I remember several miniseries that aired during the 1980's, some of which I did see. I really enjoyed V, so I picked it up on DVD when I found it a few years ago. I finally got around to watching it recently.
Several huge flying saucers turn up all around the Earth. After a few days, they have a meeting on the roof of the United Nations building in New York City with the Secretary General of the UN. The aliens, known as the Visitors, look human though their voices are a bit different and they wear special sunglasses. The Visitors are looking for help in producing certain chemicals that they need for their world. In return, they will share their scientific and technological knowledge. The governments around the world accept the agreement and the Visitors, led by John and his second in command Diana, are accepted by most of the world.
Shortly after the Visitors arrive, accusations are made against scientists around the world and other scientists are criticized by the media and face government restriction on their work. Some scientists even disappear and others start acting completely different. A resistance movement is started by people who are suspicious of the Visitors. Juliet Parrish, a medical student and researcher, seems to be in charge of one of the resistance groups. Mike Donovan, a cameraman, becomes involved with the resistance after seeing some upsetting things on one of the spaceships.
The story in V is very interesting and makes for a strong, entertaining movie. I hadn't seen this in over twenty years, so I had forgotten a lot of things. I remembered the basic idea of the story dealing with aliens who act friendly but were up to something. I also remembered really liking it. I still really enjoyed it when I watched it again and I even remembered some other things as the movie progressed. It has held up very well even though some things do look a bit dated now.
Some people may not consider V that original since the plot has a lot of elements that seem to be inspired by World War II. The Visitors are clearly intended to be a version of the Nazis. They start off acting friendly, but it isn't long before some odd things start happening and some people start doubting them. Scientists become a target, with them having to register with the government and some just disappearing. Many decide to go into hiding and a resistance movement begins. I didn't remember that under lying current to the plot. I do think the story works very well. There is a decent amount of attention given to how the various characters handle what is going on.
There is a bit of mystery to what is happening early in V. It isn't clear what is going on with the Visitors at first even after they first make contact. Strange things do start to happen and it becomes clearer to the viewers what is going on while several of the other characters still don't know the truth. The mystery is interesting and entertaining, though it could have been a bit stronger. Some suspense turns up every so often and I didn't expect certain things to happen. Certain things are more predictable without making the movie predictable overall.
V does have some action in it, though it isn't action packed. Some time is taken to set up everything, so the pace is a tad slower at that point. I wasn't bored by that part of the movie, though it does take a little longer for things to start happening. As things progress and more is shared, more starts to happen. There are some confrontations and a few fights that really don't add that much violence. A few other things that happen are very disturbing without being violent. Special effects are used for various things and they were done well, especially considering that this was made for television back in the early 1980's. The voices for the Visitors are different, though at times that difference does stand out as much.
There are many characters in V and only a few of them are developed that much. Most of the characters end up with some cheesy lines. Mike Donovan is a cameraman who frequently travels around the world to cover stories. He is one of the first people invited on one of the spaceships and he is also the first person to discover the truth about why the Visitors really came to Earth. He works with the resistance even though he is use to working alone. Marc Singer does fine with the part. His mother turns up in a few scenes as a woman who is totally devoted to the Visitors. His son and ex-wife also have small parts. Kristine is a reporter who gets the first chance to interview the Visitors and becomes their spokesperson. She and Mike do have a history together and it seems like they may be starting a relationship again, though that ends up going nowhere. Jenny Sullivan is fine in the part.
Julie is a medical student who also does research work. She ends up deciding to leave her life to go into hiding when she realizes some of the things that are going on. She becomes involved with a small resistance group and ultimately ends up being the group's leader. She does take charge in certain circumstances. Faye Grant does well with the part. Robert Maxwell is a scientist who goes into hiding with his family. Eventually his wife and two of their daughters go off alone to a safe place while Robert and their oldest daughter Robin join Julie's group. Michael Durrell does fine with the part.
Robin is a teenager who does stupid things at times. She is drawn to Brian, one of the Visitors, and she doesn't make the best decisions. She is nice enough overall, but she is annoying at times as well. Blair Tefkin is fine in the part. Dominique Dunne was originally cast as Robin and actually started filming before her death. Several scenes were redone once the part was recast. Brian is the Visitor that Robin is attracted to. He does spend time with her and acts like he cares for her. Peter Nelson is fine in the part.
John is the leader of the Visitors and he is the one who first makes contact. He isn't around as much because he leaves to go somewhere else in space. Richard Herd does fine with the part. Diana seems to be the second in command and she is calling the shots when John is gone. She has a background in science and she is interested in conducting experiments on humans. She acts nice at first, but it is quickly clear that she is not someone to cross. I consider Diana the main villain even though there are many other Visitors around. Jane Badler does very well with the part.
Some of the Visitors don't agree with the plans that John and Diana have and they work to help the resistance any way they can. Martin is the one who first makes contact with Mike and the one who is shown the most. Frank Ashmore does fine with the part. William, or Willie, is a bit friendlier than many of the other Visitors. He struggles with English and frequently uses the wrong words. He seems really sweet. He is one of the few characters I remembered, though I had thought he was in a bit more of the movie than he was. Robert Englund, probably most known for playing Freddy Kruger, does well with the part. Most of the other Visitors blend together and aren't even identified.
Daniel is a young man who joins a group that works with the Visitors. That gives him a feeling of power that he abuses more than once, even against his own family. He is horrible and I didn't like him at all, though David Packer does fine with the part. Stanley and Lynn are Daniel's parents. At first they are supportive of what Daniel is doing, but they start changing their minds once they see what he is willing to do. Stanley's father Abraham also lives with him. Abraham is a survivor of the holocaust and he doesn't like what is going on at all. None of the rest of the people shown stood out to me. All of the acting is fine, though none of it is anything special.
Main Cast
Frank Ashmore - Martin Jane Badler - Diana Michael Durrell - Robert Maxwell Robert Englund - Willie Faye Grant - Julie Richard Herd - John Peter Nelson - Brian David Packer - Daniel Marc Singer - Mike Donovan Jenny Sullivan - Kristine Blair Tefkin - Robin Maxwell
Kenneth Johnson - Director
DVD Information
I picked up V on DVD a few years ago when I found it for about seven dollars. I think the DVD I have is the only release for the movie, but I might be wrong about that. The first half of the movie is on one side of the disc and the second half of the movie is on the other side. There is a commentary with writer/director Johnson that I haven't listened to. The other extra is a behind the scenes documentary that shows some of the filming and includes a few of the cast members talking about the movie and their parts. The documentary isn't that long but it is interesting.
V is an entertaining miniseries that I think has held up well. People that remember enjoying it when it originally aired may want to pick up the DVD. People that like movies dealing with aliens should give it a chance. This was followed by a second miniseries and a single season series. A new version of V began airing on ABC on November 3, 2009. I watched and enjoyed the first episode and am really looking forward to seeing more.
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