The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) Review

Ever since his first appearance in 2016, I have been a huge fan of Jon Bernthal's depiction of Frank Castle/The Punisher. Ever since the Netflix shows went to Disney, we have seen the character remain as violent and dark as ever. Now we get a Special Presentation: Punisher One Last Kill and I watched it this morning and here is my review. The premise of the film sees Frank looking for purpose, when his past actions come back to haunt him and forces him to make a choice of his future as The Punisher. 

Main Character 

As mentioned above, Jon Bernthal is back as Frank Castle and he is just amazing in the role. You can just tell how much he loves this role and how much respect he has for the source material. There is so much emotion provided here and this is easily the best action he has ever done. 

Supporting Characters

Judith Light plays Ma Gnucci and even though she doesn't have a lot of screen time she leaves an impact on the show. Yes, she is clearly a villain and someone that Frank would be against but you do feel her pain and anger for the actions that Frank has done and that is handled really well. 

Jason R. Moore is back as Curtis and he is fleeting here but also effective. He is the inner voice for Frank and trying to aid him in his journey as The Punisher. I liked how the character was used, especially for the small screen time. 

There are other smaller roles here and they are really well handled and just added life into this short Special Presentation. There is also a small cameo that I wasn't expecting that added plenty to the story being told. 

Story

There was actually more emotion and drama in this story then I expected. The first act really focuses on Franks journey and how he really feels like he might be at the end of it, these scenes are slow but really heartfelt and feel real. Then we transition into some of the best action you will see and I just love seeing Castle go through all these bad guys. Unfortunately, because of the length of the movie and the fact its basically setting up future content, it doesn't quite have the meat on it that it really could and the ending doesn't quite feel complete and just again for setting up the future of The Punisher. 

Script

This is the script with the biggest contribution from Bernthal and I think that is clear to see as it really nails all the drama that is on show. I mean The Punisher has always been a dark character and that continues here and it is just nailed on. 

Style

It is truly hard to see how this is made by Disney. This is easily the most violent thing that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen and it is done in all its glory. The action scenes are amazing and the fact they didn't nerf the character makes it even more delightful. But again, the pacing isn't that great and that is mainly due to its shorter runtime so by the time you really get into it, it is over which is a shame. 

Overall

Overall, The Punisher: One Last Kill is a great Special Presentation. It has all the hallmarks of The Punisher with some of the best action you will see. I truly believed that if this was a 90 minute movie then it would be perfect. I am really hoping that this is going to lead to a new series or a film as we just need more of this. 

Rating - 8/10

Citadel Season 2 (2026) Review

3 Years ago, the first season of Citadel was released on Amazon Prime and it was billed as the most expensive show in history. After a mundane response, we finally have a second season of the show and I have watched all of the episodes, so here is my review. The premise of the show sees the characters from the first season split up as they are force to come out of hiding to try and stop a global threat. 

Main Character 

Richard Madden is back and this time he has his memories and is straight up Mason Kane here. Madden really tries and elevates the writing that his character receives and I credit him for doing good work. However, his character is way less interesting this season and it feels like the show wanted us to care less about him which kind of just comes out of nowhere and is a real shame. 

Supporting Characters

Stanley Tucci reprises his role as Bernard Orlick an he is given way more to do this season. He is obviously great and is easily the best character of the show. Tucci owns every scene that he is in and I am glad that his character was used more this season. 

Matt Berry is brought in as Frank Sharpe and I just love Matt Berry. He adds a lot of humour and charm to the show and though he kind of feels out of place, I think it works and I am glad that he was here. 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is back as Nadia Sinh and unfortunately she is given barely anything to do. The show would be no different if she wasn't in it and I just feel like she sleep walked through this performance and didn't really show much care. 

The villains here are some of the weakest you will ever see in a show. All of them are super generic and offer incredibly little, the show seems to not overly care about them and just needs somebody for the supposed good guys to go against. 

Story

The story is easily the worst part of the show. This plot is even more generic and basic then the first season, you have literally seen everything from this show before. But this season has stories that just make no sense and it really feels like they go for shock value over concise and good storytelling. The ending falls really flat and doesn't have me excited if there is a future for this franchise. 

