Fox’s Minority Report will premiere on September 21, 2015 with Stark Sands and Meagan Good in starring roles. The sci-fi series picks up after the events from 2002’s Minority Report with Tom Cruise and features Sands as Dash, a precog who is driven to stop crimes before they happen. Good plays Police Detective Lara Vega who teams up with Dash to prevent the murders in Dash’s visions from actually taking place.
Teamed up for roundtable interviews at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Sands and Good talked about the show’s technology and how the series fits in with the blockbuster directed by Steven Spielberg.
Asked if Dash will have any control over his visions, Sands replied, “He has a limited ability to control them. What I mean is when it’s murder, it overcomes him and he has to literally find somewhere to hide so that people don’t wonder why this guy’s having a convulsion. But little things throughout the day, little things like somebody dropping a tray of silverware or which elevator is going to open, he gets a little twitch and he knows that’s going to happen. So, it’s all things that are in proximity to him, and there are moments on the show where I have to revisit my visions in order to continue the journey and solve the crime. So, there’s a little bit of control.”
The series is set in 2065 which means they had to envision new advances in technology used by law enforcement and by the population in general.
“We have a lot of really interesting things. Like on the smaller side, there was a selfie drone which is actually something that’s being created right now where you’ll see in the show it comes off the kid’s wrist, it goes up in the air, and takes pictures – like selfie pictures of all these kids. So, that’s something that’s being created,” said Good. “We also have something that Mr. Spielberg came up with called a smart gun and that gun actually runs your information and makes a choice about what kind of bullets or if it’s going to use the air gun.”
“Depending on the target it’s looking at and if it’s a threat or not,” added Sands.
“Right. If that person has a record, all that stuff. So there’s a lot of really interesting things,” said Good.
“It’s exciting for us. We’re learning it as we go. All we’ve shot so far is the pilot and it’s exciting to know that we have the opportunity as a show to predict the future from a standpoint of science and not fantasy. All of the things they’re inventing for the show are based on science. They are feasible inventions that may not happen next year but they very much could happen in 50 years,” explained Sands.
“What was really interesting was with Tom Cruise doing the whole visual thing there [demonstrates sliding hands through the air], that literally is an iPhone. That is literally what you’re doing,” said Good.
“The story is if you’ve seen the movie Tom Cruise swiping all those windows and Steve Jobs saw the film and said, ‘I’m going to use that. Let’s make that real.’ That’s how we have swiping on our phones. So, it’s pretty neat to know that there’s a legacy of being innovative and predicting the future, if you will,” said Sands.
The original film was a box office success back in 2002 and retains a 90% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes. So, how does the TV series fit in in the world created by the film?
“You know when I saw it and it was pilot season and I was auditioning for the pilots I was auditioning for, I saw this and I thought, ‘That’s really cool.’ And I was really excited found out that it wasn’t just a reboot, it wasn’t just a reimagining following the same character you knew from the movie – and it’s not something completely different. It follows the background characters, which I always loved. And so I would say it’s a sequel and more of a spinoff, in a way,” explained Sands. “I’m really excited to be part of it. And even just to be able to audition for it was a thrill.”
Watch the full interview with Stark Sands and Meagan Good on Minority Report:
Danielle Campbell (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
The Originals‘ Danielle Campbell believes season three of The CW series will be the show’s best season yet, and that’s mostly due to the fact the storylines have moved on from their Vampire Diaries origins. Season three of The Originals will premiere on October 8, 2015 and with it, according to Campbell, comes a fresh start.
“I think that the Mikaelsons now think they had a calm couple of months,” explained Campbell during our roundtable interview at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. “They’ve had no trouble other than the ones that they made for themselves, and I think this season they’re bringing in new evils. They’re bringing in the new bads. There’s multiples; there’s not just one, so there’s going to be multiple battles that they’re fighting. I just think that this is such a fresh season. It’s going to keep it really fresh and new. It’s hotter. It’s more exciting. There’s lot of action. There’s just so much going on and all the storylines are so in-depth now, it’s going to be a really exciting season.”
Campbell also told us she couldn’t be happier with her character Davina’s arc and how she’s evolved over the seasons.
