V: The Complete
series
is a double-sided three disc set that includes 19 episodes of V
the television series that started in the fall of 1984 after the
huge success of the two part mini-series V and V: The
Final Battle.
V,
the four-hour mini-series, was an entertaining and hugely popular
television event. V begins with large alien spacecraft that
mysteriously enters Earth’s atmosphere and hovers over the largest
cities without contact for days (Independence Day anyone?). The
aliens (called The Visitors who look just like humans) finally emerge
and announce their intentions as needing assistance with producing
chemicals in order to save their planet. They quickly integrate into
Earth’s society and humans embrace them as friends except a small
group of scientists and specialists that call themselves the
Resistance.
The Resistance
questions the intentions of the Visitors while the rest of society is
welcoming them with open arms. One member of the Resistance, a
reporter named Mike Donovan (Singer), smuggles aboard one of the
Visitor ships and finds out the truth, that the Visitors are here to
steal all of Earth’s water supply, that they feast on humans for food,
that they are actually wearing human “suits” and that they are, in
fact, lizard like creatures. The first mini-series reveals all of
these “truths” slowly and focuses on the Resistance’s efforts to show
the world the truth. It had a particularly strong story and a
well-written screenplay with out having to resort to its now stone-age
special effects or campy acting in order to be an entertaining
success.
Which was the exact
opposite approach of V: The Final Battle, a six-hour
mini-series that takes the story up exactly where V the
mini-series left off. It is more of an excuse to show spaceship chases
(which are now laughable), more of the insides of the spaceships, more
lizard aliens, and not much in story. It basically boils down to one
small battle between the tiny Resistance and a group of the Visitors
led by the evil Diana (Badler). V: The Final Battle was a huge
ratings success but failed critically and failed to appease the fans
of the original. V: The Final Battle tried to up the
entertainment factor by using more special effects and more action and
yet failed to improve on the great storyline and it also ended the
story abruptly and foolishly.
But NBC was quick
to move on the popularity of the two mini-series and they came out
with a television show that begins right where V: The Final Battle
left off. The show starts off right after the Resistance was able to
beat back the Visitors and then it (abruptly) jump starts one year
later from the day Earth was liberated from the Visitors. And that is
when things start to go wrong for the Resistance again (the Visitors
led by Diana come back for more). The series focuses on the Visitors
trying to get their paws on the “star child” a half-human, half-alien
that holds the key to the Visitors victory.
The Resistance,
still led by Mike, is hiding her out and trying to ward off the evil
Diana, who is constantly scheming to get the upper hand. The Visitors
begin another attack on Earth and all peace has ended. Every time the
Visitors seem to get the upper hand, the Resistance is able to thwart
them and narrowly escape. The Star Child is able to use her powers to
help the resistance at every turn.
Some of the big
occurrences during the series is Diana’s scheme to send a mole into
the Resistance and have him try and impregnate the same human that had
the Star Child in order to make another Star Child, the death of two
key members of the Resistance, the infighting between Diana and some
of the other Visitor commanders, and a big elaborate set-up by the
Visitors that may result in the complete annihilation of Earth itself.
There were nineteen episodes that aired until the show was canned due
to poor ratings and poor critical reviews; this three-disc set has all
nineteen episodes.
CRITIQUE
V
the television series only lasted for nineteen episodes and there is a
definite reason for that, the episodes are extremely weak and the
series just gets worse and worse with each episode. The final two
episodes feel so out there and sloppily put together, it’s actually
pretty hilarious to watch. In fact, the series is somewhat enjoyable
if you can enjoy it for its “so-bad-its-good” campy wretchedness. The
special effects are horrible, the acting is beyond just campy, the
dialogue is over the top and idiotic, and the episode storylines are
just ridiculous. And yet, I found myself enjoying it at times and you
might too if you’re in the right mood.
Jane Badler and
Michael Ironside camp it up so outrageously at times and give such an
enormous amount of energy to their scenes that they almost make up for
the rest of the cast’s extremely wooden and lifeless performances.
Ironside gives another over-the-top, macho performance (like in
Starship Troopers) that is so enjoyable for it’s non-stop
intensity and energy, and Badler is just perfect as the supremely evil
Diana who schemes, connives, or kills everyone and anyone in her way.
Also, Marc Singer is a hoot as Mike because of the supreme awfulness
of his performance. I don’t know if he meant to be that bad or not,
but it adds unexpected humor to the dull plotlines. The rest of the
cast is truly awful, not bad in a “so-bad-its-good” way, just plain
terrible.
One of the reasons
V the original mini-series was so good was the expert plot and
screenplay; the dialogue was terrific and the plot kept building upon
the ever-increasing suspense. The one major downfall of the television
series is the writing. The plots are so utterly predictable, that
there is virtually no suspense. Every episode is the almost exactly
the same: some member or members of the Resistance are in close peril
with the Visitors or Diana only to be saved miraculously at the very
last second by either another member or members of the Resistance or
the Star Child. The writers on the show displayed almost no
originality and the dialogue that was simply awful. The special
effects in the television series are also one of its downfalls. They
are so bad that it is hard to focus on anything going on except for
how laughable they are. It is really remarkable how far effects have
come in the past twenty years.
V
the television series is one of the worst television shows I’ve ever
seen and yet, because of that fact, I did get a kick out of it. If
you’re in the right kind of mood, you might enjoy the series for the
unintentional laughs.
THE VIDEO
The video transfer
is very poor, Warner Bros obviously didn’t want to fork over any dough
to clean the series up. There are noticeable specks and consistent
graininess. This only adds to the “so-bad-its-good” factor.
THE AUDIO
The audio is the
same story; it is so bad you have to readjust the volume while the
film is playing in order to find any comfortable balance. If the score
or any action scenes kick in it is incredibly loud and rough, but once
it gears back down to dialogue it is hard to make out what they are
saying (without blasting the sound).
THE EXTRAS
There are no extras
to be found, which isn’t a big surprise.
FINAL THOUGHTS
V
the original mini-series was a highly original and well-written
mini-series and then an unworthy sequel followed. The inevitable V
the television series followed and it is only enjoyable (and you
would definitely have to be in the right mood) for two campy
performances and for laughs at the overly bad acting, horrible special
effects, and terrible dialogue. My recommendation is to rent the
original mini-series, the sequel, and then, if you’re still
interested, check this DVD set out just to complete the viewing and
get some laughs.
VERDICT:
"ONLY" FOR COMPLETISTS WHO LOVED THE
SERIES.
