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ThomasDrufke

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857 reviews in total

I have often found Legends' inclusion of several well-known events or significant people into their episodes to be forced and unnecessary. That time Einstein showed up? Come on. But this episode, being a George Lucas tribute, was the opposite. It didn't feel forced, his integration was light-hearted and creative, and most of all, it was a fun episode from beginning to end.

We were teased the return of both Rip Hunter and Captain Cold, though only the former actually appeared. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of either character and I think this show has worked just fine without Rip as the captain and Snart as a protagonist or antagonist. It's been a fun ride this season, there's no need to mess that up. Rip is entirely new character, however, one who never flew as the captain nor as even met any of Legends. Interestingly enough, he's stuck in the 1960's directing movies with George Lucas coincidentally based on a team of rag tag heroes.

I was glad to see that they didn't structure the episode so that the Legends were going to outright "inspire" Lucas to make Star Wars specifically because he saw laser guns and super powered beings. But they did influence him to become a director. But it wasn't until Ray and Nate lost their abilities mentally and physically following Lucas' dropping out of film school. Comically, everyone eventually got stuck in a garbage shoot/trash compactor at the hands of Darhk and Malcom. Hmm, I wonder where they got that idea.

But that's why this show is as fun as it is. It never takes itself too seriously and it never tries to be something it's not (at least in season 2). Did I need a Lucas tribute episode? No. I probably would have initially wanted more of a pure follow up to some of the Legion of Doom stuff in the mid-season finale, but the writers found a way to integrate a film icon into their story about the Legion looking for a famous medallion/spear. I mean, it doesn't get much more Indiana Jones than that. I'm nowhere near as invested in this show as I am with Prometheus or Savitar on the other shows (and I could care less that Rip was taken by Reverse Flash), but it's nice being able to kick back and enjoy a 40 minute time-traveling adventure every week.

+George Lucas inclusion was fun

+Nate & Ray losing powers because of Lucas

-I don't care that Rip is back

9.0/10

I think most of us had assumed that it was either going to be Earth-2 Laurel (Black Siren) or just simply a hallucination of Oliver's as soon as she showed up in the lair. Arrow has done a lot of divisive things over the years, but perhaps none more divisive than the decision to kill off Laurel/Black Canary last season. Luckily, the writers didn't blatantly choose to erase that from the lore of the show, and instead, are going to incorporate her into the show in a variety of ways in the future. We'll get to that other Black Canary issue a little later.

Because of how grounded the first 9 episodes of season 5 felt, I'm not sure how I felt about Black Siren's presence. I've always said this show is much better without any sort of meta-human or enhanced beings at all. While this version of Laurel is a far cry from most villains that appear on Flash, I still prefer Arrow to stay grounded in its crime drama roots. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Siren had a direct link to Prometheus as she played into his plan to continue to manipulate Oliver's life. How exactly Prometheus planned for Laurel to do that? Yeah, I'm still not so sure on that, but I was glad to see the big baddie make an appearance.

Diggle was left in a bit of a pickle last time we saw him as he's once again dealing with the aftermath of the incident with the military. Oliver hired Adrian Chase to take on his case, which led to mixed results. Diggle is presumably okay for the immediate future, considering how long Chase's "prosecution" will take, but he's far from being a free man.

The Team had some weekly conflict as always, this time, between Curtis & Rene and also Felicity & Oliver. The latter felt like age-old arguments from the early days of Arrow as Felicity repeatedly tried to convince Oliver of his blind-spot when it came to him trying to help Laurel. It's definitely nothing we haven't seen before, but I believed both sides of the argument enough for it to get by. The Curtis/Rene squabble was a bit of the same. It felt more like the writers needed to fill air time than natural. I believe Curtis in what he's frustrated about, but I'm not sure this episode was the right time for that to come to head.

The flashbacks also didn't carry a ton of weight this week, that is, until the final few seconds. Lexa Doig made her grand entrance as Talia al Ghul. Of course, even though she is said to be training Ollie in the coming episodes, she won't be able to tell him her last name considering that would wipe away the al Ghul's presence in season 2 and 3 (Oliver would have then mentioned that he knew Nyssa's sister). But Doig wasn't the only female to make her debut tonight as Juliana Harkavy made her first appearance as Tina Boland. Sure, seems like she'll be the new Black Canary, though I'm not sure we even need one, right?

Doesn't it seem weird that in the episode in which Laurel 'returns', they push her aside and welcome in a 'new' Canary? Didn't the show-runners say they will honor the Laurel Lance version of Black Canary? I'm not sure the fans will be pleased with this decision. Can't we just end the Black Canary character? Sara or nobody at all, Arrow. Come on now. Aside from a few cool set-ups for the latter part of the season, this episode was just plain average. Not exactly the follow up to "What We Leave Behind" that I was hoping for.

+Talia

+Chase & Diggle present a welcomed team

+Thankfully this wasn't a full on resurrection of Laurel

-But did we even need Laurel in the first place?

-Prometheus' plan for Laurel was unclear

7.4/10

It's good to have the CW shows back. All 4 shows ended with a great fall mid-season finale and it seems like they are picking up right where they left off. While this episode of Flash took a little bit to really get going, the direction the back half of this season is heading will make for a different exciting run of episodes.

I've already made my voice loud about how indifferent I feel about Wally as a character, and having him officially join the team as a speedster made me even more nervous. Then, Barry not trusting him for absolutely zero reason? I thought we were in for some misplaced dramatic tension between the two. Luckily, those worries were pushed to the side as Barry assured Wally that his actions towards him were solely because of what happens to Iris in the future (hence him wanting to change the way Plunder got taken down). I'm sure this won't be the last time the two speedsters have their differences in the field, but at least this one turned out to be nothing at all.

Something I also found refreshing was just how quick Barry chose to tell Iris and Team Flash about his future vision. Of course, they chose not to tell Joe (don't we all know what happens when you don't tell your parents about something. i.e. Laurel-Quentin), but it was a big step to at least include most of Team Flash in on Barry's trip to the future. Speaking of which, special shout-out to Candice Patton, whom I have been critical of in the past, for delivering a wonderful performance tonight. I'm not sure I could have imagined her having a more fitting reaction to finding out about her death.

It sets up an interesting premise for the rest of the season as the team is looking to fix all of the headlines seen on the news that day in May. On one hand, it's frustrating because I know ultimately Barry is going to have to learn yet another lesson about not changing timelines. On the other hand, I love the refreshing direction these next set of episodes are taking. It's like Flash's own version of Minority Report, and that seems like a more interesting approach than the usual villain-of-the-week approach that most CW seasons have taken.

What does this mean for Caitlin and her inevitable transition into Killer Frost? Or Julian and his inclusion into Team Flash? Is it also safe to assume he will also transition back into Alchemy? Will the STAR Labs Museum still get shut down? Does Wally take Iris place in dying at the hands of Savitar after all? All questions still worth asking, and it doesn't seem like the show will answer them any time soon. Let's forget about the useless Plunder and look forward to whoever the heck is tracking down H.R. Wells next week. Disjointed at first, but tonight's episode turned out nicely, delivering an exciting and surprisingly poignant story.

+Refreshing direction

+The less secrets the better

+Wally didn't really bother me

-Plunder didn't really do much

8.2/10

Did anybody really think a Thanagarian Snare Beast would ever make it to the big screen, let alone small screen? Well, Supergirl introduced one tonight as Kevin Smith finally got to make what was (sort of) his pitch for a Superman movie back in the late 90's.

After seeing Jon Schnepp's documentary on the history behind the originally pitched 'Superman Lives' movie, there was a part of me that actually wanted to see Kevin Smith's take. Ridiculous is an understatement as Jon Peters uniquely obscure vision overtook Smith's passion project, but Smith put his stamp on this particular episode. Much like his first Flash directed episode last season, this episode felt both like a departure from the show as well as exactly what we needed coming out of a long break. I mean, we got an episode that didn't deal with the main antagonists of the show and yet it was perhaps the grandest of episodes in terms of scope this season.

