What do I watch?

I am at a loss. I haven't watched anything bad enough to pan or good enough to exclaim about. I mean, we had tv for our tv watching day this week, but we have moved back to the good old shows. Psych is back and Eureka, which I like no matter how much I hate Scifi changing their name to Syfy (which is pronounced siffy, like sippy cup, no matter what they say at the station). I know, they did it because they got tired of arguing that wrestling did belong on Scifi, while anything they wanted to show could belong on their made up word.

We watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice this weekend and since we went in thinking it would suck hard, it wasn't as bad as we expected. The mop scene redone from Fantasia seemed forced into the movie, but at least it wasn't a movie built around that one scene. But the beginning.... If it had been a book it would be what I've heard referred to as a wallbanger (as in thrown hard in frustration).

There may be SPOILERS BELOW, but really, it's nothing you wouldn't have guessed on your own.

Prequel style, beginning in 785 (AD, BC, BCE, I can't remember) with the discussion of sorcerers and apprentices and Merlin. Then prequel beginning number two with the newest apprentice as a child finding the ring and a small magical battle. Then the story starts. I don't know if I'd have made it that far if I'd been reading it -- maybe if I'd been watching at home either.

At least in that one I can point to the problems -- and for the first time in a long while, it wasn't Nicholas Cage being Nicholas Cage in an odd outfit. First problem, the apprentice has the voice that they often use as kid-voice that just grates on my nerves. So bad.

Then, magic is a little too simple and the kid jumps from complete noob to extra-powerful in an impressively short period of time. Don't have your new guy outclass your thousand year old experts in their area of expertise after only three days training. Stab them from behind in a sneak attack, maybe. Use some facet of the modern world they'd never understand against them, sure. But beating them in their area of expertise? Really? How stupid/weak was that main bad guy meant to be?

My favorite character was the bad guy's apprentice and he died a sad unremarkable death. That one reminds me that if I go through the effort to give someone an extravagant fun lifestyle, I shouldn't make their death so simple it almost nullifies the effect. He was fun, darnit! The only fun character in the whole movie!

I also have some question about their symbols of power. How they got them, where they come from, why they need them.... Why they stick all their power in them so their murderer can take it all for himself once he's killed them....

Oh. I guess I did watch something bad enough to pan -- even if it wasn't bad enough that I walked away frustrated at having spent money there. Really, go in expecting it to suck rotten eggs and you will be pleasantly surprised. It doesn't suck, it just isn't good, and I suppose there is a difference.