Film Review - FAST & FURIOUS 6 ★★★½☆☆

There is something to be said about a series that keeps getting better as it speeds along, more so by chapter six. Boasting hot cars, big chases, explosive action, and a non stop pace, Fast & Furious 6 will end up being one of the most accessible and entertaining films of the year.

Comfortably cruising through and past the series' sidestep misstep with the third installment Tokyo Drift, director Justin Lin has since pushed forward on a rock steady course by managing to cut, paste and combine various cast members and building story arcs and character relationships that have spanned six films over 12 years.

At first glance it seemed like an improbable feat, as even target fans take the series at face value, but F&F has yet managed to both raise the stakes and balance sheer high octane spectacle with a building character driven story. It has evolved way past being a one-dimensional series of movies about fast cars.

F&F headliners Paul Walker (Brian O' Connor) and Vin Diesel (Dom Toretto) return with Dwayne Johnson, who broke out as the newest big name addition from Fast Five, and continue where the last film left off. With the outlaw crew now living on the lam in various countries all over the world, Johnson's Agent Luke Hobbs finds himself recruiting the criminals he help take down in the last installment to assist in capturing the high stakes heist master Shaw (Luke Evans). The mysterious Shaw also happens to have enlisted an intriguing ghost from the past, the presumed deceased (in F&F 4) Letty (played by Michelle Rodriguez).

Hobbs along with his new ass kicking partner Riley (stunning MMA champ Gina Carano), join forces with Dom, Brian and rest of the speed demon crew Ramon (Tyrese Gibson), Han (Sung Kang), Gisele (Gal Gadot), Tej (Ludacris) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) to take us on what is the biggest and best of F&F outing to date, easily outracing its predecessors in scale, adrenaline, and most importantly not forgetting to intricately play off the likable characters fans have shared a big screen history with.

It goes without saying Diesel and Johnson are at their ass kicking best here. Johnson's tough smart-ass  and ridiculously ripped Hobbs once again wears a black shirt so tight it may as well be body paint (we should all be so lucky). But credit needs to go to he leading ladies as well. who also have ample opportunity to throw it down. Carano debuted her big screen chops headlining Stephen Soderbergh's actioner Haywire, and she brings the necessary presence in this tough girl supporting role. Riley and Letty have it out it a real doozy of a brawl, which is only one of the bone crunching hand-to-hand action sequences in the film. Though I have to admit, I don't think Rodriguez in real life would get more than second round with Carano, who would be easily dispensed by the former mixed martial arts superstar.

As for the cars, it's a given that anything on four wheels has ample spotlight in the film. Though as the series has progressed, the automotive neon sexiness that went along with the street racing has been toned down in exchange for sheer speed and efficiency needed for the task at hand. But here the cars give way to sharing the spotlight and taking on tricked-out tanks and why not throw in a plane as well.

Much like Fast Five, this installment runs over two hours, which can test the attention span of your eager summer moviegoer, and it does hit a point when you figure its about that time to wrap things up. But just when it feels like its overstaying its welcome, it kicks you squarely in the ass with an extended (and yes ridiculous) spectacular last lap which sends you home begging for more once you catch your breath. Fret not, the already in-the-works seventh entry in the series is appropriately teased in an extremely clever sequence for fans who have kept track of all the films.

I have neve been an opponent of checking your brain at the theater door in the spirit of simply enjoying the big screen experience, there is nothing wrong with that. F&F 6 will ultimately successfully rank among the best of that genre. But among the many pluses the series has is that it embraces the fact it's loud escapist fun, lets you enjoy big loud thrills, have fun on many levels, and knows the exact point to pull out and turn around that unabashed "Get the F out of here!!" physics defying moment to have you gasping, cheering and shaking your head all at the same time.

Whether the action involves hand to hand, gun to gun, cars versus cars, cars versus tanks or cars versus planes, the film covers all its bases in the action sequence check list. The all-encompassing demographic appeal of the wining cast is matched only by the ridiculous pacing of the near non-stop action and payoffs. By now you should know what you're getting into with The Fast & The Furious experience, and for my money, Fast & Furious 6 may have earned its place as the easy choice for the overall best action film of the year given its wide open genre friendly appeal and unabashed willingness to simply entertain.

Fast & Furious 6 opens in 2D and IMAX on May 24th.

REVIEW RATING: ★★★½☆☆
Directed By: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Gina Carano
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 130 minutes

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Film Review - PAIN & GAIN ★★½☆☆☆

Love him or hate him (there doesn't seem to be much middle ground for the guy), director / producer Michael Bay always has something up his sleeve with each of his films, and you can at least be certain you are in for a visual ride.

Pain & Gain may seem to be far off the beaten path for Bay, who has settled comfortably into our minds as the ringmaster pounding out uber expensive quick cutting FX heavy films highlighted by intense giant robot-on-robot violence. Yes, the first live-action Transformers was unleashed in 2007, and Bay's fourth installment is on the way. But with his latest film, shot on a relative minuscule budget that may not have even covered Transformers' craft service costs, Bay returns to his grounded roots that allow us to fondly recall his gritty cop comedy 1995's Bad Boys starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

For full disclosure I typically enjoy what Michael Bay brings to the big screen. Visual assault via a summer Friday movie is just what the doctor orders sometimes, it can't be all Atonement or The Artist all the time. But even with Bay stepping things down about three staircases here, it's refreshing and at times enjoyable to witness what he can put forth with a reported $25 million price tag. The camera moves consistently, the colors are often over saturated (which actually works well for its Miami setting), there are obligatory hot cars and ever hotter girls with accompanying lavish beauty shots, and even manages some Miami Vice homage imagery for good measure.

You're either a "doer" or a "don't-er," according to motivational speaker advice that hits hard with personal trainer Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg). Taking those words to heart, the over zealous gym rat enlists his bodybuilder co-worker Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and a Born Again Christian former con Paul (Dwayne Johnson) to kidnap, torture and live off the riches of a snarky local businessman (Tony Shalhoub). These roided roughneck 'do'ers' figure it best to take than earn their way to living the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Pain & Gain, set in 1990's Miami, is based on the true story of a trio of local Miami bodybuilders (the film actually takes a pause to remind us of this at its most ridiculous moment) who turn to a calculated life of crime. Sure this pumped up spectacle is for the most part light fare, but the at times sharp dialogue in the script from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely makes the most of Wahlberg's quick, determined and necessary dim witted delivery.

I'm not giving much away in revealing that these juice heads aren't blessed with anything above one dimensional thinking in their life of crime, and their plan is pretty much pre-determined to crumble. It's not to say that things sink to a Hans and Franz level of buffoonery, but their grand scheme is blessed only with mostly brawn, and not nearly enough brain to attain ultimate success.

The rock solid key to the film though is easily Dwayne Johnson. Riding high with his winning turns in Fast Five and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, he has become known as a 'franchise saver,' pumping fresh blood into those series. Once again Johnson knows his role by balancing big brawn and charisma with an excellence of execution to boot. It's another case of never enough Johnson on the screen, this despite his prominent role in the film.

Here as the gang's likable weak link that takes pity on their captor, being a God fearing former con Christian (cheers to a well placed Stryper reference) who slides into a coke-filled downward spiral, Johnson repeatedly shows there is so much more to him outside of the wrestling ring and on the big screen. P&G allows him to stretch his chops on a few new levels and further solidify both his tough guy image and ability to remain a treat to watch each time he swims deeper into the acting pool.

The small main cast works well for the material, as in a script weighed down with a lack of heroic characters. Wahlberg and Mackie obviously trained hard for this film and are jacked. Johnson pumped himself back into the Herculean shape that made him a WWE champion as The Rock. Mackie though has the tough gig of constantly competing with Johnson's overall likeability and Wahlberg's monologue heavy meathead mastermind. His presence here is better served through his scenes with scene stealer Rebel Wilson. Shalhoub is rarely outdone, and as the unsympathetic Columbian Jewish hostage who is not below any means to save his own ass, he is a proper foil for the film. Bay calls in favor from Ed Harris, his heavy in The Rock, for a third act appearance as Shaloub's private investigator, but his frail appearance sometimes underscores his role and the film has overstayed its welcome by the time he factors in.

What Bay does well, as always, is keeping the eye candy visuals at a constant. Nobody does it better when it comes to making a feature length movie where near every shot is framed for lavish music video standards. Thankfully his seizure inducing editing pace has been reigned in, but if your brain can tolerate Bay's prowess at 50% power for Pain & Gain's over generous two hour plus running time, you're in luck. It also goes without saying there are multiple helpings of low angle hero shots and of course a perfectly framed silhouette in front of a hazy orange drenched horizon. Plus when Johnson throws a punch, by God Bay makes sure you really feel the brutality of the impact.

Pain & Gain showcases a slick look and some solid muscle at times, and for fans of Johnson and Wahlberg, this is right up your alley. Though there are far less explosions we may have come to expect, Bay haters need not apply. If it ain't your thing, this ain't your thing. But the film  should serve as a precursor of what we can look forward to once he put Transformers behind him. Hopefully we'll see a little more in the vein of Bad Boys that starts here, maybe eventually more in the style of The Rock (still his best film). Although overall clocking in a bit too long, Pain & Gain has just enough juice and entertaining low level crime caper hijinks to pass the benchmark only for its intended audience.

Pain & Gain opens in theaters on April 26th.

REVIEW RATING: ★★½☆☆☆
Directed By: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry
Studio:  Paramount Pictures
Rated: R
Running Time: 129 minutes

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Film Review - G.I. JOE: RETALIATION ★★★☆☆

To address the elephant in the room, yes G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a marked improvement over its 2009 predecessor G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Not that you should be expecting Platoon from either entry, but director Jon M. Chu has taken the Hasbro toys based franchise and embraced its history to steer the series in the right direction.

Make no mistake, this is a film targeted firmly at Joe fans (guilty as charged), and these G.I.'s are more "Hell Yeah" than "Yo Joe." But us older kids (guilty again) won't be disappointed and will appreciate the sequel's grittier tone, conscious effort to streamline the cast of characters, and reverence given towards the old school source material.

Thankfully you won't need to check your brain as far away for this adventure. The action is a lot more intense and the stakes are higher. The Unites States government is infiltrated at its highest level and the world is put on alert with a little good old fashioned nuclear threat.

While it's not a necessity to see the first entry, Retaliation picks up where we left off. With the identity of the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce) having been taken over by Zartan, Cobra's resident Master of Disguise (as seen at the conclusion of the first installment), upon his orders the Joes are blindsided in a brutal ambush, survived only by Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) and Flint (D.J. Cotrona). Luckily for our favorite black-clad armored ninja Snake Eyes, he is off perusing his Arashikage dojo comrade Storm Shadow, and spared the grim fate of most of his comrades.

Retaliation scores its biggest victory with less Channing Tatum as Duke and the addition of Dwayne Johnson's Roadblock, a fan favorite character from the comic books and animated series. Johnson brings the necessary charisma, brawn and big guns as the new Joe leader. It should also come as little surprise that once again he's found a role to effortlessly balance his tough guy side while knocking out one liners like nobody's business.

Returning ninja favorites Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) have their own layered side story in the film that heavily plays to the mythos and history of the characters, culminating in a spectacular zip line and swords mountainside sequence. Ninja tales have fallen the wayside in the movies, and what we are presented with here is a satisfying jump back into their shadowy world.

Fans fearful of Bruce Willis overkill playing the original G.I. Joe, General Joe Colton, can rest easy. Willis brings his best Bruce Willis to the role, but is here to solely lend some extra star power to the film in what amounts to an extended cameo that also manages to lighten the tone in the right places. Another standout is Ray Stevenson as Firefly, a brutal straight shooter Cobra weapons specialist who is also physically capable of going hand-to- hand, toe-to-toe with Roadblock.

The first film was an unabashed loud CGI bombastic big screen cartoon, but despite Retaliation's best attempts to tone it down, by the time the film fully reveals Cobra's grand diabolical scheme, the weapon of destruction qualifies for the Doomsday Device Hall of Fame along side the Weather Dominator and M.A.S.S Device from the '80s animated show. However in a big screen PG-13 rated movie, there is an actual death toll, and its massive. Not only is this Cobra Commander not screwing around, but Chu films him like evil royalty, composing every shot as a glowing homage to the iconic chrome masked villain. But these are all necessary steps to successfully make it work as an enjoyable G.I. Joe movie.

Where the Joes are stripped down the basics (bye bye to those silly hi-tech accelerator suits, hello khaki civvies) Cobra is upgraded to its fully armed glory. HISS tanks make their welcome big screen debut along with a black painted armory that really finally bring the evil organization to life. 

After an eleventh hour decision to covert the film to 3D, the original release date was bumped from its initial May 2012 window. I can't say that all the effort to add the extra depth was worth the substantial delay. As more and more films are shot in native 3D, post conversion is tougher to visually compete with that, and it shows here. The mountain ninja sequence squeezes some mileage from the conversion, but overall the style of the film doesn't benefit from it with the quick cut editing, close up brawls, quick camera moves, and a director who saw his conceived-and-shot-in-2D movie taken away from him.

Despite being guilty of including an abundance of necessary cartoon plot elements that soften its harder edges, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is nonetheless a solid step forward for the series as a stripped down quasi-restart. When the film gains points with high octane grit, it will inevitably snap you back with comic book staples to remind you what its actually based on, but that's perfectly OK. This is a fun action packed ride if you allow it to be just that.

With its defined heroes versus villains, big guns, explosions, high flying ninja action and hi-tech tanks, what's not to sit back and enjoy? G.I. Joe: Retailation is what is to be expected if this is the type of film you expect to enjoy. Plus with the direction the series has taken, I would really like to see where a third film would go, especially with the untapped rich arsenal of characters still waiting to hit the big screen. Time for a call to duty for Shipwreck, Bazooka, Recondo, Snow Job, Blowtorch, Deep Six, and Wild Bill for the next mission.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation opens in 3D and IMAX on March 28th.

REVIEW RATING: ★★★☆☆
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, D.J. Cotrona, Ray Park, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 100 minutes

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Cobra Villains Highlight New Images from 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'

Some new images from G.I. Joe: Retaliation surfaced today on Comingsoon.net. The evil Cobra villains are the focus here, including a clear shot of Cobra Commander among his troops with Storm Shadow and a squad of red ninjas. Old school Joe fans should be happy to see the Cobra leader will be wearing the classic chrome faced helmet, rather than the strange and unsightly breathing apparatus revealed at the end of 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Directed by John M. Chu and set to hit theaters on March 28th in 3D, G.I. Joe Retaliation stars Dwayne Johnson (Roadblock), D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), Ray Stevenson (Firefly), Channing Tatum (Duke), RZA (Blind Master), Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Elodie Yung (Jinx), Bruce Willis (Joe Colton), Ray Park (Snake Eyes) and Arnold Vosloo (Zartan).

SOURCE: ComingSoon.net

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A Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow Ninja Throw Down In 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Clip

In this new action packed clip from G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow have it out with bullets and ninja stars. The struggle between the two former brothers in the Arasikage Clan of ninjas (Ray Park and Byung-hun Lee) will hopefully feature heavily into the plot of the grittier sequel to 2008's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Focusing on the Generation Two characters from the '80s animated TV show, Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Jinx and Firefly are brought into the mix for the highly anticipated new big screen 3D mission.

As seen at the conclusion of the last film, while in disguise Zartan has assumed the role of the President of the United States. We pick up in Retaliation with team Joe being taken out by the armed forces in a secret attack, and left in shambles. With the country under the control of Cobra Commander, Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) leads a special elite team along with the original Joe (Bruce Willis) to not only battle their sworn enemy, but bring the back government out from their control as well.

Directed by John M. Chu and set to hit theaters on March 27th in 3D, G.I. Joe Retaliation stars Dwayne Johnson (Roadblock), D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), Ray Stevenson (Firefly), Channing Tatum (Duke), RZA (Blind Master), Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Elodie Yung (Jinx), Bruce Willis (Joe Colton), Ray Park (Snake Eyes) and Arnold Vosloo (Zartan).

SOURCE: MSN UK

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TOY FAIR 2013: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Re-Enlists To The 2013 Hasbro Showroom

G.I. Joe Retaliation is finally on deck to hit theaters next month on March 29th, and the 3D conversion better be worth Paramount's 11th hour decision to push the film's original release date back from May 2012.

The fine folks at Hasbro have all their tie-in toys on target to hit the shelves and I have some images from their showroom of what we can expect. Dwayne Johnson joins the Joes as Roadblock for this mission along side Channing Tatum as Duke and of course Snake Eyes. The 12" action figure line also includes Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes' ninja brother in the Arashikage Clan. The classic 3.75" figures features Cobra Commander in his iconic '80s uniform and comes complete with both his chrome face plate helmet and his hood.

You can also check out many more images from Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Retaliation line that were on display for 2012's Toy Fair, which after much patience from eager fans, will finally be coming our way very soon!

Click here for Hasbro's 2012 G.I. Joe Showroom Presentation.

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Snake Eyes Versus Storm Shadow & His Ninja Army in Kick Ass New Footage From 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'

G.I. Joe fans were not pleased when Paramount abruptly pushed back the release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation from May 2012 to March 2013 for 3D conversion. To add extra muscle to the gritty sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, director John M. Chu recruited Dwayne Johnson (Roadblock) and Bruce Willis (Joe Colton) to fight alongside Snake Eyes and other new Joes including Flint, Lady Jaye and Jinx. Positive buzz from impressive first look trailers didn't seem to be enough with the studio brass to keep the film on its target release date.

Rumors persisted regarding the reasons for the delay, which included poor test screenings and re-shoots to allow Channing Tatum to have additional screen time as Duke. Collider has interviews with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and director John M. Chu who both discuss at length as to what has been the game plan for the film, which is set for release on March 29th.

A special four minute 3D preview will be running with Paramount's Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters starting on Friday. Until then, Break.com has new footage which includes some pretty bad ass snippets of a ten minute ninja versus ninja scene between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

Break Exclusive: New G.I. Joe Has Amazing Ninjas - Watch More Funny Videos

Official Synopsis:

 "A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence."

The film stars Dwayne Johnson (Roadblock) D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), Jonathan Pryce (Zartan), RZA (Blind Master), Ray Stevenson (Firefly), Channing Tatum (Duke) and Bruce Willis (Joe Colton).

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TRAILER: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' International Trailer

Check out the new international trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which shows a lot of new footage from the film. Originally scheduled for a summer 2012 release, Paramount abruptly pushed the film back to March 29th of 2013 after an eleventh hour decision to convert the film to 3-D, and according to some reports, beef up Channing Tatum's role as Captain Duke Hauser (who apparently died early on in the original cut of film).

The new trailer features new looks at Cobra Commander (in a familiar old school appearance), Storm Shadow, Zartan (disguised as the President), and Cobra's new ally Firefly (Ray Stevenson).

Added to the cast for the sequel is Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock, Bruce Willis as Joe Colton, Adiranne Palicki as Lady Jaye, D.J. Cotrona as Flint, and Elodie Yung as Jinx.

Official Synopsis:

"A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters."

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NEW YORK COMIC CON 2012: Hasbro KRE-O's Classic G.I. Joe Flashback

The good folks at Hasbro have provided NerdyRottenScoundrel with a sneak peek image for their 2013 G.I. Joe KRE-O toy line, which will be unveiled next week exclusively at New York Comic Con.

If the picture looks familiar to some of us old school Joe fans, it's a direct homage to one of the most iconic images associated with the franchise. For the NYCC debut, KRE-O chose a varient that is unmistakably reminiscent of Marvel Comics' June 1982 first issue of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, which featured some of the original 13 members, including Grunt, Flash, Scarlett, and Stalker.

Check back here next week for a preview of what is set to hit shelves in 2013, I will be attending an exclusive event on the eve of NYCC for a first hand sneak peek at Hasbro's latest in their Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, and Marvel toy lines.

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'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Character Posters Revealed

Via various online outlets, Paramount has revealed the full set of character posters for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, in addition to the earlier release of the Roadblock one-sheet.

Snake Eyes (Ray Park) poster courtesy of HeyUGuys.
 

Joe Coulton (Bruce Willis) poster courtesy of IGN.

Cobra Commander poster courtesy of /Film.

Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) poster courtesy of JoBlo. 

Jinx (Elodie Yung) poster courtesy of Clone Web.

Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.

Duke (Channing Tatum) courtesy of Collider.

Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) courtesy of ComingSoon.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is set to hit theaters on June 29th and stars Dwayne Johnson (Roadblock), Bruce Willis (Joe Colton), Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye), D.J. Cotrona (Flint), Channing Tatum (Duke), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), and Arnold Vosloo (Zartan).

SUNDAY DVR SHOWDOWN: Game Of Thrones v. WrestleMania v. The Killing

It's gonna be one hell of a battle royal tonight on TV. There may not be enough DVR's in the house for some people, with a lot of real heavy hitters all demanding attention.

GAME OF THRONES makes its highly anticipated return to HBO at 9pm, kicking off its second season with "The North Remembers." There really isn't much to add considering how its been near impossible to avoid the buzz on the show's return. Needless to say, I will be re-adding HBO to my cable queue this afternoon.

WRESTLEMANIA 28, headlined by The Rock versus John Cena, hits Pay-Per-View with the first bell festivities scheduled for 7pm from Miami. Considering the very first WrestleMania I ordered as a young pup was WrestleMania IV, when it was still the good old WWF, and Hulk Hogan faced off against his former friend, the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Plus seeing numero 28 attached to the grandaddy of all wrasslin' events this year really makes me feel old. Also on the card is Triple H taking on The Undertaker (who has an undefeated WrestleMania 19-0 record), with special guest referee Shawn Michaels.

THE KILLING returns to AMC tonight, kicking off its second season at 8pm with a two-hour premiere,  "Reflections" and "My Lucky Day."

FOX has a new episode of FAMILY GUY lined up for tonight, "You Can't Do That On Television, Peter," at 9pm.

MAD MEN settles back into its normal time slot, after returning to AMC with record ratings last week after a seventeen month hiatus. "Tea Leaves" airs at 10pm following The Killing.

Last but not least is ABC's fairy tale fantasy at 8pm, ONCE UPON A TIME. In tonight's episode, "The Stable Boy," Barbara Hershey guest stars as Regina's wicked mother in flashbacks, teaching the Evil Queen-in-the-making exactly what being wicked is all about.