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The Movie: One of two alien invasion shows that didn't last long this year (the other being..."Invasion"), "Surface" is a perfectly enjoyable sci-fi effort that should have been given another chance (it was pulled after a mere 15 episodes. One would think that they could have at least waited until the second season with the hope that this DVD release would add to the show's audience.) The series stars Lake Bell (formerly seen on "Boston Public") as marine biologist Laura ‘Dee’ Daughtery who, in the first episode, is doing underwater research in a mini sub when the vessel gets attacked by a swift, large creature that can emit an electrical charge. However, as Dr. Daughtery soon finds out, there is a government conspiracy lead by Dr. Aleksander Cirko (Rade Šerbedžija) to cover up the existence of the creatures. They effectively shut down Daughtery's work and confiscate her findings. Elsewhere, Miles (Carter Jenkins) is an average teenager (complete with annoying sister) who finds strange eggs on a local beach. He takes the egg home and it hatches, zipping around the house and disrupting any electrical device it gets near. Rich Connelly (Jay R. Ferguson) lost his brother during an encounter with one of the creatures and remains obsessed with proving to others that they exist. Strange events start occuring around the globe, including a meteor shower, an enormous whirlpool that a hang glider sees before the boat below her does and Old Faithful errupting something besides hot water. I won't spoil any more of the surprises, but I will say that "Surface" has quite a few deeply creepy/eerie moments large & small throughout that do a fine job of keeping the viewer hooked. The series also builds quite well throughout its run, leading up to a big, enjoyable finale. While the whole "government cover-up" angle is a little difficult to believe, if there has to be a conflict in the picture, this isn't too bad and it's handled well. The performances across the board are quite good, with the ensemble cast all getting equal screen time. Especially good are Bell as the determined scientist and Jenkins as a teen who realizes the impact of his discovery. Šerbedžija, who's always reliable, is also quite good as the secretive doctor working for the government. Technically, the FX on the show are not feature-film quality, but are perfectly fine considering its TV. Overall, this is a prime example of why network television has to give shows more than minute to succeed. The series offers solid writing, compelling characters, twists and more. Although some of the elements in the show have been done before, "Surface" still feels fresh. The finale had me incredibly eager to see where the show would head (the finale is entertaining, but doesn't offer answers and really leaves one wanting more.) It's really a shame that this show has been cancelled, not only because it's a terrific series, but because the finale really had potential to lead to a big second season. I can only hope that someone at the network rethinks their decision and brings this show back. This set contains all 15 episodes on 4 single-sided/dual-layer DVDs. The DVD VIDEO: "Surface" is presented by Universal in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture quality isn't without a few minor concerns (some light artifacting on a few occasions), but is largely solid. Sharpness and detail are first-rate, as the picture remained crisp and well-defined throughout. Colors looked rich and bold, with nice saturation and no smearing. SOUND: The show's Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation was solid for a television series, with occasional surround use for ambience and some minor sound effects. The majority of the audio was nicely spread across the front speakers. Audio quality was fine, with crisp dialogue, sound effects and score. EXTRAS: Deleted scenes and a brief promo featurette that looks at the series and the special FX. It's really too bad that some of the people involved couldn't have recorded a commentary to discuss where the show would have headed had it been renewed. Final Thoughts: "Surface" hooked me in and kept me entertained throughout. It's really too bad that a fine show like this wasn't given more of a chance to succeed. The DVD edition offers minimal extras, but very good audio/video quality. Despite the fact that the finale doesn't wrap everything up, this is still an entertaining ride. Recommended. |