2012 Viewing Journal #7

"The Experiment"

A remake of a German film of the same name, and based on a real life experiment where volunteers take the roles of prisoners and guards in a simulated jail setting, this Adrien Brody/Forest Whitaker vehicle is conceptually sharp, but seeing it's based on a number of previous ideas, there's gotta be more than just that to carry its narrative. And while the performances are what you'd expect with the pedigree, it's just a rote thriller trying to arrive at a resolution to tie up the plot. I really liked the original film, this one, not so much.

"Wonder Woman: 2011 TV Pilot"

Now this, I don't get. Word on the street about this unaired one hour WB show was that it was bloody awful. Unwatchable dreck. The network hated it and based on the black market leaks of the :42 minute pilot episode, the fan base hated it as well. And I don't get it.

The concept makes solid sense. Wonder Woman's personas - her superhero presence, her public image, and her secret identity - all work quite well. Her relationships with the her employees (she runs a Tony Stark-like empire of some kind), and the police also feel plenty developed. Performances are fine, action is cool and most importantly... the costume works! She's wearing it for a reason.

I, for one, thought the producers did a fine job with this and based on some of the unwatchable dreck I've seen come out of pilot season.... I just don't get it.