MacGyver spurred into action with emotional ammo
SO THE re-imagining of the 80’s classic TV series, MacGyver, is now on our screens with Lucas Till (X-Men) slipping into the skin of Angus “Mac” MacGyver, an agent with the Phoenix Foundation.
Having grown up on the original series, which was helmed by Richard Dean Anderson and his ducktail haircut, I was in two minds about watching the remake Having such fond memories of the series, I was concerned that it would taint my opinion of the new show.
Yes, comparisons are inevitable. But I’m glad to reveal that I took to the series like a duck to water.
Till’s Doogie Howser-esque look may work against him in the promo photos, but when you watch him in the show, you understand the casting director’s rationale.
He’s marvellous in his role. He has that quiet confidence, easygoing disposition and chameleon-like ability to blend in during covert operations.
Every hero needs a cause. And in the first episode, the writers give Mac some emotional ammunition to spur him into action. He is left grief-stricken by the loss of his girlfriend on a mission.
Several months later, Patricia Thornton (Sandrine Holt) gets him to clean up the mess in the aftermath of that failed mission, in which a biochemical weapon was stolen with the intent to sell it to the highest bidder.
This time Mac’s actions are partly fuelled by vengeance.
Unlike the original, this isn’t a one-man-saves-the-day series. MacGyver gets to be the hero, but he has a skilled team at his disposal.
Fans of CSI will remember George Eads. This time he is cast as MacGyver’s best friend and protector, Jack Dalton. He’s the muscle in the series. In terms of the action he contributes, think of him as a character from The Expendables movie. What he lacks for in tact, he makes up for with his tactical moves.
Then there’s the defiant but talented hacker, Riley Davis (Tristin Mays). She adds some sassiness to the storytelling, while Wilt Bozer (Justin Hires) channels his inner Chris Tucker to add some comic levity.
MacGyver’s trademark Swiss army knife and leather jacket get ample screen time.
There are shades of CSI: Cyber buried in this boy-scoutcum-genius-mind narrative, too. It’s a techno-savvy action drama.
Look, it isn’t a series about imaginative and suspenseful storytelling. It lives more in the realm of escapism á la Lethal Weapon.
MacGyver, M-Net (DStv channel 101), Fridays at 8.30pm.