Dead Like Me Gets Life After Death, More For The Fans, A Bit Blase For Them, Though!

The Good: Funny, Well-acted, Interesting character work
The Bad: Absence and recasting of notable characters, Repeats/neglects what was in the series
The Basics: In a razor-thin "recommend," Dead Like Me: Life After Death gives fans a better closing to the series than the abrupt end it previously had.


[NOTE: The opening to this is dated from when the review was originally written and I left it unaltered. Enjoy!]

Yesterday, a dream of mine for the past two years came through and Dead Like Me: Life After Death made its debut on DVD. For two years, I have awaited this DVD, though, honestly, I had been looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. Two years ago at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ellen Muth, the star of Dead Like Me had a table and she was signing autographs. There, she unfurled a banner for Dead Like Me: The Movie and fans like me were all atwitter! Last year, Muth was back at the same convention and when I met her outside while she was on a cigarette break from her autograph signing, she revealed that the movie had been pushed to DVD-only release and I was somewhat bummed out.

Still, having been a fan of the two seasons of Dead Like Me (reviewed here!), I eagerly awaited the release of the movie even on DVD. Having now seen the 87 minute film, I can see why the studio opted for a DVD-only release and not the full cinematic release. Despite what the producers say in the lone featurette on the disc, Life After Death does not tell a story that is bigger than the series was. The idea of a canceled series using the big screen to continue its story is not a new one; a few years back, Joss Whedon's army of Browncoats came together and got Serenity (reviewed here!) made to finish off the story of their beloved, prematurely executed television show and there is even talk now of an Arrested Development movie. But Dead Like Me is an odd choice to try to make the leap and with Life After Death they might have dodged a box-office bullet (aimed with a kill-shot) by releasing it on DVD only.

Five years after her death, George (Georgia, actually) Lass continues her work as a Grim Reaper taking the souls of the soon-to-be dead when her world is turned upside down. Der Waffle Haus has burned down and Rube, her boss since her death, has moved on to his next plane of existence. After a brief period to take this in, George and her fellow Reapers, Mason, Roxy and Daisy are whisked away to meet their new boss, Cameron. Cameron does not care about reaping as much as he wants to make money on the stock market and he outfits his reapers with handheld computers with their assignments and sends them out into the world.

But soon, chaos descends when George's reap is both a soul not close enough to death to take and the secret boyfriend of her younger sister, Reggie. As Mason takes to robbing, Daisy has a disastrous theatrical debut and even Roxy explores the apparent lack of consequences by saving the life of the man she was supposed to reap, George keeps it together by trying to do her job. But when she encounters her sister and is forced to reveal who she is to her, the consequences quickly begin to mount. While George tries to prepare Reggie for the death of her boyfriend while juggling her Happy Time boss Delores wrestles with the impending death of her beloved cat Murray, Roxy and the others stage a coup on Cameron to set some order back to those working in the afterdeath.

Dead Like Me: Life After Death has a big problem as a straight-to-DVD release that it might not have had had it been a theatrical release film, which is that it does not cater enough to fans of the television series. So, for example, the emotional impact of Rube's disappearance is absent for those who were not in love with the television series. As well, because the film begins as a comic strip to set up the premise, that audience could probably deal with the fact that the comic strip version of Rube bears no resemblance at all to Mandy Patinkin (who played him in the series). But more than that, a film audience would appreciate the repetition. The first five minutes of the movie is essentially a recap of the television show Dead Like Me and offers no new information to the viewer.

As well, Life After Death reuses footage of the primary characters that was shot in the television series to illustrate how each one originally met their demise. This is all fairly boring and repetitive to the fans of the television series and one must figure that if one is watching this film, then they saw and recall the series. They might not remember one of the most troubling gaffs in the film, though, which comes when Reggie references George as Millie, who works at Happy Time to her mother, a meeting that actually occurred within the series and Joy's lack of memory of in the film is preposterous and troubling.

That said, the basic premise of the film is decent, if a problematic recasting of events from the television series. Rube's absence and Cameron's nonchalant attitude is what sets off the apathy in the reapers. But Roxy's defection to this and George's makes little sense because both had seen the effects of souls rotting in their bodies in the series. In fact, one of the first episodes of Dead Like Me dealt with George trying to neglect her duty as a Reaper and the consequences were pretty well-documented. In other words, it was not just Rube's word that kept his reapers in line, it was their experiences with the deaths that led them to understand that he was right.

Still, the film is funny and it is hard to see how it appeared on DVD with an "R" rating. The language is more prevalent than nudity or anything else, but perhaps that is enough. Come to think of it, the f-word is said more than twice, so that might have done it. Outside the reaper's gone wild storyline, the movie is strong on character, especially as George and Reggie come together. What Dead Like Me: Life After Death does especially well is progress the Reggie character and actually forward some of the living characters in interesting ways.

For example, Joy Lass, George's mother, is much more emotionally solid and is riding high on having published a successful self-help book on loss and death. Reggie has grown up and the five years put her in a position where she is not bratty, but realistically experimental and having seen her last as a kid, it is pretty creepy to see her having her first sexual experiences in the movie. Even Delores has a reasonable arc with Murray rapidly progressing toward death and it is the living human moments that are the tear-jerkers in this film.

On the acting front, the cast is mostly solid. Newcomers Henry Ian Cusick and Sarah Wynter join the cast as Cameron and the recast Daisy. Cusick, whose work I have loved since he became a regular on the third season of Lost (reviewed here!) illustrates that he is a powerfully good actor by portraying a character I absolutely hated. Yes, Cusick, who is one of the reasons I eagerly turn on Lost each week, made me want to turn off Life After Death! Wynter adequately steps into the unchallenging role of Daisy.

The remainder of the cast is given the task of simply recreating their earlier performances from the television series and Callum Blue, Cynthia Stevenson, Jasmine Guy, and Christine Willes each do this expertly. Guy, for example, appears as if she has walked back onto the set the next day after the television series had ended and she picks the role up effortlessly. Britt McKillip, who plays Reggie, is given perhaps the most difficult task. She must play a character that is recognizably Reggie but illustrate some growth from the past four years and she nails it. McKillip's performance is possibly the best in the movie, removing the pout, but keeping the slouch of Reggie and making her a vital and interesting character.

Of course, most of the movie rests upon Ellen Muth and she is great as the responsible George. Driving throughout the movie, she illustrates a great sense of comic timing and she keeps the pace of the film moving while clearly playing George as a dead girl who has been stagnating. This is a great touch and Muth does wonderfully, especially in her scenes with Willes and McKillip.

But the movie is a tough sell to fans, who will feel like too much of the film is recap or already done and not likely to be appreciated by those who are not fans. On DVD it has a featurette wherein the cast and crew gush about returning to the Dead Like Me franchise and a commentary track that pretty much does the same thing. In other words, we all deserved more.

Still, as a fan . . . it's nice to see those who did show up come back and try to salvage the series.

For other television series' made movies, please check out my reviews of:
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Babylon 5: The Movies

5/10

For other television reviews, be sure to visit my Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Enough, But It Still Didn't Deserve To Die This Way: Dead Like Me Season Two!

The Good: Good acting, Engaging characters, Funny, Interesting stories
The Bad: Repetitive storyline, Cut short
The Basics: George and the Grim Reapers continue their adventures while they all experience more richness to life than most of the living.


For all who have have not read my review of season one of Dead Like Me, (that’s here!) let me start with the crash course; Georgia (George) Lass was 18 years old when she died on her lunch break. Instead of resting peacefully, however, she was initiated into the profession of Grim Reaper. Unlike the stereotype, Reapers are not cloaked, hooded beings, they're just like they were when they were alive. They don't cause death, they just release the souls of the living and guide them toward their final resting place.

The second season of Dead Like Me opens with George continuing her undead work of being a Reaper while letting go of the attachments of her former life, namely her family. George learns to find her own path as her parent's divorce and her mother starts dating. Her boss - in the Reaper world - Rube, begins to deal with unfinished business of his own, an act that should be fraught with consequences . . .

. . . except the series ended.

The second season of Dead Like Me is a trip away from what many might expect of the show. The first season was very much George's story. The second season departs frequently from George and focuses instead on those around her: Rube, Joy, Mason, Roxy, and Reggie. And the truth of the matter is, the second season is pretty much enough. Unfortunately, Dead Like Me's ratings plummeted in the second season and Showtime did not pick it up for a third season. Hence, the odd title to this review; there's just enough Dead Like Me between the first and second season, but it still didn't deserve to go down hard, like it did. It seems reasonable - given where the series ends - that a film could be made to tie up the loose ends, especially in the Rube storyline.

The show suffers from its original concept; people die in crazy ways every week and it's the undead - the reapers - who seem to live the most and experience the widest array of the human condition.

As someone with a social conscience, I actually have to say that one of the most disturbing aspects of the second season of Dead Like Me is the smoking scene at the end of one of the episodes. While on a job, the whole group works together to remove the souls of a batch of people who experience a tragedy. Their cover, for no well-defined reason, is that they are a group of smokers standing outside the building. The camera dwells long enough on it, and they speak enough about it, that it becomes bothersome. Like we, the viewers, are supposed to not see the transparency of the cigarette ad. It's disappointing and beneath this series.

What Dead Like Me has that is outstanding is its characters. Here is how the second season finds them:

George - Largely quits being a slacker, learns some responsibility and begins to reach out to those in her new life, like Rube and Dolores. She lets go of her past more and more and comes into her own,

Rube - Begins to take some time away from his mentoring and his mysterious mission seems to fly in the face of all he has told George about the rules of being a Reaper. His parental instinct begins to evolve,

Roxy - Bored with simply being a Reaper, hanging out with other Reapers, and working as a metermaid, Roxy empowers herself to become a police officer and she finds purpose and a strange joy,

Mason - Sadly, his sobriety does not last. Instead, Mason begins to isolate all those around him in ways that force him into situations that push him away from most of the group, but closer to Daisy,

Daisy - The egocentric Reaper becomes vastly more empathetic as she attempts to revive her acting career, falls prey to a maniacal director, and experiences horrors that she did not know while alive,

Reggie - Her obsession with death grows and she begins to experiment and grow as a child into a young adult, frequently pushing her mother away,

Joy - Reggie and George's mom seems to get the short end of every stick in her familial relationships this season, which causes her to look elsewhere. She becomes exceptionally empathetic and her budding romance with a landlord is one of the changes in the show that is very enjoyable to watch,

Clancy - While George's death caused cracks in his relationship with Joy, the affairs he's had now expand them to fissures. He finds himself on the outside,

and Dolores Herbig - "Millie's" boss at Happy Time, Dolores works hard to bring Millie (George's alter-ego) out and her appearances are much of the comedy of Dead Like Me.

