TV Review: Naomi (Season 1)

***This review contains minor spoilers***

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

As the CW’s latest offering to its superhero lineup, “Naomi” starts off with potential thanks to its likable lead actress and a mystery tied to Superman. But weak secondary characters, terrible pacing and practically no follow-up to the Superman angle cause the show to quickly lose momentum and create apathy towards Naomi’s journey.

Naomi is the saving grace of her self-titled series. Kaci Walfall is likable in the role, and her acting is solid. While she helps sell her character’s quest for answers about herself, the Naomi character is all over the place. For one, her powers are poorly defined. A lot of what she does is vague, and while she is supposed to be getting more powerful, her abilities seem to be whatever the show needs for that episode. Secondly, she comes off as flighty as she switches priorities at the drop of a hat. And while Naomi elevates most scenes she’s in, the same can’t be said for the supporting cast. Whether it’s the tight-lipped Dee or the stereotypical high school classmates, mediocre characters and subpar acting make most of these characters feel unnecessary. (And while there’s something unique that Camila Moreno brings to the Lordes role, she’s criminally underused.)

Thanks to a brief glimpse of Superman and the mysterious changes Naomi is going through, the plot starts off pretty strong. But the fact that in a world where Superman actually appears, even though he’s just a comic book character, quickly becomes irrelevant. He’s never seen again and rarely mentioned. (And it’s never brought up if he’s always been there or he recently arrived.) Meanwhile, Naomi’s story drags along as everyone refuses to tell her anything. And even then, she’s fed a lot of half-truths. And none of this is helped by the terrible pacing. Storylines generally go nowhere or just have weak payoffs. Something crazy will happen to Naomi and her friends, and then the next scene is just a normal day at school where it’s brushed off till they move on to the next useless adventure. Just as things look like they’re getting in place for the finale, the show still takes even more strange detours. And having random henchmen with vague powers instead of giving us a big bad really lowers the threat. (Not to mention never really knowing which of the main characters are really trustworthy makes them less likable.)

Overall, the show looks okay. Metallic wings and energy blast look convincing enough, but some of the other effects look pretty obvious. There’s not much action, and it’s typically too quick to do anything impressive. (And don’t expect any super-suits. Everyone fights in civilian gear.)

As a lesser-known character, “Naomi” has to work harder to win over audiences. With a haphazard plot, an overstuffed cast and a bunch of random bad guys instead of a big bad, the show never gets out of first gear. Thankfully, a strong lead character helps fight the urge just stop watching the show.

*1/2 out of *****

Movie Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

Playing more like a sequel to “WandaVision” than the first “Doctor Strange,” the latest MCU addition brings a little more flash and spectacle than a satisfying story. The plot rockets along early, introducing the villain and the looming threat. Things then slow down for some necessary, (and unnecessary) detours that almost cause the film to stall. It’s only the grab bag of multiverse cameos that liven up this portion of the story. (Most of them were spoiled by the trailers, and there’s far less of this than fans have had high hopes for.) New character America Chavez is fine, but a bit more of a MacGuffin than a character at times. Doctor Strange has a solid arc, although the payoff isn’t all that strong. The biggest emotional journey belongs to the Scarlet Witch, who’s story continues from her Disney+ series, culminating here in a surprising way. Sam Raimi’s directing style is all over this, and while his quirkiness enhances many scenes (including some surprisingly violent one), it drops the ball in some big moments. There’s a mid-credits scene that seems to set up something crucial, while a post-credit scene isn’t as important to stick around for.

**1/2 out of *****

TV Review: Star Trek: Picard (Season 2)

***This review contains minor spoilers***

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

“Star Trek: Picard” returns for its second season on a much more positive note than its dour debut season, and while overall it’s a much better outing, the clunky plot mostly grinds the show to a crawl.

The plot isn’t the most original concept and is something that we’ve seen in some fashion on other Trek shows. The difference here is that “Picard” takes ten episodes to tell a story that’s normally wrapped up in one episode, maybe two at the most. The trailers reveal the broad strokes, and the show whips through the setup quickly. After thankfully starting off back in Starfleet, things shift the mirror universe-like reality of the Confederation. There are a few interesting concepts here, but then things move back in time for the bulk of the story. This is where the show loses its way. The mission is too vague, and there’s a struggle to give the cast enough to do. This results in a bunch of side missions, rescues and other story points that don’t add much to the main plot. It’s only in the finale do we finally get a payoff to most of this, but this could’ve been done in half the episodes.

Most of cast is back from last season and have all moved on from the sad and broken characters we met in season one. As the star of the show, Picard himself is the focus of the main plot, and this includes some major character development that doesn’t quite stick the landing. As always, Patrick Stewart brings both a commanding presence and a warmth to the character that enhances almost every important scene he’s in. The rest of the cast is fine, with solid acting but nothing that really stands out. And for the most part, their character arcs are a little underwhelming despite some good concepts. The strongest moments from the main cast outside of Stewart come from Alison Pill’s Dr. Jurati. Not only does she have the biggest 180 from her character last season, she really gets a chance to cut loose here, not only in the dramatic moments, but also as comic relief. (Although she come off a bit too similar to “Discovery’s” Sylvia Tilly at time.) And in a strange twist, three returning cast members get most their screen time playing brand new characters.

The show looks amazing, with great special effects and some really cool looking starships, but unfortunately, the bulk of the show is spent in a bland present-day with only a few glimpses of the future tech we’re used to. (The show also plays a bit fast and loose with its time-travel rules.)

Overall, season two of “Star Trek: Picard” starts off strong, with our heroes back in the thick of Starfleet where most fans wanted to see them. But a story that could’ve been told in less episodes and with fewer characters is padded out to a full season with a full cast. While there’s some nice nods and easter eggs for Trek fans, inconsistent time travel rules mixed with a few retcons create a muddled project. And the big finale turns into a bit of a letdown as it’s all more of a set up for a future adventure and not a true ending for this one.

** out of *****

TV Review: Moon Knight (Season 1)

***This review may contain minor spoilers***

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

Without using the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a crutch, “Moon Knight” must rely on its own merits to succeed. And while the “superhero trying to save the world” aspect is fine, it’s the character work that is ultimately the most engaging part of the show.

This show features one of the most straightforward superhero plots of all the Disney+ Marvel shows. We have a clearly defined bad guy, with an evil plot, and a world-ending threat that must be stopped by the hero. Overall, this all works well, even though there’s a lack of urgency until the finale. There’s also a shocking lack of Moon Knight in action for most of the show’s runtime. And while you’re anticipating his arrival, and look forward to him suiting back up, he quickly takes a backseat to the personal character dramas, and that ends up being a great thing.

By making Steven Grant the focus of the show, the audience is given an underdog to root for. With his awkward mannerisms and not-quite-right British accent, he’s brilliantly brought to life by Oscar Issac. (Which is more impressive when Marc Spector shows up, because while he feels like many other characters Issac has played in the past, Steven almost feels like he’s played by a different actor.) The rest of the main cast isn’t particularly large, but May Calamawy’s Layla and F. Murray Abraham’s Khonshu get plenty of time to shine. However, Ethan Hawke’s Authur Harrow is the biggest standout after Issac. There’s a calm and yet still menacing aura about him that persists even when he’s playing a slightly different character.

The show looks good, with exotic locations and some great camera work throughout. The effects are pretty good but are underwhelming on occasion. There’s not a much action, and most of it feels like it could’ve been better. Besides some “blink and you’ll miss them” references, there’s nothing tying into the larger MCU. While there are some great episodes, they just don’t seem to gel together enough to make this a great show.

Overall, even though the plot is established early and then pushed aside for some character drama, this ends up being the best part of the show. And it really clicks once Marc and Steven finally are able to bare their souls to each other. The superhero ending is slightly anticlimactic, (even with a solid action set piece) and the show wraps up in a mildly-confusing way that lessens its impact.

***1/2 out of *****