DVD/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-0 Season 8

 

The 23-episode 8th season of Hawaii Five-0 aired during the 2017/2018 season. This season was a fairly significant shakeup for the show. Notably, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park left the show after a pay dispute, essentially wanting to be paid the same as Scott Caan and Alex O'Loughlin, and the producers and/or network refused, using the argument that they were secondary characters. So, the characters of Chin and Kono were written out of the show based on their season seven storylines, with Kono following the sex-trafficking ring and Chin heading up his own task force in San Francisco.

To balance out their departures the show brought in Meaghan Rath, who plays Tani, a police academy washout with McGarrett-like tendencies, and Beulah Koale, who plays Junior, a former Navy Seal looking to get on to the task force. The series also upped Ian Anthony Dale to a series regular. The writers did not split up Adam and Kinon, instead, oddly keeping them married, with her gone for the entire season. The addition of the new characters breathed a bit of new life into the series and allowed the show to do the kind of character development it had not done for quite a while, given that most of the other cast members had been on the show for a long time. That said, it was pretty crappy that Park and Kim were not paid the same given that for the first few seasons, before the additions of Chi McBride, Masi Oka, and Jorge Garcia as series regulars, those four characters basically built the series.

The show kept the case-of-the-week format it used throughout its run and tied in longer arcs throughout the season. One of the longer arcs involved Adam, as did the season-ending cliffhanger. This season's notable guest stars included Joey Lawrence, James Frain, Randy Couture, and Vincent Pastore (who plays Danny's uncle in a few episodes). Michelle Borth and Terry O'Quinn also reprise their roles as Catherine and Joe White in different episodes. The show did a good job balancing out stories for all the characters, which was helped by Scott Caan's notably reduced schedule during the season.

The DVD set is a six-disc set. The extras include deleted scenes for select episodes spread throughout all the discs. The final disc has a behind-the-scenes feature (about 23 minutes), a short feature on the new characters/actors, an animated "cargument" between Steve and Danny, and a gag reel. So, the set includes a decent amount of bonus content, but not as much as was included in the sets for the first few seasons. And, of course, as has been the case from about the fourth season onward, there is no Blu-Ray release available, just DVDs.

Overall, while the show is getting a bit "long in the tooth" I would not say it is entirely stale. While the show does suffer a bit from the loss of Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim, the overall feel did not change much. If you have been a fan of the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if you have not really liked the show up to this point, nothing about this season will likely turn you into a fan.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Luke Cage Season 1

 

The 13-episode first season of Luke Cage was released on Netflix in September of 2016. It was the third of the four Marvel Netflix series (including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist) that exists within, but ancillary to, the Marvel Universe/MCU. It starred Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Theo Rossi, Alfre Woodard, Mahershala Ali, Frank Whaley, and Erik LaRay Harvey. Rosario Dawson also appears as her character, Claire, who was first introduced in Daredevil. Luke Cage (Colter) made his first appearance in season 1 of Jessica Jones (which is referenced throughout the series) as the owner of a bar. Now, he turns up in Harlem, working in a barber shop and as a dishwasher at a club owned by the local gangster (played by Mahershala Ali). It is partly an origin story for the character and part a fight to take down the local mob, corrupt cops, and politicians, with a bit of a Cane and Abel story and a lot of social commentary thrown in (yes, it does have a take on BLM for any snowflakes out there who cannot handle that). There is no direct tie-in from this storyline to what plays out in The Defenders (which will bring together all the characters from the Netflix shows like The Avengers), but it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.

The show is well-written and acted. While Mike Colter does much of the heavy lifting, the rest of the cast comprises many great actors, some great character actors and others of more notability. It is a true ensemble cast, however, because when the show aired (and arguably even now), none were really A-list actors (although Mahershala Ali is getting close). While set in NY like the other Netflix shows, it tells its own story and has its own feel.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. The A/V quality is good, but the set is light on extras. It is a bit more than a MOD set, though, as it has a 22-minute roundtable discussion with some of the cast members with interview clips of the showrunners. It was not bad for what was included, but it was not a ton of material. If you are a fan of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, this is definitely worth checking out.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: The Bourne Identity

 

The Bourne Identity is a 2002 action thriller directed by Doug Liman and adapted from Robert Ludlum's novel of the same name. It stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, Chris Cooper, Gabriel Mann, Julia Stiles, Clive Owen and Adewale Akinnouoye-Agbaje. Sharp-eyed viewers will also recognize Walton Goggins (from the excellent series Justified) in a minor role. The movie starts with Damon's character being pulled out of the ocean by the crew of a fishing vessel. He has been shot in the back and has no memory of who he is or where he comes from, and the only clue to his past is a small laser projector embedded in his hip with the name and address of a bank in Switzerland on it. He discovers that his name is Jason Bourne, and throughout the movie, he realizes that he speaks multiple languages and is highly skilled in fighting and counterintelligence. Potente is a woman he meets at the American consulate in Zurich who agrees to help get him to Paris in exchange for $20,000. The two are then pursued by local authorities and shadowy assassins with the same skills as Bourne. Bourne ultimately discovers that he is part of a CIA black ops program called Treadstone, which is run by Cooper's character, Alexander Conklin, who works for the deputy director of the CIA, Ward Abbott, who is played by Cox. 

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The UHD disc's A/V quality is good. The audio is outstanding, but the video transfer is not as good as it should have been. The only bonus feature on the UHD disc is the director's commentary track. The other bonus material, which includes an alternate opening and ending, deleted and extended scenes, and about two hours of behind-the-scenes material, is on the regular Blu-Ray disc. The movie itself is a good blend of action and drama with a couple of humorous moments mixed in. Damon does a good job in the lead role, and although he is not extremely physically imposing, he does an excellent job in the action sequences. It is well-written and very well-acted, and while you do have to suspend your disbelief to accept that Bourne could survive everything he goes through in the movie, it is entertaining. If you are a fan of action thrillers or the spy genre, the movie is absolutely worth seeing. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is not a major step up from the regular Blu-Ray, so if you already own it on Blu-Ray, you may want to stick with that version, especially if you are a big A/V wonk.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Iron Fist Season 1

 

Iron Fist is another series in Marvel's NY-based series that originally aired on Netflix. The 13-episode first season was released in the spring of 2017. Like the other Netflix MCU series (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage), this is adjacent to, but not directly intertwined with, the MCU movies. It is directly tied to the plot of Daredevil season 2 and leads directly into the plot of The Defenders, the 8-episode team-up of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. The series stars Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Tom Pelphrey, Jessica Stroup, and David Wenham.

The series tells the origin story of Danny Rand (Jones), the son of a billionaire corporate mogul. The family is involved in a plane crash when Danny is 10, and all of them are presumed dead. Danny mysteriously reappears 15 years later as a super-powered martial artist determined to take down The Hand, the shadowy organization involved in Daredevil. The ties to the other shows are the characters of Claire (played by Rosario Dawson) and Jeri, the lawyer from Jessica Jones (played by Carrie Ann Moss). The story alternates between Danny's reintegration into society and trying to uncover what The Hand is doing in NY. I will not divulge anything else so as not to spoil it, but it packs a lot of story into the 13 episodes.

The show got a lot of bad reviews that, in my opinion, are underserved. The acting is very good, and Finn Jones does a good job with the character Danny Rand. The show is definitely not perfect. One part of the story that I did find a bit ham-fisted was the whole arc with Harold Meachum, but overall I think I think the story of Danny trying to get his life back, reconnect with his childhood friends (played by Jessica Stroup and Tom Pelphrey), as well as trying to take down The Hand was great. The rest of the supporting cast, including Jessica Henwick and David Wenham, did well in their roles. While liking it is, of course, subjective, and for me, it was not as good as Daredevil or Jessica Jones, it was not as bad as many critics made it out to be. I definitely think it is worth taking a chance on.

It does seem there are a couple versions of the Blu-ray set floating around. I have the region-free version with no extras, just the episodes. You can stream it, for now, on Netflix, but given that Netflix canceled it, and all the other Marvel shows, along with losing the rights to the Disney content which will eventually be removed, that may not last. So even if you usually only get the physical discs when there are a lot of extras, this may be worth picking up anyway.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters

 

King of the Monsters is the 2019 sequel to the 2014 remake of Godzilla. It stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobbie Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, and Ken Watanabe. It is what I would call a tangential sequel to the 2014 movie; it has a couple of the same characters from the Monarch Corporation returning (Ken Wanatabe and Sally Hawkins reprise their roles from the prior film). The corporation is tracking several giant monsters (which are known as Titans). Several of the Titans are wreaking havoc under the command of King Ghidora, an alien who seeks to terraform Earth and wipe everything out. The humans (who tried killing Godzilla) determine that Godzilla is the only thing strong enough to stop King Ghidora and have to figure out how to help Godzilla heal. The movie ultimately evolves into giant monster fights with humans ( mostly Millie Bobbie Brown and Vera Farmiga's characters) getting in the way.

