Life, the Multiverse and Everything.

So, I finished watching the first series of Fringe a while back and have just started the second. It’s a great show. Yes, it does come off as a bit of an X-Files clone, using science instead of the paranormal, but that’s not to say it’s not good at what it does.



People heads explode, there’s a grotesque monster every now and again, the central trio are all brilliant in their roles, John Noble especially as the brilliant but mental Walter Bishop. It’s fairly disgusting most of the time and there’s even a character whose function is somewhat of a Where’s Wally game (The Observer*; if you watch the show, you’ll know what I’m on about).



* The Observer not only appears on Fringe itself, but has been sighted at certain real life events (only in the US, natch) like football games and in the audience of American Idol. Now that’s viral marketing. Also, I’m fairly certain I saw him one night as I was heading home from Donaghadee but that’s another story entirely.




The first season was mainly monster of the week fare, as most fantasy shows are when they first start out (Smallville, Supernatural, Buffy, even Lost to an extent; you know the type of show I mean, one where in every pre-title sequence somebody gets killed or something weird happens). But towards the end of its inaugural year, Fringe started to delve into the idea of alternate universes. The main character, Olivia, travelled to an alternate universe where the Twin Towers are still standing to meet the elusive William Bell, played by Leonard Nimoy who’s been doing his fair bit of universe hopping, between this and Star Trek. And from the two episodes I’ve watched of the second season, it appears as if most of this season will be dedicated to this type of story.

And I can’t wait.

I love the notion of the multiverse. It’s such an interesting concept; that there are an infinite number of universes in which things are drastically or minutely different to the universe we currently inhabit. Who wouldn’t love that? Lost dabbled in this alternate universe thing in its final season (unfortunately, although it did provide emotional closure to the series, it dropped the ball in terms of offering answers, and looking back was a real cop out in any episode but the finale) but Fringe embraces it with all it’s geek heart.



So far, we’ve only seen one alternate universe in Fringe, and I think that’s all we’re going to, as I imagine any more than that would get a little confusing (see DC Comics many different “Earth’s” if you want proof. Don’t even think about starting 52 or Infinite Crisis. It’s freaking impenetrable; I tried reading it once and had no clue about what was going on. I asked a big DC fan, and when he mentioned that there were many different variations of Earth, and that characters who may been dead in the core universe may not be dead in another but are somehow affected by events in the origi….oh no, I’ve gone cross eyed.), but it got me thinking about which other universes I’d like to visit.

The universe where there are actual superheroes; the universe where everyone is a Gerry Anderson puppet; the universe where dogs are humans and humans are dogs; the universe where people walk on their hands; the booblehead universe [note: that was a typo, but I like booblehead better than bobblehead so it’s staying]; the universe without shrimp; the universe with nothing but shrimp; the universe where that fucking Go Compare advert, Two and a Half Men and The X Factor don’t exist; the universe where the word ‘universe’ doesn’t exist (which would have made this blog really hard). Personally I’d like a universe where hay fever didn’t exist, that would be awesome.

Oh, and obviously there’s the Rosario Dawson universe.



I freaking love the multiverse, you may have noticed. I mean, I watched Sliders FFS. And it was terrible.

So, what do you all think?

JC

They’re coming to get you, Barbara

I’ve always thought a full scale zombie apocalypse would be cool.

Cause let’s face it, it would.



Once you get past the whole harrowing business of maybe having to kill your friends and family, it would be pretty awesome.

But you have to first of all work out what kind of zombie you’re facing, as it changes the survival chances pretty significantly. If we take the classic zombie (the ‘Romero’ zombie, if you will) I’d say your survival chances are pretty high, but there are many many problems with that. Cabin fever and depression namely, for what the classic zombie lacks in speed, it more than makes up for with persistence, and well, numbers. It’s the unrelenting nature of these guys that will likely drive you mad, and if you’re locked up in relative safety, you could well be there for a while, for as the movies have taught us, if the zombies know there’s people inside, they just moan and groan at the door until they get in, which they might never do. So basically, you’re trapped.



I remember when I worked in the Spar, we had discussions about how it would be quite a good place to hold up if it ever happened. Big shutters covering the doors and windows, access to a (albeit limited) supply of food, as well as the ability to get onto the roof if needs be. But, as I said, you’d be trapped. And eventually, you’d go insane. Maybe after a few months, maybe after a year, but if you’re locked up inside a small building, with the same people every day, with hordes of zombies outside whose only purpose is to get in to eat your face off, I wouldn’t blame you.



Thing is though, if you were just as persistent, you could easily survive on the road during a Romero invasion. A lot of literature on the subject (and there’s a lot of it, trust me. If you’re after something, pick up The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks) says that if there is a zombie invasion, you shouldn’t travel, but if you have to, travel alone. Be a lone wolf. I disagree. I think two people, travelling together and taking shifts, would be the best way to survive. One person sleeps while the other keeps watch, as Romero zombies aren’t fast, you literally could just run away from them, and their subtle satire on consumerism. The best thing is, assuming you could procure one, is that you wouldn’t need to use any form of firearm too often. Just as long as you stayed fit and healthy enough to run away, no weapons would be needed. But you should still carry some form of heavy blunt object with a long enough killing distance, like a spade or cricket bat. And cool as computer games have made it look, a chainsaw is really not a good thing to use, if such an invasion were to happen in real life.



However, if the zombie apocalypse was of the 28 Days Later/2004 Dawn of the Dead ilk, your survival chances drop significantly. We’ll call them the modern zombie and basically…these fuckers are fast. So you’ve got to be prepared.


Numbers are key in this situation. You need as many people around you as possible so as you can take shifts easily so other people can get some sleep, and be alert enough to cover your back whenever you need to sleep. And having more eyes about the place never hurts, as with more eyes, you can cover more places that the zombies could come from. Also it’d be best to find as wide and as open a space as you can find, but while still inside. Outdoors is a big no-no in this kind of invasion. Actually, a shopping centre is probably the best place to mount your offensive, as you can see in all directions (more or less) from a central focal point. If we take Ards Shopping Centre as an example, if you stationed folks at the both of the crossroads in it, you could see in all directions and would be able to ping a modern zombie’s head off before he got too close.




Which leads me to my next point. With the modern zombie, you’re going to needs guns.

Lots of guns.

You will not be able to run from these guys. You could maybe outrun one or two, but if there are a lot of them, you are screwed. That zombie bite has made them better, faster, stronger. They have been rebuilt, they have the technology, and they will chew your arm off for a laugh. Guns are an essential aspect of a modern zombie invasion. Get them however you can, and horde ammo like your life depended on it. Cause it will. I won’t go into gun specifics, cause I wouldn’t know what I’m talking about, but get some long range bad boys as well as something a little more close quarters. The shotgun has been immortalised as the weapon of choice for zombie killing, and I’d have to agree; it probably would be your best friend. Actually, your best friend should be a guy with a good aim.



And now, just a couple of general rules, no matter what kind of zombie you’re facing:

Do not go anywhere alone. This is good advice for the Romero invasion, but especially so with a modern one; as zombies have no regard for their own well being they will smash through anything to reach you. So don’t think because you’ve locked yourself in a room that you’re safe. Always take an armed partner with you wherever you go. You should also be armed at all times.

Always know where the exits are. In case you get cornered by a horde of blood thirsty undead prinks or if they’re blocking your usual exit, make sure you know that there are other ways out. No point running around an unfamiliar place, and running into a dead end. It’s zombie chow for you then. Never run upstairs while being chased unless you have a plan (as you’re effectively trapping yourself) and never lead them in to places that are secure.

Medical supplies. Carry them, and have someone who knows how to use them.

Be ruthless. You get bit, get someone to kill you. Someone gets bit, kill them. Has to be done. Or you could let them go out in a blaze of glory, preferably involving explosives, mainly cause this is what Every Zombie Movie Ever does.

And after all that, have fun.

I mean, it is the end of the world. Time to nut up, or shut up.

JC

What? You think just because a guy reads comics he can't start some shit?

Comics.



I'm something of a novice when it comes to comics. Only just recently getting into them in a big way. When I say that it's not in a 'get every single issue on the day it comes out' kind of guy. I'm more of a 'buy the trade paperback after a lot of research into exactly what it is I want' kind of guy (Hey, I've just got myself a mortgage, I can't afford to buy every comic that looks cool).

But it's been bugging me recently that a lot of people still think that comics are the arena of the nerd. The geek. The spaz. The social retard. And to some extent...that's kind of true.



But in this day and age where The Dark Knight is one of the top grossing films of all time, you'd think people would be getting into comics more and more.

This is not the case.

Example, before the Watchmen movie came out I decided to read the graphic novel, as I hadn't done so before. And while I don't think it deserves all the praise it gets (mainly cause Alan Moore pisses me off), I thought it was pretty damn good nonetheless. People in work saw me reading it and gave me looks of derision. Fair enough says I, they're uneducated in the ways of comics. But then these same people went to see the movie when it came out. So why should they be so willing to scorn people who read the comics. Are they still considered to be a children's hobby by the masses, reading the funny pages. Is liking a movie based on a comic, better, more socially acceptable, than liking the thing on which it was based?

Although, one person in my work didn't like Watchmen movie at all. His review, verbatim, was this: What the fuck was that all about? And why was that blue queer walking about with his dick out?



I'm currently enjoying Y The Last Man at the minute. It's probably the best work of fiction I've read in a while, has some truly stuning artwork and the the srory and lead charcters are compelling, yet when the eventual movie comes round (depsite that it's been stuck in Development Hell for a while) the people who will go and see it will do so because bloody Shia Leboeuf is likely to land the role of Yorick.



I don't have a problem with the movie adaptations themselves, but the double standards that go with the people who watch them yet would never think to pick up the source material, or worse still, dismiss them as being childish and stupid. Watchmen made Time Magazine's 100 best novels. That's novels, not graphic novels, folks. Give them a chance, you might like them.

So, what do you all think?

My top gaming moments ever

Just thought I'd note down a run through of some of my favouriteas gaming moments of my life so far. Some of these are scripted moments that every pweson playing said game will experience, some of them are personal to myself. All of them are awesome.

The opening of Call of Duty 4.



I remember watching this as it's unskippable while you're playing, and thinking that it's pretty awesome. I also remember thinking that at some point the actual game would kick in and I would save the dude that lookes like he's going to be executed. Every time there was a point that I thought I would jump in, the cutscene just kept going, and going and going. Then the head terrorist guy raises his gun. I thought that maybe the game would jump back a bit and let me play. And then...it didn't. The president dude was dead. An audacious, powerful, unexpected opening to one of the best games I have ever played.

Staying with CoD 4: The nuke



Normally once the game takes over from you at the end of a level, this means everything will be ok. Not so here. Here, everything goes to hell. I do rmember an audible 'holy sh*t' when playing this for the first time. And as with the opening scene of CoD4 the aftermath of the nuke, as your soldier crawls about before finally dying, is undoubtedly powerful. These two scenes are more grand in scale than anything the sequel had to offer. Not saying MW2 is bad, just a bit overblown at times. This, while nothing original, had enough of an effect to truly hit home.

Red Dead Redemption, Arrival in Mexico



I've talked about this before, but it still is one of the finest, most breathtaking moments I have ever experiecened in all my gaming life. You get on your horse, start riding and the most perfect song starts up as you ride to your destination. I guess it depends on what you do once you get on you horse, but for me, I rode along the coast, watching the God rays burst through the clouds and glisten on the water below. May e that's a bit dramatic but it really is the perfect marriage of atmospherics, setting and music. It really is superb.

Halo: Combat Evolved, first appearance of the Flood.



People forget that while the enemies, The Flood, were stuffed into Halos 2 and 3, in the first one, no-one knew what they were. This cutscene terrified me seeing it for the first time. You don't expect to be scared playing Halo, but this was well creepy. Audiologs were commonplace in games were you could hear of weird stuff happening to charcters. This was the first one I can remember where you actually saw the menace before you yourself actually had to fight them. And that noise they make...ugh. Game over, man. Game over.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, end cut scene.



As a 7 year old kid, this was the height of awesome.

Star Wars Battlefront, Mace Windu gets ate.

Right, so me and my good pal flipmofoxx are playing Star Wars Battlefront in uni, our rooms are beside each other and we're playing via system link. It's awesome. Star Wars Battlefront is basically a game that throws rebels and imperials into battle with each other, whoever kills the most wins. And every so often a jedi or sith will appear to help your side out. On this game, in the Dune Sea of Tatooine, Mace Windu comes to the aid of the Republic. After destroying a couple of driods, someone throws a thermal detonator at him. Mace Windu goes flying through the air, towards the Sarlacc. The sarlacc grabs Mace who's still in mid air and swallows him whole. Flipmo and I both see this, deem it hilarious, and still talk about it to this day. FACT!

"Feed me"

Beating Gears of War 2 on Insane



Now, Gears of War 2 on insane isn't that hard really, it's more of a slog just to get through it, but damn if completing it wasn't the most satisfying gaming moment in a long while. Getting 150G's for doing it also didn't hurt. I'm sure Blind Dave will agree.

Every second of every Oddworld game ever



...but if you're looking for specifics, then the first Oddworld game there ever was, Abe's Oddysee gets my vote. Back on the Playstation it was the first game I ever actually bought with my own money. I remember playing it on a demo disc I got free with a magazine and knew that I had to have it when it came out. To this day I can still remember most of the opening narration to the first cut scene: "This is Rupture Farms. They say it's the biggest meat processing plant on Oddworld. I used to work here. Well, I was really a slave like all the others."



