Peaky Blinders Season 1 (2013) Review

The final season of the vastly popular show Peaky Blinders is coming next week and I have actually never watched the show, so what better time to start then now. So here is my review for the first season of the show. The premise of the season sees a crime family looking to grow their business against competitors and the police. 

Main Character

The great Cillian Murphy plays Tommy Shelby and he is amazing in this role. He was built for this role and I really enjoyed seeing him as the leader of the family and how he wasn't just this gruff guy and had a real personality. Despite his many flaws it became pretty easy to root for him and the Peaky Blinders in the activities that they are doing. 

Supporting Characters

The legendary Sam Neill plays the police officer sent after the Peaky Blinders and he is also fantastic. He comes in with a strong will and determination to take down the group but he isn't your squeaky clean police officer and seeing his methods is an interesting comparison to the opposition group. Paul Anderson plays Arthur Shelby and he might be my favourite character on the show, there is just a charm for the loveable idiot which he is and Anderson plays it up really well. Joe Cole plays John Shelby and he fits the group really well too, he is the youngest of the trio and is more hot headed. He also had plenty of charm and is just really likeable. The late Helen McCrory plays Polly and she is a really strong female character, she is the matriarch of The Peaky Blinders and she owns it completely. The group just mesh really well together and it feels like a true family which is a good credit to the actors. Annabelle Wallis plays Grace, at first she seems like a fairly superficial character but as she gets more screen time you learn there is more about her and she is effective in her role. 

Story 

The story is really good, seeing the rise of this group and the issues that they have with other criminal organisations and the police. It ebbs and flows well and shows just how much Tommy Shelby has to deal with as the leader of this group. All of the characters have their time to shine and character development which is great to see. Though my only slight criticism is just how much is put into the first season of the show and one particular arc that happened in the last few episodes that felt a bit out of place in my eyes. 

Script 

The script is fantastic, it really feels natural and creates a group of interesting characters. It is obviously a pretty serious show and the drama is handled really well. But there are those bits of humour that are really strong and made the show feel truly great. 

Style 

The show looks amazing, it is filmed fantastically and I just loved how it was shot and how it really feels like its own special style. The use of music is also great and add so much to the show, it gets you amped for the fight scene we are watching and the show as a whole. 

Overall 

Overall, The First Season of Peaky Blinders is fantastic and is a must watch. This is a great start and is a show that should be watched for sure. 

Rating - 9/10

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Trailer Review

So late Sunday night, Marvel Studios decided to release the new trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and considering it is my most anticipated film of 2022 I have watched it quite a few times and I think it is about time I talked about it. 

Strange is having nightmares

The trailer starts with Doctor Strange seeing the end of the world through nightmares, it seems like pretty simple stuff but I do wonder if there is more to it. When Scott Derrickson was set to direct this movie, Nightmare was meant to be the main villain so I wonder if this was a hint to that and that even with a new director we will still get some version of Nightmare. 

He is facing the consequences from Spider-Man: No Way Home

After the mess that Strange got into in Spider-Man: No Way Home it has become clear that is going to lead directly into this film. He opened a bridge to the Multiverse and now it is causing the world to cave in and it seems like he has been doing even more tampering which could make things even worse. 

Christine Palmer is back and seems to be getting married

Rachel McAdams is back here as Christine Palmer and we see her in a wedding dress. I never was a huge fan of the dynamic between her and Strange but I am glad they aren't just getting rid of her with no explanation. The question is whether this is the same character or just a Variant to the one in the original film. 

Vision was the one who told Wanda about the Multiverse

When we first see Wanda Maximoff in the trailer, she reveals that Vision knew about the concept of The Multiverse and that it would be viewed as a dangerous idea. But after seeing what happens to Wanda at the end of WandaVision I am willing to bet that she has her own motivations in this film. 

Mordo is back but as a Variant.

We then see Mordo but I think it is pretty clear that he is a Variant from the one we saw in the first Doctor Strange film. He seems to be on the good side, instead of the murderer that we left him as and he is the one tasked to bring in Strange because of his actions. 

The Illuminati are confirmed and Sir Patrick Stewart is back as Professor Xavier

Easily the biggest part of the trailer sees Strange bought up amongst a council of heroes, in the comics this has been known as the illuminati and has had many members. But the biggest part of this is that Sir Patrick Stewart will be reprising his role as Charles Xavier as the leader of the group. Again, I think this is a Variant and not the same version that we have seen in all of the X-Men films but it will be great to see him and makes me wonder whether this is the film that we see the true introduction of mutants. Onto the members of the Illuminati, it seems like Xavier and Mordo are definitely in and I believe we will see a variant of Iron Man and Captain Marvel and a version of Mr Fantastic and Namor. 

Evil Doctor Strange is shown again

We again are shown the evil Doctor Strange that was in the previous trailer, the question is what are his motivations? The reports state that this is a different Variant to the one seen in What If? Which I do think is a bit of a missed opportunity but it does allow the film to bring its own interpretation on this Variants goals. 

It seems like Maria Rambeau is the Captain Marvel variant. 

We then get a glimpse at that Captain Marvel variant I mentioned and it seems pretty clear that this version is Maria Rambeau. Lashana Lynch has gained some notoriety since No Time To Die and with her main version of the character confirmed to be dead, this is a chance to see her as a full on superhero which I am quite excited for. The scene also shows her fighting Wanda, which probably explains some of the things we see in the trailer. 

Gomorrah is also back 

We say the one eyed tentacle monster a few times in What If? and it is back here and fighting Strange. In that show, we saw it had a link to the more disturbed variant of Strange so I wonder whether that will get mentioned or whether this is just going to be a quick excuse for an action scene. 

Wanda is going to be the villain 

Ever since it was confirmed that Elisabeth Olsen was going to reprise her role as Scarlett Witch in this film there have been theories as to what exactly it will look like and now we have our answer. She is clearly the villain here, she calls out Strange for getting away with messing with reality and being a hero, we then also see her return to Westview and see her Variant crying. Reports indicated that Wanda was looking at a way to revive her children and maybe this is how she plans to do it and this could even lead to the Mutant version of the character making an appearance. 

Zombie Strange is hear to cause havoc 

One of the more popular episodes of What If? saw the Avengers turned into Zombies and the trailer shows a pretty powerful looking Zombie Strange fighting Wong. I am not sure whether this is going to be connected to the What If? episode but it should be fun. 

Overall

Overall, there is so much to take from this trailer that I have had to watch it so many times to make sure I didn't miss the significant things. I do wish a few of the reveals had been saved for the movie itself though as I feel like I now know more about the film then I would have liked. But I am still super excited and I think this could be a special film. 

Uncharted (2022) Review

After many years we finally have an Uncharted film, this film is based on the really popular video game franchise and today I have watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a young man getting recruited to go on a hunt for a long lost treasure. 

Main Character

Tom Holland plays Nathan Drake and I can't help myself he is really entertaining to watch and I think this is just because of Holland's natural charm and charisma manages to drag him through. But the issue is that he just isn't what I wanted from Nathan Drake as a character, he is nothing like his video game counterpart and that is a big shame. I was watching the film and all I saw was Peter Parker just without his Spider-Man costume. Hopefully, this is only because this film came out just after Spider-Man: No Way Home but I do worry that Holland might become typecast and a one trick pony. 

Supporting Characters

Mark Wahlberg plays Sully and it is a similar story to our main character. He has plenty of natural charisma to him and his chemistry with Holland is really good and at least there is some sort of character development on show. But I felt like it was Mark Wahlberg walking around and the character of Sully from the video games and that was the issue for me, he is just the same as he is in every other film and this is a slight shame for me. Sophia Ali plays Chloe and I actually quite liked her, maybe because she was the one performer I didn't recognise made her feel like an actual character and somebody who was actually interesting to watch. The bad guys didn't work though, Antonio Banderas is here but he is just your generic villain and I don't know when but it seems like when a European bad guy is needed then he is the one cast and it just didn't work here. Tai Gabrielle is better as a villain but she isn't that great either but was at least a physical enemy to Drake. 

Story 

The story did a pretty good job of showing a young Nathan Drake starting his career and leading us on a fun adventure story across the globe that had shades of Indiana Jones to it. There is some sort of character development attempted and the actors seemed like they were having fun here. But there is a lack of depth and direction for the overall plot of the film. I think it could needed to pace itself a bit better and focus on the characters a bit more and give the villains way better motivations. 

Script

The film actually has a surprising amount of humour to it and I was chuckling my way through most of the film, mixed with a bit of heart made this alright. But there isn't enough here, I didn't care about the characters enough and sometimes it felt like the film relied on its star power instead of actually crafting these better written heroes and villains. 

Style 

The style has some really good action scenes, including the crazy cargo plane scene that was in all of the trailers. The film is quite relentless too, the adventure moves at a pretty break neck pace which is good but it also harms the characterisation and plot of the film. It was a fun action film without the depth needed to become a good film. 

Overall

Overall, Uncharted is a pretty average adventure film. There is some good here for sure and Sony are hoping to make this a franchise but it doesn't do enough for me to get me excited for that or recommend this for a watch. 

