24: Season One

Available Now

Rated TV-14

Review by Tom Johnson(tomjohnson@thecinemasource.com)

DVDs of popular television shows are the next big thing, now that number-crunching "geniuses" have finally figured out how to bring prices down to reasonable levels. Take, for instance, "The X-Files", which first appeared on the format a few years ago at a whopping $150. Anyone with a limited cash flow and a decent brain obviously scoffed, and somewhere down the line, someone finally got smart. Now, with titles like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Friends" and "The Simpsons" priced from $30 to $45, not only can longtime fans relive their favorite shows without going broke, but old series can gain new fans willing to fork over a bit more cash for a 22 hour experience instead of a 2 hour one.

In my pathetically slavish "Buffy" reviews, I urge casual viewers who missed the show to buy the set and see what they've been missing out on. Careful to avoid hypocrisy, I recently put my money where my mouth is and bought the first season of "24", a show I always had a casual interest in, but never got into, as it didn't seem to be the type of experience you jump into the middle of. Because of this, someone at Fox Home Video got really smart and decided to release the first season of "24" the summer after it originally aired, then do the same with the second. While this doesn't leave a lot of room to create a fully stocked, top quality DVD, it certainly is convenient for people like me, who want to watch in the Fall up to date on the show's history. Before dropping 50 bucks, I gathered the opinions of some of my friends, who all assured me that I'd love it. Despite this, I still had some doubt as I made my purchase, cautiously optimistic. But I had no reason to fear. To put it simply, "24" blew me away.

The show's plot is either simple or ridiculously complex, depending on your definition of "plot". I'll go the simpler route in explaining it all here, as part of the joy in watching "24" is seeing its intricate story twist and unfold. Jack Bauer(Kiefer Sutherland) is having a very bad day. It's midnight, and he's been called into office at the Counter-Terrorist Unit(a fictional CIA offshoot) to thwart an assassination attempt on Senator David Palmer(Dennis Haysbert). His teenage daughter, Kim(Elisha Cuthbert) has snuck out on a school night, and tensions between him and his wife, Teri(Leslie Hope) are bubbling beneath a calm surface.

Things quickly get worse when he learns hidden moles in CTU may be in on the terrorist plot, not to mention the fact that his wife and daughter quickly become caught up in the whole, dirty

mess. Flanking Jack is Nina Myers(Sarah Clarke), his Girl Friday-gone-government agent, whose not-so-secret fling with Jack fuels office gossip and resentment, particularly that of Nina's new man, Tony Almeida(Carlos Bernard). Soul-patched agent Tony hates Jack's unprofessional methods, and uses every chance he gets to call him on his missteps(all while wearing one obnoxious, constipated expression). Then there's cute, mousy programmer Jamey(Karina Arroyave), who is the only person Jack has been told to trust in the murky, sinister happenings. Meanwhile, a "Macbeth"-like story of power, death and morals is unfolding on Senator Palmer's campaign trail. Unlike the Scottish King, however, presidential candidate Palmer tries his best to stand ground against his slithering, power-hungry wife Sherry(Penny Johnson Jerald), who hides ulterior motives behind every matriarchal decision. Eventually, Jack and Palmer must come together and face the villainous Drazen family(led by a poorly-accented Dennis Hopper), in an intensely personal game of cat-and-mouse.

Saying much else about the plot would give too much away, but let me assure you that the above paragraph barely scratches the surface of the story told in the show's 24 episodes. "24" is pure, cliffhanger-driven fun. Unlike that other CIA serial, "Alias", not a single episode stands alone. While "Alias" may occasionally end with a quiet character moment instead of a tense, "To Be Continued" moment, each episode of "24" bleeds into the next one by the second, often leaving the viewer breathless. For example, my plan to watch only the first episode of a disc usually turned into watching all four. I quickly learned that "24" is mighty hard to tear away from. Like a good book, you just keep telling yourself "one more chapter" as the day slowly disappears(though it also helps if your cable and internet are out and this your only entertainment).

Much of the show's hype revolves around its use of "real-time", but while it's a fun device, it's nothing revolutionary. Real-time dramas with multiple characters and interweaving plot threads already exist; they're called "Soap Operas". This is not to say that "24" deserves to be grouped with "Passions" and "General Hospital", of course, but it gives you an idea of how the story plays out in the "unique" style, albeit with considerably better writing than your average soap. The writing, of course, is one of "24"'s main strengths. You get the sense that it must have taken a year to pound the season's scripts out. The furious pace and thrills rarely ease up; only a couple of episodes in the middle of the season feel light before the story rockets to a dynamic and jaw-dropping(yes, I said "jaw-dropping) final two hours. Not that the unfolding events bear any resemblance to real life. The writers make sure the audience throws

its common sense out the window when the unnaturally sexy, underdressed, lesbian terrorist Mandy(Mia Kirshner of "Not Another Teen Movie") destroys a plane, just to steal a passenger's ID card, before jettisoning out Bond-style to a hidden drop point. Yes, the show may be absurd, but at least it's somewhat grounded in reality. While Jack may survive a gauntlet of Rambo-like situations, supporting characters are rarely so lucky. By the end of the season, the body count tops 50, not including the 500 or so killed in the opening hour's plane explosion. Actions have grave consequences, and no one is safe. Creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran go out of their way to illustrate this point.

The acting is the show's other great strength. Kiefer Sutherland earned a Golden Globe for his work in the main role, not that that means much. Dennis Haysbert brings the same quiet-but-forceful attitude here that he brought to "Far From Heaven" as Palmer, while Penny Johnson Jerald is a subtle scene stealer as the conniving, manipulate First Lady-to-be, earning a much-deserved spot on this year's Entertainment Weekly "It List" for her pitch-perfect performance. She makes the transition from loving wife and mother to despicable villain with an otherworldly grace without pulling too much of our sympathy with her. Maxim pin-up Elisha Cuthbert is decent enough, but can't overcome some of her character's shallow dialogue, particularly in the sappy love scenes between her and pretty-boy crook Rick(Daniel Bess). She gallantly tries to make up for it, however, by looking really hot in tight jeans and a low-cut top. The less said about the rest of the cast, the better. Let's just say more than one actor knows how to hide their character's evil intentions until the right moment. The villainous turns on the show range from predictable-yet-jolting to complete shock. A show hasn't surprised me enough to yell mindless expletives at the screen in a long, long time like "24" has. And the best twist is most certainly saved for last, ensuring that I will watch the entire season again, just to gain a wicked new perspective on it.

In an age where Hollywood seems to think "XXX" is the pinnacle of spy films, "24" is a nice kick in the ass for the genre. It doesn't set out to reinvent the wheel; rather it takes every trick action fans love in this kind of entertainment and pulls it off like no film in recent memory has been able to. It's almost an insult to "24" to call it a cinematic experience. It surpasses movies like "Mission: Impossible", "Spy Game" and "The Sum of All Fears" and leaves them in the dust. Jack Bauer is the hero Jack Ryan wishes he could be.

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