Reviews

First off I remember the show from when I was a kid in the 80's and I was a huge fan then so nostalgia was a big draw for me to this show (which I'm sure I've read before now that the program makers wanted to tap into). I'm also not really bothered by people claiming any show has been ruined by "wokeness" as I'd rather just watch it and make up my own mind.

The good to begin with; The animation style is great. The voice cast is stellar and the story (for what it is) is fine.

The bad; I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a MOTU show to focus on He-Man. Like it or not he is the main character and is the draw. So having a MOTU show where he is killed off in the first episode can't help but make you feel you've been short changed. Giving supporting characters a bigger role can easily be done with good writing without having to get rid of the main protagonist (or antagonist, didn't I mention Skeletor dies off in the first episode as well). I've read some reviews where defenders have argued that the show is called Masters of the Universe so there shouldn't be expectation of He-Man being the main character. That argument might hold up if not for the fact that ALL of the promotional material beforehand had He-Man plastered over it and even Kevin Smith himself categorically said it would not be a show about Teela. There's nothing wrong with Teela, I like the character of Teela. It's like having a show about Superman where he dies in the first episode and every subsequent episode is about Lois Lane. That's fine if that's what you want but just be up front about it from the start.

So if you come to this show expecting He-Man you will be disappointed. Unfortunately this feels like it could have been any generic sword and sorcery show that just used MOTU to sell it. Hopefully the second set of episodes can redeem it (so let's hope Netflix see's the reviews and calls in Kevin Smith for a "chat")

As superhero sequels go WW84 is more akin to Iron Man 2 than The Dark Knight. The first WW was great, shot beautifully (who can forget her walking across no man's land) and had real heart at its core. This sequel feels either rushed or that the enthusiasm for it wasn't there or a combination of the two. There are some redeeming elements such as Pedro Pascals performance and Kristen Wiig does a decent enough job of Barbara's descent into the Cheetah but these bright spots are kind of lost in the rest of the movie which is full of bad CGI, bad wire work and non sensical moments that are ridicous even for a superhero movie (I laughed out loud when Diana lassoed a lightning bolt in order to help her fly, yes you read that). It's a shame really as there hasn't been a wealth of new cinematic offerings this year for obvious reasons. WW84 unfortunately ends 2020 with a whimper rather than a bang.

Well this was one of the worst episodes of The Flash I have seen since it's beginning. The Flash himself (i.e. Barry all suited up and doing super heroics) appears for around 20 seconds right at then end. That doesn't in itself make it a bad episode, the complete lack of logic plus the amateurish attempts to showcase strong female characters does. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for strong female characters but introducing them needs a deft touch, firstly to make the character herself believable and secondly to not alienate established fans with slip shod writing which grossly exaggerates their inherent abilities in an attempt to make them relevant. The problem with this approach is that it does the exact opposite. It turns the female characters into "Mary Sue's" (a fictional character who is so competent or perfect that it appears absurd even in the context of the fiction). On the flip side of that we don't want just damsels in distress either. A balance is needed and unfortunately the writers of the episode are clearly not able to do the latter, so lazily just fall back on the former. Examples of this from this episode include -

Sue saving Ralph from a beating from so no name henchman. Not beyond the realms of possibility but the henchman took direct blows to the face by Ralph and shrugged them off like it was nothing yet Sue comes along and takes him out without breaking a sweat with some dubious martial arts she learned "at the YMCA". The henchman had at least 4 stone/ 56lbs on her and was at least a foot taller. It's just not realistic (even within the superhero universe).

Iris turning up in the mirror universe and coming up with a possible escape plan after maybe a few hours there....something that hadn't occurred once to the scientist that had been stuck there for years!

Moving away from this we also have the aforementioned lack of logic within this episode. Going back to Ralph getting a beating, what happened to his superpowers? As the Elongated Man he should be virtually invulnerable yet a bog standard, non powered henchman can take him out like it's nothing. Yet later in the episode we see him shrug off a barrage of machine gun fire. So do the writers conveniently forget about his abilities when it suits the story purpose? Again bad writing.

The writers need to get smarter. Start writing more believable characters. Men AND women can be flawed (the can, make peace with it) so filling the Arrowverse with Mary Sues will just dilute the characters and make viewers stop caring about them. Also stop conveniently ignoring in universe rules and logic to progress the story. If you've written yourself into a corner, rip it up and start again.

I came to this show after watching the trailer which looked intriguing and (somewhat rarely these days) original. Now, I've never read or even heard of the comic before the show so my review is based purely on the series. I'm currently up to episode 5 so I feel that's enough to give a fair assessment. The show has promise but as usual with a lot of Netflix series the focus seems aimed at the wrong target. The trailer marketed the show as a horror/ fantasy mix but the bulk of the storyline seems focused on the teenagers frankly boring school lives and social interactions. I found my attention wandering during these scenes or even just skipping over them. The progression of the story goes at a glacial pace and the writers spend too much time making what should be sub pots into the main storyline. Again this is another in a long line of series where it promises something and then actually delivers a naval gazing, angst ridden teen drama. Staying with the writing, there are elements of this that need an overhaul from character reactions to inconsistent personalities to paper thin character types. The teenage kids, upon finding these miraculous keys that can do wondrous things, act so blasé about it you'd think it's something they come across every day (imagine waking up one morning to discover you have superpowers, then shrugging it off and going back wondering if a girl/ boy you like likes you back). The mother walks around in a semi daze half the time and it probably would have no detrimental affect to the overall story if her character just suddenly disappeared. I could go on but to sum up the series it has potential but the story needs to be tighter and more exciting. It's weird to say that a story about magic keys that can take you anywhere you want, literally turn you into a ghost or allow you to physically take stroll around your own mid can be quite dull and laboured to watch. Perhaps this is another example of Netflix having the nugget of a good idea but stretching it out over too many episodes so having to resort to "filler" which, if the story has teens in it, is usually about their silly and boring social lives.

After finishing the third episode of Dracula I am now completely convinced of something I have suspected for a while..... Stephen Moffat cannot write! As is usual with Moffatt dramas the longer it goes on the more it begins to completely unravel and episode 3 proves that. The series started off well enough and I enjoyed episode 1. Episode 2 dragged on a bit too long and parts of it felt like filler but on the whole not bad. Episode 3 comes across like it was made by a totally new production team and that the writers were just indulging their need to appear oh so clever. Problem is with Moffatt is that he isn't as smart as he thinks he is. He's a decent enough writer of standalone episodes (where also there is someone else in charge to rein in his excesses) but when giving a free pass to do what he wants he always loses control. Episode 3 just came across as disjointed nonsense with Dracula committing suicide in the end because of some psycho babble about him being afraid he can't die, blah blah. Absolute rubbish that Moffatt probably thought sounded really clever on paper. Seriously BBC, this guy is a hack who has been extremely lucky in the past by riding on the coat tails of more talented writers. It only gets the 3 stars as Claes Bang and Dolly Wells were great (with the material they had). Also BBC, please give this whole super duper "woke" thing a rest. I'm a Liberal and even I was rolling my eyes at parts of this series. Write a good show first, worry about representation afterwards.

Well, I'm up to episode 5 and it's a bit of a slog to say the least. I keep telling myself it'll get better but that hope is quickly fading. The premise of the show, a vampire plague building to confrontation between humans and vampires, is not particularly original having recently been done in The Strain and The Passage. Therefore strong writing and performances are needed to make it stand out. Unfortunately it lacks both. The writing and the dialogue is poor, like it was written by a media studies student for their end term project. The acting is wooden (can we all club together to buy Ian Somerholder a second facial expression) but the worst crimes are the endless clichés and lack of logic. In one scene you have a young couple getting it on in a car by a graveyard when the girl suddenly "I can hear something, go check it out". I mean really? Some others things that annoyed me - The fact they keep referring to the main antagonist by his full name is weird. The doctor constantly lecturing people on how the vampires are innocent and the victims of disease who do not really want to kill (despite the fact he sees himself several times them willingly killing). The fact the main antagonist is ALL over the news yet none of the people he encounters recognises him. I could go on. I'll watch it until then end simply because it's Netflix so no waiting around for episodes but if this were a week by week show I'd have given up after episode 2.

