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Movies => Bad Movies => Topic started by: Mr_Vindictive on January 09, 2005, 10:33:59 AM



Title: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 09, 2005, 10:33:59 AM
I know there was a lengthy post about this last year but I know how some people hate dredging up old topics.  :)

I finally got around to catching the mini-series last night on NBC.  I'm really amazed at just how good it was.  I'm also surprised that SciFi was able to pull something this good off.  

I never really watched the original Battlestar, and mainly only remember it from a few reruns.  Was this version true to the original?  

It really shocked me, seeing how old Edward James Olmos is now.  I can't say I've really seen him in anything since Blade Runner, and he's almost unrecognizable now.  Still, he put in a solid performance througout.

It kept me entertained through it's entire 3 hour run time and I can't wait for the series to premier on SciFi. Anybody know when that'll be?



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: nobody on January 09, 2005, 12:20:09 PM
The season premeire will be Friday the 14th.

And it's not true to the original- the Internet is swimming with grievances about that very "problem"... but having never seen the original series myself, I thought the miniseries "changes" were good. I'll definitely be watching Friday night.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 09, 2005, 04:03:49 PM
I've seen episodes 1-9 from Sky One (don't ask how). This series is kick ass. Richard Hatch (Apollo from the original) guest stars in at least two eps and he was one of the miniseries greatest opponents, now he is all over the place singing its praises. It is good and SciFi has already ordered six scripts for the possible second season just from the ratings in the UK.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Sugar_Nads on January 09, 2005, 07:13:45 PM
The original will always be better no matter what they try to re-invent.

All the a-hole executives at Sci-Fi feel like being a "creative genious" and as a result we the fans get shafted. Pedestrian storylines, mediocre acting and sex,sex,sex. That's all it takes to get people to watch any show now days.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 09, 2005, 08:39:05 PM
You obviously haven't watched it .



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Sugar_Nads on January 09, 2005, 08:49:21 PM
No Geezer, you're wrong on that one. ; )

I have watched it and it doesn't even slightly resemble the original.

So, just how is the newer version better?


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Flangepart on January 10, 2005, 11:34:42 AM
Hummmmm....better?

Am i the only one who thinks they did a better job of capturing the gloom and depression of watching an apocolypse?
The nukeing of the planets, the slaughter of the Colonial Fleet, and the leaving behind of the Non-Jump cabable ships......they never dwelt on this in the original series.
And these days....i'd expect the series ends with the humans getting vaped at the end.
And human appearing cylons...oh, THATS original. Too cheap to have cool looking cylon warriors.....thought the " Eye thing " is still silly.

Now...who wants to bet they run into Blake's 7 ?



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 10, 2005, 04:00:40 PM
I do have to agree with Flange on the "Human Cylon" thing.  One would expect in our day and age that there would have been some sweet CGI cylons.  Sure there were some clyons but they were mainly too far away to discern exactly what they look like.

I am hoping that in the series, we will get to see some more of the real cylons.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Ed on January 10, 2005, 04:21:28 PM
As a kid, I loved the show, really did.  But I fully realize how cheesey it  was at times.  I also try not to automatically think stuff I saw when  I was a kid is automatically better than modern versions.  I LOVED the 1930's Flash Gordon for example, in my mind is was as cool as Star Wars. But back to the battlestar...
The new one was surpriingly well done.   It was different from the original, and they were lower  tech in areas I found surprising.  Sometimes, I felt they were being different just for the sake of not being like the original.  But I give it a good solid B+, I'd watch it again.
Ed


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: JohnL on January 10, 2005, 10:53:12 PM
>I am hoping that in the series, we will get to see some more of the real cylons.

Don't count on it. Most of the articles I've read have stressed that the problem of not being able to tell who's human and who isn't, will be at the core of the series.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 11, 2005, 08:08:01 AM
There are regular  Cylons in the series, but they are the grunts. Actually they are different  from the ones in the original (they're not chromed) and somewhat the same (the moving red eye and they seem to be quite easy to take out).  I don't know if they actually have an animatronic version, but the CG ones are really look menacing.

I 'll tell you this, once you watch the first few episodes you're going to be wondering what the cylons really are and what powers do they have. This is a very intense show



Post Edited (01-11-05 07:34)


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: ulthar on January 11, 2005, 09:11:23 AM
Well, I wanted to watch it Saturday night, but our local NBC affiliate, after advertising BG during the day, aired a tribute to Quincy Jones instead.

Still waiting to see the new BG.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 11, 2005, 09:19:41 AM
Trek,

I gotta know, just how exactly did you obtain the episodes?

I'm pretty pysched about it.  I checked SciFi and it looks like they're airing the miniseries either tonight or tomorrow night.  I might have to get my wife to watch it this time.

Too bad I don't have Tivo.  :(



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 11, 2005, 11:13:16 AM
My son and his friend at college (Computer Science majors) brought them to me on a DVD when I asked them to record an Enterprise episode for me right before Thanksgiving. They probably got them off Bit Torrent.

They were .mpg and .avi files and weren't the greatest quality, plus I had to watch them on my computer monitor. Sky One also puts the damned logo about a third of the way down screen which is really irritating.  So, I will be watching them again on the TV .

I have seen eps 1-8. The atmosphere is really dark, and the paranoia keeps building   over time. The original series had a sort of campy quality to it.  This one is definitely a drama, but has a bit of comedy occasionally usually at Baltar's expense.  

I like the reality bits, like the Vipers having reaction control thrusters so they handle like the Starfuries on Babylon 5.  

EJ Olmos may look a little old now, but  in quite a few scenes he is just wearing the muscle shirt  they have under their uniforms and that man has some arms on him. I saw a picture of him and Apollo with boxing gloves on in and ep I haven't seen and I don't think I'd like him hit me.  I really like the understated way  he acts in this .  

I think you will like it , especially since you're not tainted by watching the original as a child.

You can check out some pics from both show here BSG (http://gateworld.net/galactica/index.shtml)



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Scott on January 11, 2005, 11:24:56 AM
About the Vipers. When I use to watch the original series as I was a big fan. I was always concerned about the lost of Vipers during battle and their chance of reaching their destination before the Cylons would eliminate them. How would an emergency armada of loose ships handle the production of more Vipers?



Post Edited (01-11-05 10:25)


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 11, 2005, 11:31:06 AM
Thanks for the info Trek.  As I said, it's certainly shaping up to be a good show.

I used to dabble a bit with Bit Torrent but it seems that most of the sites have been shut down in the past couple of months.  :(

I might have to see about it when I get my pc finally fixed.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Flangepart on January 11, 2005, 11:53:05 AM
Scott : The fleet had some factory ship among them. This, according to some of the BG books that came out.
The factory ship Vipers were somewhat heavy compared to proper production versions, and the experianced pilots got the best of the bunch. And, of corsh, replacement pilots came from the ships of the fleet.

If the new show has Vipers that use projectial wepons, versus energy wepons, they have to have ships that can make ammo, too.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 11, 2005, 12:40:32 PM
The Vipers they are using in the series are the MkII like the original series only  they are supposed to obsolete. The Galactica was being retired to become a museum and the old  Vipers were on display there.  When they cylons attacked they took out most of the Mk VII Vipers by infecting all the computer controls.  The old ones fly manually.

They do appear to use projectile weapons as well as rockets. The sidearms are also use bullets.

The official site at SciFi .com has a lot of info in a section about the ships. I don't  remember if they show the factory ship there or not., but I know on the old show they had one.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 11, 2005, 01:13:00 PM
I loved the fact that they were having to use old equipment instead of the new equipment that the Cylons could disable.  For some reason, it seemed to add a whole new level to it.  Here are the people, stranded against a force having to use old equipment.

I also liked the look of the old ships better anyway. :)



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Fearless Freep on January 11, 2005, 01:18:25 PM
The Vipers they are using in the series are the MkII like the original series only they are supposed to obsolete. The Galactica was being retired to become a museum and the old Vipers were on display there. When they cylons attacked they took out most of the Mk VII Vipers by infecting all the computer controls. The old ones fly manually.

Sounds like they put a lot of thought into this and came up with something pretty stupid...



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Scott on January 11, 2005, 01:25:21 PM
Thanks. I'm going to try to catch this one Friday. Not 100% sure about that. Guess maybe I should try my record feature on my Comcast service. Haven't tried it yet.



