Absolutely worthless. All that build up for nothing. This one episode managed to ruin the entire series. Just garbage.
Reviews
8 Reviews
Your Name.
(2016)
Everything I want a movie to be
29 January 2018
I'll be honest with you, I'm not the biggest fan of anime. Not in the sense that I particularily dislike it but rather in the sense that I haven't seen that many anime shows or movies. Of course I've seen most of the Ghibli films but that's pretty standard even for a normie like me. In terms of Makoto Shinkai I hadn't seen a whiff before I saw Your Name (Kimi no na wa). However this one reached such an unsual amount of praise and attention compared to other anime films that even I got curious after some time. Could this movie be worth all the hype? Could it appeal even to someone relatively unversed in anime?
And the answer was a thousand times yes! Your Name contains everything you could ask for out of any movie, not just animated ones. Romance, heart, passion, visual splendor, suspense, humour and much more. Many of these things have been lacking in most recent Hollywood movies as they seem to be getting more and more transparent in how safe they're playing it and how unpassionate their films are. I never thought to look to a whole other culture to find all these things that I've wanted more of for so long, but here we are!
Your Name is beautiful in every sense of the word. Firstly from a visual standpoint. By now I've seen quite a few Shinkai movies and they all look really great, but man does he outdo himself here! Every movement looks fluent, every colour is expressive and vibrant, every expression on the faces of the characters looks natural. The whole movies is gorgeous because of all of these things, but the final act is where it really pops thanks to the grand epic scale of what is happening on screen. But perfect visuals are nothing without a good story, and thankfully Your Name has it. You've probably heard that the premise is that a boy named Taki and a girl named Mitsuha start switching bodies inexplicably. I think you should watch this movies with a clear mind, so I won't say anymore, just know that there's more to it than that, and the film takes many unexpected twists and turns.
Also I need to touch on the fantastic soundtrack by RADWIMPS. I wasn't sure if their music would work well together with this rather dramatic and lofty premise, but the music is such a perfect fit for the visuals and it always seems to exactly match the emotion that is being created by the scene. I have all the songs on my playlists now and I listen to them practically every day during my spare time, it's that good!
By the end of the film I felt like I had had such a complete experience. I had been laughing, I had been moved deeply by the dramatic scenes and I had been gasping at the visual spectacle. I really do not know how anybody could watch this film and end up finding nothing to like, it really does feel like there is something here for everyone. What I ask most of all out of any movie, is to entertain me and to move me, and Your Name did that better than most movies I have ever seen. It really did give me everything I could possibly want!
And the answer was a thousand times yes! Your Name contains everything you could ask for out of any movie, not just animated ones. Romance, heart, passion, visual splendor, suspense, humour and much more. Many of these things have been lacking in most recent Hollywood movies as they seem to be getting more and more transparent in how safe they're playing it and how unpassionate their films are. I never thought to look to a whole other culture to find all these things that I've wanted more of for so long, but here we are!
Your Name is beautiful in every sense of the word. Firstly from a visual standpoint. By now I've seen quite a few Shinkai movies and they all look really great, but man does he outdo himself here! Every movement looks fluent, every colour is expressive and vibrant, every expression on the faces of the characters looks natural. The whole movies is gorgeous because of all of these things, but the final act is where it really pops thanks to the grand epic scale of what is happening on screen. But perfect visuals are nothing without a good story, and thankfully Your Name has it. You've probably heard that the premise is that a boy named Taki and a girl named Mitsuha start switching bodies inexplicably. I think you should watch this movies with a clear mind, so I won't say anymore, just know that there's more to it than that, and the film takes many unexpected twists and turns.
Also I need to touch on the fantastic soundtrack by RADWIMPS. I wasn't sure if their music would work well together with this rather dramatic and lofty premise, but the music is such a perfect fit for the visuals and it always seems to exactly match the emotion that is being created by the scene. I have all the songs on my playlists now and I listen to them practically every day during my spare time, it's that good!
By the end of the film I felt like I had had such a complete experience. I had been laughing, I had been moved deeply by the dramatic scenes and I had been gasping at the visual spectacle. I really do not know how anybody could watch this film and end up finding nothing to like, it really does feel like there is something here for everyone. What I ask most of all out of any movie, is to entertain me and to move me, and Your Name did that better than most movies I have ever seen. It really did give me everything I could possibly want!
Wonder Woman
(2017)
What on Earth am I missing here?
5 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Seriously, am I just an absolute idiot or is everybody raving about it simply because it's the first superhero movie with a woman in the lead role? Don't get me wrong I don't mind that fact at all, it's just I don't get why this movie is getting praised so hard at all!
The good stuff right here: Gal Gadot is great as Wonder Woman. She is likable, heroic and even funny when she needs to be. I also like Chris Pine's character, he was a charming fellow. The romance between the two also really worked well for the film. It felt way better paced than most of the romances in these superhero movies. Furthermore, I think most of the humor in the movie worked well too! It's got that fish out of water element and manages to keep it funny despite the fact that we've seen it all before.
Just about everything aside from this was either average or outright awful. The whole plot about stopping World War 1, and something about some German super weapon, was so boring it nearly put me to sleep during the expository scenes. Add to this a pair of comically bad villains including a German officer and a painfully underdeveloped female scientist and you've got a plot that is as dull and predictable as it is unoriginal.
And for the love of God, who is in charge of these VFX!? They look absolutely horrible! There's seriously not a single CGI shot in this movie that doesn't stick out like a sore-thumb. This problem was particularly bad during the final fight scene, which made me feel like I was watching one of the Matrix sequels or something.
The action is directed with some serious lack of taste too. The angles are hard to make out at times and the choppy editing goes by way too quickly. There's also a lot of that stupid slow-fast-mo crap where they keep switching in and out of slow motion. It made me feel like I was watching 300, which is weird because this movie actually WASN'T directed by Zack Snyder.
So seriously I really don't get it. Is it a competent film with decent characters and a beginning, middle and an end? Yes, but is that really all it takes? Just because the past DC movies have been awful they get a pass immediately when they make a somewhat watchable film? I'm seriously just baffled and confused here. I dunno, hard to recommend this one very strongly. An improvement for sure, but still very far from grace...
The good stuff right here: Gal Gadot is great as Wonder Woman. She is likable, heroic and even funny when she needs to be. I also like Chris Pine's character, he was a charming fellow. The romance between the two also really worked well for the film. It felt way better paced than most of the romances in these superhero movies. Furthermore, I think most of the humor in the movie worked well too! It's got that fish out of water element and manages to keep it funny despite the fact that we've seen it all before.
Just about everything aside from this was either average or outright awful. The whole plot about stopping World War 1, and something about some German super weapon, was so boring it nearly put me to sleep during the expository scenes. Add to this a pair of comically bad villains including a German officer and a painfully underdeveloped female scientist and you've got a plot that is as dull and predictable as it is unoriginal.
And for the love of God, who is in charge of these VFX!? They look absolutely horrible! There's seriously not a single CGI shot in this movie that doesn't stick out like a sore-thumb. This problem was particularly bad during the final fight scene, which made me feel like I was watching one of the Matrix sequels or something.
The action is directed with some serious lack of taste too. The angles are hard to make out at times and the choppy editing goes by way too quickly. There's also a lot of that stupid slow-fast-mo crap where they keep switching in and out of slow motion. It made me feel like I was watching 300, which is weird because this movie actually WASN'T directed by Zack Snyder.
So seriously I really don't get it. Is it a competent film with decent characters and a beginning, middle and an end? Yes, but is that really all it takes? Just because the past DC movies have been awful they get a pass immediately when they make a somewhat watchable film? I'm seriously just baffled and confused here. I dunno, hard to recommend this one very strongly. An improvement for sure, but still very far from grace...
Logan
(2017)
An incredible achievement
6 March 2017
This is one of the best superhero movies that I have ever seen, and the reason for this is because it is a great film that just happens to have superheroes in it. The Dark Knight was a crime drama with Batman in it, The Winter Soldier was a spy thriller with Captain America in it and now Logan is a modern western with Wolverine in it.
Logan is also a great example of what you can get when you let artists be artists, and the studio can sit in the corner doing nothing except promoting the film. Clearly James Mangold was given leeway to execute his dark, slow-paced and gritty vision of a final chapter to Logan's story, and man does it work well. The impact of the R rating during the action scenes is felt and lends way more intensity and realism than any of the other Wolverine action scenes could ever hope to accomplish without showing any blood or guts.
The real reason Logan is so fantastic though is the story. I can't remember the last time a superhero movie left me this emotionally devastated, in fact I don't think it's ever happened. I was so invested in the events and the characters, thanks in no small part to the amazing performances. If this truly are the last performances of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as these characters then I would be very happy with that cause I can't imagine how they could ever top the amazing performances they both handed in here. I would actually want for them both to be nominated for Oscars at the end of this year although there is unfortunately no chance of that happening.
