Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (2020)

Even though Assassin's Creed is one of the biggest video game franchises ever created, I have never played one all the way through. However, that has now changed as I have just played through an Assassin's Creed game in Valhalla. After over 70 hours of gameplay, here is my review for the game. The premise of the game sees a group of Vikings travel to England where they look to build a new life and gain power in the country. 

Characters

The main character Eivor can be either Male or Female. I chose the male option and played through the entire game this way. Eivor grew on me as the game progressed, at first I thought he was just a brute but he actually became pretty charming. He grows as the game progresses and his character development is well handled. 

Basim is back from previous games and here he is a cool companion to Eivor, Sigurd and the settlement. He is always a bit mysterious and as you delve into his story he is an interesting character that I didn't really know about as I haven't played previous games. 

Sigurd is the leader of The Settlement and he is pretty cool if not pretty complex. As the game progresses he goes through a lot and his relationship with Eivor becomes more strained and it's then that you see his character shine. 

You meet so many characters in this game and they are all well voice acted and well performed raising up some of the mediocre plots. 

Story

I like the characters stories and the development of these group of Vikings from a small settlement to booming colony. The character clash and have real progress which is nice to see. However, the game has a repetitive story. You go around England attempting to recruit allies and there is a large amount of these with many feeling very similar which gets a bit dull. Also, to someone who isn't a fan of the franchise, the ending is really confusing and I had no clue what was going on and how it linked to the overall lore of Assassin's Creed. 

Side Content

As you saw above, this game took me ages to complete and that is because of how much content is here. I enjoyed some of the side content, I enjoyed helping the people at the settlement and committing raids for resources and gold. Though, this game has some really boring side content too that feels like a quantity over quality approach which I don't think ever works in a game. 

Gameplay

The Gameplay is really good, it took a bit to get used to but I loved the Combat. You have lots of choices when it comes to weapons and they all play differently. There is a good amount of enemies with a lot of challenging boss fights to keep you on your toes. The stealth isn't as good but with practice I managed to even start getting good at this element of the game. 

Graphics

Probably the best part of the game is the graphics. The game looks drop dead gorgeous and nails its feeling and aesthetic. It is great to travel through the world on your long boat and attacking all the interesting locations. 

Overall

Overall, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is a great game that I had a lot of fun playing. It is a long game with plenty to do but it is well worth it and I would suggest this is a game to play, but probably when you have played the other games so you have a better grasp on what is going on. 

Rating - 8/10

Marvel's Avengers (2020) Review

After recently having the displeasure of playing Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, it made me think about going back and playing the Marvel equivalent Marvel's Avengers. So I did and here is my review for the game, though I have to stress I didn't play any of the DLC, just the main campaign and its side missions. The premise of the game is set 5 years after The Avengers split up, a superfan attempts to bring them back together to fight a new threat.

Characters

The lead character of the game really is Sandra Saad as Kamala Khan, which I thought was handled pretty well. She is a bit annoying at times but I liked how she interacted with the other Avengers and how her own personal development is handled. 

This has all the trending high level video game voice actors playing these iconic super heroes and it is a bit of a mixed bag. The best is easily Nolan North as Tony Stark & Troy Baker as Bruce Banner. They are given the most time to shine and the chemistry between the two of them and Kamala is probably the best part of the game. 

Laura Bailey plays Black Widow, Travis Willingham plays Thor & Jeff Schine plays Captain America and they are all functional. The issue is that they are really poorly used and the games doesn't do a very good job of making you care about them because they are given smaller roles in the story. 

The villains aren't very interesting either, MODOK is pretty bland and the twist at the end of the game does very little to make me interested in the rest of the content. 

Story

The story has a lot of potential and I did like the conflict in The Avengers and how the story does make you question whether The Avengers cause more damage then good but the game doesn't do enough with the story. The Avengers reunite way too quickly and a lot of the hostility seems to disappear quickly, the ending of the game also feels more like setting up future content instead of giving players a satisfying ending to the campaign. 

Side Content

There is lots of content in this game, which is to be expected from a live service game. All the main Avengers have story quest lines but the problem is all the side content is incredibly repetitive and feels like you are just grinding through to level up your characters and give them better gear, which never feels like it really does anything. The payoffs to this content isn't worth the hassle and it doesn't really add much to the characters and thus is a waste of time. 

Gameplay

The main positive I can say for the gameplay here is that all of The Avengers feel unique and play like I would expect them. The Hulk feels like Hulk, Thor feels like Thor etc etc and it makes gameplay feel okay. But the problem is that it feels very hollow and repetitive, every mission is the same and there is literally no variety to it with next to no boss battles which is a big problem in a Super Hero Game. 

Graphics

I actually don't mind the base costumes given to the characters and I really like the variety of costumes for each character including costumes from the films. But the game doesn't look very next gen and at times looks a bit ugly especially with its facial animations, it doesn't feel like the blockbuster that it really should. 

Overall

Overall, Marvel's Avengers is a Below Average Game that literally just exists to take money from its players and relies on its licence that has been beloved by fans. This should have been a game for the ages but it falls heavily on its face and is forgotten and should not be played. 

Rating - 4/10

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) Review

The new Call of Duty game - Black Ops 6 came out last week and I am set to play it this week. But before that I picked up the previous game in the franchise for cheap and decided to play through it so I had an understanding of the plot in the new game, so here is my review for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The premise of the film is set between Black Ops 1 & 2 and sees a group of CIA Operatives trying to stop a mysterious organisation from destroying Europe. 

Characters

The character that we play as is Bell and I have a mixed feeling about this character. This is a silent character and can be any gender. They do some really interesting things with the character and I found the twists and turns as pretty interesting. But I just feel like silent characters aren't fit for purpose in modern gaming and a voice actor would have made this role much better. 

Bruce Thomas plays Russel Adler who is the leader of the team and he is a cool character. He is pretty mysterious and the more the story progresses, the more you learn about him and I liked his introduction to this universe. 

Frank Woods & Alex Mason are back but they have different voice actors in Damon Victor Allen & Chris Payne Gilbert. It doesn't work as well as before but I felt like they were a great addition here and having them around is great for fans of the Black Ops Games. Allen as Woods is really good and doesn't feel too different, whereas Gilbert as Mason feels quite different and doesn't fully work for me. 

