Trailer Talk: Hail, the Force Got a Gun and Zombies

The Good Dinosaur

As potentially the final trailer for the next instalment in the Pixar filmography (with its US release of Thanksgiving getting ever-closer), we get a bit more insight into the story itself and the driving force of lead dino Arlo alongside his relationship with his young companion/pet Spot. And while some will likely remain unnerved by the uneven blend between ultra-realistic environments and creatively-designed characters, but it's an idea which has presented some appeal over the course of each trailer, and now I can be excited for the film once again. Bring it, Pixar!

Capture the Flag

So a kid isn't that good at wind-surfing, and when NASA announces it's relaunching the space program the kid somehow manages to convince his reject character design for Callaghan for a grandfather to rejoin the program so that he and his obligatory love interest and animal sidekick can sneak on board the rocket to the Moon, have the right size of space suit and wind-surf out of danger?

Was this even proof-read?! And was the quality of animation because of the script?

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part Two

We're getting ever closer to the end of this series, and I'm forever grateful of that - but with that comes an urge to see this film reach its natural end, even though one doesn't want to support the series, nor catch up with the only instalment that I haven't seen of the series. Oh, and the trailer looks mediocre. That is all.

Hail, Caesar!

With a trailer filled with intrigue, laughs and good direction, Hail, Caesar! looks to be the 2016 version of last year's Grand Budapest Hotel, with its early year release, Oscar buzz and comedic approach. Plus the Academy love Hollywood - just look at their recent Best Picture winners!

Love the Coopers

Children swearing = comedy gold says Hollywood. Pass.

Rachet & Clank

Here's the thing: while I'm not a big gaming fan and haven't been for a number of years, I am at least aware of the existence of Rachet and Clank - a duo based from a set of action-adventure games under the same name. Nothing else outside of that, but there's no doubt it's a popular gaming series. However, in this form I don't think it'll terraform into a good movie too. Sure, it's nice that the creators are keeping creative control in both the story and animation department, but it looks more like a film for fans and fans only.

The Good Dinosaur

I don't actually have anything to say about this mini-tribute - it's just really cute and hits the heartstrings. Moving on!

The Danish Girl

A fairly short trailer, this time focusing a little more on Alicia Vikander's supporting role following some strong reviews on her behalf and in turn delving into the public's viewpoint on transgenderism. Not much to it, but short is definitely sweet in this case.

The Boy

With Hallowe'en comes horror movie trailers, and this year they have been as subpar as always. So why single out this Annabelle-esque picture? Two reasons. One: the doll looks creepy as hell even without it being possessed by something or another. Two: It actually looks scary despite following the jumpscare approach. That is all to say on the matter. Won't see it, but I am freaked out by it.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Everyone has either seen this trailer and bought a ticket or bought a ticket then seen this trailer - and it's hard not to get excited now. I won't delve deep into it because it's EVERYWHERE, but the hype is big. And despite how nostalgic the trailers are going for in an attempt to win over die-hard fans, there's no doubt that anyone WON'T see this movie. Heck, even I have a ticket booked and I'm not even a fan!

Joy

I think the biggest detractor for this film is that the trailers aren't actually presenting what makes this person's life interesting enough to warrant a film of this scale. We've seen films like this before, but because this is a true story revolving around a woman who invented a common household object. Despite strong editing all we have is a Jennifer Lawrence fluff piece directed by someone who's a tad overrated. I'll watch but unwillingly.

Jane Got a Gun

This film has had something of a production nightmare, with actors and directors dropping out and US distributor Relativity Media filing for bankruptcy before the film is even released. And with the constant delays in its release for undisclosed reasons, a first look of the film comes from France with multiple shots of horses riding off into the sunset. It's a pity what this film has been through, because poor Natalie Portman has been involved the entire time and, by the looks of it, has very little to prove for it until those last few moments of the trailer when she isn't training to shoot or looking after her dear dying husband.

Dad's Army

So I'm sure we can now establish that Catherine Zeta-Jones is the Nazi spy then? Remember, it's a comedy, they don't tend to be smart in the area of mystery. Anywho, you can get tickets for this film already ahead of its February release. I ponder why and can't think of an answer.

Daddy's Home

SKIP!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I really shouldn't like this, but in terms of a simple popcorn flick with blood and action...well, this could be 2016's answer to Kingsman: The Secret Service. And while I do prefer the first teaser where it just springs the Zombie action on you after looking like a typical Austin retelling, there's still plenty to like about this trailer. Like Matt Smith.

Doctor Who Series 9 Reviews - The Woman Who Lived (E6)

WARNING: Due to the nature of this episode, this review will contain spoilers - I recommend reading it after you watch the episode if you do not wish to be spoiled from any of the major plotlines present in this episode.

STAND AND DELIVER! As the quasi-sequel to last week's The Girl Who Died – an episode which was rather flawed but still rather enjoyable – The Woman Who Loved offers a rare treat...a female writer! Yes, despite a 50 year-long history, the show has only hired a small number of women – and even in terms of the more modernised viewpoints of the 21st century, we're now only on two (Helen Raynor was the first, writing the similarly mixed Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks and the underrated The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky during the David Tennant era) with Catherine Tregenna having a knack at continuing the story of Ashlidr (Maisie Williams) in a new setting in an episode which would probably have benefited from taking place later on in the series.

With Clara (Jenna Coleman) off doing her own thing back with her occupation – you know, at that place which we'll soon know and love as the home of Class – the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is left to his own devices in a literal sense, as he arrives in 17th century England just in time to get in the way of one of the Knightmare's robberies, only to discover that it is in fact Ashildr, who after centuries of being alone has lost a lot of care for other humans and resorted to being a faceless adrenaline-seeking loner with very few people for company over the years. With the duo both seeking a priceless alien artefact, they team up to seek the object; but it seems that the Knightmare has a secret plan with it, and it may have something to do with her mysterious ally...

When I mention that The Woman Who Died would have suited a later airdate, I mean it in the case that having Williams return so soon in an episode which partially focuses around hinting that Clara will go soon (just like practically every episode since Under the Lake) via means of death and with the Doctor avoiding the subject, alongside how there appears to have been some time for the Doctor since the events of last week. If it benefited from airing after the upcoming Zygon two-parter and at least two weeks before Face the Raven (which I predict the deed will actually occur), it might have elevated the episode higher in quality...not that it matters though, as even despite this nitpick comes a story which works as both a sequel and on its own. The comedy is at least more bearable and worked into the plot for once (giving use to guest star Rufus Hound) and the story itself is well-paced and well-written for the first time since Flatline. 

Without Coleman to bounce off from, Capaldi manages to strive even more in his performance, returning back on track with limited humour and focus on what's going on around him, and even with the guitar and sunglasses returning he manages to stay in character, and it stays even when Clara returns for a quick payche-I mean cameo. And in turn, Williams going in the companion role does suit her well, with her desires to escape her mundane if not eventful lifestyle on Earth making sense if her later decisions. While I doubt she'd suit it on a weekly basis like many fans probably would - I imagine her motif would tire as quickly as fans realised that Clara lacked a personality – as a semi-regular character I imagine it'd work well, and while the hinted romance between her and Sam Swift (Hound) does come across as a little creepy based on appearances and the fact that he previously knew her as a man, but at least it's not as important as past weird romances Doctor Who has had. 

Outside that duo comes Hound's likeable Swift, who doesn't exactly amount to much but at least isn't as bad as previous comedy guest stars nor as wasted (looking at you, Bill Bailey); Williams' handy butler Clayton (Struan Rodger) doesn't amount to much but is far from dislikeable, and the multiple other characters don't amount to much either. As for the villainous Lion-o, leader of the Thundercats, there's...wait, I mean Leandro, played by Ariyon Bakare, as the Lion-looking alien who's come to allegedly go home, but instead has his own little ploy. Sidelined for the drama, the brief moment of focus on it does at least lend to an interesting conclusion in the same sense as the blend of drama and action in 2010's Vincent and the Doctor, and the character design on the not-so Cowardly Lion is quite nice, but it is a pity that he was underused to make way for some of the chunkier moments of Williams being bored by everything. 

There's not much really to say about this episode, because for the first time this series I really liked it. Good performances, not a single dull moment and a Doctor who isn't lending himself to cheap jokes or gimmicks without it actually being necessary to the plot. It's never rushed, and even the occasional delve into Moffatisms is at least played out well without it being under his hand. I really hope Treganna returns at some point, as the series has a high point now. 8/10.

Doctor Who Series 9 Reviews - The Girl Who Died (E5)

WARNING: Due to the nature of this episode, this review will contain spoilers - I recommend reading it after you watch the episode if you do not wish to be spoiled from any of the major plotlines present in this and the following episode.

Fun fact: a massive bulk of Doctor Who's promotional material has been centred around the reported mystery of guest actress Maisie Williams' character and how she, like countless other characters over the last few years, seems to already know the Doctor. Yep, big shocker. And while I have no quarrel with Williams as an actress, the entire gimmick of her character is one that has been overplayed to the point where approaching another one is dreaded rather than anticipated. And with this and next week's The Woman Who Lived building up the mystery while combining the overrated forces of head writer Steven Moffat and last year's newbie Jamie Mathieson (who wrote the iffy Mummy on the Orient Express and admittedly-enjoyable Flatline), this should really be an episode to dread looking forward to. But as something that is supposedly key to the current season and to the 'ongoing' question as to why the Doctor has Peter Capaldi's face, could an episode which practically sums up an era of Doctor Who appeal to those excited and those not? 

Following an off-screen escapade, the Doctor and Clara (Jenna Coleman) arrive on the outskirts of a Viking village – with the horned helmets and everything – and quickly become powerless against them; deserted from the TARDIS by two miles of water and the dreaded sonic sunglasses dispatched with a single snap. Upon arrival, the duo discover that the village people are in awe over supposed Norse God Odin (David Schofield, introducing himself into the episode as if he were in Monty Python and the Holy Grail), a bit of misdirection leads to the weakest remaining townspeople having to go up against the Mire – apparently one of the biggest fighting races in the galaxy. Oh, and there's this girl called Ashildr (Williams) who the Doctor is instantly interested in because reasons. Wait no, she is the reason as to why the battle is engaged, but that's about it.

This episode can be split into three segments – the first consisting of a typical Doctor Who starting point and all systems go with a premonition about the end and standard plot set-up headlined mostly by the blend of "Who's Maisie Williams?" and "Yay, the Sonic Glasses are dead! Kinda!"; a middle where comedy is placed first and foremost with "I speak baby"; and finally a third part which blends both comedy and typical Who fare. So in short, nothing particularly special right? And just an over-hyped episode as per usual? Well, not exactly. For starters, it's well paced for the majority of it, with an ending that doesn't feel rushed as per usual nor with a dull saggy halfway point, and while the comedy doesn't hit in quite the same way as this version of the show did in its early days it doesn't  feel misplaced – unless it's an aspect which never really hit it off, such as the glasses and the baby talk. And while recurring aspects of the show of mysterious girls and revivals seems less of a novelty and more of a chore these days, it was at least handled better than the most recent cases. 
The Mire as a species are something of a blend between generic robots, the Vikings they intend to mimic and the Sontarans – a race that have been largely absent in their truest form despite a recurring role for Dan Starkey's Strax. While a little nice in design and execution, they inevitably succumb to being a necessity and something to battle as opposed to a legitimate incursion, and some of the ideas planned for them seem to have been left on the cutting room floor for extended time with blacksmith Lofty (Tom Stourton) and his child, such as what must have been a planned reveal of the Mire's true form in all its glory. A nice enough idea, but never realised to its full potential.
While the majority of the townsfolk are largely forgettable outside of their various nicknames – including Ashildr's father, to the dismay of Ian Conningham – thanks to practically having no other means of identity (wait no, Barnaby Kay was scared of blood!), there was at least Ashildr; a dreamer who spearheads the whole affair and becomes her own prophecy thanks to the Doctor inadvertently staring at her when he arrives (god, that sounds creepy), and the entire point of this here episode. Performance-wise, Williams does as good as she can with a somewhat limited role which may or may not be borrowing heavily on her infamous character in Game of Thrones (maybe, my knowledge on said show is hazy), and at times she can simply blend in with the background. Maybe her elongated role next week as a hybrid of human and Mire (is Hybrid the theme this year? First the Daleks and now this?) will show promise, but we'll see. 
As for the Doctor and Clara, it's business as usual, with more "I'm worried for you Clara" discussions and a topsy-turvy personality for the Time Lord. Both are good in their roles as is the norm, and there's not much more to add there – except for the revelation about why the Doctor chose that particular face – one we saw in 2008's The Fires of Pompeii where he was saved by David Tennant's Doctor (and another who shot his family and himself in 2009's mini-series Torchwood: Children of Earth, but don't expect that being brought up just yet). After being built up since Capaldi's casting, the final result is a tad disappointing. It couldn't be anything better than that, but having it be a reminder of a singular case so that he should just break the rules is a tad...off. Like an enforced answer to save Williams for future episodes while shutting fans up about all those theories. 
While The Girl Who Died is riddled with the typical conventions of an era that should have been bygone by now, it still has some form of charm, with at least some enjoyment to be had. Set up well and only slowing down when the Doctor needs to talk baby, it is a first half that works...here's hoping it goes down better than the last time we had a good first half. 7/10.