Category: Reviews

Film review-The King’s Man

The King’s Man, a prequel to the Kingsman franchise, attempts to provide a backstory for fans but ultimately falls short in delivering a cohesive and engaging story.

Set on the verge of World War One, the film follows King George of England, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, and Tsar Nicholas of Russia, played by Tom Hollander, as they find themselves ruling three powerful nations. However, dark forces commanded by Erik Jan Hanussen, played by Daniel Brühl, lurk in the shadows, attempting to infiltrate the leaders’ trust and launch a world war. Meanwhile, manipulative monk Grigori Rasputin, played by Rhys Ifans, adds to the chaos.

Although the action is directed well, with standout moments like the breathtaking skydiving sequence, the screenplay by director Matthew Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek leads The King’s Man into the disjointed territory. It attempts to balance historical drama with action adventure, but the film’s serious anti-war message quickly devolves into a parody.

Rhys Ifans delivers a standout performance, stealing every scene he’s in, but the film’s disjointed nature makes it difficult to fully appreciate. Despite a clever early twist, the story feels predictably plodding, with a post-credits set-up for another instalment that’s head-slappingly obvious.

Overall, while The King’s Man offers some thrilling moments and great performances, it fails to deliver a cohesive and engaging story, leaving audiences feeling underwhelmed.

⭐⭐⭐

Comic review-Spider-Man: Life Story

Spider-Man: Life Story, penned by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated by Mark Bagley, is a masterpiece that should grace the bookshelves of any Spidey aficionado. The new hardcover edition, released in August 2021, collects the entire six-issue series along with Spider-Man: Life Story Annual #1.

The series is a realistic portrayal of Peter Parker’s life, exploring how he ages in real-time and how he experiences historical events such as the Vietnam War. Starting in 1966, a few years after Parker was bitten by the radioactive spider, the story progresses through the decades, offering a fresh take on classic Spider-Man tales.

The second issue, set in 1977, stands out as it introduces new revelations and twists on familiar characters. Peter Parker enjoys a happy life, working alongside another superhero under his real identity, and sharing a significant role with Gwen Stacy. However, Zdarsky’s masterful storytelling culminates in a devastating turn of events, leading to a gripping and emotional tale.

As the story unfolds, new characters like Miles Morales are introduced, and the Symbiote costume is explored in-depth, offering a unique take on the Spider-Man mythos. Bagley’s artwork, with inkers John Dell and Andrew Hennessy and color artist Frank D’Armata (and Matt Milla on the Annual), captures the classic look of Spider-Man comics, while adding a fresh touch to the story.

The Annual issue, focusing on J. Jonah Jameson, is a standout story that ties into Spider-Man’s narrative, creating a nuanced and layered narrative that elevates the main series. Zdarsky’s writing showcases Jameson’s journey of redemption and hope, resulting in a story that will resonate with readers on a deeper level.

Spider-Man: Life Story is a remarkable tale that celebrates Spider-Man in a new and inventive way. Zdarsky and Bagley have created a timeless work that will be remembered as one of the greatest Spider-Man stories of all time. While the extras in the hardcover, including variant covers and Zdarsky’s cover art process, are nice additions, the main series remains the heart of the book. In summary, Spider-Man: Life Story is a must-read for any fan of the friendly neighborhood web-slinger.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review-The year of Martha Jones

The Master has emerged victorious, stealing humanity’s future and imprisoning his nemesis, the Doctor. With an army of deadly Toclafane, he now rules over Earth. But amidst the despair and destruction, there is still hope. Martha Jones has escaped and is wandering the planet, sharing stories of the Doctor to remind people of his heroism and give them a glimmer of hope.

What’s often overlooked in Martha’s companion narrative is the year she spent alone, battling the Master’s tyranny and trying to maintain her sanity in a world turned upside down. Although we know she succeeded in her mission, we never saw how she did it.

“The Year of Martha Jones” is a unique blend of humour, action, and great storytelling that explores Martha’s journey in detail. She becomes a mythological figure, admired by some as a beacon of hope, while others doubt her intentions and wonder if she has the plan to assassinate the Master.

But at her core, Martha is just a human being struggling to survive in a world gone mad. She’s witnessed unimaginable horrors, and her constant loneliness and paranoia make it hard to trust anyone. Yet she remains steadfast in her hope that the Doctor will return and save humanity.

The audio production is elevated by the outstanding performances of Freema Agyeman and Adjoa Andoh, who play mother and daughter in the story. They have a natural chemistry that makes their scenes together feel authentic and emotionally resonant. The supporting cast also shines, with standout performances from Ewart James Walters and Serin Ibrahim.

“The Year of Martha Jones” is a poignant and reflective story that explores human resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. It’s a testament to Freema Agyeman’s growth as an actress and her ability to bring depth and nuance to a beloved character. It’s a must-listen for any Doctor Who fan, and I hope we get to hear more from Martha in the future.

The Year of Martha Jones is available to buy from Big finish.

⭐⭐⭐⭐




Review-Venom: Let there be Carnage

The Venom franchise is certainly unique within Sony’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while it got off to a rocky start with the first film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage manages to course correct and deliver a much more enjoyable experience.

From the get-go, the film establishes a consistent tone and sticks with it, seamlessly blending crude humour and body horror elements. At only 90 minutes, it’s a lean, fast-paced ride that never drags. Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock and Venom is once again a standout, carrying the film through some of its weaker story moments.

Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom is one of the highlights of the film. Hardy brings an infectious energy and a sense of fun to his performance, making it clear that he’s having a blast playing this character. His comedic timing and physical comedy are on point, especially during the scenes where Eddie and Venom bicker with each other. Hardy’s commitment to the role, both in terms of the physical demands and the voice work, is impressive and adds to the enjoyment of the film. Hardy’s performance is a major factor in the success of Venom: Let there be Carnage, and his enthusiasm for the role is contagious. Woody Harrelson is a welcome addition to the franchise as the villainous Cletus Kasady/Carnage, and he fully embraces the film’s ridiculousness with an over-the-top performance. His chemistry with Hardy accentuates the fun of the film, making up for some of the weaker secondary characters.

Speaking of which, the film’s shorter runtime, unfortunately, means that characters like Anne Weying and Francis Barrison don’t get as much development as they could have. However, their potential roles are intriguing and leave room for exploration in future instalments.

The third-act battle between Venom and Carnage is satisfying and visually impressive, with noticeable improvements in the CGI department from the first film. Director Andy Serkis’ experience in motion-capture performances certainly shows.

In addition to the film’s strong performances, another highlight is the delightful cameo by Reece Shearsmith. The actor, known for his work in British comedies such as “The League of Gentlemen” and “Inside No. 9,” delivers a scene-stealing performance as a hapless Priest, who becomes embroiled in the chaos caused by the symbiotes. His brief appearance provides a much-needed injection of levity into the film, and his delivery of the film’s funniest line is sure to leave audiences in stitches.

However, it’s the post-credit scene that really elevates the film, teasing a potential crossover with another beloved Marvel character and opening up exciting possibilities for future sequels.

Overall, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a fun, entertaining ride that surpasses its predecessor and leaves fans excited for what’s to come. It’s definitely worth checking out on VOD services.

⭐⭐⭐

Big Finish review-Torchwood: The Red List

The pandemic may have halted plans for the official seventh series of Torchwood, but producers James Goss and Scott Handcock have been anything but idle. In the past 12 months, they have delivered Torchwood tales ranging from mould to coffee shops, featuring the return of Yvonne Hartman, Zachary Cross, Billis Manger, and Adam Smith. While most of us have struggled to take out the trash, these two have continued to give us the best version of Torchwood on any medium.

Their latest release features Mr Colchester teaming up with a modern-day version of Ace, aka Dorothy McShane, for an adventure set in South America. Both are there to investigate a revolution but are stuck in a hotel under quarantine.

The story begins with a brilliant monologue from Paul Clayton, who plays Mr Colchester, conveying information to the audience without feeling forced or unrealistic. Clayton clearly enjoys reprising his role as the fan-favourite Colchester, and Sophie Aldred’s portrayal of an older Ace is great to hear, demonstrating the amount of effort she puts into her performance as a younger version of the character on the main range.