The rest of the cast are pretty dull. The other members of the team are Sims, Park & Lazar. I didn't really care about any of them and the game does have some dialogue with them but it just isn't enough to make me care about them and their backstories. 

Story

The story is actually quite interesting here. It sees our team hunting down this shady operation and I appreciate the different styles of missions and the way that they look to progress the story. Unfortunately, the single player isn't a priority and it feels very underdeveloped, there is a lot of potential here but it just doesn't give enough time and care for it. There are 3 endings and in different ways they are all pretty bland and feel like they are just setting up future games instead of actually completing the story here. 

Side Content 

The priority of this game is its online and multiplayer section which includes Zombies. I actually had a lot of fun playing the multiplayer here, I mean pretty much everybody is playing Demolition in 2024 but it is still plenty of fun and there is so much content here to sink your teeth into. 

Though, I didn't really care about Zombies. To be honest I have never been a big fan of Zombies and this isn't the mode that makes me fall in love with it. It seems they have really tried to modernise the mode and it lacks the grit, I don't care about any of the characters involved and it just feels a little tacked on. 

Gameplay

The gameplay is plenty of fun. The gunplay is good and is just an easy game to jump into with previous COD experience and just play. It has all the good things that Call of Duty provides with its multiplayer gameplay and the campaign tries some unique stuff which is cool to see. 

But there are some issues with both matchmaking and Spawn Kills in the multiplayer that become super infuriating and feels like it supports the best players and the players that camp and that become pretty annoying as I played for longer. 

Graphics

The Graphics are pretty cool, it provides the epic action sequences and the look/sound of the weapons is on point and added a lot to the feel of the game. Though, I think some of the character models in the campaign looked strange and like they weren't fully finished especially when it came to their hair. 

Overall

Overall, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is an average game that just continues the trend of Call of Duty games becoming this yearly game that disappoints. There are clearly good things here but there is just as many bad things for sure. I reiterate that I wish these companies had longer to spend on these games and truly build a special first person shooter. 

Rating - 5/10

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered (2020) Review

Before the new Modern Warfare 3 is released later this year, I wanted to play as much of the Modern Warfare franchise that I have available to me. Next on the list is the original Modern Warfare 2, but the issue is that you can't get the original version of the game on Next Gen, you can only get a remastered version of the campaign. I played through the campaign and here is my review for the campaign. The premise is set 5 years after the events of the first game, after a major international incident, World War 3 is upon the characters and it is up to the heroes to find a way to stop it. 

You once again play as silent characters

Just like the other original Modern Warfare games you play as silent characters, this time the majority of time is played as Private Ramirez & Sergeant Gary 'Roach' Sanderson. They aren't really characters as they have no dialogue but it is fun playing as them and as I mentioned in my previous review, the way the game is made makes you care about them and their success. But yeah, there is no doubt that playing as a silent character isn't as rewarding as playing as an actual character that you can really develop. 

The Side Characters and Villains are fantastic

A big criticism I had of the first game was its villains and this game does it a lot better. The Ultrarational Party is now led by Makarov and he is a way more interesting character then Zakhaev, they do interesting things with his motivations and characters. In the first game you played as Soap but now he is you Captain and it is so cool playing alongside a character that is such a big part of Call of Duty Lore. Having side characters such as Sergeant Foley who is played by Keith David and General Shepherd played by Lance Henriksen adds plenty of legitimacy to these characters and it is awesome to have them here. 

The gameplay is fantastic

Following on from the first game, the gameplay is great. I would even argue that it is a little better here in this game. You get to use many different weapons and take on lots of different enemies and it is always exciting. You can play pretty much any way that you want and that makes this game a real challenge but never a cheap one. 

The US Marine Ending is Unfulfilling

Just like the previous game, there are two stories one involving Task Force 141 and then one involving the US Marines. The Marine one is crazy and shows off some amazing visuals and how war would maybe look like if it came to major cities. But, I felt like there wasn't a definitive ending to their story, you just finish a mission and then we never see them again. 

The Task Force 141 Ending is Fantastic

Then there is the other side of the story. With iconic characters such as Soap, Ghost and General Shepherd involved it is awesome to see them progress through this crazy story. The last 3 missions involving these characters are so exciting and some of the best First Person Shooter missions ever made. 

The game is full of Iconic Missions

The major thing this game has is the majority of these missions are just iconic to the community and video game fanbase. You have No Russian, which is one of the most controversial things to ever be put into a video game, The Gulag which is brutal & Burger Shot which sees us fighting Russians and product placement. There are even more missions, they are all fantastic and this is a really fun playthrough. 

Overall

Overall, it sucks that we don't have access to the multiplayer, which was fantastic and legendary. But The Modern Warfare 2 Story mode is also fantastic and I think it is worth a playthrough by any fan of the franchise, it is pretty cheap on the next gen stores so I would say to definitely pick this one up. 

Rating - 9/10

Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) Review

After the amazing Spider-Man game came out on the PS4, it was clear that a sequel was coming. But it probably came earlier then anybody expected with Spider-Man: Miles Morales. This game was rushed out the door so it could be one of the first games for the new Playstation 5, I've replayed the game and here is my review for it. The premise of the game sees Miles Morales as the only Spider-Man in New York, while he learns how to do his new role conspiracies in Harlem threaten to destroy the city. 

Characters 

Nadji Jeter reprises his role as Miles Morales from the first game and it is really fun to play as him instead of Peter this time. Building on the story from the first game, we see Miles develop as a character and go from a bit of an imposter to his own version of Spider-Man. He feels different to Peter Parker and I think that deserves plenty of credit and I definitely got invested in his character here. 

Yuri Lowenthal does reprise his role as Peter Parker but he has a really small role in this game. The scenes that the two Spider-Men share together are great but this is just a teaser as to what we can expect in the future. 

Other characters are great too, Miles Mother, Rio Morales is back from the previous game and they actually do a good job of developing her character arc and how the events of the previous game affected her. The two of them have great chemistry together and it is one of the nice relationships in the game. 

They introduce Ganke, who is Miles best friend who knows he is Spider-Man and is basically his guy in the chair. There is a strong chemistry there and they have a fun relationship that basically takes place over the phone. 

Other new characters such as Aaron Davis, Phin Mason & Simon Krieger voiced by the amazing Troy Baker are well done and enjoyable characters, even if they aren't as strong as characters from the previous game. 

Story

The story is okay, Miles personal story is fantastic and something different to what we had in the previous game. This was an inexperienced Spider-Man, trying to fully understand the role he has and how he can help people in his district and all of New York. But, the overall story is pretty rushed and flies by, probably because Sony rushed Insomniac in making this game. The villains aren't particularly written well and the way they are handled towards the end of the game is pretty weak. I think with a bit longer development time and better writing, this could have been a special story, instead of just decent. 

Side Content

This game has enough side content and I love the idea of Spider-Man having an app where people give him side missions. The side missions are fine, there is one in particular that I enjoyed with links to the previous game. But, some of them are pretty much replicas from the last game, and none of them stand out anywhere enough to be memorable. There is very little inspiration or care put into these and I have to be honest there wasn't enough motivation for me to complete them all. 

Gameplay 

The gameplay is great, Miles moves differently to Peter and I am glad for that. He swings differently and has way less gadgets but different ones, it made me work in my action scenes and have to come up with unique ways to take down opposition. There is still a good skill tree that made me feel like I was making progress and this linked to the Venom Powers. The unique part of the gameplay was the Venom, The Bioelectricity powers Miles has and this was used really well and I enjoyed this different aspect of the character. 

Graphics

As mentioned above, this game was pushed through early to reach the PS5 and it looks amazing because of that. The cutscenes are beautiful and some of the best you will ever see, the game flowed really nicely and allowed the transitions from cutscene to gameplay to be the best it has ever been. This game is set at Christmas time and they did a good job of creating New York in that level which was different to the previous game. 

Overall

Overall, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a great game. It follows on really well from the previous game and really puts the shine on Miles Morales which is great for the future of the franchise. If it had been given more time, I think this game had the potential to be as good as the previous game but it falls a bit short. Still it is a great time that is definitely worth a playthrough. 

Rating - 8/10

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (2020) Review

After the success of Mortal Kombat 11, Netherealm studio decided to create an expansion which would be called Aftermath. This would focus on DLC characters and what they were up to during the events of the main story and how things they do can change these events. So after playing the story and using the DLC characters with Aftermath, here is my review for the expansion. The premise of the game sees Shang Tsung, Fujin and Nightwolf sent back to events during the story in order to find Kronika's crown before she does. 

The story is better then the base game. But not by much. 

I really didn't like the story of Mortal Kombat 11, I thought it let characters down and had a lacklustre ending. This story focuses on some of the lesser known characters such as Nightwolf, Fujin & Sheeva which is pretty cool and I liked how they were given time to shine. It is also nice to once again play as Shao Khan and see him somewhat redeemed from the main story. 

But there are certain elements of the story telling which doesn't work. One twist is particularly bad and doesn't make any sense from what we have been told in previous games and actually ruins one character in the franchise. The ending is once again lacklustre and I just don't think it nails the landing which is a a shame. 

The DLC Characters are cool

The three DLC characters that are included in the Aftermath are Sheeva, Fujin & guest character Robocop. They all play well, as a big film fan playing as Robocop was fun and these characters all flowed in really nicely. 

This expansion is way too expensive

Expansions are usually not that cheap but I feel like Aftermath is way too expensive. At release it was £32.99 in The UK and even now it is not much cheaper. For a 3 hour campaign, 3 DLC characters and some new skins it just feels like an overpriced expansion. 

Overall

Overall, Mortal Kombat: Aftermath is a decent expansion for the franchise. The gameplay is still great and the story is a bit better. But the price and lack of content for that price makes it no better then the base game. But it certainly isn't terrible and if you are a fan of the franchise I think it is worth picking up for the extensive content. 

Rating - 7/10

Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - Chapter 2 Earthrise (2020) Review

I really enjoyed the first part of Transformers: War for Cybertron and with the third and presumably last part coming out next week I finally caught up on the second part Earthrise and here is my review for it.  The premise of the season sees Optimus Prime and his Autobots attempt to locate the Allspark, while Megatron and his Decepticons look for any way to save Cybertron. 

Main Character

Optimus Prime and Megatron are huge names in the world of TV and Film and they are really well executed on this show. They are seen as good and evil but there is more nuance to it, especially, Megatron who is given much more character development here and you see how this whole thing has affected him. Optimus takes a bit of time to get going but it is interesting to see a younger version of the character as he doesn't get everything right but is still trying to be a hero. 

Supporting Characters

There are plenty of supporting characters in this show, I mean there are way too many to even really keep track of. The main two that stood out to me were Starscream and Bumblebee, Bumblebee has had plenty of development this season, he is now transitioning into his character that we have seen in other mediums over the years. Starscream is actually quite entertaining to see just the lengths he will go to in order to betray Megatron and take over the Decepticons while being really bad at it. But the rest of the characters basically fold into one, Alita and Jetfire were given plenty to do in the first part but here they are less then important, Jetfire in particular isn't given anything to do and that is a real letdown when you consider his character from the previous part. 

Story 

The story involving its main characters is the most interesting part of the show. Megatron and Prime are really interesting characters and their feud really drives this show forward and makes it rise above some of the more messy parts of the story. The show becomes a bit complicated with the amount of characters it tries to focus on, I mean we don't even see Optimus Prime for the first few episodes. It tries to focus on so much Transformers Lore that it gets a bit bogged down in the story it is trying to tell. 

Script 

The script is okay, it is a bit darker then you would expect from an animation but it is effective and makes it feel more gritty and dramatic. But it does lack life at times and feels a bit too much in terms of everything that it is trying to fit in to tell its cohesive plot. 

Style 

The animation still looks great, the transformers look as they should and the action scenes are fun and also pretty brutal at times. It is only a shot series, but I felt like it was more bogged down here due to everything that is thrown at it and it just felt me not as engaged as I was with the first part of the show. 

Overall 

Overall, Transformers: War for Cybertron Earthrise is an above average second part of the series. I didn't enjoy this part as much as the first but there is still plenty of enjoyment to be had here and if you are already watching then stick with it and hopefully it really delivers a satisfying conclusion. 

Rating - 6/10

The Midnight Sky (2020) Review

This film came to Netflix late last year but I have now had a chance to watch The Midnight Sky and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a a scientist in the arctic attempt to stop a crew of astronauts returning to Earth. 

Main Character

George Clooney plays the lead role and is the director of the film and he deserves credit for that and he does an alright job in the film. It isn't the charming and charismatic performance you usually see but Clooney does give a decent physical performance and he is a pretty harrowing character when more is revealed about him. Felicity Jones plays the head astronaut and she is good here, I wasn't expecting to see so much of her but was pleasantly surprised as she is a good character and I thought she was a good contrast to Clooney's stuff happening back on Earth. 

Supporting Characters

David Oyelowo plays another astronaut and is also good, the chemistry between him and Jones is solid and it seemed that they were having a good time in playing their roles. The rest of the astronauts are good too and I thought they were a nice group together and I liked there bond and thought it was well presented here. The other few members of the cast are solid too including a good performance from a little girl who has to do more work then you would expect. 

Story  

This is where the film falls down though, it's story is really bad and doesn't do enough to keep you interested at all. It is like somebody wanted to make a survivor movie and somebody wanted to make a sci-fi movie and they couldn't make both so they put them together and created this hot pot of a messy story. It doesn't help that the end of the film is super anticlimactic and it kind of feels I wasted 2 hours with a story that went nowhere. 

Script 

The script actually surprised me, I thought the film was going to be really dramatic and it is at times but I was surprised by the quick and funny dialogue between the astronauts that saw them bantering a plenty and it made them a fun group to watch. But that drama does fall flat towards the end of the film where it doesn't make you care about anybody and again as I said it leaves you questioning why you bothered. 

Style

The film looks good, the space scenes stand up when needed and the winter scenes on Earth do the job very well too and it is just a nice film to look at. But there is an issue with pacing here, it doesn't help that the contrasting tones of the two plot lines clash, the film is also really slow in the first 30 mins and it took quite a bit to get me back somewhat on board and plenty of people will have checked out by that point. 

Overall

Overall, I heard this film was terrible but I actually found it above average and a fine watch. It has some decent performances and good look that is an okay watch, I wouldn't rush to watch it but I thought the film was okay. 

Rating - 6/10 

Minority Report (2020) Series Review

Even though this show came to America in 2015, here in the UK we have only just had a chance to see Minority Report and I have now finished watching it and here is my review for it. The premise of the show is set ten years after the events of the film of the same title and sees one of the three precogs attempt to return to life while avoiding the people hunting him. 

Main Character

Meagan Good plays detective Laura Vega and she does a decent job in the lead role. She is basically the character looking on from the outside and you kind of feel like her and I thought she did try and give a good performance and that effort is there to see. It is just that her character isn't very interesting and like a lot of things in this show it offers nothing new to the table and I feel like her performance is restricted by the writing for her character. Stark Sands plays Dash and I just couldn't get on board with him in this role, I just found him to be a weak character and I never cared about him for one minute and again that is due to the writing but more so due to me just not liking his performance. 

Supporting Characters

Nick Zano who I know as Nate Haywood on Legends of Tomorrow plays Dash's brother Arthur and he is easily the best part of this show and is the one person actually bringing life into this show. He has the most interesting character and I actually wish the show had been about him instead of Dash as I think the show would have been way better. But the rest of the cast don't do as well Daniel London is back as Wally from the film and it does feel like the only reason he is here because they needed somebody from the film and let's face it Tom Cruise isn't doing this show. They recast Agatha, this time played by Laura Regan and I did not like this interpretation. She is just incredibly hostile and it kind of goes against the film version of her character and she just annoyed me throughout. Nobody else does anything for me whether it be the protagonists or antagonists, you are given very little reason to care and then when they do try it just feels very flat. 

Story 

The story of this show is just all over the place, instead of maybe looking at the life of the precogs it doesn't do enough with that and focuses on this case of the week story which doesn't really work. The characters aren't particularly interesting and the story doesn't do enough to keep you invested, the bad guys are so bland and you learn nothing about them so why should you care and that is what I was asking myself. It's a shame because the ending is actually a bit interesting but the fact that a second season is never happening makes it worthless now. 

Script 

The script is a mixed bag, I thought certain elements of the script are well written and had me intrigued, but I wanted more, the show suffers from focusing on the wrong areas and I just wish these things mainly involving Arthur which again goes to my point as to why he should have been the lead show. Also this show basically forgets the themes of the film and feels like they didn't really care much about it. 

Style 

The style of the show does have some decent action scenes in it and some good use of the futuristic technology that is a bit further expanded from the film and is done pretty well. But this show has a generic case of the week feel and it doesn't do enough for me to keep invested in it or to care about these different cases. There are probably a few too many episodes which just adds more to the feeling of filler and that is the majority of the season. 

Overall

Overall, this is a below average show, this show adds nothing new to the table in terms of sci-fi cop show and isn't worth the time it takes to watch. Stick with the film and just don't bother with this show, especially, with the fact that there is no future for this show. 

Rating - 4/10 

Honest Thief (2020) Review

With the cinemas finally reopening in the UK it means some films that came out around October are now being shown and Honest Thief is one of those and I saw it today so here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a former Bank robber attempt to turn himself in, when he is caught up in a plot involving the police department. 

Main Character 

Liam Neeson plays the main character here and I mean what is there to say other then that ever since he played Brian Mills in the first Taken he has been doing this role and he could do it in his sleep. He is functional and will always have a paycheck but there is nothing new or exciting here, he phones it in and does the minimum which is good enough for only an okay character. 

