MacGyver: The TV Movies

Lets get something out of the way right now. We love Richard Dean Anderson. It’s not enough that he spent seven seasons and 139 episodes playing the most resourceful man on the planet, he also played the most badass explorer-commander since James T. Kirk. Between MacGyver and Stargate SG-1, Richard Dean has solidified himself as an eternal member of the Geekdom Society of Explorers.

This time around MacGyver finds himself as the star of two television films. The first has Mac searching for the Lost City of Atlantis and the second chasing down the killers of an old friend.

Interestingly enough, the first film opens a lot like Stargate with a loony professor raving about world events that most likely didn’t happen. Atlantis feels a lot like a watered-down, but still really fun variation on Indiana Jones. Exotic locations, artifact hunting, academics yelling at one another, it’s all very familiar.

Instead of summarizing the plot, I’ll settle for letting you know the most awesome MacGyver moment. Amidst escaping the war in the Balkans, MacGyver turns a truck with no engine into a rocket ship. Yes, you read that right, a rocket ship.

The second film, Trail to Doomsday, takes Mac to England. There, he goes to visit an old friend for his birthday and the hired catering staff executes the man. The movie then becomes an elaborate “who done it” with MacGyver running all over England looking for clues as to why his friend was murdered. The caper is interesting enough, but the one large fault of the film is that you can pretty much guess the end in the first 20 minutes.

Doomsday was Anderson’s last portrayal of the MacGyver role and I’ll tell you he goes out with quite a finish. In the last moments he finds himself disarming a nuclear weapon with a… well, you’ll just have to watch and see for yourself.

At first, it might not seem like these movies are much to behold. TV spinoffs rarely live up to the greatness of their series. But, behind the cookie cutter stories, these MacGyver films are tales about obsession, passion, the need to keep an open mind when discussing the pitfalls of history, and the dangers of nationalism.

Like most re-released eighties TV series, they don't expect to suddenly garner legions of new and adoring fans. They are exactly what they were made to be, the swan song of a fantastic television series that gave the fans one last chance to watch their favorite action-hero handyman do what he does best: save the day one paperclip at a time.

DVD Special Features:

None are included.

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CelebSelect

Danielle Panabaker's Top Pop Picks
- Favorite Band: The Avett Brothers
  
  "I'm really into the Avett Brothers as of late."
- Favorite Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  
  "My girlfriends are I - we are very nerdy. We started a book club and the first book we read was Gone Girl."
- Favorite New Movie: Silver Linings Playbook
  
  "I thought it was a great film and I thought Jennifer Lawrence was incredible, you know those angry tears, I've certainly experienced that."
Paul Van Dyk: Current Favorites
- School of the Seven Bells
  
  The New York-based band unites Benjamin Curtis of "Secret Machines" and Alejandra Deheza. Formed in 2007, the duo is named after a mythical South American pickpocket training academy of the same name.
- Linkin Park
  
  The Californian rock veterans have come a long way since 'Hybrid Theory.' Back now with their fifth studio album in over a decade, 'Living Things' is one of Paul Van Dyck's favorite albums this year.
- Jupiter Jones
  
  The German punk rock band formed in 2002, but has already released several LPs, including an eponymously-named album in 2011.
- Depeche Mode
  
  The legendary Essex electronic band from the 80s remains a classic for Van Dyk. It was also recently among 'Q' magazine's "50 Bands That Changed The World!".
Cody Simpson
- Favorite Movie
  I'm still really into the Ocean's series. I got into them recently. I was always too young to watch them.
- Favorite Book
  This book called Contest by Matthew Reilly, he's an Australian author.
- Favorite Album
  Drake's Take Care — big fan of that
- Favorite TV Show
  The Mentalist
Styx's Lawrence Gowan
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
  
  "That’s got me laughing hysterically on airplanes."
- Making Mirrors by Goyte
  
  "I thought that was a tremendous record."
- The Artist
  
  "It really impressed me."
- Keane
  
  "They’re really strong."
90210's Michael Steger: My Favorite Stuff
- Favorite TV Show: Rome
  
  HBO's series starring Cirian Hinds
- Favorite Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
  
  "Either that or The Gypsy Kings."
- Favorite Book: The Fountainhead
  
  "Probably my favorite book of all time."
- Favorite New Movie: Attack The Block
  
  “It reminded me of The Goonies.”