Watching that back, it still looks pretty impressive graphically and with it's mix of puzzles and humour, the game never got boring. Although it did get very very frustrating at certain parts near the end. I remember continually dying. If I could compare it to any more recent game, it would be Portal. Speaking of...

Still Alive - Portal



You really have to have played though the whole game to appreciate this song, but trust me, it was awesome.

The cake is a lie.

Wolverine, Schmolverine

With the news that the sequel to Wolverine is getting started quite soon I thought I’d reflect of the first movie.



Before it came out I was properly excited about it. I loved the portrayal of Wolverine in the 3 X-Men movies (yes, even the third) and had high hopes for this one focusing solely on everyone’s favourite Canadian with claws. After seeing it in the cinema, I thought it was quite good. Nothing special but alright. Subsequent watches however have made me realise what an absolute turkey it really is. Everything after Logan leaves the team is utter tripe. Here’s why:

1. This is the prime offender for me. It’s an offhand line that if you don’t think about it, you can ignore it. But when Stryker is loading his gun with adamantium bullets he says this gem “They won’t kill him, but they will erase his memory” or something like that anyway. What? How can you possibly know that? It also contradicts the established rules of Wolverine. His body regenerates; I imagine the memory centre of his brain would too. It’s lazy, half assed and just plain bad writing; solely there to get Logan’s memory erased.

2. Wolverine in this movie is an absolute pussy. In the first X-Men movie and to a greater extent the second, we were lead to believe that Wolverine was the ultimate badass. Yet from his induction, along with Victor, (who constitutes another gripe of mine) he does nothing but question everything Team X are doing. Fair enough, but the Wolverine I wanted was someone who was trying to atone for horrible things he’d done. Not just trying to escape the people doing Very Bad Things. X2 made it seem like he and Stryker were a force to be reckoned with; this movie makes Stryker ineffectual, and Wolverine impotent.

3. This is more a continuity thing. Victor is Sabretooth. Sabretooth from X1. If they’re going for the same universe here, they could have given Logan another superpowered brother, instead of contradicting a movie that chronologically comes later. (Victor however is one of the saving graces of this movie)



4. While holding your dead lovers body, your emotions overcome you and you yell towards the heavens. F*ck. Right. Off. It’s awful, and the most embarrassing point in the whole movie.

5. The origin of the adamantium claws. There’s nothing wrong with it in the movie per se, but I really felt we got all the info we needed in X2. Did we really need to see Wolverine actually getting the claws? No, and as such this scene is utterly extraneous. As is the whole movie really.

6. Logan meeting Ma and Pa Kent. Which leads to the painful to watch ‘comedy’ destruction of the bathroom. Which brings me on to…

7. The FX on the claws. What, did you not have enough money to do them properly? The claws looked better in X1, nine years previous.

8. Characters in the movie, just for the sake of being there. For example, cool as his powers looked, Gambit was basically just a plot device to get Wolverine to where he needed to be. And also, it seemed a lot of characters were just thrown in because of how cool their powers looked, not that they served any real purpose. The only one who made any sort of impression was Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, who was only in it for 5minutes (if even).



9. Logan doesn’t even get anything cool to say or do. No “You’re a dick,” no “Grow those back.” However, there’s nothing as bad as “I’m the Juggernaught, bitch!” Actually, “I’m gonna cut your goddamn head off. See if that works” is pretty good.


10. Lack of any memorable action set piece, which is odd, considering there’s so many of them. Logan and Victor’s fight is probably the best, but it still looks like Superman v Superman. It should really be a knock down, drag out kind of thing. Like a boxing match, not a wire fu showcase. Same goes for their second fight in the alley. Logan versus the helicopter isn’t really exciting, as the outcome is never in doubt (Again, that’s something that could be said of the whole movie). Wolverine in the mansion in X2, full on Berserker rage is probably my favourite comic book movie moment. Nothing in this comes close, not involving Wolverine anyway. Deadpool’s sword swinging exit from the list is, admittedly, pretty awesome.

Hopefully the sequel can make up for the shortcomings of the first. I know I’ll still go and watch it regardless, but please, sort it out.

Never give up, never surrender

Spoofs, they’re hard to do right. The Naked Gun did it well. Hot Shots did it even stupider, but still well. And of course, Airplane set the template.

But for every one of those you have an Epic Movie, or a Date Movie. Modern ‘spoofs’ that completely fail to hit the mark.

The last good spoof I feel that was wholly successful was Galaxy Quest. If you haven’t seen it, go and watch it now.

Ok, have you watched it yet? Good.



I first watched it ages ago back on VHS. I remember sitting down and watching it with everyone in my house. And we all loved it. It was on TV last night and even though I was knackered and it wasn’t over til about half 12, I watched the whole damn thing again anyway. It’s the story of a washed up bunch of actors from a cancelled sci-fi show, being mistaken by real aliens as real astronauts, and being brought into the middle of a battle between the Thermians and some evil dude called Sarris on an exact recreation of their ship from the TV show, which the Thermians believe to be ‘histoical documents.’ Mistaken identity is always good comic fodder, taking it into space multiplies it ten fold.

At its core, Galaxy Quest is a loving pastiche of both Star Trek, as well as the actors and fans of Star Trek. But it never looks down its nose at its clear inspiration. Tim Allen’s character is basically William Shatner taken to a comic extreme (I hope), and is the most obvious connection to Trek.



But the movie really is a fine ensemble of some fine comic actors. Or at least actors with a knack for comedy. It’s easily Tim Allen’s best live action role. Tony Shaloub gets a lot of laughs out of his character who doesn’t seem fazed by anything going on around him – “That was a hell of a thing.” Justin Long plays the nerdy kid with just the right level of nerd-dom and excitement. Sigourney Weaver purpose in the show within the movie was the eye candy and that’s more or less her role in the actual movie. But what eye candy she is. Surprising eye candy too. Daryl Mitchell playing the now adult child star of the series gets a lot of mileage from his out of his depth pilot. Alan Rickman, as the Shakespearean actor who feels this sci-fi guff is below him, steals every scene he in, as long as he’s not in it with Sam Rockwell, who just about walks off with the entire movie as Guy, Crewman No 6. Or the redshirt character, who’s convinced he’s going to be killed off to show the situation is serious. Every line he has is pure gold. I’ll single out the scene in which he’s first transported to the alien ship and just screams as a comic highlight. As well as the final shot of the movie, “…and introducing Guy Fleegman” always leaving me crying with laughter. If there’s a youtube clip of his best moments from the movie I’ll throw it up here.



Also, a special mention must go to Veronica Mars' dad himself, Enrico Colantoni for his endearing portrayal of Mathesar, the leader of the Thermians. Having to do that voice throughout the entire movie deserves some kind of award. Apparently it was his own idea as well.



