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

Lupin Part 2 (2021) Review

The first part of Lupin came out early this year to rave reviews including from myself and after a long wait I have finally got through Part 2 and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees Assane still attempting to take down Pellegrini while trying to find his son. 

Main Character

Omar Sy is back as Assane Diop and he is fantastic in this role. You truly end up caring about Assane and despite some of the questionable things he has done you want to see him succeed in his overall mission. He is so charming and charismatic and creates this really interesting persona that sucks you in and make this a really great lead character that leads this story well. 

Supporting Characters

The rest of the cast are also fantastic, filled with prime French talent they are compelling and very interesting characters. The allies to Assane are interesting and have their own motivations and ideas and the bad guys are slimy and bad people that we want to see taken down. 

Story 

The story feels like it is split into two and for me I did prefer the last couple of episodes as they felt more interesting to me. The story continues to do a really good job in showing Assane's personal story and his motivation for revenge. The show manages to convey its heist and mystery ideals and it raises the stakes from the first season. However, for me it took a little bit for this season to get going and certain elements of the story weren't as great such as the whole family and police storylines.

Script

Despite the script being in a foreign language to me, it was really effective. The mix of drama, humour and complexity is there. They manage to create interesting characters and a narrative that pulls you in and makes you buy some of the more absurd and convenient aspects of the show. 

Style 

The style of the show is good, in terms of visually it impresses. The heists are bigger, the cons are more convoluted and intricate but in a real fun and rewarding way. It just feels like a level up from the first part and that is how it really should be. But the show does have a bit of a pacing issue, as I said it feels like the season is split into two and that can be a little jarring for sure, also there are flashbacks used here and the majority of them feel pointless and like a tacked on reason to explain how something is happening in the main story. 

Overall 

Overall, Lupin Part 2 is a great follow up on its predecessor and keeps up those high levels. If you like interesting heist shows then give Lupin a go and I think you will really enjoy it. 

Rating - 8/10

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021) Review

After watching the first film in the franchise I have now watched Escape Rooms sequel Tournament of Champions and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees two returning characters from the first film Zoey and Ben as they attempt to track down the company behind the escape rooms when they get dragged into another game. 

Main Character

Taylor Russell and Logan Miller are back as Zoey and Ben and similar to the previous film they are just functional. Despite the fact that they were in the previous film I didn't find their characters any more interesting, they were alright before and they're only alright here. The actors are trying and that is the credit I am giving them but they don't give you lots of reason to care and the forced connection between the two of them falls a bit flat. 

Supporting Characters

Continuing the them from above, the supporting characters are better here then the ones from the first film but they just fall a bit flat in the terms of characterisation and making the audience truly care about them. There were some interesting ideas and some okay characters but the film fails in creating an interesting group of characters to get invested in. 

Story

The story is better in this film as a few of the characters have some actual thought put into them. Also, despite the fact that the ending is absurd and elements of it don't make sense, I can't deny that it intrigued me and had me actually wanting to see a third film in the frachise. But there are so many elements of the film that make no sense and the issue is still there in making you care about these characters are the fact that they are in real danger. 

Script  

The script does hurt the film, the dialogue is clunky, cheesy and generic. It really holds the film back and really saddles these performers with dialogue that even the most experienced actors would struggle with. 

Style 

The style of the film is the one element that is really improved. The escape rooms are much bigger in stakes and style and it looks impressive, whoever, was the person behind the scenes that designed these rooms they deserve big credit as they are fun to watch. Also the pacing is very frantic which if the characters aren't going to be particularly interesting it allows us to watch them in perilous positions at least. 

Overall

Overall, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is an Average film that improves on the original. I would say it isn't a film worth going to the cinema to see but maybe Escape Room 3 will finally deliver a good film in this franchise. 

Rating - 5/10

Escape Room (2019) Review

I'm going to see Escape Room: Tournament of Champions tonight, so I thought I better watch the first film in the franchise Escape Room and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees six strangers trapped in different escape rooms looking for a way to survive. 

Main Character

Taylor Russell plays Zoe who is our main character here and she is just fine in the role, for a young actress she has some decent moments but unfortunately her performance falls down because her character is so generic and boring. She is basically this incredibly intelligent girl who has the answer to everything and it makes it a bit annoying at times. There is so little explained about her as a character that it makes it tough to care despite an actress really trying to make you care which is a shame. 

