character development | the m0vie blog

427. Star Trek (#—)

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, JJ Abrams’ Star Trek.

Orphaned following an encounter with a strange and hyper-advanced alien ship, James Tiberius Kirk drifts through life in search of purpose. Prompted to enroll in Starfleet Academy, Kirk finds himself drawn into an epic web of fate that crosses time and space, seemingly drawing him towards the most unlikely of companions, a half-Vulcan named Spock.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: 2009 film, 2009 reimagining, character development, character portrayals, cinematography, contemporary storytelling, cultural significance, editing, emotional complexity, emotional connection, franchise impact, identity, J. J. Abrams, james t. kirk, kirk, legacy, narrative structure, new audiences, original series, paternal relationships, spock, star trek, supporting characters, Uhura, Vulcan culture | Leave a comment »

426. Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (#—)

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guest Darcie Faccio, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, Vol. 2.

Having crossed two names off her list, the Bride continues her rip roaring rampage of revenge against the people who put her in a coma. As she finds herself on a collision course with her mentor and lover Bill, the Bride races towards a revelation that she could not possibly predict.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: abuser-victim relationships, Beatrix Kiddo, character development, cinematography, cycles of violence, Darcie Faccio, female audiences, greatest films, identity, imdb, Kill Bill Volume 2, music, narrative style, non-linear storytelling, pacing, podcast, quentin tarantino, redemption, revenge narratives, The 250, traditional masculinity, uma thurman, Vengeance | Leave a comment »

423. Predator: Killer of Killers – All-ien 2025 (#—)

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Jess Dunne, this week with special guest Richard Drumm, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung’s Predator: Killer of Killers.

Across centuries, if not millennia, of human history, an alien species has journeyed to earth in the hopes of hunting the most dangerous game of all. This is a collection of three stories about three human beings who found themselves facing an extraterrestrial monster, and discovered something about themselves in the ensuing conflict.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: animated entry, animation, animation quality, anthology, anthology format, character development, dan trachetneberg, familial bonds, imdb, jess dunne, narrative elements, podcast, Predator franchise, Predator Killer of Killers, Predator mythology, richard drumm, The 250, the thrid floor, Vengeance | Leave a comment »

420. How to Train Your Dragon – Ani-May 2025 (#198)

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guests Deirdre Molumby and Graham Day, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Chris Sanders’ and Dean DeBlois’ How to Train Your Dragon.

On the island of Berk, the Viking settlers have found themselves engaged in a war against dragons spanning literal generations. Hiccup, the son of the town chieftain, struggles to find his place in a community that doesn’t value his unique strengths and attributes – he wonders whether he will even be manly enough to hunt and kill dragons. However, a chance encounter with a fallen dragon named Toothless leads Hiccup to question everything that he thinks he knows about dragons.

At time of recording, it was ranked 198th on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: animated film, animation industry, animation quality, Astrid, character development, character dynamics, connection, deirdre molumby, dragons, dreamworks, empathy, father-son relationship, friendship, gender representation, graham day, hiccup, How to Train Your Dragon, identity, imdb, IMDb top 250, legacy, live-action adaptation, personal growth, podcast, production challenges, sequels, storytelling, thematic elements, themes | Leave a comment »

413. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tsuzumi Yashiki-hen (Demon Slayer – The Tsuzumi Mansion Arc) (#221)

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn and Darren Mooney, this week with special guest Graham Day, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Haruo Sotozaki’s Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tsuzumi Yashiki-hen.

Four episodes of the anime series Demon Slayer that have been stitched together as an omnibus collection to broadcast on Fuji TV in the lead-up to the network television premiere of the Demon Slayer feature film, Mugen Train. These are the eleventh through fourteenth episodes of the show’s first season.

At time of recording, it was ranked 221st on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: This Just In | Tagged: anime, anime industry, art, artistry, auteur theory, character development, cinematic storytelling, cultural significance, demon slayer, emotional depth, graham day, IMDb top 250, Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tsuzumi Yashiki-hen, manga, storytelling techniques, Suzumi Mansion Arc, The 250 | Leave a comment »

411. Prey – All-ien 2024 (#—)

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Jess Dunne, this week with special guest Joey Keogh, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey.

It is 1719. Naru is a young member of a Commanche tribe, trying to prove her value to the community extends beyond her knowledge of medicine and cooking, and so sets out into the wilderness to hunt a lion that has been stalking the woods. However, Naru quickly discovers that there is something far larger and more dangerous waiting out there in the darkness.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: all-ien, Andrew Quinn, character development, colonialism, Comanche Nation, cultural significance, dan trachtenberg, ecological awareness, female lead, imdb, indigenous portrayal, Jess Dunn, jess dunne, joey keogh, Joey Keough, narrative structure, Naru, podcast, predator, Predator franchise, prey, representation, The 250, visual storytelling | Leave a comment »

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Sound of Her Voice (Review)

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Darren

The Sound of Her Voice is a very sweet and thoughtful little episode.

In many ways, it is the perfect penultimate episode of the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is a reminder of just how much the series has changed over the past few seasons, but also a demonstration of the things that make the show different from Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Voyager. It is an episode that is anchored in the sort of careful character development and rich atmosphere that sets the series apart from the other Star Trek series. It is difficult to imagine this episode working as well with any other cast.

Absent friends.

However, The Sound of Her Voice is more than just a clever character-driven ensemble piece. It is a very reflective piece of television. Like Ronald D. Moore’s previous script for the sixth season, Valiant, his work on The Sound of Her Voice feels very introspective. Over the course of the episode, the characters find themselves in contact with a voice from the past. In a very direct way, The Sound of Her Voice puts the characters from Deep Space Nine in conversation with the franchise’s history.

There is a lot of maturity and consideration in The Sound of Her Voice, which feels appropriate as the sixth season draws to a close.

The window of opportunity is closing.

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Filed under: Deep Space Nine | Tagged: character development, Dominion War, ds9, lisa cusak, ronald d. moore, star trek: deep space nine, stra trek | 4 Comments »

Space: Above and Beyond – Dear Earth (Review)

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Darren

This November (and a little of December), we’re taking a trip back in time to review the third season of The X-Files and the first (and only) season of Space: Above and Beyond.

In many respects, Dear Earth serves as a mirror to Toy Soldiers.

Both stories are based around familiar wartime story beats. Both are very sentimental hours of television. Both are firmly anchored in the idea that Space: Above and Beyond is largely about reworking the narratives of the Second World War for a futuristic outer space setting. There is a lot of overlap between Dear Earth and Toy Soldiers, with the episodes feeling like two peas in a pod. They both appeal to the same aspects of Space: Above and Beyond.

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However, Dear Earth works a lot better than Toy Soldiers did. It is dealing with a similar collection of iconic imagery and ideas associated with the Second World War, touching on many of the same themes and ideas; it is just that the execution is considerably stronger. Dear Earth is a show that not only has a lot more charm than Toy Soldiers did, but a lot more humanity. It is an episode that does a lot to remind viewers why they have come to care for the show’s ensemble.

Dear Earth is a very well-made piece of television.