Now that everyone’s had the chance to see it for themselves, it’s probably safe to say that “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” was a bit of a disappointment. If there’s any good that came out of the summer blockbuster, however, it’s “G.I. Joe: Resolute,” the online animated series produced in conjunction with the film’s theatrical release. Written by comic legend Warren Ellis, “Resolute” takes a decidedly more mature approach with the “G.I. Joe” franchise in both story and tone. The set-up is still the same – Cobra Commander has stolen some kind of top-secret device and the Joes have to stop him before he uses it to take over the world – but it doesn’t feel nearly as cheesy as usual. There’s also a cool subplot involving Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow that dives into their backstory, while all of the usual suspects make some kind of appearance. It would have made for a great TV pilot if so many major characters didn’t die, but although it’s something that most fans would probably enjoy, “G.I. Joe: Resolute” is simply too short to warrant its $13 price tag. Paramount would have been better off including this on the recent DVD release of “The Rise of Cobra,” because then at least there’d be something worth watching on the disc.
Month: November 2009 (Page 6 of 24)
I wonder what it would have been like to watch this finale with someone unfamiliar with “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Even if this person had seen an episode or two of “Seinfeld,” they surely wouldn’t have gotten though this block of television without walking out of the room. There’s too much going on for the casual viewer — too many ideas, too many risks, too many inside jokes. Last night’s episode was a love note specifically to the fans of the two shows. Of course, there are millions out there.
I’ve been having trouble gathering my thoughts on the finale. Given the lush layers of meta-comedy, it’s been tough developing a succinct piece. Rather than break down last night’s plot or provide a critique, I want to answer the simple question that other reviewers have posed — a question you might be pondering as well: Will there be another season of “Curb?”
Yes, there has to be, and all the evidence was provided last night. In 2007, Larry David and his wife filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.” (When I get my divorce, that is what the documents will say.) David took two years off between Seasons 6 and 7 to get his ducks in order. In that time, he began piecing together what would become the story arc for Season 7: Larry tries to win Cheryl back by casting her in a “Seinfeld” reunion. It’s the perfect plan for Larry David’s character and the perfect incentive for fans of “Seinfeld” to give “Curb” a chance.
To be honest, I think the past two seasons of “Curb” are the best in its run. I watched an episode the other day from Season 2 and, while funny, it doesn’t hold a candle to those from 6 or 7. Larry David has mastered playing this slanted version of himself. Go take a look at his performances in the earlier seasons – he hasn’t figured “himself” out yet. When you examine all the levels on which Season 7 operates, it’s really impressive. Larry David the actor as Larry David the character playing George Costanza the character will go down as one of the most convoluted, yet brilliant moments in television. Reading about this stuff isn’t fair to the episode — just watch it, laugh, and recognize the years and years it took for this comedy to materialize. It’s astonishingly unique.
But why will there be a Season 8?
I know it’s been said before, but “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is Larry’s life. The show is ultimately constructed from the content in the notepad Larry carries around everywhere he goes. After Larry went through his divorce, it’s no surprise that the next season of his TV show dealt with that issue. Do I think Larry intended to win his actual ex-wife back by having “Curb’s” Larry and Cheryl re-unite in a near tear-jerking scene? No, I don’t. But since Larry David’s life, quite literally, belongs in television, it’s not all that weird that he would simultaneously mock the medium. In the show, Jerry Seinfeld points out that reunions are lame — fans want everything to work out wonderfully, with plenty of schmaltz and all the loose ends perfectly tied. Thankfully, this season’s finale will simply please fans of “Curb” — not fans of traditional television.
What else is a wealthy observational comedian supposed to do with his time? Not work? As Larry shamelessly admits in this season’s episodes, his life implodes when he has nothing to do.
We’ll get another season when Larry gets sick of being Larry. From what I understand, that shouldn’t be too long.
Not a whole lot, unfortunately, as Warner Bros. continues their hit-and-miss streak of Blu-ray releases. Though “My Sister’s Keeper” isn’t exactly the kind of film that needs hours of bonus material, it certainly deserved better than this. A director commentary or a proper making-of featurette would have done wonders to flesh out the otherwise skin-and-bones disc, but at least there’s something extra for the fans.
“From Picoult to Screen”
This 13-minute featurette promises to show the creative process of author Jodi Picoult, but it’s really just a shameless piece of promotional material that glosses over the journey of “My Sister’s Keeper” from page to screen. There are some decent interviews with Picoult, director Nick Cassavetes, and stars Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin, but you can’t help but feel like there’s a more in-depth making-of featurette hidden somewhere in the Warner Bros. vaults. Surely the studio has more behind-the-scenes footage and interviews that they could have included, so why not create something with a little more substance?
“Additional Scenes”
As the only extra on the DVD release, this collection of deleted scenes runs just over 16 minutes long. With the exception of a funny scene involving Alec Baldwin at the court house, a majority of the material revolves around Jason Patric’s character, including an additional sequence with each of his daughters and a court scene that reveals Anna’s trepidations about surgery as a kid. It’s nice to see that Patric played a bigger role in the film than the theatrical cut suggests, but despite getting heavily edited out of the movie, it actually works in his favor. Take these deleted scenes for what they are: proof that sometimes less is more.
That’s it in terms of actual bonus material, but Warner Bros. has also included a digital copy of the film for those that feel like a good cry on the go. It’s not really worth the upcharge, however, so unless you’re a Blu-ray junkie, you’d probably be better off just sticking to the standard DVD.
Last night’s finale of “The Next Iron Chef” on Food Network featured a battle in Kitchen Stadium akin to the real Iron Chef show…and that’s really how it should have been. It was also very close between chefs Garces and Mehta…and while each has a distinct cooking style, the judges had the difficult choice of crowning one of them the season’s champ, one to join the ranks of Flay, Batali, Cora, Morimoto, and Symon on the popular show.
The chairman began as he does every Iron Chef show..by disclosing the secret ingredient–ribs and racks…both pork and beef. Their task was to use that ingredient to create five dishes that represented America as a melting pot of cultures. It was also a daunting task because of the time usually required to break down rib meat, as they would have just 60 minutes.
Let it never be said that we at Premium Hollywood don’t give the public what it wants.
FOLLOW US!
CATEGORIES
© 2026 Premium Hollywood
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