'V' is a mammoth project, boasting a comparably large budget and an extensive main cast covering all walks of life. This politically correct effort is amusing, particularly as all of the characters are fairly stereotypical and in many cases entirely one-dimensional, but it does succeed in demonstrating the various consequences of life under a fascist regime, and the need for diverse groups to put aside their differences when working together towards a common goal (though their explicit targeting of the visitors' alien appearance as a means to incite hatred is oddly contradictory to this attitude). One of the film's strengths lies in its dedication to realism, and this extends to nearly all of the characters. The glaring exception is reporter-turned-action-hero Mike Donovan (Marc Singer), who spends the majority of the film leaping nimbly between explosions and gun fire, but the rest of the characters are often significantly flawed, in some cases losing loved ones through their own treachery or bad decisions. People are also realistically mortal here: although the open ending invites and encourages future sequels, its nature as a two-part miniseries means that viewers can never be entirely confident that the main characters are going to survive to the end.

The realism of the miniseries is explicitly highlighted by news broadcasts documenting the first meetings with the visitors, in which a reporter suggests that those accustomed to science fiction ideas such as 'Darth Vader's Star Destroyer' will be 'disappointed' by the relatively mundane practicality of the mothership interiors. A memorable shuttle chase scene towards the end of the film is its only real nod towards that sort of action sci-fi, with most of the explosions, air strikes and hand laser stand-offs essentially being hi-tech equivalents of action film staples, as seen in the opening scene of a more traditional conflict in El Salvador. The special effects are of a high standard despite being kept to a modest minimum, and although the superimposed model shots all reveal a tell-tale black matte line around the edges, the props are convincing, and even the visitors' unmasking isn't too over-the-top.

'V' is often regarded as one of the greatest miniseries of all time, and is certainly an ambitious and interesting concept, let down by the usual failings of mainstream television and cinema - a scene that particularly annoyed me was Mike Donovan stowing aboard the mothership and conveniently hearing the alien leaders discuss their plans and true identities in far more detail than strictly necessary, just so he and the audience could be brought up to speed. Fortunately, the majority of the miniseries treats viewers with a little more respect, advancing the plot at a realistic pace, and the Nazi metaphors vary in intensity. Although the action is all set in America, naturally, there are enough references to presumed resistance cells springing up across the globe for this to be permissible as merely the Los Angeles perspective of a greater whole, avoiding the irritating 'Captain America' tone of films like 'Independence Day.' It's highly probable that the series would have gone down less prestigiously in history if Johnson had followed his original intention of a straightforward Nazi drama rather than an allegory, and it stands up well nearly twenty-five years later for its (comparative) realism and universal concerns, something that can't be said for all science fiction of the time.