Blu-ray Review: Go Back To The Future With BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY
Nostalgia can be a very dangerous thing. You tend to look back on what you enjoyed in your childhood with great affection, but when you see them in the cold light of day, they’re never quite what you thought you were. This often happens with the television shows you watched as a kid (how many times have you cringed watching clips of He-Man?). If you haven’t seen them in a long time then they disappoint when you return to them as an adult. That’s the reason why I was a little wary when I had the opportunity to review the blu-ray release of Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. I loved the show as a kid and I thought that a late 1970s/early 1980s sci-fi TV show might not really hold-up in the 21st Century. Not only am I happy to report that the show still works, but it’s a really fun watch, which I enjoyed as much as a grown-up as I did as a kid.
Gil Gerard is the 20th Century astronaut who becomes frozen in space, waking-up in the 25th Century- a time which is very different from what he’s used to. Buck’s macho posturing is out of place in the staid future (Sly Stallone vehicle Demolition Man owes it a debt). The show plays like a Roger Moore James Bond movie infused with Star Wars (producer Glen A. Larson also made Battlestar Galatica) and it’s easy to see why I loved it as a kid. Gil Gerard impresses as our titular hero and he shares great chemistry with the equally strong Erin Grey. Grey plays the futuristic Colonel who is as frustrated by Rogers’ antiquated ways as she is in awe of them. Buck is also aided by R2-D2-esqe robotic sidekick Twiki (voiced bu Mel Blanc) as he traverses the galaxy on all sorts of adventures.
Sure, the show looks a little dated (how could it not, it’s 40 years old) but its effects still look good in a retro future sort of way. There’s much fun to be had across the 37 episodes contained on this blu-ray box set and the set even includes the re-cut pilot episode that was released theatrically.
Buck Rogers In The 25th Century is a must own release for those who watched it way back when, and it’s also highly recommended for those who love vintage TV and science fiction.
As Twiki would say, ‘Bidi-bidi’.
