Movie Reviews for The 4400 - The Complete First Season

The 4400 - The Complete First Season

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Movie Reviews of The 4400 - The Complete First Season

Movie Review: A Good, Not Great, Show
Summary: 3 Stars

At this point in the series, "The 4400" isn't a great show. It's a good show that, for the most part, will keep you entertained. It's a quick season, so the overall story arc gets handled nicely. It's a very intimate show, and the character's are introduced quickly and skillfully, but there are a few things lacking in the overall package that really prevent it from being at the same level as other sci-fi mysteries like Lost and Battlestar Galactica. I'll break the show up into a list of positives and negatives.

POSITIVES
+ The "mystery of the week" sections of the episodes are a lot stronger than the overall arc of the season. Each episode told a good standalone story, and that is the driving force behind this being a good show.
+ A lot of the guest stars are very, very impressive. Especially David Eigenberg is episode two as Carl Morrisey.
+ The characters are interesting, for the most part. I especially enjoyed Lily and Richard.
+ The directing is, to say the least, always experimental. There are some shots that are so innovative and work really well, but however it also gets to the point where some of the more experimental camera work is a bit jarring.

NEGATIVES
- The acting, by and large, ranges from mediocre to bad. While all of the actors do have moments that convince me that there might be a sparkle of talent in there, a lot of the leads are pretty much bad. Patrick Flueger as Shawn is simply awful, as is Brooke Nevin as Nikki. None of the cast members steadily impressed me other than Billy Campbell as Jordan and Conchita Campbell as Maia.
- The music in the series is very badly picked out. When they should have used scores, they use cheesy pop culture songs that, while the songs are good by themselves, they sound highly out of place in the show.
- The writers seem to be fans of taking the easy way out with character interactions. Subtlety is completely disregarded for sweeping gestures. Romance never develops, it explodes into being. Conflict never simmers before boiling, it always arrives already steaming.

While this short season (five episodes in total) is extremely flawed, it's also entertaining television. It's not at the level where it's a guilty pleasure, because a lot of aspects of it still make it a good show, but the acting, writing, and use of music needs to improve a considerable amount before this can be a show that I can truly appreciate.

6/10

Movie Review: A quality TV show, which happens to be Science-Fiction...
Summary: 5 Stars

In a genre that is rife with bad acting and over-emphasis on special effects, The 4400 is a great television show that you don't have to be a Science-Fiction fan to love. If more Science-Fiction writers put this much thought into their work, the term "Sci-Fi" wouldn't have such a negative connotation.

Movie Review: Pretty much... the perfect show!!!
Summary: 5 Stars

This show affected me so much. The 4400 has one of the most unique and catchy premis'. The story of 4400 people who dissapear over the past 60 years and then returned all at once with special abilities is awesome.
I absolutely loved it.

Movie Review: The Sneetches - updated
Summary: 4 Stars

Well written, well acted. Basically, 4400 abductees return in a ball of light, each with a special ability. The central tale revolves around a core group but each week there is a guest ability featured. There are many organizations trying to use the 4400 to its own ends so we have villains from government, industry and family all trying to take advantage of the talents demonstrated by the returnees. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's good and who's bad (and even who's dead and who's alive).

This show draws from many sources but still manages to be unique and stand on its own. It has a bit of the Andromeda Strain, H.G. Wells, Biblical figures, but mostly Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches". (The star bellied Sneetches had bellies with stars; the plain bellied Sneetches had none upon thar's"). That's basically the whole premise - Do you want a star or not? Is having a star better than not? This may sound simplistic but the writers weave episode after episode, season after season's stories around this age old question - Is what we want really best for us?
In my estimation, each season is quite equal so I'm using this review for each. Watch and enjoy....bg