TV Review: ‘Terra Nova’ Needs More Time to Develop

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CHICAGO – Highly anticipated and produced in part by Steven Spielberg, “Terra Nova” gets a choppy start, but has enough fascinating elements and is promising enough to earn future viewing. The two hour premiere is Monday, September 26th on FOX.

HollywoodChicago.com TV Rating: 3.5/5.0
TV Rating: 3.5/5.0

The pilot has a nice glossy Spielbergian sheen, with precise special effects, sparkling vistas and tightly drawn characters. An environmentally corrupt future world is barely explored, as the idea was to get the main characters to a prehistoric past, to re-establish civilization and to possibly change the outcome of the world they have just left. While there should have been less shoot-em-ups and more character development, the questions left unanswered are scintillating enough for building a drama.

In the 22nd century, the earth has become a nightmare, as pollution and overpopulation has consumed all the natural resources, including breathable air. There is one high tech solution escape from this situation – a pilgrimage to the past. A time portal is discovered and the pilgrims who take the journey through it end up in “Terra Nova,” the earth of 85 million years into the past.

Brave New Roles: Stephen Lang, Jason O’Mara and Shelley Coon in ‘Terra Nova’
Brave New Roles: Stephen Lang, Jason O’Mara and Shelley Coon in ‘Terra Nova’
Photo credit: © FOX Broadcasting

Back in 2149, the Shannon family is busted for having one child too many. Father Jim (Jason O’Mara) takes the fall, and is sentenced to prison. While serving the time, his physician wife Elisabeth (Shelley Conn) manages to score the tenth pilgrimage to Terra Nova, and plans to take their children, Josh (Landon Liboiron) and Maddy (Naomi Scott). Just before they leave, Elisabeth helps in a prison escape for Jim, and somehow he gets their toddler daughter back and follows the family into the time portal. They end up in Terra Nova, a prehistoric land with its own rules, enforced by Commander Nathaniel Taylor (Stephen Lang).

Jim joins the security force in the Taylor regime, and is clued into the rebel force in the territory, the “Sixes” (all from the sixth pilgrimage). He also learns to combat the dinosaurs in the territory, who don’t like sharing Terra Nova with the humans. When the young Josh strays from the colony, all the enemies of this new society attack. The paradise of the promised land feels more like paradise lost.

Little time is spent in 2149, the time of the environmental disaster, and despite what looks like advanced technology in the future world, no reversal of the pollution and overpopulation is possible, which is odd. The future city the family escapes from is Chicago, which still looks like it is functioning, and the family themselves are squeaky clean and well fed. In such a harsh environment, wouldn’t the people who inhabit it be harsh as well?

The front of the story, as they plan to escape, was the most pulse pounding part of the entire two-hour pilot. The landing in Terra Nova is anti-climatic in comparison, as Jim goes from ex-con to the most important security force in camp. And judging from his shirtless scene, living in a prison for two years with little breathable air is ideal for a six-pack abdomen. In other words, there needed to be more ramifications for the humans both in the cruel world left behind and the current one they are asked to colonize.

They Are Not Alone: Dinosaurs Feed in ‘Terra Nova’
They Are Not Alone: Dinosaurs Feed in ‘Terra Nova’
Photo credit: © FOX Broadcasting

The breakout scene in the premiere is the discovery of mysterious drawings, which look like calculations, outside the walled-in society. The mystery of these, and the motivations of the characters within the Sixes rebel force, all need time to develop and be given a chance for story possibilities. The first episode was good, but not great – the characters had little depth and the best part was the escape from the future world, which took up nearly no time in the two hours.

This is an ambitious and obviously expensive undertaking, fusing “Brave New World” with “Jurassic Park.” With the master storyteller Steven Spielberg behind the production, “Terra Nova” must strive to be something different, better than the world left behind and better in future episodes.

”Terra Nova” premieres Monday, September 26th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on FOX. Check local listings for channel location. Featuring Jason O’Mara, Shelley Conn, Stephen Lang, Naomi Scott, Landon Liboiron, Allison Miller and Christine Adams. Produced by Steven Spielberg.

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2011 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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