Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on an idea by Gene Roddenberry, Andromeda wears its debt to Star Trek on its sleeve, recalling the best SF of Roddenberry's heyday. Kevin (ex-Hercules) Sorbo, plays Captain Dylan Hunt, the sympathetically flawed idealist in command of the Andromeda Ascendant, a massive 1.4 KM long starship of the now-disbanded Systems Commonwealth. The fall of civilisation has meant that although she ought to be a relic she remains the zenith of technological advancement.
Episodes on this DVD: "The Pearls That Were His Eyes", "The Mathematics of Tears", "Music of a Distant Drum" and "Harper 2.0".
"The Pearls That Were His Eyes" was one of the first conceived episode ideas, but was delayed until the availability of a Star Trek regular. That eventually turned out to be John (Q) de Lancie, who gives a brilliant turn as Beka's long-lost Uncle Sid. She really ought to have learned by now that no one is out for completely altruistic goals. An indication of how rotten the galaxy has become is that it can now takes three years for junk mail to reach you.
Finding another High Guard ship with a crew looking as it did 300 years ago seems like an awful big coincidence. In "The Mathematics of Tears" Dylan works to stay focused on the enigma at hand. Unfortunately, high-ranking officer Jill Pierce keeps distracting him with red herrings and all-manner of feminine wiles. Did they really stay young from the after-effects of an experimental weapon? Or is there a far more tragic secret to be revealed?
When the show focuses purely on Tyr, we can always be sure of certain eventualities. There will be glistening displays of muscle, questioned loyalties and some sort of humbled reconciliation with Dylan. This time his erratic behaviour is influenced by the "Music of a Distant Drum" which takes him to the planet Midden and a family of fishmongers. The episode gets to look at the character from the inside out due to a complete memory loss.
Never, never, never pick up a floating life pod. When will characters in SF learn this? The dire result of doing so this time is an impressive "Harper 2.0". Gordon Woolvett hasn't had many opportunities to shine thus far. But here we see him talking in multiple languages and contrasting his general surfer wise-cracking with sharp intellect and a mean streak. We also get a glimpse of what it is that's so feared about the Magog in battle.
On the DVD: Andromeda, Season 1 Vol. 3 has the regular extras package, with trailers, deleted scenes and comments from star Kevin Sorbo. This box set also features interviews with Brent Stait (Rev) and make-up effects artist Harlow McFarlane. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
Well I like it.......2002-08-14
Again the second box set is just as good as the first, pure sci-fi and never fails to come up with more amazing plot lines. A must buy for any collector!
Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on an idea by Gene Roddenberry Andromeda confidently wears its debt to Star Trek on its sleeve, recalling the best sci-fi of Roddenberry's heyday. The two-part premiere "Under the Night" and "An Affirming Flame" make for a terrific introduction to the lead character, Captain Dylan Hunt, played by Kevin (ex-Hercules) Sorbo. He's a sympathetically flawed idealist in command of the Andromeda Ascendant, a massive 1.4 km long starship of the now-disbanded Systems Commonwealth. The fall of civilisation has meant that although she ought to be a relic she remains the zenith of technological advancement.
In the series opener we see Captain Hunt in battle against 10,000 enemy ships, winning a bout of fisticuffs with a close friend turned enemy traitor, wrestling with the shock of being frozen in time for 300 years and then diplomatically negotiating his way out of a salvage rights battle for his ship. The Andromeda Ascendant's emotionally driven, life-like computer is desired by the Eureka Maru salvage vessel, and feisty Captain Beka Valentine can barely stop her engineer Harper from drooling about tinkering with her. The Maru's shipmates are similarly driven: Rev Bem (from another sworn enemy race) has a spiritual calling, while cutesy-pie Trance Gemini's motivations are part of her winning mysteriousness. One final addition is the show's muscle, Tyr, the enemy with a conscience. But it's Dylan's show all the way, though he's no flawless hero: in "To Loose the Fateful Lightning" he makes a really stupid mistake.
On the DVD: the first box set contains the show's first five episodes. From the excellently animated menus there are links to some standard fare: trailers for each of the (uncut) episodes, a Web link, biographies of the seven leading cast and a 16-picture Production Design Gallery of the Andromeda Ascendant. Much more interesting are the mini interviews with Sorbo (nine minutes) and Producer/Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe (eight minutes), an archive of deleted scenes and audio comments by Sorbo per episode. Picture is standard TV format 4.3 and sound is plain stereo. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
A great start to the series.......2006-12-27
This set contains the first five episodes of the Andromeda series and although there are many bad episodes further down the line, these are quite good. The volume begins with the crew of the Eureka Maru salverging the warship Andromeda Asendent from a black hole and finding the ships captain still alive after over 300 years. This eventually leads to the Maru crew and the Andromeda joining forces to attemted to rebuild civilization. All the episodes are quite general Sci-Fi fare and the rather lackluster CGI and reuse of futtage does distract somewhat from the series good points but Andromeda is good fun nonetheless.
The best of Andromeda.......2005-01-22
This really is the best of Andromeda. 4 of these 5 episodes are the best the show has to offer. Enjoy these episodes because uit's all downhill from here.
Unrelentingly dire..........2004-01-24
Hmmmm were to start? Should I mention the weakness of the acting? The repetitive and tiresome storylines? The meaningless cod philosophy that opens every episode? The fact that every time the supposedly "Charismatic" Dylan Hunt starts to speak you want to knock him out? The blatant fan boy pleasing costumes the poor female characters are squeezed into?
No- I think I shall just say that this show is not only an insult to the intelligence of the most casual veiwer but an insult to all good sf shows that get tarred with the same brush.
Damn good sci-fi.......2002-07-26
So there is no detailed science, and the limited cast means that each member is playing two or three cliched characters. But it is great story-telling!
The premise is great, and well implemented. Sorbo is a beleivable hero who makes mistakes and makes you care.
I give 4 instead of 5 because: there is a lot of recycled footage; the same missiles firing, guns exploding, ship leaving orbit - every episode. There does not seem to have been too much of an effort to make them look different.
Also, To Loose The Fateful Lightening is a very weak episode.
Generally though, it is great.
A fantastic begining.......2002-02-20
On this DVD boxset is the first five episodes of Andromeda's first season. This is truly a really good start to a brilliant series. Every episode here is a gem, with the possibile exception of "To Loose the Fateful Lightning" which leaves a little to be desired.
The series two-hour premiere episodes "Under the Night" and "An Affirming Flame" are actually really really good, especially considering that they are the pilot shows for a TV series, which normally aren't that fantastic. The other episodes "D Minus Zero" is a brilliant show, showing us lots of tension aboard the ship and lots of character developement, as does "Double Helix." In "Double Helix" you are never quite sure where Tyr's loyalties lie, until the very end. Definately worth the price, these episodes are really excellent and they come in a cool little box which looks good, with a host of extras. DEFINATELY DEFINATALEY worth every penny!!!
Amazon.co.uk Review
No sci-fi show can be without a trial episode accusing someone of past crimes. "Forced Perspective" sees Dylan accused of a 300-year-old war atrocity and having to argue the case from very peculiar perspectives. This episode feels like filler, but the viewer ought to pick up on two important aspects of the show happening on the periphery. What's going on between Tyr and Beka? Even more importantly, what's going on with Trance?
An interesting reversal of roles is presented to Dylan when an organised group of machines offer for him to join their Consensus of Parts. Neither is fully willing to join the other however, and so "The Sum of Its Parts" turns out to be less than either hoped for. This episode was another cowritten by a noted science fiction author, and Steven Barnes injects some welcome introspection into the proceeding story arc.
"Fear and Loathing in the Milky Way" is experienced by all following the return of the Eureka Maru's original commissioning lowlife, Gerentex ("Under the Night"). Trance's deft sleight of hand helps at the casino tables, while Harper's wisecracking front finally slips to reveal a man capable of action in a tight spot. We also learn exactly how Beka practices Valentineology.
At long last we learn Rev's full name (Reverend Behemiel) and get a fuller explanation of his Wayist belief. "The Devil Take the Hindmost" reveals Jesus to be one of the revered Saints too. This was actually one of the first plot lines considered for the show, but caught up with its own internal story arcs, Rev's character has had to wait until now for a proper spotlight. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
4 Great Episodes Of An Exellent Show.......2002-08-22
4 More Episodes of the Exellent Sci-Fi series.
"Forced Perspective" Dylan (Kevin Sorbo) is taken captive and forced to admit that he killed the Mobius leader and overthrew the Mobius government more than 300 years ago.
"The Sum Of Its Parts" A humanoid robot (Matt Smith) visits the Andromeda crew, helps them fight off a culture of organized machines and learns what it means to be a living being.
"Fear and Loathing in the Milky Way" Trance (Laura Bertram), Harper (Gordon Michael Woolvett) and their former employer Gerentex (John Tench) are unwilling partners on a wild ride to find a valuable artifact.
"The Devil Take The Hindmost" Rev Bem (Brent Stait) gets a call from a Wayist friend (Mark Holden) in need of his help to save the Hajira and its settlement, Serendipity, from being taken over by slavers.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Things never go well when the Andromeda Ascendant takes on passengers. When Dylan agrees to transport the bride of an arranged wedding, "The Honey Offering" is tastes bad from the outset. Kimberly Huie gives a memorable acid-tongued performance as the lady in question. The real clue that things were doomed ought to have been Tyr's reservations over the two rival Nietzschean prides genuinely wanting to heal their breach.
"Star-Crossed" is the Series One episode that caused more gossip than any other. Stargate regular Michael Shanks guest stars, falls in love with Rommie on screen (and with Lexa Doig off screen), and then suddenly quits SG-1. There's certainly a spark between them in the show to support the gossip. The secondary cause for talk was its broadcast rescheduling in sympathy with the events of September 11 since it opens with a terrorist attack.
As sci-fi show producers realise, they have an ongoing franchise on their hands, one of the contemporary issues to inevitably crop up is drug addiction. Here it's Beka who loses control of her addiction to a substance called Flash, and all she can see is that "It Makes a Lovely Light". Behind this surface narrative is a continued search for Dylan's long-lost home. The point ultimately becomes that he'd rather safeguard his crew than his memories.
Criticised in some places for its extreme violence, the season finale "Its Hour Come 'Round at Last" will stay with you one way or another. Maybe for the sight of an alternate Rommie turning uncharacteristically nasty on every one and seriously kicking butt. Or maybe the mind-blowing Magog Worldship, made up of 20 planets and their sun. Or maybe just the seemingly impossible scenario each major character is faced with as the show ends. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
The Suspence.......2005-01-19
when i bought this set a few months ago i cud not wait for the next season to arrive. From the very first eppisode i have been addicted to andromeda and cannot sleep knowing that i havent watched all the episodes on the disk. Great series.
The Final 4 Episodes Of Season 1 Of This Exellent Show.......2002-08-22
This double DVD includes The Final 4 Episodes Of Season 1 Of This Exellent Show.
"The Honey Offering" An arranged marriage between two rival Nietzschean Prides puts the Andromeda Ascendant in danger when Captain Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo) agrees to transport the bride (Kimberly Huie) to the wedding.
"Star Crossed" Rommie (Lexa Doig) falls in love with a surviving android (Michael Shanks) of a destroyed ship, only to be betrayed as he turns out to be the ultimate enemy.
"It Makes A Lovely Light" Beka (Lisa Ryder) jeopardizes the crew when she takes a mind-altering drug while attempting an exhaustive piloting mission that could bring Dylan (Kevin Sorbo) to his long-lost home planet.
"It's Hour Comes 'Round At Last [Part 1]" Andromeda's (Lexa Doig) memory of her current crew is wiped out when an old core personality is accidentally re-installed.
(This Action Packed Cliffhanger, sees the crew against a ship made from hollowed out planets filled with trillions of magog comannded by the shadow figure we first saw in the episode "Harper 2.0")
Amazon.co.uk Review
The second series of Andromeda unveils a change in approach. A new traditionally heroic title theme, accompanied by rousing voice-over is one noticeable difference. Another is Kevin Sorbo's even shorter haircut. But it's back to the gore and violence that marked the cliffhanging finale of the first year with "The Widening Gyre", where many perils are resolved while others are revealed. An all-too-short deadline is also imposed on Dylan's Commonwealth dream (confirming the show's additional two-series renewal), when it's confirmed how long it will be before the travelling Magog arrive.
"Exit Strategies" is all about inner demons. Poor Harper is left with a very real internal problem that leads him to contemplate the unthinkable. Rommie is wrestling with an alternate physical self. Rev is battling his religious conscience against his very survival. With so much B-plot, you could almost overlook the main story that sees the Maru crash land on an ice world--if the dazzling FX would let you that is.
Beka gets an overdue share of romantic attention in "A Heart for Falsehood Framed". A sacred gem is the nub of a diplomatic dispute. In typically unpredictable fashion, the plot contrives to see all interested parties caught up in a multi-layered game of switching fakes.
Some new angles appear in "Pitiless as the Sun". In case anyone's forgotten, Trance is given opportunity to thicken the mystery surrounding exactly what she is. This occurs as we meet a brand-new adversary, the unsavoury Pyrians. Xenophobia, drug addiction and slavery are all scrutinised in this episode--enough plot for an X-File. This is funny since Cigarette-Smoking Man William B Davis guest stars.
Hunting for a once-glorious leader who would benefit Dylan's cause, the Maru and crew make a "Last Call at the Broken Hammer", a run-down bar in the middle of a wasteland. There are lots of twists in a mystery of hidden identities and agendas amongst the bar's patrons. Watch out for Gordon Woolvett's real-life wife among them. Another welcome sight in this episode is a change of wardrobe for the regulars, who have been sweating it out in the same gear for far too long. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
WOW! Great start to the second season.......2003-03-23
I am speechless. Having watched the Borg attacks on Star Trek the Next Generation, I did not think a worse enemy could be found. But the MAGOG are something else.
The first season took a while to get into. But it is worth it. Every one of the 5 episodes on this box set was great. We are now starting to see the personality behind the characters, and the special effects just keep coming! If you are a STAR TREK/Gene Roddenberry Fan you will love the Andromeda series.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on an idea by Gene Roddenberry Andromeda wears its debt to Star Trek on its sleeve, recalling the best sci-fi of Roddenberry's heyday. Kevin (ex-Hercules) Sorbo, plays Captain Dylan Hunt, the sympathetically flawed idealist in command of the Andromeda Ascendant, a massive 1.4km long starship of the now-disbanded Systems Commonwealth. The fall of civilisation has meant that although she ought to be a relic she remains the zenith of technological advancement.
Episodes on this DVD:Angel Dark, Demon Bright; The Ties That Blind; Banks of the Lethe; A Rose in the Ashes; All Great Neptune's Ocean.
"Angel Dark, Demon Bright". Time travel is always a sci-fi series staple, but Andromeda needs it more than any of them. Any method (excuse!) to re-visit Dylan's own time is explored, and "Angel Dark, Demon Bright" is therefore an important episode for two reasons. We see just how badly the Commonwealth had it coming in an enormous space battle; and we also perceive how potentially dangerous Trance is. Pruning the branches of time as easily as her plants, she's clearly a conundrum waiting to explode.
"The Ties That Blind". A dual reference to aspects of faith, on the one hand there's Rev's devout following of The Way, which unwittingly obscures certain truths from him; on the other hand there's the belief that blood is thicker than water which severely confuses the relationship Beka has with her long-lost con-artist brother Rafe (Cameron Daddo). There's a lot of art imitating life in this episode, with The Restorian's tactics clearly mirroring contemporary religious conflicts.
"The Banks of the Lethe". Proving that all's fair in love and war this episode demonstrates the familial possibilities of syndicated TV. Firstly, Sorbo's real-life wife plays Dylan's fiancée Sara. Secondly, the story was originally touted to Star Trek: Voyager. It's another time travel quickie (told you they were important), in which a touching reunion for the Sorbos is made possible thanks to a botched experiment in Harper's lab. This instalment is also distinguished for featuring some of the most surreal humour in dealing with time travel since Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
"A Rose in the Ashes". Sometimes diplomacy just doesn't work. "A Rose in the Ashes" is sought on planet Arazia where Dylan is imploring their Government to join his Commonwealth. Deemed traitors for suggesting it, he and Rommie's "living doll" incarnation are sent to a harsh prison planet. This was the first show to utilise exterior locations, which makes for a welcome change. The same is also true about seeing Lexa Doig in a leather-studded bikini top and disco pants.
"All Neptune's Great Oceans". Paraphrasing Macbeth, this is another spotlight show for Tyr. The endlessly surly muscle man is accused of assassinating a visiting President. The crew sleuth out clues and red herrings, making this a watered-down whodunnit in the now well-established sci-fi tradition.--Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
Great Sci-fi.......2005-08-27
If you like the first two or three Star Trek generations, you'll probably like Andromeda. The DVDs contain the episodes and very little else, but if you've seen a couple of the episodes you'll know whether you like the style - if you do, the DVD's may be for you!
Action Adventure and Humor a real treat for any SciFi fan.......2002-07-22
This new series really stands out with its setting, storyline and characters, which are all equally appealing.
Andromeda delivers a nice mix of serious storyline with the occasional touch of humor and loads of action.
Done in the tradition of Roddenberry but definitely not Star Trek.
Highly recommended.
excellent series excellent box set.......2002-06-30
are you a tricky?
Do science-fiction?
Then there this is the series for you!!!
The lead character Dylan Hunter (Hercules) has been frozen in time for 300 years. Everyone he loved his dead his beloved Commonwealth has fallen and it is up to him and his crew to reform will form Commonwealth.
This is excellent series and it is well worth look
DVD Review:
- Andromeda - Season 2 - Vol. 3 [2000]
- Andromeda - Season 2 - Vol. 4 [2000]
- Andromeda - Season 3 - Vol. 5 [2000]
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