Genres

Visitors Review

justin-fencsak 2012-05-24 20:07:03

V was worth watching

When the original V came out in 1983, it became a cultural event ofitself; it was the "Star Trek" of the 1980's and spawned a sequel and ashort lived series. Like "Star Trek", a new vision of the show arrivedon ABC to critical and audience acclaim, although the network'sdecision to move the show to late nights offed many fans, which praisedthe series' more serious drama and good special effects (mostly CGI).The result....a version of "V" that a new generation of fans willenjoy. Morena Baccarin is stunning as the main protagonist of the show,while Elizabeth Mitchell of "Lost" fame is great as the heroine whotries to save the day. Watch it while you can, because "V" might becomehistory.

aaron esmonde 2012-05-24 11:33:12

As realistic as you can get, it's show about lizard aliens

Before Alien Nation, before Independence Day, there was V. A race ofhuman looking extraterrestrials arrive on earth. These 'vistors' led byalien Anna come in peace, however, behind her smile is a sinister planto take over the world.The latest 'reimagining' of V is a competent rework of the original80's TV show. Despite some ropey CGI effects, the story, characters andscript carry some weight, there are shades of grey, not everything isblack and white... Unorthodox alliances, double crossings, moralechoices and sacrifice are just some of the themes amongst a cloak anddagger alien invasion. There is action, drama and of course it's playedpossibly as realistic as you can get considering it a show about lizardaliens.Jane Badler the original female protagonist appears in season 2 as'Diana' which is a nice nod for fans of the predecessor albeit as adifferent character with the same name. And also Marc Singer gives acameo. Notable are actors Scott Wolf and Laura Vandervoort. Worthmentioning is Anna's right hand man played by Morena Baccarin and toughguy Kyle Hobbes played by Charles Mesure.Evil executives at ABC have cancelled the series after season/series 2which is a crying shame as there were plenty of places V could havebeen taken with the right story writers and good characters alreadyestablished such as FBI agent Erica Evans, played by Elizabeth Mitchelland Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry.It's said that it ends on a cliff hanger but that depends on who's sideyour on, there is one winner, if no more are made... Worth seeing, I'llnow finish this sentence as abruptly as ABC's cancellation.

micky_duncan 2012-05-23 21:09:04

Terrible script, miniscule cast

The creators of this contemporary cut of V seem to have missed thecritical elements of the 1983 original, that being characterdevelopment, a large cast portraying many interesting interleaved plotthreads (think any 1970s disaster flic – Airport, Towering Inferno,Poseidon Adventure et al), likable characters (who could ever forgetJane Badler as Diana? or the highly charismatic Willie played by RobertEnglund ?)Morena Baccarin as Anna seems to be be doing a soap commercial in everyscene we see of her. I swear she has the same expression in everyscene. Also, why does she walk like a Kaminoan?The script is the worst part, talk about inconstant writing style thateven manages to surpass Star Trek Next Generation in this department.Though it may look prettier, special effect fans will be disappointedbecause even though the 1983 original may look a bit dated, it stillpossesses vastly more special effect shots of shuttle crafts andmotherships.So if a sci-fi show has neither a good story or decent special effects,what good is it?***** PLOT SPOILER WARNING ***** ***** PLOT SPOILER WARNING ***** *****PLOT SPOILER WARNING ****** Father Jack Landry is so terrified in the first two episodes as apriest when he witnesses something dreadful, but then I believe inepisode 4 when he just happens to know how to remove a bullet from awound that we learn that he served twice during the Iraq war. What? Sohe never saw anything violent during his two tours of duty? come on!* Tyler Evans the teenager who defies and lies to his mother aboutstaying away from the V's, gets the guilt's and tries ONCE to talk tohis mum but because she's busy he in a huff, goes to see a therapistsaying "…I can't talk to my mother anymore…". What a hypocrite, andsince when would a rebel archetype such as Tyler go all touchy feelyand decide to lookup a shrink? I think not.* The V's have superior technology and fly into and invade the USairspace unhindered but laughing still require a Travel Visa to movearound the USA! What arrogance.* V's superior medical technology can supposedly make people see again,cure cancel, cure scars, can reverse engineer your entire medicalhistory and yet fail to determine that a human is pregnant with a V andis allowed to return to home after the scan. I think not.

