Early Edition (1996)

What would you do if you are to receive every day tomorrow’s newspapers? I mean, if I were to be blessed with knowledge of what tomorrow may have in store for us all, I would certainly look up tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers and anything with an inconceivably large sum of money tied to it. That’s exactly what ‘Early Edition’ is about. What Gary Hobson (<a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_Chandler>Kyle Chandler</a>) chose to do the day he was bestowed tomorrow’s papers, more specifically the Chicago Sun-Times  by, whether you believe it or not, a tabby cat. Preventing life-threatening scenarios, robberies, the likes, that’s what he decided to do. Kinda reminds you of Minority Report, doesn’t it? Where criminals are caught before the offenses are even committed. Except that every action Gary takes out of an admirable sense of righteousness may indirectly alter the outcome of a situation which is manifested in the headlines on the paper for the better. Or worse. Almost always for the worse, since it’s the only way the producers of the show are to spice things up for the audience.

Image from dvdizzy.com

Yeah, same guy who was one of the cast in the film ‘<a href=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360717/>King Kong</a>’ (2005). Also, where there’s a hero, there’s always a sidekick(s) tagging along throughout the whole story, and here’s some of them:

<a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_Stevens>Fisher Stevens</a> as Chuck Fishman, best of friends with Gary Hobson, occasionally shown trying to profit from someone or something, including the prophetic Sun-Times entrusted to Mr. Hobson.

<a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan%C3%A9sia_Davis-Williams>Shanesia Davis-Williams</a> as Marissa Clark. Though she may be blind, there are a few occasions where she was more than able to help Gary out with the man’s responsibilities to the papers, especially in an episode where Gary was quarantined with a monkey bite, rendered incapable of carrying out those responsibilities and who better to turn to for help other than a blind woman with a guide dog?

There are particular episodes depicting Gary’s sometimes more than unpleasant encounters with irritable law enforcers and nosy journalists while trying to do the right thing all the time, which may not be perceived as the right thing at first by these individuals, who are constantly vexed by the question, ‘How does he know that’s gonna happen?’ Don’t think they’ll be able to find the answer any time from now…

A little comedy and suspense plus allegorical anecdotes at the end of every episode, all rolled into one sweet showt. If you’re looking for a release from all those jaded films of conventional superheroes wearing capes and tight undies, then Early Edition is something for you. I mean, <a href=http://www.sammohung.com/>Sammo Hung</a>, the Chinese martial arts superstar who recently starred in Ip Man 2, made a cameo in a particular episode as Sammo Law, a Hong Kong cop who, together with Gary Hobson, bust crime and stuff, aided by the papers and explosive kung fu moves from Sammo himself, of course. 

Early Edition’s theme song below: