Legends Of Tomorrow first look.

Salutations, dear fellow members!

I have just watched the first episode of Legends of Tomorrow. I refuse point blank to spoil anything here, but I thought I would give you all a quick run down, just in case the hype has escaped your notice, of what it is all about. Combining characters from both Arrow, and The Flash, this time travel romp involves Firestorm, The Atom, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, The White Canary, Captain Cold, and Heatwave. It also involves one Captain Hunter, a former Time Master, a guardian of the time stream if you will, who wishes to save the Earth from a horrid fate, at the hands of Vandal Savage, an immortal who likes to cause chaos and destruction, as a precursor to aiming at total dominion over Earth by the year 2166 or some such waffle. In an effort to prevent this coming to pass, the good captain assembles the aforementioned mob of heroes and villains, for the purpose of stopping Savage before it is too late.

Captain Rip Hunter is played by the fellow who used to play Rory in Doctor Who. This makes for particularly difficult viewing, since it is clear that he has been rather typecast into the role of time traveller, and with the greatest possible respect, he simply has not got the presence required for either captaincy, or indeed being believable as a motivating force in a plot line.

Given his failings as the instigating force, it is little wonder that the shows first episode felt very disjointed to me, not to mention rushed like the dickens. I think the trouble with it is, that bless him, the fellow is trying to be a Time Lord, of the Doctor Who tradition, in a comic book universe which has no time for that methodology. To put not to fine a point on it, he kicks too little ass for the role. But perhaps he will grow into it, and out of the boots he never got to try on in Doctor Who, and has apparently attempted to fill on this first episode of Legends of Tomorrow?

Am I overly critical? Absolutely. Comic book TV series, and films for that matter, must be PERFECT in order to be remotely watchable. Arrow aggravates me, simply because the lead actor has all the emotional capacity of a stunned newt in my opinion, and I do not believe any scene he is in, such is his wooden performance style. I find it unwatchable tosh, simply due to his presence. So perhaps I am going to be a little harsh. But if you are going to make a show about time travel, cast a former companion of The Doctor as the time traveller, and make it anything less than badass as all hell, then I am probably going to raise some issues.

This show could turn out to be a bust, but if it does, it will not be because there was anything wrong with the performances of the regular DC mob who have been pulled in from other shows. They all did their bits and did them well. It's the good Captain I cannot quite deal with. We shall see what happens next episode I suppose. Either way, I am sure we will all have our own opinions on the matter, and so I throw the rest of this thread, open to the membership.

HAVE AT IT!

a reply to: TrueBrit

Looking forward to it. Bring primarily a Marvel comics guy, I never expected to get into Flash and Arrow, but here they are, 2 of the 4 shows I watch (Marvel Agents of SHIELD & Game of Thrones being the others.) I rank Flash higher than Arrow in all categories, but enjoy them both. I don't expect anywhere near perfection in superhero shows - "good enough" will do. The genre scores nerd points with me automatically, so what would otherwise be a 6/10 gets boosted to an 8.5 by default.

That said, I'll be watching Legends of Tomorrow, tonight (Thank-you CW for having a functional free streaming app, unlike most networks who can't seem to get theirs to work properly, if they have them at all.) I think the show will need to slow down after a couple of episodes to develop each character amongst the backdrop of the larger continuing story to be successful. The danger in this type of ensemble team is just repeatedly sending them on a variety of adventures/battles, with battle/not war resolution being the weekly climax.

a reply to: dogstar23

I am a comics, games, films, sci-fi....I am a general nerd, in terms of my favourite things to watch, read, and play.

I think it is my general preference for all things mental and bonkers that drives my enjoyment of this stuff. However, I insist on quality, and respect being paid to the original work from which a film or television show is derived, and the slightest detail being incongruous, can lead to the entire illusion being shattered for me.

Now, with regards to the direction of the show, and what you said about repeated battles and no resolution, I cannot possibly agree more. There has to be so much more to it, the action must be allowed for in the plot so seamlessly as to render its pacing and reason totally justifiable, otherwise it will turn into a DC comics version of Xena: Warrior Princess, which was exclusively an excuse for costumed people to smack each other around on camera and make strange noises at one another. It was a damned GOOD excuse, but little else besides.

a reply to: TrueBrit

As a grown man who watches cartoons I'd prefer to watch Young Justice.

Animation doesn't have the restrictions of live action so the writers have a license to create. I'm a big fan of Young Justice and while it is mature it doesn't go overboard with the gritty darkness that we've come to expect from DC of late.

I liked it. Not having read much of any comic book series ever but liking the genre, allows me to be less critical. I love Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and all the comic book movies.

The only comic series I ever read any of was when I was dating my first love... a comic book geek, I read some of the X-Men series during the Phoenix Saga, because I'm drawn to the symbol of the phoenix, I loved it.

I enjoyed it but I always cringe when it comes to time travel. If you have the ability to go back and undo things and know what is going to happen and when, why travel all over time to stop someone. But, you would not have much of a show if you showed up and popped the guy as he is walking into a building. My wife thought the show was corny as hell. I thought it was fun and something different and tied in well with Flash and Arrow. It seems like it was rushed and not a lot of time was spent on character building. You almost had to watch Flash and Arrow to understand what was going on with the folks in this show. Given the effects, this had to be a costly venture and i hope they find a way to keep it moving ahead in the future.

a reply to: TrueBrit
I didn't know about this show. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed it, but it had the feel of a show that will only last 1 or 2 years.

originally posted by: Kali74
I liked it. Not having read much of any comic book series ever but liking the genre, allows me to be less critical. I love Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and all the comic book movies.

The only comic series I ever read any of was when I was dating my first love... a comic book geek, I read some of the X-Men series during the Phoenix Saga, because I'm drawn to the symbol of the phoenix, I loved it.

Supergirl?

That show has some of the weakest,lamest writings I have ever seen.

Such a shame too.

Marvels Jessica Jones is WAY BETTER.

Legends of Tomorrow is no Flash or Arrow.

I expect it to be cancel after the first season.

They should have wrote Supergirl like Smallville.

a reply to: neo96

I tried to like supergirl, I really did.

But it's really, really terrible. Its a shame yoo because it's apparently going to have a crossover episode with The Flash. Which I think has surpased Arrow in some ways.

Can't wait for season 2 of Daredevil.

a reply to: Chadwickus

Yeah I saw that tonite when they went to Earth 2.

The flashes of supergirl in the crossover.

Supergirl definitely needs better writing.

Thru 4 episodes now. I like it alright. The action scenes are really cool. I like the concept of a super team and I think it works well here. Still room for improvement and I am sure it will get better.

a reply to: TrueBrit
I have them downloading right now.

I remember seeing Vandal Savage on episodes of both Flash and Arrow. It was a cross over event.

a reply to: Skid Mark

That's absolutely right. It ties in the Hawkman/Hawkgirl characters as well, since their backstory is all bound up in this situation with Savage.

a reply to: neo96

Jessica Jones was just a fantastic show.

Everyone in it acted their collective nuts off, and as a result, that was easily one of the most engaging shows I have watched for some time.

I just watched the pilot. I liked it a lot. The bar fight set to the Captain and Tennille song was funny.

This series is pretty solid.