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Glen reviews Chris Carter's "Harsh Realm" ((coming this Fall to FOX)) !!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Glen here...
...with the first of many reviews / previews of
upcoming Fall Season TV
pilots and series (by the way, if anyone out there has Snoops or
The Third Watch, please note the P.O. BOX listed below).
First up: my review of Chris Carter's new adaptation of
James Hudnall and Andrew Paquette's
1991 comic Harsh Realm.
To me, Chris Carter has always been a "hit or miss" kind of guy: capable of magnificent,
stirringly poetic concepts and writing; equally as capable ludicrous bombast and overblown self
indulgence. Despite such inconsistencies, there's no doubt the guy is "on" when he's on, and
there's no doubt Carter's thought process is...at the very least...among the freshest and most
imaginative of the current TV mega-creators.
As such, it was with great interest (yet a touch of caution) that I approached Harsh
Realm, Fox's new hour long series debuting this Fall.
Harsh Realm tells the tale of Thomas Hobbes (Scott Bairstow), a U.S. armed forces
trooper recruited to enter a government / military virtual reality experiment called
"Harsh Realm". The Realm was designed to be a training ground to prepare super agents to
combat & circumvent terrorism on the U.S. mainland. Seems the program has been seized by
Omar Santiago (played by Chris Carter perennial Terry O'Quinn) - allegedly one of its VR
constructs (although we get the strong sense he may be real instead of a construct).
Hobbes goes VR to play the game, finds a bizarre dichotomy inside: a burned out wasteland
of neighborhoods, decay, and abandoned sprawl, separated from a sophisticated Nazi-like
megoplolis by a quick-fry energy barrier. The people outside the barrier are generally a rather
dirty unpleasant lot; unified by a singular set of principles and codes, yet each person keeping to
themselves and staying out of everyone else's way. Hobbes discovers these folks are actually
other military recruits sent in to Harsh Realm to take out Santiago. All have either
failed, given up, or joined the other side (for a better life in the big city). And all are apparently
stuck in the Harsh Realm simulation until the game is over & Santiago is eliminated.
Slightly pissed off and really wanting out of the Realm, Hobbes enlists the help of an
annoyed and disillusioned Mike Pinnochio (D.B.Sweeney). Together, along with Dexter the dog
and a mute chick with cool healing powers, they set off across the wastelands of Harsh Realm to
have adventures and hunt Santiago. Pinnochio tells Hobbes that taking out Santiago won't
matter one way or another: they're stuck there and that's that. Hobbes won't give up his hope for
escape, and therein lies the initial thrust of the series...
Harsh Realm is neither a resounding success or utter failure: it is solid, intriguing
fun whose ultimate artistic success will depend on whether or not Carter and company can
envisage enough interesting subject-specific twists, turns and VR-related gimmicks to keep the
show fresh and vibrant week after week. As a standard "hunt and destroy"
mission-of-the-week, the series will fail apocalypticly and quickly.
But in concept and execution, Harsh Realm might play out on a rather vast tapestry,
addressing plot points like: why has the government / military sent all those soldiers into Harsh
Realm? Why did they leave them there? Is the introductory "reality" we saw in the pilot
episode actually reality, or part of some bigger trip? Is Santiago real or VR? Might his
apparent mission of domination actually be an effort toward liberating the unknowing VR
subjects of Harsh Realm? As such, Harsh Realm could also be something of a political
thriller both in our "real world" and in the Realm itself.
Now, the question has to be asked: how does Harsh Realm stack up against The
Matrix? This is one of those hellish areas I generally hate getting into, as it's almost
impossible to be fair to any one product when doing such comparisons. For a total mindbender,
check this out: Harsh Realm is a comic book from 1991; The Matrix is a film
from 1999. Harsh Realm (the series) is based on older material than The Matrix
(which itself is an amalgam of multiple works and genres), but Harsh Realm is hitting the
air after The Matrix hit theaters (indeed, HR should arrive just about the
time Matrix hits home video, if I'm not mistaken). In essence, Harsh Realm came
first, but The Matrix made it into the public mainstream first - so Harsh Realm
will undoubtedly take some hits from people who don't stop to consider the actual chronology of
events here.
Alarmingly, there are quite a few legitimate comparisons between HR and
Matrix. Among them: both concepts involve a virtual reality, computer-contsructed
representation of society. Both concepts involve members of said societies generally not
knowing their life is a computer generated sham, and that reality is something altogether
different. Both concepts involve a small faction of society attempting to "end" the simulation and
liberate the sleeping masses. Both concepts involve the coming of a "chosen one" who will lead
the lost souls of the VR world to some greater level of awareness. The list goes on, but you get
the point. As such, no matter how much one tries to purge thoughts of The Matrix while
watching Harsh Realm, it's nearly impossible for moments from Keanu's
cyberpunk-o-rama not to spring the mind. Perhaps this will help the show ride the waves of
"cool VR" sentiment and encourage audiences to embrace the series. But in a less fair world,
inappropriate association with Matrix might stunt HR's chances of establishing
its own identity and legitimacy.
Part Road Warrior, part A Boy and His Dog, part Tron,
part...well...VR adventure about a hero who comes to shake up the system , Harsh
Realm features the customary darkness one expects from Chris Carter (the wastelands of the
Realm are pretty grim, as are its inhabitants). Joel Ransom's photography goes a long way to
making the look of the Realm work, thus critically supporting the show itself. The
atmosphere of the Realm was essential to this story's credibility, Ransom's imaging of
imposing architecture, use of desolate grays, and capturing of broad vistas (wider than usual for
TV) sell the setting nicely. Pilot's opening moments - set in Sarajevo 1994 - are really a site to
see. Not a long sequence, but it's Saving Private Ryan approach to warfare photography
sets up a nicely cinematic feel for the rest of the episode.
Direction is slick and often propulsive - pilot director Daniel Sackheim
(Millennium, Earth 2, ER) endows the opening episode with some
welcomed, in-your-face bravado: including John Woo-like standoffs between two dudes with
guns (camera circling around the two as they circle each other, and a telling action moment
punctuated with slow-motion). Performances are roundly good, although perhaps a bit more one
dimensional than they should have been right out of the gate. Bairstow is engaging as Hobbes,
but it's hard to get a bead on just what makes the character tick. Sweeney is rather one-note as
Pinnochio, though there are some hints his character is more clearly defined than the pilot alone
suggests. Terry O'Quinn is charismatic and compelling as Santiago - makes sense the people of
Harsh Realm would flock around this guy as a leader (even if he is a jackass, there's intriguing
dimension to his jackassosity).
Not a slam dunk and not entirely clear ("not entirely clear" being Chris Carter's signature
characteristic), Harsh Realm is well-produced and potentially addictive. If the
spectrum of storytelling widens to that of an action-centric / political thriller with ramifications
in two "realities", this show might become something really wild, and very special. I'm not
convinced yet, there's not quite enough to go on in the introductory episode.
But I do want to see more. Isn't that the endgame of a successful pilot?
information about the series' source material, CLICK
HERE to jump to James Hudnall & Andrew Paquette's HARSH REALM web site !!!
Glen
If you send a message to the above address & bounces back to you,
address!
Or call:
(512) 347-1992
Mail can be sent to:
Glen Oliver
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
USA
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Having seen this pilot as well, I'd have to agree with Glen here. It's certainly interesting (but then again, so was the "Millennium" pilot) and it could go in some very intriguing directions. The appearance of Chris Carter perennials like Gillian Anderson and Lance Henrickson (who I hope we get to see more of in the future episodes) really makes it seem familiar yet different. Unfortunately, most of the viewing public will just look at it as a "Matrix" ripoff, which could hurt it with the general audience. Really too dark for network fare (take a look at just how well dark network shows have done recently - see any of them make it to a second season?) and, if it weren't for the fact that FOX will kiss Carter's butt and keep it on the air no matter what the ratings are, I wouldn't give it 13 episodes. As it is, Carter has the luxury of knowing he's going to get a couple of years out of this, providing he doesn't get bored with it and pawn it off on some of his in house people and go off to work on something else.
http://www.backstage-pass.com -
I'm not referring to my post, I am referring to who really came out with the first VR story. The Wachowski's script was floating around Hollywood for years and years. So was the Harsh Realm comic really out before The Matrix was in its initial stages? And when did Carter begin planning to shoot Harsh Realm? When he saw that The Matrix was going to be the hit that it turned out to be? Why am I going on and on about this though? Who really cares? I'm going to watch Harsh Realm and I'm sure as hell going to watch second Matrix movie. I will judge the series on its own merits.
