Despite sharing a world and various supporting cast members, Athena is decidedly not IRIS. Fans of that series will note, as is often the case with spin-offs, the two are widely different in terms of style and atmosphere. Viewers should be wary of coming into this one with expectations of a similar ride, though there are small nods toward its predecessor. The primary strengths of this drama rest in fabulous action sequences and beautiful location shooting. Scenes filmed in Italy are truly remarkable; the episodes spent there are some of the best. However, after the events that brought us to Europe conclude, writing mistakes and muddy character motivations start to bog down key elements of the story line. Thanks to a fast pace and simple plot, some of this can be forgiven and there's no chance of the viewer getting lost. Performances in Athena were a mixed bag. Strong actors worked with the weak and certain characters drowned in script issues. Villains were more compelling than the heroes for instance. Cha Seung Won is particularly wonderful, playing intense and sympathetic though his purposes are dark. I also found myself very invested in the fate of his strangely lovable minion/companion Andy, as portrayed by the adorable Sean Richard. As for the heroes, you have a talented Jung Woo Sung working with clipped wings. He tries to make something out of Lee Jung Woo, but the script affords him little more than saving the day and being struck silly with attraction for his female lead. Speaking of her, my first encounter with Soo Ae found her wanting. She felt limited in ability despite having a role with written potential; most of her scenes were spent gaping or wide-eyed. The love line between the two was poor as well; Woo Sung had more chemistry with a certain SM Entertainment megastar in her two episode cameo. Athena: Goddess of War is for those viewers hankering for a modern action series. It's light and fast, though not worth subsequent viewings. Those that love SM artists might enjoy it too, since many are highly promoted both in the cast and in the soundtrack. I'd recommend it without taking the plot too seriously; this show has its fun moments.