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MacGyver is back with a Fifth Season and we’ve got the review for the DVD set all ready for ya’.  How good is it?  Is it worth picking up?  For true fans of the show the answer is yes, but for the casual observer I don’t think there’s enough here.  Read on…

MacGyver – Season Five
2 & 1/2 Stars

I was never a big MacGyver fan.  I like the premise (man without gun can invent anything) and how the series was based on the hero outwitting and outsmarting his enemies rather than just punching them or shooting them.  The problem I have with the show is the writing is uneven and too many of the episodes have “important messages” hidden in them. 

For example in just this one season MacGyver takes on the logging industry, poachers, brings peace to Eastern Europe, teaches a girl to talk to her father, highlights the health problems and the need for medicine and medical funding in Bangkok and the freedom movement in China, learns the importance of jury duty, inspires and uninspired kid, and rediscovers the meaning of Christmas.  You can almost hear the announcer the week before “next week on a very special MacGyver.”

MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson) is a special agent for The Foundation for Law and Government The Phoenix Foundation, a private organization interested in keeping the peace, solving crimes, and helping those less fortunate.  MacGyver is called on to perform all sorts of missions by his boss Devon Miles Pete Thonton (Dana Elcar, the only other regular cast member in every episode) including finding buried treasure and solving any kind of problem with only his brain and ingenuity; MacGyver never uses a gun.

The series is most remembered for MacGyver’s split second inventions and this year has more than it’s share including a plane built from bamboo poles, garbage bags and a cement mixer.  His missions this season range from teaching high school science to fighting Nazis to brokering peace states between two warring nations.  Wow, this guy really can do it all!  One of the problems with the series is MacGyver never has a set job description; while this allows for the writers to do an infinite number of different episodes the show suffers from a lack of continuity and grove you expect from a show in its fifth year.  Why is the same agent spending time doing all these different missions including many which could be done by someone with far less skill and importance?  Well at least it keeps him busy.

Other highlights of this season include two episodes where MacGyver helps out a young girl (Mayim Bialik, TV’s Blossom), one where he reunites his longtime friend Jesse Colton (Richard Lawson) with the kid he fathered during Vietnam, a dream episode that takes place during the old west,  MacGyver’s arch-nemesis Murdoc (Michael Des Barres) returns for an episode looking for help, and a two episode series opener that centers around a hidden treasure that includes a medieval laser.

 

Longtime fans of the show will surely want to add this set to their collection.  Casual viewers may want to check it out, but it was a little too uneven and too preachy for my tastes.  There are some good episodes but when the show starts moralizing and teaching everyone a lesson it gets a little too hard to swallow.  It might be a better show for younger audiences and makes an okay “good for the whole family” type of show.  I just wish it was a little more consistent in both the writing and storytelling and the show didn’t try so hard to shove a message down your throat every other episode.

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got two of my top five films of 2005 and believe it or not they’re both on Aaron’s top five too.  Also out this week are season sets of MacGyver, I Dream of Jeannie and Murder She Wrote.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Good Night, and Good Luck – My #1 movie of 2005 and Aarons’ #4 (take a look at my list here, and Aaron’s list here) retells the on-air war between Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy (who plays himself through a series of newsclips).  Beautifully shot and in black and white that perfectly sets the mood and helps recreate the era.  Clooney does double duty as director and co-star in this movie that was good enough to be nominated but never took home any gold.  Not to be forgetten is David Strathairn’s Murrow and great supporting performances by Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, and Frank Langella.  The DVD contains commentary from Clooney and producer/screenwriter Grant Heslov.  Read original reviews here, and here, and here.

A History of Violence – Aaron’s #5 film of 2005 and my #3 involves a violent event in a small town that causes the past to come crashing down on an entire family.  David Cronenberg directs this violent tale starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello in an Oscar worthy performance, Ed Harris and William Hurt.  For me the most haunting film of the year (and that includes Spielberg’s Munich) and some of the best filmmaking in every meaning of the word in this or any year.  The DVD contains commentary from Cronenberg, deleted scenes, a collection of featurettes, and a documentary.  Read the original review.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio – Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, and Laura Dern star in this “true” story about a mother raising ten kids off of jingle-writing contests.

Townes Van Zandt – Be Here to Love Me – Documentary on the life and career of the amazing songwriter includes interviews from Zandt before his death and friends Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and more.  The DVD includes performances of Van Zandt and commentary from director Margaret Brown, cinematographer Lee Daniel and musician Joe Ely and interviews with artists featured in the documentary.

Collections:

The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection – Four disc collection of Miss Marrple (Margaret Rutherford) that includes Murder She Said, Murder at the Gallop, Murder Most Foul, and Murder Ahoy.

TV:

MacGyver – The Complete Fifth Season – MacGyver returns hunting for buried treasure, stopping poachers, learning the true meaning of Christmas, fighting Nazis, and more.  All 21 episodes on 6 discs.  (Read the DVD review here)

Murder, She Wrote – The Complete Third Season – Angela Lansbury continues as author and murder investigator Jessica Fletcher when people keep dying around her in 22 episodes.  I think it’s creepy and a little suspicious that people keep dying when she’s around.  This years guest stars include George Clooney, Tom Selleck, and Courtney Cox.

Columbo – The Complete Fourth Season – The bumbling genius detective continues to track down criminals including guest villains Dick Van Dyke (”Negative Reaction”), Robert Conrrad (”An Exercise in Fatality”), and George Hamilton (”A Deadly State of Mind”).

I Dream of Jeanie – The Complete First Season – An astronaut finds a genie and becomes her master though her magic gets him into more trouble than he barganed for.  All 30 episodes are available in two different collections: one in the original black and white, and a colorized version.  The pilot episode includes commentary from the show’s cast and the DVD also contains inteviews with Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden, and Bill Daily.

Babylon 5 – The Legend of the Rangers – Two-hour television movie spin-off from the original show focusing on the Rangers and their contact with a previous unknown alien race.

Sleeper Cell– Nine episodes including the two-hour finale on three discs tell the story of FBI hunting down terrorist cells in this 24ish action drama.  Incuded in the set are deleted scenes, featurettes, and commentary fom executive producers Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris.

If there’s one word to describe this week it would be – Finally!  The Sci-fi Channel finally brings the new episodeds of Doctor Who to American television and a film I’ve been waiting months to see (originally scheduled to be released last November) Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta finally hits the big screen.  With that and two, count ‘em two, of my top films of 2005 out of DVD (check back tomorrow) it’s just one awesome week!  Read on…

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The Doctor and V, oh yeah and I guess there’s some other new stuff this week too…

TV:

Doctor Who

Nerds rejoice.  Why?  No the real quetion is Who?  After having to wait a couple extra years American audiences will finally get a chance to see the new BBC episodes of the Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) as they travel thru space and time in the T.A.R.D.I.S.  The Sci-fi Channel brokered the deal a couple of months ago to show all 13 episodes of the new Doctor Who (now if they could only make Battlestar Galactica make sense – what’s up with a half-human/half-robot baby anyway??  But hey that season finale was pretty cool now wasn’t?).  Anyway, look for new Doctor who episodes every Friday starting this week 9:00/8:00.
Film:

V for Vendetta

From the mind of Alan Moore (The Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) rewritten and produced by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix) comes a startling view of the totalitarian future where a terorrist known simply as V is the closest thing to a hero we have left.  Dark and distubing graphic novel where the hero is a not completely sain terrorist who fancies himself a modern day Guy Fawkes.  Infuriated by a script he found “imbecilic” Moore cut all ties with the film and with DC Comics (not a great recommendation).  Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Rupert Graves and John Standing were chosen to bring these characters to life on the big screen.  You have to admit that’s a nice cast and the trailers have been great.  Originally slated for a November (remember, remember) release the film was pulled because of the London bombings. 

She’s the Man

Claims to be a modern interpretation of Twelfth Night but it looks much more like Just One of the Guys to us.  Amanda Bynes stars as Viola who disguises herself as her brother and falls for one of his friends.  Problem is Olivia, the girl the guy she likes, falls for her who she thinks is her brother.  Got all that?  What follows is a series of teen crushes and mistaken identities.  We’ve got free movie passes for the Wednesday night screening in Kansas City so if you’re interested in attending read more here and get a chance to win some free passes.  Written by a pair of first time writers and directed by a Andy Fickman doing his first theatrical film this one’s got trainwreck written all over it but still might be a fun ride.

Thank You for Smoking (limited release)

Satirical look at the tobacco industry and the tobacco lobby.  Aaron Eckhart plays Nick Naylor, Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman, who spends his life spinning every negative into a positive.  Maria Bello and Cameron Bright star as his wife and son.  Also along for the ride are Sam Elliot, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Rob Lowe, Dennis Miller, Joan Lunden, and Katie Holmes (sans sex scene deemed to hot for the theatrical release.  Damn you MPAA!)  Written and director by Ivan Reitman’s son Jason Reitman the film became a hit at both the Toronto Film Festival and Sundance.

Summer Storm (limited release)

German film with English subtitles from 2004 finally makes it to U.S. theaters.  The story involves two best friends Tobi (Robert Stadlober) and Achim (Kostja Ulmann) leaders of their summer camp crew (rowing) team.  As Achim becomes more serious with his girlfriend Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern) Tobi begins to reaxamine his feelings finds and himself jealous.  His sexual confusion isn’t helped by the sudden appearance of a gay crew team and Sandra’s best friend Anke who has her own interest in Tobi.  A German comedy?  Well it has recieved nice praise since it’s release especially dealing with gay themes.

Don’t Trip…He Ain’t Through with Me Yet (limited release)

Comedian Steve Harvey’s (Original Kings of Comedy, Steve Harvey’s Big Time) sold out performance at Bishp T.D. Jake’s “Megafest” in Atlanta is captured on this stand-up 90 minute documentary.  Harvey keeps it clean for his fourth performance at the Evangelical event joking and make observations on church life, children, family, and faith.  Toned down version (rated PG) of Harvey that the studio (first film distributed by Code Black Entertainment) hopes will score with the whole family.  Getting a limited release this week and its box office results may well determine its wide release.

