Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Knight Rider: An Icon Reborn

It's difficult, but not impossible to go and look at those 20-25 year old episodes of Knight Rider and not cringe. Sure you enjoyed them when you were like 9 years old, but they've most certainly dated now where all you can do is laugh at The Hoff's hair and hope to got that you're not watching the episode where they allow him to sing and reveal his "talent" to the world, or at least all of Germany.

The NBC President Ben Silverman was so impressed by the success of the Transformers movie last summer that he decided to revive Knight Rider. The result so far is a 90 minute TV movie that is designed to serve as a pilot for a new version of the popular show.

The good news is that there does seem to have been enough bucks thrown in and some good casting decisions as opposed to a bog - standard TV - movie - of - the - week that Sci-Fi are so fond of producing elsewhere. It looks very polished especially for something that had a character's voice entirely replaced with another actor's in the past two weeks. Val Kilmer signed on at the voice of KITT only a fortnight ago apparently because the originally recorded actor Will Arnett is under contract with GMC, so they didn't want him becoming the iconic voice of a Ford car.

And what a car it is; It's safe to say that this car shits on the fibreglass looking death trap that was the original KITT. The new Knight Industries Three Thousand is a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR. The only thing that outwardly relates this car with it's predecessor is the glowing red cylon-esque scanner in front that indicates KITT is active. The abilities of the car would not have even been conceived in the time of the original Knight Rider: a 550 horsepower solar hybrid engine, Real-time Military satellite access with high-speed internet data transfer and two amazing abilities that I'm not going to spoil here there's so awesome but that no doubt ate through the special effects budget faster than you can say "audacious computer generated imagery."

It's not all about the car though. It needs a driver; And in this generation it comes in the form of a bitter former Army Ranger, Mike Traceur (Justin Bruening) (above left) who happens to be the son of; yes you guessed it: Michael Knight! Anyway, without giving the not too shabby plot away; Traceur eventually teams up with KITT's creator Charles Graiman (Bruce Davison) who intends reviving The Foundation For Law and Government, Graiman's daughter Sarah (Deanna Russo), his roommate Dylan Fass (Wayne Kasserman) and supported by a hot lesbian FBI agent Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier). David Hasselhoff himself (right) even turns up briefly to pass on the torch to his estranged "son" with a promise that he'll see him again.

All in all this could be a bigger, better version of Knight Rider which not so much hope for me, but hope it'll be popular for a new generation of 9 year olds so that they too can "enter the world of a man who does not exist". (OK and for me too, I wanna see more dammit!).

Footnote:
The only true sad thing now to look forward to (if this show is produced) is that you'll have millions of boy-racers outfitting their Honda's with a cheap KITT scanner light knock-off - classy!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aw, crap. I am really disappointed with Val Kilmer. Every time he talks, it's such a downer. Will Arnett is so sharp and funny, and the car is so shiny and pretty. It would have been glorious!

The references to Blackwater were a little freaky.

Anonymous said...

Lt. Colonel, you're from the north side Baoy! It's Calssy with a K! Klassy LIKE! or PURE KLASS FIEN! Fit Out the Motor like the Nite Rider Boy!

Declan said...

Hmm, does this mean all those silly skangers are going to be sticking christmas lights to the front of their cars again?

Anonymous said...

Have you already met the vehicular glory that is rims and undermounted colored neon type lighting? License plate mounts made of industrial chain?

Forget the Christmas lights - it'll be aftermarket spoilers and rub on window tinting.

Unknown said...

My fav scene from Knight Rider is where he is test driving an armoured limousine through a firing range with explosions going off everywhere and bullets bouncing off the car, With the windows rolled down!

Anonymous said...

What a minute Pints, the Lt.Col is a Norrie?!, does the Marine corps know?

Major General Creedon said...

Ha! When the Corps found out I was a genuine Norrie I was allowed to skip most of basic as I already knew more than the DI's about being as tough as nails :D

Anonymous said...

Overseer: The Colonel is worst than just a Norrie, He's a Norrie/Presboy, so he can switch to the posh accent to lul his victims into a false sense of security before he takes them out. There are a few of us with that ability in the Northside.

Anonymous said...

Pints, are you telling me you're a norrie/presboy as well?, I am so glad I turned down your earlier advances!.

Anonymous said...

Overseer: Keep Dreaming Little Boy! Yes i'm a norrie, but Gender is Female as you should know by now, so that's even worse. I love it when you air your "little" fantasies... or so i'm told.... :-) you stand no chance.

Anonymous said...

Pints, No amount of dimensional attacks on my person can undo the cruel injury geography dealt you, by making you a norrie. Deal with it, move on, I have and so should you. Tomorrow will be a better day.

P.S. I forgive you from the moral high ground. ;)

Anonymous said...

The Moral High Ground, is the top of Knocknaheeney so is it???

Anonymous said...

Montesnotty actually ;)

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