Death to 2021 – Review

Posted on December 28, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
Death to 2021 (TV Special 2021) - IMDb

Directors: Jack Clough and Josh Ruben

Starring: Hugh Grant, Tracey Ullman, Joe Keery, Stockard Channing, Diane Morgan, Laurence Fishburne, Lucy Liu, Samson Kayo, William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, and Nick Mohammed

Rating: ★★★

Netflix’s recap of 2020 from Charlie Brooker, Death to 2020, was a surprisingly good and funny look at the year we had all experienced. It was a divisive and unprecedented year. Netflix has done the same to this year with Death to 2021. This time around Charlie Brooker has taken a step back, with Ben Caudell leading the writing oft the satirical mocumentary recapping the last year or so.

Like last years’ show, it’s a mix of real footage from news stories throughout the year and fake talking head bits that are parodying the most stupid and extreme of people. There are some returning actors from last year, and some newcomers. It’s mostly focused on America but does have some time for the rest of the world, notably the Tokyo Olympics.

Death to 2021 is a real mixed bag. There are some very funny moments and the characters are funny, especially Hugh Grant as the obnoxious and snobby historian, who can’t differentiate between fiction and reality, past or present. The show is at its best when you can’t quite tell if it’s genuinely recapping the year or completely making it up. There are more than a couple of moments that are completely believable, yet fake and some that feel like dystopian fiction but are completely real.

The biggest let down is that the jokes are clearly one-sided, which will most likely anger a lot of people, especially those who aren’t left leaning. Unlike 2020, where it felt like everyone was fair game, this is almost completely one sided. It’s still funny to point out the ridiculous of the anti-vaxxers or Trump supporters, but it could have gone both ways. There are extremes on both sides, and it would have been better to see that rather than being so completely biased that it feels like it’s been written to get angry reactions.

What Death to 2021 is doing has also been done before, and with better results. If you’ve watched comedy news shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver throughout the year, then you’ve probably seen some of the jokes made before (maybe stolen or maybe just obvious in the first place). Anyone who’s seen the news over the last year has probably made one or two of the jokes. It’s not really bringing anything new to the table and always goes for the lowest hanging fruit available.  

Death to 2021 is enjoyable while it’s on, while not doing anything special. It does feel like diminished returns compared to Death to 2020, but maybe that’s because a lot of it feels the same. 2021 hasn’t been that different to 2020, maybe once the pandemic is becoming a foggy memory Netflix can revisit a satirical look at the world, maybe taking jabs at all side next time around.

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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Vol. 4 – Manga Review

Posted on December 28, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
Zom 100 Vol. 4 : Haro Aso (author), : 9781974722976 : Blackwell's

Volume 4 of Zom 100 feels like it’s the beginning of a really big story arc in the series. It’s the first volume so far to end on a proper cliff-hanger and we also finally get to see Akira’s parents. That’s been an aim of the story for a while now, Akira leaving Tokyo and going back to his hometown to find his parents.

Unlike the third volume, this isn’t one continuous story. The first 3 chapters are all self-contained stories that are essentially Akira finding ways to avoid going to see his parents, out of nervousness. He hasn’t seen them in three years and feels that he lost his way in life with his dead-end job. If you take out the zombie apocalypse this manga is incredibly relatable. I think everyone’s been nervous about seeing family at some point or another due to how long it’s been.

There is a new character introduced this time around, Beatrix Amerhauser, a tourist from Germany who arrived in Tokyo the moment the pandemic (which is what they call the apocalypse throughout this volume) started. So far she’s a good addition to the crew, and I’m sure she will be more fleshed out in the next few volumes. Beatrix is obsessed with Japan and its culture, knowing more about its history than the other characters.

Zom 100 has been consistently funny since the first chapter. and has somehow been able to keep that up while also sticking to the zombie theme. It gets very dark in places, but always brings it back around. Volume 4 isn’t as strong as the third one, but it’s clearly leading to something very big in volume 5, which I can’t wait to find out.

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The King’s Man – Film Review

Posted on December 27, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
The King's Man (2021) - IMDb

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writers: Matthew Vaughn and Kari Gajdusek

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance

Rating: ★★★

Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman series is turning into its own cinematic universe. After two mainline films, The King’s Man acts as a prequel showing the formation of the spy organisation, with enough in the film to set up branching sequels spread out across the history of the Kingsman organisation. On top of that the third film in the main series is due to start production next year, so while the films are being released in a slow and steady fashion, it’s clear that Vaughn doesn’t want Kingsman going anywhere, anytime soon.

In 1902, during the Boer War, Orlando (Ralph Fiennes) and his family travel to South Africa to visit a concentration camp as part of work for The Red Cross. While they’re there, Orlando’s wife, Emily (Alexandra Maria Lara) is shot during an attack and dies in front of her son, Conrad (Alexander Shaw and then Harris Dickinson when Conrad is older). She makes Orlando promise that he will protect their son, and he sets out to do just that. Over a decade later, with World War 1 looming, Orlando must go to extreme measures to keep his promise and Conrad away from the front lines. His son on the other hand is desperate to do his duty for his country.

While it is a prequel to the previous two Kingsman films, set against the backdrop of rising tensions in Europe during the early 20th century, it still has the same flair and action of the original films. The action is thrilling and well-choreographed, especially an extended fight sequence between the heroes and Rasputin (Rhys Ifans). There’s nothing in The King’s Man that quite compares to the church scene from the first film, but it’s still better than most action films being produced today. Everything looks great, with exceptional sets and period clothing. It’s clear that there was a lot of attention to detail, and it really pays off.

Ralph Fiennes is great as Orlando, the action hero at the centre of the story. He’s completely believable as the nobleman who wants peace and to help people, and when the action gets going, he’s completely believable in that as well. He’s really giving it his all and is excellent. The rest of the cast are equally great, with some good performances from Gemma Arterton and Harris Dickinson.

The strange thing about The King’s Man is how much of a mess the tone is. It jumps about from a period spy adventure to a WW1 drama, and even a history lesson from school. There are moments where it goes into a fair bit of detail explaining the history of WW1 almost like a PowerPoint presentation from school. It really suffers from jumping all over the place because you never feel settled. There are points where it’s being funny and the almost instantly there’s a really grounded scene of soldiers dying in the war. Action that feels right out of a comic, compared to a scene that feels like it was a leftover from 1917. It feels like it wants to be the lighthearted fun adventure that the previous Kingsman films were, but it never quite makes it. At points it becomes tedious, but there’s still fun to be had. You wouldn’t expect to be learning about history during a Kingsman film, but that’s what happens.

The King’s Man may not reach the same heights as the original film, but it’s a lot better than the second one. It’s all over the place, but the great action and the excellent Ralph Fiennes makes it more than worth a watch.

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Kaiju No. 8, Vol 1. – Manga Review – Monster Mondays

Posted on December 27, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1 | Book by Naoya Matsumoto | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster UK

I’m a big fan of Kaiju stories, especially Godzilla, so I was very interested when I heard about Kaiju No. 8. Now that I’ve read volume 1, I’m hooked and instantly want to continue. It follows Kafka, who is in his early 30s, having missed his opportunity to fight in the Japanese Defence Force against the never ending attack from the giant monsters known as Kaiju. Instead he works as part of the clean-up crew who removes the bodies after they’ve been killed by the Defence Force. When Reno Ichikawa, the new recruit joins, Kafka takes him under his wing. Ichikawa wants to join the Defence Force, and informs Kafka that they have raised the maximum age limit so Kafka may still have one more chance left.

While on duty, there’s another attack and a small monster flies into Kafka’s mouth, turning him into a Kaiju. He uses his new powers to take on the other Kaiju, and take his entry exam into the Japanese Defence Force.

