Supernatural: Season 07 (2012)

Supernatural: Season 07 (2012)

23 episodes, approx 42 mins each.

My hope going into Season 07 was that it would be an improvement over Season 06,  even just enough to lift the series out of the shit-heap that showrunner Sera Gamble had put it in, but I don't feel that that happened.

A large part of the reason is the new ongoing threat, first mentioned in the season opener.

Known as Leviathans, the carnivorous bitey things (as pictured on the cover art) were created by God before even the Angels, but for reasons that I won't go into were imprisoned in a holding place that was made just for them. Naturally, they find a way through into the world  of humans. And that's as good as that particular story arc gets.

Uncharted: Comicbook TPB (2012)

Uncharted: Comicbook TPB (2012)

Author: Joshua Williamson | Illustrator: Sergio Sandoval | Page Court: 144

"Hey, Sully! Things are going from bad to worse out here... it's time to roll."

A six-issue miniseries based on developer Naughty Dog's video game franchise of the same name.

I enjoy the parkour, puzzle solving, and exploration aspects of the games very much and am in awe of ND's attention to detail in their world-building, but it's not a franchise that I get overly enthused about beyond that.

For people that love it more than I do, besides a few grammar slip-ups the writing, artwork, and pacing are all good, with characterisation and dialogue that's tonally about as faithful to its video game inspiration as it's possible to get in a comicbook format. All in all, it's an excellent tie-in that feels very much like a proper Uncharted adventure - minus the interactivity, of course.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Manga (2010-14)

Episode 001: Section 9 (2010)

Author + Illustrator: Yu Kinutani | Page Count: 248

"[W]e've determined the contents of the brain are fake. So where's the real one?"

A number of cyborg Geishas have taken clients hostage, among them a high-ranking government official who at the time of his capture was engaging in some odd activities with the pretend ladies.

The Prime Minister summons the country's best counter-terrorist unit: Public Security Section 9. Led by the cybernetically enhanced Major Kusanagi, the team are called upon to not only resolve the situation, but to find out who's behind it, and why.

It's a manga adaptation of an anime TV series that was inspired by a film adaptation of a manga. If you're familiar with all of those things, then the book might be of interest to you, but know that it's the entire first episode of the GitS SAC anime in manga form - it's almost verbatim, except for some minor changes in the action scenes that don't alter the main storyline one bit. It's arguably less fun than watching the anime, so is probably best recommended for super-fans or folks who prefer manga, only.

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

12 episodes, approx 45 minutes each.

British actor Chris Vance replaces Jason Statham as ex-SAS man Frank Martin in a spin-off from the Transporter movies. Frank's house is well-ordered and he carries a spare suit in the boot of his car. That's the kind of guy he is. He's also a resourceful driver that transports packages from A to B with no questions asked; discretion is paramount. He lives by his own code and is a stickler for the rules:

01. NEVER CHANGE THE DEAL.

02. NO NAMES.

03. NEVER OPEN THE PACKAGE.

He'll often quote one of them (for the audience's benefit) just a few minutes before breaking it.

Vance's portrayal of the character is more sympathetic than Stath's. He's a sucker for righting an injustice. He needs to be, though, because it isn't just 90 minutes of explosive escapism, it's an ongoing development in which the (anti)hero operates in a grey area of morality and law.

Sadako 3D + Sadako 3D 2 (2012-13)

Sadako 3D (2012)

Dir. Tsutomu Hanabusa

A Ring Cycle movie revival based on author Koji Suzuki's novel, S (2012). I've not read it, so can't comment on how faithful the film is or isn't.

A new cursed video is uploaded to the internet, meaning every PC, laptop, tablet, phone, etc, offers a possible entry point for Sadako's return.

It sounds like a natural progression of what came before, but whereas Nakata's first two films were mature horror that made me soil myself, Sadako 3D is teen horror that made me yawn and check my watch periodically.

Silent Hill type creatures work just fine in a Silent Hill setting, but in Ring's world they were ridiculous. The only saving grace was Satomi Ishihara, who deserved to be in a better movie.

Rebuild of Evangelion: 3.33 (2012)

Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)

Dirs. Hideaki Anno / Mahiro Maeda / Kazuya Tsurumaki

Parts 1.11 and 2.22 stayed recognisably close to the original NGE TV Series plot, but part 3.33 spirals off to places new. There are big changes and most of them aren't good.

Firstly, none of what's teased in 2.22's post-credit preview is actually in the third film. Instead, it's set a significant number of years after, which could be as jarring for the viewer as it is for one of the characters.

In retrospect, it's helpful to accept that what was teased did actually happen, albeit offscreen. Mercifully, the implied level of 'fan service' is largely absent, besides some cheap low angle female pudenda shots.

A dramatic space-set action scene opens proceedings, and is quickly followed by some tedious Anno dialogue; as someone who prefers to watch anime subbed, it felt more pronounced than it might otherwise have seemed.

The Scorpion King Movies (2002-18)

The Scorpion King Movies (2002-18)

Dirs. Chuck Russell / Russell Mulcahy / Roel Reiné / Mike Elliott / Don Michael Paul

01. The Scorpion King (2002): The Rock's first real acting job is a prequel story to his piss-poor cameo in The Mummy Returns (2001).

The role of Mathayus is perfect for him, playing to his strengths and his abilities. He gets to do most of what he did in the WWE: throw people about, look manly, charm an audience with ease, and deliver the trademark raised eyebrow that makes him look simultaneously smug and endearing.

Kelly Hu saves the costume department some cash by being half-naked most of the time.

The irritating comic relief sidekick role, played by Grant Heslov, isn't as bad as it could've been, but the character can be easily ignored the majority of the time. Ultimately, it's a good 'bad' movie.

Dredd: Original Film Soundtrack (2012)

Dredd: OFS (2012)

by Paul Leonard-Morgan

Paul Leonard-Morgan's score to the film is evocative of the gritty, dirty underbelly of Dredd's violent world.

In that respect, it's a roaring success; but a repetitive, noisy and abrasive electronic punch in the face that flirts with dark ambient and industrial soundscapes is the kind of work that can alienate many casual listeners.

If your musical tastes include the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Front Line Assembly, and John Carpenter's film scores, there's a good chance you'll like Leonard-Morgan's work, too.

There's an occasional frail, textured wave of hope attempting to break through the overabundant distortion, but the thick bass keeps it cruelly subdued. Nevertheless, its presence is beneficial to the whole.

Dredd (2012)

Dredd (2012)

Dir. Pete Travis / Alex Garland (uncredited)

The Dredd film deserved more success than it got. It drew comparisons to Dir. Gareth Evans' The Raid (2011), with both films set inside of a single tower block, but I've not seen The Raid, so for me Dredd felt fresh and interesting.

The filmmakers made some minor changes to the comic's aesthetic, (e.g. the Lawmaster, Lawgiver, and iconic Judge costume each got a slight redesign, mostly for practical purposes), but crucially it remained faithful to the essence and core values of its esteemed comic source.

Even the poster art (pic right) takes inspiration from the page - recreating the stance of a towering Judge statue, a symbolic reminder for the citizens of Mega-City One that Judges are the ultimate law, perhaps most notably used to that effect in the classic America (2008) story.

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fifth Season (2012)

The Sarah Jane Adventures:

The Complete Fifth Season (2012)

Dirs: Various | Episodes: 6 episodes, approx 27 mins each.

NOTE: THIS SECTION CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR SEASON FOUR.

The fifth season of TSJA is both the shortest and the last of them - not because it was losing its appeal, but because the actress that played the title character, Elisabeth Sladen, sadly passed away. Of the planned twelve episodes, six were finished.

Luke (Tommy Knight) is still away at university, but Sky (Sinead Michael), the young girl that Sarah Jane and her team rescued at the end of Season Four, is still around, bringing the number of human helpers the reporter has back up to a comfortable three.

Well, four, if we count the times when Luke is back on Bannerman Road. He gets paired with Sky in the season's best two-parter (Eps 5+6); they're both Sarah Jane's 'adopted children', so it seems logical.

The Unwritten: Volume 06 (2012)

Tommy Taylor and the War of Words (2012)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Michael William Kaluta / Rick Geary / Bryan Talbot / Gary Erskine / Gabriel Hernandez Walta | Page Count: 240

'The snows came. Closing the roads, and deadening all sounds. Pushing us back on each other's company. And that was when the horrors began.'

Tired of running and hiding, Tom uses what he's learned thus far to take the fight to the enemy on his terms.

Containing ten issues, War of Words is the largest volume in the entire collected series. The numbering of each is a little odd, though. After each natural number (31-35) is a half number (31∙5-35∙5). The former continues the Tom Taylor story. Whereas the latter reveals the origins of some key members of the Cabal.

The half-numbered issues were my favourite part of the work; a few of them felt like they could've taken place in the Lucifer universe, which is a previous Vertigo title by the same creative duo. Personally, I much prefer Lucifer to The Unwritten, so that was a real treat for me.

The Unwritten: Volume 05 (2012)

On to Genesis (2012)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrator: Peter Gross | Page Count: 144

"There was a woman I loved, once. And she died. I have no idea when that happened. If it ever did."

Tom Taylor has uncovered a small part of his past and is beginning to understand the nature and power of 'the source'. But there's a second, more personal question still unanswered: who or what actually is Tom Taylor?

The concatenation of mysterious events that have led him to where he is now, in NY, hunted by the Cabal, stretches back further than he ever thought (or feared).

In order to progress further, Tom, with help from his two travelling companions, must learn more about his father, the author Wilson Taylor, a man for whom Tom has very mixed feelings. They say the best way to truly understand a man is to walk in his shoes, an action that for Wilson's son isn't an impossible thing to do literally.

Mother, Brother, Lover: Selected Lyrics (2012)

Mother, Brother, Lover: Selected Lyrics (2012)

Author: Jarvis Cocker | Page Count: 192

"If nobody's listening you can say whatever you want."

A selection of lyrics (66 in all) penned by Meister Cocker over the span of three decades. They're mostly from his time in Pulp, but his solo work is well-represented, too.

Each one is accompanied by notes that act as illumination and commentary on the themes and allusions made in the songs themselves, which will be helpful to people outside the UK, or for those folks who were born too late.

Before you get to the main event, there's an introduction from Jarvis that's so beautifully constructed and insightful that it's worth the asking price alone.

He speaks of the profound things that occur in everyday life, the things that don't stand out until later, and he does so in common language for (ahem) common people.

It's from a point in time that enables experience to lay tender hands on and memory to whittle away anything superfluous. Without meaning to demean anything that comes after, the introduction is arguably the highlight of the work.

Pietà (2012)

Pietà (2012)

Dir. Kim Ki-duk

I can’t recall the last time I felt such vehement hatred for a main character as I did for Gang-Do (Jung-Jin Lee). He's a deplorable, detestable shit-bag money collector for a loan shark.

The realism that South Korean Dir. Kim Ki-duk strives for makes the actions that Gang-Do takes all the more affecting. If his attitude wasn't already in stark enough relief, when a woman (Min-soo Jo) approaches him and claims to be his mother it becomes even clearer.

The film explores many things, among them whether or not being judged or having someone around to make proud will cause us to act differently (essentially nature Vs nurture).

It's an intense journey that will no doubt shock and offend many who watch it, repeatedly, so be warned. Both leads rise to the challenge of their role superbly and deserve the maximum praise that I can give.

Mrs Biggs (2012)

Mrs Biggs (2012)

Dir. Paul Whittington | 5 episodes, approx 50 minutes each.

An ITV miniseries based on the life of Charmian Biggs (played by Sheridan Smith), wife to the most well-known of the Great Train Robbers, Ronnie Biggs (played by Daniel Mays). If you don't know the historical aspect, in 1963 Ronnie and fifteen other men robbed an English Royal Mail train that was carrying £2.6 million (approx £48 million in today's money) and they did it without using guns.

The series begins a few years prior to that event, though, in 1957. Charmian Powell is an innocent, dependable young woman who holds a steady job and has a strict, controlling father. Ronnie is a part-time petty crook, a Jack the Lad, Jimmy Chancer, etc, and also a bit of a charmer. The inevitable happens.

The journey from youthful innocence to reluctant accomplice avoids pure melodrama. It's often difficult to sympathise with a criminal and easier to have those feelings for a criminal's wife, but covering up the truth even for noble reasons is still an immoral act. The series doesn't force you to abandon the judgements you'd naturally have toward that kind of behaviour, so you're free to dislike Charmian's choices if you choose to and still enjoy the ride.

Masters of the Universe: Origins of Eternia (2012-13)

Masters of the Universe: Origin of Skeletor (2012)

Author: Joshua Hale Fialkov | Artist: Frazer Irving | Page Count: 21

"The half-breed bastard child of a King and creature the world has deemed sub-human."

