Red Dwarf: Back to Earth
Starring: Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Chris BarrieStudio: BBC Warner
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Color, Director's Cut, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release: October 6th 2009
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DVD Review
The boys are back, and while they may be older, they?re still none the wiser. The crew discover a dimension-hopping leviathan, but Rimmer is threatened with replacement by the new, improved holograph Katrina. She is determined to guide Lister to his home planet, but no one is prepared for Earth 2009, where the hapless crew face death unless they can track down their creators.
User Reviews
Not 'Dwarf' at its best -- but still the best show out there - Rating: 5/5
The real triumph of "Red Dwarf: Back To Earth": They're BACK !!!!
Despite the 10-year hiatus since Series 8, Chris Barrie (Rimmer), Craig Charles (Lister), Danny John-Jules (Cat), and Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) have lost none of their old comic chemistry. Congrats to all for returning in such fine comedic - and physical - form.
Individually and collectively the primary cast have grown even more skilled since we saw them last ... which they definitely needed here, because the BTE script gave them *little* to work with. (Most complaints at the Amazon.co.uk website regarding BTE as broadcast, for instance, basically boil down to story/script problems.)
I shall spare you my own protracted diatribe about the weak BTE script. Suffice it to say, my biggest frustration is how easily this script could have been better, both stronger and funnier. The audience kept being offered seeds of potential genius ... but such `seeds' were never paid off by this script. Just one example from many: new character Katerina Bartikovsky - brilliantly brought to life by the refreshing and very talented Sophie Winkleman - was so delicious in all ways she presented a fantastic opportunity for wild, fun, and original new things, but she was given no character arc and sadly little to do.
The production values were refreshingly excellent despite next-to-no budget, kudos to D.P. Andy Martin and a worldwide VFX team led by Mike Seymour. It is a pity, however, that as much attention was not paid to the story's substance, as its visual style.
So why, you may ask, am I still giving BTE a rating of 5 stars?
Reason #1 - Even with BTE's weak script, "Red Dwarf" is still funnier than anything else out there.
There are some bits in BTE which are absolutely "classic `Dwarf' ". Rimmer's unique solution to Katerina Bartikovsky, for instance, was so laugh-out-loud funny that our group of 40 Dwarf-ers new and old threatened to shake apart the building. Or Cat, in the diving bell scene while all hell is breaking loose behind him. Great, great stuff! I, personally, laughed right out loud more than I had since ... well ... the last time I'd watched "Red Dwarf"!
Reason #2 - The Cast. This cast play off each other with such natural genius, just stand back and let `em rip!
The endlessly versatile Chris Barrie proves yet again that he's the funniest thing on two feet, deftly able to make something out of nothing (which he had to do a lot, in BTE). Craig Charles has improved dramatic range, over years past. Danny John-Jules impressed me with new layers of comic timing and subtlety. Robert Llewellyn remains `Mr Nice Guy' personified. Newcomer to the show Sophie Winkleman fit in so perfectly and brought so much to her role it was a real pleasure to watch her work and left the audience eager for more, and Jeremy Swift delighted with a small but `cherce' bit as a mad shop clerk.
Reason #3 - If all else fails, and BTE's story shortcomings still get you down, watch it with the DVD Cast Commentary.
Chris, Craig, Danny, and Robert know each other so well, and play off each other so perfectly, that they are frequently even more funny `unscripted' on the Commentary track than they are with dialogue written for the characters they play. (I freely confess that watching with the Cast Commentary track "on" is the ONLY way - once beyond "Tikka To Ride" and the great "Stoke Me A Clipper", which gets my vote for Best Episode Ever - that I can get through Series 7 without falling asleep.)
Reason #4 - This DVD's extras/bonus features are especially varied, of general and specific interest, and well-done.
As we have come to expect from "Red Dwarf" releases, thanks to - Andrew Ellard, is it? - who assembles these consistently superior DVDs. This DVD is surprisingly affordable and a great entertainment and educational value for its price. I have so enjoyed the PAL version I bought in June upon initial UK release that I have pre-ordered the NTSC (Canada/US) version, too. Here are some BTE extras I particularly recommend:
Cast Commentary (Disc One): Episodes One, Two, and Three, exactly as broadcast, with the cast's own amusing commentary on what they did and what we see
Director's Commentary (Disc One): "Director's Cut" omits intervening credits & titles, with a more technically-oriented commentary
"The Making of ..." Documentary: Part One is a short 24-minute version broadcast on Dave, of which a favourite highlight is Robert Llewellyn's description of how to cram four fully grown adult males into a Smart-For-Two car, otherwise known as Carbug - even the two big guys in the `back'! Part Two (also on Disc Two) is 48 minutes, more good stuff on a different variety of topics.
Deleted Scenes, available with/without Director's Commentary. (Includes a nice scene, sadly cut for time, between Rimmer and Katerina wherein we finally get an explanation "why huge meteorites lying around Cargo Bays J, L, and K" throughout all these years ;-)
Featurettes on various subjects. (The "Carbug" segment among the "Behind the Scenes Web Videos" is a definite Must See!)
Smeg Ups (Outtakes) - this contains my personal favourite moment on the whole DVD set. All 4 of the `Boys From The Dwarf' are supposed to be running straight toward camera; the shot is blown on the first stride out when Kryten's leg falls off, Robert limps off to the side. But pause at about 09:55, the look of sheer shared joy and laughter between Danny, Chris, and Craig - by all accounts three of the most differing personalities imaginable - it's a captured magic moment that reaffirms one's basic hope for humanity.
Now, perhaps more than ever, the world needs hope and laughter. We need MORE DWARF!
Must-have for any Dwarf fan - Rating: 4/5
Note: The version I saw of the miniseries was a recording of the Dave TV broadcast (because I just couldn't wait for the US release!) so this review is not about the actual DVD (though I have definitely pre-ordered the DVD!) So, while I am confident that this DVD will be as high in quality as the rest of my Red Dwarf collection, I can only vouch for the content of the show itself.
--- possible spoilers ahead ---
The plot still takes those kinds of wild, clever twists and turns that always made the series so enjoyable. Yes the boys do get back to earth but, as it always happens, not quite the way they expect. I got the biggest kick out of seeing their reaction to "modern day" culture. Even in the regular series, their sidelong cracks on society were always the best, but seeing them make them while actually experiencing our culture was a twist on a twist! The references to Coronation Street, Blade Runner, and (best of all!) Red Dwarf, are priceless and left me breathless!
But by far the best part was just seeing Lister, Rimmer, Kryten and Cat all back together again. And, they all look just as good as they did twenty years ago. You'd think Craig Charles hadn't aged a day, Danny John-Jules has still got ALL the moves! Even Space Bug is still kicking around, well... sort of!
I was really disappointed, however, not to see either Holly or Holly appear in the miniseries. *sigh* His/her absence was accounted for adequately in the storyline, but it's just not the same without Holly. Instead we get a Katerina Bartikovsky who I must admit did a really good job with her role, but somehow bringing in an "expansion character" at this juncture just didn't work for me.
One thing that seemed a little weird at first was the strange, airless quality of the sound of the miniseries. The original series had many studio shots filmed in front of a live audience, and the location shots had a laugh track added into the background for continuity's sake. But the miniseries had neither of these, so for the first half of the first segment I kept wondering why everything sounded so flat. It just didn't have the same energy as the series. Then I realized what was missing: the laughter! As the miniseries progressed, though, apparently the producers got better at un-flattening the sound: theme music was used more effectively, etc, and by the end it regained most of the lively feeling of the series. Hopefully in the DVD both the sound and the video editing will be more polished, and both will be as round and unflagging as the series was.
As I mentioned above, all of my other Red Dwarf DVDs have always been of the highest quality. The menus and extra features are always a lot of fun, so I am quite sure I won't be disappointed with those. I'll come back when my copy arrives to say for sure!
Neither all that bad nor all that good - Rating: 3/5
I'm a newcomer to the RED DWARF universe. Utilizing Netflix (I usually buy almost everything I watch on DVD, but I thought these sets way overpriced) I started with Season One and worked my way all the way through Season Eight. I then found a website that streamed these episodes. Watching the episodes and then hitting some fan boards it became clear that while I enjoyed the show in its middle years (from Season Three when Kryten became a full time character to the end of Season Six), I was not the fan that many were. Still, I even mildly enjoyed Seasons Seven and Eight and looked forward to what many are calling "Season Nine." Heck, I'll even watch Season Ten if it materializes.
But being objective, this miniseries isn't very good. First and foremost, there are a lot of dead moments, when either the pacing and timing isn't quite right, or the jokes just aren't working. There are also some decent bits, but in the end it is more of a wash between the good and flat moments. I suppose it is worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the series as a whole, but some fans might prefer to remember the show as it was.
I'm not quite sure why the miniseries was based on BLADE RUNNER. None of the best bits of the show rely on its imitation of that film. I mean, once you've caught on that they are imitating BLADE RUNNER, what else is there? It just doesn't lead to anything. It isn't good writing so much as a substitute for good writing.
Still, even if it isn't a terribly successful miniseries, it was great to see Lister, Kryten, Rimmer, and Cat all together again. For me, at least, the group still works as an ensemble and I would welcome a continuance of the series. I would just prefer stronger writing.
Back In Red - Rating: 4/5
The DVD contains...
(Disc 1)
* Features both a Director's Cut version of Back to Earth and the original televised version: In other words, a play all as it's meant to be seen, or in the 3 parts it was shown on TV.
* Cast Commentary by Chris Barry (Rimmer), Danny John Jules (Cat), Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) & of coarse Craig Charles(Dave Lister)
* Director Commentary with Doug Naylor.
(Disc 2)
* All-New Exclusive Documentary:
* The Making of Back to Earth part 1 & 2
* Deleted Scenes
* Smeg Ups
* Featurettes
* Trailers & TV Spots
* Web Videos
* Photo Gallery
* Easter Egg of Danny getting a free drink.
SPOILER (Dont read on if you don't want to know how to access the egg)
when disc 2 starts, you will see a skutter roll by on the screen and flip you off, hit the enter button on your remote while it does this.
The boys from the Dwarf are back! - Rating: 5/5
I'll freely admit that the original series got a bit stagnant from series 5 through 7, however I really felt that 8 shaped up to be a return to form. Now, ten years later, we finally get more. To be honest, it is best watched in one sitting as the first episode really introduces (or re-introduces) the characters we know and love and watching them individually does break up the flow a bit. The story (and the funny) really picks up in the second ep and continues through the third. In all, Back to Earth brings back much of what made the original series great and sets the stage for a new series nicely. It left me wanting more without leaving me hanging.
