TeranFamily
I can't understand why some great SF series are dropped. Case in point, this series and Firefly.Holding out hope, it is reconsidered. I was able to get into the characters immediately, and it's got GREAT special effects. What can I say about it, fast pasted, hooks you in, good plot and moody atmosphere just like the last series. There are so many story lines where this first pilot can take us, so many unanswered questions. Whether in a movie format or an ongoing series, with a little publicity it can take off. Everyone loves binge watching, Battlestar would be great to binge watch. SF is obviously back in popularity, ask Clooney or Bullock.More please.
Dark Jedi
I have to admit that I never really liked the Battlestar Galactica reboot. I also have to admit that I was so put off by some of the early episodes that I stopped watching it so I do not really know if it got any better (from my point of view) than those first episodes. I probably should make the effort some day and watch it in its entirety. Anyway, my oldest son is as much a Science Fiction fan as I am though and I knew he would want to watch it so when I saw this one coming out in "movie format" on Amazon I bought it.For a webseries I have to say that it was quite okay. Using Blu-ray as a media was rather wasted though. A lot of the scenes are very harsh and seemed overexposed. In the beginning almost every scene is full of flares and blooms from various light spots. Maybe this was intended but I certainly did not like it. It looked like it had been shot using very cheap equipment. The CGI is also not the best but it is a webseries after all so you would not really expect it to be top notch in these areas.As for the movie itself. It was quite okay. Especially in the beginning when they were actually out in space flying around. In the latter half of the movie the three main characters got stuck down on a planet. This part I was not so thrilled about. On the whole the movie is a nice little action adventure and, luckily, there is not too much of the soap opera style bullshit that I felt had taken over the reboot. Instead it is a simple and straightforward adventure.Sure there is the usual we-have-to-negotiate person that tries to screw things up. I just do not understand why they just have to put some idiot like that into the movies or episodes all the time? They Cylons have proved time after time that they are out to exterminate the human race and nothing else. Just fight them and be done with it. Anyway, most of the movie is good straightforward adventure and action.
Don Clayton
This is going to be different from a regular review because I'm a Battlestar Galactica/BSG fan. So, I won't simply make the detached commentary but express some genuine concerns for the future of this franchise and all the people that make the magic.The Syfy channel's re-imagined BSG has a strong fan following and deservedly so. It seems that most true fans will remain loyal. This loyalty allows them to forgive some truly unwatchable, cringing, and mood destroying moments of bad writing and acting indicative of some shows. They do so because of an uncontrollable hunger for the next project which can only be satisfied with the next movie or episode. It's analogous to people that prefer a favorite restaurant based on the name alone. However, some fans have a more discriminating judgment and taste. That's the type of fan I am. I need more than a full belly. I need taste, polite and expedient service, and ambiance. The entire experience must be enjoyable. If not, I rarely come back unless there's an expectation of a better experience next time because I know that the staff are capable of doing better based on their reputation. Or I have such a strong emotional tie that I simply want to see them do better.In 2003 Ronald (Ron) Moore and David Eick of R&D TV raised the bar on weekly sci-fi TV dialogue with the BSG miniseries. The scripts were as highly detailed as the work from their award-winning CGI artist. They beat the odds and overcame obstacles as well such as, overzealous fans of the original BSG version from the 70's and Syfy channel's horrible productions at that time. In fact I missed the 2003 launch and didn't watch the pilot till the 2005 series launch. Admittedly I've been slow to warm up. But I've been hooked ever since thoroughly enjoying Ron and David's continuous rising of the standards not just on their own series, but on the entire sci-fi genre. And of course I heard the protractors, some of who I know that are still stuck in the late 70s, longing to see the cigar chomping caped Starbuck with his hairdryer like Ray gun. Surprisingly most of these naysayers are about 15 to 20 years younger than I. Obviously they're victims of brainwashing parents. However, my loyalty was vindicated as R&D TV earned many awards and accolades including, Emmys and Rolling Stone magazine's endorsement as the best show on TV, even when compared to entertainment other than sci-fi. To no lesser a degree I enjoyed Caprica as well and I'm still disappointed that a second season wasn't produced. The latest BSG project, Blood and Chrome is a prequel where we see a young Galactica and a young Adama both in their prime and with their war faces on. The CGI geniuses upstaged themselves yet again with a fresh from the factory, full metal jacketed Galactica bristling with turrets that hopefully we'll see used in later missions. Neither is any detail spared in the interior. We are treated to a multileveled, fully populated and mechanically complex hangar deck and we see the old style rail-like shuttle which is an obvious wink/nod to the old series. Other ships in the Colonial and Cylon fleet are modeled maintaining the BSG theme while expressing the level of evolution to the timeline depicted. The premise can't be better in my opinion. A fresh from the Academy, William Adama working his way up the ranks is an excellent idea that genuinely caught me by surprise. Hopefully this direction will inspire a new series with infinite possibilities and many seasons. Fans of BSG and Caprica will enjoy some familiar faces working again. As I recall from podcasts commentary during Caprica, the explanation for such appearances were: they're the grandparents or other miscellaneous relatives of the later characters. I found this to be a more acceptable than just a convenient explanation. Will we see Nicki Clyne and Kandyse McClure find a role in future of BSG projects? Pleeeeeease?And yet the dialogue this time seems to be out of step with proved BSG standards. It turns out Ron Moore wasn't involved this time leaving David to fend for himself. Could this be the missing ingredient? It would seem that such a behemoth as BSG fares better with more than one helmsman at the controls. Of course that's just my hypothesis based on observations as an eight year fan. I'm not privy to the inner workings of the decision-making outside of what's revealed in standard commentary. Whatever the reason I have to say, sadly of course, that the dialogue this time was a definite fluctuation in the steady stream of excellence R&D has produced in the past. I definitely can't agree with the protractors and their knee-jerk attacks. Nor can I go along what the blind faithful. R&D and its entire staff deserve a more critical thinking/analysis than that. And that's entirely their fault for they set a standard that doesn't allow me to watch any sci-fi with much compromise no matter how good the CGI is. But my hunger for more quality BSG is still there stronger than ever. So back to the kitchen, fire or hire as many chefs as it takes to give us BSG fans the same high-quality cuisine that we know you're capable of, thank you.Special Features: A little on the light side in my opinion because I feel I never get enough of the behind the scenes featurettes. The CGI artist and supervisors give us a fairly good overview of their latest magic. The new BSG has always hired the best and brightest and I've heard Ron Moore himself sing their praises. There's an interview with David Eick as well.
skuggvarg-13
Another spin off to an already DEAD franchise! I mean TAKE A HINT people you practically killed the franchise off with the remake off the series instead off continuing the original story! so PLEASE let it rest in peace! This is nothing more then money making of course the clueless fans does NOT seem to understand this at all as long as they get the special effects! The story is already done with everyone already know what is going to happen! Plus there is no originality in this re imagined version it looks more like a crossover between Twin Peaks,Real BSG and lost in space(WITHOUT the humor)! Sadly this has been done before to the Star Trek franchise starting with TNG which was little more then a total failure though Enterprise was a valiant attempt at salvaging the franchise even though it ultimately failed as well! The makers off Babylon 5 at least made a story that had a beginning a middle and an ending though various spin off's was attempted failed and simply put to rest!