Editorial: Top 10 Performances In Comic-Book Movies!!

Did you know that I love comic-book movies? If you've been reading my stuff for a while then you might have noticed a trend with how I talk about these, and tend to inject a little bit of knowledge of the source material into my reviews or thoughts on a trailer. That said, because of that knowledge, I may often be slightly more critical of the writing of a character who is begin dated to the big screen. For the most part I can be accepting even if the adaption isn't a perfect copy from the comics but it is the performance given in the movie that I am more concerned about. It is a performance as much as the writing which can give the characters the heart and soul they are imbued with in the comics, and there have been a number of great performances across the years in this genre. Thinking about those, I decided to count down the top 10 best performances actors have given in a comic book movie. There are some basic criteria which I'll be following here as well. First off, I'm including any performance given in a movie which is based on a comic book. Baring in mind that there are comics and graphic novels outside of Marvel and DC, there will be a few performances on here outside of those studios. Secondly, and finally, the movie in question must be cinematically released. That therefore excludes any animated movies, and (unfortunately) any TV shows or Netflix series. Therefore, I can't include Stephen Amell from TV's Arrow, or Krysten Ritter or David Tennant from Marvel's excellent Jessica Jones. With that out of the way, let's jump into the list!

10 - Karl Urban as Judge Dredd (Dredd)

Remember how one minute ago I said this wasn't just going to be Marvel and DC movies? Well, let's just jump in with the most recent adaption of the Judge Dredd series, which came out in 2012 with Karl Urban in the lead role. Safe to say, it was a substantial improvement over Sylvester Stallone's effort featuring Rob Schneider in 1995, and that was in large part down to Urban's work as Dredd. Less like a caricature and more gritty, Urban takes a more faithful approach to his turn as the character, crafting a troubled and dark mentor figure. It's a supremely enjoyable performance, but is only so admirable in that it takes what could have been such a simple, one-note character into a three-dimensional human being. It's a difficult task but Urban undertakes it with confidence and passes with flying colours, and it is that skill on Urban's part that makes this one of the best performances ever to grace a comic-book movie.

09 - Hugo Weaving as V (V For Vendetta)

Did you know that 2006's V For Vendetta was based on a DC comic-book from 1995? These are the kind of surprises I like to throw into this list, and I'm glad that I have, because it lets me include Hugo Weaving's stunning turn as head anarchist V. Having previously worked with writers the Wachowskis on their Matrix trilogy, Weaving entered this project as the second choice for the rule and blew all expectations out of the water. Impressively keeping his face hidden throughout the entirety of the movie behind the now iconic Guy Fawkes mask (although iconic for perhaps infamous reasons), Weaving regardless imbues the character with a strange charisma, a key personality trait to keep the audience on his side, regardless of his actions throughout the entire film. It's an extremely admirable performance in this regard, brilliantly ensuring his likability even when he chooses to go further than some might have expected the "hero" of the story to go. The movie and it's script lives or dies on the success on the portrayal of it's protagonists, and, with Weaving at the head of the cast, he succeeds in making sure this goal is accomplished.

08 - Chloë Grace Moretz as Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass)

Kick-Ass is a fairly unconventional superhero movie to say the least, and I wouldn't hold it against someone if they didn't class it as one at all. Regardless, it is based on a comic-book and I can therefore hold it on this list. It was a pretty close race between two actors to be honest with you as a reader. Nicolas Cage does brilliant work in this movie as Batman lookalike Big Daddy, and it was one of the actor's best performances in years. That said, he simply doesn't match the work done by Chloë Grace Moretz in the film as teenage assassin Hit-Girl. It's an insane role for an actress of her age at the time to tackle, but she does so superbly. She carries out action sequences excellently, somehow making everything her character accomplishes to an extent believable, intimidating, and, above all (and most importantly) extremely enjoyable to watch. Not only that, but she is excellent at carrying both the roles of Hit-Girl and her schoolgirl alternate persona Mindy. The balance she strikes between the two is extremely fun to watch, and her internal conflict between how she can continue to live both her lives is an engaging one throughout both movies in the franchise. She is simply one of the most enjoyable actors to watch across the series, and her character actions alone make her stand as one of the most memorable comic-book characters ever to be translated to the big screen.

07 - Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy)

The Guardians of the Galaxy were one of the biggest surprises of the MCU since their introduction in late 2014, becoming the second band of misfits Marvel has introduced into their universe. The heart and soul of the team is Peter Quill, who you may know as Star-Lord though he mostly just calls himself that. Chris Pratt plays the perfect intergalactic cowboy, perfectly coming across as the 80s kid torn from his world and dumped into a whole wide universe of aliens, scavengers, and insane dictators determined to find an all-powerful ancient artefact which will let him destroy entire planets. Pratt has the perfect comic timing to carry off the character's quips and charms, while he is also helped in large part by his natural chemistry with the rest of the cast. Strutting though the cosmos with his natural swagger and a wink of an eye, Pratt is the perfect actor to bring the natural coolness that comes hand in hand with the character of Star-Lord. As a reader of comics, it's rare that you ever see a character almost leap from the pages to the screen. Normally that's not something that bothers me, as changes are possible and sometimes they are necessary to work. That said, Pratt is the perfect embodiment of the character of Star-Lord, and it's difficult to see the role being cast and played any better than it has been done here.

06 - Colin Firth as Harry Hart (Kingsman: The Secret Service)

Another comic-book movie you might not have known was based on one, some might consider this a cheat of an entry since Harry Hart was not actually a character from the book. That said, this is my list. The movie is based on a comic and I'm not judging how faithful an adaption this is, so let's talk about Colin Firth's brilliant performance as Harry, now one of the best British secret agents to grace cinema. The big surprise with Firth was in his skill in knocking out the action sequences the movie demanded, but he excelled at the choreography and making the action look incredibly realistic, a key factor in keeping audience immersion. Not only that but Firth has the charm and charisma on screen to become what most would regard as the definitive idea of a British spy, suave and sophisticated with a real air of Sean Connery's James Bond about him. His interactions with the villains of the film are particularly enjoyable, rolling out puns consistently, and his status as a mentor figure is equally enjoyable and engaging. In short, it's a truly brilliant performance that stands as one of the true highlights of the spy genre and indeed the comic-book movie genre in recent years.

05 - Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (Deadpool)

Right, obviously I'm talking about X-Men Origins: Wolverine's Deadpool here. Because that was dreadful. Unspeakably so. Offensively so even. But Deadpool as he appears in 2016's Deadpool solo movie, played once again by Ryan Reynolds? Near perfection. Reynolds is the perfect Wade Wilson and is the embodiment of the Merc With A Mouth as he appears in the comics. He has all of the humour and comic timing necessary to create the ideal version of the character I could only have dreamed of (especially after the aforementioned nightmare), and is able to execute all of the action sequences perfectly and work through the costume and make-up that he is burdened with throughout most of the movie. It's a difficult task to inject emotion into a character who is mostly quips and jokes but Reynolds also manages to do this, making the character somewhat more human than he is in the comics, where he prefers to sit around, eating chimichangas, dying, and then having sex with Lady Death to bribe her into bringing him back to life when he rarely does die. Making the character more human is something which is certainly necessary for a live-action movie, and managing to accomplish this, along with retaining all of the key traits from the comics, that makes Reynolds' performance so impressive and enjoyable to watch.

