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Director Gerd Oswald's ,THE SOLDIER, is an involving
time travel tale.
Michael Ansara is quite convincing as a soldier from the future. With
his big frame and intense manner, we can easily buy him as a killing
"machine" from the future.
Lloyd Nolan holds our attention as a contemporary language expert, determined
to "crack" Ansara's odd lingo. He brings passion to lines
like, "He's from somewhere, or some time, that's completely outside
our knowledge. He's a walking challenge."
Part way through, the story falls apart. It is unlikely that government
man, Tim O'Connor, would let Nolan take the violent Ansara home to stay
with him and his family for a month. It does lead to some interesting
story complications, however.
You may find some similarity between story elements of THE SOLDIER and
the hit Sci-Fi action thriller, "The Terminator". So did scriptwriter
Harlan Ellison. Ellison won a settlement against Terminator's Writer/Director,
James Cameron.
The episode's central FX involve Ansara and the enemy soldier falling
through space and time, superimposed over a rotating spiral pattern.
It's not bad, bringing to mind the FX from the old "Time Tunnel"
TV series. Van Der Veer Photo Co. is responsible for the Photographic
Effects.
Director of Photography, Kenneth Peach, delivers clever visuals. He
gives us great shots of visored soldiers of the future, guns at the
ready, running through a stark, rocky, fog shrouded landscape.
The music is sometimes high pitched and wierd, and at other times light
and gentle. Harry Lubin gets the composing credit.
THE SOLDIER should be rather watchable for most Sci-Fi fans. "Terminator"
and/or Harlan Ellison fans will particularly dig this episode. BACK
TO: EPISODE
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