DVD review – Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
The direct-to-DVD “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” promises to explore the “Battlestar Galactica” series from the Cylon point of view. While it’s interesting in places, ultimately it’s not likely to bring anyone new to the franchise.
In “Battlestar Galactica,” the 50,000 human survivors of an attempted genocide search space for their mythical home planet, Earth. They are pursued by Cylons, the mechanical life forms who attempted to wipe out humanity.
DVD review: Ruby-Spears Superman
The 1988 “Superman” animated series was the first version of the character to come to television since comic-book writer/artist John Byrne’s noted revamp of the character in the 1986 “Man of Steel” miniseries. In the new “Superman” comic-book line, Byrne and writer Marv Wolfman introduced the idea of Lex Luthor as a corrupt industrialist instead of mad scientist. That characterization is followed up here, as Wolfman was the animated series’ head story editor.
Even though the Christopher Reeve film series was over by the time this series aired, after the dismal failure of 1987’s “Superman IV,” the 1988 animated series still paid homage to those films. Luthor’s assistant, Jessica Morganberry, is a version of the film’s Miss Tessmacher, and Luthor, though an industrialist, speaks in a manner consistent with Gene Hackman’s Luthor from the films. Furthermore, the theme song for the Ruby-Spears “Superman” uses a bit of the famous John Williams “Superman” score. The series calls back to Superman’s past in another way, too: The opening narration was the same as the 1950s “Adventures of Superman” television show.
Superman/Clark Kent was voiced by Tulsa-born Beau Weaver, who later voiced Mr. Fantastic in the 1990s “Fantastic Four” animated series.
Each episode of “Superman” featured an 18-minute Superman adventure followed by a 4-minute segment called “Superman’s Family Album,” which touched on his days as a youngster in Smallville.
While “Superman,” produced by Ruby-Spears, only lasted one season, it provided an intermediate step between the silliness of the “Super Friends” of the 1970s and the more modern take of the 1990s series.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan comes to DVD today; contest offers dinner with Admiral
The direct-to-DVD “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” comes to DVD and Blu-ray today, exploring the events of the series from the Cylons’ point-of-view.
It’s also a little racier than the cable series, as there are no particular restrictions on the direct-to-DVD release. (It’s still no racier than an R-rated film, however.)
Tying into the film’s release, UGO is offering fans a chance to win “Dinner with the Admiral.” The winner will receive a trip for two to Los Angeles for dinner with Edward James Olmos.
DVD review: Easy Virtue
Director Stephan Elliott (“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”) adapts the early Noel Coward play “Easy Virtue” into a motion picture starring Jessica Biel, Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Biel stars as Larita, a breezy American race car driver who marries into an upper-crust British family in the 1920s. Mrs. Whittaker (Thomas) is opposed to the marriage, having intended her son John (Ben Barnes) to marry Sara Hurst (Charlotte Riley), whose father owns the neighboring farm. Mr. Whittaker (Firth) responds well to Larita, but he’s barely present in his own life — he’s never recovered from his days in the first World War.
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DVD review: Primeval Vol. 2
New characters arrive in the second volume of “Primeval,” which contains the third season of the U.K. production. (The first two seasons are available in “Primeval Vol. 1.”)
Joining the Anomaly Research Centre this season are Egyptologist Sarah Page (Laila Rouass) and security leader Becker (Ben Mansfield). “Primeval” features Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) and his team of scientists who investigate time anomalies that allow gates to the past and future to open, and often-dangerous people and creatures to come through. The dinosaurs that often appear are dynamically portrayed; credit that to series’ co-creator is Tim Haines (“Walking With the Dinosaurs”). (more…)
Tricia Helfer, Grace Park promise skin in Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
“Battlestar Galactica” stars Tricia Helfer and Grace Park tell Maxim that the upcoming “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan,” coming to DVD on Oct. 27, will be a little sexier than previous BSG. From Maxim:
Tricia Helfer: There will certainly be a lot more explicit action on the DVD. And I refuse to have a body double, so you will see a little bit of skin from me as the Six character. There’s also a new character you’ll see in some very intense sex scenes.
Grace Park: Yeah, there’s going to be a T & A version. Though maybe I should say T, C & A, because it’s not just girls this time…
More pictures after the cut.
DVD review: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
The Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader team up in this direct-to-DVD animated film based on the comic books by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. Loeb has plenty of screenwriting experience, as the writer of “Teen Wolf” and “Commando,” and his story translates relatively easily to film. The screenplay was adapted by Stan Berkowitz, who also adapted Darwyn Cooke’s “Justice League: The New Frontier” into an animated movie.
McGuinness’s blocky, muscular style is recreated in the style of the movie, which is heavy on action but lighter on character development.
