solpsizm

If I could give this a 7.5 I would, but sans .5s I'll give it an 8 because when this series was good it was really good.

For those of us in the states whose main exposure to espionage thrillers was 24, this series is different from that in 2 main ways: 1) the series doesn't revolve around one main character and so main characters do die and 2) the production values/budgets are not as high as 24, especially in the first few seasons, so as sometimes is the case suspense is generated in MI-5 in ways that derive more from actual espionage and cat and mouse games than gun battles or high-tech surveillance.

At least in the first few seasons, which may be difficult for viewers accustomed to fast, perfectly synchronized and action packed 24 type entertainment. (Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of 24, especially the first 3 seasons, but after 9 seasons of one character having literally a 100 lives, one need something a bit more close to reality). Guns are used by the main characters only with absolute necessity, and I don't think they ever used anything above handguns. As the seasons progress though, this series incorporates more and more elements from a 24 template, from a more frenetic pace, prevalence of guns and especially bombs, explosions and big set-pieces, to stories that incorporate conspiracies within conspiracies. although thankfully the number of arcs dealing with corporations pulling the main strings were limited.

The greatest source of suspense in this series is the fact that save for the possible exception of Harry Pearce, no character is safe from exile or death (mostly the latter). Because this series, at least for the majority of the first 8 seasons, is procedural, this is even more important, for in any one shot episode featuring a villain who will not appear again, almost any character can be killed or forced to leave MI-5.

Not that this is a character-centered suspense series. Althoughh we get glimpses into the main characters personal lives for the first 8 seasons, for the most part the characters are seen only as in their importance as officers of MI-5. And the guest characters, mainly villains, are not portrayed as either instanly sympathetic or villainous, but mostly a combination of both. The lack of over-sentimentality is often seen in the officers' use of assets, ie. people who can serve the successful completion of their mission. They are often used and discarded by the MI-5 officers, often with minimal remorse.

Around seasons 5, 6 and 7, this series becomes an amalgalm of its first 3 seasons and a 24 type entertainment. It is here that this series is at its best, where big set-pieces and vast but compelling conspiracies combined with the fact that we know any character can die at any moment create cool and satisfying suspense.

2 things to note: 1) there is a heavy anti-American theme throughout the series that permeates even to the horrific and cringeworthy American accents employed by the English actors. (but to be fair, no one from the Russians to the own British government is safe from being villainous as well). 2) Seasons 9 and 10 are atrocious. Unnecessary and ridiculous backstories are created for the 2 most likable characters simply to generate shock value, and characters are made to do preposterous actions that make no sense either in their character arc or by logic. Despite this, this series overall is very entertaining, especially in its middle seasons, and is well worth a watch for anyone craving smart suspense that is not overly contrived.

One caveat to this review: I've only watched about halfway into season 2.

I tried real hard to like Treme, but despite multiple attempts and a season and a half of investment I just couldn't. When this first debuted, I tried twice to get into it but couldn't get past the second episode. I recently started watching this on HBOGO after having watched The Wire again. With the same creator/showrunner I gave this show the benefit of the doubt, and while season 1 does improve a lot as it goes on until a brilliant final episode, the first episode of season 2 took a few tries to slog through and the improvement after that wasn't nearly as much in season 2 as in season 1 after the first couple episodes, which caused me to stop watching this.

The reason why it was almost a chore to get through the first couple of episodes wasn't because it was slow, which it was. Slow isn't bad by default, and I like shows that take their time layering their characters and stories. However, the problem with Treme IMO is that the characters are not likable or compelling.

By likable I don't mean the kind where the writers manipulate the audience into rooting for them. But there has to be something about them that either makes me care what happens to them, good or bad. Or something about their situation that makes me want to see what happens to them.

But what the characters that were presented to me after the first couple of episodes were: a part-time trombone player who tries to chump the people around him, an Indian chief/handyman who killed or at least tried to kill a kid for stealing his tools, an annoyingly outspoken musician/DJ who has an overblown sense of his entertainment value and a coke addict street musician who hits women when he's angry. Characters need not be nice or pretty on screen to be likable or compelling, but after a season and a half the way I would describe these characters is not that much different than the descriptions just offered.

The other characters are for the most part ones who you would like in real life but who, really, have no basis for being on screen. The closest characters to being having any dramatic basis or being likable/compelling are the bar owner who lost her brother in Katrina and who subsquently gets raped as a result of the dissolution of New Orleans, and an outspoken English professor/activist who then commits suicide that we surmise is from the aftermath of Katrina. In season 2 we are introduced to two new main characters: a carpetbagger from Houston who makes millions from the reconstruction and a police lieutenant who ruffles feathers in his department by caring about his city. Neither are stories that compelled me to watch further.

There are some great actors here, the directing and writing of each episode is solid, and the final episode of season 1 is a beautifully made collage. However, there is a reason why fictional TV shows and moviesdon't follow real life people: we're boring. Even the most most raw, gritty and realistic TV shows, such as the Wire or Six Feet Under, distill real life into characters and stories which are compelling.

