(P)REVIEW: LEVERAGE
Leverage is so full of supreme awesome that it makes me angry.
Since Adam asked...
Some things are just so good, right out of the gate that it completely fouls the gauges. Up is down. Left is right. And being bad is just fucking good.
I'm going primarily, mostly spoiler free here, so be not terribly afraid.
The concept is pretty basic. It's modern-era Ocean's Eleven for TV, so not eleven. Bad people doing good things to even worse people. Or if you're down with Hu$tle, you're down with this.
Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton) is an ex-insurance investigator who finds himself put with a bunch of skilled ne'er do wells to put the screws to some people who really deserve it because they stole Saul Rubinek's airplane designs.
We get keen little flashbacks with the intro of each of the Leverage crew, and each one is priceless. Beth Riesgraf's (formerly better known as the mother of something called Pilot Inspektor) Parker (a.k.a the girl) has, without a doubt, the best one. The tone setter. And she comes after geektastic Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) who's flashback involves Slave Leias.
With this show, Timothy Hutton reestablishes his coolness, because, honestly, it's been a while since I've thought "hey, Tim Hutton. Cool." That Nero Wolfe stuff a few years ago might be a contender, but otherwise, I'm probably reaching back as far as the early 90s.
Christian Kane is fantastically Euro-trashy as Eliot Spencer, which is saying something as his character isn't even European. Must be the hair. Then he's fantastically geeky, then he's...well, he's the faceman.
And Gina Bellman. Don't need to say anything there. Just...Gina Bellman.
But, really, the star of this...yo, Rogers...you and Downey hit this out of the muthafuckin' park.
There's a scene where the principals meet up in a big empty warehouse after things have gone a little sideways (which isn't really a spoiler, because things always go sideways in those situations). There's suspicion, there's gun's getting drawn and there's a fierce desire to get paid. It was during this scene that it really hit me. This show stands to be everything that Smith wasn't.
Smith was my favorite show of a the new season a couple of years ago, but it was really a show about bad guys. Not good bad guys, really unpleasant people. And being on CBS, it failed to find its audience in its three weeks on the air.
Leverage doesn't have the irredeemable bad guy thing, but it's nailing enough of that wrong side of the law thing that this is a worthy, of not superior successor.
Technologically scamtastic with a biting sense of humor...a drawing blood biting. I can learn from this show, in good and bad ways.
I believe Amy Berg who's (mid-level on the show), at the recent Scriptwriter's Network Event that E and I attended (and so did apparently everyone I know in the state, yet we all saw naught of each other while there (except Josh) that the show is scheduled to bow in December (or maybe January). That is too damn long.
I'd put off watching this because I had high hopes for it and I wanted to be in an optimal state of mind, with optimal snacking options and optimal whatever else. That's why I'm just getting to this now, despite it having been..."set free" some little bit ago.
It lived up to and then some.
I'm watching this again. Probably several more times.
Shooting it back in the homeland (Chicago) was nice too.
If I were to have a complaint, and I really don't, it's that the music evokes the Ocean's Eleven thing a little too directly. I'd have liked to hear something with its own unique identity.
Since Adam asked...
Some things are just so good, right out of the gate that it completely fouls the gauges. Up is down. Left is right. And being bad is just fucking good.
I'm going primarily, mostly spoiler free here, so be not terribly afraid.
The concept is pretty basic. It's modern-era Ocean's Eleven for TV, so not eleven. Bad people doing good things to even worse people. Or if you're down with Hu$tle, you're down with this.
Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton) is an ex-insurance investigator who finds himself put with a bunch of skilled ne'er do wells to put the screws to some people who really deserve it because they stole Saul Rubinek's airplane designs.
We get keen little flashbacks with the intro of each of the Leverage crew, and each one is priceless. Beth Riesgraf's (formerly better known as the mother of something called Pilot Inspektor) Parker (a.k.a the girl) has, without a doubt, the best one. The tone setter. And she comes after geektastic Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) who's flashback involves Slave Leias.
With this show, Timothy Hutton reestablishes his coolness, because, honestly, it's been a while since I've thought "hey, Tim Hutton. Cool." That Nero Wolfe stuff a few years ago might be a contender, but otherwise, I'm probably reaching back as far as the early 90s.
Christian Kane is fantastically Euro-trashy as Eliot Spencer, which is saying something as his character isn't even European. Must be the hair. Then he's fantastically geeky, then he's...well, he's the faceman.
And Gina Bellman. Don't need to say anything there. Just...Gina Bellman.
But, really, the star of this...yo, Rogers...you and Downey hit this out of the muthafuckin' park.
There's a scene where the principals meet up in a big empty warehouse after things have gone a little sideways (which isn't really a spoiler, because things always go sideways in those situations). There's suspicion, there's gun's getting drawn and there's a fierce desire to get paid. It was during this scene that it really hit me. This show stands to be everything that Smith wasn't.
Smith was my favorite show of a the new season a couple of years ago, but it was really a show about bad guys. Not good bad guys, really unpleasant people. And being on CBS, it failed to find its audience in its three weeks on the air.
Leverage doesn't have the irredeemable bad guy thing, but it's nailing enough of that wrong side of the law thing that this is a worthy, of not superior successor.
Technologically scamtastic with a biting sense of humor...a drawing blood biting. I can learn from this show, in good and bad ways.
I believe Amy Berg who's (mid-level on the show), at the recent Scriptwriter's Network Event that E and I attended (and so did apparently everyone I know in the state, yet we all saw naught of each other while there (except Josh) that the show is scheduled to bow in December (or maybe January). That is too damn long.
I'd put off watching this because I had high hopes for it and I wanted to be in an optimal state of mind, with optimal snacking options and optimal whatever else. That's why I'm just getting to this now, despite it having been..."set free" some little bit ago.
It lived up to and then some.
I'm watching this again. Probably several more times.
Shooting it back in the homeland (Chicago) was nice too.
If I were to have a complaint, and I really don't, it's that the music evokes the Ocean's Eleven thing a little too directly. I'd have liked to hear something with its own unique identity.
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8 Comments:
Oh man I am so stoked.
And thanks for that thing. You're my hero.
I liked Smith, and that didn't last. I wonder how long this one will.
If you liked this, then don't watch RAISING THE BAR....
Opposite ends of the spectrum.
Seriously.
Goddamn I'm so excited about this show. Easily in the top three for the upcoming newbies. I've put off watching the leaked ep... but I may have to track it down.
Damn it.
E - yes, I rawk. \^^/
A - I think this is more palatable and in the right place
B - Bochco lost me a while ago, I wasn't even going to try looking at that one
A- You''ll be glad you did.
Aw, I was looking forward to watch "Raising the Bar." Now I'm going to watch it, already disappointed.
OK. Got a private screening of Leverage scheduled after I exhaust myself from writing. I'm geeked -- should be some good motivation to get shit done so I can enjoy it.
Beer? Check. Dinner? Check. Leverage? Check.
May not be the most exciting 4th of July plans. But I'm looking forward to it. Back to the desk.
ps. "teleplay by"? Who uses teleplay?
I'm not cool enough for an avatar.
I've also heard nothing about this show but am now looking forward to it... Although slightly concerned I'll like it as much as Smith and then it will get killed.
At least it sounds like it should have a bit more of a chance.
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