The Witcher 3 Yennefer DLC Alternate Outfit Cosplay Help

Hey everyone! It has been a while since I blogged anything and usually its for tv shows and movies, but this time its my own cosplay guide. I have been putting together the costume myself and I thought I would share the resources that I found and used for creating Yennefer's alternate costume. I will also post the images I used for reference to create this outfit. As for the sewing, I only did a little myself as I found a local seamstress near me who is affordable to make some of the parts. Here is some of the links that I used as reference for on to start.

- https://www.ravenstarcosplay.com/2015/09/15/yennefer-of-vengerberg-dlc-costume-tutorial/
- https://fjalladis.de/en/making-of-2/yennefer-dlc-outfit-making-of/

First for my version of the outfit, I decided not to go for the scarf as when I would be wearing it was in August so I didn't want to overheat myself. The fabrics I got from fabricland that related the most to the colours that is in the outfit. Please note that the top colour is hard to match unless you dye it. It is just easier to find something that matches instead.

So the fabrics you use will have to use your judgement on what you want to spend on it and how close you can get it to match. For me I got most of it on sale and the fabrics where around $60 CDN for me. I did later on add some more stuff which added another $20 CDN for the total cost.  I also got some bias tape for the outside of the skirt, to cover the feathers on the top, and for the ribbons around the forearms. You will probably also need some Elastics to connect some parts together and to give you that movement you need. You need at least 3 different colours of thread, one being heavy duty for the corset. The wig, you can pick up from ebay. Just search "the witcher yennefer wig".

For the corset, this is based on what you want to do and what you are comfortable in. It is hard to find one that is similar to what Yennefer has, in addition to being affordable. So I opted to make my own instead due to I can control how it fits on me and its cheaper. I did buy a very close leather for the corset and boot covers. In addition I did get some leather string for the corset as well. I found that my local fabric store at them at a decent price and I could get the length that I wanted. You can get cheaper on ebay if you can't find the leather string at a location near you. You will also need a pattern if you don't buy it or have someone make it for you. I found this video helpful, in addition to one of the links I posted above.

Next is the Top. As I mentioned above, I did find a local seamstress to make the top part for me, but I can at least say what she did. For the fabric, I got the closest match I could get without having to dye it as I am not comfortable dying fabric just yet. I believe I have about 2 meters of fabric for the top and it was barely enough to finish it. So I would recommend getting at least 3 meters to be safe.
 For the feathers, I found some on Amazon that were affordable, but they took at least 1 MONTH AND 2 WEEKS to get here in Canada due to being stuck in customs. So order your feathers first and plan to wait awhile for them to arrive. Even if the seller has an express option, they CAN'T control how long customs holds them. I personally ordered 2 packages and that seemed to be enough plus extra. Here is a video on how to sew feathers on.

The necklace I ordered from Amazon as well and it arrived in good time. You can also order from ebay, but I personally like ordering from amazon when I can.

For the Skirt, make sure you get a good sturdy fabric that isn't too light. You don't want it blowing everywhere. When it is sewed together, make sure the fabric is on both side to give it that look and durability you need. You can get bias tape to outline the skirt, which is about 2 -3 meters, but ask someone at your local fabric store for assistance if you are not sure. The number above is a guess as I can't remember how much I got. You will need hooks for the skirt so it is easy for you to take it on and off. My skirt starts at my waist and goes to my knees. There is a front panel and 2 back ones that meet at the butt. As for the black skirt, this is where you can save money if you want. There is 3 options for this. 1, make it yourself so it fits the way you want. 2 - buy it brand new from a store or the internet. 3 - buy from a thrift store. I got my skirt for 4.99 CDN plus tax from a thift store and it fits perfectly. In addition, if you buy from a thrift store, you don't spend a lot and then won't feel like you wasted money if you have to cut or fix it to fit what you want.

image from https://www.deviantart.com/isavien/art/Yennefer-boots-WIP-609734834

Now the Boots. This is where you have to decide what you are comfortable with spending and wearing. You can choose to buy a pair of boots that are similar to what Yennefer wears, modify an existing pair, or make boot covers. I did a combination of boot covers and modify what I already had from my previous cosplay. I used the same fabric from the corset and used it to create the base for the boots covers to go onto of my existing boot. I had leftover black leather from a previous cosplay what I used for the top part and the black strips. You will need to buy some black leather like fabric for the boots covers if you plan on building it. The covers also require elastic for some movement and to keep it attached to the boot. For mine, the elastics went at the heel and under the boot. In addition to around the ankle so it is easier for me to put on. Please note that it is important for the cover itself to have space around the knee so you can still bend your knee and sit comfortably. I found with this way, I could still walk but I didn't have complete full range movement of my leg. As for the black strips, I sewed it in various places to hold it in place. You can use the image above as reference for placement.

Finally all the little details that go into the costume itself. This refers to the belts, lace on top of boot, the metal things on the knees, and gloves. For the lace, there is 2 options, one you can buy stockings with lace on top, or buy Elastic Lace Anti-Slip Thigh Bands. Personally I don't like the feel of stockings so I went with the Thigh bands instead. Try to get the size you will think best and then use hooks or safety pins to help it fit correctly. I also sewed mine to size to help hold it to my leg as it moves around a bit when you walk and wasn't sure if the safety pins alone could do it. I did have a little trouble with the lace as sometimes the silicon on the top of the bands wouldn't hold and it would slide down. So I was fixing it here and there. For like 70% of the time it worked once I found a good spot it would stay. 

For the arm bands, I got a black satin bais tape, about 1 - 1.5 meters and sewed the edges together to give me a solid band. For the runic symbols on the band, I choose to go with a white fabric paint from Michaels. I found that amazon didn't have much affordable options, you might want to go to your local craft store for this item. To paint it, all you really need is a thin paint brush which you can get from your local dollar store. For the runic symbols, I got an image from one of the link above that I posted in the beginning. I saved the image and used it for reference. Once painted and dried, you can sew it to the forearms of the costume. It is important to pin it in place while wearing it before you begin sewing to get that shape it has when you are wearing. You don't want it too tight and placed nicely. You will need an extra pair of hands to help you place it. You can also use the images to reference below on how it's placed on the arms. Once pinned, I hand sewed it in at various points to hold the shape and decrease the chances of it moving on me.

Next is the more tricky part, the silver parts on Yennefer's outfit. There is a lot of different ways you can do it, but in the end it is what is possible in your budget to make it. In addition to what is your comfort level working with this stuff. Me, I don't know what to work, so craft foam seemed like an easier option. I actually haven't worked with craft foam before, so this is my first attempt. I got some sheets (about 2) of craft foam from my local craft store Michaels, in grey since what was my base colour for all the silver items. I bought a silver metallic paint for paint it with to make it seem more metal like. Since my craft foam is thin, I had to attach the 2 sheets together to get a certain thickness. For more help on how to do the designs on the knee pieces, this video by JakCosplay is really helpful and includes a template you can use to make it. Mine didn't turn out as great as I painted it, but I did use a grey marker to help pop the details out. To attach to it the boots I used double sided Velcro, attached horizontally. This gave me the movement I needed and held it nicely.

