Category Archives: Television
Excited by Arrow? Well Here’s Some More!
I really enjoyed the first episode of Arrow, and it just so happens to have come on the Even of the New York City Comic-Con. Sure enough, the good people at Arrow decided to show off even more of their show to the gathered geek masses with this highlight reel of upcoming episodes! Enjoy!
We’ve got Deathstroke, Deadshot, China White and more! I can’t say as how that clip show got me too excited, but it all looks to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait for more episodes!
Review: Arrow: “Pilot”
The new superhero TV show Arrow is right on target to be a success! The CW has definitely hit the bullseye! Let me William Tell you how good it is! But I kid, I kid; we have some fun here. Amazing puns aside, the first episode of Arrow was pretty damn good, showing us that this new Green Arrow series might be a real straight shooter. That was the last one, I promise. But seriously, this was good TV. There is always some hesitation when it comes to bringing a serious superhero to the small screen, where the show runners don’t have access to the same kinds of budgets as Hollywood movies. I don’t know why, but there’s just a higher frequency of screw ups when it comes to superheroes on TV compared to superheroes in the movies.
Why this difference exists, who knows? But with a focus on character, a lot of fun twists and the promise of a lot more excitement to come, Arrow is going to make other superhero TV shows green with envy. Yep, I went there.
4/5: Good!
Dark and brooding? Check. Bat Symbol? No check.
The previews for Arrow have looked great, so I’ve had a lot of hope for this series, and the first episode did not let me down. Green Arrow is a character who doesn’t rely on a lot of flashy super powers, so his Batman-esque style of crime fighting is easily portrayed on the small screen. His costume isn’t flashy either, so again, a solid translation – though I’m still very concerned about the choice to wear eye makeup instead of an actual mask. It would do nothing to protect Green Arrow’s identity. The fight choreography and the action scenes are very well done, with an emphasis on parkour-like jumping and running. I like that. With movies like the Jason Bourne trilogy turning parkour style rooftop running into a legitimately exciting event, it makes perfect sense to use it with a superhero. I hope we get to see more of that kind of athleticism.
The rest of the show is bolstered by some great character work. Stephen Amell does a great job as Oliver Queen, all hard abs and good looks. I really got a sense that he was a changed/new man trying to poke his way back into a life that he’d lost for five years. Or maybe he just naturally has that far-away sort of look. Either way, I felt he did a good job, and could carry this show. The rest of the cast was really good, especially Colin Donnell as his best buddy Merlyn (more on him later) and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Lance. They really established themselves well.
The rest of the cast, like love interest Dinah “Laurel” Lance (Katie Cassidy) and younger sister Thea Queen (Willa Holland), do a good enough job establishing their characters, but don’t particularly stand out in the first episode. The rest of the cast, likewise, have weak starts, but a lot of promise, hopefully.
I think the best thing Arrow has going for it so far is potential. Along with establishing Oliver Queen’s new status quo, they also fill the episode with hints, flashbacks and mysteries that are legitimately interesting, and could easily propel the series forward. Likewise, the future of several character relationships intrigues me. So yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to more Arrow, and I thought the pilot was fantastic.
Join me for more after the jump! And there will be SPOILERS for the first episode, as well as possible Green Arrow in general.
Saying Goodbye to the Ponds
I wasn’t as broken up about the loss of Amy and Rory Pond in Doctor Who as I have been about some of the previous companions, but I’ve no doubt that if they’d actually filmed and included this deleted scene, I would have been in tears!
SPOILERS, of course, for what happened to the Ponds…though I think everyone already knows that the Ponds were leaving Doctor Who.
That was heart-breaking! The final fate of the Ponds, as well as a goodbye to Brian Pond. This scene was apparently written but never filmed. That’s definitely Rory’s voice, so someone toyed around with it. Gloriously sad scene. They should have included it in the episode.
What did the rest of you think about the mid-season finale of Doctor Who Season 7? I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a review of all six episodes, but I dunno…mostly because I wasn’t too impressed or elated by Season 7 so far. But what did you guys think? I know I’ve got some Whovians in my readership. Let me know in the comments!
My Brain Just Exploded – Ninja Turtles LEGOs!
Holy crap, you guys. I literally started shaking when I saw this announcement. LEGO has secured the licensing rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they’re going to start producing LEGO sets at the start of the new year.
My inner child is bursting with joy
Granted, they’ll be based on the new Nickelodeon cartoon, and not the classic 1980s Ninja Turtles, but c’mon! Don’t hold that against them! What little they’ve revealed so far look positively amazing. I am an old school LEGO nerd from way back, and I can’t help but get giddy and excited every time LEGO announce a new geeky license. Star Wars, Batman, X-Men, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and more have all gotten the LEGO treatment. And once again I have to ask, why didn’t we have these awesome LEGOs when I was a kid? Why was I forced to use my stupid imagination? Gah!
But the injustices of my childhood aside, this is utterly brilliant. The Turtle mini-figs look adorable, and they each come with accurate weapons.
Leonardo is the best Turtle
The only actual playset they’ve announced so far is one that involves the new version of the Turtle Van (I think), but you can visit this website to see all of the various mini-figs they’ve shown so far at the New York City Comic-Con. I still hate the new version of Splinter, but the Turtles look great, as do the Shredder, Krang and new evil mutant Dogpound. Though personally, I’ll always be a fan of Bebop and Rocksteady.
And unfortunately, Krang appears to be just painted onto the shirt instead of being an actual removable brain. Oh well.
I’m going to start saving my money now and hope that LEGO gets around to making sets of the classic Ninja Turtles from the 1980s.
My Little Pony-Con Song by voice actresses from the show
Every once in a nightmare moon, you get a programme like MLP: Friendship is Magic. With its stars and producers freely interacting with the Internet at large and catering to a fanbase that’s grown into the millions, MLP has established itself as a classic show in the same vein as the Powerpuff Girls and Dexter’s Lab despite only beginning its third series.
This is where we mention Brony-Con. Or rather, I’ll let the show’s voice actresses do it for me:
Henchman-4-Hire 