The great thing about the movie is that it’s not just a set up for some great laughs. There is an actual plot to the movie, unlike the recent modern ‘spoofs’ which are just a collection of pop culture references thrown in for the forgetful and the stupid. And as well as having a decent plot it also embraces some elements of sci-fi itself. We’re not talking complicated stuff here, but it at least recognises that to be a sci-fi spoof you need more than some aliens thrown in. There are elements that they take seriousy(ish) with the Omega 13 device, and some not so serious (such as why would a spaceship have a bunch of stompy crushy things in the middle of it, other than the fact that it created peril in a TV episode of the show and as such the Thermians recreated it).

As well as the comedy and the science fiction, it’s got some damn good action in there too. The flight through the mine field in space being both a hilarious and exciting scene. As well as the reversal of it near the end being just about as exciting as any serious space set movie – “What you fail to realise is that my ship is dragging mines.”

So, to finish here’s a few of the best lines from said movie.

- “You broke the ship. You broke the bloody ship.”

- “Don’t open that. It's an alien planet. Is there air? You don’t know.”

- “By Grabthar's hammer, by the sons of Worvan, you shall be avenged.”

Jason Nesmith: You're not gonna die on the planet, Guy.
Guy Fleegman: I'm not? Then what's my last name?
Jason Nesmith: It's, uh, uh - -I don't know.
Guy Fleegman: Nobody knows. Do you know why? Because my character isn't important enough for a last name, because I'm gonna die five minutes in.

Brandon's Mom: Where are you going with those fireworks?
Brandon: Well, the Protector got super-accelerated coming out of the black hole, and it, like, nailed the atmosphere at Mach 15, which, you guys know, is pretty unstable, obviously, so we're gonna help Laredo guide it on the vox ultra-frequency carrier and use Roman candles for visual confirmation.
Brandon's Mom: Uh, all right, dinner's at seven.

[Reading a tactical display]
Guy Fleegman: Hey guys, there's a red-thingy moving toward the green-thingy.
Jason Nesmith: What?
Guy Fleegman: Red-thingy moving toward the green-thingy. I think we're the green-thingy.

Gwen DeMarco: Alex, where are you going?
Sir Alexander Dane: To see if there's a pub.

Go and watch it again.

You know you want to.

The UFO: The Big Lebowski

Right, so, after being told for like the past ever to watch this movie, I finally got around to it last week. Somewhat controversially, I was underwhelmed, confused and worst of all, bored.

That's not to say it's a bad movie. It's not. I just don't think it's as good as everyone says. The charcters were great. I love The Dude's apathy and general easy going-ness throughout the whole movie, as well as the fact that the reason he gets messed up in this whole mess is because he wants a replacement rug (the previous one having been pissed on. Shame as it really tied the room together). He's cool, and instantly likable. I liked John Goodman's Walter Sobchak; the angry, bitter Vietnam vet, who turns everything into an argument.

And I liked the joke that all this stuff is going on around these two yet neither one of them gets too fazed by it all, as they really just want to get back to bowling.



I just didn't get engaged in the movie as there was no real point to it. Which yes, I get was actually the point of the movie, that there is no point, but without a beginning, middle and satisfying end, the whole thing felt kind of hollow to me, like the Coen's just decided to say "America's weird, y'all" and see if we bought into the joke. Also what was the point of Julianne Moore's character really?

I just thought that while the characters were rich and well written, the plot didn't do good service to them. You could do much funnier and cleverer things with the two main charcters, and Donnie (SHUT THE F*CK UP DONNIE!) than I felt was done here.

Maybe I'm missing something and I might change my mind on a rewatch but as it stands, I was quite disappointed. I was expecting something blackly comic in the vein of Fargo, but instead got a mystery movie, where the mystery didn't matter, but the journey to the reveal bored me.

Sorry.

Toy Story 3, or how I cried like a big man baby

Ok, before we get to the me gurning part, let me explain, I saw the original Toy Story when it came out in 95. I'm sure a lot of you did. I was 10. These characters were new and awesome, and most importantly, real. Yes, they were toys, but they really did leap off the screen and you wholly believed that they were coming to life anytime a person wasn't in the room. And I got teary eyed at the emotional bits.

I saw them again in 1999 for the sequel which was just as good if not better than the first. I myself was older and wiser, but still young enough to play with toys, and beleive in the magic of the movie. And get a bit teary eyed at the emotional bits.

Today, at the cynical old age of 25, I honestly did not expect to be taken in once again by this world. I figured I'd laugh at the jokes but the emotion wouldn't hit me as hard this time and I wouldn't get teary eyed at the emotional bits. I was wrong.

I grew up with these characters. I know that sounds like such a cliche, but it's true. So at a certain point in the third movie, the 'incinerator moment' as it'll no doubt be remembered til the end of time, when the charcters seem to accept their impending doom and agree to ride it out together, I lost it. There's a point where Buzz looks at Jessie and, if memory serves, shakes his head as if to say "There's no point, so let's just all die together" and all the remaining charcters, even Woody, join hands that I flipped. And even though my rational thinking brain knew that Pixar would never ever do this, every inch the toys moved closer to the fire, I started to think that they would. I honestly think this is the best scene in the movie, the trilogy. Hell, maybe the last five years. And when they did get saved at the last second (in a cute gag involving the Pizza Planet three eyed aliens and 'The Claw') I think the whole cinema's buttocks unclenched and they realised they hadn't been breathing for the best part of 3 minutes.



It's a standout sequence, and everything after it...well, if you didn't at least let a single solitary tear roll down your cheek then you're a f*cking robot. Andy giving his toys to Bonnie, but specifically Woody was pretty heartbreaking. But again if memory serves, Woody waves to Andy as he drives off (I think it's the last shot of the movie) and it slayed me again.

All I can say is I'm glad I had my 3D glasses on. Sob.

Anyway, enough of this mushy stuff. How funny was Toy Story 3? Answer: very. To me it seemed much more laugh out loud funny than the previous two, with a particular highlight for me being Mr Tortilla. And of course Spanish Buzz. And Ken and Barbie.



The set pieces also seemed a lot more dynamic in this than the first two. Of course computer animation has come a long way in the 11 years since TS2. The opening action scene was tremendous and allowed Pixar to go big, and they accomplished this with aplomb. However, the smaller and more intimate action beats were just as good. The whole prison break was superbly staged, never once getting boring or obvious. And the aforementioned scene at the dump was technically perfect, and incredibly exciting.

I think what Toy Story has that sets it apart from many other animations, is it's heart. You know, I'm all for cynisicm in kid's movies. You know, having jokes that the adults will get but will go over the kids heads, but if I had to choose I'd rather watch this than any of the Shreks.

So, one of animations finest franchises is now done (hopefully, another would ruin an otherwise perfect ending) and we all have to move on - the theme of the movie really - so thank you Toy Story 3. I'll be seeing you soon on DVD.

My Great Unwatched Films Odyssey

Right, apparently I’m prided on being some sort of film buff. Apparently. But I haven’t watched films most people consider to be out and out classics. Or at least movies I really should have watched already in my 25 years on this earth. This is my attempt to rectify this.

First up, The Thing.



As it appears in countless scariest moments ever lists, I already knew of the big creature feature set pieces in the movie (head spider, stomach mouth) but what I didn’t know was really what the movie was about at all. Aside from, you know, a Thing. What struck me initially while watching it was the overwhelming oppressive feeling the film has, much like Alien. Although with The Thing a lot of it takes place in brightly lit environments, unlike Alien, yet it still feels bleak and inescapable.

Once the thing of the title starts to do its thing the film really hits its stride. I think one of the main strengths of the film is that the Thing of the title is an unseen menace. It imitates hosts and so we never see its true form. Is it an alien? A virus? Both?

"You've got to be f*cking kidding."

After the discovery of whatever the thing is, the film becomes a study in paranoia. As the Thing could be imitating any one of the crew of the outpost we are never sure who could turn at any moment. Where Alien had people fighting against something they could easily see, here all bets are off.

And it leads to one of the tensest scenes in the movie. The blood test. As Kurt Russell’s MacReady takes samples from all the remaining cast and performs a sort of scientific experiment on it. You really could cut the tension with a knife as each member is tested. In contrast to a lot of movie’s today, we, the audience also don’t know who if any of the characters are infected, so we’re just as on edge as they are. And because of that, this scene contains the biggest scare in the movie. I feel anyway. When MacReady tests one of the survivors blood and it jumps out of the Petri dish and forms a solid creature before landing on the floor.

Mistrust is basically the theme of the whole movie. And it’s best presented in the final scene between Childs and MacReady. After seemingly destroying the creature the movie skips to some time later, and we see Childs (who had disappeared earlier in the movie) and MacReady. Again, one of them could be the Thing imitating them. Or neither of them could be. The last line “Let’s just see what happens” is perhaps one of the greatest in film history. The film doesn't have a happy ending, more a downbeat nihilistic one. Ambiguity wins the day as such. A climax where everything gets resolved would not have felt right after the previous 2 hours of build up. And as such, the ending is perfect as well.

Also, I haven't even begun to mention the creature effects in this movie. It's stuff like this that reminds me why I hate CG (Until something like District 9 comes along and reminds me I love it too) but seeing as The Thing was made pre CGI, the practical effects, combined with some ingenious camera trickery, are nothing short of spectacular. Special mention goes to the head spider but perhaps the best and most disgusting effect is when the dog mutates. It's just plain nasty.



See?

Anyway, next on the UFO (that's Unwatched Films Odyssey), is The Big Lebowski.

Predators, Shrek and Red Dead Redemption

"Um...uh...er...nope, can't think of any...."



Basically, this sums up Predators. I can't think of any memorable quotes from it, wheras I could list at least a dozen from the original. The new movie is ok, in that it's entertaining enough and there's a good bit of violence, but it's not one I'll watch ever again. Unlike the original.

I think the problem is as much as the original 80's Predator is awesome, it's very much a tongue in cheek kind of movie. Yes, it's serious, but it never takes itself too seriously. I mean, there's a frickin' mid air arm wrestle for pete's sake. This new one, Predators, seems as if they thought they were making Citizen Kane. everything is far too serious, and there's no fun to be had.

Even when the predators eventually show up and start killing off the cast, there's no real joy in that either. Mainly because most of the cast are so bland it's difficult to feel anything when they get impaled/exploded/eviscerated. The original had fun characters; this one doesn't even really have characters, just cannon fodder. Which would be fine if these were just extras, but these guys carry the film. Adrien Brody is ok, playing the mysterious hard nosed bloke who will Do Anything To Survive, but everyone else in the main cast is so boring, it's criminal. The one character who stands out is Morpheus, but he's hardly in the damn thing!

A lot of people would forgive these faults if there was some decent action to compensate for them. But there's really not much of that either. In fact the best scene for me , action wise, was the scene with the Predator dog things. Every scene with an actual Predator was dull, aside from the fight with the yakusa. Admittedly, that was pretty cool.

Also, the twist with one character was lame. Lame beyond belief.

It's third in the Predator series, and also third best, behind the awesome original and the highly underrated Predator 2.

3 stars.

Shrek Forever Ever.



Going to be a short review this, because every Shrek movie is essentially the same, just with differnet surroundings. Shrek is feeling down about his married wioth kids life, makes a wish, and the rest of the movie is basically It's A Wonderful Life with a big green ogre. In 3D.

It's a fun way to spend 80 minutes, but nothing original erally. Although some of the 3D set pieces are pretty exciting.

3 and a half stars.

And now, onto Red Dead Redemption, probably the best game I've played so far this year. BIG HONKING SPOILERS IN THIS TOO, SO DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE WHOLE GAME



As a person who got bored with GTA IV quite quickly, I didn't think I'd make it all the way through Red Dead. Boy, was I wrong. The story really puled me through the whole thing, when I could have easily got bored with the whole 'go to person A, then ride to point B and kill person C' which a lot of the missions are.

But first, the techincal bit. Graphically the game is awesome. Riding through certain parts of the map were just breathtaking, with a standout for me being the Tall Trees section of the game as well as the coast of Mexico. And as a lot of time in-game is spent travelling, it was good that there was some lovely scenery to look at too. I'm not really very technically minded, but I think it's suffice to say, the game is pretty.

Anyway, onto the story. It's pretty basic on the surface, John Marston's wife and son are being held against their will and will only be freed if John helps the government track down and kill his old gang buddies. See, John's all good now, and his old friends...not so much. The missions in between these are ranging in quality; for example, the West Dickens missions were beyond dull, but the Landon Ricketts ones were great.

But after playing as John Marston for at least 15 hours, when you finally get to the point of getting back to your family, it really does hit you emotionally. I don't think I've ever been so emotionally engaged by a game as I was with this one. But the game wasn't done with me yet. I figured once I'd got back to my family it would be game over. Not to be the case; I started doing farming missions with my son. 'Ok' thinks I 'we're doing some winding down missions to show I have a good life. Fair enough." We do some hunting missions, "Ok, we're forming a bond here between father and son. All well and good."

I had a feeling something bad was round the corner.

It was.

But the game took a turn I was not expecting. I thought that Edgar Ross and the government types would eventually betray me. However, I expected John to get out of it somehow. That he didn't, was a real sucker punch. That he got murdered by the people he'd been forced to help was just pure evil.

You know how I said I was emotionally engaged in the game? Well, I hated Edgar Ross now. And I mean hated.

So, after John is killed, you take on the role as his son, Jack, for the rest of the game. And killing Edgar Ross when you finally meet him was one of the most satisfying and strangely cathartic moments I have ever been witness to. Perfect ending to the game, all capped off with the freeze frame and title card. RED DEAD REDEMPTION. Awesome.



And during the credits, I have to admit, I once again got a little emotional with the choice of music Rockstar had selected. Which brings me to my next point; the soundtrack. In game score was terrific. Not constant music but only used where needed for dramatic effect, and some of the licensed songs used really did evoke feelings that I have never felt before playing a game. Casse and point, your first arrival in Mexico, and the song that plays as you ride to your destination is one of the finest moments in gaming I have ever experienced.

I doff my Stetson to you, Rockstar. Very well played.

The Bumper Family Size Finale Bonanza

Been a while since I blogged last, but never fear faithful readers, I haven't been watching less TV and movies, I just haven't been writing so much. Anyway, in the last couple of weeks a couple of TV shows have finished. Some just until til the next season comes on; some for good. Here's my views on the 4 I've watched recently. Oh, and from here on in there be spoilers.

Lost: The End

I say again, BIG FREAKING LOST FINALE SPOILERS.

IF YOU STILL READ THIS, DON'T COMPLAIN TO ME IF I SPOILED IT FOR YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.



After a couple of weeks to mull it over, I can honestly say that I am 100% happy with how Lost ended. I wasn't at first, but as I thought about it a lot since watching it, I think it ended the only way it could've really.

In the end, it wasn't about the island, and the revelation of all the mysteries the show ever had (which is why some people have hated it), but it was all about the characters. Specifically Jack. Ostensibly the main character of the show, that the series ended with him closing his eye, nicely bookending the entire series, the finale was really all about Jack, and his acceptance of his role. The man of science became the man of faith. Which was really the running theme to the whole series.

Jack did what he always wanted to do, save his fellow Lostaways (some of them anyway) and became protector of the island, for a short time at least. He had fulfilled his purpose and could move on.

The one exchange I loved in the whole episode was between Jack and Smoke Monster Locke, when Jack told him that everything original Locke had said was right, and that the Man in Black was disrespecting all of what John Locke was by wearing his face. It's shows a Jack that has had a complete 180 from the first time we met him. And there really is a beautiful symmetry to the whole thing.

And we got a cool fight between them too. Proper Matrix Revolutions one at that. Only, you know, not crap.

The revelation that the flash sideways universe wasn't in fact an alternate one created by the bomb going off, but in fact some sort of purgatory/in limbo place, was a tough one to wrap my head round. But ultimately I think it fits. It might be a little happy clappy for some people, but for me, and I know this is hardly deep analysis, but it just felt right. I can't find any better way to describe it than that. It's just quite comforting and a nice thought that these island folks waited for each other before moving on.

And who didn't get a kick out of seeing all the characters we've come to know and (possibly) love over the 6 years of Lost have their moment of realisation. And I'm man enough to admit, that Claire and Charlie reunion choked me up big time.

And Kate in the short dress didn't hurt either.

And yes, there are mysteries unsolved that'll be annoying for some (like Walt, that's the only one I'm annoyed about) but for me, the finale came back to being all about the characters, and for that Lost will always be in my top 10 TV shows.

24 Day 8 3.00pm-4.00pm



On to 24, which by this stage had gotten so ridiculous, the only reason you tune in is to see what Jack would do this week. However, for the end of one of the biggest shows of this century so far, the finale was somewhat understated. Not in a bad way, just not your usual 24 episode with gun fights, explosions and terrorist plots getting foiled in the nick of time.

The peace deal stuff had become fairly boring in the past few weeks. With President Taylor believing that the deal must be signed, as if a piece of paper would end all the world's problems. It was never a great idea to build a plot around but when the moment came where she decided whetgher or not to sign the treaty, it was rather tense, even though we knew she wouldn't. So kudos to all involved for making that scene what it was.

Again though, this finale comes down to Jack. Getting his revenge on the people who killed Renee was the driving force in the previous 6 or so episodes. The finale was about Jack hanging on to his humanity and not just becoming a killer. Although that point is arguable.

That the last conversation of the show was a heartfelt one between Jack and Chloe really made the ending quite emotional. More so than most episodes of 24. This season won't be remembered as one of the greats, but it was another improvement on season 7 which itself was a great improvement on 6.

The clock counting down to 0 was also a brilliant touch.

See you in the multiplexes Jack.

Supernatural - Swan Song



Sam and Dean. Dean and Sam. While I love Supernatural, I feel that the pacing of this season has been all over the place. I know the show only has a limited budget and can't really show all out Apocalypse week in week out, but something a bit grander and a bit more consistent would have been good. To use Buffy's second season as an example, Spike and Dru were continually hatching schemes over the course of the season but you still knew tehy were the big bad. However, in Supernatural's case, it was the Devil they were dealing with, so maybe he's not so much with the schemes. More of the click fingers, it's all over kind of thing.

Anyway, the finale, despite all my problems with this season as a whole, was great. Sam saying yes to Lucifer allowed for some great mirror image stuff between him and Sam, Bobby's delight at getting his legs back was also fun, as well as Castiel's "Hey, ass-butt!" That the Impala sort of saved the day was a nice touch as well, if a little melodramatic. Incidentally, before the sixth series was comissioned, this was going to be the last ever episode of the show, hence the "Swan Song" title. If it was I reckon I would have been pretty happy. That a sixth series is a go now means that Sam has returned, in some shape or form, and I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen in season 6.

Kudos for this season goes to Mark Pellegrino for his role as Lucifer, as well as Misha Collins for CAstiel, who I hope will return next year for at least a couple of episodes.

Oh, and also...is Chuck capital g, God? Certainly looks that way.

Doctor Who - The Big Bang



And onto the finale of the 11th Doctor's first series, and it was magnificient. Never once stopped for air until the whole thing was over. This new series has been a breath of fresh air in a series that wasn't really in danger of becoming stale, but probably needed a jolt of energy anyway.

Right from the off, when it was Amy revealed to be in the Pandorica, the timey wimey shenanigans were in effect. The scene at the start with the Doctor appearing to Rory were a pure comic delight, and if you ignore the slight paradox it creates (who let the Doctor out in the first place?), a great way of tying up the Doctor's imprisonment at the end of the last ep. And also, time travel stuff like that confuses a lot of people, and I love that. And am always reminded of Bill and Ted whenever someone does that thing that they did to get the screwdriver back ("Put it in Amy's coat pocket").

Another thing I loved was that there was no big bad to defeat in the episode and that it all revolved around saving the universe, not saving the universe and defeating the big bad. Nice refreshing change.

And, and, the thing we all specualted on for a while after the weeping angels episode; the bit where the Doctor comes back to speak to Amy is confirmed, as it's revealed he's crossing his own time stream. Hooray for all us nerds that spotted something was amiss when that episode aired.

Rebooting the universe, brilliant.

Rory as the lone Centurion was another lovely touch I felt. Rory watching over Amy in the Pandorica for 2000 years, and is then revealed to still be alive.

And also, the "Something old..." bit was pure genius, after the lovely conversation 11 had with little Amy as he was contemplating his own erasure from existence.

So much happened in this episode I can't actually remember it all. Just go watch it. However, if you're a Who fan, you've watched it already. Well, watch it again.

I'll be there Christmas Day on the Orient Express, watching our trio battle with an Egyptian goddess. In space. Will you?

In defence of Tom Cruise

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, over the past few years following an altercation for evermore known as the couch jumping incident, Mr Cruise has been the subject of ridicule, be it for his professions of love to the really quite annoying Katie Holmes (who does look as if she trapped in the marriage to be fair) as well as telling all and sundry about his Scientology beliefs, but people seem to have forgotten that he's a damn fine actor. I mean really if you look at the list of films he's been in over the last 15 years, you'd be hard pressed to find an absolute stinker. So, for your consumption I offer an analysis of these films from the last decade and a half to truly show that no matter what type of person Mr Cruise is like in real life, as an actor, he's pretty damn awesome.

Mission Impossible (1996)



In the movie going world, Bourne hadn't yet been made, and the Bond movies hadn't had their reboot yet and was still in the realm of the slightly silly. Mission Impossible fell somewhere in between the two, and in the movie ol' Tom is impeccable throughout. Betrayed and on the run, the movie (as many of Tom Cruises movies do) hangs togetehr though the strength of Ethan Hunt alone. No mean feat, whenever you consider how much is going on in the movie. But the whole running time, you're with Tom as he tries to wade through the confusion and double crosses. Never once is the audience in a position of superiority over the characters, and Ethan Hunt is played beautifully, conveying the confusion and realisations perfectly. If you want a specific scene to showcase just how good he is in it, find the restuarnt scene where Ethan is talking to the IMF agent who has set him up.

Jerry Maguire (1996)



Now, Jerry Maguire isn't a perfect film by any means, but it's the only film in which I really cared for one of Tom Cruise's charcters. Not to say that I don't in other movies, but at least in this one he's a 'real' person, not a secret agent or LeStat. There are some heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in Jerry Maguire that Cruise nails, quite frankly. And his comic timing in this has never been better. Well, maybe in one film which I'll get to later.

Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia (1999)

Two very very divisive films. Two possibly great films, if you can stick with them. Having said that I've only seen them both once each, however Frank Mackey is possibly one of the greatest douchebags of all time, yet gets his reconciliation with his father nd by the end you don't hate, when really you should. And Eyes Wide Shut is just a masterclass of acting. Do yourself a favour and rent it.

Vanilla Sky (2001)



A remake of the Spanish original, Vanilla Sky is nonetheless a triumph of a film. Once again, you're with the protagonist the whole way, working out basically what the hell is going on. You think he's a tool at the beginning, you want him to get together with Penelope Cruz though, you hate him but also feel bad for his when he gets disfigured, you rejoice when he gets the surgery, and you certainly want him to 'open his eyes' at the end of it all. Vanilla Sky is perhaps my favourite Tom Cruise performance as there's so much for him to do in the space of 2 and a bit hours, and he does it with aplomb. Best scene:



Great line, superbly delivered.

Minority Report (2002)



Watched this recently, still holds up after 8 years. Cruise wholly convinces as the grieving man on the run, while still able to make you feel genuine emotion for him in what could have become Total Recall 2 (another Phillip K Dick story; don't get me wrong, I love Total Recall but it ain't what you'd call subtle). I think this movie illustrates, best of all, Tom Cruise appeal: you never forget that it's Tom Cruise you're watching, but somehow you feel he could just as easily be a man on the street.

Collateral (2004)



You might think Tom Cruise would go over the top for his first major bad guy role, but no. He reigns it in as quiet killer, Vincent in Michael Mann's second best film. He's the epitome of a charming villian, the guy who'll kill you with a smile. He's a bastard to be sure, but a loveable one. At least he is when he's being driven around. The switch in the last half hour of the movie makes him full on chilling. And it's a true testament to the performance that you really do feel a tinge of sadness when he meets his end on the train. Not an explosive one, but rather a quiet contemplative one. He not redeemed, and certainly not likeable, but it's still quite emotional.

War of the Worlds (2005)



Perhaps his most convincing ordinary bloke role, it says something about the movie in that we care more about his character surviving with his daughter than the alien invasion, which was always meant to play second fiddle anyway. As the man just trying to stay alive, it's an acting tour-de-force especially in the scenes follwing the Tripods initial appearance, as well as the scenes with Tim Robbins. The post killing perfomance is pitch perfect.

Mission Impossible 3 (2006)



The best of the trilogy? Undoubtedly. Admittedly, a lot of this has to do with Phillip Seymour Hoffman's brilliant turn as the villain of the piece, but as we're following Ethan Hunt, it's still Tom's movie and he carries it well. Again, as proof of his great acting, the scene in which PSH is going to kill Ethan's wife is probably the best.

And now the funniest performance of Tom's career:



Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder.

And I am thorughly looking forward to Knight and Day, cause it looks like a great fun actioner with Tom Criuse playing a cross between Ethan Hunt and Vincent. And it looks awesome.



Also, he does most of his own stunts and is a bit of a mad man. And for that I think he brilliant.

Anyway, the defence rests.

Oh, and Mission Impossible 2 stinks. But that would have hurt my argument.

My favourite New Who moments

So, here's be my list of my favourite moments of the RTD era of Doctor Who. Please add to them/agree/disagree.

9 into 10
I loved the Ninth Doctor, I really did. And was quite sad to see him go. So much, in fact, that I hated David Tennant already even after him only having about 20 seconds of screen time. “Barcelona.” Shove off, new guy. But when I watch it now, it makes me smile a huge smile. And as a big emotional, but understated (as much as a regeneration can be anyway), moment you can’t do much better than this.



Ten makes his first ‘real’ appearance.
After being bedridden for most of his first full episode (The Christmas Invasion) Ten walks out of the TARDIS, just in time to save the day. It’s cheesy but it works. And that’s the moment when most of us knew Ten was going to be alright. The Lion King bit helped too though.



The end of The Girl in the Fireplace
Pretty much all of this episode is concerned with why these clockwork droid things are obsessed with Madame de Pompadour. And it’s only at the very end that the viewer is shown why. The ship itself is called the SS Madame de Pompadour. I still don’t fully understand it (I’d need to watch the episode again) but I always remember thinking that was a really beautiful moment.



The beach scene in Doomsday
This episode was never really about the Daleks versus Cybermen. This is what it was really all about. Everything from Rose nearly being sucked into the Void to Ten not getting to finish his sentence before disappearing is terrific viewing. It’s television designed to make you cry. And it does. NOTE: this isn't the actual real clip. It's a fan edited one omitting Donna at the end, but you get the jist.



Opening the roof in Gridlock
An episode that doesn’t get a huge amount of love (possibly due to Father Dougal being made up to look like a cat) but it does have another great moment. All of the released cars ascending through the roof and singing a hymn of thanks, ostensibly to the Doctor. It’s sounds really corny but in the context of the episode it’s a really powerful and moving scene.



The fake out in The Family of Blood
A terrific two parter this, filled with plenty of scary moments (the scarecrows) as well as emotional ones (The Doctor/John Smith after some DNA jiggery pokery, seeing visions of his future with Joan). But my favourite moment is when the Doctor, supposedly still as John Smith, going to The Family’s ship and pretending to be a bumbling fool. When he reveals himself as actually being The Doctor you can’t help but smile, and think “You guys are so screwed.” I also love the Doctor’s rage denouement, trapping each family member for an eternity.



The conversation with the DVD in Blink.
A slice of pure wibbly wobbly timey wimey genius. And it’s great because people that understand it just get it first time, and we can hold that knowledge over those that can’t wrap their heads round it. See also; Back to the Future 2. “The angels have the phone box. I’ve got that on a t-shirt.”



Working out what the Face of Boe’s message meant.
Brilliant, wasn’t it?



Martha saving the world in The Last of the Time Lords
Martha really got the short shrift in the world of Doctor Who I feel. She was basically the rebound companion for most of the series, in both the eyes of a lot of viewers as well as the Doctor. However, she did get her greatest moment in her last episode as a regular companion. After scouring the world for a year during the Master’s reign she tells everyone the plan that will help the Doctor become his normal self again (hard to explain that without using the word ‘regenerate’). It’s a brilliant moment, and a favourite of mine, as it’s not something blowing up something that fixes the problem but prayer (of a sort), and I really dug that.



Doctor and Donna meeting again in Partners in Crime
It’s funny; plain and simple. After having just missed each other at various points in the episode when they see each other it’s comedy gold. And it sold me on Donna (who I hadn’t been sure of before this) right there and then.



Oh, and the mime goes something like this: I came here, trouble, read about it, internet, I thought, trouble = you! And this place is weird! Pills! So I hid. Back there. Crept along. Looked. You. Cos they...And then they get caught out.

The switch in Midnight
An episode which is a master class in racking up the tension. And the moment it reaches its peak? After the entity possessing Sky has copied everyone in the shuttle, then spoke at the same time as them, then just the Doctor, and then when the switch comes it’s an incredible moment and sends shivers down my spine.



The fake regeneration:
The biggest shock new Who has ever pulled. No-one, and I mean no-one, expected it. And the massive TO BE CONTINUED made it the most infuriating moment on this list. We had to wait a week to see what would happen. A whole bloody week. The collective sigh of relief the following week was when Ten didn’t regenerate into Robert Carlisle, Jimmy Nesbitt or Richard E Grant.



He will knock 4 times
Actually, maybe this was the biggest shock of new Who. Poor old Wilf. Lovely Wilf. Poor old lovely Wilf. The person who caused Ten’s demise, (and not the Master like we all thought) and he does it through helping someone else. Gut wrenching, as Ten thought he had escaped the prophecy, only for Wilf to tap-tap-tap-tap on the glass. But of course the Doctor had to save him. That’s who he is; the person who would give his life to save one of us ‘ordinary’ people. Beautifully acted and one of the saddest moments in new Who.



“I don’t want to go”Not ashamed to admit this…I was so incredibly close to tears watching this. Ten, alone, in the TARDIS, scared witless and not really ready to regenerate. The visits to previous companions just before this really ramped up the emotion, as well as the fact that the line had a double meaning as we had all known for a while that David Tenant was leaving and that the line probably was half Doctor, half Tennant. As the end of Ten’s life as well as the RTD era, I think it was pretty much perfection.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the doughnut!"

To get the full Iron Man 2 feeling, you should really read this review while listening to this.



Anyway, the movie itself. I was pretty excited for it to be honest, having loved the first, and number 2 did not disappoint.

As much as people say they go for the action, I went to see this for RDJ. He is literally perfect in the role, a smarmy smug A-hole but yet you can't help but like him. My favourite scenes in the movie were the ones in which a lot of characters are talking at once and then Tony comes in with a great one liner. My favourite being the scene in the bar at the Monte Carlo track, with Tony, Pepper, Hammer and the reporter from the first movie ("Yeah, she did a spread last year for me. Wrote an article too" or something like that. Genius.)

As brilliant as RDJ was, the other actors weren't too shabby either. Sam Rockwell was great as the almost Tony Stark but not quite chacrter, Justin Hammer. Although he was just a smug smarmy A-hole. Don Cheadle was pretty good as War Machine is this, taking over from the other guy in the first movie (don't remember his name); he's pretty much playing the straight man, but has a good couple of moments both in and out of the suit. I also liked that Jon Faverau's role as Tony's bodyguard was bumped up as I think Faverau's funny in anything he does. And to be fair if I were the director of the movie I'd probably try and put myself into a scene with ScarJo if I could, so fair play to him. On to Scarlett; well, she was really a bit pointless in this movie, and is just basically serving as a springboard to the forthcoming Avengers movie. However, her one big action scene has a great pay off gag at the end (pepper spray). And she's hawt, which didn't hurt. Gwyneth Paltrows role in Iron Man 2 wasn't as great as in the first but she still had some great comedy sparring scenes with Tony.



And Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury was just Samuel L Jackson playing every role he's played in the past ten years. He's sort of become a parody of himself, but it's SAmuel L jackson, he's so damn cool he just about gets away with it.

And now on to the action: a lot of people complaing that there wasn't enough. Rubbish. Those people are the ones who can't watch five minutes of a movie without something blowing up. Go watch Transformers 2 then. Obviously the Monte Carlo bit was a highlight, with the suitcase suit, which was awesome.



See?

The final fight was pretty cool, with the drones chasing Tony and War Machine unwittingly chasing him as well. A different spin on a chase scene which was nice. However the fight with Whiplash was pretty dull and a rehash of the first movie climactic battle too.

Whiplash in the previous 2 hours however was great. Mickey Rourke giving him just enough quirkiness while never losing the menace or turning into a pantomime villian even when he was wielding his skipping ropes of death.

Overall though, it's my favourite movie so far this year. And if you didn't stay for the post credits scene, Here it is. The geeks among you will know what it's about. Everyone else will be all WTF?