Arrow Season Three: The Return

DEATHSTROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oliver and Thea run in to Slade Wilson AKA Deathstroke while on the island and in Flashbacks Oliver is forced to return to Starling City with Maseo for a mission but is not allowed to contact his family.

I am really glad that we got the return of Deathstroke this season even if it is just for one episode but it is enough just to see him in action again! Plus I really liked that we got to go back to the island again after I have been complaining that the Flashbacks haven't been as good since they left it. Slade still has a lot of hatred to Oliver and proves just how much of a badass he is with some great fight scenes with Oliver and Thea. It wasn't much of a surprise that Malcolm was behind it all so they can get back their killer instinct (this is just the kind of thing he will do) but it was cool that Slade accepted it; they weren't it any scenes together but it was a nice villain team up. I was a bit disappointed however that Slade and the island didn't get as much screen time as I would have liked, for example Oliver and Thea could have dodged more traps. Also, I'm not going to mark the score down for this because the writers obviously wanted just Slade to be the opponent, but it is a shame we didn't see Captain Boomerang who is one of my favourite DC villains. Now as for Oliver and Thea we did get some great bonding moments between those two and I liked that Thea has grown more as a character in just this episode. Her reaction to her being Sara's killer was really well done and I liked her response to Malcolm this time because she now has more reason to hate him now then last episode when it came out of no where in my opinion. Now Slade says that Thea is in the darkness despite her sparing his life which makes me wonder if she is going to end up more like Malcolm than she wants?

Yay Tommy

The second half of this episode was all about the Flashbacks which is good because we need to have these more focused episodes every now and again. I really liked the Flashbacks this episode mainly because it wasn't in Hong Kong and we got to see the dilemma Oliver had a being so close to his friends and family. It was awesome that they finally got back to the message Oliver found from his father that was mentioned in season one and that we got to see him as a killer again like he was in the beginning. I enjoyed seeing Tommy again because he is always a scene stealer and we actually got to see Diggle's brother which is something I wasn't expecting. What I didn't like though was that Moira and Walter wasn't there (they could have easily been in it) and that while Thea's drug problem and  Quentin's drinking was expected I hated that we wasted time addressing them again because I how much I didn't like their addictions. Still Quentin did have any strong performance dealing with Sara's death and I am glad the show didn't put this off until next episode. Glad that Quentin is mad at Laurel because he has every right to be because Laurel mentioning how her mother already knew just reminded me how stupid her plan was. Finally we got the introduction of Matthew Shrieve (Marc Singer) which I am interested to see more of him because in the comics he is in charge of a group called the Create Commandos which is made up of Meta - Humans who are like fictional creates e.g. Frankenstein, Wolfman etc. So how is this going to work in Arrow which has always been more grounded than The Flash?

"Using a green hoodie to hide my identity is good, red wouldn't work"

Overall it was great seeing Deathstroke again (hope he returns soon) and it was refreshing having a more focused episode that was just about one storyline and the Flashbacks. Just now remembered to mention that the Flashbacks have finally dealt with China White and we can focus of maybe another villain.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: DEATHSTROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                   Thea had some great development in this
                   Flashbacks that showed Oliver's struggle and Tommy cameo

Let - Downs: Not enough Deathstroke or island
                      Moira and Walter should have been in the Flashbacks
                 Didn't like that we had to address Thea's and Quentin's addictions again even in Flashbacks

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/        

Arrow Season Two: The Promise

Deathstroke and Arrow team up

The episode begins with a still stunned Oliver wondering what Slade is doing here and Moira says he has made a donation to her campaign, in a Flashback Oliver is training with a bow to get ready for their attack. The group later decides to burn the rest of the Mirakuru samples and then have a toast to Shado meanwhile on the boat Ivo has received an update on his wife's poor condition and decides to experiment on Knyazev by preparing to remove one his eyes. Oliver then allows himself to get captured by the pirates so he can get on the boat, he is then interrogated by Ivo who injects truth serum into him. In the present Oliver tries to stab Slade while Moira briefly leaves the room however he is too quick for him, Thea then comes in and Slade then introduces himself and expresses his love for the art work the Queen's possess. Back on the boat Oliver tells Ivo that Sara and Slade are in the engine room however we then see that earlier Oliver was given a drug by Sara to counteract the truth serum. Sara and Slade are actually paragliding to the boat and when they make it on Slade goes to kill the pirates while Sara frees Oliver and the other prisoners.

