Words on Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut

When it comes to troubled productions and random trivia about the filming, few pictures match the legendary story behind 1979’s Apocalypse Now. Anything that could go wrong did go wrong: there was the intense storms in the Philippines that delayed and damaged the set, Martin Sheen had a heart attack, the original actor bailed as the cameras started rolling, Marlon Brando turned up over weight and without having learnt his lines, director Francis Ford Coppola lost his mind. 

The closest comparison from the 2010s is perhaps 2016’s The Revenant; which saw crew members fired and production moved from Canada to Argentina halfway through. Mad Max Fury Road also has its own inspired journey to the big screen. The fact that these three films are masterpieces is kind of head scratching. 

Of course, labelling Apocalypse Now as a ‘masterpiece’ can be controversial. For some, namely men born in the 1960s, it is. For others it’s a pretentious slog, too concerned with displaying a more lucid interpretation of the Vietnam war than with perhaps a more flowing and involving story. 

Before I trailed to the cinema on Tuesday 13th to see the 40th anniversary release of ‘The Final Cut’, I had only seen the film (theatrical edition) twice. The first time I was not overly fond, instead preferring the straight forwardness of Platoon. The second time was a bit more of a revelation. The visuals, thematic richness and the feeling of emptiness that the film left me with amalgamated into one of the best films I had seen. 

So along comes The Final Cut. My dvd version runs at 150 odd minutes, excessive but worth it. This ran for a tad over 180 minutes; the extra 30 minutes of new footage made the ticket a little more worthwhile but to be honest, I would have paid the £13 ticket just to see the normal edition on the big screen. 

My general view at the moment is this: the cinema experience was my favourite viewing of the film (obviously) but the DVD cut superior. If this is indeed the definitive version, then it’s a shame because I still feel there is a more concise, streamlined movie in there somewhere. 

Apocalypse Now is, to reiterate, a Marmite movie. In the same vein as Titanic, Avatar and The Last Jedi, there are staunch defenders and firm haters. There is a lot of debate as to whether the film is pro or anti war; those that see it as pro war are perhaps more disapproving of the epic. I have always seen it as anti war: the exceedingly young escorts to Sheen’s Capt. Willard and their subsequent deaths throws massive shade towards conscription and that the war was fought as much by teenagers as it was by experienced troops. Then there is the lack of command shown throughout the film; the distant outpost is disorganised and leaderless whilst the seniors we do see are either nicely tucked away in their clean rooms with a range of dishes for lunch or are as unhinged as Willard’s target, Colonel Kurtz, as is the case with Robert Duvall’s unforgettable Kilgore. We also see civilians caught in the line of fire, easily triggered US soldiers and, in one bizarre sequence, the jeering soldiers scrambling to get onto the stage of a river set amphitheatre to get the show girls. War turns men into monsters. Or, as Jorah Mormont wisely puts it “there’s a beast inside every man, and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand.” 

Apocalypse Now is a tricky film to critique. For me, it blurs the line between immense entertainment, sheer greatness and also leaving that artistic yet hollow bite which sometimes makes it hard to go ‘yeah I feel like watching Apocalypse Now now’. Some sequences are utterly enthralling. Some put you into a trance. And some are just dull. 

The structure is as follows: act 1 sets up the mission to assassinate Marlon Brando’s Kurtz, who has set up a cult in Cambodia. It closes with the tour de force Ride of the Valkyries helicopter attack. Act 2 is a more episodic journey up river that depicts war with the gloves off. There is a tiger, a night time battle at a near abandoned outpost, the aforementioned scene with the show girls and a new (for me) sequence that takes places at a French plantation. The second act ends with their departure, and act 3 begins as the surviving gang arrive at Kurtz’s compound. 

Each third feels different to the last, operating as a new stanza in a long and complex poem. The transition from traditional ‘war material’ into the psychedelic and surreal finale is always jarring, but it works. This is due to the constant mystery surrounding Kurtz. We hear a tape of his voice (the snail along the edge of the razor is one disgusting image) and see a photo. Brando, despite being billed first, does not show up until the final 30/40 minutes. But we eagerly await the confrontation. 

It’s worth noting Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness here. It is a small book, but it has real weight and vivid imagery. Coppola’s idea of translating the essential part of that colonial-Africa set classic to the Vietnam War is beyond genius. I consider it one of the all time great adaptations. Why? Because it isn’t faithful to the book; it takes the upriver journey to Kurtz as the only material needed and works out everything else from there. The messages align and Apocalypse Now just feels like Conrad’s rich writing. It is smart, with enough originality in the film to justify it as both adaptation and an inspired idea.

 

“The horror. The horror,” makes the transition from book to film, but there are an abundance of great lines in the script: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” “terminate with extreme prejudice” “a six feet peak?!” The acting is masterful, with Sheen not getting the recognition he deserves, if only because Brando is just mesmerising and Duvall so wild and unpredictable. 

The slow fade ins and outs and the layering of shots above or below one another ensures the perpetual dream like quality to the story. Visually, Apocalypse Now is a feast. Some of my favourite shots come from it, particularly the third act. Taking a sip of a beer every time aircraft are shown flying will give you liver failure, but it’s so beautifully captured it does not feel repetitive. Brando’s silhouetted form the first time we meet him, wreathed in shadows as we are gradually teased of his gargantuan form, is exceeding atmospheric. Willard rising head first from the water as lightning flashes over his muddied face is another wicked shot. In the cinema, it all looked fabulous. 

And the sound! Oh boy the sound. The speakers knocked my socks off, reverberating down my cinema seat. My dad, on my right, was close to covering his ears as jets and choppers flew out of the screen or gunfire spat out at the audience. 

Referring to an earlier point, the ‘better version’ of this is the one without the French plantation scene. It runs a bit too long, removing the focus on Kurtz and flagging the momentum. Yes it’s all acted and shot well, and there is an amusing visual gag, but it adds nothing. There is some gratuitous nudity for next to no reason (who unrobes just to close someone’s bed curtains?) and there is no pay off to the ideas and points made. In the two earlier stop offs at the checkpoint / amphitheatre and at the night time battle, there is little to advance the plot or story. But they were both watchable and added to that overwhelming feeling of futility in war. 

Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut is what I would call a flawed masterpiece. Technically it’s outstanding. Thematically it’s rich. The acting superb. The entire mise en scene (and the Phillipines landscape) is gorgeous. It just has some dead weight on it, as well as an agonisingly small window between art and being pretentious for the sake of pretentious sake. 

Very few films can wow you with action and visuals and also be a never ending supply for future film dissertations and film theory, yet Apocalypse Now exists to fuse those two often far removed ideas together.

16 Favourite Got Episodes

Having looked and pondered the quality of the eight seasons of the show, now it's time to break down individual episodes and see which ones reign supreme. There are 73 episodes of the show and going through every single one and placing them in some subjective order is far too tedious an activity. So, if we did eight seasons then I will do sixteen episodes. 

There is an issue with 'ranking' or listing your favourite episodes because saying why one episode is better than another is just the same as saying Act I is better than Act III of a play; you need all of them in place for the grander picture and smaller episodes help set up the 'big' episodes, of which this list is largely comprised of. In choosing these I looked at a range of values the best episodes should have: how important they are to the show, how many memorable moments they have, re-watchability and overall craftsmanship and execution. 

16. Season 1, Episode 9: Baelor

The first hint that episode 9s are always BIG episodes is here. For the unsuspecting viewers, this was the first time (and not the last) that shocked them to the point where they HAD to continue watching just to see how the effects will play out. Of course, the execution of honourable old Ned Stark becomes a catalyst for a whole heap of events. It's a monumental scene, fantastically directed and acted by both Sean Bean and Jack Gleeson as vicious King Joffrey. 

But this episode is more than just a beheading; Varys and Ned's opening dialogue is riveting, Catelyn's negotiation with Walder Frey sets future plot points in motion, Robb's triumph on the battlefield and capture of Jaime also opens up a new point and Tyrion gets a little war speech. Looking back, a lot of characters make important decisions in this episode that are still felt seasons later.

15. Season 1, Episode 1: Winter is Coming

Reshot after a reportedly dreadful pilot episode, the series premiere is arguably the most rewatchable. Going all the way back to see all of the families together and everyone with their heads still on is refreshingly lovely and yet utterly tragic. It opens with White Walkers, setting the real threat and story of the show from the offset. Following this we are introduced to the Starks, direwolfs, the King and Queen, the Targaryen exiles, the Night's Watch, the Lannisters... There is a lot to take in and absorb but the basic protagonists are made apparent and the more nefarious individuals are also displayed. Remember that time you detested Jaime? Or when Tyrion had blonde hair? Or pulling 'yuck' faces to displays of incest? For nostalgia, this episodes deserves a spot. Also worth noting is that over 25 of the characters you are introduced to here will be dead by season 8. 

14. Season 4, Episode 6: The Laws of Gods and Men

Season 4 is by far the most consistently brilliant of the 8; offering iconic moment after iconic moment. Episode 6 isn't a spectacle laden episode; Yara's attempted rescue of Theon is a very small flurry of action and sex, but it's Tyrion's trial that accommodates most of the runtime and it does feel like a set piece. We watch as witness after witness testify against Tyrion and his frustration grows. It becomes clear it is a sham of a trial, Oberyn is slouching carelessly and Pycelle lauds the late King Joffrey. Margaery, the only person who knows who really killed Joffrey, stays silent. And then out comes Tyrion's lover Shae to put the final nail in the coffin. What singlehandedly brings this episode onto the list is Peter Dinklage, whose explosive outburst is one for the ages. Four series of pent up rage towards his father and sister is released before his defiant demand for trial by combat. The stare down between father and son is epic and Oberyn's peaked interest is also chilling. Excellent scripting with masterful acting.

