Starring: Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley
Studio: Warner Bros.

Based upon the DC Comics Graphic Novel comes this fun, exciting action packed series starring Mark Valley (Fringe) as Christopher Chance, an independent bodyguard/protector/jack of all trades who can be hired for anything that is requested. Whether it’s a simple escort from a location, or trying to maneuver a Jet upside down, Chance is the man to go to. Alongside Christopher Chance is the head of the Security Firm, Winston (McBride) and Guerrero (Haley) a colleague who is just as mysterious and scary as Chance himself. Well crafted, fast paced and a hell of a lot of fun, Human Target was one of the pleasant surprises of the spring 2010 TV Season.

Christopher Chance is a mysterious man with a background that remains an enigma. Season One is made up of 12 exciting episodes generally with each episode as closed arc episodes with some back story with each one. As the season gets into the swing of things, viewers get a little bit more into the history of Chance, Winston and Guerrero. Christopher Chance may or may not be even his real name. Of course you find out during the Season Finale a little more about this charismatic character. Chance generally is a protector and each episode, he is hired to help with being a fully trained bodyguard, with lots of other talents. Winston is always there to help out as well. A former police detective, Winston is a no nonsense kind of guy who usually has to deal with all the trouble Chance gets himself into. Sometimes that means actually playing a role in the missions, whether it’s undercover or providing support from a van and trying to monitor the situation. Guerrero is another mysterious guy. Having some sort of history with Chance and Winston, you never really know all the cards he holds. He is a jack of all trades as well, and can really help out with computer hacking and security breaches.

The show is well directed, and the story lines are easy to follow but also making you sit on the edge of your seat. All 12 episodes moved along nicely and didn’t feel like a burden to watch, not to mention looking excellent in Blu Ray High Definition. Human Target also does a great job with guest stars like Lennie James (Jericho,) Amy Acker (Dollhouse,) Danny Glover, Moon Bloodgood and Armand Assante. Adapted from a DC graphic novel, I was never aware of it, but I can definitely see the translation onto the small screen. In the featurette: Human Target: Confidential Informant, explains on how they brought the comic from the pages to the screen. One big change was that in the comics, Chance wears a mask, but the creators felt that didn’t come across that well, especially with Mark Valley as the leading man. Also they discuss the relationships of the characters and how they interact and are sort of a dysfunctional family. The other big featurette on this set is Human Target: Full Contact Television which goes into all the big action sequences and fight scenes in the series. Mark Valley is a perfect fit for this character as it’s physically demanding and he’s a former West Point Grad and very skilled in martial arts. I still remember him from his short stint on Days of Our Lives (HA HA! Hey I was young and bored during the summer once.) The other featurettes are unaired scenes and commentary during the Pilot episode. The set looks fantastic on Blu Ray and even better than the original broadcast HD version of the episodes. The colors are crisp, and not have all that film grain that sometimes comes through the cable box. The extras are all in HD as well and look great.

When I first heard about Human Target, I was excited to check it out as Mark Valley as always been a familiar face on the screen with his last role in Season 1 of Fringe. Before that, it was Keen Eddie a short lived British-American cross over. The additions of Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley provide great chemistry amongst the cast and the castmates sarcasm is just as enjoyable as the fast paced action sequences. The opening sequence and score for the series is also a highlight as it feels more like a film than a tv show. It reminds me of the shows of old with the old title sequences. Just one more thing to enjoy from this great series! Disappointed it’s only 12 episodes but Season 2 premieres November 17 and I highly recommend it!

Features:
Confidential Informant: From Page To Screen
Full Contact Television: On-Screen Action
Unaired Scenes
Pilot Commentary
Audio Mix Enhanced From Broadcast

Video:
Widescreen 1.78:1 Color

Audio:
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English, Spanish, French

Bottom Line: Super fun and exciting series starring Mark Valley and Chi McBride
Running Time: 523 mins
Rating: NR
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: