Alexander the Great
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Movie Reviews of Alexander the Great
Movie Review: Bruce Hodson
Summary: 4 Stars
Of its kind very watchable but a bit dated in presentation. However, I was glad to see it and found the direction and production of this movie attractive.Movie Review: Wonderful camp
Summary: 3 Stars
Whether you rate this high or low depends on what you want out of it ... which is why the 3 stars. History? Bah. Not even close. But as a 1960s sword-and-sandals flick? It's a scream. I regularly show it in the class I teach on Alexander when we reach the final lecture, which is about the appropriation of Alexander in latter centuries as symbol and fiction. It's very interesting not for what it tells us about Alexander, but what it tells about American society in the early 1960s. In the West, Alexander is, arguably, the most famous (non-religious) historical figure prior to the 20th Century. He's been used, reused and used again for all sorts of things.
So if you want camp and commentary on US society, that's what you'll find here. History, not so much. :-)
But I will say that Shatner probably played one of the best on-screen Alexanders for both charisma and projection of self-certainty. I really like him better than Richard Burton's earlier portrayal and MUCH better than Colin Farrell's later portrayal. And later, of course, Captain Kirk was really just 'Alexander in Space.'
Movie Review: The battle footage used in the ALEXANDER TV pilot...
Summary: 3 Stars
The battle footage used in the ALEXANDER THE GREAT TV pilot was lifted from the 1960 Steve Reeves epic GIANT OF MARATHON, which was about the Greeks battling invading Persians. The ALEXANDER pilot is campy fun, and certainly the casting director had an eye for talent (Shatner would soon be conquering the universe as Captain Kirk, and Adam West would soon be the caped crusader). The cast, including old pros Joseph Cotten, Simon Oakland, and the indie-minded John Cassavetes, fastidiously overact the material. The filmed-in-Greece battle scenes don't quite match the Utah-lensed combat inserts. Shatner is pretty good as the conqueror, but Ziva Rodann's strange role of Alexander's main squeeze/Princess/Exotic Dancer makes no sense at all. Fun for sword and sandal fans, it was nice to see the show again after a forty year lapse. The DVD quality is very acceptable, considering the scarcity of the program itself. It's no better or worse than the average Alpha DVD, but even that level of quality is more than I expected.Movie Review: Alexander the Pretty Darn Good!
Summary: 3 Stars
For what it is -- an hour-long 1960s TV pilot -- this ain't bad at all! Productions values are okay, and the outdoor locations, though recognizably the American West, are nonetheless spectacular. John Cassavetes and Joseph Cotton turn in fine performances, and Shatner (who never looked better shirtless) shows why he became a worldwide star; he's a more charismatic Alexander than either Richard Burton or Colin Farrell. (Adam West's role is too small to register.) The story is fictional, not historical, but typical of the kinds of yarns that have been woven about Alexander in many lands for many centuries, a mini-melodrama of treachery and wartime intrigue. If only they had gone ahead and made a TV series...but then Shatner would not have made Star Trek, and West would not have played Batman! The bonus featurette, "Hollywood's Epic Films," is essentially a 40-mintue compilation of vintage trailers. All in all, this dvd is well worth the modest price.Movie Review: OK for Shatner fanatics, yawn for everyone else
Summary: 3 Stars
If, like me, you're in the middle of your All-Things-Shatner fixation, you'll probably get a (mild) kick out of this. It's watchable; interesting strictly from the standpoint of watching The Shatman do something different - but whatever network passed on this pilot back in the day was probably wise to do so.
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