13. Season 4, Episode 9: The Watchers on the Wall

Neil Marshall, who so brilliantly helmed the Battle of Blackwater Bay, was brought back to direct this singularly focused episode on the battle between Wildlings and crows. Again, this is another display of Thrones challenging blockbuster movie making but for the small screen. Dedicating an hour to one story is genius for allowing breadth and emotional impact. We have Jon and Sam as our heroes, as well as their friends, and Tormund, Ygritte and Styr the Thenn as the villians. Blackwater has the benefit of inhabiting a greyer, more morally ambiguous area for the battle; this sustained set piece is more clear cut between friend and foe. But there's still a bunch of good stuff: the huge bonfire, Ser Alliser Thorne's speech, the 360 panorama shot of the characters clashing in the courtyard, the giants astride mammoths and the 'drop the scythe!' are all epic. The emotional impact comes from Jon and Ygritte's heartbreaking reunion and the deaths of Grenn and scared Pyp. This also gave us our first taste of Jon as a leader of men.

12. Season 4, Episode 10: The Children

Following on from the struggle at Castle Black, the season 4 finale gives us even more death in what was already a bloody set of episodes. The Children of the title explicitly refers to the Children of the Forest that Bran meets, but Daenerys has to lock her 'children' up, Tyrion proclaims that he has and always will be Tywin's son, Arya leaves Westeros and leaves childhood behind whilst Cersei also tells Tywin the truth that his children are incestuous lovers. There's a lot going on. Amongst the deaths (Jojen Reed, Tywin, Shae and The Hound at the time) there is a good scrap with some undead, and a titanic clash between Brienne and the Hound. It ends with hope for some characters: Tyrion and Varys are shipped away to Essos whilst Arya looks ahead to Braavos. A fitting end to the strongest season.

11. Season 3, Episode 5: Kissed by Fire

Perhaps not the most immediately memorable episode, especially for one ranked so highly, but thanks to several scenes it is a true classic of the show. Fire is the common theme in this episode; Jon and Ygritte, who is 'kissed by fire', consummate their relationship in a tender scene in a cave, the Hound is put on trial and has to face his fear of fire in order to defeat Beric Dondarrion and his flaming sword, and, in what I consider the most quintessential scene in the show, Jaime confesses to Brienne that he killed the Mad King to save 500,000 people from being burnt alive. It's this scene to focus in on: Jaime goes from the villainous and arrogant Lannister to a humanised person who broke his oath to do something honourable for the greater good, hoping to impress Ned Stark. What he got was scorn from all other knights and lords and he has had to put up with that ever since. In one dialogue we learn so much about someone and go from hating to understanding them. That's the beauty of Game of Thrones: the ability to carve a grey area between the goodies and baddies and to deliver on multi-dimensional characters who have a lot more to them than meets the eye. The character of Jaime and his arc might just be George RR Martin's greatest achievement, and it is this episode that begins that. 

10. Season 6, Episode 5: The Door

There is some good stuff for the majority of this mid season finale, but it's the last ten minutes or so that delivers another shocking and emotional twist for the ages. What makes it so unsuspecting is that it revolves around poor Hodor, a supporting character who was always more of a plot device than an actual character and who I thought was the safest character in the entire show at one point. For the fans disillusioned with the show's direction and writing now it is off books, this is perhaps the best scene to highlight that Thrones does have brilliant writing still. The time travel paradox stuff is mind bending, but it does slot together. Much like Hardhome, this is a White Walker sequence that came out of nowhere and had me on tenterhooks. It is a bloodbath of minor characters: Three Eyed Raven, Summer and Leaf are all killed just before our darling giant Hodor (real name Wylis) gives it his all to hold the undead at bay. As the Stark theme kicks in and we see his face getting torn and scratched, you can guarantee all viewers were crying. A horror set piece but with the emotional impact of a full speed train. 

9. Season 3, Episode 9: The Rains of Castamere

Similar to The Door, season 3's penultimate episode is a reasonably strong episode until the final ten minutes, where the shock twist uppercuts you and leaves you lying on the floor aghast at the carnage. The episode is called The Rains of Castamere, but to everyone it will forever be The Red Wedding. This is the episode that, if you are getting a friend into the show, you really, really want them to watch. For the non-book readers this sealed Game of Thrones as its own genre of merciless butchery of loveable characters. Forget the antics in Yunkai or with the Wildlings, the massacre at a family wedding of the entire Stark army will have you watching the credits mute. As tough as it is, you can't help but praise the scene's execution: Michelle Fairley sells it perfectly as Catelyn, her awareness of the Lannister victory song being played, the chainmail under Roose Bolton's sleeve... And then out comes a dagger to Talisa Stark's pregnant belly, crossbow bolts strike down Robb and throats are slit everywhere. It's carnage, and in minutes Walder Frey springboards up the list of most hated characters. Unforgettable.

*At this point in the list, these episodes below all rank as television's finest hours. A lot of the previous entires had genius scenes or moments but might have lacked consistency throughout; the remaining 8 episodes I would argue are all pristine hours of television throughout their runtimes.*

8. Season 4, Episode 8: The Mountain and the Viper

Death is on the cards for a lot of people in episode 8. A group of ironborn are flayed alive by Ramsay, the inhabitants of Mole's Town are massacred, and in its final minute Game of Thrones serves up the single most brutal and gruesome death thus far. But there are also the great character moments: Ygritte choosing to spare Gilly and Baby Sam, Sansa lying in order to have leverage over Littlefinger and at last playing the game, Roose legitimising Ramsay and a heartfelt and philosophical conversation between Tyrion and Jaime. In it they discuss their cousin Orson Lannister who crushed beetles with next to no reason. Swap Orson for George RR Martin and the beetles for characters, and you have a juicy metaphor right there. And then we get the eponymous duel between Pedro Pascal's one season wonder Oberyn Martell and the iron clad Ser Gregor Clegane. It's a cracking clash of spear and sword and two differing fighting techniques and literally every time I rewatch it I STILL think Oberyn will finish the job. Alas he gets his teeth smashed to splinters, his eyes gouged out by metal thumbs and his skull shattered like a dropped watermelon. The reactions are priceless: Tyrion's disbelief, Ellaria's haunting screams, Jaime's revile and Cersei's smug look of victory. Pure Thrones.

7. Season 7, Episode 4: The Spoils of War

Before season 7 began there were rumours of a Dothraki battle said to be the same scale as Battle of the Bastards, if not bigger. When episode 4 came they dropped this big visual effects bonanza in the final fifteen minutes of a rather short episode. Unfortunately, it isn't quite on the level of Bastardbowl, but it does do the Blackwater style of having loved characters on both sides of the conflict. Seeing Drogon unleashed on troops is remarkable; offering movie effects and scale on a far smaller budget. The Dothraki as well finally get their chance to let loose and the whole sequence looks and feels grand. I will admit to being in the Lannister camp on this one and cheered when Bronn's ballista skewered the dragon. Jaime's charge at the end recalls a conversation with Robert Baratheon in season 1 about ending a war with one kill, which is a nice throwback. As impressive as the action is, there is also great interplay between Arya and Brienne as well as Bran and Littlefinger. Arya's whole sequence of entering Winterfell hits home the most, giving the episode that emotional boost. An outstanding mid season finale.

6. Season 7, Episode 7: The Dragon and the Wolf

With a few lines of dialogue to explain how much time had passed between scenes, Episode 6 'Beyond the Wall' easily could have made this end of the list: it had the characters, action and drama but lacked internal logic and explanation. Luckily, this following episode more than makes up for it. It brings back some good old political outmanoeuvring and backstabbing like seasons 1-3, reminding the show of its title. The Dragonpit sequence starts tense, reuniting characters on different sides and bringing together Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister for the first time. Forgetting the ropey feel of the scenes that preceded it in episode 5/6, the trial and execution of Littlefinger will always be a classic twist and the Jon Snow reveal that he is indeed the heir to the Seven Kingdoms is both beautifully scored and somewhat cathartic. And if you want action, then watching the Night King obliterate the Wall astride the undead Viserion will provide this and the series' most spectacular sequence of CGI. 

5. Season 5, Episode 8: Hardhome

Director Miguel Sapochnik first earned his name with this sucker punch episode. Perhaps a reason why this is such a strong entry is that it focuses mainly on our principle heroes: Jon, Sansa, Arya and the new duo of Tyrion and Daenerys. The interactions between drunken dwarf and noble queen are smoothly written and births a new partnership that will later on bring up a whole bunch of drama when it comes to fighting Tyrion's family. Arya's Braavos story at long last gets a little boost as she investigates the outdoors and Sansa learns Rickon and Bran may just be alive. But it is Jon who leads the excitement here. His negotiations to bring tens of thousands of Wildlings south of the Wall ends when out of nowhere the Army of the Dead arrive. This twenty minute set piece is less of a battle and more of a full on massacre followed by the most haunting mass resurrection seen. Sapochnik makes other zombie flicks seem tame with this all out horror assault. The visuals are stunning and there are so many memorable shots: the confusion on a White Walker's face as Valyrian steel blocks his attack; Jon, Tormund, Edd and Wun Wun the giant running full pelt towards the camera; the Night King raising his arms in defiance, summoning many, many more wights to his force. Not featured in the books, this sequence is a white knuckled thrill ride. 

