Produced by Steven Spielberg on a big TV budget, this sci-fi family drama is set in a prehistoric past—think Jurassic Park as being the new frontier—where families from an overpopulated, over-polluted future (the year 2149, to be specific) have resettled, thanks to the magic of time travel. The budding colony is equal parts military outpost, communal jungle village, and Swiss Family Robinson-style theme park, and the series serves up lots of special effects related to humans living in a dangerous realm of dinosaurs. Jim and Elisabeth Shannon (Jason O'Hara and Shelley Conn) are trying to raise their kids—Josh (Landon Liboiron), Maddy (Naomi Scott), and Zoe (Alana Mansour)—in this primeval quasi-paradise. But Stephen Lang is far more interesting the role of old-school military leader Cmdr. Nathaniel Taylor, whose ideals remain in question until the final episodes. Failing to take advantage of the setting's great potential, the story falls back on factions fighting for control of the settlement, with the end result being that the show plays more like an espionage thriller than a sci-fi expedition into a brave new world (the rest of the drama revolves around familiar household stories of growing pains and adolescent romance). Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2011 series, DVD extras include an extended version of the final segment, audio commentary, “making-of” featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Canceled by Fox after half a season, Terra Nova is an optional purchase, at best. (S. Axmaker)
Terra Nova: The Complete Series
Fox, 4 discs, 563 min., not rated, DVD: $49.98 December 17, 2012
Terra Nova: The Complete Series
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