In 2003, Universal Pictures released Hulk, which was based off the Marvel character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Unfortunately, the film was not as successful as Marvel would've liked. Widely panned by fans, and simply 'meh'd' by the general public, it was a modest box office success. Despite these problems, Marvel and Universal still wanted to make a sequel. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the production was not started in time, and the filming rights reverted back to Marvel. Now that they had the character back, it was decided to reboot the franchise with a new director, cast, and a new direction. After convincing Louis Leterrier to direct, they set off trying to convince Edward Norton to play the title character of the movie, The Incredible Hulk.
Originally worried that no film could do the character he had loved from childhood justice, Norton was unsure. However, when he met with Leterrier and read Zak Penn's script, he agreed to join the cast, on the condition that he would get to rewrite large portions of the dialogue. After casting Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt, the movie was set for production.
Eventually, it was released on June 13, 2008, about a month after the release of the surprise smash-hit Iron Man. It was announced that both films would share the same universe, something no comic book movie franchise had ever done before. It opened strongly, but died down as the weeks went on. Over all, it was a moderate success, in that it made back its budget, but didn't exactly set the world on fire. Personally, I think part of the reason for this is too many people were confused on whether or not it was a sequel to Ang Lee's Hulk. The people who didn't like it were afraid to go see this because they were worried it would continue from a bad movie, and the people that did like it were afraid to go see this because they didn't want a reboot. It didn't help that Marvel was intentionally vague on the subject, with one of the producers going as far as to say it was a 'requel'. Another problem is that while the Bill Bixby show may have been popular, nowadays people aren't as into the Hulk as they once were. Hulk certainly didn't help, probably convincing people that the story would be too complicated for them. Now, a lot of this is just speculation on my part, but I think there's some ground to it. If you don't, that's fine, this is just me theorizing why the movie made such a small wave.
The critics weren't big fans either, as it got a 67% on Rotton Tomatoes, and a 61 on Metacritic. So this is basically a film where everyone has said "It's okay, but it isn't special." So what did I think of it?
I'm gonna be in the minority here, but I think this was the best single-hero film of Phase One. I know, it may seem weird, but hear me out. Let's start with what it does wrong, and get that out of the way.
The military is given a pretty negative portrayal here. Now I know a lot of people don't like the military, but as the son of a former soldier, I think I can provide a unique perspective. The military hates war. As strange as that may sound, it's true. No soldier wants to go into combat and kill people. All they want is to protect their country. Yes, they may not always have the right idea, but it's the American people who are foremost in their mind. As such, the idea that they want to capture Banner to use him to make weapons is a very poor script decision. Now I could buy that the military would go after him because they believe Hulk is a threat to public safety, but the idea that they want to make Hulk a weapon is both uninformed and underutilized. If they want him as a sort of deterrent, that would make sense, and be somewhat understandable. Sure, not everyone agrees with the idea of nuclear deterrent, but it would make sense. But we have no idea how they intend to use the Hulk. As such, it makes the military look like warmongers, which couldn't be further from the truth.
I will say that the film doesn't focus on this too much, and you do get the sense that part of the reason that Ross is hunting Banner is that he hurt his daughter, and probably made him look bad to his superiors. There's a lot of subtext there, but we may have to wait until the sequel to see it confirmed. Also, I think it's worth noting that after the fight with Abomination, the military gives up hunting Bruce. I think that once they saw just what they were getting into playing God, they realized it would be better to step away.