At first I thought this was going to be a comedy about people cleaning up the mess after a big battle, and to be honest I would have been completely fine with that. The opening chapter showing the clean up was funny. Kafka is a pretty great character and I enjoyed just reading about his day to day life. When it does pick up it’s still good, and the new characters that are introduced throughout are good, but they do feel a little bit cliched. You have people like the overachiever who was pushed by her dad to be perfect at everything, and the overconfident loner who realises that they can’t do everything alone. It’s not like they are bad characters, it just feels very similar to other things.

The saving grace is the mystery at the middle. Why does Kafka turn into a Kaiju, it seems like there’s a reason that we haven’t been told about just yet. Has it happened before? Some of the Kaiju can talk, but others can’t, why? It’s really interesting and I’m looking forward to finding out more.

The art style is really nice. It’s clear what’s going on at all times, and I can keep on track of who is who, because the character designs all look unique and different. There’s nothing worse than reading a manga or comic where the characters look similar. I really liked the art style, especially the silly little joke panels intersected in the main story. It’s one of my favourite tropes of Manga when they do that. And speaking of jokes, while it’s not an all out comedy, there are still plenty of funny moments.

Kaiju No. 8 volume 1 is a decent opening to a series. I’m definitely interested in what’s going to happen next, and while it’s not as hard hitting as something like the first volume of Attack on Titan, it’s still has me hooked.

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Kingsman: The Golden Circle – Film Review

Posted on December 26, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) - IMDb

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writers: Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Elton John, Channing Tatum, and Jeff Bridges

Rating: ★★½

After Kingsman: The Secret Service proved to be a massive success, it didn’t take long before the inevitable sequel went into production. The film was released just under three years after the first one. It received a similar box office return, but a poorer reception from critics and fans alike.

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) has settled into his role as a Kingsman spy. Now living with his princess girlfriend in Harry’s (Colin Firth) old home. When a drug lord takes out every member of the Kingsman, apart from Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong), the pair travel to America in search of help to save the world once more.

The Golden Circle does exactly what you’d expect from a sequel. It takes everything from the first film and makes it bigger. The action is more over the top and ridiculous, the adventure takes the characters further afield to more exotic places, the villain is even more extreme. If you liked the first one, then you’ll probably like this one, just not as much. It’s more of the same, but it has that feeling all the way through it that it’s been done before.

It just doesn’t have the same heart that the first one did and at the same time it’s also longer and really shouldn’t be. By the time you get to the last big fight, you just don’t care. We all know who’s going to win, and none of the fighting comes close to the church scene from the first one.

This time there is a new agency involved, the Statesman, which is essentially the American counterpart to Kingsman. It’s a brilliant set up, and works really well. The differences and similarities of the two agencies work perfectly and it’s the strongest part of the whole film.

The action looks cleaner, and the choreography is tighter than in the first film. The big brawls are back on a much bigger scale this time around. There are a few scenes where multiple characters are involved in the fights, and they are almost as thrilling as the first one was. The comedy is louder and in your face, doubling down on the silliness, with an extended cameo from the surprisingly funny Elton John, as well as going further with the more crude and cringe-inducing jokes that just feel awkward rather than funny.

It does feel very cheap to bring back Colin Firth, his death in the first one was a genuine shock, which is greatly lessoned in this one. The way he survives is also weak, even for a comic book film. It lessons the stakes massively, because if he can survive being shot in the eye, who from the long list of dead people will come back through some miracle gel wrap in the third one? Saying that, it wouldn’t have been the same without Firth. He’s one of the best characters in the series, and he is great when on screen. It’s not like they kept him a secret either, with his face plastered on posters and given top billing. They probably shouldn’t have killed him so clearly in the first one.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is an okay film. It’s entertaining while it’s on but outstays its welcome massively. The villain is a lot weaker, even if she will go to more extreme lengths to get what she wants. Her motive just doesn’t match the one from the first one. You don’t feel any empathy for why she’s doing it, while Valentine’s mission makes sense beyond monetary gain. There’s still the humour and action you’d expect, it just feels less special than it did the first-time round.

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