Movie review: Jericho

After a terrorists destroy 23 U.S. cities with nuclear bombs the country is in chaos. Jericho, Kansas finds itself away from the blast zones and outside the fallout areas though their infrastructure is in shambles. As they come together to survive they face hostile government contractors, mercenaries, war-mongering neighboring towns, rogue governments, in addition to their own internal struggles.

Skeet Ulrich (Jake Green), Lennie James (Robert Hawkins), Ashley Scott (Emily), Kenneth Mitchell (Eric), Brad Beyer (Stanley), April Parker-Jones (Darcy Hawkins), Alicia Coppola (Mimi), Pamela Reed (Gail Green), Gerald McRaney (Johnston Green), Shoshannah Stern (Bonnie), Michael Gaston (Gray), Erik Knudson (Dale), DB Sweeney (Goetz), Esai Morales (Beck).

This was a series originally run with 22 episodes before being cancelled then resurrected for an additional 7 episodes ending in 2008. The first episode starts off with very brief character development before the bombs explode after which things quickly get very interesting. The plot focuses on the residents of Jericho and how they deal with the aftermath. Lawlessness is a prominent theme as is the struggle for basic necessities. I expected the plot to grow old after a few episodes but they did a great job of bringing the story back to the basic plot in every episode, despite the drama that emerged in later episodes.

Acting was nicely done by most everyone. Ulrich, James, Jones, Coppola, and McRaney were all very good. Beyer and Stern both did exceptionally well and seemed to have a wonderful chemistry. Sweeney and Omundson both played antagonists perfectly.

Good camera work, sound, and dialogue make this an easy series to watch while sets and background gave the series an very authentic feel.

Overall this was a series I enjoyed tremendously though as a disclaimer I have to admit I absolutely love post-nuclear, End of The World type scenarios. I felt this series was a much more realistic exploration than other films that turn into zombie flicks or killing sprees. It is disappointing that the series was cancelled, twice, after only 29 episodes as the plot development had the potential to go much further and in many different directions.

Though there isn’t any foul language, nudity, or sexually explicit scenes there is some violence and adult concepts that younger kids might find disturbing. Save this one for teens and above.

Released: 2008
Reviewed: 2.25.17
Star rating: 5 out of 5
Genre: TV Dramas, TV Action & Adventure, Action, Drama, Mystery

copyright ©2017 Dave Riedel