Now that I'm done with my soapbox, let's get to what makes the movie good. Edward Norton. Oh my goodness, what a perfect casting choice. This guy absolutely gets who Banner is, and what it's like to be in his position. It probably helps that not only is he a life-long fan of the character, from the comics to the show, but he also helped write the script. The guy just gels in every scene he's in, and from just the first 15 minutes, we have him completely figured out. The rest of the cast doesn't slouch either. Liv Tyler's chemistry with Norton is absolutely palpable, and she clearly is willing to do anything for him. Tim Roth is the bad guy you love to hate, and yet still understand. He wants to beat the ultimate challenge. He wants to stand toe-to-toe with the impossible and conquer it. That's not necessarily a bad trait, it's just aimed improperly, rather like the Hulk himself. Another neat thing was the way the movie acknowledges Hulk's history in pop culture. If you look for them, their are a lot of nods to Bill Bixby's show, whether it's the obvious 'Don't make me angry' joke, or the little tweaking of 'The Lonely Man' theme, or even just some visual nods, it's clear these guys wanted to take what made the show successful and run with it. I also love the nod to the Hulk: Ultimate Destruction video game when the Hulk rips apart a car and uses it as boxing gloves. But what about the big, green monster himself? He's actually given a very interesting portrayal here, as while Banner doesn't remember being the Hulk, it is still a part of him. The Hulk still wants to be left alone, and even more importantly, he still loves Betty. The problem is not that the Hulk is an uncontrollable monster, the problem is that Banner continues to fight him, and thus the Hulk remains uncontrollable. However, by the end of the movie, he transforms voluntarily to fight Abomination, and the Hulk doesn't harm anyone else (unless property damage counts). When he accepts it as a part of himself, the Hulk is able to do good. And of course by the end of the movie, he's figured this out and begins trying to transform, embracing the fact that he and the Hulk are two sides of the same coin. Then the movie ends with him wanting to transform, and succeeding. This was a brilliant character decision, and it was definitely the biggest reason the movie was as great as it was. This film was absolutely a stroke of genius, and it's a shame it wasn't more successful. Until next time with Iron Man 2, I'm James Picard and this has been another look back at Phase One.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as the man who drank from the bottle that Banner's blood spilled into.
The military secretly revived the super-soldier experiments used during WW2, but with gamma radiation being tried as a substitute. Bruce Banner was brought onto these experiments, believing them to be attempts at reducing or negating harmful effects of radiation. These experiments instead turned him into the Hulk.
Stark Industries designed the sonic cannons used against the Hulk. Tony himself appears at the end of the movie, talking to Ross about building a 'team'. The short contained on the Captain America: The First Avenger DVD, 'The Consultant' reveals that Agent Coulson sent Tony in an attempt to sabotage his superiors plans to recruit Abomination.
Dr. Samuel Sterns may become The Leader, a popular villain from the comics known for his gigantic head, and equally large intellect.
S.H.E.I.L.D. allows Ross to use their databases to track down Mr. Blue.
Edward Norton was asked to play Banner in Ang Lee's Hulk, but turned it down after reading the script. He was interested in playing Banner in The Avengers, but contract negotiations fell through.
Lou Ferrigno, the actor who played the Hulk in the Bill Bixby show, returns to voice the character. He also cameos as the security guard Banner bribes with pizza.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
A Look Back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase 1 Part 1: Iron Man
Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, nearly every one in the world knows the Marvel heroes. Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor are household names now. However, while the characters origins may be simple, the origin of the MCU is not. Today we'll go back, and see the events that lead to one of the most successful film series of all time, while also giving time for reviews for each of the Phase One films.
In 1990, Universal Studios bought the film rights to Iron Man, and began plans to release the gold-plated hero to the silver screen. However, due to lackluster scripts, changes in rights ownership, and budget concerns, the movie never seemed to get off the ground. Eventually the new owners of New Line Cinema caved in and relinquished the rights back to Marvel. By this point, Marvel had already found a way to self produce their own movies, using Marvel Studios. It was at this point where they started not only looking for scripts for the Iron Man movie, but also to gain back the film rights to characters like Thor and the Hulk.
After a long process, Jon Favreau was brought on to direct, and the film was rushed into production. With the script being incomplete, and without time to be finished before the release date, they needed a main actor who could improvise extremely well. Enter Robert Downy Jr., who was selected through a massive screening process, in part because of his checkered past. Then add Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, and Jeff Bridges, and the main cast was complete. After an intense production and lots of post-filming work, the movie managed to make it May 2 release, with plenty of press coverage. And what was the result? A massive hit. The film made back more than four times its budget, and RDJ's career took a major upswing. But how do I view the start of Phase 1?
Iron Man was a major step forward for superhero movies. This was one of the first where it felt like the man behind the suit was more important than the guy who went out punching. Tony's growth as a person is a great thing to see, and RDJ does a magnificent job of portraying Tony Stark as both a snide, sarcastic genius, and a human who realizes his entire world-view is wrong. Terrance Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow are great to, and you can really feel their exasperation with Tony, but also their happiness that he's on the right path, and doing something for more than just money or a good time. However, the villains were fairly weak. The leader of the Ten Rings movement (a possible [I haven't seen Iron Man 3 yet, so please, no spoilers!] hint at The Mandarin) has no real presence or effect on the plot, and Stane? Well, all I can say is they tried, but something just didn't click. Part of it may have been that Bridges was just a little TOO good at pretending to be Tony's friend, that it made it hard to accept it when he goes completely villainous. Bridges does a good job what he's given, but it's his character that really shows the parts where the script was incomplete. Conversely, a lot of Tony's lines definitely seem improvised, but in a way that feels natural to the character. It's not a knock on Bridges, it's really the script's fault. Clark Gregg, Agent Coulson, also is great, and really pops in what little screen time he's given. You can really see why he's the guy that ties everything together. So the cast was pretty good, how about the visual effects? In a word, breath-taking. You can never really tell where the CGI starts and where the practical parts stop, they're integrated so seamlessly. I never once found myself thinking 'This is so unrealistic', I could seriously buy that this suit existed. A big help to that was the sound editing as well, with the servos constantly moving and adjusting. The effects on both the Iron Man suit and the Iron Monger were just fantastic, and everything worked perfectly. Overall, it was a great movie. It may have had a few bumps in the road, but it was a definite game changer for superhero movies. Heck, one could almost say 2008 was the year of the superhero movie, with successes like Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight also coming out. But we can't forget that one last one, and the next step in Phase One, The Incredible Hulk.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as a man Tony believes to be Hugh Hefner.
One person in the running for director before Jon Favreau was selected was Joss Whedon, who would go on to direct The Avengers.
Tom Cruise and Nicholas Cage both expressed interest in playing the role of Tony in the 1990 film, and Quentin Terrintino was approached to write and direct.
After the credits, Samuel L. Jackson appears as Nick Fury, director of S.H.E.I.L.D. Another reference to the Avengers was Tony having a prototype of Captain America's shield.
In 1990, Universal Studios bought the film rights to Iron Man, and began plans to release the gold-plated hero to the silver screen. However, due to lackluster scripts, changes in rights ownership, and budget concerns, the movie never seemed to get off the ground. Eventually the new owners of New Line Cinema caved in and relinquished the rights back to Marvel. By this point, Marvel had already found a way to self produce their own movies, using Marvel Studios. It was at this point where they started not only looking for scripts for the Iron Man movie, but also to gain back the film rights to characters like Thor and the Hulk.
After a long process, Jon Favreau was brought on to direct, and the film was rushed into production. With the script being incomplete, and without time to be finished before the release date, they needed a main actor who could improvise extremely well. Enter Robert Downy Jr., who was selected through a massive screening process, in part because of his checkered past. Then add Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, and Jeff Bridges, and the main cast was complete. After an intense production and lots of post-filming work, the movie managed to make it May 2 release, with plenty of press coverage. And what was the result? A massive hit. The film made back more than four times its budget, and RDJ's career took a major upswing. But how do I view the start of Phase 1?
