Over the past two weeks, The CW rolled out their latest superhero spectacle, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Riding off the success off of their other two superhero shows, Flash and Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow takes a crack at an ensemble cast with a time traveling premise.
The show, which centers around ex ‘Time Master’ Rip Hunter, features a cast of heroes and villains from the CW’s Flash and Arrow universe and their mission to stop the immortal Vandal Savage throughout different periods in time. The varied cast works well together, though it does feel bloated at times due to the large roster of nine protagonists and two antagonists introduced so far. What Legends of Tomorrow does to remedy this, is break off a small task force for each scenario based on each character’s skill set.
When looking at the cast itself, each actor or actress feels right for the role and looks believably like their comic counterparts. Actors like Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell of Prison Break fame, bring the villains turned antiheroes to life with their chilling portrayal of Captain Cold and Heatwave, respectively. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the series lead villain, Vandal Savage, is being played by Casper Crump. Crump, an under the radar actor, fits the bill aesthetically for the immortal evildoer, but his high pitched voice makes his attempts at intimidation comical and unbelievable.
What the CW does right with Legends of Tomorrow is the abundance of action scenes and their build ups to them. The well-crafted CGI intertwined with well-coordinated stunts and practical effects bring the comics to life with ice and fire flying across the screen while henchmen get knocked out left and right. But sometimes this abundance of action doesn’t allow the scenes to breathe causing an overwhelming sensation of confusion.
Another great aspect of the show is its ability to create well written and likable characters. There is a great chemistry created with the cast; each character has their time to shine and each feels important to the audience. With their origins already fleshed out in either Flash or Arrow, the characters are allowed to ease in and out of scenes taking jabs at one another or able to have heartfelt conversations without having to take time away from the show to explain why certain things are important.
The overall plot of the two episode pilot feels a bit clunky, and at times forced, due to having too much happen too quickly. Watching both Flash and Arrow are necessary prerequisites to this show or else character traits and certain plot lines may get lost on a new viewer unaware of certain ways characters deviate from the comics. This is most apparent in both Hawkman and Hawkgirl, whose story is heavily intertwined with Vandal Savage and partially changed from the comics.
The show also suffers from what most other CW shows suffers from, ‘soap opera syndrome’. Though comic books do sometimes delve into the realm of drama in between all the fists flying, CW shows create major plot points off this drama and Legends of Tomorrow is no exception. Rushed romances and unnecessary character plots are created to try and make certain character shine more, but these attempts backfire in confusing displays of forced acting and scenes that come out of nowhere, detracting from the show as a whole.
