The tv show was clearly aimed at little kids and teens-- it was filled with preachy messages like, "Eat healthy," "don't resort to violence," "don't drink," "stay in school", "talk to your parents about your problems", etc, etc. The villains, for the most part, were very cartoonish and never really threatening, and almost all of Mac's friends were very much designed to appeal to young children (Penny Parker, Jack Dalton, etc)

But, now that a lot of us have grown up, should the movie be aimed at an older audience (since most of us old time fans are no longer kids), or should they still cater towards the 12 year old kids like the TV show did?

I'm kind of on the fence about this. I still enjoy the show, but there are a lot of times when I wish it wasn't quite SO juvenile. On the other hand, I wouldn't want it to get TOO dark or gritty. I guess ideally I would like it to be something like Raiders Of The Lost Ark-- good fun for kids, but still enjoyable for adults, without any moral lessons to bog things down.
Your thoughts?

It was a family tv show mixed with Indy, James Bond and other tv shows in the mix MacGyver used his brain instead of whipping out a gun.

I think the movie will appeal to alot of people children, teens, and adults. As long as it isn't gruesome. One thing I didn't like about Indiana Jones was the gruesome things, like the eyeball in the soup.

lol when I saw that part with trhe eye balls I had to turn away.

OK let me put this way....
I would like to see Both BUT with a twist .

They should keep the Original Idea BUT make it in a "MATURE" way.
We now live in a diferent time.

Just Imagine a cross of MacGyver with John Maclane.... ( Die Hard ) but NO GUNS
on Mac's side of course...

I know , I know that's not how the show used to be...but if they don't UPDATE
the caracter they better trow the $$$$$ away now and not wait.

Even Stargate is diferent....If you compare Stargate with Buck Rogers show...
( boy Iam getting old...LOL )

So that's the kind of Idea I have im mind.
MacGyver in a bad mood like John Maclane.....

and LOTS of

Thats a great idea you have, i would love to see the same.

@M-Tex:
Yeah, Die Hard had that perfect level of fun and danger, and I'd love to see a MacGyver movie that strikes the same balance. Realistically, of course, I doubt a Mac movie would be anywhere near as good as Die Hard, simply because movies made from TV shows just don't have a very good track record. But if the Mac movie is aimed at the same audience as the Die Hard movies, that would be a good start. And I'd prefer that they avoid any sort of social messages in the movie. I want a fun no-holds barred adventure... I don't want Mac telling a bunch of kids why it's wrong to drink and drive.

i agree 110%.

I completely disagree with that discription. MacGyver was an action adventure show that took responsibility for the younger audience when need be. It was by no means a "kid" show. I agree with Beachbead, it was a show the whole family could watch. Sometimes it was darker(The Challenge) and other times it had a message(20 Questions). To call it a "kids" show is a disservice to a great show with such a wide range.

That being said, I doubt they would need to treat the movie like a lighter episode. They should pick up where the series left off and maybe have Mac deal with Murdoc going after SAM.

I remember watching MacGyver while in high school, with my mother and step-father, and felt that the ideas were important to everyone. I remember the tears in Mac's face when he found the Challengers club founder dead. Those issues are just as important today as they were yesterday.

Look at all the shows that reference MacGyver. And how today nearly 13 years after the show is off the air (and a show that was very conscious of the enviroment). Now everyone is on the bandwagon. Just my thoughts.

This post has been edited by MacNymph on 24 June 2009 - 09:24 AM

I don't want to see a dark and evil MacGyver movie like Trail to Doomsday.

SMeeceymouse

We think much alike.....Where you in the 80's
I know I had a Great time.....

Yes, I was an 70s-80s child. It was a great time. I still remember watching Miami Vice in high school, and Magnum PI. So that I guess kind of dates me.

Like um... no. I doubt little kids would understand episodes like The Gun and Twenty Questions. And you don't think peoples like Murdoc, Zito and Deborah aren't threatening. We're talking about a hitman, a psycho and a negotiator here.

