it fun? Yep. Lots of jokes, lots of laughs, but also a lot of heartfelt moments that you really feel for the characters. Also, evil aliens disguised as old people? Can it get any madder?

Overall, this is a very clever and entertaining piece. The two worlds are very distinctive, each with their own style and different entertainment values. The Tardis is where most of the more serious stuff happens, but Leadworth is where all the fun happens. I mean, who doesn’t want to see Rory hit an old woman with a plank of wood? This story resolves the ongoing love triangle of the Tardis crew, and while certain specific lines might seem a bit heavy handed, it generally does it in a subtle and entertaining manner. It also introduces my favourite part of any Rory story, the bit where he dies. Always fun.

I normally go on for a lot longer, but I genuinely have nothing else to say about this episode. It’s a little gem of a story and it’s fabulously entertaining, with some great emotional moments as well. It’s very unique as well, because there’s never really been a story like this on the show before and I doubt there will be again. A must watch.

5/5

Review: Taken 2/The Perks of Being a Wallflower/Sinister

TAKEN 2 THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER SINISTER

Review: Shadow Dancer/Looper/The Imposter

SHADOW DANCER LOOPER THE IMPOSTER

Doctor Who Review: The Angels Take Manhattan

So this is it. After two and a half years on the job, it's finally time for companions Amy and Rory to leave the Tardis. This is a big moment. They're the longest running companions of NuWho, it's the first farewell written by Steven Moffat and it's the first change of the cast since the Eleventh Doctor era began. But the question isn't 'is this an important moment?' but rather 'is it any good?'. And I'm pleased to say, yes it is.

First before this review gets overshadowed by talking about the departure, let's look at the episode's plot itself. And surprisingly, it's actually pretty good. Most of the recent 'leaving' episodes have been emotion heavy, plot-thin, but this one seems to walk the line quite well. The 1930s detective setting is stylish and effective, giving this episode a lovely period feel to it. And, of course it looks fantastic. That's something I've said every week, like "it's a bit rushed", which for once, I won't say. It was fast-paced, but not to excess. It pacing worked well with the race against time story it was telling. Of course this meant that the supporting characters weren't very well fleshed out, but they were enough for this story's need, seeing as it isn't really about any of them. Fast paced stories also aren't the best for the Weeping Angels, but while this lowered their scare factor, their plans were creepy and at points it seemed like they were specifically created just for the Ponds' exit. But, the less said about the Statue of Liberty and how the Angels built a big hotel, the better.

So yes, not a perfect episode, a few plot holes and the Angels weren't on their top form, but with a face moving story, great performances and a very tight and witty script, it would definitely be a 4/5 effort. But what really pushed it to the big 5 for me was the ending. Obviously, if you hate Amy and Rory, you won't like it. But that's not really the way you approach a review. Also, I love them. So this really is a heartbreak. From Rory's sacrifice and last minute i-always-die jokes to River's stoicism to the Doctor's face to Amy's note. If you loved it, you know. If you didn't, there's no way to explain it that will move you as much as it did the ones who loved it. So yes, I would boldly claim this is the best leaving story of NuWho, which I expect is a statement I shall receive harsh criticism for, but I stand by. Very good, slightly flawed story, but with an ending to end all endings, the show's definitely in tip-top form.

5/5

Review: Resident Evil:Retribution/The Campaign

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION THE CAMPAIGN

Review: Katy Perry: Part of Me/Savages/House at the End of the Street/Killing Them Softly

KATY PERRY: PART OF ME SAVAGES HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET KILLING THEM SOFTLY

Doctor Who Review: The Power of Three

When I heard that Chris Chibnall was writing two episodes this series; I was a little worried. His writing efforts before this had resulted in the first two rather mediocre seasons of Torchwood and two not-so-good stories in Doctor Who. And while Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was a lot of fun, it was still a bit of a mixed bag in terms of quality. This week however, the man really delivered. The Power of Three harked back to the Russell T Davies era in the sense of location and scale, but for the most part kept the feel of the newest series. It also managed to be its own story when it shared a central idea with The Lodger from two years back, of the Doctor coming to stay.

There are two main reasons this story works so well and they are very connected. The idea of the apparently harmless cubes and their forcing the Doctor to stay is inspired. They provided a nice slow mystery that we haven’t seen in a while and kept the plot very subdued. This allowed the other reason this story works to shine, the relationships between the Doctor and his companions. Without going into too much detail this is the best episode for Amy and Rory so far this season and their dilemma is one that’s never really come up in the show before and was therefore really interesting. The scene with Amy and the Doctor sitting on the side of the river is one of the best scenes of Matt and Karen’s time on Doctor Who, full stop. For the characters, this episode is brilliant. For the plot, the cubes are very interesting and a good mystery, but it all falls apart at the end. As I’ve said most weeks, the show should be longer, maybe an hour each episode instead of 45 minutes, because the ending of this week was far too rushed. The villains were poorly defined and their plan was poorly reasoned and the Doctor’s fixing of the plan took so little time, it really deflated the tension. A classic case of great build-up and a rushed ending.

