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Saturday 27 December 2014

Agents of Shield season 2 episode 10 review

The mid-season finale has arrived and the majesties of the origins of obelisk and the hidden city.
So Skye finally meets her Dad; it shifts between her pointing out his hideous crimes, a hidden agenda to let him know that they could never have any sort of relationship yet when he sings a song that she heard when she was younger brings maternal emotions that bleed from her. This is a great contrast in emotion and history between the two the best part of this scene is Skye's discovery of it all.
As the team's lives are in danger with the walls shaking violently around them I was fascinated with the camera work that produced the stunning reveal of Raina and Skye being turned to stone and then becoming these new beings although I don't think the transformation had actually happened yet.
As a fan I couldn't really ask for a more exciting, vibrant, explosive, stomach churning episode drama and action!

Doctor Who Last Christmas review

Hello all, I hope you all had a jolly good christmas!
With christmas there comes food prefably high in sugar based, presents, lights, music, games and Doctor Who!
Last Christmas was an astounding piece of festive storytelling but the core structure could have been an episode that features in the series.
The complexity and sophisticated interlocking of the dreams upon dreams was an intelligent and immensely compelling notion from Steven Moffet with the frustrating incapability of decifering between what is real or not was a fantastic ingredient that made this episode one of the strongest and most enjoyable to make me watch the episode three times already since Christmas day! 
I couldn't fathom whether Santa was real only in the dream world but then I remembered the doctor showing a picture of him and Santa to Kazran in a Christmas Carol.
The dream scene with Clara and Danny was very sweet, warm and magical like dreams should be but then as the camera cuts back to the dream crabs crumbling from their victims faces, I was very impressed with the balance of melting warmth to the cold terror of the menacing beasts.
For once there is an actual happy and jolly ending with the doctor realising he's been given a second chance; he certainly grabs it with both hands.
Clara's alive and back in the TARDIS; one fatality with the rest filled with memories of Santa and a good old tangerine.... Next stop the magician's apprentice!
My favourite christmas episode ever!


Thursday 25 December 2014

Happy Christmas From Kryptonianwarrior.com!

Hi all!

It's the end of Christmas Day here so here's hoping you all had a great day with lots of awesome food, presents, and all around fun. And here's also hoping that Boxing Day is just as good! Have a great few days and a great New Year too.

I'll be back to posting soon, promise.

Kryptonian Warrior



Monday 22 December 2014

Agents of Shield season 2 episode 9 review

As a culmination of the team's search for the mysterious city prevails in this episode; I couldn't help but feel like this season is certainly more sci-fi. The unknown origin of the city with its intrinsic markings and the possession of Mac with his red eyes and super strength brought the apprehension and uncertainty to a climax as the rarity of a hidden force being one of compassion and pacifism just doesn't thrill us geeks.
I held my breath as Simmons nearly fell into the entrance to the city and her emotional expression of her best friend no longer being able to be the scientist he once was only added to my admiration for this sweet and noble agent.
And so it is that Skye is now in the hands of Hydra with Ward's obsession with introducing her to her father continues to be his main priority, with some quick dashes to murder his brother quite horrifically.
Coulson continues to warm my heart as he explains that the people around him is why he continues to fight and save the world- good for him. I wish I was as brave as this hero.

Sunday 14 December 2014

Agents of Shield season 2 episode 8 review

Dun, dun, dun, dunnnnnn......
I've been overwhelmed by revelations this week and well, every other week but this episode in particular gave Skye's character so much unnerving perspective as her Dad informs Coulson that Skye isn't even her real name which makes me wonder whether Skye herself doesn't even have any idea of who she really is. That for me makes the whole series even more exciting and thrilling.
As the team delve into Daniel Whitehall's past they discover that somehow he has managed to keep himself looking youthful even though he is an old man.
I think we may have seen Skye's mother for the first time; savagely covered in her own blood due to Whitehall's experiments. There are so many questions being raised it's almost too much.
Nah, I love that we get to see more and more about the character's history and find things out about them that even they don't know. So Skye's father is out for revenge on Mr. Whitehall but then why is he so angry at Shield; he says they took his daughter from them but she kind of stumbled upon them and Coulson recruited for because she had great computer hacking skills. Clearly, there's something not right with this guy.
Now I cannot forget the beast that is Ward; I knew when he put his arm round his brother and smiled, that something brutal was going to happen.
Subtly, towards the end we are told that Ward has killed his brother for supposedly putting disturbing thoughts into his head but I think that was probably down to thier parents who tortured them. 
Another fragmented and dark layer that has been let loose amongst the search for this city that holds some great power.
Something is building, and whatever it is it looks to be monumentous in scale! Take cover team, you're going to need it!

