Amazon.com

To aid in a battle simulation program, the Enterprise enlists the skills of a master strategist from the Zakdorn race, Sirna Kolrami (Roy Brocksmith). Riker and Picard face off, with Riker helming a broken-down old derelict of a ship called the Hathaway. Riker bucks the odds, and the arrogant Zakdorn's low assessment of his abilities, using a holographic trick to distract the Enterprise, thus winning the contest. Only the contest attracts a very real Ferengi vessel that attacks the Enterprise, thus taking the game to another level, an opportunity to display their game skills in an actually dangerous situation. "Peak Performance" revolves around the air of superiority of the smug Kolrami, whose arrogance and master-level abilities in the strategy game Strategema drive the crew to distraction. The episode bursts with ideas about finding creative solutions to complex problems, that pit left-brain, or logico-mathematical, skills against right-brain, or creative, abilities--and very good ideas at that. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A missed oportunity to examine the Ferengi culture
Without question, Star Fleet would have the most rigorous standards for entry, advancement and evaluation. With billions of potential candidates from many different species, only the very best would even reach the level needed to apply. Therefore, command officers would constantly be put through new training exercises, sometimes with little chance of success. Such a scenario is the premise for this episode, where Commander Riker is to take command of an 80 year-old ship and lead it in a simulated battle against the Enterprise. The odds are overwhelmingly against Riker and his band, as their vessel, the Hathaway, is essentially a derelict, without antimatter for warp drive.
Relying on his knowledge of the security features of the Enterprise, Worf is able to simulate the appearance of a Romulan warship on the Enterprise view screen. This distracts the crew long enough for the Hathaway to inflict a great deal of simulated damage to the Enterprise. After applauding Riker and his crew, Picard believes that an approaching Ferengi warship is also a false image. However, this one is very real and attacks the unshielded Enterprise. Sustaining heavy damage and unable to immediately respond due to the weapons being taken off-line, Picard receives an ultimatum from the Ferengi. He must surrender the Hathaway or be destroyed. Once again, the guile of the Enterprise officers serves them well as they convince the Ferengi that another star ship is in the area.
There is also a major subplot, where a member of a species known for their strategic thinking is the Federation observer assigned to monitor the exercise. Arrogant to the point of being extremely obnoxious, Dr. Pulaski maneuvers Data into engaging him in a strategy game. While it is easy to root for Data, the subplot is much too dominant. I would have preferred more effort having been spent in explaining the exercise and fleshing out additional tactics. After all, the crew of the Hathaway had to have a secondary plan after the first. Also, there is very little explanation as to why the Ferengi would attack the Enterprise in such a blatant manner. Risking an interstellar war over a derelict vessel makes no sense without some additional justification. The Enterprise crew should have held a conference where the psychology and motives of the Ferengi were examined in detail.
This starts out as a very good episode, I found myself laughing at some of the "improvisations" performed by the crew of the Hathaway. However, the strength of the subplot and the inexplicable attack by the Ferengi weakened it to an average episode.

Notable for its guest star casting
Later to make himself known as "Quark" on DS9, Armin Shimerman dons the lobes of Ferengi commander "Bractor" in this episode from the series' second season. This was not the first time that the actor portrayed one of big-earred aliens, having assayed similar and distinctive characterizations in two earlier installments.

The story is rather routine and not among the show's best but it's worth a look for the development of Ferengi as pivotal characters in the Trek mythology.

Starfleet War Games: Can Pupil Riker surpass Master Picard?
Starfleet has sent the legendary Zakdorn strategist, Sirna Kolrami, the Third-level Strategema Grand Master to overseer a simulated war game. On one side we have the Enterprise, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his trusted Android Second Officer Commander Data. On the other side we have Commander William Riker, supported by La Forge, Worf and Wesley, in the Hathaway, an eighty-year old starship that does not have warp drive. Sounds really fair, huh? This would be a really good test for Picard and the Enterprise, especially with the Borg on their way from the far ends of the Star Trek universe. Okay, the set-up is somewhat lame, but Riker and his wily crew sure have fun coming up with all sorts of tricks to help even the odds. Then, just to make things interesting, the Ferengi show up and cause trouble. This episode is a bit above average, and even though nothing significant happens it does show the crew being innovative and having fun. Clearly a couple of key elements in the show's second season was not only showing the crew as highly functional but also establishing them as becoming more of a family. In these regards "Peak Performance" helps solidify both elements.

COOL!
I really liked this particular ST:TNG episode because there is no particular pressing do-or-die mission to accomplish, just a routine simulation to run to test Commander Riker's commanding skills. Like always, things are not quite as they seem. Picard learns this when he mistakes a real attacker for a computer simulation. Another plus in my opinion is that we learn about the technological capabilities of even the most outdated hunk of junk in the galaxy, and the Enterprise crew plays a game other than poker! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

my personal fairy tale theatre movie
If your looking for a fairy tale for kids that can make even you laugh this is the one. Robin Williams will lighten the mood every time.

Bad for Children
This film contains language and sexual content. Robin Williams uses profanity and parental discretion is advised. It is a funny telling of the story for adults but not younger viewers... Parents should watch the movie first to decide if it is appropiate for their children, and trust me, it isn't!!!!

Undoubtably one of the best Faerie Tale Theatre videos.
This episode of The Tale of the Frog Prince, starring the hilarious Robin Williams and wonderful Teri Garr, is not only a very well told classic children's tale, but a comedy. It has plenty of bits an adult would find entertaining, none being underhand or crude, while still amusing to a younger audience. I grew up watching this series; I loved it then, and I still love it now ... A very good movie to see, and a deal if you can buy it anywhere!

Hilarious, but for adults
This is a hilariously funny version of a children`s fairy tale. Both Robin Williams and Teri Garr do a superb job in their portrayals of the frog-prince and the princess, but you will, most likely, be surprised at how well Rene Aberjonois (Clayton, fron the t.v. series Benson) does comedy. The only caveat is that because of the language and some the situations I would not recommend this video for pre-teens, but anyone else will definitely be amused! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

WOW
There is almost nothing else to say. The Duke is wonderful, so is the plot and overall the movie was superb!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Exploring the Gamma Quadrant, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) encounters a planet where none had existed moments before. That planet, Meridian, shifts between dimensions, appearing in our time and space for short spells every 60 years. Upon investigating, Dax falls in love with one of Meridian's inhabitants, Deral (Brett Cullen), setting up a big problem as the clock ticks down to another, imminent dimensional shift. Basically a star-crossed romance from the get-go, "Meridian" doesn't have a lot of mystery to it. But it does have the considerable charm of Terry Farrell, whose Jadzia was always a woman for all seasons onDS9: gorgeous, funny, tough, lusty, a tomboy, a lover, a surrogate sister. Not surprisingly, this character-driven story, with a higher quotient of emotion than usual, was directed by Jonathan Frakes, Riker on The Next Generation and heir to directorial duties on Star Trek feature films. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Getting soapy in space again
Episode title: Meridian

Teleplay by: Mark Gehred O'Connell

Story by: Hilary Bader & Evan Carlos Somers

Directed by: Jonathan Frakes

"Meridian" is one of those low-budget-romantic-TV-movie-turned-into-star-trek kind of episodes. We have a plot about a planet that shifts between dimencions, being 60 years at a time in a foreign dimencion and a couple of days in our own.

