jackkemp-30612 Reviews

The Batman (2022)

An absolute treat of a film which loves up to the high expectations

[8/10 · 4 March 2022]

I was originally going to give this a 7 but upon reflection this film was so well crafted it would have been an insult to do so

The Batman had the daunting task of matching the quality of its former predecessors, most notably the Dark Knight trilogy, however Matt Reeves proceeded to produce a monumental superhero movie which challenges the concept of a Batman, producing the most psychotic, unhinged Bruce Wayne we have seen in the modern era. A character so we'll crafted by Robert Pattinson that the likes of Christian Bale's edition have been surpassed in many areas

Not only does Pattinson's Batman stand out as an exceptional take on the character, but he further engulfs a gritty edition of Gotham, providing a moving, tense atmosphere for the entirety of the film. A present day city which it's hopelessness gravitates the task The Batman faces against evil and corruption. None of this is possible without the breathtaking cinematography produced in the film, something which makes this edition of a Batman film one of the best in its history

What stops this film being a 9-10/10 however was the story. No doubt the first two thirds of the film were faultless, building up a mastermind of a Riddler against a Batman not so gifted in intelligence compared to his prior portrayals, pathing a way for what should have been an ending of epic proportions

Where the story failed however was it's failure to match the grit and dystopia of the world around it. This notably applies to the story's unwillingness to kill off certain characters which would have correlated with the mercilessnesses of the enemies the Batman faces, and furthermore the end sequences felt as if they did not achieve the time they required to propel the film's action to epic proportions. This was not helped by the monotonous aspect of the film's score, regardless of how striking it may have been in its early features in scenes

Regardless, this film is most certainly must watch, with all acting performances bringing Reeve's edition of The Batman to a larger than life three hours. With the hope of future sequels, we may potentially look back on this film as exceeding its predecessors with ease, however in its current standalone form I cannot warrant that achievement. The future is certainly exciting for DC and The Batman has made a statement to the Marvel hegemon of superhero movies.

Better Call Saul: Bagman (2020) Season 5, Episode 8

Breaking bad has been outdone

[10/10 · 7 April 2020]

This isn't just the best episode of Better call Saul to date, this is one of the best episodes ever of the Breaking Bad Universe.

Vince Gilligan has outdone himself... AGAIN. This is an episode which had absolutely everything. The cinematography of this show keeps exceeding itself episode by episode, and the stakes just got a thousand times higher. This was the most action-packed episode of the show to date and has not disappointed. The last two episodes cannot come quick enough

Better Call Saul: Wexler v. Goodman (2020) Season 5, Episode 6

Chicanery: Wexler Edition

[10/10 · 24 March 2020]

WHAT. AN. EPISODE.

The best episode of the show so far, by far. The breaking point it here and now there is no way back for Jimmy or Kim. Rhea Seehorn puts in the best performance the show has seen so far whilst Bob Odenkirk brings out the performance we all dreaded to see after five years. Everything changes from here!

The Stranger (I) (2020)

One of the best stories in a long time which just needed more time

[7/10 · 6 March 2020]

I hadn't been hooked on a story like this in quite a while. It was jam packed with shocks, twists and brilliant moments of tension. For an 8 episode series of an entire book you won't get much better than this

However I think I am in the majority when I say that this show needed more because of a rushed ending. Everything was though out until the producers went 'Damn, we're running out of screen time!' It's clear that this series could've been adapted for two or three series without losing any momentum or interest. There would have been a demand for it and the finale would have therefore been allowed to be told much more coherently. But nevertheless this was a very fun watch

Doctor Who: The Timeless Children (2020) Season 12, Episode 10

Chibnall has stamped on William Hartnell's grave with complete disrespect

[1/10 · 1 March 2020]

Even if you take the catastrophe of the rewriting of lore from this episode, you still have a god awful finale. This was generic and predictable - clearly the writing team were not willing to take risks with the story-line in order to avoid the tragedies of series 11 happening all over again. The only thing remotely good about this episode was the ending as it paved way for some sort of retribution,which at this point i'm not hopeful about.

