The remake of the popular television show Knight Rider recently aired and although reviews were mixed, the general consensus was that the Mustang GT500KR stole the show. While that may not be the best thing for the actors involved in the show, the car certainly does get a lot of screen time.
Not everyone was as pumped over the placement of the car though. As the reviewer from the Hollywood Reporter put it, “Subtle product placement is one thing, but in "Knight Rider" it becomes so heavy-handed that it actually alters entire scenes. A car chase, for example, runs on ad nauseam presumably because both cars are Ford products and it wouldn't do to show either of them crash. Meanwhile, the Mustang logo gets displayed so often, the movie almost qualifies as a Western.”
In order to promote their new show, NBC is offering a sweepstakes where four lucky winners will get their own Ford Mustang GT500KR. This is particularly great given that so few models will be made. This edition is expected to become one of the most collectible Mustangs, due to its placement in the show and its overall abilities.
The plot line for the remake deviates a bit from the original. In this incarnation, the daughter of a scientist must go on the run to protect the technology that went into developed KITT 3000, which is being sought by four hitmen. The car, voiced by Val Kilmer, escapes and manages to track her down, along with her boyfriend, returning them just at the right time to save the day.
While it may be a bit contrived, viewers don’t have to worry too much about the plot getting in the way. The Hollywood Reporter noted, “The revival of "Knight Rider" on Sunday night on NBC should gladden the hearts of viewers, at least those employed by Ford. For the rest of us, the two-hour film -- really, an elaborate commercial around which bits of story are sprinkled -- was an exercise in prolonged car sickness.”
The review continued, “The best performance was given by the car. The actors, particularly Bruening, are leaden and laughable, but that's inevitable given Dave Andron's silly, cliche-ridden dialogue. Even the cameo appearance by David Hasselhoff, star of the original "Knight Rider" series, looks like it was grafted onto the script as an afterthought. You know you're in trouble when that obnoxious superimposed NBC Olympics logo with a plug for "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad" becomes a welcome distraction.”
It remains to be seen how well the show does in the ratings, but for at least a few weeks, Mustang fans should be able to enjoy seeing the GT500KR in action. From the looks of the first episode, the creators may want to rely on the vehicle as the star instead of the human characters. When you’re dealing with a car as iconic as the Ford Mustang, it’s hard not to be upstaged.
02-29-2008
Similar Threads
Linear Mode
