February 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: A Good Day to Die Hard
  • IMDB: link

a-good-day-to-die-hard-posterThe original Die Hard did a lot of things very well, but one of the most remarked upon was its simplicity. Isolating the protagonist to a largely empty office building, Johh McClane spent most of the film without guns, gadgets, even shoes. Playing the game this straight let all of McClane’s accomplishments shine harder, and stacked up the stakes even more hopelessly against him.

But you don’t need simplicity for a great film. That’s surely something the filmmakers of A Good Day to Die Hard kept in mind with this fifth film in the series. This time around, McClane flys to Russia hoping to get his ne’er-do-well son (played by Jai Courtney, not great) out some trouble he’s run into.

Turns out that the boy is undercover – John Jr. has become a professional at one of his Dad’s recurring hobbies – saving the world, or something like it. Both McClanes become entangled, despite their estranged relationship, on a mission to rescue a political prisoner.

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Worlds’ Finest #9

/ / Comics

Worlds' Finest #9When Karen Starr‘s private island is invaded by a group of masked thieves it falls on a wounded Huntress to suit up and stop them from stealing her best friend’s technology.

The main story works well, but the flashbacks to earlier adventures of Helena and Karen are only slightly tied to the new tale and don’t add anything of significance other than to take up several pages which could be used for the main story. And once again it takes several artists to take over half the artist duties from the missing Kevin Maguire. The result of which are better than last month but still more mixed than I’d like.

Things do pick up in the end with the arrival of Power Girl and the reveal of who the thieves are actually working for. Although the prospect of Mr. Terrific showing up doesn’t do much to excite me, it is a nice twist and it looks like the comic is finally ready to deal with Karen Starr’s relationship to the hero whose pretty much disappeared from the New 52 since his book was cancelled. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

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Hawaii Five-0 – Kekoa

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Hawaii Five-0 – Kekoa
  • tv.com: link

Hawaii Five-0 - Kekoa

As McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) hires an old friend (Treat Williams) now working as a private investigator to shadow his mother’s (Christine Lahti) movements around the island, Five-0 investigates the murder of a Hawaiian hand-to-hand combat master and cousin of Kamekona (Taylor Wily) shot and left for dead in the trunk of a car.

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Winter Soldier #15

/ / Comics

Winter Soldier #15The first issue launching a new creative team and direction for the characters of the Winter Soldier is a little disappointing. Writer Jason LaTour takes over for Ed Brubaker whose overseen nearly all of Bucky Barnes best moments since his return to comics (at Brubaker’s hands) in 2005.

LaTour has to deal with the fallout of a broken-hearted Bucky whose lost the love of his life due to the mad plans of a Soviet sleeper agent. Without the Black Widow, however, an even more morose than usual Bucky is a far less interesting character.

The comic does include an appearance by the Nick Fury (a rarity in Marvel Comics these days) and a new assignment that ties back into his road to redemption involving saving a longtime undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent inside HYDRA.

While Winter Soldier #15 isn’t all that good neither is it a bad comic. However, it doesn’t do nearly enough the sell me on the new direction for the title or the character. Pass.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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Castle – Reality Star Struck

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Castle – Reality Star Struck
  • tv.com: link

Castle - Reality Star Struck

When one of “The Wives of Wall Street” turns up dead Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) take a look into the seedy world behind-the-scenes of the reality-TV show. Aside from the show’s producer (Patrick Fabian) and the other contestants on the show the team also talks with the victim’s brother (Joseph Williamson) who lets them in on the victim’s affair with the husband (Chris Butler) of one of the other “Wives” (Gina Torres).

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