KEY POINTS:
David Eick's remake of Bionic Woman may share the same name as the family-friendly 70s series, but the similarities end there.
Gone is the perky blond tennis pro and in her place, a brooding, supposedly complex, brunette bartender, struggling to deal with her angst-ridden teenage sister, abandoned by their father.
No longer a sidekick to the Six Million Dollar Man (who is never mentioned in the new series due to ownership rights), today's Bionic Woman, played by former EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan, is now worth $50 million.
But has the inflated price tag led to a better Bionic Woman? Or should she have been left to age gracefully in the past?
Producer Eick made his reputation revamping the lame 70s series Battlestar Galactica, delivering a slick science-fiction series that pulled in the viewers and earned widespread critical acclaim.
If anyone can successfully transport the Bionic Woman from the past to present, Eick is the man for the job.
Unfortunately, the producer's latest effort fails to live up to his earlier success.
Though not a complete write-off, the pilot episode does little to inspire continued viewing.
The first 20 minutes cram as much background in as possible, racing to get to the apparent crux of the show - the fight scenes. In particular, girl-on-girl fight scenes.
Rather than letting viewers get to know the characters, through good story writing and character development, the writers opt to spell everything out.
A briefing between agents at the Wolf Creek Biotech Research Facility gives viewers a full rundown of Jamie Sommers' character, without having to show any supporting evidence.
"She's stable. The situation with her sister shows loyalty. And she's smart," reports an agent to Jonas Bledsoe, head of the Berkut Group.
Likewise, Sommers' boyfriend Will Anthros - a medical genius who performs Sommers' bionic surgery - regularly points out the obvious to both Sommers and the audience.
"We're the only ones who can protect you," he tells Sommers.
Funny that, seeing how he just replaced more than half her body with bionic implants, which she didn't consent to and has no idea how to control.
Indeed, Anthros inadvertently raises an interesting point.
Is the scenario a profound commentary on women's place in society today - outwardly empowered but ultimately at the mercy of men - or simply bad script writing?
A particularly cheesy scene, where a young girl sees the supersonic Sommers sprinting through the forest, telling her mother: "There's a lady out there running really fast, as fast as a car. I just thought it was cool a girl could do that," would suggest the latter.
Script writing aside, the show's not bad. But it's nothing exceptional.
The special effects are competent, but familiar.
Computer-generated effects showing the internal workings of Sommers' bionic implants are similar to those featured in CSI, while a rain-soaked fight scene has a distinct Matrix flavour to it.
As for the acting, British-born Ryan is believable as a native Yank, though her overall insipidness makes her less believable as an ass-kicking protagonist.
This weakness is only accentuated when she appears opposite the dynamic Katee Sackhoff, who plays Sommers' nemesis, "the first Bionic Woman", Sarah Corvus.
As the episode ends, there is a glimmer of hope as Sommers grows a spine and tells Bledsoe to do things her way, or she'll bury one agent after the next.
Whether she sticks to her resolve will be a determinig factor in the success of the series. Whether anyone cares enough to keep watching and find out is another.
What: Bionic Woman
When: Sunday, 9.30pm, TV3
Reviewer: Joanna Hunkin
