(no subject)
So, V.
I actually came to V completely backwards; I was too young to watch the miniseries when it came out, so I was introduced to it via a copy of the A. C. Crispin novelization I picked up somewhere. It was the book I loved and reread (it's sitting next to me now); I didn't get to see the actual series until years later, and I never did see the ongoing. (I still have a handful of comics around here somewhere, though; maybe now's the time to dig them out.) Nonetheless, my memories are fond, even if they have a slightly different source, so I checked out the remake.
I think the big problem is the one giandujakiss lays out here; there's no buildup. Where the original series had a slow, paranoid progression of what the Visitors were doing and how people reacted--in the book, it's a hundred pages before the resistance even gets started--here it's just a short-cut through "people love the Visitors for no apparent reason! But some people are worried about them, also for no apparent reason! Oh noes, they are evil lizards!" Admittedly as a remake some of the mystery has already been lost--we already know the Visitors are evil lizards--but the protagonists didn't need to be clued in that fast. I mean, it's an ongoing series; they should have more time to be setting this up. Hell, they had a big new thing--that the Visitors are already on earth--and they've spilled that in the first episode too.
Other than that, it was okay, but just okay; I didn't feel any strong spark. I'll give it a few more episodes to impress me, although being up against NCIS isn't helping its case.
Minor comments:
* I'm not claiming the original series as any paragon of subtlety, but we were three minutes in when the Visitors' spaceships made a crucifix fall down. I'm thinking that may possibly be some kind of record for symbolism overload.
* I hadn't been paying enough attention to know that Alan Tudyk was going to be in this, and I was happy to see him--and the reveal completely blindsided me. I'm kind of hoping he'll show up again soon, because he does really good psycho.
* Evil aliens promoting universal health care. Yeah, I kind of wasn't laughing.
* Okay, wait, the FBI agent is told that the aliens are evil and here to take over the world, and she rolls her eyes and is about to walk out because she isn't seeing any proof. But wait! Someone shows up with...some pictures of people they claim are aliens! Well, that's obviously different, then. Really, did I miss something there?
I actually came to V completely backwards; I was too young to watch the miniseries when it came out, so I was introduced to it via a copy of the A. C. Crispin novelization I picked up somewhere. It was the book I loved and reread (it's sitting next to me now); I didn't get to see the actual series until years later, and I never did see the ongoing. (I still have a handful of comics around here somewhere, though; maybe now's the time to dig them out.) Nonetheless, my memories are fond, even if they have a slightly different source, so I checked out the remake.
I think the big problem is the one giandujakiss lays out here; there's no buildup. Where the original series had a slow, paranoid progression of what the Visitors were doing and how people reacted--in the book, it's a hundred pages before the resistance even gets started--here it's just a short-cut through "people love the Visitors for no apparent reason! But some people are worried about them, also for no apparent reason! Oh noes, they are evil lizards!" Admittedly as a remake some of the mystery has already been lost--we already know the Visitors are evil lizards--but the protagonists didn't need to be clued in that fast. I mean, it's an ongoing series; they should have more time to be setting this up. Hell, they had a big new thing--that the Visitors are already on earth--and they've spilled that in the first episode too.
Other than that, it was okay, but just okay; I didn't feel any strong spark. I'll give it a few more episodes to impress me, although being up against NCIS isn't helping its case.
Minor comments:
* I'm not claiming the original series as any paragon of subtlety, but we were three minutes in when the Visitors' spaceships made a crucifix fall down. I'm thinking that may possibly be some kind of record for symbolism overload.
* I hadn't been paying enough attention to know that Alan Tudyk was going to be in this, and I was happy to see him--and the reveal completely blindsided me. I'm kind of hoping he'll show up again soon, because he does really good psycho.
* Evil aliens promoting universal health care. Yeah, I kind of wasn't laughing.
* Okay, wait, the FBI agent is told that the aliens are evil and here to take over the world, and she rolls her eyes and is about to walk out because she isn't seeing any proof. But wait! Someone shows up with...some pictures of people they claim are aliens! Well, that's obviously different, then. Really, did I miss something there?