“Blink”

“Blink” is an example of what’s wrong with the 4400 recently.  On a whole nothing is explicitly wrong with the show per se.  Especially as an individual episode.  But there’s no connection.  The focus is again missing.  This has been the biggest problem of the show thus far.  No consistency in focus.  The writers grab a focus and go with it for a few episodes but then it dwindles.
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“Perfidia”

With the near promise of cancellation in the future, “Perfidia” had the unenviable task of wrapping up the series, while leaving enough open in case of a miracle.

The miracle never came unfortunately which means looking back we have to look at “Perfidia” as the series finale.  How does it stack up?   Well, after ridding myself of the bitterness that I wouldn’t be able to discover more about the Vasser household.  And that’s the crux, a series that makes you not only care about the hook of time traveling, but how it effects all the characters on the sidelines.

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SecondView added by Paul Talon to The Clone Wars Movie:

“The Hanged Man”

“Hanged Man” was a phenomenal episode, dramatic, soulsearching, and wonderfully performed at least emotionally.   It showcases both a good storyline via Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder in that the tiniest of indiscretions can change things enough to have significant changes in the time travelers lifetime.  It however does fall short in the transitions of getting from scene to scene.

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“Home By Another Way”

It’s time for the Christmas Episode.  Every show has them.  They are usually inconsequential in the overall scheme of an ongoing storyline and Journeymand is no exception.   However the usual focus on character allows the show to go beyond the very special episode.

Christmas seems to be a big deal at the Vassar residence.  Jack is coming with his new girlfriend, and their mother as well.  There is a party and a choir.  It’s all pretty high class.  But Dan has to go into work. He finds out from Hugh that he’s being fired and Hugh himself is gone and it’s all a directive from the head honcho, Dennis Almbacher who has ordered that about a quarter of the staff be fired.
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“Blowback”

“Blowback” evolves quite well on the prior notion that Dan going off rails can have serious repercussions on his present life.  You do have to accept a lot about the character of Aeden Bennett that doesn’t quite add up but it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker.  This episode literally opens with a bang when Bennett throws opens Dan’s door and shoots  him.  Bennett begins to stalk Dan right as Dan vanishes in the past with a bullet hole in his shoulder.
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“Winterland”

“Winterland” is really the opposite of the previous episode.  The Leap of the week has almost no connection with the present events which are really more important in the scheme of things.  Thus there tends to be a feeling of filler which happens now and again on a show, but it certainly makes the episode less important in the grand scheme of things.

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The Spiderwick Chronicles

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, David Straitharn, and the voices of Martin Short and Seth Rogen

Written by: Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles based on the books by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Directed by: Mark Waters

I initially dismissed the Spiderwick Chronicles as a kind of Harry Potter rip off.  But in reality it is more of a generic fantasy tale…done exceptionally well.   There is nothing very unique or innovative about the tale.  But it goes to show that there is something to be said for just making the most of the material.
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The Bourne Supremacy

Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Karl Uraban, Gabriel Mann, and Joan Allen

Written by: Tony Gilroy and Brian Hegeland based on the novel by Robert Ludlum

Directed by: Paul Greengrass

With sequels to big successful action movies, the adage is to make everything bigger, better, and more exciting.  And usually sequels stumble trying to do just that, and end up forgetting what it was that everyone liked about the original in the first place.

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The Bourne Identity

Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles and Clive Owen

Written by: Tony Gilroy and WIlliam Blake Herron based on the novel by Robert Lundlum

Directed by: Doug Liman

I remember the previews for this movie and they left me feeling kind of lukewarm.  I’ve always thought Matt Damon was a decent actor…but as an action star?  That was a harder sell.  In the first twenty minutes, though, I was sold.  Damon’s performance in an action lead is one that makes it seem like it’s all he’s ever done.

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