Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

WEREWOLF

WEREWOLF / CERT: 15/ DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ADRIAN PANEK / STARRING: KAMIL POLNISLAK, NICOLAS PRZYGODA, SONIA MIETIELICA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Adrian Panek’s unique and interesting World War II drama makes it onto Blu-ray, courtesy of Eureka entertainment, in what is a great transfer on a vanilla disk, with a trailer being the only special feature available. The film itself, which may be too sombre and abstract for some, is a fine piece of filmmaking and a different experience from your standard concentration camp commentaries.

We begin in a polish concentration camp, at the end of the Second World War. We focus on a group of children who are forced to exercise and treated with disdain by the guards, until one is brutally killed by one of the guard dogs. When they are liberated by the Russians, the children, still in their striped clothes, find themselves in an abandoned mansion, trying to survive, but when a pack of starving dogs, fresh from guarding the liberated camp come looking for their next meal, survival becomes even more difficult for the young refugees. Werewolf has two elements to it, a dreamy survival tale and an all-out horror, once the dogs arrive. Both aspects feel unusual and new, there are small time jumps within the story, with characters turning up without explanation and some of the children rarely speak, we just see them playing, fighting, eating and trying to find some humanity after their brutal experiences. This can become quite disorientating, but then the canines arrive, an unusual but great antagonist, the dogs are relentless and a real threat to life, they too are trying to survive and are victims of their owners cruelty. It is fitting that the children discover the kindness in their four legged enemy, to ultimately conquer them.

Some aspects of the film can become too dreamlike, and especially with the foreign language, which includes Polish, German and Russian, it is hard to distinguish individual characters. We have the tough kid, the girl forced to be a tomboy and the slightly disturbed spectacled boy, as the three main protagonists. It would have been nice, to have a bit more insight into their story and how that shaped their personalities. Parts of the story could also be a bit clearer, we never really see how they arrive at the abandoned mansion, or where some of the adults came from.

These small negativities do add to the flow of the movie though, fine detail is not important here, it is as if we are living with this group, experiencing what they experience, the performances are brilliant, as importantly they are presented initially as nasty young people, who must discover how to live together and treat each other with respect. The dogs attacking, is the catalyst for this chance to grow up and discover how to exist in a more serene world. We get a wonderful pastiche of themes here, in a way only film can deliver, from the innocence of childhood, the true aspect of evil and the rawness of nature, all beautifully shot by Panek and his cinematographer Dominik Danilczyk. A liberating experience for cinefiles and casual viewers alike.

MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS – SERIES ONE

MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS – SERIES ONE / DIRECTORS: IAN MACNAUGHTON, JOHN HOWARD DAVIES / STARRING: GRAHAM CHAPMAN, JOHN CLEESE, ERIC IDLE, TERRY JONES, MICHAEL PALIN, TERRY GILLIAM / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of Monty Python in the history and development of British comedy in the latter years of the twentieth century. The team – all doyens of the Cambridge University Footlights Club and its sister/rival campus at Oxford University – came together to create a comedy sketch show quite unlike anything that ever been seen on British TV. Their style was wild and freeform, surreal and silly, a mixture of highbrow intellectual conceits and references and shameless slapstick; Spike Milligan had been dabbling in the surreal for years, especially in his haphazard Q series, but the Pythons refined and honed the formula, creating characters and sketches which have become iconic and have resonated down throughout the decades and influenced virtually every British comedy performer since their debut in 1969. It’s that 50th anniversary of the very first 13-episode Python series that’s being celebrated in this impressive new Blu-ray release from Network, who have restored the episodes from the ‘ground up’ working from the best available materials – first generation 2-inch videotape masters to surviving negative and print film material scanned in 2K with wildly-varying picture sources graded painstakingly scene-by-scene and intensively cleaned up. The results are astonishing; studio videotaped sequences are crystal clear and filmed inserts and animations are pin-sharp and astonishingly detailed.

What’s surprising about this first long season – hard to imagine any British comedy sketch show today (and they’re sadly few and far between these days) running for thirteen weeks – is how quickly the show finds its feet and how it very much hits the ground running. Received wisdom suggests that Monty Python took a while to find its form and while it’s true that the first two episodes (for some reason Episode One was screened second in the original broadcast run) demonstrate a certain hesitancy in performance and some nervous laughter from baffled studio audiences, the show is quickly hitting it out of the park several times per episode. Many of the classic sketches Python is best remembered for are found here; Arthur ‘Two Sheds’ Jackson in the very first episode, Arthur Putey and the Marriage Guidance counsellor in Episode Two, Bicycle Repair Man and Mr Nudge Nudge in Episode Three, the Dead Parrot sketch and Hell’s Grannies turn up in Episode Eight and Episode Nine sees the debut of the Lumberjack Song. Far from a learning curve, Series One is where the Python legend arrived virtually fully-formed and laid the groundwork for the subsequent series, feature films, and solo projects that would follow. But it doesn’t all work. Episode Seven is, interestingly, the group’s first effort at one long-form narrative in the shape of a rather tiresome one-note story about an alien invasion that turns its victims into Scotsmen who race around with one arm outstretched in the manner of schoolchildren playing Daleks.

By the end of the series, the Pythons are either struggling for ideas or relishing their demolition of the sketch show format. Certainly some of the latter material is spectacularly random but there are any number of forgotten or undiscovered joys across the run including Episode Five’s Confuse-a-Cat, a masterpiece of surreal film editing, Episode Nine’s Kilimanjaro Expedition and Episode Ten’s First Man to Jump the Channel. Throw in the legendary “It’s…” pre-credits hobo, the first sighting of a Gumby, Terry Gilliam’s extraordinary and sometimes disturbing animation and, of course, the infamous Sousa’s Liberty Bell theme music, and it’s clear that the Pythons knew pretty much exactly what they were doing and what they wanted to achieve right from the very beginning. There’d never been anything like it on British television before, nothing quite like it ever since and it’s absolutely brilliant. You could say that it’s completely different…

The remaining three seasons will be released on Blu-ray individually next year and a boxset of the whole series is available now.

DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD

DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: JAMES BOBIN / SCREENPLAY: MATTHEW ROBINSON, NICHOLAS STOLLER / STARRING: ISABELA MONER, JEFF WAHLBERG, MICHAEL PENA, EVA LONGORIA / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 9TH

Yes, we know what you’re thinking, but did you see the trailer? This live-action movie based on the popular Nickelodeon young children’s cartoon is not the Dora you remember.

Dora (Moner) has now grown up into a 16-year-old and moves to the city with her cousin, Diego (Wahlberg), while her parents go off in search of the hidden city of Parapata. A typical fish out of water scenario ensues as the home/jungle-schooled Dora tries to get to grips with 21st century school politics.

However, on a school trip to the museum, Dora, Diego, and a couple of other students get kidnapped and taken to the jungle to try and track her parents (Longoria and Pena). Dora suddenly realises that she doesn’t know everything about the jungle and the dangers within. Fortunately, the group of kids are ably assisted by a friend of her parents, Alejandro, and the good old favourite Boots the monkey.

Of course, they are being tracked by the kidnappers, who want the riches promised within Parapata, and our adventurers arrive, solving jungle traps along the way, to find the treasure.

The Dora movie is a completely clean bit of family entertainment without falling into the trap of becoming blandly saccharine. It wisely takes its beats from its trailblazing forefather, Indiana Jones, but tones down many of the more perilous moments so as not to frighten the core target audience.

There are gentle nods to the source cartoon, including Dora breaking the fourth wall, only to be met with derision by other characters for doing so, and a moment of mirth when Dora, Diego and Alejandro inhale some spore from a plant that makes them hallucinate to the point where they turn into their animated counterparts. The film even ends with a musical number that had this reviewer’s 8-year-old daughter jiggling around the lounge, much to my amusement.

Yes, the characters struggle to move beyond cliché or even past being one dimensional, but there is enough on show here to entertain everyone. If you really wanted to pick a hole in the film, you could point to the fact that the CGI is quite weak, with Boots and Swiper the fox clearly standing out as fake when compared to similar animals in other films – just look at Paddington for example – but you have to remember that this is not a movie that is gunning for realism.

Perhaps you can introduce your kids to this bit of harmless fluff and then introduce them to Uncle Indy afterwards.

We’ve all got to start somewhere, right?

PROM NIGHT (1980)

CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: PAUL LYNCH / SCREENPLAY: WILLIAM GRAY / STARRING: JAMIE LEE CURTIS, LESLIE NIELSEN, CASEY STEVENS, ANNE-MARIE MARTIN, MICHAEL TOUGH / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 2ND

A group of high school students, who are all connected by a tragic event that happened years prior, are stalked and picked off one by one in brutal fashion by a masked killer in Paul Lynch’s 1980 cult film, Prom Night.

The 1980s – a time when the slasher genre was in full swing and every man and his dog wanted a slice of that sweet money pie, and one of those at the front of the queue was flawed but interesting title. Led by the hottest commodity in the Horror world at the time, the scream queen herself Jamie Lee Curtis, the film’s familiar plot stumbles through to its predictable conclusion but is elevated by solid performances, exciting practical effects and chilling score.

The plot from the offset is extremely reminiscent of a mix of the original Black Christmas and Halloween from the creepy phone calls to the first-person perspective – the only interesting aspect was the senior prom setting which allowed the film to end with an exciting set-piece between our killer and our lead survivor. Also, for a film, that boasts an 18 age rating, some of the kills are disappointing lacklustre with a selection taking place off-screen due to budgetary reasons which take the punch out of the punchline.

This new transfer onto Blu-Ray by 101 Films is a mixed bag – many of the scenes look terrific with colour popping and crisp and clear visuals but on the other end of the spectrum, many of the darker moments including when the killer is on the prowl are distorted and difficult to see.

However, with all the negatives aside, the admirable pacing enhances the run-of-the-mill narrative to create a solid slasher with a handful of interesting moments from creative camerawork to the icing-on-the-cake subtle score that intensifies the moment it accompanies.

The special features on this new Blu-Ray release of Prom Night are an interesting selection from behind-the-scenes to a full-blown documentary on the production of the film and are an essential purchase for hardcore fans of this cult classic.

Special Features:

Chasing the Final Girl [20:37] – A look at the Slasher genre with a host of filmmakers.
Interview with Paul Lynch [15:43] – An Interview with the Director of Prom Night (1980).
Commentary with Paul McEvoy and Jake West [1:32:58] – A feature-length commentary of the film from FrightFest founder Paul McEvoy and filmmaker Jake West.
Commentary with Director Paul Lynch and Screenwriter William Gray [1:32:58]
The Horrors of Hamilton High [41:04] – A “making of” film discussing the production of Prom Night (1980).
Additional Scenes added for Television Broadcast [11:11] – A host of additional scenes that had to be added and changed for the TV Version of Prom Night (1980) as discussed by the editor.
Outtakes [23:15] – A selection of outtakes.
Motion Still Gallery [6:20] – A selection of stills from the film and production accompanied by the music from the film.
Original Radio Spots [1:06]
Original Theatrical Trailer [1:45]
Television Spots [3:17]

MOBY DICK (1956)

MOBY DICK (1956) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: JOHN HUSTON / SCREENPLAY: JOHN HJSTON, RAY BRADBURY / STARRING: GREGORY PECK, RICHARD BASEHART, LEO GENN, JAMES ROEBRTSON JUSTICE, ORSON WELLES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Herman Melville’s 1851 novel is one of the great rousing stories of human obsession, one man’s determination to gain revenge at any cost against an implacable force of Nature. Underappreciated at the time of its release, the book has gone on to be acclaimed as ‘a Great American novel’ and it finally reached the screen in 1956 is this powerful and majestic feature film directed by the great John Huston who co-wrote the script with sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury. It arrives now on Blu-ray (a format which does its very specific tone and colour palette few favours, in all honesty) and it’s pleasing to report that it remains a big, bold, expansive film with a massive cinematic sweep and scenes of genuine power and awe.

Call me Ishmael. In the nineteenth century, Ishamel (Basehart) joins the crew of the whaling vessel Pequod in search of adventure. The ship’s Captain Ahab (Peck) is a virtual recluse who spends most of his time in his cabin. When he finally ventures on deck we discover that he was almost killed in a previous encounter with Moby Dick, a huge white whale which took off his left leg beneath the knee. Bitter and twisted by his desire for revenge, Ahab will stop at nothing to hunt down and best the beast which crippled him… even if it means putting his life, his crew, and his vessel at risk of total destruction.

A hugely ambitious film and a troubled production, Moby Dick retains its visceral power over five decades later, its open seas location filming still massively impressive and its rather obvious model effects sequences rather charming and surprisingly effective. Apparently Peck never felt at ease in the role of Ahab – he was certainly cast against type at the time – yet he delivers a performance full of quiet rage and power and he cuts a formidable physical presence whose force of will utterly subjugates and dominates the entire crew of the Pequod. Huston directs the entire thing with stateliness and aplomb, capturing the strange majesty of the whaling ship and counterpointing it with the casual cruelty of its business and building up the sense of impending finality as Ahab comes face to face with his nemesis and his obsession becomes total and absolute and, ultimately, fatal.

Moby Dick is a gripping, intelligent picture from a long-gone era of filmmaking and visually it resembles few films made before or since. Huston was very specific that the film was graded in the style of classic old whaling prints and this Blu-ray has been restored to accentuate that very specific visual style – don’t expect the sharpness and clarity typical of the format. Moby Dick looks cold and distant and even unrestored in places – there are flickers and lines across the image occasionally and yet they merely add to the disorientating sense of unreality which inevitably permeates the whole film. Moby Dick perhaps doesn’t quite capture the intensity of the source material yet remains a powerful, striking production which has informed and influenced generations of filmmakers, none less than Steven Spielberg in the making of Jaws in 1975. An engrossing commentary and a fascinating interview with the film’s continuity supervisor make for a respectable supporting package for an often forgotten classic.

CLOCKWISE

CLOCKWISE / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER MORAHAN / SCREENPLAY: MICHAEL FRAYN / STARRING: JOHN CLEESE, SHARON MAIDEN, STEPHEN MOORE, ALISON STEADMAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Brian Stimpson (Cleese) is the punctuality-obsessed headmaster of a lower-class secondary school. He’s been invited to chair the annual headmasters’ conference – a prestigious position usually offered to those in charge of more lofty educational establishments but, for the first time in history, it has now been given to the head of a “common or garden state comprehensive school.” When a mishap at the station en route to the conference leads to a missed train and a missing speech, Stimpson enters full Basil Fawlty mode as his journey to Norwich – in a car reluctantly driven by one of his students – quickly becomes fraught with difficulties and disasters in a frantic race against the clock.

It’s all very British in a Sunday afternoon kind of way, with Stimpson and his followers (or hostages) finding themselves in some genuinely believable situations as well as enduring some more absurd encounters, and there are tons of impeccably-timed gags (which you’d expect, considering the theme of the film). Cleese does an excellent job of making you feel his pain as events continue to get more and more ridiculous, and the supporting cast (which include Stephen Growing Pains of Adrian Mole Moore, Gavin & Stacey‘s Alison Steadman, Joan Hickson (Miss Marple) and Peter Cellier AKA the Major from Keeping Up Appearances) play their parts perfectly.

The restoration work on this “first time on Blu-ray” release is perfectly adequate, but whether that’s enough to convince owners of the DVD to upgrade will entirely be up to how much you like the film itself. This one is quite lacking in the extras department, with the only new content being a ten-minute interview with screenwriter Michael Frayn. He’s perfectly affable (as the subjects of these things generally are) and gives the kind of insight into the production that you’d expect someone with his involvement would be able to offer (real life inspirations for the characters, why various names are used, that sort of thing), but the audio is strangely muffled. There’s also a thirteen-minute interview with John Cleese taken from a previous DVD release, and a stills gallery (does anybody ever look at those?). Rather bare bones, but at least hanging around watching all the extras won’t make you late for any important engagements.

FRUITS BASKET (2019)

REVIEWED: SEASON 1 (PART 1: EPISODES 1-13) / DIRECTOR: YOSHIHIDE IBATA / SCREENPLAY: TAKU KISHIMOTO / STARRING: MANAKA IWAMI, NOBUNAGA SHIMAZAKI, YUMA UCHIDA, YUICHI NAKAMURA, M.A.O. / WHERE TO WATCH: CRUNCHYROLL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (VOD), NOVEMBER 25TH (BLU-RAY)

After 18 years since the original series aired, the incredibly popular reverse harem anime Fruits Basket has received the remake treatment courtesy of TMS Entertainment (and a lot of fan demand!).