Logan is not a movie for the faint-of-heart. It is violent, dark, depressing, bleak and really slow-paced for a superhero movie. But unlike the recent DC movies where those things were implemented just for the hell of it, here it serves the story in a meaningful way which is the reason it pays of so beautifully. I can recommend this movie to anyone who think they can handle the tone and the emotional gutpunch it packs. As it stands it is easily one of the best superhero movies ever, and it is precisely because it's not like any other superhero movie, it's just a great overall film.
Logan is also a great example of what you can get when you let artists be artists, and the studio can sit in the corner doing nothing except promoting the film. Clearly James Mangold was given leeway to execute his dark, slow-paced and gritty vision of a final chapter to Logan's story, and man does it work well. The impact of the R rating during the action scenes is felt and lends way more intensity and realism than any of the other Wolverine action scenes could ever hope to accomplish without showing any blood or guts.
The real reason Logan is so fantastic though is the story. I can't remember the last time a superhero movie left me this emotionally devastated, in fact I don't think it's ever happened. I was so invested in the events and the characters, thanks in no small part to the amazing performances. If this truly are the last performances of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as these characters then I would be very happy with that cause I can't imagine how they could ever top the amazing performances they both handed in here. I would actually want for them both to be nominated for Oscars at the end of this year although there is unfortunately no chance of that happening.
Logan is not a movie for the faint-of-heart. It is violent, dark, depressing, bleak and really slow-paced for a superhero movie. But unlike the recent DC movies where those things were implemented just for the hell of it, here it serves the story in a meaningful way which is the reason it pays of so beautifully. I can recommend this movie to anyone who think they can handle the tone and the emotional gutpunch it packs. As it stands it is easily one of the best superhero movies ever, and it is precisely because it's not like any other superhero movie, it's just a great overall film.
I liked it
16 November 2016
I really want to draw attention to the title of the review above. I'm sure many die-hard potterheads would want every review on this site to score this movie 10/10 and say it is a masterpiece. Well I can't do that, since that isn't my honest opinion. What I can say though is that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a thoroughly entertaining affair that is well worth a watch, especially if you're a fan of J.K. Rowling's magical world.
For starters the cast was great. Eddie Redmayne feels perfectly cast in main role as Newt Scamander. A very awkward and introverted person who prefers the company of animals rather than humans. He has the quirkyness down to a tee. I also really liked the muggle (or no-maj as the Americans call him) played by Dan Fogler. How he reacts to the whole wizarding world and the events that happen around him is actually really funny. I also thought Katherine Waterstone and Alison Sodul did great playing two sisters who wind up roped in to the whole adventure.
The creatures are the best part of the entire movie by far. They CGI on them looks kind of fake, but it's more than made up for by the concepts alone. Almost all of them have some clever twerk that keep them from feeling generic and they're all filled with personality. The sequences when they're catching these creatures are all really fun to watch.
However there are some problems with this movie. For one it has way too many side characters. A lot of them feel completely underdeveloped and add basically nothing to the overall story (*cough* Jon Voight *cough*). There's also a magical threat that becomes more central towards the end but it honestly kind of left me scratching my head. I just wasn't that engaged in that part of the story to be honest.
Still these problems are not enough to ruin the movie by any means. It's filled with wonder and creativity and being back in the world of witchcraft and wizardry is worth the price of admission alone. I enjoyed the characters, the humour and the creatures a whole lot. I also want to give J.K. Rowling huge credit for not just rehashing the Harry Potter story again. This is fresh and new and while it isn't flawless by any means it's certainly entertaining!
For starters the cast was great. Eddie Redmayne feels perfectly cast in main role as Newt Scamander. A very awkward and introverted person who prefers the company of animals rather than humans. He has the quirkyness down to a tee. I also really liked the muggle (or no-maj as the Americans call him) played by Dan Fogler. How he reacts to the whole wizarding world and the events that happen around him is actually really funny. I also thought Katherine Waterstone and Alison Sodul did great playing two sisters who wind up roped in to the whole adventure.
The creatures are the best part of the entire movie by far. They CGI on them looks kind of fake, but it's more than made up for by the concepts alone. Almost all of them have some clever twerk that keep them from feeling generic and they're all filled with personality. The sequences when they're catching these creatures are all really fun to watch.
