Basic Action Super Heroes!

Sorry for posting this here but just found out that NBC will be showing the pilot episode of "The Cape" tonight at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central.

If you miss it you could probably watch online at...
http://www.nbc.com/the-cape/

my review:

the look is excellent. Costumes are a bit steampunk - leather and functional rather than spandex or black leather jumpsuits. The world looks good, lots of color.

the main character is boring. He has too much emotional stuff going on and just isn't cool enough. That might be a pilot thing as he is new to being a superhero.

the main villain is boring. He has no real style, no flair. Just a dull master villain type.

the heroes trainers/allies are cool. They are by far the best part of the show and I want to see more of them. I want to see them instead of the main character.

his other ally is dynamic and interesting and adds a nice bit - again, I'd rather see her than the main character.

overall I watched it and was only mildly bored. It is hard to tell what is the fault of it being an origin story/pilot and what is the fault of the show. There was a lot going on, a lot of elements they included - some have potential and some were dull.

I will watch it again next week.

My story problems were that it copied elements from other sources and it had some hard to swallow logic flaws (like govt Okaying private police).

Caught part of the show before wife needed my help. I loved how the integrated stage magician elements into the execution of The Cape. Loved the circus group as well - especially the little tough-guy!

Some elements seemed to happen without really helping the audience understand the trail of logic for why. Some parts were just too rushed (like all of a sudden he's in a big man-hunt at the rail yards and its on the news).

That is only about the first 50 minutes or so of my evaluation of the show. Still need to watch the rest (and maybe rewatch the whole thing to see if anything becomes more clear). Still I like that the show does have a stronger superhero feel than No Ordinary Family. I'll definately check out more of the show as it progresses.

I feel the same way as Dug; the side characters are much more entertaining than the two main characters. I didn't get the eye thing for Chess (is he a snake?) and his costume looks like a '30s aviator outfit with a bondage mask.

hard to swallow logic flaws (like govt Okaying private police).

As to this, look no further than New Orleans post hurricane Katrina. Black Water was operating there!

I had no problem with the private police. One of the things I think the show does really well is situate it in a comic book world; thus, I had no problem accepting it.

I didn't think the main character was boring.

I thought the dialogue was a little rough at first until I realized how much of a traditional comic book aesthetic they were trying to go for. Then I was OK with it.

Chess needs a cooler look. However, his eyes are his best part: they're not snake eyes - they're chess knights.

I did like Chess' computer scene; it added more to his motif as a villain.

And now the Tarot will clearly be a focus as a rogues' gallery. Which is cool.

The show is pretty cool for superhero fans. Which means its doomed for cancellation on NBC.

And...here we go...

The Cape

Brawn 2
Agility 2
Mind 1

Teleportation 2 (Limit: No Concentration) 1 pt.
Armor 1 (Breastplate and Cape) 1 pt.
Resistance: Poison 1 pt.
Disarm Expert 2 pts.
Fleet of Foot 1 pt.
Martial Arts (Tough, Defensive, Tricky) 2 pts.
HTH Technique 1 (Variable) 2 pts.
Stretching 2 (Cape) 2 pts.

Advantages: Contacts, Mentor
Disadvantages: Arch-Enemy, On the Run

10 + 12 = 22 pts.

I really enjoyed it...like, more than I have a lot of the superhero movies of the last few years, because The Cape didn't feel like it was self conscious about being a superhero TV show. If anything, I wish it had been a tad more over the top, but I thought it was a good start.

TommyBrownell wrote:I really enjoyed it...like, more than I have a lot of the superhero movies of the last few years, because The Cape didn't feel like it was self conscious about being a superhero TV show. If anything, I wish it had been a tad more over the top, but I thought it was a good start.

Very good point. Got to finally watch the rest of the show before work today. Loved how the character doesn't give up; even without the cape. Interesting how the guy tries to train himself to overcome his enemies (I thought the knife throwing machine was an hilarious scene)! This vigilante ally woman is interesting. I like how she is a useful asset to The Cape and gets her hands dirty.

I think I'm really going to like this show!

I'm with Tommy and Mr. Jupiter. There were times I was really impressed/entertained, so I'm on board. There were a few rough spots too, but overall I want to see more. Orwell and the Carnival crew are fun and I didn't mind Chess for that matter. In time, the hero of the show should develop into something really cool.

I finally had a chance to watch it and I dig it. To me, this is the best "comic book on TV" show that I have come across in a long, long while and I can't wait to see more.

drkrash wrote:And...here we go...

The Cape...

Nice job! Looks like you captured all the key aspects (in BASH terms - not FATE... *grin*). Teleportation 2 might be overkill. I bet there's a way to build a Concealment power to represent his smokebomb disappearing trick - which combined (linked?) with Fleet of Foot - might allow him to move 24 squares away.

Looks like he will also develop Gliding soon.

Jukeboxer wrote:

drkrash wrote:And...here we go...

The Cape...

Nice job! Looks like you captured all the key aspects (in BASH terms - not FATE... *grin*). Teleportation 2 might be overkill. I bet there's a way to build a Concealment power to represent his smokebomb disappearing trick - which combined (linked?) with Fleet of Foot - might allow him to move 24 squares away.

Looks like he will also develop Gliding soon.

Thanks! I agree that Teleportation is likely more powerful than what he actually does, but: a) it was much simpler and b) I thought the slight power boost made him a little more "super" while not violating the character. Let's face it: on paper, he's not that tough a guy by superhero standards.

As for the Glide, I assumed that was a Hero Die Power Stunt.

Jukeboxer wrote:

drkrash wrote:And...here we go...

The Cape...

Nice job! Looks like you captured all the key aspects (in BASH terms - not FATE... *grin*). Teleportation 2 might be overkill. I bet there's a way to build a Concealment power to represent his smokebomb disappearing trick - which combined (linked?) with Fleet of Foot - might allow him to move 24 squares away.

Looks like he will also develop Gliding soon.

At first I wondered about that too, since The Cape doesn't really teleport: the effect as seen on the show, however, is effectively replicated by the power. Certainly the character wouldn't be able to concentrate for long distance travel.

Maybe a limitation could be constructed that forces the character to make a Stealth-Move Silently skill check to ensure that he adequately performs the maneuver (I'd allow a +4 Dice bonus for minions). Success completely removes the character from the scene unnoticed: failure alerts someone as to the direction he has just disappeared to.