jameslamont

I went into this movie with no expectations. The title made it seem like it would be a typical action movie; all guns and brawn and little in the way of storyline but boy was I wrong. This movie, based on a true story, was powerful and touched me so much that it has prompted me to write my first film review on IMDb in over six years! This is a movie with a solid pedigree of cast behind it, it is based on the life of Sam Childers (Gerard Butler), who without giving much away, has a criminal past, finds God and embarks on undertaking missionary work in civil war-torn Sudan, leaving his loyal, loving wife Lynn Childers (Michelle Monaghan) and his young daughter Paige (Madeline Carrol) back home in Penslyvania. This movie follows Sam's juggling how his Christian faith inspires him at home and also in Sudan.

Gerard Butler has always been something of an enigma to me. In my opinion he can be hit and miss as an actor, but in this movie he gives a powerhouse performance as the emotionally conflicted and stunted Sam Cilders, someone who follows his faith and shows simple, sometimes primal humanity in inhumane foreign environments. I think this is Gerard Butlers best performance to date, he expertly immerses himself into Sam , he is so believable in this role, both emotionally, mentally and physically. The audience may find it hard to remember it is just a movie at some stages. Michael Shannon is amazing a Sam's childhood friend Donnie, a troubled soul who is another person loyal to Sam but ultimately flawed.

This is not a movie I feel will get the awards it richly deserves. Similar in tone to Hotel Rwanda, it is an inspiring story but with a sobering message. It reminded me a lot of Hotel Rwanda because it showed how one man alone with enough faith in simple humanity can make a difference. Sam Childers is not a saint; far from it, he is flawed and he has a violent and criminal side and this is evident in the movie. However he is also shown as having humanity and the fact that he decides to make a stand and do something away from the comfort of his armchair in America is testament to his character. Would the audience have the courage to do what Sam did? That is a question facing the audience as they leave the movie, along with the graphic images which will haunt the audience for a long time after seeing the movie.

There are so many powerful moments in this movie that it is hard to pin point any without spoiling the plot. This is not a movie that you should take a date along to; or anyone who is squeamish or unsettled by blood and guts. This is a movie that takes the audience in the palm of their hands and opens their eyes to the blunt reality and the truth of genocide. It is similar in that way to Hotel Rwanda but I found this movie even more graphic and unsettling in many ways. This is a movie you should watch at all costs although you may not want to see it again. It is hard hitting, powerful, emotional but most of all thought provoking.

Ever since Spooks hit the BBC back in 2002, it has been essential, innovative, superbly written and action packed drama. The first season of the show was exceptional, the show was so ground breaking in the stories and themes it tackled that it won many plaudits and won many prizes. But Seaon 3 of the show was rocked by the departure of its main stars and I will talk about that later, but first I will go over the show generally and the first two seasons particularly...

Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfayden) was the linchpin of the show and rightly so. He was an amazing character and Matthew was absolutely superb as the main star of the show. Keeley Hawes and David Oyelowo were great as Danny and Zoe as the other main cast members of the show. Peter Firth(Harry Pearce) put in a superb performance as the Spooks boss.

The biggest assets the show had was its main three characters and because they were so likable, the viewer really warmed to the characters and the actors themselves.

Never shy to stow away from controversy Season 2 of the show was also very good. The problem then came in Season 3.....

All 3 of the main characters left and there were these replacements bought in that were so obviously replacements for the others, that the viewer could not help but notice it. The sense of the closeness of the show was gone, as the show stopped focusing on the "bad guys", but started focusing solely on the Spooks private life.

One of the great things about the show was that the show dealt with a wide range of terrorism issues affecting mainland UK but in series 3, the writers were clearly more concerned with the Spooks personal lives, than the actual welfare of the country!! Maybe they should have ended the show after the second season and let the show go out on a high. There are so any stand alone memorable episodes in these two series, that you will remember them for ages. The problem was that the loss of the three main characters the audience had loved for the two previous series, had left and this has had a dramatic effect.

As for the replacements, Rupert Penry-Jones is not a patch on Matthew Macfayden and he is quite wooden at times. Olga Sosnovska is so-so as Fiona, Adams wife. They are the main replacements to the cast, but even the quite well written characters cannot help fill the void of the ex-characters departures.

I used to be a massive fan of this show and I would rate this show as one of the best on the box, and essential viewing but season 3 really let the show down. In my opinion a big part of the show was over when the main three characters left and the new replacements have not done much to change my mind. This is a prime example of a show that simply cannot survive without its main cast, there is just too much history wiped away. If you want to see a top class drama show buy Series 1 and 2 box sets, stick clear of Series 3. Good show (season 1-3) 10/10, Season 3 (4/10)

Set in the fictional town of Smallville, the show charts the growing up of our hero Clark Kent (Tom Welling) during his teenage years as he tries to deal with his alien powers by attempting to lead as normal teenage life as possible; complete with all its typical problems.

Lana Lang (Kirsten Kreuk) plays Clarks lonely, independent, ideal women and friend, Chloe Sullivan (Alison Mack) plays another of Clarks closest friends, a lady who as a school journalist is fascinated by all the weird events that have occurred in Smallville.Add into the fold, Lex Luther (Michael Rossenbaum) as a troubled, unlikely close friend to Clark and Lionel Luthor (John Glover) as the mean calculating father of Lex Luthor. Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) and Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) play Clarks doting and dependable parents.

Tom Welling does an outstanding job playing Clark Kent. He brings a human-like quality to the show and the way he looks is exactly how you would imagine a young Clark Kent to look like. He is a very likable character and Tom also helps to put some of himself in the character and was basically born for the role. Michael Rossenbaum is the real star of the show though, because he plays a character that has so many depths who can be nice and pleasant most of time but has a hidden menace at the same time and the fact that he pulls it off is a testament to the quality of the actor.

John Glover, Annete O'Toole and John Schneider also do great performances in their respective roles. You can actually imagine these characters as the parents of Lex and Clark, as they bring so much to their roles. Kirsten Kreuk is basically the eye candy of the show and I would not say she is the best actress in the show. The big times she has been asked to perform big scenes she has done a good job overall.

The acting on the show is genuinely superb and of a great standard. The characters on the show are written extremely well, and they have so many different dimensions. The scripts are good and generally they try and reveal things about the characters that the viewer did not realise and this is a big plus point.

The viewer will really warm to the show because the characters are so easy to identify with. When Clark has the same problems that every teenager faces, it helps to make the show seem realistic and relevant to the teenagers today.The paramount way that this show works so well, is because the viewer KNOWS Clarks future and this is showing his past and therefore the viewer never knows what to expect. We are always aware of big things that happen to Clark in the future and the cause and effects of these problems are being explored in the show.

The writers of the show are always thinking up new story lines that the characters face that tie in with the original Superman comics and this is great. I love the fact that characters who have been in other Superman shows (from Clarks future) are constantly written into the show, and this means that the viewer knows what that character is about; as they have seen them and recognise them from before.

I have bought the DVD box-sets of this show and I would recommend it to anyone. Every episode is memorable because they all have big moments in the show that the viewer will remember and think about for ages. The amount of themes this show covers is huge and the relationships between the characters is very believable.

This is one of Warner Bros best TV shows in a long time and an absolutely brilliant television show. This show works on so many different levels and it will appeal to not just Superman fans but to fans of entertaining and exciting plot-driven TV shows. This show easily beats the other Superman competition and is an ideal addition to any Superman fans collection. This is essential viewing for Superman fans.

10/10 Go and watch this now!!