Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera’s classic early 1960s animated comedy series, made its live-action debut in 1994 and it really hasn’t aged very well. In many ways, despite its charmingly retro production design and handsome recreations of many of the iconic visual motifs of the TV series, it feels even more antiquated and old-fashioned than the animated show which spawned it. One of the main problems with The Flintstones movie is that, as a ninety-minute feature, it has to deliver a lot more than a typical twenty-odd minute TV episode where the plots (such as they were) were pretty flimsy and the comedy little better than broad and slapstick. The movie Flintstones has to work a bit harder to entertain its audience for longer and in doing so it tends to stray from the naïve charm of the original and drift into areas that don’t really suit either the characters or the concept.

 

So, here we find Fred Flintstone (John Goodman, in fairness the only actor who could really make a decent fist of portraying the iconic Fred) over-promoted to the post of vice-president of Slate and Co. in a sneaky embezzlement scheme hatched by current executive vice-president Cliff Vandercave (Kyle McLachlan) and his secretary Sharon Stone (Halle Berry). Fred’s newfound success causes a rift between him and his best friend/neighbour Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) who, along with his wife Betty (Rosie O’Donnell) has just adopted a precocious child named Bamm-Bamm. Much…well, at least, some…hilarity ensues but it all feels a bit laboured and over-earnest and the script never seems to find the right balance between the anachronistic sight-gags which made the TV series so endearing (Bedrock, you’ll remember, is a vaguely 1960s style US town re-imagined as a bustling Stone Age settlement with a distinctly ramshackle modern society where dinosaurs are pets and work-tools and everyone drives around in cars made of granite pedalled by raw foot-power) and slightly more sophisticated humour aimed at a more adult audience. They’re uneasy bedfellows, to be honest; some of the wordplay and knowing 20th century references are quite wry – Steven Spielrock produces, there are references to Univershell Studios, Bedrock’s fast-food joint of choice is RocDonalds – but story strands about dodgy businessmen, adoption and workplace aptitude tests are hardly the stuff of colourful romp-along family comedy movies, even ones based on fondly-remembered old cartoon series. Yet The Flintstones is cheerfully charming due to the hard work put in by its cast (Elizabeth Taylor makes a final, slightly ignominious screen appearance as the magnificently-named Pearl Slaghoople) and some wonderfully imaginative production design and set pieces mercifully free from the CGI overkill which would undoubtedly dominate a more modern version.

 

With over twenty writers involved in the script, The Flintstones really should have been a lot faster and a lot funnier, playing to the strengths of the original series rather than muddying its own waters by presenting its real target audience – the kids – with a drab, turgid and uninvolving core storyline which only really comes alive when it reminds us of how much better a cartoon series made three decades earlier was. If you’re thinking of picking up this shiny new Blu-Ray edition of The Flintstones for anything other than nostalgic reasons, we can only offer the following slightly tortuous advice: Yabba-daba-don’t.

 

Special features: Discovering Bedrock documentary / Director commentary / trailers / production photographs / concept sketches, /opening sequence comparisons

 

THE FLINTSTONES (1994) / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: BRIAN LEVANT / SCREENPLAY: TOM S. PARKER, JIM JENNEWEIN, STEVEN E. DeSOUZA / STARRING: JOHN GOODMAN, ELIZABETH PERKINS, RICK MORANIS, ROSIE O’DONNELL, HALLE BERRY, KYLE MCLACHLAN, ELIZABETH TAYLOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera’s classic early 1960s animated comedy series, made its live-action debut in 1994 and it really hasn’t aged very well. In many ways, despite its charmingly retro production design and handsome recreations of many of the iconic visual motifs of the TV series, it feels even more antiquated and old-fashioned than the animated show which spawned it. One of the main problems with The Flintstones movie is that, as a ninety-minute feature, it has to deliver a lot more than a typical twenty-odd minute TV episode where the plots (such as they were) were pretty flimsy and the comedy little better than broad and slapstick. The movie Flintstones has to work a bit harder to entertain its audience for longer and in doing so it tends to stray from the naïve charm of the original and drift into areas that don’t really suit either the characters or the concept.

 

So, here we find Fred Flintstone (John Goodman, in fairness the only actor who could really make a decent fist of portraying the iconic Fred) over-promoted to the post of vice-president of Slate and Co. in a sneaky embezzlement scheme hatched by current executive vice-president Cliff Vandercave (Kyle McLachlan) and his secretary Sharon Stone (Halle Berry). Fred’s newfound success causes a rift between him and his best friend/neighbour Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) who, along with his wife Betty (Rosie O’Donnell) has just adopted a precocious child named Bamm-Bamm. Much…well, at least, some…hilarity ensues but it all feels a bit laboured and over-earnest and the script never seems to find the right balance between the anachronistic sight-gags which made the TV series so endearing (Bedrock, you’ll remember, is a vaguely 1960s style US town re-imagined as a bustling Stone Age settlement with a distinctly ramshackle modern society where dinosaurs are pets and work-tools and everyone drives around in cars made of granite pedalled by raw foot-power) and slightly more sophisticated humour aimed at a more adult audience. They’re uneasy bedfellows, to be honest; some of the wordplay and knowing 20th century references are quite wry – Steven Spielrock produces, there are references to Univershell Studios, Bedrock’s fast-food joint of choice is RocDonalds – but story strands about dodgy businessmen, adoption and workplace aptitude tests are hardly the stuff of colourful romp-along family comedy movies, even ones based on fondly-remembered old cartoon series. Yet The Flintstones is cheerfully charming due to the hard work put in by its cast (Elizabeth Taylor makes a final, slightly ignominious screen appearance as the magnificently-named Pearl Slaghoople) and some wonderfully imaginative production design and set pieces mercifully free from the CGI overkill which would undoubtedly dominate a more modern version.

 

With over twenty writers involved in the script, The Flintstones really should have been a lot faster and a lot funnier, playing to the strengths of the original series rather than muddying its own waters by presenting its real target audience – the kids – with a drab, turgid and uninvolving core storyline which only really comes alive when it reminds us of how much better a cartoon series made three decades earlier was. If you’re thinking of picking up this shiny new Blu-Ray edition of The Flintstones for anything other than nostalgic reasons, we can only offer the following slightly tortuous advice: Yabba-daba-don’t.

 

Special features: Discovering Bedrock documentary / Director commentary / trailers / production photographs / concept sketches, /opening sequence comparisons

 

THE FLINTSTONES (1994) / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: BRIAN LEVANT / SCREENPLAY: TOM S. PARKER, JIM JENNEWEIN, STEVEN E. DeSOUZA / STARRING: JOHN GOODMAN, ELIZABETH PERKINS, RICK MORANIS, ROSIE O’DONNELL, HALLE BERRY, KYLE MCLACHLAN, ELIZABETH TAYLOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The late 1960s saw Doctor Who in decline, and indeed almost cancelled altogether. The stories had become repetitive, the Daleks had gone seemingly forever, and the series was beginning to look rather cheap and creaky. By 1969, audiences had dwindled to a third of what they had been in 1965.

 

And yet none of the classic Doctors are thought of with more love and respect than Patrick Troughton’s second, despite his tenure in the TARDIS coinciding with the aforementioned problems. In part, this is because of Troughton’s superlative, gentle and yet harried performance. And to a very great extent, it’s because of the chemistry that Troughton had with all five of his companions. The team that finished the decade, with Troughton alongside his signature companion Jamie and spirited newcomer Zoe, has a balance and rapport to rival any regular cast from Doctor Who’s entire fifty-plus year history.

 

This latest release from the archives of Keith Barnfather’s Myth Makers interviews, comprises conversations with all five of those companions. It begins with a fifty-minute tribute to Patrick Troughton which also includes clips from Nicola Bryant (who worked with him on The Two Doctors) and the likes of Shaun Sutton, Christopher Barry and Derrick Sherwin, as well as a convention recording of Troughton himself. Introduced by Nicholas Briggs, this documentary tells the story of the second Doctor’s travels from the perspective of those most intimately involved in them, and while it doesn’t of necessity feature any clips from his episodes, it is nevertheless both comprehensive and compelling.

 

The rest of the interviews that make up this five-and-a-half hour package are the usual mixture of indoor and out, old and new, contrived and natural, and while the picture quality might not be what you’d get from the BBC, the in-depth conversations – which aren’t unedited but have the feel of the unabridged about them – go into far greater depth and allow their subjects much more breathing space to really get into their topics. What really helps is how the subjects quickly drop their professional, convention going patois and soon fall into the unaffectedness of easy company that you’d never see in public spaces.

 

If you think you’ve heard all the anecdotes and there’s nothing new to discover about these people, then you’ll be surprised at how Briggs as an interviewer sits back and lets the actors reveal as much about themselves as their time working on Doctor Who, aided by some of the locations chosen to record in. It’s a shame Koch Media couldn’t have licensed Troughton’s American PBS footage to complete the set, but that doesn’t mar what is an otherwise exemplary collection, and what is for vintage Doctor Who fans, an essential purchase.

Special Features: Introduction

THE DOCTORS – THE PAT TROUGHTON YEARS / CERT: E / DIRECTOR: KEITH BARNFATHER / STARRING: PATRICK TROUGHTON, ANNEKE WILLS, MICHAEL CRAZE, FRAZER HINES, DEBORAH WATLING, WENDY PADBURY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Created by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was the start of the legendary Power Rangers franchise, which consisted of Japanese footage mixed with American footage about rubber-suited monsters getting their arses kicked about by people in primary-coloured spandex. In the case of Mighty Morphin, it really centres around five teenagers (later six) with “attitude” being recruited by the mystical Zordon and his robot sidekick Alpha 5 to combat the Empress of Evil, Rita Repulsa along with her band of freaks. To stop her and her continuous horde of monsters, the Rangers enlist the aid of their giant combat assault robots, the Zords that can combine together to form the Megazord.

 

When general audiences think of Power Rangers, they naturally think of it as a children’s programme that is incredibly goofy, ridiculous and campy, so to them they would regard this as being nothing more than lame. The thing is though, Power Rangers was always meant to be for kids to watch even though adults can also find pleasure in it, so its simplicity makes it easy to understand and follow for the younger audience, plus the cliché theme of teamwork and good triumphing over evil is still a great message for audiences to be inspired by. That is what made the Power Rangers franchise so accessible and memorable for audiences and why the show has lasted for so long after Mighty Morphin. Plus, its earlier seasons can be seen in the same vein as the 1960s Batman TV series in which they both follow similar plot formulas and having a cheesy factor to them.

 

At the centre of this first season are the five teen Rangers themselves, but while these characters have personalities they don’t have much of a character arc to them and don’t really have much of an “attitude” due to them being just plain ol’ goody-goods always promoting teamwork, friendship and so on. Maybe this was intentional since it would make them identifiable and relatable for young audiences to look up and aspire to; Jason/the Red Ranger was the brave team leader, Zach/the Black Ranger was the “smooth” dancer, Billy/the Blue Ranger was the smart and resourceful one, Trini/the Yellow Ranger was determined and helpful, and Kimberly/the Pink Ranger was humble and graceful.

 

But by the seventeenth episode, the series hanged dramatically by introducing the character that would cement the franchise’s popularity and continue to have a huge impact on the franchise for many years after in the noble and selfless Tommy Oliver/the Green Ranger. However, the most interesting and dynamic characters, as well as the real stars of the show, are the comic relief duo of Bulk and Skull, who are simply the Laurel and Hardy of this generation. They are the real heart of the show, and while they were bullies with somewhat predictable comedy, they are the most fun to watch with great comedic timing and played by two great actors in Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy who put a lot of effort in their comedy. The less said about the guest actors though the better since their acting ranged from mediocre to terrible, while Alpha 5 being pretty annoying especially with his constant catchphrase of “Aye yai yai yai yai yai!”

 

What made the series work the most was in its action since no other show at the time was showing this level of action and complex martial arts fighting, especially in a show that was aimed at kids, even if occasionally the seams would fall apart between the American and Japanese footage (particularly the Green Ranger’s shield). While it is true that the monsters were goofy and the jokes incredibly cheesy, the show still maintained a unique charm to it that makes it click, and as the show went on, the storylines got more investing with the stakes getting bigger than before, particularly in the multi-parters. Even though 60 episodes can be too much even for the average viewer and most of the episodes followed the exact same repetitive formula that can be pretty tiresome, the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers proved to be an awesome start for the show that would only get better from there.

 

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: SEASON 1 / CERT: PG / DIRECTORS: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: AUSTIN ST. JOHN, THUY TRANG, WALTER EMANUEL JONES, AMY JO JOHNSON, DAVID YOST, JASON DAVID FRANK, MACHIKO SOGA / RELEASE DATE: 26TH JUNE

Making movies out of famously ‘unfilmable’ novels is a path trodden only by the bravest of writers and directors. From The Unbearable Likeness of Being to American Psycho via Naked Lunch and Life of Pi, books deemed impossible to translate to the screen have had a mixed reception in their filmed versions, some improving on the their originals, other falling foul of difficult narratives.

Back in 1972, George Roy Hill, riding high on the success of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, (he’d make The Sting after this) gave Kurt Vonnegut’s allegorical, non linear anti-war story a go. Still a highly influential and much read novel, how does the cinematic take on Slaughterhouse Five look today?

Billy Pilgrim’s life is that of an everyman. Like an observer of his times, Billy is neither remarkable nor is he unremarkable. He’s kind of just there. But what happens to him is extraordinary, not only in terms of the events he lives through, but how he lives through and with them. Because Billy is unstuck in time…

Billy is born into an ordinary family, becoming a POW in Dresden where he witnesses its annihilation by allied bombing. He marries into a wealthy family and has two children, enjoying material and social success. He survives a plane crash on the same day that his wife dies in a car accident, whilst rushing to see him. Eventually, he is taken by aliens to live as an exhibit in a kind of zoo with a Hollywood starlet called Montana Wildhack. On Tralfamadore, he learns that time is non linear, each moment existing as its own entity.

So, Billy’s life is presented as such, scenes revealing his life without following any traditional timeline. His past, present and future exist as one thing, so he is able to flit from one part of it to another, and the film cleverly reflects, in visual terms, how our own memories work, where experiences in the present reflect and remind us of ones from the past. Or in this case, from the past and the future, because Billy has lived all of his life as one, so he knows what *will* happen to him as much as he knows what has *happened to him. Kind of.

Confused? Don’t be, as the film has a lightness to it which makes this easy to follow.

Michael Sacks has to play Billy as a something of a blank canvas but there’s a great supporting cast, Superman’s Valerie Perrine being a standout, and the scenes set in Dresden in particular are beautifully realised and very moving.

But what it all means and whether it works as a whole is as open as a partly read novel…

SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE (1972) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: GEORGE ROY HILL / SCREENPLAY: STEPHEN GELLER / STARRING: MICHAEL SACKS, VALERIE PERRINE, RON LEIBMAN / RELEASE DATE: 26TH JUNE

No house since the adjoining one that overlooked the Bates Motel in Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) has evoked more fear and fascination than the one that debuted in 1979 in Stuart Rosenberg’s The Amityville Horror. 

What is even more amazing is that there has been a mix of fourteen theatrical and TV films based on the real-life horror in 1974. Like the real-life 1949 demonic possession that inspired William Peter Blatty to write The Exorcist, The DeFeo Murder Case remains one of the most mysterious and haunting cases in American history, in which Ronald DeFoe shot and killed his whole family, after initially claiming it to be the work of an intruder, then openly admitting to the crime himself. 

Now making its UK debut on Blu-Ray, the original haunted house affair is back for a new generation and a previous one who first saw it on VHS and on TV. Amongst its spin-offs were a prequel, Amityville II – The Possession (1982), starring Burt Young and a remake in 2005 starring Ryan Reynolds, however the first film stands out most and Second Sight’s prestigious ‘Steelbook’ edition also comes with a host of excellent new bonus features. 

Based on Jay Anson’s novel of the same name, The Amityville Horror tells of the Lutz Family, who move into what initially is their dream home, but which becomes a rather malicious home experience for them. A local priest (Rod Steiger) comes to bless the house, but is clearly unwelcome. The experience begins to drive a wedge between the Lutzes as they try and come to terms with what is happening to them…. 

Along with Fred Walton’s original 1979 version of When A Stranger Calls, The Amityville Horror remains an intelligent, atmospheric horror film. Admittedly, the scares and tone of the film may well have diminished in impact, much like a lot of the horror films that came before it, like old Universal and Hammer offerings, but that doesn’t take anything away from the competence of director Rosenberg, who directed two of the best prison dramas of all time, Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker. This film represents a different kind of prison. 

James Brolin and Margot Kidder, as newly-weds George and Kathy Lutz, convey the right essence of unease and confusion. Kidder is very good in the role and even today, it is such a surprise in retrospect to have heard her be so vocally critical of a film that, along with her turn as Lois Lane in Superman, proved to be a very popular draw at the box-office. Indeed, both films emerged on Starburst’s Top 20 Sci-Fi And Fantasy Films Of 1979 (which featured in STARBURST Issue 22 back in 1980).

Whether you have seen it in earlier incarnations, or are catching up on old horror releases as part of the new generation of fans, The Amityville Horror makes a welcome return to screens in this smashing re-mastered transfer.

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR: LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOK (1979) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: STUART ROSENBERG / SCREENPLAY: SANDOR STERN / STARRING: JAMES BROLIN, MARGOT KIDDER, ROD STEIGER / RELEASE DATE: 26TH JUNE

With 2010’s Trollhunter, André Ørvedal announced himself as a filmmaker with an eye for the spectacular, and demonstrated the potential that exists in the oft-maligned found footage format. His docu-style monster movie remains a high watermark for the genre and was witty, stylish, as well as being genuinely scary. It’s a shame then for both Ørvedal and us that it has taken six years for a follow-up feature, but The Autopsy Of Jane Doe has definitely been worth the wait.

 

Working from a tightly woven script by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, Ørvedal has constructed a delicately balanced thriller as far removed from the surreal excesses of Trollhunter as possible. Here, restraint is the order of the day as father and son morticians Tommy (Brian Cox) and Austin (Emile Hirsch) try to discover the history of a mysterious female corpse.

 

Little really happens for much of the running time, but the subtle complexities in the pair’s relationship and the slowly revealed clues that accompany the cringe-inducing autopsy make for an intriguing watch. You’re drawn into the strands of the mystery as, little by little, the bizarreness of the situation becomes apparent, and even then, you still question the conclusions being drawn. Strange phenomena begin to occur in the basement mortuary, Tommy and Austin begin to experience inexplicable visions, and the events begin to build toward an unexpected conclusion.

 

It is here, in the final act, that the film begins to lose its way somewhat, as the need to provide an apt supernatural finale overwhelms previous delicacy. More akin to a haunted house movie than a chilling thriller, Ørvedal struggles slightly to fulfil the requirements for an increased level of action, and the script resorts to more familiar horror tropes rather than continuing to pursue the promise that sets the first two thirds apart.

 

As much as The Autopsy Of Jane Doe flirts with familiarity in its final scenes, this is still a grimly interesting film based around the dark intent of originality. The mystery at its heart is both surprising and satisfying in its reveal, and the performances compliment an impressively conceived script and plot – Hollywood-esque finale aside – with conviction and belief.

 

Ørvedal has once again shown he is a filmmaker who can create realism from fantastical situations, and balance both thriller and horror elements. Let’s hope his next feature comes along a little sooner.

 

THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: ANDRÉ ØRVEDAL / SCREENPLAY: IAN GOLDBERG, RICHARD NAING / STARRING: EMILE HIRSCH, BRIAN COX, OLWEN KELLY / RELEASE DATE: 26TH JUNE

When Rocky and Bullwinkle hit our TV screens from 1959 to 1964, nobody had quite realised just how ingenious and creative the show was. This was the kind of show that had something in it for everyone with the children enjoying it for the madcap adventures of the titular duo trying to escape the clutches of Boris, Natasha and Fearless Leader, whilst the adults enjoyed it for its witty use of in-jokes and sharp writing. Sure, it was still corny as hell especially with the jokes ranging from brilliant to lame, but it nevertheless still maintained that quirky and clever streak about it.

 

However, when the movie came out nearly two decades ago, it was slaughtered by critics and fans alike, which was not helped at all by the film’s craptastic marketing campaign – probably the reason why it became a box office bomb. Despite its near-universal rejection, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle has to be one of the most underrated movies of all time, as well as being probably the most faithful big screen adaptation of a popular children’s show.

 

It completely captures the style, spirit and tone that the original cartoon had by having the same witty writing, that’s perhaps a little bit better here, as we have the characters being more self-aware and breaking the fourth wall. In fact, the first twenty minutes is more concerned with getting itself green-lit by a major studio and both titular characters have entire conversations about how lame their jokes can get. We get plenty of in-jokes, sarcastic cultural references and celebrity cameos galore, which for the most part works really well (some, not so much), but then again, that’s exactly what Rocky and Bullwinkle was about.

 

As for the CGI, it actually works well by having the characters look like the cartoon and yet still look like they are part of the scene and interacting with the actual actors. Sure, it’s not up to the same high standard of Who Framed Roger Rabbit or Looney Tunes: Back in Action, but it works a lot better than other movies that have attempted to do the same type of style and failing badly. Cool World anyone?

 

Even the actors look game and are in on the joke; Piper Perabo gives a very cute and quirky performance and both Rene Russo and Jason Alexander deliciously chew the scenery together as the wicked duo of Natasha and Boris. Robert De Niro’s performance however is questionable at best; granted it’s better than stuff we have become used to seeing him in during the past decade, like Dirty Grandpa, Little Fockers and Machete, yet it still seems like he’s just phoning his performance in and awaiting his pay cheque.

 

In the end, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is a baffling cinematic entity if there ever was one. It captures the spirit, essence and tone of the original cartoon and stays true to its core characteristics, even down to the jokes that ranged from hilarious to awful. In short, this is a faithful adaptation, which only raises the question of why this level of care and attention wasn’t applied to franchises that were more popular in comparison like Garfield, Tom and Jerry, The Smurfs and especially Avatar: The Last Airbender. If were never a fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle to begin with, then chances are that you are not going to like this film at all, but if you are a fan of the show and have a strong appreciation for films that have a quirky yet cute charm to them, then this film will prove to be an entertaining watch for you.

 

THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE (2000) / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: DES MCANUFF / SCREENPLAY: KENNETH LONERGAN / STARRING: JUNE FORAY, KEITH SCOTT, PIPER PERABO, JASON ALEXANDER, RENE RUSSO, ROBERT DE NIRO / RELEASE DATE: 19TH JUNE

When an incarcerated ex-cop is broken out of his cryo pod (because 2000) by his team, he wastes no time in getting back to work as an illegal arms dealer. What he wasn’t expecting was rookie cop Shawn McCormick who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and on the receiving end of a bullet to the head. But this is the year 2000 and in no time her memories have been extracted (and her final moments erased) and thanks to an advanced computer chip implanted in her head, she’s revived.

 

Smack bang in the middle of all of this is Knight Industries whose proposed new crime fighting car – the Knight 4000 – is almost complete but needs a certain someone familiar with the program to make the project come to fruition. Before long, Devon has tracked down Michael, now living in a wood cabin in the middle of nowhere and convinces him to come back one last time. He agrees, on one condition: he gets KITT back.

 

Unfortunately, KITT has been broken up and sold off. Unable to let his old buddy go, Michael manages to piece together his old logic board and get KITT back online, implanting him in his classic Chevvy. In no time Shawn comes onboard the team in an effort to track down the person who killed her, striking up a bond with KITT thanks to her implanted chip (which once belonged to the wise-cracking AI) and a new adventure begins.

 

Coming four years after the successful TV show’s final episode but set almost a decade ahead, we return to the world of Knight Industries, talking cars and most crucially, Michael Knight. Yet the world in 2000 is different, conventional guns have been outlawed and even the cops have to use sonic guns that stun rather than kill. Beyond that, this feels like very familiar territory, mostly in a good way. It’s great to see Michael again and see the chemistry between him and KITT (although it’s such a shame we don’t get to see the Pontiac) and the inclusion of Shawn as a possible new lead is exciting.

 

That said, this does have its problems. The Knight 4000 is horrible – a suped-up ’91 Dodge Stealth in bright red is no replacement for the iconic TransAm. Also, the legendary music is gone and while its replacement is brought to us by the inimitable Jan Hammer, the theme is used over and over again ad nauseam. The pacing and action is somewhat lacklustre too. If you’re expecting car chases, turbo boost and the like, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

 

Knight Rider 2000 (despite being dethroned by fans as being non-canon following the rebooted 1998 and 2008 series) is a nice addition to the original show, albeit by no means the climactic finale that the original franchise deserved.

 

KNIGHT RIDER 2000 / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: ALAN J. LEVI / SCREENPLAY: ROB HEDDON, GLEN A. LARSON / STARRING: DAVID HASSELHOFF, EDWARD MULHARE, SUSAN NORMAN, MITCH PILEGGI, CARMEN ARGENZIANO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Okay, let’s just get this out of the way now. This isn’t a Knight Rider movie. It may have the name in the title, have been produced by the same people and have a ‘talking car’ of sorts in there… but it’s not Knight Rider. There’s no Michael, no KITT, no Knight Industries. It’s not Knight Rider, it just isn’t.

 

So here’s what it is.

 

In the year 2010, Jake McQueen is an outlaw who ferries people into the US for money to survive. Hot on his trail is Marshall Will McQueen (yup, it’s his brother) who will stop at nothing to bring his sibling in, if only to get him on the right path. Yet Will’s not the only problem Jake needs to worry about. During his latest incursion onto US soil he upset the Chrysalis Corporation and its leader Jared (the always watchable scene-chewing Brion James). Throw into this his ex girl on the inside, Hannah and you’ve got something resembling a story.

 

So, once again one man can make a difference and yes, by the end he’s driving a car with enhanced abilities thanks to a special Prism that contains AI. Beyond that, this is a cheap and nasty Mad Max knock-off that is barely worth your time. It also teases the hell out of you. There’s more than one moment where someone pulls back some tarp to reveal… another car THAT ISN’T KITT! Even more maddening when you discover that they removed KITT from the story because they thought they wouldn’t have technology like that in a post apocalyptic future! Seriously?!

 

Like Knight Rider 2000 before it, this was a proposed pilot that never made it to a full series order and its no surprise. The key elements that made the original show such a success were the very elements that they left out of this ‘reimagining’ on purpose: technology, believability, humour and David bloody Hasselhoff.

 

Knight Rider 2010 is arguably the first in a long line of failed attempts at reigniting the spark of the original Knight Rider TV show. It’s also quite possibly the worst offender (although Team Knight Rider comes pretty close – although at least that made one season).

 

KNIGHT RIDER 2010 / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: SAM PILLSBURY / SCREENPLAY: JOHN LEEKLEY / STARRING: RICHARD JOSEPH PAUL, HEIDI LEICK, MICHAEL BEACH, DON MCMANUS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW