Bullseye
Let me get this out of the way first: the action sequences in the first episode were absolutely top notch. Featuring some incredible camera angles (such as what looked like a shoulder mounted GoPro while parkour-ing) and some unrelentingly fast-paced choreography and stunts, these sequences by far supplied the flashiness that a show needs in its pilot.
I don't know if this will remain this away over the course of the rest of the season or if it is only because they needed said flashiness in their pilot, but the production value was very high. From a massive rave party in the city's event center to a chase sequence spanning multiple industrial locations, every scene is something visually fresh and new.
One particular flashback scene literally elicited a "WOAH!" reaction from me, and for the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will not say what happens. If they have a scene like that every episode, this show will have the dark edge it needs to avoid straying into the teeny bopper drama genre like Smallville did.
Missed the mark
Some of the visual effects did not sell, especially on the island. Some very 2006-ish matte painting, ala Lost, and some obviously composited explosion effects unfortunately lowered the bar and detracted from our hero's origin story.
Just like the visual effects, some of the actors did not sell as well as I'm sure the producers would have hoped. Our protagonist, Oliver's sister, whose name escapes me, provides a very two-dimensional conflict within the episode. Similarly, the character Laurel's plot line fell flat, leaving me to wonder whether these actresses were chosen simply because of their undeniable good looks.
Arrow is a drama on the CW and it shows in the writing. Featuring some glaringly obvious lines that can only be explained by the network asking the writers to dumb the script down for the lowest common denominator, this show lacks the intellectual edge found in Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones (I understand that it is airing on a broadcast network. For example, in one scene, Laurel tells Oliver that she wish he would have died in the boat accident five years ago. Two scenes later, when she apologizes, she delivers the awkwardly stilted line of "I'm sorry about what I said... that you should have died in that boat accident five years ago". Yuck.
Fortunately, the pros by far outweigh the cons, and the interesting flashback-based means of storytelling and adrenaline-pumping action sequences will keep me returning for the next few episodes, at least until I get a better grasp on the direction in which Arrow is heading.
