Terra Nova (2011) User Reviews

Terra Nova ... slow start but gaining speed

[das_leichsi · 7/10 · 1 December 2011]

Okay folks,

I get it that for most of you high and mighty reviewers Terra Nova seems to be dumb. but I honestly do not feel this way.

People complaining about some holes and everything is just ridiculous with a series that is sending people 80million years in the past. come on people, give them a chance. (if anyone is going to mention the asteroid again I'm going to scream ... 16 million years until impact you geniuses out there. that's enough for a thousand civilizations to rise and fall so stop whining and use your oh soo awesome brains)

so let me tell you that yes, the first 4 episodes a rather drama heavy with long character plots to get to know them. and yes, the CGI is not the best on the market. but that did not keep me from Doctor Who or LEX and it's sure as hell not going to keep me from anything else.

I really love the direction of the later episodes when the meta plot gets going and we get a broader picture of what is wrong with Terra Nova, Commander Taylor and the Sixers.

The acting still ranges between average and sometimes very good. episode 9 had a nice Stephen Lang moment.

give the show a try, maybe jump in the later episodes and forget about the CGI.

suspend the disbelief and just enjoy it. it's better than most of the other crap out there, and you can watch it with the whole family.

and dammit, it has Dinosaurs!

How La Brea get a second season and this didn't?

[mojotre · 8/10 · 17 September 2022]

I am only here because I gave La Brea a try. I made it through 8 episodes and I started to think of Terra Nova while watching it. Terra Nova had its problems, mostly the teenage anger that had to be worked though. Both shows have the problem of overabundance in that regard. Enough about La Brea, I mention only to demonstrate how intangibles can make or break.

I watched this show some 11 years ago so my memory is not perfect. My kids were nearly 10 and 12 at the time. We could watch this as a family and we all enjoyed it. It could have done with better writers and it is a shame they didn't get them.

Yes the kid characters were a tad annoying. Teenagers just won't be constantly angry with their dad with dinosaurs around unless that dad commits a serious transgression. My kids got surly but never anything severe and they didn't have the danger or a dinosaur eating them.

The story line worked well (keeping in mind this is science fiction) and a interesting premise. There is what I expect is a glaring plot hole. We know it is amazingly expensive in terms of resources to send people from the future to the past and we have to assume it is similar going from that same past to the current day. It just won't be cost effective to send resources forward to the present. If it were a good option I suspect they would send a lot of modern heavy machinery back to make Terra Nova easier going.

I was disappointed this did not get 5 seasons. My wife was disappointed. Worst, my kids were disappointed and this kept it between the lines and we could enjoy it as a family. I think it would still be a good option for Netflix/Amazon/Any of them to pick it up and run with it but I don't think that will happen.

Oh, and La Brea gets dumber and dumber with every episode.

Give it a chance

[Cheetham007 · 7/10 · 11 December 2011]

No Terra Nova is not as good as Jurassic Park, but did anyone really expect it be be?

I believe that people are too quick to write Terra Nova off. Even great sci-fi shows such as Falling Skies, BattleStar Galactica and Stargate first come under negative reviews and yet went on to become successful. The acting and choice of actors has also come under criticism and yet no one would enjoy watching a series about a whole military base fighting the odd dinosaur and killing all enemies. The civilian element, much like the colonial fleet in Battlestar, helps to cause trouble within Terra Nova (ie the sixer spy). The human element is crucial to ALL sci-fi's -surely people must realise this? If not i recommend watching a different genre (Preferably a war film)

About the CGI used in Terra Nova. What can u expect from a TV Series? The big films may be able to get the best CGI but for a TV series it is incredibly harder (And has caused shows like Stargate to be cancelled). Is the CGI so bad? No, not compared to some current shows broadcast on SciFi.

Overall i believe People need to give Terra Nova a chance, especially as the story is now getting deeper. If, After this season, the plot hasn't improved, then criticise Terra Nova and get out your DVD of Jurassic Park.

Family falls into time plot holes

[dean-888-293885 · 27 September 2011]

The show starts out in the future where humans due to "greed and ignorance" have destroyed Earth's environment. The rich live in domed cities (Logan's Run) to protect them from the bad air and the overpopulated poor. The main family, the Shannons, consist of two parents and their 3 children, the third being illegal. Since the planet (America) is overpopulate, families are only allowed 2 children. The police come in to search for this law infraction and the dad ends up getting arrested for fighting with the police. We find out later that the family would have only gotten a fine. Plot Hole: If there is such a strict law, then they probably would take the child and euthanize it, not just a small payable fine. If it was just a fine, the family would have just paid the fine earlier, because the mother has a very well paying job. It is her job qualifications that allows her to be selected to go to Terra Nova (without her husband) and not have to worry about winning a lottery selection.

