17 and a half hours of tense action and atmosphere
Disadvantages:
Nothing ! It is perfect ! (Except maybe some more extras would be nice . . . )
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I first heard about 24 in a DVD review in a magazine. They said it was the best Drama they had ever witnessed! It was some time later that Season 2 started on TV. Remembering the review I thought to myself that I will give it a go! After 40 minutes of staring at the Tele with wide eyes and adrenaline pumping through my veins I was hooked! I watched the second episode the next week and it was the greatest 40 minutes of my life! Wow this is good! Unfortunately I missed the next episode, Nooooooooo!!!!! So to fulfil my cravings I went out and bought Season 1 on DVD. It took me 3 days to watch, that's 5 and a half hours a day! I was so addicted that I could not keep myself from watching as much as I could in one go.
Structure ----------------------------------- 24 has a unique structure that really defines the series from everything else. The series consists of 24 episodes each representing 1 hour in real time. There is a digital clock with a high-tech ticking that appears constantly so you can see what the time is in the programme. This is very important as important times are often mentioned. Normally when the clock appears the screen divides into several frames, each frame showing the main characters simultaneously. The actual length of each episode is about 42 minutes. There are certain points in 24 where nothing especially important is happening (Maybe a car journey) and so gaps are created. You are always aware of this as the Clock shows how far time has skipped. The start and finish of each episode links together and so the whole series covers 24 hours. The series is actually divided into two sections, 12 hours each, with the new section taking a different path on the situation.
Plot --------------------------------------- 24 starts at 0:00 on the day of the California Presidential Primary. Jack Bauer is the Head of CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit) of Los Angeles and finds out that there is going to be an assassination attempt on Senator Palmer. Palmer is the first black Senator with a chance of becoming President. Jacks daughter, Kimberley Bauer, sneaks out of the house and meets up with her friends and two boys. While working at CTU Jack is also trying to find his missing daughter, abusing the resources at CTU to do so. There are suspicions that somebody at CTU could be working against them and it is a race against the clock to find the perpetrators. Senator Palmer is having his own troubles with news that his son is under suspicion of murder!
Jack Bauer receives a phone call, he is told that he must follow orders or his daughter will be killed... He now has to make a choice, his daughter's life or Palmer's...?!
The key to the series is that it is so addictive! Each hour is packed full of action and plot twists and suspense. Every episode ends on a cliff hanger keeping you in total anticipation and thriving to see the outcome.
Making 24 -------------------------------- The way 24 is written is quite unusual. There is a team of writers that sit around a table and discuss ideas etc. I know what you are thinking, that's not unusual at all! But they are actually only about 3 or 4 episodes ahead of filming. So that means that while filming, say episode 7, the Directors and producers etc., only know the story up to episode 11 because the rest hasn't been written yet! This gives the Directors more freedom and opportunities to change the way the episode progresses. It might seem as though it wouldn't work very well, but I think the quality of the episodes proves otherwise...
Cast ----------------------------- Jack Bauer - Keifer Sutherland Keifer won an award for best actor for his outstanding performance throughout the entire series! Jack is the Head of CTU and he used to perform covert operations. He is having trouble with his marriage and relationship with his daughter. He is the best agent CTU has to offer as he excels in his ability to use weapons and lead tactical situations
Teri Bauer - Leslie Hope Teri isn't the sort of woman that you would see Jack with. She is having trouble due to his job and the danger and hours that it holds. Teri goes looking for her daughter as soon as she finds out where she has gone.
Kimberley Bauer - Elisha Cuthbert Kim is upset with her parents for splitting up for a short period and wants them to live happily. She sneaks out at the start of 24 to show that she is rebelling, like most teenagers do.
Senator Palmer - Dennis Haysbert Palmer is the only black Senator with a chance at the Presidency. He is having family problems just as the California Primary nears. He then finds out that an attempt at his life may be executed...
Tony Almeida - Carlos Bernard Tony is very jealous of Jack, even more so at the fact that Nina and Jack had an affair recently. His heart is in the job but he will do whatever it takes to make sure Jack is playing fair.
Nina Myers - Sarah Clarke Nina is Jack's closest work colleague. They had an affair recently and there is still a connection between them. Nina heads up CTU tactical when Jack is in the field.
Special Guests There are several special guests, some of which are in more than one episode. One of these includes Dennis Hopper
Extras ------------------------------------ Alternative ending - as it says, it is a short version of another ending that they were thinking about. I won't ruin it so I will leave it at that!
Season 2 preview - A short preview of the second season, which some say is better than the first..... You can be the judge ; )
Overall: 100% ------------------------------------- What can I say, except that this quite possibly the best 24 hours of YOUR life! (Well 17 and a half) From the very first episode you will be hooked by the exceptional plot and fantastic action and twists! Keifer Sutherland plays the part like it was made for him! The only flaw really is the time it sometimes takes each character to get to a new destination. Sometimes its super fast other times seems to take ages. It isn't a major flaw if you keep an open mind, after all, it would be quite boring watching Jack Bauer sitting in his car for half an hour...! Ok so the extras are a poor show, but at the end of the day that's not what matters. Season 2 has some great extras which make up for it.
24 will set you back about £30 nowadays, but you can buy box sets containing multiple seasons!
More details
Soundtrack
Outstanding
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Outstanding
Value for Money
Excellent
What format are you reviewing?
DVD
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24 : Complete Season 1
Such a simple idea--yet so fiendishly complex in the execution. 24, as surely everyone
... more
knows by now, is a thriller that takes place over 24 hours, midnight to midnight, in 24 one-hour episodes (well, 45-minute episodes if you extract the ad breaks). Ev...
24 : Complete Season 1
Such a simple idea--yet so fiendishly complex in the execution.24, as surely everyone
... more
knows by now, is a thriller that takes place over 24 hours, midnight to midnight, in 24 one-hour episodes (well, 45-minute episodes if you extract the ad breaks). Eve...
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