Alexander the Great
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Movie Reviews of Alexander the Great
Movie Review: William Shatner IS Alexander the Great
Summary: 2 Stars
The Shatman is Al the Great, the favorite of the gods, fighting for peace and freedom by, er, invading Persia in this 52-minute TV pilot from 1964 that ABC were so impressed with that they sat on it until 1968... As if that isn't enough of a casting leap, there's Adam West as his special friend Cleander, a very worse-for-wear Joseph Cotten as the surrogate father figure, John Cassavettes as a treacherous Greek general after Al's job, Simon Oakland as Cassavettes' sidekick and Cliff Osmond as a Persian general in command of an army four times the size of Al's - which, in real terms, means about 25 if you don't count the stock footage. Filmed in the kind of Californian foothills locations you'd later find Captain Kirk slugging it out with Abraham Lincoln and a lizard man and directed by Phil Karlson (The Phenix City Story, Kansas City Confidential), it all plays rather like a poor episode of The Time Tunnel with the sci-fi elements removed. It's easy to imagine Oliver Stone watching it to cheer himself up whenever he thinks about how his version(s) reception...
Timeless' DVD release is less than great - after the main titles it takes you straight to a menu rather than the rest of the show, while the running time is padded out with a cut and paste 'documentary' made up of trailer footage from other epics. Transfer quality is acceptable but nothing more.
Movie Review: Always entertaining to see Shatner
Summary: 2 Stars
I could actually see the theme being developed in the pilot: Alexander the visionary, trying to ensure the security of his homeland by fighting to change the disregard for human life of its enemies. A lot of episodes could have been hung from that.
It worked out for the best in the end, though. Shatner didn't have as good a fit on-screen with West as he would have with Nimoy. It's interesting if you follow Shat's career... I've concluded that he does best with strong direction (seems to have gotten it here) and strong counterparts to play off.
Which leads me to an interesting observation: Alexander behaved differently with his wife in this than Kirk did with the love interests on Trek.
Also Shatner's a horse lover and he gets to ride a lot in this. He's clearly enjoying that.
Since it's inexpensive, this DVD is worth picking up if you're familiar with Shatner and want to see another performance. You would enjoy it.
The sound is mushy and the picture quality a bit soft, but hey, it's better than having this pilot lost forever.
Movie Review: Beam me away from this movie, Scotty!
Summary: 2 Stars
I had read [...] that the TV-pilot starring William Shatner (before his Star Trek fame) was actually "the best Alexander out there." So, this evening my husband and I gave it a try. The cheesy music at the beginning should have been a warning. The actors didn't say their lines; they shouted them; the scenes consisted mostly of men on horseback galloping here and there; Alexander's love-interest looked ridiculously out of place with her bee-hive hairdo, false eyelashes, and thick eyeliner. In fact, everything about the movie oozed the artificiality of the 60's. My husband gave up on it after about twenty minutes, but I stuck it out for the full hour and a half. The only thing I can say in its favor is that its demise as a potential series allowed Shatner to go on to star in Star Trek. If his "Alexander" had been a success, we might never have known Capt. Kirk!Movie Review: Shatner is Alexander and......Help!
Summary: 2 Stars
William Shatner, as every young actor does...has to start somewhere. ANd although his youth is no excuse - his performace has the Greek icon 'Alexander' is strong.
It's just everything else is week. His fellow cast is light on the seriousness of the part and the production value is a little scary.
Although if your a fan od Shatner, you might want this for the pure excercise of seeing the begingings of Shanter's often satarized 'acting style'. You will see his dramatic appraoch to anger and greed.
Overall the film is slow and weak, but I believe the only reason it was made available was because William Shatner is in it! 3-26-09.
Movie Review: Quick someone shoot me!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Ex-margarine commercial actor William Shatner as Alexander the Great!?!?
The real Alexander is probably turning in his grave (wherever it is by now)
I cringe at the thought of the acting here. Let alone his speeches. If William Shatner really did lead this army...the Greek and Hellenic world would be doomed from the start.
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