The episode has its moments, but overall isn't one of the better episodes of the series I've seen. It's certainly worth watching if you like the series, but if you're unfamiliar with the 1980s Twilight Zone and are looking for an introduction, you can do better.
The first segment, "Monsters!", has some fine acting from Ralph Bellamy, but the script and direction are confusing and at times outright jarring, like how one scene ends with Bellamy's character telling the boy Toby to hurry home to his parents, and in the very next shot Toby is running up to Bellamy's house to ring the bell. The premise is interesting but so poorly explained that you can't quite swallow it, and if anyone can tell me what the ending is supposed to imply, I'd love to hear from you.
"A Small Talent for War" is a short but lowbrow "twist ending" tale. The people of Earth mistake the intentions of some aliens, but it makes no sense that they make the assumptions they do; indeed, if you judge the aliens on real world terms rather than with the knowledge that you're inside a sci fi story, their intentions are obvious from the beginning. Still, a cutting performance from John Glover as the alien ambassador makes this a reasonably amusing watch.
The episode goes out on a high note with "A Matter of Minutes", a delightful romp through the sort of zany tongue-in-cheek premise that is one of the hallmarks of the Twilight Zone franchise. Striking visuals and a dramatic plot in which the characters must play with the rules of the premise make this one pure fun. The fact that this doesn't rank as one of the best segments in the series is testament to the strength of the competition rather than any weakness here.
The first segment, "Monsters!", has some fine acting from Ralph Bellamy, but the script and direction are confusing and at times outright jarring, like how one scene ends with Bellamy's character telling the boy Toby to hurry home to his parents, and in the very next shot Toby is running up to Bellamy's house to ring the bell. The premise is interesting but so poorly explained that you can't quite swallow it, and if anyone can tell me what the ending is supposed to imply, I'd love to hear from you.
"A Small Talent for War" is a short but lowbrow "twist ending" tale. The people of Earth mistake the intentions of some aliens, but it makes no sense that they make the assumptions they do; indeed, if you judge the aliens on real world terms rather than with the knowledge that you're inside a sci fi story, their intentions are obvious from the beginning. Still, a cutting performance from John Glover as the alien ambassador makes this a reasonably amusing watch.
The episode goes out on a high note with "A Matter of Minutes", a delightful romp through the sort of zany tongue-in-cheek premise that is one of the hallmarks of the Twilight Zone franchise. Striking visuals and a dramatic plot in which the characters must play with the rules of the premise make this one pure fun. The fact that this doesn't rank as one of the best segments in the series is testament to the strength of the competition rather than any weakness here.