I would say the episode is a just a bit over mediocre in plot, but the characters really push it into being good. And the little extra details make it very good. Kate Stewart, while not given a time to shine, seems like a character with great potential, and also appeared in spin-off books before the series, so is a nice nod to those who like the extra worlds of that. The other nods to the Zygons and a possible reference to the K-9 spin-off show really make this a nice treat for fans. And to top it all off, although I’d sick of saying this by now, it looked fantastic. While this week didn’t have the scale of a blockbuster movie, it really had the look of one. So, although the ending is a bit of a let-down, the rest of this episode is top notch stuff and a really enjoyable watch.

4/5

Doctor Who Review: A Town Called Mercy

I watched this episode and at first I was a bit confused as to what I thought of it. I enjoyed it but there was something that was nagging at me. And now I think I know what it was. This episode should have been longer. Normally the new 45 minute length of episodes is fine for the stories they’re trying to tell, even when they’re almost too fast paced like last week but this week we really could’ve done with a bit more time.

The western setting is inspired, not because it’s particularly original, but just because it allows the production team to make a truly beautiful episode. This series has been billed as movie quality, and while the other weeks have been good, this is one that really shines. It also allowed us to meet what could have been some really interesting characters. I really think that if this had been a two parter, while the plot might have been a bit slower, we would have got to know the preacher, the barmaid, the guy who almost shots the Doctor and especially Isaac a lot better. It’s not that I didn’t like any of these characters the way they were, but more that I barely even knew them. Isaac’s death in particular lacked the amount of feeling that it should have had. With more time we could also have seen quite an interesting twist on Amy and Rory with them disagreeing on the Doctor’s actions. Oh well, if the main problem that an episode has is that I didn’t think there was enough of it, it must be doing something right.

Matt Smith is on top form here, as we finally get a pay-off to the darker Doctor plotline, and you really feel his anger. It’s always nice to see the Doctor being pushed into new directions and it’s surprising that there are still new things to do with such an old character. The best scenes though are those between him and Adrian Scarborough’s Jex, the alien Doctor. Scarborough gives the best guest performance we’ve seen all series and gives an intriguing moral dilemma to the Doctor. After the episode we were still chatting about it. It’s hardly Sophie’s Choice, but it’s definitely the sort of thing that Doctor Who needs more of. The connection between Jex and the gunslinger is another high point with their brief chats really showing Jex’s inner workings. The gunslinger himself is, while not terrifying in a behind the sofa sense, very intimidating and a villain with a few dimensions to him.

Strangely with the lack of completely wild sci-fi elements, the music and just the general look and feel of the episode, it seemed far more like a western than an episode of Who but it had an interesting premise and three great characters and some cracking dialogue. Not as good as the writer Toby Whithouse’s last effort The God Complex, which was possibly my favourite series six story, but definitely a great story. Just wish there was more of it.

 4/5

Also, 11 in (basically) the Eighth Doctor’s coat. This was amazing.

Review: Hope Springs/Para-Norman/The Sweeney

HOPE SPRINGS PARANORMAN THE SWEENEY

Review: Cockneys vs. Zombies/Lawless/Anna Karenina/That's My Boy/Dredd

COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES LAWLESS ANNA KARENINA THAT'S MY BOY DREDD

Doctor Who Review: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Last week’s Dalek story was absolutely brilliant, so how do you follow that up? Well, this week’s wasn’t a terrible way to do it, but it definitely didn’t reach the highs of the Asylum. Why is it not as good? Well, because it doesn’t really seem to know what it is.

I liked most of the aspects of this episode. I thought Rory’s dad, the silly robots and the humour in general very funny. It was a nice example of a Doctor Who story that knew how to have a bit of fun. Much as I complain if it goes too silly, this episode was a good romp. And that is kind of a problem. Not because I didn’t enjoy all of that, but when your silly bit of fun contains genocide, murder and the truly nasty character of Solomon as well, then it doesn’t fit. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the Silurians story and Solomon was a great villain and the continuing darker Doctor actions really appeal to me, but you can’t have these two totally different tones in the same episode. It just makes the whole thing seem a bit disjointed. It’s like having a lovely meal while on a rollercoaster, both are enjoyable, but they just don’t work together.

Also, the whole “gang” thing, I didn’t see the need. Except for a few unnecessary jokes, Nefertiti and Riddell just didn’t seem to achieve much. The jokes were funny, but did they need to be in the episode or could their time have been better used building on Solomon or Brian? Even the titular dinosaurs seemed a bit surplus to requirements in points. Although it was cool to see the dinosaurs running around, would it really have changed the story much if they’d been frozen? Not really.

Now, I may seem a bit negative here, because if you look at this story objectively, it’s basically a mess. However, if you just look to see if it was fun to watch? Well then it’s a completely different story. It’s fast paced, the jokes come thick, fast and funny and the darker moments shock you. So basically, if you’re looking for the best thought out episode, you’ll be disappointed, but just for a bit of a laugh then, you could do a lot worse.

3/5