24: Season One
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Movie Reviews of 24: Season One
Movie Review: A television masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
The 24 concept was a risky one. It was a show that, as likely as to become a hit, was likely to be an utter failure. It took great writing, fantastic directing and brilliant editing to make this strictly real-time show exciting enough to work; and though the concept began to fail in the following (still excellent) seasons, in the first one the real-time rule is very strict indeed. Each episode takes precisely one hour (including commercials); the event occurring in each episode take precisely an hour in the reality of the show. By keeping a steady rhythm of non-stop action and suspense, as well as truly surprising plot-twists, and top-notch editing which uses excellent and original technique (split screens, showing different events occurring in different places at the same time), 24 is one of the most suspenseful, exciting programs seen on television.Risky, I say, not only because of the real-time concept, but also because it is absolutely essential to watch every episode of the season to truly appreciate it. It's very difficult to make the viewers interested enough to watch every single episode. That is why most series give more weight to each episode as a whole, rather than an entire season; in 24, the whole is much, much more than the sum of its parts. Each season of 24 functions as a complete work, more like a 24 hour movie than a TV series. In that aspect, it may be the most impressive product of American television since the first season of Twin Peaks (the one directed by David Lynch). That is why, like Twin Peaks, 24's first season is well worth owning on DVD. I actually know many people who, seeing only some of the episodes while it was aired on TV, were not too interested, but became hooked when they saw it from the beginning on DVD. 24 truly is a series that rewards the loyal viewer like few others.
The leading man here is, of course, Kiefer Sutherland. Kiefer made a transition that is quite the opposite of the norm: he went from a career as a second-rate film actor, to a first class TV superstar. Although the character of Jack Bauer becomes much more complex in the second and third seasons, one of television's most fascinating anti-heroes, Kiefer manages to impress in this season as well. He is overshadowed, though, by some fantastic supporting actors - Sarah Clarke as Jack's partner, Nina; Carlos Bernard as co-worker Tony Almeida, who balances out Jack and becomes one of the most important characters in the following seasons; the impressive Dennis Haysbert as the dead-serious idealist Senator David Palmer; Penny Johnson as his snaky wife, Sherry; Misha Collins, Zeljko Ivanek, Michael Massee and Richard Burgi as the wonderful villains; and a surprising first-rate superstar as the lead villain, whose identity it would be a shame to reveal to someone who is yet to watch the series. And last but most certainly not least, Xander Berkeley as George Mason, the egocentric, the sarcastic, the corrupted, but ultimately the most real and human character on this show. Berkeley becomes especially impressive in the second season, but in this one he does have his moments.
It's hard to write about 24 without spoilers; so I'll kindly stop writing. The bottom line is, this DVD is very much worth the watch, and is a fantastic gift for anyone. I'm yet to meet someone who watched the first episode of the series and didn't become instantly hooked.
Movie Review: Great TV show, but with too many improbable twists and turns
Summary: 5 Stars
24 is a terrific TV series, no doubt about that. Sadly though, being a series also is its biggest problem, a series that needs to have its viewers glued to the screen for an entire season. Meaning, a lot needs to happen in these 24 hours.
A great storyline built on a terrific idea. Just too much of it. Too many turns to keep us waiting for what happens next. A few less twists and episodes and I'd have given it six stars.
You probably know all about it: A presidential candidate is targeted by terrorists. A special agent, Jack Bauer, tries to save both the senator and his own family which has been taken hostage by the same terrorists in order to force him to do their dirty work.
Great acting, good solid camerawork, good storyline (at least in the beginning). Somewhere in the middle things start to feel too constructed.
A few examples: The gangsters appear to have superhuman intelligence on their side, whereas CTU bathes in blunders. Of course you can also call it luck when the bad guys are able to recapture Kim, Jack's daughter, for the upteenth time when she is escorted from jail by the police. Funny enough, a few hours earlier, the same super gangsters were unable to find her after her car exploded a few miles down the road with a huge cloud of smoke attracting anybody's attention, except that of the talented terrorists.
Of course there has to be a traitor amongst the good guys. This time it's the agent's best friend, the one he trusts the most (oh no, not again...) She turns into a deadly terrorist in the end. But her previous actions somehow never seemed to seriously interfere with Jack's work. I had the feeling that the screenwriter just turned her into a baddy at the last minute, adding constructed clues into the last four episodes to deliver the "necessary" tension. Sorry, but way over the top if you ask me.
