Ultra is based on a graphic novel of the same name that was a superhero version of "Sex and the City." This TV pilot scraps that idea and turns Ultra into a generic superhero show that everyone has already seen a dozen times over. Gone are the witty dialog, social commentary, and interesting characters for angst, brooding, and endless voice overs.
Lena Headey does a decent job with what she is given. If the show had kept to the themes of the original material, she would have been a good fit for it. However, the writer or director never heard of the common industry phrase "Show, don't tell." The vast majority of the pilot episode is uninteresting and boring voice over from Lena. No witty commentary about the situation she is in or ironies of life. Just endless telling the viewer what they are clearly seeing on the screen.
On the plus side, Ultra's failure as a pilot allowed Lena Headey to star in the greatly under-rated and "gone too soon" Sarah Connor Chronicles and eventually work again with Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones. Peter Dinklage would go on to appear in Threshold and Nip/Tuck. Aimee Garcia would go to Dexter and Lucifer series.
As a fan of the original comic, I would recommend a hard pass on this unless you are Lena Headey superfan.
Lena Headey does a decent job with what she is given. If the show had kept to the themes of the original material, she would have been a good fit for it. However, the writer or director never heard of the common industry phrase "Show, don't tell." The vast majority of the pilot episode is uninteresting and boring voice over from Lena. No witty commentary about the situation she is in or ironies of life. Just endless telling the viewer what they are clearly seeing on the screen.
On the plus side, Ultra's failure as a pilot allowed Lena Headey to star in the greatly under-rated and "gone too soon" Sarah Connor Chronicles and eventually work again with Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones. Peter Dinklage would go on to appear in Threshold and Nip/Tuck. Aimee Garcia would go to Dexter and Lucifer series.
As a fan of the original comic, I would recommend a hard pass on this unless you are Lena Headey superfan.
