Avengers: Endgame -What’s Next for Marvel?

Chris Kenny May 7, 2019

Marvel’s triumphant conclusion to a story that is over a decade in the making and contains more than 22 films has subverted expectations for what the genre of comic book movies means to everybody. Reactions have been emotional, heartfelt and surprising, with numerous twists and turns taking place within this three hour chapter that not only ends one part of Marvel cinematic history but flings open several new doorways for growth. I’ll say it right from the top; Endgame for me is about as satisfying a conclusion as I have ever witnessed, with only the flawless Return of the King trumping this achievement. Before I continue, if you’ve still not seen the movie, please, save this article for later, run to your nearest theatre, get your drinks, popcorn, and sweets and enjoy the film. Then get back here and let’s get into some theories and thoughts, as we’re going to cover not just the film, but what it means for the MCU going forward and beyond.

SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ONWARDS

Okay, you’ve hopefully seen the film and want to continue, or you just don’t care about being spoiled. That’s fair enough. With that said, I’ll get right into it; I loved Endgame, which probably won’t surprise you, but it’s not my favorite in the entire franchise, which may surprise you. In fact, I preferred Infinity War overall. Having said that, my anticipation for this film was at new heights. For once, I didn’t ingest every single trailer and look for clues and hints as to what was going to happen. Indeed, I just watched two trailers and that was it, no TV spots, not much in the way of hunting around online for reviews and theories, I just simply wanted to go in to the movie without much knowledge, so as to heighten the impact of what would be revealed to me within the realm of the storytelling and I’m so glad I took this approach. The film’s biggest moments, Captain America getting Mjolnir, the snapped heroes returning to fight Thanos and of course, Tony Stark’s death, all had me in various states of emotional turmoil, either sheer jubilation or complete despair and that’s one major thing Endgame gets right; you’re so invested as an audience member that these moments really matter.

Emotional Beats

That’s one thing I want to touch on right away; the emotional beats throughout this film hit and land so well and it’s not just thanks to the many individual movies that came before it, there are moments in Endgame that work completely in isolation. For example, the start of the film has us spectating Clint Barton (Hawkeye) enjoying some downtime with his family. Now, Hawkeye hasn’t had the best reaction from the audiences at large and it’s not unfair to say that he’s not at the top of the pile in terms of fan favorites. That being said, when you get this quiet moment with Clint, you’re immediately drawn into the likeability of the character, who you’re already familiar with anyway, but this opening scene attempts, and succeeds, in giving him that added layer of depth. For when his family is dusted by the snap, you feel the anguish and you instantly put yourself in Clint’s shoes and immediately, his character is elevated and with it, your investment in him and his story. The same applies to his counterpart and longtime friend, Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow). After our team of heroes pay a visit to farmer Thanos and discover, to their horror, that the stones have been destroyed, Nat is left in a complete state of shock and misery, it’s very well portrayed on her face. The story takes us into the future, five years so, and we again see Nat, this time looking somewhat disheveled and out of sorts. Her blonde hair dye has almost grown out, but her lank hair doesn’t appear to have had treatment in a while, her eating habits appear to be sporadic and poor; it’s implied that a day having a peanut butter sandwich is a success, and she’s attempting to control things that aren’t able to be tamed, like an underwater earthquake. This all adds up to the conclusion that she’s attempting to control everything, to perhaps fill the void of loss since the snap. We then get a report from Colonel James Rhodes (War Machine) who has discovered that Clint has gone on another vicious killing spree, and Nat initially can’t bring herself to face the truth that he’s committed such atrocities, but it’s plain as day that it’s him. Right here we see just how much this impacts her as she begins to tear up, her last frayed thread of control all but snapping as she realizes how bad things have got. This translates to the audience, who are now seeing the effects of a world post-Thanos, a world that is darker, crueler and in need of salvation and repair. Much of the first act follows this line of set-up; we’re viewing our heroes in a whole new light, most are in dark places, some are simply getting by and yet there is one who has had a chance of a second life. Going back however to our dynamic duo of Hawkeye and Black Widow, their bond has been evident since the first time we see them team up in 2012’s Avengers Assemble and it’s within Endgame that it’s finally broken. I was surprised how much this moment hit me and I believe it’s due to the earlier set-up mentioned previously, of Nat being so upset at Hawkeye’s path in life and her finding him in Tokyo, finally convincing him to come back home and do some good. In summary, the two are dispatched to Vormir in order to retrieve the Soul Stone. As the audience, we’re already pretty sure that this is going to result in one of the two dying, but as for who will impact us most, it’s difficult to say at this point. We’ve had the established back story of Clint grieving over his lost family, that he’s ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get them back or sacrifice himself, so he is prepared, as well as the audience, for Hawkeye to die. Black Widow has other ideas. In a dramatic brawl that ends with Nat quietly uttering the words “it’s okay”, the red-haired assassin, introduced to us in Iron Man 2, plunges to her death, leaving Clint to come back to the team with the stone, but without Nat, whose final message to the team “see you in a minute” seems to become more upsetting with each viewing.

Tony Stark

Our leading man and favorite genius, billionaire playboy philanthropist, Tony Stark has managed to exist in a world post-Thanos and thrive; he’s now got a family, something that he envisioned at the beginning of Infinity War and is living a happy life, retired in a cabin by a picturesque lake. Married to Pepper and fathering a beautiful daughter, Tony’s story is one of tragedy in this film. Going into Endgame, I had a feeling we would see either Iron Man or Captain America die or even both, but I wasn’t ready for it. No way. Again, circling back to my assertion that this film as a standalone hits us so very hard emotionally; one of the biggest tear-jerker moments comes when Tony, as a hologram, tells his grieving four-year-old daughter (Morgan); “I love you 3000.” A line that has such incredible magnitude and weight by the climax of the film, thanks to the earlier set-up, wherein a quiet bedtime scene, Morgan tells her father that she loves him 3000, which Tony of course uses as a form of bragging rights to his beloved wife Pepper. It’s these character moments that really drive home the importance of what’s transpiring and makes the shock of Tony’s death that much more impactful. Without the earlier time dedicated to nurturing Tony’s family environment, his moment of sacrifice doesn’t feel as important. Yes, it would still be an enormous milestone in the grand scheme of events, as we’ve cherished this character since 2008, but Endgame was able to elevate that feeling of loss and shock just that bit more, to really build the stakes and stick the landing so successfully, which is why, I believe, people are reacting so positively online with the “I love you 3000” saying being spotted everywhere. Tony’s legacy, however, is not dead and is survived by the effects he’s had on so many of the characters in the MCU and his reach and influence is felt with those in attendance at his funeral. Peter Parker being chief amongst those who will be most affected, both positively and negatively, as he deals with the loss of a mentor and father figure was joined by all of the major characters and an intriguingly out of place young man, who on closer inspection is Harley, the boy from Iron Man 3 who assists Tony when he’s got his back against the wall. By contrast, Captain America himself took a lesson from Tony by “finally getting some of that life” that Stark had always said he should go after. Again, this really shows how far Iron Man’s influence was spread and acts as a microcosm for our real world; Tony Stark will be missed by us all.

