Holy cow it's finally here! One of my favorite survival horror science fiction games has finally come back! I am a die hard fan of Dead Space, it's a mix of all the things I love about science fiction and horror. The numerous inspirations for this game come from some of my favorite science fiction films like The Thing and Aliens with a bit of Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The result was a chilling, suspenseful, and terrifying game that would render me speechless for hours and kept me up for many nights (due to how fun it was plus I was afraid of the dark for a while). The story was both original and interesting with you playing space engineer Isaac Clarke ( whose name is a mix of the names Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, two of the most popular science fiction authors in history. The nods to previous works got me into a geeky tizzy!). Isaac was an unlucky soul sent to fix an old "Planetcracker" class mining ship called the Ishismura only to find it filled with corpses and relentless aliens called necromorphs who use said corpses as vehicles to spread their nightmare of death and destruction. Isaac was also looking for his girlfriend, Nicole, who was stationed on the Ishimura.
I wont go any further into the plot of the first game because I'm sure most already know what happened. Needless to say Isaac's quest didn't end so well.
Now, Dead Space 2 comes out and Isaac's ass is once again thrown back into the fire for some more alien smashing action! And I'm here to tell you all what I thought of the result. Once again, this is a SPOILER filled review and if you hate getting spoiled here's your chance to stop.
Dead Space 2 brings back all of the things that made the first game a success while bringing some new stuff for us to play with while never forwarding the narrative whatsoever. It's not completely bad when I say that because what you have here is basically Dead Space 2.0. The developers at EA and Visceral games knew that there was nothing completely wrong with the game mechanics. They definitely took an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" approach to making the sequel. If you've played the first game then when you start this game you pretty much know what to do: dismember everything that moves (and sometimes stuff that doesn't) and keep yourself alive. The dismemberment tactic from the first game still plays a big role in fending off the legions of necromorphs Isaac encounters on The Sprawl (the giant space station orbiting Titan and the main setting for Dead Space 2). There are some changes though with a new way of bringing pain to the enemy by skewering them with giant railroad spikes, pipes and even the mutant blades of downed enemies and pinning them to walls via your kinesis module (Dead Space's version of the Half-Life gravity gun) or the brand new Javelin gun which fires spears for some reason (my thought is space fishing or space whaling perhaps. These weapons are supposed to be improvised tools Isaac uses and not actual guns but I have no clue what a spear launching gun would be used for in a big space mining operation so I'm guessing the Sprawl also dabbles in possibly illegal space whaling operations. Somebody call Whale Wars!) Anyhow this new mechanic puts a new spin on the usual hack em up approach to killing necromorphs, however during my first play through I pretty much stuck with dismembering necros with my trusty plasmacutter and hardly ever used the new "spear fishing" mechanic (if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?) It's not that spearing things isn't useful in fact it saves you alot of ammo if you're willing to look for makeshift spears out of the environment. However I'm sure most players will settle with cutting the limbs off of necros through most of the game.
The traditional eerie atmosphere and foreboding ambiance is once again a critical factor in this game. It's chilling, and scary just walking through the corridors of The Sprawl. However, this isn't a mining ship, this is a place where millions of people live and work on, so it was nice to see the developers change things up with some mall-like areas full of shopping centers and daycare centers all of which bring their own sense of dread by the very fact they're so empty and devoid of life. So the atmosphere from the first game is definitely there and improved on. There's even a chapter where you go through the recovered Ishimura, which was a fun nostalgic romp that gave me a warm fuzzy feeling in between moments of anticipation and dread.
For a game called Dead SPACE there has to be segments set IN SPACE, and this is where Dead Space 2 really shines in its new and improved zero gravity segments. Instead of jumping from surface to surface like some interstellar chimpanzee you are given the ability to fly around using rocket boots and flight stabilizers like the ones used in Iron Man. These segments are fun, dizzying, and totally awesome. I would buzz around zero gravity rooms or outside the space station feeling like a badass astro-engineer. My only problem is that there are barely enough moments like this in the game, I can only recall four levels that had me flying around in space. I wanted more but instead I was usually called back to the Sprawl to do some more walking (ugh walking is so 23rd century!). There's hardly any combat in zero gravity as well, with only a few giant necromorphs in a fixed position on the outside that shoot stuff at you. I don't know if the developers tried to have more conventional enemies attack out in zero gravity (like in the first game) and only found the combat to be frustrating in those instances but I feel that it would've been awesome to fight some slashers or crawlers in the vacuum of space. So if there's a Dead Space 3, I want more zero gravity sequences damn it!
Enemies are pretty much the same, you're going to run into the classic slashers, leaper, and creepy baby-tentacle-shooting things, along with some new ones like the tormenter, stalker, and puker necromorphs. All of which require different tactics to take them down. For instance, stalkers like to sneak around and have a pack mentality, the best thing to do it find a corner and wait for them to charge you down. Pukers are more annoying than threatening as they simply puke on you and cause you to slow down as acid eats at your suit, simply hitting them before they hit you is the best tactic. Then there's the pack, these annoying little f**kers love to swarm you and flank you, once again, getting in a corner and letting them come at you head on is desirable so then you can give these little brats some disciplining they'll never forget! All in all, the monsters in Dead Space will provide enough challenges and scares to satisfy you.
Other gameplay mechanics include hacking puzzles that are supposed to utilize Isaac's skills as an engineer, however there is only one type of hacking puzzle and it's so easy that it becomes more monotonous and annoying because most of the time the door you're trying to hack is one that you have to go through, so it's not possible to lock yourself out if you fail (instead Isaac gets a little jolt of electricity for sticking his hand in the wrong place). I felt this hacking puzzle would've been better suited to doors that held secret loot and easter eggs because then I would've felt I had accomplished something. This isn't the case however as these special doors are held back by a power node like the doors in the first game. I felt this was a ridiculous thing to have considering the value power nodes have in the upgrading system and believe that this hacking puzzle would've served a better purpose here than as a simple break between combat.
