Frankenstein Is Alive And Well!

I’m a bit late to the party here, but last night I watched Victor Frankenstein, starring James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe, and I have to say, it was amazing!

I had high hopes for this film, for several reasons. One, because it’s Frankenstein and so I know the story pretty well, two, the trailer looked pretty damn good, and three it’s James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe. I was not disappointed in the slightest; the film completely lived up to expectations and then some!

With most cinematic adaption’s of classics like Frankenstein, the story either falls flat, or there’s something missing from the piece, but this one didn't. There was the right amount of humour, the right amount of gore, and the right amount of plot. Usually, one of those things are missing - take the recent adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde, it was poorly acted with cartoon violence at best, and a completely obvious plot line it was almost laughable. Frankenstein Chronicles looks good but I feel like the story is going to drag itself out (and isn’t focusing on the mad scientist, who is arguably the most important character of the entire story). But Victor Frankenstein actually focuses on Frankenstein himself (and Igor obviously) and tells the story of his first attempts at making the famous monster.

This film, instead of going down the same old route of ‘Frankenstein creates monster, monster goes on rampage, Frankenstein gets killed in the end by the monster in supposedly dramatic but ultimately predictable way,’ goes down a rarely trodden story line. Victor Frankenstein tells the story of how Victor met Igor, and more importantly, the steps he took to create the monster. How the man started with bringing animals back before moving onto humans, how in the well known story, he got it all right first time, and how he didn’t escape notice from the police.

It’s an interesting route, one I didn't expect after seeing the trailer. I was expecting the usual story line of Frankenstein creating the fully made monster, but this was far more interesting. This showed his steps to creating that famous monster, where his funding originally came from, where Igor came from in the first place, and how the two went about creating a man out of various body parts. All the while having the right amount of gore to be disgusting, yet not off putting, which is perfect for this type of film!

James McAvoy is a brilliant Frankenstein; he’s rude and brilliant enough for the scientist, while still giving Victor the undercurrent of madness that would eventually be his undoing. More importantly, he made him sympathetic, in other versions I haven’t felt an ounce of sympathy for Frankenstein, because he’s generally been a complete ass with no redeeming qualities. James pulls of an enjoyable mad genius, who is still an ass, but he’s a loveable one, which makes all the difference.
Daniel Radcliffe is fantastic as Igor, going nowhere near the ‘yessssss master’ stereotype usually associated with Igor. Even the hunchback is dismissed within the first twenty minutes (in a gross fashion that even had me saying ‘ewwww’). I loved him as Igor, and loved the story the writers gave him, lifting the character from being a subservient slave to a well spoken, clever partner.

Andrew Scott’s detective character was the right amount of creepy, evil and just a tad bit mad too. I loved to hate him throughout, yet I still managed to feel a bit sympathetic for him too in places. Also the bit with his hand (won’t say what, in case of spoilers) had me cringing in pain for him. Andrew nailed the role.

There were a few cameos too, coming from a few other actors related to Andrew and director Paul McGuigan, which will make a lot of Sherlock fans happy. Mark Gattiss, Louise Brealey and Alister Petrie, also known as Mycroft Holmes, Molly Hooper and James Sholto. I knew all were coming into the film, yet each was a pleasant surprise. Paul McGuigan used similar editing techniques used on Sherlock, in terms of showing body parts under skin, topping the whole thing off beautifully. Any Sherlock fan will be pleased to see the familiar faces and techniques, and even if you aren’t a fan of the show, then you’ll still certainly love the film on the whole.

I’d highly recommend this film to anybody looking for a decent retelling of Frankenstein; it’s got everything - humour and gore in just the right amounts, storyline that for once doesn’t drag, and no completely obvious plot hole in sight! Better yet, the end leaves it open for a sequel, and I for one would be delighted to see another outing with Victor Frankenstein and Igor! 

Links And A Magical Consulting Detective.

