Category: Reviews

Review- Big Finish:Terror of the Sontarans

Terror of the Sontarans concludes the trilogy of main range stories for the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford).

The adventure takes place on a mining facility, which is now acting as a Sontaran research base. The Doctor and Mel are responding to a distress beacon and have arrived to find the base seemingly empty. Deep down in the depths of the facility, they stumble across the original crew, whom are being held prisoner.

Something is picking the crew off one-by-one and even the Sontarans are running scared.

I’ll admit, I am one of the Doctor Who fans that doesn’t like how the Sontarans have been handled on the TV series recently. But, with this the writers have found an intriguing balance between the seriousness of the classic Sontarans and the silliness of modern Sontarans and the end result is a perfect blend of the two ideologies.

Bonnie Langford and Sylvester McCoy are flawless here, they sound exactly the same as they did in the 80’s, at times it’s as if they’ve just finished recording an episode for the BBC and entered the recording booth for Big Finish.

Langford really suffered on the TV series, but Big Finish have given her some solid material, that really allows her to shine. She is fast becoming my favourite Big Finish companion.

The direction is also spot-on, by the ever-reliable Ken Bentley.

Big Finish have been consistently good this year, I  can’t wait for 2016.

 

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Big Finish review-Torchwood: The Conspiracy

Prepare to venture into an extraordinary realm where Torchwood takes a daring twist, pushing the boundaries of what you thought you knew. The Conspiracy, the inaugural chapter of Big Finish’s New Who spin-off series, ignites a captivating journey that redefines the beloved franchise. But does it succeed? That question lingers, for this Torchwood instalment ventures into uncharted territory, captivating fans with its fresh approach.

The invigorating new Torchwood theme will mesmerise your senses and linger in your mind. Brace yourself, as it may become your latest obsession, perhaps even a ringtone worth keeping. Composer Blair Mowat skillfully weaves a harmonious tapestry, offering a glimpse of the magnificent musical odyssey that awaits us in future instalments. The distinctive Torchwood atmosphere permeates the soundtrack, transporting you to the heart of a captivating episode.

The format itself presents an intriguing surprise. The Conspiracy embraces a unique narrative style, employing first-person narration similar to River Song’s captivating storytelling in The Angel’s Kiss. At first, this may seem like Jack is breaking the fourth wall, but fear not, for there is a fascinating in-story reason behind this narrative choice. It adds an extra layer of ingenuity, enhancing the overall experience and drawing you further into the story.

As we venture forward, we encounter the intricate tapestry of the storyline itself. Think of The Conspiracy as the initial puzzle piece in a larger six-part Doctor Who tale. It skillfully lays the groundwork for future chapters, yet when viewed independently, it vacillates between being “meh” and “ordinary.” Characters other than the indomitable Jack Harkness may come across as relatively ordinary or less captivating, leaving us yearning for a deeper connection. However, prepare to be astonished by the remarkable fact that the UK-based cast, including the incredible John Barrowman, recorded their parts while he was in America. This technological marvel seamlessly creates the illusion of a united ensemble, and credit must be given to the director for orchestrating such an exceptional feat.

Although The Conspiracy may lack an immediate sense of palpable tension, it gradually builds towards an enthralling climax that seizes your attention three-quarters of the way through. Unfortunately, we don’t develop a strong emotional attachment to the secondary characters, making it challenging to empathise when events unfold. However, where this story truly shines is in the flawless portrayal of Jack Harkness. Barrowman’s performance is nothing short of extraordinary, presenting a charismatic yet restrained Jack who takes centre stage. This is the embodiment of the beloved character we know and adore, striking a perfect balance for both innuendo enthusiasts and those seeking a more serious tone.

In terms of timeline, subtle references to Gwen and Skypoint indicate that the story takes place after the events of Season 2. However, intriguing possibilities arise, suggesting potential connections to Miracle Day, as the absence of Ianto and the lack of explicit mention of the Miracle Day team hint at a broader narrative scope. The Conspiracy also offers glimpses into fragments of Jack’s pre-Doctor life, adding an enticing layer of mystery to his enigmatic past.

Is The Conspiracy a suitable entry point for newcomers? Only if you have delved into at least Season 1 of Torchwood. This chapter plunges us into a world brimming with intrigue, assuming a level of familiarity with Jack Harkness and the Torchwood universe. It serves as a thrilling continuation of the Torchwood saga, immersing fans in a captivating web of secrets and conspiracies. However, for those who have yet to embark on the Torchwood journey, it may prove challenging to fully grasp the intricacies of the organisation and its characters. The Conspiracy assumes prior knowledge of Jack Harkness and the essence of Torchwood’s endeavours, ensuring a rewarding experience for dedicated fans while encouraging newcomers to delve into the earlier seasons.

At its core, The Conspiracy excels in delivering a thrilling experience for enthusiasts of conspiracy theories and the depths of the human psyche. It offers a gripping narrative that retains its entertainment value even upon multiple listens. I found myself drawn back to it twice in a single day, captivated by the intricate layers of the story. It’s a testament to the remarkable craftsmanship behind this audio adventure, ensuring that it remains a source of enduring enjoyment.

The Conspiracy stands as a testament to Torchwood’s evolution and its ability to captivate audiences with its bold new direction. While it may have its share of minor flaws, the stellar portrayal of Jack Harkness and the intriguing narrative make it a worthy addition to the Torchwood canon.

Whether you’re a seasoned fan or a newcomer eager to immerse yourself in the world of Torchwood, The Conspiracy promises an exhilarating journey that will leave you craving for more. So, put on your headphones, buckle up, and prepare to be enthralled by this thrilling audio experience that unveils new dimensions within the ever-evolving Torchwood universe.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Episode 142: A couple of dicks

In which Martyn and Gerrod crack open the bourbon and attempt to record a podcast.

They discuss, Pressure, Straight outta compton, Mission Impossible:Rogue Nation, Ant-Man and, Fant4Stic.

Help Dewi

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as;

Audioboom, Player fm and Itunes.

Follow the Bad Wilf team:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Pete – @BeeblePete

Gerrod – @ingerrodsmind

Check out the Bad Wilf Vlog.

Big Finish Review-Doctor Who: The Warehouse

Online shopping is a goldmine for satirical material, it’s surprising the main show hasn’t done it yet. However, “The Warehouse” takes this concept to a new level with its depiction of a massive warehouse in the sky staffed by clones, while a catastrophe on the planet reduces the populace to primitive religion, worshipping those who reside in the warehouse. The idea for the story may not be entirely original, but it is true to the era in which it is set – the Seventh Doctor and Mel era.

The story takes a while to gain momentum, with the first two episodes featuring a lot of running around the aisles of the Great Warehouse In The Sky, but not much else. However, Dillie Keane and Sylvester McCoy deliver standout performances, with Keane bringing nuance to her role as High Priestess of the Catalogue, and McCoy excelling in his portrayal of the Doctor.

As the truth of the situation on the planet is revealed, the story gains momentum, culminating in a gripping coup de grace that subverts the latest planned delivery methods of a leading online retailer. Keane’s performance once again shines in the story’s final act, lending it solid gravitas.

Overall, “The Warehouse” delivers exactly what it promises – a stolid, eighties-era Doctor Who story. While it may not be the most imaginative or memorable entry in the franchise, fans of the era will likely find it enjoyable.

Review-Fantastic Four 

By now you will have already read every other review available for this movie. In all honesty, it’s taken me over a week to construct this. The film isn’t bad per-say, it’s just very disappointing. 

Fantastic Four filmed from May-August last year, but Fox ordered re-shoots in January after they were dissatisfied with the film. This leads to a combination of continuity errors and atrocious ADR (additional dialogue replacement). Sue Storm’s hair changes colour and length between shots and, mouths that say “Von Doom” are in fact mouthing “Domnichev”. 

You may remember last year that Toby Kebbel revealed he was playing a computer hacker named Victor Domnichev, the Internet exploded which has resulted in him being very badly re-dubbed Victor Von Doom. It’s also abundantly clear that his computer hacker subplot has been hastily cut out. 

The movie starts out promisingly enough, albeit slow. We meet Reed Richards and Ben Grimm as kids, we them jump to ‘7 years later’ meet the rest of the team, watch them build a machine, go to planet Zero before jumping to ‘One year later’. 
This is where things go a wry we get a quick altercation with Doom and the team find themselves with their own headquarters. 

Fox allowed Josh Trank to make an unconventional superhero movie with a property they needed to be a hit, they got cold feet and re-cut to try to make it conventional. This results in the story feeling half, rather than whole. 

Review-Man From U.N.C.L.E

I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s, so I grew up on a steady staple of repeats from the 1960s, I’ve since been a fan of the man from UNCLE.
The show originally ran from 1964-1968 and revolved around a network of spies who worked for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, (UNCLE). UNCLE polices the globe from the threat of T.H.R.U.S.H. An organisation, which is erm absent from this iteration.

Henry Cavill stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer as Illya Kuryakin in Guy Ritchie’s and Lionel Wigram’s film adaptation.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” centres on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two teams up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organisation, which is bent on destabilising the fragile balance of power the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed, sexy and stylish international adventure, shot through with humour that is as much about the rocky relationship between two sparring super spies, as it about the job they have to do.

The cinematography is breathtaking and details everything that made the 1960s cool – from its art, fashion music and cars. Lionel Wigram and Richie once again prove to be a great team.

The one thing that always bugged me about the series, is that we never really knew how Solo and Kuryakin, became partners, or how U.N.C.L.E. was formed, Ritchie and Wigram fill in the blanks.

