Reviews

This is one of my favourite episodes purely because of the interpersonal dynamics and, of course, Fionnula Flanagan's wonderful acting.

These aspects overcome some of the more nonsensical scenes, such as T'Pol discussing sexuality - a subject Vulcans consider virtually taboo - or Archer deciding to head back to the Mazarite planet because V'Lar won't tell him her secret. Um, did he notice that in his bid to put pressure on her, he's disobeying direct orders AND placing his ship and crew in danger from an entire fleet because he's moving away from the Vulcan warship that can protect him? Yeah, right.

These niggles aside, this is one of the best episodes of the earlier seasons, for all the little insights and character growth we experience. And of course Malcolm prefers the firing back part!

One of my absolute favourite episodes. Kenny is so gentle, loving, open to learning, so appreciative and not afraid to show his emotions. He couldn't believe all of this was for him.

What an utterly heartwarming episode - watching him absorb everything the Fab 5 were sharing with him, like a sponge. How excited he was around his family, so gentle with his dog. How lovingly he spoke about the Fab 5.

And the new colours in the house! Amazing. I love how they made his old house a new home for him and his family without detracting from the home in which he and his sisters were raised. Knocked this one out of the park!

As an action movie junkie, I've grown up on the likes of Lucy Lawless, Cynthia Rothrock, Michelle Yeoh, Sarah Michelle Gellar, et al. I love a well-choregraphed fight scene, and I particularly adore a stubborn, beaten-up protagonist who just won't stay down.

This movie, like John Wick, Gunpowder Milkshake, Ava, Jolt, The Expendables, and others, is one long fight scene broken up by occasional flashbacks, minor soul-searching, villain monologuing, and the occasional bit of humour (though the overweight guard running up and down the tower was less amusing than the writers/producers/director seemed to think).

Story? Yeah, one we've heard a thousand times before, in various incarnations. So what? It's an action movie. I didn't watch it for realism; I don't care if no one would have spoken that way in a fantasy (read: medieval) setting, or if there wouldn't have been such diverse characters in whatever time period is being portrayed.

Joey King does an excellent job as the nameless Princess; the scene where she promised to make the villain's life a living hell spoke to me because it's exactly the kind of threat I would make, and I would mean it with every fibre of my soul. There were several moments where it was clear that the fighter was the actress and a stunt performer; not Tom Cruise levels, but enough to impress me with her stamina, skill, and what was clearly rigorous training. The fight scenes remind me of some of the particularly brutal battles in G. A. Aiken's Dragon Kin series, or Shelly Laurenston's Call of Crows series, and I am here for it.

Veronica Ngo's character was clearly there just to give a reason why a medieval European princess would be able to fight so well; what surprised me was how well the actresses meshed and played the role of battle sisters very well; possibly more, but that's not a focus here as much as their well-oiled moves in combat.

You think a 5'4" woman couldn't take down someone twice her size? Watch the type of fighting she does; it's not all fists and heavy strikes like a guy. Legs have a great deal more muscle behind them than fists, and the defenders of the realm use their feet quite effectively in amongst the swordplay, while there was a definite element of krav maga amongst the strikes. Sure, the hordes of soldiers vs one, sometimes two, defenders, were unrealistic - kind of like most OTT action movies. Again: so what?

The Princess reminds me very much of a honey badger; she'd probably be that kind of shifter, if they existed. Tenacious, stubborn, always coming back for more; that irritating thorn in the side that just. Won't quit.

There's a fair amount of gore and clearly a heck of a lot of killing; a lot of blood, and a lot of our heroine stabbing or being stabbed, beating or being beaten. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for more sensitive viewers, but if you're okay with Deadpool levels of violence, then have at it.

This one goes on the Always Rewatch list, not because it's particularly good, but because it's a heck of a lot of fun.

The acting is excellent, the script is pretty good, but quite honestly, I don't need my Stargate this dark, edgy and plain mean. I don't want O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, and the rest painted with the same brush as this bunch of hateful narcissists. Just because there's a Stargate in the title and on the ship doesn't mean this has anything to do with the real Stargate shows.

Call me an obsessed fangirl of an old-school show, I don't care. I prefer my sci-fi to have some heart, some hope, some humour. Maliciousness and mean-spirited behaviour don't do it for me.

I can appreciate that they're good actors working with decent scripts and sets. I can't get over that these whiny, self-obsessed, selfish brats - some of whom enjoy having sex while in the bodies of other people so they can basically cheat on that person's partner - are supposed to have been the best of the best. Snark? There's no snark. There's bullying and whining and ego trips and backstabbing. Is this high school?

I stopped watching after Time because it was pretty satisfying to see them die over and over. Just what they deserved.