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A Galaxy Divided. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi embark on a perilous quest to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son from the Separatists in this short but sweet animated movie. Having never watched The Clone Wars  myself, I was a little hesitant about jumping into this more family friendly offering from the universe of Star Wars, but clunky dialogue and cringe aside, this film is a fast-paced and exciting adventure not to be missed by fans of the franchise. Picking up shortly after the beginning of the war at the end of Attack of the Clones , we discover that Anakin and Obi-Wan have been deployed to the Outer Rim as the war rages in this lawless corner of the galaxy. In order to secure trade routes for their armies, the Republic task the pair with retrieving Jabba's son, who has been captured by Count Dooku's apprentice, Asajj Ventress, and so begins our heroes' journey. The big twist here is that Yoda is sending Anakin his first apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, who is quic...

Decisions That Shape Our Destinies. The Clone Wars  micro-series wraps up its three season run with a stellar extended final season, which ties up loose ends in a satisfying fashion whilst paving the way seamlessly into the Revenge of the Sith . Benefiting enormously from longer 12 minute episodes, season 3 of Clone Wars  delivers the show's most engaging story arcs yet, explaining how the stage was set for the final film in the prequel series. It begins, however, by giving us Star Wars fans a glimpse at how exactly Anakin Skywalker ascended to the rank of Jedi Knight. It is a neat prologue which wraps up season two's cliffhanger, whilst depicting the (admittedly awesome) method by which Jedi's are knighted. It adds depth to Anakin's journey and is a rewarding moment for the viewer. This is one of this season's greatest strengths - how it explains even the smallest developments between films. We learn how Anakin's arm becomes black, how he gains his iconi...

Darker The Coming Storm Grows. Building upon all the best aspects of its debut season, season two of Clone Wars  improves in every department as it delivers a compelling story, visually beautiful animation and character development which links smoothly with the film series. In this sophomore season, the show focuses on three very different arc, all of which harbour their own individual strengths. After initially picking up from the season one finale, showing Anakin darting off into hyperspace in pursuit of Count Dooku's apprentice, Asajj Ventress, we are then whisked away to a different corner of the universe. Here we witness Jedi Master Mace Windu in all his glory, as he takes on the droid army invading Dantooine. This arc is the shortest of the season, lasting just two episodes and opting to focus more on action than plot, but it does this in bombastic fashion. Witnessing Windu destroy an entire ARMY with his bare hands (and a bit of help from a lightsaber) is thrilling an...

Fire Across The Galaxy. Star Wars: Clone Wars  is a micro-series made up of 3 minute episodes, as such I have chosen to review each season rather than each episode. Boasting a unique art style and some entertaining stories, this first season of the micro-series is a blast. The major focus of this short series is on the Republic's battle to regain control over Muunilinst from San Hill's Separatist forces. Due to the brief nature of this ten episode season, there is little time for character development or extensive plots, but the show nonetheless manages to tell a world-spanning story focusing on major characters, helped along by excellent animated battles. Obi-Wan's ground forces took on the bounty hunter Durge, a powerful foe unseen in the movies but renowned in the Legends universe. The regenerative enemy is imposing and his destruction of the Republic battalion on the back of a speeder is a sight to behold. He may have ultimately been defeated, but Durge was und...

Emotional Magnificence. The Office (US)  improves upon its stellar second season, in a season which ups the drama whilst maintaining sharp humour throughout. One of my favourite aspects about this season is the way the show decides to open up it's world, through the introduction of the Stamford branch of Dunder Mifflin. Seeing Jim in a different environment with new characters is refreshing and helps to keep the show feeling fresh as it maintains its successful comedic formula. Also the addition of a love interest for Jim in the form of Karen is a wise one. The tables were turned this season, as Pam pined for Jim, although Jim's relationship was a more positive one than Pam and Roy's. It still dumbfounds me why Jim eventually chose Pam over Karen, as the explanation is never quite clear, but I'm glad that the show waited until now to unite the star-crossed lovers as their relationship could've grown tiresome had they hooked up at the end of season 1 for exa...

Take Two. The Office (US) improves immeasurably in its second outing, focusing more explicitly on its diverse range of characters to create a deeper sense of plot, whilst also refining its comedy to near-perfection. The show achieves all of this by striving to forge its own path, rather than imitating its British counterpart. The script feels more naturally adapted to its American locale, pursuing a different sort of humour which encourages laughs rather than cringe. This is blended with a desire to create each episode as if it were a mini-arc for the characters involved. This heightened focus on emotional investment makes watching the twenty odd episodes so much more rewarding. In terms of plot points and character arcs this season, I was impressed with how the show handled Jim and Pam. I was completely unable to connect to Jim in the first season, for reasons mentioned in my series review. However, the problems were rectified in this sophomore outing for the show, as Jim...