Now, we have the story, or at least the makings of a story as it seems. This is where the game falls flat on its face. The story seems like it isn't really even there. The game starts off with Isaac in an insane asylum that's being overrun with necromorphs. Instantly the game throws you into action with hardly any development of a story. I found myself wondering why I was being hunted by the Sheriff of the Sprawl, a guy named Tiedmann. Why did he want me dead? Because I knew about the government conspiracy to rebuild the marker? I can buy that but Tiedmann never feels like a credible threat during the game. Most of the antagonism comes from the necromorphs but they are more like cannon fodder than anything else. However the biggest low part of the story is Isaac Clarke himself. In this game he is given a voice, which would've been awesome had he been given something worth talking about. For the most part he's just asking questions and cursing. When I heard that Isaac would be given the ability to speak, I was hoping that he would utilize his past experience dealing with necromorphs to lead survivors to safety, like Ripley in Aliens. Ripley used her experience to help the marines fight the aliens. Here Isaac continues to get jerked around by people on the radio, told what to do. Heck, he is even told how to kill Necromorphs, again, to which he just quips "I know, I've had tons of practice." It should've been the other way around. Isaac should've been helping people on the Sprawl, telling them that to kill necros you've gotta cut them apart. This isn't so however, instead Isaac is once again coerced into trusting the wrong people and is inevitably betrayed. He does find friends however, and by the end of the game he finally takes the initiative and does the smart thing by launching the escape vessel to save them while sacrificing himself.
One issue I had with these friends is that one of them is another inmate from the asylum, Stross, and he's crazier than Jack Nicholson in an empty hotel. Isaac begs another survivor, a girl named Ellie, to keep an eye on him until he can meet up with them. Of course, this doesn't go too well as Stross goes batshit insane and pokes one of Ellie's eyes out. This brought up tons of issues as when you first meet Ellie she isn't too happy about the idea of joining Isaac, believing she's better off fending for herself. However, as time goes on, Isaac manages to convince her to join him and help him destroy the marker. This would've been more believable had he told her something along the lines of: "You're better off joining me because I've dealt with these monsters before. I know how to kill them and I know how to stop them." Instead Isaac beats around the friggin bush about how he was on the Ishimura and never clearly tells her the truth. However Ellie is more than happy to trust this complete stranger who, oddly enough, seems to know a mental patient who constantly bickers with his hallucinations of his murdered family. If I were her, I would've asked more questions. When she's introduced we are given a character who is reluctant to trust anyone at this point, yet in a short amount of time she becomes trusting of a stranger and his insane friend to the point where she plays babysitter until the guy gouges out her eye. I would've put a plasmacutter to the crazy f**cker's head after he started to babble on about how he murdered his wife and kid. And Isaac should've known better than to leave the seeming important Stross in the hands of someone who sounded like she wasn't fond of trusting people.
The only high part about Isaac's character is his growing dementia caused by The Marker in Dead Space 1. He is constantly barraged by visions of his dead girlfriend, Nicole, most of which are not too benign. One of my favorite quick time events is when Nicole comes at you with a needle and when it's over you realize it's Isaac holding the needle. But these instances are few and far between and most of the time when Isaac does slip into his insanity you are barraged by so much white noise that you can't hear what the hell Isaac or Nicole are saying. (In fact, for the most part, the voices are difficult to hear over the ambient noises, I highly suggest using the subtitles which I forgot to do during my first playthrough). Ironically, however, Isaac ends up betraying himself (or Nicole ends up betraying him, or is it the Marker that betrays him. I don't know!) Near the end of the game Isaac comes to terms with Nicole's death and his nightmarish hallucinations turn into benevolent ones. Nicole turns back into a sweet little figment of his imagination and helps him reach the marker only to turn on him and tries to imprison him in his own mind! Isaac can't get a friggin break!
This brings us to the biggest disappointment for this whole game: the final boss.
I can't even say it's a boss battle even. It's just another fight scene, and a dull one at that. When Nicole takes you into Isaac's mind you have to shoot her until a giant f**k-me-here button appears behind her and then you shoot that until it blows up. Then that's it, the game ends. Isaac manages to fly out of the Sprawl thanks to the help of Ellie.
That's it. That's how the game ends. The story is barely expanded upon, relying more on action setpieces and scary atmosphere to carry the game. What about the fact that the Markers we've seen are all man made, based on an alien marker we found years ago? What about that? What happened to that? What are the markers? Why do the unitologists believe they are the key to humanity's salvation? Why do the unitologists utilize brainwashing techniques to achieve their goals? Why does the government want the power of the marker? All it does is drive people insane and creates nightmare creatures from hell, what kind of power is that? Is it really worth it? All of these things could've been utilized to create an awesome story to go with the awesome game. Story-wise, this game falls short to the point of being disappointing.
Now, don't get me wrong, this game is fun to play. It's awesome, it's just the story I had a problem with. It has solid gameplay, some awesome additions, and just enough unlockables and secrets to keep you interested. But the problem is that the gameplay is pretty much the same from the first one, it's almost a carbon copy. In many ways Dead Space 2 feels like an expansion pack than a full on sequel. All of this stems from a very empty storyline. For a game that plays just like it's predecessor it makes you wonder what the developers where doing when they were making it, twiddling their thumbs? They had the gameplay mechanics, graphics, and atmosphere already established, all they needed to do was flesh out an actual story to expand upon what was established in Dead Space 1. That was all they had to do it seems and they managed to fall short.
I hate to say this about a game I really enjoyed. I loved playing this game. It's a good game, but it's not a great game. If you've played the first game you will enjoy it, for new comers you will be somewhat lost at first but soon understand what needs to be done to play the game. However, if you want to play a game with a good story play Dead Space 1, Dead Space 2 has a plot so mind numbingly simple and devoid of intrigue that by the time you finish it you will wonder just what the heck you accomplished by beating it. It's more of a mindless action game in terms of story, but it's action is good action. Why did they find it prudent to give Isaac a voice? He hardly ever takes the initiative, never stands up to take charge of the situation, which is what should've happened. The final boss fight isn't a boss fight, and the things that made this game an original evolution from the first game are hardly utilized to their fullest.
It brings back everything that was good about the first game, it does add some new twists to the formula, but the narrative is stagnant and gets nowhere very fast. I still liked it, don't get me wrong, but I could've been so much more.
Which is why I have to give Dead Space 2 three dismembered limbs out of five for solid yet very similar gameplay with some interesting additions, the same chilling atmosphere, but falls short because of a story that isn't fully fleshed out with characters whose goals are never clearly revealed or understood and a very serious lack of a giant tentacled monster to fight at the end.
Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
"With great big swirls, you step inside into a starship headed for the skiiiieess!" My review of the first half of SGU season 2
Wow, it's been ten weeks since SGU kicked off their second season after one heck of a cliffhanger. So how was it? The first ten episodes of the second season were, by far much better than the entirety of season one. Though, to be honest, season one was and always will be known as this show's very rocky beginnings. With the only exception being the episode "Time" which had been my favorite SGU episode until now.
Season 2 kicked off with a big shocker of an episode as the Lucian alliance took over Destiny and kicked most of the military personnel off the ship. With a handful of scientists led by Dr. Rush (of course) to try to take back the ancient vessel. We were treated to a strange vision of TJ having her baby be "taken" by the aliens who supposedly built a planet back in season one. Though the premiere ended with the very predictable solution of everyone getting back on board the ship and continuing on the unknown path set out by the seed ships.
Then we were treated to some very interesting episodes that focused on Rush's discovery of the master code and the bridge. Though it was obvious that Rush would keep this secret (cuz that's what Rush does) it simply didn't make much sense. Sure he wanted time to uncover more mysteries about Destiny's purpose before others had a chance to beat him to it, but in the end what did it ultimately serve him? He was discovered, beaten up, and lost yet more credibility to his name. As a guy labeled a "Machiavellian scientists" the ends simply don't justify the means when it came to hiding his discovery. And Rush's thinking that he couldn't trust Col. Young on the grounds that he was mentally unstable was kinda silly coming from a guy who was arguing with his dead wife at the time.
Which brings us to the biggest game changer of the season and one of my new favorite episodes: "Trial and Error" (which claimed "Time"'s no. 1 spot as best SGU episode in my list). Here we were revealed that Destiny is doing more than just being a little stingy with the countdown clock, it's very much aware of our reluctant heroes and is beginning to influence them with strange visions and programs in an attempt to "test" them. This fact made Destiny a much more mysterious "character" almost becoming like Lost's island in many respects (once again I am calling out similarities between these two shows). It also allowed us to look into the minds of what I felt was a very under-utilized character: Col. Young. It was this episode that made him feel like an actual human being underneath the gruff uniform of command. By this point it was obvious the stress of his job on Destiny was affecting him in visible ways (his drinking habits being a main focus). Though this was a step in the right direction, "Trial and Error" took this sub-plot and ran with it churning out one of the best episodes of the season. Much like Stargate Atlantis' "The Shrine" it was the human aspects that drove the plot (Young's internal struggle with being the leader everyone needs, McKay slowly losing his mind and the team's struggle to deal with the inevitable result of it) and not a cheesy cliche plot about alien invasions or strange god-like beings.
Which brings me to one complaint I had about the first half of this season. The aliens. Last season Destiny faced a seemingly malevolent force of aliens who kidnapped Rush and Chloe. Of course it was expected that we'd run into dangerous aliens but why not some friendly ones?
At first the episode "Awakening" proved very promising. We were shown what a stargate seeder ship looked like, which expanded the mythology that the show has been lacking for the most part by the time this episode aired. However, in a twist, it turned out that there were aliens on board this seeder ship who, at first, seemed very friendly. They were adorable looking aliens, and I was actually very happy about this because not every alien in space has to try to kill you (remember ET?). Yet, sadly, this didn't last long, and we were stuck with what felt like another alien enemy for our wayward crew. Which is why I was happily surprised when the aliens returned in the mid-season finale to save the day with the help of Col. Telford (who I was sad to see leave in Awakening). The explanation that the aliens were just a desperate group of people trying to find an advantage against their powerful enemy (mirroring the very similar situation SG-1 and Atlantis faced with the Goauld and Wraith). I felt that it was about damn time aliens weren't interested in blowing up the Destiny. I mean, seriously, if you were a space faring race who came across a group of explorers who traveled from a galaxy billions of light-years away wouldn't you want to help them and get to know them? I would.
Though their very questionable actions later on made me very disappointed, I honestly don't blame them. After all, Young planned on double crossing them. Just because they saved Destiny doesn't mean they aren't flawed like most of the people on Destiny. In either case, I do hope that we get the chance to meet a more friendly race later on, there's only so much space battles I can take...
Then there are the Lucian Alliance prisoners. Goodness I was hoping that they would have been handled a little better. I liked Varro's (Mike Dopud) thinking: We need to work together, since we're both practically stranded out here. However, Young gets rid of the problem completely by ditching most of the Lucian Alliance on an abandoned planet, which I can understand, it's not worth all the trouble. Yet he keeps some of them, though most seem to be harmless and more than happy to help Simeon was one who I felt was shoehorned in to create some drama in a later episode. In fact by the time he killed Gin I didn't know what his name was. Why did Young keep this ticking timebomb on board? Because Stargate Command told him to. Which brings me to another problem I feel has been hurting the show: the fact that we don't know if Destiny's crew is actually stranded or not.
This is a thought I feel has been forgotten in these episodes whether it be because of the communication stones or some other reason. It doesn't feel like Destiny and her crew aren't far from the Milky Way. Remember the first season of Atlantis? There was no going back after stepping through the gate, no way to communicate. That was it. You're on your own once you step through the puddle. That is what SGU should feel like but doesn't. I remember back in season one when they learned that Rush had a tracking device in his heart. There was tension in the fact that there wasn't a fully capable medical doctor on board to do the surgery. TJ is a Medic, and the only anesthesia they have came from the critters in "Time." You definitely get the feeling that they are on the other side of the universe at that moment. Then the tension is quickly removed when they use the stones to call up a doctor.
Of course this makes sense, and I like how the surprise disconnection of the stones reapplied the pressure right in the middle of the surgery. But you never feel like these people are on their own. However, you'd figure that they'd be using the stones to do something like bring people who actually should be on the ship fixing things, or bring in psychologists to help people deal with their problems. Which I think would make perfect sense considering the fact that the writers seem like they don't intend on getting rid of the stones any time soon.
