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Yes,
whether we Superman fans like it or not, "Smallville" is
on its ninth season and continues to stagger on like the
mummy. You know it's falling apart, but nevertheless it
just continues to shamble on and on. "Smallville: The
Complete Ninth Season" on DVD only signifies that the
series has done every single thing imaginable to stray
away from the true Superman mythos in an attempt to not
only keep the general fans of the show interested, but
to dodge the continuing lawsuit DC is enduring from the
Shuster family. So instead of the blue red and yellow
Superman suit we've gotten Superman a la Tim Burton
dressed as Neo, donning a bland very cliche costume and
now being identified solely as "The Blur." Not Superman,
but "The Blur." Whether we like it or not. But for
anyone still grasping at straws and trying to find
something Superman-ey within this new season there is
the modern re-invention of the Wonder Twins that "Smallville"
does excel at. One of the main selling points of this
series has been that the writers are able to re-invent
classic characters and not so classic characters and
they do it in spades with the Wonder Twins by casting
the charming David Gallagher from "Seventh Heaven" and
the incomparable Alison Scagliotti from "Warehouse 13"
as Zan and Jayna, two rebellious teen vigilantes who
decide to emulate "The Blur" by fighting crime and
posing as Clark Kent when thwarting local criminals.
Anyone who is a fan of "Warehouse 13" as I am at the
moment will be pleased to see the cool Scagliotti as
Jayna who brings her A Game to "Idol," another episode
implying Clark Kent's domino effect influence on the
world around him. |
| While he's not the
first hero, he does act as a source of inspiration
for folks like the Wonder Twins who he manages to
teach a lesson to in the midst of keeping his
identity a secret from Metropolis. "Idol" is the
very definition of what "Smallville" should
typically aspire to be about; re-inventing not so
classic superheroes and super villains while also
exploring the prevalent influence Superman continues
to have on people around him. There is also the "Smallville"
movie entitled "Absolute Justice" a look at the
Smallville version of the Justice Society of America
that teams together loyal adaptations of DC's banner
superheroes to fight an otherwise forgettable foe
who is knocking off their members one by one. The
primary attraction for "Absolute Justice" is the
stellar direction not to mention the rather
whimsical atmosphere that is matched by the
incredible variations of banner DC characters Dr.
Fate, Hawkman, and Stargirl, among others, who give
Clark a taste of his Justice League destiny and form
a foreshadowing of his god-like supremacy over the
DC Universe leading the charge for the future super
team against modern foes. Beyond those two instant
classic episodes, season nine is classic "Smallville"
dribble with Zod being reduced to a forgettable
terrorist one-note villain thankfully salvaged by
Callum Blue, and Brian Austin Green pulls in a
fairly forgettable performance as Metallo. Among
those many ho hum elements, "Smallville" continues
staggering on with its abysmal writing and all
around horrible production qualities and uneven
performances from its entire cast, and we've yet to
get a glimpse at an actual Superman among this
garbage, which is ultimately what "Smallville"
purports to be about when all is said and done. Like
every season since it began, the show is one giant
tease making grand promises to its viewers that it
never makes good on. Special Features for the DVD
release includes a small featurette on the evolution
of General Zod who went from classic big screen
villain to comic scourge to soap opera villain in
mere decades, there are also two episode
commentaries, and a major look at the evolution of
"Absolute Justice" and its inception on "Smallville."
Worth the price if you're willing to wade through
the muck of the majority of season nine. |
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