I'm in a distant part of the universe... (Farscape Box Set 1 (DVD))

Member Name: ralfschumacher

Product:	Farscape Box Set 1 (DVD)
Date:	27/06/04 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Acting., Writing and Visual effects., It's the best sci-fi show ever made.

Disadvantages: For this season there were about two episodes that weren't that good.

...on a ship, a living ship.

As 'Farscape' has been given a go ahead for a 4 hour mini-series (which will air in the U.S in October) after it got cancelled at the end of it's magnificent fourth season, I thought I would go back to the first season of Farscape where it all started and just do a short review on the box set. Farscape was one of my favorite shows up until it got cancelled by the Sci-Fi Channel and I couldn't wait for the DVD's to come out, though instead of buying the five individual box sets I waited for the the whole set so I could watch all the episodes together in one go.

I bought the Farscape: Season one limited edition set from amazon for £39.99 when it was on sale. That was an excellent deal considering the normal price for the set was around £85. I just thought that I would also let you know that It's back on sale now for a pound cheaper than what I paid for it at Amazon, so, if your into Farscape or even if you just want to get into one of the best Sci-fi shows ever created then you're getting a fantastic deal.

As the mini-series will be airing on the BBC after it's broadcast in the U.S it is most definitely worth you watching this season and the others first so that you can understand the characters and the story so far. I know most Farscape fans will be watching all their season box sets as a build up to the main event.

- The Packaging -

The Box set come in a very nice packaging indeed. The front cover has an image of the main cast with the words 'Farscape: season 1 Limited Edition' on the top. The back features some more nice images including one of Rygel (One of Jim Henson's puppets that was made for the show) looking p*ssed off, probably because he hadn't eaten anything. Then there's a short description about the show and also a long list of extras below it. You will also find some more technical specifications for the box set that tell you w
hat format the show is presented in e.g 4:3 Fullscreen and the sound the show is in etc.

When we open the package we are treated to another great high quality image of the crew of Moya with a nice visual effects shot in the background. On the inside of the front cover there is a list of the titles for each of the 22 'Uncut' episodes and another, more detailed list of the extras. The actual DVD's are situated neatly in five small DVD cases which contain 2 DVD's each. It looks great on my shelf and it will look great on yours.

- Why Farscape? -

I think the main thing that kept Farscape on our screens for four years has to be down to everything really. The writing for the show was very in depth and a lot of good stories and characters were developed. Most of the storyline for the show carried on for the entire series' of the show where we saw other characters from the show coming back in later episodes in the seasons. I thought it was also down to the incredible acting abilities of the shows cast, who made each character very believeable and made Farscape a joy to watch. Credit has to also go to Jim Henson who's workshop produced a lot of the alien characters such as 'Pilot' and of course everyones favourite 'Rygel'. The set designs and special effects were perfect and created a very wonderful looking and different sci-fi show compared to something like Star Trek.

- How does it start out? -

The first season starts out when Astronaut John Crichton is transported through a wormhole whilst on a test mission. He lands in a distant part of the universe where a battle is comencing between a crew of escaped prisoners and the Peacekeepers. John accidently hits one of the Peacekeeper ships (I think they're called Marudars or prowlers) causing it to crash into an astroid and killing the pilot on board. The Pilot on board the Peacekeper spacecraft was none other than Bialair Craiss' (Th
e Peacekeeper Commander's) brother.

Crichton's spacecraft is then somehow magnetically pulled on board the Leviathan ship where the escaped prisoners are and he can't believe his eyes when he see's 'aliens' on board. The aliens try talking to him but he can't understand them, so they inject him with a translator microbe so that he can understand what they are trying to say. Whist the Leviathan (Which is called Moya) is under attack they bring another ship on board, this time a Peacekeeper Prowler with it's Pilot Aeryn Sun on board. The escaped prisoners along with Crichton and the Peacekeeper Pilot then managed to manaouver away from the Peacekeeper carrier and starburst away to saftey, but, it's not long until Bialair Craiss is back on their tail.

- Season one -

The first season of Farscape was just as good as all the other seasons in my book. Some say that it wasn't all that but I thought it was a great series and essential viewing. Not only does it introduce you to each of the characters but it also sets up some of the fabulous storylines that continue on into season two. The first season consists of twenty-two uncut episodes that last about 47 Minutes each, which is very good considering most shows such as 'Buffy' or something finish by about 42 or 43 minutes.

- The Extras -

The Season One boxset includes a great array of extras features that are spread over the 10 disc set. Most notably are no less than eight audio commentaries that include various participants from the cast and crew of Farscape. Also included in the set is a 'Making of Farscape' documentary that shows how many of the creatures on Farscape came to life. To round up the set are interview profiles and the original Jim Henson company trailer.

- Technical -

The DVD's are presented in 4:3 Fullscreen with Dolby Digital 5.1Surround sound. I would have loved to have seen this se
ason in Widescreen but I'm happy with the fullscreen transfers. The total running time of the 10 discs comes to 1205 minutes, so loads of viewing pleasure.

- Last word -

What can I say, only that Farscape was the best show ever and SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. If you haven't yet seen an episode of Farscape yet then I'm recomending you to do so, you won't be dissapointed. They show repeats on the Sci-Fi channel on Sky and the Mini-Series should be on by the end of the year. If you want to support the already succesful Farscape campaign then visit the website at
http://www.savefarscape.com. It was down to that website and the millions of fans worldwide that brought it back.

LONG LIVE FARSCAPE!!


(Please note this review was also posted on ciao.co.uk if you think I copied it)

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