FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER

While never quite as warm as his radio self, Jonathan Ross' television persona remains a potent force on his Friday chat shows. FNWJR returned last night for another run (interrupted next week by sport, natch) and gave a great example of the format in one sitting.

Ricky Gervais returned, for the zillionth time, to plug his new Extras DVD and his live show Fame. Gervais' friendship with Ross is always played up, with their chats being notoriously strangled. Each man trying to upstage, ridicule and berate the other into submission. To be honest, it's overplayed and somewhat calculating, but Ross clearly relishes being able to spit venom without fear of recrimination.

Next up was Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates. No, you haven't tuned into a UK Gold repeat from 2002 by accident, it really was him. Gates came across as a likeable young man with his head skrewed on, was philosphical about his 15 minutes of fame and good-humoured with the jibes at his stammering past. Of course, Gates was there to plug a new single and "change of musical direction", but spent most of the time discussing speech impediments, to his credit.

Finally, the week's big name guest was saved for last: Mr John Travolta. A real Hollywood legend, make no mistake. The interview was a great example of Ross' style and ability in this arena of television. He's a master of making guests feel comfortable, by revealing some personal information and smiling cheekily between near-the-knuckle gags.

Predictably, his iconic dancing, Grease and Pulp Fiction comeback were brought up. But more interesting was Travolta nattering about his pilot's licence (he owns a Boeing 707), his work schedule (he doesn't work after 6pm, contractually) and some discussion of Scientology, particularly regarding the apparent "no noise" edict of births.

But the highlight came at the end. After an entire show of unsubtle attempts to persuade Travolta to guest-star in the final Extras' Christmas Special, Ross helped his friend out by suggesting Gervais dance with Travolta. The hilarious sight of Gervais flailing around in full-on "David Brent" mode, Ross spinning like a turtle on the floor and JT striking some poses from Saturday Night Fever was another moment of TV gold for the show.

In one episode it encapsulated everyhing that's good and bad about Friday Night with Ross. The love-ins with celebrity friends (Gervais), the ironic guest stars (Gates), superstars (Travolta), frank discussions on touchy subjects (stammering, Scientology), layerings of banter (Gates bedding Jordan), eye-opening reveals (Travolta's jetsetting lifestyle) and the criminally unfunny Four Poofs And A Piano.

Read More...

Summary only...

New Doctor Who tomorrow! Reviews to follow on DMDB soon after. I also need to get up to speed with some DVD reviews (Munich, United 93, Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth, Cronos), so hope to get those done soon...

US TOP 10

1. TMNT $24.3m
2. 300 £19.9m
3. Shooter $14.5m
4. Wild Hogs $13.9m
5. The Last Mimzy $10m
6. The Hills Have Eyes II $9.69m
7. Premonition $9.56m
8. Reign Over Me $7.46m
9. Pride $3.53m
10. Dead Silence $3.44m

UK TOP 10

1. 300 £4.7m
2. TMNT £948k
3. Premonition £736k
4. Norbit £605k
5. Amazing Grace £431k
6. Hot Fuzz £417k
7. I Want Candy £349k
8. Becoming Jane £308k
9. Namastey London £238k
10. Ghost Rider £174k

UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

MR BEAN'S HOLIDAY
Accident prone Mr Bean wins a trip to the south of France. Silent slapstick comedy starring Rowan Atkinson.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES II
A group of National Guard trainees battle a group of mutants in the desert. Gruesome horror sequel.

THE LAST MIMZY
Two siblings begin to develop strange powers after they find a mysterious box of toys. Fantasy adventure.

MEET THE ROBINSONS
A boy genius is whisked to the distant future to stop a megalomaniac. CGI animated adventure.

Read More...

Summary only...

THE TELEVISION NOVEL

The biggest trend of the past five years has been serial drama. These "television novels" treat each episode as a chapter in the show's overall story.

It's a format used on Lost, 24, Prison Break, Heroes and Veronica Mars, amongst others. Of course, serials are nothing new to telly. Remember David Lynch's Twin Peaks? That trod a similar path in 1990, with each episode representing a day of a murder invesigation.

Five years later, Murder One told a single story over consecutive episodes, becoming the first series where this format was integral to the show. However, audiences weren't ready to invest as much time/effort into following these shows back then.

Twin Peaks became a pop-culture icon but remained cult viewing and was cancelled after just two years. Such shows were born into a world where it was considered bizarre for Quantum Leap to have a three-part episode!

It was also very difficult to keep up with serials in the 90s: DVD box-sets weren't as prolific, Sky+ was years away and repeats weren't scheduled regularly. Most people only had terrestrial channels, so it wasn't possible to do the type of "marathon catchups" so familiar to E4 and Sky One viewers these days.

So why are serials so popular now? Is it purely because we have the technology to fit their schedule around our own social lives? Well, perhaps. It certainly makes them easier to digest and that's been the downside to serials since they began. You see, there's no point watching 24 when Jack Bauer's already 16 hours into his latest mission. Likewise, newcomers to Lost will find the third season totally impenetrable.

That's why a lot of a marketing muscle is employed when a serial debuts. 24's sixth season premiered four episodes in two days, then released a Premiere DVD to curb illegal downloading (although that backfired when the DVD was leaked onto the 'net a weeks before their transmission!) Heroes blitzed comic book conventions months before it aired, while Lost's publicity machine is omnipresent whenever a new season begins.

If a serial is unlucky enough to go ignored in its opening hours, or fails to develop a quick momentum thereafter, it spells certain doom. Just take a look at Invasion or Day Break. Viewers have finite time to spare and not much loyalty to go around. If we continue the novel allegory, you don't expect bookworms to be reading six books concurrently, but TV execs want us be watching dozens of their own stories!

Is that justified? Many viewers realize know much time is needed to invest in serial dramas, so they purposefully don't start watching them for fear of getting hooked! A bizarre situation arises when some people daren't watch new serials incase they get cancelled and the story goes unresolved... so their actions create their own fear. Catch-22.

Given the risky nature of making a serial drama successful and attaining viewer loyalty, doesn't it make more sense to create shows that have self-contained plots? Shows that take their time to settle in and don't infringe on our lives? Like in the old days.

Well, the truth is, the vast majority of TV still deal with traditional formats of standalone episodes. Anyone can catch an episode of CSI, Monk, ER or House without feeling late to the party, because their premises are easy to grasp. Sure, they still have continuing elements for fans to enjoy, but nothing that's crucial.

The X-Files actually had its feet in both camps during the 90s. The majority of its episodes were standalone stories, enjoyed by fans and casual viewers alike, while only the minority were hardcore conspiracy plots for X-Philes. To be honest, this is till the most popular compromise with the traditional format and sprawling serials -- just look at Supernatural, Smallville, Medium, CSI, The Wire, Deadwood, etc.

The age of "television novels" has certainly matured though. By looking beyond simple weekly fixes, a good serial offers elaborate and sustained narratives. Creativity and storytelling depths open up for talented showrunners, allowing epic storylines for the small screen that enables competition with Hollywood through sheer complexity.

Film director Terry Gilliam once claimed that superhero epic Watchmen would only work on TV, while the popular Preacher graphic novel is being primed for a sprawling HBO series instead of a diluted movie. Indeed, with US budgets of $2 million per episode. the exodus of film actors to television and a relaxed attitude to sex/violence on certain channels, TV is encroaching on film's territory more and more...

To illustrate this, George Lucas is intending to focus on the boob tube now, with a 100-episode Star Wars series slated for 2009...

Read More...

Summary only...

LIFE ON MARS

I watched the first episode of a great TV show called Life On Mars over the weekend. What's that sniggering? Series TWO is on now, you say? You're kidding! Oh well...

Life On Mars is the time-travel cop drama where modern-day policeman Sam Tyler (John Simm) is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in 1973. From thereon it's a fish-out-of-water police procedural as the 21st-century copper gets to grips with the sexist and violent rozzers of the 70s.

It was good stuff, actually. I never got into the show last year for one simple reason: the title. I thought it was a documentary about aliens, so gave it a miss! By the time I realized its premise was more original than the usual BBC yawnathons and the title was actually a David Bowie track, I felt like a latecomer and didn't bother watching.

For this reason, I still point to Life On Mars as a great example of a bad and misleading title...

I don't think I'll be buying the dirt cheap DVD box-set in HMV, but I might check out Episode 2 if it turns up on Virgin's On Demand service.

What's the general feeling out there for Life On Mars? Is it sustaining interest now it's in series 2, or should it have been a one-off mini-series?

Read More...

Summary only...

IS MR BEAN STILL FUNNY?

Rowan Atkinson is deserving of his comedy legend status. Blackadder alone guarantees entry into our Hall Of Fame. I also really enjoyed Mr Bean in his 90s heyday, but I was glad when the TV series was canned when the quality plummeted.

The first Mr Bean movie (1997) disappointed me greatly. The great trailers promised so much, but we just ended up with a silly mess meant to appeal to the Yanks. Still, it has somehow spawned a sequel, 10 years later, in the shape of Mr Bean's Holiday.

But is Bean funny now? Do we care about rubber-faced Rowan? Atkinson's output has inconsistent post-Mr Bean; mundane sitcom The Thin Blue Line, some funny Barclaycard adverts and their movie spin-off Johnny English, frivolous cameos in other movies like Love, Actually and full-blown flops like Keeping Mum.

The fact is Rowan Atkinson is one of Britain's most underused comedy legends, never able to top the written quality of Blackadder or find a better outlet for his physicality other than Mr Bean.

Atkinson must feel there's still mileage in Bean's silent comedy. I suppose the character still has its diehard fans, but I suspect Europe will be more welcoming than us Brits. The France setting is no accident, as the French have always had a soft spot for Bean's brand of visual humour (indeed, Bean was even inspired by Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot).

Watching trailers to Mr Bean's Holiday didn't fill me with hope for a quality film (dancing to a Shaggy track is at least 10 years too late to be funny, Rowan), but I did get a whiff of nostalgia for Mr Bean's earlier antics.

I don't think the new film will be a big hit, despite its carefully planned Easter release. It will do okay business thanks to youngsters and Rowan's fans here, but that's about it. I'll catch it on TV in a few years.

Anyway, here's a piece of Bean greatness that was shown in cinemas before films began awhile ago. You probably haven't seen this...

Read More...

Summary only...

Season 3, Episode 13 - 27 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm

WRITER: Michael Taylor DIRECTOR: Edward James Olmos

CAST: Edward James Olmos (Adama), James Callis (Baltar), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Tricia Helfer (Number 6/Caprica), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), Michael Trucco (Anders), Kerry Norton (Layne Ishay), Leah Cairns (Racetrack) & Donnelly Rhodes (Dr Cottle)

Baltar faces interrogation to extract information about the Cylons, while there's q possibility for Lee and Starbuck to rekindle their romance...

Only Battlestar Galactica could get away with using a line from the Cheers theme tune as its title. Taking A Break From All Your Worries (grimace) is another character-based episode, which sometimes go awry on BSG if the writers don't balance the human drama with compelling action or insights.

Writer Michael Taylor just about manages to make this episode work, furthering the Lee/Starbuck relationship while at the same time providing some intriguing moments with Baltar, Roslin and Adama. The main plot concerns Baltar's treatment by the Galactica crew, as he's drugged and faces freaky hallucinations while being questioned over his actions.

rankly, it's about time some of Baltar's secrets were revealed, as his betrayals and mind-games have just about run their course. Now is a good time to send his character off in a fresh direction, perhaps seeking help in understanding exactly why Number 6 appears to him in visions. If he's not a Cylon, what is going on?

Edward James Olmos (Adama) directs this episode, his second time in the director's chair since season 1's Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down. Olmos does a solid job, although he overuses the show's iconic use of quick zooms and slow pans. The directing could be tighter, but it's not too distracting, Baltar's "visions" are effectively staged and the opening sequence is the most intriguing of recent weeks.

James Callis has been a tremendous asset to the show since day one as Baltar, making a treacherous villain sympathetic and relatable. He's constantly being asked to perform difficult material (the writers really enjoy twisting the knife) and he always rises to the challenge.

Michael Taylor's script finds time to touch on a few ideas and characters usually snubbed by BSG, particularly Dee (Kandyse McClure). McClure is a decent actress who's been given little to do on the show, but there are some good scenes for her to chew on here and her relationship with Lee becomes more interesting as a result.

Likewise, Mr Gaeta (Alessandro Juliani) has a few moments to shine, although every time the writers construct something interesting for Gaeta to do, Juliani never quite convinces. He's too mild-mannered to really sell the bitter and controversial actions he's asked to peform.

It was also a small pleasure to see Taylor's script mention Chief Tyrol's one-time romance with Cylon Sharon (Grace Park). This romance was a prominent and interesting part of BSG in season 1 and the Chief has become hamstrung since with a comparatively boring relationship with Cally.

Indeed, it's interesting to note that most of the relationship changes to BSG have been for the worse, including Lee and Starbuck's on/off romance. The characters were perfectly spread in season 1 and you can sense the growing disdain for how they've all been allowed to lose focus. Only Helo and Boomer/Athena have kept their strained relationship alive and interesting since day one.

Overall, Taking A Break From All Your Worries isn't particularly memorable or necessary, but it's competent and features another knockout performance from Callis. It was unusual to find a "bonus scene" presented at the end of the show, involving Roslin and an imprisoned Number 6. The scene is perfectly fine, but why wasn't it integrated into the show? Odd.

Read More...

Summary only...

We seem to be in a world of imitation. Every time someone concocts a fresh idea for television, a starving competitor quickly produces a lazy cash-in. The most famous of this was BBC 1's Strictly Come Dancing being restyled as ITV's Dancing On Ice. Both shows are big successes for their respected channels, but have never been in competition with each other.

But, in a few week's time, BBC vs ITV will be the big event for Saturday night telly. BBC 1 are launching Any Dream Will Do on 31 March, a show that hopes to find a new male lead for classic West End musical Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The BBC team has already earned respect amongst theatre critics after they discovered Connie Fisher, winner of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? She is now lead actress in The Sound Of Music, wowing audiences.

Over on ITV, just a week later on 7 April, comes Grease Is The World, masterminded by Simon Cowell. The format is exactly the same as Dream/Maria, but producers are looking for a Danny and Sandy to star in Grease. The scheduling clash should prove interesting for unbiased observers. Audiences will likely decide their favourite show based on the musical content alone.

So, on paper anyway, Grease is the clear favourite because it has fans across the generations and its 50s retro-cool appeals to the under-30s more than a dusty Biblical story. But let's see how the two shows compare in terms of actual format:

THE PRESENTERS

Any Dream Will Do has Graham Norton, returning from Maria. Viewers of Maria will know what to expect from him: competence, cheeky camp and a few naughty jokes. However, Norton always looks neutered when presenting pre-watershed family fluff.

