Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars DVD Review:

The Scarrans have declared war and are advancing across the galaxy towards the Peacekeeper Alliance. They cannot be stopped and every living thing in the galaxy will bow to the might of the Scarran Empire. The only hope for peace is a human astronaut called John Crichton (Browder), who possesses the knowledge to stop the war and enforce peace but he and his pregnant fiancée Aeryn Sun are presumed dead after been shattered into a million crystalline shards.

After finishing its fourth season with an earth shattering cliffhanger, one of the most inventive and influential science fiction TV shows was cancelled but by sheer fan power the cast and crew behind the groundbreaking series have been given the chance to complete their vision with a mini-series and they really grab that chance.

After been barraged by protests, petitions, Internet websites and even TV advertising campaigns, the sheer force of fan power brought Farscape back. The good news is that Brian Henson and his creative team have taken that second chance and produced a conclusion to the story of John Crichton and the alien prisoners from living ship Moya that has been made totally for the fans, as a thank you.

The mini-series forgoes any real character introductions or an excessive backstory refresher course and jumps straight into the action as we discover how John and Aeryn come back together, so to speak. From then on it is a relentless adventure that answers many of the questions posed by the four years of the TV series and draws the story to an extremely good conclusion. Many series have fizzled out when it comes to finishing their TV runs with fans been left frustrated or disappointed by lack lustre conclusions but Farscape throws everything at you but ends with a logical conclusion that will have the fans rejoicing.

All of your favourite characters for the TV series return for the mini-series and most of their characters arches are concluded in a very satisfactory way. Ben Browder is the driving force behind the success of the show as John Crichton. It is his humanity and sense of good that draw you to this heroic character, even though he has done some pretty extremely things to save guard his friends with fighting the Scarrans and Peacemakers. The role is a showcase for Browder’s talents, as he shows real charisma, passion and drive in his portrayal of Crichton. Equally as strong is Claudia Black as Aeryn Sun, the love of Crichton’s life, the mother of his unborn child and an ex-peacemaker who is a warrior in her own right. This is an extremely strong female role and the beautiful Claudia Black makes her what she is.

The two leads are supported by a cast of colourful and memorable characters, each of them played superbly by the outstanding ensemble cast. Anthony Simcoe is exceptional as Ka D'Argo, the powerful and honourable Luxan warrior who is John’s best friend and ally during the series. Even under mountains of makeup, he manages to give a performance that makes D’Argo one of the great science fiction characters. The same can be said about Gigi Edgley as Chiana, the sexually charged thief who steals the heart of D’Argo and any man who meets her. Edgley plays the role with a girlish, playful charm and it has been interesting to she the character grow into what she becomes over the four seasons and the mini-series. Crichton’s arch-nemesis Scorpius, is played by the devilish Wayne Pygram perfectly. The makeup and costume design already make the character look menacing but it is Pygram’s performance that makes him so evil, self serving and manipulative. When you add in the performance of Raelee Hill as Sikozu, Paul Goddard as Stark, Rebecca Riggs as Commandant Mele-on-Grayza and of brilliant animatronic Jim Henson creature shop creations Pilot and Rygel, you have a returning cast that are truly dedicated to the series.

‘Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars’ is an exceptional piece of science fiction television and a brilliant example of how to end a series. With state of the art visual effects, unbelievable character and set design and a truly dedicated cast and crew, this is a series that has ended before its time. If this is the last we see of John Crichton and the crew of Moya, the story has come to a place were it can easily end but Fans will be hoping and campaigning for their favourite characters to return to the small or even big screen, very soon.

Star Rating = * * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 16x9 Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, Farscape has never looked so good. The extra finance acquired for the mini-series is there to see on the screen, the visuals are better than ever. The quality of the picture reflects this, as it is crystal clear through out. The sound quality is also exceptional, filling your speakers with a barrage of explosions and action.

BONUS FEATURES

The Battle Behind the Wars: The Making of the Peacekeeper Wars (29.01 mins)

Director/Executive producer Brian Henson, writer/executive producer David Kemper, producer Andrew Prowse, director of photography Russell Bacon, production designer Ricky Gyres, creature designer Dave Elsey, makeup supervisor Deborah Peart, editor Nicholas Holmes, visual effects designer Benita Corey stars Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley, Wayne Pygram, Paul Goddard, Jonathan Hardy and Raelee Hill take you through the production of Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Taking you from the moment it was announced that the show was cancelled after the four season, through the fan’s campaign to bring the series back to the start of filming, the featurette shows you how Farscape returned and what the Peacemaker Wars are all about. Covering all aspects of production from the returning cast, their characters, the story, set design and visual effects, the featurette is a comprehensive look at the how Farscape was brought back to life.

Infopods
Views biographies and galleries for John Crichton, Aeryn Sun, Ka D’Argo, Chiana, Scorpius, Rygel XVI, Stark, Noranti, Sikozu, Braca, Grayza, Jool and Jothee. The Infopods also include interviews with Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe and Gigi Edgley, who talk about the show and their characters.

Behind the Scenes Interviews (10.41 mins)

Writer/executive producer David Kemper, director/Executive producer Brian Henson and producer Andrew Prowse talk about picking up where the last show in series four ending, the concept for the mini-series and the dedication of the Farscape fans. The also reveal how the show pushed the boundaries of science fiction television and how the epic scale of the story made it such a fan favourite.

Deleted Scenes (13.37 mins)

Twelve deleted or extended scenes that highlight more interaction between John and Scorpius, Chiana and the rest of the cast and D’Argo and Sikozu. With a commentary track or introduction however, we don’t know why some of these good scenes were removed.

Gallery
A collection of behind the scenes images of props, costume tests, makeup details and stunts.

Trailer (1.55 mins)

Your chance to watch the trailer for the mini series

OVERALL

The two disc boxset for ‘Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars’ will have fans of the series rejoicing. With some great behind the scenes footage, interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes and information on their favourite characters, the bonus material is very good. The only real shame is the lack of a commentary track to give them further insights into the production. This aside, this is still a well-packaged DVD that will please the many fans of this great Sci-Fi series.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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