Other obvious mistakes: Jack's wife, after having been rescued, is being left to walk around as she pleases in the building of the Counter Terrorist Unit(she is a civilian)... a few hours earlier she said that often she does't exactly know what her husband is doing for most of the time. PLEASE!
Jack, when hunting a suspect, often risks too much by unneccesarily breaking his own cover. This is most evident in the scene where he, together with a female police officer, chases a suspect in and around a warehouse in the dark. When he enters the unsecured building, he doesn't hide in the shadows but stays in the open. The officer is shot, Jack makes it through.
A few scenes later, the police office building. This obviously is the dumbest bunch of cops around, the way they let the ganster escape. But they have to be, the gangster needs to pull us into a next episode.
The list goes on and on. Now you're probably asking, why then five stars? Because of the idea, the acting and the basic construction behind the storyline. It's amazing. Even with all the flaws. You want to know what happens next - or what the screenwriters have come up with.
Best acting by Kiefer Sutherland as Jack, Dennis Haysbert as Senator Palmer and Sarah Clarke as Nina Myers.
The dvd set is o.k. Sharp most of the time with occasional bad mastering in large close-ups, grey walls etc. and no chapters.... O.k. for discs released in 2002 but you'd think Fox would have settled that problem by now.
Movie Review: 24 Hours Lived in 24 Hours
Summary: 5 Stars
Jack Bauer is the head of L.A.'s CTU (Counter-Terrorist Unit), and he's just received notification from the higher-ups that a threat to a Presidential candidate (the first black candidate) is real and imminent. His job is to thwart the attempt by all means necessary. This will be "the longest 24 hours of his life."
But the terrorists are aware of Jack and know he's assigned to root them out. We quickly learn that Jack's wife and daughter are in danger. They're swooped up by splinter cells of the terrorists and locked away. Now they have some leverage against Jack, and they're going to use it. But they underestimate him. Having been trained in Special Forces before moving into law enforcement, Jack doesn't like being pushed against the wall. Fighting back is his only chance, for him, his family and the Presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, other storylines are coalescing with this one. The office of L.A.'s CTU may be rife with undercover agents for foreign terror groups. Jack and his wife were once on the outs and Jack became involved with Agent Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) - the second in command at CTU - for a very brief time. Senator David Palmer (the candidate) and his family are having a rough time; they're in the middle of the California primary and Mr. Palmer's wife is enamored with becoming the first lady ...so much so that she's willing to risk just about everything to get there. Palmer's son may also have been involved in the murder of a boy who raped his sister, and the news is just now beginning to break. Palmer's enemies are closing in, trying to kill him and to kill his run for President. And as this unfolds, we learn that Jack Bauer and David Palmer were once involved in a military operation (as subordinate and leader respectively) that killed a Kosovo terrorist ...and, by accident, his family. Or so they thought.
The family of the "murdered" man (Dennis Hopper, Speed 1994) may have infiltrated CTU and are prepared to do anything to get Senator Palmer and Jack Bauer.
This first season of 24 developed almost a cult following. And there's good reason for it. This is acting well done and nonstop action at its finest. Just when a storyline starts winding down, they pump it back up with adrenaline. Keifer Sutherland (Jack Bauer) was a good choice for the lead character and all of the supporting cast are just as perfect for their roles (from Leslie Hope who plays Jack's wife to Dennis Haysbert who stars as Senator David Palmer, the Presidential candidate.)
The complaints surrounding the series are justified if a bit unrealistic. Most have centered on the lack of realism when it comes to travel times in L.A.; the 24 hour screenwriters put everything at 15 minutes away from everything else in the big city. This is true, they do. But when you have to cover one hour per episode, you can see why they did this; they only have so much time to get new plots across and keep the story moving at a decent pace.
It's great to see a quality TV series making its way into mainstream America. It's so rare for something like this; I was stunned to find so many people (mainly my friends, coworkers, and family) were equally enamored with the program.
Movie Review: The Clock Is Ticking...
