'The Room' When Bad Films Go Good

Imagine for a moment, a film made by some of the worst writers, directors and actors in Hollywood. A Michael Bay film with Adam Sandler and Melissa McCarthy in the lead if you will. You can imagine it being pretty bad right? But would it come close to The Room level of bad? Not a chance. The Room is one of those rare cult films that's so painfully bad in all imaginable ways that it's actually extremely enjoyable, it's a film that people watch to laugh at its unintentional hilarity and sheer awfulness, a film that has reached a whole new level of bad that it makes Transformers look like Star Wars. But what is The Room?

For the unlucky few of you who are unaware of this film, The Room is a 2003 romantic drama film that follows the deterioration of a mans life when his fiance begins having an affair with his best friend. Not so bad right? Wrong. The film was written, directed and produced by a certain Tommy Wiseau who also takes on the lead role of Johnny despite his horrible acting. This man is the Orson Welles of bad and The Room is his Citizen Kane. Through his awful performance, terrible dialogue and every bizarre inconsistency in this film, Tommy Wiseau managed to present the world with the worst film of all time, but also the most beloved worst film of all time. The Room has since become a cult sensation and has found a huge fanbase all over the world, people quote it, people get it on t-shirts and people worship the mythical figure that is Tommy Wiseau. Nowadays watching The Room makes you part of a large community of fans who admire it for all of its many many flaws.

I myself am a huge fan, I remember watching it in full for the first time and being completely overwhelmed by how terrible it was but also by the fact that I was enjoying how terrible it was. Never have I laughed so much at a film before, not even at Airplane! This is mainly down to it's laughable dialogue that's so unnatural that you can't help but remember all of those quotes. One of my personal favourites is in a scene where Mark (Greg Sestero) Johnny's best friend argues with Johnny before yelling at him 'keep your stupid comments in your pocket!' That's the kind of stuff we're dealing with here, Sestero himself has since admitted that he had a hard time bringing himself to say that line due to how horribly unnatural it is. One of the films most iconic pieces of dialogue however, comes when Johnny expresses his emotions to his fiance Lisa (Juliette Danielle), channeling his inner James Dean by screaming 'you're tearing me apart Lisa!' On paper it's nothing but it's the delivery that makes that moment so golden. Such horrible dialogue can't help but etch itself into your brain which is one of the reasons why this film is so iconic, it's got so many memorable (albeit terrible) quotes courtesy of writer/director/producer/actor, Tommy Wiseau.

The mastermind behind The Room, Mr. Wiseau is quite the character, the strange accent, the long, dyed black hair, he is something of an enigma. Never revealing his true age or the source of his vast fortune used to fund the film, Tommy Wiseau is shrouded in mystery and has become something of a cinematic icon (for all the wrong reasons) thanks to his work on The Room. Onscreen he is a pleasure to watch, his terrible acting and the way he delivers his lines is almost otherworldly, every time he appears onscreen we wait in the hope that he will open his mouth, delivering another memorable quote. In doing this he never fails. But if you think Tommy Wiseau is bad onscreen, his offscreen antics are even more outlandish. Insisting to shoot in both HD and 35mm, annoying actors so much that they were forced to quit, annoying crew members so much that 3 different crews were used, these are just a few examples of what Wiseau got up to behind the scenes. It is believed that he annoyed the actor who originally was set to play Mark intentionally so that he would quit and be replaced by his friend Greg Sestero. His worst victim however, was Juliette Danielle who plays his love interest Lisa as she was forced to film a very long sex scene with him, so long that footage from it was reused to make another one. One can only imagine how excruciatingly painful it was for her to film these scenes. To top this all off, Wiseau supposedly insisted on having his ass onscreen 'or else this film wouldn't sell'. And all that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Aside from the dialogue and Tommy Wiseau's mere existence, another reason why this film is so memorable is that it's one of those films where you notice something new each time. The first time around is all about the real memorable stuff, the infamous roof scene for example where Johnny screams about how he did not hit Lisa or Lisa's dismissal of her mothers breast cancer. The second time is when you notice more smaller details, why are the men throwing a football around in tuxedos? Why are there framed pictures of spoons everywhere? The more times you watch it, the more narrative flaws and sheer oddities you discover. I've watched it many times at this stage and I still spot some new inconsistency every time without failure. Last time I watched it I only realised that Johnny's psychologist friend Peter (Kyle Vogt) disappears for no reason and later on there is a new, unnamed character that seems to fill his role. Apparently Kyle Vogt had to leave the production for personal reasons and instead of rewriting the script or giving his lines to another existing character, Wiseau invented a new character to fill in for Peter in one scene. I'm sure I'll notice something else next time I watch it and I look forward to doing so. There are just so many strange qualities about this film that I cannot even begin to list them all, it really is something that you have to see to believe.

Multiple plot holes, cringe worthy acting and dialogue, and the close up of Tommy Wiseau's buttocks, The Room is a film that is full to the brim with flaws. However it is these very flaws that have made it such a cult film, all over the world people attend screenings of The Room where they shout quotes in unison and throw spoons at the screen. It has become a communal experience of sorts. While a lot of bad films are that way because they try too hard, Michael Bay's explosions, Kevin Hart's 'comedy', The Room is the opposite, it is effortlessly bad. Being bad just comes so naturally to this highly unnatural film and I think there are very few films that have managed to reach this caliber of bad. Of course not everyone will enjoy The Room, many people will just see it as bad and will find no entertainment from its many many flaws. But there is a huge community of fans, including myself, who cannot help but be mesmerised by this trainwreck of a film. This is the type of film that will live on for generations, 100 years from now I like to think that people will still say 'oh hi Doggy' in their best Tommy Wiseau accent whenever they pass a dog in the streets. I encourage you all to watch this film and if you like it then I suggest reading The Disaster Artist also, a book written by Greg Sestero about his experience with Wiseau and with The Room. You will not be disappointed.

'Batman: The Killing Joke' Review

Earlier this year it was announced that the people at Warner Bros. Animation were working on an animated adaptation of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, an R-Rated one at that. Fans everywhere went nuts, not only is The Killing Joke one of the most iconic and controversial Batman stories ever, but Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were set to return as Batman and The Joker respectively. Along with this, veteran voice actor Tara Strong was set to play Batgirl while Twin Peaks star Ray Wise would play Jim Gordon. With such an established voice cast, iconic story and that R-Rating under its utility belt it seemed impossible for this film to fail, which is why it is so surprising that it did. Batman: The Killing Joke left me feeling somewhat disappointed, I was expecting so much more but unfortunately it just did not deliver.

This films biggest weakness is undoubtedly the first half hour, a prelude of sorts which acts as a means of setting up Batman and Batgirl's relationship to provide more depth to their characters. This could have worked, this could have really set things up for a heartbreaking second act but unfortunately it falls flat. Aside from taking up almost half of the film with a story that has nothing to do with the rest of The Killing Joke, the film completely ruins the character of Barbara Gordon. She is no longer the strong, spunky sidekick looking to prove herself to Bruce, instead she is more of a swooing fangirl whose sole reason for joining Batman is because she fancies him? Not only that but the writers take that subplot as far as the duo doing the nasty which is completely unnecessary and almost disturbing for Bat Fans everywhere. Instead of growing to like this version of Barbara, we feel nothing for her as she basically spends the entire first HALF AN HOUR of a 75 minute film moping about her unrequited love for Batman. Their mentor/pupil relationship becoming more romantic than necessary is this films biggest weakness.

For a film with so much hype that it gained a theatrical release in select cinemas, the animation in Batman: The Killing Joke isn't exactly movie quality. Not to say it's terribly drawn, but compared to previous animated bat flicks such as Year One and The Dark Knight Returns this film just looks a bit amateurish. The Joker looks a bit worse for wear and that iconic scene where he emerges from the polluted water and laughs maniacally after seeing his new appearance just looks like a bad gif that is completely out of place. It would not have been a problem if it were a series, but the fact that it even got theatrical releases makes it deservant of a higher quality of animation. Having said that, there are a number of scenes that look fantastic such as that in the Joker's funhouse and the iconic scene in Barbara's apartment.

One of the films redeeming qualities by a longshot however, is its voice cast. Once again Conroy and Hamill have proven themselves to be the definitive Batman and Joker and hearing the latter recite The Joker's iconic lines from the comic is goosebump enducing. As expected Conroy shines as well, not many people could make Batman laughing actually seem okay. Tara Strong and Ray Wise also give great performances as the Gordon's and they share a nice chemistry in their scenes together, it half makes up for the whole Batman/Batgirl thing in the first act. Once that first half an hour is over and the actual story finally kicks in things start to pick up, it's just as twisted and disturbing as its source material and the R-rating is put to excellent use. The scenes where Gordon is mentally tortured by The Joker are particularly chilling and almost hard to watch at times. It was comforting to see that despite messing up Batman and Batgirls relationship, the writers still managed to get the story of The Killing Joke right.

Uneven, underwhelming and downright mediocre, Batman: The Killing Joke feels like quite a let down. It was a film that had so much potential, the source material, the voice cast, it looked as though things were falling together perfectly but sadly this was not the case. While the voice acting is superb and the last 45 minutes are a pleasure to watch, the film just can't make up for that dreadful first half an hour that feels extremely out of place and downright wrong. In fairness, The Killing Joke is only a short story but surely there are plenty of other ways this could have been dragged out without having Batgirl and Batman having sex? It has some great moments and a wonderful cast but not even Mark Hamill reciting The Joker's infamous flashlight joke can save this film.

10 Incredibly Bleak Feel Bad Films

I always see articles talking about 'feel good' films, films that warm your heart and all that stuff, but what about the polar opposite of that? What about those films that make you sit there for hours after the credits finished rolling feeling dead inside? I've managed to put together a list of what I feel are the ten best 'feel bad' films, the ones that I've seen anyways, from grizzly torture porn to films that are simply depressing, there are a fair mix of genres here. Also be warned, THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD.

10. Se7en

David Fincher's films are known for being quite bleak and at times nihilistic, and there is no better example of this than his comeback hit, Se7en. Set in a nameless gloomy city, the film follows veteran detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie Mills (Brad Pitt) as they attempt to stop a mysterious killer who bases his murders off the seven deadly sins. Visually this film is bleak enough as it is, it rains for the majority and all of the crime scenes are devilishly grizzly in their own unique way, like most of Fincher's films this one is really dark. But gruesome crime scenes and excessive precipitation is only the beginning and it is not until the films chilling climax that things get really dark. As Mills and Somerset confront the villainous John Doe (Kevin Spacey) in the desert, it is revealed that his most recent victim was Mills' loving wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) whose severed head is inside a box. It's a big shocker and a highly unsettling scene and if that wasn't enough it is also revealed that Doe had been watching Mills and his wife right from the beginning, creepy stuff. It's quite a grim ending to a grim film, but that's just the tip of the iceberg on this list.

9. Eraserhead

Before Blue Velvet or Twin Peaks, David Lynch broke onto the scene with his bizarre sci-fi film Eraserhead. Set in a dystopian future, the film follows the timid Henry (Jack Nance) who begins to lose his mind while trying to raise his mutated newborn baby. Like the aforementioned Se7en, this film has a very bleak environment only this time it is set in a run down council estate in some dystopian society, it's also shot in black and white which accentuates the gloomy atmosphere. As it is a David Lynch film it's got some very surreal moments such as the dream sequence where Henry's head is used to make erasers and a bizarre moment with a twitchy chicken. But again, it's not really that bad until the ending where things all get too much for Henry and he stabs his mutant baby to death. It's a rather unsettling scene due to the visuals and the distorted crying from the baby, if it wasn't so inhuman looking it would probably be extremely upsetting. Thankfully however, the bizarre Lynchian visuals manage to keep us distracted from the dismal ending which makes this film much less upsetting than it probably should be.

8. Antichrist

While a lot of films aren't really bleak until the very end, Antichrist gets us from the very start as a young child falls to his death from a very high window, it is part of Lars von Trier's 'depression trilogy' after all. Things only get worse from there on as the rest of the film deals with the mother's (Charlotte Gainsbourg) descent into violent insanity. A lot of the film is Gainsbourg's character crying and mourning while her husband played by Willem Dafoe attempts to act as her therapist. There is so much crying and burts of rage in this film that it's very hard to watch at times and that's before it even gets to the violent bits. Aside from all of the emotional trauma, there are some very gruesome scenes in this film which aren't frequent, but when they do happen they're definitely quite..eh..ballsy to say the least. Antichrist is literally 108 minutes of misery right from the beginning, there isn't a single moment of happiness or humour in this, not even a sliver. But sure what do you expect from a director who compared himself to Hitler before.

7. Eden Lake

Sounds like a lovey romance film eh? Nope. Eden Lake sees couple Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender) heading for a romantic getaway to the seemingly idyllic town of Eden Lake, but things don't go to plan when they encounter a gang of ultraviolent teenagers lead by the psychopathic Brett (Jack O'Connell). I had no idea how utterly joyless this film would be, there's this constant atmosphere of hopelessness throughout as Jenny desperately attempts to find safety but fails every time. Being lost in a vast forest is bad enough on its own but being pursued by violent teenagers in said forest is even worse. If that all wasn't bad, poor Fassbender doesn't even make it to the last half hour as he is burned to death by those evil little shits. Not to mention it that it was before his character could propose to his fiance Jenny. Why kill Fassy? It's just one of those films where you fear so much for the protagonist yet you know deep down there's no hope for them and unfortunately for poor Jenny, that is exactly the case. As for the ending, well, out of the frying pan into the fire as they say. 

6. Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling? Michelle Williams? The word 'valentine'? Surely this is a wholesome romance film right? Wrong. The film follows a couple at the beginning and the end of their relationship and shifts back and forward through time showing how they got from A to B. It's really disheartening watching the decline of their once happy relationship, especially considering how much Goslings character wants things to work for the sake of their daughter. Sad Gosling equals sad audience after all. One minute we're watching them falling in love and the next they're getting divorced, it's pretty harrowing stuff and feels all too realistic for a romance film. We really root for Gosling here, we want him to win back Williams' character, but in the end things aren't that easy and that final scene where he walks away from his wife and daughter really pulls on the ol' heart strings. Superbly acted with an equally emotional soundtrack, Blue Valentine is without a doubt the most desolate romance film ever made.

5. Martyrs

Okay back to the blood and gore now, this time it's the extremely violent French-Canadian horror film Martyrs. Starting off as a revenge story of sorts, the film begins with childhood friends Anna (Morjana Alaoui) and Lucie (Myléne Jampanoi) seeking vengeance on the people who kidnapped the latter as a child. However things soon take a dark turn and not everything is as it seems in this ultraviolent descent into terror. Essentially, half the film is the protagonist getting brutally tortured and if you don't think that's a bit grim then you're probably a hardcore sadist. She is tortured relentlessly to the point where she is skinned alive and incapable of even moving, it's very difficult to watch even for the more extreme fans of the genre. Again, there is this constant feeling of hopelessness throughout and as much as we want the heroine to escape we really can't see how it would be possible. Brutally violent and unrelenting, Martyrs is enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs.

4. Funny Games

Despite the ironic title, there is nothing funny about these games. This Austrian thriller from director Michael Haneke sees a family heading to their lakehouse for a fun getaway only to become terrorised by a duo of strange young men clad in white. This film goes against the conventions of your usual thriller, turning the genre on its head and having a great time in doing so. It is a very self aware film and the main antagonist Paul (Arno Frisch) frequently breaks the fourth wall and shows signs that he is aware of the fact he's in a film. I found it to be very clever but it's also incredibly dark and dismal. The dog dies, the young kid dies, basically everyone dies. It does it's best to not conform to the conventions of cinema and therefore takes many directions that the audience generally would not expect, i.e. killing the young child. All of the acts of violence are done so nonchalantly and without hesitation in this film which makes the death scenes particularly bleak, once again there is no hope for the protagonists. It's a clever little film but it's very heavy at times and will leave you sitting there with a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach afterwards.

3. A Serbian Film

Yes it's that film. That controversial film you've probably heard about but still haven't brought yourself to watch because of what you've heard. If you know nothing about this film, basically it's generally considered to be the most depraved and disgusting film ever made, this is arguable but it's definitely up there with the big ones. Whether it is or not one thing is for certain, it is incredibly depressing. It follows a a retired Serbian pornstar who goes back into the industry for one last job in order to help with his families financial issues, big mistake. What follows is a disturbing journey filled with horrific acts of sex and violence that you'll have to see to believe. But that's not really what makes this film so cheerless. The protagonist and his family are all likeable characters, well-written, good onscreen chemistry, we like them all right from the beginning. It is this emotional connection to the characters that sets us up for the kill, making the final impact much more severe. It's quite an ominous film and it takes a while for stuff to actually happen, but as it reaches its cathartic climax we realise why it has such a bad reputation. I don't want to spoil the ending of this one as it's way too messed up for me to ruin, just don't expect things to end well for our loveable Serbian family.

2. Leaving Las Vegas

Nick Cage! He's funny right? Shouting about bees, stealing the declaration of independence and such, well not in this film. Believe it or not, this film actually got Cage an Oscar for best actor, I swear it. The film sees Cage as Ben, a struggling alcoholic drinking himself to death in Las Vegas. It is here where he meets Sera (Elizabeth Shue), a troubled prostitute and the two form a strange relationship together. It's not a story of two starcrossed lovers finding each other though, if that's what your thinking, it's about how their destructive relationship effects their lives and themselves. Cage gives a fantastic performance and we genuinely do feel sorry for him, his character has gotten to the stage where he feels as though he has nothing to live for and therefore wants to drink himself to death. Meanwhile Shue's character is very much in love with him but knows that there is nothing she can do to stop his addiction. It's a tragic love story destined for destruction and the two leads share a wonderful chemistry onscreen, unfortunately their love cannot conquer Ben's addiction. There are some very harrowing scenes such as the infamous rape scene and many of Cage's scenes, the realism of it all only makes it more distressing to watch. Definitely Cage's greatest performance.

1. Requiem For A Dream

I distinctly remember going to bed after this feeling like somebody close to me had just died. Yes number one on this list is Darren Aronofksy's psychological drama Requiem for a Dream that follows for people with drug addictions and how those addictions effect their lives. This film is just one big downward spiral, we are initially introduced to the four protagonists who all seem to be leading relatively happy lives despite their drug problem. However, things slowly go downhill and their addictions get worse, ultimately culminating in one of the most disturbing climaxes in any film ever. One of the films stories involves widow Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) as she takes an excessive amount of pills in order to lose weight so that she can appear on a gameshow. However her addiction becomes too much and she gradually begins to lose her mind. It got Burstyn an Oscar nomination and a well deserved one at that, her character's story was definitely the most harrowing for me. Ominous and incredibly bleak, Requiem for a Dream is 100% guaranteed to make you feel like absolute shit.

So those are my choices for the 10 bleakest feel bad films, I'm sure you all have opinions and such so if you have a feel bad film not on this list then let me know in the comments! Until next time, readers.

'The Neon Demon' Review

Last night I was lucky enough to attend an advanced screening of Nicolas Winding Refn's new film The Neon Demon (shoutout to my friend Eoin for the tickets), the latest film from the Danish director known for works such as Drive and Bronson. This film is Winding Refn's first horror and follows aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) as she enters the world of the fashion industry in LA, putting her on a dark and twisted path. I was really excited for this one as I felt it was only a matter of time before Winding Refn tackled the horror genre with his unique style, and while everything in the film certainly looked amazing, The Neon Demon left me feeling very conflicted.

