Action Packed is a special DVD collection of Four adventure TV shows of yesteryear. All are the original pilots of Mission Impossible, Macgyver, Walker Texas Ranger and NCIS. You can see what made each of these series terrific or moronic from the get go.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: What can you really say about a super secret organization, the I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force, not International monetary fund) that takes the time to Emboss the name of their organization of their group on the leather case containing the profiles of potential candidates for each mission. It didn't take long to realize that Make-up whiz Martin Landau would be able to impersonate only those individuals who bore a striking resemblance to himself. It was always rewarding to see his wife, Barbara Bain, wrapped tightly in a towel, as a twelve year old staying up late to watch the first season. Steven Hill as the mastermind obligated to only choose those best specialists who can help each mission succeed, as long as they include computer/electronic whiz Barney and Strongman Peter Lupus. Hey, it's still a hoot to watch. Throw in guest/safe cracker Wally Cox and you really do have a team that might be able to steal some nukes without anyone having to disavow any responsibility for their actions.
MacGyver: Richard Dean Anderson, in a haircut that looks like he did it himself, is of course the lead character, MacGyver! Mac, as he is affectionately referred to by just about everybody who is about to blown up while in his presence, is an exceptionally handy guy. He can figure out more uses for routine everyday items, household cleaning products and whatever is handy to jury rig escapes that would have seriously challenged Houdini. He manages to figure out all sorts of escapes with a slightly irritating smirk and perennial smile. Maybe not the guy I'd pick to babysit my kids while I'm out of town but certainly the fellow to be with if trapped behind enemy lines, or underground in a cave, or even trapped in my house with nothing better to do for an hour than to be MacGyverized.
NCIS: This is the series that enabled Mark Harmon to return to network Television as brilliant taskmaster Jethro Gibbs, Head of NCIS. The pilot hopes that by each member of the team proudly announcing that they are indeed members of NCIS no one will figure out they probably belong to an organization that really doesn't really exist, except on Television. I mean that there might be an actual NCIS organization in the Governments Pantheon of alphabet soup directory. I just doubt that any member of it would be able to hijack Air Force One after one of the President's Military attaches mysteriously collapses and dies after having lunch with our Former President George W. Bush. An event that would make anyone sick. Suffice to tell, This episode does give a little background detail for each of the team members of the quirky NCIS family, all of them eminently qualified for government employment. The most disappointing aspect of this episode is that the actor cast as the president is terrible, he is much too articulate.
Walker, Texas Ranger: Yikes, what do you do if you witness the brutal stabbing of your parents after getting to go to your first carnival while you are eight years old. Well if your not the son of a billionaire and don't reside in Gotham City you grow up to kick ass as Chuck Norris. Chuck, as the title character, is of course a Texas Ranger. Whatever part of Texas he and his department patrols must have already separated from the Union because they certainly don't follow any constitutional protections required even in Gotham. However, a lot of the stupidest bad guys on Television do get the shit kicked, punched and knocked out of them. It's possible that they were all Miranda-ized but their moderate to severe head injuries caused their collective amnesia. Anyway, if your looking for a good reason to stay out of Texas, and out of the reach of the Texas Rangers, this show is for you.
Overall
While Mission Impossible and MacGuyver are great to watch, Walker and NCIS are pretty mind-numbing. If you are in the mood to catch up on some classic TV then you might enjoy this set.
ComicsOnline gives Action Packed 3 out of 5 stars.
