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ringwench
Reviews
Devour (2005)
Started out better than I expected but ended up worse than I could have imagined.
I did not rent this movie expecting greatness.
I rented it for one reason and one reason alone: Jensen Ackles.
I've very recently become a fan of his because of his awesome performance on the new WB show "Supernatural" and I was eager to check out some of his other work.
But on to "Devour". I popped the DVD into the player expecting complete and utter schlock, made bearable only by the presence of Jensen. Surprisingly, it was better than that, at least at first.
The premise was interesting and original enough to pique my interest, and as the events began to unfold I began to almost enjoy watching it.
Then the strange and unnecessary plot twists started happening.
I swear, from about 1/3rd of the movie to right near the end, the ENTIRE movie consists of the guy's friends and family members dying one by one and him dealing with their deaths. It gets kinda ridiculous after awhile.
And the ending was just asinine. I won't go into it here because it just makes so little sense. Contrived plot twist after contrived plot twist. Then the whole thing ends with a completely ambiguous and unsatisfying fizzle.
So yeah, the Jensen Ackles eye candy is pretty good (and he does the best he can with the mediocre material), but don't watch it for the plot or you'll be disappointed by the end.
Supernatural (2005)
My new favorite show
I am completely in love with this show.
I had barely heard about this show before it aired. I think I remember it being briefly mentioned in an article about new fall shows, but as soon as I read that it was going to be airing on the WB, I didn't give it a second thought.
After the first episode aired, a friend of mine who shares a lot of my same tastes in TV told me that I should check it out. I was skeptical, but it was being rerun in a couple of days so figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a chance.
And boy am I ever glad I did! This show is everything I've ever wanted in a TV show. It's suspenseful, the characters have depth, it's funny without being silly, it has a touch of campyness (but not enough to be ridiculous). Not to mention that the two leads are quite easy on the eyes! The strongest element of the show by far is the two leads, Jared Padalecki (Sam) and the phenomenal Jensen Ackles (Dean--who is easily one of the most compelling and likable characters I've seen on TV in a long time). They play brothers who had been separated for a few years when the search for their missing father brings them back together. They grew up hunting supernatural beings with their father so they travel across the country fighting evil things that get in their way.
Dean and Sam have excellent on screen chemistry and a dynamic that really works for a show like this. It's important for a show like this, with only two leads (and really no supporting characters yet) that the two leads be interesting and complex enough both together and on their own to keep people interested in the show. The creators have hit the ball out of the park with Dean and Sam.
Dean and Sam each bring their own strengths and weaknesses and each have their own crosses to bear. Dean still remembers his mother (who is shown in a flashback being brutally murdered by an unknown evil force) who died when he was a small child so he understands the reasoning behind his father's crusade. Sam is haunted by the death of his girlfriend (coincidentally--or not--killed in the exact same manner as their mother) which was the catalyst for him joining Dean in the search for their father, in the hopes that Dad has found out something more about whatever killed the most important women in his life.
Every episode has a "Evil-Thing-of-the-Week" so to speak which the boys must discover and figure out how to kill. Most of these things spring from myths or urban legends (ie. the wendigo, Bloody Mary).
I was very pleasantly surprised with this show, and after only five episodes, I have to say it has surpassed the many other shows I enjoy and is now #1 on my list of favorite current TV shows.
It has a nice old school X-Files feel to it (not surprising, since several people who worked on X-Files created and write for this show), which I absolutely love, as X-Files is definitely my all time favorite show.
If you like the paranormal and want to see great characters you can really care about, check out "Supernatural", I guarantee you will not be disappointed.