Lexx - The Complete Second Series

Director: Stephen Manuel, Stefan Ronowicz, Bruce McDonald
Studio: Acorn Media
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
A crew of misfit outlaws wanders the galaxy in a living ship. Sound familiar? Doomed to live in the shadow of cable TV's science fiction class act Farscape, the Canadian-German coproduction Lexx takes a completely different trajectory as a tongue-in-cheek, sci-fi sex farce from a three-man team of "Human Beans" led by creator and frequent writer-director Paul Donovan. Sad-sack pilot Stanley Tweedle (Brian Downey), coquettish love slave Zev (Eva Habermann), reanimated corpse Kai (Michael McManus), and lovesick robot head 790 wander the galaxy looking for food, people, and (most importantly) a little nookie. Shot on the cheap with loads of flashy (if often unconvincing) digital effects and a rather claustrophobic series of studio-bound sets, the show launched with a quartet of TV movies before settling into a weekly series with its second season (1998).

In the first of 20 episodes, "Mantrid" launches the Lexx into a funhouse galaxy of wacky worlds, where the dreaded insect king awakes and begins his bizarre reign of terror. The hilarious "Lyekka" introduces the title character, a curvy little plant girl with an insatiable appetite for human flesh, but more importantly it replaces platinum blonde Eva Haberman with the impishly flirtatious, full-lipped redhead Xenia Seeberg, the show's instant cult pinup queen. The show's eagerness to experiment is proven in "Brigadoom," a sci-fi musical that tells Kai's backstory entirely in song--with surprisingly impressive results. "Brizon" and "End of the Universe" end the second series as the Lexx is inexorably drawn into the Dark Zone after an epic fight with Mantrid's multiplying drone arms.

Amazon.com

A crew of misfit outlaws wanders the galaxy in a living ship. Sound familiar? Doomed to live in the shadow of cable TV's science fiction class act Farscape, the Canadian-German coproduction Lexx takes a completely different trajectory as a tongue-in-cheek, sci-fi sex farce from a three-man team of "Human Beans" led by creator and frequent writer-director Paul Donovan. Sad-sack pilot Stanley Tweedle (Brian Downey), coquettish love slave Zev (Eva Habermann), reanimated corpse Kai (Michael McManus), and lovesick robot head 790 wander the galaxy looking for food, people, and (most importantly) a little nookie. Shot on the cheap with loads of flashy (if often unconvincing) digital effects and a rather claustrophobic series of studio-bound sets, the show launched with a quartet of TV movies before settling into a weekly series with its second season (1998).

In the first of 20 episodes, "Mantrid" launches the Lexx into a funhouse galaxy of wacky worlds, where the dreaded insect king awakes and begins his bizarre reign of terror. The hilarious "Lyekka" introduces the title character, a curvy little plant girl with an insatiable appetite for human flesh, but more importantly it replaces platinum blonde Eva Haberman with the impishly flirtatious, full-lipped redhead Xenia Seeberg, the show's instant cult pinup queen. The show's eagerness to experiment is proven in "Brigadoom," a sci-fi musical that tells Kai's backstory entirely in song--with surprisingly impressive results. "Brizon" and "End of the Universe" end the second series as the Lexx is inexorably drawn into the Dark Zone after an epic fight with Mantrid's multiplying drone arms.

Each DVD features a different 10-minute, behind-the-scenes featurette, short cast and creator interviews, and a chapter of Rated LEXX, a TV special created for the Sci Fi Channel to introduce the characters and recap the origins.

Customer Reviews:

Not completely with out virtue........2006-11-12

There are some interesting aspects to this series, but to say that it's "good" is misleading.

The background of the show is creative and interesting, and to some people it's worth a look just for that. But the scripting and directing are really terrible. A lot of the time the actors just stand around looking like they're trying to fake it while they remember their lines. There is no emotional immediacy or suspense, and you never worry about the fate of any of the characters because they themselves only seem mildly interested. The characters often seem to be acting at random.

The special effects are a lot better than the guy in a gorilla suit of yesteryear, but aren't up to modern standards. My recommendation would be to try the pilot movie (I Worship His Shadow) and if you like it enough to want to watch a series that is only about half as good, think about it from there.

Strangely compelling.......2006-05-27

I missed _Lexx_ on cable so I saw all of Season 2 within the space of a few days. I couldn't stop watching once I started. I was a huge fan of the original Star Trek (but not of the Next Generation) and Lexx, described by some as "Star Trek's evil twin," does all the things you (or at least I) secretly wanted the Enterprise and its crew to do but they never did--like blow up planets, talk about sex continually, and have no ethics whatsoever. If you had a crush on Mr. Spock (which I did), you'll cream for Kai, the sexy dead guy with the beehive hairdo, who sings this one song repeatedly that you'll be wailing in the shower by the time the season's over!

I can't say the dark humor was enough to make me laugh outright (except for a few scenes in the final battles with Mantrid in the last episode), but I did grimace with appreciation many a time throughout the series, and I found all of it extremely creative and original, and compelling enough to addict both me and my best friend through this season and the following two.

Lexx Rulez All.......2005-11-18

Theres no doubt in my mind Lexx Was one of the greatest series ever! Season 2 Was Like All Of The Season AWSOME!!!!!!

So Yes if your thinking of buy stop thinking and buy!!! :P

GOOD STUFF!

worst show ever.......2004-08-10

This is by far the worst show I have ever seen.This was recommended to me by a friend who turned me on to Farscape so I thought I would give it a try. Sorry I did..this is absolute trash.

So worth it!.......2004-06-04

Wow I just love to be able to pick what episode I want. The DVD 'extras' are excellent too. This series had a very original creative element I have never seen anywhere before, you could tell the LEXX set designers and wardrobe people were very professional in their creative work making cheesy and tacky look so very out of this world good! The special effects are like a cross between Flash Gordon meets the Matrix meets Austin Powers! Only it is isn't, it's all LEXX and all original. By the way, saying this is geared towards European teens? is way off, what a lame review!, this is for every Sci Fi fan that ever wanted a break from the typical creature vs. Earth story line, it is more like a psycadelic soap opera set in the future in a galaxy far, far away from every day Earth life, a great way to 'escape' from everyday life.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

After Dark, My Sweet

Monster/Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

Apartment (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Where the Truth Lies

10 British Leading Men