Ferocious Planet (2011/RHI Telefilm/Vivendi DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C Extras: D Main Program: B+
When a
scientist opened a window to another dimension, they accidentally opened
much more than they wanted. A group of
people suddenly finds themselves stranded on another world. With little supplies and few
bullets they find themselves surrounded by hungry man-eating
monsters, but even worst they soon discover have six hours to fix the
machine that sent them there... if not, they will be stuck there
forever!
What started out as a demonstration for more funding rapidly turns into
life and death adventure. A few
scientists, a politician, his aids, and few soldiers find themselves
transported to an alien jungle world with huge carnivorous alien that has a
taste for human flesh. Staring Joe Flannigan
(Stargate: Atlantis) and John
Rhys-Davies (Sliders, Lord of the Rings), they must somehow
find the components for their busted dimension machine to get them home. All the meanwhile somehow work together and
not get eaten by the locals.
The characters were very stereotypical of the roles they played, the
soldiers are just trying the keep everyone alive, the politicians want to
exploit any scientific breakthrough for themselves, and the scientists know
what they have to do but are too scared to do anything
about it. This film featured
superstars Joe Flannigan and John Rhys-Davies and ironically entire show seemed
like a cross between the series that made them superstars, Stargate: Atlantis and Sliders.
A story of a group of people going to a parallel
dimension, and a soldier trying to get the group home, sound familiar? It was your standard ‘I am stuck in a strange,
beautiful (but dangerous) world, need to survive blood thirsty creatures and
somehow get home’ romp, but it works, even if it does not look or sound great.
- Ricky Chiang
