Cleopatra 2525

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!

Cleopatra 2525 is a very funny, entertaining show. You shouldn't take all the show seriously, but if you wanna have fun, that's your TV show. Being made by the producers of Xena is a quality guarantee, and Cleopatra 2525 isn't that different from Xena. The female warriors formula is brought to the future, where they don't have to fight warriors or gods, but dangerous robots which dwell in the surface, and the humans are forced to live underground. Along the two seasons of Cleopatra, they develop an interesting and funny underground world, and we get to know the three main characters: Cleopatra (Jennifer Sky), Hel (Gina Torres) and Sarge (Victoria Pratt). They all are different, but as a team, they work really well. The three main actresses appeared previously in Xena, like most of the regular/guest cast (there are some known faces from Hercules too, or from both shows). I specially liked the character played by Danielle Cormack (Ephiny in Xena), which is very different from any of her roles I previously knew. So if you liked Xena and Hercules, you'll love Cleopatra 2525. If you don't know them, try it: I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

After only two episodes, this Xena-meets-Barbarella post-apocalyptic pajama party hasn't had a chance to deliver much...it seems to lack focus, and the pacing is extreme--likely due to the 30 minute formatting. It's a little (okay, okay, a lot) cliche, but seems well-intentioned. The premise has promise, and I have high hopes based on the cast.

Gina Torres (Hercules' dynamic pirate queen Nebula), Victoria Pratt (Xena's Amazon queen Cyane) and Jennifer Sky (Xena's aspiring but capable young Amazon Amarice) have been Raimi/Tapert favorites for several seasons of Xena/Hercules, but so far they have been too busy screaming, grimacing and performing quadruple somersaults to act human yet.

XWP/HLJ regular Joel (Strife/Deimos) Tobeck also joins the cast as the maniacal Creegan...and yes, you can recognize him even through the Mardi Gras make-up and prosthetic chin. It's actually refreshing to see him as the Supreme Menace as opposed to his XWP/HLJ characters, who are supremely annoying (in a psychotic, endearing sort of way.)

And so, All Hail the Futuristic/ Ancient Madcap Epic formulas so beloved by the Raimis...in effect a sort of Pythonesque Terry Jones/Michael Palin tribute. And hey, there's a reason Sam Raimi sometimes credits himself as Alan Smithee, Jr., folks.

---By the Way, that theme music...what were they thinking?

As I have said before in previous comments, some programmes are there to be 'Light entertainment'. So I get somewhat frustrated when commentators seem to be expecting a program that will reveal the meaning of life, you will not get that from Cleopatra 2525 and it does not presume to offer it. What you get is a girl who was frozen and is brought back to life some 500 years later and her adaptation to this new life is realistic. She does not settle in within 10 minutes as what happens with other time travelling adventures and neither is she the female equivalent of James Bond ready to take on all comers.Cleopatra is overawed by her new surroundings and frightened by some of the weaponry on display as most of us would be. However it is light entertainment, the stories have a beginning a middle and an end in quick time and their are some surprisingly good moments of acting. The episode when there is a double of Cleopatra is particularly moving and Jennifer Sky I think gives one of the best performances of someone dying for a long long time, and being a film and television buff I know what I am talking about. Finally to prove my sincerity I have purchased all but four of the episodes and I am entirely satisfied with my purchase. The only reason I do not have the complete set is because I purchased the other episodes before realising that there was one complete box set. Victoria Pratt and Gina Torres complete the trio creditably and for light entertainment Cleopatra 2525 certainly entertained me.

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. >