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As A huge Millenium fan I was very sad to see it go (and angry at Foxs' decission to not even finish out the season with repeats). I am interested in this series, but I don't think that I will be able to really get excited until I see it, and only if it is a worthy successor to Millenium. The concept sounds decent enough, and hopefully like the Matrix it will treat VR in an original way, rather than your typical VR story. On the other hand I would like to see Carters take on a more classic Gibson-esque "cyberpunk" setting. I think he would have the abilities to pull it off in a convincing, and well done manner, unlike such garbage as Tek War.
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why...I cant stand this guy... he's bad.
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I'm glad to see D.B. Sweeney is in this series. I thought that was him in the commercials, but I wasn't sure (I avoid most information about new shows I want to seee...I even only skimmed Glen's article). I really loved STRANGE LUCK. Sweeney was great in that quirky SF series for Fox. Hopefully, this one will be just as good (if not better) and will have a longer life.
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I haven't seen Realm yet and already I dislike the direction Carter's taking, not so much toward HR, but because he already has a kitty cat that is occasionally sickly. The last time we gave him a puppy alongside the cat, the cat got sicker and eventually, both pets went unattended... Meaning of course, Milennium took Carter away from X-Files and the show suffered. Milennium itself became too ponderous for it's own good and soon was left to Morgan and Wong. That ended that. This previous season for X-Files was a spotty one, missing more often than it hit,becoming far too comfortable with tongue-in-cheek "this is a comedy episode" status. The original "funny" episodes written by Darin Morgan had a creepy center that, while moving the story in lightened-up directions, never forgot that it was also supposed to thrill. That is a concept that has sadly been abused, with jokey plots and even Mark Snow's usually tense music degenerating into self-conscious 'doop-a-doo' lighthearted cues. In other words, I'm expecting X-Files to keep sliding now that Carter has, once again, preoccupied himself with his new pet. Perhaps he's just peeved that his X-Movie franchise didn't pan out?
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I saw the episode also and I have no nits to pick with your review.
You hit all the major points.
I liked it and the real test to me was "did I want to see the next episoded?"
The answer is ,"Yes, very much." -
...in terms of ratings potential. And I truly do not see the point of trying to decide whether this series'll be any good based on the pilot. Carter, along with JMS, are pioneering the viability of loooooooooong story arcs in US dramas. Go look at the pilots for Millenium, and B5, and ask yourself which of those were more likely to spawn successful series. See my point? Get back to me around episode 10, when we (might) have some clue what the show will really be about, before saying it's 'good' or 'bad'.
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...but...this...sounds...AWFUL!!!
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Lately some shows have been shot in the 1.85:1 ratio and this sounds like the kind of show that deserves that ratio, especially for those of us who have access to the widescreen TV. Enquiring minds want to know!
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Jul 07, 1999 1:43:16 PM CDT
Diversionary tactics and I guy I respect a little more now than
by dolfanar
David E Kelley has "Ally Mcbeal", a show based TOTALLY on hype and short skirts. It is a show that Kelly has ALREADY distanced himself from, and which allowed him to build up "The Practice". I USED to think that Carter was simply holding on to the X-files rather than wrapping it up (As he should have YEARS ago!) because he was rather taken with himself, but now I see that he is basically using it to allow himself the freedom to create NEW shows. Does he do this for artistic reasons? No. He wants another hit. But atleast I can now put the rest my suspicion that he is a COMPLETE MORON who simply got lucky. I now know that he is a TALENTED ASSHOLE trying to convert ONE cheesy stale franchise into SEVERAL (Also known as the George Lucas effect (Remember Howard the Duck and Willow?)). As for this new show? Sounds ALOT like "A BOY AND HIS DOG" meets "TOTAL RECAL" to me. It could be great! It WILL NOT BE, because even if of high qualtity it will likely be pulled off the air due to low ratings or go several seasons too far as Chris Carter tries to increase his stable of franchises (Kinda like MacDonald's trying to get into the Video games industry... Or Bill gAtes trying to open up a chain of restaurant (MicroBites?!?). Story first and only.