Based on the hugely successful manga that ran from 1998 to 2006, the story follows the loveable schoolgirl Tohru Honda who, after tragically losing her mother in an accident, currently resides in a tent whilst her grandfather’s house goes through renovation. One day, she discovers a house nearby that belongs to the Soma family – fellow student Yuki and his older cousin Shigure – and quickly befriends them. However, after Kyo Soma, another member of the family who dislikes Yuki attacks, Tohru unintentionally discovers the Soma’s secret – they all turn into animals of the Zodiac when they are hugged by the opposite sex! Unlike other people that the Soma’s have encountered, Tohru accepts their strange predicament and the relationships between them begin to blossom further.

From the outside, the cutesy anime may alienate a large portion of a male audience, however, the story, characters and world truly appeal to everyone. Tohru’s tragic backstory and especially heartwarming personality are both utterly captivating and Yuki’s newfound appreciation for friendship whereas he has spent the majority of his life alienated because of his curse resonates with literally anyone who watches this. The beauty of their friendship is elevated by the fact that they counterbalance each other along with some truly larger than life characters – from the adorable half-Japanese, half-German Momiji Soma to the love-stricken Kagura Soma – that means that every single episode is brimming with comedy, stunning character development and breathtaking visuals.

One of the main reasons for this remake was to update the visuals with all of the fantastic new tools available to anime studios but to also tell the entire Fruits Basket story exactly how to manga intended to do so now that the narrative has been written in its entirety. Every character and locations have been beautifully reimagined with this new technology including the ability to subtly add details to some of the scenes – for example, the Soma’s animal spirit ears showing during various interactions with hilarious results.

In Anime, one of the key components to bringing the world to life is the score – and we aren’t just talking about the OP and EP. The entire series is smothered with delicate undertones that gorgeously heightens what is transpiring on-screen and easily makes this one of the best animes ever created. Not to forget the OP and EP – both songs are pitch-perfect accompaniments for the nature of the show and, the OP especially will have you tearing up before anything has happened.

With stunning visuals, gorgeous music and wonderful in-depth characters and world, Fruits Basket is right near the top of any list for the best animes of all time.

Special Features:

DISC 1

Episode 4 Commentary from the English Cast & Crew
Episode 7 Commentary from the English Cast & Crew

DISC 2

Fruits Basket Tell-All [14:37] – An interview with English VA’s Eric Vale and Justin Cook conducted by the ADR Director Caitlin Glass talking about the series
Fruits Basket Inside the Episode (1, 4, 7, 10, 13) [27:19] – A behind the scenes compilation of interviews with the English cast and crew for the series
Textless Opening Song [1:32]
Textless Closing Song [1:44]

ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE

ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JOHN MCPHAIL / SCREENPLAY: ALAN MCDONALD, RYAN MCHENRY / STARRING: ELLA HUNT, MALCOLM CUMMING, SARAH SWIRE, PAUL KAYE / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 2ND

The holiday season is fast approaching and everyone is getting their usual suspects lined up to watch. Well, you may have just found a new addition to your yearly list.

Anna (Hunt) and her friends are counting the days until they can leave school and start moving on with their lives, but they’ve still got to endure the rest of the school year with their new dictator-like headmaster, Savage (Kaye). First, though, they need to survive a zombie apocalypse that has spread over their sleepy town of Little Haven.

As with most of society these days, their initial concerns surround having no phone network and checking out the latest #EvacSelfies while waiting for the army to save them. When they realise that the army has suffered the same fate as everyone else, they know that they have to look after themselves. They need to survive the bowling alley (including a stag do with a taste for flesh) and a walk hidden under an inflatable ball pit before infiltrating the school to find their other friends and family. Meanwhile, Savage has gone full native and the power of becoming the head has gone to his own. All the while this is going on, they just can’t help breaking into song. Yes, this is a musical.

Sure, the songs are more of a High School Musical standard than, say, The Greatest Showman, but therein lies the charm. Of course, the teenagers are all suffering from their own issues with parents or plans for the future and these are played out in song.

The undead makeup is of the usual standard that you’d expect and this is a more than enjoyable romp, although there are some jarring changes between the mostly up-tempo songs and the dark realisation by the characters that life will never be the same as some loved ones don’t quite make it through the adventure. This is a pared back, low budget British movie and you can have great fun watching the teenagers trying to survive and also have a good time whilst doing it.

The extras for this belated Blu-ray release are a real bonus. In addition to the original DVD release extras, we are given the short that the movie is based on from 2011 called Zombie Musical by the late Ryan McHenry. We also get a fantastic and very heartfelt 84-minute making of documentary that shows how close the original developers were before Ryan’s untimely passing, and how close the actors became on the set, and both the cinema and extended cuts

A Christmas zombie comedy musical? What’s not to love? Add this to your stocking this year and enjoy a festive flick with a rotting difference.

STAR TREK DISCOVERY SEASON 2

STAR TREK DISCOVERY SEASON 2 / CERT: 15 / SHOWRUNNERS: AARON HARBERTS, GRETCHEN BERG, ALEX KURTZMAN / STARRING: SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN, ANSON MOUNT, DOUG JONES, MARY WISEMAN, MICHELLE YEOH, ETHAN PECK / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Discovery’s sophomore season would ‘sync up with canon’ we were promised. From hairless Klingons, to the ship’s baffling spore drive and Spock spending the last half century never mentioning that he had a sister; Discovery had some major hoops to jump through if it wanted to appease the vocal contingent of fans disappointed with the considerable liberties it took with Trek’s history.

And while the show could have ignored these issues and continued to develop its own, unique take on Trek, Alex Kurtzman and his fellow writers have dedicated much of season two to retconning the show, ticking off a list of things fans had expressed displeasure at, before finally taking the show somewhere genuinely new in the finale.

The season picks up exactly where season one ended, with Discovery intercepted by the USS Enterprise whilst en route to Vulcan to meet its new captain. Anyone familiar with Trek’s timeline will know that a decade prior to the Original Series, it’s not Kirk, but his predecessor Christopher Pike captaining the Enterprise. And sure enough he soon beams over – in the form of Anson Mount – and assumes temporary command of Discovery for a vital mission. Introducing Pike is inspired. The much-loved character has only made one proper appearance previously, way back in 1964’s The Cage, (Kelvin timelines and life-support chairs not withstanding), and Mount’s lively performance adds a much-needed sense of fun to the show, more than adequately filling the huge hole left by Jason Issacs’ departure.

Discovery’s new mission involves investigating several mysterious red bursts which have appeared throughout the galaxy. The mystery involves a being known as the ‘Red Angel,’ which appears at the locations of the bursts. Discovering who or what the angel is, and its connection to Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) was originally proposed as a way of exploring the season’s theme of ‘faith vs. science.’ Apart from The Final Frontier, human religion is something that’s largely been ignored in Trek, and the role of religion in a largely secular society is a fascinating question. Unfortunately, it’s not one properly explored here, in part because the show seems unsure what it has to say about the topic, and partly because a change in showrunners partway through the season caused it to go off in a different direction.

Also key to the mystery of the Red Angel is Burnham’s adoptive half-Vulcan brother, Spock. The Sehlat in the room throughout season one, the show had to decide between avoiding one of Trek’s most beloved icons – to the detriment of Burnham’s character – or introducing him and risking the ire of fans. They chose the latter, and for the most part the gamble pays off. Ethan Peck may be no Nimoy (who is?) and while he may not have the physical resemblance of Zachary Quinto’s version, once he eventually shows up (after Discovery goes on an *ahem* search for Spock) he quickly establishes himself as the definitive post-Nimoy incarnation.

As for the episodes themselves, like Season One, they’re a mixed bunch. Highlights include the Jonathan Frakes-directed New Eden (the show’s most traditional ‘Star Trekky’ episode to date), the first appearance of the Talosians since the Original Series, and an episode focusing on fan-favourite character Airiam. The Klingons – possibly the most divisive element of Season One – have a greatly reduced role this time this time around (as well as a redesign), although we do get both the Klingon-centric Point Of Light, and a weird, timey-wimey visit to Boreth (from TNG’s Rightful Heir).