Sunday 7 December 2014

Agents of Shield episode 7 Review

Firstly, as the continuation of the mysterious alien carvings leds to an intense revelation, the sub story of the team following Ward around on various buses felt to be pushed aside but I presume that the two stories are connected in some way. 
I've been trying to pinpoint Ward's obsession with Skye and what he hopes to achieve by terrifying her. I don't think just killing her is his style. He's such an unpredictable character that makes him a very powerful element to the story. 
I think the team could have been a bit more conspicous when they are trailing after Ward. I just don't think a cap, a cowboy hat and a book that isn't actually read is going to fool him. Clearly, it didn't- he was wearing a bomb.
The visual effect alongside the direction of the scene where Coulson finds himself back inside the memory machine was really atmospheric and electrifying.
Finally, we discover what these carvings mean- it's a city! An alien city? A another universe city? A city filled with other superheroes or villians? I can keep speculating but that's the beauty of this show, it literally could be anything.

Sunday 30 November 2014

Agents of Shields Season 2 Episode 6 Review

Events are taking an even more dangerous turn for the Shield team as the UN meeting is disrupted by a group of military monkeys who don't blink twice as they start massacaring the entire conference.
As soon as the team about this are they on a roll with Mai with her own band of fighters hopping their way to Japan, Coulson interrogates Ward's brother- Christian who happens to be the senator wants Ward to be transferred to him.
This is one of Coulson's very bad decisions as Ward makes his escape with just a pair of handcuffs and a few soldiers between him and the world. I would have thought that Coulson would have increased the amount of security as he knows how skilled Ward is.
I really enjoyed the conflict between Fitz and Simmons as this hardly ever happens with these two. I can understand why Simmons finds it difficult to be around Fitz because she knows that she makes him worse. I hope these buddies can start to make their way back to where they were at the beginning of the first season. I know their relationship will never be as it was before but I'm hoping it can resemble some of the good times.
It was very exciting which of the Ward brothers to believe, to be honest I think they are lying about each other because after the stories they have told how could you trust any of them?
Whatever will Ward do next????????? 

Sunday 23 November 2014

Agents of Shield season 2 A Hen in the Wolf House Review

Another week, another tremendous episode for the Shield team. A wedding reception is duly interrupted by the guests being poisoned which turns their mouths to what looks like stone. It was a bit of a mystery why this introduced at the beginning of the story but then never resolved later on. Hopefully, the writers are saving it for next week. 
As the main objective for the characters in this episode is to retrieve the Obelisk from the hands of Skye's father didn't latch too far on holding its priority as the justification for Skye's father to be induced into the facilities of the team.
What it did achieve was forming a reason for he and Shield to collide, which in this instance, doesn't happen at all. In fact, Skye's father almost tiptoes around them, watching them through on an Ipad in his car through a CCTV camera. I wander if all he wants is to see Skye again why not just openly step forward and get to know her? Ha, because he knows that Shield knows that he's up to some plan forming that outwardly will be catatrosphic for the whole planet. And is he even her real father, what real proof do we or the characters have?
At least we have the reassurance that Simmons is safe and back with the team. Her reunion with Fitz felt irregular and abnormal because we familiarise with the pair constantly theorising and communicating with each other in a comfortable and telling form, but this scene brought lots of emotions still felt from the last season that hefted an awkward silence and stunted unawareness of where to go, perfectly where those characters needed to be brought.

Intriguingly, the symphonious declaration that Coulson believes Skye could be an alien was calming in its execution and let slip a quick comedic taste for the story to dip into.
More importantly, I have a theory- if Skye is indeed an alien, was it the result of the alien DNA that was injected into her, or has she always been an alien but has subconsciously diguised her true form? Mmmmm.... (scratches head, raise eyebrow.... forgets about writing this review...... and drifts.....away).

Saturday 15 November 2014

Agents of Shield episode 4 Review

Whoah! An undercover themed story, I love those, and with Mai desperately trying to hold up a smile whilst mingling was a comforting hilarity.
A snapshot of the team securing their way into an insanely huge mansion demonstrated the team's intelligence and brings you right into the skeleton of the story.
I was grateful that the writers decided to layer the foundations surrounding Coulson and Mai's complicated relationship that in some aspects appears to be a friendship filled with respect and trust that doesn't need to be steeped in a romantic sense. Although they do dance well together but could hide their communication with the rest of the team more subtly.
Hydra in an opposing enemy to Shield continues to grow ever stronger as their motivations are gently manisfesting themselves into retrieving powerful objects that can cause catatrophic harm to others. They have a serious obsession with controlling people to do the work for them. 
Oh yes, now the action scenes between Mai and... well Mai were spectacular. With quick, energy fuelled, sharp swipes that could be felt through the screen had me filled with my own adrenaline.
My admiration for Fitz continues with his wonderful saving the team once more with his knowledge of mechanical engineering. I felt a connection with his struggle of socialising with the team as I myself continue to find my social skills are somewhat weak in communication. 
Finally, the ever expanding mystery surrounding the unknown carvings that Coulson had found to be etched on the back of a five hundred year old painting that the team set out to retrieve, sets a fascination with within the alien language that he and Mai try to analyse its meanings.
What could this mean for the team when Mai acts out her promise to kill Coulson to stop the power that he holds within? Is there a connection with hydra and these carvings that have featured so predominately? This is what this series achieves so fluidly, these are constant questions for the audience to ask; which is all that matters.

