Alright, I am not a Stargate fan. I don't dislike it, but it was always just off my radar. Long time readers will know I am typically ten years behind what is currently Geek Chic. That being said, I have a review copy of Stargate Universe 1.5, and will do my best to provide a non-fan view of things. The set contains three discs. Retail is $39.99 USD, or $29.99 on Amazon. This, apparently, went on sale Tuesday 27JUL2010.Initially, the Blu-Ray looks pretty good. It has kind of a creepy element, winding through hallways as the menus are displayed. The text in the pop-up menus is a little small, but I find this to be a fault of most Blu-Ray discs I have viewed and not one specific to this set. The look of the show is quite good as well. It does not have the green-screen look of other sci-fi shows, and has a sort of dark future Star Trek feel with actual constructed sets.
Being unfamiliar with the show, I felt a little "dropped in" on the first episode. This set follows, I assume, Stargate Universe SG-U 1.0, and there is a fairly comprehensive "previously on Lost" intro to let you know where things are going, if not completely where they have been. From a newbie point of view the show has more in relation to Lost or Star Trek Voyager than what I know as Stargate. There is a ship full of people trying to get back to Earth, with groups aligned by their skill sets. There is a military faction, a scientific faction, and the IT nerds. The "others" are the various alien species they meet, and getting "off the island" involves finding some secret that will guide the ship home.
In all, this set contains ten episodes. Each disc has a set of interviews and behind the scenes videos. Disc 3 has a survival game where you watch a video and make selections according to the action. To be honest, I did not understand the game. You are presented with two choices at various intervals, but it is not always clear who is taking said action. It is, however, very cool looking. To be fair, I was never any good at Dragon's Lair either.
2 comments:
I really liked this show because it has all the things I like in a space drama - old ship, lost in space, competing interests, uncomfortable alliances. I like the dynamic between Robert Carlyle and the military commander. This is the show I hoped that Battlestar Galactica would have been.
I could perhaps get more into this one if I had started at the beginning. It definitely looks good, and has good production value. I think the "voyage home" aspect ads to the show idea. Rather than just exploring through the gate, they are using it to survive (I assume).
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