Author: Jason Zingale (Page 51 of 154)

Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return

April 20, 2009 /

It’s been six years since we’ve had an “X-Men” cartoon on the air, and with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” due in theaters this summer, there couldn’t be a better time to launch a new animated series. Enter “Wolverine and the X-Men,” Marvel’s latest show based on the superhero group that debuted at the end of last year. Combining the look of “X-Men: Evolution” with the storytelling of the popular 90s series, the latest iteration finds Wolverine in charge of the team when Professor Xavier suddenly goes missing. Though Volume One (dubbed “Heroes Return”) only includes the first three episodes, “Wolverine and the X-Men” doesn’t take long to pull you in. All of the familiar characters are there (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman and Beast), as well as a few welcome surprises (Emma Frost, Angel and Forge), while the overarching story of the season promises a clever spin on the “Days of Future Past” storyline. The character designs are solid (even if some of the costumes suck, like Cyclops’ angry rocker look) and the writers seem intent on remaining true to the comic’s long history by reintroducing and reinventing classic stories. It’s hard to imagine this show ever becoming as big of a hit with the fans as the aforementioned “X-Men: The Animated Series,” but based on “Heroes Return” alone, it certainly has the potential.

Click to buy “Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return”

Actors, External TV, Movies, TV, TV Cartoons, TV DVD Quicktakes, TV DVDs

Splinter

April 18, 2009 /

Independent horror films are a dime a dozen these days (they’re cheap to make and even cheaper to market), but every once in a while, a gem slides through the cracks that makes you wonder how much better it could have been with the proper financial backing. Writer/director Toby Wilkins’ “Splinter” might not feature the world’s greatest script, or even quality acting, but it does have something that the genre is sorely lacking: one of the most original movie monsters in years. Paulo Costanzo and Jill Wagner star as a young couple whose romantic getaway is interrupted when a pair of criminals (Shea Whigham and Rachel Kerbs) steal their car and take them hostage. The rest of the plot is pretty standard stuff, but horror fans will get a kick out of the film’s creepy beast – a prickly parasite that transforms its victims into deadly hosts. Though the filmmakers too often resort to the kind of quick-cut editing that prevents the viewer from ever getting a really good look at the monster, the premise is just cool enough to ensure that you’ll be glued to the screen throughout the film’s brisk 82-minute runtime. It’s not particularly gruesome (except for a brutal amputation à la “The Ruins”), but “Splinter” has just enough going for it that you’ll wish it was given the theatrical release it deserved.

Click to buy “Splinter”

External Movie DVDs, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Movies

Lost 5.13 – Some Like It Hoth

April 15, 2009 /

First thing’s first: tonight’s episode must had one of the coolest titles in the history of television. It’s exactly this kind of geek humor that makes the “Lost” writing team one of the best in the business. (Check out Will Harris’ interview with executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof for further proof.) In fact, I liked it so much that it wouldn’t have even mattered if it didn’t make any sense in the end, but as it turned out, it did, and suffice it to say that it led to one of the biggest laughs of the night. I thought for sure Hurley was scribbling something in his journal a little more important than a script for “The Empire Strikes Back,” but then again, that’s Hurley for you. His scenes with Miles have helped fill the void ever since the big guy became friends with Sawyer, and though tonight’s episode was all about Miles, it was a great to have Hurley along for the ride.

Along with Faraday, Miles has been one of my favorite characters since his arrival in Season Four, so it was nice to finally get some backstory other than the brief bits we saw in the episode featuring his first appearance. I believe Cuse and Lindelof intended to address Miles’ past at some point last year, but had to cut the story when the season was shortened by the strike. Whatever the reason, it actually worked for the better now that the Losties have travelled back in time. We always knew that his sixth sense was the reason he was recruited by Widmore, and some of us have even had the hunch that Marvin Candle (or Pierre Chang) was his father when it was suggested that he had previously visited the island, but I don’t think anyone realized that Miles knew as well.

As it turns out, he’s known ever since his third day as a member of the Dharma Initiative when he spotted his mother in the lunch line at the cafeteria. (At least he didn’t hit on her à la “Back to the Future.”). Heck, he even saw himself as a baby later on, which begs to ask the question: is Miles’ special ability a product of his time on the island or is it just sheer coincidence? I don’t think we’re going to find out the answer to that just yet, but one thing we do know is that Miles is adamant about not wanting to meet his father. He’s more or less forced to, though, when Horace gives him a special assignment to deliver a package (read: dead body) to Candle at the Swan station.

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Actors, External TV, Lost, Movies, TV, TV Dramas

“Lost” time warps its way to #1 spot on Bullz-Eye’s TV Power Rankings

April 14, 2009 /

With the writers’ strike finally behind us, the television industry has sprung back remarkably well. Granted, it isn’t all puppy dogs and ice cream for all of our favorite shows, but after the strike forced us to cancel the spring edition of our semi-annual TV Power Rankings, it’s nice to be able to show some love for those series that had been gone for far too long. A quick look at our Winter 2008 list may suggest that a major shakeup has occurred in our new Top 20 below, but seven of the shows from last November are either on hiatus or cancelled. Likewise, nearly every eligible show previously on hiatus has snuck its way back into the Top 20, while five new shows have also cracked the list. Most of these are experiencing some of their best seasons ever, and though “Heroes” continues its mighty fall, the return of “24” only further cements the notion that TV is back and better than ever.

Below you’ll find a few entries, but be sure to check out the full list, where we’ve also included links to DVD reviews and interviews, as well as a host of Honorable Mentions and our list of favorite shows currently on hiatus.

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24, Battlestar Galactica, External TV, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Lost, Reaper, South Park, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Office, TV

One Piece: Season One, Fourth Voyage

April 14, 2009 /

The final volume of “One Piece: Season One” ends the Straw Hats’ early adventures in much the same way that they began: with a solid mix of action, comedy and great storytelling. This is why I fell in the love with the show in the first place, so it’s nice to see that despite some rather lackluster episodes in the middle, “One Piece” has returned to form. In Fourth Voyage, Luffy escapes his watery grave to defeat Arlong, but just as the Straw Hats are making their way to the Grand Line, they discover that they’ve become wanted men. Stopping off at Logue Town (Gold Roger’s final resting place) to pick up supplies for their journey, the crew encounters plenty of adversity along the way. Luffy’s bounty is challenged by a Marine captain named Smoker; Zoro faces off against a swordswoman named Tashigi; Usopp unknowingly talks himself into a duel with famous bounty hunter Daddy the Father; and Sanji competes in a cooking competition to win a rare fish. Additionally, Buggy the Clown has returned with a new partner in tow (Alvida, newly endowed with powers from the Smooth-Smooth Devil Fruit) to exact revenge. Some might complain that not enough happens in this volume, but I would disagree. While there’s only one major battle to speak of (Luffy vs. Arlong, which is by far the best part about the entire Fishman Saga), the rest of the episodes do a great job of setting up Season Two. It only looks to get better from here, so let’s hope Funimation doesn’t make us wait too long between releases.

Click to buy “One Piece: Season One, Fourth Voyage”

External TV, TV, TV Anime, TV DVD Quicktakes, TV DVDs

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