Too many fans seem to be blown away

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

"Blake's Junction 7" is a British short film from 2005, so this one is already over a decade old, way over and it runs for slightly under 15 minutes including credits. The ones who made this are Ben Gregor and Tim Plester and it's among their more known works overall, even if it obviously cannot compete with a supporting role on Game of Thrones. Anyway, this is a little spook of an old British sci-fi series and the Brits are in that genre probably about as successful as us Germans. I must admit that I haven't seen the show this is cheekily making fun of, but this one here also didn't get me curious one bit. The Sci-Fi genre seems entirely gone here as honestly it's about nothing but comedy, but not in a particularly good way. No idea why I liked Martin Freeman a few years ago as his approach and delivery are virtually the exact same in every project he stars in. Johnny Vegas I came across on QI for the first time not too long ago and I don't like him either. So maybe if you like the cast here and also liked the show this is based on, then you will have a decent time watching. But I myself say skip it, it's really nothing special and never particularly funny or creative.

You remember BLAKES 7 don't you ? No ? Written in the mid 1970s by Terry Nation it burst on to our TV screens in January 1978 and was set in the far flung future where interplanetary space travel was routine and humanity lived under the fascist jackboot . The first episode saw political dissident Roj Blake framed for child molestation and sentenced to the penal colony of Cygnus Alpha " Child molestation ! Hey Theo don't tell me this was a BBC show ? " Yes it was * . A 1970s BBC fictional show featuring a convicted child molester compared to real life 1970s BBC presenters and pop stars still to be convicted and this premise alone indicates that it's not some simple generic BBC answer to STAR TREK or STAR WARS . It was a rather bitter and cynical science fiction action adventure that relied on character interaction , wonderfully sharp dialogue and internal continuity . In some ways it was ahead of its time in that each season had a running story arc that led up to an end of season climax which is common with most television drama nowadays . Occasionally rumours surface that it might be resurrected but considering everyone involved behind the scenes is either dead or retired from television it'd be impossible for a new production team to capture the unique feel that the original show hadThis spoof short film is a case in point . It's totally clumsy as an idea featuring the crew of the Liberator now confined to travelling through the Galaxy in a car and stopping at a service station . Continuity is totally ignored with Dayna being part of the crew alongside Jenna and Gan . I don't have to point out that Jenna and Gan left the show after series two and would never have met Dayna since she was introduced at the start of season three but considering all the characters are merely names devoid of their well thought out and crafted memorable personalities this is doubly disappointing This failing is compounded by having Avon and Vila . Much of the entertainment of the show was watching the performances of Paul Darrow and Michael Keating who both nailed the characters perfectly and gave very idiosyncratic performances that were a joy to watch . Here Mark Heap and Martin Freeman are playing characters respectively called Avon and Vila who dress like and very vaguely look like the characters from the show but aren't really the characters from that show . Some people might enjoy well known comedy actor McKenzie Crook in drag as arch villain Servalan but the whole thing feels pointless as both homage and as a comedy short film . If it's darkly comical wit you're after stick to the original BBC series * Now I come to think of it BLAKES 7 is probably the only BBC show from the 1970s not to have a convicted paedophile as its star

I had high hopes for this having heard about it a while back. Finally got hold of the DVD release and was left somewhat non-plussed. I love the premise of the Liberator crew still on the run, by now reduced to a beat-up old car. I like motorway service stations too, they're odd, surreal places, particularly late at night. But somehow I found this short lacking.Besides the costumes and props, which are excellent, there's very little that's very "Blake's 7" about it. For a homage to a show loved for its dialog and characters, the script is really lacking - the characters don't interact or have dialog anything like those they're emulating, and there's pretty much zero plot. I got to the end feeling "is that it?" They could've done something so much better with a 15 minute short like this, considering the effort gone to, if only the writers and cast had taken some interest in the subject matter.

I was privileged to see Blake's Junction 7 at a Sci Fi Convention and it was so good they showed it twice in the same sitting. It's a fifteen minute tribute to all the sci fi made in the 70's and eighties, transplanted into normal everyday life. It does of course centre around Blake's 7 and if you're not familiar with Blake's 7 then you won't get as much out of it but you will still enjoy it. There is a fabulous cast and Mackenzie Crooke as Servelan is a masterstroke. The action takes place in Newport Pagnell service station on the M1 at what looks like 3 AM. The film captures wonderfully that feeling we've all had when making a necessary stop on a long trip, which is why it will appeal to non fans too.All of the Blake's 7 old favourites are there, with some of the actors being extremely good as their Blake's 7 characters. The cast also includes Peter Tuddenham, the original voice of Orac. He has some particularly funny lines.Well worth the fifteen minutes it takes to watch it, I'd love to see a full length version. Top marks to the writer and director for a well observed and funny homage to Blake's 7.