Heroes Volume 4 Episode 1 "A Clear and Present Danger"

After a disappointing couple of seasons saw the ratings for Heroes steadily slip in their millions the fourth volume of the series Fugitives will be an attempt to rekindle the success of the show's first outing back in 2007. With volume three's ending giving the writers a blank slate, could they finally come up with something decent after almost two years of mediocre storytelling?

A big plus point from the start is the opening voice over - it's gone. They finally shut up. All that bollocks about gods and fate and whatever other bile they managed to make Mohinder spew in the opening thirty seconds of the show has been muted. No, it doesn't have massive ramifications on the overall quality of the show, but it's good to see that they maybe stepping away from the irritating pretentious qualities that they've had up until now. It also means I can kid myself into thinking that the big bosses at Heroes have been reading my reviews and taken it all on board. What do you mean "deluded"?

Apparently the plan Nathan pitched to the president in front of the green screen at the end of volume three went down a storm and now his operation is in full swing, starting with the capture of Tracy Strauss. Now this is the kind of thing that presses all the right buttons; who could turn their nose up at government cover ups, highly trained covert-operatives dressed as ninjas, hunting down super powered blondes wearing little but a slither of silk? It seems that Heroes has stumbled upon another decent concept and, while it has been done before, if it's executed right over the course of the next eleven episodes we could be in for a fairly entertaining season.

While the opening suitably sets the scene it doesn't quite prepare you for the excellent scenes with everyone's favourite super powered psychotic Sylar. As usual, Quinto doesn't disappoint in his portrayal as the series iconic villain, not only being strangely captivating in conversations with his estranged adoptive father but also being brilliantly ruthless when confronted by a team of covert-ops. As annoying as it is that all of Sylar's character development was binned in volume three, he's still the best of the bunch, and scenes involving him are easily the most entertaining.

And then, in typical Heroes fashion, the rest of the episode shows it up for the mediocre show it really is. As soon as Peter gets himself back on screen (he's decided that being a gun-toting action hero wasn't his kind of thing and has since returned to nursing) it all goes straight downhill, with Mohinder and Matt both making equally lacklustre and dull appearances. It would be nice on occasion if the actors tried even a little, but some of the scenes are so badly performed they almost seem dubbed. Maybe they've finally realised just how bad the writing is and stopped caring.

The episode comes to a close on what it seems to believe is a dramatic cliff hanger, although with Heroes being as predictable as it is it's not difficult to see where the next episode is going. Why they even bother with these cliff hangers is anyone's guess. We all know they're too scared of upsetting their fans to kill anyone off permanently - even Rafiki isn't properly dead, and he was decapitated - so who are they trying to fool other than themselves?

Aside from the few scenes with Sylar, the first outing of volume four chugs along clumsily. So far then, it's shaping up to be yet another clunky execution of a good concept with the occasional flash of what Heroes could be with the right minds behind it. It's just a shame that we're stuck with Tim bloody Kring.

2/5

On the plus side, I finally have something to write about on Mondays.

Should I do Desperate Housewives as well? - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

Film Review: Doubt

Does anyone else find it irritating when a film is left open to interpretation? Whatever happened to a good old fashioned conclusion, where the characters would get together at the end and high five their accomplishments over the course of the film? Admittedly in Doubt this wouldn't be particularly appropriate, as nuns aren't really known for their high-fiving prowess, but at least it would have left the film on a high note.

Instead your left with a film that has you chase a hundred different threads throughout, before they all tangle together in one unsatisfactory ball, leaving you to figure out which bit of string was the most significant. Which normally isn't particularly bad, but after sitting through something so drawn out and tedious a conclusive ending would have been much more rewarding.

The plot itself - if you've not already been put off - follows Sister Aloysius, the headmistress at a Bronx Catholic school, as she tries to force a local priest, Father Flynn, to admit his illicit advances on an altar boy. Aloysius' campaign against Flynn results in confrontations with just about every character, which make for the best moments in the film. Unfortunately, these better moments are separated by a ton of meaningless and boring scenes, giving Doubt the aforementioned drawn out and tedious quality that will likely turn off most cinema-goers.

Still, there's a plus side to everything, and with Doubt it's the performances, all of which are superb. Although that was obvious just from the trailer, which lists off a cast riddled with Academy Award winners and nominees. Meryl Streep is fantastic as the stern Sister Aloysius, a stark contrast to her recent role in the song-and-dance cheese-fest Mama Mia. Philip Seymour Hoffman, too, is brilliant as Father Flynn, but it doesn't seem as if he can set a foot wrong in whatever he does at the moment. Amy Adams, the only one who has not previously picked up an Academy Award, stakes her claim for one here with a wonderful performance as the timid and naive Sister James. Each one has picked up an Academy Award nomination for their respective roles, and it can be said without any doubt (come on, I had to) that they're all well deserved.

Aside from the performances, Doubt doesn't really have much going for it. While it's flecked with some fantastic and dramatic moments it remains, for the most part, a tedious hour and a half. Stick to plays next time, Shanley.

3/5
If you have seen this film and didn't spend half your time singing Stephen Lynch's 'Altar Boy', then you just don't have a sense of humour.

Got through the whole film without giggling at the word "rectory" - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

February. baby

Since I've hit a giant metaphorical brick wall with this review script I figured I'd get on with updating this thing, since I've been leaving it to gather dust for a couple of days and I reckon it feels neglected and unloved.

The 360 is getting "fixed" at the moment, sent it off with UPS the other day so I'm hoping it will be back sometime during the week, so long as they're not scared of the half inch of slush on the roads. When it does come back I'm not entirely sure what I'll be reviewing for it, but I'm sure I'll find something fairly recent to sink my critiquing teeth into. That Lord of The Rings thing sounds sufficiently bad enough for me to have fun writing about.

For films...actually I can totally give you a decent update for this! That's a first, eh? This Friday I'll be seeing Doubt, which has been nominated for a fair few Academy Awards if I remember right. Then it's Vicky Christina Barcelona the Friday after, a kind of romantic Spanish thing which likely contains too many sex scenes for me to comfortably watch it when surrounded by the middle aged women that usually frequent my favourite cinema, so I'm expecting an uncomfortable few hours of nervously crossing my legs and trying to cough myself limp.

I'll also be seeing The Class at the end of the month but that leaves a fortnight in which there isn't really anything I'm that bothered about seeing. So, if there's anything at the cinema that you're not too sure about seeing, give me a nudge in the comments section and I'll give it a thought.

TV wise, there isn't really that much I'm bothered about watching. I might do an episode-by-episode thing for Skins building up to the video review - which is coming along nicely - but apart from that I'm not sure. There just doesn't seem to be anything worth watching on.

Anyway, another month, another update. Now I have to find another way to kill some time. I've heard good things about drying paint.

Cheers,

Tom

Oh, I should probably start doing coursework too... yeah right

May or may not have eaten yellow snow by accident - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk