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Smallville - The Complete Second Season Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 54 Reviews)

What a Show Smallville
In Smallville Season 2 it ENDS the 2 part episode that was to be continued when Lana and her truck get pulled into a twister.
And Clark has to save her. The Second Season is a lot better then the first season because in the first season in every episode theres a bad guy usually involving the meteor rocks. More about Clark Kent is about to be discovered and at the end of the season Clark leaves Smallville. What is the Cave. Was Clark's Destiny To Destroy Earth Or Protect It. Clark and Lana hit it off but someone is jealous find out. 5 Stars CAN'T STOP WATCHING. SEASON 6 THE FINAL SEASON STARTS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

sunk by awful acting, melodrama
Smallville can get addicting if you watch it enough, but its hard to shake the dirty feeling it leaves you with. You know its bad, even awful at times, but you want to see what happens anyway. The fact that it doesn't make you want to gouge your eyes out compels me to give it two stars, but that's pushing it.

So where to start? For one, the entire production is cheesy without being self-aware, ala Buffy. The acting is hamfisted by just about everyone, especially Lana, whom I want to take a baseball bat to every time I hear her whine about how Clark won't be honest with her. At least she tries though. What Clark does can't even qualify as acting. This man makes Keanu Reeves look expressive. He flits from scene to scene with a blank look on his face halfheartedly delivering generic lines. His emotional scenes showcase his especially sad deer-in-the-headlights look, like some big dumb baby that not sure how its supposed to act, and can only manage a confused, vaguely constipated expression.

If all the episodes seem similar, thats because they are. Every one starts out with some new misterious baddie getting superpowers from evil kryptonite/evil corporate research/evil mystical powers which he inevitably uses for evil. He causes just enough havoc to force Clark to heroicly save the day. Then the episode ends with some sickeningly saccharine emotional scene in the barn where Clark's family pats him on the head and says what a good boy he is. Like I said earlier, it makes you feel dirty just watching it.

Great series so far
First, I'd like to say a few things about how the second season differs from the first season, and then I have somemore general comments about the series so far.

In the second season, the plot lines introduced in the first season are developed even further. Clark's relationships with Chloe and Lana become even more difficult, and the bad guys get even stronger powers from the Kryptonite. We see Lex going even further to protect Clark and his family, but he has even more serious problems as well, both with women and his relationship with his father. Finally, even Clark's character takes a turn toward the dark side at the very end of the second season due to contact with "red Kryptonite," which has an effect on Clark's brain, different from the weakening effect green Kryptonite has on his body.

As a boy growing up in the 60s, I was an avid fan and reader of Superman comics. I didn't catch this series when it first aired, but I found it at my local movie rental store and my curiosity led me to rent it. So far I've seen all of seasons one and two and a few episodes of season three, and was impressed enough that I wanted to make a quick comment.

So far I haven't enjoyed a TV science-fiction series this much since the original Star Trek. The series's strengths are the engaging story ideas and the strong cast, all of whom strike just the right notes in their roles, and are really excellent. And for a TV show that's probably operating on a limited budget, the special effects are impressive. Clark is great and also Lana Lang. But the real show stealer is Michael Rosenbaum, who is terrific as Lex.

I note one dour sounding reviewer here who says it's a terrible show and the acting is horrible, but come on, it's a TV show based on the famous comic book series, and to me it seems just like watching it on the screen instead of reading the comic. The teenagers and adults seem more like real people who might have grown up in a small midwest town like Smallville rather than polished, professional actors, and I liked that. They're not making Citizen Kane or War and Peace here, and if I want to increase my cinema I.Q. a few points, I can always rent those. Personally, I'll take Smallville, which is a lot more fun. :-)

So I think the acting and performances are just fine and strike just the right note, especially Lex's. But this is a Lex with a difference. He isn't the evil mastermind of the comics out to get Superman. Here he's a good guy and Superboy's friend, and although sometimes he does resort to, shall we say, certain morally questionable and expedient means to accomplish his goals, he truly wants to protect Cark and family and friends. There is no doubt he has a dark side, but it's mostly kept in check and when it does come out, it's usually to fight an even more evil bad guy who's out to expose or exploit Clark or to hurt his friends or family. In other words, to fight evil, you need an even sneakier and more ruthless bad guy who's still on the side of good. :-) It's a brilliant concept and one of the ideas that really make the show stand out from the herd.

John Glover as Lex's father is also great, and their continual attempts at one-upmanship create much of the tension and drama in the show, as you wonder who will win this round and what will they be up to in the next episode--which is almost always something. :-) Glover looks like he is enjoying himself more than any other person in the cast, and he is the one indubitable bad guy. I've never considered the matter before, but I think actors enjoy playing bad guys even more than good guys, since that's one thing you can't do in real life without negative consequences.

I've spent a lot of time on Lex and his father so I don't want to overlook the other characters, but as I just wanted to write a brief review, I'll just say they're all really great in their roles too, especially Tom Welling and Kristen Kreuk. I just think that Allison Mack overplays the jealousy thing for Clark and Lana a bit too much, but otherwise she's great as the intrepid reporter for the Torch who has a promising career ahead of her in journalism.

One other interesting idea is that the Kryptonite meteorite fragments are creating strange abilities and talents in different people, aside from its property of being toxic to Superboy. This idea wasn't in the original comics that I can remember, but it's a great idea nevertheless.

So far I think this is great series and the best thing in a sci-fi show to come along in a long time.

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