KnotStronger
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Teddie Blake
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Sarita Rafferty
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
hellraiser7
Imagination and dreams can be really strange because it is something we do all the time. Despite living in reality in mere seconds we tend to imagine ourselves doing something else or being someplace else, or even go so far as to imagine ourselves in a different world. This is one of my favorite TV shows of all time and it's also another childhood relic of mine that I personally feel still holds up which is something I can't say for all. The show is pretty much like the TV show "The Prisoner" or movies like "Brazil", "Inception" and "Jacob's Ladder" which all were based on challenging our perspectives of reality. So yeah it's not the kind of kids show that you see everyday which I think makes it even more awesome, because it really shows how it's possible to make a quality kids show with rich substance.I really love the fantasy world Downworld. Which is a fascinating world, it's mixed in cultural eras from some of the past, modern times, and the futuristic. And of course there is some magic involved, makes it feel like a place where anything is possible. It kinda makes sense because in a world of dreams there is no real sense of time, nor any particular set of rules, so it perfectly fits.I really like how at times the show isn't all fun and games but can be really dark at times. Like for example in one episode Alpha's library gets burned down by the Monitors, which is a dark irony for the book burnings of the Nazi party. Or even seeing both Medea and Jay both in a house together in the desert of nowhere which is obvious Freudian overtone on losing innocence. The pacing of the show is great, it really feels like an adventure and everyplace they go in Downworld is always someplace different you never know what to really expect. There are even some hidden meanings in places in the show that it would probably take more than one watch to uncover more.Most importantly I really love how the show can really mess with you head, challenge your preceptions. At times things happens in the realm of reality which happen affect Downworld, or even the other way around; it really makes you wonder at times if Downworld isn't a dream of Jay's making but may'be an alternate reality that Jay somehow was able to psychically transport himself to? I don't know that's just one theory I have, my friends and I always debated about this which to me is part of the fun of the show some things are left to your own assumptions.The characters are great, the villain is great Finger played well by Mark Hildreth whom is known for voice acting as Hero Yuy for the anime series "Gundam Wing" which is awesome since I'm a fan of the Gundam franchise. Finger is one of my favorite fictional villains, he's just a villain you love to hate because he is just a power mongering blowhole that is just willing to go to any lengths to get what he wants in the worst way possible.Two of the protagonists are great(well OK one of them was a former antagonist.). Jay is a solid protagonist, he is sympathetic because he is constantly disoriented trying to make sense out of the world he is, while surviving and being forced to run and fight for his freedom to step up for both himself and the people of Downworld.Medea she is my favorite character in the entire show. I remember as a kid having a crush on the actress Andrea Nemeth, I honestly thought she was cute and kinda hot but most importantly a capable actress whom unfortunately never had much else afterward which is sad. Anyway, the character Medea is great , she's funny, she's got some of the best lines, I really love how much fire and energy she has in her, bitchy but in a good way. What makes her more interesting is her transformation though out the show, how at first she is an antagonist but then slowly but surely she turns into protagonist. Sometimes the fundamental problem with this is the character would lose momentum or become uninteresting but this doesn't happen Medea just becomes more interesting and I feel this is a prime example of character transformation when done the right way.I even like the chemistry between both Jay and Medea which I think is one of the best things about the show. Both of them are one of my favorite fictional couples, I personally believed the connection process between both of them. It's funny how the process goes both of them were rivals, Medea literally wanted Jay dead while Jay was trying to just get far away from her. However as the rivalry intensifies there are sparks that are just flying and ricocheting between the two, both we see don't really hate each other you can see in there eyes both do fancy each other and with that there feelings change gradually for the better. In one episode with the mirror maze, Jay could of easily got away from Medea but doesn't as if he wanted to be found or at some points how close both are to kissing each other. As a saying goes it takes friction to make a fire, and these two make a bonfire.The shows has underlying messages on the importance and value of freedom and fighting against fascism; but most importantly it's a coming of age tale. Jay is a person that is growing up and as he goes further in the adventure he starts to grow more and realizes it's not his father he's looking for it's himself. Jay dreams about his odyssey and we think about ours.Rating: 4 stars
Sean Bardgett
I loved this show from the first moment I watched it. I had a hard time getting the chance to see it at first because I only had basic cable back then and it wasn't until YTV picked up the show that I was able to see it in its entirety.This show focuses on a 13 year boy named Jay Ziegler who falls out of a tree house while trying to retrieve his father's telescope from Keith and a group of his friends that pretended to befriend him. As a result of the fall, he is knocked unconscious and ends up in a coma. This is only the start of Jay's problems, as he finds himself in an elevator that transports him into the "down world" a place where only kids exist and no one exceeds the age of 15. This world is comprised of Jay's subconscious and exaggerates a lot of the struggles that Jay eventually deals when he comes out of the coma. As the series goes on he tries to find ways to get back to his own world and eventually realizes that the key to doing so is to find his father who traumatized Jay by faking his own death and abandoning him.The story overall was very original and well written. It was a shame that they didn't continue it because I think it would been interesting to see if his fathers past would have added on to the troubles that Jay already had trying to grow and adjust to the real world again. There was still enough meat on the bone that there was always new material that could have been found. You also have to give credit to the actors of the show as well, such as Tony Sampson, Ashleigh Moore, Andrea Nemeth, and of course Illya Woloshyn who played Jay to perfection. Considering that most of the cast members were kids they were very convincing in the roles they played.Overall the show's theme was really good as it shows kids the consequences and challenges of growing up and how finding the truth can make you feel like a child.
