Reviews

I saw The Who when the 1982 version of their "final tour" passed through Toronto. While enjoying them immensely, what most sticks in my mind the 20 years and more since is the visual of Roger Daltrey running on the spot a few times, suggesting more than a few ideas that must have been in mind at that time. Here, however, taken from 1970, is a singer and a band musically and visually connected to the music. I doubt that anything of that music and time would have inspired him to be running on the spot. As Huey Lewis would later note and i find it applicable here, judging by a performance like this it would be easy to say that "the heart of rock and roll is still beating." An inspiring performance worth seeing.

This movie is a good case where the hero knows his priorities. It's always honorable when heroic people are willing to risk their lives for the innocents. But too many otherwise supposedly rational role model heroes act as if, with the lives of their most beloved on the line, they wouldn't be there for them. Pardon me, i don't know about anyone else but this is the most love i'm willing to share. I contribute to the big causes but if the line is crossed and it gets personal, i stay personal until it is no longer personal. After all, this would be why societies adopted the concepts of police forces, governments, and laws in the first place, isn't it? And that, finally, is the moral of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'.

Perhaps one of the upsides to viewing this miniseries is the opportunity to see pre-'Enterprise' Jolene Blalock as Medea, the female lead. The word "chameleon" comes to my mind when i compare her physical appearance in this to that in the Star Trek series.

I agree that the Harryhausen version set the standard but this was enjoyable viewing on its own merits inclusive of seeing Ms. Blalock before she assumed the role of T'Pol.