What was built up as a solid mystery into the disappearances of several unlinked citizens, turned into a charming space bound adventure with surprisingly entertaining new characters (and a quick look at a Dominator from the crossover). Whilst all that's happening, the episode did feature a few romantically focused scenes. I'm a huge fan of the Sanvers relationship, but their 'fight' felt contrived and out of place. If they are going to break up, I'd hate it to end so abruptly. Maggie did find out that Kara was Supergirl because of this 'fight', however, so perhaps this could lead to something.

Kara and Mon-El seemed to have some serious development on their end as well with the ladder deciding he officially wants to throw his name in the superhero group after all. Not shocking, but exciting for sure. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the series now is the exact plans for his character, especially seeing the last scene. He'll be important in the back half. Overall, it was a nice return for Supergirl, and I think this show has finally found its footing.

+Fun adventure

+Kevin Smith's stamp all over it

+One-off episode

-Romances felt forced

8.0/10

No matter the genre, a second film in the franchise is always expected to up the ante. Whether that entails expanding the scope and scale or just developing your characters to a new point of awakening is up to each film individually. Resident Evil Apocalypse adds nothing new to what the first film already established. In fact, besides a slight setting change and some new faces, this is the exact same movie.

It's unfortunate that Milla Jovovich got so tied up with the Resident Evil films for all those years. She's a talented actress, and quite good in the movies, but she's never given much to do besides wear inappropriate clothing (especially in an apocalypse) and throw some punches. Alice's character arc is the same as the first film. She initially finds herself estranged to her surroundings, she finds companions, punches are thrown, guns are shot, bad people try to take her and shake her world to the core, and then she revolts. It's quite laughable.

For whatever weaknesses the first film had, at least it felt original and grounded with reality. 'Apocalypse' has a ton of action and new set pieces, both of which may wow the casual film-goer, but those sequences are constantly tied down by fast and lazy editing. A lot of films in the mid-2000's fell victim to jump cut fight scenes where you don't actually know who's punching who, you just get caught up in the excitement. With 'Apocalypse', not only do you not know who's punching who, you honestly don't care where the punches are landing anyway. It's not that I overtly disliked any of the new characters we were introduced to, such as Jill Valentine, Carlos Olivera, Angie Ashford, L.J., or Terri. But I found nothing unique or interesting about them, especially compared to the original gang in the first film.

Sure, Jovovich is always entertaining to watch as Alice, but with nothing new added since the last outing, I can't possibly give the film a positive review.

+Jovovich keeps it watchable

-Lazy editing

-Rehashed plot

-Nothing unique about the new team

4.4/10

January has always felt like the perfect time to release some guilty pleasure action flicks. Most of the Oscar-bait films have been released, and we're set for a new year with new thrills. Unfortunately, xXx: Return of Xander Cage isn't a mindlessly fun January adventure. It's not a film that should be released in any month, ever.

I've always been a big fan of Vin Diesel. His charisma is usually enough to overcome the bad movies that surround him. Plus, he seems like a great guy outside of acting so it's difficult not to root for him. But even knowing that, and being the massive Fast & Furious fan that I am, didn't do anything to help the steaming pile of crap that this movie is. As I say with most movies I give a negative review, I won't waste my time venting, and instead use my energy towards something more productive. I'll keep it short and concise.

Because some will make the direct comparison, there's a big difference between this film and any of the last few F&F films. Sure, Diesel essentially plays the same character, but the execution is entirely different. The F&F franchise has been clear from the beginning, they are about family that stick together through anything. So for every ridiculous action scene in that, we have a characters that we truly care about. There is not a single character in xXx, Xander included, that I cared for. We get introduced to a tech savant played by The Hound from Game of Thrones, another techie (why?) played extremely goofily by Nina Dobrev, a sniper played by Rudy Rose, a spec op played by former NFL player Tony Gonzalez, a DJ played by Kris Wu (wait what?) former xXx agent Darius Stone played by Ice Cube and entering the film to a song by, yep you guessed it, Ice Cube. And yes, it is as painfully ridiculous as it seems.

