Roots - The Next Generations (1979)

finally on dvd

And about time. Alex Haley's "factional" story is as powerful today as when first released. With the current political goings on in this country, Roots and Roots TNG should be required viewing for every single American. May 17, 2008

Roots - The Next Generation

I've looked for over a year trying to find this collection. I was shocked and amazed at the clarity and quality of this video collection. It looks like the movie was just made. I highly recommend this video to everyone. April 6, 2008

Informative and long

I recently watched ROOTS, the original because when I saw it as a child, I really didn't understand what I was watching. After I watched it, I was deeply moved by what black people had gone through. I was anxious to learn of the lives of Chicken George and the family, AFTER they were set free so I purchased ROOTS: The Next Generations.

I wasn't as impressed with this version. I found the casting to be questionable. A child would have coarse hair and dark skin and 20 years later would grow up with "good hair" and light skin. Haley, as a child was cast as a light skinned boy with "good hair" and grew up to be a dark-skinned man with coarse hair. The casting was distracting.

Because of poor casting, I found it difficult to keep up with the story of various individuals. You go to watch the next segment and ask yourself: who the heck is that and HOW can that person be the same person as before. Another prime example is Bertha Palmer. As a child, she was dark-skinned with coarse hair. She grew up to be light-skinned with "good hair."

Another problem I had with the movie is the number of characters and storylines. There were entirely too many. Although many of the characters connected to the Palmers/Haleys/Kintes in some way, there simply was not enough time to address everybody. For instance, the Warners really were a family I was interested in, but after Frank Warner became a doctor, we never heard from the family again. Did Ms. Warner (the mother-in-law) ever come to accept Frank? Was there a relationship at all with the Warners and Carey (the black wife) or her husband? Why introduce us to the Warners and not follow up? Well, the answer to the question is here:

Basically, Haley then started to discuss Simon Haley's involvement in the military. I didn't find this part of the story interesting at all. The point was to show the lack of racial separation in the military. Instead, it came across as filler.

Another character I liked and who was not fully explored was Elizabeth. Elizabeth Palmer was Bertha Palmer's sister. She ended up unmarried because her father forbade her from marrying a mulatto. I heard them say she was teaching in Arkansas and then Oklahoma, but the depth of her life was largely left unaddressed.

My point is that he introduced us to these characters, we took an interest, just when the interest peaks, he stops all mention of these people to introduce filler to the storyline. Among this filler, however, he failed to tell us what Bertha Palmer Haley did with her college degree. I assumed she just was a stay at home mom. Other reviewers seem to indicate that she was a teacher in Henning, TN.

Anyway, after a while the story just seemed too long and because it concentrated so much on Alex Haley it really should have been separated out. Basically, it should have been ROOTS, ROOTS post-slavery, THEN the biography OF ALEX HALEY.


I will keep ROOTS for my future generations, but I don't think I will be watching or keeping ROOTS, the next generations. March 11, 2008

Kunta Kinte - The Second Century

Roots - The Next Generations
Having just finished watching the first series of Roots, I was looking forward to watching the sequel, having last seen it on TV in New Zealand around thirty years ago. While I would hesitate in saying it is better than the original, it holds your attention while covering "less dramatic" times in the Haley family history. The DVD box set totals 688 minutes of viewing, which equates to good value for money. The series follows closely the family history after the move to Henning, Tennessee. The spectre of racism is still there in each episode, although the actual incidents seem quite mild compared to what viewers were confronted with in the first series. I would seriously recommend anyone considering watching Roots and Roots - The Next Generations to read the book as well. All in all a very good watch, and well worth while purchasing. Richard Parsons, Christchurch, New Zealand. January 10, 2008

roots the next generation

Its good and a part of history. It really makes you mad but you have to think of things now and how different they are today. December 23, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...