Supporting Characters 

The rest of the cast fall down with this too, the actors are trying their best to give good performances but are let down by poor writing and poor characterisation. I mean Deborah Ann Woll from Daredevil is here and does a decent enough job, the rest of the cast are also okay. But we have the arrogant businessman, the PTSD army vet and the drugged up youth. It was like they just didn't want to bother creating interesting characters because that was too much effort. 

Story 

The story is where the film really falls down. The overall idea of a horror film in an escape room is a pretty decent idea, the issue is that a franchise like Saw exists and this idea has been done before plenty of times. It could have worked, but the characters aren't interesting and there is minimal time spent getting you to care about them in any way with a frustrating cliff-hanger ending that the film did not earn. 

Script

The script is also bad, the dialogue is cliché and the overall writing for the story is just badly handled. The writing mixed with poor character development is the biggest hinderance for the film. 

Style 

The film actually has some pretty interesting escape rooms that deal with different types of challenges for the group of people to go at, the film is also paced pretty well, I never got bored and think the film was dragging. But I think the issue is that this film is a bit tame and by the end I feel like I have barely learnt anything about the overall plot. I hate to make the comparisons to Saw but the traps in those films are way more inventive and brutal then what we see here. 

Overall

Overall, Escape Room is a poor film. It doesn't do enough for horror fans to sink their teeth into and it doesn't do anything to convince others to watch so this is one you can skip. 

Rating - 3/10 

Loki Season 1 (2021) Review

After six weeks Marvel's biggest Disney+ show Loki has completed its first season and the finale was today and here is my review for the whole of the season. The premise of the show sees after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Loki captured by a mysterious group who control all of space and time. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston has been playing Loki for ten years now and it is fantastic to finally see him given the main role and he does a brilliant job of continuing to portray the character with tonnes of depth and intrigue, especially considering where he is taken out of the timeline. You truly see him grow as a character and Hiddleston is so charismatic that he can knock it out of the park and truly make you care about this guy that once led an army against Earth. 

Supporting Characters 

Owen Wilson makes his debut as Mobius and I truly love this character, it feels like Wilson is having a blast and really trying and delivering a brilliant and interesting character. The chemistry between Hiddleston and Wilson is off the charts and they are now easily one of the best MCU duos and every scene between the two of them had me really caring about both of them. Sophia Di Martino plays a character called Sylvie and again her and Hiddleston have great chemistry together and you see how there explosive personalities contrast with each other and provide really fun scenes. Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays a head of The TVA, the organisation in charge and she is also really good, it takes a bit of time for her to really get the time to shine but once she does she is also a really interesting character. The rest of the cast also do a great job, the noteworthy one being Richard E Grant who nails the episode that he is a part of. 

Story

The story is great, I really liked how the show takes this version of Loki and really does a character examination of him and looks at the good and bad that we have seen over the years and highlights it. With this show involving time travel and different timelines it has plenty of opportunities to go to creative locations and do creative things and it does a great job of keeping each episode fresh and interesting. Then we get into the ending of the show and it is fantastic, it delivers a solid ending to this show and sets up so much for the future of The MCU in a fascinating and truly exciting way. 

Script

The script is fantastic, the mixture of drama and humour is spot on and it doesn't go too far either way to create fascinating characters that you grow to really care about and a story that is engaging and dynamic throughout. 

Style 

The show looks amazing, the budget for this show must have been absolutely huge as it looks as big as the movies in the same universe. The action mostly works, with impressive set pieces especially and a good episode count. But my only gripe for this show is sometimes the pacing of the episodes, there are quite a few exposition scenes and they just drag a bit sometimes and slow the episodes down a bit too much, though that is one of the only few gripes I have with the show. 

Overall

Overall, Loki is a fantastic almost epic show that needs to be seen. MCU fans who haven't watched the Disney+ series get on it as in my opinion Loki is the best one yet. 

Rating - 9/10

Black Widow (2021) Review

So after a delay of over a year Black Widow is finally out and I watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff is on the run and forced to reunite with figures from her past to uncover a mystery. 

Main Character

Scarlett Johansson is back for potentially her final time as Black Widow and she is really good in the main role here. We have always seen her as a supporting player but she is thrust into the main character and thrives. Her really interesting backstory is further explored and it allows us as an audience to get more time with her and really see and learn more about her. She is also great in the action sequences and has great chemistry with the rest of the cast as well. 

