Smoreni Zmaj
Christopher Chance is an ex-assassin who decided to cross to the other side and rescue the targets of his former colleagues. His new motto is that nobody deserves to die and he is the man you are calling for help when you are in a hopeless situation. This action series is based on the DC comic and it is a true refreshment in the sea of superhero strip adaptations. The main role is Mark Valley, who played in about 40 series, and is best known for his roles in Body of Proof, Harry's Law and Boston Legal. The story, directing, acting ... everything is in place. Nothing superb, but no serious flaws either. But it is very addictive and I finished the first season in just a few days. Recommendation.8/10
electronic_blade
I started watching Human Target based upon the synopsis here, namely "A unique bodyguard masquerades as his clients in order to draw out and eliminate threats to their lives." Unfortunately this isn't entirely true. He isn't masquerading as his clients (which was what I was looking forward to seeing - how he would do that), he is donning identities in order to infiltrate his client's lives and be close to them. In short, as a bodyguard. The 'unique' part isn't really there, he is simply putting the client in the firing line while working out who wants them dead. In short, not nearly as clever as the synopsis made it out to be.That said, aside from the terrible theme music (tries for 'epic', but it just sounds like desperately trying!), the show is good enough. There is action, there are a suitable amount of gunfire/explosions/hero-saving-the-day.It may not be what I'd hoped it would be, but it is worth watching. It has movie-style drama, without the long running time. And on the plus side, there is very little (so far at least) James Bond style women who see the protagonist and immediately want to take their clothes off to be with him for one night. As such, it feels far more realistic and balanced, and no doubt has encouraged more women to watch an action TV series as a result. It also gives a better illusion of intelligence to the series - instead concentrating on the clients, the deception, and the attacker.
kmustain36
Below is a rant that I have been bottling in for some time. Should you read further, I will not blame you should you disagree. I just needed to get a few things off my chest.Why is it that FOX will do everything in its power to back reality based shows and continue to stifle promising shows such as Human Target. Yes this show had flaws, but the acting was decent and the story line was intriguing. I may be naive, yet I still believe that we as viewers deserve well written shows without the distaste of inflated human drama that has been reality TV. I think that we can grow from the train wreck syndrome of not being able to pull away from people making complete jerks of themselves for pay and start to realize that there is still novel ideas out there and intelligent writers. Reality TV has its place in game shows and the odd hidden camera series that draws upon the young and the old viewers. The time slots of 7pm to 10pm should still be reserved for reserved for shows that entertain. Instead I have to resign to watching DVR of shows on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to avoid this seemingly endless onslaught of contrived melodramatic human tragedy known as Reality TV.
alanrayford
"Human Target" (HT) is damned good television. When an episode is lacking, it still manages to be an above average action romp with slight comedic elements. But when it's working, the show isn't like anything else on television. In all honesty, it's more like a big budget, action film on the tube. Yet, this isn't getting good ratings, which puzzles me. But before I cover this, I just want to acknowledge what makes HT so great.The first season worked primarily due to charisma and interaction of the three leads. All of the primary actors nailed their roles. Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) is the headliner with a shady past. A pretty boy/face breaker, he's an expert on keeping people alive due to him formerly being an expert on taking people out of the equation. Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley) is a walking oxymoron. He looks like a nerd, but has a real mean streak and the skills to back it up. Winston (Chi McBride) is more or less the straight man. Large and in charge, he's the rational one who points out just how ludicrous some of the circumstances they find themselves in are. Season two saw the addition of Ames and Ilsa Pucci. Ames (Janet Montgomery) is a thief and serves as the rookie of the team. Even though she's just starting out, she has enough moments to let you see she can pull her weight. Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma) is the moneybags who enables all the fancy equipment and air travel. She's also an absolute stranger to the world she's entered and serves as a reason for most of the craziness to be explained for the audience.The action is better than what's found in most summer movie fare. There are car chases. There are really cool shootouts. Blow-up-able objects have a tendency to fulfill their purpose. There was even a passenger jet flying upside down, all to put out an onboard fire. But hand to hand is the soup du jour, and HT delivers with bone-crunching satisfaction. All I can say is Valley really knows how to sell a punch. He also really knows how to sell a kick, an elbow, a knee, a headbutt and any combination/variation of the basics.The writing on HT makes each episode into a fully developed story and not just a juxtaposition of loosely related scenes. Characterization is tight, consistent and never betrayed for the sake of the plot. The threats are almost always interesting and well balanced against the good guys. The structure of an episode can't be taken for granted. Sometimes an episode starts well into the storyline, and we have to catch up via flashbacks—as in season one's "Baptiste". Other times an episode is more chronological in nature, but throws a seriously wicked curveball—just like in season two's "Kill Bob". Through it all is a very wicked and subversive humor that permeates every line of dialogue and every punch thrown. For the most laughs, however, you can never go wrong with Winston and Guerrero. The two are extraordinarily mismatched. This leads to any number of insults, threats and snide remarks that feel like two stand-up comedians sniping away at each other.Yet, despite all of this, HT doesn't get the ratings. And, this is what puzzles me. I hear the most coveted demographic for advertising dollars are adult males, age 18-34. Yet, this show, which is tailor made for us, is struggling? I was talking to someone about this, and she brought up a valid point.In the box office, the proof is in ticket sales. This is why the biggest blockbusters of a year are always action oriented. Check out the haul of 2008's "Dark Knight" vs. "Mamma Mia". Bruce Wayne stomped Abba's arse. But on television, success isn't determined by cold, hard cash. It's determined by ratings.Isn't it odd that in the theaters, properties like "The Bourne Identity", "Spiderman", "RED" and "Inception" rule the roost? Yet, on TV, shows like "Human Target", "Detroit 187", and "Chase" struggle, while "Glee", "The Good Wife", and "Grey's Anatomy" rock out. So the same people who pay to see movies, don't watch television? It seems rather incongruous.Maybe the television execs are wrong about the strength of their preferred demo. Maybe we don't watch TV, even though the Superbowl is the biggest programming event of the year. It's entirely possible guys really could be immersing themselves in overly dramatic, masculinity challenged narratives. Who the hell am I to judge? On the other hand, there could be another reason for the discrepancy between the big and small screen.You can't give the over 100 million dollars generated by the "Dark Knight" to "Mamma Mia" or "Sex & the City". A ticket sale is a cash medium that involves thousands of people. However, in this digital age you could probably skew TV ratings like no one's business. Like all data, it can be interpreted, misinterpreted or even faked any which way but lose. Anyone who's taken basic statistics knows this.Does anyone know of any males, age 18-34, that regularly watch "Glee", what with the singing and dancing? If not, then how could it be a success without us? So is it then possible the failing of action driven shows like HT and the success of menial fare like "Glee" could be due, in no small part, to fraud in both how the ratings are collected and construed.I'm really pulling for "Human Target" to be renewed. It's one of those rare shows that actually delivers in a way standard TV generally doesn't. It's always a blast checking in on Chance and company, and a third season can deliver the success this property deserves. However, if this second season is the last one, it's been a swell ride and I've said my piece.
