Burn Notice gets right to the point, giving the viewer an example of how Michael Weston's life has been over the last few years. And then turns it upside down, setting the pace for a great first episode. The cast of this show is terrific. Jeffrey Donovan, coming out of nowhere with that "I have seen him before." feeling, makes a completely believable and competent spy. He brings a very flawed, human element to the character that is very balanced in such away that almost puts us in that situation but, it could easily be pushed to one extreme or the other that has been seen in other shows of this genre. Meaning that Michael could seem to caring, making him not believable as a professional spy or not caring enough, making him not someone you can sympathize with. Jeffrey also has a very charming way about him which helps to make Michael a very likable character. The most notable of the supporting cast is Sam, played expertly by Bruce Campbell, a retired spy and old friend of Michael's living it up in Miami. The interaction between these two is very believable and enjoyable to watch. The only problem I have with the supporting cast is Fiona. Gabrielle Anwar is not a bad choice to play the ex –girlfriend of Michael and former IRA terrorist, but seeing as Gabrielle is from England I would think that she would be able to pull of a more believable Irish accent. At any rate I highly recommend this show, it has some great potential. Tune and see if we can't give it a chance to shine.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
(2003)
Cosmic Disappointment
16 September 2005
First, I have to put you in my mind set when I watched this film. I had just come home from watching the Transporter 2 (one of the most hollow movies I have ever seen.) which was incomparable to the first Transporter on any level. So having just witnessed that debacle I had to redeem my evening. My brother had purchased Ong-Bak but, had not yet watched it so we set about reclaiming our Friday evening. Spastic chimpanzee seizures are the only description of the anguish I had to suffer through to get through this film. Comparing Tony Jaa to guys like Jet-Li and Jackie Chan is just unforgivable; those guys are in a different league than he is. Now I am not saying that he can't one day reach their level but, even mentioning his name in the same sentence as Bruce Lee is a shame. Bruce Lee helped reinvigorate martial arts movies and make them accessible to a wider audience. Tony Jaa studied Muay Thai for four years in preparation for this film (http://www.tonyjaa.org/bio.shtml). All the previous martial arts legends I listed previously had years of experience before they started making films. In the end all the hype for this film should have been toned down so that people could accept Tony Jaa for what he is, a possible future legend not a replacement for the old guard. So, it is possible that I was already dumb-no-plot-action movied out by the time I watched this movie or it could just be a dumb, slow, nothing new venture into old familiar territory.
The Scorpion King
(2002)
The movie does what it set out to do.
20 April 2002
The Scorpion King is nothing more than an action movie. The previews didn't promise anything more and it delivers just what it promised. The director and executive producer (who just happens to be Vince McMahon, the Rock's boss on the WWF) sculpted the movie around the Rock. Since it was his first leading role they wanted to make it easier for him to adjust to the big screen. They applied some of the concepts of the World Wrestling Federation to the movie. That is why the movie is so very action oriented with small bits of story and character development inbetween. The fans of the Rock will more than likely enjoy this film, while the casual movie watcher may not find it chessy and over acted. At any rate I give this film a 7 out of 10, it was a very impressive first outing for the Rock as a leading man but, nothing special to add to the action genre.
Bio Hunter
(1995 Video)
A decent venture into the sci-fi anime world...
21 February 2002
This anime is from the same man (Yoshiaki Kawajiri) who created Ninja Scroll and Wicked City. Bio Hunter is a very well written movie with some decent action. It seems to run a little short almost as if they didn't spend enough time developing the characters. But, in any case if you like anime then this won't disappoint you.
Twilight of the Dark Master
(1997)
A character and plot driven anime
21 February 2002
Twilight is an extremely well draw anime. It features great artwork and scenery(very reminscent of Blade Runner). Twilight does well with character development and plot advancement, even though it clocks in at only 53 mins. All in all a good solid anime.
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