A trio of stand-alone comics, each one devoted to a particular MotU character, telling their origin story.

The evil Skeletor leads the way and at first glance it appears to be pretty damn good! But once you get to actually analysing the story the cracks begin to show and it becomes clear that issue one is all about the art.

Frazer Irving's artwork is amazing, perfectly capturing the drama of a single moment, with a modified use of colour to suit the era; e.g. as Skeletor walks the halls of his childhood home the flashbacks triggered by the location have much of the colour drained from them, like you'd sometimes see in a movie. It helps separate the past from the present and adds further commentary on the differences between the child and the man.

It's interesting seeing the genesis of the resentful feelings that skull-face nurtures and uses as strength, but at just 21 pages it's all too brief.

Assassin's Creed: The Fall (2012) + The Chain (2012)

Assassin's Creed: The Fall (2012)

Authors: Cameron Stewart / Karl Kerschl  |  Illustrators: Cameron Stewart / Karl Kerschl  |  Page Count: 96 / 128 (Deluxe)

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted…"

Considering how asinine and clusterfucky the main story of the Assassin's Creed games was, is and likely will become, I didn't have high hopes for The Fall. Shock news: It’s surprisingly good. It's not amazing but it does a better job at balancing two different time periods and making them feel like one cohesive whole than any of the games I've played so far have managed to do.

If you don't know how that works, each instalment has two protagonists, one in the present and one in the past. In the present era, sometime around the turn of the 21st Century, there’s Daniel Cross. The book spends a fair amount of time showing us what kind of guy Daniel is and, perhaps more importantly, what kind of guy he isn't. He’s not a noble champion of the people. He’s quick to anger and full of doubts, dislikes authority, enjoys a drink and is slowly spiralling out of control.

Assassin's Creed: The American Saga (2012-14)

Assassin's Creed III (2012)  |  Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)  |  Assassin's Creed: Liberation (2014)  |  Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry (2014)  |  Assassin's Creed: Rogue (2014)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 02 (2012)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 02 (2012)

Authors: Alan Grant / John Wagner  |  Illustrators: Arthur Ranson / David Roach / Kevin Walker / Mark Wilkinson / Charles Gillespie / Xuasus / Ian Gibson / Enric Romero / Mike Collins / Steve Sampson / Tony Luke  |  Page Count: 304

'Nine years old and already they're learning they're a breed apart. [...] They don't take part in life. They watch it. When they grow up, they'll judge it.'

Volume 2 continues the Judge Anderson stories in (mostly) chronological order, and unlike Volume 1 (2009) the majority of it is now in colour.

Cassandra has proved that she can kick ass if she needs to, but a physical response is just a small part of her repertoire. Her stories tend to deal with subjects that are more emotional, cerebral and far-reaching than Dredd's. Old Stony Face pops up occasionally but it's either as fan-service or simply as a device to keep alive a connection to the judicial system. Everyone's favourite asshole, Judge Goon, also pops his ugly head up when least wanted.

Up until now we've primarily viewed Anderson as something that didn't fit comfortably into the world, she was at cross-purposes with her calling and an affront to the times. The book shifts more to her perspective and shows that it's the world that's gone to hell, and in reality she is perhaps the only free thinker in a sea of oppression.

Ōkami (2006) / Ōkami HD (2012)

Ōkami (2006) / Ōkami HD (2012)

Genre: Action / Adventure | Players: 1 | Developer: Clover Studio (PS2) / HexaDrive (PS3 Conversion) / Ready at Dawn (Wii Conversion)

Ōkami is a strong contender for the finest Legend of Zelda game that Nintendo never made. I don’t use the comparison lightly. LoZ is one of my most treasured game franchises, so for anything to come even remotely close to it is an accolade in itself. It’ll draw comparisons with Twilight Princess mostly, principally because of the use of a wolf as protagonist, but TP didn't hit the shelves until over half a year afterwards; that they both involve a wolf is an unlucky coincidence.

Visually it's exquisite. As Amaterasu runs (hereafter 'Ammy' for short), flowers shoot up and blossom in her wake, similar to the Forest Spirit's passing in Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke (1997). (In the NA version of the game Ammy was genderless. A wolf god is okay, but a female god isn't, eh?) The painterly quality is inspired by traditional Japanese watercolours and Ukiyo-e wood carving art. The beguiling nature of that style is even more magnificent when backlit. No words can do it justice.