Whilst I appreciate that Chibnall is trying to invest the fan base into a grand, epic story for series 12, that did not mean whatsoever that he had to arrogantly revise 57 years of Doctor Who history for himself. He provided unwanted, needless answers to the origins of the doctor and blatantly defined the meaning that it's best to leave people guessing. Not only this, Rassilon and Omega have been branded completely irrelevant and this has completely rattled the canon of the entire show and branding it as a 'lie'. Moreso, Hartnell's reputation as the first doctor has now been dwindled to the point of complete irrelevancy - for all we know he is the 600th doctor!

Chibnall tried to save a sinking ship with another iceberg which will inevitably put long term Doctor Who fans off the show. This wasn't helped by the bad directing and unnatural acting portrayed on the scene. I also find the idiolect of all the characters very much forced, with there being a supposed attempt to make the show 'AWESOME' by making every word 6 syllables long.

It's a broken show. It's a broken producer and most of all, a broken doctor. T Davies will be crying at what Chibnall has done to the show which he revived

Better Call Saul: Magic Man (2020) Season 5, Episode 1

Back with a bang

[9/10 · 24 February 2020]

Better Call Saul is one of the most consistent shows out there in terms of its quality and season 5 has picked up exactly where it left off in terms of that. This seasons opener is nothing short of being one of the strongest better Call Saul episodes to date

We can only ponder about where it goes from here. We know we have 22 episodes to go now but this episode will prove itself to be fundamental in what appears to be the beginning of the end for the characters that have been built up so far.

Doctor Who: The Haunting of Villa Diodati (2020) Season 12, Episode 8

Strong episode which has paved way for something better

[7/10 · 16 February 2020]

It's very hard to distinguish what's gone wrong with doctor who lately, from the writing, acting, or character development. However, all this frigidness becomes clearer and clearer in the fact that it's down to the identity of the show.

Tonight's episode shown something which we are all much familiar with in the last 15 years of Doctor Who. A simple yet unique plot where people can be engrossed because they can relate to the show once again. This episode ended up being far more than what people had expected, and came to be in the much larger arc of the season itself which certainly was a pleasure.

The episode finally got the balance right between diverging storylines - something which became increasingly problematic throughout the writing this year, notably in 'Can You Hear Me?' Nothing felt confusing or rushed, and everything had a meaning to the core of the episode, rather than a political message that's trying to be forced in

Could this episode be better? Yes... but I honestly cannot complain. It certainly was the best episode of the Chibnall era so far and gives us optimistic hope that the finale will be a T Davies'esque epic which fans like myself have been longing for a decade now.

Doctor Who: Can You Hear Me? (2020) Season 12, Episode 7

Wibbly Wobbly Lost the plottity

[3/10 · 9 February 2020]

A recurring theme with this series is the episode's tendency to start with a certain degree of interest before it completely derails because it spirals into a pool of not knowing what is going on.

This episode continued this disastrous trend for the show. It appears to me that the writers combine several episodes into one, because the standalone episodes are somehow even worse than what gets produced, and when they do produce what gets recklessly thrown into the pot, it's a complete shambles.

Can you hear me? had good concepts with poor execution. The flow of the episode was nonsensical, from going to a ship of prisoners in one scene, then finding out one second later that they've randomly decided to take over the planet. It's painful to watch (and even more painful to write about) because it's immensely confusing and aimless at the same time. The fact Jodie is being used to describe the plot, rather than having it being told through what's shown on screen, is definitive of this episode being the worst assembled of the season.

Doctor Who: Praxeus (2020) Season 12, Episode 6

The epitome of boredom

[4/10 · 2 February 2020]

Surprisingly, the episode which seems to finally have got the pacing spot on lacked in the other areas. A gripping story was nonexistent and the same twist has been used twice this series, with the enemy appearing as the ally at first. Whilst the concept was unique, it was flopped by the lack of ability to compel you.

Doctor Who: Fugitive of the Judoon (2020) Season 12, Episode 5

Decently handled for that they've seemingly set up

[6/10 · 26 January 2020]

This episode is clearly setting up for a huge finale - personally I cannot wait and in that aspect this episode was well done for creating a genuine investment into a Doctor who story. Chibnall is going to hit his stride soon for sure

On the contrary, when you take the episode in the entire context of doctor who, it's difficult to accept the huge changes that are likely to be made. This episode is a colossal statement to the last 57 years of Doctor Who, in that our whole understanding may be changed and I think that it's just best if it's left alone. Nevertheless, the crew have needed something to work with and they've put everything into it, now they risk it flopping entirely.

