jones-markjones-mark592 Reviews

The Last of Us: Part II (2020 Video Game)

Weird Structure but Fantastic Experience

[9/10 · 8 July 2020]

I think this game is more memorable and risky than the first. I've heard a lot of people complain that the returning characters are written differently and new characters are uninteresting. People change, especially in times of crisis. Saying Ellie not picking up the PSVita is a betrayal of her character is childish, I think. Having you control Abby after she killed Joel is definitely manipulative, but I think they succeeded in making her interesting. She has a better story than Ellie and I like that. All the events in her story are natural. Throwing a ball for a dog can be seen as a forced attempt to get you to like her, but it's a natural scene that would happen in real life. Bad people aren't inherently bad. The emotions I was feeling when I was forced to attack Ellie as Abby, or Abby as Ellie, is something I've never felt in video games before.

My only issue is that there is a huge drop of momentum when you first transition to Abby, but that soon dissipates and the game shines. I do think having the first 1/3 or so of the game having Ellie and Abby as partners and then for Abby to find out about Joel would have been better. It would've been easy to like Abby before she killed Joel.

Batman: The Animated Series: The Cat and the Claw: Part I (1992) Season 1, Episode 1

The Cat and the Claw - Strictly Meh

[6/10 · 17 November 2018]

Story: Bad Batman one-liners. Weak cliffhanger on first episode. Cool Bat-Glider. Good blend of Bruce and Batman plot lines. Irritating references to nine lives cliche. Cool chase scene in cars. (7/10)

Characters: Strange how Selina has a Secretary. Funny irony with Bruce being Batman. Interesting relationship between Bruce and Selina. I like Catwoman's motivation. Perfect Catwoman voice. Red Claw is interesting but has an annoying voice. Her plan is pretty cliche though and she has no motivation. (6/10)

Animation: Strange Catwoman wall-climbing. Faces animated poorly. Dirty colouring in part 2. Strange slow pace in secretary attack scene. Like Catwoman's theme. Flames look awful. Slow pace in Catwoman and Red Claw fight with no impact in the punches. (4/10)

Verdict: 6/10

Batman: The Animated Series: Heart of Ice (1992) Season 1, Episode 3

Heart of Ice - The Definitive Mr. Freeze Story

[10/10 · 17 November 2018]

Story: Funny subplot with Batman's cold. Another great disguise. Definitive Mr. FreeE origin and story. Great origin tape. Great way of defeating Freeze. (10/10)

Characters: Great Freeze voice. Kind of cringeworthy "Freeze" line from Batman. Ferris Boyle very unlikable. Feel sympathy for Freeze. (9/10)

Animation: Cool looking opening. Ice looks cool. Great snow effects return. Infamous reversed colour Bat symbol twice. (8/10)

Verdict: 9/10

Batman: The Animated Series: I've Got Batman in My Basement (1992) Season 1, Episode 20

I've Got Batman in My Basement - As Stupid as it Sounds

[6/10 · 17 November 2018]

Story: Realistic way of getting kids involved in case. Why do the bullies randomly play catch with a brick? The whole scene with the bullies and the Batmobile is terrible. Too convenient that Batman wakes up just in time for Penguin's attack. The final fight is stupid. (4/10)

Characters: Very cliche bullies. Weird Penguin dialogue. Kids not annoying or interesting. Makes Penguin seem pathetic that he's stopped by kids. Cringeworthy Batman lines with Sherman's mother. (4/10)

Animation: Vulture moves very stiffly. Like city background. Good Penguin theme. Decent animation. (6/10)

Verdict: 4/10

Batman: The Animated Series: It's Never Too Late (1992) Season 1, Episode 6

It's Never Too Late - Embodies that 30s/40s Setting

[8/10 · 17 November 2018]

Story: Cool gang war premise. That stupid cliche foot getting stuck thing again. Drugs in a kid's show?! Train sequence is very dramatic. (7/10)

Characters: Great disguise from Batman. Surprising twist with Arnie's son. Thorne just gets better and better as a villain. (8/10)

Animation: Good facial expressions. Great tint in flashbacks. Solid animation. Cool smoke effects. (8/10)

