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New Avengers: Endgame Official Trailer!

14 Thursday Mar 2019

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 73 Comments

Tags

Avengers 4, Avengers 4 trailer, Avengers Endgame, Avengers Endgame Official Trailer, Avengers Endgame Trailer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Bradley Cooper, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Olsen, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Iron Man, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Jr., Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Bethany, Pom Klementieff, Robert Downey, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Spider-Man, Thanos, The Avengers, Thor, Tom Holland

New Avengers: Endgame Official Trailer!

The new Avengers: Endgame official trailer has been released! This epic trailer givers us our first good look at what this major turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have in store for us. Avengers: Endgame, Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, follows on from Avengers: Infinity War’s devestating cliff-hanger which saw fifty per cent of the MUC’s heroes turned to dust by Josh Brolin’s Thanos.. Now the saga reaches a shattering conclusion in Avengers: Endgame, and I can’t wait to see how everything is resolved after seeing this awesome looking trailer!

Whatever it takes. Check out the -new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame!

Avengers: End Game is set to land in UK cinemas on 26 April 2019

And there’s a great new poster as well!

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Avengers Endgame Trailer Released!

07 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Avengers 4, Avengers 4 trailer, Avengers Endgame, Avengers Endgame Official Trailer, Avengers Endgame Trailer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Bradley Cooper, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Olsen, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Iron Man, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Jr., Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Bethany, Pom Klementieff, Robert Downey, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Spider-Man, Thanos, The Avengers, Thor, Tom Holland

Avengers Endgame Trailer Released!

Following the an epic decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to reach a major turning point with Avengers: Endgame! Yes, after weeks of rumours that a trailer for Avengers 4 was on the way, today is the day we’ve all been waiting for.. our first glimpse at the trailer and title for the fourth Avengers Movie: Avengers Endgame!

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Endgame looks set to resolve the Avengers: Infinity War’s shattering cliff-hanger that saw fifty per cent of the MUC’s heroes turned to dust by Josh Brolin’s Thanos..

The trailer for Avengers Endgame shows how Tony Stark is coping in the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War – and we also get a few hints about what and who we will see in Avengers: Endgame…

Its great to finally have a look at what Avengers Endgame will be like, really excited for this movie! What did you all think of the trailer for Avengers Endgame?

Avengers: End Game is set to land in UK cinemas on 26 April 2019.

And here’s the new Avengers Endgame poster!

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Avengers Infinity War Film Review

02 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Film Reviews

≈ 48 Comments

Tags

Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Infinity War Film Review, Benedict Cumberbatch, Black Panther, Bradley Cooper, Captain America, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Doctor Strange, Gamora, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Stones, Iron Man, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, loki, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Spider-Man, Thanos, The Avengers, The Vision, Thor, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Wakanda, Wanda Maximoff

Avengers Infinity War Film Review

Review by Paul Bowler

Get set for Marvel Studios’ Avengers Infinity War to rock the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its very core as the Avengers and their superhero allies confront the deadly power of Thanos, played with gravely voiced menace by Josh Brolin. Earth’s mightiest heroes must prepare to sacrifice everything in order to prevent Thanos from gathering the Infinity Stones into a gauntlet that could enable him to destroy the universe!

Quintessentially the culmination of everything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building towards since its inception way back in 2008 with Iron Man, it now falls to the nineteenth film in Marvel‘s box-office hit-machine franchise to bring this ten year journey across the MCU full circle with Avengers Infinity War.

Although our heroes were left fractured by the events of 2016’s Captain America Civil War, it’s not long before they reunite in the face of the threat posed by Thanos and the mad Titan’s nefarious scheme to wipe out half the universe.

With returning favourites including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) leading the charge into battle along with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), Vision (Paul Bettany), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olse), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and War Machine (Donn Cheadle), there’s also the welcome addition of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and the Guardians of the Galaxy into the mix, along with numerous other characters from the MCU also joining the ranks of the films heroic ensemble cast in the battle against Thanos!

Right from the jaw-dropping opening, it quickly becomes apparent that not everyone will survive either. The two and a half hour running time boasts spectacular action and drama, with its narrative interwoven across four major plot threads, spanning locations across the entire MCU; this epic crossover event is ably handled by the directing duo of the Russo brothers and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFreely.

For a film so packed with plotlines and characters the Russo brothers still manage give everyone a moment in the spotlight – however fleeting – and still keep everything and everyone on track. Thanos cuts a swathe of devastation in his quest to acquire all six Infinity Stones, but it quickly becomes a very personal battle for the Avengers because one of the stones is embedded in the Vision’s forehead, making the androids impending plight especially heartrending for his love interest Wanda Maxim off – in scenes movingly played by Elizabeth Olse and Paul Bettany. Chris Evans continues to impress as Captain America, times have been tough for Cap in recent films but the camaraderie between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes / White Wolf (Sebastian Stan) shines though here, as does Roger’s great respect for Wakandan king T’Challa / Black Panther. The spiky banter between Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man / Tony Stark and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange is another highlight, and Tom Holland’s wisecracking Spider-Man is always fun to have around. Chris Hemsworth also gets some great scenes as the vanquished Thor who teams-up with Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) in the fight to stop Thanos.

Avengers Infinity War crams a hell of a lot in but it never feels bloated or gets bogged down in needless exposition. The majority of the characters are well served by the script, key emotional beats really hit the mark, and there are plenty of fun one-liners to enjoy. Infinity War also goes out of its way to firmly establish the giant purple alien Thanos as the ultimate Big-Bad of the Marvel Universe, and the CGI wizardry together with Josk Brolin’s brilliant performance mesh seamlessly to bring us one of the most richly compelling villains to have ever graced the MCU. Although his motivations in Avengers Infinity War diverge slightly from his comic book counterpart, Thanos still remains a towering presence throughout the film, there’s also great pathos to his scenes with Zoe Saldana as his adopted daughter Gamora, and his fearsome lieutenants The Children of Thanos (known as the Black Order in the comics) are an imposing – if rather one-dimensional – addition to the villain’s forces.

Avengers Infinity War is a veritable fangasim of comic book action, packed with mind-boggling special effects and huge action set pieces that dazzle amidst every twist and turn of the plot as events inexorably rumble towards the epic final battle, and its subsequent game-changing conclusion. Once the dust settles the excitement, gut wrenching loss, and unexpected surprises in Avengers Infinity War will leave you reeling as to where the Marvel Cinematic Universe goes from here. Avengers Infinity War doesn’t pull any punches, however with the stakes raised so high in this move it makes you wonder how much of it is set in stone – especially with the continuation already due in next year’s fourth Avengers film – but one things for sure Avengers Infinity War is without doubt one of the most ambitious and breath taking superhero movies ever!

 

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Avengers Infinity War: New Official Trailer Released!

16 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 49 Comments

Tags

Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Infinity War Trailer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Bradley Cooper, Captain America, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Olsen, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Iron Man, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Jr., Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, New Avengers Infinity War Official Trailer, Paul Bethany, Pom Klementieff, Robert Downey, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Spider-Man, Thanos, The Avengers, Thor, Tom Holland

Avengers Infinity War: New Official Trailer Released!

Check out Marvel Studios’ new Avengers Infinity War official trailer!

Avengers: Infinity War. In theaters April 27th 2018.

Can’t wait for this movie now, looks awesome, what do you think of the trailer?

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Marvel Studios’ Avengers Infinity War Official Trailer Released!

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Infinity War first trailer, Avengers Infinity War Teaser Trailer, Avengers Infinity War Trailer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Bradley Cooper, Captain America, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Olsen, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Iron Man, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Jr., Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Bethany, Pom Klementieff, Robert Downey, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Spider-Man, Thanos, The Avengers, Thor, Tom Holland

Avengers Infinity War Official Trailer Released!

Check out the first awesome Avengers Infinity War official trailer!

Avengers: Infinity War. In theaters May 4.

So excited for this movie, what do you think of the trailer?

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New Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 Trailer!

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Baby Groot, Bradley Cooper, Chris Sullivan, Dave Bautista, Elizabeth Debicki, Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 official sneak peak, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 poster, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol2 Teaser Trailer, James Gunn, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Laura Haddock, Marvel, Michael Rooker, New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Trailer, Peter Quill, Pom Klementieff, Rocket, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana

New Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 Official Trailer!

guardians-vol-2-banner

Fasten your seatbelts! Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Baby Groot are back in the new official trailer first shown on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, – coming to UK cinemas 28th April 2017. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.

Great trailer, love the bit at the end!

And there’s an explosive new poster as well!

guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-poster

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock and Kurt Russell. Directed by JamesGunn.

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New Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 Teaser Trailer!

