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58 out of 70 people found the following review useful: Potential but VERY badly scripted, 27 February 2008 Author: andybsmith from Germany
OK, the scripting really was pretty awful and some of the acting was, as previously mentioned, more wooden than a redwood, but my main gripe which, to be fair, is probably not going to be something many people have even thought about, is that the voice of KITT never actually sounds like it's coming from the car. It just sounds as though its been added on as a voice over in post production (which is obviously the case i realise). What i'm getting at is that the original actually had a 'boxey' sound as though it were coming out of the speakers in the car, or even a small speaker under the center console. This is still where the voice would come from even in todays car so i do hope they do some sound processing to make it at least SOUND as though the voice is coming from the car and not some magical disembodied voice....It's also a shame that they are alienating a huge group of potential viewers by having the adult themes which really add nothing to the story or the characters. If they cut out the actual killings and the sexual references, the show would not be anything less than it already is, and there would be no problem with all ages watching it as was the case in the original. The only reason this would be successful is BECAUSE kids watched the original and have now grown up but still have fond memories of KR. If they now disregard that generation this time round, whilst they may get ratings from the older generation, the show will NOT have the longevity the original still has..... Though what do i know eh?..........
30 out of 32 people found the following review useful: truly pondered to stop watching, 25 February 2008 Author: heelveelbierman from Netherlands
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
well, it was a .......interesting experience. Though one mostly filled with irritations. While i didn't mind the lead guy nor the voice of kitt, the whole ford show did become a nuisance. And kitt was disappointing, it had a nice miles per gallon ratio, great for every environmental concerned viewer and it could tap into security systems...ooh and change color and then blatantly drive past the baddies who really do not seem to notice it is the same car with a different color. The plot irritated me most of all though...it is clearly not even remotely as bulletproof as the car is. we have a genius, who works together with the pentagon to create an uber control system that could start wars and bring down pretty much anything. I don't know what the pentagon's general attitude to 'working at home' is but i reckon such a project might end up being a bit better protected, on account of it causing global terror and such. so when the genius and his double are suspicious of bad guys, they split up....instead of just getting in their super bullet proof car.... which also has every code needed to use the project. and then the fbi steps in....oh it might just be a heart attack so we'll just send someone over....we're still talking about someone having a super high tech world y chaos creating development right? i reckon the place would be swarming with government personal to at least go and pick up all that sensitive software that should still be there. but no, let's just send out one agent, who still gets no full backup when the doomsday terror information is gone........ so therefor, when she gets to hear the location of the two people to decrypt the info and the car with the decryption, she puts the phone on speaker so that some locally picked up small town sheriff can listen along...yes very good Miss Fbi, must have slept trough the 'dealing with sensitive intel' class eh? this leads to 3 bad guys with guns entering the last possible location where the much needed genius could be. Our heroes must think they will also take a coffee break there cause they are having an emotional moment a few meters outside of the motel. Not smart, especially not if your Kitt car is running on windows xp, as it's defense against hacking is rather pathetic. so the genius is able to write an unbreakable encryption for his hard drives, but the car this encryption is on is protected by a 30 sec hackable system? of course the fact that they actually get in these problems is cause the girl refuses to go to the fbi after her father might be killed and she's driving around with a top secret machine. Throwing a little fit and he, of they go to face bad guys so she can stand around and be utterly useless. this very distressing 'my father might be dead and we have to get the bad guys' is quickly forgotten though as they make time for a 'why did you leave me' interlude. and there's some more holes i the plot...well OK, it's mostly holes with some plot really. the only thing that did amuse me was in the end when the baddies car crashed and the fbi agent checks to see if the small town sheriff is dead and smiles when she finds out he is. i immediately thought 'she's glad the one witness to her completely stupid information leaking is dead so she can't get her ass fired for it' so a disappointing movie, though i somewhat appreciated how they tied this knight rider to the old one and didn't just go for the easy road 'there was no kitt and Micheal Knight, they did not exist' way. but the awful writing just really took most of the fun away for me. but at least it made me slightly less annoyed about bad cg effects and lack of general character depth.
38 out of 49 people found the following review useful: The word "abysmal" is thrown around a lot..., 18 February 2008 Author: jeditricks from Los Angeles, CA, USA
Here it is most deserved. Knight Rider is by no means sacred material, the original was cheesier and made on a far smaller budget, yet surpasses this waste of time.Being a lifelong Knight Rider fan and critic, I could tell you all the ways this was unfaithful and disingenuous to the original. As a TV fan, I could spend a lot of time telling you that the production and direction are hopeless, the writing is awful and full of plot holes (how exactly are these villains beating the 200mph car everywhere?), or that the acting is unbelievably poor (you're in trouble when Hasselhoff's cameo is the best acting in the show). But all that I will spare to get down to brass tacks: what's really wrong with this Knight Rider are 3 fundamental problems, the 3 C's - conceptualization, casting, and the car.The concept behind this doesn't work, there are too many players on the hero team, many of which feel completely extraneous, and too many interrelationships. It doesn't lay down a solid foundation and gives an incredibly overreaching threat. While trying to modernize Knight Rider, it's almost funny that they've unintentionally ripped off 2 other TV shows, "Viper" and the unpopular "Team Knight Rider", at the same time and done neither particularly well. Yes, there is more money poured into this, the visual effects are of a higher quality (though the fx is still surprisingly weak), but there's just nothing behind this, it's quite empty and doesn't really get to the point until its second ending, a final act that completely flops.The casting's problem is likely with the conceptualization really, as Mike Traceur is unlikeable and fairly generic as a character. But they just cast the character too young and too flat. He doesn't stand for anything, he's just a tall, unimposing kid in a leather jacket, not remotely impressive.Finally the car, which should be the star of the show, came off totally uninteresting - an intensely fatal flaw. The Mustang was a poor choice for KITT, it's aggressive instead of sleek, and lacks that slight futuristic quality the car should have had. I know Ford put money into this, but I wish they had used a different sporty car... oh wait, Ford doesn't MAKE another sporty car right now!In the show, KITT is essentially a talking version of the supercar from "Viper" without the good looks or cool toys, it just changes color and morphs into super mode, but this Mustang supercar is somewhat boring to look at. The pimpin' wheels are not very Knight Rider, and the double-spoiler is downright embarrassing. So what else does it have then? Extra large intakes and a blocked grille, big deal. Oh, and it changes color twice, whoopee. They hyped that this KITT was designed by the creator of the movie Batmobile, what they don't focus on is the fact that the movie was "Batman & Robin" and it was easily the most forgettable Batmobile ever created, lacking all the heart and soul that makes a star car special - just as this new KITT suffers. Even the interior of KITT is bland, right down to the pathetic single computer touchscreen in the center console, way to suck the life out of Knight Rider, that crazy dash and all those buttons were so awesome back in the day, but it's all gone now. KITT's moving lightbars for when he talked? Replaced with a standard blobby line, the kind you could see in an old version of Windows Media Player and Sound Recorder. Glen Larson's legendary red sweeping scanner has been rendered boring here with a dull glow in the nose intakes which moves symmetrically.The morphing into battle mode is done through CGI, but it's incredibly dull, not remotely as inspired as either version on "Viper", here the car simply has little tiny blocks appear and build out the extra bits in an unconvincing manner. We also get a few looks at how the car deals with invulnerability through slow-mo shots of bullets impacting and then fixing, throwing out the previous Knight Rider tech that was far less complex and didn't create such a gaping plot device when the car's computer goes offline. The concept has been seen before in other projects, quite often really and with far more effective means, and to be honest this nanotech concept still reeks no matter where it's used.But the biggest issue with the car is it doesn't DO anything! Sure, it auto-drives in a few lackluster chase scenes, and KITT talks about all the satellite-tracking and computer mumbo jumbo he can do, but we really don't see it, and most of that cyber stuff is played out at this point. You know what KITT did really well back in the day? Turbo boost. KITT's aerial acrobatics that came 3/4ths into every episode were a huge source of entertainment. Ski mode on 2 wheels was good too. Showing the cool scanning going on, video conferencing with Bonnie in her sexy jumpsuit, grappling hooks & winches, voice projection, silent mode, oil jets, smoke screens, microwave jammer, auto-tinting windows, ejection seats, and more - nothing even remotely cool like that appears in this car, it does NOTHING. Hell, even the ridiculous final-season Super Pursuit Mode was better than this morphed Mustang of theirs. There's just nothing about this new KITT worth mention, it steals the "super" out of this supposed supercar.Ultimately, this is a bad TV movie on its own, and worse, an utter insult to KITT.
60 out of 93 people found the following review useful: Was this a product of the writer's strike?, 19 February 2008 Author: jp7570 from United States
I wanted to like this more than I did. Unfortunately, after viewing this "re-boot", it looked more like a 1-hour movie that was really, really stretched to fill a 2-hour slot. It really seemed like this was produced, then shelved until NBC started to run out of content. Was the now-settled writer's strike the only reason this got on the air?? Re-boots of old series have mixed results, but there have been some encouraging examples on both TV (the new Battlestar Galactica) and film (the new Bond). Story lines are more complex and characters are more developed. The new attempt at Knight Rider did not achieve this status.One thing that I found distracting – and maybe it's just me – was that with one exception, all the vehicles in the show were from the Ford family. This included Mustang, Focus, Edge, Taurus, even Volvo. I find that not only distracting (no road is full of one corporation's products), but also a not-so-thinly veiled attempt at a 2-hour Ford commercial. Only in the final chase sequence did the bad guys switch to a GM-type SUV (with the front grill badge removed).The "supercar" technology just didn't translate to 2008. And with all the advances, it still had the "cylon" front end with the sequential lights. I had hoped the writers would have taken the 1983 ideas and evolved them further than they did. In many ways, the new car was simply a supercomputer on a very fast platform.As far as the "bad guys" were concerned, their motivation just never seemed to be plausible. The "Blackriver" tie-in to Blackwater may have been an unnecessary jab by some Hollywood politico, but even if it was unintentional it detracted from the story. A good story line should not be topical, but deal with more timeless conflicts. The bad guys in this movie just didn't display the necessary motivation.On the positive side, the choice of outfit for Mike Traceur was a subtle nod to the old Michael Knight ensemble. Instead of the red shirt and a black leather jacket, it was a very dark red t-shirt with a dark jacket (maybe leather). Close, but not obvious.It was also nice to see David Hasselhoff, if only at the end. What spoiled it for me was the fact that he had a starring credit in the beginning of the program. That removed any sense of surprise. In fact, I watched the show waiting to see in what role he would show up in.***SPOILER***The Hoff shows up as, of course, Michael Knight, father of Mike Traceur. Possibly the least emotional meeting in history, at least in the way it was depicted. If the producers are determined to make this a series, it would make internal sense for the Hoff to have a recurring role, but now serving in the same function as the previous Devon Miles character. Heck, he might even see some action again.All in all, the new Knight Rider was like a visit from an old college friend. Nice to catch up again, but not something you want to make a regular part of your life. Unfortunately, this re-boot needs a re-boot.
27 out of 29 people found the following review useful: new show needs to be improved or don't air, 24 February 2008 Author: onecharg from Australia
Hi there, i just viewed the whole pilot. This is what i think and perhaps you might be thinking the same. Does the new Knight Rider 2008 have a few characteristics like the show "viper" with the transformations of different looks of the car? Also some scenes you can tell that it is not real when the car is driving on the main road and zoomed out. It actually doesn't look like a car but like a bubble just floating. Also at the end of the show when kitt is driven by the new guy "Mike" out of the plane... Com'on! that is not the best cgi i have seen. Watching the retro Knight Rider, every time kitt drove out of the Semi, it was filmed in real life, no background scene or prop for kitt. Stunts back then were real and you can sit back in your seat thinking man this is good stuff knowing or feeling that you are playing that role if your were a kid. Now kids are play a lot of video games and you cant fool them as you used to. Don't get me wrong... some retro Knight rider stunts had models in a lot of awkward jumps but i think i find that more realistic then cgi in this show. I've been watching Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles and that is more believable with computer generated scenes but watching Knight rider 2008. Also i kind of liked the new show, but the fighting scenes are not a match of the retro Knight rider fight scenes, the new show looks that the actors are too prepared for what is about to happen and don't really show enthusiasm. Maybe they might want to use some terminators in the show as watching the Terminator series when the robots are fighting and and throwing each other through walls and stuff, now that is something to watch. I don't mind Ford but not a very good idea. Isn't there a new Pontiac being made that is super hot? Even when the Trans AM was aired in the 80s there was no constant display of the Pontiac Logo. I agree... a ford commercial just too damn expensive i say. And kitt got damaged when he was offline. What is that all bout. The retro kitt was designed to withstand any punishment when offline. What are the chances of the car being offline and that would mean it is made vulnerable as a thief can break the glass and hop in and try to steal it... I'm not sure if they succeed as there is probably high tech computer system to bypass. But the car could then be picked up by a fork lift and sent to the compactor and crushed into a cube! The pilot of the retro Knight Rider had the Car jumping through a truck and explosions. Could this mustang fly with the potential weight it has or are the scenes all made in cgi?? And what about Ski Mode... i would be laughing to see if this mustang can drive on its side on two wheels!!! I thought it was just really poor story... I mean if this is the Knight Industries Three Thousand, how could it already have a hacker try to control kitt's system. That means every hacker would be having a field day knowing they can get kitt (mustang) and then selling the car on Ebay!!
27 out of 29 people found the following review useful: A watered-down KR, 24 February 2008 Author: autophile from United States
What made the original KR interesting was the car.1. The 3rd-gen Firebird was new, and hot. I watched it when I was a kid, and as we began to see 3rd-gen Firebirds on the road, we'd point at them. Look! It's KITT! What do we have now? A Mustang that's been out for years, with a few style points on. Not very interesting.2. The original KITT had a personality. The new one comes off like HAL. I have no emotions! I can't be happy! I just cannot see the new KITT asking to have the staple removed from his magazine centerfold -- remember that episode? 3. The watch was so much cooler. That headset was just way too big for advanced technology. This is a theme throughout the pilot: the technology shown was not as advanced, in comparison to the present, as the technology shown 25 years ago.4. We all knew the original was a commercial for the Firebird. But damnit, it was a *great* commercial. This one is just crass.Ford, you still suck. Hope you get bought out by Toyota.
27 out of 30 people found the following review useful: Very very very disappointing!!!, 22 February 2008 Author: diwid13 from United States
I grew up watching the original Knight Rider (hardcore fan or was) when i first saw the previews for the new Knight Rider I was very excited to see it air. Unfortunately, it stunk! The story made no sense to it's original. It seems like they just put everything together at the last minute to sell Fords. The plot sucks, I hope Glen Larson the creator of the original did not write the story for this crap... The technology was old; nothing new, I feel that the old K.I.T.T. was more advanced, it even had a shooting laser. The homo thing wasn't much of a bother its reality (Will & Grace, The L Word, Roseanne they all have homos) but the 2 girls with the star of the show was a weak attempt to sale the show on sex. I mean we always knew that Michael Knight was a playboy or lady's man but we never saw him in an orgy. The inventor story line or plot did not make