Mark Thomson

I was overjoyed when the announcement came out that Doctor Who would be making a return to TV. As a long time fan of Who (my favorite doctor is Tom Baker), I was dismayed when the show was originally taken off, and always looked forward when visiting Oz to watching reruns of it on their TV stations. It's been far too long since it was on here, unfortunately though the new episodes were only available on this stupid piddly little Prime station we have here. Most of the frickin country can't receive it, otherwise you have to have a SKY decoder. Arrrrrgh! I've had to wait for the DVD's to come out, which have been wonderful.

The first episode comes with the usual amount of exposition and setup baggage that weighs down firsts of any series. It's not a bad episode, but I think it's probably more enjoyable for people who aren't familiar with the series. I just wanted them to get on with it since I'm already clued up on the Doctor. Still it was fantastic the first time the Doctor appears, and the Tardis tucked away between the buildings was great. I almost missed it the first time.

I really like the redesign of the Tardis, and the production values on this new series are fantastic. Every week is like a mini movie, with no more wobbly sets or props made out of detergent bottles. Rose is quite likeable in an everyman/woman kind of way, and I'm sure for those people that find her stunning that's an attraction. Christopher Ecceleston was a better choice than expected, running the whole gamut of emotions, unpredictable, wild, with a dash of jaded innocence. You can almost see hints of the other Doctors personalities running through his performance.

The Autons were an interesting choice for an opening villain, a nice way to connect to previous continuity, although animated shop window mannequins is probably a bit light-weight by today's standards. Other scarier classic villains are back in subsequent episodes, so that's something to look forward too.

If your a fan of Doctor Who, or just into sci-fi in general, this is definitely a series worth watching. I hope it does well and continues to stay on as long as it did in the first run. My children are already hopelessly addicted to the series, new Who-philes in the making.

Plot Synopsis:

Rose Tyler is a common London girl living on a council housing estate with her single-parent mother. She gets up, goes to work at the department store, has lunch with her boyfriend Mickey and returns to work. Nothing particularly exciting happens, until she is asked to drop off some items to the store manager in the basement. While stumbling around looking for him, she is attacked by plastic mannequins in storage. The Doctor rescues her, and after helping her escape from the building, promptly blows up the department store. Rose fails to notice the blue police box sandwiched between two buildings as she makes her way home.

The next morning, not much point getting up since she doesn't have a job to go to. The Doctor turns up at the Tyler's flat looking for more Autons, and is attacked by the plastic mannequin arm that Rose bought home the previous night. After subduing the arm, Rose's curiosity is peaked, and the Doctor gives her some cryptic information before vanishing in his blue box.

Rose starts to investigate the Doctor on the Internet, and finds the contact information for Clive, a conspiracy theorist who has been tracking the Doctor over the years. Rose meets with Clive and he shows her photos of the Doctor from different time periods, and he warns her that where the Doctor goes death follows. Meanwhile, outside Mickey has been attacked and eaten by a plastic rubbish cart. When Rose returns a plasticized replica of Mickey is waiting for her. They go for a pizza at a restaurant, and Mickey starts harassing Rose for information about the Doctor's wereabouts. The Doctor arrives again to rescue Rose, and Mickey goes on a rampage. The Doctor severs Mickey's head, and escapes back to the police box. Rose follows but can't quite believe her eyes - the innocent blue box contains a huge spaceship on the inside.

The Doctor explains about the Tardis, and uses plastic Mickey's head to guide the Tardis to the location of the Nestene Consciousness controlling the plastic Autons. They arrive near the Millenium Wheel, and the Doctor realises the Nestene is using the wheel as a huge transmitter dish to animate and control the plastic Autons. As the Doctor heads towards a final confrontation with the Nestene, it realises that the Doctor could destroy it, and sets all the plastic Autons on a rampage of destruction through London. The Doctor is restrained by the Autons, leaving Rose and Mickey to dump the vial of anti-plastic that the Doctor bought into the vat containing the Nestene, destroying it.

After the Nestene is destroyed, the Doctor returns Rose and Mickey to the council estates. He offers Rose the opportunity to travel with him, which she initially refuses, until he points out that he can also travel in time. Rose abandons Mickey and leaves with the Doctor.

This is a neat little film and marvel of animation. The hours and hours of work that goes into making these little plasticine characters come to life is amazing. From the people that created the wonderful Wallace and Gromit series, comes this tale of rebellious chickens trying to escape from a chicken farm.

With multiple homages to WWI prisoner/escape movies, as well as little references to later known movies such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, its very cleverly written. The characters are a delight and it's hard to pick a favorite, each with complete personalities and quirks, and hilarious dialogue. You'll find yourself quoting them! I highly recommend this film, as it's not just for the kids, and anybody should be able to appreciate the wonderful animation in this film.

Plot Synopsis:

Ginger's an unhappy chicken on Tweedy's Chicken Farm who dreams of a better place, and isn't afraid to try to escape. Along with a motley assortment of other chickens, they concoct schemes trying to get free. Unfortunately, they're largely unsuccessful until Rocky the Flying Rooster crashes onto the farm, and Ginger is given her latest plan. Ginger persuades Rocky to teach the other chickens how to fly so they can leave the farm, but Rocky isn't telling the whole truth.

When the horrible and bitter Mrs Tweedy decides to turn all the chickens into pies for more money, the race is on to fly the coop. Luckily after Rocky rescues Ginger from the pie machine, and sabotages the machine, they're bought more time. However, the flying lessons aren't working out so well, and Ginger is perplexed as to why they can't fly.

Finally Rocky's secret is revealed; he is a circus chicken who's fired out of a cannon and can't actually fly under his own power. He abandons the other chickens and leaves them to their fate. Dejected the other chickens give in, but Ginger concocts another plan, they will construct a plane! Fowler the RAF mascot chicken helps with the design, and the others furiously steal whatever they can get from around the farm and start building.

When the pie machine is finally repaired, and the farmer figures out what they're up too, they make their escape. After battling Mrs Tweedy in the air over the farm, they flee to a small island in the middle of a lake where they start a new colony and live happy and free range.

When the new Batman film was announced, I was excited but apprehensive after the two previous films were so disappointing. I can still watch Batman Forever, but I loathe Batman & Robin. I can't stand George Clooney in most things, and the Robin character I've never really liked. Batman is the ultimate hardass, he doesn't need to have a whining kid following him about. And don't even get me started on the campy-gayness of Schumacher's interference in the franchise - bat nipples anyone??

So I was really pleased when it premiered and the wonderful reviews for it started to come in. And although I didn't end up getting to the theatre to see it, mostly because the theatre prices here are just obnoxious now ($15 for an adult - I can get a new release video for $8), the day it came out on DVD I purchased it immediately. I loved every minute of this film. Sure it's a little slow starting, but it's an origin story so you expect a certain amount of exposition to these things.

Still this is one of the best origin stories I've ever seen on film. It's very well done, cutting back and forth between the past and present, but always with an eye on presenting Batman as a reality. There are no sculpted bat nipples, no cars covered in neon, just functional design that could exist. The Tumbler is quite possibly the most aggressive powerful car I've ever seen, and what guy wouldn't want one? Everything is developed and explained in a believable manner, that really helps to ground the film in a reality, a 'this guy could really be real' feeling.

I'm looking forward to a sequel, which should be something pretty cool now that the origin baggage is out of the way. The hint at the end towards the Joker appearing was pretty cool. I just hope they don't kill the Joker at the end of the movie like the other films did, since Batman never kills the Joker, just sends him back to Arkham Asylum.

The casting is really inspired as well, lots of big name quality actors who do excellent work, with the exception of Katie Holmes who is a bit meh. Gary Oldman in particular looks and acts like Gordon, and Christian Bale is also a very believable Batman. Caine, Neeson, and Freeman are fantastic as always.

Well recommended, certainly the pinnacle of modern superhero films at this time.

Plot Synopsis:

Young Bruce Wayne plays in the yard of his parents mansion with a friend when he falls into a hole in the ground filled with menacing bats.

Later Bruce is an adult imprisoned in a Chinese jail, when thugs attempt to kill him. He brutally beats them down and is placed in solitary. A man, Henry Ducard, approachs Wayne and offers him training, with what Bruce comes to discover is the League of Shadows.

Bruce recalls being rescued from the cave by his father Thomas, and later taken to the opera. During the performance he becomes scared of the bat-like performers on stage and asks to leave. As the Waynes step outside into an alley, a gunman robs and kills Bruce's parents.

After Wayne is released he travels to the mountains, to a monastery where he is trained in the ninja arts by Ducard. Henry helps Bruce to face his fears, and gives him the skills he will later use to avenge his parents.

Bruce recalls trying to kill the man that murdered his parents but failing. When he confronts Carmine Falcone, a local mobster about his involvement in the death of the Wayne's, Bruce is beaten. Bruce decides to head out into the world to experience crime, and gain an understanding of the criminal mind. He lives as a criminal for awhile, training and gaining experience, before he is captured and incarcerated.

When Ducard reveals he is working for Ras Al Ghul (The Demons Head), and tries to induct Bruce into the League of Shadows so that he may destroy the crime-ridden Gotham City, Bruce declines and a fight ensues. The monastery is destroyed, but not before Bruce has saved Henry's life.

Returning to Gotham City, Bruce finds Wayne Enterprise's has become less philanthropic and more money grubbing, producing military weapons instead of products that improve people's lives. Bruce insinuates himself back into society, and slowly builds his plans. Creating an identity that will strike fear and create an aura of myth around him, he begins building the Batman. Lucius Fox from Wayne Tech helps by providing Bruce with various pieces of equipment and technology that he uses to build his batsuit etc.

Batman begins to take on organised crime in the city, forging links with Detective Jim Gordon, and slowly brings justice to the organized crime element in the city. As he investigates he finds that there are connections to something much larger, and he crosses paths with Jonathan Crane aka. The Scarecrow.

Gradually it is revealed that Henry Ducard is really Ras Al Ghul, as he spreads Scarecrows fear toxin through Gotham's water supply network, and then attempts to spread it through the city with the help of a stolen microwave emitter device.

Batman battles Ras Al Ghul, ultimately stopping him with the help of Jim Gordon. The city is ultimately saved, but there's still a lot of work to do. Wayne's mansion was destroyed, but Alfred will help him make some 'improvements'. He recovers Wayne Tech from the shark that was running it, and places Lucius Fox in charge. And Jim Gordon asks Batman for help with a new villain, handing him a Joker playing card left at the scene of the crimes.

Busy like a crazy bee-like insane thing, buzzing furiously about. So much to get done at the moment, I've been so tired the last few days. I'm tearing through the jobs at home trying to get the house sorted for our move, cleaning out piles of paperwork, junk, and media. We just sold a bunch of our stuff on the net, kudos to the Mrs. for organising all that. She's off overseas on her jaunt in little over a week now, so lots to do before that happens.

My regular job is busy at the moment trying to get the StudentMax system sorted out, and other business is quietening down. I've decided to just finish the outstanding work but not look for any new work, especially since we lost a couple of hostings recently - not through any fault of ours i might add. Strange that someone who has been having problems with Telecom would choose to move all their business to them, just because its easier. Isn't that an oxymoron?? I'm a bit sad to have to wind the business up, considering how much work we've all put into it, but it's necessary as part of our great move, and who knows, maybe I'll set up again once we're settled in Oz.

We've almost found the dog a new home, which is a shame, we've really been missing her since she's been away on trial, but Rob's worried if we take Coco she might get killed by a dingo or roo. So we found a nice retired-man who loves dogs and is looking for a furry companion to fill his time in. I'm feeling pretty comfortable that they'll look after her.

I'm also drawing a short comic strip at the moment, hopefully for inclusion in the next issue of New Ground, if I can get my act together in time. Plot is finished, storyboards are started, characters are designed, started on panel 1, so cross fingers!!