Blu-ray Review – V: The Original Mini-Series

36 years ago, there were three network television channels. When one of them wanted to command the viewing audience, it required something major to capture national attention. Many mini-series attempted epic storytelling, scoring with high drama over multiple nights. 1983's "V: The Original Mini-Series" offered such an invitation, but added a cherry on top: the lure of sci-fi extravaganza on the small screen. This wasn't simply appointment television, it as a country-wide event, with most televisions tuned into the NBC broadcast for two consecutive nights, devouring the tale of an alien visitation that slowly turns into an invasion. Writer/director Kenneth Johnson takes the entertainment challenge seriously, striving to transform "V" into a major show of force, with unusually sophisticated special effects for the medium and a screenplay that turned into history's battles with hostile takeovers and fascism into an action-oriented ride of spaceships, lizard people, and warfare across Los Angeles. Johnson isn't sculpting with precision here, but his vision for a T.V. blockbuster in the "Star Wars" age is incredibly entertaining and, at times, thought-provoking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com