| Review:
|
Earth Final Conflict is a science fiction series that
premiered in 1997, with a pilot episode written by Gene
Roddenberry – the creator of Star Trek. The pilot was written
by Roddenberry earlier in the decade, just prior to his
death. His son Eugene worked on20the series, and when it
premiered, due to its being created by the man who brought
us the most famous science fiction franchise of all time,
viewers wondered if this would be “the next Star Trek.”
***
Obviously, that never came to be. However, seeing as
how the show lasted for five seasons, there is no denying
that it was at least a marginal success. With intriguing
plotlines and interesting characters, human and non-human
alike, the show didn’t fail to entertain while it was on
the air. ***
In the not-so-distant future, Earth has made contact
with an alien race. These aliens apparently come in peace
– during a relatively-short period of communication with
humanity, they have cured disease and ended hunger. However,
plenty of humans are suspicious, in that they believe the
aliens may just be trying to win over the planet in an effort
to learn their secrets and weaknesses. ***
Sure, the show is a bit on the uneven side at times,
but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great one. The characters
are interesting, the writing and direction always solid,
and the show never boring or dull. There’s not an uninteresting
moment in the whole series. And this is where it all began.
No fan of science fiction will want to overlook this little
gem.
Image and Sound:
Universal pulled out all the stops and made this set
the ideal home video release of the show. The image is bright
and clear throughout, free of any major print damage or
dirt. From start to finish these episodes look fantastic,
with solid colors and black levels. The sound holds up just
as well – everything from voices to sound effects, and even
the musical score, all sound incredible. The set is far
above average for a TV show on DVD. Universal gets a big
thumbs up here for a job well done.
|
| Special
Features: |
Universal also scores major points for not making this
a bare-bones release. The disc includes some commentaries
and a series intro, both of which are hosted by Eugene “Rod”
Roddenberry (Gene’s son, who worked on the show.) He is
joined by other cast and crew members on the commentary
tracks. Additionally, two featurettes appear on the disc
– one that is a “behind the scenes” feature, and the other
that focuses on the Roddenberry family and their contributions
to the series and science fiction. Any fan of the series
will learn a lot of interesting stuff here.
|
