24: Redemption (2008 TV Movie)
9/10
Jack is back! 24 Season 7 starts with a great prequel
26 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
It has been almost 1.5 years since Jack Bauer was on TV, a very long time for a series that can make you addicted. The producers decided to make the wait a little more worthwhile and shot a prequel for the strongly anticipated 7th Season. Now, the film doesn't play in L.A. or involves the CTU, but plays in the fictional African country of Sangala, where children are trained to become soldiers, to overthrow the government.

Since Season 6, 18 months have gone by and it is Inauguration Day in the United States, a historical moment as the first female President is about to be sworn in. But President Elect Taylor has to find out that a military coup is about to take place in Sangala and President Noah Daniels has decided to evacuate the US embassy there. Another plot line follows Taylor's son Roger, who is informed by his friend, about the dirty business his company is involved in. In fact, the company and its client Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight) provide the African general Benjamin Juma with weapons to become dictator of Sangala.

Jack, who is wanted for torturing a suspect in the US, aids his old friend Carl Benton at his school in Sangala. Then he becomes involved in the coup, as Juma's soldiers arrive to pick up the kids and to train them as soldiers. Jack has to face another major crisis as he and Benton have to take the kids to the US embassy to be evacuated to the United States.

It was great to see a change of scenery in 24, from L.A. to Africa. I was very happy to see Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer again, and even though I had hoped for a little more action, the plot is logical (something that has been lacking during Season 6) and very intense, really focusing on some of the characters. Robert Carlyle does an excellent job as Carl Benton and Jon Voight steals every scene he's in, even though he doesn't appear that often in Redemption.

All in all, I'm really looking forward to Season 7 after the excellent prequel and am more more excited than ever to hear the clock again. Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick!
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