Fearless

This movie is exactly the reason that people cringe when someone makes a movie out of a book. It's not that it's different from the book -- THAT I could have accepted. What is unacceptable is the incompetence with which the writer producers handled the material. Typical lowbrow Hollywood treatment of a very good book series. I was unfortunate enough to have wasted several hours of my life on this and I feel a need to ask for them back. Hollywood Hack garbage at its worst. The casting, the styling, all very low budget. Thumbs down and a 1 out of 10. Not only was the dialogue written as if by a fourth grader from a foreign country, but the casting was hyper-stylized to the point that it distracted from the story. And speaking of story, where was it? It look as if the writers just pulled a page out of Joseph Cambell and xeroxed it into their template -- with one very obvious omission -- HEART. You can write all the formula you want, but if it's just copied from better writers, you will always end up with rubbish. I am so irritated with the awful treatment of the original material that I find it hard to bring to words.

When i first saw the pilot i went in with an open mind. Having never read the books, I had no pre-conceived notion of what to expect.

Starting off with a short introduction by Gaia Moore (Cook) about herself and her life. How she was perfect for her job because she experienced none of the side effects that come with fear (i.e. vision impairment, shakes etc.) Except she's been assigned to LA where she is partnered with two other teen extreme hotties (Lawson and Balfour.) Gaia does not inform her partners of her "condition" and they are more than a little freaked when Gaia goes under cover to bring down a crime lord. Throw in Ian Somerhalder for sexual tension and you complete the Bruckheimer formula.

There was obvious money thrown into the pilot. Filmed in the trademark grainy green hues that CSI and Without a Trace made famous, and backed by an all star teen dream cast. But it just doesn't work. Everything seems 10x what it should be. The script puts in the extra effort to make sure that the show still has the feeling element, even though the one emotion drama and action relies on (fear), is not even experienced by the main character. This "push" ends up cranking everything else into overdrive and soon you are left with the feeling that you are reading a fifteen-year-olds diary/journal. That's if the fifteen-year-old were narrating the whole story from there perspective. Too much is put into looking cool and kicking butt than actual plot and character development, all other emotions seem over the top and silly. This formula works for the movies because it's a one shot deal, but a television series needs more structure. Which fearless lacks.

The pilot is obviously marketed towards teenagers. Perhaps Bruckheimer decided that it was time to dominate a new age group, having already seized control of the adult 18-45 bracket. Rumors are floating around that the WB will be picking this up for fall 2004. Here's hoping it has a better fate that "Tarzan."

I've read most of the "Fearless" books. (I know what you're all thinking. Francine Pascal?) They were really good. It'll be good to see in the show if the creators can bridge the gap from Gaia being 17 in the books, and 21 in the show. I wonder if they will bring The characters "Ed Fargo" and "Sam Moon" back. It also would be interesting to see them bring in "Heather Gannis", who was Gaia's rival in high school. One other thing was that in the books, Gaia was a blond. Unless Rachel Leigh Cook is going to dye her hair, it's a major difference.I heard that the WB was planning on picking the series up for it's Fall lineup. I think that would be a good thing. I just hope that the TV series is as good as the books.

I have read all of the Fearless books by Francine Pascal they are amazing. I think that first of all they should NOT have Rachael Leigh Cook because Gaia , anyone who as ever read the book knows, is blonde and it seems unimportant but trust me it is important. Also it would be more interesting starting from the first Fearless where Gaia is 17 you really learn to love her character and her friends But hopefully they know what they are doing.A suggestion for anyone who hasn't read Fearless--it is great read it its an amazing book you cant go wrong. And i hope they will carry all the aspects of Gaia's life into the movie--she really has an interesting story. (i really hope they start form when she is 17 ha ha i know i have said this but i really love the characters and story of when she is 17)

I have to say, I wish this show hadn't been cancelled. I've read all of the books and they're fantastic, and even though I had some large criticisms of the show, I think it had a lot of potential. If there's ever a re-launch, which I hope there will be at some point, they ought to base it strictly on the books, beginning to end. They could get about three seasons out of the Fearless/Fearless Super Editions, then Series Four could be like the Fearless FBI series. After that, they could move to where they are here with this pilot. It has so much potential. Rachel Leigh Cook is wrong to be Gaia - the models from the book covers would all suffice, and for some strange reason I think Julia Stiles would make a wonderful Gaia. I want this show back on air, but completely redone; possibly re-written for the screen by Francine Pascal, too. God, I'm demanding.