NCIS: Los Angeles Season 5 = Amazing!

Last season NCIS: Los Angeles left viewers on a cliffhanger.  Deeks and Sam were both being tortured by associates of the Chameleon (Janvier) while Kensi and Callen were trying to find the nuclear devices before they were sold into the wrong hands.  Little did we know as viewers how this event would effect all of the characters for the rest of season 5.  The repercussions are still being played out in fact, even mid season.  Deeks went through a rough time dealing with his personal torture and he admitted to Kensi that thinking of her was what got him through without losing his mind.  Kensi also realized how much she had grown to love Deeks and it looked like they were going to start up a proper relationship.  But this was not to be, as Heddy sent Kensi off to Afganistan to work undercover as a sniper which left us all with our mouths hanging open.  How could they do this when they had just gotten together?  The writers of the show are trying to make sure that Kensi and Deeks remain a couple without hurting the momentum of the show.  Most of the time, when a popular couple gets together, the show then "jumps the shark" and no one is interested anymore because what they wanted has been fulfilled.  By keeping them apart but still wanting each other, they are making sure this show lasts for more seasons.  We know Kensi will eventually come back but in the mean time the dynamic of Deeks having to work with Callen and Sam together is hilarious.  Also, the Chameleon is still available for more episodes of torturing Callen.  At the end of the first episode this season, Callen watched as he was placed in a cell at a maximum security prison.  Janvier made sure to remind Callen as he was leaving of the book The Count of Monte Cristo, a story where a man is wrongfully sent to prison and after years escapes to exact his revenge.  Janvier will definitely be back for more.

Jack Ryan Reboot

I have been a fan of the Jack Ryan character since The Hunt for Red October (in fact that is what I named my red Saturn 4 door - Little Red October).  I have also liked every actor that has portrayed him and Chris Pine is no exception in this new spy thriller.  Starting with his origin story, we see Jack in grad school and then the Marines where he injures his back in a helicopter crash.  This incident was discussed briefly in Red October as Jack goes on his first assignment on an aircraft carrier.  The commander is giving him a hard time but his superior explains what an amazing guy Jack is, that he couldn't walk after a helicopter crash while a marine, but worked hard in rehab to be able to walk again.  We get to see this scene, finally, in the new Jack Ryan as well as how he met and fell in love with his wife Kathy.  Jump forward 10 years and Jack is in the CIA working on Wall Street, investigating illegal accounts set up by a Russian businessman.  Kenneth Branagh, who is also the director of the film, plays this roll and is an excellent villain.  This is where the film really gets exciting.  There is espionage, car chases, gunfights and intellectual cat and mouse games as Jack tries to stop the Russians from destroying the American economy as well as downtown New York.  Overall, I really liked the film and hope it does well enough in theaters to warrant a second film with Chris Pine at the helm.  While this story doesn't follow any of Tom Clancy's books, it has the tone and feel of them and feels like it could have been penned by the author himself.  Here's hoping for more Jack Ryan!

Ultraviolet Update and iTunes

Since my last post on Ultraviolet, the company has added more features and more movie companies have jumped on board.  Here is an update on these new features, their pluses and minuses.

The Good:

• You can now download the movies and TV episodes to your computer for offline viewing which was not possible before.
• More movies are now available on the platform 
• To get more users, the companies are offering a lot of free movies when you sign up - Sign up with every company and get up to 35 movies free.
• VUDU (run by Walmart) lets you put DVD's you own into your computer and pay $2 each to have them converted to the cloud.  It is so easy and takes no time to do, it's legal and if you are like me and own tons of DVD's you don't have to spend a fortune to re-buy all of your movies in the cloud.  Best Buy's CinemaNow also has this feature and Flixster has it in beta.
• This is a legal way to have your movies in the cloud without torrenting which I don't believe is right

The Bad:

• Every company makes you sign up for your own account with them plus you have to have an ultraviolet account.  So each time you sign in, you sign in twice.  Pain in the butt!
• There are 5-6 different companies that you can sign up for to use this service and each company has different movies in their library that you are allowed to watch.  Even though the movies you bought are ultraviolet compatible, you can't watch them all with every service.  This means you have to have multiple apps on your computer to view all of your ultraviolet purchases.  Another pain in the butt!
• Copy Protection, UGH!

Now to iTunes...
 I really like the ease of the format and purchasing.  However, it still isn't perfect.

The Good:

• You only need one account and everything is stored in the same app.
• I can download purchases to view offline 
• This is a legal way to have your movies in the cloud without torrenting which I don't believe is right

The Bad:

• Certain companies that put digital copies in their Bluray's and DVD's don't give you a copy to store in the cloud for iTunes.  So you have a digital copy but it only works for UV compatible systems so in reality you have to use both systems.
• Copy Protection, UGH!

What I would really like to happen with these two formats is a combination of the two.  I want the movie studios to combine their catalogues and offer buyers the best of both worlds.  If you buy a Bluray, then you get the ultraviolet and iTunes codes with it and you can use both.  Some companies do that now, but it is very few.  If you have a movie you purchased in iTunes, it will show up in your Ultraviolet library as well and vice versa.  I am tired of consumers having to purchase and repurchase the films they love every time there is a format change or they buy a new device.  Lets put the consumer first for once!  Maybe if the studios focused on what their customers want instead of just trying to thwart piracy, they might not have as much piracy to combat.

Star Trek and J.J. Abrams do it again with Into Darkness

     I was a huge fan of the Star Trek reboot back in 2009.  Granted, I was already a Star Trek fan and had seen all of the films when they aired in theaters as well as most of the TV series, but still the reboot was fantastic and I didn't think it could get any better.  So almost 4 years later, the second installment of J.J. Abrams reboot appeared in theaters a few weeks ago and I loved it!  I have now seen it twice and I think my favorite thing about it is it's energy.  It is a non-stop roller coaster of a ride but there is still comedy infused through it all as well as tender moments of friendship and loss.  SPOILER ALERT coming in the next paragraph so don't read any further if you haven't seen the film yet.....
     My favorite character since childhood has been Captain Kirk, and Chris Pine plays the cocky young captain so well that at times I really feel like I am watching a very young William Shatner, but with a little more energy.  His mission this time, to save Earth and his crew from John Harrison (SPOILER ALERT... He is actually Khan!) is actually a sort of retelling of Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan but in a totally different and creative way.  Some people didn't like the subterfuge since J.J. Abrams was quoted as saying that this movie was not about Khan, but I think he was trying to keep some of the mystery there for the audience.  Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Khan, is definitely very different than Ricardo Montalban who played Khan in the original series, but I for one LOVE the change (and the lack of fake chest muscles).  He is a spectacular Khan and he is so sly that you keep changing your mind on whether he is good or bad.  By then end of the film, when Kirk sacrifices his life to save his ship and crew from the damage Khan has done, you realize his innate evil.  You also realized that just like Kirk, you were suckered in to Khan's lies.  In the original Wrath of Khan, Spock was the one to sacrifice himself to get the Enterprise back online and out of danger.  I really liked the switch here where Spock has to become the hero and go after Khan to avenge his friend's death.  By Kirk putting his life on the line, he is doing his penance for believing Khan and putting his crew and ship in danger. He has become like his dad who saved 800 lives even though he knew he was going to die.
     My only complaint about the film is that I wanted to see more of Scotty, Sulu and especially Bones. I love the cast of this reboot and I just wanted more of these characters along with Kirk and Spock.  Maybe in the next film....

Dallas Comic-Con 2013 was AMAZING!

This year's Dallas Comic-Con was the best one yet.  Even with Nathan Fillion canceling at the last minute, it was still awesome!  I was most excited about meeting and talking to Richard Dean Anderson (of MacGyver and Stargate SG-1) so I bought a photo and autograph ticket for him at the event.  He did not disappoint and I fulfilled a childhood dream by finally meeting him and even getting to chat!  He has gotten a little older but the voice and mannerisms were the same.  Such a treat to meet him and he was really nice too!  It made my year!

I was also able to meet Adam Baldwin who starred in Firefly and Chuck among other shows.  He was so nice and signed everyone's autograph with a unique quote from one of his shows.  Mine said "with love and grenades" since I chose a Firefly picture for him to autograph.   Here is a picture of me shaking his hand.  

Another famous celebrity who made an appearance at Dallas Comic-Con was William Shatner (the original Captain Kirk on Star Trek) but because of the lines I was in and the way the panels were set up I never actually saw him in person.  I did see John Noble and Jasika Nicole from Fringe (Walter and Astrid) and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) which was pretty cool.  

Even with all of the lines and people it was the best Comic-Con yet!  I'm already planning on going next year and hopefully Nathan Fillion will be able to make it this time!