The chemistry between the two leads is great, and their portrayal of the mundanity that comes with lockdown is relatable. They are supported by Manuel Pacific, who plays Xavier, a hotel technician, and does a tremendous job despite having a small role.

Scott Handcock’s direction is fantastic, eliciting genuine and believable performances from the cast members. The sound design by Steve Foxon perfectly captures the Latin ambience and complements Blair Mowat’s music incredibly well.

While it is difficult to provide a complete review without spoilers, the audio is a lot of fun and features the best-written characters from both Torchwood and Doctor Who. The cliffhanger ending leaves listeners wanting more, and I hope this isn’t the last we hear from Colchester and Ace.

Torchwood: The Red List is available to purchase from the Big Finish site and goes on general release on the 31st January 2022.


⭐⭐⭐⭐

Film Review-Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Director Jason Reitman’s latest instalment in the Ghostbusters franchise, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” pays homage to the original while introducing new characters and a fresh narrative. Both Reitmans and Kenan took to the stage at the media screening and promised us, that the film delivers a story about a family made by a family. They weren’t lying.

Reitman, along with co-writer Gil Kenan, has crafted a clever and charming chapter in the Ghostbusters franchise that effortlessly navigates the challenges facing today’s youth. With a quirky-yet-affectionate wit and dry humour, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” adeptly tackles the awkwardness of being a young person in a rapidly changing world.

The film is peppered with allusions to its predecessors and possesses a magnetism that makes it a true delight to watch. However, the film falters in its third act, losing touch with its tenderhearted nature and abruptly shifting its focus to the supernatural elements that have been hinted at and teased throughout. The jarring difference derails the film, but it manages to salvage itself and conclude on a satisfactory note.

Despite its faults, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a genuinely lovable tribute to its inspiration, with enough warmth and nostalgia to distract from its stumbles. Rather than being a straightforward ghost story, the film welcomes back fans with open arms and introduces a new age of busting ghosts in a more contemporary fashion. It is a feel-good blockbuster that will have you shouting “who ya gonna call?” all over again.

Note: There is one mid-credit and one post-credit scene following Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Listen to Martyn and Gerrod discuss the film on the most recent podcast.

Episode 273: Last night in Soho/ Ghostbusters: Afterlife

It’s an original recipe special this week, as Martyn and Gerrod sit down to give spoiler-free reviews on Last night in Soho and, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to Spotify, Amazon Music, Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

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Artwork by Penny Smallshire.

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Film Review-Eternals

Chloé Zhao has had a short yet prominent career in the thriving world of independent cinema. Her renown grew even more last year when her film “Nomadland” dominated awards season, taking home Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Director. However, her latest work, the $200 million instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, titled “Eternals,” is disappointing. While Zhao unquestionably puts in the effort and gives it her all, the movie doesn’t utilises her strengths. The screenplay, co-written by Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Kaz Firpo, and Ryan Firpo, spans 7000 years, sloppily hopping back and forth across their timeline, resulting in an overly long and overstuffed 157-minute running time. One key problem with “Eternals” is that it is overloaded with characters, and Zhao tries to give each of them some semblance of a backstory. Inevitably all end up feeling shortchanged to various degrees.

The story follows the Eternals, a group of ten good-looking cosmic beings who were sent to Earth aeons ago by Arishem the Judge to defend the planet against a ravenous species known as Deviants. Their centuries-long war ends in 1500 when the last of the Deviants are finally killed. The Eternals then go their separate ways, with each immortal settling and assimilating into different locations around Earth, waiting for Arishem to summon them home. 500 years pass and each Eternal has carved out a life for themselves (more or less). But when a particularly nasty new Deviant suddenly appears in London, it’s clear that it’s time to get the team back together.

The film has a lot of star power portraying the Eternals, and some are much more convincing than others. Gemma Chan is easily the most complete character as Sersi, an eternal with the weird ability to manipulate matter. Richard Madden plays Ikaris, a poor man’s Superman and one-time love interest of Sersi. Angelina Jolie plays Thena, a powerful Wonder Woman-like warrior who wields weapons made of cosmic energy. On the downside, some of the actors feel woefully out of place in most of the scenes they’re in, and some of their characters’ stories feel plucked from another movie.

As the movie predictably brings the former teammates back together, it tries to tell their individual human stories while also building up its cosmic storyline. Surprisingly that leaves little room for superhero action. We do get a couple of set pieces that look fine and check most of the boxes, but there’s little there that we haven’t seen done better elsewhere. Even the big CGI blowout finale is missing the energy and style of the better Marvel films, and it has no stakes.

The movie would have fared better as a Disney+ streaming series. There’s very little here that screams big screen.

There are two post-credit scenes, that will probably be retconned within the next year.

⭐⭐

Review-It takes blood and guts

I’m a child of the Britpop era, I remember the summer of Oasis V Blur and all the bands that defined that generation. I was also a huge fan of Skunkanase, in this memoir. The pioneering frontwoman offers a very different take on generation X.

The melodic, passionate rock of Skunk Anansie’s first three albums sold 5 million copies worldwide. Even Rod Stewart covered Weak, on his 1998 album ‘when we were the new boys’.
When Stormzy tweeted that he was the first black British artist to headline Glastonbury, Skin rightfully corrected him. Skunk Anansie had done so in 1999, she also praised Maxim and Leeroy from the Prodigy, who were the headliners in 1997.

It’s safe to say that Deborah Anne Dyer AKA Skin has lived a life, and she accomplishes so much more with her book than simply providing a self-indulgent biography.
She’s analytical, critical, and mindful of her surroundings, as well as being acutely aware of the doors she’s opened for other young black British kids.

The harsh realities of being an openly bi-sexual black woman fronting a hard rock/alt-metal band were not avoided by Skin. She doesn’t shy away from the racism and sexism she’s faced in this capacity. Especially from some US record execs, that just couldn’t wrap their tiny little minds around a black alt-metal band. She also talks about how, with the support of her bandmates, allies, an amazing manager, and high-powered mates, she was able to shatter any misconceptions.

The real joy of this book is the peek behind the curtain we get to this era. Skin praises her friendship with Robbie Williams, who once angrily confronted Russian bouncers who wouldn’t let her in a club. As well as how a visit to her school, by Dame Judi Dench helped Skin find her inner voice.

The book isn’t a perfect read, it’s co-written by Lucy O’Brien, the constant switch between voices is notable. I would have rather had one voice, or maybe a transcript of a conversation between O’Brien and Skin, something akin to watch Benjamin Cook and Russell T Davies did with a writers tale, would have really suited this book.

All-in-all, this is an interesting tell-all about a generation and those who defined it.

It takes blood and guts is released in paperback on, 16th of September, 2021.

⭐⭐⭐⭐


Film Review-Freaky

As I write this, I realise that despite some films being better than others, there has never been a truly terrible body swap movie. “Freaky,” directed by Christopher Landon (“Happy Death Day”), is a low-budget, high-concept supernatural slasher that follows the story of Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton), a seventeen-year-old girl who spends her days struggling to survive high school and the cruelty of the popular crowd. After becoming the latest target of the town’s infamous serial killer, the Butcher, Millie finds herself magically swapped with him using his mystical dagger. With only 24 hours to switch back before the body swap becomes permanent, Millie must face the Butcher’s murderous rampage in her own body.

While the film does have some laugh-out-loud moments of comedy, such as watching Vince Vaughn’s Butcher swivel his hips like a cheerleader and flirt with Millie’s crush (Uriah Shelton), the premise does tend to run out of steam as the film progresses. Michael Kennedy’s script pays homage to the genre’s predecessors but often falls into the cliches that bogged them down.

The film’s main issue is its ill-defined characters. Millie is the school mascot and often ridiculed by her peers, yet she still looks like Kathryn Newton, making the “Hollywood ugly” label seem implausible. Her friends are also one-dimensional, with the gay and black characters reduced to little more than caricatures.

While it’s possible to argue that Kennedy was aiming for a parody of Hollywood cliches, it’s doubtful that the paper-thin characters were intentional. Despite its flaws, “Freaky” is still an entertaining supernatural slasher with a unique body swap twist.

⭐⭐

Freaky is released in UK cinemas July 2nd.