Flash Gordon

This was simply a great show. I glanced through some of the many comments which savage this show, and frankly, I don't really get it. This program has a typical sci fi premise, with the twist of adding a slick, insidious dictator along the lines of a self righteous Ayn Rand villain. The special effects and action are a bit cheesy, but the show play it tongue in cheek ("laser whip, really?"). The plot and character interaction steadily improves throughout the show and Flash's allies on Mongo are portrayed as a lesser of two evils instead of being self righteous freedom fighters. Each of the individual cantons has a unique look and culture. The plot steadily builds and the final five episodes are amazing: inevitable, yet soundly executed. Man, I really have no ides why people did not love this show.

I watched the pilot and, frankly, thought this series was plain bad. HOWEVER a funny thing happened over the months. Around October I tuned back in with a friend to show them how weak a show "Flash" was...turns out it was much better. Still not fantastic but watchable. Some of the characters were interesting, the plot was more action oriented and set on Mongo (rather than Flash's Mom's house). It made me re-evaluate it. Another few weeks passed and I tuned in again...turns out the show isn't that bad after all.

So the question begs itself, can you write off a show that starts poorly or should it be judged in its entirety? I think, all things considered, the show is better than it was and might well become a quality show. There are a few episodes left in the season so I'm adopting a wait and see attitude. But the most recent episodes are far better than previous ones and I think the show deserves a second season...assuming they up the budget and tweak the writing.

I've read the reviews, and I know my opinion is unpopular. So, in my honest opinion, the new Flash Gordon is a good adventure series and not unlike the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Hercules, Firefly, or any other tongue-in-cheek adventure show. The new Battlestar Galactica is a drama set in a Sci Fi universe, but it takes itself too seriously for my taste. Don't get me wrong, the new BG is good, but I prefer shows like the new Flash Gordon over it.

I've read the venomous barbs attacking the show and I don't want any part of that: suffice it to say "to each his own". I guess what I'm saying is I prefer the Fantasy-side of Sci Fi over the drama-side, but that does not mean I'm any less of a fan of Sci-Fi. From my perspective,FG is a good effort and the Sci Fi channel ought to be lauded for such a brave endeavor, but like the Dresden Files, Flash Gordon will most likely be canceled.

When I first watched the pilot episode of this show I was fairly appalled, it seemed boring and like it wasn't going anywhere. I turned it off less than halfway through. Then a few weeks later I was really bored and had nothing to watch so I decided to give it a go and I discovered that it actually gets a lot better after the pilot (God knows who gave the series the go-ahead with that piece of crap for a pilot!). As a fan of the original film its fun to find out which Mongo(lian?!) race you meet from the film each episode and how the different parts of the film are translated to form different stories. The series, in my opinion has definitely done what remakes are supposed to do, because although the original is a cult-classic, it is seriously dated and this show makes the story accessible to a new generation, using more modern ideas and FX like travelling between dimensions through a rift doorway, as opposed to the old fashioned traditional comic-book space rocket with circular windows down one side, from the film! It is definitely a series which grows on you as the relationships between characters develop and change. I definitely agree with the general consensus that Ming the Merciless could be more menacing, but the hotness of his daughter (and all the other female leads for that matter) definitely makes up for this! In fact if you're looking for eye-candy, this is you're show.

Yikes, from reading the first couple of pages of comments on this, I thought I must have had the wrong entry in the IMDb. This new Flash Gordon really isn't so bad, in my opinion.

I guess I can see how die-hard fans of previous incarnations of the characters and story might be sorely disappointed. That happens all too often with any kind of modern-day remake. And I have to concede that this show reminds me a LOT of just about everything else I've seen on SciFi lately (except maybe Battlestar).

But I also thought from all the one star reviews on the first couple of pages here that there must be a lot of lemmings out there. The show isn't particularly great, but the acting really isn't that bad, and unlike some other commentators, I find the whole thing to be plenty cheesy--there's just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek. When I first started seeing previews with the old theme music, I was afraid they were going to try and take themselves too seriously, but I've been pleasantly surprised.

I also like the fact that there are a couple of hot women. :) But I have to say I'm not that impressed with Princess Aura. Then again, like most of the characters on this show, she has kind of grown on me a bit as the character develops.

All in all, this show really isn't too bad. I've been pleasantly surprised.