The most divisive element this year though, and a major plot point, is the introduction of Section 31. Rather than the ultra-secretive organisation seen in Deep Space Nine, they’re here transformed into a more militaristic, less covert branch of Starfleet. While in DS9 they were so secretive nobody in Starfleet even knew they existed, here they have their own fleet of ships, funky black comm badges, and a commander (Alan van Sprang). They’ve also recruited everyone’s favourite genocidal maniac Emperor Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who the show seems determined – unwisely – to redeem. For a season devoted to aligning the show with Trek canon, Section 31’s re-imagining is a controversial decision, and the proposed Yeoh-starring spin-off has met with a muted response from fans.

Extras-wise, it’s a fairly impressive set. Alongside the featurettes (which are similar in quality to Season One’s) there’s entertaining commentaries from the likes of Kurtzman, Martin-Green, Mount, and Jonathan Frakes. Disappointingly, of the four episodes of Short Treks produced in the lead up to the season, only two – Runaway and The Brightest Star – are included here. Unfortunately, although they tie in well with Season Two (hence their inclusion), they’re the weakest of the four. The other two superior episodes Calypso and Escape Artist are both on Netflix and well worth checking out.

Although Discovery Season Two is far from perfect, it’s a step up from the patchy first season. It’s still a show where the lead character is the least interesting; a show about exploration where precious little exploring is done; where the constant revolving door of showrunners and writers means it lacks a coherent vision (the change of showrunner from Berg/Harberts to Kurtzman mid-season is very obvious onscreen); it still feels very un-Trekish at times; and it’s a show where all the fine acting, stunning sets, effects and costumes are let down by sometimes uninspired writing. Let’s hope that the fresh start they’re giving themselves with Season Three – plus a more consistent writing team – means Discovery can finally unlock its considerable potential.

JAMES BOND – THE DANIEL CRAIG COLLECTION (4K EDITION)

JAMES BOND – THE DANIEL CRAIG COLLECTION (4K EDITION) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: DANIEL CRAIG (AND MANY OTHERS) / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The timing of the release of this new collection is certainly interesting. With Daniel Craig’s proposed final performance as James Bond in No Time To Die scheduled for release in spring 2020, it seems curious to bring out a collection of his previous four outings just six months prior. These beautiful, stunningly remastered 4K UHD versions catalogue Craig’s thirteen years as 007 – a box-set that would enhance any film fan’s collection, of that there is no doubt. But is this being used as a marketing tool to give Craig’s tenure one final flourish, a final promotion following the largely lukewarm reception of 2005’s Spectre and the production issues that have plagued this fifth installment?

Let’s hope not, because this truly is an impressive collection. Yes, for the most part there is nothing a fan will not have seen before and a casual viewer will likely be pressed to notice any real difference in the films or extras. To the seasoned – or well-read – observer, scenes from Casino Royale (2006) that were removed for classification reasons have now been restored, although these primarily extend existing scenes as opposed to being brand new ones. There are extras aplenty, including interesting background pieces and interviews, but most will either have been seen before or, at least, similar ones will have.

The real attraction here – the reason the collection even exists – is the quality in the picture and sound. James Bond has never looked or sounded so good! From the extraordinary visuals at the siege in Skyfall (2012) to the adrenaline-fueled car chase of Spectre (2015) and from the visceral torture by Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (2006), when every drop of sweat, every teeth-clenched moment and every excruciating sound are intensified to levels sure to cause maximum viewer discomfort, to the astonishing Day Of The Dead opening in Spectre (2015) this is film as it should be viewed. Clear, precise and ear-quakingly crisp.

Given that the collection comes with the standard Blu-ray versions of the films, and that much of the content has been readily available, the question really is whether anyone actually needs this new release. Well, no, but you’ll want it. But then you might need to check the specifications of both your player, sound and television set-up. As an excuse to upgrade your existing set-up, this could prove an expensive investment.

Whatever the reasons for its release (and you can be sure that around twelve months from now there will be an updated edition), this is a set that pays homage to arguably the best characterisation of James Bond. Craig has inhabited the role with a refreshing reality that has drawn back audiences frustrated with the fantasy of previous films.

And it’s also just the right size to fit in that Christmas stocking.