Sunday, January 31, 2010

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Bzzzz!

Yes, it time once again for perhaps my favorite pay per view of the year, the Royal Rumble. This year seems to have a more wide open field with regard to the potential winner, so I'm definitely intriqued. And if you need any more convincing as to why this match is so awesome, here's this year's new promo video counting down the ways.

Winter warmers

Some quick thoughts on the return of a few of my favorite shows:

Chuck: I've been very pleased with how they are handling Chuck's new abilities. But what pleases me even more is the success it's having in the ratings thus far. The show has done a nice job of staying true to its roots, while still expanding. The additions of Brandon Routh and Kristen Kreuk has been handled well so far and I look forward to seeing how they'll play into the whole scheme of things as the season progresses. Overall this show has one of the most likeable casts around and you should be doing yourself a favor and checking out this show if you haven't already. Grade: A-

24: As the clock ticks again, I find myself a bit frustrated. It seems that they have some decent elements in play here: Jack looking to get out of the world saving game, the suave Middle Eastern leader with mysterious agendas, Renee turning more into Jack with each passing minute, Freddie Prinze Jr. trying to be a badass, etc. Yet after five episodes, not a whole lot has happened yet. I'll forgive the slow start if they are able to kick things into high gear as the day goes on, but right now I'm beginning to get concerned that this season is looking more like the terrible season 6 rather than their successful rebound season last year. Only time will tell...pun intended. Grade: C+

And don't forget, we still have more TV returning in the upcoming month as Lost (Feb. 2), Important Things with Dimitri Martin (Feb. 4) and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (Feb. 11) all kick off their new seasons shortly.

So long Coco

So I know I'm chiming in on this way late, but I obviously wanted to comment on the whole Leno/Conan debacle. Certainly everyone came out a loser in this situation. Conan got a raw deal, however, I can't say that I was overly thrilled with his Tonight Show. Conan felt completely out of place in L.A. So let's hope that he moves back to NY with whatever new show he decides to do. As for Leno, he comes off like the petulant brat who constantly needs to be coddled. Seeing NBC continue to cater to his unfunny ass is wholly depressing. Which brings me to NBC and their bungling of this situation. You'd like to think that hopefully they've learned their lesson after this, but given that they committed similar mistakes when Leno first took over the Tonight. I could continue ranting about this, but I think I'll let this video do a better job of summing up the situation. It appears that Conan has some powerful fans.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Mystery Men

This review for Sherlock Holmes is long overdue since I saw this film over Christmas break. Luckily, I enjoyed the film enough that a lot of it remains fresh in my head.

As you probably recall, I had at the beginning of last year put this high on my must-see list for '09. I've always been a fan of mysteries, and while I've never read any of Arthur Conan Doyle's books, I felt knowledgeable enough about the Holmes series to know this would be right up my alley. The fact that they chose Robert Downey Jr., hot off of Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, to play the super sleuth was just the cherry on top.

Downey, of course, is brilliant once again here. He immediately immerses himself into the character and really looks like he's having fun playing the intelligent, yet stand-offish Holmes. However, this portrayal would not have worked as well unless he had a proper Watson to play off of. Thankfully, Jude Law was up to the task and has great chemistry with Downey. Their love/hate relationship provides some of the film's best moments.

As many people probably picked up on, their relationship is very similar to the one you see between TV's House and Wilson. These two characters know each other so well, which allows each of them to perform better at their job, even if it means they torment each other in the process. The comparison to House shouldn't surprise anyone as the creators of House molded their character the show off of the original Sherlock Holmes character. Certainly, if you're a fan of the medical mystery show, you will appreciate the banter that's exhibited between the two leads in this movie.

While the film packs plenty of comedy, it also has its fair share of action as well. Certainly one of the biggest concerns people had before the film opened was seeing clips of Holmes involved in some bare knuckle boxing fight scenes. While it seemed a bit out of character, I felt within the film's central story it worked really well. What is nice about these fighting scenes is how we see Holmes dissect the fight to know exactly where to attack his opponent in order to win every time. Watching these scenes was akin to watching a technical wrestler in WWE pick apart his opponent. I always love when people display intelligence in a fight rather than just put on a display of senseless brutality.

As for the film's central mystery, it can be certainly be confusing at times as it centers around black magic, resurrections, and secret societies. While some may get annoyed at feeling lost while trying to follow along, I certainly appreciated the vagueries. The one thing I hate is when I can figure out how a movie will play out within the first twenty minutes. And for those who are patient with the story, they are rewarded as Holmes is of course able to figure everything out and then explain it to us so that it all makes sense.

The one fault I had with the film was the underutilization of Rachel McAdams' character. She plays Irene Adler, a thief/former love interest of Holmes, who's the only person who can seemingly match wits with him. In the time she is on the screen she is riveting, but her scenes are too far and few in between. Given the way the film played out, I'm hoping that she might return of future films. And speaking of which, I also tip my hat to this film for laying the groundwork for a sequel. Without giving too much away, the film does a nice job establishing a central story for the next film if they choose to make it. Based on the financial performance of this one, I'd say that is almost a certainty now.

Now as I said at the top, I'm an admitted mystery fan, so maybe this film worked for me more than it will for others, but from my point of view, this was completely satisfying. Even my initial concerns over the fact that the film was directed by Guy Ritchie were unfounded. He delivers a fast-paced, action-filled film that also has plenty of funny moments. If you've already seen Avatar twelve times and are ready for an alternative, still seek this out at the theaters. Otherwise, make sure you check it out once it comes out on DVD. There's no mystery about this one, it's a winner. Grade: A-

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Sunday, January 10, 2010

RIP Ludvig Borga

Former WWE wrestler Tony Halme (aka Ludvig Borga) dead at age 47



While he never really made much of a presence in the WWF, this is undoubtably a huge blow to the country of Finland. I can't believe we're only a few weeks into the new year and we already have yet another wrestler under 50 passing away. When is this trend going to stop?

NMR: Errors in judgment

Here's a pair of movies I caught recently through Netflix that not only feature main characters making questionable decisions in their lives, but also represent two cases where I incorrectly predicted the quality of the films.

Extract: This movie just kind of sits there and doesn't offer much of anything. There are a few laughs, but when you boast a cast with the likes of Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, JK Simmons, Ben Affleck, and Kristin Wiig, you expect it to be a whole lot more funny. Director Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Office Space) has always been good on depicting varying levels of stupidity in his characters. While most of the characters exhibit stupidity here, I didn't find myself amused by their cluelessness like I have with some of his other stuff. A major disappointment here and not worth a rental unless you work in a factory and can perhaps appreciate better that environment being represented here. Rating: **

Sunshine Cleaning: Here, the opposite effect occured, as I was initially skeptical of how good this movie would be. It seemed to have all the makings for an annoying indie film. Quirky town, down-on-their-luck characters, dyfunctional families, etc. However, this one managed to avoid the cliches and deliver a strong, albeit small film. Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star as a pair of sisters, who decide to go into business for themselves as crime scene cleaners. This new employment opportunity provides them with a new outlook on life and allows their family to grow stronger as a result. Along for the ride is Alan Arkin, terrific as always, as the girls' father. Despite Arkin's presence and the word 'sunshine' in the title this nothing like Little Miss Sunshine, which was so nauseating in its attempt to be edgy and cool. This is a simple, yet engaging story that makes you want to see more of these characters even after the film ends. Don't dismiss it like I did and give this one a watch. Rating: *****

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains cast

Here's the list of the 20 competitors for the upcoming season of Survivor consisting of former castaways along with my analysis on the choices and their odds of winning:

Heroes

Rupert Boneham (Previous seasons: Pearl Islands, All-Stars) Rupert's always been a good guy, but perhaps too nice to win this game. We've seen him come close in his previous two outings. I just don't know if he's gained that killer edge to put him over the top.

James Clement (Previous seasons: China, Micronesia) I'm a little surprised he was brought back for a third time. He's obviously got superior physical strength, but I just don't see him playing the social game well enough to make it far.

Colby Donaldson (Previous seasons: The Australian Outback, All-Stars) One of the few returning castaways from an early season. Colby was a strong player back in the day, but we've seen a lot better contestants both physically and socially come along since then. It's hard to believe, but he may be an underdog considering some of the large personalities on both tribes.

Cirie Fields (Previous seasons: Panama, Micronesia) I don't know why they keep bringing her back. I've never been fond of her or her gameplay. She seems to always do well, but I can't understand why. Let's hope the same doesn't hold true this time around.

Amanda Kimmell (Previous seasons: China, Micronesia) Here's a unique case. This is Amanda's third time and she still has never been voted off once. She also has never won. Something's gotta give this time. If she makes it to the finals, lets hope she's finally figured out how to properly win over the jury. If I had to guess though, my bet is on her finally seeing her torch snuffed out.

Jessica “Sugar” Kiper (Previous season: Gabon) I had concerns that Sugar would be real irritating when I first saw her. Then she ended up getting crapped on by everyone around her, making her extremely sympathetic. It remains to see whether that will hold true again this time around. She may be a bit too naive to win it all.

Stephenie LaGrossa (Previous seasons: Palau, Guatemala) I really liked Stephanie in her first go round and then she became somewhat unpleasant in Guatamala. In neither case did she win. Win or lose, I hope we see the likeable Stephanie reemerge this season.

James “J.T.” Thomas (Previous season: Tocantins) An obvious strong player who was instantly likeable as well. They may make him an instant target, since they may want to eliminate the previous winners early. If he hangs on to the merge, he's got a good chance of making it all the way.

Tom Westman (Previous season: Palau) Tom just bulldozed through the competition in Palau, but I have a feeling he may have a more difficult time here. He's one of the oldest competitors, so I'll be watching to see if he can still hang with the big boys or if he'll just become the grumpy old man.

Candice Woodcock (Previous season: Cook Islands) Here's the first big 'huh' of the game. I had to go back and look at who this was. Even after seeing her picture, she still didn't strike me as anyone I wanted to see again, nor did I feel she's worthy of being a hero. I worry, just like with Amber during the All Star season, someone unworthy of being included in the cast will end up winning this thing because everyone else is so concerned with eliminating the big names.


Villains

Tyson Apostol (Previous season: Tocantins) Tyson was kind of outshone by other larger personalities on his own season, so I wonder if he'll be able to make himself known here or if he'll just fade into the woodwork. I don't think he has the same level of savvy as some of his teammates to survive past the merge.

Randy Bailey (Previous season: Gabon) I had high hopes for him being a standout personality during his season, but he kept to himself more than I would have liked. Despite his gruff demeanor, I actually liked Randy and hope he does well here.

Sandra Diaz-Twine (Previous season: Pearl Islands) I could have done without her being brought back. She was an undeserving winner back in Pearl Islands, so I would hate to see here go far again. I have a feeling that with so many strong men on this team, she'll go quickly.

Danielle DiLorenzo (Previous season: Panama) Basically the same comments I had about Candace apply doubly here. A major 'who???' factor here. I have to believe she only got in because they couldn't get Richard Hatch out of jail in enough time and they figured they'd rather see her naked than him. I pray to go she doesn't win either.

Russell Hantz (Previous season: Samoa) I really want him to do well after getting snubbed last season. This guy is amazing at game play. On the plus side, since this season was filmed right after Samoa, none of the other castaways should know much about him. However, the fact that he was so upset about losing last season makes me think he didn't go far this time around. Let's hope that's not the case.

Jerri Manthey (Previous seasons: Australian Outback, All-Stars) I'm not crazy about Jerri, but she's likely to make for good TV. It sounds like she's decided to embrace her inner bitch this time, which will be more tolerable than her trying to act nice and still coming off like a bitch. My guess is she's too unlikeable to win, but stranger things have happened.

“Boston” Rob Mariano (Previous seasons: Marquesas, All-Stars) Boston Rob irritated me both times he was on Survivor, but then I found him to be quite fun when he did the Amazing Race. Hopefully, he'll be more entertaining than annoying. He's proven to be pretty successful, but I wonder if he still has enough new tricks up his sleeve to maintain his dominance.

Parvati Shallow (Previous seasons: Cook Islands, Micronesia) I still can't believe she managed to pull off the victory in fans vs. favorites. I don't consider her to be a smart player, but we've seen that isn't always necessary to pick up a victory in this game. I have a feeling she'll find it's more difficult for her this time now that's she's already won.

“Coach” Benjamin Wade (Previous season: Tocantins) I'm really looking forward to seeing what the Dragon Slayer will do this time around. Some people who were outspoken in their previous seasons try going the opposite way if they play the game again, but somehow I don't see him doing that. If he becomes too intolerable, he'll get a quick boot. But finding that right alliance may allow him to coast to the finals.

Courtney Yates (Previous season: China) She was so mean and nasty, I can easily see why she was brought back on the villains side. However, I've gotten to see her doing some stuff on Entertainment Weekly with their Survivor reporter, Dalton Ross, and she's pretty hilarious on there. Oddly enough, I might be rooting for her this time around.

And now here's a video previewing the upcoming season that aired during last night's People's Choice Awards:

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Spidey 4 gets tangled up

From EW.com
Sony has decided to push back the start of production on Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4, a Sony source confirms to Variety. (The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.) The film, starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi, was to have begun shooting in February. The studio does not yet know when the film will get rolling, according to the reports. Last month, Raimi and co. hit the pause button on pre-production in order to do further work on the script. It is now unliklely that Spidey 4 will meet its announced May 6, 2011 release date.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Eat, Drink, and Be Suspicious

Some curious new promos photos for the upcoming final season of Lost have just surfaced. Call them images from 'The Lost Supper'. Check them out and analyze their meaning(s) below.