Script

The script is fine. There are some decent character drama and funny scenes but as a whole it just falls flat. The writing for a lot of the characters falls flat and there is way more going on this season and they don't seem to know how to balance it at all. 

Style

The best part of the show might be the pacing, despite its flaws, I felt like this was a pretty easy watch and dropping all the episodes all at once this time will probably help with viewership. But it is clear, that they dropped a lot of the budget and the show is nowhere near as grand as the first season, also a lot of the actions scenes are poorly filmed and just end up being incredibly choppy and hard to track. 

Overall

Overall, Citadel Season 2 is a Below Average Show. I didn't think much of the first season but this is a big step down even from that. I would say this show isn't worth the time unless you love Stanley Tucci but even then, you can see him in better things. 

Rating - 4/10

Mortal Kombat 2 (2026) Review

For many years now I have been a big fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise playing all the most recent games and having watched all of the previous films. So I was very excited to see the sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat and I did that today so here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees the forces of Earthrealm compete in Mortal Kombat against their enemies Outworld in hopes of saving the world. 

Main Character

Adeline Rudloph plays Kitana and she is the character with the most depth in the film. We really follow her journey as she struggles with what side she is on and how she wants revenge against her father. Its a good character and one that is performed well. 

Karl Urban takes on the most anticipated role of Johnny Cage and I thought he fit into the role really well. He just fit this older action star who is past his prime but called into action and Urban really delivers. 

Supporting Characters

Martyn Ford plays Shao Khan and this is the quintessential interpretation of the character. He is an intimidating and evil villain that just oozes charisma. I just love what they did with him and it felt like the character came straight from the game. 

Tati Gabrielle plays Jade and she has one of the more interesting stories throughout the film. She is really conflicted between Shao Kahn and Kitana and I thought it was done pretty well for a film that mainly just focuses on fighting. 

However, I still feel like the characters from the first film don't really stand out. Except for Kano who even though its a smaller role, really stands out. Like Sonya, Jax and even Liu Kang have moments but I just felt with so many characters being in the film, the newer characters were handled better. 

Story

The story of this film isn't the greatest. However, it isn't all bad. First of all I am glad that there is actually a tournament this time and it is handled pretty well. Also the character development for a few of the characters is pretty good and something I wasn't expecting. But as a whole there just isn't much to rave about here. It's a very basic story and just feels like an excuse to get these characters fighting, a couple of characters are brought in for the third act and it just feels like they are rammed into the film for fan service sake. 

Script

I mean the script had me laughing quite a bit. The one liners are pretty cheesy but they are just in line with Mortal Kombat, Kano and Johnny Cage really carried this aspect. There is some drama and it is somewhat done well, but lets face it, this isn't the priority and it just doesn't have enough care to full give it credit. 

Style

Easily the best part of the film is the action sequences and the fights. They are vastly improved from the previous film and I just loved each one for how much like the games they felt and big credit has to go to everyone for this. Okay, there is some dodgy CGI but I love how the locations are ripped straight from the games and it just feels like it is made more by people who truly love the franchise. 

Overall

Overall, Mortal Kombat 2 is a good film that is much better then the previous one. I am glad they made the improvements needed, I mean it isn't perfect but for a fan of this franchise this was a step in the right direction and for me this is the best Mortal Kombat film ever put on the big screen. 

Rating - 7/10

Citadel Season 1 (2023) Review

I remember when this show came out, everyone was talking about how it was the highest budget for a TV show ever and that it was a must watch. I never did, but with the 2nd season of Citadel coming out this week, I thought it was time to finally watch this spy thriller. The premise of the show sees after a spy organisation is destroyed, a man is recruited claiming that he used to work for the organisation, but he has no memory of it. 

Main Character

Richard Madden plays Mason Kane and I thought he was good in the show. He really plays two roles here, the super confident spy in the flashbacks and then the family man who is trying to find out who he is in the present day. He is good and is a good leading man, his character is interesting enough to get by. 

Supporting Characters

Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Nadia Sinh and she is also good in her role. She is more of the actual spy throughout the show and they do an effective job of making the audience question whether she can be trusted. The chemistry between her and Madden is probably the best part of the show. 

Stanley Tucci plays Bernard Orlick and it isn't exactly surprising that he is super entertaining here. I mean he doesn't have too much to actually do, but he has the best lines in the show and Tucci just seems to be having a lot of fun in the role. 

Lesley Manville plays Dahlia Archer and she is fine. She is the villain and she is clearly enjoying herself in the role and it isn't really until the latter parts of the season where she gets some time to shine which she does. 

Osy Ikhile plays Carter Spence and he is a smaller but good addition to the cast and I liked how he was an ally to Mason Kane and just felt like a good addition to the team of spies. 

Story

The story is easily the worst part of the show. It is like somebody watched a bunch of spy films and just picked the most generic plot ever to its show. I appreciate the acting and the clear budget but if you don't have an interesting story then it kind of makes it pointless. There are plenty of twists and turns and most of them are just really predictable or don't really make much sense. 

Script

The script is okay here. The dialogue has some decent drama and some actual chuckle worthy moments but it suffers like the story. Everything written here you have seen before and likely done better in other projects. 

Style

The show has a huge budget and it is on notice here. I did enjoy the international feel of the show and how it went to different countries. I also thought the action was pretty good, nothing breath taking but enjoyable enough. However, the pacing was a bit off. The balance between the flashbacks and the modern story is pretty messy and it makes you think that not a lot actually happens in the show. 

Overall

Overall, Citadel Season 1 is an above average show. It has some decent things about it, mainly the acting but its story falls way short and I would say that unless you are really interested it isn't one to rush to see. 

Rating - 6/10

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (2026) Review

Ever since the original Daredevil show premiered on Netflix, I have been a huge fan of the franchise, I also had a great time with the first season of Born Again so I was so looking forward to watching the second season of Born Again. The finale aired today and here is my review for the entirety of the second season of the show. The premise of the season sees Daredevil and his allies on the run as he attempts to prove Fisks guilt and bring justice to New York. 

Main Character

Charlie Cox reprises his role as Matt Murdoch/Daredevil and he is fantastic. There is real development with Matt here as he really struggles with the morality of his cause and struggling with the hostile environment of New York. Cox clearly loves the role and he really shows this with another really strong performance.

Vincent D'Onofrio also reprises his role as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin and this is still one of the best characters in all of television. You really see him embrace his role as mayor and his hatred for vigilantes. As the season progresses he becomes even more bloodthirsty and D'Onofrio really excels. 

Supporting Characters

Deborah Ann Woll is back as Karen Page and I really liked her role. Her and Matt are united in their plan and they really play off of each other really well with a really interesting dynamic. She was missing for a lot of last season but adds a lot to her character here. 

Wilson Bethel is also back as Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye and I loved his character here. He has such a fascinating dynamic with Daredevil and you really see it play out well over the season. Bethel really ups his game for this season and makes Bullseye a true highlight. 

Arty Froushan plays Buck and he is given way more to do this season and they manage to create a really interesting character that is more then just a hired gun for Fisk. Credit to the actor and the writing as they made Buck one of the best parts of the season. 

Michael Gandolfini as Daniel is also one of the most improved characters and his relationship with Buck were some of my favourite scenes of the season. 

The rest of the cast are also great, with a nice return for Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, an expanded role for Vanessa Fisk played by Ayelet Zurer and a reduced but memorable performance by Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn. 

Story

The story is pretty good, especially when it comes to the character dynamics and development of said characters. The relationship between Matt and Fisk is at the heart of things and really encapsulates with a fantastic finale that is one of the best episodes in the 5 seasons of Daredevil programming. However, this show has so much going on that it struggles to balance it all. An example is the addition of Charles played by Matthew Lillard who doesn't really add anything to the plot and is just around to set up future shows, same can be said for Jessica Jones who is a bit underwhelming and introduced so late that she doesn't have lots of time to make a big impact. 

Script

The show is really well written. It does drama incredibly well and you really feel the tension build between characters whether they are allies or enemies. It has sprinkles of humour that is well realised and just so much character development with a satisfying ending. 

Style

The show ahs some of the best action scenes that you will see. They are visceral but keep that comic book action that makes it stand out amongst its peers. It looks great and has really good pacing throughout the season. 