For the diamonds on the belt, I used a single sheet on the craft foam and cut the shapes out using scissors and painted them. I put on 2 coats of paint to make sure it really shined. Same process for the circles on the boots as well. Similar process for the circles but I painted the sheet of foam first in 2 layers of paint before cutting. I cut out strips first and then cut into pieces where I proceeded to cut circles out by hand. Once I had the circles cut out, I hot glued it to the boots and the black strips I made for them. This actually came out nice to look at, but not the strongest to stay on. I had issues with the circles falling off if something banged into them. Glue might have worked better.

With the belts, I found that 1 I could buy and the other needed to be made. The belt that goes around the waist and corset, I actually found at a thift store that looked similar enough and was the right size for the price of $9.99 CDN. Thrift stores are your friend when doing cosplay. For the brown belt around Yennefer's hips, I had no luck finding one that looked similar or at a good price. So I had to resort to buying the fabric and belt buckle and have it custom made. I did glue craft foam at the end for the metal part.

For the gloves, I just used the same fabric from the skirt and used this video tutorial to help me make it. Just give yourself extra time and space for these as it is tough to get it right. It can be either too baggy or too tight. Also remember that her gloves are a bit open at the bottom, so leave room for that when tracing. I didn't do much details on the gloves because I was running out of time and mine were a little tight around one of my fingers.

I hope this helps you when working on Yennefer's outfit for your cosplay. I am in no way a professional cosplayer, I just enjoy doing it once a year for Fan Expo and I know for someone trying to make it, guides do help give you an idea. I did have the help of a seamstress to make a lot of the parts, which is great if you are good at sewing or using a sewing machine. The price point for all the materials is about max $150 - 160 CDN. If you don't want to make it and looking for someone to make it, there is options on etsy, or you can use the link for reference when making the outfit as they do take a lot of photos from different angles. I will leave additional images below you can use for reference. Good luck!

My version of the outfit.

'The Player' Is Good, Crazy, Fun

You know, this year I haven't paid much attention to shows that were coming out in the 2015-15 season since most didn't look that interesting. I do however read the reviews and bits that come out about these new shows on tv.com. The one that caught my eye this year was The Player, a show about a man named Alex Kane, former FBI analyst turned security consultant. He soon finds himself involved with a dangerous game as "the player" for rich people to bet on crime. Tv.com had said positive things about it, so I decided to check it out and was rewarded with a crazy action packed tv show that was pure entertainment. 

The Player is like a crossover between Person of Interest and Burn Notice with a side of fun.You have the brains and tech similar to Person of Interest and the explosions and pure bad ass moments that Burn Notice was. It is a pity that there is only a small part of television that devotes itself to action instead of pure drama for the sake of drama. As Tv.com mentioned, The Player knows that the premise is not realistic and milks it for all it's worth. Also helps to have a great cast to sell it to you and make you invested. Before The Player, I hadn't known who Philip Winchester and his characters Alex Kane was and for me, he was the one who sold The Player to me. He is able to do the action, emotions, and the comic relief with excellent timing. To be honest, after I watched The Player, I went and watched all of Strike Back, which I also enjoyed. What also makes The Player worth watching is the underlying story, or rather mystery of where is Ginny, Alex's ex-wife, who was presumed dead at the beginning and the House itself. In addition to what is Cassandra's connection to all this. The Player proves that you can keep it simple, have fun, and have an over arcing story line.

So what about The Player is not selling it to people? Like I mentioned before, the premise of The Player is a bit strange of a game that rich people bet on crime that operates outside of the law and is all powerful. You can even see in the Pilot that even Alex doesn't believe it when Mr. Johnson and Cassandra explain it him. The Player is an action show basically as Alex Kane does the impossible and tries to stop bad guys from hurting people and such. This is not a show if you want love triangles or something like How To Get Away With Murder. There is unbelievable action scenes and explosions, which truth be told is awesome.

It is a pity though that The Player does not have the ratings to keep it alive. NBC announced that it "trimmed" the episode count of The Player down to 9 episodes instead of the 13 originally ordered. At the time, The Player was filming episode 9 and filming shut down soon after. So what went wrong exactly that NBC pretty much cancelled it as they did with Constantine? First, there wasn't much advertising about The Player. I had heard that Wesley Snipes got a show, and hadn't cared at the time. It wasn't until I saw it on tv.com that I gave it a try. Second, the time slot it is in at 10pm on Thursdays competes with some big name shows that draw in viewers The Player could have potentially gotten. I would like to see The Player live on somehow and maybe somewhere than NBC, which in my experience is not the greatest channel. In fact, I really don't watch anything from NBC other than Constantine (which they unfairly cancelled), and The Player. Who knows, maybe The Player can live somewhere that better suits it, or get a better time slot to draw in viewers. For now, I intend to watch the remaining episodes of The Player and watch Philip Winchester kick some more butt.

What do you think of The Player? Do you want to see it go on?

Can I see a trailer? Yup.

There Is Potential in 'Constantine'

It has been a couple of months since NBC's Constantine signed off it's first season leaving many things in the air. Including the fate of Constantine itself. Not only was the episode count cut down short, but the writing was uneven leaving NBC and fans to wonder what the fate of the show was. I would like to state I was not a fan of Hellblazer comics since I had never read them. I had only heard of it when Constantine was first announced. So why exactly did I tune in every Friday and drew me into Constantine? In addition, why should anyone really watch it? Not to mention should NBC renew it?

First, what is Constantine about? Constantine follows John Constantine, an anti hero of sorts and master, sorry dabbler, of the dark arts. He is armed with his wits, arcane knowledge, and charm. Not to mention aided by friends, and enemies on occasion. We first meet John Constantine in an asylum, where he has checked himself into after the events of Newcastle. Word of the Darkness Rising comes his way, and checks himself out to investigate. In the Pilot he meets Liv (a character later cut out after the Pilot), and Manny (an angel who was sent to point John in the right direction). He is also joined by Chas, an immortal cabbie, and Zed, a woman with physic abilities. With the odd guest appearance of Papa Midnite, Spectre, and other characters, Constantine benefited from excellent character interactions, except with the odd episode they left Zed or Chas out. To be honest, the first few episodes of Constantine weren't the greatest, but they slowly improved. By the time The Saint of Last Resorts rolled around, Constantine was in it's element and showing it's potential for more.

So what is this potential I am talking about in Constantine? I first took note of Constantine back when the trailer when the internet and was drawn in by the character of John Constantine and the supernatural elements to the show. I'm a bigger sucked for shows with mythology and arcane stuff, most of the time. I am also a Supernatural fan, but I didn't feel the need to compare Constantine to Supernatural since they are both different shows. I am personally drawn in by John Constantine, and how Matt Ryan portrays the character is fantastic. Considering I only know him from Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. It's his cockiness, inner darkness/pain, sarcasm, and willingness to do what no one will do that makes Constantine worth tuning into. It works even better when John, Zed, and Chas work together. Just makes you wonder why the writers didn't play on this more.

Unfortunately, Constantine is on the bubble right now between getting cancelled and renewed for a second season. It could go either way at this point. Due to Constantine's rocky start, NBC cut it's episode order down to 13 after renewing it for a full season before the Pilot had even aired. That and the ratings. There was only a couple of episodes that I didn't really enjoy, but I pretty much liked most of season 1. The issue is now the open questions that haven't been answered and the potential Constantine has to do more. There are questions about the Rising Darkness, Manny, and even Newcastle. Further more, I want more of John Constantine to grace my screen. So the questions is now will NBC take the chance? There is a movement called "Save Constantine" right now where fans, actors, and writers are taking to social media to show their support for the show. Heck there was even rumors that the show would move to syfy, although this proved unconfirmed.  There won't be any word until later this month when they pitch season 2 to see whether NBC decides to renew it. I for one, hope Constantine is renewed.

Do you think Constantine should be renewed? Can I have a preview? (Yes you may. Below)

Supernatural "The Hunter Games": We All Have Our Issues

Nothing welcomes you back to Supernatural in the new year with a healthy dose of angst for everyone. Everyone seemed to be having some sort of issue to deal with this week. Castiel dealing with Claire being rebellious. Sam dealing with Dean having killed all those people. Dean dealing with the effects of the Mark of Cain. Crowley dealing with his mother. Claire dealing with everything she loves being gone and the angel wearing her dad won't leave her alone. Metatron, oh ya hes back, dealing with being a prisoner. Yup, problems all around for The Hunter Games. Though I could live without Crowley's mom being around.

The Hunter Games was a unique episode as there really was no monster of the week case as the episode focused getting rid of the Mark of Cain that is slowly revealing Dean's dark side and very well sending him back on his way to becoming a demon again. Considering the events of the previous episode where Dean murdered everyone in a room. I like that the Winchesters are admitting they have a problem and aren't lying to anyone about it. I mean usually one of our heroes is in the dark about a problem, but this is not the case this time. Both Sam and Castiel team up in order to figure out how to remove the mark. Which brings Castiel to his brilliant idea of asking the scribe of god, aka our favorite douche, Metatron. Back again, Metatron takes the opportunity to stick it to the Winchesters. Although we all knew that it was going to end up with Dean beating the crap out of Metatron.

On the side story part of The Hunter Games, Castiel is still dealing with an angry teenager who is very angry that Dean murdered her "friends". To be fair, Claire should be upset that people she knew got murdered by a man, who was involved in her father's disappearance. To his credit, Castiel does point out that her friend was just using her. We all know that when you are on your own, you want someone to care about you and notice that you exist. This could have been Claire's case, and at least by the end of The Hunter Games, Claire realized that she needed to change something.

The weakest part by far is Crowley and his mother, Rowena. I mean we all know she is up to no good, but I honestly just hate her. I wish she would become the big bad already and not tip toeing around everyone. So annoying. That storyline is by far the dullest. This is Supernatural, not another drama. We have bro angst and family issues. If we have to get into why Crowley trusts her (or maybe/ hopefully playing along) due to the whole human blood ordeal he went through last season. Ugh that storyline needs to stop.

So I liked how The Hunter Games finished everything up giving everyone but Crowley and his mommy issues a solution. Sam told Dean he needs to fight his own demons since Cain seemed fine. In addition to looking on the lead Metatron slipped. As for Claire, at least Castiel got closure on his human host's problems. Although Castiel seems to have a lot of people leaving him this season. First Hannah, and now Claire. At least he can text one of them since he likes texting (I think your Misha is showing there). The Hunter Games was an okay start for Supernatural in 2015. Which reminds me, Supernatural got renewed for a season 11. Not sure how I feel about that since I think Supernatural needs to end at some point. Go out gracefully, instead of getting your butt handed to you.

Do you think the Crowley/Rowena storyline needs to stop? Do you think Dean can handle the mark?

Sleepy Hollow "Pittura Infamante": Mr and Mrs Crane

For a show that was just so good in the first season to be hanging in the balance in the second is very sad. Sleepy Hollow has been having this problem and I honestly don't know who is at fault here. Is it Fox for expanding and mishandling Sleepy Hollow? The writers for dropping the ball at some point? Or the fans with high expectations for what they want and hate about Sleepy Hollow? We saw recently that Fox admitted that something went wrong with Sleepy Hollow (no really) and have said they plan on changing from procedural, to episodic. So was that the case with Pittura Infamate? Was this the turning point the producers were talking about?

This morning I went on tumblr to see what posts people had on Pittura Infamate, and almost half of them were complaining about Katrina and how she should just die. I do admit that Sleepy Hollow has not given Katrina the best story lines and I personally am not a fans of broken marriages, and love triangles. Drama meant to create a story basically. Now I don't hate Katrina, but I don't care for her either. To me she is just Crane's wife. I think this hatred stems from the fact people want Ichabbie to happen. Well that, and Katrina's character is kinda all over the place right about now. In Pittura Infamate, it seems that writers have decided to put the Crane drama aside and put them on a date together at a historical society dinner. Naturally someone is murdered and the Cranes have to solve it. That made an interesting crime solving duo and something different from the usual Ichabod and Abbie. At least Katrina was not completely useless this week right? And Abbie did save the day in the end.

On the other side of the episode, Frank Irving returns to the station, where Abbie learns that he is now back. Oh let's be honest, the fact that his character was not used well and the fact he wasn't taken out of the credits was a big hint that he was coming back. That and Orlando Jones was still doing interviews on the set for Sleepy Hollow. Not a big shocker Sleepy Hollow wanted it to be. I do respect though that Sleepy Hollow made Abbie be cautious around Irving due to the issue of his soul being owned by Henry (whom I'm pretty sure is pulling strings from somewhere).

So let's get to the important bits of Pittura Infamate that we should really look at. Well first of all, it basically side lined that silly "I wanna save the horseman" storyline. Like that would work. He would probably just end up murdered or a psychopath. So sending Katrina and Ichabod on a case of solving the murdering painting was a nice adventure. I am also glad that Pittura Infamate didn't drag out figuring out who was the murderer, in addition this time not looking to Ichabod's past but rather Katrina's. Although they did seem a bit convenient. I mean, aren't the Cranes the most networked people ever (considering how many famous people they knew). As for Abbie, serious respect for arming herself just in case Irving does turn out to be a monster. She is not letting her friend become a monster and hurting people despite her personal feelings. She is probably right since there is like an 80% chance Irving is going to be doing some bad things soon.

So on a scale from Yay to Ugh, Pittura Infamate was a Meh. To it's credit, it is probably the calm before the storm. I hope. I just really hope Sleepy Hollow get's its shit together for it's final 5 episodes of the season. A this rate, I'm not even considering buying season 2 when it comes out on DVD. There is this interesting article on tv.com on how Fox is killing Sleepy Hollow that does bring up some interesting points. So hopefully Fox learns from it's mistakes and fixes it or you might end up losing the fandom. The same can be said for the chances of renewal which is sad and messes up Sleepy Hollow's seven year plan. Also Sleepy Hollow, please fix Ichabod's hair. The bun is a no no, and his hair down is a treat, not something that should be done all the time. This could be just me though.

What did you think of Pittura Infamate? What do you think can fix Sleepy Hollow's problems? What is your favorite hair style for Ichabod?

Doctor Who "Kill the Moon": I Doctor, You Human

There are some of you who like Kill the Moon, and then theres me who thinks Kill the Moon was a bit too ambitious. But it did have a purpose in the end. We have seen over the years how the Doctor interacts with humans, with him being this all knowledgeable Time Lord. We saw Danny call the Doctor out on this very issue. Which brings us to the question posed at the being of the season if the Doctor is a good man. The whole idea though of destroying the moon or that the moon is something completely else is a bit silly. Or it is to me.When you start watching a tv show, you begin loving a certain aspect of it, and for me it comes and goes. This is probably because I'm not a true Doctor Who fan. I like watching it, but it's not my most favorite show out there. Kill the Moon is not the worst episode I have seen so far though.

Kill the Moon started off with Clara making an SOS call to the moon since the Doctor had left them to make a big decision. Back in time, Clara is yelling at the Doctor for calling the girl he brought last episode onto the Tardis and telling her she is not special. Clara tries to get the Doctor to tell the girl is special but he elects to bring her to the moon instead. There they find a bunch of astronauts trying to blow up the moon since it's about to burst and cause damage to the earth below. Visiting a space station and jumping down something later, the Doctor informs the group that the moon is actually an egg about to hatch. So they have to decide one life for many others, and the Doctor decides that he can't be the one to make this decision. He leaves that decision in the hands of humans.

Kill the Moon did a great job to developing the characters. This season we really have been seeing Clara grow in her place and in a way outshines the Doctor. In a way, she has been carrying the season itself with her interaction with this new Doctor. She has always known the Doctor to be this savior of sorts, but seeing a side of him that places himself above humans is something she didn't expect. In a way this side of the Doctor has never been said out loud but given hints about. The Doctor has always made comments about "humans" and such. Moffat wasn't kidding when he said this Doctor was going to be darker, and Capaldi is doing a fine job of bringing this Doctor out. It was about time though that Clara called the Doctor out on his crap. To see the Doctor as the flawed hero he always was.

Now I didn't enjoy Kill the Moon as much as Doctor Who would have wanted me to. Even from the promo I was worried about what kind of episode Kill the Moon would be. Wasn't terrible, but isn't the best either. I just couldn't get on board the whole the moon is actually a giant egg thing. I mean no egg is that round, even an alien one. They didn't even explain what kind of egg it was and what was inside it. It had just so happened that it created an gravity pull that the moon does? That was a bit too weird for me. And in the end everything is solved. As for you Doctor, not cool bailing out like that. In addition what did the Doctor do when he took off? Think about it. Where did he go?

Anyways Kill the Moon did set up a change for next week's episode. Kill the Moon did help the arc though of Clara and the Doctor and their relationship post regeneration. Not to mention the question posed at the beginning of the season of if the Doctor is a good man. This new Doctor really brings this into question. Other Doctors before were fun and energetic. Since Capaldi is an older fellow, he brings a darkness (and eyebrows) to the character. For next week, it looks like the Doctor is traveling alone again, and maybe he will discover something about himself.

Did you like Kill the Moon? Do you think Clara was right to call the Doctor out?

Sleepy Hollow "The Kindred": Fight Fire With Undead

With the gang reunited, it is only natural they go after Katrina since her capture as of season 1's finale. The Kindred has our heroes plan out how to pull off rescuing Katrina from the clutches of Team Horsemen. I love that Sleepy Hollow knows it's self and it's characters. That these characters are flawed but have strengths as well. In addition to not overcrowding it's central plot with characters by just keeping it simple with Abbie and Ichabod. When The Kindred start I had no doubt in my mind that Katrina would not be joining Team Witness just yet. Sleepy Hollow paints her in the light of the information bearer. It was nice to see Captain Irving this week who is not fairing well in prison. In addition of the new police chief should cause some problems and some insight on Abbie's past. The Kindred certainly kept the ball rolling for season 2 of Sleepy Hollow.

The Kindred starts with Ichabod having a nightmare about the horseman/former friend doing a ritual with Katrina and ending with her beheading. He awakening and Abbie and he discuss what they have found with their research on where the possible hideout for the horseman is holding Katrina. Abbie leaves Ichabod to continue looking things up while she meets with the new sheriff. Captain Reyes lays down the lay on these "gang wars" (if only) and basically tells Abbie she has a no shit policy. Ichabod meets her outside with a location he believes to be the one and they check to see if he's right. True enough, they find the horseman and Katrina. So they begin to hatch a plan instead of jumping in without anything to help them. They stumble across a book that tells them of a way to rival the power of the horseman of death by raising a Kindred. Their plan soon hits a snag when Jenny is arrested, and their odds of surviving are lowered.

The Kindred kept the main arc going as the second season zips off to a good start. By the end of The Kindred, all our characters are in various different roles in the upcoming battles to come. In the end though, it is all about the two witnesses kicking ass and taking names. As for the other characters such as Jenny, Irving, and Katrina, they have small roles to play in the future that doesn't seem forced like some shows do to make you know the characters more. Jenny is like the support, or rather back up when Abbie or Ichabod need her. Irving was their go to man on how to get things done in Sleepy Hollow. Katina is the informant to keep everyone updated on what the big bad is planning this season. Then there is the Kindred which they just raised. Is it friend or foe? I think it will protect them, but might not have judgement on what is right and wrong. Although it was pretty awesome. I like that also Abbie and Ichabod acknowledged their faults and knew they had to do something about it.

So, The Kindred, what is not so good? Once again, the Kindred, is it good or bad? Or another way of handing the horseman back his head. At least on the bright side he wouldn't need a enspelled magic necklace to get his face back. Speaking of magic, the internet has kindly pointed out that Katrina is not using any of this magic we have been hearing about. Unless the super necklace is not letting her. The random flashback weren't cool either. They just seemed really pointless. Flashbacks are meant for things that happened in past seasons or episodes like happened like 5-6 weeks ago.

I really like that Sleepy Hollow is keeping the pace 2 episodes in. The Kindred basically answered any questions lingering from the series premiere. Captain Irving made his appearance and has been basically given not an easy path. Although what happened to him in The Kindred reminds me of that scene in Supernatural when Dean didn't tell Kevin that there was an angel inside Sam. Then Kevin blindly trusted "Sam", and something bad happened. This is very similar to Irving's situation. This week's Ichabod verses modern day is the very obvious Ichabod verses the bank. You know he does make a good point despite all his fancy words and confusion. Oh Ichabod how I have missed you during the hiatus. See you sleepy heads later.

What did you think of The Kindred? Do you think the Kindred will return?

Doctor Who "The Caretaker": Boys Will Be Boys

It's always funny to see the Doctor trying to blend in with humans. The Caretaker brought the Doctor to the school Clara was teaching at to investigate a strange alien reading around the area. In addition to bringing Danny Pink into the world of the Doctor. It was bound to happen at some point right that Danny are going to get in on the Clara's adventures. She has been trying to keep things separate from each other and it all just kinda collides together. It makes me think of the Ponds and how they got into this. Although I don't think Moffat will use the same plot point again. Anyways, Danny has been like a side story so far, like an add on for Clara to develop her story. The Caretaker was at least an enjoyable episode.

The Caretaker begins with a montage of a bunch of adventures of Clara and the Doctor getting into trouble all over the universe. In addition to this, Clara is attempting to date Danny, basically exhausting herself. So when Clara comes to the Doctor asking about the next adventure, and he tells her that she needs to sit this one out. She wonders why and the Doctor explains that he is going deep undercover. So Clara heads to work thinking it will be an ordinary day and tells Danny, she is his for the day. Then she discovers the Doctor working at her school as the temporary caretaker. Clara confronts the Doctor and asks him if it's safe and he basically says it's a work in progress. Now Clara has to manage the two before the school gets destroyed, or was it the planet?

I did enjoy The Caretaker as an episode of Doctor Who. It is amusing to see that the Doctor thinks changing his coat is going deep cover haha. Unless he thought that no one would notice a caretaker, but then the Doctor could never be discrete. In addition to not understanding humans. It was funny when the Doctor kept assuming that Danny was a PE teacher due to his military background, in addition to assuming the bow tie guy was Clara's boyfriend. Regrets Doctor? As for Danny, he is not taking any of the Doctor's shit and basically calls him out for it. Would love to see Danny travel with the Doctor sometime soon and stand up for Clara. As for Clara, she is desperately trying to stop the Doctor from causing problems and helping him at the same time. Loved the moments when people kept stopping her from getting to the Doctor and she basically agreed to everything. Let's not forget the crack about the eyebrows. I think it's the next bow tie, the joke that will describe this Doctor. The Caretaker more importantly was an episode to shake up the dynamic of the Doctor, Clara pairing. The Doctor has to deal with Clara having another man in her life, and Danny dealing with the life his girlfriend leads.

Now The Caretaker I felt was a bit jumbled. Not that it was a mess, but rather the pacing felt uneven. But this could just be me. I mean compared to the last few episodes, it moved a little slower. In addition the alien of the week was dissipated quite easily despite Danny messing up the Doctor's plan once. That jump Danny did was cheesy as hell. Also confused how easy the Doctor gave in to telling people about the tardis. Now Pink and some random school girl know about it. Thats about it that I can think of at the moment.

Overall I did enjoy The Caretaker and I'm going to mark this down in the successful episode category for this season. My favorite line of the night has to go to Danny with "he's your space daddy." That was possibly the best line of the season. Well one of them at least. That invisible watch was pretty cool too. As for next week's episode, it doesn't look good. There is like this gut feeling I get from the trailer that causes me to worry. Hopefully it will be decent. Doctor Who still has some good stories to tell right?

What did you think of The Caretaker? What do you think of Danny Pink?

Sleepy Hollow "This Is War": Getting The Band Back Together

Woohooo Sleepy Hollow is back! I honestly don't know what to say. It has been a while since I sat down and watched Sleepy Hollow on television. This Is War was a very busy episode and a lot kinda happened. With such a strong first season, This Is War was charged with keeping the ball rolling. It had to sort out our heroes in their situations that season 1 finale had left them. Captain Irving was not in this week's episode, but I expect we might see him next week. Let it not be said that Sleepy Hollow didn't hit the floor running. It is not an easy task to deal with so many story lines and make a smooth transition, This Is War managed to pull it off in a unique way making the viewer watching intensely for clues. Let the madness begin.

This Is War began with a brief summary of season 1, like most season premieres do. Then it brings us to a scene of Abbie giving Ichabod a cupcake for his birthday, much to his confusion. This scene tells the audience of a time jump since we had last saw them. Then they get a call about someone wanting to meet them urgently with important information. When they arrive, they find the Horseman waiting for them, but they manage to find a file. A file written by Benjamin Franklin, whom Ichabod had studied under. Unable to figure out why the horseman wants it, they visit Henry who gives them no answers. They soon realize that something isn't right and events don't add up. They realize they are where they always were; in purgatory, and buried. They need to move fast so Henry doesn't allow Muloch's army to come to Sleepy Hollow.

This Is War handled bringing season 2 of Sleepy Hollow in very nicely. It seems that the writers of Sleepy Hollow set out to be different and keep things moving. Not to mention how much information they had to get out in a short amount of time. The true strength of This Is War though comes from the chemistry of the entire cast. When Jenny, Abbie, and Ichabod team up, it brings this energy to the screen. This doesn't compare to our main duo of Ichabod and Abbie's chemistry. They have this connection and it makes every scene they are in together enjoyable. Like when she brings him a cupcake for his 251th birthday or teaching him how to fist bump explosion. Not to mention she recognizes him by the way he says her name. Oh how I missed that in these last few months. Also proud of Ichabod for learning how to use a cell phone and putting the car in drive. Henry's War armor is pretty cool too.

So what about This Is War was disappointing? First and foremost, I miss the opening sequence from season 1. In this day and age, opening credits are non existent and replaced with title cards instead. Sometime this works, sometimes it doesn't. There are some opening credits worth watching, like Outlander. Now Sleepy Hollow's wasn't the greatest but it was interesting. Next, I thought it was a bit fast that they all got out of their predicaments. Not that it's a bad thing. It's just that they built the tension up in the finale and then it's almost solved by episode 1. Well unless you're Katrina. I have a feeling they won't make it in time for her and she might become the horseman's slave.

Anyways Sleepy Hollow is back and there will be many more awesome moments to come. This Is War has set the playing field for season 2 and set up our characters for what's to come. Nice fakeout though, This Is War had me worried either the writer or my cable provider messed up. Looking forward to the flashbacks with Benjamin Franklin and Ichabod as his apprentice. Seeing Henry becoming a villain this season should be interesting. This week's Ichabod verses modern day is Ichabod verses the fist bump explosion. Which is the obvious fan choice since Ichabod doesn't understand fist bumps to begin with. Also, I want that kick ass crossbow to come back. Next week, operation save Katrina. Again.

What did you think of This Is War? What are your season 2 predictions?

Doctor Who "Time Heist": Go Team Not Dead

I am so glad that Doctor Who didn't loose it's momentum from last week's episode and now it has finally found it's footing. Although did it have to take so long? Time Heist, despite being a bit cliche, was still a good thrill ride and episode. Time Heist though was the final piece I needed to accept Peter Capaldi's Doctor, and I officially like him now (Matt Smith you're still my favorite). I feel like I understand this new version better and this is The Doctor and not someone filling in. Time Heist though was not a major plot point for Doctor Who, as it took a break from the main arc. But hey, its not the show it was a few weeks ago.

So Time Heist kicked off with the Doctor at Clara talking about world about they could visit while she is getting ready for another date with Pink. Then the Tardis phone rings which makes the Doctor curious and answers claiming nothing happens if he answers the phone. Suddenly they are in a room with two other people with no memory of how they got there and what is happening. They discover they have been gathered by the "architect " to rob the most secure bank in universe. Teaming up with Psi (hacker with a mirco chip in his brain), and Saibra (a mutated human who can turn into other people). Heading into the bank, they see the bank's security called the Teller, a being who can turn people's brain into soup. With much on the line, the group break into the bank not knowing what their prize is.

Time Heist was by all means a decent episode of Doctor Who. The reason why we watch television is to take our mind off reality for an hour and obsess about stuff that doesn't exist. Or you're just a casual viewer and you watch to kill time, which is not wrong either. Time Heist was one of those Doctor Who episode where anyone could turn it on and enjoy. You don't need to know much about Doctor Who to watch Time Heist. It was simple, fun, and adventurous. Which is all you really need on a good Saturday evening. The story kept you on your toes as it did the rest of the characters. Psi and Saibra were interesting characters as well instead of the usual forgettable characters. Time Heist has great one liners as well. My personal favorite is, "it's the eyebrows basically". Moffat also threw some Sherlock references in there as well, although I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not. Not gonna give them away, but the obvious "everyone shut up" scene is a little hint hint, nudge nudge.

So, Time Heist, is it the episode season 8 of Doctor Who deserves? Despite the fun nature of the episode, Time Heist doesn't do much for the main arc. It's a one off episode. Pure filler. Unless you want to talk about the 30 seconds Danny Pink showed up as continuity. Although I'm not too bothered about it since I'm still confused about the main arc itself anyways. Then there is the common plot point tv shows do with their characters robbing a bank that seems almost impossible to crack. Well either that or they get caught up in a bank robbery. Obviously the impossible bank didn't plan for time lords.

Overall I did enjoy Time Heist as I felt it was much better than previous episodes of Doctor Who. It just makes me wonder why it took so long to get to these decent episodes. For 13 episodes a season, you really shouldn't screw around and just get to business. Like Sleepy Hollow did in it's first season. This also brings me to my point I made earlier how newer creatures are better when bringing a new Doctor in since it gives them a chance to show what they are made of. These last two episodes are proof of that. So next week they are going to give Danny Pink his episode and we'll see how he is going to fit in as a companion.

Did you enjoy Time Heist? What was your favorite moment?

Doctor Who "Listen": Now This Is What We Needed

You know, for the last few weeks I have been writing about how Doctor Who is losing my interest and how the material is not what Peter Capaldi needs to become a good Doctor. I was just about to stop watching until Listen aired. I actually missed watching it on television and was able to watch on space.ca and I am glad I did. I had read that Listen was a excellent episode and that is what made me give it a chance. They weren't wrong as Listen was such an amazing episode and I finally got a sense for Capaldi's Doctor. This is what they should have started with. Something that grabs the audience in and makes them want to stay along for the ride. I know I do now. What really made Listen interesting was how basic the story was. How it was the common fear of something under the bed or out in the dark. In addition to weaving the Doctor, Clara, and the later companion Danny Pink together. Now this is why I watch Doctor Who.

So Listen began with a monologue from the Doctor about something that is excellent at hiding, but how would you know about it. At first I thought it was a bit cheesy, but that only lasted seconds when it really got deep and meaningful, in addition to be attention grabbing. In present day, Clara and Danny finally have their first date which seems to be going fine until an argument break out and Clara leaves. She soon discovers the Doctor in her bedroom, asking for her help. He tells her about his theory of something is actually there under your bed and in the darkness. The Doctor gets Clara to use the telepathic drive on the Tardis to go back to her childhood, and Clara accidentally sends them to Danny's childhood instead. Who knows what they will find in the dark.

I love a good thrill ride as anyone, and when it's done right like Listen was, it makes watching so enjoyable. In addition when it connects events like it did with Listen and the Doctor Who timeline. It is always a thrill when Doctor Who takes a common fear people have and just drive into it. Makes it seem like it could be actually real. What was neat about Listen was that you never actually saw the creature itself. Or a description. It was just the thing under your bed or in the corner of your eye. Kinda like the Silence. Listen humanized the Doctor as well. Clara really stepped up this week as she really did play a big role with her using her own skills to save the day. Not to mention having a life outside the Tardis. More importantly, I know what kind of man the Doctor is. He is a mad man with a box who doesn't like hugs. Man, it has been awhile since I got excited about a Doctor Who episode.

So what Listen didn't work or I just didn't like? Well all round, Listen was a good episode and I'm not about to look the gift horse in the mouth. Well the only thing that comes to mind is the whole Danny Pink thing. I heard he is another companion or something like that. So when is he going to join the gang? Also, didn't Clara move fast with him? Just saying. Another note, do kids normally seem that calm when people walk into their rooms? Children, if an grown up person walks into your room at night, don't be so chill about it.

So Doctor Who, you got be on board again for the ride with Listen. As I mentioned in weeks before, I am a fan of a good story and that is what brought me to like Doctor Who in the first place. At least not Doctor Who is in a good place story wise and hopefully can keep it like this for the rest of the season. Such a shame though it took 4 weeks to get to this point. So I'm ready for this new version of the Doctor and Clara who is a hero in her own right. I love how they brought up that the Doctor shouldn't travel without a companion, and that kinda reminded me of the Ponds. Let's see what next week brings.

What do you think of Listen? What was your favorite moment?

Doctor Who "Robot of Sherwood": What Makes A Hero

So Robin Hood meets Doctor Who huh? If you are talking in terms of the tv series, no that didn't happen. With this week's episode Robot of Sherwood, the Doctor and Clara meet a very jolly Robin Hood. Robot of Sherwood was better than previous episodes, but I'm not getting a wow factor from it like I did in previous seasons. When I started watching Doctor Who, I was a fan of the genre and not the show. It feels like now that with Season 8 of Doctor Who, it has begun catering to the original fans of the series rather than the new ones. It's not that I don't like Capadli's Doctor at all, but more of I just can't get interested. Although it was interesting to see that there was still a silly side to the Doctor despite his old face.

Robot of Sherwood starts off with the Doctor and Clara hanging out in the Tardis and the Doctor gives Clara a chance to go anywhere she wants to go. Naturally she choose Robin Hood, who the Doctor claims isn't a real person. He is wrong when he discovers an arrow in the Tardis, and a figure claiming to be Robin Hood wanting the Tardis (or rather the mystery box) for himself. After a duel, Clara appear and is excited to see Robin Hood in person. Meeting the merry men, the Doctor begins to investigate whether they are real or not. Fast forward to a tournament where the Nottingham, Robin Hood, and the Doctor face off in a shooting contest. The Doctor reveals the sonic screwdriver and they are arrested by robot guards. They soon realize there is a bigger plan here than just taking gold.

There are some aspects of Robot of Sherwood that were good. First of all, big yay on new monsters this week. You really can see what makes the new Doctor verses things you haven't seen before. With creatures that have appeared before, the writer and actor have to take in account previous experiences when dealing with it. New creatures, you make it. I haven't mentioned this a lot but Clara has done an excellent job of keeping Doctor Who energetic and well being resourceful as well. Have I mentioned that Clara's outfit this week was beautiful? As for the Doctor, it's nice to see that he is still a bit immature and silly. Although debating whether thats a good thing or not. It was humorous to see him investigate the merry men to see if they were real. What was really interesting though was the fact that the Doctor doesn't believe in real heroes like Robin Hood, and he doesn't consider himself a hero. I guess this goes back to last week's question "Am I good man?"

There is just something about Robot of Sherwood that I just can't mark down as remarkable. I mean it is certainly better than Into the Dalek, but compared to other episodes, it doesn't stand out. Moffat has said that it is going to take us a while to learn about this new Doctor and all I'm gathering from what I'm seeing is that the Doctor has angry eyebrows, don't believe in heroes, and fights with a spoon. If I missed something please, feel free to point it out because I would like to understand this new doctor. I would like to enjoy Doctor Who again. As for Robot of Sherwood, it was a bit silly with the men conclusively laughing and the Doctor hating on Robot Hood because he was real. It was nice to see the Doctor still silly but I'm not sure if it works for Peter Capaldi's Doctor. In Tv.com's review of the episode, they point out that the writing style is still geared towards Matt Smith's Doctor and how he would deal with the situation, and I can almost imagine it happening.

I want to like Doctor Who again and have a good time watching it. Robot of Sherwood was a decent episode, but I have seen better episodes of Doctor Who. I hope that Doctor Who can became like it once was back in previous seasons, or I'm not sure if I can watching. As I mentioned above, I am not a true fan of Doctor Who, but rather a fan of the genre. I am not a true science fiction fan which is why I am probably not enjoying it as much. Anyways I have hopes for next week as the promo did look quite interesting with this whole monsters under the bed vibe. Later.

