Rogue Elements

This is a proof of concept/ pilot and gives a taster of what a series could look like. The proof of concept is based on the series of books written by Will Jordon which follow Ryan Drake a CIA operative. Ryan Drake is a member of a special activities division made up of elite military veterans who retrieve high value assets. On this occasion the high value asset has been taken by Russians and it is up to Ryan Drake and his small team to get the asset back.

As you can imagine this is action packed viewing which does not hold back on the violence. If violence is not something you want to see on screen then this might not be an enjoyable watch, as at times it gets quite graphic. There are times where the camera quickly switches away from the violence leaving the audience to imagine what is happening. The action starts even before the opening credits have finished and this gives the audience a good grasp of what to expect. This is an effective way of drawing the audience in and it shows the viewer a key part of one characters history, which provides depth to the shows plot and clues to their role within it.

This is fast paced high octane viewing and requires the audiences full attention. The action sequences are well choreographed and look believable and there are many to enjoy. There is no time to look away or be distracted as each character has their own battle against the enemy. The sound track is very effective throughout, with it’s fast paced beat as each scene unfolds. The music really sets the pace of each scene and acts like the ticking time bomb leading up to each sequences conclusion.

The use of flashbacks is very effective and the way they are created reveals how the characters memory is working. There are times when the flashbacks feel like they are interrupted and distorted. This is a reflection of how the characters brain works and potentially how past events have affected their memory. The use of shallow focus works successfully throughout.

The fact that this has been written by the author of the books is important as you can see their imagination unfold on screen. The characters and plot are not left to the ideas of others which can often lead to a lack of understanding of the authors vision. This maybe even more important to the viewers who have read the books and have expectations of how the story is told and how each character looks and behaves.

The actors in the pivotal roles are generally based in Canada although appear to have backgrounds from countries in Europe. There are a number of accents on show such as Russian, American and English. Derek Moran plays Ryan Drake and appears to be good casting particularly during action sequences. This is not an easy task and no doubt takes weeks and possibly months of hard work. Ryan Drake has been written as an English agent and at times Derek Morans accent sounded a bit muddled. This did have a slight impact on the performance and may prove to be a distraction for the audience, particularly those from England.

The cast was really balanced and well put together. They all meet the physical requirements of the role and are able to showcase their skills when speaking in accents that may not be natural to them. I found Brian Bisson and Andrea Pavlovic to be the stand out stars and they had good chemistry between them. Andrea Pavlovic stole many of the scenes and hers was a character I’d like to see more of going forward. Olena Medwid as Anya had limited dialogue but this did not detract from her performance as her physical acting skills were very effective and vital to her role. Her scenes were physically challenging and full of emotion.

The director Travis Grant is also credited as a writer and the collaboration with the author works well. The lighting in many of the scenes portrays the desperate situation that some of the characters find themselves in. It is dimly lit and many of the sets lack colour. Close up camera work heightens the tension portrayed in each scene. Despite this being a proof of concept production, it feels polished and could easily be the finished product and ready to air.

Overall this is an action packed show which sets the scene for future episodes. There is plenty of excitement and well choreographed fight scenes. This proof of concept gives the audience enough to want more and also provides enough answers to make for an enjoyable watch in isolation . If the audience have the read the books it will no doubt be beneficial but it is not essential. Make sure you watch through the closing credits as more is revealed in the mid credit scenes.