Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

Review: Operation Condor – Armour of God II (1991) / Cert: 15 / Director: Jackie Chan / Screenplay: Jackie Chan, Edward Tang / Starring: Jackie Chan, Carol ‘Do Do’ Cheng, Eva Cobo / Release Date: November 11th

The all-kicking, all-fighting, all-action spectacle that is Jackie Chan hits HD in this re-issue of one of his best action comedies.

In true Indiana Jones fashion, Asian Hawk Jackie (Chan) is tasked to help find stolen gold hidden in a bunker in the Sahara desert by the Nazis in WWII. Along for the ride are his agent partner, Ada (Cheng) and the granddaughter of the bunker’s chief, Elsa (Cobo). With various groups also looking for the gold, the team constantly have to fight to survive.

Like with any of Chan’s best films, right from the start you know what you are in for. Plot details and even acting plays second fiddle to the glorious set-pieces, which come thick and fast. Whether it’s a high-octane fight sequence, with Chan as always doing his own stunts, or an equally tense and tightly choreographed moment where he is avoiding being seen by a showering young woman, it’s hard not to have fun. The violence is of the slapstick variety (bordering on The Three Stooges), in which no one (until the very end) gets really hurt and not one person can shoot straight nor hit their target. For far-fetched adventure with old-fashioned attitudes (it does push the PC boundaries on occasion) you can’t go wrong.

The Blu-ray release, from MediumRare, is of satisfactory condition, and certainly an upgrade on previous releases, and features the option of viewing in the original language, with 5.1 sound (merely stereo for English).

Extras: Action Chan, Comedy Chan – two short compilations taken from various Chan movies. Although the quality is sub-par for DVD, for Blu-ray criminal.

R

Review: Wonderfalls – The Complete Series / Cert: 12 / Directed by Various / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Caroline Dhavernas, Katie Finneran, Tyron Leitso, Lee Pace, William Sadler / Release Date: October 28th

Here at Starburst Magazine we like a quirky TV series – sometimes the quirkier the better. Case in point: Wonderfalls, a deliciously eccentric US comedy/drama/whatever-you-like from 2004 which ran for just 13 episodes (but found itself ignominiously cancelled after just four had been broadcast), only now finding its way onto DVD in the UK. It might take you an episode or three to find its rhythm but it’s a series which quickly works its very peculiar magic and by the end of the thirteenth episode you’ll feel wretched at the realisation that there’s no more to come.

Created by Bryan Fuller (who would go on to produce the equally-perverse cult hits Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies) Wonderfalls starred Caroline Dhavernas (now appearing in Fuller’s current hit Hannibal) playing twenty-four year old graduate Jaye Tyler who’s wasting her life in a mundane job at the Wonderfalls souvenir shop near Niagara Falls. Self-obsessed and moody, Jaye finds her life changing when inanimate objects – usually depictions of dumb animals in the form of wax figurines, cow creamers or apron illustrations – start to talk to her, delivering messages which send her off on unusual escapades in which she finds herself reluctantly helping people to change their lives or rectify past mistakes. Whilst all around her – her larger-than-life family, her best friend Mahandra and Eric the bartender – are baffled by her increasingly-erratic behaviour, Jaye’s jumping through hoops, hopelessly compelled to obey the instructions of her lifeless ’muses’.

Like most of Fuller’s shows there’s an extreme air of heightened reality about Wonderfalls, a sense that we’re watching stories being told in a world which is a bit like our own but also quite a lot different. Wonderfalls is so refreshing – especially nearly ten years on – because it’s not an action show, there’s no jeopardy and the closest it gets to a story arc is the will they/won’t they relationship between Jaye and Eric. Wittily written and packed with broad performances and snappy, inventive direction, the show’s stories are resolutely low-key affairs; Jaye helps a guy on an extreme diet regain his sense of self-esteem, she helps put right an injustice regarding the first (and only) woman to go over the Falls in a barrel, she helps a lost mail-order Russian bride whose prospective husband turns out to be a thirteen year-old boy.

Delightfully-engaging and off-beat, in truth it’s hard to see how Wonderfalls could ever have been anything more than a one-season… er… wonder; the potentially short-lived novelty of its central premise seems to give the show its own in-built obsolescence. In reality Wonderfalls was always too wacky to live but at least now its European fans can take solace from this well-presented three-disc boxset which will forever commemorate the weird wonder of Wonderfalls.

