The Battle of the Bridge trilogy comes to its climax on Friday night, with the third and final episode to kick-off at 7:05pm at AAMI Park.
The last two meetings have been box office hits, with plot-twists, unlikely heroes and excitement all along the way.
Part I: Raiders of the VAR
Duration: 90 minutes
Director: Mark Rudan
Starring: Dylan Pierias, Alessandro Diamanti and the VAR.
This one jumped straight into the action with Victory’s Brandon Lauton striking the post in the opening stages.
The plot continued to build with both teams looking to find an opener, before Western United appeared to have it just before the halfway point.
Connor Pain set up Besart Berisha for the ultimate punishment against his old friends, but the villainous VAR intervened to deny celebrations.
A bit of a slow-burner, it took another half hour for anything major to happen in the plot line, but when it did happen, it was enthralling.
Alessandro Diamanti took the reigns for Western United and thumped the crossbar twice in a matter of minutes, before the big plot twist 15 minutes from the end.
Dylan Pierias wheeled away in celebration after an excellent solo goal, but VAR stole it away again, leaving the battle unresolved at the finish.
Players were strewn all over the pitch, forlorn after an epic battle amounted to nothing, but that was just the first episode.
After a largely entertaining showing with one or two dull periods, the ending really ruined this one from becoming an instant classic.
RATING: 2/5
https://players.brightcove.net/6043102936001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6227605720001
PART II: The Temple of Sanchez
Duration: 90 minutes (plus five minutes of special extras)
Director: Víctor Sánchez
Starring: Víctor Sánchez, Besart Berisha, Mark Rudan
After a short turnaround, Part II was released less than a month after the first and proved to be even bigger than the original.
The sequel does often tend to be better than the original – see Back to the Future II and Empire Strikes Back as examples.
In the beginning, it looked like being a success for the underdog courtesy of a Callum McManaman goal 21 minutes in.
All hope seemed lost for Western United in their quest for supremacy but in landed its hero – Víctor Sánchez.
The Spaniard received the ball from Berisha in the box before half-time and rifled one into the bottom right corner to set up an intriguing end to the story.
Berisha would soon get in on the act himself, with two huge leaps and two thunderous headers into the net to harness all of his power.
But in a true tale of heroics, the plot was not finished there. The wounded Victory picked itself up and assembled once again, clawing their way back from the brink.
Jacob Butterfield let fly from distance before Rudy Gestede headed in soon after to set up a blockbuster finish.
All things were pointing towards Part III to be the decider until Sánchez took matters into his own hands in the final twist of the tale.
In a plot twist greater than The Sixth Sense, Sánchez smashed in a left-footed strike right as the credits were ready to roll, sparking victorious celebrations from the team and coaches alike.
This one had it all – heroes, villains, conflicts, plot twists and a jaw-dropping ending that left the audience scratching their heads until the end. A masterpiece.
RATING: 5/5
https://players.brightcove.net/6043102936001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6235920124001
PART III: Western United vs Melbourne Victory – Friday 28 May
So now the trilogy faces its end. With a return to the setting of the original battle, with all the key cast returning, the story will conclude.
Will Victory enact revenge? Will Western United reign supreme and vanquish their foe, once and for all?
Find out, this Friday.
Click here to get your tickets for just $10.
