Article first published as DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Review on Seat42F.
Thursday, January 21st brings
one of, if not the, most anticipated mid-season premiere on the
broadcast networks. DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, a spin-off combining
characters from the popular shows The Flash and Arrow, launches,
expanding the comic book universe on the network, and making three
simultaneously running series set in the same universe. It’s the
culmination of the crossovers that have worked very well for the two
shows, and a chance to see some fan favorite characters a lot more
often. While Marvel is winning at the box office, DC is dominating the
small screen.
The premise of DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW
is well publicized, so I don’t mind recapping it here. Rip Hunter
(Arthur Darvill, Doctor Who, Broadchurch) comes back in time from a
bleak future in which Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) is destroying the
world. To prevent catastrophe, Rip assembles eight people remembered in
history as legends to team up and stop Vandal before his rise to power.
These include: Professor Martin Stein (Victor Garber) and Jefferson
Jackson (Franz Drameh), who together become Firestorm; the resurrected
Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), now the White Canary; Ray Palmer (Brandon
Routh), a.k.a. The Atom; the immortal Hawkman (Falk Hentschel) and
Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee), also known as Chay-Ara and Khufu, who have their
own history with Vandal; and the villainous Leonard Snart (Wentworth
Miller) and Mick Rory (Dominic Purcell), dubbed Captain Cold and Heat
Wave because of their weapons.
The group is undeniably fun. By
including antagonists alongside protagonists, there is natural conflict
and varied motivations. The spectrum runs from the idealistic (Ray) to
the in-it-for-themselves (Leonard and Mick), from those seeking
redemption (Sara) to those just out for adventure (Martin). Some have a
personal stake in the outcome, while others want to prove something to
themselves. None stand out as “the” star, all coming from second-fiddle
status on Arrow and / or The Flash, making DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW one
of the truest, most balanced ensembles assembled.
While not all of the actors are on the
level of Garber or Darvill, both fantastic actors, they are well used in
these roles. The writers have smartly figured out the characters, and
played to the strengths of the individual performers as much as
possible. Miller and Purcell are delightfully re-teamed after their
stint on Prison Break as brothers, albeit with a totally different
chemistry. Overall, it’s a nice assembly.
I wouldn’t say my review of the pilot is
quite as glowing as how excited I am about the premise. With
expectations high, DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW has a lot to live up to, and
while it gets off to a decent start, it still has some way to go.
The main flaw I see is that this series
was created when a group of people thought “Wouldn’t it be fun to see
____ together with ____.” It’s a hodgepodge of characters, not at all
like an Avengers best-of-their-class team up. This is a great concept,
but it takes a lot of skill and finesse to make it work. The first two
hours fall just a bit short of that, at times having some really good
interactions, particularly between Sara and Leonard, but at other times,
feeling more like the idea is better than the execution.
There is hope, however. While the
premise seems a bit weak at the start, there is a twist late in the
first hour that does a lot to righting the course of the story and
making things that seem off make more sense. I can’t reveal what I mean
by that, but if you can get through that rocky beginning, it will result
in a good pay off. The second half of the pilot, which will air a week
later, is much better because of it.
At the end of the day, I remain excited
about this show. It has a bit of maturing to do, not hitting the ground
running as strong as The Flash did, but with a better start than
Arrow’s. The sheer adventure element is so much fun, and I do look
forward to the character growth that will surely emerge, as well as the
larger scale story that this series is tailor-made to tackle. The CW has
very valuable property on their hands with their DC partnership, and I
hope they continue to make good use of it.
DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW premieres Thursday, January 21st on the CW with the first half of the two-hour pilot.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.