24: Season Four
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Movie Reviews of 24: Season Four
Movie Review: A Day's Worth
Summary: 5 Stars
There are so many intricate plot lines, and so many twists that completely change the storyline that if it might be considered hard to follow--but I don't think this is true. The pacing of the show is done perfectly, to give viewers a perfect understanding about what is going on at certain times. A great wonder that 24 pulls off is that despite the fact that many people who watch the show, including I, do not know much about the technology used in the episodes, it is still not at all difficult to understand what's happening.
Jack Bauer is a great hero, with flaws that make him all the more valiant. When one finishes this season, they will have an unprecedented fondness and respect for Bauer. The friendships he finds in Tony Almeida, the hilariously awkward Chloe O'Brian, and David Palmer are true and touching, and his angsty tribulations in which he goes through with Audrey Raines is heart wrenching. Some of the other notable characters are Edgar, who one can truly sympathize with and feel for, as he is a through-and-through nice guy who is hard not to love. Behrooz Araz, the son of a terrorist, is a believable character who connects with the rebel and human in all of us.
Now onto the villains. Dina Araz is all over the place, and is not a very consistent character, nor are many of the less important terrorists. Two villains stand out to me: The fear-evoking Habid Marwan and the incredibly sexy "Mandy." Habid is ruthless, and has a look of power and influence in his very gaze, and he is a formidable antagonist. Mandy is gorgeous, kills with no remorse, and is as smart as Jack Bauer with her actions, but what is really terrifying about her is her clear blue eyes, which are so icy that you almost believe she could freeze you with them.
Now onto the few negatives of the series; it seems after a plot-line is milked, they throw it to the side and move to the next. Why did the Behrooz plot-line just stop, and why do we never see what happens to him? Why don't we see when Mandy arrives at CTU to get the paper the President signed in the last episode? Why don't we see what happens after Secretary of Defense James Heller discovers his son's secret? The rest of the plot-lines are summed up great, and the end is a bit tear-jerking, but what happened to those plot-lines? I want to SEE what happened to those characters, not assume!
Otherwise, this season is amazing and well worth a buy.
9/10
Movie Review: '24' Season Four is Riveting Television
Summary: 5 Stars
'24' Season Four is better than Day 3 (season three) and manages to be even more complex and compelling than the last two seasons. The technical work is better than ever, and the main storyline rivals season one's. Season Four brings a refreshing change to the show's formula with its many new cast members, and here are the highlights of this excellent season:
1) When we first see Jack Bauer, he's working for the Secretary of Defense James Heller (William Devane), all the while carrying on an affair with his daughter Audrey Raines (Kim Raver). Then a villian named Habib Marwan sets in motion a plan to bring down the US Government. Jack and Audrey's love for each other is affected by the day's events, and the emotional turmoils that develop are involving. Jack must risk his own life and the lives of others around him to save the US government and its people, which in turn complicates their relationship.
2) The twists are more predictable now that the formula has been played out several times prior to this season, but there are still some shocking events in the various storylines, and they are most prominent in the storyline involving the Araz family.
3) The acting by Keifer Sutherland is superb as he makes Jack Bauer a more poignant, grounded hero. Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), the sarcastic worker of CTU from season three, also shows some maturity and brings some well-needed humor to the ever-growing tension that develops in the season. Many new characters are introduced, but no one is more captivating than Dina Araz (Shoreh Aghdashloo). Her character traits contradict each other and are put to the test over the season, making her this season's most interesting character. Aghdashloo plays Dina as a mother who has no options in the situation she is caught up in, and the show is revitalized due to her brilliant performance. It's a travesty that she wasn't nominated for an Emmy or Golden Globe for her great supporting role.
4) The production values are consistent and the camerawork nearly flawless.
'24' Season Four improves on nearly everything from the previous seasons and does deserve its acclaim from critics and fans as the show's best season, but I personally prefer season one because its conclusion was more epic, deep, and true. Still, '24' Season Four makes for riveting television as it reinvents the thrilling formula that has made first-time viewers and long-time fans sit up and take notice.
Movie Review: All in a day's work for Jack Bauer
Summary: 5 Stars
"24" is kind of like the Bond films; sure there's a formula and we know that Jack will break the rules and still come out ahead (although he ends up paying for it big time by the end of the day). Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable ride and well worth the price of admission. Still there are a couple of things I wonder about: 1) How many moles are in CTU 2) Are any of the agents other than Jack like the guys that wore the red shirts in "Star Trek"?
The fourth rolls forward with Jack being fired from CTU by his new boss. He ends up at the Department of Defense working for the Secretary of Defense (William DeVane) and falling in love with his boss' daughter. Jack gets drawn back into CTU when he comes to Los Angeles with his boss. While in L.A. his boss is kidnapped by terrorists who plan on executing him live on the internet after he's been tried for his "crimes". Things are a lot more complex than they seem when a series of conspiracies come to light masterminded by a terrorist named Marwan. Jack goes back into action on a temporary basis with CTU to help secure his boss' release.
Picture quality is top notch as are the extras. The commentaries vary from decent to exceptionally good (although admittedly I haven't had a chance to listen to every one of them). We get both the prequel to the fourth season as well as the fifth. The fourth season prequel is the original version which was cut by the producers because it was a bit too "sensual". I don't want to spoil it for you who haven't seen it yet but the prequel for season five is an action packed sequence.
Once again a nice set from Fox. I just wish that the price were a bit lower and that vs. having a five minute "prequel" (which is a great idea)we'd get a longer prequel with a bit of story to it perhaps a half hour episode? Once again deleted scenes can be viewed within the context of the story or separately on the last disc. Not that I'm complaining mind you I like what we do get. Once again the series is packaged in an accordian style case that folds out with nice chapter placement. I do wish that there was a chapter placement right after the "24" logo so you could skip it. Since there's action during the opening titles if you elect to skip the "previously on '24'" recap and opening "24" logo you end up skipping important exposition at the beginning of the episode.
Movie Review: Can too much happen in one day?
Summary: 5 Stars
Even though it's one of the more popular shows on TV, I kind of stopped watching 24 around the start of season 3. After missing a couple of nights and being impatient about episode reruns, I kind of grew out of the show, watching the occasional episode. Being bored and hearing great things about season 4, on a complete whim I decided to buy the season and sure enough I got my money's worth. While it does have some non-nagging issues, it's compelling TV anyways.
Fired from CTU, Jack Bauer is now the advisor for the Secretary of Defense, James Heller while in a long relationship with Heller's daughter, Audrey. But he gets called into action when a train derails and Heller and Audrey are abducted by a terrorist faction. He quickly gets pulled back into CTU in trying to find the perpetrators and finds that the terrorist's leader has a lot more planned than a kidnapping.
Despite the fact it's one of the more compelling shows on TV, it's also one of the more difficult to revisit. On first viewing, you are hooked, period watching most likely several episodes or in my case, several discs at once. However since you already know how cliffhangers and plot threads will play out, you're more watching it for fun rather than an urge to find out what happens next. Not to mention because it's a season-long story and not mini-stories a la CSI or Law and Order, it makes the show difficult for specific episode watching. You might go "man that one part with that firefight, that was cool!" but you'd go "wait, what episode was that on anyway"? But then again you're so completely enthralled you probably wouldn't care after awhile.
The show also requires massive suspension of disbelief as you're almost quite sure not this much can happen in this time, let alone this quickly. Leads immediately connect to each other in record time and then of course there's a larger plot than just a kidnapping which makes you wonder if the season's main villain is just super intelligent or really lucky. But you knew that about 24 already right? As long as it'll be good TV, it'll work and luckily for us, they find ways to make it work.
I'm not sure if it's the best season since I haven't really watched most of them but despite its questionable rewatch value and the incredulous events, no show can hook many a viewer than 24.
Movie Review: Still the best thing on TV
Summary: 5 Stars
You can argue about LOST, The Wire and Deadwood but for my money, this is as good as it gets. It does have a half life to it in that you tend to think nothing more can happen to Jack. But . . .
The show is buoyed by great tight writing. While Jack's voice is fantastic (how does he do that? Camels and Jack Daniels?) the guardians of the 24 gate are the writers. The plots are complicated and the mission equally multi-tasked. But the split screen and the subtle review of what's happened by a new person to the script-set-hour generally brings the audience up to snuff with each hour.
Additionally, the re-emergence of old tried and true characters like Dennis Haysbert (ex-President Palmer) and Carlos Bernard (Tony) is excellent both in the timing and the then current issue. I mean when Jack tells us he's got to turn to the one man he can trust, ya'll know he's going to find Tony somewhere and Tony's a litle drunk and feeling sorry for himself and misses Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth).
I don't miss Elisha Cuthbert. I mean she's a good actor and she's . . . . at the risk of being a sexist-pig-dog . . . a hottie. But I don't see her as the teenage or early 20's daughter of Jack Bauer, who, in the tradition of Jack Reacher and Luther Ewing, is a pleasant looking STONE COLD KILLER. I mean, did you catch the one where he cuts the guy's head off and brings it to someone to earn his trust? Elisha, all parts moving in synchronicity and showing a fair amount of skin hugging Jack and saying "I love you, Daddy" has me confused and a little off center.
So he should have a younger less sexy dauughter. You know, plunging necklines, cleavage and painted-on-jeans were all OK when in the first season she was in her rebellious, teenage slut mode. After that it grew tedious.
Nina was a great bent woman as was Sherry. Evil gorgeous women. Brrrr. I think it's a great series. Yes, eventually we'll get overloaded with it. Maybe they will have the decency to just end it without 3 or 4 years of the show being carried by the support staff. But for now, great stuff. What more TV ought to be like. Well. At least after the little tykes bed down. 5 stars. Latrr Scantlebury