Red Dwarf X Review (Major Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man, TRON: Uprising, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Upcoming reviews on this journal include Young Justice: Invasion: Destiny Calling, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2, The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley: The Complete Series, The Charlie Brown And Snoopy Show: The Complete Series, Frankenweenie, Ultimate Spider-Man: Volume 1: Avenging Spider-Man, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes: Volume 6: End Of The Cosmos, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 5, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 6, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 7, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 8, Duck Dodgers: Dark Side Of The Duck, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 3: The Years Of Change, Heathcliff: Season 1: Volume 1, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 2: Volume 1.
Ultimate Spider-Man "The Rhino"
You know, doing a bullying episode for the kiddies in the audience can never hurt but did they REALLY need to make the Rhino a kid from Peter's school? That's the kind of stuff on modern superhero cartoons that REALLY makes me cringe. Add in the fact that they also wound up turning it into a drug PSA and that made this episode a bit too Afterschool Special for my tastes. I'm also getting sick of Peter's Scrubs fantasies pointing out obvious stuff to the audience as if we (or the kids) are stupid. Good things? Refreshing that the Rhino's alter ego was smart for once. Never seen that happen before. **1/2.
TRON: Uprising "Terminal"
This episode made me very angry. Aside from the idiotic decision to end the likely series finale on a major cliffhanger I was cheesed off they killed off the only other black character on the show (after killing Able last week). This may be more of a good riddance finale than anything. *.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "New Girl In Town"
I really hope that in the future the Turtles are shown as more competent strategists and fighters. They are portrayed too "green" here (groan) and it kind of makes them look bad. I feel just as strongly that the Turtles should be smarter and more professional as I do that Lion-O needed to grow the frak up on the ThunderCats reboot.
Am I the only person who think Kelly Hu would be a great choice for a LIVE-ACTION Karai?
I really hope the producers plan to have the Turtles learn and grow. It's amateur hour here and it's making it hard to enjoy the show. Shredder, Bishop, THOSE should be the life-or death fights. Not a mutant plant. **1/2.
Red Dwarf X
The return of Red Dwarf was a return to form for the franchise. Sure, Back To Earth was great. But could Red Dwarf STILL deliver a good "regular" series of the show after the disasters of Seres VII and VIII?
The answer is yes, and a big part of the reason it was so successful is because they stuck with the classic Red Dwarf formula. Just four people, stuck with each other on the Red Dwarf, getting into adventures. There was no prison ship or Rimmer leaving to save the universe. It was the return of plain old Red Dwarf and it was welcome.
About the only thing I was disappointed about was that Kochanski was name-dropped several times but never actually showed up (I was hoping for an appearance in the finale). Maybe Red Dward XI?
Speaking of Red Dwarf XI, I am relieved that as epic as the season finale was, it didn't end in a cliffhanger (at least not one you couldn't see an obvious way out of). I think Back To Earth would have been a better last episode ever. But if this DOES somehow become the last Red Dwarf we'll ever see I won't tear my hair out.
Best episodes of the series are the heady "Fathers and Suns" and the epic season finale (The Beginning). There are no bad episodes this year. Season Overall: ****1/2.
Trojan:
I really think we should have gotten to see Rimmer's brother earlier in the episode as it was built up a bit too much. Still, the final gag of Rimmer refusing to comfort Howard, along with the revelation that now he had to live up to a dead hero was classic Red Dwarf. ****.
Fathers And Suns:
Best part of the episode (which explores one of Dwarf's niftier sci-fi high concepts) was Lister's video message to himself, leading to a flurry of jokes, the best of which was the cardboard guitar. Speaking of that high-concept, I have to say it's kind of refreshing that Dwarf can take the idea of Lister being his own father and not make a bunch of icky incest jokes about it. He still loves Kochanski the same way even though she's also his mother. One of the biggest flaws of recent science fiction (and I'm looking squarely in Futurama's direction) is that it often takes high-concepts that would be really cool stories and says that instead of being cool or interesting, they are gross. I don't know if it's just an animated comedy thing or not but the best sci-fi makes you think, whereas SOME sci-fi tries to say "You're better off not thinking about this". That's lazy writing. Any complaints? Yes, and it's a big one. The actress who played the new computer was mega-annoying but she was maybe supposed to be. I miss Holly. Both of them. ****1/2.
Lemons:
Like Tikka To Ride, this takes a potentially completely offensive concept (there the JFK assassination, here the Church of Judas) and unabashedly explores all sides of the issue. Luckily, this was MUCH more successful than Tikka To Ride (not to mention funnier). Best bit was "Jesus" loving the handbag SO much he decided to start selling them at the end of the episode. ***1/2.
Entangled:
The weak link of the season. The fact that it is actually still pretty good means that this season was pretty great. Professor Edgington having her glasses upside-down the entire episode without being commented on was a nice touch. ***.
Dear Dave:
Cat putting the idea of the finger wetter and his ex-girlfriend's lover in Lister's head was classic (no one does a better horrified expression than Craig Charles) and if the ending was a BIT of a let-down, we kind of all realize it needed to be to be able to move on from it. ***1/2.
The Beginning:
That was simply excellent. I loved everything about the episode and it showed what Dwarf can STILL accomplish when it sticks to the tried and true formula. The revelation that Rimmer's father wasn't actually his father being a POSITIVE for Rimmer was an terrific character choice and made his hero moment at the end all the richer (and funnier). My second favorite part of the episode was the Simulant underling accidently commiting Hari-Kari when the Commander merely wanted his sword polished. The timing of the joke was sublime as was him walking off with his intestines in his hands. I also really loved the flashback to Rimmer as a boy. And no, it does NOT end on a cliffhanger (at least not really) so I don't have to be mad at Doug Naylor for 11 years. *****.
We're Smegged: The Making Of: Red Dwarf X:
It's kind of depressing to see how small the budget for Red Dwarf is, especially considering how great Back To Earth looked. You'd figure a successful franchise like Dwarf would stop the suits from being such penny pinchers, but you'd be wrong. I'm also depressed to see Danny John-Jules balding and gray in real life. Boo reality! ****.
Deleted Scenes:
Huge smorgasborg of deleted material. Unlike most earlier Dwarf deleted scenes however, most of it is excellent. Overall: *****.
Trojan: Loved the deleted subplot of Rimmer faking dyslexia. *****.
Fathers And Suns: Best bit was more Lister in the dentist's chair. ***1/2.
Lemons: I like the note the episode left Jesus and the handbag on better. ***.
Entangled: Loved the extended theory about two wrongs making a right. ***1/2.
Dear Dave: Three great scenes: Cat copying his backside, more of Rimmer's dancing fingers, and Lister telling Arnold about his tryst with his schoolteacher. *****.
The Beginning: Watching Robert Lewellyn play a scene in glasses in his Kryten make-up was worth the price of the DVD. *****.
Closing Titles: God, I love the Red Dwarf Theme. *****.
Smegs Ups:
I've always thought if there was ONE sitcom I'd hate to attend a taping of, it's Red Dwarf. There are SO many flubs, mistakes and forgetting of lines, I'm betting it would drive the entire thing to a screeching halt at least 20 times per episode. It borders on the unprofessional. Funniest bit was the death machine crashing into the corner. That got huge applause from the audience. ***.
Blu-Ray Menus: Nicely done. Overall: ****.
Disc 1 Blu-Ray Menu: On the bridge and in the room with the vending machines. ****1/2.
Disc 2 Blu-Ray Menu: In the crew quarters. ****.
Upcoming reviews on this journal include Young Justice: Invasion: Destiny Calling, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2, The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley: The Complete Series, The Charlie Brown And Snoopy Show: The Complete Series, Frankenweenie, Ultimate Spider-Man: Volume 1: Avenging Spider-Man, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes: Volume 6: End Of The Cosmos, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 5, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 6, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 7, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 8, Duck Dodgers: Dark Side Of The Duck, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 3: The Years Of Change, Heathcliff: Season 1: Volume 1, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 2: Volume 1.
Ultimate Spider-Man "The Rhino"
You know, doing a bullying episode for the kiddies in the audience can never hurt but did they REALLY need to make the Rhino a kid from Peter's school? That's the kind of stuff on modern superhero cartoons that REALLY makes me cringe. Add in the fact that they also wound up turning it into a drug PSA and that made this episode a bit too Afterschool Special for my tastes. I'm also getting sick of Peter's Scrubs fantasies pointing out obvious stuff to the audience as if we (or the kids) are stupid. Good things? Refreshing that the Rhino's alter ego was smart for once. Never seen that happen before. **1/2.
TRON: Uprising "Terminal"
This episode made me very angry. Aside from the idiotic decision to end the likely series finale on a major cliffhanger I was cheesed off they killed off the only other black character on the show (after killing Able last week). This may be more of a good riddance finale than anything. *.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "New Girl In Town"
I really hope that in the future the Turtles are shown as more competent strategists and fighters. They are portrayed too "green" here (groan) and it kind of makes them look bad. I feel just as strongly that the Turtles should be smarter and more professional as I do that Lion-O needed to grow the frak up on the ThunderCats reboot.
Am I the only person who think Kelly Hu would be a great choice for a LIVE-ACTION Karai?
I really hope the producers plan to have the Turtles learn and grow. It's amateur hour here and it's making it hard to enjoy the show. Shredder, Bishop, THOSE should be the life-or death fights. Not a mutant plant. **1/2.
Red Dwarf X
The return of Red Dwarf was a return to form for the franchise. Sure, Back To Earth was great. But could Red Dwarf STILL deliver a good "regular" series of the show after the disasters of Seres VII and VIII?
The answer is yes, and a big part of the reason it was so successful is because they stuck with the classic Red Dwarf formula. Just four people, stuck with each other on the Red Dwarf, getting into adventures. There was no prison ship or Rimmer leaving to save the universe. It was the return of plain old Red Dwarf and it was welcome.
About the only thing I was disappointed about was that Kochanski was name-dropped several times but never actually showed up (I was hoping for an appearance in the finale). Maybe Red Dward XI?
Speaking of Red Dwarf XI, I am relieved that as epic as the season finale was, it didn't end in a cliffhanger (at least not one you couldn't see an obvious way out of). I think Back To Earth would have been a better last episode ever. But if this DOES somehow become the last Red Dwarf we'll ever see I won't tear my hair out.
Best episodes of the series are the heady "Fathers and Suns" and the epic season finale (The Beginning). There are no bad episodes this year. Season Overall: ****1/2.
Trojan:
I really think we should have gotten to see Rimmer's brother earlier in the episode as it was built up a bit too much. Still, the final gag of Rimmer refusing to comfort Howard, along with the revelation that now he had to live up to a dead hero was classic Red Dwarf. ****.
Fathers And Suns:
Best part of the episode (which explores one of Dwarf's niftier sci-fi high concepts) was Lister's video message to himself, leading to a flurry of jokes, the best of which was the cardboard guitar. Speaking of that high-concept, I have to say it's kind of refreshing that Dwarf can take the idea of Lister being his own father and not make a bunch of icky incest jokes about it. He still loves Kochanski the same way even though she's also his mother. One of the biggest flaws of recent science fiction (and I'm looking squarely in Futurama's direction) is that it often takes high-concepts that would be really cool stories and says that instead of being cool or interesting, they are gross. I don't know if it's just an animated comedy thing or not but the best sci-fi makes you think, whereas SOME sci-fi tries to say "You're better off not thinking about this". That's lazy writing. Any complaints? Yes, and it's a big one. The actress who played the new computer was mega-annoying but she was maybe supposed to be. I miss Holly. Both of them. ****1/2.
Lemons:
Like Tikka To Ride, this takes a potentially completely offensive concept (there the JFK assassination, here the Church of Judas) and unabashedly explores all sides of the issue. Luckily, this was MUCH more successful than Tikka To Ride (not to mention funnier). Best bit was "Jesus" loving the handbag SO much he decided to start selling them at the end of the episode. ***1/2.
Entangled:
The weak link of the season. The fact that it is actually still pretty good means that this season was pretty great. Professor Edgington having her glasses upside-down the entire episode without being commented on was a nice touch. ***.
Dear Dave:
Cat putting the idea of the finger wetter and his ex-girlfriend's lover in Lister's head was classic (no one does a better horrified expression than Craig Charles) and if the ending was a BIT of a let-down, we kind of all realize it needed to be to be able to move on from it. ***1/2.
The Beginning:
That was simply excellent. I loved everything about the episode and it showed what Dwarf can STILL accomplish when it sticks to the tried and true formula. The revelation that Rimmer's father wasn't actually his father being a POSITIVE for Rimmer was an terrific character choice and made his hero moment at the end all the richer (and funnier). My second favorite part of the episode was the Simulant underling accidently commiting Hari-Kari when the Commander merely wanted his sword polished. The timing of the joke was sublime as was him walking off with his intestines in his hands. I also really loved the flashback to Rimmer as a boy. And no, it does NOT end on a cliffhanger (at least not really) so I don't have to be mad at Doug Naylor for 11 years. *****.
We're Smegged: The Making Of: Red Dwarf X:
It's kind of depressing to see how small the budget for Red Dwarf is, especially considering how great Back To Earth looked. You'd figure a successful franchise like Dwarf would stop the suits from being such penny pinchers, but you'd be wrong. I'm also depressed to see Danny John-Jules balding and gray in real life. Boo reality! ****.
Deleted Scenes:
Huge smorgasborg of deleted material. Unlike most earlier Dwarf deleted scenes however, most of it is excellent. Overall: *****.
Trojan: Loved the deleted subplot of Rimmer faking dyslexia. *****.
Fathers And Suns: Best bit was more Lister in the dentist's chair. ***1/2.
Lemons: I like the note the episode left Jesus and the handbag on better. ***.
Entangled: Loved the extended theory about two wrongs making a right. ***1/2.
Dear Dave: Three great scenes: Cat copying his backside, more of Rimmer's dancing fingers, and Lister telling Arnold about his tryst with his schoolteacher. *****.
The Beginning: Watching Robert Lewellyn play a scene in glasses in his Kryten make-up was worth the price of the DVD. *****.
Closing Titles: God, I love the Red Dwarf Theme. *****.
Smegs Ups:
I've always thought if there was ONE sitcom I'd hate to attend a taping of, it's Red Dwarf. There are SO many flubs, mistakes and forgetting of lines, I'm betting it would drive the entire thing to a screeching halt at least 20 times per episode. It borders on the unprofessional. Funniest bit was the death machine crashing into the corner. That got huge applause from the audience. ***.
Blu-Ray Menus: Nicely done. Overall: ****.
Disc 1 Blu-Ray Menu: On the bridge and in the room with the vending machines. ****1/2.
Disc 2 Blu-Ray Menu: In the crew quarters. ****.