Honestly, I barely remember what last happened to Jack Bauer the last time we saw him. But to watch this appetizer of a TV movie, "24: Redemption," on Sunday night at 8pm, you don't need to remember.
I mean, we know Jack right? He's troubled, an outcast trying to do right when everyone else is corrupt and HE. WILL. KILL. YOU.
So, if you like classic Jack, you'll like "Redemption." It's not the very best, but it's good solid Jack and it reminds you of what you love and hate about "24." (You're not a real fan if you don't both love and hate "24.")
The basic set up: Jack is hiding out in a fictional African nation, Sangala, at a boy's school an old Special Ops pal has started. Jack has been dodging a subpeona from a Senate subcommitee for some of the crazy stuff he's done in the name of good. You know, illegal detention and torture. If they had been there, they'd know it was completely necessary.
Sangala is war-torn and the rebels are advancing. They are particularly evil because they snatch young boys to be child soldiers. After a government guy reaches Jack with the subpeona (wait till you see how Jack avoids actually getting served), Jack's about to leave the camp. But the rebels are heading to the camp to steal his friend's boys. You already knew where this was going, didn't you?
Jack has a couple of handguns, a few sticks of dynamite, and the ability to recover quickly from the most brutal forms of torture. The 20 or so rebels have machine guns and grenade launchers. No problem.
Other JB truths are illustrated too, like, 1) It's never good to be Jack's friend, and 2) Someone in the U.S. is always financing something evil around the world, and 3) UN peacekeepers? INEFFECTUAL WIMPS.
Oh, and it's inauguration day in the U.S., so we also see the new president, a woman, Allison Taylor, played by Cherry Jones. She's replacing Powers Boothe. The transition between them isn't all sweetness and light, like Bush-Obama.
The new season of "24" doesn't start until Jan. 11. So tune in and get your blood-thirsty fun on!
Assistant Features Editor Adrienne Johnson Martin would like to have her life turned into an animated cartoon.
Comments
Slaughter
Mon, 11/24/2008 - 11:11 — adriennj (author)I winced too. But "24" always does a dramatic killing like that before they get to the routine stuff, like shooting people in the head and drugging them with truth serum.
torture
Mon, 11/24/2008 - 18:39 — brookecainAnd burning their faces with hot metal, etc. It's probably too late to start a 24 Body Count (did you keep track last night?) but we could do a 24 Torture Count. 2 torture scenes last night (or enhanced interrogations?) that I counted.
Guess I'm "24-ed" out
Sun, 11/23/2008 - 22:06 — chucksmallYou know, I get that "24" is set in a mean, nasty world where folks do mean and nasty things. (And I get that folks do mean and nasty things in this world, too.) But I just wasn't interested in tuning into an entertainment program at 8 p.m. Sunday to watch a pre-teen slaughter an adult with a machete as other kids cheered him on. Nope.
I'll try giving the show another shot when it comes back on in January. Who knows: Maybe then they'll start with a kindergarten suicide bomber.