Buck Rogers In The 25th Century

When I was a kid I was a bit of a sci fi geek. Who am I kidding, I'm still a nerd when it comes to this genre. And when I was 9, my favorite tv show was Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. Before Buck Rogers made it's tv debut, Universal Pictures decided to release the pilot to movie theaters to generate buzz on their new series. I recently revisited this cherished memory from my childhood and here's my thoughts.

In 1987, a lone astronaut named Buck Rogers, Gil Gerard, goes on a space mission. While in space, he has a malfunction causing his ship and himself to be cryogenically frozen for the next 500 years. A pirate ship led by the Princess Ardala, Pamela Hensley, discovers his ship and brings him on board. When they discover that he is 500 years old and of no threat, they send him to Earth with an ulterior motive. They have planted a gizmo aboard his vessel in hopes of getting a code to help them attack Earth.

The Earthlings are leary of Rogers, especially Col. Wilma Deering, Erin Gray, who suspects Buck of being a spy. His only allies are a computerized Doctor and a servant robot assigned to him named Twiki. It's up to Buck to prove his innocence and save Earth from the evil pirates.

So did I enjoy this as much as I did in my youth? Yes! Sure it's not going to rank up there with Blade Runner or Star Wars, but it's still a lot of fun. Gerard is likable and has an easy going charm. He plays Rogers with a wink and a smile. And what can I say about Hensley but wow! She makes for a very sexy and cunning bad guy.

I'll admit, some of it is pretty cheesy, especially the James Bond esque opening credits. But it kind of adds to the fun.

Rewatching Buck Rogers was a nice blast from the past that still holds up well.

It's available on dvd as part of the Buck Rogers Season 1 set.