WTOP's Jason Fraley reviews 'Space Force'
Sigh, the world around us has become pretty depressing over the past several months.
So if you’re looking for some comic relief, you might try Netflix’s “Space Force,” which isn’t exactly great comedy television but at least brings some light to a dark world.
Created by Steve Carell and Greg Daniels of “The Office” (2005-2013), the sitcom follows the newly-formed sixth branch of the military known as Space Force. Led by General Mark R. Naird (Carell), the group’s gung-ho mission is to put “boots on the moon” by 2024 in a new 21st century space race against the superpower of China.
Any show starring Carell is worth watching, having split our sides as Michael Scott on NBC. This time, his character is aptly named Naird, which sounds a lot like “nerd.” Every episode, his idiotic decisions somehow surprisingly pan out, like a reverse “Gilligan’s Island” (1964-1992), all with that lovable loser vibe that Carell has practically perfected.
Surrounding him are Lisa Kudrow as his jailbird wife, Diana Silvers as their angsty teen daughter, John Malkovich as fabulous chief scientist Dr. Adrian Mallory, Jimmy O. Yang as Mallory’s witty assistant Dr. Chan Kaifang, Tawny Newsome as pioneering astronaut Angela Ali and Ben Schwartz as the annoying social media director F. Tony Scarapiducci.
We also get bit parts by Jane Lynch (“Glee”), Noah Emmerich (“The Truman Show”), Jessica St. Clair (“Bridesmaids”), Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carrey Show”), Larry Joe Campbell (“According to Jim”), Kaitlin Olson (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Patrick Warburton (“Seinfeld”) and Fred Willard (“Anchorman”), who just died last month.
At times, the famous faces become distracting, relying more on built-in star power than anything organically created in the show. You might find it hard to get into the first few episodes, but once you get to know the characters, you’ll be along for the quirky ride.
As for the jokes, they’re more of the amusing variety than anything laugh-out-loud. My wife and I binged the show a week ago, and I’m hard pressed to recall any specific punchlines or gags, except for a few clever puns at the hot dog stand on the campus.
Launched as a Hollywood spoof of Washington, it’s nowhere near as clever as Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” (1964) nor as daring as Adam McKay’s “Vice” (2018). It feels more like a lowbrow comedy than a highbrow political satire riffing on real events.
Still, there are a few nods. F. Tony Scarapiducci is clearly a play on Tony Scaramucci, while other roles have other uncanny resemblances to certain members of Congress.
If you’re hoping for a character spoofing the president himself, you’ll sadly have to settle for Alec Baldwin’s parody on “Saturday Night Live.” The Commander in Chief is merely a periphery figure here, sending orders from afar rather than a main character in the show.
While it might have seemed like an edgy political satire when it was developed in January 2019, it now suffers from the fact that truth has become much stranger than fiction. Our everyday news has delivered plot twists that would seem over-the-top on screen — bat viruses, murder hornets, tweet storms, Bible photo ops — but it’s all painfully real.
Ironically, that same reality now includes a trademark dispute where Netflix claims it trademarked the phrase “Space Force” before the Pentagon. That means the Trump Administration might have to find a new name for its wild “Star Wars” initiative.
Sadly, “Spaceballs” is already taken. “May the (Ben) Schwartz be with you!”
Name aside, it’s a lighthearted romp with a light load of only 10 half-hour episodes, so it can’t hurt to binge it. Whether you liked Season 1 or found it underwhelming, here’s hoping for a better Season 2. As the show’s tagline reads, “Nowhere to go but up.”
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2020 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
"Review" - Google News
June 22, 2020 at 12:17PM
https://ift.tt/3hMooCh
Review: Netflix’s ‘Space Force’ isn’t great TV, but it’s welcome light in a dark time - WTOP
"Review" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YqLwiz
https://ift.tt/3c9nRHD
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Review: Netflix’s ‘Space Force’ isn’t great TV, but it’s welcome light in a dark time - WTOP"
Post a Comment