“I think it’s really cool. I think Davina has grown so much and I think this season is really kind of showing her as an adult for the first time. She’s now taken on this leadership role; she’s basically queen of the witches. She is going to be battling with how to balance fighting for what she believes in but then also what’s best for her people,” said Campbell. “She took this role because she believes that the witches have been held back for so long. They’ve been always pushed to the side or they’ve been pushed around by anyone who was in the leading spot.
I think Davina is the only person who’s not afraid of the Mikaelsons. She’s not afraid to fight for what she cares about, and right now that’s her people. I think that’s something that’s going to really drive her into doing some good, some crazy, and some exciting [things].”
Does that mean Davina will be seeing a little more screen time in season three? “I think it would be cool,” answered Campbell. “She’s definitely tied into the Mikaelsons now far more than she was before. She is a power source that the other witches aren’t going to have. You know, she’s going to be fighting the battles alongside the Mikaelsons just because she’ll never be able to leave that. Her family’s tied to New Orleans just like the Mikaelsons are. I think no matter what’s happening, she’s always going to be intertwined with them in some way.”
Campbell’s really pleased with the way the writers have chosen to allow Davina to mature and come into herself. “Playing on a TV show – I’ve done film mostly in the past and being on the show where you get to follow the arcs of the characters you experience everything the character is going through so I feel personally, as Davina, I feel like she has grown so much. She went from the scared girl in the closet fearing for her life to now enforcing so much destruction.
Whether it’s good or bad, she’s going to continue to grow because she’s still young and she’s still taking on everything for the first time,” said Campbell. “But I think at the end of the day, I think she’s grown so much. She’s been through so much. At the end of the day she’s someone who cares about people and the people she cares about she’s willing to fight for until the end. I really admire that about her character.”
You can see for yourself by watching the interview video that it’s obvious Campbell loves her The Originals character. “I do! I do, and it’s been fun for me. Everyone else who’s playing their characters, they got to inherit it just as I have Davina. But I think now also I’ve grown up like Davina has. I’ve grown up on the show with these people, and Davina you’ve seen her go from this scared 16 year old girl to now this leader who is in a position of power and strength. It’s been a transition for me as well. That’s why I have such a close bond to my character.”
Julia Ormond has come on board Syfy’s Incorporated, executive produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Todd, and showrunner Ted Humphrey. The series was created by David and Alex Pastor, who wrote and will direct the pilot, and is described as a “futuristic espionage thriller.”
Ormond joins the previously announced cast members Sean Teale, Georgina Haig, and Eddie Ramos in the project, and filming is expected to begin sometime later this year.
The Plot:
Set in a future where companies have seemingly unlimited power, Incorporated centers around Ben Larson (Teale), a young executive who risks everything to infiltrate an all-controlling corporate world and save the woman he loves. In the process, he will take on the entire system — with deadly consequences.
Ormond will play Ben’s mother-in-law, Elizabeth, a whip-smart, powerful top executive who enjoys the perks of her position, but is also trapped in a ruthless system that demands results. Ben lives with wife Laura (Haig), Elizabeth’s daughter, in the lush, manicured Green Zone of the well-to-do, while Theo (Ramos) dwells in the dangerous, poverty-stricken Red Zone, and may provide a surprising connection to Ben’s past. In a high-stakes world where the ethical boundaries we know have been completely redrawn, how far is Ben willing to go — and what happens if he fails?
Samantha Mathis as Justine Feraldo in ‘The Strain’ (Photo by Michael Gibson / FX)
Samantha Mathis joins FX’s The Strain cast in season two, taking on the role of take-no-prisoners Councilwoman Justine Faraldo from Staten Island. Faraldo sees other boroughs of New York being decimated by the plague and takes immediate action to keep her constituents safe. Under her orders, Staten Island’s police force does everything in their power to make sure the community is free of vampires.
In support of season two currently airing on Sundays at 10pm ET/PT, Mathis took part in a conference call to discuss Councilwoman Faraldo and what she finds compelling about being a part of The Strain.
Samantha Mathis Interview:
She’s such an interesting character, and we don’t know much about her yet. How much of what goes on within her is driven by her lust for power or need for power, and how much is just about keeping her people safe?
Samantha Mathis: “Well, I think that that’s a really excellent question. I mean, this is a woman who certainly has a past, as exemplified from the episode just this last Sunday night. She lost a brother and a husband in 9/11. Certainly, Staten Island has received sometimes less than stellar treatment from New York City. So, I think that she is very protective of her people, and she’s very dedicated to her people, but there’s always a potential when you’re in a position of power to be corrupted by it. I think that her intentions are really true to protect her people, but that was one of the aspects that intrigued me about playing this character.