4. Season 8, Episode 3: The Long Night

Regardless of the hate towards Season 8 (which started after this episode aired and went downhill from there), I loved The Long Night. I had the correct idea in watching it in a darkened room and found no problem with the camera work and visibility. It is a relentless 80 minutes of television, the tension building from the start before the battle between the defenders of Winterfell and the endless hordes of the Army of the Dead fully begins after ten minutes or so. The visuals are simply awe inspiring; the lines of Dothraki with ignited araks, the reflection of flames in Melisandre's eyes, Beric's crucifix pose, twelve White Walkers emerging from the orange glow that feels like Blade Runner 2049. The fact that this is television is even more startling. And yet is immensely sustained; we cut to the civilians in the crypts and alternate between the fighting on the ground with the aerial dragon battle. There's a suspenseful silent sequence of a defeated Arya evading undead in a library and when 'The Night King' track begins, it scores possibly my favourite moment as Theon and Jorah give their all and the Night King enters the godswood. It has flaws in the depicted battle tactics, but from direction, music and visuals this is just stellar. 

3. Season 2, Episode 9: Blackwater

In terms of writing, Blackwater is still the show's peak, not least due to this episode being scripted by GRRM himself. This climax to season 2 pits rightful king Stannis Baratheon against the forces of King's Landing, led by Joffrey and Tyrion. Thrones has always excelled at dividing your loyalties and choosing between wanting Stannis to win because a) it means the Lannisters will die b) he's the rightful king and c) Sansa may be safer, and wanting Stannis to lose because a) Tyrion, Pod and Bronn will die is a dilemma for the ages. And yet the outcome is negative for both: Stannis loses but Tyrion is left bleeding out on the mud and is relegated in the next episodes to an inferior position. Despite being shot at night, the battle is still gripping with some disgusting moments of gore and bloodshed. Inside the Red Keep as this goes on however, Lena Headey's drunken acting is incredible and Cersei's analogy of animals to Tommen is heartfelt. Tyrion here is the MVP though, giving a belter of a speech and announcing Game of Thrones to the world with THAT wildfire explosion. 

2. Season 6, Episode 9: Battle of the Bastards

The first television episode to gain over 100,000 votes on IMDb. It held a perfect 10.0 for a commendable amount of time. It is still a 9.9. Naturally, Battle of the Bastards hits the top TOP end of the list. It is a perfect hour. Miguel Sapochnik was handed the reins to this after the success of Hardhome and it was clear what they were going for: how do we make the best episode ever? The answer is a ballooned budget, 70 horses, 25 days of shooting for a 15 minute sequence and television's most satisfying death. Before the main event, it is easy to forget the goings on in Meereen. But the action starts here; releasing all three near fully grown dragons on the slaver's navy whilst Grey Worm scores a double throat slit and even Daario joins in with a sweet decapitation. After the fire side of the episode is dealt with, we get the snow. Or Jon Snow. The Battle of the Bastards is as cinematic as they come; skipping past Hardhome, Blackwater Bay and the Battle of Castle Black as the show's premier battle scene.

From the taut execution of Rickon Stark's death, to the one minute unbroken shot of Jon in the midst of the carnage, to the triumphant arrival of the Vale Knights; Bastardbowl is a rollercoaster. Thrones has handed us many satisfying moments but in the final ten minutes we get three corkers: the Stark banner unfurled from Winterfell, Jon battering Ramsay with twenty-one punches and Sansa feeding that twisted bastard to his hounds. A roaring triumph for the heroes.

1. Season 6, Episode 10: The Winds of Winter

If Battle of the Bastards is The Two Towers equivalent, thanks to its fantastic battle finale, then The Winds of Winter is The Return of the King for its combination of spectacle and how almost every scene is a 'YES' punch the air scene. Thought the finale would be a cool down after the intensity of episode 9? Wrong. We start with piano music at Loras Tyrell's trial. The music builds and builds as it turns to Cersei's trial, a trial for which Cersei is not present. And then more named characters are offed here then any other moment: Pycelle, Lancel, the High Sparrow, Loras, Margaery and Mace Tyrell and then poor King Tommen casts himself out of his tower and the door shuts on Septa Unella. Cersei's vengeance is epic and utterly deserved, removing all of the baggage from King's Landing and installing herself as Queen. More vengeance is displayed when Arya Stark carves Walder Frey throats up after feeding him pies made from his sons. 

Any more great moments? Sam's look of wonder at the Citadel, Tyrion's clear emotion at his Hand of the Queen pin, the transition cut from Lyanna Stark's baby to Jon Snow followed by his coronation as King of the North, Davos' emotional outburst to Melisandre (finally giving Liam Cunningham some dramatic meat), Olenna Tyrell shutting up the Sand Snakes, Daenerys setting sail to Westeros with an almighty army and, in a personal favourite moment, Jon's smile when Sansa tells him winter has arrived. It is all incredible, but the real praise should be to Ramin Djawdi, who knocks the score out the park with this one. 

A Ranking of All Eight GoT Seasons

GoT has ended, but writing and discussing it hasn't. Below is my ranking of the seasons of this fantasy epic, from least best to best.

8. Season 5

Defining Episodes: Hardhome, The Dance of Dragons, Mother's Mercy

Main Storylines: Cersei takes power in King's Landing by giving power to the High Sparrow and his Faith Militant. Jon is elected Lord Commander and tries to negotiate peace between Wildlings and the Night's Watch. Littlefinger sells Sansa to wed Ramsay Bolton as Stannis launches an assault on the North. Arya trains in Braavos. Tyrion and Varys travel to Meereen, meeting Jorah en route. Daenerys struggles keeping the slavers and the Sons of the Harpy under control. Jaime heads to Dorne.

Season 5 is often seen as the weakest season simply due to how forgettable the first half of it is. The season was never really going to be better than the four seasons prior for several reasons: George RR Martin was no longer involved in the pre production; the source material of A Feast For Crows and Dance With Dragons are a lot weaker than the first three books; and there is a gaping whole in the show without Tywin Lannister (and at the time The Hound). This isn't to say S5 is bad; it isn't. It is mesmerising television that is more a trial for how GoT can continue without GRRM just as the show begins to overtake the book, leaving the writers to start coming up with their own ideas. This can be seen as good and bad. 

The bad side is Dorne. It is a weak story in the books and here it is even worse, even if the decision to send Jaime there does make sense. It is sloppy, badly executed and badly written. It undermines a lot of potentially cool characters like Areo Hotah too. The religious storyline in King's Landing is also a drag, and the slave masters story in Meereen gets tiresome. 

However, I actually got behind the writers' idea of putting Sansa in Winterfell, putting her in a place to exact revenge. The story at the Wall is great; Stannis leaves to attack Winterfell as new Lord Commander Jon heads to Hardhome and also into one of the greatest sequences in the show. But the strength of S5 largely lies in its brutal final three episodes. It is perhaps the show's most grim and doom and gloom set of episodes, but there is still a lot of greatness to be found.

7. Season 8

Defining Episodes: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Long Night, The Iron Throne

Main Storylines: Jon, Daenerys and their cohorts fight the Army of the Dead before taking the war to Cersei in King's Landing. 

Season 8 is to television what The Last Jedi is to movies. Both caused deep, unfixable fissures in their respectively gigantic fandoms (there are also similarities in that whilst both had the visual / cinematography / music / direction aspects praised, the writing and 'subversions' were heavily criticised). It is tough to compare a streamlined six episode season with a more sprawling ten episode season, but in terms of where it begins and where it ends, and how entertaining it is along the way, I would name this higher than S5. The entirety of this season is essentially made up by David and Dan (D & D) on a very vague outline by GRRM. Which is why they are getting the same stick as Rian Johnson did for The Last Jedi. S8 does have a lot of strengths: the acting, action, direction, visuals, camera work, production design, pyrotechnics, stunt work, make-up, costumes and music are outstanding, pushing the bar for filmmaking as a whole. But the writing is admittedly weak. Generally the consensus is 'I don't mind the choices that characters make, I do mind the lack of build up to get to those choices'. Six episodes was not enough, I would've preferred another episode between 3 and 4 as the focus shifts towards Daenerys. If that had been done, and a few changes to Jaime's story and the sack of King's Landing, this probably would be a lot higher up. I will rewatch this set of six a lot; I think there are some fantastic scenes and moments throughout that just lack the intelligent stitching together that made Thrones the power show to begin with. I do also have issues with the numbers of Unsullied and Dothraki depicted post episode 3. 

But whilst I can nitpick this season to bits, I do love so much of it. Episode 3 'The Long Night' is stunning and relentless and well sustained, with the final ten minutes being my favourite sequence across all 73 episodes. The second episode is a heartwarming sendoff to a bunch of characters, spending time together as if it is their last night with one another. Podrick's song is chillingly beautiful and Brienne being knighted is poignant and satisfying. And character arc aside, nobody can deny that the sack and destruction of King's Landing is a technical tour de force and Cleganebowl is as epic a confrontation as can be. And the final twenty minutes of the final episode is unbelievably emotionally powerful. You can hate and argue away, but was GoT ever truly going to end up to your lofty expectations? 

6. Season 7

Defining Episodes: The Spoils of War, Beyond the Wall, The Dragon and the Wolf

Main Storylines: Bran and Arya return to Winterfell as Sansa rules. Daenerys lands at Dragonstone and begins her war for the Iron Throne against Cersei. Jon meets Daenerys in the hopes of gaining an ally to fight the White Walkers. Sam Tarly saves Jorah Mormont and heads back North. Euron Greyjoy joins Cersei and helps lead several key victories. The Wall falls.

For the diehard book fans, Season 7 was the beginning of the end for GoT. It is all original material and some logic gaps and plot holes wrinkled noses before S8 fully made some throw up. But again, I have no overall problems with this season except the time jumps. I'm sure if you sat down and detailed all the things going on and where characters move about that there could be some excuse as to how Westeros seems to have shrunk. Or you could just focus on the intense pacing, intriguing character meet ups and action spectacle. The first four episodes are dedicated to Daenerys' war with Cersei. There is a naval skirmish, the taking of Casterly Rock and then Highgarden and the fiery Battle of the Goldroad (I refuse to call it the Loot Train Battle). The second half of the season, episodes 5,6,7, are dedicated to getting ready to defeat the approaching Night King, which sees an elite suicide squad of fan favourites go beyond the wall to capture a Wight. It seems silly but it is class entertainment and the battle on the ice lake remains my favourite action scene of the show. S7 does skimp on the death (we only lose Littlefinger, Olenna Tyrell and the Sand Snakes) and loses a lot of its political scheming until the finale. It may be more 'Hollywoodised' but as spectacle and character goes, it is a strong and largely consistent season, let down a little by how small Westeros now feels.

5. Season 3

Defining Episodes: Kissed by Fire, Second Sons, The Rains of Castamere

Main Storylines: The War of the Five King continues. Robb Stark loses allies and has to seek help from the Freys. Jon infiltrates the Wildlings and falls in love with Ygritte whilst a mutiny occurs in the Night's Watch. Arya encounters the Brotherhood Without Banners and the Hound. Tywin rules from King's Landing and weds Tyrion to Sansa. Daenerys conquers Astapor and Yunkai, gaining the Unsullied.

When it comes to getting friends and family into the show, the season you want them all to finish is season 3. Because S3 has the Red Wedding and as a moment of television, as a twist, as a series of brutal deaths it is impossible to beat. Now I'm not saying that one unflinching sequence is why S3 is higher than the others, but it comes close enough. S3 follows book 3 closely as the War of the Five Kings loses momentum. In comparison to seasons 6,7,8 it seems this is a 'quieter' set of episodes in that it only has a few big moments: Daenerys' 'Dracarys' and employment of the Unsullied being one of them, and Jon and co. climbing the Wall perhaps the other. But S3 has so much fascinating character work. Tyrion's loss of power in the capital is strangely heartfelt, whilst Jaime telling Brienne about killing King Aerys to save King's Landing from wildfire is Thrones at its most quintessential. Episode 5 'Kissed by Fire' is a severely underrated episode; it has that scene as well as Jon breaking his vows with Ygritte, the Hound's trial against Beric, Robb's execution of Karstark... A bunch of great moments. 

But wiping out the 'good guys' and their entire army in one smooth stroke is masterfully done and will always be a defining moment of the show. 

4. Season 6

Defining Episodes: The Door, Battle of the Bastards, The Winds of Winter

Main Storylines: After being resurrected, Jon and Sansa plan to take back Winterfell from the Boltons. Bran Stark learns the history of Westeros with the Three Eyed Raven. Cersei Lannister is put on trial by the Faith Militant. Jaime Lannister negotiates the surrender of Riverrun. Arya finishes her training in Braavos. Tyrion governs Meereen before Daenerys returns with the Dothraki. 

Season 6 was the last of the ten episode seasons, and it uses that length to its advantage one last time. The pieces are still scattered and characters divided, but S6 begins bringing them all together ready for the final two seasons. Tyrion governing in Meereen gives that location a narrative boost and Daenerys, isolated from both dragons and guards, takes power by herself and earns an entire khalasar of Dothraki to return with. Bran's visions and history lessons at the weirwood tree are interesting, especially the Tower of Joy flashback. Seeing Ser Arthur Dayne fight for several minutes proves a wonder to behold; doing the character justice and giving us my favourite sword fight of the show. Inevitably Jon Snow comes back to life and reunites with Sansa as they begin rallying support. Cersei's story in King's Landing is mixed; watching the zombie Mountain kill is awesome but the High Sparrow and his zealots are so bloody boring. It does have weak episodes (1,3,4,6,7,8 are more average instalments) but episode 5 'The Door' is so emotional it could be described as psychological trauma as Hodor sacrifices himself (does this make him Kingsguard?). Then comes episode 9 and 10, both directed by the superb Miguel Sapochnik in the greatest one-two punch of the show. The Battle of the Bastards is a cinematic master class and The Winds of Winter is a taut and rewarding finale. In these two episodes everything is ready for the finale and characters are where they need to be. To echo Gandalf, "the board is set, the pieces are moving."

3. Season 2

Defining Episodes: The Ghost of Harrenhal, The Old Gods and the New, Blackwater

Main Storylines: Stannis Baratheon enters the game as King Robert's true heir, preparing his siege on King's Landing where Tyrion has just become Hand of the King. Daenerys and her baby dragons are hosted at Qarth. Jon journeys beyond the Wall to scout the Wildling army. Robb Stark, Renly Baratheon, Balon Greyjoy and Joffrey Baratheon also all vie for power. Arya travels with a group of Night's Watch recruits and serves as Tywin Lannister's cupbearer at Harrenhal. Theon Greyjoy takes Winterfell.

If Season 2 had the budget of the seventh season, it would feature multiple onscreen  battles throughout as the War of the Five Kings tears through the landscape. Thankfully it doesn't, as this would detract from later battle sequences and instead we get another strong character season. Jon Snow is great throughout season 5, Ned Stark is great in season 1, Oberyn is exhilarating in season 4- but if any character absolutely owns a season it is Tyrion here. In the first episode he waddles into the capital as Hand of the King and watching him play the game is hilarious: dismissing Janos Slynt, ratting out and arresting Pycelle, installing Bronn and the hill tribes as his soldiers and berating Joffrey throughout. Peter Dinklage just inhabits Tyrion. Then there's 'Blackwater', the penultimate episode that gives us that wildfire explosion and Tyrion's rousing call to arms. This was when GoT fused character and wit with serious movie style VFX, announcing itself as a television force to be reckoned with. 'Blackwater' will, for me, always be the show's biggest achievement in writing. 

Tyrion aside, S2 has some solid twists and plots. Stannis assassinating Renly provides the 'big' death of the season, whilst Theon betraying the Stark cause sets in motion seasons of punishments later on. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gets to sink his teeth into some of Jaime's best scenes and Jon's adventures beyond the wall is another favourite storyline. With the loss of Ned Stark, who was the show's main actor, S2 switches things up, playing more to the ensemble and giving Tyrion the spotlight. 

Also worthy of mention is another deviation from the novels where Arya serves Tywin Lannister at Harrenhal. It's a smart move and their scenes together are riveting, with Maisie Williams ably standing up to Charles Dance. One of these, involving Littlefinger, ranks among the most suspenseful across eight seasons.

2. Season 1

Defining Episodes: Winter is Coming, You Win or You Die, Baelor

Main Storylines: Ned Stark is appointed Hand of the King and investigates the death of previous Hand Jon Arryn. Jon Snow joins the Night's Watch. Viserys Targaryen weds his sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo. Catelyn Stark imprisons Tyrion as the clouds of war begin to fall on Westeros.

Season 1 has aged like cheese, or wine. After S6/7 I would've had S1 a bit lower but post the ending of Thrones, this set of ten episodes has proved rewarding and, with hindsight, is a truly stunning achievement. It is enthralling and intriguing and mysterious; mapping out the many locations and characters with pin point precision. Despite all the narrative heavy lifting to be done, it still finds time for wit and comedy and intense ultra violence. Ned Stark's investigation into Jon Arryn's death, and his own eventual downfall is horrible to rewatch, you see his mistakes and missed opportunities and it is agonising; just as GRRM intended. King's Landing is the place to be this season, but Tyrion's adventures around Westeros are entertaining and Daenerys and Khal Drogo make for a strangely watchable couple. It's the season of incest, sex, beheadings, more sex, Robert Baratheon being an absolute unit and the height of political machinations. Few images are as iconic as the finale's closing shot, as an unburnt and nude Daenerys arises, three baby dragons around her. 

Eight years later and seven seasons later and S1 is still getting the payoff it originally planted. It's where it all began and of all the seasons is most rewarding on a rewatch.

1. Season 4

Defining Episodes: The Laws of Gods and Men, The Mountain and the Viper, The Children

Main Storylines: Tyrion Lannister is imprisoned and put on trial as Oberyn Martell enters the game, looking for vengeance. Daenerys Targaryen conquers and rules Slaver's Bay. The Night's Watch prepare for battle against the Wildling armies of Mance Raydar. Arya Stark and the Hound wonder war torn Westeros whilst Sansa heads to the Vale with Littlefinger.

I don't see how people could argue Season 4 isn't the best season. It just is. It has the breakneck pacing of S7/8 but across ten episodes and is filled with twists and reveals, deaths and deep conversations. It is easily the most consistent when evaluating its episodes, which I will now do. Episode 1: Oberyn arrives in town, Arya and the Hound wipe out a pub of soldiers, Jaime seeks out his family. Episode 2: Joffrey dies! Episode 3: Daenerys arrives in Meereen and Daario gets that sweet kill! Episode 4: Olenna admits to killing Joffrey, Dany conquers Meereen, Jaime knows Tyrion is innocent and sets Brienne off with a new sword and Podrick. Episode 5: Jon takes out the mutineers. Episode 6: Tyrion's trial! Episode 7: Littlefinger takes power in the Vale by murdering Lysa Arryn, Oberyn volunteers to be Tyrion's champion, Hot Pie makes a welcome return. Episode 8: the Wildlings attack Mole's Town, Sansa plays the game, Theon secures Moat Cailin, Oberyn fights the Mountain... Episode 9: the Battle of Castle Black. Episode 10: Tyrion kills Tywin, the Hound fights Brienne, Arya leaves Westeros, Bran gets to his destination, Stannis arrives at the Wall.

Now how's that for big moments. And then remember all the scenes with the Hound and Arya, Jaime and Tyrion's scenes and the fantastic deaths we get of named and unnamed characters. For me, S4 was the sweet synthesis of thoughtful writing and massive scale and action. There are too many MVPs to count but for being an absolute one-season-wonder, Oberyn Martell has to be it. 