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As the creator of the comic, let me make a few points for those who want to understand the genesis of this. I came up with the comic idea in 1988. I pitched it to a few places that passed and finally Harris Comics took it up in 1991. It came out in 1992-1993.
The comic is not like the TV show. Chris Carter only used the premise and the title. My comic is not about virtual reality. It's about artifically created pocket universes designed by a quantum computer. In other words, REAL worlds that a computer is able to create by altering the physics on a quantum reality. For more info on that and the plot check out the Harsh Realm page on my website at:
www.thehud.com
I liked the pilot and those of you who are bashing it without even seeing it should at least give it a chance. I have reasons not to like it, so I am not saying that because I want it to be successful. I really think it has potential.
I do think my idea is more original. But it would have been almost impossible to pull off well in TV. My comic is set in the far future and deals with both futuristic cities and fantasy role playing worlds. It was a commentary on the morality of computer games where you get more powerful the more people you kill. I love those games, but my question was, it they were real worlds, you have to face the morality of such things.
As far as the Matrix goes, it wasn't that original, folks. I liked it, but the characters were pretty one and two dimensional. It was style over substance. This is only like the Matrix in that it has techno music (the best Mark Snow music yet!) and it is set in a virtual reality setting with "freedom fighters". But I think Carter can make this a lot deeper. And to answer some of your questions, he plans on focusing on this show because X-Files ends next year and he feels his lack of attention affected Millenium. -
I'll admit that Friday seems like the most plausable place to put it (ever since the X-Files, its been creep night) but its a shame because alot of people will miss it. too me, this is a sign of the network's utter discontempt for sci-fi/fantasy TV fans. They think we have nothing better to do than sit at home Friday night and watch the boob toobe (alright, I'll admit I do that sometimes too, but not enough to be able to actually have time to get into the show) They should put Ally McBeal on Fridays where it will rot and die and rot and die and rot and DIE AND ROT AND DIE!!!!!!.....sorry, got carried away. Anyhoo, you get my point (and I know VCR's can tape it, but dammit, I'm too lazy and so is the rest of North America!)
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Having bought, read and enjoyed the Harsh Realm comic when it came out I really disappointed by what I've heard of the TV series by Chris Carter.It sounds bereft of original ideas.
The comic dealt with pocket universes, created and maintained by super computers to which the population in the future increasingly escaped from their over crowded world.
The hero was a gumshoe hired by a family to find their son who had entered a "dungeons and dragons" type world for a holiday and never returned.Entering the world the gumshow becomes a Ranger and begins tracking the kid by the chaos he's caused as a magician looking for godhood in the Harsh Realm.
None of this Conspiracy storyline or decayed urban landscape...
I recommend people hunt up the comic. -
The description you give sounds alot like an adult Reboot. Now don't go nuts because I'm making a comparison (I realize yours came first), but without having read your comic, that's SORT OF what it sounds like. Sounds intriguing. Maybe I'll check it out (assuming I can still get my hands on the series (and I mean FROM THE BEGINNING))
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I am a white guy myself and I find myself disgustingly BORED by ALL these shows that cast reasonably attractive white guys as "THE CHOSEN ONE" or at least the lead. I mean, COME ON!!! WE'RE WHITE GUYS!! WE'RE BLAND!!! WE'RE BORING!!! WE'VE BEEN DONE! (Like this plot!) Oh and here's my two cents about the plot - the comic book sounds WAY cooler - all this government conspiracy crap is just that - crap. I mean, we know what IDIOTS our government is made up of - do we REALLY think they're smart enough for all this conspiracy crap? Ups, gotta go - big brother might be watching... NOT!!
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go to Mild Mannerd Reporters post for my talk back on Harsh Realm. I'm too lazy to type it again.
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More entertaining.
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