04 - Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man (All Appearances)

You knew this one was coming, because how could I ever leave it out as a self-respecting movie and comic-book fan? Robert Downey Jr., since first starring in the original Iron Man in 2008, has become the definitive version of Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, and is now almost universally regarded as irreplaceable in the role, and for good reason. Having seen this character develop since the earliest days of the MCU, Downey Jr. has continually excelled at displaying the cockiness and genius of Tony Stark, but has somehow remained, despite his often nasty nature early in the universe, entirely liable throughout. That's almost certainly down to Downey Jr.'s charisma and charm that he brings to the role, and it is what makes the character so enjoyable to watch. Always with a joke on hand despite the situation to disarm the audience despite the often colossal stakes, it is Tony Stark who has remained the centre tentpole of the MCU since the very beginning and it will be a sad day when that era comes to an end, likely following the end of Avengers 4 in 2019. That said, with everything he has brought not only to the role, but also to the universe, he will leave behind an incredible legacy, undoubtedly to be remembered for years to come.

03 - Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine (X-Men - Logan)

This is another predictable entry, but one which certainly deserves a place on this list all the same. 17 years ago, the world was introduced to High Jackman's performance as Logan AKA The Wolverine. Although at that time a relative unknown, it was immediately clear that Jackman was perfect for the part, brilliantly conveying the rage and brutal ferocity the character is renowned for, as well as the tragic emotion buried deep within that adamantium skeleton. No matter how bad the movie (looking at you Origins), Jackman continued to give the role his all up until his climactic appearance in this year's Logan. This is hands down the most faithful adaptation of a comic book character that I have seen in movies, and will likely continue to be regarded as such for years to come. It's a ferocious and brilliantly raw performance, and the character's success on the silver screen is likely down, in large part, to Jackman's attitude, skill and complete understanding of everything that the character stands for in the original source material.

02 - Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach (Watchmen)

"Dog carcass lay in an alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drain finally scab over, the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about heir waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save us' ...and I'll look down, and whisper 'no'."

That speech alone gave me good reason to put Jackie Earle Haley's incredible turn as Rorschach in 2008's Watchmen on this list. As the first real dialogue in the movie, it perfectly sets the tone for what's to come in the rest of the movie, a dark and often unsettling movie, particularly when it comes to this character. It's a movie with it's problems to be sure, but Rorschach is a constantly engaging presence. Haley injects the character with a real ferocity, a determination to carry what what he deems necessary to wipe out and drown the "vermin" infesting this alternate version of New York City. Equally he also sells the emotional backstory of the character, making the motivation of the character believable and to an extent sympathise with him regardless of his actions. That said, you're not in this movie for the emotion, it's the action, and Rorschach is Ben Affleck's Batman if he went even further off of the edge. It's a fantastic and brutal performance, and without Haley's intensity and clear attention to detail, it would be safe to say that Rorschach would not be as memorable as he turned out.

01 - Heath Ledger as The Joker (The Dark Knight)

What other performance was going to take the number 1 spot? I wouldn't be surprised if you predicted this coming into the article, before even clicking on it you probably knew this was coming. The only performance in a comic-book movie to win an Oscar, the sadly late Heath Ledger's turn as The Joker as become legendary and has played a substantial role in forging who this character is now in the comics. Most comic movie villains are given some motivation, some sympathetic reason to understand their character, I've mentioned it enough with regard to all of the heroes and villains on this list. What makes The Joker so brilliant is that he doesn't have any of this, he is simply the embodiment of anarchy and chaos, a force of nature, and nothing more than pure evil incarnate. What makes Ledger so brilliant in this role is that not only does he perfectly convey the madness but at the same time genius nature of the character, but also crafts him into an interesting and constantly complex character. Did we ever find out exactly how he got his scars? Questions like these, and Joker's constantly changing stories keep us wondering if he is telling the truth, while his actions keep us questioning if he is even human. It deserves to win an Oscar, and it will go down in history as the definitive version of this character.

"Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" Movie Review - My Ultimate Guilty Pleasure?

I think that buying tickets for this film might have been the most embarrassed I've been in a cinema in a long time. Possibly the most embarrassed I've ever been. I urge you to try, just try, to go up to the desk and say "4 for Captain Underpants" and keep a straight face. That I did, and I couldn't believe what I had just spent money on. I get paid £5.55 an hour at my job so this effectively all in cost me 2 hours worth of work. A fantastic thought at first. Then the cleaners came out of our screen, and when they realised we were waiting for that one, one of them actually laughed. As in laughed out loud at what we were about to see. Yet another encouraging sign besides the admittedly dreadful trailers for this film that we were in for. So in we went, sat down, suffered through a few painful trailers for movies nobody has ever heard of, and the movie began. I don't know why we went and I don't know what I expected. All I know is that I'm glad we did because, against all odds, I can unironically say that "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" is one of the most fun films I've seen this year, a statement the rest of the group I was with (the youngest of whom was 17 for reference) agreed with.  First of all, the animation in the movie is absolutely adorable. The characters and landscapes retain a comic-book-esque style of artwork which is extremely close to the style of the drawings in the series of kids' books. Although the detail in parts of the body such as the eyes might initially seem lacking, and the other features like the size of the arms might seem in the vain of the "Despicable Me" franchise, the animators have managed to retain an impressive amount of detail to allow the characters to remain incredibly emotive throughout, even without these small details. It is this attention to the detail of emotion that separates the film from movies like those made by Illumination Entertainment, placing it on a higher level of value. There are also a few small moments of animation which harken back to the books once again, such as the "Flip-O-Rama" moment to showcase an action scene without showing the entirety. It allows the film some more fun and charming moments, and really separates it from anything else currently on the market. It's a testament to Dreamworks that they included segments like these, because it places the film on a different standard than if it had chosen to be content with telling it's story without these instances of style and flair.

