Category: Reviews

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. 

Episode 132:Avengers Age Of Ultron

In which Martyn and Gerrod bring you the latest in geek news, they also discuss the final film in Marvel’s Phase 2. Avengers:Age of Ulton.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 2015 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

It is the sequel to 2012’s The Avengers and the eleventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson.

In the film, the Avengers fight Ultron, an artificial intelligence obsessed with causing human extinction.

The podcast can be accessed via different places, including Miro, Stiticher, Blubrry, Player fm and Itunes.

Email: badwilf@yahoo.com

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod – @Nerdthro_P

Pete – @BeeblePete

Listen back to our Avengers Assemble episode.

Review-Home

Home is based on the popular 2007 children’s novel The True Meaning of Smekday, the story focuses on “Oh” voiced by Jim Parsons (Sheldon-The Big Bang Theory), a misfit alien whose friendly but misguided people, the Boov, plan to take over the Earth to avoid their arch-enemies the Gorg.

After one mistake too many, Oh ends up on the run from his own kind and forms an friendship with the last human in America, Tip (Rihanna), who is trying to find her mother (Jennifer Lopez).

Nothing about Home is particularly sophisticated and doesn’t come close to other dreamwork hits such as How to Train Your Dragon. The animation isn’t ground breaking and Parsons plays Oh as Sheldon, he found his range in the Big Bang theory and doesn’t seem to have any plans to change that. 

The story has enough warmth and silliness to keep the kids entertained, but parents will find this annoyingly bland.

Home is out in the UK on March 20th.


DVD review-Sex tape

In the film, “Sex Tape,” Jason Segal and Cameron Diaz play a married couple with kids who are struggling to find time for intimacy. Segal’s character is inexplicably given a stack of iPads, which he hands out to people he knows after syncing them to his email address. This plot point stretches believability, as it’s unlikely someone would activate an iPad with their own details and then hand it over to someone else.

To make matters worse, the couple discovers that they accidentally recorded themselves acting out the Kama Sutra on one of the iPads. After receiving a text from an unknown number, they embark on a wild night in LA’s suburbs to retrieve all of the iPads they gave away.

Unfortunately, the film feels like a stretched-out, rejected episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” The only source of genuine laughs comes from Rob Lowe, who shamelessly pokes fun at his own sex tape past.

Despite the lackluster plot and character development, the iPad itself seems to be the most fleshed-out and believable character in the film.

⭐

Film review-Paddington

I have a confession to make, my dear reader. When I was first invited to the premiere of Paddington, I turned down the tickets. I mean, who wants to see a movie about a talking bear who wears a duffel coat and carries a suitcase? Plus, the early images of Paddington made him look creepy, like he was about to go on a killing spree. And when Colin Firth dropped out of the film just before its release, I thought, “Well, that’s the final nail in the coffin.”

But then something unexpected happened. Word of mouth started spreading after that first screening. People were raving about the film, calling it “the best film in a decade”. I couldn’t ignore the buzz any longer. So I took my kids to see it on opening night. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Paddington is a delightful movie that had me grinning from ear to ear.

Based on Michael Bond’s beloved children’s book series, Paddington follows the adventures of a lovable brown bear who travels from Peru to London in search of a new home. The film strikes the perfect balance between playful slapstick and heartfelt warmth, thanks to director Paul King’s clever and imaginative storytelling. The scenes that humanise the story and characters are particularly touching, as we see Paddington adjusting to life with the Brown family in London.

Sure, the subplot featuring Nicole Kidman’s villainous character feels a bit forced and out of place. But overall, the film is a joy to watch, thanks to its excellent performances, seamless mix of CGI and live-action, and the stunning visual flair brought to the film by King.

In short, if you’re looking for a smart and entertaining family movie, look no further than Paddington. It’s a modern classic that towers above most of the other PG-rated films out there. Trust me, you won’t regret giving this charming little bear a chance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review-Gotham:Episode 1

As a fan of the DC comics series ‘Gotham Central,’ I was eager to watch Fox’s pre-Batman series ‘Gotham.’ However, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. While ‘Gotham Central’ focuses on the lives of the ordinary police officers, ‘Gotham’ revolves around the investigation of the Wayne family’s murder by rookie detective Jim Gordon and his partner Harvey Bullock. The show had the potential to provide a fresh perspective on the Wayne family but only gave them a few minutes of screen time.

The show also tries to include every A-list villain from the Batman universe, such as Catwoman, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, The Joker, and The Penguin, which feels forced and detracts from the central story. Jada Pinkett-Smith’s portrayal of mob boss Fish Mooney is over-the-top and cartoonish, in contrast to the more grounded performances of Ben McKenzie and Donal Louge.

While there are some standout performances, the writers need to tone down the exaggerated portrayals of some of the characters. We don’t need Catwoman constantly posing like a cat to remind us of who she is. Despite its flaws, ‘Gotham’ has potential and may appeal to fans of the Batman universe.

Gotham airs 13 October at 9:00pm on Channel 5.

⭐️⭐️

Episode 122: Should Steven Moff-Off?

In which Martyn and Gerrod attempt to discuss, Robot of Sherwood, Listen, Time Heist and The Caretaker.

The conversation quickly turns to a discussion about sexism and racism in Doctor Who.

The lads then ask the ultimate question, should Steven Moffat, Moff-off?

The podcast can be accessed via different places, including Miro,Stiticher, Blubrry, Player fm and Itunes.

Email: badwilf@yahoo.com

Twitter: Martyn-@BadWilf

Pete-@BeeblePete

The Show-@TheBWpodcast<