Fan Service

Appealing to Marvel’s legions of hardcore die-hard fans can be a tricky proposition. Too much fan service one way, or the other….it needs to be perfectly balanced, as all things should be. See what I did there? Fan service. If you’ve watched Infinity War you would appreciate that little joke. Well, Endgame takes that philosophy and magnifies it ten-fold, by giving us moments that have been years in the making and once again, land with supreme impact. Where to begin? The obvious would be Captain America not only picking up Thor’s enchanted hammer, Mjolnir, but being able to knock the everlasting life out of Thanos with it. Unleashing a devastating string of combinations, Cap beats down on the purple-skinned tyrant and I don’t know about you, but for me, this was poetry in motion. I was genuinely on the verge of happy tears here, I never expected to see something so downright amazing and depicted so jubilantly from its comic book origin, I was in complete awe and amazement. The fact that this was set up since Age of Ultron, where Steve Rogers appeared to move Thor’s hammer during the party scene where the God of Thunder challenges his compatriots to attempt to move his mighty weapon, is such a great call back, with Thor himself exclaiming “I knew it!” What really makes it work though is that it makes sense within the universe. Of course, Captain America is worthy, no debate. Sticking with our super soldier hero, he’s at the center of yet another outrageous moment in not only MCU history but cinema. Standing alone against the entire might of Thanos and his army, Steve Rogers hears a crackle of static and the familiar voice of his close friend Sam Wilson (The Falcon) echo a phrase Steve said to him many years ago at the start of Winter Soldier; “on your left.” Hearing those words sent a rush of adrenalin through my body that made the hair on my arms stand up. It was finally time. Hulk had reversed the snap some minutes earlier with the newly forged Infinity Gauntlet, containing the stones that the team had gathered over the course of time and all of a sudden, our favorite heroes who had been dusted in the last film were back, and ready to go to war. This then manifests into another callback and something the fans have been dying to hear since 2012’s Avengers was released; Captain America calling out “Avengers, assemble.” Again, the line was teased at the climax of Joss Whedon’s Age of Ultron and we’re finally rewarded some five years later in this glorious scene that echoes (but doesn’t surpass I’m afraid) the charge of the Rohirrim at Pelennor Fields from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Finally, and still sticking with our star-spangled hero, Captain America got to dance with his best gal. As I alluded to earlier, Tony Stark insisted Steve should go and live a life and well, that’s exactly what he did. The dance that Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers seemed destined to never have was at long last fulfilled and truly provided final closure for Steve.

Things That Didn’t Land

No film is perfect and Endgame doesn’t buck this trend. As much as I enjoyed the film, I do have a few issues that I’ll explain here. First off, I’m going to address one of the most contrived and ham-fisted attempts at female empowerment I’ve ever seen. You know exactly what I’m referring to; that ridiculously forced scene where all of the female characters are randomly in the same place at the same time on the battlefield and it’s trying so desperately to be a badass moment, but it’s just not, it’s unnecessary and for me, completely agenda driven rather than the organic development that it should have been. After seeing Pepper land in her rescue variant of Iron armor, Captain Marvel take down Thanos’ ship by herself and Scarlet Witch very nearly killing the Mad Titan, there was plenty of amazing moments that gave the women of Marvel their time to shine, which was my biggest issue with this scene as it almost took away from those previously mentioned, great action sequences.

These next two are very much personal preference and more what I was hoping for rather than expecting, but starting with War Machine. I’ve always felt he’s been criminally underused in his appearances and often gets his thunder stolen; I refer again to Age of Ultron where he swoops in for the save at the film’s climax, only to have Tony do a better job of killing the bots than he does. Fast forward to Infinity War and we finally get to see a semblance of his full power unleashed when he’s devastating the Outriders with his potent arsenal, but again, this is cut too short. So when he emerges from the wreckage of the Avengers base with Rocket riding on his enormous shoulders of what appears to be a new suit, I was ready to see all hell unleashed. And what did we get? Nothing. Not even a single shot. What a waste. War Machine rox guys, come on.

Lastly, Hulk. I predicted that we’d get one of two variants of Hulk; Professor Hulk (which is what we got) and World Breaker Hulk (which we didn’t). There was a moment, where the debris of the battlefield erupts and Giant Man comes bursting through but for a second, I truly thought we’d seen the emergence of a severely enraged and ready for vengeance World Breaker Hulk. The real shame for me is that we saw Hulk get completely decimated by Thanos in hand to hand combat in Infinity War, which resulted in Banner being unable to transform into the green beast because he got so severely outmatched and I, therefore, assumed we would get a big payoff in Endgame. I was wrong and I feel like it’s a missed trick. We did get other amazing moments, the aforementioned Scarlet Witch showcasing her incredible power against Thanos and nearly killing him for example, so perhaps there wasn’t enough room for Hulk to also get his point of retribution. He did, after all, manage to snap everyone back into existence, so that’s something.

What’s Next – Predictions

Although Endgame marks the culmination of the Infinity Saga, Marvel isn’t done yet and indeed, Phase Three of their movies officially concludes with what is set to be the epilogue to this tale in Spider-Man: Far From Home. That movie will likely deal with the events after the climactic battle with Thanos, as well as the death of Iron Man and the retirement of Captain America, so a lot to sift through. Beyond that, however, we have a few films already in the pipeline which were either teased or alluded to in Endgame. Beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy 3, it seems fairly set up that the team will be searching for Gamora, who is now the 2014 Gamora who doesn’t have the same bond with the team anymore, so that’s an interesting plot device already. Secondly, Thor has joined up with the team and I think it’s more than just a bit of comic relief. Cast your minds back to the end credit scene of Guardians 2 and the imminent birth of “Adam.” This will surely be the character Adam Warlock who is an immensely powerful being in the comics and I believe Thor is going to be demolished by Adam to show us all how powerful this new villain is.

Disney has already stated that Loki will get a TV series, as will Bucky and Falcon and finally, so too will Wanda and Vision. To the former, I think it’s clear that Loki’s adventures will take place immediately after he gets the Tesseract (again) thanks to Tony’s “dropping of the ball” during the time heist. That Loki didn’t return at all after that in Endgame is clearly a sign that his mischevious ways are being saved for the TV show. As for Bucky and Falcon, it’s harder to call for certain what will transpire here, but hopefully, we get some more of that fantastic chemistry the two shared in Civil War, which was very buddy-cop in its depiction. The two can deal with the more serious tonality of proceedings as well, namely Bucky’s dark past and Falcon now shouldering the immense responsibility of taking on the Captain America mantle. Finally, for Wanda and Vision, there’s not much to be gleaned from Endgame so theories come to mind that Shuri from Wakanda may play a role in constructing a “new” Vision, one who doesn’t need the Mind Stone, but perhaps doesn’t have the same personality as the one Wanda fell in love with, so the story could mirror that of Peter Quill and Gamora in that respect.

