Xena: Die Kriegerprinzessin

After waging brutal war for years, Xena finds her conscience stopping her, and she devotes her life(and her considerable abilities) to helping out anyone who needs it. Along with Gabrielle, a young woman from a small village who wants to see the world, they meet many cultures(including primitive ones... and yes, they tend to be treated respectfully, if not necessarily entirely accurately; we see scenes of rituals, dances and the like, and it isn't looked down upon), mythologies(Greek, Norse, Indian, etc., deities and demons alike) and creatures. The themes of battle or love are explored well, as well as whether you can truly escape your past or not. This often has a silly, goofy tone and approach(Sam Raimi, the creator, is known for his love of The Three Stooges), and it won't be for everyone. It does also get serious, dramatic and downright epic at other times, with fantasy beings faced and fought. The acting varies(and it definitely gets to be over the top for some of the humor), but when it really needs to be good, it usually is. This has great guest stars, such as Kevin Smith(no, the thin one) as Ares(his hunger for armed conflict really shines through), Bruce Campbell(yup, he's in this, too... and yes, he's arrogant as always) as Autolycus the master thief and Karl Urban(no, really, he's actually convincing in this) as Ceasar. The action is cool, with reasonable choreography(not on the level of movies), and they change it up some so it doesn't get to be repetitive. And somehow, it doesn't get to be boring in spite of our titular lead being a much better fighter than almost anyone else(so yeah, not always a sense of risk, at least from that). Sets and costumes are well-done, considering the budget. The FX get greater as this goes. In the first few of the seven seasons, this doesn't go that far beyond the basic setup, but then it does start taking chances and it is often interesting. There is disturbing content, sensuality and violence in this. I recommend this to fans of the people behind it, and what it's inspired by. 7/10

This was an amazing show that switched from comedy to high drama to tragedy to sword-fighting action and mayhem. All of this usually happened in the same episode. A great show for students of mythology, although the writers did incorporate their own ideas (into the mythological settings and characters) to give the show more texture and layers. The best part of the show was Xena and Gabrielle's intense affection, friendship and respect for one another. They are truly partners in everything they do and always willing to sacrifice for one another. However, there's plenty of comedy as well to keep the show from getting too serious. The more episodes you watch, the more you'll like and understand the concept of the show, and how it works on different levels simultaneously. Very highly recommended.

Here's the thing, see, about XENA - the fantasy action show telling the tale of the formerly evil Xena, now a force for good, and Gabrielle the Amazon Queen, her warrior/bard partner.

You have two really beautiful women dressed in impractical leather goods flitting about the Ancient World wielding shiny weapons with great skill and nary a thought to chronology or historical accuracy. You have the relentless modern American speech. You have the over-discussed, over-analysed and highly subjective element of "lesbian subtext". You have campy humour, sly winks at the audience, over-the-top fight sequences, and more dialogue limited to the screaming of each other's names than the second half of Titanic.

You have re-used extras, recycled sets, a bikini-clad Aphrodite spouting Valley-girl speech, a penchant for killing off popular guest stars, TWO man-free pregnancies, high angst levels, a range of episodes that swing madly from dark violence to Andrew Lloyd-Webber style musicals and from intense drama to slapstick comedy.

You have strong female leads who accept responsibility for their choices and their actions, good and bad. You have really beautiful scenery in the form of New Zealand. You have great chemistry between the two stars, and you have enough smarts to know how to combine all of these things into a show that succeeds more than it fails.

Give it a chance. I promise, ten episodes and you'll be hooked. In short, XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS is smart TV pretending that it's dumb. Which is just fine by me, thanks.

The six years that Xena appeared on American television and then in international distribution was the most marvelous ride on the entertainment merry-go-round since "Wonder Woman" premiered in 1975, twenty years earlier. This show had camp, pathos, mystery, intrigue, intricate character development and the invention of a magnificent new world through which the viewer was able to judge and measure his or her own living situation. If you ever get a chance, at least take the time to watch either the entire first or the entire fourth seasons of Xena (which had the most developed plots). It is a show that actually changed the world into a better place and that can be said of only a few shows in history.

If you like "Xena" you might also like "Queen of Swords", "Wonder Woman", "Supergirl" (maybe....), "Chameleon 1,2, &3", "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" or "Andromeda". You may also want to watch the direct to video cartoon release "Hercules and Xena: the Animated Movie: the Battle for Mount Olympus".

Xena was one of televison's greatest shows. Encompassing in it, action, drama, humor, love, relationships, and life lessons. Xena had it all, even had sexy costumes for the 'lower class' viewer. But, this was more than beautiful women running around in 'appealing' costumes. This was a show about the strength of women, the power of friendship, and that even the smallest of us can become something great. Skilled actresses and actors took us all over history bringing the past alive. For many, Xena was an escape from our everyday 'normal' life. The main characters Xena and Gabrielle were easy to identify with. Over the course of six seasons, you see them grow as they learn what their truly made of and what their morals and beliefs are. Ultimately, it was a show about good triumphing over evil, but more than that, it was a show of groundbreaking themes and memorable characters. Take some time to watch a Xena episode, you'll be glad you did.