As I said, the films strongest asset is its visuals, Refn makes excellent use of lighting and mirrors to create a very dreamlike reality that's very reminiscent of the Argento classic Suspiria. The colourful lighting scheme and use of shadows are so hypnotic that you'll be afraid to even blink in fear of missing out on another beautiful frame. The film also boasts a superb electronic soundtrack courtesy of composer Cliff Martinez, and when combined with the psychedelic imagery it makes the film even more mesmerizing for the viewer. Winding Refn really shows off his directorial skills here, using lingering shots and silences he creates tension that can at times be unbearable, it's not a constant sense of dread but when it happens it's effective. But unfortunately these long silences and pauses can have a negative effect on the story as well and that becomes evident about halfway through this film. The dialogue is witty but it's so drawn out that at times I felt like screaming 'get on with it' to the characters onscreen. It works when there's suspense but other than that it just makes things feel a bit tedious at times.

Aside from the beautiful visuals, the highlight of this film is definitely Elle Fanning's performance as Jesse, a young model admired by some and envied by many due to her striking looks and talent. Fanning is immaculate at embodying Jesse's sense of innocence, a 'deer in the headlights' look as described by Jenna Malones character. Despite her innocent demeanour however, she never once comes across as naive and there is this sense of mystery and intrigue surrounding her from the very beginning. Fanning not only excels in portraying Jesse as the innocent newcomer but she also does a wonderful job displaying her development throughout as she slowly becomes a narcissistic egomaniac. Brilliant performance from the talented young actress. I also really enjoyed Jenna Malone in this film as she plays makeup artist Ruby, she brings her signature charm to the rather friendly character yet despite it all the audience can't help but feel there's something sinister about her. She reminded me a lot of the Castevet's in Rosemary's Baby, amiable yet off. It was definitely one of Malone's greatest and most interesting performances yet especially considering the whole necrophilia scene, I've said too much already.

Other noteable performances come from Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote as Sarah and Gigi, two doll-like models who grow envious of Jesse, then there's Alessandro Nivola as the likeable asshole of a fashion designer who brings a unique sense of humour to all of his scenes. And of course I have to give a mention to Keanu Reeves who seems to have recovered from last year's Knock Knock, his initial appearance caused the audience to erupt with laughter but in his defense he gives a brilliant performance as Jesse's violent landlord Hank.

The drawn out dialogue can be witty at times but often feels very unnatural, then again everything about this film feels unnatural; the sets, the lighting, certain characters and their appearances, nothing seems real here. Winding Refn entices us into his surreal, almost nightmarish version of Hollywood where everything appears so clean and polished and everybody looks like mannequins. It is very dreamlike and very surreal, moments involving a cougar appearing in Jesse's room and a bizarre 'demon dance' at a nightclub really enhance the hypnotic vibe established through the visuals and poses the question of what's real and what isn't. Not since David Lynches Mulholland Drive has somebody presented such a nightmarishly surreal version of Hollywood. Despite all of this however, viewers are kept waiting a long time for something to happen due to how drawn out it is and at times it becomes almost painful waiting around, however the almost cathartic climax makes all the waiting worthwhile and will remind you exactly why this is a horror film.

The Neon Demon does a great job at expressing its key theme, beauty. Every frame is so visually appealing and masterfully shot that it almost entrances the viewer at times, but like some of the film's characters it's beauty can not hide the fact that it's lacking something. It is very slow moving and although at time this helps with suspense, generally speaking it doesn't do much for the story and causes the film to feel a bit boring at times. It all pays off by the end however in one of the most shocking climaxes ever, if you're a fan of extreme cinema I highly encourage you to invest your patience as it will be worth it for the last half hour or so. If not then I'd say give this one a miss, don't be expecting another Drive. The Neon Demon is a hypnotic and devilishly witty horror film that requires a certain amount of patience in order to enjoy it, very slow at times but by the end of it all you'll be glad you gave it your time.

Top 10 Episodes of 'The Sopranos'

The Sopranos is often regarded as being one of the greatest television shows of all time, predating the likes of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. The Emmy award winning series ran from 1999 to 2007 and followed New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he attempted to balance his life at home and his criminal organisations while also struggling with frequent panic attacks. The series was renowned for its clever writing, its superb acting and its ability to blend harrowing drama and dark comedy so perfectly, ever since I finished it last year it has become one of my all time favourite shows. The Sopranos ran for 6 seasons, 86 episodes in total, which made it quite hard for me to narrow it all down to just 10 favourite episodes, but after much thought and consideration I have managed to do just that. So I now present to you my top ten episodes of The Sopranos, needless to say there are spoilers ahead.

10. Pilot

The episode that started it all. In this brilliant pilot episode we are introduced to Tony who is presented as a well respected yet troubled mobster, we see his family life and his 'family' life giving us a great insight into the character while also introducing his family members and colleagues. We also see Tony begin his therapy sessions with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), a very risky move for such a high ranking member of the mafia. The episode shows us many sides to Tony, the brutal criminal, the hard working father and husband and the troubled man beneath it all, in one episode the show has given us a fantastic and captivating antihero. The pilot did a very nice job of setting up the universe of The Sopranos, we meet Tony, his wife Carmella (Edie Falco), his vicious mother Lyvia (Nancy Marchand), his aging uncle Corrado 'Junior' Soprano (Dominic Chianese) and a number of his fellow mobsters, opening up a world of possibilities for every character and their respective stories. It was certainly a brilliant way to kickstart the series.

9. College

As I already mentioned, a big part of early episodes of The Sopranos was Tony's balancing between his family and the family, especially when it came to hiding his operations from his children. In this episode we see that balance disrupted during a college road trip with Tony and his daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) who begins to question her father on his criminal activities. To make matters worse, Tony discovers a former FBI informant in the witness protection programme during the trip and attempts to take care of some unfinished business. This episode was one of the first to further Tony's relationship with Meadow, he begins to realise that she is not a little girl anymore and that he can't hide his business from her forever. It has some great scenes between Sigler and Gandolfini and the two share a very convincing father-daughter relationship onscreen, some of my favourite Tony scenes were those where he connects with his kids. The episode also has an interesting subplot involving Carmella and Father Philip Intintola (Paul Schulz) where she finds herself almost cheating with him on Tony. There is this immense sexual tension between the two throughout the episodes and it acts as the first of Carmella's many temptations and moral dilemmas.

8. Employee of the Month

As it is a show about the mafia, The Sopranos is bound to get very dark from time to time, and the fourth episode from season 3 is a prime example of this. This harrowing episode focuses on Dr. Melfi after she is brutally raped on her way to her car after work, she is then faced with a moral dilemma when she contemplates asking Tony for help when the justice system fails. This is by far one of the most disturbing episodes of the show and the scene where Melfi is assaulted is horrible to watch, things don't get much better for her though as not only does her rapist get away but she also spots him later on in his workplace. The episode really highlighted Lorraine Bracco's acting talents, she gives a truly powerful and convincing performance in this episode that makes it much more emotional to watch. By the end of it however, Melfi decides to not get Tony involved and I'll admit I was a bit disappointed by this as I really would have loved to see him beat the eponymous employee of the month to death, then again that would've been a bit out of character for the good doctor who tends to stay away from that sort of thing. Still though, the episode gave Bracco a chance to show off the true extent of her talents as an actress, it even got her an Emmy nomination.

7. Kennedy and Heidi

From the beginning of the show it looked as though Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) was set to become Tony's successor, Tony had taken him under his wing and offered him guidance since the beginning and the two shared a very close bond. However, Christopher's drug problems became a big problem and despite Tony's desperate attempts to get him clean, Christopher just could not escape his addiction. But it was not the drugs that got Chris in the end, instead it was Tony. After crashing his car while driving Tony home, a heavily injured Christopher confesses that he will not pass the drug test when he is found, this prompts Tony to abandon his 911 call and kill Chris himself. This was a shocking and rather unexpected scene yet I can't say I didn't see Christopher making it out of season 6 alive. The tension between him and Tony had risen too much as the series progressed that it seemed almost obvious that one would eventually kill the other, but the scene just came out of nowhere making it incredibly surprising. The rest of the episode sees Tony coping with his death and eventually accepting what he did, collapsing to the floor in a fit of laughter in the middle of a Vegas casino. The lesson here, don't do drugs kids.

6. Whoever Did This

Ralphie Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) was never the most popular character on the show, he had gotten on Tony's bad side one too many times but his status as a made man prevented anyone from taking him out. His abusive nature, horrible personality and excessive Gladiator references had gotten on everybody's last nerve and it was only a matter of time before Ralph said farewell once and for all. However, this episode initially presented another side to Ralphie after his 12 year old son falls into a coma, he shows genuine emotion for his child which prompts him to make things right with many of those he once wronged. For a second it looked as though he was turning over a new leaf and that he truly redeemed himself, but things are never so simple in The Sopranos. When Tony concludes that Ralph started a fire to kill their racehorse in order to collect the insurance he confronts Ralph, attempting to get a confession from him. Tony eventually loses it and strangles Ralph to death, slamming his head on the floor as he does so. This was a big moment in the shows fourth season, Tony had built up such rage and hatred towards Ralph over the course of the third and fourth seasons and this was his breaking point, this was the last straw. Many believe that when Tony screams to Ralph about killing a 'beautiful innocent creature' he is not referring to the horse but instead a stripper who Ralphie beat to death in the previous season. It was a very powerful episode that brought about one of the most anticipated deaths of the series.

5. Sopranos Home Movies

The beginning of the second half of season six saw Tony and Carmella head to Bobby (Steven Schirripa) and Tony's sister Janice's (Aida Turturro) lake house to celebrate the latters birthday. What begins as a friendly vacation soon turns sour during a game of Monopoly however as a drunken Tony proceeds to mock Janice repeatedly. This prompts her husband and fellow mobster Bobby to punch Tony which results in a fight between the two. We really fear for Bobby in this episode as Tony has killed many a man for much smaller offences than punching him, along with the fact that Bobby's loyalty and innocence made him one of the shows most likeable characters. There was such tension waiting to see what Tony would do to punish Bobby, it soon became a case of not would Bobby die but when would he die. Thankfully Tony decided against killing his brother in law but he wasn't letting him off that easily, instead Tony went for a much more psychological punishment and forced Bobby to commit his first hit. This was much more important than you may think, like I said Bobby was much more innocent compared to some of the other characters so making him kill a man for the first time tainted that innocence in a way. It was a very dark moment for a generally lighthearted character and set the dark tone for the series' end.

4. Long Term Parking

In the beginning of the show, Adriana La Cerva was merely Christopher's love interest, but as the show progressed her role expanded and she became much more integral to the plot. After being blackmailed by the FBI, Adriana was continually pressured into becoming an informant which she resisted as much as she could, in this episode the pressure became too much and she found herself telling Christopher everything. I always felt sorry for Adriana, she was harmless and Christopher was never exactly the worlds greatest boyfriend, being targeted by the feds was just the icing on the cake. Telling Christopher was a very risky move but it looked as if he would cooperate with her and that the two would run away together and start anew, unfortunately this just did not happen. Under the impression that Chris attempted suicide, Adriana finds herself being escorted by Silvio (Steven Van Zandt) to the hospital, but as they drive through the woods it soon becomes clear that Adriana isn't going to get her happy ending. In what is one of the shows most shocking death scenes ever, Adriana is dragged from her car into the woods where she is killed by Silvio offscreen. This was incredibly unsettling to watch even though we don't actually see poor Adriana die, nevertheless the acting and mere sound of her screams make the scene very effective, along with the fact that it's Silvio of all people who carries out the hit. To me this is by far one of the most shocking and tense episodes of the series.

3. Funhouse

If it isn't obvious from the last entry, getting involved with the FBI is never a good move in The Sopranos, something that Pussy Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) would learn in the finale of season 2. Unbeknownst to his friends Pussy had been an informant for quite a while, they knew there was an rat just not that it was him. Tony was suspicious however, deep down inside he may have known all along, but his strong friendship with Pussy led him to a state of denial where he just didn't want to believe it to be true. In this episode Tony suffers with a case of severe food poisoning that causes him to have a number of bizarre dreams and hallucinations including one where he sets himself on fire and one where Pussy is a talking fish. Eventually these surreal dreams lead Tony to confront his suspicions, taking Silvio, Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Pussy out on his yacht to set things straight. Aboard the boat Tony pressures his friend into admitting his involvement with the feds which, as expected, results in him getting shot to death and dumped in the sea. This was a very emotional moment for Tony as Pussy was one of his closest friends, there was definitely a reluctance in him but at the same time he could not risk having a rat in the mob. In the following season, Tony would continue to dream about Pussy which shows that he still felt guilty long after this episode.

2. The Blue Comet

The penultimate episode of The Sopranos is by far the most intense and most nerve-racking episode ever as tensions rise between the New York and New Jersey crime families. Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) of the New York family puts hits on Tony, Silvio and Bobby due to their high ranking statuses and after hearing this they put a hit on Leotardo himself. Things go wrong after a case of mistaken identity however and Phil makes the first move, having Bobby killed in a model train shop. Much like Adriana's death in the previous season Bobby's was very surprising and upsetting, of all people who deserved to die in the show Bobby was not one of them. To make things worse an attempt was also made on Silvio's life which resulted in him going into a coma, things were not looking well for the DiMeo crime family in this episode and the sheer sense of tension throughout is almost too much. Along with all of this, the episode also marks the final appearance of Dr. Melfi who sternly ends her sessions with Tony, believing him to be a sociopath. I felt this was a strange way for the duo to part and I would've loved to have seen more from Melfi but I suppose there was just so much going on in this episode and not much left for her to do. This was by far the most suspenseful episode in the shows history and its emotional ending set things up for what turned out to be a very divisive finale.

