Let's face it. Television's motto should be: "Just as good as it takes to keep you watching our commercials ... and no more." Television is a medium of mediocrity. If they're going to make it big, if they're going to make it *good*, they're going to make it for the big screen, not the little one.
Which is why "Blackjack" was a pleasant surprise. Oh, it's not Woo's best works, not by far. But it is some of the best TELEVISION I've seen in a long time. The characters have at least 2 dimensions, which puts them heads and shoulders above the TV competition, and the action, while hokey in a few places, is actually quite thrilling to watch.
I wouldn't use this TV movie to introduce new people to the magic of John Woo's films (I'd use "Face/Off" or "The Killer" for that), but if you're a Woo fanatic (like I am), then you will almost certainly enjoy this movie. Even at his worst, and this is possibly his worst, he's still better the competition.
How's THAT for praise? :-)
Which is why "Blackjack" was a pleasant surprise. Oh, it's not Woo's best works, not by far. But it is some of the best TELEVISION I've seen in a long time. The characters have at least 2 dimensions, which puts them heads and shoulders above the TV competition, and the action, while hokey in a few places, is actually quite thrilling to watch.
I wouldn't use this TV movie to introduce new people to the magic of John Woo's films (I'd use "Face/Off" or "The Killer" for that), but if you're a Woo fanatic (like I am), then you will almost certainly enjoy this movie. Even at his worst, and this is possibly his worst, he's still better the competition.
How's THAT for praise? :-)