K 2000 - La nouvelle arme

I watched this film on Netflix out of curiosity. If you enjoyed the 1980s "Knight Rider" series as I have, you will be disappointed by this low quality movie.

The plot follows an illegal arms trade being organized in the "near future" (the year 2000) by corrupt police and government officials, with Michael Knight coming out of retirement and being helped by new protagonists at the Foundation.

The film lacks a lot of what made the original TV series so memorable. There is no black Pontiac, as KITT was sold for scrap and had to be rebuilt. There is no Bonnie, the attractive and intelligent female mechanic who was in most of the series. There is no campy action or offbeat humor, the story is much slower-paced than the typical TV episode. And the beloved theme song is absent.

There's also a lot of discontinuity. Now Michael Knight is a genius with electronics, something that was never the case before. Now KITT uses profanity and throws temper tantrums, both of which were foreign to the original series. To say nothing of the fact that somehow Devon and Knight have both aged very little, even though the story is set 15 years AFTER the series ended (5 years in real life).

That said, its not without its interesting points. It is interesting to see some of the future predictions they had at the time. It is interesting to see the direction that "Knight Rider" went in post-TV series. As someone who just finished watching "Stargate SG-1" on Netflix, it was interesting to see a younger Carmen Argenziano before he was cast as Major Carter's dad.

Avoid unless you are a big Hoff fan or are interested in the things I mentioned above. Better to re-watch the 1980s series instead.

I recently bought the knight rider first season DVD after many years absence from viewing knight rider in 1982-1986 and for the very first time saw knight rider 2000 and I must say that I honestly can't believe that they could have made a more disappointing movie. I think it even surpasses Robocop 2 as being the worst sequel ever made.

It is extremely violent, arrogant and Kitt has acquired an attitude problem with a rather foul mouth compared to what we used to see in the series.

Michael Knight said he hated fishing in the second episode and now he is a fisherman which goes to say how much effort was put into the script.

It hurts me to see this movie. Let it fade from our memories.

So you know where this is coming from: I was in my twenties when Knight Rider ran regularly on NBC. I didn't think much of it then. To me, it was an action-adventure variation on My Mother the Car. So I had low expectations for the return.

My low expectations were easily exceeded. There are some cute plot twists and developments afoot here, bordering on acceptable science fiction. This is NOT great cinema nor film, but it is a fun little movie that doesn't lose sight of what it is.

I watched this movie when it first came out back in '91, and I thought it was great. Sure I was only 10 at the time, but I loved the show "Knight Rider," and I thought this was a nice little addition to its legacy.

Sure they only show Kitt as the new car for only the last half hour of the film, but it's worth it at least to see the world's most famous talking car in action again. And David Hasselhoff is wonderful in the role that made in famous, the lone rider of justice Michael Knight. Edward Mulhare returns as Knight's mentor and boss, but alas his stay is short lived as well.

But come on people, it was supposed to be an end and a new beginning. There was all the potential in the world for this to be the pilot of a new Knight Rider where we are out with the old and in with the new. A new car, new characters, and a new world to enforce. Alas, it wasn't to be (at least not in this incarnation).

However, as a television film, the acting is great, the plot is pretty interesting (imagine a world where handguns are banned, and crime is still a problem...do I hear sci-fi social commentary here?). If nothing else, it's good entertainment for 2 hours. If you ever have a chance to see it, I recommend you watch it. It's not really as bad as you might think...

As a fan of 'Knight Rider' (1982-86) for as long as I can remember, I was filled with excitement when I saw that they had made a movie bringing back 'Michael Knight and KITT' called Knight Rider 2000. Although it might not be the best movie that has been made, it does embody some of the Knight Rider legacy. The ideology that 'one man can make difference' is presented here for us all to see and remember. Although with Michael Knight in 'KR 2000', you quickly learn that he may no longer be the man that made that 'folklore' so true.

In the Year 2000, criminals are frozen to save the city money and handguns are outlawed. The foundation for Law and Government (F.L.A.G.) under the leadership of Devon Miles and his new partner Russell Maddock seek to secure a new contract with the city, using their new concept car, the Knight 4000. Devon, realising that he may not be able to do it alone, he seeks out the one man who could make a difference when it mattered most - Michael Knight. Michael is reunited with his old partner KITT, while the Knight 4000 is being finished. On the way, F.L.A.G. recruits disgruntled cop Shawn McCormick, who has one of KITT's memory chips planted in her head.

This TV movie does many things that I like. Its idea of what the future might be like is valid, although back in 1991 it would have been hard to accurately depict what would and would not have been around in the year 2000. The story to KR 2000 looks closely at banned handguns, with cops only allowed to use stun guns. Then you have RNA transplants, whereby computer technology can be used to save human life, which would be of great benefit. There is also the brilliant technology, where criminals can be imprisoned by being put to sleep, immediately stopping over crowding in the prison system.

Another positive is the movies characters. The reunion of Michael (David Hasselhoff), Devon (Edward Mulhare) and KITT (William Daniels) was something that I was eagerly awaiting. In fact Michael and KITT's bond is still strong, after many years apart. I love it when KITT says, `That you Michael? You look like crap! You have obviously been flushed down the toilet since we split up. Get a life!' A funny line that only KITT could say. One downer is the demise of Devon in KR 2000, who stuck through the good times and the bad, keeping F.L.A.G. alive.

This movie shows of new characters to Knight Rider, which I found refreshing to say the least. Shawn (Susan Norman) is an ex-cop with a big agenda. I like the performance Norman gives to her character, which must have been a difficult one. The new head shot at the Knight Foundation is Maddock (Carmen Argenziano). While he might do things that are a bit eccentric, he means well and continues what FLAG was set out to do. His character is humourously accused of having 'a chip on his shoulder'.

The bad guys are not so easy to distinguish in KR 2000. The ring leader is the evil Tommy Watts (Mitch Pileggi), who is released early from prison, then causes havoc of great proportions all over the city of Detroit. This man has no conscience when it comes to getting rid of anyone that is a problem. Watts recruits crooked cops to do his dirty work, which include Shawn's former partner Kurt (Eugene Clark) and Officer Marla Hedges (Megan Butler). Hedges is one girl who looks and is mean. Yet for Knight Rider, this movie has a large amount of arrogance, which its story is not accustomed to. Many of its characters are accused of being 'arrogant' at one time or another.

Among this movies other highlights include seeing KITT (the Knight Industry Two Thousand) in action again, all be it in a '57 Chevy, and seeing what a car KIFT (the Knight Industry Four Thousand) really is. With such features as virtual reality (which can save lives) being of great use to the public that it protects. I feel a car with any sort of intelligence to be wonderful, yet with KITT he has 'humanity and a sense of humour' that makes him quite a unique automobile. I also enjoy the final fighting sequences in KR 2000, as they feel just like old times, with Michael and Shawn flexing some muscle when it is needed.

So 'KR 2000' might not be as good as what the TV series was (which had its horrible mistakes as well). What is good about it KR 2000, is that it is perfect for Knight Rider junkies, such as myself, who can not get enough of Michael and KITT strutting their stuff. Of great disappointment to me in this movie, is the lack of air time the new KIFT has, which is only about 25 minutes, not nearly enough in my view. I was not surprised to hear that there is to be a new 'Super Knight Rider 3000' movie to be made. I like the premise, but hope that the movie is not jinxed by a story that is a little out dated. Knight Rider 2000, 'Beyond state-of-the-art'.

CMRS gives 'Knight Rider 2000': 3 (Good Film)