Rebel TV Show Review: Arrow (Season 1 Full Review)

As a self-professed Geek of the highest order, when I heard that a new show was in development that would be based on the fictional superhero Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, I had my reservations. There had been many such shows that had gone into development in the past (a show based on Aquaman, one on Wonder Woman, Dick Grayson, even an attempt at Green Arrow - to name a few) only to fail. In fact the only on to remotely succeed was Smallville, based on the origins of Superman. It's safe to say I watched this show with expecting to be slightly disappointed.

Arrow is an American action-adventure television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg for The CW network. To quickly summarise the premise of the comics and the show, it follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, who, after five years of being stranded on a hostile island, returns home to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrows. So, if you've seen the show and want to see my views on it or if you haven't and don't care about spoilers, then read on!

!SPOILER ALERT! !READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

In a slight break from tradition, I'll start my review with what I felt was the lowest points of the show, and then steadily work my way up to the high. When the show began I couldn't help but feel that the acting from many of the shows actors seemed unsettled, almost as if they were unsure how they wanted to portray their characters. Lets start with the lead of the show. Stephen Amell plays Oliver Queen, both in present-day setting of Starling City and the flashback scenes from Lian Yu, the island he was stranded on, and the differences between the character in these two settings weren't very noticeable at first. He also struggled in showing the differences between a convincing vigilante who occasionally murdered his targets and the fun loving playboy charm that was Oliver Queen.

However, as the character progressed through the series he began to summon the presence needed to show both the subtle and distinguishing differences between his alter-egos, to a level that even matched the physique that perfectly mirrored what we expected from Oliver Queen (an aspect of the show that they never failed to over-exploit). On top of that, the difference in character development between past and present Ollie eventually became probably the most interesting aspects of the character.

While with other characters in the show I felt it was more a question of story progression that held them back. I felt this was especially so in the case of Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), who by the end of the season, I felt was perhaps one of the most emotionally strong performances of the entire season. Though in my opinion Malcolm Merlyn (played by John Barrowman), though inconsistently in and out of the show and only a supporting character for most of it, was an outstanding, vital and driving performance throughout the entire season; perhaps even the shows saving grace, in many ways. 

Other characters, such as John Diggle (David Ramsey), Oliver's personal bodyguard and ally, were notably added to the Green Arrow mythos, with elements from the comics being altered slightly to better suit the theme and style of the show. More often than not a loner in the comics, the character quickly develops in the show and realises the strengths found in small group of allies, such as Diggle. Their developing relationship in the show ended up being a key factor for both characters, and with each occasion that Diggle helped Ollie with his vigilante duties it became more and more interesting - though not nearly as interesting than when it made them clash.

Grounding the season were the flashbacks to Ollie's five year period on the island and the events that transpired there that turned him into the man we now see him as. As mentioned before, I found these scenes some of the more interesting ones of the entire show, often preferring them to that of the ones in the present with Ollie as the vigilante. The flashbacks started as early as the pilot episode, with Ollie being rescue from the island and a few exciting glimpses of what happened during his time there (such as the disregarded mask of Deathstroke, mounted on a stick with an arrow through it's right eye-socket), but it isn't until they go back to the beginning and we start to see how the selfish playboy began his journey towards the selfless hero, that it truly finds its strength.

Surprising twists and plot reveals throughout these flashbacks show just how unexpectedly complicated his experiences were on the island, both mentally and physically (I loved how Ollie was visibly scared across his body as a result of his experiences). Over the course of his time on the island Ollie teams up with Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) and Shado (Celina Jade), in what ends up being a guerilla war against mercenaries lead by Edward Fyers (Sebastian Dunn). Ollies surprise bonding with Slade further showed the shows writers ability to push well-known characters away from the canon that we all know them for, surprisingly drastically improving the show in the process. Truth be told I would have happily watched an entire series just based on Ollie's time on the island.

In a very "Sam Raimi's Green Goblin/Spider-Man" way, the main antagonist of the season ended up being the father of Ollie's best friend, Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), who was not only the mysterious Dark Archer but also the kingpin behind "The Undertaking", a plot that would completely destroy the Glades, the crime ridden area of Starling City. All of which came to an excited head in the two-parter season final. Mirroring this, flashback-Ollie and his companions are also attempting to stop Fyers from starting an international incident on the island. This action packed end to the season was perfectly complimented with emotional scenes between key characters, with shocking twists and an even more shocking end result.

All in all Arrow was a surprisingly strong Superhero show, which only gained in strength as the season progressed to the end of its 24 episode run. Early worries surrounding the show aimlessly treading the same old ground that we've seen many similar shows cover in the past, were quickly put to rest. However, there's still plenty of room for improvements to be made in the recently renewed second season.

Some of the villains were far too underdeveloped, even well known Canon ones from the comics, which left me disappointed and feeling that they need to focus more attention on them in the future. The same could be said with other interesting minor characters of the show, such as Roy Harper (Colton Haynes), who have some real potential to be developed much further. I also feel that their attempt to make the Green Arrow darker and gritter, much akin to the Nolan Batman universe, took some of the more wittier and comical aspects of the Green Arrow character, which I would personally like to see steadily introduced to the character in future seasons. Additionally, I don't see the need for these type of shows to refrain from calling their heroes by their comic book names, the producers of the show already claiming he will never be known as 'Green Arrow'; Smallville was also guilty of this.

