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I grew up as
a fan of the old series “Battlestar
Galactica.” As such, when I learned
of a remake that was gearing up to be released
on the Sci-Fi channel, I was amongst the
first to jump on the bandwagon and cry,
“Foul!” Generally, I’m
not a big fan of remakes of any kind, because
it is rare that they can ever recapture
whatever it was that made the original so
good, or at least popular. Again and again,
big screen versions come out of old TV series
and I can count the good ones on one hand
(minus my thumb).
What didn’t help in the case of “Battlestar
Galactica” was that Richard Hatch
(who played Apollo in the original series)
had been trying to bring it back ever since
it was cancelled. When news started getting
out about Hatch not being involved with
the remake at all, he along with fans of
the series started their own little ‘war
of words.’ Most of the fans swore
they wouldn’t bother watching it.
But then… things got worse.
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It was learned that one of the beloved characters
from the original series, Starbuck (who was played
by Dirk Benedict), was going to be changed to
a female. Fans called it a travesty, Sci-Fi’s
press reps claimed it would make the series edgier.
Even the old tin can style Cylon Warriors were
being ‘upgraded’ to newer human-looking
antagonists.
Before I go any further, I’m going to consider
that you might never have heard of, or seen the
original “Battlestar Galactica.” Just
to give you a quick clue-in, the series itself
revolved around a group of spaceships that housed
the last remaining members of a very human-like
race. Led by General Adama (Lorne Green), these
refugees were on the run from the villainous Cylons,
whose robotic warrior henchmen were relentless
in their pursuit. The refugee’s main goal,
aside from simply staying alive, was to find a
far-off planet where they might find more of their
people. A planet called… Earth.
The series itself was very short-lived, lasting
only 24 episodes. But it made a strong enough
impact on sci-fi fans as to elicit fan clubs,
fanzines, conventions and the like. There was
even a follow-up series that fortunately did not
last long. I watched the series when it original
aired way back in 1978, (which I’m sure
dates me), and in spite of some of the lower budget
effects I was hooked in just like the rest. And
even though the Cylon Warriors looked a bit like
tin man rejects from “The Wizard of Oz”,
they still cut an imposing enough figure that
left a lasting impression on my young mind. This
was why I originally jumped on the bandwagon that
was against this remake.
However, bandwagon or not, I was determined to
watch the new Mini-Series remake when it aired.
I figured there was no way I could really talk
bad about it, unless I saw it firsthand. That’s
when the trouble began. I watched the first part
and quickly found myself getting sucked into it
totally. Within the first few minutes, I got the
feeling that it might be better than I expected,
so I needed to give it a chance. As I watched,
I started to disassociate it from the original
series (something I’ve had to do a lot lately
with DVD releases), and found myself enjoying
it quite a bit.
This new “Battlestar Galactica” was
by no means perfect, but over the course of the
Mini-Series, it painted a much darker picture
of the original storyline. I mentioned the ‘new’
Cylon Warriors, who now looked more like humans
(and in some cases… very hot looking humans),
and they were actually quite disturbing. It also
made sense that they would find infiltration easier
if they looked like those they wished to infiltrate.
Think of them in terms of “Terminators.”
They weren’t that robotic in nature, but
were as cold and calculated as they were required
to be in order to get the job done. When the main
one we are introduced to shows her true face,
figuratively speaking, to her human lover it is
extremely chilling.
I would like to add that I was rather disturbed
by a scene prior to this, where we see the Cylon
out in public. She is apparently going on about
her ‘normal’ activities and comes
across a baby crying in a stroller. After holding
him for a minute, she leans in to speak to the
baby, and while the parents aren’t looking…
stops his crying. While that scene did worked
in terms of making the viewer hate this Cylon
in particular, I think it went a bit too far.
I had my own little girl who had just turned 2,
and it’s bad enough that I have to watch
the news and hear about some of the atrocities
that some parents subject their children to, I
don’t think I need to see it in my entertainment.
That little scene sticks out in mind more than
the rest of the Mini-Series. Aside from that one
little personal nitpick, the new “Battlestar
Galactica” was terrific and left me wanting
more.
I was also greatly impressed by the dynamics of
the cast. The relationships and how hard-edged
everyone was made for great drama. Plus, it wasn’t
just the threat of the Cylons that our heroes
had to face, but the threat of political upheaval.
With the death of the President, the next person
in line was elevated to the position, and her
views were in direct conflict with those of Adama’s.
This of course, sets of a separation of sorts
between the people escaping and adds greatly to
the intrigue of the series.