Lucio Scelso 2012-05-23 05:50:00

V? May "V" in the 70s

I'm 41 years old and I've seen the original version of "V"... and lovedIt. At that time, Internet was "undergrounded", you can send mail toother part of the world in seven or eight... weeks, and rarely can filmmore than 8 minutes in videotapes.In that world, a "V" invasion seemed plausible and also scary. Youcan't simply take the same argument and "adapt it" minimally as is inthis show because it's extremely unlikely that an invasion could stopsocial networks messages, video-recordings, world-wide web, almostinstantaneous communications all around the globe.They should have put more emphasis on the argument or ambient thisseries in the original time frame.Sorry for my English.

placiddragon 2012-05-16 21:42:52

Looks promising

Having seen the original, i naturally had high expectations for thisremake.First some criticism.. That its a remake really does not entitle thewriters to throw the original plot out the window, and make it into a"its us against the Al-Qaeda lizards". That is, at best, idiotic, andin my honest opinion shows a general lack of intelligence. In thisfiercely competitive market that is TV series though, i cant help butwonder if the network didn't want a slow buildup, but wanted more of a"straight into the action" setting. Whoever thought it up, shame onthem.. stupid stupid idea.Everything from the original plot is pushed on the viewer in the spanof the first episode, making one wonder where exactly this is going togo. I guess we'll have to find out over the coming episodes..On to the positive, the story is good (if you haven't seen the originaland disregard what i've written above), the acting is mostly solid, mynitpicks would be the kids and their love interest visitor, which comesacross as fake across the board, with at times abysmal acting.Elizabeth Mitchell does a passable job, it varies from great to bad.Dialogue she generally handles well, displaying emotions however, isobviously not her strong point. The rest of the cast, what little i'veseen at least, is very solid.Difficult if not impossible to give a more accurate analysis until ihave more to digest. Thats my take on the new series at least :)

dee.reid 2012-05-16 13:00:12

Like Father Landry says, "V" is for "victory"!

"V" is the modern 2009 update of the original 1983 series of the samename, which is what was also inspired by the short story "It Can'tHappen Here" by Sinclair Lewis. The show is about human-looking,seemingly benevolent extraterrestrial visitors called "Vs," whichstands for "Visitor." The Vs arrive on Earth in grand fashion thatbrings up memories of another alien invasion epic - "Independence Day"(1996), which is in mammoth, city-sized spaceships that hoverharmlessly in the skies over 29 of the world's major cities. The Vsappear to be benign in nature, as espoused by their beautiful femalehigh commander Anna (Morena Baccarin). They heal humans of seeminglyincurable illnesses and conditions and share with us their technology,for absolutely nothing in return except that they be accepted as one ofour own. But a mysterious underground resistance group of determinedhumans are convinced that the Vs are up to something far more sinister,and they're right. As it would turn out, the Vs were already here, andtheir sudden appearances in 29 major cities all across the world wastheir last stage in their grand plans for planetary domination. "V" isan outstanding sci-fi series. Like most good sci-fi, it plays on modernsociological and political anxieties. Of course, it was dogged lastyear when it aired almost one full year after the election of BarackObama as president of the United States. And it is true that the alienshere, especially Anna, are allegedly some sort of stand-in that Obamareally is an alien with a sinister hidden agenda for Americans; thisincludes several deliberate references in the show about "hope,""change," "peace" and last but not least my personal favorite,"universal health care" - get the picture? Those were all well-knowncampaign slogans on Obama's 2008 presidential campaign trail. Even themost die-hard right-winger will have a hard time trying to convincepeople that these parallels are not deliberate. For those who voted forObama (like me), they may have a hard time watching a show that hasclaimed no political bias; I will admit that I had a bit of difficultywatching this show initially because of the bias claims, but after afew episodes such political allegations fade away as the plot is everso delicately revealed to show a great sci-fi series that does playgreat on modern political anxieties, but does not favor one side overthe other. And of course, the show is incredibly well-made. I haven'tseen the original "V" series yet, so I can only comment on significance- that show was great for its time and has rightfully earned a place inthe science fiction pantheon as one of the greats of the genre. Thishigh-tech update has all the trappings of a big-budget blockbuster withexcellent top-of-the-line special effects, pretty-looking people(Elizabeth Mitchell and of course, Morena Baccarin), and actionsequences that keeps everything rolling at a stellar place. On top ofthat, everything just looks great about this show. The cinematographygives the visuals a pristine look that instantly reminds you that thisis 2010 Hollywood at its best on a great TV show. "V" reveals itself tobe a very clever and suspenseful science fiction series that I hopewill not disappoint in its second season, especially after a prettychilling cliffhanger season finale.10/10

MarLeigh Montalvo 2012-05-12 02:35:56

I am enjoying this

I loved the original mini-series, not the horrible wholly forgettableTV series of V that came after the mini-series. So I knew that withtoday's technology, somebody surely could do a good job with this show.I was a little gun-shy with the premier. It was good, but as soon as Isaw a visitor dating a human I said "Please for the love of God, noStar Child" like the original mini-series. Well we will just have tosee if they completely blow it with this angle or if they do somethingintelligent with it. The premier like I said was good although I feltthat they decided rather quickly to build a resistance and did it soquietly. After the hiatus though, things definitely got kicked intogear and now I can't wait to see every episode. I watch it after Losteven though it's on later and I am telling my friends about it too. Thecharacters are good and the action is good. Hoping they will continuewith no silliness and definitely no Star Child. If they can do that,then I think they have a hit on their hands.

luanne-87-35596 2012-05-11 08:15:22

Bring Back V

No, don't cancel. My daughter & I love the show in SA. It is so muchbetter than the old one and so exciting. It keeps us on the edge of ourseats. I love the acting and the expressions that Anna gives the humansand the way they fight back. As adults we all know that this is fictionand it is just so exciting because the movies have advanced and newtechnology has been brought into it. It is amazing. The bliss. I wouldlove to bliss a couple of people, ha ha (just kidding). I really dofeel that the actors bring a new level and they really act so well inthis pro gramme. Please bring it back. Please PleasePlease. I love it.So sad now! I love you guys, all of you are fantastic and don't listento any other bad comments! Your show is beyond fantastic!!! We just sawthe last episode last night and there is so much more to happen. Comeon directors/producers, even get Jerry Bruckheimer to help out - don'tquit on your fans. Love SA.

Jamiec523 2012-05-05 22:48:43

Very Interesting Show

I am not one to go for sci fi shows but this one grabbed my attention.When I watched the first episode I was impressed and intrigued. Therewere bits of it that I found were a bit odd but all in all it is apretty good show. When I heard the line "Why should we trust them" Ithought if we ever do get Vistors we should think, Why should theytrust us? Well later on in this show we find out why they would trustus..its not a happy reason lol. The acting was pretty good, in myopinion Morena Baccarin as the role of the Visitors leader Anna andElizabeth Mitchell who does the role of Erica Evans both delivered areally good performance and I hope to see more of them. This show isn'tas unrealistic as some may think as we may get visitors in our future,and watching this show could be a step by step guide on how to handlethem lol. I recommend you watch this show if you enjoy some sci fiaction but I also recommend you keep an opened mind as some of it as Isaid is a bit far-fetched...but it is a enjoyable program.One thing that I look for in a show is intrigue to watch more episodes,I can say I will be watching next weeks episode!7/10

lifwinteg 2012-05-05 05:35:22

Not bad, little different.

I liked it. A bit different from the original. I don't like how quickthe humans discover the lizards. I hope the V's use lasers or blastersinstead of knives and floating robots all the time. I would like to seeguest appearances from stars from the old show. That would be cool. Themother ship and shuttle craft are impressive. I would say that thisshow is really good. Like with anything thats a remake, people aregoing to point out the flaws and differences. I just hope they let itrun its course and not cancel it. Thumbs up on the remake. Keep theaction coming. That will attract viewers. I look forward to many otherepisodes.

