New York Times Review

[padders]

HERCULES IS LOST IN SPACE
Tuesday,October 3,2000

By ADAM BUCKMAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------


IF you loved "Star Trek" and "Star Wars," you'll hate "Andromeda."

It's the latest sci-fi series to be adapted from the scribblings left behind by the late Gene Roddenberry, who's been dead nine years, but who somehow remains as prolific as ever.

Credit for that must go to his widow, Majel, who's listed as an executive producer of "Andromeda," a show which makes a strong case for advising Majel to cease rifling Gene's files.

Premiering Saturday on Ch. 11, "Andromeda" is yet another sci-fi show about the epic struggle between farflung intergalactic empires, each representing either Good or Evil.

In the Good corner is Capt. Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo), commander of the Starship Ascendant of the Systems Commonwealth. Cap'n Hunt was suspended in time for 300 years after his ship became locked within a black hole.

Recently rescued by a salvage ship, he learns that the Commonwealth was conquered long ago by a race known as Nietzscheans, who represent the Evil side of the conflict. And, naturally, they're fierce, merciless warriors who look stern all the time and bristle with weaponry.

Against this entire empire of millions of super-beings, skipper Hunt arrays his new "team" of basically six members salvaged from the salvage vessel, including a wide-eyed girl with sparkly purple skin and a fur-faced Christian wolfman.

With a starship chock full of blinking-light panels and silent sliding doors, "Andromeda" is a cheap, shameless rip-off of "Star Wars" and "Star Trek."

The wolfman looks like a Wookie and Commander Hunt uses an extend-o weapon reminiscent of the light swords in "Star Wars." There are even fight scenes where cyborgs perform tactical backflips like in "The Matrix."

What more evidence does a sci-fi fan need to prove that this genre is played?

"Andromeda" is the show Kevin Sorbo gave up "Hercules" to do. In one scene, salvage-ship crew member Seamus Harper, a 20-something ship's engineer modeled after Scotty from "Star Trek," describes his meeting with the captain in a conversation with the salvage-ship captain, Beka Valentine (Lisa Ryder).

"I'm telling ya, the guy is huge!" exclaims Seamus. "He's like some kinda Greek god or something!"

And that was the one note of humor in the entire first two hours of "Andromeda."

Sorry, Hercules, your new sci-fi show's a weakling.

 

[padders]

week critque i think, what do you think?

 

[stripe]

Hmm!!!

What I think about this particular critic is not postable on a public forum ..

 

[MythingLink]

I suppose one must take it with a grain of salt ... this is a New York Times critic who would probably feel more important writing about shows that are considered deep and meaningful. He probably loves the new show Ed, is a big fan of West Wing (no slight intended, I love West Wing).

Personally I think one can find a similarity in almost any science fiction show to another one. I don't think that makes the second inferior to the first either. It's what the writers and producers do with it that counts. Taking formulae and making it new is the way the show should be judged and not on whether or not the show has a 'light sabre like device'.

Just my $.02.

Cheers,

 

[padders]

hehe, yeah i agree. I don't they get critics who actually understand the genre to write about it? i thought that was the idea especially for such a big paper - oh well

 

[MythingLink]

My thoughts are that some are going to seem to be disappointed because they think that MBR is just milking the GR name for all it's worth. I've read some remarks that claim that. And there are others who, like Paul Lind who answered the question "What is the name of the 5th Planet of the Apes movie" on Hollywood Squares with "Sick of the Planet of the Apes", are going to not like it and say "Oh no, not another GR idea."

Cheers,

 

[Calamity-jcck]

Mainstream critics oy

So in other words, this guy didn't really even WATCH the show. First off, the Nietzchians are not evil, lol Sheesh. Don't ya just love closed minds? <G> I could say more, but I'd get into trouble.

Later,
CJ
Pessimism is not a survival trait

 

[padders]

I wonder how long it will take for the critics to start liking it. I guess when their readers start liking it. I always thought it should be the other way round, critics should be good a telling if something is good and bad and thus influence "general" people with less time to try thing out to watch it. Seems it works in reverse, the critics like it once the viewers start liking it. (this is for genere specific shows normally).

 

[MythingLink]

You know the only time I can remember agreeing with the critics is when "Chariots of Fire" came out. Other than that, we've always been on opposite sides.

As popular as Herc and Xena are, the critics still don't like the shows. Of course these aren't mainstream. The only 'new' show of the season over here that the 'critics' are raving about is Ed which is a show I could never get into.

Cheers,