Sometimes when watching this show I felt as if I were watching a show whose primary aim was to subsidize musicians who the vast majority of people have never heard of, or to help bring attention and revenue to a city in need of attention and revenue. While those are worthy goals, it simply does not make for good entertainment.

Also, Davis Macaleary, the part time musician/DJ, is probably one of the more annoying characters to hit the small screen in recent times.

Furthermore... if you're not a huge fan of jazz or blues, then be warned: in every episode there are multiple scenes of people playing music, mostly real musicians who aren't even characters in the story. The scenes are basically the camera watching them documentary style sans any drama. I like jazz or blues but after hours of watching people play with absolutely no dramatic purpose, combined with a lack of any likable or compelling characters/stories, I tuned off.

I first saw this on cable many years ago as it seemed to be replayed endlessly on HBO, Cinemax and Showtime, almost always late at night. Was quite pleasantly surprised upon the first viewing, and have seen it numerous times since.

First a caveat: the villains are a bit too much like caricatures at times. (JT Walsh, always fine, is the exception.) However, though this is the weak part of the film these scenes are watchable, do not halt the momentum and there are some fine moments (like the shooting on the highway near the end).

What really stood out for me though were the scenes between Mantegna and Watts. For anyone who has any familiarity with fate taking a dump on you and irrevocably changing your life for the worse, these 2 characters with their heartbreaking and compelling backstories will really move and involve you.

The writing and directing is top notch in these scenes, and the performances are outstanding. (I've never seen Watts as good even in her more highly praised roles; BTW, I've also never seen her as beautiful and attractive, too). The way the backstories are presented are very realistic, no overdramatics here -- and I really like the fact that there were no flashbacks nor too many details given, only what the characters felt necessary or able to divulge.

This is especially true for Naomi Watts' wheelchair-bound character. We can see how jaded she is from her suffering, but she never explicitly mentions the incident that caused her to be wheelchair-bound, which is how it would be in real life.

I do not say this lightly: these scenes are some of the most poignant, absorbing and moving scenes between two romantic yet damaged characters that I've seen, at least in recent memory.

Also excellent on this film were Kelly Lynch (never seen her better and rarely have I seen a heroin addict better portrayed), the soundtrack which I found haunting and evocative, and the crisp and beautiful camera-work.

Unfortunately, the DVD version of this film does not have the best video transfer and is slightly grainy and subdued, so the cinematography can't be fully appreciated; the image transfer was significantly better when it was aired on cable, although I haven't seen it on cable in at least five years. Still very worth seeing and perhaps buying.

Although there are better made movies out there as well as in my collection, this is one of the very few movies that -- if not the only one -- I find myself watching at least once every half year or so. I just wish they would air on cable again soon so I could see that better image transfer and record it on DVR.

I was a fan of this series... when I was SEVEN YEARS OLD. Even then, though, at an age and maturity where I possessed no critical discernment whatsoever and loved any movie or show with action or in space, I could somehow sense that this show wasn't really that good and was very cheesy.

Recently, out of curiosity because of the excellent 2004 series that bears the same name, and because Netflix offered me some free hours of instant viewing, I watched the old series again. Not only did it confirm my 7-year old memories, but it actually turned out to be worse than I imagined: trite, bad special effects, completely devoid not only of any authentic drama but amazingly any excitement or visceral action, mediocre acting, insipid writing, etcetera, etcetera.

The ONLY appeal it could have to anyone above the age of let's say, 12, is camp. Even then, since the series hilariously took itself seriously, the camp is not as much as you'd expect. The barebones of the plot -- that our Earth was once one of 13 colonies of a futuristic civlization that bears many similarities to our own Ancient Greece -- does have some interest but they do little with it. Actually, I take the first statement of this paragraph somewhat back because no 12 year old today is going to watch this, as its special effects are laughable and the action is so so lukewarm.

It's pretty sad when the best and most dramatic acting of your first episode is by RICK SPRINGFIELD. NO JOKE.

I won't even compare this to the recent 2004 remake since they are so far apart in quality, and it's very unfortunate that the 2004 remake bears the same name as this series because it's lost a lot of potential viewers and accolades because of it. This original series is exactly the same quality as the Buck Rodgers movie and TV series starring Gil Gerard that came out at the same time. However, that TV series was more fun because it knew it wasn't that good from the get go and didn't take itself so seriously.

Easily the worst movie I saw that year and one of the most boring movies I've ever paid for. One-dimensional characters reciting horrible, clichéd dialogue. Stilted, convoluted plot. At least Reloaded had some good action sequences, this only has about 3 lackluster ones and one endlessly repetitive video game sequence. It's laughable how the Wachowski brothers try to dabble in metaphysics and the sublime - they were in way over their heads. The main appeal of the first Matrix movie was the world of the Matrix, and even in that first movie the scenes in Zion almost brought the movie to a standstill. Well, here, most of the movie takes place in Zion, and you wouldn't find dialogue more wooden in the worst comic books. The Wachowski brothers should be jailed for making this. Avoid at all costs, even on cable.