There's no question that Executive Producer McG has technical chops, as he demonstrated in the surprisingly uninteresting "Charlie's Angels" a few years ago. But with "Fastlane" all the split-screens, slo-mo, and steadicam wizardy can't overcome the utter lack of substance at the heart of this series.
Several people have rightly compared the series to Michael Mann's "Miami Vice", and the parallels are clear since "Fastlane" borrows/steals just about every significant element from the earlier series. But those of us who watched that series from its inception through its demise will recall that it began with a real dramatic edge that only later gave way to comic banality in the closing season. In short, "Fastlane" picks up precisely where "MV" rightly died and continues down hill.
At its best, "Miami Vice" conveyed the darker side of undercover police work, and managed to combine powerful storylines with great music and compelling visuals. Not only is "Fastlane" mostly "sound and fury", the show lacks the acting capabilties that Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas and, particularly, Edward James Olmos brought to the set (though note "Fastlane's" casting of the always appealing Bill Duke in the EJO role in an attempt to add a level of gravitas to the overall fluffiness of the series). Indeed, the overall quality of the ensemble acting in "MV" was quite high.
"Fastlane" also lacks the quality teleplays that characterized "MV" in the first 2-3 season. What we get are the triumph of the visual over the cerebral - not always a bad thing to be sure - but fatal in a series that leans so heavily on its three main protagonists' looks and so little on its dialogue or their ability to deliver it.
Another point of reference - "The Fast and the Furious" - succeeded precisely to the extent that Rob Cohen built up the relationship between Vin Diesel's and Paul Walker's characters. The interplay between Bill Bellamy and Peter Facinelli never rises above shallow banter, while Tiffani Amber Thiessen is simply unbelievable (did the LAPD pay for those breasts?).
Clearly Fox is aiming at the 12-18 year old adolescent male demographic, for whom the series' videogame-like action, hip-hop soundtrack, and parade of eye candy visuals might possibly hold some interest.
Ultimately, McG is no Michael Mann (or John Woo, for that matter). He's a talented pop video director who still hasn't found a personal story to tell. Perhaps one day he will. Until then, "Fastlane" and "Charlie's Angels" represent his contribution to culture.
Several people have rightly compared the series to Michael Mann's "Miami Vice", and the parallels are clear since "Fastlane" borrows/steals just about every significant element from the earlier series. But those of us who watched that series from its inception through its demise will recall that it began with a real dramatic edge that only later gave way to comic banality in the closing season. In short, "Fastlane" picks up precisely where "MV" rightly died and continues down hill.
At its best, "Miami Vice" conveyed the darker side of undercover police work, and managed to combine powerful storylines with great music and compelling visuals. Not only is "Fastlane" mostly "sound and fury", the show lacks the acting capabilties that Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas and, particularly, Edward James Olmos brought to the set (though note "Fastlane's" casting of the always appealing Bill Duke in the EJO role in an attempt to add a level of gravitas to the overall fluffiness of the series). Indeed, the overall quality of the ensemble acting in "MV" was quite high.
"Fastlane" also lacks the quality teleplays that characterized "MV" in the first 2-3 season. What we get are the triumph of the visual over the cerebral - not always a bad thing to be sure - but fatal in a series that leans so heavily on its three main protagonists' looks and so little on its dialogue or their ability to deliver it.
Another point of reference - "The Fast and the Furious" - succeeded precisely to the extent that Rob Cohen built up the relationship between Vin Diesel's and Paul Walker's characters. The interplay between Bill Bellamy and Peter Facinelli never rises above shallow banter, while Tiffani Amber Thiessen is simply unbelievable (did the LAPD pay for those breasts?).
Clearly Fox is aiming at the 12-18 year old adolescent male demographic, for whom the series' videogame-like action, hip-hop soundtrack, and parade of eye candy visuals might possibly hold some interest.
Ultimately, McG is no Michael Mann (or John Woo, for that matter). He's a talented pop video director who still hasn't found a personal story to tell. Perhaps one day he will. Until then, "Fastlane" and "Charlie's Angels" represent his contribution to culture.