Reviews

Has anyone noticed Ritchson gained about 40 lbs of pure muscle for season two? Where does a guy who's always on the road, walking no less, manage to gain that much muscle mass---without a gym membership? His only companion is a toothbrush, not a nationwide gym membership.

In the books, the character is well-honed with a fit body but this guy looks like he's trying to outdo Schwarzenegger. And his amorphous body has changed multiple times in the first three episodes of season two.

In one scene he looks bloated and overweight, and in another he looks much slimmer and toned. In still another scene he looks like the Hulk, and the next he's back to normal.

That's because they don't film scenes in order so the discontinuity is off-putting. Why hasn't a producer told him to cut back on the protein shakes? His caloric intake is way too high for the energy he's expending, a common mistake that weightlifters make.

As for acting, I rely on the other characters to provide dramatic relief. Ritchson is an okay actor but if he spent half as much time in acting class as he does working out he'd be downright Shakespearean.

While I do like the plot lines, and the developing backstory, the action scenes are too few and far between. And they should never put Ritchson against an accomplished actor like the detective in season two (amazing performance).

But all in all I like it. The new more muscled look of Ritchson in season two will make you do a double take. It's more distracting than useful.

Mark Wahlberg saved this movie.

He's solely responsible for making this a must see movie.

He brings to it what Shia never could. Great acting and maturity.

Playing the doting father was a stroke of genius.

He's like every father afraid for his daughters well being.

I never laughed so hard in my life watching this.

Plus the story was playful without all the angst off the previous films.

A fun movie with great special effects.

Looking forward to the next installment and what they come up with.

Michael Bay outdid himself.

Hank Paulson, who was named as one of the top 25 people who plunged the world into an "Economic Meltdown" in 2008 by Time magazine, gets a face-lift in this movie produced by his buddy, Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg Businessweek. Not only have other documentaries shown he was the catalyst that drove the recession in 2008 onward, it was his idea to bail out the banks that proved to be the worst, possible decision ever made. Now that Paulson, Bloomberg, and Thomas Steyer are all on the same page with their global-warming mambo-jumbo, the first thing that needed to be done was repair Paulson's terrible public image by making this movie. For a more accurate view, watch Inside Job or Too Big to Fail for a more critical, truthful portrayal of this windbag. This movie is nothing more than nanny Bloomberg's shallow attempt at giving Paulson a public do-over.

It's also no secret that when he became treasury Secretary, he sold nearly $500 million in Goldman Sachs stock without paying a single penny in capital gains taxes (or any taxes for that matter). In July 2006, "Henry Paulson liquidated 3.23 million shares of Goldman, roughly 1% of the entire company, in a one-time public sale." That left Paulson with a tax-free gain of $491 million. Read that again: $491 million free and clear. Without this loophole, Paulson would have been liable for more than "$200 million worth of state and Federal capital gains taxes." Why? In 1989, the government created a "one-time loophole that gives the political candidate the ability to liquidate his or her entire portfolio without paying a dime in capital gains taxes." The loophole only applies to the President, Vice President and cabinet Secretaries. Congress does not qualify. The rich DO get richer, as did Paulson, who is now parlaying his fame (infamy?) by teaming up with nanny Bloomberg Productions and scare-tactics Steyer, the phony triptych of the modern world.

This is another one of those David E. Kelley's shows (Chicago Hope, Picket Fences, The Practice, Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, and the death-by-a-thousand-network cuts Harry's Law) that features great casting, plotting, and above else, wonderful writing.

It has just enough gallows humor so it's not over the top, and while some compare it to Gray's Anatomy, this is definitely not soap-opera fare. This is like a cross between Chicago Hope and Boston Legal.

And with Kelley's pension for inserting legal drama into all his shows (he was, after all, an attorney), it didn't take long before a recurring "shark" started popping up on the show suing different doctors (Anthony Heald). Sadly, using Heald repeatedly to sue different doctors beggars belief. If anything, they should have made Heald a hospital lawyer as a regular as he is too good an actor not to utilize.

