Rating: 
Summary: "Do it Right.....V.......For Victory"
Review: Sure the hair, Ferrari Sunglasses, and fashion scream 80's! The opening montage of the movie's stars pictured with thier names is straight out of any cheesy "movie-of-the-week" opening. But that is where "V"'s comparison to other made for TV movies ends. Look beyond all of that and you will find an engrossing story. A true underdog story that everyone will enjoy. Sure, "V" is basically a science fiction retelling of the Nazi takeover of Europe, but it is also much more. When I was a kid and this Mini-series first aired, me and my buddies couldn't get enough. Now watching it 20 years later, I wasn't sure how it would hold up. My wife who had never seen "V" figured I had just doomed her to another evening of "rubber" alien suited actors chasing half clothed women who are stupid enough to seperate themselves from the hero/heroine. But after about half an hour, "V" captured her imagination and attention as well. If you have never seen "V", then try not to find out too much of the story, and get this disk. Let if unfold for you the way it did for me back in 1983, and for my wife just the other night. You will be swept along on a journey that will not disappoint. The special effects hold up well, considering this was done before computer animation (which usually ends up looking worse than a guy in a rubber suit). The acting is okay too (I mean let's face it, "V" stars the Beastmaster guy and one of the students from The Greatest American Hero, plus a few scenes with Freddy Krueger), but it really is just the basic story that is so gripping. And now that this DVD is around $10 you just can't go wrong.
Rating:
Summary: V The Original Miniseries was a new start for NBC
Review: It is about time that they FINALLY came out with the V Series.
I was about 11 or 12 at the time that they had a miniseries called V that rocked the pants off of NBC executives. Then they brought out V: The Final Battle.
Then they came out with a TV series called V.
The problem is that what you could do with a mini series was harder and more expensive to do with a WEEKLY TV Series.
Therefore, main characters were written off in unexplained plots.
NBC moved the series around so much that when the TV Series Finale came about a lot of NBC affiliates didn't even air it.
V: The Original MiniSeries A+
V: The Final Battle A+++
V: The TV Series C+
Rating:
Summary: Brings Back Memories!!!
Review: My husband and I sat through this series saying, "Oh, remember that..." and "This is the part where..." When I was a young thing (12) "V" was high-tech. Now, the effects are pretty cheesy, but "Hey!" for a trip down memory lane, I'll watch it over and over again. Still have a crush on Marc Singer. Plus, having done "Private Life of the Master Race" by Brecht in high school, I enjoyed the scene with the mother and father frantically trying to decide if their son, a member of the "Friends of the Visitors" (SS Youth?), was going to turn them in. I played the mother in the Brecht version. For all you children of the 80s, you'll love this movie. Nostalgia! Nostalgia!
Rating: 
Summary: Inappropriate Letterboxing!
Review: The 1 Star rating is for the dreadful DVD presentation, not for the very worthwhile miniseries. This was a TV SHOW, not a movie, and should NOT be presented in letterboxed format. I compared the picture with my old VHS copy taped from TV, and sure enough they simply cropped off the top and bottom of the image in order to give us this INCOMPLETE picture. I don't know who they think they're trying to fool by letterboxing it, but don't think that they are giving you more of the picture than was seen on the TV screen--you are getting LESS! The same thing applies to the second miniseries released on DVD. Thank God they didn't do this to the recently released Complete Series as well!
Rating: 
Summary: V: Is The Best Of Sci Fi Movie's
Review: V:The Original Miniseries is truely on of the best Sci Fi movie's i have ever seen. And i am not that big of a Sci Fi fan.
But created by Kenny C John truely did a great job on this film.
I remember watching this on NBC-TV back in 1983 i was only 9 then. And i told my mom one day i have to find that movie well i got it both on VHS and DVD and it is my favorite!!!!
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Summary: 'Vulnerabilities are exploitable weaknesses!'
Review: Jane Badler as the nefarious 'Diana' speaks the above line as she eliminates one of the Resistance Fighters. It is just one of the many 'zingers' that she, as the chief villain, gets away with. Her performance, along with those of fellow 'lizards' Andrew Prine and Sarah Douglas, are the highlights of this, a compilation of both the original 1984 miniseries and its sequel.
While Mark Singer and Faye Grant are passable as the two of the many 'heroes' in these films, the juiciest parts still belong to the bad guys or an anti-hero, in the form of Michael Ironside as 'Ham Tyler'. David Packer and Neva Patterson play 'Daniel' and 'Eleanor', respectively, humans that ally themselves with the invading 'friends'. The two obviously enjoyed portraying such disreputable characters.
The special effects are typical of the time but the story does not rely solely on them. As creator/writer Johnson planned, this is a tale about fascism and how easily it can rise in an orderly society.
Twenty-two years may have passed since the production of this miniseries, but the film has not lost its 'bite'.
It remains a careful, thought-provoking blend of science fiction, social commentary, and political machinations.
Rating:
Summary: Even After Two Decades...
Review: Even though the original "V-The Miniseries" aired over 20 years ago, I still find myself watching it over and over again. Yes, I recorded it from broadcast TV years ago, and wore out those tapes, and, yes, I then purchased both "V-The Miniseries" and "V-The Final Battle" when I found them on VHS. I have since bought both of them in DVD format, and will definetely buy the whole series when it comes out this month on DVD.
Many people were not aware that "V-The Miniseries" actually had a "conclusion" miniseries air a year later. While the original was awesome (with then-unheard-of special/make-up effects that totally outshone other shows/series of its time), I was very disappointed when it ended the way it did... Which is why I was thrilled when "The Final Battle" was later aired on TV. I also enjoyed the series that followed. However, although the series never captivated me as much as the previous miniseries did, I still will definetely add it to my DVD collection.
Even many people who were not sci-fi fans enjoyed these miniseries, as there are some definite parallels between the aliens coming to Earth (and trying to defeat the humans in the manner they did) and the Holocaust (and the propoganda "war" and virtual enslavement of the Jewish community that the Nazi regime created). Although I do remember some people freaking out over the idea that something like that could happen in the "present day" (of course that's the early-80's).
Overall, I highly recommend watching the entire thing (both "V-The Miniseries", and "V-The Final Battle") together, or else you miss so much. I have to admit that some of the acting lagged (although I really did like Michael Ironside's character), but the plot and the overall quality of the movie more than made up for it. Some people have complained that the DVD release is a "fake widescreen", in that they cut off the top and bottom of the film to make it that way, but if so, I didn't really notice it. If you've never seen it before, you'll really enjoy it. If you've seen it several times, you'll really enjoy seeing it brought back to life in its new format!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not a complete piece
Review: V is a rarity - a seminal achievment of classic sci-fi in a made-for-TV movie. This mini-series provides the groundwork, primarily the expository "these are the aliens, these people are the good guys, who's right and who's wrong" setup of the larger story. I remembered V very fondly from my youth, and was a bit dismayed to discover how seemingly incomplete this first mini-series was. When viewed with the now-available "V - The Final Battle" it's quite a satisfying ride. I would highly recommend buying "V" with "V - The Final Battle" and watching them as one. If you just buy this one, you'll be left wanting more. Soon to be available? V - The Complete Series. A worthy continuation of the TV epic. At the time of its production, it was the most expensive per-episode TV series ever made. Now, a single cast member from "Friends" makes more per episode than an episode of "V" cost to make.
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