Smallville: Season 9

         

Title:  Smallville, The Complete Ninth Season   Format:  DVD, Color, Dolby 
Actors:  Tom Welling (lead actor), Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman
ASIN:  B002JVWRDQ   Running Time:  1012 minutes 
Studio:  Warner Home Video, 2010   Rating:  TV-PG

Annotation:  
This season of Smallville has Clark Kent fighting his Kryptonian nemesis Zod, and his Kandorian army.  New adventures await the emerging Superman, as he discovers more about himself and his true feelings for reporter Lois Lane.

Actor Information:

Thomas John Patrick Welling was born on April 26, 1977, in New York City. Tom has two older sisters and a younger brother. Graduating from Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan, Tom played on the varsity soccer team. He skipped college and initially worked in the construction business. Subsequently, Tom did some modeling before landing acting roles in movies such as Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and in the hit television series Smallville.

Although Welling turned down the role of Superman twice due to low self-confidence in his acting abilities, he eventually took the job in 2001. He went on to become an acting director, and is currently an executive producer for the tenth season of Smallville. Tom is also the producer for CW Television Network's new show, Hellcats. Presently, Tom lives with his wife Jamie White in Los Angeles.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919991/bio

Plot Summary:

Based on the DC Comics hero Superman, the Smallville television series follows Clark Kent from his adolescence into his adult life. It begins during his first and awkward year in high school, continues on through his college years, and then to his career as a journalist. This season finds Kent taking on his role as Superman, but with a different name - "The Blur". One major story arc involves Clark's relationship with his old enemy Zod. Zod, from the planet Kandor, amassed a large army before coming to earth. Upon arrival, they find that their powers have vanished without a red sun. Zod looks for ways to permanently change the yellow sun with the help of cutthroat Tess Mercer, head of LutherCorp. Throughout, Clark must battle Zod's corruption and total disregard for mankind. A corresponding story line involves Clark's attempt to save his close friend Oliver Queen, who is extremely depressed. Oliver, who is also known as the Green Arrow, is determined to give up his life of heroics. Lastly, Clark Kent and Lois Lane develop a more intimate relationship as the season progresses.

Episodes: Savior, Metallo, Rabid, Echo, Roulette, Crossfire, Kandor, Idol, Pandora, Disciple, Absolute Justice, Warrior, Persuasion, Conspiracy, Escape, Checkmate, Upgrade, Charade, Sacrifice, Hostage, and Salvation.

Critical Evaluation:

Although in its ninth year of production, Smallville continues to intrigue it's audience with compelling story lines. This season's DVD brings recurring characters along with fresh faces, combining comfortable familiarity with exciting change. For comic book fans, there are some new heroes and villains debuting, including Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Stargirl, Perry White, Metallo, and the Justice Society of America. While some episodes are hair-raising and nail-biting, others are gut-wrenching and tear-jerking. In all, the actors perform their parts convincingly and professionally. The viewer can't help but feel truly involved in the story. The question of destiny and fate continues to play a role in this ninth year, where the characters wrestle with the choice of controlling their destiny or fighting their fate. The script keeps to Superman lore, while simultaneously creating new story elements to keep the audience captivated.

Genre:   Adventure, Drama, Science-Fiction

Curriculum Ties:  English - American culture of heroes, and comic book action figures

Interest Age:  14+

Challenge Issue:  none

Why I chose this item:  My sister-in-law loved this show as a teenager. Since Smallville is approaching its tenth and last year, I decided that including the ninth season would be a great addition to my collection. Additionally, this hit television series speaks to both male and female adolescents who are either comic book fans, or who want to believe in heroes.

Smallville Season 9 trailer