1. Pine Barrens

Amidst all the death and despair seen in The Sopranos, the show maintains a certain sense of dark humour that makes it a lot more enjoyable to watch. There is no better example of this than in my favourite episode, Pine Barrens. The episode begins like any other with Paulie and Christopher making a collection for Tony from a member of the Russian mafia, however things go awry and the duo wind up on a wild goose chase in the New Jersey Pine Barrens in pursuit of the Russians. The two then become lost and the tension and paranoia between them increases, making for comedy gold. The duo's relationship was already strained as it is so when they both become paranoid they begin to suspect that the other is going to kill them. There are so many memorable quotes and moments from this episode and it was refreshing to see such a humorous episode, the writing is clever and the acting is fantastic making Pine Barrens one of the strongest episodes ever. Every scene with Paulie and Christopher is so rich with humour that you sometimes forget that the show isn't a comedy, their dialogue is brilliant throughout. The episode was directed by future cast member Steve Buscemi who was responsible for throwing that steak at Tony in the scene where he leaves Gloria's (Annabella Sciorra) house, just an interesting piece of trivia there. It has no major deaths or plot developments but it has some of the shows best writing and to me it is the greatest episode.

So those are my choices for the top 10 episodes of The Sopranos, there are loads of brilliant episodes over the shows six seasons so if you've got favourites that I've left out let me know in the comments. In my next post I will finally be taking the time to discuss The Room, the best worst film ever made...

Thoughts on 'Game of Thrones' season 6

And so another season of Game of Thrones has come to an end, and what a damn fine season it was. Questions were answered, many new questions were asked and so many people died, as the season came to an end it is clear that things are falling into place for the final stretch towards what promises to be an epic finish. But of course, this season did have its flaws and in this post I will be going through each story arc from this season, discussing what I liked and disliked about them. Needless to say this post is VERY spoiler heavy for those who are not yet up to date so unless you've finished season 6 I suggest turn back now.

Kings Landing

Once upon a time a lot of the shows action took place here, but this season things were been pretty quiet in King's Landing as Cersei (Lena Headey) continued in her struggle with the High Sparrow's (Jonathan Pryce) Faith Militant. It was interesting seeing Cersei being portrayed as more sympathetic, between the events of last seasons finale, grieving for her recently deceased daughter and losing her grip on her son King Tommen (Dean Charles Chapman) to the Faith, it was clear that she was a broken woman. At her side were her brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the mad Maester Qyburn (Anton Lesser) and the zombified Mountain (Thor Bjornsson), the latter feeling very underplayed this season barr tearing the head off a Faith Militant member.

Things seemed to be building up to something there on Margery's (Natalie Dormer) atonement day, but they didn't as Tommen began to side with the faith. Tommen began to annoy me almost more than Joffrey this season, I mean come on lay down the law boy. Even Margery seemed to be manipulated by the faith but this was proven to be an act which she confirmed to her grandmother Olenna (Diana Rigg). It seemed as though the Tyrell's were planning something against the faith, unfortunately they didn't exactly get to complete their plan as in the finale they were all blown up. That's right, Margery, her brother and father, The High Sparrow and the entire Faith Militant were blown to smithereens inside the Sept of Baelor when Cersei decided to exact revenge on them using Aerys Targaryen's remaining wildfire. It was a truly explosive finale but it didn't stop there for the mad Queen in the making, she also had meddling Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover) stabbed to death and let the Mountain take care of Septa Unella (Hannah Waddingham) while cheekily chanting shame, how the tables had turned. 

To top things off, Tommen decided to off himself and took the term 'Kings Landing' a bit too literally, but there was no time for grieving for Cersei as she was busy taking the Iron Throne for herself, becoming the new Queen of Westeros. Yikes. While things in Kings Landing got off to a slow start it's safe to say its events were the true highlight of the finale, with the faith storyline well and truly wrapped up and Cersei on the throne it's safe to say things will get a lot more interesting there come next season.

The Iron Islands

After many seasons of brutal torture and misery, Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) finally made it home to Pyke where his family were a bit less than excited to see him. However, after his father was murdered by his newly arrived uncle Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbeak), Theon and his sister Yara (Gemma Whelan) formed an alliance against him in hope to claim the Salt Throne for themselves. I was glad to see Theon finally back on the mend and moving on to greener pastures, the chemistry between him and his sister this season was great and I look forward to seeing more from them. As for Euron..well we'll see how many of those ships he gets built on an island with no trees.

Braavos

If this season confirmed anything its that once you cross the narrow sea, your storyline truly does go to shit. This is most evident in Arya's (Maisie Williams) Braavos storyline this season where she goes back to her training with the faceless men after being cured of her blindness. I enjoyed this story initially, I liked Jaquen (Tom Wlaschiha) initially, but by the end of it I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. Basically Arya was given another chance to prove herself by killing an actress, after forming a bond of sorts with her target Arya decided to abandon this mission prompting Jaquen to send that annoying Waif (Faye Marsay) after her. In a shocking scene, Arya was stabbed repeatedly by her before falling into a river and narrowly escaping. This was a moment where fan theories were actually better than what the writers came up with, there were talks of Arya faking her death to get the faceless men off her back, even a Fight Club-esque theory about her and the Waif, but no, what you saw onscreen actually did happen. How Arya survived those wounds I'll never know, it was an instant of lazy writing that really hit the Braavos plot hard. After taking her revenge on the Waif, Arya confronted Jaquen before deciding to leave the House of Black and White and return to Westeros. That's right, she spent two seasons in Braavos for nothing, it was a bit frustrating and anticlimactic seeing how that storyline unfolded, it was like they needed to give her something to do for two seasons before whisking her back to Westeros. On the plus side, her training and newfound abilities would come in handy later on..

Meereen and Vaes Dothrak

Like Arya, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), one of the shows most interesting and likeable characters also fell victim to what I like to call 'The Essos Curse' and was severely underplayed. Still stationed in Meereen, he attempted to keep things in order after Daenerys fled last season by trying to reason with the former slave masters. However, things don't go so well as the slavers launch a full on assault on Meereen leaving Tyrion and the Dany crew to be rescued by their Khaleesi and her dragons. He did have some memorable lines along with the entertaining joke scene, but I feel like Tyrion could have accomplished so much more this season. With the way things ended however, it looks as though he'll have a bigger role in the next one.

Meanwhile, Daario (Michael Huisman) and Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) attempt to rescue Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) from not Khal Drogo as she was taken hostage by the Dothraki and held captive in the temple of the Dosh Khaleen. Burning her captors and emerging from the flames unscathed, Daenerys reunited with her two favourite men and forgave Ser Jorah as he confessed his love for her. Touching eh? Don't get used to it as she then sent him off to find a cure for his greyscale, PLEASE don't let him become the next Gendry. 

