Battlestar Galactica (1978) User Reviews

Cult Sci-Fi for People of My Generation

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 7 July 2015]

After many years of war, the humans from the Twelve Colonies are near to celebrate an armistice with the evil Cylon. Out of the blue, the Cylons betray the pact and destroy the Colonies and the entire fleet except the Battlestar Galactica. Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) summons the survivors from the Colonies to follow him in a journey to the planet Earth. However they are short of water, supplies and fuel and they head to the planet Carillon to replenish the fleet and get the supplies. Adama's son, the warrior Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch), and his partners Lieutenants Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) and Boomer (Herbert Jefferson Jr.) destroy the mines left by the Cylons and they reach the planet. They are welcomed by the inhabitants and find the paradise. Meanwhile the human leader Sire Uri (Ray Milland) wants to destroy their arms and live in the Cylon Empire despite the contempt of Adama. Sire Uri decides to give medals to Apollo, Starbuck and Boomer for their bravery on Carillon and invites the warriors to come to the party. However Adama believes that it is a trap for the Galactica. What can he do?

"Battlestar Galactica" is a cult sci-fi for people of my generation. I was one of the big fans of the movie and the series in the 70's and 80's, and it was delightful to see this movie again, indeed a travel in time. It is impressive that almost forty years later, the special effects and sets of the Galactica are still great. Impressive how beautiful Jane Seymor is in this film. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Galactica: Astronave de Combate" ("Battlestar Galactica")

great sci-fi TV for the era

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 24 July 2016]

President Adar with his counsel Count Baltar (John Colicos) are with the fleet preparing to sign a peace treaty with the Cylon Alliance. Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch) is out on patrol with his green younger brother Zac in place of Lieutenant Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). They are ambushed by Cylon fighters. With signals jammed and treacherous advise from the traitor Baltar, the President orders the fleet to stand down. Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) nevertheless orders a battle drill. When the fleet is attacked, his Battlestar Galactica is the sole survivor. Meanwhile, the twelve colonies are devastated by a Cylon sneak attack. Adama gathers a fleet of survivors to journey to the legendary thirteenth colony Earth of unknown location.

Coming one year after Star Wars, there were some complaints of copying and even a lawsuit or two. This is certainly inferior to Star Wars and there are elements copied from the movie. However, it's also undeniable this is one of the best TV sci-fi series of that era. It's also not a complete copy. There are plenty of compelling original ideas such as the twelve colonies, the designs from the spacecrafts to the Egyptian-like helmets, and also the music. Some of it seems cheesy compared to modern TV. The writing can be melodramatic but it must be compared to writing during that time. The Battlestar Galactica series is an important sign post for the sci-fi genre on TV despite its later deterioration. This pilot movie is a great setup for that series.

The highest potential of any sci-fi series ever...

[nunyerbiz · 8/10 · 27 November 2000]

As remembering 'Battlestar' from the viewpoint of a youngster in the late 70s - early 80s, I would give it a 9/10.

Viewing 'Battlestar' from the viewpoint of a near 30 male in the year 2000, I give it 7/10. (I have all 24 episodes on tape)

The special effects were near the late 70's level of "Star Wars", and that is truly saying something considering this was a made for TV movie / weekly series. Sure, the stories were uneven. However, to put that in perspective, they rode the gambit from the morality plays of Star Trek (TOS) to the character stories of Star Trek (TNG).

The backstory involved the last known group of 'humans'. After they were given a 'Pearl Harbor' job by the alien bad guys and nearly wiped out, they went in search of a long lost colony. This colony was located on a planet called 'Earth'.

This was really a revolutionary show. It took the best 'good vs evil' elements of Star Wars and combined them with the 'every show is a lesson' elements of Star Trek (TOS). If you weren't contemplating the human nature element of the story, you were involved in the characters.

Unfortunately, you were rarely concerned about both of those within the same episode. In my opinion, this is the only major flaw of the series, it was somewhat unbalanced from show to show. This is somewhat understandable from a series that was wrought with network politics and never made it past 25 episodes. Nevertheless, this is a series that would be very much enjoyed by any true sci-fi fan.

If you don't know the history of the show by now... ABC canned it, despite well above average ratings. The brass felt the show was too expensive. What could have been one of the great sci-fi TV series of all time was done after 24 episodes.

I place 'Battlestar' behind only Star Trek (TOS) as the best sci-fi TV series of all time.

1970s sci-fi, with a little bit of Star Wars plagiarism...

[rebeljenn · 6/10 · 13 November 2005]

Although it is a little bit of a dated script and obviously copies off of Star Wars (don't those starfighters look an awful lot like X-wings), Battlestar Gallactica is worth a watch if you're a science fiction geek. If you've seen the new version before, you'll be amazed at how different the old version really is. In the old series, action, jokes, and flirting are much more common. The new version relies on political events and characters.

Although this 1978 version of the film moves a little slowly in places, there are the fascinating space battles. The dialog between the characters and some of the comedy is a little dated, however. I would recommend it if you're a fan of this genre.

A for effort, C- for execution

[Scott-8 · 25 December 1998]

Give the people who made "Battlestar Galactica" credit, it took a lot to make what they did. The concept was good, a war between humans and "cyborgs" (although they seem more like simple robots) to survive, as the humans flee in a collected fleet trying to find the lost colonies of humanity, namely Earth.

That would have been a novel idea for a theatrical movie, and for a TV show it was outer limits. The special effects were (by 1978 standards) top notch, the set design was good, and they even tried to create a different system of measures, since I think even in Star Trek they refer to things by minutes, hours, and years.

What let the movie (and later series) down was the same limits that affected most of seventies television. Schlocky dialogue, storylines sticking on personal and relationship problems, and somebody had the bright idea to put in a kid and a robot dog to go with him. If the series had been made today, or had simply been let free to explore ideas rather than stick to the "conventions" expected of series television, it might have been great. Instead, it's hardly remembered today.

Guilty Pleasure

[ebk3402 · 7/10 · 20 April 2005]

This is one of my favorite sci-fi shows, but I certainly recognize its flaws.

The Good:

* the concept

---> I liked the historical context of the 12 tribes of Kobol, the Pearl Harbor-like attack, the "ragtag fugitive fleet" seeking Earth. This really framed the series well.

---> The look of the Ceylon base ships and the bat-wing Ceylon fighters was terrific. I also liked the look of the battlestars and Colonial vipers. The command center of the battlestar seemed believable.

* the casting:

---> Lorne Greene as Adama brings a commanding screen presence

---> Richard Hatch as Apollo is well-cast and believable as a leader/captain of a fighter wing

---> Dirk Benedict as Starbuck the amiable sarcastic sidekick

---> John Colicos as Baltar oozed evil with perfection

---> other minor cast members like Herbert Jefferson Jr as Boomer and Terry Carter as Colonel Tigh were very well cast too

---> I thought the three most visible female characters were all good, though not standout. Maren Jensen, Laurette Spang, and Anne Lockhart just also happened to be beautiful too.

---> visiting cast members like:

-------> Lloyd Bridges as Commander Cain was truly memorable

-------> Patrick McNee as Count Iblis was also highly memorable

-------> Ray Milland and Fred Astaire were good guest stars too

* the costumes

---> I liked the Colonial Warrior uniforms - they still have a style to them today. I liked the Warrior helmets with their Egyptian-like motif.

---> The Ceylon warriors with their shiny armor, had a great look to them too. The red strobe they used for vision was a great menacing concept.

* some episodes with great plot lines

---> the return of Commander Cain and the Pegasus stands out

---> I thought the visit to the "home" planet of Kobol, with its Egyptian motifs, was terrific. This is part of the pilot's introductory three episodes.

---> I also liked the encounter with the Ship of Lights and Count Iblis - this was especially well done.

* the music - I still like the theme song to Battlestar Galactica

* the behavior of the Ceylons was entertaining. "By your command" spoken in a tinny voice was a favorite.

The Bad:

* some cheesy special effects (by today's standards)

---> ...and reuse of the same special effects

---> why was Count Iblis' crash site off-color in one moment, and clear blue the next?

* quite a lot of cheesy cringe-inducing dialogue

* the little kid Boxie and his robot dog

* some of the episodes had really horrible plot lines, especially later in the series

---> the Lost Warrior where the kids attack the Ceylon outpost

---> why did Baltar return to the human fleet again?

The Ugly:

* the original show was cancelled after one season

* Galactica 1980, the follow-on show in which the battlestar finds earth, was pretty horrible

All in all, I am willing to forgive Battlestar Galactica's flaws and remember with fondness its strengths.

Rick

The new widescreen DVD

[rlcsljo · 8/10 · 24 October 2003]

Having just seen a "restored" theatrical print a couple of months ago and now having seen the new DVD, I can say that it is virtually flawless. The subtlety of color makes many sequences appear almost three dimensional (especially on the Galactica). They appear to have removed most of the annoying matte lines from some scenes, although a few garbage mattes are visible. Some scenes that were almost unviewable blurs on the VHS have been restored to almost crystal clarity. Also visible are occasional film scratches, but it is far superior to anything I have seen since the 70's theatrical release in "Sensurround" or however they spelled it.

If you are a Galactica nut or even a fan, you will cherish this in your collection.

P.S. I don't work for Universal!

Absorbing sci-fi story.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 22 May 2019]

The early episodes of the short-lived series were adapted into this feature film, which tells, in capable style, of people living in the distant future. They are at war with mechanical villains called the Cylons, who renege on a supposed deal for peace. Many of the humans' military forces and colonized planets are decimated, with one Battlestar remaining: the Galactica. It's up to the intrepid Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) and his troops to relocate all the survivors - if they can find any place suitable.

Apparently axed by ABC because it was, at the time, very expensive to produce, there certainly was some potential in the character-building and world-building done here. Clearly, this series was borne out of inspiration from "Star Wars", but it's reasonably interesting and pretty entertaining on its own terms. It benefits from a highly engaging cast: Richard Hatch as Apollo, Dirk Benedict as Starbuck, Herbert Jefferson Jr. as Boomer, Maren Jensen as Athena, Tony Swartz as Jolly, Noah Hathaway as Boxey, and Terry Carter as Colonel Tigh, with a variety of familiar faces in guest star roles. Of these performers, Ray Milland was a particular favourite for this viewer because he's clearly having some fun playing a slimy opportunist.

Decent production values and action sequences help to keep "Battlestar Galactica" quite watchable, as well as a fair amount of humour (Starbuck likes to gamble, and develops an interest in an otherworldly musical act). It does get mildly precious when it creates a robotic "daggit" (or dog) on which Boxey can dote, but at least this particular character doesn't get *that* much screen time.

The Cylons are pretty cool villains, icy and remote and answering to an insidious being called The Imperious Leader (voiced by an uncredited Patrick Macnee). They do provide the right amount of menace. Producer John Dykstra continued here to utilize the same sort of special effects technology that he pioneered on "Star Wars"; the effects are variable, but effective overall.

The theme music by Stu Phillips is rousing enough to ensure a good time, and the story is, overall, enjoyable enough for this viewer to want to give the series a look.

As everybody knows, this was followed by an updated TV series (and TV movies) in the early 21st century.

Seven out of 10.

One of a kind...

[Captain Spyro · 10/10 · 28 January 2004]

That's right, one of a kind. When I first watched this show back a couple of years ago, it just caught me like no other had ever done before. The characters, the settings, the stories, all just magnificent.

One thing a lot of people pick on is the writing. I, myself, do not have a problem with it at all. In fact, I find that the stories make this show one of the most unique sci-fi's ever done. The 12 Colonies of Man all decimated by the Cylon Empire and the struggle of the refugees to survive, all escaping in some 220 refugee ships all being protected by the Galactica herself in search of the planet earth. And let's not forget the other memorable stories, such as the discovery of Commander Cain & the Battlestar Pegasus and when the Galactica found Kobol and discovered some of the origins of men. There's also the stories involving the Ship of Lights, Terra, and other ships from within the rag-tag fleet.

Another highlight of the show is the characters, especially Adama, Apollo, and Starbuck. One could say that Adama was the father figure, the wisest of the group. Then there's Apollo, just one of them good ole boys. And then we have Starbuck, probably the most memorable character from the entire series. And let's not forget the others: Boomer, Jolly, Athena, Cassiopeia, Boxey, Muffit, and last, but definitely not least, Baltar. Yes, this menacing figure is probably the 2nd most memorable face in the series.

And let's not forget the Cylons. These guys were probably one of the biggest money makers of the series back then. Menacing and powerful, they will stop at nothing until the destruction of the human race is complete.

One of the biggest highlights of this production is the music. Who can forget the opening theme? No doubt one of the greatest in all of sci-fi. We also have the Cylon music, very dark and menacing. In this production, Stu Phillips was a genius and he should definitely be commended.

Now, the special effects are something to be admired as well. Created by Star Wars' own John Dykstra, the effects in Battlestar Galactica greatly outshined the rest at that time. Though, the biggest drawback is the constant reuse of special effects footage over and over and over and over again. But it was done to save money, so it's understandable.

Another memorable aspect of the show are the ships themselves. The Galactica, herself, is a huge and powerful vessel, while retaining a charm that few other ships can keep. Probably the most popular ship was the Colonial Viper. While they may resemble the X-Wing Starfighters of Star Wars, the Vipers are unique and special in their own way. Probably the most unique ship in the show was the Cylon Raider. Bat-like in appearance, it was a fierce competitor for the Viper. Then there's the Cylon Basestar, just plain menacing is all that can be said about it. Then there are the other ships: The Rising Star, The Colonial Movers ship, The Celestra, The Prison Barge, The Livery ship, The Gemini Freighter, etc. They all were memorable in their own way.

This show is VERY underrated. A work of art, in my very honest opinion. I give it a 10/10. Extremely brilliant.

Cylons, ships and crap effects!

[nmk2002uk · 7/10 · 25 March 2004]

"There are those who believe, that life here began out there." These words marked the start of a new sci-fi show that featured robots, ships, bigger ships, planets, space and more robots. Yes, I remember when I got my first taste of Battlestar Galactica for the first time back in 1986 when it showed on BBC2 at 6pm. Aged only four, I knew this program would be in my life forever. My sister used to watch it just for Richard Hatch and still does! The Twelve colonies of Man have been fighting the Cylons for over a millenia. Finally having a choice for peace, the Humans take it, not knowing what lies around the corner. Only Adama's two sons, Zak and Apollo know of the empending doom from a routine recon patrol. Racing to get back to the Galactica, one of them gets blown to bits when a Cylon attack force races towards the fleet of Battlestars. If you've seen the series and the feature-lentgh movie, you know of the quality of the effects were, at that time, groundbreaking. Now, they're just pants. The actings good along with the plot. Its just those effects. That niggle aside, I still love watching both the series and the movie. Oh, don't bother watching the new one. It don't match up to the original. I mean...Starbucks..a..Woman!!

Great sci-fi

[zumo-16908 · 5/10 · 4 June 2018]

I quite enjoyed this film, so at first it may seem strange that I only gave it 5 stars, but there is an explanation for that. The story is original and intriguing, and the special effects are good with great model work and vector based computer graphics. You get more than two hours of worth while space adventure, but there are a couple of things that makes me to deduct a star or two. Many of the special effects scenes, while gorgeous, are reused more than once in the film, which is sometimes a bit of a distraction. Especially a couple of times where whats taking place in the story does not match the reused effects scene. Also, as this is essentially a TV-show tie-in, the movie ends somewhat abrupt leaving a bit of an empty feeling if you do not plan on watching the show. It can definitely be watched on its own though, and it is possible to look past the things i mentioned here, but my rating here has to be fair and comparable to other movies in the genre. The obvious comparison is Star Wars which came out the year before, and Battlestar Galactica the movie is definitely not near that level overall.

I would recommend any sci-fi fan to watch Battlestar Galactica.

Battlestar Galactica

[warbird1786 · 8/10 · 12 October 2007]

Awesome show for the time. As far as copying anything from Star Wars, I don't think so. The Vipers are NOTHING like the X-Wings. The model work is outstanding. Some of the dialog is sugar coated, but the premise is great. For once, it isn't earth getting annihilated by aliens and robots. I have shown this series to some of my sons friends who thought it was cool. It's worth watching. Lorene Greene is excellent as Commander Adama and his counter part, John Colicos, is very good as Count Baltar. I still love seeing the Vipers launch out of their tubes(I'd like to see an X-Wiin have a dramatic entrance like that)A lot of work went into the show only to have ABC cancel it out of stupidity. The show was very popular(which is why George Lucas and Co. went after it)It is NOTHING like the new show. But is very well done.

Colorful TV pilot in which the crew of the spaceship Galactica must battle their robot enemies in an attempt to reach Earth

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 23 May 2023]

Straightforward and nostalgic space opera story with breathtaking space battles , grandiose sentiment and slushy romances. This is a pilot episode of the sci-fi TV series which was later released in the theatres . Humanity has reached for the stars and populated twelve planets as colonies of their home planet Kobol in a distant part of the galaxy . A reptilian race has created robots with artificial intelligence, the Cylons, that rebel against humanity and after a war agree to go their own way. Humanity, consists of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. A long time back, robot slaves were created called Cylons to do their work. The Cylons eventually revolted and a bloody war ensued ; then an armistice was signed and the Cylons left the Twelve Colonies . Later on , Cylons attack and nuking the twelve colonies , thus killing billions of humans and virtually annihilating human civilization. The only survivors under President Adar (Lew Ayres) and commanded by Adama (Lorne Greene) and Colonel Tigh (Terry Carter) were in space at the time. These survivors band together along with the only surviving warship, Battlestar Galactica, under the aegis of Commander William Adama , along with brave pilots : Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch) who's Adama's son , philander Lieutenant Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) , Lieutenant Boomer (Herbert Jefferson Jr.) and over the next seasons they set out to escape the Cylons and to find the fabled 13th Colony called Earth . After the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Mankind, the last major fighter carrier leads a makeshift fugitive fleet on a desperate search for the legendary planet Earth !. The Last Battlestar Galactica Leads a Rag Tag Fugitive Fleet on a Lonely Quest for a Shining Planet Known as...Earth !. Special ABC Space Spectacular!. The fight to save humanity rages on !. Where will you stand? Destiny is not what it seems !. The world is over !. The fight has just begun !.

This sensational TV epic adventure is plenty of action , impressive battles , spectacular drama and being pretty entertaining . Feature cobbled from the American TV series complete with shots and effects repeated ad nauseam. Similar in plot and costume to ¨Star Wars¨ , but at heart a traditional space western with less emphasis on droids and more on shootouts . Some good FX , but with strictly standard , ordinary performance from a popular cast . Original Battlestar Galactica series was based on an idea called "Adam's Ark" by Glen A. Larson . The movie packs a real sense of wonder and stimulating action set pieces illuminating the full-blown feats of the various protagonists and winding up in overlong battles and a stunning finale . Dealing with the known confrontation between Humans and Cyclons ; when the Cylons, resurface obliterate , attack and destroy the 12 colonies, the crew of Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth. As the adventure deals with the good guys : a group of humans , and , the bad boys : the Cyclons that quickly dominate humanity , wiping out most and forcing thousands of humans to flee in ragtag fleet through space. It offered an entertaining mix of adventure , thrills , space dogfighting and brief doses of comedy, with stories that intentionally deliver action , adventure , romance and aerial battles . It contains incredible and overwhelming array of technical visual effects designed by expert John Dykstra . "Galactica" was really re-worked from its original pilot to capitalize on the popularity of "Star Wars", and it employed the same special effects team and the same concept designer. Besides, the attractive props , atrezzo , gowns from this series were recycled for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), which Glen A. Larson also produced. Casting was essential for the series to succeed, and Larson made an inspired choice. The valiant womanizer Dirk Benedict combined maturity with a boyish charm, and an ability to make even the most risqué remark seem unoffensive ; the brave , responsible Richard Hatch , while his father acted by Lorne Greene provided kind stability and statesman-like wisdom to the mix, and a number of gorgeous Sci-fi girls as Maren Jensen , Laurette Spang and a young Jane Seymour ; in adittion : Lew Ayres , Wilfrid Hyde-White , John Colicos, Ray Milland , Ed Begley Jr. , Rick Springfield ; furthermore , a goofy little robot , Boxey's "daggit" (a dog-like animal) "drone", or robot, was realized by having a trained chimpanzee inside the daggit-drone costume . Richard Hatch as Captain Apollo is the only actor to appear in this series and the reboot Galactica (2004) , however, in the latter, he did not reprise his role of Apollo from the original but instead played a different character. This TV pilot was professionally directed by Richard A. Colla and Alan J. Levi . Rating : 6.5/10 . It is really for genre fans

This classic series is formed by 21 episodes and there're individual episodes also available that have been exhibided on big screen . And a successful reboot : Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) : Writers: Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. Moore with Edward James Olmos , Mary McDonnel , Jamie Bamber , James Callis , Tricia Helfer , Grace Park , Katee Sackhof. In the classic series Battlestar Galactica (1978) the Cylons were created by a reptilian race. In this series (2004) , the Cylons are created by humans by means of scientific advancement . Because this series was based on the 1970's show he created, Glen A. Larson was credited as a consulting producer on every episode of the new series, ensuring that he receives a significant residual income ; however, he had no part in the production whatsoever.

"...beyond our star system, in a galaxy much like our own..."

[The_Other_Snowman · 3/10 · 7 March 2007]

The above statement, from the patriarchal Commander Adama (Lorne Green) sums up this show quite nicely. Adama has to lead the last survivors of humanity from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol to a long-lost mythic planet called Earth, home of the 13th Tribe, after the colonies are attacked by the robotic and clumsy Cylons, who strafe a city or two and kill at least one dog.

The first part of Adama's statement is fair enough. Clearly another solar system would be located beyond your own solar system. Oh, but it's also in a different galaxy? You might as well say that the restaurant you're trying to find is "Just down the street, in another country". I wonder if the writers knew what they were talking about.

"Galactica" is full of moments like this. The Vipers, the little fighter planes our heroes fly into battle, have enormous fiery exhaust trails, implying constant acceleration, the effect of which would be to reduce our heroes to strawberry jam. (The Vipers themselves look like hastily cobbled-together knock-offs of the X-wings from "Star Wars"). Their cockpits even have a little instrument on the dashboard telling the pilot which way is "up" -- in space.

The villains of the show are the infamous Cylons, renowned in the realm of televised science fiction as the dumbest, clumsiest, and most ridiculous-looking villains ever. It's to be expected that they can't shoot, but these chrome-plated robots can barely walk. According to Lorne Green, the Cylons are just plain evil, but I'm not sure "evil robots" is all that meaningful, although I did have an evil calculator once. I'm never quite sure whether the Cylons had an organic counterpart who created them, but it doesn't really matter.

In many ways this show is a shallow imitation of "Star Wars," and this can be seen in the cast of characters. Particularly Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), who tries so hard to be Han Solo, but only comes off as petulant, sexist, and rather pathetic. Apollo is the noble, Luke Skywalker hero type, and as such doesn't have a personality. Starbuck has a faithful black sidekick, Boomer, who seems to be much more competent than Starbuck. Adama also has a faithful black sidekick, called Colonel Tigh, who at one point is reduced to picking up everyone's laundry. Take that, Civil Rights Movement!

The destruction of the human colonies is a brief, and amazingly painless affair. A park is strafed by Cylon ships, and a small dog is killed (though the actual death is not shown, so we are left with some hope). Soon enough, our heroes have forgotten all about the genocide: Starbuck tries to get it on with two equally boring women, and Apollo enters into a creepy relationship with the little boy whose dog was maybe killed (though it might be slightly less creepy if you consider he was only trying to sleep with Jane Seymour, the boy's mother). The Cylons, meanwhile, attack again, but are destroyed because they're so utterly incompetent.

Oh yes, and there's a robot dog. I think it was actually a chimp in a robot-dog costume, but either way it's quite nauseating. The special effects are all right to start off (I like those old effects from the Seventies and Eighties, sometimes more than modern CGI), but get very repetitive very fast. I could also mention the preposterous characterization of the humans, including weak-kneed pacifists who are quickly killed, the inexplicably evil and stupid Lord Baltar (John Colicos) who betrays humanity, and the unbelievably dumb Council of Twelve, who prove that democracy just doesn't work.

watch it again for the first time

[gsawyer · 16 March 2000]

for over 20 years poeple have slammed BSG for not being as good as star wars.......excuse me? but sci fi series is. QUIT SLAMMING IT AND WATCH IT AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME.what you'll discover is a wonderful tale about tragedy,exodus,survival,conflict,strategy,and even romance.you'll find a group of people who are forced to draw a line in the stars and fight back when all odds are agianst them . the story is actually better than star wars. and maybe even better acted than star wars. what it fails to do is capture your immagination the way star wars did. the specail effects hold up even by todays standard. i'm going out on a limb to say that the 2 1/2 hour pilot movie is arguably the best space opera ever behind the star wars trilogy.if you love great looking space battles,good special effects, and a great story. this film is a must see.you owe it to yourself to own a copy of this movie. it is a classic treat your gonna wanna see over and over and over...and just like star wars you'll never get tired of it

Just my episode rankings and comments

[reillym32 · 7/10 · 10 August 2008]

SAGA OF A STARWORLD: The movie-length series pilot was great, with space battle action, we see for the first and only time the full fleet of Battlestars as they were, lots of Cylons, the traitorous Count Baltar (John Colicos), the planet Carolon and the creepy Ovions. This episode gets an A.

LOST PLANET OF THE GODS Part 1 and 2: A good two-parter, and I liked how the Galactica found and entered that black void in space, and eventually found the planet Kobol, where all human life supposedly originated. That whole premise sort of had some awe and wonder to it. Adama's (Lorne Greene) research on the ancient exodus from Kobol, and the way the Galactica exited the void and found Kobol, both seemed to have put the famous star on opposite sides of the void, which confused me a little. And there was nothing on the surface of Kobol that indicated that the ancient people had any space flight technology to leave Kobol, which was also a little confusing. A.

THE LOST WARRIOR: I liked this episode, with Apollo (Richard Hatch), stranded on a planet due to his viper running out of fuel, and finding himself pitted against a Cylon (called Red Eye by the planet locals) who was also stranded on the planet, but with memory loss, and now being commanded by a local gangster-type on the planet. The thing about this episode that didn't make sense is the locals not recognizing Red Eye as a Cylon before Apollo arrived, considering that these people originated from the Colonies as well, and the husband of one of the women was a Colonial Warrior. B+.

THE LONG PATROL: Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) is assigned to go down to a planet (the reason for which I don't think was very well explained in the episode) in a suped-up, but unarmed viper. I thought the episode was a little bland, but it has some amusing Starbuck moments. C+.

THE GUN ON ICE PLANET ZERO Part 1 and 2: This episode has some good action in it, but it's never been one of my favorites. And the repeated use of visual effects stock footage was particularly annoying in this episode, like that same image of the laser from the ice gun shooting across the fleet. C+.

THE MAGNIFICENT WARRIORS: The team has to go down to a planet to barter for some food seeds after two of the agro-ships are destroyed by a Cylon attack. Bland episode. C.

THE YOUNG LORDS: Another stranded viper pilot episode, this time it's Starbuck, and he has to help several children free their father from the Cylons, who have occupied the planet. Another bland episode, but it does have a lot of Cylons (they're always cool to look at) and Spector, another IL series Cylon that Lucifer is jealous of. Baltar is also in this episode. C+.

THE LIVING LEGEND Part 1 and 2: A powerhouse episode, that has the Galactica discovering that not all the other Battlestars were destroyed, as they find the Pegasus with Commander Kane (Lloyd Bridges) in command. Lots of Cylons, lots of space (and planet) battles, a Battlestar taking on two Baseships. A+.

FIRE IN SPACE: If I want to watch "The Towering Inferno," I'll watch "The Towering Inferno." The worst "Galactica" episode in my opinion. A generous C-.

WAR OF THE GODS Part 1 and 2: Another excellent episode. But when Count Isblis (Patrick Macnee) says to Baltar that in order for his (Isblis') voice to be that of the Imperious Leader, it would've had to have been transcribed into machine leader a thousand yahrens ago. Isblis would have to be a thousand yahrens old. But I think that is exactly what happened. A.

THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES: A decent episode and a good look at life within the fleet. B-.

MURDER ON THE RISING STAR: Another decent episode, a whodunit, and another good look at life within the fleet. B-.

GREETINGS FROM EARTH: I think this episode is very underrated by fans. I thought it had a very good story. But, design-wise, Hector and Vector are the worst-looking robots I've ever seen. A-.

BALTAR'S ESCAPE: This episode has Baltar, along with the Nomen from MAN WITH NINE LIVES and Eastern Alliance Enforcers from GREETINGS FROM EARTH, planning an escape from the prison barge, and from the fleet. Good within-the-fleet action episode. B+.

EXPERIMENT IN TERRA: Disappointing follow-up episode to GREETINGS FROM EARTH. Not much action, but the Ship of Lights from WAR OF THE GODS returns. But I wish the GREETINGS FROM EARTH/Terra arc could've been explored better in this series. C.

TAKE THE CELESTRA: Another underrated episode in my opinion, and another good within-the-fleet action episode like BALTAR'S ESCAPE. B+.

THE HAND OF GOD: The final episode of TOS has the Cylons finally returning, and the Galactica plans to take on a Baseship. Another good action episode. A-.

Earthbound

[BaronBl00d · 7/10 · 26 September 2009]

For a television movie that set up a series afterward, Battlestar Galactica was really very entertaining. There is no doubt at all that it is a no-holds barred knock-off of Star Wars. nonetheless it has an interesting plot, enjoyable characters played by enjoyable if not great actors, some top-notch special effects for its day(and some truly horrendous ones as well), and a great score. A war between robots and humans breaks out as a human betrays his people for power. Soon the survivors of a vanquished group of human colonies make their way back to Earth to find their "mythical" sister in race. Lorne Greene plays the chief leader wonderfully and his role gives this film much of its credibility. Actors Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict are playfully acceptable and we get the likes of ray Milland, Lew Ayres, Patrick Macnee(voice very menacing), the always affable Wilfred Hyde-White, Terry Carter, and others who all enhance this production. The film end so a series can take off and though I watched it as a kid I don't remember that all that well. It appears I am not missing much. This tele-film; however, is generally well-made and very fun to sit back and enjoy. There are some detractors of course like some corny situations, dialog, and characters. The boy with the robot dog is so nauseatingly unpleasant.

better story than Star Wars but worse effects

[andre-71 · 8/10 · 5 December 2000]

Battlestar Galactica did have a heavy impact on my childhood. I remember all of my friends trying to rebuild Battlestars and Vipers in various designs out of our LEGO space edition tiles. And how much fun it was to blast the other's ships into pieces! LEGO must have earned millions through us. Never ever has there been another spacecraft as illustrious in design as the Galactica (forget Star Trek's clumsy saucers). Unfortunately, the special effects appeared a little simple, because they were persistently reused. And YES, another commentator was right: Maren Jenson is THE reason to watch the show! Of course, there are one or two things about the story which are quite dubious. For one, the praised military leadership being better than a civilian one is a little hard-core cold-war belief. And in the series, those partially overemphasized religious elements sometimes got a little annoying in the otherwise splendid science-fantasy plot. But after all, those elements formed a heterogeneous mix promoting tolerance and gave the show its uniqueness. Definitely worth watching!

A Good Pilot for a Good Television Series

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 8 May 2015]

In a distant galaxy, after a long and costly war, a truce is being implemented between humans and a race of machines known as "Cylons". As a goodwill gesture the leaders of humanity order the entire fleet to assemble at a predetermined location to show their appreciation. It's at this time that the Cylons double-cross the humans and launch a two-pronged surprise assault: the first against the exposed fleet and the second upon the defenseless home planets. Both are extremely successful except that one battlestar remains operational-the Battlestar Galactica-and it's this battlestar that manages to return to the devastated home planets long enough to organize an evacuation utilizing assorted space vessels prior to a devastating second strike by the Cylons. Having barely made their escape, the question then becomes whether this make-shift flotilla can evade hostile Cylon task forces long enough to reach their destination-Earth. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this pilot program for a television series was quite good for its time. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged well and there are a couple of flaws in it which are quite noticeable. For example, in a subsequent surprise attack later in the movie the same radar graphic is used which depicts two "Vipers" being chased by Cylon fighters exactly like the scenario involving "Captain Apollo" (Richard Hatch) and his younger brother "Lieutenant Zac" (Rick Springfield). Likewise, the series also contains a few scenes which are reused as well. Even so this was a good pilot for a good television series and despite the fact that it is quite dated I still find it enjoyable even today. Accordingly, I rate it as slightly above average.

What all us children would watch on Sunday nights.

[mm-39 · 8/10 · 6 July 2019]

What all us children would watch on Sunday nights. I remember Battlestar Galactica movie interrupted by President Carter signing a peace deal got me so mad when I was ten. Took me years to catch the end of the movie, but I filled in the gaps and loved the t v series. We had Starbuck, (Face from the A team), Greene, and a great supporting cast which made for memorable characters. Everything space oriented had to deal with the fame of Star Wars special effects and Battlestar Galactica had great special effects. The Battlestar Galactica was excellent looking, and the Cylon robots, their ships, Battle stations etc was mind blowing for 70's non CGI tv. The mix of great characters, actors, and special effects built the pillars for great stories. Star Buck meeting his father, Red eye western, Ice Planted Zero, and the series premiere were the most notable for me. What worked for me is/was each story had humor, mystery and great effects; a formula for any sci-fi story. Serious but not to serious. The music, costumes and cylon red eyes still stick as a child. Good memories. 8 out of 10 stars.

great memories, crappy tv-film

[danwebnl · 7/10 · 29 April 2003]

As a six or seven year old, I was glued to the screen every sunday night at about 8 o'clock. My favorite tv-show, battlestar gallactica, had something magical and cool (never heard of Star wars at that point :)). It had a lovable rogue in Capt. Starbuck and a guy we all wanted to be in Capt. Apollo.

20 years later the romance en nostalgia rapidly wears of. I grabbed the DVD out of the sales-bin the other day, and watching it wasn't that enjoyable anymore.

Spoiler!!

First of, the plot and story are not that great. It goes wrong at the very beginning of the film. why in god's name would you leave your colonies unguarded, when you haven't signed a treaty yet. well, I would never leave my civilization for a shooting target, whatever the situation would be.

/spoiler

About the acting. Well, it's ok. The cheesy lines are acceptable, and Dirk Benedict is kinda funny, in his own, gambling and cigar smokin', kinda way. His character is based on Han Solo, as Apollo is a Luke in many ways. And so many Star Wars characters have a Battlestar double.

Even for it's time the SFX are not more than ok, but the use of ordinary 80's 'earth' electronics to display the interior of the battlestar and fighters is more disturbing. It's a cheap production in many ways, which leaves you with the thought : has this production team got lack of imagination or money?

-Spoiler- Nice easter egg: When the battlestar command is trying to help starbuck get back to the Gallactica, they take over his board computer, you can see it boot up and a command line appears saying "made in the USA.." - another sign of faulty and inaccurate production -/Spoiler-

By Your Command

[BumpyRide · 5/10 · 27 October 2006]

Being 15 at the time when this show first hit the airwaves I was in Sci-Fi Heaven! After seeing Star Wars and "Classic" Star Trek uncountable times, here was a new show that had great special effects just like in the theaters. The sets, costumes and the actors seemed all first rate for a mere TV show. I didn't ask for much back then because to me, it was a good show. Evil Cylons in their marauders with their telltale red eye seeing, all blasting the rag tag fleet...how much better could it get? Well, it could have been much better. Recently watching several of them when the new BSG arrived I found them to be almost unbearable to watch. The plots were nothing like Star Trek or even Lost In Space for that matter. Characters quickly became cartoon-like, with little character development after the premiere episode. Special, special effects (for that time) do not a show make. However, we have to applaud that the show was even put in production since TV Execs hate Sci-Fi shows, and now we can enjoy the new Battlestar that is everything its predecessor was not.

The Best Star Wars Clone

[skorzeny · 10/10 · 19 June 1999]

Created by Glen A. Larson, the master of late-1970's TV Sci-Fi, this is the best of the spate of Star Wars clones. On the surface, it is a cheesy space-opera epic with space battles, an army of genocidal robots, a traitorous betrayal, and a desperate fight against incredible odds. Going deeper, it is both a statement about the Cold War and a conscious allegory of Mormon theology (Larson is a member of the LDS church).

I grew with this series, and idolized Starbuck and Apollo. Still today, I can watch the series premiere (which was also variously released as a TV movie, and even in theaters in Canada, Europe, and later the USA) over and over again. There are some moments of great dialogue, the effects are pretty good (even if they tend to repeat...a lot), and the story and series concept are excellent. You gotta love any series that STARTS with the near-extinction of the entire human race.

Unfortunately, when the transition was made from the original concept of several special-event TV movies to a regular series, the conventions of 70's TV took over. Forget most of the series episodes, they tend to repeat plot ideas more than "Star Trek: Voyager" re-uses the "Space Anomaly of the Week" idea. But the original movie is a true sci-fi classic.

Well engineered space opera

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 17 March 2016]

This theatrically released version of the pilot episode is light years (or is that light yahrens?) ahead of its TV contemporaries in terms of special f/x and production values. With a few exceptions, the f/x work here is fantastic. In a couple of cases it's better than 'Star Wars', the success of which made 'Galactica' possible. It should come as no surprise that Academy award winning f/x man John Dykstra, who was partly responsible for the groundbreaking work in 'Star Wars', was in charge of the f/x work here, as were several members of his ILM crew. Another 'Star Wars' alum, concept artist Ralph McQuarrie, filled a similar role for 'BSG', but while the ships may share a similar aesthetic (particularly the X-Wing and the Colonial Viper), I'd say they're ('SW' and 'BSG') more like second cousins than siblings.

The plot is a sort of mish-mash of Mormon theology, the Holocaust, classic space opera and wagon train in space, and it works quite well. It's always tougher to world build in a film than it is in a book, but BSG does a reasonably good job of distilling its backstory down so that you get the gist without things having to grind to a halt for dull expository reasons. The characters are pretty stock, but the cast do a fine job of inhabiting them such that they feel real. Lorne Greene in particular adds a real gravitas to things as the Galactica's stoic leader. I actually think he's the linchpin to the whole thing. Just when things threaten to go off into the ridiculous (Like Starbuck trying to make a quick buck off of a four eyed, double mouthed Motown-style female singing group), here comes Mr. Greene to bring things back in line.

The actual series itself was, like most such genre TV of its day, often hit or miss, but this opening movie is a fun, occasionally compelling, bit of Saturday morning space opera.

Lowest Grade Sci-Fi

[jmg38 · 1/10 · 20 January 2004]

This noisy aimless mess was an attempt to cash in on the popularity of Star Wars, released the previous year. Battlestar Galactica was barely able to hang on for one season despite the fertile ground and general acceptance for sci-fi that had been created by the Star Wars hit.

This 1978 Galactica, and all the other followup Galactica "movies" and series to come from it in the early 1980's, was poorly written and poorly developed. The final product was so revolting that they even managed to mangle the hackneyed character stereotypes and plot twists that were regularly used to fill out the majority of each week's episode.

While fans of the series heap praise on Lorne Greene, John Colicos (and Richard Hatch) for their fine effort, most seem to ignore the fact that these unlucky thespians were working with ridiculous scripts. One shudders to think how much worse the final on screen product would have been if everyone performed as poorly as Dirk Benedict, the intended 'lovable rogue' stereotype who instead came across as the 'obnoxious pain in the a**' stereotype.

The final product would have been better suited for Saturday mornings, but the expense of the leading edge special effects (for 1978) forced this to be a prime time offering.

Producer Glen Larson has an impressive track record for producing fun, technology-based fare, but Galactica was simply too weak on too many levels. Catch his Buck Rogers, early Knight Rider or Fall Guy for examples of how the genre CAN work without making you wish that the 'bad guys' would win so the series could end.