Taking a somewhat minor character (in comparison to the likes of Batman or Superman) and creating such a well structured show will hopefully prompt Warner Brothers to branch out and perhaps follow through with television adaptations based on some of DC's other heroes, rather than dropping them from production before they really begin. But with all that said and done, what was my final impression of Arrow?

4 Rebel symbols out of 5!

A promising start to a show that varies between brave new ground and canon material. The show develops along with the characters throughout the series, becoming something quite special by the end. Can't wait for season 2!

Rebel Film Review: The Incredible Hulk

Marvel's "Phase Two" officially kicked off recently with the release of Iron Man 3, so naturally I wanted to see the film (I had wanted to since seeing Iron Man 2!), and even more naturally I wanted to review it immediately after. But even though I've seen it I've held back on the review, as difficult as it's been. It felt as if it'd be a travesty if I didn't first review all of its predecessors before I got to it, and the more I think about it the more I agree! So next up in my review series of Marvel's "Phase One" saga, we are reminded who we shouldn't make angry and the reasons why:

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Directed by Louis Leterrier

Running Time: 112 minutes

Scientist Bruce Banner is living in the shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone - nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross. Our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued by the abomination, a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match the Hulk's own, and a fight of comic-book proportions ensues, threatening New York city with total destruction! - Synopsis

We can't talk about the Hulk without first QUICKLY touching on Ang Lee's 'Hulk' film from back in 2003. Which despite being a relative success in terms of money and mixed to positive reviews from critics, was almost universally panned by fans. This leads us to this film, The Incredible Hulk, which is a REBOOT and in no ways a sequel that is tied to the first film. Maybe I'll also do a side review of Ang Lee's 'Hulk' at some point, but for now we'll focus on the task at hand.

The films opening credits are met with a flashback sequence that quickly explains the entire "Bruce Banner/Hulk" origins. General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) meets with Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton), the colleague and lover of his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler), regarding an experiment that is meant, Ross claims, to make humans immune to gamma radiation. The experiment fails and exposes Banner to huge amounts of gamma radiation, and the Hulk is born. This theme, as well as many others within this reboot, not only tied in very well to themes both established in the popular 1970s live-action TV series and the comics, but also what would later be other Marvel films - part of an operation Ross hopes will restart Dr. Abraham Erskine's failed "super soldier" program that created Captain America.

The film finally starts five years later with Banner already isolated and on the run from the U.S. Military, hiding Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, where he is attempting to create a cure for himself. This is an unusual take on a reboot film. To (almost) completely skip the focus characters origins in a first film is relatively unheard of, yet at the same time I think that's where the films initial strength lies. By doing this it allows us to forgo the sometimes tediously slow paced beginnings and jump straight into the thick of the developed action, and for those who are new to the character the opening credits fill them in on the core details of the origin story, so they're not isolated and in the dark.

Through what comes across as a series of unfortunate events, a section of the U.S. Military run by General Ross discover Banners location and moves in to capture him, and this is when we are introduced to the films main antagonist. Emily Blonsky (Tim Roth), an ageing yet extremely experienced and praised soldier, is part of the team that are tasked with capturing Banner, which looks possible until the inevitable happens and the Hulk bursts out from within the fugitive scientist; it is their failure to capture him, and his jealously at the Hulks strength in comparison to his own ageing body, that starts the obsession that quickly develops Blonsky into the films antagonist.

A lot of emphasis is placed on the tension surrounding Banner being constantly on the run from the near obsessive General Ross, and later, the strain that has on his relation with his daughter - Banner's love interest. But it's the details surrounding the Hulk, rather than his Human counterpart, that really stand out to me in this film. Every time Banner "Hulks out" there is a lot of focus on how drastic a thing it is, and not just because of the rampage the Hulk almost always inevitably goes on. Banner quite literally has to restart his life each time he transforms, always finding himself in a strange new location as the Hulk often makes insanely large leaps into neighbouring states or countries, near naked and in need of new clothes, and in need of a new lab to once again begin his search for a cure.

This is further emphasised by heart monitor that Banner wears or the "days without incident" counter that gives the audience a sense of time-frame and how important it is for Banner not to transform; even when the Military are chasing him through the city you can see that he's consciously aware of his heart-rate, trying not to transform even though the Hulk could help him to escape very easily.

Time progresses and Bruce is once again in America searching for the data from the original experiment, Blonsky has been injected with a low dose of a rehashed version of the "Super Soldier" serum, the soldiers are closing in on Banner, and the first confrontation has all but been set up. The CGI for the Hulk wasn't terrible, in fact I felt that the definition on the Hulks muscles were particularly excellent, the but in a post-Avatar world it falls short. However, it's the sheer size difference when the Hulk goes up against Blonsky that really helps redefine the scale of how we perceive the Hulk. This is the first time we fully see the Hulk, both visually and for what he really is. 

