robalexhawk

If the Dark Disciple, one of the most popular and best written Disney novels, didn't exist then this would be a really decent episode opening the door to giving an excellent CW character some closure.

However, the novel does exist, based on an unreleased arc of CW before it was all cancelled by Disney, and in it she dies at the hands of Dooku. Overall a very tragic, but fitting end to the character.

SW executives said before this season of Bad Batch was released that the appearance of Ventress in the trailer would not contradict established Canon. Clearly they lied.

This just leaves the door open for Disney to rewrite any plot point or character death that Star Wars has ever had. For all we know Vader or Obi Wan could rock up in some post-Sequel spinoff What's worse is that Ventress hasn't so far been needed in Bad Batch at all. We've not actually learnt any more about her, or how she miraculously came back from the dead.

I've always had massive respect and love for Filoni and what he gave us with CW, Rebels, Tales of the Jedi, but sadly he has failed Star Wars massively in the decision to bring back Ventress.

In Bruges is without a doubt one of, if not my favourite comedy film. McDonagh's masterful crafting of a film that is so hilarious, yet explores such dark themes makes this a very enjoyable watch.

The plot centres around two hitmen sheltering in the Belgian town of Bruges after a job gone wrong. Over the course of the film, they must get to grips with life in Bruges and all it has to offer, whilst awaiting instructions from their boss.

The plot is driven by the exceptional performances delivered by Colin Firth and Brendan Gleeson. The clash of personalities between the two, in particular their views on their 'holiday' in Bruges, makes for hilarious viewing. The threatening presence of Ralph Fiennes as their boss in the background adds a (comedic) menace to their situation. It is the stellar acting from these three, as well as great performances from the supporting cast, such as Clemence Poesy, that make this such a good film.

The humour is not for everyone. It is far from politically correct and is very encompassing in who it could offend. But it is the way it is presented, and the characters who deliver it, that makes the film so unique. The tragic, almost pathetic situation the two hitmen are faced with, as they reflect on their lives, represents this best. It brings up numerous deeper issues, the value of life and death, guilt, principles.

This is a film that very much fits into the category of serious comedy. It makes you really think about life, whilst laughing yourself half to death. The cinematography, tone and music all play their part in making Bruges what it is. A humorous look at some of the lowest depths a person can reach and the decisions they make whilst there.

As a big fan of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, I've always been a bit sceptical about modern remakes. However, for the most part, I enjoyed Sherlock.

+Great Acting: Cumberbatch and Freeman make an excellent pairing as Holmes and Watson, Freeman in particular shows the depth of his acting +Most of the supporting cast do a good job, I particularly enjoyed Lars Mikkelsen's character though I think the writing did his character disservice +The writing is mostly good with some inventive ways of twisting the original stories

-I did not enjoy Moriarty as a character. Rather than being a criminal mastermind, a shadowy figure akin to a spider in the background, he's presented as a lunatic with ridiculous schemes, the ability to pull of any crime somehow and is just annoying. Whilst the acting is good, the character isn't. Plus he is overused. -Some of the story choices are odd to say the least e.g. what they did with Mary, Holme's fake death, the waste of Mikkelsen's character.

At first when I started this series, I thought it would be just another typical gangster TV show with not much of a plot or well developed characters. However, season 3 onward, the show really grew on me.

The overall story arcs I found really engaging and interesting. You weren't just watching one gangster shoot another gangster, you were watching characters you cared about get into interesting and varied predicaments. Though each season was often slow at the start, though I didn't mind this personally, the way they built up to the finales was fantastic, not a single one disappointed.

The characters were also really well developed. Again unlike your typical gangster flick, where you like the characters because of the stealing and murdering and racketeering they get into, in Boardwalk Empire you actually get the sense that the mob bosses are real people with real motivations. This is best seen in Nucky Thomson but also with others, though in Al Capone's case I found he got crueller, nastier and less humorous as the seasons went by.

The setting and cinematography was also great, helped by the show's choice of music. Previously, I'd never thought of Atlantic City as much of a place, being an Englishman, but by the end I felt like I had gotten to no and love it. Overall, a great TV show which I would think is suited to quite a wide audience, not gangster film fans.