Battlestar Galactica (2003 Miniseries) Reviews

• Excellent pilot; for hard SF fans, purists will hate it

  
  By A1EQZQ5BY3TXPG on 2003-12-16
  I heartily recommend this miniseries for hard or military science fiction fans, looking for more of an edge than what appears in most media SF (film and TV). Those who are interested in character development and strong dramas will also not be disappointed. In a nutshell, if you loved Babylon 5, you'll probably enjoy this tremendously.

  Ronald Moore's miniseries differs substantially from the original 1970s television show. That show, featuring a dose of Mormon theology and family-friendly characters, was feel-good enjoyment more similar to the original Star Wars trilogy and its Joseph Campbell-influenced storyline.

  The flaws and changes made to some of the major characters from the original series have particularly upset some fans and invigorated others. "Starbuck" is now a woman, albeit played by Katee Sackhoff, a young woman who manages to convey arrogance, a smart-ass attitude and vulnerability all at the same time.

  In fact, along with the realistic military overtones (the miniseries even used some set elements that will be familiar to real life servicemen, and Aaron Douglas shines as a believable, solid crew chief), fraternization is one of the overriding themes. Just as in real life, relationships and emotions complicate military and civilian duties - tragically, in the case of Baltar, whose lust and arrogance brings death upon his civilization.

  (Fans who feel Starbuck should have been another man might do well to watch "JAG", where former BSG writer Donald Bellisario developed the character of Harmon Rabb - like the original Starbuck, searching for his father, gorgeous, womanizing, a hot dog pilot, and loyal to his friends. Interestingly, Rabb's foil "Sarah 'Mac' McKenzie," a troubled but professional woman Marine, seems to be a more popular character.)

  Frankly, by making Starbuck a woman, this adds a new dimension to the relationship between Apollo and Starbuck. These tensions no doubt take place on a daily basis on America's real-life aircraft carriers, staffed with women and men. Unfortunately, of all the strengths of the original series, quality airtime for its female characters (and later, favorite characters who were black, such as Boomer) was not one of them. The original character of Athena was set to be written out; Serena was killed off; and Cassiopeia was introduced in the first episode as a "sociolator," a nice euphemism for prostitute, which fortunately did not return with the 2003 miniseries.

  BSG features a lot of interesting themes that are rarely touched on in media (TV, film) science fiction: the disagreements between civilian and military leadership (thanks to strong performances by Olmos and McDonnell); androids who believe they are motivated by a higher power (instead of Asimov's laws of robotics); maintaining a species' existence after Armageddon.

  It's been 25 years, with an entirely new generation of science fiction fans having been born since the first BSG. Purists wishing for a kinder, gentler "Galactica" can enjoy the full series on DVD. Meanwhile, as an original fan, I enjoyed both a great deal - the kid in me remembering my love for the original series, the adult appreciating the more mature themes and "shades of grey" overtones of the miniseries.

  A number of the reviews on this miniseries have been truncated or discarded, so please keep this in mind.
  
  

• An epic journey, take two...

  
  By A2VE83MZF98ITY on 2004-09-06
  Last year, the SciFi Channel in America brought back an old series in a new format - the late 1970s series, 'Battlestar Galactica', born on television to attempt to ride the coattails of the popularity of 'Star Wars' in the cinemas. There are some similarities, but major differences. The SciFi Channel floated a four-hour miniseries of the new Battlestar Galactica to gauge reaction, and it came back favourably. The new series is in production (fortunately the network had the presence to sign the actors to continuation agreements should the series get picked up).
  
  There won't be any spoilers here (there can't be, as the series isn't finished yet), but the stage is set from the miniseries, which now serves as the series pilot. However, first a brief description of the original series is in order.
  
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Original Series
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  
  In the original series, the saga opens at a peace conference, ending the 1000-year war between the humans, congregated mostly on twelve planetary colonies, and the Cylons, a machine race bent on galactic domination. Due to treachery by one of the colonial leaders (Baltar, played by John Colicos), the peace conference is in fact a trap, and a Pearl Harbouresque attack destroys all but one of the primary warships (the Battlestar Galactica). Meanwhile, the undefended colonies are similarly ransacked, left indefensible and uninhabitable. The commander, Adama (Lorne Greene), assumes leadership of a ragtag fleet of several hundred ships that sets out for a distant world known only in legend - Earth. The series continues throughout the course of the year with adventures of the human fleet encountering minor human settlements and lots of Cylons along the way - lots of space battles feature the Viper pilots Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), who have relationship situations with Casseopia (Laurette Spang), Serena (Jane Seymour) and Athena (Maren Jensen).
  
  The original series ended before the journey ended; there was an earlier attempt at resurrecting the series in 'Galactica 1980' which mercifully fell victim to well-deserved bad ratings rather quickly, and purists never considered a true continuation of the series. This, of course, sets the stage for the new series criticism.
  
  
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  New Series
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  
  In this series, with a few nods to the original ideas, there are still humans on twelve planets who have an advanced civilisation, but an aging military fleet. They've been at peace for twenty years, since the Cylons (here the humans' own creation) departed, having never signed a formal peace treaty. There is no peace conference here - rather, the aging battlestar Galactica is about to be decommissioned, when an unexpected attack by dramatically more advanced Cylons takes place, incorporating not only direct military strikes but also computer internet/network hijacking, facilitated by the mentally unbalanced but ingenious Dr. Baltar. Adama takes the Galactica to a safe location while the rest of the colonies fall quickly to the Cylons; various ships in the interstellar routes survive, including one with a cabinet minister elevated to the presidency due to the emergency, Laura Roslin. The ragtag fleet assembles at a forgotten supply depot, and does a sort of light-speed jump to safety after fighting (and essentially losing) against a new Cylon death star.
  
  There are small nods to the old series - on the Galactica preparing for decommissioning, a museum has been set up, which has models of old Cylon death stars (these are models from the original series). The specifications for Cylons show the old metallic storm-trooper, but we are also informed that no one has seen a Cylon in twenty years (they've outgrown their shiny metal armour). In one scene, the museum chatter about the history of the Galactica mentions a Commander Hatch as its first commander, an obvious nod to Richard Hatch, the star of the original series.
  
  The character of Laura Roslin is new, and the figure of Adama is a very different one from the original. Perhaps the most shocking change is that Starbuck here, while still a cigar-chomping, swaggering, swearing, card-playing rogue of an ace pilot, is also a woman.
  
  The pilot shows people to be very human - whereas in the original series, they were almost playing archetypes of hero, villain, father-figure, etc., in this new show the roles are nowhere as distinct. The characters have flaws, and not Persian-carpet flaws, but real, honest-to-goodness problems and personality quirks. Adama is adamant about keeping the Galactica safe but also in engaging the enemy; his clashes with the authority of Laura Roslin, a president essentially without a nation, promises to be an interesting one. Apollo is still the solid captain of the fighter squad, and Starbuck and Boomer his able lieutenants, but there are secrets lurking here, too. And then there is Dr. Baltar, in whom the line between genius and insanity is constantly being redrawn.
  
  The fleet is assembled, and heading off toward Earth. Here, however, Earth is not the ancient migratory memory of Adama as in the original series as much as it a mythical invention to give people hope in the fleet - this could set up a very different character to their run from the Cylons. Also, the fact that the Cylons are ultimately the creation of the humans, and now look like the humans, will factor heavily into a revised story line.
  
  Stay tuned!
  
  Cast:
  Edward James Olmos .... Commander William Adama
  Mary McDonnell .... Colonial President Laura Roslin
  Jamie Bamber .... Captain. Lee Adama (Apollo)
  Katee Sackhoff .... Lieutenant. Kara Thrace (Starbuck)
  James Callis .... Dr. Gaius Baltar
  Tricia Helfer .... Number 6
  Grace Park .... Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer)
  Michael Hogan .... Col. Paul Tigh
  
  
  

• Great pilot, better series, bad DVD

  
  By ANFQYQEPUN7TT on 2005-07-23
  The 2003 3-hour (minus commercials, that is) pilot/miniseries update of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA was a very well-done, very good pilot. I say that because pilots generally aren't as good as the series they lead up to, they merely lay the groundwork you need for the show, and GALACTICA is no exception. While it is very good on its own, it lags at times, loses its focus every once in a while, and it is obvious that it is a pilot for a TV series.
  
  Thankfully, we got that TV series.
  
  It is nothing short of amazing. Far surpassing the already-great pilot, it is the best show on TV at the moment.
  
  This miniseries DVD, however, is crap.
  
  I say that not because the picture or audio quality is bad (they aren't), or the extras are lacking (they are), but because in the upcoming Season 1 set, they include this exact disc, plus all the extras on this one on a separate disc in that set. This entire $22 set is pointless to buy if you buy Season 1.
  
  There is a catch, though, that lets me say that this disc does need to exist.
  
  If you buy Season 1 from Best Buy before September 30th, it is the UK set modified for Region 1, so it DOES NOT have this disc anywhere in it. THE ONLY REASON YOU NEED THIS DISC IS IF YOU ARE BUYING THE UK VERSION FROM BEST BUY. The only reason you need the UK version is because it has alternate opening music, the music used for Season 2 in America.
  
  But, I want to say this: DO NOT BUY THE BEST BUY VERSION JUST BECAUSE YOU OWN THIS. The Best Buy version has NONE of the features on it, like commentary, making-of, sketches and art, that the official US version will. The Best Buy version, available from July 26 through September 20, has only deleted scenes, and unless this has been changed from the UK version, not even chapter stops. On September 20, the official American version (with different cover art even) will be released with the deleted scenes AND all the other features, plus an extra disc for the pilot/miniseries.
  
  So unless you plan on getting the Region 1 UK version of Season 1 with the alternate opening music (the one that is used now in Season 2), you don't need this disc. I own it, but I will be getting the US version that includes it, and selling my miniseries disc on eBay.
  
  Just a fair warning.
  
  

• a galactic c**k tease

  
  By A44W2L81PI294 on 2005-04-21
  This seemed like it could be the start of something. I gave my attention and my cash. I helped to keep the ratings up. In return it became clear it was a case of the "emperor's new clothes". Decent marketing got us to watch and strung us along. There's no satisfaction though. It's all tease, tease, tease. They got our attention by claiming this was science fiction television reinvented and served us a mix of Battlestar Galactica, West Wing, Blade Runner, 911, soap opera elements....then they teased us to keeps us watching a less than satisfying hodge podge that's one big empty promise. Firefly was a far better example of how different elements could be mixed in an effective and entertaining way. It wasn't just an empty promise of later satisfaction. It delivered AND made us want to see more. Buy that instead of this.
  
  

• Ok.....hard to swallow for people who've seen the original..

  
  By A47OISX4AV8I on 2005-04-23
  Galactica....a, that stories I could tell. First off, let me start by saying that I hated the show before it came out. Wait, let me explain. It was a gut reaction I had, when I heard about all the "re-imagining" it had gone through, and how it kind of insulted the orginial source material.
  
  However, that was before I saw the mini. I grudginly decided to buy the mini series, since it was cheap, and I wanted to make sure that I at least had a reason for hating it. So, I watched it, and I must say, I kind of liked it.
  
  Yes, some things about it still pissed me off- Starbuck a woman? An ugly one at that too. Insubordination in times of war is punishable by death, and her character is very dislikeable, so I would not have minded if she was executed. I think their choice here was horrible. I would probably have been ok with Starbuck being a woman, if they hadn't made her such a (...).
  
  Some of the dialogue was cheesy, and stupid, especially the part when the madam Secretary is telling them to send her ID code (after they get that orange alert, that the President and the rest of the cabinet are dead), and she goes like, "D as in dog, (some numbers) and A as in apple." I was like, holy molly, no kidding. I mean, god forbid they would think D as in Cat. It was also blatant in its attempt to force emotional responses on the audience- Can they be more obvious with their close up of the little girl as the Cylons nuked those ships unable to go Faster than light? But what made it so annoying, was the fact that she was all alone- I thought the captain of that ship said they were taking care of her.
  
  Anyway, by its end, I mostly liked it. It's good enough (light years behind to the greatness that is Farscape) that I will be buying the 1st season once it hits DVD, because unfortunately, I am in a place where there is no access to cable, much less the Sci-Fi channel.
  
  Ok, now on to the reason why I'm giving it such a low score. The disks themselves suck. I don't understand why the one disk that holds the mini does not have some kind of graphic art on its top side, since there's nothing on it.
  
  The second disk, which holds the features, is rather weak. I mean, the deleted scenes are quite bad. I mean, there will be no doubt in your mind why they were deleted in the first place. Most of them are so rough, that the space graphics remind you of computer graphics that were state of the art in 1970.
  
  There is also a little featurette about making Battlestar Galactica. I haven't seen it yet (mostly because I've been busy) so I can't comment on its length.
  
  All in all, the Mini is decent enough. It's nothing close to what the promo's offered. This is not Sci-Fi re-imagined. In fact, it's not anything that has never been done before, since it is a remake of something, and the fact that any differences from the original, have already been done on countless other Sci-Fi shows. Tough, maverick type, super pilot chich- check, been done before. Robots who looks like humans, and want to kill us- check, been done before. Earth is a mythical place that a ship is trying to find- check, been done before.
  
  
• not the worst sci fi
  By AEVXANS8MSS10 on 2005-05-02
  I do not agree with those critics who say this is the absolute worst. This is not the worst, but it's getting there. It's dull and falling apart as it goes. There's sex, decent fx, and some interesting actors being wasted. So far it's just slow, unfocused, and largely uninteresting. We really could use some good new sci fi on TV soon.
  
  
• The worst SF I have seen for a long while!
  By A3LC0DA6XWBCJI on 2005-05-01
  This has got to be one worst series I have seen for a long long time. The acting is very poor, the script will put you to sleep, the plot has so many flaws, the sexual content was crass(sure the lady in red was hot, but c'mon it takes a lot more than sex to sell a show).
  
  Honestly please do not bother watching as you will surely be disappointed!
  
  
• sadly pointless
  By A25OPA4OUKE23W on 2005-05-19
  Prepare yourself to have a lot of questions that never get answered. This is the pilot to the TV series and it leaves many things unresolved so that the TV series can add even more things that are then also unresolved. Most of my questions from watching this mini are still not answered. Perhaps season two will be better? Let me know. I'm not going to waste any more time on this pointless series. There's some nice eye-candy on this show and that's about it. I really wanted to like it too.
  
  
• buy Firefly instead
  By ASM8MRN8RASP9 on 2005-05-28
  I've just read the comments by the reviewer who "yawns" at the original Battlestar because it was largely a positive and "happy" program and complains that the original characters enjoyed life too much. That review is a good example of why I can't watch this thing over and over. I gave it a try and found it quite tedious. I can only take so much of unhappy characters wallowing in self-pity while the main plot moves at a snails pace episode after episode after episode. Talk about a "yawn"!
  I guess that makes me one of those bad people who like to enjoy life. Wallowing in self-pity and despair is not my idea of a good time. Feel free to yawn at me between your tears of self-pity, but I need more out of life and entertainment. Firefly has all the elements of quality entertainment and it's far better than this dreary mess.
  
  
• two and a half stars
  By AZXX40CJU77IG on 2005-06-08
  I was going to review this DVD but Yen Nguyen's review says mostly everything I was going to say. I will add that I'm not very happy with the way Universal put this DVD package together.
  Side A of the first DVD says we should flip it for extras, but there are no extras on that side. The second DVD is amazingly blank on side A! They didn't even include an insert in the box.
  It's just terrible.
  
  
• What a mess
  By A40ICOFJ1YO3I on 2005-05-13
  Having grown up with the original, like so many others, I did try to approach this mini-series with an open mind. In fact, I tried to view this from the perspective of it being a completely new sci-fi saga divorced from any original. Well, unfortunately, this new Galactica is really just a huge, unoriginal, disapointing mess.
  
  The principle problem with the Battlestar Galacica miniseries is that it seems to get too bogged down with far too many characters to reasonably keep up with... and characters would come along who you think might be essential to the story, then, no, they get left on a planet or blown up in space. The show also seems to focus a little to hard on the human drama, forgetting that BG is and was at it's core supposed to be an all-ages kids show (wasn't it?) But then they needed to revamped it for a more adult audience? (or are the uncomfortably graphic love scenes involving the 'Species'-ish cylon actress supposed to be aimed at kids? I hope not!)
  
  Watching this pilot, there seemed to be so many elements inspired from other sources, that throughout the film you find yourself saying "oh, this is like Aliens, or this is like T3, or this is like Atari's 'Missle Command'..." etc. For instance, at one point in the film Adama thinks that his son has died, and looks shocked and grief-stricken. I was half-expecting him to try to sit down but miss the chair then mutter "Cylon b*stards, you've killed my son!". Too many moments like this. Here are some more observations:
  
  - By far one of the most troubling characters was the unnecessarily revamped Starbuck, who looks and sounds like a butch, tough-yet-unhealthy-looking version of Tasha Yar from ST:TNG. Could they have made this character any more surly and unappealing? Alright, I am comparing to the original BG here, but Starbuck was THE character that most 7-yr old boys like myself back then identified with: he was cool, witty and heroic. The way that this new Starbuck provoked the John McCain-lookalike guy seemed completely uncalled for. It wasn't funny, it wasn't very noble, and it made this Starbuck seem more colder and more difficult to associate with. This new Starbuck: unlikeable and troubling. This was one thing they really should not have redesigned.
  
  - The cylon ships: are these revamped Batman batwings from the first Batman film? And where were the cylons in this movie? They had so little screen time, when originally, they were one of the coolest things about the show (their voices too.) Instead, now we have human-looking cylons, very reminiscent of Terminator (obviously) but also vaguely reminiscent of the tv show remake of War of the Worlds (where is Ironhorse when you need him?)
  
  - The music: extremely unmemorable and disapointing. Ok, another comparison to the original BG, I'm sorry, but the original had a stirring, triumphant military theme. This show: I can barely recall the music, other than some annoying drums during a battle scene.
  
  - The ship interior: it was very hard to get the feeling that stuff taking place in a ship that was actually out in space. It seemed more like watching stuff take place inside a ground-based army fortress as opposed to something out in space. The only reminder of the space aspect was the vipers launching out. Otherwise, this looks like this could have been a ground fortress. Sure, it's a huge ship, but the illusion of space wasn't there. Too much of the ship also looked like studio set.
  
  - Mary McDonnell's character - the miniseries focused just a little too much on her and could have given us more time for Galactica-specific characters. Plus, Mary's hair... I'm sorry, but there comes a time when you give gracefully to age and let the natural gray through. I don't mean this to be mean... I'm just saying that hair coloring of her magnitude just doesn't look realistic, and unfortunately ends up as a distracting feature for this character (maybe it's just me)
  
  - But some positive notes: The SFX aren't bad in this, and it was good to see the old Viper ships in action again. That was cool (but why do their weapons have to sound so lame?) And Edward James Olmos as Castillo, I mean, Adama, was a good casting call. Honestly, his character and dialog delivered in his deadplan, ultra-serious manner, was like seeing his Castillo character of 'Miami Vice' in a sci-fi environment. As a huge a fan of Vice, this was a neat element of the show. If only Jan Hammer could have written the score...
  
  But overall, I just can't recommend this. It was somewhat interesting, just for the novelty of seeing BG again, but ultimately the show was messy and disapointing.
  
  
• Nothing but negative
  By A466QM93EXLSO on 2005-05-23
  Maybe I'm just old. I grew up with a fun TV program called Battlestar Galactica which had a mixture of fun, adventure and a little morality. This new version is nothing but dark and negative. I cannot find a single positive feeling anywhere in this program. Every set is dark and dismal. Every character has nothing but negative attitude toward just about everything. Only Mary McDonnell shows any strength of character, and she is dying of cancer?! Earth is portrayed as a lie to convince the crew and survivors to follow their leaders. If there is any redeeming value to this program, please tell me what it is.
  
  
• terrible dvd - don't be fooled
  By A33AX1BR9IWUV5 on 2005-01-04
  This was put together in a very shoddy fashion. The picture quality is poorer than it should be and they did not label the extras disc and the deleted scenes are incomplete scenes in front of green screens! It's a TRAVESTY to put this shoddy DVD out and a LIE to give it five stars! They clearly just wanted to make a buck and didn't care about selling a DVD package of good quality with the best possible picture. It's sad that so many fans give this a five stars instead of being honest. Giving this thing a perfect score will only result in more crap. It's not as good as it should be and customers should know how lacking this really is.
  Interested in buying this? You have been warned.
  
  
• Old BSG vs. New BSG: it's fence-sitting time!
  By A3OI841P5R6FCH on 2005-01-12
  After watchin' and enjoyin' the heck outta the original 'BSG' series after it came out on DVD a couple years back, I found it to be an essential addition to my space-opera video library. Then came the premiere of this new mini-series, which I decided to hold off watching 'til it came out on DVD. I wanted to spend the time before its DVD street date listening to my fellow geekin' fanboys debate the merits and drawbacks of the two shows. Well, actually they weren't so much debates as they were highly amusing slap fights culminating with someone screamin' about how he's "never gonna carpool to the annual comicon with that S.O.B. EVER AGAIN!!!" We're talkin' conflicts powerful enough to shatter worlds and cancel the local WarHammer dealership's scheduled gaming nights for a year...
  
  ... but I digress. After the bad blood drained away, I gave the new BSG DVD a rent. After it was all said and done, I hadda admit that it was definitely different. Even so, I decided to break down and compare several elements that are common to both versions of BSG, and faced `em off against each other...
  
  ADAMA: Gone is the noble statesman fellow Lorne Greene portrayed, replaced by Edward James Olmos' gruff, no-nonsense man of action who has no qualms about beatin' a human-looking Cylon's head in with a halogen flashlight. Edge: new Adama.
  
  COLONEL TIGH: The new guy's lost a lotta of melanin, and has become a bitter drunk tryin' to hide his weaknesses and shortcomings under a façade of bad-@ssness. He's not quite as likeable as old Tigh, but his heightened complexity makes him a bit more interesting to watch. Edge: New Tigh.
  
  BALTAR: He's gone from a bellowing megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur to a highly brilliant and cocky scientist who is slowly going mad due to being reminded of his responsibility for unwittingly (?) contributing to the destruction of his fellow colonials thanks to hallucinations from his human-looking Cylon lover. Or ARE they hallucinations? That'll be figured out by-and-by as the upcoming series plays out. Although I found it kinda neat how they turned Baltar into a more sympathetic character who you still kinda hate a bit, the old guy's up-front evil was a lot more entertaining to watch. Edge: old Baltar.
  
  STARBUCK: The new Starbuck is a fair deal more cocky, but doesn't have the same charm as her predecessor of the opposite gender. She's also not quite as likeable as the original. So I gotta give the `W' to the original Face Ma-- er, Starbuck. Speakin' of which: the bonus behind-the-scenes documentary includes a scene featuring Dirk "Old Starbuck" Benedict passing the torch... or, rather, a few cigars... to Katee "new Starbuck" Sackhoff... at a Starbuck's coffee house. BTW I found this moment to be the most interesting part of the BTS doc; the rest of it was full of one principal gettin' a bit too gushy over the "amazing acting abilities" of his castmates. Actually, the scenes where the new BSG guys are having a dialogue with a buncha fanboys at the San Diego ComiCon were kinda interestin'... and VERY scary.
  
  APOLLO: He now has a proper name beyond his callsign, and he isn't exactly chummy with his dad. Unlike the death of old Zak, there's quite a bit of bitterness between father and son over the death of new Zak that is lessened somewhat at the end of the mini-series... but not quite. Guess we'll hafta see how it all develops in the upcoming TV series, hmm? Edge: new Apollo.
  
  BOOMER: I was about to give the win to old Boomer until the last few moments of the mini-series revealed an interesting little twist that will definitely be built on in the ongoing series.
  
  BOXEY: the new kid's a few years older, and has a lot less screen time here than the original did. Fortunately, they decided against teamin' the new kid up with some cutesy mechanical "daggit", which gives him the win hands down!
  
  ZAK: This one's a dead heat. Heh, get it? A"dead" heat, hee hee-- hey, where are you going? You haven't finished reading my review yet! COME BACK!!!
  
  Sadly missing are Athena and Cassiopeia, the ladies who made up two corners of the original "Starbuck love triangle". With luck, they'll throw `em back into the mix in the new show. Hopefully as part of an all-new "Starbuck love triangle" subplot... heh.
  
  VISUAL & SPECIAL FX: While I liked the new "documentary-style" angles and shots that they used in the space battles, for the most part I found the CGI graphics somewhat less than realistic-looking. I still think the old-fashioned physical model effects look far more realistic than all this newfangled computerized stuff they use nowadays. On the upside, I thought the new Galactica looked a fair sight cooler than its physical-model forebear, but the jury's still out on the new Viper fighters and Cylon raiders.
  
  MUSICAL SCORE: Almost totally gone is Stu Phillip's swelling cinema-style symphonic score, save for a brief `tribute' moment in the new mini. It's been replaced by a tribal drumbeat kind of deal that pops up from time to time, and gets appropriately ominous during the show's more f'd-up moments)you'll see what I mean). While the new music works for the new mini, I definitely prefer the old-school score.
  
  FINAL THOUGHTS: Judging from what I saw here, the new BSG promises to be far more dysfunctional and fair deal more soap-opera-ish than the original. There's gonna be quite a bit more tension between principals, especially the wrangling that'll inevitably pop up between the new Adama and the President of the Kobol Colonies. Speakin' of which: if there's one thing I REALLY like about the new BSG, it's that they replaced the Council of Twelve-- a buncha senile old losers who couldn't make the right decision to literally save their lives-- with one person who seems to know what to do at least part of the time. This development was one of many welcome changes the writer & producers made to make the new BSG more realistic and not quite as cheeseball as its predecessor (as stated by the writer & director in the commentary track). Still, I kinda miss the cheesiness. In any case, I found the new `BSG" mini interesting enough to get me to tune into the upcoming series.
  
  `Late
  
  
• don't spend your money on this
  By AW39NFSRG9YZG on 2006-01-10
  This same mini is also in the season one set so don't buy this if you are going to buy that. Save your cash.
  
  
• DONT BUY IF YOU BUY SEASON ONE!
  By A17YOA32RGLEUW on 2006-06-19
  This is a great miniseries. I loved it and highly recommend it. Unfortunately *** IT IS INCLUDED IN THE SET FOR SEASON ONE ***. I didn't read the reviews for season one before buying both, which would have clued me into this fact. Apparently EVERYTHING in the miniseries set is in the season one set too.
  I gave it a 1 star because I wasted my money buying this set and NOT because its a bad show. As I said above, its great!
  
  
• what a waste
  By A21VXS85D32D8S on 2005-05-29
  The special effects are very good for television. There are also some quality actors involved and some hotties. I just wish the story was worth following. It all starts with a bang and then just wimpers along week after week.
  
  
• An epic journey, take two...
  By A2VE83MZF98ITY on 2006-02-27
  Not long ago, the SciFi Channel in America brought back an old series in a new format - the late 1970s series, 'Battlestar Galactica', born on television to attempt to ride the coattails of the popularity of 'Star Wars' in the cinemas. There are some similarities, but major differences. The SciFi Channel floated a four-hour miniseries of the new Battlestar Galactica to gauge reaction, and it came back favourably. The new series is in production (fortunately the network had the presence to sign the actors to continuation agreements should the series get picked up).
  
  There won't be any spoilers here (there can't be, as the series isn't finished yet), but the stage is set from the miniseries, which now serves as the series pilot. However, first a brief description of the original series is in order.
  
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  Original Series
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  In the original series, the saga opens at a peace conference, ending the 1000-year war between the humans, congregated mostly on twelve planetary colonies, and the Cylons, a machine race bent on galactic domination. Due to treachery by one of the colonial leaders (Baltar, played by John Colicos), the peace conference is in fact a trap, and a Pearl Harbouresque attack destroys all but one of the primary warships (the Battlestar Galactica). Meanwhile, the undefended colonies are similarly ransacked, left indefensible and uninhabitable. The commander, Adama (Lorne Greene), assumes leadership of a ragtag fleet of several hundred ships that sets out for a distant world known only in legend - Earth. The series continues throughout the course of the year with adventures of the human fleet encountering minor human settlements and lots of Cylons along the way - lots of space battles feature the Viper pilots Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), who have relationship situations with Casseopia (Laurette Spang), Serena (Jane Seymour) and Athena (Maren Jensen).
  
  The original series ended before the journey ended; there was an earlier attempt at resurrecting the series in 'Galactica 1980' which mercifully fell victim to well-deserved bad ratings rather quickly, and purists never considered a true continuation of the series. This, of course, sets the stage for the new series criticism.
  
  
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  New Series
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  In this series, with a few nods to the original ideas, there are still humans on twelve planets who have an advanced civilisation, but an aging military fleet. They've been at peace for twenty years, since the Cylons (here the humans' own creation) departed, having never signed a formal peace treaty. There is no peace conference here - rather, the aging battlestar Galactica is about to be decommissioned, when an unexpected attack by dramatically more advanced Cylons takes place, incorporating not only direct military strikes but also computer internet/network hijacking, facilitated by the mentally unbalanced but ingenious Dr. Baltar. Adama takes the Galactica to a safe location while the rest of the colonies fall quickly to the Cylons; various ships in the interstellar routes survive, including one with a cabinet minister elevated to the presidency due to the emergency, Laura Roslin. The ragtag fleet assembles at a forgotten supply depot, and does a sort of light-speed jump to safety after fighting (and essentially losing) against a new Cylon death star.
  
  There are small nods to the old series - on the Galactica preparing for decommissioning, a museum has been set up, which has models of old Cylon death stars (these are models from the original series). The specifications for Cylons show the old metallic storm-trooper, but we are also informed that no one has seen a Cylon in twenty years (they've outgrown their shiny metal armour). In one scene, the museum chatter about the history of the Galactica mentions a Commander Hatch as its first commander, an obvious nod to Richard Hatch, the star of the original series.
  
  The character of Laura Roslin is new, and the figure of Adama is a very different one from the original. Perhaps the most shocking change is that Starbuck here, while still a cigar-chomping, swaggering, swearing, card-playing rogue of an ace pilot, is also a woman.
  
  The pilot shows people to be very human - whereas in the original series, they were almost playing archetypes of hero, villain, father-figure, etc., in this new show the roles are nowhere as distinct. The characters have flaws, and not Persian-carpet flaws, but real, honest-to-goodness problems and personality quirks. Adama is adamant about keeping the Galactica safe but also in engaging the enemy; his clashes with the authority of Laura Roslin, a president essentially without a nation, promises to be an interesting one. Apollo is still the solid captain of the fighter squad, and Starbuck and Boomer his able lieutenants, but there are secrets lurking here, too. And then there is Dr. Baltar, in whom the line between genius and insanity is constantly being redrawn.
  
  The fleet is assembled, and heading off toward Earth. Here, however, Earth is not the ancient migratory memory of Adama as in the original series as much as it a mythical invention to give people hope in the fleet - this could set up a very different character to their run from the Cylons. Also, the fact that the Cylons are ultimately the creation of the humans, and now look like the humans, will factor heavily into a revised story line.
  
  Stay tuned!
  
  Cast:
  Edward James Olmos .... Commander William Adama
  Mary McDonnell .... Colonial President Laura Roslin
  Jamie Bamber .... Captain. Lee Adama (Apollo)
  Katee Sackhoff .... Lieutenant. Kara Thrace (Starbuck)
  James Callis .... Dr. Gaius Baltar
  Tricia Helfer .... Number 6
  Grace Park .... Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer)
  Michael Hogan .... Col. Tigh
  
  
  
• Don't Buy Mini-Series if also Buying Season 1 DVD
  By A1T7NSZ939F3OG on 2008-02-07
  DON'T BUY the mini series DVD if you are also planning on buying the season 1 DVD set. I made that mistake and wasted $$$. The mini series is the first DVD in the Season 1 set.
  
  
• Solid Groundwork For What Appears To Be A Good Series
  By A2RKI7RPP5CJMG on 2004-12-30
  Let me first state that I was very young when the original "Battlestar Galactica" was born on television. My fondest memories of that show are of reading the huge comic adaptation that my older brother was kind enough to let me have and of the "Starbuck" and "Cylon" action figures that I had. I have recently started watching the original series on SciFi Channel and completely fell back in love with it. For its time, it was an amazing and fun show. The special effects still hold up pretty good as well, considering how old the series is.
  
  Now to the new, "re-imagined" version of "Battlestar Galactica." I really enjoyed this miniseries when it first played on SciFi Channel. It has a number of differences that make it just as good or better than the original in some aspects, but the original series will always hold a special place in my heart.
  
  The characters may have the same names as the original ones, but that's about the only true similarities between them. As everybody already knows, Starbuck is now portrayed by Katee Sackhoff, a woman. I have no problem with this whatsoever. Yes, I loved Dirk Benedict as Starbuck and he will probably always be the true Starbuck to me, but Ms. Sackhoff does a pretty good job in this role. I'll agree with another reviewer that Sackhoff starts off too over-the-top, but sinks comfortably into the role as the movie plays out. Edward James Olmos is solid as Adama, and it will be interesting to see how often he and Mary McDonnell's character butt heads on decisions as the series starts its run. Apollo comes across as the perfect "son rebelling against father" type. Of course, along with the "Starbuck" scandal, the fact that Col. Tigh and Boomer are no longer black characters has also caused a stir. Grace Park does a good job as Boomer. She gives the character an innocence that wasn't present in the original character. Michael Hogan plays Col. Tigh. Col. Tigh is wishy-washy and nearly drunk most of the time, which is a nice change from the original Tigh. His character is full of emotion in this film, especially when Adama hands over a crucial decision to him to decide upon. The rest of the cast does extremely well. When compared to other SciFi Channel flicks, they would all win awards for their performances.
  
  The Cylons have also been overhauled for this new series. In all, there are twelve different models, all serving a different purpose. The model with the most exposure(figuratively and literally) in this miniseries is the Number Six model. Number Six(played by a Victoria's Secret model, really) seduces Dr. Baltar and tricks him into giving her access to some very important information that aids the Cylon cause in destroying humanity. No. Six will not remind you of any of the old school Cylons out there. She's a very attractive, very evil humanoid-looking robot. Her character is given a few rather choice scenes, my favorite being when she encounters a newborn baby. I won't spoil anything, but just prepare yourself for some very wicked acts from her character. Homage is paid to the original Cylons if you look quickly during a scene in one of the Galactica's hangars, which is converted into a gift shop. We are given a glimpse of some of the other models in the movie as well, but hopefully they will play a larger role in the series as it develops.
  
  As far as special effects are concerned, this is the best I've ever seen from SciFi Channel. They are nearly flawless. They are heavy on CGI, but are very enjoyable to watch. I also enjoyed the handheld camera scenes of the space battles. The Vipers, Raptors, and Cylon ships look very realistic and move more like a "real" starfighter would in my opinion. Sound is minimal during the dogfights, 'cause in space, no one can hear you scream.
  
  The DVD is pretty thin on extras, so if that's your thing, you may just want to watch this when it's on SciFi Channel. If you're like me, however, you'll want this for your library because it is a very exceptional show. The highlight of few extras included is "The Lowdown," which goes a little in depth on the creation of the miniseries.
  
  Look beyond the old "Galactica," and view this version as something completely different and new. I think that once you get beyond some of the major changes(Starbuck, sexy Cylons, etc.), you'll be able to see that this is really a good movie and if the series is anything like it, I'm sure it will be around for a very long time.
  
  
• The mini-series is better than the DVD
  By A2GAINX7PJLP2W on 2005-03-07
  I'll only say one or two brief things about the actual BSG mini-series, since a lot of ground has already been covered in earlier reviews. I completely agree with the filmmakers when they say that this incarnation is more "drama" than "opera," and I think it was dramatically improved by fleshing-out the characters. (Let's be honest, the original Starbuck's entire character description was "sidekick." *Any* change would have made him/her more interesting.) The special effects by Zoic are spectacular. And all you really need to know about the acting is that Edward James Olmos is in it.
  
  But while I'd rate the BSG mini-series itself as 4 stars, this DVD edition rates lower. Because there's nothing except the feature. Nothing worthwhile, anyway. Really. There's no paper insert with disc and chapter information. There are no animated menus. The discs are unfinished (unpainted), and both have menus that imply they're double-sided... which they aren't.
  
  Special features are a thoroughly mediocre "Lowdown" featurette and an unremarkable commentary track.
  
  My impression? It's a DVD thrown together with very little thought or effort. Someone in some marketing department decided that you're all as nerdy as I am and will buy it no matter what.
  
  My advice? Wait until the first season's out on DVD, and I'm sure SciFi will produce a much-enhanced DVD of the pilot mini-series. Buy it then. It's a *fantastic* piece of entertainment, and worth watching... but at this price and without more features and/or better packaging, it's not (yet) worth owning.
  
  
• Skip B.S. g. and bring on Serenity!
  By A9KYJUH628ZVW on 2005-07-11
  I've noticed that most B.S.g fans seem to have an obsession with hair. They are glad that B.S.g. features newer hair styles. That's the mentality of too many fans of B.S.g. They reject older series based on hair. They don't understand that modern hair styles will look dated in the future. They also don't understand that hair just doesn't matter. I don't share their hair obsession. I can enjoy all types of entertainment and it doesn't bother me at all what style hair was worn in a particular time period. Modern hair just doesn't save this one for me. It's got so much mumbo jumbo in it that it's a mess. I lost interest. Firefly was a better series. The upcoming Serenity movie will feature new hair styles AND an entertaining story. That should please the shallow hair obsessed fans of B.S.g. and those of us who like entertaining Sci Fi.
  
  
• West Wing in space
  By A39CECDQDZ2108 on 2005-07-12
  Science Fiction "geeks" used to be a brave lot. They were famous for having the courage to love their favorite show even if it seemed wacky to the mainstream. Now it seems that the geeks of today prefer shows that are mainly clones of other "normal" mainstream TV dramas. That's too bad. I miss the courage of a fan base that didn't care how wacky their favorite show seemed. I also miss the aspects of those shows that the mainstream found wacky. The new Battlestar Galactica tries too hard to be mainstream and "real" so it's too much like the West Wing/NYPD Blue for my taste. Somebody called it Sci Fi for those who don't like Sci Fi. I agree. That's why I can't get into it. I liked some of the ideas in this mini, but the abundance of typical mainstream TV drama elements killed it for me.
  
  
• This is NOT Galactica
  By A8DTS7SQRH2SE on 2003-07-26
  Based on reading the draft script released in early 2003, on the Cylon Alliance review of the shooting script, on the production photographs that have been released to date, and on the interviews and quotes of the actors and producers, the only thing "Galactica" about this production is the name and the Viper. Everything else, what made the original unique, is missing from this conglomeration of cliche', angst, and left-wing politics heavily influenced by Ron Moore's Star Trek roots (right down to the Seven of Nine clone, "Number Six"). The costumes are uninspired: most right out of US Navy surplus, and there's a guy in a suit and tie in the beginning, for pete's sake.

  They would have been far better served to produce this script with a different name, and without the Viper and whatever other design elements they will use to remind viewers of the original series. I might have been interested in this production and purchased this DVD if they had done that. But as "Battlestar Galactica", it is nothing more that an insult to the original.
  
  

• buy the first season instead
  By A2FKI3UQG02V9M on 2005-09-07
  Why buy this when it's included in the first season set? There's no point in buying this twice.
  
  
• Excellent, but buy Season 1 instead
  By A1J5CPV5VCBAH8 on 2006-03-16
  Battlestar Galactica is a superb drama whether you love or hate Science Fiction. I can't recommend it highly enough.
  
  However, unless you have seen everything except the Miniseries, buy Season 1 instead, because the Miniseries is included in season 1. If you buy both you will have two copies of the Miniseries.
  
  
  
• No Battlestar Galactica for me please, pass the sauce
  By A29R4FCO6RFX4K on 2005-06-18
  I admit it, I never watched the original 70s show Battlestar Gallactica, but perhaps that's a good thing, since there can be a series of uproars over "Arggh! They changed this!" and "That's not the right quantum-flux version 5.0 blaster erupter phaser!" when people (?) know the original so well, they remember it better than their long-suffering wives' wedding anniversaries (If they have wives, er lives) so they get so angry if TV execs change things. Sometimes it's better to start watching something new. No matter. The plain simple fact is I don't like TV SF. I think the problem I have with the format, is that shows like Stargate, Star Trek etc have long, dramatic pauses, slow space travel, laborious exposition and on and on.... and THEN YOU GET TO THE EXCITING FINALE! THERE'S SO MUCH ACTION I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON! Anyway, you get the point- over a 2-hour stretch e.g.: Stargate-The Movie, you can enjoy a well-plotted movie with action and tempered exposition seamlessly melded together. B.G has its moments of cool action, but I'm not interested in an entire episode where someone is using a machine to work out who is a cylon or not. Yes, very fascinating for fans who live and breath (And do a LOT more with) the show, but for mainstream audiences, I'll pass. But to be fair, its not just Galactica, I think the Star Trek TV shows are a deadly bore. In short, give me a SF movie, and I'll love it, no questions asked. But for me, I'll pass on the shows. And yes, if you're reading this, you can say the review was not helpful (53 people and counting!) But i'm not going to compromise my views just to please BG fans. I just want people to know that not everyone out there laps up 30 minutes of boredom every week. So there.
  
  
• nothing special
  By A23RQ2TWHZX0OZ on 2005-06-29
  This new Galactica is fair at best. It helps provide sci fi lovers with something new to watch and that's about it. I'm much more excited about the film Serenity which continues the splendid Firefly TV series. Now THAT'S a great sci fi series!
  
  
• Loved the new BG
  By A3CYEFM69HU50J on 2003-12-26
  Just a short description of the new version.

  This new version of Battlestar Galactica is based on a more "Post Modern American civilization" than a advance Egyptian based society as in the first. The story is based on Humans against their Machine enemy...and it is a fight for survival of Mankind , ala the Matrix.

  Why I like this version:

  Peronally this BG version reminds me of the Anime type future....where modern bits of our times are transported to a futuristic era.....suits and ties, with fashions from our times are used instead of campy cartoon Star Trek looks...

  The 2001 a space odyssey influence is quite striking.

  The brilliant use of modern Naval uniforms and tactics give this mini series more realism and grit that the orignal did not have. This Miniseries seemed more like a film than a TV epic....

  Ed Olmos as Adama is great...but is a more jaded and battle hardened Commander Adama...The cast is equally great...with special mention to Grace Park (Boomer)...who is absolutely gorgeous in this film.... And to Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) who has a lot of chemisty with Grace. These two are the ones to watch in this series. They have a emotional impact that is excellent and touching. Another great scene is on the nuked planet of Carprica....Boomer and her fellow pilot find themselves choosing in a crowed of human surviors, who should live and who should stay...as mushroom clouds fill the sky.....It is the most gripping scene in the whole movie....and gut wrenching...

  Those who apprieciate the grittiness of Anime will really love this version of BG..... You will see a lot of similarities to Macross, Macross Plus..and even Cowboy Bebop, in this flick.....

  I loved the original pilot of BG....but the series strayed from the original premise and got cancelled..

  This Miniseries on the other hand is excellent and has the potential to be a classic series.... I plan on getting this DVD for sure.

  Five stars baby!!!!
  
  

• Why did They Ruin it ???
  By A3A1Q6HN9344AL on 2005-03-27
  Why is this new Battlestar so annoying and vulgar?
  Its not innocent anymore! I like to watch the old ones with my kids but these are too adult oriented for young kids.
  
  

• Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.0 (Episodes 1-10)
• Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5 (Episodes 11-20)
• Battlestar Galactica - Razor (Unrated Extended Edition)
• Battlestar Galactica - Season Three
• Battlestar Galactica: Seasons 2.0 and 2.5