Since the Earth is dying, scientist accidentally find a crack in the time/space continuum that allows them to go back in time millions of years. This is apparently a one way trip. We also find out that there is a probe sent, but never found, which leads scientist to believe that whatever they do in the past won't affect the current time line. It isn't explained how they know how far back the crack in time goes, since they can't find evidence left back in time. They also don't explain how they can communicate with whatever is sent back. Plot Hole: if they can't confirm that they are actually sending things back in time, how do they know they aren't disintegrating whatever they send through the event horizon? Obvious Future Spoiler: The probe has been found, which is why they know that they can affect the future from the past and why the "Sixers" were sent.

The Shannon family breaks out Dad from a "maximum security" prison with a simple laser cutter and not much else. Dad breaks into the "maximum security" time travel center using stuff left out in the open crowded train station by the family. Dad brings illegal daughter in a backpack and family goes through time crack. So many 'deus ex machina' moments in that sequence. Where was the illegal child being held during the 2 years Dad was in prison? If everyone is given provision when they get to the camp, then why do individuals bring backpacks with them? This is a science/military expedition, everyone would probably be issued clothes and other things and only allowed a few personal items.

Plot Hole: We also learn from the leader of Terra Nova camp that the difference between one person stepping into the time crack and the next is months. Yet, when 200 people go through, they all appear on the same day, not delayed. Did they improve the process and just leave that part out? Also, you hear announcements about more oxygen in the air and how much brighter the sun will be when they go back in time. There is no mention of how everyone in the current barely visible sun time line will require major amounts of sunscreen when they encounter clear skies and a blazing sun.

After everything is straightened out with the stowaway Dad and child, we get into the predictable plots. Teenagers living on their own who spend the after work hours (apparently the writers never worked on a farm) jumping the fence to go drink moonshine at the only restricted area near the camp. The group of teens enter a restricted area and get into trouble.

The family is clichéd out the wazzu. The boy teenager hates the Dad for going to jail for 2 years, which according to him is a very long time. Future Obvious Spoiler : The girl teenager is a science geek who will later figure out the drawings on some rocks left by the missing son of the camp leader. The illegal youngest child is inquisitive and calmly goes and feeds a brontosaurus, having never seen any animals in her short 5 year life. And the most that the Dad and Mom show for emotion is a little hand holding. They've been apart for two years!

Since there has to be more than every day life problems on Terra Nova, there are the "Sixers". The "Sixers" were sent in the 6th wave of time traveling pioneers by some unknown group determined to change the past, to control the future. In the end, you are given the feeling that the "Sixers" are good guys, while the camp leader is a bad guy.

The biggest plot hole is the mass extinction event of the dinosaurs. What is the point of creating a new civilization that could be possibly wiped out when the dinosaurs go belly up?

So far the show has been predictable and at times boring. I am sure most will find it entertaining enough to continue watching the series.

Colonizing the age of dinosaurs...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 10 September 2016]

For some reason then it took me five years to get around to watching "Terra Nova", despite the fact that a friend told me good things about it when it was showing back in 2011. But I happened to come across it in a second hand DVD store, and decided to give it a chance.

I must say that I have been missing out on something quite entertaining. Sure, while the concept idea is not original, and might actually be a rip off at certain stages, it still proved to be quite entertaining.

What worked for me here, was a myriad of things. Let's start with the concept idea of time traveling back to the prehistoric time and starting a colony, which was the focal point of the movie. That worked out quite well, and made for a good foundation for the series. Although there were some blanks here and there in the background of it all. And the storyline in the series was also quite good, lots of interesting things happening here, and the writers were good at including multiple people and families in the events that took place in and around the Terra Nova colony. And finally, the characters in the series. There was clearly a lot of thought being put into the characters, as they had good details and often an elaborate background story to be told as well.

The effects in "Terra Nova" were good, well most of the time anyway. There were some moments when the dinosaurs looked quite fake and it was painstakingly clear that it was CGI. But for most parts it was working out nicely, and the dinosaurs were well animated and looked realistic enough.

However, the driving force of "Terra Nova" was the cast. They had managed to put together a great ensemble of cast for this series. Especially Stephen Lang, he was shining in this role.

Normally I am not overly keen on Sci-Fi as per se, but creators Kelly Marcel and Craig Silverstein managed to put together something quite entertaining here with "Terra Nova".

If you haven't already seen the series, I can warmly recommend that you take the time to watch all thirteen episodes, as it is quite entertaining. I am rating "Terra Nova" a solid score of seven out of ten stars.

