I honestly have no idea why this show has such a low rating (4.8!). Hardly any TV shows are so disliked. 21% of idiots have given it a 1. Seriously? In what world is it the worst product possible? Utter nonsense. It's even driven a bunch of retaliatory 10 ratings in an attempt to even things out a bit. I can only conclude it is Marmite - you either love it or hate it. Luckily, I love Marmite. Delicious on toast, and boosts scrambled eggs a treat. Mmmmmm!
Flash Gordon is both an homage to and in rebellion of the movie from 1980. Many of the basic elements in the movie are at least alluded to in the series, but it adds up to a very different beast. However, the differences are superficial enough to make it feel fresh wthout spoiling the humour. Actually, it's the humour that rescues the TV show. Obviously it is pretty cheap - it was never going to win awards for special effects or world-building - but the producers use that as a strength through the humour. The writing is actually quite decent; the character development is good, and importantly each episode brings something new to the overall story arc. Some shows get boring very fast, but somehow FG stays fresh.
I love the villainous and enigmatic Mongo scientist who floats about silently and menacingly on his hoverboard; he's a better villain than Ming himself. If I were being critical, I could have wished for a more impressive Ming - instead, they've gone a bit prosaic; he could be any ordinary Earth man with a wide streak of megalomania. Max Von Sydow he ain't, and I guess that was the point.
The cast are all pretty good too; the opening episode struggled a little to set the tone, perhaps trying to set the scene a little too quickly, so came across a tiny bit cheesy, but by episode 3 I was totally hooked and it's now hard to imagine anyone else playing Flash, Dale or Zarkov. Pacing is ideal, and FG never takes itself seriously, which is just as it should be.
Review of Flash Gordon
