Remo Williams: The Prophecy

The rating I give, is mainly out of the pleasure I feel, that Chiun finally got his dream. Not only did he make it to Hollywood, but he's a star, as well!! I'm a huge Remo fan, and while I'm happy that there was a movie release, and a series planned & pilot aired, I have to agree with most other comments. I would put a lot of blame on Dick Clark, who was involved with both projects, as producer. Both needed more story-line, to establish who Remo truly is! I don't recall much of the TV pilot, except to say I was very disappointed with the whole plot and story. Can't blame actors, when they're not given much to work with, or given better direction. If I recall, Roddy was wanted for the movie role of Chiun, as well. But, for some reason, he wasn't able to do it, so they had to get Joel (who did a very nice job!!). Hopefully, the new film in the works will stay true to the books, and they'll devote more to the story and plot.

I've never seen this. TO the best of my knowledge, it never actually got shown, and I've never been able to track down anyone who has seen it, let alone anyone who might have a copy.

Why would this be? I can tell you. I was in high school, and had read many of the Destroyer books, and seen the Remo Williams movie (incidentally, the other review in here is about THAT version, not this one, since I'm pretty sure Wilfrid Brimley was not in both), which was fun, so I was DYING to see what they'd done with this semi-pilot for a TV series.

I was poised with my finger on the button to tape the show and WHAM BANG PRESTO - it was pre-empted for a Ronald Reagan speech.

And never shown.

And I'm STILL WAITING!!!!

I remember watching this show when I was on summer vacation in Chicago; Remo gets shot by some lame assassin, is revived by Chiun rubbing on his temples, and Remo also gets to slide out of a (burning building?) on a stream of water from a fire hose. I don't remember much else, except that Remo was a pretty crappy student of Shinanju, whereas in the Destroyer novels, he was hardcore. NOBODY MISSED ANYTHING by not watching this; the pilot came out around the same time as the show pilot for Adventures in Babysitting (and a few others, I think; Weird Science, perhaps?). I figured I was the only person on th planet who liked the movie enough to take time to see the pilot on TV. Looks like there was at least two of us.

With his contract up, Master Chiun leaves his student Remo to return to Korean. However Remo's boss Harold Smith convinces him that he must stay and continue Remo's training, making him a more effective weapon for Smith but also ensuring that nobody could ever suggest that Chiun's training produces a poor student. In the time it takes him to go to the airport and come back again, he finds that Remo already has a stunning blonde in the flat and has drunk beer. Remo's defence that it was a light beer doesn't wash and the training recommences. While Smith assigns Remo a new task, Chiun arranges a professional hit-man to assist with the next lesson in his long road to personal completion.

I watched the Remo Williams films recently as part of reminding myself of some of the films from the 80's and I saw some potential in it even if it was neither good or bad as a total. I came to the TV pilot wondering what the TV would have made of it and, if I'm honest I found the same thing – a solid but far from perfect TV show that had potential in terms of its rugged light entertainment value. The pilot picks up from the end of the movie more or less and it reproduces the same sense of humour and adventure as well. Many reviewers lay into this pilot as being the worst thing ever but I assure you that it is only very basic and in need of love. I say this because many shows are not what they become at the pilot stage, they get the interest in the pilot and work out the kinks over the next few episodes (Burn Notice's pilot had one character do an awful Irish accent, which was gone by the next episode – one recent example I can think of). The plot offers itself for weekly "missions" and training events and I'm not sure why that alone didn't appeal to anyone.

The problem may have been how cheap it was because, although time has dated it to make it look worse, it does appear to have been made on the cheap – but again, devil's advocate, it was a pilot, not a full show. Personally I liked it and I was surprised that I did. I could see potential in the comedy that it does so well, in particular with Master Chiun having things like his love of Barbara Streisand for example. I even thought that the comedy inherent in the rather silly action sequences worked because, like the movie, it didn't take itself too seriously. This would have made for a great bit of weekly entertainment for a male audience. OK so the robot in the chemical factory was daft but again, it sort of worked for me. Likewise, the breaking of the 4th wall at times worked quite well – particularly at the start but it was a bit overdone and some of the "to camera" looks didn't work.

McDowall did a good job as Chiun – no more or less non-PC than the film version but still enjoyable, getting the outrage and impatient comedy just right. Meek doesn't quite cut it though. He is too light and "80's soap opera" to fit the bill – Fred Ward had a tougher charisma that suited the character much more. He doesn't kill it though and one could see it working despite him, but it would be despite him. Elliott has big shoes to fill but he does OK as Smith. Overall this is a trashy piece of television but it is actually quite fun and, with some work, I could see it as a weekly TV show in the mould of Magnum or MacGyver from the same sort of period. I am not saying it is good by any mean but equally I cannot understand why it never got a shot and I do feel like I should add my voice to those asking why now, in 2009, it is not worth a studio taking another look and seeing what they can do with the concept.

The only reason I gave it a rating of 7, and not the 4 I wanted to, was Roddy Macdowell's portrayal of Chiun. I found the head-wrap annoying, but he does not sport Chiun's wispy quaff. If you're a fan of the movie or book series, you really need to see the pilot.

It's based on the Novella "The Day Remo Died." This short story was part of "The Assassin's Handbook," later reissued as "Inside Sinanju." Warren Murphy recently reissued a new version of "The Assassin's Handbook" and "The Assassin's Handbook II." Both are available at warrenmurphy.com.

I managed to procure a copy of the TV pilot through the generosity of the DestroyerClub.com website (the official site.) They produced a FREE DVD that is yours for the asking. All I had to do was send them a mailing label and a few stamps, and my free DVD arrived. What was cool was the extras – the TV promo spot and movie bloopers! I have also seen very poor quality bootlegs for sale on eBay (don't but this trash!)