A Good Day to Die Hard (2013; John Moore / Skip Woods)

 A fifteen minute chase scene that is less interesting than the most boring car chase in Rising Sun.

B-, no, E-grade dialogue in case you're goddamned blind.

Proof that one can progress from Behind Enemy Lines to a so-so franchise.

Oh, Bruce.  Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce.

Endeavour S01E01-02 (ITV, 2013-)

Those with fond memories of John Thaw grumping about Oxford will be pleasantly surprised by this prequel.

The first ep - have only realised there was a proper pilot last year which I'm tracking down - was a nice return to the look, feel and sound of the original Morse series, with just enough modern touches to keep a 21st century interested.  Shaun Evans makes a nice gangling and awkward young Morse who, in the words of his mentor, is "a brilliant detective but a poor policeman."  Roger Allam as said mentor is pitch perfect as a period plod with a brain and heart - and an obvious soft spot for his protege.  The rest of the cast - along with the week's guest stars - provide nice period colour - something that seemed sorely lacking from a random ep of Martin Shaw's George Gently.

The first ep's direction is solid and the writing is spot-on, a very comforting experience, while the second ep's Se7en and Silence of the Lambs influences clang a little heavily, and are forgiven only by the consistent characterisations.

The Better Half certainly likes the show.  It's Comfort TV, especially in these coming cold months.

The Last Stand (2013; Jee-woon Kim / Andrew Knauer)

Where the awful Olympus Has Fallen sucked ass with everything, The Last Stand succeeds with low expectations, minimal story and animal charisma aplenty.

The Eighties and Nineties might be a distant and hazy memory but it's nice to have Arnold back.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013; Antoine Fuqua / Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt)

Antoine - bro!  Cuz!

Seriously:  WHAT THE FUCKETY FUCKINGLY FUCK, bro?

A flat-out Die Hard in the White House movie?  And now I see why Gerard Butler get so much stick.  He's about as much fun as a felching session with a parent-in-law.

Hey, the trailer was shit but I admire your work, bro, and I thought, The finished film can not be as bad as this shitty trailer.  And then I saw the finished film and I'm like, WTF?

Christ All-fucking-mighty.

Hannibal S01E01 (NBC, 2013-)

Only one name made me sit down and watch this show:  Bryan Fuller.  The man whose shows Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me were tragically cut short.  Those shows weren't my cuppa tea, I tell you, but they were watchable - more than watchable:  entertaining television.

The pilot is good.  Mr Fuller and friends seem to have taken into account all of the Hannibal material rather than committee cherry-picked from the films.  This is promising.

Think I'll have to watch it again with the Better Half at my side.

The Walking Dead S03E13

The more I watch this show, the more I hate myself for watching this show.

Cracked S01E01-02 (CBC, 2013-)

The concept is as old as The Odd Couple:  a crazy/kooky/damaged cop who solves crimes.

Cracked certainly has its share of crazy, kooky and damage, and after the pilot I thought I had it pegged.  Case of the week, team work that doesn't get in the way of the hero cop being in the right place at the right time, and shit details for not only fans of procedurals like myself but likely those who work in mental health.  I was mostly right.

It was the second ep that distilled my pros and cons about the show:

• when the Consulting Psychiatrist goes into a situation on her own, and she clocks clues that she's very likely with the Murderer, Don't fucking poke the bear, lady;
• when the Hero Cop saves the Consulting Psychiatrist from aforementioned situation, Cuff the perp to ensure he's no longer a threat rather than presume he's knocked out from your flurry of manly blows and go straight to your potential series love interest;
• I know it's only the second ep but I was over the moon pretty glad that the show did not reinforce the stereotype that all mad people kill - some do, sure, but mostly they're a danger to themselves.

I completely understand some licence has to be taken for the sake of drama so, sure, interrogate a mentally unwell suspect because there's a ticking clock - but, Jesus H Christ almight:  you sure you want to assume the general population hasn't seen Cops in this lifetime?