SciFi channel’s Flash Gordon was actually worth watching!
I’m much more of a reader of Science Fiction than a watcher, but occasionally I watch things, if often only to see how badly they screwed up the book (like any movie form of anything Philip Dick). However, I am known to watch the occasional movie or show, and I decided to give SciFi channel’s Flash Gordon remake a try. Amazingly enough, I enjoyed it.
An hour-and-a-half (TV time, not actual time) pilot episode premiered tonight, and was actually worth watching. They seem to be going for a far more serious bent, rather than the often unintentional comedy feel of the original. The actors act believably, the effects are pretty but don’t get in the way, and the sets on Mondo are well-done but not overdone. The storyline hasn’t gone very far yet, but it looks like it might be interesting. This one could be as good as their Battlestar Galactica, but takes an entirely different direction… watch it if you can ;).
Do you work for the production? The show was terrible. Eric Johnson cannot act. There are no spaceships! Just a slider device stolen from Sliders! Flash is a marathon runner – Flash? Dale was unmemorable, to be kind. Ming was boring not merciless, Zarkov was a nerd in an RV stalking Flash, they couldn’t even be bothered to give us Flash’s best friends name! Nor did they bother to tell us why 13 years pasted between Flash’s fathers death/disappearance and the Mongo peoples search for the Imex. Imex wow was that idiotic.
This is not Flash Gordon, and in no way is this in anyway shape or form as good as Eureka, let alone BSG.
I expect we’ll see the spaceships, when they’re needed. It seems you expected a lot more from a pilot/premiere than could possibly exist in one episode, so good luck finding it.
Two things I do agree with you on: the Imex thing was idiotic. Just plain stupid. Also, we should have at least gotten the name of Flash’s best friend, even if he is intended to be a throwaway character.
I highly disagree about your view of Ming the Merciless, however. He seems to be a great, sleazy villain that does his best to look less villain-like to his own populace. There is a lot of room for improvement, but it seemed a decent pilot and I look forward to the rest of the series. If the second episode doesn’t improve on some things, I’m sure I’ll give it the panning it deserves… but the potential is there for a good series.
Flash Gordon…I’ve been better entertained by watching mayonaise dry on white bread.
Boring, bland, nothing interesting going on here, please change the channel.
As soon as I heard Karen Cliche had been added to the cast, I knew this series was in trouble. Karen couldn’t act her way out of a wet paperbag during a category 4 hurricane.
Unfortunately…she proved to be a better actress than most of the cast of this new series.
And SciFi CANCELLED The Dresden Files?
Between Painkiller Jane and Flash Gordon, SciFi Channel keeps shooting itself in the foot.
This was one of the worst shows that has ever been remade. It is like a combo of Sliders, SG1 and Smallville and not like the intense Flash Gordon from the comic series. This Ming is WEAK and is just lame. I have never seen soo much creative liberty taken with a story line to make it appeal to the young 20 somethings. I am sure that the creator of Flash Gordon is rolling over in his grave.
This idea had soo much potential. I am just blown away.