Lexx

I am going to say it simply and straightforwardly, as Lexx deserves. It is a fully decked-out trash that has everything, but also charming trash that is made with the full knowledge of its creators and with love. It is a tribute to naive trash comics and whimsical "sci-fi" TV series from the beginning of television broadcasting. The film's main advantage is its originality and its exclusive position because, due to its bizarre nature, it has no equivalent competitor in related genres. A small cult of fans are tuned in to the same wavelength as the writers and directors of Lexx. Lexx has practically nothing in common with classic sci-fi, it gives up on any scientific theories, and it doesn't even attempt to depict any complex philosophical ideas. Its goal is to entertain but to entertain through the sense of humor of people who are aware of the absurdity of their hobbies. Lexx is not stupid at all, and its trashiness has nothing in common with the trashiness of mainstream pseudo-mythical series like Xena or Hercules. The creators choose motifs, characters, settings, and overall set design in such a way that they avoid the mass audience. Their characters and adventures are so perverse that only a minority of enthusiasts can find enjoyment in them. One of the favorite activities in the first series, for example, is the consumption of live brains aboard a spaceship. By the way, the spaceship itself is a combination of machinery technology with the living body of a gigantic fly, and the crew of the spaceship actually feeds on its excrement. Various "biotechnology" and insect elements are typical for the series. It is teeming with cannibals and mutants of all kinds. Considering that the series was filmed in Canadian studios, where American TV networks also enjoy shooting B-grade series, the presence of several guest American actors, who are legends of B-grade production, is typical for Lexx. Lexx will probably not receive average ratings; it will either captivate or be ruthlessly discarded. My overall impression is between 3-4 stars, considering the different quality of individual episodes. Visually, Lexx is influenced by pop art and contains several fetishistic motifs. (23/06/2006)

It's hard to say which adjective to choose in Lexx's case to accurately capture its position in the respective genre and its true audience value. Lexx is a fantasy that in some ways resembles the famous Star Wars saga, but it's much more bizarre and outlandish. It's almost incomprehensible what its charm exactly consists of, because in a time of high-budget action movies filled with demanding special effects and grand production design, Lexx deliberately uses naive sets that are distinctly made for television, which actually brings it closer to, or rather aligns it with, Red Dwarf. However, unlike Red Dwarf, it's not a pure parody or part of the comedy genre, although Lexx also doesn't take itself too seriously and can handle the subject matter lightly. On the other hand, it can also be dark and doesn't spare any corpses on the paths of its characters. Its main weapons are originality and cleverness with which it handles seemingly trashy topics, and overall freshness along with likable characters who draw the viewers into the story. I don't know exactly what Lexx is, but it certainly hits the mark for fans of the genre. Overall impression: 80%. (20/04/2010)