Just like in the first episode

In the present Oliver manages to discreetly call the Arrowcave where Sara recognizes Slade's voice and asks Diggle to bring a sniper rifle so they can kill him. In a Flashback Oliver finds Ivo but doesn't kill him but Slade walks in and Ivo tells him the truth of Shado's death which causes Slade to attack Oliver. The prisoners and pirates are in a furious fire fight however Sara along with several prisoners which include Knyazev and priest named Flynn jump overboard. Oliver prepares to as well but is caught by Slade who throws him in a cell and has even taken command of the ship. In the present Roy even goes to Queen Manor and Slade notices that he has Mirakuru as well before leaving however Diggle is knocked out by someone before he can take a shot, Slade then tells Oliver he will full fill his promise from five years ago. In a Flashback Slade cuts off Ivo's hand and then promises Oliver that he will know true despair, in the present Oliver and Moira fall out even more because Moira believe Oliver was being rude to Slade to ruin her campaign. The episode ends with Slade watching the Queen Manor through numerous camera, having planted them while he was there.



"You going to learn true despair boy"

Just like in season one we got an episode that was heavily focused on the Flashbacks and just like the one last season it was so great! There was so much action when the group stormed the boat and the prisoners fought the pirates and again Slade proved just how awesome he is by taking on so many enemies with his new Mirakuru powers and donning his Deathstroke mask (It was such a great scene when those pirates where afraid of him). The gunfights that happened on the deck as well was cool as well as Oliver donning the green hood and proving to be a better archer with a great training montage and we got a fight between Oliver and Slade; all in all it was pretty action packed. Slade also learned what Oliver had done so this was the point where he turned into his enemy, so this does shed some more light on that. It is kind of sad though because throughout season one we see that Slade really came to value Oliver's friendship after fighting together with him and now that is gone forever. I thought Ivo would be killed in this episode but that hand cutting scene was damn gruesome, guess Ivo still has a part to play. Lastly we now have more survivors on the island with Sara and I wonder how they are going to get Oliver back from Slade, their roles have been reversed now.

"You've got no more secrets from me boy"

As for the moments in the present they where really good as well because we got some intense scenes with Oliver trying to hide his hatred for Slade from his family. Slade proved that he can be quite the good actor by fooling both Moira and Thea and finding time to plant cameras all around the manor. We also see that Diggle is knocked out at the end so I wonder if it is just that or whether he is captured by Brother Blood's followers?

"I'm always the sniper on FPS games"

Overall this was a great episode, this review may have seemed short but that is because it largely focused on just the one plot.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Great action packed Flashbacks (Slade wearing his Deathstroke mask!)
                   The episode where Slade truly became an antagonist
                   Great moments in the present as well

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/       

Arrow Season One: Lone Gunmen



"I'm the worlds greatest sniper kid, you haven't got a chance"

The episode begins with Oliver training and finding out information on the next millionaire on his list, James Holden. He manages to track him down but Holden is killed soon after by a sniper and Oliver is injured as well. We then have a Flashback and Oliver has been brought into a cave by the hooded figure who shot him but the man then begins to treat Oliver's wound. The next day at the crime scene Quentin comes to the conclusion that The Hood wasn't the one who killed Holden.


"I guess this was my bad"

Oliver uses his computer to find out that the sniper who killed Holden goes by the codename Deadshot by researching similar assassinations, it then cuts to a man tattooing Holden's name onto his body where we see the names of many others. Later Oliver talks to Tommy about turning the warehouse he showed him earlier into a club (unknown to Tommy it is above his hideout) and then goes back to Holden's assassination and retrieves a fragment of Deadshot's bullet. He then uses his contacts in Solntsevskaya Bratva to learn Deadshot's true identity which is Floyd Lawton (Michael Rowe). Quentin then arrives at Queen Mansion to try and convince Walter that the killer could be targeting potential stock buyers of Unidac Industries, something that he is involved with.