There is a scene shortly after the confrontation where the Hulk is hiding with Betty in the mountains, and a thunderstorm scares and angers him. He aggressively throws a boulder at the sky, standing between the storm and Betty and holding out a protective arm. Here you really get a sense of how much of a primal force the Hulk actually is, yet with some soothing words from Betty the beast calms right down and simply sits next to her silently, which flips the coin and shows you just how much of Banner still plays an active part while transformed. You get a real sense of Jekyll and Hyde within the character, though far more intertwined with each other.

But things in the story rapidly move towards the final climax of the film. Banner tracks down Mr. Blue, Professor Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who has been helping Banner to formulate a cure for his condition, which has now been perfected enough for testing. The cure works, causing the Hulk to revert back to Banner from a controlled episode. However, the army close in and capture Banner, Blonsky forces Sterns to inject him with Banner's gamma infused blood, and when it mixes with the rehashed "Super Soldier" serum already enhancing Blonsky, the resulting creation is an "Abomination".

During this scene, when Banner is potentially being cured, we finally see the transformation that Banner undergoes when he turns into the Hulk. Previously it had been done while obscured by smoke or shadows, but this time we see it fully while he's strapped onto a table. It's only now as we visibly see and hear the Humans bones cracking, breaking and resetting to form the much larger Hulk, that we truly get some concept of the physical toll that the transformation has on his body and how much it must truly effect Banner each time it happens.

But finally the Hulk has an adversary that is on equal grounds, if not slightly superior to him, rather than countless numbers of unnamed soldiers with guns that we know won't even slow the Hulk down. This is an important part in the characters development, as it's when we really first seem the film attempt to fully establish the idea of Hulk as a (anti)hero, which is by no means easy. But by giving the now potentially cured Bruce the choice between living a normal life with the woman he loves, cured of the Hulk and re-embracing the Hulk within to stop the Abomination and save innocent people? This allows the character to step up (or rather literally fall down, in this case) and make the self-sacrifice needed to become that hero (this is further touched upon in the very final scene of the film, which - looking back post-Avengers - does tie in quite remarkably).

The final climax is everything that we want and expect from a Hulk film, as is the film in general when you break it down; an all-out action explosion that reboots the characters from the film in the clearly unified Marvel film universe, with links to both Captain America and Iron Man present within the film (including a after credit cameo from none other than Tony Stark). I would say that the CGI isn't perfect, that the acting can be somewhat one-dimensional (though that isn't always a bad thing in this film), and that watching it again after seeing the Avengers doesn't help me settle with Norton as Bruce Banner any more (I now can't help but prefer Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/the Hulk). But you don't go and see The Incredible Hulk for a dramatic and serious love story, you go for the destruction, for the anger, and to see Hulk smash! And the film certainly delivers in that respect.

3 Rebel Symbols out of 5!

Possibly the weakest link in ongoing saga, especially post-Avengers. But if you're looking for unbridled destruction and high-octane battles between monsters, The Incredible Hulk is right up your street.

Rebel Book Review: The Dragon Reborn (Wheel Of Time Book 3)

Pages 675

Originally published on 15th September 1991

The Land is One with the Dragon - and the Dragon is One with the Land. The Shadow lies across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One has turned all of his power against the prison that binds him. If it fails he will escape and nothing will stand in the storm that blows then...save the man that was born to battle the darkness: Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn. But to wage his war Rand must find Callandor, ancient Sword of the Dragon...and the Forsaken will shatter the world to thwart him. - Synopsis

The Dragon Reborn is book three of fifteen (if you include the prequel) in an Epic-Fantasy series known as the 'The Wheel of Time', a series that many believe to be the greatest series in the fantasy genre that has ever been written. I haven't finished the series yet, so my review will focus entirely on this book, and I will do my best to avoid any spoilers or vague hints. However, if you have not read the first two books (and still wish to) then I would recommend caution with this review, as there may be spoilers.

There were many things that made the third book in the series interesting, but most prominently for me it was the fact that this was the first time in which Jordan truly hands the reins of the story over to the other characters that we've grown to love. Unlike The Great Hunt, the story wasn't as contained, and if you look beyond the world and character building that happens in it, you'll probably notice that not a lot happens in terms of story. However, that's where the strength of this book lies - in the development and placement of the characters. Each one moving into their own stories, positioning themselves where they will no doubt need to be for the rest of the series, preparing them for the troubles and situations they'll face, their actions subtly adding to and changing the overarching plot; after all, Ta'veren weave the will of the pattern all around them.

Rand, though the primary catalyst for the entire plot, is removed from a majority of the action in The Dragon Reborn, which is a surprising improvement on the story; especially considering the books namesake. We hardly get a chapter with Rand as the point of view character after the beginning of the book, and instead focus is turned towards Mat, Perrin, Egwene and Nynaeve. I've always liked Rand as a character, but it's in Jordan's ability to juggle multiple points of views as other characters begin to branch out on their own, shifting the focus of the series, that really helps give the reader a glimpse into the sheer magnitude of the world and story that Jordan is trying to tell. You steadily begin to get the feeing that it may be some time before all these characters see each other again and that their own, personal quests are only just beginning; the story is no longer just about Rand, no, it is the end of an age, and this is the first time we truly come to understand this.

By book three I'm still noticing that the prose Jordan often uses may still be a problem for some readers. His articulate use of words often varies between exquisite to average, and his use of detail can still feel bloated and unnecessary at times, perhaps even going as far as getting in the way of simply telling us the story that he wishes to tell. I always felt that these issues were especially strong with chapters focusing on Rand and Perrin, perhaps even more so with the female characters, but with Mat this doesn't seem to be the case, most noticeably in this book.

We see Mat return to his cheeky and cheerful self in this third instalment, much as he was for part of the first book, and with Mat's point of view chapters comes a much looser style of writing from Jordan. The writing feels just as we would expect it to feel if it were to come from within Mat's head, if still a little excessively long at points, and that's one of the joys of the book in my opinion; the way that the books style often changes, if only slightly, with each different character.

By now it's become clearly apparently that there is one area that Jordan always seems to excels in, and that is the endings of his books. Each book has ended with a bang and this one was no different. All of the characters begin to unknowingly converge on each other, as if the weaving of a tapestry nears completion. We quickly begin to see the bigger picture and how well Jordan controls all of this, so when the pieces actually move in context it is satisfying in a way that is hard to describe. The only slight I can see with the ending to this story was the now seemingly mandatory battle between good and evil, though yet again with good reason in regards to the ongoing plot.

When reading up about this book, I stumbled upon a bit of information that claims that the Wheel of Time was originally intended to be a trilogy, with the ending of this book culminating at the end of book one (The Eye of the World). It shows us that Jordan originally bit off more than he believed he'd have to chew and that it clearly took him far longer to get his points across than he had intended, perhaps because of the bloated detail he is often guilty of using, but I personally think the series is all the better for this extra development and detail.

In conclusion, I think that The Dragon Reborn is an great addition to the series and one that finally sees the scope of this adventure become truly epic - thanks to the sublime and much needed development of the other characters, mostly largely and surprisingly taking Rand out of the equation during this book, which made me far more sympathetic to the apparent initial stages of his decent into madness. Of the three books thus far, I feel that The Dragon Reborn was the most inconsistent; it had some interesting highs with the new and interesting focus on the other characters, and some lulling lows in world and story development. Overall (perhaps in part to the adrenaline rush the books ending gave me) the book was more than interesting enough for me to instantly start the next book in the series and, ultimately, isn't that what's truly important in a book series?

3 ½ Rebel symbols out of 5!

Though the weakest in the series so far (in my opinion), the sheer amount of varying storylines and character development of this book, not to mention the ending, make this a worth-while read and a good addition to the series.

Rebel TV Show Review: 'The Climb' (Game of Thrones - S3EP06)

Having finally reached episode 6 we now know that we're steadily closing in towards the end of season 3. But now that we're over the half-way mark, does that mean the best has already happened for this season? Is it all down hill for the epic-fantasy show that is Game of Thrones? I seriously doubt that, though this episode may not show that in the best of lights.

As said previously, I am a HUGE fan of both the books and the television series, so I will be reviewing each episode of season three as and when they come out. There'll be spoilers, there'll be opinions, I'm going to try and compare the content from the episodes to the content in the books, and after this season finishes I'm going to bring everything together and list all ten episodes in order of best to worst.

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

So far this season we've had twists, we've had turns, we've had surprises, we've had a plethora of amazingly cast and well played new characters, we've had action packed battles, brilliant character development, and we've even had spectacular visual effects. Some would say that we've been spoiled with this show, and I would agree with them. That being said some of the previous episodes of this season have set an incredibly high bar to match, perhaps too high of a bar. In comparison, does that now change how we look at the somewhat less exciting episodes? Perhaps a little, but we have to try and look at each episode what what they are, not what the previous episode was.

With that being said, lets summarise this episode:

Gendry is in trouble. Robb bargains on a knifes edge with the Freys. Theon is still being tortured. Littlefinger gets one up on Varys. Jon and Ygritte make a dangerous climb.

I'll begin things with Gendry, and in a bad turn for the young bastard the Red Lady, Melisandre (Carice van Houten), shows up. She is taken to Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) by Thoros (Paul Kaye) and is shocked to learn of the six deaths that he had suffered, that she has seemingly been outclassed by the drunken priest. This scene leads us into some more back-story of Thoros and the religion that he and the Red Lady share, which really helps to make the entire world that much more richer. There's also a part where Beric explains that he was met with nothing but darkness after each time he died, which really does set the tone for the show as a whole; if there's no world beyond this one, especially with so many varying religions claiming there is, then life is truly important for the characters in an often merciless show.

It turns out that she has come to them for a reason, that reason being Gendry (Joe Dempsie), and after paying a substantial gift to the Botherhood without Banners Melisandre takes Gendry captive, likely to offer him as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light like she has done to many of Roberts bastards by this point. Both Arya (Maisie Williams) and Gendry call out the Brotherhood Without Banners for failing to practice what they preach, but it falls on death ears and Gendry is taken away. Now this scene was not in the books at all - I checked. In fact, Gendry has quite the extended stint with the Brotherhood in the books, even getting Knighted at one point. In some ways I prefer this take, as it's no doubt going to prove to be excellent character development for both Gendry (who constantly takes a bit of a back-seat in the books) and for Arya. Though I am interested to see where this unexpected turn of events goes.

King Robb (Richard Madden), Edmure (Tobias Menzies), the Blackfish (Clive Russell), and Lady Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), meet with Lothar (Tom Brooke) and Black Walder Frey (Tim Plester) to discuss the terms for the alliance needed by Robb to attack Casterly Rock. Because Robb broke his oath to marry one of his daughters, Lord Walder Frey demands a formal apology from Robb, the castle of Harrenhal and everything that comes with the lands, and that Edmure is to marry one of his daughters in recompense. Robb agrees to the terms and eventually so does Edmure, after some convincing.

This is a tough scene to watch, in many ways because it is somewhat confusing. Lord Frey has previously been pinned as someone that shouldn't be crossed or slighted, yet he seems willing, if not eagerly so, to forgive Robb and to form this alliance. It almost seems too good to be true, but will it prove to be or are the Freys far more trustworthy than we were first lead to believe? I fear we will find out, one way or another, before this season is done.

Futher North, or is it South? It's still a mystery where Theon is being held. We are once again faced with a scene that is particularly gruesome in its themes. The mysterious boy (Iwan Rheon) is continuing to torture Theon (Alfie Allen), in which he plays a sick and twisted game with his prisoner; Theon wins the game if he can guess who his torturer is and why he is doing it, and the boy wins the game if Theon begs him to cut off his little finger. We learn two things from this scene: that the boy lies and that Theon loses the game. We still do not know who his captor is (though I gather many of you have guessed by now), and without it confirmed we still don't know where or how to link this plot into the many other storylines that are happening across the land. However, these sets of scenes have the feeling that they're coming to a high point in the near future, so maybe that'll help shed some light.

Probably the most interesting scene in this episode, if you ask me, was the one shared between Varys (Conleth Hill) and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) in the throne room. Littlefinger reveals he has bested Varys by putting a stop to his plans to wed Sansa and Loras, and that he has known about Varys's spy all along, having given her to Joffrey to play out one of his sick fantasy's. It then breaks away to show Joffrey and the now dead Ros (Esme Bianco), having been shot several times by the young Kings crossbow.

It was a shame to see Ros meet her fate in the show, as I personally thought the character still had some areas to delve into - even if the character was purely created for the show. Either way, this chilling scene really shows just how twisted King Joffrey is, and how unrelentingly cruel the ambitious Littlefinger can be. As well as all this, all pretences and covers are dropped in this scene, and a unmistakeably serious air suddenly appears between two characters that have constantly been going back and forth at each other since season 1.

"I did what I did for the good of the realm." Varys states in a serious tone, which only seems to amuse Littlefinger. And as chilling music begins to play, Littlefinger hits us with what is probably the quote of the episode. "Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, they cling to the realm or the gods or love. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is." there's no mistaking the length Littlefinger will now go to make his ambitions a reality, but I'm left with the feeling that Varys hasn't yet begun to play his part in the Game of Thrones.

And with those chilling words, we rapidly fly north to another climb. We are treated to Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and a few of the other Wildlings making the dangerous climb up the Wall. As I've said before I've read the books so I often know what's about to happen, but with some of the major changes to this season and how well this scene had been done, I found myself unsure as to whether or not Jon or Ygritte would survive this scene. This was especially true when after an accident leaves Ygritte and Jon hanging from the Wall by the rope that ties them together, Orell (Mackenzie Crook) cuts the rope, Jon only just managing to secure himself to the Wall, saving Ygritte.

However, it is when the two finally reach the top of the Wall that this scene truly reaches its peak. Lovers from different lands coming together, despite their differences, is a story told as far back as Humans learned how to tell stories, but this cliché theme has had new life breathed into it like Beric Dondarrion by this scene. The visual effects really helps to grant us a glimpse into the scope that the show so often only alludes to, as we get to share a first time experience with Ygritte as she see's the spectacular views beyond both sides of the Wall from this staggering height.

I feel that the scenes with Jon Snow have been lacking since season 1, which is a shame since he is my favourite character in the books, but it's scenes like this one that really do turn that around. With what we've learned so far about his storyline, we can only hope that the rest of the season has lots more of interesting scenes for him, the Wildlings and the men of the Night's Watch.

Besides that there were a few other scenes of interest that I've not mentioned. Jaime's (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) ever-shifting circumstances seem on the verge of yet another change, as Lord Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) offers to send him back to King's Landing simply to escape the wrath of Tywin when he learns of his son's mutilation, but refuses to free Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) as well, much to Jamie's open protests. And the inevitable showdown between Olenna Redwyne of House Tyrell (Diana Rigg) and Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) finally came to be. Even matched, with both managing to play their cards at exactly the right moment to make the other uncomfortable, though in this battle it is Tywin Lannister who proves the victor.

Episode 6 was an interesting episode to say the least, but in my opinion it lacked some of the lustre that previous episodes have had, whether in terms of twists in the plot or action. It seems more like an episode that is there to gear us to the possibilities of the events in future episodes, a bridge of sorts, and though that is vital to good storytelling it still leaves us feeling as if other episodes in the season were more entertaining. Some die-hard fans of the books may also dislike how some aspects of this episode greatly vary from the narrative of the books.

3 ½ Rebel symbols out of 5!

By no means a bad episode, you'll enjoy episode 6 for what it is: an interesting and sometimes exciting bridge on several ongoing plots.

Rebel Film Review: Iron Man

Marvel's "Phase Two" officially kicked off recently with the release of Iron Man 3, so naturally I wanted to see the film (I had wanted to since seeing Iron Man 2!), and even more naturally I wanted to review it immediately after. But even though I've seen it I've held back on the review, as difficult as it's been. It felt as if it'd be a travesty if I didn't first review all of its predecessors before I got to it, and the more I think about it the more I agree! So here we go, kicking off my review series of Marvel's "Phase One" with the very first film in the ongoing saga:

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Directed by Jon Favreau

Running Time: 126 minutes

After surviving an unexpected attack in enemy territory, jet-setting industrialist Tony Stark builds a high-tech suit of armour and vows to protect the world as Iron Man. Straight from the pages of the legendary comic book, Iron Man is a hero who is built - not born - to be unlike any other! - Synopsis

When Iron Man was first announced my initial reaction was excitement. I had never been a huge Iron Man fan as a kid, but I had always appreciated any and all things superhero or comic related, and a new addition to the seemingly ever-growing list of live action superhero films was a welcome one. But that thought was also worrying. By that point we hadn't, in my opinion, had a decent superhero film since Spider-Man 2 back in 2004! And by the time Iron Man was about to be released there had been an additional 5 co-produced Marvel films that had been released that had all been WAY below par. Nevertheless, Marvel was producing this film on their own and it was their first film doing that, so why did my hopes remain optimistic for Iron Man? One reason; Robert Downey Jr. being cast as Tony Stark.

Robert Downey Jr. as a narcissistic, egotistical, alcoholic, playboy superhero? I don't think any character in any film adaptation has ever been so well cast. It was almost as if Iron Man back in March 1963, when he made his first appearance in issue 39 of 'Tales of Suspense', had originally been created just so the character could be played by Robert Downey Jr.; he even grew his facial hair to match the trademark moustache and goatee Tony Stark is known for. Its well known that Downey Jr. has struggled with addiction problems throughout his life, which made his connection to the character that much more intense and noticeable on the screen. Was he a gamble? Perhaps, but a beautiful one. Did the gamble pay off? Undoubtedly.

We begin in a war-torn Afghanistan, Tony Stark there for a demonstration of a new weapon that Stark Industries has created for the United States military. However, their convoy is attacked, Stark is critically wounded and then imprisoned in a cave by a terrorist organisation known as 'Ten Rings' (an early nod to all you Mandarin fans out there). His life saved by Yinsen (Shaun Toub), a scientist who has also been captured, who then grafts an electromagnet into Stark's chest to keep the inoperable pieces of shrapnel from reaching his heart and killing him. Stark, his life now saved, finds himself surrounded by illegally obtained weapons from his company, and is forced to create missiles for his continued survival. But Stark doesn't accept his doomed fate and instead of making weapons he creates the Mark I Iron Man suit, using it to escape captivity. 

This is where Favreau's film really shines, the characters origin aspect. Its gritty and shows a side of our hero that isn't expected (for those who don't know the character well), not to mention Stark is nothing short of completely awesome. It isn't until he's hurt, captured and completely out of his comfort zone that we can finally begin to relate to him. Though relatively early on in the film, the transition from the unquestionably carefree, reckless womaniser, to the caring, selfless hero we eventually come to know, was just done fantastically, because we make the journey with him it makes it that much more enjoyable.

Back in America Tony Stark calls a press conference and announces that Stark Industries will no longer be building weapons, much to the utter shock of all present; it is here, or just before, that we are introduced to his assistant and clear love interest, Virginia "Pepper" Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and the equally clear antagonist, mentor and business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). The acting from both of them was good, more so from Jeff Bridges, but their characters were far too obvious and lack development; I can't be the only one who knew Obadiah was the big bad guy from the first moment we all saw his bald, bearded head. Not forgetting Stark's best friend Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard), who we met slightly earlier in the film, and who also acts as a counter-balance to Tony Stark's personality - almost his polar opposite.

The next part of the film may just very well be my favourite. Tony Stark begins to create the Iron Man suit we all know and love. We're met with this really cool set of scenes where he begins to build from his original design, only now he has the time, equipment and resources to do it properly. We see him refine the designs and the technology, step-by-step, as he creates the Mark II Iron Man suit. There are a few really good scenes where he's testing bits of the armour, and hilarity obviously ensues - thanks mostly to Downey Jr's fantastic comedic timing and improvisation. This side of the character, his pure genius, might be my favourite side of Tony Stark. I don't know about any of you, but I found myself mesmerised by the process of him working and how he built the armour.

Finally the armour is completed and it's almost as we all know it to look, which leads to some interesting reminders about Tony Stark as a character. He refuses to listen to "J.A.R.V.I.S." (voiced by Paul Bettany), a sophisticated A.I. system created by Stark that's - humorously - an acronym for "Just A Rather Very Intelligent System", when the A.I. advises that the suit not be used until safety checks had been run. We then get this really fast-paced scene where an overly excited Tony Stark recklessly uses his suit for the first time; like a child with new toy on Christmas morning. But this comes to an abrupt end when we're shown that the suit has a major flaw in that it freezes when he flies too high. Tony Stark's genius is far from perfect, but the failure spurs him on to the creation of the Mark III Iron Man suit, and finally my excitement is at fever-pitch; Iron Man has arrived and the suit looks as good as I ever could have imagined it would. 

The latter part of the film is incredibly predictable, especially in regards to the films obligatory villain. In the last battle Obadiah has a much larger Iron Man suit (uncredited as Ironmonger, as he's known in the comics), created by having stolen the broken Mark I Iron Man Suit from earlier in the film, which he then uses to try and kill Stark. There are action packed scenes of fighting, self-sacrifices and despite how this now all too familiar notion has been done countless times by this point, it still doesn't disappoint. 

Iron Man as a whole is an incredible amount of fun, and doesn't go awry like many other superhero films have in the past, and there is a much grander feeling to Iron Man as a superhero. He isn't a teenager who's fighting petty criminals while stalking city streets or a hero that's in it for glory and appreciation but rather someone who's taken a stand against global injustice. Even his opening scene as a hero is away from the eyes of the world and instead in a small Afghanistan village, saving villagers that can't even speak English. It's a refreshing change from what we've had previously, and Tony Stark revealing to the public that he is Iron Man?! That was a twist I just didn't see coming 

Tony Stark is a man who's got flaws, DEEP flaws, and the film touches upon this well, though I would have preferred if they had focused on them a bit more than they had. It leaves you with the distinct feeling that the future of the franchise will have a lot to work with, especially if you notice some of the more geeky references that are hidden throughout. This fact is especially true with the after credit scene, where we are introduced to the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who with one line sets us all on an almost five year long roller-coaster of speculation and excitement that only recently culminated; "I want to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative."

4 Rebel Symbols out of 5!

Though fantastic and refreshing in parts, with incredible action scenes and Robert Downey Jr. on perfect form, the films second half struggles to be anything other than predictable. Does it matter? Hell no. Watch this film!

Rebel TV Show Review: 'Kissed By Fire' (Game of Thrones - S3EP05)

So here we are, at the mid-way point of season 3. I'm going to keep this opening paragraph short so we can both jump straight into main bulk of this review! Because yet again, in true Game of Thrones style, this episode is full of interesting moments that are just begging to be spoken about!

As said previously, I am a HUGE fan of both the books and the television series, so I will be reviewing each episode of season three as and when they come out. There'll be spoilers, there'll be opinions, I'm going to try and compare the content from the episodes to the content in the books, and after this season finishes I'm going to bring everything together and list all ten episodes in order of best to worst.

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

I thoroughly enjoyed season 1 and 2 of 'Game of Thrones'. I remember telling people, both those who watch the show and those who I were trying to convince to watch it, that season 1 was the best television I had ever seen. I ended up repeating that comment at the end of season 2, having to redefine the scale of how amazing it had been, it having surpassed all expectations. I now know I will once again be telling everyone the same thing when season 3 comes to it's inevitable finish. And so without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you my quick-fire summary of the episode:

Fire's are being started. Stannis' wife is insane. Robb finally steps into Eddards boots. Jon Snow knows SOMETHING! Jamie steals the show.

I'll begin where the episode begins, with the long awaited trial by combat between Ser Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) and Sandor "the Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann)! I vividly remember this scene in the books and it was every bit as exhilarating and intense as it was to read, if not more so. Before the battle even takes place Thoros (Paul Kaye) aids Dondarrion by setting his sword ablaze, much to the Hounds utter fear and disbelief. However the battle isn't a long one, and after an impressive start it is Dondarrion that is cut down and killed by Clegane. Shock resonates through the Brotherhood without Banners and Arya (Maisie Williams) wastes no time in pulling a weapon and moving to kill Clegane herself, but is stopped by Gendry (Joe Dempsie) before she can. In an unexpected twist the three are then astounded to find that Dondarrion has been resurrected by Thoros! The Hound is then freed, his victory taken as righteous proof of his innocence.

I find two things particularly interesting about this scene: the first is how well the Hounds pyrophobia (fear of fire) is portrayed in this scene when he is surprisingly attacked with a sword kissed by fire. I think it might even be shown somewhat better than it was done in the Battle of the Blackwater. The second is the fact that we finally get some sort of idea about Thoros truly being a Red Priest! Unlike Melisandre, the Red Lady, who so far has only really used her powers for darker purposes, Thoros instead sets a blade alight and even brings Dondarrion back from the dead (six times so far in total, as we later find out); it is almost as if Melisandre and Thoros are near polar opposites. I'm interested to see how this religion and the powers within it develop as the story continues.

We are finally introduced to Queen Selyse Baratheon (Tara Fitzgerald) and Princess Shireen Baratheon (Kerry Ingram) in this episode, and within the first minute of each of them being on screen I was instantly able to get a full interpretation of how their characters are. King Stannis (Stephen Dillane) confesses his infidelity to his wife, his honour getting the best of him, but to his - and my - surprise she already knows, and is perfectly fine with it; in fact she encourages it. We begin to get a larger picture of just how much the Lord of Light and that entire religion is truly shaping the events of the land and the people within it. If her reaction wasn't enough to show how insane Selyse is, the unborn foetuses of her sons casually floating in jars to one side of her chambers do; I think she's officially made my top ten list of twisted characters for the show.

In contrast I found Shireen to be absolutely adorable. Locked away in her chambers by her mother, who is disgusted by her because of the disfigurement at the hands of the Grayscale disease she suffered from as a smaller child, Shireen is still a happy little thing. Smiling and excited to see her father, we get a clear sense that Stannis loves his daughter even if his wife doesn't; it's quite the touching moment, showing a softer side to the hardened Baratheon King. Upon hearing that her friend, Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham), has been imprisoned for being a traitor, she ventures to the dungeons to visit him, and in an even more touching scene she begins to teach the poor Onion Knight how to read. I hope to see more of Shireen and Davos in future episodes.

The Young Wolf and King of the North, Robb Stark (Richard Madden), finds himself in a difficult position at Riverrun, his entire army seemingly crumbling all around him. Lord Rickard Karstark (John Stahl), still bitter over the death of his sons at the hands of Jamie Lannister and the Lannister forces, murders the two young Lannister captives - Martyn and Willem Lannister (Dean-Charles Chapman and Timothy Gibbons). Despite the advice from Queen Talisa (Oona Chaplin), Lady Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), and Lord Edmure (Tobias Menzies), who all beg him to hold Karstark as a prisoner in fear of losing those loyal to the Karstarks, Robb opts for the honourable path. Having committed treason against his King, Karstark is sentenced to death and Robb personally beheads him.

This scene is a powerful one because it instantly draws similarities from when Robb's father, Eddard Stark, did a similar thing in the very first episode of the first season. Never so much before now do we get a sense of just how well Robb has stepped into his late fathers shoes. However, knowing that he no longer has the forces to take the Lannisters on in a direct conflict, Robb comes up with the risky move to conquer Casterly Rock while the Lannisters are not there in force. But how can he achieve such a thing with his army in tatters? He intends to forge an alliance with Lord Walder Frey, the man who controls the Twins and whose daughter Robb had originally vowed to marry. A risky move? Only time will tell, but Walder Frey doesn't seem the type to let go of such large slights so easily...

Surprisingly, beyond the Wall things are just as hot as elsewhere in Westeros. After playfully stealing his sword and running into a cave, Ygritte (Rose Leslie) removes her clothes and tells Jon Snow (Kit Harington) that she is going to have him. It seems as if the sight of her like that wipes clean the rest of Jon's honour to his oath and the two have sex in quite the steamy scene. Apparently Jon know knows how to please a lady, even though he is just losing his virginity; he stuck her with his pointy end. It's an important moment in Jon Snow's development, for deeper reasons I won't go into detail about just yet, but I feel that even with this scene being done well, his story as a whole is not getting nearly enough time focused on it. Then again, neither are the other stories near and beyond the Wall, so lets hope that they fix this soon.

I'm going to finish with what I believe to be one of the greatest scenes the show has had to date, and perhaps the best performance by a cast member. After having the diseased flesh on his wound cut off in an agonising scene, Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is taken to the baths of Harrenhal, where Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) is also bathing. After a little tension, a seemingly delirious Jamie recounts the unknown truth behind the tale of how he killed the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen. After warning the Mad King of his fathers intentions to sack Kings Landing when it appeared that Robert's Rebellion could not be stopped, Aerys ignored the warning and allowed Tywin Lannister and his forces into the capital. Under the guise of protecting his King, Tywin instead did just as Jamie had imagined and began to take the city.

In a mad fit of desperation the Mad King told his advisors to burn the entire capital city, detonating stores of Wildfire that had secretly been hidden beneath the entire span of Kings Landing. Faced with a conflict between his morality and his oath to protect the King, Jamie stabbed Aerys in the back and slit his throat for good measure, opting to silently protect the people of the city at the expense of forever being known as the "Kingslayer". His emotions rising, Jamie stands and begins to faint, Brienne catching him; “Help, the Kingslayer!” she calls as he lays in her arms. “Jaime,” he groggily replies. “My name is Jaime.” just before fainting.

I was blown away by this scene, and especially from the performance by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. I have always felt he's played an outstanding Jamie Lannister - he's witty, crude, charming, and a man we just love to hate. But in some of the best character development I've ever seen, he has rapidly started to become more and more likeable, culminating in this scene where I not only feel bad for the guy, but also respect and even like him; this a character who's sired incestuous children and pushed another out of a window! Now if that's not powerful acting and amazing writing I don't know what is.

There were also some other powerful scenes in this episode, such as Arya having a moment with Gendry as well as asking Thoros if he could bring back a man who's been beheaded (referring to Eddard), or a particularly interesting scene with an unexpected twist where Lord Tywin (Charles Dance) informs Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) that he will be forced to marry Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Cersei (Lena Headey) will also be forced to marry Ser Loras (Finn Jones), much to the utter dismay of both of them. A few other minor scenes that I've not mentioned were also interesting, but all in all I really enjoyed this episode. I think the perfect performance by Jamie really sealed it for me, and almost helped this episode claim my current favourite from this season - but not quite.

4 ½ Rebel symbols out of 5!

A very interesting episode with a show stealing performance from Jamie Lannister. Though somewhat lacking in fast paced action in comparison to other episodes, this one stands tall with the best of this seasons so far.