At the MCM Expo on Saturday 24th October one event excited us and it wasn’t my lust to touch Craig Charles’s hair. It was to watch the preview of the re-imagination of the 80’s classic sci-fi series V. Although the preview footage was short, it wasn’t to be snuffed at and the cliff hanger we were left on only wanted us to see more. So what exactly happened in the preview? Well the story follows very closely how the 80’s series progressed. If you are not aware of the story behind the original V, then check out Wikipedia as they have a great knowledge base on the history of the series.

The first thing that struck me about the re-imagining of the story is that modern day events were used to introduce the series. Mentioning of JFK’s assassination, 9/11 and so forth set the agenda for what will be the world’s next biggest event, the arrival of an alien race. Whether the use of 9/11 was a merely to represent the magnitude of this forthcoming event, or subtly hint at the evil that may present itself in the series future is unknown but what is known is that Juliette from Lost (Elizabeth Mitchell) is in the series and already she has asserted herself as a great character.

The original V was very much about the visual effects that garnered such an interest and the new iteration is no exception. In the 20 minute preview alone we saw special effects on par with those seen in the 1996 classic Independence Day and they were none shabby at all. Given this is not a fully fledged Hollywood movie, nor does it have the same type of budget, it’s equally impressive. The arrival of the spaceships over the globe had grandeur and so did the explosion of a fighter jet within the opening 5 minutes. The splicing of shots keep momentous pace and introduces the series extremely well without chewing over the fat. The first episode of a series is all important and I think viewers will be impressed by what they see. Although we were left just as the mother ship had landed and declared peace, it left us wanting to see more and get immersed in the world.

Some say you should never re-make movies and shows, however there a few that were an exception to the rule. I think that V will be one of them. It’s a series that is wanting for spectacular effects and setting it in a modern world will only make it more immersive for the audience. We certainly have this series on our radar and I think you should to if you are a Sci-Fi fan. Oh and before I leave you, for those put off by deeply geeky type Sci-Fi romps, V looks to cushion itself nicely for all audiences. Phew!