"American Gladiators" was one of my favorite shows of the '90s, so when the promos started airing for "Battle Dome," I thought, hey, an updated "Gladiators!" Oh, good grief. Sometimes, this show makes me long for even "Knights and Warriors," that "AG" knock-off that had a couple of seasons before it ended.
All the warriors have personas to match their nicknames, like "gangsta" T-Money, Jamaican brawler Cuda (who I actually find least objectionable of all of the warriors), narcissistic so-called golden boy O'Dell, Italian caricature Johnny Rocco, and imperious warhorse Commander. "Battle Dome" is a strictly boys' club, as there are no competitions for the women as there were with "AG" and "Knights"; the only place for women in "Battle Dome" is as busty valets and arm charms for the overhyped warriors. And what's this in the second season with assigning a Perfect 10 girl to hang all over each of the competitors?
The games seem to unfairly favor the warriors; I honestly believe that there is a maximum weight/height restriction that they put on the competitors! The American Gladiators would take on all comers, as long as they passed the physical. What are the Battle Dome warriors scared of? Afraid that they'll look like wusses in their own house by getting beaten by guys bigger than they are? The warriors only look like bullies beating up on guys smaller than themselves, especially the 6' 10" Bubba King.
And I don't know about you, but the storylines and the premises behind some of the characters are just plain stupid. Bobbi Haven, the secretary for the never-seen Chairman, always trying to lure O'Dell into her arms... Jake Fury playing pranks on half the warrior roster and getting the tables turned on him... the T-Money-O'Dell feud (which I see only as a racial thing anyway)... even wrestlers from the WCW coming to bash heads with the Battle Dome warriors... puh-leeze! Leave the storylines to the wrestlers. Not even at their hokiest were "AG" and "Knights" this cheesy.
All right, I admit that some of the games look like fun... I wouldn't mind having the Battle Hoop in my living room to give me a good workout, as long as I knew that Snake, Johnny Rocco, Cuda, Baby Blue, or whoever else wouldn't be trying to knock the crap out of me as I tried to dive through the thing. Interceptor (the game where the warrior are suspended from the ceiling) looks like a lot of fun, too. Other than that, send the whole lot of these guys back to the showers!
All the warriors have personas to match their nicknames, like "gangsta" T-Money, Jamaican brawler Cuda (who I actually find least objectionable of all of the warriors), narcissistic so-called golden boy O'Dell, Italian caricature Johnny Rocco, and imperious warhorse Commander. "Battle Dome" is a strictly boys' club, as there are no competitions for the women as there were with "AG" and "Knights"; the only place for women in "Battle Dome" is as busty valets and arm charms for the overhyped warriors. And what's this in the second season with assigning a Perfect 10 girl to hang all over each of the competitors?
The games seem to unfairly favor the warriors; I honestly believe that there is a maximum weight/height restriction that they put on the competitors! The American Gladiators would take on all comers, as long as they passed the physical. What are the Battle Dome warriors scared of? Afraid that they'll look like wusses in their own house by getting beaten by guys bigger than they are? The warriors only look like bullies beating up on guys smaller than themselves, especially the 6' 10" Bubba King.
And I don't know about you, but the storylines and the premises behind some of the characters are just plain stupid. Bobbi Haven, the secretary for the never-seen Chairman, always trying to lure O'Dell into her arms... Jake Fury playing pranks on half the warrior roster and getting the tables turned on him... the T-Money-O'Dell feud (which I see only as a racial thing anyway)... even wrestlers from the WCW coming to bash heads with the Battle Dome warriors... puh-leeze! Leave the storylines to the wrestlers. Not even at their hokiest were "AG" and "Knights" this cheesy.
All right, I admit that some of the games look like fun... I wouldn't mind having the Battle Hoop in my living room to give me a good workout, as long as I knew that Snake, Johnny Rocco, Cuda, Baby Blue, or whoever else wouldn't be trying to knock the crap out of me as I tried to dive through the thing. Interceptor (the game where the warrior are suspended from the ceiling) looks like a lot of fun, too. Other than that, send the whole lot of these guys back to the showers!