World Famous Comics: The 4400 - The Complete First Season
The 4400 - The Complete First Season
Directed By: Milan Cheylov, Morgan Beggs, John Behring Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Subtitled, Color, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Paramount Number of Items: 2 Region Code: 1 Release Date: December 21, 2004 Running Time: 256 minutes Theatrical Release Date: July 11, 2004
Description: During the past century, thousands of people have gone missing. When 4400 of them return all at once unharmed and looking the same as when they disappeared, the government investigates, unsure of how this can be possible. What the government does not know is that the presence of these 4400 will change the human race in many unexpected ways.
Amazon.com: The 4400, which began as a five-week miniseries on the USA Network, is built around a deceptively simple, dramatically rich premise. What if all the people, who had ever been abducted by aliens, were suddenly returned to Earth? What would happen? Although they look exactly as they did when they left, they have no knowledge of where they were or why they were taken. Now some even have special powers, like clairvoyance. As with ABC's Lost, which centers on the survivors of a plane crash, The 4400 features a large cast of characters and a host of mysteries to be solved. If the special effects, which are kept to a minimum, can be a little cheesy at times, the concept--and the skillful execution of the concept--easily makes up for it.
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope and created by Scott Peters (The Outer Limits), The 4400 is set in Seattle, where the 4400 are returned. The principal characters include Dennis Ryland (Peter Coyote of E.T.), the local supervisor of Homeland Security. He's joined by agents Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch of Taken), whose nephew was one of the returnees, and Diana Skouris (Jacqueline McKenzie of Romper Stomper), who takes in one of the youngest returnees.
Guest stars include Michael Moriarty (Law and Order) in "Pilot" and Lee Tergeson (Oz) in "Becoming." Billy Campbell (Once and Again) also appears in several episodes as Jordan Collier, a real-estate magnate and returnee who becomes an advocate for others like himself, many of whom are having problems adjusting to a changed world. Like Lost, one of the biggest success stories of 2004, The 4400 debuted to strong ratings and was renewed for a full season. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
A Good, Not Great, Show At this point in the series, "The 4400" isn't a great show. It's a good show that, for the most part, will keep you entertained. It's a quick season, so the overall story arc gets handled nicely. It's a very intimate show, and the character's are introduced quickly and skillfully, but there are a few things lacking in the overall package that really prevent it from being at the same level as other sci-fi mysteries like Lost and Battlestar Galactica. I'll break the show up into a list of positives and negatives.
POSITIVES + The "mystery of the week" sections of the episodes are a lot stronger than the overall arc of the season. Each episode told a good standalone story, and that is the driving force behind this being a good show. + A lot of the guest stars are very, very impressive. Especially David Eigenberg is episode two as Carl Morrisey. + The characters are interesting, for the most part. I especially enjoyed Lily and Richard. + The directing is, to say the least, always experimental. There are some shots that are so innovative and work really well, but however it also gets to the point where some of the more experimental camera work is a bit jarring.
NEGATIVES - The acting, by and large, ranges from mediocre to bad. While all of the actors do have moments that convince me that there might be a sparkle of talent in there, a lot of the leads are pretty much bad. Patrick Flueger as Shawn is simply awful, as is Brooke Nevin as Nikki. None of the cast members steadily impressed me other than Billy Campbell as Jordan and Conchita Campbell as Maia. - The music in the series is very badly picked out. When they should have used scores, they use cheesy pop culture songs that, while the songs are good by themselves, they sound highly out of place in the show. - The writers seem to be fans of taking the easy way out with character interactions. Subtlety is completely disregarded for sweeping gestures. Romance never develops, it explodes into being. Conflict never simmers before boiling, it always arrives already steaming.
While this short season (five episodes in total) is extremely flawed, it's also entertaining television. It's not at the level where it's a guilty pleasure, because a lot of aspects of it still make it a good show, but the acting, writing, and use of music needs to improve a considerable amount before this can be a show that I can truly appreciate.
6/10
A quality TV show, which happens to be Science-Fiction... In a genre that is rife with bad acting and over-emphasis on special effects, The 4400 is a great television show that you don't have to be a Science-Fiction fan to love. If more Science-Fiction writers put this much thought into their work, the term "Sci-Fi" wouldn't have such a negative connotation.
Pretty much... the perfect show!!! This show affected me so much. The 4400 has one of the most unique and catchy premis'. The story of 4400 people who dissapear over the past 60 years and then returned all at once with special abilities is awesome. I absolutely loved it.
The Sneetches - updated Well written, well acted. Basically, 4400 abductees return in a ball of light, each with a special ability. The central tale revolves around a core group but each week there is a guest ability featured. There are many organizations trying to use the 4400 to its own ends so we have villains from government, industry and family all trying to take advantage of the talents demonstrated by the returnees. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's good and who's bad (and even who's dead and who's alive).
This show draws from many sources but still manages to be unique and stand on its own. It has a bit of the Andromeda Strain, H.G. Wells, Biblical figures, but mostly Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches". (The star bellied Sneetches had bellies with stars; the plain bellied Sneetches had none upon thar's"). That's basically the whole premise - Do you want a star or not? Is having a star better than not? This may sound simplistic but the writers weave episode after episode, season after season's stories around this age old question - Is what we want really best for us? In my estimation, each season is quite equal so I'm using this review for each. Watch and enjoy....bg
Great Show! This show is great I only wish it had more episodes in it. Great product very clear no problems.
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