Battlestar Galactica Season Four Premiere Details Emerge. UPDATED! - Page 4

spiderr987 · 11-12-2007, 01:27 PM

GLEN OLIVER AT IGN/FILMFORCE.COM

TV Review: Battlestar Galactica

A disappointingly minimalist and uninvolving rendering of a very promising concept.

by Glen Oliver

December 5, 2003 - "Never create what you can't control" implores the promotional campaign for the Sci Fi Channel's "reinvention" of Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps the network should have heeded its own advice: Rarely in the history of entertainment has a "re-imagining" demonstrated so much contempt for its source material – and rarely has a project with so much innate potential failed on so many fundamental levels. The new Galactica is not just a sewer dweller of a remake – it is a behemoth of troubled and inprecise storytelling whose brightest moments are only dim approximations of what they might have been.

The trouble seems to stem from the ground up – it's difficult to look at this "miniseries" (a two-part, four-hour TV movie) and believe The Powers That Be had any true understanding of the qualities that allowed the original 1978 television series to remain in people's memories for over two decades, or possessed the slightest comprehension of the stirring human drama indigenous in the concept itself.

Original series creator Glen A. Larson's multifaceted, allegorical epic has been replaced here by a one-dimensional "bottle" show (industry term for a show that rarely leaves a contained environment). The original series could be seen as a scathing examination of reverse imperialism: An enlightened, borderline decadent culture (the "human race" – a.k.a. Western Civilization) is run from its homeland by an oppressive empire of mechanical warriors who relentlessly hunt them down – bent on genocidally exterminating mankind. These automatons were utterly uninterested in the desires, hopes, or fears of others – they wanted only one way of things in the universe – their way – and would settle for nothing less. So, in essence, Galactica was originally an allegory for Western Civilization (the United States, Great Britain, etc.) being bullied and burned in the same way we have bullied and burned other nations for centuries.

These qualities are not being mentioned in order to talk-up the (admittedly flawed) original series. This is simply meant to provide a sampling of the innate conceptual depth you will not find in the new Galactica. Gone is nearly every edgy and unique undercurrent that fuels the basic premise. Galactica is about a holocaust, yet the new movie offers no moments as gutwrenchingly truthful as the original series' pan around the Battlestar's bridge...to see the faces of Galactica's crew...crying in anguish...as they watch live video feeds of their homeworlds being obliterated. Here, Galactica gets wind of the Cylon attack on the human's homeworlds, and her crew stands around discussing the incident as if chatting about the score of a football game. There's a moment when lead Edward James Olmos believes someone he loves to be dead – he looks more like he needs laxatives than appearing genuinely upset. The people in this movie are as cold and mechanical as the Cylons they are fighting – and as cold and mechanical as the desperately contrived plot around them. All things considered, it's rather silly – and extremely distancing.

(for full review go to: http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/444/444434p1.html

Guest · 11-13-2007, 02:49 PM

end of season 3 definatly involved with the idears from the angel beings from "The hand of god" starbucks ships to shiney and new

Guest · 11-24-2007, 11:44 PM

it's a hoax! there is no season 4!!!

spiderr987 · 11-26-2007, 10:49 AM

...and Moore & co. never had a clue what the Cylon plan was gonna be, b/c they've been making it up, as they go along.

Guest · 11-27-2007, 05:55 PM

Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer are incredibly hot! Can't complain about Grace Park or Lucy Lawless either, for that matter. Gaius Baltar is massively wacked out, and also the final cylon (or else they'd better explain how he survived the bombing of Caprica). So many episodes left me with my mouth hanging open in astonishment, then slowly forming the words, "No frackin' way! That is so awesome!" Unfortunately, that also made the weak ending to season 3 seem that much weaker. I really like the character Tyrol, and also Boomer and Starbuck, though it took a while to get used to them both being female. Roslin gets on my nerves sometimes, as does Adama -- probably because both characters are so authentic and well played. The writing, directing, and acting in this series is fantastic. I was hooked permanently before the end of the first episode. By the way, did I mention that Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer are phenomenally hot?

Guest · 11-28-2007, 07:28 AM

i just finished watching the 3rd season on dvd. what a fracken awesome show this is.. i have the original series aswell and i loved how the writers didnt try copy the original characters to the letter..as much as i love the origianl series. I know its only a sci fi show, but i want me a viper.
And yea Katee is hot too...lol..to be honest, most of them are....

Guest · 11-30-2007, 02:47 AM

when cat dies from radiation what saves every one else on the ships the story lines dont make sense

Guest · 11-30-2007, 02:49 AM

how do u come back after been exploded duh

mckenzie · 12-08-2007, 05:58 PM

After watching series 3: I am a fan of the series but experience problems with the multiple narrative arcs. The Baltar and No. 6's dream sequences have no explanation. The writers assume we will simply accept it. I find it annoying. The series slows down everytime we spend time watching who is falling into bed with whom. Do not turn the series into another "Bold and Beautiful in Space". The half human cylon child story is boring, a definite dead end. Bring on more space entanglements with the Cylons. We all love a great space battle! The writers could also consider the fleet's entanglements with other alien forms or 13th colony refugees. For fun, please write an episode incorporating an original centurian from the original series. What would be fun as a possible endgame solution would be that the fleet arrives at Earth in our distant past. The 13th colony is decimated by primeval Earth. The fleet fights the cylons for the planet, wins and settles planet. Thereby we become the inheritor

jpgwriter · 01-23-2008, 03:28 AM

I agree with mckenzie, it is confusing to watch the complicated plots unravel. It may reward a 2nd viewing of each episode, but I wish it wasn't so hard to follow the first time around, particularly dreams vs. reality, the 6 in Baltazar's head, etc.

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11-12-2007, 01:27 PM	#31
spiderr987 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 134	GLEN OLIVER AT IGN/FILMFORCE.COM TV Review: Battlestar Galactica A disappointingly minimalist and uninvolving rendering of a very promising concept. by Glen Oliver December 5, 2003 - "Never create what you can't control" implores the promotional campaign for the Sci Fi Channel's "reinvention" of Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps the network should have heeded its own advice: Rarely in the history of entertainment has a "re-imagining" demonstrated so much contempt for its source material – and rarely has a project with so much innate potential failed on so many fundamental levels. The new Galactica is not just a sewer dweller of a remake – it is a behemoth of troubled and inprecise storytelling whose brightest moments are only dim approximations of what they might have been. The trouble seems to stem from the ground up – it's difficult to look at this "miniseries" (a two-part, four-hour TV movie) and believe The Powers That Be had any true understanding of the qualities that allowed the original 1978 television series to remain in people's memories for over two decades, or possessed the slightest comprehension of the stirring human drama indigenous in the concept itself. Original series creator Glen A. Larson's multifaceted, allegorical epic has been replaced here by a one-dimensional "bottle" show (industry term for a show that rarely leaves a contained environment). The original series could be seen as a scathing examination of reverse imperialism: An enlightened, borderline decadent culture (the "human race" – a.k.a. Western Civilization) is run from its homeland by an oppressive empire of mechanical warriors who relentlessly hunt them down – bent on genocidally exterminating mankind. These automatons were utterly uninterested in the desires, hopes, or fears of others – they wanted only one way of things in the universe – their way – and would settle for nothing less. So, in essence, Galactica was originally an allegory for Western Civilization (the United States, Great Britain, etc.) being bullied and burned in the same way we have bullied and burned other nations for centuries. These qualities are not being mentioned in order to talk-up the (admittedly flawed) original series. This is simply meant to provide a sampling of the innate conceptual depth you will not find in the new Galactica. Gone is nearly every edgy and unique undercurrent that fuels the basic premise. Galactica is about a holocaust, yet the new movie offers no moments as gutwrenchingly truthful as the original series' pan around the Battlestar's bridge...to see the faces of Galactica's crew...crying in anguish...as they watch live video feeds of their homeworlds being obliterated. Here, Galactica gets wind of the Cylon attack on the human's homeworlds, and her crew stands around discussing the incident as if chatting about the score of a football game. There's a moment when lead Edward James Olmos believes someone he loves to be dead – he looks more like he needs laxatives than appearing genuinely upset. The people in this movie are as cold and mechanical as the Cylons they are fighting – and as cold and mechanical as the desperately contrived plot around them. All things considered, it's rather silly – and extremely distancing. (for full review go to: http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/444/444434p1.html

11-13-2007, 02:49 PM	#32
Guest Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 0	end of season 3 definatly involved with the idears from the angel beings from "The hand of god" starbucks ships to shiney and new

11-24-2007, 11:44 PM	#33
Guest Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 0	it's a hoax! there is no season 4!!!

11-26-2007, 10:49 AM	#34
spiderr987 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 134	...and Moore & co. never had a clue what the Cylon plan was gonna be, b/c they've been making it up, as they go along.

11-27-2007, 05:55 PM	#35
Guest Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 0	Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer are incredibly hot! Can't complain about Grace Park or Lucy Lawless either, for that matter. Gaius Baltar is massively wacked out, and also the final cylon (or else they'd better explain how he survived the bombing of Caprica). So many episodes left me with my mouth hanging open in astonishment, then slowly forming the words, "No frackin' way! That is so awesome!" Unfortunately, that also made the weak ending to season 3 seem that much weaker. I really like the character Tyrol, and also Boomer and Starbuck, though it took a while to get used to them both being female. Roslin gets on my nerves sometimes, as does Adama -- probably because both characters are so authentic and well played. The writing, directing, and acting in this series is fantastic. I was hooked permanently before the end of the first episode. By the way, did I mention that Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer are phenomenally hot?

11-28-2007, 07:28 AM	#36
Guest Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 0	i just finished watching the 3rd season on dvd. what a fracken awesome show this is.. i have the original series aswell and i loved how the writers didnt try copy the original characters to the letter..as much as i love the origianl series. I know its only a sci fi show, but i want me a viper. And yea Katee is hot too...lol..to be honest, most of them are....

11-30-2007, 02:47 AM	#37
Guest Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 0	when cat dies from radiation what saves every one else on the ships the story lines dont make sense

11-30-2007, 02:49 AM	#38
Guest Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 0	how do u come back after been exploded duh

12-08-2007, 05:58 PM	#39
mckenzie Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1	After watching series 3: I am a fan of the series but experience problems with the multiple narrative arcs. The Baltar and No. 6's dream sequences have no explanation. The writers assume we will simply accept it. I find it annoying. The series slows down everytime we spend time watching who is falling into bed with whom. Do not turn the series into another "Bold and Beautiful in Space". The half human cylon child story is boring, a definite dead end. Bring on more space entanglements with the Cylons. We all love a great space battle! The writers could also consider the fleet's entanglements with other alien forms or 13th colony refugees. For fun, please write an episode incorporating an original centurian from the original series. What would be fun as a possible endgame solution would be that the fleet arrives at Earth in our distant past. The 13th colony is decimated by primeval Earth. The fleet fights the cylons for the planet, wins and settles planet. Thereby we become the inheritor

01-23-2008, 03:28 AM	#40
jpgwriter Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 20	I agree with mckenzie, it is confusing to watch the complicated plots unravel. It may reward a 2nd viewing of each episode, but I wish it wasn't so hard to follow the first time around, particularly dreams vs. reality, the 6 in Baltazar's head, etc.