Mikes Film Talk

At long last, “Legends of Tomorrow” go back to the future (sorry) in “Leviathan.” It does not take the group of would-be heroes long to learn that size does indeed matter.  Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) has  to duel with a giant “Mighty Morphin Power Ranger-ish”   robot and it is nigh on impossible not to feel for Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) when Kendra stops mid attack once they finally capture Vandal Savage. 

Hunter’s expression is mixed. Anger, disappointment,  confusion and (yes, perhaps a little bit of) resignation.  The team of Snart and Rory are back on form trading quips and Mick (Dominic Purcell) may just have the come back of the episode.

Snart and Rory  get the drop on Savage’s daughter Cassandra (Jessica Sipos) and Mick wins the short exchange hands down:

Cassandra: “Whoever you are, you’re certainly persistent.”

Rory: “Not really. We just like bright, sparkly objects, like that bracelet.”

Cassandra: “You’d risk dying for a bauble?”

Rory: “It works with my outfit.”

All delivered in Rory’s marvelously graveled growl.

(It is interesting that he and Snart, played by Wentworth Miller, both have the most unique and entertaining voices on the show. Snart with his  drawling delivery of dialogue sounding a mix between Snagglepuss and perhaps the late Paul Lynde and Mick with his “Drax-like” demeanor as well as enunciation of lines stand out from the small crowd of “legends.”)

Heading to 2166, the group of would-be heroes and future legends all conspire to grab Savage (Casper Crump), after initially getting his daughter and then explaining to her that “daddy” is a megalomaniac bent on destroying the world.

There are some pretty impressive fight scenes, not just between The Atom and Leviathan but between the small group who initially attempt to infuriate Victor’s lair. Another well choreographed battle takes place once Kendra (Ciara Renée) works out how to weaponize her old “bauble.”

Sidenote: One small bauble of contention is the melting down of the bracelet to pour it over Kendra’s long time lover Carter Hall’s (played by Falk Hentschel) spike-covered cudgel, or mace. The bracelet is a small delicate thing and yet, when Rory melts it down, the now liquid  bauble manages to completely cover the head of the weapon…Really?

Snart turns Cassandra by showing her the truth of Daddy Dearest and she agrees to help Hunter and his team.

The “Legends of Tomorrow” team, sans Palmer, Stein and Jax,   take on Savage, indirectly through the “back door” and still almost lose the fight.  Being an immortal “stinker” Vandal has all the odds in his favor and his Leviathan which The Atom engages after enlarging himself,  is a tough opponent. Palmer defeats the robot however and as the battle continues, Cassandra, now turned, comes back to daddy.

The first thing Savage notices is the missing bracelet.  Hunter, Lance, Rory, Snart and Kendra attack the soldiers of Savage and like all true villainous bullies Vandal underestimates his opponents. Also like a bully, once Vandal realizes he can be hurt, his confidence falters.

Once last “trick” remains however, as  an amnesiac Carter appears in the garb of a Savage soldier. The villain tells Kendra that if she kills him then her lover will never remember who he is. Hawkgirl stops and apologizes to Hunter about her inability to sacrifice Carter for Rip’s family.

Hunter is not happy at Kendra’s failure to save his wife and son but takes Savage hostage. Ray is also not overly pleased with his fiancee after learning that Carter is back in the picture.

Irony of the episode award goes to Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber) who, due to earlier  sustained injuries,  sleeps through the entire robot attack and the capture of Savage.  Vandal is a stinker even in captivity as he taunts Rip about whether he will be able to save his family. 

“Legends of Tomorrow”  is still cracking  entertainment. The characters are all interesting enough that we care what happens, although with Kendra it is that little bit tougher.  The clear favorites are Rory and Snart, that odd couple duo who light up the screen way more than Firestorm each time they are together.

There are some bits that irritate, like the melted bauble and Cassandra being so easy, and fast, to turn.  Clearly some daddy issues there. It is interesting that The Atom has to “enlarge” himself in order to defeat the Leviathan proving that, despite what men’s magazines have touted for years, size does matter.

“Legends of Tomorrow” airs Thursdays on CW.