ecwjedi Reviews

Smallville (2001–2017)

Good, but not Super

[6/10 · 14 January 2008]

Smallville comes close to being a great show but has yet to ever break to fully achieve the greatness of shows that have inspired it. I really want to like Smallville more than I do. Here is what bother me the most: Smallville has shown signs of greatness over the years and occasionally there are strings of great episodes that make me believe that Smalliville will turn into one of the great TV shows. But alas after three or four good episodes a string of mediocre episodes will follow, killing all momentum that had been building before them.

On the whole, the cast of Smallville is very strong. Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance, John Schneider, and John Glover are exceptional in their roles. The cinematography is top notch for a TV show. I always how nice the color palate is and how well the shots are put together. So many shows look dull in comparison. Smallville is a very nice show to look at.

The main detriment of Smallville is the writing. In my opinion, writing is the most important aspect for any TV show. Without good writing a TV show can never excel and Smallville is an example of this. The early years of the show had a countless amount of "Villain of the Week" episodes which added almost nothing to the greater arc of the show. These episodes became the base of what the show was built on. I think this was a great error that the writers made in the early years of the show. There was no central theme. There were no big arcs that carried a season of the show. No long-term villains, only ones who lasted for an episode or maybe coming back for a second of third. When a main character of the show exited in season 5 it could have been a major arc that the season should have changed greatly after that. It didn't. Smallville never seems to have long-term goals and arcs in mind and it drives me crazy! I like Smallville, really I do, but after six seasons it has never reached a level that it could/should have. I like to watch it but don't need to watch it.

10% of the episodes are great, 50% are good, 40% are forgettable in my opinion.

Random! Cartoons: Adventure Time (2008) Season 1, Episode 7

Having Trouble Thinking of Words

[10/10 · 8 July 2007]

Adventure Time is one of the most enjoyable animated shorts I've ever seen. No, scratch that. It IS the most enjoyable animated short I've ever seen. It's so off the wall and random, I just can't get enough (just can't get enough). Good for kids. Good for adults. I really hope to see more because I can always use a good laugh.

It may seem like it's designed for drunken people to watch when they come home from the bar and....wait a second, did I wrote "may"? OK, it might just be designed to give drunks and those with a twisted sense of humor cheap laughs. And if that's the case, the show is a true hero.

Talking dogs, boys with awesome hats, people surfing penguins, and ninjas stealing diamonds from old men. Adventure Time has it all.

Why did the evil wizard have a set of drums in his cave?

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A Shot in the Dark (1964)

A Shot in the Funnybone

[9/10 · 28 March 2006]

I was first introduced to the Pink Panther movies by my father when I was about 14 and instantly took a liking to the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, played by the late great Peter Sellers. Sure the franchise has a few installments that fall flat (Return and Trail of the Pink Panther lack the magic touch, and lets not even get into those Panther movies that don't even have Sellers in them) but even those movies have shining moments of brilliance due to the comedic magic of Sellers. Over the years, I have introduced several people (well, like four to be exact) to these movies and they all have thanked me for doing so afterword's.

Taste for comedy is a lot like taste for food, in that people love certain things more than others one persons gut buster may be another's bore-fest. Someone's idea of gourmet comedy could be Ben Stiller getting stuck in his zipper in There's Something About Mary or Jim Carrey talking out of his ace in Ace Venture while others may prefer witty British comedy like in Shaun of the Dead or the subtle humor of Rushmore. A Shot in the Dark should please all lovers of comedy as it provides a large buffet of comedy goodness, albeit in an old-fashioned way.

A Shot in the Dark picks up sometime after The original Pink Panther with Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) on a murder case involving a wealthy man and the household staff at his mansion, including the beautiful Maria (Elke Sommer), as the chief suspect, whom Clouseau becomes immediately smitten with. Becoming convinced that Maria is not guilty of the murder, Clouseau sets out to prove her innocence and track down the real killer, in the usually bumbling Clouseau fashion. The whole movie is built around getting Sellers into wacky situations where he can really showcase his comedic ability. And that it does.

