FLASH! Aaah-aahh-wwful?

Well, it seems so, if the American reviews* are to be believed.

The Sci-Fi Channel's attempt to revitalize the vintage action hero, in light of his continuing appeal post-1980 camp classic movie, have met with a massive critical bitch-slap.

I think the idea was to give the 1980 film some witty 21st-century spit n' polish, as they accomplished with Battlestar Galactica, but lightning hasn't struck twice. Mind you, BSG had Star Trek's Ronald D. Moore in charge. Flash Gordon has Relic Hunter's Peter Hume!

It's a shame, as Flash Gordon's concept itself is great fun and would make a great show, in the right hands. Of course, I'll reserve condemnation until I see it myself. It might be, y'know, pretty good. Possibly. If you squint.

The reviews all slate the bad casting (a boring Flash, a crap Ming), budget limitations (plenty of forests, no spaceships) and a weak script (no sense of cheeky fun).

Despite the bad reviews, Flash Gordon's 22-episode season is still going ahead, so maybe the writers will take the criticism onboard and sort things out. But, if past experiences count for anything, don't bet on it!

Oh, and there's no Queen theme tune either, despite its use in their trailers!

* USA Today
Entertainment Weekly
TV Guide
New York Times
New York Post
Hollywood Reporter
Variety