Summary: 5 Stars
In 2001 the Fox network decided it would take the dramatic television series to the next level with the introduction of one of the most exciting, action packed series' to be created, "24". "24" utilizes a unique format for telling it's stories, instead of having individual episodes tell an individual story that would probably have some small impact on the season's outcome, "24" chooses to tell one story that occurs in a single day, all season long and have each individual episode count for one hour out of that day. Using what is now known as the real-time format, which means that each episode is exactly one hour of time that has passed in the day. Most shows seasons span many days, months, maybe even a year, but "24" chose to be bold and stand out from the rest of the competition. A move that could have been costly in regards to ratings and success, but proved to be the shows most endearing quality and virtually ensures it high ratings each week as people tune in to see what will happen next.
The basic backbone of "24" is the lead character, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), a federal agent working at CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit) for Los Angeles. Bauer, along with his fellow CTU agents are responsible for stopping threats to the security of L.A. and sometimes the country. The first season, or Day One as it is commonly referred to, introduces everyone to Jack's disfunctional family, Jack and his wife had recently been separated but are trying to work it out and his daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) is constantly getting into some form of trouble as she is in the full swing of her rebellious teenage years. As Jack is trying to piece back together the puzzle he calls life, a threat is received on one of the presidential candidates that happens to be visiting Los Angeles to drum up voters support. Now this isn't just any presidential candidate, this is the first black candidate (Dennis Haysbert) to really have a chance at the White House, so an assassination attempt on his life could be catastrophic to the country's race relations. At the same time this threat is received, Jack's daughter Kim, sneaks out of the house to hang out with a friend and two boys she doesn't know all that well. All of this occurs in just the first hour of day one, and propels the season forward with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end of episode 24.
With incredible acting and storytelling that leaves you wanting more at the end of every episode, it's no wonder that "24" is one of the best dramas on television. The only drawback to the show is also it's strongest element which is the real-time format, it's excellent if you catch every episode, but if you miss one or two you pretty much have no clue as to what is going on. However, there is hope for those who may have missed an episode and the solution is exactly what I'm reviewing now, the season box set. So, whether you are a fan of the show or saw a few episodes and became intrigued but had no clue what had transpired before or after the point you came on board, this season box set is a definite must have. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Like potato chips
Summary: 5 Stars
I never saw the series on the air. I knew what it was about but also knew I could never make the commitment to see it every week.
Okay, here is the DVD set, lets take a chance. I popped in the first DVD already knowing that this about an elite anti-terrorist unit in LA and that the show plays in real time.
I promised myself I would watch no more than one a day. Sorry no way. You absolutely cannot just watch one. I watched all 4 on the first disk in one evening. This is the equivalent of a book that you "can't put down."
First there is the main plot, an assination plot against a presidential candidate. Then there are the numerous subplots all woven together with almost perfect synchronicity.
Each episode is unbelievably action packed and contains at least one major surprise. Few full length motions pictures contain as much excitement as as many thrills as one 40-odd minute episode of 24. You'll find yourself counting the minutes, as "I'll be there in 15 minutes." then look at the clock and see that his arival will be at the end of the episode, then practically holding your breath at the interim scenes.
The real time element is so different and innovative I wasn't sure that it would make all the much difference from a normally plotted show or movie but Oh my does it ever add an edge to it that accounts for its "I can't only watch one" addictability.
I was very impressed with that element even if it not exactly perfect. I have a hard timebelieving that Jack could drive across LA in 7 minutes even after midnight, but who cares. it flows and it will keep you glued to the set. You won't want to miss a second.
Ther story will rope you in and if you watch episode #1 you can almost walk away from it and say I'll watch #2 tomorrow. Once you get into #2 your only hope will be to force yourself to limit it to one disk ( 4 episodes ) in one sitting.
Production values are superb for a TV series. Acting and writing are all top notch. I can find little to fault the show. The DVD is fine, good even. It has a few minor faults but nothing serious. Picture and sound quality are quite acceptable for a TV series and they presented it in wide format - kudos to the producer for that.
Another reviewer commented on the set up of the disks, no chapter breaks, no previews and the like. The previews are not big deal to me since they'll only make it harder to walk away from a disk. I dont even mind the chapter breaks since it keeps the player on the time line. I have no problem with that at all.
I would have liked to have to option of showing the "previously on 24" slice. But the lack of it os no reason to reject owning this set.
The set is a must for fans, but if you've ever heard of the show and are curious, the price is right on the set.