Sandkings

Good story but Beau bridges is unbelievable. He just looks nasty and sloppy even before he steals the world critters.

When his research project is closed down, Simon Kress rescues a few of its living subjects and transplants them to a recreation of their native Martian environment in his barn. They grow and learn, but then Kress makes an error with disastrous implications.

BBC2 debuted this episode of the new The Outer Limits I think on Sunday the 1st of May 1995. I was familiar with original series from the 1960's, but the new version of this particular episode really impressed me with a hidden or subversive message with the warning to scientists trying to play or replace the power of god through scientific advancement.

Probably the most interesting thing about this episode in this day and age is seeing 3 generations of the Bridges family on screen together - Lloyd, his son Beau, and HIS son Dylan - playing those same positions of grandfather, father, son. Oh, and getting to see a younger Kim Coates.

The story itself is decent enough, too - creatures found in a soil sample from Mars, by Earth scientists, are deemed too dangerous to live but the man who made the initial discovery takes matters into his own hands and hi-jinks ensue - and it's all acted capably by the aforementioned actors and Helen Shaver.

The 'moral' is pretty predictable, but really, it's the journey that we're here for and it's a decent enough journey.

Science-as-horror entertainment for the entire family. Adults can indulge the gleeful overacting while kids get to experience fright night as they take everything at face value. Casting is marvelous, with Helen Shaver as the mad scientist's blonde wife an especially inspired choice. Years before, she had played the protagonist's love interest in the voodoo-horror flick "The Believers" in which her classically beautiful WASP face was progressively disfigured by ugly boils that turned out to be ... spiders living under the skin! With this subtext under the viewers' belt, the horrifying encounters she has with the "sandkings" carry an added resonance and punch.

Of course the TV show's plot has been greatly altered from the sci-fi short story, no doubt partly due to budget limitations. I didn't mind. Lloyd Bridges is content to play out his part's stereotype to the hilt, but Beau Bridges gives an acting masterclass by additionally injecting some truly disturbing moments into his performance (the bathroom scene, as noted by other reviewers). For a TV drama, the music score is above average.

Recommended for a rainy evening while curled up in front of the fireplace.

The scientist Dr. Simon Kress (Beau Bridges) has been researching the development of a species using eggs found in a sample of Martian soil. When one bug escapes from the laboratory breaking the security of the facility, the project is shut-down by the government due to its hazard. Dr. Simon expected to win the Nobel Prize and steals 275 g of the sample ground, bringing it to the barn of his property and developing new species. He hides the truth from his wife Cathy (Helen Shaver) and shares the secret with his smart son Josh (Dylan Bridges). Along the days, Simon realizes how intelligent the creatures are and feels like a god since they seem to worship him. However, when Simon is bitten by a subject, he changes his irresponsible behavior to insanity, jeopardizing his family, his friend and mankind.

"Sandking" is the pilot of "The Outer Limits" show and presents a story very similar to "The Fly": an ambitious scientist that makes a mistake with his experiment, being affected and becoming insane with the transformation. The story is disclosed in a low pace, with reasonable special effects for a television show, but the character of Dr. Simon Kress looks like a "crazy scientist" since the very beginning with his irrational behavior when one subject escapes. The final message criticizing scientists that wish to behave like gods is silly and shallow, since the development of science is important and necessary within the limits of ethic, otherwise humanity would still be in the Dark Age. The deranged Dr. Simon Kress is not a good example of a responsible man-of-science. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Quinta Dimensão - Reis da Areia - Partes 1 e 2" ("Fifth Dimension - Sandkings - Parts 1 & 2")