The "Reimaged" Battlestar Galactica - Light Years Beyond the Original
Published February 13, 2005
:: A few weeks ago at practice, a fellow band member mentioned the revived, or as it is being called, reimaged Battlestar Galactica series, speaking favourably of the new version. (Canadian site here.) I was vaguely aware that a mini-series version had aired in 2003, but paid no attention to it at the time. When the original series first aired in the late 70s, I detested it, with the exception of having a major crush on Maren Jensen at the time, which caused me to watch more episodes than I care to admit. The show was pure camp, featuring characters with horrid names like Starbuck, Apollo, Athena, Adama, Boomer, and Cassiopeia, combined with bad acting and writing.
I decided to dial up the new series, and much to my surprise, found myself hooked in a very short time, albeit confused from the outset because I hadn't seen the three hour miniseries. I did remember the show's premise from the original series, still in place for this one. From the episodes page:
It had been more than 40 years since the humans of the 12 Colonies of Kobol battled with the Cylons, the sentient robots that turned on their creators with deadly results. The robots had observed the armistice that ended the Cylon War, but the promised diplomatic relations between man and machine never materialized. The Cylons remained quiet for years and soon their threat was all but forgotten.After watching the first four episodes and remaining in the dark about major plot lines, I found the miniseries, and watched it this weekend. Needless to say, major story gaps were immediately filled, and the show makes much more sense.When the robot Cylons infiltrated the human defense system, they launched a surprise nuclear attack that decimated humanity and all of civilization, leaving a ragtag fleet of humans as the sole survivors. Faced with an un-winnable battle against a deadly enemy, they were forced to flee under the protection of their one remaining warship, the outdated Battlestar Galactica. Pursued by the Cylons — some of whom have now taken human form — Commander Adama and President Roslin lead these last remnants of humanity in search of a new home - a planet called Earth.
What makes the "reimaged" series better? For starters, an outstanding cast led by Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, rock solid character actors with long pedigrees, cast as Commander Adama and President Roslin. Olmos gives immediate credibility to Adama, a natural leader whose presence bleeds authority and leadership. McDonnell's Roslin is also tough, dealing with not only being made President on short notice, but also with advanced cancer, known only to her and two others. As Education Secretary, she was 43rd in line of succession to the presidency. The only remaining member of cabinet known to the Galactica and the ships surviving with it, she is sworn in as President, and must govern the 49,000 remaining members of humanity. A two-time Oscar nominee, McDonnell breathes life into Roslin, facing personal challenges on many levels that most couldn't handle on the best of days.
- The "Reimaged" Battlestar Galactica - Light Years Beyond the Original
- Published: February 13, 2005
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- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: SF
- Writer: Randy Reichardt
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- Randy Reichardt's personal site
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I've scene all 13 eps (via the Internet), and I have to say that it's easily one of the best sci-fi series in years. Some of the eps were un-even, is specially in the second half, but things picked up at end. Overall, it's a splended series. I love the dark, moody, atmosphere.
"Light years beyond the original" is an apt description. Since the original was cringingly awful, those light years put this one in the realm of mediocre, mildly irritating B-grade science fiction. On a par with Andromeda.
Dave
Yes, it's a great series. It's a season pass in my TiVo, and I just watched "Alibi."
Thanks for the review. Nice job.
"Light years beyond the original" is an apt description. Since the original was cringingly awful, those light years put this one in the realm of mediocre, mildly irritating B-grade science fiction. On a par with Andromeda.
Dave
No actually it's very very good. What the hell where you watching?
I'm watching a remake of Battlestar Galactica without the campy elements that at least made it amusing and with a whole bunch of bad overacting and incomprehensible plotting.
Dave
I'm watching a remake of Battlestar Galactica without the campy elements that at least made it amusing and with a whole bunch of bad overacting and incomprehensible plotting.
Most of the acting is understated if anything! As for "incomprehensible plotting" I guess if you're not smart enough to follow along I don't know if it's incomprehensible to anybody but you.
Series 3 of BattleStar is very bad and is basically a prisoner/gorillar warfare story, very dark and disapointing. Its like the same people who ruined the Andromeda plot have done the same to Battlestar. Please learn from Andromeda and don't hire the same writers or directors. Andromeda started strong but failed from mid to end and finished in a joke of an ending...
I would disagree. I think Season 3 has advanced the story considerably, and created the opportunity for the writers to change to focus of the show to almost animal-like survival. It's a bold move, and I find the SE3 episodes to date very compelling. It's also interesting to see some chinks in the Cylon armour, so to speak. It's a great series.
The original BSG series is VERY GOOD. The re-imagined series to too violent. I've tried watching the series and I can't.
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All 13 episodes of the first season have already aired in Europe, and are available on the internet. While the series is slightly uneven, and one episode major plot hole in particular is galling*, I'm very glad they're coming back for another season.
* It has to do with how long it take Doc Baltar to detect a Cylon. Which is it -- a couple of minutes or a few hours? Which fits the plot, I guess!