Reviews

When the title of some new show called "Defiance" drifted across my Google radar a year & some change back, I gave little notice since it came from SyFy, a frequent source of some truly terrible television programming.

I'd been let down so many times by SyFy that it took almost 2 years to give this show a look- see. When I did eventually peek, I was surprised by some unusually high production values for a non-feature. So I decided to check it out.

Now, half way through season one, I am hooked. I must admit there are occasions "Defiance" dips into a formulaic rut but for the most part it has been a pleasant surprise. Fantastic music and sound FX, mostly solid acting and refreshingly different alien creature & technology designs keeps this world fresh and interesting. It's not perfect and I'm probably being overly generous with 10 stars, but that is partially to offset those who flippantly judged and thrashed this show without giving it a chance. It's a gutsy move investing in such a large cast, elaborate sets and high production values. Those investors deserve a chance to see their baby grow awhile.

As for my visit to "Defiance", I think I will hang around this town a little longer.

Wow- what a waste of $1.99! I like cheese, but this is 'stinky cheese' of the smelliest kind!! Save your leisure time & money & rent a Sybil Danning werewolf movie instead!!! Bad pacing, confusing direction, pedestrian acting, cheap visual effects, hokey creature effects (John Carl Buechler- where were you?) and a performance by Alexander Godunov that doesn't seem connected to the same movie adds up to a mishmash the likes I've not seen since my Community College film class days. In defense of the one actor who was completely believable, the raccoon in the woods witnessing the carnage should probably have gotten an honorary Oscar for his convincing reaction shots. Don't get me wrong- I love low budget monster movies and B grade actors, but this one left me feeling, well, stone cold.

The wonderful performance by 'Animal Actor' George Ali as both Nana and the Croc has been a career inspiration to me as a physical actor. George pulls off this film performance while in his 50's- surely a suggestion that we are never too old to do a thing if our heart is in it!