Ranked - The Boys Universe

Ever since The Boys started on Amazon Prime it has stood out and been one of the biggest shows in the world. There has also been a few spinoffs and I have watched all the content so far and here are my rankings for the shows in The Boys Universe. 

6. The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022)

Kind of out of nowhere, we got an animated spin-off show called Diabolical and it just wasn't that great. It is just random episodes that are ridiculously short and feel like they aren't even connected to the main series. The only good episode is the final one which focuses on Homelander and his origins with Antony Starr once again voicing the character. I think this show isn't worth a watch and offers incredibly little. 

5. The Boys Season 4 (2024)

The Boys Season 4 is a great season of the show and does a lot of things right. Karl Urban as Butcher & Antony Starr as Homelander are standouts with some cool new characters on the show. It does a really effective job on building for the final season of the show with a fantastic ending. But some of the character stories are pretty bland and I hope the show streamlines in the future. 

4. The Boys Season 2 (2020)

After a fantastic season of The Boys, we had the second season and it was a great season of TV. Putting emphasis on new character Stormfront it really added layers to the show and Homelanders character. It had the violence and a fantastic finale that set up future events. Similar to other seasons of the show it has too many pointless stories and some of the writing isn't the best which holds it back from being higher in the list. 

3. The Boys Season 1 (2019)

The show that started it all was a fantastic start to this franchise and I really loved it. The Boys are a great group together and seeing them go against The Seven was so new and fresh that I really was engrossed in it. The only issue, is pretty much the issue every season has in that there are too many character arcs are pretty dull but overall it is a fantastic first season. 

2. Gen V Season 1 (2023)

The first season of the much anticipated spin-off Gen V was a fantastic show to watch. It has the same tone as the main show but focuses on its own location and themes that it works, making it unique enough to stand on its own. The characters are all really well written and I was interested for every episode, the only issue is the ending and that I felt like it was more a setup for The Boys Season 4 instead of finalising this season of Gen V. 

1. The Boys Season 3 (2022)

For me this is my favourite season of The Boys so far and a big part of that is due to the performance of Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy as this is a character that knocks it out of the park and is a legitimate threat to both Billy Butcher & Homelander. This season also has the iconic Herogasm episode that took things to a bigger level. Some of the story arcs weren't particularly fulfilling but I loved the majority of the season and felt like a bigger deal then the previous ones. 

Overall

Overall, The Boys universe has been a very successful one and has produced some fantastic content. With the main show ending hopefully, it doesn't end there and we get other things to keep us entertained. 

The Boys Season 4 (2024) Review

Due to being away, it took me a while to watch the last episode of the fourth season of The Boys but I have watched it and here is my review for the fourth season of Amazon's acclaimed show The Boys. The premise of the season sees The Boys attempt to finally kill Homelander after he starts to use his powers in public to cause fear. 

Main Character

Karl Urban is once again back as Billy Butcher and I really like his character this season. After taking Temp V last season it is clear that Butcher is dying and doesn't have much time left and Urban really sells that. He is more brutal this season and trying to achieve his goals before he goes and Urban kills it this season. 

I have always believed that Homelander played by Antony Starr is one of the best performances in any medium and this continues here. Homelander goes through so many emotions this season and I just love watching his mind work and I can't emphasise how great Starr is in this show. 

Supporting Characters

Over the last few seasons A-Train played by Jessie T Usher has been one of the more interesting characters and this season really gives him plenty of screen time to further flesh out his character and he nails it. You see the conflict in him and that he actually wants to be a hero and not just Homelander's pawn. 

On the contrary is a fantastic performance by Chase Crawford who plays The Deep, he becomes more committed to Homelander's cause and you really see the violence come out in him and Crawford plays this sleezy bad guy so well. 

But I do think some of the characters get treated poorly this season. Jack Quaid plays Hughie and he goes through the ringer this season, his story does feel a bit disconnected from the main plot and Quaid is given very little to do and I just didn't care too much about him. 

Erin Moriarty as Starlight is kind of insufferable this season, they do plenty of things to make you really not like her character but I never really felt any real redemption for her and I just wanted to see her get taken down and taken off of the show. 

There is a huge cast and new characters such as Sister Sage, Firecracker & Joe Kessler are fantastic but characters we already had such as Frenchie and Kimiko are really misused and are actually pretty annoying. 

Story

The overall story is pretty interesting, it shows The Boys and Butcher going to extreme lengths to try and take down Homelander. With Homelander really trying to hit his endgame and put supes in charge of the world. It is showed really well and I really like how the stakes have been risen for the last few seasons of the show. But, similar to previous seasons every character has to have their own individual stories and some of it just sucks, too much is going on and certain plot elements just aren't very interesting. But the show has a fantastic ending which has me excited for the fifth and final season. 

Script

The show is still really well written, there is the combination of humour and drama here. The show is as outlandish as it has been before and this season it definitely leans into the politics within The USA but I always believed the show has made fun of elements of US politics so it has always been there. 

Style

The show has kept the violence in their action and it just works for The Boys and the crazy elements makes it stand out to other shows of somewhat similar ideas. It is paced well enough despite the amount it tries to cram in and I think it was really fun weekly entertainment. 

Overall

Overall, The Boys Season 4 is one of the weaker seasons of the show but it is still a great watch for fans of the show. With the next season confirmed to be the final. it has me excited for how they are going to give this show the send-off that it deserves. 

Rating - 8/10

Ranked - Deadpool Films

10 Years ago if anybody said we would have had a trilogy of Deadpool films and all of them were good I would have been heavily surprised but that has now happened so I am here to rank these films from the worst to the best in terms of overall quality. 

3. Deadpool 2 (2018)

Deadpool 2 is a good film, Ryan Reynolds makes a triumphant return as the character and he actually has a great story arc. Some of the new characters such as Cable & Domino were fun additions and added some exciting scenes into the film. But some of the original characters get neglected and elements of the film aren't that strongly written. It is a fun film but falls flat compared to its predecessor. 

2. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Deadpool & Wolverine is a really fun film, Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman reprise their iconic roles and their chemistry really makes this film and makes it a really enjoyable watch. Their are plenty of great cameos here that will put smiles on the faces of fans of marvel. However, it is a bit weak narratively and has some pacing issues which hold it back from being an all time classic. 

1. Deadpool (2016) 

The best Deadpool film though is the original. It was just a breath of fresh air for comic book films and Ryan Reynolds passion really is shown here. It is a really fun film and I love the violence and jokes in the film that makes it stand out. It does have a few pacing issues but overall it is a true delight and a comic book film for the ages. 

Overall

Overall, after its humble beginnings Deadpool has become a fantastic comic book franchise and holds really high quality and if we get more of these films I hope they continue the high quality. 

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Review

With Marvel Studios trimming back on its film releases in 2024 it made Deadpool & Wolverine the most anticipated film of the year. Today, I managed to watch it and here is my review for Deadpool & Wolverine. After rejecting an offer to join The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool must find Wolverine in order to save his timeline. 

Main Character

Ryan Reynolds plays Wade Wilson/Deadpool and he is just born to play the role and he does give a great performance in this film. He is just really funny and does manage to deliver on the occasional emotional scenes that are required. Hugh Jackman also makes his return as Logan/Wolverine and he is just fantastic here and I love watching him in this role. The chemistry between Jackman & Reynolds is 

off the charts and easily carries this film and seeing them together is great. 

Supporting Characters

Emma Corrin plays Cassandra Nova and she is a fun addition to the film. She is clearly revelling in her role and I liked how her powers were shown. I wish she had a little more screen time and her motivations were better but I think she does enough to create a fun villain. 

Matthew Macfayden plays Paradox who is the TVA Agent in charge of the situation and it is a lot of fun to watch him on screen with these other performers as he is incredibly charming and quick witted with his dialogue. 

The film has a bunch of decently sized roles from people not announced before the film so I will not mention them here but they are good fun. Though if you are a fan of the supporting cast from the first two films then you will be disappointed because they play minimal roles here. 

Story

The story does a really good job of progressing the characters of both Deadpool & Wolverine and the relationship that they have and I very much felt satisfied by the end of the film. However, this film does really lack plot and interesting motivations for the villain. It does sometimes feel like Deadpool and Wolverine are just meeting people for comedic value and not necessarily for narrative reasons. 

Script

The script is really funny, there is so much material to work with for Deadpool to break the fourth wall and he uses it to the maximum amount and it usually nails it. The drama is also pretty well done and it manages to flesh out the two main protagonists. 

Style

When Deadpool moved to Marvel Studios there was a fear that it would be nurtured a little bit but that is not the case. The violence is huge mixed with the bad language and the action scenes are fantastic with some really creative battles on the screen. But, I actually thought the pacing of the film was a little off, it rams so much into it and the first act is a bit slow that I did find it a bit disjointed at times. 

Overall

Overall, Deadpool & Wolverine is a great film. If you are a Marvel or Deadpool fan then you will enjoy this film and I am glad that the essence of this franchise still exists and that this film does deliver in being a fun summer blockbuster. 

Rating - 8/10

Star Wars: Squadrons (2020) Review

Continuing my theme of playing Next Gen Star Wars Games, I went back and replayed Star Wars: Squadrons and here is my review for the game. The premise of the game focuses on Vanguard Squadron of the New Republic & Titan Squadron of The Empire as they attempt to win the war after the battle of Endor. 

Characters

Now you play as Vanguard 5 & Titan 3 but your character is silent and you see the game through your point of view so what your character looks like doesn't really matter. I personally feel like the age of silent protagonists should be over and it is pretty lazy. I never cared about my character and the game did nothing to make me care. 

This is even more frustrating because this game is filled of really interesting characters. Phil Morris plays Lindon Javes who is an Imperial defector and the new leader of Vanguard Squadron. Lindon is a cool character and I thought he was a good leader of the group here. 

On the other side we have Terisa Kerrill played by Peta Sergeant and she is your typical Imperial Captain, she is angry and out for revenge and she seems to revel in the role and has a clear objective for the imperial side of the story. 

The two squadrons are really fun. Vanguard Squadron has Gunny, Frisk, Keo & Grace. They're fun and layered characters, Frisk is a trandoshan who are usually villains in the Star Wars universe so it is cool to seeing him on the light side. The other members of the team are great too and have distinct personalities.

Titan Squadron has Grey, Shen, Vonreg & Sol. They are truly loyal to the Empire and it is actually refreshing to have characters who are fully committed to this side. Shen is basically half droid and his backstory is really fascinating. The rest of the team have their uniqueness too and that is really cool when before we have just seen generic imperials. 

Story 

The story is okay, I like the two squadrons and the fact that it is the New Republic who are the ones building a new super weapon when in the past that has been more of an Empire thing. But the game does lack some depth and the ending is pretty terrible, it doesn't give much indication on what happened to any of the characters and is just an excuse to try and get DLC or a sequel that is just lazy. 

Side Content

The issue with this part of the review is that in 2024 nobody is playing the online of this game, I tried to find matches online for ages and I couldn't find any. Though I do remember that this games online wasn't that impressive to me to be honest. There aren't enough modes to sink your teeth into and the offline side content is even less which is a big shame. Especially as this game really focuses on its multiplayer it is well below the expectations of other games. 

Gameplay

I cannot deny that it is fun taking control of iconic Star Wars ships from inside of the cockpit. There is so much satisfaction when you take down an enemy fighter or a capital ship. Though I don't feel like it was as good as I wanted, The ships are quite slow and at times it feels like the game revolves on you banking left and not much more. Also, maybe I am the only one who found it harder to play as the imperials due to the fact that the TIE fighters don't have shields, I know that is the same as the lore but it made me not really want to use them as much. Lastly, I don't know what it is with recent Star Wars games but at one point this game has a huge difficulty spike that really feels out of place and makes the game truly unforgivable. 

Graphics

Easily the best part of this game are the graphics, this game really nails the Star Wars feeling and is really made by people who love the franchise. You get to fly lots of iconic ships and just the sound design makes you fall in love with the feeling of the game. 

Overall

Overall, Star Wars: Squadrons is an average game that fall short of what it set out to do. The single player is okay but in 2024 the online is worthless so I think this games life cycle has truly ended and is not worth the money. 

Rating - 5/10

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Review

On Wednesday, Netflix are releasing the fourth Beverly Hills Cop Film: Axel F, so I thought before I watch that film, I would go back and watch the other 3 films in the franchise and here is my review for the first film Beverly Hills Cop. The premise of the film sees a detective from Detroit find his way in Beverly Hills where he looks to solve a murder. 

Main Character

Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley and he is fantastic in this film. He is so charismatic and you can tell he is really enjoying himself in this role. He became a huge movie star after this and he just oozes big movie star here and I love how fun he is to watch and lead this film. 

Supporting Characters

Judge Reinhold and John Ashton play Billy Rosewood & Sgt Taggart respectively and I really liked them. They are just a fun duo and they do have development throughout the film, you see how their journey with Foley affects them and in the end makes them better police officers. 

Lisa Eilbacher plays Axel's friend and I really like the chemistry that she was with Eddie Murphy. They really sell that they are old friends who haven't seen each other in a while and she was a good part of the film and she isn't just your typical romance for him. 

Ronny Cox plays Lt Bogomil and he is similar to the other cops in that he is tough with Foley but he also has some charm and grows to like him and he gives a strong performance. 

Steven Berkoff plays Viktor Mainland and he is a fun villain, there isn't much nuance about his character but he delivers a fun performance that rises above the content. It is also really fun seeing a young Jonathan Banks as a villain here too after seeing how great he is in Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul. 

Story

The story is really simple and it knows that and hits all the cliches but at least they do it in a pretty fun way and enjoyable way. But it has to be reinforced that if this films plot was shown in 2024 then I would criticise it so I will do it here and say that the film offers little surprise and is cliché which is a slight shame. 

Script

The film is pretty funny, Murphy has some great one liners and he is riffing for the majority of the film and nailing pretty much everything. But this film does lack a little heart and emotion to it, we are meant to believe that Foley is on this revenge mission but I don't think it is properly conveyed and the film goes the comedy route. 

Style

The film looks great, it really feels like an 80's action film. The soundtrack is really great and the action sequences are well filmed. The film flows well and it never slows down or feels boring making it a really enjoyable watch. 

Overall

Overall, Beverly Hills Cop is a great action/comedy film and was a lot of fun to watch. It definitely fits its era and I think it is a film that if you haven't you need to find a chance to watch it at some point. 

Rating - 8/10