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Reviews
Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023)
An Old School Abstract Who Episode, I Loved It!
This was a very good episode for those who love the creepy monster of the week aspects of Doctor Who. It gave us intimate sets, fun and creative in areas and some great character moments from both Tennant and Tate. Whilst the CGI can look a bit cartoony in places it is sometimes done in a way where you can't help but admire the creative process behind it. It even harped back to the one liners which characterised some of the creepier episodes in RTD's first run (Are you my mummy?, Hey who turned out the lights?) let's see if "My arms are too long" sticks in the minds of Whovians for the next two decades like others have. The biggest strength of this episode does come in both Tennant and Tate's ability to play two different characters on screen at the same time. Such small scale sets and direct character interactions are what really keep the audience guessing as to who is the real character and who are the creatures. It also allows exploration of what the Doctor and Donna have been through since the last RTD run ended and how it will effect their characters going forward. Some may criticise the script for the use of a Chibnalesque countdown, but it at least uses this plot device in a different way which contributes to the mystery and atmosphere that RTD creates on the spaceship. Whilst I wouldn't put it in the same league as Heaven Sent or Blink, this is certainly an episode which will be liked by old school RTD fans and keep you engaged. Another highlight was seeing the late Bernard Cribbins return as Wilf, in a heartwarming interaction at the end of the episode. Whilst appearing a bit rushed it was intended to feed into his further scenes in the next episode, that due to his passing couldn't be filmed. So you can't blame the production team for that. The only moment which let this episode down was the needless decision to race swap Sir Issac Newton into a mixed race man in the very first scene when he wasn't in real life.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
A Good, Honest and Fun Action Movie
I have mixed feelings about Tom Cruise, but he certainly knows what his audience wants and gives it to them in spades! This was a fun action movie with set pieces that didn't disappoint. The audience I was in laughed and smiled at many of the film's suprise turns and twists as well as the iconic stunts that this franchise is known for. There is also a good chunk of comedy which came from many of the film's core ideas. Is it Citizen Kane? No it's not and never tries to be. It focuses on the action and exposition, but also gives it's supporting character's time to shine doing it all. If you want to switch your brain off and escape into a life that's more dangerous than yours whilst munching on popcorn then this movie will help you do just that!
Dune (2021)
Game of Thrones in space
Whilst I enjoyed the visuals of this movie I thought the music was too loud and drowned out some of the dialogue. I've not read the book or seen the 1984 film so I can't say how it compares. It's one of those films where you have to use your brain and be fully alert if you don't know the story. It's a bit like Game of Thrones in that two royal houses are fighting each other for power. If you are at GoT fan you'll like this, if not read the original novel or listen to the audiobook first.
Frozen II (2019)
Worth it for the Visuals, but plot wise all over the place.
This is a beautiful movie, and Elsa's journey is a powerful one to watch. But outside of this it's narrative is completely unfocused and none of the character moments are given the time they deserve on screen. It seems that it's trying to be more adult with more lore and a darker tone, but also still gives Olaf an unnecessary about of screen time doing things that the little kids would laugh at. The pacing also feels quite rushed, even by kids movie standards. You could have cut 20 minutes out of this movie and it would have been just as good.
Joker (2019)
A Fantastic Character Study of a Famous Villain
This film brings its own atmosphere to the viewer as you are taken on a dark but mildly hilarious journey of the famous arch nemesis of Batman. Phillips achieves this with NO CGI AT ALL! Which is a relief in comparison to the MCU films and other DC properties which have solely relied on this. Phoenix also lives up to his name of restricting a character which Leto destroyed in Suicide Squad and getting the audience to support Arthur's Fleck's descent into a life of madness, murder and violence on the streets of Gotham city. The last 20 minutes are a bit on the nose, but still satisfying to watch as the same. This movie single handidly puts the rest of the DCEU in the shade, and is well worth the watch!
Doctor Who: The Tsuranga Conundrum (2018)
Makes Love and Monsters look like Casablanca
This episode does not work on any narrative level and I laughed throughout. There are no consistent tones, completely pointless characters and the episode stops halfway through to explain a fictional machine whilst the most contrived alien ever is eating thier ship. This is like a fever dream that we simply don't care about because all the side characters are so poorly written and acted. I don't know what Chibnall was trying to achieve here, but he has written an absolute embarrassment of an episode which is a scar on the proud 55 year history of this show.
Doctor Who: The Witchfinders (2018)
Loved the atmosphere but watched in disbelief
Whilst I thought the episode did a great job creating a fantastic atmosphere and visual Stewart setting, I found that the set up for the episode was too convenient. The Doctor being tried for witchcraft could be seen a mile off before the episode even began. James I didn't sound Scottish enough and I felt like more time could have been given to the aliens. I was interested in this world but couldn't step into it.