The 4K set is a two-disc set, with a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. For those who get the 4k blu-ray, the movie looks and sounds excellent in the format. Aside from the commentary track, all the bonus features are included on the regular blu-ray disc. There is over an hour's worth of bonus material, including previews, several making-of, behind-the-scenes featurettes, movie trailers, and character profiles. A decent amount for a movie that was not one of the mega-blockbusters.

Overall, the movie is faithful to and pays homage to the various Godzilla stories that came before it, adding a modern twist. The director and co-writer, Michael Dougherty, is an admitted Godzilla nerd and really wanted to incorporate material from various incarnations of the Godzilla mythology into the movie. I think (I am admittedly not an aficionado of Godzilla lore) he did a good job doing so. While I cannot say that everyone will love the movie, it is an enjoyable action movie with good acting and writing, and worth a look.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Daredevil Season 2

 

The 13-episode second season of Daredevil was released on Netflix in 2016. This season packs a lot in, but it really boils down to the two new characters, Frank Castle (AKA, The Punisher), played by John Bernthal, and Electra, played by Elodie Yung. The first part of the season was about Castle going off and killing members of various gangs involved in killing his family, and Daredevil trying to take him down. Mixed in was the storyline involving Elektra, an old flame of Matt Murdock, which ultimately becomes the focus of the last few episodes and leads into The Defenders series, which brings all the characters from the Netflix Marvel series together. Wilson Fisk also makes a couple of appearances from prison and makes clear he is not totally out of the picture. Of course, a key aspect of the story is Matt's balance of real life as a lawyer (made even more complicated by the fact that Foggy now knows his secret), his feelings for Karen (which become even more complicated because of Elektra), and his vigilante activities.

Like season 1, the show is very violent. There are many fight scenes and lots of blood, not to mention language and sex that you do not get in the MCU movies or Agents of Shield. So, it is definitely a more adult show. It continues to be well-written and acted, and with just 13 episodes the season goes by quickly. For those who get the blu-rays, it is just a MOD set. There are no extras or bonus material. So, really, the only reason to get the discs is if you have a collection of the other movies and TV shows and just want this to have it complete or are one of those who prefer physical media over streaming. But, if you only get discs with a lot of bonus material and extra features, you will probably just want to stream this.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Lethal Weapon Season 3

 

The 15-episode third and final season of Lethal Weapon aired during the 2018/2019 TV season. The show started out with so much promise and ended with mostly a whimper. As many people are likely aware, Clayne Crawford was fired from the show after the second season due, in part, to his behavior on the set and, in part, to his ever-degrading relationship with Damon Waynes. It appears that Crawford was a hothead and Waynes kind of a jackass who did not really even want to do the series in the first place (which makes it kind of surprising that the series was not canceled after season two, and that they decided to go forward with him in the lead role).

The series picks up just after Riggs gets shot at the end of season two, and we find out within the first episode that he died, then there is a six-month time jump and we find out that his brother committed suicide, and that was it for the Riggs storyline (aside from a couple of throwaway lines during the season that mentioned him). The series then focuses on the new Lethal Weapon, an ex-CIA agent named Wesley Cole (played by Sean William Scott), who is new to the department trying to put his past behind him and connect with his 12-year-old daughter.

It is mostly again, a case-of-the-week series, but there are a couple of storylines that play out across multiple episodes. I do think Scott did a great job with the character of Cole. Given that he has mostly played Stifler or slight variations of Stifler his entire career (with a couple of exceptions), this showed he has a range beyond the raunchy comedies. Maggie Lawson (best known for the series Psych) was another good addition to the cast as Cole's ex-wife who is trying to put her past with Cole behind her, yet still, have an amicable relationship with him for the sake of their daughter. One major defection from the cast (aside from Crawford) was Jordana Brewster, who basically left the show after a couple of episodes.

It is a fairly standard MOD set for those who get the blu-ray set. The fifteen episodes are spread over three discs. It has captions and a true "play all" mode that allows you to pick back up where you stop, even in the middle of an episode. There are no extras like commentary tracks, making-of, deleted scenes, or behind-the-scenes material. It did try to keep a similar feel to the prior two seasons, and I think the writers and cast did the best they could, given the mess they had going into the third season. However, it was not the same show without the character of Riggs.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Lethal Weapon Season 2

 

The 22-episode second season of Lethal Weapon aired during the 2017/2018 TV season. Most fans know that the friction (to put it mildly) between Wayans and Crawford led to Crawford's firing and Riggs's writing off of the show. I will not spoil how the season ends, but needless to say, it ends on a very big cliffhanger.

Much of the season is devoted to Rigg's past, specifically at the hands of his abusive father. There are a lot of flashbacks throughout the season. Riggs still has guilt issues over the death of his wife, but the storyline that ended the first season (with Rigg's going to Mexico to get revenge) is resolved pretty much in the first episode. Two of Riggs' friends from his youth are brought into the story this season, one of which becomes a new love interest. I will not go into details to spoil anything for those who have not watched, but it follows the same formula as a weekly procedural that deals with the case of the week, with a larger story arc that spans the course of the season. This season's guest and recurring stars include Michelle Hurd, Ernie Hudson, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Adrian Pasdar, Scottie Pippen, and Swoosie Kurtz.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc MOD set. They allow for a play-all mode that lets you pick up where you left off, which is better than the "regular" blu-ray sets for the other WB shows. The only extras are deleted scenes for select episodes. There are no commentary tracks on any episodes or behind-the-scenes material, most likely due to the on-set tension that occurred throughout the season. You could tell that by the end of the season, Crawford and Wayans were being kept away from each other as much as possible while filming, and it seemed like every effort was being made to have them together in as few scenes as possible. Even so, they managed to maintain their on-screen chemistry. You could not tell that they were (reportedly) screaming at each other until "action" was called on set.

It is unfortunate that the two leads hated each other because it was a great show, with the two iconic movie characters cast perfectly. Like the first season, it paid homage to the movie franchise and characters without being a carbon copy. Whether it is good or bad going forward into season 3, it will not be the same without the character of Riggs. Chances are it will not survive after season 3, which is a shame because it was really a show that could have had a good 5-6 season (or more) run in it.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Gifted Season 2

 

++++Warning, this contains season 1 spoilers, but no major season 2 giveaways++++

The 16-episode second season of The Gifted aired during the 2018/2019 TV season. It ended up being the series' final season, as it was canceled without getting a full season run. It is a bittersweet end because the season was very good, and the writers were clearly setting up a third season that would have taken the show in a different direction, but the show was canceled after the season aired. However, it provided a decent ending to the initial storyline that was the focus of season one.

This season can best be summed up by mutants vs. mutants vs. humans. One team of mutants consisted of the inner circle, formed after Lorna and Andy decided to go with the triplets and split from the mutant underground. Both groups faced a threat from a group of anti-mutant humans, eventually led by Jace after his dismissal from sentinel services, who are basically a group of vigilantes who hunt down mutants. Peter Gallagher (of The OC and Covert Affairs) comes in part-way through the season to play an anti-mutant television personality who stirs up trouble. In large part, the entire season is a metaphor for today's political climate.

Every episode provides a back story for each main character told through flashbacks. It is the main vehicle for character development this season. I will not give too much of the story away, but the crux of the season is about stopping an all-out war between mutants and humans.

The DVD set is a four-disc set. It is a basic MOD set with no extras of any kind and no subtitles. The set has 16 episodes, which can be played individually or in a play-all mode. So, the only reason to get this is if you bought season one on DVD and want it to have both seasons. Otherwise, there is no benefit that you will get with the DVDs versus streaming the show.

Book Review: Foreign Agent (Scot Harvath Series # 15)

 

Foreign Agent, published in 2016, is the 15th novel in Brad Thor's series of action-thrillers centered around Scot Harvath. The plotline involves a series of attacks against Americans in the Middle East who were planning to move against the social media director of ISIS. It is discovered that the attacks were planned and bankrolled by the Russians, and Harvath is sent to Syria to take out those responsible. The secondary plotline involves a mole inside the US government working for the Russians, who fed them the information that led to the attacks. 

The hardcover version of the book is moderately long, coming in at just over 330 pages. It reads like the other books in the series, so it will read as quickly or as slowly as the others have. You do not need to have read the prior books to understand the plot of this one. While Thor does refer to events in the prior novels occasionally, the series' books mostly have standalone storylines. The thing you lose by not reading the previous books is the character development of the established characters. Thor relies on the earlier novels to provide the backstories of the established characters and only fleshes out the backgrounds of new characters. There are a handful of new characters in this book, some of who may appear in later novels and others who probably will not. Ultimately, the book is a well-written action thriller. This one is worth reading if you are a fan of the genre (and the spy novel genre) and/or Thor's prior novels.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

 

John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum is the 2019 entry (and the third chapter) in the John Wick series of action/thrillers. It was directed by Chad Stahelski and again stars Keanu Reeves as the titular John Wick. It picks up immediately where the last movie leaves off. John has an hour until he is excommunicated from the Assassin's Guild, and every assassin/bounty hunter is looking to collect the seven-million-dollar bounty on his head. I will not give too much away, but the story again involves John fighting for his life, brings in Halle Berry, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillion, and Anjelica Huston as new characters, expands the roles of Lance Reddick and Ian McShane, and slowly expands Laurence Fishburne's role. And, of course, manages to make another nod to The Matrix.

4k  set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. But, with this release, the UHD disc has both the movie and all the extras. Those include about an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, which are akin to what was put out for Chapters 1 and 2, with some focusing a bit less on Keanu because of the ever-expanding cast, including Hallie Berry, who really lobbied to be in the movie. Then there are also featurettes on the video game that was put out, and two trailers for the movie. Again, a great amount of material, especially these days when movies and shows are being released on physical media is going the way of the dodo bird, and when they are put out on disc, are bare-bones with little to no extras.

Chances are, if you liked the prior two movies, especially if your main reason for doing so is the action scenes, then you will like this. They are expanding the story in this movie and making it far less simple and straightforward, which was one of the things I liked about the prior movies, especially the first one. That said, it is still a fun but very violent action movie. And, John is finally not indestructible in this movie. Even so, what he manages to survive would kill all ordinary people and most "superhumans, " so you need to continue suspending your disbelief big time.

Book Review: Capture or Kill (Mitch Rapp Series #13 Chronological Order; #23 Publication Order)

 

Capture or Kill, published in 2024, is the newest entry in the Mitch Rapp series of novels created by the late author Vince Flynn. It was written by Don Bentley, who took over the series from Kyle Mills, who, of course, took it over after Vince Flynn's death. The book is set back in 2011, between the events of the last two novels that Vince Flynn finished, Pursuit of Honor and The Last Man. Therefore, the book is now the 13th book in the series if you read the books in chronological order. The plot initially involves Rapp going after more of the terrorists who had captured and tortured Irene Kennedy. That mission is interrupted when he discovers that a bunch of shoulder-fired missiles have been stolen and are to be used against American targets. As Flynn and Mills often did in their novels, Bentley also weaves the fictional storyline with real-world events. Here, while in the process of trying to track down the missiles, Rapp learns of and assists in the lead-up to the mission that would kill Osama Bin Laden.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 470 pages. Ultimately, the book is an excellent action thriller. Bentley, a long-time fan of the Mitch Rapp series, was able to emulate the style and tone of the prior novels yet make it his own. And because the events are set in the past, Bentley could incorporate characters (some directly and some by name) who had not been in the more recent novels. If you enjoy the series, this is an excellent addition. Bentley does an outstanding job with the characters and honors and preserves the work done by Flynn and (to a lesser extent) Mills. It is a great first outing for Bentley. It will be interesting to see if he does more stories set between prior novels or returns the storyline to the present. It is definitely worth the time to read.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Krypton Season 2

 

The ten-episode second season of Krypton aired during the summer of 2019. It tied up the Dru-Zod storyline while furthering the Brainiac storyline, which ended on another massive cliffhanger. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after the second season aired, so the cliffhanger will never be resolved, which ultimately makes the season unsatisfying. The season picks up six months after the end of season 1, with Seg portrayed as dead and General Zod ruling over Krypton. Seg manages to find his way out of the Phantom Zone and back to Krypton, with a pit-stop to Brainiac's homeworld along the way. Then, the bulk of the season involves wresting back control of Krypton from General Zod, with Brainiac continuing to wreak havoc along the way.

This season introduces Lobo (played by Emmett Scanlan) as a new character and incorporates more of Doomsday (who was teased at the end of Season 1). The Doomsday storyline includes a back-story for him, showing why the blood of a Zod and an El was needed to release him from the containment. There are also expanded roles for characters like Kem and Nyssa from their more supporting season one roles. The season finale was definitely setting up a third season that would have included more of Lobo and revolved heavily around Nyssa and Seg.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V quality is excellent, and the show looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras are lighter than what was included for the season one release. There is a 38-minute feature on the DC villains, which was also included as an extra on the other DC show DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and then a very short feature specific to the series called Saving Superman. It would have been nice if they had included something in which the showrunners laid out what the plan for season three would have been if they had a chance to make it, but unfortunately, nothing like that is included.

