Rat Trap

[Serena Lewis]

I still don't really like this episode, and I don't know why. I think a distinct lack of Lt. Green, and a lot of Harmony and Destiny, may have something to do with it...

Pros

1. Anti-gravity scenes. All that floating around...I want a go!
2. The Crash. Perfectly executed.
3. Blue. This week he seems to have decided he's a comic genius, dishing out several amusing lines.
4. Music. It built a lot of tension.
5. Lava (Or do I mean magma?) at the end. Well done!
6. The RAT itself. Wow!

Cons

1. No Green! Well, at least she's in next weeks episode a lot!
2. Poor Harmony. Girl hardly gets a good scene to herself, Destiny always has to steal the glory. I guess I don’t really mean poor Harmony, seeing as I don’t like her, but…you know…
3. The Bison Story. That whole 'Can't get it out of the doors' thing. Just didn't buy it. Over too soon, as Scarlet pointed out the smashed doors didn't even matter.
4. Dead guys. I know this is a kids show, but couldn't the guys have looked a little more cut up? At least give them all tousled hair and dirty uniform!
5. Destiny's 'intelligent' language. Oh, his bedside manner 'stinks', does it? Makes her sound like she has the mentality of a two year old...

Bloopers

1. When Harmony is shot by the RAT, Destiny is not running by her side anymore, and she was before. she just disappears.
2. Another Harmony thing...after she's been shot, and Scarlet goes to pick her up, she bends her legs without him having to help her, and I don't think it's some sort of reflex. How is that possible?

Little Things (Though I'm not sure if they're in the right place this week)

1. Harmony and Destiny are steering and falling all over the place EXACTLY the same, as they pilot the Space Shuttle. I know the steering would be the same if they're both doing the same thing (Same direction etc.), but the falling? Doubt it.
2. The Sky Rider Scarlet uses later in the episode is seen when they first walk into Elysium.
3. The (technically) first appearance of TECHNICIAN MONKEY MAN!! (Credit goes to Kinggodzillak for the name). He's playing a dead body. Monkey Man I mean, not Zillak. Er hum...

Rating: 6/10

xx

[shadokp]

The Story - This is my favorite episode. Up to watching this episode initially I liked The New Captain Scarlet and this episode pushed me into loving the series. It raised the bar that a few episodes have come close. In my opinion the episode is near perfect in all its elements. The actual story is an obvious homage to Alien and Aliens but it builds up tension as well as those movies (given the time constraints) and executes action just as well. The banter back in forth and very realistic comments, the humor and way they interacted in this story was excellent as well. Examples include Scarlet being told to buckle up again, the bad bedside manner comment and many of the dialog is spot on.

The Animation - Incredible. The most visual stunning episode. There are just so many moments. The scene that did it for me was Scarlet racing along the Mars landscape toward Destiny - amazing. The design of the Rat is excellent and the base itself is well done.

Other - In 5.1 Surround the crash rattled my house. The Rat sounds and gun fire all added to the intense action. This is the episode that I generally show people for the first time. I could go on...

The Ongoing Tally -

Destiny crashes the shuttle (she even says that she has never crash landed on another planet as if this was an acheivement to add to her ever increasing list of crashes.)

On screen Death Count - 10 - The base crew were already dead.

KP

[Skybase Girl]

I agree, fab episode. Definitely improves on more than one viewing. I would have liked a little more detail on Harmony's state of health ( or lack of it ) and why Dr Gold seemed to think he could keep her stable for two weeks without any medical technology to help him out. And yes, Destiny's remarks to him were inexcusable. I fully expected Scarlet to slap her down for that, but he didn't, the wimp.

The graphics in this were great, really show-stopping. Loads of colour and exciting action ( I know I sound like an advert for a new children's comic, but I guess attracting the short attention span of the weenies was what it was all about ). A bit less sophisticated than "Syrtis Major" ( the other " Mars" episode ), but highly enjoyable, all the same.

[shadokp]

The only thing that really bothered me was the awkward pause after Scarlet asks everyone if they are all set - before they take off. No one seems to answer for ages and then suddenly Dr. Gold looks around to make sure the wounded Harmony is all secure and then says that things are okay. If this was an attempt to make the interaction seem more real then great - otherwise it seems a bit odd to me and I notice it every time I watch.

Well, I had to find something wrong.....

KP

[Father Unwin]

This is the episode where absolutely everything came together and is the one by which all others should be judged. It is indeed a perfect episode.

Voice Artists: The verbal exchanges between the characters is particularly feisty with lots of attitude and characterisation. There are also some really chilling, spine-tingling moments of dialogue such as the following:

“The Mysterons don’t need missiles. That’s our own base firing at us!”
“What on Earth were they doing driving away from the base without any oxygen?”

I also love the automated female voice which gives such authenticity to an already highly charged atmosphere– “Repressurizing”, “Repressurization at 50%”, etc.

CGI Scenery: The rusty red backgrounds and foregrounds when the Shuttle was crash landing on the surface of Mars were absolutely spectacular. They are so good that it might be a little too easy to take them for granted but a lot of effort must have gone into making them.

Lighting: The lighting in this episode is beyond perfection. The effects created by the beams of light thrown out by the helmets as the Spectrum Team move around the Bison and Elysium base are breathtaking. Similarly, the way the silver space suits reflect the surrounding is mesmerising.

Music: The music for this episode adds greatly to the atmosphere of alien menace and impending danger. Every scene is enhanced in a way that Barry Gray, himself, would have been proud of. There is no higher compliment I can give.

Motion Capture: The MoCap is consistently excellent throughout the show. The scene where the Team leave the Bison and Scarlet gets down on one knee to cover them is ultra-realistic.

CGI Hardware: The Spectrum Shuttle is a really strange looking vehicle – it reminds me of an old car exhaust pipe! However, when viewed in orbit around the Red Planet with that emotive music score playing it hits the spot. The Bison is also an oddity being a cross between a bulldozer and an army tank!

The Rat: I am always looking for “plot accelerators” but this episode doesn’t need them. I would suggest that the Rat, itself, is the main plot accelerator – I don’t believe for a moment that scientists would develop a sample gathering robot that looked like an armour-plated cross between a giant insect and a giant scorpion!

I know that with television programmes you need to be ready to ‘suspend disbelief’ so although I have watched this episode 20 times I chose to believe that the Rat somehow tiptoed up to Captain Blue unnoticed. However, for the purpose of this review I decided to try and spot whether or not the Rat was already there when Adam was used as bait – and it was! There is a brief glimpse of it and then a longer one about 3 seconds before he says “It’s cold down here”.

Best Moment of Series: I consider that the scene where Scarlet is dangling over the lava pit and the Mysterons say “Scarlet, we made you and we will destroy you!” is the high point of the episode and the series. Scarlet’s reply “Maybe, but not today!” is so poignant it brings a lump to my throat.

[shadokp]

Yea - I did notice the RAT hiding mostly because the background was made to look like it and watching it again you almost think you see it but you're not sure that's it but wait, there it is.

KP

[Dom Lavery]

Hi Guys
Thought I would touch base with you again. Great to see that you are all posting new reviews on the shows. Your comments, good and bad, are viewed with interest.
If you have specific questions about each episode (that I directed) that you would like me to try and answer I shall.
Rat trap was my 2nd episode to direct. It was a real test for the team as I pushed quite allot to go up a few gears. They worked very hard, day and some nights to deliver it. Of cause there is a list as long as my arm of fixes I would have wanted, by when we all sat in theatre 7 to watch this episode we were all pretty happy.
Hope you are all well
Dom

[Father Unwin]

Hello Dom,

Congratulations on your sensational designs for the Rat. I also love the way that its design is explained via the orange and black computer graphics. "This hand is as dextrous as a human's!" - scarey and original.

Having said that, I am guessing that Phil Ford hatched the idea of a Mysteron-controlled robot with his script for Rat Trap. If that is so, what kind of a robot creature did he envisage as I guess it must have been very different from your final design?

Also, I realise that I have not mentioned another fantastic piece of action in Rat Trap which is the Rat grabbing Destiny from under the ground. In particular, when Scarlet shoots blindly into the ground hoping to hit whatever is down there is just inspired. I also like the residual flash effect on the retina that is used throughout.

Finally, the obvious question for you is could you tell us about some of those things on your list of fixes? Maybe that's not possible without upsetting people but if there is anything you can tell us then you know we fans would love to hear it.

[Dom Lavery]

Hi Father U
Pleased you liked the show and the RAT. As I have a little time on my hands right now, I will send a few more design images to the Sky base Central web site. Will send some of the Rat Trap designs.
I can't remember exactly how the RAT was described in the script, but quite often things like the RAT are left quite sketchy in script form so the design can be quite free. You look at what is needed for the design. In the case of the RAT, you had dialogue that refereed to items like Pulse laser, diamond tipped saw etc, and work them into the design.
What I loved about working on the rat was mo-capping the actors to react to the RAT. Of cause it was not there, so I ran around the stage like a loon giving them something to react to. In fact, I mo-capped myself for the top half of the rat.

A few things that bug me about the episode are;
1 The gun blasts don't fit very well. As with most problems with all episodes, we were working to very tight schedules and often things were rushed to get deliver the show. I would have liked the blasts to be 3d elements not 2d comped ones.

2 The mo-cap was very twitchy and took allot of cleaning up. There are a few incidents where the characters still twitch and pop. Also Dr golds case looks like it wants to float away when they are walking down the corridor...strange.

3 The whole end sequence was a rush. I would have loved to have spent more time setting it up and showing the action clearer. When the RAT is holding the back of the skyrider and Scarlet decides to throw it into the Lava river (yes I know there are no lava rivers on mars...YET!) it is over very quick and does not show what is happening very clearly. Also no explosion from the skyrider and Rat body in the lava.

4 As with all the the shows that had the Bison on mars, we did not get tracks behind them. This was a particular bugbear of mine. We did do a number of tests, successful tests, but it took to long and the render time was just to high. In Duel, I saw an amazing test for tracks left on the Luna surface. It was very exciting, but however was also to time consuming. (It was great to see the tracks left behind the vehicles in Storm at the end of the world. It added a great level of realism.)

5 Would liked to have shown the bodies in the dead bison, and at the base, in more detail. Funny, in later shows we do.

All in all, the team (Scarlet team) worked there socks off to get this episode finished. It was around the time that the show was starting to find its feet again after all the disruption. If I had a hat I would take it off to them. Great guys and girls, all of them!

[gojohnniegogo]

I've got a few nitpicks with the episode that have spoiled it slightly for me. But I've a number of good compliments too!

Firstly, the fact they go back to Mars so soon... and again later in the series. Not sure exactly where this was supposed to be, might have been better midway or just into the final third of the series perhaps? Just to give it that little bit more suspense, perhaps? Just my opinion though! That said it may not have fit there, as there a are few, if any signals of the relationship between Paul & Destiny in this ep. It's sort of similar to Swarm in a way with the fact we encounter more robots (although the premise is different) is something that bugged me, perhaps another reason it for me it should have been broadcast later on in the series.

+
Absolutely stunning Mars surface, brilliant, as demonstrated with the crash-landing and the skyrider scenes.

The character's hair - It's clear in this episode in particular that some extra time has been spent on the hair, the detail on Scarlet in particular as he's examining the RAT's dexterous hands.

Scarlet calling Spectrum's (probably) multi-million dollar Skyrider a 'heap of junk'

General dialouge between Scarlet & Blue. Particularly: "I was planning to use you as bait"
"Nice!"

Blue with the RAT and its saw - reminded me of a scene from the videogame Shenmue 2!

Scarlet's expression after he says "I wonder if we ever should have come here" - just that horrible gut feeling!

-

Destiny having a dig at Dr. Gold - in what did look pretty grim circumstances - although both their reactions are justified!

the shuttle take off - why would a vehicle obviously so heavy's rear lift before the front? (though this could be me just no knowing my physics...

[Serena Lewis]

Shadokp said:

The only thing that really bothered me was the awkward pause after Scarlet asks everyone if they are all set - before they take off. No one seems to answer for ages and then suddenly Dr. Gold looks around to make sure the wounded Harmony is all secure and then says that things are okay. If this was an attempt to make the interaction seem more real then great - otherwise it seems a bit odd to me and I notice it every time I watch.

I watched that bit and you're absolutely right! You can practically hear crickets before the Doc chips in!
I noticed the RAT too. Can't blame Blue for not seeing it, it looks exactly like the piece of machinery on the opposite side of the room. And how it sort of unfolded itself, then pounced was seriously cool. Part of me wants to blame Scarlet for completely distracting Blue, even if he didn't mean it...

xx

[Dom Lavery]

Actually, for the record, I wanted the area behind blue with the RAT to be much darker so to hide the RAT even more. Almost silhouette so the first thing you really see are its green lights coming on. However, it still sorta worked.

[gojohnniegogo]

Actually, for the record, I wanted the area behind blue with the RAT to be much darker so to hide the RAT even more. Almost silhouette so the first thing you really see are its green lights coming on. However, it still sorta worked.

It would also be interesting to hear about David Lane's contribution, did he have a first hand on things, and did he give any input from the original series? Or was it more like the original Captain Scarlet marionette series wasn't even mentioned since this was to be a completely separate series?

[Dom Lavery]

As far as mine and Mark Woolards episodes are concerned, Dave did not really have any input. He was kept busy with his own Episodes. Where Dave was most important was with Instrument of Destruction pts 1 and 2. Creating a show like NCS was new to most of us. The whole directing process was fleshed out by trial and error in the first two episodes by Dave. By the time I moved up to be a Director allot of the basics had been worked out. All we had to do was finely tune the process. However...it was still damn hard and frustrating (at times) work.

[gojohnniegogo]

As far as mine and Mark Woolards episodes are concerned, Dave did not really have any input. He was kept busy with his own Episodes. Where Dave was most important was with Instrument of Destruction pts 1 and 2. Creating a show like NCS was new to most of us. The whole directing process was fleshed out by trial and error in the first two episodes by Dave. By the time I moved up to be a Director allot of the basics had been worked out. All we had to do was finely tune the process. However...it was still damn hard and frustrating (at times) work.

Thanks, interesting stuff, and helps us appreciate the teams efforts even more so!