ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

screenman 'Blakes 7' was a piece of British television sci-fi that seemed to arrive in belated answer to 'Star Trek'.The characters were very heavily defined, and in a way, rather stereotypic of their time. The titular Blake was a man with a price on his head who had contrived, with assistance from the other characters, to hijack the ultimate spaceship. Able to outrun or outgun anything else in the known universe, they were destined for weekly adventures. Yet all the while, a furious and vengeful authority wanted both them and their vessel back. And so...The ensemble were a competent cast of young British actors of the day, though none seemed to have their careers boosted by the show. Which was surprising because it quickly became quite popular in a 'cult' kind of way. Most of the weekly plots were pretty straightforward, but they were lifted above the ordinary by a witty and intelligent script. Unfortunately, it often became pretty verbose, which inclined it towards a better-educated and more long-winded audience.The biggest let-down was the same as always. Made for British TV, it secured only a minimalist budget. The theme-music was tinny, the sound-effects tacky, and special effects juvenile. The sound-effects were especially and typically dismal. No effort had been made to make the ship interior 'feel' like a ship interior, as the makers of 'Star Trek' managed to do from the outset. There was no ambiance whatsoever. The crew stumped about on what was manifestly floor-panelling, and operated equipment that was clearly made from boxes. The ship had no substance. The series was filmed in a studio, and it looked and sounded as if it was set in a studio. I, for one, would have settled for a slightly less intelligent script and more intelligent effects. This was, after all, a post 'Star Wars' production.Eventually, for me, the more intelligent components failed to compensate for the crappy sets and effects.

roland-rockerfella I have been watching Blake's 7 for more than 30 years, and it only keeps getting better with time. I remember watching this show as a kid and thinking, wow. As an adult I came to appreciate the true magic of this show. Sure the sets and special effects are basic, even comical at times (one spaceship was 2 hairdryers glued together and spray painted red).But all that doesn't matter, the stories and characters are timeless. The first episode "The way Back" is a real nut buster covering such dark material as mass murder, child abuse and lifelong sentence's on prison planets. The main characters of Blake and Avon are 2 of the best characters ever to reach the small screen. A must see for dark gritty sci-fi.

peter-faizey I love this series. It comes a close 2nd to Doctor Who for me. The characters are excellent and the writing was always superb, so in many ways it is easy to ignore the cheap sets and effects. Paul Darrow as Avon was definitely the best character and Jacqueline Pearce played villain Servalan amazingly. Vila is also a great character, his cowardice always provided a good joke and arguably is the character that adds the most humour to the series. I have great admiration for all the seasons but I have to say I probably admire Season's 3 and 4 the most, probably because I admire the character of Avon so much and Del Tarrant as played by Steven Pacey is very good indeed. Cally, Soolin and Dayna are also strong characters and Gan in Season 1 and Season 2 was a useful presence. David Jackson always played the part wonderfully, even if the character was underused. Hats should also go off to Gareth Thomas and Sally Knyvette as Blake and Jenna and both Stephen Grief and Brian Croucher who were excellent as Space Commander Travis. The ultimate classic is probably the Season 3 episode 'City at the Edge of the World' with Sixth Doctor Colin Baker giving a wonderful performance as 'Bayban the Butcher'. 'Terminal' an episode at the end of Season 3 had a wonderful climax, and the climax of Season 4 where all the main characters are killed off on screen (apart from Avon) is just phenomenal. No programme has ever come close to having such a good ending.The location work throughout the series was very good indeed, as many of them had an unworldly feel which is what the producer's needed to achieve for the programme. Considering the budget it is amazing that the locations look as atmospheric and convincing as they do in the series, so respect should be given to the designers who did a wonderful job on such a small budget. The scenes shot at TV Film Studios, Ealing, were always superb as well, and much more spacious than the BBC TV Centre material. In fairness, the special effects in the series are not too bad either, considering the effects budget was actually £50 an episode!! Mat Irvine in particular did a wonderful job on the series. David Maloney the producer of the first 3 seasons, also made the excellent decision of allowing major Doctor Who contributor Dudley Simpson do the music for the series. The work Simpson did for the series is just excellent, most notably his score for 'Mission to Destiny' and 'Weapon' and the memorable themes he wrote for the show, such as the main title theme and the theme which represents the Federation and all their evil doings. Despite the cheap sets and effects, the writing for the series which was almost always top notch, has to be mentioned. Like Doctor Who the story lines are involving, thought provoking and well constructed, something which many other big science fiction series lack. An incredible series, arguably one of the finest science fiction series ever made.

dr_foreman I discovered "Blakes 7" (though it ought to be "Blake's 6," methinks) when I was five years old - and I dismissed it. I thought it looked boring and corny, and when I got hooked on "Doctor Who" shortly thereafter, I forgot all about it.Well, like a wayward son, I have returned to "Blakes 7" all these years later. I've just finished the season one DVDs, and I enjoyed myself immensely. In some respects it's a very familiar show that borrows terminology and ideas from much older genre entertainment, like "Star Trek." But it's quite revolutionary in terms of structure - the arc plot is ahead of its time - and characterization. "Blakes 7" also features a surprisingly cynical world view; the Federation in this series isn't a league of whitewashed good guys, it's a corrupt organization that controls its subjects through military force and "1984"-like brainwashing.The best character of the season is Avon, who is played in a wonderful sneering fashion by Paul Darrow. Blake is my second favorite; he's an idealist, but he's tough and he's not preachy (thank goodness). The other crew members, truth be told, are a little bland. I'm not sure why people seem to like the cowardly thief character Villa so much, since his role mainly consists of whining and cracking flat jokes. Jenna the smuggler is a pretty foxy lady, but she doesn't do much but get tied up and possessed - both staple pastimes for women in these semi-sexist old shows.Certain plot elements are recycled in a tiresome fashion; in several episodes, half of Blake's crew is stranded on a planet while the other half contends with a problem in space. And of course, there's always a moment when the ground team is in mortal peril and needs to be "beamed up," but nobody's at the controls to do it. I complain too much, though - there are several genuinely surprising plot twists in the first season. And, even when the stories are a little clichéd, a great cast of British character actors is on hand to pick up the slack. Cool guest stars like Brian Blessed and Julian Glover reliably provide rock-solid support for the regulars.The show is still easy to dismiss due to its low budget. But does it really matter that Blake's laser gun looks like a hair-curler? Not a bit. Flawed production values do very little to detract from "Blakes 7," which in the final analysis is clearly one of the more thoughtful and exciting sci-fi series I've had the pleasure to watch. The very first episode, which concerns Blake being framed for child molestation, is particularly gripping. It's highly recommended stuff.