Iron Man was a major step forward for superhero movies. This was one of the first where it felt like the man behind the suit was more important than the guy who went out punching. Tony's growth as a person is a great thing to see, and RDJ does a magnificent job of portraying Tony Stark as both a snide, sarcastic genius, and a human who realizes his entire world-view is wrong. Terrance Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow are great to, and you can really feel their exasperation with Tony, but also their happiness that he's on the right path, and doing something for more than just money or a good time. However, the villains were fairly weak. The leader of the Ten Rings movement (a possible [I haven't seen Iron Man 3 yet, so please, no spoilers!] hint at The Mandarin) has no real presence or effect on the plot, and Stane? Well, all I can say is they tried, but something just didn't click. Part of it may have been that Bridges was just a little TOO good at pretending to be Tony's friend, that it made it hard to accept it when he goes completely villainous. Bridges does a good job what he's given, but it's his character that really shows the parts where the script was incomplete. Conversely, a lot of Tony's lines definitely seem improvised, but in a way that feels natural to the character. It's not a knock on Bridges, it's really the script's fault. Clark Gregg, Agent Coulson, also is great, and really pops in what little screen time he's given. You can really see why he's the guy that ties everything together. So the cast was pretty good, how about the visual effects? In a word, breath-taking. You can never really tell where the CGI starts and where the practical parts stop, they're integrated so seamlessly. I never once found myself thinking 'This is so unrealistic', I could seriously buy that this suit existed. A big help to that was the sound editing as well, with the servos constantly moving and adjusting. The effects on both the Iron Man suit and the Iron Monger were just fantastic, and everything worked perfectly. Overall, it was a great movie. It may have had a few bumps in the road, but it was a definite game changer for superhero movies. Heck, one could almost say 2008 was the year of the superhero movie, with successes like Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight also coming out. But we can't forget that one last one, and the next step in Phase One, The Incredible Hulk.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as a man Tony believes to be Hugh Hefner.
One person in the running for director before Jon Favreau was selected was Joss Whedon, who would go on to direct The Avengers.
Tom Cruise and Nicholas Cage both expressed interest in playing the role of Tony in the 1990 film, and Quentin Terrintino was approached to write and direct.
After the credits, Samuel L. Jackson appears as Nick Fury, director of S.H.E.I.L.D. Another reference to the Avengers was Tony having a prototype of Captain America's shield.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
So Apparently I was Wrong About WordPress!
Don’t worry guys, my blog will still be running on my regular Blogger account. I’m just using this as a means to reach more readers. Posts will be up the same time here as they are on my regular blog. I’ll also post updates on my video reviews, which are on my youtube channel. Nothing is changing other than me using two sites at once. We’re a-okay. For those who want to check it out, the link is http://jeanlucpicard10.wordpress.com/ And as for an update on the video reviews, I still haven’t edited the footage, and I have no excuse for not keeping up to task. I make no promises on when it will be finished, but you’ll be the first to know when I do. As for the surprise event, scripting is coming along nicely, so that’s at least some progress. I’m hoping to make more, and to get some good content out there. I’ll also be joined by a special guest from time to time, but I won’t be telling you any more than that. Also, Jae Onasi, my mom, is working on a new cooking show, which will feature us together. If you like, you can check out Confessions of a Geeky Mom for more information. And, in one week, we’ll be celebrating the two-year anniversary of COGS! No definitive plans yet, but I’ll definitely be doing something to celebrate. So that’s it for this update, see you around!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Video Update (sort of)
Well, in all honesty, I just keep forgetting to use my Mom's computer when I get the chance. Also, with finals and two separate plays the past couple of weeks, it's been a little hectic. But, I have finished the script for the surprise review, and I started another one following that. Actually, the surprise review turned into a series of reviews from the same show, so be ready when it premieres. All I can say now is the show has a following on the internet, and it's possible you may have heard of it. But until then, I'll try to get the Transformers review edited soon. Sorry for the delay!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
My new show!
Sorry I didn't get the link up sooner, but here it is, the link to my new YouTube channel!
