So, the eagle has landed, the landing gear has touched down, and Netflix's Space Force has finally landed. Here's the trailer, if you've not had a look yet:
However, it doesn't seem as it's been that successful a launch after all. To put it mildly, Elon Musk's first attempt to get the Falcon 9 rocket into space last week suddenly looks like a tour de force.
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An underwhelmingly average score of 6.9 over on IMDb comes courtesy of more than 13,000 viewers, which can't be what Netflix had in mind with the Office duo of Steve Carrell and producer Greg Daniels on board. However, professional reviewers have absolutely panned it - a critics' rating of 40% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes doesn't bode well.
So what have the critics said? Look away now, Steve and Greg.The Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert wrote: "So strange and ill-conceived and ill-timed that not even Carell's avuncular bonhomie can save it. For all its cinematic trappings, Space Force is a series with a single joke running through it, and that joke is American idiocy." Owch.
Meanwhile Slate's Willa Paskin went for: "Space Force is not exactly embarrassing - everyone involved is too talented - but it is shockingly unfunny for a show made by people who are so talented," while The Detroit News' Tom Long simply said: "Space Force, we do not have lift off."
Obviously, you'll have to watch it yourself to find out, but it does seem a little bit as if the public aren't too into the space comedy series.
One person wrote: " #SpaceForce is a huge disappointment. What was Netflix doing giving such a huge budget to something so corny?? The acting is great and it's very competently made, just not at all funny."
Another said: "F***ing hell. #SpaceForce has one hell of a cast, and directing team... & it's awful."
A third offered this damning review: "Binged space force , man what a colossal f*** up. Even Steve Carell couldn't save this."
Well, in case you're in two minds, the synopsis for the show reads: "A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force.
"Sceptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colourful team of scientists and 'Spacemen' are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance."
The show, which has been pretty hotly anticipated, is clearly meant to be a riotous send-up of Donald Trump's idea to create another branch of the military focused entirely on space.
It's got a big cast, and has been created by Netflix, who don't get too many things wrong. So, it's a bit of a shock that it hasn't been as well received as you'd have thought.
Not everyone reckoned it was so awful, though.
The fact that Steve Carrell is in the thing is enough for some people - one fan wrote: "For anyone who hasn't watched #SpaceForce watch it. F***ing hilarious."
Another simply said: "Bingeing #SpaceForce on #Netflix, one of the best shows I've seen during lockdown."
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Long-term fans of Daniels' previous shows offered some sage pearls of wisdom, too, such as: "Greg Daniels' previous shows have also had meh first seasons, so I'm excited for a better second one. I still thought it was fun but I know it can be so much better."
Another fan agreed, saying: "My takeaway from Space Force is that I should continue reserving all the optimism of my 20s for average first seasons of shows created by Greg Daniels because it will inevitably lead to brilliant second and third seasons."
So I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Featured Image Credit: NetflixTopics: TV and Film, US Entertainment, Netflix
