K*Ville - Review
Sep. 19th, 2007 12:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skinscriptYou know, I had really really high hopes for this show. I've liked everything Cole Hauser has done, right back to Pitch Black, and I love New Orleans Jazz, Blues, and heartwarming stories.
I know it's just the first episode, but... DUDE.
I can say that the people who cut and designed the trailers - they did a great job. They really made it seem that the show would be about the struggles that the NOPD are going through during the incredibly difficult rebuild that is going on. How the spirit of New Orleans lives on, despite being muddy and tarnished at the moment. How tough it is to work in an environment where the police were either heroes, indifferent or absent during the hurricane, and how overcoming the deepset psychological damage of those terrible days is an every day effort.
Unfortunately, the premiere wasn't actually about any of those things.
Instead, it was like they took this great idea and laid "Lethal Weapon 3 meets Bad Boys only both written by Michael Angelis" over top. It started promisingly enough, but within the first five minutes had already degenerated into a high speed chase with double fisted shooting and 'Get out of the way'! screamed out the window. I actually groaned out loud at the gunplay. Yeah, I understand that guns are a way of life in the States and all, but really? Gun battles including machine pistols and fully automatic weaponry unleashed on a crowd of people would be national-news worthy - and it's presented as essentially business as usual. Where is the story that the trailers promised, about the PEOPLE? Is this just another example of FOX interference?
And THEN ... THEN... they have to have a character reveal that - well. It actually detracts from the character! Why have it there? Why at that point in the storyline? We don't even have any investment in this guy yet, so revealing a sordid past isn't going to have any kind of actual impact on us. Why not wait a few episodes, lay in this guy's character better, make it a shock?
There were good things too. Cole Hauser does a good job, as does Anthony Anderson. The sets are lush, the music is great (though it is interrupted by gunfire too much). It does reflect the devastation of New Orleans, and there is a C plot about people leaving the city that could have been awesome. (but wasn't because there apparently needed to be a ruthless land developer... like there needed to be MORE incentive for folks to leave.)
I'm really frustrated because I wanted to like this show. Some advice for the writers/producers if you happen to search and hit this...
Think about what you want to be, and then BE that. Do THAT thing really well. If you want to have an action show, then be an action show. If you want to be a character driven show with action elements, then go watch some Battlestar Galactica or The Unit and see how it is done. If you want to be some great mytharc show, then ok - learn how to spread it out. But stop trying to be everything all at once. It's not working, and it's going to ensure that you simply have no opportunity to be anything at all.
I know it's just the first episode, but... DUDE.
I can say that the people who cut and designed the trailers - they did a great job. They really made it seem that the show would be about the struggles that the NOPD are going through during the incredibly difficult rebuild that is going on. How the spirit of New Orleans lives on, despite being muddy and tarnished at the moment. How tough it is to work in an environment where the police were either heroes, indifferent or absent during the hurricane, and how overcoming the deepset psychological damage of those terrible days is an every day effort.
Unfortunately, the premiere wasn't actually about any of those things.
Instead, it was like they took this great idea and laid "Lethal Weapon 3 meets Bad Boys only both written by Michael Angelis" over top. It started promisingly enough, but within the first five minutes had already degenerated into a high speed chase with double fisted shooting and 'Get out of the way'! screamed out the window. I actually groaned out loud at the gunplay. Yeah, I understand that guns are a way of life in the States and all, but really? Gun battles including machine pistols and fully automatic weaponry unleashed on a crowd of people would be national-news worthy - and it's presented as essentially business as usual. Where is the story that the trailers promised, about the PEOPLE? Is this just another example of FOX interference?
And THEN ... THEN... they have to have a character reveal that - well. It actually detracts from the character! Why have it there? Why at that point in the storyline? We don't even have any investment in this guy yet, so revealing a sordid past isn't going to have any kind of actual impact on us. Why not wait a few episodes, lay in this guy's character better, make it a shock?
There were good things too. Cole Hauser does a good job, as does Anthony Anderson. The sets are lush, the music is great (though it is interrupted by gunfire too much). It does reflect the devastation of New Orleans, and there is a C plot about people leaving the city that could have been awesome. (but wasn't because there apparently needed to be a ruthless land developer... like there needed to be MORE incentive for folks to leave.)
I'm really frustrated because I wanted to like this show. Some advice for the writers/producers if you happen to search and hit this...
Think about what you want to be, and then BE that. Do THAT thing really well. If you want to have an action show, then be an action show. If you want to be a character driven show with action elements, then go watch some Battlestar Galactica or The Unit and see how it is done. If you want to be some great mytharc show, then ok - learn how to spread it out. But stop trying to be everything all at once. It's not working, and it's going to ensure that you simply have no opportunity to be anything at all.
