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Termination A Possibility In The Future For Thriller That Begins With Promise

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By WALT BELCHER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 10, 2008

Being 15 is tough enough without having a nasty, indestructible "Terminator" robot on your tail.

And when your mother is the uptight, paranoid Sarah Connor, the future and the past look grim.

Helping poor John Connor cope, however, is a good "Terminator," a robot named Cameron, who is as shapely and as good-looking as any homecoming queen.

Cameron also has a computerlike brain, and she not only can do his homework, but she also can kick any bullies out of the way.

She would be the perfect date if she had a heart instead of complicated wiring.

Any human-robot romance will remain a fantasy for teenage males of all ages who watch "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." This midseason sci-fi action series debuts at 8 p.m. Sunday on Fox before it settles in on Monday nights in the slot where "24" would have aired.

It was written and produced before the writers strike. With nine episodes in the can, it will be one of the few original series on the air in the coming weeks.
Lena Headey ("300") stars as the no-nonsense, future-world-weary Sarah Connor, a role created by Linda Hamilton in the memorable 1984 film.
Thomas Dekker plays her son, the teen who may grow up to lead the human race's stand against killer cyborgs.

Newcomer Summer Glau as the female protector steals the show. Also in the mix is Richard T. Jones ("Judging Amy") as an FBI agent hounding the Connors.

The first two hours snap, sizzle and pop with action, suspense and special effects. We can credit director David Nutter, who hails from Dunedin. A veteran of "The X-Files," Nutter is a master of the thriller genre.

By episode two, things settle down, and the nagging, oppressive Sarah Connor character becomes a drag. But there are some intriguing twists that might interest the sci-fi fan, such as having various visitors from the future pop up at any time to change the course of this fictional history.

It looks good at the outset, but so did "Bionic Woman," and we saw how fast that one crashed and burned. I predict a similar future for "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" because the creative bar has been raised by more complicated thrillers such as "Heroes" and "Lost."

LIVING LARGE: After wowing everyone as the plucky, chubby Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray" this past summer, plus-size actress Nikki Blonsky stars in a Lifetime movie.

"Queen Sized," debuting at 9 p.m. Saturday, is based on a true story about an overweight high school outcast who is nominated for homecoming queen as a cruel joke.

After some soul-searching, Blonsky's character rises to the challenge and becomes a champion for the underdogs. Blonsky, who was a 17-year-old high school student when she auditioned for "Hairspray," says she really identified with the character.

COWPOKES: There was a time when a miniseries based on a Larry McMurtry novel was a big deal. Remember "Lonesome Dove" in 1989?

But the six-hour "Comanche Moon," debuting at 9 p.m. Sunday on CBS, seems like something thrown in to fill space because of the writers strike. Miniseries are passe, and westerns are double passe.

Even so, "Comanche Moon" has its moments. Steve Zahn and Karl Urban play Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, roles made famous by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones in "Lonesome Dove." Zahn is McCrae; Urban plays Call.

They are under the command of eccentric Capt. Irish Scull (Val Kilmer). In the years preceding the Civil War, they tangle with sadistic Mexican outlaws and marauding Indians.

The miniseries continues Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

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