(episode review) - Fallout

I used to have a Nintendo growing up. Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and then I went onto the Sony PlayStation. I had a PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and then I went on to the Microsoft Xbox. Xbox 360 to Xbox 360 Elite (It was still an Xbox 360, but my previous one had the red ring of death), and I was looking for something cool to play. It was under recommendation that I got into Fallout, and the game's cover looked cool. A meaningful-looking helmet-mask thing. This was Fallout 3. Although I am a bit of a completionist, I would ideally want to know the full story and play it from the beginning, not from Fallout 3. However, upon designing my character and getting into the story, I did not realise that the story of Fallout 3 was not really connected to Fallout 2. It was not a continuation of any previous story, and having purchased and played Fallout 4, my understanding of the Fallout franchise is, a bunch of different stories told with different protagonists, at different times, in different places of the world and with different people involved. The only thing that links the games is the setup, I guess.  I really enjoyed the game. In a nutshell (and loose potential spoiler for the TV show), a vault dweller is the term used for someone who lived in an underground vault when World War 3 happened and a nuclear fallout occurred. These people lived under the ground for hundreds of years, and your character leaves the vault under the impression that the world above has poisonous air, is unsafe and uninhabitable. Whilst this is not necessarily far from the truth, your character finds their way above ground, and you go on a quest. If I remember correctly, you are looking for somewhere called 'Eden' where life is meant to be pleasant, and I think the man behind the Eden Project wants to purify the radiated water in the wasteland, but on your way there, you can come across many, many, many hostiles. The surface people, people called Raiders, Ghouls, Feral Ghouls, Robots, Mutants, The Brotherhood, insects and animals changed by the nuclear fallout, so they tend to be double or triple in size and mutated. This post-apocalyptic landscape is not safe, and radiation can be found in a lot of pockets of different towns that could eventually kill you. This first episode was very similar to the game.

The cold open was excellent. The visual depiction of an atomic bomb going off and the shock and horror sold it to me. My jaw dropped. I even clapped when the opening credits started. After we are introduced to our main person, there are various attacks which occur and a massacre. Visually, it was great. When I think of the nonsense and tongue-in-cheek elements of the game, they have recreated it and translated it to the screen successfully. There are things in the game that make no sense, also no sense in the show, but if you are somewhat with the show at the point you see someone get killed with a projected doll's leg and you laugh and shrug it off, the show has you. It's silly, but it works in the game, and it works here. When playing the game, you use a device on your arm called a Pitboy. A Pitboy is like a watch, but so much more like a mini-computer, as it is very advanced. Chunky in size, but not only does it tell you the time, date, month, mood, etc, but it also informs you of your radiation poisoning, intoxication, and heart rate, among other things, such as how heavy your items are (in the game, of course). You can also use its system called V.A.T.S (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System), which allows you to look at an enemy and see where you can strike someone with percentages of how successful the strike would be to do the most damage to incapacitate them or kill them. You often see limbs flying off, blood and gore flying everywhere. It is not only hilarious (if you are a sadistic person like me), but it is a gaming mechanic which is just enjoyable to watch as time slows down and you aim your pistol, shotgun, baseball bat, Fatman or flaming sword. And yes, Fatman, a device that fires mini-nukes to totally obliterate the enemy. This show in the first episode has managed the capture the core of what makes the games great, and this first episode was interesting. Split into 3 parts, you get the learn bout the characters and I am guessing, how they will come together later in the story. A marvellous first episode.

(trailer review) - Fallout

I got onto the game series Fallout when I purchased Fallout 3. I did not see a Fallout 1 or 2 on the Xbox Elite, so I took the game as it was and I played it. A Role-Playing game unlike others I had played before (Final Fantasy) and if I am honest, it might have been due to some good words about the game, plus the box cover looked cool enough which led me to purchase it. I played the game and I really enjoyed it. Your character is part of a colony who have chosen to live in an underground bunker to protect themselves from a nuclear fallout. After many years, you decide to leave the bunker and step into the world which is now a wasteland. You are essentially a wanderer travelling from town to town meeting and helping various people and also trying to stay alive within a hostile environment. This trailer seems as though it has captured (to an extent) what the game is about. I say to an extent because there are many people in their vault onesies whereas in the game, there are not many vault people left alive.

Now from my understanding, Fallout 3, 4, 76 and New Vegas were different stories with different people in different cities/states who leave their vaults and go on adventures. The creatures, ghouls (people who lived in and through the nuclear fallout), mutants and such are essentially the same in each game with minor changes here and there. There are robots, people labelled raiders and different factions and groups such as the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave & Brotherhood Outcasts etc, so all games are different although they all tend to start the same.
What I will expect from this show, is exactly what I have seen in regards to what I have mentioned above, but a brand new story from the perspective of this female protagonist. Seeing the robots and the ghouls looked cool, but it would be interesting to see how far they take it, with Feral ghouls, mutants, super mutants, Mirelurks and Death claws. Let's see what this show has to offer. So far, a little dodgy looking in regards to special effects, but it does look like it will be pretty decent, if executed well, of course. That Power Armour though, wow! Spot on.

(episode review) - She-Hulk: Episode 7

We are now 7 episodes deep and I have my positives and negatives about this episode. The show has an overarching plot regarding Jen's blood. This was set up in the very first episode when Bruce destroys the blood in the test tubes. He even says as much.

The other element to this episode is the Abomination angle. Emil Blonski is demonstrating he is a changed man and is working on himself and helping others with their issues. In turn this help Jen with herself. All this I did not mind at all, but the other characters in the show felt a little nonsensical or rather, I was not a fan of the character designs or portrayals as they felt forced and sloppy.  Whilst the comedy is good in places, the character designs reminded me of cosplay and I think, for the most part, we could have had better, whilst I do understand that they do not have the budget. Are these mutants? What would the X-Men look like when it's all said and done?

The story behind the episode was good and as usual, the music is great. The comedy element was not bad at all...or should I say, not terrible as I did have a few laughs, but I just felt, maybe the show should make more of a stronger b-line for the overarching plot at this point of the series. Plus, some elements of the show is too predictable or at least, the reveal at the end of this episode.

(trailer review) - The Mandalorian: Season 3

It goes without saying that the franchise that is Star Wars has been pretty divided since Disney bought Lucas Films, but The Mandalorian has been the only part of the franchise that everyone seems to love.  Season 2 was very good and built up from the first season although every episode seemed like a fetch-quest in a role-playing game, but for the most part, The Mandalorian comes across as a better version of Boba Fett, the character. So, with that said, it definitely goes without saying, that The Mandalorian is one of the most eagerly anticipated Star Wars stories that star wars fans are looking forward to, especially if you saw the appearances he had in The Book of Boba Fett.

Pedro Pascal's voice/movement or whichever is excellent, even if it IS just a stunt double under the helmet, but the story of the Mandalorian is getting better and better by the season and with the introduction of Bo Katan and the Mandalorian lore surrounding the Dark Sabre, this season is going to be soo good if executed well. I will say that, I would love to see a 'Game of Thrones'-esk show with Mandalore and maybe that can spin off after this, but with clan vs. clan, the Knightwatch and maybe even remnants of those mandalorian who followed Darth Maul, it would definitely be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Definitely a must watch if you like Star Wars and more so if you have already started and have seen or have some interest in The Clone Wars and the stories in that. With THAT said, maybe a special cameo from Boba might redeem his character a little. I liked the series, but the execution was not terrific.

(trailer review) - Halo

Halo has been rumoured for possibly, a decade by now.  I mean the film Elysium came out in August 2013 and I'm pretty sure, at least 3-4 years before then, they have been talking about a Halo movie.  You see, Halo is based on a video game starring a character called John, number 117 but better known as Master Chief. There is all types of lore and background and such and maybe we will get into that in this series, but seeing lots of short films, fan films and the graphics for the Halo games, this HAD TO BE a movie at some point. Alas, they have decided to make this into a series.

The reason why this has taken soo long, well...it is more about money, politics and the environment of video games made into movies.  Only recently, video games have caught traction and those behind movies and series (just like the comic book genre) are starting to under how they can deliver narrative from a video game (just like how it's taken years to do that with comic book stories) so having Halo as a series now, is a big deal!

Judging from this trailer, this looks good. I mentioned Elysium because when I watched that movie back in the day, it reminded me of Halo in a way and I'm guessing, because that movies wasn't well received, made Halo wait even longer, but with such shows like The Witcher, Game of Thrones and such, hopefully... hopefully this TV series by Paramount does well as the story of Halo is great and seeing the Master Chief in this trailer was cool. I think we just need to see some Grunts and Brutes as well as characters like The Arbiter. Yoooo, can we have Keith David still? Such a great voice actor.

(series review) [STREAMING] - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

If you haven't watched my reviews of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier LEGEND trailers, I will give you a small brief of the two main characters.  The Falcon and The Winter Soldier are both Captain America's friend from two different times in history.  The Winter Soldier dates back to when Steve Rogers first joined the Army and The Falcon dates back to when Steve Rogers first becomes a Avenger.  At the end of the movie Avenger's Endgame [SPOILER ALERT!!!] Steve Rogers gives Sam Wilson his iconic Shield...and from that point, this is where the shows pics up from.

This is essentially a 6 hour movie broken down into episodic chunks that picks up after the events of Endgame and where having now come back, fighting a huge war, the mourning of the loss of a friend/teammate, The Avengers have essentially disbanded and The Falcon is back in the Army on special missions.  Sam Wilson, now with Captain America's shield believes the only way to honour Steve Rogers and the Shield is to hand it to the Smithsonian to be apart of the Captain America Exhibit.  While this seems to be a great idea at first and the Government are all for it, but it doesn't take the Government long to appoint a new Captain America, shield and all.

The Winter Soldier, post the events of Endgame has been pardoned conditionally by the government and can live out a somewhat normal life.  He is seeking counselling as part of his pardon and is trying to make amends where he can.  But after having seen a new Captain America appointed, James 'Bucky' Barnes makes contact with Sam with grievances as to why he would "simply" give up the Shield which is now in the hands of John Walker the new Captain America.  This confrontation leads them on the trail to "terrorists", people with supersoldier-like abilities who call themselves The Flag Smashers.  In a confrontation with The Flag Smashes, the New Captain America and his "side-kick" Lemar Hoskins aka Battlestar joins the fight which leads to him stepping on toes.  As the show goes on with both Sam and Bucky trying to figure out the mystery of where the serums are coming from to make super powered individuals, leads them to characters like Zemo, The Powerbroker, Isiah Bradley and the many secrets behind the actions of the government and what it means to be Captain America and to hold the shield.  All this is compounded with the Flag Smashers actions and threats headed by their leader Karli Morgenthau.  Chosen by Steve Rogers for a reason, can Sam do what it takes?

This show, although it was meant to be the first TV series out of the gate last year until the pandemic hit forcing Disney to restructure the show's plot and their TV shows, Wandavison came out first.  I'm not sure if this was a stroke of genius or the only card Disney could play but during a pandemic, Wandavision was a breath of fresh air.  Wandavision has or at least, seems to have had a better track-record with audience participation due to the sheer quality and delivery of the show.  The show was brilliant keeping us guessing from episode to episode, everybody was Mephisto!  That does not mean The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is rubbish or pales in comparison, it just means that TFATWS delivers the classic and already tried and tested Marvel formula with added grit and touching topics a Marvel movie may briefly skim the surface of.  The show is deep rooted in comic book history as well as real life history while it touches on racism in America and some might argue, today's Black Lives Matter movement, although I don't subscribe to that as I believe it touches on racism as a whole and how we view people.  It touches on what we deem as politics with labelling issues we do not wish to address and shove under the rug with labelling, how people see the government, how the government see people and how certain people see people.  The show is very very layered touching on these themes which I'd only like to hope will help open the eyes of the viewers and real life events and situations the plague our society now.  The Irony I saw in this show comes with comments such as "TFATWS is too political" in which I would question that statement with, "what makes the show political for you?"  There is a speech near the end of the show, slightly heavy handed in it's delivery but touches on the very nature of people's thoughts on matters they do not wish to go into and discuss.  Labelling something political doesn't make it political, it makes it an issue and something you are not willing to address and stay ignorant to, that doesn't make the problem/issue magically go away.

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan as James Barnes are both excellent in this. The pair do a lot of acting without even saying a word and whilst there are some very very powerful scenes, the quiet moments or quiet storytelling and the comradery between them help deliver such a bromance we saw glimpses of in Captain America: Civil War.  Daniel Bruhl's character as Zemo is somewhat a scene stealer whenever he pops up, but if there was anyone who deserves as much credit as Anthony and Sebastian, is Wyatt Russell as John Walker.  This is also a story for John Walker as well as Sam and without going into spoilers, seeing more of John as the show goes on and how time will go on, will be great because the evolution of his character and how he is portrayed is like watching a train-wreck.  Erin Kellyman, although somewhat typecast is also great, but it would have been nice to see or understand a bit more of her backstory as it seems elements were cut due to the 2020 pandemic and shifting part of the narrative.  There are action scenes a plenty, but from the introduction of The Powerbroker, wondering who that person was, was a weekly guess, but we are talking about a buddy cop superhero action adventure soaked in espionage, so it would be nice to se if we could see a lot these characters return at some point and that Mephisto is in fact, the Powerbroker.

(series review) [STREAMING] - The Boys: Season 2

So last year, we were taken aback by two major superhero TV shows.  You would have thought the world had Superhero Fatigue, but in all honesty, us superhero content lovers simply are not tired from the movies and many other TV shows there is out there, but we do want something different, something a bit more edgy, something more adult and we got it with Umbrella Academy season 1 and The Boys season 1.
Having looked into my crystal ball or having been told by a future version of myself that had travelled back in time, I knew to take up reviewing TV series and trailers because the year 2020 was going to be a colossal mess.  I only took that up around November of last year so, with that said, this review will be a little longer just to recap the events of season 1 which came months before I started.  I will try not to give away too many spoilers for those who still have not watched.

The world of The Boys is set in a world where Superheroes are real.  They are the ultimate crime fighters who do the jobs the police are unable to do or not quick enough to get to.  The main Superheroes, 'The Seven' are corporately run by a company called Vought who govern the Supes and all their actions.  They often tell the supes which crimes to stop and handle all media and media coverage to ensure every superhero is portrayed in a positive light.  Not a bad thing when your PR is handled, but when a supe accidentally runs through a young woman named Robyn, Hughie's girlfriend and tries to cover it up, Hughie is approached by William Butcher who gets Hughie on his side to help him take down the company Vought and all their Superheroes.

William Butcher has a personal vendetta against Vought and their superheroes, especially the leader of The Seven, The Homelander.  The Boys (the series title name) refers to a group of people led by William (Billy) and consist of Mother's Milk and Frenchie.  As The Boys discover that Vought may be behind some nefarious activities involving a formula called 'Compound V' they find on a supply run carried out by the Supe known as A-Train, The Boys do their best trying to take down Vought and expose their foul play.  Hughie meets a lady named Annie and they begin to form a friendship, but when Hughie kills a Supe and other incidents start to occur with members of The Seven and they begin to come to light, all hell breaks lose and The Seven start to close in on The Boys, including Annie, who is also a Supe.

As Billy Butcher gets closer to achieving his now life long mission of taking down The Homelander, Billy gets confronted by a revelation which reinforces his new motivation and pushes him in a new direction whilst still trying to take down Vought.  An organisation called 'The Church of the Collective' poach The Deep by way of Eagle the Archer and they proceed to try and help The Deep with his problems but things become increasingly difficult when a new member of The Seven named Stormfront enters, who is an instant hit with the fans of The Seven pushing The Homelander aside.  Whilst Stormfront has her own past, with help from The Boys, Billy continues to try and expose Vought for their crimes and with the introduction of a newer and younger Supe, heads start to explode as Billy gets closer and closer to the truth which leave The Boys in a head-on confrontation with not only the new and very powerful Stormfront, but also, The Homelander.

I've tried my upmost to try and keep this review as spoiler-free as possible and with the nature of this show, it is difficult as there is soo much going on at any one time with different story-arcs for characters and the situations presented.  A few flashbacks here and there and whilst you might think one person is the main enemy, another rears it's head, then another, then another.  In some cases you are routing for the bad guy and in other cases, the "good" guys seem just as bad as the bad guys with parallels that mirror specific characters, almost identically like, you are to choose the lesser of two evils.

There is a lot of character development with a lot of the characters as the seasons go on whilst some characters remain a mystery.  Season 2 also introduces a host of new characters with background stories that further the plot and over-arching story arch that pushes The Boys into season 3 and beyond.  The acting is superb by Karl Urban, Jack Quaid and Erin Moriarty, but the prize goes to Antony Starr, hands down, as a very complex character with lots of layers.  Whilst other actors such as Laz Alonso and Chace Crawford is also great supporting cast, the delivery of their characters along with the main cast help push the story along with ushering along the completely absurd scenes and situations in the show making them seem more credible and at times, grounded.  The secrets, the lies, the mystery, it is ALL there, but most of all, this show is NOT for the faint hearted.  The blood, the guys, the profanity, it is all there.  If you want something different and more adult which is up your comic book alley, the The Boys will definitely be for you.

(series review) [STREAMING] - DC's Stargirl

Greg Berlanti is the one guy who I can imagine in the most recent of years to be the living and breathing depiction of Scrooge McDuck jumping off of a diving board into a pool of money.  You see, he is solely responsible (to my knowledge anyway) for every single DC show you are seeing now, hearing of or have seen in recent years.
In 2012, the show Arrow starring Stephen Amell played the DC character Green Arrow.  Fans and critics alike deemed the show to be a Batman "Rip-off", not rip-off per-say but, his enemies were Batman's enemies.  That didn't stop the show as the show was great and improved by each season.  I believe it was season 2 where they introduced Barry Allen whom would later become The Flash, to then have his own series a year later, introducing crossovers from each show and then expanding the now aptly titled 'Arrowverse (Arrow universe) wider to include lot of other heroes and different teams throughout DC history.  Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman and the up and coming Superman & Lois, not to mention other DC shows he helps to produce, Titans, Doom Patrol and Stargirl.  Even when you watch the Chillin Adventures of Sabrina, Greg's name is there! But without him and his input and efforts, Stargirl may not have been made and be as good as it is.

I'm not sure which year Stargirl takes place, whether before the Arrowverse characters as I'm assuming, techinically, it is meant to be as Stargirl is part of the Justice Society of America which comes before the Justice League of America, but the JSA have been wiped out by the villains.  The villains win and the sole survivor, Stripesy meets and marrys a lady named Barbara, Courtney's mother and they move to a town called Blue Valley and he leaves his past behind him.  Unfortunately, Courtney stumbles across the Cosmic Staff, previously held by Starman and would ONLY work for Starman, Courtney, now Stargirl wants to pick up where Starman left off and try to uncover a plot of villainy.

This show is decent and well worth the watch.  Having watched ALL of The Arrow episodes season after season, fairly caught up with The Flash, up-to-date with Supergirl, Black Lightning and Titans (although Titans is a separate thing, kinda), I'd like to say that Stargirl has the tone of the Arrowverse, especially shows like Supergirl and The Flash as it is fairly lighthearted, but it does have some slightly darker elements, not enough to be Arrow dark or Black Lightning dark in some cases, but we are talking about a bunch of teens taking on supervillians and these supervillains are no joke.

With that said, the choreography, like all the aforementioned shows have been amazing.  This show, blatantly wirework, but the use of movement with these characters are excellent.  As stiffly fluid as they possibly can as most of if not all of the fight scenes are practical.  There are some fights that are blatantly special effects but most of the special effects are for other elements of the show, so i found that the fighting scenes were very entertaining.  Yes you can tell it is wirework, but the fights are just great.  These teens get slapped up soo much, it made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions.  They do give as hard as they get in some cases and the work with the cosmic staff is excellent.

The cosmic staff is essentially its own character.  If you are into Marvel movies and know about Thor's trusty hammer, the cosmic staff is similar to that in the sense that only the user can use it, but the staff is sentient.  The staff moves by itself, helps the user to fly, flashes a bright light and can be used as a formidable weapon in combat.  The way the staff moves with and around Stargirl helping her whilst she is wielding the staff is nothing like i've ever seen before.  The staff does however come across as very convenient to plot and story though.  When they want to have the staff work for the story or move/act in a particular way, it would. If they don't want it to work in a particular way and they want to show Courtney get hurt or whatever, then it won't.  There were times I felt like the Staff could have assisted Courtney in moments and it did nothing.

Onto doing nothing, some of these villains were just in the show for the numbers.  Some were pointless and others didn't really show face until the end and still didn't do anything.  I liked that some of the villains were selfish, had their own goals and ideas which caused conflict between some of them, that was good, but for the most part, you only had possibly 3-4 villains which were great and entertaining.  The music was decent and just overall, the story was intriguing enough to have you engaged.  A little fluffy and bubblegum in places but I liked how they managed to balance teenage angst and heroism.  If you can watch the show. It would be interesting how a second season would go especially how it ended.

(series review) [STREAMING] - Warrior Nun

I stumbled across this show because it was one of the first things I saw when I turned on my Netflix one day.  It was the scene where she's being hit and the weapon in phasing through the girl and she's surprised that she couldn't feel anything.  My brain instinctively went to me recalling something I read in a Facebook group I'm in for film and TV shows, I remember someone distinctively saying they were enjoying the show.  So with this in mind, I decided to watch the show and see if I would too, enjoy the show.  Sigh.



Warrior Nun is about an ancient order of nuns who protect the living from the demons that roam the Earth.  The demons are looking for an artefact known to the nuns as a Halo in which was passed down from an entity/angel during the Great Crusades in order to save a dying woman.  The halo gave her powers and has been a part of the Order of the Cruciform Sword (OCS) ever since being passed down.  However, one day a tetraplegic orphan awakes in a morgue with new found powers haven been given the Halo and now she must help the OCS fend off and defeat the demons which are after the Halo.



This series is actually very decent and I only have a few gripes with the show and I'll list them out first. Although the acting is fine, I had more issue with with dialogue in places and the lead/main actress does come across as annoying in the way she speaks and her behaviour.  However, having learned that the show derives from a Manga Anime, led me to be more forgiving.  In addition to that, she IS a teenager.  Another gripe I had was the middle of the season, as it drags and you could fully cook a full three-course meal over 2-3 episodes and still wouldn't have missed much.  The whole, I want to be a teenager and live life was played out for way too long.  I didn't mind the love/hate dynamics between a couple of the characters though.  Which leads me to saying, 10 episodes was way too much and they could have done with 8, especially how the show ended which was my biggest gripe with the entire show.  It's fair to say you could get a meal ready over the 3 or so dragging episodes, so at least you'd be able to eat, but how the show ultimately ended was soo abrupt, it really upset me and I just felt that, if the show does not get picked up for a second season, I've wasted 10 episodes and time in my life with a show that could have been executed better and have more pulling power than it currently does.



There are some real strong character building in this show with great background stories for the main characters.  Shotgun Mary (Toya Turner) and Sister Lilith (Lorena Andrea) were amazing. The fighting scenes are great and you can see everything that is happening.  There is a scene with one of the nuns and she takes out a hallway of men, nicely.  Granted the CGI demons can use a little work, but they are not distracting enough to pull you out of the show.  What might distract you is the narrating but other than that and the dragging middle section, the show runs fairly smoothly with character building elements helping you to understand each character, but in regards of the B-Storyline, with the scientist, I was a little confused by that.  And because the show ends abruptly, you are none the wiser as to what happens with the use of the science equipment.



As for villains, the story of Ava is centred in the middle of betrayal, politics and corruption so it is difficult to figure out who to trust as there are twists left and right keeping the viewers on their toes. It was actually funny in the sense of, the church deals with all these things, when you wouldn't necessarily think so. The major twist at the end, I figured it out as it was happening, but you don't see the conclusion of that twist at all...and then at the "final fight" its about to get real juicy and then episode 10 is finished.  Soo annoying.  Music and cinematography was ok, but could have been better, but as I stated, some elements of the show could have been executed more rapidly than dragging them out with throw away characters although they served a small purpose.

(series review) [STREAMING] - The Clone Wars

What can I say about the animated series 'The Clone Wars'?  Well, I'll say that it was something I was never interested in.  It came out at a time where, although Star Wars is for children and adults alike, I thought "why am I going to watch a cartoon series of Star Wars when I have the films".  If I'm honest, I just didn't quite get it.  But I have a love for Star Wars and the overall story of it all.  While a lot cannot tell the difference between a Star Wars from a Star Trek or know if a Klingon choice of weapon is a Lightsabre, this cartoon does a great deal to flesh out in detail what Star Wars is ALL ABOUT and most importantly, how a young Anakin Skywalker becomes one of the most notorious and world famous characters in movie history and the world.

Before I get into all of that though.  A good few years back, I got onto 'The Clone Wars' after hearing about it on podcasts such as 'Jedi Council' among other mediums and I started immediately on where we were at the time.  I believe it was Mid-Season 3 and I watched as much as I could from that point onwards until the last season, season 6.  This was around the time Disney bought Lucasfilm and 'The Clone Wars' was finished.  Although they (the creators), were not done with the story of these characters I had began to like, and now even moreso, separate from the movies.  But Dave Filoni got a chance to finish it off and he came back with Season 7 this year for DisneyPlus and I had started that too, got 4-6 episodes in and then stopped and decided, l"me start from season 1, since I never saw it".  What's the point, right? Well, I just wanted to be a completionist when it came to this.  I wanted to know about Mandelore and Ahsoka etc.  However, this does not mean I watched the separate Clone Wars movie because I heard it was trash and I simply wasn't about to get into that.  Especially as I was told you can watch from season 1, nevermind the Clone Wars movie.  Not to be confused with 'Attack of the Clones'.

