User reviews

I was pretty excited for this show when I first saw the previews/trailers/etc. I got it on iTunes today and I'm a bit disappointed.

This show is really just your typical, clichéd family drama with some futuristic guns and a few dinosaurs. The acting is just decent and the story is actually pretty boring. The characters are all very one dimensional, boring, etc. The computer effects are sub par, which is a disappointment since they are used so often.

In short, it's just you're typical, PC Fox show. I don't know how many more of these they're going to make before they die away as a company.

I love dinosaurs, Zombies and Aliens. This made me got interested on this series. Its okay ---if you don't have anything else to watch. I believe someone should check how Maddy Shannon aka Naomi Scott acts. She's "overreacting" especially the part Josh's missing his shoes. Her reaction is pathetic rolling of eyes! Come on Steven Spielberg send her to some acting school! I believe they should be able to see that given these things are supposed to be edited. It appears to me it gets edited but not requested to be seen by different set of eyes prior broadcasting.

I love Terranova even the low IMDb rating, but it just happen I love dinosaurs.

Despite what I'm going to say in this review, I will say stick with this series for some entertaining stories, forgive it its obvious flaws and lack of forward thinking or radical ideas, and just hope that the more irritating characters will get killed off.

Straight away, you just know it's American, with all of the stereo types that will inevitably involve. Europeans are constantly irritated by the over simplification of group culture in American drama's; we ask "don't these audiences have a brain? Can't they work it out"?! I'm sure they can, but producers want a nice safe package for the major networks, and this is a fine example of that play it safe mentality that feels it needs to tick the right demographic boxes (for the sponsors sake).

So, it's 2149 and Earth is dying, through the excesses of capitalism, industrialisation and war, no surprises so far. A technology has come along to allow 'colonists' to travel back 85 million years to an alternate time stream on Earth (Terra Nova) and get the chance to eat real food and breathe clean air, good for them! However they set up a colony under the guidance and leadership of a wizened yet tough and ruthless old soldier and his obvious authoritarian 'regime', supported by tonnes of well armed soldiers that don't seem to do anything except sentry duty (the first of many clichés, more to come, in bucket fulls!). How do they achieve the setting up of this colony? They farm, that's good, it makes sense. They set up a trading system that involves producing goods and and a central market to enable selling them for money. BAD, BAD, BAD! If you wanted to save mankind and avoid the excesses and mistakes that have destroyed all human kind what the hell are you doing instigating the very same system that has destroyed us in the first place???!!! Big fail, and one that had me hurling abuse and the odd boot at the TV whenever this system was reinforced and justified. Humans managed perfectly well for thousands of generations in non authoritarian tribes, (Ancient Celtic tribes elected their chiefs, so did many others) all without the need for money because resources were plentiful, as they so obviously are on Terra Nova. One can't help thinking that if Scandinavians had done the initial colonising they would never have made this fundamental error. Yet Scandinavians don't have that irrational, brainwashed fear of 'the big bad boogie man, Socialism'.

The colony has an obvious over reliance on technology and extravagant gadgets that need a whole load of electricity, rather than adapting to their new environment in a more sympathetic and practical manner. Most of the gadgets have a neon glow that is totally wasteful of precious energy and unnecessary, mmmmm? The vehicles used to travel on unexplained roads through hostile jungle and dinosaur infested landscapes are quite often open sided, and backed up by motorbikes that reminded me of the 'old' Battlestar Galactica shows after they reached Earth (had the production budget slashed). Yet you see vehicle drivers and crew succumbing to quickly reflexed dinosaurs and their appetite for human flesh, hasn't anyone heard of doors? Who designed these things?!

The 'good guys', all committed capitalists, (Colonists) are always well turned out and shiny clean, have impeccable manners, with not one 'ugly' amongst them as they all at one time or another have certainly modelled for a home shopping catalogue. If there is one that is vaguely 'normal' looking, you can bet that they're a 'colourful' character, quirky but lovable.

The bad guys (Sixers) are all 'radical' looking with a wardrobe and hairstyles from the punk era with lots of ink and piercings and quite a few 'uglies'. They have bad attitudes and a scheming, violent nature fuelled and lead by an evil leader who is a carbon copy of Tina Turner in Mad Max III. The good guy/bad guy stereo type is now well and truly in full flow. Shame, as I prefer the Sixers, at least they're more in tune with their new home and have virtually no reliance on technology or capitalism. Why are they portrayed as the bad guys when they have more of an idea on how to exist as a self supporting tribe? Oh, I forgot, this is an American show with a stream of commercials every five minutes so we wouldn't want to deter all of those gadget hungry consumers do we? The sponsors just wouldn't allow it.

Already we have war (the Sixers have broken away to set up an alternate colony). Greed through ownership and the pursuit of money; and industrialisation through the desire to produce goods for profit alone rather than goods for the good of the community as a whole. See the flaws to this doomed utopia?

I'll have to stop writing now, my obvious irritation with this show is boiling to the surface and I don't want to break any more screens, whether they belong to a TV or PC.

Having derided the lack of imagination such a show should have, I'll sign off by saying that it can be entertaining in a blinkered, non imaginative, 'wholesome' American way.

UPDATE............

I got as far as episode 10 as I was hoping this show would improve, it hasn't. I would compare it to watching a relative die from some creeping, body consuming disease. The anger I now feel is that of someone that knows there's a cure, yet the doctors haven't a clue and won't listen. Give this show a wide berth, go for a walk or talk to your friends instead, you'll get a lot more satisfaction from it.

The fact I was able to sit through it for an entire two hours says something in its favor. However, it was not as good as I had hoped it would be, and was not quite what I expected. I get the impression they're trying to be another "Lost" - the sixers are very similar to 'the others' on "Lost." I thought this was going to be about a small group of people, who for whatever reasons, had to escape into the past - and that they were going to be on their own in a primitive and dangerous landscape - where they were going to have to start from scratch – and with a lot more dinosaurs and other dangerous beasts like the saber-toothed tiger, etc. And that they might even have to live in a cave for a while.

Instead, we have two large groups - with more arriving - living inside a protected compound with some kind of political (or something of that sort) warfare going on between the two groups - and of course our typical nuclear family. None of the family is particularly appealing or interesting. It's basically just the same old, same old family relationships.

Since the human beings have already completely screwed up their present world - I see very little point in them going back in time and screwing that up as well. At least it is some other time-stream so supposedly their actions do not affect the present world.

I would like to know how working as a doctor every day around other people she was able to totally conceal the pregnancy of that third child. Which, in my opinion was a very foolish and totally selfish thing for them to be doing.

I also would like to know what the white things hanging down from the ceilings are about.

The teenagers in the show are particularly annoying and stupid - as they always are in today's television programs and films.

I also figure it would be absolutely impossible in the 22nd century to be able to escape from a maximum security prison in the 1st place and not be immediately caught in the 2nd place. Nothing really indicates these people are from the 22nd century.

As usual, the viewer must suspend belief in regards to this series as is true for most films and TV programs, particularly ones of this type.

5 stars

Terra Nove isn't bad, but I don't see it being particularly good. The old CGI, the boring plot lines and hardly ever using dinosoars that we know and love from movies like jurrassic park makes me wonder why they bothered. If this was about dinosoars more, with more use of them in plots instead of as a minor role, this would be good. However, some episodes they aren't even seen and it is all about the people in the colony doing something important. Lets talk about the plot. Basically, in the future, the world is over cramped and poluted, everyone having to wear masks outside and families are allowed no more that two kids. Thats fair enough and sounds like what future life could be like. Now, they have created portals to transport people back in time to the cretasious period and start a new life, if you are selected. Now, the main guy is in jail for some reason related to him having 3 kids, which comes apparent in the first 3 minutes. He escapes andhis family go through the portal since his wife has been chosen. This works and they end up back at terra nova. They have all advanced equipment and so on to fend off these creatures that hardly seem a threat and, the other enemy of humans who split from the colony, the sixers. You will find out more about them quick. Every episode the sixers play a part and it gets old quick and I wanted some dino action, despite them being clearly fake CGI that fails at life. Its all about the humans though and they aren't very interesting. When they get the characters like Malcom and Washington in it more, it becomes slightly better though still has the whole sad relationship between the older daughter and a soldier, the boy (who is a typical rebel teen that appears in most shows like this) and his relationship wih the girlfriend back home yet, at the same time, with a girl at the colony and so on. It gets annoying after a while and doing stuff in episodes like the older daughter going to get a new battery when they are in short supply bores the hell out of you. They carry guns, but don't use them and the plots are too cheap to get a love for it. Its only in the last 2 episodes when you get the depth of the series, but even then they miss out what would of been a good action scene completely. The son of Taylor makes a good bad guy and the whole reason behind his actions and that of the sixers is a good enough plot, but was badly executed. I just feel like I am watching a clock going around and around when watching. Whn it tries, this series can be good but it hasn't got the power or execution to make the series any more enjoyable thatn four stars

I am a dinosaur freak, and watch anything on the TV or Cable if it contains them. Prior to the show my first observation was what has already been mentioned here, what about the mass extinction due to a slightly large rock from outer space? So getting past this personal observation I still watched the show; and can not get past the parallels between Nathaniel Taylor and Colonel Miles Quaritch of Avatar. They have the exact same stage presence for me. The acting and plot is average, nothing special. The dinosaurs CGI was the main reason I watched this show and while they were OK, I expected more on the dinosaur side of the story. Let me explain, I expected to see the compound being built not already built. First reactions of the humans and the first time dinosaurs got to see humans. Maybe I am looking to much into this series and its ability to explain what microbs might be in that time period or what we might bring and destroy the entire eco system. For me it was a average story and once watched it was deleted from my DVR; I hope the second episode is better than the "Cop Story" of the first episode.

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I have to admit, this looked like it could be a good show. Spielberg, dinosaurs, time travel, Si-Fi stuff. A very promising premise, yes? Yes...and then I watched it.

NOTHING MAKES ANY SENSE.

So, sometime in the next 150 years, mankind builds and overpopulates himself into near destruction. No fresh air, animals, or plants, etc. etc. etc. So, instead of traveling back, say, 5000 years when the population of the planet was extremely small, and we knew the world was safe to live in, these people get the brilliant idea to send people back in time 85 million years.

So, we have dinosaurs. And we have weapons that can't hurt them. But somehow, everyone doesn't die within several weeks. They are "protected" by a metal and wood fence about 20 feet high with 6" bars. This somehow keeps out the dinosaurs (no, it isn't electrified). If you thought this would resemble Jurassic Park, you will be extremely disappointed. Jurassic Park at least seemed "real" and possible. It made sense. This does not.

We are told that you can't travel back through the portal, but you can somehow get a message to the future. We are told a probe was sent, but never found, so the scientists knew that what they did in the past wouldn't affect the future. But then we're told that the whole point of Terra Nova is to actually alter the future. So I'm wondering who is this out-of-this-world genius that can somehow extrapolate an event occurring in 85 mil BC and how it will affect the year 2150. WOW. That's impressive. And makes no sense.

I could go on and on. But let me summarize what you're getting into: A "classic" family soap opera in a sifi world that makes no sense with action sequences that make no sense, all set to the tune of the jungle and mediocre-CGI dinos. Good luck, folks.

The only intelligent character is the mother. This could be a CBS limited series drama.

These Terra Nova characters aren't simply dumbed down; they are outright stupid at times.

I assumed the series would get smarter as it progressed, but no. It might as well be Zoo.

3% did a decent job of showing how a lack of resources can define how people interact.

Meanwhile, the show is almost worth watching until the end.

This could have been great... Except:

>> No comedy

>> Too macho (can't relate to the characters)

>> Main characters are married (what were they thinking?)

>> Calling the old world '2149' (if the first arrived in 2142 don't you think it would be weird to change the name every year?)

>> Many other things (flowers, grass, sea gulls - wasn't there a scientist consulting with the show)

Maybe they could redo this, with a bunch of characters people could relate to. Like Lost, SG-1, or Indiana Jones. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have flashbacks or something for character development.

The one last thing that bugs me in all dinosaur clips: They would never make that much noise, especially when hunting prey. Did you ever see a cat scream it's head off before it snags a mouse? Single hunters are stealthy. Pack hunters (like wolves) might be noisy, but not when hunting alone.

Never saw a family with less moral and ethical values than the one portrayed here in this series. Wow! Lying to the parents, stealing, cheating, fornicating... it never ends. And moral relativism is embedded into the movie itself. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is immoral. They just say "I am sorry" and that is supposed to take care of it all. Plus, the series is full of reruns from previous sci-fi previous movies. The special effects are terrible and there are a bunch of kids doing whatever they want with absolutely no adult ruling their immoral activities. If this is the way all of America is today, America is up for a rude awakening very soon!

Well, won't burn this series for free, it doesn't deserve a heavy fire but a light cover fire... It has a number of holes you could push a truck through and the history itself feels so forced to bring up a decent script, but you only need a little bit of faith (if I was a savvy man I'd use the term "deux-ex-machina"). The main character, our cop friend, needs to play theater for a long time before considering being back to TV or cinema... Certainly, our heroic family is made up of artificial characters, may be it's not him but the character! If you can handle fire in the space, hyper speed, event horizon parties, giant mutant animals, walking dead, planting a nuke into a comet, midiclorians, and so on, then you are great candidate for Terra Nova.

The concept is good: a time-travel Dinotopia with a militaristic edge. Sadly, by episode 4 it's degenerated into boring, dull pulp with the 'Amnesia' storyline cliché being dragged out already. In that episode, it was transparently obvious from the faked sneezes of the 'cop' character that a cure would be related to his very faked symptoms. I just wanted to turn the show off forever! The characters lack the sort of edge that classic sci-fi can achieve. Compared to the quirky, sparky characters of a show like Serenity, these guys are just All-American, Straight-teeth-chisel-jawed pseudo-forgettable models. It's impossible to believe that a society founded due to the ruination of modern Earth would be such a parochial one and that it wouldn't have asked for help when the 6th group of Immigrants turned out to be terrorists. Too bad really, this generic pulp is a waste of a budget.