24: Redemption

24 is back! 24 is back with this 2hour special 'bridge' between series 6 and 7, which sees ex CTU Agent Jack Bauer in a war torn African nation hiding from the crimes he committed whilst saving the United States in the previous seasons of 24.

The past is catching up with Jack after the US discover his location and subpoena him to the US court. However, strife and trouble are never to far away as the country in which Jack is hiding is facing a military coup, and he gets involved in helping the school children of an old friend to safety, played by a pleasant appearance of Robert Carlyle.

Jack must rely on his unique skills once again as things quickly turn bad, and the viewer once again treated to the intense flurry of suspense, corruption and pure action that can only be 24.

I won't go into anymore plot details, as not to spoil the film for anymore else, but be prepared for a fantastic 90min of fun that sets up very nicely indeed to the new 7th season of 24.

Craig

I must confess that I've never really watched the 24 television series too date, but that didn't in the least inhibit my enjoyment of '24 Redemption'. In recent years, a great many espionage-thriller films have been touted as being 'realistic' and gritty...the Bourne trilogy, Mission Impossible 3 and Casino Royale the most prominent among these. But '24 Redemption' goes beyond mere pseudo-realistic presentation by bringing us virtually as close to the real world as a documentary. The military coup that engulfs the fictitious African nation of Zangala is no campy world domination scheme...its the kind of situation you could very well find yourself staring at in the evening news.

But the realistic element reaches its zenith in the depiction of the protagonist Jack Bauer. Again, I'm not as familiar with Sutherland's character as I'd like to be, so I don't know how he's been portrayed in the past. But Jack Bauer as seen in this film, comes across not so much as a badass super-agent/action hero (ala Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt) but rather as a very human character...a soldier weary of war, running away from the ghosts of his past and yet finding himself confronted by even more violence. He is both emotionally and physically a vulnerable individual. Quiet unlike the steely countenance of Bourne of the outward flamboyance of James Bond, Bauer's reactions to the situations he faces in this film are deeply rooted in his emotions. True, he is every bit the professional soldier too...but ultimately, a human being.

'24 Redemption' may not be the most entertaining thriller out there...but if you want to watch a movie about the kind of action hero who CAN exist in real life, defusing the kind of situation which CAN arise in the real world; if only for the novelty if nothing else...then this is the ideal film!

Redemption is fundamentally a prequel to season 7 . Set 18 months where Season 6 of '24' left off, two-fisted, former government agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is in a self-imposed exile in the fictitious African country of Sangala where he hopes to escape from a U. S. investigation of him for his past methods , and to run from his past. Bauer works at a mission school for orphaned children run by his friend Carl Benton (Robert Carlyle) . The country is at the mercy of a villain warlord general named Juma (Tony Todd) who is plotting a coup to overthrow the government and his right-hand man , rogue Colonel Dubaku (Haakem Kazin) , is abducting orphan boys . Jack Bauer confronts nasty African general/aspiring dictator Benjamin Juma, whose forces have been ordered to capture the children Bauer oversees for malicious military training. Bauer and Benton must work together to save the dozen or so boys and try to get them out of the country before Juma takes over. Meanwhile in Washington D. C., it is Inauguration Day where the outgoing President Noah Daniels (Powers Boothe) is handing over the presidency to the first female president Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones). Hearing about the coup, Daniels wants to evacuate the country before it falls to the ominous general, while Taylor thinks otherwise. Elsewhere, Taylor's son Roger (Eric Lively) and his girlfriend Samantha (Carly Pope) get wind of information from a friend about suspicious money transactions where he works at a local brokerage firm. But neither he or Roger are aware that a corrupt corporate mogul, Jonas Hodges (John Voight) , is scheming with General Juma to overthrow the government for monetary purposes and will do anything to keep his nefarious plans under wraps. Save the day !. Hope has a fighting chance !. History will be made, a new enemy will rise, and the only hope to stop him has disappeared... until now !. To the world, he's dead. But soon, he'll become the most wanted man alive !. The terror alert level has just been raised !. Every Second Counts !. A new day begins !. He's tried to escape it. He's tried to silence it !. But for Jack Bauer...instinct never dies !. Who do you trust when the people who are sworn to protect you, conspire against you? !. To stop these attacks Jack Bauer has to be sacrificed !.

