24: Season One
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Movie Reviews of 24: Season One
Movie Review: Dumas for the 21st Century
Summary: 5 Stars
The first season of 24 is unlike anything that has come before it.
The show revolves around a single day in the life of Jack Bauer with each episode covering one hour as his job in an anti-terrorism task force pulls him and his family into one gigantic mess of a Friday.
And yes, I made jokes too when I first heard about the premise that it was nothing more than a gimmick, that a story couldn't be sustained in such a format, that it would grow very old very fast. And yes, there are holes and yes, an occasional plot line during the late afternoon hours passes over into the ridiculous, and yes, absolutely nobody could ever have a day like this. But so what?
On the whole this show managed to take the standard 24 episode television season and turn it into one giant continuously running storyline. This is a concept that is so prevalent now that it seems commonplace and it's easy to forget that this is where it all started. There were some shows before it that certainly came close, a number of the classic HBO series for example, but even those would break for one-off episodes before continuing on with three or four episode arcs.
I can remember the first time I watched Season One of 24 and how stunned I was when the sun rose in the world of these characters and how impressed I was that they were pulling off this concept so well.
But, again, just making each episode an hour doesn't a great show make.
In the end I found 24 to be enjoyable because it's enjoyable. Great story, if not a bit over the top, interesting characters, even the annoying ones are fun because you get to talk about how annoying they are with the people you're watching with, and action that pulls you in.
The last time I came across such unabashedly in-your-face non-stop action with such a deliberately interwoven storyline was when I read The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics).
All Dumas was trying to do was tell a gripping yarn, and all 24 is trying to do is the same.
In my opinion they both succeed.
Movie Review: the redemption of television
Summary: 5 Stars
I have felt, as did so many of the other reviewers here, that current television programming quality may slowly be circling the drain. The one shining beacon of hope on the landscape is the Fox series "24", a show clearly in another league-heads and shoulders in quality above the rest of the current crop of television offerings.I never paid much attention to "24" during the 1st season; upon hearing about it from others I decided to watch a couple of season 2 episodes, and was understandably confused. Upon receiving the Season 1 DVD set for Christmas, I plunged in, watching 4 to 6 episodes at a time! In fact, I feel that the best way to watch this set is to view 4 or so episodes at a time; that way you get continuity and yet don't experience total emotional burnout. :)
I am a long-time fan of international espionage stories as well as those about political intrigue; I appreciate the works of Tom Clancy, Nelson de Mille and John LeCarre, as well as the great political novels by Allen Drury. "24" seems to blend international intrigue, military might, political gamesmanship and basic law enforcement stories with aplomb, moving seamlessly from one world to the next and back again, while creating new and unexpected alliances between.
No punches are pulled where the depravity of man is at issue; the evil ones here are ruthlessly cruel and thoroughly corrupt in their pursuit of their agendas. This helps to create the overwhelming sense of dread and hopelessness which characterizes Jack Bauer's mood throughout the entire series (and overwhelms the sympathetic viewer as well).
The musical underscore by Sean Callery is first-rate. Fans of television's La Femme Nikita series may recognize similarities with Mr. Callery's scores for that show. (Being a composer myself, it is always rewarding to come upon a new voice in the field.) Mr. Callery blends orchestral muscle and lyrical emotional depth with contemporary drum loops and percussion soundscapes to communicate an urgency and a global feel that support the spy-terrorism-intrigue setting with great success.
I cannot say enough about "24"-I highly recommend it to anyone!
Movie Review: Let's be bold, THIS is the greatest season of 24. Or of any show. Period.
Summary: 5 Stars
Except for Season 3, every season of 24 is worth renting but I think season 1 is the only season truly worth owning. Why?
Well, to note the obvious, this is the beginning of the show and so unlike the other seasons, we're not supposed to know stuff that happened last year (or, in 24 lingo, the last "day"). We don't know who Jack Bauer is and we don't know what CTU is, but we learn as the story unfolds.
The plot is small but very effective. The life of one presidential candidate (not a major city or the world) is in mortal danger by terrorists who intend to kill him sometime in the next 24 hours and it is up to the counter-terrorist agent, Jack Bauer, to stop them.
Big deal, right? Well, you're going to be very surprised and pleased how many twists and turns this story has.