After this, Dany and Daario returned to Meereen, rescued the city from the slaver fleets and the Sons of the Harpy before forming an alliance with Theon and Yara Greyjoy. Yes ladies and gentlemen, after six seasons wandering aimlessly around Essos, Daenerys in finally on her way across the narrow sea along with her companions, her dragons, the Dothraki, fleets of Ironborn, Dornish, Tyrell men and what was left of those slave ships. I was glad to finally see some development in Daenerys' story and Emilia Clarke gave one of her best performances ever this season, her chemistry with Yara is also an interesting one that I look forward to see developing. Looks like the Essos curse has finally been broken.

The Riverlands

Things began to kick off in the Riverlands this season as Jaime and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) aided the Frey's in the siege of Riverrun. Just when I was beginning to like Jaime, this story arc acted as a reminder that no matter how much good the Kingslayer has done, he is still a Lannister, a loyal one at that. Even his friendship with Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) became strained due to his loyalty to his family, but considering Cersei's recent development it's interesting to see how much longer this loyalty will last. I was pretty sad to see The Blackfish (Clive Russell) die as he was great this season and I would've loved to see him possibly join the Starks in the North in the impending winter, RIP Brynden. 

The highlight of the Riverlands this season however, was the return of the beloved Sandor Clegane aka The Hound (Rory McCann). After being left for dead in season 4 we thought we'd never see the chicken loving brute again, but thankfully he survived his wounds and was back in full force. Initially living in peace, The Hound went on full rampage mode after his peaceful new friends were murdered and this was extremely entertaining to watch. Seeing the hulking man slaughter various men in the Riverland forests was very reminiscent of a Friday the 13th movie, with The Hound as Jason Voorhees. He eventually exacted revenge before joining the Brotherhood without banners and going for a piss in a nearby river. Classic Hound, how we missed you.

The big thing in the Riverlands this season however, was the speculation of whether or not a certain Lady Stoneheart would return. In the books she is the ressurrected Catelyn Stark who came back thanks to the Brotherhood, to exact revenge on those who betrayed her. It seems odd that the show never brought her in but this season there were a number of hints that she would make an appearance, the frequent conversations about Catelyn, the Riverlands plots, the reintroduction of the Frey's and the Brotherhood and a number of returns led many fans to believe she would return. Long story short, she didn't which was really disappointing, I have no idea why the writers would neglect such an interesting plot that even writer George RR Martin wants in the show, but sure look. Instead it was Arya seeking vengeance in the finale, using her skills as a faceless assassin to sneak into Walder Frey's (David Bradley) home before baking his sons in a pie, feeding it to him and slitting his throat. It was a bit strange how Arya got to Westeros so fast but nevertheless it was a glorious moment and the look of madness in her eyes as she let Walder bleed out was wonderful to see, I look forward to seeing Maisie Williams cross more names off her list next season.

Beyond The Wall

We last saw Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) in season 4 when he came to the home of the Three Eyed Raven (Max Von Sydow), this season saw him continue his training with the Raven in what was one of the most intriguing story arcs this season. Through some sort of vision questing (possibly time travel?), Bran caught glimpses into the past and saw things such as young Hodor, a certain Tower of Joy and the origins of the White Walkers themselves. I found their origins quite interesting as it gave them some sort of motivation, created by the Children of the Forest to protect their land from the humans, it gave some death to the dreaded ice zombies. Speaking of which, the White Walkers cut Bran's training short in the midseason episode where they attacked the home of the Three Eyed Raven, killing him, Brans direwolf and a number of Children of the Forest. But the most heartbreaking death of that episode, and the entire season, was Hodor's (Kristian Nairn). Yes the loveable giant sacrificed himself to save his friends at the very moment when we learned the origin of his name, for me it was the saddest GOT death scene since the Red Wedding and knowing it came from George RR Martin himself shows, yet again, how talented he is as a writer.

After that epic midseason, things got pretty quiet on the Bran scene. We finally saw the return of Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle) who had been missing since season one and is now in some sort of state where he's half human, half whitewalker, it's cool as hell. After saving his nephew and Meera (Ellie Kendrick) from a group of wights, Benjen helped to escort them further south where Bran went on one last vision quest for this season, and it was a big one. We Finally got the end of that Tower of Joy flashback and the confirmation of one of the most popular fan theories: Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) is the son of Lyanna Stark and (possibly) Rheagar Targaryen. That's right, Ned took him in after his sister died in childbirth, pretending that he was his bastard son when in reality the new King of the North could have Targaryen blood running through his veins. It was a satisfying moment, especially for those longterm fans of the books.

Sam and Gilly

I was a bit disappointed to see that the loveable duo of Sam (John Bradley) and Gilly (Hannah Murray) only appeared in two episodes this season as I quite like the comic relief they provide and think the actors bring excellent chemistry to the characters. This season saw Sam heading to Oldtown in order to begin his maester training, but not before he made a trip to his home. I enjoyed getting a deeper look into Sam's world and where he was before coming to the wall, the dinner scene also helped to develop his relationship with Gilly as her wildling heritage was revealed. Her strong defense of Sam shows how much love she has for him and his willingness to take her and her baby to Oldtown with him shows that he feels the same way, sometimes it's nice to take a break from all the death and destruction. Sam, Gilly and Little Sam finally did arrive in Oltown where Sam marvelled at the gigantic library inside the citadel in a simple yet fulfilling scene. 

The North

My favourite story arc this season, by far, was that in the North and things were certainly eventful up there. Firstly, as many suspected, Jon Snow was ressurected by the red witch Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) after his shocking death last season. Although it was predictable by a mile, it was satisfying seeing him return and even more satisfying watching him hang those wankers who stabbed him to death in the first place before resigning as Lord Commander. Soon after he was reunited with his half sister Sansa (Sophie Turner) who escaped the maniacal Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) last season, it was a heartwarming moment for fans and characters alike and marked the beginning of the Stark's return to prominence.

Meanwhile Ramsay too came to prominence, killing his father, his stepmother and newborn half brother in order to become Lord of Winterfell. If that wasn't bad enough, he also had in his possession the youngest Stark child Rickon (Art Parkinson) who he would use as a bargaining chip against the Starks. Iwan Rheon's performance as Ramsay was one of the highlights of this season for me, I never thought somebody could be nastier than Joffery but Rheon manages to be just that and takes the cake as the shows greatest villain. As he began to threaten the Stark siblings, Jon gathered many forces of the North including the stern pre-teen Lady Mormont (Bella Ramsay), a new fan favourite.