Final Thoughts

We can lament the loss of Tony and Cap and begin to question whether the MCU will be as good, the new characters such as Black Panther and Captain Marvel don’t resonate or connect with us as deeply and maybe, just maybe, the MCU isn’t going to be as dominant or beloved. Let’s re-assess. We need to put our faith in Kevin Feige, without any question, and as to why a quick recap of what this man has managed to do is in order. Firstly, he took Iron Man who at most was a B+ player for Marvel and transformed him into a household name, who would carry an entire franchise that has spawned 22 films over 11 years. Thor, who’s a middling character at best, now one of the most beloved and revered heroes. Captain America, who was never anything but “meh” is now a treasured national hero. The point is this, Feige and his team took a bunch of limited characters and transformed them all into superstars. Marvel’s big hitters have always been Spider-Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four and we’ve all seen how those properties have been handled over the years at different studios; haphazard at best and that’s being kind. So what we need to do now is simply sit back and put our trust, once again, in this man’s hands and I am absolutely confident that we’ll be growing more and more attached to our team of New Avengers in the years to come.

Next Time – I’m going to take a look at those aforementioned names of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four and with the rights back with Marvel, how they’ll factor into this universe! Stay up to date with my blogs by subscribing and following me on all the socials;

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WWE NXT Takeover : New York 2019 Review

Chris Kenny April 6, 2019

The Wrestlemania weekend of 2019 has officially been kicked off with a bang, the brand that’s known to be a bit more “punk rock” when compared to the mainstream of WWE programming has once again set the bar extraordinary high with an event that’s left me speechless, drained, exhausted and elated. Every single title was on the line and every match had my heart racing and blood pumping. I wouldn’t expect anything else from NXT Takeover.

It’s become somewhat of a given that NXT Takeover shows will give the performers on the main roster a lot to think about with their own event that typically follows the next night (on this occasion, Wrestlemania falls on the Sunday with Takeover happening on Friday) and this is no different. The pressure on Wrestlemania to deliver and live up to the dizzying heights of what just transpired is enormous and in all honesty, unlikely to match what has just been shown. That’s how good this show was. That’s how good NXT is. That’s how much everyone gave on this special occasion.

Tag Team Titles – Match 1.

We begin with an explosive start to the evening with the tag team titles on the line, with current champions War Raiders defending against the recently formed and brand-hopping mega stars, Ricochet and Aleister Black. The War Raiders came out to a Viking inspired entrance that immediately had the audience bellowing out the war chant dictated by the duo, getting everyone firmly into the spirit of what was about to transpire. Of course, despite their popularity, there’s few superstars in the world that can outshine the sheer presence and gravitas that Ricochet brings when his music hits and he enters the ring. However, one of those few could be his tag partner, Aleister Black. Arriving last and to a roaring welcome, the teams were now set to do battle. And what a fight it was. Two superstars who are World champions in their own right were being pushed to their absolute limit by the powerful Viking warriors, the action was brisk, hard hitting and most importantly, unique. Special moves that are seldom shown were brought out for this match, Ricochet in particular had moments of inspiration that only served to persuade me further that he’s a real life superhero, his incredible athleticism leaving me with my jaw firmly on the floor, multiple times. The teams kept going back and forth and as the match continued, the competitors drew from deeper reserves in their arsenal to try and get the upper hand. However in the end, through grit and sheer force of will, the brothers in arms triumphed and the War Raiders retained. A classy moment that will long go down in NXT history concluded the match, both teams hugging in the ring, with Black and Ricochet soaking in the adulation from the noisy Brooklyn crowd. It’s likely their last appearance with NXT and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them win the Smackdown tag team title belts on Sunday.

Kenny Corner Rating: 5/5

North American Title – Match 2

Heading into the event, the bout for the North American title had the potential to be a real sleeper hit. Two competitors who have rather unorthodox styles and very clearly defined characters meant that the meeting between the pair could be an interesting proposition, with the challenge lying in who would be the victor. There’s not a wrestler on the planet who’s more charismatic than Velveteen Dream, he simply oozes style and drips gold. He’s a massive star in the making who will hopefully go on to do amazing things with the WWE. By contrast, you have his opponent, Matt Riddle, a unique figure with a legitimate mixed martial arts background, the fun loving “King of Bros” has quietly gone on an undefeated hot streak in singles action. The stage was set then, two up and coming players tugging over the title befitting their status, a solid match on paper. But in reality, this far exceeded expectations. The psychology during the fight was crisply executed, the typically calm but brutal Riddle was forced to tap into an as yet unseen darkness within to try and overcome Dream, much to the derision of the audience who jeered his bullying antics. Indeed it was pointed out to me after a particularly furious flurry of moves that we still haven’t seen all of what Riddle has to offer, which is scary and wonderful at the same time. However Dream, ever the showman, would resist and find a way to overcome his more powerful opponent with a surprising roll up victory that left both competitors leaving the ring looking all the more stronger. Excellent story telling and potentially the sleeper hit for the wrestling weekend.

Kenny Corner Rating: 5/5

United Kingdom Championship – Match 3

Pete Dunne has carried the UK branch of NXT on his back for a staggering 685 days. His title reign is legendary and has included numerous world class defences that have solidified his status as one of the best workers in the industry and at such a young age still, the sky is the limit for the Brit. Enter Walter. The larger than life ring general brings a presence that’s hard to compare, his size and ability mark him out as a very special and different character, that has a real aura of menace. Walter was positioned to be Dunne’s biggest challenge to date and for good reason, the behemoth has been running rough house on the UK division since his arrival. Coming after two explosive and fast paced matches, this title fight took things down a few gears and instead took a direction of brutality and we entered into a war of attrition. Both men got tonnes of offence in on each other, with resources of will being depleted with every chop, finger snap and power bomb. During the match, Walter kept attempting to climb the ropes without success, which puzzled me as I couldn’t imagine what he would do from there. I am admittedly unfamiliar with his moveset, so was truly astonished when he would eventually win the match with a splash off the top, flattening Dunne and ending the long held reign of the king. Here’s hoping Pete gets a call up to the main roster and the UK show can continue to develop with a new man to overcome at the pinnacle.

Kenny Corner Rating : 4/5

NXT Women’s Championship – Match 4

Up next; the fatal four way match for the women’s championship. Involving four terrific competitors, including the effervescent duo of Kairi Sane and Io Shirai. The two best friends have been working in tandem over the last few weeks to great effect, but the story going into this match revolved around the potential for a combustion when the two would inevitably lock horns over the golden carrot dangling in their face. Or as champion Shayna Basler put it, the raw meat for the pack of animals to fight over. And that is exactly what happened during the course of match; Shayna allowed the three competitors (the aforementioned duo were joined by the boisterous Bianca Belair) to rip each other apart, while the champion simply sat back and waited for her moment. A word on Bianca, who had a dominating performance, being afforded the time to showcase her formidable strength to great effect. She was the highlight of the match for me, but that’s not a knock on the other women. The action was fast, the storytelling developed characters and moved things along nicely. In the end, Shayna retained much to the disdain of the crowd (I personally loved it as she’s playing her role to perfection and when she does lose, it will be a massive moment) and the match dovetailed nicely into the upcoming main event.

Kenny Corner Rating: 3.75/5

NXT Championship Match – Main Event

The energy throughout the night was frenetic and enjoyable, but when the main event arrived, it was all ramped up a notch. Real life tragedy has unfortunately meant that our beloved champion, Tomasso Ciampa, has been forced to relinquish his title (goldie) so he can undergo neck surgery. This means the title is vacant and would involve his former best friend, turned enemy and now sort of ally again, Johnny Gargano facing off against the wily leader of the Undisputed Era, Adam Cole. The stipulation for the match was to be a 2 out of 3 falls slug to the finish. These matches always offer drama in the latter stages of the bout, with one fall already awarded to a competitor. In this case, Adam Cole scored a relatively early victory in the match and that set us up for the comeback King to work his magic. Johnny Gargano wrestled his heart out, giving us pure adrenalin fuelled action, moments of disbelief and absolute jubilation. Of course, Adam Cole had his cronies arrive to try and clinch the victory but even that wasn’t enough to put down Johnny Takeover for the count. Scratching and clawing and never giving up, the match was a microcosm for Gargano’s journey to the title. Suffering set backs, defeat, hardship but never giving in, Johnny Gargano finally stands tall with the most coveted prize around his waist. Long may he reign and give us more instant classics. This match really had it all. Amazing moves from both competitors, a narrative that was clearly explained and a finale that took my breath away. It’s with no exaggeration that I proclaim this to be the best match I’ve ever seen.

Kenny Corner Rating: 5/5

film

Aquaman – Spoiler Review; DC Back in the Hunt?

Chris Kenny December 19, 2018

DC’s latest superhero film Aquaman reviewed and discussed!

Book Review – Star Wars: Thrawn

Chris Kenny November 5, 2018

Grand Admiral Thrawn

The Star Wars franchise is in a strange place at the moment. As fans, we’re getting more content than ever before, across a wide array of mediums (comics, books, television and of course, the films) yet the fanbase is more divided than ever. The last major blockbuster releases have both been met with less than positive results, with some outraged at The Last Jedi and others (like me) simply not impressed with Solo.

This is where the novels come in. The now “canon” books that are being churned out are for the most part simply brilliant and can quench the thirst for good Star Wars fun quite well in my view. I recently finished the much-anticipated novel Thrawn, which was released in 2017 and it certainly did not disappoint and offered more than thrills and fun; a realisation of a beloved character from the “legends” era of Star Wars fiction that goes beyond the usual character creation.

The author, Timothy Zahn is responsible for creating the character of Thrawn through his trilogy back in the 90s, with Heir to the Empire being the first appearance of the blue-skinned alien. It’s here I offer a confession; I haven’t read these books and didn’t know much about Thrawn. Shocking, I know, but despite this, I was still vaguely aware of the character which is mostly down to late night deep dives into Wookiepedia and stumbling across the charismatic Grand Admiral through various links. So, when Thrawn was scheduled to appear in the Rebels TV show, my interest was piqued. I’d already been well invested in the programme and the introduction of a character from before the Disney takeover was interesting to me, as it provided a link of the “old” Star Wars lore into the new era.

Grand Admiral Thrawn as he appears in Rebels

What followed was the novel we’re here to discuss, simply titled “Thrawn”. The term “origin story” often gets a bad rap for the negative connotations of repeating a story we already know (Sony’s Amazing Spiderman for example) and not seeing a character in their full glory. While this is an origin story, the author manages to subvert these expectations by instantly showing the reader Thrawn’s tactical nous and brilliance with our introduction to him. It’s from this point onwards that Zahn never takes his foot off the gas and as the plot weaves a tapestry of adventure, scheming, downfall and battle expertise, Thrawn shines throughout and the beloved character is explored in great detail.

There are two plots in the novel which interlink and eventually combine into one, the first of which follows the titular character and then the second plotline has the reader observe a newly discovered female antagonist in the Rebels TV show; Governor Pryce and her ascendancy to power. In all honesty, the plot itself isn’t of much consequence and it’s simply a vehicle used to take us to our destination; the arrival of Thrawn as Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy. However, that in itself is an intriguing throughline as for one, the Empire in which he serves is racist against Aliens so seeing a being of Thrawn’s lineage serving as an officer is impressive enough, let alone Grand Admiral. Therein lies one of the layers of interest in the character; just how did he manage to climb the ranks when all the odds are stacked against him so heavily from the outset, there must be some brilliance to him.

Indeed, there is just that and in abundance. What Thrawn may lack in political nuances (which we’ll get to) he more than makes up for with his tactical mastery and flawless execution. This is where Zahn shines as he cleverly develops battle plans and enemies for Thrawn to exploit in ways which seem so obvious after the fact, a thought that the reader has reflected to them by many of the characters, not least of which is Imperial cadet Eli Vanto, who acts as the reader’s eyes and ears throughout the tale as he follows in Thrawn’s shadow as aide and interpreter. There are numerous instances where Thrawn is seemingly cornered in a predicament and it’s so entertaining to watch everything unfold and see how he once again outsmarts his opponents and embarrasses his colleagues, earning him much disdain amongst high-ranking officers.

Thrawn however, is blissfully ignorant of the political undertones and ramifications of his actions and this is again where the novel shines. The prequel films were much maligned for their overbearing political scenes that offered little more than a chance to top up on snacks or go to the toilet, but in the novels, the Star Wars political landscape is afforded the room to breathe and blossom. Other examples of this are seen in the novel Bloodlines by Claudia Gray and give credence to the notion that the politics in Star Wars demand to be explored in the correct way. There are so many layers of corruption to unpack and delve into that it’s no wonder the prequel films didn’t manage to successfully entice audiences; there’s just too much to fit in. Within Thrawn, the politics and manoeuvring of players in the elite of the Galaxy’s capital, Coruscant make for interesting reading and give new-found depth to characters such as the aforementioned Ahrinda Pryce and the legendary Grand Moff Tarkin.

I went into this novel curious about a character that was so beloved by the Star Wars community and I finished the book absolutely desperate for more adventures from the bold Grand Admiral that Rebels could only answer in part. Thankfully, Zahn has released a new book, titled Thrawn: Alliances which I’ve snapped up and already begun to dive into. Needless to say, I am enraptured with it and cannot state enough how impressed I am with Timothy Zahn as a writer and creator of characters.

Kenny Corner Rating

4.5/5 Stars – A near flawless page-turner that has you begging for more antics and brilliance from Thrawn.

The next chapter in the Thrawn saga.

Television

The Haunting of Hill House – Breathing Life into a Genre

Chris Kenny October 28, 2018

Just in time for Halloween is the latest in a long line of Netflix success stories; The Haunting of Hill House (which I’ll refer to as HH from here on out!)

I’ll start off by saying it’s unusual for me to watch something so soon after it’s released as I’m not normally on trend with TV (for example I still haven’t seen Game of Thrones) however this one really caught my eye, firstly due to the buzz it was receiving online in forums and on social media and secondly because it was a new horror story to sink my teeth into. I’ve been dying for a creative, yet grounded horror show that doesn’t go completely off the rails, I use the film Sinister as an example of this, in that it begins as many traditional thrillers would and the plot takes you down several alleyways of intrigue before slapping you in the face with a lacklustre and anti-climatic ending. Since then I’ve been quite put off by the genre in its entirety, the recent iteration of It, however, did bring me back in and from there, Stranger Things followed. These aforementioned titles had horror elements in them but nothing to truly frighten me and keep me awake at night and the landing light firmly on, but HH did and in a big way.

Spoilers for the entirety of the show from this point onwards.

Horror

As a horror, HH absolutely does its job; it’s creepy, atmospheric and has a twist that will make your blood curdle and keep you awake at night for days on end. If you’ve seen the show, you know what I mean already; the Bent-Neck Lady. The mid-season reveal that the spectre haunting one of the children, Nell, is, in fact, herself blew my mind and I had to stop my binge for a good few minutes to process what I’d seen. Yet it wasn’t completely unexpected and that’s what the show does extremely well; it drip-feeds you information and allows you to make certain assumptions, without giving the game away completely. I personally thought the Bent-Neck Lady was the mother, Olivia, as we weren’t actually aware of how she died on that fateful final night in the house, so it wasn’t too much of a leap for my brain to assume she hung herself and was now haunting Nell, preying on her already fragile mind in order to coax her to her own demise (which was sort of true in the end, it’s the evil spirit of Olivia who literally pushes Nell to her death).

A trope of horror is that there will be no shortage of jump scares, which of course HH employs as well. But the way they’re done isn’t obnoxious or over-the-top, for nearly every occasion there is a solid storyline reason. One of the most memorable from the series occurs in Episode 8, where siblings Shirley and Theo are arguing in the car and in the middle of their frenzy, Nell pops up between them screaming (almost a “shut up) and then the car runs off the road and we get a truly tender moment between the two. The jump scare achieved the goal of not only making me wet myself but also driving the story further and adding additional layers to both characters, which is truly outstanding.

What else makes a horror truly succeed? The atmosphere. The sheer amount of unease I felt whilst watching the show simply cannot be rivalled in anything I’ve seen before. Even when there’s nothing to come of it, the way shots are filmed and how the music changes has you on edge and expecting something to happen when actually, nothing does. Take Episode 6 (Two Storms) as an example. Apart from being a masterclass in cinematography, with a mere 4 cuts in the entire episode, one method of camera work is having the view pan around characters in a 360-degree arc, constantly showing in the background the open casket of Nell. I was viewing this with the constant fear that something would be by the casket (i.e. the Bent Neck Lady) on the next pan and as tensions between the family only escalated, so did my nerves and the anticipation for something to happen. This heightening of the mood was also elevated with darker music, which was very present in the series finale, the family really put through the proverbial mill during their time in the mysterious Red Room.

Family

Speaking of family drama, the show certainly has no shortage of that. It’s this theme on which other details of the story are hung and allowed to develop, from jump scares mentioned above to truly heartwarming moments like the child versions of Luke and Nell speaking to each other about never leaving one another, it’s all allowed to feel more impactful due to the carefully woven dynamic between them all, that is shown not in a linear fashion, but scattered across time. For example, in Episode 1 you meet Luke the junkie and had the show continued with that progression of the character in a linear aspect, there wouldn’t be much room for sympathy or feeling when something happened to him. Grounding the show in this way kept the supernatural elements feeling legitimate and never too much, it was all believable and it was always relatable in one way or another. Yet the show does bend the rules of reality and treats time as nothing more than a plot device to be manipulated and as we learn more about each character, we become more understanding of their circumstances and therefore, more affected when something happens, good or bad.

Mental Health

When tragedy does strike, in a big way with Episode 1 (further developed in Episode 5), it’s repercussions are felt through every family member and scenes thereafter (which occurs. On face value, it’s a tale of someone losing the will to live, with nobody to talk to about it. The show itself is arguably a giant metaphor for mental health and its issues that must be tackled, one of which is communication. This is shown when Nell is at her lowest, alone in a hotel room, calling various family members who all fail to answer her call or cry for help. The show succeeds here as a poignant reminder of the need to speak up about mental health and once again, touches on a subject many can relate to and empathise with, giving the series that much more depth and intrigue.

Another subject that branches off the family drama tree is Olivia (the mother) and her desire to keep her family safe from the horrors of the outside world. Episode 9 (Screaming Meemies) is where we get the case study of Olivia’s degeneration from typical housewife, to unstable and twisted phantom of her former self. The house manipulates her into believing the only way to keep her children safe from the jaws of life is to kill them so they can be in the house forever, safe and sound. The logic of this sounds incredibly flawed here, but the show twists the thought in such a way that, from a certain point of view, it can make sense and therefore, the “evil” mother becomes yet another tragic figure who failed to speak out about her problems and address them and ultimately, paid the price.

The Ending and What’s Next?

As we know, all good things must come to an end eventually and that, of course, is the case with HH. 10 episodes that took us on an emotional rollercoaster and the finale still had plenty to answer for and deliver. Questions lingered on about certain characters, aspects of the house and how the insatiable appetite of the house would be quelled. Now, while these questions were certainly answered and there were heaps of distressing scenes, the ending felt a little too happy for my liking. The house itself, which had been presented as a monster of its own accord, feasting on the lives of innocents, was suddenly turned into a benevolent entity that acted as a museum of sorts for dead loved ones that you could see at any time. Take the scene with Mr Dudley rushing his dying wife into the house as an example; yes it was beautiful and heartwarming to see his family completely reunited before his eyes, but where was the horror that was present before? The sense of dread that a ghost could be around any corner and startle both the character and viewer? It was gone and I believe, tarnished by this decision. This was further spoiled by the ending, which showed all of the remaining family members celebrating Luke’s two-year sobriety and with everyone seemingly living perfect lives. For my money, it would have been far more impactful to have this same scene play out, but as the camera pans out, there is the distinct window of the Red Room hovering in the background, suggesting that they are all still trapped (possibly dead) and this is just another fantasy cooked up by the malevolent house.

