Highly Overrated But Still Good

Brilliant and touching

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It's ancient Greece in the times of the Olympian Gods, centaurs, and Amazons. Xena (Lucy Lawless) is a warrior trying to atone for a life of fighting. Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is a small town girl desperate for adventures. She joins Xena recording their journeys in her scrolls. Xena loves to fish and fly a kite. They travel as far as China and India. They often get involved with Gods Ares and Aphrodite, the comical Joxer the Mighty, revenge-obsessed Callisto, Julius Caesar, and the monotheism of Eli.My favorite episodes are humorous especially with Joxer. This is solid adventure B-TV. There is plenty of fighting stunts. The use of historical and religious figures is a mix bag. Sometimes it's awkward rewriting biblical and other religious stories. The shows in faraway places can also get awkward. Staying with Greece and the Olympian Gods should be enough for this show. The best part is the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. The show even plays with the homoerotic perceptions of the audience. The landscape of New Zealand is perfect for ancient Greece and it's a commendable production considering its limitations.

a feminism manifesto. this is the first impression. and, for many motifs, the last. because it is the story of a strong woman who impose the order/law in savage manner. and, sure, about her friend, the young Gabrielle. answer to Hercules:The Legendary Journeys, it is difficult to say if it is different by the male version of generous demigod. it has a specific nuances and ambiguity of relations between characters, it uses the myth of Amazons in decent way, it propose a character who gives clear drawing about the matriarchy period. the drops of eroticism are perfect for atmosphere and the force/cruelty of Xena - impressive. but something missing. and the series remains only part of a project about the Greek mythology.

Xena was a campy classic masterpiece full of action, suspense and great storytelling about friendship. During the 90s when women power ran amock, Xena bulldozed in wearing her glamorous outfit and kicking butt. Along her side was her loyal friend Gabrielle who kept her on the barrow path and provided companionship on the road. Sure the formula was repetitive with good winning over evil, but the relationships, creatures or warlords played by various guest stars always kept you on your toes and kept you tuning in every weak. The costumes, music and humor were always true to the heart of the episode. Speaking of humor sometimes it worked well intelligently worked up to and other times it could be low brow for the common folk.Still Xena paved the way for other copy cat shows trying to cash on the fame yet it will always be remembered as the first to break new ground. It even enjoys quite a huge cult following in the fandom and celebrated for it brilliant ambiguity. Xena will still be remembered as one of the best shows ever produced and never go out of style. Get caught up in the fantasy world.

After waging brutal war for years, Xena finds her conscience stopping her, and she devotes her life(and her considerable abilities) to helping out anyone who needs it. Along with Gabrielle, a young woman from a small village who wants to see the world, they meet many cultures(including primitive ones... and yes, they tend to be treated respectfully, if not necessarily entirely accurately; we see scenes of rituals, dances and the like, and it isn't looked down upon), mythologies(Greek, Norse, Indian, etc., deities and demons alike) and creatures. The themes of battle or love are explored well, as well as whether you can truly escape your past or not. This often has a silly, goofy tone and approach(Sam Raimi, the creator, is known for his love of The Three Stooges), and it won't be for everyone. It does also get serious, dramatic and downright epic at other times, with fantasy beings faced and fought. The acting varies(and it definitely gets to be over the top for some of the humor), but when it really needs to be good, it usually is. This has great guest stars, such as Kevin Smith(no, the thin one) as Ares(his hunger for armed conflict really shines through), Bruce Campbell(yup, he's in this, too... and yes, he's arrogant as always) as Autolycus the master thief and Karl Urban(no, really, he's actually convincing in this) as Ceasar. The action is cool, with reasonable choreography(not on the level of movies), and they change it up some so it doesn't get to be repetitive. And somehow, it doesn't get to be boring in spite of our titular lead being a much better fighter than almost anyone else(so yeah, not always a sense of risk, at least from that). Sets and costumes are well-done, considering the budget. The FX get greater as this goes. In the first few of the seven seasons, this doesn't go that far beyond the basic setup, but then it does start taking chances and it is often interesting. There is disturbing content, sensuality and violence in this. I recommend this to fans of the people behind it, and what it's inspired by. 7/10