pjgs200 Spoilers for both episodes:I tend to like sci-fi shows more than other kinds of TV shows. Doctor Who is currently my favorite show, but I think Battlestar Galactica might give it a run for it's money if these two episodes are representative of the show's overall quality. The fact that this was made in 2003 is really, really impressive- the directing, acting, writing, and music are all really good, and the special effects hold up very well. All the characters are really likable. Episode 1 is more action packed, and episode 2 is slower but much more intriguing. My favorite scenes are the ones between Gaius and Number 6, especially in episode 2- the producers do an impeccable job at distinguishing what's in Gaius' head and what is really going on with huge shifts in the music and in the camera work. I have to say, Boomer was a good character, and the cliffhanger at the end of episode 2 really shocked me. You can tell how much effort the producers put into making this as good as it could possibly be.I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

Carma Simonsen This DVD was a Christmas present from my son in 2015. I binged on the entire series in a two-week period. As a writer, watching stories is a study in the art and craft no matter how hard I try to watch like a non- writer. I can't unlearn what I've learned about this ancient form of expression (storytelling). So forgive me if it seems I am nitpicking, and don't read this review if you don't want spoilers. Read this review if you are in the film industry and want feedback on how they pulled off this magical experience.During the first episodes, I commented to my husband that I thought the writer(s) were referring to Mormon mythology by naming a planet where gods and people lived together "Kobol". He confirmed my insight--Glen Larson was a Mormon, maybe still is, and so what. I was raised in Utah, part of a big Mormon family, and I left the church at a young age and never regretted my choice. I mention this because there is a lot of Mormon stuff in this series. There's nothing wrong with that, it is simply an interesting fact. Mormons teach that there is a planet on the other side of the sun where God lives with people, sort of. Mormons teach that God was once a man and that men (and women) can become gods (eternal fathers and mothers populating worlds). I could not help but see woven throughout this storyline and dialogue the inner struggle of one who has been taught both one true God and gods. The fact that the concept of the one true God came from the robots, the centurions, amuses me to no end. The significance of Free Will is a core value of the Mormon religion (and a few other religions tend to also chalk up everything that is "wrong" with the world/humans on free will)...that said, I will always cheer the moment of truth when the genius, Baltar, suddenly recognized that it is all God's doing and therefore it is all perfect as is... the universe unfolding as it should.The struggle between believing in fate/pre-destination and free will is ever present in this story. Was Starbuck pre-destined to be a crass drunken brother fracker? Was Ellen programmed to be a verbally abusive, manipulative wife? In a word, yes, for the sake of drama. Does art imitate life--does God love drama and is it true that God is having a good laugh? These views of suffering and evil are always treated the same by Christian/Western writers, and I have grown weary of this perspective which is so commonplace in America that most Americans are painfully unaware of how prevalent it is in our national culture, our collective creations, and the fact that a good chunk of humanity has a very different point of view.Eastern philosophy, Buddhism, Zen, Tao teaches that we are one with everything--you, me, trees, rocks, stars, dark matter--we are uniquely observing life and the on/off nature of it all. Egotism is the source of all suffering and evil. I would enjoy seeing more of this woven into future series.Bottom line, they pulled this off by creating a visually stunning soap opera. They know when and how to skim over inexplicable loose ends. Movies are about feelings, and they made us feel deeply. Well done!

chaos-rampant If you're like me, you think good sci-fi should be about more than merely bringing the old history or current politics to space, it should be in a more abstract sense about a world that extends from our own. And if you're like me, you never cared for Star Trek as sci-fi and you tend to avoid being drawn to as much TV as you can because even those with the best reputation are sooner or later mired by endless sidetracking and repetition for reasons that have nothing to do with the craft itself.So I'm glad to report this is for you. Oh it's a flawed piece for sure. It was meant to set up a subsequent TV series and it shows, we end this with a cliffhanger and all threads open. Trek influence is unavoidable it seems: the moral dilemmas about the many versus the few, human compassion versus rules, the weary captain and his brave crew. All through the thing questions are posed that the creators will most likely drag their feet through multiple seasons to try and answer: some mythology about the original exodus from Earth, a race of androids in communion with (some notion of) god. And the whole story hinges itself on the momentous writing gaffe of having the blonde girlfriend of a top scientist be allowed in top secret Defense area to tinker with things on a mainframe. But beneath that we have something worthwhile. It creates a sense of unfolding world. The passenger spaceship that returns to Caprica feels like what it would be for commercial spaceflight between planets to be a routine affair, we see people dozing off as out of the windows space rolls by, just as it will be one day. The top AI scientist, the one who triggers the apocalypse, lives in a house with a lakeview and trees surrounding it, a future scenery that is far more likely than the totalitarian dystopias of other scifi. We see him interviewed on TV. The old battleship is about to be turned in a museum. Life basically goes on.It's true, there are anachronistic guns and technology, and the SFX work in space leaves a lot to be desired by contemporary standards. And it was shot on video and they didn't make any effort to hide the artifact. Yet none of those things detract from the appeal, video in fact adds to it, because we're placed the right way: when later in the story Starbuck flies the mission to recon for nearby enemies, and just probes through the edges of the storm, the only view we get is from inside her cockpit at the fleet rolling past higher above, an anxious glimpse of higher machinery instead of the whole opera.And what great views and turbulent aerodynamics of space in the all- important ensuing fight. All in all this is great because we're grounded to have presence, and all the subsequent leaps are to equally grounded views, in both story (somewhat) and the spaces chosen it feels like this is a normal day in the future interrupted by the apocalypse. If they wished to be bolder, they would have made this a three-part miniseries, devoting one part each to the ordinary life, apocalypse and aftermath. But until someone else tries it again, this for the time being is some of the best work we have, just this miniseries.

japieee I hate space. I've never longed to be an astronaut, I have absolutely no passion for solar systems and the sight of technologically advanced super spacecrafts does not give me a redwood in my khakis. So when a friend told me that I should really start watching BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, I was less than thrilled to do so. Sure, it's being lauded by critics and viewers worldwide - but so is Star Wars, and I never even made it through The Phantom Menace.Yet I have to come clean. While watching the miniseries I was thrilled, exhilarated, baffled and immensely satisfied. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA proved to be perhaps the most rewarding and instantly striking three hour television event I've seen in a while. Or... well... 'a while...' I can't remember the last time I have been sitting in complete concentration for three straight hours, with my heart skipping a few beats every five minutes. The show is pulsing with rich scenery, imaginative story twists and beautiful camera-work.The writing and acting are both superb. Within its three hour canvas, the show paints a striking setting with little gems of perfect craftsmanship. My favorite of these gems was the character of Laura Roslin, who is sworn into presidency when the real president is killed. There's so much you can read in her eyes, and feel in her dialogue. Throughout the show she struggles to find the perfect balance between selflessness, authority and courage of conviction. A lot of this should be credited to actress Mary McDonnell, who plays the character sublimely.And there is another gem I would like to single out, since it shows - in my opinion - that this show is more subtle and intelligent than the surrounding ethos would lend you to believe. When Captain Apollo visits his father (who he is having a difficult relationship with) to let him know he's still alive, there is a hug between the two which is so well acted and written that I was actually baffled by it's subtlety. The commander never even looks his son in the eye after the hug and their eyes tell the tales of a lifetime of heartache in a single moment.So why not a perfect ten? Well, 0,5 points are lost because sometimes BATTLESTAR GALACTICA seems to think it should dip into the space battle clichés to make its running time worth while. The other 0,5 points are lost because of the character of Gaius Baltar, who (although played beautifully by James Callis) manifested himself as the only character I wouldn't mind seeing killed off.BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Mini-Series (2003) Running Time: 175 minutesRating: 4,5 / 5