Search - Torchwood: Children of Earth on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/19/2024...

Better than Doctor Who.

Best Torchwood series yet! Spoiler free!

brentbent | the rolling hills of the Palouse | 07/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the first two series Torchwood was your standard solve the horrible situation of the week series but that all changed with series three. First and foremost, the bigggest difference is that there are only five episodes instead of the usual 12 but that is because all five episodes comprise one mini-series mega event where the BBC showed one episode each weeknight during a single week as opposed to one show a week. Those are the minor technical differences and here are the stylistic differences.



Previous incarnations of Torchwood were a mix of frivolity, political thriller, and science fiction while series three puts the political thriller aspect front and center with the jokes and scifi taking supporting roles. The tone is emotionally taut, psychologically upsetting, and decidedly dark--all perfect motifs for a show designed only for adults. If you are wanting a Dr. Who style trip into the imagination where you get a bit scared but return with a smile on your face this is not going to be to your liking at all because this time Torchwood takes us into a nightmare realm where many of the humans in charge seem more alien and threatening than the actual aliens, who are definitely scary themselves, and that insures you won't return from this journey with a smile unless you're a sadistic freak. Does the darkness overwhelm the show? Not at all! As I said the political thriller aspect is front and center and its pacing almost feels like this is Torchwood 24, especially seeing how each episode represents one day of time so that by the end of this series only five days have passed for the Torchwood crew.



Should you buy Torchwood series 3? Well if you are more of a fan of Dr. Who and only watch Torchwood because it is a Who spin-off I'd wait and watch it as it airs to make sure it isn't too realistic to be enjoyable for you. If you prefer Torchwood over Dr. Who then definitely put your order in as you're not likely to be disappointed with the direction RTD has taken the show this time. Personally, this has been the best science fiction on the small or large screen this year (I haven't seen Moon yet so that could change) and keep in mind I am a huge Trekkie and adored the new Star Trek movie! That's right, a die hard Trekkie said Torchwood series 3 was better than Star Trek the Reboot. Granted, Trek had better blockbuster visuals and space battles but Torchwood, by far, told the better story. I also think the acting was better in Torchwood than Trek although there isn't as big as a distance between the two as there was in plot quality."

Action yes, but too many plot holes

Solitary Moon | 07/18/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a fan of Torchwood, Children of Earth may come as a shock. It's strength is that it is an interesting, action packed political/science fiction thriller. The ending is visually powerful .... and extraordinarily depressing. Unfortunately, the contrivances and leaps in logic that move the plot to the finish just do not hold up in repeating viewing.



I've seen this plotline before in the last series of Quatermass, and while the premise was reworked, it also seemed throughout as though the characters and Torchwood itself had been hammered to fit the plotline, resulting in a miniseries that would have been better as a stand-alone, without Torchwood. Unfortunately, the quirkiness and fun that was Torchwood has been sacrificed to make it more of a generic 'Spooks' type thriller, leaving it far, far darker and grimmer than the first two series.



And, it's time Russell T. Davies moved beyond the same old one-trick pony shock where the team is concerned. There are things that series writers can pull off once. After that these plot devices become not only redundant, but downright tiresome. I was engrossed in the story right up to the surprising cliffhanger of Day Three. After that, the inconsistencies and plot devices that were needed for the big finish became too strained for credibility, particularly for a longtime viewer who was familiar with the characters pre-Children of Earth.



I gave it two stars, and I wish I could have given it more for the acting which was excellent, particularly John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Nicholas Farrell and Peter Capaldi. In truth, it was Frobisher's (Capaldi) story and the story of the government's response to an alien threat, more than it was Torchwood's, except for the last hour which anguishing and bleak."

The darkest, sharpest series of 2009

Asian movie connoiseur | NY, USA | 07/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Russell T. Davies, freed from the restraints of the family-friendly brief of DOCTOR WHO, takes full control of TORCHWOOD and fulfills the spin-off series' more adult, tragic and even political agenda.



This is Davies creating a show with the safety wheels off. Where the previous two seasons often promised the characters would be pushed to their limits, this season really means it this time. A mysterious, seemingly unbeatable alien race makes contact with Earth by controlling and manipulating every child in the world, their demands as unfathomable as their threat to the human race, and the politicians are driven to both cover their own skins while committing a monstrous act in the name of the greater good. The question is whether Captain Jack Harkness and Torchwood are up to the challenge of averting a worldwide tragedy without losing their lives and their souls, and how much they're willing to sacrifice. Davies uses the medium of Science Fiction to explore issues of government corruption and cravenness, complicity and moral failure. This is adult Science Fiction drama, not the silly, adolescent teases of previous series of TORCHWOOD.





As some reviews have already noted, this 5-part miniseries changes all the rules of the show, raises the stakes and suspense to an almost unbearable degree, and by the end, nothing will ever be the same again. The changes to the show are tragic, permanent, and leaves the continuation of the series in doubt. However, it is also the angriest political drama the BBC has produced in years, the story openly states that governments are corrupt and untrustworthy, and practically encourages class warfare. This is on par with classic Old School British Leftist series such as EDGE OF DARKNESS, BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF and STATE OF PLAY. It's attitude towards the government is consistent with what the British public currently feels about their government, and proves that Russell T. Davies has his finger firmly on the pulse of the nation.



This is the best political Science Fiction miniseries of recent years. No US drama would dare push things this far. It takes its influences from QUATERMASS, CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED, Lovecraft, and creates an angry indictment of government that took me by surprise."