"Arrow (Season 3)" Review

Superhero TV shows had been in decline for years before 2012, with only Smallville (which had even began to receive more mixed reviews towards the end of its ten seasons) being there for comic book readers eager to see their favourite heroes without travelling out to the cinema. Then Arrow came along and changed the game. Introducing the character of Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow, the show featured some exciting twists on famous characters which have surged in popularity since the beginning of the stories. It seemed like it couldn't get any better. That was before the launch of season 2. Featuring fan favourite character Deathstroke (played expertly by Spartacus star Manu Bennett), excellent storylines and fantastic choreography, season 2 fixed the problems and improved on all the best points of the first season. Due to this, expectations were naturally high for the third installment in Oliver Queen's story. Did it deliver? Yes and no. 

The previous seasons have tended to involve a villain attacking Oliver Queen's life and city, and one of my biggest fears was that this was going to become a formula for the format of the show. Luckily, the showrunners and writers have opted to make the threat much more psychological in the form of Ra's Al Ghul (not played by Liam Neeson from "Batman Begins" unfortunately) and his League of Assassins. An interesting threat for Oliver to face. If only it was not the only interesting villain in the season (perhaps besides Vinnie Jones' Brick). There are a series of dull and underdeveloped villains which feature in this particular season of Arrow. Murmur, Deathbolt and Joseph Cray, to name but a few. It can be difficult to become invested in an episode if the villain is boring.

Arrow has also had the tradition of featuring flashbacks in between the main present day action of episodes to Oliver's five year period away from Starling City, with this season revealing that it was partly spent in Hong Kong rather than completely on a "deserted" island. Unfortunately, this year, the flashback sequences were awful. Devoid of any real interesting characters and links to the present day (besides one character and an almost completely unexplained bioweapon), these sections felt like nothing more than a way for the writers to draw out the run time of each episodes.

However, a story element where Arrow has been extremely successful is in its links to its sister show, The Flash. Featuring a crossover episode early on in the season, along with cameos from various characters throughout the course of the action, these links allow the writers to further expand the world and mythology of both shows, while opening up new opportunities for both shows, now able to share both heroes and villains. While successful, however, it also raises one major plot hole for the whole season: why not just call Barry AKA The Flash to help in serious situations, like with Ra's Al Ghul? While he may have his own problems in Central City, all of Oliver's massive issues could have been stopped quickly with the help of the speedster. 

The quality of acting in the show has remained to a high standard, unlike the flashbacks and secondary character development. Stephen Amell continues to bring heart and humour to the character of Oliver Queen, clearly conveying the troubled mind of the vigilante as he is pushed to his limits. Matt Nable is the guest villain of the season, portraying Ra's Al Ghul, the Head of the Demon. Although not initially threatening, Nable soon shows his Ra's to be equally, if not more, intimidating and physically imposing that Liam Neeson's version. The secondary cast is also treated well, such as the rest of "Team Arrow." Amell and the rest of the heroes have excellent chemistry and are incredibly effective together in all aspects of the show, action-packed, emotional, and dramatic alike.

Arrow is primarily an action series, and the choreography of the show has been consistently excellent, and it pleases me to say that the stunt directors have continued their streak. Rather than sticking to mainly guns or bows, sword and more close combat action has been added to the episodes. That only makes it all the more important for this design and choreography to be spot on. The fight sequences, and in particular those between Oliver and other assassins, look excellent, with the actors and stunt doubles excelling in their roles. The visual effects, including a plane crash and different explosions, are also strong and consistent throughout the entirety of the season. 

There is no denying that season 3 of Arrow would have always have had trouble living up to the success of the other two seasons of the show. While the acting and interesting stories remain intact, along with links to Arrow's sister show The Flash adding an extra level of enjoyment, especially for comic book fans, it is unfortunate that problems and plot holes still arise. Flashbacks simply came across as a distraction from Oliver's more entertaining present day battles, and even then they were burdened with a series of weak villains. Arrow is no doubt still an enjoyable for general audiences and comic readers alike, but the third season unfortunately falls short of expectations. Here's hoping that season 4 can recover by picking up the loose threads of three years of episodes.

Pros

• Excellent acting as per usual
• Impressive fight sequences
• Crossovers with The Flash
• Interesting League of Assassins storyline

Cons

• Various weak villains
• Poor flashback sequences this time round
• Just call Barry!

Rating: 6/10

Original Release Date: 29th January 2015

Starring: Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards, Katie Cassidy, Willa Holland, John Barrowman, Paul Blackthorne, Colton Haynes, Matt Nable

"Mad Max: Fury Road" Review

The original Mad Max films are considered modern classics in the action genre. Charting the journey of the "Road Warrior," Max Rockatansky, in a post-apocalyptic Australia, it has been 30 years since the release of the third in the trilogy, Beyond Thunderdome. This continuation to the franchise has been in the works since that 1985 release, initially with original Max Mel Gibson to star in 2001. This was prevented, however, through all sorts of writing, production and cast issues. The film had been in development purgatory for 25 years and it was beginning to seem unlikely that it would ever be released. But that time has finally come, with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron srarring in "Mad Max: Fury Road."  

The character of Max has always been quiet and reserved, and Hardy chooses to replicate this personality in the new movie. Other secondary characters do have more lines than the titular character. While it is arguable whether or not Hardy is a better actor than Mel Gibson, which is a matter of opinion. However, it is undeniable that he is able to perform his own stunts and action scenes where appropriate without any problems. Whether or not this movie should have been called "Mad Max" is another question entirely. It should have been called "Furiosa." It's Charlize Theron's character of Imperator Furiosa who seems like the more main character in the film. It is much easier to connect emotionally with her character based on her mission to help free those under the control of the villainous Immortan Joe (played by Hugh Keays-Byrne, who also played the villain Toecutter in the very first movie). Theron also performs admirably in the action sequences herself. The secondary cast of the movie is also treated well, and in particular Nicolas Hoult's character of the War Boy Nux, who goes through his own story and emotional arc over the course of the movie. While I can praise the movie itself and the writing throughout the entirety of the review, it is impossible to ignore a few cliched elements of the film: the opening news reports, a certain character's redemption story and even characters dropping to their knees and screaming in times of emotional distress. Although small gripes, and though they do not hold the movie back from greatness, it is hard for them not to feel familiar considering how much they have been used since 1985.

The story of the movie revolves around the efforts of Furiosa to rescue a group of Immortan Joe's captives and take them to the Green Place, where she was raised. Max is simply caught up in the middle of the action, and, while initially unwilling to help, eventually joins Furiosa's war against Joe and his brothers, the Bullet Farmer and the leader of Gas Town. Throughout the movie, director George Miller finds enough time to build the mythology of the world of Mad Max. The very fact that whole towns exist to find fuel and ammunition, along with these and water being used as currency, emphasises the broken state of this world and the struggles of the people. The set design of the weapons and vehicles also displays this, with all of them being put together with various pieces of scrap, junk and basic car parts. Miller is making clear that this is a fully populated and interesting world that still has a story to tell should more Mad Max movies be made (something already confirmed by Miller himself, with the working title being "Mad Max: The Wasteland").

However, as an action movie, a visual and action packed masterpiece would be what the majority of people would be going to see Fury Road to watch. Those people can sleep soundly knowing that the claims of many other critics that this is one of the "best action films ever made" are well justified. The colours and visual effects that have been injected into this movie are fantastic and the team behind them well and truly deserve high praise. However, the heavy use of practical effects also adds to the impact of the film. Unlike the majority of movies nowadays, an explosion is actually an explosion. Yes, that is actually Tom Hardy holding on to the side of a car in motion. When a car flips over, the prop built for the film was most likely seriously damaged in the process. Through these, the team behind Fury Road is able to enhance the experience of moviegoers to a level that simply cannot be appreciated in the frequent visual effect overhauls of the modern Hollywood. Stunt doubles also get time to shine in the various fight sequences of Fury Road, which start almost immediately. The movie wastes no time in quickly introducing the character of Max, before he is immediately chased and a fight scene ensues. The exciting and gripping opening sets the tone for the rest of the film and told me that my worries over the film were misplaced.

Nobody was quite sure what to make of this movie, 35 years after the release of the original classic. Original director George Miller, however, has managed to divert all expectations. With an excellent cast that rivals Mel Gibson as the titular character, while offering a visual and adrenaline fuelled action sequences, "Mad Max: Fury Road" has brought Max Rockatansky thundering back into the 21st century.

Pros 

• Incredible action sequences
• Charlize Theron as Furiosa and Tom Hardy as Max
• Fantastic world-building
• Compelling story
• A visual spectacle

Cons

• Some cliched plot points

Rating: 9/10

Original Release Date: May 7th, 2015

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough