skjoe-1 Reviews

The Fall Guy (2024)

Dull action comedy

[4/10 · 9 May 2024]

Firstly, I am confused as to why this movie has so many 10/10 reviews on here. The way they are written seems almost like spam posts.

Fall Guy follows stuntman Colt Seavers. After an accident filming for actor Tom Ryder leaves him broken and working a dead end job, Colt is surprised when a producer wants him back to help work on a movie his ex-fling Jody Moreno is making. The tension between these two ex-lovers escalates and Colt is asked to go on the search for the missing Tom Ryder, pushing him into a plot of mystery and intrigue.

The movie juggles a "will they-won't they" rom-com plot whilst sending Ryan Gosling's character on a messy and unfocused adventure to find a missing actor. Aside from the third act which saved the movie slightly, the pacing is awful (2 hours was too long) and the dialogue was painful to watch.

There is hardly any chemistry between Ryan and Emily. We are supposed to be invested in their love story but aside from a brief mention at the start of the movie and an occasional flashback for a few seconds there is nothing to believe in. Their exchanges of dialogue are terrible. Emily being cold and uninterested and Ryan mumbling through his lines. There are a couple of moments throughout the film where I could feel my mind slowly fading away and my interest levels dropping rapidly.

A scene in which Emily keeps making Ryan do a stunt where he is yanked back into a wall on the set of a sci-fi action movie. After takes we have to watch them talk on megaphones back and forth, as if they were talking about the characters but really it's about them, over and over. It's not funny, it drags on for far too long and it does nothing to help the films pacing or love story angle.

During a pivotal scene of plot intrigue the two leads have a split screen phone call. They discuss the movie they are making for a while and then sit down and debate the plot of Notting Hill. Thats it. Just mindless chitter about an old rom-com. Doesn't have any relevance to anything, move the plot forward or foreshadow much it's just more filler in this movie.

The film has us believe that Colt (and all of the stuntmen on this movie set) are action heroes with John Wick style fighting capabilities. Ryan acts like Jackie Chan in Drunken Master, flailing about but at the same time in complete control. Able to take on multiple assassins and armed guards whilst also making death defying leaps and moves. Keep in mind this is a man who suffered a career ending back injury at the start of the movie.

The only chemistry that really worked and parts of the movie for me were when Ryan and Winston Duke's character interact (they actually had chemistry) and Tom Ryder. An arrogant and self-centred, over the top action star played quite well by Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The biggest problem with this movie though is the story. There are a few action set pieces here and there which are mostly decent (expected from the director of Bullet Train and Nobody) and the third act goes all out in terms of special effects spectacle but the plot is bland, boring and the worst part: predictable.

I was able to figure out straight away who the bad guys were and the issues whilst at the same time being incredibly uninterested. The movie drags so much, due to the bland dialogue and mystery elements which take far too long to be explored. By the time the third act happens which does help focus the movie slightly and bring everything together, it's too late.

This film is listed as a comedy but it barely managed a chuckle out of me. In fact I was in a pretty full cinema and I don't think I heard anyone laugh. Not once.

The stunt work is pretty good though and I appreciate the film highlighting the hard work and dedication this bring in creating movie magic. Although it does take away from the point slightly when the main character is part of the stunt team but more often than not you can clearly tell it's another person doing the stunts.

Ultimately, The Fall Guy is a boring rom-com with lacklustre dialogue and terrible pacing. Some good performances scattered once in a while and an entertaining third act can't save this one.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

One of Marvel's worst

[3/10 · 28 February 2023]

Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania is another cookie cutter, bland, green screen borefest that reeks of poor writing and rushed special effects.

As a huge fan of marvel and their movies I was massively disappointed with the post-endgame content. Gone are complex, well written characters and everyone appears to have been replaced with subpar variants. Dr Strange 2 was a huge missed opportunity and Thor 4 was almost embarrassing. Then along comes the next Ant-man film.

The first 2 Ant-man movies were fun, heist style movies with low stakes and great humour. The true spectacle of them both was watching the heroes shrink down and interact with everyday objects.

It would be appropriate to rename this movie Janet Van Dyne: Quantumania. The film begins with her and most of the plot revolves around her, plus she has an insane amount of screen time. Hope and Hank have barely any screen time and literally nothing to do for 90% of this film.

My first doubts began at the start of the movie. After we catch up with Scott Lang living his everyday good life, we get introduced to his daughter Cassie. Not only is her performance in this movie so wooden and bland, they've turned her into some stubborn activist constantly talking down to her father. (Is this character really someone girls can look up to and be inspired by?)

At a dinner scene, Scott mentions that he saved the universe and everyone downplays this as if it's nothing. Then Hank explains that Cassie has made a sub-atomic quantum signal machine, in her basement. I mean of course she has. Another strong independent female who is perfect and can do everything straight away.

Then the machine breaks and sucks everyone into the quantum realm. I mean it was unplugged then it came back but I understand this mcguffin is just a lazy plot device to get our characters into the quantum universe.

Then we get overload of green screen. What could of been a visually striking and completely fascinating world of creative beauty just feels so bland and uninspired.

Scott and Cassie bump into some tribes of survivors and Hope, Hank and Janet go on a hunt to find a device we understand Kang wants.

Well I am here let's talk about Kang. Jonathon Majors puts in a decent performance and has some potential but he's wasted here. We are told so many times how powerful and terrifying Kang is. How he is dangerous, how he can wipe out timelines and destroy universes but they really don't follow the show don't tell rule here.

What proceeds next is some mindless, boring expedition through the quantum realm. Split between meeting random alien characters who we really can't care about and a pointless Bill Murray cameo. Let me talk about the humour in this movie, there is none. There isn't even an attempt. My cinema was packed and completely silent. Thor love and thunder had too many jokes that didn't land but at least it tried and it could muster a chuckle out of me. Ant-man had no humour at all. Even Paul Rudd, who has plenty of comedy move experience, struggles to work with the material here.

Then we have the movies biggest embarrassment; Modok. Not the sadistic, genius, supervillain from the comics but Yellowjacket from the first movie is back and turned onto one of the worse cgi villains I have ever seen. A constant (unfunny) joke and so pointless and unthreatening in this film.

The films final act ends in a huge messy cgi battle among Kangs troops and the aliens we saw earlier. This blurry, unbearable mash of special effects and random characters we don't care about it is where I really struggled to stay invested.

Cassie not only has her own suit and can control it but helps Scott go toe to toe with Kang. Not only does Kang never use his powers (the ones he used on the cannon fodder aliens earlier) but he even makes light of wiping out the avengers multiple times in the past. Yet he struggles against Ant-man.

Thanos was teased for years as this huge threat. When we first see him in infinity war, he has defeated Thor and beats Hulk in a fight, which was like a benchmark of strength. Plus his plans and powers are clear and understandable.

Kangs powers in this movie are firing blue beams and producing a shield. That is it. His motives? He wants to destroy timelines. Why? Don't know. I guess if you have an alternate version of yourself your first thought is to destroy the timeline?

How can you plan your next phase of films based on such a weak, pointless and uninteresting villian?

When the movie ends no one has changed, no one has had any character development and it makes the film seem pointless.

Ultimately it's a bland, mess of a movie. Lacking creativity and any distinct style. No memorable scenes. Forgetful score and awful writing. I wouldn't even recommend watching it for free.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Heavy on nostalgia, Light on the writing

[6/10 · 24 November 2021]

As with pretty much every review on here I would start by stating I (like the majority) am a huge ghostbusters fan.

I watched the original 2 so many times I wore out the VHS tapes they were on and I still watch Ghostbusters every Halloween to this date.

It's a timeless classic, a combination of horror, fantasy and comedy mixed with excellent writing and directing starting actors who loved the material and you could tell had a blast making it.

Skip forward to 2021 (I won't mention the abomination that is the 2016 version) and we get afterlife, a full sequel directed by the son of the director of the original movie.

The story revolves around a mother and her 2 children, after getting evicted from their home discover their grandfather left them a spooky home in an old mining town. They discover his secrets and learn of a shocking prophecy that could threaten everyone.

First I want to state that the performance of McKenna Grace as Phoebe is wonderful. As the granddaughter of Spengler she captures so many nuances of Harold Ramis it feels like she's spent so much time studying him. The way she moves, pushes her glasses up her nose and delivers her lines is a perfect rendition of her movie relative.

The movie uses the same beats as the original in terms of the soundtrack. Right from the start you hear the familiar spooky almost camp music that you heard back in 1984. The light hearted scenes also get the same treatment, it makes you feel like the film was made in the 1980s.

The film is also shot extremely well, the lighting and camera work here is excellent. Everything is framed beautifully there are also some great shots here. The colour scheme and editing is pretty good too.

