Every fall dozens of new shows are placed on the television schedule. Some find success and others last barely a month before being canceled. It takes something new, creative and entertaining to make it past the first season. This year the show that is destined to find success is “Chuck.”
Chuck (Zachary Levi) is a member of the Nerd Heard at the local electronics store. One night he receives an e-mail form his college roommate containing thousands of pictures. When he opens it, he unwittingly learns all the government secrets that were embedded in the images. He begins to realize that he is starting to know things he should not and recognizes people he has never seen before.
CIA agent Sarah (Yvonne Strzechowski) is sent to retrieve Chuck’s hard drive in order to get the e-mail, but when it is destroyed, she has to find out what he knows and if he has a backup. The NSA, unhappy with the CIA’s progress, sends in John (Adam Baldwin) to do the job that Sarah could not and bring Chuck in.
What this show has going for it is the prefect blend of comedy, drama and action. No joke is forced, no drama over done and not action sequence over blown. Each part works and enhances the others.
The stand out performance would have to be Levi. He balances the comedic and the dramatic elements with great ease. Chuck is a guy who is content with his job and lack of a social life. He is more than happy to work with computers and play videogames all day. When the has the government secrets thrust upon him, he is taken out of his element and discovers that there is more to like than work and videogames.
Some of the funniest moments come when Chuck is out of his element. When John is perusing him and Sarah, Chuck is freaking out while she remains calm. She is driving backwards in his company car and not even looking where she is going. She tries to get him to calm down and tell her when to turn, but he is so confused by this that she takes charge and ends up turning before he can say anything.
“Chuck” separates itself from the abundance of new shows, by being as funny and original as it is interesting. There are no great mysteries to be solved or detailed storylines that will require a week-to-week viewing. It is an enjoyable show that is worth the time to watch.
“Chuck” airs Monday night at 8 pm on NBC
If you just came out of a yearlong coma, here is what you missed; “Heroes” took the television world by storm. It gave NBC its highest ratings for a series premiere ever. It even took on and beat Jack Bauer and the rest of the cast of “24” in the ratings week after week and it became a television phenomenon. This past Monday, “Heroes” returned for the second season and continued to amaze.
Season two picks up four months after the events of the finale. The indestructible cheerleader Claire (Hayden Panettiere) and her family have moved from Texas to California to keep Claire safe from the mysterious “company” Mind reading police officer Matt Parkman (Greg Grunburg) has moved to New York City and has adopted Molly Walker (Adair Tishler), the little girl who has the ability to find those with special powers. Everyone’s favorite time-traveling Japanese office worker, Hiro (Masi Oka), is still stuck in 1671 Japan and comes face to face with his childhood hero Takezo Kensei (David Anders) and discovers he is not who the legends say he is. Other character’s fates were reveled while others still remain a mystery.
With great success come high expectations. The sophomore season of a show is very critical, especially one with this much hype. “Lost” got hammered in its second season when it dove too much into the mystery and asked more questions than it answered. I do not foresee the same problem for “Heroes.” They have learned from other shows and are quick to give the viewers what they want.
The second season premiere gave viewers a glimpse at what to expect for the new season. New heroes Maya (Diana Ramirez) and Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz) were introduced as they made their way from Honduras to America to find a cure for what is happening to Maya. She has the ability to give people a deadly disease that causes a black substance to ooze from their eyes. The new villain was introduced, but not much is known about who they are or what they can do. The new season looks to keep the pace set by the first season. They are quick to give answers as well as set up more for season two.
The key to “Heroes” is the strong storytelling. Yes, it is about people with powers, but it is not just for comic book fans. These are people you can care about and root for. They represent every race, religion, economic background and gender. These characters have a depth that few other shows can even hope to achieve.
“Heroes” returned strong for the second season. If they keep it up they will find the same success they had last year. Time will only tell where this show will go.
“Heroes” airs Monday at 9 p.m. on NBC.