Downsizing. The Office (US) season 1 attempts to imitate its British counterpart, however the result feels underwhelming and disappointing as the show struggles to create its own identity. That isn't to suggest that this season was awful, because it wasn't. I still enjoyed many a laugh across the six episode long debut series, its just that the standard has been set so high by the UK version of the show. There are some things however, which were certainly improved in the American counterpart. The first of these is Michael Scott. Personally, I loved  David Brent as the world's worst boss in The Office (UK), but the character's trademark savagery and rudeness meant that he alienated many viewers, including at times myself. By contrast, Steve Carell delivers a more nuanced performance, as his character manages to maintain as inappropriate as his British counterpart, albeit with a more lovable personality than Gervais' Brent. I already feel as if I am going to ...

An Entertainer Third. Picking up ten years after where The Office (UK)  left off, a documentary crew return to film David Brent's latest escapade - going on tour with a disgruntled band and aspiring young rapper. He may have grown a decade older, but Brent is just as crazy, clueless and inappropriate as ever and this time, the cameras are solely on him. For fans of The Office , this feels like the perfect epilogue we never knew we needed to tie up David's story. However, for those new to the character, I can see why this film may not appeal. David is still working as a salesman, this time for a washing products company as a rep. The environment somehow seems even more hostile towards David than Wernham Hogg, as here he is just another worker and possesses few friends, aside from Nigel who is practically his soul-mate. Gradually, we learn that others care about David, including Karen and particularly Pauline, who in fact has a crush on the aloof ex-boss. More on that la...

Brent and Johnson. David Brent returns in this brief follow up to The Office (UK) , and after ten years he is just as clueless and hilarious as before. Besides selling cleaning products to businesses, David has grown interested in investing in start-up artists nearby, which has lead him to a partnership with young rapper Dom Johnson. Cue a torrent of racially charged jokes and anecdotes, as the desperate ex-office manager attempts to create a hit single with Dom. It's a funny short video, in which time the pair create the famous 'Equality Street' (mentioned in season 1 of the main show), a combination of David's guitar playing and singing and Dom's rapping. As imagined, the outcome is apparently "horrendous", with Dom expressing his desire to hide his identity in the music video so as not to be linked with the track. It's all hilarious stuff and it's great to see Brent back after so long.  Overall, Revisited  is a brief glimpse back into t...

Making A Difference. The Office (UK)  reached its conclusion in the second part of the Christmas Special, giving fans the perfect final episode with an extremely satisfying ending. It sounds like I am over-hyping it but honestly, this finale is just SO good. Gervais and Merchant absolutely nailed the script, providing the best endings for our favourite characters. David Brent, the leading man since the show began, embarks on a dating crusade in this Special, after signing up to online dating. The dates are naturally horrendous, with one ending on the phone after the date asked if he was that "awful boss" from the TV show! David actually has some heart-wrenching scenes in this final instalment, particularly shots of him constantly on the road, eating alone at motorway stops and drinking himself to sleep at night. On top of all of this, Neil has now banned him from the place he loves so dearly - the Wernham Hogg offices. It's fare to say that David had a rough ride h...

Stitch Up. David Brent returns along with the whole Wernham Hogg crew for one final outing, split into two parts. This first part feels like an improved, extended episode of the regular season and is all the better for it. We return to our beloved characters 3 years after the events of season 2. David is now an EXTREMELY minor celebrity thanks to The Office (UK) , who does door-to-door sales during the daytime and public appearances at clubs in the evening, all whilst haunting Wernham Hogg, the only place he seems to feel at home. Gervais is just as brilliant as usual and David is funnier than he has ever been, although it was upsetting seeing how poorly his life had turned out. That's an evident theme in this episode - disappointment at current situations (Tim still stuck in the same dull job with an annoying co worker, David still desperately seeking friends and now, a girlfriend and Dawn doing sh*tty odd jobs whilst acting full time babysitter at her fiance's sister...

Changing Times. The second and final season of The Office (UK)  is a marked improvement on the first outing for Wernham Hogg, as it ups both the laughs and drama to create a winning formula. David is really put through the ringer this season, as he tries desperately to bond with employees new and old, only to be fired by Neil and his evil cronies higher up in the organisation. Gervais put in a brilliant performance as Brent, dropping hilarious one-liners and inappropriate comments every episode and carrying the show forward. Gervais deserves praise for how he somehow manages to create a character both awful and lovable, someone we simultaneously dislike and sympathise with. My only problem with David this season would be how the show leaves his story dangling at the end of the episode. I would've liked some satisfying conclusion to the Brentmeister General's journey, but hopefully that will be provided in the unofficial series finale, the Christmas specials. Tim and D...

Peaks and Troughs. Season two has come to an end and it ends on a great episode, albeit an unsatisfying final note. David Brent spends the episode doing his best to look at the positives in his life following his sacking. He endures a calamitous interview with a journalist, during which he is fired by the motivational speaking company. It all culminates in a broken figure bursting into tears in front of Jennifer and Neil, as David begs to keep his job in an actually fairly heartbreaking scene. It is left somewhat ambiguous as to whether David actually did lose his job, although it seems that he genuinely did which is very sad :( . Brent deserved a better ending, although hopefully this is provided in the Christmas Special which tied up the show following season 2.  Meanwhile, Tim made possibly the worst decision in his life by dumping the UNBELIEVABLY out of his league Rachel, only to then get rejected AGAIN by Dawn. It was a rough finale for Bilbo indeed, so here is ...

Day of Laughter. It's Red Nose Day at Wernham Hogg and what a day it is. David struggles to keep his job, whilst Tim and Dawn share a dangerous kiss. This episode focused much upon David and his inappropriate interpretation of charity and being generous. His dance scene was brilliant and surprisingly funny, one of many highlights in 'Charity'. Of course, the chaos of the day all came to a head in the form of David's sacking, which was actually surprisingly emotional. I really felt for Gervais' character after all he has done to try and be liked and popular, he has ended up unloved and fired. I hope the finale sends him off on a positive note! Tim and Dawn FINALLY kiss in this episode, with a particularly romantic £1 kiss. The kiss clearly had immediate repercussions, with Tim getting uncomfortable around Rachel and Dawn acting similarly awkward around comments about Tim. Hopefully this sets up the pair getting together in the final episode of the season, as...

Reaping the Rewards. David Brent leads his first ever motivational seminar, whilst Dawn's jealousy rises, Tim and Rachel get closer and Neil cracks down on the Slough branch. The main focus of this episode is the build up to and then performance of David at his motivational talk and it is worth the wait for sure. A car-crash of failed dad jokes, inappropriate comments about disabled people and cheesy one liners, the talk falls into the category of 'so bad it's actually good'. And by good, I mean hilarious in all the wrong ways, which is the perfect microcosm to describe The Office (UK) . David was delighted with his performance, although I expect he won't be invited back any time soon. Tim and Rachel embraced PDA to the max this week with some truly gross displays of affection in the office. We are led to feel sorry for Dawn, who clearly is becoming more and more jealous of Rachel. Hell, even her own fiance started talking about how attractive she is! The p...

Embarrassment. Season 2 produces another great episode, if a bit light on the laughs. Another new character gets screen time this episode, as it is Trudy's birthday. A loud-mouthed, quick witted Welsh woman, Trudy is instantly popular in the office and has some great interactions with characters both old and new, which makes the series feel a bit more fresh three episodes in. Her interaction with David was by far the funniest moment in the episode, where once again the eager office manager fails to see the funny side of self-depreciation. In 'Party', David is approached by two people looking to hire motivational speakers, which is naturally a perfect fit for the self-proclaimed best boss. I felt so happy for David for some reason, although that happiness was cut short following the dildo situation (again a hilarious moment) and the way David proceeded to rub his success in the faces of all of his coworkers. His selfishness really is his downfall, although it create...

The Wheat From The Chaff. Season two of The Office (UK)  once again improves upon all that has come before with another brilliant episode, in which David attempts to connect with the Swindon branch to be more popular than Neil. Petty squabbling and well written interviews result in a blend of comedy and drama which keeps the show moving forwards. David's goal to get the Swindon recruits to like him ends in catastrophe when they all end up sat around one table at a pub, staring in silence at Keith eating his chips. It's both amusing and upsetting seeing Neil just naturally get along so much better with the employees than David, as the viewer has been lightly pushed into sympathising with the boss and his misguided aloofness. No matter how hard he tries, the poor man only ever ends up accidentally making an inappropriate comment and offending people. Gervais also had the better scenes and funniest moments this week, such as when David agreed with Gareth's ranking of ef...