Moon, Defying Gravity

[dougo]

I've been trying to write an essay about the recent film Moon and the new TV show "Defying Gravity". They're both set in the near future (mid-21st century) and involve mostly-realistic space travel, and I was going to use them to jump off into my taste in science fiction in general. But the more I think about it, the less I understand exactly what it is I like and don't like in SF, so I'm just going to point them out and wave my hands a bit. I have mixed feelings about them both; in the wider scheme of things they are good-but-not-great, solid B+, but in the genre of SF film and TV (which is a continual disappointment to me) they are remarkable and groundbreaking, and I hope they will lead the way to more of their ilk. Unfortunately, "Defying Gravity" is not getting good ratings, and might not even complete its 8-episode run (they've aired 4 so far). But check it out while you can, if a show that was pitched as "Grey's Anatomy in space" sounds at all appealing.

Comments

[quartzcity.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

I had to jump off "Defying Gravity" after the third episode, the melodrama was so cranked up that it I was having trouble wondering how the astronauts even graduated much less got flight assignments. Both it and the similar "Virtuality" just seemed like another iteration of the same stock characters with space being the only novelty. Could have been a hospital, a police station, etc. Something like "Sunshine" (or even BBC's "Voyage To The Planets") at least portrayed characters that seemed like they wanted to be there with the conflicts and drama resulting from their own passions.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the melodrama is a bit contrived. But I do really like the idea of interplanetary (but staying in the solar system) space travel being just another setting. I'm more wary of the 2001-like inscrutable omniscient alien presence, though. It could be cool, or it could be really lame. And their explanation for artificial gravity is laughably lame: nanotech clothes, and magnetic "nanospray" for their hair! But I appreciate that they at least acknowledge the issue. Now if only the exterior space shots didn't have all those whooshing sounds...