It’s never black-and-white. I love that in a character, that it’s not black-and-white because human beings aren’t black-and-white. Certainly, when it comes to being given a certain amount of power, the question is what do you do with that power? With power comes great responsibility and we’re getting to see that Justine’s getting a little more power, and what will she do with it?”
Did you take any inspiration from any real-life politicians?
Samantha Mathis: “I had a very brief conversation when I was brought on to play Justine. I mean, I watched some footage of Geraldine Ferraro. I really tried to draw from what Staten Island is like today and looked at footage from some council people from Staten Island. I live in New York City, so there’s no shortage of access to that. In fact, our NY1 news station on Time Warner is incredible in terms of covering Staten Island news.
I was striving to really create someone who felt authentically Staten Island and what that entails. As I was saying earlier, I think that there, in my experience, is an element for Staten Island natives, that they haven’t always been done right by New York City. There’s a healthy level of skepticism in terms of how the mayor deals with Staten Island. I think that was really the most important thing to me.”
With her 9/11 background, in her mind is she thinking of this as another terrorist threat? Does she really have any kind of handle on exactly what she’s dealing with? Samantha Mathis: “I don’t think she really has a handle on what she’s dealing with, but once again, she’s seen the mayor’s office bungling the situation, not coming at it and taking care of its citizens in the way certainly that she sees fit. I love that first scene as her introduction; sort of coming in guns-a-blazing, but not without good reason.
After the hurricane that wiped out large regions of Staten Island, the mayor continued with the New York City Marathon just a few days later. That was in an original monologue when I was approached about the part, and I thought that was so exemplary of who she is that the mayor doesn’t have everyone’s back, and certainly not Staten Island’s. I think I just got a little off track from your question, but I think that she is very motivated by having not been taken care of by the city of New York.
And, she’s very dedicated to the people. You know, my own personal experience is my boyfriend is a firefighter and there’s a tribe. When you’re in a tribe of people that are civil servants, that work in the fire department and the police department, there’s a great deal of pride and a great deal of family. You have each other’s back. Justine lost two firefighters and her nephew is a policeman, so she’s got a great deal of pride. And Staten Island is home to a tremendous amount of first responders that work in New York City and that died during 9/11. So she’s protecting her people. She’s being a good politician.”
Do you have a favorite moment or favorite episode you can tease that’s coming up later in the season without, of course, given away any spoilers?
Samantha Mathis: “Well, there will be a point where a gun ends up in Justine’s hands, and while I’m very much a…let me put it this way, it’ll be a lot of fun to be that character and getting a gun into her hands and getting into protecting herself. That was a lot of fun.”
The Strain kind of induces paranoia and makes you a little more of a germaphobe. What was the film or television show that affected how you went about your daily life growing up?
Samantha Mathis: “Oh, wow. I remember going back to being five or six years old and sitting in my father’s living room in the summertime in Brooklyn at night, sort of cuddled between him and my stepmother watching Dracula movies. To see those movies, maybe I wasn’t five or six, maybe I was seven or eight, but those, just the really old Bella Lugosi movies, they terrified me. I think that that sort of continued thematically through several horror movies. Things that go bump in the night. That sort of evil lurking outside your window has always been something that terrified me.”
How do you feel about Guillermo del Toro’s and Carlton Cuse’s take on vampires? Do you like the way they handled it?
Samantha Mathis: “They’re really horrifying. I think they took it to the next level, and it’s almost zombie meets vampire. I’m a little bit of a wuss. I’m not going to lie to you. On the opening episode, when that scene happened and the one elder vomited all those forms into the other one, I was just like, ‘Oh God, oh Jesus, oh wow, that’s… oh my gosh.’ It grosses me out, but in a really fun way.
The reason we’re attracted to something like The Strain is the same reason we want to get on a roller coaster. It’s that adrenaline rush, and we love being afraid and being freaked out. There’s a great sort of practical use for it as a human being. I think we love it.”
What was it like on set seeing the vampire makeup for the first time? That was a powerful scene when she unveiled the vampires who were strung up and beheaded.
