Battlestar Galactica Miniseries: A Review  By Keonigrules
 

After viewing the entire Battlestar Galactica miniseries on DVD, I have to say this is a damn good show! It reveals to viewers the horrors of war & its effects on the characters. The emotions of all the the main players are very visible. You find yourself laughing & crying with them. And the special effects are great, in the tradition of Fox's Space: Above & Beyond & Firefly.

For those who have criticized Jamie Bamber for being wooden, it just isn't so. I really like him. He displays his emotions on his uniform sleeves for most of the mini. For those who say Starbuck's (Katee Sackhoff) an ass, well- she is, but at times she gives Apollo just that smirk that makes you say, "Hey, she's a pretty cute ass at that!"

Mary O'Donnell gives a knock-out performance as the President who somewhat reluctantly assumes the reins of power- but when she does, watch out Adama! And Edward James Olmos as William Adama- well, here's a commander who is a great military figure but a lousy communicator with his son. In time, he starts correcting that flaw, but there is an arrogance in the man (even when dealing with Roslin) that you just have to admire. That arrogance will make him strong enough to fight the enemy wherever it might rear it ugly head. You might also say Roslin is fighting a similar enemy too, though more on the inside than out: namely, her cancer.

For me, two of my favorite scenes are the following: first, when Adama beats the crap out of the Cylon on Ragnar Anchorage (nice name!) with a pipe until he gets a bloody face due to the impact of the blows he is making on the enemy's body. He really shows a disgust & hatred for the enemy and will never weaken in his resolve to wipe them out; and second, when Adama & Apollo reunite after the Ragnar incident and Adama hugs his son. Apollo at first does not know what to do, but then almost naturally, he reciprocates the action to the pleasure of the old man, but more importantly, to himself. Apollo is very much like Adama, only a younger version. This scene shows there is hope for humanity! In fact, the scenes where the Viper crew reunite with the Galactica personnel are warm and emotionally inviting, ingredients that are missing in a lot of sci-fi shows these days.

One of the funnniest scenes is how Apollo saves Roslin & the ragtag fleet of survivors at the end of the first part (now re-edited for the DVD as a continuously flowing story without the part interruptions). Producer Ron Moore gives a nod to the Star Trek: Next Generation series here where Wesley Cusher typically saves the day; and then there's the appropriate techno-babble explanation which Apollo delivers afterwards. All in good fun

Some may not like the face-lift given to the Cylons. Not to worry though. There are still mechanized ones around, done with awesome CG effects (along with their roving eye ships). This reviewer personally liked the revamping of the Cylons to a more human form. It was a nice acknowledgement to Glen Larson's Galactica 1980 in which the Cylons have advanced to the next step in their evolution: the human form! And Number Six (one of 12 models of the advanced Cylon) is sexy & deadly. That this enemy looks like us gives the miniseries a paranoid feel to it, in the tradition of that fine sci-fi classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The question most on our minds is who else aboard the Battlestar Galactica is a Cylon? That the question is not answered leaves one with a very creepy feeling indeed.

What RDM has given us with this miniseries is the proper balance between story, special effects and characterization. And in a sci-fi show that's hard to do. I for one am looking forward to the series which will air on Sci-Fi in a few weeks. Hopefully, others will too.