"This hitman can bring it on!"

That night at a club Oliver runs into Thea who has sneaked out after being grounded and drunkenly tells him that Tommy and Laurel slept together when he was away. We then have another Flashback and Oliver has tried to escape from the hooded man but is soon caught in a wooden cage. Later while talking with Tommy, Oliver gets the location of Deadshot but is too late to stop him escaping however he finds a bullet riddled laptop and gives it to Queen Consolidated employee Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) to retrieve information out of it. Felicity does and gets blueprints of the building Walter is attempting to bid on Unidac Industries and even enlists the help of Quentin before going to attend the bidding. Oliver then suits up later in a stairwell and stops Deadshot by putting an arrow in his eye, we then have another Flashback of the hooded man helping Oliver out of the cage before commandos with guns arrive. The episode ends with Oliver revealing his identity to Diggle who he was forced to knock earlier when he followed him.

Now that's going to leave a mark

Only the third episode yet we get the appearance of one of the most well known DC villains ever; Deadshot, the world greatest sniper. I think he was portrayed almost perfectly in this because firstly he has a great costume that looks similar to his comic counterpart, minus his mask, and he has he wrist mounted guns which is one of his most iconic weapons. Plus the fight between him and Oliver was just so awesome and done really well. I honestly don't think that he is dead (not just saying that because I have seen the rest of the series) because you can't just kill off a villain like Deadshot in his first appearance and you don't find out what happens to his body or if the police confirms he is dead. However whether he is alive or not I kind of wished they developed his character a bit more because we barely got to know him besides he tattoos his body with his victim's names and he barely spoke too.

"Spiderman's got nothing on me"

I also liked the Flashback because we find out that the guy in the hood is a good guy and probably shot at Oliver by accident. We also get a look at some commandos as well that the hooded guy wanted to avoid; obviously this island isn't abandoned, might be used by a terrorist organization? Back in the present I was surprised that Oliver revealed his identity to Diggle but I guess he had to sooner or later, can't wait for Diggle's reaction in the next episode. Also I liked that Oliver is going to turn the warehouse in to a club, won't make it so suspicious that he keeps going there and I am interested in finding out how he got some foreign contacts? Lastly we get the introduction to Felicity; a great character for those who have read my Flash reviews and I'll talk about her more when she plays a bigger role because it was short in this episode.

Bet you didn't see this coming Diggle

Overall this episode was better than the last one because the used a more well known comic villain but Thea really let it down because of the stupid things she continues to do; her attitude when brought in by cops, grounded but then going partying, telling Oliver about Tommy and Laurel while drunk etc. I just wished they came up with a better story for her that didn't just show her as an annoying teenager because who cares? Why do they feel the need to make her think her petty problems are more important than the fact her brother was lost for five years? Besides her all the rest of the side characters are great like Tommy, Quentin, Walter, Moira, I just wish Thea was better.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Deadshot
                   Arrow vs. Deadshot
                   Flashbacks

Let - Downs: Thea (they should have her character do better things)
                      Deadshot was underdeveloped

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/      

Arrow Season One: Honor Thy Father

"Eyes on me and my white hair"

The episode begins with a Flashback of Oliver arriving to the island on the lifeboat, it then changes to the present and Oliver has just suited up and has taken out another person on the list on top of a roof. The next day, after discussing about the vigilante everyone is calling "The Hood", Walter and Moira would like Oliver to take a position in Queen Consolidated however he is reluctant to do so. Later at court Laurel is trying to build a case against Martin Summers for murder, who is also a target of Oliver's, and runs in to Oliver who is getting his death revoked and is still angry with him. That night Oliver threatens Summers to confess to the murder, he does not however and refuses to give any useful information to Quentin and even threatens Laurel.

Hasn't any of those guards got a gun?

