AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

And Then There Were Five—American Idol Review

Noticeable Weak Link Cut, Solid Group Remaining

Let’s face it: CJ Harris was lucky to make it this far. While there’s no question the 23-year-old Jasper, AL native is the kind of guy American Idol wants on its show week to week—an uber-friendly, gentle, soulful father and devoted boyfriend who just loves to sing—he’s been outclassed in this competition for a while. Pure talent-wise, CJ could’ve been voted off the show weeks ago. He entered the Top 13 a front-runner, and one of the most familiar faces on the show (his status as a judges’ Wild Card pick to join the Top 13 notwithstanding), but a lack in his overall skill set was quickly revealed. While CJ did some decent covers of Darius Rucker and John Mayer, and acquitted his natural rasp and soulful qualities well a few other times, most of this season was spent watching CJ visibly strain to sing his heart out, while not actually technically singing very well. One of this season’s most common features was judge Harry Connick Jr. telling CJ he needed to spend his downtime listening to other artists sing on pitch and practice intonation, often on the heels of painfully out-of-tune performances (like last night’s rendition of The Zac Brown Band’s “Whatever It Is”). Still, CJ’s passion and likeability were and are impossible to deny, and no one will watch him go with a less than fond opinion.

*His fellow contestants (and the judges and audience and producers and everybody else) were clearly sorry to see him go. Jessica Meuse and Jena Irene visibly cried as CJ sang his final solo and gave host Ryan Seacrest some last words, then CJ was pulled into a big group hug with the remaining contestants. Then his teary-eyed mother and aunt were summoned from their seats in the audience to hug him onstage while judges Harry, Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban gave him a final standing O and then moved forward to likewise give him a warm send-off.

**Again, no one can fault CJ as far as tenacity, integrity or likeability go, but it’s something of a crime that this contestant, who was rarely memorable even five minutes after he’d performed, outlasted big-voiced teen Malaya Watson (eliminated two weeks ago at #8) and even sublime country boy Dexter Roberts (eliminated last week at #7).

Again, CJ was lucky to make it this far, but his exit leaves us with a Top Five that could’ve been telegraphed ahead of time, but not without doubts. Oh, Caleb Johnson’s been Idol’s go-to guy for real entertainment since Hollywood Week, Alex Preston, along with Caleb, has never been in the Bottom Three, and Jena Irene might be this year’s real find, a little girl with a big, powerful, different-sounding voice. They’re joined by Jessica Meuse, who was in the Bottom Two alongside the eliminated contestant for the second week in a row, and Sam Woolf, who, of course, was saved by the judges after being bound for departure three weeks ago.

I haven’t done my power rankings in a while, so here they are, with some bonus extra thoughts since it’s The Top Five!

1. Caleb Johnson

While there have been times this season when Caleb’s noisy, howling rock renditions have seemed a little same-old, same-old, they’re usually followed up the next week by epics that you can’t miss. His Top 15 Guys performance of “Stay With Me” remains the tune that has most stuck in my head, of all the performances this season. He’s big and loud, but he’s got a great pure voice, sings with absolutely undeniable passion and energy, and yet he can still slow things down and impress (his covers of Adele’s “Skyfall” and Journey’s “Faithfully” were among his best). And, of course, this week, he might as well have only performed once (the Top Six all sang two solos this week). His cover of the Black Crowes’ “Sting Me” blew away the judges, and That Moment where he accidentally dropped his mic mid-song, dove for it, and recovered it in time to sing in tune has already become legendary. Caleb hasn’t been in the Bottom Three (or Two) at any point this season, and seems like close to a lock for the finale.

2. Jena Irene

Caleb’s partner in crime (and prom-date-to-be) is another one of this season’s most recognizable contestants, with her big, dark hair and big, throaty voice. Her duel performances last night—Heart’s “Barracuda” and Carrie Underwood’s “So Small”—won her the usual acclaim from the judges, who rave about how she’s only 17 and about how her journey (from Wild Card pick to front-runner) has been amazing to watch. It’s been pretty great. Her offbeat voice remains kinda divisive, but she’s another one who never, ever appears to be phoning it in or taking anything for granted, and she’s successfully covered The Rolling Stones, Adele and Paramore, among many others. Had I done Power Rankings two weeks ago, Jena would’ve been #1. Is a Best Buddies “Jeleb” Finale a Future Cert?

3. Alex Preston

While Alex’s rendition of the popular Neon Trees’ song “Animal” was entertaining last night, it was one of his most technically Off performances of the season. His songs aren’t usually loud and blaring and cringe-worthy. He brought it back with a beautifully-simplistic rendition of Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind”. While Alex started this season as the “weird”, “different”, “quirky”, “offbeat” contestant with the quasi-Seagulls hair, pointed nose, mumbled speaking and awkward I-Just-Farted grin, he’s quickly become one of the can’t-miss acts, as he’s brought a loving, acoustic sound, and undeniable burning passion, to everything from No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” and One Direction’s “The Story of My Life” to The Police’s “I’ll Be Watching You”. He’s been so reliably good that, after his less-than-stellar rendition of “Animal” last night, no less than “Harsh” Harry Connick Jr. admitted Alex essentially gets a pass. Then he nailed it with his second performance. Like Caleb, Alex has been safe all season, and he’s the one most likely to spoil a Jeleb Finale.

4. Sam Woolf

Well, look what the judges’ save hath wrought! At different times this season, Sam has seemed either brilliant or dead in the water. He entered the Top 13 as one of the favorites after impressing the judges in the final Hollywood Round by singing an original song he wrote about his mom, and beautifully singing his way through David Gray’s “Babylon” in Rush Week, but a lack of passion and real energy have plagued this 17-year-old ever since. His Week 8 “ouster” was his third week in a row in the Bottom Three, despite the consistent shrieks of teenage girls at the very mention of his existence. Sam’s got a great, great voice, so great that Harry has actually encouraged him from time to time to “mess up” his voice in order to make his songs a little more lively. And, sometimes, even singing inches away from swooning teen girls who would marry him on the spot if he asked, Sam has seemed wooden and lost. That said, another David Gray cover last week and an Imagine Dragons/Shania Twain combo this week showed that he’s growing. By God, you can actually Feel Something when this guy sings now, actually picture him doing his own concert! I think Sam’s Adoring Girl fan base could carry him as far as the Top Three, but he shouldn’t win this year…but this is the tip of the iceberg for this 17-year-old with a “buttah” (thanks, Keith, for a new word) voice.

5. Jessica Meuse

In the Bottom Two alongside CJ Thursday night, when asked if she would have done anything differently in retrospect, Jessica answered: “No. I’m always true to myself. That’s what matters.”  Which wasn’t a surprising thing for her to say at all, even when she was knocking on the door of elimination. A self-made artist with a long history performing in bars in her native Alabama, Jessica clearly has hints of stubbornness and significant pride, as always looks quietly furious when anyone, even the judges, dare to say she was less than perfect. One senses that she always believes, as she said, as long as she did what she wanted to do and believed in, she’s happy. In a word, she’s never QUITE escaped the Drama Queen label she earned in Hollywood Week. However, it speaks volumes that her single best performance this year was a rendition of her own song, one she performed in her audition, called “Blue-Eyed Lie”. She’s got a great, raspy voice and has typically acquitted it well, but her performances tend to be a little boring. She’s tried livening up with the likes of Miranda Lambert, but Jessica, who’s Bottom Two appearances these last few weeks have been her first foray into danger, might be the overall weakest link in this Top Five.

PEER PRESSURE--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

PEER PRESSURE--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW
With Little Margin For Error, Top Seven Sing Songs Chosen By Their Competitors

Whatever else this season of American Idol is--the show's swan-song, perhaps, given its dwindling ratings?--you can't say there's not great drama. A week after one of this season's best pure talents, 16-year-old Malaya Watson, was sent home in 8th place, the outcome of this show's 13th season remains as murky as ever. While this group of contestants doesn't feature any jump-out-and-grab-you talents like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry or Adam Lambert, it's telling that, with seven contestants left, it's entirely possible to picture the finale coming down to almost any two of them.

With judge Harry Connick Jr's antics dialed way down this week because of an apparent cold--and fellow judges Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez practically after-thoughts on a night full of celebrity cameos (Terry Bradshaw, Demi Lovato, Ronda Rousey)--ever-chipper host Ryan Seacrest introduced an interesting theme: the contestants picked songs for each other. All seven had to brainstorm what they thought the others could sing/would like to sing ("no sabotage" guest judge Randy Jackson half-joked in a video clip address to the group), and the contestant would sing their favorite suggestion. The performances were pretty quality overall, highlighting the front-runner's strengths and showing the other's weaknesses...

Caleb Johnson, 22
Opening with Caleb is always a good idea, because it makes this season's perpetual must-see contestant the center of attention right away. Caleb brought his typical passion and energy to a rendition of Kings of Leon's "Family Tree", picked for him by Alex Preston. Harry said he "dug it", JLO said "everybody else has to raise their game" and Keith spoke rightly when he said Caleb is a "consistently dynamic performer week after week". Grade: B+
Fortune Forecast: Probably safe. Caleb's in my personal Top Three, and he's in the potential Top Four I see rounding into shape. He went first on a long night, which is always a risk, but he's the one guy who can afford it, as his personality and musical chops make him hard to forget.

Jessica Meuse, 23
In the moments after Jessica sang Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" (at the recommendation of Sam Woolf), Keith Urban mentioned Jessica's comparative lack of energy, noting how the attitudinal Miranda gets "really pissed off" singing that song and allows the audience to feel it. Well, as I've noted before, what gets Jessica hacked off is the judges not playing along. I don't think she thinks she's the best singer in the world, but she's definitely got self-confidence and some control issues. This song was right for her, as she has an accented voice not unlike Miranda's, but that issue with connecting--with looking a little stony no matter what she's singing--remains a problem. Grade: B-
Fortune Forecast: I thought this was Jessica's first stumble in a while, as, despite a lively vocal, it seemed rather dead. She's been safe all the way through the competition so far, but a lukewarm reception from the judges could be a harbinger of things to come...

CJ Harris, 23
CJ got to sing a John Mayer song, picked for him by Caleb Johnson, and his performance was introduced by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Terry Bradshaw, whom Ryan Seacrest allowed to read the teleprompter after his random appearance by the judges' table. We know what we're getting from CJ by now: a growly rasp, tons of soul and clenched facial expressions that let you know he's putting his absolute all into each performance, but it's never particularly great. That said, Harry called his performance of 'Gravity' "his best performance to date", while Keith and JLO praised the performance but still noted that they wanted more. Grade: B-
Fortune Forecast: Bottom Three/Two. High praise from Harry doesn't hurt, but CJ was standing next to Malaya at her elimination last week, and is clearly not in the upper tier of the remaining contestants. I won't say for sure he's getting voted off, but tomorrow will probably be a tense night for CJ.

Dexter Roberts, 23
Singing Luke Bryan's "Muckalee Creek Water"--chosen for him by fellow Alabama native CJ, Dexter earned an observation from Harry I've been making about Dexter all season: "I wanna hear you sing other things, other than singing along with the radio." Dexter's got a great, clear voice, but I hear country singers (including Luke Bryan) with great, clear voices on the radio every day. While the judges appreciated this darker, moodier turn from Dexter, it's clear by now his solid but unspectacular country-karaoke act isn't the way to go. Grade: C+
Fortune Forecast: Bottom Three/Two. He should be, anyway. Along with CJ, Dexter is, for me, among the least-interesting remaining contestants. He's a fine country singer, but the others are far more diverse and more consistently compelling.

Alex Preston, 20
We know what we're getting from Alex by now, but what we forget is how amazing it is in the moment. Dexter picked an Ed Sheeran song--"A Team"--for him, and Alex put his signature brilliant quiet passion, amazing musicality, slow-and-steady-wins-the-race spin on it, and hit it out of the park. JLO called it "perfect", Keith called it "natural", and Harry (temporarily) called it his favorite performance of the night. Grade: A
Fortune Forecast: No problems here. Alex has been in the safe zone all season, and that won't change after hitting another home run.

