Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Farscape

I enjoy science fiction and fantasy series, so it made sense that at some point in time, I would get around to watching Farscape.  So far, I have only viewed the first episode, so it's hard to make a call based on that single show.  There is a lot of potential with a few problems.  It probably doesn't help that I'm watching the episode of Supernatural that is shot in black and white, featuring classic movie monsters, but I'll try to keep things in perspective.

Beginning its run in the late 90's, Farscape had access to CGI, as evidenced by the ship scenes.  Fortunately, they opted to use practical effects when possible.  There is quite a bit of make-up and accompanying appliances.  Some of the characters are muppets, which I love.  Where a show nowadays may just CGI those characters, Farscape gives you something real to look at and something real for the actors to interact with.

At the same time, the show looks dated at times.  The CGI is standard for the show's release period, and the sets don't look particularly rich.  While I prefer practical effects, like the puppets, they do have certain limitations.  The show actually handles them pretty well for the main characters, but secondary characters don't have as much time spent on them, hence don't look as convincing.

A great deal of science fiction shows flourish in how they present the relationships of the involved characters.  At this point in the show, I can't say whether or not Farscape handles them well.  They do have a great set up though; they have a variety of characters with very different personalities.  If the show goes how I believe it will, it will be very good.

I plan to watch some more episodes, but right now, I'm a bit focused on Supernatural, which isn't fair to Farscape.  Luckily, I'll definitely be watching additional episodes of Farscape.  I'll update you later, as I proceed through the show.

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