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*Sighs contentedly* Flying reptiles. They're great, aren't they? There are big ones and small ones, and flappy ones and glidey ones, and they're lovely, every one. Though the big ones are best. The bigger the better, really. They're not as cool as a nice big allosaurus, admittedly; it's still the walking ones and the swimming ones that come top of my list... but still, a nice flying reptile is tough to beat, and they were all over the place in Primeval tonight. This show is shaping up to be so much fun. Damned shame there's only one more episode left to go.
So, a very effective episode tonight. I notice it's come in for a bit of stick on some of the boards, but that's mostly with people who are still looking for something deep and meaningful. Tonight's episode was buckets of fun. Standard authoritarians vs the boffins stuff to begin with, as the governmental types and the soldiers wanted to kill the poor pteranodon, and Cutter and Stephen were determined to save it. Lovely FX here. The scenes with the pteranodon were very well put together, both as Stephen attempted to shoot it with a tranquiliser dart, and when it crashed onto the roof after being shot. Some nice models later as well, for human interaction with it when it was drugged. There's been some consistently good work in that department all series, but I think it might have been at its best tonight. Much as I loved the dodos and the mosasaur, occasionally they did look a little ropey, and I think perhaps only the gorgonopsid in episode one comes close to rivalling the pteranodon for realism.
Less enamoured of the anurognathus. It's a fabulous creature, don't get me wrong, and it looked good. It just didn't have such a great bit of the plot. Some lovely atmospheric scenes of a whole gaggle of them roosting in a tree, obviously meant as something of a homage to The Birds, which all looked rather splendid - but Cutter and Claudia under siege wasn't all that interesting. Claudia was being a little too typically "TV woman under threat" for my liking, which isn't all that much fun when you've also got Helen running around the place with her rucksack, blowing kitchens up and being much more interesting. So full marks for bringing the anurog into the story, as it's a lesser known little beastie, and the series has been very good about using the less famous creatures all along. Which deserves applause. But most of the points get lost again for not being adventurous enough.
I was very happy with the pteranodon, though. Basically, there are simply not enough flying reptiles of any description in mainstream television. Get a few in EastEnders. Get a few in Casualty. Actually, don't bother, as I don't watch either show. Get them in Hotel Babylon. Just as long as they promise not to eat Gino. Yes, I know, stick to the point. Lovely episode tonight. Lots of laughs, lots of fun, and a very nice touch when Stephen went all Benton Fraser with the pteranodon dung.
Next week, futuristic beasties, apparently. In the meantime - it's a pteranodon. Isn't it lovely. :)
Flying reptiles! Hurrah!
So, a very effective episode tonight. I notice it's come in for a bit of stick on some of the boards, but that's mostly with people who are still looking for something deep and meaningful. Tonight's episode was buckets of fun. Standard authoritarians vs the boffins stuff to begin with, as the governmental types and the soldiers wanted to kill the poor pteranodon, and Cutter and Stephen were determined to save it. Lovely FX here. The scenes with the pteranodon were very well put together, both as Stephen attempted to shoot it with a tranquiliser dart, and when it crashed onto the roof after being shot. Some nice models later as well, for human interaction with it when it was drugged. There's been some consistently good work in that department all series, but I think it might have been at its best tonight. Much as I loved the dodos and the mosasaur, occasionally they did look a little ropey, and I think perhaps only the gorgonopsid in episode one comes close to rivalling the pteranodon for realism.
Less enamoured of the anurognathus. It's a fabulous creature, don't get me wrong, and it looked good. It just didn't have such a great bit of the plot. Some lovely atmospheric scenes of a whole gaggle of them roosting in a tree, obviously meant as something of a homage to The Birds, which all looked rather splendid - but Cutter and Claudia under siege wasn't all that interesting. Claudia was being a little too typically "TV woman under threat" for my liking, which isn't all that much fun when you've also got Helen running around the place with her rucksack, blowing kitchens up and being much more interesting. So full marks for bringing the anurog into the story, as it's a lesser known little beastie, and the series has been very good about using the less famous creatures all along. Which deserves applause. But most of the points get lost again for not being adventurous enough.
I was very happy with the pteranodon, though. Basically, there are simply not enough flying reptiles of any description in mainstream television. Get a few in EastEnders. Get a few in Casualty. Actually, don't bother, as I don't watch either show. Get them in Hotel Babylon. Just as long as they promise not to eat Gino. Yes, I know, stick to the point. Lovely episode tonight. Lots of laughs, lots of fun, and a very nice touch when Stephen went all Benton Fraser with the pteranodon dung.
Next week, futuristic beasties, apparently. In the meantime - it's a pteranodon. Isn't it lovely. :)
Flying reptiles! Hurrah!
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