04 Sunday Dec 2016

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

Baby Groot, Bradley Cooper, Chris Sullivan, Dave Bautista, Elizabeth Debicki, Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 official sneak peak, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 poster, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol2 Teaser Trailer, James Gunn, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Laura Haddock, Marvel, Michael Rooker, Peter Quill, Pom Klementieff, Rocket, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana

 New Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 Teaser Trailer!

Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Baby Groot get into some trouble in the the new teaser trailer for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – coming to UK cinemas 28th April 2017. Baby Groot is adorable!! The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.

baby-groot

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock and Kurt Russell. Directed by JamesGunn.

 

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First Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 Teaser Poster & Official Sneak Peek!

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Trailers & Posters

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Bradley Cooper, Chris Sullivan, Dave Bautista, Elizabeth Debicki, Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 official sneak peak, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 poster, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol2 Teaser Trailer, James Gunn, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Laura Haddock, Marvel, Michael Rooker, Peter Quill, Pom Klementieff, Rocket, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana

First Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 Teaser Poster & Official Sneak Peek!

Take a first official look at Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – coming to UK cinemas 28th April 2017. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock and Kurt Russell. Directed by JamesGunn.

guardians-vol-2

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Doctor Who Series 5 The Time Of Angels / Flesh & Stone Review

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by Paul Bowler in All

≈ 4 Comments

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11th Doctor, Adam Smith, Alex Kingston, Amy Pond, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 5, Flesh and Stone, Karen Gillan, River Song, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The Time of Angels, Weeping Angels

The Time of Angels & Flesh and Stone

Review by Paul Bowler

Dr Who The Time of Angels 3

The Doctor (Matt Smith and Amy (Karen Gillan) visit the Delirium Archive, a museum in the distant future, where they find a rather odd exhibit – a flight recorder inscribed with old high Gallifreyan symbols. After discovering it is actually a message from Dr River Song (Alex Kingston), who is currently travelling on the spaceship Byzantium 12,000 years in the past, the Doctor uses the TARDIS to save her before the ship crash lands on the planet Alfava Metraxis.

Right from the spectacular opening scenes, where River sends the Doctor a message back through time “hello sweetie” before opening the air lock on the Byzantium, sending her hurtling through space and into the TARDIS, it’s clear that this is going to be very special adventure. The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone (2010) are the fourth and fifth episodes from Matt Smith’s first season as the 11th Doctor, written by show runner Steven Moffat, and directed by Adam Smith. These episodes from Series Five also feature the return of Steven Moffat’s most frightening creations, the Weeping Angels, from his Series Three story Blink (2007). Here they return in force in an action packed storyline that makes them seem even more terrifying than before.

While Amy gets acquainted with River Song, and her uncanny relationship with the Doctor, who still doesn’t know who she really is at this point because they both keep meeting at different points in his time stream, River tells the Doctor that the Byzantium’s cargo is a deadly Weeping Angel – a quantum locked stone creature that can only move when nobody is looking at it. As they survey the wreckage of the ship, River sends a message to a squad of military clerics in orbit, commanded by Father Octavian (Ian Glen), who beam down to help secure the Angel before the radiation leaking from the ship restores its full strength.

Dr Who Time of Angels 1

As the Doctor and River check out a book written by a madman about the Weeping Angels, which states: “That which holds the image of an Angel, becomes itself an Angel,” Amy suddenly gets trapped inside the trailer in the cleric’s base camp where security footage taken of the Angel inside the Byzantium is still running on a continuous loop. They rush to help her but find the door is locked. The Doctor warns Amy not to look into the eyes of the Angel, because they are the doorway of the soul that will allow the Angel to enter there. Amy manages to deactivate the video loop and switch off the screen, just as the Weeping Angel begins to emerge from the screen into the room. Together they set off with Octavian’s troops to reach the Byzantium, but in order to get there they must first find a path through “The Maze of the Dead”, a dark and foreboding labyrinth full of eerie looking humanoid statues built by an ancient race, where Amy begins to feel something in the corner of her eye…

Alex Kingston makes a very welcome return as River Song in this story, bursting back into the Doctor’s life once more, River’s still always inexplicably able to keep one step ahead of the Time Lord, though tragically – as we would later discover in Series Six – she’s also always moving one step further way from him as well. The complex nature of their relationship is a joy to behold. They behave like an old married couple at times, teasing and trying to get the better of each other, which in hindsight all seems rather apt now. With her trademark “spoilers” and TARDIS diary, River is a brilliant character, and here we get to enjoy what I feel is perhaps Kingston’s best performance in the role. Free of the continuity of things to come, River Song is a vibrant and unpredictable character. Later that sheen would diminish a little, but here she is both gloriously mischievous and mysterious in equal measure. I also like how River gets to fly the TARDIS and quickly forms a strong bond with Amy; and the two of them delight in winding the Doctor up – although he still manages to win over River’s uses of the blue “boring” switches by simply taking in the atmosphere outside the TARDIS to identify the planet they’ve landed on.

The long journey through The Maze of the Dead takes a sinister turn when some of Father Octavian’s forces begin to go missing. As the Doctor and River talk about the ancient two headed race that built the statues, they suddenly notice how all the statues only have one head and must really be Weeping Angels! The slow, gnarled creatures begin to take shape, stalking them through the shadows, communicating with them by using the voice of the Cleric Bob (David Atkins), who they have slain. The Doctor has to help Amy after she believes her hand has been turned to stone, preventing her from moving, she is being influenced because she looked into the eyes of the Angel on the screen in the camp, so the Doctor bites her hand to convince her otherwise.

Dr Who The Time of Angels 2

Having been forced to the highest point in the maze by the misshapen Angels, they find themselves directly below the crashed ship. The Doctor shoots the gravity globe which allows them all to jump up into the Byzantium and escape the Weeping Angels momentarily, but the Angels quickly follow as they flee to the ships oxygen factory – a forest within the ship itself. After noticing a familiar crack in the wall of the secondary control room, the same one from young Amy’s bedroom in The Eleventh Hour (2010), the Doctor suspects the Angels are trying to feed on the time energy.

Matt Smith is already settling into the role of the Doctor, bringing lots of his distinctive characteristics to the fore, which will become a mainstay for his incarnation of the Time Lord during his tenure. There is a lot of humour as well, particularly when he makes the TARDIS landing noise after River “parks” the ship. He also has to save Amy from the Angels, his fear for her is almost palpable when she is walking blindly through the forest, and his rage when trapped before he uses the gun to save them during the cliff-hanger of The Time of Angels is quietly restrained, and almost menacing in the intensity of Matt Smith’s delivery of his lines (Despite an animated banner trailing the BBC’s Over the Rainbow programme notoriously appearing on screen too early and spoiling this dramatic moment during the original UK transmission of the episode). I think this is what made Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor so good, right from the start his performance is more measured, and the way his Doctor often speaks very quietly to make his point is a marked change from his predecessors.

When it becomes clear Amy has begun counting backwards, the Doctor quickly stops her, instructing Amy to keep her eyes closed to starve the Angel that’s gotten inside her brain and prevent it from killing her. With Amy unable to move, the Doctor, River and Octavian go to find the main control room, the Doctor learns that River is actually a prisoner who has been released into Octavian’s custody, offering her help in return for a pardon. Octavian is later killed by the Weeping Angels. Meanwhile the crack in time continues to grow, swallowing up the Clerics guarding Amy in the forest. Now terrified and alone, Amy must then carefully follow the Doctor’s instructions to reach the control room. But as Amy blindly makes her way past the Weeping Angels she stumbles and falls, revealing her blindness, and they begin to turn on her. Fortunately, River is able to teleport Amy to the control room before the Angels can kill her.

Dr Who Flesh and Stone 2

Once the Angels have drained the ships power they gain access to the main control room, but they have overlooked the gravity of the situation. The Doctor uses this to his advantage as the vessels artificial gravity systems fail, sending all the Weeping Angels plummeting into the glowing rift, eventually sealing it while the Doctor, Amy, and River cling onto the controls. With the Angel now erased from her mind Amy quickly recovers, the Doctor says goodbye to River before she teleports back to the Clerics ship, but she tells him they will meet again soon when the mysterious Pandorica opens, which the Doctor dismisses as nothing more than a fairy tale. On their return to the TARDIS, Amy asks the Doctor to take her back to the night they left Earth. Amy explains that she’s actually getting married in the morning, showing the Doctor her wedding dress and ring. Suddenly she tries to seduce the Doctor, but he backs away, having noticed that the date of Amy’s wedding, 26th June 2010, is the same as the time explosion he believes is responsible for the cracks that have been appearing across time. So he takes Amy away so that he can try and figure out what is happening…

