Kenobi Mini Honest Review

Episode 1

I don’t really have much to say, I spent the whole episode just in awe of actually seeing Ewan McGregor play Obi Wan once again, something I thought we would never see. We got a good introduction to the inquisitors and Leia so it was a solid episode altogether.

Best Bit: Seeing Obi Wan again

Worst Bit: The horrible chase sequence in the forest

Rating:6/10

Episode 2

I was not too sure on this one. I found Leia particularly annoying in the episode especially during another terrible chase sequence. People didn’t seem to like Reva’s moves when going after Kenobi…I found them pretty cool. My biggest gripe is killing of the Grand Inquisitor so early. I was loving Rupert Friend’s performance and the small changes to his look made him more menacing. It’s sad to see his character put on the sidelines to make way for a weaker character, not saying I don’t like Reva, it’s just I think the Grand Inquisitor was more menacing and was a more believable threat. I enjoyed Haja, he was quite humorous but I was surprised that Reva did not kill him for wasting her time as she came off as quite ruthless from the previous episode. The transition from Kenobi’s face to Vader in the bacta tank was hard.

Best Bit: Kenobi finds out the truth about his former apprentice

Worst Bit: Grand Inquisitor death

Rating:5.5/10

Episode 3

I really enjoyed this episode mainly due to Vader. I liked the Hayden Christensen appearance as well, it’s great to see him return to the franchise. The MVP of the episode was the Sith lord himself Darth Vader who shows how brutal he can be, choking and dragging anyone in site. An epic duel occurred with the former apprentice besting his master as it played out brilliantly, showcasing how rusty Kenobi is and the emotional torment of seeing his former pupil alive. Vader dragging Kenobi through the flames, giving him a taste of what Kenobi did to him was poetic. A few things didn’t sit right with me such as how did Reva beat Leia to the end of the tunnel without crossing paths? And I didn’t like how Kenobi was rescued, surely the troopers could have easily gunned them down or you know Vader walk through the fire in his fireproof suit.

Best Bit:Vader vs Kenobi II

Worst Bit-The Ending

Rating: 8/10

Episode 4

After the heights of the previous episode oh my how this episode brings it down. As soon as Obi-Wan was put into the bacta tank you would have thought some kind of flashbacks to the clone wars were coming and although the parallels with Vader were cool they were not enough. Obi Wan brushes off life threatening injuries in mere minutes. It was awesome to see Fort Inquisitorius in live action but it was used terribly. The awful fight chorography continued, Obi Wan walks in front of some stormtroopers who apparently just don’t see him. Ben and Leia hiding in an awful disguise that none of the hundreds of troopers present recognise. The whole saved at the last minute cliché emerged, it was such a wasted episode that had such potential. Oh and don’t get me started on the runtime

Best Bit: Vader storming in and confronting Reva.

Worst Bit: The whole disguise sequence.

Rating:3/10

Episode 5

The best episode of the series arrives in the fifth instalment of Kenobi. Right off the bat we are gifted clone wars flashbacks in the form of a Obi-Wan & Anakin duel that had me pausing the screen just to take in Hayden Christiansen reprising his role as Anakin. Something I didn’t think we would see after Ep 4. We also had Vader being an absolute menace destroying ships ‘Force Unleashed’ style and defeating Reva with ease, using only the force. My boy the Grand Inquisitor also returned and his smug delivery was golden. My only gripe came again with the ending, why did Vader or even Grand Inquisitor not finish Reva off? Vader has killed for far less and it makes little sense in my eyes other than to set up a potential spin off something I cannot say I would not be interested in. Overall a great 40 minute piece of Star Wars content.

Best Bit: Vader vs Reva

Worst Bit: The battle scene between the rebels and stormtroopers was a bit clunky and more should have died considering how close they were together.

Rating:9/10

Episode 6

Episode 5 was the best episode until the finale arrived. From the start of the promotion of the series, Ewan Mcgregor said we are in for the rematch of the century and boy did we get it. An excellent back and forth with Obi Wan being the aggressor at times but in control but as we saw in the flashbacks once Vader got the upper hand he lost concentration leading to Obi Wan’s comeback and defeating his former apprentice again in another epic encounter. I absolutely loved it, the fight choreography, the planet, the dialogue was top notch and as a hardcore ROTS fan it really tug on the heart strings. Vader’s slashed mask making his voice changed between James and Hayden was a great touch, you could feel the hatred. Also loved the call-backs from “I will do what I must” and Obi Wan doing his trademark Jedi Stance. We also got cameos from the Emperor and QUI GON BLOODY JIN, his first appearance in 23 years. Just before he appeared I was thinking they had missed the mark not having Liam Neeson appear at all. The Luke sub plot was decent as well.

Note: Obi Wan hurling rocks at Vader just reminded me of the unlimited power scene from ROTS but instead of lighting we have rocks, I don’t know why 🙂

Best Bit: Obi Wan vs Vader III

Worst Bit: I’m not too sure to be honest I guess the ending was a bit dragged out I guess?

Rating:9.5/10

Overall Kenobi was never going to surpass my impossible expectations. The series had really high highs but also really low lows. Does this show need another season? No, the writers were treading really thin lines with Star Wars canon already and everything has been wrapped up so hence no need. That’s not to say I wouldn’t watch it, I would be there in a heartbeat watching it on premiere day.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Dr Strange And The Multiverse of Madness Honest Review

The MCU has its most darkest, creepiest and savage entry yet in the franchise with Dr Strange’s second instalment being an thrilling ride that makes itself stand out from the generic feel of superhero standalone movie.

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View Date:8/05/22 6:00pm

Run Time:2hr 6min

Warning: The following contains massive spoilers for the latest Dr Strange movie

I’ve seen that this film has divided opinion massively, some saying the plot is weak, others saying it was rushed. I have to disagree I really enjoyed this. A main criticism is the overall motivation of Wanda. Those of you who say its weak are forgetting that Wanda has lost everything in her life and is haunted by the events of Wandavison, plus she was possessed at the end of the day. The cameos although not on the fan service levels of No Way home were still decent, although I feel only Reed Richards has the potential for further expansion and the casting of John Kransinki as Reed Richards adds intrigue for the upcoming Fantastic four project. The film itself is visually stunning especially as Strange and Chavez travel from dimension to dimension.

Dr Strange & The Multiverse of Madness is probably one of the last MCU films I was looking forward to seeing, the others being the new Thor & Blade movies as the franchise becomes more and more saturated dishing out content after content. However, that rant is for another day. Onto the main review

The MCU has its scariest entry yet

What really intrigued me about this entry was the rumours from a while back were that the film was going to be more horror influenced which is unheard of in Marvel movies . Then the trailer dropped and it seemed that these supposed horror elements have been toned down. In fact the trailer is very clever as it takes you down a different route of what you think the film is going to be about. For me I thought Dr Strange was being hunted by the ‘time police’ or the illuminati for him messing with time after No Way Home. I am pleased to say the rumours were true and the film had plenty of scary moments and genuine jumpscare moments at times courtesy of Elizabeth Olsen who was outstanding as the Scarlett Witch.

Scarlett Witch the MVP

Now I have to admit I was not the biggest fan of Wanda, I found her quite bland and I never cared for the relationship with Vision. However when Wanda becomes Scarlett Witch, for me she becomes a lot more entertaining. Elizabeth Olsen’s performance was brilliant as she came off as a real force that didn’t look like could be stopped which adds a lot of stakes to the movie, a problem lots of MCU films have. I would say my favourite part of the movie was the barbaric destruction of the Illuminati at the hands of Wanda. Every single kill were unique and brutal, the kills to Reed Richards, Professor Xavier and Black bolt making me physically gasp at the surprising violence, brilliant stuff. The film really pushed its 12 age rating with an arguement it borders the 15 rating, a first for the MCU.

Dr.Strange is everywhere in every universe even in ours!

Despite only appearing in No Way Home and his second film (excluding what if) it seems Dr Strange is everywhere at the moment. Maybe that’s because of the relatively close release dates of No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness with both featuring Benedict Cumberbatch’s sorcerer as a main player. With every appearance I grow fonder and fonder of Strange as he is such an entertaining character. The different powers and moves he uses with his sorcery are endless and that distinguishes him from the rest of the avengers. Although I could do with that typical marvel humour jokes that are really not necessary and make me cringe, but you can’t have everything now can we

Who would Dr Strange be without his trustee charming sidekick Wong. He played a bigger role than I thought as he seems to leave just as things start going wrong, I’m looking at you Shangi Chi and No Way Home. Also where was Shang Chi? He seemed prime to show up at some point and just didn’t which was a little disappointing. Back to Wong, I felt at multiple times our lovable sidekick was going be inevitably killed off by Wanda but somehow seemed to cheat death yet again. You go Wong!

Note: I was not the biggest fan of America Chavez. She was fine but some of her dialogue and delivery was quite cringy and I just wasn’t grasped enough to be interested in a potential solo film/TV show which seems inevitable.

Overall Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness takes the visuals of the MCU to another level with multiple different spectacles of different settings all unique to each other. A tortured, grief written Elizabeth Olsen is the standout performer delivering a chilling performance as the Scarlett Witch whilst showcasing just how damn powerful she came be. Is she dead? Probably not. I hope more marvel films take risks like this one and change from the norm, I would love more horror inspired MCU content like this one.

If you haven’t watched this then I don’t know what your reading this and not watching it right now.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Batman Honest Review

Viewing Date: 4th March 2022

The Big Bad Bat is back under a new persona in a extensive reboot that is dark and gritter than the usual standard set by the films past entries

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THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR ‘THE BATMAN’

Ever since the first trailer had dropped I had very high expectations especially since all clues pointed to a more violent and gloomier version of the Batman, something that fans had been asking for, for a long time. I am a huge fan of the Christian Bale trilogy especially ‘The Dark Knight & Dark Knight Rises’ and I didn’t mind Ben Affleck’s stint but I always wondered what a more violent Batman would look like and this film gives me what I want

Beautiful Scenes all round

The Cinematography throughout the film, was of the highest quality. Shout out to Greig Fraser for this stand out work. Everything just looked great about this film as it really captured the dark but yet still beautiful in its own unique way city of Gotham. It’s best to watch it than to describe it. However I will say my favourite shot was of our hero holding the flare leading a group of people not just away from danger but also leading them into a belief in the Batman , it was really powerful and emphasises my earlier point that Batman is not this well loved superhero that we have become used to seeing in other films. I also loved when Batman is fighting goons in the middle of our club with blasting techno music and blazing red lazers.

Patman as Batman

I always found the casting choice of Robert Pattinson as rather interesting. I’m sure I am not the only one but I judged him heavily of twilight which made me wonder if we would get a moody teenager batman. And to some extent that is correct. I feel as a Bruce Wayne in some scenes he seems like this teenager. However when he dons the suit he makes the batman a total badass, delivering powerful lines while his hard hitting punches that are emphatic and make you feel them every time they connect.

I am glad they decided not to waste time going over batman’s infamous backstory as a child but that they rather opted to add further information to it later in the film with Bruce Wayne’s father potentially being killed off by an orchestrated hit by the mob. The theory that it could have just been a random thug is not brushed off which still allows the possibility for ‘the Joker’s’ events to have taken place in the same era.

It is eluded too many times that Bruce Wayne is thought to be quite the mysterious character in the eyes of Gotham residents so I always find it hard to believe how people fail to discover or at least suspect Batman’s true identify. A secretive billionaire who rarely shows his face despite owning a huge global organisation and a vigilante who uses weapons and vehicles only a billionaire can afford, its not hard to at least think Bruce is an accomplice of some sort.

Zoe Kravitz was a excellent addition to the film as Selina Kyle, she was a total badass at times. Her character is interesting as she shows empathy to people rather than just for herself but she pursues a more violent vengeful approach to helping those she cares for. I really liked Robert & Zoe as a duo but I was surprised the two shared a kiss so quickly, I didn’t feel the romantic connection was quite there yet.

Jeffrey Wright was always going to be a good Commissioner Gordan , I liked him in Westworld and although he takes more of a backseat here, he still offers an enjoyable performance.

The Villains

The film introduced a main antagonist in the Riddler whilst having two sub-villains in the Penguin and Carmine Falcone. I really liked this version of the Riddler, his attire fitted the tone of the film well and Paul Dano got it absolute spot on with a creepy yet sinister performance that has made him an all time favourite villain of mine and I cannot wait for his return. The Riddler I am use to is the versions from Batman Forever and the Arkham games where the Riddler is more louder charismatic personality where as the one presented in this film is more of a hacker who likes to sit and strike in the shadows.

The transformation of Colin Farrell into the Penguin was remarkable, even though I knew it was him I couldn’t recognise him at all. His charismatic smart-guy performance was great in the limited screen time he had. Carmine Falcone didn’t really feel any different from the usual mob boss we’ve become used to in superhero movies but I still enjoyed him.

