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Reviews
Heroes (2006)
Robert Knepper - you are awesome
It's been no mystery that Heroes has seen a large decline in both quality and ratings after the first season final. Season 2 introduced us to the incredibly annoying pair of Maya and Alejandro (both who are now thankfully out of the show). Season 3, Volume 3 gave us confusing plot lines and way too many throwaway characters. Season 3, Volume 4 started to get things back on track but it still wasn't up to scratch with season one.
Now with season 4 I've noticed a big change in quality, and finally, a BETTER change in quality. In my opinion, Season's 2 and 3 suffered because it seemed to be all about the MAIN CAST. They were always the ones with the story lines and there was no room for any development from the secondary characters (GUEST STARS). Besides Sandra Bennett and Emile Danko, there was no one and it got very boring.
Now season 4 has brought us amazing secondary characters like Gretchen Berg, Edgar, Lydia and of course, the cream of the new crop - Samuel Sullivan played by the genius Robert Knepper. For me, Knepper's character of Samuel has saved this show for me. He is brilliant. So mysterious - you can never quite figure out if he is good or bad and that's what makes him a brilliant character. He reminds me, in a way, of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. No one would call Jack a "Hero" 100%, yet no one would call him a villain either. He is a perfect combination of both.
All in all, Season 4 is getting back on track and I suggest you check it out for yourself.
Saw VI (2009)
Better, but....
First up, Saw 6 is better that 5, 4 and 3, and probably on par with 2. While this movie definitely redeemed itself over the terror that was Saw 5, there are still things about the franchise that annoy the hell out of me. In the original Saw, it was about "Saving Yourself". Now, it is always one person saving others (Jeff in Saw 3, Rigg in Saw 4 -Kind Of- and now William in Saw 6). It just seems strange and kind of annoying.
Another thing that gets me is that while the traps are imaginative, it is ALWAYS "sixty seconds before you die". It has become redundant and it gets really annoying to watch. The original trap in Saw took 6 hours, and that movie was by far the best movie - why change a winning formula? Now that I've ranted, I will say that Saw 6 had a good number of twists including the characters of Hoffman, Cecil, Amanda AND a certain detective we all thought dead. I will say this however; I don't like Jill Tuck.
All in all, Saw 6 was bearable but after 6 films you kind of wonder where they can take the franchise from here. With 7 and 8 confirmed, you have to wonder if these movies are ever going to match up to the original.
NCIS: Los Angeles: The Only Easy Day (2009)
Give it a chance, people!
I love NCIS. Here in Australia, two episodes of NCIS: LA has aired - "Identity" and "The Only Easy Day". Both times I've been left wanting more and more. I think this show is a winner in my book - great cast, good writing and interesting characters.
I am going to take this chance to address some of the issues that OTHER people seem to have with the show. "It's not enough like the original NCIS!" That's what I hear the most when people consider the negatives of the show. Think about it, people! If this show was a clone of NCIS just set in LA - it would be boring! It would be the exact same show, different setting. People say that characters are humourless - wrong! The chemistry between LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell is electric. If you disagree, try opening your eyes and ears whilst watching the show...you'll notice a difference, trust me.
Finally, "Where is Special Agent Macy"? This annoys me. A Lot. Seriously people, When JAG aired "Meltdown" and "Ice Queen" which introduced us to the NCIS team, Special Agent Vivian Blackadder was on the team. When NCIS started she wasn't and was replaced by Kate Todd. Anyone complain then? No. Things change people, casts changes, characters change, the human body changes during puberty for crying out loud. Accept it! Things-can-change! As for the episode, "The Only Easy Day" I loved it. LL Cool J was awesome in the episode as he, a SEAL himself deals with fellow SEALS killing a drug dealer. Cool J's character of Hanna showed great development in this episode and I really am growing to love him. It was nice to see Kensi (Daniela Ruah) and Dom (Adam Jamal Craig) do more field work this episode and both characters developed nicely, as has the lovable, quirky operation psychologist Nate (Peter Cambor). I will single out one character this episode - Hetty (Linda Hunt). Hetty is definitely NOT Gibbs or Director Vance. She's fairly kind, has sly humour and gets the best from her team. There is something about her that makes you warm whilst watching her, she is a great addition to the show, even if she does look like a toy doll.
All in all, after two episodes of NCIS: LA I've been loving every minute of it. I can't wait for next week's episode. 8/10
NCIS: Los Angeles (2009)
Not too shabby
Well, I just finished watching "Identity" of NCIS: LA and I have to say I was rather impressed. The writing is solid, the actors (notably Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Peter Cambor) are brilliant and the setting is a good fit and change from Washington from the original series, NCIS.
I will say this for "Identity", it seems that Callen (O'Donnell) and Sam (Cool J) do all of the field work while the others - Nate (Cambor), Kensi (Daniella Ruah) and Dominic (Adam Jamal Craig) just stand around and talk about what's happening in the MTAC room. I will give kudos to the performances given by guest stars Linda Hunt and Barrett Foa who play Hetty and Eric respectively.
It will be interesting to see where the series goes and I'm looking forward to seeing the characters grow and their back stories being explained. And I'm sure EVERYONE is looking forward to Callen catching up to the guys that shot him in "Legend Part 2".
A solid effort - 9/10
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Bête Noire (2004)
Wow
OK, first off, yes, I am writing this review quite a few years after the episode first aired, but when I realised no one else had written one I immediately thought something was wrong with that.
"Bete Noire" features a first for the NCIS team - a terrorist has infiltrated NCIS HQ in Washington via Autopsy. The terrorist (later named as Ari Haswari) has taken Ducky, Gerald and Kate hostage. The terrorist's demands are made and Gibbs, DiNozzo and Abby are left to deal.
This episode was amazing. Action, thrills, humour and a hell of a lot of suspense - the episode had everything. The standout of this episode, without a doubt, was the acting by guest star Rudolf Martin (Haswari). The charming, charismatic terrorist is as deadly as he is alluring. His eyes look kind...moments before he fires his gun. The character is just brilliantly portrayed and well written.
All in all, Bete Noire is without a doubt one of the best, if not THE best episode of NCIS. 10/10
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: About Face (2008)
A good addition to the series
NCIS is one of the better crime-related shows on TV - it's no mystery. When it is up against the repetitive "CSI", the pathetically weak Australian series "Rush" and "Law and Order", NCIS takes the cake every single time.
"About Face" shows the NCIS team dealing with a body found in a construction site. Ducky's Medical Assistant, Jimmy Palmer, a somewhat minor character who has been in the entire series, really shines in this episode. When Palmer is targeted by a killer, Palmer is the only one who can identify him - making him the killer's target.
Brian Dietzen, who plays Palmer, gives a great performance in this episode. His screen time is throughout the entire episode which is a nice change from his usual 'few line' episodes.
This is a great episode of NCIS and really proves that after four seasons, a show can still be great.
Doctor Who: Silence in the Library (2008)
The Best episode since Blink!
Series four of Doctor Who has been, well let's face it; average. Partners in Crime and The Fires of Pompeii were average at best. Planet of the Ood was rather good, but the weak two-parter of The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky was a big let down. Followed by the terrible The Doctor's Daughter and the OK The Unicorn and the Wasp, the series has been up and down, up and down, up and down.
But now, we are back to the good stuff. Silence in the Library starts out brilliant. The Doctor and Donna find a library completely empty...but with over 1,000,000 lifeforms. Puzzled? I was too. The episode is very complex but enjoyable too. Obviously, there was too much information to squeeze into one episode, hence the story being told in two parts.
David Tennant is, as always, electric as The Doctor. Sadly, once again, Catherine Tate as Donna Noble is hollow. The character is just...bad. (Count how many times she has cried throughout the series =too much.) Brilliant performances are given by Alex Kingston as the enigmatic River Song and by Colin Salmon as Dr. Moon. Also, thumbs up to Eve Newton for a great first performance.
Steven Moffat is the best writer of the series, and Series Five, although a long way off, will be brilliant with Moffat as head writer. Silence in the Library has been the best episode of series four.
We'll have to wait and see if Forest of the Dead, the second part, can top it.
10/10
Primeval (2007)
Brilliant!
I had very low expectations when I saw Primeval advertised on TV. The effects did not look great, nor did the actors, but I sat down and watched the first episode and was fairly satisfied by the end. I tuned in the next week and thought the second episode was good, too. The third bored me a little bit but the rest of the season was, in a word, brilliant! Primeval is everything you could want in a TV show - action, suspense, mystery, hints of romance here and there and of course, adventure. I live in Australia and the second season is due to air in a few weeks so I will gladly be tuning in. Get out there and watch this series and you will not be disappointing in the characters that the producers actually get you to care about, something rare in TV show's today. Enjoy!
Jumper (2008)
I actually liked it quite a bit
Everyone in the world wishes they could teleport. Don't say "No, I don't" because everyone has thought about it at least once, so don't make yourself a liar.
Jumper is the story of David Rice (Christensen) who learns he has the ability to "Jump" (teleport) anywhere in the world. But when a murderous religious group called the "Paladins" start hunting them down one by one, David, along with Millie (Bilson) and fellow jumper Griffin (Bell) must fight against head Paladin Roland (Jackson).
Here's the breakdown, the short breakdown actually; great story, good acting, nice action, superb effects. Done and done.
The only bad thing about the movie was the running time, which is why this only gets 9/10.
Don't miss the point when you watch this film! It's good, light-hearted entertainment.
Doctor Who: The Doctor's Daughter (2008)
Bit of a bore really....
OK, I love Doctor Who as much as the next person. But I have to admit, this was one of the most boring episodes I've ever watched. The Hath seemed to be a really odd and kind of pointless species, Martha's presence in the episode was totally unnecessary, Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) seems to get worse with each episode and The Doctor having a daughter seemed like a cheap way of creating another Time Lord.
And what was with the story? A war raging on, that really isn't a war raging on, but everyone is saying that the war is raging on and they must fight because the war is raging on? Yeah, great stuff. I may have been the only one who disliked the episode, so it's just my opinion.
There were only two things good about this episode, the performance given by David Tennant, and that the episode eventually ended.
4/10 for me, a really disappointing effort in my opinion.