The Bad Batch: War Mantle

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Batch go on a rescue mission, to horrific results.

This was a sad episode on multiple fronts, but also one that feels like it has real stakes.

My first thought after finishing the episode is that it is good they finally have Hunter and Crosshair in the same location with no way out. The confrontation between the two characters has been needed for some time, it feels very much that since the first episode the Batch has pretty much turned their backs on their former brother, even when they realised that he was being mind controlled: as such there always needed to be an explanation for why Hunter and co acted this way- and it looks like we will get it next episode.

Moreover, the Clone rebellions are starting to feel more and more like something we will see on the show, as we are now being shown the Empire phasing out its Clone forces in favor of Storm Troopers. I am excited by this prospect and would like to see what is going to happen to all the captive clones, will the Empire wipe them out, will they escape, will they start a doomed rebellion: these are all questions that the series could and should answer.

I thought for the most part the story of this episode was tight and interesting however I could have done without the cut back to Omega and Wrecker where she complains that she is worried about the other members of the group and he makes a joke. This scene does nothing for the episode, but kill time, the joke is not needed and undoes the well built up tension and Omega once again adds nothing to the episode. I feel like unless the writers have some big endgame for her character she should just be written off as clearly they are struggling on a weekly basis to find things for her to do.

Overall, a strong episode with good tension and an intriguing ending.

Pros.

The ending

Setting up the Clone Rebellions

Where will the series go from here?

The tension

Cons.

The Omega cut away

The slow start, with the first five minutes being dull

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Guardians Of The Galaxy: The Quest For The Ultimate Mix Tape

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Peter Quill, Chris Pratt, is abducted as a child and taken into space. Years later he has become a rogue of the galaxy going by the name Star Lord, this all changes when his quest for an infinity stone brings him into contact with a group of people who would go on to become his family.

I think the often complained about, even by myself, Marvel sense of humour really helps these films on a rewatch. This is my first time rewatching Guardians Of The Galaxy since I first saw it in the cinema all those years ago, and you know what it actually holds up fairly well.

I think the strongest element of the film is certainly the family dynamic between the characters with each having key emotional moments along the way that really help to open them up as characters and help us the audience relate to them. Each character is loveable in their own way, each has the potential to easily be someone’s favourite.

Sadly however, the same can’t be said for the films antagonists who are left fairly cookie cutter generic. I don’t think anyone will ever say that Ronan is their favourite Marvel villain because he just has no personality beyond being evil and wanting to commit genocide. The oversimplification of the villain’s motivations really is the issue here and with a lot of early Marvel films. To have an interesting film you need an interesting and compelling villain.

The jokes I thought worked mostly well here, though I would say the film isn’t as funny as something like Antman, certainly there were more misses here and a few scenes that should have been played for laughs really weren’t.

Overall, a good Marvel film though one let down my a poor villain and not always hilarious jokes.

Pros.

The emotion

The family dynamic

Yondu

The soundtrack

Cons.

A weak villain

Inconsistent jokes

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The Suicide Squad: Rats Save The Day

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Taskforce X are back with another suicide mission to shave some time off their prison sentences, this time looking to destroy a research project being conducted by a non US friendly Southern American Country.

Some out there on the internet are trying to create a moral outcry about this film, whilst others are loving it, so, where do I fall? Closer to the latter but with notes.

Firstly and lets just get this out of the way, this is not a family film, this is not a film you can watch at a family party or all gathered round the TV; the age rating really should have given that away. Many people online seem shocked by what they are hearing about the content in this film, and clearly they have never red a Suicide Squad comic book in their lives.

Yes, this film is very true to the comics featuring all the death, gore and general unpleasantness that you would expect. However, in my mind it does go too far but only in one respect: that is of course the birds. This film does not like birds, in the opening scene we see one mashed with a ball and then later on we see a bunch of them set on fire, now obviously this is all fake, but still as someone who likes animals this was a little uncomfortable to watch and I felt like the film lingered on it for a bit too long each time.

In terms of characters Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 was my favourite, I thought she perfectly embodied the hopeful silliness of the film down to the bone. Moreover, I liked the relationship between her and Idris Elba’s Bloodsport. I thought the surrogate father daughter dynamic worked well and helped to push both of their character arcs along nicely. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is better here, and less obnoxiously all over the place as she was in Birds Of Prey, I do think Harley works best as part of a team, rather than being the centre of basically a solo film.

Overall, a good film and certainly one of DC’s best, it would have been getting five from me if it weren’t for the birds; but that is a personal thing to me.

Pros.

Melchior

The jokes

The character moments/ growth

The violence

Cons.

I don’t like seeing a bird mushed by a ball and then having the shot linger on it

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iCarly: iMLM

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Carly and co become obsessed with a a new miracle product called sand, which can help with things like courage, calmness and feeling emotion.

This might be the funniest episode of the revival so far; it was not a laugh a minute or anything but there were a good few solid jokes that actually made me laugh out loud.

This episode has further convinced me that Freddie, Nathan Kress, is the best and most well written character on the show, as his character seemingly gets character work in nearly every episode and we know far more, and care far more about him and his life because of it. I think Carly, Miranda Cosgrove, could do with some more character work in the rest of the season as so far all we have learnt about who she is now, post revival, is someone who is scared of celebrating her birthday and that’s about it.

I enjoyed the gimmick of sand and thought the reveal of what it actually is was well done and actually smart in the context of the episode. Furthermore, I like that the show finally gave Harper, Laci Mosley, something to do. She gets to be the one that doesn’t fall for what turns out to be a scam and eventually expose it, which feels very true for her character and in keeping with the personality established.

Overall, a strong episode.

Pros.

It is funny

They finally give Harper something meaningful to do

Freddie

Cons.

Carley as a character needs fleshing out more, she is staring to become a secondary character on her own show

Not all the jokes land

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Gates: A Stroll Through The Kentish Countryside

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Estranged sisters reconnect during a trip through the Kentish countryside, all the while the spector of past trauma stalks them from the shadows.

I found this film to be deeply moving. I thought the bond between the sisters and how it grows over the course of the film is life affirming, serving to remind you that no matter how bad a situation seems it can always improve. Furthermore, the pair are very convincing in their roles with both Iona Champain and Lily Walbeoffe delivering solid performances that have you fully believing in them as sisters.

I think the biggest pro of this film is it’s ability to connect with the audience on a personal level and be reflective of the human experience, the struggles and the pain. This is beautifully paired and reflected by the Kentish countryside. The pathetic fallacy is strong here and each scene has a message reflected in the setting, which adds to the second meaning of the film when red on a deeper level.

My only critique of the film is that it has pacing issues. Despite a relatively short run time this film feels longer, and it really shouldn’t. Most of this film feels very needed and is well paced and structured however, a few scenes carry on longer than they should, and it is in these moments where the pacing issues become apparent.

Overall, an emotionally powerful film.

Pros.

The performances

The use of setting

The dialogue

The ending

Cons.

A few pacing issues and overly bloated scenes

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: A Circus In Pandemonium

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

There is a mole somewhere in British intelligence and a veteran intelligence officer is brought out of retirement to find out who it is.

This film is basically a who’s who of older British leading men they are all there and are all excellent. I thought it was nice to see Colin Firth and Mark Strong share the screen together, several years before they would do so superbly in the first Kingsman film, they have great chemistry. I think Gary Oldman ends up stealing the show with this performance, though it is a very close race as there is a lot of talent on display here.

I found the mystery to be engaging and surprisingly well structured, it kept me guessing right up until the end, I did not figure it out. I thought the reveal we got was satisfying in the end, though I thought the tease we got throughout the film of who could it be, With each agent looking guilty at different times was equally as enjoyable.

I found the film to be paced well for the most part with the mystery being enough to keep me engaged throughout, with the reveals and revelations being spread out enough for each section of the film to feel like it matters. The one thing I would say is that there are a few dialogue scenes in the midsection of the film that do run a bit long in terms of keeping you, or at least me, interested, they could have done with being shortened.

Overall, a strong British spy mystery film.

Pros.

The acting

The mystery

The pacing

Oldman steals the show

Cons.

A few slow dialogue scenes

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American Horror Stories: Drive In

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The screening of a rare, and supposedly cursed, film turns the audience into black eyed demonic murderers.

The premise of this episode felt a little familiar I felt like I had seen it somewhere before, but I can’t quite put my finger on it……… Oh wait Demons in 1986. Yes in many ways this film is a carbon copy of the Lamberto Bava film with only the slight difference of the fact that the character here aren’t implied or called demons.

Moreover, unlike Bava’s film the ending to this is easy, far too easy. It ends when the main couple survives and kills the director of the film supposedly ending the curse only to then have the film pop up on Netflix and wreck the world anyway. It lacks any kind of personality or soul and just feels like a cliff-hanger for the sake of it.

I thought the horror on display here was quite good and the drive in setting added a claustrophobic element to it which enhanced it. There were quite a few good scares present, though some were a bit too obvious and clearly telegraphed; yes I am talking about the blow job scene.

I thought this episode suffered from a weak cast. Compared to the Rubber Woman two part opener, this episode really showed itself up in the acting department. Other than the AHS veteran John Carrol Lynch, this episode is devoid of good performances and it often becomes painful to watch especially when the leads are trying to have a serious moment and their inability deeply weakens the scene.

Overall, a step back from the opening two parter but there are still some solid scares here.

Pros.

The scares

John Carroll Lynch

The comments on classic Hollywood

Cons.

The rest of the cast are awful

It is a blatant rip-off of Lamberto Bava’s Demons

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The Sparks Brothers: Committed To The Music

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A look at the career so far of the Sparks Brothers, known more widely as the rock duo Sparks.

This documentary made me aware of and listen to Sparks for the first time so in that regard it is a huge success. I found the documentary to be different to the standard life of x musician fare that often clogs up the genre and thought that this was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed the more out there and experimental visuals that this film employs to relay its history to us, it made everything pop just that bit more and become more memorable.

I thought the documentary did a very thorough job of covering the lives and careers of the Brothers Mael and its attention to detail really helps to paint a picture for us the audience, helping us to better understand the brothers both as artists and as people. I also enjoyed the various famous faces giving their own stories about how the brothers have impacted them in separate ways. It is clear to see that a personal attachment has been made.

The strongest part of this film is by far its soundtrack. Even if like me you start this film not knowing who or what Sparks is, by the end you will be dancing along. I found myself being given an auditory crash course on all things Sparks as I learnt about the life and times of its members, it was a very effective conversion; like I said earlier, I have since been listening to them fairly often since watching.

My one criticism, and it is fairly large, is that this film is on for far too long. Though I enjoyed the presentation and the soundtrack and the story itself I feel it could have been condensed down. What we are presented with is simply too long, and though I was still enjoying the music by the end my mind was elsewhere.

Overall, a good music documentary that manages to separate itself from the pack, though it could have done with being shorter.

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Transformers The Last Knight: Everyone You Have Learnt About In History Class Was In Fact A Transformer

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Transformers meets King Arthur Legend Of The Sword.

What is this film? To me this film feels like about three or maybe even four separate film pitches crammed into one film, because why not. There is no reason at all that this film is on for over two and a half hours it does not have the story for it, and it is beyond indulgent. A tip for time conservative readers, start the film from about forty five minutes in, you wouldn’t miss much, and you will easily be able to work out what is going on- which is nonsense bang bang.

However, that is not to say this film is all bad. For reasons I don’t fully understand or want to think much about, I actually found parts of this enjoyable to watch. It helps if you take this film as a joke, view it as a comedy or a parody and it becomes much easier to watch. I found the idea of Transformers throughout time to be interesting and I would like to see more of that. Moreover, when the film finally allows us to spend some time with Optimus Prime, when he is not evil, he hits the emotional heart strings and the nostalgia just right.

Mark Wahlberg is fine. However, the real star of the show is Laura Haddock. Haddock has been excellent for some time now however she is yet to make it big in Hollywood, yes, she was in this and Guardians, but in this she is second fiddle to Wahlberg and in the latter she is in the film for all of five minutes. Cast her more because she is excellent is my point, watch Da Vinci’s Demons. She does scene steal a lot and has quite a few funny and memorable lines. My one criticism is that the camera does like to ogle her and she is dressed for parts of the film in a way to appeal to Michael Bay’s core audience, teen boys, and I wish this wasn’t the case. The character is actually quite well written and funny, it is a shame the film objectifies her, but this is a Bay film so what did you or I expect?

Overall, not as bad as you have heard but certainly not good either. My main take away from this film is that I would like to see an actually good King Arthur film, preferably with Laura Haddock in a large role.

Pros.

Haddock

Optimus Prime, when he is good

The ending/ the dumb silliness of it all

Cons.

It is way too bloated

It is icky towards Haddock

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Tuca And Bertie: Sleepovers

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Bertie has a hard time being alone and Tuca finds it hard to balance her friendship with Bertie and her new relationship.

I honestly can’t tell at this point whether it is the friendship between Tuca and Bertie that is toxic or each as individuals. Neither can seemingly let the other be happy or live/ enjoy life without the other constantly with them, which of course means sabotaging anything that might separate the two of them. I understand there will be friendships like that out there, but it makes the characters and their friendship hard to root for.

Moreover, I am starting to find the show a little immature. Yes it does now and again touch on some very adult themes and issues and handles them well, but my issue comes from how the characters behave on an episode by episode basis. We are expected to view these characters as mature after all they have been through, however they act like children often. This episode is the perfect example of this behaviour, whereby Bertie essentially has a temper tantrum because Tuca is not giving her enough attention.

The one pro I would say for this episode is I liked what they did with Tuca’s storyline. I thought the exploration of her new relationship was interesting and seeing whether she can allow herself to be happy and seeing whether the other most important bond in her life will also become toxic were interesting questions to ask. I thought the cliff-hanger ending worked well, and I am intrigued to see how the series will resolve her arc.

Overall, the characters and their friendship are becoming more and more toxic, though I do like the arc that is being set up for Tuca.

Pros.

Tuca’s storyline

The ending

Cons.

Bertie

Their friendship is toxic, I’d rather see them drift apart or fall out then resume the status quo

The Bertie storyline is surprisingly immature

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