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Arrow: The Promise (2014)
"What would you like to do now, Mr. Wilson?"
This episode of Arrow is without doubt a massive turning point for the series as a whole. From now on nothing will be the same, we now know exactly how Slade and Oliver had there fall out(even though it wasn't hard to guess after 'Three Ghosts') but we know how they fell out and seeing Slade realise the truth about how Shado died was one of the most devastating and gripping moments of Arrow so far. Manu Bennett has always been one of the strongest actors in Arrow and he proved why in this episode, the contrast to the calm friendly 'business' Slade in the modern day and the violent, angry and unstable Slade in the flashbacks was a joy to behold. This was also one of the best episodes for Stephen Amell, he excels in most episodes but I would say he has never been better than this, him and Bennett are brilliant together on screen, whether it be the scene where Slade states how he and Oliver are now like brothers, to their showdown in the climax of the episode, they both play their roles so well and I really couldn't see anybody doing a better job than these two. This episode is like a sequel to 'The Odyssey'the focus was on the flashback sequences, however, the scenes in the mansion were some of the most unforgettable in this season of Arrow. They were tense, brilliantly written and acted superbly, the exchanges between Oliver and Slade when they were on their own were extremely well crafted as we now see just how vulnerable Oliver is and how much it will take for Team Arrow to beat Slade as he is organised, clever and of course extremely dangerous. The highlight of the episode for me was in the mansion when the Arrow Team, Slade and Oliver's family are all in the same room and the tension is at its absolute highest, it appears that they are all ready to settle the score which raises the stakes even higher than they already where. The final revelation of the episode is the reason as to why Slade was really at the Queen Mansion and it was simply to place bugs all around the house so he can watch and wait until Oliver is at his most vulnerable. This episode was stunning, the fight scenes were at their usual high standard, the set pieces were bigger(despite not the best visual effects) and the revelations make this the best episode of Arrow so far.
Drive (2011)
Perfectly executed story with some excellent performances, particularly from Albert Brooks and Ryan Gosling
Drive is simply a must watch, the story, although not completely original, is so perfectly executed that the film feels like no other. Everything about this film is perfection in my opinion, the soundtrack is one of the best out there and the performances from all the cast members are career highlights or sure. I do not actually believe it is possible for somebody not be completely involved in the story after the opening, quite simply it is sublime. After that the film does slow down but this is all necessary for character and story development, when it picks up again in the second half the original change of pace feels completely justified. Ryan Gosling's performance is to be commended, he doesn't say much but his calmness in one scene and then brutality in another is very entertaining and difficult to watch such as the scene in the elevator where he literally jumps on a man's head until it is completely crushed. Albert Brooks also deserves recognition for a similar reason, playing the role of the primary antagonist, Bernie Rose, he is unsettling on screen yet you cannot take your eyes off him. The way in which he brutally murders Shannon and 'Cook' are the two most graphic scenes in the film.
I think this is a film that everybody should watch and it is undoubtedly my favourite film.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
A much stronger entry into the Avengers universe than both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Iron Man 3
Firstly I would like to say I am a big fan of the modern day marvel films. However, I was extremely disappointed with Iron Man 3 it lost its focus half way through with one of the most ridiculously executed twists I have ever seen. Thankfully Thor:The Dark World gets these right. There are many moments throughout the film where it looks like it is set in one direction and then it completely changes course and this makes it extremely entertaining to watch.
Apart from questionable performances from Anthony Hopkins (who is one my favourite actors) and Christopher Eccleston, the performances are excellent. Chris Hemsworth has never been better as the God of Thunder but it is Tom Hiddlestone's performance as Loki which steals the show. He is without doubt a joy to watch on screen and always demands attention as it is never quite clear what it is he is about to do. It is this unpredictability that undermines the true villain Malekith who is fairly weak in comparison.
Now the story. The story is fairly basic; ancient evil after an evil power source which can destroy the universe etc. But it is the way in which it unfolds which is so captivating. With many fairly shocking moments which drive the story to a more darker road. This brings about my only complaint on how the actual story is told. There are several moments where the story is quite emotionally driven and these scenes are the highlights of the film. Yet after each seen they jump straight to comedy elements and it just doesn't seem natural all the time. Don't get me wrong the comedic parts are some of the best (the Captain America scene was incredibly funny) it is just too much of a drastic change. All in all this is a must watch for fans of Marvel. It is better than the first in my opinion and much better than Iron Man 3.
The Walking Dead (2010)
The Walking Dead is an excellent show at its best but sometimes can be frustrating with inconsistency.
The Walking Dead is one of the best shows on television at the moment, that there is no doubt about. It has a great sense of unpredictability few shows can generate. However this can sometimes be a negative. With a big number of main characters it is difficult to fully develop all of them and it appears that the majority of the time they start to develop minor characters they are killed off. T-Dog is a prime example. He was in the show from Season 1 and never really got the attention I personally felt he deserved on the show. That was until Season 3 Episode 4 "Killer Within". At the start of this episode we finally got to see him showing his importance to the group and it was good to see. The show runners however felt that this was his time to go and he is killed off in the same episode. This is one of the main negative points about The Walking Dead and there aren't many. Overall this is a fantastic show. The world is believable and horrifying at the same time. The main characters are very well crafted. Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes are two of my favourite characters in television. They both have that heroic level to them but they are also complex making them interesting to watch on screen. Despite season 3 largely being quite unpopular, I felt it made some really big steps. The introduction of a new villain other than "walkers" in the Governor was a fantastic move. He is the perfect villain seemingly calm and friendly on the outside and cold, cruel and psychopathic on the inside. He draws fear almost every time he is on screen David Morrissey really does bring the character to life.
I would highly recommend this show to most people despite it being annoyingly inconsistent but this was mainly with the 3rd season which still had my two favourite episodes of the show so far. Also with Season 4 getting off to an excellent start with "30 Days Without an Accident" it seems that The Walking Dead is here for the long run and I am certainly glad about that.