Nice review..looks like David has got himself a winner!!
SGU Week: 'Stargate Universe' is outta this world
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/show-pa ... world.html
STARGATE UNIVERSE
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, Syfy
A ragtag group of untrained civilians and rookie soldiers stranded on an ancient starship struggle to find their way back home in Syfy's thrilling new series "Stargate Universe."
If you're about to say that you've heard this one before, stop right there.
"SGU's" use of the starship Destiny and its jump-to-other-places stargate might be familiar to sci-fi fans, but it is not at all a rip-off. It lands firmly in between the hokey optimism of "Star Trek Voyager" and the grimness of "Battlestar Galactica," two series with similar beginnings. It also pays homage to its franchise forebears "SG-1" and "Atlantis," but it looks and feels brand spanking new.
"Stargate Universe" boldly goes where no "Stargate" series has gone before.
You don't have to be a fan of the 15-year-old franchise or even of sci-fi TV to fall for "SGU." (Full disclosure: I'm a sci-fi fan who happens to like, but didn't love, the previous "Stargate" series.)
"SGU" marries many familiar sci-fi conventions with relatable emotional stories to create a non-genre spectacular. If you root for the underdog, you'll love this completely enthralling, heartbreaking and inspiring epic.
Each and every character in "SGU" is an underdog. The fact that this ambitious blockbuster is built with the intimate, personal stories of its characters is testament to the talents of Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright, the writers/creators who are vets of the previous "Stargate" series.
Their dialogue crackles. Often emotionally intense, the script flips to more light-hearted moments with precision and adds layer-upon-layer to the story. Not one line rings false in the first three hours, entitled "Air."
Props also go out to director Andy Mikita, as well as the set creators and special effects folks, who constantly propel the story forward. Everything they show us looks real--from spooky reveals of the Destiny's mysterious corners to expansive views outside the ship to tight shots on the fearful faces of its new crew.
The stellar ensemble, of course, brings the emotions of "SGU" to life. Robert Carlyle, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming-Na may be the most familiar names here, but no one in the cast gets lost behind their star power.
Elyse Levesque, Brian J. Smith and David Blue stand out in the "Air" episodes. But Louis Ferreira, Jamil Walker Smith and Alaina Huffman instantly and equally grabbed my attention. Even secondary cast members--and I call them that for lack of a better term--bring it.
I get the impression that by the end of the first season's 20 hours, Wright, Cooper and Co. will have peeled back so many details about these characters that viewers will be hard pressed to pick a favorite.
"Stargate Universe" is aptly titled, because it's focus on individual characters while still respecting its sci-fi roots opens the door--or in "Stargate" speak, the "pool"--to a universe of compelling stories.