Physical: Series Overview

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Sheila Rubin, Rose Byrne, is a deeply unhappy house wife in a terrible marriage. However, through the power of Eighties aerobics she reclaims control over her life.

This one is hard to get through at times, the personal tension and the cringe can get to such a point where you will want to turn it off, and though that seems like a natural response to what you see stick with it. Trust me its good.

There is something oddly satisfying about watching Sheila both win and lose in near equal measure on a weekly basis. There is no denying that she is not a likeable character, but was she ever meant to be? I viewed this as a dark comedy going in, so when Sheila does something bad to her friends or how she uses people I view it in almost an anti-hero way. Even though she is arguably a bad person you still want her to win in the end.

The series runs the gambit from darkly hilarious to heart-breaking, it is not afraid to get dark and often does. I enjoyed seeing the series trying to tackle issues of body dysmorphia, and unhappy marriages, I thought the series made a lot of good points and I would like to see where these issues move to in season two.

Overall, though some moments may be hard to watch it is well worth sticking with.

Pros.

The soundtrack

Byrne

Sheila’s arc

The ending

Cons.

It can be hard to watch at times

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Black Bear: Hollywood Is Not Good For Lovers

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A husband and wife’s relationship falls apart during the filming of a film about a marriage falling apart.

This film could easily be viewed as pretentious. It is a film about a film, but that only get revealed at the midway point. Personally, I liked the twist and thought he helped to keep the film interesting after the domestic crisis was starting to get a little stale, but I do think it could have been done in a less smug and showing off how clever it is sort of way.

I have to disagree with some other reviewers who say this is Aubrey Plaza’s finest work to date, though she is good here the honour of that title belongs to, and likely always will, Ingrid Goes West. I think Plaza play’s the mysterious disrupter here very well, but I would say her performance is over shadowed by that of Christopher Abbot.

Abbot has quickly become something of a darling to me, I am finding myself appreciating a lot of his work recently be it Piercing, Possessor, or this. There is something about his acting style that is so expressive, without feeling over the top. That is perfectly captured here, and he approaches a character who is gaslighting his girlfriend into believing there is an affair happening in order to elicit a better performance from her, with such ease it is chilling. What makes the performance further layered is that it acts as a comment on society and how men often to just use women for their own ends, sparing no regard for them as people, and feeling nothing about it. I think there is a lot of subtext to this film, that marinates better with a second viewing.

Overall, a strong written film only let down by an overly inflated sense of ego and smugness.

Pros

Plaza

Abbot

The writing/ twist

Cons.

The smugness

The ending

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Free Guy: Stop Killing NPCs

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A non-playable character Guy, Ryan Reynolds, figures out that his whole world is a lie and has to come to terms with that whilst also trying to stop it from ending.

The trailers for this film miss-sold it. They make the film look like a blockbuster action film, and whilst there certainly are action elements within the film, it often happens in the background. The film instead is far more character driven with the bonds and relationships they form being front and centre throughout. If I had to categorise this film I would say a comedy, possibly a romantic comedy.

I thought the film was very wholesome to watch and that this overriding sense of positivity made the film feel very watchable whilst also giving it a rootability. You quickly become attached to Ryan Reynolds’ Guy as well as the real world game designers that are trying to help him, these characters are played by Jodie Cormer and Joe Keery. The romance at the heart of this story, originally between Cormer’s Millie and Reynold’s Guy and then between Cormer’s Millie and Joe Keery’s ‘Keys’ is really the heart of the film. Personally, I thought the romance was sweet and well done, it made me feel something.

The Truman Show esque moments are easily the most fascinating of the film as Guy and his fellow NPC’s have to come to terms with being ‘not real’. I think the real strength of the narrative here is that the film leans into this and shows different characters processing this information in different ways. It would be very easy for the film just to show everyone freaking out, but it doesn’t do that.

I understand why the film features so many streamers, but it does get to feel a little like overkill by the end of the film. It would be better if the film only featured one or two streamers and used them sparingly throughout the film, it goes in the other direction for I think rather obvious reasons.

Overall, a good film to watch once. Does it need to be seen in the cinema? Probably not.

Pros.

Reynolds

The love story

The comedy

The Truman Show vibes

Cons.

Too many streamers, used cynically

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Reservation Dogs: Fckin Rez Dogs

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We are introduced to the Rez Dogs and get to explore their world as they try and save up enough money to move to California.

I had the wrong expectations about this show going in, I was expecting a breezy half hour comedy but there is actually far more sadness, drama and depth than I was expecting. If I had to classify this show I would call it a dramady yes there are some comedic elements, but I felt myself being concerned for the kids and their well being more so than laughing. There were a number of scenes that were actually quite heart-wrenching to watch.

So far, I think all of the actors are doing a good job. I think the dichotomy of trying to explore these characters as both heroes and villains is interesting as we see the impact the character’s actions have on the lives of those around them in a negative way. I like the moral complexity and I think it leads to the characters being stronger as a result.

