Flash Gordon: A Modern Space Opera

Yikes, from reading the first couple of pages of comments on this, I thought I must have had the wrong entry in the IMDb. This new Flash Gordon really isn't so bad, in my opinion.

I guess I can see how die-hard fans of previous incarnations of the characters and story might be sorely disappointed. That happens all too often with any kind of modern-day remake. And I have to concede that this show reminds me a LOT of just about everything else I've seen on SciFi lately (except maybe Battlestar).

But I also thought from all the one star reviews on the first couple of pages here that there must be a lot of lemmings out there. The show isn't particularly great, but the acting really isn't that bad, and unlike some other commentators, I find the whole thing to be plenty cheesy--there's just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek. When I first started seeing previews with the old theme music, I was afraid they were going to try and take themselves too seriously, but I've been pleasantly surprised.

I also like the fact that there are a couple of hot women. :) But I have to say I'm not that impressed with Princess Aura. Then again, like most of the characters on this show, she has kind of grown on me a bit as the character develops.

All in all, this show really isn't too bad. I've been pleasantly surprised.

I've read the reviews, and I know my opinion is unpopular. So, in my honest opinion, the new Flash Gordon is a good adventure series and not unlike the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Hercules, Firefly, or any other tongue-in-cheek adventure show. The new Battlestar Galactica is a drama set in a Sci Fi universe, but it takes itself too seriously for my taste. Don't get me wrong, the new BG is good, but I prefer shows like the new Flash Gordon over it.

I've read the venomous barbs attacking the show and I don't want any part of that: suffice it to say "to each his own". I guess what I'm saying is I prefer the Fantasy-side of Sci Fi over the drama-side, but that does not mean I'm any less of a fan of Sci-Fi. From my perspective,FG is a good effort and the Sci Fi channel ought to be lauded for such a brave endeavor, but like the Dresden Files, Flash Gordon will most likely be canceled.

I don't think this is as bad as some reviewers seem to believe. I do think that this is NOT Flash Gordon. I'm getting sick and tired of Hollywood re-imagining or re-inventing stuff. I mean, what's the point of naming your show Flash Gordon and then taking it as far away from it's origins as you can get. In my humble opinion you will just disappoint people. And when you read the majority of the reviews here, they have!! It's too bad for the lead character, because Eric Johnson is great!! He can act and he is great as an action hero. The actor who plays Zarkoff is also great. He actually made me laugh out loud several times. The great let down (besides the SFX and very mediocre writing) of this show is Ming! He is certainly not merciless, he is just...well...less. He is not scary nor is he even interesting. Damn I want Max von Sydow back!! I mean what's next?? A re-invention of Star Wars where Darth Vader is actually a Russian ballet dancer?? I mean come on!! If you name your show Flash Gordon then give us Flash Gordon and NOT the sequel to Sliders where the main character just happen to listen to the name Flash Gordon.

I don't have any knowledge of the Flash Gordon franchise beyond the fact that it exists and that earlier works are apparently very different from this new series, so my opinion of the new series is based solely on what's presented there and not on the body of knowledge from the Flash Gordon universe at large. This is important because I think it's unfair to judge what's essentially a reboot of the franchise by comparing it to the history of the original incarnation(s). Battlestar Galactica fans made the same mistake before realizing what a complete gem the new series is.

OK, so this is no Battlestar Galactica. It's low-budget and goofy, and it's not particularly intelligent or emotionally deep. There's no arguing that.

But, who said it had to be the next great sci-fi series? Flash Gordon seems to be intended as silly, escapist fun, and I can't find any way in which it doesn't fulfill that role. The simple story lines are executed well with a good (if predictable) mix of drama and humor, and the characters are developed well enough to keep at least a passing interest, not to mention being easy on the eyes.

Flash Gordon reminds me a lot of Doctor Who mixed with a dash of Baywatch. I suspect that most viewers will enjoy it if they allow themselves to. I definitely do.

Not that I'd admit it to anyone. :)

I've read some of the reviews at how this series's pilot got trashed by a lot of viewers. The acting here isn't on the Citizen Kane level, but I've seen the Sci-Fi channel come up with a lot worse.

The Flash Gordon for the 21st century is Canadian actor Eric Johnson who you might remember was in the first two seasons of Smallville as Whitney Fordman the boyfriend of Lana Lang. I was very sorry he was written out of that series and am glad he got something else.

There's been so much advance in science that stuff like Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers can't possibly sell today in its original form except as camp. The creators of this series obviously wanted to have the show grounded somewhat in reality.

What they did is ripoff the concepts from Stargate, both the film and the television series. Flash's father was killed allegedly in a lab explosion several years ago, but maybe not. What was created was some kind of portal and maybe he's gone through it.

Flash and Dale Arden, played by Gina Holden, who's an investigative reporter go through the portal and end up where no man, but Flash's dad has gone before. We've got eleven episodes already filmed to see what adventures they find.

I sincerely hope the show lasts and it was nice to get an explanation of where the name Flash came from, real name Steven.