DVD Review : Earth 2

Watching box sets takes so much time and at the end its always dissapointing if you dont feel you get full satisfaction. Earth 2 is from the producers of Miami Vice and ER comes the thrilling story of Devon Adair (Debrah Farentino), who is struggling to find a healthy environment for her deathly ill son, Ulysses.

Disregarding government orders, she puts together an expedition to found a new civilization on an Earth-like planet 22 light years in the future. But after their ship crash-lands on the wrong side of planet G889, the "colonists" quickly discover that their new home already has some very strange and hostile inhabitants.

Overall the TV series is quite honestly flat. It starts out strong with some great action and a crash landing, and then within about two episodes it falls completely flat. The survivors are on a planet where nobody can get to them and where there seems to be next to no real life forms around. So the action, well its limited. My biggest problem is there reaction to crashing. Everyone is far to calm considering they have crashed with no supplies, and next to no equipment.

They do discover two races and some prisoners. The prisoners are human and are cast onto the new planet as a place to "keep them". Not plausible, and also quite boring. Primarily the story evolves around a species called the Terrians which look very cool, and actually are very well done. They have healed Ulysses the young boy of his viral problems and he is now "half terrian". Interesting concept, that never really goes to fruition.

The other big party in this adventure.. if we can call it that.. is the council. A secret organization that is plotting against them, and although unable to locate them on this new planet can communicate with them through virtual reality. Please dont ask me to explain how virtual reality can work but nothing else can.

Earth 2 consists of a big mix of small stories that dont intertwine and dont build to any big story development at all. You get the feeling that they are just sitting thinking "what can we do to the series to make it work". Most of the characters I found irritating and I felt no attachment to them at all. I didnt care whether they lived or died, and at no time was sitting wondering what would happen next. In a good TV series you should move from one episode to the next with good direction, always wondering what will happen next. Who's going to live? Who will die? Earth 2 is sadly flat. It gets a 5 out of 10 on my rating scale. I rate it 5 because it does have a cool premise and their are some good episodes. ( Primarily Episode 1 and the Zed Assassin Episode ) As well the Terrians look very coool.

Earth 2 will appeal to Trek fans; possibly, but mainstream movie goers should skip this one. Die hard Sci-Fi fans you may very well enjoy this one.