Retro Review: From the Earth to the Moon

I’ve always been fascinated by space travel. As a kid, I spent hours reading everything I could about NASA and the various space programs around the world. My sixth-grade science project was on the Space Shuttle, and I even dressed up as an astronaut one Halloween.

Over the years I also devoured any movies and tv shows that had anything to do with space flight. One of my favorite space shows is HBO’s “From the Earth to the Moon.”

“From the Earth to the Moon,” was one of the most expensive television miniseries in history. Costing around $68 million, the twelve-part docudrama took viewers back to the incredible era of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, culminating with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

Along with producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Bostick, Tom Hanks served as executive producer/co-writer/co-director/actor and even introduced eleven out of the twelve episodes. Their passion is evident throughout the series, and all of them went to great lengths to ensure “From the Earth to the Moon” would be as accurate as possible.

The ambitious project aired weekly over six weeks in two-hour installments. Each chapter had radically different artistic styles behind the camera. With different writers and directors gave each episode its own tone, look and feel. Each hour of “From Earth to the Moon” plays like a mini-movie, beautifully mixing archival news footage with the new material.

But when “From the Earth to the Moon” first aired in 1998, I wasn’t able to see it, because I didn’t have HBO at the time. I didn’t discover the series until the following year when it hit DVD. It didn’t matter though, I was hooked from the first episode. “Can We Do This?”

Directed by Tom Hanks, the opening chaptter is arguably the most linear, condensing the first few years of the space program into an hour-long episode. This one episode told you everything you needed to know about the history of manned space flight and introduced you to all the key players for the rest of the mini-series. From the opening shots of the Vostok 1 launch to Mike Peck sequence. All of it was a joy to watch.

However, as good as “Can We Do This?” is, other episodes have become my personal favorites. For example, episode five “Spider” begins in 1961, as NASA engineer John Houbolt tried to convince management that the easiest way to land men on the Moon will be to use a separate landing craft. It then traces the design and development of the Lunar Module by a team led by Grumman engineer Tom Kelly.

“Spider” also covers the selection and training of the first crew to fly the LEM: James McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart (along with Command Module pilot David Scott), and culminates with their first flight of Spider in Earth orbit on Apollo 9.

Another episode I can watch over and over again is episode seven, “That’s All There Is.” This episode tells the story of Apollo 12, the second lunar landing mission. The entire episode is narrated by Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean (Dave Foley).

I like this episode because of the friendship the Apollo 12 crew share, and how lost friends are never forgotten by the astronauts.  Pius, there are some very funny moments involving a camera, and a school field trip.

Finally, there is episode ten, “Galileo Was Right,” and episode twelve, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune.” I see these episodes as the two-part story of Harrison “Jack” Schmitt (Tom Amandes). He was the first scientist to go into space.

But maybe, more importantly, Schmitt was essential in getting the astronaut corp the geology training they needed. Plus I also like how nerdy Schmitt and professor Leon Silver (David Clennon) get on field trips.

All in all, “From the Earth to the Moon” remains one of my go-to space shows. IT’s brilliantly cast and directed, no other mini-series has topped it since. I can sit down and binge watch this series at any time, and I usually watch it at least once a year at least.

Whether you saw it twenty years ago, or are just hearing of it for the first time, “From the Earth to the Moon” is an exceptional piece of television, and well worth your time.

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Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

The “Doctor Who” season 11 premiere is a success because new star Jodie Whittaker is a natural as the Doctor. Everything she did and said came off as natural, almost as if she’d been playing the Doctor for years.

From the moment she crashes through the roof of a commuter train, Whittaker is without a doubt the same Doctor audiences have been following for 55 years. She’s smart, fearless, and quick to act when people’s lives are at stake.

Once the Doctor is on the scene, she’s immediately in charge and trying to figure out what the heck attacked the train. But where some previous Doctors who may barked orders at people. Whitaker’s Doctor is more of problem-solver, and always includes her new friends on whatever she’s planning to do. Whether it’s building a new sonic screwdriver or explaining that aliens do exist, this Doctor wants everyone to be on the same page.

Joining the new Doctor is a great group of new companions: There’s Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), a directionless 19-year-old who suffers from a neurological disorders that affects coordination; Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill), a police officer in training who yearns to prove she’s capable of more; and Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh), a cancer survivor who knows he’s been given a second chance when he met and married Grace (Sharon D. Clarke), a nurse and Ryan’s grandmother.