The story of the movie is one which is incredibly original for modern animated movie standards, largely due to how self-aware he is. It involves two school friends, George and Harold, who hypnotise their principal Mr. Krupp to stop him from separating them into different classes. Subsequently, they turn him into their own comic-book creation, the incredible Captain Underpants, coincidentally just as a new super villain arrives in town with a view to remove the human ability to laugh. The inclusion of a character like Captain Underpants itself would seem to suggest that the movie is content with just being stupid and mindless, soulless fodder for parents to take their children to. However, not only is the movie incredibly self-aware, taking jabs at it's inherent silliness at most opportunities, but it also includes a rare and surprisingly mature message for kids. The film puts across the view that being able to laugh at yourself is actually fine, to an extent a part of life so long as others do not take it too far. Equally, it also shows that having a laugh and pulling a joke can be fine so long as you yourself do not take it too far. It's a rare message for kids, especially when a lot of kids movies would have children stay totally in line with the rules, and one which is somewhat in the vein of Dr. Seuss himself (the books, not the movies "The Lorax" or the horror show "The Cat In The Hat"). The writing in the movie is also very funny, and managed to make me laugh throughout. Self-aware humour makes up a large part of the script, and this is where a lot of my laughs came from. There's also a fair amount of toilet humour in the movie as you might have guessed and this is where I have a minor problem with the movie. Although it is implemented largely tastefully, a lot of people do not enjoy this kind of joke, and for fair reason. You may be slightly (read: very) annoyed watching this movie if you don't enjoy these jokes, and there's likely a few jokes which will not land with everyone because of the easiness - and often slightly distasteful - nature of the joke itself, although this isn't a major problem as it isn't overly done. However, what really surprised me was the number of adult jokes in the movie. Equally including jokes for kids like those I've already mentioned and small subtle quips for the parents and adults watching, this is a movie which is all but guaranteed a chuckle minimum out of everyone who watches it.

Say what you will, it's still more fun than Henry Cavill's Superman

The voice cast in the movie is also spot on. Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch star as school chums George and Harold respectively. Although both are similar in terms of their character, the two actors have great chemistry with each other and really manage to sell the dynamic between the two as friends from an extremely young age, the two of them against the world. They undergo some development which proves incredibly enjoyable to watch, and they are a great pair for the film to focus on. Ed Helms delivers his part perfectly as principal Mr. Krupp and Captain Underpants separately. Although one and the same person, Helms excels at making the two entirely distinct in their voice and mannerisms, effectively selling the hypnosis that the grumpy headteacher has been placed under to become the Waistband Warrior (they made that name up, not me, so please don't judge me for it). Lastly, Nick Kroll and Jordan Peele also make for great villains to the film. Kroll is the main adversary as the new science teacher on the scene at George, Harold, and Krupp's school, whose name is Professor Poopypants. Not the most tasteful joke in the film I'll admit, but it is drwn straight from the books and the character is given some interesting motivation which make his actions throughout the film somewhat believable. Not what he achieves you understand, but why, and to an extent you actually sympathise with the character. Peele is the probably the most stereotypical character in the movie as classroom "nerd" Melvin (the most clichéd nerd name in movie history? Possibly) but he has a fun dynamic with the rest of the cast of colourful characters in the film, so the writing shortcomings in terms of character are utterly forgivable. Essentially, all of the characters in the movie are great fun to watch, no matter when they are on screen, and the development and motivation given to each of them makes perfect sense to allow (shockingly) for us as an audience to connect to them on a deeper and more sentimental level. Of all the films that have and are going to come out this year, I didn't think I would say that about "Captain Underpants" of all films. Then again, I also didn't predict this would be one of the most charming movies of the year at well past the halfway point, and here we are.

Hair or devil's horns symbolism? I'll leave it up to you

The film also has a great score. Alright, I'll quickly get this out of the way. The movie does not actually end with a dance sequence (a thankful change of pace from the rest of modern animated films not made by Disney and Pixar) but does have a particular song which I was warned about before going into this movie. I was told it was terrible. I didn't think it would be THAT terrible. The song (which I have listened to more than once before writing this and have lost many brain cells in the process) ticks practically every box of the modern children's song, and comes across as the most clichéd garbage not even the darkest depths of YouTube could produce. I pray for the parents of children who want to stay for this song or the cinema workers who have to clean the screens while this song plays (likely to be repeated up to three times throughout the credits). That said, the actual score which accompanies the film is excellent. Theodore Shapiro's score takes jabs at the majority of modern superhero movies and is a great accompaniment to the superhero parody playing on the screen. The editing in the movie is also excellent. That might seem to be a strange thing to pick up on in an animated movie, but the use of comic panel-style transitions is a fun little detail which has been added into the movie, again harkening back to the film's roots as a kids' book which takes the layout of a comic book itself. Montages and sequences are also stylishly edited together to make them interesting to watch rather than the random jumble of clips a lot of modern animated movie studios seem to be content to leave the matter at. It's attention to small details like these that makes "Captain Underpants" such a joy and a pleasant surprise to watch.

What's funny about this?

What more is there to say about "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie"? I thought this film was going to be terrible, I truly did. I think a small part of me might have wanted it to be, just to see another bad movie to put a review up here. I know that's not right but I saw "Valerian" regardless so there you go. That said, at risk of all of my credibility and any right to call a film distasteful again, "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" was a supremely fun time watching. Beautifully animated and boasting an original story, the movie is constantly engaging and funny, including your often standard jokes for kids (even though even here the writers are able to innovate) and some jokes for adults as well. However, the true strength of the movie is in how self-aware the movie is. With fourth-wall breaking to an extent to rival 2016's "Deadpool", and jokes throughout indicating the writers own knowledge (and acknowledgment) of the inherent silliness of the concept, the movie embraces wholeheartedly it's nature, and is a heck of a lot more fun because of that. Fully prepared to admit what it is and adapt the books often more than faithfully, it is a movie which I urge you to try in spite of the title. It's funny, it's actually the most appropriate title they could have picked despite it's confidence. The movie was indeed great, and I hope that this is only the start.

Pros

• Adorable animation
• Constantly funny
• An original plot
• Brilliantly voice acted
• Fun characters
• A killer score
• Great editing
• Incredibly self-aware, adding to the fun/absurdity
• Appealing to both adults and kids alike

Cons

• Don't watch if you can't stand toilet humour

Rating: 9/10

Original Release Date: 24th of July, 2017

Starring Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Jordan Peele, and Kristen Schaal

"Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets" Movie Review - Valerian Ascending

I do not set out to see bad movies, Generally, I try to avoid them at all costs, and will typically not see a movie which has had some especially bad marketing. Quite why I then allowed Luc Besson's new movie "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" to break my rule I don't think even I'll ever really understand. The trailers were terrible and nothing about the marketing was particularly ambitious or interesting. Maybe it was the effects that lured me in? Maybe the promise of some at least interesting action? Maybe it was that the film was being hailed as the director's "masterpiece", even after he made movies such as "Leon" and "The Fifth Element"? I don't know, but I let whatever it was get the better of me despite my concerns and better judgement. The result of that was that I was subjected to one of the worst movies of the year so far, and something that is ultimately the definition of "all style, no substance". Let's be clear on that point first though. Luc Besson, in a similar way to Michael Bay at this point, has a real eye and talent for visual flair in his movies, and knows how to direct actors and the creation of a CGI landscape. The visual effects and CGI in the movie is absolutely stunning to behold, particularly when we are first introduced to the city of Alpha via a series of long shots through the different districts of the city, and the various species which inhabit them. The different alien creatures also look great (apart from a set of three irritating duck-like creatures which I found hideous to look at), and all of the effects seamlessly work through all of the action beats as well. It also keeps a very graphic-novel style of effect, almost cartoon like, which is somewhat admirable given the film's graphic novel origins. However, there is one unfortunate problem right off the bat with the landscapes. They are simple not very interesting to look at. The alien creatures are all inherently generic designs when you really look at them, and nothing comes across as very intriguing about any of them. It's like watching a swarm of "Ben 10" characters, and even they were more visually arresting. The city itself and all of the landscape is also inherently dull, and fails to really capture audience imagination. There's a red light district, a fishing district, and so forth. Nothing feels like anything that couldn't be seen on Earth, except that it is populated with alien creatures. Unfortunately, sometimes, that's not enough.

