Falling Skies Season Five on Blu-Ray

Home Theatre
Falling Skies Season Five on Blu-Ray
By Hervé St-Louis
February 18, 2016 - 15:45

Studios: Amblin Television
$49.99
Starring: Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Colin Cunningham, Maxim Knight
Directed by: Robert Rodat
Produced by: Steven Spielberg
Running Time: 440 minutes
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Distributors: TNT

After a desperate attempt to destroy the mother ship of the aliens invading the Earth and short-circuiting their technology, Professor Tom Mason, the leader of the human resistance was aboard the craft that sabotage the Espheni's alien ship. Assumed to be dead, he comes back from the grave with a new mission from beyond. He is the one man that can wipe the aliens once and for all. Will he survive long enough to fulfill his destiny?

This is the last season of the popular science fiction series produced by Steven Spielberg. It was also my first time watching this series. Although the first scenes were confusing, as soon as the story fell into the survivor format with a team of humans fighting the remnants of the alien forces, it was easy to follow. What surprised me the most was the backdrop of the war. I like the ravaged and destroyed city used to shoot this series. Everything looks dilapidated even though I know it was shot in in my home town of Toronto! Toronto and Hamilton never looked so good as post-apocalyptic cities!

Now, I’m less convinced with the alien critters. After the fifth season, I would hope that they would look better than video game sprite who are too dumb to get out of the way when humans are shooting at them. Although many humans die every episode, there is a lack of dread and fear in this series. It feels like Mason, his wife and his sons can do no wrong and will survive everything. I agree with the rebellious John Pope that all about the war is about the Masons. It feels like the writers and producers have escaped from the fourth wall to address a valid criticism against Falling Skies.

Noah Wyle does not strike me as alpha male hero material. He felt over exposed in the series almost like Neo’s the One from the Matrix or Lost’s Jack Shephard. One thing I disliked was the cavalier way where an organ transplantation was performed conveniently within minutes by humans. Conveniently, the aliens self-heal wounds and can expel organs without a drop of blood neatly.

This series is decent entertainment that would probably feel stronger if there were not so much similar offering on television and streaming channels.

TNT is also releasing a boxed edition of the entire series as well as season five.