Verdict: 8/10

Batman: The Animated Series: Two-Face: Part I (1992) Season 1, Episode 17

Two-Face - So Nearly Perfect

[10/10 · 17 November 2018]

Story: Disturbing dream sequences. Extremely mature story and themes. Batman used very effectively but the focus is definitely on Harvey Dent (as it should be). Interesting premise of 'Big Bad Harv'. Grace fighting Thorne's assistant is funny and satisfying. A great way of defeating Two-Face which was poorly mimicked in Batman Forever. (10/10)

Characters: Brilliant arc for Harvey Dent. Great suddenly switch between personalities. Harvey is very likeable. Voice acting is absolutely perfect from everyone. Rupert Thorne is a surprisingly good villain. Love how Two-Face is not even remotely evil and Thorne is the primary cause of his transformation. (9/10)

Animation: Fantastic facial animations. Lighting revealing Harvey's other face is cool. Great Two-Face theme. But why is Two-Face's hair longer and white on his burned side? Cool images of Batman. The rain effects are great, especially when Batman is on the Batcycle. (9/10)

Verdict: 9/10

Batman: The Animated Series: Be a Clown (1992) Season 1, Episode 11

Be a Clown - Plot Holes, Plot Holes, Plot Holes

[13 November 2018]

Story: A rather silly motivation for Joker. Some of Jekko's magic tricks are actually magic and aren't realistic. I think Jordan runs away too quickly and without enough motivation (too rushed). Why does nobody realise the sparkler candle has a massive Joker face on it? The relationship between Jordan and Jekko is entertaining though. Why does Jordan trust Jekko so much? The water scene where Batman is trapped is great. Why does Batman never check the water for foes without giving them loads of time to escape? (4/10)

Characters: Nice to have more focus on Mayor Hill. There's some REALLY stupid Batman lines in this episode. Jordan is annoying at the start. Mark Hamill's Jekko voice is good. And the design of the clown is cool. Hamill's Joker voice is really gruff for some reason - did he lose his voice? Good character arc for Hill. (6/10)

Animation: Nice pan on Hill's speech at start. Cool sound-effects. Joker's reveal is really cool. Cool cake explosion. Cool setting of amusement park. Good perspectives on roller coaster. And a well done Batman and Joker fight. (7/10)

Verdict: 6/10

Batman: The Animated Series: The Forgotten (1992) Season 1, Episode 23

The Forgotten - A Hidden Gem

[13 November 2018]

Story: Very mature story. Nice western feel. Deals with real-life problems (homelessness). Pretty good premise. Great, creepy dream sequence with Joker cameo. A moving episode. However, if the two men Bruce meets live in Gotham City, why don't they recognise its most famous person? (8/10)

Characters: Good disguise voice from Kevin Conroy. A cliche, weak villain. Interesting and likeable supporting characters. Alfred's plot is very cool. And his scene with the Batwing is hilarious. Joke and closing line is funny. (7/10)

Animation: Cool disguise scene. Fluid actions when working/mining. Cool fight sequences. Scene where Bruce remembers who he is well animated. Cool lighting when in dark. (8/10)

Verdict: 8/10

Batman: The Animated Series: P.O.V. (1992) Season 1, Episode 13

P.O.V. - A Brilliant Change of Pace

[7/10 · 13 November 2018]

Story: Really cool premise. I like how the visuals of Bullock's story contradict his lies. Nice change and one-off with Batman taking a back seat. Cool theme song. Satisfying ending. (7/10)

Characters: Bullock is great and his voice is fantastic. The rookie cop's reactions are realistic. Inspector and Commissioner Gordon have an interesting contrast and relationship. Montoya is a very good lead in this episode. The villains are very weak though. (7/10)

Animation: Good image of fire at start. Great animation throughout. (9/10)

Verdict: 8/10

Batman: The Animated Series: The Underdwellers (1992) Season 1, Episode 27

The Underdwellers - A fairly underrated episode

[6/10 · 13 November 2018]

Story: At the start, it annoys me how kids' feet always get stuck in ropes of something. It's just lazy and unrealistic. Great main theme song though. Interesting premise and I enjoy the Alfred and leprechaun scenes. Batman vs the crocodiles is cool and quite brutal with him snapping their jaws. I love how personal and angry Batman gets with the case. The ending is sweet. (7/10)

Characters: Alfred dancing at start is great. Sewer King has a cool voice and he's an extreme literal love-to-hate villain. Batman's expression when he first finds the kids is great. Would've liked to see more of Sewer King, he was a good villain. The kid's line at end is cringeworthy though. (8/10)

Animation: Strong animation at the start. The spit is a cool feature. Really cool image of Batman with shadows on his face. Sewer King's movements are silly though. (7/10)

Verdict: 7/10

Batman: The Animated Series: Pretty Poison (1992) Season 1, Episode 9

Pretty Poison - Greatest Poison Ivy Story Ever

[9/10 · 12 November 2018]

Story: Like black and white opening. Poison Ivy's plan is fantastic. Cool opening with Harvey and Batman. Great running gag with Commissioner Gordon. Like Bruce's inclusion in the story. Great stakes. Love how Batman takes no anti-poison pill at the end like in the 60s Show. (9/10)

Characters: Love how likeable Ivy is at the start before her plans are revealed. Much better Alfred voice. Funny Bullock interrogation scene. Fantastic Ivy voice actor. Appreciate knowing Ivy's age. Actually feel sorry for Ivy. (9/10)

Animation: Good backgrounds of city. Strange animation when Harvey is first poisoned. Like first person Dent view in hospital. Ivy looks pretty. (8/10)

Verdict: 8/10

Batman: The Animated Series: The Last Laugh (1992) Season 1, Episode 15

The Last Laugh - The Last Bad Joker Episode

[5/10 · 12 November 2018]

Story: Pretty dumb and elaborate plot. Another 60s-esque episode. I like the Alfred laughing scene and the air holes scene is funny. There a few funny lines actually. The music is repetitive - it switches from the episode's main theme to the Joker's theme constantly. Has the same dumb ending as Christmas with the Joker when he slips and is caught over a bat. (5/10)

Characters: Alfred is funny and decent voice-acting at last. There are some stupid Batman lines in this - "Cut the clowning, Joker". Also, where did Joker get Captain Clown? How was he made? (4/10)

Animation: Cartoony, stupid laugher. Inconsistent animation. The Batarang is cool. Well-Animated Captain Clown fight. Stupid Batman shock face again. Cool image of Batman hanging over furnace. Batman's position at the end is weird and embarrassing. (4/10)

Verdict: 4/10

Batman: The Animated Series: Nothing to Fear (1992) Season 1, Episode 10

Nothing to Fear - Scarecrow's Worst Appearance

[9/10 · 12 November 2018]

Story: Great theme of Bruce being a disappointment to the family and really drives the episode in an impactful way. Bit too much exposition though, mainly from Scarecrow. The flashback origin scene is interesting though. The blimp scene is great. (6/10)

Characters: Scarecrow's design is by far the worst of the three. His voice isn't very scary either. However, it is a good introduction to Scarecrow. The relationship between Batman and Bullock is great. The thugs are funny. Kevin Conroy is brilliant again. (7/10)

Animation: Good facial expressions and sound effects throughout. The beard animation is lazy. The skull scene at the end is exciting and even quite disturbing. However, nightmare Batman could be more detailed and look better. (5/10)

Verdict: 6/10

Batman: The Animated Series: Christmas with the Joker (1992) Season 1, Episode 38

Christmas with the Joker - The Clown Prince of Silliness

[8/10 · 12 November 2018]

Story: Great, refreshing Christmas setting. Funny comparisons to Scrooge and Batman from Robin. I love the scene with Joker's "family" (Bullock cracks me up). Very funny episode. Very 1960s-esque. Stupid ending with how Joker is defeated. (7/10)

Characters: Nice appearance from Robin. Harvey Bullock as a baby is funny. Batman talks too much though for my liking. Joker is great in this episode though. Kevin Conroy's voice work isn't as fantastic as he uses predominantly the same tone all the way through. (6/10)

Animation: Fun snow effects. Character faces are quite simple. Joker looks fat. Over-the-top expressions on Joker. Batman's swinging of the bat has weird movements. (3/10)

Verdict: 5/10

Batman: The Animated Series: On Leather Wings (1992) Season 1, Episode 2

On Leather Wings - The DCAU Begins

[8/10 · 12 November 2018]

Story: A great mixing of the Man-Bay and early Batman career stories with the GCPD after the Dark Knight. Some great, interesting Detective work from Batman that has been missing from a lot of the more recent Batman shows and films. A simple but effective Batman take. Easily the best Man-Bat episode (though he's only in two). I would've liked a longer police chase. (6/10)

Characters: Nice cameo from Harvey Dent. Not my favourite voice actor for Alfred (glad he was replaced). Kevin Conroy is excellent for his first time ever as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Man-Bat was an okay villain for a simple stand-alone, introductory episode. However, good forshadowing for Francine's transformation into She-Bat. (7/10)

Animation: The security guard was too cartoony in his movements for my liking. The dark backgrounds make the show and atmosphere unique and memorable. Impressive Man-Bat transformation. Amazing flying scene in the finale. Batman's shocked face looks stupid and was even mocked in the Honest Trailer. Also: BLOOD!!! (7/10)

Verdict: 6/10

Teen Titans: How Long Is Forever? (2004) Season 2, Episode 1

How Long Is Forever? - Fantastic start to Season Two

[9/10 · 26 October 2018]

I'm back for season two, here to review each episode. And this is a brilliant start to Teen Titans' second season.

Following Starfire as she goes forward 20 years in time and finds her fellow Teen Titans older and alone, the writing is the key aspect of the episode's success. It makes it seem like Starfire is the heart of the team and without her the team would fall apart. The world through her lens is innocent and the future is a stark contrast to what Starfire is used to and to what we've seen in this show so far.

This is the darkest episode as we enter an alternate world that has been doomed. Cyborg is without power cells, Titans Tower is abandoned, Raven is mad, Beast Boy is a one-man circus act (and bald) and Robin... well Robin's the same but now he's Nightwing (which is great!).

Whilst the alternate Earth and message is good, there are a couple plot holes that I want to address. The episode flash forwards 20 years, so at most the members of the Teen Titans must be early 40s, late 30s. Therefore, why does Cyborg look so old? Why does Beast Boy look like he's in his late 40s? And why have Robin and Raven hardly aged?

Also, the anime influence has been increased and it's a little more distracting this episode. For anime lovers you'll love it, but I'm not a big fan of anime and hope this season doesn't suffer from excessive use of it.

All in all, fabulous episode and writing that gets me pumped for the rest of the season!

Teen Titans: Apprentice: Part 2 (2003) Season 1, Episode 12

Apprentice: Part 3 - The Final Battle

[10/10 · 2 September 2018]

Following on from the last episode, this serves as the season finale and what a finale it is.

Non-stop action. Fantastic voice acting. Beautiful animation and fight choreography. Awesome writing. Especially with the way Robin beats Slade by infecting himself with the nano probes.

Again, I struggle for much to say. The best episode of Teen Titans yet and I can't wait to see more!

Teen Titans: Apprentice: Part 1 (2003) Season 1, Episode 11

Apprentice: Part 1 - The Wrath of Slade

[9/10 · 2 September 2018]

This is it! The entire season has been leading up to this. Much like the MCU had been leading up to Infinity War, this is the culmination of several hours of television and it's only part one.

In all honesty, there's not much to say about this episode. Ron Perlman is FANTASTIC as Slade, bringing menace and mystery to ever word. His laugh at the start of the episode rivals Kevin Conroy's Batman laugh in the BTAS episode "Mad Love" - so creepy.

The action here in phenomenal. In fact, it's really wuite brutal. The Robin and Slade fight featured some painful moves that I even felt watching on a small screen. Meanwhile, the tension from diffusing the bomb was agonising. I even found Starfire's silly and contrived allergy side-plot as it was genuinely funny.

All in all, a fantastic episode that did not disappoint!

Teen Titans: Car Trouble (2003) Season 1, Episode 13

Car Trouble - Turbo-charged Fun

[7/10 · 2 September 2018]

This is the final standalone episode of season One before we go to the final two part finale. So, how was it?

'Car Trouble' is a basic premise as Cyborg builds a new super vehicle but loses it to a trio of various villains and must get it back. To be honest, this was a fun episode which was enhanced by Cyborg's voice actor's performance (his name I can't remember) who was fantastic throughout the episode, especially when he was being threatening.

The final chase scene was enjoyable too, but then the episode is plagued by a few problems. First, Raven seems out of character as she is the only one who seems to understand the value of Cyborg's car to him. If anyone would be this way, I would think maybe Robin, but not Raven. It's even weirder because she has no interest in even finding the car at the beginning of the episode and then, suddenly, she changes her mind.

Furthermore, the animation in the race in the middle of the episode was shockingly bad. There was no impact or dramatic tension as the two vehicles crash into each other. It looked slow and pretty crappy. Plus, the animators reuse the same sequence at the end of the episode as the did in the beginning when Cyborg is building his car. This was just lazy.

And that brings us to the worst part of this episode.

Gizmo.

That's right. The writers decided to bring back the annoying, childish and terribly written and acted villain from the first episode. He's awful and irritating and I don't know why they thought it would be a good idea for him to make his return. He ruins the episode and I wish they kept it at the two random guys as they weren't annoying and would have done the exact same thing as Gizmo. Maybe the writers were trying to surprise us with the reveal?

In conclusion, this was an enjoyable episode which was ruined by Gizmo and some shoddy animation. Regardless, it was the best representation of Cyborg so far in the series.

Teen Titans: Mad Mod (2003) Season 1, Episode 10

Mad Mog - Strictly for Kids

[6/10 · 24 August 2018]

Everyone knows that Teen Titans is a kids show. However, the level of writing and depth of the characters made it appeal to older kids and even adults. Last episode ('Masks') was a prime example of that. And then we get this episode...

Everything from the premise, to the writing, to the music to the characters is focused more on entertaining children than adults. The premise has the Titans trapped in a trippy world controlled by the Mad Mod. I must admit though, the animation in this episode is spectacular and mirrors the visuals in Marvel's Doctor Strange. The door scene fully demonstrated the fluid, fast-paced animation.

But then we get to Mad Mod who speaks like a child. He constantly calls the Teen Titans "duckies" and it's hard to treat him as a threatening villain when his insults are what a six year old child would say. The twist with him not being real but controlling it from a room whilst being an old man was unexpected but didn't make sense as he really doesn't act or sound like an old man.

Lastly, Japanese music appears somewhat randomly and really took me off-Guard. I get that this is supposed to be a mix of cartoon and anime animation but, to me personally, the anime music was a little too much.

Teen Titans: Masks (2003) Season 1, Episode 9

Masks - The Plot Thickens

[8/10 · 24 August 2018]

Finally, the main storyline continues! After a series of episodes dedicated to mostly filler but also developing the characters, we finally resume the rivalry with Slade whilst developing the character of Robin.

'Masks' follows the Titans as they hunt down the new villain Red X, whilst Robin goes solo to track down Slade. The action here is phenomenal with Red X using creative ways to take down each individual member of the Teen Titans. Even better, is the plot twist that Red X was actually Robin, tricking the Teen Titans into attacking him and gaining the trust of Slade. I didn't expect this and was very impressed with the effort gone into the story!

My only gripe is the final fight between Robin and Slade ends with the mask being removed and it being another robot. Since this already happened earlier in the episode, it felt a little lazy or easy for the writers to do. It hardly harms the episode but I have to nitpick sometimes.

Overall, the best episode so far and I can't wait to see the ACTUAL meeting between Robin and Slade.

Teen Titans: Deep Six (2003) Season 1, Episode 8

Deep Six - Expands the World and Provides a lot of Entertainment

[7/10 · 20 August 2018]

In this episode, we're introduced to the wider DC Universe as the Teen Titans cross paths with Aqualad and Atlantis. Clancy Brown provides a great voice for the villain of Trident, but let's be honest, Clancy Brown always provides a great voice.

The best part of this was the relationship between Beast Boy and Aqualad as they really can't get along. Some of the lines they were coming out with were great and I love all the various animals the writers and animators include for Beast Boy. It was also great having Starfire madly in love with Aqualad. The scene at the end where the girls constantly dash to be in frame so they can gaze at Aqualad some more was genuinely funny. However, I don't think Raven would be like that too.

Regardless, an enjoyable episode throughout, though the ending was a little stupid. Basically, Trident has an army of clones and to beat him, the Titans make them fight over who is the best one. For me, this was a bit silly and undermined the threatening nature of the villain.

Teen Titans: Switched (2003) Season 1, Episode 7

Switched - This is how you do a Raven story

[7/10 · 20 August 2018]

The last episode (Nervermore) was a Raven focused episode and also my least favourite of the series so far. This is another Raven centric episode and it's done much better.

During a battle with a new villain, the Teen Titans' souls are placed into puppets and their bodies taken over by the Puppet Master. Raven and Starfire manage to prevent their souls being taken but switch bodies accidentally. This is a common premise of most animated series and, to be honest, I always enjoy them. It always makes for some interesting and funny interactions and the characters learn something or are different by the end. I don't think there's a better pair to do this with than Raven and Starfire. They are polar opposites and I loved how they taught each other how to use their powers. The ending is much better as it's not forced down your throat that Raven has changed. Plus, it isn't childish and cringey, which always helps.

I was also impressed with the villain this episode. His appearance mimics the design Superman: The Animated Series used for Toyman and I didn't expect him to actually be a puppet. His lines were quite generic, sure, but the revelation made up for that.

Overall, a good episode that retcons the crappy last episode with Raven. But, now, I'd like to see some plot development with Slade. I love the characters and now want to see them challenged.

Teen Titans: Nevermore (2003) Season 1, Episode 6

Nevermore - Cringey and Bland

[5/10 · 19 August 2018]

As I previously said, these episodes so far each delve into a different member of the Teen Titans' backstory. This time, it's Raven. And out of all of them so far, this is my least favourite.

Raven has been in the background so far, acting extremely emo and sort of like a social outcast. I never felt Raven belonged on the team and this episode doesn't answer that. This episode serves to introduce Trigon - Raven's father and one of the main Teen Titans villains - and not much else.

The plot revolves around the darkness coming through Raven during an encounter with Dr. Light for some reason. It's never explained and then follows Cyborg and Beast Boy as they enter Raven's mind. To be fair, some of the lines these two have are funny (the single knock from Beast Boy in particular) and I did enjoy Robin and Starfire's little side plot. The main issue is the cringey personalities Raven has that makes her character have less of an identity and just copies everyone else by being bright and enthusiastic. I like how Raven didn't belong with them and wished this episode just gave us an explanation as to why she is on the team.

Finally, the ending leaves it open that Raven and Beast Boy are now friends and I have no idea if they become something more, but, again, I don't like where they're going with Raven. It's too cliche and I don't care if it's in line with the character in the comics since I don't really read Teen Titans comics. Therefore, this is my least favourite episode of Teen Titans and really hope it doesn't ruin Raven's character in the future.

Teen Titans: The Sum of His Parts (2003) Season 1, Episode 5

The Sum of His Parts - Destroys any Future Opportunities

[7/10 · 19 August 2018]

It's becoming a bit of a pattern now with these Teen Titans episodes. Almost every one so far has received a 7/10, in my opinion. I think the reason for this is that these early episodes seem to only develop the characters more rather than progress the main storyline of the season. Most of the episodes' runtime feels like filler which is what stops it from reaching those really high grades. Regardless, this is good filler - especially with this episode.

During a battle with annoying villain Mumbo Jumbo (the creativity is great but the character is irritating), Cyborg's batteries run out (stupid, I know) and he is taken in by Fix-It who, at first, repairs him but then begins to replace Cyborg's humanity with rebotic limbs like himself. Though predictable, Fix-It was a really cool villain. I loved his monotone voice and reminded me of Brainiac in Superman: The Animated Series. I felt genuine fear for Cyborg as Fix-It began operating on him. However, then if was all ruined.

Due to Cyborg's memories and humanity, Fix-It stops his "fixing" and surrenders as he "forgot what it was like to be human". Whilst it's a good message and subverts expectations, it's so whimsical and robs a really great villain. As I was watching, I could see Fix-It alongside Slade as a sort of Ebony Maw-like character with Thanos. Yet, the writers turned his good and ruined that opportunity.

Regardless, what was a stupid idea of Cyborg running out of batteries turned into a scary encounter with a promising villain that they then ruined. This could've been the best episode yet, perhaps acquiring an 8/10, but it isn't.