ER: The Complete Fourteenth Season

Written by Hombre Divertido

In a season scheduled to be its last, fans actually benefited by the writers’ strike, as ER was brought back for a fifteenth season. Unfortunately the fourteenth season, released on DVD from Warner Home Video on January 11th, 2011, is extremely uneven in its storytelling. Luckily the performances of the actors, both guest and regular, make this season worth watching.

Most notable of the excellent performances by a guest is that of Stanley Tucci as Dr. Daniel Moretti whose subtle brilliance as the new head honcho brings a sense of class to the show from his appearance in the season opener: "The War Comes Home". Despite the fine performance of Tucci, the impact of a new chief on the ER has simply been seen too many times before, and thus the first few episodes of season fourteen seem disappointingly familiar. Like many of the storylines throughout the season, that of the restrained Dr. Moretti takes an abrupt turn as writers struggle to get rid of someone who had not signed on for a fifteenth season. The same can be said for many relationships throughout the season, as storylines begin and end awkwardly.

In anticipation of the end of the series, the cast of regulars had been whittled down to just six (Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra, Linda Cardellini as Nurse Sam Taggart, Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris, John Stamos as Dr. Tony Gates, Maura Tierney as Dr. Abby Lockhart, and Mekhi Phifer as Dr. Greg Pratt) and that allows for not only the audience to truly appreciate those that are there, but also for each of the talented actors to be given plenty of time to shine. Tierney takes full advantage of the opportunity as Abby runs the gambit of trials and tribulations throughout the entire season. One could only hope that Abby would find happiness in season fifteen, because there is not much to be had here.

Season fourteen includes the 300th episode which is celebrated with a unique episode in which Dr. Morris wagers three hundred dollars that the ER can treat 300 patients in one 24-hour period. This storyline is wrought with forced comedy that fails to payoff. Other disappointments in this numerically historic episode include a return appearance by former regular Goran Visnjic as Dr. Lukka Kovac and a guest appearance by legendary actor turned infomercial host Peter Fonda. Fonda’s character is dealing with a terminally ill wife and an introduction to a son with Downs Syndrome that he had given up at birth. Visnjic and Fonda never share any screen time in this episode but still manage to compete for the most stoic and one-dimensional performance. Episode 300 does include a pleasant but far too brief look back and some of the more memorable patients that have stopped in to the ER.

Other guest appearances in season fourteen include: Charlotte Rae, Eddie Mekka, Hal Holbrook, Patrick Cassidy, Jesse Borrego, Howard Hesseman, and Steve Buscemi who appears in the final episode of the season. Buscemi works well with what he is given, but the cliffhanger to ponder over the course of the summer, like most of season fourteen, is far too contrived.

The bonus features include ER at 300: Highlights from the ER 300th Episode Tribute at the Paley Center for Media featuring cast and crew, Gag Reel, Outpatient Outtakes: Unaired Scenes, and Subtitles. Like in previous season releases, the gag reels seem staged and simply aren’t enjoyable to watch. Even more disappointing is the tribute which is poorly edited and will leave you wondering why they didn’t give us the whole event. The reasons for exclusion of the Outpatient Outtakes: Unaired Scenes will be obvious when you watch them.

Recommendation: This release has potential to irritate the most loyal of fans for many reasons, the least of which is that Warner Home Video changed the size of the packaging from the previous thirteen releases. Thanks for ruining the uniformity of the collection guys. The episodes are a mixed bag full of good performances lost in poor storytelling.

Season fourteen is worth buying for the performances and for the true fan that needs to complete the collection and does not care how it looks on the shelf.

STARGATE UNIVERSE 1.5

Written by Pirata Hermosa

After canceling the second series in the Stargate franchise just last year, the newly renamed Syfy channel replaced it with a newer and darker chapter in the saga. Fans are still mixed over the new series as it’s not as light-hearted as the last two and it has been accused of trying to imitate the popular Battlestar Galactica, which recently finished its run on the channel as well.

The three-DVD set that has just been released features the last ten episodes of the premiere season and starts off by addressing the mid-season cliffhanger that left Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) stranded on a deserted planet after Colonel Young (Louis Ferreria), who is fed up with the Doctor’s treachery, leaves him for dead on a barren planet. But in science fiction nobody stays dead for long and shortly afterwards Rush returns, along with a hostile group of aliens who want to take over the Destiny for their own purposes.

But even as dysfunctional as this group of survivors are, they must somehow work together to fend off an alien attack, stop a mutiny, repair the ship after it’s been sabotaged, and finally negotiate a hostage situation when the Lucian Alliance finds a way to transport themselves on board.

The DVD contains commentary on all episodes and has two Special Feature sections on all three discs.

“Destiny SML” is the title that covers all of the out-of-character features. These include the typical spending the day with certain cast members, how certain scenes are shot, and multiple interviews with the two executive producers/creators Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright. The interviews are really odd because there are so many of them and each time it’s a different cast member asking the questions. The other odd feature in this section stars Louis Ferreria, not because there’s anything special about it, but because Louis is such a goofball that it’s almost impossible to imagine him as the hard-as-nails Colonel Young after viewing it.

The most intriguing features are the “Kino Video Diaries”. In these features you follow along and watch the crew through the eyes of the Kino. The interface using your remote control to click on the different diaries is rather difficult to use since they are represented by planets on a star map and some of them seem impossible to maneuver to, so I ended up using the Play-All button in order to view them. Most of the diaries are just a bunch of random feelings and emotions from the crew as they deal with being stranded on the "Destiny", but there are three exceptional ones that actually add something to the show.

The first one is discussion between Chloe (Elise Levesque) and Eli (David Blue). But it’s Chloe after she has used the communication stones and somebody else is using her body. In this conversation Eli discusses what would entice someone to willingly switch bodies and what kind of rules exist between the swapping parties.

The next is a funny prank using purple dye that really gives some added character to some of the secondary characters while opening up and showing the crew beginning to bond with one another.

And finally the best one of them all is what response Lt. Scott (Brian J. Smith) gets when he goes to apologize to Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) for leaving him behind on a planet after presuming he was dead.

This second set of 10 episodes is more serialized than the first ten, which may be the saving grace of the entire series. The first half of the season was filled with open-ended stories and the crew just fighting for basic survival as they tried to keep the life support system working and finding such basics as light, food, and water. In the second half you get to see the development of the characters, a few questions are answered and the season-ending two-part episode involves the cast of the original Stargate SG-1, an invading force, and the usual cliff-hanger ending. It leaves the audience primed and ready for the second season to come.

Article first published as DVD Review: Stargate Universe 1.5 on Blogcritics.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Written by Pirata Hermosa

When Rick Riordan beginning telling his children bedtime stories, he choose Greek Mythology, a subject that he was very interested in. But when he ran out of those stories and found his kids clamoring for more, he decided to make up his own stories with a hero named Percy Jackson. Even then he had no idea that he would turn them into a successful series of books, let alone a motion picture.

The film is set in modern day and focuses on Percy (Logan Lerman), a relatively normal teen diagnosed with both Dyslexia and ADHD. His only friend is Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), who he has known for years and needs to use crutches to walk. His father left when he was a baby and Percy lives with his mother, Sally (Catherine Keener) and sleazy stepfather Gabe (Joe Pantoliano).

But when the lightning bolt of Zeus is stolen from Mt. Olympus, the most powerful god blames the only person capable of accomplishing the theft. Unfortunately for Percy, that person is him. Only a demigod is capable of such an act, a half-man half-god, and it just so happens that Percy’s real father is none other than the god Poseidon. Percy has two weeks to save his mother from Hades (Steve Coogan), find the real lightning thief, and return the bolt to Zeus. If he doesn’t succeed then the gods will go to war and use the Earth as their battlefield.

The film uses many of the tales and creatures from Greek Mythology. Percy must do battle with Medusa and take on a five-headed Hydra in his quest. The special effects aren’t quite up to par with those used in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but align well with the kind used in the Harry Potter series. Pretty good, but you can still tell that something’s not quite right.

While geared towards a younger audience, Percy can be enjoyed by everyone. The pace is quick and flows nicely between the action scenes. There's a nice comical element that threads through the film that brings just enough humor when it could easily take itself too seriously. Most films would get bogged down with too much storyline, but this has just the right mixture, and with a running time just shy of two hours you won't find yourself looking at your watch trying to find out how much time is left.

There are also several surprise big-name celebrities, such as Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson as Persephone, and Uma Thurman. At first their appearance is a little jarring, but they are excellent actors with Uma giving a fun and creepy performance that is worth seeing.

The film is presented on a 50 GB Dual Layer disc with a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 ratio. It is visually superior to the DVD in regards to clarity and sharpness. The only issue is that in a couple of the night scenes it is a little difficult to see everything, but since the DVD has the same issues in the same exact spots it must be a byproduct of the way it was originally filmed.

The audio is in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The sound is really good, but it could have been mixed better. Most of the scenes are quiet, but any time there is action the volume comes blaring out at such a loud volume that you’re forced to reach for the remote every few minutes to adjust the sound. Ultimately, you end up just turning everything down so as not to be caught off guard that you lose a lot of the subtlety during the quieter scenes.

Even though there are eight Special Features on the disc, it feels like everything was just thrown together kind of haphazardly. When you first put in the Blu-ray it comes up to a fairly cheap and cheesy looking menu bar that runs across the bottom of the screen. Not only is it simple, but it’s difficult to read without getting up and walking halfway across the room. All of the Special Features are short and feel like added fluff in order to have something to put on the disc.

The feature “Secrets of the Gods” has the most potential as you can move around Mt. Olympus and click on the gods, demigods and monsters. When you click on them you only get the vaguest of descriptions that even a six-year-old would already know.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief on Blu-ray also comes a DVD copy of the film and a digital version for download to your computer.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief on Blogcritics.

Deadliest Warrior - Season One

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Airing on Spike TV and now in its second season, Deadliest Warrior is a show that pits two of history's most notable warriors against each other. With a team of professionals on set armed with the latest in computer and science technology the show is one of the best on Spike TV. A wonderful “what if” scenario with some surprises as to outcomes. Fans of history will appreciate the work put into making this show a good display of what each warrior was capable of.

Each episode is about 45-minutes long and highlights the skills of two different warriors. Good examples are "Apache vs. Gladiator," "Viking vs. Samurai," "Spartan vs. Ninja," "Pirate vs. Knight," "Shaolin Monk vs. Maori Warrior," and in a special episode "William Wallace vs. Shaka Zulu." Some cases seem like David vs. Goliath and the outcome seems cut and dried, which is not always the case as there are some surprise endings. Each warrior is represented by five or so of his best weapons, some not so well known. Some of these warriors carry into battle weapons made of bronze, iron, and steel (swords, knives, shields, helmets, and axes) while others carries simple weapons made from wood, stone, and others materials (clubs lined with shark teeth, spears with stingray-spiked tips, blow guns, and poisons of different types used in various ways) native to their homeland.

A core team of professionals is on site and run the show. They include Geoffrey Desmoulin (biomedical engineer), Max Geiger (computer programmer), and Dr. Armand Dorian (emergency-room doctor/trauma expert) while specialists of each warriors' customs, culture, and weapon usage are brought in to help conduct the testing. Each weapon and warrior is explained, and viewers see the weapon in use and get a chance to see the damage it can cause. The weapons are divided into categories: long range, mid range, close range, and special weapon. The weapons are demonstrated and tested against each other accordingly using replica human gel torsos filled with artificial organs and blood; pig carcasses are also used as their flesh is the closest to human. The latest technology is used in testing to capture speed, motion, and shock impacted on the body; all this comes into play in the final outcome.