All of them immediately clicked with Jodie Whitaker’s Doctor, and all of them showed what great companions they can be. From their introductions, they felt like more than just traveling companions for the Doctor. The companions respect the Doctor because she respects them in return. They’re willing to follow her because all she wants to do is help others.

Another great thing is that unlike the last few seasons, there doesn’t appear to be anything cosmically special about any of her new friends. They’re just regular people who get wrapped up in an extraordinary adventure. They all have questions about what’s going on, and some can’t accept that aliens truly exist, but the show handles all that in a fun a refreshing manner. And when in doubt, always ask a bus driver.

‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’ moves through a lot of emotional territories very quickly. But it’s still an action-packed and exciting episode. However, when it does slow down, it has some beautiful and heartfelt moments between The Doctor and her new friends. The episode is also pretty funny, and that’s thanks in large part to Jodie Whitaker’s manic energy and the confusion Cole, Gill, and Walsh often find themselves in.

Something else I liked from the season premiere, was that the 13th Doctor had a ton of energy, more than usual I’d say. But this is due to her body still adjusting to the latest regeneration. As a long time fan, I really liked this because this is how it usually was.

Look at Peter Davison’s first story in 1981, his Doctor nearly died after regenerating. Having Whitaker’s Doctor suffer some growing pains, was a nice little touch by the episode writers.

 

The episode kicks off a new era for the long-running British sci-fi series – one that includes not only a new Doctor but a new showrunner in Chris Chibnall. This infusion of fresh blood in front and behind the cameras made the Doctor Who season 11 premiere feel fresh while also serving as a great jumping on point for new viewers.

The Doctor Who season 11 premiere is a near perfect start to the new series and for Jodie Whitaker. The overall plot is second to getting the main pieces in motion, for the season, but it gets the job done. Quite frankly, it has been ages since a single Doctor Who episode satisfied me this much, and as far as I’m concerned the question has been answered and Jodie Whitaker IS the Doctor.

‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’ score: A

Flashback Review: Revenge of the Creature (1955)

For the last couple of months, I’ve been watching old horror and sci-fi movies from the 1940’s and 1950’s. I haven’t watched any of these movies before, and in some cases, never heard of them until recently.

The quality of the films varies from studio to studio, but there’s still something about these old movies that I can’t seem to get enough of.

This past weekend I saw the 1955 film “Revenge of the Creature.” The film is a sequel to the classic “Creature from the Black Lagoon” which came out one year earlier. Which makes sense, because the sequel takes places roughly a year after the events of the first film. “Revenge of the Creature” was directed by Jack Arnold, and starred John Agar as Prof. Clete Ferguson, and Lori Nelson as Helen Dobson. “Revenge of the Creature” is also notable for being Clint Eastwood’s film debut.

This time out, a team of scientists led by Prof. Clete Ferguson make the trip down to the Amazon in the hopes of finding a living, breathing Gill Man. Once there, the team finds that the Creature from the first movie is still very much alive. He’s captured and taken back to the States to be put on display in a Florida aquarium. During the trip, Helen writes a journal about the Gill-man, and she and Ferguson begin to fall in love.

Seeing the two love birds together doesn’t please their colleague Joe Hayes (John Bromfield), who also has a thing for Helen. You know who else has a thing for Helen? the Gill-man. Can’t say I blame Joe or Gilly, Lori Nelson was quite beautiful. Ultimately, the Gill-man escapes from his tank, killing Joe, and flees to the open water. However, the Gill-man is unable to stop thinking about Helen, so he begins to stalk her and Clete.

Things escalate one night when the Gill-man adducts Helen from a seaside restaurant where the two are at a party. Clete valiantly gives chase into the water, but the Gill-man escapes with his captive. Clete joins the police and an army of volunteers in hunting down the Gill-man in hopes of finding Helen before its too late.

“Creature from the Black Lagoon” is such an iconic monster movie, that I didn’t think “Revenge of the Creature” had a chance to be any good. But I have to say I really enjoyed Revenge. The sequel follows the stuff that worked well in the first movie, while also building its on world. The pace in Revenge is much faster than in the previous film. There’s more action, and some of the acting is better here than in the original.

Another interesting thing in this movie is that the monster a lot more aggressive and ferocious than before. He got more to do in this film, and he leaves quite the body count as he rampages through Florida. And some of his scenes (like kidnapping Helen) are down right terrifying. The underwater footage is also rather good in Revenge. It looks clearer then before, and you get a better sense of motion for the Gill-man and the other actors.

But there’s also the familiarity of the first film. Both movies open in the Amazon, and the sequel has a carbon copy of the famous swimming scene. This time though, John Agar treading water with Lori Nelson eliminates the sexual subtext of the first film. Guess the Gill-man is not into threesomes, or more likely, he was added to the scene because the studio got heat the first time.

I thought the cast was pretty good throughout, but the standout for me was Lori Nelson. She’s a knockout, and her swimming was cool and all. But to me, her reactions to seeing the Gill-man were phenomenal. Nelson acted like she really was dealing with a monster, and the way she fought back in the kidnapping scene was terrific.

As a sequel, “Revenge of the Creature” is a fun, loud, action packed ride, and a better B movie than most. It delivered on everything I liked in the first movie, and much more. The creature is scarier, and the girl is hotter.

While the original  Gill-man movie will always be the one considered a classic, don’t discount how good  “Revenge of the Creature” is.

Magnum P.I. Review

While I’m sure some fans probably can’t believe that CBS would remake “Magnum P.I.” without Tom Selleck and his classic mustache, the fact remains that “Magnum “P.I.” is finally back on television. Maybe Thomas Magnum isn’t quite the same as before, he isn’t all that different either.

CBS’s reboot of “Magnum P.I.” stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a former Navy SEAL and Afghanistan veteran who becomes a private investigator in Hawaii. Jay Hernandez does a nice job carrying the show with a dazzling combination of humor, charm, heart, and as my wifey put it, “A killer smile.”

The series kicks off with Thomas Magnum, working as a private investigator and living at the guest house of novelist Robin Masters. The massive estate is known as the Robin’s Nest and it is overseen by former British intelligence agent Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks). This is of course a gender-swap of the John Hillerman’s character from the original series.

This is a change that I thought I’d have problems with, but I was pleasantly surprised. By making Higgins younger and a former MI6 agent, it gives her a chance to play a bigger role in the action. In fact, she had one of the best action scenes in the pilot episode when she goes toe to toe with two rogue Marines. This Higgins is also responsible for some great humor throughout the premier episode, usually at Magnum’s expense.

Rounding out the show’s cast are Magnum’s loyal friends and fellow veterans, Rick (Zachary Knighton) and T.C. (Stephen Hill). Rick is the man who knows everyone and can get you anything you need. T.C. is the muscle, and the one who will fly you out of a tough spot. These three friends went through hell and came back, and their bond is for life. If anyone has earned the right to have a little fun in Hawaii, it’s these guys.

To its credit, the new “Magnum” doesn’t try change the formula that worked well before. Nor does it aspire to achieve more than the original series did. The first episode keeps things simple by introducing Magnum’s team and re-establishing his sense of loyalty to his friends.

I thought this was a great way to start off the show because it brings new viewers up to speed on these characters, while at the same time letting old school fans know everything is gonna be okay. Heck, they even kept the dogs and the theme song, which made me happy.

The only complain I have about the episode is that having the team investigate the death of someone close to them needed more than just one episode. We only meet this person once at the start of the episode, so it was hard for me to feel bad when he’s murdered. Had we seen more of him, then his death would have had more impact.

However, it’s still a decent enough mystery, and there’s plenty of action to satisfy you sweet tooth. But what made this episode was the cast. Don’t get me wrong, no one will ever truly replace Tom Selleck, or the memories I have from that time. I’m trying to look at the new series as a chance to flesh out these classic character, and so far, I like what Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks are doing.

“Magnum P.I.” score B

New Amsterdam Review

NBC’s new medical drama “New Amsterdam,” is based on Dr. Eric Manheimer’s book on New York City’s Bellevue Hospital titles “Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital.” The show tells the story of Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold), the latest medical director at a public hospital in New York City.

Goodwin is the latest version of TV’s long running “doctor who doesn’t play by the rules” archetype. In the pilot episode he’s framed as a Man of the People, speaking Spanish to the janitorial staff, trying to get his doctors to focus on the patients again, and not the money involved, and asking everyone he encounters “How can I help?”

