DarthTARDIS Reviews

Superhero Fight Club (2015 TV Short)

Best TV Promo Ever? (Seriously, great advertising).

[10/10 · 12 May 2015]

A review seems silly given this was a three minute promo, but it was so brilliantly done I feel it deserves one. The choreography was excellent, the music suited, the actors were obviously having so much fun- and that rubbed off on the fans. Excellent marketing idea.

The real thrill was in seeing all of these comic book characters on screen together being awesome as if they'd fallen out of a comics. Was it cheesy? Yeah. Was that a bad thing? No! That was part of its charm. Clearly given how viral it went we should see a follow up of sorts for Seasons 2 and 4 of Flash and Arrow respectively. Great job to all involved!

Arrow: This Is Your Sword (2015) Season 3, Episode 22

A season highlight, a SERIES highlight, that Season 3's end really needed.

[10/10 · 7 May 2015]

On whole, I've enjoyed season three, and think it gets a lot of unwarranted flak, but it has had its flaws, and I thought this season really needed, in this episode, to step up its game to season two level and hammer down with the awesome stuff fans were in desperate need of. It did.

One problem the Arrow writers will forever face is the sheer division of its fanbase. You have the "Olicity" group, then the group adamantly against them and think its soiling the show, then the Black Canary lovers and haters, and then comic fans, etc, etc. It's simply a matter of fact you can't please them all.

But I truly think "This is Your Sword" came pretty close, with a little something for everyone but not too much for those who didn't want it. What was brilliant above all was seeing Arrow return to its roots as a comic show, not the romance one it was slipping towards (romance is an important part of the comics, but it's never at the forefront). It was emotional, it felt real and human, the story was well written- there was some occasional spotty dialogue, from Felicity mainly, but she was definitely back at her game as the Felicity Smoak fans of her have missed, not the crying version she was sliding towards. And, above all, it was action packed- it felt like I was watching a superhero show. And that's what I tune in for and have loved this show for.

I feel like this week's amazing cliffhanger would have been that much more awesome if we went completely without a promo for next week, cruel as that would be, but you can't hold the writers/producers to that. The promos are done by an entirely different marketing department. The last scene was raw with emotion and wonderfully shot. The score was excellent, too. Roy and Thea wrapping up was a highlight as we saw the end to what I think was the best and most organic romance on the show (opinion, of course). The CGI was great, and the choreography was excellent. Also, finally, the flashbacks really showed some substance and gave us some needed explanations.

I'm excited to see the show move towards Green Arrow, now that the Arrow is dead, and Oliver Queen is a changed person. Great, enjoyable, edge-of-your-seat kind of episode which complimented and featured all of the cast fairly and finally gave us the superhero show we've missed back. Bring on the finale.

Arrow: Public Enemy (2015) Season 3, Episode 18

Action packed, brilliantly acted, romance-lite, character driven episode which brings back the show's greatest moments in a season highlight.

[10/10 · 1 April 2015]

Probably the best episode of this season. (Review contains spoilers.)

I know a few people have been disappointed with this season of Arrow. I've thoroughly enjoyed it, personally, even if it has been weaker than the previous two, but "Public Enemy" just highlights what this season has been missing and brings it to the fore. Foremost, Ra's is now a very real threat who follows through with his promises, and the consequences are severe.

Oliver's identity coming to the fore changes the show dramatically, and probably in a way which will be for the best and introduce an entirely new dynamic, moving one step closer to the Green Arrow at the end of the tunnel. The performances throughout the episode were all at the top of the game. After several episodes of finding Felicity to be irritating, the return of Mama Smoak proved actually to be a great thing, introducing comic relief into a high stakes, very tense episode. The interaction between the two was excellent. Felicity's interaction with Ray and the introduction of shrinking technology, the prelude to the Atom that's certainly coming, was also excellent. While Ray's character has been met with some hatred this season, in tonight's episode he had no company thieving, no vendetta against Oliver- he was a very likable and funny character to the point I don't know how one could DISLIKE him.

On a similar note, perhaps what made this episode so good was it downplayed the romance and upped the story and action. Romance is crucial to any superhero show, but forcing "Olicity" rather than allowing its natural occurrence and making Felicity the lead rather than Oliver has seen some of the season's weaker moments. This put Oliver back in charge of his loving team, who all were at the top of their game, from Emily Bett, to David Ramsey, to Colton Haynes. The action scenes, particularly the manhunt, were excellent.

The scene between Paul Blackthorne and Stephen Amell three seasons in the making was a perfect pay off and brilliantly done by both of them. The cliffhanger brings Roy to the fore in a way his character never has been, and his sidelining is what makes it so brilliant- it's the sidekick who swoops in and saves the day, and we realise that Roy has had so much to offer and so much respect for Oliver all along, and I can't wait to see more interaction between them and more room for Roy's character in the next episode.

The only downside is an agonizing week long wait, but that's the last one until the finale- top episode.