After stealing the show in The Pink Panther Sellers gets his chance to shine in this tailor made movie for him. A dolt of detective who has the ego of a film student and the lack of understanding that he's really not anything special, like a film student. Sellers slips, trips, and falls his way in establishing Clouseau as one of the great comedy characters of all time. I defy anyone not to get a good laugh at Clouseau as he tells the mansion workers that "I suspect everyone and I suspect no-one. I believe everything and I believe (dramatic pause) nothing." in a deadpan manner. Other great set pieces for laughs include Clouseau's infiltration of a nudist colony, his undercover attempts to follow Maria which lead to him being continuously arrested, and his great battle with his house-servant Cato. Also not to be ignored is Herbert Lom, as Police Commissioner Dreyfus. Lom gets quite a few laughs as he is slowly driven mad by Clouseau's, um…less than stellar detective techniques which often end in disaster which reflects badly on poor old Dreyfus. There really are too many classic gags to list here, unless I get to do some type of double dip writers cut of this review with over 500 extra words (!).

Not to say that there aren't parts in the film where some of the jokes fall flat. I must add that the good FAR outweighs the flat but, some of the acting is very old Hollywood, over dramatic and theater-ish. The film also has a few slow scenes which in the modern era would have been trimmed but this was forty two years ago and the fast paced epileptic Tony Scott editing that has become the norm was not an option then. Also, after over forty years the movie is very dated, soaked in the sixties as if Austin Powers may jump out at some points, but that doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the film.

A Shot in the Dark is loaded with gags both upfront and subtle. So if you like a comedy to be in your face with physical humor you'll be pleased, but if you prefer your comedies to have a more subtle wit that might take some work to pick up on be pleased with the fact that you will…well….be pleased.

Score: 9 out of 10

Derailed (I) (2005)

A Pleasant Surprise

[7/10 · 6 November 2005]

Derailed is like Fatal Attraction if done by Hitchcock. Going into a sneak preview I did not know much about the film so I was surprised when it strayed from the affair between the characters played by Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston and became more of a mystery that focused on Owen's character. Yes there are some things in Derailed that my not make much sense when the film is over but they work well enough not to detract from the overall enjoyment in watching the film. As Owen's character keeps getting into more and more trouble you can't helped but be sucked into his world and root for him to make things right, just like in many a Hitchcock film. Over all, Derailed isn't going to change the way you look at movies or anything but during the time you spend watching it Derailed will successfully take your mind off of other things and give you some enjoyable entertainment. What else could you ask for from a movie?

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The Beach (I) (2000)

The Beach WILL NOT DIE TODAY

[8/10 · 14 June 2005]

The Beach is interesting in that some people feel that its terrible while there are others who feel that it is an unsung hero of a movie. When I first saw The Beach, back in 2000, I thought it was OK, not as bad as most people said it was. But, just like with A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach grew on me and I had to watch it again. After seeing it a few more times I really started to pick up on what was going on and realized that at the end of the film the viewer has gone through quite an adventure with Dicaprio and co. The acting, cinematography, music, and story are great and hold up after repeat viewings. The Beach is one of those movies that I watch once a year as its enjoyability never decreases. This is a very solid film that will no doubt only increase in its popularity as time goes by as fans of The Beach are quite hardcore. Even though Dany Boyle has said that he is not very proud of The Beach I believe that he's made a gross error and misjudged his work because even after all these years The Beach still has a freshness to it that most films lose while they are still in the theaters. Because of these reasons The Beach will not die today.

A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

If You Get It, Its Amazing, If Not, Its Not

[8/10 · 8 June 2005]

I remember seeing A Life Less Ordinary back in the late 1990s with high expectations as Trainspotting was one, and still is, one of my all time favorite films. What I got was a different film, but not in a bad way. It was fun and very different from anything else that came out around that time. But the funny thing was that after I saw it I kept thinking about it, little things; lines and camera shots that stuck in my head. By the time I watched it again, a week or so later, it was like the film was an old friend. There is a charm in every scene of A Life Less Ordinary and if you are able to pick up on it the film is a great experience. People I know are split on the film, most think its just OK. Although I enjoy ALLO its not perfect, some parts don't work very well and come across as corny, but the good, my man Ewan is just great as the lovable loser, far outweighs the bad and thats why it has a place in my film collection.

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(This review was originally written by a man but then a robot replaced him.)

Tru Calling (2003–2005)

Who in their right mind would Cancel this!?

