Battlestar Galactica Review

[Uraniun235]

But there's shit in there they didn't have to change, and almost seems like they changed purely to alienate the old-school fans, like the whole female characters issue.

If they're going to be doing a "bold new look", why not do a "bold new series" where they would be utterly unfettered by the baggage of the past?

Oh wait. Then they couldn't cash in on the BSG name. Fuckers.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

What happened to the HourGlass of Doom? Those at least made some sense, as the hemispheres could rotate to bring more weapons to bear.

Consider it a casualty of historical revisionism.

I suspect it has a bit to do with cheapness. I was disappointed at the complete lack of detail on the battlestars and the basestar. At least the old models looked real. And nobody wanted to mess with a Cylon basestar in the old series. They could reportedly dust a battlestar in a single blow. Now, the most impressive thing a basestar does is blow up a little tiny unarmed outpost in two or three decidedly unimpressive shots.

And what happened to the epic space battles? Instead of a horde of ten Cylon raiders coming at you, you have them coming at you in pairs and singletons. Worse, the new Cylon Raiders look like Kilrathi Dralthi fighters from Wing Commander III.

[Stravo]

I noticed that the people saying it wasn't that bad haven't really been providing examples of what was so good about it and those of us who despised this abortion have been making laundry lists of the flaws. ANy fans of this incarnation want to tell us what was so good about it?

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

But there's shit in there they didn't have to change, and almost seems like they changed purely to alienate the old-school fans, like the whole female characters issue.

If they're going to be doing a "bold new look", why not do a "bold new series" where they would be utterly unfettered by the baggage of the past?

Oh wait. Then they couldn't cash in on the BSG name. Fuckers.

Yes. I suspect it's gonna be a real shame that Richard Hatch (original Apollo) didn't get to make his own BSG revival.

[Stravo]

And what happened to the epic space battles? Instead of a horde of ten Cylon raiders coming at you, you have them coming at you in pairs and singletons. Worse, the new Cylon Raiders look like Kilrathi Dralthi fighters from Wing Commander III.

You know what, say what you will about the old one, that the effects were dated, blah blah, but damn if the battles weren't always BIG. Raiders would fill the starry skies and Vipers would be swarming around the waves of attacking raiders.

What do we get here, one or two at a time launching nukes like they were giving them away for free. UGH.

[Stravo]

Just did think of something good about this series. We see multi megaton blasts and what they would look like from space. Another nail in the coffin of the TDIC Trekkies who say that the bombardment looks like a gigaton level event. Anyone get screen caps to batter over their heads with now?

[Kamakazie Sith]

And what happened to the epic space battles? Instead of a horde of ten Cylon raiders coming at you, you have them coming at you in pairs and singletons. Worse, the new Cylon Raiders look like Kilrathi Dralthi fighters from Wing Commander III.

You know what, say what you will about the old one, that the effects were dated, blah blah, but damn if the battles weren't always BIG. Raiders would fill the starry skies and Vipers would be swarming around the waves of attacking raiders.

What do we get here, one or two at a time launching nukes like they were giving them away for free. UGH.

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

[Knife]

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

And one of the worst plot devices ever. I mean come on. They could have used the computer trick for the first assualt but in everyother attack since is streching it too far.

Computer trick, mass destruction of a majority of fleet, then the mass formations of Cylons attack whats left. Not, I got my super duper weapon and I'm using it on everything.

[Stravo]

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

And one of the worst plot devices ever. I mean come on. They could have used the computer trick for the first assualt but in everyother attack since is streching it too far.

Computer trick, mass destruction of a majority of fleet, then the mass formations of Cylons attack whats left. Not, I got my super duper weapon and I'm using it on everything.

This computer trick is a vast improvement on a Cylon suprise attack that used guile in brute force from the original?

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

And what happened to the epic space battles? Instead of a horde of ten Cylon raiders coming at you, you have them coming at you in pairs and singletons. Worse, the new Cylon Raiders look like Kilrathi Dralthi fighters from Wing Commander III.

You know what, say what you will about the old one, that the effects were dated, blah blah, but damn if the battles weren't always BIG. Raiders would fill the starry skies and Vipers would be swarming around the waves of attacking raiders.

What do we get here, one or two at a time launching nukes like they were giving them away for free. UGH.

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

Yes, the Colonials have even worse computer security than Starfleet. At least Starfleet makes some effort at protecting their computers (Granted, their computer security is almost absent as it is, but at least they try.) Hell, at least Starfleet puts in a "manual" control backdoor in case their computers go apeshit. I was practically yelling "Switch to manual, switch to backup computers, you jackasses!" as those Viper-IIs drifted helplessly in space.

And the Colonials scoffed at Adama's ship for having manual airtight doors and sound-powered telephones. Which, ironically, was one of the few things they got right (the manual stuff, not the scoffing Colonials. Though this was countered a few minutes later when Tigh orders Starbuck to escort herself to the brig. They must've dismissed the technical advisors for that scene. On any properly run ship, you would've had MPs or internal security forces hauling her off to the brig in handcuffs.)

[Stormbringer]

You know what, say what you will about the old one, that the effects were dated, blah blah, but damn if the battles weren't always BIG. Raiders would fill the starry skies and Vipers would be swarming around the waves of attacking raiders.

What do we get here, one or two at a time launching nukes like they were giving them away for free. UGH.

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

It might make sense from the tech stand point but the fact is it deprives the battles of a lot of excitement and interest that the original had. Better to have just used the orginal suprise attack.

[Uraniun235]

Does anyone have pictures of the new Battlestar?

[Kuja]

Better to have just used the orginal suprise attack.

Which would've been impossible to reconcile with the origins of the new 'Cylons'.

I mean, come on: humans create robots, robots rebel, robots disappear, robots reappear determined to wipe out humanity, robots then ask for pease? Bullshit.

It worked when the Cylons were descended from an alien race and not humanity, but with these new 'Cylons' forget it.

[Knife]

Better to have just used the orginal suprise attack.

Which would've been impossible to reconcile with the origins of the new 'Cylons'.

I mean, come on: humans create robots, robots rebel, robots disappear, robots reappear determined to wipe out humanity, robots then ask for pease? Bullshit.

It worked when the Cylons were descended from an alien race and not humanity, but with these new 'Cylons' forget it.

I was kind of looking forward to a remake of the scene where the Alantia goes up with the Pres on it. Figures they'd skip that one.

[Stormbringer]

Better to have just used the orginal suprise attack.

Which would've been impossible to reconcile with the origins of the new 'Cylons'.

I mean, come on: humans create robots, robots rebel, robots disappear, robots reappear determined to wipe out humanity, robots then ask for pease? Bullshit.

It worked when the Cylons were descended from an alien race and not humanity, but with these new 'Cylons' forget it.

Why would that have been more impossible with the terrestrial Cylons as opposed to the old alien ones? All they would have needed to do was have them try to make peace because the war was stalemated or whatever.

[Kamakazie Sith]

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

And one of the worst plot devices ever. I mean come on. They could have used the computer trick for the first assualt but in everyother attack since is streching it too far.

Computer trick, mass destruction of a majority of fleet, then the mass formations of Cylons attack whats left. Not, I got my super duper weapon and I'm using it on everything.

If you had a weapon like that wouldn't you use it every chance you got? This weapon gives the Cylons the ability to send small strike forces to wipe out large concentrations of ships. Give them a couple nukes and two Cylon fighters can take out a handful of Vipers and a Battlestar.

Though I agree.....the plot devices of sci-fi are starting to get old. What ever happened to good old fashion battles?

[Uraniun235]

Old fashioned? Not in Ron Moore's "ZOMG we're REINVENTING THE GENRE" vision!