Action scenes are handled pretty competently especially one chase scene, everything is shown fully and you can tell a lot of planning went into this movie.

I also want to give major respect for this film for actually using animatronics over CGI in some parts, that was much appreciated. I know we can tell it's a puppet but for me it looks far superior.

No onto the bad and there is quite a lot. Unfortunately the films both greatest strength and biggest weakness is it's nostalgia and heavy callbacks to the original. Almost so much of the story revolves around events of the 1984 film that it goes beyond the feeling of "oh wow that's what I remember" to "really, we are doing all this again"

Another issue is the other characters of this movie. With the exception of McKenna Grace and Paul Rudd (who is good in anything really) the other characters for me fell flat.

The mother character acts so moody and nonchalant you would swear your watching a teenager strop around on screen.

The Podcast character (yes that's his name) is almost so over the top and unrealistic it's like he is pulled straight from a cartoon.

I couldn't even remember Finn Wolfhard's characters name he has such little screen time and impact in the first two acts of the movie.

One of my biggest complaints though is the pacing and tone of this movie. The first act is extremely slow, setting up the events of the film. The second ramps it up slightly and then the third which is actually pretty good feels too rushed.

The movie treats you as though you are a child or dim, really hammering the events of the story and not taking the "show don't tell" aspect into account.

Sections of the film I feel could of been trimmed out to allow for a more satisfying third act as well. There are plenty of scenes that could be taking out without effecting the film in any way.

The writing in this movie for me was also a big negative. So many things just happen without explanation.

How do they survive in this town as they have literally no money?

How do the kids just instantly figure out how to use all the ghostbusters gear when even in the original they really struggled?

How do they speed through the town in the ecto1, destroying half the city with the proton laser and chasing a ghost with no law enforcement after them until the very end?

There are just so many small things that after you watch it you start to realise the inconsistencies in the story.

Without spoiling too much the greatest thing about this movie is delivering right at the end what fans want. What we have wanted to see for so many decades and it was surprisingly touching how they handled Harold Ramis' character. Unfortunately it's too little too late and I feel like I spent an hour and a half getting to this point.

Overall a decent movie, a well shot sequel that delivers to the fans so much that it almost becomes its own downfall.

1917 (2019)

Technically astounding but slightly disappointing...

[6/10 · 18 January 2020]

I love war movies, the classics Saving Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers and newer films like Hacksaw Ridge. With Sam Mendes(Skyfall) directing, an interesting shooting style and a compelling trailer I was hyped up but left the cinema a little unsatisfied. The story centres around two young soldiers who are given the task of delivering a message to a battalion ordering them to call off an attack, as to avoid a trap by enemy troops and a subsequent massacre. The way this Is filmed is through one continuous camera shot, of course there are tricks to hide takes but it is an impressive feat. Not only for the actors to give a physical performance climbing through bunkers and avoiding enemy fire but to remember their lines and for the crew to keep this up so smoothly, I give this movie massive credit for this. The first act of this film is by far the high point for me, we go through the trenches, into a bunker to collect orders then across to the end of the line and through no mans land eventually into a German bunker. It took my breath away how smoothly the camera navigated through this uneven terrain, all the while keeping the shot steady and framed. The tension was there as you can imagine crossing into enemy territory and I was enjoying the film. However, problems arises when you don't cut from the main characters. When they have to walk to a barn for example we get the entire shot of them walking to the barn. I understand your probably thinking this is supposed to emulate their lives and what their experiencing, I understand but as a film with not much dialogue or charisma from the leads, not any Tarantino style conversations or music playing it drags the movie out. Not only does the film have a lot of filler, the main characters don't have the acting or charm to carry the weight of this film. In a movie like The Revenant, it worked because it was filmed stylishly and Leo is a phenomenal actor. Maybe it was just me but I just wasn't rooting for the heroes of this film, I don't think they go through enough or have any backstory explored to give them depth and they don't g through any real character arcs. While I'm not complaining about the lack of action, it is missing here for a war movie. With this camera style there was the option to get something really special with some sequences but it never comes. It's not to say the film is lacking any tension or suspense. It comes every now and then, but it's was not enough to keep me invested. I think if you have seen your fair share of the genre this doesn't bring anything new, it's nothing you won't have seen before. To summarise I don't think 1917 is a bad movie, it's really not. Technically it's superb and the set up could of made this special. However I think the style chosen for this was a double edged sword, it gives great tension at times but drags the film down majorly at others. Combine this with an underwhelming performance from the lead actors just takes the film out of becoming a classic and drops it into the slightly above average category.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Bizarre and brilliant.

