Rating:  -
"Lois and Clark" finally made its debut amidst the mass of other Television series box sets. For those of you who enjoyed the show when it first aired, this DVD set is a blessing. For all those who missed the show the first time around or watched and perhaps didn't like it, this box set is still a blessing; only you're going to have to give it a second chance.
I don't remember much of the show when it was first out. I wasn't a fan of superman, and I was all of 16, so an emotional drama about the struggle of an alien superhero in a world of humans was the last thing on my mind.
I've grown up since then and Superman has grown on me. So much that I'm willing to sit through season after season of the dull and reiterated "kryptonite bad guys" of Smallville, simply because it's about the Man of Steel. But that makes me sound like a fan boy, and perhaps I am, but this review isn't going to be a lyrical banter of why Kal-el is the greatest of all. Because... even if Lois and Clark had absolutely nothing to do with Superman, it would still be worth that $60 you spend on it.
While I wish I could say Dean Cain is a phenomenal actor, I can't. Dean Cain is charismatic; I'll be the first one to admit it. Some things are a bit out of his range though, as I can't really see him playing someone comical, however, I can and do see him as "Superman". His presence is striking to say the least. He's built, he's tall and he has every facial aspect-the strong jaw, the sharp eyes and the wavy hair-we've come to recognize from Superman. But that only goes so far, if you want to slap the guy on a poster and be done with it, looks will work. But for Dean Cain to actually pull off being Superman he has to act like him as well. I've always pictured Superman with a quiet confidence, the stern glare while his arms crossed over his chest. The sort of fellow that lets his presence speaks for itself. Dean Cain pulls that aspect off with a glittering perfection. He's stern but not abrasive when he speaks, and no matter what he's dealing with Cain carries a certain amount of compassion in his voice, much like I can imagine superman having. He's bold without being over-bearing, confident without being egotistical. Even the movements Superman has when he's flying, or revealing the S underneath his shirt is demonstrated in a stunning quality. Dean Cain does a very good job of being Superman.
However, Dean doesn't do an outstanding job at being Clark Kent. Perhaps I'm still stuck on the majesty that Christopher Reeves created and I'm being too picky, but Clark Kent is a dork. He's clumsy, he's unsure and he strikes me as almost wormy. Dean Cain is just too confident all the time. He comes across-to me at least-as Superman with glasses when he's playing Kent. He tones down the boldness only slightly in his role reversal and comes across as a bit egotistical. But it's only a minor set back and doesn't make the show horrible by any means.
Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane. This girl has got everything right so I won't drone on too much about her role. Needless to say it's stellar. She personifies everything that Lois Lane is: Egotistical, untrusting, pushy, melodramatic but with an underlying compassion; a sort of innocent nature amidst her otherwise leather emotions and it shows in her obsession with Superman.
The other characters do just as well and you won't have to "deal" with the fact that Lex Luthor has hair or that Jimmy Olsen isn't a photographer yet. To be honest, you won't even notice. Each person plays their role to perfection, despite the tiny changes made.
Let's not forget that even though this show is about Superman and he has a lot of comic book appeal to him, it is a drama. It's-at times-sappy, eye soaking, and gushy but it still remains in the realm of heroic and inspiring. Every aspect is balanced incredibly well. Some episodes are strictly about Superman and his desire to fit in with the human race while some are about the incredible, impending relationship he shares with Lois. I never got bored because there was too much flying or too many heart fluttering moments. Granted, a lot of it has already developed. Superman is Superman, to put it bluntly. The first episode goes over his costume; one has his first involvement with Kryptonite and many have him building his feud with Lex. This is a story about Kal-El being Superman, not becoming Superman.
The evolution and development of the story lies not in Superman, but between Clark Kent and Lois. This show is an absolute 100% teaser. I found myself watching episode after episode just because I'm campy and I like those brief, smile forcing heartfelt moments between the two. There are plenty, so don't worry that you're going to be fated to endure four years of hopping around before something finally happens. *Coughs.* Smallville. True, they don't "end up" together... at least not yet, but it isn't so dragged out it seems like they're running out of ideas and trying to scrape one more year by you either. Everybody knows they end up together. The enjoyment of each episode isn't in wondering if they are going to fall in love, but instead watching it happen. Seeing someone fall deeply in love is almost as fun as doing it yourself. There is a balance in their relationship as well. Clark is everything Lois is not and vice-versa, but they get along surprisingly well and they have their own childish antics, which makes the show humorous at times. It's just easy to watch them together; plain and simple.
Maybe I'm bias because I enjoy them both-Superman and lighthearted, romantic dramas. It's a demographic though and if you don't fit in to it, chances are you won't like this show. But fans of The Man of Steel will find the show having enough of a superhero aspect to keep watching, and the drama fans will find plenty of what entices them as well. I wasn't a fan of the show the first time around, and oddly enough I find myself anticipating the second season. This show is more then worth giving it a second chance, maybe even a first.
Rating:  -
Season one is a great start to this take on the Superman story. Dean Cain is every bit the part of both Superman and Clark Kent.
Teri Hatcher does wonders with the part of Lois Lane.
Rating: -
I used to watch Lois and Clark on TNT every day. It was a fine addition to the Superman Legacy, and the DVD's definitely do the series justice. If you're a fan of Superman, this series is worth the purchase, especially with the included behind the scenes featurettes. 2 thumbs up.
Rating: -
Corny? Yes. Slightly sappy? Yes. Iffy acting from a few characters? Yes. Still worth watching? Yup.
We need heroes; even made-up ones. Unlike previous generations, however, we're less likely to expect or believe that our heroes are perfect, infallible god-like creatures. Good, bad, or otherwise (your opinion may vary), we're much more cynical/realistic in our expectations of our heroes, real-life or fictional.
Lois & Clark turns this slightly more realistic and less worshipful eye towards the icon of Superman. In focusing heavily on his day-to-day interactions as Clark Kent, and on his many internal conflicts regarding the meeting of his two identities, we are able to understand Superman as a heroic human being, rather than simply a hero.
In this sense, of course, the series may be too "soap-opera-ish" for some. Office interactions and internal conflicts are not, necessarily, as fun to watch as explosions and flapping capes and men in blue flying over breathtaking skylines... although they squeeze enough of those into the episodes, I suppose, at least for my tastes. Superman/Clark Kent is a man who has unrequited crushes, bumbles around a decent amount, has to convince himself NOT to use his X-ray vision to see Lois changing when they share a hotel room on a stakeout, and is decidedly uncomfortable speaking into a microphone at a charity engagement.
He is also, of course, 100% the hero. Lex Luthor, conversely, is 100% the "bad guy," although like Kent, his character complex beyond goodguy-badguy definitions. In season one, at least, he is not without redemption, or at least the possibility for redemption. He falls, hard, for Lois Lane, and while his actions to make her his own are not acceptable by any standards, his capacity of love, pretty much truly and honestly, humanizes him considerably. We'll leave what happens to his character in future seasons for after the are realeased.
Lois Lane's character is perhaps the most interesting of the three. The traditional trio: hero, villian, damsel-in-distress, is still the basis for the show. And Lois certainly DOES find herself in a lot of life-threatening jams. Her character's vulnerability, however, is combined with a toughness that makes her constant need for life-saving a little more palatable.
These characters, as well as the minor characters (Jimmy, Perry, Cat, and various incidentals) make the show well worth watching despite its apparent and obvious hokey-ness. Don't take it too seriously, and you'll enjoy it.
Rating: -
I think this is the best superman of all time. I have seen them all. Even back to George Reeve in black and white and all the movies. Of course I am a superman nut and have many kinds of superman items. I beleve the lois and clark tv show was the best and can not wait for the next seasons to come out
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