No Ordinary Family was one of the shows critics liked and one to watch for this season. Now, I'm not a big fan of TV. I don't watch much TV, and what I do watch I don't tend to follow faithfully. In fact, the last time I did follow shows faithfully were 24 and LOST. I'm a sucker for superhero shows, following Heroes pretty faithfully as well. So, No Ordinary Family intrigues me.
Missing the pilot and catching the second episode, I don't think I've missed anything. However, I have enjoyed what I've seen. The show is entertaining. And if Heroes was the superhero super group (X-men, Avengers, etc.), then this is the Fantastic Four of TV. It would also be comparable to The Incredibles, as many have compared. It's a good angle and it adds depth to an otherwise stale genre. Not so much for TV, but with so many superhero stories flooding the entertainment market, this more family friendly fare adds a little something to the field of TV.
The added element of family also seems to give it a little bit more life. Where as Heroes didn't last very long due to overblown stories and too many characters, Family could last long enough if it takes care to stick to it's core of the family and their problems. Essentially, this is a family sitcom without the comedic focus and with super powers. It's a good combination, even if you're not particularly a fan of the genres. The acting is quite good on the part of Julie Benz and Michale Chiklis as the parents. The kids are adequate, playing the typical teenagers with teenage issues. Autumn Reeser is cute as Mrs. Powell's lab assistant and Romany Malco is humorous as the best friend of Mr. Their adequate for entertainments sake, but also a bit cliché, which is disappointing.
The villains are also a bit of a disappointment. Whereas, for comparison, Sylar was a fairly complex villain, the villains here not only have superpowers as well, but are fairly cliché and evil. Hopefully this will change and more interesting villains will appear. But for now, the family dynamic and entertaining super power antics are fun enough to watch. How long they stay fun is a matter of time to tell. This is one show, though, I'm willing to keep watching for the time being.
