Space Rangers (1993–1994) User Reviews

A guilty pleasure

[scrbblr · 8/10 · 2 January 2009]

Sure, this series was kind of hokey, and sure, the characters were -- as one of the IMDb comments points out -- rather cartoonish. And there's no denying that the stories were highly derivative; you'll find deliberate echoes of "Star Wars," "Star Trek," "Aliens," and a host of old space operas from the early days of TV.

But that's pretty much the point. I'm old enough to remember those early shows -- "Captain Video," "Captain Midnight, " "Tom Corbett," "Space Patrol" -- and "Space Rangers," when I saw it back in '93, had the same kind of unpretentious charm, along with likable (if thoroughly stereotyped) characters, colorful aliens, and plenty of action. It also had a terrific, pounding opening theme by Hans Zimmer (it is on my iPod even as I write this), as well as the pulchritudinous six-foot-tall Marjorie Monaghan as a pilot (so easy on the eyes) and -- in a brilliant bit of casting -- the diminutive Linda Hunt as the Rangers' commander, possessor of one of the most soothing, intelligent voices in the Solar System.

The fact that the show had an obviously low budget seems somehow appropriate; it gives "Rangers" yet another connection to "Tom Corbett" and its ilk.

I was never a fan of "Star Trek"; it seemed just a bit too slick, smug, and preachy. Sure, it was probably, quote-unquote better than "Space Rangers," but I preferred the latter, and I still remember how surprised and disappointed I was when it was canceled so abruptly.

Decent and funny

[SanteeFats · 8/10 · 26 March 2014]

Yeah there is quite a bit to find fault with in this short run series but it is also funny and for the time rather well done as far as special effects go. Marjorie Monaghan is some fantastic Amazonian eye candy and she acts well within the confines of her role. Doc is a hoot as a half rebuilt human with so many robotic parts from past encounters. He is always worried that Central will find out just how much of him is not organic and make him retire. Still not completely sure what a Graaka is but I sure wouldn't want to cross one. Who would win between a Graaka and a Vulcan, interesting thought? The captain is a rather insouciant character that actually cares deeply about many things but first and foremost his crew, at least after his wife took their kid and ran. From what I understand this not an unusual response from those married to law enforcement. Who doesn't like Linda Hunt? She always does a great job in her role. The scientist, Mimmer, is played very well but kind of stereotypically as the over eager, so curious, lets find out for science at any cost, I want to go out in to the field, eager beaver.

A fantastic, playful sci-fi romp, too bad its life was so short.

[McFeisty · 29 June 2002]

I adored the episodes I saw of this show, and hungered for more. Only the first three were shown during its first run, although all of them may have been shown at a later time. I believe there are five episodes in all, and you can rent them on VHS, I encourage you to do so. Some reviewers at the time called it "A-Team in space," which is quite valid, and it was lots of fun. Great special effects, the actors were really good, and the story lines were not too heavy, but had enough meaning that it's worth watching. I'd love for Sci-Fi Channel to show the episodes regularly or in a marathon. Go watch the video, and enjoy! :)

Awesome!

[a_digiacomo · 10/10 · 9 November 2006]

This show about a screw up company of space cops was brilliant semi-satire. It took the nuclear family dynamic of the ultra serious "Waltons" mixed it with the sarcastic "Ice Pirates" crews' family weirdness, added space adventure, and voila--Instant Cult Hit! It brings to my mind a tiny film about a loving family type crew of a "renegade" ship that acquires a 8 yr old kid as a stowaway. Both films have a similar technology level, costuming, and dynamic(inner reality) I LOVE Space Rangers for its' internal consistency, irascibility, excellently built characters, sarcastic/witty dialogue, and great cast(their acting ability is unquestionably awesomely great)

Ouch!

[j-brinkley · 9/10 · 7 March 2009]

Ouch! I was 11 when this show came on and I LOVED it. For years I hadn't been able to find anything about it online. It's on Netflix's instant view service. It's certainly not what I remembered, but fun to watch for the nostalgia. The special effects look like a BAD Windows 95 screen saver... no, that may be being a bit generous, but it was 1993. The intro is 80'serrific, it's got all the characters turning towards the camera, one by one, and smiling while their name flashes underneath and cheesy music playing. I've got to fill 10 lines... which is stupid so I'm going to keep typing. I'm actually watching the show right now as we speak... er... as I type... I just watched the take off sequence, which to be honest was why I loved the show to begin with. I'm going to raise my original score of 5 to a 9 just because of that. How many more lines of text do I need? This is the 14th line on my screen. Weird...

A sci-fi train wreck

[jt_mooney · 1/10 · 29 March 2007]

Where do I begin talking about a show that was unrelentingly bad on so many levels ? The characters seemed to be motivated by Brownian motion. The series pseudo-science made no sense (space sonar ?! Sonar, by definition is based on sound waves, which cannot be propagated through the vacuum of space). Even the Star Trek fans were mocking this one.

