Blu-ray Review: Hefty Set For Fan Favorite ‘Farscape: The Complete Series’

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

CHICAGO – Hardcore fans will know why they decided to release a box set of “Farscape: The Complete Series” in November 2011. The fan favorite was created by The Jim Henson Company and there just happens to be a little Disney movie coming out next week that hopes to return Kermit, Fozzie, and the rest of the gang to international prominence yet again. What about Crichton, Aeryn Sun, and Ka D’Argo? In all seriousness, this unusual tie-in to “The Muppets” may not appeal to many fans of the sure-to-be blockbuster but it will hit its target audience like a freight train. With hours of special features and remastered transfers, it’s a great HD set.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

The new retrospective documentary about this beloved sci-fi series — “Memories of Moya: An Epic Journey Explored” — will probably be enough for most hardcore fans of the cult hit to pick up the box set but you should be warned about a few things. First, the transfers are from the PAL tapes of the initial episodes and not the actual negatives, making for an upconverted image that’s not exactly 1080p. The show looks better than it’s likely to if you catch it on cable but it’s not a perfect HD picture by any stretch. It’s also disappointing that New Video couldn’t get the rights to “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars,” which is the telefilm that wrapped up the series after the cliffhanger at the end of season four when it was abruptly canceled. In other words, it’s not “quite” complete.

But it is quite extensive. Over twenty discs and four seasons, fans will find over 68 hours of science fiction. That’s nearly three days of your favorite show and it doesn’t even touch the incredibly deep amount of special features. Each season is weighed down with bonus material, including featurettes, deleted scenes, 31 audio commentaries, and much more. Fans of the show are unlikely to leave the house for days. Just be aware that you won’t see any family member to whom you give this as a gift this holiday season.

Farscape: The Complete Series
Photo credit: New Video

Synopsis:
John Crichton. Astronaut. Flung through a wormhole and lost in a galaxy far from home. He finds himself in the middle of a prison break, surrounded by hostile aliens, soaring through space inside a glorious living space ship called Moya. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with his unimaginably alien fellow refugees and searches for a way home.

So begins the epic sci-fi classic Farscape. A fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, Farscape features mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters all brought to life by the creative minds at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. No wonder it’s been called the most imaginative sci-fi series in television history.

Here, in time for the series tenth anniversary, are all four Farscape seasons, 88 episodes, together for the first time in one epic collection. These are the adventures of Moya’s crew, Crichton, Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun, warrior Ka D’Argo, azure priestess Zhaan, spritely thief Chiana, Dominar Rigel, Pilot and many others. Like Moya herself, this package contains amazing surprises including hours of bonus materials, making-of featurettes, commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes and much more. Prepare for Starburst!

Special Features:
o Memories Of Moya: An Epic Journey Explored
o Farscape Undressed
o In The Beginning: A Look Back With Brian Henson
o Making Of A Space Opera
o Farscape: The Story So Far
o Villains
o Visual Effects
o Save Farscape
o 31 Audio Commentaries
o Deleted Scenes, Director’s Cut Scenes, and Alternate Version of the Season 2 Premiere
o Video Profiles and Behind-the-Scenes Interviews with the Characters, Cast and Creative Team of Farscape
o Original TV Promos

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com