[8/10 · 5 February 2005]

Tru Calling had a great premise, unlike anything else on TV at the time, and most episodes were interesting and mysterious. Eliza Dushku was in top form and had an excellent cast behind her, including Shawn Reaves as her wheeling, dealing brother Harrison. Everything fell into place on Tru Calling but it was on Fox which seems to be a curse for so many potentially good shows. I don't understand how so many bad shows manage to last so long while the few good ones that get on the air don't last much more than a season. Tru Calling now joins the ranks of some of the best shows that never got a fair chance: Firefly, Undergrads, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Clerks. In the years to come when more and more people discover these hidden gems they will wonder why some of the best TV from 99-04 got the axe while other shows that nobody will even be talking about got season after season. Perhaps the reason that TC didn't last so long is that it was too smart for the average viewer. It helps when you think about TC when your watching it. Tru Calling is not the pop song that so many other shows are, it is an opera filled with all sorts of layers. Tru Calling had such a good set up and did not get the chance follow through on its potential. There were so many amazing stories that they could have told if given the chance. If you have not seen Tru Calling and are on this page I suggest that you pick up the DVD sets as you'll end up going back to it time and time again. The best new show on TV in 2003/4 can be the best new show in your DVD collection, as it is in mine. Its too bad nobody could go back in time and save Tru Calling....... and Firefly and Undergrads and Clerks.........

The candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)

My Drug of Choice

[10/10 · 12 January 2005]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is more than a TV show to me, it is a passion. Simply put I can see no reason for an intelligent person not to like BTVS. It is a show that was, along with all its characters, constantly evolving. Willow is a classic example of a character who transformed over the seasons from a shy nerd to a confident powerful witch. Not only did the main characters evolve but so did many of the smaller characters and villains which hardly any other shows do, and if so not as well. I try to watch a few episodes here and there when I have the time and when I do I am always happy to find that the shows quality does not diminish on repeat viewings, in some cases episodes get better and can be seen in a new perspective. Every season had a theme that connected to growing up, which were universal. Stand out episodes like Hush, The Body, and Once More With Feeling are benchmarks not just for BTVS but for modern television. Few TV shows can match the combination of Buffy's acting and writing, it is very apparent that these people truly cared about the show they were making. If your on this page odds are that you are a fan, a big fan, we are a dedicated bunch! If your thinking about starting to watch the show I have no reservations in recommending it but be warned that BTVS could become your new drug of choice, with series creator Joss Wheden acting as your dealer, and believe me he'll keep you coming back over and over again. Its doesn't get any better than Buffy, and never will.

BTVS 1997-2003: It Saved TV a lot

Angel (1999–2004)

Will Not Fade Away

[10/10 · 12 January 2005]

Angel is a show that is going to live forever because it never gave in and changed itself around in order to be more friendly for the masses. I have no intention of giving each season or episode a number evaluation as I feel the entire body of the show is whats important. Well thought out story arcs were the norm in this amazingly diverse world inhabited by the most fleshed out characters on any TV show. A perfect example of this is the character Wesley who started as the comedic sidekick and slowly, over the seasons, transformed into a certifiable bad-ass without ever coming across as forced. Angel never treated the view like an idiot, never wrapped everything up in a nice little package after every show only to forget about the previous events in the next episode. Angel also never got stale, in part because it was cancelled in its prime by the WB for no solid reason as it was one of the highest rated shows on the network. Every season seemed to get a little better with the fifth, and final, season being the best, in my humble opinion. The show has become like an old friend to me which I can visit from time to time to remember what TV should strive to be like and to see an example of great story telling. In a time when TV is turning into a wasteland of trends and shows that do nothing but recycle, Angel was a bright spot which has sadly gone out. Buy the DVDs and let the show live forever as most of what else is on TV is already dead.

Merchants of War (1989)

So 80's

[4/10 · 23 March 2003]

This movie is just a rip off of every action film of the 80's. It has very little plot, bad guys who hate America, and the rest is all shooting. Everything about it is just incredibly 80's, from the music to plot to everything else. Its good for a laugh and a look at a different time for action films, but not a good film itself. If you want to watch a B-level 80's action movie that doesn't care about being anything else than you might get a kick out of Merchants of War. But don't count on it.