Change Your Image
BBBrown
Reviews
Banshee (2013)
No "Heroes" Here...
This series, now mercifully ended, is yet another fine(?) example of contemporary America's fascination with crime shows predicated on a preference for vengeance over justice. There are few characters worthy of admiration, let alone emulation, in this slog through the worst that people can do to each other.
The basic premise follows similar motifs already explored and produced by the likes of Quintan Tarantino (think "Kill Bill" and "Pulp Fiction"): bad people doing bad things to other bad people while dragging good people down with them. The principal characters are all unrepentant criminals. They rob, torture and murder others like them while using all manner of self-serving lies and rationales in ultimately vain attempts to justify their actions and personal loyalty to each other.
The show's writers and producers seem to think this will win sympathy from viewers. Many viewers will admire both the acting and physical talents of both the leading and guest cast members. Still, one can never forget or ignore the fact that they are portraying what are ultimately utterly despicable characters. These characters present, indeed epitomize, why, if there is not one, there should be, a Hell. The unremitting hypocrisy of the characters, particularly that of Anna/Carrie, is just too galling.
Without giving much away, the series sadly concludes without the well deserved deaths/comeuppances of many of the lead criminal characters. Perhaps Cinemax has plans for a "Return to Banshee" or "Banshee: The Final Chapter" special. Frankly, I think 4 seasons were probably two seasons too many. I have no desire to see any more.
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016)
Started the year off right!
How good is this latest Sherlock? Well, I've watched it four times so far and it still delights! Who needs -- or wants -- Elementary when we can have this?!
There simply is no comparison with the current TV and recent movie intellectually challenged dreck that rips off the Holmes character. Cumberbatch, Freeman and the entire supporting cast give truly credible, enthralling and just plain delightful performances.
The imagination that went into this production is proof positive that there are still talented people, especially writers, behind the cameras. Taking Holmes back to Victorian London, if only in his mind, seemed at first to be a crude gimmick. Far from it! It was done realistically and with flair, making the entire story worthy of AC Doyle himself.
The ending gives those of us who truly appreciate seeing the world's greatest detective presented with care and pride some hope we might yet get a new full season of Sherlock. Let us pray...
Elementary (2012)
Awesome Fail
This latest attempt at updating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective is best described as an awesome fail. That it is now in its fourth season is testament not only to the total lack of truly creative writing talent in the TV industry but also to the declining sophistication/expectations of the viewing audience.
Set in New York City, the NYPD need for investigative resources is so desperate that they look to Holmes,now updated for modern viewers as an opinionated, self-centered, irascible, recovering drug addict with a father issues. He, in turn, brings in his former drug counselor, Watson, also a former surgeon haunted by the loss of a patient, whom he is training in "his methods." In yet another gender role reversal we later learn that today's Moriarty, while still a criminal genius, is also a former lover(!) of Holmes. This is what passes for creativity and innovation in today's TV industry. Hell, why didn't the producers just go on and make Holmes a woman, too? Shirley Holmes...why not?
Holmes, Watson and their NYPD cohorts see no problems in pursuing criminals they violate the personal privacy and trample upon the civil liberties not only of suspects but also innocent bystanders and potential witnesses. Holmes and Watson even lie in court when investigated by judicial authorities. Verbal and physical abuse -- even torture on the part of Holmes in one episode --is dismissed,ignored or excused by Watson, other NYPD detectives and higher officials. Police station interrogations are routinely done without benefit of legal counsel, with language ranging from smug condescension to outright insults.
So as to appeal to viewers desiring quick resolution by the end of the allotted 40-minute episode, we routinely see the criminals simply break down and confess rather than face court proceedings. This is probably a good thing, given that the methods used to obtain evidence would rarely hold up in a real court. Considering the interrogation circumstances depicted most confessions could -- and would -- be easily recanted.
We've seen this before: "our" bad guys versus even worse bad guys. Like the majority of procedural crime dramas on TV today, there are no "heroes," no main characters truly worthy of emulation or even empathy. Oddly enough, one often finds the villains in this series more appealing, sometimes even worthy of admiration, if not sympathy.
