Reviews

The premier/pilot episode of 'Leverage' fulfilled the standard requirements of all pilots: Introduce the characters, show concept and storyline parameters and try to squeeze in a decent dramatic plot line amidst all the necessary exposition. For the most part, they pulled it off. I think the characters, like all new show's characters, will settle into their more-defined personalities and the interaction between characters will become smoother and more integrated. Five episodes into the series will show the true direction of the show.

Basically, it is just a rehash of the excellent British-made 'Hu$tle', a show that seemed to have a little more humor and style than this effort.

This is a pretty good movie, I'll admit that. I like Nicole Kidman, and Alec Baldwin is really just superb in a role like this.

The only problem I have with this movie is that it is a complete rip-off of a TV-movie made in 1990 called "The Operation", starring Lisa Hartman and Joe Penny in the Kidman and Baldwin roles respectively.

Typically, the move from low-budget TV-movie to Hollywood blockbuster has brought the expected revisions and 'beefing up' of the script. Everything added was extraneous and served no real purpose.

"The Operation" was actually a far better movie than this one, even if it was done on a movie-of-the-week budget. Watch it, and I think you'll agree.

In reference to the comments made by "triciapurvis". Apparently you are getting this show confused with a different show that came out years later.

Joanna Cassiday starred with Mark Harmon and John Bennett Perry in "240:Robert", and action-show quite similar to "Emergency!" that ran from 1979 through 1980. There were a couple of episodes where a chopper figured prominently in this show with Ms. Cassiday involved in the chopper, so maybe that is the source of your confusion.

"Chopper One" most definitely did NOT have Joanna Cassiday in it, nor was there a third person starring as one of the chopper pilots in the show.

At any rate, for fans of these type shows, they were both somewhat enjoyable.

This movie could have been great, but it just sucked! How Brian DePalma ever achieved such a stellar reputation is beyond me. Sure, he has directed a few good or even a couple great movies, but that is in spite of his directing, not because of it. His good ones survive because of the excellent screenplays and actors involved.

This movie is so completely full of ignorant, expository dialouge that it is beyond what even a first year film student would try to pass off as a screenplay. In a room full of experts such as the astronauts in this movie, why are these characters constantly explaining every little detail of what they should already know to each other? To educate the audience to the info necessary for that scene to work, obviously. But good writing disguises exposition with insinuations and knowing little tidbits of information. Bad writing bludgeons the film-viewer with stupid "on the nose" dialouge that seems to go on forever. Real people just do not talk that way.

Even worse, the motivations of the characters would make fundamental, unlikely, illogical and all-too-convenient changes, clearly engineered to move the plot along. A stiff and unrealistic unfolding of the storyline makes for a set of characters and story arcs that rings false every step of the way.

The level of sophistication, scientific accuracy and detail alluded to by the visual look of the film is betrayed by a complete absence of even the most rudimentary safety or precautionary procedures. These morons could not have gotten a rocket to lift off the ground without killing them and everybody at mission control, let alone make a journey like this to Mars!

Romantic self-sacrifice (Woody), imbecile level problem solving abilities (Woody's wife), emotional instability (Jerry O'Connel's character), a severe lack of decision-making ability (the mission 'boss')and all the other actions of the characters do not make for a stable group of scientists or astronauts. And worst of all? Why was Gary Sinise wearing so much freakin' eye makeup? Just terrible...

The 'Coyote' was a kit-car for the pilot and first two seasons. It was in actuality a 'Manta Montage', a fairly popular kit car available at the time. There were a couple of minor body modifications to disguise it, but it is plain to see what it really is.

It was powered by the new-at-the-time Chevy 2.8L V-6, which was a fairly sophisticated engine for it's time. This is the same engine that came in the Chevy Citation X-11.

Brian Kieth, being as overweight as he was, clearly found it next to impossible to climb in and out of the Coyote easily and the scenes were filmed in such a way that this was not emphasized.

The last season of the show, a 'DeLorean' DMC-12, the infamous stainless-steel, gull-winged sports car from John DeLorean was heavily modified to resemble the original coyote as close as possible. The heavy gull-wing doors were removed completely, and lots of fiberglass bodywork was created to disguise the fact that this was a completely different, much larger car. Mr. Kieth could more easily get in and out of it, so that was one big reason they switched.

Side by Side, the differences between the original 'Coyote' and the DeLorean-based model were clearly obvious, and when the show used existing footage of the original Coyote interspersed with newer footage of the DeLorean-based model, the continuity of the episode was shot all to hell!

The poster above mentioned that he thought the car was really a Porsche 917 race car. Not quite, but on the right track: The original car used for the Coyote, a 'Manta Montage' was a replica of sorts of the Porsche 917, although nowhere even close to the Porsche in terms of performance.

The chemistry between Ed O'Niel as 'Dutch' and Ethan Randall as 'Doyle' is excellent. It makes the movie work, whereas other lesser talents would have produced a ho-hum movie. The excellence is not always found in the script, and these two actors bring a mediocre script up to the level of excellent. The young actor 'Ethan Randall' that played Doyle is in reality none other than 'Ethan Embry', the actor who played 'Frank Smith' on the circa-2003 version of 'L.A. Dragnet', costarring with Ed O'Niel once again!

Unfortunately, Ethan Embry was replaced in the second season of 'Dragnet' by an entire roster of new (and boring) actors...including the yet-to-be-desperate housewife Eva Longoria!

Those two work well together.

OK, it seems everybody here is blasting this show for it's cheesy tissue-thin plots, mediocre acting and repetitive stunts.

So what? You have to recognize this for what it is: A clear modern-day retelling of that most famous of all western TV series...the 'Lone Ranger'!

That's right, in case you are one of the few to have watched this show and not figured that out right away, its the 'Lone Ranger' all over again.

Star Lorenzo Lamas as the title-character 'Reno Raines' is even an ex Army Ranger!

Instead of being ambushed by Butch Cavendish and being the 'lone' survivor of his Texas Ranger team, forever hunted by Cavendish as he goes about his business looking to bring the nasty Cavendish to justice, good-guy cop Reno Raines' wife (girlfriend?) is murdered by Dutch Dixon, and evil cop who was not successful in trying to kill Reno and everyone he loved.

And just as the 'Lone Ranger' had his trusty Indian side-kick 'Tonto', Reno also pals around with his trusty Indian side-kick 'Bobby Sixkiller'.

Whereas John Ried (The Lone Ranger) had as his faithful steed 'Silver', his powerful huge white horse, Reno too travels through the 'Badlands' on his trusted 'Steel Horse', an '89 Harley Davidson 'Soft Tail', mildly customized with a classic and typical flamed paint job on the tank, and a weathered,well used look about it. No shiny, pristine 'boulevard cruiser' this bike!

In fact, not only was the Bon Jovi mega-hit 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' the inspiration for this show, the original 3-minute film used to sell the series to prospective syndication customers across the nation was accompanied by the complete song as it's soundtrack. Clearly, it worked well, and captured the spirit of the intended series perfectly, for the resultant series is remarkably unchanged from the 'short' that sold it.

Lamas' wife (at the time) Kathleen Kinmont was added to the cast as Sixkillers Caucasian half-sister, not a bad eye-candy diversion for those who appreciate such things.

As corny and simplistic as the show was, it is clear everyone involved had a true affection for the project and turned in serious performances of clearly light-weight and silly material. This only tends to add to its already somewhat charming appeal.

Lamas so closely fit the role of 'Reno', that if he truly was not exactly that character in his real life, he obviously had some real fantasies of being that character. He fit the role like a glove.

Remember, its not a documentary. Just enjoy it for what it is: An hour-long diversion with a cool bike, a couple other cool cars, some good-looking heroic people doing heroic things, and a clear 'good vs evil' plot line.

Enjoy!