V - Visitors

This is one of those rare epics that come only once in a blue moon. This is one of the best 'First Contact' genres ever made. No movie on the big screen so far - no, not Independence Day or even Close Encounters of the Third Kind (amongst my favorite films, I might add) have been able to give you the kind of goose pimples that watching 'V' gave me.

The ensemble cast with Marc Singer, Faye Grant, Jane Badler and others have done a fantastic job and Kenneth Johnson has done a superb job making this show. Not only is the storyline and plot very capturing, the characters in this really come to life and you actually get involved with them unlike many other shows. And this is even more amazing because there are SO MANY characters and each one of them has their own story which is depicted very well. I love the way the characters all start off in different settings and events and don't know each other, but gradually they come together.

The Nazi-esquire theme also works out well. The special effects for 1983 are cool enough to be used today and the lasagnas on 'V' are the absolutely coolest ones ever. Better than Star Trek 'phasers' or Star Wars 'blasters'. Not to mention the Mother Ships and the various classes of shuttles.

This is a good one and this is certainly something I am hoping they give more. Either a movie or a remake. There is supposed to be a 'V-The next generation' in the making. I can hardly wait!

Considered by many to be one of the best in the genre, V is a television classic.

Airing during 'May Sweeps' on NBC over two nights, the mini-series was a surprise ratings smash. Critically praised for it's introspective tale with strong themes, the special effects were top-notch, particularly for television of the time.

NBC had taken a gamble with this cutting-edge, creative, and creepy alien-invasion story that pays off in some memorable performances from members of the large cast.

Twenty-plus years later, Kenneth Johnson's epic V holds up extremely well, it's message of resistance and sacrifice being ever more relevant in this Post- 9/11 world.

I was reading a comment about this movie made by Lone Solo who states that "V" is a metaphoric SciFi film about nazi and Holocaust. While I agree with him I say that "V" is more than an allegory about this two topics. It is a SciFi miniseries that contains many social comments.

First, of course, Holocaust and nazi.

Second, it shows TV as a powerful tool to reach every single soul on our planet. It also shows how TV can manipulate and brainwash people. Notice that the arrival of the aliens as every single move they do on our planet is covered on TV.

Third, it shows that people can sell their souls even to the devil when they are compensated with expensive gifts. In other words, how materialistic people are.

Fourth, how rich and fortunate we are in having a planet with valuable natural sources as water. At one point, friendly alien tells earthling rebel Donovan "Your planet is rich. I envy you."

Without any doubt, "V" is a powerful SciFi movie that not only entertains (it does it a lot) but also makes us think about our conditions as human beings.

As an interesting note, we can enjoy of a pre-Freddy Krueger Robert Englund as a dumb but nice alien.

Long before Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) assumed command of the Starship Enterprise, long before 80s prettyboy Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) had a sex change turning him into Katee Sackhoff ...there was "V".

Back in the late 70s and early 80s, it was unheard of to put a woman in power (the honourable Mrs. Margaret Thatcher notwithstanding), but here we see a series that pushed the envelope. Not only was the antagonist (beautiful Jane Badler) one of the most formidable characters in scifi history, but the leader of the good guys (Faye Grant) was one tough cookie herself. Throw into the mix a few beefcakey gents with great abs and whose shirts always seem to fall off, and you've got yourself a great show for the ladies.

Me, I'm actually a dude. All the same, I love shows that offer a viewpoint contrary to the usual male-dominated adventures that Hollywood churned out for the first 100 years. This was one of the first shows that really gave women proper credit for being leaders and warriors (and genocidal villains). Faye Grant delivers a particularly powerful performance as an ordinary geek who's suddenly thrust into leading the human race to salvation--not your typical born leader yet one who accepts the responsibility nonetheless and does it with passion.

Jane Badler... *phew, a moment of silence for bodacious Jane Badler, please* ... all I can say is she was the fantasy gal that got me through me pre-pubescent years. Homina homina.

Sure, the show has many flaws befitting an 80s TV series. It can seem cartoony at times, predictable and cheezy. But this is what made 80s TV so GREAT! Today's kids may have a tough time understanding it, but they should give it a try just the same. The overall quality and production of this miniseries was stellar, with special effects that were so colossal they were used 10 years later in the motion picture "Independence Day". Created and directed by Kenneth Johnson ("The Incredible Hulk") and musically scored by Joseph Harnell (again, "The Incredible Hulk" ...best made-for-TV music ever), this miniseries was nothing short of huge. Any kid who was alive back in 83 HAD to see this or else risk getting pummelled in school gym class.

Being, I dunno, 6 years old at the time, I hardly noticed some of the complex themes this show introduced. The miniseries has a very WWII-era slant to it with many allusions to fascism, political deception and the underground movement to liberate an oppressed race. At times you feel like you could be watching a historical recount of Nazi occupation. Other times the show makes a pretty strong argument for vegetarianism, especially after you see human beings being prodded and carted off to slaughterhouses. And on an individual level we see an intricate soap opera of human behaviour, how people are driven by different passions (for better or worse) in extreme situations. The overall theme, which keeps recurring throughout the whole series, seems to be that everyone can make a difference regardless of age, sex, size or stature. This show makes you want to go out and kick some butt, fight for what you believe in, vive la resistance, or maybe I should just hold up 2 fingers and say "V". Rock on!

Now this is real sci-fi! Kenneth Johnsons story is (in my opinion) one of the best ever written. While I rank The Tripods as my favourite sci-fi adventure, this will come as a good second.

I wasn't very old when I saw V for the first time, but I can honestly say it blew me away! And even now almost 20 years later I can still watch it and be in awe like I was way back then.

And now I am just waiting for the return of V, which finally seems to be becoming reality. Hopefully it will stick to the basics and not go "overboard" like so many re-makes have done over the years. But with Kenny at the helm I doubt that will be a problem, since I happen to know that the legacy of V means a lot to him.