In February, NBC aired the TV movie Knight Rider. Now, being a fan of the original show, when I first heard about this, I was both excited and worried. Remakes or re-imaginings  can be very fragile things...if they work, they can be wonderful, but if not done properly, they can be truly annoying to the fans of the original. Sci-fi fans know this all too well. So, we saved it to our DVR, and being a busy person, and somewhat afraid to watch it after hearing some of the negative reviews, it's been sitting there all this time.

Recently, NBC announced it's plans for the upcoming TV season, and “Knight Rider” is slated to be part of that, as a new TV series. As it was announced originally that the movie was being done as a “backdoor pilot”, viewers knew this might happen, and as with anything, there has been mixed reactions. I decided it was finally time to sit down and watch the movie to see what I think.

The opening sequence reminded me of the old series, which for me is a positive thing. They start to set the stage for what is to come. The also in that sequence introduce us to the new Knight Industries Three Thousand – the new KITT. They also clearly establish the ties between the two cars and thereby the two shows by showing us pieces of the old KITT in the garage. Very quickly we see that KITT is going to be as big a part of the show as always, something I feel is vital if the show is to be successful.

Naturally, they paid homage to the old show by starting with the first few measures of the old theme before transitioning to the new theme, which while different is hard driving, and I think a good change. Then, they did something I did not really like. They had a sequence that while it introduced an important character, I was automatically reminded of “Baywatch”. Now, I suppose that was simply because of the natural connection my mind makes with Hasslehoff and his other famous show, but to me that is a bad thing. If I made this connection, then other viewers likely did as well, and I see no reason for the two to be mixed in people's minds. I think the scene of the bikini-clad surfers and the bedroom scene with the FBI agent and her overnight guest were unnecessary, and it was just “eye candy” for the male viewers. To me, this indicates an insecurity that the program will not be able to keep interest without such scenes, and worried me that what was to come was not as good as I had hoped.

Getting past that, we meet the main characters and discover their links – Sarah Graiman, and Mike Traceur. Sarah teaches at Stanford and is the daughter of Charles Graiman, KITT's inventor. Mike is a former Army Ranger who is now a race car driver who has a large gambling debt, and is a childhood friend of Sarah. When meeting Mike, we get another unnecessary scene, involving him and two women in bed. That scene, along with the previous two I mentioned, are to me the biggest drawbacks with the movie.

I won't go further into the plot of the movie, so as not to ruin it for anyone who has not yet watched but plans to (it can be viewed at www.nbc.com/Knight_Rider). Instead, I want to discuss the two things that I think make this movie better than average: the actors, and KITT.

Sarah is played by Deanna Russo, and Mike is played by Justin Bruening. Both of these talented actors have primarily been soap opera actors (“The Young and the Restless” and “All My Children”, respectively), but don't judge them too harshly based on that. Some reviewers were less than impressed with their performances,  but I found them to be above average, and believed them as both as the people they are now and a couple with a past to explore. The FBI agent, Carrie Rivai, played by Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Sidney Poitier's daughter), was a bit stiff, but shows promise. Perhaps if her role is written a bit better in the future she will improve. One of my favorite actors was also in this movie, and hopefully will be in the series – Bruce Davison. He did a great job as KITT's creator, Charles. As with many of the characters he has played, Charles has depth and secrets, and not all actors can play such characters well. I also spotted an interesting cameo – world-class professional poker player Phil “Unabomber” Laak was at the poker table in Las Vegas (in the Montecito Casino....too bad they can't have “Knight Rider” crossover with the cancelled “Las Vegas”) when Mike was trying to win the money to pay off his debt. Nice that the creators were able to get a pro to do this cameo.

Now, the other major factor – KITT. Critics have trashed this movie as being nothing more than a full-length Ford ad, but I was able to easily get past that and I was impressed with the features, both old and new, of the new model. Naturally, we were all expecting that KITT can drive himself and talk, and we know he is a very advanced AI. What I liked most was that his old abilities were updated for current times, to include him using current GPS and satellite technology to enhance his own. I also have to admit to being impressed with his morphing ability. The nanotechnology that causes him to be able to morph and also mitigate if not outright eliminate any damage is a wonderful special effect. Critics also did not like this, but I think it's a natural progression for the car. When talking about KITT, we can't forget the voice. Val Kilmer did a good job, very reminiscent of William Daniels from the original. My only hope is that they inject a bit more humor into the relationship between KITT and Mike in the series. But, as with anything, the new show will have to find it's way, and the characters will grow.

I can't talk about the movie without mentioning the special guest appearance at the end – David Hasslehoff as Michael Knight. I don't want to say too much, as it might spoil something for those who have not seen it, but I found it interesting that Mike asks Michael if he will see him again, and Michael responds that he hopes so. It has been released that Hasslehoff will not be a main character, but will return to guest in some episodes – I can't help but wonder if that comment was thrown in there as the hope of the actors and creators that it indeed would be picked up for a series.

Overall, I did think it was enjoyable. There was some mystery involving the story as it developed, and only once did I correctly guess what was coming next. Yes, it was very much like the old series, but that is part of the charm. I think it has promise as a new series. “Knight Rider” is not the only new sci-fi/fantasy or similar series that NBC is planning in the coming months. NBC is making a bit of a change from the norm – they have announced that they will be doing year-round programming, planning to provide some new programming for the whole year, rather than the traditional Sept. - May format. While the main thrust of this new plan will not start until fall, this May they will be offering “Fear Itself”, a suspense and horror anthology. In the fall, along with “Knight Rider” they are planning “Crusoe”, based on the classic castaway tale Robinson Crusoe. In Summer of 2009, they hope to offer “The Listener”, focused on a telepathic paramedic. Maybe NBC is starting to realize just how many views are interested in this kind of programming. Maybe, maybe not, but I'm definitely looking forward to KITT riding again this fall.

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