aramis-604-620817 Reviews

The Orville: Majority Rule (2017) Season 1, Episode 7

So dead on it is hard to rewatch.

[9/10 · 4 August 2022]

(Originally rated at 10 on 26 Oct 2017) We have a setup that is tribute to several TNG episodes... hidden observation of precontact worlds... one of the watchers having been found... And it being a pretty close parallel of earth We have a "facebook as government" projection...

And of course Lt. LaMarr (J. Lee) doing something idiotic.

A perfect setup for humor... but they play it straight and chilling. The humor is biting, some parts farce, some juxtapositions, some overacting (on purpose).

It's so on point that the humor is painful. It's powerful commentary on modern life is chilling. Rewatching it, even knowing the outcome, is almost painful. And yet, that's why I think it is, indeed, the best first season episode. It makes its social criticism too well... Must watch TV... Once.

(2022 addition:) I've tried to watch it twice more; I can't stand rewatching it. Despite similarity to a Black Mirror episode, this i grounded in several TNG episodes. While I love the show, and have rewatched all the others, this is too hard to get through the cringeworthiness of the situation for me. I get to the situation with Lysella.

I'm glad they brought Lysella back in Season 3. Cleverly, too.

Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine (2017)

Old school in oh so many ways - including bad acting

[8/10 · 28 July 2017]

This is old school space opera at its full silly. When I watched it, I didn't note the release date. It felt like I was watching something from the late 80's or early 90's.

It looks like 1980's movie effects. The script is typical 80's low budget. Boy meets girl, boy and girl save the universe. Boy and girl fall in love. It even borrows the look of Han Solo from the 80's. White shirt, blue uniform jacket with no insignia, blue uniform trousers, obvious sidearm... and just slightly graying.

Wait, let's run that checklist again: Boy Meets Girl: Two, actually, both aliens. (One is Very Near Human, one isn't.) Boy and Girl save the universe: Kinda... for the moment... but the villain escapes for the sequel. Boy and Girl fall in love: Yep. Well, it sure looks like it.

The thing is, this is a modern cast, with retro (obviously practical), Gerry Anderson style FX. Space Precinct wants it's look back...

Casper van Dien is at his heroic comfortable level here. He does some stunt work, he does a decent sword-fight or two (depending upon where one draws the line at decent), and is the worst actor of the primary cast - and at that, he's not bad. He's the right age and physicality fr the character.

Britt Laree does an excellent job as Fade - who is the leading lady every bit as much as Casper is the Leading man.

Sara Salizar is definitely making a good choice moving to acting... she's both easy on the eyes and ears, and made me care about her character.

And the actress under the lizard mask does a remarkable job considering the lack of articulation.

Despite this seeming like a complaint, it's not. I love practical FX, even in miniatures. I love the "Tangibility" of them.

And this does it reasonably well for the ships. Not, however, for the aliens. Oh, my, how very Jason of Star Command they are. (Look it up, younglings. It's a fun ride. Lame FX, but a fun ride.)

The thing is, this looks like it was aimed to be either a series of low budget made for TV movies, or a pilot for a TV show, and not committed to which... And it ends on a scenery-chewing note by the villain. It screams, "More to come!" It's set, however, so that the first adventure has hit a strong chapter break, just in case funding fails.

Bottom line: Waiting for the sequel...