What do you think of the direction that Doctor Who is heading? What was your favorite part of Robot of Sherwood?

Doctor Who "Into the Dalek": Anger Issues

So that was an interesting episode of Doctor Who with Into the Dalek, and it really is going into a Dalek. I still think that with the whole new Doctor thing going on that Doctor Who should have brought in a new creature of some sort for the Doctor to discover and learn. Into the Dalek felt a bit like the love child of something like Asylum of the Daleks (the Clara Dalek) and Let's Kill Hitler (the little people in the robot). It was interesting to see though how they depicted the inside of a Dalek and what makes them tick. The question of is the Doctor is a good man is a very interesting and good question. We as the viewers always see the Doctor as this hero no matter what incarnation he is, but he has made a lot of enemies along the way. Into the Dalek really brings this issue up and shows us a example to base this thought on.

Into the Dalek starts up with the Doctor saving a woman from a Dalek attack and brings her back to her ship. There they ask him to save a very different patient, a Dalek. Elsewhere we meet potential new character of Danny Pink, who looks to be Clara's new love interest now that Matt Smith is gone. They flirt, he turns her down, and regrets it, but she gets her drink. Heading to a storage closet, she finds the Doctor with three weeks late coffee claiming he needs her help. Inside the Tardis he asks her if he is a good man, and she replies she doesn't know. The Doctor takes Clara to the ship with the "good" Dalek in need of his help and Clara convinces him to help it. Taking a team inside the Dalek the Doctor gets a new view of the Daleks and makes new discoveries.

 Despite the pace of Into the Dalek, there are some good points to it that really make you think and can arc over the season. I really like the fact that Doctor Who brought up the question of is the Doctor a good man? This is a question that can be applied to all the Doctors that have come and gone. Was Smith's and Tennant's Doctors good or bad? It is true there is a darkness inside the Doctor and we have seen it come out once and a while throughout the years. We also saw this when the Doctor confronted the Dalek on the good of the universe. Like Clara said though, the Doctor does try to be good though, but he has made a lot of enemies over the years. The same can be said for the allies and friends he has made too.This brings me to the issue the Doctor has with soldiers. I'm pretty sure it has to do with something from older seasons, but I like to believe it's because it represents something he doesn't want to be. Going inside the Dalek was cool-ish as well.

Now Into the Dalek was not my favorite episode and as a second episode for the new Doctor I feel it should have been stronger. From my experience with Doctor Who, the new Doctor always begins his second episode with a new creature of sorts. In Eccleston as the Doctor he first faced robots and a bunch of aliens in his first two episodes (Rose, The End of the World). In Tennant's first episodes he faced robot Santas, and cat people (The Christmas Invasion, New Earth). When Matt Smith came on board as the Doctor he faced the Atraxi and Smilers (The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below). Now Capaldi he faces the flesh stealing robots from The Girl in the Fireplace, and Dalek in his first two episodes. I honestly think if they had this episode later on in the season it might have been more in place, and Doctor Who introduced something new to the Doctor. There is a trend which seems to be very successful. It didn't help that Into the Dalek wasn't a very interesting episode to being with either. It felt slow and odd at times. I also feel that I didn't learn much of this new Doctor either other than he gets distracted sometimes.

Doctor Who has 11 more episodes to get it right this season and make us love this new Doctor. We can just shift Into the Dalek into the forgettable episodes of the season. Every season has one of those no? Although the new companion of Danny Pink seems interesting so I looking forward to seeing how that plays out. As for that strange lady who seems to be tied into whatever crazy arc Moffat has come up with, I honestly don't have a clue who or what she is. Yes this means I take back last week's theory of River Song. See you all next week.

What is your opinion of Into the Dalek? Do you think the Doctor should have faced something new?

Doctor Who "Deep Breath": Start of Something New

It has been a while since Doctor Who has graced the tv screen and now it's back with season 8 and it's opening episode Deep Breath. The real point of the whole episode though was to get us used to Peter Capaldi's doctor and to give us a feel for it. To be honest, we didn't see much of the new Doctor back in the Christmas special when Matt Smith had his final episode and Capaldi appeared for a couple of seconds leaving us to no idea what kind of Doctor this was. I do admit that I miss Matt Smith since he was my Doctor and the first Doctor I tuned into when I started Doctor Who. I am willing to keep an open mind though and not automatically hate this new Doctor. It was interesting to see though how Clara (and the audience) had to get used to this new Doctor and the changes he brought. Let's not forget Madam Vastra, Jenny, and Strax joined in on this adventure.

Deep Breath started out with a dinosaur spitting out the Tardis and landing in London. There is where Vastra, Jenny and Strax meet Clara and the Doctor with his new face. The Doctor is confused about everyone and passes out. They head back to Vastra's place where they place the Doctor in bed and talk. Then the dinosaur they brought back with them is set on fire and they race out to the scene. The Doctor arrives on horseback while the others in carriage. This is when the Doctor notices a man in the crowd who is not bothered by the scene. Soon after he leaves Clara on her own to investigate. The Doctor grapples with his new regeneration and trying to figure out who is stealing body parts.

Deep Breath did well in introducing this new Doctor to us and getting us ready to get over Matt Smith's departure (still miss you). It did give us a much better idea than what we last saw of Capaldi's Doctor. There is still room though for us to further relate to this new Doctor as Moffat has promised that it will take a couple of episodes to understand this new Doctor. I also understand why the series went with an older man to bring the series closer to it's roots. Doctor Who in the past was played by older man, but in recent times younger faces such as David Tennant and Matt Smith has changed things up. For Capaldi's Doctor, I like the humor and sarcastic side that he brings. My personal favorite line is when the Doctor makes a mistake and says, "I hate being wrong in public. Everybody forget that happened." They also made little references to Amy and Capaldi's earlier appearance in Doctor Who. Also love that cameo at the end.

Now I can't say that Deep Breath was the best opening episode for season 8 and the new Doctor. I remember Matt Smith's opening episode being more exciting than this, but then again he was younger and had more energy. Even David Tennant's opening episode was decent. The organ stealing robots really didn't feel like opening material. The story really felt like it was spotty in areas. Then there is that mysterious woman (who I think might be River Song) who seems to be planning things for the Doctor. My main issue so far with Capaldi's Doctor is that you are no longer distracted from from of the cheesy effects. Like you can tell which scenes are CGI or not happening. Also silly noises for humor are not really necessary because comedic timing can have the same effect.

Deep Breath does show me the potential for Capaldi's Doctor and what he will bring to the series. People are saying though that he is bringing Doctor Who back to it's roots, but not as an original fan, I personally don't relate to that. I will try to not close my mind off to this new Doctor and ignorantly believe that Matt Smith is the only Doctor for me. Deep Breath did show that Doctor Who still is a good thriller once and a while despite the "meh" story. Not thrilled about Doctor Who throwing them to the Daleks next week. Isn't there a cool new monster to kick off the new Doctor? You can't live off old monsters forever, even if they were the ones that put Doctor Who on the map. See you all next week.

What did you think of the new Doctor? What was your favorite moment of Deep Breath?

'Guardians of the Galaxy' Is A Quirky Space Opera

I remember when they first announced they were making a Guardians of the Galaxy and wondering what the heck that was. I also thought it was some animated movie of some sort. Later on it was revealed to be set in the Marvel Universe while setting a new tone for the film. You know, the classic superhero movie vibe, but Guardians of the Galaxy are not your normal heroes, but rather a band of misfits stumbling their way though the galaxy. This is exactly what the viewers and the Marvel universe needed, something to change things up. Something that thinks outside the box and captures the audience. Add a killer soundtrack, and you're good. Guardians of the Galaxy was centered around Peter Quill, our lead hero, giving us some back story and something to relate with him. This did give the film little time to tell us more about the others, but it did just enough for us to know who they are. Guardians of the Galaxy is the summer movie you have been waiting for.

So Guardians of the Galaxy starts off with a young Peter Quill who runs from his dying mother and is abducted by Ravagers, who take the young boy in. Years later, Quill AKA Star Lord (Chris Pratt) is braking into a temple to steal an orb when he is interrupted by Ronan's men who want the orb for their master, Ronan (Lee Pace). Quill gets away, and when the Ravagers discover that Quill has tricked them, Yondu (Michael Rooker) puts a price out on Quill's head. This price attracts Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and his houseplant/muscle Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel). Ronan also sends out Gamora (Zoe Saldana), an assassin to retrieve the orb from Quill. Unable to pawn it, Quill walks out to be attacked by Gamara and attempted kidnap from Rocket and Rocket. This fight lands all four of them in jail where they ban together to break out and sell the orb to make some money. With the help of Drax (David Bautista), they break out and head to Gamara's buyer, but they must avoid the law and Ronan to do so.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a great summer movie to sit down and go along for the side. It really does cover all the bases to make it a note worthy movie. It has a great cast, decent storyline, and a great soundtrack. Have I mentioned the music is from like the 80's (or at least I have been told so), which adds this certain atmosphere to the film. It also places these moments into these songs, so when you hear them again, the movie pops into your mind. Then there are moments you will always remember about a movie like the relationship between Rocket and Groot (You have to admit that Groot is freaking adorable and awesome). Or when Quill tell Gamara about the legend of Footloose and Kevin Bacon. There is honestly too many moments to mention that make you smile or laugh. Which is once again credit to the actors like Chris Pratt who really did feel like he was Star Lord. Oh him and his Walkman. The visual effects were well done with both the environments and character design. It is nice when the special effects look realistic and not slapped on. To top it all off, it's different formula from the usual Marvel timeline while still being tied into everything. Good job Marvel.

There are something I do have issue with in Guardians of the Galaxy. For me, the main problem I could see was that since Guardians spent so much time developing Peter Quill they had little time left for the rest of there characters. Like do we know how Groot and Rocket met or how they got to the place where they were? Or what exactly Groot is? It was just enough back story to give them purpose like with both Gamara and Drax's families being murdered. Guardians of the Galaxy didn't give us enough time to fall in love with these characters enough. The obvious favorites are going to be Star Lord, Rocket and Groot. I really feel that Gamara and Drax didn't make a big enough splash for me to care enough about this, but this is a fault of the writing. Another issue I had with Guardians was that the trailers had sold the film funnier than it actually was. I mean it was funny, but not as funny as I thought it would be. Thats about it though.

Overall Guardians of the Galaxy was a great summer movie for 2014, and a nice breather from the whole Hydra situation going on in the Marvel universe. In addition to having to watch out for continuity other than the whole collector and Thanos thing. Although I do wonder the purpose of The Collector. There are some scenes in the credits (middle and end), so look out for those. Although the final one is very pointless unless you know the character in question. So I wouldn't stay for that. If you are up for action, adventure, humor, and an awesome soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy is your movie. Our rating for Guardians of the Galaxy is:

Trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy below.


What did you think of Guardians of the Galaxy? Who is your favorite Guardian?

'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Is Simply Amazing

I have to state that first and foremost, this review might be biased due to my extreme love for the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. Not that you can blame since both the first and second movies just blew me away. How To Train Your Dragon 2 fulfills all the hopes you had the moment you heard the sequel was coming and honestly, Dreamworks was smart to bank on it. I mean, I would literary watch anything having to do with this series. How To Train Your Dragon 2 brings us to this expanded universe that has been created with new dragons and dangers that keeps the audience engaged. It plays to it's strengths with the bond between Hiccup and Toothless (which is strong as ever), and a whole world of dragons. Let's not forget the laughs and tears you might experience throughout the film. There is also a message buried in the movie of don't let fate decide for you and stand up for your friends. But let's be honest, you come to watch How To Train Your Dragon 2 for Hiccup and Toothless. It's what made me love the first movie so much.

How To Train You Dragon 2 takes place 5 years since the first movie and there has been a lot of changes since then. Everyone on Berk now has a dragon, and the village has been designed for dragons. They even made a sport called Dragon Racing where the movie opens up at with Astrid winning the round due to an absent Hiccup. Elsewhere Hiccup is trying out his new suit while exploring the world with Toothless. Astrid finds Hiccup to ask him where he was when Hiccup notices smoke in a direction. Upon an investigation, they discover dragon trappers working for Drago, who claims all dragons belong to him. Worried about this, Hiccup heads back to Berk to warn his father, Stoick, about the danger. Despite being warned about Drago, Hiccup decides to talk to Drago out of war, but nothing ever goes as planned.

It is really hard to pick one thing about How To Train Your Dragon 2 that I didn't love. There are some note worthy moments though. Hiccup and Toothless are awesome as always as their friendship and bond is something that no one can break. It also leads to the odd cute and touching moments. To this could be attested to Toothless' constant adorableness and antics. Makes me want a dragon, but I'll make due with my cat. The main plot line of How To Train Your Dragon 2 is Hiccup's journey to find his place in the world. Yes, it does sound like the first movie, but this time Hiccup has to choose his freedom to explore the world or take his place as chief of the village like his father wants. While this is all happening, Hiccup discovers his mother is alive and has been saving dragons. It gives Hiccup a little background of his nature, and in addition to an explanation of the scar he has. You know what I'm talking about. The animation and scenery are beautiful, which makes it worth it to see it in 3D. The soundtrack is well done again, especially the main theme with John Powell and Jonsi. If you look closely at the film, you can actually see some comparisons with the first movie and this one.

I am going to keep this bit brief about the fault that How To Train Your Dragon 2 had, since I see very little. Someone pointed out the lack of continuity with Hiccup's hat and his mother Valka being so small. It is a good point, but not really important since it explains where Hiccup got his stature from. The 3D I began not noticing after some point, but I think it's good when you are pulled into the 3D that you forget about it rather than being reminded of it every 10 minutes. As for the villain Drago, it doesn't really explain how he controls the dragons, but I guess it has something to do with him making them fear him. Or something like that. The motivation for his campaign on dragons and Berk seemed a little lacking, but How To Train Your Dragon 2 acknowledges it when Hiccup confronts Drago.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a amazing movie that people of all ages would enjoy. Unless your all serious and don't like animated movies of course. Hiccup and Toothless are cute and awesome together as usual. You are guaranteed a laugh and a cry. The visuals, animation, and soundtrack will just sweep you away. How To Train Your Dragon 2 is one of those movies who know how to use 3D right. It gives the film this right amount of depth and can wow you in certain areas. It's worth seeing a couple of times to see Hiccup's and Toothless' bond. It is rare that a sequel is just as good as the first movie. Our review for How To Train Your Dragon 2 is:

The trailer for How To Train Your Dragon 2 below.
What did you think of How To Train Your Dragon 2? What was your favorite moment?