Review: "The Kill Point" Episodes 1-3

The Kill Point is a miniseries airing on Spike TV. The following is a review of the first 3 episodes based on a review copy we were sent.

The series opens on a bank going about its normal routine. We’re introduced to bank patrons, contrasted against the preparations by a bunch of robbers, who we can immediately assume will rob said bank. Sure enough, they do, but on the way out, a combination of bad timing and a zealous off-duty FBI agent turn the situation into a firefight, forcing the robbers back into the bank to take hostages. The top hostage negotiator is called in (played by Donnie Wahlberg) and what starts to play out is the kind of bank robbery gone wrong hostage negotiation that has been seen many times before. The twist is that the robbers, lead by Mr. Wolf (John Leguizamo) are actually a military unit. In what came as a big surprise, Mr. Wolf declares before the police and spectators that his goal is that the troops in Iraq get the equipment they deserve and those who supported the war be punished. (As a big lefty, I had no problem with this, but I can see how many would have a problem with this.)

However, where things get REALLY interesting is that there are many sides to the situation. The bank robbers are one side, as are former members of their unit who are operating on the outside out of detection of the SWAT teams. The local police are doing their best to get the situation resolved without loss of life, but that runs into a snag when the FBI shows up with their own agenda. A well-connected real estate mogul, whose daughter is one of the hostages, plays a big part as well (and shows he has other connections beyond political.) Even the hostages themselves are split into camps and make their own plans. Of course, all their plans criss-cross, leading to complications and plans gone awry… as these things do.

The plot and story are interesting, if not all that original. (Sympathetic and smart hostage takers was done really well lately in the movie Inside Man). One strong element of the script is the constant tension. We’re not given a good reason why the disaffected army unit is stealing money, especially since we find out pretty soon that Mr. Wolf’s wife has died due to lack of medical care, so there isn’t motivation there. I don’t know if this is an omission, or if this is a plot point for a later episode.

Leguizamo and Wahlberg are by far the best actors, especially in comparison to some of the rest of the cast which is filled with some stock characters. They do make an effort to give some of the incidental characters strong character traits. The kiss-up operations guy is especially funny with some of his snappy lines, and the philosophical-musing sniper (who has not yet done anything but provide color) is certainly unique. They gave Wahlberg’s character the trait of being a “grammar nazi”, but this ends up being more annoying than anything. (And you can tell when they’re setting him up for a joke when other characters use obviously bad English.)

The Kill Point is a miniseries lasting 6 episodes, and started in July. Some of the episodes can be caught online, and the new airings happen every Sunday at 9 on Spike. Overall, I give the series a 3.5 out of 5 so far… which could easily rise or fall based on what happens in the last few episodes. I was surprised how much I liked it and how much mileage they’ve gotten out of an old plot, but it has not yet risen to the level of greatness. I recommend checking out the first episode, especially if you’re a fan of crime dramas, as this one is at least ahead of the pack, and might turn out to be awesome.