Overall

Overall, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is a fantastic season of tv and a worthy continuation of the series. I am still a huge fan of the show and I am glad that it lives up to the hype. 

Rating - 9/10

 Apex (2026) Review

This film has been very popular amongst those using Netflix, so I decided to watch Apex and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees a woman travel to Australia for isolation when she comes across a life or death situation. 

Main Character

Charlize Theron plays Sasha and she does a good job in the film. She just delivers a strong performance as this lead character and I did find myself rooting for her to get through this situation. Don't get me wrong, she has definitely done better but for this film she probably does the best she can. 

Supporting Characters

Taron Edgerton plays Ben and I also thought he was pretty good. Don't get me wrong, he really straddles the line between committed and over the top but I thought he just about kept himself well enough to make this a fun performance. 

Eric Bana has a really small role here and I did enjoy the chemistry he had with Theron for the small about of screen time they have together. 

Story

The story is where the film really starts to fall short. This is one of the most predictable films that I have seen in recent memory, you will guess every twist and turn throughout and I just wished they could have done more here. It takes no risks and by the end of the film, you wonder really what was the point of the whole thing. 

Script

The script is another failure here. It just isn't written particularly well, it feels contrived in places and there just isn't any real scene where I truly felt the emotion or drama that is going on. 

Style

The film looks beautiful, it is filmed really well and I definitely think the location really helps the overall experience that I had. There are some good action sequences that were giving me reminders of the Tom Raider games that came out not that long ago. 

Overall

Overall, Apex is an above average film. It is a really forgettable film that ranges from the great to the dismal, it isn't very long but I wouldn't say this is something to rush and see. 

Rating - 6/10

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Season 1 (2026) Review

It is May 4th, meaning it is International Star Wars day which means we have to get some new Star Wars Content. Today sees the final 2 episodes of the new show Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord and I have watched both of them this morning and here is my review for the whole season. The premise of the season sees Maul trying to rebuild his Crime Syndicate when he comes across Jedi, The Local Police and The Empire. 

Main Character

Sam Witwer reprises his role as Maul and he is fantastic here. He has always been super menacing as the character and it is nice that it continues the calculating nature of Maul that was shown in both Clone Wars & Rebels. This show also adds way more depth to Maul and makes you really understand why he does what he does. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a big supporting cast and they all do a great job. Wagner Moura plays Brander Lawson and he is such a cool new character to the Star Wars franchise. He is a disgruntled police captain and I really like how his character is affected by events that take place over the show and Moura does a great job. 

The Jedi Master Daki and Devon are really well handled and add a bit of a different dynamic then would be expected. Daki definitely leans more towards a traditional Jedi way but Devon is frustrated after The Purge and wanting to do more. It is handled really well and takes something that could have been quite dull and makes it one of the more interesting parts of the show. 

British Comedian Richard Ayoade voices the droid Two Boots and he is a real highlight of the show. He has quick comedic timing but the character has some development and seeing the relationship between Lawson and Two Boots is a nice part of the show. 

Story

The story is good. It does a good job of developing Maul and his ambition following The Clone Wars. But actually I think the show does a better job with the supporting cast and mainly the relationships between them, whether that be Daki & Devon or Lawson and his son. I think that holds the show back a little bit, I think around the middle of it, the show focuses less on Maul and on the rest of the cast and I just wish there had been a little bit more Maul here. Though the finale was fantastic and worthy of any show. 

Script

The show is really well written, these animated shows are not kid shows and Shadow Lord encapsulates it. There is drama and confrontation between the characters but also some sprinkling of humour that is actually well done and doesn't feel out of place. 

Style

The first time we saw this type of animation was in 2008 for the start of The Clone Wars and this is easily the best it has ever looked. It looks incredible and adds so much to the show, these are the best animated action scenes that I have seen and the show looks beautiful and really stands out. 

Overall

Overall, Maul Shadow Lord Season 1 is a fantastic show that absolutely nails its characters and aesthetics. This is one of the best Star Wars projects in recent memory and I am really looking forward to seeing how these characters progress and develop in future seasons. 

Rating - 9/10