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

Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013) Review

Netherealm Studios really made their name making the iconic fighting games Mortal Kombat. They ended up getting thee licence for the DC Superheroes and Villains and after a crossover between the two, they finally made an all DC Fighting Game. I have played this game a lot over the years and I finally did a replay of it all the way through and here is my review for Injustice Gods Among Us. The premise of the game sees after the death of his Wife and Son, Superman becomes a dictator and leads with an iron fist, a group of heroes must stand up to him and his new regime. 

Characters

The iconic Kevin Conroy plays Batman and of course he is fantastic. This for me is the perfect depiction of the character and Conroy could have done this in his sleep and make Batman probably the best character in the game. 

This is obviously a huge cast of characters but not everyone gets the real time to shine, for me the best characters were Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and Wonder Woman. They all get chapters in the story mode and it actually was fun to play as these guys. 

Unfortunately, the big hook of the game Superman as the villain doesn't quite work. It isn't fleshed out enough and it just felt like we were waiting to meet the actual villain who never arrives. It is just difficult to see this heroic character as this ruthless dictator. 

There are some other pretty pointless characters that are just here to pad out the roster and offer very little of interest such as Killer Frost, Hawkgirl and Solomon Grundy who all felt like weird additions to the game. 

Story 

The story does have some highlights and does give some of the heroes some cool moments that fits their character. Also some of the more evil characters get chapters and time for them to shine such as Luthor, Deathstroke and Joker. However, the actual story is pretty dull and predictable. It feels like it goes through the motions and it isn't long enough to ever care. I barely clocked 4 hours before the story was over and it just kind of made it feel like an afterthought. 

Side Activities

This game has a decent amount of content. There are a lot of options for the Battles which is basically the tower mode where you take on 10 opponents as a singular character and they are pretty fun. The only issue is that only classic offers the character endings which means the other options get forgotten about a bit. 

The issue is with the Star Labs. These are a bunch of mini games for each character and the majority of them are frustrating, I appreciate the effort they put in but it wasn't fun to do and I wish we got some more interesting content here. 

Gameplay

The gameplay is really fun. Using the different characters and their unique powersets is no doubt a really enjoyable experiences. Environmental attacks and level transitions are a real highlight and adds different dimensions to the fights. Clashes are okay but I found them not working very well for me, but they are done less so it was okay. 

Graphics

The graphics are okay, the costumes are super cool and mostly look like these characters have been taken off of the page of a comic book. The character moves are also well realised and shows the powers of these heroes effectively. However, the character designs in the cutscenes just aren't that great and feel a bit amateurish at times. Also the stages aren't that great and I wish they had been more distinguishable to iconic locations in the DC Universe. 

Overall

Overall, Injustice Gods Among Us is An Above Average Game. It has some fun aspects and good gameplay but it falls short in pretty much every other level and is just okay instead of really excelling. It is a decent game and for fans of superheroes is one I would really give a go. 

Rating - 6/10

Thrash (2026) Review

Over the last week, Thrash was released on Netflix and it has seemed very popular to the masses. I decided that I had a spare 90 mins, to see what all the fuss is about and gave Thrash a watch and here is my review. The premise of the film sees a Hurricane hit a small town that sees the locals attempt to survive the weather and the sharks that come with it. 

Main Character

Phoebe Dynevor plays Lisa and honestly she is super boring in this film. She offers nothing to make you care about her, her character is pregnant and that is literally as far as they go to develop her character. In a film like this you have to care about the lead character and I just really didn't. 

Supporting Characters

Whitney Peak plays Dakota and she gets a bit more to do in the film and at least she had a little bit of character to her. It is certainly nothing special, but I kind of wish they had focused more on her and got ride of a bunch of the rest of the cast. 

Djimon Hounsou plays Dale and he is easily the most recognisable actor here and at least he is trying to have a little bit of fun here with the smaller amount of screentime he has. 

There are three kids who have they're own story here and none of them are particularly good and I didn't care about any of them. I mean, I don't really understand why they are in the film except to pad out the runtime of the film. 

Story

The story is pretty much non existent and that could have been okay if the rest of the film was good, which it is not. It is a good enough presence but there are no characters to care about and the film doesn't really do anything to make it stand out from other films in its genre. 

Script

The script is laughably bad, which I kind of expected. Disaster films like this aren't usually known for their writing and this film continues that tradition but it doesn't have any of the charm that some of those films have which really holds it back. 

Style

This film has some okay action sequences, especially when it focuses on the damage that the weather does to the village. It is also like 80 mins long which means at least I only had to watch this trainwreck for a short amount of time. But the sharks look really funny, it is clear that the film didn't have the budget to really make the sharks stand out and I kind of wish they were left out. 

Overall

Overall, Thrash is a really bad film. It is 90 minutes that I will never get back and unfortunately it has very little to offer and should be avoided at all cost. 

Rating - 2/10

Gen V Season 2 (2025) Review

The 5th and Final Season of The Boys has hit Amazon today and there was one part of the franchise that I hadn't caught up with and that is the 2nd season of Gen V. I really enjoyed the first season of the show, So I have now found the time to watch the 2nd season and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees our heroes returned to University, where they must deal with the new headmaster and the complex views and divides between Supes and Humans. 

Main Character

Jaz Sinclair reprises her role as Marie Moreau and she is great. Her character is really explored this season and she definitely has had some upgrades since the first season of the show. She has her real issues but the show explores them well enough and she is a good lead character. 

Supporting Characters

For me, the best character in this season was the new Headmaster Cipher played by Hamish Linklater. He is the most interesting and intriguing character of the show. He comes out of nowhere and owns every scene that he is in. 

Sean Patrick Thomas as Polarity gets way more screen time this season and I thought he was good. His character arc is well handled and I liked the fact that he has way more to do here then he did in the previous season. 

Unfortunately, I didn't really care that much about the the students at God U. Last time we say them Cate played by Maddie Phillips and Sam played by Asa Germann they were bad guys working for Homelander. But this show kind of forgets about that and sets them both up for redemption arcs and I didn't really care about them or that story. 

Lizzie Broadway as Emma and Jordan Li who is played by both London Thor & Derek Luh are just kind of here. Jordans main part of the story is just their relationship with Marie which kind of goes nowhere. And Emma feels side lined all season and with very little to do apart from being a part of some half baked love triangle. 

Story

The story is okay. I found some things pretty interesting, especially when it is looking into the character of Cipher and what exactly he plans to do. The show also has a pretty interesting twist towards the end that I didn't really see coming. However, I thought a lot of the characters are underutilised and I just felt like the ending was more about setting up the fifth season of The Boys instead of giving this show a proper ending. 

Script

The script is pretty good, the balance of drama and humour is actually well handled here and helped with the characterisation. It made it feel like these were people at a school but also in the serious situations that they find themselves in. 

Style

The style is okay. the pacing of the show is well handled and I never felt bored watching the second season of the show. There is no doubt that some of the ludicrous and violent stuff that happens on the show are pretty cool but there is no doubt that sometimes it just becomes too much and it is just there for a gag instead of actually adding to the story. 

Overall

Overall, Gen V Season 2 is a good season of the show. It still has a lot of the qualities that I liked about the first season of the show but it has more problems. It has dropped quite a bit in quality but if you are still a fan of this franchise then it is worth a watch for sure. 

Rating - 7/10