Post Edited (01-11-05 12:26)


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 12, 2005, 08:06:45 AM
I watched the first half of the miniseries again last night on SciFi with my wife.  It seems that the version that I saw on NBC last week was heavily abridged.  I noticed numerous differences and scenes I hadn't seen before.

-Slight Spoilers-

I now know that there was a love interest between Apollo and Starbuck, and a love interest between the head of the maintenance crew and Boomer (Raptor pilot).  It was also interesting to know that the new president of the colonies has a type of tumor.  Just makes her appointment to office more interesting.  

I can't believe how much was taken from the film when NBC aired it.  It's like a whole new film.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: odinn7 on January 12, 2005, 08:21:13 AM
"there was a love interest between Apollo and Starbuck"

OK, that's somewhat disturbing. Apollo and Starbuck getting it on? They show this on TV? Or...wait a minute...tell me one of them is a chick now?



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 12, 2005, 08:42:56 AM
Odinn,

LOL.  Yes, Starbuck is a chick now.  You wouldn't really know though unless you really looked at her.  geesh....



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 12, 2005, 08:47:13 AM
This is kind of a spoiler Starbuck is a woman and she was engaged to Apollo's brother.  This is addressed in a later episode as well as what really happened to  him.  Adama pretty much considers her a daughter.

Starbuck and Apollo are not names in this version they are fighter pilot call signs.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: ulthar on January 12, 2005, 08:53:16 AM
trek_geezer wrote:


>
> Starbuck and Apollo are not names in this version they are
> fighter pilot call signs.
>

Okay, that's a kind of relief.  I loved the first series when I was kid, but always did think Starbuck was a bit of a weak name for someone who supposed to be the best fighter jock around.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 12, 2005, 08:54:58 AM
Trek,

I figured that Starbuck and Adama's other son had something in the past.  There is a mention at the end of the miniseries that she was the one who passed him from flight school.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Scott on January 12, 2005, 03:27:35 PM
>Starbuck is a chick now

My goodness is there no end to the future?



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Prophet Tenebrae on January 13, 2005, 03:37:39 PM
Man, some of you guys are all moan, moan, moan.

Of COURSE it isn't an exact remake of the original series - that wouldn't work.

I personally think that the series is rather engaging, sure they've changed some of the things - they've got the human cylons, they've got Baltar in their midst... you don't really have an insight into the cylon side of things but it's well written and well acted etc.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: JohnL on January 14, 2005, 12:26:53 AM
>About the Vipers. When I use to watch the original series as I was a big fan. I was
>always concerned about the lost of Vipers during battle and their chance of
>reaching their destination before the Cylons would eliminate them. How would an
>emergency armada of loose ships handle the production of more Vipers?

I seem to recall that one of the episodes mentioned that new Vipers were being built. Of course, the new show will have that same problem.

>I used to dabble a bit with Bit Torrent but it seems that most of the sites have
>been shut down in the past couple of months. :(
>
>I might have to see about it when I get my pc finally fixed.

I just checked and episodes 1-9 as well as the miniseries seem to be available on eDonkey/eMule. They don't have very many sources though, which probably means a several day wait before each download starts and then a blistering download speed of about 1.5/sec.

>The Vipers they are using in the series are the MkII like the original series only
>they are supposed to obsolete.

I could be wrong, but I thought the Vipers from the original show were supposed to be MkI and that the MkII, while still old were somewhat newer. They're a little more streamlined than the originals.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 14, 2005, 08:57:57 AM
The MkII in the new series is a really old ship. In the miniseries Apollo flies his Dad's ship from the first Cylon war 40 years before.  They brought a whole squadron on board for the museum and Adama made the comment he hadn't seen one in 20 years.  The MkVII  is the one being used until the Cylon scrambles their computers and wiped them out.

They also made the point that the Galactica was the only Battlestar left from the last war, but they mention 30 Battlestars gettiing wiped out in the current attack. So I think the Galactica was the only one without networked computers and other low tech equipment to keep the Cylons from exploiting them.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 14, 2005, 09:14:37 AM
Trek,

Did they mention that the Battlestar was the only one left from the original war?  I know that there is mention of apx. 30 other Battlestars being destroyed by the Cylon attack, I assumed they too were Battlestars from the original war.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 14, 2005, 09:52:49 AM
They did say she is the last of her kind,  I think all the others were newer models.



Title: Episodes 1 and 2 - "33" and "Water"
Post by: nobody on January 15, 2005, 02:11:10 AM
Alright, I just finished watching episodes 1 and 2- "33" and "Water"- and I've got to say I'm impressed. Very impressed.

Again, I never watched the original "Battlestar Galactica", so I don't know how the two versions compair, but this new version is unlike any science fiction show I've ever seen before. It doesn't appear to be the same tired old sci-fi garbage. I don't want to give away any spoilers for those of you who haven't seen tonights episodes... but the Galactica didn't encounter any spacial anomalies or crazy alien races. Both scripts revolved around humans being humans- trying hard to survive in the worst of conditions.

My only complaint would be, if I was forced to make one, that cylon "six", the attractive blonde who has the hots for Baltar, played the sexuality card a little too much. It seemed that every scene involving her had her kissing on some guy... but hopefully that'll get toned down a bit now that the writers have gotten the season openers out of the way.

Overall, I'll definitely be tuning in for next Friday's episode.


Title: Re: Episodes 1 and 2 - "33" and "Water"
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on January 15, 2005, 07:53:30 AM
Unfortuantly I did miss last night's episodes.  :(

I'm sure I'll catch a rerun by next week.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Prophet Tenebrae on January 15, 2005, 09:17:05 AM
Yeah, Galactica has actually done what relatively few scifi shows have done before - essentially cut out the techno-babble and just made it a human drama, that happens to be set in space.

Baltar's character really is genius though - his relationship with the blonde is... rather physical but I think that's rather telling. It just gets better really. Quite a few cliffhanger episodes and continuity which is always good.

It's also - although not often openly - a very dark show, as some have pointed out. In the original it was as if they didn't really care that they were the only humans left alive - or at least it was never really dwelled upon.

I think in regards to the Galactica - it was the only one that was left from the first war, not the only that survived it... of course, you have to wonder what kind of crackpipes the designers were smoking when they made ships that were wide-open to Cylon's attack. Ok, the Cylons had some help - but still... they were tempting fate.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Bmeansgood on January 15, 2005, 09:33:42 AM
I watched episode's 1 and 2 last night and I really enjoyed them.  I am excited to see what they do next.  

I did not get a chance to see the mini-series, so if anyone knows if and when it will be replayed next please let me know!  Thanks


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: nobody on January 15, 2005, 11:15:21 AM
They're replaying the miniseries on sunday the 16th. Also, the DVD is out in stores now- and from what I hear the DVD contains a longer version of the show. Apparently sci-fi had cut it down to fit the time slot... but I'm not 100% sure on that. I don't own the DVD yet.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Fearless Freep on January 15, 2005, 12:38:15 PM
I watched big parts of two espisodes last night and was pretty underwhelmed

The moton-sickness inducing camera that's constantly bobbling up and down and sometimes out of focus is annoying, especially constantly for an hour.  They even did it for external shots...long shot of ships bouncing around...quick zoom to one ship bouncing around, close up of cockpit and characters bouncing around, internal shot of characters bouncing around.  I never quite figured out what the quick zoom was all about, from wide shot of many ships to tight shot of one ship; it never fit in with either the action or the dialog, just seemed gimmicky.  This seems a camera style picked up from NYPD Blue etc..but I've never liked it.  I suppose it's supposed to be like you are in the room there with them, but people don't move their eyes like that and your brain and eye compensate for the motion so you balance and focus *much* faster and smoother than these drunken camera shots.  The really silly part is that the external shots had that same bouncy effect but they were all CG and the bouncy-algorithm wasn't quite right so it was glaringly different from the internal live shots (and the bounciness for a wide-pan external shot *really* makes no sense)

The overcontrasted visuals.  Darks are dark, some lights are really light.  Shadows are deep so the lines and shadows in peoples clothes and faces (chin cheeks) are really contrasted.  I think this is supposed to make it look 'dark and gritty' but it looks more like they thought 'hey, all those dark and gritty cop drama shows do it so..we'll do it'.   Look around you...unless you just woke up in a bright room...life doesn't look like this.

