OK fess up...I wasn't the only here who watched Flash Gordon

[Giant Robot]

last night. Where are all the Sci Fi geeks at? No one is discussing this....episode.

I understand your shame. Sci Fi channel's remake of Flash Gordon was not in league with BSG. It wasn't good, let's just say it nicely.

First of all, Ming the Merciless is apparently now Ming the Used Car Salesman. He has all the impact and awe inspiring presence as jello. I understand re-imagining the character from the bald scary Fu Manchu Asian, but come on another blond Aryan type with some bent towards world domination? Must all the villains in fiction be European now? And if they have to be, at least get one with some ability to act imposing. Or maybe not be the shortest one in the cast. And Ming's daughter Ardala, she rescued Flash because.....waiting....waiting....hell I don't know. Nothing like plot or character development. Oh and since I am talking about that side of the cast, the guards, nice riot gear helmets and clubs. Going for a cheesy factor is OK in my book, but this is just stupid. How long before the first, Flash knocks out a guard, steals his uniform, and makes his way right next to Ming for the climactic finish episode takes place. Counting down 5...4...3...2...

The acting was pretty wooden and the characters cliched to the point it was painful. Wow I would not have guessed they would have written Dale Arden as a strong women who needs no help from the hero of the show. For fucks sake they could give even a hint of dimension to her character, like feeling a teensy bit overwhelmed entering into another fucking world. Her fiance, whose name I don't even remember if we were told, is caricature cop. And the only chemistry between characters is between Flash and his mother, which is in that creepy Oedipal kind of way. I did think Dr. Zarkov was interesting, making him nerdy and pathological in some sort of way. But that's just cause I like nerdy types I guess.

I did like the dimension sliding and moving between worlds. It gives it a different flavor than Flash Gordon canon, but it works for me. Although I'm still not sure what the big danger to Earth is. Exposition is a good thing, only when done correctly.

Overall it was not good; cliched, wooden, and poorly done. I hope this gets better, but only because Sci Fi did so well with BSG, I am cutting them some slack and will watch the next couple episodes to see if things improve. Well, maybe just one more episode.

[kedrys]

1. Actually, yeah, you were

We watched a couple of episodes of Firefly instead. :D

[Giant Robot]

3. Never saw Firefly

But I would bet you're evening was more entertaining.

[kedrys]

6. You must

A bit odd at first, but stick it out. It'll grow on you.

[Giant Robot]

7. Everyone tells me to watch it

I'll get around to it one day....when I have that free time I keep dreaming of.

[Richard Steele]

2. Recorded it; haven't watched it yet. nm

[TreasonousBastard]

4. No reason to discuss it because it sucked rocks, and...

there was that insult of a couple of bars of the Queen theme from a good one.

The list of what was wrong with it is far too long to type here, although Ming and his whiny daughter did stick out a bit as abyssmally dreadful, with Ming the miscasting of the new century.

The list of what what was right with it is much shorter-- .

It didn't quite take "Pinata Island of Death" out of last place in the pantheon of dismal SciFi channel disasters, but it came very close.

[Giant Robot]

5. Ohhhh they came up with Pinata Island of Death

I keep seeing that on AMC at least monthly.

Curls up into a fetal position remembering it. So cold....so very cold.....

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

8. No, you weren't.

And I can't find a single fault with your review of Flash Gordon.
Major disappointment. But you can tell that they're doing this on a smaller budget than I give myself for gas each month.
This won't last 12 episodes, I think.

[Giant Robot]

10. Sci Fi is on board for 22 episodes n/t

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

13. *sigh*

And they thought Farscape was a waste of money. Argh.

[Giant Robot]

14. And Mansquito seemed like a good idea n/t

[NMDemDist2]

9. we have it TIVO'd for our days off

looking forward to it, so I'm not reading this thread until we see it

:hi:

[Giant Robot]

11. Good luck my friend n/t

[Blue-Jay]

12. Recorded, but I haven't watched it yet.

I fully expect it to be horrible, but that's OK. I enjoy bad sci-fi. I'll probably laugh the whole way through it.

[unsavedtrash]

15. We watched it too.

About half way through my SO said "we get this instead of Stargate" and got up and went to her office.
I'll watch the next episode to see if there is a change but I'm not counting on it.

[AmyDeLune]

16. I watched bits and pieces waiting for Doctor Who...

I switched off permanently on the line "A little torture looks good on you.":wow:

Your review about sums it up for me too.