New Doctor Who, New (Old) Companion?

So, we recently got the trailer for everyone's favourite new Christmas tradition; Doctor Who. If you've not seen it yet, here's the link. Go on, go watch it. I'll be here when you get back.

Right, watched that? Remember her? She was the (quite frankly; utterly wonderful) Soufflé Girl, Oswin Oswald, from last season's opening episode "Asylum Of The Daleks". A performance that left many people, myself included, saying "Amy who?"

I'm going to assume you've seen the aforementioned episode and I can discuss it further without anyone crying "WAAAAHHH! Spoilers!" at me.

Now, Clara/Oswin's appearance in AOTD came as a real surprise to us, the viewers. Previously we'd been told Jenna-Louise Coleman would be playing the Doctor's next companion, Clara Oswin, after the Pond's departure and that she'd debut in the imminent Christmas episode. Going into the season with this information meant that her appearance so much earlier than expected knocked us off-balance. The dénouement of the episode revealed that not only was she in fact no longer human, and had been converted into  a Dalek, but she then died.

'nuff said

This year's Christmas episode is set in Victorian London, hundreds of years before AOTD, and we have Oswin appearing again, this time as Clara Oswin. The easy and simple explanation is that Clara is Oswin's ancestor. That would be plausible, tidy and neat, wouldn't it? But it wouldn't be fun, and it certainly wouldn't be Moffat enough. We expect more. Smith and Coleman's little exchange regarding her *definitely* playing a different character seems a huge clue.

Stephen Moffat's sinister volcano lair, where he plots Who-fans' torment

So, with that in mind, here's my theory on the new companion and where I think they might be taking the new season...

Each season has a theme, an over-arching plot that threads it's way through the episodes and takes us to the big finale. Previous years had the words Bad Wolf appearing across time and space, two years ago we had Amy's Crack (ho, ho) and last year we had the Doctor's inevitable death.. What if this year's big plot device is the companion herself?

Imagine, if every episode, the Doctor met a Clara/Oswin, in a different time and place? He's already met her in the future. He's about to meet her in the past. Why couldn't the mystery of this woman be the crux for the season? Her existence across time and space could be a threat or even the key to overcoming the real threat. It's too early to say who this season's Big Bad will be. The Daleks seem a safe bet, given the circumstances of Oswin's introduction but somehow they feel a bit overplayed now. Who else is an established Doctor Who adversary that uses time travel? *cough*The Master or the Cybermen*cough*

I might be majorly off-target with this, but wouldn't it be cool if this was where they were going?

Comic Review (Well, it makes a change from all the Superheroes...) - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1

So, this week sees the release of the most pre-ordered comic in the world, this month at least. IDW’s latest licenced property is the hugely popular cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and by the looks of pre-orders, it’s going to be HUGE. Take that, Marvel NOW and DC New 52!

Curious about  the hub-bub surrounding the franchise, and wondering why it had garnered such high pre-orders, I came to this book from a position of utter ignorance.  I’m aware that this book is eagerly awaited by kids and adults alike, its’ source material being a cartoon of such popularity that the earth vibrates with a communal “SQUEEE!” every time a new episode airs.

Coming from one of the story artists for The Powerpuff Girls (Another cartoon that transcended superficial gender & age-group boundaries) the cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has been a huge hit for a franchise that hadn’t seen any new episodes on TV for almost 20 years and ultimately spawned this new comic book.

However, prior to picking this up, I had no idea why some ponies were pegasi, while others were unicorns. I had no idea what a cutie mark was, nor why some ponies wore clothes & accessories while others went au naturel, but none of that mattered in the slightest. What I found was a fun, smart, self-aware comic that has as much to offer the older more cynical readers as it does younger ones. I found the same feeling of light-hearted fun as I got from  (The much-missed) Tiny Titans and that’s no bad thing.

Written by Katie Cook, with art by Andy Price, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic takes its’ name straight from the cartoon and carries the same feeling of light-hearted fun with just enough humour that works for all ages. Cook’s webcomic Gronk (www.gronkcomic.com webcomic fans!) has a very sharp eye for the absurdity of modern life seen through an innocent’s eyes, coupled with the wit of a much savvier personality than that of the main character. I must admit, Katie’s name being attached to the book was what caught my eye. Ever since her self-published, insightful, seminal work on Domesticated Animal Psychology “Fuck you, Box” I’ve enjoyed her work and eagerly awaited her next project.

Your MLP Writer, in Pony form

As a first issue it ticks all the right boxes; the premise, status quo and core are cast introduced quickly and concisely. The issue feels self-contained enough to be satisfying,  but has a cliff-hanger to bring you back for the next issue. Too often I feel that many new series treat their first issue as just part of a larger story and assume you’ll be back for explanations in later issues (DC New 52, I’m looking at you here…) but here we’ve got a perfectly paced and packaged parcel of Ponies.

We meet the younger siblings of the main characters, then the leads themselves and within a page of meeting each, it becomes clear as to what differentiates each. While some may cry “Archetypes!” that’s no bad thing in a book like this. Better to have clearly defined personalities than vague ones, surely?

“But, Dapper Dan!” I hear you cry “What actually happens in this issue?!” Well, in brief; the plot is a (surprisingly dark) body-snatchers affair with the leads slowly realising strange things are a-foot/hoof in the land of Equestria.

It’s hard to overstate how well Price has performed here. His work on the facial expressions really gives the book life. Exaggerated and over the top, funny and well-executed nonetheless.

One other aspect of MLP:FIM (Sorry for the acronym, but it’s a long title to keep typing) that I really enjoyed was that the issue features visual and plot-related pop-culture references coming out the wazoo. Cook and Price #(As I’m guessing these details were a collaborative effort) have worked overtime in cramming the splash pages and panels full of visual gags.

Two words for you: Magnum. Pony.

This would have been hilarious even without the cutie mark

OK, one more; Three words for you: Blues. Brothers. Ponies

They’re on a mission from Dog

For the OCD fans among you, there’s a TON of variant covers for the book, some exclusive to specific stores, like Larry’s Comics, and some standard alternate covers available at most retailers. Gotta Catch ‘Em All! (Wait… No… Wrong franchise…) I suspect Midtown Comics “Derpy Hooves” cover will prove quite popular.

In closing, to answer your questions:

Yes, you should pick this up, especially if you have younger kids who like the show, or if you or  anyone you know misses Tiny Titans.

Yes, I am going to watch an episode or two of the show to see what it’s like.

No, I don’t have a favourite Pony*


*Yes I do, it's Rainbow Dash

Movie Review - The Avengers or “Holy sh!t, that was awesome”

So, a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a preview screening of Marvel’s The Avengers (I refuse to call it Avengers Assemble, the unnecessarily amended name for the UK release) and I can safely say “Holy freakin’ hell, that was awesome”. Here’s a relatively spoiler-free review. I’d say I’m happy to discuss the film in finer detail with anyone via email, but honestly I think you’ll enjoy it more if you go in as near to unspoiled as possible. I’ve held of reviewing this until the release date so as not to spoil anything for anyone.

Straight off the bat I have to say this: Joss Whedon has managed to pull off a cinematic miracle by making what might just be the perfect superhero movie. From script to story beats to action sequences; the whole product hangs together so well that I had to pinch myself to check I wasn’t dreaming.

This is the superhero team-up film you always wanted to see but never thought could be made. Yes, it’s THAT good, in my sometimes less than humble opinion.

Picking up threads from Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2; the plot takes place against the backdrop of Loki, Thor’s wayward brother, allying with an alien race to take over the Earth. It’s pretty standard moustache-twirling villain stuff, really. Although the lack of villainous originality can be overlooked as Loki continues to be played with such delicious relish by Tom Hiddleston. Much as I gripe about Hollywood’s continued obsession with casting my fellow countrymen as villains; when we’re this good at being bad, who cares?

Downey Jr, Evans and Hemsworth all reprise their roles with their existing characters. Of the three performances, Evans’ character arguably shows the most development since his introduction last year. Captain America seems a little less naive and a little more grown-up. I felt he was more of an realist this time out, allaying my fears that the iconic character might not hold his own when compared to Iron Man and Thor.

Actually, I think my favourite returning cast member is actually Clark Gregg as the sardonic SHIELD Agent; Coulson. He provided some great moments in both Iron Man films and Thor but here he is even better. Coulson ends up providing the real heart of the film. If you’ve seen either of the two shorts starring Agent Coulson, you’ll enjoy his work here.

After the opening sequence sets Loki’s plan in motion, Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury finally gets a chance to do more than just deliver sharp lines to a nascent hero: Assembling (natch) the heroes we’ve seen in Marvel’s previous films to stop Loki and retrieve the MacGuffin. The real meat of the movie comes from the interactions between the heroic leads as they are recruited, clash and eventually galvanise as a team. The trailer has already shown us that Chris Evans’ square-jawed super-soldier and Robert Downey Jr’s smart-ass playboy do not get on, but the personality clashes are not limited to just these two. Thor continues to experience the culture clash between his methods and the way we humans deal with things. It seems that when you carry a hammer every problem DOES look like a nail.

“Tell me of this mortal phenomenon you call Two Wenches, One Goblet”

For those of us who were worried about it, rest easy. Despite his excellent turn as Tony Stark/Iron Man in his previous two films, Robert Downey Jr doesn’t steal every scene he’s in. He’s still funny, he’s still one of the smartest guys in the world but he’s almost a bit more of a dick this time out. Maybe that’s a deliberate move, to tone down his audience support and give the others a chance.

“What do you mean I have to share the spotlight?!”

One area where Whedon’s script has really excelled is in giving each of the heroes an arc of their own that doesn’t come at the expense of the others. Everyone gets their fair share of screen time and “Holy Sh1t!” moments. One of my reservations was that Hawkeye, Black Widow and even Hulk might get marginalised in favour of Thor, Cap and Iron Man. Far from it. In fact, true to Whedon form, Black Widow proves to be just as pivotal as any of her male comrades, proving once and for all that you can have strong female characters in a superhero film who aren’t just there as eye-candy love interests. (Blake Lively, I’m looking at you here…)

(No that wasn’t just an excuse to feature a picture of Scarlett. Honest.)

Jeremy Renner, notable for his performances in The Hurt Locker & The Town,  puts in a good showing as Hawkeye. Despite the fact that he’s probably the least well-known member of the team, to the average cinema-goer, he gets some good lines and some particularly cool action sequences. His casting in the forthcoming The Bourne Legacy now seems perfect. And yes, Hawkeye is the greatest Avengers character of all-time in the comics. This is not open to debate.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you over the sound of how awesome I am”

Mark Ruffalo comes to the role of Bruce Banner/Hulk as the third actor to play him in Marvel’s movie universe and yet overshadows both of the previous two with a performance that impressed me a lot. His Banner is quiet and reserved without seeming restrained. Even when others are assuming he’s a little spacey and not quite up to speed with the way the world works, you can see there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s happy to be taken at face-value, comfortable enough in his abilities and control of the Hulk. Well, usually…

“HULK SMASH!”

One criticism a friend had, was that she felt the humour wasn’t really appropriate for the overall tone. I disagree; while there is comedy in the film, it never feels slapstick, even when it made me laugh out loud. It felt like it came just when it was needed to lift the moment and show some humanity amid all the explosions.

The trailer showed us that the finale of the film features an full scale alien invasion in New York. What the trailer didn’t tell you (thankfully) was quite how huge this is. The assault on NYC is no quick flash in the pan, speedy conclusion to the movie. This is Manhattan playing the role of Omaha Beach. One of the best set-pieces I’ve seen in a summer blockbuster for quite a few years.

“Wow, that escalated pretty fast, didn’t it?” “Aye, verily.”

I didn’t see the film in 3D and, while I’m grateful for not having to wear a second pair of spectacles to experience it, there were one or two shots that looked wrong as a result. A minor gripe but still noticeable nonetheless. This may be different in the final version, coming with the mysterious amended scene they shot the day after the US premiere.

Marvel once again proves far more capable at translating their characters and scenarios to the big screen. DC really need to take a long hard look at their efforts and step their game up. They can ill-afford another Superman Returns or Green Lantern if they want to get the same kind of success on the silver screen.

Oh, one last thing: The now-traditional mid-credits extra scene? It’s not what I originally expected when going in, but does pick up on something said early in the film and delivers a hell of a moment of fan-service. The sequel should be out of this world. ;-)

***SPOILER WARNING***

Do NOT scroll down if you want to remain blissfully ignorant of the bonus scene.

 

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“No glove, no love”