V

Pros: good telling of a story similar to the Holocaust, great special effects
Cons: parts of story implausible

I can remember in High School when we'd talk about the Holocaust, most students didn't understand. Eventually, we were shown a film about the "blue eyed people" versus the "brown eyed people", but I still don't think that hit the mark on most students. ...

Pros: Very entertaining movie with strong story and characters.
Cons: Some things look dated now.  One or two irritating characters.

I remember several miniseries that aired during the 1980's, some of which I did see.  I really enjoyed V, so I picked it up on DVD when I found it a few years ago.  I finally got around to watching it recently.Several huge ...

Pros: Excellent and original story, good cast
Cons: Some bad effects, 80's clothes and hair

V: The Original Miniseries and V: The Final Battle are two separate DVDs, though they can be purchased together. This review covers the original miniseries and I'll post my review of The Final Battle next. I remember that I was in the fifth grade ...

Pros: Great story, decent acting, good effects for the day, inexpensive DVD looks great.
Cons: A few stretches here and there.

The concept of alien invasion is no stranger to the media of movies. Usually, though, we pitiful humans have the deck stacked heavily against us by the fearsome onslaught of overwhelming technology. The attack begins immediately by strange looking ...

Pros: Great story, with wonderful acting (mostly) and some great DVD extras.
Cons: Special effects arent as robust as they once were.

You gotta hand it to writer/producer/director Kenneth Johnson - the man knows how to write his science fiction. He's had his hands in classic television shows like The Bionic Woman, Alien Nation, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Incredible ...

Pros: Well-structured story; solid allegory to other themes; first-rate science fiction
Cons: Moments of stale acting; some scenes are watered down with soppiness

An explosion rips through the jungle as two insane journalists record the entire fiasco. The location is El Salvador and hard-bitten rebels are hurt, beaten---tired, but not dead. A government attack chopper strafes the rebel encampment, inflicting...

Pros: Gripping and meaningful story,great characters
Cons: Some dated effects

I remember V being a phenomenon when it came out. I was young then and mostly interested in the alien battles. I didn't realize the impact the story had on me until recently when I began considering getting the DVD and was surprised at how much I ...

Pros: Excellent Use of Ensemble Cast, Wonderful Characters, Great plot, Messages and Themes
Cons: Some Aspects May Seem Dated

One of the complaints a lot of people have with science fiction is that it never seems real enough to them. People growing up on science fiction today have a good point. But in previous times, there were science fiction epics that were worthwhile,...

Pros: Shocking similarities to the Holocaust...excellent acting
Cons: So many characters that it's sometimes hard to keep them all straight

My father spent 3 years in concentration camp during World War II and, while he was quite reluctant to talk about his experiences, he did share some of the horrors with me while I was growing up.

But along with the horror stories, there were...

Pros: Very compelling story and characters.
Cons: Special effects suck

Director Kenneth Johnson was clearly a big fan of the Twilight Zone. Or more specificly, the episode "To Serve Man."

'V' is basically a dramatically expanded version of that famous TZ episode where Aliens come to Earth and trick the public...

Pros: Extremely entertaining and fun to watch!
Cons: You have to make two purchases to see the complete mini-series.

Watching the "V" mini-series in the early to mid 80's was awesome! Aliens that were so similar to humans really caught my immediate attention. The fact it wasn't all out war when they first arrived was interesting too. As the humans started to ...