"V: The Final Battle" (1984) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Creator:

Kenneth Johnson
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

6 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

They come in peace to enslave humankind.

Plot:

A small group of human resistance fighters fight a desperate guerilla war against the genocidal extra-terrestrials who dominate Earth.

Plot Keywords:

Resistance | Alien | Guerilla | Genocide | Conspiracy

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win

Cast

Jane Badler	...	Diana (3 episodes, 1984)
Michael Durrell	...	Robert Maxwell (3 episodes, 1984)
Robert Englund	...	Willie (3 episodes, 1984)
Faye Grant	...	Juliet Parish (3 episodes, 1984)
Richard Herd	...	John (3 episodes, 1984)
Thomas Hill	...	Father Andrew Doyle (3 episodes, 1984)
Michael Ironside	...	Ham Tyler (3 episodes, 1984)
Peter Nelson	...	Brian (3 episodes, 1984)
David Packer	...	Daniel Bernstein (3 episodes, 1984)
Neva Patterson	...	Eleanor Dupres (3 episodes, 1984)
Andrew Prine	...	Steven (3 episodes, 1984)
Sandy Simpson	...	Mark (3 episodes, 1984)
Marc Singer	...	Mike Donovan (3 episodes, 1984)
Blair Tefkin	...	Robin Maxwell (3 episodes, 1984)
Michael Wright	...	Elias Taylor (3 episodes, 1984)
Denise Galik	...	Maggie Blodgett (3 episodes, 1984)
Jason Bernard	...	Caleb Taylor (3 episodes, 1984)
Rafael Campos	...	Sancho Gomez (3 episodes, 1984)
Frank Ashmore	...	Martin (3 episodes, 1984)
Diane Cary	...	Harmony Moore (3 episodes, 1984)
Viveka Davis	...	Polly Maxwell (3 episodes, 1984)
Marin May	...	Katie Maxwell (3 episodes, 1984)
Greta Blackburn	...	Lorraine (3 episodes, 1984)
Eric Johnston	...	Sean Donovan (3 episodes, 1984)
Stack Pierce	...	Visitor Captain (3 episodes, 1984)
Sarah Douglas	...	Pamela (2 episodes, 1984)
Hansford Rowe	...	Arthur Dupres (2 episodes, 1984)
Mickey Jones	...	Chris Farber (2 episodes, 1984)
Camila Ashland	...	Ruby Engels / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Dick Miller	...	Dan Pascal (2 episodes, 1984)
Don Starr	...	Dr. Corley Walker (2 episodes, 1984)
Shawn Coulter	...	Visitor (2 episodes, 1984)

(more)

Series Directed by
Richard T. Heffron		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Writing credits
Craig Buck		(3 episodes, 1984)
Diane Frolov		(3 episodes, 1984)
Peggy Goldman		(3 episodes, 1984)
Kenneth Johnson		(3 episodes, 1984)
Brian Taggert		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Produced by
Daniel H. Blatt	....	executive producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Patrick Boyriven	....	co-producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Kenneth Johnson	....	executive producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Dean O'Brien	....	producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Robert Singer	....	executive producer (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Original Music by
Dennis McCarthy		(2 episodes, 1984)

Series Cinematography by
Stevan Larner		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Film Editing by
Michael F. Anderson		(3 episodes, 1984)
Paul Dixon		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Casting by
Phyllis Huffman		(1 episode, 1984)