After the demonstration, the damage is observed to see the potential injuries caused or if the blow is a kill, that’s where the trauma doctor comes in. The tests are discussed by the team who decide which weapons might have the “edge” in battle. After the tests are concluded and all the data has been inputted into a specially designed computer program that simulates 1,000 battles, a winner is decided. To make the show more interesting, we get to watch a recreation of what the battle may have looked like. These reenactments are actually quite well done and give a final look at how the warrior may have chosen to use his weapons against an opponent he has never seen before.

The episodes vary in same cases when it comes to the more modern “warriors” chosen to square off against one another: "Yakuza vs. Mafia", "Green Beret vs. Spetsnaz," and "I.R.A. vs. Taliban." These episodes differ slightly in testing for the fact that some of the weapons are firearms and explosives. The guns and rifles are tested pretty much the same way using the gel torsos while the explosives tests use the gel torso and devices used to check the blast and shockwave damage. The reenactments are also slightly different because the final computer analyses is conducted using groups of five against five, a good number to represent a “warrior” who usually never really fought one on one and works well in a small group.

It's a better show than I thought it would be, as the Spike channel, when it comes to their original entertainment, can be quite lame aside from the UFC events they show. They now have two good shows (depending on how one feels about pro wrestling) that keep me tuning in. The warriors and weapons are explained and displayed well while the expert team is informative and knowledgeable. Season One even has UFC veteran Chuck Liddell stop in as a special guest to help test some of the gladiators' weapons out.

The bonus feature on the three-disc set is “The Aftermath,” post-fight analyses that were broadcast on the Internet right after the episode was aired. "The Aftermath" usually runs about 10 to 15 minutes long and features a roundtable discussion with host Kieron Elliott. Max Geiger is present for most along with some of the specialists and experts from that night's episode. Questions are chosen from viewers who posted questions or opinions online and are discussed in the group. There are segments within "The Aftermath" that include the producers’ season wrap-up discussion as well as a wrap-up that includes Dr. Armand and Max. This is a good DVD set with a great bonus and is a series that can be watched, discussed, and debated over and over to further explore history's Deadliest Warrior.

The Great Mouse Detective – Mystery in the Mist Edition

Written by Hombre Divertido

Prior to the release of The Little Mermaid in 1989, the1980s were generally considered to be somewhat of a black hole for Disney when it comes to animated films. From The Fox and the Hound (1981) to Oliver and Company (1988) Disney failed to achieve the success that it had established in decades past. The Black Cauldron (1985) and The Great Mouse Detective (1986) find themselves sandwiched in this period.

In reviewing the aforementioned films, one may find that they have missed some entertaining movies. That is certainly the case with The Great Mouse Detective. No, certainly not in the same league as the wonderful films that Disney would release in the 1990s, but it is a cute movie.

Based on the Eve Titus' book Basil of Baker Street, The Great Mouse Detective follows the adventures of Basil (Barrie Ingham), the Sherlock Holmes-esque mouse detective, and his newly found sidekick, Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin), as they help young Olivia (Susanne Pollatschek) find her father Hiram (Alan Young) who has been kidnapped by the evil Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price).

It is the vocal talents of the above-mentioned artists and the direction of Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, and John Musker, that allows this simple story to over achieve. This is just simple storytelling done well with energetic and extremely likeable characters.

Almost eight years after the first DVD, Disney releases the digitally restored Mystery in the Mist edition with an all-new “So You Think You Can Sleuth Challenge” and the bonus material that was included in 2002: “The Making of The Great Mouse Detective” and the “The World's Greatest Criminal Mind” sing-along song. Unfortunately, two animated shorts included with 2002 disc have been replaced by “Dylan & Cole Sprouses: Blu-ray Is Suite!” and “Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies On the Go” which really have no right being listed as bonus features.

The digitally restored film looks great, but the “So You Think You Can Sleuth Challenge” will prove to be disappointing to children. “The Making of The Great Mouse Detective” is an interesting and entertaining look into the development and production of this film. Though the fact that CGI was used for the first time in a Disney film to create the chase through the workings of a clock is highlighted in the featurette, said scene still manages to be distracting as it looks too different from the animation utilized in the rest of the film. The Sing-along song is fun for all who choose to join in.

Recommendation: The Great Mouse Detective has been overlooked for too long. The performance of the legendary Vincent Price as the power-hungry Professor Ratigan alone is worth the 71-minute investment. This film is great for the whole family, though the barroom scene is a bit racy for young children. The overall energy of the film is perfect for kids, and adults will appreciate the Sherlock Holmes references including a vocal cameo by Basil Rathbone himself. There is not enough new material her to warrant the purchase of the Mystery in the Mist edition if you already own the 2002 release.

"On the Trail":

Hannah Montana - Miley Says Goodbye?

Written by Pirata Hermosa

To coincide with the end of the third season, Disney released the latest Hannah Montana DVD today. As the title suggests, there’s a big question that needs to be answered. Is Miley (Miley Cyrus), really planning on leaving behind her secret life as Hannah Montana and moving back to Tennessee?

Thinking back on her visit to Tennessee, which was the basis for 2009’s feature film, Miley finds herself dreaming about her horse, Blue Jeans. Longing for the country life, she talks her father, Robby (Billy Ray Cyrus) into bringing the horse to California. But Blue Jeans isn’t satisfied at just being left in the stables; he begins following her home, to school, the beach, and just about everywhere she goes. Not knowing what to do about her horse’s wandering ways, she goes back to sleep and once again dreams about Blue Jeans, who helps her realize that she wasn’t just missing the horse, but she’s missing Tennessee. And the only thing to do is to pack up her belongings and move back home.

While she struggles with her decision and how she is going to tell her two best friends, Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchell Musso), that she’s leaving, her brother Jackson (Jason Earles) is busy struggling with his first apartment and the fact that it’s falling apart. To make things even more complicated, Oliver has been asked to open for the band “Tepid Funk” on their six-month world tour. This means they would both be leaving Lilly totally alone. Feeling guilty, they decide to take her out for a day of fun and adventure, so she’ll have something to remember them by. After a little more soul searching, some advice from her brother, a pinch of wisdom from her father, and a musical montage about friendship, everything works out in the end.

The DVD contains five Season 3 episodes: “You Never Give Me My Money,” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Friend,” “Promma Mia,” “He Could Be the One,” and the two-part season finale, “Miley Says Goodbye?” There is also an alternate ending for “He Could be the One” and two other bonus features.

"Sister Secrets" is a look at the set with behind-the-scenes access to the cast as Miley’s sister, Brandi, interviews them and asks embarrassing questions about one another. This was actually fairly entertaining and a little silly, as it should be.

"Hannah’s Highlights" is reminiscent of watching Pop-Up videos on VH1 where interesting trivia and completely random thoughts are shown on the screen during the episode “You Never Give Me My Money”. If you’re interested in just watching the episode, it’s much better to watch without the comments because they are very distracting.

It’s hard to understand why this season finale is being marketed as it is. Granted, there is a cliffhanger, but it’s not really a good one. Not only has it already been announced that there will be a fourth season, but the suspense only lasts for a week as Part One was shown last Sunday and Part Two is on this Sunday. With the DVD dropping between the two airings, it probably won’t generate any extra purchases.

The season finale is also a little flat as it deviates from the normal formula. It spends way too much time focusing on Miley’s dreams and her talking horse. Normally, Miley would be dragging her friends in to some elaborate scheme that ultimately backfires, but instead all of the humor is left up to Jackson and his new apartment.

The other four episodes on the disc are random selections from throughout the season and don’t really have any common link between them. They are fairly typical episodes and most fans will like them.