Rating - 5/10

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) Trailer Review

There is no doubt that Jurassic World Dominion will be one of the biggest films of 2022 and though I haven't always been a huge fan of the franchise, I am excited for it and now we have a trailer. The trailer shows off plenty of big things and here is my review for it. 

The Dinosaurs are roaming the planet

After the events of Fallen Kingdom, the dinosaurs had escaped the island and there captors and ended up on the run. This trailer shows that they have been spotted in all areas of the globe and how it has exactly changed the dynamic as there is now this human/dinosaur relationship that isn't just being contained to one island or one city but the entire world. 

The film is honouring Richard Attenborough's John Hammond

Right away we hear the dialogue from the late Richard Attenborough' John Hammond, the creator of Jurassic Park and I think this fits in line with the film really well. It shows that Hammond wanted people to be close to the creatures and feel like it was a real experience. It also really shows how the new cast from Jurassic World and the veterans from Jurassic Park are really coming together as one. 

Owen and Claire still have Blue 

Over the previous two films Owen Grady played by Chris Pratt has had a clear relationship with the raptor Blue and in this film it shows that they are still together. Though it seems that Claire played by Bryce Dallas Howard doesn't believe that dinosaurs and humans can co exist and that they have to give Blue up. It brings up a big moral dilemma as Blue has been treated as an actual character and the one dinosaur who could show that there is a chance for the two species to co-exist in this world. 

Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are all back 

Now Goldblum played a cameo in Fallen Kingdom but the big reveal is that Sam Neil as Alan Grant and Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler are back for this film. It just feels so natural in this trailer and they are actually going to give these characters something to do. As a huge fan of the original Jurassic Park film I really hope the return of these iconic characters gives this new film a real shot in the arm. 

Once again Ingen are creating a new hybrid dinosaur

It seems these new films have this grand idea that we have to have new dinosaurs because the old ones aren't cool anymore. We see the return of Dr Henry Wu played by BD Wong and he is once again splicing DNA to probably create this Frankenstein dinosaur for whatever crazy reason it is this time. 

The two casts will eventually meet

The trailer does bring all the characters together and it looks fantastic, but I am slightly worried about it. It feels like the film is going to have the Jurassic Park vets doing there own thing and the Jurassic World vets doing there thing and they eventually meet in the last 20/30 mins. I want more interaction, especially if this is maybe the last chance we get to see this team up. 

Overall

Overall, I loved this trailer. I really didn't like Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom so had low expectations here. But with the returning cast it gives me the hope that this film can finally deliver on a sequel that the original Jurassic Park truly deserves. 

Predictions - The Mandalorian Season 3  

Though The Book of Boba Fett was meant to focus on the titular character, it ended up being a continuation of The Mandalorian universe and did plenty to continue Din Djarin and Grogu's story and ended up doing a lot to set up the third season of The Mandalorian. With that here are my predictions for that show and maybe what we can expect. 

Din Djarin and Grogu are heading to Mandalore

The end of The Book of Boba Fett sees Mando and Grogu leaving Tatooine but we don't know where they are heading. Earlier on in the season, The Armourer told him that he was no longer a part of the creed and that he would have to go to Mandalore to attempt to rejoin. The pair may not head there straight away but I think at some point the pair are going to find themselves at The Mandalorian homeworld. 

Luke Skywalker will train Mando to use the Darksaber.

As great as it was, the training between Grogu and Luke Skywalker felt all too fleeting and short. Potentially this could be fixed by having Luke teach Din Djarin how to use the Darksaber. There is previous of a Jedi teaching a Mandalorian how to use the weapon and this would be different and fun to watch. 

Or Sabine Wren could train him. 

In Star Wars Rebels, Mandalorian Sabine Wren is trained by Jedi Kanan Jarrus to use the Darksaber and she does this effectively. With Natasha Liu Bordizzo cast as the live action version of the character it would make some sense for her to teach Din Djarin instead. Sabine has connection to both Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan that she could be a link in the shows and with being a Mandalorian she provides a different perspective to Luke. 

The Armourer's true intentions will be shown

The Armourer returns in The Book of Boba Fett and we see how knowledgeable she is with both The Jedi and The Mandalorian code. We see her clash with Din Djarin and exile him from the creed and I think we will see her have a more impactful showing in the next season of The Mandalorian. I never noticed until recently that she still has the horns that Maul's troops did in Clone Wars so she is not a character who should be trusted and will be more of an enemy. 

The Empire will have a smaller role

Over the first two seasons of The Mandalorian we have seen plenty of The Empire including Moff Gideon. Though Giancarlo Esposito did say he would be back in the third season I do think his role will be smaller and a new antagonist will take charge. 

Crimson Dawn will be one of the major villains

It was rumoured for ages that Crimson Dawn would be revealed to be the villains of The Book of Boba Fett but that wasn't the case and that is because I think they will be used here. The Pykes were allied to Crimson Dawn previously and after their defeat on Tatooine they will report to their bosses. Qi'ra in the comics is currently in charge of the group and she could want the Darksaber as technically Maul never lost it which means she might think it should be hers, hell this might be where we see that young Han Solo cameo that was also rumoured. 

We will find out who saved Grogu

One of the mysteries from this universe is who saved Grogu from order 66, we saw flashbacks to this event in The Book of Boba Fett and we are getting closer to finding out who it was. I have seen so many ideas and theories but I genuinely have no idea who it could be and how exactly it links to the current story that we are seeing. 

Boba Fett will help Din Djarin lead Mandalore. 

Din Djarin came to the aid of Boba Fett and stopped Cad Bane and The Pyke Syndicate. I think the favour will be replicated here with Boba helping him in his quest to unite The Mandalorian people. Boba somewhat is a Mandalorian and he has a strong bond with Mando so it would be fun to watch them team up together, plus if Crimson Dawn are involved it would make sense that they would want revenge against Fett as well. 

Din Djarin will be revealed to be force sensitive

This is my wild theory. It is known that the original owner of the darksaber was both a mandalorian and a Jedi so maybe when Mando learns to properly use it, it will be down to some force abilities. It has not really been hinted so far and I am not sure that I want it but this is a road that they could go down. 

Overall, I am buzzing for The Mandalorian Season 3 and hopefully it lives up to the total hype. 

The Book of Boba Fett (2021) Series Review

After 7 weeks and much hype and discussion we have come to the end of The Book of Boba Fett and I have watched all of the episodes and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees Boba Fett return to Tatooine and take over Jabba The Hutt's thrown, he now has to deal with the issues that come with power and the enemies that brings. 

Main Character 

Temuera Morrison reprises his role as Boba Fett from The Mandalorian and I personally think he is fantastic. He adds some real intensity and ferocity to the role while actually managing to give the former bounty hunter a character. I really like how he portrays the character and he just fits into the role naturally and I enjoyed learning more about what has happened to him that makes him more then just this cool looking guy who had nothing to do in the films. 

Supporting Characters

This show had a huge cast and by now I don't think any of them are spoilers so I will talk about as many as I think are appropriate. Ming-Na Wen is back as Fennec Shand and she is also great, I really like the dynamic between the two of them and exploring the duo is one of the highlights of the show. She is also great in the action scenes and I swear that women will never age as she is clearly doing the majority of her own stunts. Pedro Pascal voices Din Djarin and it is great to see him back and seeing how he has progressed since the end of the Mandalorian season 2. He gets way too much screen time but there is no denying that the show does a great job of showing his character at his best. We also see the debut of Krrsantan, a wookie from the comics and it is really cool to see this guy in action and seeing this fearsome more intense wookie on screen is something we haven't really seen before. The rest of the cast are all solid with many cameos that was enjoyable to watch. 

Story 

I really enjoyed the flashback story of seeing how Boba escaped the Sarlaac and made his way to finding Din Djarin in The Mandalorian. I also liked seeing Boba trying to establish a new rule in Mos Espa with this more honourable mentality. I then liked all the stuff involving Din Djarin and some of the wider Star Wars stuff. But the issue is that it doesn't quite work together, all this stuff is good but it feels like 3 different shows at time and I think they took on way too much for the show and it ended up leaving me a little confused as to why the show was called The Book of Boba Fett. The finale delivers though and ends up on a positive note. 

Script

The script is good, I feel like Boba is a character that doesn't need to talk that much and he still doesn't really but when he does it feels effective. The drama worked for me and the bits of humour is a nice addition. It just feels like Star Wars and that is the job that is required for sure. 

Style 

The show looks fantastic, the budget is huge and the effects are top of the range. Seeing Boba and the other characters in full flight is really fun and I love watching this Star Wars adventure. But there are a few issues, the first one is that after all these years I am a bit fed up of Tatooine and this show is mostly set there and it becomes a bit dull. The other issue is the overall pacing of the show, it links to the story and that so much is packed into the show that at times it loses focus on the story that it is trying to tell. 

Overall

Overall, The Book of Boba Fett is a great show that has some great Star Wars fun. It has some issues but if you are a fan of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian and Star Wars then this is a must watch for sure. 

Rating - 8/10