Really really BAD

Wally B Bites, dont listen to him. V is a classic that can still be enjoyed today. I never saw it in 1983. I watched it for the first time in 1999. I am now a proud owner of both dvds and i have watched the entire 6 hour + series (V and V:The Final Battle) about 10 times. Each time it gets better. Don't hate on V. This movie does not need a remake, it needs a sequel with the original cast. Marc Singers character would punch you (Refering to the part of V: The Final Battle, when Mike Donovan pops out of the corner grabs a gaurd and does a super chest punch, that what you get)

The effects are not cheesy. They are not perfect, but they are certainly good enough that they don't spoil the enjoyment. I have seen the series many times over the years, mostly in my teens, and I've just seen the first two episodes on the Sci Fi channel. They have dated incredibly well, unlike most things from that decade (I loathed the 80's).

What V shows for me is that once upon a time - even in the 80's - character, plot and dialogue were important. Independence day ripped off many of its ideas from V and the special effects may technically be better but that's not all that's important. The film is atrocious and people will not be watching it in 20 years.

Computer-generated special effects have more negatives than positives because film producers forget that there are more important elements to a story than just spectacle. Modern sci-fi films are all special effects and explosions and are, on the whole, pretty tedious. Star Wars is a great example - 25 years ago when there weren't the effects, you got 3 classic films full of warmth, character and story. Now you get 3 films that are like watching someone else play a video game, there's virtually nothing redeeming about them. It's not nostalgia. It's about not wanting to be insulted as a viewer.

First of all, "V: The Series" may have been bad...that I won't dispute you on. But the two miniseries that preceded it ("V: The Original Miniseries" and "V: The Final Battle") were great! GREAT! The writing was brilliant. It made us all think about how we, as modern-day Americans, would react under a fascist, Nazi-like occupation. It certainly had a lot more depth than such crap that comes out nowadays like "Independence Day," a film that stole every one of its ideas from previous films.

As for the effects, what do you want? It was a made-for-TV back in 1983 for chrissake! The effects were great for their time. The original "Star Trek" from the '60s had worse effects, but its intricate plotting and three dimensional characters carried its popularity forty years. Are special effects that important to you? I've got news for you: "Independence Day" and "Star Wars Episode III" may look great to us now, but twenty years from now, our kids (or grand kids) will be laughing at how cheesy they look.

As for your contention that the acting was bad, you failed to make specific points, so I can not even comment on it, except to say that I vehemently disagree.

The fact that it was made 20 years ago...So what?! "Casablanca" was made over sixty years ago. Does that make it "bad"? "On The Waterfront" was made over fifty years ago. Does that make it "bad"? These are classic films I'm mentioning here. Or are you the kind of person who only likes films that are made nowadays? Why not put down "The Godfather" while you're at it. It was made over thirty years ago.

There was never a scene with the Visitors driving around in golf carts. Are you sure you're thinking of the right movie?

Yes, it was made for TV. It was too long for Kenneth Johnson to have tried to squeeze it all into a two-hour movie, and cutting it down to two hours would have been wrong (Sergio Leone tried it with "Once Upon a Time In America," and the film bombed; when he re-released it in its four hour entirety, the film got raves).

Enough said. An unfair critique is an unfair critique.

V:TFB and the followup tv series were not good... but the original does have some merit.

I refer to the thought put into the characters and setup. Unlike 2005, the amount of money put into tv shows for mere melodramatic effect was far, far less. Therefore intellectual content had to be used.

I agree. At the time it was good, but NOW, it stinks. A remake would be cool.

"If You're Going To Bad Mouth A Movie, Give Us A Better Example!!!"

this show is great. mike donovan is awesome and diana steals the show.

Hello Wallo B!

I really do not understand why are you saying that this is a bad series. I didn't whatch it in the 80s (I was way to young) and I happen to be watching it now. I really like both the story and the acting. The rhytm is a bit slow for our standards, but it is not a big deal. On the other hand, there are several very good scenes for the directing standpoint. Such as a skull in the same frame announcing death when one of the ships appears and so on. It is a remarkable miniseries and it well deserved the succes it had at the time. To be rediscovered.

Alberto

I would watch this anyday over Star Trek, Stargate, Farscape, Babylon 5 etc... and all that crap! This was the thing in the 80's! Every magazine was talking about this show! This great show is exactly like how Prison Break is going to be remembered in 20 years time. Only by the fans...