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Heroes: Season One
Created
by: Tim Kring
Starring: Hayden Panettiere
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Run Time: 45-60
min./episode
Release Date:
September 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Series Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Geeky. Convoluted. Funny.
Horrifying. Dramatic. Action-packed. All of these descriptors are
appropriate for HEROES season one, which is why it became an
immediate favorite by TV watchers all over the world. Television
creator/writer Tim Kring is well known in prime-time circles with such
things as CROSSING JORDAN and PROVIDENCE to his credit.
But Heroes is something new even for Kring. He has leapt, nay,
dashed, headlong into the fantasy realm.
There are some common themes running through Heroes that make it
a four star rating rather than five. Dark and conflicted superheroes are
well-known to comic book and graphic novel fans. SPIDERMAN had to
battle his own dark side, as did SUPERMAN and many others. THE
HULK is just a pissed-off green guy who has to learn to control his
anger and is aided by love. Such are several themes within Heroes (for
instance the Niki/Jessica character’s love for her son Micah; and Nathan
Petrelli’s battle with the good and evil that surrounds him). From this
standpoint, there’s not a lot of fresh meat on its bones.
Where it succeeds (and overwhelmingly so) is in its characters. They are
particularly well cast with each person “living” that fictional person’s
life. Claire Bennett (played by Hayden Panettiere,
THE DUST FACTORY)
is a wonderful person that all audience members must cheer for. She’s a
cheerleader who can regenerate her damaged body. Fire. Radiation. Falls
from fifty story buildings. Nothing can permanently injure her (or can
it?).
Nathan Petrelli (played by Adrian Pasdar) is the penultimate politician,
trying to win his congressional district while at the same time
attempting to hide his special ability. He can fly and his brother Peter
believes he can too. Nathan tries in vain to talk Peter out of
discovering his super abilities, but more surprises await Peter than
could ever be imagined.
Niki Sanders (played by Ali Larter) has something terrible inside her.
She battles with this “evil” twin while at the same time trying to
protect her equally gifted son Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey,
LADY IN THE
WATER).
Isaac Mendez (played by Santiago Cabrera) is a junky artist who can
paint the future. And when he paints the obliteration of New York City,
he soon finds himself the interest of a unique company of people
designed to find these gifted men and women.
Any series wouldn’t be complete without a villain, and Sylar (Zachary
Quinto, 24) is definitely that. Initially just a simple
watchmaker/repairman, Sylar finds that he can steal the powers of the
gifted and use it as his own ...but only after dissecting their brains.
This review definitely wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the
wheels that keep this thing turning, and that is Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka,
BALLS OF FURY). He and his sidekick Ando (James Kyson Lee) infuse almost
all of the much needed comic relief into the series. One of my favorite
banters between them was, Hiro: “My only concern is should I hide my
true identity? A costume maybe?” Ando: “You start talking about capes
and tights and I'm out of here.”
A truly fun series to watch, and something for everyone, even those that
don’t like comic books, superheroes, or fantasy.
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Image from Heroes: Season
One
DVD cost: $39.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The license plate on Kaito
Nakamura's car is NCC-1701. George Takei, who plays Kaito, was Mr. Sulu
in the original incarnation of "Star Trek" (1966) and NCC-1701 is the
registry number of the USS Enterprise.
Series Quote: "I'm
not normal. They're not normal."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Heroes: Season One
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