If Smallville is a teen-drama then Lois and Clark
was an adult-romantic comedy, sprinkled with the occasional garnish of
action and adventure. More concerned with the fiery chemistry of
it’s leads than the ‘villain of the week’ –
which Channel 10’s Smallville is known for –
the light and fluffy television series never snagged the audience that
read the comics, but still snagged an audience: Even if they were
sixteen-year-old girls with a penchant for muscular guys in tights. Six years after Superman IV: The Quest for Peace unspooled in theatres, The Man of Steel returned to the small screen in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Dean Cain plays mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent who – nothing
you don’t already know – arrives in Metropolis, snags a job
with the local Newspaper and butts heads with feisty fellow reporter,
Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). When he’s not at work – well,
sometimes he’s at work when he goes the pants drop – he
changes into Superman, the outfitted hero of the city. Of course, Lois can’t tell it’s Clark because he’s got his glasses off. Over
four consecutive seasons, Lois and Clark chase villains, take on
recurring nasty Lex Luther (John Shea), and ultimately, fall in love. Lois and Clark
is an effervescent, exuberant series. Hatcher and Cain make an
effective, and indubitably handsome duo – with Cain looking a
snug fit in the blue and red outfit. In the ever-so-important support
roles, Lane Smith, Michael Landes (later replaced by Justin Whalin) and
John Shea are right at home in the roles of Perry White, Jimmy Olsen
and the villainous Lex Luthor, respectively. If only Luthor had been
bald, as he was in the comics, and now on Smallville, would it have been a little more faithful to the source. Daggy fun, but still fun – just don’t look too hard for any intrigue or suspense. The
audio and video quality of the set is a little so-so. There’s a
bit of grain, some discolouration in parts, and in some episodes
– the pilot, mostly – the effects look more murky than
magnificent. Still, it’s quite OK to watch. EXTRAS Deborah Joy LeVine, the creator/executive producer, Dean Cain and
Robert Butler, the director/executive producer provide commentary on
the pilot episode, and it’s quite entertaining. They discuss everything
from the origins of the DC comics character to how Cain – a guest star
on 90210 before this role – landed the role. There’s
a rather lengthy ‘Pilot Presentation’ by LeVine that she
showed at Comic-Con, a fabbo retrospective documentary on the series
(featuring cast/crew), a bit on the show’s visual effects, and
– this is pretty cool – a bonus episode of Smallville (the Season 4 premiere episode, “Crusade”) thrown in to entice buyers. Swayed me. Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 70% 
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