Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (1000)

Content

David McK (3600 KP) rated Treason (Star Wars: Thrawn #3) in Books

Oct 7, 2019

Treason (Star Wars: Thrawn #3)

Timothy Zahn | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The third Thrawn book written in the 'new' Star Wars canon (i.e. after Disney's buyout of the Star Wars brand), this is different than the previous (Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances) in that it is set entirely within one timeframe (early days of the Empire, round about the time of the fourth season of the Star Wars: Rebels cartoon), and that it does not skip character about per chapter.

Like the previous novel, however, it does take efforts to portray threat of the Gryssk, even (at one point) going so far as to insinuate that they are behind the Rebellion, with Thrawn himself becoming embroiled in a dispute between Director Krennic (see Rogue One) and Grand Moff Tarkin and with the future of his own TIE Defender programme on the line.

While Star Wars: Rebels may have shown his more ruthless side, these novels take great pains to show his loyalty to his crew and, in return, their loyalty back to him. The Treason of the title may be slightly (purposefully?) misleading, with Thrawn himself also uncovering a conspiracy as his own loyalty - and that of his protégé from the first 'new' novel, who is now seconded to work with the Chiss - is called into question.

Kudos

Taboo

8.4 (9 Ratings) Rate It

TV Show Watch

Set in 1814, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney, a man who has been to the ends of the earth and...

Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy - Season 2 in TV

Aug 11, 2020

The Umbrella Academy - Season 2

2020 | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

8.2

(10 Ratings)

TV Season Rating

Contains spoilers, click to show

Following on from the end of season 1, the family escape the Apocalypse only to find themselves scattered throughout the early 60's. The time line is wrong and another Apocalypses looms as an unknown event leads to nuclear obliteration by the Russians. Can they stop this apocalypse and find out the connection between the Kennedy assassination and their father?
As the family struggle to find one another the are faced with the reality of the 1960's, conspiracy, racism/segregation and homophobia.
As with the first season music plays a big part, both with the sound track and the story.
One of the good thing that seems to have come from services like Netflix producing/ordering series is that they don't have to follow the normal 13 episode format that standard television uses, this means that there are less 'filler' episodes which helps the story flow.
Season one had to spend some time introducing the main characters and in season season two we get to find out more about some of the characters, including the handler and Sir Reginald Hargreeves, although, where Reginald is involved I don't think you take anything at face value.
Season two does have similar themes to the the first including drug and Alcohol use which are character appropriate.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Assassination Bureau (1969) in Movies

Oct 1, 2020

The Assassination Bureau (1969)

1969 | Action, Comedy

7.3

(4 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Knockabout black comedy thriller. A feisty journalist (Rigg) challenges the leader of a group of elite assassins (Reed) to have himself killed: feeling his associates have become sloppy and corrupt, he accepts the challenge as it will allow him to purge his organisation. Exploits across Edwardian Europe follow, together with a touch of romance.

Oliver Reed never had the career as a leading man he deserved; Diana Rigg didn't get the film career you would have expected, either, so the film has a certain rarity value. However it's just not very funny, or thrilling, and the duo don't seem to have much chemistry - that said, a script which doesn't seem to know whether to be darkly witty or zany means he seems to be operating at about half-power. With Rigg and Savalas co-starring in a 1969 film about a suave assassin taking on a criminal conspiracy, the temptation is to speculate that this film gives a hint of what On Her Majesty's Secret Service might have looked like had Eon made better casting decisions - one hopes not, for this film isn't great in any department, on top of which the special effects in the climax are rotten and the closing song is pretty grim too. A waste of several great talents.