Sci-Fi's Battlestar Galactica miniseries opinions (1 Viewer)

[Carl Walker]

Well, then you just go off and hold your little boycotts, protests, internet petitions, letter writing campaigns, and hunger strikes and perhaps one day things will get better for you.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the series when it debuts next month. If the reviews that I've read are any indication, then it will take an act of God to get this one pulled off the air.

Also, do you not find it a bit ironic that Richard Hatch, of all people, is appearing in the series? He was also interviewed extensively in the documentary on the Miniseries DVD. I mean, of all non-fanboy people, he should be the one most upset about this version of his beloved franchise, shouldn't he? Or, do you think that just maybe he finds this one to be quite good? Hmmmmm...

 

[Eric Paddon]

"I never said that I didn't watch a single episode of the series after 1979. However, the last time that I did watch an episode of the show was in the mid 1980's when it came on locally in the evenings after school. Even then, I only saw a few episodes..."

And yet somehow during that time when it was in syndication it was still palatable enough for you to watch when you were that much older than being a mere child of seven, so thank you for undercutting your whole argument that the show was only good enough for a seven year old mind since that experience should have already conditioned you to not pick up the DVD set years later.

"Well, then you just go off and hold your little boycotts, protests, internet petitions, letter writing campaigns, and hunger strikes and perhaps one day things will get better for you."

Actually it would be a lot easier for us to be calm and placid about it were it not for the fact that so many of the Moore bootlickers have this incredible urge to trash the original series rather than just confine themselves to comment about the new end product. That's my definition of being bush league, considering that the thing you're now enjoying only exists because the fanbase for the original kept interest alive in the property to begin with. It sort of puts one in mind of a gloating Baltimore Ravens fan making derogatory comments about Cleveland in 1995 when they heisted a football team from them.

"Also, do you not find it a bit ironic that Richard Hatch, of all people, is appearing in the series?"

Richard is in it because Ron Moore knew he could appeal to his ego and vanity by offering him a part, and considering that Richard needs the money he just demonstrated that he can be bought off.

"He was also interviewed extensively in the documentary on the Miniseries DVD."

And he did that before Moore offered him the role, and it's worth noting that at that point in time, Richard then openly complained about Sci-Fi editing his remarks that touched on how he was not pleased over the course of events that led to the continuation project being derailed. Richard was suddenly emerging as a leading critic of the whole thing when lo and behold along comes an acting offer that he snatched up. Personally, I prefer Dirk Benedict's reaction to a similar offer to act in the series when he told Moore to take a flying leap.

But then again, why would you want Richard to be in the thing anyway since you can't obviously have much of an opinion of his acting ability if you now think the original was "Beyond bad"?

 

[Jeremy Conrad]

Exactly. One thing Moore takes a lot of time to explain in the commentary is that "anti-Trek" stance so many people jumped on. The characters aren't flawlessly perfect people (the XO is a drunk), the ships break down not because of some monster/disease/psychological crisis of the week but because they are machines, and they tried to put in realistic physics in space while being forced to put in the things that people expect to see in space battles (sound, explosions). They apparently actually experimented with there not being any sound or explosions in the space scenes, but it just didn't work from and audience perspective.

I liked the original series when I was little, but it just doesn't hold up today. I do like the stuff they put in from the original series. The old Vipers and Cylons are there, but they are left overs from the Cylon wars from 40 years ago and stuck in museums (except the Vipers, but you'll need to watch the miniseries to find out why they are in use). So in a way it's like a part of the original series is there.

 

[Jeremy Conrad]

Heh, one of the best parts of the Battlestar Galactica Lowdown special that's on the DVD (and will air on the SciFi Channel before the first episode airs) is where the new Starbuck interviews Dirk Benedict while drinking Starbucks coffee.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I was 12 when the original aired and I loved it.

I tried to watch reruns on Sci-Fi three years ago and hated it. I don't think it's just because I'm older (I like lots of things that I liked when I was 12), I just don't think it has held up well.

I liked the new mini.

 

[David_Blackwell]

Here is my view:
http://enterline2.tripod.com/galactica2003.html

 

[Eric Paddon]

"the mini-series has no overreaching religious overtones like the 1978 series"

Right, it just gives us the same old stale, anti-religious cliches of all other sci-fi series instead of showing some respect for people of faith like the original did.

 

[Rob_Walton]

The new series explores the idea of faith in a very interesting and novel way . Instead of the usual "God will save the human race" piddle it's the Cylons who have found God . It plays with the notion that a God fearing person is by definition a good guy/gal , which in this day and age is probably no bad thing .

Erik , I'm sorry you're not going to get the series you had long hoped for . Maybe sometime in the future you'll get your wish - though I doubt it . Unfortunately at the moment your constant bashing of a show you have no intention of watching is getting a little tiresome . Why not go take a breath of fresh air instead ?

 

[Eric Paddon]

"Instead of the usual "God will save the human race" piddle it's the Cylons who have found God."

In other words, religious faith is only for the murderers and the villains. How typically Hollywood to regard a positive depiction of faith as "piddle."

You want me to stop bashing the miniseries, then how about some give and take in return from the miniseries lovers who seem to go out of their way to bash the original at any opportunity?

 

[CaptDS9E]

I remember watching the original as a child. I liked it back then. havent seen it since. Watched the miniseries, and i have watched all the episodes of the series that aired in the UK and its one of the best scifi series in a long time. Religion plays a part in the new series, and not just the cylons. A bit is interweaven into other parts of the show. From reading some stuff thats coming up , im sure more will be in it as well.

You mention fans of the new show bash old battlestar. I have never done that. How about fans of the old show wait and watch the series until they judge.


Capt

 

[Carl Walker]

Semantics my friend... semantics. 7 yrs vs 12 yrs vs 32 yrs. Huge difference there. For what it is worth, I loved Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, and Buck Rogers back then too. Can't stand them today.

In all honesty, my fascination with Battlestar Galactica was due in large part to the fact that Cylons looked a lot like a silver Darth Vader and Colonial Vipers bore a striking resemblence to the X-Wing Fighter. BSG was my replacement for Star Wars in the pre-video age. Now that I have Star Wars, the show just doesn't hold up today.

So, again, pitch your little hissy fits, whine, cry, and gnash teeth over the new series. If you feel the need to waste your life worrying over something like this, then you lead a sad existance. You are acting like the Lord of the Rings fans who launch into tirades and get into shouting matches against anyone who dare go against the notion that LOTR is the be-all and end-all of film (it isn't, by the way...)

Personally, I will watch what I want to watch and really don't care what you think about it. If I choose to call out the original BSG as "unwatchable", then I have that right.

 

[Tony Whalen]

I don't bash the original at all. So have you given the new show a fair shake? Or did you simply damn it right away because it wasn't what you wanted?

 

[Chris Dugger]

Simply put..... I would compare the two by the following:

Battlestar 1978 (Lorne Greene/ Richard Hatch) = Batman (Adam West/ Burt Ward) Campy Fun....

Battlestar 2004 = Batman 1989 .... Up to date... edgy... dark... intelligent.

Is one better than the other....? depends on who you ask...

I was loved the old... and I still own the DVD set and watch from time to time.

But.... I have just gotten through episode 10 of the 13 episode season and I have to say that this Battlestar will have a much longer life season wise than the original.

There is much more substance with this version than the old.... and so far... it has gotten better every episode.

