HBO Max continues to venture into the comic book landscape but this time it’s DMZ, a series created by Brian Wood and it’s caught in the middle of a second American Civil War that has turned Manhattan into a demilitarized zone; The new show stars Rosario Dawson, Benjamin Bratt, and Hoon Lee. This is a limited series packed with only four episodes; however, in today’s television landscape that’s overcrowded with content, is the DMZ something worth going out of the way to see? Well, based on the pilot…not really.
To be clear, DMZ is not a bad show. The beginning has an assortment of interesting ideas and Rosario Dawson is solid as Alma Ortego. Though, Benjamin Bratt steals the show as Parco Delgado. Bratt has always been a decent actor, but nothing special. However, here, he’s embodied the role of the charismatic gang leader and he’s easily a joy to watch. That’s not to say that everyone else is bad or boring, but he sticks out like a sore thumb in a good way. The story about rivaling factions in the midst of a dystopian world is nothing new really. I can’t speak about the comics as I haven’t read them but based on what was presented in the pilot, everything appears to be too simplistic and pedestrian. The showcase of humanity in the midst of a war-torn country has always been a fascinating watch. It forces characters to make hard choices that they wouldn’t normally do if the world wasn’t turned upside down. It gets them to challenge their morals and questions just how far people will go to survive. The problem with the pilot is that there’s really no challenge for Alma Ortego to speak off. She’s not particularly going against her morals because she’s looking for her son willingly. And there’s nothing wrong with that as her journey has been set, but given how much build-up about the DMZ, it’s quite disappointing how easy Alma Ortego navigates through this world.
She gets in with ease, manages to gain access quickly thanks to assisting Rose and despite a minor hiccup or two, there was never a moment that Alma felt truly in danger even though everyone proclaimed how unsafe that world is. There are interesting themes at play when it comes to the DMZ, nature vs. nurture, the unfair treatment of lower-class citizens, and the harmful violence can be to mankind, but none of it is really given that much thought or exploration. In truth, DMZ feels like Dawn of Dead (remake), or most zombie apocalypse movies, there are interesting themes to tap into, but the movie mainly cares about two things: zombies and clever and brutal ways killing them off. This feels like a popcorn feature in the form of a television series. There’s nothing wrong that, but the problem is that DMZ doesn’t particularly stand out in a different light because this type of dystopian future has been displayed before. There’s fun characters here and there and the first hour of the series went by quickly. It’s the definition of a solid show with a good budget and a fun premise. Perhaps DMZ is a bit too serious. If the writers had more fun with this rich material then this would’ve perfectly suited an action itch that could’ve been a memorable affair. It doesn’t. You’re never truly invested in Alma’s journey because we never get to know her son Christian. We simply dive into the journey without connecting with the characters first. Parco Delgado and his crew stands out because we do get to know and understand them. In fact, if the faction wars dominated DMZ then this would’ve likely been a better show. There’s traces of Escape from New York and The Warriors in the pilot, though it doesn’t come close to becoming as good as those movies.
Another reason that it’s hard to invest in Alma’s journey is due to the fact that we don’t know much about the title character herself. Rosario Dawson is an engaging presence and her vow to going into this world is noble, but there’s nothing particularly interesting about Alma herself. DMZ is fine for a lazy afternoon if you truly have nothing else to watch, but it doesn’t separate itself from the dozens of dystopian type shows/series to truly call itself memorable. Rosario Dawson does the best that she can and Benjamin Bratt is a notable highlight; The show has a surprising moment or two, but it’s nothing that makes you compelled to continue after the pilot.
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