DrkAngel Reviews

Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998–1999)

A quality show...

[27 December 2002]

I'll be the first to admit that, when I first saw this series back in 1998 following WCW Monday Nitro on TNT, I did not like it. I watched the pilot episodes and a third one and thought "oh gawd!" I stopped watching until I happened to catch an episode near the end of the season. Something much bigger was happening in the show, on screen and off screen. The writing felt compelling and pulled me into the series, the acting improved ten fold, and the direction of the show was clever and complex. What started out as a rather tame and slow show developed into a deep character driven show. Conquest if it was filled the senseless violence and rest of the traits of the games would have made a poor show. It never would have made the light of day in a theater or on the small screen. Remember any fatalities in either of the movies? Me neither. When it comes to Conquest, despite a low, very low budget the writers and producers had enough faith to just focus on the show and not the politics at the network. The finale of the show proves how risky pays off and makes you wonder who was sick enough to pull off such a nihilistic ending. Have you caught Resident Evil (2002)? It was bold and frankly ballsy.

Anyone with an "all-region" dvd player the UK does have more than the one volume on dvd there. You just have to know where to look to get them. I got mine from the UK Amazon.com store. Type in Mortal Kombat and search the dvds, there are five dvd's in total. One of those has 6 episodes, the others are two a piece. These are all cut together into 1hr, 20 min. or better movies on each disc. It's very cool to see it done this way. The first disc with 6 episodes, pulls together the Scorpion and Subzero saga seamlessly. Final Battle is perhaps the most seamless entry on dvd as those two episodes are so tight you won't notice where the original cut off point was to jump to that final episode.

All Souls (2001)

All Souls is an excellent show...

[22 April 2001]

While the pilot was not the most defining episode to begin a series, it set the tone for a mix of mystery, suspense, and chills. This show delivers on a much deeper level that outright scares you would find in some other shows on television right now. This is a far different show than anything I ever seen on tv. The closest thing I would compare it to, as far as atmosphere and mood would be The Shining. The concept is a much different one than I am used to. It incorporates themes that hardcore science fiction shows use. It has what I call an apocalyptic tone to it, where "one man will come and he will lead us to salvation or damnation." While maintaining a grounding rod in reality. It is still early on in the show, but from my standpoint All Souls delivers the chills and the right dose of action and suspense to make it successful. Don't listen to my opinion, give the show a chance and formulate your own you might be surprised...

Special Unit 2 (2001–2002)

Definitely worth a look and some of your video tape!

[11 April 2001]

Special Unit 2 at first seems like it might be a plain old rip-off show with just smart-ass characters and big ass guns and cheesy monsters. That is a huge misconception on what this show is all about and is. Special Unit 2 is actually a refreshing and unique show that UPN should be proud of. The monsters are designed by the mad genius in Patrick Tatopoulos. They are simply beautiful yet wicked looking at the same time. The show has the uncanny ability to show off clever dialogue and strong writing with strong characters. Nick O'Malley may seem like the typical badass good guy, when he is that but so much more. In the first episode he makes it pretty clear he doesn't care about anyone other than himself. He dispels that formulaic theme in no time when he shows he is supporting the family of his deceased partner from 2 years prior. He does care, he just keeps it inside to protect himself from the everyday pain he endures to kill the monsters that killed his partner. So we care about him as much as we cheer on his wicked skills as a monster killer and wicked one-liners. Kate Benson is another character we care about as well, who has the ability to see past things normal don't do. She grew up being looked down upon for her ability to look past the obvious and what lurks beneath the surface and that's how she finds herself in Special Unit 2. She is a true good cop but quickly learns being by the book won't solve cases all the time. She still has her convictions and morals whose driving force is not loss but for what she wants to discover and learn. The cast of this show clearly has the best chemistry I've seen on a show in recent memory. They all play off of each other with such ease it's a sight to behold. The special effects are brilliant and so are the production values and art direction. Special Unit 2 works on many different levels from the acting to the creature effects. There is more to Special Unit 2 than just an elite monster fighting team concept. It has a heart and special magic that makes it work that I haven't seen on many shows in recent memory. Stargate SG-1 and First Wave have that, not many others do. Special Unit 2 is worth a chance to see Alexondra Lee, Michael Landes, Richard Gant, and Danny Woodburn show their talents. This is a kick ass show with a heart that is also very beautiful and haunting at the same time. There are strong artistic values to this show that make it that much better than other shows in this genre. Special Unit 2 is worth a look and some of your videotape!

Freedom (2000–2001)

One of the Best Shows on Television Today!

[4 November 2000]

This is without a doubt, one of the finest shows on television today. It's not the best, but one of the very best. What you have here in Freedom is a well cast, well written, and well balanced show. The characters are not the typical formulaic ones. Londo is the clever, one liner kind of guy but he can back it up. Usually these characters are over the top, but in this show is plays perfectly. Decker is the soft spoken, but tough as nails leader, wanting revenge for the death of his wife, and his son who was taken from him. This also is a nice departure, as he is a very complex person who you have to watch in an episode to understand what I mean. As it is hard to describe, it's something you need to see for yourself. Becca, is the strong, fast, and agile female, whom while she doesn't talk much, she sure makes for a well rounded character. She has her comedic moments, and serious ones, and she is so graceful on the screen, not to mention beautiful, she makes for probably the breakout character in the show. Then there is James, otherwise known as "J." He is the loyal, but not afraid to tell the truth, no nonsense kind of guy. Who uses his pent up anger to fight. All these characters have their own sense of humor to them, that really fleshes out how real they are. The actors who play these characters, have been given a role that fits them to a "t." That really showcases their talents. You can click on their names to see their other works, but these are very capable actors, who I think have been given the show of a lifetime. They have a great chemistry with each other, the play off each other so well, it makes the show more believable.

The show blends very well a mix of everything. From the camera angles in the slo-mo action scenes, to the wicked scoring by Eddie Jobson. The show is very smooth visually. Yet it is also smooth mentally, the stories thus far for the episodes have been extremely solid. They have proven to be very tight, intricate and neatly tied together. The second episode had many sub-plots that proved to make for one hell of an episode, that really showed off how good the writing is. The show does not insult the audience at all. It's very reminiscent of First Wave, in that Freedom more than respects its audience. It rewards us for watching and doesn't hit us over the head with action. There is really excellent dialogue in the show, and the writers do not give away much through the episode. You think one thing will happen, when they do something else. There is a real balance to this show.

The fights themselves are well done, and turn out very natural and just have the right flow to them. The stunts that get the slo-mo speed really show off what the show can do for action and eye candy. It's Matrix-like, but it is not the Matrix. The stunts here are grounded in reality, and do not go beyond that. That adds credibility in my book. It's refreshing to see a clever show with so much heart come up on UPN. In the end this show is about one thing, standing up and fighting for what you believe in. There's no greater message in this world to convey, and with everything else this show has in itself. It truly is nice to see UPN supporting high quality television in the show known as Freedom.

First Wave (1998–2001)

If you like High Quality Sci-Fi, this show is for you!

[11 January 2000]

Simply put, this is one of the finest Sci-Fi shows on television today. The show is not driven by special f/x, it's driven by solid stories, solid acting, in sum it's character driven. Each week Cade and his pal Crazy Eddie, try to stop alien experiments and expose the truth about them. This is not your typical show, this show has it's own identity and a following the grows weekly. In this day and age, we look for something to carry us into the future. The X-Files is coming to a close. First Wave is the show, that will carry the ball for high quality, sci-fi dramatic television. Chris Brancato is the genius behind this gem of a show, he was once worked on the X-Files. He is brilliant, just as this show is. This show will capture not only your imagination but your heart as well. This is one solid show, that harks back to the days of sci-fi shows that made you think, and not blow something up every five minutes. This is a show that will make you think, and say wow. This is high quality tv at it's very best.

Brimstone (1998–1999)

A very creative, and visually entertaining show!!!

[15 February 1999]

I have been a fan of Brimstone since the premiere episode back at the end of October. It is with a out a doubt the best television show of the freshman class put out in the fall. It is also as I, as do many others feel, the true successor to the X-files. Brimstone is clever, original, and most definitely a very entertaining show. Not many people got a chance to see the pilot episode due to poor marketing. If you can get a chance to see this show, do not pass it up. With each episode, the show grows better in creativity and the show becomes more dimensional show, than just a dead-cop from hell sci-fi show, it becomes a tale of redemption, love, and the chance to reflect on how we look at ourselves. John Glover is perfect for the role of the Devil and Peter Horton portrays a man seeking a second chance at life. In order to do that he must send back 113 of the most evil souls that ever walked the earth. This is more than just a show, it is a look into our own souls. Now the show is in danger of being canceled. I am picky about what shows I watch, and I was expecting a subpar show, but I was shocked after I saw the pilot, and it took only one minute top get me hooked. And I have been hooked ever since, the pilot was great as it was, but the show just keeps getting that much better after each episode. On March 5 the pilot episode will be shown on Fox, with following fridays through March to have re-runs. As of now, the production of new episodes for the show has been stopped. And thanks to a letter writing campaign, the Save Our Brimstone campaign, by the fans of BrimStone, Fox has agreed to reshow the pilot and 3 episodes throughout March. The Save Our Brimstone campaign has convinced Fox to reevaluate the show, we probably won't see more episodes until we here for sure that BrimStone is being renewed. Yet this letter writing campaign, has convinced Fox to show reruns through March. The LA Times itself was the first to report that Fox has actually canceled the show. Yet Fox, continues to say that only production has been stopped, and it has not been canceled. Yet Ethan Reiff, and the other writers and creators of the show, have said that the show has been canceled. Give BrimStone a chance, it may just surprise you. I did, and I truly believe that this is the best new show on tv, and it is the true successor to X-Files. Also, make sure to visit the official site through the link to your left. It has terrific info on the show, and the message board provides links to the Save Our BrimStone websites.