Great Sci-Fi Show. Unique and Fun!

[twallace-ts · 7/10 · 3 November 2016]

An old show by today's standards, but just finished it and it was great! Check it out on Netflix, if you haven't already.

I am rating this a 10/10, just to help make up for some lower rankings left by others. It's really between 8.5 and 9.5. It's hard to rate a series off of 13 episodes. It's a shame this show didn't get renewed for a 2nd season. I think 26 episodes would have been sufficient in telling a better story.

It has action, drama and dinosaurs. Very futuristic, yet takes place in a prehistoric wilderness, which makes it unique. The characters are good, mainly centering around the lead character's family and Commander Taylor, who is in charge of Terra Nova. The personalities and dramas that stem from these characters aren't wildly ambitious but do a good job with mixing in the environment and creating conflict with all the dangerous elements: dinosaurs, diseases, and the Sixers (human antagonists).

I read a review on here complaining about all the plot holes. One major plot hole complaint was "why aren't the future people putting on sunscreen when they get here?" Seriously? That's your big plot hole. First of all: maybe they are and it's just such a boring addition that it's not even necessary. That would be a waste of time. Who wants to watch that? Secondly, it may be an oversight but so what? It's science fiction. Suspend your disbelief a little bit. Obviously cracks in time don't really exist, but if they did........well, that is the basis of the show. If you can't get over that and start nitpicking about sunscreen right off the bat, then maybe this show isn't for you and you should watch people crossing the street outside your window. Can't get any more real than that!

Last little fun fact: the pink ranger from the new Power Rangers is in this. Also, the new inhuman director of S.H.I.E.L.D. from Marvels Agents of SHIELD.

Bring it back!

[kapurkimaya · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

This show is one of my all time favourites. I've watched and rewatched it multiple times and I never get bored of it.

It'll be great if they could bring this show back, with all the original actors in the lead, of course, because they all did a fantastic job portraying their respective characters.

Brats and dinosaurs

[Jaymz13 · 6/10 · 19 September 2021]

My biggest gripe with Terra Nova was the teen angst angle. Teens mainly get angsty when there isn't enough real hardship to keep them from dwelling on how much mommy hates them and daddy neglects them. People who spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week fighting for their lives don't have the time or energy to feel sorry for themselves. An angsty teen is a dead teen. And those around them end up dead too. Make a habit of being that problem, and everyone stops rescuing you when your life is in danger. It's the law of natural selection. Terra Nova, The 100, The Shanarra Chronicles, all have this trope going on.

Next gripe. If a faction like The Sixers splits off from the main enclave, there's no room for all these lofty ideals of mercy and second chances. You kill the enemy or you die. You need to set the moralistic horse crap by the wayside or the species ends. It's a family friendly show, so there's no need to be graphic about it. Just show the rope getting cut and fade to black as the dinosaur pounces.

All that being said, it's got dinosaurs! I would have rated it a 2, but the presence of dinosaurs bumps it up to a 6.

Well, SOMEONE Had to Like It...

[joliefille411 · 9/10 · 3 December 2011]

I've watched five or so episodes of Terra Nova thus far, and I think it is quite good, definitely not the drivel that one would believe from scrolling through the first couple of pages of reviews on IMDb. Calling something "family friendly" doesn't really offend my sensibilities- why can't families have shows that are appropriate for all members to watch? True, the gore and body-count in the series is noticeably lower than we have be trained to expect from any offering that features dinosaurs, but I never finish an episode and say, "Gee, I wish more characters had died and exposed their shredded flesh on camera to preserve my sense of realism this time!"

Obviously, the graphics and scenery are really well done, as one would expect from all the hype surrounding the large-budget production. The dinosaurs are better than anything I've seen on television, and I admire the care and planning that has been put into the futuristic trappings.

The cast and characters are generally well-done. Jason O'Mara and Shelley Conn have great chemistry and I have enjoyed watching their characters rekindle their relationship. I will agree that two of the children: the youngest daughter and the eldest son, are grating and pointless. The daughter seems to mainly have existed as a plot point in the pilot: to give the family a reason to escape to Terra Nova and ratchet up the stakes while still building sympathy for the parents. After that, she's just too cutesy-wootsy and tends to get in the way. The son is the dreaded "worst offender" of the show. I think that probably without him, a lot more people wouldn't have so much to complain about. Every single storyline for him is a mess of clichés, from "son is inexplicably always angry with father" to "son is horny and will do stupid things for a hot chick" to "son is a moron and really deserves to die, but he is a main character, so we will kill someone else to teach him a Very Important Lesson." The middle daughter is much more tolerable and her storyline is (dare I say it?) sweet. In that manner, I find it kind of refreshing to mash up family-friendliness with sci-fi stuff. How often in dinosaur flicks do you get to have "sweet" (not ooky-gooky, just tender) moments between characters? Not that often. Stephen Lang and Christine Adams as opposing leaders of Terra Nova and the Sixers are probably the strongest performers of the lot.

Overall, the stories have been pretty good, and never what I would consider to be offensively unwatchable. It's not LOST, but geeze, why should anything else try to be LOST? LOST was LOST and this is Terra Nova, and it is good at what it is. It's interesting and exciting and entertaining. The b-plots can tread on tired ground, as I have mentioned above, but the a-plots are solid.

Overall, Terra Nova does what it aims to do well. Sort of a loose contemporary spin on Lost in Space, but with dinosaurs. If you don't like those kinds of shows, guess what? You won't like this. And that's okay, but that doesn't mean that Terra Nova is badly done by any means.

Wish there was more

[xxstealthkillrxx · 7/10 · 10 August 2018]

Loved the series, I just wished they gave it another season or two :(

Good concept, but needs more original thinking

[aadams · 4/10 · 27 September 2011]

The whole family thing has the wrong feel for the situation. It's like they just moved there from Orange County. The teens are petulant babies. I doubt that would be the case if they had really just left an overpopulated, dangerously polluted world run by a harshly militaristic government. Why can't there be some original thinking about how people might behave in such a precarious situation with an uncertain future, dinosaur threats, and a competing population. Maybe this is a world where teens use their capable brains in new and interesting ways, rather than as trite selfish brats who need babysitting. I doubt that teens would act like that if they were in this situation. Yes, it's good to have varying levels of behavior; not everyone has to be brilliant or saintly. But behavior is influenced by situation and it should bring unique fears, force some creativity, plus there is an obvious ability to have impact in such a small population. What are the relevant issues in this world and how do they impact the inhabitants?

Looks like this clay model broke it's mold

[brandondrums · 9/10 · 20 December 2011]

At first, like most folks, I was excited about this show based on the trailer, concept etc. I watched the first few episodes and realized it's a rather conservative, formulaic show clearly designed to be a family drama that was safe enough for children to watch with their parents and of a topical arrangement tolerable for most modern parents.

However, the show has developed immensely in the final few episodes of the first season. The majority of the episodes were drab, capsulated pieces of neutral television programming. However, what has developed in the last few episodes leads me to believe that this show has tremendous potential. Main Characters die, big things happen, the plot twists and thickens and the action picks up quite a bit. I still can't call the plot original at all, it's Avatar/Jurassic Park/Earth 2/Lost/Stargate all the way but who cares? Firefly was just a show based on Han Solo, The Wire is just the Sopranos over again and Law & Order...well need I say more?

In just 3 or 4 episodes, this went from a show I caught on Hulu because I couldn't sleep to a show that's now at the top of my list. Too bad they waited until the very end of the season to make the show worth while, there's a whole lotta boring episodes to sit through to get to the good stuff, that could alienate a lot of potential viewers.

Time will tell.

A fun (if flawed) show with a interesting concept, sadly cut short.

[jacobgeshel · 7/10 · 9 April 2020]

It still saddens me to this day that this show was never picked up for a second season. While it's far from perfect, it had a genuinely interesting concept and some fun ideas, though the execution could have used some work. I would have loved to see them potentially work some of the issues out with a second season, but unfortunately it seems we'll probably never get one.

A very average show

[bcope75 · 5/10 · 27 September 2011]

I was pretty excited for this show when I first saw the previews/trailers/etc. I got it on iTunes today and I'm a bit disappointed.

This show is really just your typical, clichéd family drama with some futuristic guns and a few dinosaurs. The acting is just decent and the story is actually pretty boring. The characters are all very one dimensional, boring, etc. The computer effects are sub par, which is a disappointment since they are used so often.

In short, it's just you're typical, PC Fox show. I don't know how many more of these they're going to make before they die away as a company.

There's nothing 'nova' in here...

[Jacowboy · 28 September 2011]

Season premiere was pretty bad. Mind you the production values are quite decent with good FX and costumes and whatnot. However...

The Story? Boriiiiiing. It started very good, in a dystopian future, which seemed pretty interesting even if not the most original of settings... But it only declines from there. At the end of it all, we're in a "family drama", a very cliché one incidentally, with dinosaurs.... so yeah.

The plot is dumb. Typical dumb characters that do dumb things because there needs to happen something to fill the time of the show. The characters are dull, completely un-original, their dialogue is often cringe-inducing, and sadly, the actors that portray them don't seem to be very inspired.

It's fine to have laser guns and dinosaurs and retro-sci-fi stuff, but give us an intelligent story please. I don't want to watch another show about the estranged dad, the angsty son, the nerdy daughter, the innocent child, the worried mom, the hot girl-friend and the over-confident military guy... There seems to be only rehashed stereotype characters in this show... ugh! To be honest, this seems like a waste... it looks expensive enough, but I was expecting something less dumb. Seriously, I wanted to slap every last one of the characters silly. And then the writers...

Let's hope it picks up and quickly, but something tells me it's not going to. I'm already dreading the 'family drama of the week' pace, with a little bit of mystery to try and seem like an interesting show.

Oh well, at least we still have Fringe, we sci-fi buffs...

Great premise with lots of potential...

[leonardwatson212 · 7/10 · 4 October 2011]

First let me say that all of you out there who instantly rate any new show as bad simply because it is a repackaging of a familiar story need to get a life. There is nothing new under the sun. Yes, this story is a combination of several other stories that have been done in the past every show, movie, song, etc is. Get over it.

Now with that said let's talk about this show specifically. Terra Nova is part Avatar, part Star Trek, and part Jurassic Park. In general, I found it to be enjoyable and extremely high on the entertainment value. There is enough action to keep you from getting bored, enough mystery to keep you asking why, and enough drama to tie it all together.

The low points: The show starts in what appears to be a post apocalyptic Chicago. There is very little background on how things got the way they are, what life is like in this time and place, and what the rules for living in this time and place are. You are kind of just thrown in to the middle and have to try and figure it all out. In the first part of the show one of the main character gets caught breaking a law that was never explained and ends up in a maximum security prison. Then almost instantly two years pass and he some how breaks out of this maximum security prison and into a high security building where he is going to be transported to Terra Nova with his family. There was way too little story/character development in this part. How exactly did he escape from the prison without getting caught? Where did all the money that was left to him come from? How did he evade security and get into the transport building? The writers really scrimped on the details of this part and could have made it a much better show if they had spent a little more time developing this pre-story. Another hole is just before the son leaves we see him talking through a window to some girl, apparently a girlfriend, he developed at some point but there is no explanation, just a tearful and reluctant goodbye. The trip from the future to the past is a bit anti-climatic as is the arrival in the past where you are left with a lot of questions and very few answers. Apparently, this is a one way trip with no return option but there is never any discussion as to why. Upon arrival the adjustment to a new life is a bit sketchy and moves a long just a bit too fast. There appears to be some kind of unresolved problem between the main character and his wife that has not yet been revealed. The main character goes from being punished for being a stowaway to being honored and reinstated as a cop/security officer way too quickly and with way too little difficulty.

The high points: The special effects are pretty good for a TV show. This is not a high budget movie it is a TV series so with that in mind I found the special effects to be pretty good. The characters are for the most part believable and realistic. The teenage son is a typical adolescent looking for independence and the actor plays it well. There is some sort of mystery surrounding a group of people who all came in one of the pilgrimages and are now exiles called sixers, it has yet to be revealed exactly who they are and why they have been exiled. This is part of the mystery that gives this show great potential. Another mystery revolves around the leader of Tera Nova, how he survived alone for 118 days before the others arrived, and his missing and apparently delusional yet brilliant son. There is the obligatory boy leaves girl boy meets new girl story but the New girl has some mystery surrounding her as well that could potentially lead to an interesting sub-plot. The dinosaurs are new twists on the classic dinosaurs from the fossil record. They are friendly and ferocious depending on species. It will be interesting to see how the people learn to live with the dino's. The action sequences are very well done and often have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Overall: There are some things that could have been done better and this is a repackaging of an age old story but it is very entertaining and well worth the time it took to watch. I think that the show has the potential to turn into a real success and draw a huge following from sci-fi fans. There is something there for almost everyone. I will be intrigued to see how it plays out through the first season. If you have not given it a chance yet tune in and check it out. If your are one of the many who hate it just because it is not "original" then plug yourself back into the matrix and go back to sleep not everything has to be brand new to be good.

Terra No

[galahad58-1 · 6/10 · 27 September 2011]

Another dull, boring, unimaginative series for television. It is the usual story of two antagonistic parties fighting over control. Someone somewhere must have thought "let's take Lost and add some dinosaurs". The characters are cardboard images that you have seen in every single SyFy channel movie to date, the story is boring and uninspiring, and the idea wears thin after the first couple of minutes. We have the standard leader that is arrogant and at odds with folks, the hero who is misunderstood, the older son who is rebelling and running off into dinosaur land(real smart) and the wife who isn't all that loving and caring to the husband. I have seen it over and over and over -- just with different titles and different backgrounds.

Terra Nova is great for families, give it a chance to mature

[scottrobinson6210 · 10/10 · 29 December 2011]

Terra Nova is a great show! Fox should be commended for producing a truly family-friendly series, a brave thing to do these days. Terra Nova and The Middle are about the only family- friendly shows on TV right now. Everyone else puts in sexual scenes or incidents that degrade the characters, distract from the story and jar family viewers for no reason. As Bill Cosby said, "It's like someone put red pepper flakes in the Jell-O pudding." Terra Nova doesn't do that, but still packs enough excitement to keep jaded teens interested.

(Full disclosure: I joined IMDb just so I could post this review. I'm not a big network TV fan but was lured back to network TV to check out a fairy tale show on a different network, which promised to have a "Narnia" feel to it. Alas, it has been disappointing because it has extramarital sex in every episode (Hollywood promoting its favorite fairy tale: casual sex with no emotional damage, or venereal diseases, or pregnancies.) But that got me watching network TV again, and I'd heard about Terra Nova so I checked it out. I was pleasantly surprised - and hooked.)

Four reasons why I really enjoy the show:

1. It features a functional family who are civil with each other instead of snarky and sarcastic (rare on TV, since sarcasm is a cheap way to create conflict and laughs). The family members engage in no extramarital anything. It is extremely refreshing. My teen and 5th-grader can watch it and I don't have to hide their eyes (except for some dinosaur-on-human scenes early on). The father of the family and the Commander of the colony are strong father figures, even honorable. Admittedly, this means the writers have to resort to implausible situations (like all the blackmail) to generate conflict and interesting story lines, but that's better than having to endure another parade of atrocious role models just because that makes it easy for writers to generate conflict and drama. Give Terra Nova time to learn how to generate exciting story lines without all the tawdry, cliché techniques other shows employ. Bravo, Spielberg, et al!

2. The show portrays the Cretaceous period very realistically (speaking as a lifelong dinosaur fan and a geologist). The dinosaurs aren't an invincible scourge that bullets can't stop; they don't lurk behind every tree waiting to pounce; instead, the Cretaceous is like the Serengeti - both have big animals that are dangerous if you get too close, but they can be subdued or avoided with the right approach or hardware. I like it that big animals show up only now and then, as big animals really would. Big dinos should be rare, since it takes a lot of food to maintain the big ones. Someday that nearby Brachiosaurus herd can camp around the colony; that would bring in some dinos that really could snap their fence in two without trying, and the brachs would attract the really big predators that everyone wants to see.

3. The sets are detailed and lavish. Somebody had to BUILD this colony in Australia; it's not CG! That alone makes it a pleasure to watch - it's more believable than CG. Their futuristic technology is well-designed and plausible; it forms a natural and interesting backdrop to the story. They use it, but it doesn't get in the way. Refreshing (but probably expensive).

4. Scientists, doctors, and engineers have positive roles in every episode (along with the soldiers and cops). Science or medicine helps the colony in every episode; it's vital to Terra Nova's survival. This is great because we need to inspire kids to enter scientific careers, so we can keep innovating at a rate that will be competitive with China and India now that those countries each graduate more scientists and engineers than the total of all U.S. college graduates!

Apparently the show didn't live up to the hopes of some sci-fi fans (judging by the early reviews in this series), but it is clean, positive entertainment and that's brave for Fox to offer (and they're the only ones doing it this season). Bravo for them! As to the complaint that it is unoriginal and relies on cliché plot lines and dialogue, that is true; but everything has been done before, so calling it "unoriginal" is a very unoriginal criticism. I admit the show is predictable, but I don't mind that; I've watched enough sci-fi shows in 45 years to be able to predict all of them. I watch the show for the realistic rendering of dinosaurs and the positive family role models. I say give them time; their writers deserve a chance to learn how to make the show more believable. Meanwhile, the show has enough dinosaurs and cool technology to keep kids and teens (and at least one geologist) interested.

Not that great, not that bad, somewhere in the middle

[nettminder · 6/10 · 26 September 2011]

Not a bad start but nothing spectacular. Watching Terra Nova's premier was a hit and miss experience. I was expecting something a little bigger in regards to the story. Terra Nova runs with a well known formula and you will not see or hear anything new within this episode. The characters are OK, not a lot of chemistry between the main character and his wife and some typical manufactured family angst. The best thing is of course what we do not know about yet. The sixers may have some life as well as the real reasons why Terra Nova was planned and executed. I felt they spent way too much time dragging out the whole kids stuck in the car while the dinosaurs are attacking, didn't we see that in Jurassic Park years ago? I think they missed a real chance to establish mortal danger and one of the kids should have bit the dust. If you are that stupid for going into dinosaur land without a weapon/training then at least one kid needs to be dinosaur dinner. This show could build to something but I am getting the feeling the writers may not be that creative.