Sam Woolf, 17
Jessica Meuse picked a song for Sam--"Sail Away" by David Gray--hoping it would help him connect and "help him with the ladies". Well, it helped him connect, and, even if it somehow didn't help him with the ladies (an unlikely proposition, as they squeal at the very mention of his name even when he's absolutely awful, which he wasn't tonight), it helped him with me. This might have been Sam's best performance of the season, bringing real, undeniable passion and energy to the latter three-quarters of the song after a slow start. His eyes still dart around, but he sang it in a way that you could have believed he was singing it to somebody this week. It was terrific. Grade: A-
Fortune Forecast: Two weeks after being Saved, Sam delivered big-time. He's safe.

Jena Irene, 17
Jena got more than a chance to sing Radiohead's "Creep" out of this week--she also got a prom date. Her duet partner, Caleb Johnson (who also picked the song for her), sorta kinda jokingly said he would go with her...so I guess that's settled. What else is settled is that Jena is looking more and more like someone who could actually win this whole thing. I, personally, hesitate to call this performance her best, but she blew the doors off the building with a wonderful performance that had the judges gasping for superlatives ("unquestionably" JLO chanted as Harry called it the best performance of the night). Grade: A
Fortune Forecast: Safe. I think Jena's going to be in the Top Three this season, and probably competing with Alex or Caleb for a spot in the final. More than anyone else, she's consistently let us see what kind of artist she's going to be, and it's a beautiful thing.

Oh, by the way, the contestants also sang duets, which is clearly a thing now since the shows aren't naturally long enough with just eight people singing once. Buddies/prom dates Caleb and Jena impressed sorta-guest-judge Demi Lovato with their rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter", Alex and Sam had a chill coffeehouse vibe with The Passenger's "Let Her Go" and Alabama natives Jessica, CJ and Dexter sang together as a trio....and took a tongue-lashing from the judges (including Demi) for (apparently) butchering Lady Antebellum's "Compass". *I say 'apparently' because I've long since learned that, while I can tell a really good performance and a really bad one, I'm easily fooled by an upbeat-sounding song but am no Mozart when it comes to knowing how music is actually supposed to sound.*

So where do we stand? For weeks now, I've been seeing Jessica, Caleb, Alex and Jena as the Top Four (in no particular order). Dexter's solid fan support (just one stint in the bottom three despite being consistently average) has made him seem like a likely number 5, but Sam could crash that party if he does what he did tonight again. And CJ's just so darn likeable, it's hard to count him out.

Assuming they do merely a Bottom Two again, I'll say it's going to be CJ and Dexter, with CJ going home simply because he clearly hasn't been getting the votes needed lately.

TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS—American Idol Review

Remaining Contestants Uniformly Solid Again on Eighties Night

Well, dang. Season Thirteen of American Idol has actually turned things around. While the show will never again be the ratings killer it once was, this season, which was barely-watchable a month ago when there were all of twelve contestants left, has actually become quite interesting. With the fat trimmed in the form of awkward/less-talented/less-compelling contestants who’ve been voted off the last five weeks since the finals began, this group has turned out to be fairly solid. While I won’t lie and say anyone can win this year, the last two weeks have been among the show’s best, which didn’t seem possible once upon a time.

Re-visiting the 1980s turned out to be great fun for everyone, from judge Keith Urban—who came in wearing mullet hair extensions that led host Ryan Seacrest to christen him “Billy Ray Urban”—to the ever-excitable audience, who joined the judges in a spur-of-the-moment rendition of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” late in the night. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez looked her gorgeous self and Harry Connick Jr. made waves by first joining the floor-level crowd of squealing teenage girls—and hoisting one of them onto his shoulders—for one contestant’s performance, then becoming your grandma/aunt’s best friend by joining some middle-aged ladies in the balcony for another.

And the contestants? All eight of them—the same as last week, after the judges used their save on Sam Woolf—worked hard, and some of them kept their stock racing upward.

Jena Irene, 17

The night’s first performer, Jena came out and struggled badly with her literally low-key rendition of Joan Jett’s unmistakable “I Love Rock N Roll”. The first half of the song was sung so low it was barely intelligible, and you could tell Jena was feeling the effects, as even during the anthem-like crescendo of the song she was clearly a little out of breath and struggling to outsing the background singers. The judges didn’t love it, but she’s been one of their favorites lately, so they did their best to ease up. Grade: C+

Fortune Forecast: This ends a long winning streak for Jena, who’s in legitimate danger of the Bottom Three after opening a good show with an entirely unremarkable number most people won’t even remember.

Dexter Roberts, 22

Somehow, I don’t think country was very big in the ‘80s. That said, our resident country boy still brought a lively Southern rock style to The Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”. It was a little more interesting than his typical country karaoke numbers—and man, does that guy have a great-sounding voice or What?—but still not among the night’s best. Grade: B

Fortune Forecast: Dexter has only been in the Bottom Three once, but could the fact that he went second doom him? I’m gonna say safe.

Malaya Watson, 16

This teen can hit notes only dogs can hear, much like the lady whose song she covered this week. Malaya did Shaka Khan’s “Through the Fire”, and despite her usual acting out the lyrics with her face and body and hitting some awe-inspiring notes, it felt a little uneven to me. The judges said they could sense her revving up and putting all her energy toward her big moments late in the song; maybe I felt the same way, but it didn’t have the uniform soulful power of her best recent numbers. Grade: B-

Fortune Forecast: For some reason, I think Malaya’s number is up. She wasn’t bad tonight, and she’s incredibly talented, but I think we’ve seen all she can do and the buck stops here. So I’m saying Bottom Three.

Jessica Meuse, 23

As they have before, the judges called out the pink-haired one for not quite letting loose, for being a little withdrawn, and I can understand that. That said, I thought her rendition of Blondie’s “Call Me” might have been her best performance yet. It was without question her liveliest, most electric vocal performance (a real power vocal) and though she still has things to work on, one senses Jessica hitting her stride. Grade: A-

Fortune Forecast: Safe. Jessica’s never been in the Bottom Three, and she won’t be there after a rock-solid performance.

Sam Woolf, 17

Rescued from elimination last week, Sam Woolf returned to the people who will keep him on the show from here on out, since the judges have played their hand—the teenage girls in the crowd. Standing surrounded by girls who clearly only know the words “time after time” from Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”, Sam’s song of choice, Sam stared down various cameras and, despite an awkward arrangement that appeared to cause him to confuse the lyrics early on, gave a solid number. Sam’s got a lot to work on, and the judges (Harry, in particular) keep giving him advice, but he remains a very solid performer.  Grade: B

Fortune Forecast: I can’t imagine that Sam’s adoring fan base didn’t take last week’s almost-ouster to heart and won’t blow their phones (and the internet) up this week. Bottom Three wouldn’t shock me, but I think he’ll be back again.

Alex Preston, 20

Alex remains awkward, and you cringe at first when he comes out singing your favorite big time songs like you’ve never wanted to hear them, but once you relax, you realize: this guys is a heck on an artist. His take on The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” was superb, a perfectly-realized, perfectly-paced, passionate song that, Harry said, “sounded like a new tune”. Jennifer Lopez didn’t love the new arrangement, but the others were enthralled, and so was I. When this guy is on, he’s ON. Grade: A

Fortune Forecast: Safe. The judges kept referring to him as a coffeehouse act, but it’s worked so far, hasn’t it?

CJ Harris, 23

Gentle, raspy CJ doesn’t have the power for Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’”, but he tried singing it anyway, in my least-favorite performance of the night. I get that CJ has soul and sings with utter conviction—as the judges all noted tonight—but he works so hard to churn out weekly performances that….aren’t that good. He doesn’t have a great range, and he doesn’t have explosive energy. I thought his performance lacked life, and without that song’s signature lift, it was forgettable. Grade: C

Fortune Forecast: Bottom Three. CJ’s a nice guy, but he’s not one of this year’s real contenders.

Caleb Johnson, 22

Eighties week had to be Caleb’s week, right? It just had to. Our resident big, loud rocker was just made for singing ‘80s songs, right? Well he went right to work, delivering on his promise to sing a tender ballad by gently crooning half his rendition of Journey’s “Faithfully” before breaking into the yelling/howling we’ve come to expect, and it was utterly superb. Harry said he was proud, JLO said he murdered it, and Keith said it was “Killah”. High praise indeed. Grade: A

Fortune Forecast: Safe. Going last on a night that was made for him, Caleb didn’t disappoint.

So it was a great night, with solid performances and a very reasonable and effective mentor in former Idol winner David Cook. With the judges’ save out the window, I’m a little creeped that somebody who doesn’t deserve it could get into trouble (i.e. Alex, Caleb), but I think tomorrow night’s Bottom Three will probably consist of CJ, Malaya and Jena, with Malaya (or CJ) going home.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Grade: A-

Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Robert Redford and Cobie Smulders

Premise: Still trying to adjust to life in the 21^st century, Steve Rogers is betrayed by members of the covert agency SHIELD and forced into a two-man war with ageless Russian killing machine The Winter Soldier.

Rated PG-13 for intense action and violence, some bloody images, a scene of torture, and some language

Leave it up to Captain America to save the movie-going day! Being a non-comic book fan and a cynical, show-me-something-new moviegoer, I haven’t been the biggest fan of the comic book movie explosion that’s happened in the past ten years. In fact, I’ve left the last half-dozen Marvel Comics’ sequels—including Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and The Wolverine—wondering if I ever need to see another comic book movie. I’m being facetious, of course; as long as there are Marvel Comics movies, they’ll always be huge hits, and since I always want to be in the know as far as movies are concerned, I’ll see them. Basically, we've now seen so many movies about people developing superpowers and using them to stop dastardly villains and save the world (or worlds, in some instances), they can’t help but be a little repetitious and cliché, even bland. True, I’m psyched to see The Amazing Spiderman 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and who isn’t going to see The Avengers: Age of Ultron when it comes out in 2015, but, basically, I walked out of Captain America: The Winter Soldier ready to see the next Avengers movie. And, for me, that really means something.

Plot

Even though he helped save the modern world in The Avengers, life isn’t necessarily getting easier for Steve Rogers (the very likeable Chris Evans). His likeness is plastered all over a Smithsonian museum exhibit, he’s constantly rubbing shoulders with secret agents and super soldiers, and he’s capable of amazing feats of physicality, but he doesn’t have any real friends, and doesn’t really know what to do with himself when he’s not running missions. And he’s still all about honesty, honor and nobility, so when he finds out his employer—high-tech government agency SHIELD—is using covert data recovered during a recent mission to invite armed satellites to quietly keep tabs on anyone SHIELD may consider a threat, he’s disgusted. He goes right to his frequent comrade-in-arms, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and eye-in-the-sky supervisor Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) demanding information. When he’s met with what-did-you-expect and you-can’t-really-trust-anyone platitudes, he considers giving up working for SHIELD. But if he’s not using his gifts for the government, to help save lives, what is he doing?

Everything changes when Fury becomes the victim of a brutal assassination attempt, and swarms of double agents and hit men come gunning for Rogers, possibly taking their orders from SHIELD’s High Council, which now includes the whip-smart senator (Robert Redford) who hired Fury. And these would-be assassins are just child’s play compared to the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), a fast, fit, dead-eyed assassin who has supposedly been offing people since the ‘50s, and who’s strong enough to snatch the Captain’s trademark armored shield right out of the sky during a skirmish. Constantly on the run with Romanoff, SHIELD superspy Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and an Army Special Ops vet (a welcome Anthony Mackie), the Captain tries to find the rat inside SHIELD and to keep his few real friends alive. But this quickly becomes harder than it seemed at first, because not only is someone inside SHIELD calling some pretty nasty shots, but the ever-mysterious Winter Soldier may not just be coming after the Captain because he’s been ordered to end him...the Captain slowly begins to realize it may be even more personal then that.

What Works?

Let’s get this out of the way right now—Captain America is my favorite Avenger, and he should be yours. Why? Well, other than the fact that he’s called Captain freaking America, after two movies (not including The Avengers) it’s clear there’s a bit more substance to this character than some of his super comrades. Fittingly focused on ideals like honor and truth and self-sacrifice, Steve Rogers reminds us of what’s good about people, and what we wish the major figures in our society today would be a lot more like. He’s more grounded, I guess—Evans is every bit as watchable as Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Hemsworth, and he manages to be so without an irritating character trait like Tony Stark’s smug arrogance or Thor’s empty-headed nobility—and his movies are less likely to be bogged down by over-hyped gadgets and effects (Iron Man) or plain old goofiness  (Thor). Winter Soldier is easily the best post-Avengers Avenger film.

Is part of that due to the fact that more of the Avengers players are back? Maybe. Evans shares a lot of screen time with the slimmed-down Johansson (whose Black Widow is even more down to earth this time around) and the gravely-stern Jackson, who's always nice to see. Cobie Smulders’ no-nonsense Agent Maria Hill from The Avengers is a positive addition to this cast as well. There are also effective cameos from some of Evans’ co-stars from the first Captain America, like Toby Jones and Hayley Atwell. Winter Soldier’s newcomers are all typically-great performers, with Robert Redford, Frank Grillo, and Anthony Mackie all doing great work. Mackie, in particular, is a delight as Captain America fan/ally Sam Wilson, who gets a big boost from Mackie's natural charisma, not to mention the actor's past screen roles (he's particularly easy to buy as a recovering vet after his memorable turn in the Best Picture-winning modern war classic, The Hurt Locker).  Oh, and Sebastian Stan, as the Winter Soldier of the title? He’s good, too, making quite an impression with a minimum of dialogue (and, man, can he fight!).

With great actors and a cool concept, Winter Soldier is super entertaining and it breezes along—rarely has two and a quarter hours in a theater gone so quickly. Avengers die-hards and newcomers alike will laugh, cheer and sit on the edge of their seats, as many of the plot twists and choreographed super-fights recall the Bourne series in their unfussy intensity. There’s some real emotion here, some real grit and meaning; we as an audience care about these characters and their connections, and even though we’ve seen about a billion superhero movies by now and they always save the day, the idea that they might not do so in time is particularly horrific here. Oh, and the token Marvel movie Stan Lee cameo is brilliantly well-used. To be frank, this might be the best all-around Marvel Comics movie since 2004’s Spiderman 2.

What Doesn’t Work?

Honestly, there isn’t a whole lot. Movies that deal with sophisticated technology and have to explain it always run the risk of getting a little bogged down and talky, and this one threatens to do that a few times, but its lengthy running time is, for the most part, pretty well used. Anyone who hasn’t seen either the first Captain America or The Avengers will probably feel pretty lost, so I would recommend a viewing of either (if not both) before going, but this is still a pretty great movie, and it feels like a breath of fresh air after wave upon wave of stale, by-the-numbers Marvel sequels.

Content

Good thing Captain America’s a tough guy, ‘cause his movie can get pretty intense. The violence is usually not particularly bloody, but there is a lot of it, and the stakes manage to get pretty grim. There’s no sensuality or sexuality, though, and there are only a few, low-key curses. Despite the sheer amount of mayhem, though, there’s not much here audiences haven’t seen a whole lot of times.

Bottom Line

Better than The Avengers? I’ll let you make that call, but Captain America’s second go-round is an action-packed, exciting, well-made and gripping movie that’s way better than the recent Iron Man and Thor sequels, and it will leave you panting for the next Avengers (if you stick around through the entire credits, you will see not one but two bonus scenes). Chris Evans is as super as ever, he’s surrounded by a great cast, the effects are good but CGI doesn’t rule the roost, the twisty plot and epic fights are pretty awesome, and there's some unexpected heart, too. I can be a little bit of a Grinch with these Marvel comics movies, but, today, I enjoyed myself immensely.

Thanks, Captain.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; Based on the Comic Books by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Rated PG-13

Length: 136 minutes

NOAH

NOAH

Grade: B+

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins and Douglas Booth

Premise: A man begins building a giant watertight vessel after receiving supernatural visions, but the coming apocalypse tests him and his family in grueling, unexpected ways.

Rated PG-13 for intense, disturbing emotional content, strong brutal violence, blood and gory images, and some sensuality

No, I wasn’t expecting a very neat, tidy, God-loves-you experience from Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, but, I must say, I wasn’t expecting that. Aronofsky’s huge film is epic and amazing, yes, but it’s also stark, brutal and terrifying. Two people in my row at the theater walked out well before the end, and they won’t be the only ones; anyone anticipating a Sunday School-worthy treat or a spiritual uplift will be running for the exits. You wanted a Bible-come-to-life movie you could watch at church with the whole congregation? I’m pretty sure Son of God is still playing at your theater, somewhere down the hall.

Okay, okay, okay, no one should really expecting that much of a feel-good experience from a big-screen depiction of a story in which all of humanity is drowned in a huge flood, women, children and all, except for one family. The cutesy, no-one-really-got-hurt story of a guy building an ark and putting animals on it in time for a little waterworks was done eight years ago, in Evan Almighty, if you don’t remember. That’s not what this movie is. In fact, in order to make a story that’s about three pages long in the Bible feature-length, Aronofsky and his scriptwriting partner Ari Handel have taken serious liberties with the context of the story and the characters. As a Bible-believing Christian, I’m wondering if I should be more offended—I know many, many Christian personalities who’ve already seen the film (like Glenn Beck), were appalled. To give you an idea, building the ark and surviving the flood within its walls is actually the easy part for Noah and his family; Aronofsky and Handel throw in an unexpected, gut-wrenching domestic drama that’s more HBO’s Game of Thrones than happy Sunday School story. The movie’s well-done, and if you haven’t left already, it’ll glue you to your seat, but you must be ready. This definitely isn’t the movie most people were hoping for—God is never even referred to as “God”, always as “the Creator”, and that’s a mere footnote compared to some of the inconsistencies Bible-readers will notice—but I’ll be darned if Noah still wasn’t an electrifying, truly sensational piece of filmmaking.

Plot

READ THE BIBLE!!! GENESIS 6-9!!! GO DO IT!!!

Just joking.

After Adam and Eve’s son Cain killed his brother Abel, he fled into the wilderness, and his descendants rose up a vile and violent people who covered the world in darkness. His other brother, Seth, produced a line of people were gentler and more peace-loving. Noah (Russell Crowe) is one of such people. Believing in, and awed by the power of, a heavenly Creator, Noah lives off the land with his wife (Jennifer Connelly) and sons. Constantly fleeing from violent, crude descendants of Cain, Noah is at one point beset by disturbing visions of an apocalyptic flood. Confused, he takes his family back to the remote mountain where his grandfather Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins) lives. The ancient Methuselah has been gifted with great wisdom, as well as some incredible healing abilities, and, in his cave, Noah learns that the coming flood will be real, it will cover the whole world, and he and his family will survive by building an ark, in which they and two of every kind of animal will wait out the catastrophe in order to build a new, better world.

Ten years later, the ark is largely finished, thanks to the constant efforts of Noah and his wife, their grown sons Shem (Douglas Booth), Ham (Logan Lerman), and preteen Japheth (Leo McHugh Carroll). There’s also an adopted daughter Ila (Emma Watson), whom they rescued as a child from the ruins of her family’s village. They’ve also received considerable assistance from The Watchers, deformed fallen angels who disobeyed the Creator’s will and were cursed to wander the earth, abandoned and unrecognizable, caked in rock and sludge. But the building of the ark hasn’t gone unnoticed. A huge swarm of Cain’s descendants, led by regional king Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone), has converged on the area, alerted by the gathering clouds and migrating groups of animals. Noah and his family have found a means to put the animals casually to sleep on the ark, but, as it begins raining, Noah realizes his loneliest son, Ham, has snuck off into Tubal-Cain’s camp to try and find a girl he can take as his wife. And then Tubal-Cain leads a huge, armored assault on the ark once he and his men realize the truth of the incoming disaster. As water pours from the ground and sky, The Watchers try to protect Noah and his family from waves of marauders, while Noah searches in vain for Ham and the rest of the family tries to cope with the idea that they can’t save anyone, that the Creator only wants them. Noah himself has been struggling with the idea, and when he senses the Creator is no longer communicating with him, he’s forced to make some drastic decisions on his own.

What Doesn't Work?

For me, Aronofsky and Handel’s biggest misstep occurs about halfway through the film, when a minor character who’s been built up in importance with some intimate, sympathetic touches suffers a horrible fate due to another character’s neglect. If you see the movie, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not just a gut-wrenching moment (nor is it just a-moment-that’s-not-in-the-Bible), it’s ugly and disheartening. While I give kudos to the screenwriters for giving the characters actual memory of this incident--suffering things like guilt, remorse and anguish--rather than simply glossing it over, it’s still the movie’s lowest point. Change that particular character’s fate, or omit that moment entirely, and Noah, overall, is much more redeemable.

Obviously, there are dozens of details those familiar with the Bible story will point out as inaccurate, but one twist Aronofsky and Handel have chosen to particularly highlight is the importance of The Watchers in this story. While there is some biblical evidence for such creatures, they aren’t included in the Noah story, and, here, their hulking, shapeless forms—complete with glowing eyes and rumbling voices—are part Michael Bay’s Transformers and part Peter Jackson’s Ents from The Two Towers. I actually heard some laughter in the theater during one of The Watchers’ early appearances. They look a little silly, and, while the movie justifies their being there, a later scene of The Watchers protecting the ark by slashing, stomping and kicking the attacking members of Tubal-Cain’s army screams Siege of Isengard from Two Towers.

What Works?

Amid all the controversy, Noah is a very fine film, a dark, brooding, thought-provoking epic that is, for me, much more engaging and effective than a dozen Marvel Comics adaptations. Even though the aforementioned ark-storming/ark-protecting scene is way too reminiscent of battle scenes from certain other movies, the sight of this huge battle under cloudy skies and pouring rain, with a piercing musical score and near-overpowering sound effects around it, drives home the terrifying apocalyptic punch of this story. And even afterward, once Noah and his family are in the ark safely while the others drown, there’s no attempt to gloss it over or give the characters amnesia. Much is said about the evil, vile nature of man, and whether any among men are truly good.

The cast is uniformly fine, starting with a magnificent Russell Crowe, in his best role in years as the burly, conflicted Noah. People may want to quibble about the character’s fatalist speeches or his action-hero moments protecting the ark from invaders, but the fact is, this portrayal is perfect material for the gruff, often-detached actor, who, in later sequences, gets to really play with the glint of madness that’s always been present in his eye, from Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind onward. This film reminds you, that, though you’ve rooted for him as Maximus, Cinderella Man and maybe even as Robin Hood, he’s never been a squeaky-clean screen hero, onscreen or off. That idiosyncracy suits him well at the helm of this dark material. The wonderful Jennifer Connelly won an Oscar opposite Crowe as his loyal wife in A Beautiful Mind, and is here terrific as a woman who becomes the heart and the voice of reason in the family as her husband starts to slip further and further into his own head. Emma Watson has a coming-of-age, maturing arc that she portrays so well you won’t even think of Harry Potter, Anthony Hopkins highlights a few scenes as the genial, wizened old Methuselah, and Ray Winstone typically holds his own as a gruff, ruthless warlord.

Noah’s not a neat, tidy film, but it doesn’t have to be. An apocalypse is an apocalypse, whether it’s done with a meteor or a flood, and Aronofsky portrays it as so. There’s a visually-stunning speeded-up sequence in which Aronofsky hints at creation and depicts life on earth in such a way one could argue whether the scene vouches more for evolution, creation, or some combination of the two. Violence isn’t glossed over, cabin fever (if you want to call it that) isn’t glossed over, the entire earth’s population being wiped out isn’t glossed over, and anyone disgusted by the movie’s hints that The Creator/God might ask someone to kill a member of his own family needs to take a good, hard look at the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. Noah can be so tough I was seized by the urge to wish the movie would just fast-forward to the end, so I could know how it ended and that everything was okay, but I’m not sorry I saw it. It’s perhaps not quite the Noah movie I would’ve made, but it’s still a challenging and memorable epic.

Content

Dark. There are scenes of mangled people and animals, lots of onscreen deaths, a few big shocks, and the soundtrack roars, shrieks and howls even when it’s not full of people screaming for a place on the ark. Yeeeah. Live the kiddies at home for this one.

Bottom Line

Is there a market for a nearly-R-rated depiction of the biblical Noah’s Ark story? Good question. It’s a tough watch, even for those who won’t be offended by the many biblical alterations or re-imaginings, but it’s an incredibly well-made, daring, and electrifying film, with great performances and a realistic, but appropriately hopeful, ending.

NOAH (2014)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Written for the Screen by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel

Rated PG-13

Length: 137 minutes

SAM'S CLUB--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

SAM’S CLUB—American Idol Results Recap

Teen Heartthrob Rescued by Judges’ Fabled Save

The Elite Eight remains intact.

American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. unanimously elected to use their one-time save for Season 13 Thursday night, rescuing 17-year-old boy-next-door Sam Woolf from elimination. This after the popular but passion-impaired teen proved the lowest vote-getter of a Bottom Three that also included CJ Harris and Malaya Watson, and following a last-ditch rendition of the song that made him one of the favorites way back in Rush Week—David Gray’s “Babylon”. I’m not entirely sure of the post-save rules, but I believe this means two people will get eliminated next week, when the Elite Eight will tackle-according to host Ryan Seacrest-music from the 1980s.

Though I boasted last night I just knew the judges would use their save tonight, I looked at the Bottom Three and decided the judges would only save Watson out of the mix. Clearly, I was wrong. Woolf has now made three stints in the Bottom Three in the last four weeks, and, given his difficulties connecting and bringing real energy to his performances, he no longer seems a real threat to win the Idol crown. That being said, his save was greeted with wild enthusiasm by his fellow contestants; Harris led the charge back out to center stage, where he snatched Sam up and tossed him over one shoulder while the others patted him on the back and gabbled excitedly. To add to the frenzied scene (the girls in attendance were shrieking themselves hoarse, if you didn’t figure), an explosion of red, white and blue confetti poured from the rafters, making it nearly impossible to discern the figures of the contestants dancing onstage.

Results shows now being thirty minutes thanks to the 9:30 start-time of the new popular sitcom Surviving Jack, the only thing the show contained other than the results was a live performance by the band Daughtry of their new single, “Waiting for Superman”. Front man Chris Daughtry—who was famously voted off a shocking fourth back in Season 5—gave a superb performance, showing off his impressive upper range and singing with great passion and energy (Sam Woolf, take note).

I could go on more about what I think this means, but I’ll just go ahead with my Power Rankings:

1. Jessica Meuse—Finally! For someone who has constantly referenced her considerable experience performing live in countless bars, Jessica hadn’t really impressed me as a performer until this week. Her performance of her own song, “Blue-Eyed Lie”, was brilliant—raspy, explosive, memorable, and genuinely her. It was her best performance by a mile, so good she seemed like she was already a professional at her own concert. She has yet to be in danger, and she’s been steadily building momentum over the last few weeks.
2. Caleb Johnson—It’s a little awkward that Caleb vowed to slow things down and sing a tender ballad during a week (next week) that ended up being themed The 1980s, which is pretty much the decade of big, loud rock’n’roll, which is Caleb's bread and butter. But, then again, I’m sure he’ll find something good to do. I have to say, Caleb was lucky to avoid the Bottom Three (which he’s never been in) after a so-so performance on a strong night, but he’s been the one to catch all season. The gap between him and some of the others in terms of watchability has obviously narrowed, but he still brings an energy that's uniquely his.
3. Jena Irene—Jena’s winning streak continued with a terrific rendition of “Rolling in the Deep”. Once a sleeper, she’s now a full-on contender, one who’s last four weeks have given everyone a clear picture of what her album/concert would look and sound like. She’s faired much better when she’s singing ballads than when she tries to go uppity—but I’m sure she’ll stick with that going forward.
4. Alex Preston—Alex just keeps plugging along in his quirky, quiet way. He’s never been in jeopardy, and while only a few of his performances have been genuinely great, he’s always interesting, and I’m among those who’s slowly developing a taste for his style of music. Impressively, he’s shown an affinity for adapting even chart-topper hits (No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak”, One Direction’s “The Story of My Life”) into his own style, and he’s one of the judges’ favorites for his musical knowledge alone.
5. Dexter Roberts—Rebounding with a performance that reminded us what a voice this guy really has, Dexter doesn’t strike me as a potential winner, but he’s probably in the Top Five. He has one of the sturdiest voting bases this year, has an easily-defined musical style, and he has a genuinely great singing voice. Really standing out and being different from a hundred other country singers remains a bit of an issue, though.
6. Malaya Watson—I was disappointed to see Malaya in the Bottom Three, as she’s been rock-solid the last three or four weeks and I was considering her a Top Five contestant along with Jena, Jessica, Alex and Caleb, but ‘80s week should be fun for her. Despite her obvious vocal prowess, I don’t see Malaya as a potential winner, either, even though she’s a remarkable talent for 16.
7. Sam Woolf—Even though Sam just barely survived this week, he avoids the bottom spot on my rankings because his Adoring Teen fan base is sure to rally after a close call. Not to mention he’s been instructed to single out a girl in the crowd to stare at and sing to, and he tried a little bit of it in his Sing-For-the-Save performance, and it made a big difference (That rendition of Babylon was his best performance on the show by a wide margin). Sam’s got a great-sounding voice, and, while I still don’t think he’s even a Top Five contestant, he’s got amazing potential.
8. CJ Harris—Can CJ do anything we haven’t seen yet? The guy obviously sings from his heart, and he’s a great guy, but he continues to have issues staying on beat and on pitch, as the judges keep reminding him. Short of his tremendous Top 11 performance, he hasn’t really blown us away, either, despite coming into the finals a potential favorite. In a pinch, I’d rather watch CJ than Sam, but I still think CJ is the least-talented of the remaining singers.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST--AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

BLASTS FROM THE PAST--American Idol Review
Elite Eight? All Contestants Shows Signs of Life On Strong Night.

A week after American Idol's first-ever 30-minute results show had some online pundits assuming the show's days were numbered, the remaining contestants of Season 13 gave their two cents on why this season--even if it happens to the former ratings' behemoth's final go-round--should be taken seriously. In fact, the eight remaining contestants were so good, overall, on this particular night that the contestant who's been more or less leading the field so far gave one of the night's worst and most forgettable performances.

Right from the get-go, host Ryan Seacrest was in a jolly mood, working with audience-friendly material as this week's theme--songs from the contestants' original auditions--enabled a deeper, blast-from-the-past theme, in which each contestant's performance was preceded by baby pictures of the singer, plus their parents waxing affectionate and poetic about them. All the contestants have improved measurably since their auditions, and judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban were heaping praise on them all night, allowing the typically-energetic crowd to sound a loud chorus of boos only once. And the judges didn't even get to give feedback for four of the night's performance. In perhaps a nod to The Voice and it's addictive, exciting, ratings-devouring Battle Rounds, tonight's individual performances were supplemented by duets, with the eight singers being paired up for some entertaining in-betweens.

Basically, it was a good night.

-The night's first performer was Jessica Meuse, the pink-haired country/rock act. At her original audition, the 23-year-old Alabama native had sung an original song, called "Blue-Eyed Lie" and her rendition on this night became her immediate best performance of the season. Jessica was in powerhouse mode, singing with a vigor and energy I've been missing from this seasoned performer. Grade: B+
Fortune Forecast: Safe. Opening these long, loooong shows is never fun, but Jessica has been cruising so far and proved herself the real deal rocking the house with an original.

-CJ Harris, who was memorably in open tears after his well-received original audition, sang The Allman Brothers Band's "Soul Shine". I thought it was a solid performance, but I've seen CJ do better. The we-year-old clearly has a beating heart of passion, but he doesn't have a huge voice. The judges loved it, though. Grade: B
Fortune Forecast: I've never considered CJ in the upper echelon of this group, but he'll probably be safe after one of his better overall performances.

-The next performance was the night's first duet, with 17-year-old Jena Irene and 20-year-old Alex Preston pairing up, sitting on the edge of the stage, and crooning "Just Give Me A Reason". It actually worked better than I thought it would. Jena has a much more impressive voice, and she'd probably wipe the floor with Alex in a straight-up, Voice-style battle, but Alex didn't shy away from eye contact, and managed to bring some tenderness to his vocals. He later claimed--accurately--he thought their very different voices complemented each other.

-Sam Woolf, the chick magnet who needs to start doing shots of Red Bull--or something--before his performances to liven up, sang Ed Sheeran's "Lego House" (for reasons known only to the show's producers and crew, he did so while singing surrounded by lamps). It was typical Sam. He sings great--though a note or two sounded a little flat--and the straight-up sound of his performances is above reproach, he continues to lack a must-watch factor. Harry Connick Jr actually went so far as to tell him to stare at one girl (any girl) in the crowd to connect better, which, of course, got all the girls in the house squealing again. Grade: B- (Sam's usual)
Fortune Forecast: Like CJ, Sam is not one of this year's front-runners, so he'll perenially "be in danger" going forward unless he blows the doors off one week. But his squealing fan girls will probably keep him around in hopes of being the one he stares at.

-Rockers Caleb Johnson and Jessica Meuse made a great pairing, it turned out, singing Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty's "Stop Dragging My Heart Around". It sizzled. Bold, excitable Caleb didn't show away from a single chance to stare into Jessica's eyes or move in close to her, which seemed to part embarrass and part excite her. I can't lie: it was flat-out sexy, and a great performance.

-Malaya Watson was a bundle of energy at her first audition (surprise) but she considerably tempered those nerves for the umpteenth blessed week in a row, and hit another home run. Singing Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way", she dug into the lyrics, she stared passionately at the camera, and she drove for some high notes that had JLO and Keith ducking in their seats. JLO said she could run away with the competition, and, really, she could. Grade: A-
Fortune Forecast: Safe. One of the most vocally talented ones left, Malaya's on a big-time winning streak, and she'll be fine after crushing it again.

-By necessity, Dexter Roberts had to slow things down to sing Brent Eldredge's "One Mississippi", and it was easily his best performance yet on the show. Forced to slow down and just sing (Keith mused that he might be trying too hard to sing and make his voice perfect, rather than singing the lyrics), Dexter was superb. Grade: A
Fortune Forecast: Safe. While there's no indication Dexter can sing anything but country, that hasn't been a problem in his support, and it won't be a problem in his pro career. Ask Carrie Underwood.

-The Idol producers went for the Cute Factor by pairing teens Sam and Malaya and having them sing Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's gentle, massaging reggae tune "Lucky". While that pairing is a mismatch vocally (Malaya can hit notes Sam can't dream of hitting) and stylistically (she bounces, enunciates and facially acts out every word, while he's stiff as a board), it wasn't terrible. They don't necessarily have more chemistry than the stars of Twilight, but you could see Sam trying to get more into it and lose himself, and that's a start. I guess it was....cute.

-One of the contestants to really watch out for, the other teen-Jena Irene-continued her winning streak and got a huge, A+ stamp of approval from JLO, who told her she can and should try to overpower the other contestants each week. Keith praised Jena for slowing down and changing up Adele's megahit "Rolling in the Deep", and for not giving in to the temptation to revert back to the original tune once it picked up. Jena's got a big voice, she's gaining lots of confidence, and, despite her peculiar voice, she's got one of the best overall ranges in the group. She's going far. Grade: A
Fortune Forecast: Safe. Like I (and JLO) said, she's going far.

-I can't stop singing Darius Rucker's "Alright" this evening, mainly because country boys CJ and Dexter teemed up and did one of modern music's finest major justice. Standing at mics set side by side, the roommates and obviously close buddies each strummed on their guitars and had a ball. This might've made a good battle on The Voice, as Dexter's voice is infinitely more resonating and recognizable while CJ corners the market on passion, but it was largely great.

-Caleb Johnson got nothing less than his usual raves from the judges this evening, as the "audition songs" theme forced him to go more soul than rock, singing Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" like he did back in the fall. Like usual, he brought energy and gusto and cranked out some big notes, but soul clearly isn't quite his thing. This felt a little sluggish--a far cry from his explosive performances of the likes of "Stay With Me". Caleb's a great guy, though, a real talent who semi-chided the audience for booing Harry Connick Jr's assertion that he wants to see something slow and tender next time, just to change things up (Caleb even assured the camera he would do it). Grade: B
Fortune Forecast: For the first time, Caleb wasn't among the night's best, and his performance might slip through the cracks on this Great overall night. That said, the judges would save him in a heartbeat if he were "voted off" tomorrow night (in fact, once I realized what a solid night it was turning into, I declared confidently that the judges will use their save tomorrow night regardless of the lowest vote-getter; I think we'll see all eight singers again next week).

-Closing the show by singing an original, Alex Preston showed that, though he'll obviously never let go of his guitar and won't ever be mistaken for Caleb onstage, has has grown in leaps and bounds. He brought his usual quiet passion and clear knowledge of music to his original work "Fairytales". The judges loved it. Grade: B+
Fortune Forecast: Safe.

So, it was a great night. And I'm standing by what I said about the judges using their save tomorrow night, especially since some-time Sure Thing Caleb might be in danger based on tonight's overall quality. I guess we'll see.