Series Production Design by
Mort Rabinowitz		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Art Direction by
Tracy Housman		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Set Decoration by
Jerry Adams		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Costume Design by
Brienne Glyttov		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Makeup Department
Alan Fama	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1984)
Carolyn Ferguson	....	hairstylist (3 episodes, 1984)
Werner Keppler	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1984)
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1984)
Rick Stratton	....	makeup effects (3 episodes, 1984)
Marvin G. Westmore	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Production Management
Dean O'Brien	....	unit production manager (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tina Baker	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
William W. Baker	....	first assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
Jack Breschard	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
Debra DuVal	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
Richleigh Heagh	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
Ric Kidney	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
Nancy King	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)
Bill Scott	....	first assistant director (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Art Department
Barry Kingston	....	construction coordinator (3 episodes, 1984)
Sam Moore	....	property master (3 episodes, 1984)
Curtis A. Schnell	....	set designer / set design (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Sound Department
Alex Bamattre	....	sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Chick Camera	....	sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Lee Chaney	....	sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Larry Kaufman	....	sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Sid Lubow	....	sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Richard Raguse	....	production mixer (3 episodes, 1984)
Ralph Sandler	....	adr editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Corinne Sessarego	....	adr editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Ron Tinsley	....	supervising sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Special Effects by
Gene Grigg	....	special effects (3 episodes, 1984)
Gregory Jein	....	model designer: Dream Quest Images (3 episodes, 1984)
John Naulin	....	miniatures (3 episodes, 1984)
Eugene P. Rizzardi	....	model supervisor: Coast Special Effects (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Visual Effects by
Richard Bennett	....	optical effects supervisor (3 episodes, 1984)
Michael Karp	....	motion control operator (3 episodes, 1984)
Richard L. McCullough	....	optical editor (3 episodes, 1984)
David Stipes	....	special optical effects / visual effects supervisor (3 episodes, 1984)
Hoyt Yeatman	....	special visual effects: Dream Quest Images (3 episodes, 1984)
Gregory Jein	....	model designer: Dreamquest Images (unknown episodes)
Eugene P. Rizzardi	....	model spervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunt coordinator (3 episodes, 1984)
Shawn Coulter	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Doug J. Campbell	....	dolly grip (3 episodes, 1984)
Bruce Catlin	....	first assistant camera: second unit (3 episodes, 1984)
Joe Hicks	....	key grip (3 episodes, 1984)
Randall Robinson	....	camera operator: second unit (3 episodes, 1984)
Rick Whitfield	....	video coordinator (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Casting Department
Phyllis Huffman	....	casting by (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joie Hutchinson	....	women's costumer (3 episodes, 1984)
Jan Kemp	....	men's costumer (3 episodes, 1984)
James P. Cullen	....	costumer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Jim Borgardt	....	assistant editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Michael Eliot	....	supervising editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Donald L. Slemp	....	assistant editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Mark S. Westmore	....	associate editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Richard L. McCullough	....	optical editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Jay Alfred Smith	....	music editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Mark Southern	....	music editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Joseph Conlan	....	(additional music by / main theme by (2 episodes, 1984)
Barry De Vorzon	....	(additional music by / main theme by (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Transportation Department
Vic Akopian	....	transportation coordinator (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Other crew
Kenneth Gilbert	....	script supervisor (3 episodes, 1984)
Mary Cay Hollander	....	assistant to producer (3 episodes, 1984)
Rick Whitfield	....	video coordinator (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Blatt-Singer Productions
• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• David Stipes Productions
• Dream Quest Images
• Pacific Title

Runtime:

272 min (3 parts) | Finland:257 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (video rating) (1995) | Canada:G (Quebec) (video rating) (1995) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (video rating) (1995) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (video rating) (1995) | Australia:PG | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:TV-14

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Blatt-Singer Productions

Trivia:

Kenneth Johnson, the creator of the original V mini-series, supervised the writing of the sequel but left Warner Brothers Television over creative differences before it was produced.

Goofs:

Continuity: Eleanor gives Steven a picture of her grandson, Sean so he can find him. Later, he passes that picture to someone else and it has changed sizes, it's bigger than the one she had originally given him.

Quotes:

[Gooder' is Ham Tyler's nickname for Donovan]
Ham Tyler: You know, if you let them live Gooder, they are gonna breed...
Mike Donovan: I prefer them to you.
Ham Tyler: I may bring the neighborhood down, but they'll eat it!

Movie Connections:

Features "Star Trek" (1966)

Fun to Watch, but Kind of Dumb

While I thought the original mini-series was great, this follow up only ranks as a fun trip down memory lane. I doubt I will ever watch it again after having just seen it on DVD.

In the original we watch a band of revolutionaries form a secret underground resistance to the alien visitors. It is a very thinly veiled allegory to Nazism, but that is what makes it so effective.

In this second part, we basically follow the 'incredible' adventures of the underground resistance as they perform various deeds. The plot just seems to be treading water and not going anywhere for the first 3 hours. As others have mentioned, the ending feels quite abrupt and unsatisfying.

The biggest problem is that the resistance fighters seem capable of pulling the most amazing feats, slipping past security with amazing ease, and hiding out in a 'secret' hideout that would take the aliens about 10 minutes to find. The bottom line problem is, how can an alien race that is capable of travelling 65 million miles through space not also have a proximity detector that tells them when resistance fighters are rustling around in the bushes outside of their 'security headquarters'? With the credibility strained, the action sequences just feel repetative.

As in the original, the human sub-plots are what remain the most interesting. The most interesting is the story of the girl who was impregneted by an alien in the first series. Watching her come to grips with being the mother of a possible alien is pretty good.

If you remember seeing this when you were young, get it for fun, but don't expect too much from it.