Falling Skies: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)

7 Jun, 2012 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Warner
Sci-Fi
$39.98 three-DVD set, $49.99 two-BD set
Not rated.
Stars Noah Wylie, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy.

While post-apocalyptic Hollywood fare typically features some outsized alien force capable of annihilating humankind with explosive abandon, TV doomsday serials must focus on the human and sci-fi character interaction to sustain viewer interest over several weeks (see “The Walking Dead,” “Warehouse 13,” “Terra Nova,” etc.).

In Steven Spielberg-produced Falling Skies: The Complete First Season, the subtle approach to the aftermath of an alien invasion is realistic to the point of near normalcy. In the six months since the aliens invaded for largely unknown reasons, bands of citizens in major cities have formed pockets of resistance, including the 2nd Massachusetts unit led by Desert Storm vet Weaver (Will Patton) and military history professor Tom Mason (always likable Noah Wylie), among others.

While CGI-inspired alien bots (skitters) lurk about ready to exchange firepower with the humans, “Skies” adds an intriguing twist as the invaders attempt to control the humans through children.

That said, “Skies” focuses on the day-to-day survival of the roughly 300 humans that comprise the 2nd, which include attractive pediatrician Dr. Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood) attempting to make sense of it all.

Bonus material on the Blu-ray includes “Falling Skies: From Pencils to Print — The Dark Horse Comic Book Revealed,” featuring executives and writers addressing the series’ adaptation from the original Dark Horse comic.

“Animating a Skitter,” details how the CGI creatures come to life; “Falling Skies Panel: Comic-Con 2011,” includes cast and crew addressing fans at the annual fanboy confab.

Other special features include behind-the-scenes footage; audio commentaries from Wylie, writer Mark Verheiden and director Greg Beeman; and a sneak peek at season two, which recently began on TNT.

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