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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph [Terra Nova] That Spielberg TV show with people Time-Travelling back to the Dinosaurs

Discussion in 'Community' started by Ghost, Sep 5, 2011.

  1. Im_just_guessing

    Im_just_guessing Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2002
    1. lol east coasters
    2. SOME baseball game? That was the game of the year man, you should watch what your DVR recorded, that last hour was epic.
     
  2. casual-jedi

    casual-jedi Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 6, 2002
    I will give Terra Nova a couple more weeks.. but seriously, at a cost of $4 million dollars an episode, it's been pretty dull.I-)

    The writing is rather pedestrian, and the art design lacks any form of grit and that attention to fine detail. Essentially, these 'Terra Novans' are supposed to be settlers in a foreign, prehistoric land.. but you don't get that sense of desperation and scrabbling subsistence you'd expect from such an existence. To describe this show in one word, I'd have to go with, 'sterile'. Something like Joss Whedon's Firefly presented the 'colonizing' feel so much better, with much less money. I mean how the frak do you go wrong when you're dealing with Dinosaurs and Time-Travel??? It's all been quite disappointing Mr Braga!

    Brannon Braga has managed to kill his Star Trek baby, and it looks like his new venture Terra Nova, has come out stillborn.:rolleyes:
     
  3. Chancellor_Ewok

    Chancellor_Ewok Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
    Agreed. I like the idea of the Sixers using Josh to spy on Jim, and I will be curious to see how the Sixers are going to contact the future.

    [face_thinking]
     
  4. Im_just_guessing

    Im_just_guessing Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2002
    I get the sense they've moved past the scrambling subsistence point. They've been there for like 7 years now, and clearly can send equipment and supplies back through the portal. This colony is supposed to be mankind's last hope, they've got like ALL the funding. Inside the fence should feel safe and comfortable, and outside the fence should feel wild and scary.
     
  5. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    I just watched the pilot. It's... not that bad. I agree the CGI is kind of comical. :p
     
  6. casual-jedi

    casual-jedi Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 6, 2002
    Sure, but that's kinda my point Im_just_guessing... How boring is all this 'comfortable-ness'?
    I mean, it'd be okay if the writing had some sorta edge to it.. or if the show was tackling the big moral/scientific dilemmas connected with taking mankind's existence accross temporal boundaries.. or even if the characters were not banal, cardboard cut-outs phoning in well-worn, middle of the road themes. But the reality is, there's nothing of the sort.. and saying that "oh, we've got it all sorted, cos we've been here a while now" is frankly, lazy sci-fi that insults the intelligence of it's audience.

    That said, I'm yet to see the latest episode I've downloaded.. so I'm waiting to be wow'd.
    I really want Terra Nova to be good.. as it is shot in my state of Queensland, here in Australia.
    But apart from a handful of highlights in the two-part pilot, I've been left underwhelmed.
     
  7. PRENNTACULAR

    PRENNTACULAR VIP star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2005
    Just watched the latest show. At the beginning, when they crazy guy is actin, crazy, I thought he was supposed to be acting normal, and just doing a terrible job at it. Shows just how much confidence I have in the acting of those on this show. :p
     
  8. Im_just_guessing

    Im_just_guessing Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2002
    I think it would be lazy scifi to ignore that they should be well supplied and pretty well off due to the premise of the show. Maybe it would be more interesting if the show was following the first pilgrimage, or maybe it will be more interesting leaving that to your imagination.
     
  9. casual-jedi

    casual-jedi Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 6, 2002
    Imagination? I'm sorry but I have to disagree.. TV is visual medium for storytelling. Okay, so imagination might be a useful tool to build suspense(ala Hitchcock), but to leave large chunks of exposition and back-story down to "we're past that, just imagine it" is in my opinion, quite lazy. It's all exacerbated by the fact that what we have in lew, is a plodding family dynamic, bookended by decent but all-too-brief dinosaur action sequences. The 3rd(Pterodactyl) episode of Terra Nova was like, 90% filler.
     
  10. jp-30

    jp-30 Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Who's Lew?
     
  11. Im_just_guessing

    Im_just_guessing Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2002
    Its funny, because some years back there was much clamoring about how modern Sci-Fi is bad because it leaves nothing to the imagination.