All of this built up to the shows most astonishing battle sequence, the Battle of the Bastards. It was Ramsay's men vs Jon and his army that included the likes of Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) and the wildling Tormund (Kristofer Hivju), and oh boy was it intense. It was so brutal and bloody yet so gripping and brilliantly directed, it's up there with the likes of Helms Deep and the Battle of Hoth and had me on the edge of my seat for its entirety. If that episode doesn't win an Emmy then there's no justice in the world. It was by far the most impressive scene I've ever seen in a TV show. While Jon's forces seemed outnumbered they were saved by Lord Baelish (Aiden Gillen) and the Knights of the Vale before Jon and his pals stormed Winterfell.

Our heroes came out victorious, though suffered many losses including Rickon and the giant Wun Wun (Ian Whyte), but seeing those Stark banners hanging over Winterfell made it all feel worth it. The episodes end also saw the long awaited death of the villainous Ramsay at the hands (or jaws) of his beloved hounds, it was a satisfying moment especially for Sansa who slyly grins as she walks away.

With Winterfell back, Jon and his forces turned their attention to winter's arrival and the impending White Walker invasion. After banishing Melisandre for burning Shireen last season, Jon gathers all of the remaining Northern houses, seeking their aid in the coming winter. After more stern words from Lady Mormont, Jon was then crowned King in the North at long last. It was certainly a great season for Stark's and with winter finally here I cannot wait to see Jon and his army face the White Walkers at long last, the dead are coming as Ser Davos said.

Dorne

...Let's not.

The Verdict

Season 6 was, in my opinion, one of the best so far. It had some really gripping storylines and one of the greatest battle sequences ever making for a really intense season. The cast were all outstanding in their respective roles as some said farewell while others were welcomed back, the show certainly boasts some fantastic talent. It did have some flaws such as the Braavos plot and the lack of Lady Stoneheart but in its entirety I feel it was a pretty fantastic season. Above all, however, it set things up for the end game, Cersei on the throne, Dany heading to Westeros, winter finally arriving, the end is near for Game of Thrones and by the looks of things it's going to be a big one. 

Thoughts on 'Ratchet and Clank' (PS4)

It's hard to believe that it's been fourteen years since Ratchet the Lombax and his robotic partner Clank blasted on to consoles for the first time. Since then they've been on a number of other adventures, saving the galaxy time and time again from the forces of evil. The games have become renowned for their imaginative weapons and gadgets, the talented voice cast and the hilarious, sometimes offbeat humour that the series is known for. This year the duo finally got their own film and while that didn't exactly gain as much acclaim as expected, it's companion game for the PlayStation 4 certainly did. The game is essentially a reimagining of the first installment, taking elements from games in the rest of the series as well and follows the duo on a quest to save the Solana Galaxy from Chairman Alonso Drek and his army of evil warbots. As a big fan of the original trilogy I was very excited to play this game and just last week I managed to finish it so I thought I would do a little evaluation of the game. I'll be looking at what I felt work, what I felt didn't really work and how exactly I felt about this game and how it compares to its predecessors.

What Worked

Surprisingly for a remake, a lot about this game worked and it was hard for me to fault it. First of all, the graphics are stunning and a big improvement from those of the original games. Every lush environment, every spacecraft, every hair on Ratchet's body is so detailed that its almost like a Pixar film, there was evidently a lot of hard work put into this games visuals and they certainly do pay off. 

The game includes some of the elements that made the first game so great, swingshots, hoverboards, Blargian Snagglebeasts, they're all brought back to remind us what made us fall in love with Ratchet and Clank in the first place. It also felt great being reunited with such great characters like the evil Dr. Nefarious in his pre-robotic form and the hilarious Captain Qwark, one of my personal favourite characters. At the same time however, it is not a mere carbon copy of the first game and there are many surprises in store for both longtime fans and newcomers. And that's the real beauty of this game, it issues in a new era of fans to the series while offering the hardcore fans one of the greatest nostalgia trips ever.

Like the original, the game contains some brilliant humour and does not rely on recycling old jokes from the original games. One of the best lines comes from the plumber on Novalis, 'see you in the next reboot' he exclaims after fixing our heroes ship, reminding us of that clever, almost self-aware humour that made the original trilogy so memorable. Along with the games sense of humour is its sense of imagination that manifests itself in the wide arsenal of weapons and gadgets at Ratchets disposal. Some of my personal favourites are the groovitron that causes your enemies to dance, allowing you to easily dispose of them, and Mr. Zurkon, a killer robot that can be dispatched to shoot enemies while spouting out some gold one-liners. 

It is because of all this that the game never feels boring, there are always new weapons and upgrades to try out, more gold bolts to find and more extras to unlock, it always keeps you occupied even after story mode is finished. Along with that, it's no walk in the park either and some levels are particularly challenging, especially towards the end of the game. It's got enough material to entice new fans while at the same time pleasing the old.

What Didn't Work

Well, nothings perfect, and this game does have a its flaws. For starters everything feels a bit rushed, from the introduction of our protagonists to some of the objectives, it all moves so fast at times that it's hard to take everything in. Now I don't know if that's to keep in line with the film or because the developers only had a limited amount of time to complete this game but at times the rushed plot makes it hard for characters to develop. 

That's another thing that bothered me about the game, it introduced a number of new and colourful characters without giving them a lot of time to develop. We see a number of new characters like Brax and Cora of the Galactic Rangers, but we know little about them and little time is given to see them in action, all they get is a few cutscenes and throwaway lines that leave us wanting to know more about them. Who knows, maybe a sequel could expand their roles.

Another problem with the game being rushed is that it felt like it was over too quick. The game omitted a number of planets from the original game such as the ice planet Hoven and the stormy Olantis and it was a shame as they had some real potential. Meanwhile other planets that were omitted were merged into others, elements of Orxon can be seen on Gaspar. Now I know the games development was rushed and perhaps some planets were omitted in exchange for better graphics but still, it could have done no harm to slow things down at times.

The pacing was the only issue I really had with it and perhaps if the game had more time to develop then the story could have had more depth and maybe could have been a bit longer.

What Now?

So with the series officially rebooted, does this mean there will be a sequel? Will we be fighting off protopets and Tyhrannoids or will it be an entirely new story? Well the truth is, the developers at Insomniac don't really know and that's fair enough, they have other projects in the works so it's best to get those out of the way first before returning to this franchise. Elsewhere there is a Sly Cooper film in the works so perhaps the success of this game could inspire a tie in game for that as well? Maybe it will inspire other franchises like Crash Bandicoot or Jak and Daxter to reboot or revive themselves, could you imagine that? While the future is unclear, the success of Ratchet and Clank proves that people still have a place in their hearts and on their shelves for action platformers.

The Verdict

While it does suffer from some pacing issues, Ratchet and Clank is a reboot worthy of its predecessor that captures the spirit of the original games while bringing new elements to the universe as well. The distinctive humour and imagination is still there, enticing newcomers to the franchise while welcoming back longtime fans.