I had a chance to watch the telemovie pilot of "Knight Rider".
And I have to say that, in spite of its thrills and spills, it's really quite a poor sequel to the original 1980s TV series.
Now firstly, this isn't the first sequel. There was "Knight Rider 2000", which used a red(!) car. Then there was the pathetic series, "Team Knight Rider", which automobiles had more attitude than a punk youth gang. I figured it would be third time lucky with this new series. Besides, it seemed to hold true to the original tenets better than its predecessors.
There are three main elements to Knight Rider: the man, the car, and the supporting cast. Michael Traceur is the new leading man. He's the son of Michael Knight with a major chip on his shoulder. In today's TV world of angst, I suppose the hero needs that chip in order to be relevant to the audience. Unfortunately, Traceur's origin was played out so slowly and weakly in the first half hour of the show that he felt more like a supporting cast member. It wasn't till the middle that I could envision him in the driver's seat... more or less.
The person whom I saw in the hero role was the token female scientist, Sarah Graiman. Actually, in most synopses that I've read of this show, they always mention her more prominently than Traceur. She's strong, smart, witty, in control of her emotions, and does it all without messing up her hair. So it's a pity that she had to play second-fiddle to Traceur in the climax, reduced to shooting a machine gun wimpily.
Joining her in the supporting cast were her father, whose story took way too long to develop as well; Traceur's roommate who becomes his co-engineer; and the FBI detective, played by Sydney Tamia Porter, as the minority of all minorities: female, non-Caucasian, and homosexual. It's a pity that she's typecast, though it fortunately doesn't diminish her role.
And finally, there's the car. Where the previous KITT was a Trans Am, the modern one is a Ford Mustang. And I'm still getting used to it. Both are black, both are shiny, both are filled to the brim with gadgets. *drool* But the Mustang looks bulky and brawny, next to the sleek Trans Am. And all I kept seeing, besides the Mustang logo (because of product placement), was the front radiator grilles.
Hmm, come to think of it, the new KITT reminds me of Blackout, the Decepticon police car in the "Transformers" movie. Even their revving noises sound the same. A hero resembling a villain? Not good.
There were four other things I missed in the new KITT. The first three are minor: the "woh-woh" sound from its scanner (though I do like the "double" scanner), the walkie-talkie watch (a la Dick Tracy), and the turbo boost stunt. I was waiting expectantly for the moment when Traceur or someone would press the button that launches KITT into the sky. Unfortunately, it never came.
The fourth thing I missed about KITT is probably more significant: its attitude. The original KITT was a wisecracking smart-ass who spouted one-liners that made you both groan and chuckle. The new one could best be described as cold, logical, emotionless, and serious. Brr. Sorry, I can't relate with the new car aside from its technology prowess.
Speaking of technology, I wonder what kind of parallel processing terahertz megaflop CPUs are hidden under the hood. The kind of data crunching that KITT handled was ridiculously mind-blowing. Never mind that it also has free access to any information infrastructure in the world, including satellites, GPS systems and the telecommunications networks (Big Brother is watching!).
As a result of its shortcomings, I felt that this new Knight Rider didn't live up to its expectations very well. There was too much emphasis on product placement and technological gee-whiz, but not enough on story and character development. Following the cancellation of the "Bionic Woman" reboot, I wonder how long this new revival will last, if things aren't changed quickly.
Oh yeah, one more thing. According to broadcast TV rules, all vehicle drivers must wear seat belts. But apparently, there are no rules about driving at night without headlights -- especially for a black vehicle speeding down a two-lane highway at more than 190 miles per hour (300 kilometres per hour) under a moonless night.
Now firstly, this isn't the first sequel. There was "Knight Rider 2000", which used a red(!) car. Then there was the pathetic series, "Team Knight Rider", which automobiles had more attitude than a punk youth gang. I figured it would be third time lucky with this new series. Besides, it seemed to hold true to the original tenets better than its predecessors.
There are three main elements to Knight Rider: the man, the car, and the supporting cast. Michael Traceur is the new leading man. He's the son of Michael Knight with a major chip on his shoulder. In today's TV world of angst, I suppose the hero needs that chip in order to be relevant to the audience. Unfortunately, Traceur's origin was played out so slowly and weakly in the first half hour of the show that he felt more like a supporting cast member. It wasn't till the middle that I could envision him in the driver's seat... more or less.
The person whom I saw in the hero role was the token female scientist, Sarah Graiman. Actually, in most synopses that I've read of this show, they always mention her more prominently than Traceur. She's strong, smart, witty, in control of her emotions, and does it all without messing up her hair. So it's a pity that she had to play second-fiddle to Traceur in the climax, reduced to shooting a machine gun wimpily.
Joining her in the supporting cast were her father, whose story took way too long to develop as well; Traceur's roommate who becomes his co-engineer; and the FBI detective, played by Sydney Tamia Porter, as the minority of all minorities: female, non-Caucasian, and homosexual. It's a pity that she's typecast, though it fortunately doesn't diminish her role.
And finally, there's the car. Where the previous KITT was a Trans Am, the modern one is a Ford Mustang. And I'm still getting used to it. Both are black, both are shiny, both are filled to the brim with gadgets. *drool* But the Mustang looks bulky and brawny, next to the sleek Trans Am. And all I kept seeing, besides the Mustang logo (because of product placement), was the front radiator grilles.
Hmm, come to think of it, the new KITT reminds me of Blackout, the Decepticon police car in the "Transformers" movie. Even their revving noises sound the same. A hero resembling a villain? Not good.
There were four other things I missed in the new KITT. The first three are minor: the "woh-woh" sound from its scanner (though I do like the "double" scanner), the walkie-talkie watch (a la Dick Tracy), and the turbo boost stunt. I was waiting expectantly for the moment when Traceur or someone would press the button that launches KITT into the sky. Unfortunately, it never came.
The fourth thing I missed about KITT is probably more significant: its attitude. The original KITT was a wisecracking smart-ass who spouted one-liners that made you both groan and chuckle. The new one could best be described as cold, logical, emotionless, and serious. Brr. Sorry, I can't relate with the new car aside from its technology prowess.
Speaking of technology, I wonder what kind of parallel processing terahertz megaflop CPUs are hidden under the hood. The kind of data crunching that KITT handled was ridiculously mind-blowing. Never mind that it also has free access to any information infrastructure in the world, including satellites, GPS systems and the telecommunications networks (Big Brother is watching!).
As a result of its shortcomings, I felt that this new Knight Rider didn't live up to its expectations very well. There was too much emphasis on product placement and technological gee-whiz, but not enough on story and character development. Following the cancellation of the "Bionic Woman" reboot, I wonder how long this new revival will last, if things aren't changed quickly.
Oh yeah, one more thing. According to broadcast TV rules, all vehicle drivers must wear seat belts. But apparently, there are no rules about driving at night without headlights -- especially for a black vehicle speeding down a two-lane highway at more than 190 miles per hour (300 kilometres per hour) under a moonless night.
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