This is also a great story for Karen Gillan, who really gets to earn her stripes as a resourceful companion as she literally comes face to face with the Weeping Angels. Amy manages to switch off the security footage of the Weeping Angel, but she has inadvertently looked into its eyes, and allowed the creature to imprint itself on her brain. There is horrific moment when she rubs her eye and dust pours out as they are exploring the Maze of the Dead, and later her hand seems to turn to stone. Perhaps most chilling of all though is the countdown Amy does without even noticing she’s doing it; as the Angel continues to attack her from inside her own mind. Steven Moffat has crafted these scenes perfectly, as viewers it’s almost as if we are stumbling though the forest with Amy as she blindly struggles to escape only to disturb the Angels who slowly begin to turn around and notice her.

In Series Five the crack in time on the young Amelia’s bedroom wall plays a pivotal role in the events leading up to the series finale. In Flesh and Stone the Doctor begins to realise how the rift on the Byzantium is linked to the crack in Amy’s wall, which has begun to appear throughout time and space, erasing anyone from time that it comes into contact with, and is somehow linked to a massive time explosion. Although these plot threads are left unresolved for now, while the main story arc begins to focus more on Amy and Rory, the events linking the cracks in time would eventually fall into place – particularly a conversation between Amy and the Doctor in the forest in Flesh and Stone – during the complex series finale: The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang (2010) when all of the Doctor’s enemies unite to imprison him in the Pandorica.

Dr Who Flesh and Stone 4

The Weeping Angels themselves are as fabulously unnerving and creepy as ever. From the moment we see the Angel moving on the screen towards Amy, growing ever nearer, until it begins to emerge from the screen, much like the ghostly entity in the film, The Ring, they are always lurking in the darkness and ready to strike. The statues in the Maze of the Dead begin to come to life and turn into Angels; these lumpy, misshapen things are absolutely horrific as they stalk the Doctor and his companions. When the Angels use the voice of the Cleric, Bob, to taunt the Doctor, it offers an even more gruesome aspect to the Angels powers. On the ship they become full Weeping Angels, caught in the muzzle flash of gunfire, they advance relentlessly, before cornering Amy in the forest – a chilling scene in which the unsettling concept of actually seeing the Weeping Angels moving also becomes a reality. It is only really in the closing moments, when the Angels are sent tumbling into the rift that some of the tension is lost, and it feels like they were defeated a little too easily.

Looking back at The Time of Angels & Flesh and Stone now, this exciting action-driven story by Steven Moffat is ingeniously constructed, it successfully broadens the mythology of the Weeping Angels established during their debut story, Blink, and slots perfectly into the ongoing story arc of Series Five while also remaining immensely enjoyable as a stand alone story in its own right. The special effects are also outstanding: from its exciting opening moments in space, to the brooding menace of The Maze of the Dead; through to the final showdown on the Byzantium, director Adam Smith’s work on these episodes is exceptional.

Dr Who Flesh and Stone 1

The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone are both thrilling episodes, with some terrific performances all round, together with the return of the Weeping Angels, this exciting two-part story is a real highlight of both Series Five and Matt Smith’s first year as the Doctor.

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The Angels Take Manhattan

29 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Doctor Who

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Arthur Darvill, Doctor Who, Dr Who, Dr Who Season 7, Karen Gillan, Matt Smith, River Song, The Angels Take Manhattan, Weeping Angels

The Angels Take Manhattan

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

The Angels Take Manhattan takes full advantage of New York’s famous landmarks

The Angels Take Manhattan opens in the shadowy streets of 1930’s Downtown New York as Sam Garner (Rob David) narrates the darkest day of his life. Garner has been given the task of investigating an old apartment block, Winter Quays, by an odious collector called Grayle (Mike McShane). When Sam arrives at the run-down building he explores its dark corridors, where he is shocked to discover a version of himself as a dying old man. His older self urges him to escape but before he can flee Sam is attacked by the Weeping Angels…

An idyllic moment of happiness for the TARDIS crew

We join The Doctor, Amy, and Rory in present day New York as they enjoy a relaxing day in Central Park. The Doctor has been reading aloud from a pulp-fiction novel that he has found, although his companions don’t quite share the Time Lords enthusiasm for the adventures of private detective Melody Malone. But this idyllic moment of happiness for the TARDIS crew soon gives way to horror when Rory goes to fetch them all some coffees, only to be hunted by a cackling stone cherub near a fountain that transports him back to 1938 where he is reunited with Professor River Song before they are both captured by Grayle’s henchmen.

The new “Cherub” Angels with their mischievous giggling are particularly unsettling

The Doctor and Amy must travel back to Manhattan 1938 to save Rory, as the Weeping Angels begin to unleash a wave of terror from within Winter Quays, but as The Doctor and River race against time to help the Ponds escape, the time has come for Amy and Rory to make the ultimate sacrifice…

The Angels Take Manhattan sees The Doctor faced with an almost impossible situation. Matt Smith is excellent in this episode, giving his most emotive performance yet as he effortlessly walks the fine line between the Time Lords turbulent eccentricity and menacing gloom. Indeed, Matt Smith has done some remarkable things with The Doctor’s character this season, nevermore so than here – when the stakes have been raised so high – do we get to see the strength and humility that makes The Doctor such a universal force of nature.

Amy and Rory’s lives are ripped apart by the Weeping Angles

As this is the last story to feature Amy and Rory as The Doctor’s companions, it is perhaps all the more poignant that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill are to depart just as the Ponds are at the height of their popularity. Steven Moffat’s incredible script for The Angels Take Manhattan sees the Ponds lives ripped apart by the Weeping Angles as their plot to ensnare the Time Travellers draws them inexorably towards the episodes tear-jerking climax. This is an episode full of fraught emotions: even the stoniest heart will melt when Rory tries to get Amy to push him off the roof of Winter Quays, and you’ll be dismayed as River Song is forced to allow fate to take its course, but nothing will prepare you for The Doctor’s heartrending cries of despair as Amy valiantly stands her ground against a Weeping Angel to be with the man she loves.

Steven Moffat’s quantum locked creations are utterly remorseless and without mercy

Ever since their first appearance in Blink (2007) The Weeping Angles have gone on to become one of the series most popular monsters. Here they are at their horrific best, lurking amongst the shadowy halls of Winter Quays, ready to strike from the dark without warning, and the startling new “Cherub” Angels with their mischievous giggling are particularly unsettling when  Rory is trapped with them in Grayle‘s basement. Steven Moffat’s quantum locked creations are utterly remorseless and without mercy, predators of time who feed on the timelines of sentient beings in order to survive. After their apparent destruction in The Time of Angles / Flesh and Stone (2010), the Weeping Angels are back with a vengeance, gorging themselves on the latent energy of “the city that never sleeps” to feed their relentless hunger: turning every stone statue, monument, and gargoyle around Winter Quays into Weeping Angels. Even the Statue of Liberty itself becomes a twisted monstrosity as it silently stalks its prey across the Manhattan skyline.

Matt Smith and Alex Kingston have some great scenes together

Alex Kingston makes a welcome return as Professor River Song, making her most timey wimey entrance yet as she inveigles her way back into the Time Lords life from the very pages of the Melody Malone novel he’s been reading. The Professor River Song we meet in The Angels Take Manhattan is as vivacious as ever, and still flies the TARDIS better than The Doctor, but the woman that Alex Kingston portrays here seems more akin to the River Song we first saw in her fateful encounter with the 10th Doctor (David Tenant) in Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead (2008). There are some great scenes between Matt Smith and Alex Kingston in The Angels Take Manhattan: when River is trapped by Grayle’s chained Weeping Angel we learn she has been pardoned for her crimes and that all knowledge of the man River was imprisoned for killing has been wiped from every data bank in the universe; which perhaps explains what The Doctor has been up to while the Ponds decided to remain on Earth between adventures. The Doctor now dwells within a mysterious veil of anonymity, even the Daleks don’t seem to know who he is anymore, leaving only River Song to weave the last remaining threads of his past, present, and future to form the unequivocal testimony of the woman who killed Doctor Who…

Amy know the risks inherent when The Doctor travels alone for too long

River may have been able to help Rory after he got transported back to 1938, whilst able to keep one step ahead of Grayle and his sinister plans, but even her incredible foreknowledge is no match for the power of the Weeping Angels. The Melody Malone novel holds even more secrets than River’s diary, binding them all too future events that cannot be changed once they are read. She lies about breaking her wrist to escape Grayle’s prized exhibit, the chained Weeping Angel, but the Doctor uses his regeneration energy to heal her – which leaves River none to impressed with The Doctor. A brief interlude between River and Amy after they’ve escaped Grayle’s building also foreshadows the gathering storm that will soon engulf them all. When River warns her mother never to let the Time Lord see the damage he does, adding that The Doctor“doesn’t like endings”, which is especially poignant as they both know the risks inherent when The Doctor travels alone for too long.

