I tend to really like science fiction. Growing up, I read a ton of it, and watched whatever I could get my grubby little hands on. Now, I’ve never been to any conventions or anything, but, like your average geek, I do like the stuff.
That said, there’s been a TON of piss-poor attempts that have been “passed off” as science fiction, and I’ve become somewhat skeptical of most things labled as sci-fi these days.
So, rewind 3 years ago when the Sci-Fi channel announced that they were going to remake Battlestar Galactica. As my friend Joe pointed out, this has all the ingredients to be catastrophically bad:
- it’s a mini-series
- it’s a remake
- it’s based on a 70’s TV show
- it’s done by the sci-fi channel
- all the promo material featured photos of the scantily clad Tricia Helfer
Clearly, looking at these facts alone, this was going to suck.
I’d heard here and there that it wasn’t so bad… but I had made up my mind. I wanted none of it. Are you kidding? How could something like this possibly be good? These people were nuts. They all probably like Stargate Atlantis, too.
So last week, TiVo decided to record an episode for me. Kate and Chester were out of town, and I decided I was just bored enough to give it a try. Goddamn if it wasn’t pretty well done.
This meant having to suck up my pride, and rent the mini-series that started the season. And, goddamn if it wasn’t also pretty good, too!
The acting and character stories, while not spectacular, were decent. The visual effects, I thought, were outstanding. They did a fantastic job of achieving a real feeling of insurmountable odds—of total annihilation.
I’m not exactly sure how this happened. Even though this had all the ingredients that should have made it unwatchable… somehow, it wasn’t. Some how it didn’t suck. I’m really surprised.
Now if only the sci-fi channel would stop showing 1-star-direct-to-video-shit-movies, they might actually get me as a viewer.