Overall, I enjoyed this film, however, I feel they missed a trick not having a cameo from Robert Vaughn or David McCallum.

I look forward to a sequel.

DVD Review-Get Hard

What do you get if you put Trading Places, 48hrs, Tower Heist and some prison rape jokes in a blender? The answer is something like Get Hard, which stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.

Ferrell plays millionaire, James King who is wrongfully convicted on 76 counts of fraud and embezzlement.

James assumes most black men have spent time in jail, so when the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order, he turns to the only black guy he knows, Darnell (Hart) and offers him money to get him ready for prison.

In fact Darnell is a loving family man and small business-owner, who only accepts the job because he wants to expand his business and buy a better house for his wife and daughter.

After getting a few tips from his criminal cousin, Darrnell then takes on the role of a bullying sergeant major and starts initiating James with the ways of prison.

Get Hard misses more than it hits, it isn’t entirely unfunny and would have done really well in the 1980’s. Will you laugh? Probably. Could this have been a better film? Definitely.

Criticisms of the film aside, Ferrell and Hart have excellent chemistry and I would love to see them work together on another project.

Big Finish Review-Doctor Who: We are the Daleks

“We Are the Daleks” marks the beginning of a new era for Big Finish, which has released over 200 audio dramas and now seeks to provide a fresh entry point for new listeners. Each Doctor will lead a new trilogy of stories, starting with the Seventh Doctor and Mel.

Set in 1987, the UK is a divided nation with striking workers in Bradford and wealthy stockbrokers in the City of London. Alek Zenos, the enigmatic head of the Zenos Corporation, offers an economic miracle to Britain, which proves too tempting for politicians and investors alike. While the Doctor investigates the Warfleet computer game craze, Mel goes undercover to uncover the truth about Zenos’s partners.

The Daleks have a new plan to conquer the universe: economic power through the free market. This old-school Dalek story pays homage to previous Dalek tales of the era while satirizing Thatcherism and the “greed is good” campaign.

McCoy excels as the Seventh Doctor, my personal favourite from the classic era. His final speech to the Daleks is chilling and on par with Matt Smith’s speech in “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang.”

Big Finish excels at giving characters a second chance, as seen with Bonnie Langford’s Mel. Underserved on TV, Mel was originally intended to be played as Violet Elizabeth Bot. Big Finish has unlocked Mel’s full potential, turning her into the companion she should have been on screen.

This multi-layered story explores themes of ambition, greed, and exclusion, even taking a jab at Michael Fish. “We Are the Daleks” is an excellent start to Big Finish’s new era.

Review-Entourage

Before we begin, It’s worth noting that the Entourage movie isn’t made for critics, it isn’t made for the general public. It’s made for the Entourage fans. I was a huge fan of the HBO show that begat this. When the show ended in 2011, I felt a void in my heart that could only be filled by a follow up.

The movie picks up an unspecified amount of time after the TV series, it could be two weeks, it could be two months. Vince is now freshly divorced after a nine day marriage and his former agent is now a high-flying studio boss, who has the perfect role in mind for Vince.
There’s just one catch, Vince wants to direct, can Vince direct? It doesn’t matter. In fact the overall plot of the movie doesn’t really matter, what’s important is that the boys are back in town.

If I have one criticism it’s that it doesn’t feel like a film, it feels like four episodes of the TV series stitches together, but that is also the fun of it. It doesn’t feel like just another big screen adaptation of a successful series.

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll love this, if you’ve never seen the series then there’s probably nothing here for you.

 

Book review-City of death

Being broadcast during the ITV strike and with there only being three channels at the time, meant that City of death received the highest overnight viewing figures in the history of Doctor Who. 

The other side being on strike isn’t the only reason City of death is so well regarded. The iconic shots of Tom Baker and Lalla Ward running through the streets of Paris are beautiful and have resonated throughout the generations, when you include Douglas Adams trademark witty dialogue, you have something that has the right to be called one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever made. 
Novelisations are notoriously tricky, but James Goss does far more than just copy and paste the original source, he has added a whole new dimension to the story which enriches the overall experience. 

Goss’ characterisations of the Fourth Doctor and Romana II are fantastic, he fully captures the eccentricities of the long scarf wearing, mad uncle Doctor as well as the sarcastic wit of Romana. Tom Baker and Lalla Ward’s voices rang through my head as I read this book. 

My only criticism is that on paper, Duggan comes across as a dim wit, however I don’t think that’s the fault of Goss, I just think that Tom Chadbon added a lot of depth to his performance on screen, that can’t be put on to the page. 

Goss has also added some great Easter Eggs in the book, which will have die hard Doctor Who fans beaming from ear-to-ear but won’t distract a person who hasn’t seen the original (yes, sadly those people exist). 

City Of Death retains the spirit of the Douglas Adams story, but the author is clearly telling his own story. The result is a beautiful collaboration which I highly recommend.