We, the buying public, have almost forgotten about the writer’s strike. We had a patch of boredom, then we got our shows back and it was all okay. Sure, some stuff got delayed, but we’ve mostly forgotten about it. And many of us have forgotten about the shows that used to captivate our interest. Different programs have different ways of reminding us that they still exist, and this past Sunday, “24″ brought us all back into Jack’s world with the T.V. movie “Redemption.”

I mostly lost interest in “24″ after the second season, when I realized it was going to be the same thing over and over again. The best parts of “Redemption” were the same as the best parts of the show; Jack stabs a guy as he runs around a corner, Jack jumps down from a tree onto three guys and gets beaten into a bloody pulp, but he goes down swinging. Jack tries to deactivate a landmine while his friend is standing on it.

He’s like the Energizer Bunny. A big, grizzled Energizer Bunny with a dutch schoolbag.

The story of “Redemption” is based on the Tutsi/Hutu genocide of the ’90s. And I’ll say this: it’s no Hotel Rwanda. The political motivations behind the conflict are glossed over; it doesn’t matter. This is “24.” There are good guys and bad guys. You either accept it or you don’t. The bad guys carry machetes, steal children, and refer to their enemies as cockroaches. The good guys fight the bad guys.

It’s refreshing, really.

Kiefer Sutherland is exactly the same as always, and Robert Carlyle is good. He is a very capable actor, although for some reason he was terrible in The World is Not Enough. Maybe his acting ability is in his hair. I liked him in 28 Weeks Later, too.

The little African kids are heartbreaking, of course. There aren’t any girls, just boys. I guess girls can’t handle guns.

It’s no surprise that a “24″ movie can’t really achieve the gravitas needed for its subject matter. Right from the beginning, you know it’s going to be a cornball-fest. The rebel general says to his Colonel, “I need soldiers, not excuses.” One of the boys says to his brother, quote, “I’m your brother.” How often is that phrase said aloud?

The non-African bits of “Redemption” are just plot setup for the next season. President That Lady Cop from Signs is being sworn in, and President Powers Boothe is being run out of town. That Lady Cop’s son might be a target for assassination by Jon Voight because his irresponsible friend somehow ran across some terrorism or something. Maybe this ties into the last season, I don’t know. I watched about 30% of it while surfing the internet and not looking at the screen.

I recommend “Redemption” to anyone who enjoys watching Jack Bauer do his thing. You can even watch it online! Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

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