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chambers1378
Reviews
Cyclops (2008)
I liked the Cyclops film very much and here is why
I liked the movie Cyclops very much. The King Kong "bring the big beast back alive so we can display him for profit but he gets loose tearing up the town before we finally kill him tragically" plot is classic. The Roman Emperor granting bread and circuses to the people as cheaply as he can manage it (while having his underlings make it seem like a big deal) and constantly tying the hands of the only seemingly competent military man who can control Cyclops is classic government satire. That same military man being spared by Cyclops in the exciting Colesium scene is classic "Androcles and the Lion" material. The Cyclops defending himself and his property and trying to win his freedom (albeit rather bloodily) is heroic. The historic period recreation (though it may be inaccurate)is interestingly done. The monster is portrayed in many more scenes then the average monster films which try (and usually fail) to build up suspense by gradually having their monsters appear. Technical picks aside I though this a very good film.
Stargate Universe (2009)
how SGU lacks elements of good sci fi (which TV sadly lacks)
I am a hard science fiction lover and there is so little of it on TV that I will gladly watch what is available (including Star Gate Universe (SGU)). It seems to me that good science fiction (sci fi) TV programs have similar elements and I would like to write a little about how SGU does not have these characteristics. Hopefully more sci fi shows will eventually appear that have these elements. 1. Good sci has a sense of wonder. It travels to different cultures, planets, universes and realities. SGU is mainly a claustrophobic show where the characters are trapped aboard an old dark spaceship with precious little to wonder over. 2. Good sci fi has interesting characters who are different from each other but manage to relate together well to work through the often strange situations they are presented with. SGU has one character who knows what is going on and he only gives up his knowledge in small pieces in a reluctant manner. The other characters seem intent on fighting amongst themselves over who is most to blame for the current situation. 3.Good sci fi has engaging stories in which topics of the human condition are often worked through against an alien background. SGU plots seem to muddle through just trying to keep their ships and characters together in one piece to make it to the next episode. 4. Good sci fi has a mix of action and drama with a little comedy and romance thrown in for variety. SGU seems grimly intent on trying to make the successful 15 year SG1 and SG Atlantis franchise (both of which that had all the above characteristics) stretch out a little further by tryng unsucccesfully doing something new with it.
Search (1972)
reasons to recreate the Search TV series
Search had some of the best elements of the spy genre (handsome persuasive and strong male leads, beautiful women, exotic rich locales, and mysterious missing objects, etc) and of the science fiction genre (an elaborate Mission Control center, computer assisted artificial intelligence information, man/machine embedded implants etc).
The plots where were sometimes not that interesting or hung together well but the relationship of the characters (especially Probe Control irascibly trying to keep the three independent minded agents in line) was fun to watch.
When you consider the ongoing popularity of the spy genre and the enthusiastic support of science fiction series by it's fans the series Search should have been a very good success. It could be that it was just a little ahead of its time. I encourage the TV production community to consider the creation of a new Search series or something along the same lines. The TV audience is more interested in both the spy genre (James Bond, the Bourne series etc) and the science fiction series (Star trek, Star Wars, etc than at any time in the past.