TV Review: Gotham - "The Balloonman"

Gotham - "The Balloonman" (1x03) FOX, Mondays, 8 p.m.

Now in its third episode, "Gotham" seems to have found its rhythm as far as balancing its cases of the week with its ongoing story arcs without feeling the need to tie them all together.

While the ongoing mystery of the Waynes' murder, Oswald's continuing criminal career rebirth and the cat-and-mouse play amongst the mobsters all get their screen time, this episode is about Gotham's newest vigilante. No, it's not Batman, but his name does begin with a B.

The titular Balloonman is targeting criminals, something Gotham has an ample supply of, sending them into the atmosphere as punishment for their crimes. As usual, Gordon is more interested in actually catching the perp than his partner Harvey, but when one of the Balloonman's targets hits too close to home, the entire police force is mobilized.

Meanwhile, Gordon tries to validate Selina's story that she witnessed the Waynes' murder and Oswald makes his long-awaited (an entire episode!) return to Gotham.

TV Review: Person of Interest - "Nautilus"

Person of Interest - "Nautilus" (4x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 10 p.m.

"Person of Interest" returns with the second number of the new season, Claire Mahoney (Quinn Shephard), a young college student taking part in some kind of high-level mathematical game, one which has inspired her to carry a gun.

Like last week, Harold is reluctant to get involved and risk their collective covers, the only things keeping them safe from Samaritan. Also like last week, John could care less, and pursues this latest number after tricking Harold into helping.

But as they delve deeper into the game, there are more questions than answers, including who is the mastermind behind it all.

While "Panopticon" set the new ground rules after the show's seismic upheaval in the season three finale, this is the first episode to get to play fully within them. John has settled into his new alias as a cop, partnered with Fusco. Harold seems to have his college professor role down as well, ignoring his students and doing whatever he wants with his time. And Shaw, having given up her prized position as a perfume saleswoman, is now a dedicated wheel woman for a group of bank robbers.

Meanwhile, Root is mysterious as always, playing games within games for the Machine, which is in turn trying to claw its way back into the fight against Samaritan.

TV Review: Agents of SHIELD - "Shadows" & "Heavy is the Head"

Agents of SHIELD - "Shadows" (2x01) & "Heavy is the Head" (2x02) ABC, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.

 I didn't get a chance to review the season two premier of "Agents of SHIELD" last week, and it works out, since "Shadows" and this week's "Heavy is the Head" is essentially a two-parter, establishing the show's new normal.

With the dismantling of SHIELD in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and the subsequent episodes of "Agents of SHIELD," Coulson now finds himself as the new director, with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) apparently out of the picture until next summer's "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

As the second episode's title implies, being in charge comes with a lot of responsibility for Coulson, especially when SHIELD is down to a handful of agents, one secret base and a few mercenaries.

With Grant Ward locked up and Fitz still trying to recover from a near-death experience which left him with brain damage, the team is a bit short on members, with Melinda May, Skye and Triplett the only ones still capable of field duty. Enter Izzy Hartley (Lucy Lawless) and her band of mercenaries, including Lance Hunter (Nick Blood).

Unfortunately the stakes are quite high, as Hydra and its agents are still in play, as is Brigadier General Glenn Talbot (Adrian Pasdar), who has made it his mission to root out the remaining members of SHIELD. In his mind, both it and Hydra are one and the same.

TV Review: The Blacklist - "Monarch Douglas Bank"

  
The Blacklist - "Monarch Douglas Bank" (2x02) NBC, Mondays, 10 p.m.

At the end of season one of "The Blacklist," we learned that everything Raymond Reddington had done to that point was part of a greater "war" between himself and the mysterious Berlin. As simply a name, Berlin was seemingly all powerful, with legions of henchmen around the world as part of a network that could actually rival Red's power and influence.

The problem with a villain who is only a name--a threat in the dark--is that sooner or later, you have to reveal the villain, give him a face. And no matter how good a performance you get from the man or woman you cast as your villain, he or she will never live up to the anticipation.