The western is a genre that has been around as long as the film medium itself. Starting back in the silent era with movies like “The Great Train Robbery” in 1903, the western has been a staple of the movie industry. There was a time when westerns were the most successful and most abundant movies made. Now it is a genre that has been ignored and overlooked. Action movies or romantic comedies seem to be all that grace the silver screen most weekends in America. Once every few years, a western makes it to the local theaters and this appears to be one of those years.
In “3:10 to Yuma,” Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a struggling rancher who lost part of his leg in the Civil War. He is in debt and one night has his barn burned and cattle let loose, as punishment for not paying on time. The following morning he and his sons go in search of the lost cattle and come upon a wagon robbery. Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) and his gang have been robbing the rail companies for years, but this time the rail company was ready, they has the wagon was armed. After a ferocious gunfight, Wade once again gets the upper hand and the rail company is once again robbed. Evans finds Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda), a man who works for the railroad to protect the shipments, as the only survivor of the gunfight. Evans takes him to the nearest town, the same town where Wade holds up after the robbery. When Wade is caught, Evans is one of the men who volunteer to escort him to the train station to catch the 3:10 to Yuma.
When you get two actors the caliber of Bale and Crowe in a movie, it is bound to be good. These two could make “Gigli” an Oscar contender. This movie is another example of just how good these two can be. They play characters who are complete opposites.
Crowe makes Wade a bad guy that, no matter hard you try, is impossible to hate. He is very likable even though he is a killer and has no remorse for anything he does. When he is captured, he does what he is told without giving them too much trouble. He seems to know when to sit back and let things happen and wait until he has the upper hand. Even though he has been captured and is handcuffed, he remains upbeat and never feels like he is a prisoner. He remains talkative and is almost friendly to certain people who are escorting him to the train station. He and Evans become close and develop a respect and appreciation for one another. 
Bale is an actor who always seems to succeed no matter what role he is in. He does it again in “3:10” to Yuma.” Evans is a man driven by what is best for his family. He takes the job as escort because the money is good and will help the family get out of finical trouble. He also wants to prove himself to his sons. He sees himself as a failure because they are in debt and are struggling to pay it back. He is determined to get Wade onto the Yuma train so that his sons have a reason to be proud of him. He did something that no one else wanted to do.
I have always wondered why westerns are so few and far between. They have the action that many movies sent in present day have and sometimes have much better story lines. “Yuma” shows that westerns are still relevant and can be as exciting as any other movies released
8 out of 10
Rated R for violence and some language
1 hr 57 mins
When I found myself with nothing to do on Sunday night, I decided to watch the “Oscars of television;” the Emmys. The pageantry. The upsets. The drama. The…Ryan Seacrest? Here is a little break down of what you may or may not have missed.
The Host
Ryan Seacrest was the best that they could find? The man who was smacked with the lucky stick and landed the American Idol gig? Only on Fox could he pass as the one to host a major awards show. True, he does have some “hosting” experience, but that does not mean he is a good choice. I will give him credit; he did try to be funny. He even made a few jokes at his own expense, but his forced energy just makes me want to throw my television through the window.
“In the round”
While good in theory, having a round stage and placing the audience around it is horrible in practice. Half the audience got to stare at the presenters/winners butts all night. Maybe they should have stuck with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy.
Family Guy Emmy Opening Song
The show opened with Brian and Stewie Griffin singing a song where they ripped on all major networks except Fox…wonder why that is?
Ray Romano
The “Everybody Loves Raymond” star came out of his post show coma and put on a little comedy act about how life sucks after you show is off the air. Sounds like somebody is regretting that decision.
The Winners
Comedy Series-“30 Rock”
Seen it and it is not the funny. “ “Entourage” or “The Office” should have won
Drama Series-The Sopranos
There is nothing like ending your television show to get the pity Emmy.
Lead actor in a comedy-Ricky Gervais-“Extras”
If Steve Carell was not going to win for “The Office,” Gervais was the next best choice.
Lead actor in a drama-James Spader-“Boston Legal,”
I guess “Boston Legal” is still on the air. I am pretty sure I lost a bet to someone.
Lead actress in a comedy-America Ferrera-“Ugly Betty”
“Weeds” is a much better show and Mary Louise Parker is a much better actress.