Quentin then visits Laurel and advices her to drop the case however when she doesn't we then see that Summers has hired an assassin from the Chinese Triads named China White (Kelly Hu) to eliminate Laurel. Later Thea shows Oliver his gravestone and admits that she became more rebellious after he and their dad "died", this motivates Oliver to get closer to Laurel instead of pushing her away. He goes to her apartment to patch things up but shortly afterwards China White and several of her men show up to kill Laurel. Fortunately Diggle was there to fight them off but China White escapes, however Oliver was forced to use a knife during the attack and Diggle didn't fail to notice how skilful he was with it.

You go Diggle!

Oliver then tracks down Summers at the docks and forces him to confess that he is guilty of murder but then China White shows up and the two are forced to fight. It is cut short by the arrival of Quentin and the police and the two are forced to flee. Quentin almost corners Oliver but he manages to escape and even leave behind a recording of Summer's confession, which Laurel then uses to convict him. The next day at Robert Queen's memorial Oliver pretends to be selfish and irresponsible so he doesn't have to take a position a Queen's Consolidated and so no one can suspect him as The Hood. Moira is then seen getting into a limo and reveals that the Queen's Gambit was sabotaged by herself and an unknown person. The episode ends with a Flashback which shows Oliver discovering the books with the list of names on it and being shot with an arrow by a hooded figure.

Sunglasses; the perfect disguise

This was a really good episode, the mysteries of the island and what Oliver's mother is involved in just keeps getting more interesting and we actually got a proper villain in this episode. I will say this now that I have not heard of China White before so I don't know if she is adapted from the comics or is an original character but it is still good that we now have a comic book - like villain in the series. Not just a corrupt businessman or gangster we got someone who can put up a fight against the Arrow, who has a villain name and bit of a costume even if its just a white wig. I know that it is only the second episode in the series but I want Arrow to be full of costumed vigilantes and villains.

Mortal Kombat

We also got some great fight scenes not just between Arrow and China White but from Diggle as well. Diggle is a really great character in this and I like how he is figuring out that Oliver is definitely hiding something. Another character I like is Quentin; he may come off as a bit of an ass but that's just who he is and while he may be hunting down The Hood he isn't above using the evidence that is given to him. Like last episode I am really not liking Laurel or Thea that much, there both alright but I just think that there characters are just an annoyance for Oliver at this point, just there to create some conflict in his normal life.

"This is MY island rich boy!"

We also got to big reveals in this, the first one being that Moira helped an unknown person or persons sink the Queen's Gambit and it is somehow related to the list that Oliver has. Whether or not Moira has done this willingly or not is yet to be revealed but I am interested in seeing if the one behind all this is a major DC villain. We also got to see a hooded figure shoot Oliver with an arrow and this person must obviously have a connection to the costume Oliver has chosen and why he uses a bow and arrow.

Must be weird seeing your own grave

Overall there isn't too much to say about this episode, if it wasn't for the character of China White the events of this episode would have felt similar to the second half of the Pilot. However I get the feeling that for the first few episodes of this season it is going to be really episodic with Oliver crossing out names on the list and maybe coming across some DC villains each episode. Also you have probably noticed but I am now putting screen shots of the villains or heroes at the beginning of the review because the first screenshot is the one which everyone sees before they click on the review so I thought it would be better for it to be a relevant/important character in the episode.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: China White
                   The Flashbacks/Moira's secret meeting
                   The fight scenes in this series so far have just been great

Let - Downs: Laurel and Thea
                  If not for adding a comic book villain this wouldn't have stood out to much from the Pilot

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/      

Arrow Season One: Pilot

So now that I have finished reviewing Revolution Season One I have decided to review Arrow just like I said. Like Revolution I know I am behind but I don't care since I am reviewing these because I enjoy it and if I start now I can be up to date for season four lol. Also like Revolution these reviews will go in depth in the story, the score in the end will be determined by how much I enjoyed the plot and what the characters did in it and again like Revolution even though I have seen all episodes I will act as if it is my first time watching them and remember what my first time reaction was when I first watched it.

The episode begins with a hooded man spotting a ship from an island and he uses a bow and arrow to create a signal fire and he is then rescued. The news report that follows reveals that this hooded man is Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) a young billionaire who has been missing and presumed dead for five years along with his father when their boat sank. He is taken home by his mother Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson) and his greeted by his younger sister Thea (Willa Holland) and Moira husband Walter Steele (Colin Salmon). Meanwhile Oliver's old girlfriend Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), an attorney, is trying to find evidence against corrupt millionaire Adam Hunt but is shocked when she hears the news that Oliver is still alive.

You know the Green Arrow in the comics actually has hair and beard like this

Later, after having dinner with his best friend Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), Oliver has a Flashback to the day the boat sank and his girlfriend Sara Lance was dragged under. The next morning Tommy takes Oliver out to look at how Starling City has changed and then he tires to reconcile with Laurel but she is still angry with him for bringing her sister on the Queen's Gambit. Oliver and Tommy are kidnapped by masked men who want to know if his father told him anything before he died. Since Tommy is knocked out Oliver is able to fight both of the masked men then wait for the police, he even lies to Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) that it was a hooded man who saved them.

Oliver hasn't driven for 5 years, don't hog the car Tommy

Oliver is then given a bodyguard, John Diggle (David Ramsey), however he manages to give him the slip and spends the day turning an abandoned Queen factory in to a base of operations and practises his archery. At night he dons his costume and threatens Adam Hunt to give his money to the victims after taking out his body guards, Hunt later tells this to Quentin but he is sceptical. That night Tommy holds a party for Oliver (Oliver already chose this place opposite Hunt's office) at a club but Oliver is disappointed by his sister's drunkenness and confiscates her drugs. Laurel then arrives and apologises however Oliver remains distant which causes her to storm off.



Time for the super epic entrance

After knocking out Diggle, Oliver heads over to Hunt's office but is wounded by stray gunfire but manages to escape before the police arrive. Quentin goes to the party, suspicious that it is opposite Hunt's office, but Oliver lies his was out of it. The next day Hunt's money is transferred to his victims and Oliver has a flashback to when his father committed suicide on the life raft so he could live, he is later sees the island in the distance. The episode ends with revealing that Tommy and Laurel slept together while Oliver was away and that Moira was the one who arranged Oliver's kidnapping by the masked men.

"Shipwrecked and my dad committed suicide......I'm sure the worst is behind me"   

With Marvel dominating films DC had to get their characters into live action some other way, so why not dominate a form of entertainment Marvel hasn't touched yet; a TV series. Before I watched this I was unsure if a TV series would be as could as a film for a superhero because of their less budget but Arrow does a really great job for it's first episode.

This city deserves a hero

Firstly I think we have a really great lead cast as Oliver Queen, I admit I haven't seen Stephen Amell in anything else before this but I was really impressed with him. His portrayal as Oliver is really intense and brooding and its good that we got a Flashback to how he used to be. Also something I am going to enjoy watching is how he is going to juggle his life as a vigilante and a billionaire playboy because he already dodged some suspicion and I'm sure it won't be the last time. When he is Arrow he does kick a lot of ass and I am really impressed with the costume because it focuses a lot more on stealth than I would have thought. I think that is how they are going to go when Oliver is Arrow, more sneaking up on his targets for now and using darkness.

"If Batman can have a Batcave then I can have an Arrowcave"

As for the other characters since this episode is a more Oliver centred episode it is hard to judge them right now but I really do like them all and they have been cast really well. A stand out was Diggle because I can't wait to see if he will eventually find out that Oliver is the vigilante since he basically has to be around him 24/7. As for his family his mother defiantly seems like an interesting character and from what we have seen at the end is involved in something shady as for his sister she's alright but is a tad annoying like when she was drunk and using drugs, I just hope a lot of run time isn't used to deal with her teenage problems because it looked like the start of it in this episode. I really like Tommy, he is probably going to be the fun billionaire in contrast to how Oliver is now. As for the Lance family they are alright; I like Quentin but I just don't know if I like Laurel because I just get the feeling she is going to be in almost every episode but either be not that important or the annoying character in it. Also really like seeing Colin Salmon in this, he has always been a great actor!
  

Deathstroke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two other things that stood out was the action that was one of the high points in this episode; I haven't really seen anyone use a bow as their primary weapon that much (besides Hawkeye from Avengers) but Oliver was really great with it. The two fights he had with Hunt's guards was cool; it wasn't too over the top and it didn't show Oliver as all invincible because he did get injured and almost captured during the second one. I also really liked the use of Flashbacks in this like Revolution because I guess it is a bit of a break from the main story and I am sure we will find out lots of answers in them; like how Oliver got so good with a bow or why is Deathstroke's mask on the island.

"So what do you think the murder weapon was?"

As for what I didn't like if I am honest I really found my self comparing this too much too Batman even though I didn't want to however it is hard not to because to since the stories are similar. I think maybe this show got a little too much inspiration from Christopher Nolan's Batman; Oliver disappearing and coming back as a vigilante is like Bruce Wayne, Quentin might end up being the Jim Gordon and Laurel is like Rachael Dawes. Maybe that's why I don't like Laurel because I hated Rachael from Batman because she was only in it for the sake of having a love interest but so unimportant that the film still could have worked if she wasn't in it. Also despite this only being the Pilot I have already got the feeling that this is going to be really grounded and realistic just like the Batman films and removes anything with powers or supernatural elements. Since this is just the Pilot I hope that isn't the case and the villains in this are not reduced to cheap, grounded copies of their comic book counterparts (I would also really like them to have proper costumes too).

Now that is one freaky mask

Overall this was a solid start to the Arrow series with its superb cast (especially Oliver and Diggle), some awesome action scenes and a great take on the Arrow comic. There was also quite a lot of hints to future villains and characters in this such as Deathstroke (that was really in your face), Merlyn and Black Canary, three great characters that I really hope are used. Unlike The Flash this has been out for ages and I know more about the Arrow so I don't mind spotting the references and pointing them out.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Stephen Amell as Oliver Queeen and the rest of the cast as well
                   Great action scenes when Oliver is Arrow
                   The use of Flashbacks to tell of Oliver's time on the island

Let - Downs: Feels like it will be too grounded
                      Don't like Laurel much

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/              

Film Review: Battle Royale

Finally thought I'd get round to reviewing one of my all time favourite Japanese film and manga/comic adaptions; Battle Royale. Very minor SPOILERS because this is just a quick review, a break from Resident Evil you can say.

Battle Royale is about how the Japanese Government have given up on their youth after 800,000 students walked out of school and created the BR act. The BR act allows the government to chose a random class and pit the students in a game against each other called Battle Royale where they have to fight to the death. They are stranded on a vast island with a wide range of weapons and are equipped with collars around their necks that will explode if there are any who refuse to compete or if there is no winner after three days. The story follows Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and Noriko Nakagawa (Aki Maeda) two students who wish to get off the island but must face their fellow students and their former teacher Kitano (Takeshi Kitano) who is running this year's Battle Royale.

One of my favourite film villains of all time!

As many of you already know Battle Royale is based off the manga of the same name by Koushun Takami. The manga is known for it's extreme violence but for touching on the themes of love, psychology and loyalty to name a few. It raises the question of what we would do in the same situation, especially if we where 15 year old students as well? I have read the manga and while I can say there are quite a few differences the film is still a near perfect adaption and the only real major cuts where some character back story and small events.

Yep I'm having nightmares tonight

We have some great cast of characters in this film and almost all of them are from the manga but before I go on I'll just get it out of the way that the acting is some of the best I've seen, you've got some great protagonists and even a lot of the support cast is great as well. However I think what makes Battle Royale stand out is its great antagonists because of how damn psychotic they are. My favourite being of course the mute Kazuo Kiriyama (Masanobu Ando), the guy just look really cool his portrayal is creepy. Some of my favourite scenes in the film is when he attacks the main characters and his theme plays in the background at the same time. Tatsuya Fujiwara and Aki Maeda are two great leads and I really like their refusal to play the game and that they don't waver in that conviction; they don't become like Kiriyama. However that is left to Shogo Kawada (Taro Yamamoto) a good guy but a badass who doesn't mind the killing and it's interesting learning how he fits into the story. Lastly quick mention to two other great characters; Kuo Shibasaki who plays secondary antagonist Mitsuko Souma and Takeshi Kitano who plays the creepy Kitano.

"You two where so damn unlucky with your weapons"

Now as for the action in this it is something else; the amount of gore and action in this is really high so it's not for younger audiences but it is dialled down a bit from what I have seen in the manga. The action in this is all really fun to watch as well, it's so fast paced and choreographed so well that wish it didn't have to end. I myself really like it when films don't hold back like this because I hate censorship I films and hate it when people complain about the level of violence, which was some of the criticism that this film received.

"That's what you get for interrupting me!"

I guess there is that much else to say about this film maybe that's because its an adaption and the only thing you have to really say if it did a good job to the source material or not (it did). As proof that this film is probably one of the greatest creation of all time just look at the legacy it has left; Quentin Tarantino has said that this was the one film he wished he could have directed and it influenced Kill Bill. Then there is Hunger Games and I don't care what anyone says the s**t books and the films are nothing more than watered down rip - offs of Battle Royale!!

"Hopefully nobody will attack me when I'm this injured"

Overall this is one of my favourite films or all time and I recommend it to everyone not just anime/manga fans.

SCORE: 10/10

You can find all of the great screenshots I used right here;

http://ladymanson.com/ShadowofReflection/home.php

Anime Review: Btooom!

My first anime review and I have decided to review one that I have seen recently. Like my other reviews this will contain spoilers but I will keep it to a minimum.

This anime series is about a twenty two year old young man named Ryota Sakamoto who is one of the worlds top players in an online game called Btooom!. Btooom! is similar to first person shooters but instead of guns the players use various types of bombs to kill each other. Since he is really obsessed with this game, and because the only other thing he wants to do some day is become a game designer for the people for made Btooom!, he constantly shuts himself in his room and constantly plays the game. However he suddenly wakes up one day on an island with a crystal implanted in his hand and a pack of timer bombs. He soon finds out that he is not alone on this island and that the conditions here are eerily similar to Btooom! Forced to play the game in real life now we see him struggle to survive and meet up with characters who want to escape the island as much as him.

I really liked the story of Btooom and this might have to do with the fact that I am a gamer as well and I have not seen any other anime that is about a video game. However even if I was not I would still really like this because the story is so well thought out and the rules of the game so interesting to follow. Take the bombs for example; there are many types with their own strengths and weaknesses and I was always wondering what other types Ryota’s opponents could have before they show them.

This anime is really violent with some graphic scenes, contains some nudity and deals with a lot of dark themes like survival, murder, attempted rape etc. However it is not excessive in it’s use of these, there is a lot of character development and plot to go along with them.

As for the characters I think each and everyone are really thought out well; Ryota is a really great main character who I can almost relate to because you know we are both gamers (But I am not as obsessive as him). He starts out as someone who could care less about anyone else to someone who wishes to save as many people as he can on the island. Plus it is great to see a shut in use his experience in video games to survive a lot of dangerous situations.

The other characters are great as well such as the female lead Himiko who is more than just fan service. She has had some really bad experience with men (and I am talking really bad) so it is good to see her slowly trusting Ryota through the course of the series.

Another one that stood out is Kosuke Kira a fourteen year old murderer and rapist and also a top player on Btooom!. The reason I like him is because he is such an evil, remorseless opponent, I do not thing there is any redeeming qualities about him and that is what I think makes a good crazy antagonist! There are a lot of other characters on the island who each have their own motivates and skills and it is so awesome when they face each other.

Finally the animation is really damn good, I do not think there is a single part in the series that is low quality. As for the voice acting I have no complains and I was surprised that a lot of the characters, even the main ones, have VA that I have not heard of before.

Overall this is one hell of a great anime is I have to pick one think that lets it down is that there is no really ending so I hope there is a second season soon. I really recommend this to anyone except those who do not like really violent anime.

SCORE: 8/10