Synopsis: Lizzie is thrilled to be invited to a pool party thrown by Danny Kessler, her number one crush! Her mother is willing to let her go...until Jo discovers that it's on the same day as Lizzie's Nana's birthday. Worse yet, Lizzie's BFF Miranda is considering going without her, and "'Randa" has also been invited into the popular clique by Kate, Lizzie's former friend and sworn nemesis! Will Lizzie get to go to the pool party? Will Miranda learn the error of her ways?
The Good: This is one of the earliest Lizzie McGuire episodes; some sources say it's actually the pilot. Wherever it falls in the continuity, it's great to see where it all began. All the hallmarks of the show are here: a moral premise, someone learning a lesson, unconventional filming style, cartoon Lizzie's remarks...yeah, if you're a fan, you know.
The Bad: Despite being a Disney Channel show, this isn't quite as clean as you'd expect from the Mouse network. Remarks about teenage girls' chests may make some viewers uncomfortable, especially males. Also, the animation on the cartoon Lizzie is terrible.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Talk about teenage girls' chests.
Nudity: Teenage girls' midriffs.
Language: Name-calling.
Violence: None.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: A scene or two of emotional intensity.
Other: A scene of bodily function humor.
Synopsis: Wolverine is facing psychological issues, and Professor X doesn't seem to be able to help. To work things out, Wolverine goes to a village in Japan, where he once lived years ago. Not long after arriving, he discovers that the villagers are under threat by the Silver Samurai, who rules all of the nearby villages with an iron fist. Wolverine is trying to give up his violent ways, but, the people in the village can't face their tyrannical ruler on their own. Will Wolverine be able to lead them to victory?
The Good: This is a bit different than usual, as it doesn't feature nearly as many mutants; regular characters such as Jean, Cyclops, or Beast appear only briefly, if at all. Much of the battling is done sans superpowers. Still, I enjoyed it.
The Bad: When a show starts to lose its original focus, it's usually a sign of the end; hopefully, it won't deviate too much in the remaining episodes.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Two brief kisses; a woman is called a "babe".
Nudity: Wolverine is seen shirtless about four or five times.
Language: Name-calling.
Violence: Action violence throughout, though the villagers do their best to defeat their nemeses without killing.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Scary villains; emotionally intense flashbacks; Wolverine gets very upset at times.
Despite growing up in the nineties with cable, I never saw the original Figure It Out, because, when it originally aired, I was pretty much anti-Nickelodeon. In my opinion back then, the only good shows were on Disney Channel (Growing Pains,) PBS Kids (Bill Nye and Wishbone,) Cartoon Network (Scooby-Doo,) and CBS’ Saturday morning lineup (Wheel 2000). I now realize that I missed out on a lot of great entertainment that way; thanks to massive millennial nostalgia, I’ve been able to see what I missed by watching old-school Nick shows on iTunes and DVD.
However, when this reboot aired, I remember coming home from work and watching it. The format was new to me…but it was fun! I’ve always been a sucker for game shows; after all, I learned my letters from Wheel of Fortune. Having a celebrity panel reminds me of Hollywood Squares, minus the crude jokes.
This specific episode was of special interest to me because among the four Nick stars trying to guess the contestants’ hidden talents was none other than my old flame, Victoria Justice. Though her career plummeted years ago, taking my fandom with it, it was still interesting to see her in this, especially since I don’t remember her in any of the other ones I watched.
However, Victoria’s performance was rather disappointing. Both times, she asked, “Do you have a hidden talent?” Uh…duh! What was the point of the show? It actually made me laugh to see her get slimed by herself for saying “wind instrument”.
I still enjoyed this episode; in fact, I need to check and see if iTunes has any others. Though I don’t remember most of the other Nick stars who were on the panels, I do remember seeing the lovely Jade Ramsey (House of Anubis) and Challen Cates (Big Time Rush) on there. Hopefully, they fared better than my old flame.
This is a review of both parts of "Broken Bow".
I was very late to the party with Star Trek; I hadn't even watched one of the films in its entirety until I borrowed Nemesis from the library, which was like starting a TV show by watching the series finale. It took me a while, but, I eventually got into the franchise, in both The Original Series and Next Generation form, not to mention the J. J. Abrams films. Still, like usual for me, I liked the television episodes better than the flicks. Since I'm already well into the second season of two other Star Trek series, I thought: Why not give another one a try? After all, my local library has the entire series of Enterprise on DVD.
So...what did I think? I would say that, just like TNG, this series started off a bit roughly. While I liked the plot and the action, the episode ran a bit too long, the theme music was terrible, and some of the computer animation was cheesy, especially for something made in the 2000s. There were some content concerns as well: While I expected occasional profanity, the language quotient was higher than I would have liked, and I definitely could have done without seeing T'Pol in a tight, midriff-baring outfit alongside a shirtless guy.
Still, a premiere episode doesn't define a series; if I'd stopped watching The Next Generation after the mess that was "Encounter at Farpoint," I'd be missing out on a lot! So, I'll keep watching; I won't say the only way to go from here is up, because it isn't...but, there's still plenty of room for improvement.
Synopsis: Ricky Mathis is an overnight musical sensation! What is the key to his success? The three teenage spies are sent to investigate, posing as Ricky's opening act. When one of their own falls victim to Ricky's fame, it's up to the remaining two spies to thwart the dastardly plan...which may be more than they can handle.
The Good: Where has this show been all my life? I wasn't sure if I would like this, but I had a blast with it! Sure, I know I'm not the target audience, but I didn't fall into the demographic for Lizzie McGuire either, and look how that show changed my life! I think this is going to fill the void that was left after I completed all three seasons of H2O: Just Add Water.
The Bad: Nothing at all!
Content Concerns:
Sex: Crushing and flirting.
Nudity: The teenage spies and other females are seen wearing midriff-baring and/or off-the-shoulder tops at times, made less sultry thanks to the cartoon style.
Language: One usage each of "heck" and "what the...?"
Violence: Fantasy action violence throughout, including a flashback where a man loses an arm in a fire (not graphic).
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The crazed fans could be scary to some; emotional intensity; scary villain.
Synopsis: Raven isn't the only psychic in town anymore! When a mysterious comet flies over San Francisco, it endows Eddie with the ability to have visions of the future...and he can make them come at will! Raven tells him to keep it a secret, but, Eddie tells everyone about it and ends up with a new group of friends! When his newfound gift starts to fade away, will Eddie discover who his true friends are? Meanwhile, it's Seventies Night at the Chill Grill!
The Good: I've seen this episode I don't know how many times, but it's a blast! Funny, cute, and with a great moral, it also stars Haylie Duff, sister of infamous Disney star Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire). I was reminded throughout why I love this show. It even has a hilarious moment of self-parody; the kind I haven't seen anywhere else since the "Meet the Seavers" episode of Growing Pains.
The Bad: Absolutely nothing about which to complain.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing.
Nudity: Woman in bare-midriff outfit; slight cleavage.
Language: Name-calling.
Violence: An action scene in a movie; a guy grabs another guy to attack him, but the victim is rescued non-violently.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The grabbing scene.
Other: Gambling is present, though vilified.
Synopsis: Barry Allen (John Wesley Shipp) is a forensic crime specialist. A gang of motorcycle riders has been terrorizing the streets, with the police unable to stop them. When Barry has a mishap involving a lightning bolt and a set of chemicals while at work, he seems to have gained a new superpower: the ability to run at insane speeds. When the riders kill his police officer brother, it's up to Barry to take care of them once and for all...but, he doesn't have full control over his powers yet. Will he emerge victorious?
Based on DC Comics.
The Good: At its core, this is an enjoyable superhero tale! Barry is a likable hero, and the riders are utterly despicable. The special effects were pretty good, and the plot kept me involved. Fans of DC Comics would probably like this, except...
The Bad: There was an overuse of profanity, particularly from M. Emmet Walsh's (Home Improvement) character. If language is a concern for you, I'd suggest watching this via TV Guardian or a similar service. Also, a sex scene muddled things a bit.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing; an unmarried couple is seen in bed together, and sex is implied.
Nudity: Barry is seen shirtless more than once; biker women and others in midriff-baring and low-cut outfits.
Language: About twenty or so profanities, including several uses each of the d-word and h-word, as well as misuses of God's name.
Violence: Fantasy action violence throughout; several people, mostly police, are shot dead, and one police officer is seen dying. Most of the violence is bloodless, though a man is stabbed, which is slightly bloody, and another man is seen with blood on his face.
Drugs: Smoking; consumption of alcohol; a reference to crack; tear gas is used as a weapon.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Emotional intensity involving a death; scary villains; terror unleashed on the streets; cops being killed; there's little that isn't intense.
Score: 7/10