Of course it sounds like I'm being hypocritical, saying I want to feel isolated but believe it's a good idea to keep the stones. No, I'm saying that if you're not going to have the feeling of isolation then stop making it feel like they're on their own. Have more people show up to fix or at least teach the people on board how to fix and run the ship (teach a man how to fish and you feed him for life, kind of stuff). Use the fucking crap out of those stones if you insist on keeping them around! Atlantis wasn't afraid of maintaining connection with Stargate Command after they got a ZPM, so why is it that these stones aren't being treated like the true lifeline that they should be. The best use of the stones I saw this year was when they brought Eli's mom on board. It served many purposes: It showed us a window into Eli's pain as he struggles to accept life on board ship, it gave us a heartwarming scene with Eli telling his mother the truth thus helping Eli with his stress, and it also made Wray more of a sympathetic and caring character and less of an IOA bureaucrat. Since that episode I've come to like Wray more and more because she has actually done something nice for others instead of being very self-centered.
Eli himself has definitely shown some interesting character development as we were shown a window into his depression and loneliness. We saw this through Gin, the Lucian Alliance girl, as she poked through his documentary. This was an excellent way to peer into the heart of a character who we've seen be used most often as comedy relief or completely left out in most episodes. Which brings me to another problem: Eli's relationship with Gin. Which started just as suddenly as it ended. I mean sure it was nice to see Eli finally get some after running around Chloe like a drooling dog for the first year of the show, but there was no lead up into this relationship. It was like: (we both like math, let's f**k!). Sure I liked how it kinda helped when Gin saw Eli's video about his being lonely, but right afterward they start to make out. Which I felt like she instigated out of pity for the genius she admired, and not the budding beginnings of a sweet romance. The suddenness of this "romance" only detracted from the impact of her death in "Malice." I felt more bad for Rush and Amanda Perry (who I loved in season one) than for Eli and Gin. Though I have to admit the fallout from that has definitely taken a toll on poor Eli, which I like to see even if it felt like a one night stand.
Of course this romance plot did allow for some great stuff with Greer who we see in full friend mode for Eli here leaving them to be alone so he can make his move. I've always loved Greer for his no-nonsense attitude, but his helping Eli out in the love department made him feel like a really nice guy you'd regret not being friends with. Though I felt that his constantly bumping heads with Simeon was going to build up to a climactic stand off between the two, instead we were treated to some Lone Ranger Rush action. Which I didn't mind much, but with the already established tension between Greer and Simeon I was hoping he would have been the one to pull the trigger and not Rush.
Then there was Chloe's transformation, which was hinted at in season one evidently, I didn't catch it until I went back and watched "Lost" where she could suddenly read the alien language. As for the overall plot about her transforming I find only mixed feelings for it. Of course I feel bad for Chloe, she's becoming less and less human as time goes by, but I also feel like her gaining superhuman powers was an attempt to make her more useful when in all actuality she was pretty much useless to begin with. What I liked about this is that she is a perfect representation of most of the people on Destiny: the wrong person for the job. Which I felt was a great source of drama and story. This was prevalent in the episode before "Lost" where she admits to studying Dr. Jackson's notes in an attempt to be of some use and not dead weight. This gave her character a depth that I hadn't seen before, just from this statement I had the feeling that she realizes that she can't be sitting around doing nothing until the big wigs come up with a way to dial the gate back to earth, she has to pull some of the weight. This is one reason why I felt that the whole transformation plot wasn't truly needed. There was already drama right there before she was infected. However I do like the conflict that this has caused between Young and Lt. Scott. The commander and the woman he loves. It seems like the show is hinting that one day Scott will have to choose his job or his woman, and what will the consequences of that be?
Though now I'm wondering if her being infected will play a bigger part in the future, obviously the finale left us wondering what the hell she was doing on the console as the ship was being shot to bits. Is she going to find a way to bring the blue aliens back to Destiny, like a sleeper agent? Will she be forced to make a similar sacrifice like the one her father did? Or will her new found powers prove to be the key to unlocking the mystery behind Destiny's mission?
Which brings us to the most interesting revelation this season: the truth about why Destiny was launched. Though Rush made it very cryptic, it sounds like Destiny was launched to gather and decipher the pieces of a hidden code written into the very fabric of the universe itself. A code that was found, by the ancients millions of years ago, to be as old as the universe itself. What does this code represent? The message left behind by the creator of the universe? God? The writers of the show? The question to the answer of Life, The Universe, and Everything? The real explanations for the mysteries of Lost? In either case, color me interested, and I hope we get the chance to at least unlock a piece of this universal puzzle by the season's end.
Overall the first half of Season 2 has left a far bigger impression than most of Season one. Bringing a couple truly magnificent episodes and some very lackluster ones as well. Though I say the show still hasn't found it's footing, it's definitely got a few toes on the ground. Hopefully the rest of the season will promise more human stories, adventure, and mythological expansion than just alien battles and hammy drama. Only time will tell...
Season 2 kicked off with a big shocker of an episode as the Lucian alliance took over Destiny and kicked most of the military personnel off the ship. With a handful of scientists led by Dr. Rush (of course) to try to take back the ancient vessel. We were treated to a strange vision of TJ having her baby be "taken" by the aliens who supposedly built a planet back in season one. Though the premiere ended with the very predictable solution of everyone getting back on board the ship and continuing on the unknown path set out by the seed ships.
Then we were treated to some very interesting episodes that focused on Rush's discovery of the master code and the bridge. Though it was obvious that Rush would keep this secret (cuz that's what Rush does) it simply didn't make much sense. Sure he wanted time to uncover more mysteries about Destiny's purpose before others had a chance to beat him to it, but in the end what did it ultimately serve him? He was discovered, beaten up, and lost yet more credibility to his name. As a guy labeled a "Machiavellian scientists" the ends simply don't justify the means when it came to hiding his discovery. And Rush's thinking that he couldn't trust Col. Young on the grounds that he was mentally unstable was kinda silly coming from a guy who was arguing with his dead wife at the time.
Which brings us to the biggest game changer of the season and one of my new favorite episodes: "Trial and Error" (which claimed "Time"'s no. 1 spot as best SGU episode in my list). Here we were revealed that Destiny is doing more than just being a little stingy with the countdown clock, it's very much aware of our reluctant heroes and is beginning to influence them with strange visions and programs in an attempt to "test" them. This fact made Destiny a much more mysterious "character" almost becoming like Lost's island in many respects (once again I am calling out similarities between these two shows). It also allowed us to look into the minds of what I felt was a very under-utilized character: Col. Young. It was this episode that made him feel like an actual human being underneath the gruff uniform of command. By this point it was obvious the stress of his job on Destiny was affecting him in visible ways (his drinking habits being a main focus). Though this was a step in the right direction, "Trial and Error" took this sub-plot and ran with it churning out one of the best episodes of the season. Much like Stargate Atlantis' "The Shrine" it was the human aspects that drove the plot (Young's internal struggle with being the leader everyone needs, McKay slowly losing his mind and the team's struggle to deal with the inevitable result of it) and not a cheesy cliche plot about alien invasions or strange god-like beings.
