24 - Fifth Season DVDs 1-3 - Ugly Surprises

May

3

24 - Fifth Season DVDs 1-3 - Ugly Surprises

≡ Category: Action, Movie Reviews By Country, Recommended, United States |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

Country: United States
Genre: Action
Director: Various
Year: 2006

Rating:

TRASH CINEMA RECOMMENDED MOVIE

One of the great pleasures of 24 is the surprises that the writers continually seed the stories with. Anyone can die at any time. Anyone can turn out to be a traitor.

But there are good surprises and bad surprises. For example, having friends who live a thousand miles away turn up to throw you a surprise birthday party is a good surprise. Having your father die unexpectedly of a heart attack is a bad surprise. The first half of season 5 is full of surprises that make you angry.

Up until now, the creators of 24 have shown excellent judgement on how far they can push the viewer. Yes, well-loved characters have been killed off, but it’s uncanny how up until now, the creators of the show have instinctively known when a character’s usefulness is drawing to a close, giving them an exit which will surprise and delight the audience. That sense of timing has deserted the creators of 24 in season 5.

What happens in the 5th season? Well, some separatists from the former Soviet Union (think Chechnyans) are up to no good, attempting to pressuring President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), a weak, vascillating ninny, into not going through with a landmark antiterrorism pact with Russia.

Of course, anyone who has ever watched a full season of 24 knows that this is just the tip of the iceberg. As usual, there is no shortage of double-dealing and betrayal. In other words, just another day in the increasingly pathetic life of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland).

Technically speaking, 24 is as competent as it’s ever been. The personal stories are woven seamlessly into the political chicaneries. The action scenes are crisp and exciting.

But, as fun as the ticking clock elements of 24 are, the key to the show’s success (or lack of it) is the creation and nurturing of compelling characters that the audience grows to love (or loves to hate). Grinding the viewers’ noses in despair and existentialism is no way to run what is essentially an escapist fantasy. If the creators of 24 think they are making a series about difficult home truths, then they have their heads further up their asses than President Logan.