Red Dwarf: Back To Earth
It’s been 10 years since we last visited these characters – was it worth the wait?
Tags: Misc DVD 2009 Categories: DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Nov 13th, 2009
Red Dwarf: Back To Earth is the supposed triumphant return of the hit British science fiction situation comedy. The series ran for 8 seasons/series to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. After the 8th season in 1999, a number of projects were attempted, most notably a theatrical release. It’s been 10 years, and fans finally get new episodes, but was it worth the wait?
The basics of the series is that Dave Lister is not the best crew mwmber on the deep space mining vessel Red Dwarf. He is placed as punishment in a stasis hold for breaking quarantine by bringing a cat on board. While in stasis, a radiation leak kills everybody on board, except for the cat. The radiation lasts for 2 million years, enough time for the cat to not only survive, but also evolve. After the radiation finally dissipates, the computer lets Lister out of his stasis hold, and recreates a holographic projection of the person he has had the most communication with – his superior officer and bunk mate. Unfortunately, it was not his friend. And the computer has gone a bit insane after being alone for 2 million years.
While trying to get back to Earth they encounter a number of adventures and the crew are joined by an android and eventually Christine Kochanski, the object of Lister’s affection (though not necessarily mutual). One of the recurring themes in the series is time travel and dimension hopping with alternate and future versions of the characters popping in and out playing havoc with continuity, which can be quite frustrating, but it’s all played out for the greater laugh.
When we last left the crew of the Red Dwarf, they had spent the season on a completely recreated ship and crew. This had created a completely new dynamic among the characters and set up some new situations. It also brought about some longer stories and a cliffhanger ending about who would survive – and in which universe.
Now 10 years later we finally get some answers to our questions, but instead of having created a 9th series, we jump ahead to a mini-series of 3 episodes that are supposedly set after the 9th – again with the time jumping and alternate universes. So, yes, this is certainly not meant to gain new viewers, but instead simply (finally) give fans something new.
Here the characters finally do make it back to Earth, but they find out that they are simply characters in a television series. This would have worked as an episode or two-parter in a full season, but not as a stand-alone like this, especially so far removed from the last time we saw the show. Not only is this a case of “ wrong plot, wrong time” but also the cast have visibly aged, which detracts quite a bit. We aren’t taken back to when the series was initially broadcast, but instead left wondering what has been going on in the ensuing years. Also missing is Holly, the ship’s computer. Explained away as a short circuit, this is a real missed opportunity. Instead of trying to get the original actor (and actress) back, they could have had a series of cameos for the mentally deranged computer.
Don’t get me wrong, the show is still quite funny. Red Dwarf: Back To Earth delivers plenty of laughs and sendups of science fiction conventions. It’s just that this mini-series has an air of desperation about it rather than actually furthering the series.
This isn’t the first time that Red Dwarf has radically departed from a previous setup. The second season ended with Lister pregnant, and the opening of the third quickly disposed of that whole plot thread. It’s just a shame that what we get here is a decent couple of episodes, but should have been part of a much bigger story arc that really addresses what happened in the last season and actually moves things forward (yes, I’m asking for a “Bobby Ewing”).
Two audio commentaries are provided that I didn’t check out. I’m sure that they are well worth checking out but I was left with such a distaste in my mouth for the way the return of Red Dwarf was handled that I didn’t want to sit through it again. The second disc has a series of special features that are certainly worth checking out though. Starging off with over an hour of “making of” that covers … well, the making of Back to Earth. It’s a bit self congratulatory, but still informative. A number of other smaller featurettes look at the special effects, offer a press video kit, the premiere and other promotional stuff. Then we move on to outtakes, a few deleted scenes, trailers and promotional spots and a photo gallery.
For a sit-com mini-series, we get quite a good package. It’s just a shame that the main reason for this 2-disc set falls short of the greatness is should have been.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ The characters are still worth watching + Loads of special features |
5.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Plot holes and arbitrary story devices (which we have come to expect from the series, but after all this time we expect better) - Not as funny as it should be |
|
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| While expectations were high, even more realistic ones for the series return will be dashed. This isn't the triumphant return it should be. Newcomers will be lost, and longtime fans are disregarded. | |
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Tags: Misc DVD 2009
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Nov 13th, 2009 and is filed under DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
