Torchwood: Children of Earth
by Euros Lynn
List Price:
Our Price: $21.99
You Save: $7.99 (27%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $17.32 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, John Barrowman, Paul Copley, Peter CapaldiDirector: Euros Lynn
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 300 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-07-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Worldwide
Product features:
- In this new series, re-join Captain Jack, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones, who are still coming to terms with the death of two of their closest friends, Tosh and Owen. This time the Torchwood team are faced with their fiercest threat to date - one which throws the future of Torchwood and the entire human race spiraling into danger. They battle against the odds but do they stand a chance of saving mank
DVD Reviews of Torchwood: Children of Earth
DVD Review: A Good Concept but Poorly Executed
Summary: 2 Stars
In all honesty, I probably would have liked Children of Earth as a stand-alone mini series or even possibly as a pilot for a new show... but it simply didn't work with the established canon of Torchwood and Dr. Who.
Children of Earth (COE) had a lot of potential, but in the end fell short in too many ways. It felt as though it was a stand alone story that Davies had grafted Torchwood onto... I think I probably would have liked this as a stand alone story, but the fact is it wasn't. It was meant to be a Torchwood story but felt like a political drama (similar to 24) and Davies pushing every emotional button he could think of to increase the ratings and make people talk about him (and yes, I do mean him and not the series). Even stellar performances (the reason I've given this 2 stars) by the regular cast (what's left of them) and guest Peter Capaldi couldn't save this mess.
To me it seemed like the writers were grafting Torchwood onto an already existing story. As a result there are periods where the team acts very out of character (based on what had been established in the prior 2 seasons) to an unreasonable and unrealistic result. The writing was sloppy and resulted in plot holes you could drive a truck through (I've posted a list in the comments section-- the list contains spoilers for all 3 seasons as well as seasons 1-4 of New Who). There was a tremendous amount of foreshadowing (I could have told you what the climax of Day 5 would be on Day 1)... as well as what would be billed as "motivation" for Jack's action in the climax (the only real surprise for me was that the executive producers said that was there reason for the climax of Day 4). In all honesty, this felt like 2 or possibly 3 episodes stretched over 5-- the result was at best awkward (really, we know they are in London how many exterior shots to you need?).
While this story was meant to be innovative, the fact is it really covered no new ground for Torchwood (other then the drive from Cardiff to London)-- it was predictable from Day 1 and the 4.8 days was resolved in the space of about 5 minutes. Honestly, this didn't surprise me-- I've noticed in other shows that while Russell T Davies is good at build-up he rarely follows through with a truly satisfying ending (happy or not). This is a dark, depressing series and is completely and utterly without hope.
Spoilers Below * Spoilers Below * Spoilers Below * Spoilers Below * Spoilers Below * Spoilers Below * Spoilers Below
The first few episodes were okay and fit within the "Torchwood Universe" - though many of the familiar and loved elements (the Hub, the pterodactyl, Cardiff) were quickly destroyed or left behind in favor of setting the main story in London. Alot of my comments below are in reference to Russell T Davies as he is the one we hear talk the most and as he appears (from what I've read) to take the most credit for the story concept and execution.
There was no new ground covered-- Torchwood established in season 1 that Jack can be a bastard and was willing to sacrifice a child (Small Worlds) this is underlined by his giving the 12 children up in 1962. Tosh and Owen were killed at the end of season 2 (Exit Wounds) to establish that Torchwood is dangerous (unless your immortal Captain Jack or Gwen Cooper)-- in the time in between, no new characters were brought in to round out the team, something that does not seem reasonable in light of the volume of work the Rift made in the first two seasons... I had no desire to see Owen and Tosh simply replaced, but if Davies wants to keep killing off established characters he needs to take the time to establish new ones (and could someone please explain the concept of overkill and less is more to the man?). Instead, it seems like he was just doing everything he could to break Jack and give him a reason run away (not that I blame Jack after COE) so he can show up in the upcoming Dr. Who specials (I highly doubt COE will receive even a passing mention in Dr Who-- it's meant to be kid friendly)... and worse yet, avoid dealing with grief on screen (Jack left 6 months after the climax of COE... if he runs away and runs into the Doctor to travel a bit they can bring him back for season 4 of Torchwood and say... oh, it's been YEARS for him, he's already dealt with his grief and is all set to move on-- who can we have him hook up with while he moons over Gwen?).
The fact is Davies keeps missing the boat. In Exit Wounds (Season 2) he killed off 2 main characters to prove Torchwood was dangerous and "nobody's safe." They died, we had about 3 minutes of mourning in that episode and a passing reference in COE. Torchwood keeps trying to bill itself as an adult drama--part of being an adult is grief. It's unreasonable to believe everything would be dealt with so quickly. In fact, I would argue that a much more powerful story would have been having Tosh die and Owen survive... Owen was finally starting to appreciate Tosh--and coming back to find her dead after she saved him in the power plant would have been awful and amazing and potentially a brilliant story (when I mentioned that idea to my sister she told me I was evil). Even on a smaller scale-- after Cyberwomen... Ianto's actions were not mentioned in subsequent episodes (beyond a hand on the shoulder in Small Worlds) and there was no discussion or confrontation between Ianto-Jack and the rest of the team in the aftermath-- he simply came back to work; when Jack came back from the year that wasn't (Dr. Who Season 3) the entire year he spent being tortured was only mentioned in passing; Gwen's words at the end of Meat to the team and Jack's brooding over her at the end? I can't believe that Tosh, Owen and Ianto didn't have something to say; and in Adrift (Season 2), the implication was that Ianto gave Gwen the GPS to lead her to Flat Holm-- Jack believed it, but that confrontation never happened on screen nor was it ever discussed in subsequent episodes-- the characters were right back to where they were as though it never happened.
In COE, Ianto's death as a motivation for Jack sacrificing his grandson makes no sense--in fact, I'd argue that the opposite is likely to be true (or that Jack would have at least attempted to fight it or tried to come up with another solution). I don't like the idea of sacrificing children as a plot device (and Davies manages to do this twice in COE)... but the fact is I knew the first day that at least one of the kids (Stephen, Micha or David) wasn't making it past Day 5. Torchwood has established that while Ianto is loyal to Jack, he will stand up to him--usually off screen-- and do what he thinks is right (Adrift). Ianto standing up to Jack over sacrificing one of the kids and the aftermath of Jack doing it anyway would have been a much stronger story and one that would resonate for years.
Russell T Davies is similar to the Doctor in the fact that he doesn't like to deal with the aftermath... he likes to torture his characters, get a couple of minutes of grief out of them and get that shot where they are standing alone looking off into the distance and then end the episode. I don't know if this is because Davies doesn't see the opportunity to tell brilliant stories in the aftermath or if he feels he's just not a good enough writer to manage them (personally, I think the first as I don't think his ego could handle the second).
I've also seen a lot of comparisons to Joss Whedon. Davies isn't Whedon. While Whedon may make decisions that I don't like they always promote the story and push things in new directions-- we wouldn't have had Dark!Willow without Tara's death in Buffy (in that case, it had to be someone very close-- likely Tara, Xander or Dawn to make those actions believable). Willow's response was scary, heartbreaking and BELIEVABLE. In the case of COE, Ianto's death didn't push the story in new directions-- in fact it made the direction it went in (Jack's sacrifice of Stephen) more unbelievable. In the end it felt like an emotional punch that was meant to: 1) make the viewer realize this is a dangerous situation-- they call them red shirts in Star Trek [guess what-- the aliens were talking through the children... I think any parent was well aware of the danger] 2) distract the views from sloppy writing and huge plot holes. Both reasons were a disservice to the character and the viewers.
I've read that Davies said the decision to kill Ianto off was his first decision in regards to COE-- to me this implies he was looking for an emotional punch that the story was written around... not coming up with a story that the death fit into. Death is a part of life and has always been a huge theme in Torchwood. That being said, if your planning to kill off a main character (and extremely popular one at that) it has to be well thought out and part of a strong, tight script (because, the fact is your going to end up with geeks like me who pick it apart and provide references to every plot hole). While I had issues with Exit Wounds, overall it was a good story and one I still pop into the DVD player when I want a good cry... As amazing as John Barrowman and Garath David-Lloyd were (and really, they were) in the death scene the effect was ruined by the poorly thought out lead-up and the fact that it was simply not part of a good or even well thought-out story. I wouldn't even bother watching COE again for free much less spending the $14.50 for DVD (and this is coming from a woman who will and has spent $50 on a single season of Torchwood and $75 on a single season of Dr Who).
Speaking of which... I started looking at the cost of COE on Amazon a few weeks before the series aired in the UK, at that time I think the price was around $28... right before it aired in the UK it had dropped to about $25... since it's aired it's continued to drop and as I write this is only $14.49 (8/1/2009) -- my assumption was this was due to "die-hards" canceling pre-orders after seeing the series... I did some math-- when I bought the first 2 series of Torchwood from Amazon they cost about $50 for each season (I think one was slightly less then $50 and one was slightly more). This works out to about $3.45 per episode ($50/13 episodes). COE works out to about $2.90 per episode ($14.49/5). If anyone knows of another reason, please comment as I'm very curious.
On a more personal note, I want to say that I've found Davies comments since COE aired arrogant and offensive. In particular, his comment that the "controversy" over Ianto's death was basically "nine hysterical women" and that people who are upset about Ianto's death and how it was handled should watch Supernatural. I've included links to these stories in the comments section of this review.
Description of Torchwood: Children of Earth
TORCHWOOD:SEASON 3 CHILDREN OF EARTH - DVD MovieAfter two engagingly frothy seasons of action-packed science fiction TV, the Russell T. (Doctor Who) Davies-produced Torchwood takes a decidedly dark and thoughtful turn in its abbreviated third season miniseries, Children of Earth. Here, Captain Jack Harkness and the Torchwood Three team, still reeling from the deaths of two of its key members in the previous season, investigate a outbreak of hypnotic chanting by children across the globe. The phenomenon heralds the arrival of an invading alien force, the 456, who plan to destroy the human race if 10% of the Earth?s children are not given to them. Captain Jack and his cohorts must find a way to stop the 456?s plan, but encounter formidable obstacles along the way, including enemies in the British Home Office and Jack?s own past, which is intertwined with the 456. Penned in part by Davies, Children of Earth does an impressive job of bringing the Torchwood characters and mythology into a more complex and mature storyline (which borrows and elaborates pleasantly on John Wyndham?s novel The Midwich Cuckoos and its film adaptation, Village of the Damned). Dedicated fans of the series may decry some of Davies? decisions regarding some of the show?s characters (and new ones are introduced here), but most should enjoy this attempt to bring weight and suspense to the Torchwood universe. The double-disc DVD contains all five episodes of Children of Earth (which were broadcast on consecutive nights on the BBC and its affiliated stations), as well as a 31-minute episode of its companion series, Torchwood Declassified, which addresses the season?s production (and under no circumstances should be viewed prior to watching the episodes). --Paul Gaita
Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Primeval: Volume ThreeWarner; Release date: 2012-01-10; DVD
Best price: $27.98
Price in other shops:
Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth SeriesWarner Brothers; Release date: 2010-11-09; DVD
Best price: $31.79
Price in other shops:
Being Human: Season 3Warner Brothers; Release date: 2011-05-03; DVD
Best price: $34.13
Price in other shops:
Doctor Who: The Complete First SeriesWarner Brothers; Release date: 2006-07-04; DVD
Best price: $33.79
Price in other shops:
Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth SeriesWarner; Release date: 2011-11-22; DVD
Best price: $29.53
Price in other shops:
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials (The Next Doctor / Planet of the Dead / The Waters of Mars / The End of Time Parts 1 and 2)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2010-02-02; DVD
Best price: $31.99
Price in other shops:
Torchwood: The Complete Second SeasonWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-09-16; DVD
Best price: $28.95
Price in other shops:
Torchwood: The Complete First SeasonWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-01-22; DVD
Best price: $34.69
Price in other shops:
Torchwood: Miracle DayDVD
Best price: $34.99
Price in other shops:
Torchwood: The Complete Original UK SeriesWHV; Release date: 2011-07-19; DVD
Best price: $85.93
Price in other shops: