MacGyver

This was such a heartbreaking disappointment. This young dude uses guns! MacGyver HATES guns! And they don't explain ANY of the science like they did in the original series.

This is NOT a reboot. This is just another junkie show stealing the creds from a former hit. Blah.

Retreads seem to be the "thing to do" as of late. Studio's who seem to be out of ideas, visiting the past for inspiration.

Sad fact is, most of the retreads are "second rate" and MacGyver is no exception. The word that another reviewer used to describe this retread is the same one I would choose, "tiresome".

The original MacGyver worked because it had a fresh and different message. That science "not" violence can be used to peacefully resolve threatening situations. The original Macyver was very much an anti war figure.

By contrast, the retread MacGyver, is a poster boy for "mainstream" values, including, the US military. He's also smug, over confident, a womanizer and frankly, a throughly unlikable jerk. Its tiresome stuff, that in many ways is the complete anti-thesis of the original series. There's no sense of hope and inspiration, as found in Richard Dean Anderson's character.

All in all, a BORE FEST. If you have not seen MacGyver before, my advice, take a look at the original series, it wont disappoint. Two out of ten from me.

When I was a teenager, the original "MacGyver" was one of my favorite TV series. So you may think that when I first heard they were rebooting the series I was pumped. Actually, my first thought was, "Uh... I'm not sure about this." That's because I have found reboots and remakes overwhelmingly are greatly inferior to the originals. But when I found that key people from the original series (like series creator Lee David Zlotoff and executive producer Henry Winkler) were returning, a little hope sprung in me.

Well, I watched the pilot episode. I admit it wasn't without merit; the action and stuntwork was fairly well done. But for the most part, I was very disappointed with what I watched. I could make a list of a number of things of what I didn't like about what I saw, but I'll stick with the two biggest beefs I had:

(1) In the original series, MacGyver was a very likable guy. He was smart, but he always remained humble with his abilities to make gizmos and get out of tight situations. However, in this remake, MacGyver is a real turn-off for the most part. His annoying narration and his brash attitude in almost every situation makes him an irritating braggart. There is precious little warmth and humanity in this guy. I don't really blame the actor playing this new MacGyver for this - he is playing MacGyver as dictated by the script and the direction, and when he's given a quieter moment he does come off in an okay fashion. But as I said, the direction and writing for the most part do him no favors.

(2) In the original series, when MacGyver got to work making a homemade gizmo or thinking out of a bad situation, the show took the time for him to go step by step with this. This technique built some compelling mystery, making viewers think while this was going on, "What is MacGyver pulling off?" Then when MacGyver pulled it off, it was a satisfying payoff. In this reboot, however, MacGyver pulls off his gizmos and escapes from bad situations in just a few seconds! No suspense, no mystery, no interest.

Look, I understand that a good reboot (if there is such a thing) will put its own spin on things. But at the same time, you should not destroy the core of the concept that made the original popular in the first place. This is the main flaw of this reboot.

It's possible that things will improve in the next few episodes. More than one TV show has improved over time. So I will watch the next few episodes. Though I'm not getting my hopes up too much.

I used to watch the original series back in the 80s so it is unavoidable to compare that series with its 2016 reboot.

80s Macgyver was a secret agent with a difference! He was quiet, modest, mild mannered, deeply principled and refused to carry a gun on his missions.

2016's MacGyver is more like a caricature of 007 and Mission Impossible.

The pilot episode starts ridiculously: "Here's my assistant Nikki. She has 156 science awards from MIT and NASA. 50 companies including Google, Apple, SpaceX, Samsung and PepsiCo offered her a gazillion dollars to work for them but she refused, so to work for $200/week in my secret organization. Did I mention she is 25 y.o. and smokin' hot? Oh, Yes she is! and I bone her over some fake computers we have in this series as props!".

"And here is my other friend Johnny Rambo. He saved my life in Algeria, Angola, Liberia, Djibouti, Burundi, Malaysia, Bangladesh but please...please DO NOT talk to him about that time in Cairo."

"And this other smoking hot woman, tall and exotic and super-duper top secret spy, that you never heard of, is my ...boss".

"And who am I, you ask? Well, most certainly I'M NOT Angus Macgyver."

Honestly, I can't believe the writers. Are they idiots? Have they ever saw the original series?

And what about the Cast. I'm thinking of the charismatic Richard Dean Anderson with nostalgia right now.

Overall: A totally generic sub-par TV series for its own shake, but a total disgrace for baring the name of one of the most iconic heroes on TV.

Angus MacGuyver is one of the most beloved TV characters from the 1980s. This is not the prequel that devoted fans were hoping to see.

It appears that no one connected with the new version has ever seen the classic programs - they totally ignore the established characters. They totally ignore all the endearing quirks that made us want to watch the series.

Sadly, no matter how much he tries, Lucas Til is simply NOT a young Richard Dean Anderson. He is far too bland and lacking in personality to play this character.

The plot of the pilot seemed very "recycled".Nothing was new. Nothing was innovative.