Before I start this let me first say that I have waited until episode 7 to post a review so nobody can accuse me of a knee jerk reaction based on the initial first episode alone. I also have no problem with the so called "politics" of the show, I have no issues with a female lead show (sad I have to say that but that's the way things are these days unfortunately). That being said I don't feel I can really recommend Batwoman. It has nothing to do with woke, influences people claim are pervading it which I genuinely don't feel are present (at least not to the degree that makes it stand out from similar shows). I get the impression that a lot of people reviewed the show badly based on the trailer (which I think even the most reasonable person would admit was poor and badly thought through). The problem with Batwoman for me is the focus seems to be on Kate Kane's life beyond the cape. Many might say that is necessary to build the drama and the character to which I agree to an extent but there needs to be some balance. No one comes to a superhero wanting to watch 45 minutes of the main character pining over her ex, having daddy issues, staring into the distance etc, and 10 or so minutes of actual superheroics. There is a serious tone pervading through the show which should work for a character like Batwoman but it feels like it's aimed at the wrong places. Your ex is with someone else, get over it. The other problem (and a pet hate of mine) is the abandonment of 'in universe logic'. The first problem is with Kate Kane/ Batwoman herself. Bruce Wayne trained for years and years to hone is skills not just in fighting but detection and other specialised fields. It also helps that he's a polymath. Even so (and for anyone who has ever read/ watched Batman: One) he still struggled during his first years as Batman. It's therefore unbelievable that someone like Kate Kane can basically throw on the costume and hit the floor running. Yes she has military training but the training Bruce Wayne put himself through went to another level entirely so Kate Kane being so convincing the press initially mistake her for Batman seems to be stretching credibility. I think that might also be why so many have a problem with the show as the perception for them is Kate is effortlessly the equal of Bruce Wayne even with her lesser training simply due the fact she is a woman which somehow makes up for the short fall. I don't personally agree with that, I feel it's merely down to mediocre writing and the team behind the show not thinking things through. There's also the problem of the world she inhabits i.e. Gotham. In this show Batman did a disappearing act several years prior and the city has been without him in that time. Okay, I can grudgingly go along with that. What doesn't make sense is where is everyone else? Where is Gordon, The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler? Are we to believe when Batman disappeared they all did too? Why didn't one of the Robins (who have been acknowledged to exist in the Arrowverse) step in and take over the cowl? There are 'hints' in the series but that's just another way over the show shouting "look over there" and then running in the opposite direction. I understand the behind the scenes reasons why these characters are absent but setting the show in Gotham and then having zero familiar characters seems pointless. I feel this could easily have been avoided if Batwoman had NOT been set in Gotham. It could easily have been set in another corrupt city of which Kate Kane has connections (her father for example), she returns there after years away and decides to imitate her cousin in making a difference there. That way you avoid all the mess of being in Gotham, can introduce new characters to your hearts content without trampling all over canon and even have Batman still active but simply elsewhere. Again I feel this is down to the creative team behind the show not thinking things through. On the plus side I think Ruby Rose does a more than decent job with what she has to work with (I genuinely don't get the hate for her) and the character of Alice (whilst obviously an ersatz Joker/ Harley Quinn) is not too bad either. I feel the problem with this show, and also with Supergirl, is the feeling that it's a consolation prize as we can't have the shows we really want - Batman (and Superman). That's not misogyny, that seems to be the general impression I get from male and female friends who are Arrowverse fans and the feeling on the less reactionary, more tolerant fandom sites. Watch it, make up your own mind but for me the show needs to be better thought out and get a better balance between action and drama if it's to survive.

I looked forward to seeing this when the first trailer but now I have I wish I hadn't bothered. I remember seeing the trailer but then nothing since which did make me wonder why the BBC were not promoting it more aggressively as money does seem to have been spent on it. I then heard they had quietly released it on the other side of the world to not much fanfare and after watching it I know why. Clearly the BBC has no faith in it. I mean, how can you make a show about an alien invasion and basically commit about ten collective minutes of screentime to it? The first episode started out OK and did a good job of building the tension but then it all kind of fizzled out. The writers seem to think the viewer would be more interested in a mundane sub plot involving the main characters romantic problems that just seems to go on and on and on. The flash forwards suddenly come from nowhere and really slam the brakes on the story flow (what little of it there is) and are just dreary drudgery with nothing happening. The final episode was just a slog to get though and when it ended my reaction was "that's it"?? On a positive note the costumes and effects are decent and Rafe Spall and Robert Carlysle do their best with what they have got and are the only things preventing this getting one star.

So this isn't dreadful but for a comedy it does struggle to even raise a smile. That being said it has its moments but the writing is quite lazy and relies on tired old stereotypes like the men are incompetent and work shy and the women are smart and in control. Of course we don't actually SEE that, rather you have the women constantly patting themselves on the back and criticising the blokes. That's not to say the latter half isn't true but in reality they're all pretty useless and unlikable. The blonde girl is constantly jumping off the boat for selfish and frivolous reasons and the gamer girl is sanctimonious and irritating but they are still better than the guys who are one dimensional and boring. I've just finished ep 3 so I'll stick with it but it could have been much better.

The JR show used to be THE premier chat show in the UK with really high profile celebs sitting on the couch. Unfortunately those days are long gone and for the last few years it's just come across as a poor man's Graham Norton show. Whomever is booking the guests for the JR show really needs to start making more of an effort as these days it's mainly just a conveyor belt of dull, uninteresting C list celebs with a VERY occasional big star. Contrast that with GN who seems to pull in multiple Hollywood A list megastars on a weekly basis. For example, GN this week had Jason Momoa, Emilia Clarke, Regina and Camila Cabello (and that's that not even a big week) whereas JR has three people from Strictly Come Dancing, one member of One Direction (remember when they were a thing), a not very well known UK comedian and somebody from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy who I have literally never heard of. Seriously ITV, start making more of an effort with this show or else put it out to pasture as at this point it's just getting embarrassing.

As a huge Batman fan since I was a kid (39 now) I had always known of Bill Finger and his contribution to the character so if you are a true fan a lot of the first half of the doc won't highlight anything you didn't already know. However the second half which tracks down his existing family and the fight to get him officially recognised is worth sticking with it. On the downside I do feel it drags in places and some of it is quite dry but overall it's something every Batman fan should watch.

So let's start with the positives. The battle itself was great and the genuine tension building up through the episode was captivating. Unfortunately that's about it. I really hate to write a negative review of GoT but this episode really dropped the ball. For seven seasons the story has been slowly building toward the White Walker invasion of Westeros and then, all of a sudden, its just over with. Anti climatic is an understatement. I have no problem with Arya being the one to off the Night King but for this ultimate threat to be snubbed out so easily makes it feel like everything that came before was pointless. For years we've had Jon telling everyone that the politics of Westeros were inconsequential when compared to the coming threat of the WW's. However this proved to be untrue. What is the point of Jon's story (and resurrection), what was the point of even introducing the Night King (a character not in the books), what was the point of the Prince that was Promised prophecy? For the first time ever I can genuinely say that I'm not really bothered about the next episode. If the next, and final ever, 3 episodes deal with trying to get Cersei off the Iron Throne and/or bickering over politics then I fear this great TV show will go out with a whimper rather than a bang.