Release Date:
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Air Date:
Airs Monday and Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST
TV Network:
A&E
The Skinny: A satellite plummets to sleepy Piedmont, UT and when a bunch of curious hicks cracks it open, a biochemical plague kills all (save for a baby and a booze-hound) within breathing range. The government quickly assembles a group of nerds to divine the source and solution of the threat, codenamed Andromeda.
The Good: The cast, with Benjamin Bratt as the braintrust's leader, Lost's Daniel Dae Kim (who knew he could speak English so well?), and Will & Grace's Eric McCormack as a coked-up journalist who checks out of rehab to break the story. Also, with Ridley and Tony Scott as executive producers, you get a grittier, 21st-century version of the tale that feels like you should be paying to see in theaters (or at least on premium cable).
The Bad: Fans of the 1971 feature film probably shouldn't bother. Abandoning the simplicity, methodical pace and process of the original, this adrenalized version spends more time outside the super-techy Wildfire facility, following McCormack and the modern-day political concerns of terrorism and nuclear North Korea.
Damn, You Cliffhangers! When we threw this in our DVD player, we told ourselves we'd only watch the first of its two parts before hitting the bar with friends. But following the first night's climax, we quickly resumed our normal couch groove. (You, unfortunately, will have to give up two nights or set your DVR accordingly.)
Watch, Ignore, or Read a Book Instead? While it's a bit bloated (whole subplots could have been cut), it's probably worth your time. Plus, it's more fun than the acknowledgments page of the Michael Crichton book it's based on, which is as far as we got.
The Good: The cast, with Benjamin Bratt as the braintrust's leader, Lost's Daniel Dae Kim (who knew he could speak English so well?), and Will & Grace's Eric McCormack as a coked-up journalist who checks out of rehab to break the story. Also, with Ridley and Tony Scott as executive producers, you get a grittier, 21st-century version of the tale that feels like you should be paying to see in theaters (or at least on premium cable).
The Bad: Fans of the 1971 feature film probably shouldn't bother. Abandoning the simplicity, methodical pace and process of the original, this adrenalized version spends more time outside the super-techy Wildfire facility, following McCormack and the modern-day political concerns of terrorism and nuclear North Korea.
Damn, You Cliffhangers! When we threw this in our DVD player, we told ourselves we'd only watch the first of its two parts before hitting the bar with friends. But following the first night's climax, we quickly resumed our normal couch groove. (You, unfortunately, will have to give up two nights or set your DVR accordingly.)
Watch, Ignore, or Read a Book Instead? While it's a bit bloated (whole subplots could have been cut), it's probably worth your time. Plus, it's more fun than the acknowledgments page of the Michael Crichton book it's based on, which is as far as we got.