Linda Hunt was supposed to add some gravitas to the cast . Poor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was asked to act but was given only a costume, not a character.

This series was so bad I was expecting the credits to say "A Bialystock Production".

I forced myself to watch all 4 episodes that aired in the US. When I'm lying on my deathbed I'm sure I'll wish I could have those 4 hours back.

space rangers was not a mini series

[beowulf666 · 10/10 · 5 December 2005]

there are thirteen episodes of space rangers all of which have been shown on TV in the united states , I believe the people who write up the sci-fi channels guide should know this as well as I do . until recently you could get all thirteen episodes on disc , not sure if it's still available . overall it was a very good show that was never given a chance mostly because it wasn't a big major studio production . it was an interesting idea for a show ,with good acting and good story lines , the special effects weren't bad for the time . and really should have been given a real chance .it was never shown on network TV at all as far as I know , but you could catch it on one or two oddball channels . and usually late at night or very early in the morning .and this was when it was a new show , there seemed to be a concerted effort to kill the show before it could develop a real following . much the same as was done with enterprise , or with the linties remake of dark shadows ! which were both killed of despite large followings and the protests of a huge amount of fans . we could use a show such as space rangers right about now , some of us out here have had as much reality TV as our stomachs can handle !

Some of the Worst there is...

[soulsacker · 1/10 · 20 November 2007]

First, I want to come out and say that I only watched one episode of this show, "Death Before Dishonor". Frankly, that was enough for me, and I have since used that episode as the lowest end of the scale by which I judge Sci-Fi. From Otherworld to VR5 to the current Flash Gordon, this remains the bottom of the proverbial barrel. I remember the initial buzz this show created, what with the resumes of some of the lead actors. I also recall that the visual F/X were not bad for the early 90's. While the actors were doing the best with what they had, the writing was severely lacking, and reminded me more of a Saturday morning cartoon script than anything else. The only thing I took away from this show was that I never wanted to see anything like it again. I was also gravely concerned that this show would make the networks more reluctant to take chances on future Sci-Fi oriented series, due to it's quick demise. Fortunately, that did not happen in the long run, but to me Space Rangers remains the type of show that gives Sci-Fi a bad reputation.

My cousin did the sets.

[richtruelock · 23 February 2006]

My cousin is a set designer. He made a lot of the stuff on the show including the ship that they used and he even wrote an alien language for the show that was posted on signs and walls around the base that the rangers live and work out of. I have seen every episode of the show including the ones that never aired. I have even read the scripts for episodes that were never filmed. It is a shame that the show got canceled, it was about to get really good. I really don't know what else to say, IMDb says that my post must have at least ten lines of text, but I read posts all the time that have a lot less. I really don't understand why I have to post at least ten lines here. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

Fun and Entertaining!

[ajj4-234-911638 · 10/10 · 8 February 2015]

I vaguely remember seeing "Space Rangers" the first time in 1993. I forget how many episodes aired, but I felt keen disappointment when it was canceled. Now that I've seen all 6 episodes on DVD 22 years later, the show had so much potential! I think it hit the ground running with acting and story plots worthy of a series' 2nd or more season. All the cast interacted with each other like they had been doing it for years. I remember Linda Hunt from her role in "Dune" and enjoyed her acting very much. Of course Clint Howard was the alien "Balok" in the original "Star Trek" series and I also remember his guest appearance in Star Trek: "Deep Space 9" two years after "Space Rangers". But they were the only two cast members I was familiar with. Since then I have seen Gottfried John in "GoldenEye" and liked his portrayal very much. His part as Colonel Weiss in "Space Rangers" just increases my appreciation of the series even more. The other cast members were unknown to me at the time but I feel that they did justice and were very well matched to their respective characters.

I think "Space Rangers" walked the line between Sci-Fi seriousness and levity just right. When it strayed to one side or the other, it did it with style without getting too deep or too silly. One character who handled this situation well was "Ringer", an android played by Keith Berger in 2 episodes. His knack of ending a display of logic or a lightening fast calibration of a space rifle with a quick little disarming smile is reminiscent of Jeremy Brett's similar trait when he played Sherlock Holmes. The comic side to Ringer's character is that the only task the Ranger crew or most of the command staff of Fort Hope felt comfortable giving him was making coffee.

6 episodes were barely enough to go into the background and lives of the main characters, but again I say the potential was there for many more interesting story plots on each of them. The special effects in "Space Rangers" are very similar to those in "The Last Starfighter", a movie made 9 years prior, so they are not that sophisticated. I'm sure that if "Space Rangers" endured into multiple seasons, the special effects as well as the story writing, would have evolved into an even more fun and entertaining series.

Gone too soon!!

[fathomleague · 10/10 · 18 February 2023]

I really liked this show when it first came out. I was upset when they canceled it and I've only seen a few of the episodes. Crackle has five shows available to watch I was unaware there was a total of 13? I would like to see this show redone and expanded. I really liked how gritty it appeared, and I feel that if they redid this show and made it at least if not more so as gritty and ragtag it would be very appealing as a science fiction show especially with updated special effects. I also felt that the character development was really good The acting was pretty good. I love the design of the ship.

The cinematography kills it

[lizmasoner · 4/10 · 10 February 2024]

There are some great bones for this but the cinematography and editing are awful. Every few seconds the frame rate slows just slightly in an apparent attempt to be dramatic but it just makes it look like the film was dragging. And the deliberate camera shake is nauseating.

Props are meh and graphics are meg but not unduly so for the year and tech at the time. It's just the lighting and cinematography that makes it nearly unwatchable.

There are some great actors along side some awful ones. And blast it, I know Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is not that bad of an actor but man is he bad in this. I can only hope it was poor direction and script for him.

From the makers of the new version of "The Outer Limits." But don't let that put you off.

[Victor Field · 2 February 2003]

"MAD"'s spoof of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" ended with the space station being under threat from "Babylon 5," "Time Trax" and "Space Rangers." As it turned out, it outlasted all of them; "Space Rangers" was the first to get the chop. Not that it was such a great loss, but it wasn't totally useless.

This action-based show was pretty much a live-action cartoon focusing on our peace-keeping heroes, breaking the rules and irritating their superior (Linda Hunt - a long way from "The Year of Living Dangerously"), and with no story arcs anywhere in sight... or any thoughtful writing or strong acting, admittedly (star Jeff Kaake was last heard of on the even less successful "The D.R.E.A.M. Team" alongside Angie Everhart, Traci Bingham, Caprice and Roger Moore). But when a show has even ONE moment that hangs around in your mind for years - in the first episode's teaser an underground creature that pulls down its prey with tentacles and eats it alive snatches one of the villain's men and later on nearly gets Space Ranger Jojo (Marjorie Monaghan) - it has to have done something right.

Not too bad.

Another failing attempt at a space comedy!

[jvaldeztoo · 27 April 2005]

I wish I could give this series a good remark that would be uplifting to those die hard fans of obscurity. I simply can't. Many episodes were doomed with questionable writing that resembled something out of bad 1970's Flash Gordon knock off. There are many instances where you think that this series will be turned around with good ideas, but at best the writers were only able to depart from the 'science' of fiction and add a lot of stupidity in place of a solemn ending. This is a common mistake with SF series- not realizing that the viewers are smart enough to see through the holes. If the writer asks the audience to skip over a few things, that's left up to the imagination, such a request can be fine in an already 'hit' TV series. But even the jokes weren't that good. These were people of excellent talent, being asked to play pretend on a set that was faker than a spray painted box and the audience was asked to join in. No, this is not even of the same caliber or entertainment value as Irwin Allen's "Lost in Space"- I only hope that it paid well enough for the actors to be associated with it...

beowolf666 is mistaken

[spriznine · 3 October 2009]

Beowolf666 is thinking of Firefly (http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=serenity), a truly great show and subsequent movie, Serenity.

I do see where Beowolf666 may have gotten the two confused, some characters sound to be very similar, especially the missionary, female second in command, and engineer.

There is also a similarity in the Banshies of Space Rangers and the Reavers of the Firefly universe. After reading the plot summary for Space Rangers, one gets the feeling that Joss Whedon may have been a fan of Space Rangers, or at least the basic idea, which was then refined for Firefly.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen Space Rangers yet, or I'd leave a comment about it. I just wanted to make sure the nice comments Beowolf666 left were attributed to the correct series.

The plot lines are very flat

[oscar-35 · 11 December 2012]

*Spoiler/plot- Space Ranger Chronicles 1993, The year is 2104, in the new frontier of space where one group has become a stronghold of sanity in an insane universe. They are the Space Rangers. They patrol the planets ans uphold whats left of the law facing off with aliens, renegades, and raiders. Planet Skarrab is lifeless sun-scorched wasteland could be the resting place of a stranded transport with passengers. In this ordinary ship carries Decker and Ex-space ranger role model for Captain John Boon. Banshies are space aliens that are wild, violent, and unpredictable beasts that always confronts the Rangers.

*Special Stars- Jeff Kaake, Clint Howard, Jack McGee, Marjorie Monahan Cary, Hirouki Tagawa, Danny Quinn, Gottfried John, Linda Hunt.

*Theme- Justice must be enforced everywhere.

*Trivia/location/goofs- Was a TV show. Cancelled after one episode was shown on network TV even though all six episodes were shown overseas.

*Emotion- A slick CGI sci-fi series with a large cast of crew members that seems very 'formulated', so very predictable with little surprises. The crew characters are cookie-cutter types from many other sci-fi series. There is a robot, tough female, Asian alien stoic warrior, composite human with many bionic parts, a green kid, overbearing military headquarters leader, several odd looking alien races living on the outpost Fort Hope, and the rest, etc; been there done that in other shows, sadly enough. The plot lines are very flat. This show was a cross between Babylon 5 meeting 'Alien'. A mediocre series at best, so not of too much viewer interest.