sacushman
Lifetime Total
1+
IMDb Member
16 years
Reviews
Borealis (2013)
Great near-future sci-fi.
As a stand alone movie, I can see how "Borealis" may be slightly disappointing. As the pilot for a new series though, it's awesome. Why? It leaves one wanting more.
In an all-too-near future, the arctic icecap has melted, opening the way for new trade routes, oil fields, mining operations, and other untapped resources for the international community to squabble over. At the center of it all is Vic's bar. Owned by a former cage fighter and now the customs agent for the Canadian government, the bar is the center of life in an emerging frontier town.
Like many sci-fi shows, "Borealis" owes much to the genre of Westerns. The characters include a likable town drunk, a good-hearted prostitute, native Inuit, and a couple characters vying for the role of lawman, including Vic. But, it comes with a definite 21st century spin, including an American archaeologist funded by the Russians, an activist biologist determined to protect and document what remains of the arctic ecosystem, and an enigmatic international diplomat.
While the premise relies on climate change, the show doesn't get bogged down in preaching about the global warming we are currently causing. It moves along at a fast pace, with murder, fights and intrigue as nations, corporations and Vic all try to establish dominance in this new frontier. And since it's in the near future, advances in technology are evident, but not distracting or far beyond our current comprehension.
What really sets this apart from other Canadian sci-fi and fantasy is the acting and writing. The cast is excellent, and the main characters are entirely believable. Ty Olsson's understated energy really carries the pilot, but I also found myself wanting to see more of and know more about the characters played by Bryan Dick, Michelle Harrison, Greyston Holt and Christine Horne.
To me, fiction is most successful when the characters come alive in your mind and you want to continue their stories. In that, "Borealis" completely succeeds. And I sincerely hope that a network such as Space or Syfy feels the same way, and will use this movie as the pilot of a series, as it seems intended to be.
In an all-too-near future, the arctic icecap has melted, opening the way for new trade routes, oil fields, mining operations, and other untapped resources for the international community to squabble over. At the center of it all is Vic's bar. Owned by a former cage fighter and now the customs agent for the Canadian government, the bar is the center of life in an emerging frontier town.
Like many sci-fi shows, "Borealis" owes much to the genre of Westerns. The characters include a likable town drunk, a good-hearted prostitute, native Inuit, and a couple characters vying for the role of lawman, including Vic. But, it comes with a definite 21st century spin, including an American archaeologist funded by the Russians, an activist biologist determined to protect and document what remains of the arctic ecosystem, and an enigmatic international diplomat.
While the premise relies on climate change, the show doesn't get bogged down in preaching about the global warming we are currently causing. It moves along at a fast pace, with murder, fights and intrigue as nations, corporations and Vic all try to establish dominance in this new frontier. And since it's in the near future, advances in technology are evident, but not distracting or far beyond our current comprehension.
What really sets this apart from other Canadian sci-fi and fantasy is the acting and writing. The cast is excellent, and the main characters are entirely believable. Ty Olsson's understated energy really carries the pilot, but I also found myself wanting to see more of and know more about the characters played by Bryan Dick, Michelle Harrison, Greyston Holt and Christine Horne.
To me, fiction is most successful when the characters come alive in your mind and you want to continue their stories. In that, "Borealis" completely succeeds. And I sincerely hope that a network such as Space or Syfy feels the same way, and will use this movie as the pilot of a series, as it seems intended to be.
Bonekickers (2008)
Over the top but fun.
If you're the sort who enjoyed "The DaVinci Code" or "National Treasure," you'll probably love this show. The plot of the pilot episode was absurd, but the way the characters reacted was wall crafted and within the realm of the possible.
The social commentary is palpable and perhaps too extreme to be taken seriously. While the first episode may be called by some anti-Christian, the real distinction is drawn between those of any faith who use organized religion as a means of domination and those who actually believe in the (usually peaceful) teachings of the faith.
I was especially drawn to the character of Viv (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) both because she's beautiful and because she is the outsider's bridge to the world of archeology the show supposes to portray ... though I haven't heard of any actual archaeologist recently being hunted by brainwashed, sword swinging thugs, so let's just admit this has as little to do with archeologists as Indiana Jones.
The social commentary is palpable and perhaps too extreme to be taken seriously. While the first episode may be called by some anti-Christian, the real distinction is drawn between those of any faith who use organized religion as a means of domination and those who actually believe in the (usually peaceful) teachings of the faith.
I was especially drawn to the character of Viv (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) both because she's beautiful and because she is the outsider's bridge to the world of archeology the show supposes to portray ... though I haven't heard of any actual archaeologist recently being hunted by brainwashed, sword swinging thugs, so let's just admit this has as little to do with archeologists as Indiana Jones.