3.5 Razors

Jack Ryan – Blue Gold / Persona Non Grata

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan – Blue Gold / Persona Non Grata
  • wiki: link
  • wiki: link

Jack Ryan - Blue Gold / Persona Non Grata television review

“Blue Gold” and “Persona Non Grata” provide a turning point in the Second Season of Jack Ryan with the deaths of a couple of key figures and Reyes (Jordi Mollà) taking advantage of the CIA’s investigation to paint Greer (Wendell Pierce) and others as agents of the United States Government attempting to steal the election for Gloria Bonalde (Cristina Umaña). Before returning to Caracas, Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) concludes his business in London ending in the death of Max Schenkel (Tom Wlaschiha) at the hands of Harriet Baumann (Noomi Rapace) who manages to survive multiple face-to-face confrontations with Max (although he did leave several holes in her body in their final encounter). The following episode doesn’t deal with the fallout of Ryan’s actions as he has plenty of new problems to deal with once leaving London.

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Just Mercy

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Just Mercy
  • IMDb: link

Just Mercy movie reviewBased on true experiences of defense attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton delivers a straightforward biopic that is more about one lawyer’s struggle against a broken legal system than the legal maneuverings of a crafty lawyer. After a brief introduction to the character, the film begins in earnest with Stevenson taking his Harvard education to Alabama to defend those on death row who never received a fair trial.

The film primarily deals with Stevenson’s attempts to earn a new trial for Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) who was convicted of murder on the testimony of one unreliable witness (Tim Blake Nelson) and no physical evidence thanks in large part to the pressure and intimidation of a local sheriff (Michael Harding) whose motives the film never really examines.

Just Mercy is a solid film filled with actors who have given more memorable roles in other movies. Along with Foxx and Jordan we also get Brie Larson as another member of the defense team who helped Stevenson set-up the Equal Justice Initiative offices in Montgomery, Alabama.

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Underdog – Safe Waif

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Underdog – Safe Waif
  • IMDb: link

Underdog - Safe Waif television review

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the misadventures of humble and lovable Shoeshine Boy, better known as everyone’s favorite rhyming canine super-hero Underdog. The first adventure (originally airing on October 3, 1964) features Underdog’s (Wally Cox) attempts to rescue a boy trapped in a bank vault. Setting ongoing themes which would follow throughout the show’s run, Underdog causes quite a bit of damage and panic with his heroics including first destroying the vault of the wrong bank and then setting another bank on fire only to put it out with super-breath which causes tornado-like force that levels most of the building. While none of the supporting characters appear in the first short, we do get the show’s humorous take on the famous crowd reaction to seeing Superman (along with Shoeshine transforming inside a telephone booth) and the show’s memorable theme song.

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Star Wars #1

/ / Comics

Star Wars #1 comic reviewMarvel Comics launches a new Star Wars title with Star Wars #1 set immediately after the events of The Empire Strikes Back and the Millennium Falcon‘s escape from Cloud City on Bespin. Much of the issue focuses on the internal struggle with Luke Skywalker following his defeat at the hands of Darth Vader and the realization that the Vader is his father. The comic breaks with tradition a bit here by hinting at Luke embracing some darker aspects at the Force (perhaps unintentionally… or at least not fully aware of what he was doing).

Star Wars #1 does delivering some back-and-forth between Leia and Lando, offering us a look at the process of Lando earning back some trust from those he betrayed in Cloud City. We also see the Empire doing quite a bit of damage to the rag-tag Rebel fleet which survives thanks to a little help by one who is not yet a Jedi.

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SHAZAM! #9

/ / Comics

SHAZAM! #9 comic reviewSHAZAM! #9 reveals the final choice of champions as Billy Batson shares his power with… his father? I’ll admit to being disappointed that the comic didn’t seize on the opportunity for Billy to offer his power to one of the creatures from the other lands the family has visited over the past eight issues (like say a bunny).

That said, I will admit that the choice of C.C. Batson was one I didn’t see coming and Billy’s choice to choose to share is his power with both his foster family and his birth father, against the wizard’s wishes, offers a nice moment as well as finally reunites the family after being separated across the various magical lands for most of the series.

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