|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
Ultraviolet | Year: 2000 Classification: Television Directed: - Joe Ahearne Nobody Does it Better Let's face it -- the Brits know how to do a few things better than us Yanks: drink tea, print tabloids and produce compelling TV shows come to mind. "Ultraviolet" falls into the last category, and for those of you who don't mind blending genres, this show is well worth the price of admission. "Ultraviolet" is part mystery, part sci-fi thriller and part horror show mixed into one story spread over six episodes. The main character, Michael (played by Jack Davenport, also of "Coupling" fame), is a London police detective leading a fairly normal life in the beginning of the Episode One. When his partner Jack disappears on the night before Jack's wedding, however, Michael investigates and quickly becomes possessed of a knowledge that few others have: the world is infested by a small but active vampire colony. Interestingly, the word "vampire" is never used in the series; "leech" is apparently the preferred term. However, these leeches suck blood from their victims' necks, have superhuman strength, cannot be recorded by any modern technology, can be killed by exposure to sunlight, and will live forever if not destroyed. In other words, if it quacks like a duck... While continuing his investigation into Jack's disappearance, Michael is reluctantly recruited into a special police/paramilitary unit whose sole function is to neutralize the leeches and keep humanity safe from enslavement and/or extermination. I'm not going to provide an episode guide; other reviewers below have done that. Instead, I'm going to tell you why you should watch this show. First, Writer/Director Joe Ahearne does a masterful job of buliding suspense. The action is seen through Michael's eyes for the most part, and Ahearne uses the classic "less is more" style to make this show really creepy. For example, you hardly ever see the leeches; instead, you see the effects on the people with whom the leeches have had contact. It creates a very tense atmosphere of "they're out there somewhere, we just don't know where." (See the movie "Alien" if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Further, Michael's new colleagues are almost as threatening as the leeches. It is several episodes before Michael learns much about them and even then they are so maniacal about doing their job, you never quite get to a spot where you completely trust them. The viewer knows, as does Michael, that Michael would be shot down immediately if he ever ever becomes a leech, bonds of loyalty or friendship (such as they are) notwithstanding. Second, the cinematography is excellent. Much like early seasons of the "X-Files", most of the scenes in "Ultraviolet" are shot either in very low light or at night, setting a dark mood for the whole series. I won't ruin it for you, but there is a scene in Episode Five (Terra Incognita) involving one of Michael's colleagues being trapped inside a warehouse with several leech coffins that are time-coded to open right at sundown. Michael and the cavalry are ten minute A sensitive look at the balance between man and - VAMPIRES!! Okay, this series had meaning to me. And I'm about to reveal what a poor sap I am, but when my wife and I were in the hospital having our baby, this show was on. That fact, combined with the alluring X-Files similarities, made me buy it, even though I really knew nothing about it. Let me tell you, I am GLAD I did. I won't waste time summing up the entire storyline -- you can read that elsewhere. But what I will tell you is that the things that stood out to me are two-fold. One, this is the first vampire story I've seen where the vampires don't spend the whole show trying to kick people's butts. No offense, Buffy, but it's nice to see vampires in something other than leather jackets... The "leeches" are crafty, manipulative, and even political in nature. Just like real people. The second great thing about this is that the special effects don't try to hit you over the head. The first thing I noticed was that the effects are just perfect. When a vampire gets staked or carbon-bullet riddled, he doesn't have some ridiculous fake-looking transformation. They pulled off what they could with the budget they had and didn't try to overdo it. The result is a smart, sophisticated series aimed at almost every viewer. Another thing that hooked me is the great lines. "Our free range days are over..." <Sigh> I love that line. Everything above, combined with a new look at traditionally-accepted vampire mythos, makes Ultraviolet an entrancing option. Too bad it's only six episodes. But then, maybe that's a hint X-Files should have taken . . . Slick, stylish, dark A British masterpiece, modern, stylish and dark. Buy Ultraviolet at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Ultraviolet Search with the Priority Search Engine on Ultraviolet This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
