11.00 That '70s Show
07.00 The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman
09.00 If Tomorrow Comes
That '70s Show. Season 6, Episode 8. "I'm A Boy" Yet again it's a story where Eric messes up and Donna is mad. But he learns his lesson, apologises and all is well by the very end. It shouldn't work. But it does. Partly because it's very funny, and partly because Topher Grace and Laura Prepon sell the relationship.
The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman. "Bionic Showdown" Better than the first reunion, but still of a much lower quality than the television series from the 1970s.
This time we get more of a story, better new characters and better acting. The story, however, is pretty bland and predictable, the new characters are often likable but take screen time away from Steve and Jaime (who are the ones we want to see), and the acting (while good) tends to be a bit over the top in places.
Steve is in charge of security for the World Unity Games, but an attack from a mysterious bionic person means that all bionic people are under suspicion. Oscar fights his superiors on this (and other stuff) and ends up resigning. Pretty soon he's been contacted by the bad guys. Gosh, I wonder is Oscar going to turn traitor and defect? Hmm....
Meanwhile, the OSI has created a new Bionic Woman and she's been partnered with Oscar's nephew.
During the story many things that happen that don't make a lot of sense. For example Steve is detained and questioned, even though he was on-hand to fight the mysterious bionic person. What's that about?
At the end of the story, we learn that a lot of what happened was part of a giant plan put in place by Oscar. However, looking back with that information only adds to the confusion. Now, instead of "what's that about?" questions, there are lots of "if this was all a fake plan, then why did they do this?" questions. Sigh.
In terms of characters I like the new Bionic Woman a lot. Had she been set up in a series of her own, I would have liked it. Kate is a nice person and she's delighted with her new bionics. There's none of that annoying angst we've seen in the past. It's fine at first, but by the time we got to whiny Michael Austin it had grown tiresome. Here, at last, is a well-adjusted person who instantly thinks that being bionic is fun and opens up a new world to her. Unlike Michael Austin (a character I really hated) she's not inept and manages - at the very end - to be the one to kill the baddie.
Acting-wise, this movie has a lot of good performances, something that instantly lifts it about the dreadful first movie. Sandra Bullock is wonderful in scene after scene. She completely sells everything that is asked of her and I loved all her scenes. Her chemistry with everyone is wonderful. Particularly Martin E. Brooks and Jeff Yagher. I think you could put Bullock in a scene with a telephone book and she would have chemistry with it!
But hers is not the only great performance. Richard Anderson gives another one of those great turns he occasionally did on the original shows. Sadly, in hindsight, a lot of what he says and does fails to make much sense (like the bar scene, for example, where he gets drunk and tells everyone in the place about bionics) but it's still riveting to watch. Robert Lansing (always one of my favourite performers) has many great scenes and genre-regular Geraint Wyn Davies does lots of good work as the baddie of the piece. Geraint Wyn Davies has an impressive resumé: he's been a vampire cop, a bionic bad guy and he's flown Airwolf! He's also been in a gun battle alongside Jack Bauer. All told, he may be the coolest person on planet earth.
That's just a joke.
Lee Majors is the coolest person on planet earth and he's pretty great in this movie. Without all the awful scenes with his dopey son, Steve is acting more like himself but he tends to get sidelined a little bit, with most of the action going to Oscar and Kate.
It's got flaws/problems but - unlike movie #1 - this wasn't a complete torture to watch.
If Tomorrow Comes. Episode 1. A solid story, great characters/casting and a fast pace make this one of the best ever mini-series from the 1980s.
The narrative is devoted to two characters: Tracy and Jeff. Tracey's story drives the tale. She starts off sweet and innocent, about to marry into a rich family (who don't like her) and pregnant with her fiance's child. Things rapidly go wrong for Tracy. Swindled out of the family business, her mother commits suicide and leaves her daughter with nothing. Tracy confronts the one responsible but a scuffle ensues and she's finds herself framed for attempted murder and theft. Her lawyer misleads her (he's part of the frame) and she finds herself in prison and disowned by her fiance. Pretty soon she's lost the baby and her life is in considerable danger. So Tracy starts to fight back: she sets about breaking out, and setting up a plan to get revenge on all those that set her up...
While all of this is happening, we occasionally visit with a guy called Jeff that Tracy met briefly. Jeff's a con-man who finds love with a wealthy woman and gives up his life of crime, but all is not what it seems. Soon, his heart is broken and he uses his skills to get revenge on the rich set who have never accepted him.
Madolyn Smith is a fantastic lead. She's brings strength and vulnerability to the role of Tracy. When Tracy is battered down by all those around her you feel like throwing your arms around her to protect her, because it seems as if she'll never be able to survive. But as soon as she starts fighting back, there is no problem accepting it and cheering for her.
Smith is not the only example of great casting. Tom Berenger manages the same double act of strength and vulnerability. He starts off as a tough guy, running cons and very much in charge of his world. Yet, cupid's arrow changes him and Berenger sells the new Jeff with conviction. This Jeff is an honest man. Very much in love with his lovely wife, and without any interest in breaking the law. Susan Hess is perfectly cast has his lover/wife. Their chemistry lights up the screen.
It's a simplistic story, with huge leaps in logic, but it moves very fast and it's an example of perfect escapist entertainment. If you are stopping to wonder too much about the logistics of Tracy's escape plan or the ease with which he cons the evil-doers at the very end then you have missing the point of what this is all about. A fast pace and flawless casting tell you what this is about: a fairy tale of revenge being sweet, an underdog finding the strength within herself to rise up and overcome the evil people who have ruined her life. The point is to care about her, worry about her, cheer her on and celebrate when she wins.
By the end of this three-hour opener, she has done just that and launched herself into a life of crime as cat burglar. Part One ends on a quick cliff-hanger...
Can't wait for Part Two...
Highlight? If Tomorrow Comes (Madolyn Smith)
Yet Another TV Review Podcast
Yet Another TV Review Book
Yet Another Film Review Blog
A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago
Wed, Dec 31, 08 - That '70s Show, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, If Tomorrow Comes