Supporting Characters

Florence Pugh plays Yelena and for me she was the best part of the film. The chemistry between her and Johansson is fantastic and was the emotional crux of the film, she is great in the action scenes and nails the humorous and emotional scenes that are required. Dave Harbour and Rachel Weisz play there bizarre parents and they are both great, Harbour is sometimes seen as comic relief and does it well but also has some good emotional moments for him to deliver. Weisz is more stoic and intense but plays an important role and you see how these four are so dysfunctional but really need each other. As seen in the trailer Taskmaster is the villain here and I think diehard fans of the character will be disappointed but I thought it worked for this film. He reminded me of the T1000 from Terminator 2 and was just a warrior hunting Black Widow but there is very little character there to bet invested in. That links to the greater issue that is Ray Winstone as the villain and that whole part of the film, it is really generic and he isn't given anything interesting to work with and his motivations and whole arc is kind of in the background and it just didn't work for me. 

Story  

The story is decent, this is basically a film about the concept of family and how it isn't always the people you choose and that part of the film was good for sure with all the actors really selling it and I grew to care about all of them and the relationships that get built up. But again my main criticism was the whole villain angle of the film, Taskmaster isn't as interesting as he could have been and the whole generic Russian bad guy is surely played out but used here and I also had an issue with the actual ending of the film. It is really abrupt and doesn't really make sense when linked up to its place in the timeline. 

Script 

I thought the script was good, I have seen some criticism of the amount of humour involved but I actually though this film took itself quite seriously for the first act. The model for the MCU is to try and balance the humour and drama and I thought the film did it well, I felt the drama when it wanted and I laughed when it wanted so I give the film credit for that. 

Style  

The film has some huge action set pieces but I thought they all worked really well, obviously there is a difficulty to raise tension and stakes with a prequel but the film did as good as possible with those limitations. The film is paced well, and felt an appropriate length, though maybe 5 more minutes at the end would have been appreciated. 

Overall

Overall, Black Widow is a great fun film that is worth the year long wait for big Marvel fans. If you are on board with The MCU then go and see Black Widow as you will enjoy it and there is a big post credit scene here too. 

Rating - 8/10

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) Review

I enjoyed The Hitman's Bodyguard so was excited for its sequel here and I watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Michael Bryce bought out of sabbatical to work with the hitman he has a vendetta against and his wife. 

Main Character

Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson are back in the two lead roles and there is no denying that they have strong and enjoyable chemistry together. There characters are in different points then they were in the previous film and they play it up well enough. The two of them aren't as entertaining as they were in the previous film but they they do just about enough to keep the energy alive. 

Supporting Characters

Really the only supporting character worth anything for me is Morgan Freeman and that is mainly because of how entertaining it is to see Freeman on screen in a film like this, he doesn't play a large role but it is an enjoyable one for sure. Salma Hayek has a much larger role in this film and she annoyed me here, she is just a shrieking violet for the majority of the film, she worked in the previous film because her role was small but she is just way too much here and it made this film worse then the previous film. Antonio Banderas plays the bad guy and similar to Gary Oldman in the previous film he is just as generic and dull as they come. He is so cliché and literally anybody could have played this role with this being another really week element of the film. Frank Grillo plays an FBI agent and his role is completely pointless,  he sleepwalks through the film and his role seems majorly unnecessary and just there to pad out the runtime. 

Story 

The story isn't exactly the part of the film that is focused on but it is really poor here, the film attempts to put some depth into the characters but it just doesn't work. Every twist is expected and the film doesn't even try to be inventive, the focus on Salma Hayek's character is annoying and it just doesn't work for this film and the dull villain and poor storytelling does very little for me with a pretty stupid ending. 

Script 

The script has some moments, the humour occasionally hits and had me laughing or at least chuckling which is better then nothing. But some of the humour and pretty much all of the drama falls short and lowers the quality of the overall film. 

Style 

The film has some really decent action scenes, they are brutal but enjoyable and you see all types of action scenes that keeps the film moving pretty well. But the film feels longer then it actually is, I did see myself checking my watch and maybe it is an overuse of action or maybe plot elements that do not need to be in the film. 

Overall

Overall, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is an average action film. If you loved the first film then you will probably at least like this one, but I liked the first film and did not really like this one and I am not sure it is worth the time to watch it. 

Rating - 5/10