Jack Bauer, after almost two years away from TV, returned tonight in 24: Redemption, a two-hour prequel film set in Africa, which bridges the gap between seasons 6 and 7 of 24. Jack Bauer, since the end of season 6, where he was last seen pondering life and all its complexities while staring contemplatively into the ocean, has been globe-trotting, finding himself, avoiding the reality of his home country. 24: Redemption was filmed almost entirely in South Africa, and it's the first time we've ever seen Jack Bauer outside of Southern California. The prequel sets up a number of characters and plot lines that will be integral to season 7 of 24.
The action picks up in Sangala, Africa. We are in a township, and young boys are being trained to fight, not unlike what we saw in Blood Diamond. Rebel leader Toad Voiced Guy is very evil, and speaks of the power of the machete. Colonel Dubaku, I think, is his name. Making a speech in front of all the young boys, Colonel Bad Guy brings up a member of the government, beaten and bloodied, in front of everyone. Dubaku calls the dude a “cock-a-roach” over and over, finally making one of the young boys kill the government worker with a machete, working the masses into a frenzy.
“The following takes place between 3pm and 5pm.” Damn, it's good to hear your voice, Kiefer. Gil Bellows, as a bespectacled diplomat, is driven into a town somewhere in Sangala. We see a peaceful school next as it receives food from a truck. A young boy, while the village gets its food, searches though someone's possessions, steals a knife. These are Jack Bauer's things. Jack shows up, answers the boy's queries. Jack has been all around the world – India, other places.
“When are you going home?” Willie (the boy) asks.
“I'm not going home,” says Jack.
Frank Trammel (Gil Bellows), who works for the ambassador, arrives at Jack's place with Jack's friend Robert Carlyle. Trammel tries to serve Jack with a subpoena. Carl (Carlyle) is informed by Frank that the subpoena was issued a year ago. Carl is now working with the kids, doing charity, running the school, good work. Frank drives away, then a weird European UN guy talks to Jack.
Dubaku is getting his rebel soldiers ready. They are planning an attack on something. The General then receives a call from Hodges, who is the big bad guy for season 7, played by Jon Voight. He offers support from some of his soldiers who are outside the Sangala border. After the call, Hodges' business assistant calls in an underling to erase records from a number of African countries.
Jack and Carl have a talk about the subpoena, going back home. Jack doesn't want to go back, get his freedom taken away. Carl, by the way, used to be on Special Forces with Jack. Jack is still wound really tight. Jack makes it clear that he's going to leave tonight, in order to protect Carl and the school he has made into something good. Jack, magic man purse in hand, takes off one more time, intent on leaving again. A dude from the food truck is talking about how Juma has a army of soldiers being readied. Carl and a boy go into town to search for his brother Desmond.
A group of boys play soccer, but are cornered by Dubaku's men. They include Desmond. The boys are told that they are now soldiers. They soldiers single one boy out for peeing his pants, and Desmond and another boy take this opportunity to try and run away. They make it to the high grass, but are shot dead. Or so it appears.
We pick up in Washington, D.C. It is the morning, and it is inauguration day. The lackey from the office calls a friend, who happens to be the son of the president elect, played by Cherry Jones. The son has a hot lady friend, who takes a long time getting dressed. We pick up with President-Elect Taylor, two hours from inauguration She is informed by Thomas Lennox about the imminent coup in Sangala.
Talking to the Sangalese president is the soon to be former president Noah Daniels, played by the great Powers Boothe. Taylor and Daniels meet, and both wonder who supplied the arms. Daniels says he has given the order to evacuate all American troops from the area. Taylor is upset when Daniels makes the cynical, pragmatic arguments why not to get involved. He doesn't particularly care about the loss of lives or potential genocide. He knows that there's not much in Sangala worth protecting. Taylor wants to save lives.
Carl finds the soccer field, and then the body of one of his former students. The other, Desmond, is still alive. He's not in good shape. Carl takes him back to the jeep. Desmond's little brother wants to go with Jack. Jack, obviously, says no. That ain't going to happen. Jack is all packed up now, on his way out. Jack has an emotional farewell with the kid. However, Jack's not going anywhere, at least not for the next two hours.