Like I guessed, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is or should I say started off for children.  I mean for all intents and purposes, it is a children's show, but there are some dark elements and they do not at all shy away from the aspect of war, I mean, it's called Star Wars, right?  Though there is no blood and no gruesome deaths on screen, they manage to walk a fine line to cater for children.  The other side of that line is catering for the fans, adults and the lore of the star wars world in which they do an amazing job.  From season to season, not only do they get stronger, but the lore gets richer, deeper and graphically, the graphics and animation gets better as well.  Where I binged it from season 1 to 7, you gradually see small differences with each season and in some cases, where they applied more details because it needed it and less in other places.  However, season 7 looks amazing!!!

Season 1 to season 2 is about learning where we are in the Skywalker story.  Anakin is under the tutelage of Ben Kenobi but to help curve his duties as a Padawan to Ben, he has also been given a Padawan in Ahsoka, a younger and eager Force user.  She is meant to ground Anakin as Anakin is hot headed and always angry.  But as the show goes on, you see she can be a little annoying and that really helps the story overall especially with her growth.  You get to see the camaraderie between Anakin and Ben and although how Anakin can be hard headed and brash, he is also very exceptional as a Jedi Master, though the council doesn't appoint him as one. 

You get to experience what it is like through the eyes of the clones themselves.  Each clone has a number, but every clone has a personality in which later on through the series, they are given names.

The Clone Wars is not just about the heroes though, a lot of the villains are there too.  Count Doku, General Grievous and even Darth Maul.  The latter, a real surprise and there is also a story arc that helps clear up how we get from a man severed in half to showing up in the movie Star Wars: A Solo Story.  The show also introduces other characters such as Boba Fett, Cad Bane among other Bounty Hunters, space pirates like Hondo and other Siths, such as Asajj Ventress.  You also get to see that there are many many other Jedi' and some even speak and have stories of their own.  Some are really cool and it would have been nice to see them in the movies.

Star Wars though, has mainly been about the fight between good and evil.  The lightside and the darkside.  Doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing.  War.  Politics.  War profiteering.  In this show, you get to see every cog in the wheel of the grand plan of the Sith rising and destroying the Jedi to rule the galaxy with 1 person potentially being the foil to bring balance.  The Clone Wars digs deep into all of this and helps you to understand how the shift to the darkside was not overnight.  The films are around 2 hours and although Anakin is much older in Revenge of the Sith, you don't really get a duration of how long the Clone Wars were.  You witness the grooming.  You see the parts coming together and what is happening behind closed doors with the Senate, the Republic and the separatists.  They do a great job in weaving the story in, whilst trying to make you feel engaged and involved with the characters such as Padame and Setine.

Seasons 5 - 6 is where they do a lot of explaining rules of the Force, the Jedi, rules of other factions such as Mandilore for the Mandelorians.  Not only why Darth Maul is alive but how, why and what his goal is.  A lot of characters story arcs and some of them are simply great.  For example, one of my favourite characters was, Asajj Ventress, a student of Count Doku.  She has never been seen in the films, just like Ahsoka, but she had an interesting story arc and she was a great character towards the end when we last see her.  The end of Season 5 also teared me up a little with how a specific and important character was treated.  You grow to love these characters and recognise the familiar ones.  For example, you can tell the difference between the clones and one of the plots even involved the chip for 'Order 66' and it left you wondering how it was going to be handled due to knowing how everything goes down in Revenge the Sith.

All in all, I could not recommend this show enough.  This show, not only does it successfully bridge the gap between Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, it expands the universe.  It's not just about Jedi and Sith, Mandalorians are apart of this as they have their own separate thing going on which is nothing to do with the separatists war with the republic.  Because the series is set in the past before the events of Episode 4 - 9 at points, you see other notable characters when they were younger like 'Admiral "It's A Trap!" Akbar or how certain characters feel towards the Jedi and why they would side with the separatists.  Everything is fully fleshed out and there is connectivity between the Skywalker Saga, the Solo movie, The Mandalorian TV show on DisneyPlus, Star Wars: Rebels (another Cartoon that came out when The Clone Wars series ended, initially) and even the computer game Star Wars: The Fallen Jedi (or maybe moreso, that game to the movies and cartoons).

Although there are some slow episode or episodes that may be regarded as fillers, it does enough to keep you entertained as the Lightsabre fights are pretty much the best in the entirety of the Star Wars franchise, they are really really good.  The cinematography is phenomenal for a cartoon and in some cases, there are a few long tracking shots and I love tracking shots.  Dave Filoni along with Jon Favereu are more or less in charge of 'The Mandelorian' series a with a season 2 out soon.  It would be a good idea to get onto this first before watching that and maybe even Star Wars: Rebels to get an understanding of what a Mandelorian' is, because it isn't just another Boba Fett.

If you can't do the 7 seasons of 25min episodes (it's really easy), you might be able to search online for episodes to watch for the narrative follow.  But me, I'd say, just watch the entire thing.  You'll get invested that way.

(series review) [STREAMING] - Ozark: Season 3

So where do I start? Well, I was going to say that someone put me onto this show, so that was the reason why I watched it, but that would be telling a half truth.  What had actually happened was, I kept seeing Jason Bateman's face on Netflix.  It was obviously a new show they were promoting so you saw it at the top.  I tried to watch it once or twice but I was either not in the mood or it just wasn't grabbing me from the first 10 or so minutes.  The show is quiet, it's slow, it's dull and dreary looking like English weather, it just seemed like it wasn't going to be interesting although I was somewhat interested and I do like Jason Bateman.  A friend of mine THEN asked me if I had been watching and that they have and it is really good.  Because I obviously didn't give this show a chance or much time for me to get into it, I thought I would now, since I got a recommendation, but because I was remotely interested anyway and had already tried and actually wanted to watch at some point, I got into the show.
By the end of the season, my jaw had dropped, I was probably holding my face like the "Home Alone" kid on the poster for the movie and all I kept thinking about was, "What happens now? What happens next? How does this resolve?" A series of questions I. HAD. TO. KNOW. THE. ANSWERS. TO.

So, in short for those who haven't watched any Ozark whatsoever, here is a brief synopsis trying my best not to spoil anything.
Marty (Jason Bateman) is a family man living a normal life.  His relationship with his wife, Wendy (Laura Linney) is a little strained but when Marty falls into the hands of a Colombian Drug Cartel, his life gets turned upside-down in which Marty must clear his bank accounts and move his entire family to The Ozarks, for a new life and to also take refuge from the Cartel and the FBI.

Season 2, Marty and his family live in the Ozarks and are trying to make their life a bit more comfortable there, but the people of The Ozarks are not that willing to let an outsider impose on their way of living.  Marty and family are hit with deadends, road blocks and for the most part, hostile locals. What makes it even worst, the FBI as well as the Cartel are not letting up.

Season 3, Marty and his family are about to open a Casino but the FBI are now literally on their doorstep watching their every move.  Whilst Marty wants to keep the family safe and keep a lower profile to prevent inviting more trouble to their door, Wendy wants to branch out even further regardless of any trouble they seem to be getting themselves into.  On top of that, Wendy's brother comes to town and things get a lot more complicated with all that is going on, not to mention the Cartel war currently going on.

This show gets better and better each season.  The writing is superb.  The directing (with some done by Jason Bateman himself) are great.  The show is slow but it is always at a steady pace and doesn't ever feel like it is stilted or an episode is simply filler.  You go through the motions with these characters and for me, it was a 'Pick A Side' situation for me.  Do you side with Marty or Wendy this season.  Even the smaller storylines with the children and Helen's (Janet McTeer) daughter (Madison Thompson).
Jonah (Skylar Gartner) is still doing young teen "weirdo" things, but he is coming into his own in this season and I love the relationship he had with his uncle Ben (Tom Pelphrey).  It's like everything makes sense and clicks into place.

The show knows how to create awkwardness and tension very well and what I like most about it, although this could be seen as fiction for the most part, the show is very down-to-earth and explores more comical dialogue and situations than before.  I couldn't tell you how much times I was laughing hysterically at situations because it was seriously, too funny which offers levity in a show which is a very serious drama with consequences.

The acting across the board is phenomenal.  Jason goes without saying as his characters simply doesn't have much layers to him since the events of season 1 episode 1, but he is very smart but lacks empathy where Laura is the polar opposite but her character has many layers and although I was not on her side through the earlier part of the season, I started to gravitate towards her at some point.  The introduction of a few other characters such as Tom and Marylouise as Wendy's brother Ben and Marty and Wendy's therapist respectively, were both great, but the stand out actor for me is Julia Garner as Ruth. I simply love her character to no end.  It would be interesting to see where we go in season 4.

If you have ever watched Breaking Bad, Ozark is like that but with a steadier pace and with more tension.  Wendy is a better wife than Skyler was in Breaking Bad and Marty, although not a Walter White, is still a great character.  The bottom line is, if you like Breaking Bad, I cannot see why you wouldn't enjoy this show.  Also, I simply feel that this show is simply one of, if not, the best show currently out.  10 episodes per season where a binge watch satisfies you but also leaves you with heartache awaiting more.  Snow we have to wait a possible 2 years...#sigh

(trailer review) - Defending Jacob

We are currently living in a time where cinema's are closed and there is a global pandemic called CoVid19 (Corona Virus) that attacks the respiratory systems and kills you.  We are encouraged to stay in and either work from home or effectively you have lost your job until the world is free from the pandemic.  You are encouraged to go outside for small essential grocery shopping or an exercise and to keep 6 feet apart from another person, but that is it.  Gyms, restaurants, anything that can congregate more than 2 people is closed due to high risk and this pandemic is taking lives and livelihoods.  So in this bleak time, all we have is our mobile phones, internet and streaming services.

I say that, to say this, I am most likely going to get more streaming reviews on here as the days go on and I will be getting increasingly more intrigued and/or excited with what is to come.  I hope you all stay safe out there and be responsible.

For perfect example of responsibility, Chris Evans, ol' Captain America has a son who had been accused of first degree murder and CapCap is trying to do whatever it takes to save his son in defending Jacob.
This looks really good! A riveting mini-series and something that looks like it is going to go in the way of Prisoners (I think it's called, with Hugh Jackman).
I last saw Chris Evans in Knives Out and he was superb.  It would be even better to see him in more roles than just seeing him as Captain America as he IS a very good actor, try Snowpiercer.  It's also good to see young actor Jaeden Martell as he is also pretty decent an actor.  I'd be invested in watching this!