I'm not particularly fond of the title (though I get it), and even though it's based on the titular book, I think they could have come up with a more catchy title to lure in more viewers.

Other than that, I think anyone who hasn't had a chance to watch it should give it a chance. It's also nice to see Jamie Bamber again (on U.S. TV) after his long-term stint on Battlestar Galactica and some short-term series.

My hope is that one day Kelley will write a show for Showtime or HBO where his talents can really be unleashed. Even on TNT, you can tell that he's holding back in what people can say or do (thanks to onerous FCC regulations). Just look at the Netflix-only series House of Cards to see what I mean.

Note to TNT: Too Many Commercials!!! I have to use my DVR for this show because the commercials are endless. I think the show is actually 35 minutes long sans the commercials. Just when they start getting into a few good scenes, they cut to commercial.

The dialogue is wooden, the ligneous plot is all bark and no bite, the sylvan setting only highlights the hopelessly timbered characters, and the beams of a promising story can't penetrate the dead growth that riddles the entire movie. Like the giant Redwood in a copse of trees, it stands out as quite possibly the worst film of its genre, or any genre, I've seen in very long time.

If you do watch it, do so with people who have a sense of humor, and you have to take a shot of your favorite liquor every time there is an unneeded pause in dialogue longer than two seconds or a character says "um."

Having received a major facelift from last season (which was a 12-episode mid-season replacement), with better exterior sets, a new, modernized office, less emphasis on the "shoe store," and the addition of lawyer Tommy Jefferson as a regular cast member, Harry's Law has come a long way after it's summer hiatus.

The show is a combination of the gravitas you found with The Practice and the silliness of Boston Legal, and it should move ever so quickly toward being more like The Practice and tackle tough cases as it did in the three-episode story arc that kicked off season two.

Anyone familiar with David E. Kelley's other shows (like the two mentioned above) and his writing style, Harry's Law won't be that much of a departure from his previous efforts. He created and wrote most of the episodes for Picket Fences, Boston Public, and a few others that lasted 4+ years. I'm hoping Harry's Law's ratings give it a chance to continue a good 5-year run (at least) if the writing/plots remain top-notch.

Character casting this second season has been superb, with Jean Smart and Alfred Molina guest starring in the first three episodes. Having just left as a regular cast member of L&O: Los Angeles as it was prematurely canceled and was doing great as far as ratings were concerned, even the repeats, it was good to see Molina again in a character-driven role.

Kelley's writing is top-notch as usual, with only the occasional stumble, though I think that has more to do with editing the show down to 40 minutes as Kelley is a proficient writer who's characters can have five-minute polemics at a stretch. Maybe one day they'll release uncut versions of Harry's Law before the network editors took an ax to them.

I gave it 8 stars because I really can't stand the music as it reminds me too much of Boston Legal and '70's porn. :) I also knocked off another star because Tommy Jefferson is basically a clone of Denny Crane (William Shatner) of Boston Legal. He even introduces himself and says his name repeatedly just like Denny Crane used to do (and which grew tiresome after a few episodes) on the aforementioned show.

I hope the writing continues to be great, and that we get to see Harry spend more time in the courtroom where Kathy Bates is at her best (as is Kelley's writing). And if Jean Smart comes back, that would be icing on the cake as her character was pure evil cloaked in a genteel southern accent.

I also hope they get rid of the B-roll shots of Cincinnati after every commercial break. They are a waste of time and most shows don't use them and just jump back into the episode. This gives the viewer more actual story time and dialog.

Having suffered through the first half of the first season of L&O: LA, and now watching the re-imagined second half of the same season, I'm pleasantly surprised they actually pulled it off. That is, it's becoming more like the original L&O and not some sunny disposition on life in LaLa land and rampant medical marijuana.

They are also scouting out and actually using more locations as they did in N.Y. so you don't feel confined to the same old places or inside a studio's back lot. In the last episode, I counted about 15 non-studio locations which really upped the ante as far as quality of story and realism of plot.

I also noticed they brought in some veteran screenwriters from the recently canceled L&O and are starting to "rip from the headlines" more. Not to mention adding the beautiful Alana De La Garza to the ADA's office (they never did explain her transplantation to L.A. but that's par for the course with this franchise). We just need the extraordinary writer Rene Balcer to pen a few scripts and we're halfway home.

As for Alana, they desperately need to give her more lines. She's not just a pretty face but a very good actress. She was always one to get up in someone's face or talk back to some pushy witness or suspect (or cop!).

A guest visit from Linus Roache or Lupo or Anderson or Epatha would be gimmicky but a lot of fun. Who cares? It's T.V. Does anyone really believe a murder trial starts and ends in less than a month? Real murder cases take years. But on T.V. you have to speed things up or you end up with a show like Murder One or viewers changing the channel. Too bad they can't find an L&O franchise for Lupo.

The East Pasadena episode is a perfect example of "headline ripping" that actually happened to one Calif. principality, then utilizing another incident that actually happened in Florida where a man went to a city council meeting waving a gun and finally shot himself, and then tying it all together with a murder mystery.

I'm especially glad to see Mr. Ulrich gone (shot! killed! never to return!) and Molina taking his place. Whilst Ulrich is an O.K. actor, half the time his eyes were bloodshot and he looked very tired and fatigued. I don't think the pace of T.V. sits well with his move schedule metabolism.

Molina is a veteran actor and it shows. He is literally the anchor for the show now. Let's hope he doesn't depart prematurely. And they need a prominent out gay character other than a shrink like on SVU.

And Corey Stoll looks so much better without the 'stache it's amazing. He'll be one of People magazine's hottest men of the year in no time (barring the show's cancellation). Having played second fiddle in so many shows, it's about time he was recognized for his talent.

Rachel Ticotin, who still looks great since Total Recall, makes a tough but charming Lieutenant. Still haven't figured out the role of the DA played ephemerally by Peter Coyote. He's simply not memorable and not sure what his function is other than to bark at his subordinates.

With all the above being said, I'm very excited about the rest of the season and hope it continues to deliver above-excellent scripts and performances to make up for the horrible first half of the year. Worst…Episodes…Ever… I doubt L&O: LA will have the staying power of the original L&O, and NBC (now owned by Kabletown), is infamous for putting garbage on T.V. or doubling-up on what they consider a good thing (read: the Today show went from 2 hours to 4 to 5 to ?). Maybe Katie Couric can do the sixth and seventh hours! I'd like to see more episodes about the intricacies of Calif. law and business practices as they've done in a few episodes and on the original L&O. I always thought New York was a nanny state but Calif. makes N.Y. look like their babysitter's dead (don't tell Mom or Bloomberg!). I can now understand why so many businesses are fleeing CA for points East, and why people are moving to other states where the cost of living isn't so crippling.

So if you gave up on the show, give it another shot. I don't believe you'll be disappointed and like me will look forward to next week's episode. Who knows, maybe they'll shoot a couple of episodes during California's rainy season for a change of outdoor atmosphere. Flooding, rampage, riots, and of course, a floater.

Sadly, the premier episode, which is a story by Dick Wolf with the screenplay by Blake Masters, was so silly I almost stopped watching. In order for the show to say it was created by Dick Wolf, he needs to have written the first episode. Total ego trip.

And if you go back to the first L&O: SVU, you could pretty much give it a 3-star rating as well. Dick Wolf just isn't that imaginative. I'm holding off final judgment until I see more episodes, but so far it's off to a lousy start.

All the actors are good, even Skeet, but the premier episode was poorly written, cheesy, full of clichés, lacking in plot, and much too brightly lit. I hope it gets better.

I miss the original L&O. Even after 20 years, that show was actually getting better. The person at NBC who made the decision to cancel it should be fired. It may not have been a rating's giant like it was in its heyday, but the revenue from syndication more than would have compensated for it not being a top-ten show.

They should have done what they did with L&O:Criminal Intent and let USA pick it up as an original series. Bad decisions all around.

In Workforce: part 1, The crew of Voyager carry out their normal lives as workers on an industrial planet called Quarra, totally unaware of their time on Voyager or their situation in the Delta Quadrant.

Chakotay, Kim and Neelix, return from their trading mission on the Delta Flyer to find the ship abandoned and adrift in a nebula, with only the Doctor on board.

The Doctor informs them that the ship fell into a trap which forced them to abandon ship in the escape pods, allowing them to be captured. The Doctor has heard nothing from them since.

After going undercover on the planet, Chakotay, Kim, Neelix and the Doctor must now find a way to return the crew and restore their memories, while evading local authorities who have uncovered their plan.

In Workforce: part 2, Chakotay must convince Janeway and the other crew members of their past lives on Voyager. Matters are complicated when Chakotay is exposed and taken for interrogation.

Stardate: 54584.3

The crew of Voyager carry out their normal lives as workers on an industrial planet called Quarra, totally unaware of their time on Voyager or their situation in the Delta Quadrant.

Chakotay, Kim and Neelix, return from their trading mission on the Delta Flyer to find the ship abandoned and adrift in a nebula, with only the Doctor on board.

The Doctor informs them that the ship fell into a trap which forced them to abandon ship in the escape pods, allowing them to be captured. The Doctor has heard nothing from them since.

After going undercover on the planet, Chakotay, Kim, Neelix and the Doctor must now find a way to return the crew and restore their memories, while evading local authorities who have uncovered their plan.

Stardate: 54775.4

As we see on Enterprise, the Vulcans established a presence on Earth since First Contact, and supervised Earth's progress with warp technology and space exploration. Shortly thereafter, Earth sends the "Friendship One" probe to pre-warp civilizations.

Fast forward to the present: With regular communications to the Alpha Quadrant established, Starfleet sends a mission to Voyager: retrieve the 21st Century probe sent from Earth.

Once the probe is located on a nearby planet the away team is shocked to learn of the non-friendly impact it has made.

Stardate: 50416.2

One by one, members of the Shakaar resistance cell are murdered, and Kira becomes increasingly worried that she will be next. Kira is taunted by the killer every time a member of the cell is killed, all-the-while being very pregnant. She finally works on her own to find the killer and save her life.

All told, six members of the Shakaar resistance cell have been killed: Latha Mabrin, Trentin Fala, Mobara, Lupaza and Furel.

It's the first time we learn that Kira officially joined the Shakaar resistance at 13, and that Lupaza made Kira's earring from a piece of metal from Kira's first skirmish.

The episode opens in Quark's Bar that seems strangely not to be very crowded. We quickly understand the reason when hearing a horrible sound. It is actually Miles O'Brien and Nog doing some conduit repairs. However, the repairs are heavy and O'Brien soon realize he will need an entirely new plasma distribution manifold. Worse, they are of Cardassian making and cannot be replicated. It is then decided to go scavenge manifolds from the abandoned station of Empok Nor. Because of the Cardassian way of planting booby traps everywhere when they leave a place, a Cardassian expert joins the mission to play as the minesweeper: Garak. The rest of the crew comprises O'Brien, Nog and 4 other Starfleet crew-members: Pechetti, Boq'ta, Stolzoff and Amaro. They soon arrive at Empok Nor. However, their presence sets off an old booby trap that put all their lives in danger.

This was on the Sci-fi channel, on a Saturday night (11/7/04), at 9 p.m. What a waste of prime-time real estate. I'd thought they had dusted off and aired just about every horribly movie ever made, but this one was a new one to me. It was so terrible that any negative adjective would adequately describe this mess. Do not watch it, don't rent it, email Sci-fi channel for even airing it, and consider yourself lucky if you missed it. Possibly the worst character development, acting, dialogue, and plot devices ever used on an audience. I can't even compare it to another movie because it was so dreadful. Trust me that I'm being nice because of the IMDb filters with certain words. It was like a car wreck that you just can't take your eyes off of; which I should have, but I wanted to be able to say that at least I saw it in full.