This 24: Redemption(2008) belong to 24 (2001-2010) series stars Kiefer Sutherland asJack Bauer (195 episodes, 2001-2010) , Mary Lynn Rajskub , Carlos Bernard , Dennis Haysbert , Elisha Cuthbert , James Morrison , among others . In this concept drama, each season takes place within one 24 hour period . In 24 Kiefer Sutherland gives a nice acting as counter Terrorism Agent Jack Bauer who races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster. And in 24: Redemption(2008) Jack must face the toughest challenge and events of the film taking place between seasons six and seven of the series, and are continued in season seven , the opening sequence marks the first time in the history of the series events did not transpire in real time and it takes place between 3:00 p.m. GMT (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time) and 5:00 p.m. GMT (12:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Dealing with continuous coups in the ungovernable countries of Africa and a relentless denounce against the forcibly recruiting kiddies into African armies and their brainwashing and their obligation to kill enemies . Stars a very good cast , such as : Cherry Jones as President-Elect Allison Taylor ,Powers Boothe as ex-President , Bob Gunton , Colm Feore , Robert Carlyle , Jon Voight , Peter MacNicol , Gil Bellows , Hakeem Kae-Kazim , Isaach De Bankole, Kris Lemche , Eric Lively, Carly Pope , Sebastian Roché , Sean Cameron Michael , Tony Todd , among others .

This telefilm was lavishly produced by Brannon Braga, Manny Coto, David Fury, Paul Gadd , Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon and well directed by Jon Cassar (Forsaken, Terra Nova, Between , Nikita, Daybreak , When the Bough Breaks) who made several episodes of the successful series . While filming the first episode of the 24 (2001) fourth season, he filmed the opening CTU scenes in such a way that the audience first sees the changes made to the building at the same time Jack Bauer does. Cassar has a strong friendship with 24 star and fellow Canadian Kiefer Sutherland. After Sutherland won the 2006 SAG Award for best actor in a drama, he gave the trophy to Cassar as a sign of his appreciation.

If Rodney Dangerfield were alive, hardened and seasoned as a government agent, he would be Jack Bauer. Jack don't get no respect. Without spoiling the sixth season for those who have yet to watch it, our world-class hero Jack, always the odd one out, is now in a fictional African country, helping his old friend, played by the wonderful Robert Carlyle, with missionary work, trying to heal his staggering emotional wounds with peace. He has been served a subpoena to appear before the U.S. Senate concerning torture charges, but declines to go. A U.S. State Department official hints that the Embassy will cut funding for the school if Carlyle goes on protecting Jack, so Jack decides to leave. If that's not enough, he winds up stuck in the middle of a bloody military coup.

Redemption is entertaining and well-acted, and it certainly primes us for the seventh season. Nonetheless I can see why it has been a very long process preparing the theatrical 24 film. Redemption maintains the real-time structural element, which the theatrical film reportedly will not have, but either way, 24 is a series that has transcended the conceivable scope of the feature motion picture. The character archs, gigantic sequence of unravelings and long-term investment in the characters is inherently designed for hours and hours of television. Redemption, on the other hand, is only an hour and forty minutes, which even still is twenty minutes longer than the version that was broadcast on TV not including commercials.

Also, I am unsure of whether or not the creators wanted to have the opportunity to do a lone Jack Bauer piece, but using this TV film as objectivity, one can easily tell that one of the vital elements in the show's scaffolding is its colorful, deeply observed and brilliantly histrionic characters.

However, I am looking forward to Cherry Jones being president and hopefully being rid of Powers Boothe's weak and uncompromising president. And I hope Jon Voight doesn't play essentially the same character as he did in Enemy of the State.

Of course 24 fans around the world were devastated with the writers strike and in turn the postponed "day 7" of 24, but instead of us fans having to endure another month of suspense and agony waiting on the arrival of the seventh season of 24, we were given a 24 (made for T.V.) movie known as 24 Redemption and yes Jack is back, but with some minute differences.

Some critics might say the fight scenes were "poorly" choreographed, the special effects might not have been special enough, or there just wasn't enough action. We need to remember the season finally of day 6 and how Jack literally now has nothing. The writers are clearly emphasizing on Jacks personal rehabilitation and personal change in other words even though we thought impossible they are in fact adding more drama to start us off which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The writers decided to aim at a different target and in a different location, but by God the hit the bull's eye.

Violence and surprises are defiantly a factor in the near "24" future and us fans can't wait...Also (I won't spoil it just in case you don't know, but you should already know) some of Jacks old friends are back, one important one in particular.

I hope this has been useful for you.