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO9f3jU605yq84tJjP75XHQ
Anyways, I know you're probably wondering why I decided to start making videos instead of text reviews. Well it all started in Spring this year, when a friend of mine, Neligahn, asked me to film a video for his show Sci-fi Showdown with him. Being a budding actor, I naturally jumped at the opportunity, and as payment I got to go to a Star Trek convention with him. This naturally led to me checking his show out on Blip for research, and I saw that he recommended a reviewer you might have heard of called The Nostalgia Critic. Eventually I checked out his videos, and discovered that video reviewers are actually quite numerous on the Internet, as are talented ones. After an entire summer of watching the That Guy With The Glasses team, I decided "Hey, why can't I do that?" And the rest is Internet history. Whether or not I'll be popular like them is for the masses to decide, but in the meantime, I'll keep making videos and posting them. And rest assured, my blog will not be abandoned. I'll still post text reviews, just not as often. However, if I find something I can't get the footage I need for, but still want to review, it'll show up here. Not sure why you'd want to red my blog with its numberous bad grammer and speling errors, but hey, it's yor choice. Anyways, this is James Picard signing off!
P.S. the next review, in which I rank the Transformers cartoons, has finished filming, I just need to record the voice-overs and edit the footage. In addition, it also features a new guest star! Also, I've started writing the script for another surprise review, which I'll reveal when it comes out.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO9f3jU605yq84tJjP75XHQ
Anyways, I know you're probably wondering why I decided to start making videos instead of text reviews. Well it all started in Spring this year, when a friend of mine, Neligahn, asked me to film a video for his show Sci-fi Showdown with him. Being a budding actor, I naturally jumped at the opportunity, and as payment I got to go to a Star Trek convention with him. This naturally led to me checking his show out on Blip for research, and I saw that he recommended a reviewer you might have heard of called The Nostalgia Critic. Eventually I checked out his videos, and discovered that video reviewers are actually quite numerous on the Internet, as are talented ones. After an entire summer of watching the That Guy With The Glasses team, I decided "Hey, why can't I do that?" And the rest is Internet history. Whether or not I'll be popular like them is for the masses to decide, but in the meantime, I'll keep making videos and posting them. And rest assured, my blog will not be abandoned. I'll still post text reviews, just not as often. However, if I find something I can't get the footage I need for, but still want to review, it'll show up here. Not sure why you'd want to red my blog with its numberous bad grammer and speling errors, but hey, it's yor choice. Anyways, this is James Picard signing off!
P.S. the next review, in which I rank the Transformers cartoons, has finished filming, I just need to record the voice-overs and edit the footage. In addition, it also features a new guest star! Also, I've started writing the script for another surprise review, which I'll reveal when it comes out.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Elementary Review
Yep, I just finished watching the first episode. What do I have to say? Meh.
For those who don't know, Elementary is an American adaptation of Sherlock Holmes set in modern-day New York. Holmes is a recovering drug-addict, and Watson is a female sober companion meant to ensure Holmes doesn't take up drugs again. It also comes right off the heels of BBC's popular Sherlock miniseries. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan of it. The writing is brilliant, the cast is amazing and the length gives them a good time to set out the mystery. So naturally, I was going to be biased going into this. I'll admit, I may not have entirely given it the chance it deserves, but I tried my best to think "Maybe it'll be good, I don't know." And I was also a little tweaked about them clearly changing Watson's gender for the sake of a relationship with Holmes. But, now it's time to start the review.
Warning!! SPOILERS!!!
Yeah, that probably wasn't neccessary, but whatever. Anyways, the story starts off with Watson meeting Holmes watching several different shows at once. He pauses the T.V. , and tells her he's in love with her. He then unpauses one of the T.V.'s to reveal a character saying the exact same thing as him. He then reveals that he's a consultant who hires himself out to the police for free. He heads to the scene of a kidnapping, only to deduce that it was actually a murder. Through the episode he discovers that the murderer was a flower delivery boy who also worked as a part-time serial killer. However, the murderer commits suicide, implying the case is over. But of course, nothing's that simple. Sherlock discovers the killer had been going through therapy to get better, and his therapist was none other than the murder victim's husband, who secretly slipped him steroids instead of his prescribed medication. This in turn caused him to go into a fit of rage and kill the woman the next time he delivered to her. They apprehend the man, and Sherlock and Watson bond.
