AS SEEN ON: Stay away from this Village
By Alex Duckles, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Wednesday, November 18, 2009
This past Sunday, AMC premiered a six-part miniseries, “The Prisoner,” a remake of a 1960s series of the same name.
The original was a historical landmark in science fiction television — perhaps best known among members of our generation for its repeated parodying on shows like “The Simpsons.”
Remaking the cult show makes sense in today’s faddish climate of sci-fi reboots, but over the past years, such reimaginings have bombed spectacularly (see: “Knight Rider” (2008), “Bionic Woman” (2007)).
ABC’s “V,” which premiered this month, has thus far been the lone exception.
Unfortunately, the ill-advised “Prisoner” belongs in the former camp.
The pilot episode — aptly named “Arrival” — opens with Michael (Jim Caviezel of “Passion of the Christ”) lost and disoriented in a barren desert.
With only scarce memories of his previous life, Michael is taken to the Village, a totalitarian seaside town masquerading as a utopian society.
Caviezel is identified only as Number Six. The mystery of his name and the Village unfolds as he tries to escape his eerie incarceration.
As the villainous ringleader Number Two, Ian McKellan — of “The Lord of the Rings” (2001) — tells Michael, “There is no out. There is only in.”
“The Prisoner” takes aesthetic cues from its network sibling “Mad Men” — the landscapes of the Village are handsomely shot like a film.
Still, even impressive shots and superb acting from Caviezel and McKellen cannot bring life to an excessively complicated and dramatic plot.
It is obvious that the convoluted narrative is meant to bait and hook viewers in the manner of heavily-plotted shows like “Lost,” but the mystery isolates and frustrates viewers, instead of keeping their interest.
Some attempt at suspense, in fact, are downright goofy.
In homage to the original series, Six finds himself pursued by a gigantic floating white orb. The scene is, if nothing else, representative of the show’s earnest preposterousness.
By all conventional standards, “The Prisoner” should have succeeded: The original was a cult favorite, the production values are outstanding and the cast is all-star.
The end result, however, is a severe disappointment.
With only four episodes left, tuning in now would be fruitless. Save your precious hours and go watch “V” instead.