Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Star Fleet on DVD at long last!!!!!!, 28 Jul 2008
Like many people on here, I have waited a long time for this release...
Star Fleet made Saturday mornings worthwhile. Uniquely for a children's programme, it had an over arching theme - the mystery of the elusive F01. Why does the evil commander Makara seek it? What is is? Where is it? What is its importance?
Just like programmes such as the X-files and Buffy years later, Star Fleet contained stand alone episodes as well as those that dealt with the series methology. Despite the story being told with puppets, it avoided the pitfall of being patronising to a younger audience. In fact, there are some deep adult themes covered such as revenge, religion and even torture. There is a particularly memorable scene where 'tough guy' Barry Hurcules struggles to come to terms with the revelation of what F01 actually is. Also, the show avoided being too saccharine - for the kids looking forward to watching this, unlike Dr Who, the good guys don't always win!
During the 24 episodes, there is humour, action and tragedy. The last few episodes tie up the plot threads beautifully and reward the viewer for their attention. There are scenes that tug at the heart strings and those that provide the viewer with those all important 'punch the air with joy' moments. And of course, there is the magnificent Dai-X!!!!
The effects are tremendous, the characters 3 dimensional and the plot superb. Star Fleet is one of those rare programmes where script, acting (well, voices and puppets), sets and direction all work together in perfect harmony.
I am hoping that this is a massive hit when it is released. Star Fleet is something special!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dai-X!!!!!!, 13 Feb 2009
Good Lord this was an awesome show. Death, hardware, torture, threatened decapitation, death, murder, galactic peril, concealed weaponry, nervous breakdown, double whammies, x-tracers, chins, story arcs, oh look, just BUY IT!!!
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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"You must find the F-01!", 6 Jun 2008
When most people think about puppet shows they automatically go to the myriad Gerry Anderson series and most miss out one of the greatest and arguably the best sci-fi puppet series ever made - Star Fleet.
Shown on ITV in the early 80's, Star Fleet was made in England with help from JIN International to give us the first Anglo-Japanese puppet show. Coupled with a fantastic soundtrack and a theme song performed by none other than Queen member Brian May, the show was a highlight of children's television.
Unlike most children's shows of the time, Star Fleet is essentially a 24 part epic which has one long continuous story. Each episode ended with a great `next time on Star Fleet' teaser trailer and whetted your appetite for the following week - as if you needed that!
The story starts when an alien battle cruiser commanded by the evil Makara, and her inept lieutenant Orion, comes out of the Thalian Zone and attacks Earth Force command. They demand that Earth turn over the F-01 and then they will leave.
General Kyle of Earth Command has no idea what Makara is talking about but she believes he is lying and presses her attack. Kyle's, and Earth's only chance of survival is in Doctor Benn's untested X-Bomber project, a new and powerful fighting ship built on the moon.
Benn recruits Shiro Hagen, Barry Hercules and John Lee as crew, along with his assistant Lamia, her bodyguard Kirara and the robot PPA (Perfectly Programmed Android) to help fight off the aliens.
As the plot unfolds, the X-Bomber and Makara's ship battle across the solar system and into uncharted space (courtesy of a black hole in episodes 6 and 7) and the revelation of the F-01 changes the lives of the X-Bomber crew forever.
They receive occasional help from the mysterious alien sailing ship, The Skull, commanded by Captain Halley. The show moves onto a dramatic and action-packed finale which really delivers the goods!
Unlike Anderson shows, the puppets were controlled from underneath which eliminated the need for strings and greatly enhances the production values. The sets are to die for and the bridge of the X-Bomber is great.
There are myriad space battles and planet bound ones too, especially when the pilots take the robot Dai-X to go and trash Makara's termoid armies. The special effects are excellent with lasers and massive explosions and the space battles have been beautifully choreographed. In one episode the X-Bomber executes a flip and roll manoeuvre and I can't see how they did it without tangling the wires up at all - amazing.
There are no episode titles officially but the ones on my now very worn out video releases are: 1) Invasion 2) Crashdown 3) Friend Or Foe 4) Battle On Jupiter 5) Missing In Action 6) Outmanoeuvred 7) The Black Hole 8) Ambush On Allaria 9) The Trial 10) The Sea Of Trees 11) The Forever War 12) The Defector 13) Remembrance 14) Revelation 15) Starship Down 16) Captured 17) Imprisoned 18) Search And Rescue 19) A Death In The Family 20) Reunion On Kallinion 21) The Siege 22) Race Against Time 23) The Beginning Of The End and 24) Final Battle.
An absolute must for any sci-fi collection and a great piece of 80's nostalgia - and it's about time too!
So, set engines to `quantum level' and engage!
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