Supporting Characters

Kate Walsh plays his love interest and I thought they actually had pretty decent and likeable chemistry together, I mean her character has nothing too her but I thought she did a fine job with what she was given. Jai Courtenay is an actor who has an interesting career and I actually think he does a decent job here, he is an egotistical bad guy but he plays it pretty well and he is a guy you just won't like which means he is playing the role well. But the rest of the cast offer nothing, the great Robert Patrick is completely wasted and given nothing to so which makes you wonder why even bother getting him here for this role. Jeffery Donovan plays a cop and this guy was laughably bad, he is such a cliché and just does nothing here for anybody to care about, not even his mum. 

Story 

The story though did very little for me, there is not a unique and new bone in this film's body and it needs to be called out for that. I didn't really believe in Neeson's character and his backstory and the film does nothing to interest you and make you care. The motivations are paper thin and despite some decent performances it is hampered by a weak plot and one that ends with pretty much no resolution to it. 

Script

The script is also very generic and does nothing to it and is probably the biggest thing to blame for the lack of interest given to this film. Again the actors do a better job with pretty poor material and similar to Neeson the people writing these films have an easy job and don't do anything to try and innovate and become interesting. 

Style 

The film has some decent action sequences and chase scenes that at least kept my attention for a little bit more then the rest of the film but there isn't enough. This is a criticism I have with quite a few of these films of Neeson that it takes way too long to actually get to the action and takes ages to build and by the time you get to the action you just don't care. 

Overall

Overall, this is a poor lazy film that will rank low on these Neeson action films for sure. Unless you are a die hard fan of Liam Neeson avoid this film and do something else for 90 mins. 

Rating - 3/10

His Dark Materials Season 2 (2020) Review

For the last 7 weeks, His Dark Materials second season has been on BBC One and now it has finished so here is my review. The premise of the season sees Lyra and Will come together to attempt to find an object to protect them both from evil forces. 

Main Character

Dafne Keen is back as Lyra and once again she is really good in the role. It is just really easy to root for her and want to see her succeed in her quest and I also think she has matured in the role and showing stronger acting ability. Amir Wilson plays Will and I must admit I didn't warm to him at first, whether that was the first season or this season but he bought me around. I really liked the dynamic between Lyra and Will as the season progressed and I actually believed they had a friendship and that it had been developed throughout the season. 

Supporting Characters

Ruth Wilson plays Mrs Coulter and again she is really good here, her character is well developed and unlike the first season I actually believed she cared about Lyra and despite her own personal goals that plays much heavier in this season which is a nice development here. Lin Manuel Miranda and Andrew Scott are the team-up we never knew we needed, for me they are the most entertaining part of the show and really do a great job in adding some fun tot this show while keeping with the depth. However, the rest of the cast didn't work for me, Simone Kirby's character annoyed the hell out of me, mainly because the part of the plot she was involved in and how it just takes away from the mystique that the show has built up. All the stuff to do with the witches and magisterium starts off alright but falls flat and flatters to deceive and feels like a waste of time. 

Story 

The story had me pretty much shaking my head throughout and felt like a weaker element then in the previous season. Yes the relationships between Lyra and Will is well handled and Lin Manuel Miranda and Andrew Scott are a fun pairing but the way they finished these characters arcs this season really disappointed me. So much that it has me questioning whether I even want to bother with the next season. I would say there is more going on this season that isn't connected to Lyra and it just isn't particularly interesting and it makes some of the mistakes of last season while creating whole new ones. 

Script

The show does have some well written scenes in it for sure mainly between the main characters and that does a good job in making them pretty likeable and well done. But this show suffers from weak circumstantial writing, every show is guilty of it but I thought this show suffered with it more and it bogged down the show for me and made it harder for me to get on board. 

Style

The one thing this show has for it is that it looks fantastic, the world looks great and that continues this season as visually the show does stand out from others. Due to the pandemic this show had 7 episodes instead of 8 and there is not much they could have done about that but to me it did feel like there was parts of the show that was missing and underdeveloped which is a shame considering the world that is built through the two seasons. 

Overall

Overall, the second season is a step down in quality and only represents an average show. I think if you weren't convinced by the first season then this won't do much more for you and if they continue like this I do worry for this shows future. 

Rating - 5/10

Tin Star Season 3 Liverpool (2020) Review

I recently watched the first two seasons of Tin Star and thought is was a decent show and now the third and supposedly final season of the show has come to Sky and I have now watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees Jack, Angela & Anna head to Liverpool in order to take down the enemies from their past. 

Main Character

Tim Roth is back as Jack Worth and he is just a lot of fun to watch here though I would say this is probably the least entertained I have been by him, I guess that is just because it is the third season at this point. But he is great here and provides a fun lead performance and is one charismatic guy to lead this show. I am looking forward to seeing him in She-Hulk and I hope he can channel some of his character here into that performance, obviously in a moor PG manner. 

Supporting Characters 

Genevieve O'Reilly and Abigail Lawrie play Angela and Anna and these three performers just have so much chemistry together, you can just tell they are having so much fun together and it shows in some good performances and characters that despite the pretty terrible things they do you can root for. But the rest of the cast didn't do much for me whether it be villains or friends I just didn't care, none of them were given anything particularly interesting to do and it's never fully explored why and what were the reasons for the feud between them and the Worths. 

Story

The story sees our main characters return to Liverpool and it is fun seeing these three just go around taking out people in pretty creative ways and having fun while doing it. There are also some pretty intense scenes that build and did have me a bit nervous as to what would happen to the characters. But as I mentioned above it doesn't help when you have boring antagonists and side characters that you don't care about. Since the first season they really have given the idea of just how far Jack Worth went as an undercover cop but the show never gives enough and it feels like there was more of a story to tell. Also if this really is the final season then the ending is pretty terrible and does nothing to make me feel like this was a worthwhile time spent. 

Script

The script has plenty of fun dialogue in there, which the main three characters do a great job of conveying and making there own. But this is probably the weakest script of the show, it does feel like they beat some of the funny lines over the head until they just aren't funny anymore. Also the drama just wasn't there for me, I just never felt like the villains were a real threat to our characters and with all the build up in previous seasons I was disappointed. 

Style

The show has some good and pretty brutal action scenes that don't really hold back which is a highlight. Another highlight is the fact that this is the shortest season with only 6 episodes which makes it a much easier watch then the other seasons. But I can't help but miss Canada, I thought this film used to have a pretty unique style to it but now it is in Liverpool and it just isn't as interesting. Also the choice of music at times is just really jarring and again it feels like a thing taken from previous seasons and just ramped up here. 

Overall

Overall, this is an above average season of television that is just fine. If you are a fan of this show you will like the show but if not it won't change your mind and I would say it isn't really worth the time to go back and watch the previous seasons so you know what is going on here. 

Rating - 6/10

 

The Mandalorian Season 2 (2020) Review

So 2020 has been a terrible year, no doubt about it but at least the 2nd season of The Mandalorian has come to Disney+ and after 8 brilliant weeks the season has come to end and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees Mando on the hunt for more Mandalorians that can hopefully lead him to more of The Child's people - The Jedi. 

Main Character

In my Wonder Woman 1984 review I was gushing over Pedro Pascal and that continues here as he is superb as Mando. For a character who's face you don't see he adds so much depth and emotion to the role by just changing the cadence of his voice. You truly buy that the relationship between him and The Child has developed and it is the thing that carries this show and really makes you care about him and this story and real credit has to go to Pascal for that. 

Supporting Characters

The Child was the standout from the first season and he is great again here, it always amazes me that this puppet can be so adorable and make me care so much but it does it. Like I said above the relationship between those two is what carries this show and is really well done this season and that is a great thing to see. Gina Carano is back as Cara Dune and despite her social media issues I think she is a good addition to the cast. I really like her dynamic with Mando and Carano manages to add some layers to the character and she is great in the action scenes as you would expect. Carl Weathers is back as Greef Karga, though he is a much smaller part of the show he is just such a fun addition to the crew and he also directed a great episode so credit has to go to him for that. Giancarlo Espositio is back as Moff Gideon and given a bit more to do and what would you expect is what you get he is revelling his role as the villain and you learn a bit more about him and Esposito is just great. Now there are plenty of new supporting characters, some on the poster above but I don't want to really talk about them as they are something you should experience yourself all I will say is that they are handled really well and it adds more layers and quality to the show. 

Story

The story is better this season, the relationship between Mando and The Child is further expanded and developed and I really felt that connection and that it had been a natural development from the first season. One of the things I criticised from the first season was the lack of overall story but I feel like that was sorted this season. Yes it still has a bit of an episodic feel but pretty much every episode has a point to it involving the main story and it definitely develops at a better rate and has way more meat to it leading to one of the best season finales you will ever see. 

Script 

The script is great, I mean when your main character has his face covered it has to be a great script to make you care and this show does that. It does a great job of advancing the drama and also have that nice addition of humour too. Is their fan service this season? yeah but I am a huge fan so I am serviced and it never felt out of place for me and never took away from the show and actually added to it. 

Style 

The action scenes are fantastic, they are all so fast in pace and feel very unique depending on the episode that you are watching. Also what I love about The Mandalorian is the fact that every episode has a different run time, there is very little filler the shorter stories feel the right length and the longer episodes feel the right length. Usually I complain when shows are streamed weekly but The Mandalorian is the exception to rule as I loved the hype each week and I am just a bit sad that the season is over. 

Overall

Overall, this season is amazing. If you are a Star Wars fan at any level you owe it to yourself to watch this show because you will love it. The show hits all the high levels and is worth every minute of screen time and is a must watch and one of the best of the year for sure. 

Rating - 10/10

Small Axe - Education (2020) Review

After 5 weeks of films we are finally here for the final film in Director Steve McQueen's Small Axe collection Education and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a black school child who is struggling sent to a school for special needs despite having any special learning needs. 

Main Character

Youngster Kenyah Sandy plays Kingsley our main character here and I thought he did a good job. I felt sorry for Stanley, you see he struggles with school and he doesn't exactly have the best role models and influences in teachers and friends so you want him to really get better in terms of both. You see how he is being stalled because of the lack of aid and Sandy does a really good job in showing how Kingsley is bright and if steered on the right path can achieve good things and he just needs help. 

Supporting Characters

The rest of the cast are also good in this film. Sharlene Whyte is really good as his mother and the whole of the family are really interesting and feel like a really close family. You like these people and support the cause that they are fighting for and it really helps in making this film feel better then some of the other Small Axe films. 

Story 

The story is handled well, you do really sympathise with Kingsley and want to see him succeed in his life and during this film. As the film goes on you see how this whole situation affects him and it just isn't fair to see this child suffer for not really any reason other then the fact he is Black and the film does a good job with that. But this film seems to skip over some of the crucial plot points, the film looks at the institutional racism but not enough and it feels like a background thing and the film just rushes through it towards a slower end. 

Script

The script is okay it has some decent humour and drama, I thought the chemistry between Kingsley and his sister was fun to watch and a nice part of the film. But the film doesn't really ever hit the levels that you expect from the narrative, again I feel like if the film was longer it would have had the chance to do this but it missed its chance really. 

Style 

The film's style feels pretty gritty and real. You see the situation that Kingsley is in and it really makes it feel like he is having his young life taken away from him and it feels pretty serious and the way the film is made reflects that. But then again this film is way too short, I felt like this film needed a length similar to Mangrove to fully tell its story and really add depth and context to the film and really rise it to the next level. 

Overall

Overall, this is a good film that looks how these serious subject can affect children and how it can affect their lives. It has its flaws but is a decent experience and is only an hour long so won't take too much of your time to watch. 

Rating - 7/10 

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) Review

After months and months of anticipation Wonder Woman 1984 has finally made its way to the UK and I went back to the cinema today to see it and here is my review. The premise of the film is set in the year 1984 and sees Diana Prince trying to get on with her life as new threats emerge to challenge her. 

Main Character

I remember when Gal Gadot was cast as Wonder Woman, most of us out there were like she looks the part but can she act the part and without a shadow of a doubt she is perfect as Wonder Woman and it is the role she was born to play. She brings so much life to this character and you really care about Diana and really want her to succeed, her character takes interesting twists and turns and it feels like an appropriate development from the previous film and credit to Gadot for that. 

