So now that I have finished reviewing Revolution Season One I have decided to review Arrow just like I said. Like Revolution I know I am behind but I don't care since I am reviewing these because I enjoy it and if I start now I can be up to date for season four lol. Also like Revolution these reviews will go in depth in the story, the score in the end will be determined by how much I enjoyed the plot and what the characters did in it and again like Revolution even though I have seen all episodes I will act as if it is my first time watching them and remember what my first time reaction was when I first watched it.
The episode begins with a hooded man spotting a ship from an island and he uses a bow and arrow to create a signal fire and he is then rescued. The news report that follows reveals that this hooded man is Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) a young billionaire who has been missing and presumed dead for five years along with his father when their boat sank. He is taken home by his mother Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson) and his greeted by his younger sister Thea (Willa Holland) and Moira husband Walter Steele (Colin Salmon). Meanwhile Oliver's old girlfriend Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), an attorney, is trying to find evidence against corrupt millionaire Adam Hunt but is shocked when she hears the news that Oliver is still alive.
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| You know the Green Arrow in the comics actually has hair and beard like this |
Later, after having dinner with his best friend Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), Oliver has a Flashback to the day the boat sank and his girlfriend Sara Lance was dragged under. The next morning Tommy takes Oliver out to look at how Starling City has changed and then he tires to reconcile with Laurel but she is still angry with him for bringing her sister on the Queen's Gambit. Oliver and Tommy are kidnapped by masked men who want to know if his father told him anything before he died. Since Tommy is knocked out Oliver is able to fight both of the masked men then wait for the police, he even lies to Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) that it was a hooded man who saved them.
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| Oliver hasn't driven for 5 years, don't hog the car Tommy |
Oliver is then given a bodyguard, John Diggle (David Ramsey), however he manages to give him the slip and spends the day turning an abandoned Queen factory in to a base of operations and practises his archery. At night he dons his costume and threatens Adam Hunt to give his money to the victims after taking out his body guards, Hunt later tells this to Quentin but he is sceptical. That night Tommy holds a party for Oliver (Oliver already chose this place opposite Hunt's office) at a club but Oliver is disappointed by his sister's drunkenness and confiscates her drugs. Laurel then arrives and apologises however Oliver remains distant which causes her to storm off.
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| Time for the super epic entrance |
After knocking out Diggle, Oliver heads over to Hunt's office but is wounded by stray gunfire but manages to escape before the police arrive. Quentin goes to the party, suspicious that it is opposite Hunt's office, but Oliver lies his was out of it. The next day Hunt's money is transferred to his victims and Oliver has a flashback to when his father committed suicide on the life raft so he could live, he is later sees the island in the distance. The episode ends with revealing that Tommy and Laurel slept together while Oliver was away and that Moira was the one who arranged Oliver's kidnapping by the masked men.
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| "Shipwrecked and my dad committed suicide......I'm sure the worst is behind me" |
With Marvel dominating films DC had to get their characters into live action some other way, so why not dominate a form of entertainment Marvel hasn't touched yet; a TV series. Before I watched this I was unsure if a TV series would be as could as a film for a superhero because of their less budget but Arrow does a really great job for it's first episode.
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| This city deserves a hero |
Firstly I think we have a really great lead cast as Oliver Queen, I admit I haven't seen Stephen Amell in anything else before this but I was really impressed with him. His portrayal as Oliver is really intense and brooding and its good that we got a Flashback to how he used to be. Also something I am going to enjoy watching is how he is going to juggle his life as a vigilante and a billionaire playboy because he already dodged some suspicion and I'm sure it won't be the last time. When he is Arrow he does kick a lot of ass and I am really impressed with the costume because it focuses a lot more on stealth than I would have thought. I think that is how they are going to go when Oliver is Arrow, more sneaking up on his targets for now and using darkness.
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| "If Batman can have a Batcave then I can have an Arrowcave" |
As for the other characters since this episode is a more Oliver centred episode it is hard to judge them right now but I really do like them all and they have been cast really well. A stand out was Diggle because I can't wait to see if he will eventually find out that Oliver is the vigilante since he basically has to be around him 24/7. As for his family his mother defiantly seems like an interesting character and from what we have seen at the end is involved in something shady as for his sister she's alright but is a tad annoying like when she was drunk and using drugs, I just hope a lot of run time isn't used to deal with her teenage problems because it looked like the start of it in this episode. I really like Tommy, he is probably going to be the fun billionaire in contrast to how Oliver is now. As for the Lance family they are alright; I like Quentin but I just don't know if I like Laurel because I just get the feeling she is going to be in almost every episode but either be not that important or the annoying character in it. Also really like seeing Colin Salmon in this, he has always been a great actor!
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| Deathstroke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Two other things that stood out was the action that was one of the high points in this episode; I haven't really seen anyone use a bow as their primary weapon that much (besides Hawkeye from Avengers) but Oliver was really great with it. The two fights he had with Hunt's guards was cool; it wasn't too over the top and it didn't show Oliver as all invincible because he did get injured and almost captured during the second one. I also really liked the use of Flashbacks in this like Revolution because I guess it is a bit of a break from the main story and I am sure we will find out lots of answers in them; like how Oliver got so good with a bow or why is Deathstroke's mask on the island.
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| "So what do you think the murder weapon was?" |
As for what I didn't like if I am honest I really found my self comparing this too much too Batman even though I didn't want to however it is hard not to because to since the stories are similar. I think maybe this show got a little too much inspiration from Christopher Nolan's Batman; Oliver disappearing and coming back as a vigilante is like Bruce Wayne, Quentin might end up being the Jim Gordon and Laurel is like Rachael Dawes. Maybe that's why I don't like Laurel because I hated Rachael from Batman because she was only in it for the sake of having a love interest but so unimportant that the film still could have worked if she wasn't in it. Also despite this only being the Pilot I have already got the feeling that this is going to be really grounded and realistic just like the Batman films and removes anything with powers or supernatural elements. Since this is just the Pilot I hope that isn't the case and the villains in this are not reduced to cheap, grounded copies of their comic book counterparts (I would also really like them to have proper costumes too).
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| Now that is one freaky mask |
Overall this was a solid start to the Arrow series with its superb cast (especially Oliver and Diggle), some awesome action scenes and a great take on the Arrow comic. There was also quite a lot of hints to future villains and characters in this such as Deathstroke (that was really in your face), Merlyn and Black Canary, three great characters that I really hope are used. Unlike The Flash this has been out for ages and I know more about the Arrow so I don't mind spotting the references and pointing them out.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Stephen Amell as Oliver Queeen and the rest of the cast as well
Great action scenes when Oliver is Arrow
The use of Flashbacks to tell of Oliver's time on the island
Let - Downs: Feels like it will be too grounded
Don't like Laurel much
The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;
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