The basic plot of the movie is that the city of Alpha, which is home to the races and cultures of a thousand different planets, comes under threat from a mysterious force which seems to have origins thought impossible. Deployed to uncover the evil and stop it if possible are agents Valerian (Dane DeHann) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), who seek to do this while dealing with personal issues. You might have noticed that I used the words "basic plot" at the beginning of this section. The reason for that is because the movie often takes various pointless turns and introduces various subplots which go nowhere. One such instance includes a race of four-armed aliens and their king, which also introduces Rihanna's shapeshifter character called Bubble (because of course she is) who is introduced via a pole dancing scene in a intergalactic strip club. Coincidentally, this was also the point that my friend who dragged us to see this movie looked over at us and voiced "I'm sorry". With that said, let's now return to the main plot. When the story is eventually introduced to us after a pointless 35 minute opening action set piece, the writers suddenly remembered that they actually required a plot. Unfortunately, they decided to settle on one of the most standard plots known to this genre of film. It results in the rest of the movie becoming an even more boring and now predictable affair. Simply from common sense and maybe some knowledge from other movies, you can work out the basic plot of the entire movie within the first 10 minutes. Pay attention to the (I'll note dreadful) editing, and a few specific shots, and you can even work out the hopeful "twists" the writers were clearly banking on to spice up the plot. I'll drop a quick spoiler here: they don't. It's a shame that a movie with such potential for an interesting story has opted to be satisfied with this extremely standard plot. What's more, this skeleton of a script is so riddled with holes and contrivances that you will not struggle to find ways that the story could have easily been improved, and are likely to find yourself wishing that this movie had rather been made as a series of short films, showing the far more interesting (albeit still generic) subplots.

Don't worry, Drab 1 and Drab 2 are on the case

Not only does the movie fail to create a coherent and at least mildly enjoyable plot, but it also fails to create good characters. In fact, these characters are the exact opposite and of the spectrum, and are frequently annoying, stupid, or straight-up unlikable. Every single character in the movie is dreadfully written. No character is given any real development or motivation for their actions, and largely just come across as stereotypes. The two leads in the film are handed some incredibly dull characters to play. Laureline herself has no actual character and in fact comes across as bored with everything happening for most of the film. The film also tries to inject some comic relief in the form of 3 creepy bat-like creatures which occasionally make an appearance. I say "tried" because these characters are as annoying, if not more so, as the legendary Jar-Jar Binks. Seriously, good luck watching this film without getting annoyed by these horrors. However, the biggest problem is with Valerian himself. Rather than being the interesting and fun lead the movie needed, he comes across as incredibly unlikable for the entirety by his repeated stupidity, and even creepy by the way his would-be romance with Laureline is written. What was meant to be charming presumably now comes across as creepy and slightly sinister in some places. At least there is one area where the movie is somewhat consistent: the script, which will consistently infuriate you. The characters are only weighed down further by some truly terrible performances. I'll just admit now that I don't like Dane DeHann, the lead in this, as an actor. He's uncharismatic, irritating, and comes across as incredibly snide and cocky in every movie he is in. The trend continues here. His performance contributes massively to Valerian's unlikable nature throughout the film, and he has a complete lack of chemistry with Cara Delevingne, which only makes his continued advances even more unsettling, cementing this character in my mind as nothing more than a walking sexual harassment order. Delevingne is the second lead in the film and she really does try her best to inject any personality into her performance. Unfortunately, this is the equivalent of her trying to fly by flapping her arms in midair. Without support, in this case, from the script, she is going to fall to her death. Metaphorically, her character does the same regardless of her best efforts. The rest of the cast don't do much better, and thoroughly wastes a group of talented actors, like Ethan Hawke, Elizabeth Debicki and John Goodman. It's a truly sad state of affairs when Rihanna delivers the best performance in the movie. Have you seen "Battleship"? If you have, you know what I'm talking about.

See what I mean? It's like a dull version of the Na'Vi from "Avatar"

The movie does attempt to liven up the proceedings with an action sequence here and there throughout the movie. The action in the movie is actually somewhat enjoyable in some places. The use of future technology and gadgets is interestingly implemented, and the choreography is fun to watch when the characters come into conflict with robots, aliens or the like. However, these sequences are scattered are scattered few and far between, often leaving you pining for the next bit of excitement, however little, that the movie can possibly deliver, only for the film to leave you waiting for so long that you find yourself losing even more interest in what is happening on screen. You'll begin to wonder if that's even possible by the time you're waiting for (read: begging) the finale to the movie to kick start. The movie would have greatly benefitted from a few more of these action beats, but at the very least, what we got was fun and enjoyable to watch. Just a few more factors to mention before I can wrap up this review. As I previously hinted, the editing in the movie is terrible, and frequently either gives away future events too obviously or uses transitions which are more akin to something found in Windows Movie Maker. The soundtrack in the movie is fine, but is completely uninspired and you could likely find some stock sci-fi music on YouTube which could do the job just as adequately. Finally, technically, with regards to cinematography and lighting, the movie is adequate, but is slightly taken away from when you consider that the movie is largely CGI. When considering that some shots are completely computer generated, this would be somewhat akin to me complementing the cinematography in an animated movie. This is possible, if the frame is created stylishly, but the whole process lacks any ingenious flair or fun which could have made this really stand out as something special.

The next stage of Gungan evolution

It's a real, genuine shame about "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets". You can tell director Luc Besson was looking for a solid return to form after the disappointment of "Lucy" in 2013,  largely through the visual spectacle the movie certainly delivers on to an extent. The effects are nice, remaining faithful to the style of the original graphic novel the movie was based on, and remains great to watch during the often fun action sequences, which thankfully deliver some reprieve from the movie's faults. Unfortunately, those faults are many and are on screen for far longer than any of the action beats care to entertain you for. The effects, for how good they are, are frequently dull and boring, somehow making what should be a visually dynamic and thriving environment into a drab and uninteresting husk. The same can be said for the aliens. The plot is also predictable and standard stock for this type of movie, weighed down further by some unlikable characters and often dreadful acting.  Most unforgivably, however, the entire film is hopelessly boring to watch, and will make that 140 minute running time feel considerably longer than it actually is. This is a true example of style over substance, and is the latest example that effects do not make a movie. For all the great effects and cool action that's in the movie, I simply cannot give this movie a high score, and in fact I'm giving it a low score, because it seems like little to no effort has been put in in any other area of the film's production. We can only hope that filmmakers considering or in the process of making films like this one will actually inject some life and energy into the movie they are creating. Without the heart required to do so, the future of sci-fi film quality may be questionable to say the least.

Pros

• Visually great
• Some cool action beats

Cons

• Uninspired designs, both for aliens and locations
• A bland and nonsensical plot
• Incredibly predictable
• Generally terrible acting
• Dreadful characters
• Devoid of any emotion
• Sets and CGI landscapes are drab and artificial
• Editing
• The entire film is boring

Rating: 2/10

Original Release Date: 2nd of August, 2017

Starring Dane DeHann, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, Elizabeth Debicki, and John Goodman

Review Triple Bill!!! - War for the Planet of the Apes, Despicable Me 3, and Transformers

As a quick heads up, this post is going to be my last one up here for a few weeks, likely until at least the start of August. I'll be going away for a while and won't be seeing any movies when I'm away, so there won't be a review for "Dunkirk"; there won't be a review for "Cars 3"; and, perhaps most sadly of all, there won't be a review for "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie". I'll try and catch as many of these as possible as soon as I'm back, and then I can do another post like this where I can quickly review a few at once. That said, they're reviews for another time so let's talk about the 3 movies in here. June and July have undoubtedly produced some of the great films of the year so far, with "Wonder Woman", "Baby Driver" and "Homecoming" being released in these two months alone. So, do any of these films continue the trend? Does "Transformers: The Last Knight" revitalise the franchise? Is "Despicable Me 3" finally an entry in the series as strong as the original? Is "War for the Planet of the Apes" the conclusion that the rebooted trilogy of Apes movies deserves? Well, let's jump in and find out!

Transformers: The Last Knight - Bay To The Max

I saw this movie on release day in the cinema, which you'll see below is the 22nd of June. You might be wondering, but why has it taken you so long to get round to writing up a review then? Well, you actually have to write about this movie in small bursts, otherwise the stupidity of the entire affair will begin slowly killing your brain cells the more you think about it. I like to compare the Transformers franchise at this point to the Fast and the Furious series. Both have silly, over-the-top action; both are infamous for their writing and acting; and both are seemingly critic-proof (hopefully until now when the final figures are revealed). However, there is one key difference: the Fast and the Furious movies know exactly what they are, and Transformers still takes itself overly seriously throughout. The plot revolves around a staff left on Earth during the time of King Arthur to a drunken Merlin and the race in the present day to find it, all while Optimus Prime slowly returns to Earth under the new guise "Nemesis Prime". The writing in the movie presents this story in an extremely pretentious manner, so determined to fool the audience that they are watching something of a higher standard than they are, seemingly convincing themselves in the process. The story is full to the brim with problems and quickly falls to pieces under scrutiny. The characters and acting don't fare much better either, with practically every character being a cliché. Mark Wahlberg is a surprisingly uncharismatic lead while Michael Bay continues to infamously degrade women through Laura Haddock's Vivian (whose name I literally count' remember for most of the movie). The only good character in the film is Anthony Hopkins' Sir Edmund Burton. It's a testament to Hopkins that he didn't sell out to this series and actually gives his performance his all, easily becoming the most entertaining part of the movie and carrying every scene he is in. The movie is also a film-making shambles behind the scenes, with terrible cinematography and frequently changing camera ratios throughout proving a serious distraction. So what reasons are there to see this movie besides Hopkins' performance? Well, as you might have expected, the visual effects and CGI are always on point. Michael Bay has a real talent as a film-maker for being to envisage the final product as he films his movies and therefore knows how to make his actors move, and the CGI look more realistic in the end result. The action is also appropriately over-the-top and insane, and, while it makes no sense, it can be fun to watch. This movie is simply maximum "Bayhem" and nothing more. If that's your cup of tea or you go in expecting nothing more than that, then there's a chance you might have some fun with this one. For the rest of you, keep a safe distance.

Rating: 3/10

Original Release Date: 22nd of June, 2017

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Laura Haddock, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Gemma Chan, Stanley Tucci, and Anthony Hopkins

Despicable Me 3 - Third Time, No Charm

If I was to sum up "Despicable Me 3" in a single word, it would be this: competent. The animation is fine, and certainly has more effort put into it than a lot of Illumination Entertainment's other efforts, most notably "Minions" and last year's "Sing", the latter of which reused character models to an absurd extent. That said, it still lacks a great amount of detail, particularly in facial animations, backgrounds and other textures. The voice acting is decent, there's nothing inherently wrong with it, as the actors do the best with what they have been given. However, there is still a surprising lack of emotion put into the performances, making it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level and understand them more. This is of course not entirely down to the actors, but also relates heavily to the flaws of the script. The screenplay, somewhat unsurprisingly written by an insane 4 people, is a general mess. Characters are poorly developed throughout, and no real lessons are learnt over the course of the movie. Generally with these kids films at the very least I expect some sort of message for the younger audience, no matter how generic, so it was shocking that even this was absent from the story. The plot on the whole is a collision of ideas which might have worked if they had been fleshed out more, but unfortunately these are extremely underdeveloped to the extent that they are as engaging as they would have been in the initial boardroom pitch. The primary problem which applies to all of these stories is that they are nothing we haven't seen before, whether in this series or elsewhere in cinema: Agnes loves unicorns; Lucy wants the girls to see her as a mum; lead characters get fired and need to capture a villain to redeem themselves; and there's even a generic and clichéd twin brother plot shoehorned in here. Need I go on? Several of these are actually raised and resolved within 3 scenes, which is particularly troublesome where the writers (or, one of them at least) is trying to inject some emotion and conflict into the script. By wrapping these up so quickly, there's little time to become attached or invested in the conflict at hand, and ultimately each of these feels like filler to pad out this 80-minute film. As I said though, the film is fine and does have some entertaining elements. The Minions have (mercifully in my opinion) been toned down a lot in this outing and are regulated to their own subplot, which actually has some entertaining visual gags. Trey Parker's villainous Balthazar Bratt is a wildly enjoyable presence, and is easily the most fun part of the film, using his insane weaponry, disguises (including one resembling certain trending politician right now), and nostalgia every time he is on screen. Ultimately, although there is a general lack of charm and heart in the script as a whole, the rest of the movie is competently made. Fine animation and acting elevate this above recent entries in the series, but not quite to the heights of the original. It's an average movie, but a watchable one, especially if you know what to expect at this point.