Fortunately it was so incredibly popular, that
the Sci-Fi channel picked it up as a regular series,
which is currently coming to the end of its 2nd
season. My intent was to watch the series when
it first aired, but time just wouldn’t allow
it, so I was rather relieved when Universal announced
it was releasing the entire 1st season on DVD.
They had already released the Mini-series in its
own set several months back, but have opted to
include it in this full season set. I kind of
have mixed feeling about the inclusion, in that
most consumers who enjoyed the series had probably
already picked up the mini-series on DVD. Now
they have to pay a little extra for a full season
set that includes something they already own.
Of course, there are those who didn’t pick
up the set previously, so they benefit by the
inclusion. It’s really more of a ‘Catch-22’
situation than any real complaint.
As this was the first time I had the opportunity
to watch the 1st season of the series, I have
to say I was completely blown away. As good as
the Mini-series was, the show itself was even
better. Right from the start, the escapees are
facing several days of attacks from the Cylons,
coming in at 33 minute intervals. Because of this,
no one sleeps the entire period, and exhaustion
sets in on top of the crippling anticipation of
each attack. This first episode is terrific start
to finish, and was a great way to kick off the
series.
Probably one of the most fascinating aspects of
the new series, at least for fans of the original…
was the appearance of Richard Hatch. After all
the flak that was thrown around, he was invited
to play a very pivotal character in the new series.
He plays a political prisoner by the name of Tom
Zarek, who was imprisoned 20 years prior for the
terrorist bombing of a government building and
the inciting of riots. He is a sort-of Nelson
Mandela type character, who finds with freedom
comes great power. Considering Hatch’s longtime
efforts to revive the original series and his
vocal attacks on the Mini-series (when it was
in the works – which included his unwillingness
to appear), it came as quite a surprise when he
showed up. He plays a great role, and I’m
glad that he got involved.
So now "Battlestar Galactica" has turned
into a juggernaut for the Sci-fi channel and has
just finished its 4th and final season, Universal
is releasing the second half of season 4 on DVD
and Blu-ray. Or 4.5, as it is being referred to.
Having seen all of the show now, I am even more
impressed than ever before. As if it were possible,
the series just kept getting better. The political
upheaval and the treachery that revolved around
it were nail-biting in their intensity. It even
allowed for quite a bit of impressive Jekyll-Hyde
acting for some of the actors as Cylons started
to question their place in the universe and humans
learning they weren’t actually human.
For fans of the show, they recognized that the
series was beginning to abandon a lot of its militaristic
storylines and start leaning more into a theological
approach to its plotting. This isn’t to
say there weren’t some nice battles, but
it was the dialogues that really carry this last
part of the saga.
The Blu-ray set includes the 10 episodes that
finish off the final season, plus extended versions
of three of the episodes. The creative team also
had the cool idea of having Moore do Podcast commentaries
during the airing of some of these episodes and
they are included on this set. There are also
several deleted scenes and some video 'blogs'
which focus on the production of the series from
behind the scenes. There are also three commentaries
by Edward James Olmos, David Eick and Moore. Additionally
the ‘U-Control Features’ allow you
to have pop-up video style trivia and glossary
of terms used in the show.
Extra features aside, what really sells this
set on Blu-ray are the incredible sound and picture
that it offers. The show was originally shot in
High Definition and it shows when you pop in the
disc. Most series look ok, but “Battlestar
Galactica” literally pops off the screen
without the benefit of 3D. It just doesn’t
get any better than this. Universal is also offering
the entire series on Blu-ray and I am debating
trading in my DVD sets for this full set. Hmmmmm…
Episodes:
Sometimes a Great Notion
A Disquiet Follows My Soul
The Oath
Blood on the Scales
No Exit
Deadlock
Someone to Watch Over Me
Islanded in a Stream of Stars
Daybreak, Part 1
Daybreak, Part 2
Starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell,
Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, Grace Park, James
Callis, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan
Extras: Extended Episodes of “A Disquiet
Follows My Soul” / “Islanded in a
Stream of Stars” / “Daybreak”,
Featurettes: “The Journey Ends – Arrival”
/ “Evolution of a Cue” / “What
the Frak is Going on with Battlestar Galactica”,
Video Blogs by David Eick, Podcasts by Ronald
D. Moore, U-Control Features and BD-Live
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1) 1080p High
Definition, English DTS-HD Maaster Audio 5.1
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 7/28/2009
MPAA Rating: NR
http://www.battlestargalacticaDVD.com
We'll give Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5
(Blu-ray) an A.
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