Monday, July 25, 2011

No Ordinary Review of No Ordinary Family

Fox's brand new, spanking show, No ordinary Family, is basically Pixar's The Incredibles --just in case you want to see them in human form.

Frankly, a rip-off was my first impression of this TV show.  Really, the super-powered characters of the show are even called 'Supers' --a term that was also used to label super-powered CG characters on the cult cartoon blockbuster.  Thank God, spandex-use was spared!

Eventually though, I did realize I was being unfair.  No Ordinary Family can actually hold its own.   Since it's a weekly TV series, it has more time to flesh out its story into several very interesting plot lines per episode.  So it kept me interested.

All is well and then the show had to reveal a mastermind on top of all the super-powered mutations sprouting all over the city.  So now... it's an X-Men rip-off.  *sigh*

You know what, I'm overanalyzing this.  At the end of it all, No Ordinary Family is another family show with the same gender wars between husband and wife, the same drama and rivalry between teen-aged siblings... but with a very unique, high-octane twist.  Unlike X-men and The Incredibles, No ordinary family doesn't focus on super powers.  It focuses on relationships.  On family.  On friends.
BUT unlike any other family show, it doesn't do soap opera or slapstick to get these warm, familiar messages across.  It uses super powers.   So you can relate to the reality of every episode's story, and enjoy extraodinariness and empowerment at the same time. 

And what family doesn't believe they're unique and powerful in their own right?

So that's what makes No ordinary Family extraordinary.   It's real and surreal at the same time.   Kinda like your family, huh?

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