It’s a pretty simple premise. Take a group of historians and experts, have them test a bunch of weapons and take the information gathered and input it into a computer program to find out which of two great warriors from history would emerge victorious. Okay, so maybe it’s not totally simple, but it is bloody fantastic!
I have to admit, going into this review I’d never even heard of this show so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well damned if I wasn’t thoroughly and pleasantly surprised. From episode one, “Apache vs. Gladiator,” I knew instantly that I was in for something new, something interesting and something really, really violently entertaining.
Using, ballistic gel torsos (note to self: must get myself a few of these!), cow and pig carcasses and whatever else the experts feel they need to test the weapons, they show us what kind of damage would be done and if it would indeed be a kill shot or not. Highlights in this arena for me include the great ax, the morning star, the emei piercers, the twin hooks and yes even the baseball bat.
After running all their brutal tests, they run 1000 simulations and may the best man win. Each show ends with a dramatic reenactment of what the battle might have looked like.
What’s really fun about this show is discussing the effects of the weapons with your friends and trying to guess who you think is going to win that particular battle. (I got 6 out of nine correct myself). You also get a little bit of a history lesson with each episode as well. I knew nearly nothing about the Māori Warrior or the Spetsnaz before watching this show.
If you’re even the least bit squeamish this show probably isn’t for you. While there is no real blood ever actually shed on the show, what they do to those gel torsos is devastating (if you don’t believe me, what the show, they must say that word at least a dozen times an episode!) But if you’re interested in history, war and things of that ilk then this is the show of shows for you.
Episodes:
Disc 1:
Apache Vs. Gladiator
Viking Vs. Samurai
Spartan Vs. Ninja
Disc 2:
Pirate Vs. Knight
Yakuza Vs. Mafia
Green Beret Vs. Spetsnaz
Disc 3:
Shaolin Monk Vs. Maori Warrior
William Wallace Vs. Shaka Zulu
I.R.A. Vs. Taliban
The show is presented in a 1.33:1 fullscreen format and sound is in 2.0 Dolby Digital sound. The show looks and sound great. You get to hear what all these weapons would have sounded like and slow motion playback of the weapons testing never gets old. Even the dramatic staging of the fights at the end looks pretty good.
The Aftermath: This is a 12 minute series that aired after each episode. Experts from the show discuss the results of the episode and answer questions from fans. Many of the fan names are laugh-out-loud hilarious. I’m talking about you “Invisigoth.”
There are also a few episode that ran after series ended where they talk about the over all season, their favorite parts and such as well as the future of the show.
Having never even heard of this show, I can now say I am a huge fan and can’t wait to see season 2. It really has everything you could want in a show. Cool weapons, great violence and some history to boot. The only flaw I see with this show is the rewatchability. Half the fun of the show is trying to guess who is going to win. After you learn the answer, I don’t see much desire for rewatching episodes. Regardless, highly recommended.
Paramount presents Deadliest Warrior: Season One. Created by: Gary Tarpinian and Paninee Theeranuntawat. Starring: Max Geiger, Geoff Desmoulin and Armand Dorian. Running time: 387 min. on three disc. Parental Advisory: This program is recommended for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and situations. Released on DVD: May 11, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
