Impact (2018) User Reviews (45)

Episode 1.1 Review. Shallow Impact.

[southdavid · 6/10 · 2 May 2018]

I've decided to do individual episode reviews for Netflix reboot of "Lost In Space" rather than waiting an reviewing the series at its conclusion, although I might do that as well. So how is episode one? It's not the greatest, but it's intriguing enough to make me want to see episode two.

In this version, the Robinson family consist of patriarch John Robinson (Toby Stephens), who appears to have been in the special ops of the Army, prior to his family's enrolment in the pioneering space colonisation programme. His wife Maureen (Molly Parker ) is a scientist involved in spaceflight programme and their three kids Will (Maxwell Jenkins) and older sisters Judy (Taylor Russell) and Penny (Mina Sundwall). This first episode focuses mostly on the family, as they crash land on an icy planet following the destruction of their mothership.

Via flashbacks we get some more backstory both regarding the mysterious asteroid impact that has seemingly damaged the Earth's atmosphere to the point that the human race had decided to leave and the more personal issues, John and Maureen's marriage is/was failing and that Will was deemed unsuitable for the mission, but that this was changed to allow them to go. Not explained is the animosity between Judy and her (presumably adopted) father.

It's an expensive looking show and the effects are really good. Particularly the scenes involving the robot towards the end. The kids though, aren't great, particularly Will. I appreciate that his seizing up under pressure is a character flaw that is a key to the show, but it's none the less annoying when it happens for the third time in the first 45 minutes. There's time for them to grow into their roles though. The science is sometimes a bit questionable and times and distances portrayed not always super realistic.

I like the idea of Parker Posey playing "Dr. Smith" but we don't see enough of the character in this episode to get any appreciation of how she's going to portray her.

As I said, it's not a great opening episode but enough to make me give it another shot.

Good premise, Lazy plot writing.

[movies-61420 · 7/10 · 13 April 2018]

Ill get right to the point (lots of spoilers).

The general plot for this episode is pretty good. It isnt really new or anything, but that's fine. Ship is lost in space. Ship crashes. Ship sinks. The crew have to explore their nearby surroundings on a glacier to solve their predicament. (also, the introduction to Dr. Smith at the end I thought was great).

The problems start to arise within the finer plot conflicts. This is the lazy writing. The ship sinking, then freezing within a very short time period made no sense at all. Water typically does not freeze like that (with a few rare exceptions).

Throw in a broken leg, a frozen Judy, a separated Will, a burning forest, and then suddenly rain when their rescue attempt starts to work, and you get really unnatural sequence of events which feel "created" to fill the episode rather than having a natural flow.

Character wise, its too early to really critique, but I did enjoy the performance of Will Robinson.

All-in-all, this episode does contain some the adventuresome atmosphere that its predecessors had, and there may still be promise yet for the rest of the season.

Fun to watch...

[arusinghnz · 8/10 · 14 April 2018]

Some recent sci-fi's are highly intelligent with all the boxes ticked that make for thought provoking television ie, Altered Carbon. Some are a bit of fun and some intelligence to keep you interested in the science side of it Dark Matter, Killjoy. And then there are those like Lost in Space.

The old series was fun and didn't come near anywhere near the the original Star Trek and Twilight Zone but it still entertained. And thats the same with this episode. Its just fun and you can enjoy the family drama and the emotions and leave the thinking aside so that you can just enjoy the ride.

I love sci-fi, hell I try to write sci-fi, so I know sometimes its just fun to throw in all sorts of little stuff to keep the story moving and thats what this revamp seems to aim for. Its the kind of show you can sit back with the kids without having to explain the science of it all. Its a family show so you have to look at it through the eyes of Will, and put the thinking side of the brain aside and grab some pop corn.

I really liked it. I thought it was interesting enough for a binge. There are far worse shows.

Not your Daddy's Lost in Space

[geminiatl · 8/10 · 13 April 2018]

I have a few issues with this episode. First, it's so cold a lake freezes almost instantly, yet they all sit around in parkas comfortably. No fire, no heat source, no frosty breath etc.

Next is the flashbacks. They seemed to be tossed in randomly and had nothing to do with what is happening to the Robinsons. At times it felt like I should check my TV to see if the channel changed.

I've only watched episode 1, and I know pilot episodes are not the best to judge an entire series on. I'm also curious to see how they handle Dr. Smith. Parker Posey has to make it her own because no one could match Jonathon Harris in that role in the same way.

Good first episode

[electrichoundog · 8/10 · 14 April 2018]

Those giving this show a 1 or a 2 is ridiculous. It's not perfect, but thankfully to some intelligent writing, good effects, and the overall action / adventure theme, I will keep watching.

Need more work to do!

[eiplamrit · 7/10 · 3 August 2018]

I seen first episode yesterday, and It didn't inspired me to watch next episode. Production Value is at top level but performances and plot took weak path at some points. Not much depth in characters. I hope next episodes will do justices. :)

Soap Opera in Space

[GunnersMate · 8/10 · 15 April 2018]

Alright, so there are plenty of reasons to pick at details for this initial episode of the series reboot, but in the end there is plenty of sci-fi, plenty of complicated story arcs to sort through for the upcoming season, and a truly fabulous new robot to give us the all-required "Danger Will Robinson" missive. As someone who grew up on the original, I watched the series opener with someone who had never seen an episode and we both thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Give the full hour a chance and you will find yourself wanting to see what happens in episode two.

Pilot - Losing the kids Episode - I'm always strict when it comes to rating a pilot episode

[jimmyishere-37748 · 6/10 · 25 March 2021]

The Robinson family crashes into a frozen planet that turns out there are areas with forests. Ok

The Robinsons are stupid parents. They suck

The young blonde kid acts like a 30-year old pilot with PhDs and it gets on my nerves

The aliens look like the author daydreamed during filming. Overall, the series hve a good potential.

Solid start!

[kevinjloria · 8/10 · 14 April 2018]

Solid opener for the 3rd incarnation of groundbreaking sci-fi series from the 60's. Lots of nods to the original series including John Williams' theme (although IMDB haves no credit for him on NETFLIX series). We get a non-linear introduction to the Robinson Family and why they are colonists and some of the groundwork for their relationships. FX, sets and locations are nifty. Before the episode's close we get a cameo from the original cast which sets into motion major threads to come.

Lazy writing

[Havan_IronOak · 7/10 · 21 April 2018]

Though the premise is good, the way that the time-line is presented (ala cuisinart) generally signals to me that the writers are in over their heads. If you can't tell an interesting tale without chopping the story up this much, you need to look for alternate work.

Some flashbacks are fine and some reveals are OK but this episode suggested that there's going to be way too much of this

Robot and Judy episode 9/10

[Tigerbai1 · 9/10 · 15 April 2018]

I hope they use the cliff hanger at end of episodes like they did in the original. I love the changes from the initial series already. Actors are great and the Robot is incredible. Very intense episode -- enjoy!

''HOLD DOWN THE FORT''

[JstapR · 6/10 · 27 August 2018]

For one of the characters to use an expression like this, is a painful reminder that dialogue can still be written without being proofread by someone who thoroughly understands English.

Furthermore, when kids and teens speak like experienced adults, what more do you need to lose any sense of immersion?

The importance of good, accurate dialogue has once again been placed at the lower end on the priorities list. Can't expect much after such a lazy start, besides fancy sets and effects.

Skip to the second episode.

[Maddy-the-Weinerdog · 5/10 · 21 December 2019]

Does anyone involved with this episode know how ice works?

Off to a real bad start

[nathesnake · 21 June 2018]

This is the pilot, the goal of this episode is to make the watcher want to watch the rest of the show and to introduce the concept and characters, well this episode was off to a extreme rough start.

I have watched dozens of shows and quite honestly in most of them, the first few episode's acting is always mediocre, so I won't take too much of that into account. Out of the five main characters, I have honestly disappointed by all of them, they did not make believe in what was happening, I was distanced from the show because the acting was so bad.

My second point is the plot of this episode that I can't believe was planned to be put in the pilot. The crash in itself of course, but the girl getting froze out, while the mother's leg is broken and the little guy dropped out of nowhere and abandoned there because the other sister's problem was not alarming... what is this really? I did not feel emotionally attached to any of their (life-threatening) problems and we can see the producers actually try to make us feel that way but simply failed. For example the scene where Penny (the older girl) has to cut into her mother's leg to fix it, she is stressed and this moment has to be intense, whether she'll be able to do it or not, but no, no music, no momentum, just her saying few bad sentences that makes everyone watching just feel 'what was that, were we supposed to be engaged, stressed about that?'

The setting, the ambiance in general is mediocre and so not acclimated to the plot. They are lost! in space! There is unknown weird stuff and they have 6 hours until they freeze to death, 5 hours until the lil sister has no more oxygen, oh and Will is somewhere else far away, but everything's chill eh? Lets talk about how we feel. No momentum, no music that made us thrill a little, and 100% clear images, we saw EVERYTHING, no suspense about what this robot thing is, we saw it completely in two minutes and stopped scaring us in 2 seconds, how can we ever be attached to such intense but unacclimated plot with bad acting from characters? Visuals were, as most Netflix's show are, but as other Netflix shows, acting was poor, as I will watch episode 2 in the coming days, I just hope the actors are going to make me feel the story more. Plot can always be weird and irrational, but with good acting and good background production, it usually still gets the watcher involved and entertained, this episode did not.

Wonderful pilot episode

[skg009 · 9/10 · 14 April 2018]

I have never read the book or don't even know if this is an adaptation before I started on the first episode.

The episode begins with Robinson family on a space fleet called Jupiter heading to a pre-coordinated destination. As we already know about the fate of their journey, the family crashes into an unknown Island that seems to be suitable for human living.

There is no explanation as to why the atmosphere of the universe is compatible for Humans. It states that there is 1 in a million chances and yet, we take it. We don't bother as long as humans can live is an unknown planet as long as it's 'safe'.

The episode then dives into the first barrier the Robinson family has to go through once they land in an alien planet. The story then moves back and forth between their current life and the events that led to their 'journey'.

The special effects is amazing. Top notch for a TV. What they hell, it even bests some of the 'million' dollar movies like '1000 BC', 'Snakes on a stupid plane' and stuff like that. The effects are clean and crisp.

The first episode keeps one engaging through out and it's an excellent watch.

PS: When I saw Mrs Robinson, I knew that I have seen some other series. I just didn't know which one. Then, I got it. Jackie Sharp from house of Cards. No wonder she looked so familiar.

Really good

[tetoguiro · 10/10 · 15 April 2018]

I do not see why the bad reviews, I think the story line is great and takes a lot from the original serie.

PREDICTABLE

[cybersontaran · 6/10 · 1 May 2018]

I found this first episode was predictable and generic. I predicted that one would somehow get stuck somewhere once I saw them crash. And I predicted that it would get down to the very last minute and then the alien would save her. There putting the characters at risk of death when we haven't even gotten to know them yet. It's hard to actually care when they haven't even developed them yet. It's not that original either. The best thing about it was the visuals. This looked fantastic. And I hope that as it goes on theough the series it stays this way. Satisfactory start 6/10

The most amazing show I've seen in our time.

[jesussard · 10/10 · 13 April 2018]

I love science fiction. I've never seen nothing in TV like the first episode of this show. I was crying at the end when it saving one of the girls. I've like very much the old movie, I was 10 when I saw that one. But I am thankful to Netflix for doing this amazing creations.

A passable start

[ggroover97 · 6/10 · 2 May 2021]

I've always had a soft spot for the original 60s Lost in Space series so when Netflix announced a reboot of the show, I was immediately intrigued. To me, Lost in Space was a property that was always primed for an update; especially after the abysmal 1998 movie starring William Hurt & Gary Oldman. After viewing the first episode, I do see a lot of promise. However, there are areas that do need improvement.

What Lost in Space has in its favor are some very splendid visuals and production design. You can tell Netflix spent a pretty penny on this. From an impressive early sequence of Judy Robinson jumping into freezing water to retrieve a desperately needed power source to Will Robinson stumbling upon a supposed alien crash site, to quote John Hammond from Jurassic Park, Netflix really "spared no expense" on this one.

Despite this, the writing, pacing, and acting left a lot to be desired. It's not to say the characters are bad, they're just not compelling beyond a few select traits (such as Judy Robinson having a keen sense of medical knowledge). It's a shame too because I am a fan of Molly Parker due to her stint as Alma Garret on HBO's Deadwood. While this is only the first episode, nothing has really grabbed me about these protagonists yet.

The episode also dragged to a certain degree. It felt like we were stuck watching the Robinson family stab ice for an eternity to free Judy Robinson from a frozen death. Even when a solution is seemingly found, the ice freezes up again and we're back to square one. Issues aside, some changes to the Lost in Space concept are intriguing. The look and design of the robot is neat and Dr. Smith's gender change is a unique twist on the character.

The first episode of Netflix's Lost in Space isn't perfect, but it did enough for me to check out subsequent episodes. Considering this show is getting a third and final season, I may be able to watch all three seasons without feeling like I'm wasting my time.

I didn't see the original, good start

[heidiathomson · 8/10 · 5 January 2022]

I enjoyed this episode. Looking forward to the 2nd.

• I like the way they edited the story in this episode
• there was suspense for me
• the story arcs kept me interested
• so far I am interested in the characters

Spoiler part

• the dialogue had me worried, that it was a bit stupid but it was really humour
• I felt an atmosphere of E. T. in some places
• the planet is intriguing
• I hope they can get the ship out of the water!

• I like the look of the ships and station that blew up
• it's a different take on the Swiss Family Robinson.

A great entretaining series for REAL mature people.

[phonequamartin_breen · 10/10 · 24 July 2018]

I see many teenagers raised with more kinky and violent shows ,complaining around here.You know what ..?..many of us have kids and we like to watch on television with them aroud us so if you don't like a straight and decent show you can go back to your creepy new Star Trek series or to your kinky Orville or to your more violent Altered Carbon,because this show is great.Some of us still want to protect their minds of toxic things.I see alot of new suffering from ADHD in the future,because the people are forgetting the problems from the early 2000's.

Poor story, ok effects, not getting hooked

[furyhunter · 4/10 · 13 October 2019]

So you start of with getting thrown into the story, so far so good, the story progresses slowly and you think, ok it's a family they try to survive something, you get the ominous flashbacks thrown in, and after that the plot and story takes the one weird and hard to believe turn, after another.

the science is wrong, the characters are played decent by the actors, but it cannot stray from that it is really hard to swallow their almost savant like abilities, when you grasp their dynamics as a group, through the first episode I was catching myself multiple times thinking "what? how does that work" not because as we usually in sci-fi get introduced to somewhat complicated terms and equipment, but because it is so stupid and untrostworthy.

the one thing i did like though was that the characters between one and another shows some actually likeable features, and I actually at times cared about the characters, even though the writers did their best to make them flawed and almost unlikeable on purpose. The end scenes in the pilot also made me slightly curious

I am most likely not gonna watch more than the pilot, the writing and story is so poor and bad that I at the moment haven't got time to invest, and give it a second chance. More then once I have been lured into a show, by friends saying it will get better after a few episodes/seasons, but this I am afraid, for me personally, is beyond salvation, which is a shame seeing it already have screen time in earlier adaptations

Written by the writers of Fear the Walking Dead?!

[rsvp321 · 14 April 2018]

Need I say more?

It's a trap! Using the same title for the series, and same names for characters, but nothing else resembling what made the original series and movie so liked, makes this new series nothing more than click-bait.

This first episode was a struggle to get through. The acting, the science (or lack thereof), the plot, and the insulting destruction of the original characters in an obvious appeasement to a tiny portion of the audience.

Haters back off let me reminisce!

[dentonr625 · 8/10 · 8 November 2018]

What can I say? I loved It ! Dont take it too seriously and appreciate for what it is a remake of a 70s classic tv series that had me marvelling at this adaptation and its cast the extent that I finished viewing within a couple of days.

Much better than it needed to be

[glowbrain · 8/10 · 8 September 2021]

A family of colonists crash on a remote alien planet and have to struggle to survive and explore its mysteries.

This is a solid science-fiction adventure that entranced me much more than I expected that a reboot would. The first two episodes serve as an extended introduction and are the ones viewed for this review.

The show is built around well-written family drama and novel survival challenges. That probably makes it more like an adaptation of the 1812 'Swiss Family Robinson' novel - as opposed to being a riff on the 60s show which this production is rebooting, with its episodic fantasias. Note, however, that this series does include several elements to gratify fans of that TV predecessor.

The characters are consistently relatable and/or realistic. Maxwell Jenkins plays the youngest, Will, giving a non-precocious performance as a kid struggling to be courageous and constructive despite his fears. Parker Posey's restrained version of the previously campy "Dr Smith" character promises some insidious opportunistic villainy. My favourite so far is Mina Sundwall's middle-child Penny. She is scripted as responding to the motivating influences of her scientist mother Maureen and her driven sister Judy; and building herself up into coping and into action with some frequently funny self-talk.

The castaways are not a cosy nuclear unit from the start. The core of the story seems to be to demonstrate how their choosing to adopt family values like trust, empathy and communication will enable their teamwork and survival.

That theme presumably motivates the apparent shortfall from the character of father John Robinson. He is pretty opaque and unlikeable in the opening episodes. In this more contemporary version, he was a military careerist estranged from the family unit. He presumably has to work for reconciliation rather than just having a patriarch's entitlement by default.

The show labours under the typical burdens for science fiction films trying to represent something alien using mundane locations and relatable humans. The filmmakers subtly enhance the wilderness locations of the crash-site planet to include exotic flora and fauna. Unfortunately, it does still mostly look like the Canadian forests standing in for other worlds used in previous sci-fi franchises like Stargate.

There are several anachronisms. Oreos are somehow still a popular snack in the 2050s. One character cites their ambition to retire to Miami despite their living in the decade after a climate-changing catastrophe.

The production more than balances out those shortfalls with multiple high-budget sets and fantastical effects sequences. These include a character trapped in the ice of a flash-frozen pool; their all-terrain Chariot vehicle charging down a mountain; and a storm raining stones on the party.

This show reminds me of the 2003 reboot of the 1970s Battlestar Galactica series. Each reboot could have coasted on a known brand and some nostalgia. They could have settled for cosmetic refreshes with some added spectacle and better visual effects. However in both cases, the result was a lot better than it needed to be. They took care to build in thematic and dramatic meat, and deliver some fresh varieties of science-fictional wonder.