Category: Reviews

Review: ‘Star Trek the Original Series 365’

star-trek-365-cover-7408359Star Trek: The Original Series 365

By Paula M. Block with Terry J. Erdmann
744 Pages, Abrams, $29.95

Just in time for the television icon’s 44th birthday and your Christmas list, Abrams adds to their delightful 365 library with [[[Star Trek]]] the Original Series. Let me state upfront that co-authors Paula Block and Terry Erdmann are friends and colleagues of mine but I cannot imagine any duo better suited to select the images and write the accompanying text for this volume.

Every episode and the original pilot are covered in this book with a nice design element with the page numbers colored to denote each season. The paper stock allows for strong color photography reproduction and even if you’ve seen many of these pictures before, you have not seen them this sharp.

Star Trek may be the most exhaustively covered prime time television series in history so the question immediately becomes, do I need this book? Well, completists certainly need it, but trust me, you want this. The authors take the best known stories regarding the series’ creation and production and cover them here, plus additional tidbits even we grizzled veterans might not have known. Visually, there are some personal pictures people involved in the series provided the book along with rare production drawings and images. One of the new images is one of Spock and Carol Burnett from [[[The Carol Burnett Show]]], an appearance I never knew about.

Each episode is recapped along with a few pages discussing stories regarding its creation or filming. Obviously, we can quibble over which ones got short-shrift (“[[[Whom Gods Destroy]]]” needed a picture of Yvonne Craig, for example) but the information brings some fresh perspectives. Threads from episodes that played out in the features or subsequent series or even novels are covered.

Paula and Terry do an admirable job admitting which episodes worked and which ones didn’t (and why) while only giving you a flash of the dirty laundry that some the books covered in greater detail. If anything, alluding to but not naming Fred Freiberger as the producer who let Star Trek deteriorate in its final season was an oversight.

Throughout, we learn biographical material on much of the cast but better, the spotlight is shared with the production crew from production designer Matt Jeffries to prop genius Wah Chang,

The book also embraces the fan base that kept the show alive for a third season and beyond. Bjo Trimble gets her due her along with the earliest of the fanzines and the final pages are devoted to the birth of the conventions and merchandise surrounding the series. Its cultural impact is also covered with the first space shuttle and the restoration of the 11-foot long model now on display at the Smithsonian.

Given Paula’s 19 year tenure working as publishing director for the consumer products department at Paramount/CBS, she certainly knew where to look for graphics. After combing through the licensing department’s archives for stock shots (a library she helped create!), she cast a wider net which gives the book a nice visual variety. Given the show was produced at a time extensive graphics were not maintained and licensing was usually an afterthought, the fact that she found over 365 good images is a testament. The book even went to the expense of original photography, shooting collector Gerald Gurian’s original series props.

This all-in-one volume is the only book you need in a newcomer’s Star Trek library and it is a most welcome addition to our groaning shelves of Star Trek memorabilia.

Review: ‘Lost in Space’

I should have loved Lost in Space when it debuted on CBS in the fall of 1965. At seven, I was the prime audience for this family adventure about the Robinsons and friends who are literally, hurtling through uncharted territory. Instead, I never warmed up to the show and much preferred ABC’s [[[Batman]]] when that arrived in January 1966. I found the science fiction lacking, the acting over-the-top, and the robot one of the few interesting aspects.

I think I would have preferred the Irwin Allen series had the villainous aspect of Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) remained, rather than using him as a comic foil. Regardless, the series had its following which has led to various revivals as an animated series and even a Bill Mumy-scripted comic during the 1990s. A feature film adaptation seemed inevitable and that’s what we received in 1998. Now, the movie is making its blu-ray debut this week from Warner Home Video.

The film’s themes are certainly high-minded ones as they postulate that in 2058 mankind has so ruined the Earth that a new world has to be found or humanity is doomed to extinction. The Jupiter 2 is sent to find salvation complications ensue when Smith’s treachery sends them off course and they wind up on several strange, new worlds. Then you add in a field of energy that is revealed to be a time distortion bubble with an adult Will Robinson (Jared Stevens) as an antagonist, and well, things get messy.

The movie looks really smart, with over 700 visual effects and some thoughtful set and costume design. There are no real visual cues to the source material with the exception of the robot, which is probably for the best.

Instead, the film fails on two levels. The first is the script that didn’t need to drag in temporal complications while they were already lost in space. It was as if Akiva Goldsman had no faith in the one problem. He also neglected to make any of the characters really engaging or interesting, complicated by a cast that never brings the material to life. While William Hurt makes an interesting scientist in Dr. John Robinson, you never get the feeling he loves Mimi Rogers’ Maureen or is a good father to Judy (Heather Graham), Penny (Lacey Chabert) or Will (Jack Johnson). Matt LeBlanc is amiable but bland as Don West while Gary Oldman seems bored as Dr. Smith.

In reviewing the film years later, it’s interesting to note Penny was vlogging before it was fashionable. Overall, though, the Earth we’re in today is nowhere close to the trajectory seen in the movie’s 2058. Like its predecessor, it is aimed at families and has enough thrills to justify the PG-13 rating but is devoid of the quirky details that people loved in the original. Those fans, though, can look for cameos from original series stars June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Angela Cartwright, Marta Kristen (Judy Robinson) along with the welcome tones of Dick Tufeld as the voice of the Robot.

The transfer to blu-ray is acceptable although the special features from the standard DVD are carried over without upgrading. We get the deleted scenes, along with caption explanations of what they were. There are two featurettes — “Building the Special Effects” and “The Future of Space Travel” – which are fairly dry.  “The Television Years” includes interviews with original cast members Lockhart, Kristen, and Cartwright but the original series synopses are missing. We do get the “Apollo Four Forty” music video and the original dual commentaries.

If you own the original DVD, there’s little recommend buying this outright as opposed to using Warner’s upgrade program.

Review: ‘Smallville Season 9’

When [[[Smallville]]] debuted on the WB network in fall 2001, it was a revelation, a serious and well-considered examination of Clark Kent coming to terms with his alien origins and super-powers in a modern context. It was a perfect fit for the teen-skewing network and apparently they hit pay dirt casting Tom Welling as Clark and surrounding him with a strong ensemble. The real secret early on was the writing staff, fronted by Jeph Loeb and Mark Verheiden, who said more with less and kept you coming back for more.

By the fourth season though, the success of the show was beyond expectations and the vamping began, coupled with the turnover of the writing staff which irreparably harmed the show. Things grew silly real fast as the iconic elements were twisted beyond recognition and the producers sought new threats and twists in the soap opera relationships. In the latter seasons, especially after creator/showrunners Al Gough and Mile Millar departed, character motivations seemingly changed weekly and storytelling logic was usually ignored.

Season eight gave us the season-long threat of Doomsday and once he was dispatched, it seemed time for something new. Maybe something familiar, a little taste of home. Executive Producers Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, and Welling decided the time had come to bring the threat of General Zod made flesh. Callum Blue was added to the cast as the Kryptonian military officer, and former ally of Jor-El’s, to demonstrate for Clark the need to use their powers for selfless reasons.

Recognizing this was likely the final season, they chose the theme to be that of Clark embracing his alien heritage. He donned a black costume for the first time and either distanced himself from his friends and allies or relearned the lesson that he cannot act alone.

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Review: ‘FlashForward The Complete Series’

flashforwardcompleteseries-9918679In 1999, Robert J. Sawyer wrote FlashForward
, a clever science fiction novel that showed how the world reacted to a suddenly global blackout and people glimpsing their futures 21 years hence. The catalytic event was centered at the CERN supercollider in Europe and largely focused on the scientists who worked there.

Interestingly, it was optioned for television and was being developed into a series at HBO, which decided it was trending more towards a prime time broadcast network show, so the rights got to ABC. With great fanfare and terrific initial reviews, the show debuted on September 24, 2009.

Maybe it should have stayed a limited run series on the premium channel. The resulting 22 episodes had lofty goals and a dynamite cast, but the sprawling story was messy, with way too many things not holding up well enough to sustain viewer interest. Ratings suffered after the show took a break at the midpoint and was finally ended on May 27. On Tuesday, ABC Studios is releasing FlashForward: The Complete Series
as a five disc set.

One of the creative problems was that the producers had no idea how much time they had to tell their story. They received an initial order for thirteen and it was a month after the debut before ABC ordered the back nine and subsequently added three episodes to the order. As the ratings nosedived, the order was trimmed from 25 to 24 and finally the standard 22. The feeling that they were spinning their wheels makes sense now that you see what they had to deal with.

Additionally, the personnel guiding the characters and storylines also shifted which led to altered tones. The show was initially being run by Marc Guggenheim, David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga but shortly after the full season was ordered, Guggenheim left the show and Goyer took over until February when he moved away from the sinking ship, letting his wife Jessika, Lisa Zwerling and Timothy J. Lea complete the series.

What should have been a limited series run made substantive changes to Sawyer’s novel beginning with altering the flash forward from 21 years to a handful of months, April 29, 2010. The ensemble cast was centered not at CERN but at the Los Angeles branch of the FBI. Over the course of the first few episodes, it was fascinating to see people react to their visions or lack of visions. The FBI team, led by an overly dour Ralph Fiennes, discovered a vast conspiracy behind the event and their investigations let us meet many people around the world and get a greater sense of what was experienced and how society was being altered.

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Review: ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season One, Part One’

1000149432dvdlef-7901621Growing up in the 1960s, DC’s super-heroes were proud to don their uniforms and battle for truth, justice, and the American way. They had a relatively easy camaraderie with one another and they used their wits and their powers to get out the devilish death-traps they inevitably found themselves in every now and then.

While DC’s heroes and villains have been successfully translated to animation through the years, none have quite captured that colorful joy in being a super-hero. As successful as Warner Animations[[[ Batman]]], [[[Superman]]] and [[[Justice League]]] have been for the current generation of fans, [[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]] is the show that those of us from an earlier era have been waiting for. No Wonder Twins, no Wendy & Marvin – our heroes and villains doing what they do best.

The first thirteen episodes of the Cartoon Network series are collected on Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season One, Part One. The two-disc set, without any extras whatsoever, is being released Tuesday and is a joy to have. Producers James Tucker and Michael Jelenic have designed a show that celebrates the heroic and it is brighter, jazzier, and in many ways more action-packed than its predecessors. Each episode opens with a teaser that shows the conclusion of another successful team-up between Batman and a member of the heroic community then we get a complete tale with a different collaboration.

The show has taken great pains to explore the far-reaches of the DC Universe, across the stars and through the years. As a result, one never knows who will be seen next which brings a sense of delight to the viewing experience. Batman is equally comfortable in the past, fighting Morgaine le Fey alongside Etrigan the Demon, as he is battling in the years of the Great Disaster, aiding Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth. The writers have demonstrated not only a keen understanding of the core elements that make each hero and villain distinct, but adapts them well to television in order to avoid having them appear too similar to one another. The exception is Green Arrow, and the rivalry between the two heroes provides some welcome comic relief. Aquaman, king of the seven seas is also seen as a dim blowhard, eager for an adventure, always struggling to come up with an engaging name for it.

About the only adaptation that has failed to work for me is portraying Metamorpho, Black Lightning and Katana – the Outsiders – as a group of snotty teens. The most successful might be Jaime Reyes, the current Blue Beetle, who is one of the most frequent guest stars and is seen as a hero in training, struggling to gain the respect and approval of his mentors.

While bright and shiny, they still show death and its ramifications, as witnessed by the recap of Bruce Wayne’s youth and other random, senseless acts of violence. Batman has overcome those dark days and is a tireless, driven crimefighter, ready to take on any threat. His square-jawed design is evocative of how he was depicted by the likes of Sheldon Moldoff and Mike Sekowsky in the early 1960s, just before the “New Look” era began. The one element I feel does the show a disservice is the ability for his cape to morph into a jetpack while the Batmobile is an all-in-one sea to surface to air vehicle. While these are lovely animation shortcuts, they take us a step beyond the Batman they are celebrating.

And don’t think its all adventure as many stories also deal with emotional themes such as Red Tornado’s quest for humanity and Wildcat struggling with age.

The first half season ends with a two-part visit to a parallel world and the Injustice Syndicate, as batman struggles to fit in disguised as his counterpart Owlman. As one would expect justice triumphs but not without putting up a vigorous fight.

This set is a welcome addition to the DC video library and comes well recommended.

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Review: ‘Lost the Complete Sixth Season’

lostseasonsixbluray1-3130578Every so often there is a television show that redefines what can be done with the form and ABC’s [[[Lost]]] was just one of a string of series that have successfully gotten out attention. It also spawned numerous imitators, none of which have managed to actually build enough suspense to overcome weak writing and lackluster characterization.

Lost today is a sprawling series that can be maddeningly frustrating as it failed to resolve every dangling plot thread nor did it make every character feel significant. But, when it debuted, we were fascinated by the concept of these survivors on an island that with every passing week proved to have as many secrets as its inhabitants. We were fascinated, and the flashbacks that enriched the core cast was a brilliant touch as were the subtle bits showing that they were connected in heretofore unknown ways before anyone boarded Oceanic Flight #815.

Wisely, the producers and ABC recognized that the show was rapidly losing its way without an end date and the minute one was selected, and it was decided to stockpile episodes and run them without interruption each spring, the show was strengthened. Still, there were tremendous expectations for the sixth and final season, wondering if even 18 hours of programming would sufficiently tie up the loose ends and give us a satisfactory conclusion. The season is being released on DVD this week from ABC Studios and it holds up to revisiting.

Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof threw us for a loop by introducing two entirely new concepts in a season that was billed as the one that would bring things to a close. First, there was the discovery of the Temple along with its harsh leader, Dogen. And there was the introduction of the Flash Sideways which gave us the Earth-2 version of the characters. The later was actually a brilliant touch, allowing us to see what might have been and allowing departed cast members to return for farewell appearances without spoiling their mostly satisfying exits. Every passing week allowed us to see things slowly come together, leading to the inevitable melding of universes in the finale. (more…)

Review: ‘Networked: Carabella on the Run’

Networked: Carabella on the Run

By Gerard Jones & Mark Badger
134 pages, NBM Publishing, $12.99

The issue of privacy in the digital age is an ongoing dialogue as some people feel too much personal information is available to anyone skilled at cyber research while others prefer sharing every aspect of their lives. For several generations, the specter of George Orwell’s Big Brother has loomed large over the evolving technology field, occasionally raising the concern that the government will use this data in ways to which we would object – if we knew.

Privacy Activism is a non-profit company designed to make people aware and give them knowledge and tools to determine how much they want to share or to protect. To educate the younger masses, they created Carabella, a hip, blue-skinned college-aged woman and have used her in several outreach programs. For her third appearance, she has been turned over to master graphic novelists, Gerard Jones and Mark Badger, for Networked: [[[Carabella on the Run]]].

Given the graphic novel’s agenda, one can forgive some of the heavy-handedness of the storytelling and the over used cliché of a government conspiracy to use the personal data to control the population. Carabella is an odd girl as her college friends get to know her. There are too many things that seem unfamiliar to her and she has trouble navigating the basic social conventions.

When she starts receiving texts and e-mails from students interested in getting to know her, she freaks out, wondering how they discovered her contact info. In time, she finally meets engineering student Nick Shumer and falls for him. As she begins to let down her guard, he begins acting oddly, which makes sense since he recovered a bit of her personal technology that he reverse engineers for his own purposes.

The tech, essentially the protomatter of the story, enables him to perfect the most technologically sophisticated walking shoes and he loses sight of things as he is seduced with fame and fortune. In time, though, Carabella realizes what he has done and finally reveals her secrets that propel the story in an entirely different direction, addressing the core privacy issues.

The first half is more engaging as the characters act like real people and the world of college feels right for the theme. The science fiction second half is lots of action and deering-do but also feels more predictable and less compelling. Jones does a nice job with Carabella’s personality while Nick’s character seems to be changing scene by scene.

Badger’s art flows nicely from scene to scene and the work has a fresh feel, although some of his color choices struck me as odd given the role color plays in the second half. Some of the shading to the faces isn’t as successful as one would hope.

There are some strong messages here and plenty of food for thought. Presenting this information embedded within an entertaining graphic novel was a great approach. The agency gets credit for providing chapters online along with a guide for teachers to use, to drill home the messages in the classroom.

With luck, we’ll be seeing Carabella again.

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Review: ‘Wolverine and the X-Men: Final Crisis’

dvd-72dpi1-6905065[[[Wolverine]]] and [[[the X-Men]]], the fourth animated interpretation of the Marvel mutants, was the most radical and also the most short-lived. Lasting a mere 26 episodes, the Nicktoons series apparently wasn’t popular enough with ratings and merchandise to merit financing a second season. Marvel Animation clearly thought they had a hit on their hands and images from the developing second season were released. Additionally, the final scene was a teaser for the second season. But, alas, this was not to be.

Lionsgate, today, is releasing the sixth and final volume of the show, probably three volumes too many, but at least they are affordably priced (and at Comic-Con International, a complete series set was announced).  The single-disc contains just the final three episodes, which aired under the name “Foresight” but is being released under the more commercial [[[Final Crisis]]]. Having previously reviewed the last two volumes, Fate of the Future and Revelation, I was curious to see how they wrapped things up.

All the threads and main players throughout the season turn up and have their moment as the conflicting timelines and threads are woven together into a massive climax. We have Magneto and the inhabitants of Genosha readying for an all-out assault while he has manipulated players so he thinks he controls both sides of the conflict between man and mutant. What he has not counted on was the Hellfire Club and their plans to unleash and control the Phoenix force.

In fact, the role of the Phoenix in this interpretation is the most
radical departure from the comics as is the Hellfire Club’s reason for
existing. As a result, one of the more visually impressive moments of
this series occurs. And as with the comic books, the action never
overwhelms all the emotions at play, especially the romantic triangle
between Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost.

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Review: ‘$5 a Day’

One of the great joys of reviewing movies for ComicMix is being offered little gems I’ve never heard of, the movies that come and go too quickly to gain much attention. For example, take [[[$5 a Day]]], which sports a solid cast led by Christopher Walken – right there, you want to see this, right? Walken rarely repeats himself and is always fun to watch on screen. He’s backed by Alessandro Nivola, Peter Coyote, Amanda Peet, and Sharon Stone so it’s a good crew.

On the surface, this sounds like your paint-by-numbers buddy/road film as an estranged father and son go on a cross-country trip. Even with that cast, it might be a little different, but now imagine the car is decorated in Sweet & Low packaging and that every stop along the way is precisely calculated to take advantage of complimentary food or discounted gas.

Nat is a broken man claiming to be dying of a brain tumor. His life irrevocably changed when he and the love of his life broke up and he became a drifting conman whose greatest pride is managing to live on $5 a day. Often it involves the ultimate in frugality such as saving box tops to get a Barbie-themed Polaroid camera which he regularly uses to take “photos for my wallet”.

Ritchie grew up, learning his dad’s cons and tricks, until he wound up spending 11 months in jail when one of the scams went south. He’s distanced himself from his dad and has been eking out a living as a health inspector but his inability to open up to Maggie means their relationship is breaking up. Nat’s summons to Atlantic City begins their reconciliation and the launch point for a poignant portrait.

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Review: ‘James and the Giant Peach’

jamesandgiantpeachsebluray-3419328Movie technology needed to catch up to the imagination of author Roald Dahl. By the time that occurred in the 1980s Dahl was in his final years and barely got to enjoy proper adaptations of his works. His imaginative fiction was incredibly vivid and picturesque while also having a dark undercurrent, an edge that set them apart from other children’s literature.

His widow, Liccy, finally allowed his 1961 novel, [[[James and the Giant Peach]]], to be adapted by the team of producers Denise Di Novi and Tom Burton and director Henry Selick. They had previously proven their mettle as a team with the delightful [[[A Nightmare Before Christmas]]] and were seeking something else to do with their stop-motion wizardry. The results in 1996 were a stripped down adaptation, but one that Liccy and children around the world embraced.

Walt Disney Home Entertainment is finally releasing the movie on Blu-ray this Tuesday. The Special Edition comes complete with both Blu-ray and DVD, but no digital copy, so this is a littler less special than other releases.

The story of young James Henry Trotter is told here with some substantive changes from the novel including his age and whereabouts when his parents are killed by a rhinoceros (in the film, a thunder storm of horrific proportions, in the book, the real animal). He comes to live with his vile and cruel aunts, Sponge and Spiker, who delight in tormenting him. Through it all, James’ optimism never wavers and he’s a model child, keeping his dreams of visiting New York City to himself.

His behavior and nature is rewarded when a Mysterious Stranger approaches him with a bag full of magic. Accidentally spilling some of the glowing objects, a dead tree soon after reveals a growing peach, which becomes mammoth in proportion. As the aunts profit from displaying the object to the curious, James is left to clean up after the tourists. That is, until he finds a tunnel and burrows deep within the fruit and encounters a hardy band of insects and an arachnid. Together, they take the peach on a journey, heading towards the Big Apple.

The rest of the film is a romp as they go from adventure to adventure en route to Manhattan and then finally arrive. Inexplicably, the aunts arrive soon thereafter, only to receive an overdue comeuppance, one far less interesting than their prose fate.

Selick interestingly begins and ends the film with a live action James (Paul Terry) but once he enters the peach, the film shifts into fantasy land with stop-motion figures. As a result, we get nicely detailed and designed ensemble including Mr. Old Green Grasshopper (Simon Callow), Mr. Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), Mr. Earthworm (David Thewlis), Miss Spider Susan Sarandon), Mrs. Ladybug (Jane Leeves), and Glowworm (Miriam Margolyes, who is also Aunt Sponge).

Things move along briskly although things do stop for some unmemorable and unnecessary songs. Randy Newman’s Oscar-nominated score was all we ever needed and the pacing does stop even though the songs are at least plot or character specific.

Being remastered for Blu-ray, the visuals are sharp and wonderful to watch, with excellent sound.

The only new extra on the Blu-ray disc is an interactive Spike the Aunts game, which takes nice advantage of the technology. The original extras: a short Making Of featurette, a Newman music video, “Good New”, still gallery can be found on the standard DVD.

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