The crew of the Defiant just happen to stumble upon it just as it makes it's once-in-sixty-years shift to our universe, and Jazia Dax just happens to fall suddenly in lovewith one of the natives.

We also get a sub plot concerning a rich businesmann visiting DS9 and ending up lusting after Major Kira and ordering a sex programme from Quark featuring our good Major.

Even Jonathan Frakes's competent directing or Terry Farrel's talented performance can't do much for this episode, wich is all about a weak plot combined with old fascioned storytelling.

Yes, a bad episode as DS9 rips off "Brigadoon"
Yes, it is hard not to think of "Brigadoon" when the Defiant discovers the planet Meridian, which phases into the "real" universe every couple of decades. Only during this period of time, which gets shorter each time, can the inhabitants of Meridian age and reproduce. Sisko and crew try to help the planet stabilize and eventually they figure out something that just might possibly work. However, matters are further complicated when Jadziah Dax falls in love with Deral, one of the Meridians, and decides she will stay with him when the planet phases again.

Actually, if this DS9 episode had been a musical that might have been an improvement. Just think of Deral, Sisko and O'Brien dancing around and singing something along the lines of "Go Home with Jadziah Dax." The Dominion is supposed to coming pouring through the wormhole at any moment and Dax is going to leave her friends to die because of a relationship she has established with some new guy in a few days. Can you imagine Curzon doing this? "Meridian" makes "Brigadoon" look like a documentary. This is one of those rare DS9 episodes where the sub-plot, involving a guy named Tiron who gets shot down by Kira and gets Quark to put together a holo-program involving the Major, is more interesting and earns the episode a third star. Oh, well. They cannot all be good, you have to expect bad episodes every once in a while.

BRIGADOON! In space! Just throw 'em in the brig!
Horrible, horrible, and horrible. A cheap rip-off of an arguably bad musical, the cast stretches absolutely no acting muscles in the dull tale of a mythical planet that appears every X-many years for absolutely no reason. The romantic subplot is EXTREMELY difficult to accept, especially given that it surrounds the station's science officer! Avoid at all costs.

Now that was just terrible!
This episode was a complete flounder. The plot was horrid as was the writing. The dialog made me sick, litarally. This was by far the worst Dax episode. (Except for Rejoined, maybe) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terry Farwell- takes us on a tour of deep space nine
I thought this was very good, they showed the model of Deep Space Nine. They explained a little about how they did the sound effects, for instance, how they put in the laser beam effect after they fire a phaser. It was very interesting how they explained how they made Odo's shapeshifting scene's look real. and each of the actors explained a little about their parts, but I was surprised that avery brooks did not make an appearance on this video. Terry did a very good job on this tour. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Original airdate: 5-10-93. Stardate: 46849.3. A first-season highlight,"Progress" combines an amusing subplot involving Nog (Aron Eisenberg) and JakeSisko (Cirroc Lofton) with a moving dilemma faced by Kira (Nana Visitor) on thenearly evacuated Bajoran moon Jeraddo. It is there that Kira encounters Mullibok(Brian Keith), an elderly farmer who refuses to leave. Kira's efforts topersuade the old man lead to a painful examination of their shared heritage andviolent history against the Cardassians. This interplay (blessed by the fineperformances of Visitor and TV veteran Keith, in one of his best roles of hislater years) lends the episode an emotional urgency that intensifies Kira'stension between her turbulent past and present obligations to Federation dutyand Bajor's future. While Jake and Nog pursue amateur profiteering that turns surprisingly in their favor, "Progress" combines humor with the kind of ethicaland emotional crises that allowed DS9 to maximize its first-season potential. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
Throughout PROGRESS, I was convinced that the episode was going to cheat on me, and take the easy way out of the problem. When it confounded my expectations, I was surprised and extremely pleased. I hate it when drama dupes the audience by setting up difficult stakes and then ignoring them, so I was very happy to not only see that avoided here, but that the episode itself was quite thoughtful.

Three farmers stand in the way of progress. Bajor is planning to harvest the molten energy in the core of one of its moons, but to do that all the inhabitants of that moon must relocate. Three simple farmers refuse to leave. The cast includes a man who escaped the earlier Cardassian occupation through sheer strength and determination, and two others who were tortured to the point of losing their power of speech (which, of course, meant that the show producers didn't have write lines for them, or pay them for speaking roles).

The story is rather familiar, as, in fact, are the farmers. It's thanks to a solid performance from Brian Keith as Mullibok, the crusty and cranky old Bajoran, that the story successful so well. The episode rests on his refusal to leave his home, and the actor and the writing are extremely effective at conveying his point of view. He's an extremely sympathetic character despite his overblown and arrogant personality. The episode sinks or swims depending on how likeable the audience finds the farmers, and it is definitely a success on that point.

What I really liked about this one was the fact that there is no real room for a satisfactorily happy ending, and that the episode refuses to take the easy way out. There's a silly subplot revolving around Jake and Nog trading useless items for more useless items in a vain attempt to eventually get their hands on some gold-pressed latinum. It's a nice counterpoint to the seriousness of the rest of the story and the overall episode is quite good and very satisfying.

Our first exposure to the softer side of Major Kira
The Bajoran government and the Federation make plans to provide energy for the planet by tapping the core of one of Bajor's moons. However, there is a stubborn old coot named Mollibok who refused to leave the home he made forty years ago when escaping from the Cardassian occupation. Of course, Major Kira is sent to get Mollibok to change his mind. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog have acquired 5,000 packages of Cardassian yamok sauce from Quark and are trading their way up to a really big deal. "Progress" is another first-season DS9 episode where the emphasis is on fleshing out the characters. We get to see the softer side of Kira, who does not explode every time Mollibok provokes her and even tells a story about a gnarly tree, and the friendship between Jake and Nog is explored as the boys seek to turn a profit. This is a slightly above-average DS9 episode mainly because the ending of the Kira/Mollibok conflict does not offer one of those happy endings where everybody listens to the voice of reason. Just another example of how the needs of the many outweights the needs of the one in the Star Trek universe.

Character arc at it's best!
This episode focuses mainly on Kira. Our favorite strong willed Major must confront her own demons when faced with a simple, yet complex mission. Is the majority vote always the best case? A crusty, yet charming Bajoran farmer provokes these issues and more in this episode. One of my "early" DS9 favorites. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Always intent on tackling big themes in unique ways, the various StarTrek series have covered the subject of death, from suicide to terminalillness to euthanasia, a number of times over the years. "Life Support"continues that bold tradition with a challenging story about dying andmedical ethics. A radiation accident brings Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim),Bajoran leader and lover of Major Kira (Nana Visitor), to the brink of deathon the eve of important negotiations with the Cardassians. Aware of hiscondition but determined to see a historic treaty struck, Bareil pleads withDr. Bashir (Alexander Singer) to keep him alive and conscious so he can coachthe less diplomatic Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) through the difficult talks.Bashir, who would rather place Bareil in indefinite stasis while seeking acure, reluctantly yields but then protests as Kai Winn and Kira plead forgreater and grimmer interventions to stave off the inevitable.

The strong butflawed script by Ronald D. Moore tries to lighten things up with a trivial,secondary story line about a conflict between Jake Sisko (Chiroc Lofton) andNog (Aron Eisenberg), as if the main action is nothing but a turn-off. Infact, Bareil's tragedy is presented with painful honesty about the wisdom andmorality of sustaining a life that might reasonably be called something lessthan human. The crossfire of altruistic and selfish interest between sundrycharacters makes for compelling drama, and the final scene of parting betweenthe living and dying is quite moving. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A major step for the series, a minor one for the writers
Episode title: Life Support

Teleplay by: Ronald D. Moore

Story by: Christian Ford & Roger Soffer

Directed by: Reza Badiyi

After jumping apparently aimlessly around, the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine finally returns to the series' roots with an episode centered around the rebuilding of Bajor, and the forming of peace with it's longtime opressor, Cardassia.

The story is executed poorly, making the whole step of forming a peace between Bajor and Cardassia an insignificant one, not a tide-turning political event it, with all sence, should be.

In the episode, Commander Sisko finds out about the previously mentioned negotiations as a Bajoran ship carrying the negotiators (our old friends Kai Winn and Vedek Bareil) gets into trouble near the station.

Bareil dies for the injuries he aquires, but Doctor Bashir is able to bring him back alive by ridiculously fantastic methods. Soon it is discovered however, that the good condition of Bareil is only temporary and his body starts falling apart due to the use of a highly unstable medication that only prolongs his life.

So begins the overly simplitic and unprofound conflict between Winn, Kira and Bashir, as the only person able to fully conduct the negotiations refuses stasis as his internal organs shut down one by one.

The ultimate loss of credibility occurs when the other half of Bareils' brain is replaced by a mechanical positronic matrix.

The subject of the episode had lots of potential to it, but the way the issues were treated was probably one of the worst ways imaginable.

Nevertheless, the episode did lead to something, but the progress seemed forced, as the whole episode seemed to have been written as an oblication to the series, fullfilled lazily by the way of a naivé and badly constructed plot. This feeling wasn't eraticated one bid by a horrible subplot about Jake's first date, wich was taken straight from a teenage soap opera.

It truly is a shame that an episode changing the direction of the series so noticably had to be so bad.

Vedek Bareil becomes more machine than man
For those of us who have always wondered how far medical science can go in the 24th-Century, "Life Support" provides a chilling answer. Vedek Bareil is fatally injured in an accident and Dr. Bashir uses extraordinary means to bring him back to life. Bareil, along with Kai Winn, was engaged in secret negotiations on a peace treaty between Bajor and the Cardassians. The negotiations are moved to DS9 so that Bareil, whose role has become pivotal, can continue to participate. However, Bashir's repair work has already damaged Bareil's circulatory system and while their is a drug that will allow him to continue, it can do further damage. Bareil insists on assuming the risk at what proves to be a ghastly cost.

I have long believed that just because medical science can do something does not mean that it should be done. In other words, life should not be preserved at all costs; there is a line that has to be drawn. In "Life Support" circumstances are contrived which means that line has to be crossed, several times, with horrific results. Of course the episode also serves to underscore one last time the decency of Bareil in contrast to the vainglorious machinations of Kai Winn. Although I thoroughly detest the character, I have to admire the DS9 writers for keeping her around to cause trouble all those years. Kira has to carry the emotional burden of this episode, caught between her love for Bareil and her patriotism as a Bajoran. It simply does not pay to fall in love with a character on Star Trek.

Uneven, at best
The story of Bareil's gradual slipping away, coupled with a political backstory, is shoddily handled throughout, leaving the end result nothing more than an episode wherein it might appear that a great cameo actor asked to written out of the Trek continuity. While Nana Visitor's performance is outstanding, it's not enough to lift this single-hanky story out of the doldrums to stand with integrity alongside the far superior TNG's THE INNER LIGHT, TOS's CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER, or DS9's THE VISITOR. Close, but no cigar. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

highlander-ish
It was a fresh, well-written episode although it contradicted the Highlander movies. This episode was fantastic and memorable.

But i'm glad to see the Highlander, immortals and other stuff still survive so the highlander fans' appetite will satisfied.

Highlander: The Gathering
AWESOME. After the firts Highlander movie in 1985, Connor MacLeod returns to action, as he realizes that he is not alone, and that he did not reaceived the Prize, but the Gathering, that Ramirez ones told him about, and the pursuit of the Prize has began in 1985, and it will be end until only one remains. So, Connor goes on search of Slan Quince, an evil and ruthless Immortal, who kills the mortal familys of other Immortals, trying to get them into his search, and winning them because of their phychical weakness (something like that might have happend to Connor in the past). And sfter his wife's death in 1987 by a car accident, and having left Ramirez's sword close to his grave (after he won the man who killed him - The Kurgan), Connor takes an old friend's "Silver Braid" katana, and goes on Seacouver, where he finds again his long-time friend and kinsman Duncan MacLeod, who was born 74 years after him. Duncan, who was also a student of Connor's, is living for the last 12 years with Tessa Noel, a artist. But now, Duncan must re-enter the Game, because if he don't, he must have to face the death of his girlfriend, Tessa.

This special pilot episode introduces to as Duncan MacLeod, a kinsman and student of Connor MacLeod, born in 1592 also in Scotland. Of course, Duncan's character is (not of course entirely) different to Connor's. Adrian Paul purposely made Duncan MacLeod a different man -- more passionate in most areas (love-making, a.o.) -- than Connor. He always wanted his character to be different from Christopher Lambert's character, as opposed to taking over an existing role and this has worked out well. For example: Unlike his kinsman Connor, Duncan has not always been such an active participant in the Gathering.  He lets other Immortals come to him rather than seeking them out. In any case, Connor and Duncan have a unique teacher-friend-student connection (and like Connor and Duncan SSOOO much more than the useles -but impresive- Methos or the boring Joe Dawson). Although, ieven 8 years after it first aired in Sci-fi Channel, this episode deserves many credits - The clothing, the music, the objet d'arts - all draw us in to what promises to be a visual feast. Clearly Connor and Duncan MacLeod are man of wealth and taste. The characters (and the actors they play them-espcially Chrsitopher Lambert and Adrian Paul) themselves are truly beautiful in the classic sense of the word. Slan stands out because he is so physically at odds with the beauty surrounding him (iven Kane in Highlander: The Final Dimension is better than him). He muddies and stains everything he touches. So - the episode satisfies me visually, emotionally and intellectually. Despite some seemingly silly things about the Game, it is enough of a good story to keep my interest. Especially when it flavors the mix with intimations of ethical dilemmas that will face the hero - in his friendships, relationships, obligations and beliefs.

The message is very clear to us - there is so much pain in these people's lives that they studiously seem to avoid letting people get too close to them. Duncan presents two distinct faces to the world. On the one hand he is the serious, no -nonsense business man. He rarely laughs and is very tight. But with Tessa he is a sensual delight. He nuzzles her neck continuously. He touches her and enfolds her and is joyful when he is with her.

So - at the end of this episode, we stand and watch as Duncan MacLeod sets off on his journey. Would I define it as ill-fated? No. He is immortal, as Joe will keep him reminding that in future episodes. He has his own path to travel, his own race to run. In this episode we see them all there, running with him or cheering him on. We know how many times he will fall and how many of those onlookers and supporters will falter along the way - or die.

But we also know, after Not To Be-the 119 and final episode, that Duncan will never, ever, give up.

For more Connor-Duncan interaction, wait until Highlander: Endgame (a sequel to the first and third Highlander movie, and Highlander: The Series) comes out in September 1st.

There Can Be Only One.... Remember that rule?
This first episode of the great TV serie, is by far one the bset episodes of the series, not only because Connor McLeod (the original Highlander, played greatfully by Christopher Lambert) is in it, making with his brief -but welcomed- appearence, a linkage the movies with the series (unlike others television shows, that they are just take the basic theme of the film, and transfered to the series, making with that a GREAT bastardisation of the film), and provides the Immortal universe to the next step. However, this episode (as the whole series does) is centered to Duncan McLeod, a clansmen and student of Connor McLeod, who was out of the Game, and with the help of Connor, he returns in it. Adrian Paul is wonderfull as Duncan McLeod, a character verry different to Connors. Richard Moll is just good, but could be better. This episode, one of the best of the series (along with "Watchers" "The End of Innocense" and others), can be easily called as "The Other Highlander 2", because is verry much better than this AWFULL movie. It has more story, and the developments of the characters are just great. Its easily a better sequel of the original movie than the "Highlander 2: The Quickening"

A surprisingly great transition from film to TV
I was determined to hate this show. I mean, the Gathering was over, almost all of the immortals had been slain, and suddenly there was another Gathering? Whatever. Still, though, the very first episode of this series won me over (and I'm not just saying that because Adrian Paul looks good!). This TV series based on the cult Highlander films does justice to the movies, by including Connor MacLeod in the first episode and continuing on with a very fascinating story. This time, the focus is on Connor's kinsman Duncan Macleod (Adrian Paul), a fellow immortal who has come out of "retirement" to re-join the "game." Duncan spends most of this first season battling various immortals, but at the heart of it is his various relationships with the people he cares about, both mortal and immortal. It displays the problems that immortals must face once they choose to love a mortal, in this case, his relationship with his girlfriend Tessa. They live and grow together as time moves on, proving that "Just one year of love is better than a lifetime alone." In addition to the great cast, there is also the fact that the original music written for the movie by Queen is kept in. That really adds to the authenticity of the piece. I love the TV show and miss watching it, so I'm glad that it's out on video. It's worth buying, trust me.

The student becomes the master
The Highlander Movie series has had many followers. However, for style and sensitivity, the TV series by far surpasses the its origins. Those who have seen the series and continue to watch the series on cable will agree that this series offers depth on many levels. My personal interests are the detailed costuming in the flashback sequences and the character development. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Kingdom defies categorization. This cult Danish miniseries plays like a nightmarish cross between Twin Peaks and Chicago Hope as directed by David Cronenberg, and even that hardly captures the giddy absurdity of Lars von Trier's soap-opera-cum-horror-tale. The setting is a modern hospital built on a medieval graveyard, but the most terrifying ghosts belong not to ancient history but rather to the hospital's own dark past. An egotistical, self-righteous visiting Swedish doctor, who abhors the Danes and screams his outrage in nightly rants from the hospital roof, presides over this ensemble of eccentrics; but he's hardly the strangest this hospital has to offer. ER has nothing on this delirious madhouse, where haunted ambulances, a Masonic cult, a devil cabal, demons, ghosts, and a most mysterious pregnancy lurk in the fringes of more earthly (though equally bizarre) melodramas. Shooting in video with a bobbing handheld camera, von Trier creates an otherworldly atmosphere with the dimly lit corridors and bland, drained color schemes, set to an eerily sparse soundtrack of echoing hospital sounds and electronic wailings. The mix of deadpan hysteria and spooky ghost story concludes with the most outrageous cliffhanger put on film (to be continued in The Kingdom II). (The home video also includes closing comments by a smiling von Trier himself, unseen in the theatrical version.) Simply put, you've never seen anything quite like this. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (50)

"E.R." Meets "Twin Peaks"
This 5-hour marathon was originally a mini-series on Danish television, which partly explains the length. It won't take you long to get completely involved in the weird goings-on at the massive Copenhagen hospital complex named "The Kingdom", though, and once you're hooked, you'll want to savor every minute. The primary plot concerns a malingering woman's search within the hospital for the spirit of a young girl, but there's also a phantom ambulance, a secret society (complete with some really bizarre initiation rites!), a Greek Chorus doing the dishes, and at least a half-dozen sub-plots. Although there are some visually disturbing scenes, plus a few steamy ones, the overall tone is best summed up as "quirky humor". The vast impersonality of the hospital is conveyed through washed-out sepia-tinted shots of endless corridors and fly-over shots of the huge complex, but the halls are chock-full of nuts. The Swedish chief neurosurgeon, on the lam from Stockholm thanks to assorted misdeeds there, shouts his frustrations at the "Danish scum" from the rooftops. A resident takes *his* title quite literally, setting up living quarters in the basement, where he recycles pharmaceuticals and keeps tabs on who's up to what. A portly orderly, cowed into submission by his psychosomatic mother, wheels her throughout the building while she searches for the spirit of a young girl she believes was murdered. The loopy head of staff seeks to inspire the workers with a typically management-brain-dead scheme he proudly calls "Operation Morning Wind". If you like the movies of the Coen brothers ("Fargo", or "The Hudsucker Proxy") or if you enjoyed "Twin Peaks", this is *definitely* one to check out. And since this isn't enough in itself, yup, there's a five-hour *sequel*!

Stanley Kubrick meets David Lynch
When I first saw this foreign gem from director Lars Von Trier ("Breaking The Waves")in Cork, Ireland, the film festival program copy read, "Kubrick meets David Lynch. Already has a cult following."

What "it" is, is "The Kingdom." Perhaps best decribed colloquially as ER on acid, "The Kingdom" is a four-part series set in a hospital in Sweden. Built on an acient burial ground (somewhat a la "The Shining"), as the hospital (named The Kingdom) defies nature with the pursuit of hard-nosed science, it begins to undergo structural damage and visitations by uneasy spirits.

