Torchwood, Smokey and the Bandit
Jan. 27th, 2008 11:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gategrrlSmokey and the Bandit
Okay, so I'm roughly 30 years late, but I finally saw this movie in its entirety on cable two nights ago. Normally I'd have skimmed past this movie, but since there was nothing else on worth watching, even on the Science Channels, NGeo, or other documentary type channels, I settled on this. And hey, you know? It was funny, and it was fun to see Sally Fields before her Boniva advertisements and Burt Reynolds before gray hair and Boogey Nights. Smokey is basically a Warner Brothers Cartoon translated to live action: Jacky Gleason as Beauford Justice was terrific, of course, hitting all the right notes, and here and there, rendering a completely idiotic character into shade tinged likable character. After all, if the Bandit was ever going to look good, he had to have a decent foil, right? So, I was pleasantly surprised by this 1977 comedy. It held up and wasn't overly dated.
Torchwood 2/1
The first episode of the second season finally aired on BBC America and it kept the pace going with a fairly standard storyline when you've got two conmen going at it (in more ways than one). James Marsters was still playing Spike from Buffy, which was good, but unfortunate. I was hoping to see something a little different from him, a little unexpected. It was nice to see Gwen get poisoned, and damn, was I disappointed when her group saved her in the nick of time. Gwen was full of dumb one-liners ("See? We always come back stronger." to Captain James), and I agree with other commenters who thought the Romance Vibes between her and Capt. Jack Harkness were weird.
I didn't like seeing Ianto used by Jack as a consolation prize because Gwen was off the market, but I am hoping that it comes back to bite Jack in the ass, hard.
Although there was some consternation about "why the fuck would the team allow Gwen, the shitty newbie with a moral problem" be the leader during Jack's absence, in a way, I could see why. She doesn't seem to hold back her emotions, she's a ruthless bitch and she's full of entitlement. If your teammates weren't the leader type, but content to have someone else make the big decisions, I guess I'd go ahead and let Gwen take the heat, too. The writers did make a point of having Gwen say that NONE of them knew what was "going on" and who the aliens all were...seems Jack was keeping alot more to himself than I thought during the first season. In the first season, I had the idea that the crew (Tosh, Ianto and whatshisname, mindwiping on him) were somewhat informed - a hell of a lot more informed than Gwen. But it seems that wasn't the case at all: they were just as new as Gwen was, with only a few more months under their belts.
The effect of Jack coming back FINALLY after having had his run-in with the Doctor is refreshing. He's being written as much more open, and his actor is playing him with a wider emotional range...but I have to say, even so I wasn't overly impressed with his acting, although the man himself is the bomb, if you know what I mean. And at last, Jack is being portrayed as the center of the show, with Gwen firmly in second lead. I'm beyond not thrilled about that old TV trope of the male and female lead being paired up, even if it's for lip service to the inveterate het shippers out in viewer-land. Gwen should know better, even if Jack doesn't (not to sleep with a co-worker - this episode nailed that truth home) but they're both fucked up people.
I found it interesting as well that the team has only pulled together because Jack was gone. Makes me wonder if he was decisively toxic while he was there. The hints about his background are fun, but the writers are really walking the thin edge of "Just Freaking TELL me" what the secrets are. Stringing the viewer - me, in this case - along will work for a short amount of time before I start getting impatient with hints and inferences.
On the whole, this episode was a hell of a lot more entertaining than Atlantis has been the past few weeks, with a lot more splash and action, and tighter plotting. But for me, this show is on probation. Gwen has to be developed in a more likable character, Tosh has to be explored more, Rhys and what makes him tick should be brought forward, and Jack has to be more in the forefront without tons and heaps of mysteries shoved in my face at every turn. Plus, much as I appreciate that yes, our characters have sex lives and sexual feelings, I guess my Scottish Protestant background comes to the fore because, honestly, I'd prefer if it were more in the background.
Okay, so I'm roughly 30 years late, but I finally saw this movie in its entirety on cable two nights ago. Normally I'd have skimmed past this movie, but since there was nothing else on worth watching, even on the Science Channels, NGeo, or other documentary type channels, I settled on this. And hey, you know? It was funny, and it was fun to see Sally Fields before her Boniva advertisements and Burt Reynolds before gray hair and Boogey Nights. Smokey is basically a Warner Brothers Cartoon translated to live action: Jacky Gleason as Beauford Justice was terrific, of course, hitting all the right notes, and here and there, rendering a completely idiotic character into shade tinged likable character. After all, if the Bandit was ever going to look good, he had to have a decent foil, right? So, I was pleasantly surprised by this 1977 comedy. It held up and wasn't overly dated.
Torchwood 2/1
The first episode of the second season finally aired on BBC America and it kept the pace going with a fairly standard storyline when you've got two conmen going at it (in more ways than one). James Marsters was still playing Spike from Buffy, which was good, but unfortunate. I was hoping to see something a little different from him, a little unexpected. It was nice to see Gwen get poisoned, and damn, was I disappointed when her group saved her in the nick of time. Gwen was full of dumb one-liners ("See? We always come back stronger." to Captain James), and I agree with other commenters who thought the Romance Vibes between her and Capt. Jack Harkness were weird.
I didn't like seeing Ianto used by Jack as a consolation prize because Gwen was off the market, but I am hoping that it comes back to bite Jack in the ass, hard.
Although there was some consternation about "why the fuck would the team allow Gwen, the shitty newbie with a moral problem" be the leader during Jack's absence, in a way, I could see why. She doesn't seem to hold back her emotions, she's a ruthless bitch and she's full of entitlement. If your teammates weren't the leader type, but content to have someone else make the big decisions, I guess I'd go ahead and let Gwen take the heat, too. The writers did make a point of having Gwen say that NONE of them knew what was "going on" and who the aliens all were...seems Jack was keeping alot more to himself than I thought during the first season. In the first season, I had the idea that the crew (Tosh, Ianto and whatshisname, mindwiping on him) were somewhat informed - a hell of a lot more informed than Gwen. But it seems that wasn't the case at all: they were just as new as Gwen was, with only a few more months under their belts.
The effect of Jack coming back FINALLY after having had his run-in with the Doctor is refreshing. He's being written as much more open, and his actor is playing him with a wider emotional range...but I have to say, even so I wasn't overly impressed with his acting, although the man himself is the bomb, if you know what I mean. And at last, Jack is being portrayed as the center of the show, with Gwen firmly in second lead. I'm beyond not thrilled about that old TV trope of the male and female lead being paired up, even if it's for lip service to the inveterate het shippers out in viewer-land. Gwen should know better, even if Jack doesn't (not to sleep with a co-worker - this episode nailed that truth home) but they're both fucked up people.
I found it interesting as well that the team has only pulled together because Jack was gone. Makes me wonder if he was decisively toxic while he was there. The hints about his background are fun, but the writers are really walking the thin edge of "Just Freaking TELL me" what the secrets are. Stringing the viewer - me, in this case - along will work for a short amount of time before I start getting impatient with hints and inferences.
On the whole, this episode was a hell of a lot more entertaining than Atlantis has been the past few weeks, with a lot more splash and action, and tighter plotting. But for me, this show is on probation. Gwen has to be developed in a more likable character, Tosh has to be explored more, Rhys and what makes him tick should be brought forward, and Jack has to be more in the forefront without tons and heaps of mysteries shoved in my face at every turn. Plus, much as I appreciate that yes, our characters have sex lives and sexual feelings, I guess my Scottish Protestant background comes to the fore because, honestly, I'd prefer if it were more in the background.
