Survival Code

SURVIVAL CODE was a TV movie originally conceived as a pilot episode of a new show, BOREALIS. The show was never picked up so the viewer is left with this oddly lightweight film that takes a great deal of time setting up various characters in a specific location and then just randomly ends having only cleared up one or two sub-plots. It's an unsatisfying viewing experience, one which made me wonder why I'd bothered when it came to an end.

This low budget effort is a Canadian movie set in the icy Canadian wastes. The story is about various factions fighting over land rights. Although it is set in the future, the science fiction aspects of the story are kept to a bare minimum, no doubt due to budgetary restraints. The characterisation is okay even though the movie lacks big name or even recognisable stars. Bizarrely, some random scenes of cage fighting have been inserted into the mix in order to 'up' the action quotient. It's not an entirely successful choice.

Yes, I really was thinking writer/director here but, no, apparently not.

It's a good semi-who-dun-it type of movie right up to the ends when it just stops! Yep. Nothing more to say but a total waste of 2 hours. Whether the writers thought they were being clever or the director thought it was artsy, who knows but all of them fail miserably in any attempt at story.

Or maybe we've just missed the sequel. Yeah, let's assume there's a sequel. Somewhere.

But really, WFT!

As a stand alone movie, I can see how "Borealis" may be slightly disappointing. As the pilot for a new series though, it's awesome. Why? It leaves one wanting more.

In an all-too-near future, the arctic icecap has melted, opening the way for new trade routes, oil fields, mining operations, and other untapped resources for the international community to squabble over. At the center of it all is Vic's bar. Owned by a former cage fighter and now the customs agent for the Canadian government, the bar is the center of life in an emerging frontier town.

Like many sci-fi shows, "Borealis" owes much to the genre of Westerns. The characters include a likable town drunk, a good-hearted prostitute, native Inuit, and a couple characters vying for the role of lawman, including Vic. But, it comes with a definite 21st century spin, including an American archaeologist funded by the Russians, an activist biologist determined to protect and document what remains of the arctic ecosystem, and an enigmatic international diplomat.

While the premise relies on climate change, the show doesn't get bogged down in preaching about the global warming we are currently causing. It moves along at a fast pace, with murder, fights and intrigue as nations, corporations and Vic all try to establish dominance in this new frontier. And since it's in the near future, advances in technology are evident, but not distracting or far beyond our current comprehension.

What really sets this apart from other Canadian sci-fi and fantasy is the acting and writing. The cast is excellent, and the main characters are entirely believable. Ty Olsson's understated energy really carries the pilot, but I also found myself wanting to see more of and know more about the characters played by Bryan Dick, Michelle Harrison, Greyston Holt and Christine Horne.

To me, fiction is most successful when the characters come alive in your mind and you want to continue their stories. In that, "Borealis" completely succeeds. And I sincerely hope that a network such as Space or Syfy feels the same way, and will use this movie as the pilot of a series, as it seems intended to be.

I watched it like a movie. After I finished it, instantly I was looking for more. I was so engaged that now I need to know what happens next! Characters are not overwritten and exaggerated. Plot is interesting. Scenery creates nice climate and setting. SF part is not overwhelming but that is good in this case. Main role is well played and overall cast is spot on.

I hope this show will pick up and become a full series. From the balance it delivers (not to flashy) and good (so far) script I predict strong fan base really soon.

Good show. Watch it now!

This show is about as close to perfect as a pilot can get. It's futuristic enough to be interesting but keeps it real. The acting is stellar. It's really got some of Canada's greatest talent in it.

Ty Olsson and Michelle Harrison had some delicious tension! It's funny, wise, exciting - there's a lot of be pleased with.

I've wanted to love a Canadian TV show for a very long time. Honestly? I'm a little shocked that "Borealis" hasn't been picked up.

People need to see this. Canadians need to see a that a Canadian Television show can be this kind of quality. This is the kind of production that sets a high standard.

If you missed it on the SPACE channel - it's streaming on spacecast.com