So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
#1
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
Well since I haven't seen it since I was ten years old when it debuted, I recently decided to rewatch the pilot movie and TV series on DVD.
The pilot movie was notable for being created by Sam Raimi (after Darkman and before that other superhero franchise he joined) and Sam Hamm(who wrote Burton's Batman). The pilot movie debuted on Fox(which is ironic since they never aired the pilot for the Darkman series) and yes, Sam Raimi does have a cameo.
And the pilot movie is actually pretty lame and really doesn't hold up today. The movie has a heavy tone about racism which is in direct contrast with the goofy super hero going ons around the plot. Such as a group of Rollerblade criminals causing a traffic jam then rollerblading to each car and taking their purses and wallets. The M.A.N.T.I.S hero is pretty lame too. He wears a business suit(which looks stupid) a mask which reveals a fair amount of his face(which looks stupid) and is almost defeated by a crow bar to the back, and being sprayed with a hose.
But yeah this movie is terrible and serves no purpose other than curiosity about what a Sam Raimim created super hero is like.
The series worked a lot better.Sorta. The cast was changed with only Carl Lumbly staying on from the pilot. They added three new characters, two of whom were white and this caused a controversey. But the first eleven episodes were pretty decent and while not amazing had some entertainment value. They were more straightforward superhero crime stories.
Then came the second half of the season. And wow. They tried to reboot it and make it more Sci-Fi and they crammed every cliche in the book in these episodes. Aliens? Check. Time Travel? Check. Villain whose half fish half woman? Check. A clone of the hero? Check. Oh and in the final episode the title character is killed off saving his friends from being eaten by an invisible dinosaur.
So basically the pilot movie has aged beyond horribly, the first half of the series is somewhat entertaining and ok, and the second half is just amazingly bad. So anyone else remember this show?
The pilot movie was notable for being created by Sam Raimi (after Darkman and before that other superhero franchise he joined) and Sam Hamm(who wrote Burton's Batman). The pilot movie debuted on Fox(which is ironic since they never aired the pilot for the Darkman series) and yes, Sam Raimi does have a cameo.
And the pilot movie is actually pretty lame and really doesn't hold up today. The movie has a heavy tone about racism which is in direct contrast with the goofy super hero going ons around the plot. Such as a group of Rollerblade criminals causing a traffic jam then rollerblading to each car and taking their purses and wallets. The M.A.N.T.I.S hero is pretty lame too. He wears a business suit(which looks stupid) a mask which reveals a fair amount of his face(which looks stupid) and is almost defeated by a crow bar to the back, and being sprayed with a hose.
But yeah this movie is terrible and serves no purpose other than curiosity about what a Sam Raimim created super hero is like.
The series worked a lot better.Sorta. The cast was changed with only Carl Lumbly staying on from the pilot. They added three new characters, two of whom were white and this caused a controversey. But the first eleven episodes were pretty decent and while not amazing had some entertainment value. They were more straightforward superhero crime stories.
Then came the second half of the season. And wow. They tried to reboot it and make it more Sci-Fi and they crammed every cliche in the book in these episodes. Aliens? Check. Time Travel? Check. Villain whose half fish half woman? Check. A clone of the hero? Check. Oh and in the final episode the title character is killed off saving his friends from being eaten by an invisible dinosaur.
So basically the pilot movie has aged beyond horribly, the first half of the series is somewhat entertaining and ok, and the second half is just amazingly bad. So anyone else remember this show?
#2
DVD Talk God
Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
Isn't this the show with the late Steve James? He was such a badass in the late 80s and 90s. Sucks that this ended up being his final project before He died.
#3
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
I remember actually enjoying it when it aired but hated the series finale. I think he and his love interest died fighting an invisible dinosaur or some bullcrap like that.
EDIT: Oh, I see you mentioned that travesty of an ending.
EDIT: Oh, I see you mentioned that travesty of an ending.
#4
Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
The only reason I remember is because my friend who was attending Art Center in Pasadena was working on the SFX for the show. I only saw the pilot and thought it was lame.
#5
Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
"It was a show about a guy who was half man/half praying mantis. Couldn't the network executives who cancelled it see the fucking BEAUTY of that? Oh, Mantee, we hardly new ye."-- paraphrased from one of Dennis Miller's books
#6
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
Yeah. He was the main bad guy in the movie pilot. I never knew this was his last project. He was such a bad ass in the American Ninja movies.
#10
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Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
I remember the voice of Martian Manhunter was the star.
#12
DVD Talk Legend
#15
DVD Talk Hero
Re: So who remembers M.A.N.T.I.S ?
I actually miss Tek War and Vanishing Son.