Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Verdict: A slow burn of a suspense thriller series, has some definite possibilities and looks very promising. I like the fitting use of German and Japanese languages as appropriate, and without subtitles which adds to the suspense if you don't know either. I would be very interested to see how this plays out and would definitely watch a season or two of this based solely off this pilot without any knowledge of PKD's book. If you like a side of dystopian misadventures flavored with a bit of George Orwell, check this series out! PROs: +Nice soundtrack that fits the atmosphere of the series and really adds to the environment of the series. +Intriguing dystopia plot premise of an alternate past end to WWII that is very believable, creative, and a nice departure from all the teenage dystopias running rampant right now (hunger games, divergent, maze runner, etc.) +Good time-piece clothing, including the clichéd Asian hats (particularly the Indiana Jones villain hat!) +Very detailed and meticulous background writing and setting, giving nuance and life to an otherwise stale time. +Decent use of filters for cinematography, giving a suitable feeling for the period but might venture into overuse at times. ++Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - I love this guy, have loved him since Mortal Kombat, and seeing his face in a production always brings a smile to my face! (Plus, someone of Japanese descent actually PLAYING a Japanese character!) +Another Indiana Jones throwback in showing a map of the journey while traveling, something that is just plain cool to see the actual route someone took. (This really isn't much, I admit, but I like the technique) CONs: -I am not convinced by the two lead actors (the two "rebels"-- the girl and the guy), they don't sell their characters nearly as well as EVERYONE ELSE did (particularly Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa!) -The filters do seem a little much at times on the cinematography, but they are tolerable. -Story is VERY slow building in the first episode, the only action scenes come way too early and are over way too quick to leave you stewing too long in this pilot. I really hope the first con, which is kind of a big deal, doesn't derail this show from getting at least a 13-episode trial run, as I'd love to see more of this dystopia play out.