Trailer Tuesday: Doctor Who Series 7

Remarkably, a trailer for Doctor Who's 7th series has already been released, teasing a menagerie of intrigue and spectacle for this year's 5 episodes (out of the entire 14). So once more, like last year, the series will be split in two, with the Christmas special after those 5 in Autumn, and the remaining 8 in 2013 some time. More on the logistics of all that later, so let's get on with the surprisingly big-budget looking trailer:



And finally, for the first time in months, a breakdown!

• 0:06 - The third episode of this series, currently called "Gunslinger", will take place in the good ol' Wild West, and is written by Being Human creator, and previous Who contributor, Toby Whitehouse. Yet again branching into some other genres, it will be exciting to see Sci-Fi and Western meld together in a DW fashion, especially since that combination is just a gold mine to fans ever since Firefly.
• 0:12 - Of course, this being Doctor Who, it's not just the gun-toting cowboys the gang are going to be wary of, as this cyborg, maybe-human-maybe-alien lone ranger suggests. 
• 0:17 - Obviously the desolate shoot-out staple was going to make its way in somewhere, but quite how the Doctor will overcome this without a gun (as is his code) may be a challenge...

Don't blink... Again!

• 0:19 - Hooray, Amy and Rory make their triumphant return this series, accompanying the Doctor for five more, final adventures. Will it end in heartbreak, tears and sorrow? Showrunner Steven Moffat has promised "Not everyone will get out alive - and I mean it this time!", in the midseason finale which will see the Weeping Angels make a horrifying return...

• 0:21 - Guess they weren't lying when they said we'd be getting "Fourteen big, blockbuster-movie episodes" in the press release, as these explosions will testify.
•  0:26 - Why yes, that is Arthur Weasley running with Doctor and co, or as he's preferably known, Mark Williams. He, along with a number of other guest stars, will be appearing in the second episode of series 7, which also sees the show's biggest set ever. Speculation: BEGIN!
•  0:31 - So about that code... Care to explain why the big D's got a gun in his hand, anyone? 
• 0:33 - Oh yeah, Amy's definitely back...
• 0:44 - Is this the Doctor being accused of Witchcraft, mayhap?
• 0:50 - Trademark wit and humour: check.
• 0:52 - Robots will be making an appearance in episode two it seems.
• 0:54 - As will David Bradley, another Harry Potter alumni, once portraying grumpy caretaker Argus Flinch. Oh yeah, and he's also going to have a badass, wristy-sword thing. Villain: most certainly.
•  0:55 - Very briefly here you might recognise Rupert Graves (Sherlock's Lestrade) taking up arms alongside Amy. Again, supposedly from the second episode.

• 0:58 - Let me guess, you thought it was Mickey, right? Well, me too, but unfortunately not, although this new character does appear in what I believe will be the series opener, which Moffat has teased as being called "[Something] of the [Something]", having a Die-Hard-esque tone AND containing Daleks. Expect big things... 

• 1:05 - Be careful what you wish for: Daleks ahoy! Also, anyone else getting a Jabba's Palace vibe from that eye?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Autumn, please hurry? Mind, this is all from the first 5 episodes (maybe only the first 3 for those keeping count), so no look at The Doctor's newest companion, Jenna-Louise Coleman. She'll be arriving in this year's Chirstmas Special, and has been quite the rising star here in Britain, finding regular spots on both Emmerdale and Waterloo Road. While we'll all miss Karen (Amy) and Arthur (Rory), new blood will be an exciting prospect, especially with the acting talents of Matt Smith's to compliment her. 

  And notice the distinct lack of James Corden in this trailer... Never fear, him and Moffat are trying their damndest to fit loveable Craig back into the plot-lines, and let me stretch my Corden-Speculating abilities once more...

Anyway, until Autumn, let us eagerly anticipate more DW awesomeness.

ATR

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RE:View: Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Sherlock's back, and better than ever.

!Major Spoilers in This Review!


After finally returning to the beeb after its tour of reruns in response to the terrific BAFTA run it had, and the delays of re-scheduling for the show's stars to appear in next year's The Hobbit, Sherlock's second season had a LOT to live up to. But all that apprehension diminishes within moments of the first of another three outings, A Scandal in Belgravia.

    With the show's trademark modern spin placed on Doyle's classic A Scandal in Bohemia, which introduced Holmes' one and only love interest, Irene Adler, we see Sherlock from some all new (entirely mesmerising) angles. And I'm not just talking about the stylistic camera angles deployed by director Paul McGuigan, although they were very much a spectacle in their own rights. Varying things up with the dizzying "Coaster" shots and spins, faded with the suave swipes of character to character as Sherlock passes along on each potential case in the comic, yet ultimately vital, re-introduction of our two heroes.

     Writer and creator, Steven Moffat (Doctor Who), starts things off slowly and doesn't rush us into the character of Adler, instead opting for a little exposition (despite the anti-climatic teaser). Sherlock is back to his stubborn ways, not even bothering to leave the house for a case and refusing to get dressed; even if it was for the Queen. Mycroft Holmes is given a meatier part to play than in the first season, setting up the meeting of Sherlock and Irene, and eventually giving us the bigger picture towards the end of the episode.

Ooh, Kinky!

   And it is with the introduction of Irene Adler, (played by Lara Pulver, who recently starred in Spooks) that Moffat's writing really takes off. When Irene walks in naked, it is clear she is not to be trifled with, as Sherlock finds out in a brilliantly scripted battle of wits between the two, literally running through the entire episode. His bafflement and frustration is something new that we haven't yet seen from Sherlock himself, and it's really intriguing to see what happens when things aren't going his way. But, like all good geniuses, Sherlock becomes almost infatuated with "The Woman" who almost got the better of him.

 Here we begin to learn more about Sherlock's character and his reaction to a female's advances. Like a stroppy teenager he becomes secretive about her, his childish tendencies coming forward to disrupt the cool, collected detective usually at hand. The accusations of "Virgin" flung at him by various characters seem to bounce off, ignored and uninterested by the man. Is he embarrassed? Or does he simply not care? It's just one of those ever present questions that looms over his rich, complex character.

It is clear that Sherlock does have strong feelings about women in general, making no hesitation in throwing a man out of a window countless times for disrespecting dear old Mrs Hudson.  That a self kept character such as he still has the same morals as any good hero stands to prove the mileage Sherlock still has in him. In fact, I believe we're just scratching the surface of his potential depth, because we even see him going all vigilante in this episode, taking out goons much in the style of our favourite Bat-flavoured superhero.

   Which reinforces Moffat's intelligent scripting, as this kind of pure character development shines through, while still leaving time for tons of action, humour and intricate plot weaving that leaves the viewer flabbergasted with such entertainment. Despite this being her first appearance, Irene Adler is still given a wealth of characterisation herself, and we begin to understand her personality and motives, regardless of the 90 minutes we spend with her.

Spot-on editing: not a slip. Classy stuff.

 From her racy profession of the independent dominatrix, it doesn't take long to realise Irene Adler is not your ordinary female adversary. Powerful, unpredictable and mysterious, Addler doesn't beat around the bush with matters -- in fact she gets, quite literally, straight to the bush.  Yes, our first impression of this highly intellectual woman is that of a naked variety. Wonderfully edited, this scene acts as the staring point to show where this character comes from and what lengths she's prepared to go to (as we find out by the end). While complaints flood into the BBC about "the atrocities of showing such a scandalous scene before the watershed", this still stands as one of the most poignant of Sherlock's scenes to date, strengthening the uniqueness and vitality of the show without ever staling in themes, image or even controversy, despite being reworks of well known and celebrated material. We're talking boundary-pushing stuff here.

   Irene works in the background from then onward, and the tension between her and Sherlock inevitably rises, even more so when she's not even present on screen. This brings us up perfectly to the reveal of the true conspiracy at work, including that sweet allusion to the Coventry cover-up of WWII. The subtleties at which it drops in is both a shock and yet completely "Of course"-like in nature. Again, Moffat's writing lends itself ingeniously to that kind of mystery; the kind where the ending is there all along, almost subliminal, yet still viewed as a twist while the pieces still click together in the back of the viewer's mind. The eerie "Flight of the Dead" operation is suitably grim while Adler reveals her true intentions and Sherlock stands the fool, played and failed, whilst the hushed tones of Moriarty's devious dealings can be heard faintly in the background. That is until the ambitious turn around, with Sherlock figuring the code to Irene's little phone of secrets and coming off not so scathed. In other's hands this may seem cheap, but Moffat and Cumberbatch nail the execution, still showing us that Sherlock knows he hasn't entirely won.

   This is all complimented hugely by the the rest of the episode, which on the outside seems like mere filler, but all cleverly works itself into the grand scheme of things. The comments about the morgue, the clients at the beginning, Moriarty's phone call in the teaser: it all adds up. Not to mention the wondrous winks, nods and tongue-in-cheek puns that litter the snappy dialogue and contexts. Watson's write ups on the blogs contain a few of the littler known adventures of Holmes and Watson from Doyle's extensive bibliography (The Geek Interpreter = The Greek Interpreter), while the inclusion of the Deerstalker and Pipe had me literally squeaking in delight. And who can forget that Watson line of "Mycroft's bloody stupid power complex" which was immediately cut to the Battersea Power Station. Wit at its finest, ladies and gentlemen.

Still close, still awesome.

     While the focus may remain on Sherlock and Irene's relationship more predominantly, the Holmes and Watson mutual love doesn't suffer for it, as the two still share some adorably compassionate moments, fuelled by the actors extraordinary acting abilities. I tell you, it was damn joke that Cumberbatch didn't get the Best Lead Male BAFTA last year, because this is British performance at its peak.

 The cute "twist of the twist" at the very, very end raps things up nicely in the humour aspect of the show, whilst also giving us the chance of a possible Adler-Holmes team-up in the not so distant future. Once the rounded package finishes up after the hour and a half run time, it almost seemed cruel to make us wait another week for the next episode. Blatantly a 10/10 show, now release the hounds for next Sunday's, The Hounds of Baskerville!


ATR
 

Trailer Tuesday: Doctor Who: Season 6 Part 2

Another trailer from Comic-Con, was the preview of the next half of Doctor Who Season 6. Expect terrifying monsters, twisty plot lines and David Walliams as a small alien with no hair and pointy ears.

Anyone for a breakdown?

• 0:02 - Since when can Rory ride a motorbike?
• 0:04 - The Doctor appears to be wearing a proper suit, top hat included (No Fez?!) in front of a swastika.  Confused yet?
• 0:07 - The number 11. Not only my favourite number, but the incarnation of the Doctor that Matt Smith is, hence the "My time is running out" over the top of it. Don't panic though, Matt is still playing the Doctor next season too.
• 0:08 - Who is Winston Churchill holding a gun to? The Doctor? Hitler? James Corden?
• 0:09 - Speak of the devil; here comes that lovable mass of a man running down a changing room corridor. Looks like we'll be seeing a return of his character, Craig Owens.
• 0:10 - And here's David Walliams' aforementioned alien, called Gibbis, a spooky new creature appearing in the Toby Whitehouse (Being Human) written episode, God Complex.
• 0:11 - And another guest star this series, Daniel Mays (Outcasts, Ashes to Ashes), who'll be in a Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) episode, entitled Night Terrors.
• 0:11 - Madame Kovarian also returns...
• 0:13 - What is this the eye of? Dalek? Silence? James Corden?
• 0:15 - WTF?! Middle aged Amy? In futuristic armour? When is this going to happen?
• 0:16 - A snippet from the much anticipated episode "Lets Kill Hitler", where apparently the Doctor and co do quite the opposite. "Oh FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"
• 0:19 - An odd exchange between Doctor and Corden, involving some homosexual interactions. Didn't see that coming, did you?
• 0:22 - Amy in wonderland.
• 0:23 - A quick shot of what looks to be a darker and grimier take on the Starship Enterprise cockpit.
• 0:25 - At least now we know how the Doctor gets to Hitler. Smashing through the window.
• 0:26 - River. Is. Madame. Kovarian? WHAT!? Actually, there was always a slight resemblance there...
• 0:28-0:33 - The Silence. Cybermen. Weeping Angels. Creepy Dolls. Robots. Ugly Viking playing chess. And a close up on a Minatour. Anything else?
• 0:33-0:35 - Followed by smashing. Lots of smashing.
• 0:36 - Rory punches Hitler! FRIDGE YEAH!
• 0:37 - Amy fights robots with swords and sticks! FRIDGE YE-HEAH!
• 0:38 - David Walliams/Gibbis hides in a closet! FRIDGE YE-oh wait, that's not that exciting.
• 0:40 - SLOW DOWN! IT'S GOING TOO FAST! From what I could gather here, dudes shoot Silence, one guy teleports, the Doctor pulls Daniel Mays away from something, a Minotaur runs down a corridor and Cybermen heads blow up. Phew.
• 0:46 - So who is in the astronaut suit? That little girl? The Doctor himself? James Corden?
• 0:52 - Answers will come, en masse I suppose. Looks like all these over arching plot lines should be tied up by the end of this, which makes you wonder, "How the fridge are they going to do that?".

So. Many. Questions? Why is there a Minotaur, why are the Cybermen there, will they kill Hitler, what's the deal with River, why was Amy aged, will there be a Fez, who is Daniel Mays, how does the Doctor not die, how does Gibbis play into it and most importantly, is the Doctor gay with James Corden? It'll all be revealed, this Autumn. Can't wait.

Trailer Tuesday: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn

As you may remember, a few weeks back I was heavily praising the new Tintin movie, due out this October, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson respectively. Well, here's the first trailer and it's looking mighty fine. Taking a great leap forward in both animation and motion-capture, Tintin might just end up as one of the best movies of the year.
 Here's the synopsis:

"Combining the stories of The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure, the film depicts Tintin's (Jamie Bell) first encounter with Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) and the discovery of a clue to the treasure of his ancestor Sir Francis Haddock. They set out to find it with protection from a prison escapee who tried to get the treasure as well as Detectives Thompson and Thomson (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost)." - Wikipedia