Show is its own worst enemy

Spy fiction sinks or swims based on the audience's ability to buy into the premise. My favorite of the James Bond pictures, "Goldfinger," has such a wacky plot that if you dedicate even a minute thinking about it, you'd laugh it off. But the telling is crisp and exciting, and there's wit and spirit in the performances. The story doesn't sit still on screen for a moment -- even expository scenes (a business dinner, for one, or a golf match) are brisk; from frame one, it's hurtling forward, and that motion sweeps the audience up and keeps the viewer involved and interested. The major strength of "Goldfinger," though, was its own self-awareness -- even when the stakes were nothing less than the future of the world, the movie's still having fun.

"My Own Worst Enemy," Mondays at 9 on NBC, on the other hand, takes itself far too seriously. It doesn't seem to know that the central conceit -- a superspy named Edward has a computer chip in his brain that, when powered up, transforms him into a meek family man named Henry -- needs to avoid being talked to death, or that rapid-fire cliches (including the entire opening act) don't stand up to heavy scrutiny.

It is, I admit, a better show than I had anticipated. Christian Slater handles the lead roles without a tremendous amount of overreaching for either character, Alfre Woodard plays his appropriately menacing boss with just enough snarl, and -- thanks to his surprisingly tough-as-nails performance as another split-personality operative -- Mike O'Malley officially graduates from ever having to play a doofy next-door sitcom neighbor again.

But there are too many scenes that just don't catch fire, and it doesn't help that they are played as heavy drama, instead of a lighter touch which might help steer the audience past the murkier plot elements. With this opener, I guess the makers are indicating that they want to produce a deep, thought-provoking drama. I wonder if they may have forgotten that with spy stories, people usually like to have fun. Two stars (out of four).