Shark (TV Series) Pilot (2006) User Reviews

First Impressions

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 24 January 2009]

My first look at this show was last week on DVD. It wasn't bad; hey, James Woods is usually interesting no matter what movie role he's play (TV is new to him)....and Danielle Panamaker - wow, what a face! Woods does what he does best: playing an intense, hyper character. In this opening episode, his lines delivered fast with many quips. In fact, they came so fast you can't catch them all.

Playing a veteran defense attorney who reluctantly switches sides, he has a bunch of young hotshots assigned to work with him. None of these people are very unrealistic,of course, as Wood's "Sebastian Shark" is over-the-top, to lead this circus parade. In real life, no one talks like the people here.

I can see the show didn't make it - Woods, as interesting as he can be can wear thin with his hyper mouth; 2 - The show has so many quick lines that it's way above the average "Roseanne" crowd, so a show where you really have to pay attention, may not keep a huge audience.

Overall, I detect a lot of smugness - funny and clever at times - but a bit too much.

The James Woods Show

[MaxBorg89 · 8/10 · 20 January 2008]

"It's the legal drama version of House.". That sentence has been used by several critics and advertisers to summarize Shark, based on a single thing both shows have in common: the protagonist is an absolute pain in the ass. Any similarities end there, though: Sebastian Stark (James Woods), the incarnation of everything that's wrong in the legal business, is almost completely different from Gregory House, and the pilot sets to point that out as clearly as possible.

First and foremost, Stark is no (prescription) drug addict, his only "high" deriving from always winning in court. Until a man he got acquitted for wife-beating actually kills the missus, plunging the arrogant defense lawyer into a premature mid-life crisis and prompting him to accept a job in the DA's office. Secondly, he may have unorthodox methods, as the second rule of his "cutthroat manifesto" states ("Truth is relative. Pick one that works."), but he does care for other human beings, most notably his teenage daughter Julie (Danielle Panabaker), who spends the entire episode deciding which of her parents will be her legal guardian (Stark's ex-wife is leaving L.A.). Finally, he is convinced switching sides might open up a path toward redemption, and that thought is what really distances him from TV's most cynical and beloved physician. Okay, so he occasionally brutalizes his staff verbally, but that sort of comes with the job, doesn't it?

Actually, there is something else Shark shares with House: both serials are all about the leading man. The script is packed with excellent dialogue and the supporting cast is very good (especially Jeri Ryan as Stark's reluctant boss and Sarah Carter as his most loyal staffer), but from the first minutes of the pilot it is obvious the show belongs to Woods: doing what he has always done best (see his scene-stealing role in Clint Eastwood's True Crime), he throws out the meatiest lines ("Your job is to win. Justice is God's problem.") with a conviction so strong some could think he actually worked as a lawyer in the past.

And yet there are a few things that don't work as well as they should have: why have Spike Lee direct the pilot if he doesn't have anything personal to bring? I have nothing against famous directors working on TV shows (Tarantino's CSI two-parter, for example, might even be the best episode of that series), but there has to be something that identifies that filmmaker's contribution; aside from the top-spot acting, it is hard to understand why Lee bothered being involved in a project that looks nothing like one of his "joints". Furthermore, the family subplot is handled well, without slipping into sickly sentimentality, but it slows down the second half of the pilot, robbing Woods of the screen-time he deserves in the trial sequences. What he does in those scenes, however, is riveting enough to forgive the uneven pace.

So, is this show worth your time? Uh... yes. The format is familiar, but the central performance makes it more than the House rip-off it sounds like.

Welcome to your own network series, Mr. Woods!

[tcondon-1 · 10/10 · 29 September 2006]

There are very few actors who are as compelling on-screen as James Woods. But to devote a year or more of his time in dedication to a television series? I never thought it would happen.

"Shark" is a perfect vehicle for Mr. Woods and his energy and charisma drive the series perfectly. It's my opinion that the producers have cast "Shark" very well; the GQ-type next generation notwithstanding.

It all begins with a good script and so far so good. After watching two episodes, I am fairly convinced that "Shark" will make the first cut. If the creator and writing staff can continue to write compelling stories then I believe this series can be there for the magical 100-episode run.

I am grateful for the opportunity of viewing James Woods weekly. I just hope this isn't one of those situations where we look back and say "It was too good for television".

Congratulations on a wonderful first two offerings! Keep it up!