Which may be the problem facing "The Blacklist" early on in season two. Berlin has a face, played admirably by Peter Stormare. Taking nothing away from Stormare, however, Berlin simply isn't as affective a villain when we see him each week, even if he's sending pieces of Red's kidnapped wife back to him in the mail.

I will say that "Monarch Douglas Bank" is a pretty solid episode, without the giant plot holes we tend to find ourselves in during "case of the week" episodes, but it also feels like a prediction of rougher seas ahead if the writers aren't careful.

TV Review: Gotham - "Selina Kyle"

Gotham - "Selina Kyle" (1x02) FOX, Mondays, 8 p.m.


The first question facing Fox's new show "Gotham" was whether it could it recreate the gritty, dark atmosphere of a pre-Batman Gotham City. The pilot episode proved it could, filling it with a wide range of characters from the some 80 years of comic book lore.

The second question was whether the show could continue the momentum established in the pilot. "Selina Kyle" proves it can do that as well.

Building off the story lines set up in the pilot, the episode also introduces us to a case of the week revolving a pair of child abductors (Frank Whaley and Lili Taylor), stealing homeless kids off the streets of Gotham.

Of course Jim and Harvey get the case, bringing them back into the territory of Fish Mooney, who almost had them killed last week. The case also puts Jim in contact with young Selina Kyle (or Cat as she preferred to be called), which I'm sure is a big step in his pursuit of the Waynes' murderer(s).

The B-story follows the repercussions of Oswald Cobblepot's supposed death at the end of the pilot, with Oswald trying to land on his feet outside the city, while mob boss Carmine Falcone confronts Mooney about her aborted coup attempt.

TV Review: Person of Interest - "Panopticon"

Person of Interest - "Panopticon" (4x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 10 p.m. 

The third season of "Person of Interest" was one of the best overall seasons of network television I've seen in quite awhile, culminating in a jaw-dropping finale that left our heroes on the run, fighting to survive in a world much altered.

The finale promised to forever change the dynamic of the show, leaving John (Jim Caviezel), Harold (Michael Emerson), Shaw (Sarah Shahi) and Root (Amy Acker) in new identities to protect themselves from the omnipresent Samaritan.

We don't a lot of time to see our heroes in their new mundane roles in the premiere, however, because the Machine, after apparently some time in silence, gives them a new number: the owner of a electronics repair shop who is having some serious problems with a gang.

You have to give the writers credit for playing with a formula that has brought in tons of viewers, but that's one of things that keeps me coming back for more. This is one of those rare shows that grows and evolves over the course of each season. The same can be said for the characters.

TV Review: The Blacklist - "Lord Baltimore"

The Blacklist - "Lord Baltimore" (2x01) NBC, Mondays, 10 p.m.

When "The Blacklist" premiered last year, a friend and I compared it to ABC's "Agents of SHIELD," both agreeing that it had better writing and more fleshed out characters than the comic book tie-in show. By the end of their respective seasons, however, my opinion had pretty much been flipped. Aside from Raymond "Red" Reddington (played spectacularly by James Spader), "The Blacklist" seemed populated by bland characters who would proceed each week to do so pretty stupid things to help service the plot.

James Spader as Red.

Sadly it seemed like there was one writer tasked with Reddington, who wrote his dialogue in seclusion, while the rest of the staff created poorly thought out scenarios to throw our characters in. Without being too harsh, by the end of the season, I began referring to "The Blacklist" as the worst written show I liked to watch.

So suffice to say, I came into the season two premiere, "Lord Baltimore," with hopes for a brighter future. And while it seems like things are in motion for a compelling long-term storyline as Red and the FBI continue to search for the mysterious Berlin, the case of the week once again seemed a bit too outlandish and not terribly well thought out.

TV Review: NCIS - "Twenty Klicks"

NCIS - "Twenty Klicks" (12x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.

Venerable crime procedural and ratings behemoth "NCIS" returns for its 12th season and for only the second time during its long run, its premiere doesn't serve as a continuation of a spring-fed cliffhanger. Instead, last season ended with a heartfelt send-off of Jackson Gibbs as well as actor Ralph Waite.

With the ability to start afresh this season, the premiere gives us an action-packed episode with shot-down helicopters, gun fights and wilderness survival. It also begins what appears to be the new ongoing storyline, but more about that in the spoiler section.

This was a solid episode, with much of it devoted to Gibbs and McGee as they travel to Russia to pick up "IT Kevin" (Ethan Rains), who seems sure he's being followed. Of course, he's not paranoid if people are really willing to shoot them out of the sky over the wooded frontier on the Russian/Finland border, now is he?

TV Review: NCIS: New Orleans - "Musician Heal Thyself"

NCIS: New Orleans - "Musician Heal Thyself" (1x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 9 p.m.

So the venerable "NCIS" begot a second child, one which is once again set in a town without a Navy base (as of 2011), although there is a joint reserve command nearby.

The show's primary cast was introduced just like members of "NCIS: LA" were, with a two-episode backdoor pilot last spring in the mothership "NCIS." That episode showed the promise of the setting (who can complain about New Orleans?) as well as the potential drawbacks (lead actor Scott Bakula's sometimes horrendous, sometimes absent Cajun accent).

Compared to the backdoor pilot, "Musician Heal Thyself" feels more settled, as if the writers have a better idea of just what they want to do with this new show. It already feels more like "NCIS" than "LA," with special agents investigating what appears at first to be a simple murder. This is a positive in some regards (I've always enjoyed the original flavor more than the west-coast version), but the writers are going to need more than a colorful setting to give this show its own feel.

Bakula is honestly one of the main draws for me to the new show, as with everything else I'm trying to catch this season, another generic procedural wouldn't really be a high priority otherwise. Thankfully, it seems his accent as Special Agent Dwayne Pride has been toned down since last spring, and I'd rather imagine him using a good accent than continue hearing him use a bad one. (Just compare his voice in the episode to his voice-over at the end saying "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode.")

Of the other main cast members, Lucas Black's Special Agent Christopher LaSalle is my favorite so far, since he at least feels like a fully realized character, even if we still know nothing about him. Meanwhile, actress Zoe McLellan (who we're supposed to forget had a longstanding role in "NCIS" godfather, "JAG") plays the outside role pretty well as Special Agent Merri Brody, although her penchant for getting a goofy smile at random moments was a bit off-putting.

TV Review: Scorpion - "Pilot"

Scorpion - "Pilot" (1x01) CBS, Mondays, 9 p.m.

If you combined "The Big Bang Theory" and "Numb3rs," you would get the new CBS crime procedural "Scorpion," which features a group of super geniuses who will presumably stop terrorist attacks or solve bank robberies and the like on a weekly basis.

Now I'm a fan of both "The Big Bang Theory" and late, great "Numb3rs," so this one was pretty high on my list of potential new shows to pick up this season. Lead Eleyes Gabel, who plays hacker extraordinaire Walter O'Brien, even looks a bit like David Krumholtz, who in turn played math genius Charlie Eppes for six season on "Numb3rs."

The question early on with that show was just how many crimes could the FBI solve with math? Turns out quite a lot, even if they stretched the premise on more than one occasion.

Here we have four geniuses, with human behavior specialist Toby Curtis (Eddie Kaye Thomas), electronics expert Happy Quinn (Jadyn Wong), math savant Sylvester Dodd (Ari Stidham) and Walter.

When we first meet this group, they are working with Walter performing mundane jobs to support themselves in a world in which they struggle to function. Along comes Government Agent Cabe Gallo (the always wonderful Robert Patrick) to give them a mission of utmost importance, saving around 20,000 people flying on some 70 airliners trapped in the sky without communication after a software patch shuts down air traffic control in the region.

Needing some stable WIFI, the action moves to a diner, where Walter installed a new system earlier in the episode, putting him and his friends in contact with waitress Paige Dineen (Katharaine McPhee) and her son Ralph (Riley B. Smith). What should be a simple hack and software switch job grows increasingly difficult through a terribly inconvenient setbacks.

TV Review: Gotham - "Pilot"

NOTE: This and other TV reviews will not be a straight-up recap, as I'm not interested in simply recounting the episode verbatim. Instead, I will discuss events which occur in each episode, providing my opinion of that week's installment as well as the show as a whole. Each review will be separated into two parts, the first without spoilers and the second with. I hope you enjoy.

Gotham - "Pilot" (1x01) FOX, Mondays, 8 p.m.


Of all of the new shows set to debut this fall, FOX's "Gotham" interested me the most. It doesn't hurt that Batman has always been one of my favorite comic book characters. Christopher Nolan left an indelible mark on the franchise with his "Dark Knight" trilogy, so any new version, even on television, has a high bar to meet. Fortunately, at least through the first episode, "Gotham" does quite well.

Set in the fictional city of Gotham made famous by nearly a century of "Batman" comics, the series is striving to do something different. Instead of depicting the brutal deaths of Martha and Thomas Wayne, who leave behind a scarred young boy in Bruce Wayne, only to then quickly time jump forward some 15 years to the birth of the Caped Crusader, "Gotham" stays put after the couple's murder in a dirty alley.

Centering on Gotham newcomer, Det. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, "Southland"), the pilot episode follows him as he discovers the seedier side of his adopted city, including that of his partner, Det. Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, "Sons of Anarchy").

During their pursuit of the Waynes' murder, we come across mobster Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), a young Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), an equally young Ivy Pepper (Clare Foley), forensic scientist Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), mob underling Oswalt Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) and even major crime detective Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena).

Fans of the comics, or the various film incarnations, will recognize most, if not all of those names, Fish Mooney being the most obscure. Carmine Falcone (John Doman) also plays an important role in the pilot episode.

Rising from the ashes

Like the Phoenix, Marquee Entertainment is rising from the ashes one more.

This blog had seen a number of incarnations over the years, so I'm not going to say that this time will be any more successful than the last time. While in the past I concentrated mostly on entertainment news items pertaining mostly to movies but also to television, I'm going to try to stick more to commentary and reviews this go around.

Since my movie reviews are already published weekly, and now available in truncated form online here, I'm going to concentrate more on television reviews, if for no other reason than to make use of the time I spend watching TV.

If my any chance someone scrolls back through this blog far enough to see this post, let me tell a little about myself. I have been a published movie critic for the past eight years.

I hope you enjoy this blog.

'The Conjuring' scares away competition on its way to a $41.5 million opening

The race to dominate July's most crowded weekend had a clear winner with director James Wan's "The Conjuring" scaring up an massive $41.5 million, according to studio estimates released today (Sunday).

"The Conjuring" grossed $41.5 million.

The total was the second highest opening week for a supernatural horror film, behind only 2011's "Paranormal Activity 3," which grossed $52.5 million in its first weekend, according to figures from Box Office Mojo.

"Despicable Me 2" continued its own stellar run, adding another $25 million to its already gaudy take of $276 million at the domestic box office. The $76 million sequel has pulled in $584 million worldwide.

The same could not be said for newcomer "Turbo," which had to settle for third place in its debut with a weekend tally of $21.5 million. Opening early on Wednesday, the Dreamworks Animation film has a five-day total of $31.2 million. The film's weekend mark is the lowest for the studio since 2006's "Flushed Away" and the first jab of a two-punch knockout for actor Ryan Reynolds, who had two films disappoint this weekend. For comparison, the studio's "The Croods," which opened in a much less crowded March, opened with $43.6 million on its way to a $186 million domestic total.

Adam Sandler's comedy ensemble sequel "Grown Up 2" delivered well in its second weekend, adding $20 million to its now $79.5 million total.