So... it's been a while... I apologise for that, for some reason things got busy and when I did have the time for blogging, I had no inspiration. Current story of my life - 'I have time to write, yet I have no ideas/doubt my ideas... well damn, guess I'll just read all day.'
Anyway, I've decided to combine three blog posts into one, because I have time, and because I want to. My blog, my rules!
First things first, on Sunday, I finally bit the bullet and started uploading original fiction to Wattpad. I've been debating this for months, but have decided that it's a good idea to start uploading, because what have I got to lose? I've got ideas in my head, a novel series world to build, and the perfect place to start posting some short stories to hopefully gain some interest in my writing. So, I wrote my first 'worldbuilding' short story to my original novel series, and will hopefully continue to do so whenever I get the chance. If you want to check it out, the link is here. I've possibly not done everything I should have with posting it, but hey, I'm new, I'll work it out eventually. If anyone has some tips on how to use Wattpad though, please do drop me a message - I'm useless with new websites!
Another thing I've recently posted is my new vlog, this time about 'Beating Writers Block' which is a bit appropriate considering how blocked I've been lately. So I figured I'd make a vlog to a) lift my own block and b) help others with it too. I hope some of the tips in there help you guys out!
Finally on the links front, I've also set up an account on PeoplePerHour, where anybody can hire me (for a small fee) to proofread their work/write 'about me' pages, or anything like that. So if there's anything you need proofing, or written, come hire me.
Now that business is attended to, let's talk Magic Mike XXL and Mr Holmes. Two very different films, and two films I thoroughly enjoyed for completely different reasons.
I watched both yesterday back to back in the cinema with my best friend, because we love a bit of Sherlock Holmes (even though I'm die hard BBC and she's Elementary... I won't go into that, I'd be here forever) and we loved the first Magic Mike. So we thought, why not? Let's have a cinema day! And that's how we found ourselves in the cinema for six hours to watch two films of completely different genre.
I'll start first with Mr Holmes, because we saw that one first. To say that I wasn't expecting what I saw is an understatement. In my head, I expected Ian McKellin's version of Mr Holmes to be well, like my Sherlock Holmes, brash, bold, beautifully flawed. But instead, what we see is an old man, a very ill old man, trying to figure out one last case with the help of his housekeeper's son. At 93, Sherlock Holmes hasn't solved a case in thirty years, after one fateful case, yet he can't remember why it was his last case, just that it was. John wrote it down of course, as he did with all of their cases, but the ending to this particular one doesn't feel right to Mr Holmes. So he tries to remember and write it down himself, in between tending to his bees and recalling his trip to Japan for a Prickly Ash plant.
I won't tell you why he wants that particular tree, or what happens in the case, but I will say this. Mr Holmes is an incredibly sad film if you're a die hard Sherlock Holmes fan who loves the character. If you're like me, and have enough time on your hands to analyse whichever source material you love most (for me it's BBC all the way), coming to the conclusion that Sherlock Holmes is an incredibly lonely man, then this film was be just a tad bit devastating, and then some. The writers have admittedly messed with canon a lot, leading to only mentions and shots of John from the neck down, a two minute scene with Mycroft and a Mrs Hudson who never speaks. All of which makes Sherlock the centre of this film, instead of it being Sherlock-and-ensemble cast. In that sense, it was a new take on the original canon, yet at the same time, I want to condemn the writers for doing that, as I know in canon John retires with Sherlock in Sussex, Mrs Hudson does talk and while Mycroft is more in the shadows, he's still there, instead of leaving his poor brother to fend for himself in this big, dark world.
Yet, despite this, I did enjoy the film greatly. Having only seen modern BBC Sherlock and Robert Downey Jnr's versions (don't sue me Sherlockian purists) until the long awaited Victorian Christmas Special comes out, it was great to see this great character as Arthur Conan Doyle intended, just quite a few years older, and without his usual team behind him. Ian McKellin did not disappoint as Sherlock Holmes either, something I never doubted he would for a second. There was not one minute of Gandalf The Grey or Magneto reflected in his performance, I almost completely forgot he was also those characters. Ian really was Sherlock Holmes, and dare I say it, more believable than Robert Downey Jnr. Maybe because he was English and subtle in his deductions, maybe because I wasn't expecting him to turn into Iron Man at any given moment, either way, I thoroughly enjoyed Ian's performance as Sherlock Holmes.
So, while the film is incredibly sad for people who believe Sherlock Holmes to be a very isolated character in their own canon, and also had me begging to see a little bit of Sherlock's interactions with John Watson, I did enjoy it. Little Roger was a joy to watch, and the way they treat Sherlock's illness is heartbreaking and beautifully written. The little tie-ins to the canon are perfect (seeing Phil Davis - the killer in BBC's A Study In Pink was a lovely little touch to the BBC's most famous production of the stories) and the film did just enough to make it stand out against the masses of other adaptions. Well done Mr Holmes!
Magic Mike on the other hand, was a whole different ballgame. Whole different genre, whole different universe to Mr Holmes. Obviously set in the present, Magic Mike XXL focuses back on ex-stripper Mike, taking one last trip to Myrtle Beach with his old stripper gang to take part in the stripper convention. The entire crew have decided to pack in stripping and get normal jobs, and so have decided to go out on a high together, having one last dance together before they say goodbye to dancing and hello to the 9-5 grind (no pun intended).
Again, I won't give away too much, but the plot surprised me again, as the first one did too. When I walked in to both Magic Mike films, I was expecting a whole lot of hot naked men, lots of dancing and not much plot (not that I was complaining) but instead I got hot men with depth and differing personalities, a bit of stripping and a real plot line. This is not about a group of men who don't want anything but to strip for their entire lives, this is a group of men who love stripping, but want real jobs, real girlfriends, and to follow their passions.
What surprised me even more, was just how respectful this film was to women. I really was not expecting this film to be so respectful to women, instead I was expecting us females to be used as basically props to hold up every male character. And while there aren't that many, given big parts, there are a few who jump in and out, all of whom aren't treated like props. They have thoughts and feelings, are witty and have desires. A group of middle aged women are not treated as throw-away women who are 'past their prime' they're treated with respect by Mike and his friends. They are told repeatedly that they deserve love and respect, that they deserve to be romanced and taken to cloud 9 by their man. Another female character does not back down to Mike once, instead puts him through his paces, and when she MCs for him and his team, she never stops telling the girls around them that they are queens and goddesses, that they are beautiful and deserve the attention these strippers are given them.
Hell, even the girls in the dances at the end aren't all stick thin models either. At least two plus sized women are given huge amounts of attention by our strippers, WOC were given huge amounts of attention, so many body types were included. I never expected that, it's subtle, but it's there, and I loved that about Magic Mike XXL.
The actual story line of the film is a good one too, the dialogue is witty again, and gives each character their own depth and personality. They're all given an opportunity to explore what they want their act to be, what they're going to do after their weekend of fun is over. It's bittersweet to watch, and more compelling than I thought. I expected pretty faces and no personality, I got pretty faces and personalities to match.
So while I wanted a tad bit more stripping (a girl does have needs) what I got was a film about beautiful men with real personalities, diverse amounts of women, and a whole lot of laughs. The Twilight and Matrix send ups were a fantastic surprise, Matt Bomer singing had me nearly falling out of my chair in surprise, and the end stripping scene more than made up for the lack throughout the rest of the film.
If you made me choose between Magic Mike XXL and Mr Holmes, I physically couldn't do it, I loved both equally for entirely different reasons. Mr Holmes was poignant and intriguing, Magic Mike was funny and a whole lot more inclusive than first thought. I'd recommend seeing both films, though just maybe not back to back, it's a culture shock to see both within the same day!

Sherlock Is Back!

Warning! Spoilers ahead!
Okay, I think i'm calm enough to write a review of the long awaited third season of BBC Sherlock, kicking off with 'The Empty Hearse.' To say the least, I was excited for this, I've been a very passionate Sherlock fan since the first episode aired, and I've been waited for this since Sherlock fell to his 'death' two years ago. So yes, I was excited, getting to the point where I was literally warning everyone I knew for weeks that if they dared disturb me during this, I was going to be biting their heads off. I was almost unplugging the phone, to make sure nothing disturbed my enjoyment of this episode, which in hindsight, was a good idea, seeing as the phone rang half way through.
But anyway, back to the review of The Empty Hearse. The episode started where The Riechenbach Fall left off, with Sherlock on the roof of St Bart's, talking to John on the roof, before he jumped. Then, we saw how he did it, using a bungee cord and Moriarty's body disguised as his own to fool John into thinking he's actually dead, when in fact he's bounced back up through the window and KISSED Molly Hooper (lucky, lucky woman) before walking off into obscurity. So then it turns out that this is just a theory by Anderson, who's lost his job due to his obsession with how Sherlock survived the fall. Lestrade turns him down and tells him he's feeling guilty for being involved in Sherlock's death, but Anderson is insistent, Sherlock is alive, he believes in Sherlock Holmes! Lestrade remains suspicious and tells him Sherlock is dead, he fell to his death and there is nothing bringing him back.
We then see John standing at Sherlock's grave, holding hands with a mystery woman, before seeing Mrs Hudson, he hasn't been round very often, it's been too hard for him to come over, because he isn't over Sherlock's death. Mrs Hudson believes him and John announces that he's met someone, and he's planning on marrying them. Mrs Hudson takes this as John has moved onto another man, leading to a very funny 'I'm not gay!' conversation, though Mrs Hudson still believes that John and Sherlock were a couple. (Bless that woman, I believe they're a couple too.)
And then another person is introduced, someone is running through the woods, in tatty clothes and long, messy hair, there's a helicopter chasing them, as well as people on the ground! Eventually, the figures falls and gets surrounded, and we then see this strange man being tortured by a Serbian man. The tortured man's face is not shown, but it's clearly Sherlock, as he starts deducing things about his torturer, making him run off to see his wife in the act of cheating on him. There's been another man sitting in the shadows, who comes over, telling the tortured man in chains that there's a terrorist plot in London, and his little brother needs to come back to London. Finally there's a shot of the tortured man's bowed head, it's Sherlock, and he smiles!
Obviously Sherlock is straight back to London and as he talks to Mycroft, he has a moment of looking like Khan with his sleeked back hair, and we start to see the 'new' him. He's definitely more bulked up, and a bit more human as he talks about popping out of a cake to surprise John, though he's still Sherlock underneath, with his lack of understanding of John moving on with his life. We also see more of this new nature when he goes to tell John he's alive, and this is really where Mark Gattiss out does himself with his research into what the fans wanted with a hilariously funny attempt to surprise John, involving a ridiculous French accent and a drawn on moustache, ending with a 'long story short, not dead.'
Martin Freeman is amazing with his reaction to Sherlock being alive, he doesn't faint like he does in the book, but instead reacts violently three times, leaving Sherlock with a bust lip and a bloody nose. Mary is also an instant hit with me, as she is a bit cheeky, and instantly likes Sherlock, and is clearly good for John too. I immediately warmed to her, before the episode aired, I was unsure of her and whether she would come between John and Sherlock (I ship those two a ridiculous amount) but she proves within minutes of her first appearance that if anything, she'll push them together more, and maybe provide some sanity between the two with their hectic lives.
Now I won't give anymore away, you'll have to watch the episode yourselves, but it is brilliant TV, and well worth the wait. Season three is shaping up to be different to the first two seasons, Sherlock is very different, he's more human for sure, and now up for a laugh. Mary is taking up a bit more of John's time, but other than that, the show is essentially the same. Sherlock and John, solving crimes in 221b, Sherlock is still a (lovable) smart arse, John still sasses him, Mrs Hudson is still not their house keeper and Mycroft still sticks his nose in, but this feels more homely, big things have changed, but the show is essentially the same. Though it's slightly worrying over whether Sherlock is back on drugs again, seeing as he is so much more human, and having auditory hallucinations. And we have a new nemesis in our midst, but where would the series be without it?
But in all in all, the episode is well worth the wait, it's funny and sweet, and heart warming in places. I can not wait for more from the series, and as they said in the seven minute preview from Christmas; The Game Is Back On!

The Weekend Of Fandom

Well this weekend has been one for the books hasn't it? First of all, on Friday, The Hunger Games - Catching Fire came out, and then on Saturday the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who special was shown, AND Sherlock season three went from being up in the air for air dates to COMING SOON. Guess what? I saw both... twice. Simply because both of them were THAT good! I loved both immensely, but today I want to focus on Doctor Who, as I am a very, very big Whovian.
Now I will come right out and say it, I haven't watched Doctor Who since David Tennant left. I'm sorry, but it's not because I'm a petty person and my childhood ended the day he regenerated, it's because I don't like Matt Smith as The Doctor. To me, The Doctor should have this... presence, if you will, that commands respect and shows that it is The Doctor in charge, and to me Matt doesn't have that. In my personal opinion, I find him more of a whining child trying to pretend to be a big tough man when he isn't that in the slightest. Now that's just my personal opinion, if you like Matt, awesome, go ahead! Personally for me, I don't like him, so I have mostly skipped out on the last few seasons of Doctor Who.
But that didn't stop my interest in the show, I still love to watch the old seasons with David Tennant and Christopher Ecclestone, and have long awaited the 50th to relive my childhood. I got so excited for it I dug out my sonic screwdriver, Doctor Who bedsheets and old TARDIS tshirt, and spent an entire week practically bouncing in excitement for this. So as you can imagine, by the time Strictly ended on Saturday, I was nearly wetting myself with excitement, I nearly unplugged the phone to make sure I wasn't disturbed, and boy I was not disappointed!
Okay, that's a slight lie, at first, I wasn't all too impressed, possibly because it was all about Matt and I was getting bored of his acting, but when David turned up, I was SOLD. Possibly because I would accept David at this point in any shape or form in this show, but mainly because David is an amazing actor, and I do really love his work. Anyway, as soon as David turned up, mass fan girl squeals erupted from me and for me, that's when the 50th got interesting. I couldn't believe that David Tennant hadn't played The Doctor in years at this point, from the second he walked on screen, it was like he'd never left. He walked on screen, with all his carefree fun attitude, with that hint of power and commanding nature that has resonated with me for years.
We got to finally see why Queen Elizabeth 1st hated him so much, as we saw in The Shakespeare Code. So many questions got answered, and so many laughs were to be had (personally, any joke at Matt made me laugh... sorry). Things like The Doctor's getting trapped in the prison cell and nobody checking the door until Clara burst through and such had me giggling to myself the whole way through.
But oh the ending, the ending, finding out about the Time War, and setting up the Christmas special, which I'm not going to be spoiling, in case you haven't watched it yet. But wow! And the appearance of Peter Capaldi for a full 8 seconds had me, and the rest of the nation for that matter, screaming in excitement. (I'm all for his Doctor, from the one line he said he looks incredible) and the appearance of an old Doctor too was all a pleasant surprise. Overall really, the 50th is something that is not to be missed, I absolutely loved it, and it sets up so much for the next few seasons, that will change The Doctor completely. I for one can't wait!
The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of Rose Tyler, though Billie was fantastic as The Moment. A stand out moment has to be David Tennant's last line, a repeat of 'I don't want to go' had me nearly in tears all over again, but I feel like it was poignant to his regeneration, repeating his last line as The Doctor, sort of foreshadowing his own death.
Overall, an amazing 50th anniversary, there were a few moments where I was doubting the story line, but it still have me gripped throughout, and it was lovely to see some old faces, and some new, and to relive my childhood again. Good job Moffat!
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Now as an after thought... Sherlock trailer straight afterwards. Was SO not expecting it to be confirmed as 'coming soon.' and so after all the emotions of the 50th, that ended me so much I barely knew what to do with myself for the rest of the evening! Good job BBC, now hurry up and give me my Sherlock! I NEED TO KNOW HOW HE SURVIVED THE FALL!