Making it to Middle-earth: an Inflight Movie Marathon to New Zealand

Phase 1: Heathrow to Changi, Singapore. 20:45.

Getting on the plane I immediately checked out the inflight entertainment. Long haul was a new process to me so I was eager to test the quality and range of the movies available. The monitor had an 'awards winners' section which had films that to my knowledge were not award winners such as Batman Begins. Their 'classics section' had The Maltese Falcon and Gigi as the only pre 1960 movies and their wasn't a Western to be found anywhere. My seat was in the middle so I had two neighbours for the 13 hour flight. To my right was an elderly lady travelling to Melbourne. She surprised me when she started watching Hereditary. To my left was a young lady who spent an unbelievable amount of time choosing a filter and caption for an Instagram post. Once uploaded, she then flicked through all the films available and watched the one minute trailers of each one but could not choose or was unimpressed (I think she was unimpressed) so she snoozed. In the row in front I could see through the seat gaps and watched a dad enjoying Deadpool 2 and the mum and child enjoying The Greatest Showman. I selected The Dirty Dozen and relaxed to Lee Marvin bellowing orders. By 11pm I was barely staying awake but the finale, one of my favourite sequences in cinema, was beginning. I was oddly relieved when the film ended. I had grown impatient and wanted sleep. Next to me, the elderly lady had swapped to the more mellow Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I crashed out.

I awoke at 7:45am London time and breakfast was being handed out. I turned my monitor on and selected Incredibles 2 for some early morning ease. There were many films I hadn't seen that were available, but I liked the security of watching something again. I still love Incredibles 2; it lacks the timelessness and nostalgia of the original, as well as a strong villain and fresher story, but Brad Bird has such an eye for animation and action that the film still looks visually breathtaking on a small screen. Every action sequence is imaginative and kinetic fun. I did dislike that whilst Incredibles 2 was genre listed as 'adventure', the Toy Story trilogy and other Pixar hits were genre listed as 'animation'. Which gets my blood boiling. Animation is the medium not the story type! The film ended as we began our descent to Changi. 

Phase 2: Changi to Melbourne, Australia. 19:50.

I felt pretty sick as we boarded the plane for Melbourne. Whilst we landed at 10:30am or so, the 8 hour time zone meant that despite having had breakfast two hours ago, it was now 6:30. I had zipped through 8 hours of my life like that. I was psychologically thrown. My companions for the flight this time round was a man from Singapore who lived in Melbourne and was returning home and on my left was a Singaporean boy maybe a year or two older than I. The elderly chap was very friendly. He was keen to know which football team I support and was therefore disappointed with my football-neutral stance. He was a Liverpool man through and through. He asked if I had seen the Singapore-set hit Crazy Rich Asians, which he was ecstatic about. Again, he was disappointed I hadn't. I got him onto watching M:I Fallout and was having a riot with it, pointing at whatever Tom Cruise was doing and showing his dismayed wife. Then roast beef was served for dinner, despite having had fruit and yoghurt a few hours earlier for brekkie. Meanwhile had 7 hours of flying so I figured that's one movie, sleep and another movie. At first my screen was non respondent but the hostess reset it and I was on my way, much to the upset of the old man who wanted me to be moved to First Class as compensation. I discovered Sicario 2 Day of the Soldado was there and this was a sequel I genuinely wanted was genuinely looking forward to seeing it. The first Sicario I have seen once but overtime my opinion of it has greatly elevated, having been more aware of the cinematography, direction and tension that didn't grip me the first time. I knew this one would not be as good: there was no Dennis Villieneuve directing, no Roger Deakins as DP, no Johan Johansson on the score and no Emily Blunt. But I took away a lot from this film: Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro chew up their scenes and spit them out with control and self assuredness; the thrumming score is still epic and the action beats are tense, unflinching and bold. Some narrative decisions in the third act weakened the overall film but I was thankful it didn't riff too much on Logan (what with the Mexico setting and a killer taking a young girl under his wing). But for some reason my eyes were sagging again. 24 hours ago I was flying over the English Channel but on this day I had only been awake for 6 hours or so because of the time jump. I fell asleep whilst next to me Tom Cruise was tearing up the skies in a helicopter. 

I woke up at 4am. The plane was still dark and people were sleeping. It was silence. Gold film time. Because of Incredibles 2, superheroes and action were on my mind and I wanted to re-evaluate Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is because only two Marvel movies have impressed me on second viewings: Thor Ragnarok and Avengers Infinity War. 16 year old me loved Captain America Civil War, four months later I didn't like it so much. But The Winter Soldier has endured in the Marvel fanbase and it was ripe to rewatch it now on the plane. 90 minutes passed and more people were awakening and turning their screens on. I was enjoying the practical approach to the action in this film. Unlike almost every other MCU movie, I wasn't watching computer animated suits or creatures brawling. No, the directors (Russo Brothers) went old school. These were people fighting. The boat raid, elevator scrap, Nick Fury's car chase and the highway chase and fistfight were all top stuff. It felt real and audacious and Nolan-ised. I liked the film's atmosphere and having watched Three Days of the Condor recently, spotted the allegories and homages easily. Where I was let down by was the narrative: the fake outs and twists did not always land (and I remembered they didn't in the cinema) and the bit where Fury uses a mini lightsaber to cut through a road and then to NOT be pursued stretched the movie's logic. And the jump from close quarters combat to full scale aerial assaults and CGI is jarring and formulaic. But this is my third highest rated MCU film. The plane was now beginning to land in Melbourne. 

Phase 3: Melbourne to Christchurch, New Zealand. 11:50. 

I passed five hours in Melbourne Airport, largely watching episodes of Outnumbered. The final leg was around three hours long, or, in my terms, a good movie. This wasn't a long haul flight so the plane was smaller and the movie choice was reduced to just 'premieres'. I had an aisle seat and next to me was a young couple who had been travelling in Barley and Aus. They were very likeable but tired, so they put their sleeping masks on, earphones in and crashed out. I was blessed that the latest premiere film was Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale, a film that bombed and didn't stick around long enough for me to catch it in cinemas. In front of me, a young lady had started watching it and was five minutes ahead. This would turn out to be very annoying as my curious brain kept looking between the seats to see which characters would still be alive in five minutes time. The first hour of Bad Times was sensational. The opening scene was masterful in its editing and its stationary camera. Intrigue was dialled up to 10 and the cast were terrific and diverse as characters. The second act was also solid as some mysteries are revealed but, as much as I loved Chris Hemsworth's performance in the third act, I was losing patience. It didn't seem to have a narrative objective and a character 'reveal' or backstory jolted me in a way an ex machina would. Whilst bearing resemblance to The Hateful Eight, Bad Times was original and lovingly mad (especially the production and set design). The film ended and New Zealand was now visible. The couple next to me were excited as we saw the snow capped peaks of Middle-earth. As the plane flew lower and lower, I whacked on Hans Zimmer's No Time for Caution on my earphones and made the landing that much more perfect. It took 6 years of saving and work, but I'm here.

The Western Shootout

A shootout is to a Western what visual effects are to modern Hollywood: not always necessary but when done well can elevate the story tenfold. Westerns are composed of the basic ideas of cowboys, railways, gold, bandits, sheriffs, dust ridden towns and the hardness of frontier life. What can bring all these essential ideas together is a bloody good shootout. Kids (used to) play cowboys and Indians and cap guns were sold in a similar way as the lightsabre. Western shootouts are, quite bluntly, iconic. Why assemble a brief list on this matter? Well, they're terrific. 

There is a simple criteria to making this list of greats: they have to be Westerns (period set films chronicling life and it's challenges on the western frontier) and they have to be shootouts: duels, standoffs and grouped teams all qualify but the focus is on the firefight so namely there has to be firearms on both conflicting sides. Battles are not included and neither are train robberies, horseback chases, fistfights or any other imaginable Western action set piece. TV shows and Neo-Westerns have been excluded; as slick as William's little massacres are in Westworld and as tense as Javier Bardem's relentless pursuit of Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men is, they are (for the purposes of not opening can of worms after can of worms) disallowed. Some choices are done on behalf of being different, some on their effective storytelling and character work and some because they are simply fantastic. 

Gunfight at the O.K Corral- Tombstone (1993)

Details: the West's most immortal story sees Kurt Russell's Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday get into a brief but intense firefight which sees the opposing gang all but wiped out.

One of the most reworked standoffs in movie history, the ballad of bullets at the O.K. Corral has had many interpretations. John Ford had his Doc Holliday killed, John Sturges set his shootout in a rather large corral and staged it more in terms of positioning and strategy. But for Tombstone, director George P. Cosmatos (with apparently a lot of behind the scenes help from Kurt Russell) followed the fact. The gunfight is said to have lasted between 30-40 seconds which saw nearly one bullet fired per second at close range. The result is quick jab of adrenaline; Holliday's casual shrug out of his jacket, a quick stare down which features a delightful wink from Val Kilmer and Russell's "oh my god" split seconds before guns are drawn. Virgil and Morgan Earp are wounded and Holliday gets a crafty shotgun kill. It is intense and sprawling despite its confinement. Even though it is followed by a bunch of shootouts after, this is the one that sticks. Kilmer's playfulness was snubbed of an Oscar nomination and here it is on full display. A shootout that could have been averted becomes an unfortunate example of unnecessary Old West violence and draws that line between murder and self defence. 

'One tough son of a bitch'- 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Details: this successful remake sees Christian Bale's stoic rancher transport outlaw Russell Crowe across country to get him on the titular train to jail. Upon finally reaching the train, Bale is shot by Ben Foster's second in command outlaw, seeking to get his boss back. Crowe turns on his own men in fierce retaliation. 

By and large, remaking a Western has been largely successful in the 21st century. This entry is one of two remakes on the list and both are solid films. Directed by James Mangold (who would honour the Western in 2017 with Logan), 3:10 to Yuma is evident that everyone on board knew what they wanted to achieve in this entertaining reimagining. Stories about two men on opposite sides who earn a grudging respect for one another are among my favourite. Christian Bale's Dan Evans is looking for money to help his draught stricken ranch and also a way to regain his honour and win his sons back over. This leads to him volunteering to escort outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe) to get him to prison. The two bond right at the end of the journey and just as Evans succeeds and gets a willing Wade on the train, Wade's second in command (Ben Foster) brutally shoots Evans in the back, thinking he is rescuing his boss. Wade is given his pistol back, with Crowe giving one heck of an intense stare that is riddled with calm and composed anger. As Foster's character then realises what is about to happen, Wade draws and executes his gang in moments. He walks up to the swaying Foster and shoots him again point blank. It is an act of redemption that is utterly fitting for the film, as he hops back on his train, allowing Evans' job to be complete. He may not be converted from being an outlaw, but Wade is now a changed man after having seen a man striving for acceptance gunned down in the back. The creaking noise of the train provides a taut score for the original stare off, one that is reminiscent of the windmill at the start of Once Upon a Time in the West. Directing like this is one of the reasons the proposed Boba Fett spinoff movie with Mangold at the helm would have worked, tremendously. 

Munny's Revenge- Unforgiven (1992)

Details: old bounty hunter William Munny (Clint Eastwood) falls back into his dark past after the death and display of his friend Ned outside a saloon. Entering the saloon, Munny confronts Gene Hackman's Little Bill and a small posse of law men, and guns them down with no mercy.

Unforgiven is the full stop on the classical Western, and indeed a full stop on the classical film as a whole. It is Eastwood's tale of the waning of the Old West, combining the Revisionist theory of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with the stone edged hardness of Clint's earlier Westerns. William Munny (Eastwood) starts the film wrestling with his pigs in the mud. He stays sober and has lost his appetite for killing. If a character starts like that you can bet he won't end like that. Munny is coaxed back into one last bounty hunting mission with his friend Ned (Morgan Freeman). By the end, Ned is dead and displayed outside the front of the town's saloon, which is currently hosting Gene Hackman's cruel Little Bill and his posse of men who want to hunt down bounty hunters and killers. It is the loss of his friend Ned that drives Munny back into his old ways. He has had his drink, he just needs his killing. The rain pours down. Munny walks into the saloon, and the chatter of the men inside stops. Munny asks for the owner of the saloon and then blows him to bits with a shotgun blast. Little Bill labels him for a coward for shooting an unarmed man, to which Munny replies "He should've armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend". Eastwood then takes aim at Little Bill. A click, but no blast or blood. "Misfire!" Snarls Hackman and the shootout begins. Munny pulls out his revolver and easily dispatches his assailants. This is a man to which killing and surviving are second nature. With Little Bill left on the floor, Eastwood approaches and pumps him with metal before leaving the town. It is an outstanding scene of tension and subversion, and Eastwood is clearly relishing his final opportunity to direct a shootout. Peppered with great lines just waiting to be impersonated and providing Clint's last truly iconic performance (?), this shootout ensures Unforgiven will not so easily be forgotten. 

The Final Shootout- The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Details: the Magnificent Seven (and the townspeople they are defending) fend off a small army belonging to gold mine tycoon Bartholomew Bogue. Carnage follows.

Sometimes Westerns do not have to be elegiac stories on masculinity, brotherhood, honour and redemption. Sometimes they can just have fun. Antoine Fuqua's 2016 re-remake of Seven Samurai is the latter. It's the Western for the Red Dead Redemption market. This choice is an odd one because it does blur the line between being a shootout or a full blown battle. Numerically, both sides involved are in the double figures and it is staged like a grand battle. It is long and drawn out with numerous beats and pieces to it. But there are guns on both sides, it's a defence of a hard done by people in true Western fashion, and it is not a historically inspired set piece. It is a shootout, just massive. Whilst Fuqua does a reasonable execution of a standoff earlier in the story, it's the titanic clash between the Seven, the villagers and the large force of hired goons that is most memorable. Denzel Washington slides down the side of his galloping horse to exchange bullets, Chris Pratt channels Steve McQueen and Vincent D'Onofrio is crazy as the hunter cutting his opponents down. There is the predictable machine gun reveal but there is also some fun dynamite explosions, a bit of trench warfare, trapped horse riders and some stylish knife and bow skills on display. But again I must reiterate: this is still a shootout not a battle. There is a lot of fun to be had counting up each of the Seven's kill streaks, and they do get very stacked up- actually even if this is sounding more like a battle it is still staying on this list. A massacre can be 10 people or 500 so why can't a shootout? And this is the most entertaining Western showdown on the list. It's awesome.

'Low down Yankee liar'- Shane (1953) 

Details: Alan Ladd is Shane, a gunfighter helping a village. His involvement leads to a confrontation in a bar with hired gun Jack Wilson (Jack Palance), who is beaten to the draw. Two others are caught in the gunfight and Shane walks out, wounded.

Shane and Wilson have already eyed each other up at this point. Two lethal gun fighters on either side of a land feud that, when it comes round to this scene, just seems like an excuse for these two titans to clash. Shane is at the bar and Wilson (a menacing and sinister Jack Palance as one of the great Western villains) by a table. The black dog slowly slinks out, unwittingly acting his/her way into the Western legends. To the dog, this is just another duel. The two gunslingers chat with Alan Ladd beautifully laying down the 'Low down Yankee liar'. Little Joey is watching from underneath the swing doors, the dog next to him. The duel is over in a flash with Wilson sent flying backwards and an assailant to the left also getting shot as Shane spins his Colt Single Action Army revolver back into its holster. But a quick warning from Joey alerts Shane to a gun above, dispatching the killer but taken a bullet. It grounds the scene instantly with Shane no longer that perfect hero Joey imagines but rather a skilled gunman who would've died if not for the young boy. Of course Shane riding off at the end gives him his mythic status but taking a bullet and being wounded by it humanises the character and is a reminder of life and death on the western frontier. Quotable, stylish and also blunt, it is a fantastic standoff.

Open Range (2002)

Details: Free grazers Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall are brought into conflict with Michael Gambon's land owner. As their feud escalates, it culminates in a fierce shootout in and around the local town between Costner, Duvall and a small band of hired guns. The townspeople watch on, some getting involved.

There is very little point in naming this firefight as it is the only one in Open Range. It takes a very long time for a gun to be fired in Kevin Costner's film, and even then it is a shotgun to a shelf of alcohol. It's effective direction and storytelling from Costner as it forces the audience to wait and be patient, teasing them for a showdown that comes at the end. Costner plays Charley, a man troubled by a violent past, and Robert Duvall is Boss Spearmen, the leader of a four man group of free grazers. Their two friends are knocked out of the story (one killed, one incapacitated) during the bitter struggle against land owner Michael Gambon and his men. The only way to settle the quarrel is bullets. It's Charley and Boss against five men, and then a few more late joiners. There are no drawn out stares or fingers itching to holsters here: Charley walks straight up, asks one of them he killed their friend, gets the answer he wants and blows the murderer's head to bits, kick starting a vicious frenzy. The shootout takes place in and around the town as the bystanders watch on. Worthy of note is Duvall blasting a man to the wind through a wall, Charley's incredibly aggressive and near-scary saviour of Annette Benning and the amount of damage Michael Gambon takes. It still maintains its sense of character and story, with Charley's desire for revenge nearly getting the better of him, but the technicalities are extraordinary. This feels like the Old West adaptation of the famous and breathless street shootout in Heat; the sound design is ear popping and realistic. There is no music, just gunfire making its own rhythm. Immersive and well sustained.

The Opening- The Wild Bunch (1969)

Details: Pike Bishop (William Holden) leads his ageing band of outlaws for one final bank robbery. His former partner Deke Thornton, however, has tracked him and with a small force of deputised bounty hunters, engages in a fierce shootout that leads to civilians being caught in the vicious crossfire.

The finale of The Wild Bunch is one of the most famous in film history, with director Sam Peckinpah pulling out all the stops with breakthrough rapid fire editing, a devastating body count, enough blood for a lift at the Overlook Hotel and the killing of the remaining 'protagonists'. But as visceral as it is, for the purpose of this list I am choosing the opening shootout. If you were an audience member in 1969 and the first ten minutes showed you a stalemate shootout in which more civilians are killed than actual gunmen, you would be horrified. As such, in terms of offering a new look at the shootout, Peckinpah does it here first. The editing is fast paced, with the shot duration just long enough to tell you who is who and what is what but the cutting done at a speed to equal the intensity of the carnage. The interruption of a temperance march and the women involved getting caught in the crossfire would be frowned upon in today's standards, let alone 1969 when only Peckinpah (who lived his life with the bottle) had the steel balls to do it. Quite simply, without this approach to directing violence we may not have Scorsese or John Woo or Tarantino. This one opening scene alone fuels a hundred future action movies but none have ever orchestrated this ballet of bullets with such blunt velocity as Mr Peckinpah. The Wild Bunch's timely thematics of change and the dying of the old already would have pushed it into greatness, but bookended by two earthshaking shootouts it becomes an action classic. 

The Mexican Standoff- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Details: in the middle of a cemetery, Clint Eastwood's Blondie, Lee Van Cleef's Angel Eyes and Eli Wallach's Tuco engage in a triangular standoff, vying for $200,000 buried in one of the graves. 