The anachronisms.  Star Trek could get away with books and glasses.  Most shows can't.  These really looked out of place in the settings.  Even if these are 'humans', they are at least several hundered years culturally and technologically removed from earth.  Get them some contacts and some cool electronic books.  I can understand the desire of the 'romantisicm' but EJ Olmos room (especially with dark lighting, see above) looks like some grandmothers attic.

Too many sexual/romantic daliances.  I'm trying to watch the characters and hear the dialog and understand why people are doing what they are doing...I don't need the drunken camera man trying to constanty check out the cleveage of the blond female card player.  The doctor and his halfdressed-at-best blonde sidekick, the asian pilot and her chief (nice military protocol here)...sheesh..  Like watching an episode of 'The Young and the Worldless" (except for the two stuck on Caprica)

Overly-dramatic.  I can appreciate trying to be dramatic but these people take themselves way too seriously; and don't pull it off well.   Ok, pilot's looking at screen...screen confirms water...pilot says 'no water' and looks dazed and confused.  So we spend how much time between pilot's dazed face, computer screen, and detonator.  Round and round; screen,pilot,detonator...look, we all figured out where this was going by the second trip round; taking four more trips goes past 'tension' into 'get on with it already'  For the most part, though, everyone and everything was way too dour to be taken seriously; they seem more cliched of serious roles than actual people in a real situation.

Actually, 'cliched' would be my way of summing this all up.  A few nights ago I watched "Cybernator" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137452/).  This was a movie chock full of cliches (government conspriacy, cop on the edge who's partner dies, cyborgs trying to take over the world)  Problem was, the people doing it didn't seem to really know hot to make the cliches work.   I got the same feeling whatching BG last night; the filmakers had whatched NYPD Blue and ER and CSI a lot and knew a lot of the cliches of 'modern dramatic film-making' but didn't really understand why or how to make them work and the result was more than a bit boring



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: nobody on January 15, 2005, 12:56:11 PM
I'm actually a fan of the color scheme in BG. I liked going from extreme dark to extreme light. I thought it gave the film a crisp and clear appearance- a visual effect I haven't been over exposed to yet since I don't watch any of the cop shows you mentioned, Fearless Freep (or the billion other cop shows you didn't mention) :)
It reminded me of the one Spielberg movie I like- "Minority Report."

As for the jerky cameras, I have noticed that more and more directors are trying to pull that move. The first time I saw it myself was in "28 days later". I also noticed it in "Dawn of the Dead", too. Eventually it's sure to become the next "matrix cam" equivalent- very overused and very annoying- but right now, on BG, I didn't mind so much.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 15, 2005, 08:04:50 PM
They had a special right before the two episodes called the Lowdown, in which one of the effects guys was showing how they made the hand held camera effect in the computer for the space battles.

I actually like the way they can just do an immediate 180 in the Vipers (very much like B5). The ships are very realistic looking and  I noticed in the Water episode that the port  landing bay was still showing the damage from the nuke that hit them in  the mini-series.  

This is an extremely good quality show and I hope it  continues to do well. Not enough quality science fiction on tv right now  (or at the movies).



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Menard on January 15, 2005, 08:30:20 PM
After the first series of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ended, there was a (short lived) second series (well really a continuation with different actors) in which they made it to present day Earth. A bad guy (played by none other than Richard Lynch) among their own, ends up in L.A. and they send in a fighter with two pilots to track him down. But, alas, he has traveled back in time to World War 2 (I guess to change the outcome). Since my memory of the few episodes I saw might not be that good, I could be a little off on my description. Also, does anybody recall the name of the other Battlestar that was commanded by (I believe) Lloyd Bridges which disappeared without a trace during a battle (apparently leaving it open as to what happened to it)?



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 15, 2005, 08:54:24 PM
Lloyd  Bridges was in command of the Battlestar Pegasus.  

The Galactica 1980 series starred Barry  Van Dyke and Kent McCord and was pretty pale in comparison to the original series.

They find Earth and  run around on flying mototcycles. The only two things I really remember are them approaching a scientist played by Robert  Reed by finishing his equations on a black board (sound familiar). The show also had a human Cylon, who crash lands on Earth during Halloween and winds up at costume party accompanied by a regular Cylon who goes beserk when some uses the microwave.  It lasted 10 episodes and those are the only memorable parts.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Prophet Tenebrae on January 16, 2005, 08:14:46 AM
Yes, as I recall what happened was the original got cut and then they quickly rushed to make a new series when they found out how much trouble got kicked up. Needless to say, this faux pas didn't go down too well either.

Just another case of networks realising they made a bad decision, then following it up with an even worse one. Magic 8 balls could run a network better.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: odinn7 on January 16, 2005, 12:14:50 PM
That series was just awful. I was a kid when this was on and the original BG was a show that I couldn't miss. When they found earth, I think that was the first time I was ever p**sed at the TV. I remember the flying motorcycles and...and...oh god, the horror...I remember the kids could jump fantastic distances. I never finished watching that series as I knew it wouldn't turn out the way I wanted...all of them to die.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 16, 2005, 12:45:18 PM
The original had great ratings and only got cancelled because the production  costs were  over a million per episode.  So they thought up a way to bring it back in a less costly form . Cheaper actors, they're on Earth so no costly alien sets.  Any space battles were done with stock footage, so no costly f/x.  You get what you pay for .



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Flangepart on January 16, 2005, 02:23:57 PM
Amen, Brothers.
GALATICA 1980 sucked vaccum. Realy.
There is a series i wanted to b***hslap with a spiked glove.

Havent seen the tape of the first two ephs, yet.
We shall see....



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: JohnL on January 17, 2005, 04:52:24 PM
>Baltar's character really is genius though - his relationship with the blonde is...
>rather physical but I think that's rather telling. It just gets better really.

That was my least favorite part of the show. I hated the whole "Harvey" story on Farscape, and I hate it here as well. Actually, I'm pretty sick of traitor type characters like Baltar. It's as if the writers are saying "We're not clever enough to make an interesting story that will stand on its own, so we have to have a traitor who will stir things up when it's convenient for the plot."

I also can't stand how everyone worships baltar as some kind of living god. It's like, "Doctor, since your IQ is *OBVIOUSLY* higher than everyone else's in the fleet combined, and you make the rest of us look like drooling morons who are lucky we have enough intelligence to remember to breathe, what do you think we should do?" Or "Thank god we have you to guide us simple-minded morons, who wouldn't even have sense enough not to walk out an airlock if it weren't for your golden words of wisdom!"

Since I know he's one of the regular cast members and they can't just shoot him, I really hope the writers find a way to expose him. Maybe have him become an open villain that they try to keep locked up.

>The moton-sickness inducing camera that's constantly bobbling up and down
>and sometimes out of focus is annoying, especially constantly for an hour.

I agree. I know they're trying for a documentary feel, but someone forgot to tell them that dramas and documentaries aren't the same thing.

>Overly-dramatic. I can appreciate trying to be dramatic but these people take
>themselves way too seriously; and don't pull it off well. Ok, pilot's looking at
>screen...screen confirms water...pilot says 'no water' and looks dazed and
>confused.

Spoiler:

There's a valid reason for that scene, which you might have missed, especially if you didn't see the miniseries. The pilot is a cylon. Didn't you notice that both she, and the one who came to rescue the guy on Caprica are played by the same actress? Another copy of her was shown at the very end of the miniseries, standing with all the other copies of the blonde cylon, the two male cylon models, etc. In the miniseries, the blonde cylon (number six) stated that there were cylon sleeper agents programmed to not only act human, but to think that they ARE human, until they're activated. She was the one who placed the bombs in the water tank, which is why she was all wet at the start of the episode. The reason she took so long to read the message on the screen is that there was a conflict between her human programming and her cylon programming.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Fearless Freep on January 17, 2005, 06:26:44 PM
The reason she took so long to read the message on the screen is that there was a conflict between her human programming and her cylon programming.

I knew that, not having even seen the whole episode.  It was fairly obvious what was going on.  Problem was, I don't think the director did a very good job of setting and maintaining the tension.  That scene dragged on and if they wanted the scene to be that long they needed to do something else other than just change between pretty much the same three camera shots.  That scene went from curious to tense to dull



Post Edited (01-17-05 17:50)


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Mike Nelson on January 17, 2005, 06:43:39 PM
I have also seen episodes 1 - 11, and i would like to say the series is really good so far,  yes there is quite a bit too much humpin and bumpin.   I'm excited to see where they take a few interesting subplots they have developed..


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 18, 2005, 08:22:49 AM
Baltar was the traitor in the original, although he was out in the open. The Cylons even gave him a Base Star to follow the fleet with.

I think in the original he was a member of the Council of  Twelve and a one time friend to Adama.  In later episodes they had captured him and were keeping him in a cell.

The Baltar in the new one has some pretty funny scenes in upcoming episodes.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Panpiper on January 26, 2005, 01:37:48 PM
I am old enough to have been a teenager when the original series aired. I was a big fan at first, being very much a science fiction geek, especially back then. Ultimately though, the camp and corniness, the constant turning of things more to comedy than to drama, really started to wear on me. I lost interest in the series before it was canceled.

In my opinion, the new series is absolutely brilliant. It is exactly what the old series should have been right from the start. Again, in my opinion, the old series stinks big time in comparison. Those who bemoan that this new series is different from the old, those I understand not at all. Of course it is different. It is a better different.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Flangepart on January 26, 2005, 05:48:36 PM
Well.....not as bad as i expected. I might give it a go.
Still, i say its on probation.
Does anyone else think the Cylons are looney tunes? Could it be they are a wacked out A.I. program that went all "Colossous" on their butts?
The "Ghod Talk" in "33" made me wonder how they ended up doing a number on their creators....a bit of "Nomad" here? Would that make Baltar "Jackson Roykirk?".

Hummm... heres a question....
How might you like to see the series end? Me, i like their last space jump, put them all in space...in front of Bablyon 5!
But, thats just me.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: AD on January 27, 2005, 08:18:23 AM
I don't like the character of Baltar  in this new version of BG, he cries too much and doesn't hold a candle to the original Baltar.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: JohnL on January 27, 2005, 05:37:52 PM
>Does anyone else think the Cylons are looney tunes?

Well they're not too bright if they only made 4-5 different human versions. I mean, how hard is it to vary height, skin tone, hair color, and facial features? Once the humans discover one of them, every copy of that particular model becomes useless.

I'd also like to see the robotic models actually do something other than stand around or a 10 second shot of one walking.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Flangepart on January 27, 2005, 05:41:55 PM
The metal Cylons are the "Grunts" of the culture, i think.
Do they conciter themselves expendable, or are only the "Androids" smart enough for that?



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: trekgeezer on January 27, 2005, 09:27:52 PM
Helo ( the guy stuck on Caprica) does a little battle with some of robotic types in an upcoming episode. They are evidently very expendible and just as easy to take out as the ones in the old series.

It was established by 6 in the miniseries that there were 12 human types of Cylons, so there are six  or more that haven't been seen yet.  The fleet is only aware of the two male types that  they had contact with.

I'm ahead of  most everyone here (except for anyone in the UK) and the Cylons are little heavy into the God thing.  They are up to something, but it is hard to say what.



Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: JohnL on January 28, 2005, 06:43:12 PM
>It was established by 6 in the miniseries that there were 12 human types of
>Cylons, so there are six or more that haven't been seen yet.

Even so, that's not very many.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Jack Corbett on January 30, 2005, 07:45:33 PM
I cant wait to watch it when it comes out in Australia...

I'm an Aussie.


Title: Re: Battlestar Gallactica (2003)
Post by: Prophet Tenebrae on January 30, 2005, 11:55:26 PM
I can tell you - having now seen all 13 episodes that I think this is probably one of the best sci-fi shows of recent times. In terms of cohesiveness and just generally fitting together, I'd say B5 is its only real peer.

But man, oh man are there some cliffhangers.

The big metal Cylons seem to be pretty easy to waste - but presumably the guns that they have are specifically developed to kill them. Is it 12 types of human cylon? Hmm, I guess that gives them a fair bit to play with if the series goes on.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the series as much as I did.