[yasr_overall_rating]
MacGyver returns in this reimagining of the classic series for a whole new generation! Lucas Till stars as the eccentric genius Angus “Mac” MacGyver, who uses his unconventional problem-solving skills to save lives across the globe. Rounding out Mac’s team are George Eads as ex-CIA agent Jack Dalton; Tristin Mays as hotheaded computer hacker Riley Davis; and Justin Hires as struggling film director (and Mac’s best friend) Wilt Bozer.
I am one of those people who grew up watching and loving the original “MacGyver” starring Richard Dean Anderson. The man could break his way out of any situation utilizing a box of matches, a stick of gum, and a paper clip. The original series ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and made Anderson a household name. Part of what made the show so exciting was the theme score by Randy Edelman which was used to great effect during the show’s opening credits, highlighting Macgyver’s uncanny ability to use everyday objects to help him get out of any scenario he found himself in. It was bound to be rebooted at some point because of its popularity but what I cannot understand, is the amount of hate leveled against the new show, starring Lucas Till in the titular role. Think of it like a James Bond movie with a new actor playing the central character. This new iteration of “Macgyver” is great fun and both Till and George Eads, from “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” have great onscreen chemistry and play wonderfully off each other.
I honestly didn’t know if this was a complete overhaul of the show or if maybe Till’s Macgyver was the son of the original Macgyver but it is a complete reimagining, Richard Dean Anderson’s Mac does not exist here, the character belongs squarely to Till. The one thing I was disappointed with almost immediately, was that the theme song is now gone. Every episode begins with a few bars from the original show but then it segues into an original composition, one that is, unfortunately, instantly forgettable but I get what they were going for, trying to move away from the original series to create their own. Other than that one impediment, I thoroughly enjoyed the first season.
Macgyver (Lucas Till) and his partner Jack Dalton (George Eads) work for the Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles, a secret government agency similar to the CIA, FBI, and NSA. They are tasked with secret ops that take them around the world, from the United States to Malaysia, Russia, Portugal, Amsterdam, and Latvia. Riley Davis (Tristin Mays) is part of their team, a computer hacker who can break into any system in the world, Wilt Bozer (Justin Hires) is Mac’s best friend since childhood and is oblivious to what Mac does but he is recruited by the Phoenix Foundation when one of Mac’s missions goes awry, unexpectedly bringing him into the line of fire. He has the artistic ability to create lifelike prosthetic masks and facial prosthetics that are utilized by the team when they are undercover, and they all work for Matty Webber (Meredith Eaton), the Director of Operations and Jack’s former boss at the CIA.
In the first few episodes when Mac is constructing his gadget(s) to help them escape from a situation, his character tells us, in voiceover, what he is doing. This later disappears and onscreen, we are told what the components are that Mac is assembling and initially, I felt it was unnecessary but as the show progressed, I actually began to look forward to what he could come up with next. Some of the concoctions are so unbelievable, it actually makes you think if they could really work and if I was in my teens again, back in Dublin, Ireland, there is no doubt I would be trying them all. I like Lucas Till, his character is somewhat secretive, with a past that is never entirely explained to us and that’s good because having a protagonist that we know everything about is no fun. I always liked the original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and George Eads played one of my favorite characters but he was always so serious in that show that here, while he plays an ex-Marine, he is the comic relief and seems to be having a blast in doing so.
Every episode introduces us to a plethora of new characters, both good and bad but we have recurring characters that pop up from time to time, connecting various episodes together and giving us an underlying storyline that is reintroduced from time to time. One of the characters, Murdoc (David Dastmalchian), a psychopathic assassin, is one of Macgyver’s most formidable foes, and while he doesn’t appear in every episode, when he does show his face, you know he and Mac are going to go face to face. I came away from the first season thoroughly enjoying it and eagerly await season two. The central characters, Macgyver, Jack, Riley, Wilt, and Matty, all share authentic onscreen chemistry, something every show needs in order to be successful and their interactions feel genuine and never forced. Lucas Till brings his own form of onscreen charisma to the titular role and appears to be having a blast (pun intended) with it. I hope CBS continues to renew “Macgyver” because while the fans of the original series might not warm up to this iteration completely, if you take the time to sit back and just have fun with it, I promise, you’ll enjoy it.
Available on DVD February 27th from Lionsgate
