'The Mist' Episode 1: 'Pilot'

Spike TV's adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Mist' premiered on Thursday and the results are...mixed.

I try to be more lenient on pilots, and first seasons of TV shows in general.  It usually takes some time for the writers to get into their grooves and for the characters to find their place.  Given that this is likely a mini-series (though 'Under the Dome' started off that way only to get two more seasons) I don't know if we can grant it that same consideration.

In any event, there are parts of this that worked and other parts that didn't.  A lot of the episode is spent establishing the characters and showing us what life is like before the titular mist arrives to screw everything up.

That's actually not a bad thing as, by and large, this episode does a good job of showing us a town full of generally good people.  It makes the eventual turn that much more noticeable, in contrast to "Needful Things" where the characters were already unlikable and only got worse.

The number of characters does become a bit of a problem.  The bigger cast has its benefits.  You can tell a bigger story and present a diverse cast of new, original characters.  However, with only so much screen time, only a few are fully established.  Honestly, even naming most of them would prove difficult without looking it up.  I'm pretty sure that, as the story goes on, they will leave more of a lasting impression, so that kink should work itself out over time.

The thing that really hurts the pilot is the script itself.  Some of the dialogue is pretty cringe inducing.  You can tell the writer has a Tumblr account, as the episode often times bends over backwards to throw in some reference to that particular world view.  When readers and viewers express the desire for writers to keep their politics out of their work, this stands as a prime example as to why.  

Sadly, even the scares are hit or miss.  There's a general foreboding atmosphere that works, but other "horrifying" elements didn't.  Mrs. Carmody's face as she charged at the door after venturing into the mist is more likely to elicit chuckles than revulsion.  The fact that everybody stood around watching as if they were anticipating something bad happening also made the scene feel a bit staged.

Is it weird that one of the highlights for me was the scene where the cop goes out to start taking selfies when the mist first hits?  It's so random and comes out of nowhere.  The rest of the episode takes itself so seriously that such a moment of silliness really stood out.

One of the things that I (and many others) noted when watching the trailers was the lack of monsters.  It got to the point where I was convinced that there weren't going to be any monsters and the mist was just going to drive people crazy.

At this point, we still don't know and I'm guessing it's intentional as to let the mystery linger.  Some characters do appear to have gone insane, but others are able to walk around with no problem (maybe prolonged exposure is what does it?)  We don't see any monsters, but one guy does get attacked by insects, suggesting that nature itself will be the external threat.  That could prove to be incorrect too in the long run, at this point it's too soon to tell.

Speaking of too soon, the characters act as if they know that the fog is evil when there is little evidence of it.  I get why Brian is ranting about it, but to most of the people, it's just fog.  We the viewer know that it brings evil and death, but they shouldn't yet.

All in all, this episode had some notable flaws.  Thankfully, it didn't get to the point where I was ready to write off the show just yet.  It has potential, but it's up to the show to work out the kinks and focus on what did work in order to tap into it.

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 96: 'The Time is Here! To the World of Void for the Fate of the Universe!'

As we saw last episode, the ring for the tournament of power is finally completed.  Before everyone can assemble, the gods of destruction from universes 1, 5, and 8 decide to have a sparring match to see if the ring can hold up to the punishment which it is about to have to endure.

It's clearly meant to give the episode an action beat.  You'd think a 3 way fight between several gods of destruction would be more impressive, but it was a tad underwhelming all things considered.  They had some unique attacks, but the fact that nobody really landed a hit means it ended in a stalemate.  It was a brief skirmish too, which also hurt it.

They do end up doing significant damage to the ring, though.  Considering that the ring is made out of a super-strong material, it shows you what these gods are capable of.  You'd think that the grand priest would be upset at having the ring wrecked after all that time and effort was used to construct it, but he's surprisingly upbeat.  He notes that the battle exposed weak spots that could use reinforcement and tasks the three gods with fixing it while he tends to other matters.

Back on Earth, the team assembles and doesn't exactly get off to an auspicious start.  Frieza's presence angers and unnerves a lot of the other fighters.  It's something he's more than happy to exacerbate.

Even when they try to shift the focus to "team strategy" the group can't seem to come to an agreement.  Gohan tries to stress teamwork, creating partnerships, and outnumbering opponents to get them out of the ring; but neither Goku or Vegeta really think that way.  Their saiyan pride won't allow for such tactics.  Oddly enough, the fact that trusting or relying Frieza is a bad idea never really comes up.  

The fact that this is less of a team and more of a time bomb exacerbates Beerus to no end.  While the stakes are high, it is largely played for laughs and does give the episode a surprising amount of levity. Not only is it entertaining in its own right, but it's a nice breather after the more intense previous episode.

Whis does make a brief attempt to team build, making them believe that they all had to hold hands in a circle to teleport to the ring when it was completely unnecessary.  It too is played more for humor, but it was at least something of an effort to bring this disparate group together.

From here, the episode's focus is on other fighters as they enter.  We get some nice reunion scenes with Cabba, Hit, and Toppo.  We also have some new dynamics as Goku meets Caulifla and Kale; and, of course, Frieza and Frost meeting.

While I commend Goku's chipper and friendly disposition, I can't fault Caulifla's terse attitude when she rebukes him.  A lot does hinge on this tournament.  Even if you were to sidestep the "their victory means our destruction" thing, there's also the fact that it would likely be a bad idea to form friendships with people who will likely die in the immediate future.

Frieza and Frost take a surprising liking to one another.  You'd think Frieza would view him as a cheap imitation, but that's not the case.  The two even agree to work together.  I'd argue that there's no point to them doing this, as they are from separate universes, but the odds of them actually adhering to this so called alliance is so slim that it's likely a moot point.  It will make those two interesting to watch.

While the tournament doesn't begin this episode, the sense of anticipation about it is still quite palpable.  You can feel the excitement as more and more fighters show up.  It's been a bit of a wait, but we're finally reaching the main attraction of this arc.  We need wait only one more week; because next episode...it's on.

This episode may not be as memorable as the one that came before it, but I was entertained for the entire duration.  It also did the job it was supposed to in getting us hyped for the tournament.  There was a healthy dose of humor, which is always a plus; and a lot of great character moments peppered throughout.  

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'End of Watch' by Stephen King novel review

This book was a victim of bad timing.  I got around to it just as it seemed like 15,000 other things came about.  It forced me to constantly put it on the back burner.

It's a shame, because when I did pick it up, I enjoyed it.  I went in skeptical about this one too.  The third part of any trilogy is usually cited as being the weakest (though I think "Return of the Jedi" deserves more credit than it gets.)  On top of that, I wasn't too keen on Brady once again taking the role of lead antagonist.  He was OK in the first book, but even "Finders Keepers" gave us a stronger villain.  It just seemed like a step backwards.

Here, though, he gets a much better showing.  His oft talked about cunning is put on better display and his modus operandi is much more unsettling.  It's true, trying to coax people into suicide was something he did back in the first book. It makes the book consistent with what we had seen before, but now that he has the ability to get into people's heads (courtesy of experimental drugs and some outdated electronic gadgets) and directly manipulate them into doing it, he comes off as much creepier.  You see why the book was originally called "The Suicide Prince".  Not only does it fit his M.O. but characters actually do refer to him by that title more than once.

His status gives him a nice alibi as he is, for all intents and purposes, comatose and in a hospital room under constant surveillance.  The heroes still figure it out pretty easily, but it still makes for a more subtle villain.

He also has a more concrete objective this time around.  Sure, revenge for what happened to him in the first book is simple, but it works.  It gives him more drive than he had before.

From a meta-perspective, having him return made for a nice bookend to the whole franchise.  The events of "Finders Keepers" are alluded to, but have no real bearing on the plot, barring Brady's new abilities.  As such, this is more of a true sequel to "Mr. Mercedes" than its predecessor.  In any event, it does tie up the loose ends and brings the overall story to a conclusion.  "Satisfying" might not be the right word given what happens, but this does fit and it does do the job of effectively closing the book on the series.

Much like "Finders Keepers", the plot is kicked off due to an incident related to one of the victims of Brady's initial attack at that job expo.  It was a small detail, but I thought it was a nice touch.

Where the second book relegated Hodges and crew to secondary character status, this brings them back to the forefront.  Even with the diminished role before, you're still connected enough to these characters at this point that the emotional moments still resonate.  It's kind of important given what some of the characters go through.  I think the book is strong enough where it could work as a stand alone, there were lengthy gaps between my reading of each book, but reading it as the intended conclusion to the trilogy gives it more of a punch.

I could have done without the whole "Dr. Z" "Z-Boy" schtick.  It's used to indicate that Brady has taken over two specific characters (his doctor and a janitor respectively,) but it seems like the prose could have just said that.  Having the narration refer to characters as such comes off clunky, as does having other characters refer to them in that manner.  Even when identities are revealed, people still refer to them by these pointless nicknames, it's a little bizarre.

All in all, though, this was a solid yarn.  It's well paced and appropriately tense.  It also has some emotional weight behind it and manages to wrap up a series about as well as one could hope.  I'd recommend giving it a read.

               













Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'Dragon Ball Super' episode 95: 'The Worst! The Most Evil! Frieza's Rampage!'

As the title suggests, this episode puts Frieza in the center stage and showcases what an evil and treacherous bastard he really is.  The end result is nothing short of amazing.

I was expecting to see the two enemies (Goku and Frieza) fighting side by side against the army of assassins, but the tyrant ends up doing most of the fighting.  Goku only gets involved when the assassins try to target Baba for leverage.  It showcases the fact that Frieza has not only gotten stronger, but has also used mental exercises to overcome the stamina issues that plagued him back in the 'Resurrection F' arc.  With Frieza so powerful, you'd think Goku would be giddy, but the look on his face is one bordering on horror.

You can't blame him either, the whole episode is basically "this was a terrible idea and things are only going to get worse from here".

Now, part of Goku's horror could just be the rampant murder (and the subsequent sadistic glee that Frieza takes in it) but I'd venture to guess that it's a little bit of both.  The fact that Frieza makes a valid point about the assassins' lives being moot since their universe will be wiped out anyway only adds salt to the wound.

Yes, the two do manage to deduce not only that the assassins are from another universe, but from which specific one.  It does lead to an odd hiccup where the assassins boast about how they are under no obligation to talk....and then proceed to basically spell it out for them.  The only attempt at deceit comes from their talk about being a universe of brutes, which would suggest universe 10, though that's not information that Goku or Frieza are privy to; thus it was a bit on the pointless side.

Now, the gods of universe 9 aren't stupid, they do give the assassins a fighting chance in the form of a sample of Sidra's energy.  Hit any living thing with it, and they'll be erased from existence completely.

Sadly (though not surprisingly) it doesn't work.  It shows what highs the villain has hit when not only can he push back power from a god of destruction, but he even jokes about it; pretending it's killing him for a few seconds before dropping the facade.

Not only that, but Frieza doesn't hesitate to trap Goku in the energy.  The back stab isn't surprising, though initially confusing.  You'd think that Frieza's desire for self preservation would trump even his desire to kill Goku.

He does address this by trying to bargain with the gods of universe 9 to become a member of their team.  It allows him to kill Goku, gives those gods their desired downfall of universe 7, and assures his resurrection.

It's a solid, though clearly sinister, pitch.  The gods of universe 9 do give it serious consideration.  First, they have to make sure that it is allowed; which, oddly enough, it is.  Or, to be more specific, it isn't against the rules.  It kind of defeats the purpose of the whole thing if this is the case in my opinion, but at least they checked that before making their decision.

Roh is actually against this.  He's an asshole, but he's not 100% a dick.  Frieza, on the other hand, clearly is.  Roh is appalled at the fact that Frieza is selling out his own universe and cites that even evil people have things that they want or want to protect.  Frieza says that is not the case.  In Sidra's opinion, that just makes him a perfect candidate for their team.

It becomes a moot point as Frieza's offer is rendered null and void by circumstances back on Earth.

Remember that destruction god energy that Goku was trapped in?  Goku is unable to get out.  It's surprising considering that he and Frieza are generally on an even keel.  The fact that Frieza could do it and Goku couldn't shows where the two are now.  More than that, overcoming and enduring situations like this is usually Goku's strong suit.  It was surprising to see him lose this one.  It's only because Beerus and Whis show up to bail him out that Goku is able to live to see another day.

Beerus isn't too pleased with the development, but Goku tries to take the blame, if only to keep Frieza on the team.

The two decide to settle the matter with a sort of duel.  First one to land a punch wins.  If Goku wins, Frieza plays nice; if Frieza wins, he can do whatever.  Shock of all shocks, it ends in a tie, with both landing a punch simultaneously.

The thing that threw me about this scene was the telepathic conversation the two seem to have.  Neither one of their mouths move, but they are able to respond to the other's thoughts.  You could argue that the two know each other so well that they can do this, but even that seems like a stretch.  If the two were just thinking on their own, that would be one thing.  It plays out like dialogue, though.  Maybe they were muttering it between their teeth?  It doesn't seem like it.  The whole thing was rather strange, regardless.

Oh, also, the tournament ring is finally done.  Not only is it an indicator that the tournament is finally coming, but we can finally put those construction animation sequences to bed.

As I stated at the article's opening, I loved this episode.  It was simple and straight forward in terms of plot, but there were so many great "oh crap" moments and the episode had such a high HSQ that it was a blast to watch.

I remember back in the latter half of "Z" and throughout "GT", I scoffed when they tried to bring Frieza back.  The fighters left him in the dust, he was just a relic of a bygone era.  I thought the 'Resurrection F' gave him a good showing (at least in terms of sadistic malevolence,) but this is the episode that truly blows that idea out of the water.  The way he's depicted here reminds you why he's one of the franchise's definitive big bads.  He's just so evil that it's both creepy and kind of awesome.  His display of power is simply jaw dropping and it's going to be really interesting to see how he fares as universe 7's tenth member going forward.

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'Yoga Hosers' movie review

You can read my review of the film here.

Pros


- The movie does hearken back to Kevin Smith's earlier work in many respects.

- Harley-Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp play off each other well.  It makes for a great comedy dynamic, but also sells the idea that the two are close friends.


Cons


- Exaggerated Canadian accents and repeated use of the "social media profile introduction" become grating after a while.

- The silly tone undercuts any sense of tension.  Fine for comedy, but a detriment to the "horror" aspect of a film billed as a "horror comedy"


Overall


This movie is silly and stupid.  That said, I still found it entertaining.  The jokes rely on goofiness and puns, but it worked for me.  The movie knows what it is and never tries to pretend otherwise.  This isn't a movie for everybody, but there is a niche viewership who will likely get a kick out of this.















Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'Attack on Titan' episode 23: 'Smile: Assault on Stohess part 1'

With the first season reaching its final stretch, one would expect things to kick into high gear and really end things with a bang.

Sadly, for the first half, it doesn't really seem like the episode is doing that.  We are once again introduced to a new team of characters who are members of the military police.  Annie is there, so we at least have some anchor, but it is frustrating constantly having to start from scratch.

It's made worse by the fact that nothing really comes of it, not yet anyway.  The organization is corrupt, but one of the new recruits has sworn to try and fix things.  The others scoff, but Annie does at least commend him for his resolve, even comparing him to Eren.

While the spirit is willing, his flesh is weak; as his attempt to stop two officers from selling government issued goods is met with him essentially getting curb stomped.  Were it not for Annie, who knows how severe his injuries might have been.

There is talk about how the group is on some secret escort mission.  Considering there are two episodes left, it's possible that it will be followed on there, but really that whole plot point drops off the map.

It's to the episode's benefit, however, as Armin's recruitment of Annie to sneak Eren out of prison is where the episode really starts to make good on the stake raising.

The fact that we're following the characters we know helps a good deal, but the clear objective is also a definite plus.  There's purpose there.  Even if the characters are just walking and talking, there's more momentum behind it.

It all culminates with a big reveal that is appropriately dramatic.  It starts off rather subtle, as Annie is suddenly reluctant to use a tunnel.  It becomes clear that things aren't as they seem, as Annie notices scouts hiding and watching all around them.

It is soon revealed that Annie herself is the titan.  Armin deduced it when he noticed that she was using Marco's 3D maneuvering device.  Armin recognized it by the scratches.

I do wish there was more in way of clues and hints.  I know you don't want to go too heavy handed with stuff like that, but it still seems like their case was a flimsy one.  Having more than one morsel to work with would have also made for a better build up before Annie cracked.

I'm not sure what going in a tunnel has to do with anything.  The way they talk it is some make or break fact that going in will help prove her innocence, but I'm not seeing the connection.  I suppose the whole thing was a trap and it didn't matter either way, but still.

In true villain fashion, Annie reveals herself by cackling madly.  It doesn't quite hit the highs of Light Yagami's reveal, but it is dramatic enough to achieve the desired effect.

The episode ends on quite the cliffhanger, as Annie triggers a transformation.  Unlike other instances, where scouts would just sit back and watch things happen, we see them make a valiant effort to keep this from happening.  It's good to see that they're learning.  It's for naught, but still, at least they tried.

The episode was a mixed bag.  The first half was slow and uneventful, but once things refocused on the main cast, it really managed to elevate itself into a more memorable episode.

Up to that point, the most memorable thing about the episode was the crazy guy ranting about how the walls were gods and how it was blasphemy for humans to lay hands upon them.  It's only a brief bit, but it stands out just due to how little sense it makes.  I get the "wall as protector" bit, but humans were the ones who built the walls in the first place.  Also, with the titans having torn through them, sealing them up is necessary if they are going to be any good in terms of keeping people safe from the titans.  Thus the "humans aren't allowed to touch it" mindset really doesn't hold up.

In any event, we're down to the final two episodes of the season.  It should be some interesting watching.




















Click here to join our Patreon campaign

'Doctor Strange' (2016 Movie) Review

You can read my review here.

Pro

- Strong cast

- Great balance of action, drama, and humor

- Does a great job of expanding the scope of the marvel cinematic universe

-Great visual effects



Cons


- While well done, it does fall into a lot of the "origin story" traps

- Does further cut the wind from Thanos' sails by establishing even bigger threats


Overall


After so many superhero movies, it's not surprising that they start to feel somewhat similar.  This is especially true when it comes to origin stories.  Still, this movie provides a solid foundation by giving us well developed characters who all have their own individual motivations and story arcs.  There are similarities to "Iron Man" but it does enough to stand on its own.







                                  

















Click here to join our Patreon campaign