'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 17: 'Guest Starring John Noble'

While Amaya ventures off to protect her village, the rest of the team tries to come up with a means of preventing her from doing so.  After all, a timeline alteration of that magnitude risks freeing Mallus.  Of course, so too does the murder of Barack Obama by Grodd.

The latter plot point could have likely been an episode in and of itself, but it is relegated to something of an afterthought.  Grodd is bested rather quickly by the team and Obama himself plays a small role in the grand scheme of things.  I guess the writers didn't want to get too heavy with the political stuff, which makes some degree of sense.

The closest it gets is Sara saying that she misses him after the two have a solid heart to heart about Sara's issues.  The episode earns it, though, I think.

Conversely, "Make America Grodd Again"?  That doesn't even make sense.  It doesn't rhyme with the usual mantra and it isn't like Grodd had the country under his thrall at any point.  And since when does Grodd care about American politics? He's a big, angry, telepathic gorilla.  Of all the Arrowverse antagonists, he's the last one who would logically make any sort of comment or reference on that sort of thing.

Anyway, once Obama is saved, the plot focuses to trying to save Nora.  Damien offers his services, but Sara is skeptical to say the least (see the aforementioned issues).  I noted before that he would likely join the heroes and it seems like that's where its going.  Ray even vouches for Damien's sincerity when it comes to his love for his daughter.

It's kind of nice to see this more reflective Darhk. It seems like fatherhood has changed him for the better.  He even apologizes to Sara about killing Laurel and says that he'd take it back if he could.  I was skeptical about Darhk's return and critical of some of his appearances this season, but overall, it seems like it was the right move, especially since Mcdonough nails the material and makes it pack that much more of a punch..

Even when Darhk turns on the team, it isn't the typical "ha ha, fooled you! I'm still evil, suckers!" reveal that the Damien of old would have basked in.  His end goal is still the same, save his daughter and stop the demon from getting loose.  Its just that he changes his mind on how to go about doing that.  It was an interesting twist on what could have been a predictable....twist.

Speaking of interesting twists, poor Ava gets put through the ringer.  The reveal that she was a clone was earth-shattering enough, but her big talk with Rip only makes it worse.  It turns out that she's not the first Ava, 11 have come before her.

While you can see some degree of remorse on Rip's face, his responses don't help.  He really could have come up with something to soften the blow.  Ava's constant assertions that she was "picked 12th" don't make sense.  Maybe bring up the idea that this isn't like picking out a puppy or a kitten.  Granted, the idea that he just bought a new Ava when the prior died has it's problems, but there are ways around that too.  While each "Ava" may start off as a blank slate, they each go through different experiences that help form them as individuals.  Does Rip bring this idea up? Nope, just silence.  Well, he tells her that she's special, but having something to back that up would have been nice.

All in all, though, this was a solid episode.  There was a lot of great character growth, the episode was well paced, and it ended on one heck of a wham note, as the demon is now free.  Admittedly, the CGI is TV budget, but the look of fear on the heroes' faces as he flew off really helped sell the dread of the moment.  It'll be interesting to see how they deal with this new development. 

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'The Punisher' Episode 9: 'Front Toward Enemy'

Up until now, Lewis' subplot has been very compartmentalized from the show's main arc regarding Frank's quest to expose the military conspiracy surrounding Kandahar.  This episode, at long last, brings the two together in a fast, but very effective collision.

The former vet's mental instability hits an all time high as he wages his own war against the system. He sets off a series of bombs at government buildings, as well as the Bulletin, the newspaper where Karen Page works.

Not only does this give us another always welcome appearance from Deborah Ann Woll, but it pisses Frank off and puts the two in direct conflict.

Not surprisingly, the episode draws parallels between Lewis and Frank.  Both have similar backgrounds and both see themselves as taking matters into their own hands to right perceived wrongs.  Karen and even Lewis himself acknowledge the similarity at different points throughout the episode.

Like Jessica Jones did in the second season with her own dark mirror antagonist, Frank doesn't take kindly to the comparison and is adamant that the two are nothing alike.  Oddly enough, the best counter he can come up with is that he faces his enemies head on, where Lewis hides behind bombs.  Looking at it from a warrior standpoint, you can see the point that Frank is trying to make, but from an everyday joe/jane standpoint, that's a little flimsy.

Having the episode make the issue of gun control  a plot point was an odd choice.  It's topical, sure, and you can see how it would fit given Frank's usual MO, but the fact that Lewis was a bomber kind of undercuts the relevance.  The episode itself hangs a lampshade on this fact at one point.

To the episode's credit, it doesn't become too heavy handed and preachy in either side's favor.  There are parts where Lewis does start to feel like he's being reduced to a straw political figure, but overall, I think both viewpoints were presented pretty fairly.  The radio debate scene may have been a little on the nose, but it could have ended up much worse, remember that episode of "Arrow" that tried to do it? Yeah.

While there's no "ticking clock", this was one of the season's more exhilarating episodes.  It never felt like it dragged and I think it pulls you closer to the edge of your seat much more than prior episodes have.

Even with that perk, the episode still did a great job depicting character. Frank shined, Karen got some great moments.  Curtis is also able to do a lot with the fairly small amount of screen time that he has.  His effort to help Lewis ends up being in vain, but it was still a solid effort.  He also got a great fight scene and some character developing time with Frank.

Nadani spends most of the episode in a heroic BSOD following Sam's death.  It's probably the closest thing the episode comes to padding, but it's a logical inclusion.  It makes for a nice epilogue to Sam's story, you can't help but sympathize with her as she's grappling with grief and a dash of survivor's guilt, and we get to see Nadani snap out of it and decide to continue her quest to reveal the truth.

Speaking of reveal, that last sequence sure was a doozy.  It's now known to the general public that Frank is alive and well.  This does work in Nadani's favor to some extent, but it is still hardly a good thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode.  Not only did it benefit from prior episodes' development, but it works pretty well as a "one and done".  Admittedly, Lewis is still out there, though perhaps starting on a turn for the better; but it still stands on its own quite well.  Hopefully, the final few episodes can keep the momentum going.  It would be a shame to let this energy boost go to waste.

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'Pet Sematary' (2019) Movie Review

While the original film adaptation of "Pet Sematary" wasn't without its merit and charm, there was certainly some room for improvement.  As such, this is one of the more forgivable remakes in recent memory.  So, the question becomes, how did this one do?

As was the case with its predecessor, this one is a mixed bag.  There's certainly things to like.  John Lithgow is great as Jud.  He doesn't have that iconic drawl, but he turns in a strong performance that stands as one of the film's more memorable strengths.  The nod to his role as Winston Churchill was also an amusing nod.

Similarly, Jete Laurence works really well as Ellie.  Her increased screen time does telegraph the "big twist" that she's the one who ends up dying, but she really comes off as a nice, sweet kid.  You grow to like her a lot and it makes her death scene one of the film's more powerful moments (and rightly so.)

Sadly, like Gage before her, her turn as villain ends up falling a bit flat.  That first scene after she comes back is when she is at her creepiest.  Her cold, lack of emotion stands in stark contrast to her previous persona and it is awesomely eerie.  She also gets some great dialogue as Louis tries to put her to bed.

However, as she gets increasingly angry and violent, her performance falls more flat.  I wouldn't say it's "bad" exactly, but it doesn't have any kick to it.

Similarly, the film's horror is heavily reliant on jump scares as well as various visions and hallucinations to try to drum up some tension and atmosphere.  Some of them work but it was overdone in my opinion.  You could argue that it was the Wendigo engaging in some psychological warfare (which the revenants here do, not to mention that it was quite the chessmaster in the original novel) but a lot of times it just seems forced in for the sake of some spookiness.

I thought that the thing with the kids wearing the masks was going to fall into that category, but it is put to better use in the climax.  Similarly, the movie is quite successful at building that tension and dread at several other points throughout the movie, so it is hardly a total bust on that front.

Jason Clarke is more emotionally versatile than his predecessor, but unfortunately, we don't see as much of a benefit.  As Lilja's Library noted in its own review of the film, we don't see a whole lot of that anguish that would come from the sudden loss of a child.  It's only a matter of minutes in terms of screen time before Louis is digging up his daughter's corpse to bring her back.  Yeah, you as the viewer can put two and two together, and we do see them sad, but it still feels a bit rushed.

I'm not sure how you dwell on that without it feeling like padding, but seeing him trying to come to terms with it and failing probably would have helped things a little.

On a completely random note, I read on TvTropes that, just like with "Cujo", the crew had a hard time trying to get the animals to act mean or vicious.  They were just too friendly and wanted to nuzzle and cuddle the cast instead.  It's both funny and adorable.  I love it.

Overall, I'd say this is worth checking out.  It has its problems, but the strong cast and capable production make up for it.  It is also much closer to the book, bringing in a lot of the mythos that was absent from the first adaptation.  There were changes too, no doubt, but I think fans of the book will appreciate the greater devotion to the source material.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 16: 'I, Ava'

This episode had not one, not two, but three different subplots to juggle. By all accounts, it should have felt disjointed; or perhaps an element got the short end of the stick, but it actually manages to pull it off rather well.  Also impressive is the fact that all of the plots have some sort of impact.  There isn't much in the way of filler here, not that the episode or the season has much room for that at this point.

The "main" focus of the plot is on Sara, as she, Ray, and Gary try to track down Ava, who seems to have gone missing.  The group learns that her family is actually a pair of actors and that one specific year is marked as off-limits to any sort of time traveler.  As such, the group naturally goes right there.

In doing so, the group finds out the dark secret that Rip had alluded to earlier (something I got backwards in a previous article).  When the group arrives, they find a city full of Avas.  Now, the title suggests "robot" and the group jump to that conclusion too, but it turns out that the Avas are actually more akin to genetically engineered clones.  The title still fits, given the subsequent identity crisis, but that was some good misdirection.  It would have been a shame if the title gave away the big reveal.

Ava herself is just as shocked as the others when she learns the truth.  It gives her some degree of sympathy and it gives her a new motivation as she is determined to learn the whys of her situation.

The clone fiasco also gives Sara and Gary some development.  It's been hinted that Gary had a thing for his boss, but it's pushed to the limit here.  It does make for some great comedic banter between the two, but it also gives Sara a chance to work through her own issues and doubts about how things have been going.  It also looks like the two might start mending fences.  It's early to say, but the dialogue between the two did suggest it as a possibility.

Plot B follows Nate, Amaya, and Wally; as they discover that Mari has been injured.  With the spirit totem in the possession of the Darhks, time is starting to solidify, meaning that she can't inherit it later.  She still acts as a vigilante, but with no powers, she's much more vulnerable.

In attempting to talk to her to persuade her from taking a break, they instead find Kuasa.  While they jump to the conclusion that she means the injured hero harm, Kuasa makes it clear that they are still sisters and that she means to protect her.  To that end, she is reconsidering her alliance and wants to reclaim the spirit totem.  Better to be in the hands of her family than in those of an ancient demon.

It was some good character development for the antagonist.  The episode plays with it and has her double cross the heroes, well Nate more specifically.  She probably would have gone through with it, but a pretty brutal speech from Amaya sets her straight.  The heel-face turn is short lived, however, as Mallus kills her in the episode's climax.  It's played surprisingly tragically, given that she's largely been an enemy to date.  Even Mick and Zari take a moment to reflect on the loss of a fellow totem bearer.

On a similar note, even Darhk himself is having second thoughts about this.  Yes, he made a deal with a demon, but in seeing the effect Mallus is having on Nora, he's realizing that he's losing the person he did it all for in the first place.

Considering this came on the heels of Kuasa's double cross, I'm surprised that Nate bought into it so quickly, but it does make some sort of sense. While I doubt that Darhk will be turning hero anytime soon, it is possible that he lends his abilities towards helping stop Mallus in the finale.  Having heroes and villains team up to take on a much bigger bad is a frequent thing in comics, so it wouldn't be entirely without precedent.

The third plot is probably the closest thing to filler, though it does have some significance in the overall plot.  While Mick is having fun using his new powers to cook food and make fart jokes, he needs to be trained to be more effective with his newfound abilities.  Being another totem bearer, Zari is the natural pick to do this.

The two butt heads initially, largely due to Mick's crudeness and ignorance.  I kind of feel like they overdid it with him on that front, but it did still make for some funny moments and the two do bond and come to a better understanding of each other by episode's end.

This episode had a lot on its plate and it managed to find a strong balance.  The plots all had momentum and all were given the time they needed.  There was also a solid balance in terms of tone.  There were plenty of gags and one liners, but there was also more serious material that maintained the necessary sense of tension and weight.  This episode probably is one of the season's bigger ones in terms of both plot and character development.  It'll be interesting to see where things go from here.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 15: 'Necromancing the Stone'

When the team brought the death totem on board the waverider, it seems that they had invited a force that they were ill equipped to deal with.  It quickly lures Sara in, insisting that using it can help stop Mallus.  In doing so, she becomes a demonically-enhanced agent for the demon, who had actually formed an alliance with the Zambesi tribe that possessed that totem back in the early days.

It's a simple premise and it works extraordinarily well.  The dark atmosphere lends the necessary creepy atmosphere, Sara is shown to be more than capable of besting pretty much the entire team in hand to hand combat, and the episode actually provides quite a bit of character development.

A lot of it comes from the developing romance between Ava and Sara.  The two continue to be quite adorable together.  Not only does it give the episode some more lighthearted, tender moments; but it also adds to the stakes, as it enhances the tension that comes from the possibility that Sara's soul will be lost.

The other legends also get to confront their own demons that come via apparitions of people from their past.  It gives Violet Beane a chance to make a quick cameo, which is always a plus; but both Zari and Nate are also confronted by their own respective hauntings.  It's strange as almost every character that comes across this acknowledges it as a ploy and an attempt at psychological warfare on Mallus' part, but they all seem to succumb to it in fairly short order.  I guess it makes sense, the death totem did bring back ghosts before, so it would stand to reason that it could do so here, albeit under a more specific circumstance.

With ghosts and demons afoot, it's only natural that the team call on John Constantine for help.  Bringing him into the Arrowverse really was a stroke of genius.  I know I've praised his performance before, but he really does earn every ounce of it.  Every scene he's in is just a highlight.

The faux-rivalry with Ava was also an entertaining twist.  Ava's naturally a bit jealous, but the episode plays it up more for laughs than anything else.  Neither Sara or John himself paint the fling as anything more than a one-off, so there really isn't a whole lot of angsty love triangle shenanigans going on.  It's a nice subversion of the usual formula.

On a similar note, we learn about the dark secret that was supposed to threaten her relationship.  It was...Sara's past as an assassin.  You'd think that it would make sense, but Ava flat out says that she read Sara's file and already knows all that.  This makes Rip's earlier line seem a bit odd and it also makes Sara's decision to end things by episode's end a peculiar one.

It was sad, don't get me wrong.  The two had great chemistry before and this episode really sells the bond; making the breakup rather poignant.  It just seems like there were other paths that the characters could have gone down.  I suppose it's possible the two reunite later, but for now we have to just wait to see how things play out.

In closing, it does need to be brought up, but Gary is revealed to be a D&D player.  That's awesome.  It's especially impressive as it isn't really brought up to his detriment.  At one point, Ava remarks that no one cares, but Constantine seems interested.  The snarky, cynical warlock even agrees to play (though the scene also bends the fourth wall by paralleling Constantine's own joining the Legends in facing Mallus).  When Gary is making the offer, you can tell he's really into it.  You get the impression that he would be a great DM.  I'd play.

In any event,this episode was a blast.  It was a simple premise that managed to bring a lot to the table.  There were highlights aplenty (Mick wielding the fire totem for example) and while this works as a sort of one-off, it does have lasting consequences for the team going forward.

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'The Punisher' Episode 8: 'Cold Steel'

As we move closer to season's end, the plot takes a brief hiatus to focus on character development.  It works pretty well, though I can't help but feel like there are things here that should have happened earlier.

The main crux of the plot focuses on the quasi-love triangle between Frank- Sarah, Micro's wife, and Micro himself.  Sarah plants a kiss on Frank after a couple of glasses of wine and some nice conversation.  It doesn't go much further than that, but it is enough to vex Frank's partner in conspiracy busting.

Scenes where Frank and Micro just talk always work quite well and this is no different.  Both reminisce about their lost loves whilst taking good-natured potshots at each other.  Micro even shows Frank his genitals....it makes sense in context...sort of?

The episode doesn't dwell too much on it.  Even Micro himself is rather understanding given the circumstances, but at the same time, he can't just entirely shrug it off either.  The episode managed to pull off a believable response to the apparent transgression.

On other fronts, Madani uses the bug to set up a trap and try to lure out the people who planted it there.  It does work, though despite an intense gunfight, there's not much to show for it.  Credit where it's due, Madani's team held their own.  I was expecting Russo's mercs to wipe the floor with them, but both sides took their licks. 

Random note, there's a huge shootout and Frank Castle never picks up a gun.  Instead, we see Frank entirely in chummy, everyday mode and Bernthal pulls it off.  I think that's one thing that the MCU has done really well.  Frank could easily be a one-note, ultra-violent thug (something Micro's potshots frequently center on), but Bernthal gives the character more depth and allows you to connect with him more.  The results speak for themselves as he has gotten nothing but universal praise on multiple occasions.

Similarly, Ben Barnes came out strong in this episode.  Russo may not be one of the more memorable villains in the MCU (even just within the confines of the Netflix branch,) but his picture is becoming a bit clearer.  We get a dose of backstory that explains his desire for money, we see his ruthlessness become more apparent, but we also see that he too has layers.  He still holds his friendship with Frank in high regard and laments the fact that circumstances are leading them to face off against each other.  He is also reluctant to endanger Madani,  While both parties play off their relationship as nothing more than friends with benefits, it seems his feelings go deeper than that.

Even with that, though, he seems to have no qualms about helping her wash off the blood of her partner, who he had just killed.  It's a quick scene, but it is a pretty disturbing one nonetheless and even if it isn't cliffhanger material, it is a hell of a note to end the episode on.

All in all, what this episode did, it did well.  As said before, I don't know if it's placed very well in the narrative. However, as you're watching it, you'll definitely appreciate what it does bring to the table. 

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'Children of the Corn: Runaway' Movie Review

Like many other horror movie franchises, the line of 'Children of the Corn' movies just doesn't know when to stop.

To this film's credit, it does at least try to do something different and tell a unique story.  Here, we follow Ruth, a woman who was a part of the He Who Walks Behind the Rows worshipers, but turned her back on it after losing her family, friends, and boyfriend.  Now, with a child of her own, she has spent her life fleeing.

It's a pretty good character and plot hook.  The movie puts a good deal of emphasis on the trauma that haunts Ruth.  Some of it works, such as scenes where kids will be standing around and she'll immediately associate it with the psychos she knew.  Other times...not so much.  The flashbacks are supposed to act as a form of character development, but mostly they just come off as filler and a pretense to add some gore and violence to remind you that, yes, this is a horror flick.

Even when people do start dying.  The movie does so many fake-outs and "visions" that it can become hard to tell what's actually happened.

The characters themselves are also rather flat.  A part of this is due to casting, but I think the script shares some blame as well.  The romance between Ruth and her boss comes out of nowhere and the ensuing drama from the botch isn't all that compelling.  Plot elements that could have been fleshed out (such as the rivalry between Ruth and the school principal) are also underdeveloped due to a lack of time.

Also, why on Earth would Ruth settle into a small, rural, midwestern town?  You'd think she'd want to avoid those like the plague; go to a big city.  Sure, it wouldn't stop the freaking demon that's chasing her down, but it still seems like it would make sense to stay as far away from corn and big, empty fields as humanly possible. 

It isn't until the tail end of the movie that Marci Miller is actually given something to work with.  You can see much more emotion there than you did in the first two thirds of the movie. It does make you appreciate it, but it would have been nice to see more of that throughout.  It's frustrating as there is potential, the movie just doesn't seem to want to tap into it as much as it could have.

The movie does a decent job of creating some tension and atmosphere.  Sara Moore has no lines, but still has a creepy air about her.  The movie doesn't have her do anything that other "creepy kid" characters haven't done, but she still pulled it off.

The movie's theme, a soft music box style leitmotif also lends a lot of weight to things.  It's simple and haunting...but also kind of sad?  I thought it worked really well.

Other horror aspects fell flat.  As noted, the reliance on flashbacks to provide some obligatory violence didn't work too well.  The film's direction also had some odd decisions.  The camera would cut away randomly for no apparent reason.  There were also some aerial panning shots that served no purpose whatsoever and seemed shoved in there for the sake of having them.

The film really shines in its final act.  Despite a lackluster start, the movie actually does kick into something resembling high gear and it feels like there are real stakes and some solid plot twists.  I also have to give the movie credit for giving He Who Walks Behind the Rows some of his cred back.  After so many movies, viewers likely wouldn't have been impressed.  I won't spoil anything, but this gives him a good deal of his menace back.   

The movie had potential to be better than it was.  It definitely has its upsides.  In some ways, though, that just makes the flaws and structural problems that much more vexing.  Still, credit where it's due; it did try something different and it wasn't a total disaster like some of the movies that had come before it.

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