V (1983)

In the 1983 miniseries V, enormous alien motherships suddenly appear over major cities worldwide, revealing humanoid extraterrestrials called the Visitors who claim to come in peace, seeking Earth’s resources in exchange for advanced technology. Initially welcomed, their true intentions unravel as a group of humans, including journalist Mike Donovan and scientist Julie Parrish, discover the Visitors are reptilian beings planning to harvest humans for food and enslave the planet. The humans form a resistance movement, uncovering the Visitors’ fascist-like control and experimenting with a red dust toxin to combat them, while internal Visitor dissent, led by figures like Martin, aids the human fight. The conflict escalates as the resistance battles to expose the Visitors and protect humanity from their sinister agenda.

V (1983) Review

No one’s claiming that the original V is a masterpiece, but it is a pretty astounding accomplishment as far as sci-fi made specifically for 80s television goes. Although the effects are obviously not up to today’s standards, many of them, especially the “big” ones like the face reveals and the motherships, are just as impactful now as they were in 83.

That’s as much thanks to the performances as to the innovative special effects crew. Sure, it has its fair share of overly dramatic and smoky mugging. Still, for what it is, The Beastmaster‘s Marc Singer and crew do a more than respectable job of carrying the emotional through line through even the hammier bits.

If you’re looking for some 80s nostalgia or easily digestible popcorn fun, the 1984 V mini-series might just be Worth it to watch.

WOKE ELEMENTS

Town House

• A black character calls his buddy a “honky.” However, it’s just guys busting each other’s chops.

Run To The Border

• A Mexican character of dubious citizenship smuggles some white people across the border, and he jokes about the practice that he’s had doing it. However, it seemed more done as a joke than sociopolitical commentary.