The cast remains a strong ensemble and they work well together. Jasmine Guy is fabulous in each and every one of her scenes. She plays Roxy with strength, dignity and an intriguing quality of aloofness that draws the viewer to her. Mandy Patinkin is great as Rube. He has a gentle strength and wisdom to him that binds the show together. Patinkin is a good enough actor to let others work a scene while maintaining his distance; his presence is never intrusive or overbearing. That's great acting.

Ellen Muth continues to dazzle as George. She has a simplicity and beauty to her that is very genuine in her portrayal of George. She has a good sense of comic timing and her voice-overs for the show have the ability to explore a full range from quirky to insightful.

It is, however, Cynthia Stevens whose acting steals the show for the second season of Dead Like Me. Stevens evolves the unlikable character of Joy well beyond the writing. She has an expert control of her face and voice, softening almost imperceptibly as her character is challenged or damaged. And when she does smile, Stevens provides an inner glow that truly transforms her character. She's the consummate professional.

Who will like Dead Like Me? Those who enjoyed season one, certainly, though they must be prepared for a completely different direction. People who enjoy Six Feet Under (reviewed here!) and want something to watch that is similarly themed, but far less depressing are likely to get a kick out of the contrast of Dead Like Me. Dead Like Me is not, however, for those with a short tolerance for repetition or those who are made uncomfortable by death in general.

It's too bad Dead Like Me did not have a chance to explore the consequences of the events of the second season, but we are left with a four-disc set that is just enough to make us appreciate the series.

For other works Bryan Fuller is associated with, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Pushing Daisies - Season 1
Wonderfalls
“Empok Nor” - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
“The Darkness And The Light” - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

6.5/10

For other television reviews, be sure to visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing.

© 2012, 2007, 2005 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Flash Of Lightning May Just Be A Toilet Seat From Space . . . Dead Like Me Season 1!

The Good: Interesting characters, decent acting, intriguing premise, well-executed plots
The Bad: Severely limited potential, Character of Daisy
The Basics: Despite the limited nature of the series, the first season of Dead Like Me is funny, sad and ultimately entertaining over and over again.


There are a lot of shows that I think it would be fun to write for or act in. Dead Like Me is not one of them. Were I a member of the acting community, I would be terrified of taking a part on Dead Like Me. It's hard to imagine the appeal to wanting to be a regular on this show.

When Georgia ("George" from here on out) is killed by a toilet seat from the space station, she finds herself not dead, but rather undead. As a member of the undead, her soul is conscripted to walk around taking the souls of the dead from their deceased bodies to the entry point to the Great Beyond. George's soul is not allowed to rest and she finds herself in the company of Rube and his team of Reapers, while still plagued with day to day concerns like keeping a day job and finding a place to live.

The reason I would be wary of wanting to be on the show as a regular cast member is because the show is conceptually designed away from any character's longevity. One of the premises of Dead Like Me is that each Reaper is conscripted to fill the post when another Reaper reaches their quota of souls they have to take. The thing is, none of the Reapers knows their quota. Rube has been around for hundreds of years, while Mason and Roxy have each been around for less than fifty. Betty, around since the twenties, helps to illustrate my point rather early in the series. Because there is no knowledge of how many souls each Reaper must take to move on into the afterlife, there is nothing that prevents any character from disappearing at any moment. In short, this is not a job one can take and be assured that it'll last if the writers or producers have a bad day.

The basic premise of the show is contrary to job stability. On the other hand, the show has a simple "out" when it wants to end the series; George can graduate onto the Great Beyond. The problem is, if season 1 of Dead Like Me is any indication, that time might not be too far off. I say this because in the limited series that is presented in the boxed set (it aired on one of the pay cable channel where the average season is fifteen episodes and it holds true to that ratio), there is a clip show. If one is running out of ideas in the first fifteen episodes, that does not bode well for the series.

Moreover, because the particular Reapers on Dead Like Me are involved with taking the souls of those who die in mysterious accidents (toilet seats falling from space, pianos falling from cranes, slipping on banana peels and hitting their head), the possibilities for story telling become somewhat limited. After all, there are only so many times one can sit down to watch people die in crazy ways.

Thus, the show is forced to rely on the character struggles of George to progress and it seems like many of them, like learning the mechanics of being undead and realizing how precious her wasted life was, are learned in the first season. The strength of the show is that the characters are decent and likable. The characters in the first season of Dead Like Me are:

George - A slacker who dies abruptly and finds herself a Reaper. The show revolves around her as she learns to let go of the life she once had and move on into becoming a motivated worker as a Reaper. At the same time, she takes on an alternate persona; Millie, who works in an office job at Happy Time Temp Services,

Rube - The lead Reaper. He has a love of food and has been removing souls for the longest time. He keeps the balance in the group and makes sure everyone follows the rules. Despite the problems she causes him, it is clear Rube has parental affections for George and he wants her to succeed and be happy,

Betty - An egocentric, somewhat eccentric reaper who helps George get settled before she makes a profound leap into the unknown,

Roxy - A no-nonsense reaper who works as a metermaid and treats George with a lot of adult respect,

Mason - The good-looking, dope using reaper who is often clueless and befriends George while trying to score with anyone he can,

Daisy - Betty's annoying replacement who is egocentric and barely empathetic. In fact, her most profound moment is one that Mason has on her behalf. She muscles in on George's space and annoys the viewers,

Clancy and Reggie - George's father and sister, they are hit hard by George's death and work hard to move on afterward despite one being unfaithful to his wife and the other staging a string of pranks and becoming obsessed with death,

Joy Lass - (yes, the name is a pun) George's unlikable, overbearing mother who slowly begins to reveal her very human heart as she struggles to keep the family together after George's death,

and Dolores Herbig - "Millie's" boss at Happy Time, Dolores is, in short, a character. Enough said on her.

The characters are interesting and fun to watch, but given how much is explored with the older Reapers, there seems little territory after the first season unexplored. If George is the centerpiece of the show (and she is), there is little left for her to do but grow to the point where she may experience the same conflicts and emotions as her Reaper predecessors, which may fit the character, but will be dull for us viewers as we've already seen such development in the other Reapers.

What makes Dead Like Me worth watching outside of its humor and heart wrenching truths is the acting. This is a pretty stellar cast. It's wonderful to see Jasmine Guy playing such an intriguing character as Roxy and Christine Willes is brilliant as Dolores. Cynthia Stevens - if the commentary track she participates in is any indication - is a great actress as her character is so unlikable and unloving whereas the actress is very vibrant and interesting.

Mandy Patinkin is great as Rube. He makes Rube a real rock of character for George and the audience to rely on. His gestures and mannerisms make him more than a strange boss, but also a very parental character. Patinkin also takes on his character's roles as cook, parent and boss with good humor and brilliant physical acting when needed. Patinkin sells the audience on the credibility of all of the mechanics of the afterdeath.

Ellen Muth, however, is the breakout star of this show. Playing George, the talented Muth provides realism in her character's initial sarcasm and disinterest and humanity as George wakes up to all she missed out on in life. Muth does great physical work in the course of the first season transforming George from a slouching, bored teen into a well-postured young adult who has bright eyes and a clear voice. Muth does an excellent job playing off each of the actors and actresses and makes Dead Like Me fun to watch.

While Six Feet Under (reviewed here!) is dark and real, Dead Like Me is humorous and surreal playing with the conventions of death and reminding viewers of how precious life is. It's a lesson we can all stand to take a refresher course in and this is a very fun way to do it.

For other works with Cynthia Stevenson, please check out my reviews of:
I Love You, Beth Cooper
The L Word - Season 3

8/10

For other television reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2006 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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If You Haven't Been Into Dead Like Me Before Now, "The Complete Series" Is Worthwhile!

The Good: Interesting characters, Decent acting, Intriguing premise, Well-executed plots, Includes everything!
The Bad: Severely limited potential, Repetitive
The Basics: When George Lass is killed in a freak accident, she becomes a Grim Reaper and her adventures in the afterdeath are all compiled as Dead Like Me - The Complete Collection!


There are very few concept shows that truly grab me, series' where the premise is based upon a very simple gimmick. I will admit, however, there have been a few and when Dead Like Me made its debut on DVD initially, I was excited because the show was heartwarming, funny and often clever. Despite the repetitive nature of the plots, there was just enough with the gimmick - Grim Reapers working and "living" among us - to keep me interested and engaged. So when I became a fan of it on DVD, it amused me but I was largely unsurprised when it was canceled after its second season.

I was, however, disappointed. I waited two years for the series to get a proper sendoff with the brand new film Dead Like Me: Life After Death and while it was worth the wait, it was not all it could have been. Simultaneous with the release of Life After Death is a complete series boxed set that puts everything from the series together in one, neat, slightly slimmer package. And for those who have not yet gotten into Dead Like Me, this is a treat and THE way to collect the series.

This boxed set features the original pressings of:
Dead Like Me - Season 1
Dead Like Me - Season 2
Dead Like Me: Life After Death
While the packaging is different and saves some shelf space, there are no additional programming features in this set.

For those unfamiliar with Dead Like Me, it begins with the death of Georgia. When Georgia ("George" from here on out) is killed by a toilet seat from the space station, she finds herself not dead, but rather undead. As a member of the undead, her soul is conscripted to walk around taking the souls of the dead from their deceased bodies to the entry point to the Great Beyond. George's soul is not allowed to rest and she finds herself in the company of Rube and his team of Reapers, while still plagued with day to day concerns like keeping a day job and finding a place to live.

One of the premises of Dead Like Me is that each Reaper is conscripted to fill the post when another Reaper reaches their quota of souls they have to take. The thing is, none of the Reapers knows their quota. Rube has been around for hundreds of years, while Mason and Roxy have each been around for less than fifty. Betty, around since the twenties, helps to illustrate my point rather early in the series. Because there is no knowledge of how many souls each Reaper must take to move on into the afterlife, there is nothing that prevents any character from disappearing at any moment.

In the second season, George continues her undead work of being a Reaper while letting go of the attachments of her former life, namely her family. George learns to find her own path as her parent's divorce and her mother starts dating. Her boss - in the Reaper world - Rube, begins to deal with unfinished business of his own, an act that should be fraught with consequences . . .

. . . except the series ended.

The second season of Dead Like Me is a trip away from what many might expect of the show. The first season was very much George's story. The second season departs frequently from George and focuses instead on those around her: Rube, Joy, Mason, Roxy, and Reggie. And the truth of the matter is, the second season is pretty much enough. Unfortunately, Dead Like Me's ratings plummeted in the second season and Showtime did not pick it up for a third season.

Fortunately, the series did come back for a lone film, Life After Death, but it has some fundamental changes from the series. For Life After Death, the story picks up five years after George's death. She continues her work as a Grim Reaper taking the souls of the soon-to-be dead when her world is turned upside down. Der Waffle Haus has burned down and Rube, her boss since her death, has moved on to his next plane of existence. After a brief period to take this in, George and her fellow Reapers, Mason, Roxy and Daisy are whisked away to meet their new boss, Cameron. Cameron does not care about reaping as much as he wants to make money on the stock market and he outfits his reapers with handheld computers with their assignments and sends them out into the world.

But soon, chaos descends when George's reap is both a soul not close enough to death to take and the secret boyfriend of her younger sister, Reggie. As Mason takes to robbing, Daisy has a disastrous theatrical debut and even Roxy explores the apparent lack of consequences by saving the life of the man she was supposed to reap, George keeps it together by trying to do her job. But when she encounters her sister and is forced to reveal who she is to her, the consequences quickly begin to mount. While George tries to prepare Reggie for the death of her boyfriend while juggling her Happy Time boss Delores wrestles with the impending death of her beloved cat Murray, Roxy and the others stage a coup on Cameron to set some order back to those working in the afterdeath.

Unfortunately, Dead Like Me suffered because the particular Reapers on Dead Like Me are involved with taking the souls of those who die in mysterious accidents (toilet seats falling from space, pianos falling from cranes, slipping on banana peels and hitting their head), the possibilities for story telling become somewhat limited. After all, there are only so many times one can sit down to watch people die in crazy ways.

Thus, the show is forced to rely on the character struggles of George to progress and it seems like many of them, like learning the mechanics of being undead and realizing how precious her wasted life was, are learned in the first season. The strength of the show is that the characters are decent and likable. The primary characters in Dead Like Me are:

George - A slacker who dies abruptly and finds herself a Reaper. The show revolves around her as she learns to let go of the life she once had and move on into becoming a motivated worker as a Reaper. At the same time, she takes on an alternate persona; Millie, who works in an office job at Happy Time Temp Services,

Rube - The lead Reaper. He has a love of food and has been removing souls for the longest time. He keeps the balance in the group and makes sure everyone follows the rules. Despite the problems she causes him, it is clear Rube has parental affections for George and he wants her to succeed and be happy,

Betty - An egocentric, somewhat eccentric reaper who helps George get settled before she makes a profound leap into the unknown,

Roxy - A no-nonsense reaper who works as a metermaid and treats George with a lot of adult respect,

Mason - The good-looking, dope using reaper who is often clueless and befriends George while trying to score with anyone he can,

Daisy - Betty's annoying replacement who is egocentric and barely empathetic. In fact, her most profound moment is one that Mason has on her behalf. She muscles in on George's space and annoys the viewers,

Clancy and Reggie - George's father and sister, they are hit hard by George's death and work hard to move on afterward despite one being unfaithful to his wife and the other staging a string of pranks and becoming obsessed with death,

Joy Lass - (yes, the name is a pun) George's unlikable, overbearing mother who slowly begins to reveal her very human heart as she struggles to keep the family together after George's death,

and Delores Herbig - "Millie's" boss at Happy Time, Delores is, in short, a character. Enough said on her.

The characters are interesting and fun to watch, but given how much is explored with the older Reapers, there seems little territory after the first season unexplored. If George is the centerpiece of the show (and she is), there is little left for her to do but grow to the point where she may experience the same conflicts and emotions as her Reaper predecessors, which may fit the character, but will be dull for us viewers as we've already seen such development in the other Reapers.

What makes Dead Like Me worth watching outside of its humor and heart wrenching truths is the acting. This is a pretty stellar cast. It's wonderful to see Jasmine Guy playing such an intriguing character as Roxy and Christine Willes is brilliant as Delores. Cynthia Stevens - if the commentary track she participates in is any indication - is a great actress as her character is so unlikable and unloving whereas the actress is very vibrant and interesting.

Mandy Patinkin is great as Rube. He makes Rube a real rock of character for George and the audience to rely on. His gestures and mannerisms make him more than a strange boss, but also a very parental character. Patinkin also takes on his character's roles as cook, parent and boss with good humor and brilliant physical acting when needed. Patinkin sells the audience on the credibility of all of the mechanics of the afterdeath.

Jasmine Guy is fabulous in each and every one of her scenes. She plays Roxy with strength, dignity and an intriguing quality of aloofness that draws the viewer to her. As well, Cynthia Stevens steals the show in the second season of Dead Like Me. Stevens evolves the unlikable character of Joy well beyond the writing. She has an expert control of her face and voice, softening almost imperceptibly as her character is challenged or damaged. And when she does smile, Stevens provides an inner glow that truly transforms her character. She's the consummate professional.

Ellen Muth, however, is the breakout star of this show. Playing George, the talented Muth provides realism in her character's initial sarcasm and disinterest and humanity as George wakes up to all she missed out on in life. Muth does great physical work in the course of the first season transforming George from a slouching, bored teen into a well-postured young adult who has bright eyes and a clear voice. Muth does an excellent job playing off each of the actors and actresses and makes Dead Like Me fun to watch.

On DVD, Dead Like Me The Complete Collection has all of the original bonus features (and no new ones). There are a few interesting commentary tracks and one or two featurettes on the making of the series and film, but nothing earthshattering. Still, they are fun and add some value.

And sometimes, "fun" is enough and Dead Like Me is worth adding to anyone's collection and this is the best way to do it!

For other complete series', please check out my reviews of:
The X-Files - The Complete Collection
Six Feet Under - The Complete Series
Wonderfalls - The Complete Series

7.5/10

For other television reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Mediocre, At Best, Disney Sequel: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Is A Charmless Continuation Of The First.

The Good: Acting all around, Moments when the plot services the established characters.
The Bad: Replaces a smart, vibrant, socially-conscious young woman with a Disney Princess wannabe for most of the film, Ridiculous romantic comedy aspects.
The Basics: Five years after the original The Princess Diaries, Mia is prepared to take the Genovian throne when a Machiavellian plan forces her to marry within thirty days or lose the opportunity to be queen.


A few years back, I was traveling and I caught a movie on television that truly charmed me. It was The Princess Diaries (reviewed here!) and as I have made it through almost the entire library of Anne Hathaway's works, it seemed like it was about time that I went back to watch The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. My wife suggested we get it out of the way, despite her allegation that it was not all that good.

From the outset, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement underwhelmed me. When Chris Pine's name came up in the credits, I was psyched. I have seen so few things with the actor from the new Star Trek (reviewed here!) and I hoped he would show more promise than he did in Just My Luck. On the plus side, Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews almost instantly re-establish the chemistry they had in the first film.

On her twenty-first birthday, Princess Mia Thermopolis returns to Genovia where she has to dance with every eligible bachelor. After a series of disastrous meetings, Mia dances with Nicholas who is charming and an obvious potential mate for her. As Mia explores the castle, Viscount Mabrey makes moves in parliament to overthrow the monarchy using his nephew, Nicholas. As a compromise, Mia is given thirty days to marry a royal before she will forfeit the throne. When Nicholas and his uncle arrive to stay for the month, Mia is shocked to realize the young man she enjoyed dancing with is her competitor for the throne.

After looking through a presentation of eligible royals, Mia meets Andrew Jacoby and they have a quick courtship. The Viscount uses Nicholas to try to break the marriage up as Mia learns the lessons she will need to rule Genovia. Nicholas begins to drive a wedge between Mia and Andrew, which forces Mia to question what she is doing and why.

From the outset, the film lacks the charm of the first film and Hector Elizondo outshines Hathaway's entrance. The movie telegraphs itself from the instant Chris Pine enters. Pine plays Nicholas and he is the most confident potential suitor. Pine shines opposite John Rhys-Davies and Rhys-Davies manages to make a believable adversary. It is a role unlike the amiable sidekicks he has played before, like Gimli or Sallah.

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement has more of a young woman's fantasy film than the first one. When Mia is introduced to her bedroom with a small mall-sized closet, the film takes a detour that feels somewhat inorganic. The movie seems like a pretty generic fantasy whereby Mia drools over jewels and other trappings of the crown. Moreover, Mia's character is mortgaged when she goes through the potential royal pool based only on photographs. For a character initially established as a young woman of principles, this is a severe step down. Moreover, when she makes contrived problems, like falling during tennis, to get Andrew to dote, the character takes an even more severe setback.

The movie goes into repetitive territory as Mia is given lessons in riding and how to use a fan. The montages of things like Mia practicing her archery are somewhat silly and there is a melodramatic quality to the film. For example, when Mia's riding attempt is sabotaged by the Viscount, she ends up being whiny in front of Nicholas and the moment does not read true to her original character. Instead of being strong, she complains to Nicholas and there is the implication of something more of a history between them than was actually presented in the movie. In other words, it is strange to hear her complain something to the effect of "you always do. . ." when they have not actually been around one another much.

Some of the best scenes in the film are actually between Viscount and Joe, Queen Renaldi's head of security. Hector Elizondo and John Rhys-Davies have great screen presence, so when they square off, the film has more weight than when the movie is preoccupied with Mia being a pretty typical young woman.

The moments when the film remembers who Princess Mia is supposed to be work well, like when she stops a royal parade to let local orphans become princesses for a day (which features Abigail Breslin. Unfortunately, moments like that are quickly countered by vignettes like the sleepover party. Sadly, the performances are unremarkable all the way around. Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Chris Pine, Callum Blue and John Rhys-Davies all perform adequately, but they are given very little to work with that requires any subtlety or talent beyond what any have shown in anything else.

Ultimately, there is very little surprising about The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and on DVD the bonus features are pretty much what one expects, including deleted scenes, bloopers, and a "find your inner princess" game. None of the bonus features make the source material any better and this is yet another Disney sequel that can be passed by, though it is not actually awful.

For other Disney live-action works, please check out my reviews of:
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Tron: Legacy
Oceans
Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Alice In Wonderland
Old Dogs
G-Force
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl
Tron

4.5/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page on the subject by clicking here.

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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Choosing To Be Bad: Columbiana Bores Us At The End Of Summer Blockbuster Season.

The Good: One or two lines of dialogue, Zoe Saldana's acting is fine.
The Bad: Boring, No empathetic characters, Plot is so incredibly predictable as to be unwatchable, PG-13.
The Basics: Columbiana is such a typical revenge action-adventure story that it leaves the viewer feeling jaded because it is so unoriginal.


We have officially entered the August/September cinematic doldrums and with the release of Columbiana it is easy to see why. Every now and then, when August - the dumping ground for all of the movies that couldn't compete at the outset of Summer Blockbuster Season - comes, there is a movie that makes me wonder why the film was held back. With Columbiana I did not wonder for a moment. In addition to only having three actors whose names I recognized - Zoe Saldana, Callum Blue, and Michael Vartan - I went into Columbiana having seen none of the trailers, reading nothing about it and having seen nothing else by director Olivier Megaton.

Ironically, all I had seen of Columbiana before watching the movie was a still of Zoe Saldana's character with a rocket launcher which, ironically, does not appear in the film. I suspect, given when the rocket launcher comes up, that showing her shooting it was a moment too much to keep the film PG-13 and that is the first complaint I'll detail with Columbiana. Columbiana is barely PG-13 with heavy violence and an astonishing number of times Zoe Saldana gets undressed without actually showing her breasts. The thing is, Columbiana is so violent and cut so awkwardly that there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was edited to get it down to PG-13 and I can only suspect that was because on some level Megaton realized that only a 13 year old would find Columbiana fresh, interesting or new.

It is not. Columbiana is like Payback (reviewed here), without the sense of whimsy or The Usual Suspects without the sense of character. In fact, the list of movies Columbiana reminded me of could keep going on, except that whatever examples I could come up with, the common thread would be that those movies were interesting. Unfortunately, Columbiana was not and I am sure that when the "unrated" DVD version is released, it won't be any more interesting or better, it will just have more graphic murders in it.

In Columbia in 1992, Fabio is getting out of the organized crime family run by Don Luis. Smart enough to realize that Marco, his mentor in the organization, is not going to just let him go, Fabio rushes home and tries to get his wife and daughter out of the house. Unfortunately, he is too late and Marco and his men descend upon the house. Marco kills Fabio and his wife and asks the quiet girl, Cataleya, for an object he is certain she has. She does have it, but instead of giving it to him, she flees, makes it to the U.S. Embassy and is extradited to the United States. There, she finds her way to her Uncle Emilio where she is set up to have a somewhat normal life. Instead, she insists upon becoming a killer and Emilio obliges her.

Fifteen years later in California, a drunk woman crashes into a police car. She is booked at the local station which just happens to be where an important prisoner is being held for the night by the U.S. Marshals. Only, the woman isn't random and her presence there is not random; it's Cataleya and she manages to get through the prison to kill the prisoner, marking him with her trademark lipstick signature, the orchid her name is based upon. Shortly after this unauthorized mission, she goes on a kill for Emilio and has a rendezvous with her artist lover. But after twenty-three murders with her signature, the FBI has had enough and they release pictures to the press, alerting Marco and Don Luis, who are now in CIA protective custody in the U.S. to the threat Cataleya represents to them.

Columbiana is bad. Sometimes, the analysis ought to be as simple as that. The movie starts in the harsh yellow light of Columbia and Fabio's exit from the mob is so contrived as to seem scripted. The only thing that feels fresh in the first act is the fact that he is smart enough to realize everyone he cares about is about to die. Unfortunately, after this insightful character moment, the movie degenerates into five minutes - it felt like fifteen - of parkour and Honda motorbike advertisements. Olivier Megaton illustrates the whole process of Cataleya going from Columbia to Chicago and that is something slightly different from other, similar, films, but it is no more interesting.

What works throughout the film is the occasional line of dialog. Not all of the writing is great, like the tribute to the conceit early on in the film with Fabio wearing a white shirt (so we know pretty much right away he's going to get shot), but some of the dialogue actually manages to feel fresh. Luis Besson and Robert Mark Kamen seem to actually enjoy writing lines like "I want to be a killer" (young Cataleya) "Okay" (Emilio). The writers also have a pretty decent sense of time, with references to Xena: Warrior Princess making 1992 seem like 1992. There is a somewhat quirky sense to some of the lines - about one every half hour - and the movie has a few moments where the sensibilities are fairly smart. Emilio pointing out that "A tag killer is stupid" is one of the smarter observations in this genre.

Unfortunately, it does not phase Cataleya. Nothing seems to. Cataleya is always one step ahead, but because she chooses the life she gets, it is impossible to have empathy for her. In fact, Cataleya is usually several steps ahead, but again, she chooses to be a killer and this is a revenge movie, so it is not surprising. The first time we see Zoe Saldana's incarnation of Cataleya, it is obvious to anyone seasoned in the genre that she is in control. She has a plan, none of it is coincidence. The whole thing feels so choreographed that one is surprised that FBI Special Agent Ross takes so long to believe a woman could be responsible for the killing inside the prison. But the fact that moments after Cataleya is incarcerated, the mark shows up pretty much makes a blinding arrow to insist viewers connect the dots.

Similarly, the moment Michael Vartan's Danny enters the narrative, it is obvious that he is there to be Cataleya's love object and while Megaton does not keep us waiting long, the PG-13 nature of the film is especially dull in the love story between Danny and Cataleya. In fact, the elements of that subplot seem like the most obvious form of counterbalance. There is a moment when the two are in bed that is clearly intended to humanize Cataleya, but instead it just feels like it is supposed to be that type of moment - i.e. it never becomes the actual moment, it is always supposed to be that moment and Cataleya is never humanized.

As for the acting, "meh" is the best judgment I am going to muster up tonight. Zoe Saldana burst onto the big screen and collective conscious for the masses with Star Trek (reviewed here!) a few years back and she hasn't stopped rocking it since. In Columbiana, she is convincing, but one has to wonder if she really cares to make a specific statement or if she's just happy to make any statement. In Columbiana, Saldana's Cataleya comes across not only as focused and determined, but mechanized. She does not seem particularly hurt and instead, Saldana seems to be sleepwalking through the motions of most of her scenes. That only further diminishes the level of interest in the movie; that the star seems bored in many of her scenes sucks the life out of them.

Finally, because my eyes lit up when I saw Michael Vartan in the cast, I feel it is worth mentioning this: the action-adventure sequences are not all that they could be. Without spoiling anything, the climactic battle is nothing for fans of the genre. In fact, the second season finale of Alias (which Vartan was an integral part of) had a fight that puts the climactic hand-to-hand battle in Columbiana to shame. Part of the significant difference: for the Alias episode, the battle was frenetic, fast and the key moments were shown with lethal precision. In Columbiana, when the fight gets stale or choreographed, Megaton just shakes the camera more until the camerawork begins to look like it is being done by an individual who is having a seizure. This doesn't make it better or more interesting, it just makes it more movementy*.

Sadly, that is the epitaph of Columbiana: it is not better or more interesting than any other revenge story or action adventure film. It's just here now and that's hardly a reason to see it.

For other revenge films, please check out my reviews of:
Hanna
X-Men First Class
Hannibal Rising

3/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my index page on the subject by clicking here!

* I know this is not a real word.

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Mediocre Dickens: A Christmas Carol Underwhelms

The Good: Classic story with good moral
The Bad: No spice or sense of originality, Short, Obvious
The Basics: With animation that at times tries to mimic live-action and at others is clearly animated, the style of Robert Zemeckis's A Christmas Carol makes for a more erratic holiday film that is a very literal translation of Dickens' work.


I am not known for brevity, yet when I wrote for the other website, they would occasionally run a promotion based on keeping the reviews short and simple (which dumbed down a lot of complex reviews). Fortunately, some things truly are simple and easy to express with a minimal amount of verbiage. One such thing is Disney's A Christmas Carol. After all, given that the story is pretty well-known and it is animated, there wasn't a whole wealth of general information to give about the film. Given that I did not enjoy it, I figured this became an ideal short review for a film!

Starring Jim Carrey in a role that returns him to Christmas films following the blase special effects flick How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol was presented in a disappointing Disney 3-D presentation last holiday season. Carrey provides the voice for Ebenezer Scrooge (as well as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-To-Come) and through much of the movie, it is pretty obviously Jim Carrey as he has the usual energetic and excited delivery, even in the trademark "Humbug" moments. Carrey never gets the voice as crotchety and mean as one might expect for the character, which pretty much undermines the character.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a pennypinching businessowner who hates the holidays and is unloving. He employs Bob Cratchit, whom he is cruel to and does not support well- enough to keep his children healthy (most notably the handicapped Tiny Tim). But one night, Scrooge is visited by his old business partner who warns him he will be visited by three ghosts and deny it as he might, he actually is. Over the course of the night, by witnessing how he has treated people, Scrooge comes to learn the consequences of his actions and the true meaning of Christmas.

Disney's A Christmas Carol is an animated film and that is where most of my beef with the movie comes in. Because the film is mostly known as far as plot and character development - this is a very family-friendly version of Dickens' social commentary - it is largely trading on style. Unfortunately, the style is quite erratic. By this, I mean it does not know which it wants to be, an animated film or an animated film mimicking a live-action film. There are moments when one forgets they are watching an animated movie because the detailing and coloring on Scrooge and the backgrounds are so realistic that they look amazing. Sadly, though, this is not at all consistent. Instead, there are points when the film becomes annoyingly blockish, like when the Ghost of Christmas Past pops up. Suddenly, the lighting and surroundings look more unreal than they did moments before! Outside the obvious moments - like when Scrooge is launched high into the sky - where the unreality of the situation calls for comic presentation, A Christmas Carol seems to devolve at awkward points where the movie just feels sloppy, especially considering how amazing the lighting and detailing is in most points. Pick a lane, Robert Zemeckis!

As well, A Christmas Carol was presented originally in Disney 3-D and it makes poor use of the medium. The three-dimensional effects are only impressive in one or two scenes and given the price of 3-D tickets in most markets, they effect is not so special as to wow most children and adults will likely feel cheated by shelling out more money on the more expensive tickets.

Outside the style, this is very much a typical morality tale and viewers know exactly what they are getting going in. This is a family-friendly film that tells the classic story in a very straightforward way. Unfortunately, it is inconsistent with the flare and the vocal presentations do not always pop with real character. At least it's better than Ghost Of Girlfriends Past!

For other Christmas movies, please check out my reviews of:
Four Christmases
Love Actually
The Muppet Christmas Carol

2.5/10

For other film reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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