Catching Up With THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLIDER

 Article first published as THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER Review on Seat42F.

SPOILER WARNING: This review contains spoilers about the first (and only the first) episode of the series.

Marvel’s second MCU television series premiered on Disney Plus this weekend. THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER, as the title implies, follows Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Doing what, it’s not quite clear in the first episode, as the two do not come into contact. Nor are two more important characters from the films, Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) and Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), anywhere in sight. But the first hour is a set up as to where the two heroes currently are and what their state of mind is before the six-episode story really gets going.

The premiere of THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER starts with a big action sequence featuring The Falcon before it gets personal. I know a lot of people watch Marvel for the big action sequences, and this one should satisfy them. It’s a start-of-the-movie bit, with the hero versus a gang of villains. Not even close to a final showdown, but something to get people excited.

Personally, I thought it went on a little long. Perhaps it did so because there was almost no more action the rest of the episode and they wanted to take care of that segment of viewership. But things got a lot more interesting for me once we checked in with Sam the person, not Sam the hero, and that’s what I hope THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER is primarily about.

Sam is not a man out of time, but he is a man out of step with everything around him. His family has been suffering financially, his sister, Sarah (Adepero Oduye, 12 Years a Slave), having to take care of the family business herself when Sam blipped out of existence for five years. (And can we PLEASE have a series set DURING the blip??? I need to see that!) Sarah doesn’t welcome him back with open arms. Sam is determined to hang onto the past, which causes conflict between them. The question remains, will it be possible for him to do so? Or does he need to move on?

Along similar lines, Sam willingly gives up Captain America’s shield to the Smithsonian, not able to see anyone else but Steve Rogers as the Cap. But by handing over the shield to the U.S. government, he gives up control of Steve’s legacy. So like his family’s business, things may now have taken a turn that he doesn’t have anything to do with and can’t get back.

By contrast, in THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLIDER, Bucky is trying to make up for the past rather than change it. He is in therapy with Dr. Raynor (Amy Aquino, Borsch) and slowly making amends for the wrongs he did as the Winter Solider. This isn’t easy, but he’s trying, and that’s what matters, even if I’m not sure he’s feeling it does. At least this is something that gives him purpose, considering almost everyone he knew is dead and he’s a man out of time.

He also dips his toe into the dating pool with entertaining results, proving just what an old man he really is at heart. It’s the type of comedy mined for Steve in the films, but somehow seems even more amusing when it happens with Bucky.

Of course, there is a villainous group rearing their heads halfway around the world, as Sam’s friend Joaquin (Danny Ramirez, The Gifted) is looking into. This will probably be the mission that brings Sam and Bucky together. Zemo and Sharon Carter are probably connected, too. I’m guessing that will be the main thrust for the next five episodes.

But I hope as THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER takes off, it doesn’t forget what this first installment was about: two men searching for their place in the world. I find that tale more compelling, and that’s the one I want to see more of. Sure, they can go kick butt against supervillains and that’s entertaining. However, rich characters are the heart of the franchise, and with six hours to tell the story, there’s plenty of time to explore that here. Let’s hope they do.

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER releases new episodes to stream Fridays on Disney Plus.

New Series INVINCIBLE

 Article first published as Amazon Prime's INVINCIBLE Review on Seat42F.

Amazon Prime has a new hour-long animated series coming next week called INVINCIBLE. Based on the comics of the same name by Robert Kirkman, the story follows a teen boy who begins to exhibit superpowers like his dad. This in a world filled with supers, both heroes and villains, with teams of powered people everywhere you look. But this particular boy is soon drawn into drama between several of them, and some dark secrets make things messy, indeed.

In preparing for this review, I not only watched the three episodes Amazon made available, but also read the first dozen or so issues of the comic. INVINCIBLE is a compelling tale that starts out looking like one thing but then becomes something almost completely different, yet at the same time holding onto a steady core. There are differences in the adaptation from page to screen, with some characters changing ethnicity and gender, and events are rearranged. Also, the comic seems to have more roles that are direct copies or parodies of existing properties from other publishers. But the changes seem to be good ones, mostly made to deepen the story and fit the episodic format length. If you were already a fan of the book, I suspect you’ll like this adaptation.

I can’t think of another hour-long animated show. The episodes, without commercials, come in at forty-some minutes, about as long as a broadcast drama, and double the length of most cartoons. The material in INVINCIBLE justifies it, though. Like Robert Kirkman’s other famous property, The Walking Dead, the story is complex and disturbing, at times graphically violent (as teased in the trailer). Yet, INVINCIBLE also has a cheery optimism because of its lead, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun, The Walking Dead), that keeps things entertaining.

The voice cast is stacked with huge talent. Yeun stars, and the other two leads listed in the credits are Mark’s superhero dad, Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons, Whiplash, Spider-Man), and ‘normal’ mom, Debbie Grayson (Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve). There’s a shady government type, Cecil Stedman, voiced by Walton Goggins (Justified). And among those playing other supers are Gillian Jacobs (Community), Jason Mantzoukas (The Good Place), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express), Mahershala Ali (House of Cards), Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Clancy Brown (Lost), Melise (The Vampire Diaries), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead), Chad L. Coleman (The Walking Dead), Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead), Khary Payton (The Walking Dead), Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), and Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walk-, er, Star Trek: Discovery). Not to mention other characters voiced by Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley), Andrew Rannells (Girls), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars). Believe it or not, this is not a complete list of recognizable names, and this list should give you an idea of how good the show is that so many pros wanted to be involved.

The world of superpowers has been done to death, and yet INVINCIBLE feels fresh. Partly because it leans on the tropes and familiar archetypes you already know and subverts them. Partly because it sometimes feels like its making fun of the genre it portrays, even while the characters feel grounded. This is a new take, and one worth watching.

As far as the story goes, I can’t say much. There are locks on spoilers, and I wouldn’t want to give anything away if I could because the shocks hit hard and fast. What I can say is this. The pilot starts out looking very much like a late 80s / early 90s cartoon of my youth, and that style never changes, lending an immediate comfort. But by the end of the first hour, this is disrupted, and each subsequent installment only continues the transformation. It is an artistically interesting production with an intriguing mystery and plenty of emotional-moving scenes. I both laughed and cried already. I definitely recommend it.

INVINCIBLE drops its first three episodes on Friday, March 26th, with weekly episodes streaming after that, only on Amazon Prime.

Not Quite THE ONE

 Article first published as THE ONE Netflix Review on Seat42F.

One of Netflix’s newest series is THE ONE. A British sci-fi crime drama, THE ONE is set in the near future where a company has found a way to match someone with their soul mate using DNA testing. As presented, the test only gives each person a single perfect match. If both people submit to the test, then that match is shared with them. In this world, there has been a HUGE spike in divorce, causing political unrest. But the head of the company calls this only a slight adjustment, and says divorces will be almost nonexistent after society adapts. Who is right, and what other ramifications are there to this technology?

The description above seems idyllic. I certainly wished for such an easy way to find someone in my younger, single days. But since perfect worlds make bad stories, given the lack of drama, THE ONE of courses only uses that as an overlay. Seemingly perfect worlds with a lot of bad stuff going on under the surface are a more familiar genre, and this show is definitely an entry in that one.

What surprises me the most is how much of the plot isn’t really about the system of perfect matches itself. That’s certainly present, and the system is manipulated by the cynical and the guileless. However, much of the driving story is made up of other tensions that happen around the system but not as much because of the way the system works. Which is too bad because I really want to know why only one person matches with you in the entire world and what happens if that person is no longer around? Can’t there be a second tier for those whose match are dead? Are there not other great matches?

Rebecca Webb (Hannah Ware, Boss) currently runs the primary company in THE ONE. She touts the success of her own relationship as being a product of that system, though like much of what she says, that is a lie. Instead, she is concerned only with making her system prevalent throughout the world, no matter the cost. Whether this is because she really believes in it or because she’s greedy, it’s hard to say. Flashbacks reveal some personal drama and her connection to a dead body that threatens to derail everything.

Another lead in THE ONE is Kate Saunders (Zoë Tapper, Mr. Selfridge), a cop who is surprised that her own match is a woman. Although she has dated both men and women, she expected to be paired with a guy. She is absolutely delighted with her pairing, though, until things take a tragic turn. Might this motivate her in looking into Rebecca? It’s not a focus in the first three episodes I viewed, but it seems like a logical next step.

Rounding out the trio of central women is Hannah Bailey (Lois Chimimba, Trust Me). Lois feels insecure in her marriage to Mark (Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Harlots), and after watching her best friend’s union fall apart because of THE ONE’s system, decides to proactively protect herself. So she submits her husband’s DNA and tracks down his match. Which of course inadvertently brings her husband and the other woman into contact with one another. Are any problems after this Hannah’s own fault? Will her husband fall in love and leave an otherwise happy relationship? Are they really happy if she’s this insecure?

The questions posed in THE ONE are interesting and worth exploring. There are many ways to go with this, and I’m glad it stays relatively focused on three plot lines for the initial eight-episode run (or at least the three episodes I’ve seen). Yet, I don’t find it as compelling as I’d expect to. It’s more a feeling than a concrete set of gripes I can list. Tone or pacing may play a part, but it’s just an overall impression I’m left with. It seems a well enough made and acted show, and I’m somewhat interested. But there’s something about it that feels less the sum of its parts and keeps it from rising to a must-see series.

THE ONE is streaming now on Netflix.