    Personally, I think that like most Sci-Fi shows that are not 100% arc based, they're throwing out a few cliche one shot shows to start out, and then they're going to dive into more interesting deeper stuff. The premise of the show, according to promotional materials, is that everything is not as it seems. In order to run with that as a premise, they have to make everything seem a certain way and then either do a big reveal or chip away at the foundation. There is a story they're trying to tell, and its not about hardcore survivalists.
     
  12. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    I've enjoyed all the episodes so far, but the Lost style super secret ultra drama is a real turn off. Fortunately they've kept it to a minimum, but they've been setting it up for down the road. The everything is not as it seems intrigue is not at all intriguing to me.

    Also the oldest daughter is way cute.
     
  13. casual-jedi

    casual-jedi Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 6, 2002
    Believe me, I'm waiting for them to turn that corner. I'm just asking for a modicum of substance to keep me satiated in the meantime.;)
     
  14. Ghost

    Ghost Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2003
    Just watched the latest episode online, and it was a lot better!

    So, the Sixers have a way of communicating with everyone in 2049. And their insider, the barman, is hiring Josh, in exchange for getting his girlfriend there on the next pilgrimage.

    Taylor was scary when he lost his memory.

    And Malcom is still such a creep.
     
  15. Jedi_Reject_Jesse

    Jedi_Reject_Jesse Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 26, 2004
    3 minutes in and they've ripped off Newt from Aliens. Didn't they already do a take on the "they come at night mostly" line in this series? And last weeks episode felt like an episode of star trek, simplistic and predictable. This whole show tries too hard to be harmless, not push any boundaries or challenge the viewer in any way...
     
  16. Kiki-Gonn

    Kiki-Gonn Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2001
    We caught some of this at a restaurant the other night. Not enough to make a far judgement on but it looked less than compelling.
     
  17. Im_just_guessing

    Im_just_guessing Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2002
    I'm still entertained by it. But I predict an imminent headline "Terra Nova Ratings Slide Continues"
     
  18. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    I love how the family doesn't even TRY to mend their relationship with Josh.
     
  19. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    I assume you mean tension between Josh and his dad?

    I think his dad is trying, but Josh is being an idiot teenager. What does he have to complain about?

    Josh had to leave his puppy love behind to live in Paradise? That's why it's kinda hard for me to swallow this family drama, they're in paradise while the rest of human civilization is in hell.

    Josh's dad went to jail and he had to man up and get a job for like two years? He looked to be about 15, time to get a job anyway, especially in such a harsh environment. It's not like his dad was some evil hardcore criminal. Now his dad is just trying to be his dad again, and Josh is making it hard on him out of spite. Josh picked up the slack for his family while his dad was gone, constantly throwing that in his dad's face is a dick move. Forgive your dad for flipping out in that situation so everyone can move on.

    Notice how the two girls have forgiven him.

    What can the dad do? Take responsibility for his mistake? Did that. Apologize? Did that. Be understanding? Doing that. Fulfill his role in the family? Doing it.

    The only person who can "fix" that situation is Josh.
     
  20. Mustafar_66

    Mustafar_66 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 20, 2005
    The son needs to be eaten by a dinosaur.
     
  21. Aytee-Aytee

    Aytee-Aytee Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2008
    Haven't seen the show....not big into television...

    But the plot makes no sense...if they are trying to "save humanity", why the HELL did they go back to the CRETACEOUS PERIOD?
    [image=http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/images/ic/credit/640x395/c/cr/cretaceous-tertiary_extinction_event/cretaceous-tertiary_extinction_event_1.jpg]
     
  22. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Maybe if you watched the pilot you would know.
     
  23. Im_just_guessing

    Im_just_guessing Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2002
    The show goes back 85 million years, and the Cretaceous extinction event is believed to happen about 65 million years ago, so I think they've got like 20 million years to come up with a defense.

    If they hurry, I think they can make it.
     
  24. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    [image=http://i.imgur.com/VSDpa.jpg]
     
  25. Ghost

    Ghost Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2003
    I think the episodes keep getting better and better... the Runaway episode was really good. Starting to get some more info on the Sixers.

    Besides having 20 million years to get ready, this is an alternate timeline, and they didn't choose this time period... the time rift already existed, they're just using it.