Watch Buck Rogers in the 25th Century For Free

Undescribable Perfection

To me, this movie is perfection.

Absolutely the worst movie.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

RELEASED TO theaters in 1979, six months before the series debuted on TV, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" is the pilot to the show, renamed "Awakening" for the series. THE STORY: In 1987 Captain William "Buck" Rogers (Gil Gerard) solo-pilots a space shuttle when a meteor storm freezes him into an orbit that returns him to Earth 500 years later. The shuttle is discovered in 2491 by the Draconian flagship under the command of Princess Ardala (Pamela Hensley) and her first officer, Kane (Henry Silva). They return Rogers to Earth where he meets Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray), Dr. Elias Huer (Tim O'Connor) and a curiously phallus-looking robot drone, Twiki (voiced by Mel Blanc), accompanied by the A.I. computer Dr. Theopolis (voiced by Howard F. Flynn). Buck learns that Earth suffered a planet-wide nuclear holocaust shortly after he launched into space, which has made Earth a wasteland, except for the impressively rebuilt New Chicago and some other cities. As Buck adjusts to the 25th century, he must convince the Terrans that the Draconians are scheming to conquer the planet.COMMENTARY: Buck Rogers (the character) was originally conceived by Philip Francis Nowlan in 1928. This pilot movie (and the series) is quite cartoony and the effects are downright lame compared to the awe-inspiring "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," which came out (at the end of) the same year. Not to mention the original Star Wars Trilogy that was popular at the time. Heck, for the most part, the F/X don't even hold up to The Original Series of Star Trek that ran from 1966-1969. No kidding.This doesn't mean, however, that this pilot isn't entertaining. It is to a degree; just don't expect the maturity or quality of Star Trek (TOS). Star Trek is dramatic science-fiction whereas Star Wars is fantasy packaged as science-fiction, which is 'space fantasy.' "Awakening" (and the series in general) tries to walk the line between these two and ends up being inferior to both. But, again, this doesn't mean it's not entertaining in its comic booky way.While the script for "Awakening" is okay at best (and most of the ensuing episodes as well), the main protagonists and most of the guest stars are outstanding. Gil Gerard in the titular role, for instance, is just as effective as William Shatner as Captain Kirk, maybe even more so, if that were possible. And then there's Erin Gray as Col. Deering, one of the hottest space babes in the history of film or television. Not to mention, Pamela Hensley has the requisite "looks that kill" as the oversexed antagonist, Ardala (although she doesn't personally trip my trigger; she's just not curvy enough). The rest of the series features a gazillion female guests who are often more beautiful than these two, especially the 1st season. So "Buck Rogers" scores well on the female front.The film is hard to rate because, on the one hand, the cheese-factor is so high with the comic book tone, flimsy sets, dubious special effects and banal storytelling, but the main protagonists and guest stars are outstanding and somehow pull off the material. It's amazing, but true. There's also something to be said for the nostalgic and innocent style of the pilot and series. Nevertheless, I can't in good conscience give "Buck Rogers in the 20th Century" (aka "Awakening") a higher rating.THE MOVIE RUNS 89 minutes.GRADE: C+

"Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century" often cannot help betraying its 1970s roots. Buck occasionally strolls around in wide "Saturday Night Fever" collars and many of his night spots look just a step away from disco.Overall, the series started out likable. Gil Gerard, who in these fatophobic days might be considered a bit chunky in his flight suits, came in with a twinkle in his eye and a grin to show that whatever silliness was on hand, we should swallow it easily.The first season began with a movie-length story (released in theaters). Beginning in 2491, Earth fliers find Buck frozen in his spaceship from 1987. Buck tries to adjust to changing styles and mores, but he always proves the good, old twentieth century way was better. This is especially true in matters of cuisine. One episode has Gary Coleman (hands up, all who remember Gary Coleman) as a leader of a society who also just happens to be from the twentieth century, and who is on a constant search for cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes).The first season has a few interesting guest stars. Lovely Pamela Hensley, the bad guy in the pilot, returns intermittently to make Buck marry her. One wonders why he doesn't want to marry a beautiful princess until, in one episode, she produces the dog-collar he'll wear.Another episode features Roddy McDowell and Jack Palance. Ray Walston (Uncle Martin from "My Favorite Martian" appears in the Gary Coleman episode. The biggest surprise was Playmate of the Month for August 1979, Dorothy Stratten, playing a beauty-contest winner, just a few months before she was shot in the face by her estranged husband. There is also a welcome appearance by a very young Markie Post, who must have been sewn into her costume.The first season got very silly at times but it never ceased to be fun.The second season was another kettle of fish. Instead of being Earth-based, it was set in a "Star Trek" type of format with Buck and his lovely sidekick (Erin Gray, who was a blonde in the the first series and a brunette in the second) looking for human life in the galaxy. The second series was more serious and adopted a liberal-preachy tone. Instead of one adventure after another, Buck seems to go from one leftist screed to another. It's no wonder it tanked. Shows like this should be for fun, not forums for political indoctrination.Also in the second series, the show also committed near heresy by not bringing Mel Blanc back to voice the robot Twiki. In the wake of "Star Wars" cute little droids were in, and Buck Rogers had Twiki. Voiced by Blanc in the first series, Twiki's role was to come out with twentieth century expressions Buck had taught him. While the little guy might have been extremely annoying, Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny and most of his friends) was able to make it funny. Apparently there was a scramble to bring Blanc back after viewers quite rightly complained.The show also changed William Conrad as its opening announcer, but this was a minor, if unsettling at first, point.The second season also brought in long-time professional ditherer and dodderer Wilfred Hyde-White, who was even more doddering than usual. I suppose he was brought into compensate for the lack of humor in the second series. I've always admired Hyde-White's performances, but he appears out of his element here.There is also a character who is suppose to be half-hawk but he actually just looks like a man in a feathered hat. The less said about him, the better. And there's a robot who is terminally annoying.So, thumbs way up for the original pilot. Thumbs mostly up for the first series, though occasionally the thumbs may go a little slack in a few dumb episodes. And finally, middle fingers up for series two, after which "Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century" disappeared into a timely oblivion.Between "Star Trek" and "Far-Out Space Nuts" this show probably flops closer to the latter. Still, it's worth looking if you like faux-space stuff and have a low threshold for the suspension of disbelief. Or if you want to see Erin Gray in extremely tight costumes.

THE ADAPTATION of a character from the print media to motion pictures is always a tricky proposition. Be the original print be that of strictly prose narrative or one of those illustrated narrations born of the drawing board and published in the Daily & Sunday Newspaper Comics Pages or in the much less legitimate Comic Books; there would always have to be some form or other of an adaptation process. No matter what the adapted work turned out, it was certain that there would be legions of dissatisfied. (And that goes double for me and Schultz!) WITH this picture of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY (Bruce Lansbury Productions/Glen A. Larson Production/Universal Pictures, 1979) a new incarnation of the Buck Rogers legend came forth into the spotlight. We knew the storyline, but could only imagine just how it would be rendered. We did have some sneaking suspicions about just was in store, at least in part.BEING mindful about what had been done prior with Comic Book/Comic Strip properties, no one expected a straight page to screen adaptation. Remember, this was the late 1970's and our pop culture had been inundated by the old "Camp Craze" for some time; for it was a full "Baker's Dozen" Years earlier that BATMAN had hit the airwaves. After that, no "Funny Paper" or "Joke Book" properties would ever be the same in their celluloid counterparts.THE original Buck Rogers appeared in a pair of novels published in AMAZING STORIES Magazine in 1929. Titled "Armageddon: 2419 A.D.", the story had spelunker, Anthony Rogers getting caught unawares in a cave filling up with a sleep-inducing gas; kind of like having a cavern full of ferrous oxide (that's Laughing Gas, Schultz!) He slept in that next night for a record 500 years; only to awaken to a future Planet Earth dominated by a pack of outlaw gangs.NEWS about this Sci-fi pulp magazine unqualified success of the appearance in the Amazing Stories lineup soon spread far and wide.BEfore long the John Dille Company had negotiated a pact with the author, Phillip F. Nowlan, to bring the adventurer to the "funny papers". Passing up the formal sounding given name of Anthony, the strip version gave him a nickname of "Buck", which was and remains popular to this day.SO the world of the 25th Century Earth was filled with both scientific miracles and political strife. Regular characters in the comic strip included Wilma Deering, her little brother, Buddy Deering, combination NASA Scientist, President and U.N. Secretary General in Dr. Huer and Space Pirate turned Dictator, Killer Kane. The strip did well for itself and a BUCK ROGERS RADIO Show soon popped up; remaining a staple on the networks for years, which didn't assure success on TV as a Buck Rogers TV show in the early 1950's never got up much steam and fizzled out muy pronto.WE should mention the Universal Pictures BUCK ROGERS Serial (Universal, 1939); which starred Buster Crabbe as Buck, Constance Moore as Wilma and Jackie Moran as Buddy WADE! As he was written in as Buck's 20th Century partner in not Cave Exploration, but rather in piloting a Dirigible. The adaptation changed Buddy's name, century of birth, occupation and relationship to Miss Deering.FINALLY in getting down to today's special guest dissectee in this BUCK ROGER movie.FIRST of all, Buck (Gil Gerard) was now a wise cracking NASA Astronaut, who was held in an orbit around Earth in a Space Capsule filled with that old laughing gas stuff. He is rescued by 25th Century Earthlings in what had been the USA. There he meets up with Wilma (Erin Gray-Woo,woo,woo,woo!), Dr. Huer (Tim O'Connor), one Princess Ardala (Pamela Hensley-Woo,woo,woo,woo!) and Killer Kane (Henry Silva). Buddy is neither Wilma's brother nor Buck's 29th Century juvenile assistant. Buddy was out, kaput, persona non gratis.IN place of Buddy the production team gave us a short, little, cherubic robot named Twiki (voiced by the late Mel Blanc). That he has a remote resemblance to R2D2 of STAR WARS fame is not a coincidence; as the combo of R2D2 and C3PO caused such a stir.AS for the movie, it seems as if the creative team wasn't quite sure as to which direction they should go with it. Much in the same way that the BATMAN Series made use of "Camp" humor and super serious, overly melodramatic situations, this movie accomplished the balance by using innuendo and double entendre coming by way of a wise cracking, but obviously testosterone laden Anthony "Buck" Rogers." IN many respects, it is somewhat remarkable that this BUCK ROGERS turned out as well as it did; for much like the middle of the road attitude that was maintained in regards to the mood of the project; the film itself was shackled with a sort of split-personality. You see, the movie is classified as being 'Made for TV', it did have an extensive theatrical release early in the year; only to be shown on NBC as the premiere, special length episode of the BUCK ROGERS TV Series. It is the same way that National Comics/DC introduced the SUPERMAN Series some 27 years earlier. (The feature, SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN (National Comics/Lippert Pictures, 1951) was put on Television as a 2 Part adventure.VERY much a positive is the excellent job that was done in designing and mounting the project. There were excellent choices made in the area of costuming. Buck, Wilma and company looked very much in 1970's style; but most of the others were done in a style that was very much in keeping with the look of the Buck Rogers Comic Strip, For that matter, so did most of the gadgetry, spaceships and the studio created sets on far-off, alien worlds.WE'll have to give it a rating of **.POODLE SCHNITZ!!

We all did stupid things when we were young, things that we seriously regret as adults. One of my regrets is liking this show as a kid. I knew even then that it wasn't good science fiction, but having seen it recently, I had but one reaction. Oh. My. God. The 70s weren't really this embarrassing, were they?The plot was nonsensical and often non sequitur. Producer and writer Glen Larson used every cliché in the book, and then some. By the end, there was so little plot left that the movie was reduced to minutes on end of spaceships blowing up (and repetitive stock footage at that) and stuntmen being blown through the air. If James Cameron has been criticized for having a tin ear for dialogue, this makes his ear seem like solid gold.By tying itself so much to a 1979 man, it dates itself far worse than Battlestar Galactica, also produced by Larson. And what a man Buck was. An arrogant, chauvinistic, hot-headed, perpetually smirking smart aleck with no regard for the rules or for the safety of others yet who somehow still manages to save the day by going with his gut. Oh, and he gets his own robot and all the women swoon over him. It's the fantasy of every pubescent and prepubescent boy, probably including Larson. Of course, by this time, Larson was already in his 40s, and his conception of what was "cool" for 1979 is laughable. But not as laughable as Gil Gerard in the tight, white uniform. All through the first season, my friends and I cracked up whenever "the paunch" would show up onscreen. Somebody should tell "futuristic" costume designers that most people don't wear skintight outfits for very good reasons. Had this been made 20 years later, Bruce Campbell could have done Buck with much less mugging.Pamela Hensley's Ardala wasn't nearly as hot as she was made out to be. Her only distinction was that she spent most of the movie in her gold lamé string bikini. In today's world, she would pale - both literally and figuratively - beside the silicone wonders that infest Hollywood. On the other hand, Erin Gray's Wilma Deering was quite attractive in a clean, wholesome sort of way. Alas, Deering inexplicably changed from a strong authority figure into a fluttery schoolgirl who all but giggled at the sight of Buck.Velveeta and Cracker Barrel have nothing on Glen Larson, the king of cheese and high camp.