sense it was a team of scientist that built K.I.T.T. which was funded by Wilton Knight who was a billionaire and what the hell happened to Devon the head of the F.L.A.G. foundation (you know the old man who had an accent and was always in a mansion, limo or airplane). For crying out loud the original had Michael Knight talking to his car from his wristwatch and now its done through a craping ear piece, my bluetooth ear piece for my cell phone looks more Hi tech. This show was sad! Who the hell wrote this CRAP? Who designed the new car (Were was Michael Sheffel the original designer for both K.I.T.T. and the Delorean for Back to the Future?) and its boring old antique tricks? I would have assembled a better story line free of charge. Did they even watch the original pilot or at least 5 episodes of the original show? It's sad to know that NBC would release this! Do they even have a creative department? Not to mention real actors. So Val Kilmer gained so much weight he is now the voice for K.I.T.T. WTF????? Once again they destroyed Knight RIder!!! Can they get the same people that put together Smallville to revive this show? Oh yea! And the Theme song was super lame... (where was Jan Hammer?) This won't air as a full complete season. AWFUL!!!-thisGUSthing
26 out of 29 people found the following review useful: Trash, 25 February 2008 Author: ghostdriver0908 from United States
This is pretty bad.Weak storyline and poor acting.Could they not get someone better for the new Michael? Kitt has the "cross-eyed" look with the red beam.No movement when KITT is struck from the side. Must be glued to the highway.Terrible.Val Kilmer is NOT a good voice for KITT.A Sunday night is a terrible thing to waste.I would like to have seen a Camaro instead of a Ford Mustang.I am surprised that "The Hoff" didn't have a drink in his hand at the end. (Mike, "I" am your father!!) The girl is a hottie, but needs to exit the car every once in a while and do something.It is so bad, that I'm actually trying to forget everything I can from the premiere.This series does not do justice to the original.
69 out of 115 people found the following review useful: Not A Great Return, 18 February 2008 Author: Prophet797 from Las Vegas
As a devoted fan of Knight Rider in the 80s and since I was excited to see it returning. Funny though how NBC and Universal made such a big deal about the return, when 23 years ago they canceled the show because it cost too much to make, despite good ratings (and a crappy last episode) However, this new film really is too much apart from what Knight Rider was. First off the show was about the car, I always saw KITT as the real star. But using the Mustang was a little too much. Nothing against Ford or the Mustang but KITT was a Trans-Am. The least they could of done was use the concept Camaro. I'm sure GM wasn't too thrilled with the new choice seeing as how the show basically sent Trans-Am sales through the roof back in 82.And the focus wasn't much on the car anyway. The story was too busy with a troubled "hero" and his former love, the latter's father just so happening to have designed KITT (though that strays from the orig. story as well) Plus this KITT should be a little more advanced. He gets damaged when turned off and uses gas? KITT was a more advanced car 25 years ago. Finally while Val Kilmer is a decent actor, he lacks the personality to do voice overs. William Daniels gave KITT a personality that just isn't there anymore.Other than the car the story and acting was rather flat. And the whole "Las Vegas Montecito" tie in was a little much. I gave this a 5 of 10 because I'm glad to see one of my favorite shows get a second chance all these years later. Aside from that as a fan I'm not pleased with the new direction.
28 out of 34 people found the following review useful: Didn't like it much. Weak., 18 February 2008 Author: (Nic_hse) from New York
The biggest flaw I didn't like was the main hero Mike Traceur played by Justin Bruening. His character is too young and immature. I can't believe they would trust this kid with a car like KITT. I mean really with all his bad habits (gambling, womanizing, immaturity) they couldn't find anyone else more qualified? It seemed to me they gave him the car only because he's related to Michael Knight. The show just isn't believable.The car is fine in IMO. OK I'm not a car fanatic so if the car looks cool it passes my test. The voice of KITT is good enough. The plot seemed too much like Dawson's Creek, Smallville or any other evening soap drama. It just didn't feel like Knight Rider should.Mike Traceur's fighting skills are too good. The fight scenes are laughable. No one can touch this guy. I don't care if he's an Army Ranger; he can and should take more of a beating than he did. I don't like heroes that are too strong and cocky or I root against them and the viewer shouldn't do that. At least Michael Knight was more likable. Traceur is an A-hole.I never really cared for any of the characters. Hasselhoff's cameo was OK but it didn't save the movie. I might watch the first episode to see if it improves but if it doesn't hook me in I'm gonna pass.Bottomline: The movie was weak.
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