Supporting Characters

Chris Pine reprises his role as Steve Trevor and I wasn't sure about this after what happened to his character in the previous film but it really works and is a real highlight of the film. Pine and Gadot have superb chemistry together and it is even better here then it was in the previous film and that is because both of them are having so much fun together and it is really nice to see and works for the story the film is trying to tell. Kristen Wiig plays Barbara Minerva and I thought she did a really good job in the film, I must admit I wasn't sure at first but as the film goes on she gets better and better and her character is one you can feel a bit of sympathy for and you understand the actions she takes and credit to her for a strong performance here. Pedro Pascal plays Maxwell Lord and he is fantastic here, the trailers make it out that he is just a cheesy villain but he is far from that, he is the most interesting character in this film and they do so much to make him a memorable antagonist and one that will be remembered. I think with The Mandalorian we have maybe forgotten just how good Pascal is and this film is here to remind people just how charismatic and amazing an actor that he is. 

Story

The story for this film is fantastic and one of the best in recent comic book films. The relationship between Steve and Diana is really well developed and better handled here then it was in the first film, mixed with the interesting characters of Barbara & Lord provides a fascinating story that feels appropriate in 2020. It really pulls on the emotion and especially in current times it feels like the story people need and one that will resonate with audiences. A film like this shows that sometimes having less characters but really developing them is a much better idea and allows you to really get invested in what you are watching. 

Script

The script is great, this film takes place in the 80s and doesn't hide away from it but it also doesn't cheese the film up too much and feels like the right amount of it. The drama is ramped up and I grew to really care about the characters in the film and the blend felt right all the right through with those deep moments and the lighter moments.

Style  

As I mentioned above the film does a really good job in making you feel like you are watching the 1980s and it is a fun change of pace from what we are used to for sure. The action scenes are also pretty well done in this film even though there is an over reliance of The Lasso Of Truth, that is a tiny complaint. Though I do have a bigger complaint and that is some of the CGI, these were in the trailers so there not spoilers but it is Cheetah and the Golden Winged Armour. They just don't look very good and the action scene teased in the trailer disappoints and fails to live up to the hype. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic film that improves on the first film. If you are a fan of Wonder Woman you will really enjoy this film and this is a film you have to experience on the big screen so when you feel comfortable go out and support cinemas and this film by seeing it.

Rating - 9/10

Evil Season 1 (2020) Review

Despite this show being released last year in The US, we only got this show in The UK recently and I have now finished the first season of Evil and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a psychologist joining a priest in training to investigate mysterious cases and whether they are scientific or paranormal. 

Main Character

Katja Herbers plays Kristen the lead character here and she is fine, I actually think she gives a strong performance and you see that Herbers is a really talented actress that hopefully gets to do some big projects in the future, I just feel like she has been let down with the writing for her character. Her character is just not particularly likeable and it is difficult to really care about her which is a real issue when she is the lead character. 

Supporting Characters 

Mike Colter of former Luke Cage fame plays David and I thought he was really good here, it is interesting to see him as a priest and he does a good job despite the fact they don't delve into his character enough. Some interesting things are revealed about him but never really looked at enough and I just kind of wish the show could have done more with his character. Aasif Mandvi plays Ben and he is the third member of the team and he was fun to watch, I actually thought he and Herbers had good chemistry together and was an enjoyable character on this show. But there are some characters I really didn't care for, Michael Emmerson plays the villain here and he is really over the top and cheesy, I didn't find his character interesting and his whole motivations wasn't enough for me to really care. Then we get onto those damn kids, the on screen daughters of Kristen were so annoying and got on my nerves throughout the show as did Kristen's mother who was a weak part of the show. 

Story

The story has an interesting idea behind it, I thought the three main actors did a good job and most of the cases they come across are interesting and do a lot to keep you interested in watching every week. It eventually looks to build the season narrative and I think there is something there but it takes way too long and feels like it is just a set up to the second season instead of delivering a great first season and hopefully it is worth it next season. There are so many subplots here and the majority of them are super dull and offer very little to this show and one of the biggest sins is that the season finale just feels like another episode and doesn't do enough to really ramp up stuff and feel like a big deal. 

Script 

The script is okay, as I said above the dynamic between the main trio is well handled and well written to be a pretty good group of characters and that should be applauded. But there is nothing to this dialogue, I cannot remember one big dramatic scene or one scene I laughed with and that is a big let down and shows how average it is. 

Style 

The style of the show doesn't really hold back, it goes as far towards horror as it possibly can and does a good job of that which in my opinion does stand out a bit. But there is no denying that this is a very episodic structure and for me a good few of the episodes could have been avoided and get the main plot moving quicker. 

Overall

Overall, I feel like this is a pretty average first season of Evil that doesn't offer too much for me. Though I think a second season could be much better so this might be one I stick with but I wouldn't say you have to rush to watch it. 

Rating - 5/10

Ava (2020) Review

So this film suffered due to the Covid 19 pandemic but has now found its way to Netflix and it seems people are watching it, so I have watched it and here is my review for Ava. The premise of the film sees an assassin hunted down due to her interesting style of work. 

Main Character

Jessica Chastain plays Ava here and she is completely functional in the role, Chastain is a great actress and she does an adequate job in the role. She is good in the action scenes and does a decent job as the mysterious assassin here. But there is nothing unique at all about her character and it is just eye rolling, you are given no reason to care about Ava and when they try and force you to care it fails and falls really flat on its face. 

Supporting Characters 

John Malkovich and Colin Farrell plays supporting roles here and they do well because they are good actors but it is just the shame that the same as Chastain there characters are paper thin and not given anything to work with. The rest of her family troupe are awful and I actually wanted to see them get killed, which doesn't happen too often, I thought Common was terrible and really miscast in the role that he was given. 

Story 

The story sucks, it is so cliché it is unreal. Even now I am still not really sure why the bad guys are after Ava and I am not sure why I should care. This film offers nothing new in terms of storytelling and literally is a tick box of all the generic action stories and does them all really awfully despite a really strong opening 5 mins that is the clear highlight of the film.

Script  

The script follows the story in being pretty terrible, there is no dialogue that is interesting and the story is written so poorly. It is like the writers for this film watched some mediocre action films and thought we can do that but worse and that is what you get with Ava.

Style 

The style definitely has some decent action scenes, Farrell & Chastain (and their stunt-doubles) all do a decent job in the action scenes to make it seem pretty intense and brutal when it needs to raise the stakes. But the film doesn't offer anything ground breaking and new, also some of the action scenes are filmed pretty poorly and that lets the overall film down, I just wish the film had continued the style from the first 5 mins as that is really good but it ends up feeling like an action film you have seen plenty of times before and done better. 

Overall 

Overall, this is a poor action film that offers absolutely nothing new to the genre and it is one of the laziest films you will see. Don't waste your time with this film and go and watch any of the John Wick films instead. 

Rating - 3/10

Raised By Wolves Season 1 (2020) Review

So this show was really the first big show made by HBO Max in the US, now the Ridley Scott led project has hit the UK and I have watched Raised By Wolves and here is my review for the first season. The premise of the show sees a pair of androids tasked with looking after a group of kids on a new planet. 

Main Character

Amanda Collin plays Mother who is the main character of the show and I think she does a good job, she does a good job of playing the android and you see the show really through her eyes and you learn quite a bit about her and I think Collin does good work with it. But I just have some issues with her character, it is hard to talk about it without spoilers but all I will say is that about the middle part of the show she decides to do something and it just didn't make sense and after that moment I just thought her character was a bit dull. 

Supporting Characters

Travis Fimmel is the biggest name on this show and for me he is also the best character on this show. The guy just has so much charisma to him and so much charm and his character has the best individual story on show here. Abubakar Salim plays Father and I actually quite liked him, I thought the dynamic between him and Collin was well handled and I thought it was a nice relationship that they had that was one of the things that was developed pretty well. But the rest of the cast didn't do much for me, mainly the young actors and actresses, I always find it hard to critique young performers but this show requires plenty from there child actors and none of them stand out with a few of them not doing a great job for me. I mean the main one Campion, this kid was so annoying and I just couldn't stand him which made it much harder to care about him or the rest of the kids on the show. 

Story 

Onto one of the most convoluted and confusing stories any show will have in not just 2020 but in many years, first onto what I liked, everything to do with Travis Fimmel and his character, for me it is where the intrigue and most interest came from. There was also some interesting ideas towards the end of the show which sets up an interesting future for this franchise. But honestly a lot of the time I felt like things weren't explained enough and felt very strange and out there. It also feels like Ridley Scott has been a bit lazy here, if you have seen Prometheus then you have seen something similar to this show in terms of its feel and story so if you like that fil then this might be for you. 

Script

The script was a mixed bag again there was some decent drama and intrigue but it was everything involving Fimmel and his storyline and shows why for me it was the best part of this show. But this show is very wordy without much depth, especially when describing the world and the whole android stuff, it thinks it is really interesting and it just isn't. 

Style

The show does have a high budget and a very stylistic manner and for the most part it works and makes this show feel big in the way it is shown that makes it stand out. But as I mentioned above I felt like this show feels a bit lazy in terms of you have seen it before, especially from Ridley Scott which does hold it back a bit. Also this show is paced very slowly and it sometimes feels like a drag which could have done with a few less episodes. 

Overall 

Overall, I thought this was a pretty average show, there are good elements but it feels very heavy handed and dull to me. I think only hardcore Sci-Fi fans will like this one and one others can easily skip this show. 

Rating - 5/10

Prodigal Son Season 1 (2020) Review

So for the last 20 weeks Prodigal Son has been on and I just finished the finale and here is my review for the first season of the the show. The premise of the show focuses on a criminal psychologist who's Father is a famous Serial Killer, which drives his work. 

Main Character

Tom Payne who is best known for playing Jesus on The Walking Dead plays Malcolm Bright and does a really fantastic job. Malcolm is such an interesting character and as you see him work, you see the really interesting way his mind works and how it is so different to the rest of the cast and the rest of the characters. He is a character you care about, but he has way more to him then being a generic good guy and one that is captivating and one that you really want to keep watching. 

Supporting Characters

Michael Sheen plays his Father on the show and you can tell he is having so much fun in his role, his dynamic with Payne is probably the most interesting part of the show and as you learn more about their relationship the more interesting it gets. The rest of the crew that Malcolm works with are great too, Lou Diamond Phillips as Gil, Aurora Perrineau as Dani & Frank Harts as JT, they are great supporting players for Malcolm and they are a likeable crew and one that works very well together as they go from case to case. Bellamy Young plays his mother and yes she overacts quite a bit, but it actually fit her character, she is a different part of Malcolm's life and it works in terms of the story they are trying to tell here. Halston Sage plays his sister and for the majority of the season I thought she was underutilised, but by the end of the season it all makes sense and is really interesting and fully develops her character. 

Story 

The story is good, the characters are given plenty to do and Malcolm is a great protagonist. There are plenty of investigations that the crew have to work on and for the most part they are really unique and interesting and keep you guessing every week. It also does a good job of blending the weekly investigations with the overall plot and keeping that progressing at a nice pace. But there are a few issues with the plot, the main one being that the show chucks some big villain twists in the last few episodes that come out of nowhere and it makes you question why this idea couldn't have been introduced a few episodes earlier to develop it better. Also the show can't quite get over its episodic nature and it does come across that way but the ending of the season is fantastic and does a great job in setting up the next season and keep you invested. 

Script

The script is very good, it does a really good job with its dark humour, you can go from real drama to chuckling along and that is well done. Also credit to the show writes to coming up with these interesting investigations that do feel pretty diverse as the weeks go by. 

Style 

The show has an interesting style, it doesn't hide away from violence and that helps, it makes everything feel bigger and worse, even though it is crazy how much crime there is. The style of the show keeps you interested and its unique feeling and good characters keeps you invested and wants to keep watching. But onto the worst part of the show is that it is 20 episodes long, there is a brilliant 12 episode season but because of American networks they have to have too many episodes and it does hurt the quality of the show. 

Overall

Overall, this is one of the sleeper hits of 2020 and is a great show. It does have an investigation of the week feel but it does enough to keep it interesting and a great selection of characters with a great ending that makes it worth a watch. 

Rating - 8/10