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

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

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