Pete Messum Reviews...

I've been putting this off for a little while, and I think it's ultimately because The Shannara Chronicles brings nothing to the fantasy genre that's not been done before and is a very disappointing adaptation. Although, from what I've heard about the books, they're not much better anyway. Now, none of my problems can be excused with "it's just a TV show", as I understand that the story has to be spread over a certain number of episodes, actors have certain contracts and the budget has to be equally spread out, etc. Does this mean that we require a stupid love triangle, obvious character arcs and dull sub-plots though? Case and point: Daredevil season 1 is spread over 13, hour long episodes with hardly any money to spend and minimal effects work. So, how do they fill up this time? Well, they work on building interesting and empathetic characters with motivations, personality and who actually add something greater to the story. Sure, the plot fade

Doctor Who was at the height of its popularity in the 1970s, with two of the most iconic Doctors and some of the most memorable stories and villains throughout the decade. Of course this means that many episodes are over-hyped and while most are four-parters, very early on at least the series preferred seven-part stories, such as Doctor Who and the Silurians , Inferno and the subject of today's review: The Ambassadors of Death . If you're new to the classic series formula, I doubt you'd find much enjoyment out of this. It's definitely a product of its time, with the low production values hindering the episode from being as cinematic as it deserves, and its clearly been made to fit the seven-part structure as opposed to being a very long story in the first place. This does mean that most of the cliffhangers are quite poorly-executed, and the resolution is normally a little anti-climactic. The whole thing runs at 170 minutes long and at points it does feel it. As some

'The Shannara Chronicles' is based on a long-running fantasy book series written by Terry Brooks - a writer of whom I've never heard of and a book series which from the looks of things is just another 'Lord of the Rings'-esque fantasy epic which obviously didn't stick well in mainstream media. For all intents and purposes though, this works in the TV series' favour, being able to stand on its own two feet and aim for a more mainstream audience. Does it succeed though? I'm not actually too sure. It's very 'Lord of the Rings'-esque, which I'm sure will make it stick out to fans of that franchise (it certainly stood out to me when I saw it advertised), but at the same time it's going for more of a young adult target audience with it's two lead characters. It all seems a little odd in that respect, but as long as it can keep the rubbish young adult stuff to the background and bring some cool and badass fantasy stuff to the forefro

I ain't afraid of no reboot... Ghostbusters (2016). Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth. Director: Paul Feig. Plot: Paranormal researcher Abby Yates and physicist Erin Gilbert are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. When strange apparitions appear in Manhattan, Gilbert and Yates turn to engineer Jillian Holtzmann for help. Also joining the team is Patty Tolan, a lifelong New Yorker who knows the city inside and out. Armed with proton packs and plenty of attitude, the four women prepare for an epic battle as more than 1,000 mischievous ghouls descend on Times Square. Ghostbusters (2016) belongs to Sony / Columbia / Village Roadshow Pictures. Music is by Kevin Macleod and Ray Parker Jr. Review is for critical, analytical and entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.

Ghostbusters follows a new team of paranormal investigators: Abby Yates, Erin Gilbert and Jillian Holtzmann as they look into ghostly sightings in New York City. As their investigations deepen, however, they find that someone is amplifying supernatural forces. Together with the help of subway worker Patty and new receptionist Kevin, Abby, Erin and Holtzmann form the Ghostsbusters in an attempt to fight these ghosts. Cos, you know, they ain't afraid of no ghosts. So, is the movie any good? Well, I'd go as far as to call it great! Despite having pretty rubbish trailers and lots of fan backlash, the finished film is not deserving of any of these. Ghostbusters is an example of a reboot done right, with a director who wanted to do his own take on the classic film with a new cast of characters and a quite different approach overall. Not that I ever thought Ghostbusters was going to be the worst thing ever, but it didn't really sell me initially, especially given that I&