No matter where you stand on the issue of immigrants/refugees, this series will give you stomach cramps from the get-go. Admittedly, the acting is decent, and some of the characters are somewhat interesting, but by and large watching this show is like having to sit through hours of a banal party meeting where the minutes were prepared by childlike demagogues who lack the slightest artistic merit or sensibility.
The metaphors/allegories are so obvious, forced, and in-your-face that they choke the living daylight out of what otherwise would be a valid message. Since there is literally no distinguishable difference shown between humans and aliens (other than a couple of gimmicky plot devices), most of the time I found myself struggling to figure out who is an alien and who isn't, and got frequently confused about what is happening on screen, and why. Not to mention the seemingly endless series of inane jokes made at the expense of the homosexual character, who comes across as the cheapest of stereotypes...
If you want the same message in an infinitely better and more refined wrapping, try 'District 9', any of the old 'Alien Nation' entries (whether they be from the TV series or its follow-up feature-length installments), the original 'V' TV miniseries, or any of the two dozen or so other films and shows that have explored the mechanics and insanity of discrimination and racism much better, and with a truckload more nuance, than this tripe.
I understand the importance of the film's message, but if this is the best you can put forth to try to convince people about it, something is seriously wrong with your attitude towards both your cause and your audience. People who are not on board with it already, will find this series annoying, pretentious, and dogmatic; and people who are already on its side will find it insulting to both their intelligence and to their cause.
While watching it, I could not help but see the parallels between 'The Aliens' and the cheapest, most dogmatic, most amateurish movies in what I would call (for lack of a better term) the 'evangelical Christian' genre, even though they are supposed to represent the exact opposites on the political scale. I get equally irritated by 'Left Behind' (ANY of its installments) and by 'The Aliens' - except the latter enjoyed a much bigger budget, much better (professional) actors, and much more polished film-making expertise, so it has no excuse for turning all that into such a terrible drag.
The metaphors/allegories are so obvious, forced, and in-your-face that they choke the living daylight out of what otherwise would be a valid message. Since there is literally no distinguishable difference shown between humans and aliens (other than a couple of gimmicky plot devices), most of the time I found myself struggling to figure out who is an alien and who isn't, and got frequently confused about what is happening on screen, and why. Not to mention the seemingly endless series of inane jokes made at the expense of the homosexual character, who comes across as the cheapest of stereotypes...
If you want the same message in an infinitely better and more refined wrapping, try 'District 9', any of the old 'Alien Nation' entries (whether they be from the TV series or its follow-up feature-length installments), the original 'V' TV miniseries, or any of the two dozen or so other films and shows that have explored the mechanics and insanity of discrimination and racism much better, and with a truckload more nuance, than this tripe.
I understand the importance of the film's message, but if this is the best you can put forth to try to convince people about it, something is seriously wrong with your attitude towards both your cause and your audience. People who are not on board with it already, will find this series annoying, pretentious, and dogmatic; and people who are already on its side will find it insulting to both their intelligence and to their cause.
While watching it, I could not help but see the parallels between 'The Aliens' and the cheapest, most dogmatic, most amateurish movies in what I would call (for lack of a better term) the 'evangelical Christian' genre, even though they are supposed to represent the exact opposites on the political scale. I get equally irritated by 'Left Behind' (ANY of its installments) and by 'The Aliens' - except the latter enjoyed a much bigger budget, much better (professional) actors, and much more polished film-making expertise, so it has no excuse for turning all that into such a terrible drag.