So, that's essentially the story. There's some stuff exploring Holmes and Watson's relationship, but it doesn't feel like it does much for them. Anyways, what did I think? As I said earlier, Meh.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad show by any means, it just seems so bland for a show about the most iconic detective in literature. The story is fairly basic for a murder mystery, and almost feels padded. Also, the police seem to be somewhat dumber than in real life, or even other shows. Some of the stuff Sherlock points out should be fairly obvious, and yet he's the only one who notices. But in the end it's okay, and nothing comes across as really glaring about it. The acting is also fairly meh. Lucy Liu is bland as Watson, and Jonny Lee Miller seems unsure if he should play the role as a distant and unfeeling person, or a genuinly caring man. Honestly, the best actor was the villian, and that's not a good thing. But at the very least, it's not a bad show, and if you like Sherlock Holmes, crime shows, or BBC's Sherlock, you should give it a chance. But if you want my advice, stick with Sherlock. As I said before, it's got great actors, terriffic writers, good mysteries, and nail-biting season finales. In the meantime, hopefully Elementary will learn how to surpass its name.
For those who don't know, Elementary is an American adaptation of Sherlock Holmes set in modern-day New York. Holmes is a recovering drug-addict, and Watson is a female sober companion meant to ensure Holmes doesn't take up drugs again. It also comes right off the heels of BBC's popular Sherlock miniseries. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan of it. The writing is brilliant, the cast is amazing and the length gives them a good time to set out the mystery. So naturally, I was going to be biased going into this. I'll admit, I may not have entirely given it the chance it deserves, but I tried my best to think "Maybe it'll be good, I don't know." And I was also a little tweaked about them clearly changing Watson's gender for the sake of a relationship with Holmes. But, now it's time to start the review.
Warning!! SPOILERS!!!
Yeah, that probably wasn't neccessary, but whatever. Anyways, the story starts off with Watson meeting Holmes watching several different shows at once. He pauses the T.V. , and tells her he's in love with her. He then unpauses one of the T.V.'s to reveal a character saying the exact same thing as him. He then reveals that he's a consultant who hires himself out to the police for free. He heads to the scene of a kidnapping, only to deduce that it was actually a murder. Through the episode he discovers that the murderer was a flower delivery boy who also worked as a part-time serial killer. However, the murderer commits suicide, implying the case is over. But of course, nothing's that simple. Sherlock discovers the killer had been going through therapy to get better, and his therapist was none other than the murder victim's husband, who secretly slipped him steroids instead of his prescribed medication. This in turn caused him to go into a fit of rage and kill the woman the next time he delivered to her. They apprehend the man, and Sherlock and Watson bond.
So, that's essentially the story. There's some stuff exploring Holmes and Watson's relationship, but it doesn't feel like it does much for them. Anyways, what did I think? As I said earlier, Meh.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad show by any means, it just seems so bland for a show about the most iconic detective in literature. The story is fairly basic for a murder mystery, and almost feels padded. Also, the police seem to be somewhat dumber than in real life, or even other shows. Some of the stuff Sherlock points out should be fairly obvious, and yet he's the only one who notices. But in the end it's okay, and nothing comes across as really glaring about it. The acting is also fairly meh. Lucy Liu is bland as Watson, and Jonny Lee Miller seems unsure if he should play the role as a distant and unfeeling person, or a genuinly caring man. Honestly, the best actor was the villian, and that's not a good thing. But at the very least, it's not a bad show, and if you like Sherlock Holmes, crime shows, or BBC's Sherlock, you should give it a chance. But if you want my advice, stick with Sherlock. As I said before, it's got great actors, terriffic writers, good mysteries, and nail-biting season finales. In the meantime, hopefully Elementary will learn how to surpass its name.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Asylum of the Daleks Review
Life's been kinda hectic, and without time or footage to do a video review, I'll just use text.
I've been a fan of Doctor Who for several months. I've seen nearly every episode of the revived series, excluding the impossible-to-find "Planet of the Dead". I've seen several serial by Tom Baker, and bits an pieces from others. And I even liked "Love and Monsters"! For those who understand that, let it sink in. Because I'm about to tell you something very few people have actually said: I did NOT like this episode.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Daleks. They're awesome. But this . . . I don't know what to say. Anyways, let's get going. The episode starts with the Doctor getting kidnapped by a human/Dalek zombie. Then we cut to Amy and Rory signing divorce papers. Even though the last time we saw them, their marriage was fine. And don't give me that Pond Life crap. A miniseries online should not be essential viewing, and it didn't actually explain anything, it just showed them fighting. But I digress. Amy and Rory then get kidnapped as well, and they all meet at the Dalek Parliament. Even though originally the Daleks had an Emperor. This does not bode well. Then we discover that a ship crashed on the Dalek asylum, where all the defective Daleks go. In order to prevent them from escaping, the Daleks want the Doctor to go down to the planet and shut off the force field so that they can destroy it. Even though the whole reason for having the Dalek asylum was because "It is offensive to us to extinguish such divine hatred". Except for all the other times the Daleks killed each other. It's official, we're in for a rough ride. And the final twist in the gut? The Daleks consider it beautiful even though "Daleks have no concept of elegance." Yep. And we aren't even ten minutes in.
So, the Daleks shoot the Doctor down to the planet, and he 'meets' Oswin (played by Jenna-Louise Coleman), a survivor from the ship who's been holding off the Daleks for a year. She's still holed up in her room, but she's managed to hack into the communication system, so she can talk to the Doctor. She manages to guide them through the ship, and the Doctor leaves Amy and Rory behind to rescue Oswin. And here, we learn why they're getting a divorce: Amy think she has to give Rory up because she's infertile after the events of Demon's Run, and apparently Rory REALLY wants a kid (So nice of them to tell us that now instead of earlier). So let me get this straight, for the entire time it took them to get a divorce, she never ONCE thought to talk to him about this fact, or get the Doctor to help her? And what's wrong with adoption?! Yeah, this was just sad. And then they make up after this revelation. So that's all it takes to repair a relationship, apparently. Meanwhile, the Doctor reaches Oswin but discovers she's actually a Dalek, who was converted from human. So, why did she sound human on the intercomm? And what happened to 'genetic purity'? Shut up, that's what happened. Anyways, the Doctor finds the force field (who thought it was a good idea to put the controls to a force field INSIDE THE PRISON?! They could've escaped whenever they wanted to!) and manages to get back to the Dalek ship, where it's revealed that when Oswin erased the Daleks memories of the Doctor (forgot to mention that part, sorry), she erased EVERY Daleks memory of the Doctor. Thank you, Moffat, we Whovians think that's a lovely bird. So Amy and Rory are dropped off back home and the Doctor continues traveling.
So that was Asylum of the Daleks. Or, as I like to call it, Train-wreck of the Daleks. Really, there's no defense for this episode. The "Old Daleks" that were so hyped barely show up, the plot holes are the size of black holes, the Amy and Rory subplot was rediculous and unneccessary, and to top it all off, 49 years of stories have gone down the drain. To be fair, the actors do a great job, and there are some genuinlly fuuny moments. But it doesn't make up for the terrible script. This episode was a terrible start, and I really hope some one realizes that Steven Moffat worked best on a leash. This is really another one of those cases where an artist has enjoyed so much success, no one will tell him no anymore. It's sad, really. Moffat is a great writer, and I really wanted to enjoy this episode. But it just wouldn't let me. Hopefully Moffat will do better. Oh, and look up 'Doctor Who Skit Asylum of the Daleks' on YouTube. It's hilarious. It's better than the episode, actually. As for my next video review, I'm still working out what to use for it. But as soon as I know, I'll get started on the script. See you later!
I've been a fan of Doctor Who for several months. I've seen nearly every episode of the revived series, excluding the impossible-to-find "Planet of the Dead". I've seen several serial by Tom Baker, and bits an pieces from others. And I even liked "Love and Monsters"! For those who understand that, let it sink in. Because I'm about to tell you something very few people have actually said: I did NOT like this episode.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Daleks. They're awesome. But this . . . I don't know what to say. Anyways, let's get going. The episode starts with the Doctor getting kidnapped by a human/Dalek zombie. Then we cut to Amy and Rory signing divorce papers. Even though the last time we saw them, their marriage was fine. And don't give me that Pond Life crap. A miniseries online should not be essential viewing, and it didn't actually explain anything, it just showed them fighting. But I digress. Amy and Rory then get kidnapped as well, and they all meet at the Dalek Parliament. Even though originally the Daleks had an Emperor. This does not bode well. Then we discover that a ship crashed on the Dalek asylum, where all the defective Daleks go. In order to prevent them from escaping, the Daleks want the Doctor to go down to the planet and shut off the force field so that they can destroy it. Even though the whole reason for having the Dalek asylum was because "It is offensive to us to extinguish such divine hatred". Except for all the other times the Daleks killed each other. It's official, we're in for a rough ride. And the final twist in the gut? The Daleks consider it beautiful even though "Daleks have no concept of elegance." Yep. And we aren't even ten minutes in.
So, the Daleks shoot the Doctor down to the planet, and he 'meets' Oswin (played by Jenna-Louise Coleman), a survivor from the ship who's been holding off the Daleks for a year. She's still holed up in her room, but she's managed to hack into the communication system, so she can talk to the Doctor. She manages to guide them through the ship, and the Doctor leaves Amy and Rory behind to rescue Oswin. And here, we learn why they're getting a divorce: Amy think she has to give Rory up because she's infertile after the events of Demon's Run, and apparently Rory REALLY wants a kid (So nice of them to tell us that now instead of earlier). So let me get this straight, for the entire time it took them to get a divorce, she never ONCE thought to talk to him about this fact, or get the Doctor to help her? And what's wrong with adoption?! Yeah, this was just sad. And then they make up after this revelation. So that's all it takes to repair a relationship, apparently. Meanwhile, the Doctor reaches Oswin but discovers she's actually a Dalek, who was converted from human. So, why did she sound human on the intercomm? And what happened to 'genetic purity'? Shut up, that's what happened. Anyways, the Doctor finds the force field (who thought it was a good idea to put the controls to a force field INSIDE THE PRISON?! They could've escaped whenever they wanted to!) and manages to get back to the Dalek ship, where it's revealed that when Oswin erased the Daleks memories of the Doctor (forgot to mention that part, sorry), she erased EVERY Daleks memory of the Doctor. Thank you, Moffat, we Whovians think that's a lovely bird. So Amy and Rory are dropped off back home and the Doctor continues traveling.
So that was Asylum of the Daleks. Or, as I like to call it, Train-wreck of the Daleks. Really, there's no defense for this episode. The "Old Daleks" that were so hyped barely show up, the plot holes are the size of black holes, the Amy and Rory subplot was rediculous and unneccessary, and to top it all off, 49 years of stories have gone down the drain. To be fair, the actors do a great job, and there are some genuinlly fuuny moments. But it doesn't make up for the terrible script. This episode was a terrible start, and I really hope some one realizes that Steven Moffat worked best on a leash. This is really another one of those cases where an artist has enjoyed so much success, no one will tell him no anymore. It's sad, really. Moffat is a great writer, and I really wanted to enjoy this episode. But it just wouldn't let me. Hopefully Moffat will do better. Oh, and look up 'Doctor Who Skit Asylum of the Daleks' on YouTube. It's hilarious. It's better than the episode, actually. As for my next video review, I'm still working out what to use for it. But as soon as I know, I'll get started on the script. See you later!
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