Tag: Superman

Supergirl: Season Two Premiere – Happy Smiling Faces (Review)

Supergirl poster

It has been a year since last Mike’s Film Talk looked at Melissa Benoist as Supergirl, aka, Kara Danvers and season two of the series still looks brilliant. This premiere episode saw Kara get a visit from her “younger” cousin and it was happy smiling faces all around. (Superman is quite chipper compared to his big screen Henry Cavill/Zack Snyder version.)

Of course these two superhero cousins are more in keeping with the old fashioned Superman than Snyder’s re-imagining of the man of steel.

This opening episode “The Adventures of Supergirl” introduces soon-to-be super villain Metallo and Lena Luthor, the adoptive sister of Lex, who is serving 32 consecutive life sentences in prison.

James (and never Jimmy) Olsen is back and it is still irritating that the series creators chose to make the former cub reporter into a tall, handsome and ripped photographer.

Winn Schott, the future Toyman, now works for DEO (aka the Department for Extra-Normal Operations). Superman and J’onn J’onzz do not get along due the the Kryptonite storage issue and Lex’s sister is trying to restore the Luthor name.

Cat Grant seems to have thawed out since last season’s premiere although that may have more to do with her character’s crush on Superman. As well as Metallo’s origin’s being explored here, there is a mysterious arrival from Krypton.

“The Adventures of Supergirl” featured a lot of double teaming by the two cousins. At one point, Corben targets innocent citizens of National City to split the superheroes up.  After Superman saves a small family, the father says, “That’s it, we’re moving back to Gotham.”

By the end of the episode, Lena Luthor is saved from Corben.  The assassin hired by Lex is shot by Alex Davenport and sent off to become Metallo. Kara sort of breaks up with James deciding that they make better friends.

Cat finally learns that Kara wants to become a reporter, something the magazine magnate predicted a year ago.

Apparently Superman is sticking around for awhile, something that must make Tyler Hoechlin very happy, perhaps that is why his character showed off so many of those pearly whites.

The cast of Supergirl now boasts two international performers on the rolls.  Birmingham actor David Harewood is joined by Irish actress Katie McGrath.

Supergirl is an entertaining show. Even the move from CBS to CW has not changed that. Benoist is an endearing superhero, sort of a girl next door quality housed in a red cape and superior super powers.

There are still some issues. Supergirl needs help from Superman to stop the falling spacecraft. She could have just been polite, asking her cousin for a hand, but clearly the “girl” was struggling. Odd moments like these are annoying. Supergirl should not need help. Full stop.

Still the show is fun and brings out he kid in this reviewer.  The series feels as impressive as the old black and white George Reeves reruns of the original Superman.

Up, up and away indeed.

Supergirl airs Mondays on CW. Tune in and stay up to date with this show, as a big crossover with The Flash and Arrow is on the cards this year.

Cast:

Spring Cleaning in the Middle of Winter & A New Lease on Life

Seems like only yesterday...
Seems like only yesterday…

Okay, not really, it just feels like the middle of winter. Of course the added bonus of the sun shining brightly outside, even though all my toils have been “under-cover” makes my energy levels rise accordingly.

Regardless of how flaming cold it is, and will be throughout the entire month of April the helpful weathermen are saying, my energy level has sky-rocketed. I don’t have quite the high levels that, say, Superman has, but compared to my practically non-existent levels just six and a half months ago, I feel like I should be wearing a cape and my underwear on outside of my clothes. (Any references to a young Madonna will be ignored)

Part of this cleaning frenzy is down to the sunshine and down to the departure of my daughter and her fella who had been living with me. Meg has been living under the same roof as me since she finished uni.  Max was a recent addition to the household while they both searched for their first abode together. I am not intimating that they were messy, it’s just that I couldn’t be bothered to clean around half-filled boxes and piles of items that were awaiting their fate.

The other reason I’ve had this energy boost has to do with the last visit to my surgeon. While I sat there, heart pounding, (which to be fair it always does now after the surgery) we looked at each other wordlessly for a moment. He then grinned and said, “Well, it looks like the tear has healed.”

I sat for another moment, stunned by this information. I looked at him and said, “What??”

He went on to explain that as they could not do  yet another bypass operation around the injured Aorta after they’d torn it, that he decided to “take a chance” and put a couple of stitches in the tear. As he put it, “It couldn’t hurt and at any rate it wouldn’t matter if we had to bypass it later on.”

So, here we are. I’ve been given, in essence, “a break” and despite the fact that I still have damage to my veins and capillaries, etc, that will have to be monitored for the rest of my life, I can now do pretty much anything I want. Even wrestle with prisoners, although with the alarming alacrity that the Prison Service ill-health retired me, I would not want to return to their world.

Call me bitter, but that’s how I feel. I now have to attend some rehabilitation sessions (which they would not book me on before, because they were afraid they were going to kill me) and try to get some sort of work that pays me, before my one-time payment runs out.

I still don’t know what I want to do.

Wow!
Wow!

My options are many, and some, have been most surprising. The wonderfully talented Natasha Harmer over at Films and Things has asked me to be the lead in her new (and first) independent short film Once Bitten, Twice Shy. I accepted with a speed that probably made her immediately regret asking. It will be the first time in a very long time that I have stepped in front of a camera in a professional capacity (I don’t count YouTube). I am excited, nervous and very pleased. I may have to wait for a while as the project is pretty much dependant on the generosity of others for funding.

If you can afford to spare a bob or two (or a buck, guilder, et al) click here and you’ll find the indiegogo site for the film.

I’ve also just started working for the web magazine Rogue Cinema, the main guy what’s in charge Duane L Martin has thrown caution to the wind and allowed me the privilege of writing reviews for his “zine” and I’m tickled to death.

Of course I never would have gotten this great opportunity if it weren’t for Misty Layne over at Cinema Schminema so I have two lovely and talented ladies who are responsible for my life taking a new and exciting turn.

It goes without saying that you really should go and check their sites out and stop by the Rogue Cinema magazine as well. They specialise in independent film and Duane is currently working at a frenzied pace to get this month’s issue out.

Stop by and tell em I sent ya. You won’t get any special treatment if you do, but, it would make me feel good.

In the meantime, I need to cook myself some tea, and then relax. This spring cleaning malarkey is good for building up and appetite and the urge to go lay down on the sofa is becoming too strident to ignore.

Until next time, Ciao and bon appétit!!

Photo on 23-03-2013 at 16.37

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