gstjames Reviews

The Adventures of Sinbad (1996–1998)

Changing Times

[10/10 · 13 August 1999]

The Adventures of Sinbad aired for two seasons. Both were excellent. The first season was unique and family friendly, the second season was less so.

The darker changes came about, partially due to trying to un-Disney-fy it, mostly due to the change of producing companies who wanted something "sexier", more like Xena and Hercules. The problem was fans didn't want another Xena or Hercules type show. Some liked the new changes, others didn't, many of those others left. However, AoS still got hyped (word of mouth) as being a friendly family show, because that's (mostly) what it was first season and that's what people expected it to be during the second season, which it really wasn't, though it did keep most of its audience.

Last thoughts: It was well casted and well acted. The chemistry of the cast on-screen was *great* and their easy nature carried across to the audience. The good guys were good, the bad guys were also good. The special effects only got better as the series went on.

I found the show to be a rare and unique treasure among all the shows out there, but more importantly it was even more so within its own genre.

Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (1998–1999)

Good! You should at least check it out; but, be aware that it has some low points.

[8/10 · 14 December 1998]

As a fan of history, mythology, and fantasy "Mystic Knights" show pulled me in from the get-go. It has semi-decent scripting, the costumes are fantastic (there are exceptions), it has pretty good acting, and the heroes and villains all play well off each other.

SCRIPTS--Half a script is pretty great, the other half falls flat, but its all mixed together, meaning many episodes turn out so-so. Also, some of the key players are repeatedly being given dead lines (King Conchobar and Angus for instance) they need to be given something... more. I'm not sure what but the writers should be able to come up with something. ACTING--Apart from some over acting by villagers (horrid lines they end up putting too much effort into), casting did extremely well in choosing their leads and so on. Everyone, good and bad, works well together! COSTUMES/WEAPONS--The everyday clothes that everyone wears are spectacular! Mystic Knight armor that falls short are Deirdre's and Garrett's. A chainmail bikini would probably have better protection in her case... and wouldn't look as plastic; his looks like bunch of snap-it-together pieces of brown plastic, when it should look bronze. Ivar's trident looks like it was bought at a discount store and while Garretts weapons look cool, they also look plastic.

Recently "Mystic Knights" has taken on too many "Power Rangers" traits, if you watch the show, you'll know what I mean. As the series progresses, though, it should find its niche and perfect its style. Overall, it is a wonderful show that all ages should enjoy (most of my friends and I watch it and we're all 20+). The plot thickens and twists, though it gets a bit juvenile in places, and everything just keeps getting more interesting. It might be of some interest to fans of the movie "Willow" or the T.V. series "The Adventures of Sinbad". A lot of adventure, a dab of mystery, a dash of romance, a sprinkling of forces at nature... Check it out! (My Score: 7/10)

F/X: The Series (1996–1998)

F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C show!

[9/10 · 14 December 1998]

Based of the movies of the same name (and characters) the series took F/X to a whole new level... and a whole new reality. It got you inside "the business", inside the characters' heads, inside their lives. It was a spectacular show.

F/X: The Series was one of the few shows in the past... 10 years or so that I watched religiously. It was a smart blend of action, adventure, intrigue, crime, mystery, romance, and whatever else you want to name to add in.

As I write this, I'm wondering what's the point to it? The show was cancelled after its second season (I can't imagine why?!--unless it had something to do with its impossible to locate and/or watch timeslots). F/X will probably always remain one of my favorite series.