Genre-commentary.com - review

The Dresden Files 1x01 - Pilot

Jennie Vongvith — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:38:20 -0800

The Sci Fi Channel's new television series The Dresden Files brings to life Jim Butcher's Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, a wizard residing in modern day Chicago. In fact, Dresden is so modern that he is even listed in the phonebook under “wizards.”

The Lost Room - Miniseries Review

Jennie Vongvith — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:40:50 -0800

A wristwatch that can boil an egg, a cufflink that lowers blood pressure, a bus ticket that sends people you don't like to “hell,” a comb that slows time, a pen that emits deadly microwave radiation, and a hotel room key that opens any door into The Lost Room. These are just a few of the hundreds of “objects” that Detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause) encounters in this science fiction thriller to search for his daughter, Anna (Elle Fanning). Detective Joe Miller stumbles across “The Key” as he tries to uncover an unexplained murder investigation where the victim's bodies are melded to the walls and ceilings. The Key is the most sought after object since it is the only object that takes the user to the non-existent Room 10. Then from Room 10, it takes you anywhere you wish to go that has a door.

Heroes 1x01 - Genesis review

Jennie Vongvith — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:23:44 -0700

What would you do if you woke up one day and realized you could fly, see the future, stop time, or even walk through fire unscathed? "Heroes" ask several people the same question. The pilot introduces several characters in different parts of the world that are aware they are no longer "normal." Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), a New York nurse, believes he can fly, while his politician brother Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar), does not believe him, but unknowingly can fly. Niki Sanders (Ali Larter), a Las Vegas single mother struggling to raise her genius son, Micah Sanders (Noah Gray-Cabey), has a split personality in her reflection. Claire Bennett (Hayden Panettiere), a Texan high school cheerleader, can regenerate her body in a blink of an eye. Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), a Japanese comic book geek, can teleport himself anywhere in the world. Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera), a drug addict artist in New York, can foretell events of destruction. These are just the few characters introduced in the first hour of the series. Not to mention cast members who are not endowed with superpowers. Namely the Indian genetics professor Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), whose wild theories of human evolution are actually not that wild anymore. Additionally, you cannot have a series titled Heroes without villains. The villains do not exactly make an appearance, but there is an air of conspiracy that is bound to tie each character together as they all marvel at the phenomena of the solar eclipse not knowing their destiny is bring them together, most likely in New York.

Monster House review

Julia Merriam — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 22:07:09 -0700

Everyone has something they were terrified of as a child. Sometimes it was the shadows lurking in the closet, sometimes it was the malevolent clown doll perched on the highest shelf, and sometimes it was that creepy house across the street. But what happens when those imagined dangers, often considered the folly of childhood, become a very dangerous reality? The answer, of course, is Monster House, Amblin Entertainment's newest animated film and Gil Kenan's directorial debut. An innocent and yet surprisingly mature film, Monster House explores both the mystery of the neighborhood's haunted house and the complexity of adolescence with minimal belittlement. Offering a fresh take on an old idea, Monster House approaches its youthful themes with maturity, dignity and a healthy dose of good ol' supernatural fright, making it nothing less than a top-notch children's horror film.

Supernatural Season 1 review

Rachel Stevens — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 06:03:06 -0700

At Comic-Con 2005, I sat down at a panel to see the premiere of a new show on the WB. Truth be told, I was just waiting for the Veronica Mars panel to start, but I figured that a show about solving ghost stories might be fun, too. As I watched, I found myself mostly disappointed. While the mystery was interesting, and one of the lead characters was both gorgeous and sarcastic, it was my opinion that the mystery-of-the-week formula wasn’t going to work for very long. By the end of the pilot, however, I had changed my tune a bit -- the show managed to connect an event from the beginning of the episode to a later event, and thus a story arc was born. I decided to give Supernatural a shot after all, so long as Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) continued to be gorgeous and sarcastic and the arc kept coming back.

Silver Hawk (2004) review

Nicholas Hirsch — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:26:00 -0700

Michelle Yeoh leads an ultra-hip cast as the smilingest vigilante you’ve ever seen in Silver Hawk (2004). Filmed in both English and Cantonese, the movie is a light and laughing answer to the heavy-handed drama of most modern superheroes and is not to be seen if you’re in the mood for anything deep, dark, or brooding.

Life on Mars 1x01 - Pilot review

KW Taylor — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 08:20:04 -0700

The first few minutes of a TV pilot are massively important. A show has to hook viewers in quickly, lest the entire series get written off as dull or lackluster. The writing must be sharp and distinctive, the acting deft and subtle, and the directing offbeat enough to set it apart from everything else on the air. Not unlike a job interview, watching a pilot puts the viewer in the employer’s seat. We want to know in five to fifteen minutes why we should hire this show for the privileged position of “series recording” on our DVRs. A viewer internally asks him or herself during these first crucial minutes, “What can I get from this show that I can’t already find in half a dozen other things on the air?”

Eureka 1x01 - Pilot review

Jennie Vongvith — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:59:57 -0700

The Sci Fi Channel’s new original series Eureka finally made its debut on July 18th. Over the past few months, Sci Fi’s promotional tagline for Eureka read, “Small town. Big secrets.” Being a science-fiction fan, one is liable to be sucked into stories of uncovering secrets and conspiracies, and Eureka has its fair share of things to reveal.