Bauer is Back But to Mixed Reviews

Fox's fast paced serial espionage drama '24' makes a return to television tonight with a two hour movie meant to bridge the gap to the season premier in January. The show has been off the air for nearly two years and it's not all together clear that people want to see Jack back in action. Many television critics aren't thrilled with Redemtion, the prequel movie that airs tonight.

David Zurawik at the Baltimore Sun says that the country has evolved beyond anti terrorist thriller and would prefer to watch a reality show about the Federal Reserve.

It isn't that the threat of a terrorist attack has vanished, or that we've altogether left worrying about it behind, it's just that it has been pushed to the back burner by the fear that we are on the cusp of a second Great Depression. Americans are not worrying about Osama bin Laden at 2 o'clock in the morning right now; it's the economy that keeps us up at night, wondering how dark things will get and how many of us will lose our jobs.

Newsday's Verne Gay says: "It's talky and placidly paced for "24." You'll find yourself wondering: When does the fun begin? Hopefully in January.

The San Fransico Chronicle goes a little easier on the effort. Tim Goodman felt ambivilent about the movie and will reserve judment until the season.

The prequel is just a placeholder - we won't know whether the writers have seized their rare opportunity until later. But playing off the fears of Sept. 11, 2001, is, in 2008, played out. Jack Bauer as Superman, or even Underdog, is tired. Come Jan. 11, when the new season begins with another two-hour premiere, if Jack is back to save the day, he'd better start on Wall Street.

Many more reviews sing the same tune. But you be the judge.

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