Find Me Guilty (limited release)

The latest film from writer/director Sidney Lumet (Network, Serpico,The Verdict) is inspired by a true story (ah the words that may critic’s blood run cold) about mobster Jack DiNorscio who defended himself in the longest running mafia trial in history rather than offer testimony on his friends and family.  Vin Diesel in the starring role?  The film also stars Peter Dinklage, Ron Silver, and Annabella Sciorra.  I love Lumet’s early work but his films over the last twenty years (Guilty as Sin, Family Business, A Stranger Among Us) make me a little hesitant on this one.  At least this one doesn’t star Melanie Griffith.

Don’t Come Knocking (New York and Los Angeles only)

Director Wim Wenders (Buena Vista Social Club) and writer/star Sam Shepard reunite (they gave us Paris, Texas way back in 1984) to tell us the story of a forgotten western genre movie star now down and out living out his days in the comfort of alcohol, drugs and attractive young women.  On discovering he might have a grown child he’s never met he leaves on a quest to find him/her.  I don’t know but sounds a little too much like last year’s Broken Flowers to me though the western theme might be interesting

Gordon Parks might not be a name you recognize but you should.  He died Tuesday at the age of 93 succumbing to cancer after living as full a life as any man can.  Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, Parks was something of a renaissance man.  He was critically acclaimed and accomplished with a camera working for the Farm Security Administration and became the first African American photographer for both the Office of War Administration during WWII and afterwards Life magazine (which published his famous photograph “American Gothic”).  He covered the civil rights movement in both essays and pictures exposing racism, injustice, intolerance, and poverty.  A beloved man by friends and family Parks chose the most powerful weapon available to him – his camera which he used to show a world in need of change.  He also played professional baseball, wrote poetry, composed music both classical and contemporary, published an autobiographical novel The Learning Tree, and acted, wrote, and became one of the first African Americans to direct and even produce a Hollywood film.  The man composed a ballet about Martin Luther King, Jr. and directed Shaft.  His lifetime achievements include over twenty honorary doctorates and numerous awards including an Emmy Award, his International Photography Hall of Fame induction, and the 1988 National Medal of the Arts.  In 1995 Parks donated his photographs and writings to the Library of Congress.  For more on his photography check out this Library of Congress link. 

Gordon Parks
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Bernard Fein and Albert S. Ruddy were either geniuses or completely out of their mind.  The co-creators put forth a show in the last half of the 60’s that was a satire that took place during WWII inside a prisoner of war camp and included POWs performing espinage under the dimwitted Nazis collective noses.  In a pre-politically correct world the show became a hit that lasted for six years.  Here’s my review of Season Three released today on DVD.

Hogan’s Heroes – The Complete Third Season
3 & 1/2 Stars

Hogan and his men set forth on another season to help out the war effort.

For those who don’t understand the basic setup of the show here it comes.  Col. Robert Hogan (Bob Crane) and his men are prionsers of war in Stalag 13, a POW camp for captured Air Force personnel.  What the incompetant commandant of the camp Col. Klink (Werner Klemperer) doesn’t know is that the men are actually part of the underground resistance and are in touch with Allied Command in London and perform espionage and sabotage on German targets.  Oh yeah, and it’s a comedy.

Okay if you can wrap your brain around that concept the show is actually pretty good.  It’s a satire and take-off of many serious POW films and TV prgrams of the time including The Great Escape, Combat!, The Longest Day, and most notably Stalag 17.

Hogan’s crew includes Cpl. LeBeau (Robert Clay), Cpl. Newkirk (Richard Dawson), Sgt. Kinch (Ivan Dixon) and Sgt. Carter (Larry Hovis).  Sadly all the Germans have to combat this crafty band of Americans, British, and French officers is Klink, his right hand man Sgt. Schultz (John Banner) and Nazi higher-ups that come down to complain about Klink’s management style but ends up screwing up worse than Klink.

The shows include implausible plots of members of the camp sneaking out to perform espionage or to take time off in Paris or London and get back to the base for roll call.  In terms of plausability the show comes close to Gilligan’s Island, but in much the same way it uses such plots to create quite humorous situations. 

 

Is it weird that the Germans only speak German (and no, I’m not counting Schultz’s common phrase of Actchung as speaking German), that the prisoners are treated better than at a Motel 6, and that nothing trully bad ever happens to the prisoners?  Well sure, but it’s a comedy remember.  Now not all the shows hit the ball out of the park though most are pretty good; some of the episodes are better than others.  My favorites of the bunch were “War Takes a Holiday” when Hogan and his men convince the Germans that the war is over, “LeBeau and the Little Old Lady” where LeBeau hides a secret about his contact in the underground, and “Sergeant Shultz Meets Mata Hari” where the Gustapo plant a woman to spy on him.  For a show to balance the serious issues it deals with and never lose the comic feel and timing is something quite special.  It’s quite a unique show and I’d recommend checking it out because who knows if we will ever see it’s like again.