Many directors are capable of delivering knockout duels and tense standoffs but there is one Italian chap who towers above everyone else when it comes to it: Sergio Leone. In wanting to keep this list to one shootout per director meant crossing off many, many, MANY of Leone's best moments. In A Fistful of Dollars there's Clint's iconic 'get three coffins ready' scene and the bullet proof chest plate finale; in For  Few Dollars More there's (again) Clint's entrance into a saloon, Lee Van Cleef and Eastwood teaming up against a gang of bandits and that film's finale which pits Van Cleef against nemesis El Indio; in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly there's another team up with Eastwood's Blondie helping Eli Wallach's Tuco dispatch five guns in a bombed out town; and in Once Upon a Time in the West there's Charles Bronson's 'you brought two too many' train arrival and the epic showdown against Henry Fonda's villainous Frank. All of them are worthy but for the simple essence of Leone then it just has to be that oh-so-famous Mexican Standoff in the epicentre of a cemetery, of which one of the graves contains $200,000 up for grabs. The showdown truly is a pinnacle of filmmaking. Leone's iconic and intense close ups ratchet up the tension as Ennio Morricone's 'The Trio' soars for a pulsing five minutes. It is a scene that is a struggle to describe; the editing shears gradually increase, chopping away until the camera is blinking from one pair of eyes to another pair of eyes to fingers itching to get out a gun to another pair of eyes to another gun at the hip... an amazing buildup which has yet to be matched. But it is all over in one shot, courtesy, of course, by The Man With No Name. Lee Van Cleef's Angel Eyes collapses as Clint walks towards the stunned Tuco who is dismayed to find out he has no bullets in his gun and was therefore never a threat. Clint fires again, finishing Angel Eyes and knocking him into a dug grave. One more shot knocks his gun into the grave and a fourth shot knocks his hat into the grave. It's the type of black humour that defines Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and seriously gives it an edge. "There are two types of people in this world, those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig," chimes Blondie to Tuco. Another smooth detail in the shootout is that Clint does alternate between staring at Tuco and Angel Eyes despite having emptied Tuco's bullets and knowing that Angel Eyes is his only threat. It is a smart and deceptive move by Blondie, ensuring that Tuco does not sense a bluff. Not only is the most taut, well scored and edited/shot standoff, it is firmly in my top five of greatest ever movie scenes. Watch it, then watch it again.

The Top Ten of 2018

Mah ten favourite films of the year, kind of ranked but kind of not; it's very tricky to compare some of these. At the time of writing I have not seen: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Bad Times at the El Royale, First Man, Roma, Mary Poppins Returns, Aquaman and Bumblebee, to say the least (these films are all mentioned in particular as they have a lot of appeal to me and have been personally recommended to me so by the time I get round to watching them it may shake up this list). More importantly, this is based on UK release.

A few worthy mentions to Phantom Thread and The Square, as well as the cinematic experience of watching 2001: A Space Odyssey (which would be number 1 if it didn't come out 50 years ago). 

10. Outlaw King

A friend (and fellow lover of history) saw this before me and was quick to report on its numerous (and to him, heinous) historical inaccuracies, offering a '4/10 for me' review. So watching this I was set up for nonsensical choices similar to when William Wallace met and fell in love with a French princess who wasn't even born at the time. Luckily, my friend was a bit too harsh and what inaccuracies there are do not hurt the essence of the film and, to be honest, I've never overly cared if the specific facts are honoured in movies anyway. The historical epic is entertainment! It has been a painfully long time since the last great historical epic, The Revenant was too small scaled and not associated directly with any event, therefore for me 2003's The Last Samurai was also The Last Great Epic. It took 15 years but Outlaw King is a solid addition to the small canon of big films. It has the blood and gore and mud and dirt of Braveheart and Battle of the Bastards, it has sex, it has ginger bearded sidekicks wielding heavy weaponry and it has a scene stealing performance by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I still cannot decide if it's lean two hour runtime is a refreshing blessing or a hindrance, but regardless this is a good old romp. 

9. Incredibles 2

2004's The Incredibles is a superb, wholesome picture that did not need a sequel, but it sure as hell deserved one. When it comes to Pixar and sequels there are three categories: the 'bad sequel' like Cars 2 and Monsters University which are objectively lesser works than their original; the 'meh sequel' like Finding Dory which are great and all but you won't be tempted to rewatch it as much as the original anytime soon; and the 'hey that was the better!' sequel which applies exclusively to Toy Story 2 and 3. Incredibles 2 isn't better than the first, of course it isn't. It is a 'meh sequel' that when watching is hugely entertaining but the story has similar beats to the first, but even then this is still a brilliant piece of escapism. Brad Bird is an effective storyteller with a keen eye for aesthetic and there are three main reasons to watch this: the gorgeous animation which drips colour into every frame, the hyper-kinetic action set pieces that are the stuff of comic book legend, and little super mutant baby Jack-Jack. I was originally not keen on slapping Incredibles 2 in my top 10 due to there presence of other original and thematically rich films, but then I recalled the reaction in the crowded cinema (not a single under 12 year old!) when Jack-Jack fought a racoon and realised that I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes comedy and action are just that bit more interesting than simmering dramas on making dresses in 1950s London.

8. A Star is Born

The main novelty of A Star is Born is watching it and realising that 'wow! Bradley Cooper can sing?!' And then 'wow! Lady Gaga can act?!' And then as the credits materialise 'wow! Bradley Cooper can direct?!' This is the fourth interpretation of the story yet despite the remake history this is the potential Oscar sweeper. Remakes have won gold before (Ben-hur! True Grit!) so there is some precedence. But other than the really surprising talent by all parties, A Star is Born is an emotionally resonant and fragile piece bolstered by solid musical performances and songs and lots of strong supporting roles, of which Sam Elliot is of particular mention. It is an R rated La La Land where the 'City of Stars' scene is here turned into a first time live duet of 'Shallows' at a huge concert. You feel Gaga's confidence slowly building throughout and come the end of the scene the title has been fulfilled. I do feel awful as I took my mum to watch this on her birthday thinking it was a musical love film and not the gritty, exposed insight into fame, drug abuse and personal tragedy that it was.

7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

It is often very cool to see a film have an influence on the wider world and seeing large red billboards with blunt, black typography on them used as political demonstration is a clear sign of the power films can have, and the effect this film had. Martin McDonagh directs his own polished script which is fiercely performed by Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. It's a tale of justice, anger, frustration and redemption that has a few lashings of black comedy. There are many powerful scenes; the one shot of Sam Rockwell's cop crossing the road, going upstairs and throwing someone out of a window had a calm, Goodfellas-like feel to it whilst McDormand chatting to a deer is touching. Three Billboards is a volatile piece of cinema.

6. Annihilation 

If there was one movie to compare Alex Garland's cerebral Annihilation to, then it is probably 2001: A Space Odyssey. They're both sci-fi, they're both slow, they both have absolutely bonkers endings and they both provide enough material for essays upon essays upon books upon books. It's like taking the closing shot from Inception and making that the whole movie. For its pure originality and non-conformity, it's a top 10 movie. I haven't even worked out what it all means yet. Natalie Portman heads a group of scientists who enter into this unusual force field thing in order to explore what it is and why it is there. Then things get increasingly surreal. It's visually breathtaking which works in its favour, distracting you from what's occurring and letting you enjoy the wordless poetry that Garland has crafted. It may be genius, it may be accidental genius. But I was taken aback by this either way.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

One of my hills to die on is that I only really like two of the MCU films: Thor Ragnarok and now Infinity War. The other 18 or so films are all largely average to bad, though there are some great scenes and moments. Infinity War is a colossal achievement in screenplays, managing to control the biggest movie cast of all time and giving each hero their due yet also providing a fully fleshed out villian who is also the protagonist of the piece; it is his story. Infinity War is also a technical achievement: it was the first film shot entirely in IMAX and the VFX work for Thanos etc is all pristine. There is an odd condition that much of the strength of this film rides on what will happen in Avengers 4, however there is still a cornucopia of spectacle: anything Thor does is awesome but the highlight is obviously his arrival in Wakanda with Rocket and Groot; the fight against Thanos on Titan is magnificent and the final ten minutes is emotionally overwhelming and frightfully shocking. The is comedy but it becomes gradually dialled down and in some scenes is thankfully non-existent, like the powerful opening. Infinity War is brimming with small details and narrative echoes of previous MCU films but is a cinematic and cultural touchstone with sheer magnitude.  

4. Coco 

Two Pixar films in one list! It would be very easy for Pixar to just make sequels and spin offs of their beloved originals as these are always financially successful. But the choice to make a sequel, then an original then a sequel is bold and very pleasing to here. Coco is an original, following behind Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. It chronicles the story of a young Mexican boy who is not allowed to play music despite his passion for it. On the Day of the Dead, young Miguel ends up a ghost on the other side and must get back to the land of the living before sunrise. It becomes a cliché now to compliment Pixar's animation, but it is staggering in its minute details. It checks off all the emotional boxes one would expect in a Pixar original and its ending is a fishing hook of tears, reeling you in further and further. The characters are memorable and the humour delightful and it is always refreshing for a big film to turn its attention to other cultures. A real treat.

3. A Quiet Place

For the simple premise of getting cinema audiences to shut up, A Quiet Place is a top five film. The original concept of not being able to make noise turns this family drama into one of the most intense horrors in years. John Krasinski announced his directorial presence effortlessly, crafting skin crawling set pieces like the nail on the stairs, the child birth, the grain bin and the finale but also nailing the heartfelt emotions of a family living in a state of fear, guilt and silence. Emily Blunt is tremendous and her and Krasinski have real chemistry (might be because they are married). Additionally, the two child actors are also convincing. There is a lot of room for nitpicking the plot and story and concept, but Hitchcock was a firm believer in leaving our logic and reasoning at the door, as all that matters when watching a film is the emotions. A Quiet Place gripped me for its runtime and any weak plot points there are did not emerge until reading up on the film after. It's fresh, smart and terrifying. 

2. Isle of Dogs

Not usually one for Wes Anderson, I was very impressed with this stop motion animation. Again, it's another refreshing original and is Japanese focused. The voice cast is impeccable and the way the film looks is, well, amazing. There is symmetry and wide shots and silhouettes and sunsets- enough to make One Perfecf Shot happy for a few weeks. It is, ahem, barking mad but the strange comedy is a delight. Music composer Alexandre Desplat channels a score that seemingly had nods to Japanese films like Seven Samurai, whilst the decision to not always include subtitles is a fascinating method of that golden 'show, don't tell rule'. You can't help but fall for a movie like this, appreciating the painstaking lengths of the animation process and the landscape design. There are political undertones you could take from it and other world messages, but Isle of Dogs (I love dogs) is best enjoyed as a quirky, zany dog-centric comedy.

1. Mission: Impossible- Fallout

2015's Rogue Nation was exhilarating, but I was hesitant for Christopher McQuarrie to return as director, simply due to the precedent of each Mission movie having a different director. However, McQuarrie's return was possibly the best thing to happen. He changed his musical composer and cinematographer and made a movie as if he was another director. The result is visible. Fallout puts more emphasis on Ethan Hunt's character but also manages to one up every single Mission Impossible acrion set piece. There's the awe-inspiring HALO jump, that brutal bathroom fight, the multi-vehicle chase in Paris, Tom Cruise dashing along London rooftops and that helicopter pursuit finale followed by the final fight at the edge of a huge cliff drop. The practical filmmaking is astonishing. Henry Cavill with his <insert overused Justice League comment here> epic moustache is a welcome addition and Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson all get ample moments. Watching this was an experience, in the same vein as Mad Max: Fury Road and John Wick: action is cool again. Superheroes may seem awesome and all, but watching Cruise do his stuff for real is something else entirely. 

My summary of 2018 is this: there were a lot of important films and many, many box office records were broken this year, showing cinema still has relevance in the age of subscription services. The quality of films this year were, for me, marginally lower than 2017. There was no musical as glorious as La La Land; no superhero film as transcendent and emotional as Logan; no electric war films like Hacksaw Ridge or Dunkirk and no artistic blockbusters in the vein as War for the Planet of the Apes and Blade Runner 2049. Those six films alone would rank higher then the top 5 of this year, which is unfortunate but, and we must remember, wholly opinionated. 2018 will be the year to look back on that will no doubt jump start big studio releases with minority led casts, sprawling narratives with deep political undertones (for better or worse) and the awards and international success for Netflix productions (again, for better or worse). 

Star Wars The Last Jedi Spoiler Review

Star Wars The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Benicio del Toro and Domhnall Gleeson. The sequel to 2015's The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi steers the third trilogy into darkness as Rey (Ridley) seeks the guidance of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Hamill) whilst the weakened Resistance are relentlessly pursued across space by the First Order.

Nobody hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans. Of the nine feature films made, only two are universally liked (A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back) whilst the other six are praised and hated upon in equal measure. It therefore seems surprising that cinema's most enduringly popular franchise is incredibly inconsistence; for every Han Solo line there's a Jar Jar Binks, for every use of the Duel of the Fates there is an army of Ewoks. The Last Jedi is, thankfully, a much stronger entry to the franchise, but not one without many flaws.

With an opening that feels like a Bond film, the Resistance fend off First Order Star Destroyers and the impressive Dreadnought through the use of insanely watchable and skilled pilot Poe Dameron (Isaac), droid BB-8 and elongated bombers pregnant with thousands of explosives. It is a terrific opening sequence, dripping with charm and humour (although at the expense of General Hux (Gleeson) who's seriousness has been downgraded heavily) that sets up the rest of the film's staggering 152 minute runtime. 

Whilst General Leia Organa (Fisher, in a touching and subtle final performance) and her dwindling fleet are pursued by the First Order fleet, developing Force user Rey gradually coaxes the stubborn (and somewhat sarcastic) Luke into training her to be a Jedi, despite her telepathic bridge she develops with the conflicted Kylo Ren (Driver) and the dialogues they share. As she trains, she learns more of Luke's past and the mystery of why Kylo turned to the darkness before, much like Luke on Dagobah, she leaves to join the fight with her friends. Ridley excels here, giving more assured lines and some riveting action sequences whilst Hamill gives perhaps his finest performance as the self-sufficient farmer/fisherman/librarian/Jedi master, his eyes and complexion showing the weight of his guilt and the destruction he has indirectly caused. Whereas Han Solo's return in TFA was a nostalgic triumph, Luke's is a dark, sombre, occasionally comedic story that slots in nicely with the Star Wars story, even including a touching Yoda scene: the Force ghost done with the same puppet animation as Episode V and again delivering some great lines, "Failure the greatest teacher is." 

Many franchise films often have double-edged quotations used in the film to mean one thing but to the audience means another. TFA had Han's iconic 'Chewie, we're home," indicating the revival of the franchise on the big screen. In TLJ, Luke tells Rey "this is not going to go the way you think," which is director Rian Johnson's metaphor for the unpredictability of the film. There are twists and anti-twists that will catch audience members off guard; the evisceration of Supreme Lord Snoke (an intimidating Andy Serkis who really deserved more screentime), the 'reveal' that Rey, in a massive middle finger up to Star Wars fans, is in fact nobody and, perhaps the most flooring twist: the offscreen death of Admiral Ackbar.

Johnson's vision is singular and can be felt in every scene through the craftsmanship and passion infested in every shot. One of TFA's biggest criticisms was its almost complete lack of new vehicles and weaponry. In contrast, Johnson has created the looming Dreadnoughts, a powerful battering ram cannon, rusty and dilapidated ski speeders and Kylo's barrel rolling attack starfighter. This is bold franchise filmmaking; sizzling with a toy box of invention and the courage to dare new things and stage set pieces on new worlds rather than the classic desert/snow/forest terrain of previous films. A trick used in last year's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the use of removing worldly noises and allowing the music to be the only thing heard on screen. Johnson employs this several times to beautiful effect and he has vividly left his stamp on the franchise.

Every action sequence fizzles with kinetic energy; from a tense, proper duel between Luke and Kylo (shot in glorious wide head-to-toe angles that hark back to some of Star Wars' original influences like Japanese film Seven Samurai) to a similarly well staged and superbly choreographed melee between a back-to-back Kylo and Rey and a dozen or so of the gorgeously costumed Praetorian Guards, armed with whips, blades and gauntlets that can stop lightsabers. Another astonishing sequence sees Laura Dern's underused and somewhat antagonistic Resistance leader attack a Star Destroyer in light speed to devastating, breathtaking effect. 

The ensemble cast is used effectively, with Poe thankfully getting more screen-time and having to answer for his hot headed approach to conflict ("jump in an X-wing and blowing something up") whilst BB-8 again steals scenes, whether piloting an AT-ST or hijacking a ship. The Porgs are likewise great additions for comic relief with two gags among the most blackest of black comedy, but on the contrary a returning Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is giving a few good moments but is again dismissed as quickly as she's brought in. 

In between the rapturously watchable action and character moments however, there are some flaws. As the Resistance try and flee the First Order, Finn (Boyega) and newcomer mechanic Rose (Tran) are sent to Canto Blight, an out of town hotspot for gambling and arms dealing, to recruit a codebreaker to help infiltrate one of the pursuing Destroyers and disable a tracker. This opens up a third subplot and it is the one that ultimately suffers. The codebreaker they get, DJ (del Toro) is a stuttering, untrustworthy character with little flare or memorable actions despite the vast potential he could've had (think Sicario!). But it's the entire sequence on Canto Blight that pulls the movie back from potentially being an equal to Episodes IV or V. A horribly unnecessary chase sequence, forced animal cruelty message and an environment that feels too human and earthly to be in a Star Wars movie makes the sequence seem lazy and dull. Finn isn't given much to work with and as such his character lacks any form of arc that TFA didn't already give him. In fact, the removal of the codebreaker search could've allowed a smoother running time or, even better, a deeper exploration of Snoke's powers. Rose as well feels tacked on, and, whilst well acted, is largely unnecessary save for a crucial line of dialogue about saving those you love. In fact, one of the film's biggest strengths is its presentation of women and non-whites in strong positions of power on both sides, as well as their input on the battlefield. Once again, Star Wars is dictating how blockbusters should be depicted. 

A second large gripe concerns Leia. In the trailers, we see Kylo with the opportunity to potentially kill his mother but it is left ambiguous as to his decision. In another masterful stroke of genius from Johnson, Kylo refrains (fans of Freud will have a blast with the Oedipal reading of him). Leia is safe. Until two other TIE fighters swoop in and take out the control bridge, sending Leia into open space for some duration of time. However, somehow tapping into the Force, Leia angelically guides herself back inside to be saved. It is odd, uncanny and almost cringeworthy. It did little to progress Leia and she simply could've been blown into a wall instead. A very nit picky problem as well was the offscreen death of Admiral Ackbar, mentioned in a forced line. 

That withstanding, the poor usage of several characters and a needless sub-plot don't take too much away from an otherwise solid and individual blockbuster. The repeated use of dark red on the sets and costume not only signifies the Ruby Anniversary of the franchise, but supports that this is the most murderous Star Wars film to date. Mesmerising cinematography, class direction and exhilarating action all fuse together perfectly for the film's final, extraordinarily epic hour which will have you forgetting earlier problems and looking forward to the clean slate of Episode XI.