Browncoat in need of review! by Causal

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Browncoat in need of review!

POSTED BY: CAUSAL
UPDATED: Monday, February 20, 2006 19:49
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VIEWED: 1613
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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:28 PM

OK, folks. I've heard some...stuff...about the new Battlestar Galactica series. Now, I never watched the original, so I'm either missing out or untainted, depending. I'm just wondering what some of y'all think about it. I don't want to buy season 1 sight unseen, test untested.

How about it?

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I wish I had a magical wish-granting plank.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:31 PM

FOLLOWMAL

I like the new Battlestar Galactica. I bought it.
That being said, it's not Firefly. But it's about the best scifi on tv at the moment.

I think you will like it. Have you thought about netflixing it, or renting it, before you buy? Maybe that is a better alternative.

But I do recommend it.

"The war's long done. We're all just folk now."
Mal

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:40 PM

CAUSAL

Quote:
Originally posted by FollowMal:
Have you thought about netflixing it, or renting it, before you buy? Maybe that is a better alternative.

Don't have netflix, and the local rental joint doesn't carry it (wierd, rental place not carrying quality entertainment). I'm still looking around, maybe another store has it.

Anybody else?

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:41 PM

UNREGISTEREDCOMPANION

Comparing the original BSG series to the old one is like comparing the Adam West Batman tv show to the recent Batman Begins.

That being said....I like both BSG versions. The old one was so campy. The new one is dark and dramatic, but hell, I LOVE THEM BOTH!!!

It did take me a while to get used to Starbuck being a girl...but I am over that. I am just so glad that stupid robot dog and the whiny kid are absent this go around.

~~~~~
"Funny and sexy. You have no idea. And you never will."

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:54 PM

GALEN

Personally, I vaguely remember the original, but wasn't a die hard fan. This new version, IMHO, is awesome. It is a pretty suspense driven series (obviously) and most of the episodes really live up to that. From the beginning the have really jumped right into the action, brought up some interesting philosophical issues that deal with racism, politics, rape, the advancement of the human race, war, etc. I think that it will continue to really pull the viewer in many different directions.
The acting is also superb.

I'm an old school Babylon 5 fan, so are a lot of my friends. They got me hooked and introduced it (in the beginning) to me as equivalent to Season 3 of B5, where everything is getting exciting. In B5 there is a complex, evolving story with Shakespearing like characters (tragedy, comedy, hero, etc.). I think that BSG can be as equally deep if it really pursues it.

You really need to watch it fro the beginning to pick up a lot of the little bits and stories. Season 1 was really, really good. I think that Season 2 started off okay, then tapered off to the break. Now that it is back on, the past 2 episodes have been very exciting and I don't mind having it be the peak of my Friday night.

There is a lot of good potential in this series. From the beginning they took a lot of risks, introducing certain characters as females, switching some things here and there, but I think that it has paid off in the level of character development and plot potential that exists.

Now my big fear is that they will try to drag this series on for too long. I is one that can't be Star Trek. I needs to have an end in sight and be working to that. I think that the best shows should really do that instead of just existing and slowing fading out.

Galen

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 3:27 PM

STAKETHELURK

Buy it, buy it, buy it!

Oh, you want a more coherent review. Well, I’ll give it a try.

Forget anything you know about the first series (which doesn’t sound like much). The reimagined “Battlestar Galactica” has much more in common with “Firefly” than with anything that came before. Both shows are what is known as Naturalistic Science Fiction (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_science_fiction), that is they try to erode the sense of distance that is prevalent in more Star Trek-esque programs (e.g. Whedon’s attempt to counter “Stand back! For this is a forbidden planet.”). Thus, BSG inherited “Firefly’s” cinematographic style in both live action and visual effects (done by ZOIC! Watch for the Firefly-class ship that appears in the miniseries!).

BSG is a character-driven program with complex season-long plots and amazing ZOIC-riffic special effects. The acting is generally fantastic and really helps sell the characters as believable, flawed people. The basic plot follows the general concept of the original: A surprise attack on the Twelve Colonies by the robotic Cylons destroys human civilization and sends the survivors, clustered around the obsolete battlestar Galactica, fleeing in search of the lost (and possibly mythical) Thirteenth Colony, Earth. Most of our time is spent on board the Galactica and its ragtag fleet or following an intriguing storyline on the devastated, Cylon-occupied world of Caprica. Episode after episode, the writers deliver quality drama as the fleet struggles simply to survive and keep from tearing each other apart as tensions mount. It is really an ensemble cast, headed by Edward James Olmos who does a bang up job as Commander William Adama; a taciturn old veteran who was heading for retirement from his less than illustrious military career when the Cylon attack left him in command of the last remaining Colonial military forces. His civilian counterpart, President Lara Roslyn (brilliantly played by Mary McDonnel), was also unexpectedly thrust into a position of power when the attack leaves her, the Secretary of Education, the last surviving political official and the new president of the remnants of her civilization. We also follow the pilots of the Galactica’s fighter squadrons, as well as (unusually for space opera) the ground crew that keeps the fighters up and running. There’s also the treacherous and hilariously insane Dr. Gaius Baltar, who words cannot properly describe. And then there’s the Galactica herself, an obsolete warship that was being decommissioned and turned into a museum when the attack hit. Although not as battered and grungy as our dear Serenity, they do a great job of conveying how old and clunky the Galactica is.

The writers on the show are not afraid to shy away from dealing with serious questions and issues about religion, politics, terrorism, paranoia, and a host of other subjects that are very relevant to the here and now. The show also refuses to give easy answers to the questions it raises, and isn’t afraid to let its characters make--sometimes very serious--mistakes. The only weaknesses in the show are that it can at times be oppressively dark; I found myself occasionally wishing for Joss’ witty dialogue and ability to bring levity to even the darkest moments. But I find the problem to be a minor one, and the show does introduce its own dark (of course!) sense of humor. The only other complaint I’ve heard is that the Cylon physiology doesn’t quite add up; something odd for a show that prides itself on creating a sense of realism. But I find that a minor quibble as well, given all the other great things this show has going for it.

I heartily recommend that somehow, in some way, you watch this series as fast as you can. It is both very similar and very different from “Firefly” and should appeal to most fans of the ‘verse without seeming repetitive or derivative.

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Monday, February 20, 2006 7:49 PM

CAUSAL

Quote:
Originally posted by StakeTheLurk:
Buy it, buy it, buy it!

Thought you'd be interested: rented the miniseries, loved it. Bought it + season 1, loved it. Planning on buying season two. Thanks for the recommendation.

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I wish I had a magical wish-granting plank.

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