Look, I really enjoy the original xXx. It didn't take itself too seriously but it also never tried to do too much. It was simple in its execution even amidst all of the insane extreme sports stunts. This film is sloppily written, directed, and edited which makes for a waste of time at the theater. I review films based on what they set out to do. A horror film intends to scare, perhaps a biopic intends to inform, and an action film intends to entertain. Sometimes genres can transcend into others, but xXx does nothing but tick me off. And that's coming from someone who had little expectations. Why the world needed a movie about Xander and his idiotic crew of misfits trying to take down something called "Pandora's Box"? No.

-Where's the fun?

-Putrid dialogue

-How are these characters useful to the plot at all?

-Utterly predictable

1.7/10

Peter Berg is on fire. After putting out Deepwater Horizon a few months back, he's back directing Mark Wahlberg in another film based on a true story. This time, a film based on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Easily one of the most emotionally powerful films of 2016.

Patriots Day feels a lot like a documentary. Berg tackles the events leading up to and the aftermath of the attack with great detail. Because of the realism in which Berg displays the attacks, I found myself emotionally overwhelmed more than once within the first half an hour. We are shown a few dozen characters (almost all based on real- life people) across the entire city of Boston, and each of them feel important, unique, and most of all, real. Aside from Wahlberg's fictional character who occasionally gets involved a little too heavily in the search for the bombers, each character feels like a real human being that is experiencing these horrific events. To me, that is the most impressive feat Patriots Day accomplished.

Whether it's a police sergeant buying his wife a muffin before heading to work, an MIT officer asking a girl out to a Zac Brown Band concert, or a young couple arguing about how to correctly pronounce certain words in the 'Boston way', this film was filled with real people. These nuances gave the audiences an easier 'in' to the story and characters than I could have imagined. Having a film focusing on this many people is an extremely difficult task, and Berg did a nice job encapsulating all sides of the story.

With that said, I think all of the different angles catches up with the film after a while. I was always invested in the story, but I can see where audiences may think the movie wanders. I myself, appreciate how much this film covers, but the fact that it actually takes the time to focus on the bombers could turn some people off. I would have a hard time ever trying to understand the reasoning behind these attacks, but Berg did at least make the terrorists more than just someone with a trigger. You got to see their own real-life problems at home and with each other. Even though I can't help but think terrible thoughts when I see them on screen, I like that there is at least a small arc to them.

Patriots Day has a lot going on, and even though it may appear to be counterproductive to show this many sides, it proved to be beneficial for me to see all these different sides to Boston. I felt like these actors weren't really acting, and instead were real people fighting to survive in a time where surviving was all that really mattered. Just as I said with Sully in 2016, Patriots Day is a tribute to how well we work as a species when we work together. The power of the human spirit is not to be trifled with.

+Performance of the ensemble

+Emotionally heartbreaking about 20 different times

+Covers so much ground

9.0/10

Video game movies have been awful for decades now. Resident Evil isn't necessarily the exception to that rule, but it's nowhere near as awful as the genre has been.

Resident Evil is at its best when it pushes aside the politics of this "secret military group" named The Umbrella, and instead is an homage to the original Alien. When the film takes twists and turns that are supposed to surprise you, when in fact, they feel like a weak attempt at shock, it becomes overwhelmingly convoluted. But in the instances that the survivors, led by Alice (Milla Jovovich), are scrambling through rooms doing anything to survive CGI creatures and flesh eating zombies, Resident Evil is pure guilty pleasure.

Much like the Underworld franchise, I honestly don't care about any of the supporting characters. Knowing where most zombie flicks go, there's really no use to getting attached to secondary characters when you know their deaths are all but guaranteed. I did, however, find Alice to be compelling, as long as the sequels do more to expand her history and explain how she became an absolute bada**. In fact, one can make the argument that Alice is a more likable character than Selene is in Underworld.

As I've said a lot recently, there's nothing wrong with a mindless action adventure if it doesn't take itself too seriously. Resident Evil is actually a pretty serious film, people are dying left and right, and the world is on the brink of an apocalypse. But there's something to be said about a throwback action-horror taking place in one confined space. In this case, it gives the viewer a sense of what a first person shooter game with this story would feel like. I've never played any of the games, but I can certainly see where this story lends itself to the video game medium. Now, is there an excuse for a horrendous looking creature via CGI? Or maybe some truly useless characters with weak (at best) dialogue? No, I can't say there is. But hey, it's a solid cable watch.

+Action that doesn't pull punches

+Alice is likable

-Dated CGI

-Inexcusably bad dialogue

5.8/10

Upping the scale doesn't always mean a better film. 'Awakening' finds Underworld at its bloodiest and perhaps most action packed, but there's once again little under the surface of a vampire-action flick.

At this point in the franchise, you pretty much know what you're going to get. Selene leads the war against anyone who opposes their kind. This time, however, it's humans who are on the opposite end of the stick. This premise felt a lot like when the old Planet of the Apes franchise ran out of ideas so they made a time jump and brought the humans in as the antagonists. In fact, it touches on a lot of the same social issues that 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes' did, experimentation on creatures for one. The problem is, it's only touched upon. Just like the new relationship Selene has with a young girl named Eve isn't totally the focus either.

I mean, I guess we can give 'Awakening' a little credit for not continuing the bland romance between Michael & Selene, and giving her someone new to care about. But there's a way to write characters into the story without overwhelming each scene with blood and guts. Heck, it's also pretty hard to root for Selene considering she slaughters every human in sight. This film absolutely doubles down on the series' heavy genre aspects, instead of trying to usher in a broader audience.

Theo James & Charles Dance are brought in to essentially replace roles taken by Bill Nighy and Scott Speedman. Both actors give more grounded turns than the others did, but even they can't turn awful dialogue into something worth caring about. I'm not so sure Daniel Day-Lewis could even do it. Although the dialogue is still horrendous, the characters are still shallow, and the plot continues to get more ridiculously contrived, these films can be entertaining. The action is better choreographed than any of the other films and at least the run-time is short, right?

+Action is amped up

+Performances are more grounded

-More blood & guts doesn't always mean the quality rises

-Characters are still hollow

5.3/10

If any future filmmakers are looking for inspiration in the guilty- pleasure high octane action genre, xXx is exactly the film to look into. What's not to like about it? Heck, even the horribly awful things are entertaining.

Back when Vin Diesel decided not to come back to the Fast & Furious franchise, he chose to join F&F 1 director Rob Cohen in taking on another ridiculous action extravaganza, xXx. Now, the Fast & Furious franchise has figured out the right balance of lighthearted humor, bada** action sequences, and developed characters who we actually care about. xXx certainly has fun action, but that's about it. The humor is there, but in no way do I believe it's intentionally funny. And the characters are pretty awful. Or, at least the dialogue coming out of their mouths is awful.

But does a film like this really need to have great dialogue? I guess not. Especially when it contains countless one-liners that do nothing but put a smile on my face from ear to ear. Essentially, this is just another Fast & Furious movie. Fast cars, explosions, women in scantily clad attire, incoherent plots, over-the-top villains, and catchy music. All are staples of the franchise, and Xander Cage's first film outing is no different.

The supporting characters are fittingly absurd and bizarre, led by a prototypical performance from Samuel L. Jackson & an equally clichéd turn from Marton Csokas. I think the bottom line is, this movie is so far-fetched and insane that it works as one of the best mindless action adventures of the last decade. No one would believe a guy like Xander Cage would be recruited as an undercover agent in any sort of organization, but that's not really the point. xXx sets out to entertain, and that it does.

+One-liners

+Full-throttle action

+Over-the-top

-Really, really awful dialogue

-Cliched

-Does anyone actually care about these characters?

6.4/10

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