TV Review: Doctor Who: S07E09

TV Review: Doctor Who

Series 7, Episode 9: Hide

Air date: April 20th

Series 7: Part 2 of Doctor Who has struggled to find its footing so far; The Bells of Saint John was an excellent opener, certainly, but the two episodes which followed were damp squibs, failing to evoke any sense of tension, excitement or fear that Doctor Who used to be known for.

It's lucky then that Hide is a triumphant return to form for both the show and writer Neil Cross, whose previous episode The Rings Of Akhaten was panned by critics and fans alike. A real ghost story is a tough project to perfect, but Hide manages to be a genuinely engaging, scary episode of Doctor Who which still clings on to the series' sci-fi roots. In fact, Hide is everything that The Rings of Akhaten was not - intimate, claustrophobic, character-driven and tense, the episode succeeds on almost every level.

Doctor Who has dealt with stories of ghosts and demons before though (namely the Season 2 episodes The Satan Pit and Army Of Ghosts) but none have been as spooky as this. After the title sequence has rolled, The Doctor and Clara have gatecrashed an apparently haunted mansion in which ex-wartime hero Alec Palmer and his companion ("It's 1974, she's your assistant," taunts The Doctor) Emma are investigating the mystery of the 'Witch of the Well'. 

Much to everyone else's terrified inconvenience, the spirit of the Witch is banging and wailing her way around the enormous mansion - but of course The Doctor doesn't believe in ghosts and won't settle for anything less than a logical explanation. 

It's here that Hide really impresses - what starts off as a Woman In Black style horror story soon turns into a really clever science fiction tale with monsters, time travel and crash landing TARDIS included.

Then there's the fact that now - at last! - The Doctor is starting to knuckle down with his investigation into how Clara can possibly exist, even drawing up some interesting theories with regards to her future. Clara herself is becoming more than just the bog-standard companion character, questioning why the TARDIS really (really) doesn't like her. Of course, fans of the show will know that the TARDIS isn't a huge fan of Captain Jack Harkness either, the man who should be dead. "You're an impossible thing, Jack." Sounds familiar, yes?

Of course, this wouldn't be Doctor Who without some form of monster involved, and this week's edition is a genuinely scary threat. The ghost performs all those classic paranormal shenanigans, like opening and closing doors inexplicably and appearing behind the characters as they fearfully stare out of the rain-covered window - but The Doctor soon finds that something else is lurking in the house. Thanks to some brilliantly frantic editing, Hide has some very "jumpy" moments as the barely visible creature lurks in the shadows making the episode feel very reminiscent of horror movies like The Ring, Sinister and Alien.

Still, Hide does let itself down by revealing far too much about the monsters - sometimes what is not seen is much more terrifying than the reality. The side characters are instantly forgettable too, albeit with a brilliant acting turn by Dougray Scott as Alec and despite an excellent set-up, the final resolution of the episode feels far too easy considering the problems that preceded it.

Any problems with the episode are redeemed by the fact that Hide ties itself into the overall season as a whole, as The Doctor asks Emma (a psychic) about Clara, while Clara even does the same about her Time Lord traveler. "He has ice in his heart." So far it has felt like Clara has only seen the fun side of The Doctor and hopefully - just hopefully - the show will tread into darker, more psychologically complex territory as we come to the final few episodes of the series.

Summary

Hide is a brilliant episode of Doctor Who that is definitely worth seeing. Writer Neil Cross redeems himself from his frankly awful Rings Of Akhaten episode by providing Doctor Who's audience with a genuinely scary, exciting and tense horror story that echoes some great genre movies. Best of all, plot threads which have been left hanging in previous episodes are finally being explored, such as Clara's existence: "You are the only mystery worth solving." Despite its forgettable supporting characters and its easy resolution, Hide is simply the best episode of Season 7, Part 2 so far - although next week's episode, Journey To The Centre of the TARDIS looks set to claim that title.

9/10 - Brilliant

Next episode: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS

Air Date: April 27th

Review: The Place Beyond The Pines

Review: The Place Beyond The Pines

Director Derek Cianfrance's last movie Blue Valentine managed to be the most intimate of movies studying the slow decay of a loving relationship over time. In many ways it was like 500 Days of Summer without any of the hope or colour.

With The Place Beyond The Pines, Cianfrance succeeds in broadening his horizons with a larger ensemble cast with various intertwining plot threads, but luckily he maintains that intimate, real feeling that should accompany any drama of this magnitude. Thanks to both his unique script and the superb acting talents of Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, Cianfrance's story comes to life really well on the screen. When more and more characters are thrown into the fray, the running time does drag on a little and their story lines feel a little too coincidental compared to the realism of the former plotting, but ultimately The Place Beyond The Pines is a really satisfying character driven drama.

Things kick off with Ryan Gosling's motorbike stunt driver Luke. He's been travelling around with the same carnival for years, but when his ex (a solemn Eva Mendes) shows up, he swiftly settles into Altamont upon the discovery that he has a baby. When it becomes clear that he can't provide for the boy, Luke turns to a life of crime. Thus his path inevitably crosses over with Bradley Cooper's well-meaning but inexperienced cop Avery Cross, who finds himself with problems of his own involving corruption within the force. 

There's a third act too with two more central characters, but to divulge who they are and what they go through would be very spoilerific indeed. 

Starting with the initial characters however, it's an ode to Ryan Gosling that we feel so connected to Luke, a man who has clearly made some bad choices in his life but wants to do right by his son. From the initial unbroken shot of him walking to his motorcycle to carry out his stunts right up to the gripping climax of his story, Gosling is a walking representation of the quality of the film.

Then there's Bradley Cooper, an actor whose previous movie earned him an Oscar nomination - yet it truly baffles me that he could be nominated for Silver Linings Playbook (which for all intents and purposes was, no matter what anyone says, an out and out by-the-book romantic comedy) when clearly The Place Beyond The Pines is the movie designed to bag him the golden trophy. There's a bristling complexity to his character, shown in every masterfully timed close-up or quietly unnerving scene of paranoid suspicion. Perhaps next year will provide his real chance at Oscar glory.

Anyway, the real appeal of The Place Beyond The Pines is that, even if you may find ourself initially unwilling to be drawn into the story, Cianfrance makes you want to know more. It only takes a few sharp lines of dialogue ("If you ride like lightning, you're gonna crash like thunder.") over some beautiful shots of Gosling driving through the trees to make us sit up and pay attention to what this movie has to say. It's a brilliantly woven thread of a narrative, dealing with some truly inspiring ideals - what sort of legacy do we leave behind? How many lives are hit by the ripple effect of one seemingly isolated event? How do we really want to be remembered?

It's hard to fault The Place Beyond The Pines much - the fact that its pacing slips thoroughly in the third act leaves us checking our watches now and again, and the ending will satisfy most but frustrate others. There is greatness within the narrative and its characters but it never quite takes hold thanks to some unrealised potential here and there - but the fact that Cianfrance catches glimpses of storytelling beauty through the trees is credit enough.

Summary

Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper are superb in this tale of legacy, loss and corruption. Derek Cianfrance has definitely taken a step forward with The Place Beyond The Pines, with his latest feeling more simultaneously epic and intimate than Blue Valentine. The pacing is off towards the third act thanks to a severe shift in tone and characters, but ultimately The Place Beyond The Pines succeeds as an affecting drama, delivering a very powerful story that demands your attention. This is beautiful film making. 

9/10 - Brilliant

See it if you liked: Blue Valentine (2010), Drive (2011), Jack Reacher (2012)

TV Review: Game Of Thrones: S03E03

TV Review: Game of Thrones

Season 3, Episode 3: Walk Of Punishment

Air date: 14th April 2013

Finally! Some comedy in this bleak, dark world!

For Game of Thrones, Walk Of Punishment feels like the first episode containing genuinely funny scenes to provide some much needed comic relief in this world of consistent death and darkness. Sure there have been amusing moments before, but these feel as though they have really been written for comedy - and why the hell not? 

On a show like Thrones, it's never quite clear what to expect in the next episode. Which characters will and won't appear - and which character will be the most important in the scene? Well, I bet that in a scene involving Tyrion, Bronn and Tyrion's squire Podrick, you'd never have guessed that Podrick would be the best character. Equally in a scene with Gendry, Arya and Hot Pie, the latter has never quite resonated to be emotionally affecting before - until now.

Anyway, it's interesting to see how the show is progressing as time goes on. Yes it's still frustrating that the initial quests which started way back in Season One have not been fulfilled yet, namely Robb attempting to have his revenge for the death of his father, but the introduction of some new characters in the form of his inept uncles still spice things up. North of the wall, Jon Snow is still maintaining his cover in the Wildling camp, however he is quickly finding his loyalties tested as Mance Rayder commands an all out assault on the Night's Watch. Jon's story, despite being one of the most prominent last season, is sort of taking a back seat this time around, but with Mance Rayder seemingly hell bent on escaping the terror of the White Walkers it might be time for him to regain the spotlight.

Across the sea, Dany (her real name is far too complicated to type) finds a way to build her own private army, while Theon Grayjoy takes part in the most exciting chase sequence known to Thrones so far. As this episode is directed by the show writers David Benioff and Daniel Weiss, they've made a fantastic debut. The narrative jumps around (as is the show's natural state) but it feels very fluent - unlike last week's episode, where everything felt a little disjointed, Walk Of Punishment is a straight line with a clear beginning, middle and end. Plus the horse chase looks fantastic, which is no mean feat for a pair of first-timers in the director's chair. 

In King's Landing, following a very awkward chair-switching scene that feels hilariously inspired by The Office, Tyrion shoulders some new responsibilities as the Coin Master of the Seven Kingdoms, while Tywin declares his final plans for tackling the rebellion in the North. There's no Joffrey to be found in this episode, which is good considering last week featured two or three scenes with the boy-king. 

Finally, Jaime Lannister and Brienne, having been captured in the last episode's climax, attempt to bargain their way out of their predicament. Obviously I won't spoil any major developments, but it's safe to say that Walk Of Punishment has the best, most shocking ending to an episode of Game of Thrones since last season's finale. 

Most excitingly of all, more and more new faces mean more and more new actors and some very recognisable casting has taken place. From Iwan Rheon (Simon from Misfits) jumping into the cast last week, we also have Burn Gorman (Owen from Torchwood) entering the fray as a member of the Night's Watch. With the likes of Mackenzie Crook, Diana Rigg, Thomas-Brodie Sangster and Ciaran Hinds already building up the cast significantly, it's clear that Game of Thrones has stepped up it's casting calls significantly - an exciting prospect for fans of television and movies in general. That said, it's not as though HBO and George R.R. Martin don't have the guts to kill off anyone just because of their famous face - A-listers Mark Addy and Sean Bean were eliminated in the very first season, so as always nobody is safe.

Summary

Much better than last week's episode and far more exciting than the season opener, Walk Of Punishment has all the right elements that makes Game of Thrones tick. The character jumps feel natural, the dialogue is of course sharp and witty, performed with pure skill and perfect comic/tragic/dramatic timing (delete as appropriate). With a superb, nail-biting finale and a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek end credits song, Walk Of Punishment further hammers home the fact that Game of Thrones is the best show on TV right now.

9/10 - Brilliant

Review: Oblivion

Review: Oblivion

In 2009, Joseph Kosinski made his directorial debut with the divisive Tron: Legacy, a movie which stunned audiences worldwide with its special effects but unfortunately missed its mark regarding the characterization and plotting.

With the Tom Cruise-led Oblivion, Kosinski has improved greatly on the first point and only slightly on the second. It looks superb, with shots such as a dirt-covered Empire State Building really driving home the apocalyptic feel of a dystopian Earth. Yet for all its flashy visuals, Oblivion's narrative lacks any spark: the twists are not as twisty as they should be, and the pacing is really off - the story takes ages to finally get going, and the seemingly constant exposition scenes quickly become tiresome.

Still, it has a good premise based on a graphic novel Kosinski wrote himself. Thanks to what is possibly the most dialogue-heavy prologue known to cinema, we soon learn that Earth has been attacked by an alien race. With the Moon destroyed, tsunamis, earthquakes and meteor showers have all but destroyed every country in the world - yet humanity, having been forced to use their nuclear weapons won the war and drove the aliens back. All that remains on the surface are "scavengers", feral aliens who hunt on the planet's surface.

 

Enter Tom Cruise, continuing his streak of playing characters called Jack. Jack, the last man on Earth, works as a drone repairman, maintaining the robotic spheres which keep the predatory aliens at bay. In two weeks, Jack and his wife will be joining the rest of the humans in space once their mission is complete. However, haunted by dreams of a past that he can't even remember, Jack begins to question the authenticity of his mission - a mission made even more complicated by the arrival of a mystery woman. 

To disclose anything else would probably be treading into spoiler territory, but to be honest the first hour or so of Oblivion plays out like a live action version of Disney/Pixar's Wall-E with Jack scouring the planet on his own looking for resources which can be used for the big move into space. There's even a rare piece of plant life he looks after!

That sort of sums up Oblivion's problem - it is so reminiscent of more original, better sci-fi exploits that have come before now that it fails to find its own identity. By the time the credits roll, we've basically been fed an enormous fictional platter with ingredients such as Independence Day, I Am Legend, Solaris, Moon, Planet Of The Apes and countless others. It's like a not-so greatest hits collection of hits we've all heard before. Perhaps it would have played better as a shooter video game with various missions and chapters rather than the badly paced, clunky movie that it actually is.

Where Oblivion makes its mark is its visuals, however. The film was shot almost entirely on location rather than constant green screen, so places like Jack's solitary countryside cabin feel truly authentic, while the Sky Tower that Jack calls home is brilliantly presented as a glossy, shiny contrast to the desolate land below. Cruise is on fine form as the leading man, while Andrea Riseborough steals every one of her scenes as the determined yet wavering operator of Jack's mission. Morgan Freeman also pops up to add some gravitas to the picture, but ultimately every character other than Jack and his wife are one dimensional, stereotypical and frustratingly dull.

That dullness is alleviated by one or two brilliant action scenes though - the few minutes of adrenaline in which Jack, piloting his groovy flying machine, evades his enemies in a narrow canyon are brilliantly choreographed and animated. Saying that, in any other movie that would be deemed an acceptable chase scene, whereas in Oblivion the lack of action makes any scene involving a fight seem more exciting than usual. All of this is short lived though and it feels as though the script has been turned on its head - where most futuristic sci-fi films effectively have exposition scenes leading up to lengthy action scenes, Oblivion does the opposite: tens of minutes of plotting give way to very short bursts of excitement, which is unusually flat for a movie of this genre.

Summary

Oblivion is an interestingly conceived sci-fi which punches very high above its weight and misses its mark with regards to its pacing, plotting and characterization. Director Joseph Kosinski repeats the mistakes he made with Tron: Legacy, although at least this time he improves greatly on the visuals, making Oblivion's post -apocalyptic wasteland look truly authentic. Sadly a decent setting does not a good movie make, and Oblivion's characters and slow-burning storyline actually would have worked beautifully as a narrative-based science fiction game. Still, in this day and age we can be thankful that studios are taking big genre risks like this, and here's hoping that the box office success of Oblivion could pave the way for bigger, bolder (and hopefully better) projects.

4/10 - Disappointing

See it if you liked: War of the Worlds (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Prometheus (2012)

The Spoilerific World of Movie Marketing

The Spoilerific World of Movie Marketing

Spoilers are everywhere. They're in your car. They're in your homes. They're on your DVD cases.

"Oh, but they're not spoilers!" I hear the movie studios cry. "It's just marketing to make people want to see the movie!"

Is it though? Imagine this. It's a world without consistent movie marketing such as internet TV spots, posters, on-set images, casting rumours and speculations. You head off to the cinema to see, oh I don't know, Spider-Man 2 (2004). Suddenly the trailers start; the Warner Bros. logo appears covered in bats - what could this possibly mean? A familiar actor's voice (Liam Neeson, perhaps?) teases the identity of the movie via voice-over: "Tell us, Mr Wayne - what do you fear?"

Mr Wayne? Isn't that...? And then it all makes sense, and you realise with a gleeful shock that Warner Bros. have somehow created a reboot of the Batman franchise, with none other than Christopher Nolan at the helm. You're so excited that you lean forward on your seat as the rest of the dark trailer unfolds, concluding with those teasing trailer words.

"Coming soon."

Now you're more excited for this than you ever were for the movie you're about to watch. That's the magic of watching a trailer for the first time in a cinema - it hits you like a wall of glee. You were unaware that this movie was even being made, let alone coming soon!

Let's snap back to 2013. Now, we're consistently bombarded via TV and online media regarding potential casting rumours, potential directors, new trailers, new posters, brand new speculative theories and confirmed cameos. The big reveals in the mega blockbusters are all made clear months (sometimes years) before the movies are even released thanks to the over-extensive promotional material.

Sticking with the Batman theme, take this trailer for last year's The Dark Knight Rises for example, which came out in July 2012 - but the trailer was released in November 2011!

This trailer, despite only being two minutes long, managed to give away rather a few of the movie's most awesome reveals. Here's a quick check-list:

1. The scene in which hooligans and criminals invade the houses of the upper class.
2. Bane beats the living crap out of Bruce Wayne at some point - "When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die."
3. The stadium scene, arguably one of the most shocking moments in the movie - or it would have been if the trailer hadn't given it away.
4. The Bat - it would have been awesome for Warner Bros. to keep Batman's flying vehicle a secret until its reveal in the movie's climax. 

Unfortunately, however, the line between marketing and spoiling is becoming blurred significantly. The recent promotional material for upcoming Star Trek sequel Star Trek Into Darkness have involved three (three!) full length trailers with a fourth on the way, along with hundreds of posters like this one below which was released today.

The poster shows Spock (Zachary Quinto) inside a volcano - a huge set piece which no doubt cost millions to film. Surely it's better to leave something like this as a fantastic surprise? Perhaps - there are arguments for the contrary, but given that the trailers have already given away the identity of the movie's villain, the opening "terrorist event" which will set the basis for the plot AND the fate of one particular cast member, haven't we already seen enough to at least understand the basis of the movie? It's terribly distracting during the movie to think "Oh that bit was in the trailer. So was that. Oh, I remember that bit."

Sometimes less is more. If we loved the original Star Trek, we're probably going to see the sequel - there's simply no need to bombard us with these endless promotional clichés. There should always be trailers, promotional images and posters for the movies, but when it gets to the point where we're getting on-set images, pictures of set designs and even a full list of cast members  almost 2 years before the movie is released (which is the case for the currently filming X-Men: Days of Future Past), it's time to take a step back and consider how much is left to purely enjoy in the movie.

Perhaps the fans are to blame, too. Take the TV show Doctor Who, which follows the adventures of a time-travelling alien who has the ability to change his appearance when mortally wounded - which of course allows the show to continue for a potentially endless run. When an actor gets tired of playing the role, the BBC simply hire a new one and make The Doctor regenerate into a new appearance like so...

The problem is that as soon as one Doctor is announced, fans are already looking forward to who will be the next one - as soon as Matt Smith was cast to take over David Tennant in the role of The Doctor, viewers were quickly speculating regarding who would be the next one! 

Really, it's a double edged sword. As long as spoiler-hungry fans continue to demand more and more info on movies that aren't even in pre-production yet, the studios will continue to pour out information in the hope that said fans will scream "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!" 

Either that or every single trailer comes with a siren blaring "SPOILER ALERT" for a good twenty minutes before it starts. 

TV Review: Doctor Who: S07E08

TV Review: Doctor Who

Series 7, Episode 8: Cold War

Air date: April 13th 2013

Doctor Who has covered rather a wide variety of settings in its 50 years of existence, such as distant alien planets, World War II, pirate ships, a country made entirely of glass, 18th Century Cardiff, a Dalek asylum, the Wild West and most commonly modern day London. 

Yet none have seemed quite as authentic and claustrophobic as this week's offering Cold War, which sees The Doctor and Clara trapped on board a sinking Russian submarine carrying a host of nuclear weapons - and one of The Doctor's oldest enemies. 

No, it's not a Dalek, although this episode does have a lot in common with 2005's excellent episode (aptly titled Dalek) in which an alien creature thought to be the last of its kind rotted away in loneliness with nothing but scared and violent humans for company. In this case, that creature is an Ice Warrior, a gargantuan extraterrestrial knight from Mars. 

So let's start with the positives of this episode which was written by none other than Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss. The submarine setting is a superb idea for the return of the Ice Warriors, thanks to the claustrophobic, breathless corridors. As the sub slowly but surely fills with water and The Doctor's urgency rises, we too feel as though the air is thin thanks to the frantic pacing of the episode. It's not quite as action packed as the trailers would suggest (but then, when are they?) but the essence of Doctor Who is captured in Cold War thanks to the relative simplicity of its Alien-versus-humans story. 

Helping to push said story along are the lively supporting cast, most notably Liam Cunningham of Game of Thrones fame as the captain of the sub. Thankfully, despite being Russian, the crew on the submarine aren't portrayed by actors attempting dodgy pantomime-Russian accents (as would surely have been the case if this episode was filmed in 2005). Sure it's still cheesy now and again, but there are the odd nods to movies like Alien as the crew are picked off one by one by an unseen entity from the ceiling. 

As for The Doctor himself, he (and by extension Matt Smith) acts as the leader of a company under siege, which leads to some exciting dialogue when informing the crew about his old enemy ("This is an Ice Warrior. And we go way back"). Ultimately, though, this season's episodes are becoming a little frustrating due to the fact that The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver is the be-all-and-end-all of every conundrum. In the "Tennant Years", as they shall forever be known, the Screwdriver was only used for opening doors and scanning unusual tech. Now it seems able to do everything from tie shoelaces to disarm nukes. 

Still, Cold War managed to wrap itself up nicely which is more than can be said for last week's episode, and despite some tonal inconsistencies it keeps up the pace pretty well. 

Now for a nag about this season of Doctor Who in general. In previous years, each episode has paved the way, adding more clues to an overall story arc, such as the Ninth Doctor's Bad Wolf event, the disappearance of planets in 2008's The Stolen Earth storyline and even the consistent hints that "He will knock four times" for the Tenth Doctor's regeneration. 

Yet this series feels disjointed, random and disconnected thanks to show-runner Steven Moffat's determination to provide the audience with a "blockbuster" episode per week. Therefore, the writers must feel under pressure to go as big as they can go, which inadvertently causes them to fall into genre clichés.

The seventh season of Doctor Who has, like the sixth before it, been split into two parts - 5 episodes from September last year, a Christmas special and then the final seven episodes in a row this Spring. As a result, Amy and Rory, the former companions of The Doctor, have been completely forgotten about following their departure in episode five which was way back in October, along with River Song. Perhaps I'm just being too picky, but I much prefer the more linear seasons and with this one leading up to the 50th Anniversary Special, one would hope that more and more clues as to its story will start being laid.

Summary

Cold War is a decent standalone episode of Doctor Who which falls into the series' history quite nicely. The return of the Ice Warriors is an exciting prospect, and it would definitely be good to see them again especially now that the likes of the Sontarans and the Silurians have been turned into comedy characters. Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman continue to have good chemistry on screen, and the supporting cast keep the claustrophobic feel of the episode remaining authentic. It's just a shame that Cold War has no addition to any overall story arc for season seven, a season which (despite a death-defying mystery involving the new companion) is sadly lacking in any consistency so far. Here's hoping that as we get closer to the 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who regains its basic roots. 

7/10 - Good

Next episode: "Hide"

Air date: April 13th

TV Review: Game of Thrones: S03E02

TV Review: Game of Thrones

Season 3, Episode 2: Dark Wings, Dark Words

Air Date: April 7th 2013

Game of Thrones adds yet more characters to its ever-expanding world this week with Season 3's second outing Dark Wings, Dark Words. 

Following on from last week's entertaining season opener, Dark Wings, Dark Words picks up the pace by not only revisiting some favourites who were sadly missing in the last episode but also adding in a wealth of interesting new ones. Around every corner in Westeros there's a new personality waiting to burst on to the screen to provide either crisis or aid to the players in the Game of Thrones.

For fans of the show who felt that episode one was missing several of the key personalities, they certainly won't be disappointed this week. From the touching opening with Bran to the climactic sword fight between Jaime Lannister and Brienne, Dark Wings, Dark Words ensures that no stone is left unturned. 

Yet the most interesting plot development so far has to be the unclear motivations of the Tyrell family - are they trying to get rid of Joffrey or simply wiggle their way into a position of power? Or are they truly trying to help Sansa? All of this gives way to what can only be described as one of the creepiest scenes in Thrones so far, as Margaery delves deeper into Joffrey's sick, almost sexual desire to kill. It's tense and it clouds the air in King's Landing, easily making it the more mysterious aspect of the narrative at the moment.

Still, that's not to say that the other characters are left without scene-stealing moments. Jaime "Kingslayer" Lannister passes the time during his captivity by trying to unsettle Brienne on their journey to King's Landing, while Bran and Arya finally return. Bran (having undergone some kind of Harry Potter-esque transformation into maturity) finds himself troubled further by his dreams, leading to a nice flashback in which he sees his brothers Jon Snow and Robb beside him - that is until two new interesting characters barge into his life, one of which possesses a strange power.

As for Arya, her journey back to Winterfell is interrupted by the arrival of a group of freedom fighters, The Brothers Without Banners, an event which has the potential to blow her cover as the daughter of Ned Stark. Meanwhile, Robb and Catelyn Stark also make their way back North to attend the funeral of Catelyn's father. Their storyline has become a little frustrating recently (are they ever going to get to King's Landing to fight the Lannisters?) but this event opens up a nice monologue for the widely despised Catelyn as she describes her guilt over her treatment of Jon Snow.

He of course is still in Wildling territory above the wall, and it soon becomes clear that his enemies are preparing an assault upon the wall in order to escape the White Walkers. With Ciaran Hinds leading the fray as Mance Rayder, we're also introduced to Mackenzie Crook's character; a "warg" with the ability to possess the body of an animal and see through their eyes. 

Last but not least, Theon Greyjoy finally reappears in quite a predicament, bound and tortured for his actions at Winterfell. His captors remain a mystery, but in their midst comes yet another new character in the form of Iwan Rheon (who most will recognize as Simon from Misfits). 

Perhaps the most enticing thing about Game of Thrones is the fact that there are so many characters unconnected all over the world. All of their stories are hugely exciting, but something about Dark Wings, Dark Words feels a little scrambled. The episode jumps around far too much with no link from the last character to the next and while it is always exciting to see Tyrion Lannister, his particular appearance in this outing feels completely unnecessary - HBO are probably just desperate to include the series' staple character in every episode. 

Still, what it lacks in connectivity it makes up for with large mixtures of tension and settlement. The show manages to make us feel at ease one second, then nervous the next. Take for example Tyrion's humorous scene with Shae which is immediately followed by the aforementioned disturbing moments with Joffrey; the boy-king is clearly becoming more paranoid yet more determined by the second. 

Summary

Dark Wings, Dark Words is certainly better than last week's episode thanks to its sharp script - it really feels as though the narrative is gathering more momentum after last season's climax. All in all, it's clear that there are big things to come from Game of Thrones this year and despite some minor muddling with regards to the character jumps, the introduction of new ones should keep its audience enticed. This is storytelling at its finest.

8/10 - Great

Next episode: "Walk Of Punishment"

Air date: April 14th

TV Review: Doctor Who: S07:E07

TV Review: Doctor Who

Series 7, Episode 7: The Rings Of Akhaten

Air date: April 6th 2013

The seventh series of the revived Doctor Who (which kicked off way back in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the ninth incarnation of the adventurous Time Lord) is now fully under way. With former companions Amy and Rory Williams sadly gone for good, it's time for Jenna-Louise Coleman's Clara Oswald to prove to both The Doctor and us that she is a suitable substitute for his best friends.

Last week saw her official entrance into the TARDIS - except of course, The Doctor has already met Clara twice before and she has died both times. The mystery deepens with this latest companion, but with this week's episode The Rings Of Akhaten, Doctor Who sticks to the usual formula when attempting to win over the audience with a new central character. 

In previous seasons, the first three episodes have more or less followed the same structure: Doctor meets companion, Doctor takes companion into outer space (often into the future), Doctor takes companion into the past. These latest episodes haven't differed from the norm, but showrunner Steven Moffat quite rightly drives home the idea that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

Of course, the big change is that Coleman is slowly but surely finding her groove as Clara - losing Amy and Rory was devastating both for fans of the show and for the Doctor himself, but thankfully Clara is proving to be quite the empowering assistant thanks to Coleman's confident, assured performance.

In the midst of all this is a plot of course, and this particular effort comes from Luther writer Neil Cross. Cross is making his Doctor Who debut here and while it's an assured one, it comes off as a little simplistic and childish now and again considering that we were promised a "blockbuster" episode per week. Really, this just feels like a standard feel-good David Tennant episode from 2007.

Kicking off with The Doctor and Clara inside the TARDIS, Clara claims she wants to see "something awesome." Believing he has the right place to blow her mind, The Doctor takes his new companion to the planet Akhaten, a world in the style of Rome whose inhabitants celebrate the Festival Of Offerings, a day in which the people sing to what is essentially an angry galaxy eating star to keep it from taking out its rage on them. For some reason The Doctor refers to it as a "space version of Pancake Tuesday."

The premise alone almost ensures that The Rings Of Akhaten is not as good as last week's mid-season opener The Bells Of Saint John. From the bizarre set up of a girl singing to what the locals refer to as a God to the disappointingly bland monsters, this episode feels pretty bogged down by its limited running time. Perhaps if Cross had had more time to develop his ideas, however unoriginal they may be, the resulting climax wouldn't have felt like the cop out it was. 

Functioning as possibly the most glorious looking episode of Doctor Who in recent memory, The Rings Of Akhaten feels like a cross between Indiana Jones and Star Trek and while this should be awesome, the feature sometimes falls flat with an anticlimax, some very cheesy dialogue and some largely unexplored religious themes (at one point, when asked if the Akhaten God is real, The Doctor simply responds with "Well. It's what they believe.").

Flaws aside, though, Doctor Who's latest does give us a deeper insight into Clara's past with more pieces to the puzzle and for anyone still stubbornly claiming that she can't possibly step into Amy's shoes, The Rings Of Akhaten may just convert them into an optimist.

As for Smith himself, he gets the best scene in the episode as The Doctor recounts all of the amazing and sad things he's done in his life. As usual, the references to both old and new incarnations of the show are exciting and with the 50th Anniversary specials coming up later this year, we can expect more and more nods to the past as we get closer to the milestone.

Summary

The Rings Of Akhaten has some very lofty ambitions but ultimately it fails to match them due to its limited running time and Doctor Who's nature as what is effectively a teenage sci-fi. That said, it does provide a satisfying vehicle for us to get closer to Clara and appreciate her more as a real character rather than a substitute. It also looks incredible, from the new interior of the TARDIS to the Star Wars-esque streets of the alien planet, helped by some fantastic CGI and costume design. Still, with such a strong opener last weekend, it's a shame to say that The Rings Of Akhaten is a disappointingly dry pancake.

5/10 - Mediocre

Next episode: "Cold War"

Air date: April 13th 2013

TV Review: Game Of Thrones: S03E01

TV Review: Game Of Thrones

Season 3, Episode 1: Valar Dohaeris

Air date: March 31st 2013

This review contains some mild spoilers so if you haven't watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones, why the hell not?!

Game of Thrones isn't just a television show anymore - it's an event shared by millions. The hype for Season 3 of HBO's award winning fantasy-drama has been hitting its peak in the last few weeks and for good reason. The televised adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire novels is the most emotionally engaging character driven drama of the last decade thanks to its sharp script, big budget and unforgettable characters.

So now that Season 3 finally hit our screens on Sunday evening with its opener "Valar Dohaeris", how does it match the hype? Can it possibly live up to its previous efforts?

Well, not so much yet but that's okay. Valar Dohaeris is a slow-burner of an episode that takes its time to carefully set up the chess board for the game to come rather than firing on all cylinders at once.

The bulk of this entry picks up right where last season's climactic finale left off. The war of the five kings has burned out for now, with Robb Stark, the King of the North, slowly but surely travelling to King's Landing to seek justice for Ned Stark's murder and to save his sisters.

Sam Tarly, having escaped the nightmarish White Walkers, reunites with the Night's Watch as they set off to warn Westeros about the gathering supernatural threat. Meanwhile in King's Landing, Tywin Lannister has been appointed the new hand of the king while his son, Tyrion, requests a reward for his efforts in the Battle of Blackwater Bay. 

Across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen continues her journey to Westeros with vengeance in her heart to reclaim the Iron Throne, all while her dragons continue to grow into deadly weapons. In Wildling terrority, Jon Snow is introduced to Mance Rayder, the king beyond the wall. 

More than any siege or one to one swordfight, the true battles within Game of Thrones lie in the wordplay between the characters. Take the opening exchange between Tyrion and his sister Cersei for example, in which she accuses him of failing to realise he isn't as clever as he thinks he is ("Still makes me more clever than you," he retorts), and while there aren't any particularly exciting action sequences this time the show makes sure its wit and style remains.

Kicking off the episode with Jon Snow is an effective kick back into the world of Westeros too. There's nothing more likely to put you in a Game of Thrones atmosphere than Kit Harrington's consistently brilliant performance as Ned Stark's bastard son, and while Snow gets barely ten minutes of screen time, it's clear that exciting things are still to come for him as he goes undercover in the Wildling community.

At the same time, as it's the season opener, there is a desire to know where everybody is at. Unfortunately fan favourites Arya Stark, The Hound, Bran and Jaime Lannister amongst others are missing from Valar Dohaeris - but on the flipside that of course means they will feature heavily next week. King Joffrey's presence is a little thin on the ground, too but with the addition of his new bride-to-be, it's understandable that his evil character may be about to go through some changes.

Still, their loss is Tyrion's gain - arguably the show's most popular character, the dwarven drunkard-turned-hero has become the iconic figure for the series and this week sees him becoming yet more sympathetic. The Battle of Blackwater would have been the death of Joffrey, Cersei and all had it not been for Tyrion's bravery - but having been brutally injured during the battle, the former hand of the king has been bed-ridden for weeks during which time his father Tywin has taken over.

This sets the stage for one of the most heartbreaking moments in Game of Thrones so far, and it's a huge credit to both Peter Dinklage and Charles Dance (Tyrion and Tywin respectively) that such complex and cruel emotions are acted out so brilliantly as Tyrion humbly requests recognition for his deeds.

Aside from the superb acting, Game of Thrones ups the ante once more with its stunning scenery. The crew behind the scenes have chosen some of the most beautiful and natural locations around the world for the show so far. Their authenticity is down to the fact that each setting is completely different - the capital of Westeros, King's Landing looks a million miles away from, say, Jon Snow's current location beyond the wall. With their budget allowing the show to shoot all around the world, HBO have managed to give their medieval fantasy a real-world feel that pulls us into the show and its story even more.

Which is very lucky, as screenwriters/producers David Benioff and Daniel Weiss haven't had an easy task condensing so many (literally over a hundred) recurring characters into understandable and satisfyingly concise storylines. In this episode alone for example, at least six major plot points are overlapping at once. It takes some work and every word is more important than those before it, but every line counts in Game of Thrones - ultimately, the more you pay attention the more you will be rewarded.

Summary

Game of Thrones is finally back, and while this opening episode understandably fails to cover every major character that we've come to care about, Valar Dohaeris sets the stage well for the inevitably exhilarating events to come. As usual, it's flawlessly acted, the script ensures that every word is gripping and the sets look as authentic as ever; with even more characters still to be introduced, it's already clear that Season 3 will be the most thrilling yet. Just remember - nobody is safe. "When you play the game of thrones you either win - or you die."

8/10 - Great

April Preview

April Preview

As the nights (supposedly) get warmer and Spring hots up, so does the cinema. The white house under siege,   an apocalyptic sci-fi and the return of the world's coolest superhero - these are April's biggest movies in a nutshell.

Dark Skies

Director: Scott Stewart

Cast: Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyo, J.K Simmons

Release Date: April 3rd

The pitch: A middle-class American family are terrorized by demonic aliens obsessed with abducting their youngest child. 

Why you should see it: From the producers of Insidious and Sinister, Dark Skies looks to be the bog-standard creepy film of the month for those who like their paranormal horrors. Now with added birds.

Spring Breakers

Director: Harmony Korine

Cast: Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, James Franco

Release Date: April 5th

The pitch: Four teenage girls take a wild holiday (spring break y'all!), but when their funds run dry they attempt to rob a fast food store. When the plan goes awry, they are bailed out of custody by a mysterious gangster known as "Alien," but when things become a little too sinister for their liking they have to decide how far they want to go to have a good time.

Why you should see it: Perhaps not for fans of the High School Musical movies, Spring Breakers completes "good girl" Vanessa Hudgens' and popstar Selena Gomez's progression to adulthood. It's nothing to do with the bikinis. Honestly. 

Oblivion

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Costar-Waldau, Morgan Freeman

Release Date: April 12th

The pitch: In a movie that is totally absolutely definitely not a live-action version of Wall-E, Tom Cruise stars as Jack Harper, the last man on Earth. He works as a drone repairman, ensuring that the killing machines remain intact so that they may destroy the alien race who annihilated most of the planet. Yet when he rescues a human from a crashed spaceship, his beliefs are shaken to the core.

Why you should see it: Possibly the most visually stunning movie of the year, Oblivion is the creation of acclaimed Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski who has reportedly been working on this movie for over ten years. Quality not quantity.

The Place Beyond The Pines

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne

Release Date: April 12th

The pitch: Motorcycle stunt rider Luke turns to a life of crime in order to support his pregnant ex-girlfriend Romina. He therefore inevitably crosses paths with Avery, a well meaning police officer struggling to support a family of his own while trying to find meaning in a world of corruption and selfishness. 

Why you should see it: Ryan Gosling reunites with Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance to create one of the Toronto International Film Festival's biggest movies.

Olympus Has Fallen

Director: Antoine Fugua

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Rick Yune, Morgan Freeman

Release Date: April 17th

The pitch: When North Korean forces led by a vicious sociopath attack the White House, an ex-secret service agent and a handful of his former colleagues fight back to save the President and the entire United States.

Why you should see it: Gerard Butler fights back against his "rom-com" typecasting by adding another action epic to his career. As one of two movies this year depicting the destruction of the White House (the other being White House Down starring Channing Tatum), Olympus Has Fallen looks to be the best Die Hard movie that Bruce Willis never made.

Iron Man 3

Director: Shane Black

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley

Release Date: April 26th

The pitch: Marvel's Phase Two kicks off with Tony Stark (a.k.a Iron Man) on a personal mission of revenge when his home is destroyed by a deadly terrorist known as The Mandarin. With a revolutionary scientist also on his tail, Tony finds his genius and his heroics truly put to the test. 

Why you should see it: This is the start of the second batch of movies leading up to The Avengers 2. And with Tony deploying new technology to control multiple Iron Man suits with his mind at once, this could be the most action packed superhero movie yet. The Stark Knight Rises.

Check back to Movies Under The Microscope throughout the month for reviews of all of these films.