Rating: 5/10

Original Release Date: 30th of June, 2017

Starring Steve Carrell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Pierre Coffin, Julie Andrews, Steve Coogan, and Trey Parker

War for the Planet of the Apes - Forged in Fire

Some of my favourite movies in recent years have been the rebooted "Planet of the Apes" movies, the first being "Rise" and the second being "Dawn". Both are incredible films, and now director Matt Reeves has returned with "War for the Planet of the Apes" to forge an ending for this revitalised trilogy of films. So, does it meet the expectations and the high bar set by it's predecessors? Absolutely. This is a truly beautiful film, with the effects of the apes going above and beyond all expectations. I may go so far as to see that these are the best visual effects and CGI that I have seen in a live-action movie. Ever. If this film doesn't get some recognition for it come awards season, it will be truly criminal. The actors behind the apes manage to also give some great performances through the CGI and visual wonder, particularly lead ape Andy Serkis as Caesar. The raw emotion that Serkis and his co-stars are able to convey throughout the film is something brilliant to behold. The human actors also give great performances. Woody Harrelson excels as the formidable and intimidating Colonel, but the performance is a strangely accessible one, and you'll find yourself unexpectedly sympathising with him later despite the atrocities he commits. Production design and make-up of course both deserve shout-outs as well, with the Apes series having excelled in creating practical sets throughout all 3 movies now. The score is also outstanding, with Michael Giacchino's intense, heart-pounding music accompanying every action sequence but also including emotional tracks and a haunting piano in some places. The aforementioned action is also great to watch. You might be surprised by a slight lack of big set pieces throughout but the movie more than makes up for it with some brutal sequences when the time comes. However, where the movie truly excels is in the writing. Although there is some slightly tone-deaf comedy at a few (infrequent) points courtesy of Steve Zahn's Bad Ape character, this is a shocking, harrowing, and emotional film, truly conveying the horrors both sides of this conflict have had to endure for the past 15 years in this world. There is also a second conflict in the movie which is somewhat even more engaging however, and that is the internal conflict of Caesar himself. We see him struggle throughout the film with the decisions he has already been forced to make for the good of his people, even questioning if he himself is becoming that which he so strongly looks down on. The struggle between mercy and vengeance is a theme which has been recurring throughout all of these movies, especially in Caesar himself, and it is spectacular to see Matt Reeves continue to explore these ideas, and inspire some thought-provoking messages and imagery for the audience to consider long after the film has come to it's end. In short, "War for the Planet of the Apes" stands not only as a stunning movie in it's own right, but it serves as an incredible ending to this series, firmly cementing it, in my mind at least, as possibly the greatest trilogy of films I have ever watched.

Rating: 10/10

Original Release Date: 11th of July, 2017

Starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Judy Greer, and Amiah Miller

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" Movie Review - #HomecomingKing

"Oh fantastic", I'm sure many people would have said sarcastically as soon as yet ANOTHER Spider-Man movie was announced, making for the sixth big screen movie starring the character and third reboot of the franchise in a mere fifteen years. So what's different this time? After the collapse of the "Amazing Spider-Man" series, Marvel Studios and Sony reached an agreement to allow the character to be used in the MCU, as I'm sure most people know after his brief appearance in "Captain America: Civil War" last year. Now the character has been given his own movie set within the MCU alongside the Avengers. With executive producer and Marvel godfather Kevin Feige partly overseeing production, the movie is finally here and it already stands in my mind as the best of the six Spider movies. Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker, a typical high school student who of course has a secret identity as New York's friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Immediately the story is far more gripping than other Spider-Man movies given it's enhanced focus on Peter as a high-school student. The character of Spider-Man is at his best when we see the constant struggles to reach a balance between his life as Peter Parker and his vigilantism by night. Not only do we see his in this movie as our favourite Wed Head, but he's also trying to impress a returning Tony Stark (once again played by Robert Downey Jr.), as well as balance his school activities, work, his home life, and a blossoming romance with classmate Liz (played by Laura Harrier). Oh, and there's also the small problem of an arms dealer known as the Vulture (Michael Keaton) due to his high-tech wings, who is flooding the streets with alien weaponry. All in a day's work. It's an engaging conflict we see the character forced into with himself, as we see him constantly have to make difficult decisions due to his commitment to his secret identity but desire for more beyond that. That said, it's not all glum in this story, and, as in previous instalments, director Jon Watts knows that this is a story which has to be told in a fun way. This is hands down one of Marvel's funniest movies, and every joke in the movie hits it's mark.

The characters in the movie are also extremely well-executed for the most part, at least in terms of the main cast. Tom Holland is in my opinion the best version of Spider-Man to ever grace the silver screen. Holland perfectly achieves a balance between Peter Parker and Spider-Man that both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield failed to capture. While Maguire was a great Peter and Garfield a great masked hero, Holland is the best of both worlds. He comes across as the perfect socially awkward nerd that Peter needs to be to make his situation, particularly with Liz, all the more relatable and enjoyable to watch. That said, he's also a great deal of fun when he puts on the suit and turns into the confident, cocky teenager that comes hand in hand with the character. A hero is only as good as their villain, however, and Michael Keaton puts in brilliant work as Adrian Toomes AKA The Vulture. Early on, we are given good reason to find his actions believable and sympathetic, and Keaton perfectly sells the emotional moments the character is graced with. It's also great to see a Marvel villain not hell bent on world domination/destruction and is just out to make money; it's a refreshing change of pace that makes Vulture one of Marvel's most enjoyable villains. The rest of the acting in the movie is also excellent. Robert Downey Jr. is of course excellent once again as Tony Stark, this time in a mentor-type role, while Jon Favreau also returns as head of security Happy Hogan. New cast members to the MCU are also excellent. Laura Harrier is great and defies expectations as love interest Liz through her brilliant dynamic with Holland; Jacob Batalon is fun as sidekick Ned; Zendaya's Michelle has some memorable moments; and Marisa Tomei's Aunt May is entertaining as a younger version of the character unseen in the movies before now. However, while the acting is all solid, the supporting cast is slightly underserved in the writing department. Their characters are fairly clichéd, and some of the arcs they go through are rather predictable. For example, this character is clever and thinks they don't need friends. How do you think that story is going to end? It's a real shame because the main characters are written so brilliantly, only for the supporting crew to be given the short straw by the writers. Thankfully, it's still fun watching them thanks to the performances the actors give.

Spider-Man, now sponsored by Stark Industries

Since this is a superhero movie, there are of course action sequences scattered throughout the city and are constantly entertaining. The film achieves a perfect balance between the down moments of the high school setting and Peter's everyday life (although these re perhaps given a slight prominence), and the action that comes hand-in-hand with his duties as Spider-Man. However, due to the lack of experience this Spider-Man has in fighting crime on a significant scale, the sequences are also given an added sense of tension, particularly later in the film when the Vulture begins to play on a lethal level. Every hit our hero takes is given the appropriate weight to it, and, as an audience, we feel every loss and beating he takes throughout the film. Not only this, but the action was surprisingly original throughout, and was not like anything ever seen in a superhero film before, a pleasant shock given the constant talk of "superhero fatigue" these days. Never before have we seen aerial battles on the scale that having a flying villain like the Vulture allows, and the frequently advertised plot device of Spider-Man's new suit (courtesy of one Tony Stark) also contributes to this. Not one to be satisfied with a simple suit to just fight crime in with basic web shooters, Iron Man has decked out Peter's suit with gadgets and gizmos never used in a Spider-Man film before and, as more and more are unveiled, the action becomes crazier and crazier. Thankfully, given that point, the visual effects of the movie are also on point. The CGI is all incredibly convincing and never breaks the immersion of the action in the movie itself. All of the effects associated with Spider-Man himself are phenomenal, as well as those glimpsed with other villains like the Shocker and alien technology gathered by the Vulture, but the primary effect I have to highlight is the that of the main villain himself. I had some serious concerns about the translation the Vulture would undergo from comic panel to a big screen production. It is one of the many comic book ideas which, when seen on the page, are so ridiculous that is becomes hard to imagine them working in a live action context. Seriously, just look up the classic Vulture costume on Google and you'll see what I mean. However, I have to then give a round of applause to the effects and costume department for their work here. Rather than adapt the classic look, the crew on the film have thankfully taken a different route to give the villain a more monstrous mechanical look which looks as good idle as it does in flight on in the middle of a combat situation. It's a truly excellent effect which works within the grounded corner of the MCU.

And there was me thinking the Vulture couldn't work on the big screen

Very quickly, there are a few other aspects of the movie which I would like to give some admiration to. Firstly, Michael Giacchino's soundtrack for the movie is excellent. Although the main theme itself is borrowed largely from the Avengers movies, it still works as a basis for the movie itself. It is the other music that make this music stand out to me, and in particular Liz's Theme and the Vulture's Theme. The latter especially I love. The slow and eerily quiet piano riff which opens the music only to be followed by a deep, booming repeat of the same tune gives the piece a terrifying feel to it, almost like a predator (a vulture even) circling or hunting its prey. This is particularly admirable given that Marvel's soundtrack are infamous at least in my mind for being incredibly unmemorable. It's great to be able to highlight one more to add to the very small ranks of Marvel's great soundtracks. As a side note, it's a further testament to Giacchino's talent as a composer that he was composed two of the soundtracks which stand out in my mind (this one of course, and the other being from "Doctor Strange" last year). Secondly, the cinematography in the movie is excellent, as it needs to be with Spider-Man. Particularly near the beginning of the film, the camera work as it follows out hero's movements through the urban neighbourhoods of Queens, New York are extremely well filmed and incredibly fun to watch. Finally, although this is a smaller point in this instance given the grounded setting of this movie in comparison to a lot of other Marvel movies recently, the production design in relation to the sets, make-up and costume design is excellent. This has been a consistent point across practically all of Marvel movies, but it's still nice to give it a mention.

Tom Holland and Laura Harrier have great chemistry throughout

There is not much left to say about "Spider-Man: Homecoming". Almost all of the movie is executed perfectly. With never a dull moment to weigh it down, director Jon Watts has delivered an extremely fun movie, with excellent writing and a consistently hilarious script, filled to the brim with jokes which always land. The acting is also excellent on all fronts, and the action is extremely entertaining and often surprisingly original. The effects, cinematography and music are also all excellent. The only fault I might put to the movie is that some of the minor characters are slightly underdeveloped, but that is nowhere near a big enough problem that I should recommend against you seeing this movie. If there is one final thing I should mention, it's a reassurance to all of you who have watched the trailers for the movie, and in particular the second trailer which seemed to give away a lot of plot details and even outline the entire plot structure. I can promise each and every one of you that, even as a comic book fan, I was frequently pleasantly surprised when watching the movie. With plenty of twists and turns throughout, the movie is always engaging and exciting to watch. Thanks to the fantastic writing, cast, and action, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" stands in my mind as one of Marvel's best movies, and I truly can't wait to watch this one again. All I can say is thank goodness Marvel and Sony reached the deal they have. It's good to see our friendly neighbourhood web slinger back home where he belongs.

Pros

• A balanced and fun story
• Tom Holland as the best Spider-Man
• A phenomenal supporting cast
• Constantly funny
• Entertaining action sequences
• Stunning visuals
• A brilliant score

Cons

• A few underdeveloped characters

Rating: 9/10

Original Release Date: 5th of July, 2017

Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Laura Harrier, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon,  Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Donald Glover, and Robert Downey Jr.

Doctor Who: Series 10 Review - Part 2!! (Episodes 7-12)

Well, there we have it guys. This series of Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi's final series as the Time Lord, finally came to a close last Saturday night with "The Doctor Falls". Although there's still his Christmas special left to come, this means that it's time for me to talk about the second suite of episodes from the series. I've already reviewed episodes 1-6, which you can check out by clicking here. This is my way of giving my full thoughts on the whole series, rather than giving a single article, since I feel like this allows me to talk about each episode individually and judge them in their own right. If I had to comment, I would say that the second half of this series was considerably weaker than the first. Although the first had a few weaknesses, they were far outmatched by it's strong moments. This half is more of a mixed bag, which dips and slowly builds up towards the finale episodes. It's been a mixed series to be sure, so to wrap up my thoughts on this entire series, let's talk about episodes 7-12 of series 10!

Episode 7: The Pyramid at the End of the World

Way back when the episode titles for this series were announced, I was talking with them in a group chat with some friends. My friend Louise highlighted this particular episode as the one she was least looking forward to due to the stupidity of the title, and the fairly poor synopsis we were given at the time. I agreed. That said, once we get past the behemoth title and take into account the episode's place in the so-called "Monk Trilogy", and the episode turns out to be far better than anyone dare expected. The plot of the episode is surprisingly mature in it's exploration of consent and what people would give up to live, even freedom. The episode also cements the Monks themselves as a truly intimidating force unlike in the previous episode "Extremis", and the narrative structure is engaging and interesting, keeping the audience guessing between the links between the action of the Doctor and the work of the lab scientists. As always, the acting is on point and the episode looks the part as well. That said, it's not all perfect. There's an obvious lack of logic on show, particularly in the final moments where there were a number of ways to solve this without the Monks' intervention, and the episode is fairly repetitive, particularly in humour. However, that doesn't make this a bad outing, and it in fact stands as one of the most solid of the series.

Rating: 8/10

Episode 8: The Lie of the Land

Well, this was disappointing wasn't it? Not only disappointing, I'd actually go so far as to say a bit of a mess of an episode. Quickly, with regards to the good parts of the episode, the soundtrack was easily the best of the series; the acting was fine (but not good from everyone besides the main cast); and the Monks and other visuals still look impressive. That racks up a grand total of 2 points. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about everywhere the episode went wrong. First of all, the pacing of the episode was ridiculously fast. We are simply thrown straight into this dystopian future 6 months after the Monks took over. We are given no time to get to know the

underground workings of this possible future, or the true mindset of the rest of the people, and therefore it felt considerably less impactful. This might have worked if Bill had simply woken up in this world, but we learn she has lived here for 6 months as well, and therefore she does not even act as the usual audience surrogate. The episode is also riddled with plot holes. Why would the Monks leave their pyramid completely undefended? Why would the Monks even consider leaving the Doctor alive after their takeover, especially after he has constantly proven himself a threat to them? Why has Steven Moffat once again resorted to his usual cringeworthy resolution of emotions being the saviour of the human race? And can anyone explain how, just how, the Doctor is able to pull off a regeneration fake-out all of a sudden? This was the ultimate tease to fans of the series, with the scene being strategically placed throughout all of the marketing to suggest to audiences that a regeneration scene was imminent. Ultimately, however, it simply made no sense and only served to create yet another plot hole in an episode full of them. Finally, at the end of all of this, one very prominent question remains unanswered: what exactly were the Monks and what were their end goals. Sure, they wanted to take over the Earth but...then what? I fear their true nature is one which will remain mysterious for the rest of the show. A truly disappointing episode to be sure, particularly as the finale to a trilogy of otherwise great episodes.

Rating: 2/10

Episode 9: The Empress of Mars

The pain continues with this one. Let me tell you a couple of stories about watching this. The episode opened in NASA and, as soon as the "God Save The Queen" message appeared, I turned to my parents who I was watching with and apologised, because we knew what we were in for. Not only that, but my dad fell asleep soon after but woke up before the episode was over. He groaned when he saw it was still going and then got up and went to bed. That about sums the episode up really. I honestly don't know what happened to this series around this point, as the episode makes countless mistakes. Again, the only good thing about the episode is the visual effects and production design of the episode. The Ice Warriors are completely practical, and we have to respect the incredible make-up and costume design, while the sets also look great. Unfortunately, that is purely aesthetic and doesn't make an episode. Everything else in the episode was dreadful. The story, as I've hinted, was absurd and ridiculous. The problem was that we have seen all of this before, and the whole thing was incredibly dull and bland. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the worst thing any TV episode or movie can do is bore you, because it has then failed at it's (in my view) primary objective to entertain you. The acting from everyone (main cast included) was terrible, but in particular from the Ice Warriors and the Victorian soldiers. Another thing, you know how TV episodes are meant to have characters who are interesting and developed? I could not honestly describe a single character in this episode as a character. They are all clichés, with incredibly predictable arcs and "development", if you can call it that. Generic villains, heroes, and conflicts in short. Not only that, but the episode does not advance the overarching story of the series in any way, only showing Missy briefly at the end (and pointlessly), and the whole affair felt like a filler episode. Uninspired garbage, and equally as bad as the week before.

Rating: 2/10

Episode 10: The Eaters of Light

Oh thank God, finally, an improvement on the last two episodes. Although classic series' writer Rona Munro's "The Eaters of Light" does not match the heights of the series so far (which is to highlight "Knock Knock", "Pyramid" and "Extremis"), it's a solid enough episode. The acting in the episode is great, besides Rebecca Benson's Kar unfortunately who I found to be an incredibly irritating presence (although that largely comes down to her having very little to work with in terms of writing), and the story is actually interesting. The monsters are interesting for how little they are explained, and the cinematography is actually very good. However, where the episode largely comes to pieces is the writing. The characters are not very well developed and no conflict within the episode is explored in any meaningful way. Once again, Matt Lucas' Nardole is an incredibly pointless part of the episode and could easily be removed. It's unfortunate at this stage in the game that I am still questioning this character's worth. The plot, no matter how interesting, yet again quickly disintegrates when you start to think about it as well. Also, the visual effects of the episode are strangely terrible, something which I do not find at all acceptable at this stage in a series where the effects have been solid for the most part. One final issue is the pointless appearance of Missy at the end of the episode. Although she is a great character and Michelle Gomez is a joy on screen, these appearances grew extremely tiring at this tail end of the series, and the scenes are clearly only shoved in to allow show runner Steven Moffat to give the illusion of an overarching arc. A mixed bag of an episode, but a solid one regardless.

Rating: 6/10

Episode 11: World Enough and Time

This episode had so much to live up to in my mind. From the start this was the episode I was most excited about. It had the most intriguing synopsis of them all, seemingly pitting the Time Lord against time itself as he sets out to fix a mistake he made. It also promised to make Michelle Gomez' Missy relevant for the first time this series. As well as all this, it boasted the return of the original Mondasian Cybermen and that of my favourite Doctor Who villain, John Simm's Master. So did it deliver? To put it mildly, absolutely! Under the superb direction of Rachel Talalay (who also directed Capaldi episode "Heaven Sent" and some episodes of Sherlock), the episode is a fantastic exploration of time and the consequences of time travel, as well as the true horrors of the Cybermen. This was a big character episode for Bill, who spends her time largely isolated from the Doctor and it is a great illustration of what companions the Doctor has abandoned must go through, but with a much darker endgame in this instance. The horrors of the Cyber conversion make for some of the creepiest sequences this series, particularly the volume scene, and the return of the Mondasians with their same sing-song voice from 50 years ago was a terrifying moment. And of course John Simm, for however little he was in this episode, was an absolute delight to have back as The Master! Clear chemistry with Missy from the off and giving a thankfully more toned down performance than in "The End of Time", he was clearly being set up to play a much bigger role in the finale. If I have one complaint, it isn't on the episode itself, but on the marketing. The whole episode felt like opening a Christmas present and knowing what it was the whole time. If the BBC unfortunately hadn't spoiled the return of Simm or the Cybermen, they would have made for more effective reveals in my opinion. However, that doesn't detract from the quality of the episode itself. Throw in the usual excellent acting and phenomenal production design on all fronts, and I can safely say that this is not only one of the best episode of the series and one of the best episodes of the Capaldi era, but I dare say that if I had waited a few weeks to make my top 20 episodes list, this would have broken it with no trouble at all.

Rating: 10/10

Episode 12: The Doctor Falls

Here we go, yet another finale of Doctor Who that fails to live up to the episode that came before it. Don't get me wrong, "The Doctor Falls" is by no means a bad episode and it is fact one of the stronger outings of the series, but I can't help but feel like it was uncertain in how to resolve each plot point from the excellent "World Enough and Time". Rachel Talalay returns to direct this instalment, and it's extremely clear here where she's comfortable. The emotional writing and smaller down moments between characters are superbly shot and acted all round, but the action is only competently directed. The cinematography is more jarring and it's coupled with some frequently (and strangely) awful effects work, particularly on the explosion on show here. It's clear the writers really didn't know exactly how to make the Cybermen the intimidating foe they needed to be here, and they came across as more cannon fodder than anything else; little more than tin soldiers for the Doctor to push over. Thankfully, it was these emotional moments that were the focus, particularly on Bill. However, that said, I hope I wasn't the only one hoping for a bit more death here. I've been called out for going dark in group chats but, honestly, there was a surprising lack of stakes here or reason to care for the most part. The fact was that I never felt like any of the townspeople, Nardole, or a number of characters had a really chance of biting it here. Once again, the acting was on top form here. Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie deliver some of their best work here, especially the latter due to her situation, and Michelle Gomez and John Simm make for a great double act as the Master(s).  It'll be sad to see Gomez go and it was great to see Simm return to play an embodiment of pure evil once again (although he was rather pointless in the grand scheme of things). One final thing I'll mention is Bill's ending. It was jarring to a point to see Heather return, but it does feel like a strong send-off from which the character may or may not return, as the character is brought full circle from where she started 11 weeks ago. All in all, "The Doctor Falls" was an emotional and strong finale to the series. Although it's action was lacking, it more than made up for it in it's performances, down moments, and production design for the most part. Oh, and the ending scene. An interesting set-up for what is sure to be an emotional farewell to Peter Capaldi's Time Lord.

Rating: 8/10