First, I'll preface by saying I am a huge fan of The Six Million Dollar Man. I started watching the show as a kid, and it has never lost favor with me. Same with the Bionic Woman. Both shows were enjoyable, whether they were being serious, or tongue in cheek. That said, I was somewhat disappointed in this film, as I was in its predecessor. The writing and directing were far too choppy, as if they were trying to compress 4 hours of television into 90 minutes. There are times where it also seems like it was trying too hard to sell a pilot. Like "Return of The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman" a few years earlier, the film was composed as a pilot for a series that would spin off from the saga of Steve and Jaime, and, as with most pilots, the network and the studio were characteristically stingy with the budget. The video effects used to make Kate look "more powerful" than Steve and Jaime were far too schlocky and poorly realized, and all of the characterizations were melodramatic pastiches of the originals. Gone was Steve's subtle sense of humor, and Jaime's compassion was twisted into a stereotypical Aaron Spelling-like mom character. Sandra Bulloch's character was ironically the most coherently realized, probably because it was her character that the new series would be based on.Thank goodness for the caveat at the end, leading to Steve and Jaime getting engaged. It made for a nice lead-in to what would turn out to be the best (by a wide margin) of all the Bionic Reunion films. Much as i love the hows, I have to give this film two bionic thumbs down... although, I'll still watch it every now and then, like a guilty pleasure.

American cheats to win gold at the Olympics. True story? No, but if it was, it could be about ANY American athlete...Marion Jones et.al.Actually, this is a movie which brings back TV favourites "The six million dollar man" and "The bionic woman"...remember? Steve Austin as the six dollar million man? Jaime Sommers as the bionic woman? These two characters are people who have had horrific accidents which nearly kill them, but they are 'fixed' by a secret US government organisation using advanced mechanical/electronic devices (to replace lost or damaged limbs/organs). Austin and Sommers then use their 'superpowers' to fight spys etc. That's the basic plot of the old series.This telemovie (?) features Sandra Bullock (!!) as a new 'bionic' person. Looks to have been a pilot which never got commissioned into a television series. Surprise, surprise!If you are nostalgic about the original series, you will enjoy seeing Austin and Sommers again. The special effects are different to the original series. I'm giving this movie a really low score for the stupid Olympics segment I mentioned earlier. Truly inane. Did the US Olympic team watch this movie for inspiration/justification?Anyway, I first saw this movie LATE at night on commercial TV, maybe a couple of years ago, or so. May even have been a premier! For die-hard fans only.

Another made for TV movie based on the hit show is BACK! This time, they can get the help they could ever need. "The Bionic Showdown" is way more thrilling than the show ever could give. Steve and Jamie(Lee Majors& Lindsey Wagner) get a new assistant who is younger and faster than they are. There's Kate Mason(Sandra Bullock), the first volunteer to become bionic. Jamie had helped her get over the feeling after the accident before becoming bionic. And the action is never lost in this movie. Allan(Geraint Wyn Davies) is a "friend" of Kate, Steve, and Jamie. This guy later showed his true colors to be a spy, and a traitor. When Kate found out while she was racing, She really put her bionics to the test. Allan should have known better about using his bionics. Misuse leads to uncertainty, and most will learn the hard way one way or the other. I thought Barney Miller was a problem in the SMDM. At least he got redemption. Plenty of action, plenty of suspense, and plenty of surprise, this movie got it all, and the reunion goes on and on... Rating 3 out of 5 stars.

Bionic showdown was by far the best of the reunion movies. I grew up watching Steve Austin and Jamie Summers. When the first reunion movie came out, telling the story of Steve's son becoming Bionic, I had mixed feelings. It was great to see my childhood heroes again, but I didn't like the idea of yet another loved one of Steve's becoming Bionic. But Kate Mason, as played by Sandra Bullock, was much more unique, Not a recycled story, but one of a handicapped young lady, being helped by Bionic technology. I thought Sandra was great in this role. It's too bad the series didn't sell, I would have loved to see Kate's story. As long as Sandra Bullock played the part!