maestro-14

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 keep thinking about that commercial for 7-UP (or was it Sprite or Mt. Dew?) where the movie execs sit around a table, trying to sell a movie to the head honcho. They tell him about the film-inspired kid's meals, toys, clothes, rap music, etc, but when he asks about a script, they say they can crank out something by Friday. "Mission to Mars" was the result.

Maybe I expected too much. But wait... we're talking about a movie with Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, directed by Brian De Palma... shouldn't I have expected a great movie?

I can't rag on M2M for everything, though. The first hour and change was really pretty good. Visually stunning and generally suspenseful. The "dance" scene was quite good, as was the landing attempt sequence. Then after that, M2M just died a slow, painful death.

Anyway, for those of you still deciding, I won't give away any plot details. Some of you may like this odd creation. But in my opinion, it was, in a word, "cheesy".

I must admit, this movie was not what I'd expected. I had figured that I would constantly be looking over my shoulder, waiting for something to jump out at me. But, it never happened. Don't get me wrong, "The Blair Witch Project" is an enjoyable movie. The actors are fantastic, and although their sense of fear and desperation was never completely transferred to me, it was hard to tell that this was only fiction. I just did not find it as terrifying as so many folks have claimed it to be. However, I do find it effective in one area, which is perhaps the intended point: "The Blair Witch Project" will do for going into the woods what "Jaws" did for going into the water.