300: Rise of an Empire

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: 300: Rise of an Empire
  • IMDB: link

300: Rise of an EmpireI’m not a Zack Snyder fan. I hated what Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer did to Superman, was disappointed with his interpretation of Watchmen, and was disturbed by watching the man make his own wet dreams into a feature film. Of the Snyder films I’ve been forced to endure over the years 300 is the only one I remotely enjoyed.

Despite obvious flaws, Snyder delivered a slick-looking adaption of Frank Miller’s graphic novel that focused on the legendary accomplishments of the 300 Spartans during the Battle of Thermopylae (while completing ignoring the other Greek forces which aided them – as did Miller’s original work). Turning the sequel over to the hands of director Noam Murro, 300: Rise of an Empire is a joyless blood-spattered spectacle lacking in both story and presentation. Sadly, it seems Murro proves unable to recapture what little magic Zack Snyder was able to bring to the screen while balancing the bloodier elements of the first film with 300‘s visual-style and the silly muscle-bound unclothed warriors constantly preening for the camera in various dramatic poses.

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Mr. Peabody & Sherman

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Mr. Peabody & Sherman
  • IMDB: link

Mr. Peabody & ShermanBased on the Mr. Peabody shorts from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show the new full-length feature film from writer Craig Wright and director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King, The Forbidden Kingdom) may not as be as clever as the original, but it turns out to enjoyable and far more fun than I expected.

Tweaking the story of the genius dog and his adopted son Sherman who travel in time through the use of the WABAC Machine (originally constructed in the TV-series as a way to keep Sherman occupied an teach him history), Mr. Peabody & Sherman uses the machine as a linchpin of a story involving Sherman’s (Max Charles) trouble with a girl at school named Penny (Ariel Winter) and the pair’s unauthorized use of the time travel machine which leads to serious repercussions.

While trying to stop a nosy social worker (Allison Janney) from removing Sherman from an unsuitable home, and dealing with Penny’s parents (Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann), Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) takes the kids back to set things right.

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Arrow – The Promise

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Arrow – The Promise
  • wiki: link

Arrow - The Promise

Presented mostly in extended flashbacks to the island, and back in the present with Oliver (Stephen Amell) being forced to humor the devil in their midst when Moira (Susanna Thompson) and Thea (Willa Holland) show Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) around the Queen home, “The Promise” deals with the relationship between the two men and the series of events which turned friend into enemy. The well-coordinated attack on Ivo’s tanker succeeds as Oliver, Sara (Caity Lotz), and Slade take the ship but when Ivo tells Slade the circumstances under which Shado (Celina Jade) died everything goes straight to hell.

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Mind Games – Asymmetric Dominance

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Mind Games – Asymmetric Dominance
  • IMDB: link

Mind Games - Asymmetric Dominance

Hired by a lifetime executive about to be overlooked for the job as the company’s new CEO (Becky Ann Baker), Ross (Christian Slater) and Clark (Steve Zahn) are hired to make sure that doesn’t happen. Using Asymmetric Dominance (which gives the series’ second episode its name), the group adds a third candidate to the final pool in an attempt to make their client stand out from the pack as the obvious choice. Clark’s public display almost looses the firm the account they desperately need to stay afloat, but that’s nowhere near the problem they run into when their decoy refuses to play the game.

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Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #2

/ / Comics

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #2Complications with Zoe‘s pregnancy leave the crew of Serenity with a newborn baby to care for and a forced trip to an Alliance medical ship where the crew, to protect themselves and young Emma, must leave the injured ship’s first mate in the hands of their enemy.

That’s hardly the only trouble for the crew as Jayne leads the leaders of the new resistance to their messiah who (not surprisingly) has no interest in joining or leading their cause, especially after Mal correctly deduces that rebels have brought trouble right to his door.

Jayne swapping places with Zoe means we’re still without a full crew, and River‘s choice to put herself in a medically-induced coma to find more information like Miranda which can be uses as leverage against the Alliance proves the young woman‘s timing hasn’t improved as it leaves her defenseless, and the ship down another crew member, when Jubal Early catches up with Serenity once more. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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