The Almighty Johnsons - Series 1 [DVD]

The Almighty Johnsons is a New Zealand fantasy comedy/drama, which follows a student named Axl Johnson, who on his 21st birthday is taken into the woods by his 3 other brothers & grandfather and is told that he (and his other brothers) are actually modern day reincarnated Norse gods!! The only problem is, their powers are pretty rubbish and it is up to Axl to restore them.
What follows then is Axl's quest to find his soul mate, the Frigg. Should Axl manage to find her and...err...well....consumate their reunion then their familys powers will be restored to their full glory.

Now if you are expecting this series to be laden with special effects and CGI super powers then you might be disappointed as the show instead choose's to focus on the relationship between the 4 brothers and is character driven rather than action packed. Anders is selfish and arrogant brother, wanting to reclaim his power for his own selfish needs. As he is the God of Poetry he has the power of manipulation of those that can hear his voice. By contrast Ty (God of all that is cold) is very shy and spends a lot of time alone. Ty cannot feel warmth and is unaffected by below freezing temperatures, hence his perfect job is selling and repairing refrigerators. Mike is the oldest of the Johnson brothers and also the wisest. He is seen as a father figure to Axl. He is the god of the hunt, and has the power of skill at any game. Finally there is Olaf, the boys' grandfather who is an oracle, though his years of drug use mean he's not very good at it. He is god of long life and rebirth, and therefore while currently being in his 90s he still looks youthful as he is "reborn" every morning.

The whole series oozes a certain charm and is extremely likeable. Throw in some rival goddesses, other Gods they meet along the way, and the problems of trying to have a mortal relationhip when you are a God there is a lot of fun to be had. Highly recommended !

I don't normally leave reviews but this show is SO good and I almost dismissed it without giving it a chance. I saw an episode half way through the series and couldn't believe they were trying to make a show about New Zealand Norse Gods, it seemed like a crazy concept that just shouldn't work. Then I started watching it from the begging of the first episode and it suddenly started making way more sense and I was immediately hooked.

It's plot heavy with a lot going on so it's worth getting the DVD and watching it in sequence from the first episode. Well written, charming and satisfying with great character development. The casting is perfect, an all round win.

New Zealand. 21st birthday shocks for fun-loving Axl, told by his three older brothers he and they are all reincarnations of Norse Gods. Their powers are now limited, but provided he can fulfil THE QUEST of seeking out and bedding Frigg (=?), they may be restored to their former glory. Failure means they will die and catastrophe engulf the country.

No pressure then. Axl struggles between mortal longings and godly obligations - not helped by reincarnated goddesses determined to thwart.

Ten episodes, they at times a bit wobbly as though not quite sure how best to go. Some may regret the nudity and the swearing, but most are likely to warm to a good-natured series with a likeable cast and mischievous scripts. Episode 6 is a cracker, from that black comedy opener to the final shot of brother Ty's revenge on brother Anders, who once too often has pushed his luck (Anders the one who at times looks remarkably like a shrinking Daniel Craig).

Bonuses are modest - a brief summary of those Norse originals, a commentary on Episode 1 (this interestingly revealing how they tried to tackle problems of so much vital exposition and establishing the most appropriate mood).

Although this modest series will probably win no awards, it guarantees pleasure to those seeking to sit back and relax, entertained by something out of the ordinary.

I join all those hoping for a Season 2.