Reviews

I can't say this is a good movie. It's low budget, with laughable special effects ands a motley group of Indians that look like they come from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. But, still, I watched it all the way through, partly because it was so funny , both deliberately and unintentionally, but mainly because of Sasha Higgins, who plays Alice Erickson, a Swedish immigrant married to Lucky Erickson, a philanderer who has abandoned her to work a gold mine up in the hills of Colorado.

When Alice hears that an Indian war has broken out in the area of Lucky's mine and that he hasn't been heard from in three months, she sets off to find him, picking up a bounty hunter along the way to help her.

In addition to being beautiful, Ms. Higgins plays the role with just the right amount of absurdity. The movie is so ridiculous that there were actually places where I laughed out loud. Ms. Higgins plays her role for comic effect but manages to be captivating at the same time.

To be honest, I had never heard of her before but I commend her courage in taking up this project.

Lots of negative reviews here but I think the problem might be one of expectations. If you're looking for an action-packed sci fi adventure, this isn't the show for you. It develops slowly, has several subplots that can be confusing, and can't seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be about a genetic mutant with special powers or victims of sexual violence.

For all its faults, I found the show very engaging, however. Yes, the lead character Henry, as she's called, is very defensive and offputting but the suggestion is that she was badly traumatized as a young child and this is the reason for her behavior.

Looked at from that angle, the show is quite realistic. Generally, people who have been traumatized as children do act the way Henry does. They are usually not very likeable because of the walls they put up to protect themselves. Plus, Henry's mother is oblivious to what the daughter is going through and the implication is that she had a series of loser boyfriends who badly impact ed her daugther, which is another reason she's so isolated.

It isn't clear through most of the first season what the purpose of the sci fi subtext is supposed to be as the ten episodes spend of the time introducing and developing the characters. This was one aspect I liked actually. Today, most shows have very little character development and usually jump right into the action sequences in order to attract audiences with short attention spans. I found it refreshing that Impulse was willing to be patient with its characters and the unfolding of the plot.

Although obviously low budget, the acting is nevertheless quite good, especially the lead. Just the fact that so many people consider her annoying and unlikeable demonstratives how effective she is. The plot, although it meanders somewhat, is innovative and challenging. In fact, I can't think of another show quite similar to this. The teleportation theme has been used before but not in this way.

In short, I recommend it. I suspect that in season 2, we'll find out the hidden secrets that make Henry such a difficult personality and exactly how the teleportation theme relates to the personal problems she's having. If not, I'll be sorely disappointed. But if you want a show that combines psychological drama with a sci fi theme, you might want to give it a watch.

Great movie. Admittedly, I'm a big Jason Statham fan, since he's about the only action star worth watching anymore, but what makes this work is the director doesn't ask too much of him. No big demands on his acting, just let him be himself and show off his martial arts skills -- which, after all, is what we watch him for.

Statham plays a compulsive gambler who earns his living in Las Vegas by providing his unique services to people who need help. When a prostitute gets beat up by a "made" man, he sets out to act as a go-between in order to seek compensation. Complications ensue and he has to fight his way out of trouble.

You might complain that the action doesn't really rev up until the last thirty minutes or so and the ending is kind of a cop out, but what does it matter? It's great to see Statham doing what he does best. Jason, take some advice: you're not much of an actor. Accept it and stick to scripts like this that recognize your limitations and work around them.