fischcj Reviews

Star Trek: Enterprise: The Augments (2004) Season 4, Episode 6

The Conclusion...

[27 January 2006]

Star Trek: Enterprise's Augments trilogy is a highlight in the many episodes of Star Trek. The three Episodes "Boarderland", "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments" are among my all-time favorites. The trilogy combines 2 elements of lore that fans will love: The Eugenics Wars and Brent Spiner. Spiner steals the show in all three episodes. Basic plot of this episode: Ties between Soong (Brent Spiner) and his children become foul. Did he try to save them for nothing? Who can he turn to for help? Are his only possible allies his current worst enemies? Finally, can the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE save the day and avert a major war?

If you're new to Star Trek, definitely catch this trilogy first

Star Trek: Enterprise: Cold Station 12 (2004) Season 4, Episode 5

Middle Child of an Excellent Story

[27 January 2006]

Star Trek: Enterprise's Augments trilogy is a highlight in the many episodes of Star Trek. The three Episodes "Boarderland", "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments" are among my all-time favorites. The trilogy combines 2 elements of lore that fans will love: The Eugenics Wars and Brent Spiner. Spiner steals the show in all three episodes. Basic plot of this episode: With Aurik Soong (Brent Spiner) now allied with the Augments he helped create, can the crew of the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE save the day before war with the Klingon Empire becomes inevitable? And to what lengths will Soong go to save his "children"?

If you're new to Star Trek, definitely catch this trilogy first

Star Trek: Enterprise: Borderland (2004) Season 4, Episode 4

Excellent Opening to an Excellent Trilogy

[27 January 2006]

Star Trek: Enterprise's Augments trilogy is a highlight in the many episodes of Star Trek. The three Episodes "Boarderland", "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments" are among my all-time favorites. The trilogy combines 2 elements of lore that fans will love: The Eugenics Wars and Brent Spiner. Spiner steals the show in all three episodes. Basic plot of this episode: A group of genetically enhanced humans left over from the Eugenics Wars take over a Klingon ship. With war looming over the horizon, the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE takes Aurik Soong (Brent Spiner), the man who activated the embryos of these humans, to try and stop them.

If you're new to Star Trek, definitely catch this trilogy first

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Underated, yet not up to par.

[16 August 2004]

Star Trek IX: Insurrection had two severe dis-advantages to start with: It was an odd-numbered film, which in Star Trek Lore generally means the movie will not be "that great". It was also coming after, what many including myself consider to be the best "Trek" of all: First Contact. However, Insurrection has it's own good moments, and is still a better movie then many others that are out there. The story was written by Michael Pillar, who has been a genius in writing "Trek" for over a decade. In typical Star Trek genius, the story deals with something that Humans have dealt with since time immortal: The Fountain of Youth. In space, one is found. It is the Planet Bak'u in the Briar Patch. There is a race known as the Son'a who want to posses it's regenerative effects, and there are several Starfleet Officers who are willing to go along with them. Included in them is Admiral Mathew Dougherty. As usual, the Crew of the Starship Enterprise are there to save the defenseless Bak'u from the ruthlessness of the Son'a and their compatriots. The story itself is strong, and asks many questions, the most obvious is "do we have the right to live forever?" A question that was also asked in Star Trek: Generations, and one in which Trek has left open for debate. So the question of this film is "If we find a fountain of youth, is it morally right to use it? And at what cost?"

Executive Decision (1996)

Different After 9/11

[27 July 2004]

Like my review of "Air Force One", the counterpart of this movie which came out the following year, this movie takes on a whole new element in the post 9/11 world. When released, a terrorist taking control of an airplane and using it against American Citezens as a bomb seemed the stuff Hollywood would make up and produce. After those shocking events, however, the movie takes on a quality of realism that it didn't before, and unlike the aforementioned "Air Force One", is superior in many ways.

First off, the cast: Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, and the star-to-be Halle Berry star. Russell proves himself as a versatile Character Actor. Afterall, his previous role was that of a Special Operations Soldier in the Sci-Fi hit "Stargate", and in this movie he plays an intelligence analyst whom Special Operations Soldiers despise, and pulls it off well. Seagal completely convinces you he is the Soldiers Soldier that he is supposed to be. And Halle Berry, well, she deserves that Oscar she later won, and her abilities are showcased here. She was not the star then that she is today, and this is perhaps one of her many breakout appearances.

Second, all branches of the Armed Forces (save the Marine Corps) have a chance to shine in this movie. It shows a true devotion among the men who serve the United States. The Special Ops guys are Army, the delivery pilot is Air Force and the Tomcat Pilots are Naval Aviators along the lines of Maverick from "Top Gun".

In conclusion, this is a good movie that is under-rated, and in the wake of 9/11, seems that much more real.

Stargate: Atlantis (2004–2009)

Promising

[20 July 2004]

I awaited the premier of Atlantis with apprehension. I knew it was either going to be great, or very bad. After watching "From Stargate to Atlantis: The Lowdown" on the Sci-Fi Channel, however, my faith in the show was renewed. Then came the premiere "Rising" and with excitement I tuned in. I was amazed in what I saw. The show wasn't SG-1 but was rather a new entity all it's own. Although not a great episode, "Rising" was a great introduction to the new universe. It gave us everything a good pilot is supposed to: An introduction to the characters, a starting point for the story and a little bit of action. This is, afterall an action show, isn't it?

The main thing is that Stargate fans need to treat this not like SG-1 and compare and contrast the two, older fans need to treat this like a new car: a separate entity all its own. Like Star Trek: The Next Generation and it's spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the two need to be treated separately. Whereas The Next Generation was a lighter look at the future, Deep Space Nine was a darker look. SG-1 and Atlantis are the same way: Atlantis looks to become a much darker and ultimately new version of the Stargate Universe, and that is why it is promising.

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

Gone Astray...

[20 July 2004]

"Enterprise" as it was known four years ago (at the time this article was written) premiered with one of the best Sci-Fi pilots I've ever seen: "Broken Bow". It showed the 22nd century, aboard a spaceship that was closer to a submarine then a luxury liner. It also showed a crew that would be like you and me going out into space.

The first 10 episodes of the series were excellently done. The second half of the first season, although not up to the same standards as the first half, were also well done. Then came the season finale: "Shockwave pt I". It was new, yes, with Captain Jonathan Archer trapped in the 31st Century A.D. The second half left much to be desired, However, and Enterprise succumbed to the same fate that Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine before it did: The bad second season. Granted, TNG had "Measure of a Man" in the second season, but most of it were still filler episodes. The last few episodes of Season 2, however, started to pick up pace. Starting with "The Breach" the episodes became thought provoking and tough, save "Bounty", which was a poor substitute. "Cogenetor" is rated as among the greatest episodes of Enterprise and is also considered a Trek classic. Then came the Xindi, and with the Third Season consisting of a major story arc that in the end proved to be as complex as one that belonged in Deep Space Nine. The Third season was by far the greatest year of Trek since the end of Deep Space Nine, and with Braga taking a step back to oversee his new show, Manny Coto is slated to take the Helm. For what seemed like a show gone astray, it has managed to re-rail itself pretty well, it's major issue now is not one of story-telling, for Season Three provided the viewers with episodes like "Twilight" and "Similitude" as well as several more. No, the issue now is one of promotion, the are where the network, UPN, has faltered...