Newcomer "Red 2," the follow-up of the 2010 surprise hit comedy action film starring Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Hellen Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker, grossed $18.5 million, less than the original's $21.7 million opening. That film went on to gross $99 million domestically and $199 million worldwide.

Guillermo Del Toro's Kaiju action film "Pacific Rim" could not build on its rather disappointing start from last weekend, grossing only $15.9 million for a 10-day total of $68.2 million. The film is performing much better overseas, however, with a foreign tally of $110 million so far.

The biggest box office disappointment of the weekend, and perhaps the summer, was "R.I.P.D.," which only drew $12.7 million this weekend. The $130 million comic book adaptation was helmed by "Red" director Robert Schwentke and starred the aforementioned Reynolds alongside Jeff Bridges.

The top 10 was rounded out by three box office success stories in "The Heat," "World War Z" and "Monsters University."

The complete list of the weekend's top 10 grossing films is:

1. "The Conjuring" $41.5 million (New)
2. "Despicable Me," $25 million (Total: $276.1 million)
3. "Turbo," $21.5 million (Total: $31.2 million)
4. "Grown Ups 2," $20 million (Total: $79.5 million)
5. "Red 2," $18.5 million (New) 
6. "Pacific Rim," $15.9 million (Total: $68.2 million)
7. "R.I.P.D.," $12.7 million (New)
8. "The Heat," $9.3 million (Total: $129.3 million) 
9. "World War Z," $5.2 million (Total: $186.9 million)  
10. "Monsters University," $5 million (Total: $248.9 million)

Avengers to face 'Age of Ultron' in 2015

Marvel announced the new title Saturday at Comic-Con.

Marvel's Avengers will be facing the super-villain Ultron in the forthcoming sequel to the 2012's blockbuster superhero team-up film.

Marvel made the announced Saturday during its film panel at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday, revealing the 2015 feature has the title, "The Avengers: Age of Ultron."

According The Hollywood Report, actor Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki in "Thor," "The Avengers" and the upcoming "Thor: The Dark World," started Marvel's panel by arriving in character.

Later, "Avengers" director Joss Whedon introduced a video that revealed Ultron's head, followed by the new title.

Ultron first appeared in 1968 in "Avengers" #54, although his identity was not revealed until the next issue. A robot with artificial intelligence, Ultron has sparred with the Avengers and others off and on for the past 45 years in multiple versions. He most recently appeared in the crossover series "Age of Ultron," in which he enslaves the world and sets out to exterminate the planet's heroes. It is unclear at this time how much this storyline, if any, will be used in the film.

"Iron Man 3" was the first film in Marvel's Phase II series of films leading up to "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," and will be followed by this fall's "Thor: The Dark World" and next year's "Captain America: The Winter Solider."

Batman joining Superman in 'Man of Steel' sequel

In perhaps the biggest Hollywood news to come out of this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. officially announced a "Man of Steel" sequel which will feature none other than Batman himself.

'Man of Steel' has grossed $630 million.

According to multiple reports, director Zack Snyder and actor Henry Cavill joined Warner Bros.'s panel near the end to confirm they were returning for the sequel.

Then actor Henry Lennix, who played General Swanick in "Man of Steel," recited the following line: "I want you to remember, Clark, in all the years to come, in all your most private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you."

Comic fans will recognize the line from Frank Miller's epic graphic novel "Dark Knight Returns," which was recently adapted itself into animated form.

The panel then closed with a logo featuring Superman's shield over the Batman logo.

There is no word as of yet on who will play Batman in the new film, although Christian Bale, who filled the role in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, has said on multiple occasions he will not be reprising the role.

After the panel, Warner Bros. released the following press release:

On the heels of the worldwide success of “Man of Steel,” director Zack Snyder is bringing together the two greatest Super Heroes of all time—Batman and Superman—for the first time on the big screen. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution,Warner Bros. Pictures.

Film review: 'Pacific Rim'

A snippet of my review of Guillermo Del Toro's sci-fi action film "Pacific Rim" is now online at PerryNewspapers.com. The full review is behind the paper's paywall.

Elijah Wood faces elementary school zombie outbreak in horror comedy 'Cooties'

Five teachers have joined the cast of "Cooties," which is set to star Elijiah Wood ("Wilfred"), who attempts to lead a group of survivors to safety after a virus turns the students at their elementary school into a mob of savages.

Alison Pill

According to Deadline, Alison Pill ("Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"), Rain Wilson ("The Office'), Jack McBrayer ("30 Rock"), Jorge Garcia ("Lost") and Nasim Pedrad ("Saturday Night Live") has signed onto the horror comedy, which began filming Monday.

"Cooties" is being directed by newcomers Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, based on a script from Leigh Whannell ("Insidious," "Saw") and Ian Brennan ("Glee").

'Chuck' movie 'a couple years' away, but star Zachary Levi wants it to happen

Actor Zachary Levi, who is at San Diego Comic Con for the third straight year with his Nerd HQ setup, believes a movie based on the NBC series "Chuck" is "a couple years" away.

"Chuck" ran from 2007 to 2012 on NBC.

In an interview with TV Line's Michael Auisello, Levy said of the movie, "I want it to happen. I've talked to Warner Bros. about it. I think that it sits right now in everyone's head as 'yeah, that could definitely be something we could do together.'

"It's not going to happen for a couple of years," he said, pointing out that the series, which ran for five seasons, is still on the air in some countries, and he doesn't was "spoil" the finale for them.

Asked about the Kickstarter route, which has been successful recently for several projects, including the "Veronica Mars" movie, Levi said was more interested in creating a new model, akin to video games in which players pre-buy the game before release and, for a premium, get a "special edition."

He specifically pointed to the situation in which people who paid $10,000 toward other projects earned a walk-on role, adding that he was more interested in a "flat rate" approach. Additionally, he didn't want the project to be entirely dependent on raising a certain amount of money from fans.

Levy will return to Broadway after Comic Con to his part in the comedic musical "First Date," which gave him a week off from previews so he could meet his Nerd HQ committments.

He will next be seen on the big screen in Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World," in which he will be playing Fandral, taking over the part from Josh Dallas, who couldn't appear in the comic book sequel due to his commitments to ABC's "Once Upon a Time."

Britt Robertson joins 'Tomorrowland' in lead role

Director Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland" has landed "Under the Dome" actress Britt Robertson, who joins George Clooney and Hugh Laurie in the Disney production.

Britt Robertson

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Robertson will play a lead role as a school girl with an "unconventional understanding of technology who is launched on a journey to reclaim her future."

Bird, who made his live-action directorial debut with 2011's "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," is best known for his animated films, including "The Iron Giant," "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille."

"Tomorrowland" is produced by Bird and Damon Lindelof ("Lost"), and written by Bird, Lindelof and Jeff Jensen, a writer at Entertainment Weekly.

The cast also includes Raffey Cassidy and Thomas Robinson. The film is set for a Dec. 12, 2014.

'How to Train Your Dragon 2' adds Cate Blanchett, Kit Harinton, Djimon Hounsou

Dreamworks Animations upcoming "How to Train Your Dragon 2" had added three members to its voice cast, including "Game of Thrones" actor Kit Harington.

The first film was released in 2010.

As Entertainment Weekly reports, Dreamworks announced today (Thursday) at Comic Con that Harington, Cate Blanchett ("The Hobbit" and Djimon Hounsou ("Gladiator") have joined the animated sequel.

Additionally, writer/director Dean DeBlois gave new story details about the film, which will follow Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and his viking village as they begin to explore their world further with the help of their new dragon allies, including, of course, the Night Fury Toothless.

They soon discover a people who have enslaved dragons rather than partnering with them and are creating an army to conquer their neighbors.

According to EW's report, Hounsou plays the invading army's leader, while Harington plays a dragon trapper. Blanchett, meanwhile, will voice a vigilante who is trying to free the enslaved dragons.