Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe

 What's going on kiddies? We're back with the day of June 22^nd is the birthday of actor/writer/producer Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead, Moontrap, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Tornado!, Escape from L.A., Ellen, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Bubba Ho-Tep and Burn Notice). From the humble Super 8 beginnings to three novels, this actor boy has been a Three Stooges fan as a lad and got the acting bug roughly about the same time. Today's movie gives us a glimpse into Burn Notice character, Sam Axe and what brought about his mustering out of rank and military clearance. This is Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe.

 

Ash and the Mandalorian side-by-side

 

 

 

 

 

 As our film opens, Sam (Bruce Campbell, in case you missed that.) is in his dress uniform and being brought before a military hearing for his conduct of his last "fact finding" mission in Columbia 3 years prior to the series. The fact this hearing is even happening means everything went pear shaped or SNAFU. Admiral Lawrence (John Diehl of Stripes, Miami Vice, Fail Safe, Lost Souls, The Zeros, Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park III, The Shield, Land of Plenty, Point Pleasant, Gary's Walk and Gabe the Cupid Dog) wants Sam to walk him through all these events that lead up to the flaming dumpster fire of a mission.

 

What do you mean "sidekicks"?

 

 

 

 

 

As Sam re-accounts his actions bringing him to his mission, he was doing a bit of reconnaissance... or spot the submarine with a rather dishy blonde, Donna (Chandra West of Universal Soldier II: Brother in Arms, Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business, NYPD Blue, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, The Gates, Z and Spiral). The downside to this lover connection? She happens to be the wife of his superior officer, Admiral Maitland (Alex Fernandez of F.E.A.R. 3, Driver: San Francisco, NCIS, Dallas, Killer Women, Devious Maids, True Detective, Stevie D, Lucifer and Christmas Crime Story). Talk about not taking in your surroundings.

 

Can't help you, Sam. I'm just a cameo.

 

 

 

 

 

A near miss with Maitland, Sam leans on his buddy, Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan of Bait, The Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows, Touching Evil, Hitch, Crossing Jordan, Burn Notice, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, Sicario, Shut Eye and Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) back between missions in Afghanistan, takes in Axe's blunder and gives him the advice to lay low and avoid the whole mess.

  No sooner does Sam leave the bar hopping, he is picked up by the SP (Shore Patrol) and delivered to Maitland. Rather than hanging Sam from a yard arm, Axe is given a mission to Columbia to observe the accounts of a rebel movement, Espada Adriente (Flaming Sword, gringos) and work with army liaison Comandante Veracruz (Pedro Pascal of The Good Wife, Lights Out, The Adjustment Bureau, Sweet Little Lies, Red Widow, Game of Thrones, Graceland, The Mentalist and The Mandalorian) then report back their findings. As time passes, Sam feels this is no milk run and uncovers the Colombian army under Veracruz seems to be heavily involved in cocaine trafficking. Ho boy. 

 

Okay, kid. Look. I just like Boba Fett more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting with a relief aid worker, Amanda Maples(Kiele Sanchez of Married to the Kellys, Related, Lost, Football Wives, Samantha Who?, Insanitarium, A Perfect Getaway, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, The Glades, The Purge: Anarchy and Kingdom) and only doctor in the region, Ben Delaney (RonReaco Lee of Man of Your Dreams, Madea Goes to Jail, Worst Week, In the Motherhood, The Good Guys, Let's Stay Together, Complications, We Are Family, The Quad and Running Out of Time), along with seemingly lost orphan Beatriz (Ilza Ponko of La Teacher de Ingles, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, Burn Notice, Lynch, The Darkness, Hands of Stone, La Piloto, Ruta Madre and La Reina Soy Yo). The Colombian army is coming down on Sam's head and all the people he may have interacted with. Armed with peasants, farmers and locals, Axe is feeling the hurt and running out of ideas and gas. All must be made silent.  Kinda getting the vibe they have mass burial sites at the ready for such an occasion.

Beatriz wants to fight along side Sam but he wants her to do something to give them an edge instead. Sam has to get the good guys on his side against Veracruz, who is claiming anything he chooses to discredit Sam and then go mop them up. 

 

With directorial by Jeffery Donovan, he and Matt Nix (writer and creator of Burn Notice) got Bruce's speech patterns and dropped a bit of dialogue that worked well with him. A few spoilers is Bruce getting the use of a chainsaw and yes Deadites, we do get a groovy in there. A few goofs I noticed and only because I am a military brat, I give you the following: Naval officers wear white shoes not black ones with dress uniform and he wasn't wearing his SEAL trident.

As far as film goofs of continuity, I couldn't help but notice Sam had his sidearm the whole time, including being kidnapped prior. Overall, the Campbell fans and Burn Notice fans will appreciate this TV movie. I think Matt Nix might have been a Get Smart fan as the opening sequence was similar to the hallway walk through.

Happy 63^rd birthday, El Jefe!

 

Soooo...no beer then?

 

Seasons Continue: Burn Notice Season 5

Hello all and welcome to Day 1 of Seasons Continue. Now before I get chastised about letting Supernatural fall behind, I would point out... I forget crap. It happens. That being said we now look at the further adventures of our favorite burnt spy. HAHA!!! Yeah you can wait for Supernatural, punkers. As we move on, taking down a major Black Ops crew operating off the books is deemed bad by the intelligence communities. As a driving force to stop this unofficial creation, Weston is brought to Washington to have some face time with one of his former mentors.

This is Burn Notice Season 5.

Hold me closer, tiny photo.

The CIA using Michael's solid intel allowed them to follow the trail of bread crumbs leading to the heads of the company and bringing them in or six feet under. With that being said, Michael is also on a short leash as he has his own CIA liason Max (Grant Show of Melrose Place, The Girl Next Door, Swingtown, Accidentally on Purpose, Private Practice and Big Love) making sure that Weston sticks to the prodical and not making it up as he goes along.

Months of investigation and team missions have put this into play but something crucial seems to be missing... Oh yeah, how about Sam, Fi and newcomer Jesse?? As luck would have it, Sam has slimmed down and wowing the ladies and I can imagine Bruce Campbell not having to flip flop between weight is much better for it. Fi is trying her level best to not rub the CIA the wrong way but she is not a team player when there is that much red tape in the way. Counter-Intelligence Agent Jesse decides against going back to the biz when he felt helping the little guys and gals hands on was something he was proud of doing. That being said and all he is working for a major security firm that are more than generous in their stipend and love of his skills.

Sam, stop staring at Fi's legs.

Michael's mom is making changes in her life and we also see little brother Nate make some appearances so all seems to be going well until... Max has been shot and killed, and the killer managed to put the murder weapon in Michael's hands. Covering his tracks, he also covered Max's killer's tracks. The CIA pissed in losing a good man, has their watch dog to solve this mystery requiring Michael to be at least 4 steps ahead of Agent Pearce (Lauren Stamile of Grey's Anatomy, Alligator Point, Community, The Event, Complications and CSI: Cyber) who wants the man that murdered her friend and colleague. With the clock ticking, the lies that will only cover Michael so far and trust that can be easily believed as a front, the gang need to get Weston cleared of these charges.

Weston is also dealing with the nagging sensation is the company that burned him actually dead and buried? Could this just be his paranoia kicking in or are the ashes of the old rising anew?

Season 5 brings in some solid writing and griping suspension. You have a spy drama showing its "A" game and presenting so many unknown elements along with still being able to assist people with their problems. Clients are being helped and the crew really are meshing together as a dynamic. Admittedly I wasn't really sure about Coby Bell's character Jesse Porter, who felt like a watered down version of Michael but he has come to the edge of the abyss without blinking last season and it was great seeing him back. Familiar faces make their way in and provide good performances. Is Dead Larry gone for good or will he hurt Michael to the bone? Tune in and find out!

 

So Heather Locklear... you get to make out with her, Grant?

Random Picks Week: Burn Notice Season 3

Welcome to Day 2 of Random Picks Week.  I have not touched base on this particular TV series in some time and it clearly it needs addressing.  We will be reviewing the continuation of the USA series Burn Notice.   Bringing back Michael Westen and his unusual team with Sam Axe, a former Navy SEAL and now a booze hound and skirt chaser and Fiona Glenanne, a former IRA commando and Michael's ex girlfriend.   This is Burn Notice Season 3.

Ohh, no more Charlie Sheen parties... ever.

Fiona: Should we spoil them?
Michael: I have enough to worry about than killing three FBI agents.





Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan of The Pretender, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Touching Evil, Crossing Jordan and Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe) had just gotten out from under the thumb of his handler Karla only to meet the head man running the operations, simply known as Management.  Westen demands these people out of his life and gets his wish and tells him they will stay out of his way until he realizes how much he needs them as much as they need him.  With former colleagues selling him out, potential cake wake missions turning into disasters barely escaped, Michael tries to figure a way to take down this shadow organization that has been haunting him for three years.

Hops, hotties and humidity Mikey.  Miami has been good to me.

Aiding him begrudgingly is of course his oldest buddy Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead,  Army of Darkness, Escape From L.A., Ellen, Icebreaker and Jack of All Trades) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar of Scent of a Woman, For Love or Money, The Three Musketeers, The Grave, Sherlock, Water Under the Bridge and The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines)  diving into more and more danger as it takes its toll on their friendship.  Michael has an admirer this time around and is finding out if Westen's burn notice is true and that he is the naughty boy it claims him to be.   Mason Gilroy (Chris Vance of Stingers, Macbeth, All Saints, Prison Break, Mental and Rizzoli & Isles) a freelance sociopath has a lucrative business opportunity for He and Michael but he has to see Michael in action as it were before he commits.  Can Westen and gang get him out of this hot water or will they boil after being burnt?

A few observations about this season.  The dynamic between Madeline Westen (Sharon Glass of The Miracle of Kathy Miller, House Calls, The Sky's No Limit, Cagney & Lacey, Honor Thy Mother and The Trials of Rosie O' Neill) and Michael flushes out problems of the past that they both must come to terms with.  Each show the other they have more warmth and depth than they normally exhibit. Michael and his estrained brother Nate (Seth Peterson of Godzilla, Can't Hardly Wait, Providence, Hard Ground and Unlucky Charms) start to mend fences and come to terms that they will never be the best of friends but they can be family.

Hmm, three more seasons, please.