Matt Zimmer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
matt_zimmer) wrote2008-04-20 09:43 am
matt_zimmer) wrote2008-04-20 09:43 am
TV Reviews (Spoilers)
Reviews for the latest episodes of Battlstar Galactica, Smallville, King of the Hill, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the pilot for Transformers Animated. More Transformers Animaed Reviews will be coming this week. Please comment, Style. :)
Battlestar Galactica "The Ties That Bind"
I didn't like this one. I was bummed they killed Cally off and am REALLY bummed that they made Tory evil just because it worries me that they'll do the same to Tyrell, Tigh, and Anders. I had high hopes that the Final Five WOULD be different than the other Cylons but Tory's a monster.
The Cylon civil war stuff is interesting (it looks like Lucy Lawless WILL be returning) but I wish it had taken up more of the episode.
All in all, a mediocre outing and a major disappointment. **1/2.
Smallville "Descent"
I liked the episode a lot especially since they didn't keep you guessing who they were going to kill off like in the 100th episode and simply dispatched Lionel Luthor in the teaser. I also like how they pulled a Snape and you learned of Lionel's altruistic nature after he died. I'm glad he turned out to be good. But...
I was disappointed that Clark didn't feel ANY guilt over the way he treated Lionel right before he died. Clark was Lionel's surrogate son and Clark is the kind of guy who's introspective enough to realize that Lionel died thinking Clark hated him and feeling awful about it. I hope this is played up in coming weeks but the fact that it wasn't raised here leads me to believe the writers think of it as a non-issue. I have really come to care about Lionel over the course of the series so I'm disappointed they shyed away from going in that direction.
It was no surprise that it was Lex who was going to kill Lionel (they've set up that idea since the pilot) but I was really impressed that the writer's show him killing Alexander or the only good part of himself left. He's a total villain now and that takes guts. I only hope the new showrunners next year aren't afraid of showing Clark learning to fly and actually becoming Superman. We've waited long enough. ****.
King of the Hill "The Courtship of Joseph's Father"
One of the things I've noticed about this show is that the adults are all bad parents and in a just society someone else would be raising their kids. But Dale takes it to a whole nuther level here. He makes Peggy Hill look sane.
I don't really have much else to say about this episode but that observation. Just throwin' that out there. ***.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Past Present"
Despite all of the action and how bad things got nothing really happened this episode outside of the Shredder taking over. You'd think that would be a HUGE development but as the episode is structured it seemed to be mere set-up for the season finale. That's fine but I don't give this episode as much credit as it obviously wants me to. ***1/2.
Doctor Who "Voyage of the Damned"
I love the new instrumental of the theme song. VERY spooky.
The episode was pretty good too but I was as frustrated as the Doctor that all of the cool characters kept getting killed off. There's something VERY unsatisfying about the herione biting it along with all three lovable characters while the old guy and the jerk survive. I suppose that was the point but it didn't make the episode any more enjoyable. ***.
The Sarah Jane Adventures "Revenge of the Slitheen: Part One"
The farting aliens return! I like how this tied into a previous episode of Doctor Who and I'll be excited if the show reuses any other Who aliens or bad guys. And I don't know how old Elisabeth Sladen is in real life but for someone who has been with this franchise since the seventies she is absolutely beautiful. I liked this a lot. ****.
Transformers Animated "Transform and Roll Out"
I enjoyed this. I've made no secret how much I hated the old cartoon but that was less because it was stupid (almost ALL eighties cartoons were stupid) and more because the show had horrible values and rotten morals for the audience of kids. That's no problem here as the characters are all bright, colorful and relatable. The series has quite a few gags (like the Autobots mistaking the humans for pets)and the voice work is great too. The animation takes some getting used to but by the end of the episode it was all right.
If I had any complaints it's that some of the battles were kind of boring which is to say that they never really added anything new to the fighting cartoon genre that shows like say, Samurai Jack, JLU and Teen Titans did. But it's only the first episode so I'm willing to cut it major slack. Another beef is that this version of Bumblebee is a little too cowardly for my liking. He was one of my favorite characters on the old show because he was so brave. Hopefully his character is a work in progress because there really isn't anything interesting about a LITTLE robot who gets scared all the time. The little girl Sari is cute though even though I imagine most adult fans of the show will hate her. I certainly didn't.
Good kick-off to the series. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "The Ties That Bind"
I didn't like this one. I was bummed they killed Cally off and am REALLY bummed that they made Tory evil just because it worries me that they'll do the same to Tyrell, Tigh, and Anders. I had high hopes that the Final Five WOULD be different than the other Cylons but Tory's a monster.
The Cylon civil war stuff is interesting (it looks like Lucy Lawless WILL be returning) but I wish it had taken up more of the episode.
All in all, a mediocre outing and a major disappointment. **1/2.
Smallville "Descent"
I liked the episode a lot especially since they didn't keep you guessing who they were going to kill off like in the 100th episode and simply dispatched Lionel Luthor in the teaser. I also like how they pulled a Snape and you learned of Lionel's altruistic nature after he died. I'm glad he turned out to be good. But...
I was disappointed that Clark didn't feel ANY guilt over the way he treated Lionel right before he died. Clark was Lionel's surrogate son and Clark is the kind of guy who's introspective enough to realize that Lionel died thinking Clark hated him and feeling awful about it. I hope this is played up in coming weeks but the fact that it wasn't raised here leads me to believe the writers think of it as a non-issue. I have really come to care about Lionel over the course of the series so I'm disappointed they shyed away from going in that direction.
It was no surprise that it was Lex who was going to kill Lionel (they've set up that idea since the pilot) but I was really impressed that the writer's show him killing Alexander or the only good part of himself left. He's a total villain now and that takes guts. I only hope the new showrunners next year aren't afraid of showing Clark learning to fly and actually becoming Superman. We've waited long enough. ****.
King of the Hill "The Courtship of Joseph's Father"
One of the things I've noticed about this show is that the adults are all bad parents and in a just society someone else would be raising their kids. But Dale takes it to a whole nuther level here. He makes Peggy Hill look sane.
I don't really have much else to say about this episode but that observation. Just throwin' that out there. ***.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Past Present"
Despite all of the action and how bad things got nothing really happened this episode outside of the Shredder taking over. You'd think that would be a HUGE development but as the episode is structured it seemed to be mere set-up for the season finale. That's fine but I don't give this episode as much credit as it obviously wants me to. ***1/2.
Doctor Who "Voyage of the Damned"
I love the new instrumental of the theme song. VERY spooky.
The episode was pretty good too but I was as frustrated as the Doctor that all of the cool characters kept getting killed off. There's something VERY unsatisfying about the herione biting it along with all three lovable characters while the old guy and the jerk survive. I suppose that was the point but it didn't make the episode any more enjoyable. ***.
The Sarah Jane Adventures "Revenge of the Slitheen: Part One"
The farting aliens return! I like how this tied into a previous episode of Doctor Who and I'll be excited if the show reuses any other Who aliens or bad guys. And I don't know how old Elisabeth Sladen is in real life but for someone who has been with this franchise since the seventies she is absolutely beautiful. I liked this a lot. ****.
Transformers Animated "Transform and Roll Out"
I enjoyed this. I've made no secret how much I hated the old cartoon but that was less because it was stupid (almost ALL eighties cartoons were stupid) and more because the show had horrible values and rotten morals for the audience of kids. That's no problem here as the characters are all bright, colorful and relatable. The series has quite a few gags (like the Autobots mistaking the humans for pets)and the voice work is great too. The animation takes some getting used to but by the end of the episode it was all right.
If I had any complaints it's that some of the battles were kind of boring which is to say that they never really added anything new to the fighting cartoon genre that shows like say, Samurai Jack, JLU and Teen Titans did. But it's only the first episode so I'm willing to cut it major slack. Another beef is that this version of Bumblebee is a little too cowardly for my liking. He was one of my favorite characters on the old show because he was so brave. Hopefully his character is a work in progress because there really isn't anything interesting about a LITTLE robot who gets scared all the time. The little girl Sari is cute though even though I imagine most adult fans of the show will hate her. I certainly didn't.
Good kick-off to the series. ****.