 

It’s nothing we haven’t seen before in a medial drama, but Ryan Eggold plays the part with such charm and charisma, that you totally buy into his way or running things. Okay, so maybe getting rid of every heart surgeon on staff was a bit much considering he hadn’t seen them at work yet.

But I liked that Goodwin acted when the doctors didn’t seem to give a damn about anything. And I also liked that Dr. Goodwin is man enough to admit when he makes a mistake, and rehired one of the surgeon and tasks him with rebuilding the heart section of the hospital.

The only thing I didn’t like about Dr. Goodwin is that the pilot episode of “New Amsterdam” gives him two significant life hurdles: a pregnant, estranged wife, and a secret illness he hasn’t told her or anyone else about. To me adding these things seems like overkill. The guy is sympathetic enough as it is, you don’t need to give him more things to handle. That said, I still like the character, and the way the actor plays him.

The supporting cast of “New Amsterdam” does its level best to rise above the typical material you see in medical dramas. Over in the emergency room, Janet Montgomery’s Dr. Laura Bloom is arguably the smartest one in the room, and very matter of fact about the harder parts of her job. Bloom puts her patients first, sometimes at her own rish. She’s also the fist the buy into Goodwin’s new way of doing things.

Bloom has a relationship with Jocko Sims’ cardiac surgeon Floyd Reynolds. I don’t mind the romance angle, but his acting opposite Janet Montgomery wasn’t very convincing. Hopefully that’s just in the pilot, and it will improve from here on in. Then there’s Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine), a psychiatrist who works with sick and displaced children. The elder statesman on staff is Anupam Kher as Dr. Vijay Kapoor, who gives the series some nice humor and heart.

Finally, there’s Freema Agyeman, who is almost completely wasted as Hana Sharpe, a talented doctor who got caught up in New Amsterdam’s PR game, and doesn’t really practice medicine anymore. But worry not, because Goodwin is working on getting her back into scrubs. I just wish we’d seen more of her in the pilot.

Over the last few years, I watched several medical dramas. But I stopped watching “Grey’s Anatomy” because it was just too sad. Then NBC Cancelled “The Night Shift” and CBS axed “Code Black.” A few months ago I gave up on “Chicago Med” because I got tired of the main character getting together, then breaking up, only to get together again. My pong is: I need  a good medical drama again.

Uts far too early to tell if “New Amsterdam” is the one. There are good things in “New Amsterdam,” and some bad things. The good news is that most of the bad thing like too many subplots, and too fast a pace in certain places, can all be fixed and improved. The best part of this show is Ryan Eggold and Janet Montgomery. If the series focuses on them, then maybe NBC has something good on theur hands.

“New Amsterdam” score: B-

Manifest Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

“Manifest” revolves around the people onboard Montego Air flight 828. After experiencing some severe turbulence during its 2013 trip to New York, Montego Air 828 lands more than five years after its initial takeoff. Everyone on board was presumed dead by the authorities and their loved ones. But to the passengers onboard, only a few hours have passed.

The show’s leads are New York police officer Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), her brother Ben (Josh Dallas), his leukemia-stricken son, Cal (Jack Messina). Other cast members include Saanvi (Parveen Kaur), a research scientist studying — you guessed it — leukemia. Her research five years ago has already helped many people, and Cal is next.

One of the things I enjoyed about “Manifest” series premier, was that instead of focusing on what happened during the flight, the series is more focused on the idea of what comes next for the people of flight 828. A lot has changed in five years, so how will these people cope with husbands and wives and other loved ones who have moved on with their lives?

For example, Ben and Michaela’s mom has died since 828 disappeared. Olive (Luna Blaise), is now Cal’s five-years-older twin sister. Their mom Grace has (understandably) begun a new relationship with someone else after believing her husband had been dead for the last five years.

Even Michaela’s fiancée has met someone else and remarried. I think to her best friend which just makes it worse for her. And that’s just one family, so there’s plenty of room for the series to explore more of this.

But that’s just part of what 828’s passengers and crew have to deal with. Getting back to a “normal” life is hard enough, but when it appears something is now linking them, the mystery deepens. I won’t say what happens, but I will say I liked the premise. It stood out from other similar series of the past few years, and I liked how the pilot episode wrapped up.

Overall I enjoyed the first episode of “Manifest.” The mysteries are fun and fresh. The acting is pretty solid, and I particularly enjoyed Melissa Roxburgh’s Michaela. So far she has the most character development and I like what I see.

Hopefully future episodes give more depth to some of the other characters. But the series is off to a good start. The only question is: will NBC give “Manifest” a chance to buld and audience?

“Manifest” score: B

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

I wasn’t too sure about Amazon’s new Jack Ryan series at first. But then came a moment in the first episode that completely won me over: Ryan, played by John Krasinski, is at a fancy birthday party that he didn’t want to attend. As soon as he arrives, Ryan is pressured by his former Wall Street boss to reveal government secrets about the current strategy toward North Korea.

Politely, Ryan refuses to answer his old boss. Ryan then turns his attention to an attractive woman, Cathy (Abbie Cornish), who also happens to be his ex-boss’s daughter. But in the middle of a promising conversation, everyone at the party looks up to see a Coast Guard helicopter that soon lands on the lawn. Military personnel leap out, sprint out looking for Jack Ryan. Before being pulled away, he turns back to Cathy. “I dunno, maybe I could …?” he tries, apologetically, as the helicopter pilot cuts him off: “Sir, we have to go.”

From that scene on, John Krasinski became Jack Ryan, and I was onboard for the ride.

Amazon’s “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” aims to capture the spirit and the tone of films like “Patriot Games,” “Clear and Present Danger,” and “The Hunt For Red October.” The show succeeds at this, and it’s a welcome change from the version of Ryan we saw in “Sum of all Fears” and “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” But the series distinguishes itself in other ways, like the way it presents its title character as a humble, and smart CIA analyst, who is hiding the fact that he’s a formidable Marine with a back full of scars to prove it.

John Krasinski is easy to like in the role, and very believable as a guy who just wants to help make the world safer. I also liked that Ryan is given more back story, including a moment during his time in Afghanistan that still haunts him today. There are multiple layers to this Jack Ryan, and John Krasinski is able to handle them all extremely well.

The new show has plenty of action too, and multiple episodes feature big explosions or large action sequences. But the nice thing is that this show doesn’t rely on the action scenes, it’s all about Jack Ryan’s story. How ge got into this line of work, why he does some of the things he does, and who his mentors are. For me it was also fun seeing this version or Ryan grow from a somewhat quiet CIA agent, to the glove trotting leader.

As for the res of the cast, I enjoyed the scenes where Ryan is at odds with his new boss, James Greer (Wendell Pierce). Greer is on his last leg at the CIA after an incident at his last assignment made him persona non grata at the agency. At first, Greer doesn’t get along with Jack, and the two go at it a few times. But after Greer realizes Jack knows his stuff, the relationship becomes more of a mentor type. The way Greer handled Ryan, even gived the show some of its funniest moments.

Abbie Cornish was good as love interest Cathy Mueller. As I mentioned earlier, Cathy is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist who wants to use Jack’s talents for some inside trading or something. However, past the scenes at the party, none of this is mentioned again, which I found odd. However, I did appreciate how Mueller’s story linked to Jack Ryan’s later on.

This season’s villain is Ali Suliman, who stars as Mousa Bin Suleiman. For the first few episodes, Suliman was a riveting character. It was almost as if he played two different characters one who is a family fan with a quiet life. The other is the world’s most dangerous terrorist. However, by the last couple of episodes, I thought the character fell  back on the usual terrorist stuff you see in movies and tv.

The big surprise in the cast was Dina Shihabi as Hanin Ali, Suleiman’s wife. I thought Shihabi was brilliant, and her story arc led to some of the show’s most tense, and dramatic moments. Shihabi is a terrific actress, and I hope her work here only leads to bigger and better things for her.

The one thing I didn’t care for in “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” was a subplot involving a drone pilot. At first, I thought this story would link up somehow with the main plot, but it never really went anywhere. I think exploring the lives of drone pilots would be interesting, but here, it slowed everything else down.

In the end though, I really enjoyed “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” season one. The show built of what came before, but it also created its own world and characters. John Krasinski is great as Ryan, and with a stong supporting cast, he shines as the show’s lead. This usn’t your dad’s Jack Ryan, but its perfect for today. Now that the stage is set, I can’t wait to see what season two brings.

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” score: A-