The Last Hour

The last hour of the film when all the build up of Riddler’s games reaches its climax is for me the best part of the film. I feel at times the film dragged for short sections but I loved every minute of the films climax. The interrogation scene of the Riddler in Arkham was the best scene of the movie both actors performed perfectly and the desperation in Batman’s face as he realises he has lost is exceptional. I am loving the trend of films now opting for the hero to not always swoop in at the last minute and save the day and The Batman continues that trend as the Riddler manages to kill thousands of people while our hero can only watch.

The battle against Riddler’s goons was cool however when Batman injects himself with Adrenaline I felt it was the perfect time for him to lose control and beat one of the goons to death. Over the course of the film we can see the toll it is taking on Batman trying to protect the city, on top of the fact thousands had just been killed with many still in danger, PLUS being shot at multiple times, this could have sent him over the edge and break his no killing stance, I feel this could have created a new plot point for the inevitable sequel.

Two things, one how did the new mayor survive, she got shot and then she was trapped in the rubble but then when saved by Batman she seems absolutely fine, didn’t make much sense. Two, was that two face at the end by Riddler’s cell , I don’t know if my eyes were deceiving me but I’m pretty sure I saw a burnt face. It’s either him or maybe the Joker but I hope Joker is left out of this new universe unless its Joaquin Phoenix .

Overall the Batman is an enjoyable more gruesome tale of a familiar Batman story with an added element of a murder mystery with an excellent supporting cast that seems to outshine the main actor at times. The score is excellent with the main theme being stuck in my head for the next few hours after the final credits. An interesting darker view on the caped crusader that reaps rewards. Looking forward to the next instalments.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Yellowjackets Season One Honest thoughts

A really frustrating first season that leaves with more questions than answers but by no means is this a bad thing.

Yellowjackets Season One

Those familiar with my normal ‘Honest Reviews’ will see that I am trying a new format called “Honest Thoughts” in which my reviews are shortened.

SPOILERS

I managed to binge watch the whole first season of Showtime’s new psychological drama Yellowjackets in around 4 days. When reading the description of the show I saw it combined two of my favourite things football (or Soccer ugh) and survival horror. The premise follows a female football team being involved in a plane crash that leaves them stranded for 19 months in the Wilderness with the series detailing the story of how they survive and how in the present day the survivors are coping as adults. There was a large amount of gore in the show which really added to the the horrors of the situation the girls faced.

Right of the bat I absolutely love the opening grungy theme song “No Return”, accompanied by a hypnotic and chaotic VHS visuals breathing an aura of 90s nostalgia every time it comes on. I have had the chorus repeated in my head for days. Most of the time I skip the theme songs of shows but not this time, one of the best theme songs in a long time.

I must praise the actresses both playing younger and present day characters. My favourites have to be Shauna, Natalie and Lottie but I may have a slight bias as I couldn’t believe that Rose from Two and a Half Men (Melanie Lynskey) and Audrey from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Juliette Lewis) were in the same show. Melanie sarcastic yet evil genius esque persona is brilliant to watch while Juliette comes off as a total takes no s**t badass who seems no different to her character in the aforementioned Christmas film.

I didn’t like Jackie’s supposed death, was very lacklustre for a main character. I thought it was going to happen in the dream sequence Shauna had in which it looked like all the group members were gonna straight up murder her, I feel that would have been better but then that leans into more the supernatural/ possession side of the show that the writers don’t want to give too much away. I also do not believe how on earth Van is alive. She had half her face ripped off which would have become greatly infected and without medical attention it seems ridiculous she is alive and able to talk normally, unless there are supernatural powers at play keeping her alive???

After finishing the finale I was left feeling frustrated but craving the next season as I had so many questions created with virtually none of them being answered such as. I was gripped after that scene in the first episode which hints that the girls resort to cannibalism in the midst of winter. And so with every passing episode I was waiting for Winter to hit but it never did until the final last moments of the finale.

Some of my questions I need answering:

1-Is Lottie really alive in the present?

For someone who has tried so hard to hide their identity it seems a bit dumb for our blackmailer to reveal their alive so easily

2-Who turns to cannibalism first?

I feel its the four main heroes in the present who start it all with maybe Coach Ben being our first victim. The main is weak and has lost all power and with an enemy made in Misty his future does not look good.

3-Are there supernatural powers at play in the forest?

I think so

4-Does Taissa have a split personality or is she actually possessed by some kind of demon?

Bit of both.

5.Whose heart is in Taissa hidy hole?

The heart seems too big for the Dog’s

6.Who is the Antler Queen & Pit Girl?

Obvious answer in Lottie but this show likes to throw curveballs.

7-Did the cult pre-exist before the crash and how do they have modern day followers outside of the Wilderness?

8.What happened to the rest of the group who are not in the present

Most likely dead but how?

9.How are they rescued?

It looks like the forest wants to keep them there hence Laura Lee’s plane failure and giving the group the bear (who chose to die) as they were on the verge of starvation so that group members would be grateful and begin to honour the forest?.

Conclusion

Overall I enjoyed the flash backs and flash forwards of the show and although the pacing was slow at times it really created a tense atmosphere. At times the show can be really brutal and your invested into seeing how these girls managed to survive such a horrendous situation for such a long time. Bring on season two.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Book of Boba Fett Review

An intriguing start that becomes glorified Mandalorian 2.5… but this is not a bad thing

Book of Boba Fett Volume one

The finale of Disney’s Book of Boba Fett dropped a few days ago and I had to binge watch the series to catch up. When first announced I was not interested at all, it just looked like another random side show that featured a side character from a popular franchise that Disney wanted to exploit for money, I’m looking at you Falcon & Winter Solider, Loki, Hawkeye. Was the Book of Boba Fett able to change my mind? Lets find out….

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT & THE MANDOLORIAN

From the off, I will say that the Book of Boba Fett surpassed my expectations (although they were not very high”) even before the takeover of the Mandalorian.

Episodes 1-4

The fate of Boba Fett was that he was assumed dead after Return Of The Jedi, that was until he showed up in the second season of The Mandolorian and this show delves deeper into how he escaped the sarlacc pit and his road to recovery. I really liked the Tuskan arc, its believable that the Tusken’s would initially take a stranger captive only for him to prove his worth and gain the trust of them by saving one of their own. Star Wars is really good at making me care for characters that don’t speak a word of English and I ever thought I would care for a group of Tuskens especially after Attack Of The Clones.

The show spends a decent portion of its programming developing the bond between Boba and The Tuskans as they seek to end a spree of killings in the desert and It worked for me as we see Boba training to become back to his best. That’s why it was sad to see them massacred off screen, I think if they showed some glimpse of it, it would have been really powerful as I had become attached to them all.