lord_grendel_harliquin
While the acting and lines are silly! This series doesn't really have a plot or a point at all.Its just a whole lot of pointless encounters which is going no where.I stopped watching it when I realized that Jay will never reach the tower and by the time he does I will stop caring.The acting and lines are horrendous! Was there any thought put into this at all? Was there even a script? The characters shout their meaningless dialogue at thin air or state the blatantly obvious,all while not even looking at their fellow 'actors'.My biggest problem was "Last Time On Odyssey",they would give us a review of what has happened previously before each episode,even when it had nothing to do with the episode we are going to see! That is just pointless and would confuse rather than clearify.Since it gives the impression of DOWNWORLD being real and not just a part of Jay's subconisus,I would like things not to reflect Jay's ignorance about EVERYTHING! I mean this guy dosen't know even his mythlogy,so the story just keeps the name of the mythical fiqure they are encountering and just makes it a vampaire or something,to fit into whatever pointless advantere comes next.I will not even go into the battle scenes,because if I do I will cry.Imagine about a dozen kids,about ages 12 to 15,branishing plastic clubs or wooden swords hacking uselessly at each other while swinging from vines and shouting dialoge like "TAKE NO PRISONERS",it starts to hurt when it happens three times each episode.While at first glance this looks like an entertaining show,wait a while it will grind on you.
A-KO-2
The Odyssey is not a well known sci-fi show but it still ranks up there with the twilight zone and the outer limits. This show takes place in the mind of a boy named ''JAY ZIEGLER'' who while trying to get his father's antique telescope back from some local bullies falls from a treehouse hits his head and goes into a coma. He then proceeds to descend to a world known as ''DOWNWORLD'', he can't see or hear what's going on in ''UPWORLD'' [reality] but his Odyssey in downworld seems to coincide with events going on around him in upworld. this show is far too complicated for me explain in one sitting so i will make it cut and dry. after he goes into downworld he finds out that his long lost father is there but he's only 16 and is the ruler of the world. he joins ''ALPHA'' a bookworm who turns into a smart and witty companion for his long trek to the tower which the equivalent to the white house. he also meets a bully named ''FLASH'' who decides to leave the thug life and turns out to be a very good friend and allie to JAY. along the way our trio meet assorted weirdos, have to solve mind boggling questions and mind mazes, monitors [ like the L.A. P.D. but only half as ruthless], and MEDEA who is played by the talented and beautiful young actress ANDREA NEMETH who will stop at nothing to destroy JAY whom she feels is the ''wrecker'' [the equivalent to the anti-christ] who will destroy their world and change everything. It also is good to note that ANDREA NEMETH also plays SIERRA JONES, a bright young teen show newscaster who has also fallen into a coma. they both reside in the same coma treatment facility in upworld, even though they have never met before they both exist in downworld. to wrap this up this is a terrific saga of a young man on his quest for the truth about his father his life, and his future. ILLYA WOLOSHYN brings a dynamic performance as JAY, ASHLEY ROGERS as ALPHA is awesome, TONY SAMPSON brings a great character to the show as FLASH, and the ultimate goddess [can you tell i'm partial to her?] ANDREA NEEMTH brings a ray of light to the show that is unmatched as MEDEA and SIERRA JONES.