tenten76

In the pre-publicity for Hunted, a big deal is made of how Melissa George did her own stunts and got battered and bruised for her craft. She needn't have bothered, since the action and fight scenes are notable only for the appalling editing. Usually the only reason for this is when actors can't learn or won't be allowed to perform multi-movement sequences so every little punch, slap and shove has to be filmed separately and cut together. Melissa's previous film career includes many great horror / thriller performances (Triangle in particular) so it's not her fault. Somebody also needs to take the blame for her being a deadly & efficient spy/ex-soldier some of the time and making stupid tactical choices the rest of the time. The only fight shots shown in their entirety are when she eventually snaps necks, which is odd as most TV and films look away to avoid unfortunate playground recreations the next day. Maybe she's doing it wrong and it's perfectly safe. I won't know until I try.

The acting is a mixed bag, albeit in one-dimension. Adults get three basic choices: ominous looks, sad staring or constipated anger, and the dialogue is all terribly serious all of the time. Anybody cracking a smile is obviously a loose-cannon. A couple of child roles are just Macguffins, with dialogue and direction even less realistic than the adults. Melissa's interaction with the kid (this is not a spoiler) includes a cute-connection to her own childhood, because no film or TV show gets greenlit without this Spielberg-esque 'emotional moment' bull; thankfully it's not quite a nursery-rhyme or "you're a poopy-head" shared phrase, but I worry for the safety of my TV set if this turns out to be in important thing later in the series.

The spies and bad guys are all so far up themselves they're inside-out. Nobody interrupts or talks over each-other, all sentences and exchanges are perfectly formed and delivered (it sounds planned and pre-written rather than natural) always dripping with exposition; plus regular flashbacks and recap shots to make sure that even pets can follow the story. I think the central plot is otherwise fairly good, even if these high-tech spies are being outwitted by a conspiracy that Private Eye would be able to expose in an afternoon. I'm getting sick of the table-top computer at HQ. It might look fancy the first time when you open & fling files around the table, but it's a lot less practical than everybody being able to see everything on a wall-mounted screen.

Hunted takes place on a planet similar to our own, but a lot cleaner and emptier. Locations are perfectly dressed and lit to BBC guidelines (neutral in the daytime, shadowy at night even indoors), and no signs of actual daily practical use or personal taste. Apparently when you're 'abroad' everything is in a gold/sepia tone but North Africa still looks cold. And it doesn't rain as much in the other Scotland. Apologies for being a bit facetious; I'm not against visual cues and themes, but it's all a bit sterile and perfunctory - there's zero style and no flair. If you think about the best horror films and thrillers, there is so much you can do with the language of lights & camera & editing to add tension or pace, to direct or misdirect attention, to build excitement or suspense. There is literally none of that here. It comes as no surprise to see that all four directors listed so far are very much from the competent but creatively-comatose school of BBC serial drama; I do not see Hunted getting picked up (unless to licence a remake) by Sky Atlantic, HBO, FX or any of the other channels turning out actual exciting, creative and visionary shows.

Frank 'X-Files and X-Files spin-offs' Spotniz is the big-name writer/creator attached to the show, which may be why I'm enjoying the plot, and Melissa George always gives 100%, but with everything else I've mentioned stacked against it I don't know if I'll be able to make it to the end. The sooner she goes back to making movies the better.