havoc315
January 14th, 2003, 11:57 AM
My vacation was wonderfully relaxing.... But I returned to quite a large pile of work, which I have barely made a dent in.
Since returning, I have read all three major Galactica reviews and its incredible how much each one diverges. I would love to read the script and review it myself (Michael Faries.... want to share.... please?)... but absent such an opportunity, I just want to share my insights based on what can be gleaned from the three reviews thus far. Besides, Apothis asked for my opinion, so blame him!
Ironically, of the 3 reviews (filmjerk, Faries and AICN), I find the best review came from the writer with the admitted bias, Michael Faries. Perhaps knowing he was biased, he did his best to examine the material objectively and it shows.
With the information that has leaked from the three reviews, I think we can start to put together a picture of what the remake will look like. I still hold the position, that we won't really know whether its any good until its put on the screen. A script is two-dimensional, the strongest script could still be destroyed by horrible acting, direct, FX, etc. And vice versa, even a questionable script could turn into a solid production.
So, based on the leaks that have come out.... am I still as optimistic about the BSG remake?
As you know me, of course the answer is not simple. I still very much want to see the final production, I think I will probably still enjoy it.... But I will gladly admit that I have problems with some of the things I have heard.
I know some of my criticisms as purely nitpicky, but we're each entitled to our personal nitpicks and peeves. Some of my criticisms are simply that I would have made choices different than RDM. For the most part, my criticisms are not the same as the more popular issues.
Without further ado, my major problems with the script, as it has been leaked:
1) The castration/emasculation of a major character. No, I'm not talking about Starbuck, I'm not even talking about Boomer. Believe it or not, I'm talking about Colonel Tigh! I completely support humanizing the characters, giving them flaws, etc...... But based on the reviews, it appears Tigh has been reduced to a pathetic cuckold.
To me, the ideal protagonists are flawed, making them easier to relate to, but in the end they still earn our respect. Depending on how Tigh is played, this might still happen, but the script leaks don't sound promising.
2) Further castration: I'm still not talking about Starbuck or Boomer! This time, I'm talking about the Galactica herself!
So...
2)a) The retirement of the Galactica, etc: In the original, the Galactica was just One Battlestar, no different than the rest. Through a combination of wise leadership, thrown in with lots of luck, it was the one surviving Battlestar. It was not the first, it was not the best, it just happened to be the one who survived. There was something ordinary about it. These were the colonials that happened to survive and would need to rise above their circumstances to find earth. This was the one Battlestar that happened to survive, and would have to lead the colonials.
Not only is it unnecessary to give the Galactica the honored bearth of being the first Battlestar, but it actually takes away from the feeling of "random survival." One problem I had the Trek:TNG, was that the Enterprise was the best ship in the fleet... I would rather see stories happening on a more ordinary ship, faced with extraordinary circumstances.
My bigger problem is with the whole decommissioning of the Galactica and turning it into a museum. It's a simple plot device, an explanation of how the ship survives, an opportunity to provide comedy with Gift Shops, etc. As a plot device, I guess it can work but it still takes away from the feeling that this was an ordinary ship, that happened to be the survivor.
2)b) Further emasculation: Low-tech Galactica. I don't think this has anything to do with RDM's budget... To create the appearance of high versus low-tech is probably of a similar budget. I think its a creative choice by RDM. I understand the choice, it's part of the story. It will also make the Galactica appear more familiar to our own world and surroundings. But I still don't like it... simply for the "cool factor." A part of the reason we watch SciFi shows like Galactica and Trek is to see fantastical technology and devices. I don't like the extremes (I hate Replicators and Holodecks), but I also enjoy seeing technology more advanced than a modern naval ship. This is definitely nitpicking, but I'm allowed!
3) Too few female characters! Too few I say?!?! But they have changed two major characters into females and they have added a female President! Alas, there is still one very important female character entirely erased..... The lovely Athena.
If the focus of the new show is to truly be the "Adama" family, then how could they pass on the opportunity to have Athena? I'm all for the strain in the relationship between Adama and Apollo, conflict and tension make good drama. But Athena could be the perfect foil for such drama, torn between her father and brother? Or providing an alternative relationship in the family paradigm. There is a wealth of opportunity for the character, more than existed in the previous show, and she is wiped out entirely!
If there is a petition, this should be its goal! Give us Athena!
I have other criticisms, but those are the top three (for some reason, the fleet being 60 ships just sounds too small), and I have a pile of work I need to finish. A quick discussion on wait-and-see, and on the pros:
First, wait and see:
The Mythos: I, and others on this board, really loved the mythological elements. They seem to be mostly missing from this script. But as I thought about it, I realized that this was not a primary focus (mentioned, yes, but not the focus) of the original pilot either. So, if the new BSG does become a series, will we see this angle explored further? I hope so.
The Cylon Backstory: This is really good and bad. I really like that the backstory is much more flushed out than the original. The question is whether the backstory is any good. The whole machine turning against the creator, it's nothing new. This summer alone we will see the storyline in Terminator and Matrix franchises. While its not new, there is a reason it is used so often: It's interesting, and it can work. Whether it will work here... I'll wait and see. In afterthought, the original BSG pilot was much more akin to the 9/11 disaster than the proposed Cylon story.
And now the pros:
1) Baltar: The character, while different than the original, sounds deliciously complicated and evil. With a good actor and performance, this could be a real treat.
2) The scope and depth: In the original BSG, their entire world is destroyed, they fight the cylons, rag-tag fleet is assembled, and they head off in search of earth, all in about an hour. This miniseries takes the same basic events, but places it over four hours. If done right, we will really see the struggle on the colonial homeworld, we will feel the crisis, appreciate the difficult decision making. This is probably the greatest reason to do a remake, and it does sound promising.
That about covers it.... unless the script accidentally falls within my lap through some magical means (hint hint), this is my current level of insight.
Since returning, I have read all three major Galactica reviews and its incredible how much each one diverges. I would love to read the script and review it myself (Michael Faries.... want to share.... please?)... but absent such an opportunity, I just want to share my insights based on what can be gleaned from the three reviews thus far. Besides, Apothis asked for my opinion, so blame him!
Ironically, of the 3 reviews (filmjerk, Faries and AICN), I find the best review came from the writer with the admitted bias, Michael Faries. Perhaps knowing he was biased, he did his best to examine the material objectively and it shows.
With the information that has leaked from the three reviews, I think we can start to put together a picture of what the remake will look like. I still hold the position, that we won't really know whether its any good until its put on the screen. A script is two-dimensional, the strongest script could still be destroyed by horrible acting, direct, FX, etc. And vice versa, even a questionable script could turn into a solid production.
So, based on the leaks that have come out.... am I still as optimistic about the BSG remake?
As you know me, of course the answer is not simple. I still very much want to see the final production, I think I will probably still enjoy it.... But I will gladly admit that I have problems with some of the things I have heard.
I know some of my criticisms as purely nitpicky, but we're each entitled to our personal nitpicks and peeves. Some of my criticisms are simply that I would have made choices different than RDM. For the most part, my criticisms are not the same as the more popular issues.
Without further ado, my major problems with the script, as it has been leaked:
1) The castration/emasculation of a major character. No, I'm not talking about Starbuck, I'm not even talking about Boomer. Believe it or not, I'm talking about Colonel Tigh! I completely support humanizing the characters, giving them flaws, etc...... But based on the reviews, it appears Tigh has been reduced to a pathetic cuckold.
To me, the ideal protagonists are flawed, making them easier to relate to, but in the end they still earn our respect. Depending on how Tigh is played, this might still happen, but the script leaks don't sound promising.
2) Further castration: I'm still not talking about Starbuck or Boomer! This time, I'm talking about the Galactica herself!
So...
2)a) The retirement of the Galactica, etc: In the original, the Galactica was just One Battlestar, no different than the rest. Through a combination of wise leadership, thrown in with lots of luck, it was the one surviving Battlestar. It was not the first, it was not the best, it just happened to be the one who survived. There was something ordinary about it. These were the colonials that happened to survive and would need to rise above their circumstances to find earth. This was the one Battlestar that happened to survive, and would have to lead the colonials.
Not only is it unnecessary to give the Galactica the honored bearth of being the first Battlestar, but it actually takes away from the feeling of "random survival." One problem I had the Trek:TNG, was that the Enterprise was the best ship in the fleet... I would rather see stories happening on a more ordinary ship, faced with extraordinary circumstances.
My bigger problem is with the whole decommissioning of the Galactica and turning it into a museum. It's a simple plot device, an explanation of how the ship survives, an opportunity to provide comedy with Gift Shops, etc. As a plot device, I guess it can work but it still takes away from the feeling that this was an ordinary ship, that happened to be the survivor.
2)b) Further emasculation: Low-tech Galactica. I don't think this has anything to do with RDM's budget... To create the appearance of high versus low-tech is probably of a similar budget. I think its a creative choice by RDM. I understand the choice, it's part of the story. It will also make the Galactica appear more familiar to our own world and surroundings. But I still don't like it... simply for the "cool factor." A part of the reason we watch SciFi shows like Galactica and Trek is to see fantastical technology and devices. I don't like the extremes (I hate Replicators and Holodecks), but I also enjoy seeing technology more advanced than a modern naval ship. This is definitely nitpicking, but I'm allowed!
3) Too few female characters! Too few I say?!?! But they have changed two major characters into females and they have added a female President! Alas, there is still one very important female character entirely erased..... The lovely Athena.
If the focus of the new show is to truly be the "Adama" family, then how could they pass on the opportunity to have Athena? I'm all for the strain in the relationship between Adama and Apollo, conflict and tension make good drama. But Athena could be the perfect foil for such drama, torn between her father and brother? Or providing an alternative relationship in the family paradigm. There is a wealth of opportunity for the character, more than existed in the previous show, and she is wiped out entirely!
If there is a petition, this should be its goal! Give us Athena!
I have other criticisms, but those are the top three (for some reason, the fleet being 60 ships just sounds too small), and I have a pile of work I need to finish. A quick discussion on wait-and-see, and on the pros:
First, wait and see:
The Mythos: I, and others on this board, really loved the mythological elements. They seem to be mostly missing from this script. But as I thought about it, I realized that this was not a primary focus (mentioned, yes, but not the focus) of the original pilot either. So, if the new BSG does become a series, will we see this angle explored further? I hope so.
The Cylon Backstory: This is really good and bad. I really like that the backstory is much more flushed out than the original. The question is whether the backstory is any good. The whole machine turning against the creator, it's nothing new. This summer alone we will see the storyline in Terminator and Matrix franchises. While its not new, there is a reason it is used so often: It's interesting, and it can work. Whether it will work here... I'll wait and see. In afterthought, the original BSG pilot was much more akin to the 9/11 disaster than the proposed Cylon story.
And now the pros:
1) Baltar: The character, while different than the original, sounds deliciously complicated and evil. With a good actor and performance, this could be a real treat.
2) The scope and depth: In the original BSG, their entire world is destroyed, they fight the cylons, rag-tag fleet is assembled, and they head off in search of earth, all in about an hour. This miniseries takes the same basic events, but places it over four hours. If done right, we will really see the struggle on the colonial homeworld, we will feel the crisis, appreciate the difficult decision making. This is probably the greatest reason to do a remake, and it does sound promising.
That about covers it.... unless the script accidentally falls within my lap through some magical means (hint hint), this is my current level of insight.