The movie reunites Tim Daly, who voiced Superman on “Superman: The Animated Series,” with Kevin Conroy, voice of Batman in “Batman: The Animated Series.” The two hadn’t worked together since 1998’s “World’s Finest” animated movie. (George Newbern took over the role of Superman for the “Justice League” animated series.)
The United States, in the throes of wars and recession, turns to an exonerated Lex Luthor, who is elected U.S. president. Luthor fixes the immediate problems but also insists all superheroes work solely for him. When a giant Kryptonite meteor threatens Earth, Superman and Batman — now “public enemies” in Luthor’s regime — are forced to come up with their own plan to save the planet.
The first half of the movie zips along, but the ending isn’t as strong.
It’s great to hear Daly and Conroy working together on their signature characters, but the film doesn’t exceed the past decade of animation with Superman and Batman.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
DVD review – Doctor Who: The Next Doctor
The 2008 “Doctor Who” Christmas special, “The Next Doctor,” is out on DVD, featuring David Tennant as the Doctor.
Tennant’s time-traveling Doctor finds himself in 1851 on Christmas Eve. It’s there he encounters someone else calling himself “The Doctor.” The Doctor is a Time Lord who regenerates into different appearances periodically, often when injured. So, he presumes this man, who acts very similarly to The Doctor himself, must be the “Next Doctor.” But the Next Doctor, played by David Morrissey, has gaps in his memory, and he claims not to recognize The Doctor.
Still, there are Cybermen afoot in 1851 London, and it’s up to the Doctors to put a stop to their plot while they try to figure out what’s caused the Next Doctor’s memory problems. The Next Doctor has been investigating strange murders, which he believes the Cybermen have committed. The Cybermen are a race of cyborgs that have often come in conflict with The Doctor. Here, they’re attempting to cause the rise of a Cyber King, with the aid of Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan), a woman who rails against Victorian-era mores.
The show crackles along during the first half, as the mystery of the Next Doctor is explored. Once the mystery is solved, the final conflict with the Cybermen is anticlimactic. Overall, it’s fun but nonessential.
No behind-the-scenes extras on this disc, but there is the hourlong “Doctor Who at the Proms,” featuring the music of “Doctor Who” at Albert Hall, with appearances from the show’s stars.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
DVD review: Spectacular Spider-Man The Complete First Season
Whether “Spectacular Spider-Man” returns for a third season is up in the air, after a recent report from IGN.com that Sony had returned the “Spider-Man” live-action rights to Marvel. It’s not known if Disney, which recently bought Marvel, will continue to produce the show, which airs on Disney XD. But fans can check out an entire season of probably the best modern animated take on Spider-Man in “Spectacular Spider-Man Season 1.”
“The Spectacular Spider-Man” animated series is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man and is set during his junior year of high school. Supervising producer Greg Weisman (“Gargoyles”) takes the essence of the original “Spider-Man” tales by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and updates them for the modern era.
Josh Keaton voices Peter Parker and his alter ego, Spider-Man. He brings a healthy dose of fun to the character. This 13-episode set delights in the wisecracking, fun-loving Spider-Man that made the character so popular for so many years. The look is stylized, perhaps anime-influenced, but works well in the context of the show.
“Spectacular” Season 1 introduces modern takes on classic villains, including the Lizard and the Rhino, as well as Spider-Man’s supporting cast: his friend Gwen Stacy, his guardian Aunt May and his rival Flash Thompson. The show provides plenty of action but also shows Peter learning from life lessons, making it an entertaining program for younger and longtime Spidey fans.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
DVD review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25th Anniversary Film Collection
Given that the first of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” films in this four-disc collection came out in 1990, it’s feasible to see how some would wonder about the 25th Anniversary notation on this release. But this year it’s the 25th anniversary of the Turtles themselves – they first appeared in comic books in 1984.
The set contains all four theatrically released “Turtles” films in one complete set. The set comes with a sheet of temporary tattoos and four cloth ninja masks, to re-enact your own TMNT battles. Unfortunately, there are no additional commentaries or special features beyond what was available on previous releases of the films.
The original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” film is an origin piece featuring leader Leonardo, brainy Donatello, goofy Michaelangelo (it was corrected to “Michelangelo” later) and rebellious Raphael. The pizza loving crew returned the next year in “Secret of the Ooze,” featuring Vanilla Ice and the “Ninja Rap.” The Turtles have aged better than Vanilla, though. Paige Turco replaces Judith Hoag as Turtle ally April O’Neill. Turco returns for 1993’s “Turtles in Time,” which features the Turtles going to feudal Japan. The three live-action films have diminishing returns; how much you enjoy them will be colored by nostalgia, though the first one works pretty well.
The final film in the set is 2007’s “TMNT” computer-generated film, directed by Kevin Munroe. It’s slightly darker tone should work well for fans of the original comics, but it isn’t too dark to be enjoyed by kids, either.
- Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
