24:Redemption Preview-First Reviews

24: Redemption (previously named 24: Exile) is an upcoming television movie, bridging the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons of 24. Set in the fictional nation Sangala, Jack finds himself caught up in a military coup while trying to find somewhere he can 'be at peace'. Meanwhile, in the United States, it is Inauguration Day, where Allison Taylor is being sworn in to office. The movie is scheduled to air on November 23, 2008 with an extended director's cut being released on DVD two days later.The storyline of the prequel was originally intended to be a part of the seventh season.

With the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike delaying the season for an entire year, producers were exploring ways to get back on the air earlier. Ideas included airing webisodes or mobisodes.“We were going to be off the air for a while and how do you bridge that gap. We thought about doing something online and after talking with [executive producer] Howard Gordon we decided to do it on air.” said Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment at FOX.

On April 30, producers began scouting locations in Africa in order to film the prequel in the upcoming weeks.The original plan was to shoot three days worth of scenes in Africa and then have Simi Valley, California fill in for the location.After realizing it would be difficult to fake, it was decided to shoot the majority of the movie on location in Cape Town, South Africa.Filming took place from June 4 to June 20 with the final scenes being shot in Los Angeles, California.Principal shooting was completed on July 13.



Redemption begins with a brief prologue showing a young boy being kidnapped at night and drafted as a soldier into the militia.

The storyline takes place on Inauguration Day for the next U.S. President, Allison Taylor,and is shot partially in South Africa."Jack is a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace," says co-executive producer, Manny Coto. "But he winds up in Africa in the middle of a military coup." Meanwhile, Bauer is subpoenaed to appear before the Senate hearing while in Africa, but doesn't want to go.



Extended Creator's Cut DVD Extras:Commentary, "Making of" and "Children of War" featurettes, a brief summary of the sixth season, an alternate Season 7 trailer featuring scenes from the first fourteen episodes, and the first sixteen minutes of the Season 7 premiere episode.



First Reviews

IGN 7.5/10 "The true purpose of Redemption seems to be an introduction to the new characters and the situation in Sangala -- and that's not a bad thing at all. By setting up the new characters, giving us a new President, a villain, and a handful of supporting good guys and bad guys, 24: Season 7 can get right into a story involving it all. 24: Redemption whets our appetite once again for Jack Bauer's personal brand of justice -- bring on Day 7."

TV Verdict "Overall, a great slice of slam-bang Bauer action, and a luxurious salve for ill-tempered 24 fans and anyone cruising for a kick-ass way to spend two broadcast hours."

Entertaiment Weekly B-

Cinema Spy 3/5 "Whether Redemption can reboot the franchise remains to be seen. Like a guilty pleasure, it's fun to see Jack Bauer back in action again, but audiences may grow apathetic quickly if the producers can't find an effective way to balance the tried-and-true formula of 24 with some new, innovative elements. Failure to do so will almost certainly guarantee that Season 7 will be the show's last."

TVBLOG.UGO.COM "All in all, the plot of 24: Redemption is clearly an afterthought, trying to explain the gap between the 6th and 7th season as quickly as possible, but it just doesn’t do 24 justice. The fact that this was written and filmed after the season it precedes limits what they could have done, and I’m hoping that having watched this causes some “Oh, yeah!” moments during the new season. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some good old fashioned Jack Bauer moments in this, but unfortunately the bad outweighs the good. Maybe being so into this damn series is what caused my disappointment, but after the long wait, shouldn’t they have cooked something amazing up instead of something half-assed?"

iFMagazine.com "Granted, you’re talking to one of the biggest 24 fans out there, so I am biased, but when shows like HEROES have struggled to find their way in their third season, 24 consistently (warts and all, including a hit and miss Season 6) is still one of the best pieces of television out there.

Period.

After the network run is over, it’s clear Jack Bauer as played by Kiefer Sutherland is a character that will be able to segue into a big budget film franchise with ease.

Jack Bauer is back … now see if you too can wait for the ticking clock when REDEMPTION hits TV and DVD. It’s well worth the wait. And that’s the fact Jack!"

Check also:http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/21/24-redemption-an-early-look-videos/