Lee Reviews Human Target Pilot

Lee Reviews Human Target Pilot

Check out Lee's review of the premier episode of Human Target, based on the DC/Vertigo comic of the same name...

Review Opinion
By LEEE777 - Jan 18, 2010 10:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Human Target
Source: LEEE777




Created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino, and developed for television by Jonathan E. Steinberg. The show began airing on Fox yesterday and will have a regular time slot on Wednesdays. Review below, no spoilers here.

Just watched "human Target" last night, oh my. Thought it was very entertaining, not only did it entertain but it kept that comic book feel to it and it was very lightning-paced with explosions and stuff galore. The TV show simply is something us comic book fans have starved for, a weekly show thats going to deliver. Yes i know its early days but from what i saw in the pilot, if the rest of the season is like this, we are in for some wild ride!

Mark Valley perfect for Christopher Chance, he's like Bruce Willis of Die Hard's John McClane, The Mentalist's Patrick Jane and Michael C Hall's Dexter all rolled into an explosive one. Okay not Dexter character so much, but i have noticed he doesn't regard human life that much, just those he's hired to protect. This is very gritty, witty and has that eighties action feel to the thing, even though its set in our present time. It certainly has that action-packed blast hour we have all been waiting for, for sometime.

As we know it is a comic book show that is published by DC/Vertigo comics, it does change a few things like the chameleon thing, instead it goes more Chance posing as someone close to his client as an invisible body guard as such and waits for the killer to reveal himself before taking them down. I'm happy with the change. Sorta makes it more believable, after all i don't know how Joe public would react to a total comic book version on screen, with Chance not wearing spandex and all, its a nice change and keep the show more-or-less in reality based as much as you can with a show like this.

The cast is good and Jackie Earle Haley (Guerrero) is great as usual. A mystery rogue character who has a knack for getting information and pissing a lot of people off in the process. Where all these characters end up still remains to be seen, but they’ve been written to allow for plenty of room for much growth, but its only the first episode so we'll see a lot of things from all the characters past come up in future episodes. As for Mark Valley, hopefully this will boost up his stardom a notch, very good actor a tad small for Captain America i think but a lot of guys see him as so, i can see it too. Though probably not for long because he's so good as Chance that will soon wear off. He's incredibly intelligent, with an extraordinary insight, seemingly indestructible and could possibly be a bit unhinged, he does seem to have some kind of death wish. Chi McBride plays Winston and is Chance's handler which is great, i have never seen this guy act but was totally impressed with every line he had. He's like Chance's Chewbacca to Han Solo, Robin to Chance's Batman, well you get the picture. Chi McBride is the brains back at the office though, not sure he'll be in the firing line anytime soon though.

The show delivers what it advertises it is explosions, fight sequences, and good acting with witty banter with lots of shootouts. Overall excellent for a weekly TV show. Where it will go nobody knows but we do know it seems Chance will be on a different mission every week to protect so that'll keep things nice and fresh.

The premiere episode also starred Tricia Helfer (as a guest spot) from BSG fame, she was great in her part and i wont tell you what she played as its spoiler free for those not lucky enough yet to see it, but she was sexy as ever, okay i'll tell you, chase was hired to protect her by her husband. Also there is a really cool cameo at the end, which you may or not know depending on how many articles you have read but it put a big smile on my face.

Amazing first episode, little predictable it some parts but too action packed to care. Even if you have never read the comic book you will like or even love this. Give it a try, you may surprise yourself.


Rating 4 out of 5.


LEEE777 - I say bring it on, hopefully this will be big and we will see finally more comic book series hit the box, like more stuff from DC and other shows from Marvel and co, fingers crossed.


Related:

Fox Cancels Human Target

Recommended For You:

Human Target Wondercon Photo Gallery

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 10:37 AM
Yeah, this'll be my first and last review i think, be gentle! : P
Imran
Imran - 1/18/2010, 10:42 AM
Awesome review LEEE.. I really enjoyed it, glad you did too. Can't wait for the next episode.

For me, the only thing against Valley as Cap is his age.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 10:45 AM
Imran @ Yeah man, it is the age thing, if he was playing CAP today it'll gell but not a WWII CAP, pity, MARVEL should of got a CAP out years ago!!

Hey thanks man!!! ; D
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 1/18/2010, 10:49 AM
Great review LEEE! I was pissed I didn't get to see it so I need to track it down and watch it. It looks like a great show.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 11:19 AM
ECKS @ OZ @ Ya let me down!!!!

: P

Cheers dudes, download the suck or watch it online!

Forget waiting for a repeat, hell the second episode in on WEDNESDAY!!
Rodimus9
Rodimus9 - 1/18/2010, 11:21 AM
Good review. Thought it was good. I love DVR.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 1/18/2010, 11:21 AM
Nice Lee! I;ll watch online for deffo and let you know what I think.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 11:28 AM
ROR @ Cool lol, be nice! ; P

ROD @ Thanx man!!
Rodimus9
Rodimus9 - 1/18/2010, 11:32 AM
Speaking of DVR....i went to set to record Smallville and it shows some program for Haiti....WTF?
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 11:38 AM
GRIF @ Kudos dude!! Man glad you liked it man, i cant wait for the second episode all ready,m glad we dont hav'ta wait a week!

ROD @ Damn lol!
DogsOfWar
DogsOfWar - 1/18/2010, 12:21 PM
Good review LEEE. You have put out a lot of quality stuff with Human Target.

I do have a question for you though-You get so bent over X-Men: 1st Class that it needs to stick to source material and remind us of that every time yet Spidey is going to reboot and appears to be heading towards a closer rendition of the comic but you can't stand it. Now Human Target is out and doesn't really have much association to the comic other than title and that is okay by you.
SHHH
SHHH - 1/18/2010, 12:33 PM
Good review!! Loved the show!! It's a keeper! WEDNESDAY nite!!
SHHH
SHHH - 1/18/2010, 12:37 PM
Rodimus9@: Smallville gave thier spot to help out the folks in haiti with the earhquake..
Shaman
Shaman - 1/18/2010, 1:01 PM
Good job, LEEE ;)

Might check it out online some time.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 1:12 PM
DOGS @ HUMAN TARGET ain't a big character dude like SUPERMAN or BATMAN etc!!

Its only a little bit different, its not just the same title wtf lol???

And thanks lol!

SHHH @ HELL YEAH man!!

SHAMAN @ Cheers dude, plz do, you'll love it!!!
SHHH
SHHH - 1/18/2010, 1:17 PM
@SHAMAN: You better!! Check it out!!
DogsOfWar
DogsOfWar - 1/18/2010, 1:37 PM
@LEEE-I hear ya. Never read Human Target. Did he have the whole team behind him and as a business in the comic too?
jallanr
jallanr - 1/18/2010, 2:22 PM
Great review leee, and I have high hopes for this show after wut ive seen "did u just flip a coin!" hilarious! anywayz, they`re reshowing the premiere on tuesday, for anyone who wants to know. not sure wut time, but its on after idol, so whenever that ends

woo hoo!
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 1/18/2010, 4:12 PM
Nice job on writing the review, Lee. I don't feel the same way you do as far as how awesome the show was, but nice job regardless.

I found the show entertaining, but to be a typical bodyguard kind of show. I am a big Mark Valley fan and he does a nice job of playing the role, though I am not impressed with his fighting skills. It could be they want him to not look like the fluid and smooth fighter and more rough and klunky, but I have seen much better actors in fighting sequences on other tv shows.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 1/18/2010, 4:14 PM
I WATCHED IT AND LOVED LOVED IT, THAT'S CAPTAIN AMERICA.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 1/18/2010, 4:21 PM
Great review LEE - I'm off to watch this and 24 online now! :)
DogsOfWar
DogsOfWar - 1/18/2010, 4:27 PM
Ranger-thats what I liked about it. It wasn't some choreographed dance. It seemed fairly realistic. Since he's got a big head, he can take a punch
DDD
DDD - 1/18/2010, 4:45 PM
Leee@ great review! I loved this pilot!
Human target is pure adrenaline all the
way!

And then 24 was right after it with snipers,
deadly vicious hand-to-hand combat in a
stairwell with an axe and a helicopter
shot by hand-held missle and blown to
smithereens along with the occupants!

What an action-packed night of well-acted
and produced shows!

Human target is fantastic, especially in the
acting! The banter between the three leads
is well written and delivered with great
relish by Chi McBride, Jackie Earl and Valley!
Of course I expected as much with that
powerhouse line-up of thespians! But the
writing is snappy too!

Ranger14@ I didn't think the fight scene
between Chance and the assassin was bad! It
was one of the more realistic fights I've
seen on TV! Real hand-to-hand fighting is
not smooth and slick as is usually portrayed!
Its brutal and clunky even between trained
combatants! I thought the fight scene was
great!!!

Can't wait till Wednesday, Leee@!!!
Yeehaaawwww!!!!!!
lc
lc - 1/18/2010, 4:52 PM
well done babe i know you put alot of work on this
pitty you dont put half as much work on me lmfao joke
your the best hun x
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 1/18/2010, 5:16 PM
I am not familiar with the actual comic and source material, so I don't know what kind of skills Valley is suppose to show. I have probably made a judgment that he is supposed to be some uber-skilled bodyguard with slick skills and that would show in the fight scenes. A comparison I would draw is Christian Kane as Elliot in Leverage, he is simply bad ass and makes it look smooth and effortless. Valley looks more raw and not that much more skilled than the next trained guy, but manages to win over his opponent. I assumed that he would be more of the super-skilled bodyguard. I can appreciate the reality of it all if that is what they are going for as I used to work as a bodyguard back in my younger days.
CRITIC17
CRITIC17 - 1/18/2010, 5:28 PM
@LEEE: Great review bud!!!! I didn't get to catch it (its repeating tomorrow though... I'll watch it then), but I saw 24, FU*KING AMAZING!!!

@DDD: Man, 24 waas so AWESOME!!! When that guy took out the helicopter with the rocket launcher... AMAZING!!! Now tonight we get Renee Walker (nice...) back!!!! 24 is the BEST SHOW EVER!!!!!
DDD
DDD - 1/18/2010, 5:55 PM
You betcha Critic@! 24 is the best!!!!

Renee Walker can come and arrest me
anytime she likes!!! lol
DDD
DDD - 1/18/2010, 6:02 PM
Ranger14@ I used to work as a bodyguard and bouncer
back in my glory days too! Now I'm exhausted just watching
that fight scene with Chance and the Assassin!
lol

Real combats between martial artists, as you know, aren't
choreographed in the real world! I think they're going
for a real-world look in HUMAN TARGET! I for one
like it!
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 1/18/2010, 6:19 PM
I hear ya' triple D. It was exhausting and I give it that and I do understand the reality thing if that is what they are going for. In reality that fight scene wouldn't have drug out that long with some of the blows being landed. Some shows will have more fluid fight scenes that are over pretty quickly and this was like an MMA fight that was a long beating.

If that style is more true to the source, I definitely understand. Like I said, I just expected him to be a fine-tuned, exceptionally superior opponent, especially to his first adversary in the series. I need to check out the comics, so I have a better understanding. I just think the bodyguard TV series and movies are so overdone, I need to see more delivered as far as character development and how the show progresses before I jump on the bandwagon. I was entertained, but I still have shows that I like much better.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/18/2010, 6:41 PM
Ranger14 @ End of the day its still a comic book series even if its going the reality route lol, it cn still get away with stuff!!

Damn, i thought this would be buried under reviews, thank god for that lol!

Thanks @ GUYS!!! I was going to go into a bit of detail on the pilot but i knew a lot of you hav'nt got to see it, so didn't wanna spoil anything, you gotta watch it to see for yourselves!!

DDD @ Amen to that brother, heh heh.

CRITIC @ As much as i love 24 it don't touch HUMAN TARGET dude, TARGETS fresh man!! ; D

Thanx @ LC lol ; )

JALL @ Watch it dude, watch it!!! And cheers for tha info man!

DOGS @ Im sure CHI's character has been in the comics books, i could be wrong but don't think so, i'll hav'ta re-read a couple its been a few years!!

GUN @ Hell yeah dude!!

JOSH @ Hope you luv it man, i got well into it, enjoy!!!



NubaX
NubaX - 1/18/2010, 8:29 PM
Good Review Lee!!!

:D

And FYI...Chi has been in Hoodlum and I Robot just to name a few...

He's played Good and Bad Characters and is Excellent actor....

These three guys Valley, Jackie, and Chi being casted was a Brilliant Move which is why I already Knew this Series would end up being pretty Good cus these guys Ain't Cheap...LOL!

Which means that they we're prepared to spend some REAL money in making this Series as Action Packed as it is...

Looking Foward to the Next Episode...


H_T_Poster Pictures, Images and Photos
superdog
superdog - 1/18/2010, 8:30 PM
Great review lee77. I saw it and thought it was a great show..........which means it will probably be cancelled in 2 weeks :)
Duhdaduh
Duhdaduh - 1/18/2010, 9:02 PM
yeah i thought the show was really entertaining, good cast too. i totally agree with what ya said lee, this is one of those shows that (i, anyway) have been waiting for a long time

in the opening sequence when valley was trying to talk sense into the guy rigged up to the explosives, i could totally see him as cap, he had an experienced, insightful, good leader feel about him that i could so see in cap...
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 1/18/2010, 9:02 PM
SUPER LET US HOPE NAUGHT
jusme6
jusme6 - 1/18/2010, 9:08 PM
@Lee: Question--what happened to Sora's stuff? It all just disapeared and then this review came back up to the top. How did that happen?
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 1/18/2010, 9:17 PM
YA THAT HAND TO HAND WAS PRETTY SWEET.
CRITIC17
CRITIC17 - 1/19/2010, 4:28 AM
@DDD: You and me both man... Damn do they make her look hot...

@Superdog: LMAO!!!!!
superdog
superdog - 1/19/2010, 9:29 AM
24 looks great this year too
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 1/19/2010, 12:48 PM
NubaX @ Cheers man, an yeah i thought ive seen the dude somewhere, I ROBOT!! Thanks!

DOG @ Thanks man, hey don't say that, it might happen! : P

Jusme6 @ Im not sure what ya on about dude? I'll check it out!!?

TEA @ Your funny lol! ; D
1 2
View Recorder