|
SYNOPSIS:
Who is Kyle XY?
When a teenage boy with an extraordinary abilities appears
out of nowhere, a kindhearted social worker and her family
are the only people to offer him a home. The young man's capabilities
and brillance seem to grow stronger each day but these talents
are just one clue to the mystery of the boy they call Kyle
and the questions are starting to grow: Where did he come
from? Who is the man watching him? And who - or what - is
Kyle?
MOVIE REVIEW:
"The most impressive feature of the series is
undoubtedly Matt Dallas. In this past decade teen-flick payola
featuring young artistes that come and go faster you can say
Kyle XY, Matt Dallas shines admirably in this series"
Kyle XY is ABC's sci-fi teen drama that harnesses every bit
of boyish charm lead actor Matt Dallas can muster, subsequently
hedging its entire bet on it. Dallas stars as Kyle, an intergalactic
vagrant of sorts stranded on Earth, completely oblivious to
both his past and who he is. Critics all over have referenced
Roswell and Smallville - not quite appropriate in my books.
Kyle XY shares the intergalactic mysteriousness of Roswell
without the darker undertones and seriousness of the latter-
Kyle scores rather high on the teen campiness and comedic
element. Smallville is decidedly punchier in its teen factor
- Welling and Kreuk representing its heavyweight, flagship
quality production value. As such, Kyle XY is like a bite-sized,
mish-mash of both, a cruising luxury yacht sharing much similarity
to the latter two Emmy ocean liners.
Kyle
is a stranded being with supernatural cognitive ability (who
looks totally human except for not having a navel) but little
understanding of the world he wakes up in. He is soon picked
up by the police and is taken under the wing of Nicole Trager
(Marguerite MacIntyre), a psychologist who finds him most
beguiling (Dallas conducts a masterclass) and houses him with
her family consisting of corporate white collar husband Stephen
(Bruce Thomas), typically bimbotic daughter Lori (April Matson)
and jock wannabe younger son Josh (Lean-Luc Bilodeau). The
story essentially focuses on his interaction within the family
as they, along with Kyle, slowly discover clues to his history
while developing a common bond. Kyle also meets Amanda (Kristen
Prout) , the sweet, unassuming girl-next-door neighbour whose
character pretty clearly balances Lori's on screen cattiness
and does so very well.
For most
parts, Kyle XY comes across as a slower paced, less dramatic
sci-fi teen drama that drives at 2nd-gear while the current
trend of Heroes, Prison Break and Lost pound viewers with
edge-of-the-seat scenes every once in a while. We get to experience
Kyle's interaction with the world through his thoughts and
narration and at times it seemed like Kyle XY was overdoing
its vehicle role and pushing Matt Dallas in its teen lead
role. Dallas, however, aces it. The family rarely rises above
a reliable but bland supporting cast - at times scenes intended
to move the viewer during critical points of the family struggling
to accept Kyle's sudden appearance in their lives appear way
too rushed. Plot development suffers due to the rather extravagant
screen time the series affords Kyle's characterisation and
development.
The most
impressive feature of the series is undoubtedly Matt Dallas.
In this past decade teen-flick payola featuring young artistes
that come and go faster you can say Kyle XY, Matt Dallas shines
admirably in this series. It is safe to say that, as Tom Welling
did for Smallville, Dallas aces his carrying of this series.
Dallas is uniquely successful in portraying a refreshing teen
lead that is bumbling, child-like, yet effectively cute and
charming. Kyle is unable to speak the human language at the
start and we see the world through his thoughts and narration
- his earnest, honest voice carried tempered simplicity and
innocence that is so easily overdone in many disgustingly
saccharinely diabetic cutesy roles. Yes, Kyle XY's lead is
effectively a teen child who charms with goofy smiles and
confused expressions. By the time you see him rummaging through
the fridge and stuffing every food imaginable into his mouth,
or when he practises kungfu with gusto while watching TV,
I'm pretty sure your opinion and respect for Dallas' acting
chop will have risen manyfold.
It may
seem like a Dallas mega-gush but for all its worth, that's
essentially what Kyle XY is. As a result, your appreciation
will hinge on whether you like or appreciate Dallas and the
lead character Kyle and that will be apparent by first three
episodes that's almost totally Kyle-driven. For serial fans
who are used to a somewhat oligarchal lead cast domination
of screen time like in Heroes, Kyle XY might prove a cognitively
dissonant and uncomfortable. However, such is the charming,
ambling quality of the series that after the third episode,
when the dramatic, Roswellian and Heroes-esque drama and suspense
comes in tying Kyle's appearance to a murder in the forest
- you begin to have faith Kyle XY isn't a one trick pony at
all. Simply put, if you desire payoffs and rapid action in
almost every episode (like in Heroes Season One and Lost),
Kyle is a totally different boat. However, a quick look at
the increasingly convoluted and rambling Heroes 2 and the
subsequent seasons of Lost and Prison Break, Kyle XY is a
timely break.
The rest
stumble when the writers eventually run out of storylines
/ try to squeeze three episodes out of a simple subplot, one
gets serial fatigue. That is when Kyle's heavily character-based
and descriptive presentation presents an enjoyable experience.
Its something I would watch late at night on a friday night
weekend perhaps - small town, innocent hero goodness that's
a good break from the traditional thumping, dramatic headline
serials. Watch it for Matt Dallas and hopefully you'll be
drawn to this honestly beguiling drama.
Here's
one bit I had to add to give Kyle XY a fair review. Once it
kicks in late in the series and, as seen from the second series,
Kyle XY rocks major. A seemly deceptive slow start characterised
by the enchanting soundtrack transforms into a full blown,
mystery, superhero drama that blows so many things out of
the water. Kyle pre-adaptation to the world and post, when
he gets into his element, are two very different people and
Matt Dallas truly delivers major TV-serial class. The advice
is simply - do not judge Kyle XY by the first few episodes,
that would be fatal. If you liked it early on like I did,
wow, you're in for a treat. If it didn't quite cut it at the
start, the last thing you want to do is to deny yourself of
the quality that's coming up.
Dallas is just about the best on screen lead hero for sometime
- its time for the Hiros in the world to surrender their katanas
and truly appreciate this new hero. Who somehow looks like
a young, handsome version of Robbie Keane.
SPECIAL
FEATURES :
Kyle XY Declassified: The Complete First Season comes with
an alternate pilot episode, an extended version of a season
finale and a special "Kyle Declassified" featurette
along with audio commentary. At first glance this may seem
little and it did to me. Yet, it without a doubt surpasses
trailers and advertisements that add little value to the DVD.
If by the time you get deep into the story you've turned into
the Kyle XY fan, then the bonus features of this DVD surely
delights the new fan in you. The alternate pilot episode makes
better viewing after you've watched the entire series while
the Endgame Extended Episode allows for a fleshed out season
finale that's slightly more rewarding. "Kyle Declassified"
features the regular bonus "secrets" content behind
the series production. As one can see, its pretty self-explanatory
and the features do a decent job in selling the series that
much better.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Kyle Xy Code 3 DVD comes wth English, Spanish and Portuguese
language options and visual is faultless.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
The beginning might be a matter of acquired taste for some,
but watch the show rock as it gets on.
SERIES RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Daniel Lim
|