Lots of clichés and corny dialogs but still a Highly enjoyable TV Show

[851222 · 10/10 · 29 December 2011]

Greetings from Lithuania.

Although there are a lot of bad stuff in this show, and you can read them in ~90% of reviews (and i totally agree with them) i somehow like this show, to be more specific, i like it very much. Going to start from the Bad:

1) clichés - tons of it, in whatever direction you look at, i don't even want to start on that ...

2) A lots of corny dialogs, (especially they're coming from cute Shannons family members). But that's not a big problem in here. Hey, not every family have to look like it stars in Rob Zombie's movie.

3) Bad (most the time) CGI of the dinosaurs (especially in the last episode). of course it's a TV but it just HAVE to look better these days.

The Good:

1) Stephen Lang. Still fresh from "Avatar", he successfully steps in to the role of a colony leader. I think, Stephen Lang's character Commander Nathaniel Taylor is a twin brother of Colonel Miles Quaritch, only the "better" brother went to work in "Terra Nova", the bad - to Pandora. Just kidding here, but you can clearly see the similarities of these characters. His speech in 8th episode "Vs." at the end in a festival on his behalf was very good and touching ("family and peaceful life, that's the whole idea of the project "Terra Nova").

2) Not overdone with "mysteries and twists" stuff. Although i like twists and mysteries in a movies and especially in the shows, I was so tired of all the mysteries and twists stuff done recently in TV shows (and we know these shows aren't we?)where they just kept throwing them at us every 5 min. and one "big" at the end of the episode (look how "Lost" lost it's magic in the middle of airing when they just finally overdone with that). "Terra Nova" plays with you straight and i liked it. And there is some interesting stuff in the end of the last episode of season one.

3) The whole idea of a show and the production qualities. The idea of people being transported back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth with a second chance to build a civilization sounds really impressive for a TV show these days. It's nothing really new, but keeps us interested in the process of doing it. And the production of this show is a first rate, a lot of work went in doing that (but not in making of dinosaurs).

Overall: 1) if you are looking for some new Emmy/G.Globes winner show, than look completely elsewhere, no awards will shine in here. 2) if your standards for a TV show are high (first rate acting, brilliant writing, tons of mysteries to the keep the wheel spinning) and every new show has to be "revolutionaly good", look somewhere else.

Otherwise you can really check out "Terra Nova" open minded and then maybe you will be waiting for a second season, as i am now.

Almost very good

[SuperTimeWaster · 7/10 · 25 October 2023]

It's a good series! If you like «Lost» I think you'll like this genre, too.

The acting at time is not top notch. I think this is due to the script being somewhat cliches at times and slightly over the top.

But what mentioned above is not so serious it makes it a bad show. Not at all!

It's entertaining and thrilling. And I like that it doesn't beat around the bush too much. Action and new things happen quite quickly so you don't get bored waiting for things to happen.

The special effects are good enough, but you see it's not top budget though.

Terra Nova would definitely have deserved a second series. Would have been interesting to see how it developed.

But hey; enjoy the 13 episodes there is. You could do a lot worse!

After 3 episodes- I'm done with it

[mrsfixit · 1/10 · 12 October 2011]

After watching the awful pilot, I decided to give this 2 more episodes to give it a chance. I did, and it still stinks. I'm done with this drivel.

I am a lifelong scifi fan, and had high hopes for this series. It had the potential to be a lot better than it is had Spielberg spent the money for decent scriptwriters.

This is first and foremost a "family drama" and oh, there's some dinosaurs. The emphasis is on only one family, and their petty day to day problems. The problem is, this family is not only *not* interesting, they're downright annoying- they're grind your teeth and roll your eyes annoying and watching them for an hour is almost as bad as having a root canal.

In a dying overpopulated world with a limit of 2 children per couple, Doctor Mom and Officer Dad decide to pop out another child, despite the law. Their actions were stupid, selfish, and self-centered- not to mention illegal. This made me immediately dislike them.

So family winds up in Terra Nova, where angry rebellious teen son never misses an opportunity to vent his angst on Dad. This got old half an hour into the pilot.

Teen son immediately hooks up with the hottest chick there, and instead of going to class to learn about the place and things that might actually save his life, he, hot chick and their friends venture right out into man-eating creature infested jungle to get drunk and fool around. Have you not seen this cliché before in every bad horror movie ever made? And of course the dinosaurs appear to be un-killable, as no amount of rounds fired at them has any effect, just like horror flick villains who keep getting up after they've been shot 200 times. Cliché. Cliché, cliché....

There is brainy older sister, and cloyingly adorable little 5 year old Zoe, who is so cutesy and needy I feel like I need an insulin injection every time she is in a scene so I don't go into diabetic shock.

Mommy and Daddy haven't seen each other for 2 years, and naturally want to do what people do when they've been apart, and of course needy little Zoe is always there to spoil the moment because she needs a hug, she needs to sleep in their bed, she needs a glass of water, she needs a story read to her... hey- parents- teach this brat what NO means, you'll be doing her a favor. I was really hoping these kids would all get eaten by now- no such luck.

Now we have Officer Dad who is jealous of Doctor Mom's ex-boyfriend, who has shown up at the compound, and of course Dad is acting like a jealous 16 year old douchebag instead of a grown man who has more important things to think about- like not becoming lunch for something big, hungry, and bullet-proof.

All the major characters in this show have about as much depth as a piece of toilet paper.

People compare this to "Lost" a lot. Lost was far more interesting, with better characters. The story did not revolve around the same characters every episode. The day to day effort to survive, and the flora and fauna in this world gets little coverage at all. Maybe that's because the alleged script writers might have to do some *research* to make things scientifically plausible? This is more like "Jersey Shore meets Jurassic Park" complete with stupid, whiny, annoying people you want to strangle.

If you want to watch dinosaurs- watch BBC's "Primeval". Now that's a fun ride, with great story lines and characters, and good CGI.

If you want to watch good end of the world survival shows- catch "Jericho" from 2006, or BBC's "Survivors" from 2008.

I won't be tuning in for the next episode, I'd rather wash the kitchen floor or do laundry.

Best TV Series if you like prehistory and dinosaurs

[TheKillingJoke9 · 10/10 · 15 June 2018]

Those who are giving bad reviews are basically bashing some bad acting from teenagers, I agree on that. Some of the teens and even the lead actress acted poorly. But are we here really for acting? f you did, then better go to a proper drama series, this is sci-fi. To watch and appreciate a sci-fi show, you need an imaginative mind. The efforts from the production team in creating a Cretaceous like atmosphere is commendable. There should have been more dinosaurs but the show is not just about the dinosaurs. Stephen Lang is totally awesome! Jason did well. There are some cliches but sci-fi is about leaving some things to imaginations. To everyone who says why they went back 85 million years back when they knew there will be asteroid hitting the earth after 20 mya, its a parallel world where they went and they did not exactly know which time period are they going to. This s a great show.

Watch out for slashers

[bitomurder · 7/10 · 11 April 2018]

The main problem with Terra Nova is that it had so much potential that was never realized. The show, which was quite an expensive production for network TV, needed to have amazing ratings to keep the episodes coming and sadly it never achieved those ratings and was cancelled very early on in its initial run.

The show had other problems and was never able to arrive at a great high quality level, but it showed such promise towards the end of its season. When the last episode finally ends you wish there will be a second season to answer all of the new mysteries that are revealed in the final minutes of the Resistance, but sadly there is no more Terra Nova to be had.

Overall, the performances were adequate with Stephan Lang's portrayal of Colonel Taylor probably being the best of the bunch. The stories could have had some better writing, but the plot, setting, and universe that they create is compelling and intriguing. The special effects are high quality for television and their sets are magnificent.

Had the show continued, I would have been there to see how it all unfolded for at least another season, but as it stands here, Terra Nova is relegated to dwelling in its mediocrity and could-have-beens.

A dull, trudging parade of clichés

[crothman · 1/10 · 27 September 2011]

You've seen Terra Nova before, in dozens of science fiction shows and movies. There is really not a single original moment in the entire show and, alas, it doesn't seem to realize this.

The setup is a society that's on an ecological disaster (like "Blade Runner"), where a family is sent back into the past (with dinosaurs like "Jurrasic Park") to form a colony (like "Earth 2"). The family consists of a heroic father, a smart mother, an angsty son, a genius daughter (like Lisa Simpson) and a younger, cloyingly cute younger daughter. None have the depth of a cardboard cutout.

Storywise, it's a mess. There is never a moment when you can't predict accurately what will happen next. It's not even difficult to do so: when the doctor is treating an accident victim, you know she's going to say "stay with me."

It also makes no sense. People say one thing about the world, then act as though the situation is completely the opposite. The setup is ludicrous (a colony has houses like that?).

Ultimately, this is third-rate science fiction that's about as entertaining as watching a turned-off television. It may be worth it if you create a drinking game of "name the cliché," but you wouldn't make it over a half hour before passing out in a drunken stupor.

There is bad, there is terrible, and then there's Terra Nova.