Flash! (AAaaaah!)

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The review at Sci-Fi Updates likes it, but he only if he forgets the source material, and he liked Dresden better.

That's still far from a glowing review.

In fact, I've NEVER, for anything, ever seen so much overwhelmingly negative stuff.  Critics hate it as much as viewers.  Non die hard flash fans as much as those who are.

Sci Fi wasted a lot of money.

[GhostMachine]

I think it could be saved, if they retooled it. Getting rid of whoever wrote the pilot is an absolute must, though.

The problems, from my point of view, not taking the bad acting and the writing into account:

You CANNOT do Flash Gordon on the cheap or without space ships. You're gonna do it that way, don't even bother.

Gina Holden is a good actress, but it is completely wrong for the part of Dale Arden. She has the figure of a runway model wannabe, and Dale is supposed to be hot and capable of defending herself, not someone who looks like they need a few steaks shoved down their throat and shouldn't be taken seriously if they have to fight.

As someone said over at Sci-Fi, Ming comes off more like an evil corporate CEO, and he looks more like a Nazi than Ming. A guy with blond hair in a black and red uniform is NOT Ming! If they didn't make him asian to be PC, fine. They could've gone the route the cartoon series with Flash as a teen did and made him a lizard man. Scales attached to the side of his head (ala a Trill's spots from the Star Trek universe), green body paint and lizard-eye contact lenses can't cost all that much. Seriously.

Zarkhov looks like he escaped from the Revenge of the Nerds movies.

[Night Dragon]

Hawkman says DIVE!!

Nero's hit!!!

I'm going in after him!!  :D

I tried twice to watch this new Flash, and both times found something else that got my attention before the first half was over. Drop-kick this crap and bring me back some Farscape, Invisible Man, or First Wave.

[Glitch Girl]

Stuff off the top of my head that would help the show immesurably.

#1:  Ming needs an overahaul.

He's boring, and Ming is not supposed to be boring, he's supposed to be this larger than life despot, and we're not getting that from this guy.  To me he's supposed to have this alien/exotic quality, and we're not getting that from this guy.  This guy is more suited to serve Ming than to be him.

I agree, something to make him look more alien would be nice, be it skin tints, ears, eyebrows, whatever.  I'd stay away from contacts simply because they don't react right (ie: don't react at all) while the actor is acting, but I wouldn't rule them out completely.  Dress him in something that is NOT drab: either expensive looking robes or some kind of armor. 


#2 Ditto most of what I said for Aura.  She needs to look related, but part of her needs to have some of that over-the-topness that Ming has.  After all, she is his daughter.

Oh and 80's fashions?  NOT exotic.

#3 Take some lessons from Hercules and Xena when it comes to action choeography, especially fight scenes.  They gotta be interesting otherwise they drag the show down with 'em.  Also take some lessons from them on using a budget.  Both were done on the cheap, but personally I thought both did a cool job.

#4 Was it so hard to make Dr. Zarkov a russian?  I mean, seriously.

[Pyroclasm]

Drop-kick this crap and bring me back some Farscape, Invisible Man, or First Wave.

I'm right there with you, brother!

[AncientSpirit]

Must admit I HATED Zarkov.    He's supposed to be a brilliant scientist; but this guy comes off like a stooge.     I don't even think they ever called him by name - so I kept hoping he was someone else and that we'd meet Zarkov later.

Still, I keep telling myself that pilots are often the worst show of all because they have to establish so much.  (Admittedly, this one screwed up because they established much too much ... to the point that what they really established was that they were boring us.)   That said, I remain hopeful for the episodes that follow.

[GhostMachine]

Zarkov has an RV when what he really needs is....


A van....DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!

[MJB]

Did anyone else get a Smallville vibe watching this?

-MJB

[Glitch Girl]

Well, the guy playing Flash has been on there a bit. 

[bredon7777]

Well, they've canned Painkiller Jane (though they will allow it to play out its 22 episode order)..so maybe they've grown some taste buds...

[MJB]

Well, the guy playing Flash has been on there a bit. 

I realized that was "Whitney" when I saw the ads for the show, that wasn't what I was referring to. To me, the show in general has a Smallville season 1 "feel".

-MJB

[GogglesPizanno]

To me, the show in general has a Smallville season 1 "feel".

Yes, that feeling you refer to is "crappy"

[Mr. Hamrick]

ok, i just caught an episode today.  I also looked at some of the stuff on the site.


the only thing I found remotely interesting was Baylin.  Ok, granted that I am a sucker for characters like that but nevertheless. 

Dale came off as a bland update of the old 80s sci-fi version. 

Ming didn't seem that special . . . or that merciless.  His daughter was creepy.

and Flash . . . I've never been a huge fan of the character but this representation did show a very little bit of potential.  For the most part, however, he comes across as being a stereotypical jock. 

[AncientSpirit]

OK.  How did all you guys become SO much smarter than me?

After one episode you knew how bad this show was - and that it was going nowhere.   I was determined to give this show a chance, figuring that pilot episodes are often the worst since they have to establish everything.

But after FOUR episodes, the show has gone nowhere.  Almost all the action is based on Earth, not in space.  Dale and Flash, who should be one of the great love affairs of science fiction, are nothing.   Dr. Zarkov is still a joke.   And Ming the Merciless' latest act of cruelty was to cut the water rations of a famly in half ... and making nasty comments to his go-to enforcer, who just looks stupid being rolled in and out of frame on his roller skates.

I give up.   
   

[Glitch Girl]

AncientSpirit, we're not smarter, just more cynical.  And if it makes you feel better, I sat through (okay, more like fastforwarded through really dull parts) three episodes just in case it got better, but like you, I give up as well for many of the same reasons.

On the plus side, this may imspire someone to try to do a "Flash Gordon" the apology" series, kinda like Batman Begins was to Batman & Robin

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

It hasn't been canceled yet?  :blink:

[GhostMachine]

It hasn't been canceled yet?  :blink:

Sci-Fi stupidly commissioned 22 episodes and 11 had already been done by the time the pilot aired. Knowing Sci-Fi, they'll go ahead and air all 22. After all, they did air all the episodes of the new Night Stalker series that aired on ABC and tanked bigtime, so I don't see them going with not airing all the episodes of one of their own series.

However, there's no justification whatsoever if they picking up for a second season without completely retooling the show, and that retooling would have to involve replacing the writers.

[Mr. Hamrick]

I can't get over that they are airing this and cancelled Dresdin Files.   :banghead:

[Protomorph]

I can't get over that they are airing this and cancelled Dresdin Files.   :banghead:

Right there with ya.

[Glitch Girl]

Ditto that too.

[bredon7777]

Yeah, pretty much

[Agent]

Amen brother.

[Ares_God_of_War]

I miss Dresden :( At least I still have Eureka

[Panther_Gunn]

Ok, I admit it.....I've been *trying* to watch this, hoping that it'll at some point show some glimmer of worthiness.  After the first episode, I couldn't agree more with most of the reviews.....it's really lame, and could have just as well tanked without the whole Flash Gordon tie-in (I'm sure someone would have come up with something like this eventually.....oh, wait.....I guess they did....kinda like Sliders.....which Sci-Fi ruined, also.....sigh....).

And, then, there was the Hawkmen episode.  How *hard* is it to screw up a bunch of guys in wings that fly?  Obviously, not hard at all!  :angry:  OMG (and I *never* use that shorthand), it was horrible!  With the bluescreen flying effects being so bad, why am I suddenly thinking of the Producers?  Seriously, whoever is responsible for this garbage needs to be kicked in the jimmie......by a giant wearing spiked boots.  This is so far off the mark, it couldn't be much worse if they tried.

[Glitch Girl]

Luckily for me, I gave up before the Hawkmen episode, though the ads I saw it looked... awful.  From the sound of things, it was worse. 

How much longer is it going to run? 

[GogglesPizanno]

Crap! (AAaaaah!) 

[MJB]

LOL Goggles! I totally almost shot water from my nose when reading that.

-MJB