Battlestar Galactica

A Sci-Fi Channel Mini-Series – Aired December 8 & 9, 2003

  

(This review was originally posted at Pojo.com)

http://pub209.ezboard.com/fpojosezboardfrm5.showMessage?topicID=17927.topic

 

            OK, I know you're all too young to remember when BG was first on, but I do, and I LOVED it (of course I was 7, what did I know). I've been following the attempts at reviving the old dog (and it was, an old dog) over the last few years, and chuckling to myself every time I see Richard Hatch bathe in his one and only moment in the spotlight. Hell, I paid $10 for Herb Jefferson's autograph (the original Boomer) at a mini-convention, just because I liked the guy. (BTW - he was extremely nice, and didn't mind the fact that his best known work was the subject of fan-geekdom.)

            So, as the new mini-series approached, I was understandably interested. I kept reading the online articles and news. I saw how Harry over at AICN hated it, but then again, he hates everything. Then I read Edward James Olmos' thoughts on the series. Basically, and I'm paraphrasing here, he said "If you loved the original, this series isn't for you. You're not going to like it." Well I thought that was it. If the actor involved says it sucks, then it must suck.

Must have been the radical re-imagining of the characters. Right? Starbuck is a woman? Boomer was a tough black man, now he's an Asian woman? Colonel Tigh, also a tough black man is now an old Irish white guy? The Cylons look like humans? What is that all about?

Having watched the first part last night, I'm intrigued to see the second. This new series is more Space:Above and Beyond (a series that I liked as well), than it is BG. That's not necessarily a bad thing, if you get off on the whole military thing. Personally I can take it or leave it. Aliens didn't thrill me for the marines, it was the sheer number of Aliens I liked.

The revising of the characters was interesting, but only in a superficial way. The new Starbuck is a nice homage to the original, and a good way to get a strong female presence in an otherwise testosterone-fest. The new Boomer hasn't really had enough screen time for me to form an opinion on. The new Tigh is interesting, in only that he finally HAS a character. The Adama/Apollo relationship has had it's moments, and I think of them all, this is the best change. I always felt that the Richard Hatch Apollo was a big pansy, following too closely in his father's footsteps. This Apollo is drawn with a much bigger brush, and has some interesting potential.

The new Baltar is just as sniveling as the old Baltar, but this actor is no John Colicos, who whether it was in BG or in Trek, could always be counted on to chew up the scenery, but in a good way.

The production design is top-notch, as it should be these days. No more stock footage being reused over and over again. I loved the scene in the museum with some of the original models and Cylon costumes, which was a nice homage. I really liked the new more robot Cylons in the beginning, but of course, we only got a glimpse of them. The new Cylon Raiders were nifty, but I really liked the old design, and would have preferred to see a more classic approach taken. The Viper Mk. II was a nice touch, thankfully some things haven't changed. The newer Vipers were also very nicely designed. And bravo to the efx crews who did a decent job with the space battles. They weren't on the level of Babylon 5, but then again, nothing is.

I also liked how Ron Moore kept just enough of the original story line to keep the old fans happy. I've just read an interview with him that says if the pilot evolves into a series, he'll actually tackle classic episodes like "Living Legend" and "War of the Gods".

So I'll keep watching, and next time I have to remember to actually SEE the program before I form an opinion of it.

 

Here's my Part 2 Review:

That was it?  All that buildup for that?  OK, so the Colonials know that Cylons look like humans, do they DO ANYTHING about it?  Nope.  Not really, except get rid of the one guy they suspect is a Cylon. 

The big battle sequence as OK, but nothing spectacular.  Oh, and why were there Viper Mark VII's AND Mark II's in that battle, when clearly, we were shown that Mark VII's are susceptible to the EMP pulse? 

 

Quibbles and Bits:

 

• Starbuck/Apollo - OK, so it isn't a romance, but there's some chemistry there.  If it goes to series, wanna bet they hop into the sack before the end of season one?

 

• Apollo/Adama - Nicely done, very nicely done.  Best depiction of a relationship in the show.

 

• Boxey - Well, at least he doesn't have a robotic dog this time.

 

• Boomer - WHAT THE HECK?  I won't give it away (just watch the very last scene).  Heck of a cliff-hanger to end on.

 

• President Laura - She can't croak fast enough.  I love Mary McDonnell as an actress, she's in some of my all time favorite films (Grand Canyon, Matewan and Passion Fish) but here, she's just dreadful.

 

• Starbuck/Tigh - Nice dynamic there.  Tigh actually became the most interesting of characters in the show. 

 

I like how TPTB kept pounding in the fact that there were only 50K humans left total.  Not entirely true, because undoubtedly there are SOME survivors on the colonies.  Probably not many, but there has to be some.  Will we ever see them if it goes to series?  Probably not.

So they remade the original BG pilot, kept the same formula and "updated" it for the 21st century.  A waste of time?  Not really, because, well...my wife liked it, and she'd never seen the original (which I find odd, since she COMES from a family of Mormons, and the original show was a thinly veiled Mormon allegory).  Will it go to series?  Probably.  You could tell that SCI-Fi channel sunk a TON of money into it, but not in the best of places (I would have liked to see more of the colonies destruction, rather than just mushroom clouds in the distance).

 

If it goes to series, I'll watch it.  If not, well, I guess Larson's next movie will have to placate the latent BG fan in me.