I am intrigued to see where the gang war story line goes, and whether it will lead to a change in their perspective about living on the reservation or just make them want to leave more. I hope the series doesn’t find a way to unify the two groups as the warring gangs storyline is good for creating tension across the series.

Overall, fun but not what I was expecting and often more affecting than funny.

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Rick and Morty: Rickternal Friendship Of The Spotless Mort

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We finally get an episode of Rick and Morty that builds on the ending of last season and feels like a true continuation. In this week’s episode Rick ventures into Bird Person’s mind to bring him back to the world of the living.

I feel like this should have been the first episode of the season. Now it feels like the seven other episodes we have had before this were just meaningless filler, and this is the true continuation of last season. In terms of episode placement, the creators definitely shot themselves in the foot with this one.

I like that this episode is entirely Rick centric, Morty is off doing something with the family, and he doesn’t even get a B plot. The idea of Rick having friends is one that the series has flirted with but never really committed to on a big scale, the only exception to that is with Bird Person. It was nice to have an episode that was entirely about their early years and friendship- or even perhaps more than friendship at least on Rick’s side.

I think the reason this is such a good episode is because it takes a break from randomness and sperm jokes and instead just focuses on the characters and tries to analyse them as people. There is a lot of cannon here, around Rick’s early years, his time as a galactic freedom fighter, and his friends. It answers a lot of questions that fans have been asking for years about the show, but also gives us a lot more questions to replace them. There is a throwaway line about Beth being dead for example, that will need addressing at some point. Moreover, Bird Person’s daughter needs to be freed. I would like the next episode to directly follow on from this and give us more cannon, but I know it won’t. I know I am too greedy.

Overall, this and the Mr Nimbus episode show that the series still shines when it wants to, when it isn’t distracted by a teenage sense of humour focusing on giant incest babies or space sperm.

Pros.

Rick’s history

His complicated friendship with Bird Person

A lot of new questions to be explored

Removing Morty and the family from the equations

Cons.

Seeing a good episode like this makes some of the other offering this season look incredibly lazy by comparison.

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71: Surviving The Troubles

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

This film follows Gary Hook, Jack O’Connell, a young soldier who becomes separated from his unit and finds himself having to survive the night in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

I enjoyed this film a fair bit, it kept me entertained throughout. I thought the film did a good job of maintaining its tension and it never allowed you to feel safe, or to feel like the character was safe, which also adds to the realism of the film.

In many respects this is quite a hard film to watch, there are a number of scenes that are very visceral and graphic and that will leave and impression on you afterwards. The sudden and random death of Hook’s fellow soldier early in the film being one of them, in many ways it perfectly manages to capture the murky and unpredictable nature of that part of Irish history.

Moreover, Sean Harris as the morally dubious covert intelligence officer Captain Browning is a revelation. Harris always shines through whatever he appears in and adds an uncertain edge to proceedings. I would say he comfortably out acts O’Connell here, with the latter’s rough boy charm sometimes clashing with the character he is trying to portray. For example when Hook is taking his younger brother out for the day he becomes very angry at the doorman for no explained reason, this doesn’t work when later in the film he is portrayed as the ordered and controlled soldier who would never lose his temper in a yobish sort of way. It becomes a clashing personality over the film.

Overall, a good film though more character work was needed with the construction of the lead, a fixed personality was needed rather than one that jumps around.

Pros.

Harris

The tension

Not knowing what was going to happen next

Cons.

O’ Connell

A few plot threads that are unanswered and also go nowhere

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The Bad Batch: Return To Kamino Finale Part One

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Batch head back to Kamino to save Hunter and whilst there have to atone for the sins of their past.

I have thought for a long time the Batch needed to face a reckoning for what they did to Crosshair and this episode finally delivers on it. They talk a lot throughout the show about loyalty, but they left Crosshair behind, even when they realised that he was being mind controlled by the inhibitor chip they still didn’t act, they needed to be asked why they behaved like that and they are here. However, the answers we get are fairly weak, they left him behind because he started shooting at them, even though he was mind controlled……. Or so they think.

I thought the twist of the episode that Crosshair was in fact never mind controlled and had his inhibitor chip removed years ago, raises a lot of interesting questions. Furthermore, it adds to the shades of grey for the series, as Crosshair even says something to the extent of we are soldiers, so he had no issue switching sides and carrying on. It makes the Batch question there own morality, and interestingly for us it recontextualises the show.

I do think the worst thing about this episode much like the rest of the series is Omega, whether it is her having a tantrum about going and rescuing Hunter, as if his friends did not want to go and get him back, or her turning on all the battle droids to try and help which instead almost ended up killing the Batch. Moreover, they try and write some drama into her arc in this episode by having it be emotionally hard for Omega to return to Kamino, but you just don’t care because the series has failed in its efforts to make you care about her character, as I have previously said a Grogu she is not.

Overall, a strong penultimate episode that sets up a big finally, ruined only slightly by Omega once again.

Pros.

Crosshair

The Batch finally facing some accountability

The ending

The twist

Cons.

