Title: Farscape: The
Peacekeeper Wars: SCI FI Channel Original Miniseries
Stars: Ben Browder,
Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley, Wayne Pygram, Raelee Hill, Melissa
Jaffer, Paul Goddard, Tammy Macintosh, Jonathan Hardy, Lani John Tupu, Duncan
Young, Rebecca Riggs, Hugh Keays-Byrne, John Bach, and Nathaniel Dean
Writers: Rockne S.
O’Bannon and David Kemper
Based on Characters
Created By: Rockne S. O’Bannon
Director: Brian Henson
Co-Executive Producer:
Martin G. Baker
Executive Producers:
Brian Henson, David Kemper, Rockne S. O’Bannon, Robert Halmi, Jr.
Running Time: 240
minutes with commercials
Media: SCI FI Channel
Original Miniseries (NTSC DVD Screeners)
World Premiere: Part
One – Sunday, October 17, 2004, at 9pm (ET/PT)
World Premiere: Part
Two – Monday, October 18, 2004, at 9pm (ET/PT)
Network: SCI FI Channel
(Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating: Not
Available At The Time Of Review
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
Back by overwhelming demand “Farscape” returns to the SCI FI Channel with the epic miniseries event “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.” Perhaps the most guarded science fiction media project to go into production in the last year outside of “Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith,” this exciting adventure is without a doubt the best science fiction feature film to be released this year and it is only going to appear on the small screen. “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars” picks up right where the fourth season series finale “Bad Timing” left off and then the story manages to recap the basic premise for viewers new to the series and then at about a rate of every six minutes or so, the miniseries goes at “starburst” pace with more twists and turns than any single “Indiana Jones” adventure let alone “Farscape.”
I was totally amazed at how much of the various plot points were resolved without sacrificing the excitement, action, and humor that has been a signature of the series since it first started. The script by Rockne S. O’Bannon and David Kemper is nothing short of excellent. Fans will find out things they never even thought would ever be addressed and the miniseries is so satisfying that I think it will leave all viewers of the series with a sense that they have witnessed something truly wondrous and obviously fans will want more, but if nothing should ever follow, this is the ending I think “Farscape” deserved and I applaud everyone involved with making this come to fruition because believe me “Farscape” would be a lesser sci-fi TV franchise without it. Brian Henson’s screen direction is straight forward and to the point where he shows us just what we need to get the ideas across and never spoils a single second by lingering on something too long. I was glued to my TV screen from start to finish and in many cases the events unfold ways in ways even hardcore fans will never suspect. The Jim Henson Creature Shop creations are nothing that “Farscape” fans have not seen already, but the high standards are carried over to this miniseries so in short, “Farscape” still has some of the most exotic extraterrestrial beings to ever appear in a single series. The music for the miniseries is epic in quality while still remaining true to what “Farscape” fans are accustomed to while the CGI is more than adequate for television broadcast.
Watching “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars” felt as if the series had never been cancelled. This is “Farscape” as fans remember it and so much more. It is a given that those already familiar with “Farscape” will get more out of this miniseries than newcomers, but with episodes airing on SCI FI and the complete series now available on DVD-Video in the States through ADV Films, there is still plenty of time to catch up and if you can’t, be prepared to become converted because “Farscape” is infectious and I have no doubt the miniseries will make new fans after it airs. “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars” elevates the series as a whole to new heights as the best sci-fi television series to air on TV since “Babylon 5” and anyone who knows how much of a fan I was of that show, can definitely attest that my stating this must mean I am extremely serious.
Hence in case you are wondering why I have not delved into the storyline at all, here is your answer. I do not want to give away even the minutest detail regarding this miniseries. It is just so engaging that I truly fear even a one-sentence logline would be too much to spoil what is easily the best sci-fi on SCI FI. It truly is that good. “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars” will debut on the SCI FI Channel with the World Premiere of Part One on Sunday, October 17, 2004, at 9pm (ET/PT) and the conclusion airing on Monday, October 18, 2004, at 9pm (ET/PT). Don’t miss it!
©
Copyright 2004 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.