Saturday 8 November 2014

Doctor Who Death in Heaven Review

Crying, that's what I'm doing right now.
Well, where to start, OK logically I will start with the return of UNIT; the marvellous Kate Stewart wades her way through this army of cybermen as if they were flies and Osgood, well she is utterly brilliant- quoting the eleventh's 'Bow ties are cool' shows she becomes as obsessed with the doctor's outfits as the we fans do!
Slightly less timid and more confident in her position with the historic organisation, happily playing with her position by sweetly offering to take a picture of The doctor and Missy, then 'Wham'! out scatters UNIT with it's force and power wading through the two time lords with strategy and justification.
So many fabulous reminders of the past; the 60's cyber head, portrait of the Brigadier, the doctor saluting the cyber Brigadier after he so galliantly shooting for master as he never got to do back in the old days.
Missy just ramped up her 'bananas' behaviour to a madness that is so weirdly stunning in her brutality and positive attitude towards the devastation she creates around her, she KILLS OSGOOD! Pulverised in a blink of an eye! O dear lord how my heart sank..
I was quite stunned when the doctor asked her why she came back and she replied that she wanted her friend and to remind the doctor that they are the same. I saw a slight vulnerability and loneliness to her that I think should definitely be developed because the master can't really be dead; she's a time lord like the doctor and the doctor has escaped death so many times it's hard to count!
Once I saw those cybermen clawing there silver fingered way out of those graves I actually felt really terrified of these foes since they returned in Rise of the Cybermen. The fact that they are don't communicate much throughout the story is quite a big factor of my fear of them. Silent killers are always the most horrifying.
Now I have reached the point where I have to mourn for Danny Pink; a character I have grown to really adore has been converted into a cyberman, has to listen to Clara talking about how she will always put the doctor first and then having to ask her to take his humanity away from him was moving in the most gut wrenching way possible. When she points the sonic screwdriver towards him, I was hit with an eruption of sadness for both of them.
Thank god someone survived; Kate Stewart- the endearing leader of the future protection of Earth.
A lip trembling ending for the doctor and Clara; she lies about Danny being alive and the doctor says that he's found Gallifrey- that pesky Missy cannot help herself but wind the doctor up.
I wanted to reach out for Clara when she walked off by herself and the doctor lied for a selfless reason this time- to make it easier for Clara to distance herself away from him. Thankfully though, she's coming back for Christmas!
A compelling,  weird, shocking, heartwarming, disturbing and an epic conclusion to the twelfth's doctor first season! 
(Now all I have to do is wait for the boxset and travel with him and Clara all over again!)

Agents of Shield Episode 3 Review

Hello all,

I think this episode should have suitably been called Simmons Mission which was certainly my favourite of the series so far; it was Simmons galore!
Underestimating Simmons, I was surprised to see that she was working undercover for Hydra and she hadn't left Fitz for no reason- hoorah!
The menacing brainwashing that Hydra undertakes is I'm guessing to form an army of some kind which I think if you about it is a weak way in which to build alliances.
There were some big character developments for Skye as she killed Donny (engineer who can freeze people) in a swift and militant boldness that did make me sit back and think she can really be capable of some very dangerous actions.
Not only that, but Fitz demonstrating what it's like to Ward to be brain damaged by deducing the amount of oxygen in his little containment was so quite exilarating and harrowing to watch.
I loved the sequence where we got to see the routine that Simmons has been going through for a good long while.
She is so sweet and adorable that I could listen to her talk about science for an eternity and finally Coulson decided to tell Fitz that Simmons felt for an assignment not because she didn't care.
His face brought so much hope and relief to his character that I wept inside for him. I cannot wait for their reunion.
Mai brings loads of eye pinching humour and wit that shifts between the many secrets that continue to come spilling out of this team every episode. 
There are so many layers and complexity to the team's motives that makes the stories so masterful and complelling to invest myself in for an hour.
Thrilling, shocking, moving and adrenaline fuelled- my favourite of the series so far!!

Sunday 2 November 2014

Doctor Who Dark Water Review

Huh? What?

Wha, wha, what just happened? Missy is the master!!!!!!! One of the doctor's resilient enemies has found her way back into the doctor's life. And has changed gender, never before has a time lord proved that the result of their regeneration could literally be anything. It was spectacular to see an incarnation of one of my favourite villians in such a stark contrast to their predessors- it literally blew my mind. 
Michelle Gomez brings so much snappy and playfulness to her performance that I felt the master was actually enjoying being a female and wanted to bath in the doctor's helpless and blind sighted vision.
So as the beginning of episodes go, my heart was abruptly ripped out of my chest as Danny was tragically killed in a traffic accident. This felt very far from the Who universe as a central character was taken from the audience in such ordinary circumstances.
A very heroic and selfless act for Danny was when he kept telling Clara he loved her to make her believe that he wasn't himself so that in turn she would get to live. That moment was for me the core of who his character is. I hope in some form in does survive.
A very disturbing explanation about what happens to you when you die felt very hideous when it was stripped down and emphasised through those three words. That the dead are still conscious as their previous bodies are horridly undertaken under the knife or thrown into a torrent of flames is mind numblingly terrifying.
However, the complex thought and decision that has been compiled together is astounding and enormously thought provoking and grips the eyes to the screen as if they were magnets. 
Clara is pulled through into a mess of emotions that sees her betraying the doctor by thinking she can persuade the doctor to bring Danny back if she throws all of his TARDIS keys into an ocean of lava was groundbreaking concerning their relationship. But, oh it's only a dream which the doctor conducted to see how far Clara would take the situation. I think this could have influenced the doctor to decide to help Clara bring Danny back and is in a moment a glimpse into Capaldi's doctor showing a slice of compassion towards his friend.
The applauling realisation that these cybermen are in fact people who have died is a dreadful thing to have to comprehend.
Now this episode is very dark but not without some cracking humour filled scenes; Missy kissing the doctor, the doctor oblivious to the cyber eye symbols on the sliding doors and his need for Clara to show some attitude and scepticism.
Something really cool was the x-ray water where only organic matter can be seen in the water which is why we could only see the skeletons and not the outer metal shell of the cybermen.
I have so many questions; why has Missy decided to team up with the cybermen? How did she escape from Gallifrey? Why did she regenerate?
In addition, I have a theory- after all the defeats and the victories against the master, why has Missy decided to come back and try to conquer Earth? Is it because once the Earth is gone she thinks that the doctor will stay with her? Does she have some kind of bond or feelings towards the doctor that maybe she wants to try and acknowledge? She has had so many opportunities to kill him and has always decided against it? Why? I need to know!

Saturday 1 November 2014

Agents of Shields season 2 Heavy is the Head Review

Hello there readers,

The conclusion of a story that is only the second chapter of a suspense fuelled, ass kicking story thread.
As Kroel (I think that's how you spell his name) is still on the loose pacing himself around in cafes on the high road to meet with Hydra.
Hydra itself feels like a very intellectual and strange opposition to the Shield team, no doubt their aims to dominate the world probably bring them into the rather insane spectrum of motivations.
Although I think that some of Hydra's agents i.e. Ward believed that what they were doing was for the greater good but even thoughts and perspectives have probably twisted and manipulated them into something too horrifying to comprehend.
Alas, there was Mai zooming after Kroel on her very cool motorbike ready to blast his head from the rest of his body.
I wander though how does she never sweat in such humid conditions and with the additional black leather to adhere to it must be quite a challenge to move around in. But it's Mai so she can do anything.... most likely.
Let's not forget Fitz who in this episode managed to feel like himself again when he realised that he had already created a device which would be able to stop Kroel. Go Fitz!
I'm terrible with names so I am going to call him the British agent of the Shield team. Now he looked like he was going to be a valuable member of the team but then he zapped the rest of his fellow agents with ice guns/rays to avenge Hartley's death.
Truth be told, it didn't go altogether that well as Coulson had to intervene and personally attach Fitz's brilliant device onto Kroel's back.
The British agents's character kept swifting between the justicification of his morals which was very tense and adrenaline fuelled because I was always on edge trying to figure out what he would do next.
A fascinating part of the episode was when Coulson started to stratch out some kind of what looked like a computer style pattern that you would find on a hard drive. It will be interesting to find out what it means and where the patterns or circuits have originated from.
Finally, we get to see Skye's dad and it's Bree's husband from Desperate Housewives! He's a very creepy and unnerving addition to the story but one I think will play a vital role in. Is he human or not? I'm kind of hoping not, it's more fun that way!

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Lost and Found Review

If you are familiar with this animation film then you will be wandering why I am reviewing it now when it was released in 2008.
Well, I came across the front cover somewhere and honestly just thought well the the two characters look really cute I want to see more. I hadn't even read what the story was about but I knew it was going to be something special as I think all stories that feature humans forming bonds with animals are.
After watching the film I realised that the book could be read in five minutes whereas the film was around twenty five minutes long.
What the makers of film have done amazingly have managed to stretch the story without pushing the characters where they don't need to go.
So the tale begins with a penguin, an incredibly cute one I have to say, finds himself in a cosy little fishing town seemimgly lost.
In one of the houses a boy with a knitted bobble hat and red and white stripy jumper is beginning his day with his daily routine.
A knock on the door sends him downstairs, there stands a penguin; curious and inquisitive about this strange building he finds himself in, he takes a shine to a radio which the boy becomes irritated by as the penguin fiddles with his precious music delivering treasure.
The boy decides to get the penguin back home, there are no departing boats to escort the penguin so he decides to build his own little one (as you do) , setting sail with a lunchbox and his radio.
However, their journey is disrupted as a raging and aggressive storm punches at the boat, flipping it over, then a gigantic red squid rises from the depths, helping the duo on their way. This rather lovely sea creature enables the boy to reach the North Pole with surprisingly no injuries to show for his journey.
As he says goodbye to the pneguin, handing him his umbrella as a momento, he opens the penguins lunchbox and discovers some photos that the little bird had taken in a photobooth they walked past. One of those photos is of the boy pulling the penguin out of the booth but to the penguin it looked like a hug.
Hurriedly, the boy finds the penguin and they set sail back to the seaside town where their friendship began, they just didn't know it yet.
This story in itself is one of the sweetest and most adorable tales I have ever come across and demonstrates how magical and powerful film can be for younger children. The morals about the penguin not being lost but was looking for a friend could I hope allow the readers of the book to uphold a more open mind about people and the different cultures around them.
As the film didn't include dialogue the physical movements of the characters were more powerful in how they expressed their emotions using simple connections like a hug was sublime in its subtly to show the development of the boy and penguins friendship.
Furthermore, the style art of the characters and how their bodies moved were basic drawings that encompassed the simplistic but most valuable actions of the characters finely using the right amount of colour and light to emphasis the story's idealic atmosphere and calmness.
The question remains who was lost and who was found? Mmmmm.....

