 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by R.J. Carter Published: July 24, 2005
Cleopatra is the stage name of the somewhat naive Rip-van-stripper who finds herself befriended by two warriors, Sarge and Hel, who work for a mysterious unseen Voice, performing missions to advance the cause of human liberation. They're like Charlie's Angels, with lasers. Along the way, this resistance team encounters Bailey sympathizers like the clown-faced Creegan who knows more about Hel's mission than Hel does; psychopathic killers like the mind-controlling femme fatale, Raina (Danielle Cormack); and some fetish-fashioned flesh trading mutants who populate the bars and raves. Whereas Hel and Sarge are trained for combat, Cleopatra's only physical training revolves around a stage and a pole, with a few years of acting classes and a remarkable talent for mimicking other female voices. Sam Raimi must have been trying out some of his Spider-Man thoughts on this series, as the main method of transport used by Hel, Sarge and (eventually) Cleo is a wrist-mounted webshooter that bungees the girls from level to level of the underground shafts that comprise the world of Cleopatra 2525. One part camp, one part B movie, and five parts apocalyptic future (is there any other kind in science fiction?), Raimi proves (as he has before) that you don't need a big budget to produce a fast, fun, and decidedly sexy adventure series. Jennifer Sky is decidedly charming, and Gina Torres and Victoria Pratt sizzle without even trying as they leap, somersault, and shoot their way across the screen in every episode. Previews on this DVD set include the complete series collections of Cleopatra 2525 and Earth 2, Sliders - The Third Season, and Revelations. The bonus features are found on disc 3A, and include nearly 9 minutes of deleted scenes and over 4 minutes of fun and sometimes racy outtakes. There's also a nearly two-minute music montage of special effects and stunts, showing side-by-side comparisons of finished product against the blue screen shots, as well as some wire flying scenes. Cleopatra 2525 - The Complete Series is comprised of three double-sided discs contained in a tri-fold case, which slips into a printed cardboard slipcase. From the main menu, a viewer can select the option to "Play All" the episodes in sequence or select a specific episode. When using the "Episode Select" option, the viewer is presented with the original air date and a synopsis, as well as one more chance to alter the subtitles (in either English or Spanish.) Grade: Episodes: B+ Bonus Features: A-
Cast Trivia: Gina Torres will be back on the big screen this summer reprising her role of Zoe Warren in Serenity. Joel Tobeck takes off the facepaint to join the cast of Ghost Rider in 2006. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2010 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |