TV Review: Manifest

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 Stars

Bottom Line: This Lost-lookalike has some interesting ideas but does not appear to be built for the long haul.

NBC’s new series Manifest follows the passengers and crew of an airplane that disappears for over five years then mysteriously reappears and lands with no explanation for the absence.  For those on the plane, it only seems like a few hours have passed.  But the rest of the world assumed the plane had crashed and all aboard were lost.  And if this premise is starting to sound a bit like Reverse-Lost, that appears to be exactly what the show is going for.  Mysteries upon mysteries abound, and we are introduced to more and more people from the plane who all seem to share an uncanny connection.

After three episodes, though, the creative team has failed to demonstrate that they grasp what made Lost a must-watch show when it first debuted (and throughout its six-year run).  The veteran show gave us interesting, colorful, and diverse characters amongst its principals, each who had a well-developed backstory.  We became engaged in the characters right away, and the mysteries of the island just added to the intrigue of the show.  Viewers were drawn back each week to learn more about this cast of characters while also putting together the clues for the over-arching mystery.

Manifest, on the other hand, has so far loaded up on stock television characters and stories while throwing in bits of mystery relating to the disappearance and how it has affected those from the plane.  A few of the characters step away from television stereotypes, particularly Cal (played by Jack Messina) and Saanvi (played by Parveen Kaur), but the rest seem to fade into the background, including the show’s leads Michaela Stone (played by Melissa Roxburgh) and Ben Stone (played by Josh Dallas).  Add to this procedural storylines with plenty of soap opera asides, and you have a mish-mash of genres that never really distinguishes itself.

There is perhaps an intriguing storyline here and the show could start to find its legs after a few more episodes, but without interesting enough characters and more original ideas, it seems like diminishing returns will set in pretty quickly.  Manifest reminds me very much of FlashForward, The Event, Alcatraz, and other Lost-wannabes in that it has some potential but it is mired too much in television tropes and attempts to substitute unresolved mysteries for stories.  Sci fi fans like myself are likely already losing interest in the show, and the general television audience will probably start tuning out when they grow frustrated with the murky storylines.

Ratings-wise, this one has actually done quite well for NBC through its first three episodes.  But I personally am ready to tune out considering there are so many better options for viewing in the Peak TV era.  If Manifest continues on its current path, my guess is that the audience will erode and this will end up as another one-season-and-done Lost-imitator like the shows mentioned above.

Movie Review: Mute

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Bottom Line: This movie essentially delivers a crime drama in a futuristic setting, but its visuals and strong performances make it worth a look

Mute is the latest film from Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and debuted exclusively on Netflix on February 23rd. It follows an Amish man named Leo (played by True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard) who lost his ability to speak due to a childhood accident. As an adult, he chooses to move to Berlin where he takes a job as a bartender and meets a waitress named Naadirah (played by newcomer Seyneb Saleh). They develop a relationship, but she mysteriously disappears and Leo finds himself mixed up in the city's underworld trying desperately to find the woman he loves.

The film mixes a Blade Runner-like setting with a crime drama plot and delivers some excellent performances, especially from Alexander Skarsgard who plays against type. It also mixes in plenty of sci fi Easter Eggs and references along with homages to genre and non-genre films (if you get a very Elliot Gould / Donald Sutherland M*A*S*H vibe from Cactus Bill and Duck, that was the intention). But coming from director Duncan Jones, best known for his sci fi films, this movie might be somewhat of a let down to his fans.

It definitely gets the sci fi look and feel right, but it is essentially a crime drama in a futuristic setting. The genre elements are just window dressing and add very little to the story.  It's not a bad film, though, and the performances carry it through its two hour run time. As crime dramas go, I thought it was interesting enough. But for the sci fi audience—who will definitely be attracted to this because of Jones’ involvement—it lacks the punch they will expect from the accomplished director.

Jones actually started working on Mute before he did Moon, and it was originally intended as a British gangster film. It went into development Hell, though, and he turned his attention to Moon which was his directorial debut and is now considered a sci fi classic. He returned to Mute and eventually changed it to its futuristic setting while also calling it a “spiritual successor” to Moon. But apart from a quick Easter Egg and that fact that it is supposed to take place in the same universe, Mute has very little thematic connection to his first film.  It was originally intended for a theatrical release, but instead Netflix picked it up and is streaming it exclusively worldwide.

I found the movie to be entertaining if a bit lacking on the story side. But it offers plenty of reward for those who want to seek out all the references, homages, and quirky inclusions through multiple viewings. I could definitely see giving this one another go to catch some of those details and to see if there might be some substance I missed the first time around. Others may not have the patience for that. It is still worth your time to watch it through one time, especially if you are a fan of Jones, Skarsgard, and/or Paul Rudd. Just be sure to adjust expectations and you should find this to be a decent distraction if not a rather entertaining film.

Television Review: Britannia

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Bottom Line: This series obviously wants to be a Celtic re-working of Game of Thrones, but it has enough original ideas to demonstrate some potential

Britannia is a new fantasy series that comes as part of a join venture between Amazon and Sky Atlantic (it debuted on January 26th in the States and on January 18th in Britain).  The series follows the Roman general Aulus Plautius (played by David Morrissey) who arrives in Britain in 43 AD with plans of extending Rome's influence into the lands that Julius Caesar fled from in years prior. But he must contend with the mysterious Druids led by the "second man" Veran (brought to life creepily by Mackenzie Crook) as well as the warring Cantii and Regni clans led by King Pellinor (Ian McDiarmid) and Queen Antedia (Zoë Wanamaker) respectively. Also impacting Aulus' plans are two people that are part of a prophecy relating to the fate of Britannia, the young girl Cait (Eleanor Worthington Cox) and the cast out druid Divis (Nikolaj Lie Kaas).

Britannia is definitely epic in scope and certainly goes for a Game of Thrones vibe, though it does not quite meet the bar set by that acclaimed series. Not that it is a bad show, but it quite obviously tries to follow in the path of GoT with its grand story, many factions, expanded cast, and moral quandaries, but may leave some viewers wanting a bit more to chew on. Give it credit for not trying to create Westeros 2.0, though, as it delves into celtic history and mythology and establishes its own, fairly well-defined world. And the show is an enjoyable enough watch even if it does bog down from time to time over its nine-episode first season run.

Morrissey definitely holds his own amidst this cast of many and shows some depth that his role as The Governor on The Walking Dead never allowed him to explore. He starts off very much in scenery-chewing mode, but settles into the role after a couple of episodes and allows his rather complex character to slowly unfold. Kelly Reilly goes toe-to-toe with Morrissey as the show's females lead Kerra, a warrior woman who has a level of responsibility cast on her that she does not expect or necessarily want. But the stand-out performances in the show come from Eleanor Worthington Cox and Nikolaj Lie Kaas who play the pair at the focus of a prophecy. Cait is certainly a spiritual cousin to Lyanna Mormont and Divis starts out seeming like the village outcast but reveals that there is dark and tragic side to his character. Together they have a palpable chemistry and their verbal sparring is great fun.

SPOILERS AHEAD! Skip this paragraph to avoid.  I did take issue with the one major death that occurred in the final episode.  Killing off Kerra is certainly this show's Ned Stark-type turn, but it didn't quite have the same impact.  Ned Stark had such an important role from the beginning of Game of Thrones, and when he died it showed that following the path of honor and right is not the way to survive in the land of Westeros politics.  His death then carried over into the rest of the story as Ned lives on through the example he set for his children and they struggle with doing the right thing vs. what is expedient.  Kerra, however, seemed to be batted around by controlling forces beyond her power, and the importance of her character was not established well enough beyond Kelly Reilly's stand out performance.  So ultimately, her death seemed to be used for shock factor instead of advancing the story; something that has become all to prevalent with serialized television these days.  It is possible she could return in Obi Wan fashion, considering the magic and mysticism present in that world, and perhaps redeem the character.  But at this point, her death just seemed empty.

Ultimately, Britannia definitely has promise and could develop into a decent fantasy series over time. That's assuming that Amazon will give it that time as the streaming service has two more epic fantasy shows in the works in their Lord of the Rings prequel and just-announced Conan series. As mentioned above, Britannia comes as part of a partnership with Sky Atlantic, so perhaps that will help keep it going and it definitely has a strong British feel so it may have more appeal to audiences across the Atlantic. It is worth a look for fantasy fans, especially those looking for something to fill the void while waiting for the final season of Game of Thrones. It doesn't quite match up to the accomplishments of that series, but it doesn't have to in order to be considered a decent genre entry.

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