There is absolutely nothing in this series worthy of praise nor continued viewing and airing. Compared to previous depictions of Doyle's great detective -- notably the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett (e.g., http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098765/combined)-- this is little more than a showcase for today's wireless technology (yes, it's sponsored by Micro$oft).
Almost Human: The Bends (2013)
Had me until this episode...Now I don't care....
This series showed a lot of promise. The previous episodes expanded on the premises first put forth in the P.K. Dick nook and earlier Total Recall 2070 cable TV series. I was looking forward to more episodes.
But this episode took the all too familiar "cop as judge, jury and executioner" angle so reminiscent of so many threadbare yet still popular American TV crime dramas, e.g., Agent Gibbs in NCIS, Agent Callan in NCIS:LA, Detective Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Agent Greenaway in Criminal Minds, and far too many other such shows. Yet again we see a supposedly "good" cop "forced" to do bad things (in this episode murder a disarmed suspect) for the sake of expediency/public safety coupled with a lack of faith in the judicial system he is supposedly sworn to uphold and enforce. The episode was enough to make me no longer interested in any future viewing of the series. If I want to see bad people doing bad things to other bad people, I'll pull out a Tarentino movie.
This kind of "law enforcement" may appeal to those who take the simplistic view of vengeance as justice. In fact, such depictions only serve to insult and denigrate the honest and honorable efforts of what I hope are the majority of real life law enforcement professionals.
This series had promise. I doubt that it will last.
Sleepy Hollow (2013)
If Irving is spinning in his grave, it's with delight!
Sleepy Hollow delivers what most of the ad driven crap that passes for American prime time broadcast TV totally misses: entertainment!
Re-imagining Washington Irving's American literary classic for contemporary times, this show also presents little known/rarely taught bits of colonial/revolutionary American history, sometimes with plot twists as to the involvement of Ichabod Crane for the sake of the story but easily checked and backed up by facts. And unlike many TV shows, African-American actors have a chance to really develop and showcase their talent in the characters they play.
The supernatural aspects of Irving's original story are not only retained and well staged but also broadened by the inclusion of other relevant religious/spiritual beliefs, including those of Native Americans. Each episode to date has delivered high quality, fun and exciting entertainment.
I hope Sleepy Hollow is in for a long, long run. Heaven knows todays TV (especially American TV) really needs it and a lot more like it.
Game of Thrones (2011)
Now this is "TV worth watching!"
Amidst the wasteland of self-righteous, formulaic, procedure driven cop dramas and mindless "reality" shows, this is a true gem. With Game of Thrones, HBO has taken a huge step toward redeeming itself for the truly boneheaded decision to end the great -- and still missed -- Deadwood series without true closure.
An original, imaginative and unpredictable storyline, awesomely staged and brilliantly performed by actors -- many now famous and others soon to be -- Game of Thrones is really "TV worth watching." Already into a fourth and well deserved season, every episode to date has never failed to exceed the highest standards anyone could set for TV entertainment. I only hope that it lasts another four years in order to really play out the fascinating details and intricacies of its characters.
One word of warning: do not get too attached to any single character. In this fantastic world, any(!) one character could and can die at any time (hang on Maisie Williams/Arya Stark!). The game of thrones is a truly deadly one. Just sit back and enjoy.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Murder 2.0 (2008)
Shut up, DiNozzo!
This episode is full of it. Tiresome, supposedly homage references to earlier horror films inanely mouthed by Agent DiNozzo; the now routine insulting, degrading and bullying treatment of potential witnesses and suspects by Gibbs; and yet another "twist the laws to make them fit" ending.
Gibbs and his team are frustrated and thwarted by an ingenious, maniacal serial killer. After several bad calls and mistaken assumptions on their part, Gibbs et al finally corner, subdue and capture the killer.
But this is not(!) enough. Instead, the killer is re-designated as a terrorist and thus his name cannot be released to the media. But in the supposed reality of this show, it is done to deny the killer's goal/desire to be famous for embarrassing NCIS in general and Gibbs in particular.
Less discerning viewers -- the apparent target audience for this series -- could easily be misled into believing/assuming that the killer was also denied any legal representation and trial by jury, that his relatives (if any) were not told of his location/situation and that any and that all others involved, e.g., the female singer of the band rescued by NCIS, were somehow coerced into silence. One also has to believe that neither the mainstream nor alternative investigative media will not find out and release his name and other information/crime details to the public.
Another episode demonstrating how NCIS is just so much bull.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Faking It (2006)
Expediency wins again...
Yet another episode demonstrating the strange/weird sense of post-911 "justice(?)" writers/producers Bellisario, McGill, Brennan and many others involved with this show demonstrate regarding law enforcement.
The people behind NCIS seem bound and determined to place this agency on par with -- if not ahead of -- other U.S. law enforcement agencies with a much clearer and focused mandate to target foreign and domestic terrorist activities. In this outing Gibbs -- without any prior notification to and approval from his superiors -- brings in his now retired former boss and mentor Mike Franks to pursue a terrorist suspect who eluded Franks years earlier. After the usual plot twists and turns, they corner and shoot it out with the terrorist leader and members of his group in an empty bar. Then, *after* the leader has clearly dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender, Franks shoots and kills him in clear view of Gibbs.
Does Gibbs do the right thing, however reluctantly, and arrest Franks? Of course not. Instead, they go outside, exchange a few words about old times and how the terrorist leader would have found a way to avoid prosecution by providing information to other federal agencies. Gibbs shows yet again how selective he can be in enforcing the laws he is sworn to uphold and simply allows Franks to walk away from the scene and return to his retirement home in Mexico. The viewer is supposed to be left with a sense that "justice" -- in the form of the premeditated murder of the terrorist leader by a retired NCIS agent -- was done and that the U.S. is safer because of it. Expediency wins again.
This ending might appeal to right-wingers, fascists and morally challenged members of the TV audience. I simply found it yet another disgusting example of what passes for "entertainment" in a post-911 American cop show.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Awful...Just Awful
That this show has lasted as long as it has (15 seasons?!) is not merely shocking, but also just plain sad. It is proof positive that one can never underestimate the lack of taste and sophistication in the American TV audience.
The entire Law & Order Franchise is pretty dreadful, given it's reliance upon tiresome, essentially unimaginative characters. More than any other -- even Criminal Intent -- L&O SVU relies upon the tiresome, stereotypical jaded, abusive, contemptuous, physically and verbally abusive cop to "solve" cases, in main and guest characters.
In one episode, Detective Benson willfully ignores a court judgment and assists a woman in leaving the U.S. for a country with no extradition treaty in order to evade court-ordered visitation rights for the father of the woman's child whom she had accused of rape (unsubstantiated by another court). Her supervisor and partners agree to collude and cover up her action. In another, Detective Stabler holds a suspect merely because of a minor prior involvement in another similar case and, when the suspect is quickly cleared of any involvement by DNA, still leaves him in the holding cell. Far too many episodes deal with problems and issues in the detectives personal lives, past and present, in a vain attempt to "humanize" them and garner audience empathy.
Neither of these detectives is ever apologetic about their abusive behavior when interrogating potential witnesses or suspects, usually without benefit and presence of a defense attorney or public defender. Witnesses and suspects are often threatened with obstructing justice in order to coerce their corroboration of the SVU detectives' assumptions. Their rude and often crude behavior toward members of the public is often reflected back upon them but they never seem to learn that one can get more with honey than vinegar.
Inexplicably, this show appears to have achieved wide distribution beyond the U.S. One can only hope that foreign audiences see and try to enjoy it for the fiction that it truly is.
Criminal Minds: The Boogeyman (2006)
Goodbye...And Good Riddance!
A bunch of us decided to waste away a recent snowy weekend with rental DVD viewing of popular TV series which we've heard a lot about but never really watched. This was the episode that finally turned me -- and many of my friends -- off.
That supposedly dedicated, selfless FBI agents, especially supervisors, could essentially overlook/rationalize Agent Greenaway taking the law into her own hands, allowing her to leave the Bureau after the mere formality of a "psychological evaluation" and not even inform local police of their strong suspicions that "one of their own" is a murderer and the event warranted a more intense investigation?! What a crock...
Even knowing her murder victim was guilty and she *may* have saved others from him still does not excuse the overall sense that the BAU cares more about their own individual senses of right and wrong than the rule of law they -- and all law enforcement people -- are supposedly sworn and dedicated to uphold. It would have been far more rewarding to have seen two or even three episodes that focused on their actions to get inside the "criminal mind" of their own rogue agent, one well versed in the BAU's own methods and procedures, and bring her to the justice she denied to her victim.
But the producers/writers seem to have their own sense of right and wrong as well, sadly something shared by many viewers who still seem to find this series worthwhile viewing. I am glad I am not(!) one them.
Ghost Whisperer (2005)
Delightful(!) Entertainment...Wish It Was Still On
Disgusted by sarcastic, cynical, abusive, jaded, win-at-all-costs/the ends justifies the means cops? Bored by angst ridden teen werewolves and vampires? Too smart for "reality" TV?
Ghost Whisperer is a wonderful departure from the above. The cast is a joy to watch and the episodes are thoughtful, imaginative, well scripted, paced and staged. There is no violence just for the sake of violence, no over the top/prolonged scenes of explosions and torture. The series does not favor/advocate any religion. Instead, a sense of deep spirituality seems to be the guiding principle of the series. It is refreshing to see positive main and guest characters as people who genuinely care about others and who can open their minds to new possibilities and situations.
What I like most about the series is the simple yet complex sense of optimism it leaves one with after watching, a welcome relief to the most other American TV. It is just plain fun to be entertained on a higher level than the low-brow approach taken by so many "serious drama" series to attract the most viewers. Ghost Whisperer is quality entertainment suitable for all ages. I only wish it was still in production.
Spend a weekend with this series on DVD. You will not be disappointed.
Blue Bloods (2010)
Pretty Good
Police dramas have been and continue to be a staple of American network TV. Blue Bloods has proved interesting, mainly due to its fine cast who, despite the weak writing and lack of originality on the part of its writers, turn in habitually fine performances.
The major flaw in this series is the character of Danny. The habitually cynical, tired and stressed/burned out cop has become tiresome, at least to me. His lowest points have come in the episodes "Nightmares" where his lack of understanding/empathy with Haitian culture and religion were truly repugnant and "Men In Black" where he knowingly falsely arrests an innocent widow in order to force a confession from an unknown murderer. In "Ends and Means" he tries to delay vital, lifesaving treatment to a critically wounded suspect to question him and speed up his investigation. Frankly, I find this character seriously flawed and desperately in need of revamping.
The best characters in the series are Jamie, Frank and Linda. As a relatively new cop on the beat, Jaime has dealt with the problems inherent to the job while still maintaining high standards of integrity in apprehending and handling suspects and empathy with the public at large. Frank is by far the best police commissioner ever depicted on TV ("Innocence" and "Old Wounds" stand out). And Linda is likely guaranteed sainthood simply for putting up with Danny.
Bones: The Blood from the Stones (2013)
The Final Turn-off...Goodbye and Good Riddance
This seres began with a fairly unique approach (for American TV at least) but inconsistencies have plagued it from the beginning. This episode was the last straw and I have ceased to watch any more.
The Booth character never really impressed me with the worn out, tiresome, cynical cop persona so pervasive in American TV depiction of law enforcement. In this episode Booth deliberately withholds and delays vital medical treatment to a female suspect in order to coerce information to further his investigation of the death of an undercover cop. His wife and emergency medical personnel look on and do nothing nor do they report his gross misconduct. Later in the episode, he verbally threatens another suspect taken into custody with physical abuse, i.e., being thrown down the stairs of the FBI building, while the District Attorney (DA), who is listening in on the interrogation, pretends not to hear. NB: That the DA is an African-American woman makes this even more reprehensible given the well documented abuse many of her race have suffered while in police custody.
This concept of "doing bad things for good reasons" and "the ends justify the means" approach seems to be the accepted entertainment norm in contemporary American TV dramas. One would hope and pray that is not -- nor ever will be --the accepted norm in real life police procedures and that foreign audiences are mature enough to recognize it as such.
