V

If a ninety-nine out of a hundred science fiction films fall into being cliché ridden, one will stand out above the rest. V, in its original miniseries, would be one of those that stands above the rest. V is anything but your typical science fiction story of an alien invasion. It is a tale of a fascist (alien) takeover of our society and the resistance of a few in a society to it. As a result V, while a product of the technology and culture of the 1980's, is a timeless piece of science fiction.

One of the elements to V's success is its cast. Leading, so to speak, the cast of human characters are Marc Singer as cameraman Mike Donovan and Faye Grant as med-student turned rebel leader Julie Parrish. Both Singer and Grant give nice performances that, for the most part, come across as real people in extraordinary situations. In fact the performances of the entire cast be described by that last phrase as well ranging from the Maxwell family (Michael Durrell, Penelope Windust as the parents with Blair Tefkin, Viveka Davis and Marin May as their daughters) who find themselves persecuted to the point of joining the resistance much like the Taylor family (Jason Bernard, Richard Lawson and Michael Wright) to the Bernstein family (George Morfogen, Bonnie Bartlett) who find themselves torn between their Visitor friendly son Daniel (David Packer) and the Holocaust survivor grandfather Abraham (Leonardo Cimino). In fact the single best scene involves Abraham, who is wanting to hide the persecuted Maxwell's, reminding his son that this whole situation is all too familiar for the consequences of them not being hidden means "we haven't learned a thing". This is a scene that is not only well acted and well written but incredibly rare in your average science fiction story as well. There's also many other fine members of the cast including Neva Patterson (Donovan's mom), Evan Kim (Donovan's camera partner Tony), Jenny Sullivan (reporter turned Visitor spokeswoman Kristine Walsh) and Kristine Walsh (as Gardener turned rebel Sancho) amongst many others. The human side of the cast is just the tip of the iceberg though.

There's also a fine cast playing the alien "visitors" as well. They range from their seemingly benevolent leader John (played briefly and well by Richard Herd) to Andrew Prine as the authoritative Steven. Then there's the innocent abroad in the form of Robert Englund as Willie and the resistance from within the visitors themselves in the form of Frank Ashmore as Martin and Jenny Neumann as Barbara. Then there is Jane Badler as Diana, perhaps the most attractive and conniving of the alien visitors, who plays the role with a seriousness not usually found in this kind of role. Together they form one of the best, and definitely one of the most diverse, cast of alien invaders ever assembled.

V is also aided by fine work behind the camera. There's the cinematography of John McPherson especially the tracking shot of characters watching the first contact sequence and the scenes in the mother-ship. The production design in the form of the mother ship interiors are fine examples of science fiction sets. There's also the special effects work ranging from the excellent shots of mother-ships (a decade plus before Independence Day) to the aerial dogfight at the end which all work marvelously for the most part despite a very few shots which don't look quite finished. No review of V is complete without mentioned the fine prosthetic work of the miniseries which range from the Visitors true faces to some rather uncomfortable dining sequences. Last, but not least by any means, is the fine score by composer Joe Harnell which takes puts together classical music influences and choir in one of the most unusual and best scores produced for any science fiction television piece I have heard, especially for the opening and closing credits of any part. In short: strong production values go a long way.

To my mind V's ultimate success lies in the script and direction of Kenneth Johnson. V was originally conceived not as a science fiction tale of alien invasion but as the tale of a fascist takeover of the U.S which can still be found deeply embedded in the final product. In fact that is what separates V from many other alien invasion stories. V is about fascism, how people can be lured in by it, how far those in power will go to secure their position, how the average person will react and what happens when ordinary people stand up to resist it. There's also more then a few hints of Nazi Germany as well from the Swastika-like symbol of the Visitors to Friends of the Visitors youth groups (the Hitler Youth) and, before the miniseries is over with, a strong allegory with the Holocaust as well (see the miniseries to get it). Wisely Johnson also puts a fair (but not gratitude) amount of action in as well which helps to compliment the story and move it along. V is embedded in the technology and culture of the 1980's when it was made to sure but that doesn't date the story at all. Instead V becomes, like H.G. Welles War of the Worlds before it, a timeless tale of alien invasion and human resistance to it.

What makes V successful? Well it's large cast of fine actors, nice cinematography, good special effects work, excellent prosthetic work and fine score go along way. Yet the true success of V lies in its script and story. Why? Because ultimately V is not about spaceships and ray-guns but is about people and their reactions to the extraordinary events around them.

"V" is one of those rare TV miniseries that manages to contain action, decent special effects (especially for 1983), and a storyline that actually makes you think. It's not without flaws, but if you overlook its faults, this miniseries can be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Yes, yes, Kenneth Johnson went over the top with the Visitors' similarities to the Nazis, right down to their "symbol". Yes, there were a few continuity errors and plot points that didn't quite make sense. Yes, you had to suspend your sense of believability in various aspects of the film. However...

The miniseries did a good job portraying a lot of interesting character stories and traits that you don't otherwise find in most action films. Consider the following:

1) Mike Donovan's relationship with his mother was complex and interesting in itself. Donovan's mother, who had apparently been through a tough life, desired power and the ability to live "the good life" so much that she literally closed her eyes to everything that was happening around her. Even the Visitors' kidnapping of her only grandchild didn't faze her. Eventually she completely turned on Mike, and finally turned on her Visitor friend at the end when it appeared the Visitors were losing the war. This sort of character is very real, and I'm sure all of us know people who will switch allegiances at the drop of a hat.

2) The depiction of both earth people who assist the Visitors and the Visitor "5th Column", who are secretly sabotaging their people's own mission, provides us with good examples of people turning on their own kind for reasons of greed or morality.

3) The Daniel Berstein character, obviously looking for direction in life, never quite fitting in with the 1980s earth world, was fascinating. It was totally believable how he fell in with the Visitors and became an officer in their army, just to feel like he belonged. Even the torture of his parents and murder of his grandfather only lightly affected him.

4) The internal squabbling between the Visitor high command was also interesting, especially given that they all generally had the same goal. Diana wanted the mission to proceed as more of a giant scientific experiment, while other Visitor higher-ups wanted it to be strictly a military mission.

Sadly, Kenneth Johnson was not involved with V:The Final Battle, and it showed. The Final Battle was more of a pure action film, while the original V was a lot deeper. Remember the "message" that the humans sent to the Visitor's "enemy", asking for help? Notice that was never referenced again in the Final Battle. Twenty years later, Johnson is picking up where he left off! "V" is going to have a sequel, but it will essentially ignore The Final Battle and pretend it didn't exist. Instead, the humans will be assisted by the Visitors' enemy, who I presume got the message. I hope this miniseries actually gets off the ground and appears on TV. I'd love to see what Johnson can do with it. Supposedly Jane Badler, Marc Singer, and Faye Grant will reprise their roles. I don't understand how they can do such a thing, all being 20 years older. We'll see...

First saw 20 years ago and its fascination to me then has not dimmed.

Skillfully told tale of alien contact - "we come in peace" but this soon changed as a deep and premeditated plot by the aliens to enslave/rape the Earth emerged. Obvious overtones common to any invader/oppressive regime in particular The Holocaust.

Strong storyline and characters that one really felt involved with/cared for.

Special effects (especially the at-times wobbly V shuttle craft) not state-of-the-art by today's standards but competently done and more than compensated for by the strength of the storyline.

Would recommend to people who don't particularly like sci-fi, because of the personal side of the story.

10 out of 10.

I was 5 years old when the series premiered on television. It was the biggest and to me, the greatest science fiction show ever made! More than 20 years have pasted, and still, to a degree, the show remains strong. Even though the special effects are now considered lame and at times funny, the show in itself was a giant milestone for network history. The Beastmaster, Marc Singer is the poster child for early 80's cool. Richard Hatch must have asked for too much money. You could not of had movies like Independence Day if V wasn't made. Today, video shelves have the original 3 hour mini series with a separate tape, "the final battle." The following year has not yet been made available for the public.

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!