Sometimes less is more and this episode could've done with it. Every fan can appreciate 'THAT' moment however in the grand scheme of things it ended up being downplayed by the overall arc that they are trying to achieve

More so, acting and dialogue still aren't feeling as natural as it once did in Doctor Who. The loss of a natural flow has very much affected the show as of late and was prominent in this episode where so much was going on.

Nevertheless this was some of the most enjoyable TV from the Whittaker era so far and is laying foundations for bigger and better things

Doctor Who: Spyfall: Part One (2020) Season 12, Episode 1

The Chibnall era is back where it left off

[6/10 · 1 January 2020]

The Chibnall era is back where it left off, a TV show which is aiming to reach the greatness of the T Davies era but isn't succeeding one bit. Whilst it seems to be a step up from the horrors of series 11, there is still the problem of unnatural acting, bleak character development and a feeling of a show which isn't doctor who.

Whilst we can all appreciate the last ten minutes as being the best moment from the Chibnall era so far, for me it doesn't make up for the rest of the episode. The reveal was excellent but yet again the character feels nontraditional to their previous incarnations. Furthermore the majority of the episode can be concluded as a mess with little to no intrigue.

The Haunting of Hill House: Witness Marks (2018) Season 1, Episode 8

Be prepared for a sleepless night

[9/10 · 5 January 2019]

Ever since episode 5 I have been seeing a strange figure whilst attempting to fall asleep. It's a girl much like the one from Rings, however she is sitting on a swinging bench inside a cage. Now I don't know what it's there for but I certainly know that this show can take the full blame for my increased horror images I observe at night. Well I'm petrified to say that this episode may just have made these images a heck of a lot worse for me.

As we approach the end of the series the powerful storytelling is slowly progressing towards an absolutely horrific conclusion that I am yet to know of at the time of writing but I am still courageous enough to sit through the episodes of fear and anxiety.

This episode is, to this point, the most shocking and truly brought out the darker sides of all of the characters of Hill House. Our extended knowledge of these characters proves for the worse, however, as the evident denial and growing hatred between one another only serves to emphasize such moments and makes us empathize in those moments making it an even scarier watch. This episode proves to be unpredictable only to our weaknesses and breaks down any strengths and immunities we may have built from the experience of prior episodes

DO NOT WATCH THIS ALONE.

The Haunting of Hill House: The Bent-Neck Lady (2018) Season 1, Episode 5

Extremely, extremely powerful

[10/10 · 1 January 2019]

I don't necessarily watch horror shows, simply because my perception of them is that they have no story arc with only the intention of making you scream every minute, however one thing that has blown me away completely is this episode of The Haunting of House Hill. A perfect conclusion to the last 5 episodes building up to it which made this an extremely tense watch.

The Bent-Neck Lady was a mortifying title for the episode which was completely unsettling whilst entering this phenomenal viewing experience and proved to be yet another one of the series' extremely powerful horror figures with a very unique twist. This episode painted a heart-wrenching journey for Nell, so sneakily manipulating our empathetic senses to draw us into the tense viewing. This episode is also a valuable reminder for us to look out for those who are around us and its explorations of mental health will certainly stick in my head for a very long time.

Despite it's beautiful storytelling there is no doubt that this is the scariest episode so far in the series. Even though the jumpscares were limited you are left with one of the most difficult and unpredictable viewing experiences. Despite the warmth and friendliness of the final scenes you will be left in an untrustable mindset, knowing that a pivotal moment was sure to be lurking around the corner. I have been watching this show with my family and its undeniable that we were all equally as petrified as one another expecting to have the daylights scared out of us. This episode was nothing but perfect for its balance of scary moments with the progression of story and intertwined it to make this a fearful masterpiece.

All in all I can undoubtedly rank this episode in my top ten favorite TV episodes of all time and is easily a valid competitor to the best episodes of the likes of Breaking Bad , Game of Thrones and all the other elite dramas of the booming world of Drama. The acting, directing and production quality absolutely solidify this episode and the rest of the series as a foundation for future horror television.

Doctor Who: Resolution (2019) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

It was actually going so well

[6/10 · 1 January 2019]

There's only so much that you can do with a one hour time slot and this episode clearly showed that they had tried to something really special and, if given an extra episode or another 20 minutes, would possibly have made this a classic Dalek story.

This was clearly a new take on the Daleks which was needed due to the series' lack of innovative storytelling. The opening 40 minutes was something fresh and was on track to revive the reputation of the Daleks after dismal form during the moffat era. However the events that unfolded after were evidently rushed and spoiled due to the time constraints. This is a trend that has always happened in Doctor Who and something needs to be done when something good is unfolding only to be halted by the fact that there's 5 minutes left. Something that was built so slowly was destroyed so quickly and represented the regression the series has face over the previous years.

Overall I hope this in general is a sign of better things to come. This episode was still above most of what was spitted out of season 11 and is hopefully an indicator to our TV screens being greeted with more familiar faces in 2020.

Better Call Saul: Winner (2018) Season 4, Episode 10

A heartbreakingly beautiful end to season 4

[10/10 · 10 October 2018]

'The winner takes it all' has never been so devastating. From the opening scene to the end, this episode played out as as inconceivably masterful episode which saw the beginning of the end of Better Call Saul. the the very beginnings of Breaking Bad established.

You will never ever see such beautiful cinematography from a show like you do in Better Call saul. I won't spoil it, however I can assure you that certain shots of this episode are beyond comprehension in how incredible they are.

An action-filled, heart-crunching episode is the best way to summarize Better Call Saul's best episode to date, and it's only going to get better.

Breaking bad had its 'never make the same mistake twice'. Better Call Saul has its 'the winner takes it all'

All I can say is thank you to the crew for everything they offered in this 60 minutes of revolutionary television

Doctor Who: The Doctor Falls (2017) Season 10, Episode 12

An exceptional performance from everyone is once again let down by your traditional anti-climatic moffat finale

[8/10 · 1 July 2017]

Steven Moffat is finally going after the Christmas special. Yes, like me, you have been through countless stories which fail to live up to the previous episodes incredibility. We saw it last year. Heaven sent was easily one of moffat's greatest works ever. Fast forward to the next week, you have the mess know as Hell Bent. We saw the same thing a year before that as well. Missy, having the cybermen under her control, in Dark Water. Fast forward to Death in Heaven, we see a shambolic anti-climax.

This episode was no different. We were literally promised carnage from the mondasian cybermen, and an incredible co-operation of the master and missy (which, quite frankly, looked to be that way for so long, until we realized that the master was insultingly wasted) In the end, we had Nardole mingling with little children. Is that was we, as fans, want to be watching on Saturday night television? I think not. Just like the previous finale with the cybermen, they literally stood there and did **** all. What a way to finally destroy the cybermens once incredible reputation for being kill- mongering machines (who would think it'd take just 11 years since doomsday). I also wished that Bill, as once of the first mondasian cybermen, would be used in an evil manner. Why is it that bill can break the connection, unlike other cybermen? Surely you'd get a greater effect from it if she would do something brutal.

Don't get me started on how similar Bill's departure was to Clara's, it gave me all the wrong forms of nostalgia. We get it, Bill is a lesbian, I also understand that we can raise equality through TV, but was the thing with Heather really such a biggie? We are seeing the Moffat effect here once again, he cannot kill off characters.

Lets not forget about the good things from this episode though. Despite it being anti-climatic, the story was nearly excellent and no other actors in certain roles could portray it better. John Simm, as much as he was underused, delivered a sense of nostalgia in his incarnation of the Master (The 3 parter from series 3 was one of my favorite story lines from the whole of TV). I would, however, would have liked to have seen the effects of the drum beat, it was almost as if Moffat forgot about it altogether (Moffat Effect). Missy's co- operation with her assumed previous incarnation was incredibly played out, and worked so well. The story however did ruin it at the end. Why did Missy stab the master? Why did the master say 'don't bother to regenerate' when it is so obviously going to have to happen for future stories?

The highlight of the episode, was, of course, the acting of Peter Capaldi, who has desperately carried what remains of the show. His clear love for the show is visual in his acting. The end, his expression of awe was priceless. His acting of previous incarnations last words was so brilliantly produced the nostalgia shivered me inside. His interaction with other characters is untouchable.

Overall, though I expect it to ruin a legacy, I am very much looking forward to the Christmas special. The constant urge for the doctor to regenerate is leaving me and many fans on the edge of our seats or when it actually happens, and I don't think anyone will be prepared for it when it does.

Doctor Who: Love & Monsters (2006) Season 2, Episode 10

Look deeper into the meaning of the episode, and it makes it incredible

[9/10 · 8 May 2017]

Here I am, Mr unpopular opinion giving this widely hated episode a solid 9/10. An episode, which on the surface, appears like sloppy storytelling, with an exceptionally cringey villain. What I see is totally different. I see the whole episode based on obsession, mistrust and deluded characters. Elton is with a group of doctor seeking fanatics who are blatantly a shot at real life super whovians. Like the real life whovians, they are obsessed with he doctor, not going a second without thinking of him. Ever so slowly they bond, and the bond is expressed in the correct way for the pace of the episode. Overall they are portrayed as boring, sad, delusional no-lifes, and I like that part of the episode. We are then introduced to Mr Kennedy, and this is where the theme of mistrust enters the episode in spectacular fashion, as he instantly takes authority, reinstating order into their true destiny; to find the doctor, which is clearly forgotten. He appears a lot more knowledgeable, but as well as that, very suspicious, but these no lifes cannot see that. What really makes this episode entertaining is Eltons clear social awkwardness, as he tries to bond with jackie, all just lucky for him really. The sense of an elimination process comes into play as Elton and his comrades disappear one by one, which greatly blends with the non suspicions of the super whovians. The major downfall to this however is that someone thought it'd be a good idea to have them all ignore the really loud screams, unrealistic. We soon come to the final standoff, and we finally see Mr Kennedy as, the abzorboloff. A truly unique monster, absorbing bodies for heck knows the reason. Russel T Davies uses his maximum ability to use a child's creation to appeal to everyone, and it has a made the love-hate relationship of the episode. I saw the abzorboloff as a dangerous monster, and certainly not laughable, just disgusting, ugly, unique. The end of the abzorboloff's life comes when the doctor finally turns up. This was somewhat of a disappointment, but it all makes sense. Yes, the characters forgot that it was the doctor and worked together to finally do something useful, and it all payed off. Rose, certainly annoyed withe elton after a misunderstanding from both jackie and Elton, makes her very few lines powerful, and left s thinking that he'd be left to die. Overall the episode for me was an incredible experiment, which worked off well.

Doctor Who: Knock Knock (2017) Season 10, Episode 4

Great plot and storytelling to be ruined by a rushed ending

[8/10 · 6 May 2017]

The episode starts off greatly, introducing us to new characters who's personalities are very interesting. We then come across the eerie setting for the episode which could not be any better. The buildup starts off very well, as the house seemingly eats you alive, effectively created with sound effects, great directing and acting. The noises certainly add to the creepiness of the story. Everyone later becomes separated, or 'eaten' by the house, which i truly enjoyed as something we've rarely seen in doctor who. Arguably the best scene form this episode is where everyone is locked in to a certain part of the house which is dramatically emphasized by everything literally being locked, in an excellent display of camera shots. Then, we come on to, the end... A very old woman transformed into what seems to be a tree as she ages. This certainly didn't start the downhill, as it could really make the story even more interesting. What did damage it however is the relationship between this woman and the landlord, and how it was shown in flashbacks, which I really did not dig. Within 2 minutes from this, the story pretty much ended which them both dying off, allowing everyone else to return which did not make sense to me at all, and ruined a brilliant episode up to that point. We later get refreshed with this mystery door, as it certainly destroys any previous theory we had of who's behind it. Overall, the acting was on point, the directing was on point, the story was on point until the end. I'd give this 8.5, but so be it, it should be punished after the poor, anticlimactic ending.