24 (2001)
Bad things done for good reasons?
Dedicated, overworked, stressed out agents and government officials routinely excuse, rationalize, sanction and even praise outlandish, even murderous actions all in the name of protecting America and its interests while preserving the "integrity(?)" of their own agencies/institutions. The show, prior to 9-11, was barely watchable and in the years since that tragedy seems to have continually devolved from season to season.
The concept of showing what happens hour by hour is quite novel and first rate. The themes/stories depicted are disgusting.
Still, on the plus side, the talent of many relatively unknown or little used actors and actresses are showcased, often in roles usually/formerly denied them.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003)
Good Actors, Poor Stories
Recently sat through a virtual marathon of episodes from various seasons and came away disappointed and disbelieving. This show seems to have devolved to the low levels first achieved with "24" showing government agents doing bad things for good reasons. Suspects/witnesses are routinely subjected to insults, lies and in many instances physical abuse to achieve ends. Superiors, agents of similar agencies and other services as well as local law enforcement are routinely treated with ill-disguised contempt if not outright disdain.
It is doubtful that any of the cases "solved" by this group would get by a grand jury let alone result in conviction in a full blown trial, given their intimidation tactics and routine lack of warrants for searches. In one episode, David, the Israeli Mossad agent, is left alone to physically torture a female office employee with the knowing consent of her boss, Gibbs. In another, she kicks a handcuffed male suspect in the groin. In other episodes, Gibbs and his fellow agents lie to and threaten American citizens and legally resident aliens with indefinite detention in Guantanamo.
Some may find this kind of show wishfully entertaining. One can only hope that it is not taken by foreign audiences as realistically representative of the U.S. legal system.
Warehouse 13 (2009)
Derivative but still pretty good
This series owes much to earlier The Librarian made for TV movies as well as Friday the 13th: The Series. Still, it is a notable step above much of the current SyFy Channel fare. I found season two to be a notable improvement over season one, which wasn't bad but was some times a bit slow/stodgy. I found some of the plot lines not really great but still acceptable. The dialog throughout both seasons is crisp, the characters engaging and the pacing is upbeat. Character development doesn't get in the way of action. The guest stars, Jaime Murray in particular, were given well-scripted roles and well cast. I actually hope Warehous 13 is renewed.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)
Sometimes I wanted the machines to win...
I sat through every single episode of this now canceled series. Although well outside the targeted 18-49 year old graphic, I've been a sci-fi and Terminator movie fan for decades. This show thrilled on several levels but disappointed on many, many more. In the end, I found it simply depressing.
Often, I would find myself almost rooting for the machines rather than the human "heros and heroines" with their rationalizing any action necessary -- including murder -- as justified to save JC (John Connor). In doing so, they often seemed to mimic the survival plans and actions of the artificial intelligence against whom they were fighting. This dark side of "any means necessary" to justify deplorable actions as the only way insure the survival of the human race is epitomized in "24", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and, to a large extent, the previous U.S. administration. Do we really have to sink to the level of our enemy in order to win?
I do not and have never subscribed to this view and found this series less and less entertaining each time it was presented, often tuning out in disgust at scenes/dialogs of many episodes, especially those depicting the physical and psychological abuse and torture of suspected Skynet workers/collaborators. Each of the lead characters demonstrated an unrelenting coldness with only the briefest signs of sensitivity as to what they were doing, not only to each other but to innocents caught in the crossfire. Rarely did any of the lead characters show any sense/signs of a truly moral center.
If these are the kind of people and actions needed to insure the survival of the human race, one must wonder if we even deserve to continue as the dominant life-form on this planet. I won't miss this series.
S.S. Doomtrooper (2006)
Beyond Moronic...
"A Sci-Fi Channel Original" has to be most dreaded phrase in broadcasting...It's a shame that one can't award negative stars...
SS Doomtrooper is a completely stupid waste of time, not worthy of even a high school film school student.
The writers, director and producer of this piece of garbage -- all of whom either never even took or just failed high school history -- insult even the low intelligence/sophistication associated with video game junkies. The Sci-Fi channel, on which this aired, has once again shown how little it respects the intelligence of its viewers.
From the beginning, one is asked to believe that the Nazis and the German Army are in league with mad scientists, employing idiotic tactics to confront the pending victory of the Allies. British intelligence has discovered that the Germans have developed and deployed a new radar station near Strasbourg, France which can control the fire of anti-aircraft guns. But all that is needed to overcome their latest desperate evil attempt to thwart the Allies is a last minute gathering of a hodgepodge unit of American and British convicts a la "The Dirty Dozen" for a raid behind German lines in France. They order an American paratrooper officer to put together a team to deal with the threat.
Unbeknownst to the same intelligence officers is that -- for almost a year -- a near mad, amoral scientist has been using the same top secret facility -- on French soil rather than in Germany -- to turn ordinary German soldiers into "Doom Troopers" (which on my TV looked like obvious rejects from video games -- so much for any real special effects budget) using atomic radiation.
Then the writers seriously turn up the "viewers all stupid so we don't have to care" factor.
The viewer is expected to believe that despite knowing the exact location of the radar, allied intelligence doesn't know that there is also a French Resistance unit in the same area. Of course, the unit is led by an oh so brave and beautiful woman.
The viewer then sees that, despite years of war, the Germans still know no better than to send in a lone tank -- without(!) infantry support -- to bring back their errant Doomtrooper soldier from the nearby French village. The Germans also seem not to know -- or conveniently forget -- that the village has an active Resistance unit, despite their having previously engaged the creature. All this allows members of the Allied unit to sneak up on the lone tank from behind -- all the while talking aloud -- and capture the tank (actually a Soviet T-34 subbing for a German Panther) simply by killing the tank commander and gunner (I guess the tank's driver and gun loader simply died of shock).
The Germans also have no problem with setting up a decoy guard hut in the middle of a field with only a single(!) sniper to cover it. Of course, the sniper is so absorbed with his work he cannot hear the American officer and French Resistance leader as they crunch through the snow to sneak up behind him.
The new German radar used to control the anti-aircraft fire is so advanced that the dish only needs to be laid on the ground, leaning against the inner sidewall of a castle with "40 foot thick walls." A German Panzerfaust (anti-tank rocket) has an effective range of over a kilometer (must be yet another previously unknown superweapon)! They also want you to believe that American jeeps required an ignition key to operate (they didn't -- no one needs to be troubled by lost/broken keys in combat -- jeep engines used a foot starter).
"There isn't a problem in the world that can't be solved by the proper application of explosives" is a recurring line in this piece of crappola. If only the pea brains behind this mess would take the advice to heart and find a private room...
Ring of the Nibelungs (2004)
Good effort!
Short of producing 2+ hour versions of each of the 4 operas in the Ring Cycle, this is simply excellent storytelling. Truly entertaining and worthy of viewing.
Given the obvious production and time constraints common to almost all television productions, the writers, director and cast have made a quite enjoyable film based on the Norse legends. They know they can't hope to surpass more traditional Wagner opera productions or the cinematic spectaculars like Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia and they don't try. They simply succeed brilliantly at presenting a quite entertaining and enjoyable film variation of the well known tale.
Kudos!!
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
Cursed by modern "sensibilities"
I was initially intrigued with the "what if" idea of several of literature's great characters brought together for a single adventure. I liked the action overall, although several sequences, like the Nautilus and its sets, were simply over the top.
Most disappointing was the inclusion of Mina Harker (Stoker must be twirling in his grave, poor man) as a vampiress(!) in the League and as yet another classic female character "updated" for the so-called "sensibilities" of the modern audience, i.e., she can *physically* hold her own with the men of the cast (do we really need yet another nonsensical Lara Croft/Xena/Buffy fantasy character -- guess so, if one is to appeal to the barely literate modern youth audience). Better to not have had her at all -- why not instead find some way to include maybe a distant *male* relative of Baron von Frankenstein, Greystoke or Sherlock Holmes??
I understand that the film is also based on a graphic novel and I have made a note to check it out...
But I'm in no hurry to do so...
The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
Less really is more!
I just caught this one late night on American Movie Classics. This is one of the much(!) better variations on the Shelley classic. Considering the low budgets which plagued the Hammer film productions, this one does much, much more -- and better -- than the big money, special effects laden Frankenstein variants of recent years.
The entire cast is excellent, with even the smaller roles performed better than many of the lead roles of today's so-called "stars." Writers Burnham and Sangster (who also directed) deserve kudos for their interpretation of Victor Frankenstein as as a cold-blooded, uncaring and results obsessed scientist willing to sacrifice anyone to the creation and preservation of his research. The dialog is excellent, with little verbosity, and moves the story along at a brisk pace with no boring parts at all.
The ending is simply brilliant in it's irony and potential for what would have been a most welcome sequel which, sadly, never came. It's also an excellent example of why children should never be left unwatched/unattended when introduced to new places...
Despite it's only being available in widescreen (which I really hate), I'm still buying this one on DVD! I highly recommend others do the same.
The Magicians (2000)
OK TV Pilot
I also believe this to have been done as a pilot for a possible TV series. On the plus side, the special effects are fairly well done and actually complement rather than overwhelm the somewhat thin storyline. On the negative side, the plot itself seems to have been meant to grow over the course of a hoped for TV series and therefore leaves a lot to be desired.
One could hope that should a series ever arise from this project that it would be made for more liberal and mature audiences outside the U.S. Even with the film's obviously toned down and very brief sex and violence, the SciFi channel dares show it only *after midnight* in the States!
Alien Lockdown (2004)
Same Old Tired Formula
Secret government/corporation/rich private entrepreneurs acquires technology to develop dangerous creature in virtually inaccessible, dimly lit, claustrophobic lab facility. Creature escapes, killing development team and most of rescue/cleanup unit sent to erase evidence except for one or two survivors who vow to bring down the system and those responsible for creating the threat.
This formula, perfected in better films like "Alien" and "Aliens," has been done to death, particularly by the the "original (not!) films" produced for the SciFi channel. Only the creatures change along with minor variations on the script/"plot" for the rest of the cast to perform in locales ranging from oil platforms to remote underground labs to ships/stations in space.
This particular feature looks and acts more like an ad for a video game than an original film. It is not worth even a rental and is only barely more entertaining than an infomercial.
King Arthur (2004)
Pray that the DVD is a "Director's Cut"
This movie suffers from extremely obvious over cutting to acquire the PG-13 rating so sought after by the Hollywood woosies who call themselves "investors"/"producers." Interestingly(?) enough, some kids at the matinee I attended actually slept(!) through parts of the film. Several teenagers who also saw this disappointment of a film at the same showing afterwards joined me in convincing at least 30 people waiting in line for the next showing -- at full price -- not(!) to waste their money. We were so successful that the theater owner threatened to call mall security to remove us.
The "battle" scenes are so toned down as to be akin to the those done by Hollywood in the '40s and '50s. There is none of the visceral violence evoked by "Braveheart" or even this summer's "Troy." There is far too much essentially meaningless dialogue, probably left in to make up a decent running time caused by truncating the battle and other action sequences. That said, the cast is good to excellent and one can only pray that a "Director's Cut" DVD version will reflect their work even better.
I seldom advise people to avoid a film. This is one of those rare occasions: SAVE YOUR MONEY (AND YOUR TIME) - DO *NOT* SEE "KING ARTHUR!
Troy (2004)
So it's not(!) the Iliad...
But it's an inspiring tale of men(!) at war in ancient times. The movie, albeit long, moves along a good pace, with mercifully brief romantic and philosophical breaks between the combat scenes. This movie is action, with more than a little thought put into accurately presenting the realities of the tactics used in Greek warfare. Troy is also to be congratulated for not over-armoring the cast like previous Hollywood productions and staying true to the lightness of armor prevalent during the historical period.
Lovers of Homer and Greek mythology may be disappointed but keep in mind this film is about the Trojan War, not the Iliad. This war is epic in scale and isn't about poetry.
Still, it would be great if Sean Bean were given the opportunity to play Odysseus again. Although not on screen much in Troy, his performance is edgy and true to the legends of the cunning king of Ithaca.