Directed by Morten Tyldum and starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Jake Picking, Paul Wesley, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel, Matt Lanter, Sakina Jaffrey, Poorna Jagannathan, Defending Jacob,

(series review) [STREAMING] - Titans: Season 2

It took me a little while to start watching Season 1 of Titans, because I felt it wasn't really for me.  Like most comic book TV shows and films, I never read the comics and I never watched the cartoons.  Plus I never understood (once told) Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke would be an' antagonist especially when I know he is a Batman Villian.  I simply never cared for the show.

When I got into the show, I really enjoyed it.  Season 1 of Titans was more about the coming together of Raven, Dick and Kory.  And to my dismay, I loved it.  I really wasn't expecting what I got, but coming from producer Greg Berlanti, I was not surprised although it is different from his other shows, Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Supergirl and Black Lightning.

Dick Grayson aka Robin is trying to come out of the shadows of Batman and be his own person.  He holds resentment towards him.  He finds out there is a new Robin so now he must be something else, if he wants to continue.  Kory has amnesia and doesn't know who she is and Raven is somewhat possessed and feels only Dick can save her.  Not to mention character arch's with Hawk and Dove and the introduction to Doom Patrol.

Season 2 picks up where season 1 left off.  Trigon is here and the possession Raven had been struggling with is addressed along with her destiny.  We continue with Dick's struggle with being a new person and the many secrets he holds in order to keep everyone safe and bring them together for the greater good.  We delve much deeper into the past of the Titans and their struggles especially when, thought to be dead, Deathstroke arrives to settle scores.

Everyone has a little story, Kory, being an alien Queen, Beast Boy trying to be important and helpful, especially when they all discover Connor Kent and his abilities, not to mention Rose Wilson and her dramas.  It is a lot to deal with for these heroes and we see how they struggle with their own personal problems and their conflict between each other but in the end come together despite loss and/or resentment.

This season is all over the place but it does a good job with highlighting episodes which are specifically about a singular character as it helps flesh out any ongoing story they have. The only problem I had with the show, was towards the end, it felt a little rushed.  I felt the final battle could have went better than it did and certain things that happened didn't need to.  It also seemed like particular characters were not on set the entire time as if they did reshoots or something, one minute you see someone, the next, you don't, then they are there again.

All the characters and their development was great, not a single problem.  All the scenes with Deathstroke were excellent and reminded me of watching Arrow.  There was a scene with Conner Kent in a farm house with a Swat team which was excellent.  The special effects were brilliant for a TV show and I especially loved the flashback scene's and the "in the psyche" of Dick.  The story was put together well but you can tell, the structure and unanswered questions lends itself to future seasons to address other questions and stroy.  If you have seen season 2 and enjoyed it and this is your kind of thing, I'd definitely recommend it.  It is nothing like the Arrowverse as it is more mature.  Just a heads up.

(series review) [STREAMING] - YOU: Season 2

So, when this show first started, a few of my friends kept asking me, "Have you seen, YOU?", "Are you watching, YOU?", "Let me know when you start watching, YOU!" and I tried to get through it initially and was only able to get through 3-4 episodes.  When I saw the trailer for season 2, I was determined to get through it so that I could start the new season.

So, I rushed through season 1 and by the end of it, I was shocked.  This Joe guy is an absolute mad man, but for some reason, with his twisted outlook on life and love, you somewhat sympathize with him to a degree because, I guess everyone wants to love and be loved, right?  So, as the season finishes, you wonder what is going to happen to Joe, next.  You are left invested.

Season 2 picks up with Joe having moved from New York to Los Angeles and he finds himself in a very similar situation with falling for a lady named "Love".  But as the episodes go on, life for Joe becomes as complex as Joe's life usually gets with his past haunting him for his actions in season 1.  Things become even more complicated with Love's twin brother "Forty", who is a flamboyant, arrogant, entitled, rich kid whose Los Angeles friends and lifestyle present problems for Joe's Love.

This season was brilliant.  Having watched season 1 and watching season 2, you find yourself siding and rooting for Joe, EVEN WHEN HE KILLS SOMEONE, it's really disturbing, if you think about it.  You really want Joe to get love, but also you are wondering if he will get caught due to his actions, but slyly don't want him to get caught because what he is doing, for the most part and in a sick way, is good!? His morals are in the wrong place, completely, although his heart is mostly in the right place as he cares deeply in other ways.

The acting among everything else is excellent.  Very well shot and directed.  The cliffhangers are as great as they usually are as the first episode for a start was pretty much plain until the very end when the twist hits.  The end of episode 4 was completely bonkers and then everything else picks up after the crazy ending of episode 8 and every other episode after that.  The series even finishes with an unexpected twist which now has you wondering what is next for Joe and this is what YOU does best.

Although I found the use of the word 'YOU' a little distracting as I felt they over used the word and I absolutely hated the names Forty and Love, but I guess that played into the characters eccentric parents.  Joe is a very flawed character with many layers and among other things, keeps you invested.  At this point though, I'm not entirely sure how far they can take the series but is definitely a series to check it out and see.