Grease has Zoe Ball, a youthful, sexier alternative to Norton who appeals to both sexes. She's been an accomplished presenter for years now, so knows how the live gig works.

WINNER: Grease's Zoe Ball; fresher, sexier and better suited to her show.

THE JUDGES

Andrew Lloyd Webber may not be the prettiest face in the world, but his name alone brings a stamp of approval to Any Dream. Theatre producer Bill Kenwright will offer tangible real-life expertise in the field, as will musical star John Barrowman, vocal coach Zoe Tyler and actress Denise Van Outen. Interestingly, Van Outen recently returned from the US from co-presenting the American version of ITV's Grease show!

Simon Cowell doesn't star in Grease Is The Word, but he has recruited David Gest (soon to join him on X-Factor), ex-lover Sinitta, theatre producer David Ian and choreographer Brian Friedman as judges.

WINNER: Any Dream for its bredth of talent and expertise. Cowell's troupe look dodgy in comparison, although oddball Gest could be a secret weapon.

THE HISTORIES

Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat has existed since 1968, but enjoyed its biggest success on Broadway in 1981 and the West End in 1991.

Grease actually started life as a stage musical in 1971, but didn't become popular until the classic movie starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in 1978. The soundtrack was a No1 album in the US and UK and has enjoyed sustained popularity ever since. The movie got 5 Golden Globe nominations in '79 and the stage show received 7 Tony awards in '72.

WINNER: Grease, recently voted the Best Movie Musical too. It's a cultural benchmark, whereas Joseph is most famous in the UK for being a vehicle for 80s popstar Jason Donovan and TV presenter Philip Schofield!

THE STORIES & MUSIC

Joseph's storyline concerns the eponymous character, whose father considers him his favourite of 12 sons. Jealous, Joseph's brothers plot to steal his amazing technicolour coat and sell him as a slave. The musical has plenty of songs, but "Any Dream Will Do" is perhaps its sole masterpiece.

Grease concerns leather-clad bad boy Danny and his romance of straight-laced Sandy at Rydell High School during the 1950s. The musical has lots of songs, each one a classic in its own right, but "Summer Loving", "Greased Lightning" and "You're The One That I Want" are more than enough to see off competition from Joseph.

WINNER: Grease is a no-brainer, really. Joseph's story is a bit silly (dreamcoat?) and the Biblical backdrop won't really appeal most kids. The songs are also a little mundane and most aren't massively known. Meanwhile, Grease's 50s-setting remains a potent fantasy for modern teens and those around 50 years ago themselves, so it bridges the generation gap better. The story is also more relatable and practically every song is a hit.

THE OVERALL WINNER...

I think it's safe to say Grease is the better product to be involved with for numerous reasons (see above). Indeed, the Beeb had planned to follow Maria with a Grease contest before the idea was poached by Simon Cowell for ITV. That said, Dream's judges seem like a better bunch and having the great Andrew Lloyd Webber himself involved is a bonus.

The Dream team have already proven themselves canny talent-spotters with Sound Of Music too. Grease will undoubtedly survive more on its songs, history and status in popular culture. The relatively weak judges will struggle to upstage the musical performances themselves -- which is as it should be.

Read More...

Summary only...

26 March 2007 - Five, 10.00 pm

WRITERS: Monica Macer & Seth Hoffman DIRECTOR: Greg Yaitanes

CAST: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), William Fichtner (Agent Mahone), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Paul Adelstein (Agent Kellerman), Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr Sara Tancredi), Marshall Allman (L.J), Wade Williams (Bellick), Matt DeCaro (Roy), Reggie Lee (Bill Kim), Anthony Denison (Aldo Burrows), Barbara Eve Harris (Lang), Jason Davis (Agent Wheeler), Callie Thorne (Pam Mahone) & Kristin Lehman (Jane Phillips)

Michael heads to a secret location to secure a place to Panama, while Lincoln and Aldo discover an enemy close to hand. Meanwhile, T-Bag tracks the $5 million and Agent Kellerman tortures Sarah...

This episode is a little strained in its attempts to refocus the season as we reach the mid-way point, but it's still a great deal of fun if you ignore some goofs from writers Monica Macer and Seth Hoffman.

Wentworth Miller grapples with better material as his guilt over crimes he's committed for the greater good take hold. Miller is a charismatic and likeable lead actor, but Michael's never been particularly talkative and he's often used as a means to an end. In recent weeks the stories have been able to peel away some layers of Michael's character -- last week with love interest Sara and now with his conscience.

A personal aspect to proceedings has also returned for Dominic Purcell as Lincoln. Purcell gets a lot of grief from some snottier critics, as he generally just broods and mumbles in his performances. But I like him -- he has a believable intensity and sells the brotherly and fatherly angle to his character. He's also a pretty decent action hero through his physical presence, but the recent reappearance of his father Aldo is giving him something meatier to get stuck into.

The ongoing Bellick and Roy shenanigans over the $5 million seems like padding the longer it goes on, although Bolshoi Booze atleast wraps things up nicely with T-Bag tracking down double-crossing Roy (who has been spending his cash in a swanky hotel suite full of prostitutes).

Paul Adelstein continues to do great work as Agent Kellerman, here forced to torture Sara for a voice recording that could expose the White House conspiracy into the now-President's supposedly dead brother. It's about time proper reasoning was added to this plot strand, as Kellerman's focus on Sara just to get to Lincoln through Michael was beginning to strain credibility. Of course, the writers seem to have invented this new piece of the puzzle at the last-minute, but atleast it's plausible.

Reggie Lee as Bill Kim, the latest villain who's been bubbling away in the background for awhile now, gets a great scene with trapped Agent Mahone that crackles with electricity. Lee is an exciting new addition to the show who's proving to be very enjoyable to watch in a real boo-hiss manner.

Read More...

Summary only...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I'm 28 today! Only two years away from the big 3-0... but a good 12 years away from the big 4-0. So it's not all bad, really.

Anyway, in a moment of interest I had a look on the IMDB to see who shares my birthday from the world of celebrity...

Keira Knightley, the sexy actress from the Pirates movies, is 21 today!
Alan Silvestri, composer of Back To The Future, is 56 today!
Martin Short, diminuitive comic actor from Innerspace, is 56 today!
Diana Ross, diva singer who used to be in the Three Degrees, is 61 today!
James Caan, legendary actor from Misery, is 66 today!
Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek's Spock, is 75 today!

So I'm with pretty good company. Particularly chuffed with the link to Keira Knightley (and Leonard Nimoy, secretly). Maybe I can use our birthday synchronicity to chat-up Ms Knightley some day.

Hmmm. Time to blow out those candles and make a wish...

Read More...

Summary only...

25 March 2007 - Sky One, 10.00 pm

WRITERS: Drew Goddard & Jeff Pinkner DIRECTOR: Jack Bender

CAST: Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Matthew Fox (Jack), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Michael Emerson (Ben), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Mira Furlan (Rousseau), M.C Gainey (Tom), Tania Raymonde (Alex), Brian Goodman (Ryan Pryce), Cleo King (Government Worker), Stephen Bishop (William Kincaid), Marlene Forte (Detective Mason), Don Nahaku (Detective Reed), Barbara Beecheer (Mrs Talbot), Patrick J. Adams (Peter Talbot), Kevin Tighe (Anthony Cooper) & Nestor Campbell (Richard Alpert)

Kate and Sayid are captured whilst trying to contact Jack. Meanwhile, Locke holds Ben at gunpoint, prompting memories of how he broke his back four years ago...

Season 3 seems to be facing the challenge many shows face in their third year. When it debuted in 2004 Lost was exciting, revelatory and unique. Season 2 introduced new elements and deepened the mythology to keep viewer interest. But season 3 has a far more difficult challenge: surprising audiences who are now savvy with the show's style.

The Man From Tallahassee is one of the best episodes of the year, primarily because all of its sub-plots are interesting and its flashbacks focus on John Locke. Terry O'Quinn's character is sometimes mistreated by the writers; he lost his courageous veneer to press a button for most of season 2 and has made silly decisions this season (faith in Eko's "Jesus Stick", blowing up the Flame, etc).

However, while Locke's on-island character is inconsistent, O'Quinn is a magnetic presence regardless and Locke's flashbacks are usually seasonal highlights. This episode certain proves this, as we finally learn how Locke ended up in a wheelchair. Needless to say it has something to do with his con man father Anthony Cooper, one of the most deliciously evil men on television, perfectly underplayed by Kevin Tighe.

The island action is just as revelatory. Kate is stunned to discover Jack's deal with the Others to leave the island board their outbound submarine, while Locke takes Ben hostage with a plot to destroy the sub -- but for what purpose?

Michael Emerson is back on fine form as Ben, now stuck in a wheelchair and perplexed as to why the island healed Locke's disability within seconds, but has refused to do the same for him. The episode is packed with hints towards the island's mystical properties and Ben's conversations with Locke (while shrouded in vagueness) are more straight-talking than usual.

As is often the case with Lost's most memorable episodes, the real talking points are huge spoilers. But, suffice to say that Locke's crippling accident is shocking and violent. The final scene is also one of Lost's most dazzling in ages; totally bizarre, unpredictable and spawns a hundred new questions in your mind. Superb.

Overall, The Man From Tallahassee is the kind of episode fans are hungry for after three years. A long-standing question is answered, character dynamics are primed to shift (Jack/Kate, Ben/Locke, Alex/Ben), vital information is offered regarding the island and the final moment will send your mind spinning.

A fantastic episode that puts the season's shaky first quarter firmly in the past. If the rest of season 3 can continue in this vein, we're in for a treat and Lost could break the curse of third years...

Read More...

Summary only...

25 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm
WRITERS: Michael Loceff & Joel Surnow DIRECTOR: Jon Cassar
CAST: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Peter MacNicol (Thomas Lennox), Carlo Rota (Morris O'Brian), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), Gregory Itzin (Charles Logan), Jean Smart (Martha Logan), Glenn Morshower (Aaron Pierce), Powers Boothe (Noah Daniels), Rade Serbedzija (Dmitri Gredenko), Lauten Richard Metcalfe (Agent Shavers), James Ellis Lane (Medic #1), John Noble (Consul Markov), Lex Cassar (Agent Ryan), Rick Schroder (Mike Doyle), Boris Krutonog (Russian Agent Vasili), Ajay Mehta (Ambassador), Kathleen Gati (Anya Suvarov), Gideon Emery (Leon), Scarlett Chorvat (Female Hostage), Kari Matchett (Lisa Miller), Adoni Maropis (Fayed) & Nick Jameson (Yuri Suvarov)


With Jack trapped inside the Russian consulate with vital information, CTU prepares a rescue that could start a war. Meanwhile, Daniels continues to use Palmer's assassination attempt to bolster his own ideology...

A more sustained installment of action and drama this week, as 24 enters its second half with fire in its belly. The absence of Wayne Palmer has certainly energized proceedings now that frighteningly right-wing Vice President Daniels is able to cause strife in the White House bunker.

CTU even gets a shot in the arm with the arrival of a new character: Agent Mike Doyle (Rick Schroder), the new Field Agent who replaces Curtis Manning and already has everyone's backs raised. His introduction is hardly original (24 often used new faces to shake-up office cosiness) but it could prove a masterstrock if he's developed properly.

Kiefer Sutherland is playing second fiddle to events this year, looking predictable and stale. All of the season's standout moments have relied on wow-factor events (nuke), identity reveals (the Bauer family) and the return of old favourites (Logan, now Martha), with Jack's role being pure reaction.

It's a shame, because the season started with strong inferences we'd be seeing a different version of Jack after his Chinese jailing... but this hasn't happened. In Episode 13, Jack has his hands full battling his way out of the Russian consulate single-handed, as CTU wait on the periphery for a greenlight to storm the building.

Elsewhere, Logan goes to speak with ex-wife Martha, to get her to persuade Russian President Suvarov, via his wife Anya, to allow American action on the consulate. Gregory Itzin is on great form alongside Jean Smart as Martha, with both actors bouncing off each other brilliantly. The return of Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower) is also a nice continuation from season 5, revealing a somewhat bizarre new role for the ex-Secret Service Agent. Incidentally, this makes Morshower the only actor to appear in all six seasons of 24, alongside Kiefer Sutherland.

The overall plot also seems to be gathering speed, with Gredenko putting the finishing touches on his unmanned nuke-carrying drones. But the real drama is coming from Powers Boothe as the dangerously gung-ho Vice President, forcing Lennix to lie about Al-Assad's involvement in the assassination plot and threatening nuclear retaliation. It makes a change from the pragmatic David Palmer and the incompetent Logan and could prove to be a turning point in season 6's identity.

In summation, there are definite signs the writers have realized season 6 was beginning to limp and some of their ideas weren't really working that well (the Bauer family conspiracy and Wayne Palmer primarily). With those subplots on hiatus for awhile, the story is rapidly gaining some momentum again.

All we need now is for the writers to get Jack back on the trail of Gredenko after the consulate distraction and for the character dynamics at CTU to improve. I still think season 6 is suffering from writer fatigue, with too many plots, characters and ideas stolen/reworked from previous seasons, but change seems to be afoot...

Read More...

Summary only...

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE
REGION 2. PICTURE: 2.18:1 AUDIO: DD5.1
DIRECTOR: Adrew Adamson
WRITERS: Ann Peacock, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (based on the novel by C.S Lewis)
CAST/VOICES: William Moseley (Peter Pevensie), Anna Popplewell (Susan Pevensie), Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie), Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), Tilda Swinton (Jadis The White Witch), James McAvoy (Mr Tumnus), Liam Neeson (Aslan), Ray Winstone ( Mr Beaver), Dawn French (Mrs Beaver), Jim Broadbent (Professor Digory Kirke), James Cosmo (Father Christmas), Patrick Kake (Oreius), Kiran Shah (Ginarrbrik), Elizabeth Hawthorne (Mrs Macready), Judy McIntosh (Mrs Pevensie), Shane Rangi (General Otmin), Michael Madsen (Maugrim) & Rupert Everett (Fox)

Four wartime siblings evacuated to the countryside discover a wardrobe that leads to the land of Narnia, where they discover their appearance is part of a prophecy...

Undoubtedly fast-tracked as a result of The Lord Of The Rings' success, C.S Lewis highly-regarded novel (the first of seven) is adapted for the big screen courtesy of director Andew Adamson, who cut his teeth on the first two Shrek animations.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (herein LW&W) concerns the four Pevensie children, evacuated from London to the English countryside during the Blitz. It's during a game of hide-and-seek in a sprawling mansion that youngest sibling Lucy discovers a wardrobe that leads to Narnia, a wintry wonderland populated by talking animals and ruled by an evil White Witch.

It's not long before all four Pevensie children (brave Peter, cautious Susan, sweet Lucy and cynical Edmund) are embroiled in the affairs of Narnia, which has been stuck in winter for hundreds of years. The Pevensies are amazed to discover their presence was prophecized and heralds the return of Aslan (Liam Neeson), a mighty lion who must defeat the White Witch Jadis (Tilda Swinton) to secure the royal reign of the Pevensies.

Andew Adamson ensures LW&W is a faithful adaptation. The film is bright and colourful, the special FX are of a high standard, the acting/voice-overs are generally good and the pacing is strong.

At face value, LW&W is a triumph, but while it's enjoyable and fun for younger children, Adamson fails to make Narnia's opening salvo really soar. The truth is, LW&W is afraid to take risks or provide anything other than dependable and vibrant action beats. Yes, I know it's a children's film, but the heart and soul is missing from Narnia. As an epic, it's disappointingly minor and inconsequential.

The performances are acceptable, but only Georgie Henley hits the right note as Lucy Pevensie. William Moseley is stiff as Peter, Anna Popplewell is underused as Susan, while Skandar Keynes makes a great start as traitorous grouch Edmund, only for his character to fizzle out once forgiveness is granted.

It's always difficult when success rests on young actor's shoulders (just as the Harry Potter team), but LW&W drags your attention away from the children with its effects pretty quickly. By the time a climactic battle is underway, your concern for the Pevensie clan has been usurped by ogling all the Minotaurs, Centaurs and giant eagles.

Despite all the creatures we see along the way, their cumulative battle failed to arouse me in the wake of Lord Of The Rings' own epic brawls. FX teams will never make talking animals convincing (the structure of their mouths will just never synch with human words), but the CGI beavers were nicely animated. The hybrid men (half horse or half goat) were rendered well, as were the bullish Minotaurs and the impressive lion Aslan. Remember when CGI hair and fur was considered impossible?

The most pleasing thing about Narnia's production design is the vibrancy and flair of colour. After the muted pallete of the Rings' trilogy, it's nice to see some fantasy sequences in bright daylight. Snowy Narnia is simply enchanting in the opening half, the crossing of an icy river is beautiful and the finale's grassy battle sequence is sumptuous.

Tilda Swinton is impressive as the White Witch, the only person who's bothering to grab the material by the scruff of the neck. Swinton's androgynous features again serve her well post-Constantine, giving Jadis a creepy sense of asexuality. Early moments spent tempting Edmund with Turkish Delight are lovely and she sells a spooky sacrificial scene very well. It's just a shame she's underused everywhere else and her eventual comeuppance is criminally fudged.

Overall, LW&W is fairly unexciting but solid entertainment for undemanding children and fans of the books. There's not much life to anything beyond Tilda Swinton and a neat turn by James McAvoy as kindly faun Mr Tumnus. In particular, the quartet of child leads are totally ambivalent (passable as naive kids, implausible as battlefield troops).

For the target under-10s, Narnia's first chapter is colourful and cheerful, totally able to entertain for a few hours. But, more discerning viewers will spot an empty-hearted epic when they see one. It certainly doesn't inspire eagerness to see the next six, particularly sans Swinton...

DVD REVIEW

PICTURE: The film's 2.35:1 ratio is slightly reduced to 2.18:1 and has some grain in the darker sequences, although most of the film is vibrant, rich and colourful.

SOUND: A brilliant sound design of DD5.1 (and DTS if you have it) that does a great job of bringing Narnia to life around you. Deep bass, good mid-range, clear dialogue and nice use of directional effects.

EXTRA FEATURES:

Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks. The first involves director Andrew Adamson and the four child stars and the second finds Adamson joined by production designer Roger Ford and producer Mark Johnson

Discover Narnia: Basically, fun facts in the form of pop-up information from co-producer Douglas Gresham, the stepson of C.S. Lewis. Not very many of these, sadly.

Bloopers: The usual assortment of mildy humorous and "you had to have been there" comedy goofs with the cast and crew. Four minutes long.

Creating Narnia: A documentary that includes 'Chronicles Of A Director', a 37-minute documentary. 'The Children's Magical Journey' is 26-minutes of featurette focusing on the child stars. Then there's 'Evolution Of An Epic' that includes 'C.S. Lewis, From One Man's Mind', 'Cinematic Storytellers,', 'Creating Creatures' and 'Anatomy of a Scene: The Melting River.' All of these are enjoyable enough, but 'Creating Creatures' is easily the best as we're treated to two 9-minute passages that show us how the film's creatures were created and costumed.

Creatures, Land And Legends: In here are 'Creatures Of The World' that gives background on the assorted mythological beings in the film. There's also 'Explore Narnia' which is a map of the country that allows you to highlight locations and get information.

Legends In Time: This is a timeline to events in the story, with audio narration. As always with a Disney Special Edition DVD, getting through the extras requires a lot of clicking!

The two discs come housed in a double, slim-line keep case, further enclosed in a cardboard slipcover designed to resemble and open like the wardrobe closet in the picture. It's quite an attractive proposition and the quality of the discs far outstrips the actual film itself.

Read More...

Summary only...

Doctor Who's third series (or twenty-ninth if you're being nerdy) returns on March 31st, sans Billie Piper, who has been replaced in the TARDIS by sexy new companion Freema Agyeman.

The show is a huge success story for the BBC, pleasing new and old viewers around the world with its family-friendly style. But, while there's definitely a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" vibe surrounding the third series, I personally still think Doctor Who isn't really delivering on its massive potential. Yet.

So here's how I would improve it even more, speaking as a critical fan:

1. Get rid of Russell T. Davies.
On the face of it, executive producer RTD has done a magnificent job reinventing the show so successfully, but his input is vastly overrated. With, or without him, Doctor Who would have been a success thanks to its production design, the engaging lead actors and the assembled writing team.

RTD may be a big name in the world of British drama writing, but the fact is that most stories written by him are terrible (Rose, New Earth, Love & Monsters, etc, etc.) Series 1 was primarily a hit because of Christopher Ecclestone, Billie Piper, the Daleks, viewer curiosity and nostalgia. Not smug Mr Davies.

2. Make Steven Moffatt the show-runner.
Assuming my #1 improvement ever happens (RTD has to step down some day, right?), writer Steven Moffatt is the best choice to replace him. All three episodes written by Moffatt have been examples of genius, from the spooky two-parter set during WWII to the time-hopping adventure of Girl In The Fireplace. Moffatt has proven he can write imaginative, funny, original and well-plotted stories. To see him take charge and oversee an entire series would be amazing.

3. Leave Earth.
That TARDIS can go anywhere in Space and Time... just so long as it's London? I understand budgetary demands mean trips to other planets aren't going to happen weekly... but only The Impossible Planet and Satan Pit have taken us properly off-world in 28 episodes!

Like many viewers, I'm fed up with London and variations on space stations. Just once I'd like to feel as if the TARDIS really can take you anywhere in the universe. I even promise not to whinge if it looks suspiciously like a quarry. Honest.

4. Get rid of the soap drama.
RTD's one major contribution to Doctor Who was the inclusion of a mild soap drama format revolving around Rose Tyler, her mother Jackie and her boyfriend Mickey. It was fine to start with because it was interesting to see how Rose's home life would be affected by her adventuring (something Who had never done before, bizarrely).

But, it also meant RTD was free to indulge his soap drama muscles, fuelled by a passion for Coronation Street. Sorry, but when The Doctor is spending half his time traipsing around a council estate trying to appease a chavvy mum, the show just loses its wow factor for me.

5. Enough with the gay stuff!
I'm not homophobic in the slightest, but the gay vibe on the show is a bit high. In moderation, there's nothing wrong with it. Captain Jack's bisexuality was handled quite well, for example, particularly when compared to Torchwood. While the subtext will be lost on younger children, the fact it's almost omnipresent just isn't right.

6. Stop recycling aliens so much.
The Autons were good, weren't they? The Slitheen must have been expensive. How about that Face of Bo, what an oddity he was! Oh, and I love Cassandra, she's brilliant. Fans loved Captain Jack, too. So why not bring them back? All... the... time. I'll tell you why: it's all very well trying to create a sense of "community in space", but this isn't Star Trek!

Admittedly, it's nice when old favourite's return (it wouldn't be the same show without the Daleks gliding around), but straining to bring villains back just because it was expensive to create them annoys me. I'd rather see fresh material, or at least see the repeat performances dished out more evenly. It's only a matter of time before the Queen Of Racnoss gets a repeat performance judging by the work that went into that Christmas Special...

7. Less famous faces.
Doctor Who became self-parody in the 80s and a slew of Z-list celebrities clamoured to appear on the show for kitsch value. Strangely, famous faces are par for the course now. Simon Callow, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Derek Acorah, Sophia Myles, Richard Wilson, Simon Pegg, Roger Lloyd Pack, Zoë Wannamaker, Anthony Head, Peter Kay, etc...

To be honest, many of the celebs have been excellent (Myles and Callow in particular), but when you're thinking "...look, it's Trigger... hey, the bloke from Spaced... didn't she kill Dirty Den?" during most episodes... it's time to call it a day. Plus, there's always the potential for another career lowlight akin to Peter Kay's embarrassing turn...

8. Toilet humour and other unfunny funnies.
Humour has long been a part of the show -- intentional (Tom Baker) or otherwise (that man-eating sofa) -- but the new shows seem to have difficulty getting the balance right. Who can forget the killer bin, farting aliens, the Weakest Link/Big Brother parodies or the infamous face-in-a-paving-stone that alluded to blowjobs?

They were all heinous comedy crimes that caused great embarrassment. By all means keep the comedy, but can we tighten the quality control? Only Steven Moffatt, with his sitcom background, seems capable of straddling the line between laughs and drama.

9. No more stupid humans.
Why don't people react like real human beings on the show? Most of the WORLD'S population were controlled by aliens in The Christmas Invasion. In that same episode a giant spaceship hovered over London, to be followed by another in The Runaway Bride. Big Ben was destroyed by one the year before. Ghosts appeared across the world in Army Of Ghosts, later followed by an intergalactic punch-up between Daleks and Cybermen on the streets of London. But people don't seem to remember any of this the next day!

I know, I know... suspension of disbelief is required obviously here. It's a kid's show, blah-blah-blah. The craziness was neatly joked at in The Runaway Bride with Donna's silly reasons for having missed these global events. But can they just invent some kind of Men In Black-style "memory wipe" system to get around these problem? Or can we just be told that people post-2005 are aware of aliens in the series? Oh no, wait –- that would ruin things for spin-off show Torchwood. Hmm, actually...

10. More mythology.
It's brilliant that Doctor Who hasn't even scratched the surface of its own mythology after two years, but will it ever get around to it? We've yet to visit Gallifrey, see The Master, meet other Time Lords, or learn some Time War specifics. There's a lot of stuff still to cover!

RTD's decision to destroy Gallifrey and the Time Lords was allegedly a deliberate measure to limit mythology and streamline the series into simple adventuring. If true, that's a huge shame for fans. We love a bit of back story and nods to the history of a series. It would be fantastic to explore some underused staples of Doctor Who with the contemporary sass of this new series. Steps were been taken in that direction last year with the appearance of Sarah-Jane and K-9, but... I want more!

So there you have it. There are other quibbles, but I sincerely believe that if the third series fixed any of the above, we'd have a much better show. I eagerly await the day RTD decides to leave, as I think his presence has a stranglehold on the show that isn't good for it long-term.

Things are unlikely to change until ratings drop significantly (unlikely any time soon), so fans are shouting into the wind on these issues. For now. Series 3 will likely be just as good as the previous two (perhaps better without Piper?), but I'm just suggesting that modern Doctor Who isn't quite the perfect piece of British television it's often made out to be.

Read More...

Summary only...

I'm just about on top of things after my break, so I hope you've enjoyed the extra content this week. Things in the pipeline include: reviews of Monster House, Munich, Narnia and United 93.

There's also a "Guillermo Del Toro Season" as Cronos, The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth all get reviewed. The television reviews will also continue as usual (I'll even finish Primeval!) before the third series of Doctor Who starts on 31st...

For now, let's look at the box office Top 10's...

US TOP 10

1. 300 $32.9m
2. Wild Hogs $19.1m
3. Premonition $17.6m
4. Dead Silence $7.8m
5. I Think I Love My Wife $5.67m
6. Bridge To Terabithia $5.19m
7. Ghost Rider $4.18m
8. Zodiac $3.29m
9. Norbit $2.77m
10. Music And Lyrics $2.27m

UK TOP 10

1. Norbit £1.69m
2. Premonition £1.21m
3. Hot Fuzz £688k
4. Becoming Jane £561k
5. Ghost Rider £491k
6. Outlaw £304k
7. Charlotte's Web £230k
8. The Illusionist £221k
9. The Number 23 £194k
10. Stomp The Yard £191k

UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

300
300 Spartans defend a mountain pass from a million Persians. Visually stunning Greek epic from the writer of Sin City.

AMAZING GRACE
The story of William Wilberforce, a young politician who abolished slavery in 19th-century Britain. Period biopic starring Ioan Gruffudd.

I WANT CANDY
Two teenagers desperate to make it in the film industry get involved in porn. Sex comedy starring Carmen Electra.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
The quartet of mutant turtles are called back into action when monsters attack Manhatten. CGI adventure for the popular amphibians, with the voices of Patrick Stewart and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Read More...

Summary only...

The best reality TV show on the box returns next week in the slick shape of The Apprentice (28 Mar), with Sir Alan Sugar looking to employ another young go-getter.

It's the "difficult third series" for the show and the producers are hoping to answer criticisms of last year's show. For while Apprentice 2 was entertaining and amusing, it was clear some candidate's had wandering eyes for post-Apprentice stardom...

Winner Michelle Dewberry immediately courted controversy with a romance and miscarriage with fellow candidate Sayid, leaving her £100k prize job and later checking into Celebrity Scissorhands. Sayid himself enrolled in the execrable Cirque de Celebrite, while runner-up Ruth "The Badger" Badger was a judge on a short-lived business series.

Compare those fame-hungry series 2 candidates with those of series 1. Do you even remember who was in series 1? Well, eventual winner Tim Campbell has worked with Sir Alan for a few years until just recently going his own way with a male grooming business (with Big Al's blessing).

So series 3 hopes to get back to series 1 business-only mentality. It will be difficult, because a successful TV show, no matter how high-brow, will always entice people hoping to exploit their fifteen minutes of fame -- particularly as the changes of actually winning are 14:1. Sir Alan apparently only agreed to a third series on the condition that starry-eyed candidates wouldn't be participating.

It remains to be seen how the third series will pan out of course, but it's sure to be just as entertaining and revealing as usual. The candidates facing the wrath of Sir Alan in the board room this year are as follows:

The girls...

Ghazil Asif, 23: business development manager from Glasgow and the youngest ever candidate.

Gerri Blackwood, 33: transport development manager from Woking who refused a job with MI5 to be on the show.

Kristina Grimes, 36: "ruthless single mother" from Harrogate.

Jadine Johnson, 27: financial advisor from Harrow who left university to look after he daughter.

Kate Hopkins, 31: global brand consultant from Devon, single mother and self-proclaimed "alpha female".

Dr Sophie Kain, 32: PhD in theoretical physics and works as a scientist for a design firm in Gwent.

Naomi Lay, 26: Sales manager from London who used to charge her parents for removing caterpillars from the garden.

Natalie Wood, 29: Essex housewife and mother who recently lost six stone in weight.

And the boys...

Simon Ambrose, 27: Internet entrepreneur and former investment banker from London who speaks six languages.

Tre Azam, 27: Marketing consultant from Essex who once worked at his family's electronics factor at the age of 10.

Paul Callaghan, 27: Ex-soldier who served in Iraq.

Ifti Chaudhri, 33: Company boss from Egham and former policeman with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Adam Hosker, 27: Car salesman from a single-parent family in Blackburn.

Andy Jackson, 36: Scottish car salesman who sold firewood on his estate at the age of 5.

Lohit Kalburgi, 25: London telecoms boss from the Middle East who once started a tea towel firm at the age of 16.

Rory Laing, 27: Bankrupt entrepreneur from Bristol who used to employ 700 staff, including Kate Middleton.

So there you have it -- The Apprentice 3: Big Business not Big Brother.

We hope.

Read More...

Summary only...

GHOST RIDER
Cert: 12A Duration: 110 minutes

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Mark Steven Johnson

CAST: Nicolas Cage (Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider), Eva Mendes (Roxanne Simpson), Peter Fonda (Mephistopheles), Sam Elliot (Caretaker/Carter Slade), Brett Cullen (Barton Blaze), Wes Bentley (Blackheart), Donal Logue (Mack), Matt Long (Young Johnny Blaze), Raquel Alessi (Young Roxanne Simpson), Daniel Frederiksen (Wallow), Mathew Wilkinson (Abigor) & Laurence Breuls (Gressil)

Stuntman Johnny Blaze makes a deal with The Devil to save his father's life, resulting in him becoming a supernatural bounty hunter called Ghost Rider...

A few years ago writer-director Mark Steven Johnson gave the world Daredevil, to mixed critical and audience response, although it did lead to a superior Director's Cut and the spin-off movie Elektra for co-star Jennifer Garner. With the multiplexes bloated on Spider-Man, Superman and Batman properties, Johnson apparently wants to specialize in more obscure superheroes, as he chose Ghost Rider as his next project...

Comic-book afficionado Nicolas Cage finally gets to sink his teeth into a superhero movie after circling numerous franchises throughout the 90s (most notably Tim Burton's aborted Superman Lives). Unfortunately for Cage, Ghost Rider is nowhere near as much fun as it could have been, thanks to insipid writing and soulless characters.

Cage plays stuntman Johnny Blaze (with a name like that, accountancy wasn't an option), a seemingly indestructible man who defies vehicular death in arena tours. Of course, Johnny suspects his amazing luck, wealth and stardom is all because he sold his soul to the Devil (Peter Fonda) to save his cancer-ridden father's life.

After the Devil's son Blackheart (Wes Bentley) arrives on Earth with some spectral henchmen in tow, the Devil calls in Johnny's debt and transforms him into Ghost Rider, a demonic biker with a flaming skull, tasked to stop Blackheart acquiring unstoppable power.

So far, so very comic-book -- and that's the problem Ghost Rider faces at every turn. While famous superheroes reinvent themselves (Batman), tap into anxieties (Superman), or push relationships to the forefront (Spider-Man), Ghost Rider just goes through its vaccuous formula.

There's nothing here we haven't seen a hundred times before in far better movies, but while a certain formula is to be expected with comic book adaptations, Ghost Rider fails to capitalize on its one real asset: audience unfamiliarity with the character.

The movie is as stiff as a skeleton. Any potential for freshness is thrown away because the storyline is so formulaic you can mentally tick off the boxes: childhood sweetheart, paternal death, a wise mentor figure, it's all there. Visually, the Ghost Rider himself is the only element that looks fresh: a glorious piece of CGI that makes the potentially silly sight of a flaming skull look realistic and powerful.

Cage struggles bravely with the subpar script, imbuing Johnny with his trademark kookiness (penchant for The Carpenters, love of jelly beans, fan of monkey karate). He's clearly relishing the chance to be a superhero, but not even Cage's oddball tics can extinguish the film's litany of failings.

Eva Mendes is atrocious as Cage's love interest Roxanne Simpson. She's stilted, wooden and unconvincing. She clearly doesn't know how to treat comic book material, looking uncomfortable and lost in every scene. It's actually painful to watch her (supposedly) professional TV reporter in action. She sinks every scene she's in. Terrible casting.

Likewise, Wes Bentley is uninteresting as Blandheart (sorry, Blackheart) with his pale cherubic features and oily hair he's pure rent-a-villain. Bentley brings no air of threat or conviction to the role. Usually it's the baddies who have the most fun in comic book films, but Blackheart is just a limp stereotype. And don't even mention the three goons he hangs around with, who are just walking special effects to be beaten up.

Peter Fonda and Sam Elliot are the only actors who nail their roles. Fonda is a canny piece of casting as the Devil (sorry, Mephistopheles) and not only for the weak Easy Rider link between the movies. It's not a particularly challenging role for the legendary actor, but Fonda's gravitas certainly helps. Sam Elliot also has the charisma to make his expositional role more palatable, blessed with a droopy moustache and that great Southern drawl of his.

The effects are good and occassionally brilliant whenever Ghost Rider's on screen. Cage's first transformation, a police chase around the city and a desert ride are standout moments (no doubt helped by the film's year-long delay), but the rest of the production is quite glib. Perhaps intentionally, there's a grungy B-movie feel in the atmosphere that evokes the pulpy quality of Ghost Rider's 70s comics.

I have no doubt Mark Steven Johnson brought his personal vision to the screen and his commitment is definitely commendable (he gave up his writing fee for the helicopter stunt) but that doesn't stop Ghost Rider from being extremely boring.

You just can't base a movie on a cool character alone, as Spawn found out 10 years ago. Johnson's script creaks, Cage struggles bravely, Mendes is awful, Bentley disappoints, the production design looks cheap and everything fades from memory the second the credits roll.
If you're under-15 and just looking for slick visual effects to pass the time, you might get some enjoyment out of Ghost Rider, but for anyone hoping to see alternative superhero fodder along the lines of The Crow or Darkman... there's not a ghost of a chance.

Read More...

Summary only...

Season 3, Episode 12 - 20 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm

WRITERS: Bradley Thompson & David Weddle DIRECTOR: Michael Rymer

CAST: Edward James Olmos (Adama), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Lucy Lawless (D'Anna/Number 3), James Callis (Baltar), Tricia Helfer (Number 6/Caprica), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Grace Park (Athena), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), Alisen Down (Jean Barolay), Michael Trucco (Anders), Dean Stockwell (Brother Cavil) & Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy)

D'Anna and Baltar descend to the Algae Planet, convinced they'll find answers to their questions. On the surface, the crew defend the Temple from Cylon forces, hoping Chief Tyrol can decypher the inscriptions in time...

The conclusion to The Eye Of Jupiter is entertaining, although it suffers from some weak subplots and the storyline is fairly predictable. Rapture finds the humans and Cylons still caught in a tense stand-off over the Algae Planet, where an ancient temple could point the way to Earth.

The episode is divided into various strands, the most intriguing being D'Anna and Baltar's plot to see the "Final Five" (the unseen Cylon models), with Baltar anxious to discover if he himself is one of them. This relatively fresh element to BSG is enjoyable and mystical but also a confusing. Why are the Final Five only accessible this way? Aren't they just machines as well? Theyre treated as God-like deities by D'Anna, but it's already established that the Cylons only worship a singular God.

I hope clarification is forthcoming...

Another subplot is the attempt by Athena and Helo to retrieve their captive daughter from the Cylon Basestar. The crossbreed baby has been a running thread in the show since season 2 and it's nice to see this plot returned to. Their unauthorised rescue plan is interesting, although given Hera's supposed importance to the Cylons, it's strange how easy the child's retrieval from the enemy is! This wanton hopping around Basestars and the increased knowledge of Cylon society has destroyed some of the villain's mystique this season.

Elsewhere, Dee gets a minor plot as she rescues Starbuck from her crashed Raptor. Kandyse McClure remains the most underutilized character on the show, along with Alessandro Juliani's Mr Gaeta, and this problems rests on the shoulders of the writing team. Truth is, Dee is a boring character who is occassionally "sexed up" in various ways (girlfriend to Lee being the latest idea) but is never given anything interesting to do. If I were the actress, I'd be making tracks before my career passes me by...

Dullard Chief Tyrol agonizes over some ancient text on a Temple column, while Anders and Apollo use guerilla tactics to fend off some Cylon "toasters", in the type of ground assault ambushes that are becoming overfamiliar to the show.

The finale is a great excuse for the fx crew to show-off their talents, with a few awesome apocalyptic shots. It's a shame their good work doesn't stretch to the Cylon Centurions, who are basdly composited into the real-world scenery this time.

But the main flaw to Rapture is with the writing. The outcome to the whole story was painfully obvious from watching part one, so part two's reveal is predictable and unexciting. I was hoping there would be a clever twist to keep viewers on their toes, but no... it all pans out exactly as you were expecting it to.

Still, Rapture does end with the unmissable swansong for a character, plus an intriguing discovery for Starbuck...

Read More...

Summary only...

Season 3, Episode 11 - 13 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm

WRITER: Mark Verheiden DIRECTOR: Michael Rymer

CAST: Edward James Olmos (Adama), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Lucy Lawless (D'Anna/Number 3), James Callis (Baltar), Tricia Helfer (Number 6/Caprica), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Grace Park (Athena/Boomer), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), Alisen Down (Jean Barolay), Michael Trucco (Anders), Dean Stockwell (Brother Cavil), Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy) & Diego Diablo Del (Hillard)

While collecting life-saving algae, Chief Tyrol discovers an ancient temple hidden inside a mountain that could point the way to Earth...

Battlestar Galactica works best when dealing with epic themes. It's only then that the dramatic weight of the show's premise hits home and the characters come alive. I'm not belittling the standalone episodes, but they're undoubtedly more flaccid in comparison.

The Eye Of Jupiter revolves around a discovery on "Algae Planet" of a mysterious temple inside a mountain that could direct the fleet toward Earth. As usual, those meddlesome Cylons arrive on the scene and invoke a tense standoff (Adam threatening to nuke the temple if the Cylons send anyone down to the surface, while the Cylons threaten to destroy Galactica if they don't withdraw from the planet).

The episode also returns to the ongoing Hera storyline (the Cylon/human hybrid baby whose death was faked, smuggled to a surrogate family and later captured by the Cylons after the New Caprica evacuation). This has been one of the show's best ideas and it's great to see parents Athena and Helo finally informed of Adama and Roslin's deception.

D'Anna and Baltar also continue their investigation into the hidden existence between "life" and "death" when Cylons download themselves. This episode also begins to suggest the mystery surrounding the five other models of Cylon (all unseen on the show) can somehow be explained during this transition. It's intriguing to know the unseen five are so mysterious even to the Cylons (Baltars suspecting he could be one himself), so this is another fascinating addition to the Cylon mythology. I also found it interesting that Baltar is beginning to resemble Jesus Christ just as The Hybrid starts talking about "The Chosen One".

As always, there is a strong sense that the show's numerous plots and abundance of metaphysical ideas are slowly merging together. I sincerely hope a coherent answer is forthcoming soon, otherwise the show could begin to devolve into mumbo-jumbo. It's already a very difficult show to grapple with given its multiple sub-plots, clone-like Cylons and deepening mythology, so some degree of focus is necessary. However, after 3 years, it's clear that BSG isn't really open to new audiences -- it's all become far too complex for casual viewers curious about the show's high regard amongst "serious" critics.

Overall, while the basic premise behind this episode isn't anything we haven't seen before (remember the whole Arrow Of Apollo plot in season 1?) it's still exciting and epic. The characters just seem more real and engaging in tense situations (Starbuck, Lee and Anders haven't been as good in weeks), while the Gaius/D'Anna/Six dynamic is becoming increasingly enjoyable.

The Eye Of Jupiter is an effective cliffhanger for the mid-season, although the vague similarities to previous episodes can't be ignored. Therefore, while I can't say this episode is particularly original, it's certainly the most enjoyable and intriguing episode for quite some time and Part II is eagerly awaited...

Read More...

Summary only...

My pick of the rest of the month's remaining new DVD releases.

MONDAY 19th

CASINO ROYALE
Daniel Craig proves his doubters wrong. Resoundingly. This is easily the best Bond since 1995's Goldeneye. But don't set your expectations too high, it still struggles in places and might disappoint fans expecting gadgets, globe-trotting, Q and those double-entendres.

PRIMEVAL: Complete Series 1
The recent ITV Saturday night yawnathon gets a lightning quick DVD release, containing all 6 episodes of the series that just didn't know what to do with its fun concept. Great special effects throughout, but that's about all.

MONDAY 20th

BLOOD DIAMOND
Fantastic drama starring Leonard DiCaprio focusing on the illegal African diamond trade. Loses the plot a little in the third act after a blistering start, but certainly worth watching.

MONDAY 26th

EXTRAS: Series 2
For my money, nowhere near as good as series 1, but still worth a chuckle or two. The formula certainly begins to wear thin and Maggie is criminally underused, but it's still one of the best BBC sitcoms in years. 'Are you 'avin a laff?!

HAPPY FEET
Computer-generated dancing penguins! Robin Williams wets his vocal chords for another animation... from the director of Mad Max, no less!

JACKASS NUMBER 2
Johnny Knoxville and his gang of low-IQ dimwits hurt themselves in various hilarious, amusing and unfunny ways for another extended period. Ideal post-pub larks best enjoyed with a pizza, some cans of lager and a few friends.

TORCHWOOD: Series 1 - Part 3
The frustrating Doctor Who spin-off (or cash-in, if you prefer) continues with more episodes on DVD, each one varying in quality and crowbarring in unnecessary sex scenes and swearing. Enjoy.

Read More...

Summary only...

19 March 2007 - Five, 10.00 pm

WRITER: Karyn Usher DIRECTOR: Dwight Little

CAST: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), William Fichtner (Agent Mahone), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Paul Adelstein (Agent Kellerman), Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr Sara Tancredi), Marshall Allman (L.J), Wade Williams (Bellick), Matt DeCaro (Roy), Kurt Caceres (Hector), Reggie Lee (Bill Kim), Barbara Eve Harris (Lang), Melissa Marsala (Maricruz Delgado), Anthony Denison (Aldo Burrows), Rachel Leora (Theresa Delgado) & Kristin Lehman (Jane Phillips)

Michael finally meets with Sara at their rendezvous, unaware that Agent Mahone has decyphered their messages. Meanwhile, Bellick takes drastic measures with T-Bag and Lincoln's father returns...

We're racing towards the mid-season climax and Rendezvous finally sees Michael and Sara back together again for the first time in season 2. Their meeting is unfortunately cut short by the presence of Agent Mahone, now inches away from his prey and growing increasingly desperate to kill Michael.

Elsewhere, a slight plot contrivance results in Lincoln and L.J's rescue from the police by a group working for Lincoln's father Aldo (Denison), who says he has been collecting new evidence to get his son exonnerated. The series certainly needed a shot in the arm regarding Lincoln's attempt to clear his name, as last year's investigative subplot has been excised in favour of a more simple cat-and-mouse chase. Hopefully Aldo's presence will mean Lincoln has a viable chance to try and blow the conspiracy plot that cements Prison Break together, and start giving the protagonists some light at the end of the tunnel.

The only other plot of consequence (Sucre's interminable search for Maricruz is beginning to grate) is T-Bag's torture at the hands of Bellick and Roy, who are trying to uncover where the slippery paedophile has stashed the $5 million loot. It all amounts to some eye-watering moments with a dash of black comedy (a swallowed key and a sieve placed over a toilet bowl) that is certainly dramatic, although a late twist is perhaps one twist too far.

Rendezvous is a lot of fun and certainly a more essential episode than most. Prison Break is rarely boring, but some episodes are basically exciting ways to tread water for 45 minutes. Rendezvous has its fair share of dramatic moments but also furthers the plot regarding the Michael/Sarah relationship and the government conspiracy.

All of the actors are working to their usual high standard, but it's particularly good to see Wentworth Miller getting something more emotional and personal to sink his teeth into. Last year the steely-eyed determination to free his brother provided the heart of the story, but season 2 has been more of a general mania about evading capture. It's good to see a human element return, however shortlived.

Overall, with mid-season beckoning, the show needs to readjust itself. So far the escape, treasure hunting and FBI manhunt has provided the season with plenty of impetus, but it certainly can't continue in this manner for much longer. Rendezvous suggests the game is about to change and I'm excited to see where the series goes from here...

Read More...

Summary only...

12 March 2007 - Five, 10.00 pm

WRITER: Nick Santora DIRECTOR: Kevin Hooks

CAST: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), William Fichtner (Agent Mahone), Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Paul Adelstein (Agent Kellerman), Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr Sara Tancredi), Marshall Allman (L.J), Wade Williams (Bellick), Matt DeCaro (Roy), Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Kacee Franklin), Jason Davis (Agent Wheeler), Barbara Eve Harris (Lang), Helena Kievorn (Dede Franklin), Mike Jones (Darius) & Callie Thorne (Pamela Mahone)

Michael decides to investigate Mahone's personal history, T-Bag heads to a victim's house and C-Note masterminds the retrieval of his family...

We're approaching mid-season and it's safe to say Prison Break's transition from prison-based drama to State-spanning adventure has generally been successful. It lacks the gritty pressure-cooker feel of last year, but the branching out into the real world has been great fun to watch. Could you really have stomached another season locked behind bars, anyway?

Unearthed is the strongest episode of the season yet. Expertly plotted by Nick Santora, it works on multiple levels and provides some startling revelations. Prison Break is certainly a series that rewards the viewer more immediately than Lost and more plausibly than 24.

The success of the episode is due to two plot threads: Michael's realization that Mahone is a more dangerous opponent than he first realized, and C-Note's plot to meet up with family without the FBI getting in the way.

For me, the best new aspect of season 2 has been Agent Mahone (Fichtner) and the ruthless lawman's pursuit of Michael. It's always good drama when a hero gets a villain to match their own abilities, something missing last year with Michael running rings around the prison guards.

With Unearthed, Michael takes time out from the debacle surrounding T-Bag stealing the $5 million and instead puts his IQ behind crippling the one person capable of stopping his family get to Panama. Needless to say, Michael's investigation into Mahone's history slowly reveals an extremely sinister angle to the FBI Agent and the truth behind Oscar Shales, the serial-killer Mahone tracked for a year...

While the Mahone/Michael subplot is certainly the highlight of the episode, C-Note's plan to see his wife and child again is certainly a close second. As C-Note, Rockmond Dunbar exudes gravitas and dependability, but it's nice to see he has some intelligence too, as he embarasses the increasingly incompetent FBI.

The L.J/Lincoln subplot isn't as succesful, wandering aimlessly for most of its duration until the admittedly eye-opening climax. It was clearly written to develop the father/son relationship, which is fine if a little undercooked.

Likewise, T-Bag's journey to visit the home of one of his victims is essentially filling time around the Michael/Mahone/C-Note plots, but it also climaxes on a high note. Santora's script is keeping some balls in the air, before throwing them to the next episode's writer, so there's really no cause for concern. This is a deft and compelling script that contains plenty of surprises.

Fans of the series will enjoy the Michael/Mahone plot immensely, as it answers some key questions posed early in the season, while the Sarah Tancredi subplot is also entering a more active and dangerous realm.

Read More...

Summary only...

18 March 2007 - Sky One, 10.00 pm

WRITERS: Jordan Rosenberg & Christina M. Kim DIRECTOR: Paul Edwards

CAST: Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Mira Furlan (Rousseau), Andrew Divoff (Mikhail Bakunin), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Matthew Fox (Jack), John Terry (Christian Shepherd), M.C Gainey (Tom), Gabrielle Fitzpatrick (Lindsey), Julian Barnes (Dr Woodruff), Rhett Biles (Officer Barnes), Danan Pere (ER Doctor), Anne Elizabeth Logan (Head Nurse), John Medlen (Man At Crash Site) & Arlene Newman-Van Asperan (Carole Littleton)

Claire devises a plan to send a message for help, stirring memories of a family tragedy with her mother. Meanwhile, the expedition team reach a strange perimeter fence...

Some characters are treated better than others on big ensemble shows. It's only natural, but it's unfortunate for the "lesser" characters who are forced to sit around in the background with no discernable point.

Emilie de Ravin has been particularly mistreated by the show as Claire; a character whose sole purpose has been to give birth in season 1. After a few years of cooing over baby Aaron and a tempestuous relationship with Charlie, Claire gets a belated turn in the limelight.

I'll be honest: Claire isn't my favourite character. She's been written mundanely and de Ravin has a tendency to whine her dialogue, but the great strength of Par Avion is that she's still a relative mystery. So, while the writers strain to squeeze more goodness from Jack, Sawyer, Locke, et al, it's nice to see a character with untapped potential being used.

Par Avion, written by Jordan Rosenberg and Christina M. Kim, gives an insight into Claire's life following a tragic car accident that puts her mother in a coma. The flashbacks are good old fashioned family drama, neatly played by de Ravin, but most notable for confirming a suspicion from season 2 concerning Claire's father...

The script's contemporary events are enjoyable too, with Claire convinced she has a way to send a message to the outside world using migratory birds. It's about time Lost started focusing on the reality of being stranded on an island again and it's also funny that "insignifant" Claire has such an ingenious idea. It certainly has a better chance of evading the Others than homemade rafts!

Elsewhere, the main subplot follows the island trek with Sayid, Locke, Kate, Rousseau and their prisoner Mikhail. Here they find a perimeter fence that surrounds "The Barracks" and traverse it to find the Others' stronghold. It's great that Lost is getting back to pure exploration after the claustrophobic hatch last year and the final moment is sure to earn some wide smiles.

But this is Claire's episode. Emily de Ravin does very well with the material, helped enormously because her character is so underdeveloped. For once the flashbacks are just as insightful as they were in season 1 and not just diversions that tread water.

Overall, this is a solid episode that entertained me more than I thought possible. The fence subplot fuels your appetite for Lost's grander themes, the beach-based story is interesting, while the flashback reveals important information. It's a triple hit and another sign the third season is getting back on-track after a hit-and-miss beginning.

Read More...

Summary only...

18 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm
WRITERS: Evan Katz & David Fury (story by Howard Gordon)
DIRECTOR: Tim Iacofano
CAST: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), D.B Woodside (President Wayne Palmer), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Peter MacNicol (Thomas Lennox), Carlo Rota (Morris O'Brian), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), Chad Lowe (Reed Pollock), Gregory Itzin (Charles Logan), Rade Serbedzija (Dmitri Gredenko), Boris Krutonog (Russian Agent Vasili), John Noble (Consul Markov), Mark Joyella (News Anchor), Endres Hules (Russian Security Agent), Jim Holmes (Dr Welton), Kari Matchett (Lisa Miller), William Bumiller (Agent Lowry), Eugene Alper (Suvarov's Aide Gregor), Andrea Grano (Ellen), John Brantley Col Jr (Army Corporal), Powers Boothe (Noah Daniels), Michael Reilly Burke (Carson), Bob Gunton (Ethan Kanin) & Nick Jameson (Yuri Suvarov)

jack decides to hold the Russian consolute hostage after Logan's talk fails and V.P Daniels assumes control of the country following the assassination attempt on President Palmer...

Some meat-and-potatoes 24 this week in an episode that benefits greatly from an injection of new blood (V.P Daniels), the resolution of a strained subplot (Lennix), the absence of a disappointing character (Palmer) and Jack Bauer back in dangerous maverick mode!

Gregory Itzin's return evaporated into disillusion last week, but Itzin is better treated by writers Evan Katz and David Fury this time. His tense scene with Consul Markov is excellent, making me hopeful Logan sticks around to dish out more of his wonderful stares.

Powers Boothe has been in the background for awhile now as Vice President Noah Daniels, but Air Force One finally sets down in episode 12 and Daniels quickly asserts some much needed gravitas on proceedings. Between slippery Lennix and voice-of-reason Palmer the White House bunker has been curiously lacking in bite, so Daniels immediately brings some higher energy to this subplot.

Jack Bauer himself launches into another dangerous situation -- storming the Russian consulate single-handed to interrogate Makov about Gredenko's plans for his three remaining nukes. It's entertaining and tense in equal measure, although somewhat undermined because of its similarity to season 4's storming of a Chinese embassy.

Yes, sadly we have another example of the show recycling itself. The fact we get another torture scene is further evidence that 24 is straining to think up imaginative and original scenarios now. Even Gredenko's plan to deliver the nukes by aerial drone is very similar to season 4's nuclear missile!

Despite echoes of past glories, there's enough here to keep you glued to the screen. John Noble is great as Consul Markov, Itzin unleashes his magnetic gaze, Jack gets back to cracking heads for the good of the country, Boothe looks set to take the White House by the scruff of its neck and there's further evidence Day 6 is a direct sequel to Day 5 with a glimpse of President Suvarov...

24 reaches its mid-season on steadier legs, but there's still work to be done. If the yawnathon at CTU is fixed swiftly we could be back on track, just so long as Wayne Palmer stays unconscious...

Read More...

Summary only...

I'm back from my short break! This week should see a bumper amount of reviews as I attempt to catch-up with things I've missed. Reviews of Ghost Rider, Monster House and Munich are also on my "to do" list.

In the meantime, though -- here's the weekly Top 10 and New Releases...

US TOP 10

1. 300 $70.9m
2. Wild Hogs $27.6m
3. Bridge To Terabithia $6.78m
4. Ghost Rider $6.67m
5. Zodiac $6.64m
6. Norbit $4.28m
7. The Number 23 $4.08m
8. Music And Lyrics $3.74m
9. Breach $2.51m
10. Amazing Grace $2.48m

UK TOP 10

1. Norbit £1.9m
2. Hot Fuzz £1.3m
3. Ghost Rider £870k
4. Becoming Jane £649k
5. Outlaw £582k
6. The Number 23 £412k
7. The Illusionist £408k
8. Charlotte's Web £372k
9. Music And Lyrics £270k
10. Material Girls £176k

UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

FACTORY GIRL
Fictionalized story of 1960s socialite Edie Sedgwick, muse to famous artist Andy Warhol. Starring Guy Pearce and Sienna Miller.


PREMONITION
A housewife has a premonition that her husband dies in a car crash and decides to avert the tragedy. Spooky drama starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon.

Read More...

Summary only...

11 March 2007 - Sky One, 10.00 pm
WRITERS: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse DIRECTOR: Stephen Williams
CAST: Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Mira Furlan (Rousseau), Andrew Divoff (Mikhail Bakunin),Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Rodrigo Santoro (Paulo), Kiele Sanchez (Nikki), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Anne Bedian (Amira), Taiarii Marshall (Waiter), Eyad Elbitar (Arabic Man), April Grace (Ms. Klugh), Shaun Toub (Sami) & Francois Chau (Dr Marvin Candle)

Sayid, Locke, Kate and Rousseau find a farmhouse with a satellite dish on the roof, Sawyer is challenged to a game of ping-pong and a Sayid flashback has the Iraqi's past coming back to haunt him in Paris...

Mythology episodes involving the Hydra Station proved to be disappointing and frustrating (so why were Sawyer and Kate selected for kidnapping, anyway?), while the recent Desmond flashbacks muddied the water in an intriguing but confusing manner.

Therefore, it's nice to have a slice of mythology that plays into season 2's mentality. In fact, Enter 77 is very much a throwback to yesteryear: there's a mysterious building (farmhouse not a hatch), a strange new character (Mikhail not Desmond), a weird computer (chess game not number-cruncher) and even a new DHARMA video!

While the episode may be riffing on past glories, it does so in that joyously exciting way Lost excels at. As usual, your eyes will soak up all the new "clues"; from Mikhail's story to the farmhouse's equipment. Lost is beyond reproach when it comes to creating convincing environments for its storytelling and fans are given plenty to investigate here.

Enter 77 involves a Sayid flashback, showing the Iraqi ex-interrogator working as a chef in Paris before being approached by a fellow countryman. This being a Sayid story, it takes a sinister twist, offering us another look into the poor man's dark past. While the flashback is entertaining, it's not particularly relevant to present events and quite a simplistic story.

Thankfully the flashback is used sparingly and contains a brilliant final scene between Naveen Andrews and Anne Bedian as Amira. But Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuses's script is more interested in the island adventure and take great delight in presenting pieces of the show's puzzle. For example, we finally have an explanation for the cable that led into the sea, discovered by Sayid way back in season 1! The nature of the farmhouse "Flame Station" is also revealed and gels with previous information revealed last year.

Andrew Divoff guest stars as Mikhail Bakunin, the eye-patch wearing occupant of the farmhouse, who claims to be the last surviving member of the DHARMA Initiative. Divoff is excellent, clearly enjoying the larger-than-life nature of the character with his one eye and broad accent. Clearly intended as a cross between Desmond and Henry, he should be a very interesting addition to the show's expanding cast.

A small subplot involving a ping-pong tournament between Sawyer and Hurley is a nice idea, similar to last year's Jack/Sawyer poker game, but it fights a losing battle for screen time and ultimately fades away into insignifance.

Overall, Enter 77 contains enough intrigue and revelations to make it worthwhile. It's certainly guilty of recycling concepts from last year, which doesn't bode well for the show's sustained future, but the writing is as punchy and enjoyable as usual. Naveen Andrews is always great to watch as Sayid, despite being dealt an inconsequential flashback, while Divoff makes for a great new villain.

Highly recommended if you're hankering for a season 2-style fix and worth watching if only for Sawyer's "who the hell are you?" line to Nikki!

Read More...

Summary only...

11 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm
WRITER: Manny Cotto DIRECTOR: Tim Iacofano
CAST: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), D.B Woodside (President Wayne Palmer), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Rena Sofer (Marilyn Bauer), Peter MacNicol (Thomas Lennox), Carlo Rota (Morris O'Brian), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), Evan Ellingson (Josh Bauer), Chad Lowe (Reed Pollock), Gregory Itzin (Charles Logan), Rade Serbedzija (Dmitri Gredenko), Adoni Maropis (Abu Fayed), Richard Rosser (Floor Manager), Dylan Kenin (Gredenko's Programmer), Jole Kim (Melinda), Jamison Jones (Secret Service Agent), Ajay Mehta (Ambassador), Alexander Siddig (Hamri Al-Assad), Michael Reilly (Carson), Nancy Cartwright (Jeannie), Eddie Driscoll (Security Station Agent), Michael Khmourov (Yuli) & Lex Cassar (CTU Agent Ryan)

Jack visits former President Logan, who has information about Gredenko, Chloe continues to cover for Morris and Lennix tries to escape capture and warn the President about the assassination plot...

Why isn't season six working? You can berate previous seasons for their freewheeling nature, but they still consistently slapped you in the face with surprises. Season six is trying desperately to shock, but beyond the chilling nuke in episode 4, it's all quite routine. The writers' belief in the Bauer family and D.B Woodside is also proving unfounded. Pinning hopes on frequent tortures and vague real-life exaggerations isn't really cutting it this time.

The last episode ended with Philip Bauer giving Jack a phone number that connected him to former President Logan. 24 loves to reintroduce past characters and such moments always provide flutters of excitement in my stomach. Gregory Itzin was magnificent last season; a slimy Nixon clone who was a brilliant juxtaposition to David Palmer's calm Kennedy.
Itzin returns here, now a bearded born-again Christian under house arrest for his crimes (of which the true depth were kept secret, much to Jack's chagrin). Itzin is always good value, but his return disappointed me. I'm hoping there'll be a twist behind Logan's helpfulness, despite his claims to the contrary. We'll see...

The Wayne Palmer assassination plot against finally heats up, with Lennix restrained in the boiler room and a bomb smuggled into the bunker. Oridinarly this plot would be intense and potent material, but D.B Woodside has failed to make Wayne particularly interesting or likeable as the President. He was fine in seasons 3 and 5 as David Palmer's advisor, but he lacks the charisma so ingrained in Dennis Haysbert's performance as his screen brother. I actually have my fingers crossed the coup d'etat succeeds.

Meanwhile, the CTU subplot with Morris battling the demon drink is falling flat on its face. Carlo Rota deserves better as the touchy programmer, while Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe) seems to have lost her chutzpah.

Even more depressing is that sexy Marisol Nichols continues to be wasted as Nadia, stuck in a thankless role that's going absolutely nowhere. James Morrison goes through the motions once again as Bill Buchanan -- always competent and a solid presence, but chomping on scraps the writers throw him occassionally.

As feared, the loss of so many CTU-characters in recent years is now taking its toll. The writers seem unable to create a compelling situation between Chloe, Milo, Morris and Nadia, or create interesting personalities for their new faces.

It's all a bit glib, really. Logan's return hasn't created the shockwave I was expecting, CTU is an unwelcome distraction right now, while the assassination plot just seems old-hat. There's an indication more interesting times are to come when Gredenko's unveiled an aerial "drone" to deliver his bombs, but not much else to keep your attention.

Things had better start improving. For the first time in my 24 viewing history, I've reached the middle of a season and find no clear incentive to continue watching. I will, because I know 24 is capable of turning things around in a flash of inspirational boldness, but it's worrying to see the show this sluggish half-way through...

Read More...

Summary only...

This will be the last regular post until March 19th, as I am away on holiday. I hope to review Lost and 24 this Sunday and do a catch-up next weekend (17th - 18th), but there will certainly be no daily posts next week.

US TOP 10

1. Wild Hogs $39.7m
2. Zodiac $13.4m
3. Ghost Rider $11.6m
4. Bridge To Terabithia $8.9m
5. The Number 23 $6.49m
6. Norbit $6.4m
7. Music And Lyrics $4.89m
8. Black Snake Moan $4.14m
9. Reno 911! Miami $3.94m
10. Breach $3.62m

UK TOP 10

1. Hot Fuzz £2.2m
2. Ghost Rider £1.8m
3. The Number 23 £787k
4. Charlotte's Web £706k
5. The Illusionist £675k
6. Music And Lyrics £573k
7. The Good Shepherd £388k
8. Material Girls £300k
9. Arthur And The Invisibles £289k
10. Epic Movie £283k

UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

BECOMING JANE
A biographic portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman. Romantic costume drama with Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy.

THE GOOD GERMAN
An American military journalist is drawn into a murder investigation while in Berlin, involving his former mistress and her driver. WWII drama starring George Clooney.

INLAND EMPIRE
A blonde actress prepares for her biggest role yet, but after she finds herself falling for her co-star she realizes real life is beginning to mimic the film she's shooting. Mind-bending thriller from the mind of David Lynch.

OUTLAW
A group of men who feel let down by the government form a modern-day possee to to fight the wrongs of society. Violent thriller starring Sean Bean and Danny Dyer.

NORBIT
A mild-mannered man, married to a monstrous woman, meets the woman of his dreams. Heinous "comedy" from Eddie Murphy, single-handedly destroying his own Oscar buzz for Dreamgirls.

Read More...

Summary only...

BBC 1, Fridays, 9:00 pm

Remember Castaway? The 2000 reality TV series that ruined the millennium for a group of poor sods, who were shipped off to the remote Scottish island of Taransay? It pre-empted Big Brother by six months but got everything wrong: boring participants, unexotic location and the whole wretched event dragged on for a year! Remember? Well, even if you didn't, it's back for a very belated second series.

The BBC clearly feel the concept still has milage and so Castaway returns after seven years, with a number of differences. Firstly, the location is the exotic Great Barrier island, New Zealand; secondly, it lasts a reasonable 3 months and thirdly, the producers have chosen people who wouldn't look out of place on Lost... on paper, atleast...

Jason Ross, 37: reformed junkie from Kent.

A good place to go cold turkey; he should have done this ages ago!

Lucinda King, 27: sexy ex-convent girl who loves yoga.

I can just see the sun-kissed montages now!

Clare Hilley, 22: shy student.

Will she come out of herself, or crack under the pressure?

Hassan Kobeissi, 24: action-man gym fanatic.

Certain to play the Tarzan role! Who'll be his Jane?

Joe Chicken, 33: vegetarian entertainer.

Those long nights round the fire are gonna just fly by, I'm sure!

Alister Cooling, 24: obese sci-fi nerd.Just watch the weight fall off!

Like Hurley in Lost, obviously.

Erica Hurst, 22: lapdancer and extreme-sporter.

The lad's drunken beach entertainment is sorted!

Alasdair Humbleston, 19: dyslexic student and lothario.

Don't put him in charge of the driftwood SOS.

Francie Smee, 56: half-deaf divorcee and mum.

Hmmm, yeah, just who you need in a situation like this!

Jonathan Shearer, 41: Scottish eco-warrior.

Please can we cut down a tree for firewood?

Kenneth Rose, 65: knife-obsessed former Royal Marine.

Invaluable survivalist or macho idiot?

Wendie Mitchell, 42: ageing raver and mother of four.

Just who you need on a desert island, eh?

Gemma Zinyama, 22: narrow-minded Essex girl.

She sounds endearing, doesn't she?

Presented by documentary comedian Danny Wallace, the new series won't feature Big Brother-style weekly evictions, but the islanders will face challenges and dilemmas. The beach itself is enormous (60 football pitches), but the visual heaven hides some hellish realities. The facilities are minimal: limited water, shelter and food, no beds, electricity, plumbing, or running water and one basic toilet. The island is also home to various critters like rats, giant ants and wild pigs. Plenty to cause a stirr come bedtime.

Yes, I know -- it's just Shipwrecked in primetime. Reality series always rely on the personalities involved, so here's hoping the BBC casting couch was on top form, otherwise it could become I'm (Not) A Celebrity. Otherwise known as ITV flop Survivor. But look on the bright side, if things gets too boring the Beeb can always throw in a few polar bears and a mysterious hatch to open, right?

Read More...

Summary only...

5 March 2007 - NBC, 9/8c pm
WRITER: Christopher Zatta DIRECTOR: Kevin Bray
CAST: Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Jack Coleman (Mr Bennet), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Ali Larter (Niki/Jessica Sanders), Ashley Crowe (Sandra Bennet), Santiago Cabrera (Isaac Mendez), Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian), Eric Roberts (Thompson), Missy Peregrym (Candice Wilmer), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli), Leonard Betts (D.L Hawkins), Tawny Cypress (Simone Deveaux), Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi) & Malcolm McDowell (Mr Linderman)

Mr Bennet's deception continues as Claire goes on the run, Mohinder uncovers Sylar's true identity, Isaac deals with Simone's death, Hiro finds his sword and Nathan meets Mr Linderman...

Heroes begins its sprint for the finishing line with Parasite, written by Christopher Zatta, who has been a writer's assistant on the show since it began. Zatta now gets his chance to pen a full episode and the result is a a great episode that only slightly disappoints because it follows the sublime Company Man.

As usual, the half-dozen plotlines are of varying quality. Ali Larter, as Niki/Jessica, remains stuck in a serious narrative rut with Micah and D.L. This family unit doesn't work and the writers clearly have no idea what to do with Micah and D.L. Why not give D.L a job? Can we see Micah at school? Still, Jessica's recent role as a contract kiler for Mr Linderman is a plausible and exciting use of the character, particularly now femme fatale Jessica seems to be more dominant than whiny Niki.

Claire and the Haitian are now on the run, about to leave the country to escape The Company, until Claire has a change of heart and decides to find Peter (who's actually her uncle, but she doesn't know that yet). Is Heroes becoming a soap? Is it only a matter of time before Nathan's taking a paternity test on national TV? Claire's storyline may be a loose thread, but it's one that leads to a surprising conclusion.

Hiro's presence is similarly loose, with the good-natured nerd finally within reach of the Kensei sword he hopes will return his powers. Masi Oka is typically fun to watch, but it's actually a good sign the show is relying on his cheery personality less and less. The search for his placebo hasn't been the best use of Hiro's character, but the writers are clearly in a tight spot because Hiro's time/space control is perhaps too powerful. An attempt has been made to suggest Hiro can't change the past already (remember Charlie the waitress?) but freezing time and teleportation alone makes Hiro a demi-God compared to everyone else.

The parasite of the title refers to Sylar, a good description of the character, who literally drains victims of their special abilities like a brain-slurping vampire. Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) breaks expectation to quickly uncover Sylar's real identity and uses his intelligence to hold his father's murderer captive. Ramamurthy remains one of the show's least interesting characters, but he redeems himself with his actions here. Well, temporarily...

Jack Coleman is again excellent as Mr Bennet, now suffering from self-imposed amnesia to protect Claire from the shadowy Company he works for. The recent use of his wife Sandra (Ashley Crowe) has been a brilliant 180-turn from the writers, leaving behind the mom with a dog fixation and turning her into an enjoyable partner/accomplice for her husband.

The most revelatory moment of Parasite concerns Nathan, who is ordered to meet with his financier Mr Linderman in Las Vegas. The mysterious Linderman has been an unseen constant in the show since the beginning. We finally get to meet the enigmatic man himself, beautifully played by legendary actor Malcolm McDowell (the casting agent deserves a pay rise). McDowell is excellent, totally subverting your expectations of a cigar chomping mobster, in scenes that find him cooking in a kitchen!

Parasite is a great episode that continues to push the show into new territory as it answers long-standing questions. It's refreshing to have a show that's genuinely happy to give its audience straight answers, verging on overeagerness at times! Heroes constantly introduces fresh elements (Nathan for President?), new characters (a woman who can create illusions) and unexpected relationships (the Haitian's allie).

It all makes for another enjoyable, fun and revelatory experience that culminates in another trademark jaw-dropping scene...

Read More...

Summary only...

DAY BREAK

Bravo, Wednesdays, 10:00 - 11:00 pm

It seems there's so much good US drama these days even the UK's minority channels can bag themselves a quality product. Just look at Sci-Fi Channel debuting the sublime Heroes months before the BBC. Even Hallmark has gathered some fans with survivalist drama Jericho. So now it's Bravo's turn with Day Break.

Day Break is essentially Groundhog Day-meets-24. The premise finds Detective Brett Hooper (Taye Diggs), convicted of murder and unable to provide an alibi. He then discovers the day is repeating itself, so each episode finds Hooper struggling to crack the murder he's been framed for, before the day resets itself.

Can he solve the mystery and see a brand new tomorrow?

Unfortunately, the series was cancelled in the States after 13 episodes! So while the broader answers probably won't be revealed, it apparently does end with a suitable finale.

Worth catching, I'd say.

Read More...

Summary only...

Season 3, Episode 10 - 6 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm

WRITER: Jane Espenson DIRECTOR: Michael Nankin

CAST: Luciana Carro (Kat), Edward James Olmos (Adama), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Lucy Lawless (D'Anna/Number 3), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dee), James Callis (Baltar), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr Cottle), Grace Park (Athena), Brad Dryborough (Hoshi), G. Patrick Currie (Enzo), Tiffany Lyndall-Knight (The Hybrid), Sebastian Spence (Narcho), Bodie Olmos (Hotdog) & Ian Rozylo (Convulsing Pilot)

With food running low, the fleet is forced to find safe passage through a dangerous radiocative star cluster...

Revered writer Jane Espenson (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) crafts her first BattLestar Galactica episode, choosing to focus on a secondary character, hotshot pilot Kat (Luciana Carro), and the difficulties of space travel.

The Passage finds the fleet running low on food, with Athena discovering a life-saving algae on the other side of a radioactive star cluster. Unfortunately, the dangerous levels of radiation make conventional navigation impossible, resulting in a dangerous mission for Galactica's Raptor pilots...

Too often BSG's standalone episodes lose focus on the bigger picture and suffer as a result. I'd rather every episode contained something relevant to the fleet's search for Earth and, fortunately, The Passage's plot ties in with the overall story of this epic journey and the Baltar/D'Anna subplot.

Espenson is very good at characterisation and it was nice to see a peripheral character given some attention. Luciana Carro's Kat becomes a more interesting and rounded individual as a result, nicely played by the young actress. It's just a shame this sudden development and insight into Kat's past and personality ultimately reaches a dead end. Still, Espenson's script is solid work and offers a believable scientific obstacle to overcome, together with some emotional moments.

As mentioned, the Baltar/D'Anna subplot back aboard the Cylon Basestar gently nudges a new facet of BSG's mythology along -- that of D'Anna's glimpses of something between life and death when she "downloads". This new thread seems to be heading towards explaining Baltar's relevance with regard to the Cylons, and it's interesting to see Lucy Lawless getting more screentime than Tricia Helfer these days.

Given the expensive early episodes of season 3, it's obvious recent stories have had an eye on recouping costs (best exemplified in last week's Unfinished Business), but The Passage gets the balance right. BSG doesn't have to be bursting with effects to be memorable, but it's also true that the show seems lifeless when it goes "off topic". Star Trek Voyager didn't need to focus every episode on its own journey to Earth, but BSG doesn't Trek's broadness.

Overall, The Passage may displease some because it doesn't focus on a main character, but the dexterity of plotting and characterisation is very strong, so I'm looking forward to Espenson bringing her skills to an episode with more consequence.

Read More...

Summary only...

5 March 2007 - Five, 10.00 pm

WRITER: Zack Estrin DIRECTOR: Vincent Misiano

CAST: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), William Fichtner (Agent Mahone), Amaury Nolasco (Sucre), Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Paul Adelstein (Agent Kellerman), Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr Sara Tancredi), Marshall Allman (L.J), Wade Williams (Bellick), Reggie Lee (Bill Kim), Matt DeCaro (Roy), Alexandra Lydon (Anna), Diana Scarwid (Jeanette Owens), Bruce Bennett (Wilbur Fitzgerald) & David Jason (Agent Wheeler)

Sucre steals the $5 million, L.J is released and put under surveillance in an attempt to lure his father out of hiding, and Sarah is forced to go on the run...

Dead Fall marks another strong installment for Prison Break, finally pulling away from the treasure hunt of recent weeks and continuing its on-the-run mentality. At this stage, most episodes are satisfying enough and it's surprising how well the show is doing to keep your interest.

Wade Williams make a welcome return as Bellick after a prolonged absence from the show, back on the trail of the fugitives who cost him his job, while Marshall Allman re-enters the mix as L.J, with the authorities letting him go to lure Lincoln into the open. Allman is believable and good value as L.J, making him a more realistic teenager than some.

The standout sequence in Dead Fall is the trapping of Sucre's leg between two underwater logs while trying to traverse a lake with Michael. Prison Break has always excelled at miniature dilemmas and they work best when set against the threat of capture (be it prison guards last year, or police this year).

Most notable for fans is the continuing exploration of Agent Mahone, played with steely perfection by William Fichtner. Following the revelation last week over Mahone's shaky ethics (killing Tweener) it's becoming increasingly clear there's more to Mahone than a determined lawman. Also watch out for the final scene, as it gives a tantalizing glimpse into Mahone's true nature.

Sarah Wayne Callies' subplot takes a leap forward as she decrypts the origami messages Michael has been sending her, while realizing her life could be in danger. Callies is a beautiful and talented actress who's always a pleasure to watch, and it's nice to see her own story hotting up finally.

Overall, Dead Fall exhibits all the traits that make Prison Break so enjoyable and addictive: quick thrills, deepening mystery, subversion of characters and a few twists along the way. Zack Estrin's script progresses the story in a number of key areas and provides an efficient and exciting 40-odd minutes...

Read More...

Summary only...

4 March 2007 - Sky One, 10.00 pm

WRITERS: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz DIRECTOR: Eric Laneuville

CAST: Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Rodrigo Santoro (Paulo), Kiele Sanchez (Nikki), Mira Furlan (Rousseau), Cheech Marin (David Reyes), Sung Hi Lee (Tricia Tanaka), Suzanne Krull (Lynn Karnoff), Caden Waidyatilleka (Young Hurley), Billy Ray Gallion (Randy) & Lillian Hurst (Carmen Reyes)

After discovering a wrecked camper van in the jungle, Hurley's attempts to get it started provoke memories of his childhood. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer return to the beach...

We return to bread-and-butter storytelling after the glut of mythology stories with Tricia Tanaka Is Dead, a Hurley episode that harks back to the character-based exploits of season 1.

Everyone's favourite overweight bohemian discovers a VW camper van loaded with beer and containining the skeletal remains of a DHARMA driver. The episode focuses on Hurley's attempt to get the van working, helped by Jin, Charlie and Sawyer.

As always, the island-set storyline draws parallels with a flashback tale, this time showing us a young Hurley helping fix a car with his father David (Cheech Marin), who abadnons his family for 17 years, only returning when he hears about Hurley's lottery win.

Hurley episodes are always gimmicky, thanks to the character's luck-obsessed outlook on life with the infamous numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42. Here, we see more instances of bizarre bad luck for Hurley, resulting in the titular death of TV reporter Tricia Tanaka. The message behind the episode is about "making your own luck" and neatly ties with Hurley's desire to instil a sense of hope and comeraderie back into island life.

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have crafted a simple and effective script that plays to the strengths of the characters. Jorge Garcia is always good fun as Hurley, able to balance comedy and tragedy with surprising deftness. Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) has some humorous scenes with Sawyer, who helps teach him some English phrases, while Dominic Monaghan has a shave and makes Charlie more engaging than he's been in quite some time.

But I was a little concerned with the treatment of Sawyer throughout. Josh Holloway is his usual charismatic self, but the story demands a sudden shift in situation for his character. Having faced nine episodes of hell with the Others, Sawyer arrives back and is instantly embroiled in a frothy comedy adventure... and it's a bit odd. There were also a few moments when his character became a parody of itself, so I hope the writers remember to reign in Sawyer's quirkier nature in future.

There are no great revelations in Tricia Tanaka Is Dead, particularly in the flashbacks. We already know Hurley believes he's been cursed by The Numbers, although the exact circumstances regarding his trip to Australia is now clearer. Cheech Marin is great as his father, bringing a flawed charm to the role that works well. It's also yet another example of "daddy issues" on the show. Are there any characters who didn't have paternal problems before they crashed on the island?

Overall, while hardly an essential episode in the grand scheme of things, it's great to see Lost getting back to its roots and making the characters its focus. The sense of elation in the episode's finale is a great throwback to simpler times, before the series became ensnared in dozens of complex mysteries.

A solid and entertaining instalment of Lost that strengthens the characters and is a welcome shift away from the overly-complex mysteries of recent times.

Read More...

Summary only...

4 March 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm
WRITERS: Howard Gordon & Evan Katz DIRECTOR: Brad Turner
CAST: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), D.B Woodside (President Wayne Palmer), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Rena Sofer (Marilyn Bauer), James Cromwell (Philip Bauer), Peter MacNicol (Thomas Lennox), Carlo Rota (Morris O'Brian), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), Eric Balfour (Milo Pressman), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), Evan Ellingson (Josh Bauer), Chad Lowe (Reed Pollock), Jamison Jones (Secret Service Agent), Gregory Itzin (Charles Logan), Lyn Alicia Henderson (Survivor), Matt McKenzie (Agent Hollister), Lex Cassar (CTU Agent Ryan), Dylan Kenin (Gredenko's Programmer), Will Radford (Jimmy), James C. Victor (Agent Hal Turner), Maury Sterling (Hacker) & Rade Serbedzija (Dmitri Gredenko)

Milo and Marilyn fend off Gredenko's men, Jack uncovers his father's involvement in events, Morris' behaviour becomes erratic and Lennox takes another step towards treasonous actions...

Epidode 10 is a welcome improvement courtesy of regular writers Howard Gordon and Evan Katz, who manage to make most of the various subplots more interesting than they've been for a while. It's just a shame Morris has been landed with a pointless storyline to kill time. Carlo Rota deserves better than to be loaded with a bout of depression and a tired alcoholism theme, particularly as he's been the only season 6 success for the new CTU staff.

I have a soft spot for Rena Sofer, but her performance is quickly becoming two-dimensional and she looks ridiculous in an action context. Viewers will be rolling their eyes as she runs down an alleyway pulling faces, while her utter cowardice amidst bullets may be realistic but seems contrived to allow her capture.

The emphasis is thrown on Philip Bauer, who's holding his grandson Josh hostage in an attempt to force his daughter-in-law Marilyn's cooperation. Jack finally discovers his dad killed Graem and is trying to save his own skin, as his company sold Fayed the nukes now threatening public safety.

Only Kiefer Sutherland can get away with the line "it's personal", before embarking on a one-man mission to save newphew Josh and bring his father to justice. Philip Bauer (James Cromwell) bares a strikingly psychological resemblance to Christopher Henderson last year; both so-called patriots who use extreme methods to get what they want, together with a tragic history with Jack.

This similarity is unfortunate (another example of 24 stealing from itself), although it also has a symmetry with the previous season that seems intentional. I'm perhaps being overly kind, but Day 6 does appear to be a direct sequel to season 5. If you're in any doubt, just wait till the last-minute reveal, folks...

Jack's rescue plan is grass roots 24, performed with gusto and unrelenting entertainment. It's a shame the supporting plots remain quite weak: Lennix seems to be stuck in a boiler room debating whether or not to help assassinate President Palmer, while Morris' laborious post-torture trauma becomes very irritating. Thankfully Lennix's subplot ends on a strong note.

By the episode's close, fans will be giddy on last scene's revelation. I'm also hopeful the explanation to Philip Bauer's actions will give us greater clarity regarding season 6's overall aim. It can't all be about chasing suitcase nukes, there has to be something juicier going behind-the-scenes.

If season 6 can conjur up some shockwaves at its half-way point, rebuild its CTU characters and give President Palmer a decent storyline, things could be about to get very interesting. For now, Episode 10 is the most consistently entertaining instalment of 24 for quite awhile, but it remains to be seen if season 6 can regroup and hit top gear for its second-half...

Read More...

Summary only...

3 March 2007 – ITV, 7.55 pm
WRITERS: Robert Kurti & Bev Doyle DIRECTOR: Jamie Payne
CAST: Douglas Henshall (Prof Nick Cutter), Hannah Spearritt (Abby Maitland), James Murray (Stephen Hart), Andrew-Lee Potts (Connor Temple), Juliet Aubrey (Helen Cutter), Lucy Brown (Claudia Brown), Ben Miller (James Lester), Mark Wakeling (Capt Tom Ryan), Jake Curran (Tom) & James Bradshaw (Duncan)

Helen escapes from custody, just as a flock of dodo's appear through an anomaly infected with mind-controlling parasites...

"Professor, we have a dodo down!" is a fine example of the utter cheesiness of Episode 4. At this stage, I'm not sure if the writers are intending Primeval to be knowingly dumb, or if it's just a show unable to deliver on its promise.

Primeval's concept is certainly silly, but the same could be said of most sci-fi series in truth, so is it too much to ask for some conviction and originality in the execution? Heaven knows even the most ludicrous of ideas be turned to gold by talented people.

Episode 4 is quick to reverse the one aspect of last week's episode that surprised me: the premature discover of Cutter's wife Helen. She's been lost in time for eight years and is here subjected to clichéd interrogation: cavernous, dark room, stone-faced guards holding rifles (is she THAT dangerous?) and a pointlessly glowing circular desk to sit at. It's all here to be sniggered at.

Anyway, Helen's bizarre return is brushed aside very quickly thanks to her unexplained (and implausible) way of predicting anomalies. So, before Cutter can yell his "Helen!" catchphrase, she's vanished through a freezer compartment in a football stadium. I sincerely hope the writers know what they're doing with this particular sub-plot, because so far it's lost on me and I can't muster any enthusiasm to work it out.

So where do the flightless extinct birds come into all this, I hear you ask? I think. Why, through the same freezer, of course! Several of the little dodo's provide workout for the true stars of Primeval –- the special FX boffins. Their appearance is fleeting (budget concern?) but they find time to regurgitate a parasite that later infects geeky Connor's geekier friend Tom (Jake Curran).

To be honest, Primeval could do with a human villain, as playing hunt-the-monster is getting old already. Sadly, Curran isn't up to the task, despite a noble effort. The script, by Robert Kurti and Bev Doyle, strains to make Tom a credible threat to anyone (unless ginger kids in hoodies gives you the creeps) and their plot rattles up a staggering amount of dumbness. Credibility eventually snaps once Tom's eyes glow and his voice makes Barry White sound like Barry Gibb.

It's all a mess. There's a small part of me that quietly rejoices at the sheer inanity of Primeval, though. Any show that finds a reason for Hannah Spearritt to walk around in her knickers (again) gets a certain amount of respect. God bless the fact her prehistoric pet lizard needs a tropical clime, eh lads?

The cheesiness is there for some chuckles, supported by decent special effects, but the rest is just a washout. It's particularly annoying when the soundtrack bursts into life with a current pop tune. I'm sure Kasabian would gladly hand back their royalty fee if they saw the dodo-capturing scene...

Overall, Episode 4 is probably the worst episode yet. The idea of a mind-controlling parasite is fun, but it has no place on this show. This was a fictional creature best suited to an episode of The X-Files, so Primeval needs to get its priorities straight.

Add to that some woeful lapses of logic (Abby fails to simply lock Tom in the freezer compartment he willingly stands in, with his back turned, for over ten seconds), frustrating oversights (a real-time MRI scan?) and naff dialogue ("what if they've created an attack dodo?") and you have a deeply annoying episode.

The only thing that raised a smile is that Channel 5 chose to counter Primeval with a showing of Godzilla -– and probably gave Saturday night viewers the better option.

Read More...

Summary only...

MOVIE BOX OFFICES

US TOP 10

1. Ghost Rider $20.1m
2. The Number 23 $14.6m
3. Bridge To Terabithia $14.2m
4. Reno 911! Miami $10.3m
5. Norbit $9.83m
6. Music And Lyrics $7.65m
7. Breach $5.99m
8. Daddy's Little Girls $4.82m
9. The Astronaut Farmer $4.45m
10. Amazing Grace $4.05m

UK TOP 10

1. Hot Fuzz £3.2m
2. Charlotte's Web £1.3m
3. The Number 23 £1.2m
4. Music And Lyrics £938k
5. The Good Shepherd £629k
6. Epic Movie £550k
7. Arthur And The Invisibles £494k
8. School For Scoundrels £340k
9. Notes On A Scandal £334k
10. Blood Diamond £317K

UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

GHOST RIDER
Motorbike stuntman Nicholas Cage sells his soul to The Devil to save his father and is reborn as a flame-skulled vigilante...

THE ILLUSIONIST
Magician Ed Norton uses his skills to secure the love of a woman far above his social standing...

Read More...

Summary only...

VIRGIN GET F****D

Oh dear.

Not a good start for Virgin Media, barely a month since they took over NTL cable. Sky have now pulled the plug on most of their channels carried by Virgin, meaning 3.3 million subscribers have lost Sky One, Sky Two, Sky Three, Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel.

It's particularly bad news for fans of non-terrestrial TV shows such as 24, Lost and Battlestar Galactica, all of which fail to transfer to terrestrial TV later in the year. Still, I suppose it's good news for DVD retailers.

Virgin, who were paying £25m for the excised channels, claim Sky were unfairly doubled their asking price, in a calculated move to cripple their competitor. Sky deny this, claiming instead that expensive imports like Lost and 24, together with their commitment to Sky+ and HD, had forced the increase.

I've been a cable subscriber for 18 months now. When Virgin replaced NTL I had high hopes, primarily because of Virgin's new ideas, such as a viable Sky+ alternative with their Virgin+ digibox.

The loss of Sky One, in particular, is a major blow for cable subscribers on a Basic Package, as the differences between Freeview and a basic Virgin subscription is increasingly negligible.

It all raises some interesting questions:

1. Is Virgin worth the cash if you can get most of the channels FREE elsewhere?

2. Will Virgin lower their charges because of Sky's walkout?

3. What will Virgin spend their saved £25m on?

4. Sky are now £25m poorer as a result of this. If they honestly did need approx £50m to pay for their services, how are they going to recoup that now? Will Sky customers see a rise in their charges to cover the loss?

5. If this is a cynical ploy by Sky to get Virgin customers to jump ship to them? If even a fraction of Virgin's £3.3m subscribers join Sky, each paying approx £30 per month, that's still a lot of money per annum!

6. Will the loss of popular shows like 24, Lost, Battlestar Galactica and The Simpsons lead to an increase in illegal internet downloads amongst Virgin customers?

7. If customers stay loyal to Virgin, will Sky be forced to reverse their decision at the next opportunity? Surely £25m is better than £0?

Personaly, I'm a basic package Virgin subscriber. I watch Sky One a little bit and Sky News occassionally. But, truth is, I download 24, Lost and BSG off the 'net, so the loss of Sky One doesn't really effect me.

Virgin is still far more competitive than Sky in pricing. I pay £30 per month for 2MB broadband, basic package TV and phone line (with excellent rates). Essentially I pay about £10 per month for my TV and that justifies the additional channels not available on Freeview.

Still, it's a terrible turn of events for those unable/unwilling to download TV illegally, particularly coming mid-season for serialized shows like Lost and the addictive 24.

UPDATE: Yesterday, Sky's flagship entertainment channel, Sky One, had a 1.4% multichannel share for the day, compared with an average of 1.6% for Thursdays over the past three months. Sky News was down to 0.4%, compared with a three-month Thursday average of 0.6%; while Sky Sports News was also at 0.4%, compared with an average of 0.5%.

Full article: http://media.guardian.co.uk/overnights/story/0,,2025366,00.html

Read More...

Summary only...

SLITHER (2006)

REGION 2. PICTURE: 1.85:1 AUDIO: DD5.1

WRITER & DIRECTOR: James Gunn

CAST: Nathan Fillion (Bill Pardy), Elizabeth Banks (Starla Grant), Michael Rooker (Grant Grant), Gregg Henry (Jack MacReady), Tania Saulnier (Kylie Strutemyer), Jenna Fischer (Shelby Cunningham), Brenda James (Brenda Gutierrez), Don Thompson (Wally Whale), Haig Sutherland (Trevor Carpenter) & Jennifer Copping (Margaret Hooper)

A meteor crashes in a smalltown and an alien spore infects a local, brainwashing him into ensuring their procreation...

Writer-director James Gunn got his break into movies with Tromeo & Juliet (1996), a low-budget shlock-horror comedy from the infamous Troma Entertainment. From these humble beginnings, Gunn secured a writing gig on Scooby Doo and its sequel, before successfully updating Dawn Of The Dead for the 21st Century. Not a bad career trajectory, really.

In 2006, a decade since Troma, Gunn got his shot at the big time with Slither, a horror-comedy he wrote and directed. Clearly enamoured by 1980s "body horror" wave, Slither is an unashamed ripoff of every zombie/alien-bodysnatching horror from the past 30 years. The premise is simple and ingrained in the public consciousness: a meteorite carrying an alien organism crashlands in Smalltown USA and leads to the population turning into ravenous zombies.

If you've seen Night Of The Creeps or The Blob you'll have a fair idea where Gunn's Slither is heading. It wears its bloody heart on its sleeve and is focused on providing a good time for gorehounds and fans of pulp-SF.

Michael Rooker plays wealthy good ol' boy Grant Grant, a somewhat oafish and sexually frustrated man married to local siren Starlet (Elizabeth Banks). Grant is the first victim of the meteorite's E.T cargo; after venturing into the wood's for some nookie, Grant is lanced by an alien egg, later becoming bloated and addicted to meat (particularly local pets).

Nathan Fillion (Serenity) plays Bill Pardy, the town's Sheriff with a soft spot for Starlet since Elementary School, who becomes the likeable hero after his posse discover Grant mission to procreate with local girl Brenda.

Cue lots of gruesome make-up, ripped-open animal corpses, buckets of blood and some nifty CGI slugs. Slither's storyline is predictable, with Gunn taking homages to such extreme that the entire film becomes utterly unsurprising. The characters are stereotypes, although brutish Rooker's implausible marriage to sexy Starlet lends a degree of intrigue and Nathan Fillion is always a fun presence. Gregg Henry also gets a few moments to shine as Mayor MacReady with enjoyable overreactions.

But the real stars are the special-effects, which are ingenious for a relatively low-budget project ($30 million) and rarely disappoint. Fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the parallels to 80s splattery deaths and slimey make-up. The combination of CGI and "real" effects are impressively handled and provide Slither's only moments of note, upstaging the cast at every turn.

To be honest, the prominence of FX is Slither's undoing. The story is overly-familiar territory (intentional or otherwise), while the cast are hamstrung with unexciting characterisations. This leaves the audience to grin as the effects, most puntuated by squirmsome humour: Grant ensuring his hideous mutations are due to "a bee sting", a woman pregnant with alien slugs expanded to the size of a wrecking ball ("something's wrong with me..."), Starlet beating a zombie's head in with a shovel ("bitch is hardcore") and various others.

There's low-brow fun to be had along the way, for sure. Slither is a neat throwback to the age of "video nasties" that should provide nostalgia some and a guilty pleasure for others. The effects are cool, the humour is unapologetically broad, there are plenty of injokes (note character surnames) and an air of creepiness. However, it's also sorely predictable and not as bonkers as the trailer suggests.

Gunn's direction is dependable, but his script could have done with more rewrites to build the characters, add gags and perhaps some twists in the narrative. Gunn's clearly a fan of broad horror (unscary but joyously gross), but his enthusiasm for the material never transcends itself here, marking Slither as disposable 80s shlock two decades late to the party...

Read More...

Summary only...

STAR TREK

Well, it's now official that J.J Abrams, speccy mastermind behind Alias and Lost, is in charge of the eleventh Star Trek feature film. As we know, Star Trek XI will be a prequel adventure with younger incarnations of the characters from the original 60's TV series.

This will be Abrams' second movie after Mission: Impossible III, which was a box-office disappointment despite being arguably the best entry in the spy franchise. He is planning on bringing over some of his Alias/Lost team to steer the U.S.S Enterprise away from oblivion, following the poor tenth movie Nemesis (2002) and the cancelled Enterprise series (2005).

Casting speculation is always great fun and Trekkers are interested to find out who will be playing their sci-fi heroes. The most prevailant names bandied around (and my personal choices) are as follows:

Captain James T. Kirk (MATT DAMON)
Matt Damon is the clear front runner to takeover from William Shatner. Damon is a pretty good actor, capable of action (Bourne Identity) and straight acting (The Good German), but the main reason he's in the frame is his strong likeness to a youthful Shatner. Of course, at 36, he's actually older than Shatner was when he first played Kirk, but make-up is a wonderful thing...

Mr Spock (ZACHARY QUINTO)
Replacing Leonard Nimoy is perhaps the most difficult challenge facing J.J Abrams. Nimoy's performance is ingrained in everyone's minds, so whoever gets the role will have a very difficult job. There are three actors whose names are now attached to the role...

Adrien Brody's name has been attached for awhile and he's certainly a good actor with vague Nimoy likeness. However, for my money, Zachary Quinto should be the hot favourite (see photo above). Quinto isn't a big name, which could actually work in his favour, and has respect of geeks everywhere for his role as serial-killer Sylar in Heroes. I'm not sure if he'd be strong enough to act out the role, but he's certainly the person with the closest Nimoy resemblance! The third most popular suggestion online? Johnny Depp. Please God, no...

Dr McCoy (GARY SINISE)
The final part of the essential classic Trek triumverate has CSI actor Gary Sinise in the frame. Sinise looks similar to DeForest Kelly and is undoubtedly a strong actor, but would he participate in a Star Trek movie, even with J.J Abrams' involvement? Debatable.

Scotty (JAMES McAVOY)
This role is pretty wide open, but real-life Scot James McAvoy's name has been mentioned. McAvoy is a rising star, who perhaps might want a big Hollywood role to cement his career in the States. There isn't much similarity between McAvoy and James Doohan, but Scotty isn't a character who really has to have much facial similarity.

Casting is certainly important for this project. J.J Abrams' reputation might get some big names involved like Matt Damon and Gary Sinise -- who knows? If not, new faces might be the way to go because the words "Star Trek" will sell the movie for many people. Mind you, after the failure of Star Trek Nemesis, I'm sure Paramount want to snare non-Trekkers by marketing the changes in a Batman Begins/Casino Royale style.

Feel free to share your own suggestions for Trek replacements in the comments area...

Read More...

Summary only...

26 February 2007 - NBC, 9/8c pm

WRITER: Bryan Fuller DIRECTOR: Allan Arkush

CAST: Jack Coleman (Mr Bennet), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Christopher Ecclestone (Claude Rains), Ashley Crowe (Sandra Bennet), Randall Bentley (Lyle Bennet), Matthew John Armstrong (Ted Sprague), Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian), George Takei (Kaito Nakamura), Eric Roberts (Thompson), Sheku Fofana (Young Haitian), Garrett Masuda (Young Hiro) & Missy Peregrym (Faith)

Matt and Ted hold the Bennet family hostage in a desperate bid to persuade Mr Bennet to explain himself...

Fantastic. Quite simply the most riveting and emotional story yet, packed full of incident, intrigue, revelations, surprises and visual flourishes. Company Man focuses exclusively on Mr Bennet, abandoning the usual multi-story format for a singular flashback template.

Having surprised the Bennet family at their home, mind-reader Matt and radioactive Ted hope to persuade Mr Bennet to reveal information, specifically about the injections they've been given and what, exactly, Primatech is a cover for. There follows a tense hostage situation for all concerned as secrets are revealed...

Jack Coleman takes centre stage as we witness events 14 years ago, when Mr Bennet joined Primatech via granite-faced handler Thompson (Eric Roberts), tasked with tracking down people with "special abilities". To say more would ruin the surprises, as faces from the past make surprising appearances (deepening the show's mythology) while motivations are fleshed out for Mr Bennet and the memory-wiping Haitian.

Bryan Fuller's script hits every note perfectly, breathing life into characters and bringing a focus to a sometimes scattershot series. Freed of the show's multiple narratives and able to concentrate on just one story, Company Man takes great delight in answering questions and posing new ones. Lost's producers should take note, as the answers provided here are clear, concise and provoke further questions without infuriating the viewer.

The acting is excellent throughout, particularly from the wonderful Jack Coleman as Mr Bennet, who moves seamlessly between naive company man, concerned parent and cunning pragmatist. He's easily the most faceted, interesting and rounded character in the series, brought to life by the talented Coleman and great chemistry with Hayden Panettiere.

Panettiere herself is on top form alongside her screen father, full of doe-eyed wonder, crushing dispair and daughterly love. The young actress has been a real bedrock to the show since it began and Company Man marks another strong performances for her, with the Bennet family emphasis providing her with fantastic moments to shine.

As Matt, Greg Grunberg often veers from bumbling everyman to impassionated action man at the drop of a hat, but this episode finds him settling into a groove, as his straight-thinking leads to an uneasy alliance with Mr Bennet. Matthew John Armstrong's character of Ted is more two-dimensional, but passionately acted by the actor and bubbling with danger that culminates in a spectacular show of uncontrollable violence.

It's also worth mentioning Ashley Crowe as Mrs Bennet, who has been stuck with an uninteresting character for most of the season, primarily because she's persistently "memory wiped" by her husband. Here, as secrets about her family reveal themselves, Crowe gets a great scene with Claire that finally makes their relationship more believable and genuine. Great stuff.

Company Man is actually a difficult episode to review, simply because mentioning specifics would spoil things for viewers lagging behind, but rest assured this episode is everything you could want from a superhero drama: believable characters, engaging drama, exciting special FX (check out "ash-Claire"!), interesting revelations and oozing tension from every pore.

The only negatives were a moderate downturn in the mid-section and Eric Roberts role as has a climactic pay-off that stinks of contrivance. But these are minor complaints. By the time the emotional final scene plays out on a bridge, you'll be hanging on the character's every word and desperate for your next fix.

The infamous "To be continued..." subtitle has never seemed so cruel. An excellent episode of Heroes. An excellent episode for any series.

Read More...

Summary only...