Dugger

 

[Rutgar]

I dunno, I thought Batman 1989 was pretty campy too (Camp is Tim Burtons' middle name). However, I'm holding out hope for Batman Begins actually being written on more of an adult/serious level. At least the Trailers appear that way.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Tony, I don't think it's calling Richard a "traitor" to simply believe the man could be taken in by an appeal to his vanity. To be honest, I have never held Hatch in high personal regard because his novels already revealed how little he actually knows about the series with his incredible disregard for rememebering the premises of what went on before (and he has also rubbed a good many people the wrong way at some of the Conventions over the years). Richard has always come across to some, myself included, as someone who wanted a Galactica revival more for his last chance to become a bigshot again. And accepting that role and suddenly clamming up in terms of criticism of Ron Moore only validates that view of him from my standpoint since after he did his interview for that Sci-Fi special, and before he was offered the role, he was suddenly emerging as a big Moore critic, even more vocal than Dirk, and then suddenly along came the offer and he did this about face.

And incidentally Tony, I did watch this miniseries and was appalled by every aspect of it, from the badness of its script, to the bad, wooden delivery of the actors who just mumbled their lines during big scenes of destruction and devastation, the godawful cacophany that passed for a musical score. I have already in the past posted a detailed 80 point dissection of the miniseries highlighting its flaws, so it isn't a case of just rejecting it in the space of a soundbite. I leave that for the bashers of the original series who so often voice their criticism in soundbites and less in actual substance.

 

[CaptDS9E]

Im sure there are people out there who could give a thesis on why they didnt like the original Battlestar. Everyone has a opinion. Its the one thing in life everyone has. If you didnt like the miniseries, then you dont have to watch the series. Move on with life, and Enjoy your original Battlestar DVD's

capt

 

[Jeremy Conrad]

At the risk of being labeled a "Ron Moore bootlicker" by someone in this thread, I agree with you 100%. Moore wasn't only one of the writers that made ST: DS9 as good as it was, but he was also one of the strongest writers on TNG.

 

[Eric Paddon]

"Ron Moore (who seems to be getting demonized by original-series fans)"

Actually it was Ron Moore who arrogantly trashed the entire original series fanbase in the months leading up to when the miniseries first aired, which brought on the animosity toward him long before many had a chance to see what a badly written thing he came up with.

Moore may know Star Trek, but he doesn't know the first thing about Galactica since by his own admission he watched a total of 1.5 episodes in a 25 year span since it first aired and as a result often didn't know what he was talking about whenever he made a criticism of some alleged flaw in the original that he personally felt he was addressing.

 

[Tony J Case]

How was the mini-series? Huge piece of shit, and a huge waste of time. For the record, I do still enjoy the old school Battlestar, but I dont worship the ground it walks on. Fun, had a message in places, but thats about it.

The new one, on the other hand, sucks ass on every level.

Gotta love the sex "Hey, we have to show that we're ADULT television, so we'll have swearing and just about every character getting it on!" Even the cylons have Sex-bots, for petes sake!

Or that every character is disfunctional. Apolo hates his dad. Starbuck hates Tigh. Tigh is a drunken lout that barly can do his job. Sure the old series characters werent saints, but the characters had redeming qualitys.

Or how about the acting - or I mean lack thereof. Come on - at least you could believe that John Colicos was a complete bastard that could sell out humanity for a slice of The Pie. Neo-Baltar couldnt sell a used car if his life depended on it.

And the worst sin? The whole damn thing was BORING!

Nope - top to bottom, stem to stern, this thing was Teh Suck.

 

[Chris Dugger]

"BATTLESTAR" was cool for 78/79.

But let's be real about how great a series it was.

The show only lasted 17 epsiodes. Toy stores couldn't GIVE away the toys.

and then there was "GALACTICA 1980"...

Now, here comes "BATTLESTAR 2004". Must admit the mini series was not the best... but, I found it thought provoking in it's re-imaging of the old series.

If you have NOT seen any of the new epsiodes, then you can't really comment about the how it compares outside of the TOS and the MS.

The show has aired 10 out of it's 13 show commitment in the UK. The show has gotten better and better everywekk and will certainly get renewed by Sci-Fi....

So, personally.... I am looking forward to more...

Dugger