"Dollhouse" Series Premeire

Joss Whedon has a new show out called "Dollhouse." I don't really want to bore anyone with the details, but the general idea is that there is this group of people call "actives" and these "actives" have the ability to take on any personality seen fit. These people get sold out to clients for whatever purpose they may need them for. When they aren't in one of these different personalities, they are nothing more then a shell of a person. They don't know who they are; what they're doing. They just exist to take on whatever role the client wants them to take.

So that's the premise.

I have been reading a lot about this show since it was first announced and it's had its share of bumps. Almost from the start, it seemed to fall under the "Whedon curse." The people of Fox wanted him to change parts of the show and had him completely redo the pilot episode (which parts now exists in the second episode). This had me worried that the show wasn't going to be what Joss had wanted. I had my own concerns about the show as well. The premise didn't grab me; the cast doesn't excite me, and Fox having a hand in it scared me.

So what do I think now that the first episode has aired? It's better then I expected (but, let's be fair; my expectations weren't too high). The premise worked. It wasn't great, but the first episode gets the idea across and puts everything in motion. To put it simply; the first episode was entertaining.

Now, I do have some issues with the show, and they are issues that aren't going to go away easily. The first problem and probably the hardest to solve; Eliza Dushku. Don't get me wrong, I liked her as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but anything else that I've seen her in, I cannot shed this image of her that I have. She IS Faith; she is that character and this is something that is going to plague her throughout the series.

The second problem, again with Dushku, is that she can't really... act. I mean, she plays the part she needs to play, but there is a lack of depth to her acting and a show like this needs a cast that is versatile. Every one of these "actives" needs to be an action hero in one scene and Shakespeare in another. Dushku can be a slayer, but she is no Macbeth.

And speaking of the cast, there is another problem (although, I'm not sure it's really a problem; more of an observation). Has Whedon's pool of talent become so small that he has to start pulling from the genre and his own shows? Where are the unknowns; the talent just waiting to be discovered? Eliza Dushku, Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galatica), Amy Acker (Angel), Harry Lennix (The Matrix, ER), Reed Diamond (Journeyman), and Matt Keeslar (The Middleman, awesome show btw).

Even with these issues, I think the show has a lot of potential (anything Whedon does HAS potential). Give the show half a season and I'm sure things will level out and the show will become its own universe. My only fear at this point is FOX.

Fox is notorious for canceling shows before they can build an audience (too many to name, but Firefly is an obvious example; another Whedon show). The pilot didn't have the best ratings, so we'll see how long FOX stick it out.

If all else fails, maybe Whedon can go back to the web and brings us Dr. Horrible Part II.

Almost Two Years Later and Blogging Again - A Review of Uncharted

I'm going to start blogging again about my random thoughts and observations; hoping to give myself a bit of a creative outlet for my head. I know it's been almost two years since my last blog post, but it's been a busy two years. I got married, bought a house, and have had four different jobs. But now, things are starting to slow down and become more organized, meaning I might just have the time to sit down and write once in a while.

I've got about five topics I want to hit on, but I don't think I'm going to try and write about them all at once; space them out a little.

First up, I finally just finished playing Uncharted: Drake's Fortune after purchasing the game back in September. The game is pretty good; that much can be said. I got about half way through the game, and then just stopped (something else probably came along). Anyway, after being sick recently, I felt the need to pick the game up again and finish it.

The game play is fun; the story is great; the presentation is amazing (that's the part that gets me). Everything about this game screams "summer blockbuster movie." It's a popcorn game.

The controls are a little loose (although, after picking up the game several months later, I found it to play a lot tighter, so who knows).

My biggest grip with the game comes near the end when, for lack of a better phrase, the game "jumps the shark."

SPOILER ALERT (In case you don't know, this means "stop reading" if you haven't finished the game)

The whole game never goes too far into the unbelievable until it turns out that the treasure you're on the hunt for is cursed and turns people into zombie, demon, vampire things; the game has just become Resident Evil.

Don't get me wrong, it didn't stop me from enjoying the rest of the game, but it certainly threw me back a bit. If you look at it in the context of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, or even the Mummy films, it fits right in, but for game that doesn't even hint at something like this until the very end; it seems very out of place.

This could have easily been avoided had the developers thrown in a boss or two. I mean, where's the giant spider boss? Come on people, you can't have a game that has you searching ancient ruins and NOT have a giant spider boss.

Anyway, the game is good. I enjoyed it very much and can't wait for the sequel. If you play games and have a PS3, I suggest giving it a shot.