There's no way this movie is going to get rated R. PG, PG-13 at most. And there are many movies out there that has proven that there's no need for language. Just look at Superman Returns, Casino Royale, Mission Impossible III. As far as the language is considered, the bad words from the show are hard enough for this level.

Dark and gritty the way I like it. And I wouldn't mind it that way. But it probably won't be this way either. If there was another tv-movie made it wouldn't have been so dark either like Trail to Doomsday. The sequels and it most cases the 2nd film have to get harder, just have a look at The Temple of Doom (and that was a PG-film) or Back to the Future part II or The Two Towers or the Harry Potters.

The way I don't want it. That would be like taking the easy way out on the job you were asked for. MacGyver is not an archeologist, he's a secret agent/social worker. Being a secret agent could be good fun for kids too.

But nothing beats ripping out the heart/lowering into the lavapit scene. Or being forced to drink blood.

Same here but it won't get rated R, but as far as the action's good, why not?

Still giving good advice or doing the rights things for the right causes still wouldn't do harm. And I think that is possible if it doesn't get too preachy. Of course do have to say I don't want any annoying kid or any other teen getting in trouble for Mac to get him or her out of it. The best formula is Mac/Jack/Murdoc/Nikki/Sam.

Sounds more like my kind of ball game.

I think it won't. Because they're completely opposites. MacGyver uses wits McClane uses guns. McClane is too gunhappy, over the edge and frankly as good as crazy. In a way I like but they can't be related.

The easy way out again.

Probably won't happen but a good and a right dose of drama might be welcome. Not too much of a tearjerker or depression though. But... well like in Superman Returns a few tougher moments for the hero, getting beaten up. I think Superman Returns is like the most recent film that had a moment I went in aww-mode, just like the whole audience. The moment he pushed the piece of land into space and than out of exhaustion and the effects of kryptonite on him, he closes his eyes and falls all the way back down. His cape waving gracefully and than this tragic music begins playing. The hero who had just came back after five years dies in his first major situation since than. Now that's what I call good drama.

I completely disagree with that discription. MacGyver was an action adventure show that took responsibility for the younger audience when need be. It was by no means a "kid" show. I agree with Beachbead, it was a show the whole family could watch. Sometimes it was darker(The Challenge) and other times it had a message(20 Questions). To call it a "kids" show is a disservice to a great show with such a wide range.

That being said, I doubt they would need to treat the movie like a lighter episode. They should pick up where the series left off and maybe have Mac deal with Murdoc going after SAM.

I remember watching MacGyver while in high school, with my mother and step-father, and felt that the ideas were important to everyone. I remember the tears in Mac's face when he found the Challengers club founder dead. Those issues are just as important today as they were yesterday.

Look at all the shows that reference MacGyver. And how today nearly 13 years after the show is off the air (and a show that was very conscious of the enviroment). Now everyone is on the bandwagon. Just my thoughts.

I completely agree, I'm 19 and watching the show for about 2 years now. I haven't at any point thinking that the show is really dated. Except for film quality and maybe some stunts but nothing to do with the storylines. Personally I don't mind the preechy episodes. They don't redically change me, but makes me think and be more concious, I care about animals and an enviromentalist already, but still other issues in life I find interesting to see it dealt with differently than the cliched stuff on tv today.

i agree i want the movie to be true to who and what MacGyver and cast is.

I think this is somewhat of a moot point actually. The producers will make the film to appeal to whichever audience they are aiming it at.

I'm hoping that audience will be the same one that national Treasure and Indy Jones films aimed at.

I disagree that MacGyver was made as a kids show. If you look at other shows from the same era, they are all the same. Look at Magnum PI,The A team, Knight Rider.. etc. Al those 8pm time slot shows where much the same... it's just the way TV shows where made back then, not because they where aimed at specific audiences.

Also the preaching didn't come until later in the show, and that was a conscious decision by the producers to use their "lime light" to speak out on certain issues which they felt needed to be spoken on at the time.

I think if you aim at PG or PG-13, you have a pretty wide audience. Even PG-13 will be appealing, I'd say that all depends on how intense the action or the violence will be. Knowing that the suspense actually lies in the escapes and MacGyverisms, I think it won't be so bad. After all MacGyver is about this:

Of course there is something I hope that stays in the movie as well. MacGyver is just a guy like another. He's human, if he hits someone, he hurts his hand (can't always show that if you're in the middle of a fight, there were plenty of fights it didn't seem to bother him) when he's shot or hurt, he bleeds. MacGyver doesn't always come out unharmed. D.O.A. MacGyver, The Outsiders, Cleo Rocks and Stricktly Business are great examples of that. Just like James Bond in Casino Royale, lot's of intense action violence and a bloody face. I don't say that because I enjoy seeing blood in the movies but it's reality. After all everything MacGyver goes through normal people would've died long ago, so at least they can add blood to it.

Though I wouldn't be so surprised if the movie remains bloodless and if it's not, they probably going to use super minor cuts or trying to cover it up. Than I start figure either use it or don't.

I think the chances are pretty likely. I can't figure any other audience and I doubt they would rate it R because the generation grew up.

@MacGyverGod:
I think you misunderstood my point when I said I wanted it to be like Raiders. I did NOT mean I want it to be a treasure hunt (those episodes tend to be really bad), I meant I want it done with that sense of fun and adventure, and aimed at the same audience as the Indy films, unlike the TV show, which often catered to a younger audience. Not saying the plot should be anything like Indy.

Maybe I've just watched too many juvenile episodes in a row and it's tainting my judgment of the series. I watched "Out In The Cold" this past weekend, and that's what opened my eyes to the fact that this really is a show aimed at children. I'm not saying that's a bad thing-- I loved it as a kid, and I'm glad they had a show appropriate for a kid back then-- it's just a realization I had, and figured it was worth seeing what other people's thoughts were on how the movie should be handled.

"Twenty Questions" is exactly one of the episodes that IS aimed at kids. Heck, it's Mac trying to get a KID to stop drinking, and instead of fighting off evil dictators or whatever, he's fighting off a bunch of highschool kids. This is definitely not an episode aimed at adults. When I was in school, I was learning about the dangers of drinking in sixth grade... that's 11 years old, the age this episode seems to be aimed at. Anyone older than that really wouldn't find highschool kids to be very threatening.

Murdoc is only threatening for people who find Wyle E. Coyote threatening. Yes, he's a hitman, but he's such a comical hitman and very intentionally campy. Just rewatch Halloween Knights or Cleo Rocks or Obsessed if you have doubts about the campiness. He was handled SLIGHTLY more seriously in Strictly Business, but even then, he certainly had plenty of comic moments, and the traps he sets up for Mac are always very high in campiness.

Dr. Zito is more threatening, and I love both of his episodes, but sadly, he only appeared in two episodes.

Deborah was also good, but again, she only appeared twice.

I know there are times when MacGyver was aimed at an older crowd, but I'm talking about the majority of episodes, not the exceptions. Looking back over the course of the show, there seem to be more episodes aimed at children. Again, I'm not criticizing that. Hell, I wish there were more shows like this aimed at children today, but I'm just curios about what direction a movie would take.

As i am too which direction a movie would take.

Can you name me a show from the MacGyver era, which aired in the same time slot on TV which you think was aimed at adults?

I never found Murdoc comical even when he was trying to be funny. He is still creepy as heck to me. The moments when he "died" were only "comical" because we all cheered that MacGyver was able to beat him...until he showed up again. There is a calmness and glee that Murdoc has that makes him a scary, scary man(like the Joker). Other than MacGyver he never failed a hit. To this day the only 2 TV villians that creep me out are Murdoc and the spider replicators.

I also would discount other villian because they only appeared a couple times. They made a lasting impact thus why we remember and discuss them today.

I also wouldn't say the majority or episodes were aimed at a younger audience(unlike certain preachy Happy Days episodes). I think the writers had a nice blend of 'moments" that had a message with all episodes. It showed what kind of a wonderful man MacGyver is. It made up his moral fiber. There are everyday situations where, if we are trying to be good people, the things we say and the actions we take can inspire and motivate others actions. The fact that those moments were in a lot of episodes didn't make it kid like. It just probably influenced kids more since they are more willing to learn and change than most adults. I know a major part of who I am is due to MacGyver. I'm still influenced today and I'm 34 now.

I agree Murdoc is one creepy dude.

Can you name me a show from the MacGyver era, which aired in the same time slot on TV which you think was aimed at adults?

No I can't Best this old woman can remember is it came on here in Goochland,VA at 8 pm. Right before Monday Night Football.

Look at all the gruesome shows that are on TV now that are supposed to be geared for the more mature audiences that come on at 8pm. I wonder what those producers are thinking? Watching a PG13 movie now in days is like watching a G rated movie when i was 9-10 years old.

Most tv shows now a days are aimed at older people some i wouldn't even watch because there just too much.

Can you name me a show from the MacGyver era, which aired in the same time slot on TV which you think was aimed at adults?

No I can't Best this old woman can remember is it came on here in Goochland,VA at 8 pm. Right before Monday Night Football.

Look at all the gruesome shows that are on TV now that are supposed to be geared for the more mature audiences that come on at 8pm. I wonder what those producers are thinking? Watching a PG13 movie now in days is like watching a G rated movie when i was 9-10 years old.

Very true. Over here in the UK I used to freakout at stuff in 15s (suitable for over 15yrs+) Now if a see a 12 (suit for 12yrs+) I see stuff I used to be weary of in 15s. I don't like it! lol.

Good question. And I'm having a hard time thinking of a definite answer. I'd say Dynasty and Dallas were aimed at an older audience, simply based on the amount of sex and the fact that they didn't try teach their audience morals. Scarecrow & Mrs. King was probably aimed at a slightly older audience (it seemed to be popular among middle aged women, and it didn't have as many cartoon-like characters as Mac did, like Penny, Jack, Murdoc, etc), but even so, it was very juvenile by today's standards. Same with Murder She Wrote.

For the most part, though, 80s tv seemed to be aimed at a younger crowd than most of the shows that we see today. Shows like Knight Rider, MacGyver, The A-Team, Airwolf, etc, all catered towards the 10-17 year old boy. That's why I'm glad I was born when I was-- the tv was perfect for me back then. On the other hand, I'm glad shows have matured. I'm 34 now, and so naturally I'm more into shows like ER, Lost, Third Watch, etc, and I wouldn't be so thrilled to watch things like "Who's The Boss?" and "Growing Pains" anymore, even though I liked them as a kid.

Can you name me a show from the MacGyver era, which aired in the same time slot on TV which you think was aimed at adults?

No I can't Best this old woman can remember is it came on here in Goochland,VA at 8 pm. Right before Monday Night Football.

Look at all the gruesome shows that are on TV now that are supposed to be geared for the more mature audiences that come on at 8pm. I wonder what those producers are thinking? Watching a PG13 movie now in days is like watching a G rated movie when i was 9-10 years old.

Very true. Over here in the UK I used to freakout at stuff in 15s (suitable for over 15yrs+) Now if a see a 12 (suit for 12yrs+) I see stuff I used to be weary of in 15s. I don't like it! lol.

I've seen Hells Kitchen (with Gordon Ramsey) on at 8pm. CSI on at 9pm. I mean things my parents wouldn't let me watch as a kid, kids are now watching. Airwolf, Knight Rider, and even Third Watch would have been shown in the 9-10pm time slot over here in Goochland, VA.