Davcat

I did not look at the reviews before I watched this DVD. I came to the conclusion that it was f a r better than I anticipated it to be.

For a start, it was well-paced, and not crash-bang-wollop from the start, as some "super hero" movies tend to be. Neither was it tedious or dialogue-bound (like Mission to Mars). Overall, there was a quite serious feel to it, but it was well tempered by tongue-in-cheek moments and the unavoidable camp overlay.

Wolverine was by far the best character - a sort of old fashioned, no-nonesense, cowboy character. He echoed my view of Cyclops, who appeared glib and overconfident. Talking of Cyclops, we could have done with seeing more of his special ability. This was my favourite character in the 60s comic mags, but was more mature and aloof than the slick college-type we saw in this film. Storm's effects were more a sort of "storm in a teacup", and as for Rogue...pleeeeze! (a sort of wild-card, and handy for the plot).

The "baddies" had some interesting characters. So Magneto was a survivor of a WW2 concentration camp? An interesting, if not obvious analogy between Jews/undesirables, and modern day mutants. Didn't think much of the snarling dude, but Toad was brilliant!! I'm not sure how he could have a stereotyped London accent when brought up/hatched in North America, but what the hey. His demeanour (and accent) made him a sort of Dickensian villain - almost loveable. The part where he did a little jig during a piece of naughtiness, was excellent. The way he was dispatched was pathetic.

Yes - not a bad film. Get the popcorn in, some nice cold pop/beer, sit back, mutate and enjoy... 7/10

What a yawn fest this film turned out to be! I recommend it for getting you off to sleep without medication.

At first I was wondering whether the over-pally astronauts were ever going to end that over-long (a word used a lot in describing this film) barbecue at the start, and then go Mars-side. More a sickly excercise in how folks interact with each other, than a sci-fi movie, this. Gallons of tedious dialogue, references to many other flicks (especially Close Encounters and The Abyss, at the end).

I must say it was well shot, and it was great eye candy, shown through my DVD - the special effects were nice - especially the planetarium piece at the end.

The encounter with the alien was the only really enjoyable bit in the film. That was one beautiful alien. The idea of "seeding" the Earth with DNA is not new, but it was well portrayed here. The evolution scene was lovely. I cannot, however, understand why the guy who went on the alien ship, had to breath liquid. Perhaps as a buffer against the forces of swift interstellar flight? Many unanswered questions...perhaps it added to a mysterious feel the film did seem to have. Too much dialogue, too much shmaltz. The final chapter, watched via a DVD machine, just about makes it worth while. Glad I rented it, and didn't buy it...

Wow, what a series this was! I used to watch it late at night, often beered-up, and found it absolutely mind-boggling. Admitedly, it was a bit over-the-top, but it was this surreal style that made it stand out.

Add to this, the absolutely heart-stopping beauty of Eva Habermann, as Zev, and it was pure eye candy to any sci-fi freak such as myself. What a pity Eva was replaced by a somewhat dull, dark-haired actress. The whole programme went pear-shaped after this silly move, and I lost interest rapidly.

First series - definitely the best!!!