iReview | FALLING SKIES The Complete Series

Available now on Blu-ray

With the world on the brink of total collapse and an alien invasion in full tilt, from Steven Spielberg, and starring Noah Wyle, FALLING SKIES: THE COMPLETE SERIES is available on Blu-ray now!

The alien invasion genre has often revealed itself as a dramatized serialized adventure in nearly every decade since H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds first terrified radio audiences when it aired in the 1930s. Directed and narrated by none other than Orson Welles, audiences were so rattled by the reality of the radio drama that it nearly caused a panic in the streets. Little green men from Mars allegorically baited our own despairs and traumas of real-life enemy invaders, whether by stirring up World War, German occupations, or Cold War conspiracies.

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg didn’t hesitate to adapt and reinvent War of the Worlds in 2005 with none other than Tom Cruise as the star of the feature. Having often given us so many benevolent visitors from across the stars, from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to E.T. The Extra Terrestrial the movie’s darker and desolate tone must have stuck with Spielberg who did not hesitate to jump on board for Falling Skies: The Complete Series starring Noah Wyle (from HBO Max’s highly acclaimed original series The Pitt) at the center of humanity’s battle to save itself from invading aliens.

The series aired for 5 seasons and centered on Noah Wyle’s Tom Mason, who leads a resistance army after being a Boston professor of historical military strategy. His family is torn apart, and Mason is dedicated to keeping the civilians in his care together, as the alien forces ravage the countryside and abduct children, turning them into a mindless workforce. The series also stars Moon Bloodgood as a physician and Will Patton as a military leader who is determined to keep the resistance together and bring an end to the alien occupation of the planet.

War Manual

In the scheme of series centered on the sci-fi genre, Falling Skies, which premiered as an original series in 2011, appeals to a mainstream audience, though mostly banal and not necessarily an impressive standout among other series that follow the tropes. Unlike previous alien invasion stories, like NBC’s V, a predecessor that aired on NBC over two decades prior, the arrival of the alien invasion and occupation was narratively depicted in “real time,” per se, while Falling Skies generously skips that part and drops us in the middle of the resistance movement that is mounting to repel the alien invaders.

That part of this narrative is what made it distinct, that and the centering of the spotlight on Noah Wyle’s character, who is a professor and historian of wartime engagements. Tom Mason attracts attention from resistance leaders because of his knowledge and perspective, but it’s not of general significance in the course of the series storytelling. The narrative tends to fall into the usual spaces as the characters largely become the anticipated archetypes that have existed inside of the genre before, and don’t necessarily play out all that interestingly.

Dependent on CGI effects to create the spidery, crab-like alien invaders and their robot forces, the effects aren’t competitively impressive, especially when you consider that the reboot for Battlestar Galactica had also aired almost a decade prior to this series. Surely, Falling Skies prioritized its budget on other aspects of the show, but those don’t necessarily appear all that relevant across production. Week after week, the cast is pretty much attired in the same appropriately ratty wardrobe, riding around in repurposed vehicles, accessorized with machine guns and gear.

Most of the resistance forces and battles are portrayed on city streets, appropriated from backlot sets pieced together to meet the script's demands, but it isn’t long before everything looks similarly detailed from one episode to another. Falling Skies had a very dedicated fandom and an audience; there’s no denying its success lasting five seasons, but in the larger scope, it doesn’t hold up as well unless you’re a diehard fan. This compilation collected all episodes and includes bonus features, more than 11 hours worth, and is exactly for those fans.

Special Features

All 5 seasons are included in the 10-disc set, which also features hours of bonus features that take the audience behind the scenes of the show's production. The Special Features include “Inside the Episodes” and cast interviews, as well as panel appearances from San Diego Comic-Con and WonderCon. The box set also includes the final-season specials “A Look Back” and “Farewell to the Skies,” featuring cast and creative anecdotes that encapsulate the show’s epic five-season run. Gathered together in one package, Falling Skies: The Complete Series makes a great gift for fans.

FALLING SKIES The Complete Series | is available in Blu-ray 4K and includes bonus Special Features. The 5-disc set is priced at $91.04 on Amazon and includes all 5 seasons and Special Features.

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