I see criticisms of Boba Fett becoming too soft in this show and I agreed to until I thought about the fact he stopped with a village of people, become nearly a family with them to find them all brutally killed and with Boba’s history of killing I think this was the last straw and so he wanted peace over war which sets up his motivations for the present day portions.

I was not a fan of the group of hipsters (called the mods i think?) that aided Fett, they did not suit the planet at all and were just boring and unlikable. What were those light up bikes they drove too, deary me. They just seemed like a bunch of bratty teenagers trying to look edgy, why would Boba recruit them? I would say there the worst characters of the show to be honest and I can’t remember any of their names.

Episodes 5 & 6

The next two episodes completely change the focus of the show with the story now following on from the ending of the second season of The Mandalorian. I liked both of these episodes , I enjoyed the intense duel between Mando & Paz Visla for the Darksaber with our hero being manhandled and nearly tasting death. I also liked how we took a deeper look into the background of Mandalore and the children of the watch, the group Mando gets kicked out of after admitting to removing his helmet a big no no.

Episode 6 focuses on the training of our favourite little green friend Grogu as he tries to rediscover his force ability under the guidance of Luke. I’ve always wanted their to be some sort of film or TV show adaption that focused on Luke’s Jedi academy post empire after playing ‘Star Wars: Jedi Academy’ on PC. I enjoyed the training montage as well as the flashback to Order 66 which I am an absolute sucker for. It begs the question who saved Grogu? Hopefully this will be explored in Mando Season 3.

Note: I’m sorry but I don’t think I will ever get use to CGI Luke, it just doesn’t look right at all and his face is creepy at times.

Last episode we also see the live action of Cadd Bane the ruthless bounty hunter known for this time in clone wars and although his run was short lived he was quite the intimidating figure and I didn’t have any problems with his appearance like some did. His death was pretty cool with Boba outsmarting his fellow bounty hunter and delivering a quick fatal stab in a swift maneuverer. A quick death for someone of near iconic status but I’m still satisfied with what we got.

The Finale

I enjoyed the finale for the most part but it had it’s flaws. From my earlier point about star wars making me feel for aliens who don’t speak a word of English, you can imagine i was hurt to see the Gamorians fall to their deaths after being trapped. As much as I liked that our heroes had been betrayed it also exposed one of star wars flaws and that is plot armor. For example after being hit multiple times prior,  Black Krrsantan was pinned down by multiple enemies all armed with weapons who looked like they would kill him and then next scene he appears out of nowhere, gets shot multiple times again and still manages to survive. It just kills tension and credibility really. Furthermore our hipster friends are backed into a corner heavily outnumbered and none of them die. Our heroes then fight back and kill a load of pikes all of which bodies mysteriously disappear as more reinforcements arrive its like a video game. Later on the Rancor throws a whole speeder ship at the good guys and none of them are even injured let alone killed.

Note: When facing the huge shielded droids why didn’t Mando double jump and slam the darksabre into the shield to break it :).

Last episode we also saw the live action debut of Cadd Bane the ruthless bounty hunter known for this time in clone wars and although his run was short lived he was quite the intimidating figure and I didn’t have any problems with his appearance like some did. I feel he maybe could have been introduced earlier in order to flesh out his character more for those unfamiliar with the animated series. His death was pretty cool with Boba outsmarting his fellow bounty hunter and delivering a quick fatal stab in a swift maneuverer.

It may seem I’m just criticising the final but there were plenty of parts I enjoyed:

• Boba & Mando teaming up
• Fennec Shand brutal hanging of the mayor
• Fennec Shand general badassary
• Boba and Cadd Bane standoff
• The Whole rancor sequence
• Grogu in Mando’s gifted armor
• Grogu’s hugs

Note: Is it just me or does Grogu walking around remind you of team America world police?

Overall Judgement

Overall, a decent show that I think surpasses Mandalorian Season one but not season two. Boba the main main seems to surrender the spotlight of his show within the last few episodes which disrupts the pacing of Boba’s story and adds very little to it minus the finale episode. I’m a big fan of Ludwig Göransson and his scores remains of the highest calibre for this show. A fun watch that has it’s pacing issues and flaws but overall brings the action and interesting characters that we all love from the Star Wars universe.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

TV Shows New and Returning to Look Forward to in 2022

2022 is lining up to be an exciting year for TV fans such as myself. I have listed MY most anticipated shows of 2022 so don’t expect to see the likes of Stranger Things, Peaky Blinders and Bridgerton, they were not for me. All have been confirmed for 2022 and most have dates. Some parts of the list contain spoilers from previous series which will be shown below:

No Spoilers

Mild Spoilers

Major Spoilers

The Boys Season 3

Release Date: June 3rd 2022 (Amazon Prime)

There is a considerable amount of hype surrounding the next season of Amazon Hit Anti-superhero show ‘The Boys’ because of promises of it being much darker and controversial than previous seasons which seems a hard thing to do. I’m looking forward to seeing Anthony Staar’s Homelander return to the screen and see how much worse he can get. Homelander is easily one of the best antagonists on TV and Starr psychopathic performance deserves a lot more recognition for it.

Snowfall Season 5

Release Date: February 23 (Hulu/BBC?/Disney+?)

One of the most underrated crime dramas is back this year. Snowfall tells the rise of crack cocaine in the states and how one man (Franklin Saint) creates an empire based on America’s new addiction. Little is known about the plot expect that it will jump a few years from season 4 and will occur around 1986 where violence in the streets was ramping up as the LAPD tackle the war on drugs. The new season will also see how Franklin copes with one of his allies becoming his main enemy.

Kenobi (Limited Series)

Release Date: TBC 2022 (Disney+)

I would say this probably just edges the Boys as being my most anticipated show of the year. Revenge of the Sith is one of my favourite films of all time and you can imagine my excitement when they announced a sequel in the form of a TV miniseries with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christiansen both reprising their roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker. Not much about the plot has been revealed but we finally get to see how Obi-Wan survived the Jedi purge up until ‘A New Hope’. The prospect of seeing Darth Vader at the peak of his power wrecking havoc across the galaxy trying to find Obi-Wan is a very very very exciting prospect. The “rematch of the century” has been promised by the show’s producer Kathleen Kennedy.

Ozark Season 4 Parts 1 & 2

Release Date: (Part 1) January 21st 2022 (Part 2) TBC (Netflix)

Jason Bateman’s crime drama comes to an end this year with a frustrating season splitting two parter. Ozark has gotten better with every season. It seems this season is setting up for a war with the Bryde family caught in the middle. As expected there will be plenty of bloodshed but It will be interesting to see if the family can come out alive and finally escape the clutches of the cartel.

Peacemaker Season 1

Release Date: 13th January 2022 (HBO Max)

John Cena reprises his role as the Peacemaker from last year’s excellent ‘The Suicide Squad’. Peacemaker was one of my favourite characters from the movie so I am glad he is getting his own show and from the trailer it looks to be funny. John Cena is very underrated when it comes to comedic roles.

The Walking Dead Season 11 Part 2

Release Date: February 20th 2022 (AMC, Disney+)

Robert Kirkman’s iconic zombie show is finally coming to an end and whatever you may think of it, you can’t argue that it is not one of the biggest Tv shows of the past decade. I personally have stop and started the show a few times but I am up to Season 11 however I am waiting for all the episodes to come out to binge watch the whole series so I cannot provide a plot description without spoilers…sorry

Atlanta Season 3

Release Date: March 24 2022 (Hulu/FX)

It really has felt like a long time since we last saw new Atlanta episodes on our screens (2018!). Finally Donald Glover announced his comedy Drama about an up and coming rapper will return this year and it picks up right where season 2 left off with the group heading to Europe. From the trailer it looks like the characters will get into more crazy situations like they have in previous seasons but this time in land there unfamiliar with. I personally can’t wait for the England section of the tour as well as hearing the new music created for the show by Donald & Stephen Glover.

House of the Dragon

Release Date: 2022 (HBO Max/Sky)

Game of Thrones is finally back after a disastrous final season with a prequel set 200 years prior to the original series. The plot focuses on the Targaryen Civil War in which two members of the Targaryen family clash for the throne. I am interested to see Matt Smith performance as he’s someone who I’m not much of a fan acting wise. Would also love to see a Night King cameo, it’s what we deserve after he was shafted in the final season.

Resident Evil

Release Date: 2022 (Netflix)

The Resident Evil movies were a guilty pleasure of mine, by no means perfect but a fun mindless ride at times. Now Netflix are rebooting Resident Evil as a Tv Show with it being set a decade into the T-Virus ravaged world. Lance Reddick has been casted as Albert Wesker which is a great choice as long as he can rock the iconic Wesker look. The zombie genre has been done a million times and the show being produced by Netflix is a worry as the company has had a streak of making boring, cringe worthy shows with some truly awful acting and dialogue… but lets hope that’s not the case with Resident Evil.

Afterlife Season 3

Release Date: January 14th 2022 (Netflix)

Ricky Gervais heart-breaking comedy is back for its final season. Ricky really knows how to pull the heart strings whilst still providing comedy to lighten the mood. The show follows a man struggling to cope with lifeafter his wife passes away. Ricky is my favourite comedian and has created two of the greatest shows of all time in The Office and Extras.

The Afterparty

Release Date: January 28th 2022 (Apple TV)

Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? Dave Franco has been murdered at his own party and there are multiple witnesses all of which will give their version of events with each episode. Ben Schwartz (shout out Jean-Ralphio) is in it plus Dave Franco so I’m interested and to think I just cancelled my Apple TV free trial…damn.

Power Book IV: Force

Release Date: 6th February 2022 (Starz)

Power is such a good crime drama, I highly recommend you watch it. Book 4 finishes off from the ending of the original show where we see what happens to Tommy in the aftermath of Power’s finale. Tommy is caught between a drug gang war in Chicago as he looks to move on from his past life. I have not watched book 2 or 3 since they did not really interest me enough to pay for a Starz subscription but book 4 has convinced me to get one since Tommy was one of the best characters on the show.

The Lord Of The Rings

Release Date: September 2nd (Amazon Prime)

The lord of the rings trilogy have been on my watchlist for as long as I can remember but its been difficult to find the time to watch them. However the TV series adaptation is reportedly going to be the most expensive show ever made so expect stunning visuals, beautiful world building and lots of actions. You just have to check something like this out and I will definitely watch at least the original trilogy prior to the airing of the TV show.

Unconfirmed for 2022 but likely…

Mandalorian Season 3

One of Star Wars biggest shows hopefully should make a return this year as we follow our favourite helmeted mercenary. After Season 2 ended with the shocking reveal that Luke Skywalker was the saviour, it begs the question what will Luke do with Grogu and will we see the likes of Ahsoka again?

The Last of Us Season 1

Based on the hit video game, Pedro Pascal will transform the role of Joel into live action as he looks to survive the fungal infected zombie apocalypse with his young partner Ellie. If you’ve played the game you will be familiar with the plot with little indication it will be much different from the video game.

The Idol Season 1

Abel Tesfaye A.K.A The Weeknd stars in his first leading role in this HBO drama about a relationship between a pop singer and the owner of club in L.A who is also the leader of a cult. An intriguing concept plus the Weeknd….. I’m in.

Any shows I have missed? Let me know in the comments.

My Top 100 Songs of 2021 (49-21)

The first 50 songs have been blitzed through now onto the next 29 songs. Be warned for early Kanye West domination.

49.Kanye West-Donda

A song not spoke about enough, a beautiful song for his deceased mother

48.Kanye West-Believe What I Say

47.Kanye West ft Vory & Lil Durk-Jonah

46.Juice WRLD ft Clever & Post Malone- Life’s A Mess II

45.Trippie Redd ft Drake-Betrayal

44.Post Malone-Motley Crew

43.Kanye West ft Don Toliver & Kid Cudi-Moon

An angelic hook by Don and a heavenly verse from Cudi, I can see why many people float to this song

42.Kanye West ft Jay-Z-Jail

This may be the return of the throne…chilling

41.DJ Khaled ft H.E.R & Migos-WE GOING CRAZY

40-Arizona Zervas-SNOWMAN

39.Kanye West ft Fivio Foreign & Playboi Carti-Off The Grid

Everyone understood the assignment and hearing Kanye on a drill beat emphasises how he is the most versatile in the game.

38.Belly ft The Weeknd & Young Thug-Better Believe

37.Lil Nax X-Montero (Call Me By Your Name)

36.Kanye West ft Jay Electronica-Jesus Lord

35.Travis Scott ft J.Cole-Mafia

One of the most unexpected collaborations of the year.

34.Don Toliver ft Kali Uchis-Drugs N Hella Melodies

33.BROCKHAMPTON ft A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg-BANKROLL

I had been waiting for this song since it was teased in 2018. Its strange seeing BROCKHAMTPON collaborate with artists outisde their own group but they worked well with both members of A$AP Mob.

32.Kanye West ft Playboi Carti & Ty Dolla $ign-Junya Pt 2

31.Kanye West ft Andre 3000-Life of the party

I’m so happy we got this collaboration in the end, two of the greatest artists of all time combining and we finally got the Andre verse on a Ye track we deserved since only getting ad-libs on 30 hours back in 2016.

30.(YSL)Young Thug ft Rowdy Rebel-Came & Saw

29.Tinashe ft Buddy-Pasadena

28.Baby Keem ft Kendrick Lamar-Vent

27.Kanye West-Heaven and Hell

26.Amine-Charmander

25.Don Toliver-BOGUS

I was really disappointed with ‘Life Of A Don’ i found a lot of songs were repetitive and didn’t really stand out apart from a few and BOGUS to me was the biggest hit of the album.

24.Aitch ft Avelino & Toddla T-Party Round My Place

23.Post Malone ft The Weeknd-One Right Now

After initially feeling disappointed with these two huge stars collaborating, this song grew on me very quickly with a very catchy hook. I expect this song to get more recognition in 2022.

22.Baby Keem-16

21.Lil Nas X ft Jack Harlow-Industry Baby

This song is partially ruined by that Tiktok trend with the dad and his son but nonetheless I still love the song especially Harlow’s verse.

Now onto the top 2o, how exciting…

The Top 20

The Matrix Resurrections Honest Review

View Date: 22nd December 9:30

My Favourite Franchise of all time is back with a fourth instalment that had astronomical expectations created by myself and so it’s no surprise those expectations were not met. Don’t let this fool you, the Matrix Resurrections was a solid, enjoyable viewing that had its flaws.

EnterTheReviews

WARNING

The following review contains massive spoilers for the Matrix Resurrections

Note:I got Goosebumps when that opening score played at the start of the film. 18 years in the making

The Story

Our story follows on from the Matrix Revolutions with Neo being shown alive and back in the new Matrix as a successful video game programmer who struggles to determine what is real. A new crew of red pills aims to free Neo from his prison created by the Analyst, a machine tasked with studying human psyche who has replaced the Architect as the creator of the new 7th version of the Matrix. We also learn that somehow Trinity is alive in this new Matrix who the same as Neo has no rendition of past events. Neo and the crew of the Mnemosyne aim to free Trinity from the grasp of the Analyst.

Its clear to me and many others than Lana did not want to do another movie but knew Warner Bros would make another with or without so Lana tried to tie up Neo & Trinity story in the attempt for any reboot to not be attached to her beloved original trilogy.

Does anyone actually die?

Correct me if I’m wrong but not one named character dies which is the biggest flaw for me in the whole movie. When the swarm attack the side characters pretty much all of them expect maybe Morpheus and bugs and a couple others should have died. The fact that no one actually dies shows how weak the enemies were, even Smith failed to kill anyone. This moves onto my point about how without Agents the film lacked a credible threat.

The Villains

No Agents=No Stakes

The Agents were my favourite part of the original franchise. There presence brought an aura of danger as we knew they were stronger and faster than any human. Every time our heroes entered the Matrix, you knew that danger awaited them. Even the almighty Morpheus was obliterated by Agent Smith in the first instalment, showing how much of a threat they are. Although Neo developed God like powers, the side characters were still in danger at every moment.

When I saw Daniel Bernhardt and Matt McColm were reprising their roles as Agent Johnson and Agent Thompson, I was excited especially Johnson due to his fight with Morpehus in Reloaded being one of my favourite scenes in the trilogy. Therefore, it was disappointing to see in the Matrix Resurrections that there was very little presence of the agents all. Without them that sense of dread had vanished and was never really replaced. The swarm was a cool idea but had no where near the effect the agents had on the film

Mr Anderson… wait Thomas

Right off the bat I loved Jonathan Groff as Agent Smith. This seems unpopular but I enjoyed him calling Neo Thomas, it distinguishes his performance from Hugo’s as he would never be able to top his delivery of iconic lines such as of “Mr Anderson”. If Groff used these lines then audiences would undeniably think this guy is no Hugo Weaving which would be an insult to a excellent performance by Groff Should Smith have returned? For me….no.

His death in revolutions was a fitting end as the machines destroyed him and so the original trilogy seems ruined with his return and it also begs the question, just how do you eliminate Smith? Yes you can argue Neo and Smith are one so if you have one, you have the other which I can understand but for me my point on tarnishing the original trilogy ending remains. Groff had the same issue as Mateen II with that they should have had their own characters instead of playing famous old ones. Groff could have been similar to Smith, in a way that he is a powerful programme that wants to escape/control the Matrix or a human working for the machines who resents Neo for releasing him from the Matrix and is gifted abilities by the machines so that he can keep Neo in the Matrix so that it remains functional. I dunno I’m just brainstorming.

The Analyst

I’m seeing a lot of hate for Neil Patrick Harris ‘The Analyst’ in the movie, I personally enjoyed him a lot, he plays the sly villain well. I liked his cocky and arrogant attitude as he mentally tortures Neo throughout. It was a nice surprise to see him become the main villain as I thought he only had a small role as a human therapist. Seeing a machine becoming intrigued by human emotions is an direction I hoped the film would follow after the emotionless Architect of Reloaded & Revolutions. I can see why some people can’t see NPH as a menacing threat but he is not meant to be a scary menacing figure but rather a puppet master that sits back and controls the puppets from safety.

The Good Guys

Morpheus

As stated earlier, Mateen II should not have been Morpheus but rather a new character. He did not play the character Morpheus well and that was because of the script. He was way too laid back and far too jokey compared to Fishburne. I know this is some kind of Neo’s interpretation of Morpheus but he never acted like this around Neo so I don’t understand the sudden change in how he behaves or appears. I am still confused on who this new version of morpheus is and how he got there.

At the start of the film I got Goosebumps when I saw this new version of Morpheus as an agent, like the machines had stolen his body and used him as an agent just to stick it to the humans. I thought it was a cool concept until it became apparent that this was all apart of Neo’s video game. About halfway through the film, we see that the real Morpheus had passed away sometime between the end of revolutions and resurrections which raises more questions than answers. Before the film I was hoping for some sort of Fishburne cameo but the statue is all I got.

Trinity is god now?

The way I see Trinity gaining superpowers is that her and Neo were powering the Matrix therefore once united they become united they can control the matrix. Another way is maybe, with a new matrix there is a new one who could now be Trinity. I don’t really understand it to be honest and her also becoming God makes the film share the same criticisms as Reloaded and Revolutions with the fact that our heroes are unbeatable and with Trinity now powerful there is no longer any characters to worry about. This puts a potential fifth instalment at a major disadvantage.

Note: I didn’t like how disrespectful Niobe was to Neo. She took a huge risk in Revolutions because she believed in him and now since his return she chooses to lock him away despite his success in the past. I found most of the new Zion scenes pointless, Neo is thrown in jail and immediately escapes while Bugs regains control of her ship despite being disciplined.

Should Neo & Trinity have returned?

It’s a tough question. If they had not returned people would moan about them not being there. I liked their deaths in revolutions and I could only see them coming back if they were clones created by the machines but its revealed the machines revived them using their original bodies. No disrespect to Keanu & Carrie Ann but they can’t move as well as they could 18 years ago hence the fighting scenes are not as slick and so no memorable fight scenes are created. Fight scenes were sacrificed for more explosive set pieces with Neo blasting everything in sight rather than using his fists. You feel if Keanu was younger would could have had a Burly brawl esque fight with the swarm. The best I can think of is New Smith vs Neo but that was a rehash of the train fight in the first film. Even though I believe at least trinity should have stayed dead, I still enjoyed their story as there such a good couple and they got their happy ending.

Conclusion

I did like the film but because its my favourite franchise I have to critique it harshly. The film had a lot of fan service bringing back old characters and redoing famous scenes which is a good and a bad thing as a lot of scenes we see scenes we have seen before which lacks freshness but it also brings back nostalgia. I still am a sucker for people running and jumping of walls shooting mid air and the movie had plenty of it. I liked the train sequence due to the chaos that ensures but it missed a agent fight in the midst of it. I didn’t like Bugs at the start but she grew on me quickly and she felt like the only relevant new good character along with new Morpheus. I enjoyed the final swarm part despite the lack of death and I loved that Smith helped Neo, it’s cool to see the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’ trope being used in this film. I didn’t like how they don’t use phones anymore to escape, I like the mirrors but some scenes you would have the characters in the matrix and the next out of the matrix, thus eliminating any tension as the humans can escape so easily.

I can say that this movie is way overhated and is still a fun watch despite its flaws. I will have to rewatch it again to determine where it ranks amongst its Matrix peers but this was an enjoyable watch that I’m eager to revisit. I would definitely watch another film or even tv show but I think its time for a new story with new characters or the new characters introduced in Resurrections. The idea of factions within the matrix colliding would be the direction I would be interested in seeing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Spider Man No Way Home Honest Review

View Date: Friday 17th December 7:00PM

It is finally here!!! One of my most anticipated movies of the year has finally arrived. I had to stay off social media for two days in order to avoid spoilers and I made the right choice as it is crawling with them. Literally on TikTok there are clips of the key points of the film all over the app, like why do people have to 1.film that in the first place 2.post it potentially spoiling it for thousands of people. Same with twitter too, people doing it all for likes. Ok rant over, time for the movie. The review will be split into a spoiler and spoiler free section

Spoiler Free Section

Plot

After his identity was revealed by Mysterio at the end of Far From Home, Peter Parker and his friends and family are struggling to cope with the fame as the people of New York are split between Spider-Man and Mysterio. Spider Man asks Dr Strange for help in erasing everyone’s memory. The Spell does not go to plan and unleashes past Spider Man villains into his universe.

The Side Characters

Ill admit i was not the biggest fan of Zendaya as MJ, I just never really connected with the character and I feel some of her facial expressions were a bit odd. However in this movie, she is great. She is funny and takes more of a forward role with her relationship with Peter becoming more explored for the better.

Dr Strange is excellent throughout and is just a cool badass. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role to perfection with the right balance of humour and seriousness. I like how with each film that features Dr Strange, we see a different skill he possesses, emphasising how much of a powerful ally he is.

I did not like Aunt May in this film. She has more of a prominent role in the movie and I really hate when they preach this ” lets change the bad guys into good guys bull****”, without spoiling the plot, if Aunt May kept her mouth shut, the unfortunate events that follow could have been completely avoided.

The Fighting

The fight sequences were as good as I expected them to be and the locations they occurred in were stunning. The final battle is one of the best in the MCU and was a really fitting climatic battle for the hype this film had around it. However some of the earlier battles with the villians seemed a bit too short and we didnt get to see them shine or be potrayed as much of a threat as Spider Man seems to deal with them with relative ease. This will be developed more in the spoiler section

No Way Home is a fun ride that had very high expectations, arguably on the scale of Endgame and it mostly delivers with a few minor nit-picks. I feel this is easily a top 5 Marvel film and so you should defiantly check it out.

Spoiler Section!!!!

Be warned heavy spoilers follow.

The Elephant in the Room

Looking back it was so obvious that Tobey and Andrew would reprise their roles as Spider Man because how can you bring back their villains but not Spider Man himself. It was so good to see them but boy does Tobey look old, I remember watching his films as a Kid and I can’t get over how much older he looks, its crazy. The Introduction was very clever, I think that was the best way to introduce them instead of the cliché saving Tom Holland’s Spider Man at the last minute. The shot of all 3 Spider Man’s as they are about to go to war is so cool and one of my favourite shots in movie history. Andrew Garfield saving MJ was a brillaint direction to take the film in, giving a call-back to his failures in Amazing Spider Man 2, a really emotional moment and it would not be the last.

Also HOW DARE THEY TEASE TOBEY MAGUIRE DYING!!! The most shocking moment for me was the Green Goblin impaling Tobey’s Spider Man. It really had me for a second and I don’t think I would have coped if he did died.

The Side Characters (Spoiler Version)

Is it me or did Dr Strange feel like he had been slightly weakened. Dr Strange fight with Spider Man was very cool, a brilliant setting that just fighting through a load of buildings. However Dr Strange bought him into the world and has powers where he can basically grab and trap you from anywhere, so with the advantage of knowing the world how did Strange not not wipe the floor with Spider Man. I’d put Strange as one of the strongest in the Avengers and I don’t buy Spider Man beating him at all.

As stated earlier I was not the biggest fan of Aunt May. I found her very annoying and I don’t like the preachy be the good guy. Like, there’s a bloody lizard man, a guy who blows things up, a man made up of electric and a man with robotic tentacles and she basically just says you’ve got to deal with it all and risk everyone’s lives in order to be the “good guy”. Nah not having it mate. And of course she pays for it with her life, a moment I didn’t really care for as it was her own fault.

The Villians

As alluded too in the spoiler free section, i felt the first meeting with the villains was rushed apart from Doc Oc. Dr Connors did not even get a fight scene which was a high missed opportunity, a close quarters battle in the sewer would have been epic whilst adding an element of tension. Electro was quickly death with and there was no fight with Sandman. Green Goblin and Dr Occ were the clear main villains and I think electro got his fair share too. The fight at Lucky’s flat was cool but the main battle is the highlight. Seeing the 3 spider men working together to take on 5 supervillains was epic and worked well. I would have liked their to have been the Sinister Six but as we see in the post credits there was a sixth member in Venom but he never joined the fight which is a missed opportunity but I feel due to time constraints they didn’t have time to introduce another villain. I feel the story got a little bit clunky in explaining how the likes of Goblin and Doc Occ are alive as they both died in their respective films. Tobey’s spider man does not seem to even react to seeing them alive, especially goblin

Note: Did anyone feel whenever the Sandman was shown in human form it didn’t look right, like the actor has not aged at all. Makes me wonder if they just used shots from Spider Man 3.

The Ending

A brilliant ending although the music when Strange was erasing everyone’s memory was really loud in the cinema, nearly deafening. I don’t know if anyone else had the same problem. When Marvel do downer endings they do it so well, just look at infinity war. Peter going to see MJ in the coffee shop and choosing not to tell MJ and Ned everything was heart-breaking as Peter realises its better for them for him not to be involved in their lives, thus in the process sacrificing his relationships and friendships, leaving him alone in the world… pretty sad stuff.

Overall a great ride that I feel could and should have been longer in order to flesh out the villains more but the action set pieces were brilliant and lived up to the marvel standard of films. I’m so glad they bought back the other two as without them, it would have left a huge gap for me. Easily a top 5 marvel movie and probably the best Spider Man film of all time.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Christmas Checklist

It’s coming up to yet another Christmas and so I thought it would be interesting to offer my favourite Christmas themed shows and films to watch leading up to the big day itself.

Films

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

My all time favourite Christmas film. A criminally underrated film that i think not enough people have given a chance. Chevy Chase stars as Clark Griswold as he aims to throw the best Christmas ever. However he has to deal with faulty bulbs, the in laws and an old ‘friend’. If you watch this, seek out the original on DVD as the version shown on TV cuts out the best parts and really does not do the Film justice. This movie is hilarious and really puts you in the christmas spirit. I watch this film every Christmas Eve with my Dad and I love every second of it.

Elf

How can you not love Elf? Will Ferrell plays Buddy the Elf, a human raised by Elves as he travels to New York to find his biological father who happens to be on Santa’s Naughty List. This film is for all ages and is a blast from start to finish. The acting is superb all round with the cast creating numerous humorous moments throughout the film.

Please read the negative reviews from critics of this film, some critics need to get a grip and stop taking films like this so seriously.

Home Alone 1/2

Who doesn’t like either Home Alone film. Macaulay Culkin is charming and leads the films at such a young age whilst rarely being annoying which is rare for a lot of child led movies. Both films involve Kevin McAlister being left home alone after his family leave him behind and he is left to defend for himself against two notorious criminals. Both films have excellent acting performances whilst also teaching valuable lessons to adults and children. Kevin’s battles with the two criminals are comedic highlights of both movies.

Love Actually

An all star cast and I mean all star cast is featured in this film about multiple tales of love leading up to the big day. It’s incredible seeing the amount of young actors and actresses that went onto to have big careers in the industry from this film. It’s such an easy watch and I even like the song “Christmas is all around” performed by Bill Nighy. A perfect film to watch with your partner as it tells the different sides of love whilst also sprucing up your Christmas spirit.

Tv Show Episodes

Simpsons

S1 Ep1	Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire	Yes the world famous cartoon show started on a Christmas episode. Homer takes a job as a mall Santa so that the family can have a Christmas that year. The episode also shows how the Simpsons adopted their fan favourite pooch
S7 Ep11	Marge Be Not Proud	This episode made my top 32 list. Bart is caught shoplifting leading to his relationship with his mother becoming strained. A classic episode with a brilliant heart warming ending to put you in the festive mood
S9 Ep10	Miracle On Evergreen Terrace	Bart accidently destroys the families Christmas gifts leading him to cover it up and blame burglar’s. As Bart always causes chaos, it’s so rare to see his remorse for actions and this is one of those episodes where we see him try to make amends but only make things worse.
S11 Ep9	Grift of the Magi	The school is taken over by a toy company looking to exploit the children into creating the next big toy, right in time for the holidays. Another festive classic with an excellent cameo from Gary Coleman.
S15 Ep7	Tis The Fifteenth Season	Homer spends all the Christmas money on himself, leading him to become the most selfless man in town, rivalling Ned Flanders. Homer’s plan to upstage Flanders brings the whole town together on Christmas Day

Best Simpsons Festive Episodes

The Office UK

Part 1 and Part 2 of the Christmas specials are top quality episodes that delivers a very satisfying conclusion to Slough’s favourite paper branch. Ending the series on two Christmas episodes really puts you in a good mood as long term storylines are put to bed with heart warming endings that make you want to know what happens next. The Christmas party is also a highlight of the entire show as we see David Brent finally happy and accepted amongst his peers.

The Office US

Season 2 Episode 10-Christmas Party

One of the best episodes of the show with the excellent “Yankee swap” game being introduced. Chaos follows as everyone’s planned secret Santa gifts are swapped about. Michael is brilliant throughout the episode especially when he’s taking pictures. His reaction to a certain someone flashing him is one of the best moments in the show

Season 3 Episode 10/11-A Benihana Christmas

Michaels looks to deal with his breakup by going out with Andy, Jim & Dwight while Angela goes to war with Karen and Pam over party planning. Another classic Michael episode where he is either listening to the 30 second preview of James Blunt’s “Goodbye My Lover” over and over again or he’s failing to distinguish between the two Asian waitresses they bring back to the office party as dates.

Merry Christmas Mr Bean

Mr Bean fascinates me. Rowan Atkinson can invest the viewer without rarely saying a word which not many are able to do. The iconic character goes Christmas shopping, conducts a band and has Christmas dinner with his girlfriend. It’s obvious why this is one of the most beloved episodes of Mr Bean with its easy viewability and excellent jokes that provides the laughs.

Family Guy

S3 Ep16-A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas

My favourite family guy Christmas episode. Lois plans for the holidays are ruined when Brian nearly burns the house down and Peter accidently donates all the gifts to charity. An easy watching episode that provides the laughs that early family guy was so good at doing.

Community

S1 Ep12-Comparative Religion

Community is one of the greatest TV shows of all time and your missing out if you haven’t watched it. In this festive episode, Shirley tries to organise a Christmas party for the study group but its thrown into turmoil when Jeff is drawn into a fight with a bully. Troy and Jeff are the standouts especially when they try to hide the fight from shirley.