[Kamakazie Sith]

You know what, say what you will about the old one, that the effects were dated, blah blah, but damn if the battles weren't always BIG. Raiders would fill the starry skies and Vipers would be swarming around the waves of attacking raiders.

What do we get here, one or two at a time launching nukes like they were giving them away for free. UGH.

I think they are flying around in groups of two because of their new toy that allows them to shut down the Vipers, and Battlestars.

It might make sense from the tech stand point but the fact is it deprives the battles of a lot of excitement and interest that the original had. Better to have just used the orginal suprise attack.

True, they just can't win anymore...

[Kamakazie Sith]

Old fashioned? Not in Ron Moore's "ZOMG we're REINVENTING THE GENRE" vision!

Even though I mentioned it before I still find it amusing that as I was watching this I thought to myself. This would be hilarious if we see B&B in the credits......but I got the next best thing! How grand!!

[Knife]

If you had a weapon like that wouldn't you use it every chance you got? This weapon gives the Cylons the ability to send small strike forces to wipe out large concentrations of ships. Give them a couple nukes and two Cylon fighters can take out a handful of Vipers and a Battlestar.

Though I agree.....the plot devices of sci-fi are starting to get old. What ever happened to good old fashion battles?

If I had that weapon and simular circumstances, I'd have gone for the Pear Harbor stratgem. Namely wait until there was a cluster of Colonial Forces and wipe them out.

Mop up operations don't necessarily need the swooshing eye of death.

[Perinquus]

I’ve now watched the first half of the Battlestar Galactica remake, and I honestly think it isn’t really bad. I am frankly amazed at the vitriolic condemnation I have read in the thread. It seems to me a lot like the sort of condemnation the Star Wars prequels have gotten – rather more strident than the material really warrants. Like the Star Wars prequels, I suspect this is getting blasted because it’s different than the original. A lot of the people posting here saw Battlestar Galactica as small children, and in their impressionable youth were swept away by it, and are now letting that fond recollection color their interpretation of the new version. But the truth is, if they saw the original for the first time today, as fully grown adults, they wouldn’t. be nearly so impressed by it.

I honestly think that in several respects, this new version surpasses the original. In some areas it is wanting. But I have tried to stay as objective as I can, and judge it on its own merits. Here is my take on the new miniseries, for whatever it is worth.

THE GOOD

Special Effects
No surprise here. Given the advances in FX technology over the last 25 years, it would be rather surprising if the FX weren’t leagues ahead of the original. But having admitted that, I think that with respect to the battle scenes, it’s not only the quality of the special effects, but also their overall style that’s better. The makers of this new version said they were trying to make it look more like documentary footage, and I think they achieved their aim. It looks more like what might have been filmed by an onscene news camera than any of the original series effects looked like, and I think this lends a somewhat greater aspect of reality to the show.

The destruction of Caprica
I much prefer the new versions treatment of this aspect of the story. In the original, I remember thinking, even as an 8 year-old kid, that it was awfully funny that the utter destruction of the planet Caprica (and presumably all the other colonies as well) should have been achieved by a bunch of Cylon fighters flying around in the lower atmosphere, making strafing runs and blowing up buildings. Think back to this scene in the original series, and remember Jane Seymour playing a news reporter broadcasting a panicked message while Cylon fighters flew around overhead blasting away with their laser cannon, inflicting purely small scale destruction. Doesn’t that seem awfully silly? Contrast this with the new miniseries depiction of a planet sprouting mushroom clouds over its entire surface, and close up shots that show, not Cylon fighters, but hurricane force winds, blinding flashes of light, and whole population centers being blotted out by blast effects from multi-megaton bombs.

The confusion and panic in the immediate aftermath
I honestly thought the new version does a better job of conveying the confusion of panic of the people caught in the immediate aftermath of the colonies’ destruction than the original did. We focus in on the crew of the Galactica and President Roslin’s transport, and we see people who have no idea what’s going on, or who have an entirely mistaken idea. We see people who as yet have no conception of the extent of the destruction or the scope of the disaster. We see people who are panicked and on the edge of snapping. We see contests for power between Adama and Roslin, as each tries to exert his/her influence. We see a rapidly and chaotically unfolding disaster. Again, this gives a much greater aspect of reality than in the original, where things seemed much more organized in the aftermath, and were Adama and the crew of the Galactica seemed much more self possessed and in control. Things just seem more desperate in the new version, and that’s how it ought to look in a situation like this.

The Cylon fighters
This is a qualified improvement. What I like about this is not so much the design – which, as others have pointed out, looks a lot like the Kilrathi ships from Wing Commander – but the concept. The ships are not fighters crewed by robots; the ships themselves are robots. This makes more sense. A race of intelligent machines would more probably build an AI into the fighter than build it to accommodate separate machine pilots (and obligingly provide it with a life support system in order to allow human pilots to fly captured examples as we saw in the original series – even though such a life support system would be utterly superfluous to the fighter’s intended robot crew).

Baltar
I never really liked John Colicos’ Baltar, not even as a kid. He seemed a stereotypical, sci-fi space opera villain – pure evil to contrast with the heroes’ pure good. As such he was rather unconvincing. I just find it hard to believe anyone would betray the human race in the fashion Baltar did in the original Battlestar Galactica. In the first place, he would have to give a whole new meaning to the word naïve to suppose that the Cylons would ever hold up their end of such an agreement, especially in light of the fact that their willingness to plot this treacherous attack under the cover of peace negotiations proves beyond all doubt how untrustworthy they are. And in the second place, I can’t imagine that even the most unscrupulous and power hungry man would want any part of such a bargain. A), he would know that even if the Cylons honored their agreement, and set him up as ruler of his lone, surviving colony, he wouldn’t really have the power he craves; they would, and he would just be their puppet. B), no one could possibly be content to be surrounded for the rest of his life by people who would hate him so bitterly, no matter how obsequious they were to his face. And C), he would know that his actions would make his name stink right to the end of time. His name would become a very synonym for a base and despicable traitor. People like Benedict Arnold and Vidkun Quisling would almost look like heroes compared to him. Who would want to be remembered that way? It just doesn’t ring true.

The new Baltar, however, seems an entirely plausible character. He is not a caricature of evil, he’s just an arrogant and rather cowardly man. He’s a man who has become used to being on top and having power and influence, and thus making other people do what he wants. Being highly intelligent, and unscrupulous, he has no doubt manipulated his share of people and used them for his own ends. And he’s very much accustomed to being smarter than everyone else around him. So it never even occurs to him that he is being used and manipulated as a pawn. He becomes the tool of humanity’s destruction not because he evil and greedy for power, but because he is duped into opening the door for them.

The Cylon attack plan
The new versions surprise attack, delivered on an unsuspecting foe, who has been lulled into a false sense of security by more than forty years without contact with the enemy seems more plausible than the Cylon attack in the old show. In the new one, no one is ready for the attack, and no one perceives the threat because the Cylons have simply faded from people’s awareness. Most of the crew aboard the Galactica are young people who weren’t even born when the previous war ended and the Cylons disappeared, so the Cylons are almost not a real threat to them. They’d be kind of like the Nazis are to us – a great evil that our grandfathers had to fight, but they’re history now. It’s easier to see how the Colonials would be caught unawares by an enemy such as this. Their complacency is more understandable in this situation.

In the original series, however, the Colonials had supposedly been at war with the Cylons for a thousand years. A thousand years of unremitting hostility would no doubt produce a huge amount of distrust and hatred for the Cylons on the part of the human race. In light of this fact, it just doesn’t seem all that plausible that humans would then naïvely and warmly embrace the Cylons’ peace overtures so completely that they utterly let down their guard, and then blithely ignore warning signs like destroyed patrol ships and large formations of approaching fighters, with only a few lonely individuals like Adama smelling a rat.