The beginning is essentially perfect. Some fans of the later seasons of 24 might grow restless because it moves slowly. But this is smart because it draws you in, develops the characters and, unlike later seasons, actually makes the story believable because, if this were the real world, you wouldn't expect something astonishing happening to Jack every 5 minutes. It successfully creates a gritty atmosphere of suspicion where we're not always sure who's good or bad and where there are not always happy endings.
For the first season of a show I was surprised at how good the acting was. Except for possibly one or two characters they all give very believable performances and the chemistry is superb. If 24 Season 1 was a movie I would actually expect several Oscar nominations dished out to this group. Besides Kiefer Sutherland I was especially impressed by Sarah Clarke who plays Jack's loyal colleague Nina Myers.
I really don't want to say more beyond that but I will repeat to you some wise advise that I heard before I bought this season:
DO NOT read any more reviews on this show because some jerk might reveal a major spoiler. Do not even read the episode guide that comes with this DVD set. Just close the blinds, sit back, and be blown away.
Movie Review: An original, fast-paced series...
Summary: 5 Stars
First airing in November 2001, 24 quickly established itself as one of the best television series around and solidified itself as a cult classic icon. Utilizing a novel premise, each season of 24 comprises a single day in lives of its characters, with each of the 24 episodes representing a one-hour time segment of that day. Kiefer Sutherland stars in the imminent role of Jack Bauer, a government agent periodically faced with enormous challenges within a single day. Each season is reminiscent of a fast-paced Hollywood action thriller, but it's only a busy day in the life of the heroic Bauer...
Season 1 unfolds in Los Angeles during the California presidential primary as CIA agent Jack Bauer and his colleagues uncover a murderous plot to assassinate front-running candidate David Palmer. With only 24 hours to uncover the identity of the determined killer, Jack must race against the clock if he has any hope of thwarting the plot. Meanwhile, Jack is distracted by his crumbling marriage and the disappearance of his rebellious teenage daughter. The clock is ticking... Can Jack save the man who may become president? And can he do so while keeping his family intact?
The 24 (Season 1) DVD features a number of breathtaking episodes including the season premiere in which the groundwork for the series and the season is laid. Jack plays chess with his daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) before receiving a call from Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke), his colleague at the Los Angeles Counter Terrorism Unit, telling him to report in for an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, Jack and his wife Teri (Leslie Hope) realize that Kim snuck out of the house during the phone call... When Jack arrives at headquarters, he's informed of a plot to murder Senator David Palmer, the first serious African-American presidential candidate... Other notable episodes from Season 1 include (#8) in which Nina and Tony discover the identity of the mole who is working for Gaines, and (#23) in which terrorists threaten to kill Kim unless Jack complies with their wishes...
The DVD Report
Movie Review: One Thrilling Day
Summary: 5 Stars
When 24 premiered on Fox in 2001, the hook of the show was that each episode represented one hour in the day of the presidential primary in California. Each episode opens by telling you the hour that is taking place and that the events are in real time. This is, of course, is a radical new concept for tv, which usually speeds up time for the sake of a story line. But a format can only get you so far. A show must be entertaining to hold your attention and 24 is extremely entertaining. The show is a literal rollercoaster ride. Kiefer Sutherland stars as Jack Bauer who works for the Los Angeles based counter terrorism unit of the federal government. Dennis Haysbert is David Palmer, an African American senator who has a real shot at winning a presidential nomination. It has been discovered that an extremely credible assassination attempt will be made on his life that day. Jack is put in charge of finding out who is behind the attempt and to stop it. He is also advised that the people behind the attempt include dirty agents within the organization. In addition to all of this his daughter and then wife are kidnapped. The tension is high as Jack struggles to unearth the plot against Palmer, save his family and even himself. A clock shows up every now and then (usually where there is a commercial break and then when the show would comeback from the break) to keep you up-to-date on the timing. The show also breaks the screen down into sections at times, so you can see what's happen to several characters at once in order to keep the show in real time. Each episode picks up where the last one ended, there are no flashbacks or recaps. There are times when the show does ask you to suspend reality for a bit, but basically it is completely believable. You do lose some of the cliffhanger feeling of the original run of the series as you don't have to wait a week in between shows, but the DVD retains the exciting, high quality drama, superb acting (especially by Mr. Sutherland) that earned 24 high praise and several Emmy Awards.