Following on from the reasonably strong opening to Battlestar Galactica last week is 'Water'. With water supplies almost exhausted after an act of sabotage on the Galactica, Adama and Roslin send out ships to search for water amongst the desolate planets in the neighboring systems.
Overall it's a strong episode which further explores the mindset of the cylons. We are told that the cylons have a plan, but what this is remains a mystery. Certainly, the actions of the various cylon agents comes across as slightly contradictory, which illustrates a level of tension between the different models. With two Boomer agents (that we are aware of) operating independently of one another, a Number Six on Caprica and a vision of Number Six in Baltars head, it is hard to see the motivation for each of them. The impression I get is that because the agents are sentient, this means that they are capable of choosing, and those choices could easily come into conflict with their missions.
But I think I'm getting well ahead of myself, and perhaps reading just a tad too much into it!
The episode, at last delves into the sleeper agent mentality of Boomer which illustrates both a sinister and innocent side to the character. It also offers a glance at the reluctant relationship of Roslin and Adama which seems destined to be a bit of a roller coaster ride.
It was also nice to see the Baltar/Number Six relationship that dominated the opening ep, reduced to a supporting role. This area could become a little tiresome if played on too much.
On the down-side I felt the actress playing Boomer sometimes struggled with the subtlety of the role she had to play. This may have been down to the direction, but I'll see how it plays out.
Summary - another strong episode, with reasonable performances from all involved. Quite reminiscent of early Babylon 5. Scores 7/10.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Friday, October 29, 2004
The outrage continues.
100,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the onset of war in March 2003, according to a reliable study.
Given that it is believed that Saddam Hussein killed somewhere in the region of 250,000 of his own people during his 25 year tenure as President, it doesn't take a genius to work out that perhaps some other world leaders should be joining him in Prison.
Hussein was a tin-pot dictator; a survivor who ruled through fear and murdered so many. I can't ever support a government that thinks slaughtering 100,000 civilians in 18 months is a worthy level of collateral damage.
I hope these figures haunt Tony Blair until his dying days. So many, will never forgive him for this injustice.
Given that it is believed that Saddam Hussein killed somewhere in the region of 250,000 of his own people during his 25 year tenure as President, it doesn't take a genius to work out that perhaps some other world leaders should be joining him in Prison.
Hussein was a tin-pot dictator; a survivor who ruled through fear and murdered so many. I can't ever support a government that thinks slaughtering 100,000 civilians in 18 months is a worthy level of collateral damage.
I hope these figures haunt Tony Blair until his dying days. So many, will never forgive him for this injustice.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
It's cold outside...
The BBC are no strangers to controversy, and their latest documentaray series about The War Against Terror (TWAT)is no exception.
Episode 1 of The Power of Nightmares delved into the evolution of two radical groups, the Neocons of the US and the Islamic Jihad. What was striking about this show was how the two groups were forged out of the same feeling that liberal america was destroying society. The Neocons blamed all of the social problems of the 1960s on the liberals while the radical muslims of the Middle East were disgusted at the insidious effect the american culture was having on their own countries.
There is too much to detail here, but needless to say the show is an important piece of television, that strives to put the fear of impending doom into context.
However, there still remains an important question who is the biggest threat? The Neocons or Al-Qaeda? Only time will tell.
Episode 2 airs on Wednesday night at 9pm on BBC2.
Episode 1 of The Power of Nightmares delved into the evolution of two radical groups, the Neocons of the US and the Islamic Jihad. What was striking about this show was how the two groups were forged out of the same feeling that liberal america was destroying society. The Neocons blamed all of the social problems of the 1960s on the liberals while the radical muslims of the Middle East were disgusted at the insidious effect the american culture was having on their own countries.
There is too much to detail here, but needless to say the show is an important piece of television, that strives to put the fear of impending doom into context.
However, there still remains an important question who is the biggest threat? The Neocons or Al-Qaeda? Only time will tell.
Episode 2 airs on Wednesday night at 9pm on BBC2.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Battlestar Galactica: "33"
"God is punishing you Gaius"
Ten months ago a relative sleeper 3 hour miniseries hit the SciFi Channel in the US. It was a re-imaging (to borrow a Tim Burton quote) of the original 1978 film BattleStar Galactica. Amidst the cries of "Heathen!" and "WHAT?! Starbuck's a girl!", Ron Moore brought us a polished epic that dared to challenge established canon while remaining true to the spirit of the original.
It was little wonder that the stunning success of the remake led to a full series being given the greenlight.
Last night, with the airing of "33" the show started in earnest.
For Ron Moore and Galactica, this is their big chance. The original was never meant to be a series. The decision to turn a 2 hour movie into a fully fledged series was perhaps it's biggest downfall. The series became a repetitive series of events, often capped off by a lucky escape from the cylons.
The early signs show that this time, things will be different.
In "33" we rejoin the rag-tag fleet pretty much where we left off. Just over 50,000 humans remain; an exact tally scribbled on a white board on the Presidents makeshift flagship. The cylons have been relentlessly pursuing the fleet, and each attack has left the refugees increasingly more exhausted and desperate.
It's this image of a desolate race that makes the show instantly compelling. Here the full magnitude of what has happened is beginning to sink in. But there is no time to grieve, for the survivors new lives are constantly in the balance. It's dark, gritty and realistic. With the original the sheer scale of the event failed to sink in to the writers. They seemed to forget that all of these characters would have lost most of their family and friends and, as such, suspended any notion of realism.
Another refreshing point is that this first episode did not veer off to tell us the background of characters. Rather, it is slowly being built up over time. Indeed, the screentime for such heavyweights like Starbuck and Boomer is relatively limited. There is much more of an ensemble feel to the show, as there should be.
While most of the characters are busy trying to deal with both the cylon attacks and their personal grief, we are treated to some time inside the mind of Baltar. His recurring visions of the cylon infiltrator 'Number Six' offer some fantastic monologues on religion and serve to push Baltar closer to brink. The fascination that the cylons have for their 'fallen gods' makes for good television and I hope to see more of it.
Again, the docu-style direction works well, with the camera moving in and out of focus to give you the feeling that you are caught up in the event, as it happens.
Plot-wise the script is solid and feels more like a continuation rather than an episode that stands alone. There are some interesting twists... particularly concerning the now cylon occupied planet of Caprica. Again, areas that were not addressed in the original show.
It's early days, but the signs are good. Maybe SciFi isn't dead afterall. 8/10.
Ten months ago a relative sleeper 3 hour miniseries hit the SciFi Channel in the US. It was a re-imaging (to borrow a Tim Burton quote) of the original 1978 film BattleStar Galactica. Amidst the cries of "Heathen!" and "WHAT?! Starbuck's a girl!", Ron Moore brought us a polished epic that dared to challenge established canon while remaining true to the spirit of the original.
It was little wonder that the stunning success of the remake led to a full series being given the greenlight.
Last night, with the airing of "33" the show started in earnest.
For Ron Moore and Galactica, this is their big chance. The original was never meant to be a series. The decision to turn a 2 hour movie into a fully fledged series was perhaps it's biggest downfall. The series became a repetitive series of events, often capped off by a lucky escape from the cylons.
The early signs show that this time, things will be different.
In "33" we rejoin the rag-tag fleet pretty much where we left off. Just over 50,000 humans remain; an exact tally scribbled on a white board on the Presidents makeshift flagship. The cylons have been relentlessly pursuing the fleet, and each attack has left the refugees increasingly more exhausted and desperate.
It's this image of a desolate race that makes the show instantly compelling. Here the full magnitude of what has happened is beginning to sink in. But there is no time to grieve, for the survivors new lives are constantly in the balance. It's dark, gritty and realistic. With the original the sheer scale of the event failed to sink in to the writers. They seemed to forget that all of these characters would have lost most of their family and friends and, as such, suspended any notion of realism.
Another refreshing point is that this first episode did not veer off to tell us the background of characters. Rather, it is slowly being built up over time. Indeed, the screentime for such heavyweights like Starbuck and Boomer is relatively limited. There is much more of an ensemble feel to the show, as there should be.
While most of the characters are busy trying to deal with both the cylon attacks and their personal grief, we are treated to some time inside the mind of Baltar. His recurring visions of the cylon infiltrator 'Number Six' offer some fantastic monologues on religion and serve to push Baltar closer to brink. The fascination that the cylons have for their 'fallen gods' makes for good television and I hope to see more of it.
Again, the docu-style direction works well, with the camera moving in and out of focus to give you the feeling that you are caught up in the event, as it happens.
Plot-wise the script is solid and feels more like a continuation rather than an episode that stands alone. There are some interesting twists... particularly concerning the now cylon occupied planet of Caprica. Again, areas that were not addressed in the original show.
It's early days, but the signs are good. Maybe SciFi isn't dead afterall. 8/10.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Money talks
With the American election approaching its endgame it is refreshing to know that while Kerry and Dubya argue over the best way to help the needy, their campaigns have racked up more money than the GDPs of over 30 countries.
When it's all over Bush and Kerry will have spent over $1 BILLION on slurring each another.
When it's all over Bush and Kerry will have spent over $1 BILLION on slurring each another.
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