Nikita

Based on Luc Besson's 1999 film La Femme Nikita (and mercifully, less cheesy than the 1997-2001 Peta Wilson TV Series), this promising adaptation follows the same premise. [10 Sep 2010, p.83]

Nikita is a breakthrough for teen-happy CW, its riskiest show yet--one aimed at adults. It's one they might enjoy.

Pretty much all a fan (or critic) could ask of a cult series remake is this: Does the newbie measure up? Based on all available evidence--the 42-minute premiere--the answer is yes.

Though Nikita is certainly dark, it's not as unbearably so as the USA cable version, which was too slick and soulless for its own good. The new version feels much more like a rollicking popcorn thrill ride.

Putting aside for a moment questions about whether it signifies the imminent collapse of Western civilization and even the human reproductive impulse, this version of Nikita can still provide a rollicking, if slightly psychotic, good time.

"Fun" hasn't been a big part of her job description, but she may have found some of it here.

If I had to choose between this and watching Michael Scott take a final lap around the tired Office halls of Dunder Mifflin on NBC--its dreadful companion comedy Outsourced isn't even an option--I'm leaning toward the drop-dead-deadly assassin.

When it comes to espionage stories or action-adventure in general, originality isn't as crucial as a good execution of the basics, and in that regard, the first hour of Nikita delivers.

The latest incarnation, Nikita, which begins on the CW network on Thursday, is a surprisingly sophisticated and satisfying adaptation.

CW's Nikita remake isn't nearly as awful as you'd imagine. In fact, it's remarkably good.

The CW under the direction of McG (does anybody have a full name anymore?) has made a fresh, terrific and terrifically silly Nikita.

It's a well-woven tale, with the different strings hanging together nicely and leading off in a few directions you might not expect. The direction is crisp, the cast is fine, the loopholes are mostly closed and the secret-agency/new-identity world is generally convincing, making this in some sense a version of Dollhouse that works better than the original.

You might remember that because Nikita is aimed directly at 24 fans. Not as ambitious nor as entertaining, it is just as decidedly unbelievable yet diverting.

Nikita is good, but it's not transcendent.