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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The show that redeems itself!, 22 May 2005
After the first 2 episodes (if you haven't seen this show before, like I hadn't until this First Season DVD Set) there's no way you're going to believe me when I tell you this is a solidly entertaining and extremely stylish show. It's impossible to put your finger on any one bad feature at the start of this series centring on a world of new mutants, because EVERY aspect of their introduction is hideously embarrassing and laughably poor in its execution (Shalimar's pouting being the least of the problems). But something I must mention- the special effects that illustrate some of the mutant powers are very poor effects indeed and so incredibly cringe-worthy. Trust me- you'll firmly believe within the first 10 minutes of the first episode that the only basis for this show is the 'X-Men' comics and a group of actors who happened to have some spare time between waitressing at Starbucks and auditioning for ketchup commercials (I can't begin to comment on the writing!). But from episode 3 onwards, EVERYTHING comes together and 'Mutant X' comes into its' own. It's surprising and quite admirable how the producers, actors and writers manage to turn around in a considerably short space of time what could have been an absolute disaster had it continued in the same painful vein of those early episodes. From awful to gripping in the blink of an eye, I guarantee and from then on things only get better, episode by episode, consistently excellent in my view until the thrilling finale to the season. Admittedly, even at its height, 'Mutant X' remains Saturday afternoon, somewhat forgettable television (although probably a great show for all the family) and so does not come close to the enduring brilliance of shows like 'Alias', 'Firefly' or 'Dark Angel', or to other programmes geared to a more young-adult and above audience, but there are comparisons to be drawn from those shows. The fight scenes in 'Mutant X' (I risk saying) are even better than the fight scenes in 'Alias', the exploration of minorities in society and the importance of coming to celebrate our individuality is an improvement on the similar issues at the heart of 'Dark Angel' and the special effects (even the mutant powers before too long) are incredibly visceral and compliment the action very well and come to rival those of 'Firefly'. But what this show in its own right manages impressively and effortlessly is to convey a unique message in each episode. Although as a whole I would say that redemption is the key to the season- Mason Eckhart (the baddie) remains the unredeemable character- while all others are neither white nor black, but somewhere in between...even the members of our band of injustice-fighting heroes, which is refreshing. I was also reminded of cult programmes like 'La Femme Nikita' (which shares a producer with M-X) and 'Deep Water Black', but this show has a tone all of its own, which again you'll find hard to believe after the first 2 episodes, which fail miserably in setting up a convincing world for these gifted characters. Some good points to convince you it's definitely not all bad- the sets and the locations in 'Mutant X' are SPECTACULAR, there are twists and turns in many of the stories that you won't see coming and aren't predictable for even the most jaded fan of the genre, and whether a new feature of this DVD or something the show already possessed- it has a slick, stark and quite beautiful look. By episode (10), I wanted to write this review to extol the virtues of 'Mutant X', but I held off until I'd watched all 22 episodes just in case it took a turn for the worse and descended into the horror of the first 2 introductory episodes, but thankfully it remained enjoyable, fresh, classy television all the way through. So in summary, by the end of this first season 'Mutant X' has redeemed itself (and more!)- an extremely shaky start, but well worth your time and money. Also...regarding this DVD package...the extras are numerous and appealing- tons of outtakes, a whole host of info. on the series and the commentaries were all impressive, while the plastic case is cheap but functional and the menus are attractive and very easy to use.
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