It’s finally happened. DC has finally been able to hit the mark outside of their Batman cash cow with “Arrow.” And despite the CW having its melodramatic claws firmly in the show, the series is actually quite good.
“Arrow” is the story of rich socialite Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). After being marooned for five years on a remote island, Oliver returns home with a secret agenda and a lethal set of new and quite deadly skills that he plans on using to return his city back to its former glory. Now, Oliver patrols the streets as a masked vigilante and constantly struggles to balance both sides of his life all while nefarious foes try to silence him once and for all.
I want to start by saying that I wasn’t a fan of “Smallville.” It was OK in the beginning, but the CW took the Man of Steel, rewound the clock a few years and turned his life into a high school melodrama. It was quite annoying. So when I first saw previews for “Arrow,” that’s all I could see — a new way for the network to hook in the teenyboppers. Boy, was I wrong. This show is a fantastic entry into the DC universe, and I’m pretty excited for the second season.
While the entire cast does its share of screen stealing, Amell really carries the show on his shoulders. He does such a fantastic job of playing both sides of his mysterious life. As Oliver Queen, he’s charismatic and obnoxious and really kicks major butt as Arrow. Amell also has fantastic chemistry with Katie Cassidy. Granted, their will they/won’t they relationship is a little cliché, but it still works overall.
If I had to complain about anything, it would have to be how dangerously close the creators are to making Green Arrow into Batman. He has his own cave equipped with tons of toys, martial arts training out the wazoo and even a very similar masked vigilante voice. Oliver Queen is one parent death shy of becoming Bruce Wayne. But maybe those similarities are what make this show so good because as the old saying goes, “Be yourself … unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.”
“Arrow” is a fun, solid show for comic fans and non-comic fans alike and will definitely keep you coming back for more. It will be interesting to see how wide the creators are planning on stretching this world and what other favorite DC characters will make their way onto the small screen.
The DVD features are a lot of fun and give a pretty in-depth look into the making of this dark, brooding show. There’s the documentary "Arrow Comes Alive," as well as "Arrow: Fight School / Stunt School" and a hilarious gag reel.
Season: 4 Yaps Extras: 3.5 Yaps