Larson’s keen nose for a story, and grasp that what made Lucas’s blockbuster sing was fundamentally a punchy set of memorable characters with really cool names. Although evidently a rip-off - there were hints of Lucas even taking the matter to the courts - this spacebound wagon train, whose limits are readily apparent, is great fun. It will be interesting to see what the future will bring for this series but, for the present, I will continue to watch my tapes.Although a pilot for a subsequent American TV series, Battlestar Galactica was released as a full theatrical movie in Britain to cash in on the demand for sci-fi cowboy movies in the mould of George Lucas magnificent Star Wars. Unfortunately, when it was found, the series took a complete nosedive. As it was, we were teased with false Earths and little idea when the Lost Tribe would be found. Had they determined how long the journey should take, they could have avoided unnecessary episodes and concentrated on the overall saga, bringing character development and drama into the story, without losing sight of their goal. Unfortunately, the producers didn't have a timeline in mind when they created this show, unlike Babylon 5. The series was at its best when the Galactica found a new clue to the lost tribe, or overcame the Cylons to live another day. Others, like "The Lost Warrior" or "The Magnificent Warriors" had little consequence for the fleet and tended to get bogged down. "Gun on Ice Planet Zero" was a fine remake of the Guns of Navarone and the Dirty Dozen, but it also presented a threat to the fleet and a new obstacle they must overcome. The biggest fault in this series is the tendency to depart from the overall saga into homage episodes. The ship designs were cool (can't say it any other way). The uniforms were stylish and gave a sense of military symbol and function. The music was good and the Egyptian influences were interesting in the designs. The use of a unique slang was a nice idea, but a bit distracting. Yes, there is much dated material here: feathered hairdo's, disco clothes, social interaction but it doesn't detract from the better stories. Add a well rounded supporting cast and you have a fine ensemble. John Colicos is the evil Baltar, traitor to his people part Benedict Arnold, part Herod, part Hitler. Dirk Bennedict is the reckless and fun-loving Starbuck, the true fighter pilot in space. Richard Hatch was the mature and stoic Apollo the cerebral hero. Lorne Greene was great as the fatherly Adama, leading his people on a search for their brethren. The acting was generally good, although the child actors were not the most skilled (but, hey, they're kids). I think a series based on Exodus and Erik Von Danekan can be cut a little slack. Besides, Star Wars was inspired by Flash Gordon, Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, The Dam Busters, King Arthur, and the works of Joseph Campbell. Otherwise, the biblical story of Galactica bore little resemblance to the mythical Star Wars. The only real similarities with Star Wars are that both are space opera, both have bad guys in armor, both had dogfights in space, and both had John Dykstra supervising the effects. As far as the criticism of "rip-off" goes, Battlestar Galactica was vindicated in court and in saga itself. The writing was a bit uneven at times, with the "homages" to other genres and movies getting way out of hand (Magnificent Seven, Guns of Navarone, Shane, Dirty Dozen, Perry Mason, Towering Inferno, etc.). It had a great concept and, generally good effects. Battlestar Galactica is one of those series you either love or hate, or else didn't watch.
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