Cleopatra 2525

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.

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?

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.

I originally saw this when it came out as part of the "Action Pack" when WB was just a new network and the novelty of shows had worn thin. They had some good ones, then it became the CW

As time wore on the novelty wore off, we got offerings like Beastmaster and Jack of All Trades, ad well as a Sinbad show (I'll check that one out) but I liked Cleo 2525 because I liked the kick a** women fighters and honestly, they were fun to watch. I liked seeing the fish out of water element and noticed pretty quickly that men were the enemy in this Universe. The first man we're introduced to is a Betrayer, a machine replicated to be human including memories

I really liked the show and am glad it is now being shown on Tubi. It's not supposed to be Xena and isn't supposed to be taken too seriously, which is what I like about it. It makes us think somewhat but it also entertains us if we want to turn our brain off.

I have to say though the actor who plays Mauser is cute as hell.

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.