POWERS That Be

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Sony Playstation became the newest original series provider today with POWERS, its hour-long drama about people with superhuman abilities. Based on the comic of the same name, POWERS takes place in a world that, while not common, superpowers are present in a number of the population and have been for some time. With a new generation taking for granted their strengths, a grizzled former costumed crime fighter helps an underfunded unit control the baddies.

Our lead character is Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley, District 9), who was once known as Diamond. Christian is a complex character who regrets losing his powers and would do almost anything to get them back - except the one thing he knows that will. He’s still got the heart of a hero, but his skills to back that up are considerably reduced. He’s a brooding, unfulfilled man, and POWERS will surely be about him overcoming obstacles to return to his former glory, with or without special abilities.

Christian’s world is a very dark one. A single wrong move in handling a captured villain gets his partner killed in the line of duty, an event we’re told is not uncommon in this work. The public needs Christian and the rest of the department, led by Captain Cross (Adam Godley, A Young Doctor’s Notebook), but they won’t provide them with the resources to be effective, instead counting on other superheroes to do a job that they just aren’t doing as well as they used to.

The problem with the youth of today who should be out saving the city is a familiar problem often seen in stereotypical portrayals of teens now. They are addicted to social media and technology, and obsessed with achieving fame with little or no effort. They want to make their names on YouTube, not by saving lives. It’s regrettable, to say the least.

This is one of POWERS’ largest issues: the flat way in which characters or situations are introduced. Not everything in the pilot happens exactly as expected, but a great deal of it does. The primary bad guy, Johnny Royalle (Noah Taylor, Game of Thrones), is talked up too much to be frightening. The dialogue is frequently boring and trite, and large parts of the main plot are superficial. This applies even when Christian is on screen, and on paper Christian looks to be a very fascinating individual.

The reason I’m not ready to write off the show, though, is because of the potential here. Because Christian is intriguing on paper, POWERS could do a lot to make him come to life. His mentor-turned-arch nemesis, Wolfe (Eddie Izzard, Hannibal), is equally compelling, and viewers are sure to empathize with the girl who desperately wants to be like her heroes, Calista (Olesya Rulin, Greek). We also have yet to catch more than a glimpse of Retro Girl (Michelle Forbes, The Killing), Christian’s ex who is still in the game. Even if there’s nothing original about Christian’s new partner, Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward, The Following), and the up-and-comer with a crush on him, Zora (Logan Browning, Meet the Browns), is kind of creepy, POWERS may still go somewhere.

The biggest problem Playstation will have with POWERS, though, is probably going to be the lack of availability. The first episode is free on YouTube (in a terrible version of HD), but you are required to sign up for a Playstation account in order to buy the rest, which cost additional money. Other TV series are offered through this service, but this is the only original show, so I don’t see a lot of people going to the effort and expense of doing this. Worse, it is not available on other Sony platforms, such as a blu-ray player, even though other Sony devices have the same video service (though it can be watched on a computer). Those who have Playstations likely make up a lot of the target audience, but there are plenty of other viewers who would watch if it were easier to do so. This release is pretty poorly handled.

POWERS has made the first three episodes available today, with an additional seven coming in the first season. Check it out if you want to, but be prepared to pay if you want to keep watching past the pilot.

MALEFICENT Not Quite Magnificent, But Jolie Is

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Maleficent' on Blogcritics.

Disney’s Maleficent, a re-telling of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty with a twist, comes to Blu-ray and DVD this week. Starring Angelina Jolie (Salt, Mr. & Mrs Smith) in the title role, this film seeks to give layers to what has often been a one-dimensional villain, unspooling the story from a different perspective. It’s one that mostly works. I admit to having relatively low expectations going in, despite a friend’s defense of it, which means the enjoyable result is a pleasant surprise.

Maleficent begins with the titular fairy as a young girl (played by Isobelle Molloy, EastEnders). She’s innocent and bold, loving life and the world around her. One day, Maleficent meets Stefan (Michael Higgins), a human. Despite his bad traits, such as a penchant for stealing, the two hit it off. Little does the girl know, though, that Stefan will grow up to be a manipulative man (Sharlto Copley, District 9) who will betray her in order to become king.

This is when Maleficent turns dark, somewhat early in the running time. After her wings are stolen in a moving sequence, her need for revenge is understandable. That she takes it out on an unborn child makes less sense,  but even this wronged version of the character is not one who will murder or maim, so perhaps it’s done in an empty-threat, kick-the-can-down-the-road sort of way. Once Aurora (Elle Fanning, Super 8) is born, though, and sent to live with three inept pixies (Harry Potter‘s Imelda Staunton, Fleming‘s Lesley Manville, and Killer Joe‘s Juno Temple), Maleficent can’t help but be drawn to the child, whom she comes to like and protect, which makes the fulfillment of the curse somewhat complicated.

While not normally a huge fan of Jolie, I don’t think the movie would work in practically anyone else’s hands. The role is perfect for her. Jolie captures the coldness and danger lurking beneath Malefient’s exterior, but also the vulnerability and magic of the part. She plays this evil-looking, yet still gorgeous, witch in a way that never feels scary, and that pairs nicely with the perpetually-sweet Aurora. Make no mistake about it, Jolie is the number one reason to watch this film.

The story itself isn’t bad. It’s a tad simplistic and predictable, while also weak in logic periodically. Yet it’s cohesive and plays out in a way that makes sense for the characters. Fast-paced enough to hold a child’s interest, the material is deep enough for adults to engage with, too, striking that rare balance in a movie that the whole family truly can enjoy.

Maleficent does push the boundaries of the PG rating. There is no cursing or sex, but there is plenty of violence, including some Lord of the Rings-esque battle scenes, which tend to be required for this type of movie these days (though they’re mostly unnecessary in this case). The humor, mostly delivered by the three pixies, who are well-cast with three terrific, somewhat underused actresses, is more silly than edgy, which may be a good thing for the target audience.

The visuals of Maleficent are mostly stunning as presented in 1080p high definition. There are some moments where certain characters are noticeably digital renderings, rather than actors, but the creatures that populate Maleficent’s moor, as well as the world the movie is set in, are beautiful. The pixies are done by blending the actresses’ actual features into animated creations in a very cool way. I only wish a 3D version were to be officially released in the U.S. (Amazon does have a region-free version listed) as this movie practically begs for that added depth, but it’s still a very good presentation. The audio levels are mixed in such a way that action scenes are a LOT louder than dialogue ones, so you do have to keep a hand on the remote. However, the clarity in the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix is crystal and music and voices coexist nicely when combined.

Maleficent does have a decent amount of extras, too. There are deleted scenes. The ones featuring the pixies better round out the characters than how they are shown in-film, so I wish they hadn’t been cut. There’s a featurette on Aurora, having Fanning talk about her part, which should appeal to young fans. For the older crowd, we see how the movie is made, the creation of the battle stuff, a look at the visual effects, and Maleficent’s costume elements.

While Maleficent is far from perfect, with Stefan making a forgettable villain, it is well-made and much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. It’s definitely worth a watch for the effects and Jolie’s performance, which are both excellent.

Maleficent arrives on Blu-ray and DVD November 4.