JarrydWilliams 2012-05-04 02:21:27

Clever, sophisticated and taking unexpected directions for a science fiction drama series

The updated "V" has certainly divided the opinions of fans and criticsalike.With a brilliant premiere, "V" gave us a sexy and intelligent new takeon Kenneth Johnson's brilliant 1980s sci-fi hit. Unfortunately, afteronly four episodes the show was taken off the air for a few monthswhich was probably the biggest mistake any network has ever made in TVhistory - it certainly seems to be the reason for the roller coasterratings in season one.If there is one problem with "V" it is that its story is too big andthe writers feel they need to reveal it too quickly, leading to a greatdeal of unnecessary exposition and our characters standing aroundtalking more than getting to the job of actually showing us what'sgoing on.But really, that's only a small thing when held up to the showsstrengths: brilliant acting, excellent direction and special effects, areal sense of story-telling, a deeper look into the alien society ofthe Visitors than was given to us in the original, and a cast ofcharacters (both major and supporting) who are pretty damn excellent(Christopher Shyer as Marcus, anyone?).Part way through season two "V" has a number of balls in the air, andhas taken some wonderful twists and turns as it modernizes the original(which drew parallels with Hitler's Nazi Germany) by exploring the costof terrorism and a supreme belief in technology.Perhaps the most interesting thing about the show in season two is thestand off between faith and technology. The series' bad guy, Anna,played to menacing perfection by the beautiful Morena Baccarin,believes that the key to defeating humanity and using them as part ofher breeding program to save her species, lies in understanding anddestroying the human soul. It's clear Anna doesn't have a clue what thesoul is or how to find it, though her mother, Diana, played by theoriginal series' magnificent Jane Badler, does. Diana came to Earthmany years ago and in a way fell in love with it and the beauty ofhuman emotions and the human soul, leading her to become "infected" byemotion and deposed as Queen by her daughter. Anna tries to understandthe soul by talking to her mother about it, but remains convincedtechnology can defeat and destroy it.The always wonderful Joel Gretsch is the human souls' advocate in theseries, playing Father Jack Landry.The series is pitched as "mother against mother" but it's moreinteresting element is that mentioned above - technology versusspiritual understanding. That issue in particular is extremely relevanttoday as advancing technology wages a subtle war with religion in oureveryday lives."V" definitely has its strengths and its weaknesses, but one shouldnever forget the series has had very little time to establish itselfand explore its potential. Drawing from the experiences of anotherscience fiction series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation", it took threeseasons (a total of 74 hours of television) before that show got anygood. By the end of season two of "V" this year, the show will haveonly had 22 hours of story telling time. That's not a lot for such acomplicated, story driven show.The question of whether or not there will be a season 3 remains up inthe air at the moment, but hopefully viewers will tune into thisbeautifully made, wonderfully acted drama and convince ABC to give itat least one more year so we can see where the unfolding story lineswill take us. If "V" is allowed to get its legs, it has the potentialto be as long lasting and captivating as some of the best sciencefiction shows in recent years - it certainly has a first rate cast thatis well worth investing a little time in each week.

crunchykitten 2012-05-03 08:08:19

Oh, man, what a stinker

Who wrote this cr*p? Didn't anybody in pre-production ask, "Didn'tanybody see the enormous spaceships coming?" Or, "How did they getcombat troops onto the streets about ten seconds after the hot alienchick finished talking?" Or, "Wouldn't extremely technologicallysuperior aliens who've been here secretly for decades have keybroadcasters in place and ready to go?" Fans of science-fiction are always and forever ready to cut the TVspace operas some slack- I mean, a LOT of slack- because A. Allprime-time television (and almost all television, period) is writtenfor 12-year-olds with low-normal IQs, and B. Television producers don'tread science-fiction so they don't know which ideas are sort of freshand which were first proposed by Wells, Verne, and the pulp writers ofthe 1930s through the 1950s. But I'm willing to bet, with anyone whocares to, that V will just get worse and worse, because Purveyors ofprime time television don't care about either A or B.

Sweetnesstoyou 2012-05-01 23:55:24

SO much potential but the writers fall flat.

If you cut off logic then this show will be more enjoyable. The actingis good for the most part but the writing is flat. I started watching Vafter the Hiatus. I fell in love with the show. loved Anna at firstglance, her character captivated me for the most part. The show has somuch potential, they do a good buildup and then fall flat. the Actorsdo a great job, the writers suck a lot. most of the season was spent looking for some one ex, John May, Hobbes,The scientist, that it got dull after a while. the most hated/poorlywritten characters Tyler and Chad had very little development. manyquestions were never answered,like why are the V's here, what do theylook like, what do the V/human baby look like? the Dialog is laughableand corny at times looking back on previous episodes. Granted whatmakes this show a goodish type show is the Actors. Morena Baccarin is apleasant surprise, her, and Scott Wolf chemistry is great and theirencounters are fun to watch.Elizabeth Michell makes whoever she isacting with better. The Finale was very good. the writing was tightenough to make sense and the cliffhanger made me yearn for more. theacting was the best it had been all season and now next season issupposed to redeem its slow start bring in two new cast members aradical 5c member and Anna's mother. so the future looks bright forthis show. it had a tough break all year with their long hiatus andsub-par writing, it didn't sell me until episode11. and with thedevelopments of season 2 coming into light, once again this show hasgreat potential and i am once again excited for it so i give a 10/10 toshow my excitement, but this show need to treat every episode like itsa finale because it barely got a S2 now it needs to deliver.Yours truly, Sweetness

dms-21 2012-05-01 11:04:57

Great actors, decent special effects, idiotic plot line

I really wanted to like this, and despite the disappointments of thefirst few episodes kept coming back because the actors are excellent.But the plot! The human characters show unbelievable naivety, actingwith extreme stupidity and then somehow lucking out (for the mostpart). The visitors monitor everything - except, apparently, withintheir own ships where they're not only completely blind but alsototally lacking in any other security mechanisms (such as locks). Worsestill, the visitors (at least in the first season) haven't actuallydone anything all that shockingly bad (if I was an alien commanderwanting to show the human resistance as terrorists, for instance, I'darrange for them to blow up a ship full of school kids on a culturalouting, not...).I gave it 3 out of 10 mostly for the actors. Morena Baccarin (Anna)gets special recognition, with her movements and facial expressionsvery well suited to her role.

eliza_gaskell 2012-04-29 08:14:25

get rid of Elizabeth Mitchell

When it was announced "V" was going to be remade to suit a contemporaryaudiences, I was looking forward to it. But now in its second season,in Austalia, it seems to have lost its shine.There are so many character cliques in this series: 1. The token blackman,Ryan (Morris Chestnut) 2. The righteous rebel, EricaEvans(Elizabeth Mitchell) 3. The love sick puppy, Tyler Evans (LoganHuffman) 4. The beautiful princess, Lisa (Laura Vanderhoot) 5. The evilqueen, Anna(Morena Baccarin) 6. The bad guy turned good, Josuah (MarkHildreth) 7. The wannabe macho man, Kyle Hobbs (Charles Mesure) 8. Thetoken priest, Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch) 9. The naive reporter, ChadDecker (Scott Wolf) 10. The loyal general, Marcus (Christopher Shyer)These characters don't have much scope for any development or growth,and the audience really doesn't know how to connect with them, nor evencare if they die. The only real stand out character is Anna, and Morenaportrays the queen reptile to perfection. Elizabeth Mitchell botoxedface is like watching cardboard talk! Her character Erica is the leastconvincing as a FBI agent; get rid of her and hire a actress who lookedlike a mother of a teenage boy and has expression lines on her face!Logan Huffman really needs to see an acting coach, it's justembarrassing (and laughable) to see him attempt to act like a sexcrazed, angry teenage with a face of a 2 year old.And where in the Hell are the world leaders? It seems the Visitors arecontent to speak to Erica then the American President; which one has tostretch the mind to it's limit for understand this reason why; this isbeyond disbelief.Having seen the first "V" years ago, it's hard not to compare the twoproductions, hopefully the series will develop and grow, yet it isannoying to see an excellent production by Josh Weldon's FIREFLY, getaxed in the first session, and this version "V" has another season.Overall not a bad attempt at Sci-fi, but could be better.

Norm_uk 2012-04-29 06:11:44

Still early days but not too promising

I'm old enough to remember the original series and had hopes a remakewould bring new ideas and fresh approaches to the concept. So far I'vefound the plot not particularly believable within it's context and Ididn't really connect too much with most of the characters.It seems they have gone for special effects and pretty people ratherthan characters, concepts like loyalty and statements abouttotalitarian government which the original series did rather welldespite it's flaws.I still have hopes the series will improve...generally it's gettingmore watchable compared to the Independence Day style pilot whichdidn't answer any important questions or build up the pace very well.Let's see how it progresses - some great TV shows started out poor -this is just average and improving very very slightly.