Omega

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The Avengers: The Film That Changed Hollywood

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The phase one heroes finally assemble, and we get to see the birth of the Avengers.

Rewatching this now, all these years later the magic is still there. There is just something about seeing all these heroes interacting on screen for the first time that just resonates no matter how many times you have seen it. Each character and even the main supporting characters are all given their moment and it truly does feel like an ensemble, a team building activity.

The reason I didn’t give this a five as you might have expected me to, is because of Loki and the strange characterisation he is given. Up until this point the only other time we have seen the character is in Thor, so that is what I will judge him off, in that film he is villainous sure, but he is also redeemable and remorseful by the end, he is more along the antihero line. Here however, he is uncharacteristically evil, wanting to ‘crush the ants’ and basically make humans a slave race, and yes you could say it was Thanos messing with his head or the mind stone, but to me it seems like bad writing. Maybe originally a different villain was supposed to be used here, one that would make more sense as being a purely evil character and he was rewritten to be Loki as the character proved popular. A few comedic scenes thrown in here and there can’t distract from the noticeable change.

I think my personal favourite thing about this film is Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson. Coulson was always there is the background in most of the early films and yes here and there he got a witty one liner or had a memorable moment, but it was not until this film that he really came into his own as a character. He is the heart and soul of this film, and the choice to have him die here is simply a master stroke as it ends up with you feeling the same way the characters do which helps you to connect with them more and give greater meaning to the Avengers forming. Moreover, as a moment it is surprising as you quickly learn just how much you care about this fairly average background character.

Overall, a film that does nearly everything right.

Pros.

The character work

The set up

The character interactions

The final battle

The humour

Cons.

Loki

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What If: Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An Elseworlds tale that answers the question what if Peggy Carter got the Super Soldier Serum rather than Steve Rogers.

Personally I am loving how political phase four of the MCU is getting, with this first episode, Black Widow and Falcon And The Winter Soldier, all addressing worldly issues I feel the MCU is finally in a place where it can start making statements. This episode goes hard on how Peggy up until this point has been shut out and overlooked because of her gender, I like that by doing this and then having her become Captain Carter it allows the character to feel far more like a feminist icon. I enjoyed seeing how she played off the other male characters after she had the serum, especially when she said to the, deeply sexist, general character that he was ‘lucky to even be in the room’, that was a cheer worthy moment for me.

I liked how this episode gave us moments that would already be familiar to us as MCU fans but put a twist on them, we get to see Bucky not fall off the train, no one getting frozen in ice and Steve Rogers becoming a totally different superhero. I thought this was fascinating and by far the biggest selling point of the show, as the idea of what if this changed is always one that keeps you coming back.

I enjoyed what this episode did with Peggy and Steve, showing the romance more from her point of view. I thought it was just as sweet and as heart-breaking as it was the first time we saw it in The First Avenger, hopefully Captain Carter will get to go back in time and get her dance with her sweet heart just like Steve Rogers did in the main timeline- just hopefully with a few more adventures before that for us all to enjoy.

My only issue with the episode and it is only a minor thing is that Chris Evans is not back to voice Steve Rogers. It is strange as almost everyone else is back Hayley Atwell is back as Peggy, Dominic Cooper is back as Howard Stark even Toby Jones is back as Zola, so it seems like a pretty big deal that Evans isn’t back in the role. Maybe they couldn’t afford him, maybe he didn’t want to come back but to me it felt a little jarring to hear someone else voicing the character. Hopefully I won’t have the same issue when we get to the Iron Man episode.

Overall, a really strong starting episode that introduced us perfectly to Captain Carter hopefully we get to see tons more from her in the years to come.

Pros.

Captain Carter

Getting political

The monster at the end

The same but different

Cons.

Not getting Evan’s back

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iCarly: iTake A Girl’s Trip

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Carly, Miranda Cosgrove, and Freddie, Nathan Kress, head out on a girls trip that quickly becomes more intimate than either were expecting.

This might be my favourite episode of the revival series so far. I certainly found it to be the funniest, with the episode making me laugh consistently throughout: at both A and B plots.

Moreover, I liked the dynamic between Carly and Freddie in this week’s episode, I thought the two actors played the scenes well and had a strong back and forth together. I think the show is heading in the direction of them getting together, and I am becoming more and more okay with that and if anything this episode suggests that they would actually make not only a good couple, but an interesting one to watch as well.

Furthermore, the series finally seems to know how to use Harper, Laci Mosley, after a long time of giving her nothing much to do. I enjoyed the jealousy angle they had with her character this week when her best friend/cousin becomes romantically involved with Spencer, Jerry Trainor. I think the dynamic between Harper and Spencer has been used already quite a lot by the show but even so there is still a lot of ground to cover and more depth to explore.

Overall, this is probably the best episode of the revival so far, it is fun to watch and funny.

Pros.

Carly and Freddie

Finally giving Harper something to do

It is funny

There are a number of sweet moments

Cons.

We need deeper exploration of the Spencer Harper dynamic beyond surface level competitiveness

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