Captain Scarlet

The CGI version stands up well against the original series. The only
drawback(s) are
that it's transmitted as part of another kids
programe, which has poor production, presenter & content qualities.

The new Captain Scarlet is very good. It lacks the vocal richness of
Francis Matthews and Ed Bishop (although the guy voicing Colonel White
sounds almost identical to the original actor) and it lacks a thumping
soundtrack like Barry Gray's, but the production design, the animation
and the writing is all of a high standard, plus there are lots of
nifty action scenes. If you're a fan of the original, you won't be
dissappointed by this re-make as it doesn't muck around with the old
designs, and the new equipment is pretty cool. Also, like the
original, it has a dark edge to it, with nasty deaths and a ruthless
Captain Black. As has been mentioned, the main problem with the new
series is that it's currently being shown right in the middle of a
Saturday morning children's programme. They break up the episode to
cut back to the studio to show more inane games, they never show it at
a consistent time (so you can't really set your video), and worst of
all, they will tell you the plot and reveal the surprises just before
the episode starts. It really does need a different airtime slot.

Nick

I've missed a couple of episodes, but from what I've seen it's enough to make me want to go back for more. ;-)
 
The CGI is good enough to make you suspend belief (just like the original) - you look past the flaws / strangeness and get obsorbed into the story.
 
The new vehicles are cool... the new Angel look like a cross between the originals & Eurofigher Typhoon. Cloudbase - yeah, like it - more like a flying aircraft carrier should be. SPV - Mmmmmm. That bike think - nar - don't work for me, how can a bike with such HUGE dual rear wheels LEAN into corners???
 
One thing I have noticed is there is a very British feel to the whole thing, for example the country side in the episode with the crop circles (don't know what it's called) - you could have sworn you were looking at photos ofWiltshire / Hampshire. That is also in keeping with the original.
Certainly it has retained more of this feel than Dan Dare (Dire? ;-) Pilot of the Future.
 
Things I don't like: some of the secrecy of the original has gone, the spectrum agents are comfortable in calling each other by their names rather than their colours / angel names. As a kid the original made you feel you werein on something, picking up little snippets of their past lives from the odd episode.
 
The incidental music is OK, nothing like as stirring as the original; the kettledrum "peil (sorry - don't know the right term, but you know what I mean "dum bum dum, da dum da dum") became iconic, you knew something was happening, it added to the suspense. The new version (nowhere near as good) is not used as much and is a bit like Tubular Bells 2 vs Tubular Bells - you know what it's trying to do, it just doesn't do it as well. It also means that some of the eps. do tend to get a bit bogged down.
 
There is a very episodic feeling to the stories. You know that it opens and20 minutes later it is over - it doesn't feel like there a continuing story. Not just a problem with Captain Scarlett - the new Dr Who has the same problem (OT i know. ;-)
 
You don't see the Mysteron agents being bumped off / retrometabolised (I think that's the right Spectrum term. ;-) much - though I do wonder if it's been cut due to the time the episodes are aired.
 
Don't even get me started on "Ministry of Mehem". Three hours of inane pap.The sooner it comes out on DVD the better. ;-)
 
Just my £0.02's worth.
 
Chris.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I do hope you're referring to Captain Scarlet and not "Miniscularity Moronics" as the sooner the better. AFAIK the DVDs are scheduled for release around September this year, but don't quote me on that.

Chris Mossop <[hidden email]> wrote:
Don't even get me started on "Ministry of Mehem". Three hours of inane pap.The sooner it comes out on DVD the better. ;-)

Just my £0.02's worth.

Chris.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]