SPACE FORCE REVIEW
Oh how long every fan of the sitcom genre has waited for the next Steve Carrell masterpiece, and we finally got it this year before the godforsaken pandemic hit. Thisshow came at exactly the right time, when people needed something to binge and something to laugh at, and Space Force more than satisfies both the hardcore as well as the newer fans of the sitcom genre. With that being said, the review for this show will be considering categories that are either generally touched upon or something unique that this show offers.
PLOT
The plot is unique, and in all honesty, that’s the best word one can use to describe what Steve Carrell has produced with this show. Much like any cinematic production that has Steve Carrell involved in the writing process, the plot for Space Force is unconventional and unique to say the least. In order to keep the review spoiler free, the specifics of the plot are something that I feel can’t be mentioned in this review for obvious reasons. As far as analysing it in an overall and general sense, it’s fair to say that the plot is unpredictable and moves in directions you can never expect, and in a good way too. The sit-coms produced in this day and age are extremely predictable to say the least, not that it takes anything away from how funny they are, but to be unorthodox in the sitcom genre requires a certain level of expertise to actually pull it off successfully, and the writing team for Space Force had no lack of said expertise, to say the very least. What this resulted in is a storyline that is set at a lovely pace, unpredictable and most importantly, it’s funny and it will grab your attention like only the best sitcoms can.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The reason cinematography is a part of this analysis is because once again, just like Steve Carrell did with the American version of The Office, he implemented a very unique style of cinematography for Space Force and while it may have been a new style of shooting a sitcom, it gave us a fresh perspective and actually gave a base for the comedic element (which we will analyse as well) the foundation for it to stand on. The reason for that is that the style of cinematography and the techniques that are implemented when shooting a sitcom can either make or break the show. Changing perspectives and camera angles, using motion shots more often than you would think are necessary for a sitcom, all of that is delicately balanced to create what is a cinematography masterpiece in cinema overall, not just in the sitcom genre. Space Force is one of those shows that has benefitted from an unconventional sitcom paired with an unpredictable plot, as well as a blend of classic and unconventional humour. For anyone who enjoys the technical aspects of cinema, this show is binge worthy just for this aspect of it alone, apart from many other reasons that appeal to the general viewing community of course.
COMEDIC ELEMENT
How can someone review a sitcom without analysing the LOL factor that it has. It’s safe to say that while this might not be Steve Carrell’s best in terms of his involvement in the comedy genre of cinema, it’s obvious to see that the this show nails the comedy element with unconventional humour, that is multiplied exponentially by the brilliant performances of actors like Steve Carrell, John Malkovich, Lisa Kudrow and Ben Schwarz. The show builds on the style of humour that Steve Carrell introduced to the genre when the American iteration of The Office came to our notice, and while it may not surpass the levels of hilarity that The Office USA achieved, it can be said with certainty that the comedy element of Space Force is not far behind, and as a matter of fact is ahead of most sitcoms that have been produced in recent times (at the very least). It’s highly likely that with further seasons, the LOL factor for the show will compound, and reach new heights of hilarity as a result . How much it improves obviously depends upon how many more seasons it will run for, but TV deals aside, we can be certain that the comedy element of this show will get better with new seasons, because it is already very good in this first season.
To wrap up, while Space Force is not as good as The Office USA, not even the slightest, it still holds its own in a genre where there are new shows every other day, and it’s one of the rare shows that has relatively PG-13 rated humour, and to top it off, the humour is unconventional and the technical aspects of the show are unique as well. Therefore for me, as well as any fan remotely interested in comedy shows (and without the patience to start The Office USA to experience this style of humour), this show is a must watch, without a shadow of a doubt.
Cheers!
Karn Kasturi Sharma