Overall, the season was very good but incomplete because Sy-Fy pulled the rug out from under the show and canceled it after the season was completed. It was an original show that was not tied into the "Arrowverse" shows (although Cameron Cauffe was apparently approached to have a cameo in the Crisis on Infinite Earths mega cross-over, but could not appear due to scheduling), and told a great story. With the proviso that it leaves the fate of a major character up in the air and is likely to never be resolved, it is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Krypton Season 1

 

Krypton was a series set on Superman's home planet, set around his grandfather Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), who has to choose between two paths. One that will result in the destruction of the planet and thus restore Superman's legacy or prevent the chain of events that will lead to the destruction of Krypton and change the future. The ten-episode first season aired on the Syfy network in the spring of 2018. The series starred the aforementioned Cuffe, Georgina Campbell, Shaun Sipos, Elliot Cowan, Ann Ogbomo, Aaron Pierre, Wallis Day, Blake Ritson, Ian McElhinney, Colin Salmon, and Hannah Waddingham. It was one of the few DC Superhero series at the time that was not airing on The CW and not tied into the "Arrowverse." However, there were whispers of Cameron Cuffe appearing in the Crisis on Infinite Earth mega-event, but it did not happen because of a scheduling conflict.

One of the big themes of the first season was Krypton’s class system. The planet was being led basically by a combination of the Church (by the Voice of Rao) and the Military (Led by members of the Houses of Zod and Vex). The arrival of Brainiac (played by Blake Ritson) throws the leadership in disarray. The House of El is ostracized, and Seg is trying to redeem his family’s honor, protect the ones he loves, and save the planet. The series also introduces the time-traveler from Earth, Adam Strange (played by Shaun Sipos), who warns Seg of the threat to his grandson.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. It does have extras, including deleted scenes, making-of features, and a part of the comic-con panel with Cameron Cuffe and the showrunners. There is a decent amount of material if you like the extras. And the show looks and sounds great in HD.

Overall, the show is very good. Because it is on basic cable, it can get away with more violence and swearing than other DC shows. There are some sexual situations, but no outright nudity. So, it is definitely a more adult show. The supporting cast is solid and includes unknown actors and actresses like Wallis Day and Georgina Campbell, as well as recognizable character actors like Colin Salon and Elliot Cowan. The writing and acting are both very strong, and the season ends on a big cliffhanger going into season two. If you are a fan of the other DC shows, it is definitely worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

 

Hobbs and Shaw is an action/adventure film from 2019 starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, and Elza Gonzalez. It also features appearances by Roman Reigns, Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, and Kevin Hart. It is an ancillary story that may or may not be tied in with the larger Fast & Furious franchise. The basic story is that Hobbs and Shaw are recruited by the CIA to team up to recover a virus that an organization with a mysterious "Director" who has some kind of past with Shaw is trying to unleash. It also brings Shaw's sister (played by Vanessa Kirby) into the mix, and she does a great job playing off the chemistry between Statham and Johnson. The main point of the movie is the three of them have to team up, all while Hobbs and Shaw try to one-up each other (as seen in the trailer) and stop Idris Elba's character, who is basically an enforcer for "The Director."

The tone and feel of the movie are a bit like the Fast & Furious movies, with over-the-top stunts, fights, and chase sequences. The acting is better than what has been in the other movies, but it is never going to win an Oscar. The cinematography is wonderful, especially at the end when they are in Samoa. And, there are a couple of hilarious cameos by Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart.

The 4K set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The movie looks and sounds great in the UHD format. There is well over an hour's worth of bonus material, including an alternate opening and deleted scenes. And, the bonus material is included on the UHD disc, not just on the regular blu ray that is also included in the set.

Overall, this is a movie that you know what you will get. It is action-heavy, with a blend of humor and a bit of drama. It, like the other F&F movies, is a bit tongue-in-cheek and does not take itself too seriously, aside from the family vibe that the other movies have. If you like the other movies, while I cannot guarantee you will like this one given that none of the other characters show up or are even hinted at in this one, chances are good you will find this one enjoyable even if you do not love it. It is definitely worth a couple hours if you are in the mood for an action movie.

DVD/TV Series Review: Blindspot Season 5

 

The 11-episode fifth and final season of Blindspot aired during the summer of 2020. It was brought back for the limited run to tie up the remaining storyline, namely to resolve the cliffhanger, allow the team to clear their names and take down Madeline, and secondarily to get the show to an even 100 episodes. The season initially picks up immediately before the drone strike on the safe house and the aftermath. I will not spoil the aftermath, but needless to say, the team does not come out unscathed. Then, what seems to be the requisite time jump occurs, and we find that the team has been scattered and comes back together when yet another tattoo clue draws them out. From then on, it is a cat-and-mouse game between the team and Madaline for the rest of the season.

All of the major characters/actors return, to some extent, for the season. Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, Rob Brown, Audrey Esparza, Ennis Esmer, and Ashley Johnson all do excellent jobs in their roles, especially the last two. I will not spoil how things play out, but some of the highlights of the season are learning Patterson's first name, more Bill Nye as Patterson's father, and cameos from most of the various characters who have appeared throughout the series run (mainly in the series finale) with the one notable exception being Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The series finale presents fans with two different endings without ever identifying which was the real ending, leaving things open to interpretation, which was a very novel way to end the series.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. It is a very bare-bones MOD DVD release. There are English captions but no extras at all, just the episodes. It would have been nice to get some behind-the-scenes material or commentary tracks like those included in the Blu-Ray releases for the first couple of seasons or to get a MOD Blu-Ray release to at least get the episodes in HD. Still, the reality is that the show was not popular enough to garner a Blu-Ray release now that physical media (especially for TV series) is going the way of the dodo bird. So, really, the only reason to get the DVD set is if you have purchased the prior seasons and want it to have a complete collection. Otherwise, you are much better off streaming it.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: John Wick Chapter 2

 

John Wick: Chapter 2 is the 2017 sequel to 2014's unexpected hit, John Wick. It stars Keanu Reeves as the titular John Wick. It includes, in supporting roles, Common, Laurence Fishburne, Ricardo Scamaricio, Ruby Rose, Lance Reddick, Peter Stormare, Franco Nero, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, and Claudia Gerini. It is titled "Chapter 2" because it continues the story from the first movie. It starts with Wick getting his car back from the brother of the mobster he killed at the end of the first movie. Then it takes a turn that is reminiscent of the line in Godfather Part III, "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in," when another member of the group tries to cash in a favor that Wick owes him. Of course, everything goes sideways (ending up with Wick's house burned down), and mayhem ensues.

The movie continues the over-the-top violence of the first movie, with lots of martial arts ("gun-fu," as Reeves calls it) and car chases. Laurence Fishburne has a great extended cameo in the movie, in scenes that make not-so-subtle winks and nods to the Matrix movies. Ruby Rose is the badass female character who has a great fight scene with Wick at the end of the film in a sequence that overall has a very Enter The Dragon feel to it. The movie ends in a way that sets up the next one, not quite a cliffhanger, but more like setting up what comes next and leaving the fate of some characters up in the air.

The 4K set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The movie looks and sounds excellent in the UHD format. While there is not a ton of CGI, it does have some great visuals. There are a decent amount of bonus features, including about 45 minutes or so of behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, the trailer, and a commentary track by Reeves and the movie's director, Chad Stahelski. All the bonus features are on the UHD disc, so you do not have to switch to the regular blu-ray to watch them. Like the first movie, it does not try to be anything more than a violent, fun, and sometimes funny action movie. It does not take itself too seriously, but it does not try to be campy and stupid either (which movies like this can quickly become). Ultimately, if you like the first movie, then you will like this one. On the other hand, if you did not like the first one, there is likely nothing in this one that will appeal to you.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Avatar: The Way of Water (Three-Disc Edition)

 

Avatar: The Way of Water is the 2022 sequel to 2009's massive and groundbreaking hit, Avatar. It is again written and directed by James Cameron. In it, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprise their roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri. The rest of the cast includes Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Bailey Bass, Jack Champion, Flip Geljo, Jamie Flatters, Scarlett Fernandez, and Edie Falco. Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, CCH Pounder, and Dileep Rao, who all appeared in the first movie, also appear in this one. It would give away too much to reveal exactly how their characters appeared. Still, it is not spoiling anything to say that some of the appearances are very short cameos (e.g., through video footage), and others are more substantial.

The movie is set sixteen years after the events of the first movie and sees the return of the "sky people," aka the Resources Development Administration (RDA), to Pandora. Their mission is to colonize Pandora but to do so, they realize they will have to take out Jake. We learn that Jake and Neytiri have a family. When their family is attacked, they flee the forest and take refuge with a Na'vi clan called the Metkayin, who live next to the ocean and have a symbiotic relationship with the sea-dwelling creatures. We also learn that the Metkayin have a different physiology and a completely different way of life than the forest-dwelling clans. Of course, they cannot stay hidden forever, and another epic battle with the sky people ensues.

There are a couple of different versions of the 4K sets. This one is a three-disc version with a UHD disc and two regular Blu-Ray discs. The UHD disc and the first regular Blu-Ray disc contain the movie, while the second regular Blu-Ray disc has all of the bonus features. The most extensive bonus feature is a series of making-of featurettes that can be played together or individually, totaling almost three hours. The behind-the-scenes material covers the new characters, the returning characters, the casting process, the advances made to the motion capture technology, the stunt work, and more. Then, there is a music video and some promotional spots for the movie. So, this set has well over three hours of bonus content. There is a four-disc set that includes a second bonus disc, and that one has over eight hours of bonus features. It sucks that there are two different 4K releases, but if you want all of the bonus content, you need to pay attention to what 4K set you are purchasing. They did a similar 4K release for the first Avatar movie, but the difference is that the upgraded set for the original movie also had the expanded edition of the movie, whereas, for the sequel, both sets just have the theatrical release (which is on its own over three hours long). 

Ultimately, this is a good sequel. It touches on many of the same themes as the original movie and expands the world of Pandora beyond what we saw in the first film. The acting and writing are very good, and the motion capture and CGI technology have advanced so much and look so good that it is almost hard to tell what is practical and what is computer-generated. The A/V quality is top-notch, and the video and sound are reference-quality. If you enjoyed the first movie, this is absolutely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Blindspot Season 4

 

The 22-episode fourth season of Blindspot aired during the 2018/2019 TV season. It does another shakeup of the show now that the threat of Sandstorm is (mostly) over. The season picks up shortly after the events of season three, with Remi back, Weller just out of the hospital, and Zapata missing. It is hard to not say too much and not give too much of the season away. As you can imagine, the team is ultimately back together by the end of the season, but I will not spoil how they get to that point. The season ends (again) on a massive cliffhanger that has the team (again) in danger, courtesy of the season's big bad, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

The show has to, and again does a good job of, juggling the large ensemble cast, all while giving more expanded roles to Zapata (Audrey Esparza), Patterson (Ashley Johnson), and Rich DotCom (Ennis Esmer who has finally been promoted to series regular). Given that the show started with a big mystery to resolve, and has actually resolved it (which is usually the death knell for those kinds of shows) it has managed to remain compelling and interesting. The writing and acting are very good throughout the season, setting up what looks to be a strong final season.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. It is an MOD set, so it just includes the episodes. There are no extras of any kind. However, you get captions and a true play-all feature that allows you to pick up where you leave off, even if you stop in the middle of an episode. But, if you only get discs when there are a ton of extras, then you should stick with streaming this unless you have the prior seasons on disc and want it for a collection.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Spiderman: Far from Home

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from Homecoming and Endgame, but no major Far From Home giveaways.+++

Spiderman: Far From Home is one of the 2019 films in the massive MCU slate of movies. It stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marissa Tomei, and Jon Favreau (reprising their roles as Peter Parker, MJ, Ned, May, and Happy). It also features MCU alumni Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders (in smaller roles) and brings in Jake Gyllenhaal as the film's antagonist, Quentin Beck/Mysterio. It picks up months after Endgame when the world knows Iron Man, Black Widow, and Vision (and thinks Captain America) are all dead. The snap is referred to in the movie as "the blip" because the people who were snapped out of existence came back to the same place they were instantaneously, as far as they were concerned. May (who, of course, learned Peter's secret at the end of Homecoming) and Peter are using his identity as Spiderman for charitable fundraising, and he is getting ready to go on a summer trip to Europe with his class and has an entire plan to tell MJ how he feels about her. In the process, Peter gets sucked into a mission from Nick Fury involving the character Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhall. I will not say too much about the movie itself to keep from giving too much away, even though the trailer gave away a lot, both with footage that ended up in the film and footage that was cut. However, I will say it strikes a good balance between mourning Endgame's events and the first movie's comedic elements. The writing and acting were again great, and it sets up a lot of what is to come.

The 4K set is a two-disc set that includes a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The AV quality of the movie in UHD is wonderful, and it looks and sounds great as you would expect. The extras include previews that play after the disc loads before the main menu pops up. There are some different previews on the 4k disc vs. the regular blu-ray disc, which has all the other extras on it. Then there are deleted/alternate scenes, a gag reel, and multiple behind-the-scenes and making-of clips. It amounts to a little over an hour's worth of material. Overall, it is an excellent continuation of the MCU storyline. Thankfully, the spat between Sony and Disney was resolved so Spiderman stays in the MCU because the movie was clearly setting up a direction for the character which would have had to be scrapped if Marvel lost the rights again. I definitely recommend it.