Search - M.A.N.T.I. S: Complete Series on DVD

Mary C. from MORENCI, MI
Reviewed on 4/14/2014...

Quite good for the year

At Last!!

E. Hornaday | Lawrenceville, NJ United States | 10/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"M.A.N.T.I.S. was a Classic TV Sc-Fi series on Fox from 1994 that featured a truly unique and unexpected super hero. I loved the show, but have a hard time arguing with folks who complain it was really cheesy. In my defense, it was huge FUN and that allowed me to ignore its obvious flaws and thoroughly enjoy the series.



Originally airing on Fox, it premiered on Aug. 26, 1994. It was cancelled the following year, but its final unaired episodes were shown for the first time in 1997 on the Sc-Fi Network, which was airing repeats of the entire series.



Quiet, brilliant Dr. Miles Hawkins, portrayed by Carl Lumbly (best known from roles in Alias and Cagney & Lacey), became an unexpected crime fighter. Hawkins was a scientist/inventor with a thirst for justice who could not walk after a robber's bullet left him paralyzed and also cost him his family.



Hawkins invented a shell in which he could overcome his disability and free him from his wheelchair. In effect, the suit, a metal exoskeleton, provides superhuman abilities that ultimate serves to bring out Hawkins' alter ego.



What Hawkins' invented was a "harness" from cutting-edge technology equipped with headgear allowing transmitters in his brain to bypass his damaged spine. Translation: he can walk again and more - he unexpectedly finds that in the suit he has increased strength, speed and agility.



With help from his invention, the Mechanically Augmented Neuro Transmitter System (M.A.N.T.I.S.) and a few supportive colleagues, he decides to fight the criminals that the police could not find. At first a reluctant hero, Hawkins is drawn into the world of fighting crime because the violence that turned his life upside-down is doing the same to the world around him. While in the harness and headset, he assumes the identity of the Mantis believing it is the only way that he is able to fight back.



"This is the scientific journal of Dr. Miles Hawkins, to be published in the event of my death. I know when the truth is known, people will wonder why I felt it necessary to create the `M.A.N.T.I.S.' The reality - I never did. The M.A.N.T.I.S. asked his own creation and I could not refuse him."



Like any vigilante, the police want him brought to justice because he's taking the law into his own hands and making them look bad; the news media wants to expose his true identity; and criminals want him eliminated because he's bad for business. The series takes place in a huge, dark and brooding megalopolis on the West Coast in the present. Its locational ambiguity is meant to suggest that this unusual hero could be in YOUR neighborhood tonight.



M.A.N.T.I.S. was produced by the creators of The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness. Also starring Bobby Hosea (Independence Day) and Gina Torres (Angel, Firefly, Serenity), this action-packed series broke new ground with TV's first African-American superhero. The show became an instant cult favorite, and DVD boxed from Image Entertainment is the first release of this show in any format. It's impending DVD release has been more than eagerly anticipated by its legion of fans.



The boxed set includes the feature-length pilot telefilm from January 1994 and then the 20 aired episodes, and the two unaired episodes which finally made their broadcast debut in 1997 in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel.



Sam Raimi exec produced this show almost a decade before helming the first movie in the Spider-Man film trilogy. Among the guest stars here - both single-appearance and recurring - were Don S. Davis, David Kaye, Jerry Wasserman, Gary Graham, Teryl Rothery, Lorena Gale, John D'Aquino, and Vincent Schiavelli.



Additional cast members includes: Roger Rees, as Hawkins' friend and colleague John Stonebrake who knows his secret and assists the M.A.N.T.I.S.; Galyn Gorg, as Lt. Leora Maxwell; Christopher Gartin, as Taylor Savage; and Andrew Robinson (best known for his recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space 9), as Solomon Box.



The following is the list of all episodes along with when they first aired, since the shows sometimes did not air regularly: Pilot (Part 1), 01/24/1994, Pilot (Part 2), 01/24/1994; First Steps, 08/26/1994; Tango Blue, 09/2/1994; Days of Rage, 09/9/1994; Cease Fire, 09/16/1994; Soldier of Misfortune, 09/23/1994; Gloves Off 09/30/1994; The Black Dragon 10/7/1994; To Prey in Darkness 10/14/1994; Fire in the Heart, 10/21/1994; Thou Shalt Not Kill (1), 11/4/1994; Revelation (2), 11/11/1994; Through the Dark Circle, 11/18/1994; The Eyes Beyond, 12/9/1994; Faces in the Mask, 12/16/1994; The Sea Wasp, 1/6/1995; Progenitor, 1/20/1995; Switches, 1/27/1995; The Delusionist, 2/10/1995; and Fast Forward, 2/17/1995, and Spider in the Tower, 3/3/1995. The last two episodes of the series, which never aired during the show's run, aired instead for the first time in 1997 on the SciFi Network: Ancestral Evil; and Ghost of the Ice."

One of my favourite short-lived superhero shows!!!

Krishna Jaipersad | Port of spain Trinidad and Tobago | 02/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, after several delays & much anticipation, this has been finally released. This show was quickly cancelled when it was aired originally, but, can now be relived by all who appreciated it. Unfortunately, there is a small or major problem with the disc set!!! Someone believed that it would be feasible not to have any extras !!! For shame!!! I guess the materials were not available or in order to keep the cost low enough for buyers, they decided to forgo anything whatsoever. It would have been great to see & hear Carl Lumbly & Roger Dees recall their memories of this fantastic series!! If you enjoyed the series before, add it to your collection as soon as possible!!!"

Greate Show in M.A.N.T.I.S.

Antoine Mason | New Orleans, LA USA | 04/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember this show vividly because I love African American super heroes of all kinds, be they funny and a joke (i.e. Blankman) or serious and political (Omega Man). In the M.A.N.T.I.S. we have an African American super hero that is put in all types of situations. The only thing that would trump this show is if a show was made about Omega Man (see www.omega7.com). Anyway, this show is great and those who did not see the show need to get this cult classic. Too bad it only lasted a season. It could have more direction too, but even though it didn't it still was a great series."