Arrow Season 1 Review

I never watched Smallville.  Despite being a big comic book fan I never went out of my way to watch what some call ‘the best superhero show on TV’.  I saw a handful of episodes and hated them and many of my friends continually told me of how the show just continued to loose quality.  As such when Arrow was announced I was extremely sceptical about what to expect.  I went into the first episode with no expectations and thinking I was going to hate it.  I’m pleased to say that I was proved completely wrong.

There are a lot of television shows that takes time to  find its feet and perfect their tone and storytelling during their first episodes, and to be fair Arrow did have that problem, with the show initially feeling like a mixture of Nolan’s Batman films, Lost and a handful of other television shows.  However, despite taking a few episode to figure out exactly the type of show that they wanted to make these first episodes were still exciting and competently made.

The island story could easily be its own amazing show.

The shows writers took some artistic licence during these early stages of the show that could have very easily driven viewers away, especially those with an attachment to the character from the comics.  Traditionally a character that works on his own and doesn’t have a large cast around him here Oliver Queen was given not just a family unit but also a group of allies to aid him in his crime fighting.  Both of these new elements not only made sense to the character but also went a long way to creating interesting character development and story beats.

Without doubt two of the best character arcs in the first series were Oliver’s bodyguard turned crime fighting partner John Diggle, watching the two of them go from cold and hostile to brothers in arms was hugely rewarding.  Oliver’s mother, Moira Queen was another amazing addition to the show, set up as a potential villain in the early episodes it was amazing to watch as the characters true motivations and involvement in the villains ‘Undertaking’ come to light and her shot at redemption in the final episode.

The Dark Archer proves to be an amazing villain for Oliver.

Another way in which the show stumbled at first was finding the right quality of acting.  Despite having a great cast it definitely seemed to take the cast a while to find their characters voices and motivations.  He may have physically looked the part but Stephen Amell certainly took a while to find the right presence in his action role, though his struggle to find the right tone as an actor does kind of mirror Oliver finding his footing as a vigilante in Starling City.  Despite these clunky starts the quality of acting come the end of the season was on top form, especially switching between the present and Olivers time on the island where you could see that he was quite clearly playing two very different versions of the same character.

Just like the ever expanding story of Oliver taking down The Undertaking in Starling City his time on the island also continued to evolve and expand, taking us in interesting new directions and very quickly became one of the most interesting aspects of the show, especially when Oliver was teamed up with Slade Wilson.  A surprise relationship that worked extremely well and built what could have been a boring island story into something so exciting and complex that it could easily stand on its own two feet.  It also went a long way in showing how that shows writers aren’t afraid to change things up and challenge fans expectations by having Olive become friends with one of DC’s biggest villains.

Arrow isn't afraid to challenge fans expectations of characters.

As the season progresses it starts to leave the ‘villain of the week’ formula behind and build towards the climax of the underlying story in two epic episodes filled to the brim with amazing action pieces, shocking story turns and some of the best character moments in the whole show, ensuring that when the final credits roll you’ll be eagerly awaiting the second season.

A show that started off as a very entertaining and competent superhero drama that over the course of the season built up into something more engaging and intricate filled with great character moments and action sequences that aren’t watered down for television.  A great start to what will hopefully be an amazing show that could far surpass Smallville as one of the best superhero shows.

Amy.
xx

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Doctor Who 'Prisoners of Time' Issue 3 Review

Issue 3 of ‘Prisoners of Time’ begins with the third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith being summoned by his former companion and UNIT member Liz Shaw to assist with an extremely unusual situation.  The planet is being wracked with rain storms and the Brigadier is acting irrationally and is ordering troop movements that make no sense what so ever.  When confronted by the Doctor it is revealed that the Brigadier is being controlled by the Remoraxians, a race that has come to earth to ‘aquaform’ the planet.

The Doctor, Liz, Sarah Jane and the Brigadier must travel below the ocean surface to a UNIT Nautical Facility where the alien invasion has established their foothold and find a way of stopping their plans before the rest of the world ends the attack the only way they know how, by launching a nuclear strike on Great Britain.

The artwork captures the style and action of Pertwee's Doctor.

The third issue of ‘Prisoners of Time’ perfectly captures the feel of the Pertwee era of the show, it sets its action on earth and delivers characterisation that is very true to the original versions seen on television.

The characters are all portrayed very well, with the Doctor displaying his usual disdain for authority, having plenty of tricks up his sleeves and not being afraid to get down and dirty with the alien invaders and start throwing a punch or two.  His relationship with the Brigadier is also great to see and the two of them work brilliantly with each other, just going to re-enforce one again that the Brigadier was truly the Doctors greatest friend.

The choice in assistants is also great, with not only the most famous assistant of all time in the form of Sarah Jane Smith, but the return of one of my personal  favourites Liz Shaw.  Pertwees first assistant, Liz Shaw was something of a mould breaker, less the damsel in distress and more an intellectual equal to the Doctor her brief time in the show had some of the best episodes in the shows history and it is wonderful to see her make an appearance in the 50th anniversary comic.

The Doctor and the Brigadier still work brilliantly together.

The books artwork is done very competently, with the characters instantly recognisable and each of the locations looking different and interesting.  The colours can skip from dark and moody to bright and flashy in an instant when the Doctor bursts into action and complements the story telling perfectly, helping you to feel the excitement as the action kicks into gear.

Another great issue of what is shaping up to be a very interesting series, though not quite 100% perfect.  It is a shame that a story that’s celebrating the Pertwee era does not also include UNIT personnel Benton and Yates, or his arch enemy the Master.  Aside from these small quibbles, however, a great read.

8/10

Amy.
xx

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Delve into the Metro

Unfortunately not many people that I know have played the Metro games, or even heard of them which is a huge shame as Metro 2033 and its recent sequel Metro: Last Light are two of the better games available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.  Based o the novels written by Dimitry Glukhovsky Metro offers a great mixture of first person shooting, stealth, story and supernatural intrigue.

Metro 2033

 

Metro 2033 follows the story of the young Metro dweller Artyom as he is drawn into a battle to protect his home station, and by further extent the whole of the Metro, from the sinister forces of the Dark Ones.  Forced to travel through the Metro on a mission to save the last of humanity we see Artyom grow from an inexperienced young man into a hardened warrior.

The game is going to have a number of people complaining about it, and to be fair straight from the start the shooting element in the game isn’t really that great.  The weapons can sometimes feel underpowered and enemies can soak up round after round without reacting, but the game isn’t designed to be a hardcore shooter.

Metro isn’t supposed to be played as a running and gunning type of game.  You need to take your time and being stealthy, watching your enemies movements and planning your assault appropriately.  When played this way Metro changes from a mediocre shooter into a well crafted adventure.

Fight for survival against hideous mutants and monsters.

Add to this great stealth and action element monsters and the supernatural the game really stands out from the rest of the crowd.  With sections of the game dedicated to traversing the wasteland on the surface, avoiding traps and mutated nasties and Metro tunnels filled with the tormented spirits of those that have died there. 

In addition to the unique type of game play and story are some really very beautiful visuals and excellent level designs that create a truly unique atmosphere and location.  There are a lot of other games set in a post nuclear apocalypse or in abandoned locations, such as Bioshock and Fallout, but Metro stands above these as a truly believable location.  A lot of this comes from the Metro inhabitants, who go about their day and have their own conversations that you can listen in on that goes a long way to going towards making a believable world.

The Metro becomes a very real place.

Metro 2033 crafts its story amazingly well, letting the events unfold slowly over the course of the game, leading you in a certain direction but all the while giving you just enough intrigue to question the actions of Artyom and his companions.  Following these clues and performing certain specific actions can reveal a hidden second ending referred to as the ‘good ending’.  It takes a lot of time and effort to uncover this ending but is worth the effort as it reveals some unique plot points that gives hints to the direction that the sequel, Metro Last Light, will explore. 

A great game that plays wonderfully well despite its faults and dares to try and give us something other than a generic first person shooter.  8/10

 

Metro Last Light

Set almost a year after the events of 2033, Last Light sees the return of series hero Artyom who is now a Ranger of the Metro.  The game follows Artyom as he attempts to find the last surviving Dark One and repair the damage that he wrought at the end of 2033, whilst also exploring the results of the discovery of the military outpost D6, found in the latter parts of 2033.

A fully self contained military bunker filled with supplies and weapons D6 has become the home of the Metro Rangers, it's become the Metro system's most coveted station city.  This forces Artyom into direct conflict with several human factions within the Metro as each tries to find and conquer the fabled D6.

This allows Last Light to build upon the world established in 2033 and explore how the humans that have survived the nuclear apocalypse govern themselves and interact with each other.  It sheds light on some of the worst parts of human nature and our love of warfare and self destruction, yet doesn’t get preachy or overly melancholy when doing so.

The Metro is home to many monsters, some human.

Last Light manages to continue on the story of 2033 and improve upon the previous game in every way.  We are treated to completely new environments, with the only repeat visit to a past location being the D6 station, and each new place both above and bellow ground is given a unique look and feel.  For a game set within an underground rail system the game designers are able to offer us a vast wealth of spectacle and wonder to explore.

New and interesting enemies prowl these strange new surroundings, as well as classic monsters making a return, and with the savage winter above ground making way to spring the surface world has been transformed from rocks and ice to watery marshlands.

The game also introduces lots of little game play changes that go a long way to making for a much more enjoyable and immersive experience, from customisable weaponry to having to clean your gas mask visor when dirty.  Last Light feels like a completely fresh experience rather than a quick and easy sequel where the developers really have put in a lot of work and effort to make the best experience they could.

The surface takes on a strange beauty as winter passes.

One of the biggest improvements made over the original is the gunplay element.  In the first game entering into a gunfight could very quickly lead to Artyom becoming overwhelmed by the enemy followed by a nasty death. 

This time round the combat is one of the more enjoyable elements of the game, making stealthing an optional way of playing the game rather than a necessity.  The stealth element has also improved greatly, with neat little additions such as being able to unscrew light bulbs and cut power in areas to assist you move unnoticed. 

Explore a unique and engaging story.

Last Light has improved upon everything 2033 did wrong and everything it did right to create one of the best action adventure games around.  Though it could be played on its own and still enjoyed for the great game it is it’s definitely worth playing together with 2033 to give the gamer a fantastic experience.  9/10

Amy.
xx

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Doctor Who 'The Name of the Doctor' Review

So far series seven of Doctor Who has been a series of ups and downs, with some of the shakiest episodes since the show returned.  However, the final episode ‘The Name of the Doctor’ comes along and delivers what was one of the most amazing episodes to watch in a very, very long time.  An episode that makes it feel like a celebration of the 50^th Anniversary already and stunningly sets the stage for the 50^th Anniversary Special in November.

‘The Name of the Doctor’, whilst an amazing episode in its own right, is nothing more than set up for the special, but when the quality was that good who cares?  So full of nostalgic look backs on the history of the show giving us clips and sound bites of previous Doctors and references galore it services long term fans in such without alienating the new.

Right back to the beginning.

Okay, the episode wasn’t perfect, their were things that didn’t quite make sense and a couple of Strax lines that ended up feeling forced and detrimental to what was happening but these faults couldn’t take away from those other moments that made this the best episode since the show returned with Christopher Eccleston way back in 2005.

The episode begins with an amazing pre-credits scene that goes a little towards explaining who and what Clara is without revealing all too early and is sure to make the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end.  After that it takes us a while before we see the Doctor, but the slow build to his arrival, the set up of the central mystery and threat and ramping of tension makes this first section jump out of the screen with energy.  It also provides us with what is only the first of many moments of heartbreak as poor Jenny Flint comes to the realisation that she’s been killed during the groups ‘psychic call’.

The Great Intelligence and the creepy Whispermen.

From here on out the heartache doesn’t stop and we get to see some of the absolute best acting that Matt Smith has ever been given during his tenure on the show.  The moment he realises what Trenzalore is and that he has to go there is one of the most frightening, not because of any kind of monster or threat but because we see the Doctor afraid, truly terrified to the point of tears.

River Song is also used wonderfully well throughout the episode, unable to interact with anyone but Clara she’s reduced to a ghost, which is appropriate as this is the River from after her death in ‘Silence in the Library’.  The moment when the Doctor and her say goodbye is so tender and so sad that it will guarantee to make even the hardest of fans cry.  We get to see that despite their strange start the Doctor and River really do love each other, and that her loss has deeply affected the Doctor.  With her final line in the episode ‘Goodbye sweetie’ and this being the latest version of River leads me to think that this is probably the last time that we will be seeing her.  It is a shame if that is true as I love her character, but this feels like the perfect ending to her and the Doctors story.

A goodbye to River?

After all of the spectacle and wonder of the rest of the episode Moffat had a hell of a task giving us the spectacular ending he promised, boy did he deliver.  The slow reveal of Doctor we had not yet seen, the man whose actions mean he does not deserve to use the name Doctor was so stunning and sets up so perfectly for the upcoming special.  

Roll on November!

Despite not revealing the Doctors name (something which I am grateful for) Moffat has set up such an intriguing mystery that the wait to November is going to be one of the toughest six months.  An amazing episode that made up for the fairly lack lustre series so far and left me shocked, stunned and in tears.  10/10.

Amy.

xx

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Iron Man 3 Review

WARNING - This review will contain spoilers - WARNING

Iron Man 3 is the first film in Marvel Studios ‘Phase Two’ following hot on the heels of last years massive hit Avengers.  Unfortunately Iron Man 3 feels like a misstep rather than the run away hit they needed at this stage.  The first film of ‘Phase Two’ will go a long way to shape the style of this second batch of movies, and unfortunately it feels like Thor 2 is going to have to pick up the pieces that Iron Man 3 let slip through its fingers.

The plot focuses on Tony Stark as he deals with the aftermath of the alien invasion in New York whilst combating the threat posed by the international terrorist known as The Mandarin.

Tony is initially on the periphery of the Mandarin and his campaign of terror, but when his friend Happy Hogan is injured in one of the terrorist attacks Tony issues a challenge to the Mandarin, one that is very quickly accepted with dire consequences.

On the run, with failing equipment and a shattered psyche Tony is forced to confront The Mandarin head on, and instead finds a much deeper web of intrigue.

 

Iron Man faces the Extremis enhances soldiers.

Iron Man 3 takes a lot of inspiration from the comic book story line Extremis and takes the ideas from the book in their own direction, pushing the character of Aldrich Killian to the fore as the films main antagonist. 

Taking a page from other Marvel stories the team behind Iron Man 3 also give don Cheadle’s Rhodey a make over, upgrading his armour from the classic War Machine to the much more colourful Iron Patriot.  Despite being a whole other character completely Rhodey’s transformation makes complete sense within the film and gives him a stunning look.

Despite the film feeling like something of a missed opportunity the change of directors from Jon Favreau to Shane Black gives the film a completely new feel and prevents the franchise from becoming stale, especially when Black is able to work some of his Lethal Weapon style magic by having Tony and Rhodey taking on the bad guys out of their armour.

 

War Machine upgrades to the Iron Patroit.

The main fault with the film, however, has to be the portrayal of The Mandarin.  Iron Mans most iconic villain, bringing him to life on screen was bound to be something of a challenge.  Instead of stepping up to the challenge the team behind the film don’t actually deliver The Mandarin, but instead give us a ‘fake’ villain who is simply a front man for the films real puppet master.  For the casual viewers this probably won’t be a problem, but for comic book fans it feels like we were promised one thing and given another.  No matter how good the rest of the film might be having spent several months waiting to see The Mandarin and being given nothing is a major, major let down and has me doubting the future Marvel movies.

An entertaining film with some great action sequences and character moments that the casual viewer will enjoy but the hardcore comic fans will be disappointed with.  6/10.

Amy.

xx

  
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