Saturday 25 October 2014

Doctor Who- Forest of the Night Review

Hello there,

So trees....everywhere!! There is no one villian of this piece, just multiple trees which is what makes this story so sublime and magical.
A fairytale concept that aims to set up the forest as Earth's shield in juxtaposition to predictable invaders.
The conclusion that the doctor faces is that he cannot face nature or psychics and when he leaves I utterly and completely believed for a second that the doctor was going to leave the Earth to die.
And he does, he flies away but then discovers that this has happened before but the human race forgot and the trees were there to act as an airbag to protect the Earth from a solar flare from the Sun.
Thankfully, I loved the children characters as each one had their own believable personality whether that be; vulnerability, anger management or an intense need to panic. They made me laugh and I was genuinely interested in who they are and their relationships with each other.
Then there were wolves and a TIGER, running after the doctor and Clara was something so fantastic, fresh and a representation mystical creatures found in the most warming and heartwarming stories that forever sit in the minds of children.
A most impressive production element of the episode was the direction; with the camera following the doctor around the TARDIS, the chasing scenes, and the shifting of the doctor looking at the individual children to look for Mauve.
What I found to be most phenomenal was the evolution of Clara's character as her priorities are to protect the children but is more focused on what caused phenomenon to occur.
Also, she continues to lie to Danny when he comes across some the children's school books in the TARDIS even when she thought the world was going to end. Very bad.
This predicament just makes her character even more interesting to watch and revamps a circle of excitement around how she is going to depart from the doctor which is inevitable in the life of the companion.
Danny's little description of what Clara means to him which was very sweet and adorable. I find that their relationship becomes unstable when the doctor is around. 
Who saves the world here, no, it's not the doctor but the children- Awwwww what a great conclusion to this beautiful story.
Colourful, incredibly fairytale like, moving, stunning and spectacular. I welcome back Frank Cottrell- Boyce.

Agents of SHIELD- Season 2 Episode 1- Shadows Review

Yay, the agents of Shield from the Marvel comics are back with ferocity and some snappy dialogue.
After the epic conclusion to the first season I was sceptical at how the writers were going to better themselves for season two.
Cleverly, they have done so with a mystery that began in 1945 in Austria where a strange silver object was in the hands of Nazi soldiers. 
The present Shield team come across the strange markings on the box that contains said same one.
The misson was on as they pummelled and zapped their way into a US government storage facility to retrieve the box and learn about the object's origins.
It was a thrill to see the team again; Mai was as stern and kick ass as usual but with a hint of warmth this time around, Skye- well it certainly isn't just her hair style that has changed. Mai has been training her and she seems to have obtained a militaristic attitude to Shield and it feels like she has become confident in the role that she plays within the team which is a brilliant development for her character. Then there is Coulson; the kind and righeous leader who feels a little more authoriative and unsympathetic then last season. The contrast is a great way to show that the characters have actually been affected by the stories that have happened to them. And not forgeting Fitz; the sweet Scottish scientist who I was surprised to see awake and physically active.
What the writers have done well here is that the audience are seeing what Fitz sees which is Simmons talking to him, motivating and comforting him that he will get better when in reality Simmons isn't really there and turns out that Fitz has been talking to himself. Once I made that discovery it was a very poignant moment to know that he still needs his buddy scientist to help him out.
I did find that it was a bit out of character for Simmons to just leave him but I'm hoping that she will be back before long.
Now a really impressive super villian appeared in this corker of a opener; named the Crusher, this insanely muscled baddie has the ability to obtain the material of any object that he touches which means he can blend into the surface of walls, make cars flip over his steel made body and for some weird reason likes the feeling of it. The power is too much for this guy.
I had no idea that the team were going to keep Ward close by but then decided it made sense to get valuable information out of him. His character really interests me because he is so unpredictable, I never know when he's lying or telling the truth which does make the story more exciting when he is involved.
We didn't really have long to get to know the new team members as two were killed by the Crusher but the British one (I am going to call him that because I can't remember his name) did survive so I'm intrigued to find out a little bit more about his history and how he waas recruited to Shield. 
The structure of the new agents were given enough substance and character to tell you a little about thier history and the snappy responses to each others interactions made them fit well into the group.
Coulson's speech about the team becoming like ghosts, shadows to protect people and the world was a surpremely important representation of the organisation and why I love it so much.

Saturday 18 October 2014

Doctor Who Flatline Review

Hello visiters of Kryptonian Warrior,

A classic opening of a fateful victim meeting their demise but with a two dimensional twist that sets this story up so imaginatively was my interpretation of Flatline.
Never before has a single episode greeted us fans with as much creative visuals surrounding the shrinking dimensions of the TARDIS.
The sight of this magnificent and well known piece of British culture suddenly a miniature version of itself was a squealing fan moment of mine.
But not stopping there; Clara discovers the big blue box is now the little blue box and it is adorable as Clara points out.
The whole concept of aliens who tackle dimensional constraints and the demonstration of the beings dissection of the victims blazoned across the walls was a mind blowing creation with the depiction of a nervous system and a microscopic piece of human skin fantastically plotted.
The writer Jamie Mathieson's decision to devise the scenes where Clara carries the TARDIS around in her bag with the doctor's hand popping out from time to time to hand out gadgets and gizmos were some of the comedic highlights of mine of the series.
There was a really fascinating character development with Clara that is such a contrasting path for the companion to take because never before has the companion been able to experience what it's like to be the doctor in such raw and dangerous detail.
I could clearly see the harshness and authoritive attitude that the doctor himself possesses when she says that she is the person who is going to save Fenton's life. 
There were so many moments that I just absorbed with joy, horror and hilarity. I won't start bullet pointing but I do want to mention my favourite funny sequence where Clara and Rigsy are clinging onto a round 3-D chair, then this seems to act as a beacon for Danny Pink to give Clara a quick call.
Jenna Coleman's execution of her side of the conversation was marvellous and comedy genius in my eyes but underlining this scene emphasise's on her continuation of lying to Danny and the doctor.
Cleverly, I think this ties in with the writers focus on showing how the doctor can corrupt his companion rather then making them better which the Russell T Davies era concentrated on. 
Douglas MacKinnon has directed this episode with visual animosity and poignant patterns that have impressed me with a wild artistic delight.
I would have liked to have discovered a little more for the enemies reason for coming to Earth but maybe that's one of the favourable aspects of their creation.
The supporting characters could have been layered with more history and depth to them but that didn't shift my attention one bit.
Importantly, the most valuable piece of the story for me was when the doctor tells Clara that she was an exceptional doctor but there was no goodness included. That for me was an important stage in her character's journey because I could see in her expression that she knew exactly what he was talking about and the doctor is having to come to terms with how his behaviour and turbulent life may have a negative impact on the people around him.
I've been trying to find a word that can represent this episode with the meaning that is deserves,  and the only one I could come up with is - unique.
Flatline is one of the truly unique and mystifying stories that Doctor Who has told and I shall remember it fondly with a huge smile.

Saturday 11 October 2014

Doctor Who- Mummy on the Orient Express Review

Here we are again, 
 Another whomper of a story following on from the whooper that was Kill the Moon!
A sliding camera zoom along the skeleton of the grand Orient Express train in space begins the thrilling adventure.
The 1920's period is a favourite of mine with everyone sounding very posh and proper- it is very hilarious to hear them in such a horrifying situation.
Which brings me onto the magnificent creation of the Mummy; the detail of his ragged bandages and his ribcage lying beneath was surreal in how real it looked. An applaud is due!
The 66 seconds to live was an immediate up level of the suspense of the deaths of the passengers and their sudden inevitability.
As the doctor and Clara entered into the story I was a bit confused as to how much time had passed since their quite big spate but once they started talking it was all fine- this was their last hoorah but not really...
I really enjoyed the awkward atmosphere that surrounded their conversation, it was no surprise that the doctor was trying to hide behind his explanation of where they were and all the facts and figures.
The story ended up somewhere I very gladly accepted because of the shifting setting from the 20's to a futuristic science lab with the passengers being physicists, doctors and holograms.
Particularly, I found that Peter Capaldi's incarnation is the most outwardly complicated in fact that in one scene the doctor supposedly persuades Clara to bring Maisie to her death rather coldly but then admitting that he had to make the mysterious Gus think that he was going to let the Mummy kill Maisie.
However, this was definitely not the case when he implanted all of Maisie's guilt and weaknesses into his mind so that the Mummy would come after him. He concluded that the Mummy was a century old soldier who just wanted the passengers to surrender.
Clara's reaction to the doctor persuading her to lie to Maisie about him saving her was a sequence I was hoping for and it didn't disappoint.
The appearance of Frank Skinner was a nice addition to the piece and his character fitted in really well especially with the doctor.
Never before has the companion looked at time travel as an addiction; this is a really positive thing for the writers to do because it shows that each companion sees travelling in space and time differently as they should.
Even though Clara asked the doctor if he thought the travelling was an addiction I think she was just pointing it out to herself or secretly letting the doctor know that this is her opinion on what the travelling feels like.
I'm just glad that Clara has decided to stay for a while longer but obvious that her feelings and fears of this life she leads are still there but just buried slightly deeper into her subconscious.
Her enthusiasm for new planets and adventures got me jumping and saying 'Yay let's go'! Whoo!
Wonderfully atmospheric, very scientific and a great evolution for the doctor and Clara.

Saturday 4 October 2014

Doctor Who Kill the Moon review

Hello again!

Well, well, well, well what an episode that was! Blimey, the doctor and Clara's relationship has really entered a new and fascinating conundrum.
The beginning of the story sets a groundbreaking theme that just made me go 'Whoo, what is going to happen here'?
It was such a bold move to make by the writer Peter Harness but one that I was thankful for in that it set the tone of the story where sometimes things are just bad, really really bad.
All was not lost in the comedic aspect as Clara explains to the doctor that telling Courtney that she wasn't special and his confused expression as a response was a delightful speck of lightness.
Not only that, but the doctor referring to Courtney Woods as a what instead of a who was a funny reminder that the doctor is such a long streak of alien that could leave me in fits on his description of how he sees humans.
I was glad that Clara hadn't actually agreed to allow Courtney to take a trip in the TARDIS because that would have just been really bad teachering or make her the coolest teacher ever for just allowing one of her students to be whizzed around in the doctor's box depending on how you look at it.
To point out, this story for me was one of the most creative and intriguing of the whole series because as a concept the idea of the moon being an egg for an enormous creature about to hatch from it inconceivably brilliant and creative.
More so that whenever I gaze upon the moon from now on all I will see is a big egg and the image of a majestic creature hatching from it.
The approach that the doctor takes was a huge development in how he leaves it to Clara to decide whether to let the creature live or let the Earth die.
It's quite a dangerous development that the doctor has become so unpredictable and erratic in his decision making. I really never know which path he is going to take which I quite like.
I think the doctor has to be like that to remind the audience and his companions that he is an alien and sees the universe differently to everyone else.
The surprise for me in this episode was how much I enjoyed Courtney's character, there is such a sincerity, warmth and attitude that is not overbearing but quite fitting for her character.
Spiders, spiders GIANT SPIDERS WITH TEETH SHAPED LIKE PINS!!!!!! AAAGGGHHHH
They were certainly incredibly horrifying and skittlish not just bringing the scare elements but discovering that they are bacteria for the creature about to hatch from inside the Moon a very clever role for these eight legged beasts.
At no point did the pace feel rushed or pushed because there was time for the confrontational scenes between the doctor and Clara to breathe and expand further into their future journeys.
I love the writers for bringing different sides to Clara's character as she hounds the doctor for leaving her to make quite a big decision that could destroy the whole planet or a brand new creature just born.
The jokes that were weaved into the dark and despairing scenes were great and quite hilarious in the anguish and black mood of the fateful decision making. 
I don't mention the CGI much which I do regret not because it's not fantastic, the work done on Who are the best I've ever seen but I forget to mention everything that I loved about an episode.
So here I am applauding the phenomenal CGI that has been achieved on this episode- the shot as the TARDIS crew gracefully make their way on the surface of the Moon was absolutely stunning and so detailed.
I was astounded by the colossal scale of how far you could see the Earth from the character's point of view really beautiful.
A phenomenal, creative and character driven drama that is packed with frightening spiders and landscapes that could inspire an insect.

Friday 3 October 2014

The Boxtrolls Review

From the makers of Coraline and Paranorman the Laika brings us another inventive and extremely imaginative story about a boy who the people of Cheesebridge believes was kidnapped and eaten by the boxtrolls that live underground wearing yes you guessed it boxes for clothes.
However, what the makers have cleverly done is made the characters think that this happened as well as the audience when in fact the boy's father who was a brilliant inventor told the trolls who had become his friends to take care of his son because he knew that he was going to be horribly killed the actual monster of the piece.
The themes rest heavily on who people perceive as monsters by their appearances and having the closed mindedness to believe rumours that are an interpretation of what actually happened.
I loved the Victorian style of the characters and the setting was immensely gothic and rich in its context and the visual images of the town and its architecture.
The main character of Eggs who believes he is a troll is very sweet and a empathic quality that you can't help but connect with and admire his kindness and open mind.
The animation style that Laika produces is one of my favourites with the big bodies and skinny limbs and the intrinsic detail of the characters and their physicality continues to amaze me.
A heartwarming, creative, unique, gothic and inspiring piece of storytelling that should continue to grow and build on its talents and imaginative interpretations of real stories that can amaze and bring some light to people's lives.

Sunday 28 September 2014

Assassin Kittens Unity

Think you're excited for the very soon release of Assassins Creed Unity? Me to. But not as excited as I am about this adorable and awesome video! Kittens and Assassins Creed, what more could you ask for?

Saturday 27 September 2014

Doctor Who- The Caretaker Review

Hello again readers, 

Right zooming into the crux or root of what this episode is actually about. Clara trying to juggle her opposing lives that are starting to collide with each other in dramatic and hilarious fashion.
One such highlight was when Clara encountered fish people, bundled herself into a taxi with Danny waiting her hair soaked and a piece of seaweed hanging from the ends. Shifting between different situations where the Clara comes to a point where she has a moment for weakness where she believes she cannot sustain her tuburlent life. 
I like seeing a focus on Clara's character and how she becomes increasingly distressed when she feels she cannot control her life. I think I can relate to that a little bit; I like to be organised and feel like I have some control over my life which is one of the many qualities that the companion can bring- relatability and familiarity.
Delightedly, stories that involve the doctor trying to fit into human socialities absolutely hilarious and bonkers at how well he thinks he's doing (his written sign for humans to keep out.) a fitting example.
As Danny and Clara's relationship reaches an important point when he discovers who the doctor really is which was a fantastic point in the characters stories because Danny's reaction felt fresh and quite natural.
The robot Skovox Blitzer was an impressive invention even when my focus wasn't really on how menacable it was I felt its role in the story was balanced nicely and I did genuinely feel its destructive power when it locked onto its target it fired straight away not even considering that there would be another option.
The doctor thinking that Clara's boyfriend was one of the teachers who looked like his previous self was funny in his expression and his reluctance to believe that she would like someone who doesn't resemble or represent him in any way shape or form.
Regarding Courtney Woods character was a light relief and her introduction with the doctor was surprisingly entertaining and an unlikely comical moment. 
Also, I was relieved that her character wasn't two dimensional and not stereotypical that I think some child characters are made to be. i.e Angie
What I noticed in this episode was how much of the relationship has changed into a protective fatherly one instead of the flirty romance one that it first started out as.
I could see the doctor was jealous when Danny was in the TARDIS but not the way we would think but more of a 'Clara should only want to listen to me and talk to me, not this other man'.
Something did puzzle me though as to why would the doctor allow Courtney a trip in the TARDIS after the last time he almost got both of the children killed or to put it accurately turned into cybermen. Would Clara really allow one of her pupils a trip in space and time knowing how dangerous it is? I'm assuming there is a point to this to show the doctor's softer/mellower side maybe, I'm not sure.
Anyway, so much delight, laughter and moving moments from a great writer- Gareth Roberts. One of my favourites of the series. Thank you for reading!

Saturday 20 September 2014

Doctor Who Time Heist Review

Hello again,

The adventure begins with the doctor observing the intricacies of how humans wash their clothes and him completely oblivious to why Clara looks all dressed up for her second date with those ferocious eyebrows. 
The reason for the episode to begin in Clara's flat was I think to gradually show the doctor how he's impacting upon Clara's life by luring her into another adventure. I know Steven Moffet said that this series was going to focus on the more dangerous aspects of travelling with the doctor which I think is a good way to go because people who do travel with the doctor always believe that he is going to save them when realistically he won't always. 
In direction terms, the shifting of settings and the slow motion sequences was really very cool and reminded me of the really sophisticated thriller films that I love.
The quick shot of Clara and Danny was rather sweet and funny when they both shouted 'NO'! when a pupil walked into the classroom but to be fair it's their own fault if they decide to do the kissing in a school in which they work. 
Psi and Saibra's character could have had a bit more depth to them and history because without it it was hard to feel any emotional connection to them when I thought they had died.
Their powers were cool though and very sci-fi which was a lot of fun. The Teller who detects guilt was such an awesome creation and the sight of the man who's brain turned to soup was really disgusting.
I could really see Clara's frustration when the doctor didn't seem to take any notice of the fact that Saibra had died and he just seemed to shrug it off. These were snippets of Clara's journey coming to an end because I feel like her character doesn't want to have to keep slipping from one world to the next without going insane. It's understandable.
Similiarly, I believe that if you're going to travel with the doctor you should commit to it or not travel with him at all because when those two worlds collide it would be hard for anyone to have to try to juggle them at the same time.
This is because if you go for an adventure and then end up being away from your life on Earth then you're going to age quicker and miss out on events whether you manage to travel back to the right time or not.
I think this is why Clara is starting to feel like she can't handle both anymore because she's changed and so has the doctor.
Opposite thought I had was how much I loved Clara's outfit in this episode; it was sharp and machor she looked magnificent and weirdly it made her fit in quite well in the bank.
The story felt very doctory for him to risk other lives to save another species which I enjoyed because it showed that the doctor does care he just doesn't always show it and is also really complicated.
Slick, reassuring, pacey and smart. See you next week and thanks very much for reading. Hope  you enjoy the next episode!

Pics From The Web Mega Post!!!

I haven't posted for a very long time and I've missed a lot of high profile stories recently so I'll be playing catchup over the next week or so. For now I'll leave you with a huge "pics from the web" post.

Enjoy!