Samantha Mathis: “Really disgusting and disturbing. Disturbing. There’s nothing subtle about what the character Justine was showing to the world in that scene. They were strung up. It was pretty gross and pretty graphic, and I think really speaks to who she is. She’s got a message and she’s shouting it from the rafters. She’s got a zero tolerance and she means business.
As a person, and as an actor, as a human being, it’s pretty disgusting. I think that they do graphic makeup effects and visual effects on the show tremendously well. As a person, it’s sort of disgusting. As an artist, I have tremendous respect and awe for what they accomplish.”
Did you feel that scene of the unveiling of the dead vampires was kind of a defining moment for audiences to really have an understanding of where she’s coming from and what she’s willing to do? Can you maybe tell us how that scene came about?
Samantha Mathis: “I am working with people who are tremendous visionaries and had conceived of, certainly, that part of the show far before I came along. What I really appreciate is a visual that is so strong and shows the depths of her seriousness of the situation and I think also her anger – and that she will do anything to protect her people.
As I spoke about earlier, having a history of feeling that Staten Island hasn’t been protected and that she’s very dedicated. Her constituents, who are predominantly first responders, make up a huge part of the citizens of Staten Island. She is not messing around. I just got on board. I’m along for their creative ride, but I thought that it spoke wonders as to how strong she is and brash, one could say, perhaps a little brazen, not the most subtle of politicians. But when you’re playing with the big boys in New York City, you can’t be timid. Justine’s a lot of things. She ain’t timid.”
Do you think that New York will be able to fight this kind of apocalypse better than any other city? Or, do you think that there are other cities that could do it better?
Samantha Mathis: “I don’t want to speak about what other cities would do. I don’t know. I live in New York. […]But, I will say I’ve lived in both California and New York. What I really love about New Yorkers is, as brash and rude as people can be, when push comes to shove and people are in danger, they have each other’s back. They really look out for each other.
I’d like to say some other things, but I’m not going to swear. Some stories that would exemplify that, but I’ll just say that New Yorkers get a reputation for being really impatient and really loud and obnoxious, but the truth is when something happens, when there is a disaster, they don’t mess around and they look out for each other and they take care of each other. I think this band of vampire fighters that you see at the core of the show really does show you [they’re] exemplary of how you can have people from all walks of life in New York. But when the sh** goes down, they will come together and they will unify to protect each other and protect the people of New York City.”
Are there any traits in Justine that you’d really like to have in real life and that you find very useful?
Samantha Mathis: “I would actually say that what’s been so refreshing for me on The Strain is that my experience, at least in the last 10 years of my work has been that, I wouldn’t say that I played pushovers, but a lot of the characters that I’ve played have been defined by being someone’s wife or someone’s mother or someone’s partner in some way. There’s nothing wrong with that, but as a woman I have to say that what’s been really exciting for me in playing Justine Faraldo is that I am, in fact, there as a woman who’s standing on her own two feet, who has a history and a past and is very strong.
So that’s really actually been really refreshing for me. In fact, when I first started I thought, ‘What feels different? Oh wait, I’m not playing someone’s wife or mother. I’m a politician, and I’m there to be a strong woman and to be unapologetically strong and calling bullshit on all the bureaucracy and hypocrisy that she sees.’
I have to say that that has actually been incredibly new and refreshing for me. I would say with every character that I try to find my commonalities with them as well as my differences to see where I can pull immediately from my own experience. It’s a universal theme, but I think that we all have loved ones that we would do anything for. I don’t know that I would go to the extremes that Justine does, but I have family and friends that I love very much, and I would want to protect them if something happened. In that very sort of universal human theme, I can relate to that. Then, as a woman, or generally speaking as a human being, in this political climate there are no shortage of injustices in the world to be outraged and indignant by. So, certainly in that first scene… it was a lot of fun for me to come in and think about various politicians I might like to have words with and channel some of that energy.”
Ivana Milicevic and Antony Starr in ‘Banshee’ season 3 (Photo: Gregory Shummon / Cinemax)
Cinemax confirmed that Banshee‘s fourth season will be its last. Banshee will be back in January 2016 for an eight-episode final season with Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, and Ulrich Thomsen back in starring roles. Jonathan Tropper, Alan Ball, Greg Yaitanes, Peter Macdissi, Adam Targum, and Ole Christian Madsen are executive producing season four.
“Banshee is a unique and compelling show that helped set high standards for original programming for CINEMAX,” stated Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming. “The show’s exceptional blend of action and drama earned a vocal and passionate fan base that will not be disappointed in Banshee’s final season.”
“Banshee has been an incredible ride, and we continue to break new ground in season four,” added co-creator and executive producer Jonathan Tropper. “While we certainly considered returning for a fifth season, I always said that when the story was told, it would be time to move on, and that time has come. I am grateful to CINEMAX for making Banshee the great success it has been and for supporting our creative decision to wrap things up.”
Details on Banshee, Courtesy of Cinemax:
Banshee stars Antony Starr as Lucas Hood, an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of the sheriff of Banshee, Pa., where he continues his criminal pursuits while enforcing his own code of justice.
Other cast members include Ivana Milicevic as Carrie Hopewell, a notorious jewel thief who lives in Banshee under an assumed identity with her new family, which has recently learned of her criminal past; Ulrich Thomsen as Lucas’ arch-enemy, Kai Proctor, an intimidating, wealthy businessman who believes he is above the law; Hoon Lee as Job, a dangerous transvestite computer hacker who assists Lucas and Carrie in their criminal enterprises; Frankie Faison as Sugar Bates, a wise and powerful former boxer who owns the local watering hole and serves as confidante to Lucas and Job; Matt Servitto as Brock Lotus, Lucas’ long-suffering veteran deputy; Ryann Shane as Deva Hopewell, Carrie’s teenage daughter, who is rattled after learning Lucas fathered her; Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman, Proctor’s sexy niece, who has taken on a larger role in his criminal activities; Matthew Rauch as Clay Burton, Proctor’s multifaceted, complicated bodyguard and right-hand man; Tom Pelphrey as Kurt Bunker, a former skinhead who joins the Banshee sheriff’s department as a deputy; and Chris Coy as Calvin Bunker, Kurt’s unsavory brother, who has kept his Nazi ties.
New to the cast are Eliza Dushku as Veronica Dawson, a tough, sexy and shockingly reckless FBI profiler with no shortage of personal demons, who joins forces with Lucas; Ana Ayora as Nina Cruz, a Banshee deputy working as an inside plant for Proctor; and Casey LaBow as Maggie, wife of a local Aryan Brotherhood leader, who desperately wants a better life for her and her son.
Dolly Wells and Emily Mortimer from ‘Doll & Em’ (Photo: K.C. Bailey / HBO)
HBO will be kicking off the second season of the comedy series Doll & Em on September 13, 2015 at 10:30pm ET/PT. Created by and starring Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells, Doll & Em will have a six episode season two with Azazel Jacobs directing and guest stars set to include Evan Rachel Wood, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Wilde, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
The Doll & Em Plot:
The six-episode first season explored what happens when a Hollywood actress hires her childhood friend as a personal assistant while making a film in Los Angeles. A bittersweet, intimate portrait of female friendship, the series followed their relationship through unexpected complications and surprising twists.
In the second season, the two write an off-Broadway play together in an effort to do something creative on equal footing. They even manage to hoodwink Evan Rachel Wood and Olivia Wilde into appearing in it, with Wood playing Doll and Wilde playing Em.
After packing up her life in London, Doll has moved in to Em’s Brooklyn basement, only to find that living in the lap of her friend’s family is surprisingly lonely. Meanwhile, their play is jeopardized when Em gets cast in a Hollywood action thriller opposite Ewan McGregor and threatens to abandon their passion project. Chaos ensues as Doll and Em start rewriting the play to reflect their growing frustration with each other, and Wilde and Wood begin to lose faith in the production. Will they resolve their differences and restore balance to their friendship by curtain call, or will things finally fall apart forever for the best friends?
Doll & Em September 2015 Episodes
Episode #7 (season 2, episode 1)
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Reunited best friends Dolly Wells and Emily Mortimer sequester themselves in a remote lighthouse, collaborating on a semi-autobiographical script they hope will take Broadway, or at least off-Broadway, by storm.
Episode #8 (season 2, episode 2)
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 20 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
In New York, Doll and Em set to work on their play, having secured an off-Broadway venue through Mikhail Baryshnikov, and with Hollywood stars Olivia Wilde and Evan Rachel Wood interested in starring as Em and Doll, respectively.
Episode #9 (season 2, episode 3)
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 27 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
A chance bar encounter with Ewan McGregor takes Dolly by surprise, while Emily lands a film role that could threaten the future of their play.
Marvel announced Blair Underwood will be returning to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., reprising his role as Andrew Garner. The character is the ex-husband of Agent May (played by Ming-Na Wen), and Marvel says Underwood will be involved in “multiple episodes” of season three. Andrew was introduced to viewers in season two.
Marvel didn’t give away any details, however, they did urge Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans to tweet @AgentsofSHIELD with their opinions on what they want to see happen with the relationship between Andrew and May. For those who haven’t yet marked their calendars, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be back for season three on September 29, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT.
Underwood’s other credits include Ironside, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Event, Dirty Sexy Money, and In Treatment.
The Plot:
In the aftermath of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s battle with Jiaying and the Inhumans, Director Coulson will search the world for more powered people and will face threats unlike the world has ever seen. However, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will soon find out they’re not the only ones tracking down these new Inhumans.
The more video clips and trailers Warner Bros. Pictures releases in support of the upcoming theatrical opening of Black Mass, the more it appears Johnny Depp has left his Lone Ranger and Mortdecai days behind and returned to the type of films that earned him critical acclaim years ago. The latest trailer also features Depp’s Black Mass co-stars Joel Edgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch, and reveals a little more of the plot of this dramatic thriller based on the true story of mobster Whitey Bulger. Directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), Black Mass also features Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, and Kevin Bacon.
Black Mass opens in theaters on September 18, 2015.
The Plot:
In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.
Marie Avgeropoulos (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
During our roundtable interview at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con, The 100 star Marie Avgeropoulos said enjoyed continuing with Octavia’s journey in season two and that she’s really looking forward to what’s in store for season three of The CW series. The writers are incorporating more of Avgeropoulos’ real personality into her character, and being a part of the popular sci-fi series has been a wild ride.
Heading into season three, the world of the show has been getting progressively more complex with each episode. “It’s getting harder and harder to talk about, for sure,” explained Avgeropoulos. “There’s so much going on I can’t believe. It’s like every episode is like a movie to try to cram into 45 minutes of television. I’m really happy to see how it’s evolved.”
The upcoming season will find Octavia at odds with Lincoln (Ricky Whittle) and with Clarke (Eliza Taylor), and Avgeropoulos offered a sneak peek at what fans can expect when season three premieres. “She’s finally found her place – she felt like she had none growing up – with the tree crew, the grounders. [Lincoln] tries to go in the opposite direction and she has to remind him where we came from,” explained Avgeropoulos.
“Octavia’s got a lot of earned respect from people because she was such a different girl that showed up in season one compared to now. You’re going to see Octavia and Clarke come together,” revealed Avgeropoulos. “They have a lot of unresolved issues to sort out. She left me in Tondc and that bomb went off and she didn’t let me know. I’m sure they’ll have to talk that out and smooth things over before they make a plan and think clearly.”
Now that Octavia’s found a place where she feels at home, will she want to take on a leadership role or will be she happy stepping back and letting others take over? “Octavia always sort of walks to the beat of her own drum. She’s always been the black sheep. She’s never quite fit in anywhere. I think there’s a real sense of empowerment that comes from within her to listen to any sort of authority figure. She didn’t want to listen to her brother right out of the gate and she had to find herself on her own. She’s done that and it’s such a wonderful thing to see that come across on the screen. You’ll see Octavia and Clarke come together in a leadership position in season three,” replied Avgeropoulos.
Everything you expect in a Tom Cruise film is on display in the latest installment of the Mission Impossible franchise: Rogue Nation (a subtitle which has nothing to do with Anna Paquin or the X-Men). Tom runs. Tom drives a motorcycle. Tom punches some bad guys. Tom flirts with the female lead. Tom bangs his fist on inanimate objects when enraged. Tom out-thinks both the villain and the good guys who think his methods are too dangerous (you’re still right Iceman, he is dangerous … and again, that has nothing to do with the X-Men).
Before I figure out some other way to meld Mission Impossible with the travesty that is the X-Men cinematic universe, let’s just get back to Rogue Nation. Here, Tom and friends are on the heels of a shadowy organization known as the Syndicate. Thanks to our heroes once again being disavowed, they have to go it alone, trying their best to gather proof of the Syndicate’s existence so the CIA and MI-6 can help out all while dodging the CIA and the Syndicate’s efforts to increase the body count.
As usual, the plot really isn’t all that important and the whole point is to try to figure out how to put someone in a fancy Mission Impossible mask so they can trick people into giving up intelligence. What was nice to see was an increase in screen time for Simon Pegg’s character. His introduction to the series in the third film helped to provide someone in the team audiences could relate with and added comic relief without making it look like bad James Bond one-liners.
Ving Rhames returns to the fray, as does Jeremy Renner. And the main Baldwin himself (Alec, of course) is introduced as the director of the CIA who’s doing all he can to capture/kill the franchise’s central character … so you know how well he’ll do at it. New to the series is Rebecca Ferguson, whose true loyalties are supposed to be unknown so I’ll refrain from saying more although I don’t think you’ll have a hard time coming to your own conclusion. She’s a nice mix of beauty and brawn, complimenting the fight scenes and providing the most interesting look at the psychological toll the spy profession takes out on its participants.
Trying to keep my snark in check (for now), the positives outweigh any cynicism I may throw out shortly. The action is good, though sadly almost every one of the action scenes was spoiled in the trailers. And while Renner was basically wasted here (I don’t even remember him getting to throw one punch as he spends most of his time attached to Baldwin’s hip providing misdirection), the camaraderie between the actors is what keeps the film from being a faceless spy flick. The bottom line here is that this is fun, diverting, and what you’d expect and want from a summer popcorn flick.
Unleashing my snark, while I’d happily welcome more films in this series, as they seem to have finally figured out the formula after fits and starts among the first three films, I’m hoping they figure out a way not to continually rehash the same plot points every other film. The first film saw Cruise on the run from the IMF who thought he was a rogue agent. The third film saw Cruise on the run from the IMF who thought he was a rogue agent. The fourth film required that Cruise and his team go rogue to accomplish their mission. This latest film sees Cruise on the run from the CIA who thinks he’s a rogue agent. Sure, they changed the agency acronym this time around but I think you see the point. The second film, no matter how strange and generally awful it is, at least came up with a different plot device.
Also, and this is slightly off topic, although I wholeheartedly endorse people seeing this movie, please do not do so in IMAX … unless you actually have an IMAX theater … and even then there are reservations to that notion. First, let me say that in San Diego where I live and watch movies for the most part, there are zero IMAX theaters showing entertainment films (there’s one showing educational films only). Before anyone in San Diego says, “but almost every theater here shows IMAX movies in a theater purporting to be set up for IMAX”, I’d like you to take a trip to another city with a real IMAX theater and then see the difference. A slightly larger and curved screen does not mean you’re getting the IMAX experience.
Add to that the issue of films advertising themselves for IMAX presentations not really providing the full experience. Director Christopher Nolan has thus far been front and center in pretty much giving audiences more than the rest but that means there were a total of 6 scenes in The Dark Knight (3 of which I even remember). And while there were more elements shot with 70mm film (IMAX format, regular is 35mm) in Interstellar, it really won’t be until we see the Avengers: Infinity War two-pack of films that we’ll see a Hollywood blockbuster actually shot fully in IMAX. There are digital conversions but that’s cheating, not the same, and I’m trying not to fully shoot off into a tangential universe any more than I already have.
Look, before I burst another blood vessel, my point here is that there are two gimmicks Hollywood is duping audiences with right now: 3D and IMAX. At least with 3D, even with the crappy conversions, there were people paid to do actual work (regardless of the results of their efforts). IMAX is more infuriating because you’re paying to watch a letterbox version of a film because the format doesn’t fit the IMAX screen (if you even have a theater that truly gives the scale and grandeur of the format … which again, San Diego does not yet … a few are on the way but won’t open for at least a year). There are some instances where this still adds to the experience but only when the 35mm film in question utilizes amazing cinematography and grand spectacles (I would think Mad Max: Fury Road would fit this bill). But don’t be fooled into thinking you’re seeing some special version … you’re seeing the same film everyone else did but on a larger screen, and short the extra cash for some Junior Mints.
So if you can remember a time when this ranting was about Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, then you know it’s worth seeing if you’re a fan of the franchise. Just make sure not to pay the extra few dollars for a screen that won’t give you any more bang for the buck (and of course, you can skip the 3D which I thankfully wasn’t subjected to at the screening I attended).
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity
