Andy (film-critic)
"V: The Miniseries" captured the attention of the 80s. It was what American audiences needed after such success of "Star Wars" and "Star Trek", it was a new chapter of science fiction, and the marketing gurus behind it were ready to make history. Released in 1983, this short chapter is part of a bigger idea, but it was a powerful start to that idea. Randomly, what I invisioned a Tuesday afternoon, the sky is flooded with huge alien spacecraft ready to make contact. We are scared, the flush of the unknown is heavy, but as soon as we see that they look just like us - we are calmed. They want resources, talk of a dying planet, and even during a Cold War, we - the nations of the world - extend an open hand to them. It is the beginning of the end ... well, so to speak.Nearly 26 years after its original release on television, "V: The Miniseries" is continually voted one of the top cult shows of the 80s, and one can agree - it is a poineering show for television, but the pressing question is - does it still hold up after all of these years? With CGI a staple in Hollywood, and the science fiction genre proving to be a lucrative endeavor, does "V" feel all-powerful, or is it just another hokie film masquerading history with reptilian creatures? Passivly, the response is yes. "V" (excluding "The Final Battle") was a fantastic miniseries in the 80s, and continues to provide unparalleled entertainment today. What lacks in an elongated story pressured by history, it overloads with magnificent visuals. Consider "V" in the 80s to be the "Battlestar Galactica" of today -- thrilling characters, the idea of the unknown, and the creatures that will leave a lasting, and iconic, impression for weeks after viewing. Yet, a modern viewing will have to patiently wait for the reward as it arrives in waves throughout the entire three hours. A bold opening, the over-zealous spacecraft appearing in the skyline, the fear of the unknown, and the arrival of those red suits will pull you in, but then it slows as we introduce characters (both big and small), and further bring connections between 1983 and German influences in the 1940s. Patience is more than a virtue with this series, as it is important to watch through the ending, there are just small details that pull away from the overall impact of the show. The scientist elimination and discrimination was random - at first - having to readjust your concept of "why" - we are jolted from a sudden disappearance to a hatred from both the alien race and human. It was shocking to see how quickly one human could turn on another - but again - it was at that time when Kenneth Johnson was pushing the German/Jewish undertones. A stronger transition from alien arrival to a debunk of social standards would make the flow stronger, and allow modern eyes to adjust.This said, "V: The Miniseries" is more than just your 8pm Wednesday science fiction, it is symbolic, hurtful, idealistic, charming, incredibly 80s, and pioneering for today's television. Between this and Lynch's "Twin Peaks", it is shameful to think "Lost" is that creative. "V" is a great show to watch, and from a personal standpoint, I loved watching everything Johnson brought to the screen. The posters within the film are as vibrant and vintage as when released. The visual of red spraypaint creating that V on the cartoonish prints are just as important as that of the first discovery of the reptile. It was a slice of my youth, but it is not a show that I could watch again and again. The intensity was high, the acting was mid-level, and the central story (outside of the action-packed intro and outro) was mediocre at best. I wanted to fall back in love with this show, but the middle drama was overly symbolic. I didn't need overbearing Nazi implications, I wanted to discover it for myself. Johnson, again, did a great job - just a bit too pushy with the message.The DVD itself was not as sharp as modern discs, but it was an 80s TV show. It felt like it was coming on TV for the first time, complete with lackluster colors and over-budgeted special effects. I liked this style and release, and am highly excited about jumping into "The Final Battle". For this chapter, I liked what I saw - what I was re-exposed to - I just didn't love it as I did was I was 7.Grade: *** 1/2 out of *****
Brian T. Whitlock (GOWBTW)
Talk about your close encounters. In "V", Earth gets a visit of a strange round mother-ship hovering different cities, countries, just all over the world. Then this small ship comes out and and the alien occupants speak for the first time. They look like us, talk like us, consider them "Our Friends". However, when Michael Donovan(Marc Singer) sneaks aboard the shuttle to go inside the mother-ship, a deep, dark, sinister secret lies beneath the skin of the "Visitors". They are reptilians humanoids out to replenish their home planet. With that out, people began to resist the "Visitors". Yet, some of them are "turncoats". They come for a peaceful existence, not follow the tyrannical ways of their leader Diana(Jane Badler). So that's the backup the resistance ever needed, "Turncoat Visitors". They get immunization from the "Red Dust", while the others get blitzed. "The Visitors" are like "Alien Nazis", only a few of them would help the humans resist their rule. Great, fun movie, I'm glad they did a series later on! 3 out of 5 stars!
Global_Marketing_Pros
I think V is a popularized version of the series "The Outer Limits". Although V does address the reasoning for development of the human species. But "The Outer Limits" examines how the human species defies extra-ordinary phenomena due to human-species exceptional analytical abilities to manipulate electrical fields. This analytical ability keeps people from entering into the world of television by being able to hypothesize, yet remain fearfully skeptical.Anti-gravity is supposedly how the V mother ship stays off the planet Earth and how the V species travels on terrestrial Earth. So the concept of electrical field theory, the manipulation of electrical fields, and manipulation of biological systems seems as how V intends to beat the human species.Another aspect of V is the food source technology. They seem to toy with the concepts of reptiles being superior and humans being a food source as well as other animals such as birds. Thus the question of the food chain and hierarchy of food sources by dominate species becomes materialized. Again the question being who is the dominate species being at the top of the food chain and who controls technology effectively being the winner of the human species.These questions of evolution seem to be played with in a series because everyone wonders what will happen next in the next episode. Just like in V where curiosity leads humans into the mother-ship to learn the secrets of V. Curiosity being used as a psychological tool by the V species to lead them into the ship.Or like having the genetic blue print of the human species but not fully making a human useful. Curiosity can be a learning activity of random chance that may produce a time dependent variable according to generations needed to establish a certain point of acceptance with not the gene pool of the human species but how much a life time is actually needed to achieve in terms of work. Supposing the space ship needed to travel for 200 years in space to reach the next Earth like terrestial planet then you would need to live for 200 years or the knowledge used would need to be comprehended and made operable by a knowledgeable human at any point in time that work was needed to be done.This seems to mirror the plot of the movie 2010 a Space Odessy where the mono-lithe speaks to Dave and Hal the ship computer. Dave finally says as his last words, "Its full of stars". What really happens to Dave no one knows. Dave just obeys their commands and disappears. In the movie V at least they the human species know they are trying to investigate the ship because they are afraid of dying or being used a food source.I think V is a fairly good show of use of creativity and concept development using science and scientific methods. The use of curiosity to develop the plot is also very good. However, that mirror plot of 2010 a Space Odessy is also an alternative reality within this plot. Would a superior species with command of technology such as the V species really allow a human to win?
ahaza
Hello, I need help from the V fans.. V is a series I used to watch as a teenager. i've been trying recently to obtain all the episodes and checked on Amazon and other sites. It seems that all the episodes of the "first season" so to speak (minus the first 2 that introduce the story) are missing from the market!!! Then we shift brutally to V, the complete series (1984), starting 1 year after the beginning of the story... My sister in Europe tried to buy me the first season for Christmas but couldn't find those missing episodes either. Does anybody know where i Can find them? thanks in advance for your help.ahaza
