Author Topic: Battlestar Galactica/Caprica (Potential Spoilers)  (Read 103880 times)

Offline Valtar

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Battlestar Galactica/Caprica (Potential Spoilers)
« on: December 8, 2003, 11:18 PM »
So I sat down and watched the first episode in the mini ser. tonight...  I thought it was pretty cool cept for the fact that Boomer and Starbuck are no longer men guess they had a sex change.  Other than that it seemed like it will be a good mini ser. What did you guys think?
« Last Edit: April 22, 2009, 10:24 AM by Ryan »

Offline Jim

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #1 on: December 9, 2003, 07:27 AM »
One word:  crap

Offline dustrho

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #2 on: December 9, 2003, 07:39 AM »
I missed it because I was watching Monday Night Football instead.
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Offline MisterPL

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #3 on: December 9, 2003, 11:03 AM »
Random thoughts:

- Boomer and Starbuck are MUCH sexier now. (To me, at least.) Parts of it might be a little TOO sexy for my 11-year-old son. :-\

- I liked the war drums in the score, but would it kill them to add some homage to the original theme? Maybe in preparations for the decommission ceremony? It was a terrific march and deserved to be included somewhere. (Or did I miss it?)

- The track & zoom camerawork used exclusively and exhaustively throughout the visual effects got old fast. Otherwise, I liked the ship redesigns.

- The Cylons are interesting. A little like Terminators since they look (and apparently even have sex) like humans, so that's a fun twist. Although the two guards that showed up in the beginning were a little too Super Battle Droid inspired. But that's forgivable since much of BG's original look was lifted from Star Wars in the first place.

- Adama & Apollo's relationship is a little overblown. Okay, they don't get along. I get it. Can we move on?  ::)

- I like the President. A lot. She's a true leader, even if she is a glorified school teacher.

I'd watch the series, but only if that robotic dog came back. I'd love to see him reimagined.  :D
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Offline Valtar

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #4 on: December 9, 2003, 12:48 PM »
I think it would of just been better for me if they had just not had Boomer and Starbuck in it... I really dont care for them taking 2 well known Char. and completely changing them like that.  They could of just added 2 female pilots and not called the Boomer and Starbuck and it would of been cool.

Quote
I'd watch the series, but only if that robotic dog came back. I'd love to see him reimagined.

/agree

Offline Boba Binks

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #5 on: December 9, 2003, 01:01 PM »
I watched it... I am not into this show. So I will not watch it anymore.
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Offline MisterPL

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #6 on: December 9, 2003, 08:39 PM »
- I liked the war drums in the score, but would it kill them to add some homage to the original theme? Maybe in preparations for the decommission ceremony? It was a terrific march and deserved to be included somewhere. (Or did I miss it?)

I did miss it. Apparently while I was distracted, the theme was used exactly where I would have expected it to be; during the decommission ceremony. It was all of five seconds, but it was there. Good for Stu.
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Offline apokolips

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2003, 12:37 AM »
I did like the show enough, but the ghost of the original Galactica haunted me. Actually, the ghosts of Farscape and Babylon 5 were rattling some chains as well.  The classic show and it's characters had more character, more layers.  Gone are the distinctive Egyptian accents in the costumes, or any reference at all that they are descendents of the "Ancient Astronauts" that founded Earth.  But if this show became a weekly, I'd probably still watch it. Characters can and will develop with time.

I don't know how many of you here have never seen the original series, so for the sake of assumption, I'm going to go into a comparison/contrast.  

Male or female, this wasn't Starbuck. I saw none of his trademark sarcasm. The original was not a hero. Before the war he was a hotshot pilot, a gambler, a ladies' man and even a coward. When his entire civilization was destroyed by the Cylons, he was still those things. When the remainder of humanity needed his skills as a pilot and a warrior, he was gambling in alien casinos trying to cut deals for safe passage off of the Battlestar. He tried to run a number of times. It was as time went on and his character progressed that he grew into the role of a hero. This new Starbuck was a hero. She was emotionally invested and concerned about this war. The original Starbuck would have had more of a "get me the hell out of here" attitude, while his best friend Apollo would grab him by the collar and drag him into the line of fire.