However there are some problems with this movie. For one it has way too many side characters. A lot of them feel completely underdeveloped and add basically nothing to the overall story (*cough* Jon Voight *cough*). There's also a magical threat that becomes more central towards the end but it honestly kind of left me scratching my head. I just wasn't that engaged in that part of the story to be honest.
Still these problems are not enough to ruin the movie by any means. It's filled with wonder and creativity and being back in the world of witchcraft and wizardry is worth the price of admission alone. I enjoyed the characters, the humour and the creatures a whole lot. I also want to give J.K. Rowling huge credit for not just rehashing the Harry Potter story again. This is fresh and new and while it isn't flawless by any means it's certainly entertaining!
Doctor Strange
(2016)
Solid albeit unspectacular
12 November 2016
Marvel has a real knack for chugging out enjoyable content and Doctor Strange doesn't break that streak at all.
Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the best things about the whole endeavor by far. It's yet another one of those castings where it's so perfect that you can no longer imagine anyone else playing the part after seeing it, much like Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans. The rest of the cast perform admirably too especially Tilda Swinton as the ancient one. Sure it would have been appropriate to cast an Asian actor but Swinton does such a good job it's hard for me to get worked up about it. The rest are quite good too but Mads Mikkelsen (playing the villain) and Rachel Mcadamds's (playing the love interest)feel underdeveloped. Not bad but not good either really, just kind of mediocre.
By far this movie's greatest strength however are the visuals and the action scenes. Comparisons have unsurprisingly been drawn to Inception and it is somewhat similar. Strange feels way more energetic though and get's more trippy and weird with the mind bending visuals. The effects are fantastic but I also love how it subverts the usual summer blockbuster bam, boom, explosions thing that we've all grown to expect. It feels fresh, new and very exciting to watch on the big screen.
The movie also has a lot of comedy and it works for the most part. Sometimes the jokes don't quite stick the landing but it's never cringe worthy at least. The biggest problem for me though is that the movie relies too much on formula. If you've seen any other Marvel origin story you'll see most things coming a mile away. Arrogant guy learns the errors of his ways and reevaluates his life to become a superhero (does Tony Stark ring any bells?). Still it's not done badly and I think the crazy visuals and the action scenes are enough to make the movie feel somewhat novel.
Another good Marvel entry that is sure to excite and entertain, although it's not likely to go down in cinema history by any means.
Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the best things about the whole endeavor by far. It's yet another one of those castings where it's so perfect that you can no longer imagine anyone else playing the part after seeing it, much like Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans. The rest of the cast perform admirably too especially Tilda Swinton as the ancient one. Sure it would have been appropriate to cast an Asian actor but Swinton does such a good job it's hard for me to get worked up about it. The rest are quite good too but Mads Mikkelsen (playing the villain) and Rachel Mcadamds's (playing the love interest)feel underdeveloped. Not bad but not good either really, just kind of mediocre.
By far this movie's greatest strength however are the visuals and the action scenes. Comparisons have unsurprisingly been drawn to Inception and it is somewhat similar. Strange feels way more energetic though and get's more trippy and weird with the mind bending visuals. The effects are fantastic but I also love how it subverts the usual summer blockbuster bam, boom, explosions thing that we've all grown to expect. It feels fresh, new and very exciting to watch on the big screen.
The movie also has a lot of comedy and it works for the most part. Sometimes the jokes don't quite stick the landing but it's never cringe worthy at least. The biggest problem for me though is that the movie relies too much on formula. If you've seen any other Marvel origin story you'll see most things coming a mile away. Arrogant guy learns the errors of his ways and reevaluates his life to become a superhero (does Tony Stark ring any bells?). Still it's not done badly and I think the crazy visuals and the action scenes are enough to make the movie feel somewhat novel.
Another good Marvel entry that is sure to excite and entertain, although it's not likely to go down in cinema history by any means.
Suicide Squad
(2016)
Tonedeaf, joyless and above all boring
31 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Suicide Squad had some genuinely brilliant trailers and looked like it was gonna be the first movie in the DCEU that actually knew what exactly it wanted to be. I was absolutely convinced that this movie was going to make me sigh in relief that there might actually be hope for DC's new movie universe. Instead it was by far the worst movie in said universe thus far.
The thing is while Batman V Superman was a mess and made absolutely no sense it at least had a few big wow moments. Suicide Squad doesn't even have that to offer it's just a monotonous bore from start to finish. The first third is pretty much nothing except for a huge exposition dump. Rather than naturally learning who each character in this team is throughout the course of the movie, David Ayer thought it was a brilliant idea to waterboard the audience with forced flashbacks that strive not only to give us the facts about them but also try to get us emotionally attached to them. I can't believe Ayer is so stupid that he doesn't know you can't expect an audience to care about a bunch of characters just because we are told to. It's literally like: "OK, Deadshot has a daughter who he loves, Harley Quinn was very tragically twisted and tortured by the Joker and Rick Flag fell in love with this scientist lady but she is possessed now. OK attachment out of the way let's get started!" Not to mention it's just boring watching 5 elongated flashback sequences back-to-back.
The worst character out of the bunch though is the villain. This one actually manages to make even the worst of the Marvel villains look like Heath Ledger's Joker. Not a word that comes out of her mouth is interesting and her evil plan is as clichéd and tiresome as evil plans get. Oh and if you were planning on seeing this because of the Joker, don't hold your breath. Leto's baffling performance is original and new in all the wrong ways. He strays so far he loses any semblance of actually playing the Joker and instead feels like some drugged up, gang lord pimp who is neither scary nor entertaining.
However the worst thing of all is that you just can't have fun with this movie. There's a clear attempt to ape Guardians of the Galaxy's success with similar soundtrack choices as well as frequent jokes and bombastic action sequences. This attempt falls flat on it's face though seeing as the music is awkward and out of place, the action scenes are repetitive and unimaginative and the funniest jokes in the movie barely even manage a chuckle. I will give credit to some of the actors though, in particular I think Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller are ideal choices. And every now and again this movie does manage to do something entertaining which is why I am bumping the score up a bit but overall those moments are so rare it doesn't matter in the long run.
A bad movie which I couldn't have seen coming in a million years. Lots of potential for solid and fun entertainment wasted.
The thing is while Batman V Superman was a mess and made absolutely no sense it at least had a few big wow moments. Suicide Squad doesn't even have that to offer it's just a monotonous bore from start to finish. The first third is pretty much nothing except for a huge exposition dump. Rather than naturally learning who each character in this team is throughout the course of the movie, David Ayer thought it was a brilliant idea to waterboard the audience with forced flashbacks that strive not only to give us the facts about them but also try to get us emotionally attached to them. I can't believe Ayer is so stupid that he doesn't know you can't expect an audience to care about a bunch of characters just because we are told to. It's literally like: "OK, Deadshot has a daughter who he loves, Harley Quinn was very tragically twisted and tortured by the Joker and Rick Flag fell in love with this scientist lady but she is possessed now. OK attachment out of the way let's get started!" Not to mention it's just boring watching 5 elongated flashback sequences back-to-back.
The worst character out of the bunch though is the villain. This one actually manages to make even the worst of the Marvel villains look like Heath Ledger's Joker. Not a word that comes out of her mouth is interesting and her evil plan is as clichéd and tiresome as evil plans get. Oh and if you were planning on seeing this because of the Joker, don't hold your breath. Leto's baffling performance is original and new in all the wrong ways. He strays so far he loses any semblance of actually playing the Joker and instead feels like some drugged up, gang lord pimp who is neither scary nor entertaining.
However the worst thing of all is that you just can't have fun with this movie. There's a clear attempt to ape Guardians of the Galaxy's success with similar soundtrack choices as well as frequent jokes and bombastic action sequences. This attempt falls flat on it's face though seeing as the music is awkward and out of place, the action scenes are repetitive and unimaginative and the funniest jokes in the movie barely even manage a chuckle. I will give credit to some of the actors though, in particular I think Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller are ideal choices. And every now and again this movie does manage to do something entertaining which is why I am bumping the score up a bit but overall those moments are so rare it doesn't matter in the long run.
A bad movie which I couldn't have seen coming in a million years. Lots of potential for solid and fun entertainment wasted.
Stunning TV that rivals most major blockbusters in entertainment and drama
22 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This week Game of Thrones came back swinging. I have greatly enjoyed season 6 but the last 3 episodes weren't as satisfying as they could've been. This one more than makes up for it however and it's easily one of the best episodes the series has produced. Probably one of the best episodes any series has produced even!
We start in Meereen where the masters are in full attack against Daenerys. Her and Tyrion come up with a plan to offer the masters a chance to surrender but unsurprisingly they refuse. I really like that she listened to Tyrion and heeded his advice as I'm sometimes annoyed by her stubbornness and refusal to listen to others. As soon as the masters reject the offer however she mounts Drogon and along with the other 2 dragons they set the master's fleet on fire. The effects were stunning and the action was adrenaline pumping. Meereen was a little bit of a mess this season but I can at least say that this ending was more entertaining than anything Daenarys has done in the past 2 seasons. It felt like seeing the power of house Targaryen in their prime come back to the world of Game of Thrones. Exciting for sure!
The big one this episode however is obviously the battle of the bastards. The producers were not lying when they said this was the most large scale battle they have done yet. It truly felt on par with even the biggest Hollywood blockbusters and in my opinion surpassed most of them. Jon Snow was a badass throughout and we truly see what a great swordsman he has become over the course of the series. I especially liked how he was completely covered in blood and mud at the end of the battle making him look ferocious and outright alien to us viewers.
What was more surprising than all of the spectacle however was the fact that there was a sense of horror mixed in with all the fighting. There are giant piles of corpses, men holding their own guts in their hands while screaming and at one point Jon nearly suffocates under a fleeing part of his own army. It has a Saving Private Ryan sense to it in that respect which the other battles lacked and it gave it it's own identity.
The ending was the most satisfying part though. Seeing Jon bash Ramsay's face in was awesome but I also liked that he allowed Sansa to finish him seeing as she has been treated far worse at the hands of Ramsay than Jon. It was a good idea to have him eaten alive by his own hounds. While brutal I think any fans of the series would admit there was some satisfaction in watching that scene. Sansa's smile as she walked off also really showed how far she's come as a character this past season. She is no longer as sympathetic and kind as she was, but far more strong and determined which is important if you want to survive in the world of Game of Thrones. Seeing the Stark banners finally decorate the walls of Winterfell again was nearly enough to get me teary-eyed as well. It felt like a great injustice has finally been undone after nearly 3 years. Even though it came at great cost it was worth it!
Overall I thought the episode was a masterpiece and it was more epic and impressive on a production scale than anything I've seen in a TV-series. What really made it so good though was the drama and heart that naturally flowed through it. Truly excellent work by the creators!
We start in Meereen where the masters are in full attack against Daenerys. Her and Tyrion come up with a plan to offer the masters a chance to surrender but unsurprisingly they refuse. I really like that she listened to Tyrion and heeded his advice as I'm sometimes annoyed by her stubbornness and refusal to listen to others. As soon as the masters reject the offer however she mounts Drogon and along with the other 2 dragons they set the master's fleet on fire. The effects were stunning and the action was adrenaline pumping. Meereen was a little bit of a mess this season but I can at least say that this ending was more entertaining than anything Daenarys has done in the past 2 seasons. It felt like seeing the power of house Targaryen in their prime come back to the world of Game of Thrones. Exciting for sure!
The big one this episode however is obviously the battle of the bastards. The producers were not lying when they said this was the most large scale battle they have done yet. It truly felt on par with even the biggest Hollywood blockbusters and in my opinion surpassed most of them. Jon Snow was a badass throughout and we truly see what a great swordsman he has become over the course of the series. I especially liked how he was completely covered in blood and mud at the end of the battle making him look ferocious and outright alien to us viewers.
What was more surprising than all of the spectacle however was the fact that there was a sense of horror mixed in with all the fighting. There are giant piles of corpses, men holding their own guts in their hands while screaming and at one point Jon nearly suffocates under a fleeing part of his own army. It has a Saving Private Ryan sense to it in that respect which the other battles lacked and it gave it it's own identity.
The ending was the most satisfying part though. Seeing Jon bash Ramsay's face in was awesome but I also liked that he allowed Sansa to finish him seeing as she has been treated far worse at the hands of Ramsay than Jon. It was a good idea to have him eaten alive by his own hounds. While brutal I think any fans of the series would admit there was some satisfaction in watching that scene. Sansa's smile as she walked off also really showed how far she's come as a character this past season. She is no longer as sympathetic and kind as she was, but far more strong and determined which is important if you want to survive in the world of Game of Thrones. Seeing the Stark banners finally decorate the walls of Winterfell again was nearly enough to get me teary-eyed as well. It felt like a great injustice has finally been undone after nearly 3 years. Even though it came at great cost it was worth it!
Overall I thought the episode was a masterpiece and it was more epic and impressive on a production scale than anything I've seen in a TV-series. What really made it so good though was the drama and heart that naturally flowed through it. Truly excellent work by the creators!
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