FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITZ!!
I'm just going to make that my sub-heading for this show, until Fitz gets better. Ish.
I just love the little continuity nods. Like Coulson's ability to use the holo-display correctly, something neither he nor Ward could get the hang of in season one.
I also love the new, tooled up Bus! Seriously, the weapons and the cloaking tech. Better watch your back Talbot (or General Moustache as I've decided to name him)!
I don't understand why B.J. Britt hasn't been made a series regular. He's been in the show since halfway through last season. He's been given this fantastic link to the Howling Commando's, he gels with the rest of the regulars.. It's baffling!
Hunter is less annoying this week, sometimes it's like the writers are trying too hard. I'm sure he'll gel eventually- don't force it. Mackenzie is less of an unknown as well, his relationship with Fitz (being the only one who really treats him normally) is nice, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with it.
And Fitz! I'm simultaneously sorry for him and extremely pleased that he's still as sneaky and snarky as he could be in season one! And Iain De Caestecker just holds my attention. I'm interested in what he's going to do with Fitz, how he'll portray his next, frustration-filled blow out. It's happened more than once that a regular-but-not-main character has made a better impression on me than the hero (Buffy Oz and Xander, Firefly Wash and Kaylee, Shameless Mickey Milkovich.. ), and Fitz is it for me on AoS!
All-in-all I'm really happy with this season so far. I know people go nuts over Arrow and The Flash but I haven't warmed to them. I suppose it's thanks to the larger MCU. The DC movies have never had the same continuity or shared history, and it's that shared history that has me choosing AoS over them.
So did anyone else watch tonight's Doctor Who? With the trees and the tiger and the..
Yeah, it was a bit boring really. Heck- my family called the ending before the Doctor did. I mean, it wasn't Love & Monsters boring, but it didn't have the chills and sense of imminent danger of last weeks episode. And Clara went back to being more follower than equal, and heck it rarely felt like she was that. In fact, she might as well not have been in this episode. The character contributed less than Danny Pink.
Suppose I should mention the story. Trees save the world (even where trees and plant life shouldn't really grow. Magical Not-Torchwood fairy creatures are involved, as are kids (grrrr) and the world forgets the next morning.
Meh. I'm sure kids loved it, which I suppose is the main thing. It's just, it wasn't long ago I loved it too, and I haven't felt the same way about the show since David Tennant and Russell T Davis left.
Still, the finale (which was of course previewed after the credits) looks good! If only for the sight of Cybermen stomping down the steps of St Paul's. I like it when they introduce Daleks and Cybermen into the mundane landscape of London. It's sinister.
FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITZ!!
Eh-hem. Excuse me, had to let that one out.
So Agent of SHIELD returns, leaner and through necessity, meaner than season one. HYDRA has taken a severe toll on our hero's, and the world they live in. Whilst they have been scattered, through the efforts of Captain America and SHIELD loyalists, they are also everywhere. Mostly within striking distance of the few allies Coulson has made since The Fall.
Now, I struggled watching this episode. Mainly due to the fact that some other people in the room decided that eating a packet of crisps, and asking questions I couldn't answer OVER THE EPISODE (instead of, say, during an ad break), meant that I couldn't hear some fairly crucial lines. I'll have to watch it again sometime.
But, I'm a rogue reviewer. And I will review something even if I've missed a shed-load.
I LOVED the introduction with Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos. It craftily sets the Agent Carter series, and how it could crossover with Agents.
I also liked the introduction of new SHIELD agents and merc. Lance Hunter. Of course there are fewer agents at the end of the episode. But c'est la vie.
Oooooooh Fitz. This storyline was more than a little heartbreaking. And, just like The Sixth Sense I didn't see the end coming.
Talbot is destined to feel my wrath. He just never seems to want to listen. And I don't see him learning from his obvious mistakes.
Yay! More mutants/aliens/super-powered beings! Well, one in this episode, but I expect more will be on their way.
So yeah. Looking forward to seeing where this series will take us. Especially with Age of Ultron looming on the horizon..
I wasn't going to review this movie, for two reasons;
I'm fairly certain no-one reads anything on this blog. Which almost suits me fine, because it means no-one is here to flame me for my gushing ;)
I didn't want to get hassled for the following opinion..
I LOVED the new Ninja Turtle movie.
That's not to say there weren't things I would have liked to have seen done differently, or things that annoyed me (some of the camera work- that opening scene of April really should have been a "found footage" style cut to Vern filming her). But I enjoyed this movie just as much as Guardians of the Galaxy.
I loved the Turtles. Just in general. I never minded the new look of them, everyone bitching about the "noses" and comparing Mikey to Shrek, always sounded a bit petty to me. Especially the comparison to the CG design and the Henson design of the '90s films and various cartoons and comics..
Via filmequals.com
Clearly I am one of a minority that considers the above fan-made changes to look completely daft. The Henson designs were amazing- for their time. But surely more modern audiences wouldn't be able to take this look seriously? Plus, with motion capture, we get to see the actors expressions translated on the Turtle faces much better. When they're angry, they sneer! It's no different to Andy Serkis's performance or those on Avatar.
And the Turtles were pretty much everything I was expecting and hoping for. Leonardo was the leader, Raphael was the hot-head, Donatello was the techie and Mikey was a bit of an idiot-goofball. Nostalgia Critic seemed to think this was a negative, something that was unremarkable. But that's pretty much who the characters have always been (and in the '90s movie there wasn't much explanation for Raph's hot-headedness either- which was something he felt was missing from this film). But why should they explain it? Surely, if you're going to see a movie about mutant, ninja, turtle teenagers, you either already know these characters or at least have some inkling. Why would a non-fan go and see this? Would you expect a non-fan of Star Wars or sci-fi in general to see the new Star Wars movie?
People also commented on the characters played by Megan Fox and Will Arnett, such as they got too much screen time, Vern (Arnett's character) was too much of a lech (same went for Mikey), Fox couldn't act to save her life..
Actually I thought the screen time was spilt fairy evenly (though the sequel ought to be pretty much 100% Turtles), Vern and Mikey's characters did have fairly dodgy moments (the shell-tightening line and the ogling arse moment) but both of those were countered by either the other Turtles calling Mikey out on his comment and Vern almost killing them all, crashing through a massive snow bank. Which suggested to me that, if you're not more considerate, you will either be ridiculed and berated by your brothers or you will die.
And, okay, Megan Fox does come across as a bit stiff at times. But overall I thought she was pretty good as April O'Neil! Certainly this role is much better than her Transformers part, she's actually allowed to act here, for a start! She comes across in interviews as chirpy and relaxed, if she can be encouraged to carry that over on-screen more in the sequel, I think people would have a higher opinion of her.
And then there's the plot.
Yak, yak "it's the same plot as The Amazing Spiderman". Uh huh, that's nice. Except I've seen that movie, and I couldn't tell you about any single scene in that damn movie. I was seriously unimpressed with ASM, the "original" trilogy was the one I saw, and whether good or bad, the one that had stand-out moments (the kiss, the parade fight with Macy Grey, the final show down between Grren Goblin and Spidey in an abandoned building..). The new movie? Nadda.
Ninja Turtles had;
The awesome title sequence! Oooh I wish Marvel or DC would do something like that!
The cute scene of turtle-tots sticking a car wing-mirror through the sewer grate to watch MTV.
The premature high-three on the roof, frozen as they argue "is that a camera flash" and "do we kill her"? Drastic stuff ;)
The sneaking home. And Mikey's excuse that he's sleep-walking.
The hashi. The image of Raph knitting, Leo balancing eggs on chop-sticks while doing splits and Donatello ping-ponging away on a see-saw.
99 cheese pizza. Mikey's going down.
The after effects of the adrenaline rush. Leo, Mikey and Donnie go to leap over a railing, and just run through it.
Donnie's little snorting laugh.
Donnie's even more sarcastic response to Raphael's "weather and sports forecast", whilst sliding down a snowy cliff, underneath the trailer of an out-of-control big rig.
The elevator scene. Obvs. ;D
The "last" confessions. Donnie's licking of the pop-tarts before putting them back in the box. Mikey's confusion on the ending of Lost, and Raph- telling his brothers he was mean to them because he loved them, and didn't think he was worthy of them. Of course they land safely and Mikey asks if Raph is crying. "No! There's just a lot of dust 'round here".
Michelangelo, serenading April with this..
So this vs. Amazing Spiderman?
Not much contest really. I mean, even the reason Shredder and Sacks were trying to poison New York made sense. And can anyone really tell me Shredders arc in the '90s movie was better? He was training kids to be Foot soldiers- and also jack TV's from peoples balconies?! Ooooh, criminal mastermind there... *rolls eyes heavily*.
So yeah, you can hate the movie. The cast and director. And certainly you can hate Michael Bay. By all means go ahead.
But c'mon. Stop telling me this movie is complete and utter crap! I've now made up my own mind, and by the Gods I'll defend this movie to the death!
(The death by 99 CHEESE PIZZA!!!)
Plus? Noel Fisher as Mikey is really fucking cute. Seriously.
Genuinely creepy (though that has been a theme this series) and well paced- it even benefits from a consistent emotional state from Clara! The episodes writer, Jaime Mathieson, has done Clara a great service tonight. She is separated from the Doctor, and forced to play the hero and leader, and she does it brilliantly! Her experiences in time and space and her own intelligence shine- something that I personally haven't experienced much of this series. If she could be written, directed and acted like this for the rest of the series, I might actually miss her when she leaves!
And when the Doctor makes a reappearance at the end, it almost feels as grand as Matt Smith's finale in his first episode, or David Tennant's triumphant victory at the end of The Christmas Invasion.
All-in-all very happy with tonight's televisual feast!
I have, within the last six months, taken it upon myself to get re-acquainted with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now I was born in '84, so I wasn't aware of the original comics. My love with the hero's in a (WHOLE) shell began with this..
(Damn that's a catchy theme!)
I was not a "girly" girl in this respect. Mutants and alien cats were my thing. And it hasn't changed. I avidly watched the 2003 Turtles, as well as the movies (though I could have done without the live-action TV series to be honest) and yet, when the 2012 series rolled around, I dismissed it, based purely on the look of the animation!
Oh what a fool I was! I have never laughed so hard, and so often, at a cartoon since Animaniacs! The animation is so. much. better than I initially thought- the moves look natural, and the turtles are as beautifully distinct in looks as they are in personality. And so it didn't take me long to catch up!
And then several weeks ago (before any confirmation was made) rumours whipped around the internet that Jason Biggs, the voice of Leonardo, would be leaving the show. It's a toss up as to what provoked this change of cast, but that didn't really matter to me, I was more interested in who was going to be the next "leader in blue".
For a while Dominic Catrambone replaced Biggs. And I gotta say that at first I didn't really notice. A second watch confirmed the change- but Catrambone did such a good job, you could hardly tell the difference. And yet he wasn't confirmed for season 3. Curious.
And then, at last, there was some news, and my little geeky heart EXPLODED with joy!
Because Nickelodeon had hired SETH GREEN to voice Leonardo from season 3 onwards!
(Via ToonZone.net)
This guy played my all time favourite character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I cried RIVERS when he left (and left again!). And Robot Chicken Star Wars! He was part of my teenage years, and he was GINGER (very important to me at the time, being ginger and teased constantly it was really cool to see such a great actor with the same "weak spot" as someone so delicately put it to me).
Anyhoo, when I heard he was going to be a huge part of my first real fandom, suffice to say I was very excited. And when I watched his "debut" episode, I knew without a doubt, that this show had firmly secured a place in my heart.
Season 2 ended with "The Invasion" parts 1 and 2. And they were hugely tense affairs. Not only had the Kraang invaded New York, mutating their way through the city in vast numbers, not only had a shadowy military presence turned up to fight them off, not only had Splinter been thrown down and washed away in front of his sons by the Shredder down a large drain BUT Leonardo had been forced to go up against the Foot Clan, Tiger Claw and fellow mutants AND Shredder alone. Without his brothers or sensei. He'd been beaten (but only after putting up a magnificent fight) and the Turtle's world had been turned upside-down.
And so season 3 opened on them in hiding in Northampton, on a farm April had grown up on, awaiting Leo's return to consciousness..
The story itself makes for a terrific Halloween tale, the setting is "cabin in the woods" style horror, with what has to be one of the series best, and most dangerous mutants The Creep (yeah thanks Mikey, for giving it that name). A dangerous plant creature, The Creep is created from the medicine Donatello created for Leo to recover faster (the delivery method into the swamp where Creep came from, is less funny than it first appears, because Leo is in a really bad way, mentally as well as physically- and Green makes you feel it).
(301 production art)
I got a sense of early Supernatural/Lovecraftian influences here. The animation and background art on this show is amazing, I'm surprised the team behind it hasn't one (or at least been nominated) for more awards. It's surprising how much tension and action and emotion this show fits in a half hour, a lot of hour long shows could do with taking note of it, and whilst it is scary and even deals with quite difficult situations, at no point do you feel the show is too scary, or violent.
There is always a moral to the characters actions, they always leave the most "violent" choice as a last resort. It is a message that is repeated often.
There is no-way this is just a kids show. It is made by fans, for old fans and for new fans. For such a "silly" concept of teenage mutant ninja turtles, it is given weight- but not so much that the humour suffers, and it is a show that pretty much anyone can watch and enjoy. And I am sooo glad Paramount/Nickelodeon are giving the creative team the freedom to do the characters and the world they inhabit, such justice.
Three words. Waters of Mars. Only less scary. And what was it with Courtney? Giant spider viruses. A man dying in front of her- SHE almost died, and they're trapped on a "dying" moon! And her response? "I'm bored". I mean what? And what was with her apparent trauma after her -brief- first trip with the Doctor? He took the kid up to see a nice space view. A magical, life-changing experience for sure, but either the kid is more sensitive than she looks or (more likely) Clara's being a bit of a tit about it all. I'm going with the second option. After all, at one point she proudly tells the Doctor she has a "duty of care" towards her students.
REALLY?! And yet this duty obviously allows you to take her out of school during the day onto an alien spaceship, time travel and put her in great peril, and then force her to be a part of a decision which could literally mean the end of the world?
I can't help but find Clara more annoying as the series goes on. She's rarely clever, just bull-headed, which wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't seen it before ( and in my opinion handled much better!).
Oh and the newborn space-critter laying a new egg as it hatches. Convenient. But was I the only one who was reminded of the TV miniseries of Terry Pratchett's "The Colour of Magic"?
There are things that I enjoy about this series. But I'm having a harder time talking about them as time passes. Could it be I'm suffering Who fatigue?