This wasn't Apollo. In the classic story, Apollo was going to fly in a ceremonial parade celebrating peace with the Cylons, but gave his spot to his younger brother Zack. (played by Rick Springfield!) The Cylons attacked, and Zack was killed. Apollo knew it should have been him and he was racked with guilt. Their father Adama blamed Apollo for letting his brother fly before he was ready. When their home planet was bombed, Adama and Apollo took a shuttle down to find their home in total ruins. Adama's wife died in the bombing. The loss of Mom and Zack brought father and son together like never before, and really drove home to them the impact of the war before them. This Apollo was a hero who valued the remnants of his family second only to saving what was left of humanity. He was a loyal son and warrior, NOT a bitter brat who enjoyed torturing his dad with the memory of his son and ex-wife.

There were strong female characters in the original Galactica who no longer exist since they converted some male lead characters into females.

Athena - Adama's daughter, Apollo's sister. She was the navigator of the Galactica. She was also a previous love interest of Starbuck. She wanted to be a Viper pilot, and she overcame a long tradition of chauvenism, ultimately proving her superior pilot skills when the 'boys' needed rescuing.

Cassiopeia - a prostitute who found refuge on the Galactica. Due to her profession, the other refugees treated her like trash, telling her she didn't deserve to survive when so many others had died. Starbuck jumps to her rescue, and she becomes his one true love. Much to Athena's annoyance.

Serena - (Jane Seymour's first TV role) played a refugee who';s husband was killed in the attack. She and her son Boxy survived. She started a brief romance with Apollo before she was killed, and Apollo then adopted her son as his own.

Athena, Casseopia, Serena and Boxy. Four very important characters to the original series that no longer exist.

There was something else that Battlestar Galactica had that none of the other sci-fi series prior to it had, two black lead actors. Boomer was the working-class warrior/pilot, regularly fighting alongside Apollo and Starbuck. He is now an Asian female. Colonel Tigh was second-in-command of the Galactica, sharing the burden of leading the remainder of humanity to safety. He's now a snivveling white guy who seems to second-guess himself, and inspires no confidence in his crew.

In the original series, Baltar was Satan, the fallen one, the betrayer.  He was the sell-out.  He handed over everything the Cylons needed to wipe out humanity under his own free will, with the small exception of a colony that he could rule.  He lived among the Cylons, as their willing servant.  He gave them insight into the human psyche and advised them on how to conquer humanity.  The new Baltar Accidentally handed over this information to the Cylons because he was thinking with the wrong head.  He actually feels sorry for what he did in his own way.  Rather than living among the Cylons, they implanted a chip in his head with a neural clone of Scorpius on it, whispering to him, trying to sway him to their side.  Oh, did I say Scorpius?  Sorry.  My bad.  

I'm still trying to make sense of the whole Cylon thing.  The whole "they walk among us" thing is so overdone.  I'm not even paranoid anymore.  Modern sci-fi has made me numb to the wholeb 'body snatchers' cliche.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2003, 12:39 AM by apokolips »

Offline Xander

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2003, 09:08 AM »
This show was fantastic.  IF one can get over the reimagining hump, this show was amazingly well done.  The acting, the pacing, the whole look of the show went way beyond my admittedly small expectations. I would love to see a series.

Thanks for the rundown apokolips.  I remember watching the show when I was a kid, but a lot of the details escape me.  I guess since I don't have a clear memory of the original, I'm not as bothered about all of the changes.

I don't think they made a big deal about changing the gender around and making women do different things.  I mean, they did it, but they didn't call attention to it directly, or try to make a statement.  They just had women in different positions.  I do miss Starbuck's attitude/character from the original though. Boxy is actually the kid in the new show.  

Overall I thought they had a lot of great character development for the limited amount of time to introduce these new characters. Apollo and Adama's relationship, as well as Adama and Tigh's, was spelled out with minimal dialogue on Adama's part, but a lot of subtle expression.  The President was just well acted.

It was the action and pacing that I thought was hit dead on.  The tension of the flight crew trying to get the old vipers going, most of the nuclear destruction being off camera, the hectic pace of trying to make decisions when they didn't have much to go on, all great.  I loved the effects too.  The laser blast sounds and navigation from the vipers were excellent! I like the little things like those printouts they were always reading.  A nod back to the dot matrix printouts on the original show.  So dated now!

I would liked to have seen more "chrome toaster" cylons and less skankly lady cylons. And the twist at the end, nah, I could do without that.



Offline Valtar

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2003, 09:16 AM »

Athena, Casseopia, Serena and Boxy. Four very important characters to the original series that no longer exist.


Although, most of this statement is true... The intro of Boxy happend last night,  Tho he is a orphon instead of Apollo's Son.

Also apokolips, that was a great Run down of it and I agree with you.  They should of kept with the way it was.


Offline Jedi Idej

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Re: Battlestar Galactica
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2003, 08:01 PM »
There's enough stripped and changed from the original series that this could have been, and should have been, made into a new franchise. By the second part, I stopped seeing it as BSG but just a sci-fi series that happens to have the same name as the 70s series; and along with it, went away all my despise for it for being a re-imagine.

But I still have plenty to bitch about.

What's with all the artsy-fartsy camera work? There are pan zooms, stutter zooms, quick pans, inner and outter merry-go-round pans, stationary jittery hands shots. In no way does the camera work complement what's going on in the scene to help establish the mood. The only thing it evokes was my own hack videography days in school helping tape cermemonies and plays. Had I known the visuals that came about from my incompetence would be in style, I would've gotten into the business.

The space battles lack excitement. It's like watching a train wreck while under the influence of valium. The massive casualties inflicted on the Colonials... the destruction... I just sat unengaged, unmoved. I'm still trying to figure out the importance of trotting out the suped-up vipers only to have them, and presumably the majority of the pilots, obliterated in one fell swoop.

What was the point of trying to make this an "adult" show? Even then, adult content doesn't automatically require t&a or digital arousal. That's become such a formulaic ploy that it's more annoying than titillating.

I don't even want to get into the pacing and scene jumps.

One thing I found interesting is the cylon chick snapping the baby's neck. Does she do it out of meaness, or in a convoluted way, compassion?

Offline Mister Skeezler

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Battlestar Galactica...who's watching?
« Reply #11 on: August 8, 2005, 03:01 PM »
I'm going to come right out and say it...I love this show.

Sure, the old BG had its moments, and nostalgia keeps a special place for that show in my heart, but the new Galactica really delivers a gripping story that the old one didn't really give me. Granted, I'm watching this as its own entity. I don't even think about the old BG when I watch this one. As far as I'm concerned, this story is completely new.

One of the things I like about this show is that it has a much greater sense of realism. The mock-documentary feel of the camera work, the near-soundlessness of space combat, the use of nuclear warheads rather than some exotic sci-fi weapon and the tug-of-war of fleet politics makes this show very appealing. Even my fiancee (who is not a sci-fi fan) really enjoys this show, and looks forward to it every Friday night.

Anyone else watching this?
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Offline Brian

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Re: Battlestar Galactica...who's watching?
« Reply #12 on: August 8, 2005, 03:46 PM »
I haven't been so far, but I've been thinking about it.  It sounds like it gets nothing but good reviews, and seems to be a good show overall.  I was a fan of the old version when I was a kid (I thought Muffet was pretty cool, being a dog person), and remember watching that with my dad quite a bit.  I haven't checked out the new one yet, or really know much about it, but it sounds like it is definitely worth giving a look-see.

Offline hansolo_506

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Re: Battlestar Galactica...who's watching?
« Reply #13 on: August 8, 2005, 03:52 PM »
It is one frakin' good show!
« Last Edit: August 9, 2005, 12:50 PM by hansolo_506 »
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Offline Mister Skeezler

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Re: Battlestar Galactica...who's watching?
« Reply #14 on: August 8, 2005, 04:26 PM »
It is one ******* good show!

You said it bro, frakkin-a!!!
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