Tiger King (2020) Limited Series Review

Tiger King (2020) Limited Series Review

 Over the last few days this series has taken over both Netflix and the internet so my curiosity overcame me and I decided I had to watch the documentary series Tiger King and this is my review for the series. The premise of the series sees a rivalry between big cat owners take a dark turn where Joe Exotic is caught in a murder for hire plot.

Now if I described this show as an animal rights show it isn't doing it justice, it is a story about the world of these people owning Big Cats and how they are pretty narcisitic and eccentric to say the least. Joe Exotic is the main guy the documentary follows and wow this guy is as eccentric as they get, if somebody created this character I would have thought it was a bit far fetched but this guy is a real person and you can't take your eyes off of him. He is very entertaining to watch and you just want to see more and more of him on this show.

What this show does really well, is that it is pretty fair, every main character has some real issues, there are pretty much no good people on the show and even the animal rights activists are incredibly shady and just as unlikeable as the animal owners in my opinion.

It is fascinating, to see so many hypocritical people involved with this show and the steps that they take to try and prove their point as it feels pretty tragic as the majority of things were unneccessary and really feel like people just trying to show their the top people in there field. 

I was a bit worried when I saw this show was 7 episodes but it flew by perfectly, the show uses cliffhangers brilliantly to keep you interested and invested in it throughout with the stakes rising higher and higher leading to a satisfying ending but one that has me asking for some more questions.

Overall, for me this was an epic documentary for me that I couldn't take my eyes off and it will interest you all the way and leave you wanting more. 

Rating - 10/10 

Star Wars: Episode 8 - The Last Jedi (2017) Review

Star Wars: Episode 8 - The Last Jedi (2017) Review 

 I am almost at the end of my Star Wars film reviews and the next film I have watched is Episode 8 The Last Jedi and this is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees Rey attempt to convince Luke Skywalker to teach her the ways of the Jedi, while Kylo Ren & The rest of The First Order attempt to destroy the rest of The Resistance fleet.

Main Character

Daisy Ridley is back as Rey and she is front and centre in this film and I thought she was really good in this film. Her character has clearly developed since The Force Awakens and it is really interesting to see her go from the character she was to a more confident character who is attempting to learn this power that she knows very little about. They add some more mystery to her character that worked for me and it had appropriate parallels to Luke's journey in the original journey.

Supporting Characters

Mark Hamill reprises his role as Luke Skywalker in the film and his performance has caused plenty of debate including Hamill himself but I really liked his performance. He isn't just a copy of Obi-Wan & Yoda in the original journey as you can see he still has his flaws are there and that he isn't as wise as those characters. His view on the Jedi is fascinating to me and it continues the theme that The Jedi maybe aren't as squeaky clean as the original trilogy wanted to make the audience believe. Adam Driver is back as Kylo Ren and once again his really good in this film, he still has some of the conflict that he had in The Force Awakens but it develops even more and his dynamic with Rey is much deeper in this film and I found it particularly interesting. John Boyega as Finn is a great character in this franchise and he has a good personal story in the film even though I didn't care about the part of the story he was involved in. Oscar Issac is given a larger role as Poe Dameron in this film and I like his character, he feels less like a Han Solo rip off and his character goes through a journey in the film and it works for the film that we are watching.

Story

The story of the film again is quite divisive, there is a few different plot lines and some of them are more interesting then others. Seeing Luke and Rey's dynamic was a real highlight in the film and showed the depth of the characters, Kylo Ren and Poe also have good personal journey's aswell. However, there is a story arc with Finn & Rose going to a Casino that is literally just there to make a political statement and feels out of left field and not fitting the film, plus I found it easily the most boring part of the film. 

Script

The script has some powerful drama to it that provides some great emotional moments for the characters involved. However, this film doesn't have the same clever humour to it that the previous film had with it feeling a bit cringeworthy and there to try and make the characters funny but it doesn't quite work.

Style

The style of the film looks great, there are some memorable action scenes in different locations that make them stand out and feel unique to each other. However, the pacing of the film is a bit off to me, it feels like it goes on for 20 minutes too long, there are some powerful moments throughout the film but you forget about them as the film quickly has to have a final confrontation that feels a bit tacked on to the rest of the film.

Overall

Overall this is a good film, it takes some risks in its storytelling, sound land and some don't but I appreciate the risks they took, but overall it is a good sequel but for me nowhere near as fun as The Force Awakens.

Rating - 7/10 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 (2009) Review

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 (2009) Review 

 Continuing my prep for the new season I have now watched Season 2 of The Clone Wars and this is my review for the show. The premise of the season sees The Jedi of The Republic have to deal with threats outside of the Sepratists starting with The Bounty Hunter Cad Bane. 

Main Character

The main character of the season is Anakin Skywalker and I thought his character was better this season. He still has the reckless and daring attitude that he had in the past but this season added more depth to the role, you start to get small incling into his evil turn in the future and it is handled very well and is clear to be a slow build. 

Supporting Characters

Obi-Wan Kenobi is the main supporting character and the relationship between him and Anakin is great and it really adds depth to their relationship which really helps build depth to their meetings later on in the franchise. Also, there is some added depth to his character that really gets you thinking about him in his later appearances. Ashoka Tano is used in the show a bit more sparingly but her character develops this season and I think the use of her character makes sure she doesn't transition to becoming an annoying character. There are some entertaining villains in the season, with the standouts being Cad Bane & Aurra Sing though I would like to have seen more of them in their roles. 

Story

The story is more cohesive this season with fewer filler episodes. The mini arcs usually fill a few episodes at a time but it is more interesting last season as it is not just watching Clones vs droids every episode. Also the story develops to some more mature themes and morality issues, the Jedi and Republic aren't portrayed as just simple good guys and it makes you question some of their actions and their moral compass, it does a better job here then it does in the films. 

Script

The script has some good humour and drama to it, but I felt like none of it really stood out. There wasn't a moment or a specific set of dialogue that stood out and made the characters feel more human then they are. 

Style

The show has some good action scenes to it and the different settings makes it feel fresh and different in the different arcs of the show. However, like last season there is 22 episodes and this is just too many, I think it could have been cut down even a few and it would have been really high quality and wouldn't sometimes drag like it does. 

Overall

Overall, this is a much improvement on the first season and does a great job of building the Star Wars world and make it feel more then just the war between The Republic and The Sepratists. 

Rating - 8/10 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Review 

 Next step on the Star Wars review series is the first live action spinoff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and this is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees a group of misfit rebels attempt to steal the Death Star Plans from The Empire. 

Main Character

Felicity Jones plays Jyn Erso the lead in this film and she is really good in the role, her character has plenty of depth to her and you really support her as the main character. You see her really develop over the film and it makes her journey a fascinating one to watch and makes you care about her as a character. 

Supporting Characters

This film has a huge supporting cast and Diego Luna as Cassion Andor is the main one, he introduces a new side to the Rebellion and it is great to see this more morally ambigous character associated with the Rebels as in the original trilogy they are presented as the squeaky clean heroes when it is clear there was more to them. Him and Jones has some good chemistry together and I liked how they interacted and how their characters develop during the film and bring out different sides to each other. Alan Tudyk voices the droid K2SO and he is the funniest part of the film, he makes you laugh plenty in the film but you also grow to care about him as he has more character then possibly any other droid in the Star Wars universe. Donnie Yen and Wen Jiang play Chirrut & Baze in the film and I really liked their characters, they have a really interesting dynamic together and I especially thought Yen's character was really interesting and a part of the most entertaining action scnenes in the film. Ben Mendelsohn plays the main villain Director Orson Krennic and he is the perfect Imperial in The Star Wars universe, he is very dislikeable and despicable making it easy not to like him, but it was interesting seeing his role in The Empire and how it affects him as a character. 

Story

This film's story does a really good job of building the group and making you care about each of them, it also adds depth to them and develops them as characters. It is an exciting story and feels like a war film scenario where you care about the characters survival and want to see them succeed. Also this film does a great job in making A New Hope's plot better and adding more depth to it. However, my main criticism for the film is that the story isn't that interesting for the first act and jumps all over the place making it hard to focus on a particular journey but it improves as the film progreses. 

Script

The script is great for this film, as mentioned it adds moral complexity to the rebels that makes them more human and more relatable to the audience. The drama feels very real and it adds to the emotion for the characters that you have especially in the last act. The humour is also well done mainly through K2SO but it was funny and felt appropriate for that character in the film. 

Style

The film looks fantastic, the war like action scenes are brutal and exciting at the same time. Whether they are on land or in space they feel epic in scale and exactly how war should be shown in The Star Wars Universe. To help this film has possibly my favourite action scene in any Star Wars film and a film that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic Star Wars film, it feels like the most warlike film in this universe and does a great job showing the earlier stages of the rebellion and how the wheels are set in motion for A New Hope. 

Rating - 9/10 

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 (2020) Review

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 (2020) Review 

 It is funny while I have been reviewing plenty of Star Wars products recently I have just finished the first season of Star Trek's new show Picard and here is my review of the show. The premise sees a retired admiral of the Galactic Federation come out of retirement to attempt to save a young android from destruction by a secret Romulan assassination squad. 

Main Character

Patrick Stewart is back as Admiral Jean Luc Picard for this show and he does a fantastic job, you can see just how great an actor he still is by his performance on the show. He has so much depth to him as a character and you can't help but be inspired by him and understand why the rest of the cast follow him throughout. He is not just your typical action star and it is nice to see a character with some real depth to him and a really interesting moral compass. 

Supporting Characters

Alison Pill plays Dr Jurati and I thought she was a really interesting character among other interesting characters on the show. At first I found her pretty bland and uninteresting but as the show progresses she gets more and more screen time and really has some interesting dilemas that she is put in, she is torn between a few things and it really shows her morality questioned. Isa Briones plays the Android on the show and she is also interesting as you see her questioning everything and you see things through her eyes and how her life gets flipped on its head by the introduction of Picard. Michelle Hurd plays Raffi, a former Starfleet officer that has fallen off the rails and she does a very good job, I thought her and Stewart had really good chemistry on the show and I thought her character goes though quite a bit on the show to make you care about her. Santiago Cabrera plays the pilot Rios and at first I thought he was just going to be a Han Solo ripoff but he gains more character as the show progresses and you grow to like him plus the actor is very charming and charismatic which obviously helps. 

Story

As you can pretty much guess I really liked the crew dynamic on this show and I feel like having a likeable crew really helped making this a good story, I also liked the characters individual story arcs and thought they were really interesting. Also having an interesting moral dilema as the main crux of the stories helps, seeing both sides point of view makes the plot more fascinating to watch. However, I have to say I thought the ending to the season was quite weak, I can't go into details without spoiling it but it does something that takes away from some of the emotional impact of the finale. 

Script

The script is great, the characters feel like real people, there is more humour then I was expecting and for the most part it worked and the drama also felt dramatic which helped make these characters plight be something that we could care about. 

Style

The style has some great action scenes both on the ground and in space, you can tell this show has a big budget to it and it pays off making the show feel very large scale. It also has a great tone mixing the action and story elements that make the 10 episodes feel the right length ais it is never dull.

Overall

Overall, I was so suprised by how much I enjoyed this show. It had some great messages to it and some memorable characters and whether you are a fan of Star Trek or not I believe you will find this show interesting. 

Rating - 9/10

Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens (2015) Review

Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens (2015) Review 

 Next stop on my Star Wars review series is the start on the new trilogy, The Force Awakens. This may have been the most anticipated film I have ever witnessed and I was so excited before seeing this for the first time in the cinema and now I have rewatched it and this is my review. The premise of the film sees an ex stormtrooper, a scavenger and two smugglers team up in an attempt to stop the new regime The First Order led by a powerful Dark Side user. 

Main Character 

John Boyega plays Finn in this film, a former Stormtrooper who realises his mistakes and decides to leave The First Order and he is great in this film. The guy is just super charismatic in the role making him likeable but also he nails all of his dramatic scenes and he really delivers in making this character really interesting. At this point she was a newcomer but Daisy Ridley plays Rey in this film and she is also great, she is a really interesting character and she goes through a great journey through the film that takes twists and turns that are a bit suprising and a welcome suprise at that. The two's chemistry is very good and very natural making them a likeable pair of leads and great new leads for the franchise. 

Supporting Characters

Harrison Ford makes his return as Han Solo and he is really good, he is more of a mentor figure in the film and you can tell he has fun in the role. You can tell the version of this character has been through plenty since The Return Of The Jedi and it is told well by Ford as he gives a very good dramatic performance alongside the Han Solo charm. Now we get to possibly the best acting performance at the point of this film Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, I was absolutley enthralled by his performance in this film. He is a villain yes but it is great to see a villain with loads of depth and real drama to him. You can see throughout he struggles between the light and dark side and it did a better job then Anakin's arc in the prequel trilogy in this film alone. Domnhall Gleeson plays General Hux and he is a very good antagonist, he is similar to Tarkin in A New Hope as he plays the evil officer but he is so snivelling and power hungry that it works, I also liked the dynamic between him and Ren and added another side to the film. Oscar Isaac has a smaller but important role as Poe Dameron and he is really good. The chemistry between him and Boyega feels so natural and makes you like them straight away, you can tell he is trying to be the new Han Solo but it works and he is a very likeable person. 

Story

The story of the film is great, each of the main characters have really interesting plot threads which see their characters start at one point and develop and end somewhere completley different which shows great story structure. Yes this film has gained criticism for having similar plot elements to A New Hope and yeah they are there but I thought it was handled very effectively in this film, and with a film that connects very heavily to the original films it feels appropriate for the film to have a similar structure to that one. I also have to say the film has a great ending that at the time and even now gets you excited for what the sequel might bring. 

Script 

The script for the film is a real positive, one obvious criticism of the prequel trilogy was just how bad the scripts were and how the dialogue made the characters feel like robots or boring but there is no issue with that here. The humour when used works and feels natural, the characters feel like regular people not robots, the drama also nails every level with one of the most emotional moments in Star Wars history happening in this film for sure. 

Style

The film's style looks fantastic, the action scenes are brilliant and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The lighstaber battle here feels less rehearsed and more personal then the prequels making them feel very intense and really dramatic which honestly I prefer in my lightsaber battles. The pacing of the film feels right and flows between character bits and action sequences really well to keep you interested and excited at the same time.

Overall

Overall, I cannot stress how much fun I had watching this film, yes there may be a few small issues but overall my love for this film is huge as it creates a film that tries to move Star Wars forward while paying homage to the past and I think it really succeeds at that. 

Rating - 10/10 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 1 (2008) Review

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 1 (2008) Review

 With the new season of The Clone Wars upon us I have decided to rewatch the whole series and here is my review for the first season of the show. The premise of the season sees Anakin Skywalker, Ashoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi and fellow Jedi's attempt to defeat the Seperatist forces led by General Grievous, Count Dooku & Asajj Ventress.

Main Character

Not suprisingly Anakin Skywalker is the main character on this show and as I mentioned in my Clone Wars Movie review it is really entertaining seeing the character in his prime as a Jedi Knight and we really see why he was such a respected Jedi and why both sides were keen on him being on their side. However, his character is pretty bland and actually at times quite annoying, it seems for somebody so experienced he makes plenty of mistakes and it seems like the other characters are always right over him which does hurt his character. 

Supporting Characters

Obi-Wan Kenobi is the main supporting character on the show and his dynamic with Anakin is interesting as it shows them as friends more which we less in the films so it does help make that arc feel more realistic in the films especially Revenge Of The Sith. Ashoka is back as Anakin's apprentice, even though that makes no sense as established in Revenge Of The Sith and she is a fun character, she has probably the best development of any character in the show as she really grows form her place as padawan to a more senior Jedi and it is nice to see. Captain Rex is the main clone Trooper on the show and he is great, he is battle tested but you also see his loyalty to his Jedi and it makes him a character that you care about and want to see survive. The villains share some screen time but I would say Grievous is probably the main one and even though his character is made to look very weak you find a bit more about his character and how he ended up the way he is and it interested me enough, but he needs to get the upper hand more in future seasons. 

Story

The story shows the depcition of the war very well, it literally feels like the entire galaxy is at war and that there is really nothing but the war which keeps are heroes always heading to the next battle. However, this show is very episodic, it lacks a season long narrative to keep you invested and focuses either on one epsidode arcs or at most a three part story. This is showed by the pilot and the season finale's that feel like isolated episodes and don't really connect to anything else which is disappointing. 

Script

The script for the show does a good job at making even the Jedi feel more natural and a bit more comedic then the films make them making them more interesting in the process. However, the show decides to make the battle droids comedic relief and they are just cringeworthy and not funny at all and it also takes away from the severity of the battles. 

Style 

The style of the show looks great when it comes to the action scenes, it is great seeing The Jedi in full force and seeing the clones and droids engage each other in huge scaled battles either on ground or in space. But I will say this season has 22 episodes and I felt like even though they are only 25 minutes long there are a few episodes that could have been cut and would have made a better contained story. Also and this is something the show can't help but it is sometimes difficult to get invested in the battles when you know the main characters can't die as they are going to be in Revenge Of The Sith. 

Overall

Overall, this is an okay first season of the show, you can tell they are getting then hang of the show and it is entertaining to watch but I hope it does improve vastly in the future.

Rating - 6/10