Grayle’s prized exhibit, the chained Weeping Angel

Mike McShane’s villainous collector has foolishly imprisoned a Weeping Angel. He needs River Song to help him find out what the creature is, but is unprepared for the full extent of their terrible power. Having tortured the latest addition to his collection, it is perhaps fitting that when the Weeping Angels come for Grayle, their revenge is sure and swift.

Nick Hurran’s lavish cinematic direction elevates this episode to a whole new level; the location filming in New York looks absolutely stunning. The impeccable attention to the period detail of the scenes set in the 1930’s also help Hurran to strike the perfect balance between the two time zones. The Angels Take Manhattan takes full advantage of New York’s famous landmarks: Tudor City, Central Park, Times Square, and The Brooklyn Bridge, all play a part in Doctor Who’s most ambitious transatlantic adventure to date. Hurran also filmed some key scenes in Cardiff: locations that range from Cardiff University, The Glamorgan building in Cathays Park, and Box Cemetery in Llaneli are all flawlessly enhanced by the magic of CGI to give them the distinct look and feel of the high rise buildings of New York.

The Doctor and Amy must travel back to Manhattan 1938 to save Rory

Murray Gold’s score for The Angels Take Manhattan is as equally spellbinding, enhancing every key emotional moment as the Ponds exit draws near; no doubt leaving many fans reaching for the tissues as we say goodbye to Amy and Rory for the last time.

Steven Moffat promised that Amy and Rory’s departure from the TARDIS would be truly heartbreaking, and he is true to his word. From the moment you see the black swirling vortex of the title sequence – and the Doctor Who logo wickedly tinged in green – you are propelled into one of Moffat’s most labyrinthine scripts ever as he effortlessly ties everything up, even finding time to include a lovely coda for the young Amelia Pond’s very first story: The 11th Hour (2010.

Amy And Rory decide to face their destiny “together, or not at all”

The weeping Angels have been feeding off the residents of Winter Quays, using them like a battery farm, but when The Doctor, River, and Amy catch up with Rory at Winter Quays they find he has discovered an old man – and just like Sam before him – Rory is confronted by the fully horror of his elderly self dying in a bed. Rory and Amy witness the older Rory die as The Doctor and River look on, soon the Weeping Angels begin to come for Rory, determined to send him back in time again and feed off him like the other residents. But Amy has other ideas, leaving The Doctor and River to cover their escape, they plan to leave and cause a paradox – the only thing powerful enough to destroy the Weeping Angels. Trapped on the roof by a giant Weeping Angel, Rory decides to jump to his death to create the paradox. Amy refuses to let him, instead joining him on the ledge, and as Ponds decide to jump from the roof and  face their destiny “together, or not at all” they sadly find that the last page of their story has already becomes set in stone; and not even The Doctor can save them.

A Weeping Angel has survived and catches Rory unawares as he finds his own gravestone

As the Paradox wipes out the Weeping Angles it returns Amy and Rory safe and well to the Graveyard to rejoin The Doctor and River in the present – where we caught a glimpse Rory’s grave earlier. Tragically a lone Weeping Angel has survived and catches Rory unawares as he finds his own gravestone. As Rory is catapulted back into the past a distraught Amy confronts the Weeping Angel, ignoring The Doctor’s warnings, she turns and says goodbye to her “raggedy man” and fades away to be together with Rory in the past. As the wailing Time Lord sinks to his knees Amy’s name appears alongside Rory’s on the gravestone. River leads The Doctor back to the TARDIS, where The Doctor asks River to travel with him. She agrees, at least to joining him at some point in the future, as right now she has a date with history and a novel to write…

So as the credits roll and we leave the girl who waited and the last centurion to their fate, the brief teaser for the Christmas Special will at least go some way to easing the pain of Amy and Rory’s final adventure with the mad man in a blue box. The Angels Take Manhattan is one of the best episodes so far this season, full of grand spectacle and fantastic scenery; it also offers a thrilling finale for Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. Together they have found a place in our hearts, they will be fondly missed, and their time during the 11th Doctor’s era will be forever in our thoughts.

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