Smallville Season One Review

Over the years, whenever something big happens in the world of DC comics, especially regarding Superman, people all over social media seem to talk about one adaptation of the character in particular, and until this year, I had not seen this show myself. This show was called Smallville, and it first aired back in 2001, when I was just 6 years old.

Some years ago I disliked Superman as a character, based on very little evidence however, since I didn't even give him a chance, reading none of his comics and only seeing him in animated adaptations where he came across as some overpowered being that seemed unrelatable to me.

     In 2013, I realised that I could not be more wrong. Director Zack Snyder took the character of Superman and crafted a film so beautiful that I fell in love with the character and couldn't wait to read more or watch more of the adaptations based on the character. 'Man of Steel' knew exactly how to represent this character in a relatable way despite his Comicbook story of being an alien trying to be a human, but within this film I saw a character that wasn't just trying to be human, he was trying to 'fit in' with the people around him. He was trying so hard to be human, but realised he might never be what we would call 'normal', and he eventually learns to accept that, by becoming the person he was always meant to be. 

Man Of Steel (2013) portrayed by Henry Cavill

 I finally decided to watch Smallville, and boy do I wish I watched this show years ago. As of writing this, I'm in the early episodes of season two and loving every second of it. This show gives us an incredibly humanising portrayal of Clark Kent (portrayed by Tom Welling) prior to his days of being Superman. Instead it gives us a young man growing up in his high school years, learning the difficulties of being a human, emotionally, physically, and mentally.
     Even with his superpowers, which he's still learning to control, and later on he discovers even more of them that he didn't know he had, Clark Kent is just as troubled as any other young man in those years of his life. Learning the importance of friendship, of love, trust and the consequences of truths and lies. All of this, makes this show an emotional rollercoaster for the viewer, because this show was written so beautifully, that it is truly felt by the audience. It's such a heartfelt series that gives us the action, drama, emotion and intensity that a good Superman story needs.

The show feels somewhat like the early days of shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, where we have a group of young students fighting supernatural beings, and somehow the rest of the world seems either none the wiser, or merely disinterested in what's going on no matter how crazy or scary it gets. In Buffy it was mostly Vampires with the addition of other ghoulish creatures, and at the end of each episode the main group of friends have defeated the enemy for this episode and carry on with school waiting for the next villain to appear, in Smallville, the premise is very similar.
     Season one focuses heavily on people affected by the meteor shower, the meteor shower that just happens to be connected to Clark, since that's when his spaceship landed, and the meteor fragments turn out to be the remains of his home planet Krypton. The radiated fragments of meteor, which fans know as Kryptonite (although that name is never mentioned yet because Clark still has no clue about his home planets name etc.) seem to have given certain victims new abilities, mostly of a cellular level, given them powers that they often use for selfish purposes, which is why Clark is always there to save the day. 

Clark and his closest friends, Pete Ross (Sam Jones III) & Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack), all share their stories about Chloe's so called 'Wall of Weird' which documents all the strange and supernatural events happening in Smallville since the meteor strike. Despite this however, Chloe and Pete seem to be completely comfortable talking about these events and beings as though it was almost normal to see them. These villains come with all sorts of abilities from absorbing a person's body heat completely, leaving them frozen to death, to starting fires with a single thought, which to Clark is nothing that he should be surprised about even before he discovers his own heat vision ability, because whilst he may not be able to explain them, he understands what it's like to have abilities, but to Chloe and Pete seem way to calm after each event.

Main Cast of Smallville

 However this does not take away from the incredible cast of this show and their portrayals of their characters. Tom Welling is a charming Clark Kent, Michael Rosenbaum is a menacing and mysterious Lex Luthor, Allison Mack is a beautiful and loveable Chloe Sullivan, and Kristin Kreuk portrays a strong and beautiful Lana Lang. Not to mention the adults of the show, especially John Schneider and Annette O'Toole as  Johnathan and Martha Kent who are the loving and protective parents of Clark, with a great on screen relationship that steals the show any time the three of them are on screen together.

Since I'm watching this show for the first time in 2019, I would be very foolish in discussing the CGI since we have come such a long way over the last 18 years since this show first started. However, some of the effects haven't aged badly at all, and in terms of their appearance to represent the abilities Clark has, I love how they're represented, especially his heat vision being made to look like actual heatwaves rather than red lasers shooting from his eyes. The effects are not awful in any sense, and if like me you have only just decided to see this show, or haven't yet made up your mind, please know that it is watchable and that the effects make the show the incredible series it is even to this day.

This show has an incredible soundtrack to go along with it, with the theme song 'Save Me' by Remy Zero being the obvious standout because I refuse to ever skip the intro for each episode! There are some absolute classics on this soundtrack though, from artists such as The Calling, R.E.M, Weezer, Gorillaz, Papa Roach and Sum 41 just to name a few!

Overall season one of Smallville gets a 9/10 from because the only thing holding it back is the lack of impact each victim holds on the rest of Clark Kents world. In some episodes people are injured but in many of the episodes there are many people both student and adults who are murdered, and yet once the episode is over we hear next to nothing about any of it happening.
     That is my only fault with this show so far. Maybe it changes in the later seasons but until then, I have to stick with this decision.

[Review] Arrow Season Two

After the death of his best friend, and the feeling of guilt after he failed to save the Glades from Malcolm Merlyn's earthquake device, Oliver Queen has left Starling City and returned to the Island of Lian Yu, where he was stranded for five years before being rescued, after his fathers yacht, The Queen's Gambit', capsized during a storm out at sea. See my season one review for more:- Arrow Season One Review

Season Two brings us more of the action that fans enjoyed in the first season, and brings us new, gripping and interesting characters such as Isobel Rochev (portrayed by Summer Glau) who towards the end of the season becomes the character known as Ravager (though that name is never spoken in the series), Barton Mathis a.k.a The Dollmaker (portrayed by Michael Eklund), Sin (portrayed by Bex Taylor-Klaus), Sebastian Blood (Kevin Alejandro) and of course, the first character to recieve a spinoff series in the 'Arrowverse', Barry Allen (portrayed by Grant Gustin), who later goes on to become the metahuman superhero known as The Flash.
     The series also brings back some fan favourite characters such as Count Vertigo (Seth Gabel), Roy Harper (Colton Haynes), and even the suppossedly deceased, Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman). As well as the series regulars, who we grew to love from the first season, including John Diggle, Felicity Smoak, Laurel Lance, Quentin Lance, Thea Queen, Moira Queen and of course the main man Oliver Queen.

Moira Queen in Court - Portrayed by Susanna Thompson

The first half of the season concentrates somewhat heavily on the trial of Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson) after she rconfessed on live news about her involvement in Malcolm Merlyns plan to destroy the Glades, which came to pass in the finale of the first season. The plot tries to concentrate less of Moira however, and focuses more heavily on the impact her trial has on Oliver and Thea, which is understandable as a big secret is revealed in the courtroom (and to Oliver & Thea beforehand) about Moira's past with Merlyn.
     Meanwhile in the flashback sequences for the first half, we get to see the tragedy that Oliver, Shado and Slade went through that brought Oliver to where he is today. Concentrating a lot of it's focus on the character of Slade Wilson, portrayed by Manu Bennett, who comic book fans will recognize as the alter ego for  one of DC's biggest, meanest, and most popular villains in the in the world of DC Comics, known as Deathstroke.

Manu Bennett as Deathstroke/Slade Wilson

The second half builds the real setup for the big bad of this season, and it builds it tremendously, as Slade Wilson's character is brought into the present timeline, along with the new knowledge of Oliver and Slade's past on the island of Lian Yu, the audience now feels the true tension between them whenever they share the screen together.
     Manu Bennett did a superb job bringing Slade Wilson and the villainous Deathstroke to life, along with the shows writers and costume designers, who adpated the character from page to screen. Slade is smart, terrifying, and a strong character not just in the literal sense (thanks to the Mirakuru in his blood). His presence is felt every time he is mentioned or appears on screen, and his action sequences prove his true skill in combat, making him a force to be reckoned with.
     As Slade Wilson, he causes drama and trouble for Oliver Queen, on his mission to seek revenge, by interacting with Olivers family, getting inside Olivers head and causing him to make difficult decisions. Away from Oliver, Slade causes trouble for the city as he continues to have his associate, Sebastian Blood, take on the mantle of the masked villain known as Brother Blood and gather a group of victims that will undergo a test for the the drug known as Mirakuru, which we learn more about in the flashback sequences.

The second season of Arrow brings us more references to the comics, and a tone that rivals the dark, brooding tone of the first season. It concentrates heavily on the plot of revenge, and merges the stories seen in both the past and the present, to create a present day storyline with more emotional impact than we have seen before.
     Secrets are revealed, and emotions run wild in this season, which quickly made it a fan favourite, with many still claiming to this day that season two is their favourite of the entire series. Manu Bennett was praised for his portrayal of Deathstroke, and has since then returned to the role in later seasons.

As mentioned before, this season introduces us to the character of Barry Allen in episode eight, with the lead up to his own spinoff being one of the final scenes of episode nine, as Barry returns to his home in Central City, only to be struck by lightning after an explosion with the STAR Labs particle accelerator, and being knocked into a comatosed state, with a glow of lightning running through his body to tease the fans of the upcoming series.
     Grant Gustin, who is probably previously best known for his portrayal of a Sebastian Smythe in the musical series Glee or as Campbell Price in 90210, portrayed a very innocent and young version of Barry Allen with a similar personality to that of Felicity Smoak. This made him instantly loveable by the audience and has since proven to be a perfect choice for the character after his own series kicked off with incredible success.

One factor to this series that I failed to mention in my season one review, was the score, by composer Blake Neely, which adds all of the emotion to every scene of every episode in the series. With themes such as 'Deathstroke', which is hard hitting, powerful and louder than most of the other themes in the show, it really adds impact to the character itself. Meaning that this show, would not be the same without Neely's music, because of the atmosphere it creates within the scene and within the world.

You can listen to the Arrow Season Two Soundtrack on Spotify here:- Arrow Season Two OST

This is the season that our hero 'The Hood' a.k.a Oliver Queen, finally replaces the grease paint around his eyes, with a proper mask, given to him as a gift from Barry Allen, who is a big fan. The mask gives the character more of a hero complex to the audience, especially since Oliver no longer uses his arrows to kill the criminals he faces. Due to Tommy calling him a murderer, Oliver has decided to change his ways of fighting crime and finding justice, by only injuring his foes, but throughtout the series, Oliver must fight with his choice and decide what is best option for the situation's he's put in, which proves to be harder than he hoped when faced with the enemies of this series.

Overall this season builds on the action packed scenes that we loved from the first season and the drama that moves the plot forward and hits hard on the heartstrings of the audience. The casting for the new characters is superb, and the returning cast members come back stronger with each reprisal. The titular character, and Stephen Amell within the role, prove their skill as a vigilante combatant, with incredible prowess and skill. Amell continues to prove that he is a brilliant casting choice for the character, and leaves the audience wanting more and more with each episode that airs.

This season gets a 9/10 from me, because it gave us one of the greatest villains in comicbook television at the time, and continued to build and improve it's already brilliant writing, directing and casting.

[Review] Arrow Season One

When Arrow was first advertised back in 2012, I could not believe what I had just seen. The Sky network (or CW if you're in USA) was about to release a show based on a character in the DC Universe that not many people had heard of, but one who I adored. That character was the hooded vigilante known as Green Arrow. Better yet, they were going to be using a similar origin story to 'Green Arrow: Year One' written by Andy Diggle, with art from Mark Simpson better known by his pen name Jock. The story for Arrow's adaptation of the origin story is as follows:

Oliver Queen, a billionnaire playboy from Starling City and heir to the Queen family business and fortune, is left stranded on what he believes to be a deserted island after his father's yacht, The Queen's Gambit, capsizes in a storm, killing his girlfriend's sister Sara Lance who is on board, and leaving Oliver, his father Robert and one other crew member left to float around in a rubber raft. Running low on supplies, Robert Queen then shoots the remaining crew member and then himself, leaving Oliver alone to survive.
     After five years, Oliver returns home after being rescued, but he is not the same as he was five years ago. Honed with new skills, a new mission and the determination to see it through, Oliver Queen now hides his own secrets, as he begins to fight crime in a green hood, wielding a bow and arrow. However, he is not yet known as the Green Arrow, he is known as only 'The Vigilante' or 'The Hood', and Starling City police, including his ex girlfriends father, Quentin Lance, are constantly seeking to bring the hooded vigilante to justice, claiming that he is on the wrong side of the law, because of his habit of killing people with his arrows, but Oliver hopes to change that.

Season One showed us what a great, dark and gritty comicbook show could be, with plenty of drama which makes you remember it's a CW show, but more importantly it gave us some great live action appearances of some of DC's not so mainstream characters both hero and villain such as Malcolm Merlyn a.k.a The Dark Archer portrayed by John Barrowman, Floyd Lawton a.k.a Deadshot portrayed by Michael Rowe, Edward 'Eddie' Fyers portrayed by Sebastian Dunn, and even Count Vertigo portrayed by Seth Gabel just to name a few, although some of these characters differ greatly from their comicbook counterparts, such as Count Vertigo who is not a meta-human in this show, but is in fact a drug dealer who creates a drug that causes similar effects as Vertigo's character in the comics.

This show brings us great action sequences in almost every episode with a great mix of martial arts used to create stylistic fight scenes that show us the power and prowess of Oliver Queen which adapts the character's style really well from the comics. However, a lot of viewers seem to have the opinion that Arrow was not a faithful adaptation because it was "too serious" or "too dark" whereas the Green Arrow most people know from the comics is a lighthearted and humorous character that takes pride & joy in what he does.
     What a lot of these viewers may not realise however, is that there is a long running series of Green Arrow comics written by Mike Grell that takes on a very similar tone to Arrow, which is where the show probably drew a lot of it style from. The series of comics dealt with a lot of real world issues such as oil spillages, hunting, and fraud which make the stories impactful and thought provoking. In a similar way, Arrow as a television show is very thought provoking, dealing with issues in the real world such as family drama, secrets between friends, loyalty, and regarding villains there's a lot of extortion, bribery, cover up issues that get uncovered by Oliver and his team.

Stephen Amell, known for his roles in shows such as 'Beautiful People' (2005) and Rent-A-Goalie (2006),  portrays the titular role of Oliver Queen in Arrow. His portrayal is brilliant, becoming a fan favourite over the recent years, since there has only ever been one other live action portrayal of the character in the television series Smallville (2001) where Green Arrow/Oliver Queen was portrayed by Justin Hartley.
     Stephen Amell has gained much success from this show and has proven himself to be a perfect casting choice for the character, as the show is now ready to air it's eigth and final season after over 7 years of wearing the hood, Amell has helped bring the character of Green Arrow into the mainstream and given the character a rise in popularity which has even made Green Arrow a household name.
     Whilst Amell plays a more serious version of the character, there are moments when Amell is able to perfectly portray the witty humour and fun quips that Oliver Queen is known for in the comics. Making him a successful and brilliant portrayal of the character, which not a lot of people seem to understand in my opinion.

Not only did Stephen Amell succeed in popularising his character, but some of the other cast did as well. John Diggle, portrayed by David Ramsay, became so popular that he was adapted into the New 52 run of Green Arrow comics, making his first appearance in Green Arrow #24 - Deadly Homecoming (October 2013). John Diggle is referred to as simply 'Diggle' which is a reference to Andy Diggle, who wrote the Green Arrow: Year One comic that the series draws a lot of inspiration from, especially during it's flashback sequences which add to the story and gives us a nice transition between certain scenarios in Oliver's present day whilst giving us an idea of how he became who he is today.
     Felicity Smoak, portrayed by the beautiful Emily Bett Rickards, was a character in the Firestorm comics since 1984, but became a popular ally of Oliver Queen in the New 52 Green Arrow run, with a redesign of her character to resemble her appearance in the show, with a few differences to help her stand as her own adaptation of the character. Although she was meant to be nothing more than a recurring character, Emily's portrayal of Felicity proved so popular with the viewers that she was made a series regular and a member of what will later become known as 'Original Team Arrow' or 'OTA' for short.

One issue I have with her character however, is that Oliver Queen seemed to have a pretty decent technological knowledge when he starts out, but when Felicity is introduced his skills seem to almost completely disappear making him seem dumb when it comes to computers and other tech. On the other hand, I really love her character and think she adds a moral opposite to Oliver which is sometimes a great opportunity for plot advancement and drama.

The casting and characters brought to us in this show are all incredibly talented and intriguing. From Laurel Lance, to Thea Queen and even Roy Harper, who so far isn't in the role of his alter ego Arsenal. Not to mention Oliver Queens best friend, Tommy Merlyn, portrayed by the charming and brilliantly funny Colin Donnell who counters Olivers more serious tone when in the public eye.
     Laurel Lance creates a perfect opportunity for drama in the series, after she shares a love interest with both Oliver and Tommy, despite her initial resentment for Oliver after he took her sister Sara on the Queen's Gambit for an affair whilst he was still in a relationship with Laurel. However, Laurel and Oliver have an on and off again relationship throughout, as well as a similar relationship with The Vigilante, though still unaware of his true identity. Katie Cassidy brings a strong personality to the character, which in turn, makes the character a strong female lead in the series that later goes on to become a member of team Arrow, but not until a later season.
     Willa Holland brings the character of Thea Queen to life, who is a reference to Mia Dearden from Kevin Smith's Green Arrow #2 - Quiver Part Two (May 2001), as she is nicknamed 'Speedy' (a popular alias used by Mia in the comics) by Oliver, who in this show is her brother. This reference becomes clearer in episode 12 of season one titled 'Vertigo' when it is revealed that Thea's full name is 'Thea Dearden Queen'.

Overall this show is one of my favourites of all time, for its brilliant writing, the incredible cast, memorable characters and awesome action sequences, as well as the dark and gritty tone, which seems somewhat lighter than originally intended after shows like Marvel's Daredevil stepped up the 'dark tone' a few notches. However, this show proved to us that the dark and gritty comicbook shows can become popular and are sometimes preferred over the lighter toned ones we've had in the past. Season one sets up the characters and the world of Green Arrow in a way that makes it unique to the comics, but with enough nods and references to keep fans interested.
     Malcolm Merlyn was an excellent choice of villain for the first seasons 'big bad' as John Barrowman's portrayal made him a menacing, mysterious and unpredictable character that built real tension to whatever scene he was in.

The choice of network being the CW, this show has plenty of drama which helps build the emotional scenes of the story that can really hit hard to viewers, making us feel excitement, happiness, or even upset. The writing and direction is incredible and the show later paved the way for more comicbook shows, many of which are connected to the same universe as Arrow, which is now known as the 'Arrowverse' or 'Berlantiverse' after the shows creator Greg Berlanti.

Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg have created something truly special, that brought comicbook television into a new generation and spawned multiple spinoffs that live in a shared universe, and with the final season of Arrow airing on October 15th 2019, the final crossover will prove to be a huge payoff for fans of this series.

Arrow Season One gets a 8/10 from me, because whilst it was an incredible start to a show I fell in love with from the second the premiere aired on my television, it does however feel like it's more drama driven than I originally hoped for when I first saw the trailer.

[REVIEW] Batman (1989)

After the success of the Batman television series that aires in 1966 starring Adam West in the titular role, studios eventually came to the decision that it was time to bring Batman to the big screen again, and there was a need to make the film and the world of Batman dark again, after the '66 series was a very light, educational but pretty much silly version of the 'Dark Knight' and his villains. This adaptation became a household name across the world and had become the most famous adaptation of the character, with people now dubbing Adam West as the 'Bright Knight' in regards to how fun and colorful the series was.

"I loved the Killing Joke...It's my favourite. It's the first comic I've ever loved" - Tim Burton

Finally, twenty three years later in 1989, a new, darker and much more serious Batman adaptation was released in cinemas across the world, from the brilliant mind of Tim Burton. There was one issue with this choice of director however, as Tim Burton has stated that he does not read comics, and finds them detestable for their layouts and unclear formats, claiming that they are confusing to read because it is often unclear which panels and dialogue bubbles are in which order. However, one graphic novel/comic he has read, just so happens to be one of the most famous and well respected stories of all time, known as 'Batman: The Killing Joke', which really comes across in the film.

From the Joker origin story of falling into a vat of acid whilst fighting Batman, to Jokers costume and portrayal by the brilliant actor Jack Nicholson, who brings one of DC's greatest villains to life in the most menacing of ways, with his creepy signature smile and comedic approach to the most sadistic of scenarios such as murder...did I mention this film has straight up murdering in it, and not just from the Joker? More on that later though.
     Jack Nicholson is well know for being a brilliant actor, and he has become an iconic portrayal of Joker with many fans debating whether his or Heath Ledger's portrayal of the character in 2008's 'The Dark Knight' takes the top spot for "Best Joker Portrayal". His classic purple jacket and suit are taken straight from the pages of the Killing Joke comic and his strange, wonderful, psychotic and over the top performance of the character makes him one of the most faithful adaptations of the clown prince of crime, even though many question whether the Joker needs an origin story or not, this film and Nicholson's portrayal provides a great adaptation of one that we can all agree work well for the character.

Over the years, Michael Keaton has become famous for his portrayal of Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne, but before this film, he was best known for comedic roles such as Beetlejuice (1988), The Squeeze (1987) and Mr. Mum (1983), so even before the widespread social media complaints of today, there was much speculation and concern among fans about how an actor like Keaton could play the Dark Knight, much like there has been in recent years every time a new Batman film is in production and the actor is revealed, such as Ben Affleck in 2016 and most recently Robert Pattinson who is due to portray the role in film due for release in 2020.
     However, over the 30 years since it's release, with a sequel involving Keaton reprising the his role, many have claimed that Michael Keaton is their favourite portrayal of the character and some even say that he is the definitive portrayal of Batman to this day. The film is without a doubt a classic and has been seen by millions of people across the globe, both comic book fans and those who haven't read comics alike, because it stands as a classic film from the time for it's huge success as a film in the industry.

The casting was superb, with the beautiful Kim Basinger portraying Vicki Vale and the charming Billy Dee Williams portraying Harvey Dent, who sadly we never got chance to see turn into the villainous alter ego Two-Face that we know from the comics, but Billy Dee Williams did get the chance to voice the character of Two-Face in 2017's 'The Lego Batman Movie'.
     The effects for the time, including a mixture of practical and animated effects, still hold up, for the most part, to this day. The story is entertaining, and although it is dark, it is still watchable by almost all ages. Some may consider it a family film, especially when compared to it's sequel which took on an even darker and more gruesome appearance with the like of Danny DeVito's portrayal of Penguin, which lead to many complaints form cinemagoers with yound children and the companies that wanted to make the licensed toys such as McDonalds. I will review that in the Batman Returns review however.

My main issue with this film nowadays, is that whilst many fans of comics and Batman claim to love it, there are a few faults which proves the point that Tim Burton doesn't read comics, and wanted to create his own version, which nowadays most people complain about in these types of films.

In 2016 'Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice' was released, and one issue many people had with Ben Afflecks portrayal of Batman, that I read everywhere at the time, was that Batman kills and this was against the comic version of Batman's morals and number one rule, and so people hated on Ben Affleck and Zack Snyder for it. A lot of these same fans, claim to prefer Tim Burtons film over the modern adaptations, but I think a lot of them seem to forget, or refuse to acknowledge, that in the 1989 Batman film, Batman sends his Batmobile into Axis Chemicals, with the intention to kill the Joker, by having bombs drop from the wheels of the Batmobile, blowing up the building and killing half a dozen goons that were stood near the car at the time, not to mention however many goons remained inside the building at the time of the explosion and after all that, the Joker survived because he escaped via helicopter before the bombs were dropped. Not to mention, in the finale, he stops the Joker from escaping by grappling him to a gargoyle, probably knowing full well that it will cause the him to fall to his death, and even though I understand his concern for Vicki Vale and himself at the time, Batman shows no remorse for murdering the Joker whatsoever, which today, get complained about in modern portrayals but for the classic film it's almost celebrated.
     Is it because we know Tim Burton doesn't read comics, so he gets a free pass for not being accurate? Or is it simply because we don't want to spoil the idea that this film really is a classic among the older Batman fans of today. Those who grew up with this film, or simply saw it at a younger age in general, like many of our childhood films and television shows, do not want this film to be spoiled by these types of mistakes being pointed out, so we simply remember it as we wish and convince others to do the same.

I myself have no quarrel with this film or its portrayal of Batman, as I always love a good story with a darker Batman that's pushed across the line of his idea of Justice. It just makes me wonder what really makes fans happy these days, when they argue one point for the modern film but support that same point in the classic film.

Either way, this film is absolutely superb, giving us some of the most classical Batman quotes and tropes such as Jokers line "Where does he get those wonderful toys?", and of course the iconic "I'm Batman"  quote which was popularized from this film. It also gave us some iconic imagery such as the Batplane against the moon, which remains one of my favourite shots in the film of all time, even though I believe Batman's action for doing so was completely uneccessary.
     Not to mention the incredible score and theme by composer Danny Elfman, which was used on the Batman Animated Series and in the Lego Batman videogames. Danny Elfman is known for a lot fo the Tim Burton film scores nowadays, both live action and animated, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Beetlejuice (1988).

This film also gave us one of the most iconic Batmobiles, which are always celebrated along with the character in film, television and comics, because it takes on a character of it's own. This design was sleek and intimidating to match Keatons portrayal of Batman, and to help it blend into the world of Tim Burtons Gotham. 

The film gets a 9/10 from me because it is a film I will always want to watch and can never say no to watching.

[Discussion] Joker Movie

There has been so much discussion and hype for the new Todd Philips film set within the DC Universe, but not within the DCEU. The new film, Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as the leading role of one of the most famous villains in the world, straight out of Gotham City and the world of Batman.     

This film has already caused much debate amongst fans about whether this movie is going to be as good as the hype around it. Some fans think that it's going to be an incredible film (myself included), whilst there are those that believe this film is both unecessary, and unfitting of the character. However in this post, I'm hoping to at least shed some light on what I think this film is, and is going to be, as well as what it means for the future of comic book movies. So let's get started.

Let's start this discussion with a high note, and I'll try to end it on a high note as well. So to begin, let's talk about the leading man, Joaquin Phoenix.

Joaquin Phoenix is a phenomanal actor, known for his roles in award winning films such Gladiator, Her,  & Walk The Line. He has always excelled in his roles and stood out amongst the cast of the films he's starred in, because he takes every one of his roles seriously and doesn't just play the characters he's cast as, he delves deep into their very being and becomes those characters. As a method actor, he is experienced in bringing his roles to life with whole new levels, and this film is proving to be a whole new level indeed.

News spread from behind the scenes that Joaquin was hesitant about accepting the role because of the character being such a huge deal in the world for fans, and because he wasn't interested in a comic book movie. However, after Todd Philips pitched the film to him as a character study of what a man like Joker would come from in the real world rather than being in a world of your usual comic book movies.

One thing people need to remember about this film, is that it is not your every day comic book movie. It's a low budget, character study about the real world, with the characteristics of Joker added in. It's an origin story, yes, but it's not an introduction film to a wider universe. As far as we are aware, it's a single film, bringing the characters from the pages to the real world, in a somewhat similar way to Nolan and Ledger's Joker but, this time, we are forgetting all about the Batman, forgetting all about heroes, and delving deep into a world of insanity and chaos.

From the latest trailer, which dropped today on Wednesday 28th August 2019, we seem to be getting a film that not only brings the Joker to us, but it brings us to the Joker. It appears that we will see Arthur Fleck fall further and further into insanity, so that we get to watch this character evolve as his world begins to fall, and as his eyes begin to open up to a world where he will once again be happy, amongst the chaos and anarchy that he introduces to Gotham City.

A major issue for fans of the character, seems to be what has been said many times over the years, which is "Joker doesn't need an origin story". The fans that are saying this are absolutely correct, because the Joker doesn't need an origin. One of the greatest things about this character is that he is a complete mystery. He's even too insane to remember his own origin, and has stated in 'The Killing Joke' that if he was going to have an origin, he'd prefer it to be multiple choice. This makes him unpredictable and fascinating, because our heroes then have nothing to use against him as they do their other villains. There's no real mental weakness for the Joker's character, and although one of the most famous Joker stories ever written was an origin story, it has long been argued that it isn't canon and therefore is redundant as an argument against the Jokers true origin.

Alan Moore's 'The Killing Joke' has been adapted into an animated movie, and fans adore it as a story, but the point remains that Joker doesn't need an origin. However, what the new Joker film, by Todd Philips offers is more than just a regular origin story. As stated above, the film was pitched as a character study. So forget about origins, forget about comic book references, this film, whilst it is indeed an origin story of sorts, isn't actually about the origin. The focus of the film is 'What a man like the Joker would be like in the real world'. Don't go into this movie and expect to sit down for your regular cliché comic book movie. This film aims to take comic book movies to a whole new level, by taking out all of the over the top sequences and effects, to bring you something raw and realistic beyond compare.

As twisted as the Joker is, this film might even feel relatable to those who feel like the world is rough and closing in around them. Hopefully there won't be anyone influenced by the movie to go to the lengths that Joker does, but the fact that it will be relatable will add to it's success, because this film will feel very real, and almost like a documentary or biopic in some ways. We all have bad days when the world feels hard, and life seems tough, and this film will portray the extremes of that which will bring the character of Joker to life.

Let's move on to budgeting. This film is a low budget film, which is pretty much a first in this day and age where all comic book related movies have million to billion dollar budgets with lots of CGI, big action sequences and effects galore, whereas this film, strips all that away and proves that a film can still be a film without the big fancy effects.
     I think this film will bring the world of comic book movies into a bright new future where we will get more personal low budget films that concentrate on the story rather than the appearance of the film. This film may not be a great comic book films to some fans who want what we always get with this genre, but it will be a incredible film none-the-less because it's fresh, and lots of care has been put into the film.

Crime, laughter, violence, insanity and much more have been forged together to make this film which makes up it's titular character and the world around him. Is it a DC film? Yes, but that doesn't mean it has to have everything you expect. This film is focused on one character, and one character alone. So, before you go see this movie, and before you decide to boycot this film in any shape or form, you need to forget Batman, forget the comic book Joker, and forget the previous portrayals of the character. This isn't about them, it's about Arthur Fleck. Don't think of this film as a comic book movie. I don't because it won't feel like one, and it doesn't have to. This film will be a work of art and dare I predict that in my opinion this film will be a masterpiece of cinema, which I hope others will follow and create more personal films like this.

Todd Philips has already stated that some fans will hate this movie, and that's fine. If you don't like it, it's understandable because we all know the Joker, and this isn't the Joker we know. Philips claimed that they didn't use any reference material such as specific comic books etc although the trailers show that there is plenty of comic book references in there such as Arthur Fleck wanting to be a comedian just like Joker in 'The Killing Joke'. There's also the matter of being on the talk show which is reminiscent of 'The Dark Knight Returns' and so there is already so much to love about what this film is bringing to live action that other films have not yet done.

Another theory is that this portrayl of Joker is not the 'actual' Joker and that this character will be the influence to the Joker character we know and love. My issue with this series is that a lot of people saying this are the same people stating that Joker doesn't need an origin. So why would he need an influence? He's completely insane and void of almost any emotion, so why would he need an influence or reason to become the Clown Prince of Crime.  This theory revolves around the fact that the small child seen in the first teaser, was confrimed as Bruce Wayne, and so the age difference would be too great by the time Batman comes to Gotham. My argument is this:

Why do we need the Batman?

I get it, the Joker is Batman's most famous villain. He has been for years and he is forever crossing paths with the Bat, but this story doesn't need Batman. Think of it as an elseworld story. Imagine how horrifying a world with the Joker would be without the Batman to stop him. That is what this film seems to offer to us. What will the world be like with a man like Joker and without a man like Batman to stop him. He's free to wreak havoc and no one can stop him. That is why this film will be so good! Fans need to learn to experience more than they're used to. Step out of your comfort zone and experience something new, you might enjoy it! Again, if you don't, that's fine but don't slam it becuase there are plenty of people who will enjoy it.

October cannot come fast enough in my opinion. This film will be amazing and will change the way comic book movies should be approached. I'd love to see films like based on more of the DC characters such as Dr. Johnathan Crane (a.k.a. Scarecrow) set inside Arkham Asylum as he progresses through his experiments whilst battling his own fears, or maybe a story about Batman that explores him transcending through his parents murder into a vigilante. We've had a similar story playout through the series Gotham with young Bruce Wayne portrayed by David Mazouz, but a dark in depth film could work. Not all fans want them, but a lot of fans do. I think there's an opportunity here to really put these characters on the map of cinematic legends, and I predict that this Joker film will be nominated and possibly even recieve an award. Comic Book films are not known for awards, but a film like Joker with actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro are going to be hard to ignore.

Joker is released in Cinema's on October 4th and you can watch the Trailers for the film below!

Teaser Trailer:

Trailer:

[Review] Krypton Season One, Episode 3 - The Rankless Initiative

The story of Seg-El continues as we see what happens now that our trio of unlikely heroes, Seg-El, Adam Strange and Kem, have discovered one of Braniacs scout parasites. The story picks up right after where we left off in episode two, as Seg and Adam take the scout shell to the Fortress of Solitude to seek the help of Seg's grandfather Val-El, who tells them all they need to know about what they've found.

Val-El, Adam Strange and Seg-El in the Fortress of Solitude

This episode gives us a time jump to show us what has happened with brainiacs little scout just three days prior, as the mystery begins to reveal itself about where the parasite is now, which will eventually lead to Kryptons, and Kandor's impending doom of destruction and enslavement.

Seg-El, Adam Strange and Val-El begin to form a plan in order to find the parasite but not before a bit of drama between Seg and Lyta-Zod about her recent fight to the death with her former Captain, due to a disagreement about the Rankless Initiative which gives this episode its title. Though it seem that the initiative has not been stopped so easily as we soon see The Voice of Rao talking about it with Daron-Vex who continues, along with his daughter Nyssa-Vex, to reamain a troubling duo for our hero Seg.

The performances of all the cast remain completely solid as the characters evolve and grow either more heroic or more menacing. Daron-Vex (Elliot Cowan) continues to be a strong leader, with the coward only being portrayed whilst he is in the presence of The Voice of Rao, which gives the still mysterious and very creepy character of The Voice of Rao, a true menacing power over the other characters.

For Lyta-Zod, this episode is all about what is demanded from her peers, and what she believes is right. As the new commander of the law enforcement, she has her orders to take her officers to the rankless slums where Seg-El and Kem live, but she also now has the power to avoid what her previous Commander would have let happen, which is the slaughter of innocent bystanders. However, it appears that her soldiers still find a way to use force, and this causes drama between Lyta and Seg. Once again, Lyta has to choose between what she is ordered to do and what she believes is right.

Lyta-Zod and her mother Jayna-Zod

This episode concentrates less of Superman lore and more on the planets operations from it's corrupt ranked members, to its trigger happy law enforcements to it's innocent rankless, and everything in between that make the planet feel like it's already doomed to be destroyed, not by some off world alien but by it's own inhabitants. There are those willing to do what is right and that gives us a sense of heroism for charcaters like Lyta and Seg, who are doing all they can to keep the peace in these troubling times.

The law enforcers abuse their power over the rankless

The writing of this show is spot on with plenty of drama and action to keep us as an audience, fixed to our screens wanting more with every second that passes. It provides a very realistic civilization that feels human, although more advanced with it's time which makes us remember it's still sci-fi.

If there's one thing I love about this show, it's the design of it all. From sets, to props, and of course costumes. The law enforcement feel like the Stormtroopers of Star Wars but differ enough to stand as their own characters. The costumes for them look awesome and feel very intimidating which is exactly how it should feel especially when in the presence of the rankless, who wear rags. It also makes them appear and feel less human which is always scary, as the masks make them void of any emotion, so that we cannot see if they have any regret or remorse for their actions. Seg's costume portrays his ranked upbringing, despite having lived in the slums for many years, which makes him stand out.

Kryptons Law Enforcement

Seg's new mission is to now save his planet, whilst also trying to save his friend, who is now under the control of Brainiac. Though we have still seen very little of the green intelligence collector himself, his influence and presence is felt in this episode, and it is terrifying.

The answer to Krypton's question 'Is there other life in the universe?' has now been answered, but the high council still have no idea what's coming.

Seg Confronts the host of Brainiac's parasite

This episode gets an 8/10 from me mostly for it's well written, hard hitting drama that helps us see the many dimensions of each of the focal characters. We see Lyta's caring side, whilst also getting a glimpse of her rebellious and commanding side. For Seg, we see his heroic side shine a little more with his determination to save whoever he can rather than simply eliminate them for being under the control of someone else, which is something that would make us all question what is right. There wasn't much action in this episode but it does prove that there doesn't need to be in order for it to be exciting.

The Curse of DC Television Shows

Recent news has broken of the latest DC / Comic TV show to be cancelled, resulting in another sad day for fans. Krypton is the latest show to be cancelled after a short lived two seasons. The news comes because apparently the audience ratings were lower than expected.

Krypton is the most recent comic book adapted television show to be cancelled by their studios or networks either due to low audience ratings or issues with production. Shows such as Swamp Thing, Happy!, and Lucifer (although it was picked up by another network) have all been victim to these cancellations along with many other shows. However, each one has recieved backlash from fans for the cancellations with many fans starting petitions to renew the shows or even have characters brought back via appearances in other shows such as Constantine, played by Matt Ryan, becoming a series regular in DC's Legends of Tomorrow after his show was cancelled.

Constantine (Matt Ryan) & Sara Lance (Caity Lotz)

So what's been going wrong?

Although we know nothing can really be done about audience ratings, although I personally don't think these shows get as much advertisement as they deserve. I heard about Krypton on Social Media, and didn't see a single advertisement on television though I suspect they appeared specifically on the channel on which the show was aired (SyFy). However I think that shows like this need to reach a larger target audience, and I believe the best way to do that is by using streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime and other services like them. This way the studios can reach the target audiences they need. Just look at shows like Stranger Things, because that probably shares a similar audience to the comic book franchises and that has done phenomonally well due it being on Netflix.
     I myself don't watch television nowadays, and so I don't see any of the advertisements for new shows unless they appear on my twitter feed, so maybe the networks need to explore more ways of advertisement for those of us who have ditched the old ways, so to speak.

In regards to the other shows that seem to have been cancelled due to production issues, it feels like the studios don't understand how important these shows are to the fans. Characters like Swamp Thing, Constantine, Lucifer etc. are all characters that get very little time in the spotlight. There have been movies previously for Constantine and Swamp Thing which recieved somewhat negative reviews due to not being as closely adapted as fans wanted or for poor production visuals, although the issues with production probably came from the time in which they were made because CGI effects, practical effects have evolved incredibly over the years in both film and television.
     TV shows now have the production budgets of low budget films to some extent so we have all the opportunities to bring the world of comic book movies to life, and if these recent shows have proven anything, it's that the people working on these shows have done just that, brought the comics to life and audiences are loving the shows so far.

I've heard nothing but great things about Swamp Thing, and I've recently started watching Krypton and so far it's been a great show. I've enjoyed the idea of seeing Superman's home planet before Kal-El even exists because it gives us whole new stories that can't be viewed as poor adaptations to the stories we already know and love. Krypton has been adapting some of Superman's greatest villains, and we didn't need to see any of Superman to make it work.

Are comic book TV shows just doomed from the start?

DC recently released Titans earlier this year (for Netflix viewers), and that show has not only been renewed for a second series, but it also spawned the Doom Patrol series which has also been renewed for a second season. However, can we expect them to continue for much longer with the way things have been going for these types of shows?

As fans we can only hope another network picks these shows up so that we can continue to see them thrive and evolve into something even greater. Hopefully Titans and Doom Patrol can continue to entertain audiences and producers enough to stay alive at least until there's a memorable story arc which is finished properly and not leaving fans with thousands of questions. These shows deserve the chance to shine because they're important to us as fans, because they explore stories and worlds we haven't seen yet, with enough familiar material for us to appreciate what we have been given.

What are your thoughts on the cancellations of these types of shows?

Are comic book shows doomed to be short lived all the time?

Which one(s) would you save?

[Review] Krypton Season 1, Episode 2 - House of El

Episode two shows the story of Seg-El begin to unfold, as he comes closer to becoming a member of the House of Vex, which would truly see the extinction of the House of El. However, Seg-El is not quite ready to let his family crest be forgotten, and neither is Adam Strange, the Earthling time traveller who warns Seg-El about the impending approach of the merciless world collector, Brainiac.

Seg's relationship with Nyssa-Vex however proves to be becoming quite strong as she appears to aid him with his personal dilemmas such as his parents demise and not being allowed to give them a traditional burial.
     Nyssa-Vex, portrayed by Wallis Day, is a beautiful high class Kryptonian, who appears to be very two faced. Portraying herself as a caring, with hopes for her future with Seg, she is soon revealed to be plotting with her father against the her suiter.  After all, she is the daughter of Daron-Vex (Elliot Cowan) who is the voice of the council, who sent Seg's grandfather, Val-El (Ian McElhinney) to his execution. Daron-Vex seems to be doing everything in his power to rid Krypton of the House of El bloodline, and convince everyone that there is no threat, and no other planets.

Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) & Nyssa-Vex (Wallis Day)

 Similar to us mere humans, Kryptonians seem to believe that they are the only life in the universe. This is why Val-El, Charys-El, and Ter-El were all executed, leaving Seg as the last of his bloodline. Though he now seems more determined than ever to remain known as a rankless member of his former family, rather than become a Vex.

Seg-El & Val-El (Ian McElhinney) in the Fortress of Solitude

We are treated to more classic tropes and nods from the Superman mythos as Seg-El discovers his grandfathers hologram in the Fortress of Solitude, but not before he realises that his blood is what makes the machine operate, and when he connects his blood with the machines surface, we are treated to a stunning visual of the familiar 'S' symbol again, but this time it is lit up with the classic colours of red and yellow, creating a great visual effect for the series to treat fans to.

Adam Strange, along with Seg's best friend Kem (portrayed by Rasmus Hardiker) travel on a little mission of their own to see how long they have left until the fearsome Braniac arrives, only to discover he is closer than they feared, leaving very little time for the heroes and the rest of Krypton to prepare. So far, the setting of Krypton has been focused on the city of Kandor, which as Superman fans will know, is the city that lies miniaturised in Superman's Fortress of Solitude after he defeated Brainiac. Therefore, Kandors fate in this show could very well be full of doom, as the team of unlikely heroes discover that Brainiac is no longer close by, because he's already here!

This episode had more great action and drama following the story a little more of Lyta-Zod, who decides that she no longer agrees with her Captains ideas, as the soldiers begin to equip themselves with bigger guns, in order to terrorise and execute the rankless living in the slums, should they show any sign of being involved with what is known as Black Zero.
     Lyta-Zod opposes this idea due to her love for Seg, and so she attempts to talk to her commander, and her mother, but with no luck she is left with little choice. She decides that the best way to stop the soldiers, is to command them, and so she challenges her Captain for the right of command, which in traditional Kryptonian fashion, means a fight to the death. This fight is when we see Lyta-Zod evolve from the young caring love interest, into a strong independant woman who is not to be messed with and most certainly should not be underestimated.

Lyta-Zod takes comand

Overall I give this episode a 8/10 because it's still feeling a little unexplored, but then again I suppose it's a series that's more for fans of the Superman mythos, whereas I have little knowledge on the rest of this universe and it's characters, but it is still very entertaining and there is a lot yet to be answered as we move through this series. My issues lie mostly within some of the characters feeling a little dull, but not to say that they won't become interesting, it's just that I personally like to get to know certain important characters as soon as possible, and this show is leaving a lot of questions for me which may or may not be answered. Only time will tell.

[Review] Hellboy Animated: Iron Shoes - Short

Introduction:

In 2006, following the success of the live action Hellboy film by Guillermo del Toro, it seems as though the cast weren't quite finished playing their roles in this universe of dark, lovecraftian and folklore horror, and decided to reprise them, or at least their voices, for Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms, which also turned out to be successful, and so there were two other Hellboy Animations produced. One was a feature length called Blood & Iron and the other was a short animation called Iron Shoes, based on the comics of the same name. These animations would soon prove helpful in the promotion of the upcoming Hellboy sequel 'Hellboy 2: The Golden Army' with many of the main cast returning such as Ron Perlman as Hellboy, Selma Blair as Liz Sherman, and Doug Jones as Abe Sapien.

Iron Shoes was included as a special feature on the home release DVD of Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron.

Review:

The film opens up with Hellboy visiting a ruined tower, whilst an voiceover speaks over the top, which is presumably the man who sent Hellboy on this mission in the first place. Ron Perlman reprises his voice for the protagonist, as Hellboy discovers an odd creature lurking in the shadows of the ruins. This creature is apparently based upon the English folklore of 'Red Caps'.

Red Caps are small, murderous goblin creatures who hide away in ruins of castles and is called Red Cap for it's famed act of dipping it's cap in the blood of it's victims, staining it red. Mike Mignola gave a short introduction at the beginning of this short film (as I'm watching this on the Blood and Iron DVD Special Features) and tells us that he replaced the 'red cap' with 'iron shoes' because he simply preferred the title 'The Iron Shoes'.
     He also admits, that he believes The Iron Shoes is complimented more as an animation than the story was as a comic book.

The art of the animation is great as it adapts some of the famous art style of Mike Mignola's original comic books, using deep shadowing when he enters the ruined tower, leaving only Hellboys eyes a bright yellow upon his face.

Not much else can be said about this as it really is only a short animation, with a run time of around 3 minutes. This is a fun little action short that gives you some idea of what the feature length animations are like. Rating this along with the other would be unfair, so I'll sign off by simply stating that this animation is really cool, and adds that little bit extra to the Hellboy universe.