ACF 865: Nikita - She's Back!!!!!

Tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Nikita returns to the tube with a new episode after a brief holiday hiatus.

Nikita (Maggie Q) helps Alex adjust to her new life. After discovering a sinister development, Nikita confronts Birkhoff to obtain his assistance in resolving the matter.

Don't miss everyone's favorite Asian former hitwoman in action!

ACF 826: TV's newest Nikita, Maggie Q, gets lots of loving from Entertainment Weekly

The TV show Nikita may be on holiday season hiatus until sometime in January (I think it's either January 20th or 27th), but star Maggie Q has garnered double accolades in Entertainment Weekly's "Best & Worst of 2010" Year-End Double Issue (#1134/1135).

She was deemed Most Drool-Worthy (Mammal Division), an honor to which she certainly is entitled (page 48). EW even used the same photo as appears above, although with the background "Photoshopped" out. (The iPad was selected as Most Drool-Worthy, Non-Mammal Division, another pick with which I heartily concur.)

Maggie was also named one of the 2010 Breakout TV Stars (page 105).

And online, she was one of the 30 Sexiest Stars of 2010 over at EW.com.

Let's hope this publicity translates into even higher viewership. Initially I had some doubts about the series, though none related to Maggie being cast as Nikita. These doubts have totally been removed by recent episodes, particularly the final show before the current break. With Nikita's mole Alex "graduating" from Division training, there are lots more story line possibilities that can be explored.

For some exciting scoop about what's in store for the series, click here.

Maggie Q can be seen in and as Nikita on The CW Network, Thursday nights at 9:00 E.s.t. Check local listings for your area.

ACF 796: Nikita is back tonight!!!

Well, it looks like my Maggie Q as Nikita "jones" is soon going to be satisfied. Last Thursday, Thanksgiving Day football preempted my favorite kick-ass former agent. And I think the week before that might have been a repeat.

Anyway, it'll good to see a new show tonight. I still think a bit more skin would be nice, but I've been more impressed with the stories of the more recent episodes, and I think that the action sequences have also improved somewhat. I've even started feeling more comfortable with Shane West's performance as Nikita's former handler.

Maggie Q flanked by Lyndsy Fonseca and Shane West at NY Comic Con 2010

I have no idea how well the show is doing in terms of the expectations of the suits at the CW network, but I hope it's at least met their hopes and goals. After all, it's the only network show I know of that has an Asian actor/actress in the lead role. (The leads in the new Hawaii Five-0 are the two white guys; Grace Chen and Daniel Dae Kim are clearly subordinate stars.) And since Maggie Q's always a pleasure to watch, I really hope the show makes it.

ACF 690: "Nikita" has its problems

Well, I watched the second episode of CW's "Nikita" last week. Have to say I'm already having doubts. One is demonstrated by the above image of Maggie Q, which is from the first episode. This series needs more skin revealed every episode. Maggie Q looks fine in a tank top and tight pants, but there's just no substitute for lots of flesh. And it doesn't have to be hers all the time: give me some flesh of the fine-looking supporting actresses occasionally as well, and I'll be satisfied. After all, this is the CW network we're talking about.

The second problem for me is the "action sequences." The ones in the second show really didn't make it for me. Even in the first episode, the hand-to-hand fight scenes were shot too close in and edited in such a way that you couldn't really see what's going on. This is the same problem that I had with Christopher Nolan's re-boot Batman Begins (2005).

Maybe I'm just too "Hong Kong" old-school, but I like to see contact, or what looks like actual contact, at least once in awhile. Also, shoot more often with the camera far enough away to show the full action, not just the upper bodies with arms flailing. I know this is a bit more demanding, time-consuming and expensive, but it's worth doing, at least more often than has been the case so far.

Of lesser concern, is Shane West's characterization of Michael, Nikita's former handler. I'm just not buying his conflicted attitude about the secret government agency he works for and which Nikita has escaped from and vowed to bring down. Some better, more convincing writing is required here, and maybe Shane also needs to quickly polish what acting skills he has.

So, for me the series needs more female flesh revealed and better choreographed fight/action scenes. I'll be back for tomorrow night's episode, but if "Nikita" doesn't start delivering more soon, I'm probably going to bail on it.

In fairness, I must admit that, after the second episode had been broadcast, I overheard a middle-aged black woman at work talk about how much she liked the series. Another co-worker - a black guy probably a bit younger than her - said perhaps she liked it because it was about a woman kicking guys' asses. Maybe he's right, but whatever the reason, some people obviously are enjoying the show. I'd like to be one of them, but I'm not there yet and not sure if I ever will be.

ACF 673: Maggie Q shines as the latest Nikita in premiere episode of new series

Last night on the CW channel, the first episode of the latest manifestation of the deadly female character Nikita was shown. The new series stars Maggie Q as the title character, and she suits the role perfectly, combing beauty, brains, and physical abilities.

This new series does a nice twist on the plot line from earlier manifestations of the story, which namely told the story how a young woman is essentially forced to work as a government assassin. Here, Nikita has already escaped from the agency, now called "Division." While flashbacks have already played a role -- and most certainly will continue to do so in future episodes -- here the emphasis is on Nikita's self-defined mission to bring down Division. In a sweet reveal at the end of last night's show, we learn that to assist her in this seemingly impossible task, Nikita successfully plotted and arranged for a mole to be planted in the agency. In fact she may have more than one inside ally to call upon. We'll see.

The film that started the whole Nikita phenomenon off, Luc Besson's La Femme Nikita (1990) starred Anne Parillaud. It was wonderful and groundbreaking. The Hollywood remake, entitled Point of No Return (1993), directed by John Badham and starring Bridget Fonda (as Maggie Hayward/Claudia Anne Doran/Nina), was alright, but nothing to rave about. Statuesque (5' 10") Australian actress Peta Wilson quite successfully took over the role in 96 episodes of USA network's La Femme Nikita, which ran from 1997-2001.

I've looked at quite a few articles and reviews related to the new series, and I've yet come across any acknowledgement of Black Cat (Hei Mao in Chinese), the 1991 Hong Kong version directed by Stephen Shin. It starred Jade Leung, in her first movie, as Erica Leung / Catherine, and Simon Yam as Brian, her handler. It was a decent enough remake, though I have my doubts that Mr Besson, who wrote as well as directed the original, ever received any remuneration. (The less set about the 1992 sequel, Black Cat 2, the better.)

Thus Maggie Q is actually the fifth, not the fourth, "Nikita," and she's the second, not the first, Asian actress to play the role. Both of which may be interesting points, but what really matters is how good the new series turns out.

Maggie Q played a Nikita-like role in the 2002 Hong Kong actioner Naked Weapon (which also starred the lovely Almen Wong Pui-Ha as the leader of an organization that kidnaps and trains young girls to become assassins).

Maggie definitely has all the right stuff to make an outstanding Nikita, and the premiere episode was very promising. I, for one am going to be coming back, and I'm expecting some very good entertainment. I think this variation on the story line can really work. My only wish is that future episodes will feature a bit more female skin and well-shot action sequences. Here's hoping the best for Maggie Q and Nikita.

(For Alessandra Stanley's quite positive advance review of Nikita in The New York Times on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, click here.)