Dark Angel

Dark Angel

2000 - United States

In the year 2020 the world is left paralysed when an electromagnetic pulse is released into the atmosphere knocking out all the satellites and most of the planet's electrical equipment-effectively freezing technology in its tracks. The US economy has been toppled, plunging the country into a 1930's style depression where politicians are out to line their own pockets, cops are crooked and the people live from hand to mouth. Enter Max, beautiful, witty, intelligent and more than able to look after herself...just the way she was designed. 

Max is the product of a secretly funded government organisation called Manticore who, using genetic enhancement techniques, had twenty years before engineered any army of children to grow up into the perfect fighting force. Each 'soldier' has unique combat abilities that include enhanced hearing, vision and strength and are taught, as soon as they can understand, complete loyalty to their cause. However, under the cruel regime led by the organisations commander Colonel Donald Michael Lydecker (John Savage), the children rebel and break out of their 'prison' in Gillette, Wyoming, scattering to different parts of the country. Max ends up in Seattle, where she gets a job as a dispatch rider, although all the time she herself has a hidden agenda. Max is desperate to meet up again with her lost transgenic 'siblings' whilst all the time trying to avoid recapture. Eventually Max teams up with a political activist called Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly), who from his plush apartment broadcasts in secret under the code-name "Eyes Only", a reference to the fact that when he reveals on TV who is currently dealing in corruption, you can only see his eyes. Max and the wheelchair bound Logan eventually end up more than just friends.

Dark Angel was the result of a co-creation by long time friends the Academy Award-winning director James Cameron and Emmy Award-winning writer Charles Eglee. In spite of being well written and having very high production values, both creators would probably agree that much of the shows initial success was in no small part down to its star, Jessica Alba. Cameron and Eglee spent more than a year scouring casting agencies and college campuses, auditioning close to a thousand actresses before settling on Alba. Alba went through a tough regime to transform her body to prepare for her Dark Angel role, lifting weights, doing gymnastics and going for motorcycle and Kung Fu training several days a week. Although hardly an orginal concept for a sci-fi series, Dark Angel succeeded through a well balanced mixture of sharp writing, high production values, and particularly the sexy, sassy, performance of it's young star. 

Though cancelled due to sagging ratings in its second season, Dark Angel was syndicated on the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States and E4 in the United Kingdom. 


Published on December 6th, 2018. Review: SRH.

Read Next...

Malcolm In The Middle

Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent and enduring an eccentric, although normal life.

Also released in 2000

Andromeda

After being frozen for several centuries, Dylan Hunt, the captain of the spaceship Andromeda Ascendant, is horrified to discover that the Systems Commonwealth has collapsed and the known galaxies have descended into barbarism.

Also released in 2000

Heroes TV series

Popular cult sci-fi about a number of individuals with superhuman abilities

Also tagged Scifi

Big Brother

Reality show in which contestants, known as "housemates", live together in a specially constructed house that is isolated from the outside world

Also released in 2000

Nuremberg

It is May of 1945 and Germany stands ruined and defeated after the unconditional surrender to the Allies. 24 Nazis are accused of crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity and conspiracy.

Also released in 2000

Farscape

Astronaut John Crichton is on a test flight of his module, Farscape 1, when a spatial wormhole opens directly in his path.

Also tagged Scifi

Hitch Hikers Guide

The history of The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of idealism, despair, struggle, passion, success, failure and enormously long lunch-breaks.

Also tagged Scifi