Carl gets a hold of Jack. The embassy isn't responding. Carl tells Jack that the soldiers are on their way. Jack has to take care of the kids. Acting quickly, as the rebels approach, Jack sends the boys to the school's underground shelter, and loads himself up with guns and ammo from Carl's room. Jack is charged with holding off the rebels. The boys all get in the shelter before the soldiers arrive. Jack, alone, has to stop the rebels. He starts by blowing up one of their jeeps with a Molotov cocktail. He shoots two others, then has a missile launched at him. He dives away, manages to shoot one other.
Then Jack stabs a guy in the heart, and shoots two more with a machine gun. The boys remains safe. Next, Jack blows up a bad guy with dynamite, shoots another one with a machine gun he picked up. He gets two men to chase him into the forest, jumps them, takes them on in hand to hand combat. Jack is then pistol-whipped by the rebel leader. Carl shows up to find Jack tied up, being interrogated into giving up the students' hiding place.
Trammel, at the US embassy, gets a call from Carl. He learns about the evacuation of all the Americans – Trammel cannot help him at all.
Jack is beaten up by the rebels. It seems a little bizarre that they're so held up on getting these dozen or so boy soldiers. They burn Jack. He will not talk. Jack will never talk. He gets a signal from Carl, who is reflecting the sunlight with a rear-view mirror. Jack, then, starts acting, crying, and tells them a false location for the shelter. Carl shoots the rebels, while Jack manages to kill the rebel leader with a ridiculous leg neck-breaking maneuver. Carl and Jack now are focused on getting the kids to the embassy. Carl has sponsorship papers for the kids.
The lackey visits the President-Elect's son. The lackey tells the First Son that he thought he was embezzling money for his boss, but there was a red flag – he noticed that one of the accounts was for a person who is on the terrorist watch list.
General Juma arrives at Colonel Debaku's camp. Debaku is informed that they have captured the UN wuss. The wuss talks, tells them to look for the bus full of students. Carl and Jack listen in on Debaku's orders from a walkie-talkie they took off one of the rebels. They hear that a rebel patrol is near, and know that they have to get off the road. They do, and decide to walk the last few kilometers to the embassy.
Daniels and Taylor have one last discussion in the oval office before the inauguration It's formal and tense, Daniels having a drink, somewhat indignant. Taylor is suspicious of Daniels' motives regarding Sangala.
The lackey goes back to his apartment to send the First Son evidence of wrongdoing at his workplace by his boss. He is a reformed addict, so he decides not to pop some pills. He hears something at his apartment door. He goes to investigate. When he comes back to his computer, there is a man at his desk, deleting the files. He is calm, icy, and makes sure that no one else has seen the files. The lackey, Chris, is then hit in the head by a second man. He is tied up – he will be interrogated.
The First Son and his squeeze arrive at the inauguration His limo driver calls the dude interrogating Charlie. Say what?
Back to Jack and the boys. Carl tells Jack where to go. He's going to take the boys from there. Jack is about to head out, but then he hears a helicopter. Everyone races into the trees. Debaku is in the helicopter.
As Jack, Carl and the boys flee into the woods, Willie sees a scarf in the middle of a field and goes after it. Carl sees that Willie is running straight into a mine field. Carl, to save Willie, jumps in front of the mine, and lands right on top of one. If Carl picks up his foot, the mine will explode. Jack tries to find a way to diffuse the mine, but there is no time. Jack has to take the boys from there, leaving Carl on top of a live mine. Jack grudgingly leaves. Carl later hears Debaku and his men approach. He gets a couple of his men to get close to him, and then sacrifices himself, killing a couple of the rebels in the process as the mine explodes. Jack hears this from a distance, and is devastated.
Jack and the kids make it to the city. The kids learn of Benton's death, Willie cries. In the middle of the busy street, the rebels start shooting at Jack. A shoot out ensues, the kids hiding, and the Jack finds himself face to face with a kid pointing a gun at him. Jack talks the kid down, and the boys make their way towards the embassy.
The limo driver and Hodges are in cahoots. Hodges wonders if the first son will become an issue, if he needs to be eliminated.
Jack reaches the embassy, but it's madness. Jack Bauer calls for Trammel. Trammel, the scumbag that he is, gives Jack a choice. He can save the boys if he surrenders himself to the US government. Jack is pissed, but he has no choice, and the boys are let in to the embassy as Jack is put into handcuffs.
The lackey is dead, given a cement grave. Jack and the boys are flown out of Sangala. All the while, President Allison Taylor gives her inauguration speech. After hearing Obama for the last year, the gravitas of the speech is a little lacking. It's not terrible, however. Jack and the boys take off in their helicopter, looking down at the locals who had to stay back.
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