Cleopatra 2525

There are moments when you don't want those deep drama-series. When you don't want series with heavy stories or a must to watch every single episode to be able to hang on. There are moments when you just want to watch a simple series, with lots of action and cool characters. For those moments, you have Cleopatra 2525.

I was one of those who actually enjoyed Charlie's Angels. Critics said it was to superficial and silly. But the thing is, that's the point! People who can't relax and expected a serious movie hated it. It's exactly the same with Cleopatra 2525. It is superficial. It has silly and unrealistic characters. And that's why I like it. It isn't like any other series.

The first season wasn't very good. The character Cleo was irritating and a little too much. The story was a little lame, and you didn't get to know the characters very much. But hey, they only had 20 minutes in every episode.

In the last 5-6 episodes of Cleopatra 2525, they finally gave the series full 40-minutes length. And it was here I started to love it. The series finally started to grow into a very qualitative series. Too bad they had to cancel the series. Because the last episodes of Cleopatra 2525 actually was very good. I will never forget Hel, Sarge and Cleo. Unique characters that only the creators of Xena could have created!

ya know the concept of "guilty pleasures"? yeah, you have 'em, like admitting you watched - and enjoyed - goonies, battlestar galactica AFTER they reached earth, v the series, charlie's angels, starsky & hutch, the 1950s version of superman, or godzilla movies.

here's the ultimate in guilty pleasures. coupled with jack of all trades in a sam raimi action packed hour, this half hour slot is fast paced, easy to follow, and loaded with fun-to-watch scanlity-clad babes.

the man that brought us evil dead, xena, hercules, and the adventures of brisco county jr does it again with this 2000 update of charlies angels. we got charlie (voice) an unknown being that has the knowlege and the time to find people who need help, bosley (mouser) the gadget man, and three gorgeous babes that kick a** for a living.

and oh what a living!

The same producers made Hercules and Xena. They were both action shows, but with strong emphasis on the dramatic battle between good and evil. Cleo, on the other hand, is a comic book come to life. Sure, it doesn't have the deep, brooding style of story-telling its predecessors had, but it's not supposed to. It was designed to be a companion to the hilarious "Jack of all Trades" starring the great Bruce Campbell (known as "Back to Back Action").

The Cleo woman are tough and strong, and yes, scantily-clad, just as comic book characters usually are. Unfortunately, some fans tuned the show out early because they took it too seriously. Understandably, the half-hour shows were dominated by constant laser battles and fist-fights. But the later shows were an hour long, allowing the characters to develop and grow. That helped build the drama and made the action scenes more effective.

Having the "Cleo" character (Jennifer Sky) be an exotic dancer from today added contrast and humor. And I'm not surprised that Gina Torres and Victoria Pratt are on new shows. They are both fine screen presences. So, relax, enjoy the comic book action and don't take it too seriously.

On my quest to watch everything done by Sam Raimi and/or Bruce Campbell, I luckily stumbled over this pulp gem: finest sci-fi with more than just one touch of trash. Hot looking half-naked girls fight for the right cause - and the special effects look all trashy and marvelous, if that sounds good to you, this one is waiting for you.

Everyone I told about this show (especially females) was most skeptical of its quality (to say the least), but quality is one thing Cleopatra 2525 had in surplus. After watching an episode or two however they began to see that this was much more than simple "eye candy" for men, this show had depth. Women are shown to be intelligent, powerful, and excellent leaders in this show more than any Sci-Fi series at the time. This show should be seen by all women for its pure self-esteem boosting qualities (my wife loves Sarge), "girl power" is in full force here (apologies for the cliché). Many people that thought the show was silly or degrading to women probably only saw the commercials for it, or a few minutes of the actual show (if even that) and never gave it a chance.

The show had a "pure Sci-Fi" storyline which never drifted into the paranormal (i.e. always had a science explanation without ghosts, esp, god, etc.) which was a breath of fresh air in the midst of the many idiotic shows of the time that turned to the Paranormal to explain their plot devices. As an example, when someone was "out of phase/invisible" and could walk through walls the writers went to great lengths to explain why they didn't fall through the floor to the center of the earth (ever hear another Sci-Fi or Paranormal show even try to explain that). All the villains had motives (known or unknown) and were never presented as simply `evil'. This show had great storylines, characters with depth, unique and creative set designs, gadgets, and special effects to die for. The means of transportation was a blast to witness (shaft travel) as well. The actresses were not just extremely attractive, but extremely talented as well. This was the ONLY show I made a point to record when I would be elsewhere, and I can proudly say I never missed an episode. My wife loves the show as well, although she can't stand the theme song and tries to make me mute it.

The series unfolded in a way I have not seen since Babylon 5 (another great show, but a bit on the Paranormal side of Sci-Fi) another of my favorites. The entire series was building up to a spectacular revelation, but was cancelled for reasons unknown (after constantly being moved to increasingly inconvenient time slots that is). I can't help but wonder that if the PR for the show emphasized the Sci-Fi qualities more than the attractive women (and attractive though they are) they might not have given so many the misguided ideas that probably led to the changes in time slots, and ultimately cancellation.

I give Cleopatra 2525 a 9 out of 10.

Cleo, Hel, and Sarge, you will always hold a special place in my Sci-Fi heart. >