User reviews

This genre mash up is way out of balance. The visuals indicate more of a sci-fi/dystopian story and then you end up with a "step up/so you think you can dance" story. The actors and aesthetics are pretty good and I appreciate the attempt to incorporate two drastically different things like hip hop and sci-fi but sadly this didn't capture me.

If you can get past the first couple of episodes, this show is quite powerful. It is powered by old-school hip-hop and teaches kids the power of learning from the past in order to deal with the struggles many of us face in the future.

As a show, however, the weird performance aspect seems like they tried to mix Hunger Games with High School Musical in a way that totally did not work. I can see how this show was made by Apple to try and target a wide range of target audiences and that did not work in its favour. The whole direction media is going is to serve different groups. Cater to each of them separately instead of trying to put them all together so you get better ratings and more $$.

That said, the show did move me. I felt emotionally engaged with the themes of resistance and collective organising and how well power works to stop change from happening. The soundtrack was great (the lip sync not so much).

I wish they had more shows like this when I was a teen. Would have felt a little more like I belonged.

The show is corny, but I mean it's basically a musical. So I feel like that comes with the territory. What gets me is the subtle messaging. Which gets really bad in episode 3.

It's got a clearly liberal message, that's not really rooted in reality.

Peaceful versus violent protest. It puts an emphasis on how impactful peaceful protests are, which is a lie. Proof? The American military budget and the militarizing of police across America.

Even in the show, the sit in and stomping don't do anything. It's the sacrifice and poor deal making of Moore Times. Which side note, very jk Rowling of a name. Him cutting a deal is what gets Bodhi released. Which is how capitalism functions.

Furthermore the poor understanding of the relationship between art and communism/socialism is wild. This society is clearly supposed to invoke a communist state, yet it's under capitalism everything is commodified. From free time to art.

How many legal debates has America had on the nature of art? When freedom of speech is our first amendment.

Anyways, shows ok. Interesting concept just wanted to complain about the liberal messaging. I like the balance between storytelling and musical performance. It's pretty solid. Idk if I could have dealt with like constant singing. That would have gotten to me.

Gonna finish watching it now. Just pay more attention to what you consume.

Let me get this straight: The "competitive" aspect of this show is based on a dance that makes the dancer move like an inflatable waving arm man? That's what they went with? I sludged through the first episode, so my review is incomplete, but nothing grabbed me in this one. I have no incentive to keep going.

What ruins UTOPIA FALLS is that it thematically elevates artistic expression to a level of importance that it doesn't have and never will. It's representation of dance offs and sing offs as possessing this level of importance renders it risible and ridiculous.

Certainly musical entertainment is not new. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that it's been part of human entertainment for millennia. The "Western" notion of the "musical" itself probably stems from the late 1800s. So having various forms of performance art (dance, singing etc.) integrally mixed with fiction storytelling is a well-established and long accepted form of legitimate entertainment. So no problem there as far as that goes.

Anyone who's ever felt a strong emotion knows that music (and other forms of performance art) is a wonderful way to express and/or commune with deeply felt human emotions. In other words, saying you feel really strongly about something doesn't hold a candle to singing a really moving song or composing a really powerfully-worded poem or employing some other, more abstract form of artistic expression to really capture and project that feeling and to possibly profoundly communicate that feeling to others.

But carrying the "meaningfulness" of that artistic expression beyond the point where it is specifically a "vehicle" of expression to where it is held forth as the point itself, THE important theme in the program or what the program is ABOUT, just reads as absurd.

What's that you say? Singing and dancing represents the pinnacle of human evolution, progress and achievement? They are the REASON we do everything else that humans do? Seriously? We're going to solve all the problems of humanity by dancing our way into the future?

I think some people tend to confuse the experience of feeling strong emotion in connection with artistic expression as somehow suggesting that the expression (the singing, the dancing, whatever) has an importance in and of itself that it doesn't have. I'm completely guessing here, but we have at least one generation currently alive so far, and perhaps more, who have grown up in lives more virtual and symbolic than actual and experiential and can't always seem to separate artistic symbology from the things being symbolized. Whatever they FEEL or BELIEVE, that's what IS. They seem to think that perception makes reality rather than the other way around.

From a mechanical standpoint, I have no idea what the heavy top loading of minority performers is supposed to be telling us. Is it that, since GRAVITY FALLS entire raison d'être is about performance art, and literally nothing more (to its failing), all legitimate cultural expression and performance art can only come from traditional "minorities"? Was it just that most Caucasian people got wiped out in the apocalyptic conflagration?

Last time I looked, traditional "minorities" were continuously objecting to the lack of population-ratio-related representation in Hollywood etc.? Why is completely skewed representation totally okay here?

Well, so close and yet so far. If the show had maybe followed the lines of a more "traditional" musical it might have resulted in an interesting novel mix of old styles and new ideas. Instead, it panders to a very experience-limited and reality-challenged subculture while deeply mired in heavily distorted PC sensibilities. I don't see how that's going to be a successful long-term broad appeal formula.

But, hey, what do I know? Maybe hip-hop is so important it can save the world and lead everyone to freedom. Because, you know, inspiring youth-oriented rebellious music never happened before hip-hop. Uh-Huh.

It definitely has potential. The actors are decent, some episodes are average, but it has some good points. Don't get all the bad reviews that haven't even watched 2-3 episodes, it picks up after episode 2, it's not a great series, but it has potential.

I don't know how, but I got to the end. Sadly I can only imagine that if someone observed me watching it they would've seen someone with a bewildered look on their face and their jaw hanging down as if to say "What the ..............???"

Imagine American Idol crossed with the Divergent series, only much worse acting and casting. It's like either the actors themselves know how bad this is, or the characters are intentionally portraying someone acting out a bad TV show.

If your perception of entertainment is to watch contemporary dancing, competing against singers who are competing against modern pianists who are competing against other dancers and musicians in a Utopian future where there's clearly a dystopian faction just beyond the treeline, then this is your cup of tea.

It's just not mine.

Has one that is a fan of anything other than rap music oh, I was kind of turned off at the beginning. I gave it a chance because the showrunner is the same person that did the Stargate series and Dark Matter. The show definitely gets more interesting as it goes on.. these so-called idyllic future has a dark secret to it that begins being revealed after a few episodes. Yes, there is a lot of dance to it but that is not the heart of the show. Like too many shows, too many people give up too early. They had to set the stage for what was to come.. and what is to come gets more interesting every episode! I'm not typically one that is into young teen shows but this one is different because the underlying theme is relevant to everyone.. don't always trust what you're told! Just give it three or four episodes.. if you are a fan of the Stargate series you will probably end up loving it!

To those who did bad reviews, obviously you cant read well. It is exactly as described and not the best dance show or sci-fi show but is a nice different ease into both combined. I feel it is beautifully refreshing and fun to watch.

I'm not quite sure what I'm watching but I don't think I'm going to continue watching it any longer. The first episode was about all I could take. I'm a huge sci-fi fan and love the post-apocalyptic and dystopian future genres. I even enjoy most young adult dystopian future movies and shows, but man... this is awful!

I'm really eager for Season 2! It took a little bit for the show to find it's footing, but it's very enjoyable. The 1984-esque Authority environment in New Babyl sets a dark tone that, in some ways, is distressingly similar to our current world, all in the guise of a Utopian society.

To address some of the complaints I've seen here:

The singers are pretty good, the actor who plays Bodhi is a great performer, and the dancers are incredible.

If you continue the show, you'll see that it absolutely makes sense to elevate dance/song/music to such heights--I mean, it always struck me a bit odd that in Hunger Games, it was essential to be combat trained and ready to participate/succeed in the games. If you're going to oppress a people, why on earth would you encourage them to know how to kill people and to be capable of doing so?

Meanwhile, art performance can certainly be used to distract, shift focus, control a narrative without making your populace combat-ready.

Overall, it's a show that can really suck you in within an episode or two--I binged the whole thing in three nights. I *really* hope it gets picked up for a second season!!!

This series is like Divergent and Hunger Games with a little HipHop culture. It is not meant for everyone, believe me I was suprised when they started dancing and singing for the first time. Once you get past the first couple episodes you realize the story is actually pretty good. I truly hope that they do a 2nd season to allow me to see where they were going with this.

So - this program is just weird. It is supposed to be set in the far flung future where everyone is accepted and equal - yet people are divided into sectors and classes (by their work position), and they pay tribute to their founder through dance ? Why - no idea !!

For a futuristic utopian society - they really haven't evolved much and the society is very Nazi like in its presentation - even down to a salute and propaganda posters !

You can tell from the start that the show is aimed at a black culture, because even though everyone is supposed to be equal in race, there are more black actors than there are any others and hints of black musical culture and art are scattered throughout. I guessed the creator was black before i looked him up and before Snoop Dog was revealed as the voice of the archive - a library found by the supposed 16 year olds (who look like 20 - 30 year olds) dedicated to the past. So this entirely defies the initial concept of the show.

The show comes across as a rip off of the hunger games and a singing / dancing show such as the X-factor.

The whole episode is just weird and the singing is far too autotuned to be enjoyable. They all sound like they belong in a tacky boy / girl band ! The dancing is also lacking individualism and the dancers were obviously choreographed by the same person. I don't know if this was supposed to be deliberate or not ?

The actors and actresses weren't good enough to hold my attention through this strange puzzle of a show. Everything is just all over the place and as such it didn't hold my interest long enough to make me want to watch a second episode !

"Utopia Falls" (S01, 10 eps, 45min, Hulu) is a social progressives' fever dream where a non-tech society of teens (it seems) serve the matriarchal, non-euro-descendant State ("For State, for community, for all!"), a fantasy world of non-violence (no weapons), and singing, dancing galore. Any hopes I had of Joseph Mallozzi's "Stargate" pedigree were dashed for a gross derivative of Hunger Games, American Idol, Step Up, etc. It's a waste of ACTING talent and resources to have made such a travesty, a self-serving paean to a pathetic political ideology. All those "10" ratings you see, studio sycophants uttering vapid obsequities.

