Return to the Grid (Tron: Uprising Prelude Review)

This week’s review is going to be a little different as there is not a single film being released this week that I’m a) interested in or b) available in my area. The wife and I are waiting to see what the reviews are for What To Expect When You’re Expecting, Samuel L. Jackson’s The Samaritan doesn’t appear to be screening nearby, and you couldn’t pay me to see Battleship. Some friends went to an early screening and had nothing good to say except that the fight scenes were incredible. The throwback references to the board game, while amusing, aren’t enough (for me) to spend what little movie money I have on schlock. Well, at least Michael Bay schlock – I do own Meteor Man and Tank Girl, so I don’t mind some schlocky-ness in my film experience.

So instead, this week, I’ll be diving into the Grid to discuss the upcoming Disney XD cartoon Tron: Uprising. Designed to take place between Tron and Tron: Legacy, the story follows a young program named Beck as he takes up the mantle of Tron to become the protector of the Grid.The prelude episode, “Beck’s Beginning”, airs tonight at 9:30p ET on Disney XD, but it can be downloaded in advance for free in both HD or Standard from iTunes or viewed on Youtube.

Borrowing from the previously successful Batman Beyond model, Uprising features a young man (Beck) who wants to make a difference being mentored by a retired hero (Tron). Beck’s call to arms occurs when his home, Argon City, is occupied by the oppressive General Tesler (Disney clearly didn’t get the memo that Edison is the jerk, not Tesla) and he sees his friends paying the price for insurrection in the land of tyranny.  (Ok, I’m making it sound a little more dramatic than it is, but the premise is simple and I don’t have the cool animation capability that they do to fill in the gaps between brooding conversations.)

Don’t Freak Out: Chuck Versus the Music Mix

Last Monday I watched, what would otherwise have been, the season finale of NBC’s Chuck. If you’re unfamilar, here’s the short, SHORT version:

Geeky guy works at a Best Buy-like store with his high school best friend, gets all the combined secrets of the US Military downloaded into his brain, and for four seasons he has used this information to help take down bad guys. Insert nerd references to video games, movies, and other forms of celebrated (or obscure) Geekdom and serve!

Nerd Herd by Day, Spy by Night.

 

Now that you’re caught up…

3…2…1…AND WE’RE BACK!!!

Back with a whole new design and, hopefully, a little bit more consistency. I’m not aiming at everyday, but at least once a week would be nice, wouldn’t it? Comics always arrive on Wednesdays, new releases come out Tuesdays, and movies are released on Fridays. Sure, there are exceptions from time to time – Holidays, special releases, natural disasters – but otherwise, consistent like clockwork. So this is going to be my pledge. As long as I’m unemployed, I will produce something here  at least once a week that will (hopefully) not waste your time. Starting with today [SPOILER ALERT!!!]

You’ve been warned, but I’m not going to really spoil anything for you. Actually, and this will be funny to the folks that know me, but I think I’m getting a little sick of spoilers. Let me explain: I’m the type that can watch the end of a movie, then later see it from the beginning and still enjoy the ending as long as it’s a good story. Actually, there are other factors like character development, character arcs, blah blah blah, but for this purpose we’ll stick with story. So I don’t mind spoilers so much as long as it doesn’t ruin the experience. It’s a fine line filled with nuance, so each person has their own line that they don’t like to cross. Mine is the kind of spoiler that makes me wish I never knew it. Or something that defies one of the major character/story arcs of a series since the beginning. These kind of things make me angry because it feels like a cheat. Why establish that the male lead wishes to hook up with only the female lead and then a few years in have them separate? If this were a drama, ok. When it’s a sitcom, I take issue. Lilly and Marshall (How I Met Your Mother) broke up for summer hiatus and a few eps before marrying that season  finale. Not every character deserves a Ross/Rachel arc, and Friends-fans already know that after 10years, it was a little inevitable. But I digress…

A spoiler should tease. It should titillate. It should make me aware that a guest will appear to interact with a character, or that someone may die, but I don’t think a reveal that could potentially upset the balance of a major arc should be revealed prior to broadcast. If only because I think it robs the audience of the authentic moment when it happens on screen. If someone had tried to give me even a hint to last week’s Chuck, possibly the greatest episode it has aired to date (possible spoiler) (and last seasons “Chuck vs The Ring” was exceptional), I might have punched them in the neck.

Am I the only one? Are there things you rather not know before walking in? I’ll admit there is something nice about being “in the know” but sometimes it’s really not worth losing the surprise.

New addition – VIDEO OF THE WEEK (watch while it lasts)
Chuck vs The Other Guy (Mondays, 8pm on NBC)