Special features: Commentaries, ‘Greetings from Wonderfalls’ documentary, visual FX featurette.

Review: Robin Redbreast / Cert: 12 / Director: James MacTaggart / Screenplay: John Bowen / Starring: Anna Cropper, Bernard Hepton, Julian Holloway, Andy Bradford / Release Date: October 28th

As any Doctor Who fan will tell you, it’s a great shame that thousands of hours of television are now lost, due in part to the habit of wiping and recording over tapes that was predominant amongst British broadcasters prior to the mid 1970s (we can only continue to pray that the 2,854 missing episodes of Crossroads will turn up one day). So the efforts of the British Film Institute (amongst others) in unearthing and preserving some of the forgotten and little-seen gems of that era are to be welcomed and Robin Redbreast (1970), written by John Bowen, is one such title.

An episode of the BBC’s once essential flagship drama series, Play for Today, it tells the story of Norah Palmer (Cropper), a script editor who moves into a cottage in the countryside following the breakdown of a relationship. She meets and is attracted to Rob (Bradford), the local gamekeeper, a meeting that acts as a catalyst for a series of events that gradually convince her that the locals mean to harm her and have no intention of letting her leave.

Ahead of its release much has been made of the influence Robin Redbreast may have had on Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (1973). However, fans of the latter would be best advised to tread carefully before shelling out their hard-earned on this basis as, although similar themes and plot devices are present in both, Robin Redbreast has neither the horrific ingenuity of Hardy’s film nor does it pack the visceral punch of The Wicker Man’s cruel and devastating conclusion.

What it does have are some fine performances, particularly from Bernard Hepton as the disconcerting village leader Fisher. It also has James MacTaggart, a director who largely succeeds in creating 77 minutes of television that is atmospheric and sometimes eerily surreal, even if it does portray most of the country folk as clichéd simpletons, easily influenced by the charismatic Fisher because he happens to read books.

One of the play’s most intriguing but ultimately disappointing aspects is the way in which it sets up the possibility that Norah’s fate is inescapably bound up in her nature. This is summed up most neatly in Fisher’s talk of pigeons getting trapped in the cottage after flying down the chimney: “They should have known that they had a way out, but being mere birds, didn’t.” Unfortunately, this doesn’t quite come off, as the villager’s scheme relies to some extent on happenstance and unfortunately this robs the play of some of its power.

However, dated in execution though it might be, the play’s themes are still highly relevant and even if it promises more than it actually delivers, it is an interesting exploration of our fear of and fascination with the irrational as well as the tyranny of tradition. Like The Wicker Man and Shirley Jackson’s equally powerful short story The Lottery, this can be most disturbing when it is hidden in plain sight amongst that which seems safe and mundane. When it then emerges to challenge the rationalist view of the world that many of us like to think we subscribe to, it’s disturbing to be faced (like Nora) with the realisation that few of us actually do.

Extras: An interview with writer John Bowen (12 minutes) / A short film looking at changing aspects of village life (11 minutes) /A booklet of essays and biographies /Also an Easter Egg of sorts in the form of the 1967 test card (the slightly creepy one of the little girl and her clown doll)

Review: High Road To China / Cert: PG / Director: Brian G. Hutton / Screenplay: Sandra Weintraub, S. Lee Pogostin / Starring: Tom Selleck, Bess Armstrong, Jack Weston, Wilford Brimley, Robert Morley / Release Date: October 28th

This forgotten but entertaining Indiana Jones-inspired period adventure flick is rescued from Sunday afternoon oblivion thanks to a Blu-ray/DVD release.

Evie Tozer (Armstrong) is informed that her estranged father’s business partner Bentik (a bombastic Morley) is looking to have him declared legally dead to take full control of his wealth. She hires boozy ex-US WWI pilot Patrick O’Malley (Selleck) to help her find her old man, and thwart Bentik’s plans. Last seen in Afghanistan, it’s no surprise given the film’s title that Tozer Snr (Brimley) is not there. As they fly across Asia in their biplanes they meet various forces that want to do them harm – some sent by Bentik, some (including a Afghan warlord played with his usual gusto by Brian Blessed) who just see the pair as cannon fodder.

After the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark (in which, let’s not forget, Selleck was originally meant to star), the Boy’s Own-type adventure became commercial again, and this entry into the action-romance subgenre (done better by Romancing the Stone, in fairness) is surprisingly entertaining. Hutton was a director of some repute, helming such hits as Where Eagles Dare and Kelly’s Heroes, and, although this was his last film, his flair for action set pieces wasn’t lost. Selleck shows how he would have made the Indiana Jones character work, although his character here, a reluctant mercenary, is more Solo than Jones. He has genuine chemistry with Armstrong, who plays the feisty heiress with “spunk” (the films words, not ours). It’s a fairly predictable film, but one that deserves a little more attention. John Barry provides a soaring score, which is fine, but it isn’t as air-punchingly triumphant as John Williams’ Raiders soundtrack.

MediumRare’s HD transfer is perfectly fine, but nothing spectacular, but kudos for releasing such an obscure film on the format.

Extras: Trailer

Review: Dark Feed / Cert: 18 / Director: Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen / Screenplay: Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen / Starring: Victoria Nugent, Bree Elrod, Dayna Cousins / Release Date: Out Now

Where would modern horror films be without disused mental institutions and aspiring filmmakers? The two genre stalwarts combine in typical style for Dark Feed, a low-budget horror flick set in a dilapidated psychiatric hospital where a crew of would-be filmmakers gather to make their movie. Geddit – it’s a low-budget horror film set in a mental institution about a bunch of people making a low-budget horror film set in a mental institution!

Off the bat, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Dark Feed is not a found footage film. There are only so many identikit handheld footage pieces one can suffer through before it becomes a bore. If it’s that sort of thing you’re after, Grave Encounters 1 or 2 will suit you just fine – otherwise, steer clear of anything that boasts both mental institutions and found footage. The ‘aspiring filmmakers’ angle is another one that is rapidly becoming tiresome and overdone – a subgenre which shows no sign of going away any time soon either. The last enjoyable horror film set in a mental institution, by the way, was Wrong Turn 4. Make of that what you will. The last enjoyable horror film about a team of wannabe filmmakers however? Honestly, we’re drawing a blank. The Blair Witch Project, maybe.

Shooting their low-budget horror feature in a grubby old institution with a shadowy past (is there any other kind?), our filmmaker heroes encounter more than they’d bargained for when the hospital’s old ghosts begin to make their presence known. As the crew begins to uncover the dubious methods once favoured by the institution’s ‘unorthodox’ (read ‘sadistic’) head of psychiatry, they rapidly start losing their own minds. Can they escape before they fall victim to the building’s insidious forces? It also begs the question – are there even any working psychiatric hospitals out there in horror-land anymore? They don’t seem to have the best track record where not being haunted or full of inbred cannibals is concerned.

Utterly unmemorable but not otherwise bad, Dark Feed is atmospheric, spooky and occasionally gory. It doesn’t earn the John Carpenter name check on the DVD cover (even if it is only his flawed Ward) but horror films rarely do, these days. It’s a dark feed, sure, but not a very filling one.

Extras: None

Review: Pacific Rim / Cert: 12A / Director: Guillermo del Toro / Screenplay: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro / Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Chalie Day, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, Robert Kazinsky / Release Date: November 11th

He’s known for his affection for horror and fantasy, but Guillermo del Toro’s latest film took inspiration from a particular branch of sci-fi – the Japanese Kaiju movie. Pacific Rim is set in a near future in which enormous monsters, the Godzilla-like Kaiju, have emerged from a breach in the Pacific Ocean to wreak terror on humanity. To fight back, humans have built giant mecha known as Jaegers. With the Jaeger program under threat of closure, former operator Raleigh Becket (Hunnam) is pulled back into action for one final mission: to close the breach once and for all.

As this story suggests, Pacific Rim is a formidable assault on the senses. Coming from a summer in which every second film featured a massive city-destroying punch-up, it’s one of the most visually powerful of the lot. Del Toro’s love for the genre shows in the painstaking care put into designing both Kaiju and Jaeger, which, combined with the vibrant colours of neon-drenched Hong Kong, makes the battle scenes a joy to watch. And it doesn’t stick to the city – the fast-paced action takes the Jaegers up into the atmosphere and down below the sea.

But exciting visuals alone don’t make a good story, and problems emerge with the characterisation. Roguish Becket reluctantly returns to action, having retired after his brother’s tragic death. His commander, Stacker Pentecost (Elba), is a gruff, strict authority figure devoted to his cause. Novice pilot Mako Mori (Kikuchi) is motivated to avenge her parents’ death, while Chuck Hansen (Kazinsky) is the egotistical pilot with father issues. If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because Pacific Rim relies heavily on character clichés, with too much going on to explore anyone in-depth. Hunnam never makes Becket at all engaging, and even the more talented supporting actors like Elba struggle to do anything interesting with the shallow roles they’re given. At least Day and Gorman have fun as a thoroughly entertaining comic relief double act, both finding unique and disparate ways to inhabit the ‘mad professor’ trope, while Perlman is joyously hammy as black market dealer Hannibal Chau.

The underdeveloped characters really let Pacific Rim down. Yes, it’s enjoyable blockbuster fun, but del Toro is capable of much better. With Pan’s Labyrinth, he created a poignant and mystical masterpiece using the fantasy genre; Pacific Rim shows his passion for a different genre, but barely approaches those heights. If you do feel up for dumb monster-vs-mecha fun, though, you won’t be going wrong. The visual splendor and sheer enormity of Pacific Rim make it an experience best enjoyed in the cinema, but if you missed your chance, do pick up the DVD.

Extras: Four short deleted scenes, one of which adds a little depth to Hansen / A blooper reel / Audio commentary from the always fascinating del Toro

Review: The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition / Cert: 12A / Director: Peter Jackson / Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro / Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter / Release Date: Out Now (Blu-Ray and Download), November 4th (DVD)

Given the enormous success of the Rings trilogy, a follow-up was inevitable and of course it had to The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey. The story of the young hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, being dragged into the most dangerous adventures by the wandering wizard Gandalf the Grey and a team of dwarves is considered a classic by most, and this is the first time an attempt has been made to tell the story as a proper live action feature. The result is a star-studded, lavishly produced movie, filled with action, excitement and breathtaking scenery, as well as the odd song or two. And to many people’s surprise, this slim book has been stretched out into a trilogy.

Splitting the story into three movies looks like it will pay off. Jackson has combed through the original text of both The Hobbit and the LotR books in order to create a complete world and tell the full story. The lack of the rights to the rest of the Tolkien estate does lead to some nice work-arounds, but overall we have a deep fantasy action movie that, though it takes a while to start, gathers momentum and does not stop until the end.

Despite all of the production and legal difficulties that led to it taking over a decade for the LotR prequel to made, it’s now hard to imagine The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey being made by anyone but Peter Jackson. The visual references from the previous movies and the amazing sense of consistency and all-round feel to the feature could have only been achieved through Jackson’s dedication and attention to detail. Still, the fingerprints of the previous director, Guillermo del Toro, can be seen in more than one or two scenes.

The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition includes added scenes which are interesting, but neither add to or take away anything from the quality of the piece. In most cases you can see why they were cut from the original list, as 13 minutes is a lot of extra footage. The Goblin King’s song and dance number is especially interesting, and though it works and is quite amusing, it does stretch the movie out a little bit too much and gets in the way of one of the movie’s significant set-pieces, the riddles in the dark.

The commentary is very good. Director Peter Jackson and screenwriter Philippa Boyens are both blessed with an engaging manner and as you would expect, they provide fascinating insights into the production of the movie. It’s interesting to hear them talk about scenes that have been left out of the extended version, and the reasons why. Boyens is especially fascinating; as screenwriter she’s well aware of the difference between Tolkien’s original text and what happens in the movie, and she takes the time to explain how and why the changes had to be made. This feature is also packed with all sorts of nice trivia and tantalising hints as to what the next two movies will be like.

The extras are vast and very well done. The New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth feature does feel more like an advert for New Zealand, but the appendixes are marvelous. The Company of Thorin gives the viewer a real feel for what it takes to bring dwarves to life and has some great little touches and insights, and include a comedy ’70s style movie trailer that will bring a big grin to your face, as will Peter Jackson’s pet name for the dwarves. Bilbo/Martin Freeman gets his own feature in The 14th Member, and it’s charming to see the process that made Bilbo appear so utterly enchanting on the screen. The bulk of the features walk the viewer through the ins and outs of the production, from the initial proposal and associated issues, to the set design and special effects. It’s in-depth, but also inspirational.

Including features, the set is over 12 hours long, which should keep most fans going for some time, or at least keep you distracted on a long flight to New Zealand. The second part of The Hobbit series, The Desolation of Smaug will be out in early December, so if you need to revise the events of the last movie, now would be the time to pick this collection up and get yourself ready for part two.

Extras: See above

Review: Rapture-Palooza / Cert: 15 / Director: Paul Middleditch / Screenplay: Chris Matheson / Starring: Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, John Francis Daley, Rob Corddry / Release Date: October 28th

After the rapture where all the pious souls were sublimated to heaven, Lindsey and her boyfriend Ben are left with the rest of the unworthy on an earth where the Antichrist – an arrogant politician named Earl – has risen. When he encounters Lindsey and it’s lust at first sight, she and Ben decide that something needs to be done about him.

The 2012 resurgence of Armageddon-themed films spurred by the misunderstood significance of the end of the latest Mesoamerican calendar cycle has now continued almost a year past the world’s supposed expiry date. Apocalyptic comedy seems the trend’s direction, with This Is The End and The World’s End setting a high bar for others to follow. Sadly, despite the number of usually reliable names attached to it, Rapture-Palooza falls far short.

The film suffers mostly in the limited scope of its story. The first part is a look at life in the post-rapture world narrated by Lindsey in sardonic fashion, accompanied by some postmodern deconstruction of the somewhat arbitrary nature of the plagues and torments forewarned by the Book of Revelation. It must be said, though, that CGI locusts popping up to proclaim “Suffer!” in chipmunk voices or murders of crows incessantly taunting people with juvenile swearing is kind of amusing. However, it’s a little directionless and it’s only when the Antichrist is introduced into the story, what little there actually is of it, that it gets properly underway. However, he turns out to be less the evil-spreading cornerstone of the Unholy Trinity, and something more akin to an overgrown frat boy who believes everything is his right just because he wants it. He provokes contempt rather than fear, and is so utterly unintimidating that it’s completely unconvincing how terrified everyone is supposed to be of him. It’s a similar scale to being polite to your dad’s boss who happens to be a bit of a twat.

It’s criminal that the last five years haven’t made Anna Kendrick a bigger star. An Oscar nomination and a string of diverse roles showcasing a broad range should have put her on more people’s radars, yet she continues to drift just shy of stardom. Her talent for deadpan sarcasm seen in the likes of Pitch Perfect and Scott Pilgrim informs much of Lindsey’s character, convincing as someone who could genuinely be completely unfazed by periodic meteor storms or monsoons of blood. Craig Robertson as The Beast (as he insists on being called) is usually an understated comedic constant, but here has little more to work with than unsubtle innuendo and dick jokes. When you consider than the scriptwriter Chris Matheson was the guy who gave us Bill & Ted, it’s enough to make you weep.

While the principal joke of an Antichrist who is more annoying than terrifying is an interesting one, a villain you can’t take seriously is not a proper antagonist, just an irritation whose removal comes down to whoever could actually be bothered doing it.

Extras: Audio Commentary / It’s Good to Be the Beast / Deleted Scenes / Gag Reel

Review: Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler / Cert: PG / Director: Fritz Lang / Screenplay: Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou / Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Aud Egede-Nissen, Gertrude Welcker, Bernhard Goetzke / Release Date: October 28th

First up, Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, aka Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, is a film that you really have to make time for. Fritz Lang’s 1922 classic is split over two parts, with a total running time of nearly four and a half hours. That’s a major commitment for any film fan, but some may struggle even further with the film being a silent movie. That said, those that don’t have a problem with the running time, or those that take enjoyment from silent movies, will find Dr. Mabuse a remarkably rewarding viewing experience.

Based on a novel by Norbert Jacques, the film focuses on the titular Dr. Mabuse (Klein-Rogge). Part criminal overlord, part mob boss, part master of disguise, Mabuse is a piece of work. Remarkably slick for the time, the film, despite the intimidating length, flies by. Fantastic storytelling, chillingly effective camera work, stellar performances, and attention-monopolising charisma means you can’t help but be drawn in by Dr. Mabuse. Adding to the pace and fluidity of the film is the glossy, stylised way that Mabuse pulls off various cons and misdemeanors throughout. All is seemingly perfect in the world of Dr. Mabuse, until he comes up against the determined Inspector Wenk (Goetzke).

Dr. Mabuse is a film that is far, far ahead of its time. Considering it was created in the early 1920s, you get to see such depth of story; so many different arcs, twists, and styles. There are elements of spy films, psychologically disturbing films, whodunit films, chase films, and detective dramas. On top of these elements, the movie also has some interesting symbolism in place, with emphasis on the economic and social pressures of 1920s Berlin.

In terms of techniques, the film was again a pioneer. The brilliant Blu-ray transfer and beautiful scoring adds to the playfully dark, manipulative tale of Dr. Mabuse and his treachery and aids the feel of the movie. This new transfer brings a nostalgic, warm crispness to the film, and it gives you a real appreciation for all of the performances on show, particularly Klein-Rogge’s charismatically deceptive Mabuse.

If a four and a half hour film is not enough to appease your appetite, do not fear. In this new release, we also get treated to a bucket-load of extras, including new additional subtitles, a greatly insightful chatter track from Lang expert David Kalat, and some nice retrospective featurettes. For fans of Dr. Mabuse, Fritz Lang or any of Lang’s other works, such as Metropolis, this newly restored edition of a true classic is a must own.

Extras: Audio commentary by David Kalat / Three extensive featurettes / 32-page booklet

Review: Dexter – The Final Season / Cert: 18 / Director: Various / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington / Release Date: November 18th

What’s eating Dexter Morgan? Once television’s primo serial killer, we’ve seen the dark defender slip from his throne in recent years, as a number of equally charismatic antiheroes tussle to take the crown. Doctor Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates – even a mild-mannered chemistry teacher turned drug baron with an alliterative name – all relative newcomers (to TV, at least), and all much better now than Dexter has become. Well, they say that all serial killers make mistakes in their dotage.

The final series of Dexter starts like every other previous one – life has returned to the status quo for Dexter and the Miami Metro, when the crimes of a new serial killer are discovered. This heralds the arrival of Doctor Vogel, a police consultant with links to Dexter’s past. Meanwhile, sister Debra is still reeling from the events of the previous season, having quit the Miami Metro and turned to the booze in a big way. Was this anything but the final series, it’d be fine – but this is supposed to feel important and big and climactic, and, sadly, it doesn’t. And the repeated use of Mama Cass‘ ‘Make Your Own Kind of Music’ just leaves one longing for the comparatively wonderful Lost. Say what you will about that show’s final series, at least it felt as if it were building to something. The concept of Dexter hunting a number of serial killers is a great idea, but not one worthy of a final series – one that should be more concerned with Dexter himself.

Dexter fans have been trying to come to terms with the fact that the series hasn’t really been good (although his battle with Colin Hanks in S6 was something of a return to form) since Season Four, and this is just the nail in the coffin. Still fumbling about with flimsy subplots and dodgy guest stars (Charlotte Rampling is particularly annoying, while Shameless’s Aaron McCusker is miscast as a serial killer with a foot fetish) it makes one long for the days of Sergeant James Doakes (an absence the show has never really recovered from) and Trinity. Thankfully, Michael C. Hall is as affable as ever as dear Dexter, while Jennifer Carpenter is a great Debra. In spite of its flaws, this is perhaps the actress and the character’s strongest series yet. The supporting cast remain well rounded and likeable, but are largely underused. Desmond Harrington’s Quinn once had the potential to fill the Doakes-shaped hole in the show, but he’s spent too long floundering around with love interest after love interest (the latest being Angel’s sister) instead of doing something meaningful with his life. It’s a story of wasted potential that reverberates throughout every episode of this final series. Even at its worst, it remains engaging and even entertaining (Dexter’s encounter with a cannibal is particularly fun), well-acted and visually quite lovely, but compared to what it could have been, it is sorely lacking.

“Over the time I’ve spent with you,” says one character to our darling Dexter, “I’ve come to realise that you’re not the perfect psychopath I thought you were.” Alas, we know the feeling.

Extras: None