Have to ask the question, why make crap like this? Watched half way into second episode and just had to turn it off. As a sci-fi fan I was totally disappointed by this. Just another teen angst crap series set in the future.... a future that makes no sense at all. Everyone is apparently equal yet segregated into work groups. I have no idea what this has to do with dancing and singing.....

Don't bother watching this one...

Not sure why all the hate for this one...everything isnt for everyone...dont like it move along...i feel the show isnt bad at all...lol...then again show says it too nit everyone likes new and different lmao

Someone desperately is attempting to make this opposite to The Hunger Games in every aspect possible. Al it does is make it silly. And this awful and sick idea that a game show like 'Americas got (no) talent' becomes the socially guiding norm, well, that is just a serious mental breakdown in itself. Besides, these little surviving societies...so few people, yet they have all this advanced tech and no shortage of luxury items. Writers fall and sink in their own premise, leaving a show that is just not believable and/or entertaining. Perceived futures like this make mankind appear a lot more stupid than they actually are. A future no one would or could allow.

I was not super impressed when I first started watching it but it got a lot better.

It's definitely cheesy, and has teen levels of drama, but I think if you're the target audience it's pretty great.

I definitely preferred the sci-fi, and the distopian elements of the series to the teen drama. However the idea that teens are saving the world with Hiphop through a talent show style competition I'm weirdly here for.

But I think the characters talking about the history of how music has affected history is pretty great.

I checked it out because of Joseph Malozzi's involvement. My optimism was quickly extinguished. Either Malozzi's involvement was very limited or he's lost his edge. Either way, unless you enjoy preachy Hollywood pyschobabble...you might want to spend your time elsewhere. Side note... every negative review seems to have the same group of people downvoting as not helpful. I expect the same here. Maybe the crew, relatives of the crew ... who knows. In any case...the truth is in the pudding, 20 minutes into the first episode you'll likely be wishing you spent that 20 minutes another way.

This show is getting way too much hate for something so new. Yes, it had a terrible trailer and a bad first episode but those things don't truly represent the quality of the show!

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was complete crap in the beginning too. I thought it was gonna be a knock off version Hunger Games, Dance Dance Revolution style but give it at least 3 episodes and you'll see the potential. I just finished the 1st season and it left me wanting more!

I'm not guaranteeing that you'll love it but you can't based your opinion on reviews of people who haven't even watched the whole thing and have only seen the LESS THAN 2 MINUTES LONG trailer or the bad first episode.

It's a show about a group of teens who realize their society isn't what it seems to be and end up leading a societal revolution through music, dance and art. The best way I could describe it like 'The 3%' meets 'Hunger Games' meets 'The Giver' with a sprinkle of 'Divergent' but a bit more matured and less reliant on the coolness of technology. It pays tribute to music and dance from different cultures. It shows how if we don't learn history, we are doomed to repeat it and that knowledge is power.

I know it might seem like a shallow concept but if you actually watch it, you'll see it has potential. Yes, it's a bit predictable, uses typical tropes and is probably targeted towards 13-16 year olds but it still pretty good.

Personally, I'd rate it a 6.5-7/10 but since the majority of the people who rated it badly haven't even seen the full show, I'm rating it 10/10 to give it an even chance.

If you managed to read all of that, thanks for listening to my little TedTalk. Hope you don't listen to the mean comments and reviews and actually give the show a try.

Seriously, I wonder what's up with people. It's clearly written, and here quoting: ''use the power of music to ignite change in their reality to expose the truth'' so why the hell are you all surpised that they is dancing and singing???? Not to mention its COMING OF AGE story, connect the dots its obvs about teenagers, so if you're not into such things simply don't watch it and maybe stop asking why ''somebody made that crap"

Anyway I don't get why the rate is so low, the series keep in intense tension for almost a finale that also gives a hint that there might be a season two to get everyhting solved. I agree, there are some super cliche moments and it's easy to predict what might happen in some situation but isn't that what has to do with every each of series these days?? The acting wasn't so bad, there was literally nothing explicit, nothing disturbing.

And then again some people also question why was there dance and singing in first place, well to give a message, as we know these days more message has songs that we listen daily than any politcian, that shows how it fits in teens decade. Not to mention, expressing yourself, hidden passion and ideas.

So that is what I think.

I was looking forward to this show, I'm a big sci-fi fan, and love most things dystopian. This show was not that, this was stupid! With the dancing and singing, it's like a future Americas got talent, only the talent is not that good. I just barely made it through the first episode, but the cringe-factor is so high I can't watch any more. Color me disappointed.... Step it up people, we need a new good(!) dystopian show

I was a little skeptical in the beginning but after the first two episodes i couldn't stop watching. It's like a hunger games, Divergent, and a little of The 100 mixed in one. It's drama and small amounts of sci-fi got me hooked. I just can't wait until the next episodes. Hope you will watch it too.