No apparent human tendency to party it up in the aftermath
IN the old show, Sire Yuri's pleasure dome aboard his ship and the Carillon casino showed people partying and having a good time - all in the wake of the almost complete destruction of the human race! Excuse me, but I just don't find that plausible.

THE BAD

Boomer and Starbuck
I list this one under bad, though in truth it’s not so bad. It’s just that I don’t really see how it improves the show any (though at least Boomer’s a babe). And as someone else has already pointed out, if they wanted to introduce strong female characters, they could have used Athena. In fact, if they had had her in the show as a young pilot fresh out of the academy, it could have made the conflict between Apollo and Adama a little more realistic. Apollo would be thinking that the old man pressured Zack into becoming a pilot, and this cost Zack his life, and now he’s going to do it all over again with Apollo’s little sister. This would have given that family feud a little more solid reason for going on than just Apollo’s blaming his father for something unfairly and holding on to a grudge like a whiny little child. Which leads me to my next gripe:

The Apollo/Adama feud
This is a plot device that is so tired and hackneyed I can’t imagine why they had to dredge it up here. The heroes can’t stand each other because of some past quarrel, and must nobly put aside their quarrels and learn to forgive each other in the face of this new threat that draws them closer together. We’ve never seen that before…

The new ships
I think the new Battlestar Galactica and the new Cylon base star are incredibly ugly ships. The new base star doesn’t look like it would be a very practical design either.

Flat characters
The characters don’t seem especially colorful in this incarnation. Apollo is a querulous whiner. Starbuck is entirely justified in wanting to punch his face. Starbuck is just a little too butch. Adama is a little too much the angst-filled, guilt-ridden quiet figure. None of these characters seems to have much depth.

The infanticide scene
Dramatically, I know why they did this. It was a way to show the audience how cold, ruthless, and inhuman the Cylons are. But I have one objection to this. Number six, as an infiltrator, would doubtless be provided with a pretty thorough knowledge of human laws and customs. If she should have been observed snapping that little baby’s neck, she could have been arrested and detained by the police, which would abort her mission to get into the Colonials’ mainframe. Such an action would have put her mission at risk for absolutely no good reason, and as such, is simply not something she should have done.

Other good and bad points may occur to me when I see part two. But on the whole, I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to the second half. It falls short in an number of areas, but in a couple of others, it manages to improve on the original. People should take it on its own merits.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Does anyone have pictures of the new Battlestar?

[SylasGaunt]

Okay..

What I liked-
The Special Effects- Nice, certainly better than what I usually see when I watch TV

The new Cylon Raiders- A robot fighter makes a lot more sense to me than a robot piloted fighter.. I also prefer the new look to the old one but then I was never a fan of the old raiders.

Anti-Ship Nuke: What can I say, I liked the fact it made a big flash

The Space Battles- I liked the style of them and I'm rather interested in seeing what the Galactica can do once she gets some ammo.

----------

Neutral:

The Galactica: Not much I like about the outside but I like the inside of it enough it fits in here.

New Basestar: I think it looks better than the old one but it could use some more exterior details.

Baltar- Just kinda.. meh. I'll have to see more to form an opinion one way or the other.

Most of the Character- Though this could just be because I haven't seen much of most of them. Need to see more to decide.

-----------------

Dislike-

The Sex Scenes- Okay these really didn't need to be there.
The First Hour- Could have used some real trimming there.
Starbuck- Meh

[Darth Servo]

[im g]http://www.cylon.org/bsg/2003galactica01bsg.jpg[/im g]
[im g]http://www.cylon.org/bsg/2003galactica02.jpg[/im g]

What a P.O.S. Same goes for the basestars. The only time we see one I believe is at the beginning right when the diplomatic station is getting toasted. Didn't know what I was looking at.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

I knew it was a Basestar, but only because I had seen examples of the mini-series' production art.