In spite of this, however, the show still stands firm in my list of “must see TV”, offering moments of incredible dialogue helped by show-stealing performances from many of the cast, otherworldly atmospherics that ramp up the tension to insurmountable levels and visuals that scare, enlighten and bring joy. I’ve been obsessed with the show since watching it and every episode had me craving for more, so despite a finale which could have tipped into a darker finish, it’s still an incredible ride that demands to be watched.

So what happens next? Nothing. Leave it as it is, a one and done. It would be simply impossible to capture lightning in a bottle twice and I firmly believe The Haunting of Hill House should remain the one season wonder that showcases the true diversity and range the genre of horror can provide.

film

My Top 10 Most Re-Watchable Films

Chris Kenny September 30, 2018

At a loose end on a Sunday evening? Need some inspiration for what film to relax to? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

First of all, I should be clear; this list will not be a rundown of my favourite films (although some do make an appearance) but rather flicks that I can put on if I’m at a loose end. Like picking up the phone and calling that friend you haven’t spoken to for months on end, you find you’re right back to where you were. Well, these films offer that same familiarity and essentially provide a comfort zone to ease into for me. Don’t get me wrong, there are going to be eyebrows raised at a few of these picks as some of the choices aren’t exactly what you’d call modern classics, but I trust we all have our guilty pleasures, which is why I’m sharing this with you today to remind you that you’re not the only one. Now, let’s get into it with the first barnstormer of a movie;

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy – The follow up to the 1982 cult classic garnered mixed reviews (51% on Rotten Tomatoes).

If you’ve just rolled your eyes, fair enough. This wasn’t universally loved on release, despite gaining praise for its visual presentation, which at the time was really remarkable and stylistic. The plot is relatively formulaic, characters are serviceable but without many dimensions to their overall persona, but for some reason, I keep coming back to this film. The score, which was overseen by Daft Punk is one reason. It seamlessly blends with the futuristic setting of the film and perfectly compliments the on-screen action when those moments do arise. There’s plenty of callbacks to the previous film from the 80s and even a nice little plot twist, which I won’t spoil here, and overall there’s just something about this film which pulls me back in time after time and provides a visual attraction to “zone out” to and enjoy.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

The third instalment of the Fast and the Furious franchise

Okay, I promise there will be films on this list that are universally accepted as being “good” or even great films and I recognise that this is yet another film that probably falls short of that yardstick in many people’s opinion. However, for me, this film is an absolute riot. Nowadays, the Fast and the Furious (FAF) franchise is a juggernaut, with billion dollar films to its name and A-List actors seemingly queuing up to star in the series. However, back in 2006, this was not the case and along came this film, which seemed almost to act as a spin-off in many ways. Gone were lead actors Paul Walker and Vin Diesel (save for a small cameo towards the end) and instead, we had one of the most wooden actors I’ve ever seen in a lead role, of any film. But, this is such an important bookmark in the FAF lore. For one, it was the first film in the series which Justin Lin worked on. It was his direction on subsequent films that re-launched the franchise and propelled it into the mainstream once again and arguably he helped revive the career of Vin Diesel. Secondly, we were introduced to the character of Han, who has been beloved ever since, garnering a cult following that earned him additional roles in subsequent films within the franchise, and giving us one of the series’ more compelling and complex characters. That aside though, this instalment has such a diverse range of cars and introduced us all to the Japanese style of tuning, styling and of course, drifting. I was captivated by this and it’s definitely left its mark on me; I have owned a black Mazda RX-8 for 8 years now. So why do I love this film? Apart from the soundtrack, which is as good as all FAF releases, for me it just has this otherworldly feel about it; Japan is such an interesting culture to me and I think the film perfectly captures the “fish out of water” experience that a Westerner would go through upon arrival. Aside from this, I just love the cars, the atmosphere and how this film, which was so overlooked previously, became a lynchpin in the FAF timeline.

Goodfellas

Goodfellas – An undeniable classic.

See? I told you there would be films that are absolutely undeniable in their quality, execution and legacy. Goodfellas is one of them. If you haven’t seen this film, I implore you to make time for it. Based on a true story, which for me, immediately adds a compelling layer to any film right from the off, this 1990 crime film ticks every single box for me in terms of being a perfect film. Beginning with the characters, it was as if every single actor in the role was born to play their respective parts. Ray Liotta as Henry Hill managed to give us, as viewers, the inside look into life as a gangster and even had us rooting for him, before reminding us that he is indeed a villain and has moments of sheer madness, which see him spiral out of control in the end. Robert De Niro as James “Jimmy the Gent” Conway masterfully showed us the multitude of personalities one might expect from a ruthless mafioso; on the one hand kind to his peers, yet he could easily have you “wacked” the next day. Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito perfectly portrayed the lunatic of the bunch, a loose cannon who often acted before thinking and the scene which perfectly encapsulated all of their traits was the murder of Billy Batts. The rolling narrative is given from the perspective of Henry Hill and has a very “Scorsese” feel about it; long cuts, personal close-ups, fast introductions to characters, it’s a living, breathing vibrant collection of personas that live in this world and you feel every single one of them as real as you would a friend. The rags-to-riches story is as dramatic and enthralling as you’d expect and it’s honestly one of the greatest films of all time. Hands down.

300

300 – Where few stood against many.

Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 was lovingly recreated in 2006 with director Zack Synder at the helm. Miller himself served as executive producer and consultant for the film and his influence is felt throughout the stunning action movie, with some scenes pixel for pixel recreations of the comic. The movie boasts over the top action sequences with hyper-violent and stylized deaths that are matched with stunning visual effects to provide the unique colour palette of the imagined world. Whilst the story is based within History, liberties have of course been taken to dramatise the reality. The result is scantily clad shredded Spartans vanquishing wave after wave of would-be-invaders, spouting quote after quote all the while revelling in the fury of their attack. I simply love it. It’s so over the top, so easy to enjoy, it just demands sweets being thrown into the face. I’ve seen critics take this movie apart and I can’t fathom why; of course it’s stupid. Of course, it’s silly fun. It’s not meant to be a historical masterpiece, it’s just good action, an easy plot and a damn good time.

The Beach

The year is 2000. Leonardo DiCaprio is at the absolute peak of his popularity with teenage girls after his roaring success in Titanic and director Danny Boyle wanted to take full advantage of that. What transpired though is many audience members went into this film expecting heartthrob Leo to be as charming and innocent as he was in the aforementioned blockbuster. What they got was a dark tale depicting the descent of a character into the depths of madness and saw a side of Leo that many never experienced before. His acting here is superb, as it would be for many years afterwards, but even this early on you get hints of how great he would be that is echoed in later films such as The Wolf of Wall Street. The film itself is strange in that to me, it can be perfectly dissected in half and almost treated as two separate identities, much like the main character (Richard). At the start, we have an optimistic, bright-eyed American traveller seeking adventures that differ from the norm and the film follows this journey. Richard reaches his mythical destination, along with his two accomplices and it’s not long after this that things go wrong. The lifestyle of the insular community of those who inhabit the island turns the narrative around and suddenly we see this film takes a dark spin with the death of a character. It’s here things drastically shift in tone and we are hurtled towards a bitter end. A favourite of mine, as it reminds me of my own spectacular travels in Thailand (where the film is set) and it’s an easy watch, in that you can appreciate some great acting and dark screenplay.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

The title of the film acts as a good breakdown for love itself and also for the actions within the film. It’s at times crazy, sometimes stupid and I love it. A star-studded cast blend effortlessly together and create nothing but magic, as this tale which starts off with a bang, weaves and unfurls into one of the best romantic comedies of all time, in my opinion. Normally, those words (shortened to “Romcom”) have connotations with another genre of films; “chick-flicks.” Well, I’m here to tell you as a red-blooded male that this is anything but. The comedic aspect of this film works incredibly well, helped massively by the lead (Steve Carell) portraying a charming, yet slightly bumbling middle-aged man seeking to find himself after a split from his wife. Ryan Gosling enters the fray and acts as a mentor of sorts, guiding Cal (Carell) in the ways of womanizing. Gosling, however, is eventually matched with Emma Stone’s character and the two have electric chemistry, which was later rekindled with the smash-hit musical, La La Land. It’s here where the movies’ heart shines through as Gosling’s character shifts from one night stand to one man girl. Offering a different spin on the Romcom genre, I love this film for its light-hearted, yet realistic look into relationships and their complexities. This film, like its main character, has a heart of gold.

American Psycho

Do you like “Huey Lewis and the News?”

Someone who certainly does not have a heart of gold is Patrick Bateman. A sociopathic serial killer from New York and thriving in the Go-Go 1980s, a life of decadence and more money than sense has led Patrick to become bored. He has it all; rich friends, an easy, well-paid job, any girl he wants and yet he can’t fill the void in his life. American Psycho is the adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name and whilst the movie leaves out some chapters and reimagines characters, it’s a very accurate adaptation. For me, this is Christian Bale’s best performance. The method actor gets into the best shape of his life to slip into this role and he attacks every scene with such an explosion of emotions that it’s impossible to see anyone else in this role. The film is filled with dark humour and is honestly one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen. The way Bateman lurches from one emotional space to another, over minor events, is hysterical. The narrative is given from the perspective of the clearly unhinged Bateman, so immediately we, as the viewer, can question the authenticity of what we see. Are the horrific murders really happening or is this all just a figment of Bateman’s imagination? That’s what I love about this film, the sheer ambiguity of it all. There are clues littered throughout the production that can either be for or against the theory that this is all really happening and every time I watch it, I spot something new.

The Lord of the Rings – Extended Editions

The most perfect trilogy in cinematic history? I think so.

Very rarely is the word “epic” used in the correct context, but here, there is simply no other way to describe Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Stunning visuals, an iconic soundtrack, some of the best CGI ever seen and a cast that is as enormous as it is talented. It’s almost impossible to note down why I love this film so much in a short paragraph or two, so this is something that will undoubtedly be explored again on another day. For now, though, it’s my duty to explain why I not only love this film but how I can watch it over and over again. The answer isn’t as long-winded as you may expect, it’s just I simply love being transported into Middle Earth. It’s as easy as that and the film makes that transition just as simplistic. Thanks to some expert directing, real-life locations and storytelling, it is incredibly comfortable to sit back and allow myself to be fully immersed in this multi-faceted universe. Of course, it has to be the Extended Editions as to me, they add so much more to the story, such as additional dialogue to further flesh out characters, or interesting action beats that were unfortunately cut due to time constraints. There’s such a charm to this film that’s quite intangible and difficult to explain, but I’m sure many of you feel the same way. Timeless and classic, The Lord of the Rings is in my view, the greatest movie trilogy in history.

Pumping Iron/Raw Iron

The docu-drama that launched the career of one Arnold Schwarzenegger, I was introduced to Pumping Iron after I began my fitness journey back in 2012. I’d always loved Arnold of course; films such as Terminator, Predator, Red Heat and many more had been on my DVD shelf for years. This, however, was one that had escaped my viewing, due in part to my ignorance of bodybuilding as a sport. How I wish I had seen this earlier. Rather than being a pure documentary of the 1975 Mr Olympia competition, it is a showcase in how Arnold dominates the screen and can portray any character he is asked to. For in this, he is not himself. He is a reimagined, overboard caricature of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is exemplified in his one on one interviews throughout the film. Arnold admits this in the follow up “making of” documentary, Raw Iron which itself is as intriguing as the film. I typically will watch one or the other, but both have been never far from view, as they are so relevant to me now and so thoroughly entertaining. Indeed, Pumping Iron served as a wonderful motivation for me during the days leading up to my first competition (which you can read about here) and helped me truly get into the zone for my big day. So, this is quite a niche and personal reason for inclusion on the list, but nevertheless, I’ll not grow tired of watching Arnold’s antics anytime soon.

Aladdin

Aladdin – A Disney classic

My final entry and something that is dear to my heart; Aladdin. This film gave me my first nightmare that I can remember (the scene where the cave closes in and Aladdin is trying to escape on the carpet, yeah, that) but also my fondest memories of watching this with my parents and sharing in the joy of the brilliant storytelling and voice acting in particular by show-stealing Robin Williams. Back in the 90s, Disney was positively killing it with their animated films. This, along with Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules and Pocahontas are in my view compulsory viewing for children and make for excellent films to be enjoyed by all ages. Aladdin takes the mantle for me, however, thanks to iconic songs, another rags-to-riches story and as mentioned; an amazing cast. The back and forth with Jafar and Iago is hysterical, Aladdin sounds like an authentic and atypical hero, whilst Jasmine set the tone for female characters in Disney films to no longer be damsels in distress, but independent Princesses who could dish out some punishment when the time arose. The main reason though I can watch this time and again is simply Robin Williams’ character; the Genie. Exuding life and personality that is simply not seen from animated characters this is once again a case of someone being born to play the part. Williams is able to add so much magic into this role with his intoxicating personality and the comedy is an absolute hit; there’s nothing cringe-worthy or anything that falls flat, it all works and it certainly puts a smile on my face.

That concludes my list. I hope there has been something in there you might want to watch on a dreary Sunday evening or any other time! I’d be interested to learn what your go-to film or collection of films are as well, so why not leave me a comment below or send me a message on Instagram or Facebook?

Fitness

The Prep Diary: Journey’s End Part 3

Chris Kenny August 20, 2018

When 7:30am rolled around, it was time to mobilise. With a last look cast upon my hotel room, I laughed to myself at the state of the bedsheets, courtesy of my spray tan (apologies Premier Inn for that one!) I travelled to the show once again with Tim and Lucy and we stopped off for a coffee at a really great place that was diet friendly, dog-friendly and on another occasion, would have been a nice spot to whittle away the day at. Yet there was business to attend to so with the last sip of our beverages, Tim was off to go and train and Lucy and I continued on to the Middleton Arena. We were hours early for the show to start, but Lucy, who was going to be the one announcing the event and playing the role of host, had to prepare her jobs and for me, it was time for spray tan round two.

In order to get to where the tans were taking place, I had to walk through the auditorium where in a few short hours I would be showcasing myself to a few hundred people. Seeing the steep seating arrangement angled down to the barren stage made me feel nervous more than excited. I took everything in and tried to visualise myself standing at the front, exposed to all and running through my poses. There is simply nowhere to hide on the stage, all eyes are on you, even more so than the arena in Margate, as the seating arrangement there is relatively flat, so the gaze can wander a little easier. However here, I felt as if every single eye would be fixated on me when I did eventually arrive on stage and this really did make me feel, all of a sudden, very nervous. Pushing these thoughts aside though, I continued my mazy walk towards the tanning area.

This time the tan felt a lot less frantic, as there were far fewer of us around. I was specifically called in as the team wanted me to look darker. Now against the normal lighting of the day, the tan looks so dark and out of place, however once on stage, the benefits are clear, as muscle definition is enhanced and you don’t look “washed out” under the harsh lighting. With the second coat applied, it was time to once again get back to the all-important waiting around. I can’t honestly remember what I did with this time afforded to me; not much is the likely answer. The next item on our itinerary was registration and Athletes meeting, which is where we would receive our numbers (I was #47) and be informed of how the day would proceed, as well as getting some general tips on how to correctly eat during the day (i.e. don’t suffocate under a mountain of sweets in an attempt to fill out or look more vascular).

With the doors flung open to the public and stage appropriate clothing on, it was time for the opening Athletes Parade. Now I’m not sure if the intent here is to get everyone on stage in an effort to calm the nerves before going for your individual categories, but that is certainly what happened with me. I wasn’t nervous for the parade, however being out there, with the bright lights shining and the crowd roaring, it fired me up and squashed any thought of fear. I immediately loved it, the reception, the energy the entire feel was something I’d been craving for years and I was now excited for my categories. Straight after the parade was the Men’s Tattoo Muscle category, in which my friend John was competing. So I quickly threw a hoody on and made my way into the arena to see how he’d get on. He did so well and looked great out there and it was so pleasing to see this, as we’d been talking a lot in the leadup to the show about how we felt and what we were going through, it was nice to think that we’d made it here finally. With that done, I proceeded up the steps to sit with Ollie and relax a little. My first category, Beach Body, would be after the interval, so I had a couple of hours to kill first, but boy, did that time go quickly. Before I knew it, I was backstage, eating rice cakes and swallowing sweets (sour wine gums in case you’re wondering) and using my recently purchased resistance bands to pump up.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole backstage process and got myself into a place where I was comfortable with how I looked, but not exhausted from the effort. When we were called up to line up for our grand entrance, I did get the nervous feeling again, however, it was mingled with excitement and anticipation for what was to come; this was it. Months of dieting, years longer of training and so much time consumed with my love for this sport and dedication to my body was about to be exhibited to all present in just a few short moments. I couldn’t wait. I put myself into a different mindset altogether, I basically became a character. This character would walk on stage, brimming with confidence and prepared to show everyone exactly what he was about. With this mantra guiding me, I stepped into the light at the announcement of my name and ran through all that had been practised. I couldn’t really see the audience, as the lights were so bright and pointed directly at me, but I could hear noises of appreciation, as well as shouts of support. After completing my T-Walk routine, I waited at the back for the other competitors to finish their individual routines. What followed was us all being called to the front to execute our quarter turns, where we would be “posing down” in direct comparison with one another. Things can certainly get a little tight on stage and space is limited, so it’s vital to make your presence felt and give yourself as much exposure as possible. When the judges made their decision, we were free to go and the first of my three categories was completed.

Next up, was Men’s Fitness Model Under 75kg. This was an extremely tough category, with some incredible guys involved. The process was the same as before, however this time I was first out. I had a lot of nervous energy, so I was literally bouncing up and down on the spot and focussing on the task at hand. If you’ve ever seen Brock Lesnar in a WWE ring when he’s being hyped up by Paul Heyman, it was this sort of “bouncing around” that I was doing, except I’m about 150lbs lighter than Brock, so probably not quite the same look. Anyway, as I said, it was largely more of the same as Beach Body, however, my wait at the back was extended due to the sheer amount of competitors we had. Let me tell you, it was excruciating trying to keep my entire body tensed and looking good for that amount of time. Eyes will always be on you, be it judges, audience members or other competitors, so just because you’re not front and centre, you need to still be keeping things tight and looking your best. When we were called forwards for our quarter turns, it was a relief for me as I had a moment of reprieve during the short walk. The standard was very high and we were kept on stage for a long time before the judges made their call and it was like a wave of pressure had been lifted off; the two “big” categories were done and now it was just International Model left.

International Model is something I think every competitor should do. It’s so much fun, you get to come out all suited and booted, it’s a more relaxed posing routine and leans more towards a catwalk style presentation than the aforementioned T-walk. Here is where I got the best crowd response, likely due to the fact that I was in a pretty sharp suit if I do say so myself and also because I was absolutely loving every moment out there. I think that translates to the crowd and people can feel whether you’re genuinely enjoying it, or faking the emotion. Before stepping out, however, it was a real mad dash to get ready, as the International Model is split over two rounds. First round you walk out in underwear, however, the second round requires evening wear (typically a suit) to be thrown on in record time, which adds another dynamic to proceedings! After an exhilarating round, it was results time and International Model category was up first (so we could stay in the suits.)

Results and Aftermath

So, how did I get on? I placed Top 5 in Beach Body, I came 2nd in International Model and I didn’t place Top 5 in Fitness Model.

Top 5 – Beach Body

Am I happy? Reasonably so, yes. I think it would be remiss of me to declare myself unsatisfied with the results, as this was my first show after all. At the end of the day, I’ve come home with two trophies and lots of fantastic memories, which is certainly enough for me. It’s given me the spark to better myself further, come back and see what I can do.

What’s next then? Well, after the show I had a photo shoot with the very talented Matt Marsh at my local gym in Sutton, GoGym. This was another chance to don the spray tan, get my muscles out and see what I could bring and I’m very happy with the results. From here, there’s plenty of opportunities to showcase myself within this industry, so it’s a case of being patient, planning ahead and seeing what works best for me. In terms of competing, the plan is to go again in April, which gives me ample time to craft and hone a better overall shape and bring a tighter package to the stage.

So with that, it’s time to draw a close to the Prep Diaries for now. There’s no more show, no more diet, just back to the grind, back to working hard and keeping myself moving forward. One thing you can guarantee is that I’ll not be standing still or settling for mediocrity, not a chance in hell.