Rick And Morty: Amortycan Grickfitti

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Rick, Beth and Jerry go on a trip to hell curtesy of a Hellraiser parody, and Summer and Morty go on a joyride in Rick’s spaceship in an effort to impress the new kid at their school.

This I would put in a very similar category to last week’s episode of good but ultimately forgettable. I thought the Rick storyline was far more enjoyable than the Morty one for multiple reasons. Namely, I thought the character work between Rick and Jerry was strong here and it is nice to see that Rick does in fact have some feelings towards him and that maybe at some point in the show’s future they could even be friends.

Moreover, as a fan of Hellraiser I found the parody to be much more entertaining that I would if I had never heard of or seen the films. This was my issue with the Captain Planet parody episode, as I was unfamiliar with the characters I didn’t really get the parody and it all just seemed strange and out of character, for Morty especially. However, here I enjoyed the parody, and I thought the episode’s version of cenobite hell was fun to explore- hopefully they will return to it at a later date.

With the Summer and Morty storyline I thought that the car/space ship was the standout and stole all the good comedic lines along with the lime light. This B plot did not really advance either Morty or Summer’s character and instead felt very throwaway and is without a doubt filler.

Overall, another good but forgettable episode of season 5.

Pros.

The Hellraiser parody

Rick and Jerry

The car/spaceship had a few funny jokes

Cons.

Morty and Summer’s storyline was just filler

It is forgettable

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Gunpowder Milkshake: In Search Of A Soul

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A hitwoman finds herself the target of a number of underworld characters after she botches one of her hits and finds herself in the company of her victim’s child.

I am mixed on this. One the one hand I thought the concept and the action to be good. I enjoyed the world this film sets up; I thought The Firm and the Librarians were both interesting groups rife for further exploration. In addition I thought the action choreography was spot on, and many of the scenes feel very real: making the bone crunching all the more impactful.

However, the characters themselves for the most part were entirely devoid of any kind of personality or charm and were instead defined by their role in the narrative. The previous mentioned Librarians don’t really have any kind of personality beyond their job and a previous connection to one of the other characters. Moreover, Karen Gillan’s lead literally barely speaks at all and has no charm or personality either, she remains a mystery throughout though in this case that is a bad thing.

The feminist aspects which this film displays front and centre and that will no doubt annoy some, as many are looking to be offended these days, are clear and present throughout. Whilst many of the things this film is saying on that front are good, the issue comes from the fact that these characters are almost not written as people rather as tools to make certain points, this surely undermines the cause and provides a flaw in the film’s presentation.

I didn’t think the child acting was very good, but I won’t belabour that point as it is low hanging fruit.

Overall, it has potential, but some real character work is needed if this film does indeed return for a sequel.

Pros.

The world

The action

The message

Cons.

The characters are devoid of personality

It feels a little bit too familiar at times

The child acting

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The Bad Batch: Rescue On Ryloth

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Following on from last week’s episode we see Hera ask the Bad Batch to break into the capital and save her family, where they have another run in with Crosshair.

I am glad this show is using Crosshair more, he makes for far more of an interesting antagonist than whatever random villain of the week they would otherwise use. Though in this episode the confrontation between Crosshair and his former teammates is not as thrilling or as tense as it has been in the past there is still enough there to make it enjoyable. Moreover, the series promises a bigger confrontation going forward as Crosshair is finally sent to hunt the Bad Batch down.

I enjoyed the Ryloth characters and seeing the show tie into Rebels, however, I think in doing this the show creates an inconsistency. Howzer is a clone, who despite the inhibitor chip can still disobey the rule of the Empire and think for himself- therein lies the problem. If Howzer and later other clones can disobey their programming then why can’t Crosshair, is the showing trying to suggest he was always bad so therefore his morality wouldn’t force him to break orders because I don’t think that is true. The episode as a whole glosses over this issue but it needs to be addressed.

Finally, as I have said before so won’t belabour, Omega is the worst character on the show and her naïve self-righteousness doesn’t make her any more likeable as a character.

Overall, for the most part a good episode

Pros.

The promise of more Crosshair

The action

The wider lore being set up

Cons.

The Howzer inconsistency

Omega

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Pig: Food Is The True Window To The Soul, One Of Nicolas Cage’s Best

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A former chef goes on a quest to reclaim his truffle pig after it is kidnapped.

Pig is not the film you’re expecting. The trailer played on John Wick vibes and tried to turn it into something it is not, this is not an action thriller film, really quite far from it. This is a soulful reflection on life, love and loss, told often through the facial emotions of the actors rather than through dialogue.

This film almost certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it is not always a pleasant viewing experience there are moments of extreme grief and trauma throughout that might adversely effect those watching, but they need to be there as it is in these moments that we see the film’s true soul.

Nicolas Cage proves his vulnerability and versatility here in this role as he manages to change between intimidating, cold and detached and passionate breakdown all within the space of a few seconds, this really is one of Cage’s finest performances and proves his strength as a performer. Likewise Alex Wolff is also terrific I believed his emotional damage and his strained relationship with his father and thought his whole performance dripped with nuance.

Overall, this could have very easily have been silly, but it isn’t it is deep and soulful and perhaps one of Cage’s best. Be careful how you view this film before you see it, as the trailers are deeply misleading. Well worth the watch.

Pros.

Cage

Wolff

The emotion

The bond between man and pig

Cons.

A little depressing at times

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iCarly: iNeed Space

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Spencer’s new girlfriend tries to lure Carly and Harper into a cult.

This is a very average episode of iCarly, there really isn’t much more to say about it than that. It is neither particularly good nor bad, rather it is just bland. However, it does say a lot that the B plot revolving around Freddie, Nathan Kress, and Millicent, Jaidyn Triplet, bonding over their own version of the girl scouts, is far better than the A storyline revolving around Carly, Miranda Cosgrove, and the Cult.

I think the reason for this is because the show has been building the relationship between Freddie and Millicent for a while now and it is nice to finally see them share some emotional scenes together. Personally, I thought the scene where she finally called him dad was sweet and very well done. As such this storyline feels weighty to the audience, whereas the Carly in a cult storyline feels the opposite, incredibly throw away.

I do like however, that the series is moving away from ‘internet culture’ based jokes and commentary and is instead dipping it’s toes into more out there storylines where we actually get to know these characters between.

A big issue within the episode for me was Harper. For the most part Harper, Laci Mosley, has been a very so, so character but at this point in the series she is starting to become annoying- I imagine this will only get worse as the show carries on. The reason for this is that all of her jokes fall into three categories ‘straight people are weird’, race jokes, and I don’t know what that is, none of these are particularly funny, at least to me, and as such become irritating the more they are repeated.

Overall, a fine episode, nothing more.

Pros.

Freddie

Millicent

The emotion

Cons

Harper

The A story is boring and throwaway

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Outlaw King: The Fight For An Independent Scotland

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The film follows the struggles of Robert The Bruce as he rebels against the English crown and fights to become the King of Scotland.

Though there are a lot of historical epics, this one managed to stand out to me. I thought the pacing was tight and it covered a lot in an interesting way. The film could have easily felt slightly xenophobic and even as anti-English propaganda but honestly I think the film feels far more balanced than that and I found myself easily rooting for Bruce and his cause.

I thought the battle scenes were well done and very weighty enough to leave an impact. Moreover, I thought the performances were strong across the board, with Chris Pine being a dependable leading man throughout, only being upstaged by Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s James Douglas and Florence Pugh’s Elizabeth De Burgh. Truly everyone who said something to the extent of ‘oh Black Widow is Florence Pugh’s big breakout role’ are so deeply ignorant to a well of great performances from her.

Overall, I felt for a Netflix action film this was very standout.

Pros.

Pine

Pugh

Taylor-Johnson

The battle scenes

Cons.

Perhaps just a tad bloated

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Space Jam 2: Blatant Product Placement Strangely Works Here

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I will admit I went into this with very, very low expectation. However, the film completely took me by surprise and I actually ended up really enjoying it. Yes, the film is a blatant excuse by the higher ups at WB to constantly advertise all their various properties, and yes it is excessive with the product placement, but in a strange way it all works well.

I think the reason this film works so well is because of how self-aware it is, it knows what it is, it knows what it is doing, and it makes a joke out of it. Honestly, this film is quite funny in a lot of places and it often has you laughing or at least smiling. Yes, there are a few cringey lines here and there, but they aren’t bad cringe and some of these lines prove to be amongst the funniest.

Lebron James is by no means a natural actor, but he is very watchable, and I would say he does a better job than Michael Jordan in the first film. I believed his bond with his son and in that respect I found the ending of the film to be surprisingly touching. Additionally, James has strong chemistry with the Tunes and him and Bugs are a good pairing. I would like this film to get a sequel so we can get more of them together.

In terms of being a Looney Tunes property this modernised the characters well and gave them a compelling motivation to help James and in doing so return to the court. The one comment I would make in this regard is that this is very much a Bugs Bunny film, and though the other well known characters appear he gets pretty much all of the screen time. Bugs ending runs the gambit between heart breaking and cheer-worthy, and you feel every minute of it.

Overall, the strongly negative response this film has brought out from a lot of people seems to be out of a sense of nostalgia, they are comparing this to the first film that they make have childhood connections with and viewing it like that this film never could have lived up. However, I think not only is this a good film, but I would say it is even better than the first.

Pros.

James

The Tunes characters

The emotions

The jokes

Cons.

It is a little blatant with the product placement

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Interview With Writer/Director/ Producer Joe Badon: Wheels Of Heaven

Written by Luke Barnes

I recently had the chance to, virtually, sit down with writer/ producer/ director Joe Badon and discuss his new Kickstarter film Wheel Of Heaven, we talk about the strange characters you meet at parties, choose your own adventure novels and shooting fireworks at model dinosaurs.

Q: What is your film about?

A: The Wheel of Heaven is the story of a young woman named Purity (played by Kali Russell) whose car breaks down on a dark empty street in the middle of the night. After a chance encounter with a mysterious party host (played by Jeff Pearson) and his myriad of strange party guests, Purity is left with the existential decision to either break free of her meaningless existence OR simply just succumb to it’s meaningless-ness.

Q: What inspired you to make it?

A: This film comes from my love of Choose Your Own Adventure Novels and the simple ideas that our choices in everything make us who we are. And the idea of string theory – where there are endless universes, endlessly different, all existing on top of one another.

Q: Do you have any funny pre-production stories

A: Well, we just shot a less financially ambitious short film as a prelude to The Wheel of Heaven entitled “The Blood of the Dinosaurs: A Prologue to the Wheel of Heaven”.

And we had basically like $2,500 for The Blood of the Dinosaurs. So, because of that, I had a 20 dollar budget to create a mountain landscape for the Dinosaur miniatures to exist in so I went to Dollar Tree and Dollar General and bought a bunch of posterboard, spackle and spray paint and created this mountain landscape (made entirely of paper).

And then we shoot this scene where we’re shooting fireworks at the miniature dinosaurs and the mountains and of course, the mountains catch fire, LOL! But we quickly put it out with the water from the igloo of drinks sitting nearby LOL.

Q: If you were to sum it up in a word what would it be?

A: Surreal

Q: What do you find are the benefits to using Kickstarter to fund your films?

A: MUCH more creative freedom. Which gives me more fearlessness as a creator. Which, I think, is the only way for new original ideas and content to be born.

Q: Why should people donate to your Kickstarter?

A: So you can allow new ideas to be created without the hindrance of commercialism and sellability. To create something new, fresh and unique. Everything that the world truly wants: braveness and uniqueness.

Q: Are you offering any kind of rewards/ exclusives?

A: YES! We have digital downloads of the film with commentary tracks, movie posters and tickets to the physical screening! You can be a producer on the film at the $700 level or Executive Producer at the $1,500 level! We also have ADD ON rewards like: Custom Illustrations by me and the chance to even have a speaking role in the film!

Q: Do you find using a Kickstarter allows you to be closer to your audience?

A: Absolutely! I have A TON of relationships that have been creating through friends and fans backing my kickstarters AND participating in the creation of the films and comics that I’ve made over the many years.

Well there you have it, if you would like to support Wheel Of Heaven then head over to the Kickstarter and give what you can, and make sure to check out the film when it releases.

If you enjoyed this interview, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

Crash Pad: The Most Toxic Male Character In A Film Possibly Ever

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A hapless romantic who finds out the woman he has been seeing is married is surprised when her angry alpha male husband moves in with him.

Though I love Thomas Haden Church his character in this is one of the most toxic characters ever put to film, though I suppose that is the point. Yes, some of the lines that Church’s character comes out with are utterly repellent over the course of the film, but from a narrative perspective this is needed to show how much our sweet and sensitive protagonist has changed him and vice versa.

Speaking of this is Domhnall Glesson’s film. Gleeson plays Stensland a romantic who spends his days watching Dawson’s Creek and his nights dreaming about finding the one. I found this film really managed to tap into the very specific comedic talents of Gleeson and capitalise on them near perfectly: the only time I have seen it done better is in Frank with Michael Fassbender.

The comedy in the film is fairly hit and miss. It made me laugh a few times, but it certainly wasn’t a laugh a minute. I would say more hits than misses for sure. Gleeson and Church have a strong back and forth and by the end of the film their friendship feels very genuine and believable.

I thought one of the big negatives of this film was relegating the phenomenally talented Christina Applegate to a weak supporting part. Applegate plays Church’s characters wife Morgan and is used as nothing more than a romantic interest. The film deeply underserves both the character and the actor.

Overall, Domhnall Gleeson shines through a troubled film.

Pros.

Gleeson

Church

It has a nice message in the end

Cons.

Some of the lines are incredibly off putting

Applegate is deeply underwritten, and the character is not allowed to be more than a romantic interest

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Loki: For All Time, Always

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Loki and Sylvie meet the man in the castle and learn a lot about the multiverse. Meanwhile Mobius and other rogue TVA agents bring down the organisation that has proven to be a lie to them.

I called this a while ago, though Wandavison was being billed as the project that would effectively bring on the Multiverse of Madness, I had guessed that in fact it would be Loki– I was right.

I think this could be the best episode of the series, it delivers on nearly every front. The only reason I didn’t give it full marks is because I thought the TVA resolution with Owen Wilson’s Mobius was a little weak and that Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Renslayer also gets short-changed by the episode: I would assume both of these things will be made up for by a later movie or TV show, but I was hoping we could have got that here. Really the episode could have done with being about half an hour longer.

However, on the other side of things the Loki Sylvie plot line totally delivers. We get Kang, played wonderfully by Jonathan Majors or at least a multiverse version of the character and the promise of far more to come. Though this section of the episode is a little exposition heavy, I did find it all interesting as it sets up the next few years of the MCU, if not beyond that as well.

The ending of the Loki Sylvie romance is as heart-breaking as I was expecting it to be, but luckily neither of them died so it can be continued in future. I thought both Hiddleston and Di Martino gave very strong performances here that really resonated. I hope we get to see far more of Di Martino going forward in the MCU.

Finally, I wanted to mention the end tease wherein Loki finds himself in another dimension one that has already been conquered by Kang and say that I am very excited for season two I think the show is heading in a very interesting direction.

Overall one of the best episodes of a Marvel Disney + show to date.

Pros.

Kang

The multiverse

The ending tease

Sylvie and Loki

Cons.

Mobius and Renslayer

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