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Will Knight Rider Continue the Trip?
02-25-2008
by Johann Snyder
Knight Rider recently returned to NBC as a made for TV movie (with hopes of being picked up as a regular series), and after watching this new generation of Knight Rider, I wouldn't mind see KITT and company return to the regular line-up of Prime Time. Unfortunately, in today's gritty, edgy TV world, that seems rather unlikely.
Let's deal with the most important issue first; the new KITT. I have to admit, I was skeptical about KITT being anything other than a Trans-Am, but the new Mustang version of KITT actually works pretty well. The car definitely looks cool, has presence on the screen, and the voice of Val Kilmer works surprisingly well. KITT also has some pretty amazing new abilities, and has one scene that had a huge "WOW!" factor that I didn't see coming (all I'll say is it was like watching a Burnout Road Rage match, but with real cars). Unfortunately, too many of the explanations of why KITT can do the things it does are chalked up to "nanotechnology". Apparently, "nanotechnology" is like having miracles in a bottle, because there doesn't seem to be any limits to what it can do.
Need a car that changes color? Nanotechnology. How about a car that can change shapes? Nanotechnology. Bulletproof? No problem for nanotechnology. Yes friends, whatever your supercar needs may be, nanotechnology is the answer. What exactly is it? We don't know, but it sounds very high-tech, so it's the only answer we have.
The miracles of nanotechnology aside, the new Knight Rider was a lot of fun and very much in the spirit of the original series. The violence is almost cartoonish with the lack of any real consequence for most situations (I wish I could take punches without any bruises, blood or real pain to speak of). The one liners are often eye-rollingly bad, but have a certain charm nonetheless. The acting isn't stellar, but works for the subject material (how serious do you need to be in a show about a super-intelligent, self-drving, self-aware supercar?) All in all, this is just simple, fun, TV fluff. They could have tried to make this new Knight Rider all edgy and dark like the many other shows on TV today, but I'm glad they didn't. Sure it's kind of cheesy and dumb, but it's just simple fun; which is a refreshing break from shows trying to push the envelope with sex, gore and language. I don't need angst ridden dramatic conflict every night of the week, and if Knight Rider were to actually become a series, it would be a nice break from all of that. Unfortunately, because it is silly, simple, light-hearted fun, I doubt it will find a home in today's gritty TV world.
If you remember the original show, one of the driving forces behind Michael Knight's crusade was the belief that one man can make a difference. In fact, in a nice little cameo, David Hasselhoff reprises his role to pass that tidbit along to his son and heir, Michael Tracer. Of all the elements of Knight Rider to be retained in this new version, that sentiment, unfortunately, may be the most out of place. How many people believe that any more? Depressingly few from what I've observed. Maybe that's why we need a show like Knight Rider, to remind us that one person can make a difference. In fact, on man did make a difference; so much so that the world has never been the same. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he did so to pay the price for our sins. He did that because he loves you. Then he rose from the dead, forever conquering the grave. He did that because he wants you to live forever with him. Our planet hasn't been the same since. Jesus Christ made an eternal difference for all who follow him; and his follower have continued to make a difference ever since. Granted, there are some Christians who need to be reminded of that fact, and reminded that they're called to make a difference themselves. Still, the point is one person can make a difference. Even if that difference is helping just one person discover that they're loved by God and can live forever with him; that's the greatest difference anyone can make.
Knight Rider felt familiar and new all at the same time. Much of what made the original show the guilty pleasure it was still remains, and thankfully this new generation hasn't decided to "update" itself with a darker, more serious tone; that just wouldn't fit Knight Rider. It may not be the best show, it may not be the smartest, but it's definitely fun. I certainly hope this new Knight Rider finds a home for awhile on Prime Time, because not only would it be nice to enjoy something without any boundaries being pushed, but it would also be good to be reminded that one person can make a difference; and you don't need a supercar to do it (although cool looking, super-intelligent Mustang wouldn't hurt to have around.)
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