Lead actress in a drama-Sally Field-“Brothers and Sisters”
You have to love it when as soon as the winner starts talking about the war, Fox shuts off the sound and shows a shot of a decoration on the ceiling.
Supporting actor in a comedy-Jeremy Piven-Entourage
Face it; the other nominees did not stand a chance against Ari Gold.
Supporting actor in a drama-Terry O’Quinn-“Lost”
At least “Lost” won for something this year.
Supporting actress in a comedy-Jamie Pressly-“My Name is Earl”
Not the best choice, but at least “Two and a Half Men” got shut out despite having two of the six nominations.
Supporting actress in a drama-Katherine Heigl-Grey’s Anatomy
When three of the six nominees come from the same show, one of them has to win.
There are probably better ways to waste three hours on a Sunday night than watching an industry toot their own horns, but when there is nothing else on, you are limited in your choices. The new television season begins this week and maybe among the multitude of shows there will be one worthy of an Emmy next year.
I have seen a lot of movies, more then should be allowed by law, but something happened to me this past weekend that has never happened before; I was speechless. Usually, good or bad, there is something to say. Yet, as I walked out of the theater, I could find no words to express what I had just seen. I was absolutely blown away by “The Kingdom.” It comes on Sept. 28, but I was lucky enough to attend a sneak preview this past Saturday.
In an American compound in Saudi Arabia, American oil workers and their families are enjoying a picnic when a suicide bomber attacks. Dozens are killed in the initial attack and a few hours later when the ambulances arrive, another bomb goes off killing even more. FBI agent Ronald Fluery (Jamie Foxx) and his team Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) and Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper) are determined to get over there and find those responsible. After being told “no” by the U.S Government at every turn, they get permission from one of the Saudi princes to land in his kingdom. Once there they receive very little help from the Saudi soldiers and are even prevented from doing their job. They are strangers in a dangerous country and are instantly targets for the Saudi terrorists. They will not let that stop them from making sure that the man behind the attacks is caught.
With big stars come great performances. Chris Cooper again shows why he is the “best actor you do not know” and Jamie Foxx redeems his less then stellar post-Oscar roles. Jennifer Garner shows that despite past movies, she is a good actress and even Jason Bateman shows that he not only has comedic chops, but is also a very good dramatic actor. 
Even with all the big names, the one performance that stood was Ali Suliman. He plays Sgt. Haytham, the Saudi soldier who is put in charge of overseeing the Americans. He starts out being very cold toward the team and gives them very little help and many restrictions as to when and what they can do. He wanted to lead the investigation, but the prince put another soldier, one who is more about beating the truth out of a suspect then looking for clues and finding answers, in charge. It is not until Fluery asks the prince if Haytham could be put in charge of the Saudi side of the investigation that he begins to warm up to the Americans. When he is given more power, Haytham takes a more active role in the investigation and helps the FBI. He presents the view of the majority of the Saudis. He is against the extremists and wants to stop them. Despite his initial coldness, he joins forces with the Americans when the terrorist group responsible for the attacks, captures Leavitt. There are multiple scenes where he expresses his outrage and says that a man who can plan mass killings scares him.
What struck me most about “The Kingdom” were the different perspectives shown. Where it would be easy to just show the American or even the Saudi soldier viewpoint, they decided to also showed a few scenes from the terrorist perspective. They are shown in meetings, praying and making bombs. We see the belief and resolve they have and that is juxtaposed with the belief and resolve of the FBI in finding those responsible.
If there is one downside it is the slow beginning. It takes a while before the movie gets to the real meat of the plot, but once they get over to Saudi Arabia, the story picks up. The claim that the last 30 minuets are so intense you will not be able to move is scarily accurate. It is one extended action scene as the team tries to rescue their captured comrade. It is filled with shootouts, explosions and lots on tension.
It takes a lot for me to have such a strong reaction to a movie these days. Most of the new releases are a waste of time and never amount too much 10 dollars down the drain. This is one of those few exceptions that show how good a movie can be.
9 out of 10
Rated R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence, and for language.
1 hr 50 mins