[9/10 · 8 January 2020]

It's hard to define the genre of Taika Watiti's JoJo Rabbit, it's a comedy, drama, War story and sort of satire rolled into one. The film shifts from having actors play over the top caricatures of nazi stereotypes to a tense stand-off between the SS and a Jewish girl pretending to be German to avoid certain death. Sprinkled through this mashup of genres is Taika's daring style, for a film set in 1940s Germany there's plenty of colour, slow motion and visual humour. The script has an almost improvised feel to it, with some actors verging onto a cartoonish feel, however fans of his work so far should know what to expect. The stand out performances for me where Scarlett Johansson as JoJo's mother. A face of optimism in Germany's approaching defeat and the voice of reason for our main character. Taika himself plays Adolf Hitler, well JoJos imaginary friend version of Adolf Hitler. He mainly provides absurd comic relief with his whacky behaviour. There's enough sublte references to the Nazi regime that will provide the extra laughs for the keen eyed, however JoJo Rabbit's story gradually shifts at such a pace that it catches you off guard when the genre goes into a more serious drama. The humour is still there but there's only so long a family hiding a Jew in Germany before the repercussions come forward. Overall this movie is a definite watch, part comedy part drama sprinkled with Taika Watiti's wonderful originality.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Awe Inspiring Monster Chaos!

[9/10 · 29 May 2019]

As a child growing up watching and falling in love with the Godzilla franchise, this film delivered everything I wanted. It's a rewarding experience for fans of these monsters and they are done justice and not just visually or in the action scenes. Firstly you will be glad to know this does contain a hell of a lot more Titan scenes than 2014's Godzilla. They aren't totally dominating the screen but without the human characters the plot wouldn't be able to progress. This is also the case in most of the old Godzilla movies, occasionally involving politics or issues like the environment and man vs nature. My only issue with this film is not a technical one within the film itself but I think the more of a Godzilla fan you are, the higher your enjoyment will be through this movie. If you don't know any of the monsters or some of their history it might not bring a huge smile to their face when you first see Mothra or they may not get pumped up when Godzilla and Ghidorah finally meet. The films plot revolves around using a sonar device to send out signals to awaken certain titans, all in the hopes of restoring balance to the world. It isn't exactly the selling point of the movie it serves as more of a way to move our characters towards the next goal, a titan or the next conflict. Although the human characters aren't (and never really were) the sole focus of these types of films, I find myself not disliking them. I actually kinda routed for them, Millie Bobby Brown is wonderful and charming, Vera Farmiga and Kyle Chandler were fine, this family that has fallen apart and lost a child due to the events of the first film. I was hoping for them to reconcile throughout and make it, which helped the tension throughout some intense action scenes. The rest of the supporting cast weren't really memorable but I didn't mind. As a mega fan I was super excited everytime a new monster would emerge, or a conflict was about to erupt I was filled with child like wonder and sheer joy at watching these icons from the monster movie universe being presented. It wasn't just the fantastic design, making each one feel unique or the way they moved and sounded when they roared. It was that each one had a personality and wasn't pushed to the side or felt like they didn't matter in the final fight. They aren't the only monsters in this film but these 4 serve as the main stars of the show. I loved the build up to each battle, the cinematography and the epic pure colossal scale of each beast squaring each other off before charging into each other firing off atomic blasts and lightning just gets my blood pumping everytime. To sum up, Godzilla King of the Monsters is a solid monster battle on a grand scale, that will satisfy you on the visuals and sound alone. If your a big fan of this franchise, it's a true delight, the ultimate clash of the titans done justice with a big budget and with a director who is actually a fan of the characters. A must see! P.S. You will fall in love with Mothra!

The Nun (2018)

Starts promising but ruined by bad writing and lack of scares.

[3/10 · 7 September 2018]

As a huge fan on the conjuring universe and the Insidious films I was extremely eager to watch this prequel about one of the scariest horror characters of recent movie history. For its brief appearance in the conjuring 2 the Nun was terrifying, I remeber the first time she is seen on screen I was truely scared. This film starts off well, a nun at an abbey in Romainia takes her own life to prevent an "evil" from having her. We cut to the Vatican who send a "miracle hunter", a British (soon to be) nun and a local who found the body. The scene is set, I was intrigued, the atmosphere was eerie the location was perfect for a horror film. This old almost abandoned abbey was ideal. However, it comes apparent early on that this film isn't going the tension soaked, creepy build up of a horror film like previous entries. Cheap jump scares, zombies, bad CGI and confusing, weak story ruin this film so quickly. The film to me, just was not scary, I didn't feel any dread or tension at all with this, I know horror can be subjective but this became silly very fast. SPOILERS For example; The Vatican personally want the girl to assist the priest in his investigation because she "knows the land well" yet when he asks her about this she claims she's never even been to Romania, this was never again mentioned or brought up. Right at the start of the film the nun sacrifices herself to prevent an evil from taking her body, yet near the end of the film it's a big reveal that it's not a suicide but a sacrifice. We know this!!! You told us at the start! Zombies! Think your going to get Valak stalking the characters, cool shots of it haunting them? Nope! Well maybe for a minute or so. Zombie nuns attacking our characters and a zombie child, almost like The Evil Dead style. The blood on the steps of the abbey. The blood that came from the nun who hung herseld at the start of the film never fades over time, which the characters notice and is initially creepy. This blood then increases over time to which the priest says "it's abother part of the puzzle" this is never again brought up. The French Canadian. This kind of comic relief character who assists them feels out of place. He claims to be here because he wants to help these poor people of Romainia but never explained why. Perhaps the natives are all so helpless? The demon whilst it possesses our main character when attacking him growls "the village will looses its idiot. Youl let them down like you let everyone else down" what? I know using a characters flaws and history against them in horror is a great tool. If we knew what it was!!! The link to the conjuring franchise. The big reveal near the end? How this film connects to the Warrens? While after Valak is defeated the French Canadian guy has a small cross stuck to his skin. Doesn't explain why or how really. This is apparently the exact same guy years and years later who Lorraine Warren tries to save (which we see in the conjuring as a flashback/video clip) that's it! Oh and a quick flash of Valak a couple of times during the same old scene! The ending! Oh god the ending. So at the climax of the film Valak is trying to drown out protagonist who is holding a large glass sphere containing the "blood of Christ". She almost succeeds, well I thought she did until our hero suddenly spits the blood into her face. How? Under water, almost dead yet she managed to break open this thick glass container, swallow blood from it whilst submerged and avoid dying. The story in general, some parts of it seemed good, I got excited at certain sections. Using history, the crusades and religion, the blood of Christ this immensely powerful relic of fighting evil to stop Valak, I was hoping for a deep story about Valak's past. Nope, want to know about Valak, well so do I, big reveal some spooky sorcerer who dabbled in black magic wanted to raise the demon (no idea why or how). The abbey with the nuns was just there to pray and suspend the evil from returning, apparently a bombing raid made the demon emerge. The only good parts of this film were the setting and initial atmosphere, the soundtrack is haunted and wonderfully done and when you actually see Valak herself (very rarely) she is terrifying. Overall? Avoid this film, don't let it sour your experiences with Valak from the conjuring 2. Rewatch that instead it's a better nun film, her small role in that was much more impactful than this. Watch insidious watch Annabelle (the second one) James Wan helped write this apparently I don't know what he was thinking. Dissapointing, not scary and boring.

Supernatural: Rock and a Hard Place (2013) Season 9, Episode 8

Sam and Dean become born again virgins...

[8/10 · 27 November 2013]

A no frills, angel and demon free episode involving a goddess. People from a chastity group are being targeted by a strange figure with superhuman strength and emitting a strange blue light. Sam and Dean infiltrate the church group and sign up to be "forgiven" for their sins. This episode does have some nice moments though. For start there's the return of Sherfiff Jody Mills. She helps the boys with the case and even has a close call with death. I've always liked Jody Mills, although she shares qualities of most female characters on the show, such as being strong, smart and independent. She is believable and vulnerable. Whereas the usual female character will be scantily clad and petite. They feel too over the top, and forced. Such as the female hunter who disliked Sam in Epsisode 2. Similar to Ellen, she brings a motherly and leading edge on screen to the bothers and asks them the questions they wont ask each other. Another is the comedic side to Sam and Dean joining the Chastity group, sitting with girls chatting about dealing with their pact. Of course Dean is the worst candidate for this church, especially when he tells his feelings towards sex, enticing the other girls in a very funny scene. Its also great to see Dean get some action. With a Casa Bonita star too! I was disappointed with the "monster of the week". Vesta, a Roman goddess. Turns it out she used to require her followers to remain virgins for 30 years or she buried them alive. Now shes taken them from the church groups and locking them underground. Im never usually a fan of gods on Supernatural, apart from in "Hammer of the gods" in season 5 with all the gods from different cultures in, I find them rather boring. They're usually just a regular person, taking in early sacrifices and usually get taken care of with a simple stake to the heart. Although she is kept a mystery until the end, I wished it could of been a regular monster, even as much as a dragon, as some evidence points towards. Overall this episode has a slowish pace, with humorous scenes particularly involving Dean and a nice touch of Jody Mills investigating. We get another slight glimpse of Ezekiel at the end, however Dean still wont tell him the truth, probably to keep Sam safe. Not much really happening in the plot moving. Still need to see more developing episodes, although these "monster of the week" episodes are great, I just wish they were done as well as the previous two.

Supernatural: Bad Boys (2013) Season 9, Episode 7

An excellent, classic styled episode...

[10/10 · 20 November 2013]

This episode instantly feels like one from the old seasons. Right from the classic ghost killing at the beginning (with cold breath scenes) right to using a classic fire poker and salt to defend themselves. Also it contains a very interesting insight into Dean's past. Dean gets a call from Sonny, the owner of a home for boys, about a mysterious death. Dean then informs Sam he was sent here as punishment for stealing food. I loved Sonny's character, he is an ex-con who bettered himself and he feels like a genuine father figure for Dean, very caring and understanding. This episode makes you wonder how bad of a father John was, as he purposefully left Dean at the home for months. The ghost in the episode is kept unseen until the end, which I liked, as it kept it very mysterious and I genuinely had no idea why the ghost was there until Sam discovers Timmy's drawings. It turns out the ghost was Timmy's mother, protecting him after she once did when she died in a car accident. She was quite creepy when she just appeared, I liked the special effects on her, as she burned in the car crash this was emphasised in her ghostly form. The main selling point of this episode for me was all the flashbacks to Dean's time at the farm. Every now and then we see Dean go from hating being there and not caring, to trusting Sonny and even getting his first kiss. The young actor who played Dean did a great job at emulating older Dean's mannerisms. I felt so sorry for Dean at the end when he was happy with Robin and was about to take her to the school dance, only to have John show up and take him. The look on his face when he saw little Sam in the car and knew he had to leave his relationship with Robin behind, it was heartbreaking. As I said before it makes you wonder if John was a bad father, dragging his son's around hunting when they both could of had good lives. Overall I loved this episode, partly for its classic, ghost hunt/haunted house feel and mainly for Dean's past. Sonny and Robin were great characters, I really liked them both and loved Dean and Robin together. Very emotional at the end. :)

Supernatural: Heaven Can't Wait (2013) Season 9, Episode 6

"This is Crowley, your king....I've been put on hold"

[10/10 · 14 November 2013]

Supernatural returns with a very story driven episode, with the focus here mainly on characters, more precisely, Castiel and Crowley. There is a sort of "monster-of-the-week" sub- plot but its only minor in comparison to Castiel's character development. The episode starts with a man, on the verge of killing himself, interrupted by a stranger, who touches him and makes him explode. Castiel, who now works as a sales assistant, discovers the case and informs Dean. On the other side we have Sam and Kevin, trying to decipher an ancient language and decide to ask Crowley for help. In return Crowley asks for a phone call to Abaddon. Great to see Castiel getting a good bit of screen time, trying to adjust to his human life. There is something quite humorous but tragic in Castiel, watching him try to use the Slurpee machine or even getting a date. Dean drags Castiel on with him for the hunt, even though Cas has doubts Dean reckons he can be useful. The monster for this episode is a form of an angel, a healer. Who is trying to cure humans sorrow by ending there lives. Its not so much about the hunt for this creature, mainly it gives Cas a lot of confusion. Does he want to continue being human, ignoring Heaven. Or does he want to fix what Metatron did and help the angels. A part of me wants to see Cas being human, partly because its awkwardly funny and partly because its interesting how a former angel can adapt to this life. However I believe it will be the later, maybe even regaining his powers, as now he knows he is not much use, to anyone. Crowley gets a fair share of screen time too, as Sam and Kevin need his help translating a forgotten language. Its hard to read Crowley, maybe its what makes him a great character. Does he have genuine human feelings coming back, or is it just because Abaddon is slowly taking over as the big bad. Or is it all a game to help his escape. The feel of Supernatural now is a big regime change. Heaven is on lock down with Earth full of Angels and more chaos than before. Hell is without its king, who is of course very evil, but had order and made it work. Now Abaddon simply wants to burn the Earth and everyone in it. Will the Winchesters have to get Crowley back on his throne, or will Crowley start to get human emotions. Will Castiel want to help his fallen brothers and return to his prime, or will he want to stay with his human side and have a "normal life"? Overall a decent story driven episode with a lot of emphasis on character progression :-)

Supernatural: Dog Dean Afternoon (2013) Season 9, Episode 5

"I always knew I'd find true evil in a vegan Bakery"

[10/10 · 6 November 2013]

Sam and Dean investigate a case where a taxidermist is literally constricted to death by a mysterious man. The only witness to the crime is a German Sheperd, who after being sent to a dog kennel, witnesses a second murder. Sam suggests a spell to help communicate with canines, mentioning it may backfire, Dean jumps at the opportunity and starts to talk with the dog. However the spell has a slight side effect and Dean starts to show dog-like traits. After some interrogations they find a local chef who, in order to slowly heal his illness, consumes animal organs and uses Shaman magic to incorporate their abilities.

I really enjoyed this episode, it had a really mysterious feel to the killer, you never really saw him fully when he murdered someone so you kept guessing at what he was during the early scenes. I was a little sceptical at first when I heard this episode involved Dean talking to dogs, however it was done in a really fun way. The dialogue was funny, interrogating other dogs and when Dean starting acting like a dog. I liked the whole idea of the guy using magic and consuming different animal organs to inherit their traits, he was creepy and refreshing for the Supernatural universe. Ezekiel had to help Sam again, for a brief moment and I think Sam is starting to get suspicious. I really hope they develop something interesting with this connection and not just resolve it too easily like some of the problems in earlier seasons. Im still waiting for something good to happen with Dean's character, even though he was the main focus for this episode, this season still feels like its all Sam orientated but we are still early in this season yet. Overall i think this episode felt like a good classic. It had a cool, interesting "monster", a very different twist for Supernatural but at the same time, was light hearted and had a few funny moments. I hope we get more like this.

Supernatural: Slumber Party (2013) Season 9, Episode 4

Off to see the wizard...

[10/10 · 29 October 2013]

A classic witch hunt episode, with a nice twist. This episode kicks off with a bit of history to the Men of Letters, going back to the 30's we see the first men inside the bunker. They eventually encounter a young hunter named Dorothy who has with her, a witch that needs killing. Back for this season is Charlie, I always like seeing Charlie, shes really soft, a bit ditsy and nerdy, basically the complete opposite of Sam and Dean. The boys manage to disturb a jar of strange goo which releases Dorothy and the witch loose in the Bunker. Leading into a classic hunt style episode, while the gang tries to find clues on how to kill her, we go back and forth between present day and 1935, both sides with the same goal as finding the witch's weakness. I liked the witch herself, a bit creepy, mysterious and very powerful, something episodes have been lacking lately. We also get to see Ezekiel again, this time coming forth much faster and offering direct help for Dean, however Sam is starting to notice before Ezekiel takes over, so I'm pretty sure soon he will find out. Overall this episode has a good "monster of the week" feel to it, with a nice pop culture reference and some history to the men of letters, good start to the season so far, more like this please :-)

Supernatural: I'm No Angel (2013) Season 9, Episode 3

Castiel on the run...

[10/10 · 23 October 2013]

This episode has a kind of chase feel to it, we switch between Castiel evading the angels and learning to become human, Sam and Dean trying to find him and the angels hunting down Cas. With Castiel being human, we see him hang around with the homeless, feel hungry and even have "intercourse" as he puts it. There's hope for his character this season, but at the moment he is weak and lost, something we are not used to. I miss Castiel being the kind of "muscle" for Sam and Dean. I imagine eventually he will come to a choice as to whether he wants to get his grace back or stay human, to find a purpose. Who knows he could even become a hunter! Sam and Dean are back in detective mode, picking up the mess of the angel's search for Cas. Although Dean has lied to Sam and holds a great secret, its nice to see their chemistry back, as when the pair have fallen out, it creates an awkward tension when watching, probably because its just well acted. Jared is having to act in a whole new way when he switches to Ezekiel and plays him so well, lets hope he turns out to be a good guy after all. Bartholomew, a new boss angel, arrives to lead the faction of angels. Im liking this baddie, suit wearing, very straight forward and serious. He reminds me of the agents from the Matrix, just powerful and to the point. I hope him and Abaddon meet at some point... Overall a good episode, well paced and interesting. Not much really pushing the plot along but at least we know where all our characters are now. Lets hope we get more demonic/supernatural threat to really drive the plot some more...

Supernatural: Devil May Care (2013) Season 9, Episode 2

"Hello Boys!"

[10/10 · 16 October 2013]

Crowley is back! Dean reveals to Sam he has kidnapped him and they agree he is a source of information regarding demon whereabouts. Another return is Abaddon, the hell knight with a hate for Crowley and wants order returned to hell. This episode kicks off with the boys taking Crowley to the bunker (much to Kevin's distress) and locking him in the basement. Soon after, Abaddon captures fellow hunters and the boys have to go to the rescue. Although it was great to see some characters return, I particularly was pleased with Sam and Dean back into investigating mode. Even though it was nothing too mysterious, seeing them put the old suits back on and check out a crime scene was a great nostalgic trip to earlier seasons. Abaddon is an OK big bad I suppose, but after seeing Lucifer and the horseman she feels slightly inferior, although I hope as the episode hints, she has some big plans for demon-kind and I hope this acts as the main threat for this season. Crowley once again steals the scene most of the time, bringing that dry charm and his charisma that fans love. Having Crowley in safe place is a great driving point for the plot, with Abaddon on his trail and he being a living encyclopedia of demonology, I hope we see more developments with him and his "human side" We also got a glimpse at Ezekiel using his powers to kill demons through Sam, reminded me of season 4 with Sam having powers to kill demons. Overall another great early episode, my only concern is making this season all about Sam, as the previous season neglected Dean slightly. However with all the characters having their own problems, it shows this season can have plenty of promise...

Supernatural: I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (2013) Season 9, Episode 1

Dean makes a difficult choice and Castiel is human...

[10/10 · 9 October 2013]

Season 9 kicks off right were season 8 left us. Sam is (once again) dying with Dean watching over him and Castiel is lost in the woods after Metatron stole his grace. This episode is split between Dean trying to find a way to save Sam, Castiel coming to terms with the aftermath of the Heaven lock-down and Sam trapped in his mind, fighting for his life. Well acted as usual is Jensen Ackles, trying so hard to look after his brother, taking beatings from Angels and desperately finding a way to bring Sam back. Although its a similar to previous seasons when Sams in trouble, the way Dean brings his caring side and determination to save his brother is something fans love to see. Castiel wakes up in the woods, lost and confused. With his grace gone he has become 100% human. Meaning he eats, sleeps, feels pain and even attempts to wash his clothes. He finds another fallen angel and soon realises he is being blamed for Metatrons actions. Although Castiel is always trying to help and do the right thing, it tends to backfire for him and create shock waves that tend to affect the whole season. My favourite part though is inside Sam's mind. With Dean acting as his fighting side to keep him alive, two familiar faces eventually emerge to try and sway Sam to end his life, I hope fans will be as pleased as I was to see these characters return. This season opener probably wont appeal to new fans, but for the rest it leaves many questions open. I was expecting a little more, possibly Crowley or Kevin but im sure they will emerge next episode. I think this season is set up for a good plot, with all the main characters having something interesting to work off. I just hope we get a good big bad this season, I felt the last season lacked that dark, evil, destroy the world side that previous seasons had (Lucifer, Eve, Leviathan etc.) Overall, a promising start...

Supernatural: Trial and Error (2013) Season 8, Episode 14

Bringing a good plot arc for this season...

[7/10 · 15 February 2013]

This episode had some great elements to it and sets up a new storyline that looks great so far. Sam and Dean get a call from Kevin who has found a way to seal the gates of hell. It appears one of the boys must go through 3 trails for God. Im liking the direction this season is now going. I was put off by the first few episodes and found them rather weak. All the bits with Kevin, Sam and Amelia and even Crowley were just dragging the season down. Although I enjoyed Southern Comfort and Hunter Heroici. The only real interesting aspect was the Benny storyline, had a hint of mystery and darkness to it. I didn't like the tension between Sam and Dean as I find the episodes are strongest when their chemistry is at its best. Overall this episode had a good old supernatural feel to it with a real interesting development into the seasons plot so far. Lets hope it stays like this for the rest of the season...