While shifting from the levity of relationships between the doctors, who range from open-minded and good-natured to practitioners of bad medicine, to the greek chorus (represented by two mentally challenged dishwashers who work in the basement), "The Kingdom" delivers palpable chills. Expect ghosts, severed heads, malpractice suits, seances, alien/ghost births and operations involving the switching of organs. It may sound like a bad episode of "The X-Files," circa '98, but the full effect of Von Trier's opus is decidedly classier and worth every second of the four one-hour installments (it originally ran as a television program in Denmark). If you enjoyed the following, you will most certainly take delight in "The Kingdom": The City of Lost Children, La Femme Nikita, Twin Peaks, The Shining.

Mad Genius!
A fascinating ghost story set in a Danish hospital and created by the mad genius, Lars von Trier. This director is famous for Breaking the Waves and his new film, Dogville. However, The Kingdom is by far my favourite film he has directed so far. [...].

A masterpiece encompassing many kingdoms
The Kingdom is the name of a gargantuan decaying hosital in Copenhagen where this amazing Lars von Trier Gothic television miniseries is set. of course, the title also refers to the kingdom of Denmark (in the staff meeting room where many scenes take place, the portraits of Queen Margrethe and her consort are prominently displayed), for which the hospital is a metaphor, and for the kingdom of society in general. And, as von Trier explains in his charming afterwords to the episodes, it also refers to the kingdom of the imagination itself.

The miniseries works on all these levels. It's a quirky, incredibly atmospheric study of the hospital centering upon the discovery of the ghost of a girl murdered 75 years previously on the same site haunting the hospital, and it revolves around a giant cast of dozens of memorable characters, all of whom are intensely sympathetic even though they're pretty miserable human beings. The three at the core of the story are a malingerer, the septuagenarian medium Mrs. Drusse, obsessed with discovering the story behind a ghost; a blackmailer, the young and sexy Dr. Hook; and his nemesis in the neurology department, the jaw-droppingly arrogant brain surgeon Dr. Helmer, who had to take this job in Denmark (which he loathes) after being cast out of a job in his native Sweden under suspicion of plagiarism. Although the Gothic aspects to the story are beautifully brought out by the labyrinthine deserted basement hallways of the hospital and Von Trier's gorgeous sepia-tinted cinemtography, like all the best ghost stories the ghosts here serve as metaphors for what's wrong with the state of society in general. The miniseries is an amazingly funny satire on the dilapidated Danish health care system, and the film's funniest moments involve the attempts of the neurology department's manager, the marvelously manipulative and passive-aggressive Professor Moesgaard, to implement a hilariously inane PR campaign called "Operation Morning Air" that involves (among other things) having the neurosurgeons cheerfully sing introductions to one another at staff meetings.

The series has often been compared to "Twin Peaks," but it's probably even better. Like the Lynch series it does a marvelous job of conveying atmosphere, but it is deeper and more carefully engineered and imagined. Though there are moments that sag (including the disastrous idea of having Dr. Helmer visit Haiti near the end, which jarringly breaks the miniseries' adherence otherwise to the Aristotelean unities by and large), as a whole it is a genuine masterpiece. It is one of the richest works for television ever made.

Wish I could give it a 6
Sit back and enjoy the ride. It's weird, sometimes silly, but thoroughly captivating.

I hate to bring up a boring old theme, but we in North America rarely come up with works of such subtlety. I have been watching 6 Feet Under and the comparison is stark. In Kingdom, the characters are flawed, interesting, and likeable. In 6 Feet Under, they are flawed, uninteresting, and unlikeable.

It is scary to think that an American re-make of this is in the works. But, you never know...remember Twin Peaks (almost 20 years ago now!)? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Faerie Tale Theatre: The Three Little Pigs
Hilarious episode from the Faerie Tale Theatre series with an all-star cast. Billy Crystal as well as his on-screen brother actors are excellent as the three pigs, and Jeff Goldblum is show-stealing as the Big Bad Wolf. Valerie Perrine is a knock-out and makes a surprisingly sexy pig in this faerie tale. A great comedic hit for the entire family to enjoy!

I love this series!
My brother, sisters and I grew up watching the Faerie Tale Theatre collection, and loving them all. By the way, they're not just for kids! My mother loved them so much she went out of her way to find them for my little niece to enjoy. I highly recommend them to anyone with (or even without) children to view them!

cute and appealing
Billy Crystal, Valerie Perrine, Doris Roberts and Jeff Goldblum star in the new telling of the tale from FAERIE TALE THEATRE.

One of the more light-hearted entries in the series, its a delightfully comic piece, played out by master comedians Crystal and Roberts, with the beautiful Perrine cutting a mean figure as a porker indeed.

The series was a huge success, boasting a huge multi award-winning cast (Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc), and creator/producer Shelly Duvall has earned laurels for one of the finest family series in years.

Best of the Fairie Tale Theatres
I must have rented this video 40-50 times for my then pre-school age son and daughter. We all had the lines memorized. Billy Crystal is terrific as one of the pigs (Peter, Paul and Larry) and Jeff Goldblum is a howl as the wolf. The whole cast is great. This is truly a film that everyone in the family will love. The best.

As Unforgettable as Nat
This was a household staple rented over and over from our local video store, played over and over for all ages whenever our guests seemed willing. There was never ever anything but laughter and appreciation; I'm still trying to find the Samuel Barber music played just so. Please let me know if you know where I can get a copy... there are future grandchildren and grandnieces/nephews in my life whose lives will be incomplete without it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Scraping the barrel, but a good (if confusing) finale
When Highlander arrived on TV, it started out with a good concept (taken from the first film, primarily), a real hero (Duncan - played with great self-assurance by Adrian Paul), but some bumps in the road that gave it a TV feel. This is evident in the first season, as the episodes are hit and miss, and the show wasn't operating on all cylinders until near the end of the season.

In the 2nd year, Highlander hit full stride, and with each successive episode, the series became more compelling. Many episodes from that year are excellent. The full Highlander team had to have known they had a winner, and the creative energy is high. These were the shows that solidified the fan base the show would ultimately have.

The 3rd season picked up right where the second took off, and by now Highlander was thriving, if in relative obscurity. By now Adrian Paul WAS Duncan MacLeod - The Highlander. The show had a level of synchronicity and often intensity, that made the very most of the concept. The actors (again, espeically Paul) the writers, and entire crew were obviously very inspired, as they turned out one excellent episode after another. Many of them masterfully interweaved.

The 4th season kept the pattern going. And the Highlander team continued with exploring characters, and changes. While the concept was limited (who will Duncan meet from his past this week?), as such, we were introduced to the "dark side" of Duncan Macleod. If because of what the cast and crew had working together - the show continued on putting out either excellent, or good shows. While this turn was interesting, the somewhat dark side didn't always click with fans who saw Duncan as a role model and hero.

The 5th season found the writers trying to vary the previous season's problems. With many espisodes Duncan changing (often not using the sword at all), and sometimes mystical elements involved (which turned some fans off). But the professionalism continued.

By the 6th season, the show was hit and miss, and it seemed at times like it was soon to reach the end (which it did). The final episide was somewhat sentimental, but at the same time, fittingly obscure.

Highlander - Raven continued with the charming character of Amanda. But without Paul, the series didn't have the same backbone, and ultimately waned.

Adrian Paul would later reprise the Duncan MacLeod role in the film Highlander: Endgame, which is the best sequel as the films go (and on par with many TV episodes), but alas, the film did not fair well at the box office, as the previous sequels (2, and 3) were so bad, the mainstream stayed away. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Oh you angels from on high!
This is a great movie. It's a fine Christmas movie, but it's just a great movie for any time. Where I come from, this story is called "Los Pastores." It's a lovely Hispano Christmas tradition--it goes with Posadas--where the whole town goes house to house with Mary & Joseph searching for a room at the inn--and in my part of the world folks have old handwritten scripts in endless archaic Spanish. It's funny, bawdy, and it used to be put on yearly in my town.

But no one is willing to memorize the enormous scripts any more. Kids don't want to rehearse three times a week for a month before Christmas. So lots of people have never seen Los Pastores, or even heard of it.

La Pastorela is Los Pastores with the best folks imaginable for every part. This is the story of a bunch of shepherds who go off looking for the baby Jesus. They get drunk. They get lost. Linda Ronstadt as the Archangel (I think it's Michael) helps them along. They encounter the devil with all his stinky minions.

I am still searching for my copy of this movie (I did finally locate one for a friend) and I haven't seen it in a few years, so this isn't a very specific review. But it's a truly great movie, for hispano-Americans or folks who enjoy them. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the first and finest RoboCop movie, director Paul Verhoeven combined near-future science fiction with a keen sense of social satire--not to mention enough high-velocity violence to satisfy even the most voracious bloodlust. In Starship Troopers, Verhoeven and RoboCop cowriter Ed Neumeier take inspired cues from Robert Heinlein's classic sci-fi novel to create a special-effects extravaganza that functions on multiple levels of entertainment. The film might be called "Melrose Place in Space," with its youthful cast of handsome guys and gorgeous women who look like they've been recruited (and in some cases they were) from the cast of Beverly Hills 90210. Viewers might focus on the incredible, graphically intense action sequences (definitely not for children) in which heavily armed forces from Earth go to off-world battle against vast hordes of alien "bugs" bent on planetary conquest. The attacking bugs are marvels of state-of-the-art special-effects technology, and the space battles are nothing short of spectacular. But Starship Troopers is more than a showcase for high-tech hardware and gigantic, flesh-ripping insects.Recalling his childhood in Holland during the Nazi occupation, Verhoeven turns this epic adventure into a scathingly funny satire of fascist propaganda, emphasizing Heinlein's underlying warning against the hazards of military conformity and the sickening realities of war. It's an action-packed joy ride if that's all you're looking for, but Verhoeven has a provocative agenda that makes Starship Troopers as smart as it is exciting. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (659)

Underrated Science Fiction Classic
Starship Troopers is a truly underrated classic. Directed by Paul (Robocop) Verhoven, the story takes place far into the future where the world has become a 'Facist Utopia'. It's a world where citizenship is earned through military service and values are taught in war. The original story, written by sci-fi master Robert Heinlein in 1959, took such a future very seriously. Not so with Verhoven, he attempted to approach this Brave New World with camp and satire and I think many people missed this point.

Narrated by a futuristic internet that includes satirical recruiting commercials, we follow the lives of a group of friends - Johnny Rico (Casper Van Diem), Carmen Ibanez (Monica Richards), Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) and Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris). Johnny joins the service because of his girlfriend (Carmen) but is followed right along into service by another girl (Dizzy) who has a major crush on him. However, it becomes clear that they all joined the service just in time as attentions soon turn from each other to that of the enemy - Giant bugs. These giant, killer bugs have declared war on the Earth from their home world of Klendathu and are using long distance asteroids to inflict catastophic damage.

The movie kicks into high gear when soldiers are sent to the extraterrestrial battlefields of Klendathu - a kind of out-world Armageddon. A violent and graphic war is under way as soldiers are ripped apart by these giant bugs, some of which include built in flame throwers. The interaction between the bugs and soldiers is nothing less than spectacular. Indeed, in this era of The Matrix and The Phantom Menace, the digital FX in Starship Troopers easily rank as some of the best you will ever see. At one point, the soldiers are defending a fort against a HUGE army of insect warriors, some of which fly, in a scene that looks like some sci-fi version of the Alamo - Very effective. I will say, however, it struck me strange that a people who have created such advanced interstellar travel would not create better insecticide as the soldiers use pretty standard machine guns that take awhile to put a bug down. Also, Klendathu looked dull - colorless and full of rocks. Oh, well.

All in all, this movie is great. Don't take it too seriously, have fun with it.

Revised Review After Re-Viewing
"Starship Troopers" is a great, action-packed, shoot-'em-up, kill-the-bad-guys (bugs) science fiction adventure film with lots of great special effects. The battles scenes, both in space and on the ground, are graphic, complex, and exciting.

The movie is supposedly based upon Robert Heinlein's science fiction classic, written in 1959. He had three goals:

1) Put forth the idea that a true American patriot could be anti-war and need not be fanatically anti-Communist, a la Joe McCarthy.

2) Satirize war by glorifying it in a tongue-in-cheek manner and by shoving its horror in your face, much like "Saving Private Ryan" did seriously, and much like Archie Bunker did comedically to racism and bigotry.

3) Put forth the philosophy that freedom and responsibility are inextricably linked. Many people today have forgotten that, and moral decline is the result.

What does the movie do with these ideas? It misses the point entirely and sarcastically (not satirically) attacks war, patriotism, AND responsibility. It does this by turning the whole story into a farce, and by minimizing the role of the teacher of responsibility and sometimes portraying him as a bitter fanatic.

The young cast, whom I attacked before revising my review, actually did the best they could with a script that sometimes sounded like it belonged in a Saturday morning cartoon. In their defense, I would guess that most of the cast read the script and not the book. They also did not live through the threat of global war, which was fanned as much by McCarthy's inflammatory anti-Communist rhetoric and fanaticism as it was by Stalinism, Leninism, and Marxism. What defense does the producer and the director have?

The voice-over narration was a big mistake. It furthered the effect of having this film become a caricature of the book, and it was totally unnecessary.

If you want to watch a good science fiction adventure film with lots of special effects, action, and gore, this movie is for you. But, please do not take it seriously or think that it represents Heinlein's book faithfully. If you want to think about this movie and its ideas, please do two things first: read the book it was supposedly based upon, and either read the history of the era that birthed the book or talk with someone born before 1934 at length about the era.

listen up all n64 fans.
in the far future,the armed forces battle giant bugs on thier planet.one of the drill instructers is played by the pervert in sleepers.this movie is far to violent for chilkdren.i cant belive the second part even came fromthis one.this one rules but the sceond one left a lot to be desired.i think military,action and sci fi fans will all enjiy this one.anyone who is squeamish will not like it,as it is very graphic and very violent.there are 2 basic chicks in this movie.a air force chick whose playing two guys and a sexy red head who pines after one of those guys.i think the first chick is nasty but the red head is awesome.she must be pretty co mfortable without a shirt because she takes it off a number of times.this movie kicks butt!some of its futuristic concepts are neat.the violent parts are very graphic.legs flying,guts spraying...........its great.

A complete wast of budgeting
Starship troopers, probably set in the year 4000AD or something is a complete fasico, honestly. What kind of sick moron would create a movie about a bunch of sexy, small titted geeks joining the federal service thing to fight a bunch of mutated insects on the other side of the galaxy. attack, then lots of blood and death (and yet Rico some how manages to be listed corps, but he lives in a bath of green goo) and then they go back for more. Whoopee doo da. Rubbish, and i dont core if you disagree. The most unrealistic film since, well, since ever! From psycic people to roughneck. Thats not the human world. no way! The human world would probable nuke the hell out of "klendathu" the archnids home planet leaving a larghe collection of ash and rubble. And the real world probably wouldn't waste billions of pounds of huge space ships that are going to blow up from cosmic sperm. Nah, we would send thermonuclear probs or something, dodge in and out of the sperm and fly into a random guess at the best spot. Or, instead of using nuclear weapons we could take the right piss. Build a hug maginifying glass over the planets and use there own stars against them and magnify the heat 10,000 times and fry the bastards.

Denise richards must have been pissed to have said yes to acting in this film. What was she thinking?! Why is her hair so long?! and why does she have to smile all the time?! Does here mouth ever close? She did my head in in this "film" her acing may be up to scratch compared to the other actors but she could have done better (compare "the world is not enough"). Johny Rico quite cleary is dressed up to look like one of those life sized action men, the right hair anyway. His freak friend, I forget his name but I know he has been in many other films before. He didn't show up often which was a releif because he is quite ugly. but i suppose being able to mentally control and read the emotions of other animals counts against it.

On the plus side of this film (Yes there is one!!) the graphics and that of the big sacestations is quite good, not as good as say the matrix but it is good. just good. I admit to enjoying them little news reports from the "federal network" but thats about it. Starship Troopers is the perfect example of an over budgetted film and too many speciall effects which drive the film prducers of making a film of good acting. I think the proper scientific definition of this is the matrix revalutions and reloaded.

Only good bug's a dead bug.
Early on, in my formative years, I was introduced to horror films by my mom. Our local late-night horror-fest was Creature Features, hosted by the immortal Bob Wilkins. Through this forum, I was exposed to the great Universal horror films of the 30's, the silly Japanese rubber-suit monster movies, and my favorites, the atomic-age big bug films of the 1950's.

Fast-forward to winter, 1997. I'm sitting in a theater watching Starship Troopers, and it feels like I've stepped into a time machine. This is possibly the best of all the big bug movies, and it's not afraid to show its roots. Sometime in the future, Earth is under attack by huge bugs from another planet. We follow the lives of a few of Earth's best and brightest, as they join the army and head off in different directions. What really struck me about this film is that they actually took the time to develop a three-dimensional world for the characters to inhabit. That's what makes the difference to me. Yes, the young actors are mostly pretty eye candy, and their performances, while not Oscar-caliber, are light years beyond their forebears of the 50's. The world of their future is seemingly fascistic (service in the military guarantees citizenship and other perks, such as the right to vote and the right to have children. Hmm - a future in which people's active participation in their country allows them greater freedoms, provided they take personal responsibility for themselves and their future? I've heard worse notions...). We follow the idealistic youths through basic training, all the way to several epic battles on other worlds and we see their progress as soldiers and as humans along the way. It's this kind of attention to detail and character development that sets this film apart from many others. And yes, everyone makes noise about the coed shower scene, but I have to say that is one of the more important scenes in the film. It shows that the cadets have grown as soldiers, that they are capable as seeing each others as parts of a team, instead of just a bunch of good-looking naked people. Those who have a problem with this scene - grow the heck up. It just adds to the sense of realism of the whole movie. Oh, yeah - there's the bugs, too...

As far as I'm concerned, the bugs are real. I don't know that I've ever seen the make-believe so realistically brought to life in any other movie. These are truly nasty creatures, devoid of compassion or humanity in every way. The effects work (courtesy of master Rob Bottin) is truly incredible. The beasts take apparent glee in tearing apart their human foes, and they do so in spectacular ways. The bugs are so magnificently realized that I literally found myself on the edge of my seat as the troops find themselves ambushed in a deserted fort, with the entire horizon blocked out by herds of thundering bugs.

Paul Veerhoven (Robocop, Total Recall) has a fanatical eye for detail, which is yet another aspect of this film that just compels the feeling that what is happening might just be real. He maintains a sense of humor throughout, which works brilliantly when contrasted to the raw, brutal carnage we're being subjected to. The primary actors, the pretty young kids, do the best they can within the limits of their youth and talent (the standout is Dina Meyer, who's just great), but the real stars of this movie are Clancy Brown as the quasi-sadistic Sergeant Zim, the cadet's Drill Instructor, and genre favorite Michael Ironside as Lt. Rasczak, the kids' teacher at home, and also out on the battlefield. These two guys deserve as much attention and credit as possible for always turning in great performances in character-driven roles. They, even more than the bugs, give this film its heart.

All in all, you just couldn't ask for a more fun Saturday afternoon monster movie. Just avoid any sequels, because invariably, they just can't live up to this fun, breathtaking achievement. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This two-hour finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation is a very satisfying piece that leads the seven-year-old television series back to its beginnings in the original TNG pilot. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), whipping through time uncontrollably, simultaneously finds himself back at the start of his tenure on board the Enterprise while also on the ship's deck in the present--at the same time he tried somewhat feebly to forestall a disaster in the distant future. As fans might expect, a certain imp named Q seems to be behind the mystery...but not necessarily for bad reasons. A wonderful wrap-up to seven years of TV legend, All Good Things deserves to be a TV classic. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (31)

'All Good Things' Run Forever In Syndication
Most television series exit the boob tube on only one leg, but STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION sailed off into the small screen sunset with this incredible thought-provoking opus, "All Good Things."

With a stellar performance by Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, the adventure travels the gamut of three separate periods in time ... the future, the present, and the past ... juggle a series of events that might, in fact, forecast the end of all mankind (not just the series, that's how much was at stake here).

While I never REALLY liked Q (played by John de Lancie), his role came full circle in this science fiction twist with shades of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. In this two-hour episode, Q rose above being a mere plot device and showed that, as a character, he had worth that the viewers couldn't have possibly imagined.

So ... where's the Q movie?

Spectacular end to a great series...
This TV movie is the last episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and it isn't to be missed. Captain Picard is moving back and forth through time, where an anomaly is destroying life in the universe. It doesn't take long for him to find out that the mischievious Q is behind it all. Very exciting conclusion to the long-running series. It's especially good if watched right after the episode "Encounter at Farpoint," the first show. John DeLancie is always excellent as Q and Patrick Stewart is the only man who could ever play Picard correctly. The biggest reason to see this is if you're a fan of Star Trek. If not, don't bother.

Better than any of the movies.
While the original crew had it better with the movies, The Next Generation was the only Star Trek TV series that I watched consistently. The show had a cast that at least equalled that of the original, boasted better production values, and plots that were intriguing and touched on varieties of concepts that Kirk, Spock, and Bones never got the chance to explore. Deep Space Nine was too mired into the whole "war of the quadrants" to explore any ideas with real satisfaction, and while Voyager had the best effects and the best premise, the cast was middling at best. As for Enterprise, hell, I tried to watch one episode and got too damn bored.

All Good Things..., the swan song episode for TNG, is possibly the best of Star Trek, period, focusing on mind-boggling concepts while retaining the character development and human interest that made the show so appealing. It's the seventh year that the crew of the Starhip Enterprise have been together, but Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is experiencing odd timeshifts. He's constantly switching between three different time periods; to the past, right before the Farpoint mission, the present, and the future, where the crew has long since split up, Picard is retired and is diagnosed with a debilitating mental illness. Naturally, the rest of the crew is skeptical (be it in any time period), but when Picard discovers the true nature of his constant shifting, he realizes it is both the means and cause with which the existence of mankind could be erased.

I hesitate to give too much away, though I doubt anyone with a passing interest in Star Trek hasn't already seen this episode. But it plays as an interesting comparison and contrast to the series' first episode, Encounter at Farpoint, which it directly ties in to with Picard's timeshifting to the past. There's been a notable improvement in the quality of the sets and the visual effects, and also the acting, the pacing, and the plot development.

All Good Things... has all the solid acting one expects from the cast, and a human touch that was missing from the latest film, Nemesis. It's interesting to note that this episode (meaning the whole series, as well) ends with the door open for all sorts of possibilites; at this time, this clearly implied the much-hyped transition to the big screen.

Unfortunately, some of the more open-ended questions this episode focused on were never even touched on. Sure, the Worf/Troi/Riker triangle was resolved, but one of my favorite ongoing side stories, the burgeoning romance between Picard and Dr. Crusher, was completely ignored in the movies. And the final scenes lead one to believe that the movies would take us to "places" never explored, even though the most recent film was merely a plotless action movie that didn't even have enough action to warrant the movie's existence.

Stewart is the true highlight of this episode, displaying the great acting chops he's been known for. The fact that we care for him and the rest of the crew as well, adds a sense of urgency and involvement in the proceedings that the otherwise quite frantic pace alone might not have been able to develop. The plot twists are pure Trek, each mysterious element giving away to some big revelation that only leads to more questions. The story is engrossing, the dialogue is strong, and the performances and characterizations are spot-on.

There are a few problems with All Good Things. The timeshifting obviously means we're going to see past and future versions of the cast, but everyone's aged to the extent where they can't quite pass for their more youthful selves, and the old-age makeup is never entirely convincing (Old Riker's first appearance gave me a good laugh). That said, I would like to make mention of what full-blown hotties Marina Sirtis and especially Gates McFadden became (McFadden is easily the most attractive post 50-year old actress I've ever seen).

The continuing movie series actually began quite well; Generations and First Contact were enjoyable adventures, but everything seemed to fall apart with Insurrection. Funny, All Good Things... is a title that turned out more prophetic than anyone would have guessed.
**** 1/2 out of *****

Brilliant - what else can you possibly say?
If you were tempted in the beginning season of TNG as many were, to compare the personalities of Kirk and Picard, I think that by the time you got to this production, actually the final one of all, you would have long given up. As a character in a fiction, Picard in no way is even an analogue of Kirk. This virtual tour de force is confirmation of this, if it were needed at all.

My sons and I actually saw Patrick Stuart in the flesh in Leeds on my sisters birthday (I should really have gone there instead, but there you go), watching his signposted one man performance about Shylock - Shakespeares alien. It was quite famous over here, and very well attended. I wish I could relate this to you, but I would go WAY over the 1000 word limit and not even begin to scratch the surface. Sufficient to say, that Stuart's vocabulary as an actor is enormous, and he brought so much intelligence to bear on this very rich and complex play (the merchant of Venice) and interwove it most perspicaciously with recent events - terrorism, racism, and his own fascinating recollections of performances, character interpretations, and so many other things. It was like being on board a ship in a gale, exhilarating and wonderful, and no-one wanted it to end.

It's a fact that when we had the opportunity to ask questions, and also at other times during the show, Patrick mentioned his relationship with Paramount in several ways. I don't want to quote these comments, but sufficient to say that all the cast members felt that things were not always on an even keel. In fact, there was evidence of a really complicated and not always simple state of play at many times. Fortunately, during the last season, there was relatively little in the way of compromise, largely due to the continuous diplomacy of Spiner and Stewart. The result of this diplomacy in the case of this episode pair is just about as good as it gets, and is a truly magnificent way to conclude the series.

Picard, in this episode, has to deal with the final and inevitable onset of the final enemy - age, and mortality. In this he plays beautifuly an far older man than the younger commander seen at Farpoint, though the story is ingeniously composed in such a way that this ending episode is wrapped in an inescable embrace with this very first episode. I doubt whether this could ever have been pulled off by anyone else so well. But what is so well done is to (within the confines of the show format) to produce a strange sense of the timeless and the memorable. This is an astonishing effect. The whole thing seems... haunted by a strange atmosphere which would have been impossible to script in if you were aiming for it intentionally.

I think there is a remote chance that this may just happened anyway, by accident. Perhaps, this is may have been due to the time paradoxes and folding in of the plot. But this atmosphere is surely due in greater part to the unconscious realisation by all participants that this was, in fact, the last time that all the cast would be gathered together in precisely that time and place and circumstance, a sort of breaking of the fellowship.

After the gymnastics of a complicated plot, which gradually reaches a rather dramatic climax, the final stroke of genius is that the ending is positioned somewhere and sometime, but where exactly... Who knows? I suspect in a future which is that strange ambiguity that we know as happily ever after - no irony intended - in fact, you can truly imagine that the ending never actually happens at all,at least not one witnessed, but trails off into memory forever, into the furthest of distance. And it is there that we bid good bye.

Of course, it's not really over, but here the story TELLING naturally ends, and most satisfyingly so. My gosh, what a way to go...

The End
This final episode of TNG stands alone as an all-time classic science fiction episode. "All Good Things", (co-directed by David Carson, from Star Trek: Generations) moves back and forth across time in an eye-appealing way. It's very fulfilling to see Picard deal with both his past, present, future, and Q to top it all off! A great way to end the series. ... Read more