Lynz27 2012-04-26 03:58:35

RE: V Unexpected & Fantastic Science Fiction Thriller

AMAZING, incredible, unsurpassed in science-fiction writing along withfirst-rate acting. It is obvious that Kenneth Johnson is still writingevery episode- I can hardly wait until each new episode appears. Anna'scharacter is stunning, surprising and her dark enigmatic eyes keeps theviewer guessing. Her costume, makeup and character development isflawless and absolutely one of the main attractions of the show. I hopethat ABC listens to its viewers, not a few petty people who havealready denounced V from the beginning. V has had a following since itsinception in 1984 and still today has attracted a second and thirdgeneration, my daughter, husband and son included. Please ABC, do notmake the same mistakes as NBC, whose peacock has lost her feathers dueto bad judgment, poor ratings and little following. Thank you for awonderful program in V. Sincerely, Lynz27

mason_612 2012-04-25 14:14:23

What a Load of Crap - Original V fans Revolt !

I loved the original 1983 series- Who can forget John, Diana, and theothers, Marc Singer and Robert Ironside. But what they have done hereis come up with a load of disjointed schlock. Its hurried, and out ofsync, the characters are forgettable, with no time taken to developthings. TV land has become truly desperate. Morrena Baccarrin startsout OK, as the lovely but smarmy and transparent Anna, but after thefirst few scenes slides into hilarity. What a shame, and a betrayal ofone of the best cult sci-fi series ever made. The concept of V itselfhas also been savaged. It was the signature of the resistors, not thelogo of the Visitors. Get a Robert Ironside in there soon , a guy whowants to turn the visiting lizards into "pairs of shoes". Fortuneatlyfor us, this rubbish will likely not get past the first four episodes.Don't waste your time.

eliza_gaskell 2012-04-24 10:17:47

get rid of Elizabeth Mitchell

When it was announced "V" was going to be remade to suit a contemporaryaudiences, I was looking forward to it. But now in its second season,in Austalia, it seems to have lost its shine.There are so many character cliques in this series: 1. The token blackman,Ryan (Morris Chestnut) 2. The righteous rebel, EricaEvans(Elizabeth Mitchell) 3. The love sick puppy, Tyler Evans (LoganHuffman) 4. The beautiful princess, Lisa (Laura Vanderhoot) 5. The evilqueen, Anna(Morena Baccarin) 6. The bad guy turned good, Josuah (MarkHildreth) 7. The wannabe macho man, Kyle Hobbs (Charles Mesure) 8. Thetoken priest, Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch) 9. The idealist, Chad Decker(Scott Wolf) 10. The loyal general, Marcus (Christopher Shyer)These characters don't have much scope for any development or growth,and the audience really doesn't know how to connect with them, nor evencare if they die. The only real stand out character is Anna, and Morenaportrays the queen reptile to perfection. Elizabeth Mitchell botoxedface is like watching cardboard talk! Her character Erica is the leastconvincing as a FBI agent; get rid of her and hire a actress who lookedlike a mother of a teenage boy and has expression lines on her face!Logan Huffman really needs to see an acting coach, it's justembarrassing (and laughable) to see him "attempting" to act like a sexcrazed, angry teenage with a face of a 2 year old.And where in the Hell are the world leaders? It seems the Visitors arecontent to speak to Erica than the American President; which one has tostretch the mind to it's limit for understand this reason why; this isbeyond disbelief.Having seen the first "V" years ago, it's hard not to compare the twoproductions, hopefully the series will develop and grow, yet it isannoying to see an excellent production by Josh Weldon's FIREFLY, getaxed in the first session, and this version "V" has another season.Overall not a bad attempt at Sci-fi, but could be better.

grlady2908 2012-04-24 02:33:21

So far so good

Just saw the premiere last night and it is pretty good so far. I neversaw the first V but plan to watch this one forever long it lasts. Iknow the first V was a one season wonder but on TV commercials for thisnew V they say things like "on this season of V..." which would leadone to believe there will be more to come. The premier did start alittle fast. It covered a lot of ground in a short hour span of timebut not so quickly that you lose focus of things that are going on inthe different lives you must follow to comprehend the entire show. Notreally a bad think considering I HATE TV shows that drag through theplot and never hit a climax (Flash Forward). The CGI stuff looks prettygood. The acting is sincere and not cheesy. I will definitely keepwatching.