HEROES REBORN Rises From the Dead

Article originally published as HEROES REBORN Review on Seat42F.

More than five years ago, NBC’s Heroes ended their four-season run with a barely-begun Volume 6, “Brave New World,” and the words To Be Continued… Now, HEROES REBORN finally gives us that “Brave New World,” the title of its first episode back, as it begins a new Volume 1.

Because a number of years have passed since the events of Heroes, the new show can’t just jump right in. We get a series of flashbacks to introduce a number of the new players, as well as a huge, traumatic event that shakes the world. Then, the action picks up one year later, with the world living in fear of the Evos (what those with powers are called), and a fresh batch of heroes in hiding. The one man who may be able to usher them into a new era is the one who resisted attempts to change the world in the first place, and a familiar face.

Yes, Noah Bennet, a.k.a. HRG (for Horn-Rimmed Glasses), is the bridge between Heroes and HEROES REBORN. Having lost his estranged daughter, Claire, in the big attack, Noah (Jack Coleman) is trying to build a new life for himself. But HRG was never one able to sit on the sidelines, and as soon as Quentin Frady (Henry Zebrowski, A to Z) enters his life, it takes little prodding to get him back on track.

HRG is the perfect character to continue the story. He is involved with many of the heroes, but isn’t a hero himself. He also has history with The Company, which is very much a part of the new conspiracy and story. He is the relatable everyman, while also being the mysterious guy in the know. And his presence, a strong one in the new miniseries, is part of the reason that HEROES REBORN feels just like another season of Heroes.

Now, Heroes itself was a mixed bag, but in the early days, it was very good, and HEROES REBORN gets us back to those early days. There’s a lot going on that the audience doesn’t realize and must figure out. There is a high school student just learning how his abilities work. There are a pair of adorable Japanese geeks. There is a man who resists stepping up, but must in order to protect those he cares about. The Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis) may hold the answers. Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is on the run from the law, presumably framed for something he didn’t do. So yep, pretty much the same stuff.

I mention Mohinder and The Haitian, and both are part of the two-hour premiere, sort of. They are not the only people who get shout-outs from the past, and I’m sure there will be others. One former player, in particular, has a surprising role in the second hour. But like Heroes, which introduced new players each season, HEROES REBORN keeps the world alive and growing, while bringing in fresh elements, with a bit more overhaul than previous new seasons.

There are a bunch of faces we’re seeing for the first time that are quite welcome. Tommy (Robbie Kay, Once Upon a Time) is the aforementioned high schooler who, like Claire, is hunted and must stay in the shadows. Kaye is a very talented young actor, and the perfect choice to continue this tradition. We also meet Luke (Zachary Levi, Chuck) and Joanne Collins (Judith Shekoni, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), who have lost a son and seek revenge, as well as a mysterious man (Pruitt Taylor Vince, Deadwood), whose intentions are unknown. This grouping is the second big story, aside from HRG’s, that plays into the main mythology.

HEROES REBORN also needs a bit of humor, as Heroes had, and that’s where Miko (Kiki Sukezane, The Yokai King) and Ren (Toru Uchikado) come into play, serving much the same purpose as Hiro and Ando did in the first go-round. They’ll get involved with everyone else, eventually, but first they have their own quest.

Basically, HEROES REBORN re-creates what was great about Heroes, makes good use of its forbearer, and still manages to seem fresh and interesting. I hope this miniseries ends up being the start of another multi-season run, as the initial installments prove that the franchise has plenty of life left in it. As long as this time quality is maintained, perhaps partially by keeping the seasons shortened to thirteen episodes, as this one is, it would be great to get another four years.

HEROES REBORN premieres Thursday, September 24^th at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Jules Verne's Mysterious Island not all that mysterious

From Green Apple Entertainment comes Jules Verne's Mysterious Island. Directed by the fantastic Mark Sheppard (Warehouse 13, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly), this tale is adapted from the novel of the same name by the famous author. In it, Civil War soldiers end up on a chunk of land in the middle of the sea, threatened by deadly creatures they do not understand, running from pirates, and helped by an unseen friend.

Whenever one sees something horrible, it's a difficult job to critique. This is the case with Jules Verne's Mysterious Island. Spending any time at all reviewing opens one's eyes to the dedication and commitment so many people pour into each and every project that is released. Just because a program is bad, doesn't mean there aren't lots of people who worked really hard on it. It's not with any sense of meanness that I respond to this film. It's not fun to tear someone down, and credit must be given to anyone who pours heart and soul into building a project such as this. But fair and honest review must be given.

Jules Verne's Mysterious Island is not about characters; it is about story. Specifically, the story of some survivors trapped on an island, struggling to survive. Then they realize that the island will soon be destroyed, and they must get off. Which means it relies heavily on action, suspense, and special effects, which are not the strong suit of this film.

Some of the special effects are serviceable. Not big screen worthy, to be sure, but for television, the giant octopus and the lightning clouds are not bad. Other effects are pretty horrible, and having the villains run around in shaggy coats harkens back to the 1960s, when Star Trek couldn't afford anything better. But with a limited budget, priorities must be in place. Regular SyFy viewers should be unphased, as it is on par with the made-for-TV movies the network produces. It's just a shame, because a story like Mysterious Island really needs more money to make it work correctly.

The writing falls flat. This is not the fault of the source material, which has a lot more characters, and twists, than this adaptation. But forced into the TV movie format and length, and playing by the general conventions of such films on SyFy, decisions have been made that do not benefit the production. The Civil War soldiers from the book remain, but without the journalist or the dog that accompanies them. Also, a couple of girls from 2012 are added, which provides a little bit of commentary on the improvement of race relations towards a Confederate soldier.

Too bad the other characters appear more evolved than befits a person of their time, and accept their new reality, and nice treatment of minorities, without question. That's not to say anyone should be racist, but with such a great opportunity for meaty drama presented, to have it barely passed over is disappointing.

The one cool thing this movie does that the book does not is add a little to Nemo's tragic back story, changing the circumstances surrounding his crew's fate. I will not spoil the twist, but it's a fitting one that deserves more explanation than appears on screen.

Some of the acting is decent, too. Press materials promote Emmy winner Pruitt Taylor Vince (The Walking Dead) as being in the cast, but sadly, his part is small and unimportant. However, Gina Holden (Harper's Island, Flash Gordon) is good, and W. Morgan Sheppard (The Prestige) makes a great Nemo. Even better, Sheppard's real life son, Mark, the director of the film, cameos as a young Nemo in flashback! Mark, a go-to guest star in many terrific series, is always wonderful.

Unfortunately, Gina is just the supportive female, and the Sheppards aren't the leads, either. Carrying the film falls to Lochlyn Munro (Charmed, White Chicks), who plays Union Captain Cyrus Harding. It isn't that Munro is bad, it's just that he fails to fully connect this character with the audience. Harding mostly tries to control the situation, but doesn't reveal much of himself. This leads to a protagonist who folks don't care about, making it hard to get into the film.

There isn't much to complain about in the rest of the cast. But the other characters are even flatter than Cyrus, playing on stereotypes and conventions, and not getting much development on a personal level.

Overall, Jules Verne's Mysterious Island is not without some merit, but it doesn't beg for repeat viewings, nor can I recommend it for purchase, especially when being sold, sans special features, at a price equivalent will fully loaded releases. It's a diversion, and fans of cheesy science fiction might enjoy it. It is now available on DVD.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as DVD Review: Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island on Blogcritics.