Retro Film/Television Review: Sliders (1995)

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Alternative history is one of the most interesting sub-genres of science fiction. Yet that sub-genre is quite unpopular among Hollywood filmmakers, because it requires three things – audience with certain knowledge of history, large budgets necessary to depict the alternate worlds and, finally, creativity necessary to make worlds that are both historically plausible and sufficiently different from our own. All of those difficulties were present both in Robert Harris' novel Fatherland and its television adaptation. Interestingly enough, only a year later concept of parallel universes and alternative history was used for popular television show Sliders. The pilot for this series was directed by Andy Tennant and based on the script by Tracy Torme and Robert K. Weiss.

Plot begins with Quinn Mallory (played by Jerry O'Connell), boy genius from San Francisco whose anti-gravitation experiments in the basement result with creation of vortex that allows travels to parallel universes. First of such travels is brief and gives him glimpse of alternate San Francisco in the world where JFK, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley managed to live to the ripe old age. Upon return, Quinn is anxious to share his discovery with friend Wade Welles (played by Sabrina Lloyd) and Professor Maximilian Arturo (played by John Rhys-Davies). Next time experiment goes wrong - three of dimension travellers not only end in San Francisco being affected by terrible ecological disaster, but the vortex had accidentallysucked in Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown (played by Cleavant Derricks), washed-up 1970s soul singer. Mallory and his group are now forced to flee to another universe and they end up in San Francisco where public parks have statues of Lenin instead statues of Lincoln. Mallory realises that they landed in a world where Cold War went the other way and where Soviets hold America under occupation, thus making their escape difficult.

This two-hour film lacks the usual flaw of television pilots – too much exposition at the expense of the plot. The script is very intelligent, the whole concept is easily explained, although the character development leaves much to be desired, the plot is quite intriguing. If not for the obligatory cliff-hanger at the end, this film could even work as a standalone science fiction adventure. Existence of parallel worlds also allow for many "fish out of water" situations and plenty of humour. Because of that "comic relief" character of Rembrandt doesn't seem quite necessary, but Cleavant Derricks nevertheless provides a lot of humour and manage to overshadow other, much better known actors. The most intriguing subplot of the film is, of course, based on the heretical idea that Soviet Union could have won the Cold War, and, like many similar Hollywood distopias, this one has obligatory (and not exactly plausible) resistance movement that would have to give some glimmer of hope in a world that would be unimaginably dark place for an average American viewer. The scriptwriters, on the other hand, don't hesitate to speculate about various categories of Americans willing to collaborate with Soviets. Those humorous speculations turn Sliders into very enjoyable movie and many of viewers would desire to travel to parallel universe where such films are rule rather exception.

RATING: 6/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on November 14th 2002)