Talk about awful!
How can we possibly debate the notion that Hollywood has run out of ideas when CBS reboots a show that wasn’t all that old to begin with?
The thing is, the pilot’s opening sequence is quite good. A mishmash of Mission Impossible and Alias, we get a fun heist with all the requisite spy hijinks that go along with it. But afterwards? It’s all downhill from there with clunky dialogue, wooden performances, and cheap CGI-infused action set pieces. It’s borderline unwatchable!
MacGyver is also the perfect example of casting gone wrong. Lucas Till might very well be a terrific performer, but it’s almost impossible to buy such a young actor as someone with a whole lot of adventures under his belt. It almost feels like a high school reenactment of the MacGyver mythos, and that’s just not okay. It also doesn’t help that he’s saddled with one of the worst voiceovers of all time (do we really need our title character narrating every single thing he’s doing?). Major fail.
The show tries to salvage what it can with some funky stylistic choices: the opening credits are short and sweet, and the words appear on screen every time MagGyver picks up a different item to use. But these small touches aren’t enough when you’ve got a character throwing his gun from a helicopter down the roof of a truck (yes it’s as idiotic as its sounds), and CGI parachutes and explosions (that last one was downright blinding).
The pilot’s one saving grace? CSI‘s George Eads as MacGyver’s backup muscle Jack Dalton. He tries as much as he can, and he’s certainly got charisma, but it’s all for naught. And the less said about Revolution‘s Tracy Spiridakos the better – she’s completely and utterly wasted in her guest-starring turn. Ugh.
Conclusion
An atrocious remake in every way. There’s nothing to recommend here people!
Nad Rating
D-