Knight Rider 1.01 A Knight in Shining Armor (2008, TV) – 1/10

Justin Bruening: Mike Traceur Deanna Russo: Sarah Graiman Sydney Tamiia Poitier: Carrie Rivai Paul Campbell: Billy Morgan Yancey Arias: Alex Torres Bruce Davison: Charles Graiman Smith Cho: Zoe Chae Paula Garces: Kelli Haddigan Mark Adair Rios: Jay Hunt Yorgo Constantine: Jackson Executive Producer: Glen A. Larson Executive Producer: Gary Scott Thompson Writer (Characters’ Creator): Glen A. Larson Writer: Gary Scott Thompson Director: David Solomon

Knight Rider 1.01 Knight in Shining Armor, A (2008) Knight Industries is brought into retrieve a package of great value but a team of mercenaries makes things difficult. Odd thing is, they are not after the package but Mike Traceur. 1/10 Insultingly poor and hateful start to the first full series of Knight Rider following the bland but acceptable pilot movie earlier this year. KITT’s been given horribly unconvincing and useless transforming powers, Justin Bruening has lost the little charisma he had and the whole show has been given an injection of dumb with a side-helping of stupid. Quite unbelievably inept. This Knight Rider episode contains adult dialogue and inferred extremely unpleasant scene, strong violence and mild nudity. Links Previous episode: Knight Rider

Knight Rider (2008, TV) – 5/10

Justin Bruening: Mike Traceur Deanna Russo: Sarah Graiman Sydney Tamiia Poitier: Carrie Rivai Bruce Davison: Charles Graiman David Hasselhoff: Michael Knight Greg Ellis: Supervising Producer: Dave Andron Co-Executive Producer: Steven Shill Writer: Dave Andron Writer (Characters’ Creator): Glen A. Larson Director: Steven Shill

Knight Rider Pilot Knight Rider (2008) Charles Graiman dies protecting encrypted US military weapons technology leaving the only person alive capable of accessing it his daughter, Sarah. Fortunately, Graiman has a super-intelligent, super-car, the Knight Industries 3000 (presumably financed out of his own pocket in his spare time) which has been programmed to go and collect Sarah and a protector, Mike Traceur, in such an event. 5/10 Overlooking the somewhat massive plot hole that sees mega-brainy scientist Charles Graiman run out alone into a dark woods to go to a cabin which is one day (!) away on foot instead of escaping using the bullet-proof super-car he has built in the garage, this pilot movie is bland, at best. That makes it much better than any previous Knight Rider spin-off and it should be commended for keeping KITT’s abilities largely within the realm of reason. The direction is efficient and the cast fine. Nice to see the ‘Hoff make an appearance but, just like the original TV show, this never fulfils the promise of the premise. This Knight Rider episode contains bad language and strong melee violence, brief graphic gun violence, mild gory and unpleasant scenes and ménage à trois sensuality, references to lesbian homosexuality.