Well, I typed up a huge post of mainly ramblings about some of the games and updates. I think I'll just post the overall that I was going to put.
OVERALL: Not a bad update to the show. Some of the games looks smaller, some minor changes to the classic games, and I don't think I could the do the Eliminator now. Lots of commercials. Also, I need to go buy a Subway Sub and a new Toyota car. Some replays were sponsored. Annoyed at the water where the foam padding should be because I'd hate getting wet all the time.
BUZZ KILL: With in the first 30 mintues a contestant was injured and a Gladiator. Not in the same game either. It started out hot out of the gate but those two moments really stunk.
Favorite NEW Gladators: Crush and Wolf.
Anyways, it wasn't totaly ruined it just has a lot of fat now. Check it out.
Not bad, but too many commercials like you said and Hogan and Ali kinda suck in this role.
The gladiators were trying really hard to get their gimmicks over. I kept laughing at one of the big black dudes doing his arm motion. It was like either using a hammer or threatening to jack you off in a way you wouldn't like. Fun stuff.
The Canadian Destroyer off the foam pyramid was insanely awesome. Gina Carano is smoking hot. The Eliminator looks impossible. I enjoyed what I saw of this.
I watched the first hour and gradually lost interest during the second. Two hours was way too much American Gladiators for me.
Thoughts:
Regular people are terrible at cutting promos and trash talking. Hell, half the WWE roster can't cut a promo, so ordinary people doing it sounds especially painful. Hulk Hogan should just cut everyone's promo for them, brother.
Even updated for 2008, there seems to be no way to keep the male Gladiators from looking totally flaming.
The Gladiators seemed cooler when I was a kid but now as an adult I think they're embarrassing doofuses. Wolf and Toa's antics in particular feed into the worst perceptions the general public still have about how wrestlers behave. The female Gladiators fared better. They mostly weren't carrying on like Looney Tunes cartoon characters and a couple of them were pretty hot.
I also enjoyed the NY fire fighter completely wiping the floor with the skateboarder. The skateboarder's promos about his comeback rang more and more hollow as the show went on.
I was stunned when the little Filipino doctor ended up winning the first show. How did her opponent completely blow the Eliminator? She had a commanding lead but somehow was just too blown up to pull herself up that conveyor belt wall. Dwight Schrute would say it's because she was weak arms. I'd say she had no heart.
I can only assume Gina Carano is Crush because she is smoking hot.
I liked it but I don't think the show is long for this world with Hogan and Ali hosting. They should get Matt Vasgersian and Lisa Guerrero (like either of them are busy right now) to host ala Sports Geniuses. I agree that the Eliminator looks damn near impossible now. I think someone is going to get killed dead in Powerball by the end of the season by the way those guys were going at it.
I didn't see the second game - did they have that Assault & Conquer game that they had in the first incarnation? I always loved that with the tennis ball cannon and grenades.
Originally posted by Reverend J ShaftI didn't see the second game - did they have that Assault & Conquer game that they had in the first incarnation? I always loved that with the tennis ball cannon and grenades.
(edited by Reverend J Shaft on 7.1.08 1522)
They did have it in the second game.
Both men and women's contests in the second game were a lot closer, but both of my favorites lost. I thought the 34 year-old had a cool story about not making tryouts 14 years ago because he was stuck in traffic, and I would've liked to have seen him win in front of his wife and kid. Sadly, he didn't.
As for the women, I think the 30-foot climb in the ropes is what cost the Marine the win. I thought for sure she'd have no problem with the eliminator.
On a side note, I actually like having the conveyor belt thing at the end instead of the beginning. It seemed to be the great equalizer last night, and is that one final test of how much you have left before the end.
As for the ratings: According to zap2it, it did pretty well, beating the FOX shows in the 9pm hour, 6.7/10 share in the overnights. It also had better numbers than the CBS shows (Amazing Race and Cold Case). Almost the same numbers for the 10:00 hour (6.7/11), out-drawing Shark and while behind Cashmere Mafia in households, it led the hour in total viewers.
Originally posted by KJames199The Canadian Destroyer off the foam pyramid was insanely awesome. Gina Carano is smoking hot.
Two of my highlights, as well.
I also enjoyed:
-Venus's comeback in the first hour's Eliminator, even though it had more to do with Koya's collapse. Her time won't hold up, though. Shame. -Wolf and Toa. They're nuts. -The ref from Dodgeball. -The Barrel Roll. -Hit and Run, which I just realized is an updated form of one of the parts of the first season's Eliminator. -The overall look of the show. It felt like a big deal.
Didn't enjoy as much: -Earthquake. The platform didn't move enough to make it fun. -The hosts. Hogan was Hogan, but it felt weird. I did kinda like the VO guy, though. -Assault. Just load the weapons, don't make them dig for arrows. And I wish they didn't show what happens when the contender hits the target. That would have been a nice surprise the first time it happened. -The complete bust that was Militia. First it comes out that he had a gay porn past, then Hulk makes his name sound like "Melissa", then he injures himself in his first event. D'oh! -The prize money is too low. These people have to put their health and well being at risk and survive the ENTIRE tournament only to win what most contestants walk away with in a single night on Deal or No Deal?
Originally posted by geemoneyAs for the women, I think the 30-foot climb in the ropes is what cost the Marine the win. I thought for sure she'd have no problem with the eliminator.
It may not have helped that she hit her head on the metal pole in the water, busting her open. She was checking her head a couple of times later in the Eliminator.
A few thoughts after watching two nights:
-The gladiators can be characters, but the competitors shouldn't be. The guy from Tennessee tonight went through the show like Hillbilly Jim and it seemed too contrived. -The camera edits are distracting. -No time penalty when falling off the barrel roll or hand bike? Why not just jump down, it'd be a lot easier. -The cut-ins to commercials were at awful times - why right as the event is about to begin? -The hosts are awful. Every second word of Hogan's is "brother", he seems disingenuous with his compliments, and Leila Ali has little personality. -On that point, the interviews with the competitors right at the beginning of each event is unnecessary. -The faceless voice doing commentary and offering cheesy lines ("Wolf is getting ready to FANG tough") needs to be replaced by some retired commentator in the arena.
Still, I find the show entertaining. The men's eliminator tonight was mind-blowing and had me screaming at the TV. Hopefully they make some improvements, but I'll keep watching. They are certainly capturing the pre-RAW wrestling crowd with their timeslot.
Crush is definitely sweet, as are Venom, Stealth, and Siren.
Originally posted by The GoonThey are certainly capturing the pre-RAW wrestling crowd with their timeslot.
Actually, if tonight is any indication, it's causing me to watch both it and Raw, when normally I probably wouldn't bother watching either.
And yeah, I yelled during the end of the Eliminator too, as well as Militia grabbing the cord during Earthquake and the end of Big Country's ring event.
Originally posted by The GoonNo time penalty when falling off the barrel roll or hand bike? Why not just jump down, it'd be a lot easier.
I don't know that it would be. Once they get down, they still have to climb back up to where they need to be, climbing up the metal on the side of the set (at least for the barrell roll). I would think by that point, climbing anything would slow them down.
And I thought, with that name, Van Earl Wright must've done some wrestling announcing or managing at one point or another. Wikipedia says otherwise.
I missed the first episode, but caught tonight's. I very much dug it. Quick thoughts:
Big Country = Walkin' talkin' stereotype. Every time Hogan says brother/sister, drink. Notice how the women's Eliminator times were a minute faster than the men's? Earthquake is pretty freakin' awesome. Crush is a beast in the Joust. I thought the blonde chick got legit KOed. I wish we had gotten to see more of Assault. Anyone else think that the Eliminator has gotten a healthy injection of some of that Sasuke/Ninja Warrior juice? Adding fire and water is one thing, but the barrel roll is blatantly appropriated.
"I could drown the pain, and drink upon commuter trains and here you stand in eastern standard time" - Mike Doughty
If there is a kind and loving God out there then, as part of the build for the probable Mania match of Hogan & Khali, Khali will take out Hogan at the start of an episode, and take over sideline reporting duties.
I caught the show tonight for the first time. I hope I wasn't the only one who noticed this, because it would depress me that I have seen this movie so many times, but I was totally distracted by the referee.
So much that he made a mockup of himself as Jonah and sent the photos to Warner. Looks badass, and if he can't be the Punisher anymore, I think he'd make an awesome Hex. Between this and Joel Silver saying Guy Ritchie might be on board for Sgt.