Science Fiction

Doctor Who – Joy to the World

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – Joy to the World
  • wiki: link

While the larger story of “Joy to the World” involves a the creation of a man-made star capable of destroying the Earth being handed off to innocents transformed into brainwashed couriers, the latest Doctor Who Christmas episode is most notable for the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) being force to stop running, for an entire year, and wait. The episode plays on similar themes to “The Power of Three” when the Doctor (Matt Smith) stayed with Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) for an extended period on Earth, but this time the Doctor is forced to make his own fun with some Christmas trappings thrown in as well.

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Skeleton Crew – Can’t Say I Remember No At Attin

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – Can’t Say I Remember No At Attin
  • wiki: link

Still searching for their home world, the crew’s robot steers them to what was likely once very similar to At Attin but now is a post-apocalyptic hellscape (or the Disney equivalent where nothing remotely violent happens on-screen). The crew spends a single episode on At Achrann with the kids and Jod (Jude Law) each joining opposing warbands until they meet up again with the crafty pirate captain having crafted a fix for all of them. The end of the episode teases clues to the real At Attin until it’s revealed SM-33 (Nick Frost) has been programed to forget about his experience with the former planet. When those memories are unlocked by Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) his orders to kill anyone asking about the planet are revived as well.

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Skeleton Crew – Way, Way Out Past the Barrier / Very Interesting, As an Astrogation Problem

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – Way, Way Out Past the Barrier / Very Interesting, As an Astrogation Problem
  • wiki: link | link

The second and third episodes of Skeleton crew provide the first experience of space for Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and KB (Kyriana Kratter) who find themselves lightyears away from home. Taken to a nearby pirate space station by the ship’s droid, who recognizes Fern as captain, the foursome discover trust is a commodity in short supply, although Wim does make the acquaintance of the marginally Force sensitive imprisoned former pirate captain (Jude Law) who he mistakes for a Jedi (and is all to willing to let that misconception stand). Escaping the port together, Jod, Silvo, Captain Jack, or whatever you want to call him, agrees to help the kids find their home believing the legends of treasure to be found on the lost planet of At Attin.

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Skeleton Crew – This Could Be a Real Adventure

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – This Could Be a Real Adventure
  • wiki: link

After producing The Acolyte, what would become the most divisive Star Wars series (and one that I enjoyed for the most part), it appears Disney has retreated to more familiar territory. Skeleton Crew feels like a Disney Channel series with a Disney+ budget. The opening episode, “This Could Be a Real Adventure” introduces us to Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), his best-friend Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and a pair of slightly older girls in Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) who, at least so far, is the only useful member of the foursome. Most of the premiere sticks with Wim giving us the basic dreamer/screwup son disappointing his father (Tunde Adebimpe) who isn’t a bad guy but far from a great dad.

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The Great Films – Galaxy Quest

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Galaxy Quest
  • IMDb: link

Galaxy Quest

Far from a flop, but not the box office family comedy smash the fledging DreamWorks Pictures was hoping for, Galaxy Quest came and went in the winter of 1999 and early 2000 with marginal success. Those lucky enough to see the film in the theaters were in for a treat that stayed around the top 10 of the box office for several weeks earning positive reviews from critics and earning back double its production costs.  Without really knowing what they had on their hands, bungling the marketing of the film and hamstringing its release, DreamWorks had nevertheless produced the best Star Trek movie ever made.

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