Which brings me to one complaint I had about the first half of this season. The aliens. Last season Destiny faced a seemingly malevolent force of aliens who kidnapped Rush and Chloe. Of course it was expected that we'd run into dangerous aliens but why not some friendly ones?
At first the episode "Awakening" proved very promising. We were shown what a stargate seeder ship looked like, which expanded the mythology that the show has been lacking for the most part by the time this episode aired. However, in a twist, it turned out that there were aliens on board this seeder ship who, at first, seemed very friendly. They were adorable looking aliens, and I was actually very happy about this because not every alien in space has to try to kill you (remember ET?). Yet, sadly, this didn't last long, and we were stuck with what felt like another alien enemy for our wayward crew. Which is why I was happily surprised when the aliens returned in the mid-season finale to save the day with the help of Col. Telford (who I was sad to see leave in Awakening). The explanation that the aliens were just a desperate group of people trying to find an advantage against their powerful enemy (mirroring the very similar situation SG-1 and Atlantis faced with the Goauld and Wraith). I felt that it was about damn time aliens weren't interested in blowing up the Destiny. I mean, seriously, if you were a space faring race who came across a group of explorers who traveled from a galaxy billions of light-years away wouldn't you want to help them and get to know them? I would.
Though their very questionable actions later on made me very disappointed, I honestly don't blame them. After all, Young planned on double crossing them. Just because they saved Destiny doesn't mean they aren't flawed like most of the people on Destiny. In either case, I do hope that we get the chance to meet a more friendly race later on, there's only so much space battles I can take...
Then there are the Lucian Alliance prisoners. Goodness I was hoping that they would have been handled a little better. I liked Varro's (Mike Dopud) thinking: We need to work together, since we're both practically stranded out here. However, Young gets rid of the problem completely by ditching most of the Lucian Alliance on an abandoned planet, which I can understand, it's not worth all the trouble. Yet he keeps some of them, though most seem to be harmless and more than happy to help Simeon was one who I felt was shoehorned in to create some drama in a later episode. In fact by the time he killed Gin I didn't know what his name was. Why did Young keep this ticking timebomb on board? Because Stargate Command told him to. Which brings me to another problem I feel has been hurting the show: the fact that we don't know if Destiny's crew is actually stranded or not.
This is a thought I feel has been forgotten in these episodes whether it be because of the communication stones or some other reason. It doesn't feel like Destiny and her crew aren't far from the Milky Way. Remember the first season of Atlantis? There was no going back after stepping through the gate, no way to communicate. That was it. You're on your own once you step through the puddle. That is what SGU should feel like but doesn't. I remember back in season one when they learned that Rush had a tracking device in his heart. There was tension in the fact that there wasn't a fully capable medical doctor on board to do the surgery. TJ is a Medic, and the only anesthesia they have came from the critters in "Time." You definitely get the feeling that they are on the other side of the universe at that moment. Then the tension is quickly removed when they use the stones to call up a doctor.
Of course this makes sense, and I like how the surprise disconnection of the stones reapplied the pressure right in the middle of the surgery. But you never feel like these people are on their own. However, you'd figure that they'd be using the stones to do something like bring people who actually should be on the ship fixing things, or bring in psychologists to help people deal with their problems. Which I think would make perfect sense considering the fact that the writers seem like they don't intend on getting rid of the stones any time soon.
Of course it sounds like I'm being hypocritical, saying I want to feel isolated but believe it's a good idea to keep the stones. No, I'm saying that if you're not going to have the feeling of isolation then stop making it feel like they're on their own. Have more people show up to fix or at least teach the people on board how to fix and run the ship (teach a man how to fish and you feed him for life, kind of stuff). Use the fucking crap out of those stones if you insist on keeping them around! Atlantis wasn't afraid of maintaining connection with Stargate Command after they got a ZPM, so why is it that these stones aren't being treated like the true lifeline that they should be. The best use of the stones I saw this year was when they brought Eli's mom on board. It served many purposes: It showed us a window into Eli's pain as he struggles to accept life on board ship, it gave us a heartwarming scene with Eli telling his mother the truth thus helping Eli with his stress, and it also made Wray more of a sympathetic and caring character and less of an IOA bureaucrat. Since that episode I've come to like Wray more and more because she has actually done something nice for others instead of being very self-centered.
Eli himself has definitely shown some interesting character development as we were shown a window into his depression and loneliness. We saw this through Gin, the Lucian Alliance girl, as she poked through his documentary. This was an excellent way to peer into the heart of a character who we've seen be used most often as comedy relief or completely left out in most episodes. Which brings me to another problem: Eli's relationship with Gin. Which started just as suddenly as it ended. I mean sure it was nice to see Eli finally get some after running around Chloe like a drooling dog for the first year of the show, but there was no lead up into this relationship. It was like: (we both like math, let's f**k!). Sure I liked how it kinda helped when Gin saw Eli's video about his being lonely, but right afterward they start to make out. Which I felt like she instigated out of pity for the genius she admired, and not the budding beginnings of a sweet romance. The suddenness of this "romance" only detracted from the impact of her death in "Malice." I felt more bad for Rush and Amanda Perry (who I loved in season one) than for Eli and Gin. Though I have to admit the fallout from that has definitely taken a toll on poor Eli, which I like to see even if it felt like a one night stand.
Of course this romance plot did allow for some great stuff with Greer who we see in full friend mode for Eli here leaving them to be alone so he can make his move. I've always loved Greer for his no-nonsense attitude, but his helping Eli out in the love department made him feel like a really nice guy you'd regret not being friends with. Though I felt that his constantly bumping heads with Simeon was going to build up to a climactic stand off between the two, instead we were treated to some Lone Ranger Rush action. Which I didn't mind much, but with the already established tension between Greer and Simeon I was hoping he would have been the one to pull the trigger and not Rush.
Then there was Chloe's transformation, which was hinted at in season one evidently, I didn't catch it until I went back and watched "Lost" where she could suddenly read the alien language. As for the overall plot about her transforming I find only mixed feelings for it. Of course I feel bad for Chloe, she's becoming less and less human as time goes by, but I also feel like her gaining superhuman powers was an attempt to make her more useful when in all actuality she was pretty much useless to begin with. What I liked about this is that she is a perfect representation of most of the people on Destiny: the wrong person for the job. Which I felt was a great source of drama and story. This was prevalent in the episode before "Lost" where she admits to studying Dr. Jackson's notes in an attempt to be of some use and not dead weight. This gave her character a depth that I hadn't seen before, just from this statement I had the feeling that she realizes that she can't be sitting around doing nothing until the big wigs come up with a way to dial the gate back to earth, she has to pull some of the weight. This is one reason why I felt that the whole transformation plot wasn't truly needed. There was already drama right there before she was infected. However I do like the conflict that this has caused between Young and Lt. Scott. The commander and the woman he loves. It seems like the show is hinting that one day Scott will have to choose his job or his woman, and what will the consequences of that be?
Though now I'm wondering if her being infected will play a bigger part in the future, obviously the finale left us wondering what the hell she was doing on the console as the ship was being shot to bits. Is she going to find a way to bring the blue aliens back to Destiny, like a sleeper agent? Will she be forced to make a similar sacrifice like the one her father did? Or will her new found powers prove to be the key to unlocking the mystery behind Destiny's mission?
Which brings us to the most interesting revelation this season: the truth about why Destiny was launched. Though Rush made it very cryptic, it sounds like Destiny was launched to gather and decipher the pieces of a hidden code written into the very fabric of the universe itself. A code that was found, by the ancients millions of years ago, to be as old as the universe itself. What does this code represent? The message left behind by the creator of the universe? God? The writers of the show? The question to the answer of Life, The Universe, and Everything? The real explanations for the mysteries of Lost? In either case, color me interested, and I hope we get the chance to at least unlock a piece of this universal puzzle by the season's end.
Overall the first half of Season 2 has left a far bigger impression than most of Season one. Bringing a couple truly magnificent episodes and some very lackluster ones as well. Though I say the show still hasn't found it's footing, it's definitely got a few toes on the ground. Hopefully the rest of the season will promise more human stories, adventure, and mythological expansion than just alien battles and hammy drama. Only time will tell...
Friday, November 26, 2010
"Houston, we've had an encounter..." My thoughts on space exploration and a speculative preview of Apollo 18
I'm a huge nerd. Obviously, because I love science fiction and think that science is cool overall. However, if there is one area of both science and science fiction that I find makes me both excited and somewhat envious it has to be space exploration.
One of my favorite films (though not a science fiction film in the slightest) is Ron Howard's telling of the infamous "successful failure" mission to the moon: Apollo 13. Every time I watch this film I am both envious and saddened by the fact that back when the NASA Apollo program was a part of every American's life, these people had no idea how absolutely fantastic they were. The men and women who made these missions to the moon a reality were and in some cases still are the best this country has ever produced. Not only that but back then was a time where being an American wasn't something to be ashamed of (and to be honest I don't see why it should be like that now). We could do anything, and we did. So it saddens me to see how our great nation has fallen in recent years. No one is looking to go to the moon anymore. Sure some private companies are looking into ways of doing this but it has about as much heart and soul put into it as another Michael Bay film.
Now I could go on all day about how I think that another moon program could effectively bring the nation out of the rut it's been in but I wont, partly because I'm too lazy to actually calculate the numbers for what a new mission to the moon would cost and if it would actually do what I think it would do. Needless to say, I think that if we did plan on going back to the moon there would be alot of new jobs for Americans. I don't know how much a NASA janitor was paid back in the 60's and 70's but I'm sure it wasn't the same amount a school janitor makes.
But this little window into my mind brings us to the actual subject of the day: the new Apollo 18 film.
Let's start off by looking at the new poster for the film.
Now it might not look like much. We see an astronaut's boot print on the moon (a classic image) but what is this next to it? An alien footprint? Already I am interested because this image in of itself is down right creepy.
The tag line on the poster is creepy as well "There is a reason we've never gone back to the moon" Creepy when added to this poster, yet I can't help but think "Yeah the reason was because the government needed the money to dig a deeper hole for itself." But this poster is definitely creepy looking at first glance, but what about a closer look??? On the edges we see what looks like government symbols, notes, and numbering. Then the image of the lunar surface with the footprints seems to be distorted as well.
It is this distortion that brings us to my first sign of worry for this film. What poster does this poster resemble? The poster for Paranormal Activity 2.
Now after doing some research for Apollo 18 I've learned that it is using the popular found footage format that is used in Paranormal Activity. That is, it's all being recorded on some lousy video camera. But here is how I think Apollo 18 can make this very gimmicky filming technique into something very original and unique: Think of the video broadcasts that the Apollo missions made back in the 60's and 70's. Or, if you don't remember those, think of the one from the film Apollo 13 where Tom Hanks shows the viewers the inside of the command and lunar module. Now mix that with some more footage of the crew traveling to the moon (where the crucial connection the audience forms to the astronauts is made) and then throw in some lunar landing footage and then some creepy alien goodness. I don't know what the aliens are going to look like in this movie, but they obviously aren't going to look like ET or Starman. I'm thinking something that fits that creepy footprint in the poster. I also don't know what the story of the mission is going to be about either (though obviously it was hidden from the public who all believe it was supposedly cancelled). So what does that mean? Did the Apollo 18 mission in the film have some dark secret prior to the launch? If so, how the heck did they manage to get the astronauts up there without anyone noticing? Remember the only viable method was to shoot them up in a large and loud rocket, so how can the movie explain these very large gaps in logic? Sure, by the time Apollo 13 launched the public was yawning at the thought of another trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean you can cover up an actual launch. Unless it was done in secret, and the only reasoning behind that was that in this film Apollo 18 had a dark ulterior motive. Were they trying to build a giant "laser" on the moon? A moon base?
I can't correctly guess on how the heck the writers are going to explain logically how a mission to the moon was kept secret. But I hope it's clever.
Then, of course, we have the characters. Who are our protagonists who we will journey to the moon with? In reality, the members of the Apollo 18 mission were going to be: Richard F. Gordon Jr. (Commander), Vance D. Brand (Command Module Pilot), and Harrison Schmitt (Lunar Module Pilot). All of whom were Apollo 15's backup crew. So are these going to be our protagonists for this film? Or are the writers going to have a secret crew be set up? After all, this mission was a secret. Of course, if there are going to be deaths in this movie, then the writers would probably go for a secret crew as all of the men on the list for Apollo 18 obviously are still alive (in fact Harrison Schmitt was one of the last men to set foot on the moon on Apollo 17). That would be the logical choice in my opinion.
So what about the story? Since no information about the plot has come out we are left to speculate once again. Is it going to go down the traditional and very boring movements of great alien encounter films of the past like Alien? Or is it going to bring in a new twist on the genre? I hope for the latter but expect nothing but the former. My thoughts of what this movie WILL be are: Act 1. The film introduces us to the secret crew on a secret mission to the moon where we barely get to know who these men are and why we should care about them. They reach the moon by the end of act 1. Act 2 shows our astronauts landing on the moon and almost instantly something goes wrong. It could be a mechanical malfunction, or the aliens instantly attack, but either case, the two men on the moon are essentially stranded unless they can fix their ride before the aliens eat them. The rest of act two probably will bring in some hokey dialogue and cliche moments as the two men on the moon argue with the man left in orbit in the command module on what they should do next. One of the men on the moon dies or is taken over by the alien which sets up for a somewhat suspenseful yet predictable Act 3. Act 3 has the men finally fix the lunar module and quickly escape the moon of doom. Everything seems fine when, while on their return trip back to earth, they realize one of their own is an alien. It is here that the climax of the film occurs with all of the astronauts dying or being taken over by aliens as they prepare for reentry. Then, after the rescue team recovers them they are quickly shipped off to Area 51 leaving the audience with a chilling message around the lines of: "The government never spoke of the three astronauts ever again." Or, "Sadly, the new team of astronauts attempting to make a moon base in the future never saw this video." for an inevitable sequel set up.
However, here is how I HOPE the movie will be like.
Act 1 introduces us to the astronauts right after the launch. We get to know each and every one of them, making us care for them and seeing how they work as a team. We also have an explanation as to why no one knows about this mission, be it that they already know that alien life exists on the moon or some other creative reason. We see segments of the astronaut's four day mission to the moon, continually showing the humanity of these men and why we should care.
Act 2 has our astronauts landing on the moon. Nothing goes wrong because everyone expects something to go wrong by the time act 2 comes along. The astronauts on the moon explore the surface of the moon (either for more moon rocks or for actual evidence of extraterrestrial life). Every now and then, the camera will see something off in the distance, we don't know what, but it's obviously something watching our intrepid explorers. The astronauts on the lunar surface spend a couple of days on the surface, and on occasion something strange happens while they rest in the Lunar module. Up in orbit, the command module pilot feels helpless as his shipmates struggle with the strange encounter taking place on the surface. There can even be a segment where we see nothing taking place on the moon but can hear it happening via radio transmissions on the command module as we watch our helpless CSM pilot listen to his friends' terror.
Then something bad happens. One of the astronauts is seriously wounded and it forces them to leave the moon early and attempt an emergency docking with the CSM so they can get home as soon as possible to save their wounded friend. However, something comes back with them. This is where Act 3 starts.
Act 3 takes place during the time the astronauts are trying to get home. However, they soon learn that something has come back with them and they are forced to lock themselves in one section of the spacecraft, probably the lunar module as then it provides tension for when it becomes time for them to reenter the atmosphere. The astronauts struggle with finding a way to kill the creature inside their only way home. They contemplate on forcing the ship into a deadly angle with the atmosphere causing the ship to burn up, sacrificing themselves but saving the earth. Then it becomes time for them to make a decision, resulting in a climactic ending that should surprise the audience. Then, the closing of the film, be it a good or bad ending, ends with a chilling message.
I know it's not much to go on. To be honest, I should've just went with: "I hope this movie can be original in it's storytelling and have characters we care about."
However, I'm sure that it will go with the other direction, ending up with a disappointing film.
However, I am hopeful. As Timur Bekmambetov, the man behind such awesome films like Night Watch and Wanted is slated to be the producer. The director, sadly, is someone I don't know. However, he sounds like he has directed films before, just foreign films. Let's hope his first English-speaking film can impress!
In either case, 2011 sounds like a hopeful movie year.
One of my favorite films (though not a science fiction film in the slightest) is Ron Howard's telling of the infamous "successful failure" mission to the moon: Apollo 13. Every time I watch this film I am both envious and saddened by the fact that back when the NASA Apollo program was a part of every American's life, these people had no idea how absolutely fantastic they were. The men and women who made these missions to the moon a reality were and in some cases still are the best this country has ever produced. Not only that but back then was a time where being an American wasn't something to be ashamed of (and to be honest I don't see why it should be like that now). We could do anything, and we did. So it saddens me to see how our great nation has fallen in recent years. No one is looking to go to the moon anymore. Sure some private companies are looking into ways of doing this but it has about as much heart and soul put into it as another Michael Bay film.
Now I could go on all day about how I think that another moon program could effectively bring the nation out of the rut it's been in but I wont, partly because I'm too lazy to actually calculate the numbers for what a new mission to the moon would cost and if it would actually do what I think it would do. Needless to say, I think that if we did plan on going back to the moon there would be alot of new jobs for Americans. I don't know how much a NASA janitor was paid back in the 60's and 70's but I'm sure it wasn't the same amount a school janitor makes.
But this little window into my mind brings us to the actual subject of the day: the new Apollo 18 film.
Let's start off by looking at the new poster for the film.
Now it might not look like much. We see an astronaut's boot print on the moon (a classic image) but what is this next to it? An alien footprint? Already I am interested because this image in of itself is down right creepy.
The tag line on the poster is creepy as well "There is a reason we've never gone back to the moon" Creepy when added to this poster, yet I can't help but think "Yeah the reason was because the government needed the money to dig a deeper hole for itself." But this poster is definitely creepy looking at first glance, but what about a closer look??? On the edges we see what looks like government symbols, notes, and numbering. Then the image of the lunar surface with the footprints seems to be distorted as well.
It is this distortion that brings us to my first sign of worry for this film. What poster does this poster resemble? The poster for Paranormal Activity 2.
Now after doing some research for Apollo 18 I've learned that it is using the popular found footage format that is used in Paranormal Activity. That is, it's all being recorded on some lousy video camera. But here is how I think Apollo 18 can make this very gimmicky filming technique into something very original and unique: Think of the video broadcasts that the Apollo missions made back in the 60's and 70's. Or, if you don't remember those, think of the one from the film Apollo 13 where Tom Hanks shows the viewers the inside of the command and lunar module. Now mix that with some more footage of the crew traveling to the moon (where the crucial connection the audience forms to the astronauts is made) and then throw in some lunar landing footage and then some creepy alien goodness. I don't know what the aliens are going to look like in this movie, but they obviously aren't going to look like ET or Starman. I'm thinking something that fits that creepy footprint in the poster. I also don't know what the story of the mission is going to be about either (though obviously it was hidden from the public who all believe it was supposedly cancelled). So what does that mean? Did the Apollo 18 mission in the film have some dark secret prior to the launch? If so, how the heck did they manage to get the astronauts up there without anyone noticing? Remember the only viable method was to shoot them up in a large and loud rocket, so how can the movie explain these very large gaps in logic? Sure, by the time Apollo 13 launched the public was yawning at the thought of another trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean you can cover up an actual launch. Unless it was done in secret, and the only reasoning behind that was that in this film Apollo 18 had a dark ulterior motive. Were they trying to build a giant "laser" on the moon? A moon base?
I can't correctly guess on how the heck the writers are going to explain logically how a mission to the moon was kept secret. But I hope it's clever.
Then, of course, we have the characters. Who are our protagonists who we will journey to the moon with? In reality, the members of the Apollo 18 mission were going to be: Richard F. Gordon Jr. (Commander), Vance D. Brand (Command Module Pilot), and Harrison Schmitt (Lunar Module Pilot). All of whom were Apollo 15's backup crew. So are these going to be our protagonists for this film? Or are the writers going to have a secret crew be set up? After all, this mission was a secret. Of course, if there are going to be deaths in this movie, then the writers would probably go for a secret crew as all of the men on the list for Apollo 18 obviously are still alive (in fact Harrison Schmitt was one of the last men to set foot on the moon on Apollo 17). That would be the logical choice in my opinion.
So what about the story? Since no information about the plot has come out we are left to speculate once again. Is it going to go down the traditional and very boring movements of great alien encounter films of the past like Alien? Or is it going to bring in a new twist on the genre? I hope for the latter but expect nothing but the former. My thoughts of what this movie WILL be are: Act 1. The film introduces us to the secret crew on a secret mission to the moon where we barely get to know who these men are and why we should care about them. They reach the moon by the end of act 1. Act 2 shows our astronauts landing on the moon and almost instantly something goes wrong. It could be a mechanical malfunction, or the aliens instantly attack, but either case, the two men on the moon are essentially stranded unless they can fix their ride before the aliens eat them. The rest of act two probably will bring in some hokey dialogue and cliche moments as the two men on the moon argue with the man left in orbit in the command module on what they should do next. One of the men on the moon dies or is taken over by the alien which sets up for a somewhat suspenseful yet predictable Act 3. Act 3 has the men finally fix the lunar module and quickly escape the moon of doom. Everything seems fine when, while on their return trip back to earth, they realize one of their own is an alien. It is here that the climax of the film occurs with all of the astronauts dying or being taken over by aliens as they prepare for reentry. Then, after the rescue team recovers them they are quickly shipped off to Area 51 leaving the audience with a chilling message around the lines of: "The government never spoke of the three astronauts ever again." Or, "Sadly, the new team of astronauts attempting to make a moon base in the future never saw this video." for an inevitable sequel set up.
However, here is how I HOPE the movie will be like.
Act 1 introduces us to the astronauts right after the launch. We get to know each and every one of them, making us care for them and seeing how they work as a team. We also have an explanation as to why no one knows about this mission, be it that they already know that alien life exists on the moon or some other creative reason. We see segments of the astronaut's four day mission to the moon, continually showing the humanity of these men and why we should care.
Act 2 has our astronauts landing on the moon. Nothing goes wrong because everyone expects something to go wrong by the time act 2 comes along. The astronauts on the moon explore the surface of the moon (either for more moon rocks or for actual evidence of extraterrestrial life). Every now and then, the camera will see something off in the distance, we don't know what, but it's obviously something watching our intrepid explorers. The astronauts on the lunar surface spend a couple of days on the surface, and on occasion something strange happens while they rest in the Lunar module. Up in orbit, the command module pilot feels helpless as his shipmates struggle with the strange encounter taking place on the surface. There can even be a segment where we see nothing taking place on the moon but can hear it happening via radio transmissions on the command module as we watch our helpless CSM pilot listen to his friends' terror.
Then something bad happens. One of the astronauts is seriously wounded and it forces them to leave the moon early and attempt an emergency docking with the CSM so they can get home as soon as possible to save their wounded friend. However, something comes back with them. This is where Act 3 starts.
Act 3 takes place during the time the astronauts are trying to get home. However, they soon learn that something has come back with them and they are forced to lock themselves in one section of the spacecraft, probably the lunar module as then it provides tension for when it becomes time for them to reenter the atmosphere. The astronauts struggle with finding a way to kill the creature inside their only way home. They contemplate on forcing the ship into a deadly angle with the atmosphere causing the ship to burn up, sacrificing themselves but saving the earth. Then it becomes time for them to make a decision, resulting in a climactic ending that should surprise the audience. Then, the closing of the film, be it a good or bad ending, ends with a chilling message.
I know it's not much to go on. To be honest, I should've just went with: "I hope this movie can be original in it's storytelling and have characters we care about."
However, I'm sure that it will go with the other direction, ending up with a disappointing film.
However, I am hopeful. As Timur Bekmambetov, the man behind such awesome films like Night Watch and Wanted is slated to be the producer. The director, sadly, is someone I don't know. However, he sounds like he has directed films before, just foreign films. Let's hope his first English-speaking film can impress!
In either case, 2011 sounds like a hopeful movie year.
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